scholarly journals Advances in the Reduction of the Costs Inherent to Fossil Fuels' Biodesulfurization towards Its Potential Industrial Application

Author(s):  
Susana M. Paixão ◽  
Tiago P. Silva ◽  
Bruno F. Arez ◽  
Luís Alves

Biodesulfurization (BDS) process consists on the use of microorganisms for the removal of sulfur from fossil fuels. Through BDS it is possible to treat most of the organosulfur compounds recalcitrant to the conventional hydrodesulfurization (HDS), the petroleum industry's solution, at mild operating conditions, without the need for molecular hydrogen or metal catalysts. This technique results in lower emissions, smaller residue production and less energy consumption, which makes BDS an eco-friendly process that can complement HDS making it more efficient. BDS has been extensively studied and much is already known about the process. Clearly, BDS presents advantages as a complementary technique to HDS; however its commercial use has been delayed by several limitations both upstream and downstream the process. This study will comprehensively review and discuss key issues, like reduction of the BDS costs, advances and/or challenges for a competitive BDS towards its potential industrial application aiming ultra low sulfur fuels.

Biotechnology ◽  
2019 ◽  
pp. 1985-2020
Author(s):  
Susana M. Paixão ◽  
Tiago P. Silva ◽  
Bruno F. Arez ◽  
Luís Alves

Biodesulfurization (BDS) process consists on the use of microorganisms for the removal of sulfur from fossil fuels. Through BDS it is possible to treat most of the organosulfur compounds recalcitrant to the conventional hydrodesulfurization (HDS), the petroleum industry's solution, at mild operating conditions, without the need for molecular hydrogen or metal catalysts. This technique results in lower emissions, smaller residue production and less energy consumption, which makes BDS an eco-friendly process that can complement HDS making it more efficient. BDS has been extensively studied and much is already known about the process. Clearly, BDS presents advantages as a complementary technique to HDS; however its commercial use has been delayed by several limitations both upstream and downstream the process. This study will comprehensively review and discuss key issues, like reduction of the BDS costs, advances and/or challenges for a competitive BDS towards its potential industrial application aiming ultra low sulfur fuels.


Author(s):  
Susana M. Paixão ◽  
Tiago P. Silva ◽  
Bruno F. Arez ◽  
Luís Alves

The biodesulfurization (BDS) process consists of the use of microorganisms for the removal of sulfur from fossil fuels. Through BDS it is possible to treat most of the organosulfur compounds recalcitrant to the conventional hydrodesulfurization (HDS), the petroleum industry's solution, at mild operating conditions, without the need for molecular hydrogen or metal catalysts. This technique results in lower emissions, smaller residue production, and less energy consumption, which makes BDS an eco-friendly process that can complement HDS making it more efficient. BDS has been extensively studied and much is already known about the process. Clearly, BDS presents advantages as a complementary technique to HDS; however, its commercial use has been delayed by several limitations both upstream and downstream the process. This study will comprehensively review and discuss key issues, like reduction of the BDS costs, advances, and/or challenges for a competitive BDS towards its potential industrial application aiming ultra-low sulfur fuels.


2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 563-572
Author(s):  
Iman Golpour ◽  
Mohammad Kaveh ◽  
Reza Amiri Chayjan ◽  
Raquel P. F. Guiné

AbstractThis research work focused on the evaluation of energy and exergy in the convective drying of potato slices. Experiments were conducted at four air temperatures (40, 50, 60 and 70°C) and three air velocities (0.5, 1.0 and 1.5 m/s) in a convective dryer, with circulating heated air. Freshly harvested potatoes with initial moisture content (MC) of 79.9% wet basis were used in this research. The influence of temperature and air velocity was investigated in terms of energy and exergy (energy utilization [EU], energy utilization ratio [EUR], exergy losses and exergy efficiency). The calculations for energy and exergy were based on the first and second laws of thermodynamics. Results indicated that EU, EUR and exergy losses decreased along drying time, while exergy efficiency increased. The specific energy consumption (SEC) varied from 1.94 × 105 to 3.14 × 105 kJ/kg. The exergy loss varied in the range of 0.006 to 0.036 kJ/s and the maximum exergy efficiency obtained was 85.85% at 70°C and 0.5 m/s, while minimum exergy efficiency was 57.07% at 40°C and 1.5 m/s. Moreover, the values of exergetic improvement potential (IP) rate changed between 0.0016 and 0.0046 kJ/s and the highest value occurred for drying at 70°C and 1.5 m/s, whereas the lowest value was for 70°C and 0.5 m/s. As a result, this knowledge will allow the optimization of convective dryers, when operating for the drying of this food product or others, as well as choosing the most appropriate operating conditions that cause the reduction of energy consumption, irreversibilities and losses in the industrial convective drying processes.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (13) ◽  
pp. 7328
Author(s):  
Saeed Solaymani

Iran, endowed with abundant renewable and non-renewable energy resources, particularly non-renewable resources, faces challenges such as air pollution, climate change and energy security. As a leading exporter and consumer of fossil fuels, it is also attempting to use renewable energy as part of its energy mix toward energy security and sustainability. Due to its favorable geographic characteristics, Iran has diverse and accessible renewable sources, which provide appropriate substitutes to reduce dependence on fossil fuels. Therefore, this study aims to examine trends in energy demand, policies and development of renewable energies and the causal relationship between renewable and non-renewable energies and economic growth using two methodologies. This study first reviews the current state of energy and energy policies and then employs Granger causality analysis to test the relationships between the variables considered. Results showed that renewable energy technologies currently do not have a significant and adequate role in the energy supply of Iran. To encourage the use of renewable energy, especially in electricity production, fuel diversification policies and development program goals were introduced in the late 2000s and early 2010s. Diversifying energy resources is a key pillar of Iran’s new plan. In addition to solar and hydropower, biomass from the municipal waste from large cities and other agricultural products, including fruits, can be used to generate energy and renewable sources. While present policies indicate the incorporation of sustainable energy sources, further efforts are needed to offset the use of fossil fuels. Moreover, the study predicts that with the production capacity of agricultural products in 2018, approximately 4.8 billion liters of bioethanol can be obtained from crop residues and about 526 thousand tons of biodiesel from oilseeds annually. Granger’s causality analysis also shows that there is a unidirectional causal relationship between economic growth to renewable and non-renewable energy use. Labor force and gross fixed capital formation cause renewable energy consumption, and nonrenewable energy consumption causes renewable energy consumption.


Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (13) ◽  
pp. 3966
Author(s):  
Jarosław Mamala ◽  
Michał Śmieja ◽  
Krzysztof Prażnowski

The market demand for vehicles with reduced energy consumption, as well as increasingly stringent standards limiting CO2 emissions, are the focus of a large number of research works undertaken in the analysis of the energy consumption of cars in real operating conditions. Taking into account the growing share of hybrid drive units on the automotive market, the aim of the article is to analyse the total unit energy consumption of a car operating in real road conditions, equipped with an advanced hybrid drive system of the PHEV (plug-in hybrid electric vehicles) type. In this paper, special attention has been paid to the total unit energy consumption of a car resulting from the cooperation of the two independent power units, internal combustion and electric. The results obtained for the individual drive units were presented in the form of a new unit index of the car, which allows us to compare the consumption of energy obtained from fuel with the use of electricity supported from the car’s batteries, during journeys in real road conditions. The presented research results indicate a several-fold increase in the total unit energy consumption of a car powered by an internal combustion engine compared to an electric car. The values of the total unit energy consumption of the car in real road conditions for the internal combustion drive are within the range 1.25–2.95 (J/(kg · m)) in relation to the electric drive 0.27–1.1 (J/(kg · m)) in terms of instantaneous values. In terms of average values, the appropriate values for only the combustion engine are 1.54 (J/(kg · m)) and for the electric drive only are 0.45 (J/(kg · m)) which results in the internal combustion engine values being 3.4 times higher than the electric values. It is the combustion of fuel that causes the greatest increase in energy supplied from the drive unit to the car’s propulsion system in the TTW (tank to wheels) system. At the same time this component is responsible for energy losses and CO2 emissions to the environment. The results were analysed to identify the differences between the actual life cycle energy consumption of the hybrid powertrain and the WLTP (Worldwide Harmonized Light-Duty Test Procedure) homologation cycle.


Processes ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 1050
Author(s):  
Sarrthesvaarni Rajasuriyan ◽  
Hayyiratul Fatimah Mohd Zaid ◽  
Mohd Faridzuan Majid ◽  
Raihan Mahirah Ramli ◽  
Khairulazhar Jumbri ◽  
...  

The biggest challenge faced in oil refineries is the removal of sulfur compounds in fuel oil. The sulfur compounds which are found in fuel oil such as gasoline and diesel, react with oxygen in the atmosphere to produce sulfur oxide (SOx) gases when combusted. These sulfur compounds produced from the reaction with oxygen in the atmosphere may result in various health problems and environmental effects. Hydrodesulfurization (HDS) is the conventional process used to remove sulfur compounds from fuel oil. However, the high operating conditions required for this process and its inefficiency in removing the organosulfur compounds turn to be the major drawbacks of this system. Researchers have also studied several alternatives to remove sulfur from fuel oil. The use of ionic liquids (ILs) has also drawn the interest of researchers to incorporate them in the desulfurization process. The environmental effects resulting from the use of these ILs can be eliminated using eutectic-based ionic liquids (EILs), which are known as greener solvents. In this research, a combination of extractive desulfurization (EDS) and oxidative desulfurization (ODS) using a photocatalyst and EIL was studied. The photocatalyst used is a pre-reported catalyst, Cu-Fe/TiO2 and the EIL were synthesized by mixing choline chloride (ChCl) with organic acids. The acids used for the EILs were propionic acid (PA) and p-toluenesulfonic acid (TSA). The EILs synthesized were characterized using thermogravimetry analyser (TGA) differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analysis to determine the physical properties of the EILs. Based on the TGA analysis, ChCl (1): PA (3) obtained the highest thermal stability whereas, as for the DSC analysis, all synthesized EILs have a lower melting point than its pure component. Further evaluation on the best EIL for the desulfurization process was carried out in a photo-reactor under UV light in the presence of Cu-Fe/TiO2 photocatalyst and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). Once the oxidation and extraction process were completed, the oil phase of the mixture was analyzed using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) to measure the sulfur removal efficiency. In terms of the desulfurization efficiency, the EIL of ChCl (1): TSA (2) showed a removal efficiency of about 99.07%.


Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (10) ◽  
pp. 2971
Author(s):  
Mikołaj Bartłomiejczyk ◽  
Marcin Połom

Trolleybus transport refers to contemporary challenges related to a reduction in emissions of greenhouse gases and CO2 into the atmosphere formulated by international institutions, such as the United Nations, the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe, or the European Union. Departure from fossil fuels in urban transport is one of the key challenges for the coming years. Trolleybuses are an important tool in this task, even though their importance was declining in the past. Nowadays, due to, among others, technological development, in particular the availability of high-capacity batteries, their long life and low weight, trolleybus transport is becoming popular again. The use of the existing overhead contact infrastructure of the trolleybus network and small on-board batteries allow expanding the spatial accessibility of zero-emission public transport. Thus, this reduces the social differentiation in access to environmentally friendly transport that does not emit pollutants at the place of operation. The article presents possibilities of using on-board batteries in shaping trolleybus connections with the optimal use of the existing overhead contact lines (OHL). It presents a procedure that allows for the evaluation of the extent to which the OHL should cover the routes of bus lines in order to qualify for trolleybus service in the In-Motion-Charging (IMC) technology. Analysis of the literature shows inadequate scientific studies on combining the advantages of overhead wiring and the development of on-board battery technology in popularising zero-emission transport. This article addresses the key issues related to the use of partially autonomous trolleybuses.


Author(s):  
Bikash Ranjan Parida ◽  
Somnath Bar ◽  
Nilendu Singh ◽  
Bakimchandra Oinam ◽  
Arvind Chandra Pandey ◽  
...  

To curb the spread of novel coronavirus (COVID-19), confinement measures were undertaken, which altered the pattern of energy consumption and India’s anthropogenic CO2 emissions during the effective lockdowns periods (January to June 2020). Such changes are being analyzed using data of energy generated from coal and renewable sources and fossil-based daily CO2 emissions. Results revealed that coal-fired (fossil-based) energy generation fell by –13% in March, –29% in April, and –20% in May, and –16.6% in mid-June 2020 as compared with the same period in 2018–2019. Conversely, the renewable energy generation increased by 19% in March, 12% in April, 17% in May, and 7% in June 2020. The share of fossil-based energy fell by –6.55% in 2020 compared with mean levels, which was further offset by increases of renewable energy. India’s daily fossil-based CO2 emissions fell by –11.6% (–5 to –25.7%) by mid-June 2020 compared with mean levels of 2017–2019 with total change in fossil-based CO2 emission by –139 (–62 to –230) MtCO2, with the largest reduction in the industry (–41%), transport (–28.5%), and power (–21%) followed by the public (–5.4%), and aviation (–4%) sectors. If some levels of lockdown persist until December 2020, both energy consumption and CO2 emissions patterns would be below the 2019 level. The nationwide lockdown has led to a reduction in anthropogenic CO2 emissions and, subsequently, improved air quality and global environment and has also helped in reducing atmospheric CO2 concentrations at the local level but not on the global level. With suitable government policies, switching to a cleaner mode of energy generation other than fossil fuels could be a viable option to minimize CO2 emissions under increasing demand for energy.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ayman Ismail Al Zawaideh ◽  
Khalifa Hassan Al Hosani ◽  
Igor Boiko ◽  
Abdulla AlQassab ◽  
Ibrahim Khan

Abstract Compressors are widely used to transport gas offshore and onshore. Oil rigs and gas processing plants have several compressors operating either alone, in parallel or in trains. Hence, compressors must be controlled optimally to insure a high rate of production, and efficient power consumption. The aim of this paper is to provide a control algorithm to optimize the compressors operation in parallel in process industries, to minimize energy consumption in variable operating conditions. A dynamic control-oriented model of the compression system has been developed. The optimization algorithm is tested on an experimental prototype having two compressors connected in parallel. The developed optimization algorithm resulted in a better performance and a reduction of the total energy consumption compared to an equal load sharing scheme.


Author(s):  
Livio de Santoli

Building sustainability, in term of energy efficiency, low-impact building materials, renewable energy, has experienced significant growth during the past years. In response to the growing dependence on fossil fuels and importations, due in part to the increase of energy consumption in the residential sector (in 2009 46,9 Mtep, 3% more than 2008) and the recent European directives (i.e. EU 2009/28/CE) requiring CO2 emissions cut of up to 13% in 2020, there is interest in promoting energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies, which are suitable for residential applications. In this paper we present an overview on actions related to minimization of buildings energy consumption in Italy. Prevalent line of action is to improve the energy performances of building envelope (Dlgs 192/05) using insulated frames, walls and roofs and replacing heat generators with condensing boilers. In addition to national directives, ONRE Report 2011 (National Observatory on building regulations) shows that 831 Municipalities (10% more than 2010) establish mandatory targets for insulation, photovoltaic solar panels, solar water heaters, heat pumps use, correct buildings orientation, saving of water resource and local materials use. In addiction an efficient energy rating of the buildings could promote the spread of energy efficiency measurement and consequently facilitate their implementation. The new energy rating system should meet international standards, regarding environment and energy aspects, and respect territorial needs.


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