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Sheik AG, Krishna SBN, Patnaik R, Ambati SR, Bux F, Kumari S. Digitalization of phosphorous removal process in biological wastewater treatment systems: Challenges, and way forward. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2024; 252:119133. [PMID: 38735379 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2024.119133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2023] [Revised: 03/22/2024] [Accepted: 05/10/2024] [Indexed: 05/14/2024]
Abstract
Phosphorus in wastewater poses a significant environmental threat, leading to water pollution and eutrophication. However, it plays a crucial role in the water-energy-resource recovery-environment (WERE) nexus. Recovering Phosphorus from wastewater can close the phosphorus loop, supporting circular economy principles by reusing it as fertilizer or in industrial applications. Despite the recognized importance of phosphorus recovery, there is a lack of analysis of the cyber-physical framework concerning the WERE nexus. Advanced methods like automatic control, optimal process technologies, artificial intelligence (AI), and life cycle assessment (LCA) have emerged to enhance wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) operations focusing on improving effluent quality, energy efficiency, resource recovery, and reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Providing insights into implementing modeling and simulation platforms, control, and optimization systems for Phosphorus recovery in WERE (P-WERE) in WWTPs is extremely important in WWTPs. This review highlights the valuable applications of AI algorithms, such as machine learning, deep learning, and explainable AI, for predicting phosphorus (P) dynamics in WWTPs. It emphasizes the importance of using AI to analyze microbial communities and optimize WWTPs for different various objectives. Additionally, it discusses the benefits of integrating mechanistic and data-driven models into plant-wide frameworks, which can enhance GHG simulation and enable simultaneous nitrogen (N) and Phosphorus (P) removal. The review underscores the significance of prioritizing recovery actions to redirect Phosphorus from effluent to reusable products for future considerations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdul Gaffar Sheik
- Institute for Water and Wastewater Technology, Durban University of Technology, Durban, 4001, South Africa.
| | - Suresh Babu Naidu Krishna
- Institute for Water and Wastewater Technology, Durban University of Technology, Durban, 4001, South Africa
| | - Reeza Patnaik
- Institute for Water and Wastewater Technology, Durban University of Technology, Durban, 4001, South Africa
| | - Seshagiri Rao Ambati
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Petroleum and Energy, Visakhapatnam, 530003, Andhra Pradesh, India
| | - Faizal Bux
- Institute for Water and Wastewater Technology, Durban University of Technology, Durban, 4001, South Africa
| | - Sheena Kumari
- Institute for Water and Wastewater Technology, Durban University of Technology, Durban, 4001, South Africa.
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Dai W, Pang JW, Zhao YJ, Ding J, Sun HJ, Cui H, Mi HR, Zhao YL, Zhang LY, Ren NQ, Yang SS. Machine learning assisted combined systems of wastewater treatment plants with constructed wetlands optimal decision-making. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2024; 399:130643. [PMID: 38552855 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2024.130643] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2024] [Revised: 03/12/2024] [Accepted: 03/27/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
This study proposed an efficient framework for optimizing the design and operation of combined systems of wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) and constructed wetlands (CW). The framework coupled a WWTP model with a CW model and used a multi-objective evolutionary algorithm to identify trade-offs between energy consumption, effluent quality, and construction cost. Compared to traditional design and management approaches, the framework achieved a 27 % reduction in WWTP energy consumption or a 44 % reduction in CW cost while meeting strict effluent discharge limits for Chinese WWTP. The framework also identified feasible decision variable ranges and demonstrated the impact of different optimization strategies on system performance. Furthermore, the contributions of WWTP and CW in pollutant degradation were analyzed. Overall, the proposed framework offers a highly efficient and cost-effective solution for optimizing the design and operation of a combined WWTP and CW system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Dai
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China
| | - Ji-Wei Pang
- China Energy Conservation and Environmental Protection Group, CECEP Digital Technology Co., Ltd., Beijing 100096, China
| | - Ying-Jun Zhao
- Zhejiang University of Technology Engineering Design Group Co., Ltd., Hangzhou 310000, China
| | - Jie Ding
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China
| | - Han-Jun Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China
| | - Hai Cui
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China
| | - Hai-Rong Mi
- College of Aerospace and Civil Engineering, Harbin Engineering University, Harbin 150001, China
| | - Yi-Lin Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China
| | - Lu-Yan Zhang
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Yancheng Institute of Technology, Yancheng 224051, China
| | - Nan-Qi Ren
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China
| | - Shan-Shan Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China.
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Li M, Duan L, Li S, Wang D, Gao Q, Yu H, Zhang J, Jia Y. Differences in greenhouse gas emissions and microbial communities between underground and conventionally constructed wastewater treatment plants. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2024; 396:130421. [PMID: 38320713 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2024.130421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2023] [Revised: 02/01/2024] [Accepted: 02/02/2024] [Indexed: 02/09/2024]
Abstract
Large quantities of greenhouse gases (GHGs) are emitted into the atmosphere during wastewater treatment. In this study, GHG and microbial samples were collected from four wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), and their differences and relationships were assessed. The study showed that, compared with conventionally constructed WWTPs, well-established gas collection systems in underground WWTPs facilitate comprehensive collection and accurate accounting of GHGs. In aboveground WWTPs, capped anoxic ponds promote methane production releasing it at 2-8 times the rate of uncapped emissions, in contrast to nitrous oxide emissions. Moreover, a stable subsurface environment allows for smaller fluctuations in daily GHG emissions and higher microbial diversity and abundance. This study highlights differences in GHG emission fluxes and microbial communities in differently constructed WWTPs, which are useful for control and accurate accounting of GHG emissions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingyue Li
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, PR China; Basin Research Center for Water Pollution Control, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, PR China
| | - Liang Duan
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, PR China; Basin Research Center for Water Pollution Control, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, PR China.
| | - Shilong Li
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, PR China; Basin Research Center for Water Pollution Control, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, PR China
| | - Dawei Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, PR China; Basin Research Center for Water Pollution Control, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, PR China
| | - Qiusheng Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, PR China; Basin Research Center for Water Pollution Control, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, PR China
| | - Huibin Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, PR China; Basin Research Center for Water Pollution Control, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, PR China
| | - Juanjuan Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, PR China; Basin Research Center for Water Pollution Control, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, PR China
| | - Yanyan Jia
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, PR China; Basin Research Center for Water Pollution Control, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, PR China
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Iqbal A, Zan F, Liu X, Chen G. Net zero greenhouse emissions and energy recovery from food waste: manifestation from modelling a city-wide food waste management plan. WATER RESEARCH 2023; 244:120481. [PMID: 37634458 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2023.120481] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2023] [Revised: 07/23/2023] [Accepted: 08/10/2023] [Indexed: 08/29/2023]
Abstract
Food waste (FW) being a major solid waste component and of degradable nature is the most challenging to manage and mitigate greenhouse gas emissions (GHEs). Policymakers seek innovative approaches to achieve net zero objectives and recover resources from the FW which requires a comparative and holistic investigation of contemporary treatment methods. This study assessed the lifecycle of six alternative scenarios for reducing net GHEs and energy use potential from FW management in a metropolis, taking Hong Kong as a reference. In both impact categories, the business-as-usual (landfilling) was the worst-case scenario. The combined anaerobic digestion and composting (ADC) technique was ranked best in the global warming impact but was more energy intensive than anaerobic digestion with sludge landfilling (ADL). Incineration ranked second in net GHEs but less favourable for energy recovery from FW alone. The proposed integration of FW and biological wastewater treatment represented an enticing alternative. Integration by co-disposal and treatment with wastewater (CoDT-WW) performed above average in both categories, while anaerobic co-digestion with sewage sludge (AnCoD-SS) ranked fourth. The sensitivity analysis further identified critical parameters inherent to individual scenarios along with biogenic carbon emission and sequestration, revealing their significance on the magnitude of GHEs and scenarios' ranking. Capacity assessment of the studied treatment facilities showed a FW diversion potential of ∼60% while reducing the net GHEs by ∼70% compared to the base-case, indicating potential of net zero carbon emissions and energy footprint by increasing treatment capacity. From this study, policymakers can gain insights and guidelines for low-carbon urban infrastructure development worldwide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asad Iqbal
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Water Technology Centre, Hong Kong Branch of Chinese National Engineering Research Centre for Control & Treatment of Heavy Metal Pollution, The Hong Kong University of Science & Technology, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong, China
| | - Feixiang Zan
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, MOHURD, Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST), Key Laboratory of Water and Wastewater Treatment (HUST), Wuhan, 430074, China
| | - Xiaoming Liu
- School of Materials and Environmental Engineering, Shenzhen Polytechnic, Guangdong, China
| | - Guanghao Chen
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Water Technology Centre, Hong Kong Branch of Chinese National Engineering Research Centre for Control & Treatment of Heavy Metal Pollution, The Hong Kong University of Science & Technology, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong, China.
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Lu H, Wang H, Wu Q, Luo H, Zhao Q, Liu B, Si Q, Zheng S, Guo W, Ren N. Automatic control and optimal operation for greenhouse gas mitigation in sustainable wastewater treatment plants: A review. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 855:158849. [PMID: 36122730 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.158849] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2022] [Revised: 09/01/2022] [Accepted: 09/14/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
In order to promote low-carbon sustainable operational management of the wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), automatic control and optimal operation technologies, which devote to improving effluent quality, operational costs and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, have flourished in recent years. There is no consensus on the design procedure for optimal control/operation of sustainable WWTPs. In this review, we summarize recent researches on developing control and optimization strategies for GHG mitigation in WWTPs. Faced with the fact that direct carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions (considered biological origin) are generally not included in the carbon footprint of WWTPs, direct emissions (nitrous oxide (N2O), methane (CH4)) and indirect emissions are paid much attention. Firstly, the plant-wide models with GHG dynamic simulation, which are employed to design and evaluate the automatic control schemes as well as representative studies on identifying key factors affecting GHG emissions or comprehensive performance are outlined. Then, both traditional and advanced control methods commonly used in GHG mitigation are reviewed in detail, followed by the multi-objective optimization practices of control/operational parameters. Based on the mentioned control and (or) optimization strategies, a novel design framework for the optimal control/operation of sustainable WWTPs is proposed. The findings and design framework proposed in the paper will provide guidance for GHG mitigation and sustainable operation in WWTPs. It is foreseeable that more accurate and appropriate plant-wide models together with flexible control methods and intelligent optimization strategies will be developed to satisfy the upgrading requirements of WWTPs in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China
| | - Huazhe Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China
| | - Qinglian Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China
| | - Haichao Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China
| | - Qi Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China
| | - Banghai Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China
| | - Qishi Si
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China
| | - Shanshan Zheng
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China
| | - Wanqian Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China.
| | - Nanqi Ren
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China
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Sillero L, Sganzerla WG, Carneiro TF, Solera R, Perez M. Techno-economic analysis of single-stage and temperature-phase anaerobic co-digestion of sewage sludge, wine vinasse, and poultry manure. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2023; 325:116419. [PMID: 36257226 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2022.116419] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2022] [Revised: 09/19/2022] [Accepted: 09/30/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Anaerobic co-digestion (AcoD) is a mature and consolidated waste management technology that can transform agro-industrial by-products into biogas and digestate. This study conducted a techno-economic assessment of bioenergy and agricultural fertilizer production from AcoD of sewage sludge, wine vinasse, and poultry manure. In this case study, three configurations were investigated: i) Scenario 1, AcoD in thermophilic temperature; ii) Scenario 2, AcoD in mesophilic temperature; and iii) Scenario 3, AcoD in a temperature phase (TPAD) system, where the digestate produced in the first reactor (thermophilic) feeds the second reactor (mesophilic). The process was designed to manage 24,022 m³ wine vinasse y-1, 24,022 m³ sewage sludge y-1, and 480 m³ poultry manure y-1. The major cost was the fixed capital investment for the single-stage (320,981 USD) and TPAD processes (379,698 USD). The TPAD process produced the highest electricity (1058.99 MWh y-1) and heat (4765.47 GJ y-1) with the lowest cost of manufacturing for electricity (84.99 USD MWh-1), heat (0.019 USD MJ-1), and fertilizer (30.91 USD t-1). Regarding the profitability indicators, the highest net present value (509,011 USD) and the lowest payback time (4.24 y) were achieved for Scenario 3. In conclusion, TPAD is a profitable and sustainable waste-to-energy management technology that can be applied in a circular economy framework to recover bioenergy and fertilizer, contributing to decreasing the carbon footprint of the agri-food sector.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonor Sillero
- Department of Environmental Technologies (IVAGRO), Faculty of Marine and Environmental Sciences (CASEM), University of Cádiz (UCA), Pol. Río San Pedro s/n, 11510, Puerto Real, Cádiz, Spain
| | - William Gustavo Sganzerla
- Department of Environmental Technologies (IVAGRO), Faculty of Marine and Environmental Sciences (CASEM), University of Cádiz (UCA), Pol. Río San Pedro s/n, 11510, Puerto Real, Cádiz, Spain; University of Campinas (UNICAMP), School of Food Engineering (FEA), Campinas, SP, Brazil
| | - Tania Forster Carneiro
- University of Campinas (UNICAMP), School of Food Engineering (FEA), Campinas, SP, Brazil
| | - Rosario Solera
- Department of Environmental Technologies (IVAGRO), Faculty of Marine and Environmental Sciences (CASEM), University of Cádiz (UCA), Pol. Río San Pedro s/n, 11510, Puerto Real, Cádiz, Spain.
| | - Montserrat Perez
- Department of Environmental Technologies (IVAGRO), Faculty of Marine and Environmental Sciences (CASEM), University of Cádiz (UCA), Pol. Río San Pedro s/n, 11510, Puerto Real, Cádiz, Spain
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Monje V, Owsianiak M, Junicke H, Kjellberg K, Gernaey KV, Flores-Alsina X. Economic, technical, and environmental evaluation of retrofitting scenarios in a full-scale industrial wastewater treatment system. WATER RESEARCH 2022; 223:118997. [PMID: 36029698 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2022.118997] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2022] [Revised: 08/12/2022] [Accepted: 08/17/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The use of mathematical models is a well-established procedure in the field of (waste) water engineering to "virtually" evaluate the feasibility of novel process modifications. In this way, only options with the highest chance of success are further developed to be implemented at full-scale, while less interesting proposals can be disregarded at an early stage. Nevertheless, there is still lack of studies, where different plant-wide model predictions (effluent quality, process economics, and technical aspects) are comprehensibly verified in the field with full-scale data. In this work, a set of analysis/evaluation tools are used to assess alternative retrofitting options in the largest industrial wastewater treatment plant in Northern Europe. A mechanistic mathematical model is simulated to reproduce process behavior (deviation < 11%). Multiple criteria are defined and verified with plant data (deviation < 5%). The feasibility of three types of scenarios is tested: (1) stream refluxing, (2) change of operational conditions and (3) the implementation of new technologies. Experimental measurements and computer simulations show that the current plant´s main revenues are obtained from the electricity produced by the biogas engine (54%) and sales of the inactivated bio-solids for off-site biogas production (33%). The main expenditures are the discharge fee (39%), and transportation and handling of bio-solids (30%). Selective treatment of bio-solid streams strongly modifies the fate of COD and N compounds within the plant. In addition, it increases revenues (+3%), reduces cost (-9%) and liberates capacity in both activated sludge (+25%) and inactivation reactors (+50%). Better management of the buffer tank promotes heterotrophic denitrification instead of dissimilatory nitrate conversion to ammonia. In this way, 11% of the incoming nitrogen is removed within the anaerobic water line and does not overload the activated sludge reactors. Only a marginal increase in process performance is achieved when the anaerobic granular sludge reactor operates at full capacity. The latter reveals that influent biodegradability is the main limiting factor rather than volume. Usage of either NaOH or heat (instead of CaO) as inactivation agents allows anaerobic treatment of the reject water, which substantially benefits revenues derived from higher electricity recovery (+44%). However, there is a high toll paid on chemicals (+73%) or heat recovery (-19%) depending on the inactivation technology. In addition, partial nitration/Anammox and a better poly-aluminum chloride (PAC) dosage strategy is necessary to achieve acceptable (< 2%) N and P levels in the effluent. The scenarios are evaluated from a sustainability angle by using life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) in form of damage stressors grouped into three categories: human health, ecosystems quality, and resource scarcity. The presented decision support tool has been used by the biotech company involved in the study to support decision-making on how to handle future expansions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vicente Monje
- Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Process and Systems Engineering Centre (PROSYS), Technical University of Denmark, Building 228 A, Kgs. Lyngby 2800, Denmark
| | - Mikołaj Owsianiak
- Department of Environmental and Resource Engineering, Quantitative Sustainability Assessment, Technical University of Denmark, Produktionstorvet 424, Kgs. Lyngby 2800, Denmark
| | - Helena Junicke
- Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Process and Systems Engineering Centre (PROSYS), Technical University of Denmark, Building 228 A, Kgs. Lyngby 2800, Denmark
| | | | - Krist V Gernaey
- Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Process and Systems Engineering Centre (PROSYS), Technical University of Denmark, Building 228 A, Kgs. Lyngby 2800, Denmark
| | - Xavier Flores-Alsina
- Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Process and Systems Engineering Centre (PROSYS), Technical University of Denmark, Building 228 A, Kgs. Lyngby 2800, Denmark.
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