Research Article
Renewable Energy Economics, Policies and Planning
Adewale George Adeniyi; Kingsley O. Iwuozor; Ebuka Chizitere Emenike; Comfort A. Adeyanju; Samuel Ogunniyi
Abstract
Polystyrene waste is a significant environmental problem, and recycling and repurposing it can reduce its impact on the environment. Chicken feather biochar, on the other hand, is a by-product of the poultry industry and can be repurposed to produce bio-composites. The goal of this work was to turn waste ...
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Polystyrene waste is a significant environmental problem, and recycling and repurposing it can reduce its impact on the environment. Chicken feather biochar, on the other hand, is a by-product of the poultry industry and can be repurposed to produce bio-composites. The goal of this work was to turn waste chicken feathers into biochar and then, create composites with the biochar acting as the filler and a polystyrene-based resin acting as the matrix. The biochar was prepared with the aid of a top-lit updraft reactor. Composites were fabricated using different mixing ratios of biochar (10-40%) and polystyrene resin. The composites were then analyzed using FTIR, SEM-EDX, and hardness tests. SEM examination demonstrated that the biochar was distributed unevenly throughout the matrix. The alterations and shifts in peak positions shown by FTIR measurement indicated that there was a chemical interaction between the matrix and the biochar. It also revealed the hydrophilic nature of the composite. Hardness test showed that 20% biochar concentration gave the optimum hardness property (139 HRB). The EDX result demonstrated that the matrix as well as the composites consisted majorly of carbon atoms. The results of this study indicate the potential of using chicken feather biochar as a filler material to improve the mechanical and microstructural properties of recycled polystyrene-based bio-composites. This approach can provide a sustainable and environmentally-friendly solution to repurpose waste materials from poultry and plastic industries.
Review Article
Advanced Energy Technologies
Mahdi Saadati pour; Mona Zamani Pedram
Abstract
This abstract offers a comprehensive review of recent advancements in Graphene Carbon Nitride (GCN) as a highly promising electrode material for supercapacitors. GCN boasts exceptional advantages, including abundant availability, a metal-free composition, high nitrogen content, and remarkable environmental ...
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This abstract offers a comprehensive review of recent advancements in Graphene Carbon Nitride (GCN) as a highly promising electrode material for supercapacitors. GCN boasts exceptional advantages, including abundant availability, a metal-free composition, high nitrogen content, and remarkable environmental sensitivity. These unique characteristics have positioned GCN at the forefront of research in energy storage and supercapacitor electrode materials. However, despite its potential, GCN faces challenges concerning limited specific capacity and energy density. To address these limitations, this review, as the first and most comprehensive in its field, focuses on innovative and novel development methods, particularly the strategic formation of nanostructures in 1, 2, and 3 dimensions. A notable finding of this review is the tremendous promise of 3D structures in enhancing the electrochemical properties of GCN as a supercapacitor electrode. A critical research gap in other review articles is the absence of comprehensive and innovative literature investigating nanostructures (1D, 2D, and 3D) with novel synthesis methods for using GCN as a supercapacitor electrode. This underscores the pressing need for further scholarly investigation in this area, as addressed by this review article. Overall, this professional review not only provides a comprehensive overview of advancements in GCN as a supercapacitor electrode material but also offers valuable guidance for researchers in the field. It highlights the importance of utilizing environmentally friendly synthesis techniques for fabricating multidimensional nanostructures, illuminating novel research directions and pioneering investigations. This empowers researchers to advance the utilization of GCN in energy storage applications.
Research Article
Renewable Energy Resources and Technologies
Divya Bisen; Ashish Pratap Singh Chouhan; Raja Mohan Sakthivel
Abstract
Recently, waste materials have garnered attention for their potential in providing clean and affordable energy through thermochemical conversion techniques. They play a significant role in transforming waste into eco-friendly energy, but the proper selection of materials is crucial for successful thermochemical ...
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Recently, waste materials have garnered attention for their potential in providing clean and affordable energy through thermochemical conversion techniques. They play a significant role in transforming waste into eco-friendly energy, but the proper selection of materials is crucial for successful thermochemical conversion. The primary objective of this study is to assess combustion efficiency based on activation energy, utilizing TGA and DTG analysis. Rice husk (RH), low-density polyethylene (LDPE), and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) waste materials were chosen for investigation. Experiments were conducted at temperatures ranging from 25 °C to 600 °C, with varying heating rates of 10, 20, 30, and 40 °C min-1. The apparent activation energy of the feedstocks was determined using five different iso-conversional model-free approaches, namely Kissinger Akahira Sunose (KAS), Friedman, Flynn Wall Ozawa (FWO), Starink, and Tang methods. The apparent activation energy for rice husk, LDPE, and PET fell within the range of 113-123 kJ mol-1, 101-101 kJ mol-1and105-117kJmol-1, respectively This research also contributes to establishing Comprehensive Pyrolysis Index (CPI) values to identify suitable sources for pyrolysis and gasification. According to CPI results, temperatures between 500 to 600 °C are optimal for pyrolysis, and an increase in heating rate enhances the output of pyrolysis products. A higher CPI index is favorable for achieving both a high calorific value and increased hydrocarbon contents.
Research Note
Environmental Impacts and Sustainability
Nima Amani
Abstract
Building insulation stands out as one of the most widely employed strategies to enhance energy efficiency in the building sector. Increasing the thickness of thermal insulation is a conventional approach to meet the design requirements of these structures. In this study, a novel approach to augment the ...
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Building insulation stands out as one of the most widely employed strategies to enhance energy efficiency in the building sector. Increasing the thickness of thermal insulation is a conventional approach to meet the design requirements of these structures. In this study, a novel approach to augment the thermal resistance of external building walls is explored by simultaneously employing multiple thermal insulation materials, comparing this with a single-layer insulation setup. Three typical insulation materials with varying thicknesses are utilized to create a three-layer insulation system, which is applied to a case study involving a house-like cubicle situated in the 3B climate zone per ASHRAE 169-2006. The findings indicate that merely increasing the thickness of a single-layer insulation does not invariably yield optimal solutions. The results emphasize that the consideration of multi-layer insulation systems can establish a continuous decision-making space, enabling the identification of at least one insulation scenario aligned with design requirements. To facilitate designers in the initial stages of thermal insulation design, a rapid and simplified design model has been developed based on the results. The methodology proposed in this study is generalizable and can be applied to all climate zones, offering a comprehensive design tool without the need for intricate calculations.
Review Article
Advanced Energy Technologies
Hassan Z. Al Garni; Arunachalam Sundaram; Anjali Awasthi; Rahul Chandel; Salwan Tajjour; Shyam Singh Chandel
Abstract
A major design challenge for a grid-integrated photovoltaic power plant is to generate maximum power under varying loads, irradiance, and outdoor climatic conditions using competitive algorithm-based controllers. The objective of this study is to review experimentally validated advanced maximum power ...
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A major design challenge for a grid-integrated photovoltaic power plant is to generate maximum power under varying loads, irradiance, and outdoor climatic conditions using competitive algorithm-based controllers. The objective of this study is to review experimentally validated advanced maximum power point tracking algorithms for enhancing power generation. A comprehensive analysis of 14 of the most advanced metaheuristics and 17 hybrid homogeneous and heterogeneous metaheuristic techniques is carried out, along with a comparison of algorithm complexity, maximum power point tracking capability, tracking frequency, accuracy, and maximum power extracted from PV systems. The results show that maximum power point tracking controllers mostly use conventional algorithms; however, metaheuristic algorithms and their hybrid variants are found to be superior to conventional techniques under varying environmental conditions. The Grey Wolf Optimization, in combination with Perturb & Observe, and Jaya-Differential Evolution, is found to be the most competitive technique. The study shows that standard testing and evaluation procedures can be further developed for comparing metaheuristic algorithms and their hybrid variants for developing advanced maximum power point tracking controllers. The identified algorithms are found to enhance power generation by grid-integrated commercial solar power plants. The results are of importance to the solar industry and researchers worldwide.
Research Article
Renewable Energy Economics, Policies and Planning
Mohammed Wasim khan; Rai Sujit Nath Sahai
Abstract
The research aimed to create a composite material for the floaters used in floating solar power plants. High-density polyethylene (HDPE) was combined with 1, 1.5, 2, and 2.5% of carbon black (CB) and 1,2,and 3% of zinc oxide (ZnO). Mechanical tests were carried out after accelerated weathering for 311, ...
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The research aimed to create a composite material for the floaters used in floating solar power plants. High-density polyethylene (HDPE) was combined with 1, 1.5, 2, and 2.5% of carbon black (CB) and 1,2,and 3% of zinc oxide (ZnO). Mechanical tests were carried out after accelerated weathering for 311, 634, 954, 1403, and 2878 hours in dry (out of water) and wet (sample floating in water) conditions. HDPE loses tensile strength, impact resistance, and elongation at break after 634 hours and 954 hours of weathering. The Shore D hardness did not show any significant change. The best performance was observed in batches D4 and W4, which contain 2% CB and 1% ZnO, in dry and wet conditions. The SEM (scanning electron microscope) shows the external morphology of D1 and W1 (pure HDPE) and D4 and W4 (composite) and revealed that pure HDPE was more degraded compared to the composite. Thermal properties and stability were analyzed using TGA (Thermogravimetric analysis). A further increase in CB and ZnO will reduce the strength of the composite.It was found that HDPE with 2% CB and 1% ZnO was a good composite material for developing the floaters used in floating solar power plants.
Research Article
Renewable Energy Economics, Policies and Planning
EMMANUEL SAMUEL UDO; OKEZIE IKEH; Abner Ishaku Prince; Victor Inim Edet; James Agama Emiesefia; Boniface L Akpan; Enobong Ekaetor Akpan
Abstract
This study explores the energy efficiency, renewable energy, and economic growth nexus on CO2 emissions in the MINT countries of Mexico, Indonesia, Nigeria, and Turkey from 1990-2023. Despite the significance of energy efficiency in environmental policy formulation, the heavy reliance on fossil energy ...
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This study explores the energy efficiency, renewable energy, and economic growth nexus on CO2 emissions in the MINT countries of Mexico, Indonesia, Nigeria, and Turkey from 1990-2023. Despite the significance of energy efficiency in environmental policy formulation, the heavy reliance on fossil energy in these countries has led to significant environmental challenges due to climate change concerns. Previous studies have predominantly used the symmetric model, arguing for a linear nexus and neglecting possible asymmetric contributions between renewable and nuclear energy on economic growth and urbanization as CO2 emission stimulators. This study adopted the asymmetric panel non-linear autoregressive distributed lag (PNARDL) to argue for asymmetric nexus. The key findings revealed an asymmetric nexus indicating that green energy sources reduce CO2 emissions and improve ecological quality through energy efficiency and renewable energy. The economic growth and CO2 emission nexus support the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) hypothesis, indicating that ecological quality reprobates during the early phase of economic growth and improves as the economy evolves to prioritise environmental quality. The negative nexus between nuclear energy and CO2 emissions highlights a deficiency in nuclear energy generation to mitigate CO2 emissions effectively. Based on these findings, the study recommends prioritizing renewable energy policies, streamlining the regulatory approval process for nuclear energy projects, and providing incentives for investment in the nuclear power infrastructure to achieve the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for environmental quality and sustainability.