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Considerable interest is being shown in using biochar production from waste biomass with a variety of disciplines to address the most pressing environmental challenges. Biochar produced by the thermal decomposition of biomass under oxygen-limited conditions is gaining popularity as a low-cost amendment for agro-ecosystems. The efficiency of biochar formation is affected by temperature, heating rate, feedstock type, particle size and reactor conditions. Properties such as pH, surface area and ash content of produced biochar increases with increasing temperatures. Biochar produced at lower heating rates may have high porosity and be beneficial for morphological changes in the soil. Biochar can help to enhance soil health and fertility as well as improve agricultural yield. As a result, biochar can assist in increasing food security by promoting sustainable agricultural systems and preserving an eco-friendly environment. Biochar is also widely being used as a sorbent for organic and inorganic pollutants, owing to its large surface area, allowing it to be immobilized from soil with ease. The functional groups and charges present on the surface of biochar play an important role in pollutants removal. This review focuses on the mechanisms of biochar production using different waste materials as a feed stock, factors that influence biochar quality as well as application of biochar in agricultural soil and their reclamation as well. This article also discusses knowledge gaps and future perspectives in the field of biochar-based toxic-pollution remediation.

For the first time, we here propose a green methodology to modify a low bandgap polymer for highly efficient solar cells using atmospheric pressure plasma jet or soft plasma operating on different feeding gases (air, Ar and N2). The physical properties of the modified polymer were investigated using conductivity measurements, UV-visible spectroscopy, photoluminescence spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, cyclic voltammograms, atomic force microscopy, cathodoluminescence and confocal Raman spectroscopy. Further, we examined the variation of the work function of the polymer before and after plasma treatment using a γ-focused ion beam. Additionally, photovoltaic cells based on the plasma-modified polymer having ITO/PEDOT:PSS/PHVTT (with or without plasma modification):PC71BM/LiF/Al configuration were fabricated and then characterized. We found that the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of the plasma-modified polymer increased dramatically as compared to the control polymer (without plasma treatment). PCE of the control polymer was found to be 4.11%, while after air, Ar and N2 gas plasma treatment the polymer showed PCEs of 4.85%, 4.87% and 5.14% respectively. Thus, plasma treatment not only alters the surface properties, but also modifies the bulk properties (changes in HOMO and LUMO bandgap level). Hence, this work provides new dimensions to explore more about plasma and polymer chemistry.

The growing population and increasing urbanization have led to a surge in domestic wastewater generation, posing significant challenges for effective and sustainable treatment. The present study demonstrates a novel and sustainable approach for the onsite treatment of domestic wastewater using an integrated settler-based biofilm reactor (ISBR) with efficient biogas generation. The ISBR provides an optimized environment for the growth of biofilm, facilitating the removal of organic pollutants and pathogens. Moreover, the ISBR enables the recovery of a valuable resource in the form of biogas, thus enhancing the overall utility of the treatment process. The performance of the ISBR was comprehensively evaluated at laboratory scale through treating the actual domestic wastewater generated from the hostel of Manipal University Jaipur. The ISBR system was operated under an ambient environment at a hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 24 h. The results demonstrated remarkable efficiency in terms of chemical oxygen demand (COD), total suspended solids (TSS), and coliforms removal, with average removal efficiency being more than 90%. According to the COD mass balance analysis, 48.2% of the influent COD was recovered as bioenergy. The chromatogram revealed a high percentage of methane gas in the collected biogas sample. The field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) analysis of the accumulated sludge in the ISBR system depicted the morphology of methanogenic bacteria. Both the experimental and theoretical results confirmed the feasibility and sustainability of the ISBR system at the onsite level.

Lithium-ion batteries have emerged as a promising choice for electric vehicle applications. However, thermal runaway and related catastrophic issues perplex the research community when batteries are subjected to varying charging/discharging and different ambient temperatures. In order to keep the batteries under a safe zone of temperature, battery thermal management occupies utmost importance and hence researchers are switching over to a combination of either two or three strategies since single stragaty could not meet effective thermal management. In a combined strategy, the use of phase change materials and is highly essential due to their inherent thermo-physical properties; both organic and inorganic types have been explored. To enhance the heat dissipation, the phase change materials, regarded as composite phase materials, are being added with graphite powder, nanomaterials, metal foams, and fins are being arranged to the battery cells. The present review enumerates the recent progress made in achieving good thermal performance with hybrid/integrated battery thermal systems with an emphasis on the use of composite phase change materials. The review revealed that the hybrid strategy is performing well, machine learning and advanced optimization methods are being applied to understand the state of health of batteries. Few works are focussed on the mitigation of thermal runaway propagation serving the composite phase change materials as effective flame retardants. The current status and challenges being faced in the use of LIBs is also briefed. It is essential to develop economical integrated battery thermal management systems with parasitic power losses that are compact and safe to attract many city dwellers to adopt pure electric vehicles besides meeting the mandate of sustainable development goals. The review is an attempt to provide a ready reckoner in the area of integrated battery thermal management involving composite phase materials.

In a study of the electrochemical behavior of low-cyanide silver plating baths and of the properties of the deposits obtained, it was found that the current-potential curve obtained with a solid electrode showed a two-step reduction wave, the height of the first being 1/5 that of the second. Analysis of the results of polarographic and rotating disk electrode measurmenents sugests that the rate-controlling steps wereAgCN+e-_??_Ag+CN-……(1)Ag(CN)2-+e-_??_Ag+2CN-……(2)for the first and second waves respectively. The Tafel plots of the two waves showed linear relationships at their rising portions, and the reactions are accordingly concluded to be slow chargetransfer controlled.In baths to which selenocyanate ion was added, the increase in current was markedly greater for the second wave than for the first, and the wave was shifted to the positive side. Potential decay curves for the baths containing selenocyanate ion obtained by the current interrupter method showed lower differential capacities than those for baths that were free of selenocyanate ion. This indicates that the selenocyanate ions were adsorbed preferentially at the electrode, suppress the adsorption of cyanide ions and enhancing the silver deposition reaction.Deposits obtained by jet plating were matt at current densities lower than 50A/dm2, and their appearance was not affected by the addition of selenocyanate ion. At above 50A/dm2, deposits obtained from selenocyanate-free baths were burnt, but deposits obtained from baths with selenocyanate ion added were mirror-bright with a strong (200) orientation up to around 150A/dm2.

AbstractRecently, modern power systems depend heavily on MicroGrids (MGs), which can accommodate Distributed Energy Resources (DERs) economically and with high flexibility. MGs integrated with DERs can assist in enhancing energy security, significant cost savings, and reduction in emission of greenhouse gases. In this paper, the assessment of operating performance of proposed MG system with DERs is employed to investigate the multi‐objective problems of cost optimization and economic scheduling. A grid‐connected Micro‐grid (MG) combined with solar photovoltaic (PV), wind turbine (WT), fuel cell (FC), and Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) is implemented to model the problem. This proposed model is considered as a test system for cost optimization and battery charging/discharging optimization. The developed framework is presented as multi‐objective function with constraints that can be tackled using an effective optimization technique. The above stochastic multi‐objective problem is optimized using various commonly used Physics based Meta‐heuristic techniques such as Simulated Annealing (SA), Harmony Search (HS), Slime Mold Algorithm (SMA), Gravitational Search Algorithm (GSA), Black Hole Optimization (BHO), Sine Cosine Algorithm (SCA), Multiverse optimization (MVO) and Lightning Search Algorithm (LSA). The assessment of the aforementioned physics‐based optimization techniques used on the proposed MG test system is compared using the results. According to the analysis, Black Hole Optimization (BHO) and Lightning Search Algorithm (LSA) both provide greater cost savings overall and for battery charging, respectively. The suggested optimization methods will take the BESS charging/discharging pattern and total cost savings into account.

Heat stress and cold stress have a negative influence on cattle welfare and productivity. There have been some studies investigating the influence of cold stress on cattle, however the emphasis within this review is the influence of heat stress on cattle. The impact of hot weather on cattle is of increasing importance due to the changing global environment. Heat stress is a worldwide phenomenon that is associated with reduced animal productivity and welfare, particularly during the summer months. Animal responses to their thermal environment are extremely varied, however, it is clear that the thermal environment influences the health, productivity, and welfare of cattle. Whilst knowledge continues to be developed, managing livestock to reduce the negative impact of hot climatic conditions remains somewhat challenging. This review provides an overview of the impact of heat stress on production and reproduction in bovines.

AbstractIn the present study, we analyze a field-based seven-year data series of surface mass-balance measurements collected during 2011/12 to 2017/18 on Naradu Glacier, western Himalaya, India. The average annual specific mass balance for the said period is − 0.85 m w.e. with the maximum ablation of − 1.15 m w.e. The analysis shows that the topographic features, south and southeast aspects and slopes between 7 to 24 degrees are the reasons behind the maximum ablation from a particular zone. The causes of surface mass balance variability have been analyzed through multiple linear regression analyses (MLRA) by taking temperature and precipitation as predictors. The MLRA demonstrates that 71% of the observed surface mass balance variance can be explained by temperature and precipitation. It clearly illustrates the importance of summer temperature, which alone explains 64% variance of surface mass balance. The seasonal analysis shows that most of the surface mass balance variability is described by summer temperature and winter precipitation as two predictor variables. Among monthly combinations, surface mass balance variance is best characterized by June temperature and September precipitation.