Non-polluting Sources Research Articles

Investigation of the effect of temperature and applied electric field on the aluminum-water reaction by ReaxFF molecular dynamics

Hydrogen energy is gaining attention as a non-polluting source. Aluminum’s reaction with water for propulsion and hydrogen production is widely used, but its nanoscale characteristics are unexplored. This study investigated aluminum hydrolysis in water vapor by ReaxFF-MD, examining effects of temperature and electric field. The oxidation of the aluminum surface is accompanied by aluminum dissolution, hydrogen generation and H3O+ formation, Formed hydrides and oxides were AlH3 and Al2O3. Hydrogen disappearance at 700 K and 900 K was due to conversion to AlH3. The diffusion of hydrogen and oxygen atoms in the Z direction was enhanced at increasing temperatures, Outer aluminum atoms preferentially reacted with oxygen to form Al2O3, while inner atoms reacted with hydrogen to form AlH3, the loosely packed outer oxide layer contains inclusions of AlH3. Studies at room temperature under different electric fields showed −Z field promoted the reaction while + Z field inhibited it, attributed to different electric field strengths’ effect on OH– ion electron-sharing Coulomb equilibrium, resulting in varying rates of hydroxide polar covalent bond cleavage. Our results clarify the atomic-scale effects of temperature and electric field on the aluminum-water reaction, providing guidance for optimizing experimental conditions and enhancing the efficiency of hydrogen production.

A study on impact of demography factor on consumer awareness on solar energy product

Solar power is a clean and green energy source produced from the sun’s light or heat. Unless fossil fuels are finite, solar energy can be sustained and is completely inexhaustible. It is also a non-polluting source of energy that produces no greenhouse emissions when it generates electricity. Electricity vendors and the government actively promote the use of solar products to meet rising demand and complete the transition to a sustainable economy. Consumers must be aware of the various solar products in order to be motivated to purchase them. As a result, the current study investigates consumer’s awareness of solar products in Madurai District of Tamil Nadu. The study is descriptive in nature, including both primary and secondary data for analysis. The respondents were proportionately chosen as a sample and the information of 300 respondents was accepted and used for analysis and interpretation. To determine the level of consumers awareness of solar products the study employed statistical techniques are simple percentage analysis and Chi-Square analysis. The level of consumers awareness has been examined in this study, and appropriate recommendations have been made to increase consumers awareness of solar products.

A New Material for Better, Cheaper Solar Energy

In the fight against global warming, it is vital to find ways of producing energy that do not pollute the environment. One of the best solutions for clean energy production is a solar cell, which uses several types of materials to generate electricity from sunlight. In this article, you will learn what a solar cell is, what it is used for, and how it works. I will also present a recent breakthrough discovery in this field: a new, game-changing material called perovskite. This material not only lowers the cost of solar cells, but lets us use solar cells in ways that were never before possible, such as for solar windows; mobile phone and car chargers, and more. Solar energy is clean and non-polluting source of energy. We also do not need to consider how to transport it from one place to another since the sun is everywhere. Additional important point is that the Sun is here and will stay as long as we are here, therefore we just need to use it for our needs and to generate clean energy. Solar cells are the major clean source of energy exists and today we have to find the way how to use it in for different applications.

Performance Assessment of Solar PV Power Plant with Pvsyst Simulation Tool

In India the energy generation trend has shifted rapidly towards renewable energy sources in recent years. Since the tropical climate condition of the country favors the capability of renewable energy sources and among them direct use of solar radiation and wind can be harnessed effectively to increase the energy capacity. Solar is the most secure, copious and non-polluting source of energy. Simple and direct conversion mechanism of photovoltaic system captures has emerged it as a global player in non-polluting sources of electricity generation. The PV power plant located at Mechanical Engineering Department of SKIT, Jaipur is studied to evaluate the performance under the composite climate condition. The performance indices include the energy and economic parameters such as reference, array, final yield net present value, cost of energy and money payback period. The analysis involves a simulation tool PVsyst. The energy parameters found for the installed capacity also involve performance ratio, calculated throughout the year. The result shows the final yield for the plant as 4.5 kWh/kWp/day. The economic evaluation shows the money payback period as 4.3years. Key Words: Photovoltaic, economic evaluation, PVsyst, reference yield, temperature loss

Climate Indices Impact in Monthly Streamflow Series Forecasting

Hydroelectricity has been widely deployed in many countries for decades, and remains the main source of electricity in Canada, Norway, and Brazil. Despite the recent diversification, hydroelectricity accounts for approximately 65% of the electricity generated in Brazil. It also represents the largest non-polluting source in the country, and is important for complying with the global goals of reducing carbon emissions. Meeting energy and environmental sustainability requirements impose challenges on the hydroelectric sector in terms of resilience to climate change observed around the planet. These changes affect electricity generation by altering seasonality and increasing the variability of streamflow and evaporation losses in reservoirs. Therefore, in this study, among a set of 27 climate indices, we identified the most relevant for improving the performance of the models applied to monthly seasonal streamflow series forecasting. A database provided by the NOAA Physical Sciences Laboratory was used as exogenous variables for three machine learning models (support vector regression, extreme learning machine, and kernel ridge regression) and one linear model (seasonal autoregressive integrated moving average with exogenous factors, SARIMAX). Random forest with recursive feature elimination was used as the feature-selection technique. The results obtained allowed for the identification of the most relevant set of indices for the analyzed plants, thereby improving streamflow predictions.

A review on thermal performance and heat transfer augmentation in solar air heater

ABSTRACT Development in solar air collectors have increased because of the renewable and non-polluting sources of energy. The present study focused on artificial roughness, vortex generators, thermal storage units, etc., which are employed to improve the performance of Solar Air Heaters (SAHs). Thermal efficiency of Double Pass Solar Air Heater (DPSAH) improved from 10% to 15% as compared to the Single Pass Solar Air Heater (SPSAH) and improves further using an integrated absorber with a heat storage unit. About 12% and 15% improvement in thermal and thermo-hydraulic efficiency was achieved using a rough absorber. Integrated absorbers with Composite Phase Change Materials (CPCMs) based heat storage is one of the new signs of progress to optimize the thermal efficiency of SAHs.

Feasibility of thin film nanocomposite membranes for clean energy using pressure retarded osmosis and reverse electrodialysis

Power generation from renewable energy sources is becoming increasingly significant as global energy consumption increases. The non-renewable energy sources we use now are on the verge of extinction. Reverse electrodialysis and pressure retarded osmosis are two methods of harvesting renewable energy using salinity gradients. There are non-polluting sources of energy that can be found at the interface of two solutions with varying salinity gradients. Reverse electrodialysis makes use of ion-selective membranes while uses salt rejecting membranes. It is necessary to employ membranes. Unlike pressure retarded osmosis membranes, ion-exchange membranes involve controlled mixing. The ion flux is employed by ion-exchange membranes in reverse electrodialysis to extract energy. Pressure retarded osmosis is an emerging membrane process uses for harvesting energy and desalination applications. Salinity gradient energy is a zero-emission and sustainable technology that can be practically applied worldwide. By employing a semipermeable membrane to control the mixing process, the osmotic pressure gradient energy can be generated in terms of electrical power via pressure retarded osmosis without causing adverse environmental impacts. In this study, the thin film nanocomposite membrane was fabricated by forming a polyamide thin film on the polysulfone substrate through the interfacial polymerization process.

DESIGNING FLEXIBLE OPEN SPACES WITH ENERGY EFFICIENT SOLUTIONS FOR A RESILIENT BEIRUT - CASE STUDY OF RMEIL MEDAWAR DISTRICT

A news supplement produced by UNDP “Peace Building in Lebanon”, distributed along with An-Nahar newspaper had published in its December 2020 issue an article entitled “Urban Vacant Parcels as Opportunities to Reclaim Public Spaces in Times of Crises and Austerity” highlighting on the following: While Lebanon experiences a multiple crises and people are struggling more every day, solidarities are urgently needed and spaces where people can meet and connect would play a key role in this matter. Adding that Beirut, the capital, is considered a dense and rapidly urbanizing city, where shared spaces are scant, poorly designed, and ill managed. The current situation and stresses have contributed to the degradation of the urban environment and transformed neighborhoods in drastic ways at the expense of public life. However, the neighborhoods comprise a lot of vacant properties (built and inbuilt) includes public staircases, pedestrian alleys and building entrances neglected gardens and parks that holds a valuable opportunity for rethinking the public spaces. The aim of the study is developing design guidelines to obtain flexible open spaces and achieve urban resilience in densely populated areas using green technology. The main objective of the study is to enhance cities’ resilient factors through applying urban interventions into the public realm elements that contribute to achieving flexible open spaces, to identify the applicable green technologies that are most suitable for creating energy- producing open spaces in highly dense areas, and to achieve a balance between the aesthetic aspects of spaces and the needs and perceptions of residents using the participatory design approach. This paper is based on literature review, analytical quantitative study. In addition to a comparative analysis of international case studies done that helps in deducing the convenient tools that can be relied upon in the case of Beirut. The purpose of this paper is to emphasize that urban interventions based on modern technologies that are considered supporters to the urban lifestyle, i.e., green technology that involve: environmentally friendly, self-replenishing and non-polluting sources can work on stimulating the spatial practices and the public life through facilitating sustainable development for physically damaged congested – historic Beirut’s neighborhoods.

Clean energy choice and use by the urban households in India: Implications for sustainable energy for all

Despite rapid socioeconomic progress, households in developing countries face a severe challenge in accessing clean energy. More than one-third of the global population depends on biomass, dung cake, and firewood for cooking fuel, which are harmful to health and the environment. Thus, ensuring an adequate supply of non-polluting sources of fuel for households is crucial for protecting the environment and enhancing the well-being of people in developing nations. To provide affordable and non-polluting fuel for all by 2030, as per the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations, it is vital to understand the factors that influence the adoption of non-polluting fuels. Using information of urban households from NSSO 46th (1991–92), 63rd (2006–07), and 68th (2011–12) round surveys by the National Sample Survey Organization (NSSO), India, this study examines the factors influencing fuel choice and investigates the fuel consumption behavior of urban households. This study found that although reliance on firewood has been declining, a significant number of households continue to use it, and expenditure on firewood is more than 15% of the total energy expenditure of an urban family in India. Our econometric findings indicate that the schooling of the household head and spouse and economic status are the major factors in determining the choice of and reliance on clean or dirty fuels. Based on the findings, clean energy policies should target resource-poor households to guarantee non-polluting sources for all by 2030.

SOLAR PV SYSTEM FOR ECONOMICAL UTILIZATION OF POWER DURING PEAK DEMAND FOR DOMESTIC APPLICATION USING MACHINE LEARNING

The need for self-sustainable and non-polluting sources of electricity generation is of prime importance. One of the most used renewable energy sources is the Solar photovoltaic (PV) panels. These systems are increasingly being adopted to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases from conventional power plants, which is of major concern. This research work aims to use Machine learning (ML) to predict peak demands and dynamically control power-flow between solar PV panels, battery, grid and load by predicting the occurrence of peak demands using Long-short Term Memory (LSTM) based RNN in python and control relay switches to control power-flow andreduce peak time power consumption from the grid.

Microbial Transglutaminase as a Tool to Improve the Features of Hydrocolloid-Based Bioplastics.

Several proteins from animal and plant origin act as microbial transglutaminase substrate, a crosslinking enzyme capable of introducing isopeptide bonds into proteins between the aminoacids glutamines and lysines. This feature has been widely exploited to modify the biological properties of many proteins, such as emulsifying, gelling, viscosity, and foaming. Besides, microbial transglutaminase has been used to prepare bioplastics that, because made of renewable molecules, are able to replace the high polluting plastics of petrochemical origin. In fact, most of the time, it has been shown that the microbial enzyme strengthens the matrix of protein-based bioplastics, thus, influencing the technological characteristics of the derived materials. In this review, an overview of the ability of many proteins to behave as good substrates of the enzyme and their ability to give rise to bioplastics with improved properties is presented. Different applications of this enzyme confirm its important role as an additive to recover high value-added protein containing by-products with a double aim (i) to produce environmentally friendly materials and (ii) to find alternative uses of wastes as renewable, cheap, and non-polluting sources. Both principles are in line with the bio-economy paradigm.

Renewable Hybrid Systems: Characterization and Tendencies

A renewable hybrid system combines energy sources for electricity generation and its use is motivated by the call for diversification and decentralization of non-polluting sources and complementarity between renewable resources. This system is more reliable and cost-effective than a system based on a single source and among different combinations of components the most commonly used is solar wind. The operation of these systems depends on factors such as design, optimization, reliability and economic performance. Thus, the main objective of this article is to present the state of the art of renewable hybrid systems worldwide, highlighting its main characteristics. Among the 14 analyzed articles, Homer software is the most used for Hybrid System scaling; for optimization the most commonly used metaheuristic is the PSO. In addition, 36.4% of the articles did not use any type of energy storage, and the remaining used batteries, fuel cells or both technologies. As application, 63.6% of the plants supplied reverse osmosis systems or residential loads; the others supplied the demand for remote rural areas or to charge electric cars.

Determination of the potential of cyanobacterial strains for hydrogen production

Hydrogen (H2) is a renewable, abundant, and nonpolluting source of energy. Photosynthetic organisms capture sunlight very efficiently and convert it into organic molecules. Cyanobacteria produce H2 by breaking down organic compounds and water. In this study, biological H2 was produced from various strains of cyanobacteria. Moreover, H2 accumulation by Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 was as high as 0.037 μmol/mg Chl/h within 120 h in the dark. The wild-type, filamentous, non-heterocystous cyanobacterium Desertifilum sp. IPPAS B-1220 was found to produce a maximum of 0.229 μmol/mg Chl/h in the gas phase within 166 h in the light, which was on par with the maximum yield reported in the literature. DCMU at 10 μM increased H2 production by Desertifilum sp. IPPAS B-1220 by 1.5-fold to 0.348 μmol H2/mg Chl/h. This is the first report on the capability of Desertifilum cyanobacterium to produce H2.

Maximum Power Point Tracking Charge Controller for Standalone PV System

The depletion of conventional energy sources and global warming has raised worldwide awareness on the usage of renewable energy sources particularly solar photovoltaic (PV). Renewable energy sources are non-polluting sources which can meet energy demands without causing any environmental issues. For standalone PV systems, a low conversion efficiency of the solar panel and high installation cost due to storage elements are the two primary constraints that limit the widespread use of this system. As the size of the system increases, the demand for a highly efficient tracking and charging system is very crucial. Direct charging of battery with PV module will results in loss of capacity or premature battery degradation. Furthermore, most of the available energy generated by the PV module or array will be wasted if proper tracking technique is not employed. As a result, more PV panels need to be installed to provide the same output power capacity. This paper presents selection, design and simulation of maximum power point tracker (MPPT) and battery charge controller for standalone Photovoltaic (PV) system. Contributions are made in several aspects of the whole system, including selection of suitable converter, converter design, system simulation, and MPPT algorithm. The proposed system utilizes direct duty cycle technique thus simplifying its control structure. MPPT algorithm based on scanning approach has been applied by sweeping the duty cycle throughout the I-V curve to ensure continuous tracking of the maximum power irrespective of any environmental circumstances. For energy storage, lead acid battery is employed in this work. MATLAB/Simulink® was utilized for simulation studies. Results show that the propose strategy can track the MPPs and charge the battery effectively.

Optimization of biomass and hydrogen production by Anabaena sp. (UTEX 1448) in nitrogen-deprived cultures

Hydrogen is a non-polluting source of energy, which is renewable and very abundant in the universe. Microalgae and cyanobacteria produce hydrogen by breaking down water and organic compounds. The aim of this research was to develop hydrogen production using cyanobacterium Anabaena sp. by nitrogen deprivation in two experimental phases of cultivation, optimizing its biomass from physicochemical variables. The experiment was carried out with axenic culture, in BG-11 medium, in triplicate, in two steps and under continuous illumination: in the first step, cultures were maintained in an aerobic condition until the first half of growth phase under nitrogen limitation; in the second step, the biomass was transferred, by centrifugation and cell wash, to anaerobic photobioreactors under nitrogen deprivation and the atmosphere was changed by argon for hydrogen production. Hydrogen was detected by gas chromatography and the hydrogen production parameters were tested using the Gompertz model and the volume by the general ideal gas equation. The optimization of biomass in the first step of cultivation increased its yield by 18.3% and heterocysts formation was 3.4 times higher in nitrogen privation conditions. Therefore, hydrogen production by cell increased 55.2% and the productivity 57.6% when compared to the culture of Anabaena sp. in control condition. The method and the strain were effective for hydrogen production and the pH, temperature and light intensity affected the improvement of this production and increased the biomass yield.

Experimental investigation on a hybrid solar collector to predict safe operating condition

ABSTRACTSolar energy, a non-polluting source of power generation is widely used in the recent times in many engineering applications. While using this solar energy on the solar panels with a tracking system, the panel gets damaged due to excess radiation. To overcome this problem, in the present work, fins and PCM (Phase Change Material) are used to reduce the temperature of the panel and thereby increases its life. Fins and PCM are attached to the photovoltaic panel and experiments were conducted with fins and PCM and the results are compared without fins and PCM. The experiment is conducted in the following means namely, tracking and without tracking. Besides, the temperature, voltage and current are measured and hence the power output was evaluated.

Solar assisted multiple-effect evaporator

Multiple-effect evaporator (MEE) is used for concentrating the liquor. A substantial energy saving can be achieved by integrating MEE with a thermo-vapor compressor (TVC). TVC is a device in which the low-pressure vapor produced from MEE is compressed with the help of the high-pressure motive steam supplied externally, to produce a medium pressure vapor. This medium pressure vapor acts as a heat source for MEE. The high-pressure motive steam can be produced from concentrating solar thermal system, which is a renewable and non-polluting source of energy. The present study deals with the integration of linear Fresnel reflector (LFR) with MEE-TVC system. The objective of the present work is to minimize the total annual cost for the integrated MEE-TVC and LFR system. The important parameters affecting the annual cost for the integrated system are solar design radiation and temperature of the motive steam. A methodology is developed to determine the optimal solar radiation and steam temperature. The proposed methodology is demonstrated through a case study for manufacturing of corn glucose. The annual cost for the system is 87,106 $/y, with optimal steam temperature 250 °C and optimal design radiation 600 W/m2. Sensitivity analysis is also carried out for the selection of the optimal operating parameters. The cost of the auxiliary heating source plays a dominating factor on the economic feasibility of the integrated system.

English

This study was conducted to investigate the combined effects of municipal and industrial waste discharges on the quality of the new northern Calabar River in the Niger Delta province (5.317°N, 6.467°E) of Nigeria. Water samples were collected in June 2015 from five regions along the stretch of the river. The five regions comprised three observed pollution sources (abattoir, open market, and noodle factory) and two non-pollution sources at the downstream and upstream sections of the river. Using standard analytical protocols, results showed that the current pollution loads of the river varied significantly (p < 0.05) across the three pollution sources. Over 33% of studied quality indicators of the river including total hardness (1526.19±154 mg/l), biochemical oxygen demand (10.14±4 mg/l), and chemical oxygen demand (57.62±13 mg/l) over time increased beyond their permissible limits due to the disposal of municipal and industrial wastes into the river. The present quality of the river was only fair with a Water Quality Index of 64.71. This result suggests that the water quality is usually protected but occasionally impaired by the wastes discharged into the river, leading to conditions that often depart from permissible levels. Key words: Pollution loads, water quality index, river, Niger Delta

Effect of Hg on Jiaozhou BayWaters – The Change Process of the Hg Pollution Sources

Based on investigation data in Jiaozhou bay waters from 1979 to 1985(absent of 1984), this paper tried to anylysis the horizontal distributions and pollution sources and characteristics of Hg in Jiaozhou Bay. The results showed that, the horizonal distributions of Hg in surface water of Jiaozhou Bay showed decreasing trends from river flow direct, and the major pollution source of Hg was point source, whose pollutants were transferred by stream discharge. Under the influences of point source pollution, the Hg concentrations in surface waters could range from 0.46-13.04 μg.L-1; while under the influences of ocean current itself, the concentration of Hg in bay mouth area could range from 0.46-13.04 μg.L-1. The pollution sources of Hg in Jiaozhou Bay could be catagoried as two levels as high-pollution sources and non-pollution sources, due to Hg in this bay was mainly impacted by point source. It is necessary to enhance the recovery ratio of Hg, and to reduce the discharge of Hg.

Subsidizing Non-Polluting Goods vs. Taxing Polluting Goods for Pollution Reduction

Pigovian taxes on polluters are politically unpopular, but subsidies for non-polluting sources are politically attractive. This paper presents a linear demand and supply model and numerical example to explore the trade-offs between taxing polluting sources of a good versus subsidizing non-polluting sources of the same good. While the model (along with the associated numerical example) shows the optimality of Pigovian taxes, it also shows how much welfare is reduced if subsidies for nonpolluters are employed instead. Further, it shows the optimal tax, given any level of subsidy and the optimal subsidy, given any level of tax.