Energy Efficiency Management: State of the Art and Improvement Potential Analysis with Regard to Cargo Transport by Air and Rail

This review article summarizes the state of the art in energy efficiency (EE) management in air and rail cargo transportation. After an introduction, explanations and definitions follow around the topic of energy efficiency. The political framework conditions of the European Union (EU) as well as the associated European Union Emissions Trading System are described. In particular, the drive technologies, CO2 emissions, and fuel-saving options are reviewed

Cyanobacteria for PHB Bioplastics Production: A Review

Cyanobacteria, or blue-green algae, can be used as host to produce polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA), which are promising bioplastic raw materials. The most important material thereof is polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB), which can replace the commodity polymer polypropylene (PP) in many applications, yielding a bio-based, biodegradable alternative solution. The advantage from using cyanobacteria to make PHB over the standard fermentation processes, with sugar or other organic (waste) materials as feedstock, is that the sustainability is better (compare first-generation biofuels with the feed vs. fuel debate), with CO2 being the only carbon source and sunlight being the sole energy source. In this review article, the state of the art of cyanobacterial PHB production and its outlook is discussed. Thirty-seven percent of dry cell weight of PHB could be obtained in 2018, which is getting close to up to 78% of PHB dry cell weight in heterotrophic microorganisms in fermentation reactors. A good potential for cyanobacterial PHB is seen throughout the literature

Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction Potential of Lavender Meal and Essential Oil for Dairy Cows

This research aims to evaluate the potential of lavender meal (LM) and lavender essential oil (LEO) to mitigate methane emissions by dairy cows. Locally grown lavender was collected fresh for this purpose, and its oil was extracted using the cold-press method. The resultant LEO and LM and whole lavender (WL) were added to dairy cow concentrate feed at 0%, 0.05%, and 0.10%, and their effects on vitro gas production values and gas concentrations were subsequently assessed. Out of the 30 bioactive compounds isolated from LEO, linalool and linalyl acetate were the most common-accounting for 70.4% of the total. The lavender dose had a significant influence on gas production for up to 12 h. No significant variations were found across the lavender forms when gas kinetics, in vitro degradability, and predicted energy values were compared. The addition of WL to the concentrate feed of dairy cows produced the greatest quantities of methane, carbon dioxide, and hydrogen sulfide, whereas LEO resulted in the lowest values. In contrast, no significant difference in ammonia content was found across the various lavender forms added into dairy cow concentrate feed. The results of this research suggest that adding 0.05-0.10% LM and LEO to concentrate feed may decrease greenhouse gas emissions from dairy cows

Species concentration measurements by laser diagnostics characterizing combustion and ignition processes up to high pressures

Zsfassung in dt. Sprache28

Bioactive peptides: a review

Bioactive peptides are protein components which are inactive within the protein structure, and upon release by enzymatic hydrolysis, they exhibit special physiological functions. In the last years, the characteristics of bioactive peptides obtained from various plant, animal and microbial sources have received much attention. Bioactive peptides are produced using hydrolysis by enzymes extracted from plants or microorganisms, or digestive enzymes and fermentation by proteolytic starter cultures. The composition and sequence of the amino acids determines their different functions, including relaxing effects, solute binding properties, strengthening of the immune system, antioxidant, anti-microbial, anti-inflammatory, cholesterol-lowering and anti-hypertensive effects. Bioactive peptides are identified by different methods including membrane separation techniques and chromatography from protein hydrolysis products and using spectrometric techniques. The possibility of using bioactive peptides as health or therapeutic components depends on ensuring their bio stability, bioavailability and safety

Bioprocess Engineering Aspects of Sustainable Polyhydroxyalkanoate Production in Cyanobacteria

Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are a group of biopolymers produced in various microorganisms as carbon and energy reserve when the main nutrient, necessary for growth, is limited. PHAs are attractive substitutes for conventional petrochemical plastics, as they possess similar material properties, along with biocompatibility and complete biodegradability. The use of PHAs is restricted, mainly due to the high production costs associated with the carbon source used for bacterial fermentation. Cyanobacteria can accumulate PHAs under photoautotrophic growth conditions using CO2 and sunlight. However, the productivity of photoautotrophic PHA production from cyanobacteria is much lower than in the case of heterotrophic bacteria. Great effort has been focused to reduce the cost of PHA production, mainly by the development of optimized strains and more efficient cultivation and recovery processes. Minimization of the PHA production cost can only be achieved by considering the design and a complete analysis of the whole process. With the aim on commercializing PHA, this review will discuss the advances and the challenges associated with the upstream processing of cyanobacterial PHA production, in order to help the design of the most efficient method on the industrial scale

Strategies to Mitigate Enteric Methane Emissions in Ruminants: A Review

Methane is the main greenhouse gas (GHG) emitted by ruminants. Mitigation strategies are required to alleviate this negative environmental impact while maintaining productivity and ruminants’ health. To date, numerous methane mitigation strategies have been investigated, reported and suggested by scientists to the livestock industry. In this review, the authors will focus on the commonly practiced and available techniques expanding the knowledge of the reader on the advances of methane mitigation strategies with a focus on the recent literature. Furthermore, the authors will attempt to discuss the drawbacks of the strategies in terms of animal health and performance reduction as well as the concept of feed and energy loss, adding an economic perspective to methane emission mitigation which is in the farmers’ direct interest. As a whole, many factors are effective in reducing undesired methane production, but this is definitely a complex challenge. Conclusively, further research is required to offer effective and efficient methane production mitigation solutions in ruminants worldwide, thus positively contributing to climate change