Raw Material For Energy Research Articles

Examination of the Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy in Turkish Legislation

Population growth, industrialization and technological advances increase the demand for energy. Due to problems such as global warming, environmental pollution and destruction, the trend towards alternative energy sources continues on a global scale. For this reason, the use of nuclear energy, one of the secondary energy sources, has tended to increase in recent years. Reasons such as the geographically uneven geographical distribution of resources that are raw materials for energy among countries and their exhaustibility, fluctuations in energy prices and the economical production of nuclear energy are among the reasons why countries in the world turn to nuclear energy. A number of accidents at nuclear power plants have had a negative impact on the perception of nuclear power plants, but for different reasons, nuclear energy is gaining popularity again. Nuclear power plants are the first thing that comes to mind when it comes to nuclear power, but it is also used effectively in medical treatments and applications of various branches of science as well as energy production. In global energy production; the fact that it aims to reduce carbon emissions by providing more energy production within the scope of sustainability, the continuous and uninterrupted continuation of electricity production using nuclear, the production of electricity at more affordable costs in nuclear power plants compared to other power plants (thermal, renewable, etc.), the fact that greenhouse gas emissions are almost negligible, and the use of nuclear technology in many fields such as physics, medicine, transportation, agriculture as well as energy production have made nuclear energy back on the agenda of countries in recent years. In nuclear energy, nuclear waste and their storage processes continue to be discussed as a problem in this process. For these reasons, the possibility of peaceful use of nuclear power has been questioned in academic platforms and various criteria have been determined This article examines Turkey's compliance with the criteria for the peaceful use of nuclear energy and clarifies the development process in this regard. Turkey's legislation on nuclear energy, international conventions, nuclear safety, radiation control criteria and compliance with national legislation will be examined.

Synergistic emulsification of polyetheramine/nanofluid system as a novel viscosity reducer of acidic crude oil

Abstract Oil is a critical raw material for energy and industry, the depletion of conventional oil reserves necessitates efficient extraction and production of unconventional resources like acidic crude oil. However, its high viscosity poses significant challenges for transportation and processing. To address these challenges, this study developed a novel emulsion viscosity reducer. We designed a nanofluid based on a synergistic polyetheramine/nanofluid system consisting of alkyl ethoxy polyglycosides (AEG) as a green surfactant, SiO2 nanoparticles, and an organic alkali polyetheramine. The mixture was evaluated for its viscosity reduction and emulsification performance with acidic crude oi obtained from Qinghe oil production plant in Shengli Oilfield. The results showed that the optimized viscosity reducer achieved a remarkable reduction rate of 98.1% at 50◦C in crude oil viscosity from 6862 mPa·s to 129 mPa·s. This demonstrated the reducer effectively transformed acidic crude oil into a low viscosity oil-in-water (O/W) emulsion with high stability. Furthermore, the core imbibition simulation tests demonstrated that the viscosity reducer could improve the recovery of acidic crude oil from 29.6% to 49.4%, indicating the potential application of the optimized viscosity reducer in the exploitation of acidic crude oil. In conclusion, this study developed a novel emulsion viscosity reducer, which can reduce the viscosity and improve recovery of acidic crude oil by emulsifying into O/W emulsion. The optimized formula has potential for practical application in the exploitation of acidic crude oil.

The Utilization of European Beech Wood (Fagus sylvatica L.) in Europe

European beech is one of the dominating wood species in central Europe and the most abundant hardwood species in Austrian, German and Swiss forests. Today, it is predominantly used for the provision of energy and in the furniture industry. With the increasing demand on forests to provide sustainable raw materials for energy as well as products, the importance of lesser-used wood species like European beech has continuously increased over the last decade. The application in load-bearing products has gained significant interest. In order to connect the current and historical state of knowledge about this wood species, this review provides an overview of the past and present utilization of European beech wood. On the basis of the historical literature, technical approvals and standards of established products, it aims to summarize the extensive state of the art of this wood species and provide an overview of recent scientific publications in the field of wood material science. Based on the reviewed literature, current research efforts deal with different engineered wood products like glued laminated timber, cross-laminated timber and laminated veneer lumber. Furthermore, strength grading, adhesive technology as well as improving dimensional stability is of particular interest.

E. urophylla × E. grandis high-quality genome and comparative genomics provide insights on evolution and diversification of eucalyptus

BackgroundEucalyptus urophylla × Eucalyptus grandis, an economically important forest tree, provides important raw material for energy and reduces damage to native forests. However, the absence of a high-quality E. urophylla × E. grandis reference genome has significantly hindered its evolution and genetic analysis.ResultsWe successfully presented a high-quality reference genome of E. urophylla × E. grandis (545.75 Mb; scaffold N50, 51.62 Mb) using a combination of the Illumina, PacBio HiFi, and Hi-C sequencing platforms. A total of 34,502 genes and 58.56% of the repetitive sequences in this genome were annotated. Using genome evolution analyses, we identified a recent whole-genome duplication (WGD) event in E. urophylla × E. grandis. We further found that gene families associated with starch and sucrose metabolism, flavonoid biosynthesis, and plant–pathogen interaction were significantly expanded in E. urophylla × E. grandis. Moreover, comparative genomic and evolutionary analyses showed large structural variations among the different chromosomes of the 34 Eucalyptus accessions, which were divided into six clades.ConclusionsOverall, our findings provide a valuable resource for expanding our understanding of the E. urophylla × E. grandis genome evolution, genetic improvement, and its comparative biology.

Bearing Habit of Sapindus mukorossi and the Relationship between the Shoot Characteristics of the Parent and Bearing Shoots and Yield

(1) Research Highlights: Sapindus mukorossi Gaertn has substantial economic and medicinal value as a high-quality raw material for energy, traditional Chinese medicine, and landscaping. However, few studies have focused on the bearing habit and shoot characteristics of S. mukorossi. (2) Background and Objectives: We aimed to investigate the bearing habit of “Yuanhua,” a selective breeding variety of S. mukorossi, and to identify the relationships among shoot characteristics, fruiting, and yield. (3) Materials and Methods: Ten healthy S. mukorossi trees were randomly selected to investigate the number of current-year shoots and bearing shoots. Eight-hundred-fifty current-year shoots of “Yuanhua” S. mukorossi were selected to investigate the number and position of the bearing and vegetative shoots. A total of 210 parent shoots and 145 bearing shoots of “Yuanhua” S. mukorossi were selected to investigate the characteristics. A generalized linear mixed model and a zero-inflated model were used for the analysis. (4) Results: (i) “Yuanhua” S. mukorossi has two types of current-year new shoots. After the new shoots produce leaves, if the growth points at the top continue to produce inflorescences that grow, bloom, and bear fruits, the new shoots are classified as bearing shoots. When the top growth points do not grow and do not produce inflorescences, the new shoots are termed vegetative shoots. The bearing shoots and vegetative shoots sprouted on the S. mukorossi parent shoots and developed into parent shoots in the following year, either developing from the bearing shoots or the vegetative shoots. (ii) The yield was affected by parent shoot characteristics. The type, length, diameter, and slenderness of parent shoots had significant effects on the number of current-year bearing shoots; the top diameter of the parent shoots and the number of current-year vegetative shoots had significant effects on parent shoot yield. (iii) The type of parent shoots, the length, and the top diameter of the current-year bearing shoots had significant effects on the single yield of a bearing shoot. (5) Conclusions: Selecting parent shoots with more bearing shoots and more fruit production according to the type, length, and thickness is a more efficient method for production management.

The unique sugar conversion and complex CAZyme system of Trichoderma brev T069 during solid-state fermentation of cassava peel

Cassava peel is a lignocellulose-based agricultural by-product that can be degraded into reducing sugars as a raw material for energy. However, chemical and enzymatic treatment processes of cell wall polymers are expensive. We found that the filamentous fungus Trichoderma brev T069 can grow in a cassava peel matrix without any additional nutrient and degrade macromolecular carbohydrates, producing high levels of glucose and valuable hydrolytic enzymes. Therefore, this paper investigated the utilization strategy of T. brev T069 on cassava peels by dynamically analyzing its growth and hydrolytic enzyme system during solid fermentation, degradation of cassava peel components, and changes in reducing sugars. Results showed that T. brev T069 uses a "borrow-return" method of reducing sugar conversion, first absorbing fructose for growth for 3 days and later releasing glucose (99.56 mg/g) and cellobiose (24.69 mg/g) via hydrolases and high levels of β-glucosidase (1196.05 IU/g). Scanning electron microscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectrometry revealed the compositional breakdown and decreased carbohydrate contents of the peels. Label-free proteomics identified 257 carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZymes), and functional annotation indicated that hemicellulases, lignin-modifying enzymes, and pectinases were induced at early stages, whereas amylases and cellulases were induced at later stages. A protein–protein interaction network revealed that protein degradation-related proteases and α-mannosidases may be involved in the realignment of enzymatic degradation strategies. This study explored the hydrolytic enzymatic potential of the Trichoderma CAZyme system and provided a practical approach for the biotransformation of tropical agricultural wastes into value-added products.

Lactato y catecolaminas: respuesta fisiológica en el paciente crítico

Lactate is a highly dynamic metabolite that is produced, under anaerobic conditions, due to hypoxia or ischemia. Under aerobic conditions, it is synthesized by a mechanism driven by the stimulation of the β2 adrenergic receptor, which increases the activity of the sodium-potassium pump, and by a state of accelerated aerobic glycolysis. This metabolite is capable of being exchanged between different producing and consuming cells, ensuring the raw material for energy production.The sympathetic nervous system responds to stress stimuli through the release of catecholamines, which act as hormones and neurotransmitters in various tissues of the body, allowing an increase in metabolism that raises glucose and available oxygen levels.There is a physiological dependence between catecholamine levels and lactate production, predisposing the body to respond effectively to a stressful situation. However, an exacerbated adrenergic response may cause exaggerated effects on sensitive tissues that increase the probability of failure. Based on the knowledge of these mechanisms, therapeutic strategies focused on regulating the sympathetic activity are proposed.

Biomass Waste as Sustainable Raw Material for Energy and Fuels

Sustainable development is the common goal of the current concepts of bioeconomy and circular economy. In this sense, the biorefineries platforms are a strategic factor to increase the bioeconomy in the economic balance. The incorporation of renewable sources to produce fuels, chemicals, and energy, includes sustainability, reduction of greenhouse gases (GHG), and creating more manufacturing jobs fostering the advancement of regional and social systems by implementing the comprehensive use of available biomass, due to its low costs and high availability. This paper describes the emerging biorefinery strategies to produce fuels (bio-ethanol and γ-valerolactone) and energy (pellets and steam), compared with the currently established biorefineries designed for fuels, pellets, and steam. The focus is on the state of the art of biofuels and energy production and environmental factors, as well as a discussion about the main conversion technologies, production strategies, and barriers. Through the implementation of biorefineries platforms and the evaluation of low environmental impact technologies and processes, new sustainable production strategies for biofuels and energy can be established, making these biobased industries into more competitive alternatives, and improving the economy of the current value chains.

Microalgae wastewater treatment: Biological and technological approaches.

Current global environmental issues raise unavoidable challenges for our use of natural resources. Supplying the human population with clean water is becoming a global problem. Numerous organic and inorganic impurities in municipal, industrial, and agricultural waters, ranging from microplastics to high nutrient loads and heavy metals, endanger our nutrition and health. The development of efficient wastewater treatment technologies and circular economic approaches is thus becoming increasingly important. The biomass production of microalgae using industrial wastewater offers the possibility of recycling industrial residues to create new sources of raw materials for energy and material use. This review discusses algae‐based wastewater treatment technologies with a special focus on industrial wastewater sources, the potential of non‐conventional extremophilic (thermophilic, acidophilic, and psychrophilic) microalgae, and industrial algae‐wastewater treatment concepts that have already been put into practice.

Survey of the entomofauna through luminous trap

The demand for forest-based raw materials for energy, construction, paper pulp and the pressure to comply with legal requirements concerning environmental legislation, for example, the replacement of the permanent preservation area, legal reserve and recovery of degraded area, leads to encourage the production of healthy seedlings in a health status to do not compromise their future production. The present study aimed to survey the entomofauna population using the “Luiz de Queiroz” model of luminous trap, with white and red fluorescent lamps. The experiment was conducted at the nursery “Flora Sinop” in Sinop – MT. The survey was conducted weekly between the months of April to July 2010, totaling 4 months sand, 32 samples collected. The orders Hemiptera and Coleoptera showed the highest number of individuals captured, either in attraction with white or red light. It was captured 10.089 individuals, 9.339 collected under the influence of white light, representing 92,56%, and 750 with red light, only 7,44% of the total. The white light luminous trap possessed greater efficiency in the attraction of insects when compared with the red light trap.

A conceptual framework for the introduction of energy crops

There is currently limited experience on the introduction of new commercial crops as a source of raw material for energy uses. The present paper analyses the introduction and development of commercial willow plantations in Sweden during the period 1986–2005. A general framework is constructed in order to identify all the factors and interrelations that can describe the introduction and expansion of willow as an alternative crop for the production of raw material for energy. The factors are identified and analysed based on a broad database of information from commercial plantations, covering almost all existing plantations, and on documents referring to existing academic literature or official reports. The analysis provides with lessons that can be useful for the introduction of new energy crops in other countries and shows the possible contradictions in policy applications. The analysis confirms that stable policies and long-term contracts reduce the uncertainties associated with the cultivation. The results of this study can be of value for other countries aiming at the introduction of new crops for bioenergy.

The Effect of Temperature on the Gasification Process

Gasification is a technology that uses fuel to produce power and heat. This technology is also suitable for biomass conversion. Biomass is a renewable energy source that is being developed to diversify the energy mix, so that the Czech Republic can reduce its dependence on fossil fuels and on raw materials for energy imported from abroad. During gasification, biomass is converted into a gas that can then be burned in a gas burner, with all the advantages of gas combustion. Alternatively, it can be used in internal combustion engines. The main task during gasification is to achieve maximum purity and maximum calorific value of the gas. The main factors are the type of gasifier, the gasification medium, biomass quality and, last but not least, the gasification mode itself. This paper describes experiments that investigate the effect of temperature and pressure on gas composition and low calorific value. The experiments were performed in an atmospheric gasifier in the laboratories of the Energy Institute atthe Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Brno University of Technology.

Numerical Analysis of Worldwide CO2 Emissions and Effects on Atmospheric Warming in Turkey

Fossil fuels (coal, natural gas, oil), which are the raw materials for energy, play an effective and determining role in energy planning, the development of countries, and then sustainability of them. When the global and regional geographies are evaluated from the geo-strategic and geo-political point of view, it is clearly seen that among all fossil fuels, coal is distributed more “equally” in ratio than oil and natural gas reserves and that it is gradually gaining importance for the countries that do not have energy resources or that have limited ones or have resources on the verge of exhaustion. When the latest innovations in environmentally-friendly technologies in the field of burning-storing CO2 emission in thermal power plants besides the principle of “sustainable development” are also added to this situation, it is an undeniable fact that the coal will continue to be a significant primary energy resource in the future, though to a limited extent, both in Turkey and around the world. In this study, in order to be able to detect numerically the impact of CO2 resulting from the fossil fuel consumption on global warming and the process of climate change; a numerical evaluation on a global scale has been given by associating the “total primary energy supply”–“CO2 emission” of the total 136 countries in 2005 together with such basic indicators as “total primary energy supply/capita”–“ton CO2/capita.” The potential CO2 emission for the year 2030 has been estimated. Moreover, with the aim of keeping the integrity of the subject studied, the distribution of the thermal power plants working with fossil fuels among geographical regions in Turkey and the relationship between the existence of forests in these regions and average annual increase in temperature (ΔT) between the periods of 1975–1992 and 1993–2006 have also been examined according to the data from a total of 133 macro-climatic meteorological stations within the scope of this study.

Recipe for a Better Tomorrow: A Food Industry Perspective on Sustainability and Our Food System

The food and agriculture sector is central to efforts to improve public health today and protect and restore natural systems necessary to support good health in the future. The sector has a greater direct impact on land and water resources, employment, and economic activity than any other. And, from a finite resource base, it is underpinning not only food and fiber production but is increasingly relied upon to provide the raw materials for energy, building materials, packaging, and nonfood consumable products. This commentary reviews consumer attitudes and the transformational changes required in the food and agriculture sector to meet today's needs and ensure a better tomorrow.

Mechanization and Costs of Primary Production Chains forMiscanthus x giganteusin The Netherlands

Miscanthus, a new perennial crop for biomass production can be used as raw material for energy, building materials, geotextiles and paper pulp. Plant propagation can be performed by means of tissue-culture-propagated plants or by rhizomes. In the latter case, the farmer can produce them on his farm from 2–3yr old plants, which will reduce costs compared to micropropagation. Methods were developed for harvesting and planting of rhizomes. Harvest of the crop is influenced by the destination of the raw material and the drying and storage methods. Harvesting can be done by existing mowing, baling and chopping machines for some building material applications and energy and paper pulp use. For utilization of Miscanthus as special building materials and geotextiles whole stems are required, and machines for mowing and bundling of whole stems are a necessity. Different storage possibilities have been investigated. Selection of the most appropriate method can be performed only by comparing complete production chains from field harvest to delivery at the processing plant. Costs of different chains are compared from soil preparation to transport to the processing plant. Self-propelled baling is one of the lowest cost options but chopping and compaction after storage is also an attractive option, since drying is possible and transport costs are lower.

Costs of supply chains of Miscanthus giganteus

Miscanthus is a perennial C 4-grass of East Asian origin that can have a future as an agricultural crop, producing raw material for energy, building materials and geotextiles. The costs of plant establishment, production, harvest, storage and transport have been investigated as components in various chains of primary production of miscanthus to compare those chains and to calculate the price for which the processing industry could buy the crop if it would be introduced in the north-east provinces of the Netherlands. All parameters concerning contractor costs, transport distances, crop rotation and best farming practice have been chosen according to the up-to-date situation of this area. Three possible scenarios were investigated on the basis of farm labour input and the use of the margin in the cost calculation. Costs for eight different chains were compared from soil preparation until transport to the processing plant. Planting was evaluated with plantlets and rhizomes. For harvesting, existing choppers and balers were chosen, in addition to prototypes for a compact roller and whole stem harvester. To reduce transport cost of chopped material, an adapted recycling paper compacting machine was included in the calculations. With regard to transport, different systems were analysed and some calculation on costs, correlated to transport distances, were carried out. Drying costs are not included in the calculations since they depend too much on the variable weather conditions. It was concluded that costs of chopped and baled products do not differ much for the farmers scenario. Chopped product is cheapest when production is performed by the Miscanthus company. Costs then are 126 ECU/ton. Storage and transport costs are lowest when density of the product is high, so compact rolled and compacted materials are cheapest for larger transport distances. The whole stem harvester should have a higher capacity than assumed to further decrease costs. This harvest method however also offers a long harvest period without drying costs.

Facial Evolution and Petroleum Potential of the Uppper Cretaceous Black Shales of Southeast Egypt: ABSTRACT

Newly developed and conventional organic and inorganic geochemical and sedimentological techniques and facies parameters resulted in the reconstruction of the depositional environment and an estimation of the resource potential of the upper Cretaceous black shale/phosphorite sequences in southeastern Egypt. The depositional environment is characterized by a broad, shallow shelf which was separated from the continental hinterland by restricted coastal swamps. Depending on structures on the sea floor and depth of the water column, reducing conditions prevailed. The Campanian/Maastrichtian transgression was interrupted by multiple regressive phases which caused intensive reworking of the marine sediments and the enrichment of phosphatic layers. Minor terrestrial influx occurred during the formation of oyster reefs. Open marine conditions in the upper part of the section (Dakhla Shale) indicate prograding marine transgression. The composition of the black shales is very heterogeneous. Generally the beds which yield a high energy potential (up to 6,000 kJ/kg) are only isolated thin layers. However, the average values of a 40-m Dakhla Shale profile indicate that this sediment is an immature, potentially good source rock for oil and might be suited as a raw material for energy and cement production. Since the average trace element contents in the Dakhla Shale are rathermore » low, final leaching of the combustion residue is not worthwhile.« less