3,320 research outputs found

    Developing industrial water reuse synergies in Port Melbourne: Cost effectiveness, barriers and opportunities

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    Urban water scarcity from ongoing drought and an increasing population are driving a range of water saving options to be explored in Melbourne (Australia). This paper assesses the cost effectiveness of five water treatment and industrial reuse options in the Fishermans Bend industrial area at Port Melbourne. In consultation with industrial stakeholders and the local water utility, the study design began by identifying potential water sources and sinks in the area. Treatment technologies for each option - using a combination of membrane bioreactors (MBR) and in some cases reverse osmosis (RO) technologies - were developed. In evaluating the potential for future implementation, the cost effectiveness ($/kiloLitre) was assessed relative to water supply augmentation and water demand management options available in Melbourne. Additionally, the opportunities and barriers for option implementation in Port Melbourne were contrasted with the Kwinana Industrial Area, Western Australia where many regional synergy projects have been undertaken. This research identifies that the future implementation of industrial ecology opportunities requires strong and ongoing stakeholder involvement as described in this paper. © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

    Renewable Energy and Other Strategies for Mitigating the Energy Crisis in Nepal

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    The overarching aim of this research is to carefully review Nepal’s energy scenario from the technical and socio-economic perspective in order to determine the optimal near-term as well as long-term strategies to overcome the energy crisis. Renewable energy sources are pivotal to this research due to the abundant availability of these resources in Nepal. The long-term energy supply and demand forecast for Nepal over the next 30 years was obtained in Long-Range Energy Planning (LEAP) software. Other quantitative results were obtained using software packages, including PVsyst, Meteo, and HOMER. In many other cases, energy data collected from open literature,government and regulator reports were analysed. There are also several case studies considered in the thesis. The PV rooftop energy systems for Nepalese town and rural households can minimise the energy trade deficit with neighbouring India, enhance energy security, and improve local employment opportunities as well as improve utilisation of the local resources. In particular, a 3kW PV rooftop system was designed and simulated in MATLAB/Simulink, and the corresponding PV and IV curves were obtained, including analysing the effects of environmental temperature and solar irradiation. The design was followed by techno-economic feasibility, assuming typical households inthe Kathmandu valley. The study outcome is that the PV system for a residential building in Kathmandu is economically feasible, and it can provide nearly 6,000 kWh/year of energy. The potential energy efficiency improvements in the cement industry were studied using data collected directly at one of the major cement plants in Nepal. The cement production processes are very energy-intensive, and they have not changed for years. Since the energy costs in Nepal are abnormally high, they represent over half of the cement production costs. It creates substantial pressure to conserve energy and materials while reducing the carbon footprint. Other important factors that must be considered apart from energy issues are production efficiency and sustainability, and how to exploit innovations and encourage investments. The chaotic energy situation in Nepal is exacerbated by rather significant electricity distribution losses and frequent cases of electricity theft. These two issues are significant contributors to a widening gap between energy supply and demand. iv. Other such issues include overpriced and delayed hydropower projects, insufficient and outdated infrastructure, lack of energy conservation, deficient energy management, inadequately low efficiency of equipment, unsustainable energy pricing strategies, indecisive energy market regulations, reliance on energy imports, and especially inadequate exploitation of vast amounts of renewable energy resources. All these factors are also adversely affecting the geopolitical, environmental, and socioeconomic situation in Nepal. The developments in the energy sector in Nepal are also discussed in light of the relevant energy policies which have been adopted by the government over the past two decades. The results presented in the thesis can be used by the government regulators and energy policy planners, and possibly also by the public and private energy companies. It should be noted that the findings and observations in the thesis are also applicable to other countries with a similar development status and geography as Nepal

    Thermal energy storage in concrete: A comprehensive review on fundamentals, technology and sustainability

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    This comprehensive review paper delves into the advancements and applications of thermal energy storage (TES) in concrete. It covers the fundamental concepts of TES, delving into various storage systems, advantages, and challenges associated with the technology. The paper extensively explores the potential of concrete as a medium for thermal energy storage, analysing its properties and different storage methods. Additionally, it sheds light on the latest developments in concrete technology specifically geared towards thermal energy storage. The evaluation section discusses measurement techniques, experimental evaluations and performance metrics. Environmental and economic aspects, including sustainability and cost analysis, are thoughtfully addressed. The review concludes by underlining the significance of thermal energy storage in concrete, emphasizing its role in efficient energy management and the promotion of sustainable practices

    China and East Asian Energy : Prospects and Issues

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    In October 2005, the Crawford School (then the Asia Pacific School of Economics and Government) within the Australian National University (ANU) initiated a major research project on China and East Asian Energy. The project is being undertaken under the schools East Asia Forum in conjunction with the China Economy and Business Program. The first conference in the series being organised under the auspices of the China and East Asian Energy Strategies Research Program was hosted in Beijing by the Energy Research Institute and the ANU on 1011 October 2005. It was the first of five annual conferences in the program. This book brings together the key papers presented at that conference.

    Active transport and energy conservation in Escherichia coli

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    1. The main aim of this work was to compare the efficiencies of growth of various phenotypes of Escherichia coli. Several strains were grown in arithmetic (Wallace, 1975), chemostat and batch cultures. Values for maintenance energies were derived in order to calculate maximum growth yields in terms of carbon and oxygen. Efficiencies of ATP synthesis (expressed as P/O ratios) were calculated from yields using the assumption that the energy required for cellular biosynthesis under anaerobic conditions applied to the aerobic cultures. P/O ratios were then compared with H+/O ratios of the harvested bacteria, 2. The maintenance requirement was lower for arithmetic cultures than for chemostat cultures, suggesting that dropwise addition of nutrient in chemostat culture might uncouple cellular growth from energy supply. 3. E.coli ML30 (which is lac-inducible) had the same maintenance requirement as its lac-constitutive derivative, ML3O8, . when it was grown on a non-inducing carbon source. The gratuitous synthesis and turnover of the lac enzymes therefore make negligible contributions to maintenance. 4. There were at least two classes of reaction responsible for maintenance one of which was independent of temperature while the other was strongly temperature-dependent. The latter had an activation energy similar to that of protein denaturation, suggesting that part of the maintenance requirement may be for macromolecular organisation. 5. Bacteria grown on glucose, glycerol, maltose, galactose or mannitol had P/O ratios of 2, while those grown on lactose, gluconate or glucose 6-phosphate had P/O ratios of 3. The phenotypes with the higher efficiency of energy conservation all transported their carbon sources- by a proton-symport mechanism. 6. In pulse-oxidant determinations of H+/O ratios, cells with a P/O ratio of 3 extruded more protons than those with P/O ratio of 2, This is an independent confirmation of the conclusion derived from growth yields. 7. Growth on lactose in batch culture or in the chemostat also gave a P/O ratio of 3. High P/O ratios are therefore not peculiar to arithmetic culture. 8. Bacteria which had high P/O ratios had high maintenance coefficients. It is speculated that the additional maintenance requirement may be spent for organisation of a more efficient electron transport chain. 9. A period of logarithmic growth on the proton-symported substrate was required for the extra coupling site to be expressed, since cells which had previously been grown on glycerol with P/O ratio of 2, grew on lactose with a P/O ratio of 2 under carbon limitation in arithmetic culture. 10. E.coli ML30 grew on gluconate with a P/O ratio of 3. Therefore, the lac enzymes themselves were not required for the higher growth efficiency. 11. When bacteria which had been grown on lactose were starved for 2 h, they lost the additional energy-coupling site as judged by H+/O ratios. The lac permease also decayed, indicating a possible relationship between the two processes. 12. Cultures of E.coli ML3O8 grown on either lactose or glycerol had active lac permease, but only the lactose phenotype had its H+/O ratio enhanced by adding non-metabolisable galactosides. Transport in cells growing on lactose can therefore affect energy conservation. 13. Addition of salt (NaCl, Na2SO4) to growth media reduced the P/O ratios of cultures but did not significantly change their H+/O ratios. Salt must therefore either decrease the efficiency of the ATPase machinery or have an un-coupling effect on the membrane. 14. Cultures grew on lactose/glucose mixtures with a P/O ratio of 3. Therefore when the additional coupling site was present, all carbon sources were metabolised through the same system with high efficiency. 15. The additional coupling site found in lactose/grown bacteria was not due to energy-conserving transhydrogenase activity nor to an alternative energy-conserving terminal oxidase. In the absence of other experimental data on the composition of the electron transport chain of this phenotype, models are presented to explain the results in terms of novel electron carriers or rearrangement within the membrane of preexisting electron carriers. 16. It is concluded that an additional site of energy conservation is synthesised by E.coli in response to transport of carbon sources which enter the cell via proton symport, This conclusion implies a relationship between active transport and electron transport which have hitherto been assumed to work independently of each other

    Sustainability in the airports ecosystem: a literature review

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    The global challenges of sustainability are transforming the economy of the 21st Century. Economic, social, and environmental sustainability impacts regulators and businesses, particularly in the aviation industry, and facilitates access to productive services and market linkages. Airport stakeholders are increasingly pressuring companies to consider their socioeconomic impacts and manage them sustainably and resiliently. Business is paramount to airport companies in this competitive and economically sensitive climate. Many studies have addressed the issue of airport sustainability from specific perspectives. These perspectives include economic sustainability, benefits related to economic and environmental sustainability, and the impact of operations on the airport environment. This report summarises the current state of airport environmental sustainability practices, including greenhouse gas emissions from airport pavements, energy management strategies for airport buildings and operations, water conservation, and waste management. We aim to provide a clear and integrative picture of these impacts on airport sustainability through a systematic literature review while advancing knowledge A systematic literature review was performed using the PRISMA guidelines (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) methodology. This systematic literature review sought to consolidate knowledge on the subject. In order to illustrate the link between major categories and their corresponding trends, authors used VOSviewer scientific software. The compilation of existing knowledge on the three components of sustainability likely underscores the importance of overall airport sustainability. It is suggested that further studies be conducted.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

    Chapter 5: The Role of Design in Conserving Product Value in the Circular Economy

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    Design is integral to human activity and has been practised since humans first made tools to fulfil specific functions. It was formalised during the first industrial revolution; since then it has evolved to become a multidisciplinary profession. Before, the industrial revolution products and buildings were ‘circular’ by default. However, the development of synthetic and composite materials, and product and component miniaturisation, has encouraged linear economic practices in design and manufacture. This has raised concern in the European Union about rising waste, demand on resources, and risk to supply. In this chapter we explore the role of design in the value chain through four industrial sectors and discuss their evolution to understand the potential for circularity and the extent to which design can influence and contribute to circular practice and sustainable development goals now and in the future
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