Search results for: conventional organic solar cells

Authors: A. S. Zgalei, B. T. Al-Mabrouk

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With a particularly significant growth rate observed in the Libyan commercial and residential buildings coupled with a growth in energy demand, solar desiccant evaporative cooling offers energy savings and promises a good sharing for sustainable buildings where the availability of solar radiation matches with the cooling load demand. The paper presents a short introduction for the desiccant systems. A mathematical model of a selected system has been developed and a simulation has been performed in order to investigate the system performance at different working conditions and an optimum design of the system structure is established. The results showed a technical feasibility of the system working under the Libyan climatic conditions with a reasonable COP at temperatures that can be obtained through the solar reactivation system. Discussion of the results and the recommendations for future work are proposed.

Keywords: computer program, solar desiccant wheel cooling, system modelling, simulation, technical feasibility

Procedia PDF Downloads 542

Authors: Brahim Aissa

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Transparent conductive oxides (TCOs) used as front electrodes in solar cells must feature simultaneously high electrical conductivity, low contact resistance with the adjacent layers, and an appropriate refractive index for maximal light in-coupling into the device. However, these properties may conflict with each other, motivating thereby the search for TCOs with high performance. Additionally, due to the presence of temperature sensitive layers in many solar cell designs (for example, in thin-film silicon and silicon heterojunction (SHJ)), low-temperature deposition processes are more suitable. Several deposition techniques have been already explored to fabricate high-mobility TCOs at low temperatures, including sputter deposition, chemical vapor deposition, and atomic layer deposition. Among this variety of methods, to the best of our knowledge, magnetron sputtering deposition is the most established technique, despite the fact that it can lead to damage of underlying layers. The Sn doped In₂O₃ (ITO) is the most commonly used transparent electrode-contact in SHJ technology. In this work, we studied the properties of ITO thin films grown by RF sputtering. Using different oxygen fraction in the argon/oxygen plasma, we prepared ITO films deposited on glass substrates, on one hand, and on a-Si (p and n-types):H/intrinsic a-Si/glass substrates, on the other hand. Hall Effect measurements were systematically conducted together with total-transmittance (TT) and total-reflectance (TR) spectrometry. The electrical properties were drastically affected whereas the TT and TR were found to be slightly impacted by the oxygen variation. Furthermore, the time of flight-secondary ion mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS) technique was used to determine the distribution of various species throughout the thickness of the ITO and at various interfaces. The depth profiling of indium, oxygen, tin, silicon, phosphorous, boron and hydrogen was investigated throughout the various thicknesses and interfaces, and obtained results are discussed accordingly. Finally, the extreme conditions were selected to fabricate rear emitter SHJ devices, and the photovoltaic performance was evaluated; the lower oxygen flow ratio was found to yield the best performance attributed to lower series resistance.

Keywords: solar cell, silicon heterojunction, oxygen content, optoelectronic properties

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Authors: Young Min Kim, Dong Gil Shin, Assmelash Assefa Negash

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This study describes the application of a single loop organic Rankine cycle (ORC) for recovering waste heat from an excavator. In the case of waste heat recovery of the excavator, the heat of hydraulic oil can be used in the ORC system together with the other waste heat sources including the exhaust gas and engine coolant. The performances of four different cases of single loop ORC systems were studied at the main operating condition, and critical design factors are studied to get the maximum power output from the given waste heat sources. The energy and exergy analysis of the cycles are performed concerning the available heat source to determine the best fluid and system configuration. The analysis demonstrates that the ORC in the excavator increases 14% of the net power output at the main operating condition with a simpler system configuration at a lower expander inlet temperature than in a conventional vehicle engine without the heat of the hydraulic oil.

Keywords: engine, excavator, hydraulic oil, organic Rankine cycle (ORC), waste heat recovery

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Authors: V. Nagaraju, G. Murali, Nagarjunavarma Ganna, Atluri Pavan Kalyan, N. Sree Sai Ganesh, V. S. V. S. Badrinath

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The present work focuses on the development of a mathematical model for the yield obtained by single slope solar still incorporated with cylindrical pipes filled with sand. The mathematical results obtained were validated with the experimental results for the 3 cm of water level at the basin. The mathematical model and results obtained with the experimental investigation are within 11% of deviation. The theoretical model to predict the yield obtained due to the capillary effect was proposed first. And then, to predict the total yield obtained, the thermal effect model was integrated with the capillary effect model. With the obtained results, it is understood that the yield obtained is more in the case of solar stills with sand-filled cylindrical pipes when compared to solar stills without sand-filled cylindrical pipes. And later model was used for predicting yield for 1 cm and 2 cm of water levels at the basin. And it is observed that the maximum yield was obtained for a 1 cm water level at the basin. It means solar still produces better yield with the lower depth of water level at the basin; this may be because of the availability of more space in the sand for evaporation.

Keywords: solar still, cylindrical pipes, still efficiency, mathematical modeling, capillary effect model, yield, solar desalination

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Authors: Merve Colak, Gizem Donmez Yalcin

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Glutamate has many neurological functions in the central nervous system and is found at high concentrations in the brain. Increased levels of glutamate in the neuronal space are toxic, causing neuron damage and death. This is called glutamate-induced excitotoxicity. Excitotoxicity is among the causes of many neurological diseases such as trauma, cerebral ischemia, epilepsy, Parkinson's Disease, Alzheimer's Disease. Since neuroblastoma cells are known to be excitotoxic, we propose that excitotoxicity can be studied in neuroblastoma cells. Excitotoxicity can be induced using kainic acid in neuroblastoma cells. Measuring the secretion of glutamate, excitotoxicity can be analyzed in neuroblastoma cells.

Keywords: glutamate, excitotoxicity, kainic acid, Sirt4

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Authors: Danlei Yang, Luofeng Huang

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The integration of digital twin technology with renewable energy systems offers an innovative approach to predicting and optimising performance throughout the entire lifecycle. A digital twin is a continuously updated virtual replica of a real-world entity, synchronised with data from its physical counterpart and environment. Many digital twin companies today claim to have mature digital twin products, but their focus is primarily on equipment visualisation. However, the core of a digital twin should be its model, which can mirror, shadow, and thread with the real-world entity, which is still underdeveloped. For a floating solar energy system, a digital twin model can be defined in three aspects: (a) the physical floating solar energy system along with environmental factors such as solar irradiance and wave dynamics, (b) a digital model powered by artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms, and (c) the integration of real system data with the AI-driven model and a user interface. The experimental setup for the floating solar energy system, is designed to replicate real-ocean conditions of floating solar installations within a controlled laboratory environment. The system consists of a water tank that simulates an aquatic surface, where a floating catamaran structure supports a solar panel. The solar simulator is set up in three positions: one directly above and two inclined at a 45° angle in front and behind the solar panel. This arrangement allows the simulation of different sun angles, such as sunrise, midday, and sunset. The solar simulator is positioned 400 mm away from the solar panel to maintain consistent solar irradiance on its surface. Stability for the floating structure is achieved through ropes attached to anchors at the bottom of the tank, which simulates the mooring systems used in real-world floating solar applications. The floating solar energy system's sensor setup includes various devices to monitor environmental and operational parameters. An irradiance sensor measures solar irradiance on the photovoltaic (PV) panel. Temperature sensors monitor ambient air and water temperatures, as well as the PV panel temperature. Wave gauges measure wave height, while load cells capture mooring force. Inclinometers and ultrasonic sensors record heave and pitch amplitudes of the floating system’s motions. An electric load measures the voltage and current output from the solar panel. All sensors collect data simultaneously. Artificial neural network (ANN) algorithms are central to developing the digital model, which processes historical and real-time data, identifies patterns, and predicts the system’s performance in real time. The data collected from various sensors are partly used to train the digital model, with the remaining data reserved for validation and testing. The digital twin model combines the experimental setup with the ANN model, enabling monitoring, analysis, and prediction of the floating solar energy system's operation. The digital model mirrors the functionality of the physical setup, running in sync with the experiment to provide real-time insights and predictions. It provides useful industrial benefits, such as informing maintenance plans as well as design and control strategies for optimal energy efficiency. In long term, this digital twin will help improve overall solar energy yield whilst minimising the operational costs and risks.

Keywords: digital twin, floating solar energy system, experiment setup, artificial intelligence

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Authors: Kathy Mwende Kiema, Remember Samu, Murat Fahrioglu

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Despite the implementation of a Feed in Tariff (FiT) for solar power plants in Kenya, the uptake and subsequent development of utility scale power plants has been slow. This paper, therefore, proposes a Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) plant configuration that can supply both power to the grid and operate a sea water desalination plant, thus providing an economically viable alternative to Independent Power Producers (IPPs). The largest city on the coast, Mombasa, has a chronic water shortage and authorities are looking to employ desalination plants to supply a deficit of up to 100 million cubic meters of fresh water per day. In this study the desalination plant technology was selected based on an analysis of operational costs in $/m3 of plants that are already running. The output of the proposed CSP plant, Net Present Value (NPV), plant capacity factor, thermal efficiency and quantity of CO2 emission avoided were simulated using Greenius software (Green energy system analysis tool) developed by the institute of solar research at the German Aerospace Center (DLR). Data on solar irradiance were derived from the Solar and Wind Energy Resource Assessment (SWERA) for Kenya.

Keywords: desalination, feed in tariff, independent power producer, solar CSP

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Authors: Sitti Nurani Sirajuddin, Ikrar Moh. Saleh, Kasmiyati Kasim

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The aim of this study was to know the perception of livestock farmers on the use of liquid organic fertilizer from urine of cattle at Sinjai Regency, South Sulawesi Province. The choice of location for a farmer group manufactures and markets liquid organic fertilizer from cattle urine. This research was conducted in May to July 2013.The population were all livestock farmers who use organic liquid fertilizer from cattle urine samples while livestock farmers who are directly involved in the manufacture of liquid organic fertilizer totaled 42 people. Data were collected through observation and interview. Data were analyzed descriptively. The results showed that the perception of livestock farmers of using liquid organic fertilizer from cattle urine provide additional revenue benefits, cost minimization farming, reducing environmental pollution which not contrary to the customs.

Keywords: liquid organic fertilizer, perceptions, farmers, beef cattle

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Authors: Nur Iffika Ruslan, Ahmad Rosly Abbas, Munirah Stapah@Salleh, Nurfaziera Rahim

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Increased concerns and awareness of environmental hazards by fossil fuels burning for energy have become the major factor driving the transition toward green energy. It is expected that an additional of 2,000 MW of renewable energy is to be recorded from the renewable sources by 2025 following the implementation of Large Scale Solar projects in Peninsular Malaysia, including Large Scale Floating Solar projects. Floating Solar has better advantages over its landed counterparts such as the requirement for land acquisition is relatively insignificant. As part of the site selection process established by TNB Research Sdn. Bhd., a set of mandatory and rejection criteria has been developed in order to identify only sites that are feasible for the future development of Large Scale Floating Solar power plant. There are a total of 85 lakes and reservoirs identified within Peninsular Malaysia. Only lakes and reservoirs with a minimum surface area of 120 acres will be considered as potential sites for the development of Large Scale Floating Solar power plant. The result indicates a total of 10 potential Large Scale Floating Solar sites identified which are located in Selangor, Johor, Perak, Pulau Pinang, Perlis and Pahang. This paper will elaborate on the various mandatory and rejection criteria, as well as on the various site selection process required to identify potential (suitable) Large Scale Floating Solar sites in Peninsular Malaysia.

Keywords: Large Scale Floating Solar, Peninsular Malaysia, Potential Sites, Renewable Energy

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Authors: Hirowati Ali, Aisyah Ellyanti, Dewi Rusnita, Septelia Inawati Wanandi

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Stem cell has been known for its potency to be differentiated in many cells. Recently stem cell has been used for many treatment of degenerative medicine. It is still controversy whether stem cell can be used for therapy or these cells can activate cancer stem cell. SCUBE2 is a novel secreted and membrane-anchored protein which has been reported to its role in better prognosis and inhibition of cancer cell proliferation. Our study aims to observe whether stem cell can up-regulate SCUBE2 gene in MCF7 breast cancer cell line. We used in vitro study using MCF-7 cell treated with stem cell derived from placenta Wharton's jelly which has been known for its stemness and widely used. Our results showed that MCF-7 cell line grows up rapidly in 6-well culture dish. Stem cell was cultured in 6-well dish. After 50%-60% MCF-7 confluence, we co-cultured these cells with stem cells for 24 hours and 48 hours. We hypothesize SCUBE2 gene which is previously known for its higher expression in better prognosis of breast cancer, is up-regulated after stem cells addition in MCF7 culture dishes.

Keywords: breast cancer cells, inhibition of cancer cells, mesenchymal stem cells, SCUBE2

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Authors: Ehsan Gholamalizadeh, Jae Dong Chung

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Solar chimney power plant is a feasible solar thermal system which produces electricity from the Sun. The objective of this study is to investigate buoyancy-driven flow and heat transfer through a built pilot solar chimney system called 'Kerman Project'. The system has a chimney with the height and diameter of 60 m and 3 m, respectively, and the average radius of its solar collector is about 20 m, and also its average collector height is about 2 m. A three-dimensional simulation was conducted to analyze the system, using computational fluid dynamics (CFD). In this model, radiative transfer equation was solved using the discrete ordinates (DO) radiation model taking into account a non-gray radiation behavior. In order to modelling solar irradiation from the sun’s rays, the solar ray tracing algorithm was coupled to the computation via a source term in the energy equation. The model was validated with comparing to the experimental data of the Manzanares prototype and also the performance of the built pilot system. Then, based on the numerical simulations, velocity and temperature distributions through the system, the temperature profile of the ground surface and the system performance were presented. The analysis accurately shows the flow and heat transfer characteristics through the pilot system and predicts its performance.

Keywords: buoyancy-driven flow, computational fluid dynamics, heat transfer, renewable energy, solar chimney power plant

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Authors: Ruobing Liang, Jili Zhang, Chao Zhou

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A solar-heating-and-cooling (SHC) system, consisting of a hybrid photovoltaic/ thermal collector array, a hot water storage tank, and an absorption chiller unit is designed and modeled to satisfy thermal loads (space heating, domestic hot water, and space cooling). The system is applied for Dalian, China, a location with cold climate conditions, where cooling demand is moderate, while space heating demand is slightly high. The study investigates the potential of a solar system installed and operated onsite in a detached single-family household to satisfy all necessary thermal loads. The hot water storage tank is also connected to an auxiliary heater (electric boiler) to supplement solar heating, when needed. The main purpose of the study is to model the overall system and contact a parametric study that will determine the optimum economic system performance in terms of design parameters. The system is compared, through a cost analysis, to an electric heat pump (EHP) system. This paper will give the optimum system combination of solar collector area and volumetric capacity of the hot water storage tank, respectively.

Keywords: absorption chiller, solar PVT collector, solar heating and cooling, solar air-conditioning, parametric study, cost analysis

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Authors: Sebwato Nasurudiin, Akimasa Yoshikawa, Ahmed Elsaid, Ayman Mahrous

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This study examines the correlation between the amplitude of Forbush Decreases (FDs) detected by the Mountain Chacaltaya neutron monitor and the solar wind electric field (E). Forbush Decreases, characterized by sudden drops in cosmic ray intensity, are typically associated with interplanetary coronal mass ejections (ICMEs) and high-speed solar wind streams. The Mountain Chacaltaya neutron monitor, located at a high altitude in Bolivia, offers an optimal setting for observing cosmic ray variations. The solar wind electric field, influenced by the solar wind velocity and interplanetary magnetic field, significantly impacts cosmic ray transport in the heliosphere. By analyzing neutron monitor data alongside solar wind parameters, we found a high correlation between E and FD amplitudes with a correlation factor of nearly 87%. The findings enhance our understanding of space weather processes, cosmic ray modulation, and solar-terrestrial interactions, providing valuable insights for predicting space weather events and mitigating their technological impacts. This study contributes to the broader astrophysics field by offering empirical data on cosmic ray modulation mechanisms.

Keywords: cosmic rays, Forbush decrease, solar wind, neutron monitor

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Authors: E. Mosiniewicz-Szablewska, P. Suchocki, P. C. Morais

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Despite the significant progress in cancer treatment, there is a need to search for new therapeutic methods in order to minimize side effects. Chemotherapy, the main current method of treating cancer, is non-selective and has a number of limitations. Toxicity to healthy cells is undoubtedly the biggest problem limiting the use of many anticancer drugs. The problem of how to kill cancer without harming a patient can be solved by using organic selenium (IV) compounds. Organic selenium (IV) compounds are a new class of materials showing a strong anticancer activity. They are first organic compounds containing selenium at the +4 oxidation level and therefore they eliminate the multidrug-resistance for all tumor cell lines tested so far. These materials are capable of selectively killing cancer cells without damaging the healthy ones. They are obtained by the incorporation of selenous acid (H2SeO3) into molecules of fatty acids of sunflower oil and therefore, they are inexpensive to manufacture. Attaching these compounds to magnetic carriers enables their precise delivery directly to the tumor area and the simultaneous application of the magnetic hyperthermia, thus creating a huge opportunity to effectively get rid of the tumor without any side effects. Polylactic-co-glicolic acid (PLGA) nanocapsules loaded with maghemite (-Fe2O3) nanoparticles and organic selenium (IV) compounds are successfully prepared by nanoprecipitation method. In vitro antitumor activity of the nanocapsules were evidenced using murine melanoma (B16-F10), oral squamos carcinoma (OSCC) and murine (4T1) and human (MCF-7) breast lines. Further exposure of these cells to an alternating magnetic field increased the antitumor effect of nanocapsules. Moreover, the nanocapsules presented antitumor effect while not affecting normal cells. Magnetic properties of the nanocapsules were investigated by means of dc magnetization, ac susceptibility and electron spin resonance (ESR) measurements. The nanocapsules presented a typical superparamagnetic behavior around room temperature manifested itself by the split between zero field-cooled/field-cooled (ZFC/FC) magnetization curves and the absence of hysteresis on the field-dependent magnetization curve above the blocking temperature. Moreover, the blocking temperature decreased with increasing applied magnetic field. The superparamagnetic character of the nanocapsules was also confirmed by the occurrence of a maximum in temperature dependences of both real ′(T) and imaginary ′′ (T) components of the ac magnetic susceptibility, which shifted towards higher temperatures with increasing frequency. Additionally, upon decreasing the temperature the ESR signal shifted to lower fields and gradually broadened following closely the predictions for the ESR of superparamagnetoc nanoparticles. The observed superparamagnetic properties of nanocapsules enable their simple manipulation by means of magnetic field gradient, after introduction into the blood stream, which is a necessary condition for their use as magnetic drug carriers. The observed anticancer and superparamgnetic properties show that the magnetic nanocapsules loaded with organic selenium (IV) compounds should be considered as an effective material system for magnetic drug delivery and magnetohyperthermia inductor in antitumor therapy.

Keywords: cancer treatment, magnetic drug delivery system, nanomaterials, nanotechnology

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Authors: Arun Kumar Yadav, Badam Singh Kushvah

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In the present work, we investigated displaced periodic orbits in the linear order in the circular restricted three-body Sun-Jupiter system, where the third mass-less body utilizes solar electric sail. The electric solar sail is a new space propulsion concept which uses the solar wind momentum for producing thrust, and it is somewhat like to the more well-known solar radiation pressure sail which is often called simply the solar sail. Moreover, we implement the feedback linearization control scheme to perform the stabilization and trajectory tracking for the nonlinear system. Further, we derived periodic orbits analytically in linear order by introducing a first order approximation. These approximate analytic solutions are utilized in a numerical search to determine displaced periodic orbit in the full nonlinear model. We found the displaced periodic orbit for the defined non-linear model and stabilized the model.

Keywords: solar electric sail, circular restricted three-body problem (CRTBP), displaced orbit, feedback linearization control

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Authors: Ihugba Okezie A., Oguzie Emeka E.

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Nigeria's renewable energy market is expanding due to increased environmental awareness, supportive government policies, and the need for energy diversification. This paper examines the role of solar batteries in enhancing Nigeria's energy security. With growing energy demands and frequent power outages, integrating solar batteries presents a viable solution to stabilize the energy supply. The study investigates the current state of solar battery technology in Nigeria, its economic and environmental benefits, and the challenges to implementation. Through a literature review, case studies, and stakeholder interviews, the paper provides a comprehensive analysis of solar batteries' contribution to a resilient energy future. Key players include Engie SA, TotalEnergies SE, Starsight Energy, Enel SpA, and North-South Power Co. Ltd. Challenges include high upfront costs, inadequate policies, weak infrastructure, and security risks. The paper recommends that the government should strengthen policies and incentives to encourage investments through tax breaks, subsidies, and financial incentives.

Keywords: renewable energy, solar batteries, energy security, Nigeria’s electricity generation, job creation

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Authors: Nikhil V. Nayak, P. P. Revankar, M. B. Gorawar

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Wind energy has been shown to be one of the most viable sources of renewable energy. With current technology, the low cost of wind energy is competitive with more conventional sources of energy such as coal. Most airfoil blades available for commercial grade wind turbines incorporate a straight span-wise profile and airfoil shaped cross sections. This paper is aimed at studying and designing a wind-solar hybrid system for light load application. The tools like qblade and solidworks are used to model and analyze the wind turbine system, the material used for the blade and hub is balsa wood and the tower a lattice type. The expected power output is 100 W for an average wind speed of 4.5 m/s.

Keywords: renewable energy, hybrid, airfoil blades, wind speeds, make-in-india, camber, QBlade, solidworks, balsa wood

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Authors: Alemayehu Agizew Woldeamanuel, Mekonnen Maschal Tarekegn, Raj Mohan Balakrishina

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Composting is one of the conventional techniques adopted for organic waste management, but the practice is very limited in emerging cities despite the most of the waste generated is organic. This paper aims to examine the viability of composting for organic waste management in the emerging city of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, by addressing the composting practice, quality of compost, and application of compost in urban agriculture. The study collects data using compost laboratory testing and urban farm households’ survey and uses descriptive analysis on the state of compost production and application, physicochemical analysis of the compost samples, and regression analysis on the urban farmer’s willingness to pay for compost. The findings of the study indicated that there is composting practice at a small scale, most of the producers use unsorted feedstock materials, aerobic composting is dominantly used, and the maturation period ranged from four to ten weeks. The carbon content of the compost ranges from 30.8 to 277.1 due to the type of feedstock applied, and this surpasses the ideal proportions for C:N ratio. The total nitrogen, pH, organic matter, and moisture content are relatively optimal. The levels of heavy metals measured for Mn, Cu, Pb, Cd and Cr⁶⁺ in the compost samples are also insignificant. In the urban agriculture sector, chemical fertilizer is the dominant type of soil input in crop productions but vegetable producers use a combination of both fertilizer and other organic inputs, including compost. The willingness to pay for compost depends on income, household size, gender, type of soil inputs, monitoring soil fertility, the main product of the farm, farming method and farm ownership. Finally, this study recommends the need for collaboration among stakeholders’ along the value chain of waste, awareness creation on the benefits of composting and addressing challenges faced by both compost producers and users.

Keywords: composting, emerging city, organic waste management, urban agriculture

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Authors: Elmo Thiago Lins Cöuras Ford, Valentina Alessandra Carvalho do Vale

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A swimming pool heating system is presented, composed of two alternative collectors with serial PVC absorber tubes that work in regimen of forced stream that is gotten through a bomb. A 500 liters reservoir was used, simulating the swimming pool, being raised some data that show the viability of the considered system. The chosen outflow was corresponding to 100 l/h. In function of the low outflow it was necessary the use of a not popular bomb, choosing the use of a low outflow alternative pumping system, using an air conditioner engine with three different rotations for the desired end. The thermal data related to each collector and their developed system will be presented. The UV and thermal degradations of the PVC exposed to solar radiation will be also boarded, demonstrating the viability of using tubes of this material as absorber elements of radiation in water heating solar collectors.

Keywords: solar energy, solar swimming pool, water heating, PVC tubes, alternative system

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Authors: Renata De Toledo Cintra, Bruno Ramos, Douglas Gouvêa

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There is a huge global concern due to the emission of greenhouse gases, consequent environmental problems, and the increase in the average temperature of the planet, caused mainly by fossil fuels, petroleum derivatives represent a big part. One of the main greenhouse gases, in terms of volume, is CO₂. Recovering a part of this product through chemical reactions that use sunlight as an energy source and even producing renewable fuel (such as ethane, methane, ethanol, among others) is a great opportunity. The process of artificial photosynthesis, through the conversion of CO₂ and H₂O into organic products and oxygen using a metallic oxide catalyst, and incidence of sunlight, is one of the promising solutions. Therefore, this research is of great relevance. To this reaction take place efficiently, an optimized reactor was developed through simulation and prior analysis so that the geometry of the internal channel is an efficient route and allows the reaction to happen, in a controlled and optimized way, in flow continuously and offering the least possible resistance. The design of this reactor prototype can be made in different materials, such as polymers, ceramics and metals, and made through different processes, such as additive manufacturing (3D printer), CNC, among others. To carry out the photocatalysis in the reactors, different types of catalysts will be used, such as ZnO deposited by spray pyrolysis in the lighting window, probably modified ZnO, TiO₂ and modified TiO₂, among others, aiming to increase the production of organic molecules, with the lowest possible energy.

Keywords: artificial photosynthesis, CO₂ reduction, photocatalysis, photoreactor design, 3D printed reactors, solar fuels

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Authors: Abdulrahman M. Homadi

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This study focuses on how to control the outlet temperature of a solar air heater in a way simpler than the existing methods. In this work, five cases have been studied by using ANSYS Fluent based on a CFD numerical method. All the cases have been simulated by utilizing the same criteria and conditions like the temperature, materials, areas except the geometry. The case studies are conducted in Little Rock (LR), AR, USA during the winter time supposedly on 15^th of December. A fresh air that is flowing with a velocity of 0.5 m/s and a flow rate of 0.009 m³/s. The results prove the possibility of achieving a controlled temperature just by changing the geometric shape of the heater. This geometry guarantees that the absorber plate always has a normal component of the solar radiation at any time during the day. The heater has a sectarian shape with a radius of 150 mm where the outlet temperature remains almost constant for six hours.

Keywords: solar energy, air heater, control of temperature, CFD

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Authors: Nelson S. Andres, Robert O. Aguilar, Mar O. Tapia, Meeko C. Masangcap, John Denver Catapang, Greg C. Mallari

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This study focuses on exploring the possibility of using solar PV as an alternative for generating electricity to electrify the AGT System installed in BPSU Main Campus instead of using the power grid. The output of this study gives BPSU the option to invest on solar PV system to pro-actively respond to one of UN’s Sustainable Development Goals of having reliable, sustainable and modern energy sources to reduce energy pollution and climate change impact in the long run. Thus, this study covers the technical as well as the financial studies, which BPSU can also be used to outsource funding from different government agencies. For this study, the electrical design and requirements of the on-going DOST AGT system project are carefully considered. In the proposed design, the AGT station has installed with a rechargeable battery system where the energy harnessed by the solar PV panels installed on the rooftop of the station/NCEA building shall be directed to. The solar energy is then directly supplied to the electric double-layer capacitors (EDLC's) batteries and thus transmitted to other types of equipment in need. When the AGT is not in use, the harnessed energy may be used by NCEA building, thus, lessening the energy consumption of the building from the grid. The use of solar PV system with EDLC is compared with the use of an electric grid for the purpose of electrifying the AGT or the NCEA building (when AGT is not in use). This is to figure how much solar energy are accumulated by the solar PV to accommodate the need for coaches’ motors, lighting, air-conditioning units, door sensor, panel display, etc. The proposed PV Solar design, as well as the data regarding the charging and discharging of batteries and the power consumption of all AGT components, are simulated for optimization, analysis and validation through the use of PVSyst software.

Keywords: AGT, Solar PV, railway, EDLC

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Authors: Tamseela Habib, Muhammad Amjad, Muhammad Edokali, Masome Moeni, Olivia Pickup, Ali Hassanpour

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Nanofluid-assisted steam generation is rapidly attracting attention amongst the scientific community since it can be applied in a wide range of industrial processes. Because of its high absorption rate of solar energy, nanoparticle-based solar steam generation could be a major contributor to many applications, including water desalination, sterilization and power generation. Lithium bromide-based iron oxide nanofluids have been previously studied in steam generation, which showed promising results. However, the efficiency of the system could be improved if a more heat-conductive nanofluid system could be utilised. In the current paper, we report on an experimental investigation of the photothermal conversion properties of functionalised Copper oxide (CuO) nanoparticles used in Lithium Bromide salt solutions. CuO binary nanofluid was prepared by chemical functionalization with polyethyleneimine (PEI). Long-term stability evaluation of prepared binary nanofluid was done by a high-speed centrifuge analyser which showed a 0.06 Instability index suggesting low agglomeration and sedimentation tendencies. This stability is also supported by the measurements from dynamic light scattering (DLS), transmission electron microscope (TEM), and ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectrophotometer. The fluid rheology is also characterised, which suggests the system exhibits a Newtonian fluid behavior. The photothermal conversion efficiency of different concentrations of CuO was experimentally investigated under a solar simulator. Experimental results reveal that the binary nanofluid in this study can remarkably increase the solar energy trapping efficiency and evaporation rate as compared to conventional fluids due to localized solar energy harvesting by the surface of the nanofluid. It was found that 0.1wt% CuO NP is the optimum nanofluid concentration for enhanced sensible and latent heat efficiencies.

Keywords: nanofluids, vapor absorption refrigeration system, steam generation, high salinity

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Authors: Vandana Gawande, Chandani Satija

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Gnidia glauca is a semi-woody herb of thymelaeaceae family traditionally used as fish poison in India. It is also found in Sri lanka and Africa. In the present study, potential anticancer effect of n-hexane and ethanolic extracts of Gnidia glauca in human breast cancer cells was investigated. Human breast cancer cells (MCF-7) were cultured as monolayers in RPMI 1640 medium. The cells were cultured for 48 hours to allow growth and achieve about 80% confluence in 96-well culture plates. The cells were treated with various concentrations of Gnidia glauca (0.1-100 mg/mL) for 72 hours. Percentage of viable cells after treatment was assessed using a sulforhodamine B colorimetric assay. Both n-hexane and ethanolic extract showed significant cytotoxic activity on MCF-7 cancer cells. This study supports the notion of using Gnidia glauca as a novel anticancer agent for breast cancer.

Keywords: 96 well plate, anticancer activity, Gnidia glauca, MCF-7

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Authors: M. Tabatabaee, R. Mohebat, M. Baranian

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Textile industries produce large volumes of colored dye effluents which are toxic and non-biodegradable. Earlier studies have shown that a wide range of organic substrates can be completely photo mineralized in the presence of photocatalysts and oxidant agents. ZnO and TiO2 are important photocatalysts with high catalytic activity that have attracted much research attention. Zinc sulfide is one of the semiconductor nanomaterials that can be used for the production of optical sensitizers, photocatalysts, electroluminescent materials, optical sensors and for solar energy conversion. The synthesis of ZnS nanoparticles has been tried by various methods and sulfide sources. Elementary sulfur powder, H2S or Na2S are used as sulfide sources for synthesis of ZnS nano particles. Recently, solar energy is has been successfully used for photocatalytic degradation of dye pollutant. Studies have shown that the use of metal oxides or sulfides with ZnO or TiO2 can significantly enhance the photocatalytic activity of them. In this research, Nano-sized zinc sulfide was synthesized successfully by a simple method using thioasetamide as sulfide source in the presence of polyethylene glycol (PEG 2000). X-ray diffraction (XRD) spectroscopy scanning electron microscope (SEM) was used to characterize the structure and morphology synthesized powder. The effect of photocatalytic activity of prepared ZnS and ZnS/ZnO, on degradation of direct Black19 under UV and sunlight irradiation was investigated. The effects of various parameters such as amount of photocatalyst, pH, initial dye concentration and irradiation time on decolorization rate were systematically investigated. Results show that more than 80% of 500 mgL-1 of dye decolorized in 60-min reaction time under UV and solar irradiation in the presence of ZnS nanoparticles. Whereas, mixed ZnS/ZnO (50%) can decolorize more than 80% of dye in the same conditions.

Keywords: zinc sulfide, nano articles, photodegradation, solar light

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Authors: Chaiwat Kongsom, Vitoon Panyakul

Abstract:

The objective of this study was to assess the production and market of certified organic products in Thailand. A purposive sampling technique was used to identify a sample group of 154 organic entrepreneurs for the study. A survey and in-depth interview were employed for data collection. Also, secondary data from organic agriculture certification body and publications was collected. Then descriptive statistics and content analysis technique were used to describe about production and market of certified organic products in Thailand. Results showed that there were 9,218 farmers on 213,183.68 Rai (83,309.2 acre) of certified organic agriculture land (0.29% of national agriculture land). A total of 57.8% of certified organic agricultural lands were certified by the international certification body. Organic farmers produced around 71,847 tons/year and worth around THB 1,914 million (Euro 47.92 million). Excluding primary producers, 471 operators involved in the Thai organic supply chains, including processors, exporters, distributors, green shops, modern trade shops (supermarket shop), farmer’s markets and food establishments were included. Export market was the major market channel and most of organic products were exported to Europe and North America. The total Thai organic market in 2014 was estimated to be worth around THB 2,331.55 million (Euro 58.22 million), of which, 77.9% was for export and 22.06% was for the domestic market. The largest exports of certified organic products were processed foods (66.1% of total export value), followed by organic rice (30.4%). In the domestic market, modern trade was the largest sale channel, accounting for 59.48% of total domestic sales, followed by green shop (29.47%) and food establishment (5.85%). To become a center of organic farming and trading within ASEAN, the Thai organic sector needs to have more policy support in regard to agricultural chemicals, GMO, and community land title. In addition, appropriate strategies need to be developed.

Keywords: certified organic products, production, market, Thailand

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Authors: Yonas Lamore, Abebe Beyene, Samuel Fekadu, Moa Megersa

Abstract:

Unaffordable construction cost of conventional water treatment plant and distribution system in most developing countries makes difficult to provide safe and adequate water for all households, especially for the rural setup. Water treatment at the source can be the best alternative. Solar disinfection is one alternative among point of use treatments. In this study, aqua lens, photovoltaic box and glass bottle were used subsequent to plant coagulants to evaluate microbial reduction potentials. Laboratory- and field-based experiments were conducted from May to August 2016. The Escherichia coli, total coliforms and heterotrophic plate counts were used as indicator organisms. The result indicated that aqua lens (AL), photovoltaic box (PV) and glass bottle (GB) have high inactivation rate subsequently almost for all indicator organisms in short solar exposure time. Total coliforms were inactivated in AL (SD = 15.8 °C, R2 = 0.92) followed by PV inactivation temperature associa- tion (SD = 11.6 C, R2 = 0.90), and the GB concentrator was inactivated (SD = 10.9 °C, R2 = 0.70) at turbidity level of 3.41 NTU. As the study indicated, aqua lens coupled with Moringa oleifera coagulant can be an effective with minimum cost for household water treatment system. The study also concludes heterotrophic bacteria were more resistant than other types of bacteria in SODIS with similar exposure time.

Keywords: acrylic glass, aqua lens, moringa olifera, photovoltaic box, solar disinfection, water treatment

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Authors: Sumit Tiwari, Rohit Tripathi, G. N. Tiwari

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Present study focused on the utilization of solar energy by the help of photovoltaic greenhouse solar dryer under forced mode. A single slope photovoltaic greenhouse solar dryer has been proposed and thermal modelling has been developed. Various parameters have been calculated by thermal modelling such as greenhouse room temperature, cell temperature, crop temperature and air temperature at exit of greenhouse. Further cell efficiency, thermal efficiency, and overall thermal efficiency have been calculated for a typical day of May and November. It was found that system can generate equivalent thermal energy up to 7.65 kW and 6.66 kW per day for clear day of May and November respectively.

Keywords: characteristics curve, photovoltaic, thermal modelling, thermal efficiency

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Authors: Ga-Young Lee, Hyun-Man Kim

Abstract:

The modulation of the cell-cell junction is critical in epithelial-mesenchymal transition during tumorigenesis. As RhoA activity is known to be up-regulated to dissociate cell-cell junction by contracting acto-myosin complex in various cancer cells, the present study investigated if RhoA activity was also associated with the disruption of the cell-cell junction of oral cancer cells. We studied SCC-25 cells which are established from oral squamous cell carcinoma if their E-cadherin junction (ECJ) was under control of RhoA. Interestingly, development of ECJ of SCC-25 cells depended on the amount of fibronectin (FN) coated on the culture dishes. Seeded cells promptly aggregated to develop ECJ on the substrates coated with a low amount of FN, whereas they were retarded in the development of ECJ on the substrates coated with a high amount of FN. However, it was an unexpected finding that total RhoA activity was lower in the dissociated cells on the substrates of high FN than in the aggregated cells on the substrates of low FN. Treating the dissociated cells on the substrates of high FN with LPA, a RhoA activator, promoted the development to ECJ. In contrast, treating the aggregated cells on the substrates of low FN with Clostridium botulinum C3, a toxin decreasing RhoA activity, dissociated cells concomitant with the disruption of ECJ. Genetical knockdown of RhoA expression by transfecting RhoA siRNA also down-regulated the development of ECJ in SCC-25 cells. Furthermore, PMA, an activator of protein kinase C (PKC), down-regulated the development of ECJ junction of SCC-25 cells on the substrates coated with low FN. In contrast, GO6976, a PKC inhibitor, up-regulated the development of ECJ of SCC-25 cells with the activation of RhoA on the substrates coated with high FN. In conclusion, in the present study, we demonstrated unexpected results that the activation of RhoA promotes the development of ECJ, whereas the inhibition of RhoA retards the development of ECJ in SCC-25 cells.

Keywords: E-cadherin junction, oral squamous cell carcinoma, PKC, RhoA, SCC-25

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Authors: Cameron Hamilton, Walter Potter, Gerrit Hoogenboom, Ronald McClendon, Will Hobbs

Abstract:

A model was constructed to predict the amount of solar radiation that will make contact with the surface of the earth in a given location an hour into the future. This project was supported by the Southern Company to determine at what specific times during a given day of the year solar panels could be relied upon to produce energy in sufficient quantities. Due to their ability as universal function approximators, an artificial neural network was used to estimate the nonlinear pattern of solar radiation, which utilized measurements of weather conditions collected at the Griffin, Georgia weather station as inputs. A number of network configurations and training strategies were utilized, though a multilayer perceptron with a variety of hidden nodes trained with the resilient propagation algorithm consistently yielded the most accurate predictions. In addition, a modeled DNI field and adjacent weather station data were used to bolster prediction accuracy. In later trials, the solar radiation field was preprocessed with a discrete wavelet transform with the aim of removing noise from the measurements. The current model provides predictions of solar radiation with a mean square error of 0.0042, though ongoing efforts are being made to further improve the model’s accuracy.

Keywords: artificial neural networks, resilient propagation, solar radiation, time series forecasting

Procedia PDF Downloads 390