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Selected Papers from ICEER 2017: 2017 the 4th International Conference on Energy and Environment Research

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A special issue of Energies (ISSN 1996-1073).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 November 2017) | Viewed by 61425

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Prof. Dr. Nídia Caetano

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Department of Chemical Engineering, Instituto Superior de Engenharia do Porto (ISEP), Porto, Portugal
Interests: biodiesel; bioethanol; biorefinery; energy storage systems; microalgae biorefineries; sustainable energy systems; waste valorization; wastewater treatment; waste-to-energy
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Prof. Dr. Carlos Felgueiras

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Center for Innovation in Engineering and Industrial Technology (CIETI) and School of Engineering (ISEP), Polytechnic of Porto (P.PORTO), R. Dr. António Bernardino de Almeida 431, 4249-015 Porto, Portugal
Interests: energy quality; energy and buildings; energy and environmental indicators; renewable energy systems; sustainable energy systems; engineering education
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Prof. Dr. Zita Vale

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GECAD-Research Group on Intelligent Engineering and Computing for Advanced Innovation and Development, Polytechnic of Porto (P.PORTO), P-4200-465 Porto, Portugal
Interests: artificial intelligence; demand response; electric vehicles; electricity markets; power and energy systems; renewable and sustainable energy; smart grids
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Dr. Moustafa Eissa

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Faculty of Engineering/Helwan University, Cairo, Egypt
Interests: digital relaying; power system; protection; smart grids

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Nations’ development has been based on energy consumption, and developing countries aim to reach a state of development that demands massive amounts of energy. Fossil-derived energy is becoming scarce in order to fulfil these needs, and the associated emissions and impacts on the environment are driving scientists and decision makers towards the development of renewable energy systems, as well as of more efficient energy systems. This paradigm calls for a new class of energy, and environment professionals, who are able to relate their own particular expertise with all the other areas involved, and understand the impacts of such systems, are thus able to plan truly sustainable energy systems. Problems, such as the storage of surplus renewable energy produced for later use, or its immediate distribution to where it is needed by using smart grids, the mobility and transportation in modern mega cities, or even the construction of zero net energy buildings (ZEB), demand the intensive use of life cycle assessment tools and the work in multidisciplinary teams.

Now is the time to explore emerging technologies and concepts in a collaborative way, bringing together engineers, researchers, and professionals from different areas. In fact, we can perceive that new and tighter targets towards sustainable development have been set by several countries, such as the Paris Agreement in December 2015. However, how to reach them is a sensitive matter for each country.

This Special Issue, therefore, aims to contribute to the Sustainable Energy agenda through advanced scientific and multi-disciplinary knowledge, combined to improve energy security and performance. We therefore invite papers on innovative technical developments, reviews, case studies, analytical, as well as assessment, from different disciplines, which are relevant to sustainable energy systems.

Dr. Nídia Caetano
Dr. Carlos Felgueiras
Dr. Zita Vale
Dr. Moustafa Eissa
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Energies is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

biofuels
combustion
energy efficiency
energy quality
energy storage
life cycle assessment
renewable energy
waste-to-energy
zero energy buildings

Published Papers (13 papers)

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Research

17 pages, 792 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Optimal Control Algorithms with Adaptive Time-Mesh Refinement for Kite Power Systems

by Luís Tiago Paiva and Fernando A. C. C. Fontes

Energies 2018, 11(3), 475; https://doi.org/10.3390/en11030475 - 25 Feb 2018

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 4871

Abstract

This article addresses the problem of optimizing electrical power generation using kite power systems (KPSs). KPSs are airborne wind energy systems that aim to harvest the power of strong and steady high-altitude winds. With the aim of maximizing the total energy produced in a given time interval, we numerically solve an optimal control problem and thereby obtain trajectories and controls for kites. Efficiently solving these optimal control problems is crucial when the results are used in real-time control schemes, such as model predictive control. For this highly nonlinear problem, we derive continuous-time models—in 2D and 3D—and implement an adaptive time-mesh refinement algorithm. By solving the optimal control problem with such an adaptive refinement strategy, we generate a block-structured adapted mesh which gives results as accurate as those computed using fine mesh, yet with much less computing effort and high savings in memory and computing time. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Selected Papers from ICEER 2017: 2017 the 4th International Conference on Energy and Environment Research)

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17 pages, 1382 KiB

Open AccessArticle

CAES Systems Integrated into a Gas-Steam Combined Plant: Design Point Performance Assessment

by Coriolano Salvini

Energies 2018, 11(2), 415; https://doi.org/10.3390/en11020415 - 11 Feb 2018

Cited by 16 | Viewed by 4537

Abstract

In the present paper, the performance of an energy storage concept based on the integration of a compressed air energy storage (CAES) system into a gas–steam combined cycle (GSCC) plant is investigated. CAES systems featured by different design specifications have been coupled with a commercially available small size GSCC plant. Storage efficiencies up to 65% have been evaluated for CAES design power output ranging from 5 to 10 MW. A techno-economic analysis aimed at assessing plant performance and investment costs has been performed. Despite the relatively high investment costs and the storage efficiency being less than those featuring alternative storage approaches, the proposed system may be considered of interest due to the long-life duration and the established technologies available for the key plant components. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Selected Papers from ICEER 2017: 2017 the 4th International Conference on Energy and Environment Research)

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1871 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Potential of Phaeodactylum tricornutum for Biodiesel Production under Natural Conditions in Chile

by Monique Branco-Vieira, Sergio San Martin, Cristian Agurto, Marco Aurélio dos Santos, Marcos A. V. Freitas, Teresa M. Mata, António A. Martins and Nídia S. Caetano

Energies 2018, 11(1), 54; https://doi.org/10.3390/en11010054 - 28 Dec 2017

Cited by 36 | Viewed by 6077

Abstract

Diatoms are very diverse and highly productive organisms, found in a wide variety of environments. This study aims to analyze the growth and lipid composition of Phaeodactylum tricornutum, cultured in an outdoor pilot-scale bubble column photobioreactor under natural conditions in Chile for biodiesel production. Results showed that P. tricornutum cultures reached their highest biomass concentration (0.96 ± 0.04 kg m⁻³) after 14 days of culturing, at the stationary phase, with a volumetric productivity of 0.13 kg m⁻³ d⁻¹. Biomass samples showed a total lipid content of 9.08 ± 0.38 wt %. The fatty acid methyl ester analysis revealed a composition of 24.39% C16-C18 fatty acids, 42.34% saturated fatty acids, 21.91% monounsaturated fatty acids and 31.41% polyunsaturated fatty acids. These findings suggest that P. tricornutum oil can be used as an alternative raw material for the production of biodiesel capable of meeting international quality standards. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Selected Papers from ICEER 2017: 2017 the 4th International Conference on Energy and Environment Research)

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1960 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Probabilistically Constrained Approach for the Energy Procurement Problem

by Patrizia Beraldi, Antonio Violi, Maria Elena Bruni and Gianluca Carrozzino

Energies 2017, 10(12), 2179; https://doi.org/10.3390/en10122179 - 19 Dec 2017

Cited by 15 | Viewed by 3424

Abstract

The definition of the electric energy procurement plan represents a fundamental problem that any consumer has to deal with. Bilateral contracts, electricity market and self-production are the main supply sources that should be properly combined to satisfy the energy demand over a given time horizon at the minimum cost. The problem is made more complex by the presence of uncertainty, mainly related to the energy requirements and electricity market prices. Ignoring the uncertain nature of these elements can lead to the definition of procurement plans which are infeasible or overly expensive in a real setting. In this paper, we deal with the procurement problem under uncertainty by adopting the paradigm of joint chance constraints to define reliable plans that are feasible with a high probability level. Moreover, the proposed model includes in the objective function a risk measure to control undesirable effects caused by the random variations of the electricity market prices. The proposed model is applied to a real test case. The results show the benefit deriving from the stochastic optimization approach and the effect of considering different levels of risk aversion. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Selected Papers from ICEER 2017: 2017 the 4th International Conference on Energy and Environment Research)

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16107 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Effect of Wind Forcing on Modeling Coastal Circulation at a Marine Renewable Test Site

by Lei Ren, Diarmuid Nagle, Michael Hartnett and Stephen Nash

Energies 2017, 10(12), 2114; https://doi.org/10.3390/en10122114 - 12 Dec 2017

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 4270

Abstract

The hydrodynamic circulation in estuaries is primarily driven by tides, river inflows and surface winds. While tidal and river data can be quite easily obtained for input to hydrodynamic models, sourcing accurate surface wind data is problematic. Inaccurate wind data can lead to inaccuracies in the surface currents computed by three-dimensional hydrodynamic models. In this research, a high-resolution wind model was coupled with a three-dimensional hydrodynamic model of Galway Bay, a semi-enclosed estuary on the west coast of Ireland, to investigate the effect of wind forcing on model accuracy. Two wind-forcing conditions were investigated: (1) using wind data measured onshore on the NUI Galway campus (NUIG) and (2) using offshore wind data provided by a high resolution wind model (HR). A scenario with no wind forcing (NW) was also assessed. The onshore wind data varied with time but the speed and direction were applied across the full model domain. The modeled offshore wind fields varied with both time and space. The effect of wind forcing on modeled hydrodynamics was assessed via comparison of modeled surface currents with surface current measurements obtained from a High-Frequency (HF) radar Coastal Ocean Dynamics Applications Radar (CODAR) observation system. Results indicated that winds were most significant in simulating the north-south surface velocity component. The model using high resolution temporally- and spatially-varying wind data achieved better agreement with the CODAR surface currents than the model using the onshore wind measurements and the model without any wind forcing. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Selected Papers from ICEER 2017: 2017 the 4th International Conference on Energy and Environment Research)

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5138 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Multicriteria GIS-Based Assessment to Optimize Biomass Facility Sites with Parallel Environment—A Case Study in Spain

by Jin Su Jeong and Álvaro Ramírez-Gómez

Energies 2017, 10(12), 2095; https://doi.org/10.3390/en10122095 - 11 Dec 2017

Cited by 36 | Viewed by 4704

Abstract

Optimizing a biomass facility site is a critical concern that is currently receiving an increased attention because of geographically spread biomass feedstock. This research presents a multicriteria GIS assessment with Weighted Linear Combination (WLC) (most suitable areas) and a sensitivity analysis (implementation strategies) applied to various disciplines using suitable criteria to optimize a biomass facility location in the context of renewable energies respecting the environment. The analyses of results with twelve criteria show the most suitable areas (9.25%) and constraints in a case study in Extremadura (Spain), where forest and agriculture are typical for land uses. Thus, the sensitivity analysis demonstrates the insight of the most influential criteria for supporting energy planning decisions. Therefore, this assessment could be used in studies to verify suitable biomass plants sites with corresponding geographical and spatial circumstances and available spatial data necessary in various governmental and industrial sectors. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Selected Papers from ICEER 2017: 2017 the 4th International Conference on Energy and Environment Research)

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3135 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Numerical Simulation about Reconstruction of the Boundary Layer

by Yan Li, Chuan Li, Yajie Wu, Cong Liu, Han Yuan and Ning Mei

Energies 2017, 10(12), 2074; https://doi.org/10.3390/en10122074 - 06 Dec 2017

Viewed by 3462

Abstract

In this paper, the reconstruction mechanism of the boundary layer in the channel is studied using the lattice Boltzmann method (LBM). By comparing the distribution of velocity in the channel, the conclusion that LBM has feasibility and superiority is obtained. Based on this, a physical model of square cylinders is set up to simulate the velocity distribution and the effect on the thickness of boundary layer. When the square cylinder moves at a certain speed, the velocity distribution in the flow field changes drastically. As well, it is found that the thickness of the boundary layer decreases with the cylinders’ height increasing in the given range. Furthermore, double cylinders model is also set up, and the results show that the optimal interval distance of the cylinders is between 90 and 140 lattice units. It is found that the moving cylinders have a significant effect on the thickness of the boundary layer, which will change the fluid flow and enhance the heat transfer. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Selected Papers from ICEER 2017: 2017 the 4th International Conference on Energy and Environment Research)

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2011 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Multiscale Modeling of a Packed Bed Chemical Looping Reforming (PBCLR) Reactor

by Arpit Singhal, Schalk Cloete, Rosa Quinta-Ferreira and Shahriar Amini

Energies 2017, 10(12), 2056; https://doi.org/10.3390/en10122056 - 05 Dec 2017

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3551

Abstract

Packed bed reactors are broadly used in industry and are under consideration for novel reactor concepts such as packed bed chemical looping reforming (PBCLR). Mass and heat transfer limitations in and around the particles in packed bed reactors strongly affect the behavior of these units. This study employs a multiscale modeling methodology to simulate a PBCLR reactor. Specifically, small-scale particle-resolved direct numerical simulation is utilized to improve large-scale mass transfer models for use in an industrial scale 1D model. Existing intra-particle mass transfer models perform well for simple first order reactions, but several model enhancements were required to model the more complex steam methane reforming reaction system. Three specific aspects required enhanced modeling: the generation of additional gas volume by the reforming reactions, the lack of clear reaction orders in the equilibrium reactions, and the diffusion of multiple reactant species into the particle. Large-scale simulations of the PBCLR reactor with the enhanced 1D model showed that the highly reactive Ni-based catalyst/oxygen carrier employed allows for the use of large particle sizes and high gas flowrates, offering potential for process intensification. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Selected Papers from ICEER 2017: 2017 the 4th International Conference on Energy and Environment Research)

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529 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Metaheuristic Approach to the Multi-Objective Unit Commitment Problem Combining Economic and Environmental Criteria

by Luís A. C. Roque, Dalila B. M. M. Fontes and Fernando A. C. C. Fontes

Energies 2017, 10(12), 2029; https://doi.org/10.3390/en10122029 - 01 Dec 2017

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 3983

Abstract

We consider a Unit Commitment Problem (UCP) addressing not only the economic objective of minimizing the total production costs—as is done in the standard UCP—but also addressing environmental concerns. Our approach utilizes a multi-objective formulation and includes in the objective function a criterion to minimize the emission of pollutants. Environmental concerns are having a significant impact on the operation of power systems related to the emissions from fossil-fuelled power plants. However, the standard UCP, which minimizes just the total production costs, is inadequate to address environmental concerns. We propose to address the UCP with environmental concerns as a multi-objective problem and use a metaheuristic approach combined with a non-dominated sorting procedure to solve it. The metaheuristic developed is a variant of an evolutionary algorithm, known as Biased Random Key Genetic Algorithm. Computational experiments have been carried out on benchmark problems with up to 100 generation units for a 24 h scheduling horizon. The performance of the method, as well as the quality, diversity and the distribution characteristics of the solutions obtained are analysed. It is shown that the method proposed compares favourably against alternative approaches in most cases analysed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Selected Papers from ICEER 2017: 2017 the 4th International Conference on Energy and Environment Research)

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4343 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Study of a Coil Heat Exchanger with an Ice Storage System

by Yan Li, Zhe Yan, Chao Yang, Bin Guo, Han Yuan, Jian Zhao and Ning Mei

Energies 2017, 10(12), 1982; https://doi.org/10.3390/en10121982 - 01 Dec 2017

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 7181

Abstract

In this study, a coil heat exchanger with an ice storage system is analyzed by theoretical analysis, numerical analysis, and experimental analysis. The dynamic characteristics of ice thickness variation is studied by means of unstable heat conduction theory in cylindrical coordinates, and the change rule of the ice layer thickness is obtained. The computational fluid dynamics method is employed to simulate the flow field and ice melting process of the coil heat exchanger. The effect of the agitator height on the flow characteristics and heat transfer characteristics is investigated. The numerical results show that the turbulence intensity of the fluid near the wall of the heat exchanger is the largest with an agitator height of 80 mm. Furthermore, the process of ice melting is analyzed. The ice on the outer side of the evaporator tube close to the container wall melts faster than the inner side and this agrees well with the experimental result. The experimental study on the process of the operational period and deicing of the coil heat exchanger is conducted and the temperature variation curves are obtained by the arrangement of thermocouples. It is found that the temperature of the evaporating tube increases with increasing height in the process of ice storage. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Selected Papers from ICEER 2017: 2017 the 4th International Conference on Energy and Environment Research)

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2114 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Study and Optimization of Design Parameters in Water Loop Heat Pump Systems for Office Buildings in the Iberian Peninsula

by Francisco Javier Fernández, María Belén Folgueras and Inés Suárez

Energies 2017, 10(12), 1958; https://doi.org/10.3390/en10121958 - 24 Nov 2017

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 4796

Abstract

Water loop heat pump (WLHP) air conditioning systems use heat pumps connected to a common water circuit to fulfill the energy demands of different thermal zones in a building. In this study, the energy consumption was analyzed for the air conditioning of an office building in the typical climate of four important cities of the Iberian Peninsula. The energy consumption of one water loop heat pump system was compared with a conventional water system. Two design parameters, the range in the control temperatures and the water loop thermal storage size, were tested. Energy redistribution is an important advantage of the WLHP system, but significant savings came from high efficiency parameters in the heat pumps and minor air flow rates in the cooling tower. The low thermal level in the water loop makes this technology appropriate to combine with renewable sources. Using natural gas as the thermal energy source, a mean decrease in CO₂ emissions of 8.1% was reached. Simulations showed that the installation of big thermal storage tanks generated small energy savings. Besides, the total annual consumption in buildings with high internal loads can be reduced by keeping the water loop as cool as possible. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Selected Papers from ICEER 2017: 2017 the 4th International Conference on Energy and Environment Research)

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4770 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Charge and Discharge Analyses of a PCM Storage System Integrated in a High-Temperature Solar Receiver

by Ambra Giovannelli and Muhammad Anser Bashir

Energies 2017, 10(12), 1943; https://doi.org/10.3390/en10121943 - 23 Nov 2017

Cited by 30 | Viewed by 4786

Abstract

Solar Dish Micro Gas Turbine (MGT) systems have the potential to become interesting small-scale power plants in off-grid or mini-grid contexts for electricity or poly-generation production. The main challenging component of such systems is the solar receiver which should operate at high temperatures with concentrated solar radiations, which strongly vary with time. This paper deals with the design and the analysis of a novel solar receiver integrated with a short-term storage system based on Phase Change Materials to prevent sudden variations in the maximum temperature of the MGT working fluid. Particularly, the charge and discharge behavior of the storage system was analyzed by means of Computational Fluid Dynamic methods to evaluate the potentiality of the concept and the component capabilities. Achieved results were highly satisfactory: the novel solar receiver has a good thermal inertia and can prevent relevant fluctuations in the working fluid temperature for 20–30 min. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Selected Papers from ICEER 2017: 2017 the 4th International Conference on Energy and Environment Research)

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979 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Evaluation of Economic, Social and Environmental Effects of Low-Emission Energy Technologies Development in Poland: A Multi-Criteria Analysis with Application of a Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process (FAHP)

by Magdalena Ligus

Energies 2017, 10(10), 1550; https://doi.org/10.3390/en10101550 - 09 Oct 2017

Cited by 30 | Viewed by 4528

Abstract

The European Commission as well as the Polish government are promoting sustainable use of energy sources as a part of the dominating sustainable development paradigm. The development of low-emission energy sources engages the challenges of gradual depletion of coal, oil and natural gas reserves, as well as the intensification of the greenhouse effect. The energy policy should take into account development of low-emission energy technologies that contribute mostly to meeting the goals of sustainable development in three dimensions: economic, social and environmental. This study aims to assess the extent to which five low-emission energy technologies contribute to social welfare in the scope of the concept of sustainable development. Heuristic methods, including fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (FAHP) are used to resolve the multi-goal problem in order to achieve the aim of this research. Research results show that economic goal is still the most important to the development of various low-emission energy technologies in Poland, followed by the social and environmental goals. Secondly, renewable energy technologies should be utilized instead of nuclear energy to meet sustainable development policy goals. Photovoltaics, followed by biomass and biogas are perceived as the most suitable renewable energy sources. Wind on-shore and wind of-shore are on third and fourth place, respectively. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Selected Papers from ICEER 2017: 2017 the 4th International Conference on Energy and Environment Research)

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