Separation and purification of syngas-derived hydrogen: A comparative evaluation of membrane- and cryogenic-assisted approaches

A comprehensive review on the production and enhancement techniques of gaseous biofuels and their applications in IC engines with special reference to the associated performance and emission characteristics

The increasing global demand for energy, coupled with environmental concerns associated with fossil fuels, has led to the exploration of alternative fuel sources. Gaseous biofuels, derived from organic matter, have gained attention due to their renewable nature and clean combustion characteristics. The paper extensively explores production pathways for gaseous biofuels, including biogas, syngas, and hydrogen, providing insightful discussions on various sources and processes. The energy content, physical, and chemical properties of gaseous biofuels have been analysed, highlighting their potential as viable alternatives to conventional fuels. Distinctive properties of biogas, producer gas, and hydrogen that impact combustion characteristics and engine efficiency in IC engines are underscored. Furthermore, the review systematically reviews enhancement techniques for gaseous biofuels, encompassing strategies to augment quality, purity, and combustion efficiency. Various methods, ranging from substrate pretreatment for biogas to membrane separation for hydrogen, illustrate effective means of enhancing fuel performance. Rigorous examination of performance parameters such as brake thermal efficiency, specific fuel consumption and emissions characteristics such as NOx, CO, CO2, HC of gaseous biofuels in dual-fuel mode emphasizes efficiency and environmental impact, offering valuable insights into their feasibility as engine fuels. The findings of this review will serve as a valuable resource for researchers, engineers, and policymakers involved in alternative fuels and sustainable transportation, while also highlighting the need for further research and development to fully unlock the potential of gaseous biofuels in IC engines.

Towards an environmentally friendly power and hydrogen co-generation system: Integration of solar-based sorption enhanced gasification with in-situ CO2 capture and liquefaction process

The sorption-enhanced gasification systems, which integrate the gasification process with an in-situ CO2 capture system, have emerged as environmentally friendly solutions. This study proposes an innovative solar-based SEG system aimed at co-generating power and hydrogen while ensuring environmental sustainability. The suggested system comprises municipal solid waste gasification, in-situ calcium looping CO2 capture process, steam and humid air gas turbine secondary power cycles, and a CO2 liquefaction system. Comprehensive analysis including energy, exergy, and exergoeconomic evaluations are conducted to assess the overall system performance. The annual electrical energy efficiency of the system is calculated to be 11.9%, resulting in a net electrical power generation of 19.48 MW. The annual total energy efficiency is determined to be 54.8%. To convert the captured CO2 into a liquid form, a dual-pressure Linde-Hampson cycle with a coefficient of performance of 1.9 is employed. Among the system components, the carbonator reactor exhibits the highest exergy efficiency at 88.7%, while the sorption-enhanced gasifier, calciner, and combustion chamber show relatively higher exergy destruction. The heliostat field is identified as the most expensive component in the SEG system. The levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) for the produced electricity is calculated to be 60.1$/MWh.

Multidisiplinary design optimization of a power generation system based on waste energy recovery from an internal combustion engine using organic Rankine cycle and thermoelectric generator

The research paper mainly deals with waste heat recovery from internal combustion engines (ICE) using the organic Rankine cycle (ORC) and Thermoelectric generator (TEG). Simultaneously recovering the wasted heat of both exhaust gases and coolant, a novel configuration named two-stage is proposed. Then a comprehensive thermo-economic analysis and optimization are conducted. Produced power and total cost rate are selected as the objective function of the optimization. Also, the first and second stage pressures of the ORC system are considered as decision variables. Finally, a sensitivity analysis is performed to study the effect of expander inlet temperature, pumps isentropic efficiency, and expander isentropic efficiency on the objective function.

Multiobjective optimization of a cogeneration system based on gas turbine, organic rankine cycle and double-effect absorbtion chiller

Combined cooling, heating and power (CCHP) is one of methods for enhancing the efficiency of the energy conversion systems. In this study a CCHP system consisting of a gas turbin (GT) as the topping cycle, and an organic Rankine cycle (ORC) associated with double-effect absorbtion chiller (DEACH) is decisioned as the bottoming cycle to recover the waste heat from GT exhaust gas. The considered CCHP system is investigated to maintain electricity, heating and cooling demand of a town. A parametric study is investigated and the effect decision variables on the performance indicators including exergy efficiency, total cost rate (TCR), cooling capacity, and ORC power generation is examined. Decision variables of the ORC system consist of HRVG pressure, and condenser pressure and the DEACH including evaporator pressure, condseser pressure, concentration of the concentrated solution, concentration of the weak solution, and solution mass flow rate. Finally a multi-objective optimization performed using Genetic Algorithm (GA) and the optimal design point is selected. It is observed at the optimum point the exergy efficiency, TCR, and sustainability index are 17.56%, 74.49 $/h, and 1.21, respectively.

Can MXene be the Effective Nanomaterial Family for the Membrane and Adsorption Technologies to Reach a Sustainable Green World?

Environmental pollution has intensified and accelerated due to a steady increase in the number of industries, and exploring methods to remove hazardous contaminants, which can be typically divided into inorganic and organic compounds, have become inevitable. Therefore, the development of efficacious technology for the separation processes is of paramount importance to ensure the environmental remediation. Membrane and adsorption technologies garnered attention, especially with the use of novel and high performing nanomaterials, which provide a target-specific solution. Specifically, widespread use of MXene nanomaterials in membrane and adsorption technologies has emerged due to their intriguing characteristics, combined with outstanding separation performance. In this review, we demonstrated the intrinsic properties of the MXene family for several separation applications, namely, gas separation, solvent dehydration, dye removal, separation of oil-in-water emulsions, heavy metal ion removal, removal of radionuclides, desalination, and other prominent separation applications. We highlighted the recent advancements used to tune separation potential of the MXene family such as the manipulation of surface chemistry, delamination or intercalation methods, and fabrication of composite or nanocomposite materials. Moreover, we focused on the aspects of stability, fouling, regenerability, and swelling, which deserve special attention when the MXene family is implemented in membrane and adsorption-based separation applications.

Thermal design and zeotropic working fluids mixture selection optimization for a solar waste heat driven combined cooling and power system

Considering the limitation of fossil fuel resources and their environmental effects, the use of renewable energies is increasing. In the current research, a combined cooling and power production (CCPP) system is investigated, the energy source of which is solar energy. Solar energy absorbs by solar flat plate collectors (SFPC). The system produces power with the help of an organic Rankine cycle (ORC). An ejector refrigeration cycle (ERC) system is considered to provide cooling capacity. The motive flow is supplied from the expander extraction in the ERC system. Various working fluids have been applied so far for the ORC-ERC cogeneration system. This research investigates the effect of using two working fluids R-11 and R-2545fa, and the zeotropic mixtures obtained by mixing these two fluids. A multiobjective optimization process is considered to select the appropriate working fluid. In the optimization design process, the goal is to minimize the total cost rate (TCR) and maximize the exergy efficiency of the system. The design variables are the quantity of SFPC, heat recovery vapor generator (HRVG) pressure, ejector motive flow pressure, evaporator pressure, condenser pressure, and entertainment ratio. Finally, it is observed that using zeotropic mixtures obtained from these two refrigerants has a better result than using pure refrigerants. Finally, it is observed that the best performance is achieved when R-11 and R245fa are mixed with a ratio of 80 to 20%, respectively and led to 8.5% improvement in exergy efficiency, while the increase in TCR is only 1.5%.