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A special issue of Eng (ISSN 2673-4117). This special issue belongs to the section "Chemical, Civil and Environmental Engineering".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2022) | Viewed by 28215

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Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. George Z. Papageorgiou

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Guest Editor

Department of Chemistry, University of Ioannina, P.O. Box 1186, GR-45110Ioannina, Greece
Interests: sustainable industrial chemistry; green engineering; monomers and polymers from renewable resources; polymer nanocomposites; polymer recycling; materials characterization
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Prof. Dr. Maria Founti

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Guest Editor

Lab. of Heterogeneous Mixtures & Combustion Systems, School of Mechanical Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, Heroon Polytechniou 9, 15780 Athens, Greece
Interests: combustion; fire engineering; energy efficiency in buildings; LCA; KPIs
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Dr. George N. Nikolaidis

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Guest Editor

Chemistry Department, University of Ioannina, 45110 Ioannina, Greece
Interests: biodegradable polymers; polymers from renewable resources; sustainable materials development; polymer engineering (structure-properties relationship); processing and characterization of furan-based polyesters; computational studies (modelling of polymerization reaction kinetics)
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Sustainable development is of primary importance as the key to future use and management of finite world resources. Sustainable development is a way of organizing society so that it can exist in the long term, considering the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Green Engineering is defined as the design, commercialization, and use of processes and products, which are feasible and economical, while minimizing the generation of pollution at the source and the risk to human health and the environment.

Green Chemistry and Chemical Engineering is a subset of Green Engineering. The goals of Green Chemistry and Green Chemical Engineering are usually achieved with the use of renewable raw materials and eco-friendly solvents along with “green” product design and impact including safety, sustainability, degradation and recyclability. Furthermore, benign synthesis and catalysis, solvent-free processes, process design and intensification, as well as energy use issues are of crucial importance in the manufacturing of green and sustainable materials.

Green Engineering is a broad field including various topics such as new eco-friendly and safe chemicals, methods and techniques for developing environmentally friendly novel materials, new industrial technologies, separation engineering, solvent-free processes, green solvents, process design, process intensification, clean processing and utilization of fossil resources, naturally occurring materials and biomaterials, man-made materials and chemicals, food science, water sources, water protection, toxicology, packaging industries and their impact on environment, environmental engineering, transportation, construction, sustainable construction materials, green building, zero energy buildings, building information modelling, green city and sustainable development, cloud- and green IoT-based technology for sustainable smart cities, daily consumer goods, electronics, photonics, optics, machinery, microbiology, biomedical industries, energy conservation, rural and urban development, pollution, biomass and biorefinery, bioprocesses and bioengineering, industrial ecology, renewable energy technologies, energy storage and network, clean energy and bioenergy, biofuels, biobased materials, biopolymers and composites, hybrid materials, novel materials and devices, processing technologies, nanoscience and nanotechnology, simulation, integration, safety and assessment, new energy harvesting materials and systems, solar energy materials, solar cells and photovoltaic devices, effect of electromagnetic radiation on human health, simulation tools for sustainable environment (especially electromagnetic, and acoustic), impact of pollution on the environment, biohazards, safe medicine, green science in pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, modeling and optimization of applications of engineering sciences to medicine and biology, degradation, CO₂ capture, storage, and utilization, recycling and circular economy, life cycle analysis, engineering in bioeconomy, experiences on teaching environmentally safe engineering, among others.

The aim of this Special Issue is to highlight the progress on the topics of green engineering, from energy efficiency and sustainability to biobased chemicals and plastics from renewable resources.

Prof. Dr. George Z. Papageorgiou
Prof. Dr. Maria Foundi
Dr. George N. Nikolaidis
Guest Editors

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Keywords

eco-friendly and safe chemicals
solvent-free processes
green solvents
process engineering
process intensification
clean processing of fossil resources
biomass and biorefinery
biobased materials and biomedical materials
energy storage
biofuels
green science in pharmaceuticals
biotechnology
degradation
CO₂ capture
water sources
toxicology
environmental engineering
transportation
sustainable construction materials
zero energy buildings
sustainable smart cities
rural and urban development
renewable energy
novel materials and devices
nanoscience and nanotechnology
simulation tools for sustainable environment
solar cells and photovoltaic devices
pollution and biohazards
recycling and circular economy
life cycle analysis
engineering in bioeconomy

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Published Papers (9 papers)

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Research

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19 pages, 3337 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Production-Process Simulation and Life-Cycle Assessment of Metakaolin as Supplementary Cementitious Material

by Theodora Tasiopoulou, Dimitrios Katsourinis, Dimitrios Giannopoulos and Maria Founti

Eng 2023, 4(1), 761-779; https://doi.org/10.3390/eng4010046 - 1 Mar 2023

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 3059

Abstract

An environmental assessment of metakaolin as a supplementary cementitious material (SCM) through an integrated production-process-simulation and Life-Cycle-Assessment (LCA) approach is presented in this work. Initially, process simulation models were developed to reproduce the basic stages of the metakaolin production process. The effect of various operational parameters and scenarios, such as calcination temperature, moisture of raw material and associated drying, exhaust gas recirculation and the use of alternative-fuel combustion to provide kiln heat requirements, was evaluated. The resulting process heat-demand and CO₂-emission computations were used as inputs in the LCA along with upstream literature data using a cradle-to-gate approach. LCA results focused on the most relevant environmental impact category of cement production, the Global Warming Potential (GWP (100)). The major findings showed a strong influence of process temperature and kaolin humidity on the lifecycle GWP, since both parameters affected not only the core-process heat demand but also the upstream impact related to fossil-fuel extraction, processing, transportation and distribution. Recirculating the exhaust provided a GWP reduction potential of up to 19%. In all examined production scenarios, metakaolin depicted a lower Global Warming Potential compared to clinker due to the avoidance of emissions related to limestone calcination. As regards the impact contribution of fuels, coal was responsible for higher onsite emissions and natural gas indicated higher upstream emissions. The GWP (100) could be further reduced when alternative waste fuels such as plastic waste, MSW (municipal solid waste) and tires were used. The LCA results have been cross-checked with previous literature reports, and the corresponding deviations are accordingly explained. In any case, the LCA results of different studies are rarely directly comparable due to the numerous assumptions required, which cannot be identically replicated. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Green Engineering for Sustainable Development)

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17 pages, 5715 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Kinetic Modelling for Hydrothermal Conversion of Food Wastes

by Geert Haarlemmer, Anne Roubaud and Morgane Briand

Eng 2023, 4(1), 526-542; https://doi.org/10.3390/eng4010031 - 7 Feb 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1972

Abstract

A kinetic model was developed for the prediction of HTL product yields based on a chemical mechanism. The model was developed after experimental studies on food wastes and food processing wastes. The model parameters were determined by training the model on experimental data on HTL of food wastes. Two other models from the literature were also tested. The calculated yields were compared with a large range of experimental data from the literature. Yields of bio-oil and char can be predicted from the process conditions, temperature, holding time, dry matter content, and the biochemical composition of the resource. Differences in the experimental recovery procedure and polarity of the extraction solvent are taken into account. This study shows that a kinetic model based on compositions allows a more detailed representation of the hydrothermal reactions than models purely based on resources and products. The precision of any model remains, however, largely dependent on the quality of the input data. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Green Engineering for Sustainable Development)

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24 pages, 9969 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Experimental and Numerical Analysis of a Low-Cost Solar Still

by Luis Gonçalves da Silva Junior, João Pedro Jenson de Oliveira, Guilherme Borges Ribeiro and Leandro Ferreira Pinto

Eng 2023, 4(1), 380-403; https://doi.org/10.3390/eng4010023 - 1 Feb 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2026

Abstract

The ability to treat saltwater to make it suitable for human consumption has long been sought by mankind. More than three-quarters of the earth’s surface is covered with saltwater. Although this water is important for some forms of transportation and fishing, it contains too much salt to sustain human life or agricultural activities. The current work consists of building a low-cost solar still and numerically modeling this device to predict the performance of the solar still without using any experimental measurements. The simulated results were compared with the best experimental values obtained from the water-covering temperatures and desalinated water yield under Brazilian climatic conditions (coordinates: 23°26′31.344″ S and 46°27′27.468″ W). The simulation results were in acceptable agreement with the experimental data. The main results obtained indicate that the solar still has greater efficiency when the volume of water is smaller inside the equipment owing to the lower height of the water and when the global radiation has greater intensity. In addition, numerical modeling allows the analysis of the behavior of the volume fraction over time for water and vapor and indicates better performance in water production after 30 min. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Green Engineering for Sustainable Development)

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13 pages, 1730 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Unexpected Emission of H₂S in an Excavation

by Thomas Neil McManus and Sean Henderson

Eng 2023, 4(1), 223-235; https://doi.org/10.3390/eng4010013 - 7 Jan 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2052

Abstract

This article reports on the emission of H₂S (hydrogen sulfide) during the excavation of disturbed material covering a former ocean shoreline. Operators of the excavators expressed concerns about the strong odors of H₂S, the insensitivity of workplace instruments, and the safety of the work. This situation demanded an immediate and appropriate response. The literature contains no information concerning worker exposure to H₂S in these situations. Levels detected by the Jerome 631-X ranged from 1 ppb (part per billion) to 25 ppb in 1-min samples during various activities. Levels decreased to zero when activity ceased. Unpredicted excursions peaking at 2500 ppb superimposed onto background levels immediately followed exposure to material containing H₂S. Excursion levels rose abruptly, peaked, and decreased rapidly to the background. Excursions occurred once per day and lasted about 10 min. These emissions share characteristics of shear-thinning, pseudoplastic non-Newtonian fluids. A very conservative estimation of exposure during this work compared to the Threshold Limit Value-Time-Weighted Average of 1 part per million (ppm = 1000 ppb) suggested that this was considerably less than the lowest level of regulatory concern and that work under these conditions can proceed without overexposure to H₂S. This work has relevance and application in similar situations occurring globally. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Green Engineering for Sustainable Development)

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17 pages, 3286 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Glycerol Dehydration to Acrolein Catalyzed by Silicotungstic Acid: Effect of Mesoporous Support

by Lu Liu, Fei Yu, Siqun Wang and Xiaofei Philip Ye

Eng 2023, 4(1), 206-222; https://doi.org/10.3390/eng4010012 - 7 Jan 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2125

Abstract

To facilitate value-added chemical production from renewable glycerol, gas-phase glycerol dehydration to acrolein was conducted using supported silicotungstic acid as solid acid catalysts, focusing on the effects of mesoporous catalyst supports on the catalytic performance. One alumina (Al) support with average mesopore size of 30 nm and two silica supports (Si1254 and Si1252) with mesopore size of 6 nm and 11 nm, respectively, were comparatively evaluated in this study. It was found that the Si1254 silica support with the smallest pore size (6 nm) deactivated the fastest, decreasing both the glycerol conversion and acrolein selectivity along the time-on-stream. The other silica support Si1252 with 11 nm pore size provided an acrolein yield comparable to the Al support over the tested 7.5 h time-on-stream (73.9 mol% for Si1252 vs. 74.1 mol% for Al). However, the mechanisms for achieving the comparable yield are different. Si1252 showed higher acrolein selectivity than Al, but it also deactivated faster than Al due to its quicker coking. On the other hand, Al showed more stable performance in terms of glycerol conversion rate and less coking, but it had lower acrolein selectivity and a higher selectivity to byproducts, especially the undesired byproducts of acetaldehyde and propionaldehyde, which posed difficulties in downstream separation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Green Engineering for Sustainable Development)

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15 pages, 3190 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Is Decentralized Anaerobic Digestion a Solution? Analyzing Biogas Production and Residential Energy Demand

by Marcos Ellacuriaga, Rubén González and Xiomar Gómez

Eng 2022, 3(4), 662-676; https://doi.org/10.3390/eng3040045 - 13 Dec 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2319

Abstract

The answer to covering the energy demand of society by increasing the share of renewables must come from the conjunction of several technologies. A preliminary study on the feasibility of anaerobic digestion in residential housing and buildings was carried out, considering a mix of novel and traditional technologies. Different scenarios were evaluated for developed and developing countries, considering small communities and single housing configurations. Anaerobic digestion produces biogas to be used for cooking or heat production, thus aiding in covering the energy demand of residents. There are several aspects still pending a solution regarding medium and small-scale digestion applications under a decentralized waste configuration. The increase in reactor productivity is essential, but social aspects must be considered as well to prevent nuisance caused by offensive odors and legal responsibilities when community digesters create inconvenience to neighbors. Results indicated that using anaerobic digestion to treat residential food and garden waste under a decentralized configuration could scarcely cover 5.8% of the domestic heating demand for highly populated residential urban areas. This value may be increased if assumptions of maximum methane yields are considered, reaching up to 17%. Biological processes may be integrated into a mixed energy production approach, but higher yields are needed to make it realistic. Factors regarding levelized energy production costs are to be carefully considered. Large-scale systems are intrinsically more efficient than small-scale devices, thus making it crucial to establish a critical equilibrium between public acceptance and the scale of technology application. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Green Engineering for Sustainable Development)

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12 pages, 2489 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Synthesis of CuAl-, CoAl-, and CuCoAl-Catalysts from Layered Hydroxides for Furfural Hydrogenation

by Liudmila N. Stepanova, Roman M. Mironenko, Elena O. Kobzar, Natalia N. Leont’eva, Tatiana I. Gulyaeva, Anastasia V. Vasilevich, Aleksandra N. Serkova, Aleksei N. Salanov and Aleksandr V. Lavrenov

Eng 2022, 3(4), 400-411; https://doi.org/10.3390/eng3040029 - 28 Sep 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1805

Abstract

Catalysts based on CuAl-, CoAl-, and CuCoAl-layered hydroxides with M²⁺/Al = 2 and Cu/Co = 1 molar ratio were obtained. The effect of amount of cobalt on the structural properties, morphology, surface cations distribution, oxide phase formation, thermal stability of the samples and reduction of metals from them was studied. The effect of reaction conditions (temperature, time, pressure, solvent) and conditions of preliminary treatment of catalysts on their catalytic properties in furfural hydrogenation was established. High selectivity to furfuryl alcohol was observed for all the samples irrespective of pretreatment and reaction conditions. The synergetic effect in furfural hydrogenation between Co and Cu in the CuCoAlO_x catalysts was revealed when ethanol is used as a solvent. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Green Engineering for Sustainable Development)

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18 pages, 6802 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Monitoring Soil Degradation Processes for Ecological Compensation in the Izmir Institute of Technology Campus (Turkey)

by Stefano Salata and Virginia Thompson Couch

Eng 2022, 3(3), 325-342; https://doi.org/10.3390/eng3030024 - 9 Jul 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2333

Abstract

Monitoring changing environmental conditions for short-term periods is a key aspect of adaptive urban planning. Unfortunately, the official environmental datasets are often produced at too large time intervals, and sometimes the speed of urban transformation requires real-time monitoring data. In this work we employed ESRI ArcGIS (ver. 10.8.1) to process two normalized difference vegetation indices for the campus area of the Izmir Institute of Technology (Turkey). The area of this campus constitutes an optimal site for testing whether alterations to the soil due to excavation and new construction can be monitored in small areas of land. We downloaded two different Sentinel acquisitions from the Copernicus ONDA DİAS platform: one taken on 28 March 2021 and the second taken on 13 March 2022. We processed the images while elaborating the normalized difference vegetation index for both years and compared them. Results demonstrate that all major and minor soil degradations on the campus during the intervening year were detected and empirically quantified in terms of NDVİ reduction (abrupt changes). These findings confirm that detailed seasonal environmental monitoring of every part of the world is now possible using semi-automatic procedures to process original Sentinel data and recommend site-specific ecological compensation measures. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Green Engineering for Sustainable Development)

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Review

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27 pages, 15124 KiB

Open AccessReview

On the State-of-the-Art of Solar, Wind, and Other Green Energy Resources and Their Respective Storage Systems

by Sheldon Wang, Ernuel Tonge, Isaac Sekanyo, Elijah Portmann and Salim M. Azzouz

Eng 2023, 4(1), 857-883; https://doi.org/10.3390/eng4010052 - 6 Mar 2023

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 6727

Abstract

In this article, we provide a brief overview of solar photovoltaic and thermal energy, wind turbines with vertical and horizontal axes, and other sustainable energy production systems as well as energy storage systems. In some remote areas away from easy access to electricity and fresh water, a self-contained and self-sustainable off-grid energy production and storage farm is very much needed. In this so-called sustainable energy farm, solar photovoltaic and solar thermal energies along with wind energy can be harvested and stored in a secured battery warehouse with mobile wireless surveillance systems with unpredictable coherent motions. In this battery-based energy storage system, special fire protection measures must also be employed with heat sensors and early detection and alarm systems. The alarm system will be connected to both local fire stations and automated fire extinguishing systems. A subsequent paper will present the details of this wireless fireproof alarm powered by sustainable energy resources. The main purpose of this paper is to document, provide references, and inform about the state-of-the-art achievements in the field of renewable energies, particularly, solar, wind, and other green energy resources. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Green Engineering for Sustainable Development)

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