Photovoltaic versus Micro-Hydropower for Rural Non-Grid Connected Areas of Equatorial Sarawak

There is currently a large expansion in photovoltaic installation worldwide especially in the temperate regions of the world which have tended to influence electrical power decisions in developing countries at the equator.  This research clearly justifies hydropower over photovoltaic electricity generation in non-grid connected regions of equatorial Sarawak, Malaysia.  A case study was made of photovoltaic installations versus micro-hydropower installation in these regions.  There are problems of micro-hydroelectricity especially during dry seasons but this work justifies allocating more resources in improving micro-hydroelectricity research such that eventually it will produce enough electricity even with the low water flow rate of the dry seasons.  This research can be done locally compared to photovoltaics whose research tends to be mostly imported into Malaysia.  Some comparisons are made to grid connected hydroelectric dams to depict capabilities of this technology given sufficient research allocations

Photovoltaic versus Micro-Hydropower for Rural Non-Grid Connected Areas of Equatorial Sarawak

There is currently a large expansion in photovoltaic installation worldwide especially in the temperate regions of the world which have tended to influence electrical power decisions in developing countries at the equator. This research clearly justifies hydropower over photovoltaic electricity generation in non-grid connected regions of equatorial Sarawak, Malaysia. A case study was made of photovoltaic installations versus micro-hydropower installation in these regions. There are problems of micro-hydroelectricity especially during dry seasons but this work justifies allocating more resources in improving micro-hydroelectricity research such that eventually it will produce enough electricity even with the low water flow rate of the dry seasons. This research can be done locally compared to photovoltaics whose research tends to be mostly imported into Malaysia. Some comparisons are made to grid connected hydroelectric dams to depict capabilities of this technology given sufficient research allocations

Active Razor Shell CaO Catalyst Synthesis for Jatropha Methyl Ester Production via Optimized Two-Step Transesterification

Calcium based catalysts have been studied as promising heterogeneous catalysts for production of methyl esters via transesterification; however a few were explored on catalyst synthesis with high surface area, less particle size, and Ca leaching analysis. In this work, an active Razor shell CaO with crystalline size of 87.2 nm

Biodiesel Production from Castor Oil by Using Calcium Oxide Derived from Mud Clam Shell

The catalytic potential of calcium oxide synthesized from mud clam shell as a heterogeneous catalyst for biodiesel production was studied. The mud clam shell calcium oxide was characterized using particle size analyzer, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and BET gas sorption analyzer. The catalyst performance of mud clam shell calcium oxide was studied in the transesterification of castor oil as biodiesel. Catalyst characterization and transesterification study results of synthesized catalyst proved the efficiency of the natural derived catalyst for biodiesel production. A highest biodiesel yield of 96.7% was obtained at optimal parameters such as 1 : 14 oil-to-methanol molar ratio, 3% w/w catalyst concentration, 60°C reaction temperature, and 2-hour reaction time. Catalyst reusability test shows that the synthesized calcium oxide from mud clam shell is reusable up to 5 times

Optimization of transesterification parameters for optimal biodiesel yield from crude jatropha oil using a newly synthesized seashell catalyst

Heterogeneous catalysts are promising catalysts for optimal biodiesel yield from transesterification of vegetable oils. In this work calcium oxide (CaO) heterogeneous catalyst was synthesized from Polymedosa erosa seashell. Calcination was carried out at 900ºC for 2h and characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Catalytic efficiency of CaO was testified in transesterification of crude Jatropha oil (CJO). A response surface methodology (RSM) based on five-level-two-factor central composite design (CCD) was employed to optimize two critical transesterification parameters catalyst concentration to pretreated CJO (0.01-0.03 w/w %) and the reaction time (90 min - 150 min). A JB yield of 96.48% was estimated at 0.023 w/w% catalyst and 125.76 min reaction using response optimizer. The legitimacy of the predicted model was verified through the experiments. The validation experiments conformed a yield of JB 96.4%±0.01% as optimal at 0.023 w/w% catalyst to pretreated oil ratio and 126 min reaction time

Biodiesel Production from Castor Oil by Using Calcium Oxide Derived from Mud Clam Shell

The catalytic potential of calcium oxide synthesized from mud clam shell as a heterogeneous catalyst for biodiesel production was studied. The mud clam shell calcium oxide was characterized using particle size analyzer, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and BET gas sorption analyzer. The catalyst performance of mud clam shell calcium oxide was studied in the transesterification of castor oil as biodiesel. Catalyst characterization and transesterification study results of synthesized catalyst proved the efficiency of the natural derived catalyst for biodiesel production. A highest biodiesel yield of 96.7% was obtained at optimal parameters such as 1 : 14 oil-to-methanol molar ratio, 3% w/w catalyst concentration, 60∘C reaction temperature, and 2-hour reaction time. Catalyst reusability test shows that the synthesized calcium oxide from mud clam shell is reusable up to 5 times

Active Heterogeneous CaO Catalyst Synthesis from

Heterogeneous catalysts are often used at large to produce biodiesel from non-edible vegetable crude oils such as Jatropha curcas oil (JCO). In this study, an active heterogeneous CaO catalyst was synthesized from a tropical biodiversity seashells Anadara granosa (A.granosa). The catalytic efficiency of A.granosa CaO was investigated in transesterification of JCO as biodiesel. The A.granosa CaO catalyst was synthesized using ‘Calcination – hydration – dehydration’ protocol. The spectral characterization of the catalyst were investigated by employing FT-IR, SEM, BET and BJH spectrographic techniques. The experimental design was executed with four reaction parameters that include catalyst concentration (CC), methanol ratio (MR), transesterification time (TT) and reaction temperature (RT). The JCO transesterification reactions as well as impact of reaction parameters on the Jatropha biodiesel yield (JBY) were analyzed. The sufficiency of the experimental results conformed through sequential validation tests, as a result, an average of 96.2% JMY was noted at optimal parametric conditions, CC of 3wt. %, TT of 120 min, MR of 5 mol. and RT of 60ºC at a constant agitation speed of 300rpm. An average JMY of 87.6% was resulted from the A.granosa CaO catalyst during their recycling and reuse studies up to third reuse cycle

Active Heterogeneous CaO Catalyst Synthesis from Anadara granosa (Kerang) Seashells for Jatropha Biodiesel Production

Heterogeneous catalysts are often used at large to produce biodiesel from non-edible vegetable crude oils such as Jatropha curcas oil (JCO). In this study, an active heterogeneous CaO catalyst was synthesized from a tropical biodiversity seashells Anadara granosa (A.granosa). The catalytic efficiency of A.granosa CaO was investigated in transesterification of JCO as biodiesel. The A.granosa CaO catalyst was synthesized using ‘Calcination – hydration – dehydration’ protocol. The spectral characterization of the catalyst were investigated by employing FT-IR, SEM, BET and BJH spectrographic techniques. The experimental design was executed with four reaction parameters that include catalyst concentration (CC), methanol ratio (MR), transesterification time (TT) and reaction temperature (RT). The JCO transesterification reactions as well as impact of reaction parameters on the Jatropha biodiesel yield (JBY) were analyzed. The sufficiency of the experimental results conformed through sequential validation tests, as a result, an average of 96.2% JMY was noted at optimal parametric conditions, CC of 3wt. %, TT of 120 min, MR of 5 mol. and RT of 60ºC at a constant agitation speed of 300rpm. An average JMY of 87.6% was resulted from the A.granosa CaO catalyst during their recycling and reuse studies up to third reuse cycle

Biodiesel Synthesis From Crude Jatropha Oil Using An Active Heterogeneous Nano Catalyst: An Optimized Process

Heterogeneous catalysts are often used at large to produce biodiesel from non-edible crude oils such as crude Jatropha oil (CJO) due to their numerous advantageous over homogeneous catalysts. In this study, an active heterogeneous calcium oxide (CaO) nano-catalyst was synthesized from waste egg shells and catalytic efficiency of CaO was investigated in a twostep transesterification of CJO triglycerides as biodiesel. The CaO nano-catalyst was synthesized using a hydro-thermal technique. Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques were employed to evaluate the catalyst structural characteristics. Transesterification reaction kinetics and their impact on biodiesel were analyzed by utilizing a response surface model based on central composite design. The primary reaction parameters such as catalyst concentration and the reaction time were considered for the two-factor-fivelevel, full factorial model. The remaining parameters that include, methanol to oil ratio, stirring RPM and reaction temperature were treated as constants. The sufficiency of the predicted model was conformed through experiments, and a 96.47% biodiesel was noted at 0.02:1 (w/w) catalyst concentration and 128 min reaction time. An average of 93.2% biodiesel yield was recorded from the CaO catalyst recycling studies up to 5th reuse cycle