New Sources Of Energy Research Articles

Bioinformatic analysis and relative expression of hyd and fdx during H2 production in microalgae

SUMMARYMicroalgae have been positioned as excellent models for producing new sources of energy (biofuels and biohydrogen). Some investigations in these biological models have been directed to know if the enzymes ferredoxin (FDX) and hydrogenase (HYD) are involved in the algae producing different concentrations of molecular hydrogen (H2). To date, little is known about the concomitant transcriptional regulation of both enzymes during H2 evolution in algae. In this research, we evaluated the relative expression of hdy and fdx genes during the evolution of H2 in three microalgae (Chlorella vulgaris, Scenedesmus obliquus, and Chlamydomonas reinhardtii) in N‐deprived anaerobic cultures in the presence of Fe, and 12:24 and 24:24 h dark:light cycles. We also detected structural differences in the enzymes. The 3D modeling indicated that the 3D structure of HYD and FDX are conserved in most algal genera, and the results of our grouping according to the aa characteristics of the proteins showed two grouping trends: One, according to the algae's phylogenetic classification, and another one according to the species‐specific enzyme's characteristics, and the grouping could perhaps be more influenced by the algae's ability to produce H2. The three microalgae species reached maximum H2 accumulation values in 24h:24 h dark:light conditions in Fe‐supplemented media (4.2 ± 0.12 mL L−1 in C. vulgaris, 3.9 ± 0.10 mL L−1 in S. obliquus, and 4.5 ± 0.10 mL L−1 in C. reinhardtii), and the highest global relative expression of hyd and fdx genes was reached during the first hour of exposure to light, which suggests concomitant expression of both enzymes at the beginning of H2 production. The behavior of the expression of the hyd and fdx genes in these algal species proved to be similar between species. A better understanding of the concomitant regulation of both enzymes could lay the groundwork for the future use of both enzymes to improve H2 yields in microalgae.

POTENTIALITY OF SHALE GAS IN GHADAMIS BASIN AS FUTURE ENERGY RESOURCE, LIBYA

In the first ten years of the atheist and the twentieth century has seen signs of a qualitative change in the field of global energy sources, where there are signs of a relative change in the global favorite sources for energy. However, shale gas is the emergence of the global gas market strategies, including associated characteristics as market supply and demand, costs and prices. 
 It is clear that global discoveries of shale gas reserves will re-formulate the geopolitical map of the energy, and will be one of the main sources in the future. After studies and research in many countries U.S. Federal Agency estimates for the Energy Information that shale gas resources could increase recoverable gas by more than 40%, as well as this suggests the possibility of the transformation of many gas-importing countries to producer countries, and some countries may become gas exporter in the future. All these facts pave the way for a new phase become the shale gas wealth that may lead to significant changes in the path of gas trade in the next decade, which may affect the markets and the prices of international oil and gas.
 On the other hand, shale gas exploration and production facing many challenges such as technical applications, environmental impacts and scares of water for hydraulic fracturing and that don’t comply with the international regulations.
 The reserves estimated by EIA indicate that the technically recoverable reserve (TRR) of shale gas in Ghadamis basin ranging from 80-120 tcf. While the ARI study estimated that for Libya the gas-in-place is 1,147 tcf, while the recoverable reserves are 290 tcf. The latter is more than five times longer than the country's proven conventional reserves. Of the gas-in-place, 57 tcf are in the Ghadamis basin and 1,090 tcf in the Sirte basin.
 The main objective of this study is to highlight on the assessment of shale gas discovered in Ghadamis basin in Libya using SWOT (strength, weakness, opportunity and threat) analysis matrix, and comparing evaluation parameters such as basin area, pay thickness, depth, total organic hydrocarbon, and technically recoverable reserve with other basins in the world, as shale gas a new source of energy.

The greening ashore.

More than half a billion years ago a streptophyte algal lineage began terraforming the terrestrial habitat and the Earth's atmosphere. This pioneering step enabled the subsequent evolution of all complex life on land, and the past decade has uncovered that many traits, both morphological and genetic, once thought to be unique to land plants, are conserved across some streptophyte algae. They provided the common ancestor of land plants with a repertoire of genes, of which many were adapted to overcome the new biotic and abiotic challenges. Exploring these molecular adaptations in non-tracheophyte species may help us to better prepare all green life, including our crops, for the challenges precipitated by the climate change of the Anthropocene because the challenges mostly differ by the speed with which they are now being met.

Microorganisms as New Sources of Energy

The use of fossil energy sources has a negative impact on the economic and socio-political stability of specific regions and countries, causing environmental changes due to the emission of greenhouse gases. Moreover, the stocks of mineral energy are limited, causing the demand for new types and forms of energy. Biomass is a renewable energy source and represents an alternative to fossil energy sources. Microorganisms produce energy from the substrate and biomass, i.e., from substances in the microenvironment, to maintain their metabolism and life. However, specialized microorganisms also produce specific metabolites under almost abiotic circumstances that often do not have the immediate task of sustaining their own lives. This paper presents the action of biogenic and biogenic–thermogenic microorganisms, which produce methane, alcohols, lipids, triglycerides, and hydrogen, thus often creating renewable energy from waste biomass. Furthermore, some microorganisms acquire new or improved properties through genetic interventions for producing significant amounts of energy. In this way, they clean the environment and can consume greenhouse gases. Particularly suitable are blue-green algae or cyanobacteria but also some otherwise pathogenic microorganisms (E. coli, Klebsiella, and others), as well as many other specialized microorganisms that show an incredible ability to adapt. Microorganisms can change the current paradigm, energy–environment, and open up countless opportunities for producing new energy sources, especially hydrogen, which is an ideal energy source for all systems (biological, physical, technological). Developing such energy production technologies can significantly change the already achieved critical level of greenhouse gases that significantly affect the climate.

MODIFICATION OF LINDUR STARCH (Bruguiera Gymnorrhiza L.) BY OXIDATION USING SODIUM HYPOCLORITE AND FERRO SULPHATE CATALYST

Lindur fruit (Bruguiera gymnorrhiza L.) is widely available in Indonesia and has a high carbohydrate content, so it has the potential to be developed as a new source of energy and starch. So far, the use of lindur fruit is still limited to substitute rice and snacks. Therefore, it is necessary to make efforts to increase the utilization of lindur fruit by processing it into lindur starch and its derivatives (modified starch). The properties of lindur starch need to be improved in order to have wider uses in the food and non-food industries. The purpose of this study was to modify lindur starch by oxidation using NaOCl with ferrous sulfate as a catalyst. In this study, the effect of sodium hypochlorite concentration (2%, 4%, 6%, and 8%) and ferrous sulfate concentration (0%, 0.1%, 0.2%, and 0.3%) on the physicochemical characteristics of starch was studied. the resulting oxidized leachate and determined the optimal conditions. The results showed that all the variables studied affected the oxidation reaction of lindur starch. Oxidation at 4% NaOCl concentration and 0.2% ferrous sulfate concentration was able to produce the best values for carboxyl content, solubility, and swelling.

Hydraulic Fracturing Process Systems and Fluids: An Overview

Hydraulic fracturing has become a critical component of global petroleum and natural gas development, with most the countries around the globe, for example, Canada, India, England, and China actively pursuing the implementation of this technology to increase oil production after declination as well as tap into this new source of energy. Hydraulic fracturing has created jobs and increased revenue in several states across the country. However, as with any advanced technology, there are concerns about its long-term environmental impact. Thus, many researchers and technicians continuously conduct advanced studies to inform industries about any new or upcoming regulations. In this study, a mini-review of the fracking process is considered an important section of the petroleum and natural gas industries. Moreover, researchers demonstrated knowledge about the frac systems and different hydraulic fracturing fluids that are utilized for a fracking job which were different from one fracking system to another in addition to the nature of the reservoir formation. It is a significant factor that production engineers take into consideration when applying hydraulic fracturing to enhance oil or gas production and treat the formation damage, as well. Since the formation damage considers the most critical issue affecting oil and gas production due to fine migration.

Biogas production and composition optimization in an anaerobic digestor using cheese whey and swine manure as substrate

The search for new sources of energy has intensified these days due to the environmental impacts caused by fossil fuels. The tripod composed of energy, food and water is the base of human existence. Food production implies the generation of organic waste and the need to manage it properly. The dairy and pig farming sectors have an essential role in the Brazilian economy, producing a large amount of waste. One energy and environmental alternative to treat this issue is anaerobic digestion. Here we aimed to optimize the production and composition of biogas obtained from cheese whey and swine manure. Batch-scale laboratory tests were performed on bench anaerobic digesters for 65 days with 6 triplicates loaded with different proportions of cheese whey and swine manure. The proportion of 50% cheese whey and 50% swine manure presented the highest biogas production and methane concentration (CH4).

A REVIEW OF PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS FOR RENEWABLE ENERGY PROJECTS IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES

The increasing need for energy worldwide to gain energy security along with the negative externalities of fossil fuel have motivated some countries to seek new sources of energy known as renewable energy. The main benefit of these renewable energy sources is their ability to provide clean, reliable, affordable, and sustainable energy to millions of people. On the other hand, renewable energy technologies require high up-front investment, which is problematic especially for developing countries. Therefore, public-private partnerships (PPPs) have become an attractive delivery method in order to take advantage of the technology, innovation, and capital of the private sector to support the public sector in providing their services. However, there is a dearth of information on the current pattern, obstacles, as well as the success factors of PPPs in renewable energy in developing countries. Thus, this study reviews previous renewable energy public-private partnership projects with the objective of developing a detailed understanding of renewable energy projects delivered through these PPPs in developing countries. Additionally, this study identifies the characteristics of the PPP projects and the lessons learned obtained from these PPP projects. This will aid in identifying the critical success factors needed for the successful implementation of renewable energy PPP projects in developing countries.

A REVIEW OF PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS FOR RENEWABLE ENERGY PROJECTS IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES

The increasing need for energy worldwide to gain energy security along with the negative externalities of fossil fuel have motivated some countries to seek new sources of energy known as renewable energy. The main benefit of these renewable energy sources is their ability to provide clean, reliable, affordable, and sustainable energy to millions of people. On the other hand, renewable energy technologies require high up-front investment, which is problematic especially for developing countries. Therefore, public-private partnerships (PPPs) have become an attractive delivery method in order to take advantage of the technology, innovation, and capital of the private sector to support the public sector in providing their services. However, there is a dearth of information on the current pattern, obstacles, as well as the success factors of PPPs in renewable energy in developing countries. Thus, this study reviews previous renewable energy public-private partnership projects with the objective of developing a detailed understanding of renewable energy projects delivered through these PPPs in developing countries. Additionally, this study identifies the characteristics of the PPP projects and the lessons learned obtained from these PPP projects. This will aid in identifying the critical success factors needed for the successful implementation of renewable energy PPP projects in developing countries.

The Importance of Free Energy as a New Source of Energy and its Impact on Industrial Products

The Importance of Free Energy as a New Source of Energy and its Impact on Industrial Products

Economic Aspects of Nuclear Energy in India

One of the main requisites for development by any developing economy is to have continuous and efficient sources of energy. India being no exception needs to fuel its growth however, since the sources of energy are limited and headed to a serious level of depletion, the need of the hour is to identify and develop new sources of energy which can sustain the development. As a result, India is poised to embark upon a comprehensive nuclear power program with an emphasis on a new series ofnuclear power plants, including some of higher capacities. This paper highlights the reasons for increasing utilization of energy in India and also points out as to why nuclear power needs to be given more attention over the traditional resources of energy. The increased attention to the alternative sources of energy has also raised apprehensions about the costs involved in the generation and the usage of the nuclear energy. By using the secondary data gathered from various recent reports published nationally and internationally, this paper tries to analyze and compare the costs involved in setting up and running of nuclear power plants and other energy resources, to find answer to the question as to whether nuclear sources are feasible in terms of the costs they generate. The use of nuclear energy is not without any probable negative consequences. The steps which can be taken to avoid possible negative offshoots are also dealt with briefly in this paper Finally, this paper tries to project the overall importance and potential of nuclear power for playing a major role in India's quest for more power.

Laser technology in urologic oncology.

Laser technology has been used in Urology since the 80s with a lot of different applications in endoscopic and open surgery. With the developments of the technology and the introduction of new active medium and source of laser energy, this technology have become the gold standard not only in stone surgery but even in benign prostate enlargement (BPE) surgical treatment. Regarding urologic oncology, laser energy has now reached an important role in focal therapy and in conservative treatment. The possibility of having better functional outcomes without any relevant impact on oncological results led to an increased use of laser in penile surgery, with a significant mention in urological guidelines for this option. In urothelial cancers as well, both in conservative management of upper tract tumors that in the treatment of non muscle invasive bladder cancer, a clear role of these relatively new source of energy have been demonstrated. Finally, both in prostate that in renal cancer the strategy of focal therapy may take advantage from this precise and fine technology. In this review we analyzed and described the applications of laser energy in urological cancers with a specific focus on penile, urothelial and prostate cancer.

Evaluation of the barriers to and drivers of the implementation of solar energy in Saudi Arabia

ABSTRACT Currently available evidence indicates that energy demand in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) is generally increasing and solar energy constitutes a promising new source of energy. Thus, this paper aims to identify and assess the most critical barriers and drivers of the implementation of solar energy in KSA. This study develops and employs a systematic decision-making framework based on the judgment of experts. The interactions between the barriers and drivers are evaluated using rough DEMATEL (integrated crisp DEMATEL and rough set theory) and interpretive structure modelling (ISM). Rough set theory serves to address the involvement of vagueness. Furthermore, this paper conducts MICMAC analyses to evaluate the driving and dependence power of the drivers and barriers. This paper finds that the most significant barrier to solar energy in KSA is the expensive electricity generated by solar energy while the most significant driver of solar energy in KSA is the availability of solar irradiation. This study will assist industrial managers who are working on the implementation of solar energy projects in KSA, enabling them to properly assess and evaluate the solar energy sector in the country. This study is amongst the first of its kind to address the barriers to and drivers of the implementation of solar energy in KSA by using the rough DEMATEL method.

Environmental impacts of utilization of ageing fixed offshore platform for ocean thermal energy conversion

Abstract Most Malaysian jacket platforms have outlived their design life. As these old platforms have outlived their design life, other alternatives must be considered. As several offshore oil and gas extraction installations approach the end of their operational life, many options such as decommissioning and the development of a new source of energy such as wind farms are introduced. The objective of this paper is to investigate the environmental impacts of utilising ageing fixed offshore platform as a source for Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC). The environmental impact of utilising an ageing fixed offshore platform as an OTEC source is discussed. OTEC produces energy by taking advantage of temperature variations between the ocean surface water and the colder deep water through cold-water intake piping, which requires a seawater depth of 700 metres. The output of this study shows that OTEC is envisioned to preserve marine life, becoming a new and reliable source of energy, assist clean water production, and reduce the negative impact of climate change. OTEC platforms utilising ageing platforms may lead to 44 % of fish catch in the ocean, remove 13 GW of surface ocean heat for every GW of electricity production per year, generate 1.3105 tonnes of hydrogen per year for each GW of electricity generated. In addition, OTEC platforms can reduce approximately 5106 tonnes of carbon dioxide from the environment for 1 GW of electricity generated per year, and supply 2 million litres of water per day for a 1 MW platform. Since Malaysia’s seawater profile allows for installing a fixed offshore platform as an OTEC power plant, Malaysia has many potentials to profit from the OTEC process.

AI-based modeling and data-driven evaluation for smart farming-oriented big data architecture using IoT with energy harvesting capabilities

The use of Internet of Things (IoT) networks offers great advantages over wired networks, especially due to their simple installation, low maintenance costs, and automatic configuration. IoT facilitates the integration of sensing and communication for various industries, including smart farming and precision agriculture. For several years, many researchers have strived to find new sources of energy that are always “cleaner” and more environmentally friendly. Energy harvesting technology is one of the most promising environment-friendly solutions that extend the lifetime of these IoT devices. In this paper, the state-of-art of IoT energy harvesting capabilities and communication technologies in smart agriculture is presented. In addition, this work proposes a comprehensive architecture that includes big data technologies, IoT components, and knowledge-based systems for innovative farm architecture. The solution answers some of the biggest challenges the agriculture industry faces, especially when handling small files in a big data environment without impacting the computation performance. The solution is built on top of a pre-defined big data architecture that includes an abstraction layer of the data lake that handles data quality following a data migration strategy to ensure the data's insights. Furthermore, in this paper, we compared several machine learning algorithms to find the most suitable smart farming analytics tools in terms of forecasting and predictions.

Water-in-oil emulsion stability and demulsification via surface-active compounds: A review

This paper aimed to review the research on emulsion formation, stability, chemical demulsification, and hydrophilic–lipophilic balance in chemical studies and other aspects related to emulsion thermodynamics. The global increase in energy demand pressures oil and gas producers to develop and explore a new source of energy. Crude oil is one of the indispensable sources produced from unconventional and conventional resources. It is accompanied by high water content during production activities, and this water is complex and has a high content of contaminants. This water is also produced in the form of foam or emulsion. Water-in-oil emulsion is considered as a common type in petroleum industry. Oil emulsion is very harmful due to the associated difficulties during the refining and transportation of crude oil and the limitation in the produced water discharge. The emulsion in petroleum industry is stable due to the natural surface-active compounds in crude oil. Thus, oilfield researchers need to study different utilization methods to demulsify emulsion. Chemical method is considered as an essential method in treating petroleum emulsion by using demulsifiers, such as non-ionic surfactant.

Experiment Study of Catalysed Lignocellulosic Biomass Thermoelectric Concrete with Active Solution

Emission of CO₂ becomes one of the global challenges and catalyzed lignocellulosic biomass thermoelectric concrete (CBC) is a new source of energy which helps to encounter this challenge. CBC is an advance class of concrete, which has proven to be able to generate voltages throughout thermal change, but several drawbacks were reported such as low voltage and insufficient compressive strength to meet construction industry needs. This study intends to investigate the incorporation of active solution like alkali/acidic solution as activation booster, palm oil fuel ash (POFA) as partial cement replacement and catalyst for charges extraction, under thermal changes. Active solutions used in this study were Sodium Hydroxide, Iron(III) Sulfate, and Copper(II) Sulfate. Specimens with dimension of 50 x 50 x 20mm and 150x150x150mm were prepared and cured accordingly; then tested its conductivity with temperature ranged from 0℃ to 100℃; and uniaxial compressive strength test, respectively. The experiment has proven that incorporation of active solution in CBC mix is able to enhance both voltage supply and compressive strength by average 249.73% and 41.64% (with active solution Fe₂(SO₄)₃), respectively. With a complete circuit, it can be noticed that specimen's voltage density is directly proportional to exposed temperature, from 38.35 V/m² at 0℃ to 129.67 V/m² at 100℃. The study has proven that CBC with addition of active solution is able to enhance the matured compressive strength and at the same time, carrying voltage when a complete circuit is applied. With this, the application of CBC in construction industry has been increased to structural application for alternative renewable energy source.

Особенности развития возобновляемой энергетики в Республике Бурятия и Монголии

Every year, humanity is increasingly faced with a shortage of electricity on the one hand, and with an increase in greenhouse gas emissions after the generation of electricity at thermal power plants (TPPs), on the other. Energy is the dominant driver of climate change and accounts for about 60 percent of total global greenhouse gas emissions. The article is devoted to the analysis of renewable energy development in the Republic of Buryatia and Mongolia over the past 10 years. The constantly growing demand for electricity and relatively small energy capacities are forcing the Republic of Buryatia (to a greater extent) and Mongolia, which are limited in some types of economic activity, to look for new sources of energy. One of these restrictions is the ban on the construction of hydroelectric power plants on the rivers of the Baikal Lake basin. Therefore, Buryatia and Mongolia have embarked on the path of building environmentally friendly power plants and have succeeded in many ways. In last years, in connection with the UN Sustainable Development Goals on the development of infrastructure for the provision of affordable and clean energy (Goal 7), there has been a need to develop renewable energy sources. One of the priority areas for the development of renewable, including alternative, energy in Buryatia and Mongolia is solar, wind, hydro and geothermal energy. UN Sustainable Development Goal 7 aims to ensure universal access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all. As part of the implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Goal 7, solar and wind power plants have been actively built in Buryatia and Mongolia over the past 10 years. Despite the high costs of their creation, the contribution to alternative energy is a long-term and profitable investment in infrastructure. At least investors (including foreign ones) investing in a seemingly lowprofit project look far into the future. Smart investors do not run after «quick money», realizing that the constructed power plants will pay off for a long time, since at the moment of development they have a relatively low efficiency. Despite the criticism, they are investing in green energy, modern infrastructure, and a future without emissions (CO2, NO2, SO2 and other Greenhouse gases) from burning coal, fuel oil and firewood. For the qualitative development of the economy, it is necessary, first of all, a balanced development of generating and network capacities, therefore, it is possible to solve the problem of shortage of electricity without a heavy burden on the environment only by developing alternative energy (renewable energy sources).

A hostage economy: The impact of Rhodesia's unilateral declaration of independence on Zambia, 1965-79

In November 1965, Rhodesia’s Prime Minister Ian Smith announced a Unilateral Declaration of Independence (UDI), prompting the United Nations and the British government to impose economic and financial sanctions on his government. In the context of regional politics of decolonisation, the Zambian government interpreted UDI as a moral affront to African freedom, independence, dignity as well as posing a grave danger to the country’s national security. They responded to the crisis by supporting international sanctions on Rhodesia and embarked on an exercise to extricate the economy from dependence on the illegal regime. This article traces part of these strategic initiatives employed by the Zambian government in response to UDI and illustrates how strict compliance to international sanctions along with economic disengagement severely strained the country’s economic stability. It argues that although UDI immeasurably compromised Zambia’s development efforts and brutally exposed the limitations and vulnerability of its economy, ultimately the government exploited the situation to its advantage by promoting the country’s development agenda through establishment of alternative transport routes, new sources of energy and electricity, and import substitution industries. Economic diversification became a major priority of government policy in the wake of UDI. The article utilises evidence from the Zambian archives to investigate the nature and extent of the challenges and opportunities UDI imposed on Zambia’s economy between 1965 and 1979. Until now, scholars have hardly interrogated this aspect.

Constraining dark matter properties with the first generation of stars

Dark Matter (DM) can be trapped by the gravitational field of any star, since collisions with nuclei in dense environments can slow down the DM particle below the escape velocity ($v_{esc}$) at the surface of the star. If captured, the DM particles can self-annihilate, and, therefore, provide a new source of energy for the star. We investigate this phenomenon for capture of DM particles by the first generation of stars [Population III (Pop III) stars], by using the multiscatter capture formalism. Pop III stars are particularly good DM captors, since they form in DM-rich environments, at the center of$~\sim 10^6 M_\odot$ DM minihalos, at redshifts $z\sim 15$. Assuming a DM-proton scattering cross section ($\sigma)$ at the current deepest exclusion limits provided by the XENON1T experiment, we find that captured DM annihilations at the core of Pop III stars can lead, via the Eddington limit, to upper bounds in stellar masses that can be as low as a few $M_\odot$ if the ambient DM density ($\rho_X$) at the location of the Pop III star is sufficiently high. Conversely, when Pop III stars are identified, one can use their observed mass ($M_\star$) to place bounds on $\rho_X\sigma$. Using adiabatic contraction to estimate the ambient DM density in the environment surrounding Pop III stars, we place projected upper limits on $\sigma$, for $M_\star$ in the $100-1000~M_\odot$ range, and find bounds that are competitive with, or deeper than, those provided by the most sensitive current direct detection experiments for both spin independent and spin dependent interactions, for a wide range of DM masses. Most intriguingly, we find that Pop III stars with mass $M_\star \gtrsim 300 M_\odot$ could be used to probe the SD proton-DM cross section below the "neutrino floor," i.e. the region of parameter space where DM direct detection experiments will soon become overwhelmed by neutrino backgrounds.