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Drinking water production has been thrust to the forefront of global issues as a direct result of the critical need for access to clean water and the expanding environmental difficulties. Solar stills are becoming an increasingly popular technology for the purification of water since they provide a greener and more cost-effective alternative to the production of distilled water of a high standard. Recent research has focused on the incorporation of nanofluids, which are suspensions of metallic or non-metallic nanoparticles, into base fluids such as water and oil in the hopes of further increasing the effectiveness of solar distillation. This novel technique intends to improve thermophysical and evaporation parameters, which will eventually lead to greater production in solar stills. In this paper, a complete overview of the most recent developments in the use of nanofluids in solar still technology is presented. This research investigates the potential of nanofluid-filled solar still systems by focusing on their one-of-a-kind qualities. These qualities include increased thermophysical properties, better thermal conductivity, and enhanced thermal absorptivity. The innovative nature of this method is highlighted by the fact that the use of nanofluids in active solar stills has proven a decrease in the amount of pumping power that is required. For instance, it has been ascertained that the inclusion of carbon quantum dots nanofluids to a solar still can expressively improve the water production, boosting the output by 57.9% to 823 mL compared to the 521 mL produced by a conventional still. Also, using a concentration of 0.9%, Al2O3, TiO2, CuO nanofluids and multiwall carbon nanotubes can boost the water production by 11.57%, 7.16%, 6.32%, and 4.66%, respectively, if compared to a solar still without nanofluids. This study serves as a pioneering examination of the future possibilities of nanofluid-enabled solar still systems, shining light on a transformational route toward environmentally friendly and effective water purification technologies. In light of these astonishing discoveries, this research serves as a pioneering exploration of the future prospects of nanofluid-enabled solar desalination units. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The potential of hybrid nanofluids to boost thermal efficiency of heat exchanger systems is the focus of this review study. The primary focus is on addressing the associated issues of nanoparticle clumping, system obstruction, and reduced efficacy of heat exchanger due to increased fluid thickness. Accordingly, this review intends to demonstrate the innovative practices (experimentally and theoretically) that helps improving the heat transfer and thermal performance of heat exchangers. In this regard, a critical analysis is conducted to appraise the experimental and numerical simulations, which introduce the impact of different nanoparticle concentrations and compositions on heat exchanger thermal performance. The findings of this review has shown that the hybrid nanofluid of CuO–Cu/water has the greatest thermal performance factor (1.065), following Al2O3–Cu/water (1.055), and Cu–TiO2/water (1.039). Also, the utilization of turbulator heat exchangers has enabled improving the thermal performance by 126 % with a 6 % rise in volume fraction at the maximum Reynolds number. This study underlines the need for further research into novel nanomaterial combinations, fine-tuning of fluid characteristic, and comprehensive stability assessments to enhance the utilization of hybrid nanofluids in heat exchanger systems. Finally, discussions of limitations associated with such systems and proposed potential solutions will lead to a valuable contribution in the possible future development of cost-effective heat exchanger systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Improvement of vapor-compression refrigeration systems taking into account ecological requirements will undoubtedly lead to the use of modern ozone-safe and non-greenhouse effect refrigerants. Increase of heat transfer and thermodynamic efficiency in general has raised the problem of selection of material and concentration of nanoparticles in the working mixture of refrigerant with mineral oil of compression refrigeration systems. The purpose of this study is to determine the influence of TiO2 and Al2O3 nanoparticles on the energy efficiency of refrigeration systems. Research methods: The study of operational and energy characteristics of compressor operation on the investigated mixtures was carried out on the experimental unit. Isobutane R600a refrigerant was used for the study. Efficiency is determined by power consumption, cooling capacity and efficiency. The refrigerant flow rate and nanoparticle concentration are varied during the experiment. Results: The experimental results concluded that Al2O3 nanoparticles with a mass concentration of 0.5% maximized the performance of the compressor refrigeration system. The addition of nanoparticles resulted in a significant increase in the cooling capacity, especially when compared to the original refrigeration-oil mixture with the cooling capacity parameter of 70 W. This parameter is about 79 W with the addition of TiO2 nanoparticles regardless of their concentration. When Al2O3 nanoparticles are added at concentrations of 0.1 and 0.5 wt.%, respectively, these parameters are 88 W and 102 W. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To improve the operational time of electronic devices and the driving spectra of electric cars, multiple investigation missions regarding batteries are focussed on refining the energy capacity of batteries. However, this pursuit of better performance introduces potential risks, such as fire incidents, due to the use of dynamic materials in lithium‐ion batteries (LIBs) to enhance their electrochemical performance. These fire incidents have resulted in financial losses and raised safety concerns. One common type of battery failure, called thermal runaway (TR), takes place when the rate of heat discharge from internal chain reactions accelerates the level of external cooling. This study aims to model and comprehensively analyse the phenomenon of TR in LIBs by investigating its underlying physics. To conduct this research systematically, a mathematical framework of heat transfer from existing literature has been employed as a foundation to come up with a novel framework specifically for LIBs built on the ideas of Semenov's equation. The established model associates both thermal and mass balance aspects, with the consideration of response kinetics including other heat transfer modes (convective and radiation). Range–Kutta technique is used to unravel the model's equations instantaneously using MATLAB. Consequently, the impact of model factors on the thermal performance of LIBs has been evaluated. The outcomes of the study reveal that when an increase in activation temperature occurs, a decrease in peak temperature is followed whilst constant circumstances are ensured. This implies that more time is needed in order for the temperature to reach its maximum. Furthermore, the simulation demonstrated that any growth in the body capacity of the battery for absorbing heat during the reaction results in a higher maximum temperature. Heat convection is found to have a greater impact on the occurrence of TR in LIBs compared to heat radiation. For improved accuracy in calculating LIBs TR, an accurate kinetic model could be utilised in future research endeavours. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Concentration of solar energy may be obtained by reflection, refraction, or a combination of the two. The collectors of a reflection system are designed to concentrate the sun's rays onto a photovoltaic cell or steam tube. Refractive lenses concentrate light by having it travel through the lens. The sun's rays are partially reflected and then refracted via a hybrid technique. Hybrid focus techniques have the potential to maximize power output. Fresnel lenses are an efficient tool for concentrating solar energy, which may then be used in a variety of applications. Development of both imaging and non-imaging devices is occurring at this time. Larger acceptance angles, better concentration ratios with less volume and shorter focal length, greater optical efficiency, etc., are only some of the advantages of non-imaging systems over imaging ones. This study encompasses numerical, experimental, and numerical and experimental studies on the use of Fresnel lenses in various solar energy systems to present a comprehensive picture of current scientific achievements in this field. The framework, design criteria, progress, and difficulties are all dissected in detail. Accordingly, some recommendations for further studies are suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is possible to store heat energy and extract it from materials in the form of internal energy changes such as sensible heat, latent heat, and thermo-chemistry, or in any combination of these three. In systems of insensible heat storage, energy is stored by raising the temperature of the medium to which it is being stored. During the process of heat absorption and release, this system makes use of the heat capacity of materials as well as variations in the temperature of those materials. The quantity of energy that is deposited within the system is dependent on the specific heat of the medium, as well as variations in temperature and the amount of medium that is used. The principle behind the operation of latent heat storage is that the storage medium absorbs or releases heat depending on whether or not it is undergoing a phase transition from solid to liquid, liquid to gas, or vice versa. Beeswax is a naturally occurring phase change material (PCM) that has its greatest phase transition enthalpy in the temperature range of 60–68 °C. It has the potential to be used in a wide number of applications that include the storage of thermal energy. Researchers are interested in the durability and temperature resistance of beeswax. This study aims to deliver a comprehensive review that provides a rundown of experimental, numerical, and experimental and numerical studies on beeswax and Nanoparticles-beeswax as PCM for thermal energy storage (TES). The review will also provide a summary of recent developments in research. This article also discusses a few other concerns pertaining to setting up, researching parameters, and discovering results. Studies on beeswax are presently being conducted, and based on the results of the most recent one, suggestions have been made for other research projects to be carried out. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In an open-channel flow, vegetation study is crucial to be investigated with any type of plants including trees, shrubs, and grasses, which are growing within or near the channel banks and beds in natural or artificial waterways, such as rivers, streams, and canals. These plants are different in height, size, shape, and arrangements, which have a big impact on the turbulence and flow resistance structures. In this paper, a regression analysis has been used based on collected experimental data to improve a specific equation for the drag coefficient for rigid vegetation stems and expanded to flexible stem types under emergent and submerged flow conditions. The equation suggests a length scale metric that, by analogy with the log wake law, normalizes velocity profiles of the depth-limited open channel flow with submerged, rigid vegetation. It has been formulated by drawing regression analysis for each parameter including (Re) Reynolds number, (h*) submergence ratio, and (λ) vegetation density by considering the (Fr) Froude number ranges for the water flows and vegetated channel flows. Using the Reynolds number, which is determined by the height and diameter of the vegetation, the results demonstrate an increase and decrease in the drag coefficient. For assessing the impact of vegetation on flow resistance at the surface layer, the notion of the drag coefficient is introduced. It shows better performance than other length scales in collapsing resistance data gathered under a variety of vegetation circumstances. The proposed scaling is more accurate than those based on the logarithmic, velocity-defect, and power laws in collapsing regression analysis for the studied parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The reverse osmosis (RO) technology has engaged in the removal of a wide set of pollutants including dimethylphenol at a high rejection. The goal of this research is to explore the influence of spacer geometric design on the performance metrics of an individual spiral wound module of RO process to eliminate dimethylphenol from wastewater. The study entails the embedding of an author's model developed to envisage the performance of a spiral wound membrane‐based wastewater treatment with a detailed model of feed spacer (collected from the open literature) utilised to characterise the pressure drop along the feed channel. A comprehensive simulation study is conducted to observe the impact of feed flow rate on the energy dissipation and mass transfer coefficient of several selected feed spacers of different design characteristics. Accordingly, the consequence of feed spacer design parameters was analysed on the performance metrics of RO process including the dimethylphenol rejection and water recovery. It is found that the angle of flow diversion, voidage, and feed spacer height have a considerable effect on the pressure drop, mass transfer coefficient, and axial velocity, which accordingly affect the overall performance indicators. The results show the success of feed spacers 80MIL‐1 and 80MIL‐2 to gain the highest dimethylphenol rejection and associated water recovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• This review is directed to evaluate the scope and limitations of floating solar stills and floating solar-driven membranes. • Over 35 papers were reviewed to explain the concept of floating solar stills, solar-driven membranes, and related concepts. • Floating solar stills and solar-driven membranes are effective in remote or rural coastal areas. • Floating solar stills and floating solar-driven membranes have a future potential as small-scale desalination technology. • Floating solar stills and solar-driven membranes can convert 90% of solar into vapor using an interfacial heating evaporator. For life to exist on earth, there must be water. Freshwater resources are in short supply due to industrialization and the world's rapid population expansion. Growing water shortage argues that using passive solar stills is the best and most practical solution in the world's arid and semi-arid regions. For applications in distant or rural coastal areas, floating solar stills are an appropriate technique. To provide accessibility to a wider population, the gadget should be constructed using inexpensive materials that are easily accessible nearby. However, the low-cost materials typically do not have the optimum physical characteristics, which reduces the overall performance of solar stills. This study intends to deliver a comprehensive review that summarizes recent research developments and gives a rundown of experimental, numerical, and experimental and numerical studies on floating solar stills and floating solar-driven membranes. This article also looks at a few more setups, researched parameters, and result-finding issues. Research on floating solar is currently ongoing, and recommendations for further research projects have been made in light of the study's findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solar energy, amongst all renewable energies, has attracted inexhaustible attention all over the world as a supplier of sustainable energy. The energy requirement of major seawater desalination processes such as multistage flash (MSF), multi-effect distillation (MED) and reverse osmosis (RO) are fulfilled by burning fossil fuels, which impact the environment significantly due to the emission of greenhouse gases. The integration of solar energy systems into seawater desalination processes is an attractive and alternative solution to fossil fuels. This study aims to (i) assess the progress of solar energy systems including concentrated solar power (CSP) and photovoltaic (PV) to power both thermal and membrane seawater desalination processes including MSF, MED, and RO and (ii) evaluate the economic considerations and associated challenges with recommendations for further improvements. Thus, several studies on a different combination of seawater desalination processes of solar energy systems are reviewed and analysed concerning specific energy consumption and freshwater production cost. It is observed that although solar energy systems have the potential of reducing carbon footprint significantly, the cost of water production still favours the use of fossil fuels. Further research and development on solar energy systems are required to make their use in desalination economically viable. Alternatively, the carbon tax on the use of fossil fuels may persuade desalination industries to adopt renewable energy such as solar. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Various hybrid desalination systems have been proposed during the last two decades to improve the produced water quality, energy efficiency, water production rate and sustainability among others, receiving therefore a rapid industrial implementation. Desalination processes are energy intensive and this energy is mostly provided by fossil fuels, especially for large scale commercial plants. No doubt, the use of renewable energy (RE) sources is a way forward to decrease the environmental and related health impact to produce and supply freshwater in remote regions with severe water shortage and an unfavourable or unfeasible connection to the public electrical grid. However, most installed renewable energy desalination plants have small capacities, yet facing several issues for long term operation. Therefore, this study restricts to the use of fossil fuel based energy source for desalination and provides a thorough analysis summarising the design, operation, and performance, techno-economic and associated challenges of hybrid seawater desalination systems based on several experimental/real plant and simulation studies reported since 2000. It includes mature membrane-based and thermal-based desalination technologies, namely Reverse Osmosis (RO), multistage flash (MSF), and multi-effect distillation (MED), and a number of emerging hybrid membrane-thermal water desalination technologies. Future opportunities in hybrid systems, including RO/MSF and RO/MED are also highlighted. • Challenges and opportunities membrane and thermal seawater desalination processes are highlighted. • Fossil fuel based energy sources will continue to dominate in coming decades. • Application of renewable energy based energy sources is getting the momentum. • Several hybrid processes have potential for future commercial applications. • Hybrid processes can mitigate fouling/scaling problems and can be more energy efficient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of Reverse Osmosis (RO) process in seawater desalination to provide high-quality drinking water is progressively increased compared to thermal technologies. In this paper, multistage spiral wound RO desalination process is considered. Each stage consists of several pressure vessels (PVs) organised in parallel with membrane modules in each PV being organised in series. This allows disconnecting a set of PVs and membrane modules depending on the requirement of cleaning and maintenance. While this flexibility offers the opportunity of generating several RO configurations, we presented only four such configurations of the RO system and analysed them via simulation and optimisation. Production of different grades of water catering different needs of a city is also considered for each of these configurations. The optimisation has resulted in the optimal operating conditions, which maximises the water productivity and minimises the specific energy consumption of the proposed configurations for a given water grade in terms of salinity. For instance, the results indicate that the proposed RO networks can produce drinking water of 500 ppm salinity with a minimum specific energy consumption of 3.755 kWh/m3. The strategy offers the production of different grades of water without plant shutdown while maintaining the membrane modules throughout the year. • Flexible design, operation and maintenance of RO desalination process proposed. • Proposed design is capable of producing different grades of water. • Operation parameters are optimised giving minimum energy consumptions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multieffect distillation with thermal vapour compression (MED–TVC) is one of the most attractive thermal desalination technologies for the production of freshwater. Several mathematical models were presented in the open literature to analyse the steady‐state performance of such process. However, these models have several limitations and assumptions. Therefore, there remains the challenge of having a reliable model to accurately predict the performance of the MED process. Thus, this research attempts to resolve this challenge by rectifying the shortcomings of the models found in the literature and create a new one. The robustness of the developed model is evaluated against the actual data of Umm Al‐Nar commercial plant situated in UAE. In seawater desalinisation, a large amount of high‐salinity stream (brine) is rejected back into the sea. This paper investigates the influence of the rejected (exit) brine temperature on the system performance parameters of MED–TVC process. Specifically, these parameters are considered as total heat consumption, gain output ratio, freshwater production, heat transfer area and performance ratio. Also, the particular parameters of TVC section of the entrainment ratio, compression ratio and expansion ratio are also addressed. Moreover, a critical evaluation of the influence of the rejected brine temperature on the seawater is also embedded. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phase Change Materials (PCMs) have got widespread attention in thermal energy storage (TES) applications as a result of their wide operational temperature range, high energy storage density, and prolonged life cycle at a reasonable cost. They offer a practical solution to mitigate the building energy consumption, addressing interior temperature fluctuations and enhancing demand-side management through the incorporation of renewable energy and off-peak power. This study focuses on evaluating the influence of PCMs on the performance of radiant heating and cooling systems. Based on conducting a comprehensive review, this study explores the current challenges associated with PCM utilization in these systems. The analysis discloses noteworthy discoveries and potential advantages, paving the way for further investigation and wider adoption of PCMs in the construction industry. Notably, the incorporation of a 10-mm PCM resulted in a 2.4% annual reduction in heating energy consumption in comparison with the existing structures. Furthermore, utilizing a 20–50-mm PCM could yield annual heating energy savings ranging from 7.3 to 15.3%. N-eicosane emerges as the most effective PCM for floor heating, achieving an optimal floor temperature and contributing to a substantial 43% reduction in heating energy consumption. Ultimately, radiant floor systems demonstrate the potential to reduce energy consumption by up to 8% and 4% in a comparison with commercial heating and cooling systems, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we considered model-based simulation and optimisation of a medium scale brackish water desalination process. The mathematical model is validated using actual multistage RO plant data of Al- Hashemite University (Jordan). Using the validated model, the sensitivity of different operating parameters such as pump pressure, brackish water flow rate and seasonal water temperature (covering the whole year) on the performance indicators such as productivity, product salinity and specific energy consumption of the process is conducted. For a given feed flow rate and pump pressure, winter season produces less freshwater that in summer in line with the assumption that winter water demand is less than that in summer. With the soaring energy prices globally, any opportunity for the reduction of energy is not only desirable from the economic point of view but is an absolute necessity to meet the net zero carbon emission pledge by many nations, as globally most desalination plants use fossil fuel as the main source of energy. Therefore, the second part of this paper attempts to minimise the specific energy consumption of the RO system using model-based optimisation technique. The study resulted not only 19 % reduction in specific energy but also 4.46 % increase in productivity in a particular season of the year. For fixed product demand, this opens the opportunity for scheduling cleaning and maintenance of the RO process without having to consider full system shutdown. • Simulation and optimisation of a medium scale brackish water desalination plant are presented. • Impact of pressure, flow rate, and temperature on performance are evaluated. • Optimisation results in 19 % reduction in specific energy and 4.46 % gain in productivity. • Optimisation results in membrane cleaning and maintenance opportunity without full shutdown. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reverse Osmosis (RO) processes are readily used for removing pollutants, such as dimethylphenol from wastewater. A number of operating parameters must be controlled within the process constraints to achieve an efficient removal of such pollutants. Understanding the process dynamics is absolutely essential and is a pre-step for designing any effective controllers for any process. In this work, a detailed distributed two-dimensional dynamic (x and y dimensions and time) model for a spiral-wound RO process is developed extending the 2-D steady state model of the authors published earlier. The model is used to capture the dynamics of the RO process for the removal of dimethylphenol from wastewater. The performance of the 2-D model is compared with that obtained using 1-D dynamic model before the model is being used to investigate the performance of the RO process for a range of operating conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to determine the ideal degree of inclination that should be employed for constructing effective thermal energy storage systems, it is important to examine the impact of inclination angle on the melting behavior of phase change materials (PCMs) such as paraffin wax within a square cell. In consequence, this would guarantee the greatest capacity for energy release and storage. Additionally, analyzing this influence aids engineers in creating systems that enhance heat flow from external sources to the PCM and vice versa. To find out how the cell's inclination angle affects the melting of PCM of paraffin wax (RT42) inside a square cell, a numerical analysis is carried out using the ANSYS/FLUENT 16 software. Specifically, the temperature and velocity distributions, together with the evolution of the melting process, will be shown for various inclination angles, and a thorough comparison will be made to assess the influence of inclination angle on the PCM melting process and its completion. The findings demonstrated that when the cell's inclination angle increased from 0° to 15° and from 0° to 30° and 45°, respectively, the amount of time required to finish the melting process increased by 15%, 42%, and 71%, respectively. Additionally, after 210 min of operation, the PCM's maximum temperature is 351.5 K with a 0° angle of inclination (horizontal) against 332.5 K with an angle of inclination of 45°. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The optimisation of heat transfer, which is the transition of thermal energy from regions of high temperature to those of lower temperature, is a cornerstone in the field of thermal sciences and engineering. It is of vital importance to maximise energy efficiency, ensure system performance, and uphold operational reliability across numerous industrial applications. In this context, recent investigations have explored the modification of heat transfer rates through the turbulence induced by air-bubble injections. The technique has found application in heat exchangers, solar stills, and solar collectors, where it can be employed to either augment or attenuate heat transmission. The majority of the research has been dedicated to enhancing thermal efficiency, with both theoretical models and experimental data underpinning our current understanding. This review provides a critical analysis of over 45 studies from the literature, which have examined the implications of air bubble injection across various realms of industry, including heat exchangers, water desalination systems, solar collectors, and diverse media. Our analysis underscores the profound impact of heat transfer rates on process productivity, efficiency, and costeffectiveness across a gamut of applications. A range of industrial processes, such as cooling, heating, evaporation, and condensation, all rely heavily on efficient heat exchange. Enhancements in heat transfer rates hold the potential to curtail energy losses, reduce fuel consumption, and subsequently lower operational costs in industrial applications like solar thermal systems. Moreover, efficient heat transfer is pivotal in minimising temperature variations, thereby contributing to consistent outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research for novel compounds that may block bacterial development has continued and prompted by antibiotic-resistant bacteria. The expenses of community for health care as a result of antibiotic resistance has indeed been remarkable during the last decades and demand immediate of medical attention. Consequently, this research presents the antibacterial effect of genuine metal oxide nanoparticles against Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Klebsiella pneumoniae that have been isolated from urinary tract infection patients. This is because metal oxide nanomaterials have already been utilised a compromise with some of its comprehensive implementations throughout the pharmaceutical and biological disciplines of nano-biotechnology. The biological activity of zirconium oxide (ZrO2) nanoparticles against bacteria is investigated using agar well diffusion approach. The antibacterial efficiency of nanoparticles on E. coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae using both qualitative and quantitative assessment approaches is appraised. Specifically, an aseptic technique is used to collect fifty urine samples into sterile tubes. To inoculate the patients' midstream urine on both blood agar and MacConkey agar plates, the direct streaking approach is employed. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X–Ray diffraction (XRD) techniques are used to signify the physical features nanoparticle including shape and size. The identified cubic components of SEM and XRD techniques indicate the existence of ZrO2 nanoparticles and magnetic nanoparticles of particle size ranges between 5 to 50 nm. According to the data, ZrO2 nanoparticles have a bacteriostatic effect at 0.1 mg/ml with an absorption of 0.2 and a bactericidal effect at 2 mg/ml with an absorption of 0.007 on E. col isolates. Additionally, ZrO2 nanoparticles exhibit bacteriostatic (at 0.1 mg/ml with absorption of 0.3) and bactericidal (at 2 mg/ml with absorption of 0.001) effects on Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates. Among all the antibiotics utilised, gentamicin shows the lowest rate of resistance, suggesting that it is more effective against E. coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae when ZrO2 is presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Novel TBR-RO hybrid systems are constructed for phenol removal from wastewater. • Five different multistage configurations of RO process are integrated with TBR. • The performance of each system was investigated via a specific mathematical model. • Flowrate and concentration have little effect on the operation of RO-TBR system. • 2:1 permeate reprocessing configuration of RO attains the highest phenol removal. Phenol is one of the most toxic and harmful pollutants in industrial wastewater streams, the removal of which is therefore of critical importance. The use of reverse osmosis (RO) systems as a means of treating wastewater is continuously growing. This research investigates the effect of operating parameters on the performance of five different multistage RO configurations coupled with a trickle bed reactor (TBR) using model-based simulation. The results were compared, and an analysis was then performed to identify which hybrid TBR and multistage RO arrangement rejected the most phenol content. The basis for comparison was four performance metrics of permeate concentration, rejection, recovery, and specific energy. The study found that the flow rate and concentration have little effect on the operation unless there is a concurrent increase of both. It was also found that the four-performance metrics used were interlinked and affect the quality and quantity of the final freshwater product. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reverse Osmosis (RO) has already proved its worth as an efficient treatment method in chemical and environmental engineering applications. Various successful RO attempts for the rejection of organic and highly toxic pollutants from wastewater can be found in the literature over the last decade. Dimethylphenol is classified as a high-toxic organic compound found ubiquitously in wastewater. It poses a real threat to humans and the environment even at low concentration. In this paper, a model based framework was developed for the simulation and optimisation of RO process for the removal of dimethylphenol from wastewater. We incorporated our earlier developed and validated process model into the Species Conserving Genetic Algorithm (SCGA) based optimisation framework to optimise the design and operational parameters of the process. To provide a deeper insight of the process to the readers, the influences of membrane design parameters on dimethylphenol rejection, water recovery rate and the level of specific energy consumption of the process for two different sets of operating conditions are presented first which were achieved via simulation. The membrane parameters taken into consideration include membrane length, width and feed channel height. Finally, a multi-objective function is presented to optimise the membrane design parameters, dimethylphenol rejection and required energy consumption. Simulation results affirmed insignificant and significant impacts of membrane length and width on dimethylphenol rejection and specific energy consumption, respectively. However, these performance indicators are negatively influenced due to increasing the feed channel height. On the other hand, optimisation results generated an optimum removal of dimethylphenol at reduced specific energy consumption for a wide sets of inlet conditions. More importantly, the dimethylphenol rejection increased by around 2.51% to 98.72% compared to ordinary RO module measurements with a saving of around 20.6% of specific energy consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lead-acid batteries are widely used in the conventional cars as a main electrical energy storage system to supply the power for the following start. In this paper, the efficacy of lead batteries was evaluated and compared against ultra-capacitors and alternative battery designs via a simulationbased model of the complete process. Specifically, several parameters were assessed such as the weight and reliability. The results confirm the consistency of lead-acid batteries as an appropriate replacement to super-capacitors. The findings were also confirmed by actual measurements carried out in the car. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Brackish water can be considered an important source of fresh water, via desalination, especially for arid districts. Reverse Osmosis (RO) process has been successfully used to produce fresh water from brackish water sources. However, there is still the challenge of improving the performance of multistage RO desalination plants. From the selection of the RO configurations to the selection of the appropriate type of membranes and the operating conditions at the end determines the performance of RO process in terms of recovery, salt rejection, energy consumptions and ultimately the cost of production of freshwater. Using model-based simulation, this work attempts to investigate the most suitable types of membranes for an industrial scale RO plant from a set of different membrane brands that would attain the highest-performance at lowest specific energy consumption (SEC). As a case study, we considered a multistage multi-pass medium-scale RO plant (1200 m3/day) of Arab Potash Company (APC, Jordan) which produces high quality water for the boilers after pre-treatment stage. The simulation results confirmed that employment of the Filmtec BW30LE-440 would increase water recovery by about 22% besides reducing the product salinity and SEC by about 15% and 10%, respectively compared to the existing membrane. • Different membrane brands are applied on the original design of RO system of APC. • An accurate mathematical model was used to carry out an intensive simulation. • The performance metrics of the membrane brands are compared vs the original one. • The most suitable membrane brand for a RO plant is explored. • The energy consumption is improved using the Filmtec BW30LE-440 membrane brand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The inclusion of silica and nano-molybdenum disulfide nanoparticles meaningfully lessens the viscosity of Bazargan crude oil. • Viscosity reduction rises with higher nanoparticle concentrations and crude oil temperatures. • Silica nanoparticles offer a marginally greater degree of viscosity reduction compared to nano molybdenum disulfide. • The inclusion of nanoparticles shifts the rheological behavior of crude oil from Bingham fluid towards Newtonian behavior. The present study intends to experimentally investigate the impact of incorporating silica nanoparticles and Nano Molybdenum disulfide on the viscosity property and crude oil rheological properties of Bazargan crude oil (Iraq) at different nanoparticles concentrations and crude oil temperatures. The results indicate a notable reduction of crude oil viscosity as a result to adding the nanoparticles, increasing the nanoparticles concentration, and increasing the operating temperature. Statistically, the viscosity has been reduced from 57.15 cP at 25 °C to 31.27 cP at 55 °C after adding 0.3 wt% of silica nanoparticles compared to a reduction of viscosity from 57.15 cP at 25 °C to 31.37 cP after the inclusion of 0.3 wt% of Nano Molybdenum disulfide at 55 °C. To quantify the estimation of viscosity reduction after the addition of nanoparticles, the degree of viscosity reduction (DVR%) is established. Specifically, the addition of silica nanoparticles assures the maximum DVR% of 31.58 %. using 0.3 wt% at 25 °C compared to the maximum DVR% of 29.27 % after the addition of 0.3 wt% of Nano Molybdenum disulfide. A critical analysis of the crude oil rheological properties indicates that the crude oil can exhibit a Bingham fluid behavior. In this regard, the addition of nanoparticles at variable concentrations resulted in a decrease in yield stress, plastic viscosity, and effective viscosity. This proposes that the crude oil is transitioning towards Newtonian behavior, as demonstrated by the lessening yield stress and its gradual approach to zero after the combination of nanomaterials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the feasibility of fabricating a dynamic foot prosthesis for lower knee amputees using a composite material composed of polypropylene (PP), fresh cow bone powder (FCBP), and silicon rubber (Si). Nine samples with variable compositions of these components were prepared and subjected to mechanical testing to evaluate their compression strength, elongation, factor of safety, impact energy, and energy storage efficiency. The results demonstrated that the innovative composite made up of 68% PP, 18% FCBP, and 14% Si has exhibited the highest foot energy storage efficiency of 67.83%, which is within the standards of 63–100%. Furthermore, the synthesised dynamic foot has obtained excellent mechanical properties and a maximum factor of safety of 2.71. Accordingly, this study proposes that the developed composite material has the potential to be utilised for the fabrication of dynamic foot prostheses, as it offers a set of improved mechanical properties and potentially enhances the mobility and quality of life for lower knee amputees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lid-driven cavity (LDC) flow is a significant area of study in fluid mechanics due to its common occurrence in engineering challenges. However, using numerical simulations (ANSYS Fluent) to accurately predict fluid flow and mixed convective heat transfer features, incorporating both a moving top wall and a heated hemispherical obstruction at the bottom, has not yet been attempted. This study aims to numerically demonstrate forced convection in a lid-driven square cavity (LDSC) with a moving top wall and a heated hemispherical obstacle at the bottom. The cavity is filled with a Newtonian fluid and subjected to a specific set of velocities (5, 10, 15, and 20 m/s) at the moving wall. The finite volume method is used to solve the governing equations using the Boussinesq approximation and the parallel flow assumption. The impact of various cavity geometries, as well as the influence of the moving top wall on fluid flow and heat transfer within the cavity, are evaluated. The results of this study indicate that the movement of the wall significantly disrupts the flow field inside the cavity, promoting excellent mixing between the flow field below the moving wall and within the cavity. The static pressure exhibits fluctuations, with the highest value observed at the top of the cavity of 1 m width (adjacent to the moving wall) and the lowest at 0.6 m. Furthermore, dynamic pressure experiences a linear increase until reaching its peak at 0.7 m, followed by a steady decrease toward the moving wall. The velocity of the internal surface fluctuates unpredictably along its length while other parameters remain relatively stable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Composite materials have come to be associated with contemporary, and they are desired in practically every area of our ordinary routine. Composites have gained popularity due to their properties such as durability, strength, and reduced energy consumption during the production process, and low shipping costs. However, there is still a need to enhance the structure of composite materials by upgrading production techniques towards nanocomposites, which would allow the introduction of composite materials with high strength and stiffness. The current study investigates the reinforcement against wear resistance of a hybrid mixture combining epoxy and phenol formaldehyde using a combination of carbon fibers and alumina nanoparticles. To systematically carry out this investigation, the hardness properties of the synthesized composites besides the influence of different sliding velocities on the wear resistance have been addressed. The results present the prosperity of the synthesized hybrid mixture reinforced by carbon fibers and alumina nanoparticles, which introduces the lowest wear rate (highest wear resistance) compared to the hybrid mixture composite, carbon fibers-reinforced hybrid mixture, and alumina-reinforced hybrid mixture. This has been attributed to the randomly distributed nanoparticles and fibers within the hybrid mixture of epoxy and phenol formaldehyde. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An infant incubator, a critical piece of biomedical equipment, provides a regulated environment tailored to a newborn's needs, including temperature, humidity, and oxygen levels. This controlled environment ensures fresh air, cleanliness, and sanitary conditions for newborns. Moreover, the incubator maintains a consistent temperature, relative humidity (RH), and oxygen gas concentration, all crucial for early newborn care. Given the shared constraints with other medical devices, it is essential to employ the most effective methods to measure and improve humidity in these vital devices. This study offers a comprehensive overview of recent advances in infant incubator research, with a particular focus on experimental and numerical studies related to energy storage. An in-depth evaluation of design enhancements in infant incubators, particularly those employing phase change materials (PCMs) for thermal energy storage, is presented. The review highlights the ability of PCMs to maintain a temperature exceeding 32°C for over 8 hours in neonatal incubators, underscoring their significance. Furthermore, the review explores the latest design advancements in high-temperature neonatal incubators, including an audible temperature alarm circuit that alerts healthcare professionals when temperatures exceed a predefined acceptable range of 26 to 38°C, thereby ensuring infant safety. The study concludes with recommendations for future research, derived from the insights gained from existing studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multistage Flash (MSF) desalination process is still a dominant process, especially in the Gulf region, to produce high quality freshwater. Although there has been energy price surge in recent years, MSF process will continue to operate in that region for some foreseeable future. The key challenge is how to make such processes still profitable. Understanding the dynamics of any processes under uncertainty and disturbances is very important to make a process operationally feasible and profitable. The main aim of this work is to understand the dynamics of industrial scale MSF process using high fidelity and reliable process model. For this purpose, a detailed dynamic model for the MSF process incorporating key and new features is developed and validated against the actual data of a large-scale seawater desalination plant. The model is then used to study the behaviour of large scale MSF processes for disturbances in steam temperature, feed temperature and the recycle brine flow rate. The simulation results show that the last stage requires a longer time to settle compared to the preceding stages. In addition, steam temperature shows insignificant influence on the performance ratio compared to the inlet seawater temperature and recycle brine flow rate. Furthermore, it is found that the productivity of plant can increase in the winter compared to that in the summer. However, this benefit comes at the expense of increased steam consumption in the winter, resulting in a low performance ratio. • A comprehensive dynamic simulation-based model of BR-MSF was developed. • The flowrate of the distillate for each stage was modelled as the flow was withdrawn from each stage and flow though channel and not entering the next stage. • The model was validated against data of Shuaiba South MSF plant with minor errors. • Dynamic responses of MSF were explored under changes in some operating parameters. • The last stage of MSF requires a longer time to settle for the tested parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, there has been a tendency for scientific studies to deal with natural materials as fillers and reinforcement for polymer composites, which are used in many different applications due to their environmentally friendly properties when compared to synthetic materials. The current study aims to preserve the environment by dealing with natural materials and their influence on the mechanical properties and water absorption property of the polymer composites. In this study, epoxy composites were produced from local natural sourced non-hazardous raw natural materials using grey relational analysis (GRG). The materials used for fabrication include micro-filler of pollen palm 50 µm, seashell 75 µm and epoxy resin. Nine different composites were prepared using pollen palm and seashell as reinforcement material by varying the wt % of the micro-filler. Rule of the mixture was used for formulation and wt % of (0.5, 1 and 1.5) % reinforcement and 99.5, 99 and 98.5 % epoxy (binder) were used for composites. Grey relational analysis was conducted in order to scale the multi-response performance to a single response. The results indicate that optimum performance can be achieved with the addition of 1.5 wt % micro-filler of seashell, which achieved the first rank, while the second rank achieved by 0.5 wt % micro-filler of palm pollen and seashell when compared to other composites. The addition of micro-fillers has improved greatly the mechanical properties of epoxy composites. The loading of micro-fillers has influenced the water absorption property of composites based epoxy in ascending order. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Improving the thermo-physical characteristics of water by the simple process of suspending nano-size particles may enhance the performance of solar distillation systems. More solar energy can be absorbed by the nanofluid and condensing cover of the solar still, thanks to the enhanced characteristics that magnify the temperature differential between the two. To systematically evaluate the latest progress in using nanofluids in a solar still energy system, this review intends to cover the most recent published studies between 2020 and 2024.Examining the impact of integrated hybrid nanofluid with solar still energy systemson water productivity is the primary focus of this review. The analysis also highlights different key aspects, including the system layout, type and concentration of nanoparticles, as well as water productivity. The findings demonstrate that by adding Al 2 O 3 at concentrations of0.1 %,0.2 %, and 0.3 %, traditional solar still productivity can be enhanced to 4.9, 5.47, and 6.12 L/m2, respectively. In addition, as compared to a standard solar still devoid of nanoparticles, the cumulative productivity of a modified solar still using a hybrid nanofluid may be elevated by 11.6 %. Additionally, hybrid nanofluids may increase daily water production by 27.2 % in the summer and 21.7 % in the winter, all because of their differing operating temperatures. To further promote the use of nanofluids in solar still energy systems and guarantee an increase in total efficiency, this investigation provides a number of research recommendations for future studies. Seemingly, this has the potential to increase the utilisation of hybrid nanofluids in solar distillationsystems with the aim of boosting the absorbed energy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The experimental evaluation focuses on determining the adsorption efficiency of a bi-dentate Schiff base ligand compound and a tetra-dentate Schiff base ligand compound for removing heavy metals. • Using a bi-dentate Schiff base ligand, the adsorption efficiency for Zn(II), Hg(II), and Cd(II) ranges from 78% to 90%. • Using tetra-dentate Schiff base ligands, the adsorption efficiency for Zn(II), Hg(II), and Cd(II) ranges from 92% to 98%. • In comparison to the first ligand, the tetra-dentate Schiff base ligands exhibit notable biological activity against four types of bacteria, resulting in inhibition diameters ranging between 0.5 and 2.5 cm. Schiff base ligand is prepared by the reaction of salicylaldehyde with o- phenylene diamine. The prepared ligand has been characterized by FT-IR spectroscopy. The adsorption treatment of heavy metals in their solutions is utilised in this study via experimentally preparing three complexes including [Hg (C 6 H 8 N 2) 3 ]Cl 2 , [Zn (C 6 H 8 N 2) 3 ]Cl 2 , and [Cd (C 6 H 8 N 2) 3 ]Cl 2 using (ortho -phenylenediamine) as a bi dentate Schiff base ligand. The ligand is used as a chemical adsorbate to coordinated with heavy metals that found in chemical coating solutions and to generate octahedral complexes. In this regard, the adsorption efficiency of the associated heavy metals (Zn(II), Hg (II), and Cd (II)) is investigated between 78% and 90% as evidenced by the extremely effective flame atomic absorption (AAS). To systematically improve the adsorption efficiency of the associated heavy metals, another set of three Schiff base compounds with a tetra dentate ligand are prepared to forming three complexes of [Zn(C 20 H 16 N 2 O 2)]Cl 2 [Hg(C 20 H 16 N 2 O 2)]Cl 2 , and [Cd(C 20 H 16 N 2 O 2)]Cl 2. In turn, these complexes are used as adsorbate layers to recover the heavy metals from their solutions. The adsorption efficiency is improved to be between 92% and 98 %, which indicates an excellent chemical adsorption process for recovering the three heavy elements used in this study. The biological activity of the used ligands and all the complexes prepared with different concentrations (0.1–0.01 M) against four types of bacteria (K. pneumoniae, E. coli, S. aureus, S. epidermidis) is also measured as part of this study. The first ligand (ortho -phenylene diamine) has no biological activity against these four types, whereas the complexes prepared in the preceding two steps are all effective, with inhibition diameters ranging between 0.5 and 2.5 cm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coprecipitation method was used to prepare non-stoichiometric pristine copper and iron layered double hydroxide (LDH) doped with zirconium and embedded with reduced graphene oxide. The composite materials (ZrRGOCuFe LDHs) were studied for the photodegradation of methylene blue (MB) dye as a model contaminant from an aqueous solution. These composites were fully characterized by X-rays diffraction (XRD), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDX), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Photoluminescence (PL), Raman spectroscopy and Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS). The results of Raman, Photoluminescence and Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy revealed the presence of oxygen defects level in the composites. Such defects are believed to be essential for boosting the catalytic potential of the composites. The secondary pollution manifested by transition metal ions is usually tackled by inducing heterogeneous catalysis. Herein, pristine CuFe LDH has been doped with Zr and RGO moieties to realize heterogeneous catalysis within ZrRGOCuFe LDH dopants. An admirable band ranging between 1.74 and 2.0 eV was obtained for the doped materials. The remarkable photodegradation efficiency of 95.2% was achieved by using heterogeneous photocatlyst Zr 0.6 RGOCuFe LDH within 75 min at a pH of 7 , photocatalyst dosage of 1.0 g/L and methylene blue dye solution of 10 ppm under visible light irradiation. The total organic content (TOC) analysis has revealed removal of 92% organic content. Moreover, the catalyst has the potentia to maitain sufficient stability and reusability capacity even after three successive cycles. The reaction kinetics and proposed photocatalytic mechanism were also explained in detail. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]