Recent advancements in applications of encapsulated phase change materials for solar energy systems: A state of the art review

In recent decades, solar energy systems have played an increasingly important role in human societies, including support of the supply of drinking water, hot water, and electricity in arid, semi-arid and remote communities. The most challenging aspects of solar energy systems are storing energy when it is available and using it when there is a high demand for energy without access to solar energy. Encapsulating phase change materials (PCMs) or nano enhanced PCMs can serve as thermal batteries for storing solar energy, whereby it is important to consider the energy characteristics of various encapsulation methods. This includes taking into account encapsulation materials, such as diameter, enthalpy, efficiency, and heat cycling times, in order to integrate them with solar energy systems. In the present paper, production process methods, characteristics and ingredients of encapsulation are reviewed, followed by evaluation of the effect of the composition of encapsulation PCMs on the performance of solar energy applications in in Middle East and North African countries, including photovoltaic/thermal, solar desalination, solar water heater, solar power plant, solar pond, solar thermochemical reactor, and others. Further, the effects of dispersing various nano powders in PCM (encapsulated nano-enhanced PCM) to increase the thermal properties of thermal batteries are reviewed. In addition, a summary of the economic analysis of thermal batteries and evaluating sustainable development goals of solar energy applications as integrated by encapsulated PCMs/nano-enhanced PCMs are conducted and discussed. We conclude by evaluating the trade-off, synergy, future perspectives, and recommendations of encapsulation PCM used in solar energy applications

Bio-based rhamnolipids production and recovery from waste streams: Status and Perspectives

Bio-based rhamnolipid production from waste streams is gaining momentum nowadays because of increasing market demand, huge range of applications and its economic and environment friendly nature. Rhamnolipid type biosurfactants are produced by microorganisms as secondary metabolites and have been used to reduce surface/interfacial tension between two different phases. Biosurfactants have been reported to be used as an alternative to chemical surfactants.Pseudomonas sp.has been frequently used for production of rhamnolipid. Various wastes can be used in production of rhamnolipid. Rhamnolipids are widely used in various industrial applications. The present review provides information about structure and nature of rhamnolipid, production using different waste materials and scale-up of rhamnolipid production. It also provides comprehensive literature on various industrial applications along with perspectives and challenges in this research area.Authors are grateful to the management of Gujarat Pollution Control Board, Gandhinagar, Gujarat, India for providing necessary facilities to perform literature review presented in this paper.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Engineering biocatalytic material for the remediation of pollutants: a comprehensive review

Bioremediation through biotechnological interventions has attracted more attention among researchers in field of environmental pollution control and abatement. Various cutting-edge studies in area of protein engineering and synthetic biology offer a new platform for creation of innovative, advanced biological materials for its beneficial role in environmental pollution mitigation. Biocatalysis especially receives considerable attention as sustainable approach to resource recovery from waste along with elimination of pollutants. This paper focuses on updated developments in engineering of biocatalytic substances which can degrade pollutants of emerging concern. It also explains various classes of biocatalysts, their mechanisms of immobilization, and applications in terms of environmental pollutant remediation. Opportunities and challenges for future research have also been discussed

Micro generación de energía en Smart Cities: Micro turbina de agua para lluvia

El trabajo consiste en analizar brevemente la situación actual de las smart cities en cuanto a aspectos energéticos se refiere, y más específicamente, la generación distribuida. Después, se acometerá la construcción de un prototipo de sistema que almacena agua de lluvia para luego hacerla pasar a través de una turbina para generar electricidad, sistema que que encaja dentro del marco de la micro generación