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The article focuses on improving energy efficiency as a key solution to Africa's energy challenges. It highlights the potential savings of switching to LED lighting in developing countries and emphasizes the importance of energy efficiency in South Africa's power crisis, with examples of companies implementing energy-saving measures.

The article discusses the annual Chemeca conference, where professionals and academics gather to explore new concepts and solutions to global challenges.

The article offers information regarding updated application of gas turbines are not the updated energy conversion technology. It presents information on TF-33 engines which were designed a mere 20 years after the development of the first gas turbine in 1939. It informs that commercial jet engine market is robust and growing; the military jet engine, electric power, and other markets have been relatively flat or declining.

The article discusses the highlights of a workshop hosted by the Germany Chapter of the American Ceramics Society (ACerS) on March 21, 2023, featuring Yuki Yamada, Tohru Sekino, and Yu Katayama.

The article discusses the benefits and challenges on the installation of the combined heat and power (CHP) projects. It states that the CHP help reuse the waste heat generated by the conversion of the fuel from the prime power generation technology that promote low emission and operating costs. It also notes that the CHP help improve the resilience of critical infrastructure such as a well-designed microgrid.

The article debunks the myths about coal-to-gas conversions which include converting a coal boiler to gas cannot be cost-effective, installing the natural gas burners in a coal boiler is the largest scope item in a conversion project, and boiler efficiency and capacity are significantly lowered when burning natural gas in a coil boiler. Topics covered include the negative effect of switching fuels from coal to natural gas on the overall efficiency of the boiler.

The article offers news briefs related to the energy industry. The 100-kW ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC) facility at the Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii Authority (NELHA) began operation in August 2015 in Hawaii. South Africa put online Unit 6 of Eskom's long-delayed 4.8-GW Medupi power plant on August 30, 2015. Iberdrola subsidiary Scot-tishPower Renewables and Vattenfall is set to end their cooperation in developing up to 7.2 GW of offshore wind in the East Anglia Zone.

The article reports on the trends in the coal to natural gas power plant conversions in the U.S. in 2015. Topics discussed include the impact of low gas prices and strict environmental compliance issues on the rise of interest in natural gas power generation, utility boilers that are candidates for conversion, and compliance issues on Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS) of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Advantages and disadvantages of switching are also mentioned.

The article presents tips on how to maintain and repair process pumps which can be performed while the cases and discharged piping are undisturbed. Topics include the conversion of kinetic energy to potential energy, the difference between discharge and suction pressure, and the greater rate of pumps' erosion due to higher the peripheral impeller velocity.

The article focuses on boiler upgrades and conversions to natural gas. Main drivers for boiler upgrades include cost of fuel and environmental regulations. Switching to a natural gas-fired boiler involves numerous changes in the boiler and the facility itself. For instance, flame scanners in the boiler would have to be removed and replaced for natural gas. The downtime to convert a boiler to natural gas can vary depending on the boiler's size.

The article discusses the challenges of alternative energy company Aquamarine Power Ltd. in developing its flagship technology Oyster, a hydroelectric wave-energy converter. One of these challenges during the operation was the reliability of the hydraulic cylinder seal. It mentions that the hydraulic cylinder was designed to operate in an underwater environment. It also provides an outlook for the company's technology.

As a result of the accelerated turnaround in energy policy and Germany's complete nuclear phase-out by the end of 2022 there is a need for a radical transformation of the energy supply. In the conflicting areas of renewable energies expansion, network infrastructure with limited feed-in capacity, focussed centres of energy generation and fluctuations in demand, the discussion around implementation is controversial. A promising solution is the power-to-gas concept with which surplus electricity from wind energy can be transformed into synthetic natural gas. The combination of this process with biogas technology offers great potential for efficiency improvement. The upgrading of raw biogas to biomethane by pressureless amine scrubbing involves relevant synergy effects that can be exploited in terms of heat and carbon dioxide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the policy of the U.S. and support for solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) research and development (R&D), which have been explored in a paper by Eric Wachsman and colleagues. It states that the paper stress the imprudence of the U.S. Congress and the administration if they cancel support by halting funds for the Solid State Energy Conversion Alliance (SECA). It discusses the arguments presented by Wachsman and colleagues on the benefits of SOFC.

The article discusses process engineering issues associated with geothermal energy. The generation capacity of geothermal energy around the world grew at an average rate of seven percent annually. Countries with the largest growth in geothermal power include Iceland, Indonesia, and New Zealand. Some obstacles involved in process engineering include hot spots for electrical generation, impurities within geothermal fluids, and the selection of cost effective energy conversion cycle.

The article discusses the efficiency of backward compatibility for interfacing triode-alternating-current (TRIAC) and light-emitting diodes (LED). It mentions that power-converter designers should consider power conversion to the load of LED when assessing the best interfacing method to use. According to the author, the most effective way to maximize the use of TRIAC and the diodes to regulate the minimum input current.

The article focuses on the significance of cofiring biomass with coal for energy resources in the U.S. The article informs that adapting coal-fired units to cofire biomass is a relatively low-cost method. It is stated that in circulating fluidized bed boilers, biomass is used. The relatively low energy density is one of the limitations of biomass and one pre-treatment option is palletizing it. It is mentioned that through a thermo-chemical process known as torrefaction, the properties of biomass can be further improved.

The article focuses on the conversion of coal-fired power station generators to run on biomass in Great Britain. Topics include the Drax coal-fired power station in Great Britain, challenge of safe storage of large amounts of wood pellets needed to fuel power stations, and new rail tracks and signal equipment at Drax.

The article discusses the emergence of biomass as fuel for power generation. With current and proposed government policies and requirements, the use of renewable fuels for power generation is seen to increase in the U.S. shortly. But as utilities shift to biomass to meet Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS), the understanding of the issues related with the conversion and how biomass differs from coal, will be necessary.

The article focuses on the conversion of Hilarides Dairy's biogas into a vehicle fuel called compressed biomethane (CBM) in the U.S. Rob Hilarides, owner of the dairy farm, asserted that CBM lessens their energy costs and protects them from volatile energy prices. The company also retrofits truck engines and converts propane hot water heaters to run on biomethane.

The article reports on the development of an innovative energy recovery and resuse system by Greater Moncton Sewerage Commission (GMSC) in New Brunswick, Canada. The innovation is part of its new Biosolids Composting Facility that serves 95,000 people and is located in Riverview. The facility provides chemically-assisted primary treatment and incorporates sludge dewatering, alkaline treatment and handling facilities. The design of the facility is built to address the cold Canadian climate wherein it will be able to extract heat from the hot zone of the compost pile to melt the snow and ice, free the compost cover from the slab and preheat another pad as well as blower air.

The article explores the development of biorefineries. A diagram representing possible products and processing routes from biomass in a biorefinery is presented. Biorefineries require attractive long-term investments for international fuel and chemical firms. The introduction of biorefineries will increase the demand for biomass. The development of these refineries requires a means to combine economies of scale in production with the logistical and environmental issues of supplying sufficient feedstock.

The article talks about driving a solenoid as a control-loop element. As an electrical load, a solenoid, which consists of magnet wire wrapped around a plastic, ceramic or brass bobbin with a ferrous case, behaves as an air-core inductor. It states that solenoids are used to convert energy from one form to another, usually electrical power to mechanical motion. The amount of torque that the solenoid can generate depends on the strength of the magnetic field, which relates to the current in the coil and the number of turns of wire on the bobbin. It is inferred that in order to keep the noise generated by a current-loop controller from adversely affecting the rest of the system, the paths from the switcher to any victim circuits that may be near must be limited.

The article discusses the implications of biomass liquid fuels on the petroleum industry around the world. The development of biomass energy as a substitute for petroleum gave birth to the concept of a post-petroleum era. To get prepared for the coming of the post-petroleum era, the U.S., Russia, Europe and Japan started to strengthen research on the utilization of nuclear energy, hydrogen energy, biomass energy and other renewable energies a long time ago.

The article details how Brazil has become a model and an ally for the United States in the pursuit of sustainable bioethanol, biodiesel and bioelectricity. A group of visionaries in Brazil has seen the potential for the combination of bioethanol and biodiesel. The article reports on the development of next-generation technologies for converting cellulosic biomass to fuels and chemicals.

The five GGTN articles highlighted here present state-of-the- art information on the evolving role of gas turbines to decarbonize energy conversion systems. It is apparent that efforts in Europe and Japan to use hydrogen as a renewable, CO2-free fuel for gas turbines are well advanced. (History shows that hydrogen was first used as the fuel for Hans von Ohain's very first jet engine in Germany in 1937 [6].) Gas turbines should play a key role in decarbonization through their use in grid storage technologies. One expert in this area has recently written me that new gas turbine heat storage concepts are multiplying like rabbits, and we should see all sorts of combinations being proposed in the next five years. Stay tuned! [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article provides information on the Orange County Sanitation District (OCSD) biosolid management program. The OCSD is a public agency responsible for collecting, treating and recycling wastewater and biosolids in Orange County, California. As part of its long-range biosolids management plan and request for proposal process, the district has partnered with EnerTech Environmental Inc. to manage one third of its biosolids production using SlurryCarb process at a facility in Rialto, California. The SlurryCarb process offers an innovative approach in treating and recycling biosolids into a fuel product at a significantly lower cost than conventional drying and burning.

The article focuses on the conversion of the town of Reynolds from a reliance on fossil fuels to biomass-based fuels in Indiana. With the implementation of BioTown USA, a template will be set that simultaneously promotes energy security, rural development, profitable agriculture and a green, thriving natural resource environment. Biomass energy technologies increase the utilization and conservation of energy by managing the unused energy in plant material. Building a biomass energy system requires knowledge of the available biomass materials or feedstocks.

The article reports that recently, physicists at Boston College have developed a nanotube army receiver capable of converting light into electricity. It does so at nearly 80 percent efficiency, more than doubling the 30 percent efficiency of conventional solar cells.These arrays look very similar to the rods and cones of optic nerves and may form the foundation of new, innovative light sensors. They also are examining broadband optical transmission systems using terahertz carrier frequencies. Combined with Brookhaven's emitter, nanotubes may also serve as a practical foundation for optical computing.

The article discusses the possibility for the commercial and military aviation to become the industrial world's leader in shifting to non-petroleum-based fuels to reduce dependence on foreign suppliers and address persistent environmental issues, particularly the role carbon dioxide (CO2) plays in global warming. According to Pratt & Whitney Vice President Alan H. Epstein, the biofuels the company measure are showing a heat capacity of JP-7. It notes the effort of Europe to advance biofuel research.

The article focuses on the significance of combination combined cycle gas turbine (CCGT) generation plants with district heating (DH) systems for achieving a higher level of efficiency and lower fuel costs in China. It is noted that the charge is based on building size rather than energy usage, so even basic thermostatic control is limited although most heating is paid for these days,

In this article, the author states that when it comes to grid-tied photovoltaic systems, designers must focus on minimizing cost per watt in order to deliver the best possible return on investment. In this system, the conversion of energy from solar panels is being done in two stages, a dc/dc converter and the use of inverter to convert from dc to ac and sync it up with the grid. The importance of maximum power point tracking (MPPT) in photovoltaic conversion system is mentioned.

The article discusses new topologies capable of improving the efficiency of power converters. The Double Clamp Zero Voltage Switching (dc-ZVS) approach for alternating current/direct current (ac/dc) power conversion is described. It is noted that the Adaptive Cell topology can address the problem of wide input-voltage span in dc-ZVS topology. Combining both topologies reportedly offers advantages in terms of converter efficiency, low-voltage output and using magnetic coupling for isolation.

The article focuses on the pilot hydroelectric power plants in the U.S. and Europe. The osmotic power of Norwegian renewable plant of energy firm Statkraft relies on osmosis or the passage of water through a semi-permeable membrane. On the other hand, the thermal energy conversion (OTEC) plant of Lockheed Martin in the U.S. functions by running warm sea water through a heat exchanger.

The article examines the performance of photovoltaic (PV) cells or solar cells based on their efficiency in converting sunlight to electricity. Tests were conducted during research and development on the cells or as part of the manufacturing process of the cells. The tests used were current versus voltage (I-V), capacitance versus voltage (C-V), capacitance versus frequency (C-f), and pulsed I-V. These electrical tests can extract the output current, maximum output power, doping density, conversion efficiency, resistivity, and Hall voltage.

The article reports on the process called thermo-chemical conversion (TCC) used by Innoventor Engineering Inc. The process uses intense heat and pressure that break down the molecular structure of manure into a basic form of petroleum that appears like tar pitch used in roofing and road repair. It notes that products of TCC includes electricity which can be sold to grid suppliers and the asphalt binder that has many uses. Details regarding the tests and the results are included.

The article discusses the application of an integrated system approach on sustainable development, biofuels and biorefineries. Sustainable development can be divided into two, sustainable development with respect to production and sustainable development with respect to consumption. Novel configurations and novel operational modes are vital to achieve sustainability and maximum production minimum pollution.

The article presents a corporate profile of Genesis Plant in Mead, Nebraska. The plant is built by E3 Biofuels and is the first closed-loop ethanol plant fueled largely by biogas derived from animal waste instead of natural gas. According to Dave Heineman, governor of Nebraska, the refinery sets a new standard for ethanol production in the country, and it produces 20 million gallons of ethanol every year. Dennis Langley, president and CEO of Genesis, stressed that the plant helps the government solve the water pollution problems, reduces the greenhouse gas effect and helps reduces the odor associated with feedlot operations.

The article deals with the backlash against biofuels and its impact on the palm oil industry. Increasing food prices, concerns surrounding sustainability, and energy-equation challenges have resulted to a backlash against the use of some biofuels. Some people view the expansion of sustainable biofuel as a way of meeting the power requirements and environmental concerns. Producers of palm oil remain optimistic that their operations can be sustainable.

The article reports on the development of a multiphase public/private partnership between Solid Waste Authority of Central Ohio (SWACO), Acrion Technologies Inc. and FirmGreen Energy Inc. in the U.S. The said partnership has been aimed to transform the gas produced by the Franklin County landfill into biofuels and other high-value end products for the reduction of methane and carbon dioxide emissions. The energy recovery system is incorporated with several phases which is found to be significant to the operation. The Phase I involves methane compression processes, Phase II involves installation of two carbon dioxide Wash units, and Phase III involves the utilization of pure carbon dioxide from the wash process.

The article focuses on the multiphase research project conducted by the Center for Energy and Environment in Minneapolis, Minnesota that would assess the feasibility and cost effectiveness of regional biomass generated electricity projects that tap into local feedstock. The said project has received almost $400,000 in grant monies from the Renewable Development Fund and has formulated several studies that focuses on the different areas concerning biomass assessment. One of the study shows that biomass processing generally involves three steps such as drying, sizing, and cleaning.

The article features the American Property Experts Inc. of Wilmington, North Carolina, owned and manage by Jason Thompson. The company recycled wood and green wastes and offers land clearing services where it transports its grinders and processes the cleared materials on-site. It focused primarily on materials processing and marketing, in which the bulk is biomass or boiler fuel production, supplying four or five mills with biomass fuel across the state. The company receives $15 to $20/ton for ground wood that meets the specifications of every mill.

The article presents overviews of several technologies providing insights into the effect of the quality of landfill and anaerobic digester gas on equipment to generate electricity. The author points out that opportunities to produce electricity from methane are being improved as manufacturers introduce new upgraded equipment to address market needs and varying characteristics of raw biogas. The author stresses that in the renewable energy from organic recycling, the two types of electricity generation equipment are microturbines and reciprocating gas engines.

The article reflects on the 6th Annual Harvesting Clean Energy Conference in Spokane, Washington. It states that biofuels and other forms of agriculturally-generated have reached the point that sets them on a path to become 21st century energy sources. Tom Dorr, USDA Undersecretary for Rural Development declares that the energy economy is going to shift its way to offer extraordinary opportunity for rural America. It tells that rural economic opportunities in providing energy will regulate the need for new energy resources to cater the increasing oil problem.

The article presents information related to gas turbines. The gas turbine is one of the most technologically advanced energy conversion devices. Most gas turbines are axial flow machines, converting the heat from combusted fuel into thrust power or shaft power by means of momentum changes of gas flow through passages formed by stationary and rotating airfoils. The newest chapter of the story is their recent introduction in new, large land-based gas turbines, where they hold promise of minimum life cycle cost for increased turbine temperatures.

The article offers information on ACS Publications symposiums including the Innovation in Energy Conversion, held in Dalian, China on September 24–26, 2017; and the Innovation in Molecular Synthesis, held in Shanghai, China on October 22–24, 2017. Topics discussed includes use of synthetic methodology for selective reactions, challenges faced by chemistry sector for sustainable development of the society, and views of Thomas Connelly of ACS, on the same.

The article discusses the role of the waste-to-energy plants in reducing the amount of waste in the landfill. It highlights the development of a preventative maintenance program to promote a cost-effective plant. It also cites the importance of inspection and maintenance on the industrial equipments used in the waste-to-energy plants.