Method and apparatus for bio-regenerative life support system

A life support system is disclosed for human habitation (cabin) which has a bioregenerative capability through the use of a plant habitat (greenhouse) whereby oxygen-rich air from the greenhouse is processed and used in the cabin and carbon dioxide-rich air from the cabin is used in the greenhouse. Moisture from the air of both cabin and greenhouse is processed and reused in both. Wash water from the cabin is processed and reused in the cabin as hygiene water, and urine from the cabin is processed and used in the greenhouse. Spent water from the greenhouse is processed and reused in the greenhouse. Portions of the processing cycles are separated between cabin and greenhouse in order to reduce to a minimum cross contamination of the two habitat systems. Other portions of the processing cycles are common to both cabin and greenhouse. The use of bioregenerative techniques permits a substantial reduction of the total consumables used by the life support system

Steady state simulation and exergy analysis of supercritical coal-fired power plant with CO₂ capture

Integrating a power plant with CO₂ capture incurs serious efficiency and energy penalty due to use of energy for solvent regeneration in the capture process. Reducing the exergy destruction and losses associated with the power plant systems can improve the rational efficiency of the system and thereby reducing energy penalties. This paper presents steady state simulation and exergy analysis of supercritical coal-fired power plant (SCPP) integrated with post-combustion CO₂ capture (PCC). The simulation was validated by comparing the results with a greenfield design case study based on a 550 MWe SCPP unit. The analyses show that the once-through boiler exhibits the highest exergy destruction but also has a limited influence on fuel-saving potentials of the system. The turbine subsystems show lower exergy destruction compared to the boiler subsystem but more significance in fuel-saving potentials of the system. Four cases of the integrated SCPP-CO2 capture configuration was considered for reducing thermodynamic irreversibilities in the system by reducing the driving forces responsible for the CO₂ capture process: conventional process, absorber intercooling (AIC), split-flow (SF), and a combination of absorber intercooling and split-flow (AIC + SF). The AIC + SF configuration shows the most significant reduction in exergy destruction when compared to the SCPP system with conventional CO₂ capture. This study shows that improvement in turbine performance design and the driving forces responsible for CO₂ capture (without compromising cost) can help improve the rational efficiency of the integrated system

The Calcium-Looping (CaCO3/CaO) Process for Thermochemical Energy Storage in Concentrating Solar Power Plants

Articulo aceptado por la revista. * No publicado aún [28-06-2019]Energy storage based on thermochemical systems is gaining momentum as potential alternative to molten salts in Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) plants. This work is a detailed review about the promising integration of a CaCO3/CaO based system, the so-called Calcium-Looping (CaL) process, in CSP plants with tower technology. The CaL process relies on low cost, widely available and non-toxic natural materials (such as limestone or dolomite), which are necessary conditions for the commercial expansion of any energy storage technology at large scale. A comprehensive analysis of the advantages and challenges to be faced for the process to reach a commercial scale is carried out. The review includes a deep overview of reaction mechanisms and process integration schemes proposed in the recent literature. Enhancing the multicycle CaO conversion is a major challenge of the CaL process. Many lab-scale analyses carried out show that residual effective CaO conversion is highly dependent on the process conditions and CaO precursors used, reaching values as different as 0.07-0.82. The selection of the optimal operating conditions must be based on materials, process integration, technology and economics aspects. Global plant efficiencies over 45% (without considering solar-side losses) show the interest of the technology. Furthermore, the technological maturity and potential of the process is assessed. The direction towards which future works should be headed is discussed.Ministerio de Economia y Competitividad CTQ2014-52763-C2, CTQ2017- 83602-C2 (-1-R and -2-R)Unión Europea Horizon 2020 Grant agreement No 727348, project SOCRATCES

Electrochemical Solutions for Advanced Life Support

The Oxygen Generating Assembly (OGA) on-board the International Space Station (ISS) employs a polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) water electrolysis cell stack to electrochemically dissociate water into its two components oxygen and hydrogen. Oxygen is provided to the cabin atmosphere for crew respiration while the hydrogen is delivered to a carbon dioxide reduction system to recover oxygen as water. The design of the OGA evolved over a number of years to arrive at the system solution that is currently operational on ISS. Future manned missions to space will require advanced technologies that eliminate the need for resupply from earth and feature in-situ resource utilization to sustain crew life and to provide useful materials to the crew. The architects planning such missions should consider all potential solutions at their disposal to arrive at an optimal vehicle solution that minimizes crew maintenance time, launch weight, installed volume and energy consumption demands. Skyre is developing new technologies through funding from NASA, the Department of Energy, and internal investment based on PEM technology that could become an integral part of these new vehicle solutions. At varying stages of Technology Readiness Level (TRL) are: an oxygen concentrator and compressor that can separate oxygen from an air stream and provide an enriched oxygen resource for crew medical use and space suit recharge without any moving parts in the pure oxygen stream; a regenerative carbon dioxide removal system featuring a PEM-based sorbent regenerator; a carbon dioxide reduction system that electrochemically produces organic compounds that could serve as fuels or as a useful intermediary to more beneficial compounds; and an electrochemical hydrogen separator and compressor for hydrogen recycle. The technical maturity of these projects is presented along with pertinent performance test data that could be beneficial in future study efforts

PhD synopsis: Quantifying and evaluating the risk posed to straw bale constructions from moisture

This paper provides a synopsis of the PhD thesis titled 'Quantifying and Evaluating the Risk Posed to Straw Bale Constructions From Moisture'. The thesis reviews the potential for straw bale construction to aid the construction industry in reducing carbon emissions whilst promoting social and environmental values, and decreasing the reliance on non-renewable resources. Straw is however susceptible to degradation, under certain conditions. The thesis reviews different monitoring devices and the interaction of moisture with straw and presents a three part model aimed at promoting confidence in the construction method

Controlled Ecological Life Support System. Life Support Systems in Space Travel

Life support systems in space travel, in closed ecological systems were studied. Topics discussed include: (1) problems of life support and the fundamental concepts of bioregeneration; (2) technology associated with physical/chemical regenerative life support; (3) projection of the break even points for various life support techniques; (4) problems of controlling a bioregenerative life support system; (5) data on the operation of an experimental algal/mouse life support system; (6) industrial concepts of bioregenerative life support; and (7) Japanese concepts of bioregenerative life support and associated biological experiments to be conducted in the space station

Overview of Clean Automotive Thermal Propulsion Options for India to 2030

[EN] This paper presents the evaluation of near-future advanced internal combustion engine technologies to reach near zero-emission in vehicles with in the Indian market. Extensive research was carried out to propose the rationalise the most promising, new ICE technologies which can be implemented in the vehicles to reduce CO2 emissions until the year 2030. A total of six technologies were considered that could be implemented in the Indian market. An initial market survey was carried out on the Indian automotive industry and electric vehicles in India, followed by an in-depth analysis and understanding of each technology through literature review. The main aim of the paper was to construct methods for a successful implementation of clean ICE technologies in the near future and to, also, predict a percentage reduction of CO2 tailpipe emissions from the vehicles. To do this, different objectives were laid out with a view to reducing the tailpipe CO2 emissions. Especially with the recent and legitimate focus on climate change in the world, this study aims to provide practical solutions pathway for India. Widespread research was carried out on all six technologies proposed within the automotive market in India and a set of main graphs represent CO2 emission reduction starting from 2020 until 2030. A significant reduction of CO2 was observed in the graph plot at the end of the paper and the technologies were successfully implemented for the Indian market to curb tailpipe CO2 emissions. A methodology based on calculating the vehicle fuel consumption was implemented and a graph was plotted showing the reduction of CO2 emissions until 2030. The starting point of the graph is 2020, when BS-VI comes into effect in India (April 2020). The CO2 limit taken into consideration here has been defined by the Government at 113 CO2 g/km. The paper fulfilled the aim of predicting the effects of implementing the technologies and the subsequent reductions of CO2 emissions for India.Gohil, DB.; Pesyridis, A.; Serrano, J. (2020). Overview of Clean Automotive Thermal Propulsion Options for India to 2030. Applied Sciences. 10(10):1-29. https://doi.org/10.3390/app10103604S1291010Serrano, J. (2017). Imagining the Future of the Internal Combustion Engine for Ground Transport in the Current Context. Applied Sciences, 7(10), 1001. doi:10.3390/app7101001The Guardianhttps://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/2017/aug/10/electric-cars-big-battery-waste-problem-lithium-recyclingTechnical Regulations, Emission Normshttp://www.siamindia.com/technical-regulation.aspx?mpgid=31&pgidtrail=33Diesel Nethttps://www.dieselnet.com/standards/in/Wissenschaftliche Gesellschaft für Kraftfahrzeug- und Motorentechnik e.Vhttps://www.wkm-ev.de/de/aktuelles.html14 of World’s 15 Most Polluted Cities in Indiahttps://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/14-of-worlds-15-most-polluted-cities-in-india/articleshow/63993356.cmsCO2 Emissions from Transport (% of Total Fuel Combustion)https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/EN.CO2.TRAN.ZS?end=2014&locations=IN&name_desc=false&start=1971&view=chartHow India can Drive Towards and Emission Free Futurehttps://www.autocarpro.in/opinion-column/how-india-can-drive-towards-an-emissionfree-future-41288SIAM Welcomes PM Modi’s Assurance on Co-Existence of ICE Vehicles and EVshttps://auto.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/industry/siam-welcomes-pm-modis-assurance-on-co-existence-of-ice-vehicles-and-evs/70673440Springer Link: Lifetime CO2 Emissions in Different Indian Vehicleshttps://link.springer.com/article/10.1365/s40112-015-1005-7Bernstein, L., Lee, A., & Crookshank, S. (2006). Carbon dioxide capture and storage: a status report. Climate Policy, 6(2), 241-246. doi:10.1080/14693062.2006.9685598International Transport Forumhttps://www.itf-oecd.org/lower-carbon-technologies-road-freight-transportIPCC Special Report on Carbon Dioxide Capture and Storagehttps://www.researchgate.net/publication/239877190_IPCC_Special_Report_on_Carbon_dioxide_Capture_and_StorageCarbon Capture Storage Technology and Indiahttps://en.reset.org/knowledge/carbon-capture-storage-technology-and-indiaZEROCO2 Energy & Climate Change—Policy and Progresshttp://www.zeroco2.no/projects/countries/indiaThe Third Polehttps://www.thethirdpole.net/en/2018/10/29/india-seeking-ways-to-limit-climate-change-after-ipcc-report/Kapila, R. V., & Stuart Haszeldine, R. (2009). Opportunities in India for Carbon Capture and Storage as a form of climate change mitigation. Energy Procedia, 1(1), 4527-4534. doi:10.1016/j.egypro.2009.02.271Avaritsioti, E. (2016). Environmental and Economic Benefits of Car Exhaust Heat Recovery. Transportation Research Procedia, 14, 1003-1012. doi:10.1016/j.trpro.2016.05.080Dong, G., Morgan, R. E., & Heikal, M. R. (2016). Thermodynamic analysis and system design of a novel split cycle engine concept. Energy, 102, 576-585. doi:10.1016/j.energy.2016.02.102Morgan, R. E., Jackson, N., Atkins, A., dong, G., Heikal, M., & lenartowicz, C. (2017). The Recuperated Split Cycle - Experimental Combustion Data from a Single Cylinder Test Rig. SAE International Journal of Engines, 10(5), 2596-2605. doi:10.4271/2017-24-0169Description of a Novel Concentric Rotary Enginehttps://www.sae.org/publications/technical-papers/content/2018-01-0365/Sae Mobilushttps://doi.org/10.4271/2019-01-0325Tang, H., Pennycott, A., Akehurst, S., & Brace, C. J. (2014). A review of the application of variable geometry turbines to the downsized gasoline engine. International Journal of Engine Research, 16(6), 810-825. doi:10.1177/1468087414552289Pachiannan, T., Zhong, W., Rajkumar, S., He, Z., Leng, X., & Wang, Q. (2019). A literature review of fuel effects on performance and emission characteristics of low-temperature combustion strategies. Applied Energy, 251, 113380. doi:10.1016/j.apenergy.2019.113380Ramesh, N., & Mallikarjuna, J. M. (2016). Evaluation of in-cylinder mixture homogeneity in a diesel HCCI engine – A CFD analysis. Engineering Science and Technology, an International Journal, 19(2), 917-925. doi:10.1016/j.jestch.2015.11.013Benajes, J., García-Oliver, J. M., Novella, R., & Kolodziej, C. (2012). Increased particle emissions from early fuel injection timing Diesel low temperature combustion. Fuel, 94, 184-190. doi:10.1016/j.fuel.2011.09.014Rajkumar, S., & Thangaraja, J. (2019). Effect of biodiesel, biodiesel binary blends, hydrogenated biodiesel and injection parameters on NOx and soot emissions in a turbocharged diesel engine. Fuel, 240, 101-118. doi:10.1016/j.fuel.2018.11.141Jin, C., & Zheng, Z. (2015). A Review on Homogeneous Charge Compression Ignition and Low Temperature Combustion by Optical Diagnostics. Journal of Chemistry, 2015, 1-23. doi:10.1155/2015/910348Dev, S., B Chaudhari, H., Gothekar, S., Juttu, S., Harishchandra Walke, N., & Marathe, N. V. (2017). Review on Advanced Low Temperature Combustion Approach for BS VI. SAE Technical Paper Series. doi:10.4271/2017-26-0042Stanton, D. W. (2013). Systematic Development of Highly Efficient and Clean Engines to Meet Future Commercial Vehicle Greenhouse Gas Regulations. SAE International Journal of Engines, 6(3), 1395-1480. doi:10.4271/2013-01-2421Boretti, A., & Al-Zubaidy, S. (2016). E-KERS Energy Management Crucial to Improved Fuel Economy. SAE Technical Paper Series. doi:10.4271/2016-01-1947Metz, L. D. (2013). Potential for Passenger Car Energy Recovery through the Use of Kinetic Energy Recovery Systems (KERS). SAE Technical Paper Series. doi:10.4271/2013-01-0407Kim, J. S., Kim, S. M., Jeong, J. H., Jeong, S. C., & Lee, J. W. (2016). Effect of regenerative braking energy on battery current balance in a parallel hybrid gasoline-electric vehicle under FTP-75 driving mode. International Journal of Automotive Technology, 17(5), 865-872. doi:10.1007/s12239-016-0084-zBoretti, A. (2010). Improvements of Vehicle Fuel Economy Using Mechanical Regenerative Braking. SAE Technical Paper Series. doi:10.4271/2010-01-1683Clarke, P., Muneer, T., & Cullinane, K. (2010). Cutting vehicle emissions with regenerative braking. Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment, 15(3), 160-167. doi:10.1016/j.trd.2009.11.002Commercial Fleethttps://www.commercialfleet.org/news/truck-news/2015/09/02/kers-system-developed-for-road-freight-trucksAggarwal, P., & Jain, S. (2016). Energy demand and CO2 emissions from urban on-road transport in Delhi: current and future projections under various policy measures. Journal of Cleaner Production, 128, 48-61. doi:10.1016/j.jclepro.2014.12.012Kanikdale, T., & Venugopal, S. (2015). Future Scenarios for Automotive Engines in India. SAE Technical Paper Series. doi:10.4271/2015-26-0034Saidur, R., Rezaei, M., Muzammil, W. K., Hassan, M. H., Paria, S., & Hasanuzzaman, M. (2012). Technologies to recover exhaust heat from internal combustion engines. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 16(8), 5649-5659. doi:10.1016/j.rser.2012.05.018Arsie, I., Cricchio, A., Pianese, C., De Cesare, M., & Nesci, W. (2014). A Comprehensive Powertrain Model to Evaluate the Benefits of Electric Turbo Compound (ETC) in Reducing CO2 Emissions from Small Diesel Passenger Cars. SAE Technical Paper Series. doi:10.4271/2014-01-1650EcoScorehttp://ecoscore.be/en/info/ecoscore/co2CO₂ and Greenhouse Gas Emissionshttps://ourworldindata.org/co2-and-other-greenhouse-gas-emission

Transport energy consumption in mountainous roads. A comparative case study for internal combustion engines and electric vehicles in Andorra

This paper analyses transport energy consumption of conventional and electric vehicles in mountainous roads. A standard round trip in Andorra has been modelled in order to characterise vehicle dynamics in hilly regions. Two conventional diesel vehicles and their electric-equivalent models have been simulated and their performances have been compared. Six scenarios have been simulated to study the effects of factors such as orography, traffic congestion and driving style. The European fuel consumption and emissions test and Artemis urban driving cycles, representative of European driving cycles, have also been included in the comparative analysis. The results show that road grade has a major impact on fuel economy, although it affects consumption in different levels depending on the technology analysed. Electric vehicles are less affected by this factor as opposed to conventional vehicles, increasing the potential energy savings in a hypothetical electrification of the car fleet. However, electric vehicle range in mountainous terrains is lower compared to that estimated by manufacturers, a fact that could adversely affect a massive adoption of electric cars in the short term.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author’s final draft

modeling and characterization of molten carbonate fuel cell for electricity generation and carbon dioxide capture

Abstract The growing electricity request and more severe commitments on emissions led to the research of more and more efficient energy transformation processes. The use of Fuel Cell in order to improve energetic and exergetic efficiency is well-assessed and a number of advanced processes and highly functional materials are currently under investigation, advising a high potential of these systems for the future development of sustainable energy technologies. In particular, the capabilities of integrating high temperature fuel cells within energy conversion systems having medium and high grade thermal sources (flue gases) has resulted in a renewed interest in Molten Carbonate Fuel Cells (MCFC). In fact, they operate at temperatures in the range of 600-700°C and they could be fed by unreformed gas, internally integrating a methane-steam reforming section (direct or indirect). In this paper, the Authors present a theoretical activity finalized to the design and characterization of the integration of a MCFC in a coal fired power plant: a physical model of the fuel cell has been developed, where the energy and chemical processes are represented for the cell stack and geometrical and electrical parameters have been taken into consideration. The model has been applied for system analysis with respect to multiple steady states, sensitivity and stability behavior. Both direct and indirect internal reforming cases have been compared each other, evaluating the energetic and environmental performances of the use of the MCFC as CO2 remover

Dependability Model of Automated Intelligent Regenerative Life Support System for Space Missions

Long-duration human space missions require intelligent regenerative life support systems that can recycle resources and automatically manage failures. This paper explores using Petri nets to model the reliability and complex interactions of such closed-loop systems. An architecture consisting of primary systems, backups, and consumable reserves is outlined. The automation system that controls everything is described. Petri nets can capture concurrency, failure modes, redundancy, and dynamic behavior. A modular modeling methodology is presented to develop hierarchical Petri net models that scale in fidelity. Elementary fragments represent failures and redundancy. Subsystem modules can be substituted for more detailed models. Analysis and simulation assess system reliability and failure response. This supports designing ultra-reliable systems to safely sustain human life in space