• Energy Research
• 12. Responsible consumption close
• RU close
• UA close
• Energies close

The use of natural gas as an energy source is increasing significantly due to its low greenhouse gas emissions. However, the common methods of natural gas storage and transportation, such as liquefied or compressed natural gas, are limited in their applications because they require extreme conditions. Gas hydrate technology can be a promising alternative to conventional approaches, as artificially synthesized hydrates provide an economical, environmentally friendly, and safe medium to store energy. Nevertheless, the low rate of hydrate formation is a critical problem that hinders the industrial application of this technology. Therefore, chemical promoters are being developed to accelerate the kinetics of gas hydrate formation. In this paper, the effect of new sodium sulfosuccinate compounds, synthesized based on glycerol and pentaerythritol, on methane hydrate formation was studied. Experiments under dynamic conditions using high-pressure autoclaves demonstrated that the conversion of water-to-hydrate forms increased from 62 ± 5% in pure water to 86 ± 4% for the best promoter at concentration 500 ppm. In addition, the rate of hydrate formation increases 2–4 times for different concentrations. Moreover, none of the synthesized reagents formed foam, compared to sodium dodecyl sulfate, in which the foam rate was 3.7 ± 0.2. The obtained reagents showed good promotional properties and did not form foam, which makes them promising promoters for gas hydrate technology.

The paper considers the transformation of human resource management processes in the healthcare settings of Ukraine in the context of war and the COVID-19 pandemic. It is noted that the unstable and hostile environment of a healthcare setting during times of crisis leads to the need to change the personnel selection and team formation model to increase the adaptability and resilience of human resources involved in the provision of medical care. The key features of the human resource management process in a turbulent environment are the high migration activity of personnel, which leads to the need to reallocate resources, the need to operate under severe financial constraints, and the need to consider personnel as a non-renewable resource when it is impossible to attract additional resources. To ensure the reliability of the functioning of a medical institution, the transformation of human resource management processes should be based on strategic agility and human resource management, organizational resilience as a resource-based capability, corporate sustainability, and transformation of enterprises’ resources, which can be achieved by applying methodological support for resource management in a multi-project environment. Considering a network of medical institutions as a multi-project environment will allow using the methodology of project-oriented resource management, forming adaptive teams in a multi-project environment, to ensure flexible redistribution of resources both within a single institution and within a network of institutions. It is proposed to use formal transformations to manage a medical institution’s human resources. Applying the proposed approach for managing the human resources of a medical institution is considered. The formation of a project team that satisfies the minimum requirements with the maximum value of the team’s qualification score is considered. It is shown that the use of this methodological support made it possible to choose the composition of the project team with a minimum number and a maximum value of the characteristic.

A circular economy emerged as an alternative transition model, which is considered to be a solution to massive environmental degradation. The transition from a linear economy to a circular economy requires companies to be actively involved in more sustainable practices. For such a transition, companies must rethink, innovate on business models, and encourage sustainability-oriented innovation to deliver customer value, while simultaneously considering environmental and social aspects. On the other hand, the role of the circular economy in energy conservation and infrastructure has not been mapped out in the current literature. This systematic literature review seeks to map out the main interrelated topics of the circular economy and sustainability-oriented innovation, describing internal and external factors that need to be considered in the transition to a clean energy future. Key lines of research are identified, and suggestions for future research and for how to facilitate the movement towards a circular economy are provided. This study contributes to an enhancement of the literature by identifying priority areas regarding the circular economy and sustainability-oriented innovation to encourage future research that contributes to sustainability and environmental preservation.

A huge concern regarding global warming, as well as the depletion of natural fuel resources, has led to a wide search for alternative energy sources. Due to their high reliability and long operation time, thermoelectric generators are of significant interest for waste heat recovery and power generation. The main disadvantage of TEGs is the low efficiency of thermoelectric commercial modules. In this work, a unique design for a multilayer TE unicouple is suggested for an operating temperature range of 50–600 °C. Two types of thermoelectric materials were selected: «low temperature» n-and p-type TE materials (for the operating temperature range of 50–300 °C) based on Bi2Te3 compounds and «middle temperature» (for the operating temperature range of 300–600 °C) n- and p-type TE materials based on the PbTe compound. The hot extrusion technology was applied to fabricate n- and p-type low-temperature TE materials. A unique design of multilayer TEG was experienced to achieve an efficiency of up to 15%. This allows for the possibility of extracting this amount of electrical power from the heat generated for domestic and water heating.

The modern paradigm of sustainable development is based on concepts and theories in which the needs of individuals and society, the limits of economic growth and the balance of industrial and natural systems are close to consistency [...]

The use of fossil fuels as the main source of energy for most countries has caused several negative environmental impacts, such as global warming and air pollution. Air pollution causes many health problems, causing social and economic negative effects. Worldwide efforts are being made to avoid global warming consequences through the establishment of international agreements that then lead to local policies adapted to the development of each signing nation. In addition, there is a depletion of nonrenewable resources which may be scarce or nonexistent in future generations. The preservation of resources, which is a common goal of the Circular Economy strategy and of sustainable development, is not being accomplished nowadays. In this work, the calculation of indicators and mathematical and statistical analysis were applied to clarify and evidence the trends, provide information for the decision-making process, and increase public awareness. The fact that European countries do not possess abundant reserves of fossil fuels will not change, but the results of this analysis can evolve in the future. In this work, fossil fuel energy consumption, fossil fuel depletion, and their relationship with other variables, such as energy dependence and share of renewable energy in gross final energy consumption, were analyzed for 29 European countries. Furthermore, it was possible to conclude that many European countries still depend heavily on fossil fuels. Significant differences were not found in what concerns gross inland consumption per capita when the Kruskal–Wallis test was applied. It was possible to estimate that by 2050 (considering Jazz scenario) it will only remain approximately 14% of oil proven reserves, 72% of coal proven reserves and 18% of gas proven reserves. Given the small reserves of European countries on fossil fuels, if they need to use them, they will fast disappear.

In the context of limited water resources and the deterioration of natural water bodies’ state, and with the increase in the regulatory requirements for the quality of effluents, assessing the impact of the industrial and energy complex on water bodies is a task of increasingly greater significance to the whole energy sector. “zero discharge” is considered the most effective strategy for creating environmentally friendly thermal power plants. Hybrid reverse osmosis electrodialysis systems make it possible to obtain solutions with a higher concentration of components compared to single electrodialysis treatment, i.e., more efficient separation of brine and pure water. This article proposes experimental and pilot-industrial studies of a hybrid membrane system operation using industrial wastewater for the disposal of liquid waste from an ion-exchange chemical-desalting water treatment plant of a thermal power plant, followed by a calculation of economic efficiency and an analysis of the environmental feasibility of its use. The developed technological scheme offers separate processing of acidic and alkaline waste regeneration solutions using calcium carbonate reagent and desalination on baromembrane and electromembrane units to obtain clean water and dry residue. The hybrid system includes a booster filter press and an evaporator. The hybrid system makes it possible to provide a thermal power plant with a “zero discharge” with a minimum consumption of reagents and electricity, as well as return all wastewater back to the power plant cycle.