Search

Perovskite oxides have garnered immense interest across diverse fields owing to their exceptional properties. Among these, SrTiO3 is an excellent photocatalyst under UV light and boasts remarkable thermal stability, rendering it ideal for high-temperature applications. While various synthesis methods exist for SrTiO3, prioritizing environmentally friendly processes, even at the laboratory scale, remains crucial.This study introduces a pioneering life cycle assessment (LCA) comparing six SrTiO3 synthesis techniques (solid-state reaction, sonochemical, sol–gel, hydrothermal, solvothermal, and molten-salt) to gauge their environmental impacts, pinpoint potential concerns, and offer insights for the future. Interestingly, methods like molten salt and sol–gel display higher pollution tendencies due to significant energy usage, particularly during drying and calcination stages. Conversely, the solid-state reaction and ultrasound-assisted methods emerge as sustainable pathways for crafting environmentally conscious SrTiO3 materials. Significantly, electricity emerges as a pivotal factor influencing environmental impact, urging the exploration of alternatives and the need for strategic decisions. This investigation not only sheds light on the ecological footprint of SrTiO3 synthesis but also underscores the urgency for adopting greener approaches in materials manufacturing.

The goal of gasification is the conversion of solid fuels or carbonaceous wastes to gas that can be further used energetically or for chemically utilisation. Due to cost-effectiveness and gaining experience, the industrial application of new systems and raw materials or mixtures must be preceded by laboratory-scale experiments. The manuscript presents the laboratory scale gasification systems that were designed and used in the Institute of Energy, Ceramics and Polymer Technology at the University of Miskolc, as well as the difficulties experienced during the implementation (e.g. water introduction, sealing, etc.). In addition to these, the results of one-, two- and three-stage experiments are presented as examples, where different materials such as a mixture of wood and canteen waste, brown coal and refuse derived fuel (RDF) were used for testing the system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Japanese knotweed is an invasive alien plant species with characteristic rapid expansion in Europe and North America and resistance to extermination. It displaces autochthonous biodiversity and causes major damage to infrastructure, thus causing global ecological and economic damage. The Japanese knotweed plant is usually eradicated using various chemical, biological, or mechanical techniques, which at a large scale include heavy equipment, usually followed by incineration. Therefore, excavation is preferred to eradication techniques, and as a biomass waste recovery method due to the extraction of high-value biocompounds. This is supported by the fact that the Japanese knotweed possesses various bioactive compounds with beneficial effects on human health. Its rhizome bark extract produces strong and stable antioxidant activity over time, as well as apoptotic, antibacterial, and other beneficial activities. In this work, an environmental impact assessment, including greenhouse gas footprint, acidification, eutrophication, and ecotoxicity for extraction route of the Japanese knotweed rhizome bark, is performed. A comparative case study between the lab-based and proposed pilot-scale production of active added-value extract was evaluated. The results show the pilot-scale production exhibits lower environmental burdens, mainly due to greater electricity requirements for the lab-scale alternative. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The heat exchange between geothermal wells and surrounding formations is important to the heat production of geothermal wells. Due to the difficulty in arranging measurement points around geothermal wells in real engineering, it is hard to verify the results of geothermal reservoir modelling, thereby verify the modelling results. Therefore, geothermal wells are only considered as source/sink in most of the previous geothermal reservoir modeling, and the coupled flow and heat transfer between the geothermal fluid and the reservoir is not considered. In contrast, lab-scale experiments are convenient to arrange the measurement points, and the experimental results can verify the coupled geothermal reservoir-wellbore numerical model. However, how to achieve the lab-scale formations with geotemperature gradients is the key issue, and there are no similar studies yet. In this paper, based on the basic principles of heat transfer, a lab-scale simulated formation with high geotemperature gradient is quickly achieved. By determining the geometric size of the simulated geothermal reservoir and caprock, selecting the filled porous media and a simulated reservoir with constant temperature, a simulated formation with high geotemperature gradient is designed. Through the layered heating and boundary dynamic thermal supplementation method, the linear temperature distribution of the simulated formation at the reservoir temperature of 60 °C, 65 °C and 70 °C, respectively, are achieved. The relative error between the numerical simulation obtained by the finite volume method and the experimental results is within the range of ±2.5%, indicating that the simulated and experimental results are in good agreement, which can provide experimental conditions for the coupled reservoir - wellbore heat transfer experiment. The simulated formation system designed and established in this paper can provide experimental conditions for the reservoir-wellbore heat transfer experiment, and then verify the developing numerical software of coupling the reservoir-wellbore flow and heat transfer.

Oil extraction from Andean lupin beans (Lupinus mutabilis SWEET) via supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2) was studied on both lab scale and pilot scale. On the lab scale, the effect of pressure, solvent‐to‐feed ratio (S/F), sample particle size and temperature on oil yield were evaluated. The oil quality (fatty acid [FA] composition and tocopherol content) were investigated. Five‐hour scCO2 extraction yielded about 86% oil of Soxhlet extraction (using hexane as solvent). The fraction of unsaturated FA rose with extraction pressure at specific time. High tocopherol contents were detected in oils extracted at low pressure. An increase in temperature was unfavorable to oil and tocopherol yield, thereby confirming the validity for preserving oil extract quality under a mild scCO2 extraction condition. Oil quality and yield did not have identical optimum settings, opening up possibilities for producing different qualities of oils. Pilot‐scale extraction offered comparable oil yield to lab‐scale extraction at similar S/F ratio. Economic evaluation showed that it is promising to implement industrial scale scCO2 process for lupin oil extraction. It was predicted that, at a specific industrial scale of extraction (2 × 1000 L, 550 bar, 40°C and S/F of 24), the manufacturing cost of oils got close to actual commercial production cost. Practical Application: This study applied an environment‐friendly high‐pressure extraction method, supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2) extraction, to separate oils from Andean lupin beans (Lupinus mutabilis SWEET). ScCO2 extraction can serve as an alternative oil extraction method to conventional ones that use fossil‐derived organic solvents as the extractant. Up‐scaled scCO2 processing was estimated to be economically viable for commercial lupin oil production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lipid Nanoparticles (LNPs) are promising drug delivery systems for various RNAs such as small interfering (siRNA) and messenger RNA (mRNA). Microfluidic mixing is a common technique to encapsulate RNA in LNPs. However, high flow rates and lipid concentrations are used for LNP formation to control LNP size as well as RNA encapsulation efficiency. We investigated the feasibility of downscaling siRNA and mRNA LNP manufacturing to save materials and enable a broader access to this technology. To optimize such a down-scaled procedure, we evaluated physicochemical nanoparticle characteristics including hydrodynamic diameter, zeta potential, particle concentration, encapsulation efficiency, and recovery for LNPs produced with three different microfluidic methods. We observed differences in nanoparticle characteristics and in vitro performance regarding cellular uptake, gene silencing, and mRNA expression. We determined the gene knockdown ability of the best siRNA LNPs formulation ex vivo using precision-cut lung slices to highlight the translational character of LNPs for inhalation and observed comparable efficacy as with a commercially available transfection reagent.

Copyright of Hydrogeology & Engineering Geology / Shuiwendizhi Gongchengdizhi is the property of Hydrogeology & Engineering Geology Editorial Office and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

• A compact fluidized bed carbonator is firstly studied under hot conditions. • The effect of scale limitation on capture efficiency is found. • A normalized capture efficiency model is developed for the carbonator. • Operating conditions and sorbent characteristics has effects on active space time. Even though calcium looping application for pre-combustion carbon dioxide capture itself has been demonstrated at TRL 6, modification on carbonator/gasifier structure is still desired for further enhanced sorption and tar reforming intensification. A lab-scale dual fluidized bed within a compact fluidized bed carbonator is the first time constructed and tested under electric-heating hot conditions, which is a critical step to develop to self-heat and pilot-scale system. The compact fluidized bed carbonator takes advantage under two coupled different fluidization regimes and reaction temperatures, and has more commonality and flexibility in future application. In this work, feasibility of long-term stable state operation on the lab-scale hot rig was proved and several tests were conducted to study its operation characteristics by calcium looping process. Normalized capture efficiency model for the compact fluidized bed carbonator is developed. Constructional constraints of reactor, different operating conditions and sorbent characteristics have strong effects on capture efficiency and active space time. This work provides a solid basis for future investigation of calcium-based sorption enhanced gasification or tar cracking intensification on this facility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discussed the procedure of an optimization design method involving a small lab-scale wind turbine rotor. To simulate the aerodynamic performance of a prototype wind turbine at utility-scale by scaled model experiments (especially, the visualization measurements of wake flow in small wind tunnels), an appropriate similar design of the small lab-scale rotor is needed. However, the similar design of blade performance from a prototype wind turbine for small scaled model is rare. In this paper, using a 2.5 MW utility-scale wind turbine as the prototype, we set up a new optimization process of similar design for a model wind turbine with a 320 mm rotor based on the Lifting-Line Theory (LLT) with wake-induced corrections. Results show a dramatic deviation in performance of the geometric scaled model compared to the objective values, which demonstrates the significance of the Reynolds number effects. With the optimized blade, the distribution of normal thrust force is very similar to the objective values. Geometric characteristics variations along the blade span are similar to the prototype. With the tip speed ratio runs at a roughly matched rated condition, the optimized rotor gives a better performance than other models used in previous wind tunnel studies. • A new small lab-scale wind turbine similar to the prototype has been designed. • The design process provides a hybrid model blade similar to the prototype. • Performance of geometric scaled model is significantly less than the objective value. • A better performance of the optimized rotor has been comparably reached. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Real wind turbines experience a wide range of turbulent shear flows that naturally occur within the atmospheric boundary layer, however, these are often difficult to simulate in experiments. An active grid was used to expand the testable parameter space compared to conventional methods. Specific focus was placed on decoupling the shear from the turbulence intensity. Particle image velocimetry was used to capture the mean velocity and velocity fluctuation fields in the near-field wake of a model wind turbine subjected to seven different combinations of shear and turbulence intensity. It was found that if the incoming mean profile was removed, the velocity deficit is approximately symmetric about the hub, even for highly sheared cases. The absolute wake velocity deficit profiles are asymmetric for the sheared cases, and the combination of the wake and shear flow results in a local increase in shear on the high-velocity side of the wake immediately downstream of the turbine. This in turn leads to higher turbulence production within that region, leading to larger velocity fluctuations. It is also demonstrated that the mean power of the model turbine is not particularly sensitive to the incoming shear, but the power fluctuations scale linearly with the incoming turbulence intensity. • A model wind turbine is tested in seven different tailored turbulent shear flows. • The relative wake velocity deficit is symmetric, even for high incoming shear. • The turbulence production is biased toward the high-velocity side in the near wake. • The power fluctuations scale with incoming turbulence intensity but not shear. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, about 10% of the total wastes generated around the world were fabric wastes and, due to the large volume of these wastes, should be well managed. Among the various types of fabrics, some have greater biodegradability and can be decomposed at the acceptable rates under controlled conditions. In this study, the disintegration of linen fabric was investigated under composting conditions. During the composting process, temperature, moisture, and aeration were controlled. According to FTIR spectra of linen fabrics during the composting process, the disintegration of linen fibers was identified as the breakdown of carbonyl groups and hydrogen bonds of cellulosic chains. Regarding the SEM images of linen fabrics, the composting process in the first 45 days led to the breakdown of the fibers, and in the second 45 days of the process, most of the fibers were degraded. Since in the second 45 days of the process, the compost pile temperature is always between 39 and 44 °C and 65-70 °C, it can be concluded that the rate of microbial disintegration of the linen fabric is higher at these temperatures. At the end of the test, the disintegration value of the linen fabric was 55% and the weight loss due to organic matter conversion was 61%. The samples weight loss showed that linen fabric has high biodegradability under composting conditions. The germination index (GI) of the resulting compost was 73.88%, which indicates the produced compost is mature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Batch pyrolysis experiments of canteen waste and oak wood mixtures in various weight ratios were carried out, and the quantities of the products were determined. The experiments included the analysis of the elemental composition, the ash and moisture content and the high heating value of the base materials and the pyrolysis coke, and the particle size distribution and specific surface of the ground coke. The produced syngas, the kinetics of gas production and its changes over time, and the high heating value of the gas were determined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research developed a comprehensive computer model for a lab-scale Slurry Bubble Column Reactor (SBCR) (0.1 m Dt and 2.5 m height) for Fischer–Tropsch (FT) synthesis under flexible operation of synthesis gas load flow rates. The variable loads of synthesis gas are set at 3.5, 5, 7.5 m3/h based on laboratory adjustments at three different operating temperatures (483, 493 and 503 K). A set of Partial Differential Equations (PDEs) in the form of mass transfer and chemical reaction are successfully coupled to predict the behavior of all the FT components in two phases (gas and liquid) over the reactor bed. In the gas phase, a single-bubble-class-diameter (SBCD) is adopted and the reduction of superficial gas velocity through the reactor length is incorporated into the model by the overall mass balance. Anderson Schulz Flory distribution is employed for reaction kinetics. The modeling results are in good agreement with experimental data. The results of dynamic modeling show that the steady state condition is attained within 10 min from start-up. Furthermore, they show that step-wise syngas flow rate does not have a detrimental influence on FT product selectivity and the dynamic modeling of the slurry reactor responds quite well to the load change conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Optimization and design of full-scale membrane distillation (MD) systems usually require Sherwood and Nusselt correlations that are developed from lab-scale systems. However, entrance effects in lab-scale systems can significantly impact heat, mass and momentum transfer in the reactor, therefore affect the accuracy of the developed experimental Sherwood and Nusselt correlations. Here, Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations using OpenFOAM are performed to understand the effects of right-angled bends and inlet design on flow dynamics, temperature and concentration polarization in MD systems. Simulation results show that the presence of right-angled bends and inlets with sudden expansions lead to the formation of Dean vortices. Dean vortices enhance perpendicular mixing in MD systems and reduce both temperature and concentration polarization. Temperature and concentration polarization coefficients in MD systems with right-angled bends and inlets with sudden expansions vary significantly for the same volumetric flow rate. Our studies show that lab-scale systems with the same volumetric flow rate but different designs lead to significantly different Nusselt and Sherwood correlations. This study demonstrates the importance of CFD-informed design of lab-scale systems to minimize entrance effects and suppress Dean vortices for consistent model development and calibration across multiple scales. [Display omitted] • The bends and inlets affect polarization coefficients at moderate and high Reynolds numbers. • Both bends and inlets with sudden expansions result in Dean vortices. • Dean vortices reduce polarization for the same volumetric flow rate. • Correlations must be developed on lab-scale systems with suppressed Dean vortices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cryogenic freezers are commonly applied in the food processing and healthcare industries, and offer a highly effective preservation method without significant product degradation. The modelling of freezers has been conducted mainly around food processing, to observe the cooling rate during the chilling process. Typically, cryogenic freezers operate with a mix of air and nitrogen as the working fluid, with the effects on the heat transfer coefficient being thoroughly noted, in a range of applications. The effect of the heat transfer coefficient has not been investigated in a liquid nitrogen application, with a cryogenic applicability. This paper will focus on the CFD visualisation of the circulation of air around a lab scale cryogenic batch freezer. The effect of the heat transfer coefficient will be investigated in a number of scenarios, such as shelf loading conditions, product configuration and thermal profiles. The cryogenic batch freezer will be simulated in a range of room temperatures starting from -70°C, using a thermal profile which was obtained experimentally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research developed a comprehensive computer model for a lab-scale Slurry Bubble Column Reactor (SBCR) (0.1 m Dt and 2.5 m height) for Fischer–Tropsch (FT) synthesis under flexible operation of synthesis gas load flow rates. The variable loads of synthesis gas are set at 3.5, 5, 7.5 m3/h based on laboratory adjustments at three different operating temperatures (483, 493 and 503 K). A set of Partial Differential Equations (PDEs) in the form of mass transfer and chemical reaction are successfully coupled to predict the behavior of all the FT components in two phases (gas and liquid) over the reactor bed. In the gas phase, a single-bubble-class-diameter (SBCD) is adopted and the reduction of superficial gas velocity through the reactor length is incorporated into the model by the overall mass balance. Anderson Schulz Flory distribution is employed for reaction kinetics. The modeling results are in good agreement with experimental data. The results of dynamic modeling show that the steady state condition is attained within 10 min from start-up. Furthermore, they show that step-wise syngas flow rate does not have a detrimental influence on FT product selectivity and the dynamic modeling of the slurry reactor responds quite well to the load change conditions.

• A lab-scale ultra-high-temperature tungsten solar receiver is designed. • Optical-thermal-mechanical performance of the receiver is evaluated. • High receiver efficiency of 81.88–89.08% is achieved under different conditions. • The receiver can work safely at ultra-high outlet temperature of above 1573 K. The key to raising the cycle efficiency of the solar power tower plant is to improve the operating temperature of the solar receiver. However, only a few receivers can operate at a temperature above 1573 K, and it is still very challenging to harvest solar energy safely and efficiently under such ultra-high temperatures. In this paper, firstly, a lab-scale tungsten receiver with the designed thermal power of 7 kW th was designed for ultra-high-temperature solar energy harvesting. Then, an optical-thermal–mechanical coupling model was constructed and validated with experimental data. Based on this model, the receiver performance under different cylinder lengths was evaluated. It is found that the solar receiver with a 150 mm length cylinder was able to operate safely and efficiently under the most extreme condition, which was suggested as the optimized design. Then, the effects of key operating parameters on the performance of the optimized receiver were analyzed, finding that the receiver efficiency increases with increasing inlet mass flow rate, decreasing inlet temperature, or increasing incident power. Moreover, performance evaluation indicates that high receiver efficiency of 81.88%-89.08% can be achieved by the optimized receiver while the inlet mass flow rate is within 0.07–0.12 kg·s−1, the average fluid temperature is within 833.9–1384.7 K, and the incident power is within 5.5–8.0 kW. Results from the present study can provide a reliable and useful reference for developing ultra-high-temperature solar receivers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In developing a higher activity for NOx abatement from stationary emission sources, photo-assisted selective catalytic reduction (photo-SCR) was systematically investigated over TiO 2 supported on a spherical α-Al 2 O 3 /γ-Al 2 O 3 . The formation of NO 2 was virtually suppressed in the reaction temperature range of 110–200 °C. The NOx removal efficiencies of TiO 2 /γ-Al 2 O 3 photocatalyst at 120 °C for real flue gas (in pilot-scale photoreactor) and simulated flue gas (in lab-scale photoreactor) were 68–75% and 43.5%, respectively, in the presence of reducing reagent (C 4 H 10 ). SEM and XPS techniques revealed that sulfur temporarily occupied the active sites of the photocatalyst, causing deactivation. Spent TiO 2 /γ-Al 2 O 3 photocatalyst was regenerated via desulfurization by either air or hydrogen at 400–500 °C. The effects of regeneration temperature and regeneration time on the photocatalytic activity are methodically investigated, demonstrating that using hydrogen at 500 °C in 1 h could completely regenerate the spent photocatalyst. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present study, we developed an efficient composting process for the solid fraction of dairy manure (SFDM) using lab-scale systems. We first evaluated the factors affecting the SFDM composting process using different thermophilic phase durations (TPD, 6 or 3 days) and aeration rates (AR, 0.4 or 0.2 l min −1 kg −1 -total solid (TS)). Results indicated that a similar volatile total solid (VTS) degradation efficiency (approximately 60%) was achieved with a TPD of 6 or 3 days and an AR of 0.4 l min −1 kg −1 -TS (hereafter called higher AR), and a TPD of 3 days resulted in less N loss caused by ammonia stripping. N loss was least when AR was decreased to 0.2 l min −1 kg −1 -TS (hereafter called lower AR) during the SFDM composting process. However, moisture content (MC) in the composting pile increased at the lower AR because of water production by VTS degradation and less water volatilization. Reduced oxygen availability caused by excess water led to lower VTS degradation efficiency and inhibition of nitrification. Adding sawdust to adjust the C/N ratio and decrease the MC improved nitrification during the composing processes; however, the addition of increasing amounts of sawdust decreased NO 3 − concentration in matured compost. When an improved composting reactor with a condensate removal and collection system was used for the SFDM composting process, the MC of the composting pile was significantly reduced, and nitrification was detected 10–14 days earlier. This was attributed to the activity of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB). Highly matured compost could be generated within 40–50 days. The VTS degradation efficiency reached 62.0% and the final N content, NO 3 − concentration, and germination index (GI) at the end of the composting process were 3.3%, 15.5 × 10 3 mg kg −1 -TS, and 112.1%, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A fixture has been designed and fabricated to facilitate accelerated electromigration (EM) testing with in situ imaging capability of wire-like specimens. This fixture design has enabled microstructural evolution studies in microscale (100 μm–500 μm in dimension) solder volumes. The fixture allows application of thermal and electrical stimulus to wire-like solders in situ during multi-modal characterization. The design is compatible with surface (2D) characterization techniques including optical microscopy (OM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) based analyses. SEM characterization using the fixture has also been coupled with electron back-scatter diffraction (EBSD). Grain orientation image maps (OIMs) were obtained for in situ crystallographic microstructural analysis of the test volumes. The fixture is also compatible with X-ray computed tomography (non-destructive and 3D), or XCT, analysis of microstructure volume. To apply 2D techniques, a facet has been polished into the solder volumes prior to mounting within the fixture, though this surfacing requirement is not required for XCT characterization. A demonstration of the fixture's successful EM testing function is provided. The compatibility of the fixture with these characterization tools is also demonstrated. Both functional thrusts of the new in situ fixture's design have been accomplished through the fixture's form which is provided in reproducible detail. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this research was to use a stepwise approach to develop a temperature-dependent prediction model for scale-up of forward osmosis. A Sobol sensitivity analysis confirmed that water permeability (A) of Forward Osmosis (FO) membrane has significant effect on water flux while salt permeability (B) has limited impact. Statistical analysis indicated that the stepwise model prediction provided improved agreement with experimental measurements of water and salt fluxes compared to prediction from a lumped parameter model over the range from 15 °C to 35 °C. The temperature predictions from the stepwise model were in close agreement with experimental temperatures; with deviations of less than 0.2 °C. When simulated with the increase in the length and width of the flow channel, the differences in predictions between the stepwise and lumped model increased. These results emphasize that parameter variations along the channel length should be accommodated by the stepwise model. In simulations using the stepwise model, the co-current flow mode was found to generate higher water flux than the counter-current flow mode. The results and analysis from this investigation demonstrate the advantages of the stepwise model for prediction of water flux for scale-up of FO operations. • Accurate estimation of water permeability is essential for FO water flux prediction. • Permeability of membrane increases with increase in temperature. • Proposed stepwise model provides closer agreement in water flux and temperature. • Stepwise model would be more desirable to use in large-scale. • Stepwise model can be used to determine flow direction to generate higher flux. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pulp and paper industry generates large quantity of sludge, up to 1 m 3 /ton paper produced. Anaerobic digestion (AD) is a potential treatment to stabilize sludge and produce biogas for renewable energy. The aim of this study was to investigate the potential of AD of paper sludge (PS) generated from primary and secondary wastewater treatment and to compare the effect of cow manure to paper sludge. For the reactor with PS only, biogas production was observed starting on the 5 th day with 6.3% of methane with a steady increase. The cumulative methane yield attained to 14.7 ml/g volatile solid (VS) until day 28. The second reactor containing PS and cow manure produced methane 269 ml/g VS until day 28. This study shows a more optimal AD process of paper sludge mixed with cow manure due to a more optimum C/N ratio and also higher VS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] PVA membrane for the separation of methanol and dimethyl carbonate identified. [•] Steady-state experiments performed in lab- and pilot-scale vapor permeation plants. [•] Mass-transfer model for description of experimental data identified and parameterized. [•] Model-based scale-up using a rate-based model validated with experimental results. [•] Guideline for scale-up of vapor permeation from lab to industrial-scale developed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A new meshing method for fixed beds consisting of monodisperse spherical particles is presented. The particles are flattened near the particle–particle and particle–wall contact points, respectively, to avoid bad cell qualities. Compared to known methods from literature the modifications are so small that a subsequent correction of these modifications is not necessary. CFD simulations are performed for tube to particle diameter ratios of 3≤ D/d ≤10 in the laminar, transitional and turbulent flow regime and are compared with results from literature concerning porosity and pressure drop. The flow pattern within the bed is also investigated. The random fixed bed is generated with a DEM-code and the fluid domain is meshed with the commercial CFD code STAR-CCM+. The focus of this work is to verify, that physically correct results as well as meshes with a low number of cells and therewith short calculation time can be obtained with this new meshing method. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Microbial communities were analyzed in six full-scale anaerobic digesters and a lab-scale digester using the random cloning method. The purposes were to confirm the applicability, reproducibility, and error range of this method; to discuss the difference in the dominant microbes determined by this method in different operational conditions of temperature (mesophilic and thermophilic) and substrate (garbage, sewage sludge, and livestock waste); and to determine key microbes in each digester. Each sample was analyzed in triplicate. In one of the samples, 373 clones were analyzed to study the composition of microbial community in the digester. Time course analysis was conducted from the start-up period for approximately one year in one of the digesters. Similar microbial diversity was obtained corresponding to the type of substrate change (sewage sludge to garbage). Operational taxonomic units (OTUs) closely related to Coprothermobacter sp. and unidentified bacterium clones TUG14 and TUG22 disappeared during the first 40 d, while OTUs closely related to Bacillus sp. and Clostridium sp. increased later. Microbial diversity in digesters is strongly affected by the operational conditions, and similar microbial diversity can be obtained in triplicate analysis and under similar operational conditions. The present study verified the applicability of this method to discuss the overall difference in microbial communities. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Two feeding strategies for start-up of continuously stirred tank reactors (CSTR) treating source-sorted organic fraction of household municipal solid waste (SS-OFMSW) at 55°C were evaluated. Two reactors were started up separately with a limited amount of initial inoculum (i.e. 10% of the final volume of 3.5l) and operated in a fed batch mode until the reactors were filled (30 days). A reference reactor was filled up with 3.5l of inoculum and fed at a constant rate (11.4g volatile solids (VS)/d). Loading at progressively increasing rate (from 1.7 to 15gVS/d), as calculated based on an activated biomass concept, showed superior process performance compared to a fixed feed rate (5.7gVS/d). Methane yield of 0.32m3/kg VS was produced during the start-up in reactor filled at progressively increasing rate and was comparable to the reference reactor. On the contrary, significant inhibition due to volatile fatty acid (VFA) build-up, mainly due to butyrate, was noticed in the reactor filled at constant rate. Thus, low initial and progressive increasing inoculum loading rate could be used as a strategy for a successful start-up of CSTR treating SS-OFMSW as it allowed a gradual acclimation of the biomass. Lab-scale results were further reaffirmed from the start-up of a full-scale plant (7000m3 total capacity) which was supplied with inoculum corresponding to approx. 16% of final volume and operated in a fed batch mode until the reactors were filled (58 days). Stable biogas production with low VFA (<3g/L; based on titration method) were noticed during the start-up period when fed at progressively increasing rate. Thus, a controlled and reliable start-up procedure was found essential, which could allow rapid process stabilization and time to focus on other technical aspects of plant operation. In addition, the influence of substrate to inoculum amount (1.5–30% TS) and temperature (5–65°C) on anaerobic degradation and methane production of SS-OFMSW was investigated in batch assays as a protocol for start-up procedure. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Improving conformance control in reservoirs with a heterogeneous permeability distribution is the objective of many enhanced oil recovery (EOR) methods. In recent years, the injection of preformed Particle Gels (PPGs) is suggested as an effective EOR method to control the in-depth conformance of waterfronts. In this study, a new mathematical transport model of PPG injection in mature waterflooded reservoirs is developed. The model is based on the experimental results of PPG swelling ratio and entrapment analyses in a carbonate rock sample. The entrapment is considered as a function of the PPG-to-pore size ratio, fluid velocity, temperature, salinity, PPG concentration, and swelling ratio. The formulations of the resistance factor (RF) and residual resistance factor (RRF) are obtained from the injection experiment results at various fluid velocity and PPG concentrations. The entrapment model is coupled with the transport equations of the MATLAB Reservoir Simulation Toolbox (MRST). The model is validated by predicting the pressure drop changes during the 1D PPG injection experiments at three different flow rates. The validated model is then used to predict PPG transport behavior in several 3D field-scale scenarios. The sensitivity analysis results show that a higher recovery increment can be achieved when the reservoir permeability contrast is increased. There is an appropriate PPG-to-pore size ratio (i.e., D P T of 1.75) that can guarantee deep conformance control and avoid PPG washing out during post-waterflooding. Furthermore, the PPG concentration of 1750 ppm resulted in a significant entrapment in the porous medium. [Display omitted] • Conformance control of PPG injection was modeled at the core- and reservoir-scale. • Various parameters were considered for the estimation of the PPG entrapment amount. • PPG swelling ratio was considered as a function of reservoir temperature and salinity. • The introduced PPG transport model validated against 1D core flooding experiments. • Field-scale sensitivity analyses were performed to obtain key injection properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rapid growth in the variety and quantity of contaminants of emerging concern (CEC) in wastewater indicates the necessity for developing efficient and environmentally friendly methods for their removal. This study investigates the removal efficiency of 46 CEC, including 12 bisphenols, from wastewater using a lab and pilot-scale hydrodynamic cavitation generator alone and in combination with UV illumination (pilot-scale). During lab-scale cavitation, the highest removal efficiencies of bisphenols (15–63%) for this specific design of cavitator were obtained at a rotational frequency (v cav) = 9500 rpm and time (t cav) = 10 min. Temperature and the physicochemical properties (e.g. K ow) of the studied compounds also had a significant effect on removal efficiency. At the pilot-scale, 11 CECs were quantifiable in the wastewater influent, and the generator operated at ν cav = 2290 and 2700 rpm. The highest removal efficiencies (15–90%) were obtained at a lower ν cav = 2290 rpm while neither an increase in ν cav , t cav or the presence of UV-C light increased the removal efficiency. A lower ν cav also reduced the hydrodynamic power of the cavitator from 477 W to 377 W, resulting in reduced energy consumption. Overall, the results show the potential of hydrodynamic cavitation for a large-scale application as a pre-treatment technology and pave the way for future improvements in the design of cavitation reactors. Unlabelled Image • Removal efficiencies for bisphenols observed in lab-scale HC set-ups were 15–63%. • Temperature and K ow effect HC removal efficiency. • A lower ν cav resulted in higher removal of CECs in the pilot-scale HC system. • Increasing t cav or combined HC and UV did not improve removal efficiencies. • HC shows potential for large-scale application as a pre-treatment technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Owing to the development of aqueous rechargeable zinc-ion batteries (ZIBs), flexible ZIBs are deemed as potential candidates to power wearable electronics. ZIBs with solid-state polymer electrolytes can not only maintain additional load-bearing properties, but exhibit enhanced electrochemical properties by preventing dendrite formation and inhibiting cathode dissolution. Substantial efforts have been applied to polymer electrolytes by developing solid polymer electrolytes, hydrogel polymer electrolytes, and hybrid polymer electrolytes; however, the research of polymer electrolytes for ZIBs is still immature. Herein, the recent progress in polymer electrolytes is summarized by category for flexible ZIBs, especially hydrogel electrolytes, including their synthesis and characterization. Aiming to provide an insight from lab research to commercialization, the relevant challenges, device configurations, and life cycle analysis are consolidated. As flexible batteries, the majority of polymer electrolytes exploited so far only emphasizes the electrochemical performance but the mechanical behavior and interactions with the electrode materials have hardly been considered. Hence, strategies of combining softness and strength and the integration with electrodes are discussed for flexible ZIBs. A ranking index, combining both electrochemical and mechanical properties, is introduced. Future research directions are also covered to guide research toward the commercialization of flexible ZIBs., (© 2021 The Authors. Advanced Materials published by Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

• AWPA E1 grades for assessing termite damage on wood are heavily subjective. • Deep convolutional networks can be applied to help human graders judgment. • Stratified k -fold cross validation for small datasets. • Sequential AlexNet offers the best performance to predict grades of damaged wood samples. • Potential future applications in termite damage assessments using deep learning. We evaluated convolutional neural networks (CNNs) to visually classify severity of termite attack according to the rating scale from the AWPA E1 standard. The wood wafer dataset contained only 181 uniquely damaged samples. To help compensate for the lack of a large dataset, we performed stratified 5-fold cross validation in which the number of testing samples varied from 33 to 39. Data augmentation was performed on-the-fly on each training set by rotating and flipping samples to generate from 8520 to 8880 images. The CNNs tested included sequential AlexNet, InceptionV3, ResNet50, and InceptionV4-ResNetV2. Each CNN trained relatively well with no sign of overfitting. Sequential AlexNet achieved the best performance, predicting samples with an overall adjusted accuracy of 76.5%, followed by InceptionV3, ResNet50, and InceptionV4-ResNetV2 with 75.0%, 70.8%, and 67.2%, respectively. Sequential AlexNet reached a top-2 accuracy of 97.2%. Mispredictions were more prevalent in the E1 mid-grade ranges, i.e., 4–6 and 8–9. We believe that AlexNet out-performed the other CNNS because of two possible reasons: (1) the other deeper CNNs learned spurious features from the samples that led to more mispredictions; or (2) the other deeper CNNs simply require a training dataset larger than we had available. Future work will focus on developing machine-learning software to grade samples and segment the damage on early/latewood. In addition, we plan to solicit and collect more termite damage samples worldwide in order to enhance our tool and further validate our current findings based only on a limited dataset. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]