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Advanced Low-Carbon Technologies for Clean Energy Systems

A special issue of Energies (ISSN 1996-1073). This special issue belongs to the section "B: Energy and Environment".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 July 2021) | Viewed by 11454

Special Issue Editor

Centre for Climate and Environmental Protection, Cranfield University, Bedford, Bedfordshire MK43 0AL, UK
Interests: gas adsorption; microfluidics; carbon capture storage and utilisation; low-carbon energy systems; process intensification; multiphase systems; numerical modelling of thermochemical processes
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Special Issue Information

Dear colleagues,

I would like to invite you to submit your research outcomes in the area of "Advanced Low-Carbon Technologies for Clean Energy Systems" to this Special Issue of Energies.

In order to meet global climate ambitions and minimise the severe consequences of climate change, it is urged that global warming should be kept well below 1.5  °C. This requires substantial effort to first reduce the global net anthropogenic CO2 emissions to zero by mid-century, compared to that of the pre-industrial level, (net-zero emission target), and further to maintain negative net emissions. Currently, no existing technology is solely capable of addressing the climate target in the energy sector. Therefore, it is more likely that a combination of renewables, nuclear, carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS), energy efficiency and fuel-switching will be deployed to reduce the carbon footprint of the global energy system.

A rapid transformation to a clean energy system not only requires the continuous improvement of existing and emerging technologies, but also the development of innovative game-changing technologies and the integration of those technologies. This transformation necessitates substantial changes in the global energy system across all sectors (power, industry, transport, building) and should be directed towards the adoption of the most affordable and reliable technologies that enable net-zero target in the required time frame.

This Special Issue, therefore, will focus on interdisciplinary research that combines advances in low-carbon technologies to enable clean energy systems and welcomes innovative technical developments, reviews, case studies and analytical articles.

Dr. Ali Nabavi
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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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

  • low-carbon energy systems
  • integrated low-carbon technologies for energy systems
  • carbon capture utilisation and storage
  • industrial decarbonisation
  • low-carbon fuels
  • renewables
  • energy efficiency
  • energy storage
  • negative emission technologies
  • process intensification

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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21 pages, 6083 KiB  
Article
Compressor Degradation Management Strategies for Gas Turbine Aero-Engine Controller Design
by Xiaohuan Sun, Soheil Jafari, Seyed Alireza Miran Fashandi and Theoklis Nikolaidis
Energies 2021, 14(18), 5711; https://doi.org/10.3390/en14185711 - 10 Sep 2021
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2706
Abstract
The Advisory Council for Aeronautics Research in Europe (ACARE) Flight Path 2050 focuses on ambitious and severe targets for the next generation of air travel systems (e.g., 75% reduction in CO2 emissions per passenger kilometre, a 90% reduction in NOx emissions, and [...] Read more.
The Advisory Council for Aeronautics Research in Europe (ACARE) Flight Path 2050 focuses on ambitious and severe targets for the next generation of air travel systems (e.g., 75% reduction in CO2 emissions per passenger kilometre, a 90% reduction in NOx emissions, and a 65% reduction in the noise emissions of flying aircraft relative to the capabilities of typical new aircraft in 2000). Degradation is an inevitable phenomenon as aero-engines age with significant impacts on the engine performance, emissions level, and fuel consumption. The engine control system is a key element capable of coping with degradation consequences subject to the implementation of an advanced management strategy. This paper demonstrates a methodological approach for aero-engine controller adjustment to deal with degradation implications, such as emission levels and increased fuel consumption. For this purpose, a component level model for an aero-engine was first built and transformed to a block-structured Wiener model using a system identification approach. An industrial Min-Max control strategy was then developed to satisfy the steady state and transient limit protection requirements simultaneously while satisfying the physical limitation control modes, such as over-speed, surge, and over-temperature. Next, the effects of degradation on the engine performance and associated changes to the controller were analysed thoroughly to propose practical degradation management strategies based on a comprehensive scientometric analysis of the topic. The simulation results show that the proposed strategy was effective in restoring the degraded engine performance to the level of the clean engine while protecting the engine from physical limitations. The proposed adjustments in the control strategy reduced the fuel consumption and, as a result, the emission level and carbon footprint of the engine. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Low-Carbon Technologies for Clean Energy Systems)
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22 pages, 4985 KiB  
Article
Experimental and Artificial Intelligence Modelling Study of Oil Palm Trunk Sap Fermentation
by Leila Ezzatzadegan, Rubiyah Yusof, Noor Azian Morad, Parvaneh Shabanzadeh, Nur Syuhana Muda and Tohid N. Borhani
Energies 2021, 14(8), 2137; https://doi.org/10.3390/en14082137 - 11 Apr 2021
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 2944
Abstract
Five major operations for the conversion of lignocellulosic biomasses into bioethanol are pre-treatment, detoxification, hydrolysis, fermentation, and distillation. The fermentation process is a significant biological step to transform lignocellulose into biofuel. The interactions of biochemical networks and their uncertainty and nonlinearity that occur [...] Read more.
Five major operations for the conversion of lignocellulosic biomasses into bioethanol are pre-treatment, detoxification, hydrolysis, fermentation, and distillation. The fermentation process is a significant biological step to transform lignocellulose into biofuel. The interactions of biochemical networks and their uncertainty and nonlinearity that occur during fermentation processes are major problems for experts developing accurate bioprocess models. In this study, mechanical processing and pre-treatment on the palm trunk were done before fermentation. Analysis was performed on the fresh palm sap and the fermented sap to determine the composition. The analysis for total sugar content was done using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and the percentage of alcohols by volume was determined using gas chromatography (GC). A model was also developed for the fermentation process based on the Adaptive-Network-Fuzzy Inference System (ANFIS) combined with particle swarm optimization (PSO) to predict bioethanol production in biomass fermentation of oil palm trunk sap. The model was used to find the best experimental conditions to achieve the maximum bioethanol concentration. Graphical sensitivity analysis techniques were also used to identify the most effective parameters in the bioethanol process. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Low-Carbon Technologies for Clean Energy Systems)
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14 pages, 1214 KiB  
Article
The Allocation of Carbon Intensity Reduction Target by 2030 among Cities in China
by Longyu Shi, Fengmei Yang and Lijie Gao
Energies 2020, 13(22), 6006; https://doi.org/10.3390/en13226006 - 17 Nov 2020
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2565
Abstract
The regional allocation of carbon emission quotas is of great significance to realize the carbon emission target. Basing on the combination of the multi-index method and the improved equal-proportion distribution method, and fully considering the differences in economic factors, population factors, energy factors, [...] Read more.
The regional allocation of carbon emission quotas is of great significance to realize the carbon emission target. Basing on the combination of the multi-index method and the improved equal-proportion distribution method, and fully considering the differences in economic factors, population factors, energy factors, technological factors among cities, China’s 2030 carbon intensity reduction target was allocated. The results indicate that: (1) Under the target constraint of 60% reduction in CO2 emissions per unit of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) (carbon intensity) in 2030 compared to 2005, the carbon intensity target reduction rate (CITRR) of 285 Chinese cities is between 17.65% and 141.14%, with an average reduction rate of 51.52%; (2) the CITRR of cities presents significant spatial positive correlation, and the Global Moran I correlation index is 0.38; and (3) the distribution trend of CITRR is the same as the general trend of economic development of China, showing a basic trend of gradual decline from south to north and from coastal to inland. The allocation method takes into account fairness and efficiency, and reflects the differences between cities, so that the allocation results are likely to be accepted by all parties. Meanwhile, this method breaks the limitation of the lack of city’s data and is likely to implement in actual operation. Cities should choose distinguished low-carbon economic development paths, in combination with their characteristics of economic and social development, and carry out inter-city cooperation to promote carbon emission reduction steadily. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Low-Carbon Technologies for Clean Energy Systems)
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22 pages, 1734 KiB  
Review
Managing Non-Sewered Human Waste Using Thermochemical Waste Treatment Technologies: A Review
by Farhad Beik, Leon Williams, Tim Brown and Stuart T. Wagland
Energies 2021, 14(22), 7689; https://doi.org/10.3390/en14227689 - 17 Nov 2021
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2237
Abstract
The utilisation of micro-scale thermal treatment technologies for non-sewered applications has been emerging as a prominent route for the safe treatment and disposal of high water content hazardous feedstock. This study provides a comprehensive review of the technological concepts practiced up to date [...] Read more.
The utilisation of micro-scale thermal treatment technologies for non-sewered applications has been emerging as a prominent route for the safe treatment and disposal of high water content hazardous feedstock. This study provides a comprehensive review of the technological concepts practiced up to date in commercial/pilot and small scales for various types of solid fuels. The respective challenges are critically described and discussed to aid in the selection of promising technology for on-site sanitary applications. Furthermore, the challenges observed with the nominated (pyrolysis) technology are discussed in detail and addressed. This study suggests rapid energy recovery from by-products primarily made up of the highest yield of syngas with a desirable calorific value. The optimum operating ranges are discussed to ensure a reliable thermal conversion of sludge materials considering the application constraints and technology drawbacks. However, further studies are needed to investigate the uncertainties regarding emissions, energy consumption and overall associated costs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Low-Carbon Technologies for Clean Energy Systems)
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