Pyrolysis kinetics and potential utilization analysis of cereal biomass by-products; an experimental analysis for cleaner energy productions in India

The optimal utilization of biomass relies heavily on the specific material and individual needs. Cereal biomass by-products can potentially be employed in thermochemical processes such as pyrolysis and gasification. To compare biomass sources, ultimate analysis, biochar potential, proximate analysis, thermal gravimetric analysis, price per megajoule generated heat, surface texture, and availability are used. A global survey of biomass wastes and opportunities for heat generation is presented in the current article. Here, nine different cereal-based agricultural waste products (barley, wheat, millet, oats, rice, rye straw, sorghum straw/stalk, and maize cob) are studied. Cereal wastes are compared based on calorific value, water content, volatile matter, ash content and ash chemical composition, bulk density, charring properties, availability, and transportation. According to the estimate, 156 million metric tonnes per year, or 6% of India's total emissions, could be eliminated by rice husk alone. Wheat straws, on the other hand, can cut emissions by 2%. Additionally, processing these nine feedstocks might result in the production of 40 GW of electrical energy, which would increase the installed capacity of India's national electric grid by 9%.

Cooling supply with a new type of evacuated solar collectors: a techno-economic optimization and analysis

Renewable cooling via absorption chillers being supplied by various green heat technologies such as solar collectors has been widely studied in the literature, but it is still challenging to get positive economic outcomes from such systems due to the large expenses of solar thermal systems. This study offers the use of a new generation of solar collectors, so-called eccentric reflective solar collectors, for driving single-effect absorption chillers and thereby reducing the levelized cost of cooling. This article develops the most optimal design of this system (based on several different scenarios) using multi-objective optimization techniques and employs them for a case study in Brazil to assess its proficiency compared to conventional solar-driven cooling methods. For making the benchmarking analyses fair, the conventional system is also rigorously optimized in terms of design and operation features. The results show that the eccentric solar collector would enhance the cost-effectiveness by 29%. In addition, using optimally sized storage units would be necessary to get acceptable economic performance from the system, no matter which collector type is used. For the case study, at the optimal sizing and operating conditions, the levelized cost of cooling will be 124 USD/MWh and an emission level of 18.97 kgCO2/MWh.

Fasciolosis due to Fasciola hepatica in ruminants in abattoirs and its economic impact in two regions in Algeria

and February 2009. The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence of infected livers with fascioliasis and to evaluate the economic loss due to the condemnation of livers infected with fascioliasis. A total of 3,457 cattle, 6,161 sheep and 5,764 goats were slaughtered and examined in El Tarf abattoir, north Algeria (humid climate), and 2,151 cattle, 5,724 sheep, 351 goats and 582 camels in Ouargla abattoir, south Algeria (saharan climate). In El Tarf region, the prevalence of fascioliasis infection was 26.7±2.5%, 6.5±0.4% and 2.5±0.2% in cattle, sheep and goats, respectively (P< 0.001). In Ouargla region, fascioliasis is reported for the first time in cattle (1.7±0.7%). Sheep, goats and camels were not infected. The overall economic loss due to hepatic condemnations as a result of fascioliasis was estimated at 60,000 euros in El Tarf region and 4,000 euros in Ouargla region. According to this study, it can be concluded that fascioliasis is endemic in the northern Algeria in ruminants and, the disease should be considered seriously as a great threat to ruminant health and profitability.