• Energy Research
• Closed Access close
• Open Source close
• AU close
• FI close
• EU close

The catalytic active sites of NiFe and NiFeCr (oxy)hydroxides are revealed byoperandospectroscopic techonologies for alkaline water oxidation.

Abstractπ‐Conjugated polyelectrolytes (CPEs) have been studied as interlayers on top of a separate hole transport layer (HTL) to improve the wetting, interfacial defect passivation, and crystal growth of perovskites. However, very few CPE‐based HTLs have been reported without rational molecular design as ideal HTLs for perovskite solar cells (PeSCs). In this study, the authors synthesize a triphenylamine‐based anionic CPE (TPAFS‐TMA) as an HTL for p‐i‐n‐type PeSCs. TPAFS‐TMA has appropriate frontier molecular orbital (FMO) levels similar to those of the commonly used poly(bis(4‐phenyl)‐2,4,6‐trimethylphenylamine) (PTAA) HTL. The ionic and semiconducting TPAFS‐TMA shows high compatibility, high transmittance, appropriate FMO energy levels for hole extraction and electron blocking, as well as defect passivating properties, which are confirmed using various optical and electrical analyses. Thus, the PeSC with the TPAFS‐TMA HTL exhibits the best power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 20.86%, which is better than that of the PTAA‐based device (PCE of 19.97%). In addition, it exhibits negligible device‐to‐device variations in its photovoltaic performance, contrary to the device with PTAA. Finally, a large‐area PeSC (1 cm2) and mini‐module (3 cm2), showing PCEs of 19.46% and 18.41%, respectively, are successfully fabricated. The newly synthesized TPAFS‐TMA may suggest its great potential as an HTL for large‐area PeSCs.

Abstract Agricultural practice is facing multiple challenges under volatile commodity markets, inevitable climate change, mounting pest pressure and various other environment-related constraints. The objective of this research is to present a dynamic optimization model of crop rotations and farm management and show its suitability for economic analysis over a 30 year time period. In this model, we include management practices such as fertilization, fungicide treatment and liming, and apply it in a region in Southwestern Finland. Results show that (i) growing pest pressure favours the cultivation of wheat-oats and wheat-oilseeds combinations, while (ii) market prices largely determine the crops in the rotation plan and the specific management practices adopted. The flexibility of our model can also be utilized in evaluating the value of other management options such as new cultivars under different projections of future climate and market conditions.

The stomach of urethane-anaesthetised rats was perfused with 10% (v/v) ethanol. At 40 min, the secretion of acid was strongly inhibited and the contents of cyclic AMP and ATP were lowered in the superficial mucosa, but not in whole gastric mucosa. After discontinuation of the ethanol perfusion, the rate of gastric acid output as well as the cyclic AMP and ATP levels recovered. Most of the acid-secreting parietal cells were found in the superficial mucosa where the changes of cyclic AMP and ATP took place. The results suggest that lowering of the mucosal contents of cyclic AMP and ATP may be involved in the ethanol-induced inhibition of the gastric acid output.

Abstract Background Parabolic Trough Solar Collector (PTSC) is one of the most popular and an effective device that converts solar radiation into a heat or useful energy. However, it suffers from high temperature gradient and low thermal efficiency. The solution for this problem is to use new advanced coolants (hybrid nanofluids) in order to enhance PTSC's thermal efficiency. Methods A numerical analysis on the thermo-hydraulic performance of a PTSC receiver's tube equipped with conical turbulators is presented. The Navier-Stokes equations are solved using Finite Volume Method (FVM) coupled with Monte Carlo Ray Tracing (MCRT) method. The flow and thermal characteristics as well as entropy generation of the PTSC's receiver tube are investigated for three hybrid nanofluids (Ag-SWCNT, Ag-MWCNT, and Ag-MgO) having a mixing ratio of (50:50) dispersed in Syltherm oil 800, Reynolds number (5000 to 100,000) and fluid inlet temperatures (400 to 650 K). Significant findings The conical turbulators effectively augmented the thermal performance by 233.4% utilising Ag-SWCNT/Syltherm oil instead of pure Syltherm oil. The performance evaluation criterion is found to be in the range of 0.9–1.82. The thermal and exergetic efficiencies increased by 11.5% and 18.2%, respectively. The maximum decrement in the entropy generation rate and entropy generation ratio are 42.7% and 33.7%.

Sugarcane biorefineries, despite their contribution to sustainable transportation fuels and mitigation of carbon emissions in the mobility sector, produce a large amount of carbon dioxide in their conversion processes. According to the Paris climate agreement, a carbon neutral energy system has to be launched in the years to come, and in this scenario, greenhouse gases emission free industrial processes and alternative carbon sources will be needed. Therefore, this paper presents the evaluation of carbon mass balance of a typical Brazilian ethanol mill to better understand its potential for energy and carbon yield improvement. Due to the fact that Brazilian sugarcane mills are evolving from first generation to integrated first and second generation plant, four different scenarios were analysed. For a first generation plant without (S-I) and with conversion of straw to electricity (S-II) and for the integrated plant (S-III), results of carbon mass balance showed that the harvested sugarcane carbon was mainly converted into CO2 and in a smaller proportion into ethanol. In the modelled cases S-I to S-III the conversion of sugarcane carbon into CO2 and ethanol ranged from 41% to 53% and 17%-22%, respectively. Because this carbon amount in the CO2 flows provides an interesting platform to both increase the bioenergy produced and the harvested carbon-to-fuels ratio, a fourth scenario (S-IV) that studies the integration of power-to-gas (PtG) technologies into the mill was also considered. PtG can increase the sugarcane fuels energy content from 9.3 kW/ha to 33.6 kW/ha using 1361.3 MWe of electricity, increasing the amount of sugarcane carbon transformed into sugarcane based fuels to 54% and converting CO2 into a high value added product.

This project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No. 723649 Indoor environmental quality (IEQ) measurement and survey data of demonstration buildings in the hybridGEOTABS project

Highly efficient nanocatalysts which can selectively decompose hydrous hydrazine for hydrogen production are introduced.