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Abstract A consideration of second-law analysis has been extended from the heat exchanger network to an overall energy balance of a chemical process. This enables the simultaneous integration of all kinds of energy-active apparatus (e.g. reactors, compressors, turbines, boilers, refrigerators, coolers, heaters) and hot feeds or effluents into a process flowsheet. The apparatus and the feeds or effluents together represent a utility exchanger network (UEN), process streams are utilized by several types of energy (utilities) that are of a chemical, mechanical, electrical, transmissible, radiative, or heat flow origin. Inherent and avoidable utilities are distinguished. An action of each utility on the enthalpy change of the process stream is represented in a temperature—enthalpy diagram by the corresponding utility stream. Hot utility streams are composed into a hot composite curve (UCC). It sums up the energy inflows and energy production of the system, called energy donors. On the other hand, cold utility streams are composed into a cold UCC that comprises energy outflows and energy consumption (energy acceptors). Process streams are excluded in this step. By matching both UCCs the method enables the direct targeting of an economical overall utility system through is structural and parametric modifications. Targeting is facilitated by using general rules for appropriate integration of energy donors and energy acceptors relative to the utility pinch temperature. At the same time, the improved energy system changes the dynamical performances; the control configuration must be adopted to the new structure of the total system. The method is based on a detailed thermodynamic analysis of process units and is followed by an optimal thermodynamic synthesis of the total system. The final detailed parametrical optimization is similar to the classic pinch analysis. It deals with process streams and brings additional savings. The whole procedure has been tested on an existing chemical process and its effectiveness has been proved.

Wastewater containing ammonia nitrogen compounds is considered as a harmful material to environment due to eutrophication and toxicity effects; hence, finding practical methods for treating this type of wastewater seems necessary. In this study, performance of two sequencing batch reactors have been assessed for simultaneous nitrification and denitrification in treating synthesized wastewater containing ammonium nitrogen, using leachate obtained from cow dung as the biomass. The leachate obtained from cow dung as the source of bio‐sludge added to the reactors. Experiments were designed according to central composition design and response surface methodology with four operating variables including pH (6, 7.5, 9), cycle time (CT) (4, 12, 20 h), ratio (5, 10, 15) and carbon source (Sodium acetate: , Glucose: ). According to statistical analysis, experimental responses were in acceptable agreement with model predictions. CT was the most important operating variable in chemical oxygen demand (COD) and removal. The maximum percentage of ammonium nitrogen removal was attained at pH 7.5 and CT 21.5 h. The optimum conditions were composed of pH 7.67, CT 19.15 h, 10.95 and sodium acetate as carbon source, while COD, and total nitrogen removals were 94.96%, 94.93% and 93.60%, respectively. © 2017 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Environ Prog, 37: 1638–1646, 2018

Abstract Globally, three-quarter of a billion people live without electricity. Besides, hundreds of million use a solar lantern for less than 4 h a day. Most of the access-deprived are in the Global South, predominantly in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. The United Nations framed the seventh Sustainable Development Goal to improve access. Solar photovoltaic powered mini-grids are increasingly extending better service to deprived regions. However, poor load-factor and expensive storage adversely affect viability. Also, these mini-grids do not support infrequent large loads to avoid further loss of load-factor. Electric cooking is efficient and non-polluting; water treatment facilities can save millions from contaminant and pathogen by providing clean water. Besides, both electric cooking and water treatment are less expensive than alternatives. But mini-grids frequently do not support these. Indeed, the presence of sustained productive loads favourably influences the mini-grid economy. This study investigates the role of critical household loads to deliver similar bearing on the mini-grid economy. Results underscore realisation of desirable impact with household collaboration under a demand-response program. Collaborative consumption can lower initial investment by 62% and reduce the unit energy cost to $0.23. Also, cooperation improves the mini-grid load factor and promotes viability. Additionally, fast deployment needs during and after Covid-19 remains inherently supported while mitigating the pandemic induced financial stress of both consumer and mini-grid operator. This study of 88 nation-states underscores that demand response in a mini-grid can not only improve affordability for all consumers, but it can also bring 186 million people within affordable access.

Abstract Removing water from various feeds is usually carried out using evaporation process especially in food industry. Due to the high latent heat of water, this unit operation results in consumption of unacceptable amount of energy. Finding low energy consuming processes which could be replaced with this process is still a challenge. The processes with no phase inversion may be considered for concentration purposes with reasonable energy consumption in comparison with the other various separation procedures. Reverse osmosis and most of the other membrane technologies are separation techniques without any change in the phase and therefore consume low amount of energy. Concentrating the sugar thin juice in the classical sugar manufacturing procedure is carried out using conventional evaporation. Reverse osmosis membranes may be used as a pre-concentration step to partially separate water from the sugar thin juice in combination with this part of the plant. Final concentration and thick juice preparation for crystallization may be carried out in the evaporation unit. In this study, membranes were employed for sugar thin juice concentration using a two-stage reverse osmosis process in two different arrangements. The energy consumption was calculated and compared for conventional evaporation versus reverse osmosis combined with evaporation. The results indicate that the employment of revers osmosis membranes for concentrating the sugar thin juice leads to sensibly lower energy requirements. Furthermore, there is no thermal loss of sugar in the membrane process.

Abstract The energy consumption of spouted bed is an important issue that has been studied from various aspects. In order to investigate the energy consumption of the equipment, several experiments of drying of sorghum bicolor [Sorghum bicolor (L) Moench] were conducted and the results were evaluated looking for the energy performance of the spouted bed. A methodology that takes into account the mechanical energy necessary to maintain the spout regime on the global energy efficiency was proposed and the performance was determined based on the drying efficiency, energy efficiency, and specific energy consumption with and without the term corresponding to the mechanical contribution. This methodology permits a more rigorous evaluation of the energy performance of drying equipment. The percentage increase of the specific energy consumption due to inclusion of the mechanical energy was greater at higher loads and at lower temperatures, demonstrating that this term represented a significant portion of the energy consumption of the process.

One of the most popular off‐site wastewater treatment plants used in the tropics is the waste stabilization pond (WSP). Although it has several advantages, its use in urban areas is limited because of its large land area requirement. Hence, this research is aimed at investigating if a solar‐enhanced WSP (SEWSP) can increase treatment efficiency and consequently reduce the land area requirement. The SEWSPs of varying sizes, made of a metallic tank with inlet and outlet valves and a solar reflector, were constructed to increase the incident sunlight intensity. Wastewater samples collected from the inlet and outlet of the SEWSPs were examined for physio‐chemical and biological characteristics for a period of 2 months. The parameters examined were total suspended solids, dissolved oxygen, 5‐day biochemical oxygen demand (BOD 5), chemical oxygen demand (COD), coliform, and Escherichia coli. The efficiencies of the SEWSPs, with respect to these parameters, fluctuated with temperature variation, with the shallowest SEWSP giving the highest treatment efficiency. The research revealed that the cost of treating wastewater using SEWSPs was approximately 2 times lower than the conventional WSP for the same treatment efficiencies.

Abstract Italy reformed its water and sanitation services in 1994. The strategy aimed at transforming public entities, financed by the central budget, into self-sufficient professional companies regulated at arms' length. Nearly 20 years after, the reform has failed to deliver (despite some partial success). Italians have been divided in two parties: those blaming public sector inefficiencies and calling for competitive tendering; and those refusing to privatize water and willing to go back to the fiscal budget. In this article, we suggest that both parties are wrong. Underperformance is not related to the ownership structure of water companies, but rather to poor regulatory design and lack of understanding of the regulatory requirements that are implicit in the management model chosen, namely the concession contract.

The operation of centrifugal pumps can generate instabilities and pressure pulsations that may be detrimental to the integrity and performance of the pump. In the present study a numerical investigation of the time variation of pressure within a complete centrifugal pump was undertaken. A range of parameters and three flow rates were investigated and the pulsations were extracted at 15 different locations covering important pump regions. The transient flow results compared reasonably with experimental data obtained in a limited experimental survey and clearly indicated the pump locations experiencing the largest pulsation levels. It was also noted that monitoring pulsations at the top dead centre of the pump volute casing would provide a better indication of internal pump pulsations than monitoring at the discharge.

Abstract For biomass/waste fueled power plants, stricter regulations require a further reduction of the negative impacts on the environment caused by the release of pollutants and withdrawal of fresh water externally. Flue gas quench (FGQ) is playing an important role in biomass or waste fueled combined heat and power (CHP) plants, as it can link the flue gas (FG) cleaning, energy recovery and wastewater treatment. Enhancing water evaporation can benefit the concentrating of pollutant in the quench water; however, when FG condenser (FGC) is not in use, it results in a large consumption of fresh water. In order to deeply understand the operation of FGQ, a mathematic model was developed and validated against the measurements. Based on simulation results key parameters affecting FGQ have been identified, such as the flow rate and temperature of recycling water and the moisture content of FG. A guideline about how to reduce the discharge of wastewater to the external and the withdrawal of external water can be proposed. The mathematic model was also implemented into an ASPEN Plus model about a CHP plant to assess the impacts of FGQ on CHP. Results show that when the FGC was running, increasing the flow rate and decreasing the temperature of recycling water can result in a lower total energy efficiency.