Discover insights from thousands of peer-reviewed papers on microbial electrochemical systems
J. S. Halow
1985 Joint Power Generation Conference: GT Papers · 1985
The U.S. Department of Energy is currently sponsoring a variety of projects aimed at developing advanced systems for power generation using coal gasification as the central conversion process. These systems include both gas turbines and fuel cells as power generating devices and emphasize hot gas cleanup for equipment protection and environmental control from coal contaminants. Gasification projects in the DOE program cover a range of scales from laboratory investigations to PDU scale plants. Fundamental studies of gasification reactions, ash chemistry, transport processes, and modeling are being conducted to uncover potential improvements that may be made to gasification processes and to ways of reducing cleanup burdens on downstream equipment. Several PDU scale projects are being sponsored to further promising processes. Gas stream cleanup emphasize hot control of particulates, sulfur, alkali, and trace species which may damage power generation equipment. A systems approach has been adopted in formulating strategies for these programs. This approach and brief description of projects in gasification and cleanup will be presented.
Russ Garrity
2002 International Joint Power Generation Conference · 2002
To be competitive in a “deregulated” market, power plant workers must be better qualified and more versatile than ever. Regardless of his or her area of expertise (operations, craft maintenance, plant controls, or other), tomorrow’s plant worker must be better skilled than ever before. Regardless of plant design, fuel type, or loading schedules, the defining difference in plant performance resides in the people who operate, maintain, and manage the plant. Whether it’s how they respond to abnormal operating conditions, how conscientious they are with plant chemistry, or how well they test and maintain critical components; it’s people, not equipment that make the difference between a well run facility and one with never ceasing problems. According to industry statistics, power generation facilities will loose between 30% and 50% of their most experienced workers over the next five years. This means that the people who hold the “tribal knowledge” of your facility will be leaving in the not too distant future. Furthermore, the availability of a trainable labor pool to replace the “Boomers” is in very short supply and difficult to recruit.
Steven J. Bossart
1989 Joint Power Generation Conference: GT Papers · 1989
The Morgantown Energy Technology Center (METC) of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is actively sponsoring research to develop coal-based power generation systems that use coal more efficiently and economically and with lower emissions than conventional pulverized-coal power plants. Some of the more promising of the advanced coal-based power generation systems are shown in Figure 1: pressurized fluidized-bed combustion combined-cycle (PFBC), integrated gasification combined-cycle (IGCC), and direct coal-fueled turbine (DCFT). These systems rely on gas turbines to produce all or a portion of the electrical power generation. An essential feature of each of these systems is the control of particles at high-temperature and high-pressure (HTHP) conditions. Particle control is needed in all advanced power generation systems to meet environmental regulations and to protect the gas turbine and other major system components. Particles can play a significant role in damaging the gas turbine by erosion, deposition, and corrosion. Erosion is caused by the high-speed impaction of particles on the turbine blades. Particle deposition on the turbine blades can impede gas flow and block cooling air. Particle deposition also contributes to corrosive attack when alkali metal compounds adsorbed on the particles react with the gas turbine blades. Incorporation of HTHP particle control technologies into the advanced power generation systems can reduce gas turbine maintenance requirements, increase plant efficiency, reduce plant capital cost, lower the cost of electricity, reduce wastewater treatment requirements, and eliminate the need for post-turbine particle control to meet New Source Performance Standards (NSPS) for particle emissions.
Kunio Yoshikawa
2002 International Joint Power Generation Conference · 2002
An innovative small-scale gasification system for solid wastes is proposed which is known as STAR-MEET system. In this system, a fixed-bed pyrolyzer combined with a high temperature reformer using high temperature steam/air mixture is employed. From the experimental results using rubber chips as a fuel, it has been demonstrated that injection of high temperature steam/air mixture into the pyrolysis gas effectively decomposes tar and soot components in the pyrolysis gas into CO and H2, and almost dust and tar free clean reformed gas can be generated. The STAR-MEET system requires high temperature steam/air generator, and a 900C class metallic type compact heat exchanger has been successfully developed. This gasification system generates low BTU gas from solid wastes. Thus power generation experiments using a dual fueled (light oil gas and low BTU gas) small diesel engine were done using a simulated low BTU gas produced from natural gas diluted with nitrogen. Compared with light oil only driven, dual fueled engine shows similar thermal efficiency while significantly low NOx emission. Finally, power generation experiments using a complete STAR-MEET plant has been successfully done. These results demonstrates small-scale gasification and power generation system using solid wastes is quite feasible.
Sridhar Poduri
2003 International Joint Power Generation Conference · 2003
Power plays a great role in our daily life aiding in diverse activities such as industry, agriculture, transport etc. Power provides our homes with light and heat. The living standard and prosperity of a nation vary directly with increase in use of power. In short, “Power is the power of a nation”. As Technology advances, the consumption of power is steadily increasing. This necessitates two main options for the scientific community. They are: 1. Search for new sources of energy. 2. Devise new and effective ways of producing energy. A new and efficient method of utilization of energy should satisfy the following conditions: 1. It should be technologically feasible for usage in varying conditions. 2. It should be economically viable. 3. It should show a marked increase in performance over the systems currently under use. 4. It should be reliable and flexible. Since the advent of industrialization coal has been the most predominant form of fuel under use and will probably remain so for a few more decades to come. The whole world depends heavily on the energy obtained from coal. The known reserves of coal, a fossil fuel may not last forever. Hence the imperative to develop efficient methods of burning coal, thus decreasing fuel wastage and various losses associated with the other systems of burning coal. Fluidized Bed Combustion (FBC) has attracted international attention as an alternative coal fired technology for the future. In addition to its potential advantages in the area of boiler performance and pollution control, it also provides considerable fuel flexibility. This has opened doors to the use of unconventional fuels which otherwise would not have been possible to be utilized for steam generation. Amongst these are high ash and high sulfur coals that are abundantly available throughout the world. This report covers the operating experience at the Power Block of Coastal Papers Ltd., a member company of the AP Paper Mills Ltd., India during the period Jan 2001 and June 2001 on the 36 t/h atmospheric fluidized bed boiler supplied by M/S Cethar Vessels Ltd., India. This report covers the details the boiler setup, water treatment, boiler operation, turbo generator, and the various plant characteristics. India has an estimated 112 billion tones of coal reserves and 40% of it contains more than 32% ash. The state of Bihar has around 1185 million tones of low volatile coal and the state of Assam has about 2500 million tones of high sulphur coal.
H. Ezzat Khalifa
1983 Joint Power Generation Conference: GT Papers · 1983
The paper presents a preliminary technical and economic assessment of a combined cycle in which the bottoming cycle is fed both by the exhaust energy from a combustion engine topping loop and by moderate-temperature energy from a geothermal resource. It is shown that this arrangement offers significant performance and economic advantages over the separate utilization of the two energy inputs. A gas-turbine-topped dual pressure toluene bottoming system matched to a 300 F (∼150 C) hydrothermal resource can produce 10 to 20% more power than would be obtained from two separate plants; a conventional flash or binary power plant for the geothermal fluid, and a 35%-efficient combustion power plant for the oil or natural gas burned in the topping loop. The superior performance of the hybrid plant results in a commensurate reduction in the cost of electricity.
Ashish Ranjan, Jayanti Choudhary
Intellectual Journal of Energy Harvesting and Storage · 2024
In recent days, the integration of the grid-connected load system with hybrid renewable energy system (HY-RES) to improve reliability and reduce losses are cheered. In order to satisfy the requirement of the load demand, the HY-RES is incorporated with the grid-connected load which leads to the power quality (PQ) problems in the system. Hence, the UPQC based HPSO-GWO are proposed in this paper. With the utilization of the UPQC device, the PQ issues are minimized by satisfy the load need in the HY-RES system to solve the PQ issues is the major goal of this work. To mitigate the PQ issues, the HPSO-GWO optimization algorithm with an inverter for SAPF and SH-APF is introduced to enhance the UPQC’s performance. HY-RES is originally built in this study with a PV system, WT, and BESS, all of which are connected to the load system. The load is connected to the system to produce PQ difficulties in order to examine the suggested technique's presentation. With the help of the HY-RES system, PQ problems are minimized and load demand is reimbursed. The proposed method has been implemented in the MATLAB/Simulink platform, and its results have been evaluated. In this paper, for validating the performance of the proposed technique, three various cases such as sag, swell, and fluctuation is analyzed. In addition, the total harmonic distortion (THD) is analyzed. Furthermore, the suggested strategy is compared to existing methods such as GWO and PSO algorithms to prove the proposed technique is superior to existing techniques.
Suwarno Suwarno
Intellectual Journal of Energy Harvesting and Storage · 2023
Medan has a tropical climate and has the potential to support additional renewable energy, one of which is wind energy. Analysis of wind speed in Medan in particular has not been conducted to determine the potential for renewable energy. Research on wind speed in Medan, which ranges from 3.5 m/s to 7.5 m/s, has been carried out, but its potential has not been analyzed and evaluated. This study was conducted to analyze the shape factor and scale for wind speed using the Weibull and Rayleigh distribution, and three evaluation models were proposed, namely the correlation coefficient (R2), chi-square (ꭓ2), and root mean square error (RMSE). Wind speed data that is used to analyze and evaluate obtained from the meteorology, climatology, and geophysics agency for a period of three years, 2017 to 2019 in Medan. The probability density distribution function (Pdf) is described based on the shape (k) and scale (c) parameters obtained from the above data analysis. These two parameters are very important to be observed related to the potential of electrical energy produced in a place or area. The analysis result shows that Weibull is better than Rayleigh distribution based on Pdf. Meanwhile statistical analysis, Weibull distribution is better than Rayleigh distribution based on R2. But on the other hand, the Rayleigh distribution is better than the Weibull distribution based on chi-square and RMSE. In addition to the analysis and evaluation, the potential for wind energy to be obtained is around 79.5 Watt/m2.
Mohamed Ali Moussa, Ahmed Derouazin, Maamar Latroch et al.
Intellectual Journal of Energy Harvesting and Storage · 2023
This work proposes to a novel economic smart strategy energy flow management system based on multiples inputs and outputs fuzzy logic technic applied for hybrid photovoltaic solar panels with wind turbine and storage system, assisted by the electric grid. A priority order is given to the renewable and storage energy sources allowing a non- interrupted energy supply for typical dwelling consuming up to 4,000 Wh per day. This system is governed by an Arduino 2560 mega microcontroller where has been implemented the core fuzzy logic program with event display. A sizing of the hybrid system and parametric study of the system and simulation are performed in order to highlight the proposed control strategy to finally guarantee a continuous home accommodation. The preliminary results concern the electronic switches output control signals, which convey the energy via single-phase DC/AC inverter to power the alternative current load for accommodation.
Sohang Kundu, Reshmi Dani, Nancy Makri
The Journal of Chemical Physics · 2022
We report fully quantum mechanical simulations of excitation energy transfer within the peripheral light harvesting complex (LH2) of Rhodopseudomonas molischianum at room temperature. The exciton–vibration Hamiltonian comprises the 16 singly excited bacteriochlorophyll states of the B850 (inner) ring and the 8 states of the B800 (outer) ring with all available electronic couplings. The electronic states of each chromophore couple to 50 intramolecular vibrational modes with spectroscopically determined Huang–Rhys factors and to a weakly dissipative bath that models the biomolecular environment. Simulations of the excitation energy transfer following photoexcitation of various electronic eigenstates are performed using the numerically exact small matrix decomposition of the quasiadiabatic propagator path integral. We find that the energy relaxation process in the 24-state system is highly nontrivial. When the photoexcited state comprises primarily B800 pigments, a rapid intra-band redistribution of the energy sharply transitions to a significantly slower relaxation component that transfers 90% of the excitation energy to the B850 ring. The mixed character B850* state lacks the slow component and equilibrates very rapidly, providing an alternative energy transfer channel. This (and also another partially mixed) state has an anomalously large equilibrium population, suggesting a shift to lower energy by virtue of exciton–vibration coupling. The spread of the vibrationally dressed states is smaller than that of the eigenstates of the bare electronic Hamiltonian. The total population of the B800 band is found to decay exponentially with a 1/e time of 0.5 ps, which is in good agreement with experimental results.
Silky Bedi, S M Rose, Sharmistha Sinha
bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) · 2024
Abstract Biomaterials with self-assembly, genetic tunability, self-healing, and biocompatibility hold promise for next-generation electronics. This study explores disc-like shell proteins from bacterial microcompartments as photovoltaic materials. These self-assembling proteins exhibit semiconducting properties, including a low work function and non-linear I-V behavior. Notably, under UV light, they generate significant photocurrent without external voltage, demonstrating efficient electron transfer. Electron conduction occurs via tunneling, enabled by distinct electron-rich surface regions. High responsivity and quantum efficiency outperform prior protein-based systems, emphasizing their potential in photocurrent and light-harvesting applications. Genetic mutations revealed a proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET) mechanism, where tyrosine residues strategically positioned near proton abstraction sites enhance photocurrent generation. This study highlights the innovative capabilities of shell proteins for energy-efficient devices and demonstrates how genetic engineering can further optimize biomaterial performance, paving the way for sustainable electronic applications.
Ruchi Tyagi, Shaikh Shamser Ali, Suresh Vishwakarma
Intellectual Journal of Energy Harvesting and Storage · 2024
Energy conservation measures are the practices to use less energy to reduce both costs and the environmental impact. They include using less electricity, gas, or any other form of energy that we get from our utility at a price. Training plays a critical role in educating energy users to practice conservation measures. The paper includes two case studies at two different facilities on air-conditioning applications to measure the impacts of low-cost energy conservation measures (LCECM) training transfer in actual operations. The impact was measured at both locations by reducing the air-conditioning running hours and increasing the set temperature without compromising the occupant's comfort level. As per international performance measurement and verification (IPMV) protocol A, data analysis was done using a formula to determine the quantum of savings. IPMVP outputt were checked further using a t-test using SPSS software. Results indicated a cumulative impact on energy conservation, environment, and cost of importing fossil fuel. Limitations include energy conservation measurements made with limited facilities and respondents' restrictions.
Giridhar S Nagali, N Samanvita, Vasudha Hegde et al.
Intellectual Journal of Energy Harvesting and Storage · 2024
The concept of flywheel storing energy in a spinning object is very old, potter’s wheel, ancient turbines made of wood which were immersed in a river to get the turbine spinning from the flowing water of the river, modern flywheels were initiated over 100 years ago, they were solely used to keep machinery running smoothly from cycle to cycle, power plants use flywheels in their steam turbines, steam engines use flywheels, hydro power plants use flywheel in the form of hydro turbines, internal combustion engines use them, they are used to supply a surge of energy for particle accelerators. The proposed device employs a system by which rotational energy i.e., kinetic energy of an object having large moment of inertia is stored converted to electrical energy, this is intended for electricity generation application by discharge kinetic energy stored in the flywheel, the device works by charging the flywheel i.e., spinning the flywheel to a defined rpm, the flywheel will rotate so that the electrical energy is transformed into mechanical energy and stored in it then discharging the flywheel i.e., using up the stored kinetic energy in the flywheel to generate electricity via a generator
Jinxiao Zhang, Haili Liu, Ya Wang
Volume 2: Modeling, Simulation and Control; Bio-Inspired Smart Materials and Systems; Energy Harvesting · 2016
In this paper, a self-supported power conditioning circuit is developed for a footstep energy harvester, which consists of a monolithic multilayer piezoelectric stack with a force amplification frame to extract electricity from human walking locomotion. Based on a synchronized switch energy harvesting on inductance (SSHI) interface and a peak detector topology, the power conditioning circuit is designed to optimize the power flow from the piezoelectric stack to the energy storage device under real-time human walking excitation instead of a simple sine waveform input, as reported in most literatures. The unique properties of human walking locomotion and multilayer piezoelectric stack both impose complications for circuit design. Three common interface circuits, e.g. standard energy harvesting (SEH) circuit, series-SSHI and parallel-SSHI are compared in experiments to find which one is the best suit for the real-time-footstep energy harvester. Experimental results show that the use of parallel-SSHI circuit interface produces 85% more power than the SEH counterpart, while the use of series-SSHI circuit demonstrates the similar performance in comparison to the SEH interface. The reasons for such a huge efficiency improvement by using the parallel-SSHI interface are detailed in this paper.
Tee Hui Teo, Chiang Liang Kok, Xianlong Zhang et al.
The Challenges of Energy Harvesting · 2025
Energy harvesting technologies are driving sustainable innovations across various domains, from wearable devices to advanced satellite positioning systems. This chapter highlights transformative projects showcasing the potential of energy harvesting. The energy harvesting combat boot exemplifies the ability to convert kinetic energy from human motion into electrical power, enabling operations such as satellite positioning without external batteries. Advanced wearable devices, including global positioning system (GPS)-integrated systems, illustrate how energy harvesting supports efficient navigation and tracking. Emerging methods like triboelectric and piezoelectric harvesters, alongside cutting-edge materials such as carbon nanotubes, demonstrate scalable solutions for low-power applications. Innovations in satellite energy systems, such as thermoelectric generators and hybrid designs, further extend the versatility of energy harvesting by converting ambient energy into usable power for communication and navigation. Despite challenges like intermittent energy sources and integration complexities, these advancements underscore the critical role of energy harvesting in achieving autonomy, efficiency, and environmental sustainability.
Moslem Forouzesh, Mohsen Hossein Zadeh
The Challenges of Energy Harvesting · 2025
This chapter explores the integration of energy-harvesting techniques in wireless communication systems, focusing on two prominent methods: radio frequency (RF) energy harvesting and visible light communication (VLC) energy harvesting. RF energy harvesting leverages ambient electromagnetic waves from sources such as cellular networks, Wi-Fi, and television broadcasts to convert RF signals into usable electrical energy, providing a sustainable power solution for low-energy devices in applications like wireless sensor networks and the Internet of Things (IoT). The chapter discusses the architecture of RF energy-harvesting systems, including antennas, rectifiers, and energy storage units, highlighting their efficiency and adaptability in various environments. In contrast, VLC energy harvesting utilizes light emitted from LEDs and other light sources to generate power through photovoltaic cells. This method not only facilitates energy collection but also enables simultaneous data transmission, thereby enhancing the overall functionality of communication systems. The chapter examines the advantages and challenges associated with VLC, such as light intensity variations and low conversion efficiency. By comparing these two energies harvesting techniques, we aim to provide insights into their complementary roles in developing self-sustaining wireless communication networks that can operate efficiently in diverse conditions while minimizing reliance on traditional power sources.
Arpita Bose
Open Access Government · 2024
Bacterial photobiohybrids and photosynthesis: Optimizing energy harvesting with bacterial-semiconductor hybrids Photosynthesis serves as the primary mechanism for converting solar energy into chemical energy and plays a pivotal role in regulating atmospheric oxygen levels and carbon dioxide concentrations, influencing global climate patterns as a result. Traditional photosynthetic pigments, such as chlorophyll, can only absorb specific regions of the electromagnetic spectrum, leaving a significant span of wavelengths of light unutilized. The solar energy-conversion efficiency of photosynthesis typically reaches a maximum of ~6%; however, some plants exhibit efficiencies lower than 1%, depending on the type of organism, environmental conditions, and the specific metabolic pathway involved. While photosynthesis has relatively low efficiency compared to some human-made solar energy technologies, it plays a crucial role in sustaining life on Earth by providing the primary source of energy for most ecosystems.
Aman Kumar
Novel Energy Storage and Conversion Technologies for Two-Dimensional MXenes and MBenes · 2025
The research into energy storage devices is driving a revolution in the area. New materials are being investigated. This analysis examines the revolutionary potential of non-traditional materials to enhance the efficiency and adaptability of energy storage systems. In this work, we examine the potential of a hierarchical carbon material based on graphene oxide, iron ions, and E. coli cells, with an emphasis on its utility and environmental friendliness. Additionally, we highlight how paper has evolved as a material platform, tracing its evolution from a traditional medium to a cutting-edge innovator in micro fluidics and microelectronics today. The integration of electronics into paper demonstrates the promise of paper-based devices in energy storage, micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS), and diagnostics. These advancements show how cutting-edge materials have the potential to revolutionize energy storage systems by balancing affordability and superior performance.
Vaishali Shirsath, Prakash Burade
Advanced Energy Conversion Materials · 2023
Sustainable Energy demand was observed over the last six decades and reported by many researchers. Few researchers also mentioned the importance of intelligent tools. The authors of this article are of the strong opinion that in a new era, intelligent tools are the only way for automation and the solution for most of the problems like sustainable energy demand. Wind energy is also identified as clean energy and profitable in case operated along with intelligent tools for maximizing its efficiency. The most popular issues in wind energy are related to the wind farm, its shape, turbine selection and maximizing energy output. This study focuses on the creation of a novel Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) tool that optimizes the objective function of the wind farm. Developing a PSO novel tool is the key importance of this research work. Three basic shapes of the wind farms are proposed viz (i) circular shape (ii) square shape and (iii) rectangular shape for the wind farm. The circular shape is also divided into two methods as a circle method and circle in-line method for Wind Turbine Generator (WTG) placement. Dot net programming-based PSO tool is designed, which is validated by the Rosebrook function and then five case studies with a different constraints with different type of WTG is examined and verified for the sustainable energy solution in the wind farm. Tool developed with defined constrained is novel and tested for validation.
Stanislav Ordin
Advanced Energy Conversion Materials · 2024
Thermoelectronics includes invariant elements of thermoelectricity, thermoemission and theory of p-n junction. And the local Nano-Thermo-Electromotive Forces (EMFs) discovered and used to build this unified theory of nano-scale, which are orders of magnitude superior to the seebeck EMF, are not only a diagnostic tool for any microelements, but can also be used to increase the Energy conversion efficiency of all traditional electronic devices. But most importantly, they prompted understanding that between the micro and marco-worlds, Physics missed a scale where their linear approximations do not work, but the Thermoelectronic Laws of the nano-scale work. Whereas the macroscopic response from nano-effects, in contrast to its acceptance as due from quantum effects, with reference to Thermodynamics, due to not taking into account prigogine’s production of Local Entropy, was generally considered forbidden. Thus, Thermoelectricity, which was initially included in the fundamentals of Nonequilibrium Thermodynamics, returned again to the Fundamental Science of the nano-scale missed by Physics and actually expanded Electronics to thermoelectronics. Taking into account the thermoelectronic effects allowed us to identify previously unaccounted aspects of increasing the efficiency of energy conversion of the scale missed in theories. In addition, the refinement and expansion of the theory of thermoelectricity became the background (basis) of all evidence-based fundamental physics.
Universal Wiser Publisher
Advanced Energy Conversion Materials · 2025
The Editor-in-Chief and the Editorial Office of Advanced Energy Conversion Materials (AECM) have retracted the following article: Adelaja OA, Babaniyi BR, Udorah D. Improvement of Polypropylene (PP)-Chitosan Nanoparticles (CNP) for Advanced Bio-Composite. Advanced Energy Conversion Materials. 2024; 5(1): 117-132. This article has been retracted at the request of the Editor-in-Chief. Following a journal-wide investigation, it was identified that this article falls outside the scope of the journal, and does not align with the thematic focus or subject matter requirements as outlined by the journal's editorial policies. The retraction is in accordance with the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) guidelines, ensuring the integrity of the publication record is maintained. As part of journal's ongoing efforts to improve the quality of publications, the editorial office will continue to rigorously conduct preliminary review and peer review to ensure that only manuscripts that align with the journal's scope and meet the highest academic standards are published. The editorial office sincerely apologize for any confusion or inconvenience this retraction may have caused.
Ryan Yow Zhong Yeo, Krishan Balachandran, Irwan Ibrahim et al.
Revolutionizing Energy Conversion - Photoelectrochemical Technologies and Their Role in Sustainability · 2024
The rise of additive manufacturing (AM), commonly known as 3D printing (3DP), is attributed to its ability to fabricate complex 3D structures swiftly and accurately from computer-aided design (CAD) models with minimal labor involvement. Given the heightened popularity in 3DP, researchers have explored its potential in microbial fuel cell (MFC) technology, utilizing it for the production of various MFC elements such as reactor bodies, separators, and membranes. Over the last decade, innovative electrode designs and cell arrangements have emerged, contributing to the enhanced performance of MFCs. This is largely owing to the capability of 3DP, allowing for individual optimization of each MFC component by facilitating independent design for reactors and components. Moreover, a significant attribute of 3DP technology lies in its consistent production capabilities, enabling the scalability of MFC systems by creating multiple stacks of MFC units while ensuring minimal material wastage and eliminating human errors. The forthcoming book chapter discusses the application of 3DP in MFCs.
Dursun Ekren, Feridoon Azough, Robert Freer
Energy Storage and Conversion Materials · 2019
Thermoelectric modules used to convert thermal energy into electrical energy comprise multiple pairs of n-type and p-type elements connected in parallel thermally and in series electrically. They have been used in niche applications for over 60 years and are starting to gain more widespread acceptance. Traditional metallic thermoelectric materials are confined to modest temperature ranges and limited by cost, and their reliance on rare and sometimes toxic elements. Oxides, offering high temperature stability, along with lower cost and weight, and dependence on more environmentally friendly elements, have attracted increasing attention over the past 30 years. We review the developments of the main p-type and n-type thermoelectric oxides, their current status, the understanding gained from modelling, typical energy harvesting devices and future prospects. The materials are considered in terms of six main families: (i) misfit-layered cobaltites, (ii) ZnO-based materials, (iii) tungsten bronze structured oxides, (iv) CaMnO3, (v) TiO2/Magnéli phases and (vi) A-site deficient perovskites, including SrTiO3. The outlook for oxide thermoelectrics is promising if we can fully exploit available techniques to significantly enhance thermal-electric conversion efficiency and the temperature range of operation.
Universal Wiser Publisher
Advanced Energy Conversion Materials · 2025
The Editor-in-Chief and the Editorial Office of Advanced Energy Conversion Materials (AECM) have retracted the following article: Abdallah H, Shalaby MS, Shaban AM. Design of Low Energy Integrated Membranes Units for Production of Highly Purified Water. Advanced Energy Conversion Materials. 2020; 1(1): 1-14. This article has been retracted at the request of the Editor-in-Chief. Following a journal-wide investigation, it was identified that this article falls outside the scope of the journal, and does not align with the thematic focus or subject matter requirements as outlined by the journal's editorial policies. The retraction is in accordance with the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) guidelines, ensuring the integrity of the publication record is maintained. As part of journal's ongoing efforts to improve the quality of publications, the editorial office will continue to rigorously conduct preliminary review and peer review to ensure that only manuscripts that align with the journal's scope and meet the highest academic standards are published. The editorial office sincerely apologize for any confusion or inconvenience this retraction may have caused.
Ugochukwu Obiakornobi Anieto
· 2014
Current energy and environmental challenges are driving the use of cellulosic materials for biofuel production. A major obstacle in this pursuit is poor ethanol tolerance among cellulolytic Clostridium species. The first objective of this work was to establish a potential upper boundary of ethanol tolerance for the cellulosome itself. The hydrolytic function of crude cellulosome extracts from C. cellulolyticum on carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) with 0, 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25% (v/v) ethanol was determined. Results indicated that the endoglucanase activity of the cellulosome incubated in 5% and 10% ethanol was significantly different from a control without ethanol addition. Furthermore a significant difference was observed in endoglucanase activity for cellulosome incubated in 5%, 10%, 15%, 20% and 25% ethanol in a standalone experiment. Endoglucanase activity continued to be observed for up to 25% ethanol, indicating that cellulosome function in ethanol will not be an impediment to future efforts towards engineering increasing production titers to levels at least as high as the current physiological limits of the most tolerant ethanologenic microbes. The second objective of this work was to study bioethanol production by a microbial co-culture involving Clostridium cellulolyticum and a recombinant Zymomonas mobilis engineered for the utilization of oligodextrans. The recombinant Z. mobilis ZM4 pAA1 and wild type ZM4 were first tested on RM medium (ATCC 1341) containing 2% cellobiose as the carbon source. Ethanol production from the recombinant Z. mobilis was three times that observed from the wild type Z. mobilis. Concomitant with ethanol production was the reduction in OD from 2.00 to 1.580, indicating the consumption of cellobiose. No such change in OD was observed from the wild type. The recombinant ZM4 was then co-cultured with C. cellulolyticum using cellobiose and microcrystalline cellulose respectively as carbon sources. Results indicate that the recombinant ZM4 acted synergistically with C. cellulolyticum to utilize 2.0 g L-1 cellobiose, producing as much as 0.40 mM concentration of ethanol whereas only 0.20 mM ethanol was detected for the wild type ZM4 co-cultured with C. cellulolyticum under the same conditions. A co-culture of the recombinant ZM4 and C. cellulolyticum using 7.5 g L-1 microcrystalline cellulose gave lower ethanol yield than when using cellobiose. In the latter case, the recombinant began producing ethanol in 5 days whereas the wild type required 10 days to produce detectable ethanol. Future efforts will concentrate on identifying the correct concentration of cellulosic substrate at which synergy will be observed using the recombinant ZM4 and other cellulose degrading microorganisms, as well as optimizing medium formulations to better support both organisms.
Universal Wiser Publisher
Advanced Energy Conversion Materials · 2025
The Editor-in-Chief and the Editorial Office of Advanced Energy Conversion Materials (AECM) have retracted the following article: Ahmad M, Koliya L, Diso IS. Energy Consumption Pattern and Performance Indices of Federal Medical Center, Jalingo, Nigeria. Advanced Energy Conversion Materials. 2024; 5(1): 56-71. This article has been retracted at the request of the Editor-in-Chief. Following a journal-wide investigation, it was identified that this article falls outside the scope of the journal, and does not align with the thematic focus or subject matter requirements as outlined by the journal's editorial policies. The retraction is in accordance with the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) guidelines, ensuring the integrity of the publication record is maintained. As part of journal's ongoing efforts to improve the quality of publications, the editorial office will continue to rigorously conduct preliminary review and peer review to ensure that only manuscripts that align with the journal's scope and meet the highest academic standards are published. The editorial office sincerely apologize for any confusion or inconvenience this retraction may have caused.
Stanislav Ordin
Advanced Energy Conversion Materials · 2023
The analysis of Local thermo-EMF in p-n junctions made it possible to reveal the phenomenological features of ballistic thermoelectricity. By the Curie Symmetry Principle, in polar structures of p-n junctions, the thickness of which is of the order of the electron mean free path, the contribution of ballistic effects to the formation of the total EMF is decisive. This ballistic contribution to thermo-EMF provides both high output voltages and high efficiency of DIRECT energy conversion.
Michael Grätzel
Energy... beyond oil · 2007
The Sun provides about 100,000 Terawatts (TW) to the Earth, which is approximately ten thousand times greater than the world’s present rate of energy consumption (14 TW). Photovoltaic (PV) cells are being used increasingly to tap into this huge resource and will play a key role in future sustainable energy systems. Indeed, our present needs could be met by covering 0.5% of the Earth’s surface with PV installations that achieve a conversion efficiency of 10%. Fig. 8.1 shows a simple diagram of how a conventional photovoltaic device works. The top and bottom layers are made of an n-doped and p-doped silicon, where the charge of the mobile carriers is negative (electrons) or positive (holes), respectively. The p-doped silicon is made by ‘doping’ traces of an electron-poor element such as gallium into pure silicon, whereas n-doped silicon is made by doping with an electron-rich element such as phosphorus. When the two materials contact each other spontaneous electron and hole transfer across the junction produces an excess positive charge on the side of the n-doped silicon (A) and an excess negative charge on the opposite p-doped (B) side. The resulting electric field plays a vital role in the photovoltaic energy conversion process. Absorption of sunlight generates electron-hole pairs by promoting electrons from the valence band to the conduction band of the silicon. Electrons are minority carriers in the p-type silicon while holes are minority carriers in the n-type material. Their lifetime is very short as they recombine within microseconds with the oppositely charged majority carriers. The electric field helps to collect the photo-induced carriers because it attracts the minority carriers across the junction as indicated by the arrows in Fig. 8.1, generating a net photocurrent. As there is no photocurrent flowing in the absence of a field, the maximum photo-voltage that can be attained by the device equals the potential difference that is set up in the dark at the p-n junction. For silicon this is about 0.7V. So far, solid-state junction devices based on crystalline or amorphous silicon (Si) have dominated photovoltaic solar energy converters, with 94% of the market share.
Kessara Seneesrisakul
· 2017
This work studied the conversion of lignocellulosic materials to sugars, the intermediates for bioethanol production, by a bacterial enzyme. Due to the complex structure of lignocellulose, a cellulase enzyme cannot effectively access and hydrolyse cellulose fibers. Various pretreatment processes of lignocellulose have been studied to enhance enzymatic hydrolysis to date. In this work, corncob was firstly studied for microbial pretreatment using three microorganisms including two bacterial strains of Bacillus subtilis A 002 and Cellulomonas sp. TISTR 784 and a fungal strain of Phanerochaete sordida SK7. The results showed that the microbial pretreatment with P. sordida SK7 was the most effective for enhancing enzymatic hydrolysis with approximately 40% improvement, compared to no treatment. Whereas, Bacillus subtilis A 002 was able to hydrolyse some cellulose fraction in lignocellulose but the reducing sugar concentration was very low due to its simultaneously consumption. In the following part, the native cellulase-producing bacteria B. subtilis was developed to produce enzyme at high level using PCR-based cloning technique. Endoglucanse gene encoding from B. subtilis M015 was cloned into plasmid (pFLAG-CTS) and transferred into E. coli JE5505. The clone, named E. coli Glu5, could greatly produce endoglucanase with higher enzymatic activity than that of the native strain, approximately 17 times. Finally, E. coli Glu5 was used for a microbial hydrolysis of soluble cellulose (carboxymethyl cellulose) in a continuous bubble reactor. The results demonstrate the feasibility to consolidate the steps of enzyme production and enzymatic hydrolysis together in continuous system at a low organic loading rate of 5 kg/m3d.
Hajar Rajaei Litkohi, Hosein Yazdi Dehnavi
Revolutionizing Energy Conversion - Photoelectrochemical Technologies and Their Role in Sustainability · 2024
The microbial community employed as biocatalyst in microbial fuel cells (MFC) play a crucial role in degradation of organic substances and bioelectricity generation. While degradation of organic matters and electrical current generation in MFC technology is predominantly depend on metabolic activities of electroactive bacteria such as Geobacter and Proteobacteria, these bacteria engage in mutual interactions with non-electroactive counterparts within the microbial community. These mutual interactions can modify system performance, which is widely depended on operational conditions, the source of the initial microbial inoculum, substrate diversity and system’s components. Consequently, it is essential to gain a comprehensive understanding of the ecological behavior of microbial communities under diverse conditions to optimize system efficiency. Numerous research studies have delved into the microbial communities under varying circumstances, and the objective of this research is to elucidate the distinctions among microbial communities and investigate the factors that impact their composition.
Steven James Norrie
· 2021
This thesis proposed a decision-making framework to consider multiple objectives in long-term planning situations, and asserts that planning for power generation systems should consider relevant environmental and/or social objectives at the same decision level as traditional economic or reliability objectives. The framework was applied to the case study of long-term planning for Ontario's power generation system. The framework integrates life-cycle based information and decision-maker preferences toward multiple objectives in the context of sustainable development. Six decision criteria evaluated as measures of the objectives include life-cycle cost of electricity, a system flexibility indicator, demand reduction, land use requirements, greenhouse gas emissions, and air emissions. Stakeholder values were derived through questionnaires. Three hypothetical electricity generation scenarios were compared to test the decision-making framework. The results of the application indicated that the scenario which included aggressive renewable energy development and demand reduction was favourable, even given the tradeoffs of reliability and costs.
X H Cheng, Denny K S Ng, L Y Ng et al.
IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering · 2022
Abstract Bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) has been identified as the most viable and cost-effective technology to achieving the 1.5°C targets set down in the 2015 Paris Agreement. It is essential to understand the impact of BECCS on carbon dioxide removal at a commercial scale. As such, this research presents an extensive life cycle analysis and optimisation of BECCS. To ensure the proposed methodology is appropriate for this research, case study of three cases is performed. In the case study, an existing coal-fired power plant is used as a base case for comparison between 2 different BECCS configurations. A regional assessment of the BECCS configurations from various critical performance aspects is then performed. This consists of assessing the system effectiveness, environmental impacts, energy efficiency, and cost optimisation from a life cycle perspective.
Wenqing Yan, Jianguo Sun, Jonas Garemark et al.
Research Square · 2023
Abstract Exploring the potential for secondary utilization of wastewater is a prudent strategy to achieve "take-make-use-dispose" circular economy. Taking advantages of wood's hierarchical structure and large surface area, in this project, we fabricated surface-encapsulated anion-selective (S-AWM) and cation-selective (S-CWM) wood membranes (comprising up to 98% eco-friendly materials) through a two-step process: dip-coating with either positively charged 2(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate or negatively charged acrylic acid, followed by energy-efficient sunlight-induced polymerization. The output voltage and current of a single modified wood cell (R x T x L: 20 x 20 x 3 mm3) in modulated wastewater from flue gas desulfurization are 55 mV and 0.6 µA, respectively, tenfold higher than that of untreated wood cells. When five cells are connected in series, the output voltage reaches 0.27 V, sufficient to power simple electronic devices. This underscores its potential for scaling up and its viability for future applications in industrial power plants.
Joel Gilmore, Ben Vanderwaal, Ian Rose et al.
IET Renewable Power Generation · 2015
Historically, solar photovoltaic (PV) generation has been able to claim a significant ‘premium’ in revenues over other generation types because of its correlation in operation with peak demand (and therefore high priced) periods. However, similar to many international markets, recent conditions in the Australian National Electricity Market, including low demand, high levels of rooftop PV generation and oversupply of capacity, are found to have eliminated the revenue premium for solar. Half‐hourly modelling to 2030 illustrates that historical premiums are unlikely to resurface. Storage is shown to increase solar revenues at high penetrations, but can have a detrimental effect on solar revenues at lower solar penetration levels. Therefore at high solar penetration levels, solar generators will be incentivised to develop storage assets, since they can capture additional portfolio market benefits by minimising the decline in solar premiums because of the merit order effect. In contrast, most other market participants will find storage detrimental to revenues because of increasing competition during high priced periods, and will therefore have less incentive to include storage in their portfolios.
Gareth Kear
· 2011
<p>Non-pumped hydroelectricity-based energy storage in New Zealand has only limited potential to expand to meet projected growth in electricity demand. Seasonal variations of hydro inflows have also led to several 'dry-year' events over the last decade and dedicated fast-start 'peaker' capacity may also be required to support wind power as it approaches a 20% generation share. In this research, the New Zealand electricity industry has been surveyed in regard to the feasibility of reducing CO2-e emissions through the introduction of pumped hydroelectricity and utility-scale batteries by 2025. A desk-based review of the economic costs of these technologies has also been performed and their drivers and barriers critically assessed. Most respondents to the survey projected that peak power demand will continue to increase and this will result in new-build centralised (~150 MW) thermal reserve power sources. In New Zealand, the costs of pumped hydro and batteries are seen to be prohibitive to their introduction, even though they are almost universally assumed to be technically capable of providing renewables support and peak power adequacy. The perception of the poor economic viability of pumped hydro may, in part, be due to the relatively high capital cost estimate associated with the Manorburn-Onslow proposal (~NZ$3 billion). This research has shown, however, that smaller, 'more-internationally-representative' pumped hydro schemes, if available in NZ with low associated environmental impact, are cost-competitive with thermal peakers, especially diesel peakers. Conversely, utility-scale batteries have very high storage costs per kWh and are most likely to be used only for very high value applications where there is a strong technical advantage, such as the six-second fast instantaneous reserve.</p>
Bilgi Yilmaz, Christian Laudagé, Ralf Korn et al.
Commodities · 2024
The dynamic structure of electricity markets, where uncertainties abound due to, e.g., demand variations and renewable energy intermittency, poses challenges for market participants. We propose generative adversarial networks (GANs) to generate synthetic electricity price data. This approach aims to provide comprehensive data that accurately reflect the complexities of the actual electricity market by capturing its distribution. Consequently, we would like to equip market participants with a versatile tool for successfully dealing with strategy testing, risk model validation, and decision-making enhancement. Access to high-quality synthetic electricity price data is instrumental in cultivating a resilient and adaptive marketplace, ultimately contributing to a more knowledgeable and prepared electricity market community. In order to assess the performance of various types of GANs, we performed a numerical study on Turkey’s intraday electricity market weighted average price (IDM-WAP). As a key finding, we show that GANs can effectively generate realistic synthetic electricity prices. Furthermore, we reveal that the use of complex variants of GAN algorithms does not lead to a significant improvement in synthetic data quality. However, it requires a notable increase in computational costs.
Moses Jeremiah Barasa Kabeyi
· 2024
Clean and low-carbon energy sources and technologies have emerged as a critical driver in delivering the energy transition and achieving net zero-carbon emissions. All energy sources and power systems produce greenhouse gases (GHGs) and hence they contribute to anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions and resultant climate change besides contributing to other negative environmental impacts. Energy sustainability remains a major challenge globally due to current heavy reliance on depletable and polluting fossil fuels for most of global energy needs. This study examines the energy transition strategies and proposes a roadmap for sustainable energy transition for sustainable energy planning and grid electricity generation and supply in wake of commitments made by the world community to the Paris Agreement aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions and limiting the rise in global average temperature to 2oC and preferably 1.5oC above the preindustrial level and realisation of the sustainable development goal of the United Nations. The sustainable transition strategies typically consist of three major technological changes namely, energy savings on the demand side, generation efficiency at production level and fossil fuel substitution by various renewable energy sources and low carbon non-renewable sources like nuclear power and carbon emission reduction strategies like carbon capture and sequestration and a conversion from high carbon fossil fuels like coal and oil to natural gas which remains the cleanest fossil fuel. The study demonstrated that decentralised generation with application of both demand side management and behind the meter management (BTM) strategies are effective measures to increase the use of renewable energy resources which are often locally available leading to higher uptake of renewable energy sources and conversion of consumers to prosumers making the transition economically sustainable. Waste to energy options have a significant potential to contribute to the energy transition e.g. use of biowaste for biogas production, slaughterhouse waste biodigestion for biogas and electricity generation and waste treatment and disposal, waste heat recovery from used geothermal for extra power generation and reinjection to improve the reservoir sustainability and use of bagasse and sugarcane trash for grid-based power production in sugar factories. Therefore, domestic, and industrial scale waste to energy conversion can enhance the economic sustainability of waste management process by offering useful energy substitutes for fossil fuels and enhanced energy security through decentralisation of generation. Whereas sustainable development has social, economic, and environmental pillars, energy sustainability is best analysed by five-dimensional approach consisting of environmental, economic, social, technical, and institutional/political sustainability to determine energy resource sustainability. The study recommends the adoption of sustainability-based planning for energy development and optimisation of electricity generation and supply where energy sources are analysed and ranked based on the five dimensions of energy sustainability instead of Least Cost Development Planning (LCDP) often applied by many countries. On this basis, the sustainable energy transition and optimisation of power generation will rely on both renewable and non-renewable energy since both have an important role in the realisation of the energy transition plans even though the desire is to shift entirely to renewable energy sources by the year 2050. The sustainability of various energy sources was assessed with hydrogen, wind, solar, sugarcane bagasse and cane trash, biogas and ocean energy technologies proving to be among the most sustainable renewable energy and sustainable sources. The study also examined various power plants and energy conversion systems for electricity generation in terms of their specific role and potential in grid-based power generation with hydro power plants, geothermal, nuclear, fuel cells, raking high on performance indicators like load and capacity factors making them ideal for base load power supply. Diesel engines and gas turbines using cogeneration and dual cycle systems powered by cleaner fuels like natural gas, hydrogen and biomethane will play an important role in supplying intermediate and peak load power. The study highlighted enabling technologies and concepts in the energy transition which include decentralisation of generation, cogeneration and trigeneration, demand side and behind the meter management microgrids and smart grid technologies, energy and generation planning and optimisation models, energy storage, electrification of transport and use of electric cars as decentralised electricity sources through the V2X technologies like the G2V and V2G, and carbon capture and sequestration for emissions reduction in fossil fuel power plants making them more sustainable. The study classifies electric vehicles as distributed power plants and variable loads with extensive use of energy storage while sugar cane bagasse is noted as a sustainable energy resource for power generation by cane sugar factories by application of more efficient grid connected cogeneration power plants. The study identified long project gestation period as the main factor limiting nuclear and geothermal energy deployment and recommends the adoption of modularised wellhead generators and small modular nuclear reactors (SMRs) as a solution to enhance exploitation of these sustainable energy and technologies through faster deployment with high degree of flexibility. Biogas and biomethane demonstrated significant potential as renewable energy sources for power generation and substitute fuels in all applications of fossil natural gas. The study recommends sustainability-based planning for the energy sector and power generation and use of both renewable and non-renewable but sustainable sources of energy, adoption of smart energy concept by all sectors and investment in energy technology and infrastructure development for hydrogen and other promising energy sources like ocean thermal, wave and tidal energy and the conversion of the transition from the traditional to smart grid systems and a shift from centralised to decentralised power generation. Since the transport sector accounts for a significant portion of the global greenhouse gas emissions, electrification of the transport sector and coupling with the power sector is a key strategy recommended for the transition with the smart grid and microgrids playing an enabling role. Since energy sources and generation technologies have associated emissions occurring at different sections of the lifecycle, the use of lifecycle costs and emissions are helpful in long term energy and generation planning which demonstrate that renewable sources and nuclear are the most sustainable when analysed within the five dimensions of energy sustainability, but with the non-renewable sources playing a critical role as dispatchable sources for sustainable grid power generation, while the smart grids and use of energy storage can increase the uptake of variable renewables to as high as 95% to 100% up from a low of 20-25% uptake of variable renewables with the traditional grid. This will significantly help the world in achieving the global emissions and climate targets as. stipulated in the Paris Agreement as well as the sustainable development goals (SDGs). Graphical Abstract The overall objective of the study was to provide solutions to build global energy systems based on renewable and sustainable energy resources and optimise power generation and consumption by use of sustainable energy resources and generation technologies based on the five dimensions of energy sustainability. A sustainable energy system should intergrade electricity and other sectors through smart electricity grids, smart gas grids and smart heat grids as demonstrated below.
Amro Elshurafa
· 2020
Electricity storage technology has many useful applications in the energy sector and can complement variable renewable power generation to achieve a low-carbon future. For policymakers, utilities, and investors, effective decisions in this context require an understanding of how to determine the monetary value of storage.
Behdad Vatani, Nima Amjady, Hamidreza Zareipour
IET Generation, Transmission & Distribution · 2013
This study presents a new stochastic self‐scheduling model for generation companies (GENCOs) in day‐ahead electricity markets including energy and reserves auctions. The proposed stochastic model takes into account both the uncertainty of predicted market prices and forced outages of generating units. Also, financial risk of GENCOs is formulated through well‐known conditional value‐at‐risk index. The proposed self‐scheduling model is tested on the IEEE 118‐bus test system and the obtained results are discussed.
Constance Crozier, Christopher Quarton, Noramalina Mansor et al.
Electricity · 2022
In this paper, we explore how effectively renewable generation can be used to meet a country’s electricity demands. We consider a range of different generation mixes and capacities, as well as the use of energy storage. First, we introduce a new open-source model that uses hourly wind speed and solar irradiance data to estimate the output of a renewable electricity generator at a specific location. Then, we construct a case study of the Great Britain (GB) electricity system as an example using historic hourly demand and weather data. Three specific sources of renewable generation are considered: offshore wind, onshore wind, and solar PV. Li-ion batteries are considered as the form of electricity storage. We demonstrate that the ability of a renewables-based electricity system to meet expected demand profiles can be increased by optimising the ratio of onshore wind, offshore wind and solar PV. Additionally, we show how including Li-ion battery storage can reduce overall generation needs, therefore lowering system costs. For the GB system, we explore how the residual load that would need to be met with other forms of flexibility, such as dispatchable generation sources or demand-side response, varies for different ratios of renewable generation and storage.