New Renewable Energy Sources Research Articles

FISH PRODUCTION AND THE POTENTIAL OF TILAPIA PRODUCTION IN BRAZIL AND IN THE WORLD: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF ITS USE AS ENERGY AND FOOD

The need for new sources of renewable energy is something that is widely studied today. In several countries, the search for new sources of raw materials for biodiesel production is being evaluated and used. Among these sources is the use of animal fat waste. In this context, the use of fish waste is being evaluated and applied as an intensive source in the production of biodiesel. However, the development of technologies that can make the extraction of these fats viable is still a determining factor in the full use of these wastes. This study presents a review of the production of Nile Tilapia, farmed in captivity, as well as its use in the production of and application in the biodiesel production chain. This work, because it is a review of the potential for the use of waste, used a systematic assessment of the collection of studies, market assessments, and government agencies, which made it possible to obtain data on production and waste generation. For this purpose, searches were carried out on journal platforms and websites that involve the fish production chain. Thus, the verification of this new source of biomass in energy generation becomes viable for the development of new technologies that can add value to waste and reduce the environmental impacts caused by fish farming. The study indicates that there is a significant opportunity in the use of fish waste for the production of renewable fuels, specifically those that have a high lipid content, and their use for the production of biodiesel is possible.

THE EFFECT OF NACL ADDITION TO TiO2/NiSe/NC PHOTOCATALYTIC FOR HYDROGEN GAS PRODUCTION

The widespread utilization of fossil fuel has resulted in fuel scarcity due to population growth and increased industrialization, driving the evolution of new renewable energy sources (NRE). Alternatively, hydrogen production through solar water splitting and TiO2 as a potential photocatalyst can be developed due to its good stability, environmental friendliness, and economic viability. However, TiO2 has the disadvantage of a wide bandgap that requires high energy and fast recombination. Therefore, in this research, TiO2/NiSe (TN) was synthesized with N doped carbon dopant modified with NaCl as a photocatalyst material through a solvothermal method. The characterized material using XRD, SEM, UV-DRS, BET, and FTIR. Photocatalytic activity tests were conducted to determine hydrogen production using an MQ8 sensor integrated with an Arduino microcontroller system. The synthesized materials are TN, TNC-0, and TNC-10. The addition of NaCl in carbon doped nitrogen materials of photocatalyst TNC-10 shows a reduction of the bandgap that is the lowest bandgap value obtained was 3.09eV. The photocatalytic activity test results showed a hydrogen production of 120 ppm for TNC-10, which is six-times higher compared to bare TiO2 as a photocatalyst. The increase in hydrogen gas production is due to the addition of NaCl to NC, which can enhance the photocatalytic activity and hydrogen adsorption on the catalyst surface during hydrogen production.

Stabilizing Large-Scale Electric Power Grids with Adaptive Inertia

The stability of ac power grids relies on ancillary services that mitigate frequency fluctuations. The electromechanical inertia of large synchronous generators is currently the only resource to absorb frequency disturbances on subsecond time scales. Replacing standard thermal power plants with inertialess new renewable sources of energy (NREs) therefore jeopardizes grid stability against, e.g., sudden power-generation losses. To guarantee system stability and compensate the lack of electromechanical inertia in grids with large penetrations of NREs, virtual synchronous generators, which emulate conventional generators, have been proposed. Here, we propose a novel control scheme for virtual synchronous generators, where the provided inertia is large at short times—thereby absorbing faults as efficiently as conventional generators—but decreases over a tunable time scale to prevent coherent frequency oscillations from setting in. We evaluate the performance of this adaptive-inertia scheme under sudden power losses in large-scale transmission grids. We find that it systematically outperforms conventional electromechanical inertia and that it is more stable than previously suggested schemes. Numerical simulations show how a quasioptimal geographical distribution of adaptive-inertia devices not only absorbs local faults efficiently but also significantly increases the damping of interarea oscillations. Our results show that the proposed adaptive-inertia control scheme is an excellent solution to strengthen grid stability in future low-inertia power grids with large penetrations of NREs. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Economic and environmental bottlenecks in the industrial‐scale production of lipid‐derived biofuels from oleaginous yeasts: A review of the current trends and future prospects

AbstractConcerns about climate change and the reliance on fossil fuel reserves have motivated researchers to identify new renewable sources of energy. Biomass holds the potential to replace fossil‐derived products with biofuels and bio‐based chemicals. Plant‐derived lipids are promising sources of biofuels; however, the production of plant oil often leads to the release of massive amounts of carbon dioxide due to deforestation and land‐use change. The production of biofuels via plant oils (such as soybean) also competes with food production and in turn, impacts biodiversity. To mitigate these issues, the production of lipids from oleaginous yeasts could be an excellent alternative by incorporating these microbes into biorefineries utilizing agricultural or forest residues. Eventually, these microbial lipids could be potential sources for producing lipid‐derived biofuels. However, the current conventional methods for the production and recovery of lipids from oleaginous microbes suffer from economic and ecological challenges that affect its industrial‐scale expansion. This review highlights the major economic and environmental bottlenecks for the production of lipid‐derived biofuels from oleaginous yeasts. It also provides perspectives on the strategies that could be adapted on economic and ecological fronts to assist the expansion of the production of microbial lipid‐derived biofuels at an industrial scale.

A Tale of Two Dependencies: European Strategic Autonomy in the Field of Energy

The concept of European strategic autonomy (ESA) in the energy field gained particular traction after the Russian invasion of Ukraine showed the extent and risks of fossil energy dependency on autocratic regimes. Fossil dependency on undemocratic and unstable petrostates is a critical weakness that increase the European Union’s (EUs) vulnerability and limit its capacity to act. This liability stretches beyond the dependency on Russia since the EU imports from many other countries that are undemocratic and heavily reliant on oil and gas revenues. Increasing new sources of renewable energy helps to address this issue, but also brings new dependencies, namely on critical raw materials (CRMs) whose value chains are largely in Chinese hands. This paper argues that the EU should nevertheless continue to reduce its fossil dependencies on petrostates and consider more pro-actively how to manage the energy relationship with them. Simultaneously, in the area of CRMs it needs to expand its partnerships, recycling capacities and research and development (R&D) into diversification into alternative materials for green energy technologies. European strategic autonomy, energy, energy security, economic security, EU, fossil fuels, petrostates critical raw materials

Performance assessment of savonius hydrokinetic turbine in a sharp 90° channel bend

Hydrokinetic technology is a new and competitive source of renewable energy in remote areas. Previous research on the impacts of the presence of this type of turbine have often been conducted in straight channels, and the effect of the presence of a turbine in a channel bend has not been studied yet. This study aims to investigate for the first time the effects of the siting of the Savonius hydrokinetic turbine in an open channel bend on the turbine performance. In addition, two rotation modes of the turbine, including clockwise and counter-clockwise have been investigated. Results showed that the siting of the turbine inside the bend increases the maximum power coefficient from 5 % to 30 % compared to the condition in which the turbine is located in the upstream straight channel. The maximum power coefficient occurred when the turbine was sited in section 90° for fully submerged conditions. In this section, the maximum power coefficient reaches 0.417 and 0.398 for the counter-clockwise and clockwise rotation modes, respectively. It was also observed that the values of the power coefficient in all sections for the counter-clockwise rotation mode of the turbine are higher than those for the clockwise rotation mode of the rotor.

Effect of Humidity on the Generation Capacity of Floating Solar Photovoltaic System

The continual search for new sources of renewable energy has resulted in the progress of floating solar photovoltaics (FSP). Since FSP system design and implementation are still in their early stages, efficiency, output and performance studies of FSP systems are not adequately acknowledged. FSPs operate on water; hence their performance differs from that of their equivalent land-based photovoltaics (LBP). The effect of water and humidity on the performance of FSP systems is not adequately discussed in the literature. Therefore, this paper investigates the effect of water - especially humidity - on the parameters and overall operation of FSP systems. For this purpose, an experiment is conducted with an FSP module, and the data obtained - over five months – are compared with similar LBP modules to determine the impact of water on the performance of the FSP system. The obtained results show that the FSP system is cooler than the LBP system by 7 ℃. The relative humidity (RH) is found to be higher in the FSP system, and this impacted the performance ratio (PR) of the FSP system. Moreover, it is observed that - despite the fact that RH has an influence on the PR of the FSP system - the FSP system outperforms the LBP system in terms of energy output.

New and Renewable Energy: Ensuring the Hydropower Development Policy Meets the Community and the Environmental Participation Based on the Paris Agreement

Energy demand is rapidly increasing, following population growth and economic trends, including the demand for electrical energy. Indonesia seeks to transition to the use of new and renewable energy to supply its demand for electricity. The national strategic program to construct 65 dams in 2023 is the fundamental foundation for the government’s ability to bring about this massive development. One of the many essential uses of reservoirs is as a source of hydropower energy. However, have been many cases of rejection by local communities that do not consider themselves to have been fairly consulted for or participating in the development process. Another premise of this rejection is founded on environmental issues related to the Paris Agreement. This article focuses on meeting challenges to community and environmental participation based on the Paris Agreement. New and renewable energy policies incorporate novel regulations pertaining to the government’s authority to work on the new renewable energy projects. Hydropower development projects fall under the government’s efforts to switch to new sources of renewable energy. Insufficient involvement of the local community in development and activities, to the extent that the information and comprehension on where the hydropower dams are expected to be built are exceptionally lacking but are also, due to the impact of the development toward the environment, the main source of refusal from the local community. Finally in accordance with the Paris Agreement, insufficient attention toward the landscape will likely impair the ability to create future hydropower development projects.

Digitalization of the energy sector: genesis, content, components, evaluation methodology

Currently, in the context of the transition to the development of new sources of renewable energy, the issues of digitalization of the energy sector are becoming increasingly relevant. Digitalization captures all areas of activity and involves the integration and transformation of the energy system, which makes it possible to obtain socio-economic effects. Five groups of indicators have been identified (human capital, reliability and quality of power supply, availability of electricity, environmental sustainability, and political and infrastructural readiness of the country for digitalization), which provide an objective assessment of the digitalization indices of the energy sector of a particular country. Approbation of the procedures and the results obtained was carried out by the method of factor analysis using limited and contributing functions. As a result of the assessment, the leading countries were identified in terms of the digitalization of the energy sector, which have an impact on countries with a low level of digitalization and on the development of mechanisms and tools for the digitalization of the sector. As part of this study, the prerequisites and main components of the readiness of countries for the digitalization of the energy sector are highlighted. The applied analytics made it possible to identify potential points of growth in the digitalization of countries with its low level, to develop appropriate measures. Seven stages of the processes of digitalization of the Russian energy sector are identified, indicating the resulting effects and directions for its possible development.

Natural Hydrogen: A New Source of Carbon-Free and Renewable Energy That Can Compete With Hydrocarbons

Natural Hydrogen: A New Source of Carbon-Free and Renewable Energy That Can Compete With Hydrocarbons

PENGARUH PRETREATMENT MAKROALGA ULVA RETICULATA MENGGUNAKAN MICROWAVE IRRADIATION UNTUK PRODUKSI BIOETANOL

The production of fossil fuels every year until now has decreased significantly. This is in line with the significant increase in energy consumption as a result of increasing population, economic growth, industrial and transportation activities. Alternative energy that can be used as a substitute for fossil fuels is the use of macroalgae Ulva reticulata into bioethanol. The lignocellulosic content of Ulva reticulata can be converted into ethanol through a pretreatment process and dilute acid hydrolysis using microwave irradiation, which is then followed by a fermentation and distillation process. Surface morphology of Ulva reticulata macroalgae samples were analyzed using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). Reducing sugars were analyzed using the Dinitrosalicylate (DNS) method. Ethanol content was analyzed using Gas Chromatography-Flame Ionization Detector (GC-FID). The results showed that the pretreatment and hydrolysis of dilute acid using microwave irradiation reached the optimum hydraulic time and temperature of 50 minutes and 150, with a reducing sugar concentration of 27.97 g/L and a hydrolysis efficiency of 69.93%. The results of the analysis of the ethanol content of Ulva reticulata fermentation using GC was 7.76%. Bioethanol production from the macroalga Ulva reticulata is expected to be a potential new source of renewable energy because it is not used as food. The results of this study serve as a new source of information for the industry to increase the economic value of the macroalga Ulva reticulata.
 Keywords: bioethanol, fermentation, microwave irradiation, pretreatment, ulva reticulata.

Microbial Communities in Underground Gas Reservoirs Offer Promising Biotechnological Potential

Securing new sources of renewable energy and achieving national self-sufficiency in natural gas have become increasingly important in recent times. The study described in this paper focuses on three geologically diverse underground gas reservoirs (UGS) that are the natural habitat of methane-producing archaea, as well as other microorganisms with which methanogens have various ecological relationships. The objective of this research was to describe the microbial metabolism of methane in these specific anoxic environments during the year. DNA sequencing analyses revealed the presence of different methanogenic communities and their metabolic potential in all sites studied. Hydrogenotrophic Methanobacterium sp. prevailed in Lobodice UGS, members of the hydrogenotrophic order Methanomicrobiales predominated in Dolní Dunajovice UGS and thermophilic hydrogenotrophic members of the Methanothermobacter sp. were prevalent in Tvrdonice UGS. Gas composition and isotope analyses were performed simultaneously. The results suggest that the biotechnological potential of UGS for biomethane production cannot be neglected.

Consumer’s Attitude Towards Retrofitment of Existing Internal Combustion Engine Scooters with Electric Conversion Kit In India

Increasing Pollution has made the World to find new sources of renewable energy. Electric vehicles are gaining momentum in this fanfare. As a result, Electric Conversion Kit has emerged as a new concept as a replacement to the traditional fuel-based vehicles. This paper projects the consumer's attitude relating to adoption of Electric Conversion Kits in their fuel-based vehicles in India. The present study is based on primary data which is collected from urban commuters. The paper highlights the consumer awareness as to the electric scooters, electric conversion kits for their fuel-based scooters and predict their willingness to switch towards e-mobility in future. Further, the paper brings a comparison between the consumers likeliness to adopt electric conversion kits over the purchase of an all-new electric scooter. The paper also depicts an analysis of future adoption of e-mobility based on the average daily run which may help in deciding the tentative battery size needed by the consumer to commute in a hazel free manner. The companies and government together need to spread awareness among the inhabitants about this concept and its likely benefits to environment as well as buyers in their lives. Also, there is a need to set a positive environment as to safety of these kits in order to fetch the public reliance.Classification-JEL: M13

Recent Advances in Anode Metallic Catalysts Supported on Conducting Polymer-Based Materials for Direct Alcohol Fuel Cells

Sustainable energy development is a major challenge, particularly when considering population increase, rising energy demands resulting from the excessive use of nonrenewable fossil fuels, and growing consequences on global pollution and climate change. It is critical to continue to develop new sources of renewable and clean energy. Direct alcohol fuel cell (DAFC) represents a technological approach that meets all the requirements in terms of energy conversion with good electrical efficiency and lower emissions of pollutants. However, it largely suffers from the poisoning of the anode catalyst caused by the accumulation of intermediate products. In this context, this review is devoted to discussing the recent progress in anode catalysts based on conducting polymers (CPs) materials for direct alcohol fuel cells, especially direct methanol and ethanol fuel cells, from the viewpoint of synthesis techniques, morphology, and catalytic performance. In the first part of this review, we will explore the most commonly used methods for preparing metal-conducting polymer-based nanocomposites, including the key factors influencing their morphology regardless of the application. The catalytic performances of mono-, bi-, and tri-metal catalysts deposited on conducting polymer-based supports for the electrooxidation of methanol and ethanol reactions are examined in detail in the second and third parts of this review. We also highlight the effect of the introduction of carbon nanomaterials into conducting polymer supports on the electrical properties and on the performance of the catalysts. Development of anode materials using nanostructured conducting polymers-based support plays a vital role in reducing catalyst loadings and should therefore shed light on the wide-scale commercialization of DAFCs. In a nutshell, this review will give readers a thorough understanding of the principles of direct alcohol fuel cells, new advancements in electrode materials based on non-precious metals, and the main challenges that should be dealt with.

Metagenomic analysis suggests unique gut‐microbiota composition and GH family constitution of Macrotermes annandalei

AbstractEnergy supply is a major concern of human survival and development, and that concern demands new sources of renewable clean energy. Cellulose, as a renewable energy material is affected by low activity and high cost of cellulose. Studies of cellulose degrading bacterial microbiota in insect intestine have revealed that these potential microbes can be used as a rich resource of cellulose degrading strains. Here, the present study involves metagenomic sequencing of intestinal microbes of Macrotermes annandalei by Illumina PE150 and a total of 401,190 scaftigs were obtained. Open Reading frame (ORF) species annotation showed that the largest proportion of them belong to the phylum of Bacteroides, followed by Protobacteia, Firmicutes and Mucoromycota. Mapping to the CAZy database indicates that 4,539 genes encoding of glycoside hydrolase belongs to 109 distinct CAZy families. The results provide a theoretical basis for exploring new candidate bacteria for efficient cellulose degradation to obtain high cellulose resource yield.

Small Magnus Wind Turbine: Modeling Approaches

Renewables have passed the peak of the inflated expectation hype cycle for emerging technologies, but interest in the design of new energy conversion devices is still high due to widespread distributed energy systems for private households. Magnus effect-based wind turbine combines mechanical and electronic engineering that provides a broader wind speed range and potential maximum power point tracking for deeper grid integration. This paper provides a comparative analysis of Magnus effect-based wind turbine simulation models and the development of the numerical model for the maximum power point tracking algorithm. The advanced model contributes to the reduction of the number of actual tests required for the mechatronics system tuning and deals with sustainability-related challenges, such as climate change and the development of new renewable sources of energy.

Defining the Objectives of a National Energy Policy for Transport

This paper examines the objectives and the main elements of a national energy policy for transport based on the experience of such plans in the six Mediterranean EU-member countries. These plans define the energy and Green House Gas emission reduction objectives in the field of Transport which are adopted by each country and provide a guideline for future transport policies. They are strategic energy management plans which have to be aligned with the overall energy plans of the country that define the objectives for reducing the total energy consumption and developing new renewable sources of energy. Furthermore, the paper refers to the potential energy savings and the use of alternative fuels in Transport for the case of other Mediterranean region countries and defines the main pillars of a national strategic plan for energy policy for the Transport sector.

Assessment of heterogeneous catalysts obtained from chicken egg shells and diatomite for biodiesel production

The high global dependence on nonrenewable energies has prompted scientific studies aimed at developing new sources of renewable energy based on biofuel production. The biodiesel used in diesel engines has been one of the viable alternatives to mitigate the problems resulting from the use of fossil fuels. The industrial production of this biofuel uses basic homogeneous catalysts, but problems related to the high cost of purifying the product and waste generation, among others, are common. These complications have led to the development of a heterogeneous catalyst, which has proved to be a good option for biodiesel production. In this respect, the aim of the present study was to formulate and assess heterogeneous catalysts derived from chicken egg shells and diatomite for biodiesel production. Initially, the egg shell was calcined, forming CaO, followed by wet impregnation with diatomite via calcination at 800 °C for 240 min, producing the catalyst DiaCaO. The catalysts were characterized by XRD, FTIR, SEM, BET and XRF analyses, which confirmed the formation of catalytic solids based on the composition and chemical structure. In relation to biodiesel production, the CaO and DiaCaO catalysts exhibited similar yields, with the CaO precursor converting around 99% into biodiesel under favorable conditions (6:1 methanol:oil molar ratio, 2% catalyst and 2 h reaction time).

Energy and Environmental Implications of Using Energy-Harvesting Speed Humps in Nablus City, Palestine

Over the last three decades, transportation has become one of the main energy-consuming sectors around the world and, as a result, large amounts of emissions are produced, contributing to global warming, climate change, and health problems. Therefore, huge investments and efforts have been made by governments and international institutions to find new renewable and clean sources of energy. As a contribution to these efforts, this study determined the practical energy and environmental implications of replacing conventional speed humps with energy-harvesting speed humps in Nablus city, Palestine. The study was implemented using an energy-harvesting speed hump (EHSH) system developed in the laboratories at An-Najah National University and based on comprehensive traffic volume counts at all speed humps’ locations. In addition, a traffic volume prediction model was developed in order to determine the implications over the next 10 years. As a result of the study, the expected annual amount of generated energy was determined. Moreover, the expected reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and the reduction in the cost of roadway network lighting were determined based on the current and future traffic conditions.

Influence of Mixture Composition and Compaction Pressure of Briquette Made from Ironwood (Eusideroxylon Zwageri) Charcoal and Gelam (Melaleuca Cajuputi ) on Combustion Characteristic

<p class="02abstracttext">In recent few years, many works have been dedicated to search for new source of renewable energy. In this study, new source of renewable energy is based in the briquette made from mixture of ironwood (Eusideroxylon zwageri) powder and gelam (Melaleuca leucadendron) wood powder. The mixture was carbonized at temperature of 500 <sup>o</sup>C ± 10 <sup>o</sup>C for 120 minutes. The size of the particles used was 50 mesh while the ratio between wood powder adhesives, i.e. starch powder, used in the study was 1:1. The composition variations between ironwood charcoal and gelam were 100% ironwood charcoal powder and 0% gelam, 70%: 30%, 50%: 50%, 30%: 70%, 0% ironwood: 100% gelam. The compaction pressure during briquette production was varied at 100 kg/cm<sup>2</sup>, 125 kg/cm<sup>2</sup> and 150 kg/cm<sup>2</sup>. The highest combustion temperature at 205 <sup>o</sup>C occurred in the specimen with composition of 30% ironwood powder and 70% gelam wood powder with compaction pressure of 100 kg/cm<sup>2</sup>. The longest burning duration 140 minutes (2 hours 20 minutes) occurred at composition of 50% ironwood powder and 50% gelam wood powder at compaction pressure of 150 kg/cm<sup>2</sup>. The fastest initial ignition time was 7 minutes and occurred for mixture with composition of 70% ironwood powder and 30% gelam wood powder at compaction pressure of 125 kg/cm<sup>2</sup>.</p>