Plant Performance Parameters Research Articles

Sorghum landraces perform better than a commonly used cultivar under terminal drought, especially on sandy soil

Landraces of sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] have a high potential for drought adaptations to increasingly extreme climates. We investigated the performance of five sorghum genotypes (four landraces and one commonly grown elite line) under water-limited conditions. Plants were grown until maturity in field-like columns on soils of four textures (silty clay, sandy loam, loamy sand, sand), which were dried during flowering stage down to 30 % usable field capacity. Plant transpiration, physiological characteristics, and yield were measured. For most of the measured parameters, the interaction between genotypes and soils was statistically significant. Alongside the gradient in available water between soils, plants had the highest total transpiration, transpiration efficiency (TE), harvest index (HI), and nutrient uptake in silty clay, steadily reduced towards soils with higher sand content. Especially in sandy soil, all measured plant performance parameters were significantly reduced compared to the other soils. There was a significant negative relationship between later flowering time and HI. While the elite cultivar M35–1 showed the highest TE, it suffered from late flowering and yield loss on all soils, especially when growing on sandy soil. The landraces IS 29914 and IS 8348 had a stable HI irrespective of their lowest TE. The shorter the plant, the better it coped with water and nutrient limitation and high transpiration efficiency was not connected to water conservation. The study overall emphasizes the high potential of sorghum landraces to overcome more extreme droughts as imposed by climate change. It also underlines the importance and strong interaction effect of soil texture on plant performance and transpiration efficiency, which is crucial to be considered in crop production. This outlines that specifically regions with sandy soils, characterized by low water-holding capacities, need genotypes that efficiently utilize the limited available water and nutrient resources – a genetic potential hidden in many landraces.

Impact of Ground Heat Source Addition on Main Performance Parameters of Solar Chimney Power Plants: A Numerical Study

Abstract: Solar energy systems can be an alternative to fossil fuels and are vital for a sustainable environment. It is promising that solar chimney power plants (SCPPs), which are among the solar energy systems, provide 24-hour power output (PO) and can work integrated with other systems. This study is based on the Manzanares pilot plant (MPP) and demonstrates satisfactory performance with an additional heat source to be integrated into the ground of the system during hours when solar radiation is weak. The performance of the system at different source temperatures is compared with the reference case, with the model verified using the RNG k-ε turbulence model through a 3D CFD study. In fact, it is seen that the PO of the system, which yields a PO of around 10 kW at 200 W/m2 solar radiation in the reference case, exceeds 80 kW with a source temperature of 200°C. From the results, it can be noticed that the system can also output power in the evening hours when there is no sun. With an additional heat source of 200°C during non-sunlit hours, the system gives more than 75 kW PO. This PO is 50% more than the maximum PO of 50 kW in the reference case.

Biochar and Dairy Manure Amendment Effects on Cynodon dactylon Performance and Soil Properties.

Studies have determined the separate effects of biochar (BC) and manure application on forage species and soil, but few examined the effects of BCs made from different feedstock applied along with dairy manure. We compared the effect of wood- and manure-derived feedstock BC as well as dairy manure amendment application on Cynodon dactylon performance and soil properties in sandy loam and clay loam soils in a greenhouse pot study. Plant samples were assayed for herbage and root dry weight as well as herbage and root N and C percent and yield. Soil samples were assayed for macronutrients, micronutrients, metals, pH and conductivity. Data analyses involved variance analysis and Tukey's tests using R in RStudio (the IDE). In general, C. dactylon yields or mineral content were not affected by either manure or BC. However, an increase in the total herbage dry weight (30%) and in herbage N% (55%) was observed for clay loam and sandy loam soil, respectively, due to manure amendment application. There were no alterations in clay loam NO3-N and P due to any treatment; however, in sandy loam, these nutrients were not altered only when wood BC was applied. In sandy loam soil, NO3-N and P increased when manure BC along with dairy manure and when manure BC alone were applied, respectively. Thus, wood BC application should be considered to avoid these nutrient buildups when dairy manure is used as a soil amendment. This research shows a neutral (BC) or positive (dairy manure amendment) impact on C. dactylon performance. BC incorporation increases soil total C, showing potential for C sequestration. Long-term field trials could corroborate plant performance and soil parameters.

Bioenergy crop Miscanthus x giganteus acts as an ecosystem engineer to increase bacterial diversity and soil organic matter on marginal land

Cultivation of the bioenergy and bioproduct crop Miscanthus x giganteus (Miscanthus) on marginal lands (including those that are anthropogenically damaged) is attractive due to the robust growth of Miscanthus, leading to high yields even under stressful environmental conditions. Miscanthus growth and production may also build soil carbon, which is favorable for land restoration and climate change mitigation. Gaps in our understanding of the mechanisms facilitating soil carbon accumulation under Miscanthus persist, particularly regarding the role of the soil microbiome in facilitating these processes, and how land use histories (e.g. past disturbances) and management strategies (e.g., fertilizer additions) affect these mechanisms. To address these knowledge gaps, we measured plant performance, soil properties, and microbial parameters over the first three years of Miscanthus establishment across a gradient of land disturbance intensity and different fertilization strategies (none, organic, conventional). We determined that plant performance (e.g., aboveground biomass yield) increased over time during establishment under all disturbance intensities but remained lower overall at the most intensely disturbed site. Across all sites, bacterial diversity and microbial carbon use efficiency increased over time and were positively correlated with soil organic matter. We also observed increases in the relative abundance of key plant growth promoting microbes (e.g., mycorrhizal fungi and bacterial N-fixers). There was no effect of nutrient addition on plant yield, soil carbon concentrations, or microbial carbon use efficiency. All told, our results suggest that Miscanthus consistently increases microbial diversity and carbon use efficiency, facilitating soil organic matter accumulation across sites despite varying land use histories and soil properties. In this way Miscanthus acts as an ecosystem engineer, improving soil biological and chemical properties such that highly disturbed soils come to resemble less disturbed systems over time.

Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi Enhance Growth and Increase Concentrations of Anthocyanin, Phenolic Compounds, and Antioxidant Activity of Black Rice (Oryza sativa L.)

Black rice (Oryza sativa L.) contains high concentrations of bioactive compounds that are associated with human-health benefits. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) can increase plant performance and concentrations of these bioactive compounds. In a pot experiment, the effects of four different species of AMF (Claroideoglomus etunicatum; Rhizophagus variabilis; Rhizophagus nov. spec.; Acaulospora longula) were assessed on growth performance, grain yield, concentrations of phenolic compounds and anthocyanin, and antioxidant activity of two black-rice cultivars. The experiment was a completely randomized factorial design with two factors, viz. cultivar (Niew Dam Hmong and Maled Phai) and treatment (four different species of AMF and two non-inoculated treatments, without and with mineral fertilizer). Results showed that cultivar, treatment, and their interaction were almost always significant sources of variation for both plant performance parameters and concentrations of bioactive compounds. Maled Phai showed higher performance and higher concentrations of phenolics and anthocyanins but lower antioxidant activity than Niew Dam Hmong. The non-inoculated treatment without mineral fertilizer showed the lowest performance. The non-inoculated treatment with mineral fertilizer resulted in larger root and shoot biomass than the mycorrhizal treatments, but grain yield was higher in the mycorrhizal treatments. Inoculation with R. variabilis resulted in the highest concentration of phenolics and anthocyanins. We conclude that R. variabilis was the best inoculum for increasing grain yield and bioactive compounds, especially in Maled Phai.

Epichloë Endophytes Shape the Foliar Endophytic Fungal Microbiome and Alter the Auxin and Salicylic Acid Phytohormone Levels in Two Meadow Fescue Cultivars.

Plants harbor a large diversity of endophytic microbes. Meadow fescue (Festuca pratensis) is a cool-season grass known for its symbiotic relationship with the systemic and vertically-via seeds-transmitted fungal endophyte Epichloë uncinata, yet its effects on plant hormones and the microbial community is largely unexplored. Here, we sequenced the endophytic bacterial and fungal communities in the leaves and roots, analyzing phytohormone concentrations and plant performance parameters in Epichloë-symbiotic (E+) and Epichloë-free (E-) individuals of two meadow fescue cultivars. The endophytic microbial community differed between leaf and root tissues independent of Epichloë symbiosis, while the fungal community was different in the leaves of Epichloë-symbiotic and Epichloë-free plants in both cultivars. At the same time, Epichloë symbiosis decreased salicylic acid and increased auxin concentrations in leaves. Epichloë-symbiotic plants showed higher biomass and higher seed mass at the end of the season. Our results demonstrate that Epichloë symbiosis alters the leaf fungal microbiota, which coincides with changes in phytohormone concentrations, indicating that Epichloë endophytes affect both plant immune responses and other fungal endophytes. Whether the effect of Epichloë endophytes on other fungal endophytes is connected to changes in phytohormone concentrations remains to be elucidated.

Performance enhancement of parabolic trough collector solar thermal power plants with thermal energy storage capability

This paper proposes a fuzzy non-linear programming based optimisation approach using Genetic algorithm to enhance the performance of commercial parabolic trough collector concentrated solar thermal power plants with thermal energy storage capability. The proposed optimisation approach, unlike conventional methods, considers three plant performance parameters: capacity factor, plant efficiency, and levelized cost of energy for arriving at optimal plant performance. By properly sizing the PTC plant with respect to plant efficiency, thermal energy storage capacity, capacity factor, and levelized cost of electricity, even better performance levels can be achieved. For analysis purpose and to validate the efficiency of the proposed approach, three representative locations in Saudi Arabia: Yanbu, Abha, and Dawadmi were considered—wherein the design of a 100 MW commercial parabolic trough collector solar thermal power plant is optimised. The results showed that the proposed optimization approach when applied to commercial parabolic trough collector plants with thermal energy storage capability can achieve superior plant efficiency of the order of 16.53% and 17.42% and with a capacity factor greater than 60%. The findings of the study has been validated with the help of operational parameters of the commercially operated Andasol-1, La Florida, and Aste 1A parabolic trough collector concentrated solar power plants. The results confirm the efficacy of the proposed optimization approach as it achieved superior plant efficiency. This will put decision makers in better position while choosing the ideal solar thermal technology for a particular location. This research work will help augment the competitiveness and efficacy of parabolic trough collector concentrated solar power technology and prompt policymakers to increase their share in the global renewable energy mix.

An integrated gasification plant for electric power generation from wet biomass: toward a sustainable production in the olive oil industry

Abstract This research work proposes an integrated gasification plant for simultaneous generation of renewable electricity and drying of olive pomace, a thick sludge with a moisture content close to 60–70% (wet basis), which constitutes by far the most abundant by-product in the Spanish olive oil industry. Due to its massive rate of production and increasing associated transportation costs, olive pomace management currently represents a substantial expense for oil mills. The integrated gasification plant, which can be installed directly at oil mills, consists of a pelletizer, a downdraft gasifier under autothermal operation fueled with dried olive pomace pellets, a producer gas cooling and cleaning unit and a microturbine as power generation unit. The wet olive pomace continuously produced in oil mills is eventually dried in a co-current flow rotary drum dryer with the hot exhaust gases leaving the microturbine at temperatures close to 300 °C, allowing a self-sufficient operation of the integrated gasification plant. The integrated gasification plant was modeled using Aspen Plus® process simulator. The developed model was validated against experimental and simulation results of relevant works. Under optimum operating conditions, the electrical efficiency of the proposed plant is 18.8%, while the additional drying stage allows achieving an overall efficiency of 51.0%. Electricity consumption by the pelletizer and ancillary equipment represents 10–20% of the net electric power generation from the microturbine. However, since the integrated gasification plant is fueled with an inexpensive by-product of olive oil production that is massively produced on-site, the plant performance parameters are remarkably satisfactory.

Techno-economic performance assessment and the effect of power evacuation curtailment of a 50 MWp grid-interactive solar power park

The increasing energy demand in developing countries has jeopardised energy security, necessitating the employment of solar energy to augment conventional energy sources. It is important to assess the annual performance parameters of solar power plants to understand its place in energy generation. This study analyses the performance and economic viability of a large-scale solar power park located in India. A 50 MWp Solar Photovoltaic Power Park (SPPP) located at Sakunala, in the State of Andhra Pradesh, is one of the largest solar power park in India, and the site receives an average solar radiation of 5.5–6.0 kWh/m2/day. The design, performance analysis, economic feasibility, and greenhouse gas mitigation of the 50 MWp SPPP is presented. The energy yields, performance ratio (PR), capacity utilization factor (CUF), and losses are assessed based on the IEC 61724 standards for two consecutive years (2018–2019 and 2019–2020). The performance results obtained are compared with the PVsyst simulation results. The PR, CUF, and energy yields are estimated as 0.779, 0.24, and 107,326.4 MWh in 2018–2019 and 0.691, 0.22, and 96,707.336 MWh in the year 2019–2020, respectively. The PVsyst simulator evaluates the PR, CUF, and energy yields as 0.80, 0.24, and 106,022 MWh, respectively. Further, the effect of power curtailment policies on solar PV projects is also discussed and the effect of curtailment policy on the economy of the solar power park in terms of payback period and emissions are analysed. The performance of the SPPP is also compared with those of other PV plants installed all over the world.

Performance assessment of solar chimney power plants with the impacts of divergent and convergent chimney geometry

Abstract Influence of area ratio (AR) on main performance parameters of solar chimney power plants (SCPPs) is investigated through a justified 3D axisymmetric CFD model. Geometric characteristics of Manzanares pilot plant (MPP) are taken into consideration for the numerical model. AR is varied from 0.5 to 10 to cover both concave and convex (convergent and divergent) solar chimney designs. Following the accuracy verification of the CFD results and proving mesh-independent solution, main performance oriented parameters are assessed as a function of AR such as velocity, temperature and pressure distribution within MPP, temperature rise of air in collector, mass flow rate of air around the turbine area, dynamic pressure difference across the turbine, minimum static pressure in the entire plant, power output and system efficiency. The results reveal that AR plays a vital role in performance figures of MPP. Mass flow rate of air ($\dot{m}$) is found to be 1122.1 kg/s for the reference geometry (AR = 1), whereas it is 1629.1 kg/s for the optimum AR value of 4. System efficiency (η) is determined to be 0.29% for the reference case; however, it is enhanced to 0.83% for the AR of 4.1. MPP can generate 54.3 kW electrical power in its current design while it is possible to improve this figure to 168.5 kW with the optimal AR value.

Identifiability Evaluation of Crucial Parameters for Grid Connected Photovoltaic Power Plants Design Optimization

This paper aims to assess the impact of different key factors on the optimized design and performance of grid connected photovoltaic (PV) power plants, as such key factors can lead to re-design the PV plant and affect its optimum performance. The impact on the optimized design and performance of the PV plant is achieved by considering each factor individually. A comprehensive analysis is conducted on nine factors such as; three objectives are predefined, five recent optimization approaches, three different locations around the world, changes in solar irradiance, ambient temperature, and wind speed levels, variation in the available area, PV module type and inverters size. The performance of the PV plant is evaluated for each factor based on five performance parameters such as; energy yield, sizing ratio, performance ratio, ground cover ratio, and energy losses. The results show that the geographic location, a change in meteorological conditions levels, and an increase or decrease in the available area require the re-design of the PV plant. A change in inverter size and PV module type has a significant impact on the configuration of the PV plant leading to an increase in the cost of energy. The predefined objectives and proposed optimization methods can affect the PV plant design by producing completely different structures. Furthermore, most PV plant performance parameters are significantly changed due to the variation of these factors. The results also show the environmental benefit of the PV plant and the great potential to avoid green-house gas emissions from the atmosphere.

Assessing the influence of thermal energy storage on the performance of concentrating solar power plant

AbstractSite‐based changes in the yearly solar radiation affect the plant performance parameters like efficiency, output, and cost of generation of concentrated solar power (CSP). The risks involved in setting up the plant can be minimized by performing simulations for a proper understanding of performance parameters. The present work considers detailed techno‐economic viability using simulations to weigh out the performance dissemblance of CSP plants with and without thermal storage using parabolic trough concentrator with that of a photovoltaic system. Jodhpur, India is chosen as a test site for an assessment, and the results are validated with coequal plant in Andasol, Spain. GREENIUS is used to create a model 50 MW CSP plant. The simulation results are found to be in close conjunction, at error less than 8%. A detailed techno‐economic study was also done to clinch the optimum solar field based on power generation costs. Each design condition has arrived at least the cost of power generation. The result shows that CSP plant with 7‐hour storage is the choicest combination in terms of the techno‐economic bargain.

A Long-Term Condition Monitoring and Performance Assessment of Grid Connected PV Power Plant with High Power Sizing Factor under Partial Shading Conditions

Partial shading conditions of photovoltaic (PV) modules often occurs in urban areas leading to losses in electricity power generation of the PV power plant. The purpose of this study is to present how the PV power plant with high value of inverter power sizing factor (Kinv) can achieve high performance and power production under partial shading conditions with high shading losses. In this paper the results of long-term monitoring, performance analysis and experimental results are presented, while the results are compared to the estimated values calculated using PVsyst software. The study focused on the PV power plant at the Faculty of Technical Sciences (FTS) in Novi Sad, Republic of Serbia, for the period between the years 2012 and 2019. It has been shown that the values of PV power plant performance parameters are better than expected (very high), and resemble the power plants operating without shading. The high value of the inverter power sizing factor may lead to occasional saturation of the inverter when certain conditions are met, but most of the times it allows the inverter to operate at a more optimal power level. PV module soiling and power degradation is within the limits mentioned in the literature. The increase in Kinv in the partial shading conditions favorably affects the performance, does not degrade the efficiency of the inverter at saturation, reduces the effect of soiling and aging of PV modules, leading to higher power production.

Aquaponic production of Sarcocornia ambigua and Pacific white shrimp in biofloc system at different salinities

This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between salinity in the performance of marine shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei and halophyte plant Sarcocornia ambigua in an aquaponic system with biofloc. The experiment was conducted for 57 days, and four treatments were evaluated: 8 psu (practical salinity unity), 16 psu, 24 psu, and 32 psu, with three replicates. Each experimental unit consisted of an 800 L tank for shrimp rearing, a 40 L settling chamber and a hydroponic bench of 0.3 m2 of planting area and density of 40 plants m−2. The tank water was continuously pumped to the settling chamber, and the supernatant was distributed on the hydroponic bench to irrigate the plants, returning to the tank by gravity. The tanks were stocked with 300 shrimp m−3 (1.6 ± 0.1 g). The shrimp were fed four times daily with a commercial diet containing 38% crude protein. Salinity affected shrimp survival, which was lower in 8 psu treatment (56.3 ± 4.7%). No salinity relationships were detected with any of the plant performance parameters; however, the highest biomass was produced at 16 psu, which is close to the isosmotic point of S. ambigua. The lowest concentrations of ammonia and nitrite and the highest concentrations of nitrate were found, through the interpolation of the data, near the 18 psu salinity. So, it is suggested that in this salinity, the absorption of ammonia by the plants is favored. The salinity also affected the concentration of dissolved orthophosphate. There was no relationship between salinity and the production of phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity in plants. The integrated cultivation of L. vannamei with S. ambigua can be carried out between salinities of 16 and 24 psu since the performance of the shrimp is not impaired, and the growth of the plants and the removal of nitrogen and phosphate compounds are favored in this range of salinity.

Development of a small scale plant for a solar chimney power plant (SCPP): A detailed fabrication procedure, experiments and performance parameters evaluation

In this work, a small scale solar chimney power plant (SCPP) was developed. Appropriate location, dimensions of each component, selection of materials for different components and a detailed procedure followed during the fabrication of SCPP plant are explained in this work. The setup was constructed based on locally available materials. Velocity, pressure and temperature were measured at various locations inside the setup. Performance parameters of SCPP plant were estimated. The experiments were carried out for a period of 10 days and the data of a day is presented in this work. The maximum air velocity at a location below and above turbine was 4.7 and 5.5 m/s and the average was 2.18 and 2.98 m/s, respectively. The maximum pressure drop of 4 N/m2 was noticed across the wind turbine. The theoretical and actual power outputs were 1.37 and 0.82 W, respectively. Chimney and overall plant efficiencies were estimated and these were 0.0187% and 0.0128%, respectively. Electrical power output from the system was estimated and based on that a list was made to power household devices. Uncertainty analysis was performed for all the observed and estimated parameters.

Effect of gas-to-liquid biosludge on soil properties and alfalfa yields in an arid soil

Soils in Qatar are relatively poor in fertility. Hence, imported top soils and soil enhancing materials are used to improve agricultural yields. Therefore, this work investigated the potential of using gas-to-liquid (GTL) biosludge as a soil conditioner. It sought to increase crop yields in an arid soil with positive environmental footprint in terms of fertilizer application savings, waste utilization and minimization of landfilling. A fodder crop, alfalfa (Medicago sativa), was grown under semi-controlled pot conditions for 12 months. The plant-growth media involved soil, soil + fertilizer, soil +3% compost, and soil plus five (0.75–12%) biosludge contents. Pertinent properties of the soils, the resulting leachates, and plant growth parameters were analyzed at set periods. Biosludge content generally increased the total porosity and volumetric abundance of different pore types, which in turn affected plant performance, especially the plant height. Alfalfa yield in terms of plant height, aboveground fresh biomass weight and the number of tillers decreased with increasing biosludge content. Mixtures with 0.75–3% biosludge content showed comparable or better plant yield in contrast to the soil, fertilizer and compost controls. The concentration of chemical species in the leachate and plant biomass of biosludge treatments were either lower or similar to the fertilizer and compost controls. Regression modeling identified leachate phosphorus concentrations, soil iron concentration and clay content as the most influential variables for the aforementioned plant performance parameters. The results suggest that GTL biosludge could potentially enhance arid soil properties and improve alfalfa yields.

Life cycle environmental impact assessment of fuel mix-based biomass co-firing plants with CO2 capture and storage

As a carbon-neutral renewable energy source, biomass co-firing with coal contributes to reducing the carbon intensity of pulverized coal power plants with CO2 capture and storage; thus, this process significantly reduces the greenhouse gas emissions of the power industry. However, various types of environmental impacts caused by co-firing have hindered the large-scale deployment of this technology. In this study, ten life cycle assessment models were developed based on the Integrated Environmental Control Model and GaBi software to quantify the performance parameters of different power plants and the influence of the co-firing ratio on various environmental impact categories. The system boundaries included raw material acquisition, raw material transport, energy conversion of power plants, CCS and brine treatment. The results indicated that a pulverized biomass/coal co-firing power plant with CCS can achieve near-zero emissions at a co-firing ratio of 25% and negative emissions of 877 kg CO2-e/MWh from a life-cycle perspective when coal is totally replaced. Co-firing biomass and coal in power plants has a passive impact on seven environmental categories, such as the eutrophication potential and toxicity potential, rather than on the global warming potential, abiotic resource depletion potential and acidification potential. The major causes of environmental burden shifting are energy penalties and indirect emissions from high-energy-consumption processes, especially emissions of N2O, NH3 and ethylene oxide released during biomass extraction and solvent preparation. The conclusions and recommendations presented in this paper may have implications for deep decarbonization in other industrial sectors.

Characterization of Dark Septate Endophytic Fungi and Improve the Performance of Liquorice Under Organic Residue Treatment.

Dark septate endophytic (DSE) fungi is a diverse group of Ascomycetes fungi that colonize the plants roots, and may facilitate plant growth and fitness, however, their ecological roles need further clarification. This study aimed to evaluate the growth promoting effects of DSE fungi in a medicinal plant, liquorice (Glycyrrhiza uralensis), under additional organic residues. First, we isolated, identified and characterized, two DSE fungal species (Acrocalymma vagum and Paraboeremia putaminum) harboring inside the roots of liquorice growing in arid areas of China. Second, we examined the performance and rhizosphere soil parameters of liquorice plants inoculated with these fungi under additional sterilized organic residues and unsterilized organic residue (containing Trichoderma viride population) in a growth chamber. The results showed that two DSE strains could effectively colonize plant roots and formed a strain-dependent symbiosis with liquorice. DSE inoculation alone increased the plant biomass, and glycyrrhizic acid and glycyrrhizin content. It also improved the root system and N and P absorption by plants, consequently depleting these macronutrients in the soil. Residues alone increased soil organic matter, available phosphorus (P), and available nitrogen (N) content, and plant biomass, N, P, glycyrrhizic acid, and glycyrrhizin content. Mantel test and structural equation model (SEM) analysis demonstrated that DSE associated with residues significantly positively influenced soil organic matter, available P and available N, and plant biomass, glycyrrhizin, N, P, and root surface area. Variation in plant growth and glycyrrhizic acid and glycyrrhizin accumulation can be attributed to the effects of DSE inoculation. DSE associated with residues exhibited a general synergistic effect on the growth and accumulation of glycyrrhizic acid and glycyrrhizin of liquorice. We demonstrate for the first time, two DSE fungi in the liquorice roots that have potential use as promoter for the cultivation of medicinal plant.

Operating flexibility of natural gas combined cycle power plant integrated with post-combustion capture

Highly flexible, low-carbon electricity generation with gas-fired power stations with CO2 capture addresses the challenges of balancing variable renewable electricity supply in low carbon electricity systems. This detailed technical assessment of flexible CO2 capture plant operation at natural gas combined cycle power stations with post-combustion CO2 capture examines the operating strategies of capture plant by-pass and interim solvent storage. We show that solvent storage allows expanding the operating envelope of gas fired CCS power stations by +/-10%. Further we demonstrate that electricity and CO2 output can be decoupled for up to 3 h with approx. 6000 m3 of additional solvent inventory for the purpose of reducing the CO2 flow variability in downstream transportation and storage systems, mitigating potentially deleterious injection well effects. 1 h of solvent storage operation at full load can be regenerated in as fast as 2.1 h during continuous operation of the CCS power plant by choosing a controlled steam extraction strategy from the combined cycle and thus throttling the low pressure turbine. The electricity output penalty associated with the delayed regeneration of solvent ranges from 420–450 kWh/tCO2 with this strategy, which compares to 380 kWh/tCO2 for immediate regeneration at full load design conditions. By deploying a novel variable speed drive integrally geared compressor model, we find that, unlike previously thought, an uncontrolled steam extraction strategy, referred as a floating steam extraction strategy, can lead to choking of the CO2 compressor during additional solvent regeneration. A pre-compression stage would be necessary under this extraction strategy to restore feasible operation of the main CO2 compressor, and makes this strategy more complex to implement. When decreasing the desorber pressure at part-load care must, therefore, be taken to respect the operating limits of the compressor. To assist with the use of rigorous plant performance data in wider electricity system models, correlations for key performance parameters of NGCC-CCS power plants at varying load, with capture by-pass and additional solvent regeneration are provided.

An evaluation of effectiveness of 5S implementation initiatives in an Indian manufacturing enterprise

5S has emerged as one of the fundamental techniques needed for growth and improvement for any manufacturing organisation in a globally competitive manufacturing scenario for imbibing various lean manufacturing techniques. The literature reveals that the 5S technique has potential to significantly improve the working environment, culture, workplace with proper safety and health standards, self-discipline and enriched morale values among all employees in organisations. The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate effectiveness of 5S implementation technique in manufacturing environment that effectively facilitated the manufacturing organisation in solving specific issues and problems regarding productivity, quality, cost, safety and morale values of the manufacturing company. The study depicts methodology for systematic implementation of 5S technique at the plant for specific time period and examined the results during the period of 5S practice. The analysis of results have shown significant realisation of company's goals and brought considerable difference of improvement in desired parameters of plant performance.