Energy Resources Research Articles

Dielectric Elastomer Generators: Recent Advances in Materials, Electronic Circuits, and Prototype Developments

The ongoing climate crisis requires innovative methods to maximize renewable and sustainable energy resources. There have been advancements in harvesting energy from ambient motions such as wind, ocean waves, and human movements. Dielectric elastomer generators (DEGs) are a promising option for energy harvesting due to their high energy density and compatibility with low‐frequency oscillations. This review provides an in‐depth overview of DEGs, including electroactive materials, electromechanical characterization, electronics for harvesting, interfacing circuits, prototypes, and challenges. DEGs have the potential to play a significant role in decarbonizing energy for both small‐ and large‐scale applications using ambient energy sources.

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE GAS SUPPLY SYSTEM IN THE REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA

Gas distribution and transportation networks make up the gas supply system. Providing natural gas to the public and the economy is the primary objective of the gas delivery system. Every nation's gas supply network is strategically vital since the cost of natural gas directly impacts the goods and services that are produced and rendered there. It is true that developed nations are looking for innovative technology for natural gas extraction because it is a non-renewable resource. Founded during the Soviet era and throughout multiple phases of development, the Republic of Armenia's gas supply system is a component of the worldwide network. The Public Services Regulatory Commission and the Armenian government, through the Ministry of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure, oversee the country's gas supply industry. The article discusses the Republic of Armenia's domestic natural gas market's supply and sales, its background and present state, investment initiatives, and features that increase the system's operational efficiency.

Photorespiratory Metabolism and Its Regulatory Links to Plant Defence Against Pathogens

When plants face biotic stress, the induction of defence responses imposes a massive demand for carbon and energy resources, which could decrease the reserves allocated towards growth. These growth–defence trade-offs have important implications for plant fitness and productivity and influence the outcome of plant–pathogen interactions. Biotic stress strongly affects plant cells’ primary metabolism, including photosynthesis and respiration, the main source of energy and carbon skeletons for plant growth, development, and defence. Although the nature of photosynthetic limitations imposed by pathogens is variable, infection often increases photorespiratory pressure, generating conditions that promote ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate oxygenation, leading to a metabolic shift from assimilation to photorespiration. Photorespiration, the significant metabolic flux following photosynthesis, protects the photosynthetic apparatus from photoinhibition. However, recent studies reveal that its role is far beyond photoprotection. The intermediates of the photorespiratory cycle regulate photosynthesis, and photorespiration interacts with the metabolic pathways of nitrogen and sulphur, shaping the primary metabolism for stress responses. This work aims to present recent insights into the integration of photorespiration within the network of primary metabolism under biotic stress. It also explores the potential implications of regulating photosynthetic–photorespiratory metabolism for plant defence against bacterial and fungal pathogens.

Assessing the environmental impact of institutional quality at aggregate and disaggregate levels: The role of renewable and non-renewable energy consumption and trade in MENA countries

Assessing the environmental impact of institutional quality at aggregate and disaggregate levels: The role of renewable and non-renewable energy consumption and trade in MENA countries

Exploring Recent Advances in Lignocellulosic Biomass Waste Delignification Through the Combined Use of Eutectic Solvents and Intensification Techniques

Growing awareness of resource sustainability and waste management has driven the search for circular-economy solutions. Lignocellulosic biomass waste, the most abundant renewable carbon resource, offers green potential as an alternative to declining non-renewable fuels. However, due to its recalcitrant nature, it requires pre-processing to convert it into valuable products like energy and chemicals. Biorefineries play a key role in this process by promoting the integral use of biomass, by finding ways to utilize lignin, previously treated as waste. Common pretreatment methods are unsustainable, prompting research into eco-friendly solvents and advanced techniques like ultrasound- and microwave-assisted methods. Recent approaches have also explored the use of eutectic solvents, which, when combined with these intensification techniques, offer promising results. These green technologies improve delignification efficiency, which in turn improves the saccharification process, reduces solvent use, and minimizes environmental impact. Despite progress, challenges remain in making these methods economically viable and adaptable to diverse biomass types. This review article highlights recent advances in sustainable treatment technologies, including the combined use of eutectic solvents and process-intensification techniques, and the potential of the obtained lignin in various industrial applications. It also discusses future prospects for more environmentally friendly processes in biomass utilization.

Use of Distributed Energy Resources Integrated with the Electric Grid in the Amazon: A Case Study of the Universidade Federal do Pará Poraquê Electric Boat Using a Digital Twin

Electric mobility is a global trend and necessity, with electric and solar boats offering a promising alternative for transportation electrification and carbon emission reduction, especially in the Amazon region. This study analyzes the system of a solar boat from an electric mobility project—to be implemented at Universidade Federal do Pará (UFPA)—using MATLAB software for modeling. The Simulink tool was utilized to model the system, focusing on operational parameters such as module voltage, converter voltage, and speed. The results indicate that the solar boat’s operational cost is significantly lower compared to a similar internal combustion model, considering diesel’s high consumption and cost. The environmental impact is also reduced, with nearly 72 tons of CO2 emissions avoided annually, thanks to Brazil’s renewable energy matrix. Simulations confirmed the project’s parameters, demonstrating the efficiency of digital-twin technology in monitoring and predicting system performance. The study underscores the importance of digital twins and renewable energy in promoting sustainable transportation solutions, advocating for the replication of such projects globally. Future research should focus on further advancing digital-twin applications in electric mobility to enhance predictive maintenance and operational efficiency.

Event-Triggered Transmission of Sensor Measurements Using Twin Hybrid Filters for Renewable Energy Resource Management Systems

Recently, solar and wind power generation have gained attention as pathways to achieving carbon neutrality, and Renewable Energy Resource Management System (RERMS) technology has been developed to monitor and control small-scale, distributed renewable energy resources. In this work, we present an Event-Triggered Transmission (ETT) algorithm for RERMS, which transmits sensor measurements to the base station only when necessary. The ETT algorithm helps prevent congestion in the communication channel between RERMS and the base station, avoiding time delays or packet loss caused by the excessive transmission of sensor measurements. We design a hybrid state estimation algorithm that combines Kalman and Finite Impulse Response (FIR) filters to enhance the estimation performance, and we propose a new ETT algorithm based on this design. We evaluate the performance of the proposed algorithm through experiments that transmit actual sensor measurements from a photovoltaic power generation system to the base station, demonstrating that it outperforms existing algorithms.

How Road and Rail Transport Respond to Economic Growth and Energy Prices: A Study for Poland

Transport drives economies. This statement covers complex and multifaceted economic, environmental, and political issues. The literature mainly describes the unidirectional impact of transport on the economy, and far less often bilateral or reverse impacts. This is the context in which this study was conducted. The question of whether the economy (GDP and exports and imports) and energy prices (crude oil and diesel) have an impact on road and rail transport in Poland was examined. The research was based on correlation methodology and VAR modelling for the January 2010–March 2024 period (quarterly data). It was found that there is no sufficiently strong basis to speak of an inverse relationship, i.e., that the economy is the cause of transport. This confirms the majority of studies, but it has been shown that this relationship occurs in the current period. And this statement means that both road transport, which is developing, and rail transport, which is declining in Poland, are able to serve the economy on a continuous basis. Moreover, rail transport is positively affected by changes in fuel prices, but the basic energy resource used in rail transport is not fuel but electricity. Therefore, as fuel prices rise, investment in rail transport or combined transport can have positive economic and environmental effects in the future.

Frequency-Voltage-var Function for Active Front-end VFD on Oil and Gas Platforms with Offshore Wind Generation

Renewable energy resources emerge as a sustainable alternative to augmenting the energy supply of floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) platforms. However, the increased generation at FPSO based on converter-interfaced energy decreases the system-equivalent inertia constant, which becomes more susceptible to frequency deviations. This paper proposes and evaluates the combined frequency-voltage-var control performance to mitigate frequency variation in a typical FPSO unit with penetration of floating wind energy generation. The control functions are communication-free and embedded in the active front-end variable frequency drives (AFE-VFDs), which are installed on the FPSO and have the primary function of controlling the speed of water injection pumps. The FPSO electrical power system model is developed in MATLAB/Simulink®. Comparative results obtained from the AFE-VFD equipped with volt-var, freq-var, and combined freq-volt-var functions are shown to highlight the proposed solution merits. The results have shown a conflicting behavior with the frequency and voltage deviation improvement associated with absorption and injection of reactive power, respectively. Accordingly, the frequency-volt-var prioritizes frequency deviations during heavy transient events and voltage deviations during regular operation.

Evidence of Strategic Information Literacy Practices in Early Career Teachers' Navigation of TeachersPayTeachers

Teachers Pay Teachers (TPT) has emerged as the most popular online educational marketplace of the moment, but exactly how curriculum marketplaces support professional learning and classroom curriculum design is still an emerging area of inquiry in educational research. This paper explores the perspectives of six novice teachers on the supplemental teaching materials available on TPT. Through semi-structured think-aloud interviews, we identified tensions related to teachers’ landscapes of practice, institutional mistrust, perceived authoritativeness of TPT sellers, curriculum marketplaces as altruistic platforms, and the affordances and constraints of TPT for managing finite resources. Findings suggest that professionals who work with preservice and in-service teachers must reframe their discussion of curriculum marketplaces toward developing early-career teachers’ critical curriculum cultivation practices. Such reframing has the potential to influence how educators make use of online curriculum marketplaces, what resources they download, and how those resources are employed.

Relationship between tooth macrowear and jaw morphofunctional traits in representative hypercarnivores.

The mammalian adult dentition is a non-renewable resource. Tooth attrition and disease must be accommodated by individuals using behavioral, physiological, and/or musculoskeletal shifts to minimize impact on masticatory performance. From a biomechanical perspective, the musculoskeletal system becomes less efficient at producing bite force for a given amount of muscle input force over an individual's life, because tooth-food contact area increases as cusps wear. In this study we ask the question: does mandibular biomechanical performance show evidence of compensation with increasing tooth wear? We use representative taxa of three carnivoran ecomorphologies (meat specialist, scavenger, bone cracker) as a study system to compare morphofunctional data on tooth macrowear, jaw depth, bite mechanical efficiency, and jaw stress during biting. No significant shifts in adult mandibular corpus dimensions occurs in the sampled taxa as canine and carnassial teeth wear. In bone cracking spotted hyenas carnassial biting mechanical efficiency increases significantly with increasing tooth wear, with no significant change in mandibular stress. Analyses of the fossil carnivore Hyaenodon suggests an increase in canine biting efficiency with increased tooth wear, but this may reflect interspecific variation or phylogenetic contingency rather than a life history shift. Overall, these findings indicate that scavenging hyaenids and felid meat specialists do not exhibit morphofunctional compensation for the decreased mechanical capability of worn and dull teeth. Behavioral modifications, rather than musculoskeletal adjustments, may instead play a major role in maintaining food acquisition and processing capabilities for individuals surviving into advanced ontogenetic age and tooth wear. These observations highlight the mammalian masticatory system as having a dynamic performance profile through its useful lifespan, and encourage a more nuanced understanding of past and present carnivore guilds by considering wear-dependent performance changes as a possible source of selection.

THE POTENTIAL FOR PEER-TO-PEER ELECTRICITY TRADING IN GEORGIA

The global energy transition is fundamentally reshaping electricity markets, moving from centralized systems reliant on fossil fuels to decentralized, renewable energy solutions. Distributed energy resources such as solar panels and storage batteries are empowering consumers to become active participants in the energy market. Peer-to-peer (P2P) electricity trading, enabled by blockchain technology, presents a new model for consumers to trade surplus energy directly with one another, bypassing traditional suppliers. This article explores the potential of P2P electricity trading in Georgia, a country with significant renewable energy resources but limited experience with decentralized energy systems. As Georgia aligns its energy policies with European regulations, the development of a P2P trading market could enhance energy security, empower prosumers, and drive local economic development. Through an analysis of global trends, technological innovations, and the current Georgian energy landscape, this article assesses the opportunities and challenges in implementing P2P trading. By building the necessary infrastructure and fostering public participation, Georgia has the potential to transform its energy market and contribute to a more resilient and sustainable energy future.

FIELD PERFORMANCE OF HOT IN-PLANT PRODUCED ASPHALTIC CONCRETE WEARING COURSE (ACWC) WITH 30% RECLAIMED ASPHALT PAVEMENT (RAP)

Hot in-plant recycling stands as an effective yet underutilized method in Malaysia for reusing pavement milling waste, resulting in insufficient established benchmarks and validated trials. The Utilization of Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement (RAP) can divert a significant amount of waste asphalt millings from landfills, while conserving energy and natural resources. This study focused on the recycled mixture, ACWC-30RAP, which integrated 30% Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement (RAP). In July 2022, a 400 m trial lay was conducted from KM413.90 to KM414.30 Southbound (SB), Section C3, along the PLUS North-South Expressway (NSE). Field tests were systematically conducted on both the ACWC-30RAP and conventional ACWC20 mixtures at different phases including month-6, month-9, and month-12 post-construction. The primary objective was to assess fundamental properties related to the structural stiffness of pavement layers as well as the pavement performance and condition for both trial sections using various field testing including Falling Weight Deflectometer (FWD) and Multi-Laser Profiler (MLP). Following the 12-month trial period, both the ACWC-30RAP and conventional ACWC20 mixtures experienced actual traffic loading and environmental conditions. Remarkably, the ACWC-30RAP demonstrated comparable field performance as the conventional ACWC20. This alignment in performance signified a promising avenue for employing the recycled mixture with high RAP content. Using ACWC-30RAP can also provide economic benefit, reducing the production cost by approximately 25%. In essence, the ACWC-30RAP had achieved an equivalent level of confidence to the conventional ACWC20 mixture, which was exclusively composed of virgin materials. cts.

Breeding and biotechnology approaches to enhance the nutritional quality of rapeseed byproducts for sustainable alternative protein sources- a critical review

Global protein consumption is increasing exponentially, which requires efficient identification of potential, healthy, and simple protein sources to fulfil the demands. The existing sources of animal proteins are high in fat and low in fiber composition, which might cause serious health risks when consumed regularly. Moreover, protein production from animal sources can negatively affect the environment, as it often requires more energy and natural resources and contributes to greenhouse gas emissions. Thus, finding alternative plant-based protein sources becomes indispensable. Rapeseed is an important oilseed crop and the world’s third leading oil source. Rapeseed byproducts, such as seed cakes or meals, are considered the best alternative protein source after soybean owing to their promising protein profile (30%–60% crude protein) to supplement dietary requirements. After oil extraction, these rapeseed byproducts can be utilized as food for human consumption and animal feed. However, anti-nutritional factors (ANFs) like glucosinolates, phytic acid, tannins, and sinapines make them unsuitable for direct consumption. Techniques like microbial fermentation, advanced breeding, and genome editing can improve protein quality, reduce ANFs in rapeseed byproducts, and facilitate their usage in the food and feed industry. This review summarizes these approaches and offers the best bio-nutrition breakthroughs to develop nutrient-rich rapeseed byproducts as plant-based protein sources.

INVESTIGATION ON CORROSION AND FLEXURAL BEHAVIOUR OF REINFORCED CONCRETE USING MARINE SAND

Traditionally, the construction industry relies on both manufactured sand (known as MF-Sand) and river sand as primary constituents for fine aggregates. However, in response to the dwindling supply of river sand, the contemporary preference is firmly in favor of MF-Sand. This research focuses the utilization of meticulously cleaned marine sand (referred to as MR-Sand) as a superior substitute for MF-Sand, aiming to curtail the reliance on and depletion of river sand, a finite natural resource. The objective of this research is to examine the mechanical property of flexural performance of Reinforced Cement Concrete (RCC) Beam and durability study of concrete using corrosion test in which washed MR - Sand as a fine aggregate in partial replacement of MF-Sand from 20% to 60%. The physical and chemical characteristics of treated and untreated marine sand are compared with a view to better comprehending the features of MR and MF-Sand. Experimental research works have been carried out to look into the corrosion test and flexural strength in order to better understanding the strength and durability attributes of concrete. The values for flexural strength, ultimate load, load-deflection, load-strain, and crack pattern have been compared for the RCC beam specimens MF100, MR20, MR40 and MR60. The findings indicate that 60% of MR-Sand possesses the desired properties of strength and durability of concrete. Additionally, Finite Element Analysis is carried out using the ABAQUS software to further validate the experimental findings of load-deflection, load carrying capacity, crack pattern and flexural strength.

Optimizing sustainable bio-fuel supply chain: a multi-objective model utilizing micro-algae resources

AbstractAs energy demands continue to rise and concerns about the impact on the environment of fossil fuels, renewable energy sources have emerged as viable alternatives. Bio-fuels can replace non-renewable energy sources. Micro and macro-algae, animal fat, leftover cooking oil and vegetable oil can be utilised to make bio-diesel. Micro-algae is readily available and affordable, making it a viable alternative to these sources. A bio-diesel supply chain that supports large-scale production must be developed quickly. A multi-objective framework is used to construct a sustainable micro-algal bio-diesel supply chain. Bio-diesel supply chain economic objective and environmental impact is minimized in the proposed approach. Bio-diesel is advertised as a fossil fuel replacement. Bio-refineries, bio-diesel depositories, multi-harvesting centres and supply sites for micro-algae (Chlorella, chlamydomonas and Scenedesmus) are considered. The suggested multi-objective model is optimized by implementing the $$Genetic-Algorithm$$ G e n e t i c - A l g o r i t h m . The framework and solution technique are validated using numerical illustrations. Findings indicate that bio-diesel production facility starting expenses comprise 59% of overall costs, showing high installation costs in the supply chain. Additionally, their environmental impact accounts for 67% of total environmental installation impact. A sensitivity analysis is performed to determine the feasibility of this study. The suggested paradigm could potentially be beneficial for traders and governing bodies with an interest in bio-fuel industry.

Estimating Cooling Energy Demand from Building Attributes and Environmental Parameters using 3D City Models

Abstract. Most of the global population have shifted to urbanization with advancements in technology. With this transition comes the responsibility of applying these technologies to promote sustainable development practice. Since energy demand is highest in the urbanized areas, it is important that proper assessment and management of energy resource is considered in policy-making and urban planning. This study investigated the estimation of cooling energy demand in Iloilo City Proper, Philippines using a 3D city model integrated with building attributes including building functions and year of construction, while also taking into consideration meteorological factors in the area. The proposed method used the application SimStadt2.0, following the German computation standard DINV18599. Building functions and year of construction were extracted from available building attributes data and satellite images respectively, using the free and open-source software QGIS. A CityGML Level of Detail 1 was generated from 3Dfier using building footprints and LiDAR point cloud data, along with the extracted building attributes of the 5,426 buildings. Meteorological data from INSEL 8 were also considered in the estimation of cooling energy demand in SimStadt2.0. Results showed a monthly energy demand of 12.33 kWh to 313,530.08 kWh in the study area. The estimated energy demand values were higher than the standard mean for different building functions in the country, but within the expected range of values for each season. Urban Heat Islands (UHIs), analyzed using Land Surface Temperature (LST) values, also have significant correlation to areas with higher cooling energy demands. However, inconsistencies can imply the need for further investigation.

Estimating the technical wind energy potential of Kansas that incorporates the effect of regional wind resource depletion by wind turbines

Abstract. Energy scenarios require realistic estimates of technical wind energy potentials – estimates for how much electricity can be generated by wind turbines given a certain level of deployed capacity within a region. These are typically obtained using observed wind speeds, neglecting the depletion of the wind energy resource with increasing deployment at the regional scale. Here, we use the kinetic energy budget of the atmosphere (KEBA) approach to evaluate the importance of this resource depletion effect for the technical potential of Kansas, USA. To do so, we first apply the KEBA approach to a previously conducted set of numerical simulations with the Weather Research Forecasting (WRF) model. This set simulated the resource depletion effect for a range of different levels of wind turbine deployments within Kansas, which we use to test the KEBA approach. We specifically test the approach for nighttime and daytime conditions to capture the different mixing regimes of the atmospheric boundary layer. We find that KEBA can adequately capture the effect for both settings. We then extend our analysis by using ERA-5 forcing to the climatological scale. We find that this resource depletion effect increases almost linearly with the level of wind turbine deployment. Compared to previously published estimates for the technical potential for Kansas, the resource depletion effect lowers capacity factors by a third to a half. Since this resource depletion effect increases with installed capacity within a region, it is policy relevant even at relatively low deployment levels.

Design and Evaluation of Electrical Protection for Grid-Connected Microgrid with Renewable Energy Resources

Design and Evaluation of Electrical Protection for Grid-Connected Microgrid with Renewable Energy Resources

Renewable energy driven on-road wireless charging infrastructure for electric vehicles in smart cities: A prototype design and analysis

The adoption of electrical vehicles (EVs) has increased due to the increasing concerns about fossil fuel shortages, rising costs, and environmental impacts. This increasing adoption of EVs significantly increase power demand on utility grids. Moreover the EVs require more time for charging compared to fossil fuel vehicles. To address these challenges, this study proposes a renewable energy-based on-road wireless charging (ORWC) infrastructureto reducing charging time and utilizing renewable energy within a smart city framework. This study develops a prototype of the ORWC system and examines its techno-economic and environmental benefits. Moreover, the study also evaluates annualized energy share, energy economics, and cost-effectiveness. The results of the proposed study indicate that the ORWC system in combination with RERs, effectively reduces the cost of energy from $0.112/kWh to $0.30/kWh and lowers carbon emissions from 76.9 tons/year to 29.5 tons/year. Furthermore, the results also reveals optimal energy distribution among different energy resources PV, BESS, and the grid. These results highlight that ORWC infrastructure can reduce peak load demand on existing grids and enhance the power density of EV charging systems. This has potential implications for future-oriented fast charging stations and policy development to support the widespread adoption of EVs.