• Energy Research
• UK Research and Innovation close
• OA Publications Mandate: No close
• 2009 close

This project will study the interaction of two molecules from a group of ring molecules called catechols, namely pyrocatechol and dopamine, with titanium dioxide (TiO2) surfaces. This interaction is of some interest for two reasons. Firstly it has been known for about 10 years or so that pyrocatechol (and other catechols including dopamine) adsorbed on TiO2 nanoparticles shifts the absorption of light from the ultraviolet region to the visible region of the electromagnetic spectrum. Since TiO2 is so cheap this may offer the potential for new cheap solar generation of electricity. It has been suggested in these types of cells, where a molecule is attached to a semiconductor surface that the strength of attachment is key in the efficient transfer of charge from the molecule to the surface. The other problem is that TiO2 is a photocatalyst capable of decomposing certain organic molecules so clearly the long term stability of the molecule must be understood and verified before this type of technology is developed. In addition, the catechol-TiO2 system is of interest as a possible targeted biomedical material. Unlike catechol, dopamine has a small chain on the side of the ring which can be grafted onto other molecules. In this way the dopamine can be attached to the surface of TiO2 nanoparticles and these functional molecules attached to the chain. Careful selection of the functional molecules can allow the nanoparticle TiO2 to respond to a specific stimulus. A polymer chain - Polytheyleneglycol (PEG) - effectively renders the nanoparticles invisible to the body's immune system. The inclusion of grafted temperature sensitive molecules along with the PEG means that at the site of an infection or disease the nanoparticles will clump together and form an opaque region in an x-ray. Since the particles are small they can be injected - thus quickly giving a surgeon information on where a problem may be located. Again one of the potential problems in these particles is the stability. We have been working with colleagues in the School of Pharmacy at Manchester, looking at the real nanoparticle systems but the surface structure is complicated by the presence of solvents and molecules used in the synthesis of the particles and chains. In this work we will use atomically clean surfaces and deposit carefully controlled amounts of pure catechols. Using the radiation facility at Elettra on Trieste we can determine a number of things about the nature of the chemistry at the surface including the orientation of the molecules and their stability over short timescales and different conditions. X-ray photoemission and absorption spectroscopies will be used to determine changes to the chemistry over time. In addition using a combination of x-ray absorption and photoemission we are able to infer the charge transfer time between the adsorbed molecules and the surface of the TiO2. We will study adsorption two different surfaces of TiO2 i.e. the rutile (110) and anatase (101), which arise from different crystal structures of TiO2. Anatase is the structure adopted by nanoparticulate TiO2 so our studies on this crystal will potentially give more realistic information. Rutile is a more widely studied material as it is easier to grow and obtain commercially. In fact we are one of the few groups who have carried out substantial research on anatase single crystal surfaces. Although some of what we have determined in previous work suggests organic acid molecules interact in similar ways on these two surfaces it is of some fundamental interest to determine whether this is also the case for the catechols. In addition the two different molecules will allow us to determine whether the presence of the side chain on the dopamine results in differences in the adsorption geometry or the chemical stability since this chain could potential react with the oxygen molecule through which the dopamine bonds to the surface.

A new network is proposed which will focus on energy efficiency improvements opportunites in the process industry. The process industry is a substantial user of energy and whilst many process systems have been optimised in recent years, there is an opportunity to improve the efficient use of thermal energy in existing plant operation and the design of future plants. To date most processes have been optimised on a 'stand-alone' basis. However, the efficient use of thermal energy requires a different approach as opportunities, knowledge and motivation to improve efficiencies are likely to be both within and outside the plant or company who operates it. Therefore successful future efficiency developments must be collaborative and consequently the networking aspect must be addressed in a comprehensive and effective manner. The network will forge close links and work with industry, academia, government (national and local) and NGOs to support the maximisation of energy recovery, plant efficiency improvements, reduce CO2 emissions and use of cleaner, more secure fuel sources. Outputs will include the establishment of a sustainable network, development of a network website, repository of resources, forum groups for strategic discussion, a report on Grand Challenges which will identify a long term research vision and future needs analysis and a final report. The network will operate via a series of industry and researcher forums, conferences, short courses and sandpits. The network will be managed by Newcastle University and key participants will include Sheffield and Manchester Universities and the Tyndall Centre. Industry will also play a key role in the network management through Steering Committee representation. Dissemination and knowledge transfer of both technical and non-technical issues will be of paramount importance to the network's operation.

Abstracts are not currently available in GtR for all funded research. This is normally because the abstract was not required at the time of proposal submission, but may be because it included sensitive information such as personal details.

The European Academy of Wind Energy (EAWE) is an academic consortium of European Universities in which the UK's Supergen Wind Consortium members are partners.The EAWE runs a PhD Seminar to increase understanding and interaction between research students working in the field of wind energy coming from > 7 countries in Europe. In 2009 the EPSRC Supergen Wind Consortium in UK is hosting the EAWE PhD Seminar at Durham University, the location of the Principal Investigator of Supergen Wind.We expect 70 plus students and their Supervisors to attend, with up to 20 students coming from the UK.The Seminar will include keynote educational talks from leading wind energy authorities in the UK, including Andrew Garrad of Garrad Hassan, leaders of the Supergen Wind Consortium, and an educational visit to the New & Renewable Energy Centre (NaREC) wind turbine blade testing facilities at Blyth in Northumberland.This application is to fund the educational aspects of the Seminar, steps are being taken to secure matched funds from industrial sources. The application is made more than 12 weeks before the planned event as requested in the EPSRC website.

Rising atmospheric carbon dioxide levels, and concerns over energy security, mean that there is increasing interest in developing renewable energy technologies. Solar technologies are deemed to be particularly attractive, since over 100 000 TW of solar energy falls on the Earth every year. The human population currently use 10 TW of energy per annum, and by 2050, it is predicted that our energy demand will double to 20 TW per annum. It is therefore theoretically feasible that solar technologies could provide a significant proportion of our future energy requirement. However, harvesting a large proportion of this solar energy, in a cheap, efficient manner, poses many difficult technical challenges. At present, silicon based solar PV cells are the method of choice, but these devices tend to be very expensive to manufacture, since they contain highly purified, semi-conductive materials. In this application we propose to harness the photochemical reactions associated with photosynthesis, a fundamental biological process, to convert sunlight into a usable form of energy by means of a biological photovoltaic panel. Using a multidisciplinary consortium of groups based in Plant Science, Biochemistry, Genetics, Engineering and Chemistry we intend to develop, test and optimise biological photovoltaics for the production of hydrogen and/or electricity. A large amount of work has already been carried out in the field of biological hydrogen production, but so far it has proved difficult to overcome the major technical hurdle that limits the commercialisation of this technology, namely that the oxygen produced during photosynthesis inhibits the production of hydrogen from the hydrogenase enzyme in vivo. Although there has been some interest in fabricating artificial devices with purified protein complexes to overcome this problem, the instability of these proteins has prevented economic exploitation. In this application, we propose to separate the processes of oxygen evolution and hydrogen production in a semi-biological photovoltaic device using intact photosynthetic cells, in which protein complexes are intrinsically more stable, and which furthermore have mechanisms for self-repair. The device will be composed of two chambers, or half-cells, with oxygen evolution confined to one chamber and hydrogen production to the other. In addition, the approach can be used to produce a DC electrical current, in a manner analogous to standard silicon based photovoltaic panels.

In 2006, industrial energy use was 407 TWh and represented 19 % of total energy end use in the UK. Of this, more than 36% was consumed by the food, chemicals, paper and metals industries. Food and drinks processing accounted for 42 TWh, paper 9.4 TWh, chemicals 64 TWh and metals 34 TWh. The UK's Kyoto target is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 12.5% from 1990 levels within the commitment period of 2008-2012. The UK is on course to meet this target but is unlikely to meet the tougher self-imposed target to cut CO2 emissions by 20% from 1990 levels by 2010. This target has now been superseded by new targets in a draft Climate Change Bill (HM Government, 2007). The Bill proposes to impose an interim target of 26-32% reduction in CO2 emissions by 2020 alongside the 60% reduction by 2050. The Energy White Paper published in 2007 sets out a framework of measures to address these challenging targets and energy efficiency is one of them.. Energy efficiency is becoming increasingly important in the process industries due to the rapid rises in energy costs in the last few years and the volatility of energy prices. Energy costs may also represent a significant proportion of the overall production costs in various process sectors and energy efficiency can offer one of the best approaches to increasing profitability and reducing environmental impacts. Energy efficiency can be achieved in a number of ways including improving the efficiency of equipment and unit operations, heat recovery and process integration. Over the last 30 years considerable research and development effort has been devoted to these fields. The heat recovery potential from the four main process industries is 2.8 TWh from the food sector, 1.6 TWh from the chemicals sector, 0.7 TWh from the metals sector and 0.34 TWh from the paper and pulp industry sector. By far, the greatest potential is in the food and drinks and chemical processing sectors and this research proposal will concentrate mainly on these two sectors even though most of the results and outcomes will be generic.The project aims to investigate and develop methodologies for the optimum thermal energy recovery from process waste streams in the food and chemicals process industries to improve thermal performance and minimize greenhouse gas emissions from unit and process operations. It will involve a combination of research approaches, that will include: i) a comprehensive literature review on energy recovery technologies particularly those that can be applied to processes that involve organic materials and heat exchanger fouling; ii) development of a database and simplified knowledge based tools to facilitate the selection, by non experts, of the most appropriate technology for a particular application; iii) detailed field monitoring and investigations to obtain comprehensive data sets for process analysis and thermodynamic model validation; iv) thermodynamic model development for detailed system analysis, optimum thermal design, integration and control, and iv) generalization and dissemination of results. If heat recovery is widely employed in the process industries annual savings of 5.4 TWh can be achieved with additional 11 TWh savings being available from the wide application of open and closed cycle heat pumps to upgrade waste heat to more useful temperatures. If it is assumed that the displaced fuel will be gas then the wide application of heat recovery technologies, including heat pumps, has the potential of 3.0 MtCO2 emissions reduction per year and 462 M savings in fuel bills. Successful application of these technologies will also lead to increased employment and export opportunities for the UK manufacturing industry.

This proposal is to establish a DTC in Wind Energy Systems at the University of Strathclyde. This will bring together staff at Strathclyde with in-depth expertise covering the wind resource, rotor aerodynamics, wind turbine structural analysis, turbine control, power conversion, condition monitoring, and electrical network integration issues to create a Centre of learning and research with strong links to the wind industry that will provide a stimulating environment for the PhD students. The Centre will be accommodated in space within the Royal College Building refurbished with the requirements of the DTC specifically in mind. The latest wind turbine design modelling software will be made available to students alongside a wide range of power system and computation modelling packages. The wider aim, drawing on links to an expected strong ETI funded research activity, is to create a centre, with the DTC at is core, that is internationally leading in wind energy systems technology and on a par with the centres in Denmark, the USA, Germany and the Netherlands. To meet the interdisciplinary research demands of the wind industry a substantial centre bringing together all the relevant skills on a single site is essential. This requires a critical mass of staff and early stage researchers of the sort that this proposal would deliver. It is also clear from Government and other reports that the projected growth of the wind industry in the UK, and elsewhere, will be limited by a severe shortage of skilled engineers unless the universities dramatically increase the scale of their activities in this area.