University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia

Instituto Superior Técnico, Lisbon, Portugal

In cooperation with
Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark
American International College, Saad Al-Abdullah, Kuwait
University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
Brno University of Technology, Brno, Czech Republic
TH Köln – University of Applied Sciences, Cologne, Germany
Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands
University of Dubrovnik, Dubrovnik, Croatia
Hamburg University of Applied Sciences, Hamburg, Germany
Jozef Stefan International Postgraduate School, Ljubljana, Slovenia
Macedonian Academy of Sciences and Arts, MASA-RCESD, Skopje, Macedonia
University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
American University of Ras Al Khaimah, Ras Al-Khaimah, United Arab Emirates
Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Industrial University of Santander, Bucaramanga, Colombia
University of Sarajevo, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TÜBİTAK), Ankara, Turkey
"Vinča" Institute of Nuclear Sciences, Belgrade, Serbia
Warsaw University of Technology, Warsaw, Poland
Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China

Executive organizer
International Centre for Sustainable Development of Energy, Water and Environment Systems,
Zagreb, Croatia

Partners
The Combustion Institute – Adria Section, Zagreb, Croatia
Slovenian Association for the Club of Rome, Ljubljana
Club of Rome - European Research Centre, Konstanz
Mediterranean Network for Engineering Schools and Technical Universities – RMEI, Marseille,
France
The World Academy of Art and Science
Prof. Maria da Graça Carvalho, Instituto Superior Técnico, Lisbon, Portugal, Chair
Prof. Neven Duic, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia, Co-chair
Prof. Jiří Jaromír Klemeš, Brno University of Technology - VUT Brno, Brno, Czech Republic , Co-
Chair for the Central and Eastern Europe
Prof. Henrik Lund, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark, Co-Chair for Northern Europe
Prof. Ingo Stadler, TH Köln, Cologne, Germany, Co-Chair for Western Europe
Prof. Poul Alberg Østergaard, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark
Prof. Mário Costa, Instituto Superior Técnico, Lisbon, Portugal
Dr. Aoife Foley, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast, United Kingdom
Prof. Zvonimir Guzović, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Dr. Şiir Kilkiş, The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TÜBİTAK), Ankara,
Turkey
Prof. Tarik Kupusovic, University of Sarajevo, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Prof. Natasa Markovska, Research Center for Energy and Sustainable Development, MANU,
Skopje, North Macedonia
Prof. Brian Vad Mathiesen, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark
Prof. Mousa Mohsen, American International College, Kuwait
Prof. Simeon Oka, Institute Vinca, Novi Beograd, Belgrade, Serbia
Prof. Adolfo Palombo, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
Prof. Antonio Piacentino, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
Prof. Nikola Rajakovic, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
Prof. Nikola Ruzinski, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Prof. Eduardo Serra, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro – UFRJ, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Prof. Daniel Rolph Schneider, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Prof. Ivo Šlaus, Rudjer Boskovic Institute, Zagreb, Croatia
Prof. Krzysztof Urbaniec, Warsaw University of Technology, Plock, Poland
Dr. Petar Varbanov, Brno University of Technology - VUT Brno, Brno, Czech Republic
Prof. Qiuwang Wang, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
Prof. Jinyue Yan, Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden
Prof. Aleksander Zidanšek, Jozef Stefan International Postgraduate School, Ljubljana, Slovenia

Honorary members
Prof. Naim H. Afgan, Instituto Superior Tecnico, Lisbon, Portugal
Prof. Kemal Hanjalic, Delft University of Technology, Delft, Netherlands
Prof. Vyacheslav Kafarov, Industrial University of Santander, Bucaramanga, Colombia
Prof. Walter Leal Filho, Hamburg University of Applied Sciences, Hamburg, Germany
Prof. Vladimir Lipovac, University of Dubrovnik, Dubrovnik, Croatia, honorary member
Prof. Jordan Pop-Jordanov, Macedonian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Skopje, Macedonia
Dr. Subhas K. Sikdar, United States Environmental Protection Agency, Cincinnati, United States
Prof. Xiliang Zhang, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
Prof. Neven Duic, University of Zagreb, Chair
Prof. Zvonimir Guzović, University of Zagreb
Dr. Tomislav Pukšec, University of Zagreb
Dr. Goran Krajačić, University of Zagreb
Dr. Marko Ban, SDEWES Centre
Nevena Grubelić, SDEWES Centre
Iva Gavran, SDEWES Centre
Hrvoje Stančin, SDEWES Centre
Irma Kremer, University of Zagreb
Ana Lovrak, University of Zagreb
Tena Maruševac, University of Zagreb
Nikola Matak, SDEWES Centre
Antun Pfeifer, University of Zagreb
Borna Doračić, University of Zagreb
Robert Bedoić, University of Zagreb
Filip Jurić, University of Zagreb
Tibor Bešenić, University of Zagreb
Marko Mimica, University of Zagreb
Ivan Pađen, SDEWES Centre
Hrvoje Dorotić, University of Zagreb

Publisher Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Naval Architecture, Zagreb

ISSN 1847-7186 (book of abstracts)

ISSN 1847-7178 (digital proceedings)
Editors
Marko Ban Milana Guteša Božo Alessandro Romagnoli
Neven Duić Malgorzata Kacprzak Martin Schiemann
Daniel Rolph Schneider Soteris Kalogirou Holger Schlör
Zvonimir Guzović Jiří Jaromír Klemeš Ivo Šlaus
Annamaria Buonomano Ankica Kovač Agustin Valera-Medina
Francesco Calise Goran Krajačić Laura Vanoli
Nicola Cantore Ting Ma Petar Sabev Varbanov
Ricardo Chacartegui Henrik Madsen Sandra Venghaus
Mário Costa Carolin Märker Giulio Vialetto
Dominik-Franjo Henning Meschede Milan Vujanović
Dominković Hrvoje Mikulčić Qiuwang Wang
Ayman Elshkaki Marco Noro Jian Yang
Valerie Eveloy Adolfo Palombo Aleksander Zidanšek
Yee Van Fan Antonio Piacentino Vesna Žegarac Leskovar
Anna Grobelak Miroslav Premrov

Technical Editors Aleksandra Mudrovčić, Marko Ban

I. Šlaus, Croatia - Chairman
A. Abdul, Malaysia; Z. Abdul Manan, Malaysia; E. Ahmetović, Bosnia and Herzegovina; A. Ajanovic, Austria; S. Alabrudzinski, Poland; A.
Alami Merrouni, Morocco; R. Aldaco, Spain; W.H. Alfonso Piña, Colombia; M. Aliehyaei, Iran; E. Aliste, Chile; F. Al-Mansour, Slovenia;
A. Almutairi, Kuwait; M. Alsheyab, Qatar; A. Altmimi, Iraq; M. Amosa, Vietnam; A. Anastasovski, North Macedonia; V. Ancona, Italy; A.
Anić Vučinić, Croatia; S. Anweiler, Poland; E. Apaydın Varol, Turkey; O. Araujo, Brazil; P. Araya, Chile; M. Araz, Turkey; A. Arena,
Argentina; H. Ashiabor, Australia; H. Assaf, United Arab Emirates; E. Assoumou, France; D. Astiaso Garcia, Italy; D. Auger, United
Kingdom; A. Avami, Iran; S. Avdullahi, Kosovo; J. Avsec, Slovenia; V. Badescu, Romania; V. Bakić, Serbia; T. Baklacioglu, Turkey; J.
Baleta, Croatia; S.S. Baral, India; S. Bartha, Romania; I. Barut, Turkey; I. Batas Bjelic, Serbia; N. Baycan, Turkey; C. Beal, Australia; M.
Beccali, Italy; J.A. Becerra Villanueva, Spain; C. Belchior, Brazil; E. Bellos, Greece; U. Berardi, Canada; M. Berni, Brazil; T. Bešenić,
Croatia; T. Betti, Croatia; D. Beysens, France; A. Bezama, Germany; R. Bhandari, Germany; K. Biek, Germany; L. Bilir, Turkey; S.
Boeykens, Argentina; J. Bogdanović-Jovanović, Serbia; S. Boldyryev, Russian Federation; O. Bonacci, Croatia; M. Bonomolo, Italy; D.
Borello, Italy; V. Borozan, North Macedonia; A. Botan, Denmark; D. Bottino Leone, Italy; T.A. Branca, Italy; H. Brandi, Brazil; C. Breyer,
Finland; R.M. Brito Alves, Brazil; G. Buceti, Italy; A. Buonomano, Italy; W. Bustamante, Chile; J.K. Calautit, United Kingdom; F. Calise,
Italy; P. Canciani, Italy; T. Capuder, Croatia; P. Caputo, Italy; N. Caracciolo, Argentina; F. Cardona, Italy; F. Caresana, Italy; R. Carli, Italy;
B. Castellani, Italy; J. Cerezo, Mexico; G. Cerri, Italy; R. Chacartegui, Spain; F. Chang, Taiwan; M. Charde, United Arab Emirates; P.
Charvat, Czech Republic; B.L.F. Chin, Malaysia; M. Cipek, Croatia; A. Cipollina, Italy; G. Ciulla, Italy; M. Colaco, Brazil; M. Correia De
Oliveira, Portugal; C. Cristofari, France; D. Cvetinović, Serbia; S. Cvetkovic, Serbia; L. Czarnowska, Poland; Z. Čepić, Serbia; R. Černý,
Czech Republic; M. Čistý, Slovakia; L. Čuček, Slovenia; R. Ćirić, Serbia; B. Ćosić, Croatia; M. Dabic, Croatia; A. Dallos, Hungary; I. Danilin,
Russian Federation; G. Danon, Serbia; G. Davis, United States; B. De Gouvello, France; A. De Pascale, Italy; S.N. De Souza, Brazil; A.
Dedinec, North Macedonia; N. Degiuli, Croatia; E. Delgado, Ecuador; U. Desideri, Italy; M. Despotovic, Serbia; R. Dewil, Belgium; V. Di
Dio, Italy; S. Di Fraia, Italy; M. Di Risio, Italy; F.A. Diaz Borquez, Chile; M.C. Díaz-Ramírez, Spain; F.B. Dilek, Turkey; C. Dinca, Romania;
S. Dobrovic, Croatia; N. Dobrynkin, Russian Federation; Ö. Döğerlioğlu Işıksungur, Turkey; B. Dokkar, Algeria; J. Domac, Croatia; D.F.
Dominković, Denmark; Y. Dou, Japan; A.I. Dounis, Greece; D. Dović, Croatia; D. Drazic, Serbia; S. Du, China; E. Duarte, Portugal; B.
Dumnic, Serbia; E. Dzaferovic, Bosnia and Herzegovina; D. Dzhonova-Atanasova, Bulgaria; P. Dzierwa, Poland; I. Džijan, Croatia; D.
Đaković, Serbia; M. El Rafey, Saudi Arabia; R. El-Emam, Austria; Z. Eller, Hungary; A. Elshkaki, China; V. Eveloy, United Arab Emirates;
B. Fabiano, Italy; A. Feil, Germany; C. Fernandes, Portugal; S. Ferrari, Italy; M. Ferraro, Italy; J. Ferreira, Portugal; V.J. Ferreira, Spain; O.
Filho, Brazil; V. Filipan, Croatia; R.V. Filkoski, North Macedonia; A. Flamos, Greece; K.F.S. Fong, China; D. Foo, Malaysia; G. Fraisse,
France; V. Franzitta, Italy; F. Freire, Portugal; R. Fuster, Chile; A. Gagliano, Italy; D. Gajic, Serbia; A. Galatioto, Italy; A. Galinis, Lithuania;
H. Gao, China; E. Garafulić, Croatia; A. García, Chile; I. Garcia Kerdan, United Kingdom; P. García Triñanes, United Kingdom; M.T. García-
Álvarez, Spain; N. Gaurina-Međimurec, Croatia; M. Georgiadis, Greece; H. Gerbelova, Netherlands; N. Ghaddar, Lebanon; A.
Gholamzadeh Chofreh, Czech Republic; A. Gianfreda, Italy; D. Giannakopoulos, Greece; A. Gimelli, Italy; M. Gliński, Poland; A. Göllei,
Hungary; A. Gomes, Portugal; F. Gonella, Italy; D. Gordic, Serbia; L. Greco, Italy; A. Grobelak, Poland; F. Guarino, Italy; O. Gunduz,
Turkey; X. Guo, China; M. Guteša Božo, Serbia; J. Guziałowska-Tic, Poland; Z. Gviniashvili, Georgia; D. Gvozdenac, Serbia; B.
Gvozdenac Urosevic, Serbia; D.L. Ha, France; S. Ha, Korea South; R. Haas, Austria; A. Haddad, Brazil; M. Hájek, Czech Republic; H. Han,
Korea South; M. Hendel, France; E. Henning, Brazil; C. Henriques, Portugal; I. Heras-Saizarbitoria, Spain; M. Herrando, Spain; R.
Hofmann, Austria; A. Holló, Hungary; T. Homma, Japan; H. Hondo, Japan; A. Hossain, United Kingdom; A. Houri, Lebanon; W. Huang,
Taiwan; Y. Huo, China; J. Hur, Korea South; N. Hvala, Slovenia; F. Hvelplund, Denmark; O. Hwai Chyuan, Malaysia; G. Iglesias, Ireland;
D. Ilic, Serbia; X. Insunza, Chile; B. Ivanov, Bulgaria; D. Ivezic, Serbia; T. Izumi, Japan; B. Janković, Serbia; A. Janjic, Serbia; D. Ji,
Singapore; X. Jia, Czech Republic; B. Jiang, China; G. Jim?nez, Chile; R. Jovanović, Serbia; V. Jovanović, Serbia; A. Jovovic, Serbia; V.
Józsa, Hungary; D. Juchelkova, Czech Republic; S. Kabashi, Kosovo; S. Kabashi, Kosovo; M. Kacprzak, Poland; E. Kakaras, Greece; M.
Kallio, Norway; S. Kalogirou, Cyprus; S. Kambara, Japan; H. Karakoc, Turkey; D. Karasalihović Sedlar, Croatia; S. Karellas, Greece; M.
Kassai, Hungary; V. Katic, Serbia; K. Kavvadias, Netherlands; A. Kazagic, Bosnia and Herzegovina; M. Keane, Ireland; M. Keppert, Czech
Republic; H. Keskin Citiroglu, Turkey; A. Khosravi, Finland; B. Kilkis, Turkey; W. Kim, Korea South; Y. Kim, Korea South; Y. Kim, Korea
South; D. Klimenta, Serbia; L. Klimes, Czech Republic; J. Knápek, Czech Republic; M. Knez, Slovenia; C. Ko, Taiwan; M. Kobayashi,
Japan; L.E. Kollar, Hungary; A. Kona, Italy; D. Koncalovic, Serbia; K. Kontoleon, Greece; L. Korunović, Serbia; M.M. Kostic, United States;
A. Kovač, Croatia; R. Kovačič Lukman, Slovenia; G. Krajačić, Croatia; N. Krajnc, Slovenia; W. Kreft, Poland; G.C. Krieger Filho, Brazil;
A. Krkoleva, North Macedonia; G. Krolczyk, Poland; A. Krstic-Furundzic, Serbia; J. Krstivojevic, Serbia; M. Kucbel, Czech Republic; P.
Kumar, India; M. Kwapinska, Ireland; J. Labra?a, Chile; G. Lazaroiu, Romania; N. Le Pierrès, France; K.T. Lee, Malaysia; S. Lee, Korea
South; J. Leite, Brazil; I. Leobner, Austria; Y. Li, China; J. Lima Reina, Chile; T.C. Ling, Malaysia; L. Lingai, France; A. Lisec, Slovenia; S.
Liu, Taiwan; W. Liu, Netherlands; X. Liu, Denmark; V. Lo Brano, Italy; A. Lombardi Costa, Brazil; S. Longo, Italy; A.G. Lopes, Portugal; J.
Louis, Finland; M. Lu, Taiwan; Z. Lulic, Croatia; D. Ljubas, Croatia; M. Majidi Nezhad, Italy; T. Majozi, South Africa; Č. Maksimović, United
Kingdom; I. Malico, Portugal; M.L. Maloncy, Netherlands; N. Manic, Serbia; M. Manno, Italy; S. Manjare, India; A. Maraj, Albania; C.
Marangoni, Brazil; K. Marathe, India; C. Marguerite, Austria; A.M. Marinov, Romania; L. Martinelli, Italy; B. Martinkauppi, Finland; F.V.
Matera, Italy; T. Matus, Chile; I. Mauleón, Spain; P. Maussion, France; S. Mazzoni, Singapore; S. Meckievi, Chile; R. Medronho, Brazil; I.
Mehrotra, India; C. Melo, Brazil; H. Meschede, Germany; A. Mesquita, Brazil; H. Mikulčić, China; M. Mistretta, Italy; I. Mladenoska, North
Macedonia; I. Mladenoska, North Macedonia; S. Mo, China; K. Mohammedi, Algeria; M. Moldovan, Romania; B. Möller, Germany; M.
Monted?nico, Chile; L. Montorsi, Italy; J. Moravcová, Czech Republic; R. Moreira, Brazil; B. Moreno, Spain; J. Moreno, Chile; M. Moser,
Germany; B. Moshfegh, Sweden; M. Muccillo, Italy; K. Mulder, Netherlands; A. Muscio, Italy; S. Nair, Ireland; B. Nakomčić-Smaragdakis,
Serbia; G. Napoli, Italy; C. Nassar, Brazil; B. Nastasi, Netherlands; M. Neagoe, Romania; A.M. Negm, Egypt; S. Nicosia, Italy; V. Nikolic,
Serbia; M. Nikolova, Bulgaria; S. Nižetić, Croatia; B. Norton, Ireland; G. Notton, France; Z. Novak Pintarič, Slovenia; M. Obrecht, Slovenia;
P. Ocłoń, Poland; K.Y. Oh, Korea South; T. Okadera, Japan; A. Olabi, United Kingdom; M. Olazar, Spain; G. Oluleye, United Kingdom; M.
Ooba, Japan; M. P. Orihuela, Spain; B. Ortega, Italy; A. Özdemir, Turkey; T. Palander, Finland; I..) Panagiotopoulos, Greece; H. Pandžić,
Croatia; A.M. Pantaleo, United Kingdom; C.N. Papadimitriou, Greece; Y. Park, Korea South; A. Passuello, Brazil; M. Pavlas, Czech
Republic; J. Pedraza Garciga, Cuba; J. Peralta Jaramillo, Ecuador; Y. Peralta-Ruiz, Colombia; A. Pereira, Brazil; P. Pereira Da Silva,
Portugal; T. Petkovska Mircevska, North Macedonia; Z. Petranović, Austria; S. Petrovic, Denmark; M. Pietrafesa, Italy; K. Pikon, Poland;
A. Pino, Chile; C. Pirola, Italy; C. Piselli, Italy; A.L. Pisello, Italy; J.M. Ponce-Ortega, Mexico; N. Popov, Canada; S. Postoronca, Moldova;
F. Prado Jr., Brazil; H. Pramanik, India; D.. A. Predin, Slovenia; D. Pretolani, Italy; L. Proskuryakova, Russian Federation; M. Protic,
Serbia; T. Pukšec, Croatia; M. Pusnik, Slovenia; S. Quoilin, Belgium; W. Radziszewska, Poland; A.M. Ragossnig, Austria; J. Ramos,
Portugal; P. Raskovic, Serbia; A. Reis, Brazil; O. Rezende, Brazil; L. Režný, Czech Republic; D.B. Riffel, Brazil; A. Ríos, Ecuador; T.
Risteski, North Macedonia; E. Riva Sanseverino, Italy; F. Rizzi, Italy; G. Rizzo, Italy; J. Rodríguez Martín, Spain; A. Rodzkin, Belarus; M.
Rokni, Denmark; A. Romagnoli, Singapore; G. Romano, Italy; F. Roncallo, Italy; F. Rosa, Italy; A. Rosato, Italy; C. Roselli, Italy; E. Rossi
Di Schio, Italy; V. Roy, France; J.E. Ruelas Ruiz, Mexico; A. Runchal, United States; E. Rusu, Romania; L. Rusu, Romania; D. Sabolić,
Croatia; O. Sahin, Australia; M.I.A. Sajjad, Pakistan; I. Sakata, Japan; N. Samec, Slovenia; J. Sánchez-Chóliz, Spain; R. Sapiains, Chile;
C. Sarasa, Spain; M. Sarmento, Portugal; D. Sauceda, Mexico; I. Savic, Serbia; I. Sazdovski, North Macedonia; F. Scargiali, Italy; M.
Schiemann, Germany; J. Schmandt, United States; H. Schnitzer, Austria; A. Schueftan, Chile; E. Sciubba, Italy; A. Sedić, Croatia; R.
Segurado, Portugal; H. Sekerci Oztura, Turkey; M. Sellitto, Brazil; F. Sevegnani, Brazil; C. Sheinbaum, Mexico; A. Siirde, Estonia; S.
Silveira, Sweden; Z. Simic, Netherlands; N. Simões, Portugal; S. Singh, India; M. Siroux, France; I.R. Skov, Denmark; R. Smith, United
Kingdom; P.E. Smith Guerra, Chile; J. Smolka, Poland; S. Sofia Ferreira Da Silva Caeiro, Portugal; A. Softic, Bosnia and Herzegovina; V.
Somogyi, Hungary; M.- L. Soran, Romania; A. Sorce, Italy; A. Soria Verdugo, Spain; C. Soto Carrion, Peru; H. Sözer, Turkey; L. Sphaier,
Brazil; M. Srbinovska, North Macedonia; S. Stanković, Serbia; V. Stavrakas, Greece; P. Stefanovic, Serbia; V. Stevanovic, Serbia; Ž.
Stevanović, Serbia; S. Stevovic, Serbia; D. Stojiljkovic, Serbia; M. Stojiljković, Serbia; V. Strezov, Australia; B. Sucic, Slovenia; T.
Sugathapala, Sri Lanka; S.A. Sulaiman, Malaysia; P. Swiatek, Germany; I. Szczygiel, Poland; B. Škrbić, Serbia; R. Šomplák, Czech
Republic; V. Šušteršič, Serbia; F. Tadeo, Spain; S. Tahan Latibari, Netherlands; D. Taler, Poland; J. Taler, Poland; M. Tańczuk, Poland;
R. Tapia, Chile; M. Tarantini, Italy; V. Taseska-Gjorgievska, North Macedonia; V. Tasić, Serbia; M.D. Tenev, Argentina; C. Tenreiro Leiva,
Chile; A. Terelak-Tymczyna, Poland; J. Terrados Cepeda, Spain; A. Terziev, Bulgaria; D. Testi, Italy; C. Tian, China; C. Tian, China; Y.
Tian, China; N. Tokgöz, Turkey; Z. Tomsic, Croatia; M. Trafczynski, Poland; M. Trajanović, Serbia; K.C. Tran - Gulbrandsen, Norway; M.
Traverso, Germany; G. Trbic, Bosnia and Herzegovina; M.E. Trebilcock Kelly, Chile; M. Trninic, Serbia; M. Trojan, Poland; L. Tronchin,
Italy; A. Trubetskaya, Ireland; G. Unakitan, Turkey; K. Unami, Japan; R. Urbaniak, Poland; A. Urquiza, Chile; A. Vakhitov, Uzbekistan; F.
Valencia, Chile; A. Valera-Medina, United Kingdom; S. Van Passel, Belgium; L. Vanoli, Italy; S. Vargas, Chile; G. Vasic, Serbia; E. Vásquez,
Peru; S. Vasta, Italy; K. Vavrova, Czech Republic; E. Vazquez, Brazil; M. Vellini, Italy; S. Venghaus, Germany; V.K. Venkiteswaran,
Malaysia; A.K. Verma, India; A. Veról, Brazil; M. Vicidomini, Italy; M. Victoria, Denmark; M. Villarini, Italy; P. Virtič, Slovenia; I. Visa,
Romania; O. Vojacek, Czech Republic; S. Voutetakis, Greece; B. Vucijak, Bosnia and Herzegovina; G. Vučković, Serbia; M. Vujanović,
Croatia; V. Vukasinovic, Serbia; V. Vukovic, North Macedonia; M. Vulic, Slovenia; I. Vušanović, Montenegro; T. Walmsley, Czech Republic;
S.R. Wan Alwi, Malaysia; E. Wang, United States; F. Wang, China; J. Wang, China; R. Wang, China; S. Wang, Netherlands; Y. Wang,
China; S. Werle, Poland; M. Wolf, Austria; K. Wołosz, Poland; K. Xhaxhiu, Albania; D. Xia, China; F.F. Yanine, Chile; H.A. Yavasoglu,
Turkey; U. Yetis, Turkey; N. Yildirim, Turkey; C. Yin, Denmark; L. Yokoyama, Brazil; K. Yoshikawa, Japan; F. You, United States; A.
Zacharopoulos, United Kingdom; B. Zakeri, Finland; X. Zhang, China; D. Zivkovic, Serbia; P. Zivkovic, Serbia; H. Zou, China; P. Zunino,
Italy; G.D. Zupančič, Croatia; K. Zwarycz-Makles, Poland; T. Žakula, Croatia; V. Žegarac Leskovar, Slovenia
„Those who seek paradise on Earth

should come to Dubrovnik and see Dubrovnik.“

Oscar Wilde

Dubrovnik is situated in the southernmost part of the Republic of Croatia. Founded in

the 7th century, Dubrovnik is rich with cultural and historical monuments and is
included in the UNESCO World Heritage list. The city is surrounded with the walls built
between the 11th and 17th century. Its cultural and scientific institutions include
Museum at Rector's Palace, Cathedral Treasury, Pinacotheca, Franciscan monastery
and cloister, with one of three oldest pharmacies in Europe (14th c.), the Cathedral
(initial funds given by King Richard the Lionheart), one of the European oldest
Synagogues, Marin Drzic Theatre, Dubrovnik Symphony Orchestra, Interuniversity
Center. Nature lovers can find here true Mediterranean landscape, and "enjoy the
cleanest sea in the Mediterranean" (Jean Jacques Cousteau). Dubrovnik International
Airport is situated 22 km from the city center.
The 14th Conference on Sustainable Development of Energy, Water and Environment Systems -
SDEWES Conference, to be held in Dubrovnik in 2019, is dedicated to the improvement and
dissemination of knowledge on methods, policies and technologies for increasing the
sustainability of development by de-coupling growth from natural resources and replacing them
with knowledge-based economy, taking into
account its economic, environmental and social "History teaches us that men and
pillars. nations behave wisely once they have
exhausted all other alternatives"
One of the main issues of the coming decades is to
improve efficiencies by integrating various life- Abba Eban
supporting systems, using excess from one, as
resource in other, and in the exact moment when it is beneficial to all, integrating electricity,
heating, cooling, transport, water, buildings, waste, wastewater, industry, forestry and agriculture
systems. Sustainability being also a perfect field for interdisciplinary and multi-cultural
evaluation of complex system, the SDEWES Conference has become a significant venue for
researchers in those areas to meet, and originate, discuss, share, and disseminate new ideas
within:

 Sustainability comparisons and measurements (metrics and indices; multi-criteria

analysis; external costs; exergy analysis; footprint methods; emergy; life cycle analysis)
 Green economy and better governance (circular economy; low carbon
development/economy; resource efficiency; water reuse; jobs and regional
development; macroeconomic analysis; financial and regulatory mechanisms; models
and tools; rebound effect; energy economics; environmental economics; development
economics; sustainability economics)
 Smart energy systems (markets; demand response; integration of power,
heating/cooling, transport, water and waste sectors; smart grids; dynamic electricity
pricing, microgrids)
 Energy policy (security of supply; climate change mitigation; energy transition;
renewable energy support schemes; energy efficiency policy; employment creation;
carbon pricing; markets; fossil fuel subsidies)
 Smart transport systems and policy (fuel/carbon economy; transport electrification;
congestion and road pricing; multimodal management; alternative fuels; social aspects;
autonomous mobility; railways; shipping; aviation)
 Water-energy nexus (water management; water system analysis; water pricing; water
desalination; hydro energy; water-renewables integration, water resources; river basin
management; arid areas)
 Environmental policy and management
(waste management; wastewater "You never change things by fighting
management; climate change mitigation; the existing reality. To change
climate change adaptation; air pollution
something, build a new model that
policy; water pollution policy; land
management; biomass management; makes the existing model obsolete."
rewilding; social aspects; strategic Buckminster Fuller, philosopher,
environmental impact assessment,
futurist and global thinker (1895 -
environment and corporate social
responsibility, quality management 1983)
systems; environment management
systems; eco management and audit
schemes; occupational health and safety assessment systems; hazard analysis and
critical control point; integrated management systems)
 Agricultural policy (energy and water use in agriculture and food processing; food vs.
biofuels; sustainability of biofuels production)
 Social acceptance (reform; NIMBY; nuclear; wind; biofuels; hydrogen; hidden and
special interests; cost based pricing; inclusion; fossil fuel subsidy; green economy and
employment; gender issues; energy poverty; energy affordability)
 Sustainable resilience of systems (resilience of energy systems; resilience of water
systems; resilience of environmental systems; resilience of agricultural systems;
resilience of social systems; resilience of engineering systems )
 Sustainable tourism (green hotels; certification)
 Urbanism (smart cities; urban planning; zoning; transport; zero energy
buildings/districts; sustainable energy action plans; district heating/cooling)
 Regional planning and cooperation (sustainable islands; regions and cities; 100%
renewable regions)
 Research, innovation and development (industry-academia partnership; quadruple
helix; knowledge based society; knowledge management; learning curve; technology
foresight; science diplomacy)
 Education in sustainable development (governance; environmental awareness; higher
education; engineering education)
 Energy system analysis (energy planning; power system planning; smart energy
systems; smart energy networks; natural gas system planning; 100% renewable energy
systems; high penetration of renewables; island energy systems; development of energy
planning tools; internalizing environmental externalities; electrification of transport;
storage vs. grids vs. demand management; long term demand planning; integration of
power and district heating systems; integration of power and water systems; integration
of power and transport systems; power to gas)
 Transport management (transport system analysis, dynamic road pricing; electrification
of transport)
 Renewable energy resources (biomass; hydro; wind; solar; geothermal; wave and ocean;
technical and economic potentials; barriers; cost and benefits; integration)
 Primary energy resources (oil peaking; gas; coal peaking; nuclear fuels)
 Renewable electricity generation systems (biomass; hydro; wind; offshore wind; high
altitude wind; photovoltaic; concentrated solar thermal power; geothermal; wave; tide;
ocean thermal)
 Thermal power plants (clean coal; combined cycles; advanced cycles; flexible operation
and cycling; carbon capture and storage/sequestration/reuse; nuclear)
 District heating and/or cooling in smart energy systems (integration of renewable heat;
cogeneration; industrial waste/excess heat; waste to energy and CHP; power to heat;
electric boilers; heat pumps; integration of CHP with district heating and electricity
markets; heat maps; distribution)
  Nano and micro technologies and science for sustainable development of energy, water,
and environment systems
 Advanced sustainable energy conversion systems (fuel cells; thermoelectric; thermionic;
organic; ORC; waste/excess heat recycling; thermoacoustic; piezoelectric)
 Renewable heat systems (biomass; biofuels; biogas; solar; geothermal)
 Biofuels and biorefineries (biodiesel; bioethanol; biogas; second and third generation
biofuels; waste to biofuels; algae; anaerobic digestion; BTL; biorefineries; alternative
fuel vehicles; infrastructure; sustainability assessment; pyrolysis; torrefaction;
coproduction)
 Alternative fuels (hydrogen; electro-fuels; power to
gas; synthetic fuels; BTL; DME; CNG; resources;
"If there are to be problems, may production; vehicles; infrastructure)
they come during my life-time so  Hybrid and electric vehicles (first generation
that I can resolve them and give my hybrid; plug in hybrid; charging; batteries;
children the chance of a good life." infrastructure)
 Water treatment for drinking water
Kenyan proverb
 Water desalination (distillation; reverse and
forward osmosis; electrodialysis; energy recovery;
discharge management)
 Waste and wastewater treatment and reuse (avoiding waste; composting; recycling;
waste to energy; anaerobic digestion; gasification; mechanical biological treatment;
mechanical heat treatment; plasma arc waste disposal; pyrolysis; RDF/SRF; combustion
modelling)
 Modelling for pollution avoidance and energy efficiency (CFD models; air pollution
spreading; water pollution spreading; heat and mass transfer modelling combustion
modelling)
 Cogeneration, trigeneration, polygeneration (heat/cold and power; water and power;
biofuels and power; transport and energy; food and energy; applications and operation
strategies)
 Storage (heat/cold storage; hydrogen storage; hydropower as storage; pump storage;
compressed air storage; batteries; water storage; biofuels storage; storage optimisation
modelling; financial support mechanisms; power market arbitrage)
 Electricity transmission and distribution (grid extension and robustness; long distance
transmission; power quality)
 Gas security of supply (diversification; shale gas; extension of transmission pipelines;
LNG; Southern Corridor)
 Energy and water efficiency in industry and mining (cement and lime; construction
materials; glass; pulp and paper; food industry; metallurgy; chemical industry; process
optimisation; kilns; boilers; heat exchange networks; pinch analysis; exergy and
exergoeconomic analysis; energy audits; water use and waste minimisation; eco-
innovation; total site integration; life cycle assessment; eco-design and eco-labelling;
product cycle assessment; cleaner production, environmental impact assessment)
 Energy efficient appliances (smart appliances; labelling and standards; user behaviour)
 Buildings (nearly zero energy buildings; passive buildings; smart buildings; smart
metering; ICT; load and demand side management; green buildings; building codes and
standards; buildings certification; HVAC; insulation; renewables integration; heat
pumps; storage; sustainable architecture)
 Energy markets (market/price coupling;
liberalisation/deregulation; modelling;
demand response; role of district heating; "Then I say the Earth belongs to each
desalination and water pumping; storage; retail generation during its course, fully
markets; grid parity; net metering) and in its right no generation can
 Emission markets (emission trading system; contract debts greater than may be
cap and trade; transport participation) paid during the course of its
 Political aspects of sustainable development existence"
(long term planning; sustainable development
Thomas Jefferson, September 6,
goals; the role of political leaders and of voters;
1789
international conflict vs. sustainable
development; security and sustainability;
resource and political security)
The objective of the series of conferences on Sustainable Development of Energy, Water
and Environment Systems (SDEWES) is to provide a forum for world-wide specialists
and those interested in learning about the sustainability of development, to present
research progress and to discuss the state of the art, the future directions and priorities
in the various areas of sustainable development. This includes the improvement and
dissemination of knowledge on methods, policies and technologies for increasing the
sustainability of development, taking into account its economic, environmental and
social pillars, as well as methods for assessing and measuring sustainability of
development, regarding climate, energy, transport, agriculture, water and environment
systems and their many combinations. The reason for the forum having such a wide
scope is due to the need for holistic integrated solutions encompassing several or all
sectors.

Prof. Maria da Graça Carvalho

Chair of the International Scientific Committee

Prof. Ivo Šlaus

Chair of the Scientific Advisory Board

Prof. Neven Duić

Chair of the Local Organising Committee
SDEWES Centre President

Prof. Zvonimir Guzović

Conference Secretary
 CONTENTS

Impact of the Transition Towards 100% Renewable Energy Systems on Primary and
Final Energy Demand ....................................................................................................45
Rethinking Future Industrial Energy Systems ........................................................... 48
Where to Start? The Sustainability of Water Systems in the Global Village ............. 50
100% Renewable Smart Energy Systems ..................................................................... 51

An Optimization Model for the Design of an Off-Grid Micro-Hydro Power Plant .... 57
Evaluation of Energy Integration Aspects for IGCC Power Plant Equipped with CO2
Capture Feature Based on Reactive Gas-Solid Systems ............................................. 58
Towards Full Artificial Intelligence: Hierarchical Temporal Memory for Smart Energy
Allocation .......................................................................................................................59
Analysis of an Application Possibility of Geopolymer Materials as Thermal Backfill for
Underground Power Cable System .............................................................................. 60
Economic Evaluation of District Heating and Cooling in Trigeneration System ...... 61
Biowaste Treatment by Incineration – Environmental Benefits ............................... 62
Energy-Water-Carbon NEXUS Analysis of China: an Input-Output Model-Based
Approach ....................................................................................................................... 63
Model Assessment of the Efficiency of Water Utility Companies: Approach to the
Analysis of Resources and Results ............................................................................... 64
P-Graph Methodology for Utility Targeting in Non-Isothermal Heat-Integrated Water
Networks ........................................................................................................................65
Water-Energy NEXUS Studies: Methods, Implementation, and Developments ..... 66
Techno-Economic Analysis of Concentration Technologies for the Treatment and
Recycling of Industrial Wastewater Effluents .............................................................. 67
Alternative Component Containing Diesel Fuel from Different Wastes ................... 68
Investigation of Biojet Fuel Production over Different Transition Metal/Alumina
Catalysts ........................................................................................................................ 69
Experimental Investigation of Concentration and Size Distribution of Fine
Combustion Particles Emitted by Small Biomass Boiler Under Various Operation
Conditions ..................................................................................................................... 70
A Critical Evaluation of Fatty Acid Alkyl Esters and (Bio)Paraffin-Based Engine Fuels
........................................................................................................................................ 71
Improvement Possibilities for the Cold Flow Properties of Diesel Fuels with High
Paraffin Content............................................................................................................. 72
Diffusion Dialysis for HCl and Heavy Metals Separation from Highly Concentrated
Pickling Solutions .......................................................................................................... 73
Experimental Investigation of Heat Transfer Performance of Gallium Regenerator
Used for Phase Change Thermal Storage ..................................................................... 74
A Novel Model for Optimizing the Reactor Parameters Based on the Integration of
Reaction Network .......................................................................................................... 75
The Imperative of Strategic Management Plan for Global Energy Supply and Use .. 76
Feasibility of Replacement of Nuclear Power with Other Sources in the Czech
Republic ......................................................................................................................... 77
A Kraft Mill-Integrated Biorefinery Design Based on Hydrothermal Liquefaction ..78
Cross-Sector Energy and Mass Integration Potential for Sustainable Development 79
Assessment of the Mercury Footprint at the Global Scale ......................................... 80
Analysis of Circular Economy Approaches for Optimising Performance and
Minimising Environmental Impacts ............................................................................ 81
Regional Waste Management Planning by Pinch Methodology: E-WAMPA ........... 82
Mitigating CO2 Impact of Industrial Process by AG2STM Technology .................... 83
Analysis of PM2.5 Formation in Complex Air Pollution in China ............................. 84
Synthesis of a Biogas Supply Networks for Production of Electricity and Concentrated
Nitrogen Fertilizers Under Uncertainty ...................................................................... 85

Environmental Comparison of Various Ammonia Production Plants with Carbon

Capture and Storage ..................................................................................................... 88
Experimental Study on CH4/NH3 Fuels Combustion Process in Industrial Furnace
with High Regeneration of Heat .................................................................................. 89
Investigation on Combustion Process of CH4/NH3/Air in Premixed Swirl Flames 90
Ammonia Combustion: Experiments and Kinetic Studies .......................................... 91
Development and Assessment of Concentrated Solar Energy Driven Ammonia
Synthesis System from Liquefied Natural Gas............................................................ 92
Investigation of Chemical Kinetics of Ammonia Combustion by Numerical Simulation
....................................................................................................................................... 93
A Comparative Study of SOEC and Co-SOEC for a Combined Power-to-Gas System
....................................................................................................................................... 94
Operation of SOFC with Pure Ammonia as a Fuel.......................................................95
Ammonia and its Blends as Sustainable Energy Carriers in a Fuel Flexible Mild
Cyclonic Burner ............................................................................................................ 96
Trigeneration Humidified Gas Turbine Cycles for Ammonia/Hydrogen .................. 97
LOHC Dehydrogenation Process Intensification and Integration with SOFC Towards
Energy Efficient, Carbon-Free Hydrogen Economy ................................................... 98
Sustainability Assessment of Innovative Energy Technologies – Hydrogen from Wind
Power as a Fuel for Mobility Applications ................................................................ 100
Driving on Hydrogen: Prospects and Impediments for Fuel Cell Vehicles .............. 101
Directives on Infrastructure and Safety Towards Global Hydrogen Mobility .........102
The Production of Electricity, Heat and Hydrogen with the Thermal Power Plant in
Combination with Alternative Technologies .............................................................. 103
Fuel Cells Technology Onboard Future Aircrafts ......................................................104
Hydrogen for High-RES Energy Sector Integration: Comparison of End-Use
Pathways ...................................................................................................................... 105
Ca and Ni Doped Pr0.5Ba0.5FeO3-d as a Highly Active and Robust Cathode for High-
Temperature Solid Oxide Fuel Cell .............................................................................106
Nanostructured Ni-Co Alloy Electrodes Fabrication and Characterization for Both
Hydrogen and Oxygen Evolution Reaction in Alkaline Electrolyzer ........................ 107
Biochar-Assisted Water Electrolysis for Hydrogen Production ............................... 108
Life Cycle Assessment of Hydrogen Technologies with the Focus on EU Critical Raw
Materials and End of Life Strategies ..........................................................................109
Sorption-Enhanced Steam Reforming of Ethanol for High-Purity Hydrogen
Production over Li4Sio4 Sorbent from Rice Husk Ash ............................................. 110
Hydrogen Absorption and Desorption Behavior of Lithium Alanate ........................ 111

Seap Scenarios and Negative Interaction Between Planned Measures .................... 114
Analysis on the Demand Response Potential in Hotels with Varying Probabilistic
Influencing Time-Series for the Canary Islands ........................................................ 115
From Island Operation to Grid Connection - Solution or Problem? - Case Study in the
Resort Town El Gouna, Egypt ..................................................................................... 116
Sustainable Energy Access Planning for Small Philippine Islands: a Geospatial Data
Mining Approach ..........................................................................................................117
Detailed Spatio-Temporal Modelling of Renewable Energy Islands: the Case of the
Island of Krk, Croatia .................................................................................................. 118
Advanced Renewislands Method with Quantitative Mapping of Islands' Needs and
Resources ..................................................................................................................... 119
Renewable Energy Potential Analysis Using Sentinel-1: a New Forecasting Model
Based on Machine Learning for Converters Installation and a Case Study of Italian
Islands ..........................................................................................................................120
A Systematic Upscaling and Transferability Approach for Planning of Future Energy
in Smart Cities.............................................................................................................. 121
Methods for Identifying Critical Temperature for Control of Low-Temperature DH
Systems......................................................................................................................... 122
Connection of Multiple Smaller Heating Systems into a District Heating System with
Integration of Solar Thermal – a Case Study from Croatia ....................................... 123
Optimal Thermal and Electric Storage Capacities for a District Cooling System .... 124

A Parametric Numerical Study of Timber-Frame Wall Elements Coated with Single

Fibre-Plaster Boards with Openings........................................................................... 127
Influence of the Building Height on the Environmental Performance of Multi-Storey
Timber Building ........................................................................................................... 128
Transparent Renovation Techniques for Timber Floors – Is the Use of Structural
Glass an Option? .......................................................................................................... 129
Application of Georadar in Civil Engineering ............................................................ 130
Hygrothermal Simulation to Predict the Preservation Risk and Thermal Comfort in
Historic Buildings. Effects of Future Climate Change in the Mediterranean .......... 131
New Approach in Process of Energy-Efficient Renovation Using the Effective U-Value
of Buildings .................................................................................................................. 132
Sustainability in Architecture: Environmentally Responsible Projects in Croatia .. 133
Approach to Energy and Cost Analysis of External Wall Components Using BIM: Case
Study of Preschool Building ........................................................................................ 134
Motivational Measures to Raise Workplace Indoor Environment Quality .............. 135
Reference Building Identification for Rural Nigerian Buildings .............................. 136
Sensitivity Analysis of a Timber Module Energy Analysis and Thermal Comfort in
Different Climate Conditions ...................................................................................... 137
Design Optimization of Timber-Glass Upgrade Modules from Energy Efficiency and
Visual Comfort Viewpoint ........................................................................................... 138
Improving Energy Efficiency of Kindergartens: Challenges and Potentials ............ 139
Implications of Energy-Efficiency Measures Under Changing Climates for an Existing
Multi-Storey Residential Building ..............................................................................140
Nearly Zero Energy Building Standard for Existing Buildings: Case Study of
Residential Units ......................................................................................................... 141
The Pivotal Role of Moisture Buffering Effect in Energy Simulation of Historic
Buildings ...................................................................................................................... 142

Impact of Different Fuel Gas Inlet Boundary Condition Profiles of Empirical 1D Bed
Model on Freeboard 3D CFD Simulation Results in a Grate-Fired Boiler ............... 145
Experimental Study on Soot Formation During High-Na/Ca Lignite Pyrolysis in an
Entrained Flow Reactor: Effects of Water- and Acid-Leaching ................................ 146
Investigation on the Ash Characteristics and Mechanism of Petrochemical
Sludge/Sewage Sludge Co-Firing with Straw Biomass .............................................. 147
Efficient Biorefinery Based on Designed Lignocellulosic Substrate for Lactic Acid
Production .................................................................................................................... 148
Numerical Study on Ladle Baking Process of Oxy-Fuel Combustion ....................... 149
Development of a New Dynamic Reduced-Order Model Optimized for a Shell Coal
Gasifier Integrating the Slag Flow Model ................................................................... 150
Numerical Modelling of Sulfur Dioxide Absorption in Water Droplets as an Advanced
Design Tool for Emission Mitigation .......................................................................... 151
Effect of Various Hole Configurations on Wall Film Cooling Performance ............. 152
Mechanism Study on the Enhanced SO3 and NO2 Formation in Pressurized Oxy-
Combustion .................................................................................................................. 153
Shaping Microbial Consortia in Methane-Producing Anaerobic Digestion for Treating
High Cellulose Content Saline Primary Sludge .......................................................... 154
Review of Low-Rank Coal, Biomass, and Coal-Biomass Blends Devolatilization:
Experimental Research and Mathematical Modeling ............................................... 155
Numerical Investigation of the North Wall Passive Thermal Performance for Chinese
Solar Greenhouse ......................................................................................................... 156
An Experimental and Numerical Investigation of Cool Flame Behavior for Diesel Pilot
Injections ...................................................................................................................... 157
Numerical Modelling of Radiative Heat Transfer in a Direct Injection Diesel Engine
...................................................................................................................................... 158
Influence of Fuel Injection Configuration on NO Formation Inside a Jet Engine
Combustion Chamber .................................................................................................. 159
Numerical Modeling of Spray Characteristics with the Euler-Eulerian Multi-Fluid
Approach ......................................................................................................................160
Bioliquids and Their Use in Power Generation – a Technology Review .................. 161
The Effects of the EGR and Principal Engine Operating Conditions on the Emissions
for a Syngas Powered Engine from the Numerical Simulation to the Experimental
Results .......................................................................................................................... 162

Review of Two Types of Surface Modification on Pool Boiling Enhancement: Passive

and Active ..................................................................................................................... 165
Heat Transfer Characteristics and Friction Factor of Various Nanofluids in a Double-
Pipe Heat Exchanger ................................................................................................... 166
Heat Transfer Enhancement During Microwave-Assisted Heating of Biomass ...... 167
Heat Transfer Analysis of Solar-Driven High-Temperature Thermochemical Reactor
Using NiFe-Aluminate RPC ........................................................................................ 168
Effect of Copper Vacancies on Thermoelectric Properties of BiCuSeO .................... 169
Cooling Enhancement of Cabinet Cooling System by Utilizing Cross-Flow Heat
Transfer ........................................................................................................................ 170
Distributed Thermal Management System for Downhole Electronics at High
Temperature..................................................................................................................171
High Power Thermal Energy Storage Based on Metal Alloys for the Integration in
Industrial Power Plants ............................................................................................... 172

An Artificial Neural Network Model for the Design of Dual Wave Farms ............... 175
A Projection of the Expected Wave Power in the Black Sea Until the End of the 21st
Century ......................................................................................................................... 176
A High-Performance Hydrogel Filter Medium: Characteristics and Applications .. 177
Energy Supply of a Big Size Desalination Plant Using Wave Energy. Practical Case:
North of Gran Canaria ................................................................................................. 178
Environmental Conditions and Test Standards for the Danish Wave Energy Center
...................................................................................................................................... 179
Optimal Dimensioning of OWCs According to the Local Wave Energy Resource.. 180
Alternative Technological Schemes for Use the Seaweed in Biorefinery Process –
Solution for Reducing the Eutrophication of the Black Sea Coast Area ................... 181
Wind Energy Assessments in the Baltic Sea, Past and Future Projections .............. 182
Comparative Analysis of Monofacial and Bifacial PV Modules for Floating Power
Plants ............................................................................................................................ 183
Experimental Investigation of Velocity-Augmented Barriers for Tidal Turbines .... 184
Modelling the Environmental Sea Bream Cage Aquaculture Environmental Footprint
in Relation to the Spatial Stocking Design ................................................................. 185
Hydrodynamic Shape Optimization of Horizontal Axis Turbine for River and Marine
Current Applications ................................................................................................... 186

Manufacturing Process Analysis for Simultaneous Synthesis and Deposition of

Turbostratic Graphene on Absorbers in Solar Thermal Collector Applications ......190
Sustainability Assessment of Seawater Desalination: a Multiple-Criteria Decision
Analysis Approach ....................................................................................................... 191
Solar Cooling Technologies: State of Art and Perspectives ....................................... 192
Electricity Systems Capacity Expansion Under Water Availability Constraints ...... 193
Environmental Assessment of Electricity from a Concentrated Solar Power and
Biomass Hybridisation Plant in Tunisia ..................................................................... 194
Gis-Based Simulation of Capturing Solar Radiation as a Planning Tool for the Use of
Solar Energy ................................................................................................................. 195
Sustainable Enhancement of Sugarcane Production for Energy Purposes in Hot
Climates ........................................................................................................................ 196
Economic Analysis of Domestic Grid-Connected Photovoltaic Systems in the Xining
Region Based on Sensitivity Analysis Method ........................................................... 197
Sustainable Enhancement of District Heating and Cooling Configurations ............ 198
Electricity and Water Cogeneration Utilizing Aluminum Furnaces Waste Heat
Integrating Thermal Storage Organic Rankine Cycle ................................................ 199
Experimental Benchmark for High Temperature Latent Energy Storage Modeling
..................................................................................................................................... 200
Overview of District Cooling System Design and Analysis Efforts for Hot Climates
......................................................................................................................................201

Co-Treatment of Sewage Sludge with Other Organic Waste Towards the Circular
Bioeconomy ................................................................................................................. 204
Intelligent Facilities and Sustainable Development of Municipal Infrastructure - the
Circular Economy Concept in the Water Cycle and Bio-Waste Management ........ 205
Effect of Silver Nanoparticles Supplied via Sewage Sludge on Soil Microbial
Communities ............................................................................................................... 206
Phytotoxicity Assay to Assess Sewage Sludge Phytoremediation Rate Using Guaiacol
Peroxidase Activity (GPX): a Comparison of Four Growth Substrates ................... 207
Management of Poultry Manure in Poland – Current State and Future Perspectives
..................................................................................................................................... 208
Optimisation of Energy Consumption of Wastewater Treatment Plants Using
Gradient Boosting Approaches .................................................................................. 209
The Influence of Grease Trap Sludge Sterilization on Performance of Anaerobic Co-
Digestion of Sewage Sludge.........................................................................................210
The Use of Life Cycle Assessment Models to Optimise Biogas Value Chains .......... 211
Environmental Risks of Utilization of Composts from Automatic Composters ...... 212
Ecotoxicology of Silver Species Brought by Sewage Sludge in Terrestrial Environment
...................................................................................................................................... 213
Changes in Soil Parameters and Microorganisms Population in the Process of
Assisted Soil Phytoremediation - Long Term Sewage Sludge Soil Application
Assessment ................................................................................................................... 214
Zero Waste Palm Oil Processing: a University-Industry Initiatives ......................... 215
Pilot Scale Tests for Ammonium Recovery from Sludge Liquor at a Waste Water
Treatment Plant ........................................................................................................... 216
The Nitrogen Fertilizer Value of Selected South African Biosolids as Affected by
Drying Depth on Beds ................................................................................................. 217
Solar Pyrolysis of Waste Biomass: Impact of Biomass Chemical Component Shares on
Product Distribution and Gas Product Composition ................................................. 218
Evaluation of Environmental Risk of Chlorinated Organic Micropollutants in Sewage
Sludge After Stabilisation Processes ........................................................................... 219
Waste Derived Biochar as an Alternative Filler in Biocomposites - Mechanical,
Thermal and Morphological Properties of Biochar Added Biocomposites ............. 220
Effect of Biowastes on Soil Remediation, Plant Productivity and Soil Organic Carbon
Sequestration: a Review .............................................................................................. 221

Challenges in Electromagnetic Underwater Pollution Sensing ............................... 223

Plasma Technology Used for Energy Harvesting ...................................................... 224
Sustainability Issues in Logistics Education - a European Perspective .................. 225
Competencies for Sustainability and Circular Economy .......................................... 226
Expert System for Decision Support in Selection of Advisable Education...............227
Energy Optimisation for Reusable Heavy-Lift Launch Vehicles ............................. 228
Review of the Technological Developments for the Energy Transition................... 229
Scientific Attention to Sustainability: a Meta-Analysis of Academic Papers About
Sustainability and SDGs ............................................................................................. 230

Modelling and Simulation of a Building to Vehicle to Building System Layout: Case

Study and Parametric Analysis .................................................................................. 234
Integration of Reversible Absorption Heat Pumps in Micro-Trigeneration Systems:
Application to an Office Building............................................................................... 235
Assessment of Building Energy Modelling Studies to Meet the Requirements of the
New Energy Performance of Buildings Directive ..................................................... 236
Modeling Wastewater Heat Recovery Heat Pump Systems ......................................237
Optimisation of Hybrid Storage, Self Consumtion and Flexibility in Buildings - a
Simulation Study ........................................................................................................ 238
Impact of Climate Conditions and Energy Prices on Museums Refurbishments in
Different European Countries Based on Geothermal Energy, Electrical Power or
Natural Gas Systems ................................................................................................... 239
Experimental Assessment of a Pump-Assisted Loop Heat Pipe for Advanced
Adsorption Chillers ..................................................................................................... 240
District Heating: a Dynamic Simulation Approach for Energy and Economic Analyses
...................................................................................................................................... 241
Analysis of HVAC Systems for Deep Energy Savings at the Urban District Level .. 242
Cost Optimal Analysis of Thermal and Electrical Production in Buildings: a
Comparison Among Technical Solutions Based on Conventional and Solar RES
Systems........................................................................................................................ 243
An Innovative HVAC Systems Based on Hydrogen Technology for Buildings ....... 244
HVAC Systems for Trains, Metro and Tramways: Dynamic Simulation Modelling for
an Energy Efficient Design and Case Study .............................................................. 245
The Effect of Shank-Space on the Thermal Performance of Shallow U-Tube Ground
Heat Exchangers ......................................................................................................... 246
Evaluation of Control Strategies for Radiant Cooling Panel Systems with Integrated
Phase Change Materials Using Whole-Building Energy Simulations ......................247
Humans in the City: Representing Outdoor Thermal Comfort in Urban Canopy
Models ......................................................................................................................... 248
Analysis of Solar Gains and Heat Recovery in a Dynamic Wall System .................. 249
Thermochemical Heat Storage for Households Applications: What Can We Learn
from the Last 20 Years of Research and Development Activities ? ......................... 250
Modeling of PV/T Plants for Thermal and Electrical Energy Production in Hot
Climates ........................................................................................................................ 251
Design and Simulation of a Vacuum Solar Thermal Flat Plate Collector Prototype252
A Novel Integrated Collector Storage Solar Water Heating (ICSSWH) Prototype:
Experimental Investigation and Simulation Model.................................................. 253
Fabrication and Performance Evaluation of the Novel Senergy Polymer PV/T
Collector for Building Integration ............................................................................. 254
Life Cycle Assessment of Solar Communities: a Scenario Analysis ..........................255
Performance Evaluation of a Direct Immersed PVT Concentrator for Building
Integration .................................................................................................................. 256

The Role of Multi-Energy Polygeneration Plants in the Optimization Process of

District Cooling & Heating Design and Operation ................................................... 260
Co- and Polygeneration of District Heat, Electricity And/or Biomotor Fuels in
Renewable-Based Energy Systems ............................................................................. 261
Preliminary Assessment of Energy and Environmental Performance of a District
Heating and Cooling Network Serving a Micro-Scale Italian Residential District . 262
Exergo-Economic Analysis of a Geothermal Energy System for Wastewater and
Sludge Treatment ....................................................................................................... 263
Economic Feasibility Analysis and Optimization of Hybrid Renewable Energy
Systems for Rural Electrification in Different Climatic Zones of Peru .................... 264
Design of the Network of Energy Exchanges Among Prosumers in Urban Areas
Considering Operational and Environmental Aspects ............................................. 265
Validation of the Experimental Tests of a Domestic Trigeneration Scheme with
Hybrid RES and Desalting Techniques ..................................................................... 266
Hybrid Systems Based on Building Integrated Photovoltaic Collectors and Micro
Wind Turbines: Modelling and Thermoeconomic Analysis ......................................267
On the Modelling of an Acid/Base Flow Battery: an Innovative Electrical Energy
Storage Device Based on pH and Salinity Gradients ................................................ 268
Techno-Economic Assessment of an Ammonia-Fueled SOFC in Polygeneration
Systems........................................................................................................................ 269
Waste Vegetable Oil for Energy Production in Wastewater Treatment Plants: a Real
Case Study ................................................................................................................... 270
Dynamic Simulations of the Electrodialysis Process as Energy Buffer for
Polygeneration Systems .............................................................................................. 271
Evaluation of the Thermal Load for a Small District of Naples ................................272
Performance Analysis of a Polygeneration System in Different Power Grid Efficiency
Scenarios ......................................................................................................................273
District Heating and Polygeneration to Increase Whole Energy Systems Flexibility
......................................................................................................................................274
High-Efficiency Cogeneration Systems for the Food Industry ................................. 275
Operation Strategies of Solar Trigeneration Plant in Residential Building .............276
Polygeneration of Decarbonized District Heat, Electricity and Synthetic Renewable
Gas in Wind- and Solar-Based Energy Systems ........................................................ 277

Sustainable Development Without Growth – Findings from a Dynamic Multinational

CGE Model .................................................................................................................. 280
The Energy Transition and its Long-Term Implications for the Direct Global and
Regional Water Demand for Electricity Generation .................................................. 281
Gas Infrastructure Modification in Germany – Developing Scenarios for an Economic
Evaluation ................................................................................................................... 282
Sustainability and the Fourth Industrial Revolution................................................ 283
Brazilian Environmental Economic Accounting to Water: a Structural Decomposition
Analysis ....................................................................................................................... 284
The Framing of a Sustainable Development Goals Assessment in Decarbonizing the
Construction Industry – Avoiding "Greenwashing" ................................................. 285

German Resilience Index (GRI) - Measuring the Reslience of the German Society287
International Index of Energy Security Risk – Methodological Analysis ............... 288
Towards a Low-Carbon Society – Chances and Risks from a Stakeholder Perspective
..................................................................................................................................... 289
A Power-to-Fuel Strategy for Biogas Plants – Life Cycle Assessment of a Small-Scale
Fuel Production System ............................................................................................. 290
Energy-Related Carbon Emission from Electricity Sector : Past Trends and Futures
for Madagascar ............................................................................................................ 291
Developing a NEXUS Systems Thinking Test – a Qualitative Multi- and Mixed-
Method Analysis of the 12th Sdewes Conference Papers Related to the NEXUS
Approach ..................................................................................................................... 292

Effect of Composition of La and Sc on Synergetic Improvement of Activity and

Stability in the Ternary Pt Alloy for Hydrogen Evolution Reaction ........................ 295
The Assessment of Accelerated Vehicle Retirement Program from NEXUS
Perspectivity: a Case Study of Beijing, China ............................................................ 296
Energy-Cement-Carbon Emission NEXUS and its Implications for Future
Urbanization in China .................................................................................................297
Exploring the Policy Correlated Effects on China's International Trade in Fossil
Energy: an Energy-Steel-Emission NEXUS Analysis ............................................... 298
Greening Energy Supply in Tibet, China: a Roadmap Targeting the Substantial
Increase in Energy Consumption .............................................................................. 299

Flow Pattern and Behavior of 40 kWth Pulverized Torrefied Biomass Flames Under
Atmospheric and Oxy-Fuel Conditions ...................................................................... 301
3D Simulation of a 250 MWel Oxy-Fuel Demonstration Power Plant .................... 302
The Effect of Steam and Sulphur Dioxide on the Impact Fragmentation Tendency of
Sorbent Particles in Calcium Looping Systems ........................................................ 303
Computational Chemistry as a Tool for Predictive Combustion Modeling ............. 304
Time-Resolved Volumetric Measurement of OH Radicals on Single Particles and
Particle Groups ........................................................................................................... 305
Improving Mof-Based Solid Sorbents for CCS Strategies: the Effect of Hybridization
with Graphene-Like Layers on Gas Sorption at High Pressure ............................... 306
Drastic Model and GIS Techniques a Tool to Study the Hydrogeological Vulnerability
and Pollution Risk Mapping to the Quaternary-Tertiary Aquifer in the Liwa Area,
United Arab Emirates ................................................................................................. 307
Comparison of Energy and Environmental Performance of Alternatives for Obtaining
Drinking Water ........................................................................................................... 308
Preliminary Evaluation of the Water-Energy-Land NEXUS (Weln) Using Indicators
Based on Exergy: the Chilean Electric System Case ................................................. 309
Instruments to Minimize Conflicts in Multiple-Use Reservoirs ............................... 310
Water Scenarios Modelling for Renewable Energy Development in Southern Morocco
...................................................................................................................................... 311
Water Quality Assessment of the River with Weirs ................................................... 312

Promising Large-Scale Energy Storage System: Rechargeable Seawater Battery ... 313
Electrochemical Properties of Lotus Root-Shaped Multichannel Carbon Nanotube for
Lithium-Sulfur Battery Applications .......................................................................... 314
Application of Nanoparticles and Nanofluids for Upgrade of the Phase Change
Materials ...................................................................................................................... 315
Research on the Development of a Chemical Stability Index for Gasolines Containing
Biocomponents ............................................................................................................ 316
Cascaded Phase Change Materials in a Packed Bed Thermal Energy Storage System:
Effect and Solutions of Filling Void Ratio with Sensible Heat Materials ................. 317

A Novel Natural Ventilation Windcatcher with Heat Recovery for Temperate

Climates: CFD and Wind Tunnel Study ..................................................................... 318
A Novel Fluid-Structure Interaction (Fsi) Modelling of Roof Mounted Renewable
Energy Installations in Buildings for Extreme Weather and Typhoon Resilience .. 319
Energy-Efficient Optimal Ventilation System Using AI-Dynamic Programming and
Energy Demand Forecasting Model of Deep Learning for Climate Change ........... 320
Contrasting Thermal Performance Characterisation Standards for Combined Heat
Pump and Heat Recovery Ventilation Systems for Dwellings .................................. 321
3DANN: a Quasi-Analytical Solution for Building Ground-Coupled Heat Loss ..... 322
The Circular Type Pod Silencer for a Building Ventilation Axial-Flow Fan ............ 323

Electrolytic Purification of Metal Copper Recovery from Waste Lithium Batteries324

Preparation of Self-Heating Geopolymers Using Industrial Waste Products ......... 325
Application of Ceramic Waste in Brick Blocks with Enhanced Acoustic Properties
..................................................................................................................................... 326
Recycling Behaviour of Private Households and Network Externalities: an
Experimental Investigation of Individual Preferences ..............................................327
Lithium-Ion Batteries Towards Circular Economy: a Literature Review of
Opportunities and Issues of Recycling Treatments .................................................. 328

Estimating the Potential of Ride Sharing in Urban Areas: the Milan Metropolitan Area
Case Study ................................................................................................................... 329
Generational Differences in Household Car Ownership: Evidence from Taiwan .. 330
Assessment of Integrated Photovoltaic Systems to the Building in Terms of Human
Health with an Application ......................................................................................... 331
Low Carbon Options for Industrial Districts in Pakistan: a Case Study ................. 332
Analysis of the Labour Market and Training Needs in the Field of Thermal Power
Systems for Cleaner Environment: Evidences from the Asiaxis Erasmus+ Project 333

Exergy Limitation on the Maximum Distance Between the Central Energy Plant and
the District................................................................................................................... 334
Designing the Heat Merit Order to Evaluate the Economic Feasibility of Integrating
Alternative Heat Sources into District Heating Networks ........................................335
Analysis of a Biomass Micro Combined Heat and Power Device ............................ 336
A Virtual Test-Bed for Model Predictive Control Developments in District Cooling
Production Systems .....................................................................................................337
Availability of Excess Heat from Power Transformers in Future Scenarios ........... 338
Coupling Simulation with Artificial Neural Networks for the Optimisation of HVAC
Controls in Manufacturing Environments ................................................................ 339

Effect of the Choice of Method for Determination of the Thermal Resistance of

Fouling on the Scheduling of Heat Exchangers Cleaning ........................................ 340
Sustainable Power Production by Optimal Energy Recovery and Waste Treatment
with Pro Membrane Based on a Chexpa (Chemical Exergy Pinch Analysis) –
Industrial Application in a Sugar Mill Plant .............................................................. 341
Integral Methodology for Manufacturing Processes’ Energy Efficiency Assessment
..................................................................................................................................... 342
Thermal Calculations of Plate-Fin-And-Tube Heat Exchangers with Different Heat
Transfer Coefficients on Each Tube Row .................................................................. 343
Design of a Radiant Heat Capturing Device for Steel Mills ..................................... 344
Possibility to Building Smart Energy Sharing Network in an Industrial Park Through
the Information Sharing ............................................................................................. 345
Economic and Environmental Effects of the Electricity Self-Consumption in Spain:
an Input-Output Approach ........................................................................................ 346
Distributional Impacts of Investment Subsidies for Residential Energy Technologies
......................................................................................................................................347
Supporting Local Authorities in the Building Stock Management: Main Results of the
Application of an Integrated Approach in Five Mediterranean Pilots .................... 348
Accomplishing the Nationally Determined Contributions in Brazil: the Effort of the
Brazilian Electrical Sector in the Implementation of the Paris Agreement ............ 349
Everyone Will Save – Modelling the Best Allocation Model for Consumers in District
Heating ........................................................................................................................ 350
The Economic Case Against 100% Renewable Energy Systems ............................... 351

How to Go Where We Need to Go: a Just Climate Transition ................................. 352

Advanced Exergy Analysis of Natural Gas Liquefaction System ..............................353
Co-Creation of Local Eco-Rehabilitation Strategies for Energy Improvement of
Historic Urban Areas .................................................................................................. 354
A Review on Alternative Fuels in Future Energy System ..........................................355
Renewable Power Planning for an Island: the Case of Cape Verde ......................... 356
Determination of Chlorinated Organic Compounds and PCDD/Fs During Triclosan
Electrochemical Oxidation .......................................................................................... 357

A Review of the Dynamic Impacts of Renewable Generation, Distributed Generation

and Emerging Smart Loads on the Power System .................................................... 358
A State of the Art Techno-Economic Review of Distributed and Embedded Energy
Storage ......................................................................................................................... 359
Levelised Cost of Energy, a Challenge for Offshore Wind ........................................ 360
Review of Non-Intrusive Load Monitoring Methods in Distribution Networks to
Optimise Renewable Energy Integration ................................................................... 361
Review on the Analysis of Wind Turbine Blade Materials Subject to Rain Erosion
Testing ......................................................................................................................... 362

Dynamic Biomass Potential from Agricultural Land................................................ 363

Control of Floating Offshore Wind Turbine Response to Sea Waves ...................... 364
Solar Combined Cooling Heating and Power Systems Based on PVT Collectors for
Industrial Applications: Technoeconomic Assessment ............................................ 365
Nickel Oxide Containing Carbon Nanotubes as an Efficient Hybrid Hole Collector for
High Performance Perovskite Solar Cells.................................................................. 366
Waste HDPE/LDPE/PP/PET Pyrolysis to Obtaining Syngas over ZSM-5 Supported
Bimetallic Catalysts .....................................................................................................367
Thermo-Catalytic Pyrolysis of Plastic Waste and Biomass Mixture Using Synthetic
Zeolites: Quality Increasing of Pyrolysis Oils............................................................ 368

Spatial Planning for Waste Heat Input in District Heating Networks .................... 369
Virtual Power Plant Portfolio Selection Under Social Costs for Electricity Generation
Technologies ............................................................................................................... 370
Transmission Cost Allocation in Meshed Ac-Dc Grids.............................................. 371
Hyflow – a Modelling and Simulation Tool for Hybrid Grids ..................................372
Modeling, Planning and Operation of Grid-Based Multi-Energy Systems ..............373
Analysis of the Possibilities of Solving the Problem of Energy Poverty in Households
in a Rural Commune ....................................................................................................374

A Review on Chemical Process Sustainability Assessment: Boundary, Production,

Level, Sustainability Dimensions and Decision-Making Analyses ........................... 375
Comparison Between Vegetation Recomposition Methods in a Tropical Forest Area
Degraded by Bauxite Extraction .................................................................................376
The Energy Efficiency Measures of Carbon Negative Transportation for Sustainable
Wood Procurement in the Finnish Forest Industry .................................................. 377
Emergy-Based Analysis of Urban Circular Strategies: a Case Study of Three Districts
in Sweden .................................................................................................................... 378
Integrating Future Background Scenarios for Prospective LCA – Method and Case
Study on the German Energy System .........................................................................379

Modelling the Impact of Low-GWP Fluids as Substitutes of R134a into a kW-Size

Reciprocating Piston Expander ................................................................................. 380
Reversible Fuel Cells and Power to Gas Applications ............................................... 381
Facile Synthesis of Atomically Dispersed Hollow Co-N-C Spherical Particles and Their
Oxygen Reduction Activity in Acid Media ................................................................. 382
Thermoelectric Properties Tuning in Mixed Valence Inorganic Solid Compound -
In5S5Br by Oriented Mutual Chalcogenide Substitutions ....................................... 383
Dde Degradation in Soil by Using Microbial Fuel Cells (MFSCs)............................ 384
Techno-Economic Evaluation of an ORC Based Waste Heat Recovery System ..... 385

Industrial Energy Cooperation - Analysis of Barriers .............................................. 386

Electrification of Transport and Residential Heating Sectors in Support of Renewable
Penetration: Scenarios for the Italian Energy System .............................................. 387
A Review on Energy Storage and Demand Response Solutions in Smart Energy
Islands ......................................................................................................................... 388
A Cross-Eu Comparison of Battery Support Schemes for Residential PV-Powered
Microgrid Systems ...................................................................................................... 389
Multi-Objective Investment Optimization Applied at a Multi-Node Energy System
Model for Energy Scenarios in 2050: the Italian Case Study .................................. 390
Smart Energy Cities – in a 100% Renewable Energy Context .................................. 391

Prioritization of Stormwater Management Sites in Urban Areas ............................ 392

The Prediction of CO2 Emissions in Domestic Power Generation Sector Between
2020 and 2030 ........................................................................................................... 393
Quantitative Estimation of Black Carbon in the Glacier Ampay-Apurímac ........... 394
Data Analysis of the Effect of Metrological and Climatic Factors on Air Pollution
Abatement Performances of Green Infrastructure ................................................... 395
Balancing the Trade-Off Between Promoting Renewable Energy and Protecting
Ecosystem Services Under Climate Change .............................................................. 396

Key Factors Influencing Purchasing Decisions of Low Emission Vehicles: a Study of

Republic of Serbia ........................................................................................................397
Numerical Study on the Performance of a Novel Integrated Thermal Management
System for Electric Bus ............................................................................................... 398
Seasonal Variation of the Chemical Composition of Street Dust in a Highly
Industrialized City ...................................................................................................... 399
Sustainable Mobility; Multi-National Qualitative and Quantitative Analysis of
Consumers’ Drivers and Barriers............................................................................... 400
Life Cycle Assessment of Diesel and Alternative Fuels in a Public Vehicle ..............401
The Analysis of Shipping Companies’ Carbon Mitigation Strategies Under Carbon
Allowance Allocation .................................................................................................. 402

Study on Turbulence Characteristics in a New Turbulent Constant Volume

Combustion Bomb ...................................................................................................... 403
Fuel Purpose Hydrocracking of Biomass Based Fischer-Tropsch Paraffin Mixture on
Bifunctional Catalysts ................................................................................................. 404
Water-In-Diesel Fuel Stable in a Wide Temperature Range .................................... 405
Springboard Applications for Small Cogeneration Plants Based on Solid Oxide Fuel
Cells ............................................................................................................................. 406
Characterization and Potential of Waste Cooking Oils for Biodiesel Production ... 407
Mapping the Potential Marginal Land Resources for Cassava in China ................. 408

A Decomposition Analysis of the Energy Intensity Change of European

Manufacturing Industries .......................................................................................... 409
Surviving in the Energy Transition: Sustainable Business Models for the Incumbents
in Germany's Electricity Market .................................................................................410
Modelling Brazilian Food Demand for 2035: Insights and Implications for
Sustainable Development ............................................................................................ 411
Measures for Increasing Energy Efficiency of the Gas Sector ................................... 412
Wind Speed Modelling ................................................................................................ 413
Real Estate Power Purchase Agreements – Financing a Renewable Energy System
...................................................................................................................................... 414

Modeling and Experimental Validation of the Long-Term Averaged Solar Radiation

on a Sloped South-East Facing Surface Under the Mediterranean Climate Conditions
...................................................................................................................................... 415
The Preparation of Mixture of Methyl and Butyl Esters by Transesterification of
Rapeseed Oil ................................................................................................................ 416
Estimation of Power Production of Wind Potential .................................................. 417
Thermoeconomic Analysis of a Geothermal Trigeneration System: a Case Study for a
Commercial User in Naples ........................................................................................ 418
Diffusion of Solar PV in the Residential Sector: Review of Modelling Approaches 419
Efficiency Increase of CHP-DH Systems by RES Integration .................................. 420

Greenhouse Gas Credits from Integrated Waste-to-Energy Plant ........................... 421

Preliminary Off-Design Performance Evaluation of a P2G System Coupled with
Renewables ................................................................................................................. 422
Exploring the Impact of Demand Response Actions on Thermal Comfort and Energy
Cost in the Residential Sector in Greece ................................................................... 423
Future Development of the European Solar Market Towards Decentralized
Renewable Energy Generation and Storage: a Cross-Country Comparative Analysis
..................................................................................................................................... 424
Hierarchizing Energy Saving Strategies in Wine Industry by Advanced Modelling of
Chilling Units Operation ............................................................................................ 425
Analysis of Thermochemical Energy Storage System Based on Zeolite/Water Reacting
Pair for Residential Application in Mediterranean Climate..................................... 426
A Novel Superstructural Approach to Company Supply Network Optimisation with
Application to the Aluminium Industry .....................................................................427
Sustainability Green Design Systems Comparisons and Measurements and
Architecture ................................................................................................................ 428
Methods and Tools for Environmental Technologies Risk Evaluation- the Principal
Guidelines -A Review.................................................................................................. 429
The Logic of Implementing Exemplary Smart Energy Systems to a Building ........ 430
Life Cycle Assessment of Formaldehyde Production from Renewable Sources ...... 431
Comparative Carbon Footprint and Cost Assessment of Owned Goods and Using of
Sharing Services .......................................................................................................... 432

Synthesis of Optimal Battery State of Charge Trajectory in the Presence of Varying

Road Grade for a Parallel Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle ...................................... 433
State of the Art of Adsorption Heat Storage Systems ............................................... 434
Confined Tin Disulfide Nanodots in N-Doped Carbon Layers as Efficient
Pseudocapacitive Electrodes for Na-Ion Storage ...................................................... 435
Temperature Dependency Measure System for Automotive Batteries ................... 436
Simultaneous State and Parameter Estimation for an Electric Scooter Battery Pack
......................................................................................................................................437
A Preliminary Test for Using a Borehole as Cool Storage ........................................ 438

A New Deep Learning Approach for Energy Management and Optimisation of HVAC
Systems for the Built Environment ........................................................................... 439
A New Combined Forecasting Model Based on Gravitational Search Algorithm to
Predict Short-Term Electricity Price and Load Demand ......................................... 440
Application of Novel Deep Learning Approach for Accurate Detection of Equipment
Loads for Reducing Building Energy Demand ........................................................... 441
An Innovative Approach to Design Cogeneration Systems Based on Big Data Analysis
and Use of Clustering Methods .................................................................................. 442
Development Energy Demand Prediction Model from Questionnaire Survey and
Smart Monitoring by Using Deep Learning; Case Study in Bogor City, Indonesia 443
Segsys: a Mapping System for Segmentation Analysis of Energy Consumption .... 444

A GIS Based Approach for Evaluating the Spatial Distribution and Seasonal Variation
of Biogas Production Potential .................................................................................. 445
Technical and Economic Analysis of Integrating Anaerobic Digestion with Sugar
Production ................................................................................................................... 446
Supercritical Water Gasification of Lignocellulosic Biomass, Operational Aspects 447
Monitoring Forest Biomass in Fukushima Prefecture with Multispectral Remote
Sensing Data ............................................................................................................... 448
Optimizing the Grid Connection Scheme of the Wind Power Plant ........................ 449
Reliable Renewable Hybrid Energy Solutions .......................................................... 450

Renewable Energy Policy in China: from Emulation to Innovation ......................... 451

Preventing the Inevitable End-Of-Life Residential Solar Photovoltaic and Battery
Energy Storage Systems Waste Crisis: a Conceptual Model .................................... 452
Energy Usage in Residential-Commercial Sector in Terms of Environmental Impacts
and Energy Planning with Fuzzy Topsis Method & Game Theory .......................... 453
Is Sub-Sahara Africa Ready for Renewable Energy Integration? Legal, Policy and
Regulatory Challenges in the Case of Nigeria and the Gambia ................................ 454
Management of Carbon Dioxide Emissions in Residential Buildings Through Energy
Performance Certification in Lithuania......................................................................455
Transition Pathways Towards Carbon Neutral Electricity, Heating and Cooling
Coupled System in Europe ......................................................................................... 456

Integrated Techno-Economic Assessment of a Bio-Refinery Process: the High-End

Valorization of the Lignocellulosic Fraction in Wood Streams ................................. 457
Selective Production of Green Aromatics by Catalytic Conversion of Biomass ...... 458
Supercritical Pyrolysis of Lignin Using a High Pressure Tandem Micro-Reactor-
GC/MS ......................................................................................................................... 459
Impacts of Cassava’s Peel Starch on the Biogas Produced Through Anaerobic
Digestion Process ........................................................................................................ 460
High Active Catalysts for the Dehydration of Isopropanol ....................................... 461
Dehydration of Bioethanol to Ethylene in Flow Reactor .......................................... 462

Modelling of Solid Particle Transport in Torus Reactor .......................................... 463

The Effects of Salt Concentration on the Rejection of Pharmaceutically Active
Compounds (Phacs) by Nanofiltration Membranes ................................................. 464
Experimental Study on Heat Extraction Characteristics of Coal Mine Ventilation Air
Methane Preheat Catalytic Oxidation Reactor .......................................................... 465
Adsorption; a Decision Maker in the Photocatalytic Degradation of Phenol on Co-
Catalysts Doped TiO2 ................................................................................................. 466
Environmental Performance of Waste Electric and Electronic Equipment
Management in the Spain – Portugal Cross-Border Cooperation Area ...................467
Performance Enhancement of Microbubble Pump Having “S-Shaped” Impeller .. 468
Power Capacity Expansion Modelling Using Data Envelopment Analysis ............. 469
A Sensitivity Analysis on Large-Scale Electrical Energy Storage Requirements in
Europe ......................................................................................................................... 470
A Multi-Period Optimal Scheduling Algorithm in Microgrids with Energy Storage
Systems Using Decomposed Inter-Temporal Constraints ........................................ 471
Choosing the Best Configuration for a Hybrid Microgrid of Renewable Energy Sources
by Means of the Analytic Network Process ................................................................472
Pathways for Biomass, CCS and CCU in the French Decarbonisation Strategy ......473
Modelling Approaches for Sector Coupling in European Power Systems: the Open-
Source Dispa-Set Model ..............................................................................................474

Cascade Optimization of Control Variables for a Series-Parallel Hybrid Electric

Vehicle Power-Train .................................................................................................... 475
Policies and Incentives for a 4th Generation District Heating System ....................476
Method for Assessing Small-to-Medium Vehicle Driving Cycles Based on Real GPS
Data .............................................................................................................................. 477
Dynamic Model Update Method by Demand Probability Forecast Method and
Anomaly Detection ..................................................................................................... 478
Prediction of EV Users' Behavior for V2G (Vehicle to Grid) .....................................479

Would it be Possible to Increase the Environmental Flows in the Ebro River Delta? A
Multiregional Analysis Using Hydro-Economic Plus Input-Output Modelling ..... 480
Green Infrastructure Valuation: a Literature Review on Valuation Toolkits from
Urban Planning Perspective ........................................................................................ 481
Insights from the Sustainable Energy Action Plan Revision - Is the 2030 Goal
Achievable? ................................................................................................................. 482
Economic Aspects of a Deposit Refund System for Beverage Packaging ................ 483
Conceptual Plant Design for Environmental Friendly Ionic Liquid-Based Cellulosic
Textile Fibers (Ioncell-F)............................................................................................ 484
Energy Consumption and the Good Life ................................................................... 485

Concentration Variability of Water-Soluble Ions During the Winter Season and Smog
Situation in an Industrial Region .............................................................................. 486
A New Preprocessing Tool of Ecmwf Data for Calmet Forecasting Simulations .... 487
End-Of-Life Options for Composite Material Wind Turbine Blades : Recover,
Repurpose or Reuse? .................................................................................................. 488
Analysis of Air Dispersion Pattern for Developing a New Assessment Model of Air
Pollutants from Construction Sites ........................................................................... 489
Preliminary Feasibility Study on the Implementation of a Small-Scale Biogas System
from Anaerobic Digestion of Human Excreta: Case Study Urban Community Nima in
Accra, Ghana ............................................................................................................... 490

Drain Water Heat Recovery in Commercial Kitchens: Case of Tourist Attraction .. 491
The Potential of Reducing Carbon Emissions by Integrating Water and Renewable
Energy Systems ........................................................................................................... 492
Daily Rainfall-Runoff Modelling Using the Artificial Neural Network Based on
Particle Swarm Optimization: a Case Study for Southeast Queensland, Australia 493
Fluoride Removal from Groundwater by Zirconium Impregnated Anion Exchange
Resin ............................................................................................................................ 494
Application of Level-Set Method to Analysis of Surface Water Flows .................... 495
The Implications of National Climate Targets on the Energy-Water NEXUS Applied
on a Case Study of Germany ...................................................................................... 496

Biomass Behaviour Upon Fast Pyrolysis in CO2: Role of Lignin, Hemicellulose and
Cellulose .......................................................................................................................497
An Overview of Nitrogen Oxides Emissions from Residential Biomass Combustion
..................................................................................................................................... 498
Development of a Gis-Based Dataset of Urban Green Areas for the Energy
Exploitation of Tree Pruning Biomass. the Application to the Case Study of Milan
..................................................................................................................................... 499
Wooden Biomass Cogeneration Coupled with Groundwater Heat Pumps and
Photovoltaic Systems: the Case Study of a New Low Carbon District in Northern Italy
..................................................................................................................................... 500
Life Cycle Assessment of Lignin-Based Carbon Fibres ............................................. 501
Environmental Sustainability of Bioenergy from Energy Crops in Turkey ............. 502

Influence of Different Strategic Decisions in Market Coupled Zones on the Energy

System’s Expansion .................................................................................................... 503
Cross Subsidy in Russian Electric Power Industry: Establishing Economically and
Socially Optimal Prices ............................................................................................... 504
Learning in Energy Efficiency Policy ......................................................................... 505
Renovabio: Innovation and Sustainability at the New Brazilian Biofuels Policy or the
Emperor’s New Clothes? ............................................................................................ 506
‘Well, We All Want to Be Climate Neutral’ Paradigms, Participation, Politics and
Interests in the Transition to Gas Free Heating Systems ......................................... 507
A Market Design for Sustainable Electricity Systems............................................... 509

Investigation of Dye Removal Capability of Blast Furnace Slag in Wastewater

Treatment ..................................................................................................................... 510
Study of Settling Characteristics of Effluents Engendered from Iron Ore Mining .. 511
Economic and Environmental Performance of Thermochemical Recycling of Mixed
Plastic Waste: Open-Loop Vs Closed-Loop ................................................................ 512
Challenges of Cod Removal in a Conventional Activated Sludge System Treating Coke
Oven Wastewater ......................................................................................................... 513
Thermogravimetric Analysis and Kinetic Study of Mixed Plastic Waste ................. 514
Energy Saving and Environmental Benefit of Waste-to-Energy Transition in China
...................................................................................................................................... 515

Education as a Key to Sustainable Development: a Competition Among Schools for

Promoting Energy Efficiency ...................................................................................... 516
Efficiency and Sufficiency in Electric Energy: a Study with Higher Education Students
...................................................................................................................................... 518
An Approach for Learning About Clean Fuels: Sae Baja Collegiate Competition .... 519
How the Sae Clean Snowmobile Challenge Helps to Educate University Students in
Sustainable Development ........................................................................................... 520
Preparing University Students for the Future of Sustainable Transportation Through
Formula Sae and the Autodrive Challenge ................................................................. 521

Application of Videogrammetry in the Mechanics of Multi-Phase Systems ........... 522

Eliciting Preferences for Carbon Capture and Utilisation Technologies: Do
Policymakers Prefer What They Know Best? ............................................................ 523
A Review on Learning Effects in Prospective Technology Assessment ................... 524
Implementation of Gamma Irradiation Technology in the Processes for Preservation
of Spices as Food Additives .........................................................................................525

Focus Points for Sustainable Development Strategies – Text Mining-Based

Comparative Analysis of Voluntary National Reviews ............................................. 526
Comparative Life Cycle Assessment of Eco-Bricks and Concrete Hollow Blocks for
Single-Storey Buildings ............................................................................................... 527
Comparison Study of the Environmental Impact of Different Biogas Uses: CHP,
CHCP or Biomethane Upgrading ............................................................................... 528
Exergy Cost and Specific CO2 Emissions of the Electricity Generation in the
Netherlands ................................................................................................................. 529
Environmental and Economic Assessment of Future Electricity Scenarios for Remote
Communities in Developing Countries ..................................................................... 530

Assessing the Economic and Environmental Performance of a Novel Process for

Producing Liquified Natural Gas with Supersonic Separators ................................. 531
Resource Assessment of Lithium-Ion and Vanadium-Redox Flow Batteries
Foreseeing the Recycling 4.0 ..................................................................................... 532
Comparative Analysis of Thermal Expansion Additives on Slagging Characteristics of
Xinjiang High-Sodium Coal ........................................................................................533
Analysis of a Novel CO2 Emission Mitigation Concept Applied to the Ceramic
Industry ....................................................................................................................... 534
Life Cycle Assessment and Management of a Newly-Developed Solar Cement Kiln
......................................................................................................................................535
Entropy Analysis of Complete Condensation of Saturated Steam on a Vertical Wall
Using Nusselt Velocity and Temperature Profile in a Condensate Layer ................ 536

Hydrodeoxygenation of Guaiacol as a Bio-Oil Model Compound Using Spray

Pyrolysis Prepared Silica-Alumina Catalysts ............................................................. 537
Enhancing Bioenergy Recovery from Agro-Food Wastes as a Strategy to Promote
Circular Bioeconomy .................................................................................................. 538
Spatially Explicit Assessment of Local HTL Potential from Urban Waste Streams in
EU-28 .......................................................................................................................... 539
Novel Geothermal Gradient Map of the Croatian Part of the Pannonian Basin System
..................................................................................................................................... 540
Multichannel Red Phosphorus with a Nanoporous Architecture: a Novel Anode
Material for Sodium-Ion Batteries ............................................................................. 541
Fluidized Bed Gasification of Biomass from Plant-Assisted Bioremediation:
Characterization of Products...................................................................................... 542

Bottom-up and Top-Down Heat Demand Mapping Methods for Small Municipalities,
Case Gllogoc ................................................................................................................ 543
Islanded Microgrid Optimal Control System to Enhance Small-Signal Stability ... 544
Design of a Future Hydrogen Infrastructure to Supply Electricity and Hydrogen
Demand Across Europe ...............................................................................................545
Integration of Gas Switching Chemical Looping Technology in IGCC Plants for
Inherent CO2 Capture ................................................................................................ 546
Necessity for Environmental Management of Solar Power Plants: Examining the Loss
of Forests and Moorlands, and Natural Disaster Damage ........................................ 547

Reducing Energy Costs of the Wastewater Treatment Plant by Improved Scheduling

of the Periodic Influent Load ..................................................................................... 548
Production of Hydrogen from Waste Water: Recent Trend and Future Research
Direction ...................................................................................................................... 549
Water Accumulation as Energy Storage, Conflicting Purposes and Nature Inspired
Optimization Modelling ............................................................................................. 550
A Markov Chain Model for Precipitation to Be Used in Optimal Reservoir Operation
...................................................................................................................................... 551
Modeling the Water-Energy NEXUS for Wastewater Treatment Plants - a Review
......................................................................................................................................552
Feasibility of a Desalination Plant Coupled with a Mini Gas Turbine Combined Cycle
......................................................................................................................................553

Environmental Assessment in Reclamation Activities: Consolidate and Innovative

Technologies in Comparison .......................................................................................554
The Analysis of External Environmental Costs of Fine Particulate Matter in
Kaohsiung Port Area .................................................................................................... 555
On the Parameters Affecting the Zeolite Type Synthesis from Waste Fly Ash ........556
The Impact of Renewable Energy on Economic Growth in the Mediterranean
Countries ...................................................................................................................... 557

Hybrid Control of Wind Generation and Energy Storage to Enhance Wind Farms’
Ability to Provide System Services............................................................................. 558
Suspension-Firing of Biomass for Heat and Power Generation: Development of
Biomass Preparation for Resolving the Critical Firing Issues ..................................559
Rural Electrification – Willingness to Pay Assessment in Niger ............................. 560
Effect of Working Fluid on Characteristics of Organic Rankine Cycle with Medium
Temperature Geothermal Water................................................................................. 561
Assessing the Economic and Global Warming Potential of Integrating Existing
Austrian Biogas Plants into the Electricity Market................................................... 562
Development of Portable Ultra-Small Biomass Gasification and Power Generation
System ......................................................................................................................... 563

Development of an Energy Audit Working Procedure for the up National Engineering

Center .......................................................................................................................... 564
Optimization Study on Extraction of Polyphenols from Plum Seeds (Pruni
Domesticae Semen) .....................................................................................................565
Life Cycle Assessment of an Inline Heat Exchanger for Heat Recovery from Drain
Water in a Commercial Kitchen ................................................................................. 566
A Review of Organic Rankine Cycle Use in Heat Integration of Production Processes
...................................................................................................................................... 567
Bringing Value to the Toys Industry Through Ecodesign ........................................ 568
Steam System Optimization of an Industrial Heat and Power Generation Facility 569

Reactor Design of Honeycomb Desulfurization Process for Equalizing Sorbent Usage

with Improved Flow Distribution .............................................................................. 570
Thermodynamics of Carbon Dioxide Related Compounds ....................................... 571
Post-Combustion Carbon Capture: Investigation of Chemical Absorption with Phase-
Changing Solvents in a Bench-Scale Plant Operating in Batch Mode ...................... 572
Shock Tube Evaluation on C2H4 Self-Ignition Character Among N2, Ar, He, CO2
Diluent Gases ............................................................................................................... 573
Study on the Structure and Arrangement Characteristics of Vortex Generators
Applied for Improving the Particle Agglomeration in Turbulent Flow .................... 574

Performance Evaluation of a Seawater Heat Pump and Comparison of Economic

Benefits of Demand Response Analyses Using Seasonal Performance Factor and
Hourly Coefficient of Performance ............................................................................. 575
4th Generation District Heating in Aalborg Municipality – Effects on Heat Sources
and System Efficiencies ............................................................................................... 576
Comparison of Mathematical and Meta-Heuristic Optimisation Methods for Grid
Edge Technology Based on Heat Pumps and Thermal Energy Storage ................... 577
Decarbonising the EU Heating Sector: Coupling the Heating and Power Sectors
Towards 2050 — the Role of Centralised CHP Plants and District Heat .................578
Energy Distribution Planning and Control for Mircogrids by P-Graphs ................. 579
Improvement of Smart City Energy Efficiency Planning by Including Uncertainties:
Developing Methodology for Characterization and Quantification Uncertainties . 580

Hourly Analysis of Excess Heat Utilization in District Heating Systems in

Combination with Thermal Storage ........................................................................... 581
The Effect of Different Temperature Levels of the Excess Heat Source on the Levelized
Cost of Excess Heat ..................................................................................................... 582
Renewable Energy Integration Using Seawater Source Heat Pump in the Old City of
Dubrovnik ................................................................................................................... 583
The Impact of Electricity Market Price Reduction on Optimal Power-to-Heat
Capacities in District Heating System ....................................................................... 584
District Heating Fault Detection Using Clustering Algorithms ............................... 585
Optimising Capacities for Distributed Renewable Heat Supply in a Residential Area
Connected to District Heating ................................................................................... 586

A Multi-Objective Robust Optimization Model for the Design of Biomass Co-Firing

Supply Networks Under Quality Uncertainty ............................................................587
Energy Security Decision Making Tools - Analysis and Comparison ...................... 588
Life Cycle Assessment in Transport and Logistics – Research, Development and
Trends.......................................................................................................................... 589
Environmental Evaluation of First- and Second-Generation Sugars Through Life
Cycle Assessment Methodology ................................................................................. 590
Sustainability Assessment of Conventional and Innovative Supersonic Processes for
Ethylene Oxide Production ......................................................................................... 591
Evaluating the Impact of Demand Management on the Water Crisis in Small Towns
in Brazil’s Semi-Arid Northeastern Region: a System Dynamics Approach ........... 592
Increasing the Integration of Variable Renewable Energy in Coal-Based Energy
System Using Power to Heat Technologies ............................................................... 593
Supersonic Separators as a Flexible Natural Gas Processing Technology Facing
Variable CO2 Contents Due to Enhanced Oil Recovery Scenarios .......................... 594
Impact of Biomass Feedstock on Biodiesel Process Sustainability: Assessment from
an Extended to a Reduced Set of Indicators via Principal Component Analysis .....595
Free-Standing Na0.33V2O5 Electrode for Flexible Lithium Ion Batteries ............. 596
Investigation on the Fin Position Inside the Horizontal Cylinder Unit for Thermal
Energy Storage Using Lattice Boltzmann Method..................................................... 597
The Decarbonisation of the Italian Electric Sector: Impact and Costs of Proposable
Solutions...................................................................................................................... 598
Cross-Axis Control System Design Suitable for Geothermal Well Drilling Systems
..................................................................................................................................... 599
Providing Comfortable Environment in Skycourts Within High-Rise Buildings ... 600
Solar Pavements for Reducing the Heat Island Effect and Thermal Energy Collection:
Numerical and Experimental Analysis of the Impact of the Urban Environment ..601
Evolution, Opportunities and Risks of Distributed Generation in Brazil ............... 602
Numerical Study of Flow Field and Residence Time Distribution in Structured Packed
Beds ............................................................................................................................. 603
Thermal Chair for Optimising Comfort and Energy in the Workplace: Review and BES
Modelling .................................................................................................................... 604
Assessing the Energy Saving Potential of Passive Strategies in the Top Upcoming
Megacities ................................................................................................................... 605
Emission and Characterization of Particulate Matter from a 30 MW Biomass-Fired
Power Plant in China .................................................................................................. 606
Impact of Climate Change on Surface Condensation ............................................... 607
Mechanism of Sulfate Deposits on the Metal Surfaces After LLT-ESP in a 1000-MW
Coal-Fired Power Plant .............................................................................................. 608
Exergoeconomic Analysis as a Tool for Supporting the Design and Operation of
Multiple Chiller Systems in Air Conditioning Applications ..................................... 609
Peer-to-Peer Energy Trading Strategy of Fuel Cells to Activate Distributed Generation
Systems in the Future ..................................................................................................610

The Distribution of Income & Food-Energy-Water NEXUS (Few Nexus) Expenditures

of German Households – an Impact Assessment Time Series Model ...................... 611
Towards a Low-Carbon Future: Going Beyond Nationally Determined Contributions
in Ten Emerging, Developing and Least Developed Countries ................................ 612
Urban Sprawl and Energy Consumption: a Computable General Equilibrium Model
to the Case of Madrid .................................................................................................. 613
Simulation and Modelling of the Sustainable Biomass Based Heating System for Low
Energy Construction Buildings for Rural Area .......................................................... 614
Modelling and Experimental Validation of PV Panels Cooling System ................... 615
Algorithms for Determination of the Vector Velocity Field in a Two-Phase Gas-Liquid
Flow .............................................................................................................................. 616
Effect of Source of Inoculum, Type of Defined Medium as Well as Substrate to
Inoculum Ratios on Methane Yield and Kinetic Parameters .................................... 617
Comparative Biosorption of Congo Red Dye and Hexavalent Chromium Using
Pleurotus Mutilus Biomass in Aqueous Solutions ..................................................... 618
Residential Sector Energy Demand Estimation for a Single Family Dwelling ........ 619
Disturbance of Sustainability of the Reservoir Ecosystem: a Model Approach for
Assessing and Forecasting the Long-Term Process of Eutrophication ................... 620
Simulation of Biogas Production from Agro-Residues to Produce Bioenergy ......... 621
Energy Planning and Climate Change Mitigation: a Meta-Analysis ....................... 622
The Influence of UV Radiation of Disinfection Support on Changes in the Content of
Biodegradable Fraction in Water ............................................................................... 623
Influence of Heat Recovery from Flue Gas on Thermal Performance of a Steam Power
Plant with Seawater Refrigerated Condenser: a Case Study .................................... 625
Assessment of Energy Development Impacts on the Research and Innovation System
..................................................................................................................................... 626
Photocatalytic Degradation of Triclosan ....................................................................627

Numerical Investigation of a Novel Cryogenic Thermal Energy Storage for Liquid Air
Energy Storage Application........................................................................................ 628
Type X Fly Ash Zeolites for High Yield Catalysis of Phenol Alkylation Using Diethyl
Carbonate .................................................................................................................... 629
Catalytic Fast Pyrolysis of Tulip Tree (Liriodendron) for Upgrading Bio-Oil in a
Bubbling Fluidized Bed Reactor ................................................................................ 630
Facile Spray Pyrolysis Synthesis of Various M-N-C Particles as Enhanced
Electrocatalysts ............................................................................................................ 631
The Potential of Cosolvents in Heterogeneously and Homogeneously Catalyzed
Methanolysis of Oil ..................................................................................................... 632
The Impacts of Silver Nanoparticles on Anaerobic Digestion of Sewage Sludge:
Process Performance and Microbial Community ..................................................... 633
Heat Recovery from LNG Engines Onboard Modern Cruise Ships: Dynamic
Modelling and System Thermoeconomic Optimization ........................................... 634
Potential of Plant Biomass Residues and Kitchen Waste for Production of Composts
for Vegan Agriculture ................................................................................................. 635
New Biomorphic Filters to Face Upcoming PM Emissions Policies: a Review of the
FIL-BIO-DIESEL Project ........................................................................................... 636
Wind Electric Heating and Cooling System for an Office Application .....................637
Assessment of Opportunities for NOx Reduction from Lignite-Fired Steam Generator
..................................................................................................................................... 638
Poultry Manure Dervied Biochars - Designing Properties for Selected Applications
..................................................................................................................................... 639
Energy Consumption, Carbon Emissions and Economic Assessments of a Large-Scale
Bioethanol Biorefinery: the Influence of Sugarcane Supply-Chain ......................... 640
Bioenergy Production and CO2 Sinking in a Sugarcane Biorefinery Integrated to
Offshore Reservoirs for Enhanced Oil Recovery by Shared Pipeline: Full Carbon
Balance and Economic Performance .......................................................................... 641
Treatment of High-Strength Organic Wastewater Using Electron Beam Irradiation
and Electrochemical Biological Reactor .................................................................... 642
Flexible Reduced Order Building Modeling for Fifth-Generation District Heating and
Cooling Networks ....................................................................................................... 643
Non-Precious Metal Catalysts with Different Spherical Particle Sizes Towards for
Oxygen Reduction Reaction in Alkaline Condition .................................................. 644
Adaptive State of Charge Control for a Battery Hybrid Locomotive Based on Track
Condition Provided by a Remote Wireless Sensor Network .................................... 645
Universal Design Model and Multi-Objective Optimisation of Undershoot
Waterwheels ................................................................................................................ 646
About Path to Drinking the Best Spirits for the Environment: Factors Assessment
Under a NEXUS Energy-Water Approach .................................................................647
Feasibility Analysis of a Combined CLC Combustion and Renewable-Energy-Based
Methane Production System for CO2 Capture and Utilization ................................ 648
Gemini: Test Cells for the Acoustic, Visual and Thermal Performances Evaluation of
Double-Skin Facades .................................................................................................. 649
The Analysis of the Biopurified Waters with Biological Plateau Using an Ion
Chromatograph to Determine Anions and Atomic Emission Spectrometry on the
Determination of Metal Cations ................................................................................ 650
Fast Pyrolysis in CO2-Rich Atmospheres of Biomass Components: Lignin,
Hemicellulose and Cellulose ....................................................................................... 651
The Role and Importance of Public Hearings in Strategic Decisions on the
Construction of SHPPs ............................................................................................... 652
Natural Gas Use in the Transport Sector of São Paulo State: Environmental Benefits
in 2035......................................................................................................................... 653
A Review of Woody Biomass Energy Systems and Natural Ecosystem Impacts in
Japan ........................................................................................................................... 654
Youth Unemployment in European Islands: Tackling the Challenge Through
Sustainable Development ............................................................................................655
Catalytic Ozonation of Toluene Ovr Mn Based Bimetallic Catalysts ....................... 656

Targeting Low Carbon Emissions in Fossil-Fired Power Plants with a Novel Capture
Process Based on Ionic Liquid Absorption and High-Pressure CO2 Stripping ....... 657
Usage of Cloud Tracking Solar Forecasting Methodology in Power System Operation
..................................................................................................................................... 658
Socio-Economic Effects of Circular Economy and Corresponding Changes in the
Waste Management System Structure ...................................................................... 659
Long-Term Optimal Sizing of Rural Microgrids: Accounting for Load Evolution
Through Multi-Period Investment Plan .................................................................... 660
Experimental Investigation of Syngas Composition Evolution Along the Gasifier
Height During the Updraft Gasification of Lignocellulosic Feedstock ..................... 661
An Evaluation of the Effects of the Potato Starch on the Biogas Produced from the
Anaerobic Digestion of the Potato Wastes ................................................................ 662
Energy Consumption and LCA Analysis of Unconventional Waste Water and Sewage
Sludge Processing in Small Waste Water Treatment Plant ...................................... 663
Methods and Tools for Environmental Technologies Risk Evaluation ................... 664
Multi-Criteria Analysis of SOFCs Performances Integrated in Circular Bio-Processes
..................................................................................................................................... 665
First Results of Innovative Didactic Tools of Building Physics in Architecture
Curriculum at Politecnico Di Milano ......................................................................... 666
New Software for the Techno-Economic Analysis of Small Hydro Power Plants ....667
Properties of Concrete Enhanced with Phase Change Materials for Building
Applications ................................................................................................................ 668
Feasibility Study for Water-Electricity Cogeneration Using Integrated System of CSP
and Biofuel as Renewable Energy Sources ................................................................ 669
From Target to Reality: Barriers and Policy Implications for Bioenergy in Italy ... 670
Large-Scale Biomass Briquette Co-Firing and its Application in Shaanxi, China ... 671
Proton-Exchange Membrane (Pem) Fuel Cell System Mathematical Modelling ....672
Calculation of Radiative Heat Transfer in a Real Industrial Applications for More
Accurate Modelling of Pollution Formation ..............................................................673
Enhanced Waste Heat Recovery of Flue Gas by Convection to Radiation Converter
......................................................................................................................................674
Ground-Penetrating Radar Investigation of the St. Benedict Church in Kančevci .. 675
Crystal Structure and Thermoelectric Properties of P-Type
Bi0.86Ba0.14CuSeO/xCu2-ySe Composites ..............................................................676
Secondary Raw Material from Red Mud and Other Sludge Waste ........................... 677
Characteristics of Asphalt Heat in High Latitude ..................................................... 678
Times-Wapp, a Long-Term Prospective Model for the West African Power System
......................................................................................................................................679

100% RES Energy Systems – Electrification, Hydrogen or E-Fuels?...................... 680

Energy Consumption, Driving Range and Cabin Temperature Performances at

Different Ambient Conditions in Support to the Design of a User Centric Efficient
Electric Vehicle: the Quiet Project .............................................................................. 681
Model-Based Design of an HVAC Control Strategy .................................................. 682
Potential Analysis – How to Increase the Maximum Driving Range of Electric Vehicles
..................................................................................................................................... 683
Thermal Management Solutions Using Open Porous Metal Structures ................. 684
Thermal Storage with High Power Outputs Using Phase Change Materials .......... 685
Abstract
Motivation

The energy transition towards 100% renewable energy (RE) systems is the most likely pathway
to fulfil the 1.5C target of the Paris Agreement and United Nation’s Sustainable Development
Goals, since fossil fuels are not compatible to the set targets. Fossil carbon capture and storage
(CCS) and nuclear energy are both too expensive and sustainability guardrails are violated. In
addition, bioenergy is limited due to sustainability constraints. Thus, the abundant renewable
electricity sources solar photovoltaics (PV) and wind energy complemented by some hydropower
have to cover the energy demand for all required energy services. A fast growing base of literature
investigates 100% RE systems. Electricity can be converted in all forms of energy typically leading
to respective conversion losses (e.g. power-to-fuels) and many existing combustion processes can
be substituted by electricity-based options typically leading to energy efficiency gains (e.g.
substitution of: combustion vehicles with battery electric vehicles; thermal power plants with
solar PV, wind and hydro electricity; and heat pumps for space heating), in addition more storage
is needed in a RE-based system inducing respective storage losses.

This leads to the fundamental research question whether the energy system in total improves or
degrades in overall energy system efficiency, measured best in impact of the broad electrification
on primary and final energy demand.

Objectives

Investigate the impact of the energy transition with increasing renewable electricity generation
on the total primary energy demand (TPED) and the total final energy demand (TFED).

What was done

The energy system transition in global-local resolution from 2015 to 2050 has been traced in
TPED and TFED in the composition and its absolute value for a Best Policy Scenario (BPS) while
the demand in energy services has been continuously grown driven by higher standards of living
for a growing world population.

How it was done and validated

The LUT Energy System Transition model has been used to describe the transition scenario in
full hourly resolution for the world structured in 145 regions and for the energy sectors power,
heat, transport and desalination applying in total 106 technologies. The BPS has been compared
for all periods with the Business-as-usual (BAU) state, assuming the state of technology of the
year 2015 for all technologies.

Major results
  A global compound average annual growth rate of about 1.8% in TFED drives the
transition. This is aggregated by final energy demand growth for power and heat,
desalinated water demand and transportation demand linked to powertrain
assumptions. This leads to a comprehensive electrification, which massively increases
overall energy efficiency, to an even higher growth rate in provided energy services.
This results in an average annual growth rate of about 0.4% in TPED.

 Despite a tremendous increase in energy services leading to significant higher final

energy demand (+43%), the TPED increases from around 125,000 TWh in 2015 to just
over 150,000 TWh by 2050 (+21%), which is a result of the massive electrification
across the different energy sectors.

 TFED changes structurally moderately from an electricity, heat and fuel share in 2015
of 22%, 42%, 36%, respectively, to 45%, 40%, 15% in 2050. Whereas the TPED changes
structurally massively from an electricity, heat, fuel bioenergy, fuel fossil/nuclear share
in 2015 of 3%, 0%, 8%, 89%, respectively, to 90%, 4%, 6%, 0% in 2050.

 World population is expected to grow from 7.2 to 9.7 billion, while the average per
capita PED decreases from around 17 MWh/person in 2015 to 12 MWh/person by 2035
and increases up to around 15 MWh/person by 2050, while demand for energy services
continuously increase. This dip in per capita PED is driven by massive efficiency gains
in the easier to electrify fields in the first half of the transition and partly re-balanced
by more energy-intensive Power-to-X processes in later periods, but also by overall rise
in standards of living, in particular in emerging and developing countries.

 TPED decreases from almost 130,000 TWh in 2015 to around 105,000 TWh by 2035
and increases up to 150,000 TWh by 2050 in this study (which assumes high
electrification). In comparison, current practices (low electrification) would result in a
TPED of nearly 300,000 TWh by 2050. The high levels of electrification lead to energy
savings of about 50% compared to low electrification with current practices.

 The massive gain in energy efficiency is primarily due to a high level of electrification of
TPED of more than 90% in 2050, saving nearly 150,000 TWh compared to the
continuation of current practices (low electrification). TPED shifts from being driven
by combustion of fossil fuels in 2015 towards low-cost electricity from renewables by
2050.

 Overall storage losses are small, since the bulk storage is battery storage with high
levels of efficiency and storage of fuels (hydrogen, liquid fuels) which is also highly
efficient.

Conclusions

 Thermal processes which are a consequence of fossil and nuclear fuels of more than
80% in present TPED are energy inefficient and will be substituted in all sectors by
higher levels of electrification and this massive gain in efficiency outweighs the
systemic drop in efficiency of remaining thermal processes which are mainly shifted to
Power-to-X on the supply side and strong growth of storage demand, which is in most
case highly efficient storage.
  The gain in overall efficiency can be quantified by a factor of about 2, since the growing
energy services demand can be supplied by about half of the TPED in a BPS compared
to a BAU reference.

A field of future investigations will be energy-return on energy invested and net energy aspects
for the entire energy system of the present and throughout the transition.
Abstract
Solving the energy trilemma of the low-carbon, affordable and secure supply of energy will require
a complete rethinking of future energy systems. However, to make things yet more challenging,
there are strong and complex interactions and interdependencies between the provision of energy
(E), food (F) and water systems (W), known as the EFW nexus. Any action in energy, water or
food has impacts on the other two. Maximising the sustainable provision of energy requires that
energy systems should strive to satisfy human needs in an economically viable, environmentally
benign and socially acceptable way [1]. Added to the complexity of the interactions and
interdependencies are future uncertainties regarding governmental policies and new
developments in energy technology. Solutions should be local to geographic regions. Given these
major uncertainties, there is a need for flexible local solutions to allow for the local supply and
demand of energy, and future changes in supply and demand, and technology developments.

The energy intensive process industries account for around 70% of total industrial energy
consumption [2] and 45% of global greenhouse gas emissions [3]. For example, the chemical and
petrochemical industries use 10% of global energy consumption and generate 7% of greenhouse
gas emissions. In the energy intensive process industries as a whole, energy consumption and
greenhouse gas emissions are currently mainly from the combustion of fossil fuels to produce
process heat and power. There is also currently gross inefficiency in the way this energy is used,
with around 40% wasted as low-temperature heat (<150° C), mainly to cooling towers, air cooling
and furnace stack losses [4].

Primary energy in the energy intensive process industries is currently overwhelmingly dominated
by the use of fossil fuels, mainly natural gas and oil, but also coal in some countries. If these
industries are to be transformed from huge energy consumers and greenhouse gas emitters, a
switch to renewables and waste-to-energy systems is required. However, the energy intensive
process industries also have some special energy requirements that bring additional difficulties
for such a switch. Firstly, the heating requirement is often far higher than the power demand.
Secondly, heat is often required at very high temperatures. This means that in the future if there
is a wholesale switch to renewable power, then the use of renewable power has limited potential
to substitute fossil fuels directly, because of the large heat demand currently satisfied by steam
heating and the high-temperature heat demand currently satisfied by firing fossil fuels in fired
heaters. Thus, an appropriate mix of different renewables would be required to satisfy differing
heat and power demands. Heat can be provided by biomass, biogas or waste-to-energy for high-
temperature process heating and the generation of steam and power at least to some extent by
wind and solar photovoltaics. However, because of the intermittency of supply of renewable
power, some storage will be required. Such storage is also beneficial for smoothing variations in
demand and to compensate for variable power tariffs. In addition to storing electricity, storage
can be used for heating or cooling. Currently, energy storage within the energy intensive process
industries is hardly practised at all.

To solve this problem requires rethinking the way in which industrial energy is supplied,
combining the most appropriate sources of energy. In principle, the supply of energy can also be
distributed closer to the end-users. Energy hubs supplying distributed energy need to exploit an
appropriate combination of different energy sources, including renewables, waste-to-energy
systems, the symbiotic exploitation of waste heat and energy storage to match local power-to-heat
ratio demand and heating requirements both in terms of duty and temperature in a more efficient
and environmentally sustainable way than current approaches.

To address these challenges, requires a new design framework that adopts a holistic and life cycle
approach for the conceptual design of integrated industrial energy systems, utilising a range of
energy sources, including in principle fossil and renewable energy, from both distributed and
centralised sources, and including the use of strategic energy storage. To address the variability
of supply and demand, temporal variations must also be incorporated in the design framework to
allow for variability in energy supply, demand and cost tariffs. The design framework must also
include life cycle considerations, accounting for economic costs, environmental and social
impacts and constraints in the EWF nexus. In principle, this will permit the design of self-
sufficient ultra-low-carbon solutions.
Abstract
Water is a complex part of the natural, social and built environment that covers two thirds of our
planet. It affects and influences every aspect of our planet from anthropogenic activities to our
climate, weather, geomorphology and the flora and fauna on land, in our seas, rivers and oceans
and in the air. It is estimated that 4,600 cubic km of water is used annually, about 70% in
agriculture, 20% in industry and 10% in households. Demand grows typically at 1% per annum. It
is predicted that the world’s population could reach 10.2 billion by 2050, up by about 8 billion
from today, two thirds of who will live in urban areas, which will put this already endangered
valuable natural resource under increased strain. Water quality in the water cycle continues to
deteriorate in Africa, Asia, Europe, North America and Latin America due to runoff of fertilisers,
hydrocarbons, discarded plastics and the discharge of untreated or inadequately treated
industrial and municipal wastewater. Climate change models predict that wet regions will be
wetter and dry regions drier. This will exacerbate existing pressures and create additional ones on
the natural, social and built environment in terms of water shortages, further health issues and
migration and economic and political strife. At the World Water Forum in Brasilia in March 2018,
Gilbert Houngbo, Chair of United Nations Water warned that ‘in the face of accelerated
consumption, increasing environmental degradation and the multi-faceted impacts of climate
change, we clearly need new ways of manage competing demands on our freshwater resources.’
This keynote plenary talk presents some aspects of these challenges, examines the sustainability
of water systems and discusses the role we can play as researchers and academics in our various
fields to support and inform society to fight climate change and balance all our natural resources
including water.
Abstract
This presentation elaborate on the concept of Smart Energy Systems and present a case of
applying such concept to the design of a 100% renewable energy future for a local community in
Europe by 2050. Aalborg in Denmark is used as a case and the study focus on how such a local
community are to be seen as part of the Danish as well as the European overall strategies.

In recent years, the terms “Smart Energy” and “Smart Energy Systems” have been used to express
an approach that reaches broader than the term “Smart grid”. Where Smart Grids focus primarily
on the electricity sector, Smart Energy Systems take an integrated holistic focus on the inclusion
of more sectors (electricity, heating, cooling, industry, buildings and transportation) and allows
for the identification of more achievable and affordable solutions to the transformation into future
renewable and sustainable energy solutions.

It is often highlighted how the transition to renewable energy supply calls for significant
electricity storage. However, one has to move beyond the electricity-only focus and take a holistic
energy system view to identify optimal solutions for integrating renewable energy. In this
presentation, an integrated cross-sector approach is used to argue the most efficient and least-
cost storage options for the entire renewable energy system concluding that the best storage
solutions cannot be found through analyses focusing on the individual sub-sectors. Moreover,
such approach leads to a solutions primarily based on existing energy infrastructures rather than
leading to significant extra investments.

The presentation presents a set of methods and criteria to design Smart Energy Cities, while
taking into account the context of 100% renewable energy on a national level. Cities and
municipalities should handle locally what concerns local demands, but acknowledge the national
context when discussing resources and industrial and transport demands. To illustrate the
method, it is applied to the case of transitioning the municipality of Aalborg to a 100% renewable
Smart Energy System within the context of a Danish and European energy system.
At previous SDEWES conferences, the session has received a considerable attention. Many of the
presenters will be soon invited to publish extended manuscripts in dedicated Special Issues of
journals with a high Impact Factor, among which Applied Energy (IF2017 = 7.900), Energy (IF2017
= 4.968), Energy Conversion and Management (IF2017 = 6.377), Journal of Cleaner Production
(IF2017 = 5.651).

Due to the high demand, it has been decided to organise this session again in 2019, this time for
the 14th SDEWES 2019 in Dubrovnik - Croatia. However the focus of the session has been
extended in line with the most recent research developments to focus on integrating energy, water
and waste to secondary resources for improving to contribute to Smart Cities, Smart Industry and
Smart Agriculture which can be powerful tool to boost the sustainability in civic, industrial,
Agriculture and other activities. Due to the immense importance of knowledge dissemination and
transfer, presentations are also invited into the field of knowledge management and especially
knowledge transfer.

The research scope to be considered include smart cities, industrial processes and sites supply
chain networks, municipalities and cities, regions and economies.

1) The main topics

 The minimisation of energy resource use and reduction of greenhouse gas

emissions

Industry and regional economies require a considerable and continuous supply of energy
delivered from natural resources – principally fossil fuels. The sectors of energy use are diverse –
including industry, agriculture, transportation, residential and commercial activities. The
growing human population and its growing nutritional needs result in the continuous growth of
energy demands, accompanied by equivalent pollution effects – including climatic, as well as
health issues. It has become increasingly important to ensure the processing industries take
advantage of recent developments in energy and resource efficiency and in the use of non-
traditional energy sources.

Although industry requires large supplies of energy to meet production targets, it is not the only
sector of the world economy that is increasing its energy demands. The particular characteristics
of these other sectors make optimizing for energy efficiency and cost reduction more difficult than
in traditional processing industries, such as oil refining, where continuous mass production
concentrated in a few locations offers an obvious potential for large energy savings. In contrast,
for example, agricultural production and food processing are distributed over large areas, and
these activities are not continuous but structured in seasonal campaigns, limited to specific time
periods, so the design of efficient energy systems to meet such demands is more problematic than
in traditional, steady-state industries.

In recent years there has been increased interest in the development of renewable, non-carbon-
based energy sources to counter the increasing threat of greenhouse gas emissions and
subsequent climatic change. These sources are characterized by spatial distribution and variations
as well as temporal variations with diverse dynamics. This imposes the logistics challenge of
diminishing energy returns with increasing the transportation distances. Additional dynamic
effects arise from the often significant fluctuations and in the prices of oil and gas, strengthening
the interest in securing alternative resource supplies from renewables. There have been already
interesting scientific results on designing combined energy systems that include both industrial
and residential buildings toward the end of producing a symbiotic system.

 Water efficiency, reuse, wastewater minimisation

Another important issue is water – both as raw material and effluent. Fresh water is widely used
in various industries. It is also frequently used in the heating and cooling utility systems (e.g.,
steam production, cooling water) and as a mass separating agent for various mass transfer
operations (e.g., washing, extraction). Strict requirements for product quality and associated
safety issues in manufacturing contribute to large amounts of high-quality water being consumed
by the industry. In addition, large amounts of aqueous waste streams are released from the
industrial processes, often proportional to the fresh water intake. Stringent environmental
regulations coupled with a growing human population that seeks improved quality of life have led
to increased demand for quality water. These developments have increased the need for improved
water management and wastewater minimization. Adopting techniques to minimize water usage
can effectively reduce both the demand for freshwater and the amount of effluents generated by
the industry. In addition to this environmental benefit, efficient water management reduces the
costs of acquiring freshwater and treating effluents.

 Integration of residual and by-products as secondary resources for a

circular economy

The transformation needs of residual and by-products (e.g. municipal solid waste, agriculture
waste, industrial non-hazardous waste, hazardous waste, e-waste even increasing with
introducing the smartness, construction and demolition waste) increases with the urbanisation
and population growth. It is a critical part in closing the loop to support the transition from a
linear to a circular economy. The waste of a process could be a resource to another process. The
utilisation of residual and by-products as resources scale down the demand of extraction of new
resources and avert the impacts created along the processing chain. Integrated secondary
resources management could minimise the waste generation which is a loss of resource, disposal
cost and environmental cost.

Carbon capture and storage/ sequestration offer to bridge the gaps to the ideal circular economy,
as mitigating alone are not sufficient. The feasibility and potential of various negative emissions
technologies such as direct air capture, enhance weathering, bioenergy with carbon capture and
storage, and afforestation/deforestations are worth for research attention. This is especially the
biochar, commonly viewed as a by-product of pyrolysis, which can be utilized as the energy source
and soil carbon sequestration. However, the cyclical systems should have the characteristic that
the environmental impacts of the circular economy are work toward sustainability.

Supply chain optimisation or management plays a significant role in utilising residual and by-
products as secondary resources. Other than the cost incurs, and burdening footprints created
along the transformation process, collection and transportation tend to lower the feasibility of the
utilisation. The waste from the cities as well as the by-products of industry and agriculture
activities have to be converted to secondary raw materials and utilised as close as possible at a
resource. Supply chain optimisation could contribute to the sustainability of residual and by-
products utilisation.

2) Cross-cutting issues

There are two important issues running through the mentioned topics. One is the quantification
of environmental performance and the other is knowledge management and transfer. The smart
concept utilises information and communication (ICT) technologies to supply information for an
efficient management. ICT sector also involves in resources and energy consumption as well as
waste generated, which are rising as the sector expands. Comprehensive data (real-time control,
big data) will not alone lead to the efficient management. It enables or facilitates the improvement
through data availability and transparency for optimisation. A proper planning and management
as well as process integration play the main role in achieving the smart concept, secure the utilities
and resources supply, and towards low carbon emission transition. An appropriate quantification
of environmental performance is important to ensure the processes are towards sustainability and
to prevent the shift of footprints.

 Environmental performance

The environmental performance of a process or activity can be assessed in various ways. The most
prominent concepts used for this have been footprints – quantifying the impact of pollutant
emissions; natural/ecological capital – measuring in a combined way the fresh resources and
service capacities of a system (e.g. a region); eco-cost, eco-benefit and eco-profit – a scheme for
quantification of the possible actions for improving the environmental performance of a process
or activity. The emissions have to evaluated and impacts on a global basis, which gives rise to
virtual footprints – accounting for these impacts from the consumer perspective as opposed to
the goods producer perspective.

 Knowledge management and transfer

Another key issue is the knowledge management and transfer. The currently dominating societal
system, or pattern, of knowledge management, is to document the research and demonstration
outcomes in scientific articles and books. While the scientific articles can be viewed as “work in
progress” or the current cutting edge of the knowledge development in the relevant areas, books
are intended as a kind of summaries useful for learning and everyday reference. The case studies
and implementation examples can be embedded within the methodology papers or be developed
standalone.

3) Summary

This session provides a platform for the development of modern technologies for energy and
water efficiency and for exchanging ideas in the field, supplemented by key contributions geared
towards more efficient knowledge management. They include, besides the others, the Process
Integration and optimisation methodologies and their application to improving the energy and
water efficiency of mainly industrial but also nonindustrial users. An additional aim is to evaluate
how these methodologies can be adapted to include the integration of waste and renewable energy
sources for energy conversion and water supply/purification. The session is outlining the field of
energy and water efficiency, including its scope, actors, and main features. The deals with energy
and water saving techniques. An increasingly prominent issue is assessing and minimising
emissions and the environmental footprints: GHG and water footprints.

Session organizers:

Dr. Petar Sabev Varbanov, Sustainable Process Integration Laboratory – SPIL, NETME
Centre, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Brno University of Technology - VUT Brno, Brno,
Czech Republic

Prof. Jiří Jaromír Klemeš, Brno University of Technology - VUT Brno, Brno, Czech Republic

Ms. Yee Van Fan, Brno University of Technology, Brno, Czech Republic

Petar Sabev Varbanov - is a Senior Researcher at the Sustainable Process Integration Laboratiry
– NETME Centre, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Brno University of Technology and at the
Centre for Process Systems Engineering & Sustainability, Székesfehérvár – at the Pázmány Péter
Catholic University (Budapest), Hungary. He obtained his PhD in Process Integration at a
prestigious British University – UMIST, Manchester, with distinction. For performing research
on minimising and mitigating Climate Change he was awarded a scholarship from the UK Tyndall
Centre. Later he was awarded a prestigious Marie Curie EIF Fellowship and successfully
performed research on Optimising the Start-up of Distillation Columns at the Technische
Universität Berlin. This was followed by a Marie Curie ERG Fellowship for assisting his
integration into the University of Pannonia – Hungary, where he is a Deputy Head of the Centre
for Process Integration and Intensification CPI2. His experience covers energy saving,
optimisation of energy supply networks, Process Synthesis and Process Operation. His research
has been successfully implemented in collaboration with industrial partners: e.g. BP (UK) and
MOL (Hungary). He has been contributing to 25 research and consultancy projects (most within
the EC funding schemes) and has published more than 70 papers in peer-reviewed journals. He
is a co-author of two books and several chapters in books. He has been the Editor for “Energy –
The International Journal” published by Elsevier.

Jiří Jaromír Klemeš - Head of “Sustainable Process Integration Laboratory – SPIL”, NETME
Centre, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Brno University of Technology - VUT Brno, Czech
Republic and Emeritus Professor at “Centre for Process Systems Engineering and Sustainability”,
Pázmány Péter Catholic University, Budapest, Hungary. Previously the Project Director, Senior
Project Officer and Hon Reader at Department of Process Integration at UMIST, The University
of Manchester and University of Edinburgh, UK. Founder and a long term Head of the Centre for
Process Integration and Intensification – CPI2, University of Pannonia, Veszprém, Hungary.
Awarded by the EC with Marie Curies Chair of Excellence (EXC). Track record of managing and
coordinating 91 major EC, NATO and UK Know-How projects. Research funding attracted over
21 M€. Co-Editor-in-Chief of Journal of Cleaner Production. The founder and President for 20 y
of PRES (Process Integration for Energy Saving and Pollution Reduction) conferences.
Chairperson of CAPE Working Party of EFCE, a member of WP on Process Intensification and of
the EFCE Sustainability platform. He authored and co-authored nearly 400 papers, h-index
reaching 42. A number of books published by Elsevier, Woodhead, McGraw-Hill; Ashgate
Publishing Cambridge; Springer; WILEY-VCH; Taylor & Francis). Several times Distinguished
Visiting Professor at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia and University Technology Petronas,
Malayisa; Xi’an Jiaotong University; South China University of Technology, Guangzhou and
Tianjin University in China; University of Maribor, Slovenia; Brno University of Technology and
the Russian Mendeleev University of Chemical Technology, Moscow. Doctor Honoris Causa of
Kharkiv National University “Kharkiv Polytechnic Institute” in Ukraine, the University of Maribor
in Slovenia, University POLITEHNICA Bucharest, Romania. “Honorary Doctor of Engineering
Universiti Teknologi Malaysia”. Awarded with “Honorary Membership of Czech Society of
Chemical Engineering", "European Federation of Chemical Engineering (EFCE) Life-Time
Achievements Award" and "Pro Universitaire Pannonica" Gold Medal.

Yee Van Fan - Ms Yee Van Fan is a young however highly performing researcher in the
"Sustainable Process Integration Laboratory – SPIL”, NETME Centre, Faculty of Mechanical
Engineering, Brno University of Technology (VUT Brno). She graduated from Universiti
Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), Faculty of Chemical and Energy Engineering. The field of study is
solid waste treatment and management with the extension to environmental/sustainability
assessment. The other research interest including the emissions assessment particularly from
transportation. She has been invited to the International Scientific Committee of International
Conference of Low Carbon in Asia & Beyond (ICLCA 2017) and served as Scientific Secretary for
Process Integration, Modelling and Optimisation for Energy Saving and Pollution Reduction
Conference (PRES 2018). She is a reviewer of 5 research Journals (Journal of Cleaner Production,
Clean Technologies and Environmental policy, Bioresources Technology Report, Energy,
Chemical Engineering Transactions), an Editorial board member of Journal of Cleaner
Production and the Guest Editor of two special issues. She was granted with 4 outstanding
reviewing awards and shortlisted as Publons’ Early Career Reviewer Choice Award selected from
the 600+ nominations. Her Publons (Clarivate Analytics – provider of WoS) account shows 1365
reviewing and 5 editorial merits.
Invited submissions

Abstract
It is estimated that around 1.3 billion people globally still have either limited or no access at all to
electricity. These, in turn, have directed greater focus on affordable, accessible, and
environmental-friendly renewable energy systems. Micro hydroelectric power is a clean and
efficient source of energy that has been used for the electrification of rural off-grid communities
around the world. Using mixed-integer linear programming, an optimization model for the design
of an off grid micro hydro power plant is developed. The proposed model is able to provide the
necessary technical specifications such as the penstock dimensions, turbine choice, weir height,
and site choice in order to fulfill a community’s demand while simultaneously maximizing the net
present value of the investment. This study also introduces the possibility of productive end uses
for the plant in order to determine how one should size the plant in order for it to be a financially
sustainable investment. The proposed model is validated through the use of actual data coming
from a site installation in Sitio Parina, Apayao. Scenario analysis was also done in order to show
the different capabilities of the model as well as to provide decision making heuristics for micro
hydro power plant investors. These scenarios also showed the significance of the model given real
world conditions.
Abstract
Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC) is a versatile power generation technology in
which coal is partially oxidized with oxygen and steam to produce syngas. In an IGCC design
without carbon capture, the syngas is purified for dust and hydrogen sulphide removal and then
sent to a Combined Cycle Gas Turbine (CCGT) for power generation. Carbon Capture, Utilization
and Storage (CCUS) technologies are expected to play an important role in the future for reducing
the greenhouse gas emissions. In this paper, several innovative reactive gas-solid systems (based
on chemical & calcium looping cycles) are assessed in pre-combustion CO2 capture designs in
connection with an IGCC power plant. In a modified IGCC design for CO 2 capture based on
reactive gas-solid systems, the syngas is treated in the chemical looping cycle to maximize
hydrogen production simultaneously with CO2 capture. After CO2 capture, the hydrogen can be
either exported to the external customers or used in a CCGT unit for power generation.

This paper investigates the most important mass & energy integration issues for a coal-based
IGCC power plant with carbon capture based on innovative chemical & calcium looping systems.
The IGCC designs (simulated and then validated with experimental data) produce around 500
MW net electricity with a flexible hydrogen output and a carbon capture rate higher than 90%.
The principal focus of the paper is put on the evaluation integration aspects to maximize the
overall energy efficiency as well as to reduce fuel usage, carbon and water footprints. Optimization
includes heat and power integration analysis of main plant sub-systems (e.g. integration of steam
generated in gasification island with the steam duties for syngas treatment and chemical &
calcium looping units, power generation in the combined cycle using various gas turbines,
integration of air separation unit and gas turbine compressor etc.) as well as performing
sensitivity analysis for the evaluated case studies (e.g. influence of various gasifiers and gas
turbine used in combined cycle, ambient conditions on overall energy efficiency of the plant). The
overall conclusion is that gasification technology coupled with innovative chemical & calcium
looping cycles proves to be very promising to deliver high overall energy efficiency (38 - 45%),
better operational flexibility in hydrogen and power co-generation (up to 25 - 30%)
simultaneously with very low CO2 emissions (less than 50 kg CO2/MWh).
Abstract
With global energy demands rising each year, the allocation of energy supplies has become
critically important. Current research shows that prediction and allocation of energy sources are
done using methodologies such as generic regression models, Fourier analysis or deep neural
networks. However, traditional methods fall short in simultaneously providing accuracy,
adaptability and robustness for industrial standards. We propose a smart energy framework
based-on hierarchical temporal memory (HTM), which is a machine learning methodology that
was developed as a step towards achieving artificial general intelligence (AGI). As the counter-
part of deep neural networks, the HTM model replicates the mechanism in cerebral neocortex of
the human brain (which is used for logical reasoning). HTM uses sparse distributed
representation and spatial pooling to learn from continuous streams of unlabelled data with great
robustness and high capacity. In this work, the HTM-based smart energy framework is
demonstrated in an industrial case study for the turbine electricity generation of a waste-to-
energy cogeneration system. The smart energy framework is also implemented on an industrial
illustrative case study to demonstrate its effectiveness in predicting energy requirements and
operational anomalies. Moreover, further applications of the framework are discussed for
implementations in smart refineries and industrial processing facilities.
Abstract
The circular economy is a closed cycle that allows one to reuse the industrial waste, as well as
minimize the energy and resources losses during the production process. This paper presents an
innovative idea of application of geopolymer thermal backfill for underground power cable system
installation. The closed cycle, in this case, may be formulated as follows: the primary resource is
the waste from the combustion of fossil fuels, i.e. fly ash, that is utilized to form the geopolymer
matrix. The geopolymer then is used as thermal backfill in underground power cable systems.
Utilization of combustion by-products in the form of geopolymer may be a highly profitable
solution since landfill waste disposal, in this case, generates considerable costs for the electrical
energy producers. In a typical applications geopolymers are used as insulators, however, by
adding special components, the thermal conductivity of 2.0 W/(m K), higher than of typical
thermal backfills (Fluidized Thermal Backfill) with thermal conductivity of 1.5 W/(m K), may be
reached. What is very important, geopolymers can absorb water, better than typical sand-cement
mixtures. Therefore reasonably high thermal conductivity with the temperature increase may be
maintained. The application of geopolymers as thermal backfills has the potential to improve the
flexibility of underground power cable systems, as well as to minimize the material costs of
installation. Therefore, the case study is presented to show the economic benefits of using the
combustion by-products as a geopolymer thermal backfills. The Finite Element Method model of
an underground power cable system is developed, and optimization of backfill dimensions is
provided, to minimize the material costs using the geopolymer thermal backfill and to maximize
the underground power cable system performance. The main result of this paper is that the
application of geopolymers may lead to a decrease in underground power cable system costs,
compared to traditional backfill (sand-cement mixture). The reason is the higher value of thermal
conductivity, which allows selecting a cable with a smaller cross-sectional area.
Abstract
Trigeneration system helps contribute to the development of a sustainable environment for the
reduction of fossil fuels and mitigation of climate change while bringing economic benefits to
companies. Different types and designs of prime mover and cooling trigeneration systems will
result in different economics. Hotel buildings usually require a huge amount of heating for
sterilisation, cooking, bedpan washers, sanitary water and laundry, whereas cooling is used for
condensate and space cooling. Nowadays, the implementation of district heating and cooling in
hotels are economically attractive due to its low cost. This paper proposes a comparison and
evaluation of three different cooling and prime mover systems that are suitable for
implementation in a trigeneration system. A case study involving ten hotel buildings with a total
cooling load of 3.46 GWh/month and heating load of 2.16 GWh/month is presented. The overall
economics is determined using Life Cycle Costing (LCC) that considers the investment cost,
maintenance cost, operational cost and total annual cost for each system. The results show that
the double effect absorption chiller yields a lower total annual cost as compared to the single effect
absorption chiller and Vapor Compression System (VCS) for the case of district cooling. On the
other hand, a gas turbine gives a lower total annual cost as compared to the use of a steam turbine
and internal combustion engine for the case of district heating. A combination of double effect
absorption chiller and gas turbine systems for district cooling and heating in a trigeneration
system is found to be economically most attractive.
Abstract
Biowaste represents a significant fraction of municipal solid waste. Its separate collection is
considered as a useful measure to enhance waste management systems in both the developed and
developing world. This paper aims to compare the environmental performance of three market-
ready technologies currently used to treat biowaste – biowaste composting, fermentation and
biowaste incineration in waste-to-energy (WtE) plants. The last option considers biowaste as a
component of residual municipal solid waste. Global warming potential (GWP) was applied as an
indicator and burdens related to the operation of facilities and credits obtained through the
products were identified. Environmental performance of WtE plant was investigated in detail
using a model, implementing an approach similar to marginal-cost and revenues, which is a
concept widely applied in economics. The results show that all of the treatment options offer an
environmentally friendly treatment (their net GWP is negative). The environmental performance
of WtE plant is profoundly affected by the mode of its operation, i.e. type of energy exported. The
concept producing the environmental credits at the highest rate is co-incineration of biowaste in
strictly heat-oriented WtE plant. Anaerobic digestion plants treating biowaste by fermentation
produce fewer credits, but approximately twice as more credits as WtE plants with power delivery
only.
Abstract
China is one of the fastest-growing economies worldwide, with a huge number of resources
utilisation, including energy consumption, water utilisation, etc. It is also along with increasing
environmental issues, e.g. a large number of pollution emissions. Energy-water-carbon nexus has
become a hot topic, which needs an in-depth study. In this paper, the authors proposed a
framework for energy-water-carbon nexus analysis aims at China case study. The Environmental
Input-Output (EIO) model is used to analyse the water and energy sectoral consumption. Sectoral
classification is also be adjusted based on the regional input-output table. The critical
betweenness sectors and transactions of CO2- in a supply chain network are identified and
evaluated. This study can be a stepstone for future studies.
Abstract
The objective of the work is to assess the efficiency of water utility on the basis of a set of indicators
characterizing the features of the Russian companies for water supply and wastewater treatment,
close to each other according to the rules and conditions of production. An approach to assessing
the efficiency of water utilities, based on the application of the theory of "growth points" for the
Russian conditions is proposed. It takes into account the impact of cleaner production on
improving the quality of drinking water and reducing the water utility pollution on environment.
The methodology was used to study the development of six water companies in the regional
administrative centres (similar in population) in Russia, which provide services of water supply
and wastewater treatment. The research revealed different patterns in the use of external and
internal resources.
Abstract
Heat-integrated water network (HIWN) is an active area of research that focuses on the
simultaneous saving of energy and water. This problem has been previously approached using
insight-based Pinch Analysis and Mathematical Programming techniques. In this work, an
alternative optimisation tool, process graph (P-graph) framework is utilised to solve for water and
energy integration. It is a graph-theoretic approach to process synthesis. The developed
algorithms can reduce the complexity of the mathematical programming algorithms efficiently.
This work mainly deals with the optimisation of water networks, as well as utilities and area
targeting for the heat exchanger networks sequentially. This paper also introduces some
transformation techniques to convert the non-linear programming (NLP) model in the non-
isothermal HIWN problem into a model which is solvable using P-graph. An example is used to
elucidate the proposed approach, covering both isothermal and non-isothermal mixing problems
with direct water reuse/recycle. The results obtained are in good agreement with the previously
published results, which shows the capability of P-graph.
Abstract
Water and energy are the most critical resources for human society development and are also the
essential sources of the significant environmental issues when not properly managed or utilised.
Systematic analysis of the two elements facilitates the overall optimisation of water and energy
utilisation, rather than decreasing one while increasing another. The concept of water-energy
nexus, namely the interlinkages between water and energy, has been well accepted and utilised in
water-energy resource assessment. Various studies have been carried out under this topic and
trying to interpret the linkages and use this linkage to assess the performance of resource
utilisation. This review aims to provide a clear vision and possible future directions for the
implementation and improvement of water-energy nexus research. Reported applications of
water-energy nexus assessment range from regional and product assessment, water-energy-food
nexus, water-energy-GHG emissions nexus, water-energy-land nexus, to water-energy-GDP
nexus and even water-energy-haze nexus. The water-energy nexus assessment methods reported
in the literature include conceptual framework, statistical analysis, indicator-based approach, and
mathematical modelling. Key findings of the review include: 1) The need for more awareness and
understanding of the nexus and improve the assessment from quantification to a designing tool.
2) Data availability and quality is still a great challenge of the current studies, and the data
validation is missing in many studies. 3) The water-energy nexus assessment covers mainly the
quantity of the flow, while the quality of the flow is mostly neglected, and 4) the functional unit of
water-energy should be further investigated and using monetary units can be a feasible solution.
Abstract
The significant increase of the amount of industrial wastewater effluents produced and disposed
into the environment is leading to a severe pollution problem. In order to solve this issue, each
industrial effluent may be treated through pretreatment and concentration steps. In this way, the
removal of pollutants from the effluent, the recovery of valuable materials and/or the recycling of
the solution are feasible. However, these wastewater treatment steps, are energy intensive, thus
needing to be analyzed thoroughly.

This work is focused on the comparison of different processes to treat a specific waste-effluent
produced by a coal mining industry. The proposed processes combine different pre-treatment
steps and different concentration technologies. In all cases, after the removal of multivalent ions
in the pretreatment phase, the outlet solution is sent to the concentration phase, where it is
concentrated up to saturation in order to recover water and NaCl salt. In particular, the pre-
treatment includes nanofiltration and crystallization, while the concentration step is performed
either with a multi-effect distillation plant or with the coupling of reverse osmosis and membrane
distillation units. Finally, every process presents an end crystallizer to produce the crystals of
NaCl. The considered processes differ with respect to a number of criteria, such as electricity
demand, heat demand and costs. They are compared from an economic point of view via a
representative cost, which is the levelized cost of the produced NaCl crystals (Levelized Salt Cost,
LSC).

Results indicate that the treatment chain including three crystallization steps (to recover
Mg(OH)2, CaSO4 and CaCO3) and a multi-effect distillation unit is able to simultaneously
guarantee (i) the highest recovery of NaCl and (ii) the lowest levelized cost of salt. In particular,
the latter is found to fall within the typical range of price of high purity NaCl salt. On overall, the
proposed treatment chain allows to convert a waste effluent into sellable products (including
NaCl), thus representing a valuable example of circular economy approach.
Abstract
Non-crude oil based paraffins can be produced with hydrogenation of different waste sources like
fatty acids and polyolefins. The liquid products formed during a special thermal cracking of waste
polyolefins contain mainly C5-C20 olefins. These recycled carbon fuels can only be used in engine
fuels if their quality is improved. The deoxygenation of waste fatty acids is generally carried out
in hydrogenation units, too. The co-hydrogenation of these waste biomass and recycled carbon
based components with unrefined gas oils is a potential industrial solution for their quality
improvement.

In our earlier studies we concluded that the blending of waste fatty acid fraction had some
disadvantageous effect on the hydrogenation reactions during the co-processing with high
sulphur gas oil. Meanwhile the quality of the formed products meets the requirements of the
European diesel fuel standard. The blending of recycled carbon based feedstock (waste
polypropylene based pyrolysis gas oil fraction) was advantageous on the quality of the products
during co-processing with similar gas oil.

The aim of our research work was to produce high quality, alternative components containing
diesel fuels and to study the desulphurization, saturation and hydrodearomatisation reactions.
On the other hand to examine the interaction among the alternative fractions and the high sulphur
gas oil. The quality improvement of the mixture of straight run gas oil, waste polypropylene
cracked fraction (20%) and waste fatty acid mixture (10, 20 and 30%) was carried out on a
commercial, sulphided NiMo/alumina catalyst. We also studied the effect of the process
parameters on the quality and quantity of the products.

Based on the result of our experiments (temperature: 300-360°C; hydrogen/hydrocarbon ratio:

600 Nm3/m3; pressure: 50 bar; liquid hourly space velocity: 1.0-3.0 h-1) we selected the favourable
process parameters to produce high quality diesel fuel blending components (e.g. 10% fatty acid
waste and 20% waste polypropylene cracked fraction containing feedstock, temperature: 360°C,
1.0 h-1 liquid hourly space velocity).

Overall we found that diesel fuel blending component can be produced with the presented
catalytic conversion. The effect of the blending of the waste fractions into the straight run gas oil
feedstock on the quality and quantity of the hydrogenated products was varied. It is evaluated in
detail
Abstract
Due to increasing air transportation the demand for jet fuels grew significantly in the last decade.
In the line with the aviation, consumption of jet fuels in the European Union shown a significant
increasing compares to the growing of aviation. The growing fossil based jet fuel usage results
significant high atmospheric carbon dioxide and particle emission, what means remarkable
environment pollution. Main organizations of aviation started different programmes to regulate
the green house gas emission.

The aim of the experimental work was to study the comparison of NiMo/Al 2O3 and CoMo/Al2O3
catalysts from the aspect of catalytic conversion of waste coconut oil, which was mixed in
unrefined kerosene fractions in 10, 30, 50% to produce jet fuel containing alternative component
at various process parameters (T = 280-360 °C, LHSV = 1.0-3.0 h-1, P = 30 bar, H2/feedstock
volume ratio = 600 Nm3/m3). Based on the experimental results, both of the catalysts are suitable
for biojet fuel production in sulphide state. The products have good performance properties
(smoke point >30 mm) and suitable composition (acid number <0.015 mgKOH/g) according to
the jet fuel standard.
Abstract
This paper deals with the experimental identification of concentration and size distribution of fine
combustion particles emitted by domestic biomass combusting boiler. The paper presents a
testing procedure of real biomass boiler with detail monitoring of the concentration and size
distribution of emitted particles smaller than 1micrometre. The flue gas leaving the boiler enters
a Scanning Mobility Particle Sizer where the particle size fractions are separated. The
condensation particle counter identifies a number of particles.

The parametrical study was carried out to assess the influence of different operating conditions
of the boiler (cool start, hot start, steady operation, extinguishing) on the production of fine
particles and their size distribution. The size of emitted particles is very strongly influenced by the
concentration of light volatiles and water content in the flue gas. The carried-out study identified
the majority of combustion fine particles in size range 50 to 400 nm. From the carried-out study,
it is clear that an increase of the combustion chamber temperature is the most important
parameter affecting particle formation.
Abstract
Internal combustion engines (both the continuous- and intermittent-combustion engines) will
continue to play a decisive role as energy source for road transportation by 2040. Due to
sustainability (including environmental-) considerations, the application of suitable, liquid
engine fuels from alternative sources becoming increasingly important. In the case of Diesel
engines, the most widely used alternative fuel components are the fatty acid alkyl esters
(biodiesel) and (bio)paraffin components (bio gas oil) to a lesser extent. Interestingly, the source
of their feedstocks partly overlaps (natural/waste vegetable oils, fats, etc.), but their production
process is fundamentally different. Accordingly their chemical structure and consequently their
physico-chemical and application properties are different. There are no publications about
detailed comparison of the two blending components. In our research work detailed overview of
the feedstocks that are suitable for the production of biodiesel and/or bio gas oils is provided.
Their pretreatment- and production possibilities and our own experimental results are also
presented. Based on the results obtained, either separately or combined application of biodiesel
and bio gas oil as blending component in diesel fuel was evaluated critically. Based on this, life-
cycle assessment of these two alternative blending components (highlighting the environmental
aspects) was given as well.
Abstract
Diesel fuels will continuously play an important role in road and marine transportation for the
next 25-30 years. This is due to the increasing demand for freight transport. Also important fact
that the standards of fuels used to power marine vessels have been significantly tightened and this
trend is likely to continue in the future. For example, emission standards want to reduce their
sulphur content from approximately 1-3% (10,000-30,000 mg/kg) in 2 or 3 steps to below 500
mg/kg or more likely below 100 mg/kg. Paraffin hydrocarbons with different structures are
excellent blending components for the environmentally friendly, good-quality diesel fuels. The
hydrogen content of these paraffin hydrocarbons is high, their combustion is near to
stoichiometric (lower emission), and because of their lower flame temperature the structure
materials of the combustion chamber is less damaged. However the cold flow properties of the
paraffin hydrocarbon mixtures in particular the n-paraffins with higher carbon number (>n-C14)
cannot satisfy the diesel standard, therefore improving these properties is an important task. In
our research work the improvement possibilities (catalytic isomerization and the application of
appropriate additives) for the cold flow properties (e.g. cold filter plugging point) of diesel fuel
components with high paraffin content are discussed. The experimental results of catalytic
isomerization over the patented Pt/SAPO-11/Al2O3 catalyst as well as the most important results
of the applied middle distillate flow improver and wax dispersant additives are presented in
detailed. Taking account into the relationships based on the detailed evaluation the benefits of the
combination of isomerization and additivation were concluded. Also, the various implementation
ways of the catalytic process, the quality of the products as well as the cost of different level of
additivation were considered.
Abstract
Disposal of industrial pickling waste solutions strongly affects hot-dip galvanizing industries’
economics and environmental footprint. Thus, the recovery of acid is one of the most beneficial
steps to enhance the process sustainability. Diffusion dialysis (DD) can be used to separate acids
and heavy metals (e.g. iron and zinc) from pickling waters, thus enabling their recovery and reuse
promoting the circular use of such raw materials in a sustainable way [1,2].

In the present work, two DD modules equipped with Fumasep FAD anionic exchange membranes
were used for the recovery of hydrochloric acid from highly concentrated zinc and iron solutions.
In particular, a plate and frame laboratory-scale DD unit (10x10 cm2), operating in a batch
configuration [3], and a large-scale DD unit (20x80 cm2), operating in continuous mode, were
tested.

Results show that zinc and iron affect HCl recovery in opposite way. In fact, when iron ions are
present in solution the acid recovery efficiency can considerably increase thanks to the so-called
“salt effect” until over 100%. Conversely, a slight reduction of 10% is observed when both metals
are in solution, likely due to the formation of negatively-charged zinc chloro-complexes. All these
trends were entirely in agreement with the results obtained in continuous operation.

An already presented mathematical model, with a time and space distributed-parameters

structure [3], was further implemented in order to effectively simulate operations also in the
presence of zinc ions. The model was thoroughly validated with experimental data for the two
units, observing a good fitting between experimental results and model predictions.
Abstract
Phase change thermal storage technology has received considerable attention in electronic device
thermal control. Unfortunately, the heat storage efficiency using paraffin is still relatively low
although the foam copper is used, which can’t meet the requirements of high power device heat
dissipation. Liquid metal as a potential phase change material, has many advantages including
high thermal conductivity, high energy storage density and wide melting temperature range. In
this work, the gallium is selected as the phase change material of thermal regenerator system. The
heat transfer performance of gallium regenerator is tested and compared with the traditional
foam copper/paraffin composite regenerator. The experiments results indicate that the gallium
can effectively control the temperature rise of the heating wall and the average effective thermal
conductivity reaches 69.98 W/(m·K). Comparing with the foam copper/paraffin composite
regenerator, the overall and most of melting time of the gallium regenerator is reduced by 55.5%
and 56.0% respectively.
Abstract
In the chemical reactor, there are a lot of uncertainly reaction routes; its conversion and output
change along the reaction conditions. The reason is that the reaction routes and the reaction rates
vary along the reactor parameters. Due to the absence of an effective model that simulates and
predicts the behavior of the reaction systems, the systems are often not operated under optimal
conditions. This results in an increase in energy costs and/or a decrease in product yield.

A method is developed to analyze the effect of plug-flow reactor’s parameters and identify their
optimal values. Starting from atomic scope, an algebraic modeling procedure is used to seek all
possible reactions, and establish the reaction network. The variation of each component’s
concentration is calculated with the reaction conditions considered. Based on this, the reactor’s
performance parameters versus the reactor conditions is plotted, and the effect of reactor
parameters is analyzed and optimal parameters are identified.
Abstract
Energy resources are vital for the economic development of any nation, and they are currently
recognised as an essential commodity for human beings. However, many countries are facing
various level up to severe energy crisis due to limited natural resources. This crisis can lead to the
shutdown or restriction of many industrial units, exacerbating unemployment, simultaneous
impacts on people's lives. The main reason for these problems is the increasing gap between
energy supply and demand, logistics, financial issues, as well as ineffective strategic planning
issues. However, research concerning the importance of a strategic management plan for
managing global energy is still limited. This study aims to discuss the imperative of strategic
management to plan and manage global energy implementation. The analysis relies on examining
the literature to identify the importance of strategic management approach and tool to implement
global energy policies. The results of the present study would support academics in expanding the
research in a particular area. From a practical standpoint, this study helps the policymakers and
decision-makers in the strategic level to understand the value and need of using strategic
management plan as a tool to achieve more effective and practical global energy policies.
Abstract
The feasibility and consequences of replacing nuclear power plants (NPPs) in the Czech Republic
with other energy sources are discussed. Nuclear power plants produced about one-third of
electricity in the Czech Republic in 2017. Renewable energy sources such as hydropower, wind
and solar power plants and biomass/biogas burning power plants produced about 11 % of
electricity in 2017. Due to the geographical and other constraints, the renewables do not have the
potential to replace the capacity of the NPPs. The only feasible technologies that could replace
NPPs in the Czech Republic in the near future are the power plants using fossil fuels. The
combined cycle power plants running on natural gas (NGCCs), are technically and
environmentally the feasible alternative for nuclear power plants at the moment. The total
greenhouse gas emissions in the Czech Republic still would increase by about 10 % if the power
production of the NPPs were entirely replaced by NGCCs.
Abstract
The world has begun the transition to a low-emissions economy. This work presents a summary
of novel methods for biorefinery process selection, design, and optimisation. The application of
these methods has resulted in a proposed Kraft Mill-integrated biorefinery design that produces
carbon-neutral fuel and could mitigate 64.6 kg CO2-e/GJ of fuel at a minimum fuel selling price
of 0.74 €/LGE. This paper concludes that a hydrothermal liquefaction process with product
upgrading has excellent economic potential and environmental benefits that become amplified by
integrating with an existing Kraft Mill. At the current global Kraft pulp production rate, if each
Kraft Mill transforms into a biorefinery based on hydrothermal liquefaction, the biofuel
production is an estimated 290 Mt (9.9 EJ). At this level of production, about 37 % of global air
and marine transport demand could be satisfied.
Abstract
The energy demands of humankind are increasing rapidly to an unsustainable extent due to
increasing population and their increasing demand per capita. However, considering the energy
system in US 66.7 % of energy is lost even before reaching the “gate” of the various energy sectors.
An analysis of energy flow diagram with some potential options for GHG reduction can be found
in Nemet et al. (2018). Analysis of sectors can reveal a tremendous potential for enhancing the
energy efficiency of the primary energy utilisation.

For example, most of the cars are still using the internal combustion engine, where the engine
losses represent 62.4 % of the fuel energy content, 17.2 % are idling losses, 5.6 % are driveline
losses, 2.2 % is lost for accessories, 5.8 % for overcoming inertia and braking losses, 4.2 % are to
cover rolling resistance and 2.6 % due to aerodynamic drag. The last three categories can be seen
as the necessary demand to move the car forward, presenting only 12.6 % of fuel energy content.
Considering the weight ratio of person (91 kg for 1.3 people) versus the car weight (1.5 t) the energy
efficiency results in only 0.76 %. Since 62.4 % is lost as engine losses one could think about co-
generation option within or outside the car. This example clearly shows the need for a proper
definition of the amount and type of demand, critical review of the necessary demand and analysis
of the integration options. To enable those analyses a bottom-up approach is required deriving
analysis based on actual demand. However, the focus should not only be on the demand analysis
but should rather highlight the integrated solution considering all main sectors, including the
energy production sectors, energy consumption sectors, and energy supply/distribution network.
Moreover, considering mass and energy flow reveals even more integrated solutions as the two,
energy and mass, supply networks are highly interconnected and should not be treated
independently.

The aim of this study is to quantitatively analyse the potential of various energy and mass
integration options between different sectors via detailed analysis of energy flows within and
between sectors, considering all three pillars of sustainable development.

Nemet, A., Klemeš, J.J, Kravanja, Z. 2018, GHG Emissions Reduction by Improving Efficiency of
Utilities Transport and Use and Cross-Sectorial Energy Integration. Chemical Engineering
Transactions, 19–24.
Abstract
The presenting work is devoted to a comprehensive environment impact assessment for mercury,
which enters the air, water bodies and soil from anthropogenic sources. In this paper, for the first
time, the approach to obtaining estimates for the mercury footprint on a global scale will be
presented. This is a very important result of big research work because it allows us to get adequate
assessments of the success of any activities on implementation e.g. of the Minamata Convention.
In this model global GIS data as a source of information was used, which is necessary for the
modelling of processes of mercury migration between compartment and transboundary transfers.
The result of this work is maps of the mercury footprint for environmental media. This result
allows us to assess the most vulnerable areas and components of the environment, as well as to
predict the results that may be caused by regulatory impact
Abstract
It has been well proven that Process Integration (Klemeš et al., 2018) enables a simultaneous
reduction of resource consumption and environmental impact of industrial processes. This is
usually a result from reuse or recycling of energy or material flows. The latter observation makes
a connection with the domains of waste management and its hierarchy (Bong et al., 2017), and
industrial symbiosis (Herczeg et al., 2017), which take a different perspective, but apply the same
general principle – that reusing materials and energy forms direct or indirect cycles, giving rise
to the paradigm of Circular Economy (Zore et al., 2017).

There are a multitude of Process Integration methods, applicable to various process optimization
tasks. These have been analysed in-depth by Klemeš et al. (2018). On the other hand, the
development of the Waste Management and Industrial Symbiosis fields has also been advancing
in recent years, mainly emphasising minimisation of disposed waste with its environmental
impact and maximisation of material recycling with the associated reduction of resource intake.

The current contribution analyses the developments and main strengths of these three branches
of Process Optimisation for improved economic and environmental performance. It compares
their concepts, modelling approaches, assumptions and procedures. The analysis concludes with
a summary of the common features and the possibilities to combine the approaches, using a
common basis for quantification of the impacts, the degree resource reuse and resource
conservation, accounting for the locations of production and consumption (Liu et al., 2017).
Abstract
Waste recovery and disposal are one of the biggest management challenges. An adequate waste
management design is critical in contributing to the development of a sustainable circular
economy. There is a need for a systematic and preferably graphical approach to assessing the
emissions associated with waste treatment processes followed by strategies for mitigation. This
study aims to propose a graphical approach in identifying the appropriate waste management
system (WMS) with lower emissions. The proposed graph-based approach termed as Extended-
Waste Management Pinch Analysis (E-WAMPA) is an extension to the existing WAMPA. It is
distinguishable by three major issues a) A stagewise algorithm aims for regional waste
management planning, b) the emissions of recycling are not assumed as zero c) the targeted
countries are based on waste emission intensity per capita. A generic methodology of E-WAMPA
is presented and followed by an EU-28 case study to elucidate the application. The considered
waste type is the municipal solid waste (MSW), and the assessed emission is GHG. E-WAMPA is
capable of suggesting the strategies in fulfilling the targeted emission reduction of a region (e.g.
10 % reduction) and meeting the individual treatment targets (e.g. 50 % reduction of landfill
target). One of the possible strategies is demonstrated on adjusting the WMS of Malta, Greece,
Cyprus and Romania. The way forward of E-WAMPA have been discussed as well.
Abstract
The Acid Gas to SyngasTM (AG2STM) technology is an innovative process to produce syngas from
two emissions, CO2 and H2S. Since steam reforming has high CO2 emissions, with almost 7 kg of
CO2 per 1 kg of H2 produced, the key idea of the new technology is to convert CO2 and H2S obtained
from natural gas desulphurisation into additional syngas (CO and H2).

The technological kernel is a regenerative thermal reactor that promotes the overall reduction of
oxy-reduction (1):

2 H2S + CO2 → H2 + CO + S2 + H2O (1)

The regenerative thermal reactor, with a different configuration than the typical Claus furnace,
is able to recover as much as possible hydrogen from H2S preheating the inlet acid gas before the
combustion. It is, also, energetically self-sufficient thanks to a lower injection of air or oxygen,
according to the final use of syngas, which is fed premixed with acid gases.

Main reactions occur in thermal furnace (temperature ≥ 1000 °C), then the outlet gas is partially
extinguished to remove the radical species by means of recombination reactions and due to heat
exchange by gas-gas discharge, most of the heat is recovered. The process generates syngas
mainly, along with elemental sulphur and water, both harmless by-products. By coupling different
software, for example PRO/II and DSMOKE, a complete plant model was developed, and detailed
kinetic scheme was used for reactor simulation. The importance of the innovations introduced is
underlined and the modelling of the plant is constructed with the consequent collection of
experimental data. A project of experiments is applied to the two-level reactor system. The first
allows to define the experiments to cover the entire operational domain and the second, a design
based on models of experiments, allows to identify the optimal additional experimental points.
Due to the fact that AG2STM process is similar to Claus Process in terms of unit operations
involved, the renovation works are cheap and relatively fast. The main conclusion is that the new
plant certainly leads to improvements from an environmental and technical point of view by
reducing CO2 emissions (around 0.3%) and generating valuable products.
Abstract
Aerosol particulate matter with dynamic diameter smaller than 2.5 μm (PM 2.5) can be emitted
from pollutant sources directly (primary PM2.5) or be generated in the air from various pollutant
precursors (secondary PM2.5). To analyse the secondary PM2.5 formation process, a
multicomponent kinetic model (MKM) is developed by considering the main precursors of PM2.5
including H2SO4, HNO3, NH3 and VOC. The new particle formation (NPF) process is revealed,
and the roles of those four main precursors are identified. To investigate a potential source of
primary PM2.5, a novel droplet (containing particles) drying and breakage model in Wet Flue Gas
Desulfurization (WFGD) system is established. The flue gas temperature is found to be the key
factor for fine particle generation in the WFGD and is suggested to below 120 oC.
Abstract
This contribution presents the synthesis of flexible supply networks for producing electricity from
biogas, and for processing a low-quality digestate into more valuable products, while considering
uncertain input data. Besides the use of dry and wet digestates from biogas plants such as
fertilizers (Egieya et al., 2018), we consider the production of concentrated nitrogen fertilizers
through a two-stage vacuum evaporation process. Such fertilizers are of higher value than the
digestate, as they are richer with nitrogen and lower in water content, thus also reducing the cost
of transport (Chiumenti et al., 2013). Production of ammonium sulfate or ammonium nitrate with
mass fractions of 36 wt % is considered by adding sulfuric- or nitric acid, and maintaining the pH
value higher than 5. The vacuum evaporation process is heat-integrated with biogas process so
that the consumption of external utilities for two-stage evaporation could be practically zero
(Novak Pintarič et al., 2018). The water obtained could be reused in an anaerobic fermenter,
making biogas production more sustainable and environmentally friendly, establishing value
chains, closing the loops and approaching a circular economy.

The problem is formulated as a mixed integer linear programming (MILP) model, with the main
objective to maximize economic profit. To account for uncertainty, a methodology is applied
which consists of several steps that gradually lead from a nominal process structure obtained at
fixed values of uncertain parameters to process that accounts for deviations in uncertain
parameters and results in greater flexibility (Zirngast et al., 2018). The proposed approach for the
synthesis of supply network for heat and electricity production from biogas, as well as higher-
value fertilizers is demonstrated by an illustrative case study of up to nine agricultural biogas
plants in Slovenia.
Concerns about adverse environmental and social consequences of fossil fuels usage and their
finite nature have been voiced intermittently for decades. Development of new strategies for
diversification and security of energy supply, mainly focused on using existing local sources, has
underpinned the scientific agenda for more than 30 years.

The hydrogen economy has been one of the main strategies proposed for decarbonisation of the
power sector since hydrogen is environmentally clean fuel, which yields only water and energy
when oxidized. Despite the environmental advantages, hydrogen has poor volumetric energy
density and a low flash point, presenting technical and economic issues associated with its storage
and distribution at a large scale including hard to handle infrastructures that would be required
to properly store and distribute the chemical in a safe way, excluding the expenses that will be
needed to ensure its safe use.

Other chemicals have been proposed to support the transition to a hydrogen economy, chemicals
that contain great quantities of hydrogen and can serve as energy vectors of a wide variety of
renewable and conventional energy sources. One of the possible solutions could be found in
hydrogen-based fuels as hydrogen carriers such as ammonia. Ammonia is the second largest
chemical commodity which is also carbon-free. In addition, ammonia can be obtained from any
energy resources, i.e. fossil fuels, biomass or other renewable sources, while it can be safely stored
and handled relying on a commercially viable and proven existing infrastructure. A significant
advantage of ammonia with respect to hydrogen is a lower cost per unit of stored energy and
higher volumetric density, which allows energy storage and distribution of hydrogen at cost
effective-easier to handle conditions. Stored ammonia can be sold in the market, used for
industrial processes, employed as fertilizer or consumed for immediate power production. For the
latter, gas turbines are potential candidates for the use of the resource in an efficient way that will
enable commissioning of combined cycles to power communities around the globe while serving
as sources of heat and chemical storage. Development of these systems will bring to the market a
safer, zero carbon fuel that can be used for multiple purposes, thus decentralizing power
generation and increasing sustainability in the communities of the future. Regarding all
previously mentioned points, ammonia has been suggested as a supplement of hydrogen for
remote and mobile applications and considered as energy vector for smooth transition towards a
low carbon economy in future energy systems.

Therefore, this session invites presentations related to the use of ammonia as a hydrogen vector
for power, cooling, heating, energy storage and human development through separation,
catalysis, distribution, storage and consumption via combustion, fuel cells,
propulsion/detonation or any other innovative pathway to use the chemical.

Session organizers:

Dr. Milana Guteša Božo, Termoinžinjering d.o.o., Zrenjanin, Serbia

Dr. Agustin Valera-Medina, Cardiff university, Cardiff, United Kingdom

Milana Guteša Božo - Dr Milana Guteša Božo is a Head of Department for Research and
Development in Termoinžinjering d.o.o., Serbia. Dr Milana Guteša Božo holds PhD in numerical
modelling of the flow behavior, heat transfer and energy transformation in the gas turbine plants
under design and off-design regimes for gases with various calorific values, in Mechanical
Engineering at University of Novi Sad, Serbia. Her second PhD thesis has been approved in field
of gas turbine fuel quality impact on the environment. Her research is in the areas of modelling
and simulation of design and off – design regimes in gas and steam turbine plants, combustion of
gases with various calorific values, alternative fuels, pollution, fuel quality impact on gas turbine
regimes, and in the areas of sustainable energy, environmental protection and climate change.
She has over 30 publications in Scientific Journals, Books and International Conferences
Proceedings to her credit. Dr Milana Guteša Božo is a Chartered Engineer (Serbian Chamber of
Engineers) and a member of the Thermal Engineers Society of Serbia. She is also co-author of
numerous design documents in the field of energy and environmental engineering.

Agustin Valera-Medina - Dr Agustin Valera-Medina is a Senior Lecturer at Cardiff School of

Engineering. His research interests include alternative fuels, hydrodynamics, flame stabilization,
fuel injection, heat transfer and combustion technologies. He has participated as PI/CI on 19
industrial projects with multi-nationals including GE, PEMEX, Rolls-Royce, Siemens, Alstom,
Ricardo and EON. He has published 116 papers, 19 of these specifically concerning ammonia
power. He has supervised 20 PhD students and 2 PDRAs since his appointment in 2012. He has
won international conference awards including the AIAA ‘Best Paper in Terrestrial Technologies’
in 2010 and 2013, and the SDEWES SEE 2018 "Best Paper". He has been recipient of the
prestigious award for “Business Innovation, 2017” in South Wales, UK. His international works
on ammonia are underway with universities such as Oxford, Trinity College Dublin, NUS,
Tsinghua, Xiamen, Exeter, Leicester, Loughborough, UCL, Imperial College, CIDESI, Educon,
etc. and companies such as Siemens, Yara, Tokyo Gas, C-Job Naval, amongst many others. He is
a member of the ETN Ammonia Gas Turbines subgroup. Dr Valera-Medina currently leads
Cardiff’s contribution to the Innovate-UK ‘Decoupled Green Energy’ Project (2015–2018) led by
Siemens and in partnership with STFC and the University of Oxford, which aims to demonstrate
the use of green ammonia produced from wind energy for production, storage and conversion to
power of this chemical.
Invited submissions

Abstract
Ammonia is the second largest inorganic chemical produced worldwide, used predominantly as
fertiliser or fertiliser feedstock. Ammonia synthesis is a topic of high interest in the industry as
the market continues to expand and demand increases. Nevertheless, ammonia production is very
energy and carbon-intensive, relying mostly on natural gas both as feedstock as well as for heat &
power generation within the plant.

The objective of the present work is to investigate, through process modelling and simulation
tools as well as life cycle assessment (LCA) tools, the ammonia production process using natural
gas as raw-material. Different configurations of the ammonia production plant considering
sustainable/nonsustainable hydrogen production routes and CO2 capture options with carbon
capture rates between 60 – 97% were considered for evaluation. Hydrogen production through
conventional steam-methane reforming (SMR) coupled with gas-liquid carbon dioxide
absorption by MDEA and chilled ammonia, electrolysis and iron-based chemical looping are
analysed and compared.

A cradle-to-gate environmental impact evaluation of the processes considered, using GaBi8

software, was performed. Mass & energy balances from process flow modelling are used as inputs
in the LCA. The system boundaries considered in this work include: i) ammonia production; ii)
upstream processes: natural gas, ilmenite, Methyl-DiEthanol-Amine (MDEA), chilled ammonia
and catalysts supply chains, iii) downstream processes: CO2 compression, transport and storage.
Various impact categories, according to ReCIPe impact assessment method, were calculated and
compared. Discussions about the most significant environmental impact categories affecting
water, air and soil are presented in detail.

The results show that ammonia synthesis integrated with chemical looping hydrogen production
gives the highest reduction in Global Warming Potential (GWP) (374.22 kg CO 2eq./tNH3 vs.
2790.30 kg CO2eq./tNH3 in case of conventional ammonia synthesis via SMR) while six out of the
nine investigated impact indicators (excluding GWP) suffer an increase between 30-50%. In the
case of hydrogen produced from electrolysis, unless the electricity necessary for electrolysis is
obtained from renewable sources, it results in the highest overall emissions to air, water and soil.

Overall, comparing the results from the investigated ammonia plants, the integration of the
chemical looping system, shows significantly better energy efficiency and environmental
performances than the conventional amine-based CO2 capture technology.
Abstract
Paper presents results of experimental study on flameless combustion process of natural gas
enriched with ammonia. Ammonia was selected as potential energy carrier for energy storage
from renewable sources surplus in Power to X technology. Flameless combustion also known as
High Temperature Air Combustion (HiTAC) is low emission and the most efficient combustion
technology of different types of fuels in industrial furnaces. It is applicable in metallurgy, ceramics
production, energy sector etc.

The investigation has been performed for natural gas with NH 3 content up to 5% in semi-
industrial scale furnace equipped with HRS-Ux regenerative gas burner. This burner consists of
four ceramic regenerators, enabling continuous operation and preheating of air even to level of
150K lower than process temperature. Study has been prepared for power firing rate equal to 150
kW and constant furnace wall temperature of 1270K for equivalence ratio ranging from 0.72 to
0.95. The growth of nitric oxides molar fraction in flue gases with rising ammonia share in the
fuel was observed. This increase was more significant for tests with higher oxygen excess in the
combustion chamber (lower equivalence ratio). For instance addition of 5% of NH3 in the fuel
caused emission of nitric oxide at levels of 113 ppm and 462ppm (calculated to O 2=0%) for low
and high oxygen excess respectively.

Next to the emission, the temperature distribution and total heat flux (THF) in combustion
chamber were measured. Ammonia effect on heat transfer from the flame and temperature
distribution in the furnace was negligible for investigated tests.The measured value of THF at
distance of 600 mm from the burner outlet was changing from 127 to 123 kW/m2when NH3 share
increased from 0 to 5% (at φ=0.72), and from 128 to 125 kW/m2(at φ=0.95).

Calculated conversion factor (CF) of NH3 to fuel nitric oxide showed extremely low values equal
to 1.9% (φ=0.95) and 7.8% (φ=0.72). It confirmed that ammonia can be burned with low emission
in flameless combustion technology.
Abstract
The main objective of conducted works was to determine experimentally and numerically
influence of an internal flow recirculation on CH4/NH3/air combustion process stability and
emission of toxic compounds. The investigation were performed for swirl flames with different
ratio of flue gases backflow, provided with burner swirl vanes outflow with angle change from 30°
to 40°. Tests were carried out for preheated (473K) lean to stoichiometric mixtures, characterized
by equivalence ratio range from 0.6 to 1.0, with ammonia share in the fuel from 1% up to 5%.

Experimental outcome showed that significant decrease of NO emission for swirl flame could be
achieved for both stoichiometric and lean conditions. Relative nitric oxides reduction to the
corresponding axisymmetric burner flame shown decrease from 2568 to 1840 ppmv. The highest
differences were observed for fuels with 5% of NH3, from 16% to 25% respectively for φ=1.0 and
φ=0.6. Modification of the recirculation zone shape affected emission only for lean mixtures, up
to 5.4% considering the highest investigated NH3 addition.

Numerical results obtained with modified reactor network (Cantera, GRI-Mech3.0) for
combustion process with products recirculation provided good qualitative agreement, both for
emission and conversion factor trends. Emission values for φ=0.6 and recirculation ratio 0.4 were
matching experimental outcome for 40° swirl burner, with relative difference from 7.3%
(2.5%NH3) up to 1.8% (5%of NH3).

Further investigations on reacting flow (Fluent, RSM, EDC, GRI-Mech3.0) were focused on the
recirculation zone formation for the modeled burner geometry. Change of the combustion
characteristic for above mentioned tests provided 7% decrease of NO emission from base equal to
2006 ppmv to 1857 ppmv, what was in good accordance with reactor network outcome and
experimental results.
Abstract
Ammonia is regarded as one of the most viable alternatives to produce carbon-free energy.
However, low flammability of pure ammonia and high NOx emissions inhibit its implementation
as a fuel. Dual-fuel approaches with ammonia and more reactive fuels have been proposed;
however, information on its combustion performance and pollutant emissions is still scarce. This
manuscript reviews recent experimental and numerical works on ammonia combustion
performed by the authors. On the experimental side, two experimental setups were considered: a
premixed laminar burner and a porous burner. Mixtures of NH3-CH4-air in both burners and
mixtures of NH3-H2-air in the porous burner were examined and measurements of NO x, CO and
NH3 emissions were obtained for various fractions of NH3 in the fuel mixtures. Both burners
yielded high NOx emissions regardless of the fuel mixture, while the CO emissions were generally
low, but NH3 emissions attained relatively high values in the case of the porous burner. On the
kinetic modelling side, various literature chemical kinetic mechanisms were evaluated against
literature data and our own data for the combustion of pure NH3 and mixtures of NH3-H2 and
NH3-CH4 in air, for a wide range of operating conditions. The kinetic mechanisms presented
rather scattered results for all studied characteristics. Predictions pointed to very high NO x
emissions, especially for mixtures with H2 with low NH3 content. Sensitivity analysis revealed that
NO formation is mainly the result of the NH3-O2 chemical process, while for flame speeds,
differences between mechanisms are due to the relative importance of reactions of the NNH and
HNO sub-mechanisms.
Abstract
The proposed system targets the production of ammonia under minimized overall greenhouse gas
emissions to the atmosphere by utilization of concentrated solar energy. Through the utilization
of renewable energies resources, the production of ammonia can be achieved avoiding higher
emissions. Hydrogen, free from carbon dioxide, is provided to the ammonia synthesis unit from
liquefied natural gas through a solar-driven catalytic thermal cracking process. The catalytic
material is being regenerated in an adjacent vessel by burning the deposited coke. As a result,
pure carbon dioxide stream is obtained and can be used directly in urea synthesis or related
applications. It is expected that the system will reduce the amount of total energy required in the
ammonia synthesis and mitigate the associated environmental impacts. The energetic and
exergetic analyses are carried out to assess the performance of the developed system and to
identify the optimum operating conditions. A total compression power of about 9 kW is used in
air separation unit to deliver oxygen required for the regeneration reactor vessel. It was
determined that the exergy efficiency of the air separation unit can reach up to 53.2%. At 40 bar,
the exergy efficiency of the cracker and regeneration reactors are 49.8% and 29.2%, respectively.
Abstract
The increase in world's population and accompanying increase in energy needs, as well as the fact
that today most of these needs are still met by utilizing fossil fuels, require urgent revision of the
energy economy paradigm with emphasis on the long term sustainability. In addition to
increasing the energy efficiency of existing systems, part of the answer lays in the use of renewable
energy sources. However, their wide variability in space and time complicates integration into
existing power systems. In order to overcome this problem, it is necessary to store energy
surpluses. One way is to use this energy to synthesize alternative fuels as chemical energy storage.
Hydrogen has a prominent role among alternative fuels because it is carbon free and its formation
only produces water and small amounts of nitrogen oxides. Global hydrogen economy is still not
feasible due to difficulties associated with storage and transport. In recent years ammonia
appeared as a potential alternative that can be used as a hydrogen vector and fuel for gas turbines
and internal combustion engines. Compared to the pure hydrogen ammonia possesses several
advantages. It has greater volumetric density and can be liquefied at pressure of about 0.8 MPa
at room temperature, similar to propane. There is readily available distribution infrastructure and
ammonia is already widely used in agriculture and refrigeration industry. It is also safer for
storage and transport due to narrow flammability limit. Also, ammonia can be produced from
fossil fuels (making them CO2 neutral), from renewables and from waste heat. Despite the
benefits of ammonia as fuel, there are some drawbacks regarding the toxicity and the lower
heating value, slower laminar burning velocity and narrower flammability range.

Chemical mechanisms of ammonia combustion are important for the development of ammonia
combustion systems, but also as a mean of investigation of harmful NOx emissions, so they can
be minimized. In spite of large body of experimental and modeling work on the topic of ammonia
combustion, there is still need for data for development of new combustion mechanisms. Namely,
most of the available ammonia combustion models accurately cover only certain range of
operating parameters, such as equivalence ratio, mixture composition and pressure.

Taking the above stated, the object of this work is further numerical study of ammonia
combustion chemistry under practical industrial conditions. After literature review, selected
validation cases were simulated with the aim to evaluate the performance of reduced mechanisms
of ammonia combustion and validate the numerical framework. It is expected that this study will
contribute to enhance the current knowledge by providing new insights in ammonia burning
conditions closely resembling those in industrial applications and will help to design real
industrial burning systems.
Abstract
Many different technologies have been considered for the large-scale storage of renewable
electricity e.g. hydro storage which is technically very mature but limited possible sites.
Electrochemical storage is also possible but batteries are very bulky, expensive and have limited
operational life. Then there is chemical energy storage in the form of hydrogen. Hydrogen
production is another option which has unlimited production prospect and can be converted back
to electricity using fuel cell (though not preferred because of very poor round-trip efficiency). It
can be used as a valuable feedstock for chemical industry e.g. production of ammonia, ethylene,
and synthesis of alternative energy carriers such as Synthetic natural gas (SNG), methanol,
Dimethyl ether (DME) etc. by combining with CO2 and N2. This addition of external hydrogen will
upgrade the existing biomass gasification process thereby extending the biomass resources.

The overall purpose of the SYNFUEL project is “to produce sustainable fuels: Using surplus
electricity from e.g. wind power to produce hydrogen by steam electrolysis and upgrade it to
gasified biomass thereby extending the biomass resources. By combining electrolysis and thermal
gasification with a catalytic converter it becomes possible to synthesize methane, SNG or liquid
fuel such as DME, FT (Fischer-Tropsch) and methanol”. The hydrogen addition meets the
required stoichiometry and allows a nearly complete utilization of the carbon contained in the
biomass [3]. Another advantage of such a combined system is - the oxygen produced in the
electrolysis can be used in the oxygen-blown gasification process which has the advantage of
avoiding feedstock from nitrogen dilution [4]

Solid Oxide Electrolysis (SOEC) technology has the potential to achieve better efficiency and
there could be an advantage in combining these processes since one is highly exothermic while
the other is heat demanding. Also, one of the by-products i.e. O2- from electrolysis is underutilized
most of the times and can be used in a better way to increase the efficiency of the combined
system. Another advantage of using SOEC is it can be used for CO2 Co-Electrolysis which could be
an interesting choice for biogas upgrading.

The focus of the current study is to perform a comparative analysis for SOEC and Co-SOEC for
the system efficiency, heat availability, product composition etc. All the components (biomass
gasification, SOEC, Co-SOEC, and methanation) and combined models are developed using
Aspen plus. Pinch analysis was also performed to calculate and analyze the heat required and
generated for each component and combined system. The results for both systems showed that
more heat is available for Co-SOEC based system while the overall efficiency is almost the same
for both the systems.
Abstract
Ammonia has strong potentialities as sustainable fuel for energy applications. NH3 is carbon free
and can be synthetized from renewable energy sources (RES) contributing to the increase of
sustainability of the energy mix. Electricity from wind and sun can be stored through a Power to
Fuel strategy by exploiting a suitable energy carrier, in this case Power to Ammonia. Ammonia
can be converted back into power (Ammonia to Power) in internal combustion engine and in Solid
Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFCs), globally realizing a Power to Power application. In SOFCs, the fuel
reacts electrochemically avoiding the production of typical combustion pollutants such as NOx. A
six cells SOFC short stack was tested with pure ammonia at a fuel utilization of 0.8 and operative
temperature of 750°C. The stack achieved efficiency of 56.4 % at power of about 185 W. An
innovative system without any after burner was designed and modelled based on experimental
results. The model was used to calculate utilization of oxygen and gas exhaust temperature.
Abstract
The use of suitable energy carriers by means of chemical-based storage is a key aspect on the
development of sustainable energy generation systems based on renewables sources. In this
context, ammonia seems to be a very promising carrier due to its very high hydrogen density and
long established production processes, over than directly used as a fuel for combustion systems
or blended with other fuels. On the other hand, the use of ammonia in advanced combustion
technologies for stationary power generation, such as MILD (Moderate or Intense Low-oxygen
Distribution), is largely unknown and there is still a huge gap between the growing interest in
ammonia-based power applications and the available knowledge of its oxidation process. Thus,
the present research work aims to evaluate the conversion of pure ammonia and its blends such
as ammonia/methane and ammonia/hydrogen mixtures in a fuel flexible cyclonic burner
operated in MILD combustion regime. The work has been focused on the experimental
investigation of the performance of a cyclonic burner operated in MILD Combustion conditions
by varying the preheating temperature of the inlet oxidizer flow, the equivalence ratio of the
mixture and the nominal thermal power in order to achieve stable ammonia combustion. In
particular, process stabilization and nitrogen oxides emissions have been evaluated by monitoring
the working temperature and the exhaust gases composition, with the aim of identifying burner
optimal operating conditions. Experimental tests show that both the pure ammonia and blended
mixtures ensure stable MILD combustion and low nitrogen oxides emissions. Different
performances were observed in terms of pollutants when the burner operates under
stoichiometric or slightly rich conditions.
Abstract
Ammonia is an example of a zero-carbon fuel of high interest for implementation in gas turbine
technologies. A basic humidified Brayton cycle can produce total plant efficiencies of ~34%.
However, further implementations are required to make these units competitive to current fossil-
based plants. Thus, this project seeks to analytically demonstrate the implementation of a
complex cycle that will increase final efficiencies whilst using the full potential of ammonia as a
cooling fluid, power fuel and heating gas. Therefore, a basic gas turbine cycle was inserted into a
two-shaft, reverse Brayton gas turbine plant facility. The system showed a significant increase in
total efficiency compared to the basic turbine facility, with efficiency above 55%. Obtained values
show a significant potential for the use of humidified ammonia-hydrogen blends in gas turbine
facilities employing novel cycles which consider lower dilution in the combustion sector as well as
cogeneration and trigeneration concepts.
Abstract
The utilization of hydrogen as a carbon free energy carrier has become the focus of extensive
research due to ever evident consequences of climate change. For a sustainable and economically
realistic hydrogen economy transportation and storage, energy intensive compression and
liquefaction have to be either vastly improved or replaced. Liquid organic hydrogen carriers
(LOHCs) present a potential solution for mitigation of these challenges while at the same time
making use of existing fossil fuel transportation infrastructure. As hydrogen is chemically bound
to LOHC molecules, the energy efficiency of hydrogenation and dehydrogenation processes has a
direct impact on the hydrogen economy. This work presents a process intensification strategy for
a superior energy efficiency of a large scale LOHC dehydrogenation and subsequent clean power
generation using solid oxide fuel cells. Using a novel temperature-cascade dehydrogenation
process concept it was shown that a combination of LOHC chemicals utilizing a same heat source
has better energy efficiency compared to a processes using a single LOHC chemical. Four LOHC
candidates; Ammonia, Biphenyl / Diphenylmethane eutectic mixture, N-phenylcarbazole, and N-
enthylcarbazole have been compared as a stand-alone system and an integrated one in a rigorous
process simulation using Aspen Plus. Considering different LOHC chemicals and varying quality
of the heat source, it was shown that temperature-cascade dehydrogenation has the potential of
doubling (on average) the energy generated per unit mass (kWh/kg) in an integrated system
compared to stand-alone LOHC systems.
Hydrogen economy is the synonymous for sustainable energy system in which pure hydrogen
replaces fossil fuels – hydrocarbons. In order to be successful and sustainable hydrogen economy,
hydrogen should be produced using renewable energy sources. In the near future primary energy
of fossil fuels should be gradually replaced with different forms of renewable and clean energy
sources where hydrogen has proven to be the most suitable energy carrier. Due to automobile
industries have announced increased manufacture of hydrogen fuel cell powered vehicles, it gives
wind back for organizing this Special Session with higher goal of networking with scientists
working in this field all over the world.

Highlight of the session is on overall recent progress of hydrogen technology including hydrogen
production, storage, infrastructure, and its utilization followed by discussion on codes, public
acceptance, national legislations, redgulations, and directives for its introduction on global level.

Session organizers:

Dr. Ankica Kovač, University of Zagreb, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Naval
Architecture, https://hydrogen.hr/en, Zagreb, Croatia

Ankica Kovač - Assistant Professor, Ankica Kovač, Ph. D., MEng. AE. is the Head of Power
Engineering Laboratory, Department of Energy, Power Engineering, and Environment at the
University of Zagreb, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Naval Architecture (UNIZAG FSB),
Croatia. Within her Ph.D. thesis titled Hydrogen production via water electrolysis using solar
energy and photovoltaic module she has investigated hydrogen production technology without
CO2 emission, both experimentally and mathematically. Ankica holds theoretical lectures and
experimental work within courses of New Technologies in Energetics, Laboratory Work E and
Hydrogen and Fuel Cells at the UNIZAG FSB. Her research interests include renewable energy
sources (RES) and hydrogen economy, i.e. hydrogen technologies including hydrogen production
– water electrolysis, its storage, distribution and utilization - fuel cells. Among other projects,
Ankica designed first Croatian hydrogen powered bicycle (project finished) and first Croatian
hydrogen refuelling station (in progress). Because of original and innovative design of hydrogen
refuelling station it was protected as an intellectual property on national level (trademark) and
international level (design). Ankica has authored and co-authored numbers of scientific papers
published in international scientific journals and conference proceedings, and she serves as a
reviewer in the prestige international journals. As a member of Executive Committee of The
Technology Collaboration Programme on Advanced Fuel Cells (AFC TCP), Ankica is the
representative of Republic of Croatia.
Invited submissions

Abstract
The transformation of the German energy system (also known as “Energiewende”) is of high
importance. Innovate energy technologies are able to make an important contribution to this
transformation process. This is not limited to the classical energy sector but also includes other
sectors, e.g. industry or transport. Electrification of mobility is a promising strategy to reduce
emissions. One possibility to use electricity in vehicles and at the same time store fluctuating
energy from renewable sources is to produce hydrogen and to use it in fuel cells.

In the joint Helmholtz Initiative “Energy System 2050” an interdisciplinary approach for
sustainability assessment is being developed and applied across different innovative energy
technologies, i.e. production of fuels, electricity and heat from residual lignocellulose biomass,
battery energy storage and hydrogen for cross-sectoral applications, are assessed.

Backbone of the sustainability assessment is a detailed modelling of material and energy flows
and a prospective ecological and economic Life Cycle Assessment (LCA and LCC (Life Cycle
Costing)). The chosen economic indicators and ecological impact categories are complemented
by selected social indicators.

The assessed system for hydrogen mobility is based on hydrogen production by alkaline
electrolysis from wind power. For the transport of hydrogen to the end user, different means of
transport are assessed and the mobility is represented as a fuel cell electric vehicle for individual
transport. These process chains are modelled in total for the LCA and the LCC. The social
indicators take the whole chain only partly into consideration, only the most critical part is
assessed. For social acceptance of hydrogen transport, based on a literature review, the hydrogen
refueling station is most critical because not only the driver, who chose to buy and drive a fuel cell
electric vehicle, is affected but also residents near the refueling station. A second social indicator
analyses patents to express innovation potential of a technology. This indicator is assessed for
alkaline electrolyzers and fuel cells. A third social indicator reflects possible impacts of the new
technology regarding local employment. This is assessed by analyzing the cost structure of the
technology and classifying the costs in tradable and non-tradable parts. The deployed proxy is
that non-tradable costs are very likely to foster local employment.

First results of the LCA show that the construction of the fuel cell for the vehicles has the highest
environmental impact while from the cost perspective also the infrastructure for hydrogen
refueling is of major importance. The preliminary survey about hydrogen refueling stations
showed that people are most afraid about explosions. Furthermore, many people have little
knowledge about this technology (64% of interviewees claim to have no or little knowledge).
Abstract
For a long time hydrogen has been recognized as a future energy carrier which can contribute to
the decarbonisation of our energy system. Its special role is seen in its contribution to the
transition towards a more sustainable transport system. Already in 2003 European Commission
presented the European hydrogen and fuel cell roadmap with the high expectations to be reached
by the year 2050. However in spite of the many hypes until now, hydrogen is remains a long-term
future option. One of the major barriers is the economic performance of the fuel cell system.

Over the last years many aspects of hydrogen use have been analysed, indicating its
environmental benefits in the transport sector, as well as the high corresponding mobility costs
in comparison to conventional- and other electric vehicles. However, recent developments, such
as the slow penetration of battery electric vehicles, the unsolved problem with battery recycling,
the imbalance between electricity supply and demand due to the increasing use of renewable
energy sources, illustrate the urgent need for additional measures and policies to be on track with
the emission reduction targets set by policy makers.

The major goal of this paper is to analyse key barriers to the increasing use of hydrogen and fuel
cell vehicles with a special focus on their economic performance and policy framework. Mobility
costs are calculated based on the total cost of ownership, and future developments are analysed
based on technological learning as well as economics-of scale. Different scenarios are derived
showing the impact of the major parameters with the goal of deriving recommendations for the
policy makers. In addition, different applications of fuel cell vehicles in the transport sector are
investigated.

The first results of our analysis show the requirements for a better integration of renewable
energy sources in the transport system. The economic success of hydrogen from renewables is
strongly dependent on the full-load hours of electrolysers, as well as the future cost reduction of
the fuel cell system which currently accounts for about 50 percent of the price of fuel cell vehicles.

The major conclusions indicate the need for a tougher general mobility policy framework in which
the environmental impact of different technologies and energy carriers is fully reflected. This
encompasses standards as well as different types of taxes (e.g. fuel tax, registration tax, etc.). A
comprehensive approach should avoid “halfway thinking” and the development of new
environmental problems.
Abstract
Due to the fact that transport is not just one of the highest energy consumer but polluter as well,
a large effort has been put on transition to the cleaner mobility in order to reduce harmful
emissions. This transition has already begun and currently there are a large number of battery
electric vehicles on the roads, but thanks to the competitive development of hydrogen technology,
i.e. fuel cell powered vehicles, the situation is significantly changing. Hydrogen is considered as
an effective alternative fuel since it can be produced (via water electrolysis using renewable energy
sources) and used (in fuel cells) with zero harmful emissions. In addition to the introduction of
hydrogen as an alternative fuel a vital issue is the implementation of legislations, both on
infrastructure and safety. This work presents a synthesis of regulations and directives that have
been adopted so far, as well as future strategies. The aim is to provide the access to the existing
methodologies of hydrogen vehicle adoption. In this context, the results of this work provide an
overview of countries worldwide as examples of good practice that have already begun with their
implementation, with critical review on Croatian current position on this issue.
Abstract
Alternative technologies in combination with thermal power plant allow production of heat,
electricity and hydrogen using renewable energy sources as well as gas or coal as a very important
energy source in traditional energy engineering, Slovenia. The technologies aim, inter alia, to
reduce greenhouse gas emissions, increase the use of renewable energy sources and take a step
forward to the production of hydrogen as an alternative energy source in numerous applications.
In view of the estimated demand for heat, electricity and hydrogen in the Savinja-Šalek region,
Slovenia, the technologies to meet such demand are proposed in this article from a technical
perspective. New technological developments must also be assessed from other perspectives,
crucial for the environment and people living in this area. These are social and environmental
aspects, which will also be considered below.

An energy and economic analysis of the operation of the Thermal Power Plant (TPP) will be done.
The TPP is operating in a variable operating regime, which causes certain problems in the system
and reduces the overall efficiency. The possibility of stationary operation of the power plant will
be analyzed, the surplus of produced electricity will be used for the hydrogen production. The
process is based on the Clausius-Rankine cycle with dual superheating using water or steam as
the working media. The idea in this article, is to generate in the above mentioned facility as much
hydrogen, heat,cold and electricity as needed by the Savinja-Šalek region in industry, transport,
etc. Thus, the power plant could operate optimally, constantly at 100 % of power, which would
allow simultaneous production of electricity, heat and hydrogen. Hydrogen could be used for sale
on the market or for the electricity production, where there would be increased electricity demand
in Slovenia. Hydrogen could be produced via electrolysis and thermochemical process. In our case
we have used for hydogen production two cases:

 Production of hydrogen only with the electrolysis

 Production of hydrogen with combination of electrolysis and CuCl thermochemical

cycle.

 Additional electricity and heat from hydrogen would be produced by fuel cells. First,
the process that would enable the generation of heat and power as well as hydrogen
will be roughly presented. New products and additional hydrogen production would
allow the operation of the TPP Plant at its full power output all the time, i.e. its optimal
capacity.
Abstract
Proton-exchange membrane fuel cell (PEM FC) systems as power generators offer great
advantages: high efficiency, emissions reductions and thermal efficiency gains [1]. The
introduction of electric power supplies using non-fossil fuels instead of the conventional systems
seems to be a solution to reduce the Green House Gas emissions from the aircraft [2]. The
multifunctional Hydrogen-based fuel cell system is a promising technology that can replace
several existing systems; different functions are ensured (generation of electricity, heat and water,
inerting of fuel tanks,…) exploiting its by-products.

The use of fuel cell system as a propulsive technology is also in the portfolio of future engine
concepts for small and regional aircrafts [2], together with distributed electric motors, another
electric propulsion type proposed for HE aircraft is a hybrid fuel cell gas turbine which utilizes a
single spool gas turbine for take-off and climb and the fuel cell for cruise [3]. But the complexity
of this design makes this option much farer in the time horizon.

Pure electric propulsion has also been demonstrated in small aircrafts, using batteries and
hydrogen fuel cells as electric generators (Boeing, Enfica, Hy4 project), but some developments
are still required on specific components to obtain a fully FC systems ready to be certified for use
in a severe flying environment for essential functions.

The way to success in this target is part of the task of EU funded research projects as FLHYSAFE
(This project has received funding from the Fuel Cells and Hydrogen 2 Joint Undertaking under
the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement No
779576.) and its predecessor HYCARUS.
Abstract
Achieving the goal of low-carbon and sustainable national energy systems will involve an
increasing interaction between sectors (power, transport, gas, etc.) that will exploit various
complementary solutions in generation, utilisation, and storage of energy vectors. Hydrogen-
based technologies are expected to play a significant role, thanks to long storage times, decoupled
power and energy capacities, and variety of end uses. Detailed analyses are required to evaluate
the different options and identify the most promising applications.

This study compares different pathways for the use of hydrogen produced from excess clean
electricity through the Power-to-Gas technology, in terms of overall system effects at country
scale. A model was developed to simulate the hourly behaviour of the integrated electric power
and road transport sectors, adopting a multi-node spatial resolution to represent the energy
networks. The balance of energy supply and demand is calculated in terms of active-power-flow
for electricity and total demand for fuels.

As case study, a long-term scenario is considered for Italy (year 2050), which features a very large
RES installed capacity (e.g., 50 GW wind and 135 GW solar PV, according to a reasonable
technical potential, combined with an electricity demand of about 300 TWh/y and a peak load of
about 55 GW for stationary applications), coupled to a disruptive evolution of light-duty mobility
towards zero-emission vehicles (battery- and hydrogen-based cars respectively account for 35%
and 30% of the total fleet, consisting of about 38 million units). Existing pumped-hydro plants
for electrical storage are included in the analysis, as well as the estimation of optional
electrochemical storage plants (batteries) for short-term peaks.

Given the high number of options and possible combinations, here the focus goes to three
applications. The hydrogen generated via electrolysis (fed by excess clean electricity from wind or
solar) is either (i) directly consumed as vehicles fuel (Power-to-Fuel), (ii) stored for subsequent
reconversion to electricity (Power-to-Power), or (iii) admixed with natural gas in the existing
infrastructure (Power-to-NaturalGas). Results show how the load covered by RES may achieve a
target of 70% for the electric demand and of 40% for the fuel demand (light-duty road transport)
in the best cases, while the reduction of GHG emissions always favour the introduction of clean
hydrogen to displace fossil fuels.
Abstract
In general, La1-xSrxMnO3 has been commonly used as a cathode for the high-temperature
commercial solid oxide fuel cell, but it is better to develop a cathode with higher and longer
performance at high temperature (> 900 oC). In this regard, Fe-based mixed ionic electronic
conductors can be considered as one of the potential candidates for the replacement of La 1-
xSrxMnO3 in terms of excellent catalytic activity. However, they suffer from performance
degradation due to the coarsening of particles during high-temperature fabrication and operation.
Herein, Ca and Ni doped Pr0.5Ba0.5FeO3-δ are studied, where Ca doping on Ba improves the
electronic/ionic conductivity and Ni doping on Fe provides thermal stability. The optimal
composition of Pr0.5Ba0.3Ca0.2Fe0.7Ni0.3O3-δ cathode shows a very low cathodic polarization
resistance of 0.061 Ω cm2 with a small degradation rate of 0.086×10-3Ω cm2/hr at 850 oC.
Therefore, Pr0.5Ba0.3Ca0.2Fe0.7Ni0.3O3-δcan be considered as a promising cathode for commercial
high-temperature solid oxide fuel cells.
Abstract
Sun and wind as power sources are becoming more and more relevant owing to the progressive
abandoning of the fossil fuels. Additionally, worldwide public authorities are encouraging the use
of renewable energies by promoting laws and guidelines. In this scenario, a fundamental role can
play hydrogen that besides being a valuable energy carrier, it can also act as a storage medium to
balance the discontinuity affecting the renewable energy sources production.

As a consequence, cheap and abundant availability of hydrogen is crucial. Electrochemical water

splitting is likely one of the most valuable technique to produce hydrogen because the process is
environmentally friendly being electron a reagent, which, unfortunately, enhances the cost. The
minimum energy requested is 39.67Wh per g of hydrogen. This value increases more or less owing
to the electrodes overvoltage that depends on the current density passing through the electrolyzer.

One approach to improve the performance of a water splitting electrochemical cell is based on
the development of nanostructured electrodes distinguishing for low cost and high
electrocatalytic activity. By template electrosynthesis, we have fabricated Ni nanowires featured
by very high surface area. In previous works, we have shown that water-alkaline electrolyzer with
Ni nanowires electrodes covered by nanoparticles of IrO 2 as an anode and Pd as a cathode have
good and stable performance also at room temperature.

In this work, the attention has been focused on the fabrication of nickel-cobalt electrodes. In
particular, starting from aqueous solutions containing both elements at different concentrations,
alloyed electrodes with different compositions were fabricated through electrodeposition into a
template. The chemical and morphological features of these nanostructured electrodes will be
presented and discussed. Furthermore, electrochemical and electrocatalytic tests aimed to
establishing the best alloy composition were carried out for both hydrogen and oxygen evolution
reaction. Then, long term test conducted at a constant current density in aqueous solution of
potassium hydroxide (30% w/w) will be also reported.
Abstract
Hydrogen is very attractive for energy conversion and storage applications because it is a "clean"
fuel and due to its high gravimetric energy density. High-quality hydrogen can be produced by
electrochemical conversion of water into hydrogen and oxygen. Unfortunately, nowadays only 4%
of the overall hydrogen is produced using the water electrolysis techniques due to the intensive
energy consumption.

Carbon-assisted water electrolysis is a highly promising technology for energy-effective

production of hydrogen gas. The technology (which is still under the lab-scale investigations) at
its current status is unfeasible for practical operations of H2 production. This is mainly due to the
fast deactivation of carbon within electrochemical (anodic) oxidation.

Present study focuses on development and investigation of CO2-neutral Fe(III)/Fe(II)-mediated

biochar-assisted water electrolysis process. The biochar is produced from agricultural wastes
(wood chips and poultry manure) via pyrolysis and hydrothermal carbonization processes. The
lab-scale electrolysis system applied in this study comprises (1) the column filled with biochar
granules, (2) divided electrochemical cell with Ti/Pt anode and cathode, (3) Fe(III)/Fe(II)
electrolyte solution recirculated between the biochar column and the anodic compartment of the
electrolysis, and (4) the HCl solution (catholyte) recirculated through the cathodic compartment
of the cell. The H2 and CO2 production and energy consumption rates are monitored at varied
catholyte and anolyte compositions (e.g. concentrations of Fe2+, Fe3+, Cl-, SO42- and pH),
temperatures (25-100°C) and applied cell potentials (0.2-1.2 V). At the current stage the process
suffers from deactivation of carbon that results in gradual decrease of the obtained current
density.

The major goals of the current project are to identify the deactivation mechanisms (e.g.
passivation of carbon particles, depletion of electrochemically active surface groups, etc.) and to
develop economically and technologically feasible physico-chemical techniques for carbon
reactivation.
Abstract
Purpose and goal: Fuel cell and hydrogen technologies (FCH) are expected to add to
decarbonisation of energy and transport sector. One thing among others that prevents FCH
commercialization is lack of recycling and dismantling strategies at the end of life phase. In
addition there are no lists of critical raw materials (CRM’s) that are in FCH technologies and need
to be treated with special attention, no established pathways for recycling processes, incomplete
legislation and no guidelines. The focus of this paper is to present materials present in PEMFC
observed technology and to present LCA case study of 1kW PEMFC system with the focus on EoL
phase.

Methods: Observed technologies were broken down to core components to identify all materials
constituting these components and classified regarding their function, location, environmental
aspect, material value, EU criticality/scarcity methodology and available existing
recycling/dismantling technologies. LCA model was set up according to the ISO standards 14040
and 14044 and the guidance document for performing LCAs on FCH technologies by Masoni and
Zamagni (2011). The software used was Gabi Thinkstep with Ecoinvent 3.5 and Gabi ts generic
databases. For environmental impact assessment the CML2001 life cycle impact assessment
(LCIA) methodology was used. Functional unit for assessing materials is 1 gram of material and
the power of 1 kW in the case study of PEMFC unit manufacturing and EoL phase.

Results and discussion: On the basis of all identified materials in observed technologies the basic
LCA assessment of materials is done regardless of mass ratios used in FCH technologies. After
LCA model of PEMFC was set up and the influence of CRMs and whole EoL phase on
environmental impacts was analysed. Addressing just CRMs as ruthenium (Ru), palladium (Pd)
and platinum (Pt) we can identify that in manufacturing stage platinum and palladium have two
magnitudes higher environmental impact that ruthenium. But when comparing them to stainless
steel environmental impacts differs the order of five magnitudes. As shown in manufacturing
stage of PEMFC unit just 0.75 grams of Pt in the stack represent 60% of total environmental
impacts of 1kW PEMFC unit manufacturing.

Conclusion: The main contribution of the paper is the list of all materials within observed
technologies within Hytechcycling project and shown importance of strategy in EoL phase of FCH
technologies. CRMs have a very big environmental impact in manufacturing stage and have to be
addressed very carefully and recycled if possible. With proper EoL strategy of all recyclable
materials in FCH technologies and the use of secondary materials in the same or other product,
the environmental impacts could be reduced in average by 40 %.
Abstract
Sorption-enhanced steam reforming of ethanol (SE-SRE) with in-situ CO2 removal is an
environmentally friendly and sustainable approach for hydrogen production. Researches on
continuous production of high-purity H2 by SE-SRE over the modified Li4SiO4 sorbent were
conducted using two parallel reactor in this work. The low cost Li4SiO4 derived from rice husk ash
(RHA) is a promising high-temperature CO2 sorbent. However, the poor adsorption kinetics of
RHA-Li4SiO4 sorbent at low CO2 concentration is the major challenge. The metallic elements (K,
Ca, Al, Mg) were employed to modify the RHA-Li4SiO4 for efficient CO2 capture. The developed
sorbents were characterized and tested to study the role of dopants on the crystal, textural,
microstructure and CO2 adsorption kinetics and cyclic stability. Results indicated that K doping
effectively inhibited the growth of crystal aggregation and resulted in a fluffy morphology with
abundant pores and higher specific surface area, while the addition of Ca, Al and Mg formed a
nubby structure with larger particle size. K-doped RHA-Li4SiO4 exhibited the best CO2 uptake
properties and the optimal K doping molar content was 0.02 with the maximum absorption
capacity of 34.16 wt.%, which is higher than 27.1 wt.% of pure RHA-Li4SiO4.Then, the effect of
operating conditions on the enhancement behaviors was considered in the SE-SRE system. High-
purity H2 (above 96 %) was achieved by coupling K(0.02)/RHA-Li4SiO4 sorbent with Ni-based
catalyst under the optimum(T: 525 °C, liquid hourly space velocity: 0. 9mL/(g·h),
sorbent/catalyst: 4 and steam/carbon: 8.0). The adsorption activity of Li4SiO4 maintained at a
high level in ten SESRE/regeneration cycles. Finally, a scheme including two parallel fixed-bed
reactors was designed and operated periodically for continuous production of high-purity H2. The
reaction switching time was shown to depend strongly on the pre-breakthrough time and
operating conditions. As the reaction switching time was 40 min, the products were always only
H2 and CH4 (no CO and CO2 appear) and the H2 purity remained above 90% during 400 min,
confirming high purity hydrogen stream can be obtained continuously.
Abstract
The effect of magnesium hydride (MgH2) addition on the repeated hydrogenation and
dehydrogenation behavior of lithium alanate (LiAlH4) was investigated by using thermal
gravimetric analysis (TGA) and in situ synchrotron X-ray diffraction (XRD) technique. The In-
situ synchrotron XRD results indicated that hydrogen charging/discharging reversibility of the
MgH2-LiAlH4 composites was temperature-dependent. For 4MgH2-LiAlH4 composite, the
experimental results showed that at least 3 wt% of hydrogen could be recharged during rising
pressure to 3.1 MPa/H2 at 400 °C to form MgH2 after its first dehydrogenation reaction. The faster
hydrogen absorption rate 0.065 wt% min-1 happened between 0.17 MPa ~ 1.38 MPa. The XRD
results indicated that the absorption reactions varied with pressure and the composition of the
MgH2-LiAlH4 composites. Although LiAlH4 was found irreversible for the de-/re-hydrogenation
reactions, the compounds such as Mg, Mg17Al12, Mg2Al3 and Li0.92Mg4.08, resulting from
dehydrogenation reactions could be rehydrogenated in the pressurized hydrogen atmosphere.
Under isobaric condition, a critical pressure of 1.38 MPa existed where an optimum hydrogen
recharging could occur with a fast rate. For 4MgH2-LiAlH4 composite, the cyclic
desorption/absorption testing results showed that nearly 100% hydrogen absorption could occur
in the second cycle, but it decayed at higher cycles.
Smart cities and smart islands have both overlapping and differentiating points. Both initiatives
aim for establishing more climate resilient, environmentally sustainable, socially inclusive and
economically affordable areas by utilizing IT intelligent solutions. Moreover, they can both vary
greatly in their size. On the other hand, while cities are usually densely populated and more
homogenous, islands are often less densely populated and located further away from other
populated regions, increasing the complexity of infrastructure connections with the outside
world.

This special session focuses more closely on energy systems modelling, integration of smart
solutions into energy models and energy transition of islands and cities. Furthermore, the focus
will be put on the role of ICT in development and operation of future energy systems based on
integration of high share of variable renewable energy sources, as well as establishing the key
performance indicators for smart islands and smart cities. Finally, evaluating socio-economic
conditions for energy transition of cities and islands and opportunity costs of maintaining
business-as-usual energy systems will be compared. Papers focusing on ecological and
environmental issues in energy transition of islands and cities are also welcome.

The aim of the session is to connect researchers and improve collaboration in the field of applied
energy modelling. The special session is aiming to foster this collaboration by establishing the
common and differentiating points in energy systems of cities and islands, investigating specifics
of energy modelling of both cities and islands, as well as detecting solutions that are transferable
between them.

Session organizers:

Prof. Henrik Madsen, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark

Dr. Dominik Franjo Dominković, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark

Prof. Goran Krajačić, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia

Dr. Henning Meschede, University Kassel, Kassel, Germany

Dominik Franjo Dominković - Dominik Franjo Dominkovic finished his PhD in September 2018,
on the topic of Modelling energy supply of future smart cities, at Technical University of Denmark
(DTU). During his master study at University of Zagreb, he studied at Chalmers University of
Technology in Gothenburg, Sweden, and Aalborg University in Copenhagen, Denmark. As a part
of his PhD, he was a guest researcher at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore and
National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Colorado, the USA. Upon finishing his PhD, he has
continued with a Postdoc position at DTU Compute department, where he has focused on
implementing different IT intelligent solutions into energy models, with a special focus on
representing energy flexibility into system level models. As a part of his PhD, he has worked on
CITIES project (http://smart-cities-centre.org/), which focused on IT solutions that can foster
coupling of different energy sectors in future cities, with a special focus on demonstration. His
main research interests are in energy modelling of integrated energy systems, the role of different
storage solutions and flexibility options in future energy systems. Furthermore, he has integrated
air pollution modelling into energy modelling of future urban energy systems, with a special focus
on the role of biomass regarding the air pollution in future cities. As a part of his research, he
presented his results at numerous different conferences at several conferences. He has been
collaborating with colleagues from Croatia, Finland, the USA, the Netherlands, Singapore, and
the UK, in order to try to overcome differences between different energy modelling approaches in
different research groups across the world. He was awarded with a several rewards for the best
master’s thesis, the 1st prize at the 4th International District Heating and Cooling student
competition, as well as the prestigious EliteForsk award by Danish Ministry of Higher Education
and Science, being awarded to the most talented young researchers in Denmark. Results of his
work have been published in 11 papers in CC/SCI database and have been cited more than 100
times. He reviews papers for Applied Energy, Energy and Energy Conversion and Management
scientific journals.

Goran Krajačić - Goran Krajacic, Ph.D., (http://powerlab.fsb.hr/gkrajacic/) received Ph.D

Degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Zagreb in 2012. Since 2004 he has been
working as researcher at Department of Energy, Power Engineering and Environment at the
Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Naval Architecture, University of Zagreb. In 2007 he spent
6 months as a guest researcher in the Research Group on Energy and Sustainable Development,
Instituto Superior Técnico, Lisbon, Portugal where he investigated application of small
decentralized power generation and energy storages. From 2004 to 2007 he worked on the FP-6
project ADEG - “Advanced Decentralised Energy Generation Systems in Western Balkans”. The
most of his work on the ADEG project was connected to development of H2RES computer
program for energy planning. From 2007 to 2010 he was involved in the Intelligent Energy
Europe (IEE) project STORIES – “Addressing barriers to storage technologies for increasing the
penetration of intermittent energy sources”. He also helped preparation and implementation of
the FP-6 project WEB-MOB, five IEE projects (GERONIMO, STORIES, SMART, BIOSIRE,
FLICK THE SWITCH), two FP-7 projects JoRIEW and DISKNET and 4DH project coordinated
by AAU. In 2011 he helped the team of Prof. Joško Deur in the successful preparation of HRZZ
project ICT-aided integration of Electric Vehicles into the Energy Systems with a high share of
Renewable Energy Sources. Since 2007 he has been working on the national scientific project:
Smart Energy Storage for Sustainable Development of Energy Systems, financed by Ministry of
Science, Education and Sport of Republic of Croatia. Results of his work have been published in
14 papers in CC/SCI database and have been cited more than 100 times. He reviews papers for
Energy Policy and Applied Energy. He participates in teaching the courses Introduction to Energy
Management and Energy Planning.

Henning Meschede - Dr.-Ing. Henning Meschede received his PhD degree in engineering from
the University of Kassel after studying general engineering science with focus on energy
technology at the Technical University Hamburg-Harburg and regenerative energies and energy
efficiency at the University of Kassel. Since March 2013 he is a researcher at the Department of
sustainable products and processes at the University of Kassel and is responsible for energy
efficiency and renewable energy projects in the tourism sector and on islands. He was a guest
researcher at the solar economy school of the Technical University of Lappeenranta (Finland) and
analysed transition paths for 100% renewable energy systems on islands. He completed his
doctorate in January 2018 on "Demand response in typical industries as a contribution to the
sustainable energy supply of islands". Since August 2017 he is also responsible for coordinating
research cooperation with companies from the energy sector as well as leading research work in
the field of energy data. His work focuses on the sensitivity of energy modelling due to
probabilistic input time-series on the one hand and future energy data based business models on
the other hand. Results of his work have been published in several papers and on scientific and
business conferences. He reviews papers for Energy and Applied Energy. He has a lectureship in
Energy Efficiency in Industrial Processes for the MENA region at the University of Kassel in
cooperation with the University of Cairo as well as for Energy Data Analysis.
Invited submissions

Abstract
The paper will show an analysis of the most used measures and actions for the reduction of energy
consumption and CO2 emissions which are used in Sustainable Energy Action Plans. Measures
are usually grouped in sectors and most often are divided into buildings, transport and public
lighting, respectively. The buildings sector is subdivided into public buildings, residential and
commercial buildings. The transport sector is subdivided on public transport, public vehicles and
private and commercial transport. It is determined which measures are mostly used in each sector
and what are their expected potential considering energy consumption and CO2 emissions
reduction. Mutual interaction between measures, which has an influence on the total result of
energy consumption and CO2 emissions reduction, is done through simulation on the specific
case in which interaction between the simultaneous implementation of measures is analysed. For
the simulation, energy planning software LEAP is used. In this way, it is shown that measures
have either synergetic, negative or neutral interaction between them. The analysis showed the
negative interaction is prevailing and that recommendations for the adaptation of scenario
approach to comprehending this interaction between different measures in SEAPs should be
provided in order to be more efficient in the planning of measures for the reduction of CO2
emissions on a local level. In this way, it will be determined what are expected effects and how big
are negative interactions influence on the reductions connected to implementation of measures.
Abstract
In the context of islands, on one hand touristic activities and facilities are an important part of the
regional economy. On the other hand, these economic activities cause a high energy and water
demand which might have big effects on both the water and the energy system. Therefore, for a
holistic smart energy system design on islands it is indispensable to involve the touristic
stakeholders as smart prosumers in the energy system. Previous research on the mentioned topics
has proven that there is a significant potential for demand shifting on islands in general.
Nevertheless, the identified potential depends on climatic, technical and economic variables like
the ambient temperature and the occupancy of the hotel. The objective of this work is to identify
such influencing parameters and quantify their sensitivity. Mixed Integer Linear Programming is
used for the assessment in order to determine the dispatch of supply and demand. The analysis is
carried out for a case study located on the Canary Islands. The results show, that highest reduction
of fossil fuels can be reached by a full electrified energy system of the hotel. The potential can be
assumed as independent from weather and guests’ behaviour. Nevertheless, wind power shows
higher uncertainties. If only PV is used, demand shifting in only one hotel leads to a relative
change of the degree of self-sufficiency of 1.6 to 1.8%. Furthermore, the results visualise a
saturation effect of demand shifting for already high share of renewable energies.
Abstract
The tourist town resort El Gouna is located at the Red Sea Shore of Egypt. The city was established
in 1989 and today has a capacity of around 25,000 beds, allocated to more than 25 Hotels, 5,000
private houses and apartments and staff housing for around 8,000 employees. The resort is
continuously expanded, having an annual growth rate of around 250 houses. The major emissions
are caused by the cities 3rd scope emissions (inbound tourists and imported materials), while the
third biggest share are the 2nd scope emissions associated with the electricity consumption. Main
electricity consumers are the air conditioning systems, causing a massive peak in electricity
demand in the early evening hours. The cities baseload is around 12MW during night which rises
to 15MW during daytime in Summer. The evening peak is about 17MW. A typical load profile of a
summer day is shown in the graph on the left.

Up from 2009, El Gouna was connected to the national electricity grid of Egypt. Before that the
demand was covered by on site diesel generators which had an overall capacity of around 10MW,
each unit having a capacity of 500kW. The Egyptian electricity mix mainly consists of natural gas
operated power plants (80%), some oil fired power plants (12%) and few renewables (mainly
hydropower, around 4%). Connecting El Gouna to the grid decreased its carbon footprint by more
than 40,000 tCO2eq per year. However, the power plants in operation fail to guarantee a secure
and reliable electricity supply. Consequently, grid failure in the form of black-outs is common,
especially during summer times. These black-outs can last from a fews seconds to several hours
with the longer blackouts mainly occurring during the evening hours.

This study examines the energy supply of the city of El Gouna and shows approaches for
improving the reliability and the economics of energy supply. By means of an extensive historical
data base, load curves are developed, which allow conclusions on the user behavior and the main
energy consuming units. Finally, different demand-side scenarios are developed to even the load
curve of the city and therefore contribute to a stabilization of the grid and an increased economic
welfare.
Abstract
Pursuing a low-carbon development pathway is essential for the Philippines since the country is
one of the most vulnerable to climate change. However, as one of the fastest evolving countries in
Southeast Asia, the country needs to meet an increasing energy demand for economic
development. Additionally, providing energy access to remote and marginalized communities is
crucial for improving living conditions and increasing societal equality. Given the abundant
availability of renewable resources (especially solar & wind), deploying renewable energy (RE)
technologies allow for providing the much-required power in an environmentally sound way.
Universal electrification by 2022 was set as target within the Philippine Energy Plan (PEP).
Despite of many initiatives to improve electricity access, the share of electrified households in
smaller islands was only at 76.6% in 2018, reflecting more than 2.36 million households without
electricity supply. Here, the heterogeneity of the country, which is composed of more than 7,000
islands, is challenging, since key information on many islands is missing and RE resource
availability is site specific. With this study, we present a geospatial approach for identifying
populated places without electricity access, deriving key information for energy planning and
assessing RE resource availability (Figure 1). Initially, we determine islands lacking power supply
by analysing transmission grid data and statistics on isolated energy systems. Subsequently, we
apply detailed geospatial data for identifying populated clusters. Finally, we use novel renewable
resource data, among other, to derive key information for the clusters (Table 1). We find more
than 1,800 islands without energy supply containing more than 3,800 populated places.
Typically, such villages are very small with a mean number of inhabitants of 270 but sum up to an
overall population of more than 1.04 million. We reveal that such communities are very
vulnerable to impacts of climate change given their low mean elevation (30 m) and remoteness
(average accessibility time of 3.4 hours). Nevertheless, we also find a high potential for RE with a
mean global horizontal irradiation (GHI) of 4.5 kWh/m²/d and mean wind speed of 7 m/s. Our
methodology serves for providing key information for energy planning and can be applied for
similar regions. Next steps of this research will focus on energy system modelling of RE-based
energy systems with regard to optimizing autonomy, resilience and for the identified islands.
Abstract
Lately, many cities, as well as the islands have started a transition towards sustainable energy
systems. Islands can be an excellent testing site for integrating different renewable energy
solutions due to its compact size and constrained access to electricity which has to be achieved by
connecting them to the mainland via underwater cables. There are many different competing
scenarios for the possible energy transition of future islands, which includes decarbonization of
power, heat/cooling, gas and transport sectors. Two main options include reliance on the
mainland for receiving energy or satisfying most or all of the energy demand internally.
Furthermore, many islands located in warm regions have good potential for solar energy
generation. However, intermittent generation in combination with electrified transport sector on
islands can cause local congestions in the distribution grid. In order to support the energy
transition of islands located in warm regions, a detailed, technology-rich linear optimization
model Calliope was used, which incorporated fine temporal and spatial resolutions. Hence, the
model took into account both grid congestions due to the spatial distribution of generators and
consumers, as well as a time mismatch between demand and supply of the energy. Krk Island was
chosen for a case study, a relatively large island located in Croatia with low population density.
Several scenarios were run in order to assess different possible energy transition pathways and
special emphasis was placed on demand-response possibilities in the building and transport
sectors. First results show that significant proportions of energy demand can be generated on the
island itself, significantly reducing carbon emissions.
Abstract
RenewIslands is a method that is used for energy planning of the islands. The method creates
several alternative scenarios of energy planning with respect to island needs and resources.
Although it provides general directions in which islands should plan their energy infrastructure,
RenewIslands scenarios and results are based on qualitative data. Because of this, the proposed
alternative scenarios cannot be considered with sufficient accuracy. This paper's aim is to propose
a new way of assessing island needs and resources and therefore proposing an advanced
RenewIslands method. New quantitative indexed indicators are created with indexation method
presented in this paper for determining islands need for electric energy, heat, cold, water, waste
and wastewater treatment as well as islands local energy resources, energy infrastructure and
water resources. Mathematical calculations of indicators are presented in this paper. The
necessary data for indicator calculation was obtained from available Sustainable Energy Action
Plans, Strategy Plans, Reports from utility companies, Waste Management Plans and other
relevant documents and research. Precisely calculated indicators of islands' resources and needs
enable much more accurate estimation of optimal energy flows integration. Developed indicators
are applied to 11 islands in the Adriatic Sea and normalized based on the Min – Max method. The
normalized indicators are summarized in composite RenewIslands index RIS, ranked and
compared to the average score. Indicators are also compared with the qualitative results of
resources and needs mapping of islands Mljet, Vis, Lošinj, Krk, Lastovo, Korčula and Unije. The
comparison shows that there is a significant difference between the indexed results and the results
obtained by qualitative assessment. Developed indicators clearly show which islands have the best
resources and greatest needs for implementing advanced technology and therefore show which
islands have the best opportunities and greatest need for creating self – sufficient sustainable
environment.
Abstract
Italian Islands have the advantage of favourable climatic conditions to use different renewable
energy sources, such as wind and wave energy. Remote sensing can provide data to determine
wind energy production potential and observational activity to identify, assess and detect suitable
points in marine large areas. For this goal, Synthetic Aperture Radar images from the Sentinel 1
satellite have been used in order to detect offshore and nearshore wind potential. Particularly,
Sentinel 1 images (from 2016.06.02 to 2018.05.23) have been analysed by means of the Sentinel
Application Platform software. Then, to extract data about wind speed and direction, a
Geographic information system software for mapping of the wind climate has been used. The
methodology has been applied to the North-Central coasts of Sardinia Island facing both East and
West and then focalised to six main small islands of the La Maddalena archipelago: La Maddalena,
Spargi, Cala Santa Maria, Caprera, Budelli and Razzoli in the North-East of Sardinia shoreline.
Furthermore, ten Hot Spots have been identified as interesting because of their high-energy
potential and the possibility to be considered as sites for future implementation of Wind Turbine
Generators. In addition, a new combined model (Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy Inference System and Bat
algorithm) has been proposed to forecast average wind speed using the Sentinel 1 satellite data
through the images processing. Finally, the ten identified Hot Spots have been used as input data
to train and test the proposed forecast model.
Abstract
Within the project ‘Advancing Communities towards low-Carbon Energy Smart Systems’ four
European cities - Amersfoort (Netherlands), West-Suffolk Council (United Kingdom), Malmö
(Sweden) and Mechelen (Belgium) - explore and demonstrate how to achieve 25% reduction of
CO2 emissions, 30% time reduction of smart grid project development and 20% of costs. The
achievement of the goals of European energy transition and the vision of sustainable smart cities
is linked closely to the testing of new and emerging technologies. In this project, different
initiatives and pilots investigate and outline the potential for contribution to better resource usage
and emission savings. The expectation is that this will provide a blueprint for a commercial roll-
out and an opportunity for other local authorities to benefit from the outputs. Using empirical
data from the case studies of the four cities, this research describes a preliminary framework and
toolbox, which can be used by cities for planning future low-carbon energy systems and effective
development of individual smart grid projects. The framework is based on the technology
management research of Institute for Manufacturing (IfM) and in particular the roadmapping
methodology. The toolbox contains a mix of soft and hard elements which enhance governments’
investment capacity and performance when planning smart grid upscaling. Those elements can
be used for problem solving, scenario-based strategising, project definition and implementation,
and other strategic management tasks. The work contributes to transnational knowledge sharing
and allows sharing common constraints and the combination of best practices. This study
presents the outcomes of the first step analysis, that estimated the trends and drivers and the
stakeholder needs of the smart city projects.
Abstract
Smart meters at the end-user in the energy sector creates the opportunity to develop data-
intelligent methods for the district heating systems by using a large amount of fine-granular heat
consumption time series from the end-users. We propose a method to estimate the temperature
at an artificial critical point for the network by using quantile estimation using smart meter data.
Hereby, we eliminated the need for physical critical points in the net and creating the possibility
of changing the location of the critical point when needed. Also, we suggest a method to cluster
households based on their consumption using time-of-the-week quantile distribution to identify
critical points for control or problems. These methods were developed in the Smart Cities
Accelerator project which is financed by the EU programme Interreg-ØKS using data from a
Swedish district heating company, Kraftringen and have shown promising results.

State-of-the-art methods in the district heating systems rely on predefined critical points in the
network i.e. knowing the location of the lowest temperature in the grid and reference temperature
curve which express the supply temperature as a function of the outdoor temperature. Initial
results show that creating artificial critical points will increase the savings by lowering the supply
temperature and increase the efficiency of the temperature optimization by creating more
accurate heat-load forecast using new data-intelligent methods from the smart meters. Further
analysis of meter data will create the possibility of having multiple temperature zones inside the
network with different temperature levels by using temperature mixing and pressure pumps.
Abstract
To achieve a successful energy transition towards the European Union’s goals of carbon neutral
heating sectors, one can take two different focuses – either energy efficiency on supply and
demand side or heat generation in terms of different renewable energy sources integration. These
actions directly influence on the reduction of costs and CO2 emissions which provide higher
security of energy supply, less volatile energy prices and lower impact on the environment. The
goal of this paper is to present the methodology for techno-economic evaluation of increase of
energy efficiency and integration of renewable energy technologies in heating systems. Specific
climate – mixed continental and Mediterranean, and certain technical and market restrictions for
the South-East Europe – old and inefficient district heating systems and not fully liberated market
where gas has been put in a favourable. Two separate tools have been used in this process –
EnergyPRO for the modelling of small-scale heating systems and EnergyPLAN for the modelling
of large-scale district heating systems and relevant renewable energy technologies. Additionally,
this paper summarizes results from the KeepWarm project where the economic feasibility of
different scenarios has been calculated and evaluated such as 1) connection of smaller heating
system into a consolidated district heating system, 2) energy efficiency increase in the heat
distribution network, and 3) integration of solar thermal collectors. The methodology has been
implemented on a case study of the city of Samobor in Croatia where results show great synergy
of increase in energy efficiency of heat distribution network and integration of solar thermal
collectors. As it will be shown, certain scenarios are very feasible in comparison to the Business
As Usual Scenario
Abstract
The INDIGO project set out to develop and improve the planning, design and operation of district
cooling (DC) systems. An open-source planning tool was developed to support the planning phase
by enabling an optimisation based assessment of an arbitrary DC system configured by the user.
The analysis also included a comparison between a DC system and a case consisting of building-
specific cooling system in order to demonstrate the potential benefit of DC.

The tool itself consists of three parts; the calculation and data management algorithms, the
graphical user interface (GUI) and the input data. The user has complete control over all the
parameters used in the analysis. Input data such as the technical properties and costs of the most
common technologies has been predefined to speed up the analysis process and improve the user
experience.

At the heart of the DC planning tool lies the ability to generate an arbitrary energy system linear
programming (LP) model based on simple user input. This powerful functionality is the focus of
this paper. It is demonstrated how the calculation and data management algorithms could be
utilised as a stand-alone tool for specific, separate studies. This forms the first part of the
contribution of the paper.

The functionality is demonstrated by an investigation of optimal capacities different types of

energy storages included in a defined, example DC system. Storages for heat, DC and electricity
are included in the analysis. In addition to the energy storages, the studied system consists of a
combined heat and power (CHP) unit, photovoltaic solar panels (PVs), compression and
absorption chillers. The optimal storage capacities depend on the cooling load, the selected
production and energy supply options as well as on the availability and the costs of the resources
used. Cooling load is evaluated based on solar irradiation and outdoor temperature in Barcelona,
Spain. Historical price data for electricity prices in Spain is used in the analysis.

Net present values (NPV) after 20 years of operation are reported for each case. The second part
of the paper’s contribution reports the performance of combining different types of energy
storages in a single system.
Built environment is a focal point of human socioeconomic activities and represents one of the
biggest global economy sectors, which creates its inseparable connection to socioeconomic
influence and general development of the society. Furthermore, the activities related to building
life cycle raise severe concerns about the local and global environment situation all over the world,
which calls for urgent actions to adopt and achieve the ecologically respectful design. Apart from
the above stated, several other facts justifying the building functionality, structural stability, safety
and predominately the indoor environment quality have a direct influence on well-being of its
users, represent a strong argument supporting the need for innovative design solutions for
sustainable built environment. Looking for holistic problem-solving in building construction
requires integration of knowledge from various disciplines that need to undergo mutual
integration and constant upgrading in order to be used in design process of contemporary
sustainable built environments. In this context, the special session will focus on innovative design
solutions for existing buildings and new construction considering the following themes: energy-
efficient building design, LCA and LCC of buildings, adaptation of building design to climate
change, indoor environment quality, integration of structural, functional and energy efficiency
design requirements, contemporary building materials, design of smart building envelopes and
structures.

Session organizers:

Prof. Vesna Žegarac Leskovar, Faculty of Civil Engineering, Transportation Engineering and
Architecture, University of Maribor, Maribor, Slovenia

Prof. Miroslav Premrov, Faculty of Civil Engineering, Transportation Engineering and

Architecture, University of Maribor, Maribor, Slovenia

Vesna Žegarac Leskovar - Associate Professor Dr. Vesna Žegarac Leskovar, graduated at the
Faculty of Architecture, University of Ljubljana, in 2000. She brought her PhD studies in 2011 at
the Faculty of Architecture, Technical University Graz. In the professional field of architecture
and spatial planning she was already active at the time of her studies, until 2005 she was working
as an architecture engineer in the architectural office Reichenberg arhitektura in Maribor. In
2005 she started her employment at the University of Maribor, Faculty of Civil Engineering,
Transportation Engineering and Architecture (UM FGPA). In 2016 she was granted the title of
Associate Professor. In the study year 2013/14 she participated as an invited lecturer at the
Institute for spatial planning at the TU Graz. Her professional and scientific work is oriented
towards architectural structures and technologies, energy efficiency, sustainable architectural
planning and renewal of the existing housing fund. She is an author of research works indexed by
SCI and a reviewer for international journals in the field of energy-efficient buildings. She
published her professional and scientific work in two international journals with the title
“Architectural design approach for energy efficient timber frame public buildings” (published in
2011) and “Energy-Efficient Timber-Glass Houses” by Springer Verlag, which was selected by
Slovenian research agency (ARRS) as the best scientific contribution in civil engineering in
Slovenia for the year 2013. She is active as a leader of numerous student workshops and involved
in development projects carried out by UM FCTA for the national and European industrial
partners. In the period between 2011 and 2013 she led an international project “MOVE for Energy
Sustainability” where UM FCTA participated as a project partner. In the context of the
international development project WOOD WISDOM NET, entitled “Load-bearing timber-glass
composites“, she led the work package WP 3 – Architecture. She is currently taking part in the
execution and management of the IQ Home project.
Miroslav Premrov - Miroslav Premrov in year 1992 successfully finished a study of civil
engineering. After obtained master degree where the most of his master work was prepared in the
company Siemens KWU in Offenbach, he enrolled Ph.D. studies in 1996 which he successfully
completed in 1998 at Faculty of Civil Engineering, University of Maribor. In 2009 he was elected
at University of Maribor in a full professor degree for »Timber Structures« and »Concrete
Structures«. From 2009 to 2019 he was a dean of the Faculty of Civil Engineering, Transportation
Engineering and Architecture at University of Maribor. Since 2017 he is a member in European
Monitoring Committee of FEANI and from 2019 a head of Slovenian NMC FEANI. Miroslav
Premrov is an author or co-author of 52 research papers indexed by Science Citation Index and a
reviewer for the most reputable international journals from the field of civil engineering
structures. He is an editorial board member of five international journals with an impact factor.
He is a co-author of a patent of a strengthened wall element. As a member of WG 5 he is active in
preparations of Slovene standards in the field of timber structures. As a co-author he published a
university course book »Timber Structures« in the year 2008 and in the year 2011 the
monographs »Experimental analysis on behaviour of timber-framed walls with different types of
sheathing boards«. In 2013 he published by Springer Verlag a scientific monograph “Energy-
Efficient Timber-Glass Houses” which was selected by Slovenian research agency (ARRS) as the
best scientific contribution in civil engineering in Slovenia in this year. As a co-author in 2019 he
published by Springer Verlag a scientific monograph “Integrative approach to comprehensive
building renovations”. From the year 1999 he has been actively dealing with the problems of
strengthening in composite timber elements used in multi-storey prefabricated timber buildings.
In year 2010 he started with a wide research in timber-glass buildings considering the load-
bearing capacity as well as energy efficient concept of such structures. Main findings are published
in three international scientific monographs as well in many journal publications. In the period
of 2012 to 2016 he is a head of the Slovenian research team of the international FP 7 project Wood
Wisdom entitled »Load-bearing timber-glass composites« and a head of the WP 6 »Testing on
life-size specimen components«.
Invited submissions

Abstract
We would like to present a parametric numerical study on the horizontal load-bearing capacity of
timber framed wall elements coated with single fibre plaster boards (FPB) that can be used in the
construction of single- or multi-storey prefabricated buildings. Contemporary energy efficient
construction requires an optimal use of solar energy which leads to the need for larger areas of
glazed surfaces that are concentrated on the more solarized sides of buildings. On these sides,
normally there is also a higher number of large window openings, balcony doors which provide
passive heating, natural lighting and living comfort. In addition, modern architectural design
often dictates the buildings to have a dynamic form. Thus, the load-bearing structures of
contemporary buildings are mostly irregular with very diverse and asymmetric layouts of
structural elements.

The present research is focused to the horizontal strength and stiffness of the elements containing
an opening for doors or windows. According to the structural design codes (e.g. Eurocode 5) the
horizontal load-bearing capacity of such elements is in general not taken into account.

However, the past experimental and numerical analyses on wall elements coated with single FPB
boards and with different areas of openings, have shown that the strength and the stiffness of
elements with openings can be significant. Considering the fact that in conventional buildings a
large part of wall elements have openings, such elements may transmit a considerable part of the
horizontal load and thus they have a beneficial impact on the overall horizontal stability of wall
systems. Thus, it seems reasonable that the contribution of wall elements with openings should
be accounted for.

A comparative study has proved that none of the methods from the literature that were previously
developed for different types of wall elements is suitable to be applied to the case of the FPB-
sheathed timber frame wall panels. Due to their specific behaviour these elements require special
consideration and represent a subject that needs to be improved in the current European design
codes. Based on the results, the key behaviour indicators like the racking stiffness and strength
were determined are presented as ratios dependent on the opening area. The proposed diagrams
enable quick and efficient determination of the essential properties of wall elements and may thus
represent a useful tool for the structural design process.
Abstract
The building sector is one of the most resource-consuming industries globally. In comparison
with other construction technologies and materials, the timber constructions are seen as a viable
alternative for multi-storey buildings. Furthermore, many conducted studies analyze the
environmental impact of multi-storey buildings, and merely a few studies are considering
interconnection between building height and environmental performance.

This study aims to quantify, compare and examine the potential of reducing environmental
impacts associated with building height for the multi-storey timber buildings. The comparison,
using a life-cycle assessment approach, is based on four reference building models variable by
height from one to four storeys.

The results show the potential of reducing the global warming potential, acidification potential,
eutrophication potential and ozone depletion potential with the increase in building height. The
presented research points to the potential of multi-storey timber buildings in terms of
environmental performance, as the four-storey building model represents the most
environmentally responsible building option.
Abstract
A frequent situation in building renewal is the change of the category of use, which can in certain
cases lead to the requirement of considering higher imposed loads and consequently to the
necessity for structural improvement of the existing structure or structural element. Exemplary
elements are timber floors. Strengthening procedures often impair the original appearance of the
building or structural element under consideration. Especially for timber floors of historical,
architectural and cultural interest, the preservation of their originality is of great importance. The
purpose of this article is therefore to provide an insight into the field of timber floor strengthening
methods with regards to the requirements for the conservation of wooden built heritage. As
especially the strengthening of the bottom side of timber floors without interfering with the floor
appearance presents an important objective of successful intervention, an idea for using structural
glass as a strengthening element for timber floors is presented. Although glass has aesthetic
advantages (transparency) in comparison with commonly used elements (GFRP or steel strips,
bars etc.) it has also technical limitations. This article addresses these limitations and provides a
numerical example to thoroughly present how these limitations could be overcome. The
numerical example deals with the application of cross-laminated timber (CLT) panels and
structural glass strips. The analysis is performed according to the current building standards in
the European Union, the Eurocodes and the so-called “gamma method” is applied for calculating
the composite floor effective bending stiffness. The proposed technique makes it possible to use
thin CLT panels and to still achieve a considerable increase of the timber floor load-bearing
capacity.
Abstract
Georadar („Ground Penetrating Radar“ or GPR) is a method that uses radar technology for
investigating hidden or inaccessible, usually buried, items, structures or layers. This method is in
the group of nondestructive methods, and its applications is very wide: pavement survey,
preliminary analysis of the ground characteristics, detection of buried items, rebar detection in a
concrete structures, detection of underground cavities or roadbed voids, utility detection, critical
analysis of structures, checking of structure after rehabilitation, archaeological survey etc. It can
be used in a variety media, including rock, soil, ice, fresh water, pavements and structures, in
order to detect buried objects, changes in materials and its layers, voids and cracks. This
nondestructive method uses electromagnetic radiation in the microwave band (UHF/VHF
frequencies) of the radio spectrum and detects the reflected signals from subsurface structures.
Based on the time difference between the sent signal and received reflected signal, position and
depth of the hidden object are calculated.

The first part of the paper deals with practical issues regarding the use of GPR in Civil
Engineering: the depth range, horizontal and vertical resolution, minimal target size and accuracy
of acquisition. These issues are directly connected with a type of the media, water content, an
electric conductivity of the media, antenna frequency, so examples of the radargrams made with
antennas with frequencies 200 MHz, 600 MHz, 900 MHz and 2 GHz will be shown. In the second
part of the paper, some of the most interesting case studies will be presented. These cases include
archaeological surveys, structural assessment of the bridges and buildings, testing the structural
integrity of the historical buildings and some other investigations. All these surveys were
conducted at the Faculty of Civil Engineering and Architecture Osijek with their own equipment.
Abstract
Institutions managing built heritage have to make use of increasingly detailed, elaborate climate
change impact assessments. In this paper we evaluated the risks for valuable historical objects
and buildings exposed indoor conditions and users thermal comfort due to external climate
change.

Dynamic computer simulation modelling was used to investigate the potential impact of future
climate change scenarios on the risk of overheating and annual primary energy requirements for
historic buildings.

This outdoor climate was constructed from the present to predict future data from outdoor
climate prediction computer models (for the next 50 years). The indoor climate simulation
CCWorldWeatherGen (Climate change world weather file generator) was used to evaluate the
indoor climate conditions. The tool enabled us to generate climate change weather files ready for
use in DesingBuilder 5.5.2 software.

The main aim of this research is quantification and evaluation through monitoring and
simulation models the consequences of climate change about the hygrothermal parameters of
Baroque church of in southern Spain, (Mediterranean climate). Moreover, their impact on the
preservation of property, thermal occupant comfort and passive techniques.

This research was developed following an experimental method combining analytical

formulations and in-situ experimental measurements with simulation techniques to predict the
hygrothermal behaviour of religious spaces. Simultaneous measurements were carried out to
obtain representative climate data.

The climate change scenarios were based on projected temperature changes. The results showed
that the risk of overheating increases under the climate change scenarios. Furthermore, space
heating demand is reduced and cooling demand is increased for the analysed building, and the
changes are proportionally more significant for the passive compared to current situation.
Abstract
Constructions are, besides the fields of transport and industry, one of the main users of the
primary energy from fossil sources. The main goals in the past mostly focused on the energy
efficiency of the new-build, however, annual contribution to the existing housing stock accounts
for 1 % or even less, with the remaining 99% of buildings producing approximately 24% of the
energy-use induced carbon emissions. The existing energy-inefficient buildings were constructed
under relatively loose laws and regulations as far as energy efficiency is concerned and are
consequently estimated to have 20-times higher energy demand in comparison to newer
buildings. The reason for high energy consumption therefore proves to be the age of the buildings
and consequently their substantially high thermal transmissions through the building envelope.
There are many different possibilities of decreasing energy losses through the building envelope
during the heating period or increasing energy gains using solar radiation, all by the use of energy-
efficient building design strategies.

The presented analysis using an effective thermal transmittance values (Ueff) demonstrates a
simple numerical approach which can be used for a quick estimation of energy need in renovation
process of old buildings, mostly as a first numerical iteration. Following the theory of energy flows
indicates the building envelope as a system consisting of the external walls, roof, basement and
openings. The transmission heat losses through the envelope elements depend besides the
temperature differential also on the thermal transmittance coefficient (U i -values) and the
size/area of the elements (Ai). Since the U-values of all envelope elements usually demonstrate
significant differences it is convenient to determine the effective U-value of the entire building
envelope respecting different heat flows through the elements. The total energy demand for
heating consists of four energy flows (transmission, ventilation, solar gains and internal gains),
therefore also ventilation heat losses, solar and internal heat gains have to be considered to
determine the final effective thermal transmittance of the entire building. Consequently, the
entire building can be mathematically considered as a very simple one-box envelope heating
model with a constant effective thermal transmittance value (Ueff). The presented approach is still
open for further implementation regarding energy-efficient renovation related problems in the
case of real buildings. Finally, the developed numerical procedure is demonstrated on a fictive
box-house model which is subjected to different energy renovation steps and their combinations
analytically varying different parameters (thermal transmittance of the envelope elements, size
and position of glazing, etc.) which mostly influence on energy demand of renovated buildings.
Abstract
Sustainability is one of the most relevant themes within the architectural profession. Climate
changes and limited energy resources require a need to focus on low energy consumption and
environmentally responsible architecture. Architects combine creative design with technical
knowledge to provide integrated solutions for built and natural environments. Energy efficient
and resource conscious approaches are incorporated into architecture as technical innovations
including a particular use of materials based on the location or as utilisation of the climatic
conditions.

Energy efficiency is at the heart of the integrated European Union energy policy, aiming to reduce
total consumption of energy. The Republic of Croatia is a member country of the EU (since July
1, 2013) and in compliance with EU directives Croatia has adjusted its development strategy to
the principles of sustainability. Therefore, it is interesting to see what is actually built and how a
number of Croatian architects studios approach architectural themes in relation to environmental
sustainability.

The paper aims to understand sustainability in the profession of architecture. The purpose is to
investigate the ability to make architectural and spatial design choices on different scale
environmentally sustainable. The paper intends to explore examples of good practice in Croatia
from implementing environmentally responsible and energy efficient techniques in the planning,
budgeting, design and construction of the municipal projects, technology development and
investments in energy efficiency as well as new construction considering energy-efficient design.
The paper presents the work of different teams of architects in small and large-scale building and
landscape architecture.

The paper ends with important lesson how the future projects of different scales can be developed
to be more sustainable. More research and innovation is needed. Different approaches may serve
as inspiration for architects and others interested in architecture in relation to design,
functionality, construction, sustainability and environmentally responsible actions.
Abstract
The paper presents an approach for energy and cost analysis of the external wall components
using BIM. The proposed approach is applied on the case study of preschool building in Maribor.
Energy and cost efficiency is analysed, considering two different structural systems of external
wall. Three alternatives are selected for a brick system, and one for a reinforced concrete system.
Suitable components are added for each alternative, taking into account two different U-values.
All variants are initially modelled as 3D BIM, and then analysed in terms of energy and costs. The
calculation of building energy balance is done for the energy analysis, whereas in the case of cost
analysis, the investment and the energy costs are considered. Further, the results are combined
in BIM project management software where they can be shown as a cumulative cost. The analysis
reveals that brick system Porotherm 30 S P+E at U1=0.15 W/m2K has the lowest cumulative
costs.
Abstract
Regarding the fact that we spend approximately 90% of the time in buildings, the quality of the
indoor environment plays a vital role in achieving a high level of living comfort. The indoor
environment quality can be evaluated through several criteria that can be subdivided into
subjective, such as aesthetic and sensual perception of the inner space, as well as objective
indicators such as air quality, thermal, acoustic and visual comfort. Existing scientific studies
prove that indoor environment quality has a direct impact on the welfare and health of users,
whereby in buildings used for work and education this influence is additionally linked to work
efficiency.

The current paper addresses the indoor environment quality of lecture rooms at the University
of Maribor, Faculty of Civil Engineering, Transportation Engineering and Architecture. Primarily,
the analyses of physical parameters such as the air quality, thermal, and visual comfort next to
ones considering the functionality and aesthetics of interior workspaces are carried out to identify
the risk factors with a negative influence on wellbeing and work efficiency. In the next step, a
proposal of measures to improve IEQ is divided into two categories. The first one is presenting
renovation measures preconditioned by investment costs, while a greater emphasis is placed on
the "soft" measures and predominately the development of motivation mechanisms for users to
start applying these measures to raise the IEQ of workplaces.
Abstract
A lot of research has been carried out with respect to understanding the dynamics and
peculiarities of the built environment especially since the buildings sector accounts for the largest
sectoral energy consumption from a global circumspect. While this is assuredly a global
phenomenon, its manifestation is largely dependent on the social demographic landscape and
dispensation. As such, it is paramount to carry out local investigations on the modalities of the
built environment in order to garner an understanding of its affiliated energy consumption
characteristics. On this premise, this paper by means of localized investigation endeavors to map
out the typical rural built environment attainable in Nigeria with the underlying aim of presenting
a detailed delineation of the residential and non-residential building stock in rural Nigeria.
Applying the reference building approach, six building typologies were identified namely; two- or
three-bedrooms bungalow and central corridor “face me face you” building for the residential
buildings while the non-residential buildings included rural health centers, primary schools, and
small-scale shops. A matrix of the building typologies organized according to the building
functionality and the building size class has been developed according to the average building
types apparent in rural communities. More so, this in itself provides a springboard on which
future research is been conducted to provide a benchmark of buildings energy consumption for
the typical rural built environment and thus serve as a critical information source whilst also
bridging the apparent knowledge and data gaps in this field and geographic scope.
Abstract
This paper focuses on the implementation of sensitivity analysis on the area of energy analysis of
timber building on »box« models. Sensitivity analysis plays an important role in early planning,
part of which presents energy analysis, as well. By doing so, we identify the key variable, which
can either have a strong or insignificant impact on thermal efficiency. Within this article, we
present sensitivity analysis, where we used a global analysis, namely the Morris method, based on
the elementary effect, on the example of a simulation model of a timber building, where we varied
geometry, insulation features, comfort of living and placement of a structure in environments of
different climate conditions. The results of the sensitivity analysis indicate that the influence of
important parameter for the output parameter (heating, cooling, and total energy demand)
depends on the location, models, input parameter and their variation range and it is difficult to
generalize which common parameters (for all models) will be most important for further
planning. Results showed that each model in a different location has its own influential
parameters and each "box" model is unique to itself. CFD simulation has shown that is in "box"
models problem nearby the window where PMV indicate slightly cool thermal condition. Vertical
temperature and temperature on the surface do not change (except near windows) and the PMV
indicator is close to 0, which means that it is a neutral and comfortable living comfort.
Abstract
Application of energy efficient timber-glass upgrade modules is a new approach in building
renovation, complementing conventional renovation strategies. However, the design of “optimal”
upgrade modules from an energy efficiency viewpoint, referring to optimal glazing share, is
frequently unable to meet requirements of visual comfort, which is important for health and well-
being of occupants. Therefore, the aim of this research is to redefine “optimal” upgrade module
design, by regarding not only energy efficiency but also visual comfort aspects. Accordingly, an
optimization model was developed, within which the optimal glazing shares consider realistic
window dimensions and quantity. The later ensures applicability of the results in the common
practice and architectural design. The outcomes demonstrate the optimal glazing shares in the
range from 21,0% up to 38,7% for upgrade modules, oriented towards south, providing adequate
daylight performance ranging from DF = 2,0% up to DF = 5,0%.
Abstract
Kindergartens are the very first public buildings actively used in one’s lifetime and therefore they
can be considered not only as the physical structures that are providing for the very important
educational and social function but also as the specific learning tool for future generations where
they encounter the ideas of green and energy efficient buildings. Serbian National Typology of
Kindergartens was conceived as a specific tool that can be used for improving this portion of
building stock. The paper presents methods for identification of typical kindergarten buildings
and structuring typology matrix, covering various construction periods and building sizes. Key
analysis, performed for type representatives, estimated potential for energy upgrades covering
physical structure as well as installed technological systems and expected impact on energy
performance are presented as well. The extensive datasets, acquired via survey with purposely
designed questionnaires, were collected for kindergartens nationwide. The database was formed
with validated entries for 563 buildings, pondered in regard with 2591 kindergarten building
officially registered by The Statistical Office of the Republic of Serbia and local municipalities in
2016. Presentation of data, descriptions and additional comments attached to each type are
depicting the existing state and 3 improvement levels, enabling the use of National typology as a
simple energy retrofit assessment tool. The overall research results also provide numerous
quantifications on national level allowing the assessments of energy retrofit of this portion of
building stock in wider context, applicable in strategic and decision-making processes.
Abstract
In this study, we have explored different energy-efficiency measures for a typical Swedish multi-
storey residential building of the 1970s. The measures include additional insulation to basement
walls, exterior walls, and attic floor as well as improved energy-efficient windows, balanced
ventilation with heat recovery (VHR), lighting, household appliances and water taps and shower
heads. We analyse the final and primary energy savings of the implemented measures as well as
their implications on the indoor temperature and overheating risk of the building both under
current and future climates. The future climates are based on the representative concentration
pathways scenarios from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Our results show that
implementing improved energy-efficient windows and doors, VHR and additional insulation to
external walls give significant final and primary energy savings for space heating. The total
operation final and primary energy use decrease averagely by 57% and 53%, respectively when all
the measures are cumulatively applied under both current and future climate scenarios. The
indoor temperature and overheating risk as well as the final energy savings from the applied
measures for the analysed building are influenced by the considered climate scenarios.
Abstract
Energy Performance of Building Directive (EPBD) 2010/31/EU introduced nearly zero energy
building (NZEB) standard for new buildings. But existing energy-inefficient buildings will
consume great amount of energy unless renovated. This issue is revised in EPBD 2018/844/EU
which is setting a framework aiming at long term renovation of existing building stock. The main
characteristic of existing building stock is irrationally high energy consumption. Furthermore, the
largest share in energy consumption as well as in total construction corresponds to residential
building sector. Studies have shown that more than 80% of these buildings do not meet energy
efficiency requirements of current legislation. Large energy consumption in buildings is mostly
related to the construction period. The construction period has an important role in buildings'
energy demand since it is related and represents characteristic construction technology,
characteristic building materials used and the legislation on thermal protection of buildings.
Therefore, buildings are usually classified into several construction periods according to the age
and type of construction and depending on the legislative environment. This paper presents
evaluation of the renovation potential of existing residential buildings to NZEB in terms of
technical possibilities and economic feasibility. Case study was made on three residential units
representative for their construction period. Analysed residential units were chosen to correspond
to periods of buildings built between 1961 and 1970, between 1971 and 1980, and between 1981
and 1990. All buildings are in Osijek, Croatia. Infrared thermography and field measurements of
airtightness were made as well in order to obtain information regarding initial state of residential
units. Results presented in this research give information about construction technology possible
to apply during renovation, renovation costs, energy (natural gas and electricity) consumption
cost reduction and simple payback periods for proposed renovation measures. Sensitivity analysis
method was applied to determine influence of energy price change on payback periods of
proposed measures. Results are presented and analysed for three different buildings from three
different construction periods.
Abstract
With the increasing awareness on the importance of energy efficiency in the building sector, the
debate on sustainability about conservation and management of historic buildings is increasing.
Building energy simulation software seems to provide accurate prediction of the building’s
environmental response and can be used as diagnostic and prognostic tools. However, in historic
buildings’ simulations, often the uncertainty increases due to the lack of information and the
incorrect choice of the numerical model unable to adequately capture the real physical
phenomena involved. In this work the effect of air infiltration in combination with the moisture
buffering effect of materials, have been investigated using two different models in EnergyPlus
software. The analysis carried out on the Salone dell’Armeria shows that the infiltration rate could
be largely underestimated (about 3 times) when the buffering effect is neglected. Such phenomena
could particularly affect historic buildings, generally characterized by massive structures and
many furnishings.
In recent years, it is more and more evident that the civilization expansion, correlated with the
global energy consumption, is affecting the climate change. Most of the energy is still being
extracted by combusting the fossil fuels, releasing a vast amount of the environmentally
dangerous greenhouse gases. The most prominent approach to mid-term emission reduction is
the improvement of existing technologies. Such an approach does not require a significant
investment in infrastructure and can enable the desired reduction of harmful gases. In the
advancement of transport and energy production sectors, there are still technical challenges to be
solved, and most are related to physical and chemical phenomena accruing in the combustion
chambers. Therefore, the main objective of this special session is to bring together the scientists,
researchers, and experts to exchange and share their experiences, new ideas, and research results
about all aspects of combustion science, sustainable combustion technologies, and multiphase
flow related topics: fundamental physical and chemical aspects of traditional and novel fuel
sources; reaction kinetics, combustion emissions, pollutants, soot and particulates; IC engine
combustion; gas turbine combustion; furnace combustion; dual fuel, ammonia, coal, biomass,
biofuel and waste combustion; multiphase flows and sprays, fuel introduction methods, fuel
dispersion, droplet interactions; particle technology, gasification and pyrolysis; new combustion
technologies.

Session organizers:

Prof. Milan Vujanović, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia

Prof. Mário Costa, Instituto Superior Técnico, Lisboa, Portugal

Milan Vujanović - Milan Vujanović is a researcher and team leader of CFD Combustion Research
Group of the Power Engineering and Energy Management Chair at Department of Energy, Power
Engineering and Environment, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Naval Architecture,
University of Zagreb. Prof. Vujanović holds PhD in “numerical modelling of multiphase flow in
the combustion of fuels”. His research is in the areas of modelling and simulation of turbulent
combustion, pollution formation, multiphase flows and sprays, and also in the areas of
sustainable energy, environmental protection and climate change. He holds lecturers within
courses “Combustion and Radiation Modelling”, “Numerical Methods in Continuum Mechanics”
and “Energy Engines”. He has over 100 publications in Scientific Journals, Books and
International Conferences Proceedings to his credit. Prof. Vujanović is a consultant to many
industries and several public authorities. He is a member of the Combustion Institute, member of
the European Research Community on Flow, Turbulence and Combustion, and member of the
Centre for Sustainable Development of Energy, Water and Environment Systems.

Mário Costa - Mário Costa is a Full Professor in the area of Environment and Energy at the
Mechanical Engineering Department of Instituto Superior Técnico (IST). He graduated in
Chemical Engineering at University of Coimbra in 1984, obtained his PhD in Mechanical
Engineering at Imperial College London in 1992 and his Habilitation in Mechanical Engineering
at Technical University of Lisbon in 2009. Currently, he teaches the courses of Thermodynamics,
Combustion, Renewables Energies and Integrated Energy Systems. He has supervised more than
100 MSc and Phd students. He has participated in more than 50 national and international
projects in the area of Energy and Environment and has (co-)authored 1 book, more than 100
papers in international peer-reviewed journals and more than 150 papers in international
conferences. He was the recipient of the Caleb Brett Award of the Institute of Energy in 1991, of
the Sugden Award of the British Section of the Combustion Institute in 1991, of the Prémio
Científico UTL/Santander Totta in 2010 and of a Menção Honrosa Universidade de
Lisboa/Santander in 2016.
Invited submissions

Abstract
This paper is focused on demonstrating the impact of different fuel gas inlet boundary condition
profiles on the CFD results of the gas phase combustion in the freeboard region of the 13 MW th
waste wood-fired grate boiler based on a numerical model that has been previously validated. An
empirical 1D bed model is used to provide the profiles of temperature, species concentrations, and
velocity of the combustible gas mixture released from the fuel bed into the freeboard for both
cases under study which are numerically evaluated. In Case A, the grate is divided into several
zones while in the Case B is assumed only one zone along the grate. Moreover, the CFD results of
both cases are compared with the experimentally measured gas temperatures on selected
measuring ports. As a result, a large degree of difference is present between both cases.
Furthermore, the deviation of the CFD predicted gas temperature from measured values at
selected measuring ports exhibits larger proportions in the primary combustion chamber for both
cases, compared to the region after the secondary combustion chamber. On the basis of evident
low levels of differences in temperature of the flue gases after the secondary combustion chamber
it can be concluded, that the fuel gas inlet boundary condition profiles which are based on same
overall heat and mass balances, produced potentially valid predictions for both cases.
Abstract
Zhundong lignite coalfield in Xinjiang province of China is one of the largest coalfields in the
world, with a reserve of 390 billion tons. However, the contents of alkali and alkaline earth metals
in Zhundong lignite ash are high, which induce severe fouling in coal-fired furnaces. Leaching
treatment for ZD is one of the efficient measures to address fouling. Soot particles from coal
incomplete combustion or pyrolysis, is not only a major source of particulate matter, but also
important to the radiation heat transfer in combustion facilities. So far, the formation mechanism
of soot has not been well understood, and the study for the effect of ash mineral on soot formation
is even less. In this study, the effect of coal leaching treatment on soot formation from the
pyrolysis of high sodium and calcium lignite (7.4% sodium and 30.9% calcium in ash) was studied
in an entrained flow reactor at 1000-1300 °C. The raw lignite sample was leached with deionized
water or 5% hydrochloric acid at 80 °C for 6 hours, filtrated, and then dried in an oven at 80 °C
for 24 h. Soot particles were sampled using a heated metal filter (>250 °C), and then characterized
by high-resolution transmission electron microscope equipped with energy dispersive spectrum
and thermogravimetric analyser on the micromorphology, elemental composition and reactivity.
The particle size distribution of soot is measured on-line using a scanning mobility particle sizer.
Results show that water-leaching can only removes partial sodium in ash and has little effect on
coal reactivity, soot yield, and soot reactivity; while acid-leaching significantly decreases the ash
content and removes a large amount of sodium and calcium. The reducing of sodium and calcium
leads to a significant decrease in coal and soot reactivity, but an increase in soot yield and soot
particle size.
Abstract
In this paper, the ash fusion temperatures of municipal sewage sludge/petrochemical sludge,
straw biomass, and series of sludge-biomass blends were determined, and the mineral
compositions during the ash melting process and the involved mechanism were analysed. Results
indicate that chemical compositions of sewage sludge/petrochemical sludge and blending ratios
have the significant effects on the ash fusion temperatures of straw biomass. The high adding
ratios of petrochemical sludge (>50 wt.%) cause an increase in the ash fusion temperatures of
straw biomass, while the certain addition ratios of sewage sludge could increase the ash fusion
temperatures of straw biomass. The effect of adding petrochemical sludge into straw biomass is
better than that of adding sewage sludge for increasing the ash fusion temperatures of straw
biomass in co-firing process. SiO2 and Fe2O3 produced in sewage sludge co-firing with straw
biomass increase the ash fusion temperatures of straw biomass, while for petrochemical sludge
co-firing with straw biomass Mn2AlO4 and AlN produced raise the ash fusion temperatures of
straw biomass. The results in this work could not only gain deeper understanding of the involved
mechanisms during co-firing of municipal sewage sludge/petrochemical sludge with straw
biomass, but increase the resource utilization efficiency of municipal sewage sludge and
petrochemical sludge.
Abstract
Biorefinery-based chemical production has been the driving force in renewable resources. It aims
to optimize biomass conversion in such a manner that ‘extract’ the highest added value from
biomass used and eliminating waste streams. Lignocellulosic substrate contributes to a significant
portion of the biowastes and can be found in all types of waste generators. The current study
investigated the feasibility of developing and adopting a few state-of-the-art fermentation
techniques to maximize the efficiency of the lignocellulosic wastes bioconversion. There have been
various efforts towards to utilize the fermentable sugars released from the specific parts of
lignocellulose, i.e., cellulose and hemicellulose. However, complete utilization of carbonsources
derived from lignocellulosic biomass remains challenging owing to the generated glucose in the
present of β-glucosidase, which is known as glucose-induced carbon catabolite repression (CCR).
In order to overcome this obstacle, a novel simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF)
of lactic acid was designed by using Celluclast 1.5L as hydrolytic enzyme to optimize the
generation and utilization of pentose and hexose. Under the optimal enzyme concentration, 26.3
g/Loptically pure L-lactic acid with a maximum volumetric productivity of 0.56 g/L/h was
achieved during the SSF from brewer’s spent grain without any nutrient supplementation. This
study demonstrates potential of lactic acid production by the designed lignocellulosic substrate.
Abstract
Oxy-fuel combustion technology is an advanced combustion method, which has many
advantages, such as high theoretical combustion temperature, low flue gas emission and
enhanced heat transfer of gas radiation. This method also presents a good way for high
temperature preheating. Ladle baking technology is widely used in the steel production process
because the continuous casting of molten steel at high drawing speed and low superheat can be
realized. It is favorable towards reducing the center segregation and other defects of the billet.
However, the traditional air combustion ladle baking technology has many disadvantages, such
as high energy consumption and serious pollution. In the present study, a three dimensional
mathematical model has been built considering the oxy-fuel combustion and fluid flow coupled
with heat transfer of the ladle baking process. Considering the difference between gas radiation
in oxygen-enriched combustion compared to that in air-assisted combustion, a modified WSGGM
model has been introduced and compared with the traditional model. At the same time, two
methods of oxy-fuel combustion and air combustion have been studied, and the results show that
the oxy-fuel combustion is more efficient and achieves fuel savings of 41.6%.
Abstract
Reduced order model (ROM) for entrained flow coal gasifiers typically adopts a one-dimensional
approach in which the coal and gasifying agent are injected at the first control volume. However,
such an approach is not appropriate for a Shell coal gasifier because the coal and gas split into
upward and downward streams from the burner installed on the sidewall. The downward stream
containing more coal by gravity circulates the lower part of the gasifier and then moves upward
along the side wall, whereas the upward stream contains more gas by buoyancy and moves mainly
in the central region. The conventional one-dimensional approach may lead to an unrealistic
prediction of temperature profile and slag thickness on the wall, especially at the bottom cone.

In this study, a new gasifier ROM for dynamic simulation for Shell coal gasifier was developed
based on the two-layer arrangement of control volumes to consider the flow pattern and other
characteristics identified through detailed CFD analysis. The ROM includes submodels for
devolatilization and char conversion of coal particles, gaseous reactions, radiation, and convection
heat transfer. It also incorporates the numerical slag flow model previously developed by the
authors, which interacts with the gasifier model to find converged solutions of gas temperature,
slag thickness, and heat transfer at each time step. The ROM was validated by comparison with
CFD results for Taean IGCC (300 MWe) gasifier. It was applied to the operation conditions of the
gasification plant and transient responses were compared with the measured data for three days.
The heat absorption on the gasifier wall reasonably agreed with the measured data and additional
information essential for operation improvement was acquired including the slag thickness and
exit gas temperature.
Abstract
Forthcoming tightening of the legislation concerning the sulfur dioxide emissions in marine and
stationary applications will necessitate improvement of technical solutions for pollutant removal.
Flue gas desulfurization in spray towers is an efficient removal method where the liquid is sprayed
in a stream of rising gases, removing pollutants due to the concentration difference between gas
phase and droplets. A lumped-parameter model for water droplets has been developed in order
to describe the complex physical and chemical interactions during the exposure to flue gases. The
main factors affecting the absorption are the mass transfer of pollutants through the gas-droplet
interface and the aqueous phase chemistry in droplet. Mass transfer coefficient , which has been
modelled with several approaches, is the most significant parameter regulating the absorption
dynamic into the droplet, while the in-droplet chemistry regulates the maximum quantity of
dissolved pollutants. Dissociation of sulfur dioxide and the chemical reactions in seawater have
been described by the equilibrium reactions. Afterwards, the influence of mass transfer coefficient
has been investigated and the model has been validated against the literature data on a single
droplet scale. Obtained results are comparable with the experimental measurements and indicate
applicability of the model for the design of industrial scrubbers.
Abstract
Increasing temperature at the gas turbine inlet has far exceeded the melting point of the metal
materials. In recent years, the film cooling technology has protected gas turbine blades from the
erosion of high-temperature gases. As is well-known, an optimal injection angle of film cooling
holes can provide a full coverage to the cooling protection for blade walls. Previous studies mainly
focuses on the traditional (forward) injection angle, i.e., the jet flow is consistent with flow
direction of the mainstream, but research about a backward injection of the jet flow is insufficient.
In this paper, all numerical simulations are used to analyze flow characteristics and film cooling
performance of the backward injection hole in a simplified channel, and physical mechanism of
improved cooling performance from the backward injection hole is revealed by a comparison with
simulated results based on a forward injection hole. The results show that the backward injection
hole can weaken the strength of the kidney vortices, and the spanwise cooling distribution of the
jet flow on wall surface is wider than the forward injection. Moreover, at low blowing ratios, film
cooling performance for the backward hole is worse than the forward hole, whereas the backward
hole at high blowing ratios has better film cooling performance than the forward one. At the
blowing ratio of 1.5, the overall average film cooling effectiveness for the backward hole increases
by 619% compared to for the forward hole.
Abstract
Pressurized oxy-combustion (POC) is a promising technology that can significantly reduce the
energy penalty associated with first-generation oxy-combustion for CO2 capture in coal-fired
power plants. However, higher pressure enhances the production of strong acid gases, including
SO3 and NO2, aggravating the threat of corrosion. The formation of NO2 and SO3 in the gas-phase
and their interaction in the post-flame region have not been adequately addressed, particularly at
elevated pressures. In this study, the synergistic promotion of SO3 and NO2 is kinetically evaluated
under representative post-flame conditions for POC (1-15 atm, 700-1100 oC). We begin by
validating the mechanism, which includes nitrogen and sulfur chemistry based on GRI 3.0, and
72 species and 428 reactions. The effects of temperature and pressure on this synergistic
promotion are studied, and rate of production analysis is adopted to illustrate this interaction
mechanism under POC conditions. Finally, SO3 and NO2 formation in a POC furnace is compared
with that in a practical atmospheric air-combustion (AAC) furnace. The calculations show that
the interaction of SOx and NOx indeed accelerates the conversion rates of NO to NO2 and SO2 to
SO3, and the acceleration is much stronger at elevated pressures and lower temperatures. ROP
analysis indicate that under POC conditions, due to the strong interaction between SOx and NOx,
the formation pathways of SO3, through HOSO2+O2=HO2+SO3, and NO, through
HO2+NO=NO2+OH, are dramatically promoted. These two reactions are linked by the reaction
SO2+OH+M=HOSO2+M, resulting in a ‘strong’ cycle, which can be represented by the global
reaction NO+SO2+O2®NO2 +SO3. This cycle is the major route for the formation of both SO3 and
NO2 at elevated pressures, while the reversible reaction SO2+NO2=SO3+NO can be treated as in
equilibrium. The radical HOSO2 can be considered as a quasi-steady state intermediate. A
comparison of SO3 and NO2 yields for a POC furnace and an AAC furnace shows that SO3 and NO2
formation in a POC furnace can be respectively approximately 50 and 10 times those in an AAC
furnace. The high concentrations of SO3 and NO2 in the flue gas of POC furnaces respectively
increase the acid dew point by 105 and 75 oC, which suggests a greater threat of low-temperature
corrosion if wet flue gas recirculation is used to control temperature. These results suggest that
when boilers are operated under pressure, staged oxy-combustion with low recycle is preferred
over un-staged pressurized oxy-combustion with recycle.
Abstract
Cellulosic biomass is one of the renewable energy sources which are sustainable, carbon-neutral
and environmental-friendly. Chemically enhanced primary treatment (CEPT) is the technology
that could recover cellulosic biomass in municipal wastewater. However, the large amount of high
cellulose content sludge is difficult to directly use. Anaerobic digestion (AD) is a potential
technology to convert the cellulose content in the CEPT sludge into the form of methane. Hong
Kong is a megacity using CEPT technology to treat most of the municipal sewage. To evaluate the
feasibility of the AD using saline CEPT sludge from Hong Kong, a semi-continuous mesophilic
anaerobic digester with 2-L working volume was performed in five stages fed with saline CEPT
sludge. Over 90% of the cellulose content in the sludge was degraded with the energy recovery of
280 kWh per ton sludge. Not only cellulosic biomass but other organic matters including protein
and lipid are the energy source and carbon source in such CEPT sludge AD system. The H 2S
concentration in the biogas is much higher than the AD system treating non-saline sludge.
However, the sulfide components showed little impact on biogas production. But the high H2S
concentration biogas needs further treatment to be used as an energy source. The microbial
community structure was analyzed using 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing. The predominate
archaea in the AD system were Methanosarcina and the predominate bacteria belong to
Bacteroidales and Clostridiales. Cellulose-fermentative bacteria, sugar-fermentative bacteria,
amino acid/protein-fermentative bacteria, syntrophic hydrogen-producing bacteria, and sulfur-
reducing bacteria were observed in the system. The bacteria with the function for hydrolysis of
primary substrate were important participants in such system.
Abstract
The Western Balkans produce about 60% of electricity burning low-quality coals, which causes
high GHG emissions. Co-firing of coal and biomass is among the most attractive approaches for
decreasing these emissions. The present work aims to offer an in-depth critical review of the
current status of low-quality coal, biomass, and coal/biomass devolatilization research to serve as
a good base for future research in the field. Paper provides a thorough analysis of experimental
methods and critical analysis of achieved experimental results, together with the basic set of
computational models, models’ accuracy, and applicability for coal/biomass devolatilization
modeling. Biomass compared to coal devolatilization occurs at lower temperatures and produces
more light gases and tar. Interactions between coal and biomass during coal/biomass blends
devolatilization is not completely understood. Complex network devolatilization models offer the
possibility to derive input parameters for simpler kinetic devolatilization models that are suitable
for implementation in CFD codes.
Abstract
The fully passive solar energy utilization of Chinese solar greenhouse (CSG) is very important for
guaranteeing year-around cultivation of vegetables, owing much to the heat charge and discharge
characteristic of the north wall enclosure. The internal thermal performance is investigated using
computational fluid dynamics (CFD), which has considered all of the heat transfer mechanisms
including variable ambient convection, instantaneous solar radiation, air sensible heat, enclosure
heat conduction and radiation. A three-dimensional mathematical model is developed to evaluate
the wall thickness, structural form, layered configuration and material thermal property. The
predicted thermal environments show good agreement with the experimental measurements,
indicating the reliability of the established numerical modelling. The results show that the
increase of north wall thickness could cause the waste of resources due to the thermal masses
mainly concentrate in the superficial layer. The thermal performance of the concave-convex wall
is worse compared with the equivalent flat wall by reason of less heat storage and uneven
distribution. Constructing layered configuration is recommended for the north wall which uses
Styrofoam at the outer layer to reduce heat loss. Nevertheless, the material property of north wall
material has little influence on the thermal environment. The obtained results will give good
guidance for completing the CSG engineering database and optimizing the solar energy
utilization.
Abstract
In the field of internal combustion engines dual fuel combustion principles are the subjects of
active research and development. Though the number of different dual fuel application strategies
is great, the focus of recent research has been on a strategy based on pilot injection where a pilot
injection of diesel fuel ignites a homogeneous background mixture of air and a highly knock
resistant fuel, such as natural gas. Since this example of application is mainly controlled by
mixture preparation and reaction kinetics, its implementation as well as simulation is extremely
challenging. Three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics (3D CFD) is used as a tool to
improve the understanding of the physical phenomena involved as well as the practical
applications. Especially since the number of experimental prototypes for large combustion
engines in particular is very often limited when compared to the automotive industry. The
following paper combines experimental and numerical approaches to investigate the ignition
behaviour, especially the cool flame ignition behaviour, of diesel pilot injections into a reactive
atmosphere. Schlieren and natural luminosity imaging methods are used to optically measure the
ignition delay of selected operation conditions for pilot injection. The significant differences in
the ignition delay values for schlieren and natural luminosity methods suggest different
phenomena being captured. The assumption that natural luminosity imaging captures light from
the cool flame ignition and schlieren capture the gas expansion from the main flame ignition are
supported by 3D CFD simulations. An approach to model the pilot injection accurately is
described and validated using vapor penetration length measurements from the experiment. A
suitable reaction mechanism is chosen to identify the species that occur during cool flame ignition
and postprocessing methods are developed to compare experimental and simulation results in a
spatially and temporally resolved manner. The conclusions from this comparison support the
assumption that natural luminosity imaging captures light of the cool flame combustion.
Abstract
It is known that the radiative heat transfer has an impact on the overall heat transfer and
emissions in the engineering systems that operate at high temperatures. The radiative heat
transfer models within Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) are commonly applied to evaluate
the impact of the radiative heat transfer on overall temperature field, and then indirectly on the
emission formation in the combustion system. In this work, the Discrete Ordinates Method
(DOM) featuring Finite Volume Method (FVM) was implemented into the CFD software AVL
FIRE™. In order to calculate the radiative transfer equation, user functions were used to couple
the implemented model with existing code. The absorptivity and emissivity were modelled with a
grey gas Weighted-Sum-of-Grey-Gases Model (WSGGM) based on non-isothermal and non-
homogeneous correlations for H2O, CO2 and soot. The whole procedure was implemented to work
with parallel computing, moving meshes and rezoning process. The implemented model achieved
a good agreement with simple geometry validation cases for which the analytical results are
available in the literature. A particular focus of this work was to apply implemented DOM FVM
radiation model for evaluation of the radiative heat transfer in participating media of the IC
engine. Obtained mean pressure, mean temperature, and the rate of heat release were in good
agreement with the experimental data. Finally, it can be stated that the implemented models can
serve as a fast computational procedure for the investigation of the radiative heat transfer in diesel
engines.
Abstract
Emissions of NOx from the aviation sector, contrary to the land-based sources, have doubled
compared to 1990. Aircraft unique location in the upper atmosphere and daily growth of air-based
traffic require particular attention to the effects of these emissions. One way to cope with this
problem is to develop and design more efficient combustion systems. In this research, the
numerical modelling of combustion process inside a jet engine combustion chamber is presented.
The investigated chamber is a teoretical can type chamber mounted with a double stage radial
swirler. The advanced k-zeta-f turbulence model was utilised to model the turbulent behaviour,
while the spray process was described by the Euler Lagrangian spray modelling approach. The
combustion process was modelled with the ECFM-3Z combustion model and for the ignition
process the ISSIM spark ignition model was utilised. The influence of spray and emission
processes was analysed by varying number and positioning of fuel introduction nozzle holes. It
was noticed that increasing the number of nozzle holes and their correct positioning can result in
emission reduction. Such behaviour could be addressed to the specific spray formation and
smaller high-temperature regions. Results showed that the presented model can be used as a
modern design tool in the early stage of the combustion chamber development.
Abstract
This research presents a numerical modeling of spray process using the Euler-Eulerian multi-
fluid approach where standard secondary breakup model was improved and validated.
Improvements include an introduction of probability distributions and a breakup factor into the
secondary atomization model. They distribute calculated mass transfer into a number of Eulerian
classes, thus alleviating the excessive creation of small diameter droplets. The model is validated
by simulating high-pressure liquid fuel injection into cold, non-reactive environment. The results
are compared with experimentally obtained data of spray characteristics including spray tip
penetration, Sauter mean diameter, spray angle, as well as droplet number and volume
distributions. The modified model shows improvements in description of spray breakup process
in the Euler-Eulerian multiphase approach.
Abstract
The first EU Renewable Energy Directive (RED) served as an effective push for world-wide
research efforts on biofuels and bioliquids (liquid fuels for energy purposes other than for
transport, including electricity and heating and cooling, produced from biomass). On 21.12.2018
the new RED II has been published on the Official Journal of the European Union. It is thus now
the right time to provide a comprehensive overview of achievements and practices that were
developed within the current perspective. The present study thus focuses on a comprehensive and
systematic technical evaluation of all key aspects of different distributed energy generation
pathways using bioliquids as energy carriers in reciprocating engines and micro gas turbines.
Originating from analyses of feedstock and fuel processing as well as fuel properties, utilisation
of fuels is highlighted in reciprocating engines and micro gas turbines considering fuel property
specific challenges, required engine adaptation and durability culminating in analyses of engine
performance and emissions. In addition, innovative proposals for further technical improvements
in the whole chain from energy carrier production which serves as a guideline for future research
and development activities in the fast-growing area of bioliquids.
Abstract
Syngas deriving from biomass gasification is a promising alternative fuel for spark-ignition (SI)
engines. However, syngas still has some problems when it is used in internal combustion engines
(ICE), due to the extreme variability of its composition and its energy density lower than
traditional fuels. At the same time, emission standards have been increasingly reduced to
extremely low values. The regulation of the operating conditions such as the spark timing or the
equivalence ratio of the working air-fuel mixture is well used in SI ICEs fueled by gasoline to
optimize their performance. The strategy of using exhaust gas recirculation (EGR), on the other
hand, is also well established both to virtually reduce the displacement at medium loads to
increase energy efficiency, hence to reduce fuel consumption, and to reduce the release of NOx
into the atmosphere.

Keeping high efficiency and achieving low pollutant emission at the same time has become the
key challenge for reciprocating prime movers. This engineering issue, indeed, contain conflicting
objectives that must be satisfied simultaneously. In such a case, numerical multi-objective
optimization methods represent a feasible way to identify the best achievable solution and to
define the design parameters maximizing performance of the considered system.

A model of a naturally aspirated SI engine fueled by syngas and being a part of a commercial
micro-Combined Heat and Power (m-CHP) unit by the Italian Company CMD is presented in this
paper to explore the effects related to the possible use of EGR, as well as to the simultaneous
optimization of the spark ignition timing and the variation of the air-to-fuel ratio. Proper Design
of Experiment (DOE) spaces are considered, as they influence both ICE efficiency and emissions.
The prediction of the ICE performance is here made through a properly developed and validated
one-dimensional model in the GT-Suite® environment and the simulation of the combustion
process is specially customized for syngas use. The investigation was made thanks to the coupling
of the 1D model with a genetic optimization algorithm, developed within the modeFRONTIER™
platform, for the search of the best compromise solution between maximum performance and
minimum emissions.
As the consumption of the finite resources of fossil fuels continues, the world must meet the
challenges associated with energy depletion. On the one hand, many countries advocate the
development and utilization of renewable energy sources. On the other hand, the efficiency of the
energy and propulsion systems should be improved to reduce the energy consumption. Among
these processes, the operating temperature in these processes becomes higher and higher to meet
the requirements of high efficiency. This special session will provide a forum to discuss about the
recent developments for the high temperature and high flux heat transfer process and
enhancement in various applications. The discussion topics are:

 Microturbine and Gas turbine

 High Temperature Industrial Waste Heat Recovery System

 Very High Temperature Gas-cooled Reactor

 Solar Energy Utilization System

 Solid Oxide Fuel Cell

 Thermoelectric Power Generator

 Heat Transfer at High Flux Systems

 Heat Transfer at other High Temperature Systems

Session organizers:

Dr. Ting Ma, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China

Dr. Jian Yang, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xian, China

Prof. Qiuwang Wang, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China

Ting Ma - Dr. Ting Ma is an associate professor at School of Energy and Power Engineering, Xi’an
Jiaotong University. He received his Ph.D. in Engineering Thermophysics from Xi’an Jiaotong
University in 2012. He was a visiting scholar in Department of Mechanical Engineering at
University of Nevada, Las Vegas from Aug. 2011 to Jan. 2012, and a visiting scholar in Department
of Mechanical Engineering at Virginia Tech from Mar. 2014 to Feb. 2015. His research interests
include heat transfer enhancement under high temperature and high pressure conditions,
compact mini/microchannel heat exchangers, thermoelectric power generators and coolers. He
has published more than 40 journal papers and contributed two book chapters. He has delivered
more than 10 Invited/Keynote lectures in international conferences. He is an Associate Editor of
ASME Journal of Solar Energy Engineering: Including Wind Energy and Building Energy
Conservation. He has been a committee member of the ASME Heat Transfer Division K-18 since
2018.
Jian Yang - Dr. Jian Yang received his Ph.D. degree in Power Engineering and Engineering
Thermophysics from Xi’an Jiaotong University in 2010. He is now an associate professor of School
of Energy and Power Engineering, Xi’an Jiaotong University. He acts as reviewer for several
international journals, such as Applied Energy, Applied Thermal Engineering, Experimental
Thermal and Fluid Science, ASME Journal of Heat Transfer, International Communications in
Heat and Mass transfer, etc., and several Chinese Journals. His main research interests include
transport phenomena in heat recovery from packed or gravity flowing beds of particles,
Computational Fluid Dynamics and Numerical Heat Transfer (CFD&NHT), heat transfer
enhancement, etc. He has also been authors or co-authors of more than 20 international journal
papers.

Qiuwang Wang - Dr. Qiuwang Wang is now a full professor and vice-Dean of School of Energy
and Power Engineering, Xi’an Jiaotong University. He is also the vice-Director, MOE Key Lab of
Thermo-Fluid Science and Engineering, China. His research interests include heat transfer
enhancement and its applications to engineering problems, high-temperature heat transfer and
fluid flow, transport phenomena in porous media, numerical simulation, prediction &
optimization, etc. Dr. Qiuwang Wang is now a member of Scientific Council of the International
Centre for Heat and Mass Transfer (ICHMT) since 2009, a Committee Member of Heat Transfer
Division K-18 of ASME: Heat Transfer under Extreme Conditions since 2009, a board committee
member of International Academy of Electrochemical Energy Science (IAOEES) of Canada since
2014, a member of ASME since 2009, an Associate Editor of Heat Transfer Engineering Journal
since 2011, and Editorial Board Members for several international journals such as Applied
Thermal Engineering, Frontiers in Energy, International Journal of Engineering Systems
Modelling and Simulation, etc. He is also a vice president of Chinese Society of Engineering
Thermophysics in Heat and Mass Transfer. He is the Initiator and Chairman of International
Workshop on Heat Transfer Advances for Energy Conservation and Pollution Control (IWHT)
(since 2011, 2011-Xi’an, 2013-Xi’an, 2015-Taipei). He has also delivered more than 30
Invited/Keynote lectures in international conferences or foreign Universities. Dr. Qiuwang Wang
has instructed or co-instructed more than 60 PhD or master students, among which about 30 had
obtained their corresponding degrees. He has also been authors or co-authors of 4 books and
more than 180 journal papers, about half of which are international journals. He has obtained 25
China Invent Patents and 2 US Patents.
Invited submissions

Abstract
A plentiful of methods for enhancing nucleate pool boiling has been proposed to improve the two-
phase heat transfer performance in recent years. This article offers a comprehensive comment
from published literature in term of the surface modification of reinforcing heat transfer. In
general, there are two types of surface modification regarding enhancement of pool boiling heat
transfer coefficient (HTC) and critical heat flux (CHF) on the basis of the existing researches: The
first and most widespread way is artificially changing the characteristics of the material or surface
in advance to improve heat transfer performance, including but not limited to structured surface
and surface coating with nanoparticles, or nanoparticles addition in the working fluids, which can
be considered as a “passive” modification. Oppositely, the “active” modification on boiling
enhancement seems to have more potential for development and it is favored by some
researchers, though related studies are relatively limited. In brief, the transformation of
geometrical shape or characteristics such as wettability spontaneously occurs during pool boiling
heat transfer and the CHF would thus be delayed. The heat transfer performance, as a result,
would be significantly ameliorated. Therefore, we can also call it “smart surface”. This kind of
surfaces are usually made up of shape memory alloy (SMA), polymers, several metallic oxides,
etc. Besides, the mechanisms of pool boiling enhancement with regard to modified surfaces are
reviewed, the capillary wicking and bubble dynamics, for instance, play vital roles in it. Through
the analysis and comparison of the two kinds of modified surfaces, this review also points out
some challenges existing in the current studies associated to this topic, which are worth solving
or optimizing to further efficiently and economically improve the boiling heat transfer in future.
Abstract
An experimental research was conducted to investigate effects of nanofluids on heat transfer
characteristics in a double-tube counter-flow heat exchanger. With nanoparticle mass fraction of
0.5%-2% and Reynolds number of 4500-14500, friction factor was analyzed by using four
nanofluids, i.e., CuO-water, Al2O3-water, ZnO-water, and SiC-water nanofluids. Results show
that SiC-water nanofluid with a mass concentration of 1.5% has the best improvement of heat
transfer performance, and 1% CuO-water nanofluid has the lowest friction factor when Reynolds
number varies from 4500 to 14500. Based on testing results of Nusselt number and friction factor,
the 1% CuO-water nanofluid as a working medium inside a double-tube exchanger, shows a great
advantage due to a relatively high heat transfer performance and a low friction factor.
Abstract
Biomass energy is a kind of renewable energy with huge reserves and wide applications. More and
more researchers pay attention to the effective utilization of biomass energy, and the technologies
used mainly include combustion, pyrolysis and gasification. For all these used technologies, an
effective heating of biomass raw material plays a vital role in improving the utilization of biomass.
As compared with the traditional electrical heating method, microwave-assisted heating generally
has the advantages of selectivity, volume heating, fast heating, high efficiency, etc. However, the
heat transfer during microwave-assisted heating of biomass is generally weak because the
biomass generally has a low microwave absorbability. To help an effective utilization of biomass,
heat transfer enhancement is of significant importance, and it is therefore investigated in this
study. In this paper, the effects of different operation factors on the heating characteristics of
biomass under microwave irradiation are investigated by simulation method, and the specific
operation methods for enhancing heat transfer are detailed. A CFD (Computational Fluid
Dynamics) model is initially established, and it is then validated by the experimental results. Heat
transfer during the microwave-assisted heating of biomass with and without microwave
absorbent (silicon carbide, SiC) is then compared by using the CFD simulation. Some operating
parameters affecting heat transfer during microwave-assisted heating of biomass are also studied,
and these mainly include SiC/biomass mass ratio and air velocity. The contents detailed in this
study not only introduce the CFD model which can be used to simulate the heat transfer during
microwave-assisted heating of biomass but also present the simulation results which can be used
to enhance the heat transfer during microwave-assisted heating of biomass.
Abstract
Hydrogen is an energy carrier that can be used in fuel cells to generate electricity, or power and
heat, and fertilizer production. Converting solar energy efficiently into hydrogen is a promising
technology for clean and renewable hydrogen production. However, high-temperature heat
transfer enhancement of solar thermochemical reacting system is a pertinent challenge for solar
energy conversion and storage into hydrogen. In this paper, the thermal performance of a novel
laboratory scale solar thermochemical reactor is investigated and a new material NiFe-Aluminate
reticulated porous ceramic (RPC) structure is synthesized for increasing intermetallic support
interaction and high-temperature heat transfer enhancement. N2 gas and steam (H2O) are used
as carrier gas and reactive flow, respectively. Experimental studies are conducted on the thermal
behavior of the system and the redox performance with the temperature changes in the heat
storing medium. Successful reduction resulting in higher O 2 yield following by higher H2
production due to the reactivity of active catalyst and oxygen carrier materials including FeNi,
Al1.847Fe0.153O4, Al13Fe4, FeO/Fe, NiO/Ni, FeAl2O4,and Fe2+Al2O4 phases characterized by XRD
pattern is obtained during the thermal reduction and oxidation. The radiative heat transfer and
high-temperature thermal characteristics of NiFe-Aluminate porous medium are the key factors
for efficient solar thermochemical energy storage. The research results of this study have
important practical application values for the development of high-temperature solar thermal
chemical fuel conversion technology.
Abstract
Thermoelectric power generators can directly convert thermal energy into electricity without
environmental contamination. Thermoelectric technology has been applied in the fields of
automobiles, space vehicles, power plants, and incinerators. An oxyselenide BiCuSeO is a
promising p-type thermoelectric material in the mid-temperature range. The BiCuSeO oxide with
the ZrSiCuAs-type tetragonal crystal structure (P4/mm space group) has a layered structure that
consists of insulating (Bi2O2)2+ and conducting (Cu2Se2)2– layers. In this work, we attempt to
enhance the dimensionless figure-of-merit of BiCuSeO by incorporating Ca for Bi and forming Cu
vacancies. Bi0.925Ca0.075Cu1-xSeO (x = 0 - 0.10) samples were prepared by a two-step solid-state
reaction followed by spark plasma sintering. The Bi0.925Ca0.075Cu1-xSeO samples crystallized in the
ZrSiCuAs-type tetragonal crystal structure (P4/nmm space group). No detectable impurity phase
was observed in the diffraction patterns. The detailed crystal structure, space group, lattice
parameter, and atomic coordinates were investigated through the XRD Rietveld refinement. The
FE-SEM images of Bi0.925Ca0.075Cu1-xSeO (x = 0 - 0.10) showed dense morphologies and lamellar
grains due to its layered crystal structure. The UV–Vis diffuse reflection spectra were obtained to
investigate the spectral absorption characteristics and optical band-gap energy of
Bi0.925Ca0.075Cu1-xSeO (x = 0 - 0.10). The band-gap energies of the Bi0.925Ca0.075Cu1-xSeO slightly
increased with increasing Cu vacancy. With increasing Cu vacancy, the carrier mobility increased.
The electrical conductivity of Bi0.925Ca0.075Cu1-xSeO (x = 0 - 0.10) decreased with increasing
temperature, suggesting a metallic behavior. The Cu vacancy acted as a point defect and strongly
scattered short-wavelength phonons, thereby decreasing the lattice thermal conductivity. The
dimensionless figure-of-merit of the Bi0.925Ca0.075Cu1-xSeO increased toward higher temperatures,
indicating high thermal stability. Of the prepared samples, the largest dimensionless figure-of-
merit was obtained for Bi0.925Ca0.075Cu0.10SeO at 600 °C. We believe that the formation of Cu
vacancy in Bi0.925Ca0.075Cu1-xSeO is highly effective approach for improving thermoelectric
properties.
Abstract
Plate heat exchangers are generally applied for liquid-liquid heat exchange. The ε-NTU method is
widely utilized for thermal design of the plate heat exchanger due to the reduction of efforts and
time. Without any secondary surface and light in weight, the plate heat exchanger is developed
for gas-gas heat exchange. The cabinet cooling system is used for remove heat generated from
electronics equipment and prevents water and dust from entering into cabinet. The cabinet
cooling system includes air-air heat exchanger, internal fan and external fan. In this paper, the ε-
NTU method is used to calculate the thermal performance of both counter-flow plate heat
exchanger and cross-flow plate heat exchanger for the cabinet cooling system. The effects of
overall dimensions of the cabinet cooling system on cooling capacity of the cabinet cooling system
are studied. The thermal resistances of the plate heat exchangers are also analyzed. It is found
that for large value of cabinet cooling system width, cross-flow cabinet cooling system has a higher
cooling capacity due to the compactness of the cross-flow plate heat exchanger. If the cabinet
cooling system is limited in width, with the increment of cabinet cooling system length the cooling
capacity of counter-flow cabinet cooling system increases significantly because of great increment
of heat transfer area.
Abstract
With the increasing demand for oil and gas resources, deeper and hotter wells are being explored.
The downhole electronics, which detect the oil and gas distribution underground, are faced with
high temperature-high pressure environments (200°C, 140Mpa), and the operation time are
required to be 4-6 hours. The electronics cannot be operated stably in such harsh environments,
or even lead to failure without any protection. To meet the demand for long time operation,
traditional thermal management system adopted the vacuum flask to insulate the thermally harsh
environments and phase change materials (PCMs) on both sides of the circuit skeleton to storage
the heat generated by electronics. However, current research is only applicable to short skeleton
with few circuit boards, which cannot meet the temperature control demands of multi-board,
long-skeleton logging tools due to the significant thermal resistance between the PCMs and the
heat sources.

To solve this problem, we proposed a distributed thermal management system (DTMS) for
downhole electronics with multiple heat sources at high temperature. The PCMs were distributed
arranged to reduce the thermal resistance between the PCMs and the heat sources. The
performance of the proposed DTMS was analyzed by finite element simulation. Results show that
the maximum temperature of the DTMS decreased by 89°C compared with traditional thermal
management system, and the latent heat utilization rate of the PCMs increases from 22% to 96%.
To further reduce the temperature of the heat sources and improve the heat storage efficiency, the
effect of different phase change materials such as (paraffin, graphite-nanosheets/paraffin
composite, eutectic salts, metal alloy) were also investigated. The results show that metal alloy
possesses the best thermal control performance among all the PCMs, and the latent heat
utilization efficiency is up to 100%.
Abstract
Steam to supply various industrial processes is the most valuable form of energy provided by a
power plant for an industrial park. Both conventional and renewable power plants usually provide
this so-called process steam. In times of power plant downtimes, because of maintenance work or
induced through external factors, regardless of the primary used fuel, fossil-fired auxiliary boilers
take over the process steam production to guarantee a continuous supply for the connected
consumers. Thermal energy storages using metallic phase change materials to directly produce
super heated steam are able to partially substitute those auxiliary boilers to produce process steam
and therefor lower fossil fuel consumptions, emissions and maintenance costs.

The economic feasibility of conventional industrial power plants, which feed the electricity grid
simultaneously, is heavily dependent on the price fluctuations prevailing on the electricity market.
The increasing supply of renewable energy into the existing German grid, which has been driven
by the Renewable Energy Law since 1991, poses challenges for grid operation and for these types
of industrial power plants acting simultaneously as regulative instruments. Rising fuel- and
emission-related costs are additionally pushing heat generation costs of conventional power
plants out of economic operation.

This presentation depicts the investigation and development of metal-based latent heat storages
for the integration in industrial process steam grids. The storage operating efficiency is not driven
by a high number of cycles, but rather by the difference of heat generation costs between the power
plant and the auxiliary boiler. This being said, the presented storage concept may be integrated in
conventionally as well as renewable fired power plants.

Starting with the pre selection of possible integration applications, first of a kind CFD analysis of
coupled direct evaporation and phase change transition of the metal-based storage material will
be addressed. A test rig containing of 1 000 kg of storage material shows the practical feasibility.
The generated results are directly implemented in accompanying process simulations, which lead
to a potential analysis regarding market development in Germany, especially facing an increasing
renewable energy share.
The sea represents a huge resource for renewable energy (Blue Energy - BE). BE is the energy
which can be harnessed from the ocean or the marine wind and it is comprised of five main types
according to the origin of the extracted power, namely marine (offshore) wind, surface waves,
tides/currents, and thermal and salinity gradients. Although the growth of offshore renewable
energy technologies has so far been relatively slow compared to those onshore, it is anticipated
that in the future BE will substantially contribute to the energy demands of coastal and insular
areas, at the same time protecting and conserving the marine environment.

The Blue Growth Strategy proposed by the Commission in 2014 emphasized that harnessing the
economic potential of BE in a sustainable manner represents a key policy area for the EU, which
requires the involvement of the widest possible range of stakeholders in order to optimize capacity
building and to achieve the necessary critical mass. The BE sector was, in fact, indicated as one of
five developing areas in the ‘blue economy’ that could drive the creation high-quality jobs and
pave the way for a new breed of science-trained professionals, enhancing eco-efficient value
creation all along the value and supply chain. Moreover, exploiting this indigenous resource
would help reduce the EU dependence on fossil fuels for electricity generation, and enhance
energy security. In particular, islands and remote coastal regions can especially benefit from BE
development, as it would provide a viable alternative to expensive and heavily polluting
<em>fossil</em> fuelled plants, and contribute to their energy self-sufficiency.

The exploitation of Blue Energy clearly opens new frontiers in the maritime sector, by creating
synergies with long established traditional activities, yet opening the door to knowledge-driven
<em>innovation</em>. It offers the opportunity to pool costs and boost several connected
economic sectors. Some examples of synergic activities that are welcome in this Special Session
include: BE Studies and technology design; Estimation of BE exploitable resources; Marine
environment assessments for BE exploitation; Evaluation of synergies with aquaculture and/or
fisheries; BE exploitation in the naval sector; Energy production from Algae; Design and
management of multipurpose offshore platforms; Socio-economic assessment of BE exploitation.

Session organizers:

Dr. Hrvoje Mikulčić, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China

Hrvoje Mikulčić - HRVOJE MIKULČIĆ defended his PhD thesis in 2015 and works as a
Postdoctoral researcher at the Department of Power Engineering, Energy and Environment,
Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Naval Architecture, University of Zagreb. His main
research area include numerical modelling of fluid flow, solid fuel combustion, endothermic
calcination reaction, radiation modelling, pollutant formation, greenhouse gasses emissions
analysis and accounting, and energy efficiency improvements in industry. Since 2009 he has been
working on the research project “Numerical modelling of multiphase flow and combustion
processes” financed by the Austrian Institute for internal combustion engines AVL List GmbH.
He has also been working on the national scientific project: Smart energy storage for sustainable
development of energy systems, financed by the Ministry of Science, Education and Sport of the
Republic of Croatia. From 2016 he is a project manager of a European INTERREG MED project
PELAGOS - Promoting innovative networks and clusters for marine renewable energy synergies
in Mediterranean coasts and islands, responsible for the Croatian part of the project. He is an
author of 43 scientific papers, of which 29 in scientific journals (SCI). His current Scopus h-index
is 12. From 2014 he serves as a SDEWES Special Issue Guest Editor in the Journal of Cleaner
Production (IF 2016 =5.715), Journal of Environmental Management (IF 2016 =4.010), and Clean
Technologies and Environmental Policy journal (IF 2016 =3.331).
Invited submissions

Abstract
The demand of energy has soared over the last decades, partly due to the growth of emerging
economies. This demand is in part met by fossil fuels, albeit at the expense of severe
environmental repercussions, not least global warming. In this context, it is essential to develop
and promote the use of renewable energy sources. Among them, wave energy is one of the most
promising thanks to its widespread availability and comparatively low environmental effects.

Wave farms, composed by wave energy converters (WECs), have recently been proposed to fulfil
a dual function: carbon-free energy generation and coastal protection. These works have assessed
the variations of significant wave heights in the lee of the wave farm, the wave farm impact on the
beach profile under storm conditions and the effects of different wave farm locations and
geometries on the shoreline evolution. However, to our best knowledge, a methodological
approach based on artificial intelligence has not been proposed and applied to the design of wave
farms for coastal defence purposes.

The main objective of this work is to develop and apply artificial intelligence (AI) to assess the
efficiency of a wave farm in coastal protection. A beach subjected to intense erosion, Playa
Granada (southern Spain), was used as a case study. We considered the difference in subaerial
beach area with and without wave farm protection and investigated, by means of an AI model,
how this difference is affected by the position and layout of the wave farm, the inter-WEC spacing
and the wave climate.

For the AI model, artificial neural networks (ANNs) were used. Forty different neural network
architectures with one and two hidden layers, and two training algorithms (Levenberg-Marquadt
and Bayesian regression) were compared. The best results were obtained with a [5-10-1]
architecture trained with the Bayesian regression algorithm. The excellent validation results
confirm that ANNs may be used by engineers, managers and stakeholders to optimize the design
of a wave farm for coastal protection purposes.

In order to illustrate the potential of this methodology, the ANN model, once validated, was used
to determine the optimum location and layout in terms of coastal protection for a wave farm in
the study area. The result was a wave farm with two rows and an inter-WEC spacing of 180 m,
situated approximately off the centre of Playa Granada.
Abstract
The objective of the present work is to analyse the dynamics of the wave power in the Black Sea
until the end of the 21st century in the context of climate changes. A wave modelling system based
on the third generation spectral phase averaged model SWAN (Simulating WAves Nearshore) was
implemented for the entire basin of the Black Sea, including also the Sea of Azov. The wind fields
provided by a Regional Climate Model (RCM), namely the Rossby Centre regional atmospheric
model, are considered as the forcing factor for the wave model. These wind data correspond to
the Representative Concentration Pathways 4.5 and 8.5 (RCP4.5 and RCP8.5). RCP4.5, which
might be considered as the most realistic scenario, assumes that the peak of the carbon dioxide
(CO2) emissions is expected around the year 2040 and that this peak will be followed by a decline.
On the other hand, the most pessimistic scenario is RCP8.5, which assumes an increase in
emissions along the entire 21st century and afterwards. Thus, assuming both scenarios, wave
model simulations were carried out for the period 2071-2100, corresponding to a distant future
represented by the final part of the 21st century. An analysis of the wave power values is also
performed, the emphasis being put on the average values. The impact of climate change on the
wave power in the Black Sea along the 21st century is estimated by performing comparisons with
the previous results obtained for 30-year time-slices covering the near future (2021-2050) and
historical (1976-2005) periods. Furthermore, the simulation results for each 30-year time period
(historical and near future) have been performed with the same wave modelling system
considering the wind data coming from the same RCM. In this way a comprehensive picture of
the expected wave power dynamics in the basin of the Black Sea is provided. Between the mean
wave powers computed for the distant future in case of both scenarios considered no significant
differences are observed.
Abstract
Forward Osmosis (FO), Pressure Retarded Osmosis (PRO) and Reverse Electrodialysis (RED)
processes have been widely investigated to discuss water and energy crisis. Despite the
advancement in membrane technology and the potential of salinity gradient technologies, they all
suffer from a common problem of membrane fouling that requires an intensive pretreatment.
Conventional pretreatment technologies such as sand filtration, Microfiltration, and
Ultrafiltration have a demonstrated efficiency in treating a wide-range of water and wastewaters
but the main constraints of these technologies is the operation and maintenance costs.
Thermodynamic studies have shown that the energy input due to pretreatment could be the major
constraints that encounters FO, PRO and RED processes. Therefore, research should focus to
develop efficient, cheap and low energy pretreatment technologies.

In light of this information, we are successfully working in developing a second generation

hydrogel filters. These filters can be fabricated in laboratories from the chemical reaction of
aluminium sulfate under specific conditions to generate aluminium hydroxide polyhydrate filter
that is 90% water. As such, the process of water purification by hydrogel is carried out through a
water-based media. Conventional aluminium hydrogel has extremely high water flux, 28311
L/m2h for pure water at 0.8 bar, compared to MF, 1600 L/m2h for pure water at 1 bar.
Interestingly, the thickness of hydrogel was 1mm to generate 28311 L/m2h water flux and the
required filtration energy was about 0.03 kWh/m3. The drawback of hydrogel is dryness over time
when it is out of water and difficulties to backwashing. Our research has successfully addressed
the dryness shortcoming in hydrogel filter by doubling water-holding capacity in the hydrogel.
The developed filter also exhibited higher mechanical strength represented by 20% increase in
Young Module compare to the conventional hydrogel; this will ease backwashing process due to
filter clogging over time. Pure water flux in the new hydrogel was 7700 L/m 2h compared to 1600
L/m2h for the MF membrane. The newly developed hydrogel media demonstrated an excellent
efficiency for the removal of E. Coli bacteria, 100% removal, by a single pass filtration. It also
exhibited higher efficiency than the conventional hydrogel for the removal of hydrocarbons
molecules, suspended solid and turbidity. The cost of hydrogel filter is lower than that of the MF
membrane and consumes 10th of the energy required for seawater filtration by the sand filtration;
0.03 kWh/m3 for hydrogel compared to 0.3 kWh/m3 for sand filter. The hydrogel also offers high
quality feed water to the FO/PRO membrane, ensuring low membrane fouling while reducing the
energy requirements for pretreatment.
Abstract
This research analyses the feasibility of coupling a big size desalination plant to a wave energy
farm in the North of Gran Canaria, where the highest wave resources of the island are located
(annual average of 19.3 kW/m). The desalination plant capacity is 15,000 m 3/day and its annual
energy consumption around 19 GWh per year. This research intends to analyse how much of this
energy demand can be supplied by wave energy. One drawback of the wave technology is that it is
not yet fully commercial and, therefore, there are many different technologies available. Different
wave energy converters have been selected for this study, comprising different type of
technologies and technical characteristics. Array configurations have also been extensively
discussed. Results show that many of the wave devices selected are able to supply the energy
demand of the desalination plant.
Abstract
The paper deals with the development of The Danish Test Site for Wave Energy (DanWEC test
site).

The wave energy sector is at a development stage where real-sea testing is imperative. Dedicated
test sites for development of wave energy converters are being established in many European
countries.

The DanWEC test site is situated on the North-West coast of the Danish peninsula Jutland near
Hanstholm facing the North Sea. DanWEC has for many years been the center for development
of the Danish wave energy sector.

DanWEC has a well developed methodology for testing. This methodoly for testing, assessing and
evaluating the different devises being tested will be presented. Objectives of real sea trials are
typically 'proof of concept tests', but also more detailed test for increasing power production,
decreasing costs or extending life time of components or the complete device.

Some of the most important parameters needed for structured testing are the environmental
conditions like currents, wave and wind. The wave data acquisition network of the test site
comprises three wave buoys. The first buoy was installed in 1998 and has provided almost 20
years of uni-directional data. The two newer directional buoys were installed in 2015, and have
refined the data knowledge including insight on the directionality of the waves. The data has now
been used to set-up a numerical model for current, waves and wind based on the MIKE 21SW
software. The numerical model is able to give forecasts for current, waves and wind up to 5 days
ahead. The forecast updates a range of parameters twice every day in order to deliver data for
O&M operations. A more extensive description of the model will be presented in the paper. Futher
results of a 30 years hindcast study will present annual and seasonal variations in the wave climate
at the test site.
Abstract
Recent empirical studies in the literature presented a set of equations identified using data
generated in wave flumes and CFD simulations to determine the capture width ratio of oscillating
water column (OWC) wave energy converters (WECs) as a function of its geometrical dimensions,
and the wave height and period. This set of equations enables designing a computationally
efficient optimisation algorithm in order to optimise the geometrical parameters (i.e. draft and
width) of the OWC chamber. Such an optimisation can be carried out considering the wave climate
of a specific location in order to optimise the OWC for that specific location. In the present study,
the North-East coast of the Atlantic Ocean is considered, including long-term resource variations
between 1979-2018 via the ERA5 reanalysis created by the European Centre for Medium-Range
Weather Forecasts. That way, the optimum geometrical characteristics of the OWC chamber are
obtained for the different wave climate conditions encountered in that time-window, analysing
the evolution of the optimum geometry over these four decades. Assuming deep-water conditions,
a relevant relationship between the wavelength and the OWC chamber width is found, and
variations of up to 10% are observed for the optimal size of that chamber.
Abstract
The growing of biofuel needs in the European market need to developed new production units
and technological solution to find a new sustainable way to use different type of non- wood
biomass in the newly developed biorefinery process. In the European Nordic Lands coastal area
are is developed one marine waste management system where the use of the seaweeds has one
specific chapter. Today the growing rate of the human activity in this coastal has one negative
impact on the marine environment, which will be caused the possibility to grow of the pollution
of the coastal waters, this marine waste management system includes a “ Good Practice Guide for
collection and treatment of the seaweeds with another marine plant on the coasts. Those are not
implemented at the Black Sea Coast. The growth rate and the seaweeds accumulation in the
coastal area, especial in the summer period have one negative impact to the touristic activity.
Create the visual pollution of the beaches and the water –today a small quantity of this plants are
collected by the owners of the touristic units and are deposited in the regional landfill waste
deposits. One solution for sustainable use of these collected maritime plants is to use as feedstock
in different biorefinery process for producing added value products useful for cosmetics,
pharmacy and food and feed industry. The presented paper will be shown all aspects for use that
plant as raw material in biorefinery technologies –the study starts with the presentation of the
state of art of the used technologies in this field and after are focused to presenting the physical
and chemical characterization of the collected seaweed and finally are shown the lab scale
experimental results obtained in different type of hydrolysis process –it’s presented the sugar
yields of hydrolysis process with the optimal technological parameters and finally the material
balance dates for bioethanol production base the experimented technologies are evaluated for this
type of bioresources.

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by Project Phoenix (MSCA/RISE Contract number 690925).
Abstract
The wind energy extraction is constantly enhancing in the recent years, as well as the turbine’s
size. Moreover, it is expected that by 2030 in the EU the wind will deliver more than 30% of the
power demand. From this perspective, wind energy extraction in the marine environment, either
fix turbines or floating devices, represents an important opportunity. Furthermore, the number
and capacity of the offshore wind farms are expected to increase in the near future along with
their technological development. In this context, the objective of the present work is to analyze
the expected dynamics of the wind energy in the Baltic Sea. Currently, 18 offshore wind farms
operate in this sea. Among them, ten locations have been selected as reference points for the
analysis, sorted by their installed capacity. Thus, the proposed study is focused on an assessment
of the average and extreme wind power conditions, considering the 30-year time window 2021-
2050. The wind data delivered by a Regional Climate Model (RCM) are processed and analyzed
in this work considering the Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) scenarios 4.5 and 8.5.
In the first RCP scenario, an enhancement of the greenhouse gas emissions until 2040 is
considered and a decline afterwards. The second scenario assumes that this enhancement will
continue during the entire 21st century and after. Furthermore, in order to complete the picture
an analysis of the historical wind data coming from the same RCM for the past 30-year period
1976-2005 is also carried out. In this way, a more comprehensive image of the wind power
dynamics in the most relevant locations from the Baltic Sea, where wind farms already operate, is
provided.
Abstract
Floating photovoltaic (PV) projects are growing in number and size. Since 2015, worldwide more
than 100 plants have begun operation in hydropower reservoirs, industrial water sites,
aquaculture ponds and other water basins. The benefits of installing PV modules on water bodies
include increased economic output per unit of land, improved PV output (due likely to the cooling
effect of water on PV modules) and reduced water evaporation. Japan leads for the number of
floating plants, due to, mainly, the FIT policy but also the limited roof and ground space for PV
systems installations. Other countries with projects include China, with approximately 400 MW
of floating capacity, India, the Republic of Korea and Brazil.

This work aims to find the optimal geometrical configurations of a floating PV system, realized
either monofacial or bifacial PV modules. The optimized variables are: the tilt angle and the pitch;
whereas for the bifacial systems also the module elevation on the water is considered. The albedo
is a sensitive factor for the bifacial module so it has been considered as a parameter in the different
design solutions. The PV system models and the simulations have been performed by two
specialized commercial software PVsyst and SAM. The normalized annual energy yield has been
chosen as a meaningful parameter to compare the different solutions. As the analysis of PV
systems is highly site dependent, the study was developed for two locations, characterized by
different diffuse and albedo solar irradiance components, specifically: at high latitude (Frankfurt,
D) and at intermediate latitude (Catania, IT).

Concerning the studied configurations, it has been shown that it is possible to obtain energy gains
with bifacial modules, which reach up to 11% compared to monofacial configurations.
Furthermore, for the two studied sites (Catania and Frankfurt), it was noted that in Frankfurt,
where the diffusion factor is greater, there is a greater bifacial gain. Monofacial systems, unlike
the bifacial ones, have a lower sensitivity to albedo. The increase in energy production in the
bifacial system compared to the monofacial system with the same pitch is greater. The bifacial to
be optimized, at the same pitch requires a tilt higher than the monofacial. For the analyzed
configurations the trend of Bifacial Factor (BF) as a function of height of the water, hw, is
exponential and then it saturates at 0.9 m.

Comparing monofacial and bifacial systems, with the same tilt and pitch, even higher BF can be
obtained. Furthermore, if the pitch is increased up to 2.5 m, the saturation point of h w will move
to 1.5 m, and BF up to 15% can be obtained with such configurations.
Abstract
In recent years, research on environmentally sustainable energy production has endeavoured to
exploit new renewable resources, as a consequence of the technological level increase.

The harvesting of tidal energy has entered into an emerging interest. The utilization of tidal
turbines could be very appealing in numerous sea locations, where local conditions are favourable
to energy harvesting, as rip tides at natural or artificial coastal inlets. Nonetheless, tidal streams
may often be too slow for achieving an acceptable efficiency of kinetic energy conversion to
electricity by means of conventional turbine technologies. Indeed, low velocities correspond to
low power extraction. Therefore, a device able to augment the flow velocity could be a proper
solution to enhance the exploitation of tidal stream energy. The aim of this work is to investigate
the possibility of using a barrier, embodying multiple assemblies of turbine plus an velocity-
augmented device, to enhance the performance of each turbine.

An experimental campaign was carried out on a downscaled model of a semi-permeable barrier

aiming to mimic this system by way of orifices with equivalent pressure loss. Tests were conducted
in a water flume, in subcritical flow conditions at various Froude numbers. Free surface elevation,
velocity profiles and pressure drop were measured. The decrease of free surface level across the
barrier model was studied, as it results in a favourable feature for enhancing the turbine
performance. Furthermore, an analytical actuator-disk model was developed for the barrier plus
the turbine. Finally, a comparison of the model prediction with experimental results is presented.
Abstract
Allocated zones for aquaculture in Zadar County (Croatia) were determined through the Integral
Coastal zone Management procedure. The environmentally acceptable capacity of each zone was
supposed to be determined following the environmental impact assessment.

In order to assess environmental impact on seabed of sea bream cage farm for a desired breeding
capacity, three cage spatial stocking schedule scenarios were analysed. The analysis was
performed using emission estimates and modelling of dispersion and deposition of organic matter
on the seabed with concomitant effect on the oxygen concentration. The emission was estimated
according to fish growth prediction, fish energy needs, fish body chemical composition, the
amount of (industrial feed) daily meal and feed proximate chemical composition.

The simulation results show that optimised design of spatial fish cage stocking can significantly
reduce the environmental footprint thus allowing increase in annual production to optimally
utilise the farming site. Additionally, the obtained results suggest that the determination of
carrying capacity of the farming site based only on produced fish biomass does not give optimal
estimates and could contribute to an under-provision of the cage fish farm productive capacity.
Abstract
The present paper proposes novel approach to shape optimization of small horizontal axis
turbines, applicable to sites where conventional hydropower technology is not economically or
technologically feasible. In addition, this turbine technology can be used to generate electricity
from mostly untapped hydrokinetic energy contained in ocean waves, tides and currents. In spite
of numerous advantages, the technology has not been fully commercialized yet, due to relatively
low efficiency. Therefore, the idea of this approach is to optimize the rotor shape by using
advanced optimization methods for hydrofoil design as well as for design and determination of
other design parameters such as chord length and pitch angle distribution along the blade span.
From hydrodynamic point of view, hydrofoils are very important individual blade elements that
requires special attention during design process. Design method presented in this paper is
optimization-based but at the same time highly computationally efficient. This is achieved by
using single objective approximation of multi – objective optimization problems.
The global energy demand is anticipated to grow by approximately 30% by 2040, driven primarily
by developing economies with surging populations and gross domestic product growths. In
parallel, water demand is projected to increase by 55% globally between 2000 and 2050,
essentially contributed by industry and notably manufacturing, and the power generation and
domestic sectors. While supplies need to grow to respond to the demand, lower-carbon fuels and
technologies require to be deployed to limit environmental emissions and their climatic impact.

Regions exposed to hot climates, including the Mediterranean, Middle East and Asian
(sub)tropics, face specific, exacerbated challenges in meeting their domestic power, cooling, food
and water demands. As a result of global warming compounding population and/or economic
growth, such regions are anticipated to experience increased building and industrial process
cooling loads, compounded by severe water stress and a deterioration of water quality. Depending
upon the type and amount of energy and water resources available locally, as well as local climatic
conditions, optimal power, cooling and water technology options and their integrations in such
regions will require unique, tailored solutions.

With limited conventional fossil fuel resources, and driven by regulatory obligations and
incentives to mitigate climate change, Southern European countries are turning towards solutions
including increased penetration of renewables, integration of power, cooling and water systems
with flexible operation, and compatible energy storage options, as well as low energy buildings.
At the same time, and under a different legal framework, in North Africa, renewable power and
water plants have been recently installed, or are under construction, and new regulations for
renewable energy promotion are introduced. Efforts are invested to increase the efficiency and
reduce the cost of concentrated solar power (CSP) including through low-cost, high-temperature
fluids and storage systems. Thus, the Mediterranean region concentrates on a diversity of
advances and experiences in low carbon emission (LCE) technologies and regulations with
common key points based on a mild climate and abundant solar resource.

On the other hand, with energy-intensive industries including steel, aluminum, and hydrocarbon
production, yearly elevated space cooling loads, and an extensive seawater desalination sector,
several Middle East Gulf Cooperation Countries (GCC) countries hold among the highest energy
consumptions and emissions per capita in the World. Despite the abundance of fossil fuels in the
region, domestic gas shortages have developed among several members as a result of population
and economic growth, and use of gas for reservoir injection in enhanced hydrocarbon recovery
operations. Current efforts include energy efficiency enhancement of utility production, energy-
intensive processes, and buildings/districts, development of low-energy desalination
technologies, and other fuel and water conservation efforts. Renewable energy development
focuses on solar electricity/heat production and storage. Local challenges for renewable
integration include the need for improved grid interconnections, and policies and regulations for
climate change mitigation, and competition with low-cost conventional fuels and energy
conversion technologies. Nuclear energy is being implemented in one member state and being
considered in others. In parallel, gradual reductions in utility subsidies are underway to stimulate
conservation. Pilot carbon dioxide capture projects essentially motivated by enhanced oil recovery
to date have been initiated.

This special session will present and discuss strategies for sustainable provision and utilization
of energy, cooling and water in centralized and distributed facilities, as well as strategies for
environmental emissions control. More specifically, solicited contributions will focus on areas of
interest to hot climate regions including sustainable power and cooling at centralized and
distributed scales (e.g., renewable-, waste-, or natural energy-driven), sustainable water
desalination technologies (i.e., renewable- or waste energy-driven, low-specific energy
consumption), low-energy building/district technologies, water- and hydrostorage systems, and
carbon capture and utilization. This special session will build upon the session successfully
organized at SDEWES 2017 in related topical areas, which gathered speakers from seven different
hot climate countries in Europe and the Middle East.

Session organizers:

Dr. Valerie Eveloy, Khalifa University, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Prof. Ricardo Chacartegui, University of Sevilla, Seville, Spain

Dr. Alessandro Romagnoli, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore

Valerie Eveloy - Dr. Valerie Eveloy is an Associate Professor in mechanical engineering at Khalifa
University (KU), Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. She holds a Ph.D. degree in mechanical
engineering (Dublin City University, Ireland) and a M.Sc. degree in physical engineering
(National Institute of Applied Science, France). She has over twenty years academic and industrial
experience in mechanical and energy engineering with an extensive publication record. Prior to
joining KU, she was with The Petroleum Institute (now part of KU), the University of Maryland-
College Park, and Nokia. Her present research interests include sustainable and renewable energy
technologies (including waste energy utilization, solid oxide fuel cell/electrolysis systems, multi-
generation, energy-efficiency enhancement of seawater desalination), and atmospheric
hazardous gas dispersion modeling. She received several research awards including the Academic
of Distinction Leadership Excellence for Women Award (LEWA) recognizing professional
excellence in women in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) regional energy sector in 2017. Dr.
Eveloy is a member of several international conference program committees focused on energy
technologies and electronics thermal management, and a member of ASME.

Ricardo Chacartegui - Professor of the Energy Engineering Department of the University of

Seville. PhD in Energy Engineering. Msc Mechanical Engineer. His research has been focused on
thermal energy systems: design, development, and optimization. It comprises the analysis of new
cycle’s concepts and integrations (supercritical CO2 cycle, HAT cycle, high temperature fuel cell
hybrid systems or Organic Rankine Cycles, biomass boilers,..) combined with the study of existing
power plants (thermo solar, gas turbines, combined cycles). Linked to the R&D activity he has
participated in more than 60 R&D collaborative projects with energy and transport industries in
product development, analysis or optimization. In addition he is very passionate in innovation
and business creation activities.

Alessandro Romagnoli - Alessandro gained a First Degree cum laude in Mechanical Engineering
in 2003 from the “University of Ancona” in Italy, after which he worked for two years at Lucci
Collettori Spa (Ancona, Italy) where he supervised the design and production of commutators for
electric motors. In 2006 he worked for 6 months at Seagate Technology Inc. and he then began a
PhD at Imperial College London in the Thermo-Fluids Division focussing on aerodynamic study
of single and twin-entry mixed flow turbines under unsteady conditions. As a part of his research,
he also studied heat transfer effects occurring in turbochargers. After completing his PhD in 2010,
Alessandro worked as Research Associate at Imperial College London. He acted as research co-
investigator in projects looking at engine downsizing, waste heat recovery, and mildhybridization
of powertrain technology in passenger vehicles as well as in optimization and design of novel
turbine concepts. He collaborates extensively with world leading OEMs in powertrain R&D
(Jaguar and Land Rover, Lotus, Ford, CAT, MHI, Honda, ABB, etc.) In 2013, he joined Nanyang
Technological University as an Assistant Professor. His responsibilities include teaching
undergraduate courses, run lab-tutorial, supervising PhD students and FYPs. Alessandro’s
research activity in NTU encompasses several aspects related to propulsion energy efficiency and
waste heat recovery and. Examples of his current research include the study of waste heat recovery
for ships propulsion (thermo-electric generation), hybrid propulsion systems and mild-
hybridization of powertrain, turbomachinery design and optimization. Besides his academic
activity Alessandro has also worked for three years (2010-2013) as engineering consultant under
ICON (Imperial College CONsultant). In 2012, he founded a UK-based engineering consultancy
company (RhodoConsultants, www.rhodoconsultants.com) offering design, test and advice on
energy efficiency, turbomachinery and waste heat recovery systems. Alessandro also acts as
reviewer for several engineering journals (ASME, SAE, IMechE, Elsevier), collaborates as
freelancer with the automotive magazine Torque (published in Singapore) and sits in the
organizing committee of the Singapore International Energy Week.
Invited submissions

Abstract
The absorber section is a critical component in solar thermal collectors, converting
electromagnetic radiation into sensible thermal energy. The optical properties of the surface of
the absorber dictates the effectiveness of this conversion. In this work, a manufacturing process
is designed to provide bulk surface treatment for solar absorber plates in order to enhancetheir
radiative properties. The process utilizes a novel approach of graphene synthesis and
simultaneous deposition via high pressure blasting of graphite. The results show enhanced
spectral, thermal and electrochemical performance of the absorber due to the turbostratic nature
of graphene adhesion to its surface.

This manufacturing system will provide a facile yet effective treatment of absorbers with various
degrees of automation. Applied as a final layer, the process can be retrofitted to existing
manufacturing facilities with minimum overhead costs.
Abstract
In recent years, increasing emphasis has been placed on the minimization of the social, economic,
and environmental impacts of seawater desalination technologies worldwide. Some of these are
characterized by high robustness, but at the same time, they have high environmental impacts.
Others are known for their lower cost. Nonetheless, they have higher fouling and scaling
susceptibility. Therefore, the challenge today lies in the ability to find a tradeoff between the
social, economic, and environmental factors of these technologies. In this research work, a unified
and desalination-focused framework has been developed and used to assess the sustainability of
the three main seawater desalination technologies in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). This
framework consists of three levels, with the first being the goal sought to be reached, the second
level being the main sustainability factors and the third being the sub-factors assigned to each
factor. Determining which sub-factors to include in the comprehensive framework was done after
an extensive literature review, desalination process analysis, and experts interviews.
Furthermore, information about these sub-factors was collected from different sources including
literature and assessments conducted for this study. However, since some of the sub-factors are
measured quantitatively or qualitatively, they were all normalized using simple, linear and vector
normalization. All the elements in this framework were weighed and combined using three multi-
criteria decision analysis (MCDA) techniques; The analytic hierarchy process (AHP), Swing, and
weighted summation. The analytic hierarchy process was used to determine the weights of the
three main factors, swing method was used to assign the weights of each sub-factor, and finally,
the weighted summation method was used to integrate and combine all these elements together.
Furthermore, assigning the weights was done after engaging a group of international and regional
desalination experts in this study.

This framework was applied to the three leading desalination technologies in the UAE, namely:
MSF, MED, and SWRO. The results concluded that SWRO is the most sustainable technology
followed by MED, and MSF respectively. Furthermore, to demonstrate the robustness of this
framework and methodology, the effect of the normalization technique on the overall results was
assessed. No change in the overall ranking of the three technologies was observed. In addition, a
sensitivity analysis was conducted on the weights of the factors and sub-factors. The results
showed that MED starts to be more sustainable than SWRO when the techno-economic or social
factors weights increase, at the expense of the environmental factor. Lastly, even though this
framework was demonstrated in the UAE, it can still be applied to any desalination method and
in any other country
Abstract
The energy demand for cooling and air conditioning systems is increasing worldwide, especially
in the regions with high solar radiation intensity. One of the reasons for this is the increasing of
comfort demands worldwide. The most cooling and air conditioning systems are electrically
driven conventional one (compression refrigeration machines and air conditioning systems).

Through the huge electricity consumption for cooling and air conditioning the environmental
problems get bigger and bigger, because of CO2 and other pollutants emissions.

One of the possibilities to reduce the primary energy consumption is using of solar energy for
driving the thermal driven absorption or adsorption refrigeration systems, or desiccant cooling.
Another possibility is using of solar energy to produce electrical energy and this can be used to
drive the conventional refrigeration systems.

Many research and developing efforts in the last years have been done to enforce the spreading
of solar driven cooling systems.

This paper will illustrate the state of art about the energy consumption, especially for cooling and
air conditioning systems, available solar driven cooling systems and the potential of using of such
systems in comparison to the conventional ones.
Abstract
This research will investigate the role of water availability in power generation expansion. The use
of water in power sector is considered from two perspectives: (1) water for cooling thermal power
stations, and (2) water for generating electricity in hydro-electric power stations. Two case studies
namely Great Britain and Brazil were chosen to demonstrate how water availability constraints
could affect optimal expansion of power generation capacity.

Large and reliable volumes of water are required to cool thermal power plants. Yet across the
world growing demands from society, environmental regulation and climate change impacts are
reducing the availability of reliable water supplies. This in turn constrains the capacity and
locations of thermal power plants that can be developed. An integrated and spatially-explicit
energy systems model was presented that explores optimal capacity expansion planning
strategies, taking into account electricity and gas transmission infrastructure and cooling water
constraints under climate change. In Great Britain, given the current availability of freshwater, it
is estimated that around 32 GW of combined cycle gas turbine (CCGT) capacity can be sustainably
and reliably supported by freshwater. However, to maintain the same reliability under a medium
climate change scenario, this is halved to 16 GW. We also reveal that the current benefit of
available freshwater to the power sector is approximately £50 billion between 2010 and 2050.
Adapting to expected climate change impacts on the reduced reliability of freshwater resources
could add an additional £18-19 billion in system costs to the low-carbon energy transition over
the time horizon, as more expensive cooling technologies and locations are required.

In Brazil, hydro-electric power stations play a significant role in supplying the ever-increasing
electricity demand. However, due to the risk of drought and therefore the uncertainty associated
with hydro resources, the security of electricity supply in the country could be adversely affected.
A multi-time period generation expansion model was developed to investigate optimal generation
expansion strategies under uncertainty of hydro resources.
Abstract
Today, the use of renewable energies is increasingly important in the political strategies of the
countries. In Tunisia, 94% of the electricity produced comes from the use of natural gas as a source
of primary energy, which makes its electric mix totally dependent on fossil resources and not on
renewable resources. Renewable energy potentials in Tunisia are very important especially when
it comes to solar energy and they are to a high extent underutilized. The aim of the study is to
analyse the environmental impacts of electricity production from a concentrated solar power
plant hybridized with biomass in Tunisia. The system is formed by a solar field and a gasifier
system which convert olive cake (a residue of the olive oil industry) into synthesis gas in order to
generate thermal energy in a boiler. These results are part of a new hybridization (solar/biomass)
solution for an existing prototype of the REELCOOP project, where a biomass gasification boiler
has been developed and integrated into the Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) system. Results show
that the use of a hybrid plant improves overall efficiency because it allows the continuous
production of electricity 24 hours per day. This fact along with the lower environmental impacts
in comparison with the use of fossil fuels, making the installation a good solution to produce
electricity and pull off a high environmental sustainability performance
Abstract
Subject of this study are prototypical computations of mass data for the 3D modeling of roofs and
the simulation of solar radiation, both as a planning tool for the use of solar energy. The mass data
is provided by the Home Office of the German state North Rhine-Westphalia, freely available for
the entire state and since 2017 in higher geometric resolution.

A benefit of the geodata can be seen in the precise 3D modeling of roofs and the selection and
classification according to slope and aspect. The high geometric resolution enables the
identification and separation of protruding roof structures. The computations can be done in
parallel and require only few minutes with a suitably equipped workstation, in this study
simultaneously for 1700 buildings.

The area-wide simulation of solar radiation has to be assessed with restrictions, because the high-
resolution geodata require long computation times for the visibility analysis based on
trigonometric functions. These computations cannot be parallelized well. So, the higher geometric
resolution can hardly be translated into practical use.

Though, the simulation of solar radiation for single points on roofs, however, can be done with
short computation times at full geometric resolution. This allows the consideration of local and
distance shadowing as well as relative comparison in terms of daytime, day of the year, or the
direct and diffuse radiation components.
Abstract
Sustainable enhancement of power production can address the harnessing of sustainable energy
sources, utilizing sustainable energy carriers, increasing efficiency, reducing environmental
impact and improving socioeconomic acceptability. As electricity, heating and cooling demands
increase worldwide, sustainable energy sources need to be employed. Hot climates are associated
with high cooling demands, and in combination with developing countries that become more
industrialized and affluent, constitute a challenging scenario for energy sustainability. In Brazil,
the increase in the cultivation of sugarcane for energy purposes has contributed to the
intensification of its negative environmental impacts, which drive the search for procedures to
mitigate these impacts. This study applies the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology to
quantify and compare the environmental impacts associated with the use of commercial chemical
fertilization and industrial biosolids in the production of sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L.),
to evaluate which fertilization method is most environmentally viable in hot climates. LCA has
been one of the most widely used, disseminated and consolidated methodologies for the
calculation of environmental impacts, capable of quantifying the potential impacts of processes
or activities, including fertilizers. The experimental part of the study was developed in the
municipality of Pedras de Fogo, Northeast Brazil. LCA was developed with the SimaPro® 8.5.2.0
software, utilizing the Ecoinvent and Agri-footprint databases. The environmental impact
assessment methods employed were the IPCC 2013 GWP 100y and Eco-indicator 99. The dosages
of biosolids followed the criteria and procedures of Brazilian Resolution Conama 375/06.
Commercial fertilization considered urea, simple superphosphate and potassium chloride in the
amounts usually applied by the farmers in Northeast Brazil. Application of biosolid as a fertilizer
contributed to solve the problem of its correct disposal, and is a promising alternative for the
development of more sustainable and productive energy systems, as it presented lower emissions
of greenhouse gases and overall environmental loads.
Abstract
The aim of this paper is to evaluate the economic performance and feasibility of grid-connected
photovoltaic systems for residential users in Xining, Qinghai province of China. This paper
presents an analysis of the change of economic performance when multiple factors changes
together based on current policy trend. Firstly an economic analysis model is built for grid-
connected photovoltaic systems in Xining. Internal rate of return and static investment payback
period are introduced as evaluation indexes. The impacts of several factors on the economic
benefits of photovoltaic system are studied using single-factor sensitivity analysis method. The
results show that unit system cost has the greatest impact on the economic performance of grid-
connected photovoltaic systems. While, installed capacity is non-sensitive factors. Then multiple-
factors sensitivity analysis are carried out to analyze the comprehensive effects of sensitive factors
on the benefits of PV system. The results show that IRR is about 6% currently and will increase
rapidly with the cost declines. Grid-connected PV system in Xining is feasible and has investment
value for ordinary residents.
Abstract
It is estimated that global energy demands will increase by 80% by 2050, with consequent 70%
more greenhouse gas emissions associated with energy use. Energy supply security and reduced
emissions can be achieved through improvement in energy efficiency, energy savings, higher
proportion of renewable energy in supply systems, and process-wide integration. District systems
are nowadays designed and optimized to respond to the latest challenges of reducing energy
demands while fulfilling thermal comfort standards. Thermal energy storage with phase change
materials can be considered a strong strategy to reduce the heating and cooling demands of
buildings. This study considers a residential district located in Zaragoza (Spain), with 500
dwellings (100m2 each). A general framework has been established to identify optimal
combinations of energy conversion and delivery technologies, as well as operating rules for the
systems. The Life Cycle Assessment methodology provided environmental information, which
was implemented within a mathematical model built with Lingo software. The solution provided
an energy system (configuration and operation) with minimum greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions
that meets the thermal energy demands (space heating, hot water, and cooling) of the district
system. The model was solved considering conventional equipment (gas boiler for heating and
individual split-type air conditioners) and then considering less routinely deployed technologies
(reversible heat pump, thermal energy storage –TES- and photovoltaic panels). TES encompassed
three cases: sensible TES (-1- water as storage medium) and latent TES (-2- paraffin emulsion
and -3- sodium acetate trihydrate as storage mediums). Electricity could be imported from the
electric grid, and its hourly GHG emissions were also available, providing an indication of the
temporal nature of the emissions, and helping understand the impact on emissions from load
shifting and peak shaving technologies such as thermal energy storage and on-site renewable
energy. The obtained solutions were compared to verify the potential climate change mitigation
associated with the utilization of these energy integration strategies. When strategies for the
efficient supply of heat and cooling are considered alongside the implementation of sustainable,
holistic energy management practices, step-change reductions in energy demands can be
achieved. The discussion leads to a clear need for research effort formulating a low carbon energy
prospectus for the energy sector, where technologies and policies are properly informed by
scientific analyses of the credible alternatives.
Abstract
Primary aluminum manufacturing is one of the energy-intensive industries that are heavily
dependent on fossil fuels. These high energy-intensive industries including steel, chemicals,
cement, and aluminum contribute to about 75% of the industrial emissions of CO2 globally
expelling large amounts of unrecovered waste heat into the atmosphere. Yet there has been a lack
of studies that are conducted on recovering waste heat in the aluminum industry due to technical
difficulties such as energy fluctuations due to the mass flow rate and temperature fluctuations. In
this study, waste heat to the power system is designed to generate power integrating sensible
thermal heat storage (TES) connected to three standard metal holding furnaces. The furnaces
exhaust gases are used to generate a stable power output using an Organic Rankine Cycle. The
study carried out is meant to design the appropriate TES as well as a thermodynamic design of
the ORC components that will ensure safe and stable operation. The ORC heat rejection will be
used to desalinate water for the plant internal use.
Abstract
High-temperature latent heat storages are considered one of the best technologies for a large-
scale energy storage and could play significant role in development of the 100% renewable energy
systems. Despite number of advantages, its commercial application is limited by its main
drawback – very low thermal conductivity of phase change material (PCM).In this work, both
numerical and experimental approach is used to develop, implement and validate numerical
model of high temperature phase change. Model can be used for accurate and robust analysis of
the high temperature latent heat energy storages. It is based on the finite volume approach and
enthalpy-porosity method for modeling of the phase change. Conjugate heat transfer between
heat-exchanger and PCM is implicitly modeled.Experimental setup for both direct melting front
propagation acquisition and temperature measurements during the high temperature melting
(sodium nitrate) inside the large storage was developed. By using three distinct experiments
numerical model was successfully validated.
Abstract
Buildings are responsible for approximately 32% and of global energy use, and 20% of energy-
related greehouse gas (GHG) emissions. Approximately 99% of space and refrigeration loads
worldwide are met by electricity. Building cooling loads are expected to triple over the next three
decades, driven by population growth, improvements in living standards, and climate change.
Developing economies, many of which are located in predominantly hot/humid regions, will drive
this cooling demand growth. In such regions, space cooling energy consumption can be up to three
times higher than in moderate climates. In for example the Gulf Cooperating Council (GCC)
region, building cooling energy demand represents approximately 50% of annual electricity
consumption and up to 70% of peak electricity demand. Cooling challenges in such regions
include a lack of natural cold sinks (i.e., air, water) for either direct cooling or heat rejection from
air-conditioning systems, high reliance on fossil fuels with an associated environmental impact,
and developing air-conditioning and urbanization legislation.

At present, the majority of space cooling loads are met by conventional on-site chillers. In dense
districts exposed to hot climatic conditions, district cooling (DC) systems can offer significant
advantages over on-site cooling systems, including higher efficiency, flexible capacity, improved
reliability and lifetime, reduced cooling expenditure and environmental impact, and space
savings.

This presentation provides an overview of DC system design and analysis efforts that have aimed
at improving the sustainability of space cooling in predominantly hot climates. These efforts are
discussed in terms of DC cooling technologies and their energy sources (i.e., renewable,
waste/excess electricity/heat, natural/artificial cold), cooling energy distribution infrastructure,
DC operation, analysis and optimization, economics, environmental impact, and challenges and
opportunities. The current and future market development potential of DC in the GCC region is
also discussed, along with its challenges, benefits, and potential technical and non-technical
solutions solutions for improved sustainability. Based on this overview, collective research trends
and suggested future research themes in the design and analysis of sustainable DC systems for
predominantly hot climates are identified.
For many years, organic biowaste has been considered solely as a waste with no added value, land
application being the most frequent and logical disposal issue for soil fertilization. However, in
urban areas, or in countries with limited spreading-area or with surplus of nutrients in the soil,
other ways of biowaste treatment and disposal are required. In addition to this, stricter regulation
limits for organic micropollutants have been proposed and come into force in most of the EU
countries, limiting and even banning land application in some regions. In conclusion,
environmental European policies are pushing towards the recovery of resources from biowaste
which starts to be seen as a permanent, valuable and non-transferable stock of organic resource
that can be locally exploited.

The main objective of the proposed session is to discuss the most sustainable strategies for
sewage sludge management, including treatment and disposal, considering the present state-of-
art in terms of legislation, characterization, ecotoxicology, waste management and actual routes
used currently in particular European countries. Decision making tools, namely End-of waste
criteria (EWC) and Life cycle assessment (LCA) will allow to underline the importance of
environmental, economic and technical evaluation of different management systems as well as
the definition of the best available technologies for safe disposal and the appreciation of the
eventual sludge potential ecotoxicity in long-term perspective. Nowadays, most Members apply
legislation on a national level, while no integrated system for biowaste management is being used.
The proposed session will help to establish criteria for best suitable option selection according to
the requirements of circular economy in “from waste to resources” sense. It could also support
the currently occurring amendment of the European Fertilizer Ordinance that will include organic
fertilizer such as sludge, struvite, biochar, and ash-based materials.

The problem of biowaste management is currently expended widely beyond environmental

engineering domain. The circular economy vision assumes a continuous positive development
cycle that conserves natural capital, optimizes the use of scare resources and encourages the
recycling of organic and inorganic substances. In those terms, imitating the real circular biologic
cycle may facilitate the replacement of previously used linear strategy. In this context, the main
aim can be reached only in the transversal interdisciplinary dimension that allows for a wide view
on the life cycle of organic waste . Thus, the Session covers the following objectives :

 Assessment of the environmental impact of each biowaste management option via

decision making tools e.g. Life Cycle Assessment.

 Definition of the most pertinent association of the best available technologies (BAT) for
biowaste treatment and disposal that would enable local resource recovery in line with
local needs, the identification of the specific assessment criteria considering BAT
concept, the identification of the best performance levels and , the examination of the
conditions under which these performance levels are achieved.

 Assessment of ecotoxicological impact of biowaste land application (fate of selected

pollutants on the terrestrial ecosystems in short and longtime perspective).

 Comparison of different scenarios of biowaste management in relation to

technological, economical and sociological aspects.
Session organizers:

Prof. Malgorzata Kacprzak, Czestochowa University of Technology, Czestochowa, Poland

Dr. Anna Grobelak, Czestochowa University of Technology, Częstochowa, Poland

Invited submissions

Abstract
According to Circular Economy Strategy and the related Action Plan “Closing the loop” Europe
should be transformed into a competitive resource-efficient bioeconomy with a very strong
position of waste economic sector. Among others bioeconomy concepts assumes sustainable
organic waste management and their conversion into value added products such bio-based
products, feed, food and bioenergy. The paradigm shift to waste reuse is also observed in
wastewater sector. Wastewater Treatment Plants (WWTPs) next to the production of excellent
quality effluent, can become Water Recourse Recovery Facility as a proactive resources producer.

This paper presents the results of an investigation on co-treatment of a sewage sludge at

Wastewater Treatment Plant as a method for sustainable management of biodegradable waste. In
order to improve biogas production, a fate reach material from meat industry and organic fraction
of municipal solid waste (OFMSW) were used as a co-substrates for anaerobic digestion. Digestate
from co-digestion as well as digestate from WWTP (without co-digestion) were next applied as a
co-substrates for aerobic stabilization with other organic wastes (grass, kitchen waste, willow
stems) via composting process.

The aim of this work was to assess the impact of sewage sludge addition from co-digestion on
performance of co-composting process and compost quality. The aerobic stabilization process was
carried out in two phases: first in the aerated bioreactor, and the second, so called maturation,
with perforated plastic bags. The mature compost was then used for remediation of degraded soils
from zinc smelter area, and soil from lignite mine dumping site. Fescue grass was grown in pots
with the mixture of soil and compost in the phytotron chamber during 3 months.

It was found that addition of fate waste and OFMSW as a co-substrates for anaerobic digestion
can boost methane yield up to 82%, and had a significant influence on biogas composition. This
study also shown that co-digestion process had influence on co-composting performance and final
compost quality, and that it can be used to remediation of degraded soil.
Abstract
It is estimated that almost 61% people of Poland live in cities (average for Europe is 74,4%).
Introduction of circular economy package as a result of necessary of protection of natural
resources forces a new approach also to effective of wastewater and biowaste treatment and
management. The wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in the cities became crucial elements of
bioeconomy- mainly through energy (waste to energy) and matter (nutrients-energy-water)
recovery as an element of sustainable development of smart city. The transformation of WWTPs
and/or biowaste facilities from objects aimed only at one goal (wastewater and waste treatment)
in biorefineries, bio-power or even biomaterial plants becomes real. However effective
implementation of the circular economy assumptions is possible only when the proposed
activities are multidisciplinary and cross-industry. WWTP in Tychy-Urbanowice (Silesia, Poland)
is a good case study, where circular economy paradigm is successfully implemented. The facility
uses an approach based on industrial symbiosis, which is focused on intensifying energy
production by acquiring energy substrates from other branches of industry (mainly food and
urban waste). Since 2010, energy produced from biogas covered the demand of the treatment
plant in 99.16%, and since 2012, surplus energy has been regularly generated. The potential of
industrial symbiosis is not only co-fermentation, but also co-gasification of sewage sludge and
municipal waste (including waste biomass, waste classified as “other” and alternative fuel) as a
potential renewable feedstock. It is planned to supply energy to other facilities and municipal
infrastructure, such street lighting or trolleybuses. Such approach builds the concept of smart city
“SymboTychy” on the base of synergy between water, sewage, waste and energy industries.
Abstract
Due to their biocide properties, silver nanoparticles (AgNP) are used in various manufactured
products (textiles, medical products, home appliance…). Then, AgNPs enter sewage sludge
treatments and reach agronomic soils via sludge application. Health and sustainability of
agrosystems depend on diverse organisms, notably the microbial communities involved in
biogeochemical cycles, which could be affected by these AgNPs.

Our aim was thus to assess the impact of AgNPs supplied via sewage sludge on soil microbial
communities. The experimental design consisted in mesocosms of soils amended with sewage
sludge submitted to anaerobic digestion in 4 different conditions: (i) supply of the commercial
AgNP NM300K (including dispersant) (ii) supply of AgNO3 (iii) supply of the dispersant only (iv)
control without any amendment. In order to compare the impact of different routes of entry in
the agrosystem, a 2nd set of microcosms were performed with direct exposure to silver (4
treatments: control soil and AgNP, AgNO3, dispersant supplied directly on soil). After 35 days of
incubation, we analyzed the diversity of the microbial community using MiSeq sequencing of the
16S rDNA and rRNA and the potential activities of C respiration, denitrification and nitrification.

Microbial diversity was affected by silver supply but we cannot observe more intense effects of
AgNP versus AgNO3. Besides, sewage sludge application was the main driver with more effects on
the microbial diversity than silver exposure. If silver was supplied via sewage sludge, respiration
and denitrification were not affected. However, in this case, a strong and significant decrease of
nitrification was observed, whatever the silver form, AgNP or AgNO3. On the contrary, when silver
was applied directly in the soil microcosms a very different pattern was observed with a significant
decrease in respiration and denitrification but no detectable effects on nitrification. Our results
show that AgNPs did not exhibited more toxic effects than AgNO 3, probably due to aggregation
and/or sulfidation of AgNPs. Besides, the opposite effects observed on nitrification and
denitrification suggest a risk of imbalance of the N cycle and thus a possible decrease of the
stability of the agrosystem.
Abstract
The wastes disposal such as sewage sludge (biosolids) in phytoremediation is a sustainable
remediation alternative for fertilizers, therefore there is a need to develop a test that will allow to
determine phytoremediation dose of biosolids from the best for plant growth point of view.

In order to determine the doses of biosolids to degraded soils, tests based on germination of seeds
and root elongation are commonly used, but also, they are subjected to large errors caused by low
results repeatability and differentiation. That’s why there is a need to introduce new testing
solutions that will be to use and based on more reliable indicators such as biochemical activity of
selected plant enzymes.

The aim of the study was to demonstrate high efficiency of the guaiacol peroxidase activity (GPX)
in plant-based toxicity tests used as an optimal dose amendments indicator in heavy metal
degraded soil phytoremediation process. GPX were measured in underground and aboveground
parts of Sinapis albaand Brassica rapain relation to germination index (GI) and biomass
cultivated on four different substrates (raw degraded soil, sterilized degraded soil, water extract
from degraded soil solidified with agar, water extract from degraded soil solidified with
Murashige-Skoog medium). Each testing soil substrate was enriched with sewage sludge (food
industry origin) in the percentage share (w/w) of 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25. The process was carried out
under controlled conditions of the phytotronic chamber for a period of 14 days.

The obtained values were compared for each plant separately and for all substrates and
amendments rates of sewage sludge. GPX activity was expressed as a percentage increase or
decrease in relation to the GPX in soil substrates without addition of sewage sludge which allowed
to determine their positive or negative impact on substrate toxicity. Results of GPX activity
showed that the water-based soil extracts solidified with agar give more accurate results in
relation to the tests on raw soil. It has been demonstrated that the optimal phytoremediation dose
of sewage sludge was in the range of 15-20%, with values of 5% and 25% respectively favoring or
inhibiting plant development expressed in GPX activity. The most differentiating GPX values
were obtained for the roots.

Measurement of GPX activity in the roots of Sinapis albacultivated on soil agar-based tests is a
good, new and easy additional or alternative to the old tests based on germination and increase
biomass measuring as an indicator in the assess of optimal phytoremediation sewage sludge.
Abstract
The overall all goal of this work was to analyse the current state of management practises for
poultry manure in Poland and present future perspectives in terms of technologies allowing
closing the loops for a circular economy and recover nutrients and energy. The scope of the review
included: (1) legal framework and policies for management of poultry manure, (2) analysis of
poultry production and generation of poultry manure with special references to quantities,
properties (e.g. fertilizing properties), seasonality, etc., (3) overview of current practices and
methods for managing poultry manure including advantages and limitations, (4) cost analysis of
the existing methods for managing poultry manure, (5) analysis of promising technologies for
converting poultry manure into added value products and energy. The review focused on the
following technologies: composting of poultry manure to obtain fertilizers and soil improvers,
anaerobic digestion of poultry manure for energy recovery and pyrolysis of poultry manure into
different types of biochar that can be applied in agriculture, horticulture and industry.
Abstract
ABSTRACT This paper proposes a new methodology of optimization of energy consumption
based on clustering using Kmeans and modelization using Gradient Boosting algorithm. The
advantage of this methodology is its simplicity and the capacity to interpret easily its results.

This methodology try to determine the observations that justify the energy consumption of
wastewater treatment plant using activated sludge process, and use this data to develop a model
to reduce energy consumption of the aeration process.

The method of selection consists into using Kmeans clustering algorithm on three parameters:
Treatment yield of pollution parameter, pollution parameter of the influent, hours of operation of
aerators per the flow entering the wastewater treatment plant, and determine the clusters that
justify the amount en energy consumed by the aerators, and use the data belonging to this clusters
and train a Decision Tree using gradient boosting technique to develop a model for the prediction
of hours of operation of aerators. And finally use this model to reduce the hours of operation of
the data not selected. The results shows an average reduction of 19 hours of operations per day
for 6 aerators used in the process, and a potential gain of energy of 1435.5 kWh per day.
Abstract
In Poland, just like in any other EU country, veterinary regulations such as the European
Commission Regulation (EC) 1069/2009 and its corresponding Implementing Regulation (EC)
142/2011 have been implemented into its national law. For these reasons, these kinds of waste
prior to anaerobic processing must undergo pressure sterilization (1330C, for at least 20 minutes
at 300 kPa pressure, generated with saturated steam) or pasteurization / hygienization at 70 0C
lasting at least one hour. The first method is used for category 1 and 2 wastes while the second
finds application for category 3 waste. It should be emphasized that materials from group 1 can
be transformed into biogas, provided that the digestive residues are thermally decomposed in the
next stage. Despite these limitations, this aspect is not often discussed in the literature. Hence,
the objective of this study was to determine the impact of sterilization of grease trap waste on the
efficiency of their joint anaerobic digestion with sewage sludge.

The process was carried out in a semi-continuous regime at mesophilic conditions (37oC). The
hydraulic retention time was 10 days and was chosen based on a previous study (Grosser and
Neczaj, 2018). The anaerobic digestion process was carried out in two glass continuously stirred-
tank reactors (CSTR) with a working liquid volume equal to 5.5 L.

The conditioning of the rease trap sludge (GTS) did not have a significant statistical effect on the
production of biogas (biogas yield was enhanced by 3%). However, the results of the statistical
analyses revealed that the addition of co-substrates to the feedstock had a significant influence on
biogas yield as well as VS removal. There were no statistically significant changes in the
composition of biogas. Regardless of the composition of the mixture and the method of preparing
of GTS, the percentage of methane in biogas oscillated around 68%.

Grosser, A., & Neczaj, E. (2018). Sewage sludge and fat rich materials co-digestion-Performance
and energy potential. Journal of Cleaner Production, 198, 1076-1089.
Abstract
Biogas and digestate produced from anaerobic digestion represent a way of producing energy and
recycling the nutrients in organic waste and manure resources. There are many different
utilisation pathways for biogas (heat, energy, fuel for transport) and digestate (biofertilizer,
compost, soil amendment), as well as a large variety of possible input materials for anaerobic
digestion (food waste, sewage sludge, slaughterhouse waste and manure).

Life cycle assessment is a common methodology for assessing environmental impacts of products
and services throughout their entire life cycle from raw materials extraction, transport,
production, use and end of life. By developing parametrised models specifically for biogas value
chains, the LCA-methodology can be used to optimise new and existing value chains in terms of
reducing the environmental impacts. The assessments can be done based on the available
resources and possible applications of biogas and digestate in a region, or it can be done based on
the location and size of an existing biogas plant.

In this paper, we present an LCA model for biogas value chains and give a practical example of
how LCA was used as decision support when developing biogas production in the region Vestfold
in Norway.
Abstract
Modern technologies introduced automatic composters for the disposal of household food waste
production. The study was performed on the composition and properties of composts from
household food waste prepared in two types of composters: NatureMill (USA) and GreenGood
(Korea). Environmental risks connected with the utilization of these composts can be
characterized by the high electrical conductivity caused by a presence of sodium chloride in food.
The composts from HFW produced in the composters NatureMill have average values of electrical
conductivity 8.88 ± 1.34 mS/cm (addition of Na2CO3) while the composts from the composters
GreenGood have the average value 5.49 ± 0.27 mS/cm. This conductivity is higher compared with
that in the literature reported for the compost phytotoxicity (2 - 4 mS/cm). The compost did not
fulfil the requirements of any of ecotoxicity tests performed on four organisms (Poecillia
reticulata, Daphnia magna, Desmodesmus subspicatus and Sinapis alba) because of high salinity
and the low pH value. A presence of pesticides in composted food also represents an important
environmental problem. The following pesticides were found in compost samples from household
food waste: 1,3,5-triazine, methyl trithion, bifenthrin, bifenox, carbofenothion, pirimicarb,
dioxacarb, desmetryn. Pesticide content in composts varied in the range from 0.3 to 16.3 mg/kg
d.m., average value is 30.4 ± 10.1 mg/kg. The composts from the composter NatureMill contain
on average 1.8 times more pesticides (32.2 mg/kg) in comparison with the composts from the
composter GreenGood (18.2 mg/kg). The higher decomposition of “modern” pesticides takes
place in the composter GreenGood.
Abstract
The rise of nanotechnologies in the 90s led to a larger use of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) in many
products, mainly due to their antimicrobial properties. Consequently, a discharge of silver (Ag)
into wastewater leading to an accumulation of silver species in sewage sludge has been observed.
In this context, a primary source of Ag contamination of terrestrial environments is related to
sewage sludge land application for agricultural or remediation purposes. In terrestrial
ecosystems, exposure to silver species contained in sludge may change microbial biomass and
diversity, decrease plant growth and inhibit soil fauna reproduction. Physiological, biochemical
and molecular effects have been evidenced in various soil organisms and microorganisms. AgNPs
undergo speciation before spreading on agricultural parcels. The effects of the dominant form in
sewage sludge, silver sulfide, are still too little studied. An experiment have been conducted to
evaluate the impact of Ag species on soil microorganisms and on a macroinvertebrate, the worm
Eisenia fetida. Objective of this experimentation was to assess the toxicity of Ag brought into the
environment via sewage sludge spreading. Briefly, earthworms were exposed in microcosms to
mixtures of natural soil and fermented sludge contaminated with Ag. Life traits and
bioaccumulation of metals have been evaluated for earthworms, diversity and enzymatic activities
were evaluated for microorganisms. First results confirmed that the totality of AgNPs added in
microcosms were transformed in sludge. These Ag forms impacted moderately the earthworm
test species. Life traits were not affected by Ag although Ag accumulated in their organism. Gene
expression levels of genes involved in defense mechanisms against metals were not affected by
silver. The study of soil microorganisms shows that respiration, denitrification and nitrification
were not affected by added of sludge contaminated by AgNPs. However, silver had a significant
effect on the diversity of communities.

Our experiment suggest that Ag forms accumulated in animals are thus introduced in trophic
chain. Also, the alteration of the diversity of soil microflora could affect long term soil fertility
since communities of soil microorganisms are essential for soil fertility.
Abstract
Sewage sludge has been used as a soil additive to improve phytoremediation of a land located in
Silesia region of Poland. Researched soil was characterized as highly degraded and contaminated
with heavy metals (mostly Cd, Pb, and Zn), by past metallurgical activities occurring on those
terrains. The area was chosen due to its increasing problem with desertification, erosion and
decreasing content of organic matter caused by the contamination with metals. Moreover, the
presence of such metals in soil constitutes a major threat to the food chain including plants,
animals, and humans. The assisted phytoremediation has been performed using three trees
species: Scots pine (Pinus silvestris L.), Norway spruce (Picea abies L.) and oak (Quercus robur
L.). The aim of the study was to determinate changes in soil physiochemical parameters and its
microbial population during long-term (8 years) field phytoremediation. Due to the vastly
increasing presence of heavy metals in soil ecosystems and their potential to be a threat to all
living organisms, the effects of heavy metals on soil microbial communities are currently widely
studied. However, little is known about the interactions among microorganisms in areas
contaminated by heavy metals and even less about the long term consequences of sewage sludge
supplementation on such mechanisms. In the present study, microbial communities from fields
contaminated with metals, both with and without sewage sludge supplementation were
investigated through 16s sequencing. Obtained results showed that the microbial community
composition was significantly impacted by supplementation, both in terms of microbial diversity
and the total quantity of microorganisms. Overall, there was a definite link between the soil
supplementation with sewage sludge and a reduction of the number of plants pathogens seen in
the soil. Moreover, supplementation caused a significant increase in the quantity of microbes in
soil not only shortly after the application time, but the effects are still substantial after eight years
of the last supplementation. In total, study indicates that: (i) the microbial community
composition and its total quality was positively impacting the soil after 8 years of last
supplementation with sewage sludge; (ii) assisted phytoremediation using Scots pine and Norway
spruce caused a proper growth and long-term plants presence on given area, minimizing the
problem with erosion.
Abstract
This paper presents a university-industry collaborative initiative to develop strategy for zero waste
palm oil processing. The palm oil industry is the key driver for rural development in Malaysia that
provides direct employment to half a million Malaysian populations and indirect employment to
another 250,000 people, however it is facing numerous environmental challenges due to the
wastes that are generated during the production process. For every ton of fresh fruit bunch (FFB)
processed, 0.6 – 0.7 tons of effluent (POME) and 0.37 tons of solid wastes that is made up of
empty fruit bunch, 0.22 tons (EFB), shell, 0.6 tons and fibers, 0.9 tons are generated. For the
POME, the conventional treatment method is by using open ponds where it is subjected to a series
of biological treatments. However this method suffers from emission of GHGs namely CH4 and
CO2 due to the anaerobic and aerobic processes, respectively. The fibers is used as boiler fuel
while the EFP is used as mulching at the plantation and the shell is sold as low value product.
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia together with Sime Darby Foundation and Sime Darby Research
Sdn. Bhd. embarked on a collaborative initiative since 2015 to come with a practical strategy for
zero waste palm oil processing. The POME and the fibers are used as resources to biohydrogen
and bioas in an anaerobic digestion at a rate of 2.14 and 23.6 L/L.day. The biohydrogen and biogas
are then converted into electricity in a gas engine or a fuel cell syestem. The effluent were further
treated in a microlagae system and membrane system to produce with a COD level below 5 ppm
for boiler water feed. The POME and the EFB are also utilized to produce organic fertilzers, where
a compost that meets the required NPK specifications is achieved in 21 days. The zero waste
techology has been developed has been successfully demonstrated at pilot level.
Abstract
For the recovery of ammonium (NH4+) from the liquid phase of mechanical sludge dewatering
(sludge liquor) at municipal waste water treatment plants, a hybrid process, the “ion exchanger
loop stripping” (ILS), has been developed by the chair for Process Technology and Industrial
Environmental Protection. The ILS process combines ion exchange and air stripping in a hybrid
process and works with fixed bed columns containing natural zeolite (main mineral clinoptilolite),
alternately loaded and regenerated. Clinoptilolite exhibits high selectivity for NH4+‑ion-exchange.
For the regeneration process a sodium hydroxide solution at a pH > 11 and a temperature of about
60 °C is used. The regeneration fluid is simultaneously air-stripped and the resulting gaseous
ammonia is captured as concentrated ammonium sulfate in solution via an acid scrubber. The
product can be used as an industrial NOx-removal agent, for example in cement works providing
an all year round utilization of recovered nitrogen.

The technical feasibility of the ILS-process was proven in laboratory experiments, treating model
solutions as well as sludge liquor (20 ‑ 30 L h‑1). Depending on the process conditions, ammonium
removal rates of 60 – 80 % were achieved for input concentrations of about 1000 mg NH4+ L-‑1-.

Based on these results, a mobile pilot plant with a treatment capacity of approximately 500 L
sludge liquor h‑1 was designed and operated at a local municipal waste water treatment plant. In
this study, we present results from the pilot plant operation. Several weeks of experimental
operation showed the technical feasibility of the ILS process. The achievable ammonium removal
and recovery rates in consecutive loading and regeneration cycles were measured and revealed
ammonium removal rates of 69 – 94 %, when sludge liquor with typical input concentrations from
500 – 1500 mg NH4+ L‑1 was treated. Removal rates increased after the first NaOH regeneration
of the zeolite and remained constant over more than sixty consecutive loading and regeneration
cycles. Ammonia was recovered to obtain a highly concentrated ammonium sulfate solution (40
m%). The solution was successfully tested as an industrial NOx removal agent in a cement work
in Styria.

The site-specific results show, that the implementation of an ILS production plant at municipal
wastewater treatment plants for the recovery of ammonium from sludge liquor is ecologically and
economically viable under certain conditions.
Abstract
To promote beneficial agricultural use of biosolid and minimize risks associated with nutrient
oversupply, it is crucial to explore the effect of wastewater treatment and post treatment drying
techniques on the nitrogen fertilizer value of biosolid. The aim of this study was to investigate a)
the interactive effect of selected wastewater treatment and post treatment sludge drying
techniques on the N, C, and organic matter composition, the N fertilizer value of sludge and the
organic compounds responsible for the release of C and N b) the effect of biosolid drying depth
on beds in the N content and fertilizer value of biosolid. To achieve the first aim, a biosolid-soil
mixture incubation study (100 days) was conducted using thermally-hydrolysed-biosolid (THS),
activated-biosolid (Activated), and anaerobically-digested-biosolids (ADS). The THS was belt
pressed and had a moisture content of 50%, Activated biosolid was dried in drying beds in thin
layers of ≤100 mm thickness and, ADS dried in thick layers of 250 mm. To achieve the second
objective, five drying depths (5, 10, 15, 20 and 25 cm) replicated three times were laid on the
ground in a completely randomized design. Results showed that net N mineralization per kg
organic N and C applied was highest for activated (474 g kg-1 N and 77 g kg-1 C) and lowest for ADS
(205 g kg-1 N and 23 g kg-1C). The N fertiliser value (kg N released per ton of applied) was highest
for activated (24 kg) because of its high N content, and lowest for ADS (6 kg) because of its low N
content, high lignin content, and high C:N and Lignin:N ratios. Biosolid dried in shallow drying
depth of 10 cm in shorter period time (3 week in autumn; 5 weeks in winter), had the highest total
N (3.53-3.72%) than biosolid dried in 20 cm depth (9 weeks in autumn; 7 weeks in winter) (2.82-
2.92% N), and in 25 cm depth (2.62%-2.65% N). Results from this study also showed that a 15 cm
drying depth could be a better compromise for higher N fertilizer value and practical application
on the ground. Therefore, Selection of appropriate biosolid treatment and dewatering technique
is key to improve fertiliser value of biosolids.
Abstract
Out of concern for the principles of sustainable development, and with the depletement of fossil
fuels in mind as well, the renewable energy sources are still gaining in importance. Undoubtedly
biomass is one of the most promising sources of renewable energy. Thermal biomass conversion
methods allow for the production of high-energy fuels from seemingly low-energy crop residues,
animal husbandry disposals and municipal waste. The conventional running of the biomass
conversion process requires a significant amount of heat to carry out the reaction have been
obtained so far from the combustion of fossil fuels or electricity. Solar pyrolysis creates the
possibility of storing solar energy in the form of useful chemical energy of new alternative fuels.
Solar heat acquire not only reduces the costs of fuel production, nor generate greenhouse gas
emissions. The solar pyrolysis of waste biomass was investigated on laboratory scale reactor with
objective determining the influence of biomass chemical component shares on product yields and
gaseous product composition. Locally acquired waste wood pellets behaviour during pyrolysis was
investigated. Biomass cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin content was determined using Ankom
A200 and FOSS Fibertec 2010 extraction system and calculated according to FOSS AN 304-
application note. Experimental setup consisted of copper reactor powered by artificial sun - 1.6
kW xenon arc light source connected to the ABB mobile gas analyser. The investigated variables
were pyrolysis temperature in the range of 500-800°C. The temperature distribution in biomass
samples, product yields and gas composition during pyrolysis have been determined. The results
indicate that both the product yields (liquid, char and gas) with gas component shares (H 2, CH4,
CO, CO2) are strongly influenced by the pyrolysis parameters as well as feedstock composition.
Abstract
In recent years, more and more research has been conducted regarding the impact of various
sewage sludge treatment processes on the elimination of emerging pollutants, including
chlorinated organic micropollutants such as PCB. There is still a search for effective processes
enabling removal of harmful impact on the environment from the sewage sludge. In the last
decade, there has been an increase in the amount of sewage sludge, which results from the
introduction in practice of technological solutions of integrated removal of carbon, nitrogen and
phosphorus compounds. In this situation, it is important to apply technological solutions so that
the final management of sewage sludge is completely safe and meets the requirements of
environmental protection. Direct use of sewage sludge in agriculture is limited, both for sanitary
reasons (high number of pathogenic bacteria and parasitic eggs) and because of presence of many
toxic substances, which also include polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB). There are many methods
for the treatment of sewage sludge. The most popular techniques include i.a. aerobic and
anaerobic stabilisation.

An evaluation of qualitative and quantitative changes of coplanar PCB and seven congeners
recommended for analysis by the EPA in sewage sludge after stabilisation processes was carried
out. The aim of the research was to assess the effect of aerobic and anaerobic stabilisation carried
out in thermophilic and mesophilic conditions on changes in content of PCB with codes 28, 52,
101, 118, 153 and 180, and the most harmful dioxin-like PCB with codes: 77, 126 and 169. To assess
the environmental risk of polychlorinated biphenyls the WHO98-TEQPCB factor was used.

PCB content in sewage sludge was determined and it trended below the standards. It was
demonstrated that sewage sludge stabilisation processes contribute to a decrease in PCB
concentration and toxicity of coplanar PCB in sewage sludge. The highest decrease in sewage
sludge toxicity was obtained after the anaerobic stabilisation process carried out in thermophilic
conditions.
Abstract
This study investigated the potential of using waste derived biochar as an alternative filler to
manufacture biocomposites. Wood residues and sewage sludge derived biochars were used as
fillers in Polylactide (PLA) and BIOPLAST GS2189 biocomposites with the loading rate up to 20%
(by weight). The testing samples of the biocomposites were subject to the following tests: water
absorption, tensile strength, impact strength, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), dynamic
mechanical analysis (DMA) and optical and SEM microscopy. The results showed that the
addition of biochar had the effect on all the investigated parameters, including mechanical,
thermal and optical properties. Biochar added biocomposites showed higher water absorption
and rigidity. Sewage sludge derived biochar as a filler for biodegradable polymers resulted in
better mechanical and thermal properties of the investigated biocomposites.
Abstract
High anthropogenic activities are constantly causing increased soil degradation and thus soil
health and safety is becoming an important issue. The soil quality is deteriorating at an alarming
rate in the neighborhood of smelters as a result of heavy metal deposition. Organic biowastes, also
produced through anthropogenic activities, provide some solutions for remediation and
management of degraded soils through their use as a substrate. Biowaste due to their high content
of organic compounds have potential to improve soil quality, plant productivity and microbial
activity contributing to the higher humus production. Biowaste use also leads to immobilization
and stabilization of heavy metals, carbon sequestration and release of macro and micronutrients.
Increased carbon sequestration through biowaste use helps us in mitigating climate change and
global warming. Soil amendment by biowaste increases soil activity and plant productivity caused
by stimulation in shoot and root length, biomass production, grain yield, chlorophyll content, and
decrease of oxidative stress. However, biowastes application to soils is debatable issue due to their
possible negative effect of high heavy metal concentration and risks of their accumulation in soils.
Therefore, regulations for the use of biowastes as fertilizer or soil amendment must be improved
and strictly employed to avoid environmental risks and entry of potential toxic elements (PTEs)
into the food chain. In this review, we summarize current knowledge on the effects of biowastes
on soil remediation, plant productivity and soil organic carbon sequestration.
Contemporary global interconnected crises of economy, environment, society, and institutions
are getting more complex than ever, which requires urgent but well thought out measures. This
session will be devoted to brainstorming, research, modeling, analysis, measurement, and
assessment of technologies, economic concepts, and other activities that contribute to the
transition to a sustainable knowledge society and circular economy. Special emphasis will be given
to advances in applications of the blockchain, quantum communications and other related
technologies for sustainable development, and to the social impact of these activities. The session
is organized in cooperation with the World Academy of Art & Science, Club of Rome - European
Research Centre and National Associations.

Session organizers:

Prof. Aleksander Zidanšek, Jožef Stefan International Postgraduate School, Ljubljana,

Slovenia

Prof. Ivo Šlaus, Rudjer Boskovic Institute, Zagreb, Croatia

Aleksander Zidanšek - Aleksander Zidansek is Professor of Physics at University of Maribor,

researcher at Jozef Stefan Institute, and Secretary General of the Jozef Stefan International
Postgraduate School. Dr. Zidansek holds Ph.D. in Physics and Master Degrees in Physics and
Business Administration, with specialization in sustainable development management. Prof.
Zidansek is active in both solid state experimental physics and in research of renewable energy.
He has been involved in a number of national and international research and education projects
in solid state physics, security and in sustainable development. He received a Fulbright Grant for
research at Montana State University with Prof. V. H. Schmidt in 1995/1996. He became associate
member of tt30 in 2001, associate member of the Club of Rome in 2005 (www.clubofrome.org),
and fellow of the World Academy of Art & Science in 2012.

Ivo Šlaus - Ivo Šlaus is Professor of Physics, researcher at R. Bošković Institute and Dean of the
University College for International Affairs and Diplomacy, Zagreb. He is also Fellow of the
Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts (since 1977) and foreign secretary (1992-1997), Founding
Fellow Academia Europaea (since 1988) and former chairman Physics Section (1990-1994),
Fellow World Academy of Art and Science (since 1994), from 2005 chairman of WAAS South East
European Division (SEED), from 2005 member of The Board of Trustees, fromk Dec 2011
president of World Academy, initiator and President of the international journal Cadmus
launched at the occasion of 50th anniversary of WAAS in 2010, member of The Club of Rome
(since 1989), member of the International Advisory Council of The Club of Rome (since 2007),
member Pugwash Council (since 2002), member of the European Leadership Network (ELN),
and Chairman of the Scientific Advisory Board for the International Conference on Sustainable
Development of Energy, Water and Environment Systems (SDEWES) since 2002.
Invited submissions

Abstract
Conservation of water environments and ecosystems is an increasingly important challenge of
sustainable development. Different types of underwater sensors can be used to detect and analyse
sources of contamination in the seas, rivers and lakes. Some of them can operate remotely and in
real time with little-to-no human involvement. Electromagnetic sensing techniques at low
frequencies can therefore be used for underwater remote sensing, which is important both in the
maritime security and safety as well as for non-destructive monitoring of the underwater pollution
threats. In this contribution, we present a self-made underwater remotely operated vehicle (ROV)
equipped with continuous wave electromagnetic sensors (CWEMS), which are particularly
effective for the detection of metallic objects on the seabed in the presence of aquatic vegetation,
rocks and other obstacles. In this sensor, the magnetic field originating from the transmitter coil
is modified by the presence of metallic objects and the modified magnetic field is detected by the
receiver coil. We present applications of the CWEMS method and possibilities for non-destructive
measurement of the underwater pollution sources. Challenges in the design and optimization of
the developed ROV for the in situ biofouling monitoring and underwater hull cleaning are also
examined. Toxic materials used in some underwater hull coatings present an important source of
underwater pollution, whereas organisms growing on the ship hull surfaces can lead to
translocation of potentially invasive water species to local or regional water environments.
Abstract
Plasma technologies might play an important role in energy harvesting in the near future. Not
only that plasma technology is the only method that can synthesise large quantities of
nanomaterials like nanowires, nanotubes or nanoparticles which are appropriate for use in energy
harvesting devices like PVs (photovoltaic), water splitting cells, etc., but can produce
superstructure single-crystalline materials as well as improve performance of already existing
devices and its materials through electron-matter impacts.

For synthesis or modification of nanowires, nanotubes, nanoparticles or other nanostructures,

the key role in near future will be given to methods like plasma flight-thru. In this way, we can
produce sufficient amounts like 50 g/min not only of NWs but also quantum dots, core-shell
quantum dots for PVs, etc.. This is more than 10-times compared to other plasma methods or
thermal processes (thermal, gas decomposition), chemical vapour deposition (CVD) or wet
chemical processes (hydrothermal, solvothermal, sol-gel mediated). With these amounts, we
overcome large market price of nanomaterials and make them available for general public use,
and apply them to numerous devices. However many problems connected with the production
process and technology implementation persist. The advantage of plasma synthesised materials
is also their structure and good control of their physical properties, which are extremely important
when considering energy harvesting devices performance. With plasma methods we can build so-
called superstructure materials which have highly-ordered vacancies planes, are single-crystalline
and without any impurities. These vacancies act as fast electron transport routes when electrons
are released by photon impact. Moreover, more we can tailor their band-gap energy. Additionally,
the band gap can also be tailored by atmospheric pressure plasmas created in inert gases as well
as electron beams, where we modify materials by electron impact. These surface-matter
interactions release atoms from nanomaterial and modify their properties regarding, e.g. PV
performance. All these examples of plasma used for energy harvesting devices will be presented,
and operation, as well as improved performance, presented, along with the outlines of future.
Abstract
In the last decades, a logistics has become an important industry sector, with significant impacts
on the environment generated through activities, such as consuming fossil fuels for transport,
generating waste within supply chains, distribution and storage, etc. Thus, it is important to
educate sustainability-oriented topics within logistics related courses. The paper analyses and
elaborates an integration of sustainability topics within the logistics courses and their curricula at
the bachelor and master degrees at the universities across Europe. Courses were also analysed,
systemized and classified, based in the European logistics association (ELA) curricula framework.
The research outcomes have shown that the most frequent courses are economic oriented,
followed by social sciences and sustainable development, only small fraction of courses were
perceived introducing new trends (e.g. circular economy). The study also indicated that only few
logistics oriented programmes are in a line with the ELA requirements.
Abstract
Following the strong commitment of the international society for sustainability and a circular
economy, the practical results of their implementation in the contemporary economic
environment are still far from adequate. An important opportunity for improving this situation is
in the field of addressing and strengthening the competencies of leaders and engaged employees.
Here we present ideas from the competence model for advanced technologies in the factories of
the future. These ideas for strengthening the competencies were systematically evaluated. The key
competencies that are most important for a particular job and represent the company's
competitive advantage, according to the Hogan model include intrapersonal, interpersonal,
business, and leadership competencies. In addition, general competencies related to the culture
and values of the company are also important. In this context we focus on the development of
digitalisation, automation, robotics, artificial intelligence, emotional intelligence, cultural
literature, and competencies necessary for sustainability, corporate social responsibility, and a
circular economy. The evaluation and monitoring of these competencies for industrial companies
and the general public can be addressed with individualised tailor-made trainings for the
enhancement of skills and motivation of employees for life-long learning. The results of these
trainings are recorded in the customised expert system with possible incorporation of the
blockchain technology. We also present a systematic analysis of required competencies required
for sustainability and circular economy related to the learning outcomes according to Bloom’s
taxonomy of educational objectives.
Abstract
The essence of sustainability is to achieve a better quality of life with fewer resources. For this
purpose, the continuous life-long learning of people in the workforce is very important. In this
contribution, we present an innovative approach to the improvement of competencies
(knowledge, skills, and abilities) of employees, which is based on the expeRt system for dEcision
SupPOrt in selection of advisable education (RESPO). RESPO system has been developed within
the creative path to knowledge program of the Slovene Public Scholarship, Development,
Disability and Maintenance Fund. The expert system is based on the analysis of several
parameters that capture the competencies of individuals and the competencies required for a
particular workplace. It uses four different algorithms to direct each individual employee to the
most useful training program that is advisable based on their existing knowledge and the
requirements of their workplace. It also tracks the progress of each employee's competencies over
time. In this way, RESPO expert system helps to alleviate the lacking competencies and
contributes to raising the qualifications of the employees, which results in enhancing the quality
of work in companies, while at the same time efficiently equipping employees with the key
competencies needed in the future.

RESPO expert system is an important asset of the Competence Center of the Factories of the
Future established at Jožef Stefan International Postgraduate School. We present a systematic
analysis of RESPO algorithms and their potential contributions to the improvement of knowledge,
skills, and abilities of employees, which will further contribute both to the success and
sustainability of their companies.
Abstract
Launches of rockets in the Earth orbit and beyond cause significant environmental pollution and
emissions of greenhouse gases. It is therefore important to reduce the fuel consumption for the
rocket launches. In this study, we focused on the strategies for fuel conservation during the
launch. For the calculations, we selected the SpaceX Falcon Heavy reusable heavy-lift launch
vehicle, which is at the moment the most cost-effective way to launch heavy payloads in the Earth
orbit. We attempted to reduce the fuel consumption by changing the strategy of energy use during
the flight, in particular, to change the thrust levels during different parts of the flight. We focused
on the strategy, which increased the thrust at the beginning of the flight. In this strategy, the
rocket burns the fuel faster in the first part of the flight, and thus releases the two side thrusters
earlier. In this way, the rocket mass decreases faster, so the amount of energy required to launch
the rocket in the final destination is lowered. On the other hand, the drag forces in the atmosphere
increases due to the higher velocity, which increases fuel consumption. A strategy for optimisation
of these two effects was designed, which allows reducing the fuel consumption for the launch. This
methodology can also be used for lowering the cost of the space power stations intended to
produce energy in space for use on Earth.
Abstract
Recent evidence shows that the energy system is on the verge of a new leap driven by significant
cost reductions of renewables, appalling environmental concerns and a tendency to digitize and
decentralize the operation of energy systems. In this new paradigm, it is the role of science to
enable the transition towards a sustainable energy system by providing novel ideas and
challenging the status quo. This paper analyses some notable conceptual developments that have
been present in the literature. It essentially aims to provide an overview of how some of the
theoretically conceived concepts underlying the energy sector coupling, with a specific focus on
demand response, batteries and district heating, have contributed to the energy transition debate.
In order to achieve this, each concept is traced from its initial proposition, through its evolution
in the scientific literature and finally to its deployment in pilot cases or widespread use. The paper
also provides a comprehensive discussion on the effects that such concepts have in formulating
new legislation and policies, as well as a discussion on the social and institutional barriers for
their deployment. Finally, the paper maps the future challenges that lie ahead for science with
regards to the transition to a more sustainable energy system.
Abstract
Scientific research plays an important role in the achievement of a sustainable society. However,
to grasp the trend of sustainability research is difficult because each study is not determined in a
top-down manner from goals such as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). To understand
this bottom-up research activity, we analyzed over 270,000 publications that have addressed
sustainability by citation network analysis and natural language processing. The results suggest
that dynamic changes have occurred in sustainability research over the last few years; several new
topics, such as nanocellulose and smart cities, are beginning to attract large amounts of scientific
attention. We further observed the relationship between sustainability research subjects and
SDGs and found the significant correspondence between some research subjects and specific
SDGs. Furthermore, we extracted convergently discussed SDGs topics in academic studies, such
as “inclusivity” and “foreign direct investments,” by observing term convergences in the citation
network. These results are valuable for government officials, private companies, and academic
researchers to understand current academic progress and the research attention given to SDGs.
The need to increase the sustainability and energy efficiency of buildings has led to the
development and implementation of innovative buildings design criteria and standards with
special attention to the integration of renewable energies, use of innovative HVAC systems and
implementation of new building envelope technologies.

The goal of this special session is to present new research results, case studies and practices aimed
at reducing the energy demand of residential, commercial, public, and industrial buildings, by
also decreasing the related environmental impact and improving the occupants’ comfort.
Specifically, the special session is dedicated to the following topics:

 Automation and innovative control for HVAC systems in buildings;

 Building integrated renewable energy systems;

 District heating and cooling;

 Energy sustainability, resilience and climate adaptability of buildings;

 Heat recovery systems in buildings;

 Geothermal heat pumps systems;

 Innovative HVAC&R systems;

 Life cycle energy efficiency of buildings and embodied energy;

 Natural, mechanical and hybrid ventilation;

 Passive envelope technologies and new materials;

 Solar heating and cooling;

 Thermal energy storage technologies

 Thermally active building systems.

Session organizers:

Dr. Annamaria Buonomano, University of Naples Federico II, Napoli, Italy

Prof. Soteris Kalogirou, Cyprus University of Technology, Limassol, Cyprus

Prof. Adolfo Palombo, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy

Annamaria Buonomano - Annamaria Buonomano obtained a B.Sc. and a M.Sc. in Engineering

Management summa cum laude in 2004 and 2006 from University of Naples Federico II and a
Ph.D. in Energetics from University of Palermo in 2010. She was visiting scholar at the Energy
Performance of Buildings Group of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley, USA)
in 2009, researcher at the Ben Gurion National Solar Energy Center of the Jacob Blaustein
Institutes for Desert Research of University of Ben-Gurion (Sde Boqer, Israel) in 2011, and several
times visiting scientist at Concordia University (Montreal, Canada), where she was appointed as
Affiliate Assistant Professor in the Department of Building, Civil and Environmental Engineering
in 2017. She is actively involved in research topics regarding building energy efficiency, with a
particular focus on the development of performance simulation models and investigation of
innovative building-plant solutions, based on integrated construction techniques, innovative
HVAC systems and novel renewable energy technologies including solar heating and cooling
systems, concentrating photovoltaic solar thermal systems, polygeneration. She is also involved
in collaborative research activities relative to the design of net zero energy buildings and the
integration of passive solar thermal systems in buildings.

Soteris Kalogirou - Soteris Kalogirou was born in Trachonas, which is a suburb of Nicosia. He is
married and has two children. He received his first Degree in Mechanical Engineering from the
Higher Technical Institute (1982) his Master of Philosophy (M.Phil) in Mechanical Engineering
from the Polytechnic of Wales (1991) and his Ph.D in Mechanical Engineering from the University
of Glamorgan, UK (1995). In June 2011 he was awarded from the University of Glamorgan, UK
the title of D.Sc. He was employed as a Building Services Consultant by the firm Intersol
Engineering from 1982-1987, and in various positions in the Mechanical Engineering and
Engineering Practice Departments of the Higher Technical Institute from 1987 to 2007. In 2008
he was transferred to the Cyprus University of Technology and now he is a Senior Lecturer in
Mechanical Engineering. He is considered internationally as an expert in the field of solar thermal
collectors and to the use of artificial intelligence techniques for the performance prediction of
energy and renewable energy systems. He is member of CIBSE (Chartered Institution of Building
Services Engineers), Chartered Engineer (C.Eng), member of FEANI (Eur Ing), member of
ASHRAE (American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers), member
of ISES (International Solar Energy Society) and member of the Institute of Refrigeration (IoR).
He is Editor-in-Chief of Renewable Energy Journal and Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Energy
Journal. He is Adjunct Professor in Dublin Institute of Technology and Visiting Professor in
Brunel university.

Adolfo Palombo - Adolfo Palombo obtained a M.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering summa cum laude
in 1992 and a Ph.D. in Thermo-Mechanical Systems in 1997 from University of Naples Federico
II. He was visiting scholar in the Energy and Analysis Program, Energy and Environment
Division, at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, California, U.S.A. in
1995. During his research activity, he has been actively involved in research fields concerning
energy technologies for civil, hospital and industrial applications, such as heating and cooling of
buildings, thermo-fluid dynamic measurements, power systems, renewable energy and
innovative HVAC systems for energy efficiency and Net Zero Energy Building (NZEB). He is also
involved in the development of dynamic building energy simulation tools for the assessment of
energy, economic, and environmental performances of the investigated innovative systems,
publishing more than 150 publications on international scientific journals and refereed
conference proceedings. He is responsible of several scientific agreements with European and
Canadian universities and research institutes with the aim to further collaborative research and
teaching activities on solar energy applications. He is also responsible of several funded research
projects regarding the energy efficiency of systems and buildings. In addition, he is member of
the board of experts in the permanent supervisory committee of the Italian Regulatory Authority
for Energy, Networks and Environment (ARERA). He is member of the Analysis Committees at
the Direction for audits of Italian Energy Services Management (GSE SpA). Specifically, he is
member of the Committee n. 1 (experts on thermo-electric systems fed by biogas, landfill gas, gas
obtained by depuration processes and bio-liquids) and Committee n. 3 (experts on high efficiency
cogenerative thermo-electric systems). He is member of the experts committee for reviewing and
evaluating research projects funded by Italian Ministry for Industry. He is also member of the
Management Committee of the International Building Performance Simulation Association –
Italian Division (IBPSA-Italy). He was member of the Management Committee of Action TU1205
(Building Integration of Solar Thermal Systems, BISTS) of the European COST (Cooperation in
Science and Technology).
Invited submissions

Abstract
This paper focuses on the assessment of the energy performance of a novel vehicle to building
energy management approach, i.e. Building To Vehicle To Building (V2B2), applied to a cluster of
buildings connected in a micro-grid, with the aim to accelerate the development of nearly Zero
Energy Buildings (NZEBs) while promoting the deployment of Renewable Energy Sources
(RESs). Plug-in electric vehicles are considered as vector devices for renewable energy exchanges
among buildings, as well as additional building high-power appliances and electricity sources.
The paper analyses the energy and economic performance of different V2B 2 schemes, including
three main electrical users featuring a basic cluster of human-linked energy systems, such as a
residential building, an office building, and an electric vehicle. With the aim to investigate the
potentiality of the proposed energy management schemes, a comprehensive parametric analysis,
conducted by means of a suitably developed dynamic simulation model, is carried out to find out
the optimal design and operating parameters which maximize the self-production and self-
consumption of building integrated RES, toward the achievement of the ZEB goal at a cluster
level. Simulation results, relative to the Mediterranean weather climate of Naples (South-Italy),
show that the exploitation of off-site renewable energy production is remarkable, causing a
significant reduction, up to 70%, of fossil fuel consumption from the grid.
Abstract
The present paper investigates the integration of reversible absorption heat pumps in a novel
micro-trigeneration system. Differently from traditional absorption chillers, reversible
absorption heat pumps can be driven by the exhaust gas of an internal combustion engine to
produce both cooling and heating, depending on the season. This technology may be particularly
interesting in residential and commercial buildings with low and medium temperature emission
systems. Detailed models of all the subsystems are given. Sizing and lifetime operation of the
proposed system are stochastically optimized by means of a genetic algorithm coupled with Monte
Carlo simulations for a case study, namely an office building located in central Italy. Energy
demands are evaluated by means of a dynamic simulation, validated on real energy data. Results
show that the integration of the reversible absorption heat pump provides valuable economic and
energy performance. Traditional trigeneration and cogeneration systems and a separate-
production system have 2 %, 4 % and 7 % higher net present costs, respectively, also employing
4%, 9 % and 11 % more primary energy. The proposed design is proven to be robust to
uncertainties on the electrical, heating and cooling loads, giving a 26 % reduction of the relative
uncertainty range on the output net present cost and matching, in any case, the building energy
demands.
Abstract
The cost optimal method (COM) as applied in the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive
(EPBD) uses “non-calibrated deterministic reference buildings (RBs)”. Such RBs are defined with
single envelope and equipment parameter values, for which calibration with actual building stock
energy performance (EP) is not undertaken. Thus, it is not possible to visualise the effect of
uncertainties or diversity in the input parameters on cost-optimal level benchmarks and to verify
the choice of RBs. The paper proposes an update to the COM via use of “Probabilistic Bayesian
calibrated RBs”, to handle uncertainties and produce a more realistic cost optimal range, thus
supporting policy makers in devising effective fiscal and legal support mechanisms and in
facilitating harmonised EP benchmarking between MS. The process is validated by findings from
Urban Building Energy Modelling studies showing that Energy Use Intensity (EUI) distributions
from “probabilistic Bayesian calibrated RBs” versus “deterministic RBs” match more closely the
measured EUI distributions.
Abstract
Wastewater heat recovery is currently an underutilized technology that could be part of solving
the climate crisis. A large portion of the heat that leaves a building in the form of wastewater is
potentially recoverable for pre-heating domestic hot water or other service water systems. While
there are several different approaches to wastewater heat recovery, this project focused on
creating detailed integrated building models for wastewater heat recovery heat pump systems.
EnergyPlus models were developed featuring inputs and assumptions corresponding to
manufacturers’ specifications, performance lab test data and feedback from engineering
consultants. EnergyPlus’s supervisory control Energy Management System objects were heavily
relied upon to overcome modelling challenges. The developed EnergyPlus model was integrated
into U.S. Department of Energy: New Construction Reference Building models for various climate
zones and building types to assess potential energy use, energy cost and greenhouse gas emission
reductions.
Abstract
As the building sector accounts for 40% of the total European energy consumption, it sits in the
centre of the roadmap to achieve the 2050 Energy and climate sustainability goals for renewable
energy. Modern buildings now strive to be Zero Energy, and therefore the focus lies on increasing
the share of renewable energy locally generated and self-consumed in buildings. It is generally
accepted that hybrid storage technologies are necessary for creating flexibility in supply and
demand for both electricity and heat.

The purpose of SCORES project is to demonstrate in the field, the integration a building energy
system with novel compact hybrid storage technologies, that optimize the supply, and demand of
both electricity and heat in residential buildings. This goal is to be largely achieved by increasing
the self-consumption of local renewable energy in residential buildings at the lowest possible cost.

 A large part of the project focuses on a detailed simulation study of two existing
demonstration buildings. - one located in Agen, France and the other Gleisdorf,
Austria. The Austrian building is connected to a heating grid where the French demo
consists is only connected to an electrical grid.

 Both buildings are equipped with novel heat pump systems in combination with
photovoltaic (PV) and/or combined photo voltaic/thermal collectors (PVT) to cover
domestic hot water demand when possible.

 A number of key storage technologies are installed in the buildings such as intra-day
phase change materials (PCM) based thermal storage in individual electric heaters and
air to air heat pumps in the French building, second life electrical batteries as well as
an ultra-compact, long-term chemical looping combustion (CLC) hybrid storage
technology in both buildings.

 Both building systems are interfaced with a sophisticated Building Energy

Management System (BEMS) algorithm which will control and monitor the various
subsystems and storages according to technical and economic parameters.

The simulation results will yield an insight as to what extent the net energy consumption of the
buildings could be reduced and flexibility potential increased by direct comparisons between a
reference case and future system with the SCORES technologies equipped. Preliminary
calculations suggest that the net energy consumption could be reduced by 20% and 30% for the
French and Austrian cases respectively. First detailed simulation results will be presented at the
conference as well as the methodology used for modelling the building systems and interfacing
with the BEMS algorithm.
Abstract
Museum buildings are often subject to architectural protection when belonging to the historical
heritage. This limits retrofit solutions and actions. However, they need to be refurbished in order
to allow their reuse or to continue to be used according to current quality standards, while
retaining their heritage significance.

The usual intervention strategies of verified effectiveness for common buildings can often hardly
ever be applied on listed historical buildings, because these could lead to architectural alterations.
A viable and acceptable solution respecting the conservation needs can be achieved by
implementing the geothermal energy, and installing the ground source heat pump systems. Such
systems are almost invisible contrary to the solar thermal collectors and photo-voltaic panels for
example. Besides that, geothermal energy assures the continuity of operation of the heating and
cooling system, which is another important factor for the conservation of the works of art.

Any refurbishment has to be designed aiming at the best result between the energy costs and
indoor environmental conditions, which are strictly connected with the conservation
requirements of the art collections in the museum on one hand (i.e. microclimate/thermo-
hygrometric requirements, depending on the specific heritage materials), and on the other to the
thermal comfort standards for visitors, if possible.

Many aspects which have an impact on the economic attractiveness of the refurbishment depend
on the specific country: the climate, the building characteristics, the energy requirements for
heating and for cooling, the soil conditions, the installation costs, and the cost of the primary
energy. Considering the operational phase only, paramount factors are the cost of energy and the
heating and cooling requirements, which are depending on the climate and on the building
characteristics.

A comparative study between different refurbishment solutions (ground source heat pumps,
electric heaters or natural gas boilers) has been performed considering hypothetic museums
around Europe. An energy simulation software has been used to obtain quantitative information
about the energy consumption, the operating costs and carbon dioxide emissions savings.
Abstract
Thermal energy represents the major source of energy worldwide. Consequently, increasing
efficiency in heat transfer is a crucial point in several fields, from transportation to HVAC.

Among heat transfer devices, heat pipes present some advantages, since they rely on the phase
change of the working fluid rather than sensible heat, the former being much higher than the
latter.

Such components have then been used in several applications, either in a looped or un-looped
layout, with or without the use of a porous medium (wick). Examples of the application of heat
pipes at different scales come from cooling of small electronic components or integration in solar
collectors. In the majority of analysed configurations, however, liquid transport is achieved
thanks to gravity or by capillary action, whereas the replacement of wick medium with a standard
pump for refrigerants has not been covered yet.

In the present work, a simulation model and a test set-up for the experimental assessment of heat
pipes operating in a loop configuration are presented. Key feature of the system is the use of a
pump for the transport of the condensate. Results of an experimental campaign realised with
R600 as refrigerant inside the heat pipes are reported as well. They confirm the model outputs
and highlight the possibility of transferring heat even without the pump when a threshold
pressure difference between condenser and evaporator is reached.

The realized set-up consists of 3 plate heat exchangers, one works as condenser while the other
two exchangers can work as evaporators. Solenoid valves allow the switching between the two
evaporators and thus the operation at three different temperature levels. A gear pump is places in
the outlet refrigerant line from the condenser and is controlled by means of a variable speed drive
to study the effect of the flow rate of the liquid refrigerant on the performance of the heat pipe.
The testing bench is equipped with high accuracy flow meters, PT100 sensors in the hydraulic
circuits and Type T thermocouples in the refrigerant pipes.

The testing bench was used for the study of heat transfer performance: the effect of the operating
temperatures at the condenser and evaporator and of the flow rate of the pump on the total power
transferred was evaluated.

The measurements taken demonstrate the feasibility of the presented looped configuration of
heat pipes: indeed, the power transferred can reach up to 2 kW for the highest temperatures
differences between evaporator and condenser. Interestingly, when the ΔT is higher than 15 K,
even without the pump is possible to transfer heat inside the loop.

Such results highlight the promising potential of such systems, whose full exploitation might be
possible by further studying the refrigerant to be employed and the optimal pressure head for
each application.
Abstract
In this paper the dynamic energy and economic performance of district heating systems is
investigated. As well known, such plants can be convenient if thermal energy is available at low
costs or as waste heat. Generally, such condition can be obtained in case of proximity of building
clusters or town neighbourhoods to thermal power systems, urban waste heat treatment plants or
some industry typologies. In this case, through a suitable pipeline network such heat can be
supplied to buildings for balancing their heating and cooling demands.

In general, the economic profitability of district heating systems depends on different variables,
such as for example the unitary cost of heat to be offered to users and the related yearly amount
of the sold thermal energy. The system performance is also function of several dynamic
parameters such as the weather conditions (influencing the buildings heating/cooling demands).
In case of thermal power plants, the related activation typically depends on the hourly national
single price of the sold electricity to the grid. In order to take into account all such time dependant
variables, a suitable dynamic simulation model for the system energy and economic performance
assessments was developed. Such tool is conceived for feasibility analyses of new district heating
plants as well as for checking and controlling the existing ones. The model was implemented in a
MatLab code where the heating/cooling demands of buildings are dynamically assessed by taking
into account suitable hourly weather data files (TMY, IWEC, etc.). A specific subroutine is
implemented in the code for the economic optimization of the diameter of each network section.
In addition, by the presented computer code the effects on the system performance of the
variation of different design and operating parameters can be carried out by varying suitable
objective functions.

Finally, in order to show the potentiality of the developed simulation tool, a suitable case study
is presented. It refers to a district heating hypothesis in the S. Giovanni neighbourhood of Naples
(South-Italy). Here, the system is supplied by the heat produced through the thermal power plant
of Vigliena in which a novel combined cycle system is currently operating. For such district
heating system an energy assessment and an economic feasibility investigation are performed.
Furthermore, a system parametric analysis is also carried out for computing the optimal number
of district heating users and the optimal selling electricity price with different objective functions,
such as: minimum simple and discounted paybacks, maximum net present value and profitability
index, maximum primary energy saving and CO2 emission reduction.

Useful design criteria and interesting energy and economic results were obtained.
Abstract
District energy systems have the potential to achieve deep energy savings by leveraging the density
and diversity of loads in urban districts. This research seeks to answer the question, “Do hydronic
radiant HVAC systems save energy relative to air-based systems serving a low-energy district of
residential buildings?” This question is addressed through energy simulation (with EnergyPlus)
for a prototypical urban district served by a district thermal energy system. The district consists
of prototypical multi-family buildings, with high-performance building envelopes, and low plug
load densities. The radiant systems consist of hydronic coils embedded in concrete floor slabs,
coupled with dedicated outdoor air systems, and the air-based systems consist of air handlers with
hydronic heating and cooling coils. Due to the larger areas available for heat transfer, the radiant
systems allow for more moderate supply water temperatures than the air-based systems. The two
HVAC system types are controlled so that a similar level of thermal comfort is attained. The scope
of the energy use comparison between the two system types includes primary equipment, and
energy use at the building level for space conditioning and distribution.
Abstract
In the construction sector nowadays a significant turning point is taking place, that has found
legislative and operational implementation in the ambitious nearly Zero Energy Building (nZEB),
assessing in a comprehensive way user well-being, energy saving, emission reduction and cost-
optimal vision. In the building sector, particularly, the use of renewable energy sources and
among them solar energy today offers enormous opportunities and technologies for its
exploitation, for both electricity and heat production.

In this framework, aim of the study is to preliminarily approach a helpful system to support both
technicians and decision-making processes concerning the best technologies, both conventional
and renewable, to be used in buildings to produce hot water as a function of the solar radiation
areas, the cost of raw material (gas or electric energy) and the national market, thus guaranteeing
energy saving and environmental targets. Diagrams or key directions could be obtained starting
from a suitably wide and differentiated range of analysis data, covering different European
climatic areas. The methodology can also be extended to other types of thermal requirements such
as the environment heating.

Particularly in the paper, the analysis has started from Italy due to its significant solar radiation,
especially in the selected site (Reggio Calabria), together with the high costs of both methane and
electric energy, and has been referred to a residential user.

Specific aim of the study is to carry out an energetic and economic comparison between the
satisfaction of thermal consumption for domestic hot water and hot washing water in household
appliances using several configurations of conventional thermal energy production systems
(electric and gas boiler) and thermal and electric renewable ones (solar collector, heat pump,
photovoltaic system), for which a comparison in terms of energy consumption and Net Present
Cost (NPC) has been made, estimating the respective convenience in their life span and
identifying the cost optimal solution guaranteeing user needs with lowest investment and
operating cost.
Abstract
The objective of this scientific research is to evaluate the performances of a hydrogen chain to
produce an energy cogeneration and especially heat or cold for buildings.

For this we have a technological platform MYRTE platform (Renewable Hydrogen Mission for
Integration to the Electric Grid) wich integrate several sub-systems like a 565 kWc photovoltaic
farm that aims to provide electrical energy to the electrical network but also to the electrolyser,
two PEM electrolysers (10 Nm3/h and 13 Nm3/h electrolysis capacity), two H2/O2 PEM fuel cells
(100 kW and 50 kW) that provide electricity using the gas stored in the tanks to deliver electricity
to the network, three Tanks to store hydrogen (1960Nm3) and oxygen (980 Nm3) produced via
the electrolyser, a SCADA system that ensures the real-time control of the whole system, an
electrical components (inverters, rectifiers and transformer station) that ensure the conditioning
of the electrical energy to provide the electrical network.

It possible to establish an energy cogeneration by valuing the residual heat of the process from
electrolyser and the fuel cells for building heating or domestic hot water applications. In order to
be part of the continuity of having an innovative multi-purpose platform, we have studied the
addition of a third energy dimension by producing cold, which positions us on a tri-generation
system (electricity, heat and cold). This Hydrogen Chain is truly a completely "green" energy
chain.
Abstract
Nowadays, for modern trains high indoor comfort standards as well as reduced HVAC systems
electricity demands are required. Note that, in such trains the energy consumption due to heating
and cooling systems can reach 30% of the overall electricity demand. The design of new trains as
well as the revamping of the existing ones have to take into account new criteria regarding
comfort, energy efficiency needs and avoided CO2 requirements. The dynamic simulation
approach can be today considered as a possible effective tool for reaching the above mentioned
aims (by simulation results optimal system layouts can be achieved). In this paper the energy,
economic, environmental impact and thermal comfort performance analysis obtained through
several innovative actions regarding the train envelope -HVAC system are investigated by means
of such tool. To this aim, a novel dynamic simulation model was developed and implemented in
TRNSYS (version 17). Here, innovative system layouts are compared to traditional system
configurations. Note that, all the train components as well as the train trips can be suitably
modelled by using TRNSYS environment. In particular, the train envelope geometry and the
related energy features are developed by means of the Google SketchUp TRNSYS3d plug-in and
TRNBUILD (Type 56), respectively.

A suitable simulation case study is also presented. It refers to an existing regional train traveling
on a typical daily trip in South-Italy for a whole year. Here, space heating and cooling loads and
demands, as well as the related electricity requirements, are dynamically assessed by considering
the effective loads profiles and the different occurring train orientations during the whole trip. A
number of energy efficiency actions are modelled for the railway coach envelope-HVAC system
revamping. Specifically, they refer to diverse refrigerant fluids, different compressors, on-off and
inverter technology, free cooling option, CO2 sensors for modulating the outdoor air, heat
recovery exchangers and heat pump for the heating season (instead of electric resistances). For
the train envelope the considered actions regard the thermal insulation typology, cool paints,
selective window glasses. LED lightings are also considered for replacing the conventional
devices. The obtained simulation results are compared to those of the

traditional system. Significant benefits in terms of energy saving, avoided CO2 emissions and
comfort are achieved. Useful design and operating criteria for trains manufacturers and users are
also provided.
Abstract
Reducing energy consumption in buildings via the use of energy-efficient technologies has
become essential. The Ground Source Heat Pump, capable of delivering space conditioning with
enhanced energy-efficiency compared to conventional air sourced systems, is one such
technology. An important aspect dictating the performance of said technology is the Ground Heat
Exchanger (GHE), consisting of a single or a series of U-tubes encased within a borehole backfilled
with thermally conductive grout through which a circulating liquid absorbs or rejects heat to the
ground. One parameter which may affect the exchanger’s thermal performance, is the shank-
space, the centre-to-centre distance between the two branches of a U-tube. Generally, in order to
ensure the maximum heat transfer surface possible, most of the research carried out has focused
on boreholes with depths of 100m and over. Reaching such depths is not always possible and
other design limitations, such as, the requirement for limited interaction with the water table,
may require that significantly shallower U-tubes are used. Specific research on shallow ground
heat exchangers is however limited. To address this aspect, a 3D steady-state CFD model of a U-
tube ground heat exchanger was used to investigate the influence of varying shank-space on the
thermal performance of two isolated vertical shallow U-tube GHE, one 20m deep and the other
40m deep. To facilitate the computational process, the 3D steady-state CFD model makes use of
an innovative approach, whereby the U-junction at the bottom of the U-tube is eliminated. To
ensure confidence in the results obtained, the simplified model was validated using available
experimental and numerical studies performed for full U-tube models. As expected, the results
show that the temperature drop of the circulating fluid varies for different shank-spaces and is
lowest for the closest shank-space and highest for the widest shank-space. It is however, observed
that this temperature drop is not linear with increases in shank-space and that for both modelled
setups, the thermal performance improvement drastically diminishes with increasing shank-
space, although with higher values being obtained for the 40m deep borehole. Such results
indicate that for shallow U-tube, the temperature drop across the system is more dependent on
the length of the pipework than the effect of shank-space.
Abstract
Although high thermal mass radiant systems such as Thermally Activated Building Systems
(TABS) have high energy saving potential in new buildings, research is still required to encourage
their application in building refurbishments. This study evaluates the energy performance of a
radiant cooling panel system with integrated phase change materials (PCMs) designed to be
adopted during the retrofits of existing office buildings. The focus of the study is the control of the
system and the evaluation of the thermal lag it can guarantee. The radiant system is simulated
using two different approaches, constant flow, and variable flow systems. Each model is tested
with two different operation strategies, including night operation and supply water temperature
control. Control strategies are compared using parameters such as the percentage of occupied
hours that the system is able to maintain thermal comfort conditions and energy consumption.
Results indicate that depending on the control strategy of the radiant system, annual energy
savings of 35 – 40 % can be obtained compared to a conventional all-air system. In terms of
thermal comfort, the radiant system showed the best performance when the mean radiant
temperature was used as the controlling temperature in a constant flow scheme operation. With
this control strategy, the radiant system is able to maintain a comfortable operative temperature
for 84% of the occupation hours in the building zone with the highest exposures (west-facing
perimeter zone).
Abstract
Urban environment is affected by the well-known phenomenon of the Urban Heat Island (UHI)
due to alteration of its energy balance with respect to the energy exchanges occurring in rural
areas. The causes are almost related to cities roughness, land cover and usage modifications,
absence of greenery and water pounds. Causes and mitigation strategies of the UHI have been
investigated through years both experimentally and numerically. In particular, Urban Canopy
Models (UCM) are numerical schemes aimed to solve the energy balance of a geometrically
simplified urban canyon assumed as representative of the urban environment. The UCMs are
mainly coupled with mesoscale climatic models such as the Weather Research Forecasting model
(WRF). Such up-scaling procedure allows to investigate the UHI phenomenon in the main frame
of global climate change. These analyses could be used by policymaker in order to propose
effective strategies able to reduce negative effects of the UHI in a long-time perspective. Among
UHI negative effects, citizens’ well-being and life quality worsening is a key issue since urban
population is predicted to rise up to 60% of the world population in 2030 according to the latest
UN report. Nevertheless, numerical models such UCMs are not use to deal with human comfort
in outdoors. The current work proposes the integration of parametrized human physiology within
the Princeton UCM (PUCM) which is able to capture the effect of greenery and materials with
dynamic properties on the urban environment. The introduction of human-related parameters
allows the authors to assess human comfort within the urban environment at the actual condition
and in future or alternative scenarios. The comfort evaluation uses internationally recognized
comfort indexes, i.e. apparent temperature, coupled with the computed human skin temperature
presented as a comfort indicator for the developed model. Therefore, this work aims to give a
more complete tool to scientists and policymakers for designing and enhancing the urban
environment also in terms of citizens’ well-being improvement and resilience versus climate
change forcing.
Abstract
A dynamic wall, or breathing wall, is an opaque component of the building envelope made of
porous of fibrous matrix, through which an airflow is induced. The airflow is opposite to the heat
flow, that is toward the inside in the cold season and reversed in the warm season, in order to
recover a large part of heat transferred through the wall solid matrix by conduction. As a result,
energy needs for building heating and cooling can be reduced significantly.

A mathematical model is available for dynamic walls, and it has also been tested experimentally.
In this work such model is completed with additional terms taking into account boundary
conditions. More specifically, the potential impact of solar absorption at the outer wall surface is
analyzed, finding that a surface with high solar absorptance, to be shaded in summer, in winter
can allow a significant net heat gain. Heat recovery from the extracted air flow is also analyzed,
finding that the performance of a heat pump for hot water production can be significantly
increased in winter.
Abstract
Themochemical heat storage is, nowadays, a concept widely studied in the literature ... but this
concept is coming from the ’70s!

Housing and tertiary buildings are responsible for the consumption of approximately 46% of all
energies and approximately 19% of the total CO2 emissions in France [1]. As demand in thermal
comfort of buildings rises, the energy consumption correspondingly increases. As a matter of fact,
the energy consumption of buildings in France has increased by 30% in the last 30 years. In
Europe, 26% of the final energy consumption is related 
to the energy systems of households [3].
About 80% of this energy is needed for heating purposes [4], i.e. heating and domestic hot water
production. Then, thermal energy storage systems (TESS) in buildings could make an important
contribution in reducing our dependency on fossil fuels, and also in contributing to a more
efficient and environmentally benign energy use.

The annual solar energy reaching the envelope of a low-energy building is far greater than the
building needs for space heating and hot water, especially during the summer season. It is obvious
that a long-term thermal energy storage system is a way to rationalize the use of this renewable
energy. Thermal energy storage can be accomplished either by using sensible heat, latent heat,
physical sorption or chemical heat storage. Chemical heat storage has the highest potential for
seasonal heat storage (Fig. 1): the storage density is high with few heat losses to the environment.

Despite the high energy density and the numerous paper published during these last 20 years,
chemical heat storage remains mostly at a low technology readiness level (usually less than 6). We
propose to discuss the use of chemical heat storage in buildings by 1) analyzing the
thermodynamics of potential reactions, 2) discussing the kinetics issues, 3) studying existing
prototypes and 4) having a look at the whole integrated system, including control issues. The
conclusions highlights the necessity to carry a “material by design“ approach based on the system
specification requirements of the integrated system. Moreover, some guidelines are propose for
further researches.
Abstract
The world's energy needs present a continuous increasing trend. In most industry sectors, as well
in the residential buildings the energy requirement consists of both thermal and electrical energy.
Moreover, energy needs are also due to cooling energy demand. Considering the limited
conventional fossil fuel resources and the continuous growth of the global warming effects, it is
mandatory to increase the use of renewable energy. A technology that provides an interesting
opportunity for the production of renewable energy is represented by the PV/T system, which
allows producing simultaneously electrical and thermal energy. Thus, PV/T panel can be used as
an energy source of an integrated system able to provide a rate of the energy needs for power,
heating, cooling, and hot water production. The electric and thermal energy yields of a solar
system depend mainly by the panel's capacity to absorb/transform the available solar energy into
useful energy.

This study presents a novel numerical model, which allows investigating the effects of the
parameters that influence the production of the electrical and thermal energy of a PV/T system.
A comprehensive analysis of the performance of a PV/T system has been carried out in function
of the main parameters that govern the production of energy, that are solar radiation, outdoor
temperatures, wind velocity, the temperature in the thermal storage, flow rate and features of the
PV/T panel. The temperatures in each layer of the PV/T panel calculated by the proposed
numerical model have been compared with the experimental data of a PV/T pilot plant located in
Catania. Such analysis highlights a very good correlation between experimental and simulated
results. Therefore, the proposed model could be used for evaluating the performance of a PV/T
system in function of the features of the solar panel as well as of the operating conditions.
Abstract
This paper presents the design and a mathematical simulation model of a novel evacuated flat-
plate solar thermal collector prototype. As it is known, for a typical solar thermal collector, the
convective heat dissipation accounts for a large percentage of the overall thermal losses. These
losses can be reduced by “insulating” the solar absorber with a suitable vacuum space (lower
pressure than the atmospheric one) of the collector enclosure. The main problem of this solution
is the high initial cost of the modifications required on the structure of the collector envelope
(casing and glazing) to withstand the vacuum. Because of the reduced thermal losses, such a
system is able to produce relatively high temperatures, compared to normal flat-plate collectors,
but also retain their basic advantage which is the fact that there is no need to track the sun like
the respective concentrating collectors, which can be used alternatively to produce the same level
of temperatures.

In this paper, an in-house mathematical model is developed for assessing the energy performance
of such technology. A sensitivity analysis on the main parameters affecting the energy efficiency
and the working fluid outlet temperature of flat-plate solar thermal collector is also presented.
The aim of this analysis is to obtain useful design criteria for the fabrication of a novel evacuated
collector prototype. Therefore, construction details about the improved prototype, as well as
results about the calculation of the optimal system geometry and the selection of the considered
collector materials are provided. In this regard, the description of the attempts carried out to
obtain the best design options is also reported. Finally, a comparison between the optimized flat-
plate solar collector against a typical one is also presented and encouraging results were achieved.
Abstract
This paper reports the design and performance analysis of a novel Integrated Collector Storage
Solar Water Heater (ICSSWH). Existing ICSSWHs are typically simple and low-cost devices that
combine heat collection and storage functions in one unified vessel. However, during non-
collection periods they are affected by higher heat loss characteristics when compared to standard
solar collector systems. The unique presented ICSSWH prototype, developed at the Centre for
Sustainable Technologies (CST) at Ulster University, is the enhancement of heat retention during
non-collection periods. Using a novel thermal diode feature, achieved by incorporating a liquid-
vapour phase change material (PCM) and very low pressures, heat retention values of
approximately 60% are achievable. In addition, the concept aims to deliver low manufacturing
costs through cost-effective materials and simple design solutions. In order to investigate the
energy performance of the prototype under different boundary and working conditions, a suitably
dynamic simulation model has been developed and implemented in a computer code written in
MatLab environment. The developed model has been validated by means of experimental data
gathered during indoor testing carried out under the solar simulator facility at the Ulster
University laboratory. Specifically, all the modelled temperatures are ± 1°C from the respective
experimental measurements, with corresponding average percentage errors of 0.92%, 1.38% and
1.64% for the main collector surfaces temperatures. Furthermore, a prototype comparison tool is
implemented in order to optimize the collector performance in relation to several parameters (e.g.
components, geometry, operating condition, etc.) and prove the potential of the developed
software to optimise the proposed prototype. From the carried out comparison, the ICSSWHs
prototype is characterized by higher temperatures (4 and 7 °C after 6 and 14 hours in retention
mode) vs. simpler collector typologies. Applying the ICSSWH to provide domestic hot water to a
single dwelling unit, performance modelling can be used simulate unit performance for different
weather zones and usage profiles thereby optimising physical features and materials to improve
energy, economic and environmental perspectives.
Abstract
Building integrated hybrid polymer PV/T collectors offer the advantages of low weight, low cost
polymer materials and reliable mechanical properties to provide cost-effective simultaneous
production of hot water and electricity as well as offset costs of conventional roofing and façade
construction components. Modification of design, dimensions and fabrication methods were
undertaken on the Senergy polymer solar water heating collector aiming to reduce heat losses,
improve ease of fabrication and increase reliability. With the incorporation of solar cells onto the
polymer thermal absorber, the collector represents a significant step towards a cost-effective
solution able to satisfy building energy needs. The modular and scalable PV/T collector design
(500 x 1000 x 60 mm) combined with low weight (12 kg/m2) allows for easy integration on to the
building skin. A collector prototype unit has been fabricated using low cost polymer components
and in-house developed techniques at Ulster University. The PV/T collector uses a twinwall
polycarbonate sheet to act as the thermal absorber and heat transfer fluid channelling element
and 18 mono-crystalline solar cells bonded onto it with thermally conductive adhesive. The PV/T
collector has been tested under Ulster University’s large scale solar simulator and its thermal and
electrical performance evaluated. Comparative tests, first as uncovered non-insulated collector
then as covered insulated collector, were conducted using a standard steady-state solar thermal
efficiency measurement procedure under 800 W/m2 irradiance level. Electrical power output was
measured systematically with the use of an IV tracer for different water inlet temperature under
steady-state conditions. To assess the collector operation as cold heat source during heating
seasons and hot heat sink during cooling season when coupled with a heat-pump, energy yields
for night time operation without solar irradiance for water inlet temperature respectively below
and above ambient air temperature were evaluated for the uncovered configuration. Tests results
indicate that the PV/T collector represents a promising solution for low temperature applications.
Abstract
The study proposes the comparison of the life cycle performances of two different energy systems
aimed at covering the needs of a large mixed-mode community, in Calgary (Canada). The two
systems investigated are a “conventional” one, using heat pumps for heating, cooling and
domestic hot water, and another one widely deploying solar thermal panels as well as a district
heating infrastructure and a borehole seasonal thermal storage. The analysis is based on the Life
Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology and includes the stages of raw materials and energy supply,
system manufacturing, use stage of the systems, generation and use of energy on-site,
maintenance and components’ substitution, and explores the life cycle impacts of the two systems
through the different indicators of ILCD 2011 Midpoint impact assessment method. The solar-
based system, performs better than the conventional system for all the examined impact
categories. In detail, the impact on ozone depletion and land use can be reduced of about 79.7%
and 27% respectively, while the remaining impact categories show a reduction of about 39-56%.
These results can be extended to other similar systems operating under similar weather
constraints, energy systems included in the operation, thermal loads requirements. Moreover, the
study is based on the premises and assumptions of real documented case studies in Canada, thus
further reinforcing the solidity of the results.
Abstract
A building façade integrated concentrating photovoltaic-thermal direct-immersed solar collector
has been designed, fully fabricated and experimentally investigated. Manufacturing comprises
machining and polishing of the optical elements, preparation of the photovoltaic module,
machining of the mechanical components to hold the system and perform the solar tracking and
assembling the whole system. Depending on the liquid used to immerse the cells, two different
module configurations have been developed: one with deionized water (DIW) and the other with
isopropyl alcohol (IPA). Experimental results reveal that the thermal performance of the
concentrator is not optimum, as solar thermal collector, since thermal losses range from around
14 to 20 W°C-1m-2. Electrical measurements indicate an adequate performance, achieving fill
factors for both cases around 70%. Finally, the thermal and illumination effects over the interior
space were determined using a testing unit, observing a high control of both and corroborating a
big potential of the proposed system to be building integrated.
In conventional systems, energy conversion is usually performed by devices that separately
produce electricity, heat, cooling energy and/or other products. This consolidated approach, while
having some benefits in terms of system simplicity and reliability, is unfortunately characterized
by low energy conversion efficiencies. In the past decades, due to increasing concerns about
depletion and high cost of fossil fuels and greenhouse gases emissions, new energy paradigms
have been emerging, aimed at improving systems efficiency and sustainability, simultaneously
reducing their environmental impacts. A most proming solution consists of designing more
integrated energy systems combining different devices, maximizing the utilization of energy
inputs (either from renewable or fossil sources) and limiting any possible energy waste.
Polygeneration is the combined production of multiple types of energy (e.g. electricity, heat and
cool) and material products (e.g., desalted water, hydrogen, glycerine, ammonia,etc.).
Polygeneration systems can be based on either renewable (solar, wind, hydro, biomass and
geothermal) and fossil fuels-based (reciprocating engines, combined cycles, etc.) technologies.
However, in order to favour their viability and increase their penetration, such systems must be
designed to properly match the demand profile of electricity, heat, cooling and products, thus
minimizing the mismatch between production and load. In the civil sector this goal can be
challenging when a single residential user (like a detached house) or a single building (with
multiple apartments) must be supplied, while more favourable conditions can be achieved by
installing a larger polygeneration system and supplying hot and/or cold water to a large number
of costumers via small-to-medium scale district heating/cooling networks. In order to increase
the flexibility of operation of polygeneration systems and achieve higher efficiency and economic
profitability, thermal (sensible, latent and chemical) and electrical storage systems (battery,
supercapacitors, super wheel, CAES, mini-hydro) can be integrated and appropriate control
systems designed. Polygeneration is a key technology to promote Distributed Generation, which
is attracting increasing attention due to its unquestionable benefits in terms of reduction of
transportation losses and increased use of local resources.

In this framework, this Special Session aims at collecting recent studies and contributions
focused on polygeneration systems, eventually integrated with small-to-medium scale district
heating and cooling networks. Manuscripts focused on crucial aspects like systems modeling,
control strategies and experimental analysis at whole-system, single-component levels and
integration of polygeneration systems with energy networks are welcomed. Also, studies including
thermoeconomic analyses and single- or multi-objective optimizations are well targeted for the
Session.

Session organizers:

Prof. Francesco Calise, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy

Prof. Antonio Piacentino, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy

Prof. Laura Vanoli, Università degli Studi di Napoli Parthenope, Napoli, Italy

Francesco Calise - Francesco Calise was born in 1978 and graduated cum laude in mechanical
engineering from the University of Naples Federico II, Italy in 2002. He obtained the Ph.D. degree
in Mechanical and Thermal Engineering in 2006. From 2006 to 2014, he is a Researcher and
Assistant Professor of applied thermodynamics at the University of Naples Federico II. In 2014
he has been entitled as Associate Professor at the University of Naples Federico II. His research
activity has been mainly focused on the following topics: fuel cells, advanced optimization
techniques, solar thermal systems, concentrating photovoltaic/thermal photovoltaic systems,
energy saving in buildings, solar heating and cooling, Organic Rankine Cycles, geothermal energy,
dynamic simulations of energy systems, renewable Polygeneration systems and many others. He
was invited lecturer for some courses or Conferences (UK and Finland). He teaches several
courses of energy management and applied thermodynamics at the University of Naples Federico
II for BsC, MS and PhD students. He was a supervisor of several Ph.D. degree theses. He is a
reviewer of about 30 international Journals. He was involved in several Research Projects funded
by EU and Italian Government. He is Associate Editor of 4 International Journals. He was a
Conference Chair and/or member of Scientific Committee in several session of International
Conferences. His Scopus indexes (August 2016) are: Documents: 69; Citations: 1205; H-Index:20

Antonio Piacentino - Antonio Piacentino is associate professor at Dpt. of Energy, ICT and
Mathematical Models, University of Palermo. He currently teaches Energy Management and, in
the past, has held graduation courses on Thermodynamics and Heat Transfer. He has served as a
supervisor for two PhD thesis and for more than 60 Master’s and Bachelor’s theses. His main
research activities have been focused on cogeneration and trigeneration applications in buildings,
thermoeconomic cost accounting and diagnosis of energy systems, energetic and exergetic
analysis of thermal desalination systems, process integration and pinch analysis, with some
research activities also regarding proton exchange membrane fuel cells. Prof. Piacentino has been
involved in two European projects concerning cogeneration and co-financed in the framework of
EU SAVE programme, and in one Project of Research of National Interest on a similar topic
financed by Italian Ministry of University. He is currently Head of a Research Line within a project
financed in the framework of the National Operative Programme “Research and
Competitiveness”. He has authored or co-authored more than 80 papers, with more than 30
published on scientific and technical journals indexed by high-level databases. He serves as an
associate editor for several scientific journals and as a reviewer for a number of journals in the
fields of thermodynamics, heat transfer, energetics and desalination. Also, Prof. Piacentino is
member of several national and international asociations, like the European Desalination Society,
the Italian Union of Thermofluid dynamics and the Italian Association of “Fisica Tecnica”.

Laura Vanoli - Laura Vanoli is full professor of Applied Thermodynamics atl Engineering
Department of University of Naples Parthenope. In 1997 she obtained her five years master degree
with honours in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Cassino. In 1999 she gained her
Ph.D. in Industrial Engineering at the same University. From November 1999 to October 2003
she was assistant professor at the Department of Industrial Engineering at the University of
Cassino. From November 2003 to January 2005 she worked as assistant professor at the
Department of Food Science of the University of Naples Federico II. In September 2004, she was
visiting researcher at the Energy Management Institute of Virginia Polytechic Institute and State
University (USA). From January 2005 to October 2008 has been working as associate professor
at the Department of Food Science of the University of Naples Federico II. From November 2008
to December 2016 she was associate professor at Engineering Department of the University of
Naples Parthenope.From December 2016 to Febrary 2019 she was full professor at the Civil and
Mechanical Engineering Department of University of Cassino and Lazio Meridionale. Her
research of interests cover: thermodynamic and thermo-economic analysis of advanced energy
systems, energy saving, renewable energy sources, thermo-fluid-dynamic measurement. Over the
last ten years she has been working on simulation optimization and exergy analysis of hybrid
SOFC-gas turbine power systems, dynamic simulation and thermoeconomic analysis of
polygeneration systems based on renewable technologies and sources. On these subjects, she has
written more than 90 scientific papers, mostly published in International Journals and
Proceedings of International Conferences. She has coordinated and participated in several
research projects funded by the Italian Ministry for Research (MIUR), and private companies.
She thought several modules at the Universities of Cassino Napoli Federico II and Napoli
Parthenope: Energetics for Master of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering, Applied
thermodynamics for BA degree in Food technology, Applied thermodynamics for BA degree in
Industrial Enginering, Exergy analysis for BA degree in Management Engineering, Energy
Management for Master degree in Management Engineering. Since 2015 she has been adjunct
researcher at the Engines Institute of the Italian National Research Council.
Invited submissions

Abstract
Distributed multi-energy systems based on polygeneration power plants have gained increasing
attention, having shown the capability of significant primary energy savings and reduced CO2
emissions due to the high integration of mixed-energy sources and high penetration of renewable
energy sources. Compared to the traditional power plants, the large variability in the end-user
demands (electricity, heating and cooling), coupled with the uncertainty of solar and wind energy
availability, requires the adoption of optimal operation strategy for dampening the intermittency
problems and energy storage systems for peak shaving. To evaluate the optimal integration
between the various available technologies, their capacities and management, advanced
mathematical algorithms are required for solving the master-planning and the optimal dispatch
problem simultaneously. Accordingly, an in-house developed polygeneration plant simulator,
based on a mixed integer quadratic programming technique, has been proposed to obtain the
optimal solution in short computational time. In this paper, the methodology for setting up the
polygeneration simulator is presented together with the related modelling approach. Engines,
compression chillers and storage systems have been taken into consideration together with an up
to date database of the commercially available components for allowing the optimisation to be
tailored on real market requirements and availabilities. A case study, based in Singapore, whereby
a cogeneration system is retrofit into an existing cooling district is presented. Using the simulator,
a gas engine and an absorption chiller, coupled with a chilled water storage tank have been sized
and their optimal dispatch evaluated. A cost-benefit analysis is then presented. Details on the
polygeneration plant layout, optimal dispatch and primary energy savings are discussed together
with the related net present value and the achieved reduction in carbon emissions.
Abstract
The benefits of cogeneration or polygeneration of energy products from a system depends on
several factors, including how each individual product would otherwise be produced and used. In
a Nordic renewable-based energy context, a district heating system using woody biomass could
be used for the production of several products in the electricity, heat and transportation sectors.
Energy-efficient systems for the production of different wood-based energy services, including
efficient end-use system, will reduce the need for woody biomass that could be used in other
sectors with fewer renewable alternatives including aviation, shipping and material production.
However, the scale and the annual variation of heat demands for single district heating systems
are key factors that influence co- or polygeneration benefits of such systems. In this study, we
analyse district heating systems with annual heat demands between 100 to 1000 GWh. Several
technical configurations of co- or polygeneration of heat, electricity and/or biomotor fuels are
analysed, considering different standalone production options, woody biomass fuel prices and
integration costs of intermittent energy resources. There are several state-of-the-art technologies
that offer significant co- or polygeneration benefits in district heating systems. System
configuration varies with the scales of district heat production, as does the use of biomass to
generate the same amount of products, and both depend on the context of the overall energy
system. Electric-based solution for transportation, as well as electric-based option for small-scale
district heating systems together with cogeneration of heat and electricity in larger district heating
systems, reduce the use of biomass and help to integrate wind power in the overall energy system.
Further studies are needed to understand how deep energy-renovation of buildings may influence
the configuration of co- or polygeneration system in district heating systems and the potential
saving of woody biomass.
Abstract
A centralized hybrid solar heating and cooling system serving a micro-scale district composed of
6 residential buildings located in Naples (southern Italy) is modelled, simulated and analysed by
means of the dynamic software TRNSYS over a 5-year period. The plant is based on the operation
of solar thermal collectors and integrated with a seasonal borehole thermal energy storage in
order to address the mismatch between solar energy supply and thermal demand; an adsorption
chiller powered by solar energy is adopted for cooling purposes, while a natural gas-fired boiler is
used as back-up system to supplement the thermal demand.

The primary energy consumption and the equivalent carbon dioxide emissions of the proposed
plant are evaluated based on the results of dynamic simulations and compared with those
associated to a conventional decentralized heating and cooling system assumed as reference with
the main aims of assessing the potential energy and environmental benefits.
Abstract
In this work, an exergoeconomic analysis of a geothermal energy system for wastewater, sludge
treatment, and power production is presented.

The system has been analysed from an economic, exergetic and environmental point of view in a
previous paper by the authors, which presented the analysis of the case study of the wastewater
treatment plant of Ischia, a small island of Southern Italy.

The geothermal source is simultaneously exploited for sludge drying and for feeding an ORC
module, whose electricity production covers the internal demand of the system and powers the
wastewater treatment plant; the surplus is sold to the grid.

The energy analysis is developed in Aspen PLUS environment, while the exergy, economic and
exergoeconomic ones are performed in Engineering Equation Solver environment.

Two sensitivity analyses are carried out to assess the effect of several design parameters on the
exergoeconomic costs related to energy production and sludge treatment. Firstly, the recycled
fraction of exhaust air exiting the dryer is varied, then the temperature of the geothermal source.

The variation of the recycled fraction does not affect the costs of geothermal fluid and electricity
production, which are 0.612 c€/kWhex and 4.12 c€/kWhex, respectively. Conversely, the
exergoeconomic cost of sludge varies between 37.4 and 34.1 c€/kWh ex as the recycled fraction
increases.

The variation of geothermal source temperature affects more significantly the exergoeconomic
costs: by varying it from 140 to 160°C (then changing the well depth from 180 to 800 m) the
exergoeconomic cost of the geothermal fluid increases from 0.612 to 1.66 c€/kWhex while the
electricity cost from 4.12 to 6.22 c€/kWhex. Conversely, the sludge exergoeconomic cost presents
an overall decrease from 34.15 to 32.1 c€/kWhex.
Abstract
The main goal of the present study is to assess the economic performance and environmental
impact of a number of energy systems comprised of various combinations of renewable energy
sources and diesel generators for electrification of remote villages in Peru. Three small
communities without access to the grid, which are located in areas with different climatic
characteristics, have been selected. Seven different configurations including single component
systems (solar, wind, and diesel) and hybrid ones are considered. Each of these scenarios are
modeled in HOMER software and their optimal sizing, which minimizes the net present cost
(NPC) of the system, is determined. Next, the obtained configurations are further evaluated based
on various economic and environmental criteria. For the case of Campo Serio in the Loreto region,
the hybrid solar-wind-diesel system is determined to be the most economical scenario leading to
a total NPC of $227,335. The resulting CO2 emissions of the obtained optimal system is calculated
to be 6.1% of that of a diesel-only unit. Furthermore, a sensitivity analysis has been performed to
investigate the impact of the predicted variations in the price of diesel fuel and solar panels on the
economic indices of the obtained hybrid units.
Abstract
The power sector is undergoing a fundamental transition from centralized fossil-fuelled to
distributed renewable energy-based production systems. In this paper, the distribution aspect is
treated from the perspective of the energy exchanges occuring among prosumers. To this scope,
the urban area is modelled as a network in which nodes are associated with prosumers/buildings
and links as energy connections. In order to investigate which configurations of this distribution
network ensure the higher usage of links for the exchange of the energy produced by prosumers,
this paper introduces a model framed within the complex network theory and taking advantages
from the agent-based models formulation. Hourly-based simulations run on NetLogo performing
a real urban area in Southern Italy as case study. Different operating scenarios are constituted
with respect to the energy demand and production of each building, on the distance among the
buildings of the urban area, as well as operational and technological features (PV panels or micro-
CHP). Results indicate that higher exploitation of the links typically involve small distances
among the buildings coupled with the insertion of the 30-60% of the production units.
Abstract
In this paper, experimental tests of a hybrid generation plant unit based on renewable energy
sources have been validated by TRNSYS. The plant provides electricity by coupling four
photovoltaic/thermal collectors and a micro-wind turbine, fresh water by means of hybrid
desalination (membrane distillation, and reverse osmosis), and sanitary hot water coming from
the photovoltaic/thermal collectors and an evacuated tubes collector. Daytime assessment of
power, freshwater and sanitary hot water produced allowed a good and flexible coverage of
scheduled energy and water demands for a typical family home (four residents) isolated from the
power and water networks. Several key plant measurements were compared in three typical days
of summer, autumn and winter, in order to validate the TRNSYS model for further scale up of the
design to any other scheduled demands of power and water. Major differences found were
explained and solutions were proposed to reduce them, if possible.
Abstract
This paper presents a dynamic simulation model and a thermoeconomic analysis of a hybrid
renewable energy system consisting of PhotoVoltaic (PV) panels and small-scale Wind Turbines
(WTs). In particular, the building integration (BI) of solar energy is assessed by analysing the PV
panels performance and the effect on the space heating and cooling demands of the user. The
combination of WTs and BIPV panels is very promising since it allows one to reduce the typical
fluctuations of solar systems, achieving a more stable profile of the overall power production. The
proposed system also allows one to reduce the electricity withdrawn from the grid, mainly during
the night hours operation. In fact, it is well-known that the PV winter power is lower than the
summer one, while WTs power increases during winter season. Furthermore, night-time WTs
power production is significantly higher and stable with respect to the power produced during the
daylight hours. This is a remarkable advantage from the economic point of view, since during
night-time hours the electricity bought from the grid, needed for the building electrical devices,
decreases.

The developed model is applied to a suitable case study, a hotel building, where the space heating
and cooling energy is supplied by an electrically driven reversible air-to-water Heat Pump (HP),
supplied by the electricity produced by BIPV panels and WTs. In order to maximize the HP energy
efficiency, in space cooling mode the thermal energy recovered from the HP desuperheater is
coupled with the thermal energy produced by a two-stage cascade cycle HP to produce domestic
hot water (DHW). The dynamic simulation model is developed in TRNSYS environment. Results
are presented in terms of hourly, monthly and yearly system performance as well as by discussing
the results of a detailed sensitivity analysis performed to detect the optimum configuration and
weather zone of this hybrid renewable system. An analysis of the building envelope features is
also performed, according to the nearly zero energy buildings target. A simple payback period of
about 4.5 years is obtained and the optimum configuration suggests adopting two 20 kW WTs.
Abstract
The Acid/Base Flow Battery (AB-FB) is an innovative and sustainable way to store electric energy.
It can theoretically guarantee an energy density of about 11 kWh/m 3, which is higher than that
provided by pumped hydropower, osmotic energy storage and compressed air. The AB-FB stores
energy as pH and salinity gradients by employing a stack provided with (i) channels, hosting the
solutions at difference pH and concentrations, separated by (ii) monopolar and bipolar ion
exchange membranes. Two different membrane processes are involved: the Bipolar Membrane
Electrodialysis (ED-BM) as charging step and its opposite, Bipolar Membrane Reverse
Electrodialysis (RED-BM) as discharging step.

The present work aims at predicting the performance of this AB-FB energy storage device via the
development of a mathematical model based on a multi-scale approach. The channel represents
the lowest scale of the model where Computational Fluid Dynamic Simulations are adopted to
predict pressure drops and polarization phenomena. The middle-low-scale model concerns the
triplet (which is the repeating unit of the stack) where all membrane fluxes (i.e. ohmic, diffusive,
osmotic, etc.) are calculated. The middle-high-scale is devoted to predicting the pressure losses
and the ionic losses (due to ionic short-circuit currents) in the manifolds. The highest scale
includes all equations relevant to the connections of the stack with the tanks used to store the
solutions. All model-scales are fully integrated, thus representing an original tool able to predict
the flow battery performance parameters such as the power density produced and the overall
battery round trip efficiency. A sensitivity analysis is performed by letting geometrical features
(e.g. manifold size) and operating conditions (e.g. charge and discharge current density) to vary
in a wide range of values. Main results show that the parasitic currents in the manifolds may
represent the main limit to the present technology among all the detrimental phenomena.
Suitable geometries and operating conditions can be adopted to reduce their effect thus leading
to round-trip efficiencies higher than 65%.
Abstract
In this paper the techno-economic analysis of a small-scale polygeneration system in which
ammonia is used as fuel for a fuel cell power unit has been performed. The system is sized to
produce hydrogen for refueling up to fuel cell vehicles as well as electricity and heat for local use.

It consists of three main sections: a) the power and heat production section based on SOFC
technology ; b) the hydrogen separation section based on the Pd-membrane; c) the hydrogen
compression and storage section that uses the ionic compression technology.

The energy analysis has been carried out by using numerical modeling based on thermo-
electrochemical models. Different system operating conditions that are devoted to valorize the
electricity or the hydrogen production, according to the SOFC power unit loads have been
evaluated.

The economic analysis has been performed by applying an optimization procedure that aims to
find the profitability of the system taking into account the market prices of the produced energy
vectors (electricity, hydrogen and heat).
Abstract
Wastewater treatment plants present high electrical and thermal energy demand. All the
treatments aimed at wastewater purification and sludge treatment require electric energy, which
accounts for 25–50% of the total operating costs of such plants. Sludge treatment, usually
anaerobic digestion and drying, needs thermal energy. Due to this contemporary demand for
electric and thermal energy, the use of cogeneration systems is recognized to be particularly
appropriate for wastewater treatment plants. When biogas from anaerobic digestion of sludge is
available, it is used for heating and electricity generation. However, biogas is usually insufficient
to supply the entire thermal and electrical demand for wastewater and sludge treatment.
Therefore, conventional energy sources or other renewables need to be integrated. Obviously,
using renewable energy systems is very attractive for wastewater treatment plants, since they may
reduce their economic costs and environmental impact. In this work, Waste Vegetable Oil (WVO)
coming from the separate collection is proposed as bioenergy source for wastewater, and sludge
treatment. WVO is usually converted into biodiesel, through the processes of transesterification,
neutralization, washing and distillation. These treatments improve the chemical-physical
characteristics of raw WVO, but their energy consumption and environmental impact are not
negligible. Therefore, straight WVO as fuel, after mechanical pre-treatments and with suitable
operational strategy, is suggested in literature. In the present work, WVO is used to fuel a
Combined Heat and Power (CHP) unit, whose operation is analysed considering the data coming
from an experimental campaign carried out to investigate the performance of internal combustion
engines powered by WVO. Such experimental data are used to design a CHP system for a real
wastewater treatment plant located in the Campania region, southern Italy.
Abstract
The presence of desalination systems in polygeneration facilities has been widely discussed in
literature. However, this has usually been limited to either thermal processes or reverse osmosis,
with the important difficulties of operating under non-stationary regimes. On the other hand,
electrodialysis (ED) is currently spreading as a viable alternative to other membrane desalination
processes and, due to its great flexibility, it has recently been proposed especially when non-
stationary conditions characterise the operating scenarios as in the case of coupling with solar or
wind energy. Within such context, the capability of analysing the dynamic operation of ED units
has become of paramount importance.

In this work, a dynamic model has been used to simulate the transitory operation of an
electrodialysis process for water desalination operation. The model is based on a hierarchical
approach that goes from the scale of the cell pair, space-distributed along the direction of the
flowing channel, up to the highest scale of the plant. In addition, thanks to the semi-empirical
nature of the model only easily measurable input parameters (i.e. macroscopic membrane
properties) are required. At all scale, time-dependent equations allow for the simulation of
dynamic operation of the ED plant.

Dynamic scenarios typical of polygeneration systems have been analysed, looking at two different
time-scales: 1) the daily operational time scale (hours), where quasi-stationary operation of ED
allows for a continuous re-adaptation of working parameters to meet output target with the
available energy input, and 2) the short time scale of transient regimes of the desalination unit
(form seconds to minutes), where the intrinsically dynamic behaviour of the unit is modelled to
predict the response to fast disturbances in energy availability. The model capability to predict
the dynamic system response of a real ED unit has been successfully used to prove the flexibility
of ED in maintaining drinking water specifications while changing process conditions, thus
making it particularly suitable for the integration within poly-generation systems as energy-
buffer, especially when renewable power sources are adopted.
Abstract
This work deals with the dynamic estimation of the thermal load of a small district of Naples
(South Italy), by adopting the data available in the Naples’s Sustainable Energy Action Plan
(SEAP). The SEAP is a document explaining the strategies of the local authority planned to
achieve the EU and national 2020 energy targets. The data of the SEAP were used to develop a
suitable dynamic model, developed in TRNSYS environment, including different buildings of
Fuorigrotta, the district selected to perform the evaluation of thermal load. In particular, all the
buildings were modelled by means of the Type 56 of TRNSYS (version 17), coupled to the Google
SketchUp TRNSYS3d plug-in. By means Type 56 it is possible to take into account and simulate
the buildings geometry, envelope, windows, lighting, machineries heat gains schedule as well as
the buildings users’ occupation and activity. Known the loads, several energy efficient renovation
alternatives of the district, based on the adoption of heat pumps, evacuated thermal collectors and
photovoltaic panels, as well as the envelope renovation of all the public and private buildings of
the district, are proposed and compared. Results, obtained by detailed yearly and monthly energy
and environmental analyses, can be used to suggest to the local authority some suitable energy
efficiency retrofits of existing buildings in order to reduce both the thermal energy and CO 2
emissions related to the energy for building space heating/cooling, DHW and electricity. Note
that these results are very interesting in order to achieve the EU and national 2020 energy targets.
Abstract
Combined heat and power generation traditionally allows for higher energy performance than
separate production of heat and electricity. However the significant increase of the renewable
energy sources contribution in electricity production has spatially and temporally modified the
context in which polygeneration systems operate and the energy and environmental profitability
of these technologies could be undetermined. In this framework the aim of the paper is to
investigate the influence of the power grid efficiency scenarios variation on the polygeneration
systems performance. For this purpose the energy and environmental performance of a proposed
system based on combined production are compared to those one achieved by a conventional
system based on separate production. Both systems satisfy the space heating, cooling and
domestic hot water demands of a multipurpose building located in Naples. The primary energy
demand of conventional and proposed system due to electricity depends on the efficiency of the
national electric energy system features. In this paper, this factor is considered to be time-varying
(hour-by-hour) and it is further taken into account that the electric system efficiency changes in
the different regions of the same Country. In particular, for the Italian day-ahead market of
electricity the national territory is divided in 6 zones; in this analysis two of them will be
considered (Centre-North zone and Centre-South zone) and compared. The differences that arise
in the results are also assessed with respect to the case in which the national and local average
efficiency is taken into account. These considerations also affect the environmental performance
of both energy conversion systems. Thus they are compared from an environmental point of view
considering the average and the time-varying values of the electricity emission factor referred to
Italian, Centre-Nord zone and Centre-South zone thermoelectric plants. The strong variability of
these parameters affect the energy and environmental analysis results highlighting the
importance of performing detailed analysis with up-to-date actual operation electricity
production data, as the evolution towards sustainability in Smart Grids require an integrated
approach.
Abstract
Despite rapid advances in decarbonisation of the electricity sector supported by the deployment
of low-carbon technologies, decarbonisation of the heating and cooling sector will be critical for
achieving the EU’s long-term energy and climate change objectives. Heating/cooling and
electricity systems can benefit significantly from mutual synergies; a higher degree of integration
between these systems presents novel and unique opportunities to make use of cross-vector
flexibility to support the integration of intermittent renewable energy and reduce the cost of
decarbonisation.

Analysing multi-vector energy systems at adequate temporal and spatial granularity is, however,
a complex and challenging task. Quantitative models need to simultaneously consider second-by-
second supply-demand balancing issues as well as multi-year investment problems. The multi-
vector models will also need to adequately consider synergies and conflicts between local district
level and national (or trans-national) requirements, and capture the specific features of a range
of emerging energy conversion and storage technologies, including thermal storage (TES), heat
pumps (HP), Combined Heat and Power (CHP), fuel cells etc.

This research proposes an analytical framework to simultaneously address operation and

investment timescales while covering both local and national heat and electricity infrastructures
integration. The overall objective is to cost-optimise the decarbonisation of the combined
electricity and heat system, by selecting a cost-effective portfolio of heating technologies,
including district heating, CHP and polygeneration systems, industrial and residential HPs, gas
boilers and TES. The objective is to minimise total combined system cost, by optimising the
investment in electricity generation (including conventional and low-carbon polygeneration
systems), heating plants, district heating networks and reinforcement of electricity transmission
and distribution networks while considering system operation cost and operating reserve
requirements.
Abstract
In order to maximise the utilisation of energy inputs (fossil fuels or renewable sources), the
combined production of electricity and heat is a very promising solution. Moreover, this kind of
polygeneration is rewarded economically if it is capable of producing heat and electricity with high
efficiency.

One of the most interesting field of application of cogeneration is the industrial sector. Indeed,
industry more and more often adopts cogeneration systems to produce process heat/cool and
electricity: several sectors are suitable to be matched to cogeneration, thanks to their large
thermal and electric demands.

Among the several sectors, food industry appears to be very appealing in this context. An
experimental campaign was conducted in a food industry facility specialised in confectionery
production. This allowed for the collection of data concerning the electric load diagram and the
amount and conditions (temperature and pressure) of process heat required. Such a facility is
characterised by an internal combustion engine-based cogeneration unit, which turns out not to
be the most appropriate technical solution for this industry sector, given its heat-to-electricity
ratio (which is about 2-3). So, in this paper an analysis was performed in order to identify other
combined heat and power (CHP) technologies able to satisfy this type of facility consumptions,
considering the high-efficiency cogeneration framework to design the proposed CHP plants.

The abovementioned investigation was carried out by simulating power plants with the help of
proper software (GateCycle) and providing an estimate of all energy, economic and environmental
parameters, taking into account also the complexity of the proposed power plants. As evidenced
by preliminary calculations, internal combustion engine must give way to gas turbine-based
cogeneration units, which turn out to be the winning technical solutions for the confectionery
industry.
Abstract
Actual trends of increased utilization of renewable sources in residential sector impose new
requirements for domestic energy system operation. As one of potential competitive options for
energy autonomous buildings is a solar trigeneration system based on photovoltaic thermal
collectors coupled with heat pump and thermal storage. Recent research results have shown that
high level of energy autonomy could be achieved by utilization of such systems in residential
building located even within European continental climate zone. Since unbalance between local
electricity generation and demand is inevitable, some interactions with electricity market should
be also considered. It is particularly interesting in the light of fact that in near future access to the
hourly electricity market will be enabled to all households thus acting as prosumers.

For selected family low-energy house (180 m2 heated and cooled area, 75 m2 useful roof area,
located in northwest Croatia) the energy system consisted of photovoltaic thermal collector, heat
storage, heat pump and auxiliary energy sources is sized to cover the most of electricity, heating
and cooling demand.

By analysis of yearly operational profiles required exchange of energy with electricity market will
be calculated. Detailed mathematical model of the system coupled with residential building
spaces will be used for hourly simulation in order to evaluate various operation strategies with the
goal to increase either renewable energy sources utilization or profitability. Different control
algorithms have been compared in typical days defined by profiles of energy demands, insulation
and electricity price. The simulation results will show the relation between control algorithm
complexity and system viability.
Abstract
Today, a district heating (DH) system is often a well-established polygeneration system that
consist generally of conventional combined heat and power (CHP) units, used as base load units,
and heating only boilers (HOB) for peak heating needs. For some regions with good biomass
availability, such energy systems are often based on biomass fuels. In general, however, European
district heating systems are still mainly based on utilization of fossil fuels such as coal and natural
gas, often because of lack of local and affordable biomass fuels. Many towns and cities in Europe
have such efficient but fossil-based polygeneration systems in place, and face large challenges
with their future deep decarbonization targets, e.g. fossil free energy production in 2030-2050.
This opens up interest and possibilities for power-to-heat (P2H) and power-to-gas (P2G) district
heat solutions based on renewable power.

For a future medium scale district heating and polygeneration system in European climate
regions with cold winters, we analyze on a district level the energy system and interaction between
the district’s power, gas and district heat grids. We enlighten how such a district with a novel
polygeneration solution consisting of renewable power, heat and fuel gas generation can reach a
complete energy system decarbonization. Such a solution would utilize novel P2H and P2G
technologies, enabling efficient integration of intermittent solar and wind power.

To illustrate the operation of a mid-scale district heating network level and its future P2H and
P2G options, a detailed simulation model of a district from the Finnish town of Suonenjoki was
used. This validated model includes integrated building and district heating network physical
simulation, and was extended in this study for the H2020 project PLANET with a polygeneration
model for district level P2H, P2G, CHP and HOB units. We show and analyze the CO2-circulation
and renewable synthetic natural gas (SNG) production needs of this novel polygeneration system.

The study shows that a complete decarbonization of the example district’s power and heating
energy can be reached even without the availability of biomass, if sufficient P2H and P2G capacity
is integrated to the DH grid, and sufficiently more wind- and solar power is installed or contracted
to replace all the fossil fuels. To reach this target, the P2H and P2G capacity, together with the
legacy gas-fired CHP and HOB, must be coordinated and flexibly operated, which ensures that
both the extensive wind- and solar power is used and both heating and power needs as well as
hard power grid limitations are met. We also show why the merit order of the polygeneration,
normally meriting CHP as baseload, should be changed towards P2H and P2G as baseload and
CHP as intermittent or peak unit.
The UN declared that a green economy has to be implemented as an institutional framework for
achieving sustainable development and defined by UNEP as “an economy that results in improved
human well-being and social equity, while significantly reducing environmental risks and
ecological scarcities.” The green economy incorporates also the nexus system thinking model and
can “address the water, energy and food security nexus, in-line with human rights-based
approaches.” The green economy should now be interpreted as a process for enabling sustainable
development and one institutional response to the socio-economic and ecological challenges of
the current globalized world economy. The Food Energy Water (FEW)-Nexus approach is seen as
the core of the green economy.

For this transformation process towards a green economy, appropriate indicators are needed at
both the macroeconomic and sectoral level for informing and guiding the transition process. The
17 Sustainable Development Goals adopted on 25 September 2015 by the General Assembly of the
United Nations are a universal agenda of sustainable development and provide indicators for
measuring the success of the green economy process. The SDG9 is the reference goal to achieve
inclusive and sustainable industrial development and research is emerging to define composite
indices useful to monitor to what extent countries can boost industrialization by promoting
environmental and social objectives.

Against this background the focus of our session will be on the discussion of

 the perils and challenges of the current global development,

 the methods for measuring the state of the green economy<ol> considering the UN
SDGs,

 focusing also on the food-energy-water–nexus sectors as the key sector of the green
economy and

 identifying the gaps in knowledge on interactions, feedbacks and adaptation options

across the nexus sectors.

 </ol>Session organizers:

Dr. Holger Schlör, Forschungszentrum Jülich (Research Centre Jülich), Jülich, Germany

Dr. Nicola Cantore, UNIDO, Vienna, Austria

Holger Schlör - Holger Schlör studied economics at the University of Heidelberg and went on to
complete his PhD in Economics at the Free University in Berlin. His interest in economics and
the idea of sustainable development has remained with him throughout his career. He has
conducted research at several institutions and is currently working at Forschungszentrum Jülich
in the Institute of Energy Research -- Systems Analysis and Technology Evaluation (IEF-STE).
His research here focuses on the fields of sustainable development, economics and energy systems
analysis. He was member of the Scientific Committee for Social Sciences and Humanities of the
Croatian Science Foundation. He was an invited speaker at the Food-Energy-Water Nexus
Conference 2016 of the National Council for Science and the Environment in Washington. He is
a member of the “Sustainable Management” and “Sustainable Assessment” Committees of the
Association of German Engineers (VDI) and supporting member of the International Centre for
Sustainable Development of Energy, Water and Environment Systems (SDEWES Centre).

Nicola Cantore - Nicola Cantore holds a Ph.D in environmental economics and management at
the University of York and a Ph.D in economics at the Universita` Cattolica del Sacro Cuore. He
worked as a junior researcher at the FEEM (Fondazione ENI Enrico Mattei) in Milan, as a senior
researcher at the Department of Agricultural Economics and Engineering of the University of
Bologna and as a research fellow at the Overseas Development Institute in London. He served as
a consultant for many organizations such as UNEP, UNDP and DFID. He is currently a researcher
at the Department of Policy Research and Statistics of UNIDO where he was the coordinator of
the Industrial Development Report 2016. His CV includes a list of publications in peer reviewed
journals. His research interests include environment, development and structural change.
Invited submissions

Abstract
In 2016 Tim Jackson published his interpretation of the foundations for the economy of
tomorrow, where he discusses the transformation to a world without economic growth. The era
of economic growth started with the industrialization more than 200 years ago as showed by
Angus Maddison: The world GDP per capita increased just from $467* in year 1 A.D. to $666* in
1820 and increase dramatically to $7285* in 2006. Following the lines of Jackson, economic
growth has been accompanied by technical innovations and emissions of carbon dioxide, CO2, as
energy is generated from fossil fuels to a large extent. Consequently, a world without economic
growth could allow for CO2 reductions. The 2018 IPCC special report on global warming demands
such a decline of global net anthropogenic CO2 emissions by about 45% from 2010 levels by 2030,
reaching net zero around 2050 to limiting global warming to 1.5°C. UN Secretary-General Antonio
Guterres emphasized: "If we do not change course by 2020, we risk missing the point where we
can avoid runaway climate change, with disastrous consequences for people and all the natural
systems that sustain us.“

This paper analyzes economic consequences and socio-economic effects of negative and zero
growth rates using a two-country computable general equilibrium (CGE) model. Under the
assumption that CO2 emissions and economic growth are strongly related, sustainability aspects,
such as the IPCC CO2 reduction goals, are discussed too. In our model, each country has six
economic sectors (agriculture, industry, energy, water, trade and transport, public and private
services). We assume perfect competition, perfect foresight, one consumer and one government
for each country, emissions of consumption and free trade based on the Armington assumption
to generate more realistic responses of trade to price changes. We discuss two scenarios: In
scenario I we assume that both countries are following a no-growth path and in scenario II we
assume that only one country follows a no-growth path and the other country grows.
Abstract
Electricity generation requires water for cooling, cleaning processes and power plant operation.
With the global demand for electricity expected to increase significantly in the coming decades
the water demand in the power sector is also expected to rise. Particularly in regions affected by
water stress, the increasing demand for water to generate electricity can become critical and at
the same time the electricity generation itself can be negatively affected by reduced water
availability. In light of these challenges a deeper understanding of future water demands for
electricity generation is required. However, with the on-going energy transition the future
structure of the power supply and therewith also the future water demand for power generation
is subject to high levels of uncertainty because the water intensity of electricity generation varies
significantly depending on the generation technology as well as the cooling system applied. The
objective of the presented research is therefore to explore the implications of the global energy
transition for the direct global and regional water demand for electricity generation. To this end,
a comparative assessment approach is applied to systematically analyse a range of global energy
scenarios in regard to their impact on the direct water demand for electricity generation until
2040. The results show that different decarbonisation strategies for the electricity sector can lead
to widely varying water needs. Saving greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) does not necessarily lead
to a reduction in water demand. At the same time, it becomes apparent that not only the choice
of energy sources but also the type of power plant and cooling system can significantly influence
water demand for electricity generation. These findings underline that in order to achieve a
sustainable energy transition not only GHG emission reductions but also aspects such as water
requirements of future energy systems have to be taken into account, both on regional and global
levels.
Abstract
To evaluate potential infrastructure modifications in the energy sector that are required to
mitigate climate change, a level of complexity and resulting uncertainties need to be considered,
which are barely possible with conventional economic methods. Therefore, the aim with this
paper was to show how to develop macroeconomic scenarios for the economic evaluation of gas
infrastructure modifications which meet this requirement. We developed macroeconomic
descriptive scenarios with an intuitive scenario approach from a system perspective. This
approach is used to support the transition towards a green economy by identifying the most
realistic policy option in terms of political and economic feasibility instead of focusing on optimal
policies. As a result, we presented different qualitative scenarios for the year 2035 which describe
the development of conditions that effect the modification of the German gas infrastructure
within the scope of the energy transition and sector coupling. We discussed about the desirability
and key drivers of the scenarios and interpreted them in terms of infrastructure modifications
focusing on Hydrogen and CCS. In conclusion, the development of scenarios revealed that
qualitative scenarios have a large potential to improve the quality of an economic assessment
since they distil even ‘unthinkable’, yet still possible, futures which are mostly neglected in the
conventional approach.
Abstract
There is a growing consensus that digitization and sustainable development need to be assessed
using a holistic approach. In response to rapid technological innovation, the World Economic
Forum developed a new indicator framework as part of its Global Competitive Index 4.0. This
paper examines current challenges and opportunities driven by the Fourth Industrial Revolution
in the context of sustainable development since technological innovations can play an important
role to counter errant developments of the past and can potentially support the transformation
process towards a green economy in pursuit of the SDGs. On the other hand, however, it is
essential to quickly identify difficulties and prevent further and irreversible damage to the planet
and societies. Thus, this paper explores if certain indicators of the newly developed framework
can potentially be useful to monitor related effects and thereby support policy makers to shape
the continuing digitization in a sustainable manner. Subsequently, it discusses possible
implications for national sustainability strategies and closes with an outlook.
Abstract
The UN Sustainable Development Goals constitute a bench of directives with a universal scope to
establish actions to mitigate poverty and protect the environment. Benefiting from the
Environmental-Economic Accounting for Water recently published in Brazil, it is possible to
harmonize the demand of water and the economic sectors. To this end, this study conducted an
input-output analysis and structural decomposition analysis to explore the water consumption of
the Brazilian Economy and its driving forces during 2013 and 2015. The results indicate that the
total variation of the water consumption between 2013 and 2015 is 15%. Between 2013 and 2014,
the total effect was positive, causing an increase of 45% in the embodied water consumption,
having as main driver the final demand and the intensity effect. In the second period, the total
intensity effect was negative, provoking a decrease of -10% in the total water consumption. The
“Agriculture, livestock, forestry and fishing” is the main sector responsible for these positive and
negative results, representing an increase of 8% of water consumption in the first period and a
decrease of -1% between 2014 and 2015.
Abstract
The aim of this paper is to establish a sound framework for assessment of Sustainable
Development Goals (SDG) in businesses, using the construction industry as an example and with
combating climate change as the primary focus (SDG 13), assuming a development that is in line
with the Paris Agreement. We use a case study from the construction industry – a road
construction work – to explore how a meaningful SDG analysis can be framed with links between
SDG 13 and other related SDGs.

From the case study, we conclude that any SDG assessment should include both long- and short-
term considerations and should be transparent regarding how the long-term climate target is
handled. Furthermore, any SDG assessment that relates to climate targets in line with the Paris
Agreement should identify the processes and activities that can be expected to be particularly
challenging in terms of their abatement. In our road construction work case, we identify four such
hard-to-abate activities: (i) introducing biomass for renewable transportation fuels for use in
construction equipment and heavy transport; (ii) electrification of transport and industrial
processes; (iii) substitution as part of moving away from fossil fuel use; and (iv) applying carbon
capture and storage technologies in the production of basic materials, such as cement and steel.
The approach applied will avoid “Greenwashing” in the SDG assessment, i.e., that businesses only
focus on SDGs in situations where they are already performing well, can apply low-cost measures
or that they only relate to the part of the supply chain that pertains to their own business (Scope
1 emissions).
Global challenges, such as climate change, population growth and resource shortages,
increasingly touch upon basic human needs: the availability of adequate food, safe and sufficient
fresh water, and affordable and clean energy. In order to achieve a secure and sustainable
provision of these resources and to avoid trade-offs, the food-energy-water- (FEW-) nexus has
been introduced as a concept to account for interlinkages and synergies.

When applying the FEW-nexus perspective to resource management problems, two dimensions
of challenges become apparent. First, biophysical interconnections and dynamic resource flows
between these resources are often not fully understood. Second, in terms of governance, a wide
range of different authorities are currently endowed with single sectoral mandates. Furthermore,
often a large number of public, private as well as non-state actors and institutions are involved,
so that the decision-making landscape in resource management is highly fragmented and
complex. In order to balance trade-offs and maximize synergies, both problem dimensions must
be addressed. Therefore, innovative technical solutions as well as significant transitions in
governance structures and institutions will become necessary.

Given this complexity and the diverse challenges, this session will focus on both (a) viable data-
and model-driven methodical approaches for the integrated assessment of socio-ecological FEW-
nexus systems, and (b) the dynamics of decision-making in the FEW-nexus including questions
about the role of actors and institutions.

Session organizers:

Dr. Sandra Venghaus, Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, Germany

Ms. Carolin Märker, Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, Germany

Sandra Venghaus - Dr. Sandra Venghaus is senior scientist at the Institute for Systems Analysis
and Technology Evaluation at the Research Center Juelich, Germany. She received her B.A. in
Environmental Science and Public Policy from Harvard University in 2004 and her PhD in
Economics from the Leibniz University of Hannover, before she became a senior scientist at the
Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research from 2009 until 2014. Her current research
focuses on the dynamic modelling of complex socio-ecological systems with specific interest in
evaluating the impacts of different political courses of action on social and environmental
parameters embedded in the broader concept of sustainable development and, specifically, the
nexus among food, energy and water resources.

Carolin Märker - Carolin Märker works as a PhD researcher at Forschungszentrum Jülich in the
Institute of Energy Research – Systems Analysis and Technology Evaluation (IEK-STE). Her
research mainly focuses on institutional analysis and the governance of the Food-Energy-Water
(FEW) nexus. Her PhD research is about institutional change processes within the FEW nexus in
Germany. Furthermore, Carolin cooperated with Delft Technical University in the SHAPE
ENERGY Research Design Challenge (funded by EU Horizon 2020) and developed a value-based
framework for institutional analysis of energy systems. Additional research interests are EU’s
energy and climate policy. Carolin holds a Bachelor Degree in History and Political Science from
the University of Mainz. Afterwards she completed her Master in Political Science at the
Universities of Bonn and Grenoble. In 2015, she graduated as third best of the year with a Master
thesis about the influence of the Visegrad Group on the EU's 2030 Climate and Energy Package.
Invited submissions

Abstract
Dennis Meadows stated in 2012 that the deadline for achieving sustainable development has
passed and suggested instead the need for resilience building and social adaptation to cope with
permanent losses of cheap energy, biodiversity, other natural resources and increasing GHG
emissions. Building on this assumption, the ethically derived sustainable development goals are
interpreted as new targets for resilient development so that resilient development for Germany is
defined as a societal development which meets the sustainability goals defined in the German
Sustainability Strategy of 2017. To Address Meadows’ hypothesis in light of the German
Sustainability Strategy both a normative data base as well as a new measure (the German
Resilience Index) of the resilience of the German society is developed based on a new
interpretation of the German UN Sustainable Development Goals (German SDGs) of 2017 in the
light of Meadows considerations.

The German Resilience Index (GRI) defines the resilient path for Germany and thus enables the
analysis of whether Germany is currently on a resilient path to defy the storms of globalization.
The GRI is methodologically based on the indicator concepts of the OECD and UNDESA.
Mathematically it is based on the cubic mean as the special case of Hölder’s equation. The GRI
considers both ethical values (v) – the analysis revealed that these constitute an important
implicit fundament for the German Sustainability Strategy –, as well as the opportunities of
globalization (the k-factor) for the German society and economy. The proposed German resilience
index (GRI) and its subindices calculate the degree to which a resilient path has been achieved. If
the GRI is smaller than 1, then the socio-economic development of Germany is not on a resilient
path. If the GRI is equal to or greater than 1, then the German society has reached a resilient path
according to the targets set by the German government in its SDGs. The analysis provides a first
attempt to consider the impact of Germany’s intensive participation in globalization and the
ethical values of the German Sustainability Strategy and its SDGs. The measuring results are
important for the political decision making process and contribute to the German culture of
reflected numbers in its political discourse about resilient societal development.
Abstract
The main objective of this paper is the analysis of the International Index of Energy Security Risk,
developed by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which serves as decision-making supportive tool.
Energy security is one of the main challenges for stable and secure future, both for individual
states, and globally. Energy security policy is complex and one of the priority tasks for all countries
of the world, regardless of its energy profile. Decision-making in the area of energy security is very
complex but, at the same time, decisions have long-term consequences on development in all
aspects. In order to support decision-making process, numerous indices have been developed so
far. This study addresses the methodological analysis of reliability of the International Index of
Energy Security Risk, done through descriptive analysis of available reports and by using the
appropriate statistical methods. The Index setting is analyzed through cluster analysis, One-way
ANOVA test, and the overall level of the Index reliability is determined by Cronbach's Alpha test.
The assessment of error probability in the conducted analysis is performed using the Tukey's HSD
test. The research sample consists of 25 countries, the largest energy consumers in 10 years. The
research period covers the years from 1980 to 2016. Recommendations for the improvements are
provided on the basis of the results. The results show that OECD countries can be classified into
3 individual clusters. It is evident that the values of the International Index of Energy Security
Risk have been stable until 1990, but in the period 1990-1995 said values reported great
fluctuations (variations) in all clusters. The results of the Tukey's HSD test show no errors in the
conducted analysis (p <.01). The Cronbach's Alpha Test value of .942 indicates that the
International Index of Energy Security Risk is very consistent and well-conceived, and it is
certainly recommended that it be further used in non-OECD countries.
Abstract
The transformation towards a low-carbon society is a dominant issue in the context of global
challenges. Thereby, social acceptance is a key factor to achieve serious changes over all sectors.
In the past, especially large-scale technology projects or perceived risk technologies have evoked
conflicts and protests in the population. Hence, for the decision-making and the successful
implementation of large-scale projects, it is crucial to understand and reveal the underlying
positions and conflicts in society. This paper analyses these positions and conflicts using the
example of the implementation of a full chain CCS/H2 infrastructure to decarbonize the European
energy system. Therefore, stakeholders from politics, industry/economy and society are
interviewed to evaluate CCS/H2 scenarios in Germany. We assume that these positions represent
the public acceptance discourse with the associated conflict lines and that the stakeholders
themselves are highly relevant for the political decision-making. Accordingly, the interviews allow
us to reflect chances and risks for the implementation of clean energy technology and
infrastructure. The results indicate different positions and assumptions while pursuing the
common goal of addressing climate change. The general conflict concerns the strategy towards a
low-carbon society, especially how quickly fossil energies are phased out. Argumentations behind
these positions refer among others to security of supply, competitiveness, environmental
protection and different assumptions on dealing with societal demand and needs for energy.
Alongside opposing and conflicting arguments within and between social areas, also intersecting
sets are emerging, for example concerning the decarbonization of industry or using hydrogen
technologies. These intersecting sets can be defined as chances to approach solutions for broad
public acceptance.
Abstract
According to the revised Renewable Energy Directive, the European Union (EU) must
increasingly incorporate renewable resources to meet its energy needs in the coming decades. In
order to reach this goal, member states must promote the use of non-fossil-based feedstocks to
substitute conventional energy sources. However, these alternatives must be sustainable both
from a technical and ecological point of view. This study assesses the environmental performance
of an innovative Power-to-Fuel (PtF) system that links a manure-based biogas plant with a
synthetic fuel production plant. In the system, the residual CO2 from biogas production is used
for the synthesis of methanol. Hydrogen is obtained from wind electrolysis. A life cycle assessment
(LCA) is carried out to quantify the environmental impacts of the proposed system, from cradle
to gate, based on primary data. The system generates a carbon footprint of -2.61 kg CO2 eq.,
acidification of 0.00593 kg SO2 eq. and eutrophication of -0.00275 kg P eq. It can thus make a
contribution to the EU’s goal of a circular economy.
Abstract
To meet the increase in energy demand, many developing countries, such as Madagascar, have
turned to fossil fuels for electricity generation. This dependence has a significant environmental
impact. Moreover, in Madagascar, the current electricity mix does not allow for stable and serene
economic development. Thus, in order to discuss an energy planning strategy of the territory, this
paper intends to analyze the past trends of CO2emissions from electricity generation in
Madagascar over the 1990-2015 period. In this study, the logarithmic mean Divisia index (LMDI)
method is used to first quantify the driving forces of changes by examining past trends. Then, the
combination of the LMDI with Kaya's identity through the concept of IPAT, allows us to link
CO2emissions to anthropogenic activity.

This makes it possible to define Madagascar’s future energy needs and the distribution of
associated consumption by 2030. Starting from the classic business-as-usual trend scenario, two
other scenarios have been implemented. The two cases selected come from Madagascar's new
energy planning visions (NPE and IEM). The impact of political instability is discussed from the
perspective of energy consumption and the economy.
Abstract
The most pressing current global societal, environmental, and economic challenges are
summarized in the UN 2030 Agenda and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Regarding their increased complexity the SDGs call for a holistic approach to achieve a profound
transition. The food-energy-water (FEW) nexus is seen as such a holistic approach. Therefore, in
this paper, we approximate the nexus by using the definition of systems thinking, developed by
Donella Meadows. In combination with work done by Arnold and Wade we develop a nexus
systems thinking test in order to assess if and how the nexus approach is conceptualized as a
systems thinking approach.

The test is used to analyze nexus papers presented at the 12th SDEWES Conference, held 2017 in
Dubrovnik. The papers were thoroughly read and qualitatively analyzed using a specific coding
scheme based on the following four system components: (1) elements of the system, (2)
interconnections, (3) function and purpose, and (4) behavior over time. Therefore, we used the
qualitative data analysis software MAXQDA. Our multi- and mixed-method analysis of the
SDEWES papers shows that all SDEWES papers meet the four system criteria. It further reveals
that the authors put different emphases on the four Meadows system categories. However, it
becomes apparent that the nexus concept has not yet developed a consistent systems thinking
approach. The nexus systems thinking test, developed in this paper, proved to be a valid method
to investigate if and in what way nexus research incorporates a systems thinking perspective
according to Meadows. The test provides valuable insights into the development of research on a
relatively new concept.
Over the last century, the increase in global population and economic activities has been
accompanied with an increase in the demand for resources including metallic minerals, non-
metallic minerals, biomass, and fossil fuel, and consequently an increase in environmental,
economic and social pressure. The issues of sustainability have been addressed recently in the
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) formulated by the United Nations. Several of the SDGs
are either directly relate to resource sustainability or require adequate supply of resources to be
achieved. While the energy-land-water nexus has received significant attention in other sessions
of the conference, this session focus on the material-energy nexus.

For the energy system, metals are significant for technologies used in both the demand and
supply side of energy, either as important parts of these technologies or to enhance their
efficiencies. On the supply side, metals are required for all energy production and storage
technologies, especially in the transition to a low carbon society to tackle climate change. On the
demand side, several technologies proposed for possible energy reduction in different sectors
require the use of specific metals. Restrictions in the supply of those materials may significantly
influence technology choice and the realization of several scenarios which aim at limiting the
increase in average global temperature to 2 °C or below compared with pre-industrial levels
including those proposed by the International Energy Agency (IEA) and other national and
international organizations.

Materials on the other hand require energy for their production, and for the operation of their
stocks and their demolition. Mining and processing of metals are known to require a large amount
of energy and without improving energy and material efficiencies, and changing the sources of
energy supply, emissions would increase and again may limit the realization of future optimistic
scenarios. These issues are discussed in the integrated assessment modeling and industrial
ecology fields of research. In recent years, there is an increasing discussion on the possibility of
linking the integrated assessment models, energy models, and industrial ecology models.
However, there are several methodological issues that require further investigation.

This session will focus on 1) The impacts of material-energy nexus on the future resources, energy
and GHG emissions, 2) The methodological and data aspects of the linkage of integrated
assessment models, energy models, and material flow-stock models.

Session organizers:

Prof. Ayman Elshkaki, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing, China

Ayman Elshkaki - Ayman Elshkaki is professor at the Institute of Geographic Sciences and
Natural Resources Research (IGSNRR), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). He is Chemical
Engineer by training and obtained his Ph.D. in Industrial Ecology at Leiden University. Prior to
his current appointment, he spent six years at Yale University Centre for Industrial Ecology, three
years at Imperial College London Centre of Environmental Policy and six years at Leiden
University Institute of Environmental Sciences. He was appointed as scientific expert by the
French National Institute for Agricultural Research and Latvian Council of Science. His research
interests include Industrial Ecology, Dynamic Material Flow Analysis, Sustainable Resources
Management, Metals Criticality Assessment, Integrated Assessment Modelling, and Material-
Energy Nexus. He has published over 25 publications in Scientific Journals, Books and
Conferences Proceedings. He has won the most cited paper award of the 1st SDEWES Conference.
He is a member of the scientific committee and scientific advisory board for several conferences
and he has reviewed more than 150 papers for 20 scientific journals including Nature Energy,
Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Environmental Science & Technology, Cleaner
Production, Energy, Journal of Industrial Ecology, and Journal SDEWES.
Invited submissions

Abstract
As the rapid development of fuel cell and hydrogen industries are observed recently, a necessity
of hydrogen infrastructure for production and transportation has been attracted great attention.
Because steam reforming and partial oxidation of natural gas are the main methods to produce
hydrogen at present, water electrolysis should be investigated to generate the ‘green’ hydrogen for
the emerging a hydrogen economy. For a large-scale application, economic, efficient and stable
catalysts towards hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) are essential. Although Pt is well known
state-of-the-art electrocatalyst for HER, scarcity and expensive price of Pt are main hindrances.
Many studies focused on non-Pt electrocatalysts to replace the Pt catalyst. However, the activity
of non-Pt catalysts is not enough to substitute the Pt catalyst yet. In addition, the study of Pt alloy
catalysts toward HER for improving the activity and stability is relatively a few, which could
decrease the Pt usage in the electrode.

In this study, Pt alloys with Sc and La were prepared to improve catalytic activity for HER. In
addition, the effect of the composition of Sc and La in the ternary alloy on the activity and stability
is investigated. Generally, Pt3La and Pt3Sc are known for improving electrocatalytic activities of
Pt towards oxygen reduction reaction but have not been studied for HER activity. As rare-earth
metals have extremely low reduction potentials and difficult to synthesize alloy catalysts, electron-
beam (EB) radiation method was applied to prepare carbon-supported rare earth metal alloyed
Pt catalysts. EB method is a simple and eco-friendly preparation method which can reduce even
rare earth metals. XRD analysis indicated that Pt alloys and Pt/C were successfully synthesized
by the EB method. Peak shifts of Pt alloys suggested the alloy between Pt and Sc or/and La is well
formed due to lattice parameter changes. From the electrochemical evaluation, although the
Pt3La/C showed the highest mass activity at 100mV overpotential, this catalyst resulted in the low
stability under voltage cycling condition. On the other hand, Pt 3Sc/C showed highly improved
stability and showed no noticeable change after 3000 potential cycles. From this result, optimal
ratios of Sc and La in ternary Pt alloy can be suggested. Finally, the Pt 3Sc0.7La0.3/C catalyst
resulted in both improvements of activity for HER and stability under voltage cycling, which
implies the synergic effect of Sc and La.
Abstract
Accelerated vehicle retirement programs have been generally promoted in many countries like
U.S, Japan, and Germany etc., expecting to reduce emissions by scrapping older and less fuel-
efficient vehicles and support vehicle industry by replacing to more fuel-efficient models. There
is no lack of studies on the assessment of vehicle replacement programs in developed countries.
However, the previous studies assessed the effect of these programs focusing on emission criteria
but ignoring their effect on the material, land and water criteria induced by additional vehicle
production and end-of-life vehicle treatment. From the nexus perspective, this study establishes
a new assessment model including the sectors of vehicle production and end-of-life treatment
which can systematically detect nexus trade-offs, co-benefits and synergies associated with
shortening vehicle lifespan on the criteria of energy, material, land and water. Using this
assessment model, we conduct a case study of Beijing which is facing the great pressure of
emission reduction and has promoted its accelerated vehicle retirement programs for over 10
years. The effect of the programs in Beijing is assessed under different vehicle usage scenarios,
replacement scenarios and ELV treatment scenarios. According the assessment results, the
regional and national implications are analyzed and the model effectiveness is evaluated.
Abstract
With rapid urbanization process and the consequence requirements for new buildings and
infrastructure, cement production is expected to increase in China. Meanwhile, China’s energy
consumption and carbon emissions associated with the cement industry are expected to increase,
as cement production is one of the most energy intensive industries. Introducing new and more
pertinent technologies with better management, as indicated by government goals and measures,
can improve energy efficiency and reduce carbon emission. However, many challenges and
uncertainties in the cement industry have been addressed without considering several
interconnected processes among sectors including industry, energy, construction, and services,
which lead to little improvements in the industry.

Nexus approaches are recognized as effective methods to simultaneously examine interactions

among multiple sectors with various elements. This research intends to provide insights for future
energy-cement-carbon emission nexus, through integrated assessment capabilities, related to
China’s new urbanization planning toward 2050. To uncover synergies and detect trade-off, we
propose a systematic modeling of the energy-cement-emission nexus in China based on
comprehensive, bottom-up technology characterizations. Several challenges and uncertainties,
including different trends in population growth, structural transformation of economic driving
forces, and new but more strict policy targets for resource use efficiency and environment
production, are put into multiple scenarios. The results of our analysis provide perspectives on
future direction to underscore the growing interconnection among energy, cement and carbon
emission with clear and more specific roadmap for promoting integrated planning, management
and governance.
Abstract
The Chinese government has been issuing numerous incentive policies to maintain energy
security with stable price and enough supply for economic growth and social development.
Meanwhile, China has been making a huge push to reduce overcapacity in steel sectors with great
effort to improve the quality of steel. There is a large number of studies focusing on China’s energy
and steel policies for evaluation, practice and better planning. The policies effects, however,
usually do not achieve the goal as expected, and un-intended results and extra costs are always
occurred in the contradictory objectives for which sectoral and elemental interlinkage are not well
understood from different polies, not only from energy policies inside but also from other policies
that may deeply affected by them, such as climate and overcapacity reduction policies for steel
sector. Existing studies fail to adequately characterize the full picture of applying different
policies, nor do they comprehensively cover the correlated processes of all energy and steel
sectors, especially the international trade. We developed a dynamic computable general
equilibrium (CGE) model for China with the major 32 international trading countries of fossil
energy to observe the tradeoffs between different polices and to test hypotheses/premises in a
scenarios-driven environment. A series of energy policies and other highly correlated climate and
overcapacity reduction policies are simulated as group scenarios to identify the optimal
combination of policies with energy-steel nexus analysis. The results derived from long-term
perspective provide insights for future energy-steel-emission nexus management decisions in
China, especially for the new energy policy toward the Belt and Road Imitative.
Abstract
Since the beginning of 21st century, the rapid development of economy in Tibet creates a
substantial increase in energy consumption. Statistics derived from direct and indirect surveys
show that total energy consumption has surpassed five million tce, where electricity, petroleum
products and biomass energy play the primary role. Furthermore, non-fossil energy including
hydroelectricity, photovoltaic power and biomass energy accounts for more than 50% in the total
consumption. This paper aims to provide a roadmap targeting the development of both energy
supply and consumption under the current trends of sustainable requirement (see Figure 1).
Overall, clean energy is very abundant in Tibet, which is recognized as the region that has the
greatest potential in developing hydroelectricity, photovoltaic resources in the future of China.
Moreover, the process and scale of clean energy utilization has been extending along with the
development of power grid with both of backbone- and distributed-forms covering whole Tibet.
In future, it is predicted that the development of hydroelectricity and photovoltaic power is not
only to satisfy the consumption in Tibet, but also have surplus power transmitted to other regions
in China and even other neighboring countries, such as Nepal and India. Therefore, it is expected
that Tibet will become the most important region of clean energy production and transmission in
China.
In general agreement all predictions mention an increasing energy demand for the next decades.
Many institutions consider carbon capture techniques to be relevant to achieve a reliable energy
supply. Different technical approaches are available which can be used for carbon capture
processes. Some of these techniques have already been realized in first industrial scale plants,
others are still developed on the pilot scale. Carbon capture in industrial processes like calcination
of minerals or iron ore reduction is an additional need as carbon dioxide emissions coming from
material processing have a non-negligible share of greenhouse gas emissions.

This special section is open to actual research which is related to carbon capture technologies, i.e.
oxyfuel combustion, pre- or post-combustion capture or looping processes. Experimental and
numerical investigations on sequestration techniques, details thereof as well as carbon storage
and utilization can be presented.

Presenters in this special session will be invited to submit their manuscript to a dedicated special
issue in Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews.

Session organizers:

Dr. Martin Schiemann, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany

Invited submissions

Abstract
An experimental study has been conducted upon a series of 40 kWth aerodynamically stabilized
pulverized biomass flames in order to characterize their behavior in comparison to similar
pulverized coal flames. The studied flames are confined within a cylindrical down-fired
combustion chamber, a simple configuration, which is operated under conventional-air and oxy-
fuel conditions. The behavior and flow patterns of these flames are characterized by means of
three detailed complementary measurements: turbulent flow fields are determined by means of
laser Doppler anemometry (LDA); product gas compositions are obtained in the flame far-field
by gas sampling and Fourier-transform infrared absorption spectrometry (FTIR). In addition,
flame radiation (wall-incident) measurements are conducted by employing a thermopile mounted
at different locations along the inner walls of the combustion chamber. Given the increasing
interest and advantages of substituting coal by biomass in different thermal industrial processes,
a set of four experimental conditions was employed. Two torrefied biomass flames, under
conventional and oxy-fuel conditions are compared against two similar coal (lignite) operating
conditions. The combined results from all three measurement techniques show that the generated
flame patterns such as swirl intensity and inner recirculation zones can be influenced by the
varying momentum and viscosity of reactant mixtures. Also, the aforementioned change in flame
pattern leads to different radiative heat transfer levels to the walls. The presented analysis and
results contribute to the general understanding of pulverized torrefied biomass combustion
processes and to the optimization of boiler design. In particular, results can contribute to the
retrofitting of pulverized coal firing systems to employ biomass in analogous firing regimes under
air and oxy-fuel combusting mixtures.
Abstract
The oxy-fuel process is a promising technology for capturing carbon dioxide from the flue gases
of power plants. The fuel, in this case coal, is burned with pure oxygen instead of air in the oxy-
fuel process. Since combustion with pure oxygen results in very high temperatures, flue gas must
be recirculated and returned to the combustion chamber to lower and control the combustion
temperature. This in turn leads to significantly higher concentrations of carbon dioxide and water
vapor in the flue gas of the power plant boiler compared to the regular air-fired process, which
result in increased radiant heat transfer to the evaporator tubes along the combustion chamber
walls. When planning and designing power plants, knowledge on wall heat flux is crucial. Efficient
models are available that can be applied to the numerical simulation of combustion chambers. A
widely used model is the Weighted Sum of Grey Gases Model (WSGGM). It combines sufficient
accuracy with high computational efficiency and can therefore be used in computational fluid
dynamics (CFD) simulations of large industrial scale plants. In this work, the combustion
chamber of an oxy-fuel power plant on a demonstration scale with an electrical output of 250 MW
was simulated. The gas radiation was modeled with the different WSGG model formulations. In
addition, the influence of particle radiation was investigated.
Abstract
The Calcium Looping (CaL) process carried out in dual interconnected Fluidized Bed (FB) systems
is a technique able to capture the CO2 contained in the flue gases produced from power plants. It
is based on the alternated temperature-swing CO2 uptake, with CO2 capture taking place in a
carbonator operated at around 650–700°C followed by the release of concentrated CO2 in a
calciner operated at around 900–950°C, according to the reversible carbonation reaction
CaO(s)+CO2(g)=CaCO3(s).

The operation of fluidized beds entails the occurrence of attrition and fragmentation phenomena,
with consequent changes in the particle size (and residence time) distribution, which in turn may
influence the CO2 capture capacity. Moreover, the possible presence, in the combustion flue gas
entering the carbonator, of SO2 and/or steam would have relevant effects on the sorbent
reactivity. The aim of this work was to understand the effect of SO 2 and H2O on the impact
fragmentation tendency of the sorbent.

Calcium looping experiments were performed on a reference high-Ca limestone in a lab-scale

twin fluidized bed apparatus under typical CaL conditions. Specifically, six different operating
conditions for carbonation were tested to study both the single effect of SO2 and H2O and their
combined effect. The CO2 capture capacity was calculated for each carbonation stage and, at the
end of the test, sorbent particles were further analyzed for the determination of the degree of Ca
sulphation.

After the CaL tests, the exhausted sorbent particles were fed to an ex situ impact test apparatus,
which is based on the well-established concept of entraining particles in a gas stream at controlled
velocity, and impacting them against a target.

The analysis of data showed that samples obtained in presence of SO2 resulted to be harder than
in absence of it, as higher SO2 concentrations in the carbonator determined thicker CaSO4-based
shells around the particles.

The presence of steam in the carbonator, orientating the reactivity of CaO towards CO 2 rather
than SO2, on the one hand determined particles less resistant than those obtained in the presence
of only SO2. On the other hand, as steam indeed favored the carbonation reaction of CaO, we
observed particles with a larger CaCO3 fraction and therefore more resistant than those obtained
in conditions where both steam and SO2 were absent.
Abstract
The kinetic models used in computational fluid dynamics simulations of solid fuel boilers use
generally parameters fitted to experimental data, which do not represent actual processes going
on at the atomistic scale. This hampers extrapolations to new fuels or reaction conditions. Here,
we will present a workflow to build an atomistic multiscale model of the char combustion process
as part of the DFG-TRR 129 Oxyflame initiative. This collaborative research centre aims at
developing methods and models that describe solid-fuel reactions within an oxy-fuel atmosphere
for the design of oxy-fuel combustion processes as part of carbon capture and storage
technologies. In our workflow, we first perform molecular dynamics simulations of the
combustion of a char fragment with the reactive force field ReaxFF, and then we refine the
detected reaction pathways with quantum mechanical (QM) calculations. This workflow is
automatized with the code ChemTraYzer 2.0 which runs ReaxFF simulations and processes the
trajectories on the fly to create inputs for quantum mechanical calculations, which can then be
submitted to a job-queuing system. As a result, the generation of data for hundreds of reactions
is automatized. ChemTraYzer had been tested before for the combustion of methane (CH 4). Here,
we investigate the combustion of phenanthrene to test the performance of ChemTraYzer for the
larger polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon model systems. When ChemTraYzer can be shown to
perform well for large systems, the results from the simulations of char fragment models can then
be lumped into a kinetic model for computational fluid dynamics simulations of the char
combustion in boilers.
Abstract
Oxy-fuel combustion of solid fuels, coal and biomass, for carbon dioxide capture is one of the
promising technologies to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases. Although the large number
of studies, which exist on this method, the ignition mechanisms of particles, particle interaction
and volatile combustion mechanisms in this phase, are still not fully understood.

This work presents first results from experimental investigations on the OH distribution in
volatile flames around single solid fuel particles and groups of particles. Particles are seeded into
the hot laminar gas flow of a flat-flame burner. This burner provides typical conditions for
pulverized fuel combustion regarding heating rate, temperature and gas composition. The fuel
particles burn in a well-defined atmosphere, where the linear particle trajectory enables for simple
and precise residence time determination, which is important for ignition modelling and
understanding of the participating phenomena.

The optical test rig is unique and designed to match the conditions and demands of OH
measurements in pulverized fuel flames. Laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) of the OH radical has
been identified in the recent past to be an useful tool for particle ignition investigations. An
acoustooptic deflector is used to manipulate the laser plane and scan a volume of 12 × 18 × 4 mm 3
with several laser sheets. In combination with a 10 kHz dye laser a temporal resolution of 1 kHz
and spatial resolution in the range of 100 µm can be achieved, both being sufficient to resolve
single particle ignition in detail.

For single particle investigations, ignition and volatile combustion are investigated temporally
and spatially. Three-dimensional reconstruction of the OH-signals shows inhomogeneous signals
of OH being wrapped around the particles. A small slip velocity between particles and
surrounding gas is the reason for this effect. Furthermore, it is possible that particles do not
devolatilize homogeneously. The size and intensity of the diffusion flame enveloping the particles
depends on the oxygen content of the surrounding atmosphere.

Increasing the particle-seeding rate merging and interaction of volatile flames of single particles
was detected. Oxygen depletion in the center of the particle jet causes local extinction of the flame.
First results showed a dependency of ignition delay time and extinction limits on the particle
concentration, which was measured with a shadowgraphy technique.

In ongoing experiments, the particle-particle-interaction of biomass particles is investigated and

underlined with numerical simulations of the experiment.
Abstract
In this study the carbon dioxide (CO2) adsorption capacities of new-concept MOFs composites,
together with their selectivity toward H2 and CH4, were investigated. Three MOFs with different
metallic centres (Cu, Al, Fe) and their composites embedding graphene related materials
(graphene like layers, GL) at low concentration (5 wt.%) were produced. The
adsorption/desorption tests have been carried out at room temperature up to 8.0 MPa depending
on the gas specimen. MOF/GL composites exhibit a quicker saturation for all the analysed gases
evidencing the occurrence of strong interactions (nearing the magnitude of chemisorption) (Cu,
Al-MOF and related composites) and physisorption (Fe-MOF and his related composite)
phenomena. All the MOFs and the MOF/GL composites exhibit reversible adsorption process
with and/or without thermal treatment. In particular, the Cu and Fe -based MOFs fully recovered
their CO2 adsorption capacity without any thermal treatment. All the solids exhibited a higher
affinity toward CO2 over the other two gases. The selectivity of CO2 over hydrogen (H2) and
methane (CH4) on MOFs/GL appear interesting even if it does not always show great advantages
over that of the parent MOF.
Abstract
Anthropogenic activities and land use types can have significant impact on the groundwater
vulnerability especially in areas with agricultural activities such as Liwa area in United Arab
Emirates (UAE). In the study area, the groundwater resources over-exploited and are prone to
quality deterioration due to the urbanization and growth in the agriculture sector. In the present
study various parameters and techniques were considered to represent the data variation and to
analyse the water quality, e.g. vulnerability mapping and DRASTIC model. Estimates of the
parameters, such as recharge potential, soil media, and vadose zone were obtained based on
modified criteria to account for the data variability. Statistical analysis indicates that the input
parameters are independent and contribute individually to the vulnerability index. Based on the
vulnerability index the study area is classified into low to very high vulnerability classes. The land
use pattern was included as one of the parameters to assess the human interaction on the
groundwater resources in the study area. To analyse the model sensitivity, two techniques i.e., the
map removal sensitivity and the single parameter sensitivity analysis were used in the present
study. The single parameter sensitivity measure was developed to measure the impact of each of
the DRASTIC parameters on the DVI.
Abstract
The availability of water resources in Brazil has been a growing concern due to climatic
fluctuations, and the variability of rainfall in the country. The lack of planning and management,
the growth in demand, and losses in the distribution system are the main problems addressed by
this service. This framework motivates the search for alternatives that increase the supply of
drinking water, especially in large cities. One of these options are the Membrane Bioreactor
Systems (MBR), which combine a membrane process (microfiltration or ultrafiltration) with a
biological wastewater treatment process (activeted sludge). These approaches differ from
conventional systems, such as activated sludge, by avoiding the use of secondary clarifiers that
are usual for decontamination of domestic effluents. However, even with technical advantages
over the homologous, the MBRs generate environmental impacts when fulfilling their functions.

In order to assess the magnitude of these effects, this study compares the environmental
performance of drinking water production from three different technological approaches: T1:
conventional water treatment (chemical route); T2: biological water treatment, and T3: an
arrangement with an MBR system, reverse osmosis and stages of ultraviolet radiation from
domestic sewage. Attributional Life Cycle Assessment with scope ‘from cradle-to-gate’ was
applied for the production of 1.0 m3 of drinking (Reference Flow: RF). The environmental
performance of such systems was measured in terms of Climate Change (CC) and Primary Energy
Demand (PED).

The obtained results indicate T1 as the least impacting technology among the verified alternatives
(135 g CO2eq/ RF, 3.53 MJ/RF). The performance of T3 (265 g CO2eq/RF; 7.19 MJ/RF) was
strongly influenced by the electrical energy consumption of the arrangement, despite the current
Brazilian energy matrix is mostly renewable. The same verification was repeated taking into
account the consumption of the natural water resource. In this regard, a Yield Index (I y), which
relates the amount of raw water consumed in each case to produce 1.0 m 3 of drinking water, was
created. Under this approach (IT1: 0.98; IT2: 1.01; IT3: 164), T3 becomes the most recommendable
option of the whole series analyzed.
Abstract
Energy, water and land are valuable resources that support the human quality of life and economic
development. Electricity usage and its associated primary energy consumption are essential
contributors to the sustainability of socio-economic development. Cumulative exergy approach
provides a unified way to assess the consumption of resources. This study aim was to assess the
WELN of Chilean Electric System, with a cumulative exergy approach. The results show that in
2017 the production of 1 MWh of electricity required 17.3 GJex, being the energy component of
WELN (fossil and renewable energy sources) the main contributor (99%). The water and land
resources contributed slightly to total exergy flow due to its low exergy content in comparison
with the energy component. On the other hand, the Cumulative Degree of Perfection reached 21%
because the thermoelectric technologies produced over 50% of electricity.
Abstract
Multiple reservoirs are designed and/or operated to provide services beyond electricity
generation, such as population supply, flood and drought management, irrigation, navigation,
fishing, environmental services and recreational activities, etc. But their construction has social
and environmental impacts that need technical discussion, and social acceptance by the
government.

In this sense, the present study seeks to reconcile the uses of a reservoir by analyzing the triggering
factors of conflicts regarding the use of hydroelectric reservoirs in Brazil, based on the Strategic
Environmental Assessment – AAE and on the Hydroelectric Inventory Studies – EIH. This study
also seeks to propose alternatives suitable for the distribution of the resource with the aid of the
SHARE concept.

Despite being a country with a high rating in relation to water resources, Brazil still suffers from
shortages in some regions. For the crisis to be tackled, or minimized, the application of actions
based on regulation, as well as management and water planning, is vital.

Along these lines, EIH assists in assessing environmental impacts with analysis of six categories:
aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, ways of life, territorial organization, economic base and
indigenous population. AAE, in hydropower, measures the ambient condition with the
implementation of projects and considers the possible dams. The SHARE concept is based on the
sharing of vision, resources, responsibilities, rights and risks, costs and benefits.

A major challenge for multiple reservoirs is to share water with users. It is evident that there is a
conflict, especially in the electric sector, that has its efficiency reduced when other uses are not
foreseen.

With the analysis of the instruments it becomes evident that in order to have multiple uses of
reservoirs which satisfy the different water users, it is necessary to associate the different purposes
(present and future) of water use into different watersheds, confronting their demands with the
requirements of hydroelectric projects.

Instead of denying the existence of conflicts, recognizing them, identifying them and
incorporating them, bringing them into the institutions of representative and participatory
democracy (council, committees, conferences, etc.) are the best ways to solve them, collectively,
in a constructive and emancipatory perspective.
Abstract
Water and energy are two pivotal areas for future sustainable development, with complex linkages
existing between the two sectors. These linkages require special attention in the context of the
energy transition. Against this background, this paper analyses the role of water availability in the
development of solar thermal and photovoltaic (PV) power plants for the case of the Drâa Valley
in Southern Morocco. Located in a semi-arid to arid mountainous area, the Drâa Valley faces high
water stress – a situation expected to worsen due to climate change. At the same time, the region
has one of the greatest potentials for solar energy in the world. To examine whether limited water
availability could accelerate or delay the implementation of solar thermal and PV power plants,
this paper compares regional water availability and demand in the Drâa Valley for different
scenarios, paying particular attention to potential socio-economic development pathways. The
Water Evaluation And Planning System (WEAP) software is applied to allocate the water
resources in the study region. The water supply is modelled under the Representative
Concentration Pathway 8.5 (RCP 8.5) climate scenario, while the water demand for the Drâa
Valley is modelled for a combination of three socio-economic and two energy scenarios. The
climate scenario describes a significant decrease in water availability by 2050, while the socio-
economic and energy scenarios show an increase in water demand. The results demonstrate that
during a sequence of dry years the reservoirs water availability is reduced and shortages in water
supply can result in high levels of unmet demand. If this situation occurs, oasis farming, water for
drinking and energy production could compete directly with each other for water resources. The
energy scenarios indicate that the use of dry cooling technologies in concentrated solar power
(CSP) and PV hybrid systems could be one option for reducing competition for the scarce water
resources in the region. However, given that energy generation accounts for only a small share of
the regional water demand, the results also suggest that socio-economic demand reduction,
especially in the agricultural sector, for example by reducing the cultivated area, will most likely
become necessary.
Abstract
This study aims to assess the water quality change by weirs construction in a river. The Korean
goverment carried out the major rivers restroration project wirh about 20 billion USD investment.
Statistical methods were applyed to compare the gap between two water quality samples observed
befor the construction of weir and the other after finshing the construction in the same location
of river. Water samples were taken from 16 weirs constructed at different location of the rivers,
such as Hangang, Nacdonggang, Geumgang and Youngsangang and analised in terms of 8 kinds
of DO, BOD, COD, SS, TN,TP, and Chl-a. Using the nomality of two samples data tested by
Shapiro-Wilk model. In the case, the outcomes of two water quality samples are
nomality(parmetric) and then the samples data were tested using paired T-test to calculate the
mean of the gap bf two water quality samples data. If the test result shown non-normality, the
samples to be tested with the Mann Whitney U model as a non-parametric test, Helsel et.al., 2002.
From a diagonal pair plot, it was possible to identfy the visual difference(the gap of water quality
samples, before an after) easily. And the Mann-Whitney U test could result in the level of water
quality change gap. Using the visual data, the change of water quality could be found for all weir
sites. Beside of Ph and COD qualities, BOD, TP, TN, SS concentration were improved.
Abstract
To protect our earth from grabble warming, mankind gives an attention to renewable energy to
reduce the use of fossil fuels such as crude oil, coal and natural gas. To forbid fossil fuels, reduce
the CO2 emission, and thus protect the environment, the hydro, wind and photovoltaic power are
considered. However, as the water is not always sufficient, the wind does not always blow and the
sun does not always shine, the resulting fluctuations in power production have to be balanced in
order to ensure a stable and continuous energy supply. For this purpose, high performance energy
conversion and storage systems are strongly required. These stationary energy storage systems
should be safe, cheap, and compact, whereupon the weight is second-tier for these applications.

The novel seawater-battery uses the seawater as cathode, a ceramic sheet to separate the cathode
from the anode compartment, an ionic liquid (thus a salt, which is liquid at room temperature) as
electrolyte, and a tin/carbon composite as anode. Upon operation, the seawater is circulated
within the cathode compartment and provides sodium ions to charge the anode. During the
discharge, this means during the energy supply, the sodium is released from the anode and reacts
with water and oxygen from the seawater cathode to form sodium hydroxide.
Abstract
Lotus root–shaped multichannel carbon nanofibers (MCF), multichannel carbon nanotubes
(MCNT), and MCNT with porous sidewalls (P–MCNT) were used to prepare carbon–sulfur
composites as cathode materials for Li–S batteries. MCF, MCNT, and P–MCNT were prepared by
a simple electrospinning method using single and coaxial needles, followed by heat treatment and
etching. MCF developed multichannel inner pores of different sizes in an axial direction when
different amounts of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) were added. P–MCNT were prepared by
adding SiO2 to the electrospinning solution followed by etching to produce holes in the sidewalls.
As the porosity increased, the sulfur content increased, reaching a maximum of 77.7 wt%. The
sulfur/carbon materials (S/PMCNT) for Li–S batteries exhibited superior performance with a
high discharge capacity of 1315 mAh g–1 and maintained a satisfactory cyclability (77%, retention
was calculated from 10 to 100 cycles). This superior performance was ascribed to the morphology
of the P–MCNT, which both captured sulfur and restricted its loss during the charge–discharge
process. The S/P–MCNT exhibited a relatively smaller Rct indicating that the introduction of more
pores into the carbon material facilitated the diffusion of lithium ions (Li+) into the electrodes and
improved the interfacial charge transfer.
Abstract
This paper provides a review regarding latest and present research findings related to the
application of the nanomaterials for enhancement of the general properties of the phase change
materials (PCM). One of the critical issues with PCM, beside relative high initial cost, is its
efficient thermal management. Present research studies have been examined in detail where
special focus of the review was related to the preparation, i.e. process of mixing PCM with
nanoparticles creating nanocomposites, i.e. nanofluids, which is especially demanding for
considered case. Finally, study provided summarized and detail data regarding the reported
improvement of the general PCM properties. Critical issues related to the general application of
the nanocomposites and nanofluids have been also addressed and stressed out based on the
conducted comprehensive review.
Abstract
Paliwa przechowywane w zbiornikach magazynowych podlegają procesom starzenia. W
szczególności dotyczy to paliw zawierających biokomponenty. Możliwość szybkiej oceny zmian
zachodzących w paliwie staje się coraz ważniejsza ze względu na rosnące zasoby paliw
przechowywanych przez długi czas i coraz wyższe wymagania dotyczące jakości paliwa. Nie
mogliśmy pozwolić na utratę jakości paliw, ponieważ wiąże się to ze znacznymi kosztami
związanymi z eksploatacją, jak pompowanie, transport i ponowne przetwarzanie takiego paliwa.
Operacje te pociągają za sobą zwiększenie negatywnego wpływu całego procesu na środowisko.
Celem pracy było opracowanie wskaźnika umożliwiającego określenie stabilności benzyn
zawierających biokomponenty. Wybrano parametry fizykochemiczne, które zmieniają się
najszybciej podczas starzenia i wpływają na właściwości użytkowe paliwa. Jako wskaźnik wybrano
impedancję benzyny. Próbki benzyny poddano starzeniu laboratoryjnemu, a następnie
porównano właściwości fizykochemiczne paliwa (przed i po procesie). Impedancja została
dodatkowo zmierzona. Zweryfikowano korelację między wynikami pomiarów impedancji a
krytycznymi właściwościami fizykochemicznymi paliwa.
Abstract
In this paper, packed bed thermal energy storage consisting of three phase change materials
cascaded in series is investigated. Phase change materials are macro-encapsulated in capsules
with diameter ranged from 50 mm to 100 mm and placed in thermal storage tank with internal
diameter of 1 m. With such encapsulation size, void ratios between 0.45 and 0.51 are recorded,
depending on the diameter ratio of the tank internal diameter to the encapsulation outer
diameter. Such void space contributes to no energy storage and wastes the volume of thermal
storage tank. For packing of particles with two different sizes in a cylindrical tank, void ratio of as
low as 0.20 has been recorded experimentally. Such concept is tested in this paper in which
sensible heat thermal storage material with much smaller size is used to fill the void space in a
macro-encapsulated phase change material thermal storage system to reduce the void ratio.
Parametric analyses are then carried out based on (1) encapsulation size of the phase change
materials, (2) updated void ratio of system after filling with sensible heat material and (3) phase
change material storage capacity. Compared to the baseline case, cyclic efficiency of a thermal
storage system increases by ≈ 13.5% with thermal storage capacity increase from 10 to 30 kWh,
increases by ≈ 9.6% with reduction of encapsulation size from 100 mm to 50 mm (diameter ratio
increases from 10 to 20) and increases by ≈ 13.2% if void ratio is reduced with solid sensible heat
material to 0.30 and subsequently filled with heat transfer fluid. For the best case simulated
(optimized with all three parameters), cyclic efficiency increases by ≈ 21.9% compared to the
baseline case.
Abstract
Windcatchers are natural ventilation systems based on the design of traditional architecture,
intended to provide ventilation by manipulating pressure differentials around buildings induced
by wind movement and temperature difference. In temperatre climates, it is effective in providing
passive cooling during summer months. However, during winter months, the low air temperature
supplied to the space can cause further thermal discomfort and increase heat loss which lead to
increased energy costs. To address this issue, this work proposes a novel design incorporating a
passive heat recovery device into a windcatcher and investigates its performance using numerical
and experimental analysis. Numerical modelling and experimental testing were used to
characterise the radial blade design of the heat recovery rotary wheel in terms of performance.
Two configurations of the radial blades provide data that can be used to assess how air velocity is
affected by the design, the pressure drop across the device and the heat transfer capabilities of the
radial blades. To further assess the potential of the proposed devices, it was incorporated into a
multi-directional windcatcher ventilating a small room. A scaled prototype of the system was
created and tested experimentally in a subsonic wind tunnel to validate the CFD modelling.
Despite the blockage of the rotary heat recovery wheel, ventilation rates were able to provide
adequate ventilation. In addition to sufficient ventilation, the heat in the exhaust airstreams was
captured and transferred to the incoming airstream, raising the temperature between 0.5-4K
depending on the indoor/outdoor conditions, this passive recovery has the potential to reduce
demand on space heating systems.
Abstract
Stronger typhoons have been more frequent in the Western Pacific region. Typhoon Haiyan
caused widespread loss of life and destruction to properties when in made landfall in the
Philippines in 2013. An estimated 1.1 million homes were damaged or destroyed in the aftermath.
The super typhoon had sustained wind speeds up to 315 kilometres per hour.

Damage surveys show extensive roofing damage evident in most detached structures attributed
to strong winds. With the increasing number of roof- mounted renewable energy installations
such as solar panels and wind turbines, there is a present need to evaluate the current
configurations and its structural integrity for it to properly respond to extreme environmental
events in the future, particularly in typhoon prone countries. The current approach for building
performance analysis under typhoon wind loads involves a lot of wind tunnel tests, full scale
testing and finite element modelling which is heavily reliant on wind tunnel data. These are costly
and time consuming. Hence, a novel Fluid Structure Interaction (FSI) is developed to cut costs
and shorten development time.

Current renewable energy mounting technologies with its different installation methods, and
mounting locations (ground, roof, or integrated with the building envelope) are consequently
affected by wind loads differently. Using the FSI approach, this study evaluated solar panels
attached to the gabled roof of a single detached low-rise building which is a typical residential
building design in the Philippines. The building was subjected to typhoon strength winds in an
urban environment using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) analysis, validated with
experimental data. A typhoon’s Atmospheric Boundary Layer (ABL) flow simulation was
conducted to predict the pressure coefficient distribution around the structure. A validated
structural model of the support attached to the roof was then developed, and the analysis
performed using FSI to predict deflections, stress concentration areas and potential failure in the
structural supports and attachments. The modelling approach used in this paper is a 1-way FSI
analysis utilising a κ-ε turbulence model. The results of the study showed the weaknesses in the
current design considering the roof shape, pitch, structural support, arrangements and materials.
Results show areas of failure in the panels with regards to wind angle direction and installation
location. The methodology and its results can benefit the stakeholders (urban planners,
Government and the public) to aim for a better resistant infrastructure and renewable energy
installations. The FSI methodology presented can be an alternative and more practical way of
assessing building integrated renewables as compared to near full-scale wind tunnel tests which
are time consuming and expensive.
Abstract
The fine dust of the air in the underground subway station is directly or indirectly exposed to the
passengers using the subway, which greatly affects the comfort and health of the passengers.
However, the conventional ventilation system has been operated manually and is hard to consider
the dynamic characteristic of indoor air quality (IAQ) due to the characteristics of the subway
station and climate change-driven outdoor air quality. Therefore, an energy-efficient ventilation
optimization system based on deep learning (DL) and iterative dynamic programming (IDP) was
developed in this study for proactive environmental and economic maintenance of the
underground ventilation system for subway air quality. The DL predicted the next 24 hour of
subway’s environmental information, and the IDP searched a piecewise operational policy for the
next 24 hours’ operational duration. Energy efficiency was improved by 8.11%, while passengers’
health promotion.
Abstract
The European Union’s 2030 and 2050 energy policies seek to significantly increase the share of
renewable energy, improve energy efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Innovative
multifunctional domestic heating systems deliver these desired attributes by combining air-
source heat pumps with heat recovery ventilation. While standardised thermal performance test
procedures are available for such multifunctional systems (EN16573), not all integrated
configurations are accommodated. This paper evaluates the ability of the current standard to
quantify the thermal performance of two similar, yet physically different, combined systems.
While overall performance can be reliably recorded, the supply air heating performance cannot
be quantified for some novel configurations. In such cases, the heat pump coefficient of
performance cannot be accurately quantified, due to a combination of insufficient measurements
and corresponding calculation methods. This paper recommends such refinements to the current
standard so that the accurate performance of emerging combined systems can be defined.
Abstract
Heat losses through a building foundation has a significant impact on residential building energy
consumption for space heating and cooling as the above-grade components of the building fabric
are built more energy efficient. For low-rise buildings, the ground-coupled heat loss can be up to
45% of the annual space heating load. Although a number of ground-coupled heat loss models
have been developed over the past five decades, ground-coupled heat loss is poorly considered in
many whole building energy programs which are used to predict building energy performance.
The main reasons are: some ground-coupled heat loss models have great computation
requirements; some are restricted to simple and few foundation configurations; some are of
questionable accuracy; and some are difficult to implement.

This study presents a correlation-based model, in which the correlation algorithms are derived
from the data base generated by a commercial 3D transient heat transfer program using Artificial
Neutral Network and the model is shortly known as 3DANN. A broad range of foundation
configurations are performed to generate the data base for the 3DANN correlations. It
demonstrates that for steady-state heat losses through a slab-on-ground floor, the proposed
model agrees with the analytical solution around 0%-6.8%, for dynamic heat losses through slab-
on-ground floors and basements the linear relationship between the modelled data of 3DANN
and the commercial model is presented and the R-squared value is greater than 0.99. The
proposed model agrees with the commercial 3D model very well with minimal processing
requirements and will be implemented into AccuRate- a benchmark software widely used in
Australia for housing energy start rating scheme.
Abstract
Axial flow fans are widely used in low pressure air handling systems such as cooling, air-
conditioning, or building ventilating systems. But the building ventilation systems require axial
flow fans with relatively high pressure at high flow capacity. Those axial flow fans generate high
noise level. The noise consists of two components such as discrete frequency noise component at
blade passing frequency due to rotating impellers and broadband noise component due to
turbulence produced in the axial flow fan. Main contribution into the high noise level is due to the
discrete frequency noise component. In order to reduce the noise components, a silencer is
generally attached to the high-pressure axial flow fan. In this study a circular type pod silencer
with annular two-layered air-passages has been developed to reduce a high noise level generated
from the axial flow fan for building ventilation. The high-pressure axial flow fan has pressure 780
Pa, power 100 HP and blade tip diameter 1.778 m. In order to reduce the high noise level, the
circular type pod silencer with annular two-layered air-passages has been designed in
consideration of transmission loss indicating the noise attenuation performance of the silencer.
A pod and annular tubes consist of perforated tubes except the outside surface of the silencer. The
tubes are filled with sound absorbing materials. In the design process the design parametric study
and the design have been performed with a commercial ANSYS Finite Element Analysis code. The
final design variables are such as the two air-passage gaps 0.2m, the sound absorbing material
thickness 0.2m and the pod diameter 0.8m, outside diameter 2.4m and length 4.3m. The pod and
perforated tubes with porosity 46.2% are filled with the sound absorbing material glass wool with
density 48 . The circular type pod silencer with annular two-layered air-passages has been
manufactured as designed. The noise was measured when the axial flow fan was attached to the
silencer and when it was not attached. Experimental data showed the nose reduction 19dB(A) of
overall pressure level. It has been compared with the predicted noise reduction 23dB(A) of overall
pressure level reduction.
Abstract
Battery disposal is a subject of high environmental concerns, and requires studies on their
recovery and reuse to minimize waste of non-renewable resources of raw materials. In many
countries there is no proper disposal and collection of these materials, as there is no legislation
on battery recycling. Since the battery anode contains a large proportion of copper, this work
investigates copper purification from a battery recovery process. The methodology applies the
electrolytic refining technique of copper electrodeposition, after opening the electrode through
acid leaching. Sixty-three waste batteries were collected for this research, totaling 494.473 g. Of
this mass 98.509 g corresponds to copper-rich anode, which 19.66% is equivalent to recoverable
copper. The process here applied allowed for recovery of 99.61% of the recoverable copper
through natural metal oxide deposition in a copper plate. Final analysis of the plate shows 70.5%
copper, the remaining composition being oxygen, carbon, sulfur and chlorine contaminant. The
main novelty of this paper is the reduced amount of sulphuric acid used in the lixiviation process.
Abstract
Recently, materials with enhanced electrical properties appeared as very good candidates for self-
heating applications. When exploited for icing prevention or deicing of roads, pavements, or
runways, they may bring environmental benefits as they do not load the environment with
chemicals, salts in particular. Utilization of waste products instead of traditional materials, such
as Portland cement, makes these materials even friendlier to the environment. In this paper,
several geopolymers composed of slag, water glass, aggregates, water, and carbon black as an
electrically conductive admixture are analyzed. Experimental results show that the designed
materials have a very favorable combination of mechanical and electrical properties and exhibit
satisfactory self-heating properties in low-voltage range. The environmental assessment indicates
that the designed geopolymers can be considered as promising alternatives to cement based
composites with similar properties, reducing the CO2 production by up to 44%.
Abstract
Acoustic performance of building constructions is currently gaining increasingly higher
importance. It is due to high level of noise that is affecting more and more people living in urban
areas, places near to the sites with heavy traffic and places close to the airports. Hence,
construction materials with high acoustic attenuation are essential for building practice.

Brick is a traditional construction material that is widely produced and used in Central Europe.
Its acoustic properties are commonly enhanced by incorporation of the voids to the brick body.
Brick block with the system of voids compared to the ordinary brick exhibits significant
improvement of acoustic properties. However, further enhancement can be achieved by filling of
the voids by bulk materials, such as sand with various particle size or some industrial waste
materials.

Brick microparticles are formed in the production of ground bricks by their calibration to the
required dimensions. Burned bricks are passed through a continuous device where the excess
material is removed by small diamond cutters in order to achieve the required dimensions. On
average, 4% of the total mass is milled from each brick. Therefore, it is beneficial to utilize such
waste material together with brick particles of dimensions up to 2 mm which is another brick-
based waste material from the brick production.

In this paper, three types of acoustic brick blocks with voids filled by industrial waste products
from the brick industry were tested in terms of acoustic properties. Four different samples were
used for the measurements in designed reverbation chambers: the reference brick block without
a filler, brick block with brick microparticles, brick block with brick particles of the size 2-4 mm,
and brick block with microparticles and particles of the size 2-4 mm in the ratio 1:1. Sound
pressure levels were determined by two precise PCB 378B02 microphones and analyzed by Adash
A4404 SAB vibration analyzer.

The obtained results show that the functional properties of the brick blocks with voids filled by
the tested waste materials are promising in terms of their possible applications for constructions
due to their better acoustic performance. Taking into account that the tested fillers are waste
products directly from the brick production, brick blocks with the fillers can be considered as
environmentally friendly alternative to common bricks, brick blocks without fillers and other
competitive construction materials.
Abstract
Recycling helps to limit the use of primary resources but needs large technological investment in
regional circular flow systems. The dissemination of recycling systems depends on household
behaviour. Empirical literature indicates mixed results here. It seems that demographic variables
and general environmental attitudes do not entail explanatory content but specific knowledge or
certain altruistic norms do. Moreover, supply-side effects such as expanding kerbside provision
also influence user behaviour, especially in the case of intrinsic motivation. In order to overcome
behavioural barriers instruments such as certain charges or subsidy schemes are stipulated in the
literature. We aim to contribute to this discussion by observing household behaviour with respect
to recycling opportunities in controlled settings. The design of these settings allows for comparing
the effects of different policy approaches. The project is based on an interdisciplinary research
which matches innovative approaches of recycling engineering and behavioural economics and
funded by the German programme “Science for Sustainable Development”.

We investigate the recycling problem in a public good model by adopting the perspective of a
single household which is a member of a regional society. After consuming goods in each period
the household has to choose whether to use conventional waste disposal or recycling
opportunities. Contributing to a given recycling system gives rise to a positive externality. As user
cost falls with the accumulated quantities it also gives rise to positive network externalities. The
model is translated to a digitalised and incentivised public good experiment. We introduce
different types of households with heterogeneous preferences and endowments and compare
individual and aggregate behaviour in different policy settings. The pilot version of this
experiment with a sample of 200 participants will be conducted in May 2019 at the laboratory of
our university. After testing the pilot we enrich its basic structure with elements of serious games
focussing more on creating innovative stories and enabling players to gather more realistic hands-
on experiences in an interactive environment with other players. This innovative approach will
allow players to get in touch with real world recycling phenomena and learn about the
consequences of individual and collective decisions. Gathering and interpreting data from this
experiment will help to develop policy measures in order to foster the dissemination of recycling
systems.
Abstract
Nowadays, Lithium-ion batteries are widely used in advanced technological devices and Electric
and Hybrid Vehicles (E&HVs), thanks to their high energy density for weight, reduced memory
effect and significant number of supported charging/discharging cycles. As a consequence, the
production and the use of Lithium-ion batteries will continuously increase in the near future; for
example, it is estimated that EV will outsell the conventional cars in about 20 years and more than
530 million electric vehicles will circulate worldwide by 2040. However, their End-of-Life
management is still under development, far from the optimization of recycling processes and
technologies, and currently recycling represents the only alternative for the social, economic and
environmental sustainability of this market, able to minimize toxicity of End-of-Life products, to
create a monetary gain and to lead to the independence from foreign resources or critical
materials. This paper analyses the current alternatives for the recycling of Lithium-ion batteries,
specifically focusing on available procedures for batteries securing and discharging, mechanical
pre-treatments and materials recovery processes (i.e. pyro- and hydrometallurgical), and it
highlights the pros and cons of treatments in terms of energy consumption, recovery efficiency
and safety issues. Target metals are listed and prioritized, and the economic advantage deriving
by the material recovery is outlined. An in-depth literature review was conducted, analysing in
depth the existing industrial processes, to show the on-going technological solutions proposed by
research projects and industrial developments, comparing best results and open issues and
criticalities. By the review reported in this paper, it can be concluded that recycling processes are
not fully optimized and well-established yet, thus innovative and advanced solutions are
necessary to properly balance the technical feasibility of high-value target material recovery (e.g.
Cobalt, Nickel and Lithium).
Abstract
In the near future cities will have to supply innovative and high value-added mobility services
with respect for environmental, traffic and energy sustainability. It is a great challenge since
transportation represents above 20% of the global energy consumption, of which 40% is due to
urban areas. One of the most promising solutions to reduce congestion, energy consumption and
air pollutants in urban areas is Ride Sharing (RS). Ride Sharing systems aim to bring together
travellers with similar itineraries and time schedules, thus reducing the number of cars used for
personal travel and improving the car occupancy rates. provide significant societal and
environmental benefits by reducing the number of cars used for personal travel and improving
the utilization of available seat capacity. This paper examines the impact of Ride Sharing by
developing an enhanced transport model in Visum, which takes into account the shareability of
passengers mobility patterns. The model is applied to the Milan Metropolitan Area (MMA), which
represents an interesting test case for two main reasons: first, its high population density and
strong transport offer and second, the large amount of information and data available on
passengers mobility. The paper assumes an optimal 20% participation rate to RS and estimates
its benefits in terms of congestion reduction, energy efficiency and environmental impact. The
COPERT software is used to estimate the CO2 emissions and fuel consumption savings. The
simulation results show that RS brings a sort of rebound effect since there is an increase in
passengers traveling by car. However, the overall effect is a reduction in the number of vehicles
used, with consequent reductions in vehicle kilometers travelled (-3,8%). This translates into 6%
fuel savings and 6% CO2 emissions reduction. Some policy recommendations are provided to
develop RS in order to increase the effectiveness of this system while restraining side effects.
Abstract
This study employs Poisson regression and quantile regression for count data to investigate
generational differences in household car ownership in Taiwan over the period 1985-2015. The
main results are as follows. First, this study verifies that household car ownership would be
affected by socio-demographic characteristics. Households in the later stages of the life cycle
owned fewer cars. Households with the middle-aged heads owned more cars due to their better
economic ability. Household composition is an important determinant for household car
ownership. Households with a higher proportion of elderly members had a lower level of car
ownership. Second, household income significantly affected household car ownership. The
income effects increased as the level of household income rose. However, for the past decade, the
income effects had decreased due to income stagnation. Third, the effects of possible factors had
stronger effects in the 90th quantile in 1985, but the effects were greater at the 50th or 75th
quantiles in 1995, 2005, and 2015 due to the change of household car ownership distribution. This
result implies that households with one car would be more sensitive to the change of determinants
and more likely to buy another car than those households with two cars. Forth, as for the trends
of car ownership for these households headed by different age groups, household car ownership
had increased for all household groups from 1985 to 2005. However, from 2005 to 2015,
households headed by persons aged less than 39 had fewer cars than before. This result may
reflect the phenomenon of income stagnation and population aging. Although population aging
may alleviate the increasing trend of car ownership, the policies should pay attention to solving
the problems, such as car demand induced by income effects, higher car ownership of the high-
income households, and the increasing trend in the number of households.
Abstract
In this study, electrical field values are examined on FACADE type PV energy system which has
42.1 m2 PV cell area and consists of 48 modules in total of 57.6 m 2. Moreover, thermal comfort
conditions are also evaluated. Electromagnetic field measurements are made from 16 different
points and thermal changes are made from 11 different points in front and back of the panel. The
results obtained in accordance with the measured values are evaluated in terms of human health.
Especially, weak electromagnetic fields have no significant damage to human health in a short
period of time. However, the harmful effects vary depending on the duration and level of
exposure. As a result of the studies, electromagnetic measurement values were found to be
between 0.175-0.242 Gauss for the whole measurement value. Measurements from 11 points for
thermal comfort showed no significant difference in ambient temperature on the front and rear
surface of the panel.
Abstract
Fossil fuels are the main primary resources for electricity generation in Pakistan. Over the last few
years there has been a consistent growth in industrialization and population in the main cities,
which might lead to such resources not being enough to fulfil the future energy demands in a
sustainable way. Meanwhile, over half the remote rural areas are unable to access electricity.
Consequently, it is necessary to look for the alternate solutions. This paper aims at studying
technological solutions to meet such growing electricity demand, by also considering its
environmental impact. For this purpose, a case study of a district in Pakistan is considered in its
electricity demand; measured with an hourly resolution for a whole year that includes two
different users: a set of factories and a residential district. The power plant uses two different
electricity generation systems: a 22 MW combined cycle power plant and a 10 MW natural gas
engine power plant, while also having access to the main national grid in case of need.

The total demand of the industry included in the district is of 18MWh per year on average and
the remaining production is supplied to the residential area. The industrial area consists of 12
factories and three commercial subsidiaries. In order to model the case study the EnergyPLAN
software is used.

The study analyses a set of scenarios by considering: an increased capacity of a PV system versus
increased efficiency of a fossil fired power plant. Results indicate that both solutions affect the
emissions by a different magnitude, thus the best choice really depends on other technological
and economical evaluations and assumptions.
Abstract
This paper presents the results of a survey on the labour market and training needs in the field of
Thermal Power Systems (TPS) for cleaner environment. The survey was carried out in the context
of the ASIAXIS Erasmus+ European Project. The ASIAXIS project addresses the topical theme of
University Teaching, at bachelor and master level, in “Thermal Power Systems for Cleaner
Environment” in Chinese, Russian and Kazakh partner Universities. The goal of this project is to
align quality of courses with EU requirements by implementing EU standard quality assurance
on the content of modernised modules, on their teaching methods and on examination
procedures. One of the objectives of the project is to increase employability of graduates by
national and international industrial companies across partner countries and EU. The first step
while designing a Student Centred Study Program is the identification of the educational needs
by consulting relevant industries, labour market organisations and other stakeholders.

Hence, in the context of the ERASMUS+ ASIAXIS Project, a survey on the labour market training
needs has been realized by the consortium. More than 100 institutions have been identified for
the survey: 60 have already replied. These institutions are characterized by a significant number
of employees and an international market. In general, the survey has confirmed the interest on
engineers with enhanced knowledge on Thermal Power Systems (TPS) on the topics that the
Universities of the partners Countries proposed for their modernization. Moreover, the results
highlighted the relevant perspectives of employment for engineers with enhanced knowledge at
all University levels (master in particular). More in details, the main fields requested are: Internal
Combustion Engines and Combined Heat and Power; while the most needed skills are: control
and automation, data analysis and predictivemaintenance, structural analysis, CFD.
Abstract
Especially for renewable and waste heat-originated district energy plants, medium to large size
solar and wind farms need to be collected at a distance from the urban district, where the energy
is distributed in heating or collected in cooling. The same also holds true for thermal power plants
and industry with waste heat, which are usually located away from cities. While renewable and
waste energy sources have low exergy, distance means more pumping energy demand with higher
exergy like electric power. Therefore, farther the plant and district from each other, pumping
exergy demand may exceed the exergy supplied to the district. The distance limit becomes more
restrictive with the simultaneous advancement of low-exergy buildings and districts on the
demand side and the utilization of low-exergy, renewable, and waste energy resources on the
supply side This paper investigates the distance limit under several practical conditions and
introduces a new exergy-based optimum distance model, which is equally applicable to district
heating and cooling. This model provides a complete roundup of all components and phases for
holistic optimization of district energy systems. Holistic view recognizes four tiers, namely the
low-exergy resources, energy conversion and storage plant, the main supply and return network,
and the low-exergy district. Each tier is related to the plant-to-district distance, while a composite
equation with an exergy-based coefficient of performance was developed such that it is maximized
while the optimum distance (one way) is accordingly determined, which is subjected to a
maximum value in the model. Thermal insulation of low-exergy buildings is also optimized
according to the thermal load and demand temperature-dependent performance of temperature-
peaking heat pumps. The influence of horizontal and vertical urban development was also
incorporated into the model in terms of the average number of floors of the buildings. Another
optimization routine determines the optimum mix of renewables in terms of embodied CO 2
emissions of the renewable energy systems and components installed and operated in the plant
compared to their CO2 savings capacity, including hydrogen energy storage and fuel cells. Once
the urban development is complete, this model may also be mobilized for dynamic exergy
allocation control of fluctuating renewable energy systems with energy storage for maximum
exergetic performance, which leads to near-zero emissions during operation.
Abstract
Using industrial waste heat increases primary energy efficiency, reduces costs and decreases
carbon emissions. District heating networks are a promising sink of industrial waste heat as
temperatures are relatively low (approximately 100 °C). Given that basic requirements such as
sufficient temperature are fulfilled, feeding the waste heat into district heating networks is
technically feasible. However, the evaluation of a project’s cost-effectiveness is complex due to
missing “market prices”. For district heating, usually only the end-use prices are officially known;
but these also include network infrastructure costs, maintenance costs etc. The value of a certain
kWh fed in, i.e. the current marginal cost curve for the generation of heat, are not transparent.
However, current marginal generation costs are decisive for the use of waste heat as the
accumulated producer surplus determines the profitability of investment. In order to make
marginal generation costs transparent, a “Heat Merit Order” is constructed. It allows to determine
the demand for waste heat at a certain point of time and the maximum remuneration payed by
the district heating operator. Based on this information, it can be deduced if the fixed costs (in
particular investment costs) pay back within a given period. In other words, the Heat Merit Order
allows for an economic analysis with maximum feasible investment cost as output. In conclusion,
the Heat Merit Order provides a profound basis to evaluate the economic feasibility of industrial
waste heat feed-in. As it is shown, it can also be applied for evaluating the effects of (seasonal)
heat storages or the feed-in of other heat sources such as fluctuating renewables.
Abstract
The micro combined heat and power (μCHP) is the simultaneous and decentralized production of
thermal an electrical energy at low scale (low electrical power output below than 50 kW). A
biomass micro combined heat and power device (μCHP) produced by OkoFEN, model Pellematic
Smart_e. has been tested in order to characterize its performances in steady and transient states.
A dynamic model based on these experimental investigations has been developed in order to
predict its energy performances. The micro combined heat and power recovers the “fatal heat”
losses considered as “heat waste” produced in thermodynamics or thermochemical cycles for
mechanic energy production. This heat can be used to cover buildings heating and domestic hot
water (DHW) needs. The μCHP matches the two goals of energetic system efficiency and
greenhouse gas emission reduction by converting more efficiently the primary energy in final
energy. The biomass engine has been tested in order to characterize their performances in steady
and unsteady states. The temperatures and flows were recorded in a LabVIEW program through
a National Instruments apparatus, model cDAQ 9178 The aim was to observe the behaviour of the
cogeneration system at nominal load depending on the water flow of the consumer and the
entering temperature of the fluid heated by the cogeneration system. In an incipient stage of the
experimental process, results have shown that the temperatures of different points of the heated
circuit vary very little in once the combustion process is stabilized. The flow of the heated water
circuit influences the heat transfer process in a more relevant way to the coverage of the user heat
demand. According to the technical data offered by the OkoFEN company, the produced
cogeneration system has a thermal output of 14kW and an electrical output of 1kW, which has a
yield of 106.4% at nominal power and a yield of 103.9% at partial load.
Abstract
INDIGO (www.indigo-project.eu) is a Horizon 2020 EU-funded project carried out by six
partners from across Europe that aims to realise more efficient and economic planning, control
and management of existing District Cooling (DC) networks. This will be achieved through two
specific objectives. The first one is to widen the use of DC systems and motivate the
competitiveness of European DC market by the development open-source tools for planning and
modelling DC systems. The second objective is to reduce primary energy use via improved DC
system management strategies aimed at system efficiency maximisation and cost minimisation.

In this research work, we present the results of the work performed to improve the energy use of
the DC systems across several tasks of the project by implementing a Virtual Test-Bed based on a
Digital Twin of the production plant on which to implement and test advanced controllers.

Modelling and simulation within this paper is presented for the production plant component
models. Chiller models are built using Modelica language and calibrated using manufacturer
information. The rest of the components (e.g. pumps, cooling towers, etc.) and the whole plant
are modelled in Python. To integrate Modelica models into Python environment, we used a
combination of Machine Learning calibration techniques and state-space representation models.

The aim of the modelling was two-fold. To provide an accurate and validated test-bed for testing
the behaviour of the MPC and, at the same time, generate the synthetic data used for the initial
development of said controllers.

This paper presents the results obtained from the simulation models and the corresponding MPC
implementation.
Abstract
The future district heating production is highly uncertain. Large-scale heat pumps, biomass CHPs
and excess heat from industries and data centres are seen as promising sources for district
heating. A large fraction of the excess heat could be used at competitive costs, as investment and
operating costs are relatively low. However, excess heat often remains unused, mostly due to long-
term uncertainties. On the contrary, electricity will be an important part of the future energy
system. This will unavoidably lead to the use of power transformers. The thermal losses occurring
in power transformers can be used for district heating.

The present paper analyses high voltage power transformers in Denmark as sources for district
heating. First, we have employed a thermodynamic model of power transformers to determine
the amounts of excess heat they produce based on their load. After that, we have applied
thermodynamic analysis of a heat exchanger and a heat pump necessary to extract the excess heat
and utilise it for district heating. Finally, we have performed spatial analyses in GIS to link the
power transformers with the specific district heating networks.

The results of show that the average top oil temperature of the transformers is relatively constant
at around 30°C over the seasons. From the theoretical maximum excess heat potential for district
heating of 0.28 TWh per year, 0.12 TWh or 0.5% of district heat can be supplied to the consumers
due to the losses in the networks and large distances between power transformers and district
heating areas. Entire potential for heat recovery can be utilised through heat pumps, working with
an average COP of 4. Therefore, excess heat from power transformers does not have a potential
to be an important source of district heating on the national scale, but could be an option on a
local scale.

In the sensitivity analysis, we have investigated the effect of the increased transformers' outlet
temperature, changes in the future electricity and district heating demands. For a significant
growth of electricity demand accompanied by a decrease of district heating demand, the excess
heat from power transformers can maximally supply around 1% of the Danish district heating
demand.
Abstract
Manufacturing remains one of the most energy intensive sectors, responsible for a considerable
proportion of global C02 emissions. Additionally, the energy used within buildings for
maintaining comfortable internal conditions, such as heating, ventilation and air conditioning
(HVAC) is responsible for almost half of the UK’s energy demand. Commonly, these are analysed
in isolation from one another, however there has been a number of attempts at a holistic analysis
of both manufacturing processes and environment using various simulation and analytical
techniques. Use of machine learning is gaining popularity due to its ability to solve non-linear
problems with large data sets and little knowledge about the relation between parameters. Such
models use relationships between inputs and outputs to the model to make further predications
on unseen data, without requiring any understanding regarding the system in question, making
them highly suited to dealing with the stochastic data sets found in a manufacturing environment.
This has been seen in literature for determining electrical energy demand for residential or
commercial buildings, rather than manufacturing environments. This study proposes the
coupling of simulation with machine learning to develop a methodology of predicting indoor
workshop conditions and building energy demand, in response to production schedules, outdoor
conditions, building behaviour and use, to allow for more efficient management of HVAC systems.
Coupling simulation techniques with machine learning algorithms allows for a low cost, non-
intrusive methodology of predicting and optimising building energy consumption in the
manufacturing sector.
Abstract
Heat recovery in an industrial heat exchanger network may by impaired by the growth of fouling
layers on heat transfer surfaces of the exchangers. During longer periods of network operation,
monitoring of fouling growth based on measurement data makes it possible to schedule and
perform exchanger cleaning if needed for the mitigation of adverse effects of fouling. A real-life
benchmark system is considered, representing shell-and-tube heat exchangers operated in the
heat exchanger network coupled with a crude distillation unit. Based on historical measurement
data recorded during two and a half years of plant operation, the use of three different various
methods for determination of the thermal resistance of fouling is studied. The suitability of the
said methods for application in the scheduling of cleaning interventions in the heat exchanger
network is evaluated.
Abstract
Pinch analysis is a mature systematic approach for design of heat-mass-water, carbon-hydrogen-
oxygen as well as material recovery networks in order to obtain maximum energy and mass
efficiencies. Furthermore, exergy analysis is a great approach to evaluate the energy networks in
process, because it can disclose the inefficient thermodynamic process and equipment. Although
renewable energies and membrane technology have contributed to sustainable production, an
industrial application of energy recovery with a pressure retarded osmosis (PRO) module is scare
in process industries. In the present study, pinch analysis with chemical exergy analyses is used
for sustainable power production via a PRO membrane. A new chemical exergy pinch analysis
(ChExPA) is proposed for optimal energy harvesting of high-salinity gradient waste streams in
chemical industries by applying a PRO membrane. Chemical exergy composite curve (ChExCC)
and chemical exergy cascade table (ChExCT) are developed as graphical and numerical methods
of the ChExPA, respectively. A network design technique with ChExPA is able to synthesize a
maximum waste energy recovery by achieving the various established targets and determining the
pinch point in a salinity gradient network to optimize energy recovery and waste treatment,
simultaneously. A case study in a sugar mill network showed that ChExPA could be efficiently
design the industrial networks by analyzing complex chemical exergy streams with composite
curve (ChExCC) and cascade table (ChExCT), which is followed step by step to obtain a PRO-
retrofitted network in full-scale industrial plant for optimal recovery of waste energy. The
proposed methodology represented that ChExPA resulted in more realistic and practical
achievable waste recovery solution for a rigorous framework design because it is targeting to
obtain detailed optimal waste recovery network of waste discharge, concentration potential, and
energy recovery in waste streams of sugar mill plant. Acknowledgements: This work was
supported by a National Research Foundation (NRF) grant funded by the Korea government
(MSIT) (No. 2017R1E1A1A03070713) and Korea Ministry of Environment (MOE) as Graduate
School specialized in Climate Change.
Abstract
The industrial sector, where the manufacturing seizes almost all processes, uses more delivered
energy than any other end-use sector. Besides, there are high margins of Energy Efficiency for
practically all manufacturing sectors and processes. However, most research studies looking for
energy consumption reduction are oriented to electric systems and to the continuous thermal
manufacturing processes. Therefore, the non-continuous thermal processes remain uncovered.
Based on the research background, this work proposes a novel methodology which combines, fits
and adapts diverse techniques and procedures in order to identify, quantify and evaluate Energy
Efficiency Measures (EEMs) for non-continuous thermal processes. This methodology is
implemented in two case studies of different sectors whose results range from a deep analysis of
the proposed EEMs, process energy reductions from 13% to 50%, to the identification and
evaluation of technical problems attributed to the dynamic process behaviour. The methodology
presented accesses where others have difficulties to be implemented, such as the highly dynamic
behaviour (strongly time-dependant variation energy streams) of semi-continuous or batch
manufacturing processes, where static analysis is not enough.
Abstract
Experimental studies of multi-row plate-fin and tube heat exchangers show that the highest
average heat transfer coefficient on the air side occurs in the first row of tubes. In the next rows
of tubes up to about the fifth row the heat transfer coefficient decreases. In the sixth row and
further rows, it can be assumed that the heat transfer coefficients are equal on individual rows of
tubes. To design a plate-fin and tube heat exchanger (PFTHE) with the optimum number of tube
rows, it is necessary to find the relationships for the air-side Nusselt number on each tube row.
The air-side Nusselt number correlations can be determined experimentally or by CFD modelling
(Computational Fluid Dynamics). A method of determining the heat transfer correlation on
individual tube row was developed, using the results of CFD modelling of the heat exchanger. The
heat transfer coefficient on a given tube row was determined from the equality condition of mass-
average air temperature differences on a given tube row, determined using the analytical method
and CFD modelling. Also, a correlation was found to determine the mean air-side heat transfer
coefficient for the whole heat exchanger. The mean heat transfer coefficient was determined from
the condition that the mass-average air temperature difference in the heat exchanger, calculated
from the analytical formula and the obtained CFD simulation are equal. The correlations based
on the results of CFD modelling match very well the empirical correlations based on experimental
tests of two car radiators.
Abstract
Nowadays, implementing energy efficiency measures is a key factor in the energy transition
towards decarbonization and lower primary energy use. Industries represent a high share (25%
in 2016) of the energy used in the European Union according to Eurostat. Consequently, efficient
energy use in industries has a positive impact on the global energy transition. In this sense, waste
heat recovery measures have proved to be a key concept in achieving energy savings in industry.
Traditionally, those measures focus on exhaust gases heat recovery. However, there are other heat
sources with exploitation potential that have not been traditionally considered. This is the case of
radiant heat, typically found in energy intensive processes in which high temperatures are
reached. For instance, in the steel making process, the casted steel is red hot and emits a
considerable amount of radiant energy. This emitted radiation heats up the surrounding surfaces,
which often poses serious problems both for the nearby machinery and workers. In this paper,
that wasted radiation is considered as an opportunity for heat recovery. A radiant heat capturing
device is presented. This device enables the recovery of currently unused energy while solving the
radiative emission related problems.

Heat transfer through radiation is defined by a number of factors, such as the view factors and
optical properties of the involved surfaces. In this research work, those factors are optimized to
maximize the amount of heat recovered by the presented device. Simulation tools are used to test
different designs and define the most appropriate solution for a given case.
Abstract
Energy saving at a factory (company) level has been done actively, however, implementation of
energy saving measures across companies is still limited. Since heat (steam) is generally produced
on site, measures by each company are more important. However, since it is possible to transport
heat within a certain distance (less than several km or sometimes several tens of km), optimization
of heat supply and demand system across the companies in an industrial park makes it easier to
realize an ultra-low-carbon heat utilization system.

The measures for reducing CO2 emission related to heat supply can be divided into the following
two options. First is the improvement of exergy efficiency. Although sometimes only the
quantitative aspect of energy efficiency is considered, it is essential for heat supply system to
improve the exergy efficiency. Second is to expand the use of renewable energy and energy of
waste as a heat source. Those countermeasures are effective to reduce CO2 emission from both
heat and electricity supply systems. However, while electricity supply and demand can be adjusted
in a wide region by distributed power grids, demand and supply of heat needs to be adjusted in a
small district heat supply cluster.

To achieve significant CO2 emission reduction of a heat supply system in an industrial park,
smart energy sharing would trigger the promotion of exergy efficiency improvement and
expansion of the use of renewable energies and energy of waste. Three types of sharing need to be
considered. (1) Information sharing which contributes to find a potential area and then, after the
implementation, works for optimum control of supply and demand of heat. (2) Infrastructure
sharing which minimizes the cost for facilities and their operation. (3) Energy sharing which
provides high exergy and stable heat and electricity supply functions in an industrial park.

Especially, information sharing is the first step to promote a smart energy sharing and, therefore,
it would be a key to remove barriers to expand energy sharing networks across the companies. A
conceptual information sharing platform which consists of two layers (i.e. open data sharing and
closed data sharing) is being designed under the collaboration of industry-government-academia
research group members. Potential of CO2 emission reduction for heat supply and primitive
design of information sharing system and its effectiveness will be presented in this presentation.
Abstract
The redesign of the electricity market is an absolute necessity today, since the transformation to
a decarbonized system is needed in order to maintain the environment, which implies the use of
renewables, for which several actions and efforts are needed.

Within the countries of the EU, despite its great potential in green technologies, Spain has a high
energy dependence and its electricity system is characterized by a low competition and other
managerial problems. One of these critical issues is the challenge of the implementation of the
self-consumption, which will be the issue analysed here. Thus, the aim of this this paper is to
analyse the economic and environmental effects of the implementation of the self-consumption
in Spain.

Self-consumption might reduce the electricity losses due to transmission and distribution.
Secondly, it is a clear advance in the aim of a sustainable and decarbonized economy. And, finally,
according to Langarita et al. (2017), the implementation of the self-consumption could reduce
electricity costs in an irrigation scheme, such as one in the Northeast of Spain. Now, we would
like to know how this measure could affect the rest of the variables and industries of the whole
Spanish economy from a multisectoral perspective, not only irrigated agriculture in a concrete
area.

As is known in the literature, the input-output model is a good tool to study energy and electricity
sectors. Inside the input-output framework, we propose in this paper to use supply and use tables,
since electricity is a product and we can observe its production in the supply table. In this sense,
we use the supply and use tables for Spain for 2015, published by the National Institute of
Statistics (INE in its Spanish acronym) and we modify the coefficients of the different sectors to
include the scenario of self-consumption.

As a first step to advance in the modelling of the electricity self-consumption, with the original
supply and use tables, following the methodology of EUROSTAT (2008), we obtain the symmetric
table. Then, after having simulated the self-consumption in the supply and use tables, we obtain
the symmetric one again. We use input-output applications to see the differences between the
symmetric table before and after the self-consumption implementation. Making use of an
emissions vector, we can fast observe the effects on CO2 emissions. We can also see the structural
change in the Spanish economy associated with these simulations. Additionally, how the
household income changes, the trade, and other economic variables. To this end, we will mainly
use dependence chains and structural decomposition analysis (SDA).

Following Duarte et al. (2017), a next step in this analysis is the self-consumption simulation
disaggregating electricity into several subsectors in supply and use tables.
Abstract
The main objective of this paper is to analyse the distributional impacts of investment subsidies
that are paid to households who install residential energy technologies. The support system for
residential renewable energy technologies in the Lithuanian case is analysed in the paper by
employing a microsimulation model. This model is based on the detailed data about individual
households covered by the Survey on Income and Living Conditions. Among other features, the
model measures the possibility to use selected technologies and receive support depending on the
properties of each household included. Thus, the likely support flows can be revealed.

Three investment support measures applied for investment to different residential heating and
electricity generation technologies have been explored. The analysis has shown that although
being efficient from the energy point of view, the support provides the most benefits to the
households with higher income and thus increases inequality. It also fails to reduce energy
poverty. To obtain a flatter distribution of the benefits, support intensity should be inversely
proportionate to the capacity or additional measures such as support for collective actions (e.g.,
installations in multifamily houses) should be implemented.
Abstract
Increasing energy efficiency (EE) of municipal public buildings (MPBs) is one of the actions under
focus to cut the energy bill of local authorities and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This is also
one of the pillars of the Sustainable Energy (and Climate) Action Plans (SEAPs/SECAPs) that the
signatories of the Covenant of Mayors (CoM) initiative have to prepare.

The MPB stock involve a large variety of building types, characterized by different usage (i.e.
swimming pools, health centres, sports centre, schools, office buildings), different energy services
(e.g. space heating and cooling, water heating, lighting, other electric equipment) as well as
different consumption profiles (number and type of users). Acknowledging this, the CoM’s
guidelines on SEAP/SECAP implementation highlight the necessity for a local authority to adopt
a systematic approach “in order to ensure a coherent and efficient energy policy covering the
entire building stock over which the local authority exercises control”.

There are many challenges involved in promoting EE investments and renewable energy use in
public buildings, covering several aspects, such as the lack of technical expertise to promote
technological innovation and to demonstrate the profitability of such investments, as well as
specific issues strictly related to the legal, regulatory or institutional frameworks. The PrioritEE
project “Prioritise energy efficiency (EE) measures in public buildings: a decision support tool for
regional and local public authorities” funded under the first call of the Interreg MED Programme
2014-2020 aims to contribute to addressing these challenges in five Mediterranean countries
(Croatia, Italy, Greece, Portugal and Spain), in order to increase the capabilities of public
administrators in the strategic energy management of their local stock of public buildings. The
objective here is also to find replicable solutions applicable outside the Mediterranean area.

This paper focuses on the main outcomes of this collaborative effort aimed at developing, testing
and refining an integrated approach in five local pilots. Results will focus both on the impacts of
changing energy behaviour initiatives and on the application of the PrioritEE’s Decision Support
Tool in selecting and ranking EE/RES interventions on the overall set of MPBs in terms of three
main indicators: costs, energy savings and avoided CO2 emissions.
Abstract
Four years after the Paris Agreement on climate change, the Brazilian Government are still
struggling with the first draft of the National Strategy for the Implementation and Financing of
Brazil's Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC). Based on simulations demonstrating
Brazil's ability to generate 100% of its electricity from renewable sources, the present study aims
to analyze the status of Brazil’s NDCs and establish a link with ongoing process reform of the
electric legal framework. In the results, this study shows that the Brazilian electricity sector is not
contributing to the achievement of the Paris targets, rather it has become more carbon intensive
and an increase in greenhouse gas emissions is predicted for the next few decades. In favor a new
paradigm for the sector is presented here, based on eco-efficiency, resilience, effective equality
and sustainable socio-environmental development, with special attention to the Paris targets and
Agenda 2030.
Abstract
The growing trend of energy consumption in the building sector has been observed for the last
few decades, and when it is considered that the building is a leading sector in terms of energy
consumption, there is a clear aspiration to achieve greater energy savings specifically in this
sector. The building sector in the EU consumes about 40% of total final energy. In addition, 80%
of total final energy is used on heating and hot water preparation. From this it can be concluded
that there is a great potential for energy saving in the building sector, and one of the steps towards
achieving saving in the European Union is the Energy Efficiency Directive (EED). The Energy
Efficiency Directive (2012/27/EU) was transposed into the Croatian legislation on the Law on
Heat Energy Market (Official Gazette 80/13, 14/14 and 95/15) and the Law on Energy Efficiency
(Official Gazette no. 127/14). According to the mentioned legal documents, it was necessary to
install electronic heat cost allocator (abbreviated HCA) or heat energy meters and thermostatic
radiator valves in all residential/business premises connected to district heating networks. With
the new legislation, Croatia has decided that each residential area has its own access to all
networked services and its own measurement of services rendered. After the initial application of
the Law on Heat Energy Market in the part of instalment of individual metering, certain
deficiencies have been identified and the revision of the legal framework for the district heating
sector was started in order to regulate sector relations, including an individual measurement
system, in a more transparent and fair way, considering the technological rules of the system,
protecting consumer rights and developing the heat industry.

Up to this date, the installation of the HCA in Croatia caused a dissatisfaction with some final
consumers. The analysed complaints can be classified into the following three: complaints to the
excessive bill for the delivered heat energy and preparation of hot water, information
requirements and dissatisfaction with the entire system of calculation of heat energy
consumption.

The goal of this paper is to determine the optimal legal framework for Croatia, a part of which are
allocation rules when HCA are used, that would, on one hand, transpose the obligations from the
EED and, on the other hand, provide a framework for a maximum savings gain for total
congregation of final consumers.
Abstract
Motivation

Several 100% RES solutions have been discussed for individual countries and for the whole
world, tackling several problems: 1) the transition to a renewable energy system from a market
point of view in an optimal way; 2) finding the optimal solution with a 100% RES supply in a
future year, combining several RES, to match effectively supply and demand at all times. The
100% RES seems therefore feasible technically.

The critics used to argue that, even admitting that possibility it would be too costly. Yet, they
overlooked the learning rate effect that has made RES already competitive. That has led them to
update their criticism.

Methodology.

The critics argue that: first, a system with high shares of RES is not compatible with the free
market economy because of the merit-order effect, that will bring prices to zero frequently. Then,
fossil energies will become unprofitable; but they are required to balance supply and demand in
the short run. Under a 100% RES solution RES would undermine themselves because of the same
zero price problem, leading to investment curtailments and under supply of energy.

Second the neo-Malthusian approach first states that the planet earth is finite; second, it asserts
that the potential of renewable energies is limited and the limit is in fact binding,. Second, the
materials required by the new technologies are limited and in short supply.

They suggest de-growth and adaptation to climate change, till a new technical breakthrough is
made.

Results.

A careful analysis shows that the market, could work properly under the RES solution. It would
simply entail that the average LCOE equals the market energy price; the intermittency underlying
the mismatches between demand and supply could be dealt with many solutions. The criticism,
therefore, lacks base.

Since the main target of capitalism is the maximization of profits that implies the maximization
of material goods and growth. Then, under the neo-Malthusian approach, that would imply that
capitalism is unsustainable; a free market economy with a set of rules meant to prevent that runoff
into unfettered growth might be the solution.

Conclusions.

The first is that there is no conflict between a 100% RES system and a free competitive market.
The second is that it has not been proved effectively as yet that the 100% RES solution is not
possible, notwithstanding many uncertainties ahead, mainly in regard with boundaries to growth.
Abstract
The global community has agreed to hold the increase in global average temperature to well below
2°C above pre-industrial levels and to pursue efforts to stay below 1.5°C. Staying within these
limits will require reducing greenhouse gas emissions to zero as soon as possible. This, in turn,
will require a fundamental transformation of societies and economies.

In earlier economic transformations, workers and their communities often bore the brunt of the
changes. The starting transition to a zero-emission economy similarly raises concerns that it will
come at the expense of miners, steel workers and others whose livelihoods depend on emission-
intensive production and services.

Such concerns have often been used as arguments against strengthening climate action. At the
same time, they have mostly only played a marginal role in climate policy circles. Wider socio-
economic impacts of climate action have been discounted as “co-benefits” and “co-costs”.
However, for most people such “co-benefits” and “co-costs” are the core issues and climate policy
is a side issue. The relevance of socio-economic impacts is for example highlighted by the “yellow
vest” protests in France which were triggered by an increase in environmental taxation. To
succeed, climate policy therefore needs to put equitable socio-economic development at the core
of its approaches. The importance of a Just Transition was also recognised in the preamble of the
Paris Agreement.

This paper therefore develops a framework of what defines a national Just Climate Transition
within Western European countries. While it is recognised that (global) North-South justice is
equally important and of high relevance, this paper focuses on transition within the traditional
industrialised countries.

Over the last decades, different societal actors have developed a number of transition/sustainable
development concepts. In search for a definition and key principles for a just climate transition,
this paper reviews these different societal perspectives on how to align environmental
sustainability, fairness and democracy. The aim of the review is to identify and compare how each
approach defines these core dimensions of a just climate transition. The review will draw out
commonalities and differences of the different approaches. On this basis, the paper develops a
synthesis of a how a just climate transition may be defined.
Abstract
Energy consumption in the world is increasing day by day. Natural gas, one of the primary energy
sources, is expected to increase 30 % by 2030. For this reason, the transfer of natural gas to
different regions is very important for energy trade. Natural gas is liquefied in order to make the
transfer, because the volume of the natural gas liquefaction will be greatly reduced due to that the
transfer in liquid form provides an economic gain. The main challenge in liquefied natural gas
(LNG) plants is high energy consumption for liquefying a stream of natural gas. For this reason,
the energy and exergy analysis of the liquefaction system and determine the exergy losses is very
important in terms of economic. In this study, convectional and advanced exergy analysis of the
liquefied natural gas (LNG) unit was performed using the cryogenic liquefaction method. These
elements are basically liquefied by three different, cryogenic, pressure swing adsorption and
membrane, methods. The main difference between these three methods is that the purity rates of
the products obtained are different. The cryogenic method with the highest purity rate constitutes
the method of this study. In the present work, conventional and advanced exergy analyses were
applied to the liquefaction process of natural gas. In the conventional exergy analysis only the
exergy efficiency and exergy destruction rate of the components are calculated. For the process
improvement, more detail data about the origin of the destructions and effect of the components
mutual on the exergy destructions would be required. In the advanced exergy analysis, the
destruction is classified based on two concepts, endogenous/exogenous and
avoidable/unavoidable.

In the study, forward exergy analysis is performed for each component and endogenous,
exogenous, unavoidable and avoidable values of these components were calculated. When the
convectional exergy analysis is examined, the exergy efficiency of natural gas liquefaction system
is calculated as 54,81 %. When the advanced exergy analysis of the system is examined, it is found
that the highest exergy destruction occurred in the turbine. In relation to this, the exergy efficiency
of the turbine was calculated as 29.68 %.
Abstract
The importance of improving the energy efficiency and thermal comfort of historic built
environments arises from a double demand: the sociocultural need to preserve historic cities as
living entities and the environmental need to reduce the global energy demand of buildings. The
ENERPAT project addresses the challenge of finding energetically efficient solutions for the
historic urban areas from the perspective of systemic eco-renovation and local techniques,
considering Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), local economy and co-creation perspectives. The
objective is to test the effectivity and suitability of eco-renovation strategies that have been co-
created with local stakeholders and are based on traditional energy conservation measures, as a
way to work with local-based business models enabling culture safeguarding and economic
development. Living labs have been created in Vitoria (Spain) and Cahors (France) as
demonstration buildings in the historic urban area of each city and long-term thinking
frameworks, including stakeholders of the whole endogenous value chain. The solutions based on
local materials have been decided by co-creation strategies using multicriteria methodologies,
including criteria as operational energy, impact in heritage values, quality of life socioeconomic
development and logistic easiness. The energy performance of the buildings and the hygrothermal
behaviour of the external walls were studied through on-site and lab experiments, through an
efficient partnership between local authorities and universities. Likewise, local-based
refurbishment solutions that were selected in the co-creation process have been thermally
characterized in the laboratory, by means of thermal conductivity and guarded hot box tests.
Abstract
Transition and decarbonization of the energy sector require the utilization of new technologies
and energy sources. Higher penetration of intermittent renewable energy sources implies
following; the installation of energy storages, to store electricity excess, and enhanced system
efficiency. This electricity surpluses that will occur more often in the future energy system, could
be effectively utilized for the production of alternative fuels. Most of the alternative fuels that are
considered for future application are already known chemicals or products, nowadays used for
other purposes. Another great advantage of some alternative fuels lies in their possibilities to act
as an energy carrier. This feature might be crucial while discussing their utilization potential and
further development. Fuels which can simultaneously be used for power generation and as an
energy carrier will have a more important role in the future and are likely to be utilized on a greater
scale. Renewable energy source like biomass, on the other hand, is already widely used and their
role in the future system is not questionable. Even though, significant increment in their
consumption raises serious concerns about their sustainability. For this reason, new approaches
to upgrading biomass products were presented. In these new approaches, demands for biomass
are partially satisfied by some other type of feedstock (i.e. waste) and obtained characteristics of
derived products are enhanced. In this work, the Authors tried to review alternative fuel
characteristics, alongside their utilization and production opportunities. In the end, the Authors
emphasized the importance of a more comprehensive approach toward this topic in order to come
up with the optimal and most appropriate solutions and successfully prevail existing barriers.
Abstract
This work proposes a generation expansion planning model for Cape Verde considering a 20
years’ period and based on a cost optimization problem. Different scenarios were analysed, each
one representing different renewable scenarios for electricity production, reaching a 100%
renewable share. The results demonstrate that the increase of the renewables in the system can
result on the increase of the total cost of energy. However, both CO2 emissions and external energy
dependency of the country significantly decrease. The seasonality of the RES resources, and in
particular of wind power, is shown to be one of the most important challenges for the effective
uptake of such a renewable power system. This seasonality severely compromises the electricity
production and the capacity to respond to demand during summer. Additionally, in the winter
months, excess production is evident making it essential to analyse possible ways of minimizing
this unused electricity.
Abstract
Advanced Oxidation Processes (AOPs) have emerged as powerful alternatives to remove many
chlorinated organic compounds. One of these processes –which has been successfully applied to
remediate aqueous solutions containing a large number of micropollutants, such as Triclosan
(TCS)- is Electrochemical oxidation. TCS, classified as a PPCP (Pharmaceutical and Personal Care
Product), is widely used as a broad-spectrum antimicrobial and antifungal agent in many
professional and personal products1. However, TCS is characterized by acute resistance to
biodegradation, environmental persistence and high lipophilicity, thus, application of effective
AOPs to achieve the complete degradation of TCS from polluted waters is technically challenging.
But, the use of powerful oxidation media for remediation of wastewaters containing precursors of
PCDD/Fs has been associated to their likely formation1,3. In this work, the influence of the
supporting electrolyte during the electrochemical oxidation of TCS containing wastewaters has
been studied and the concentration of PCDD/Fs has been quantified along the treatment time 4.
Complete degradation of TCS was achieved after 3 hours for an initial concentration of 100 mg L-
1. Along with the quantitative determination of the change in TCS concentration by HPLC, GC-

MS analysis were performed to identify the main products that could be formed in the oxidation
treatment. The qualitative analysis confirmed the formation of 2,4-dichlorophenol, 4-
chlorocatechol, 2-chlorohydroquinone, among others, for both electrolytes used. In addition,
different non-chlorinated products have been also detected, including diphenyl ether benzene and
4-methoxi-1-naphthalenol. A thorough review of the literature provides various references of the
presence of 2,7/2,8-dichlorodibenzo-p-dioxin in the oxidation treatment of TCS. Here, the
presence of 2,7/2,8-dichlorodibenzo-p-dioxin has also been detected as an intermediate product
by GC-MS. However, when HPLC was used to support these results, avoiding the high injection
temperature of GC-MS analysis, negative results were obtained. Thus, the choice of the analytical
technique for 2,7/2,8-dichlorodibenzo-p-dioxin is crucial to achieve reliable results.
Furthermore, the total concentration of PCDD/Fs, analyzed by HRGC-HRMS, achieved values up
to 3.42 x 104 pg L-1 when the initial concentration of TCS 100 mg L-1 and NaCl was used as
electrolyte. Under the same conditions, the International Toxicity Factor (I-TEF) has been
calculated; achieving values up to 275.73 pg L-1. Thus, these results could help in decision-making
of the remediation technology to treat TCS contaminated waters.
Abstract
Existing power systems have had to adapt in response to increased variable renewable energy, for
example, wind energy, embedded generation, such as combined heat and power and electric
vehicle charging and discharging and smart loads (i.e. air-conditioning, electric storage heaters,
and heat pumps). This has resulted in changes to traditional grid operations and management.
These changes have seen new grid codes and electricity market mechanisms specifically for
renewable generators and prosumers. Therefore, it is critical to understand how a power system
with significant renewable penetration and distributed generation responds in real time to
maintain power quality and system stability. Thus, the aim of this paper is to review the technical
dynamic impacts of renewable energy, distributed generation and emerging smart loads on the
power system stability. Then it addresses the main barriers to penetrate a high-level of distributed
generation systems. The impact of integrating these new technologies on power system frequency
and voltage operation limits in international grid codes are also investigated and compared.
Abstract
It is established there will be significant growth in renewable energy in order to reduce greenhouse
gas emissions. Variable renewable energy is not ‘dispatchable’ meaning that it cannot provide
power system quality services such as voltage, frequency regulation and inertia. Energy storage is
proposed to supply these services in order to facilitate continued growth of variable renewable
power sources but there are many uncertainties in terms of technology, market readiness,
economics and regulatory requirements. The aim of this study is to undertake a state of the art
review of the techno-economic and regulatory status of energy storage and power quality services
at the distribution level. The review will establish the global trends in electricity markets that have
seen high levels of renewable energy penetration. The results of the investigation indicate that
system modelling is required to qualify, quantify and value the installation of mass energy storage
particularly at distribution level.
Abstract
The long-term economic viability and sustainability of offshore wind power is not only reliant on
reducing installation, commissioning, and operations and maintenance costs, but also on the
elimination of subsidies and grants. Current economic analyses use historical price and cost data
to predict the levelised cost, net present value, payback period and internal rate of return from
offshore wind. These analyses use parameters such as water depth at site, number and size of
turbines, grid connection costs, equipment costs, revenue from the wholesale market price of
electricity, operations and maintenance costs, revenue from subsidies and the cost of finance
amongst others to build a model to determine the viability of the array. As with any economic
model, the variables are continually changing and evolving as experience and knowledge grows.
Considering these current knowledge gaps, this paper reviews the status of offshore wind power
economic evaluation methods. The contribution of this paper is a review of the state of the art of
the levelised cost of energy (LCOE) in the context of offshore wind.
Abstract
Although distributed energy resources (DER) such as photovoltaic (PV), small-scale wind
turbines and electric vehicles (EV) contribute to CO2 emissions reduction, they create technical
challenges due to the transition from a passive unidirectional to an active bidirectional network
at the distribution level. These DER are also dependent on unpredictable weather conditions and
the variable human driver patterns of EV owners as they charge and discharge their cars. Thus,
the increasing growth of localised energy systems requires enhanced observability of the
distribution system, as well as fast response to maintain stability and control, similar to the
transmission system. Since the possibility of installing sensors on all nodes of the distribution
network is not economically feasible, an alternative solution of online non-intrusive load
monitoring (NILM) to electrically identify the location of the DERs to ensure system stability,
reliability and resilience is proposed.

Although extensive research has been carried out on load identification, the lack of NILM
methods based on time-synchronised measurements focused on the distribution system provides
a new research area to contribute to the integration of DER. This paper first compares the
distribution system and transmission considering load monitoring. Second, a state-of-the-art
review of different methodologies currently used and proposed for DER identification and system
state monitoring is presented. Then third, a study also of conventional, intelligent and hybrid load
identification methodologies in both residential and industrial sector at the distribution level is
discussed in light of the challenges and opportunities for NILM to support effective decision
making.
Abstract
In the industry of renewable energy, wind has been quickly growing to become one of the biggest
markets. With this increase in popularity, the maintenance of wind turbines is crucial, especially
the care of the turbine blades. Rain erosion is widely accepted as one of the key areas of interest,
as a even a 2-3% loss in annual energy output significantly reduces the profit of operators.
Inspection of turbine blades as of late is very basic, simply involving a visual observation which is
accompanied by photographs of the damage. Recent studies investigating the rain erosion of
turbine blade materials show that this standard procedure fails to characterize the loss of
aerodynamic efficiency in these turbine blades or evaluate their performance in an inter-study
comparative approach. Previous studies have focused on using smaller test coupons and the
industry moving in the direction of leading edge profile samples, there is a broad consensus that
whirling arm type test rigs are the most applicable testing regimes. However, there is little overlap
in the analysis used in different studies. This review will look into the different techniques used
to inspect and characterize the samples, materials and performance used in rain erosion testing.
The focus will be on their practicality, benefit and application to overall use within the industry of
wind energy.
Abstract
Biomass currently contributes predominantly to the total amount of energy from RES - in 2016 it
was 65.3% in the EU. The outlook for energy development over the next decades implies further
significant development of the use of biomass in its various forms. There is a rapid depletion of
the residual biomass potential of the woodworking industry, biomass intentionally cultivated on
agricultural land and residual biomass (straw from conventional crop) will play a key role in the
future. The potential of biomass develops over time, the main factors influencing its level are
changes in land use incl. share of land devoted to energy crops, changes in the structure of
conventional crops, changes in livestock and livestock species, the development of agro-
technologies and changes in the amount of biomass produced due to climate change. These factors
indicate the trend of biomass potential development.

The biomass potential is generally understood as the expected (deterministic) value. In practice,
however, it is necessary to consider the variability of biomass yields, both straw of conventional
crops and biomass from energy crops. E.g. in the period 2004-2017 in the Czech Republic (wheat
straw) the difference between the highest and lowest straw yields was about 50%. Large year-on-
year variations in biomass yields are usually caused by extreme weather, in the last decade it is
mainly drought and changes in precipitation distribution. Thus, the biomass potential can be
expressed instead of one value for a given year by spreading the amount of biomass taking into
account typical fluctuations in biomass production.

Deviations of biomass actually available from the biomass potential play a significant role, for
example, when designing the concept of decentralized heating of smaller municipalities based on
solid biofuels from locally available biomass or in designing biomass-based cogeneration/heating
plants.

This paper describes the methodology for determining the biomass potential on agricultural land
taking into account the influence of the above mentioned factors. The biomass potential of
conventional and energy crops is derived from the soil and climatic characteristics of the site using
special model in GIS. An example of modeling the development of the biomass potential for the
Czech Republic for several basic bioenergy development scenarios by 2040 discusses the
influence of the various factors influencing the biomass potential and its variability.
Abstract
Offshore wind energy is expected to provide a significant contribution to the achievement of the
European Renewable Energy targets for the next future. One of the main technological issues af-
fecting Floating Offshore Wind Turbine (FOWTs) is that concerning sea-wave/platform
interaction that yields loads and perturbation motion, thus causing time-variant generated power
and fatigue on structure. This paper presents a fully coupled aeroelastic/hydrodynamic model for
FOWTs re-sponse analysis and control capable of simulating these critical conditions with a level
of accuracy suitable for preliminary design. Specifically, the wind-turbine system is modeled
through a multi-body scheme consisting of rigid bodies (blades and tower) connected by hinges
equipped withsprings and dampers such to reproduce the low-frequency behavior of the realistic
system. Theaerodynamic loads are evaluated through a sectional steady aerodynamic formulation
coupled with a wake inflow model. The FOWT system is completed by a spar buoy floating
structure supporting the wind turbine. The hydrodynamic forces are evaluated through a linear
frequency-domain po- tential solver taking into account the memory effect due to the free surface
deformation, which is included in the aeroelastic/hydrodynamic model through a state-space
approach. Numerical inves- tigations verify the capability of the solver to predict FOWT dynamics
in the presence of impinging sea waves and present the application of a linear quadratic optimal
control strategy for the rejection of the corresponding annoying effects (like extracted power
fluctuation).
Abstract
The aim here is to analyse the technoeconomic potential of solar combined cooling heating and
power (S-CCHP) systems based on two alternative PVT water collectors coupled with an
absorption chiller (AbCH, single-stage NH3-H2O) via a water thermal store. The real hot-water,
cooling and electricity demands of a food-processing industry located in Zaragoza (Spain) are
used as inputs to the model. The existing scenario of a light fuel oil boiler for hot-water provision
and electrical refrigeration chillers for cooling is considered as baseline. Hourly transient
simulations considering real weather data are performed over a year. The results are compared to
evacuated tube collectors (ETCs) for hot-water and cooling provision, and to a PV-system with
electrical chillers. The results show that in applications where there is a constant cooling demand
that overlaps with the hot-water demand, AbCH units are not the most suitable solution, as they
use the same source (hot-water), and thus both demands enter in competition. If instead electrical
chillers are used, PVT-based systems could compete with ETC-based systems (payback time of 17
years). Still, the higher cost of PVT collectors compared to PV panels, the additional thermal
equipment required and the considerably lower price of fuels compared to electricity price, hinder
the potential of S-CCHP systems.
Abstract
Perovskite based solar cells have received great attention in recent several years due to its
unprecedented power conversion efficiency (PCE, > 23 %), low cost of precursor materials,
and simple fabrication processing. The drastic rise of PCE can be comparable to the record
(26.6%) of state-of-the-art silicon crystalline solar cells. In order to further improve
performance of perovskite solar cells, efficient charge extraction and collection are one of
the critical issue. One of key technology proposed in our group was to employ carbon
nanotubes (CNTs) for assisting collection of holes generated from perovskite active layer
since they have excellent optoelectronic properties. Conducting polymer, PEDOT:PSS, was
combined with the CNTs to form hybrid hole collector, which demonstrated better hole
quenching properties.

On the basis of helpful role of the CNTs, in this work, we aimed to apply it to NiOx hole
transport layer instead of the PEDOT:PSS due to its hygroscopic and acidic nature. Here,
NiOx/CNTs hybrid hole transporting layer has been suggested to boost carrier transfer in
NiOx layer by using metallic CNTs.

In experimental procedure, well-dispersed CNTs solution (0-500 μL) was partially mixed
with NiOx precursor solution (0.5-1 mL). The blended solution was spin-coated on ITO
substrates to form the NiOx/CNTs hybrid hole transporter. Then, methylammonium lead
triiodide (MAPbI3, 1.2M) photoactive layer was prepared with one-step process, followed by
spin coating of PCBM (15 mg/mL in chlorobenzene) electron transporting layer. Finally, Ag
electrodes are thermally evaporated under high vacuum.

UV-vis spectroscopy results exhibited high transmittance of hybrid NiOx/CNTs layer due to
the excellent transparency of the CNTs. It showed almost negligible absorption loss by
adding CNTs. Raman spectroscopy showed that peaks related CNTs were successfully
observed for the hybrid hole collector. In addition, steady-state and time-resolved
photoluminescence measurement demonstrated that hole quenching properties of the NiO x
layer could be enhanced by adding metallic CNTs, which can boost hole collection in the
device operation.

In order to assess the hybrid hole collector, inverted planar type perovskite solar cells were
fabricated. The proposed cell showed a best PCE of 14.6% whereas pristine cell (only NiO x)
showed 13.0%. This demonstrates that the hybrid hole collector can open up new routes for
realizing high performance perovskite solar cells.
Abstract
The disposal of waste polymers can cause serious environmental concerns in the world. Thermal
and thermo-catalytic decomposition of waste polymers by pyrolysis looks an attractive way for
waste plastic recycling and recover useful energy. The aim of this study was the conversion of
waste mixtures (polyethylene, polypropylene and terephthalate polyethylene) into valuable
product, such as syngas (mixtures of CO and hydrogen) and other hydrocarbon gases. Different
types of transition metals supported by ZSM-5 catalysts were used to enhance the production of
higher syngas yield. This paper presents the influence of catalysts on the pyrolysis process. The
modified catalysts can enhanced the reaction rate of the pyrolysis process and resulting in high
syngas in the product yields. Moreover, the high temperature in the pyrolysis reaction can lead to
high gas yield in the pyrolysis products
Abstract
The industrial development, the growth in the living standards and world population cause a
rapidly growing demand for energy. However the availability of the fossil energy sources is
limited. Further problem, is that the waste materials cause serious environmental challenges. The
vast amount of waste polymers, such as plastics, biomass, tires, etc. are not decomposed within
suitable time, however those huge volume can be significantly eliminated by their pyrolysis. The
thermal decomposition reactions are take place between 350 and 1000°C, depending on the raw
materials and the required product structure. The energy recovery from waste plastics and
biomass by their pyrolysis appears as an attractive way to production of fuels, or to produce
electricity and heat.

In this study, the mixture of waste plastic and biomass was pyrolyzed under mild conditions using
nitrogen for inertization. The decomposition reactions were enhanced by the using of synthetic
zeolite based catalysts to obtain higher yield of volatiles and modifying the structure of
compounds in products. Gaseous product of pyrolysis contain small amount of hydrogen, carbon-
monoxide, carbon-dioxide and hydrocarbons, while thy pyrolysis oils were full of with oxygen
containing compounds, such as alcohols, aldehyde, ketons, carboxylic acids or phenol and its
derivate. Catalysts with alkali characters showed advanced behavior in the reduction of
contaminants, which led to longer term stability of pyrolysis oil. The longer term application of
pyrolysis oils was followed by the accelerated aging test at 80°C. Other properties of the products
were concluded by the results of FTIR, GC-FID analyses and other standardized tests.
Abstract
Energy efficiency and circular economy goals, such as utilizing waste heat, are causing challenges
for district heating systems; thus, a more versatile smart energy system is called for. In addition,
previous research and practical experiences both have shown that waste heat utilization is
unprofitable. Most commonly, district heat pricing for customers is formulated using production
cost as a basis for a static yearly or monthly price. This pricing method does not take into account
the actual costs of heat distribution, which is caused by heat losses and electricity consumed by
pumps in the network. Extra costs are caused by “bottlenecks” in the distribution network, when
existing distribution capacity does not allow sufficient heat delivery. Some previous studies have
focused on dynamic pricing based on the hourly fluctuation of the production costs. However,
there are no previous studies on spatial price formation of district heat, i.e. studies that have
assessed how the actual costs of heat varies in different locations of the network due to production
and distribution expenses. This information is important especially in large district heating
systems with several production units as it also helps to estimate the value of waste heat and
demand response actions in different locations of the district heating network.

The goal of this study is to investigate favorable locations for waste heat collection and demand
side management from the networks perspective. The simulation method used in this study
combines the production data from combined heat and power plants, heat only boilers and
pumping stations. The network is divided into pumping zones that can have different heat balance
compared to each other. The data used in this study is real production and heat network data from
a large district heating network in Vantaa, Finland.

The preliminary results show that typically favorable locations for waste heat collection or
demand side management actions are on the edge zones of the district heating networks.
Surprisingly, some favorable locations are also sometimes close to production units. Favorable
locations are found in places that have the largest temperature decrease of district heating water
in all three simulated scenarios. Waste heat utilization at these locations would benefit the whole
system since this would decrease the amount of energy needed to be produced at the power plants.
There would also be a reduction in heat losses and pumping power.
Abstract
Virtual Power Plant (VPP) combines a wide variety of generation electricity resources and
operates them as a unified unit similar to a transmission-connected generator the VPP portfolio
diversification to make optimal decisions about its investor´s preferences and/or social utility
about electricity generation technologies were taken into account in the optimization problem.

This study provides a programming approach to solve the portfolio selection problem of a VPP
that operates in the wholesale electricity market by taking into account the social utility of
different electricity technologies. The optimization portfolio diversification procedure is based on
the maximum entropy approach.

The findings suggest that generation technologies with lower social costs per kWh increase their
participation more that technologies using fossil fuels in the VPP composition.
Abstract
The increasing share of renewable power generation and the upcoming lack of local dispatchable
sources increases the importance of the transmission infrastructure. Due to wind farms far from
load centers, long distance flows will have to balance power over large areas in electricity systems.
The strong spatial balancing raises the need of transparent allocation methods for cost and benefit
among the market participants. Flow allocation (FA) methods allow to efficiently distribute
transmission costs based on the transmission usage of each single generator and/or consumer
and a cost rate per line. Most FA methods quantify the impact of single participants on
emph{passive} elements and are restricted to pure Alternate Current (AC) networks. However,
the significant number of emph{controllable} elements, namely High-voltage direct current
(HVDC) transmission lines in Europe, makes it inevitable to incorporate these into the allocation
methods.

This paper recalls two flow allocation methods based on the Power Transfer Distribution Factors
(PTDF), Marginal Participation (MA) and Equivalent Bilateral Exchanges (EBE). We provide
consistent mathematical and easily implementable formulations and show that by introducing a
flow dependent emph{pseudo-impedance} for HVDC lines the PTDF matrix and thus the FA
methods qualify for generic power networks. As an outlook the extended FA methods are applied
to a highly renewable European network model with refined spatial resolution (PyPSA-EUR).
There is evidence that cross-border electricity flows are strongly driven by renewable resources,
which are also the main beneficiaries of an expansion of the transmission grid.
Abstract
Motivation & Objectives

The continuous expansion of renewable energy sources causes congestions within energy grids -
a need for suitable solutions within future grid-development arises. Since line expansion is
expensive and regularly opposed by the public, alternative solutions to conquer grid congestions
are necessary. The presented HyFlow framework is an innovative approach to model, simulate
and assess hybrid multi energy systems. HyFlow is one single tool, capable of implementing
producers and/or consumers of all three grid bound energy carriers power, heat and gas as well
as energy storages in all considered energy carriers and sector coupling options such as heat-
pumps or power to gas.

Methodology

Time resolved generation and/or load data, network specifications of all three energy grids as
well as parameters of energy storage and sector coupling options have to be defined in EXCEL®
or MATLAB® in a first step. In order to apply HyFlow on various spatially resolved system
dimensions, a self-developed cellular approach is used. In doing so, consumers and producers as
well as storage and sector coupling options of a user defined spatial area are aggregated into one
node. One node can represent the spatial area of a single house up to a district or state. Line load
flows are calculated between all interconnected nodes, using load flow calculations which consider
real-life physical line properties for each energy carrier. After calculating all time steps, line loads
and properties such as node voltage, pressure and temperature level can be assessed. By doing so
the effects of grid congestion countermeasures such as storage and sector coupling options or line
expansion can be evaluated.

Scenario & results

In order to demonstrate the capabilities of HyFlow, the effects of the Austrian Climate and Energy
Strategy “#mission2030“ on Austrian federal state level are presented. The aim of
“#mission2030“ is to have 100 % renewable electricity supply, balanced over one year. The
expansion of renewable energy sources causes electricity grid overloads across the federal state,
especially in the summer months. In order to avoid these overloads, the effects of various
solutions such as battery storage or decentralized power to gas facilities are evaluated. Further
results such as line loads or voltage, pressure and temperature level at each node as well as usage
of storage and sector coupling options can be assessed for subsequent system optimization steps.
Abstract
In order to decarbonize the energy sector, two major strategies should be implemented:
substituting fossil fuels with renewable energies, and increasing system efficiency. These
strategies present challenges for current energy systems and their operators, since renewable
energy is mainly decentralized, not always predictable, and introduces a degree of volatility into
grids. Therefore, energy systems must be effectively designed in order to provide temporal and
spatial flexibility. Flexibility options, such as storages and demand response, are necessary for
balancing the difference between volatile energy generation and demand. Multi-energy systems,
which incorporate multiple energy sectors, allow for these flexibility options to be used across
energy carriers and thus further increase system flexibility. In addition, these multi-energy
systems can also improve overall energy efficiency since they enable cascaded energy use and
allow for seasonal storage between different energy carriers.

A comprehensive system modeling framework should consider all profound interactions between
relevant system control variables. Models created within such frameworks should be based on an
integrated approach. Four aspects are relevant for characterizing such models. Firstly, the degree
of detail determines the model accuracy. A decreased degree of detail reduces model complexity
and hence, computational effort. The accuracy specifies how well the original behavior of the
system is preserved. In this work, the cellular approach addresses the issues of detail and is
presented as a method that supports spatial resolution reduction and simplifies physical
properties of energy grids. The second aspect is the definition of boundary conditions, which
represent all assumptions made. Thirdly, methods like discrete Fourier transformations of
residual load profiles may be used for system design (e.g. network planning or storage sizing) to
determine necessary flexibility capacities. Finally, optimization methods like linear programming
support the development of operation strategies which suggest optimal scheduling for system
units and utilities. The aim of this proposed paper is to show the correlation between major
aspects of grid based MES as described above and how they can be combined in a system modeling
framework.
Abstract
In Poland in 2016, around 1.3 million households had a problem with heating up the house,
preparing hot water or cooking meals. This problem occurred for both households located in cities
and those located in rural communes. Especially, the case of households located in rural
communes, is interesting because the vast majority of these buildings are not connected to the
heating network, and, therefore, their thermal energy must be both produced and consumed at
the building.

If expenses of a household for meeting basic, daily energy needs (heating/cooling, cooking,
lighting, etc.) exceed a certain critical percentage of its income, then the household may not be
able to fulfil these needs and, thus we are dealing with energy poverty.

Energy poverty is one of the major energy problems affecting households in rural communes. It
appears more often in single-family housing than in multi-family housing.

Furthermore, since most rural communes consist of single-family housing, the problem of energy
poverty is more noticeable in rural areas than in cities. Statistically, also the income in households
located in villages is smaller than those located in cities. For all these reasons, energy poverty is
definitely a much bigger problem in rural communes than in cities.

The purpose of this study is to explore the phenomenon of energy poverty in Poland, in particular
in rural communes, and to analyse the impact of different electricity tariffs and changes in energy
supply systems on reducing energy poverty for a typical household in a rural commune in
northern Poland.

For the analysis, first a model of a standard household with an energy poverty problem is built in
the energyPRO tool. As input online available statistical data is used. In next step several option
for changes in the energy system are proposed. These proposed changes differ in scale and in the
investments needed to carry out the change in the energy system.
Abstract
To target sustainability of systems and products, environmental, social, and economic issues are
to be assessed and, due to inherent antagonisms, trade-offs are posed and decisions must be
made. Each system has unique performance aspects that defy procedures to measure, track
performance and expand tools that support sustainable processes. Multiple frameworks to
support sustainability assessment exist, lacking well-established and straightforward methods,
which often brings to biased or non-comparable results. This paper presents a critical review of
46 state-of-the-art methods for sustainability assessment that can be applied to the chemical
industry and process systems engineering. The main remark unveiled by this review reports
advances in integrating multiple concepts that had not been associated to sustainability within
process systems engineering together, such as boundary selection, production phase, level of
analysis, sustainability dimensions, and decision-making. Such categories are intended to aid the
understanding of each method focus and scope, issues addressed and indicators used, and
decision-making procedure applied to identify most sustainable alternative. All the methods
investigated must correlate either with chemical industry, chemical process, chemical products or
process systems engineering. The methodology used consists of eight steps, namely: definition of
focus and scope, investigation of prior reviews, definition of literature classification, literature
search and screening, classification, analysis, review and findings, identification of gaps for future
research. The evaluation identified a sharp increase of literature about sustainable chemical
design and production from 2010, but also pointed how far the field is from developing fully
integrated assessment methods for sustainability in process systems. The majority of the
literature assessed stood for industrial gate-to-gate design methods. As the life cycle boundaries
expanded, single dimension analysis is more frequent, indicating a trade-off between life cycle
boundaries, inclusion of sustainability dimensions and quality. The decision-making analysis
highlighted the dominance of compensatory approaches, pointing that most methods allow
compensability between indicators. In general, the methods did not investigate the application of
different aggregation metrics, a shortcoming that pinpointed the further need to apply statistical
analysis of sustainability indexes.
Abstract
In Brazil, as in the world, the mining sector is expanding steadily. Currently, the sector represents
5% of the country’s gross domestic product. Brazil is the third largest bauxite exporter in the world
and its production increased by 9% in 2017 compared to 2016. The environmental impacts from
mining and other activities that compete for land use need to be evaluated. The objective of this
work was to assess vegetation recomposition in an area where bauxite extraction occurred, using
site visits and analysis of a vegetation index calculated from satellite images. The method was
applied at a bauxite mine in Paragominas, PA, Brazil. The evaluations covered the steps of opening
the area, mining operation and replanting, considering three types of replanting: natural
regeneration, traditional planting, and nucleation, for the period between 2007 and 2017. The
results showed that the replanting method directly influences vegetation index from satellite
images. Several factors influenced the values obtained, such as operational factors and topsoil
used. The natural regeneration method was found to produce he best results.
Abstract
The Finnish government is dedicated to improving technologies for increasing sustainable and
carbon-neutral development. Previous studies have suggested that the use of renewable forest
products (rather than fossil products) can mitigate climate change so that the costs of adaptation
are limited. This study investigates the positive impacts (in terms of different energy efficiency
measures) of a three-year adaptation process (2014-2016) that took place in the transportation
system of industrial wood procurement. The energy efficiency calculations of the transportation
fleet were applied based on four mass limits of vehicle combinations (60, 64, 68 and 76 t) in four
procurement regions of 100% renewable wood. The wood-based energy efficiency measure (load’s
wood energy/fossil transport energy) was the most accurate and precise development indicator.
The indicator revealed that the transportation fleets (60, 64, 68 and 76 t) and (64, 68 and 76 t)
were carbon negative (122, 133, 144 and 108) (142, 147 and 133) in 2014 and 2016, respectively.
In comparison to 60 t, the use of 68 t vehicles increased energy efficiency most effectively at both
fleets, by 18.0% and 20.5%, respectively. Furthermore, the indicator revealed that the energy
efficiency of the fleet is dependent on region’s transportation conditions. This knowledge can be
applied to advance the adaptation toward carbon-neutral supply chains in varying percentages
(0-100%) of renewable wood. Therefore, the tailored wood-based energy efficiency measures
should be implemented in the transportation planning and monitoring systems. Researchers,
officials and other stakeholders of forest-industry companies abroad can apply similarly the wood
resource-based energy efficiency indicator although there would be possible to use a smaller
percentage (<100%) of renewable wood in their production environment. In the future, the wood-
procurement logistics from forests to plants can be optimized and balanced with respect to
multiple criteria related to cost and energy efficiency to improve sustainability in the forest
industry.
Abstract
Resource consumption and environmental footprint of city-regions are significant and are
expected to expand. Policy and decision makers are challenged by the urgent need for sustainable
urban transformations. Circular economy is one of the strategies guiding this demand across cities
and regions. We argue that emergy analysis constitutes an appropriate methodology for
evaluating the sustainability of city-regions. We test its application in identifying and quantified
the most significant emergy flows for the city-region of Stockholm. The analysis revealed that
emergy sustainability index for the city-region is less than 0 indicating poor resource
sustainability due to high reliability on non-renewable resources. This research delivers
quantitative assessment to inform material and energy flows governance and understand
complexity of synergies required for innovative and foresighted policies for optimized usage of
resources.
Abstract
Highly detailed bottom-up energy system models are often used for evaluating future energy
system configurations from an infrastructural and systematic perspective. However, the
integration of environmental impacts next to directly emitted CO2 into those models is largely
missing. Albeit, it would offer the opportunity to identify highly detailed system configurations
that are both cost-efficient and ecologically sustainable from a broader perspective. In order to
ensure the holistic assessment of the ecological sustainability of systems, life cycle assessment
(LCA) appears to be the most important and appropriate instrument/methodology. While LCA is
based traditionally on static life cycle inventory (LCI) models (e.g. based on today’s energy mix),
we develop a general framework for deriving prospective LCI-based impact coefficients for energy
technologies (electricity, heat, synfuels, mobility) from a detailed bottom-up LCI.

The framework 1) breaks down LCI coefficients into the life cycle phases of construction,
operation and decommissioning and thus enables the allocation of environmental impacts
construction, operation, and end-of life to the individual model years and 2) integrates global
background scenarios for power generation into the life cycle assessment of energy system
relevant technologies, resulting in strong changes of specific environmental impacts in some
impact categories and 3) furthermore allows analysing the demand for critical minerals for future
energy technologies (not on a life cycle basis).

The modelling framework is applied to transformation paths of the German energy system up to
2050. Expected results show that the climate friendly (with respect to direct emissions)
transformation of the energy system will result in decreasing environmental impacts in some
impact categories (such as human health), but increase environmental impacts in others (such as
resource demand, in particular with respect to land use and critical minerals).
Abstract
In recent decades, concern over greenhouse gases grown to include refrigerant emissions, thus
motivating the development of new alternative low-global warming potential fluids. In this paper
the replacement of R134a with its alternatives, as working fluids in a kW-size reciprocating piston
expander, is investigated. To this purpose, a previously developed semi-empirical model of the
expander has been adapted to accommodate the change of the working fluid. A semi-empirical
model of a gear pump has been conceived to be integrated with the expander model with the
purpose of simulating volumetric machines real operation into an ORC cycle. Models parameters
related to the thermo-fluid-dynamic properties of the working fluids were updated compared to
the original values calibrated and validated over R134a by means of an extensive experimental
campaign. The comparison of expander performance among analyzed refrigerants identifies
R1234ze(E) as the best candidate to maximize the electric power output while minimizing the
environmental impact.
Abstract
Fuel cells are in the public perception generally considered to be driven by hydrogen. Nothing
could be more wrong. The high temperature fuel cell types SOFC and MCFC operate at higher
efficiencies when operating on methane and other hydrocrabon fuels. This is due to the capability
of turning waste heat back into chemical (fuel) energy in the endothermic process of reformation.

What is more, SOFC have the unique property of being reversible in a technical sense. Although
this is true for any fuel cell type, in practice this is currently only achievable with SOFC, thus
labelled Solid Oxide Cells (SOC) to embrace their versatile application as SOFC or SOE (solid
oxide electrolyser). An SOE supplied with waste heat (essentially steam) will be able to convert
close to 100% of the electrical energy provided to hydrogen heating value.

Given that an SOFC can convert methane into water and carbon dioxide, the SOE inversely is able
to turn CO2 and H2O into a syn-gas, consisting of hydrogen and carbon monoxide. Work is
ongoing to also integrate the methanation process in order to ultimately produce methane directly
from an SOE.

In any case the properties of SOC working on hydrogen or methane open up a plethora of
possibilities of combining current natural gas infrastructure with future zero-net-carbon
production of gaseous fuels from renewable electricity. Hydrogen and methane can be used in the
current gas infrastructure, for transport applications, or in power generation, offering a high value
in energy security and fuel flexibility in the energy system.
Abstract
The oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) at the cathode of polymer electrode fuel cell is a very slow
reaction and a large amount of Pt catalyst is required to use it. However, However, since Pt-based
noble metals are very expensive, research is underway to reduce the amount of noble metals or to
replace Pt-based noble catalysts. Especially, ORR in acidic media

metal-nitrogen-carbon (M-N-C) catalysts have been reported as a promising electrocatalysts for

proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFCs) to replace noble metal catalysts (Pt/C, Au/C, and
Ru/C etc.).

Among the methods of preparing various M-N-C catalysts, carbonized metal organic frameworks
(MOF) are the one of the simple ways to synthesize nitrogen-doped carbon. MOF are known
highly porous crystalline solids constructed from metal ions or clusters covalently linked by
organic ligands. The tunability of their composition, architecture, and properties has has led to
advances in drug delivery, catalysis, sensors, optoelectronics, electrochemistry, gas separation
and gas adsorption.

Although many studies have been reported that M-N-C catalysts have better performance than
Pt catalysts, but most have been reported in alkaline media, and Fe-N-C catalysts have been
mainly studied in acidic media. Fe-N-C catalysts have excellent performance; the new M-N-C
catalyst should be replaced as it is less stable due to the fenton reaction. In this study, Co-N-C
hollow particles were synthesized using cobalt, which was less affected by the fenton reaction, and
ORR was performed on acidic media. Since it was synthesized by spray pyrolysis method, mass
production was possible and uniform catalyst could be synthesized, and a half wave potential of
0.79 eV was obtained versus the hydrogen electrode.
Abstract
The mixed valence compounds In5S5Br, In5S3Se2Br, In5SSe4Br and In5Se5Br, consisting of micro
wire needleshaped crystals exhibit interesting thermoelectric properties measured on bulk
samples. Our data obtained by a self-made Seebeck device suitable for measurements of
thermoelectric-thin layers show a continuous increasing of the Seebeck potential with the
increasing of the selenium atoms in the structure of In5S5Br. In5S5Br reveal low Seebeck potentials
within in the studied range (ΔT = 0 - 80K) with a max value of -0.34 mV for ΔT of 80K, classifying
it as p-type semiconductor. The substitution of two sulfur atoms by two selenium atoms
In5S3Se2Br revealed n-type conductivity and approx. 16.00 mV for the same temperature
difference. Further substitution of sulfur atoms in the structure not only maintained the n-type
conductivity for In5SSe4Br but also increased dramatically the Seebeck potential to 225.26 mV
(ΔT = 80K). This trend was observed for the last representative of this serial of substitution
(In5Se5Br) as well. Repeatable cycles of Seebeck potential jumps over time for In5Se5Br and
In5SSe4Br show differences not only on their maximal reachable potential but also on the shape
of the maxima and recovery time.

Electrical measurements performed using bulk sample and individual micro needles fixed on pre-
fabricated micro-chips show electrical conductivities ranging from approx. 2 pS for In5S5Br to 13
pS for In5Se5Br, strongly influencing the TE figure of merit which restricts their direct applications
in thermoelectric devices.
Abstract
DDE is one of the main transformation products of the insecticide DDT which has been largely
used in agriculture after 1945 against a wide range of arthropods. Although the utilization of DDT
has been banned in most world countries, DDE is still found as an environmental contaminant.
Microbial Fuel Cells (MFCs) represent a promising technology for contaminated soils recovering
based on the conversion of the energy stored in the chemical bonds of organic compounds into
electrical energy. Here, MFCs were used to test their effectiveness on the complex degradation of
DDE in presence/absence of compost. The compost was used a possible energy source. MFCs
transform the energy stored in the chemical bonds of different organic compounds into electrical
energy thanks to reactions catalyzed by microorganisms through oxidation and reduction
reactions which take place at the anode and the cathode, respectively. The bacterial community,
in anaerobic conditions, forms a biofilm at the anode. The microorganisms in the biofilm oxidize
the organic matter that is present as carbon source, producing electrons and protons. Electrons
flow from the anode to the cathode through an external circuit while protons flow through the soil
(that works as an electrolyte) and migrate directly to the cathode where, in aerobic conditions,
electrons and protons react with oxygen (present in the air) to produce water. The questions
arising are if such process can influence, possibly accelerate, DDE degradation and if the presence
of compost can intensify both DDE degradation and energy generation due to the higher content
in nutrients. To evaluate DDE degradation four experimental conditions using MFCs have been
carried out: a) natural soil; b) soil plus compost; c) soil plus DDE; d) soil plus compost and DDE.
Each experimental condition was realized in triplicates. Moreover, the last two conditions were
tested using both an open and close circuit condition (made through an electrical resistance in
order to obtain the maximum power value corresponding to the highest DDE degradation rate).
Chemical and microbiological analyses have been performed at three sampling times: 0 day, 2
months and 4 months. In addition, electrical measurements were performed for the whole
duration of the experiment. Preliminary results (at 2 months) showed that the maximum OCV
(open circuit voltage) was obtained in b) condition suggesting that the compost increased the
reaction mechanism while in d) condition the pesticide partially reduced the performance.
Regarding the CCV (closed circuit voltage) configuration, the maximum power generation was
obtained in the b) configuration suggesting that the compost accelerated the reactions while the
DDE limited them in accordance with the results achieved in the OCV configuration.
Abstract
The enormous amount of waste heat which is released from industry often contains a large
amount of exergy, and would be able to perform work through one of the many waste heat usage
technologies. The Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) is one of the most promising, thus, it may be of
interest for possible investors in the Energy sector which, however, would need a quick answer as
to whether their investment is going to be economically efficient or not. A simple decision model
was developed, which can be used to check the technical feasibility and economic viability of an
ORC system and to select the appropriate working fluid, based only on basic information on the
waste heat source i.e. source temperature and mass (heat) flow rate. Two profitability criteria, Net
Present Value and Payback Period, were introduced for economic evaluation, while a simple
correlation model was developed for prediction of ORC`s technical parameters and components’
design estimation. Three different working fluids were considered: R134a, R11 and benzene and
the economic viability of their application compared. The screening criteria used for final
selection of the working fluid was the Payback Period. It was found that R11 surpassed the other
two fluids at moderate to high source temperature, while R134a was superior at low source
temperature. Benzene, however, promising the highest thermal efficiency, was not appropriate at
any condition.
Abstract
Industrial energy cooperation and the joint procurement of energy or energy services may
enhance primary energy efficiency and stimulate competitiveness of involved companies.
However, energy cooperation between companies is rare.

The intention of this paper is to identify, structure and analyze the barriers to industrial energy
cooperation. We show that the implementation of energy cooperation is a multi-stage process
with the need to overcome many barriers. In this paper, a detailed analysis of barriers was
conducted. Barriers were clustered according to academic disciplines, type of origin and the steps
of solution implementation they are important for. The barriers are deriving from all academic
disciplines, as opposed to being linked to a dominant discipline, for example the technical one.

An extensive literature about barriers to energy efficiency measures in industry has been
published since energy efficiency became important in the second half of the 20th century. Most
literature deals with barriers to energy efficiency within a company, while this paper focuses on
energy (efficiency) cooperation between two or more companies. This approach is also linked to
the principle of Industrial Symbiosis and Eco-Industrial Parks.

This paper is based on pre-assessed barriers, especially those ones that have been identified as
relevant to cooperation solutions, and barriers that have been identified through literature
research and by conducting expert workshops. Interviews with various companies located in
different industrial parks confirmed the findings presented in this paper.

While barriers focus on technical and economic issues for singe companies, social and
informational barriers play a more crucial role for energy cooperation. As compared to internal
measures, which converge at a central decision-making point (e.g. board), cooperation implies
additional efforts to exchange information, advance in negotiations and set up bilateral
contractual agreements.
Abstract
The integration of significant shares of renewable energies poses remarkable issues strictly related
to the intermittent nature of these sources. Nonetheless, solutions in support of such penetration
in the electricity market exist and become particularly effective if conceived under a Smart Energy
System perspective, so as to exploit potential synergies among the different energy sectors. With
this respect, shifting programmable consumption from fossil fuels to electricity represents a
measure to exploit the otherwise-curtailed renewable generation. In this study, the impact of
electrification of both private transport and space heating is assessed for the Italian energy system
with the help of EnergyPLAN software, quantified in terms of critical environmental and techno-
economic indicators, thus evaluating to what extent increasing the electricity penetration
supports the development of renewables and identifying possible optimal scenarios. Heating
demand is thus fulfilled through alternative options including individual and centralized
solutions. Results show that replacing natural gas boilers with heat pumps, while assuming a
simultaneous penetration of electric vehicles in the conventional fleet, leads to a reduction in CO 2
emissions in the Italian energy system. This is not only due to the introduction of more efficient
technologies that help absorb renewable surplus, but also to a conventional electricity generation
mostly made up of high-efficiency natural gas plants.
Abstract
The EU has definitely identified its priorities in the transition to a sustainable, secure, low-carbon
economy. In this framework, the political declaration on Clean EU Islands developed in Valletta
on the 18th of May in 2017 identified islands as perfect site to implement innovative solutions and
thus have gained a key role in the transition towards sustainable and renewable energy systems.
Nevertheless, the high penetration of non-dispatchable Renewable Energy Sources (RES) into the
grid are already causing technical issues to the current electric grids that often are antiquate and
unable to host such amount of instability.

In this context, grid flexibility has begun a central issue since it represents the ability of a system
to rapidly respond to any unpredicted change. Generally, this requirement has always been
fulfilled by managing the power plant output, especially the more flexible ones, able to ramp up
and down and equal the electric load. With the advent of RES generators, the variability has
shifted from the demand side to the generation one and the opposite migration happened to
flexibility agents.

Thus, the proposed review paper will analyse, comment and critically discuss solutions to
enhance the grid flexibility that have been studied or implemented in insular contexts.

We present research outcomes about the benefits that can be introduced by solutions such as the
use of different storage technologies and potential synergies offered by sector coupling solutions.
Particularly, we will consider solutions that exploit synergies between different energy consuming
sectors trough power-to-X solutions such as i) transport, ii) heating , iii) hydrogen and gas to be
exploited in different sectors, and iv) water production.

Furthermore, the authors will discuss onto the different electricity market schemes (i.e. real-time
pricing, time-of-use tariffs, critical peak pricing, and incentive-based programs as direct load
control and direct participation to energy markets) that could regulate such energy systems. In
fact, the energy system flexibility is generally seen as a technological issue but, instead, energy
market has a key role in this discussion since it can boost or slow down the proposed schemes and
solutions in real contexts application. In this framework, the paper will also deal with the concepts
of Virtual Power Systems (VPS) and aggregators and their potential roles in the transition to a
new scheme for grid flexibility.
Abstract
In anticipation of the development of decentralized solutions for renewable electricity generation,
and in light of a strengthened presence of renewable energy sources in residential areas, this paper
investigates the profitability of adding batteries to a residential microgrid which already has a PV
unit in place, under various support mechanisms. Academic research points to positive effects of
including batteries in terms of increased autonomy, increased share of renewable resources and
decongestion of the main grid. However, the overall economic gain of adding a battery to a
photovoltaic (PV) unit is reduced by the investment costs and by the energy losses in the batteries,
which result in an overall financial loss to the prosumers.

In order to retain the advantages of using a battery in spite of the investment and the operational
costs, various support schemes are needed, through which a microgrid of residential prosumers
who already have a PV unit in place can add a battery to their system without financial losses. Our
work builds on previous research which examined the economic profitability of new projects
designed to include PV units and batteries from start, and found that such systems can be, under
the right circumstances, more attractive than no-investment solutions, but always inferior to PV-
only solutions. Therefore we address the systems which already demonstrate the highest
profitability (PV-only), and investigate existing and potential support schemes through which the
addition of batteries does not impact the profitability negatively.

To this end we review existig support schemes for adding batteries to residential PV-powered
microgrids in the EU, and assess their economic potential in Belgium, Greece, Italy, Denmark and
Finland for case study projects of N households. Then, we simulate capacity tariffs for the same
case studies and compare them against the other support schemes using the minimization of Net
Present Cost (NPC) of the entire microgrid system over a period of 25 years.

Preliminary results suggest that capacity tariffs are a competitive solution as compared to the
existing support schemes, however the factors driving the competitiveness need more research.
Abstract
The planning of energy systems with high penetration of renewables is becoming increasingly
important in order to face environmental and energy security issues. In the field of bottom-up
short-term energy system models, the literature review has shown that a high resolution in time
and space, the implementation of sector coupling and the adoption of a multi-objective
investment optimization are never achieved simultaneously. This is due to the increase of the
computational burden as effect of higher resolution in the modeling.

The aim of this paper is to develop, by using Oemof (Open Energy Modeling Framework), a
bottom-up short-term model which simultaneously implements hourly time resolution, multi-
node approach thus high space resolution, integrates the electric, thermal and transport sectors
and implements a multi-objective investment optimization method. The created model is called
OemofGA. The case study is the Italian energy system, which is broadly affected by the multi-node
problem because of its inner morphological structure. The Pareto results show the best energy
mixes in terms of intermittent renewable energy installed power, electric storage capacity,
transmission grid expansion, energy efficiency of buildings and electric mobility development for
each energy system node. These best energy mixes provide least-cost solutions to reduce the
amount of CO2 emissions to lower levels.
Abstract
In the transition towards 100% renewable energy, it is necessary to operate on different
geographical scales. Many of the concrete implementation plans towards a renewable energy
transition will to address the local level; however, these steps have to fit in a broader energy
perspective. Thus, the renewable energy system for a city has to be renewable within the context
of the national energy system, and the national energy system has to be renewable within an
overall international renewable energy system. It is therefore necessary to develop methods to
make it possible for cities to assess if their renewable energy plans fit within the context of the
surrounding energy systems.

This paper develops a set of methods and criteria to design Smart Energy Cities, while taking into
account the context of 100% renewable energy on a national level. It defines principles for
including the availability of sustainable biomass as a resource, the handling of transport and
industrial demands, while also looking at the integration and interconnection to the surrounding
electricity grid. The main principles are that cities and municipalities should handle locally what
concerns local demands, but acknowledge the national context when discussing resources and
industrial and transport demands. To illustrate the method, it is applied to the case of
transitioning the municipality of Aalborg to a 100% renewable Smart Energy System within the
context of a Danish Smart Energy System within the context of a Sustainable Europe

By applying the method defined, the analyses of Aalborg show how it is possible to transition
Aalborg to a Smart Energy City that still fits within a 100% renewable energy context of Denmark
and Europe. The paper identifies and quantifies the necessary technologies and renewable energy
sources that enable the transition.
Abstract
Multiple pressures (urbanization, climate change,…) require the retrofit of stormwater
infrastructure within urban environments. To increase the adaptive capacity there is a shift
towards nature based solutions (NBS). The ecosystem services delivered by NBS are promoted to
support a wider uptake in urban planning and policies instruments. Especially in densely built
areas the availability and ownership of land can be a limiting factor for the implementation of
NBS.

To overcome this problem a detailed space based approach is necessary which takes this
limitation into account. To address this issue we develop a model for the prioritization of
stormwater management sites within built urban structures. We combine a multi-criteria
approach with stakeholder weighting to identify hot spots for NBS implementation.

This priority area model integrates (1) a sewer model (2) a settlement structure model and (3) a
functional road model and provides the basis for informed decision making, infrastructure
adaptation and policy integration.

The sewer model analysis the sensitivity of combined sewer overflows (CSO) to the individual
building blocks and road segments in the catchment and provides hotspots from a sewer’s
perspective. The settlement structure model combines building, population, ownership, zoning
data into settlement structure types at the level of building blocks associated with various
potentials regarding the implementation of NBS. The potential of the settlement structure types
for NBS implementation is established through stakeholder weighting. The functional road model
contains data about road attributes and traffic volume as a basis for a suitability assessment for
NBS.

The results of the three models are further combined into a decision support model to identify
sites, where the potential for implementing NBS is high and an adaptation is effective on reducing
CSO. It is possible to apply stakeholder weighting on the individual model components.

The model was applied in the City of St.Pölten (Lower Austria), proofing the suitability of the
approach for the prioritization of potential sites for NBS. In addition the effects of stakeholder
weighting are shown in the case study.

The model provides a replicable approach for integrating spatial framework conditions into
decision making of siting NBS. It further contributes to a strategic planning perspective for
integrating green stormwater infrastructure into urban planning policies and instruments.
Abstract
In last ten years reducing CO2 emissions has been a very important factor in all industries. To
efficiently achieve carbon reduction in power generation sector, various policies, regulation, and
legislation have been proposed and performed until now. Also, new energy sources and
technologies are widely developed and adopted in the world. However, it is necessary to analyze
the effects of power generation strategy on CO2 emission before new policies or legislation for CO2
emissions will be implemented. In this study, current and future CO2 emission are calculated by
using coal usage data in power generation based on the 7 th Basic plan for long-term electricity
supply and demand in Korea, overall power plant efficiencies, power generation rate, and
utilization rate. In addition, the effect of mixing ratios of biomass with coal on CO2 emission was
calculated needed to reduce the BAU-based carbon dioxide emissions by 19.4%.
Abstract
The presence of black carbon on a glacier implies the reduction of the albedo (light reflection)
which means greater melting of snow ice, because a greater amount of short-wave solar radiation
is absorbed (absorption of sunlight) and transferred in the form of heat to the glacier.

Black carbon is called soot, it is produced in valleys and cities as a result of forest fires, the burning
of grasslands, the pollution generated by the vehicle fleet, the burning of agricultural residues and
pastures, the use of biomass (firewood) for cooking and the use of fossil fuels.

Therefore, a great problem arises and is that the Ampay glacier, located in the province of
Abancay, Apurímac region, at five thousand three hundred and twenty-five meters above sea level,
which is part of the Vilcabamba mountain range, is suffering from a accelerated recoil. In the 1970
inventory there was an area of 1.03 km2. According to estimates from the National Institute of
Glacier and Mountain Ecosystem Research (INAIGEM) of Peru, it reported that in 2016 there is
only 0.47 km2 in the Ampay glacier.

The main objective of the research work was to determine the amount of black carbon that
decreases the albedo of the Ampay glacier surface, thus assessing the loss of glacier mass and the
temporal variation of black carbon in the period January - December 2017.

For this purpose, the analytical induction method of Carl G. Schmitt (2015) was applied, the
procedure consisted of collecting snow samples in several places of the glacier. The samples were
melted, then passed through quartz fiber filters, which shows that they contain 80 to 95% of the
black carbon particles that are absorbed by the particles in the snow. Ten field trips were made
and the presence of the contaminant was evaluated for each exit. The temporal variation of black
carbon was considerable in the months when temperatures increased (September-October-
November) and that is when we also started the grassland fires. In the month of April the black
carbon measurement was 26.81 ng of ng of BC / g of water which represents 11.69 kilograms per
square meter, October of this value of 65.224 ng of ng of BC / g of water, that is to say 26.27
kilograms of water are lost per square meter of snow and ice from the Ampay glacier. It is
concluded that each month, on average, between 15 and 45 liters of melted water are lost, a
product of black carbon, a pollutant emitted by the automotive fleet, irresponsible fires of
grasslands and biomass burning caused by the inhabitants of the area surrounding the area. of
the glacier. There was support data such as satellite images, which leads us to conclude that there
is an additional loss of snow of at least 20 cm per year on the Ampay glacier.
Abstract
A major concern in urban areas is the low quality of air with high levels of particulate matter and
various pollutants that have significant impacts on human health and global environment. Thus,
there is an urgent need to reduce air pollution by implementing various short- and long-term
actions. Skopje is also struggling with unprecedented increase in air pollution. This is the major
motivation for the research presented in the paper. The objective is to provide an assessment of
the influence of green walls on air quality in urban areas and correlate it with meteorological
factors. Research has shown that one of the methods for decreasing air pollution in urban areas
is by implementation of green walls, as plants absorb the particulate matter through their leaves
and growing medium.

The paper presents research undertaken to assess the influence of the meteorological factors, such
as wind speed and direction, relative humidity, and temperature on air quality and to determine
which one has the highest impact on particulate matter reduction. With daily monitoring of
temperature, humidity, and heat variations near and within the green wall and a reference case,
it is possible to analyse the effect of the green walls on air pollution reduction. The air quality
monitoring system used to perform the experiments is a low-cost and energy-efficient solution
that uses wireless sensor network technology that can be easily deployed in highly polluted areas.
The paper presents results analysis of the effect of meteorological and climatic factors in
particulate matter reduction and the influence of the wind conditions, seasonal variations, and
plant characteristics.
Abstract
The Sustainable Development Goals set by the United Nations General Assembly in 2015 are a
challenge looking towards the year 2030; there are 17 goals and their respective co-benefits. Goal
13, climate action, is closely related to goal 7, affordable and clean energy, and goals 14 and 15
(aquatic and land ecosystems, respectively). In many countries, promoting renewable energy is a
key for revitalizing rural areas. For example, installing energy systems for woody or agricultural
biomass have a propagation effect on the local economy. However, extensive promotion may
cause an adverse reaction in ecosystems and degradation of ecosystem service such as a decrease
in the prevention of soil erosion and landslides. This degradation may be accelerated by extreme
events accompanying climate change. In this study, a new geographical model for assessing
potential supplies of both ecosystem services and renewable energy is developed collecting data
from the latest geographical datasets. Ecosystem service proxy variables were identified for
provisioning (gross agricultural production), regulating (carbon sequestration rate), supporting
(continuity of ecosystems), and cultural (tourists to natural ecosystems) services. Solar energy,
wind power, small hydroelectric generation, agricultural biomass (comprising agricultural
residue and energy plants) and woody biomass were considered as renewable energy sources. A
small catchment (Oku-Aizu region, Japan) was selected for evaluating the model. The results were
presented as zoning maps showing conservation or development areas. The model showed the
areas with high climate change risk (such as from landslides) which are favored for conservation
and not suitable for photovoltaic panel installation after clear cutting of forest. The visualized
image of the zoning in this area may be informative during stakeholder communication to locally
plan not only development but also adaptation to climate change.
Abstract
In the period of high environmental risks which the current global society is facing, it is of crucial
importance to obtain the appetence of society for the adoption of environmentally friendly
products. The ultimate need for stakeholders from public and private sector is in case of more
sustainable private mobility to discover what drives acceptance of low emission vehicles.
Accordingly, this paper presents the study of customer attitudes toward purchasing decisions of
low emission vehicles and is a modification of previously conducted research in Slovenia and
Scotland. It included 670 participants from Republic of Serbia who evaluated the importance of
relevant technical, financial and environmental aspects for low emission vehicle purchasing
decisions. Results have indicated that the most relevant financial factors are total vehicle price
and fuel economy and in addition that segment of green consumers who intend to buy low
emission vehicles in the near future is over 45% with a dominant share of females.
Abstract
The electric vehicles (EVs) develop quickly, however, cabin heating and battery temperature
control become the two critical challenges. In this paper, an integrated thermal management
system (ITMS) was proposed to solve the two problems. In summer the battery chiller is
connected with the evaporator in parallel, while in winter it is connected with the evaporator in
series. The simulation model of the ITMS was developed and validated by the experimental results
of vapour injection heat pump system at the ambient temperature -20 °C. The predicted
deviations of heating capacity and compressor input power are ±6% and ±12%, respectively. Base
on the model, the cooling and heating performance under different conditions were studied. The
results show that the total cooling capacity and COP of ITMS with 3kW chiller capacity are 9.62%
and 9.10% higher than those of single-stage system, respectively, at the ambient temperature of
35 °C. Compared with basic vapor injection system, the heating capacity and COP of ITMS with
3kW chiller capacity improve by 7.82% and 10.00%, respectively, at the ambient temperature of
-20 °C.
Abstract
Street dust can be re-suspended into the atmosphere by wind, affecting environmental quality of
the atmosphere and human health. A detailed study was conducted to determine the changes in
concentrations of heavy metals and magnetic susceptibility by comparison of samples of street
dust obtained in the years 2008 and 2018. An amount of dust per m2 of road area was highly
variable for individual localities (47 g/m2 – 1.37 kg/m2), with arithmetic mean (229.7 ± 85.97
g/m2) in the year 2018. Silt particles in street dust (< 0.063 mm) represented approx. 15 – 20%,
sand particles approx. 63 – 70% and gravel 10 – 20%. Iron (5 – 6%) has significant concentrations
in street dust. The highest concentrations are represented by the series Mn ˃Zn ˃Cr ˃Cu ˃Pb ˃Ni.
Comparison of metal concentrations in the years 2008 and 2018 showed comparable iron and
decreased lead. The significant enrichment was found for Cu, Cr and Zn expressed by enrichment
factor in the range from 5 to 20. High values of magnetic susceptibility of street dust are caused
by metallurgy. Metals except Cu are bound in magnetic particles and have high correlation
coefficient with magnetic susceptibility.
Abstract
The automotive industry, the most important manufacturing industry in Europe (turnover of
~780 billion €; value added of ~140 billion €), is undergoing a fundamental transformation
towards sustainability pervaded by the transition towards: electrification, massive growth of non-
ownership business models (e.g., sharing/renting), and engagement in more proactive
approaches of circular economy (e.g., reuse of End of Life automotive parts). Literture provides
relatively insights on market acceptance criteria of these elements separately. However, research
is growing but definitely needed on systemic view of sustainable transportation market, taking
into consideration all three elements of electrification, non-ownership and circularity. Based on a
comprehensive content analysis of reports and expert validation, a framework is proposed
primarily in this study for operationalization of future transport system from all elements.
Consequently, both qualitative and quantitative empirical data was collected and results provide
users’ drivers and barriers towards adoption of future electric circular non-ownership mobility
systems. Based on these results recommendations for key stakeholders on how to drive the
adoption is provided.
Abstract
This paper studies the carbon footprints of public transport using a life cycle assessment and
considers the fuels of diesel and two alternative energy (electricity and liquefied natural gas). This
paper refers to ISO 14040:2006, ISO 14064-1:2006 and ISO/TS 14067:2013 to evaluate these
three fuels, the public vehicle is a bus which serve in Kaohsiung Taiwan. The results reveal that
diesel buses have the highest carbon footprint in the life cycle, at 75,952.32 kgCO2e as compared
with liquefied natural gas and electricity, which lead to a reduction of 34,795.4 kgCO2e (45.81%)
and, 41,874.9 kgCO2e (55.13%) in the life cycle, respectively. Diesel buses and liquefied natural
gas buses accounted for the most emissions in the bus service fuel phase of the carbon footprint
life cycle. Electric buses do not emit GHGs in the bus service phase in terms of fuel. However, the
phases involving the extraction and manufacturing of raw materials for electric buses account for
most of the life cycle emissions. Therefore, in order to establish a comprehensive low-carbon
public transportation system, it is suggested that electric energy should be used more widely in
public transportation.
Abstract
GHG emission of international shipping is expected to account for a higher proportion of global
GHG emission, owing to the growth in world economy and seaborne trade. In order to reduce the
GHG emissions of maritime industry, International Maritime Organization (IMO) has established
a target for global shipping industry to decarbonize by at least 50% from 2008 levels by 2050,
setting out a vision for decarbonizing the international shipping industry. Moreover, both EU and
IMO had also proposed the possibility of reducing shipping CO2 emissions through emission
trading system (ETS). As carbon allowance allocation might have a great influence on different
stakeholders and global economy, while implementing ETS. Therefore, to resolve the conflict
between different stakeholders, this study develop a multi-objective model with full consideration
of both needs. In summary, it was shown that implementing a cap on global shipping emissions
would ensure the decarbonization of international shipping sector. The results also showed
obviously that, when implementing the three reduction strategies (using LNG fuel, enlargement
ships and reducing vessel speed) simultaneously decarbonization works the best; moreover, none
of the mitigation strategies could be used in isolation to meet a 50% GHG emission reduction in
2050, which mean that shipping companies should combined different reduction measures.
Abstract
In-cylinder injection may be one of the ways to solve the problems faced by inlet pipe injection
gas-fueled engines. The difficulties in controlling and optimizing the mixing and combustion
process of direct injection gas fuel lie in the jet characteristics of high pressure injection of gas
fuel under turbulence and partially premixed combustion. A constant volume combustion
chamber（CVCC） that can produce sustained isotropic turbulence for high pressure injection
and combustion of gas fuels have been designed. The reciprocating motion of the piston of single
cylinder engine is driven by a motor to drive the gas, which causes the jet to collide in the center
of the CVCC through eight symmetrical pipes and forms turbulence in the central area of the
CVCC. The turbulent flow characteristics in combustion chamber were studied. The variation of
the air flow in the central area of the combustion chamber with the periodic motion of the piston
was measured by a hot wire anemometer. The turbulence intensity is calculated by the ensemble
average analysis method. Finally, the influence of motor speed on turbulence intensity and the
isotropy of turbulence in the central area are analyzed. The results show that the turbulent flow is
isotropic at the center of the CVCC. This will provide a basis for the following experimental study
on partial premixed combustion of gaseous fuels under variable turbulence.
Abstract
The Fischer–Tropsch (FT) synthesis is a well-known catalytic process for the conversion of
synthesis gas into liquid fuels. The hydrocarbon product spectrum produced by the Low
Temperature Fischer-Tropsch catalysts is very broad. 40% of the product of the synthesis is a high
molecular weight n-paraffin mixture, the so-called Fischer-Tropsch wax. This wax is solid at
ambient temperature, and it has high pour point. Different options have been proposed for the
quality improvement of this wax but it is generally accepted that the most effective route is the
hydrocracking over a proper bifunctional catalyst. Hydrocracking of FT waxes has already been
investigated by several research groups. The feedstocks of these experiments were mainly model
compounds and only limited information is available about the hydrocracking of real FT paraffin
mixtures.

Based on the foregoing, the objective of our experimental work was to investigate the
hydrocracking of biomass based FT wax belonging to C16-C46 carbon number range on
Pt/WOx/ZrOx and Pt/H-Mordenite catalysts. Our experiments were carried out at the following
process parameters: T=300-350°C, P=40 bar, LHSV=0.5-2.0 h-1, H2/hydrocarbon ratio=600
Ndm3/dm3. The effects of the process parameters and the catalyst on the C21+ conversion, the
product yields and the isoparaffin content of the gasoline, kerosene and gasoil boiling point range
fractions were investigated.

On the strongly acidic Pt/H-Mordenite gaseous hydrocarbons were produced in significant

amount (1.0-31.3%), meanwhile the yield of gases was between 1.5 and 15.0% on the Pt/WOx/ZrOx
catalyst. On the Pt/H-Mordenite the product distribution was shifted towards lower carbon
numbers. The yields of gasoline, kerosene and gasoil boiling point range fractions were 0.5-31.0%,
0.0-2.5% and 7.7-22.0%, respectively. On the Pt/WOx/ZrOx catalyst the yields of gasoline,
kerosene and gas oil fractions were the followings: 8.0-38.0%, 6.0-17.7% and 7.7-18.6%. The
produced C5-C21 fractions were isoparaffin rich fuel blending components having high hydrogen
content in their molecular structure. With application of these components in internal
combustion engines the pollutant emission can be reduced.
Abstract
Water-in-diesel microemulsion fuel (WDME fuel) is an advanced technology for improving fuel
vaporization, ignition and burning in the combustion chambers of various heavy machines and
power generation systems. The utilization of a homogenized water-fuel mixture enables the
enhancement of fuel combustion and the reduction of harmful emissions into the atmosphere.
Along with this, a controlling of phase separation stability of the WDME fuel, as one of the major
properties of the alternative two-phase fuels, is an independent and complex scientific problem
conditioned on application conditions of fuel. This problem is extremely relevant for countries
and regions with a cold or very hot climate, where it is necessary to guarantee single-phase state
of fuel during its storage and transportation. The purpose of the study lies in learning phase
behavior of the microemulsion fuel in the form of the diesel – water – surfactant (Neonol AF 9-6)
– co-surfactant (aliphatic alcohols C5–C9) system in a wide temperature range. Moreover, it is
necessary to define the main factors governing the thermal stability ranges of the mentioned
system. We study a single-phase region of the ternary diagram (i.e. Winsor Type IV) with a high
content of the hydrocarbon phase.

For the mentioned systems, the upper and lower cloud points localizing a temperature band of
the single-phase state of the WDME fuel were measured depending on a volume fraction of the
surfactant/co-surfactant (S/cS) mixture. The results were presented in the form of a set of the fish
phase diagrams with the Kahlweit fish cuts at various ratios of diesel/water (D/W), S/cS, as well
as when using various co-surfactants and salt concentrations in a dispersed phase. We discussed
the curves and characterized the phase behavior of the WDME fuel within the main regions of the
diagrams versus their composition and temperature. Among such regions, we described the phase
inversion temperatures (PIT), microemulsion–nanoemulsion transitions, as well as regions with
a sharp drop of the lower cloud point. In addition, the results were analyzed from the viewpoint
of a molecular structure of the surfactant. We established that a width of the temperature band of
the WDME fuel stability mainly depends on the D/W ratio and significantly narrows with an
increase of the water content. An increment of the co-surfactant fraction in the S/cS mixture, as
well as the salt concentration in a dispersed phase results in shifting the temperature ranges of
the WDME fuel stability toward lower temperatures without their widening. Nature of the
alcohols does not affect either the width of a temperature band of the WDME fuel stability nor the
band position on a temperature scale. Thus, a variation of D/W ratio allows us to control the
WDME fuel stability bandwidth, whereas a change of the S/cS ratio and the salt concentration in
the dispersed phase could be convenient tools to move this band on the temperature scale.
Abstract
Biowaste embeds an extraordinary renewable potential and it becomes a source of energy savings
when transformed into a valuable resource, like biogas. Cogeneration (CHP) based on biogas by
means of high temperature Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFCs) scores a high sustainability level,
thanks to improved environmental and energy performances. The synergy between the niche
market of small/micro biogas producers and SOFCs might act as springboard to open market
opportunities for both SOFC commercialization and for the business upgrade of small farms.
However, local regulations, waste management, renewable energy subsidies and, above all,
availability of eligible sites, determine the concrete chances for the real application. Through a
detailed analysis of the application scenario, this research aims at investigating opportunities for
the experimentation of SOFC-CHP in small biogas plants and identifying the possible bottlenecks
for the future deployment.
Abstract
In recent years, biodiesel has attracted global attention because of its low emissions and its
desirable chemical characteristics, such as being biodegradable and non-toxic. Using waste
cooking oils (WCO) as feedstock for biodiesel production not only results in a significant reduction
in the production cost but also eliminates any considerations of the competition with the food
industry. However, one of the drawbacks of using this feedstock is that its properties are greatly
dependent on the treatment to which the oil was subjected. Since the success of oil conversion to
biodiesel depends on the oil properties, the main objective of this study was to characterize the
properties of several WCO and assess their potential for biodiesel production. For this purpose,
WCO collected from twelve restaurants were characterized as to acid value, peroxide value,
moisture content and dynamic viscosity, and potential differences concerning the source of the
oils were evaluated by ANOVA followed by the LSD test for multiple comparisons. The
corresponding virgin oils (VO) were also characterized. The restaurants were divided into four
categories according to the meals served: fast-food restaurants, fried chicken restaurants, snack
producers, and traditional restaurants; and the effect of cooking conditions on oil properties was
examined. Results showed a marked increase in the acid and peroxide value after use (1971 and
158 %, value-p < 0.0001 and 0.06, respectively). Moisture content and dynamic viscosity also
increased (38 and 22 %, respectively, value-p < 0.02), but the increase was less marked, revealing
that the cooking process had a greater impact on acid and peroxide value. Significant differences
among restaurant types were observed. WCO collected from the fast food and traditional
restaurants had relatively low acid values whereas those from the fried chicken restaurants and
snack producers had a comparatively higher acidity. In addition, significant differences among
oils from the same restaurant were observed, resulting in a variety of WCO. For snack producers,
for example, the acid value was as low as 1.26 ± 0.01 mg KOH/g and as high as 8.79 ± 0.13 mg
KOH/g. The cause of the variability in properties among oils belonging to the same category was
likely the differences observed in cooking conditions (cooking temperature, length of use of the
oil, and food cooked). WCO obtained from traditional restaurants appeared as the most suitable
feedstock for biodiesel production due to their low acid and peroxide value (1.14 ± 0.69 mg KOH/g
and 3.52 ± 2.61 meq O2/kg, respectively) and moisture content (0.170 ± 0.04 %). Even so, testing
each batch of this feedstock before production may be necessary to adjust conditions for biodiesel
production as WCO was found to be a very heterogeneous feedstock.
Abstract
The development of biofuel ethanol is one of the main pillars for China to cope with energy and
environmental issues and build a modern energy system. It contributes to the realization of
China's non-fossil energy ratio rising and the international commitment to reduce greenhouse gas
emissions. For the long-term planning of developing bioenergy resources, many researchers have
begun to pay attention to estimating the distribution of potential marginal land resources suitable
for energy plants. However, a rational assessment of potential marginal land for bioenergy
production is still not available. Here a data-driven model was employed to quantitatively
evaluate the potential marginal land resources for Cassava at 5×5 km spatial resolution grids in
China, revealing the suitable places for cassava are mainly distributed in the subtropical regions
in South China with 43.63 million hectares. The environmental niche of cassava was also
explored. Annual cumulative precipitation, minimum annual temperature are major constraints
to identify potential land resources suitable for cassava. In addition, this study provided several
practical advices for the biofuel ethanol industry layout in result of providing a scientific basis for
promoting the healthy, stable and sustainable development of the bioenergy industry.
Abstract
Energy efficiency has come to occupy a prominent place in the economic and environmental
agenda of many countries. It has received particular attention in the European Union, where a
considerable number of Directives and other legislative initiatives have been passed in the last
two decades. The definition and measurement of energy efficiency changes is however another
challenge. Energy efficiency is typically proxied by the rate of aggregate energy intensity,
calculated as the ratio of energy consumed to GDP. The index number decomposition analysis is
the usual approach to analyze the changes in a country’s aggregate energy intensity.

In this paper we provide a decomposition analysis of the energy intensity change that combines
frontier efficiency methods with the conventional index decomposition approach, the logarithmic
mean Divisia index. The proposed approach allows the identification of a more comprehensive
set of factors that explain the observed variation in energy intensity. Furthermore, it addresses
the analysis of energy efficiency as an integral part of energy intensity. We apply this framework
to decompose and analyze the sources of the change observed in the energy intensity of European
manufacturing industries during the period 1995-2009.
Abstract
In light of Germany's chosen path towards energy transition the regulatory framework has
changed considerably. New players have succeeded in entering the market and renewable
energies have become increasingly competitive. In order to achieve the national climate
protection targets, there will be a greater electrification in the areas of mobility and heat supply
in future. Against this background, the large energy companies in Germany must be confident
that their sales will increase. However, this development was not anticipated and strategic
mistakes were made in the past. The development of sustainable business models in line with the
energy transition failed to materialize. Instead, there was hope that the old fossil and nuclear
power plants would continue to play an important role in the electricity market in the future. Now
it is becoming increasingly clear that new business models must be developed in order to survive
as a company in the long term. Methodically, we prepare the development of the electricity market
over the last 50 years using the multi-level perspective and derive suitable business models from
this using a multi-criteria analysis. We conclude that the big power companies need business
models that fit into their tradition but still meet the requirements of a low carbon power supply.
We evaluate five models that meet these criteria as examples.
Abstract
Brazil has sufficient productive capacity to meet its internal and external demand for food, yet in
2009 35% of Brazilian households experienced some form of food insecurity. Using data from the
Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) from 1961 to 2013, this study tests five different models
to project food demand for Brazil in 2035. These models have different assumptions and
complexities (ranging from simple linear regressions to the more complex neural network), which
provide insights into demand-side drivers. We show that, although Brazilian demand is, on the
national level, comparable to developed countries, Brazil is likely to remain characterized by
hunger and undernutrition, and without new pro-poor policies inequalities could increase. We
also analyze qualitatively the sustainability implications of the case of a continuously growing food
demand and the actions necessary from the supply side and the demand side to avoid greater
human and environmental impacts.
Abstract
Energy efficiency is one of the main objectives of Clean Energy for All Europeans package due to
fact that energy efficiency is the fastest and easiest way for consumers to save money and reduce
greenhouse gas emissions. Paper deals with case study of energy efficiency in Croatian natural gas
sector and the possibilities for its increase. The Energy Efficiency Act and a related national legal
framework is imposed on the energy supplier’s goals to achieve energy savings. Energy suppliers
have three main options of fulfilling energy saving obligations: investing in energy efficiency
measures, buying energy savings and paying for non-realized savings (penalties). Energy
suppliers in Croatia are developing various business models for converting law-imposed
obligations into a business opportunity. This process will require amending of related legislation,
in particular Ordinance on the system for monitoring, measurement and verification of energy
savings. This Ordinance offers 19 measures that energy suppliers could invest in. Besides the fact
that proposed measures have huge difference in investment/savings ratio, main obstacle is the
lack of validation of greenhouse gas emissions reduction. Natural gas suppliers are committed to
invest in emission reduction or to invest in projects that can achieve energy efficiency goals in gas
sector. One of the actions is promoting natural gas vehicles since the increase of alternative fuel
usage, like natural gas, represents one of the goals of a new Energy Strategy. Among other options
is the introduction of smart metering for gas consumers. Measures that contribute to additional
energy savings in gas sector, according to the European energy policy and national regulatory
framework guidelines, have been proposed in this paper.
Abstract
Proper estimation of the weather indexes is the key and base element to determine the price of
the weather derivative contracts and the unstable volatility of the weather indexes is the main
obstacle to perform proper estimations. Therefore, the main of this article is estimating the wind
speed, which can be an underlying asset of weather derivative, according to historical measured
data with Monte Carlo simulations.

Since the used data set is a time series data, it is needed to set an autoregression model to reach
the residuals which are the base point of the random number generation. Detecting seasonality
which depends on the periodicity and decomposing it from the data set lets setting a proper
autoregression model. Therefore, after using box-cox transformation to have the real data set with
normal distribution which makes the analysis easier, periodogram is used to detect the seasonal
periodicity of the data which guides setting the seasonality model of the data with Fourier series.
Additive decomposition is performed to reach the seasonally decomposed data.

Parameters of the residuals coming from autoregression model is taken and random number
generation is performed. It is possible to follow two approaches which are detecting the seasonal
volatility of the residuals and decompose it to reach standardized residuals and generate random
number with N (0,1), or calculating the variance of each day’s residual and generate numbers for
each day with N(0,X) distributions respectively. After generating random numbers for residuals,
it is needed to perform same steps starting from the end which are calculating the whole estimated
wind speed data set from the generated random numbers with using autoregression model,
adding back the seasonality into the estimated wind speed data and Box-Cox retransformation to
have the estimated wind speed data in the original form of the historical data.

As the last step, validation of the similarity of the real and estimated data is practiced. T and F
tests are performed for daily comparison of the mean value and the variance of two data sets which
are successful for 95% of the 365 days. Chi-square test which is used to check if the distributions
of the two data sets are similar, ends up with approximately 85% similarity. Even though the
similarity percentage is not so high, it is not low too. Since the real data set is only coming from
20 years which can be called as a bit lack of data, results can be called satisfactory.
Abstract
During the past decade exponential growth of wind and solar generation has been based on
generous governmental policy measures, such as Feed-in-Tariffs, tax exemptions and investment
subsidies. As these policies are being terminated, Power Purchase Agreements (PPA) between
private parties have gained a major role in further deployment of renewable energy, as they give
access to low cost finance. However, PPA contracts have been tailored for low risk large corporates
due to long-term nature of the contracts. Thus, there is a need to create a PPA instrument that is
available to all energy end-users.

This paper presents a concept of a Real Estate PPAwhere real estate directly would be the PPA
counterpart. Real estate has the same important ingredients as corporate counterparts: strong
credit collateral and capacity to commit into long-term agreements. Furthermore, 60% of all
global wealth is in real estate and buildings consume approximately 40% of all energy. These big
numbers in economic and technical terms contains an interesting opportunity to all stakeholders
in the renewables field. Real estate owners also have a rational economic motivation to fix energy
prices as they have historically increased much faster than consumer price index, where rents are
tied to.

Analyzing historical interest rate data indicates that risk profile of real estate is similar to top
rated corporate bonds, which suggest a very large low-risk financing opportunity for the real
estate PPA. Furthermore, merging global data on government and corporate bonds, mortgage
rates, energy consumption and end-user energy costs reveals that majority of buildings’ energy
consumption in OECD countries as well as a large part of China’s energy consumption could fall
into low access finance under a real estate PPA agreement. Thus, the potential of real estate PPA
to finance a renewable energy system is significant.

To empower all companies and residents regardless of their electricity consumption sizes and
willingness to commit to long-term contracts, new innovation in PPA contracts is needed. This
paper has presented an idea where the world’s largest asset class and consumer of energy, real
estate, is used as an off-taker to PPA contracts. Further research should develop the concept
further and examine whether different real estate types together can help with some of the volume
and shape challenges identified within corporate PPA agreements.
Abstract
This work represents the modeling and the experimental validation of the monthly averaged daily
radiation on the tilted surface of the solar collector under the Mediterranean climate conditions.
The modeling was based on the general form of the “Klein and Theilacker method”. To perform
the calculation of the monthly averaged clearness index for the selected region, even a generated
model is utilized. Monthly averaged values of the ratio of total radiation on the sloped surface to
that on the horizontal surface are determined. Also, the monthly averaged daily radiation values
on the tilted surface are calculated. Validation of the calculated values was performed by leaning
on recorded experimental data obtained every minute during a multi-year period. The results
obtained through the application of the “Klein and Theilacker method” were compared and
validated with experimental results. The statistical parameters used in this work include the
percentage error, the mean bias error, the mean percentage error, the root mean square error,
and the coefficient of determination. The comparison confirmed the ability of the method to
satisfactory match the experimental results for the selected region.
Abstract
This study is focused on the use of methanol and butanol together during transesterification of
rapeseed oil under KOH catalysis. The advantage of using butanol together with methanol consist
in the homogenous reaction mixture because oil and methanol are immiscible liquids and butanol
is miscible with both substances (the homogenous mixture is formed). In theoretical section, the
attention was focused on the description of transesterification i.e. raw materials, the types of
catalysts, cosolvent including the use of more alcohol together and the description of the phase
equilibria of the limited miscible liquids. First, the ternary graph of oil, methanol, butanol for the
low and high water content of the raw materials was measured and a binodal curve was
determined for the finding of homogeneous field. The transesterification was carried out with
molar ratios oil:methanol:butanol so that the mixture would be homogeneous and the effect of
temperature, way of stopping the chemical reaction, the molar ratios of oil:alcohol and amount of
catalyst for transesterification was studied. The attention was also paid to the ester loss in the side
glycerol phase.
Abstract
Estimating the wind potential for a particular micro location (siting) involves detailed analysis of
the possibility of annual electricity production at that location. Based on the assumption of
installed capacity, area and number of hours constant load, it is possible to obtain annual
theoretical production of electricity according to expression . The wind atlas for target location
contains data onto 5 reference roughness lengths (0.000 m , 0.030 m , 0.100 m , 0.400 m , 1.500
m ) and 5 reference heights (10 m , 25 m , 50 m , 100 m , 200 m ) above ground level . This paer
have measured data onto site at target location, and base of that there was modeled digital model
of location and wind power model for elevation at 110m. There was estimation of 20 GE (2,78
MW) instaling capacity for target location.
Abstract
This work presents a dynamic simulation model of a prototypal renewable plant producing
electricity, heat and cool. The hybrid system consists of a 6 kWe Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC), a
17.1 kWf single stage H2O/LiBr absorption chiller, a geothermal well, a 25 m2 flat-plate evacuated
solar collector field, a 200 kWt biomass auxiliary heater and a 45.55 kWh electric energy storage
system based on lithium-ion technology. The geothermal well at 95°C, in combination with the
solar field, supplies the thermal energy driving the ORC. Therefore, the solar radiation availability
significantly affects the ORC power production. Note that both thermal and electric storage
systems are also included in the plant in order to mitigate the fluctuations due to the variability
of solar radiation. All the components included in the system were accurately simulated using
dynamic models validated versus literature and experimental data. This simulation model is
implemented in TRNSYS environment. The ORC is modelled by zero-dimensional energy and
mass balances implemented in Engineering Equation Solver. In order to evaluate the
thermoeconomic performance of this renewable trigeneration plant, a suitable case study is
analysed: for a tennis and soccer centre in the area of Campi Flegrei (Naples, South Italy), famous
for its geothermal sources. By the simulation results interesting design and economic feasibility
guidelines are obtained. In particular, the system showed excellent yearly energy and economic
savings and environmental performance, mainly due to the domestic hot water saving and to the
use of electric energy systems that allow one to reduce the grid dependency.
Abstract
Residential rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) is a proven renewable technology system. However,
the intermittent generation characteristics of PV poses substantial challenges to the traditional
electricity distribution network. To address these deficiencies, PV must be coupled with
widespread deployment of battery energy storage system (BESS). However, the effectiveness of
deployment strategies for rapid uptake of BESS depend on householder’s decision to invest.
Individuals are the main actors pivotal to the success of BESS deployment, who determine
whether and the extent to which the implemented policies would succeed. Using the Reasoned
action approach (RAA), this study develops a conceptual model of individual BESS adopters in
Queensland, Australia. The background factors and main RAA constructs are explained. Four
categories of the potential users are determined, and the ‘past behaviour’ role of the PV decision
on BESS adoption behaviour is also discussed. The paper provides the foundations of a BESS
adoption decision making framework.
Abstract
Efficient cogeneration systems (CHP - Combined Heat and Power) and District Heating (DH)
systems have a significant potential for primary energy savings which is still insufficiently utilized
in the European Union. Renewable energy sources (RES) play an important role in reduction of
fossil fuel utilization in district heating systems and in mitigation of environmental side effects. A
CHP plant can be very efficient by utilizing the waste heat of steam in the steam turbine condenser
along with heat pumps integrated in the CHP plant and within the DH system, combined with
heat accumulators. This paper analyses the possibility how to increase efficiency in the largest
CHP plant in Republic of Croatia, owned and operated by HEP, by application of aforementioned
technologies. Furthermore, the analysis comprises an installation of a completely new DH system
at the existing location. The return flow of the DH system can serve efficiently as a energy source
for heat pumps to supply heat in a few stages to heating stations and consumers. The DH return
water has in this case lower temperature and completely captures the waste heat in the steam
turbine condenser, which increases the generation of heat on the steam turbine extractions and
generates additional electrical energy on the generator. Low temperature DH system (a higher
generation of DH system) entails the reciprocity of energy and its generation on the spot. This
paper investigates the energy reciprocity impact of energy exchange between the CHP plant and
associated DH system by utilizing new technologies with integration of renewable sources.
Finally, a financial analysis is given comprising primary energy savings and consequent CO 2
emissions reduction.
Abstract
In Europe, the overwhelming majority of district heat is produced from fossil energy sources such
as coal or natural gas. Together with the intention to divert municipal waste from landfilling,
which is still the main way of treatment in approximately half of the EU countries, there is a
potential for the construction of waste-to-energy plants (WtEP) that can partially replace fossil
fuels. An important factor in planning the construction of new WtE plants is the assessment of
the project's economy. However, the ecological aspect of the project, namely the greenhouse-gas
(GHG) savings, is becoming a topic of discussion nowadays. In terms of GHG savings, WtE plant
integration into an existing district heating system (DHS) has a positive impact, but its level is
often only roughly estimated. The paper presents a comprehensive mathematical optimization
tool working on a daily basis that is able to evaluate the impact of changing current technology or
WtE plant construction on global warming potential. The technical parameters such as boiler
output range, energy efficiency, etc. are taken into account. The tool also allows to put in the
context the GHG savings and economic benefits of the project and to recommend the best solution
satisfying both conditions. This issue is illustrated in real-world DHS with various parameters
where the relationship between GHG savings and the economic benefits of the integration of a
WtE plant is evaluated. The whole problem is the task of linear integer programming and is
implemented in the GAMS programming environment.
Abstract
In this study, the off-design performances of a Power-to-Gas process are predicted by means of a
developed calculation model. The numerical code has been developed in commercial tool
environments in order to carry out a preliminary analysis of the Power-to-Gas system. In addition,
with the aim to predict co-electrolysis behaviour under several conditions, a specific calculation
model has been integrated in the whole system model. Then, starting from a real wind production
profile, two configurations (pressurized and at ambient pressure) of the Power-to-Gas system
have been analysed, evaluating the weekly operating time of the integrated Power-to-gas/wind
systems. The comparison has been made on the basis of the evaluation of the instantaneous and
mean values of the considered performance parameters. The system at ambient pressure shows
better performance from the point of view of the efficiencies, while the pressurized system
presents a higher methane production.
Abstract
Drawing from the need to support European and global efforts in tackling climate change, Greece
has recently been striving to design and implement an effective and sustainable energy efficiency
policy framework. In respect to the near-term national commitments, the country appears to lag
behind its goals. The building sector, in particular, has significant room for decarbonisation;
considering that 25-30% of the final energy is consumed in the residential sector and that the
current building stock has predominantly poor energy performance, with about six out of ten
buildings having been constructed before 1980, the built environment is consequently in need of
immediate renovations. To this end, the retrofit of energy efficiency measures along with better
demand-side management (DSM) and optimal control of heating, ventilation and air conditioning
(HVAC) systems can reduce electricity demand. To this direction, demand-response (DR) actions,
through dynamic pricing strategies, can shift peak loads during shortage times. Thus, in this work
we investigate the impact of DR actions on thermal comfort and energy cost in single-family
residential houses in climatic zone B in Greece. On one hand, we explore the acceptable ranges of
indoor air temperatures complying with the recommended thermal comfort categories in
accordance with international standards. On the other hand, we seek to minimize the energy costs
of the buildings under study through the retrofit of smart electric HVAC systems coupled with
rule-based DR control strategies, without sacrificing thermal comfort of the occupants. Our
results showed that significant savings of about 10% annually could be achieved, which signals
the importance of promoting incentive schemes that aim at steering energy efficiency
interventions, along with measures that are beneficial for both the consumers and the grid.
Abstract
Current global climate targets command low-carbon transitions that re-envisage the electricity
system. Further deployment of renewable energy and reduction of total demand are considered
critical for decarbonizing the electricity system. However, one of the main constraints of this
transition is integrating these variable energy sources to existing power systems. Key solutions to
this problem include infrastructure that could increase demand-flexibility. This decentralized
vision of the future electricity system has an important implication though: part of the
infrastructure required will be developed from consumers’ direct investments in building-scale
technologies for electricity generation using renewable energy sources (RES-E). Increased
adoption of these technologies requires that they become competitive with fossil-fuel alternatives
through business models that will increase their value. Our study focuses on ways to couple small-
scale photovoltaics (PV) with storage technologies, and then use this infrastructure to generate
additional sources of revenue for consumers to provide incentives for further PV adoption. The
novelty of our study lies on the premise that, while technology is already available, business
models to monetize the value of these technologies, as well as to compensate consumers, are
needed. In this work, we present such a business model by using two high-resolution energy
system models to explore: (i). scenarios of demand-flexibility in the residential sector of three
representative EU Member States, quantifying benefits and revenues for consumers, and (ii).
adoption scenarios of small-scale PV towards 2030. Our results highlighted a heterogeneous
landscape of policy implications, towards the achievement of the 2030 national targets owing to
the different geographical and socio-economic context of the three case studies.
Abstract
Wine production and bottling industry is an energy intensive sector, because of the high requests
for dynamic cooling of the product, for static and long term cooling of the concrete or metallic silo
where the wine is stored during stabilization, for heating of wine before bottling and for washing
filters, bottles and other materials. Also, energy consumtpion for space heating and cooling in the
large air-conditioned buildings where silo and bottled wine are stored may not be negligible.
Designing efficient lay-outs for new installations or retrofitting existing ones is quite difficult, due
to the highly discontinuous operation of several processes whose batch nature contributes to
make most of the heat recovery solutions scarcely viable. As cooling requests represent the highest
fraction of overall energy consumption, most of the energy saving potential is related to efficient
production and distribution of the chilled water used for dynamic and static product cooling and
for air-conditioning. In this paper a systematic procedure is presented, aimed at indentifying
retrofit solutions to save energy in the chilling units and the water pumps and hierarchizing them
for each peculiar application. Detailed modelling of the chilling units is a key element of this
procedure, because the Energy Efficiency Ratio will highly vary on a seasonal basis and relying
upon average seasonal performance indicators provided by manufacturers catalogue could lead
to relevant under- or over-estimation of the actual consumption. The proposed method is applied
to a wine industry for which detailed annual profiles of white and red wines bottles production
were available and energy audits accompanied by accurate on-site inspections had been
developed.
Abstract
The mismatch between solar energy production and energy demand peak hours provokes an
imbalance and waste of the use of renewable resources. The storage of the energy surplus
generated by renewables for future demand would imply a reduction of the demand and the use
of fossil fuels. With this paper, different thermal energy storage (TES) systems are studied for a
low renewable heat source –solar energy- to achieve this objective. The aim of this work is to
develop a complete energy assessment of three thermal energy storage models (sensible, latent
and thermochemical) developed in TRNSYS for a residential application, a single family dwelling
in Seville (Southern Spain), comparing their performance covering space heating and domestic
hot water production.

Thermochemical storage system with working pair zeolite/water seems to be a promising

solution due to its high energy storage density and the reduced heat losses, what makes the system
appropriate for seasonal thermal energy storage in locations where solar irradiation in summer is
high and there is a latent necessity of heating in winter. However, thermochemical TES
integration challenges are greater in comparison to latent systems based on phase change
materials (PCM), whose working temperature range can be lower (down to 100 ºC), facilitating
its construction and integration within the building, though with a lower volumetric heat storage
capacity.

The structure of the paper is the following. In the first place, characterization of the three TES
systems is developed: a sensible system with a water tank, a latent system with PCM and a
thermochemical system with zeolite/water as working pair. Next, location and boundary
conditions are fixed. With this information, models are validated, comparing the results obtained
in terms of energy. Finally, an economic feasibility assessment is carried out and conclusions are
presented.
Abstract
Supply network optimisation is an approach which enables companies to optimise their
production while reducing costs and emissions within their supply networks. The aim of this work
is to present a new supply network concept and approach which enables simultaneous
optimisation of company supply networks, while the production processes are modelled with a
process flowsheet superstructure. In this way, computational time could be significantly reduced
while a higher level of details in the production process could be considered. The new concept is
applied and demonstrated on an example from the aluminium industry and the production of
aluminium slugs. The proposed model is written in a data-independent way and shows prospects
of being an effective decision support tool in company supply networks.
Abstract
This research aims to address the concept of green sustainable development of energy, transport,
water, and environment systems, their integration, their technical, environmental, economic and
social perspectives and their impact on the built environment. It will describe the different green
rating systems as it has an interrelated impact on design, sustainability and user need. The
objectives of this research is to describe the sustainability green design systems measurements
and the architecture development effect on people’s health and well being. It will focus on green
buildings effect on the built environment with the aim of spreading the knowledge of high energy
performance approaches to design buildings that are energy efficient, environmentally friendly,
and architecturally remarkable. The expected results will describe how the adaptation of green
rating of architectural design can propose, forms, and transform the ecological built environment.
It will also describe how through the architectural design processes; architects should be aware of
environmental constraints, and should be able to work in an interdisciplinary environment and
collaborate with others and should respond to a broad range of interests including social and
ethical concerns when adopting green ratings measurement.
Abstract
The commonly used and developing engineering environmental technologies do not remain inert
for an ecosystem. The deepening climate changes is generally considered as the effects of human
activities. There is thus no doubt that any human interference in the environment should be
previously comprehensively checked for all its positive and negative aspects for environment as
well as society health. There are two different analytical tools useful in environmental
management: life cycle assessment (LCA) and risk assessment (RA). First of them follows the
product from “from birth to the grave” summing an environment impact at all stages of its “life”
including such elements like producing, used electricity, transport and many others. LCA refers
to quantification and classification all effects at all life stages and provides direct and indirect
possible environmental interactions. In turn, risk assessment is concentrated on linking stressors
and its possibilities and severity. RA tools reveals environmental and human health impact of
strictly separated element providing insight as to which emission consist an important threat.
This paper is focused on summarizing available methods and tools for support the decision
making process in using of engineering environmental technologies.
Abstract
Digitalization of the building stock is proposed as a key enabler in improving the efficiency of the
European energy market and further to decarbonize the economy. In the recent amendment to
the European Union’s Energy Performance of Buildings Directive, a smart readiness indicator
(SRI) was introduced as an optional Union scheme for rating the smart energy readiness of
buildings. Among other incentives, the indicator should encourage the uptake of smart
technologies and digital solutions in the built environment to offer new opportunities for energy
savings and promote demand response.

However, so far there has not been examples of how this transformation of building stock to
smart energy systems can be achieved. It is paramount to understand the technologies and
investment drivers of real estate markets to move towards smart energy buildings. This study was
set to understand the logics of smart energy buildings: what are the available technologies for
implementing exemplary smart energy systems to a building. The study provides an illustrative
case example of a market-driven smart energy building evaluation with technology description
and brief investment analysis.

The case was chosen based on the impressive smart energy investments that have been
implemented in the building in recent years. The study is structured first, to measure the
building’s smart energy level by using the SRI rating scale. Second, it provides a short description
of core technologies used to achieve the high smartness rating. It was found, that the building
system indeed was forward-looking in terms of its energy smartness, which was indicated by the
score of over 90% in the SRI rating scale. The core technologies for achieving the high score were
the microgrid functionality, locally generated energy capacity, the ability to optimize the energy
self-consumption and the advanced monitoring and control capabilities.

In align with the EU vision of the future smart energy systems, the energy grids are responsible
for the intelligent management and operation of synergistically interconnected energy networks
in the building’s operational environment. The smart energy utilization based on demand is
expected to become an essential part of future sustainable and renewable energy systems. The
buildings seem to have the technological capabilities of becoming extremely smart, but the
increased cash flow of such system is still, however, hard to explicitly reason for a real estate
investor, which might decrease their willingness to invest in smart energy solutions.
Abstract
Chemical industrial production processes are one of the largest pollutants and contributors to
greenhouse gas emissions on the planet. Their influences on the environment and climate became
more evident than ever before. The issue is being tackled on many fronts, from increasing the
efficiency of present technologies, the introduction of the new, more sustainable solutions, to the
redesigning and challenging the conventional approaches on multiple levels. Different newly
developed technologies and materials are expected to improve the currently unsustainable state
of industrial processes.

Various industrial products offer the opportunity to be produced in a more sustainable way, as it
provides a good alternative to conventional fossil energy sources. Among such products is
formaldehyde which is an organic compound mainly used in the production of industrial resins.
Formaldehyde is currently mainly produced from non-renewable materials (natural gas),
however, it could also be produced from renewable origin, such as from various waste materials
including biomass, waste plastics and waste CO2. In this work simulation of two formaldehyde
processes is performed, production from natural gas and production from the flue gas from coal-
fired power plant. Simulations have been performed using Aspen Hysys for 15 t/h of the feed.
Based on simulations, environmental impact assessment is further performed according to the
standardized Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology using OpenLCA software and ecoinvent
3.1 and other databases.
Abstract
Sharing economy has a significant potential to improve the circulation of products and to increase
the resource efficiency of consumption. In sharing economy, consumers become users, who
instead of owning have access to the commodities they need. This gives the service providers an
incentive to life-cycle thinking, instead of focusing on selling short-lived products. While sharing
has always been an important part of human activities, online platforms and mobile apps have
brought sharing to a new era, increasing its global economic, environmental and social potential
enormously. However, from the environmental perspective, sharing may have also rebound
effects, meaning that consumers use the economic savings they gain from sharing to increase their
other consumption, for example travelling or larger homes. The aim of this study is to examine
whether participating to sharing economy at the moment is beneficial for the consumer from the
economic and environmental perspective in Finland.

The study is based on data of the most popular shared products, found from existing sharing
service providers in the market. In addition, we used the Statistics Finland’s household budget
survey, which includes expenditure data on 3,500 households. We compare the expenses of
ownership to the expenses of using sharing services. Furthermore, we estimate the carbon
footprints related to both options by using the environmentally extended input-output model of
the Finnish Economy, called ENVIMAT. We take into account the possible rebound effects. Our
results reveal that the economic and environmental impacts of sharing depend on the product. In
many cases, sharing is currently still a more expensive option for consumers in long-term.
However, this eliminates unwanted rebound effects and decreases the greenhouse gas intensity
(CO2 -eq kg/€) of the service, making it more beneficial from the environmental perspective. On
the producer-side, the growth of the sharing services and mentality would push manufacturers to
provide longer lasting products that would be suitable for shared use.
Abstract
Hybrid electric vehicles (HEV) and their plug-in counterparts (PHEV) are considered to be
acceptable intermediate solution to fully electrified road transportation, tackling current
limitations of fully electric vehicles (EV) such as e.g. high investment costs, limited driving range,
relatively slow charging and lack of charging infrastructure. Current PHEVs on road typically
operate first in Charge Depleting (CD) regime (i.e. pure electric driving) until discharging a
battery to a low predefined battery state-of-charge (SoC) value, after which Charge Sustaining
(CS) regime (i.e. hybrid driving) is activated in order to keep the SoC around that value and to
prevent deep discharging of the battery. If a trip distance is known in advance, PHEVs can operate
in blended regime (BLND), where the pure electric and hybrid driving are blended throughout a
whole driving cycle, thus depleting a battery more gradually and achieving better powertrain
efficiency. It is shown that the optimal SoC trajectories have linear-like shapes and reach the
lowest allowed SoC value at the end of driving cycle for different driving cycles and zero road grade
profiles. However, in the case of non-zero road grade the optimal SoC trajectories significantly
deviate from trends observed in zero road grade cases, and the prescription of optimal SoC
reference for a powertrain control strategy seems to be more complex and not straightforward as
in the case of zero road grade.

This paper deals with a design of reference SoC trajectory for an energy management control
strategy of a parallel PHEV in presence of varying road grade. In order to study the optimal
behaviour of PHEV powertrain and optimal SoC trajectories in the BLND regime for different
road grade profiles, a PHEV bus of parallel powertrain configuration is considered along with a
dynamic programming (DP) algorithm which is used for optimisation of powertrain control
variables. Based on insights gained through analysis of the DP optimization results, a novel
approach for synthesis of reference SoC trajectory for BLND regime and non-zero road grade case
is proposed. The effectiveness of the proposed synthesis method is demonstrated by simulations
of PHEV bus over different driving cycles and road grade profiles, where the corresponding
synthesized SoC trajectories are used as references meant to be followed by realistic control
strategy. Finally, the obtained simulation results are verified against globally optimal DP results
in terms of total fuel consumption.
Abstract
One of the key technologies for boosting the diffusion of renewable energies is the Thermal Energy
Storage (TES). TES can allow to overcome the existing mismatch between energy production and
demand for intermittent energy sources and/or variable loads and for this reason this component
is gaining a key role in the development of efficient thermal energy systems [1].

In this context, adsorption TESs possess very promising features. The principle on which this
technology is based is the interaction between a liquid sorbate and a solid sorbent (e.g. zeolites).
This interaction occurs between the sorbate molecules and the available surface of the solid, it
generally needs low charging temperatures (i.e. 70-150°C) and it is characterized by lower
reaction enthalpies if compared to the chemical reactions. Accordingly, they have a faster kinetics
but lower heat storage densities [2].

Adsorption TES is considered quite a promising technology both for seasonal and daily storage
applications, nevertheless, its commercial diffusion is still not completely developed, mainly for
its cost as well as lack of technical knowledge at system level. This means that there is still need
for development and research, in order to make the technology commercially competitive. The
research activities in the field can be divided in three levels: materials, components and systems.

Development of adsorbent materials for adsorption TES is strongly related to the adsorbate to be
employed. Since the most common adsorbates are water and ammonia, the most suitable material
for real applications are silica gel, classical zeolites, zeo-like materials, MOFs, activated carbons
and SWSs.

Development of TES components is mainly focused on the adsorber unit, realized by putting in
contact the adsorbent material with an efficient heat exchanger.

Adsorption TES systems are still in an early stage of development and not completely
commercialized. Nevertheless, some particular applications have been already put on the market,
since they perfectly fit some needs.

In the work, promising features and critical issues at material, component and system levels are
deeply analyzed and the ongoing activities to make this technology ready for marketing are
introduced.

References

[1] Alva G.; Lin Y.; Fang G. An overview of thermal energy storage systems, Energy 2018, 144,
341–378.

[2] Aneke M.; Wang, M. Energy storage technologies and real life applications – A state of the art
review, Appl. Energy 2016, 179, 350–377.– A state of the art review, Appl. Energy 2016, 179, 350–
377.
Abstract
Room temperature Na-ion batteries (NIBs) have gained significant attention as a promising
candidate for large scale energy storage applications, owing to abundant Na reserves and their
low cost. However, realizing suitable electrode materials for NIBs remain a formidable challenge
to achieve better capacity and cyclability.

Herein, a rationally designed nanoarchitecture of SnS2/N-doped carbon nanocomposites

(SNCNs) has been reported as an anode material for NIBs. Nitrogen-rich layered carbon nitride
(C3N4) serves as an ideal motif for the heterogeneous nucleation of tin and sulphur to form SnS 2,
whereas the in-situ decomposition of C3N4 yields N-doped carbon layers, followed by the
formation of confined SnS2 nanodot structures.

Microscopic study using high resolution transmission electron microscope (HR-TEM) validates
the formation of SnS2 nanodots seeded within N-doped carbon layers. Na-ion storage mechanism
for confined SnS2 nanodots is systematically investigated as an anode material through
electrochemical techniques, such as differential analysis, and galvanostatic charge-discharge. The
improved Na-ion storage of SNCNs is accounted largely to non-diffusion type pseudocapacitance
and mild surface mediated redox contributions which are verified through kinetic studies.

This simple and efficient method to obtain SnS2 nanodots and their surface-mediated redox
reaction might be deliberated to obtain nanodots of similar oxides, sulfides, etc., for use in
electrochemical energy storage and conversion devices.
Abstract
Nowadays the electrochemical storage systems, popularly called batteries are widely spread and
continuously developed all around the world. We use them in computers, mobile phones,
household appliances and in our cars as well. The charging and discharging procedure influences
of battery lifetime. In electric cars high amount of energy is stored in batteries. The storage
capacity determines the possible travelling distance of the electric vehicle. It is important to know
the state of battery we use, for example the actual states of charge or the remaining lifetime.
During usage these parameters are changing continuously and charging and discharging
circumstances influence the battery state. The other important environmental parameter is the
temperature. Different batteries have different thermal properties. Batteries are exposed to
extreme temperature conditions in cars. Because large amount of energy is stored in car batteries,
very important to know the actual state of battery.

The aim of the authors was to develop a measurement system which can automatically measure
the battery parameters in different temperature conditions and it can fit to control the charging
and discharging procedure based on preset parameters. The environmental temperature of the
battery can be controlled by a PC timetable based software. This software can handle multiple
parameters and set limit parameters to avoid damaging battery during investigation.
Measurements are carried out in a climate chamber and during the measurements the battery
temperature can change continuously. Based on the collected measurement data at different
temperatures, a mathematical model was built. The ultimate goal is to estimate the battery
lifetime and other important parameters based on the obtained data and investigate the
possibilities of the reduction and propose a new algorithm for the simulation model and evaluate
the results of simulation.
Abstract
Battery packs in recent electric vehicles are usually built from lithium-ion (Li-Ion) battery cells.
A battery management system (BMS) is required to ensure optimal battery operation in terms of
battery lifetime and vehicle electric range. Modern BMSs, among other functionalities, include a
number of algorithms for estimating key battery state variables such as State-of-Charge (SoC),
and model parameters such as internal resistance and remaining available charge capacity of the
battery pack. SoC estimate can be used for prediction of the vehicle available range, as well as for
identification of current battery operating point which is important from the battery safety and
lifetime standpoint. On the other hand, the internal resistance and capacity estimates are the main
indicators used for tracking of battery degradation level. Furthermore, almost every battery model
parameter is changing with battery degradation, so that for robust estimation of the battery
capacity, those changes must be accurately tracked.

This paper deals with design of a robust estimator that accurately estimates the battery SoC in
real time and simultaneously tracks battery degradation-related parameter variations (e.g. total
DC resistance and remaining capacity). In the first part of the paper, measurement and telemetry
system installed on an electric scooter is described, along with conducted identification
experiments which were done without ever disconnecting battery pack from the vehicle. The
second part of the paper outlines a state-of-the-art SoC and resistance estimation approach based
on Dual Extended Kalman Filter (DEKF) and an equivalent circuit battery model (ECM), and
discusses its limitations in terms of robustness over the course of battery life and ability to track
the battery degradation on-line. In the third part of the paper the DEKF is supplemented with
estimation of battery open-circuit voltage, and novel remaining capacity tracking algorithm based
on the Sigma-Point Kalman Filter (SPKF) is presented. In the last part, the designed estimator is
experimentally validated based on several driving cycles of scooter city rides characterized by
different Depth-of-Discharges (DoDs) and conducted over different ambient temperatures.
Abstract
A need for cooling is nowadays increasing both in residual and commercial buildings e.g. due to
heat waves. The objective is make a preliminary feasibility evaluation for storing cool in a
borehole. The future goal is to make cool storages using renewable sources and thus reduce fossil
fuel usages. The cold can be obtain due to natural conditions (during wintertime e.g. in Finland)
or produced via excess renewable electricity.

In this paper, we describe a test with storing cool within a borehole in a Finnish region. The
borehole is dry which means formation of ice should not cause problem. The components and
heat transfer liquid for the borehole system were selected so that they are usable at low
temperatures. The cold outside was injected in the borehole via a specially designed unit.
Temperatures inside the borehole were measured using a distributed temperature sensing (DTS).
This allowed to get data at different depths of borehole.

The test started with normal thermal response test (TRT) of ground rock surrounding the
borehole. It took five days to get the basic temperature of the ground rock. After the TRT, the
borehole and its ground rock was allowed to return to the natural conditions over 9 day period.
Then the borehole were cooled using natural winter coldness of air and the special unit for
pumping the coolness in the well. The borehole were cooled in 12 day period. During this time,
the temperatures of heat transfer fluid and borehole well were recorded.

The thermal fluid did not freeze even though its temperature was under zero. Its viscosity
increased which slowed down the fluid speed. The pipes inside the borehole were unharmed. The
temperature of water inside the borehole decreased rapidly to zero after which the temperature
of rock ground started to slowly decrease. After the cooling period, the temperature of the
borehole started naturally increased again. No structural damages were observed. Thus boreholes
may have potential as cool storages.
Abstract
With buildings accounting for over 30% of the world energy consumption, 60–70% of the energy
demand is due to heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC). HVAC systems provides
thermally comfortable areas for occupants and its consumption is strongly related to how
occupants utilise the building. Majority of HVAC systems in commercial buildings are managed
by a building energy management system (BEMS). They assist in increasing occupant’s
satisfaction, while reducing energy consumption, operational costs and environmental emissions.
For a BEMS to perform with high efficiency, it should have a control system that can adapt to
varying indoor conditions and requirements. Conventional HVAC features such as use of static
occupancy schedule profile to control HVAC operation or traditional controls may not be enough
to cope with requirements of the next generation-built environment. This work will introduce a
demand-driven based deep learning-based framework that can be integrated with BEMS to
accurately predict occupancy’s activity for HVAC systems, whereby minimization of unnecessary
loads is made to produce satisfactory thermal comfort conditions for occupants. The developed
framework utilises a deep learning algorithm and an AI-powered camera. Training data is
obtained from online existing image sources with the addition of images captured of various
occupant activities. Data is processed and streamed through to deploy the deep learning model.
Tests are performed with new data to feed into the framework which enables predictions of typical
activities in buildings; walking, standing sitting and napping. To test and validate the framework,
building energy simulation was used with various occupancy profile schedules: two typical static
office occupancy profiles, a schedule generated via the deep learning framework (also called here
Deep Learning Influenced Profile) and an actual prediction profile. Using a modelled UK office
building with 4 occupants under a typical winter day, initial results showed that the overall
occupancy heat gains was up to 23.5% lower when the DLIP was used as compared to the static
office occupancy profile. This also influenced the increase in building heating loads by 2.59%.
Initial results indicate that the occupancy detection-based framework is a potential solution to
develop higher performing intelligent building through development of more effective performing
HVAC systems. Further developments include enhancement of the framework via improvements
towards the deep learning model’s structure to increase the detection accuracy. From the
application of the deep learning model to building profiles, a streamline data transfer would be
performed to provide a direct automation to adjust set points for the HVAC system. This will
become a feasible method to help resolve occupancy related problems within buildings and
enhances building performances through accurate predictions.
Abstract
In this paper, a combined method consists of the wavelet transform, Generalized Regression
neural network, and Gravitational Search Algorithm (GSA) has been proposed for short-term load
forecasting (STLF) and short-term price forecasting (STPF) in deregulated power markets.
Wavelet domain and original data series (price and load) features are considered in a mixed data
model for price and load forecasting, in which the candidate input variables are refined by two-
step relief feature selection algorithm. The first step uses a variation relief algorithm to remove
irrelevance. In the second step, cross relief is used to remove redundancy. The adjustable
parameters can be tuned finely using cross-validation technique. In order to examine the
suggested method, a reliable electricity market is used and the results are compared with those of
recent prediction methods.
Abstract
Building energy consumption accounts for a large proportion of total energy use globally. Heating,
ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems are among the major energy demand in the
building sector, accounting for up to 40% of the total energy use, especially buildings in the
commercial sector due to their space layout and functionality. Improving the energy efficiency of
such systems will be a significant contribution towards mitigating greenhouse gas emissions. The
present work will develop a learning-based approach for a demand-driven control system which
can automatically adjust the HVAC setpoints and supply conditions in terms of the actual
requirements of the conditioned space. Internal heat gains from typical office equipment, such as
computers, printers and kettle will be the focus of this paper. Due to its irregular use during
scheduled heating or cooling service periods, an opportunity is offered to reduce unnecessary
energy demands of HVAC systems related to the actual use of the equipment and its heat gains,
i.e. over- and under-utilization of equipment indicate whether indoor spaces are required to be
conditioned or not. The main aim of this paper is to develop a demand-driven control strategy
with the utilisation of deep learning technique to increase the efficiency of HVAC systems by
detecting the usage of equipment in real time for offices. The work will be using deep learning
enable cameras which can locally run trained algorithms to analyse and take action based on how
equipment is utilised in a space. This proposed strategy automatically responds to the equipment
usage for optimising energy consumption and indoor conditions. The work will compare the
performance of the developed approach with a conventional approach such as the use of static
heating or cooling profiles. To highlight its capabilities, building energy simulation was used and
initial results showed that while maintaining thermal comfort levels, up to 11% reduction of the
energy consumption can be achieved by the proposed strategy in the comparison to
conventionally-scheduled HVAC systems, while only focusing on three types of equipment.
Abstract
In the recent years effort of collecting energy consumption data using smart sensors is decreasing
thanks to lower prices, meanwhile it is increasing analysis of data using big data methods like
machine learning and artificial intelligence. It is expected that these methods can be useful to
increase efficiency of energy systems.

In this paper an innovative approach to design cogeneration systems based on big data analysis
is developed. In particular, a study on how cluster analysis could be applied to analyse energy
consumption data is depicted. The aim of the method is to design cogeneration systems that suits
more efficiently energy demand profiles, choosing the correct type of cogeneration, operation
strategy and, if they are necessary, energy storages. In the first part of the paper, the methodology
proposed based on clustering and how to perform the analysis of the dataset are described. In the
second part, a case study that already runs cogenerators (a wood industry that requires low
temperature heat to dry wood into steam-powered kilns) is analysed in order to design an
alternative cogeneration system. Thermodynamics benchmarks are defined to evaluate
differences between as-is and alternative scenarios.

Results show that the proposed innovative method suggests a more suitable cogeneration
technology compared to the adopted one, giving suggestions on the operation strategy to decrease
energy losses and, consequently, primary energy consumption.
Abstract
In mitigation of climate change, there is a need to promote low-carbon society by energy
conservation measures at a city or a regional level. And, we need to obtain more detailed energy
consumption data which then can be used to city or regional scale energy saving policy.

In the past research, we piloted the smart monitoring system for selected units such as
households, offices and commercial sector in Bogor city.

However, these surveys need to be many of monitoring device. So, we were difficult installing
many of buildings by cost problem.

In this research, we applied questionnaire survey of energy pattern affect factors; household
character, building character and cognitive of environmental policies. These factors are affected
for latent energy demand behavior factor; human behavior, air condition use pattern and
electricity device ownership. we connected these questionnaire data and monitoring data by data
fusion method of same target site address. Furthermore, we developed energy pattern prediction
model by using deep learning method that used questionnaire item for variables and smart
monitoring result for teaching data.

As a result, we could develop prediction model of hourly electricity demand by using

questionnaire items. We think that this model could estimate electricity demand prediction by
same questionnaire items from none monitoring site household.
Abstract
Customer segmentation analysis can give valuable insights into the energy efficiency of residential
buildings. This paper presents a mapping system, SEGSys that enables segmentation analysis at
the individual and the neighborhood levels. SEGSys supports the online and offline classification
of customers based on their daily consumption patterns and consumption intensity. It also
supports the segmentation analysis according to the social characteristics of customers of
individual households or neighborhoods, as well as spatial geometries. SEGSys uses a three-layer
architecture to model the segmentation system, including the data layer, the service layer, and the
presentation layer. The data layer models data into a star schema within a data warehouse, the
service layer provides data service through a RESTful interface, and the presentation layer
interacts with users through a visual map. This paper showcases the system on the segmentation
analysis using an electricity consumption data set and validates the effectiveness of the system.
Abstract
Anaerobic digestion technology (AD) for biogas production offers numerous benefits as it may
not only recover the energy contained in the biomass but also contribute to nutrient recovery and
reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. The EU Commission has recognised the role of AD in
achieving circular economy goals and set the biogas and digestate production as recycling in the
hierarchy of waste-to-energy operations. The expansion of the biogas production promotes the
need for the assessment of energy potential of biomass, which is available for the biogas
production and not in the competition with the other purposes. The assessment of that potential
at the high spatial resolution is a necessary precondition for identification of the optimal location
for biogas plant sites, techno-economic studies of biomass supply chains and managing the supply
risks.

This work presents a GIS (Geographical Information System) based approach for the spatial
distribution of the energy potential for biogas production by taking into consideration the
seasonal variation of biomass production. Statistical information, land use maps and previous
research were used for the estimation of the energy and technical potential of agricultural
residues, livestock waste and biodegradable municipal waste for the biogas production. Here, GIS
tool was used to obtain the spatial distribution and seasonal variation of the potential. The
presented approach was tested on Croatia as a case study. On the national level, calculated annual
potential for biogas production from non-lignocellulosic agricultural residues and municipal
biowaste equals 9.37 PJ, while the potential of lignocellulosic agricultural residues is 38.5 PJ.
When assessing the seasonal variation of the potential, results have proved that it can be neglected
for the non-lignocellulosic agricultural residues and municipal biowaste, while the generation of
lignocellulosic agricultural resides has a significant variation during the year. The final results are
presenting the seasonal and spatial distribution of the energy potential for biogas production at
the spatial level of 1 km x 1 km.
Abstract
The aim of this study is to investigate technical and economic aspects of integrating anaerobic
digestion with sugar industry to replace natural gas used for heat and electricity taken from the
grid for small-scale sugar beet processing. In 245 days when the sugar beet is not processed
(March-October), riverbank residue grass and animal manure are daily utilised in the amount of
100 tonnes to produce 8,000 Nm3/day of biogas. 21% of the produced biogas is stored on-site,
while the rest is utilised for combined production of heat and electricity which are sold on the
markets. Power of the biogas plant has been estimated on 474 kWel, while the optimum amount
of biogas fed to Combined Heat and Power unit has been estimated on 4,160 Nm3/day. In the
period when the sugar beet processing starts, a part of biogas to cover energy demands for sugar
beet processing is produced from sugar-beet by-products and animal manure. 63% of stored
biogas is consumed, while the other part is considered for burning in a boiler, for achieving the
required amount of biogas for optimum operation of heat and power unit at the biogas plant.
Capital investment in the building of a biogas plant with compressor and storages is estimated on
€ 1,940,000. Economic analysis has shown that the payback period of the investment is around
5.7 years, while the internal rate of return is 16%. The net present value of the investment, using
the discount rate of 10%, has been estimated on ca. € 600,000 in the time frame of 14 years.
Sensitivity analysis has shown that the price of generated electricity in cogeneration that is sold
on the market plays the most important role in achieveing the economic feasability of the
proposed system.
Abstract
Biomass is considered to be a suitable feedstock if used for energy conversion purposes since the
related processes are accounted to be carbon neutral with respect to emissions. However, this is
not always the case since soil depletion and related effects should be taken into consideration as
well. Biomass can be processed to give directly energy through combustion or it can be gasified.
Supercritical Water Gasification, SCWG, of biomass is a possible way to produce syngas at
relatively low temperatures and high pressure. It offers great possibilities for high yield and a wide
range of composition for the gas products. There could be new ways of reactors design and
operations and it represents one of the emerging areas of the reaction engineering.

Despite the fact that, indeed this represents a working and effective technology, it is seldom
mentioned in literature that there are problems encountered during its operations. At
supercritical conditions of water, salts and inorganic chemicals become insoluble and they
precipitate. This represent a positive aspect, since salts and inorganics could be then separated;
but on the other hand, this creates problems of plugging.

SCWG can process several kinds of feedstock and some of them are particularly of interest. One
of these is the Black Liquor, BL, a by-product from the pulp and paper industry and considered
as the most important fuel in Finland. BL is particularly feasible for this process since contains
already homogeneous catalysts in it. These would be mostly sodium and potassium salts.

Salt deposition, along with char and tar formation, result in a discontinued mass flow within the
reactor. More in details, this will result in a stepwise injection of feedstock, which is taking place
at non-constant time steps. The consequence of this would be a decrease in product yield and the
formation of more deposition at the expenses of the carbon balance.

In this study, an experimental investigation of SCWG of Black Liquor was conducted in tubular
reactors of same dimensions and at different temperatures. The reactor material was stainless
steel 316 and nickel-chromium-molybdenum, INCONEL 625. Particular focus was put here on
evaluating the possible mechanisms at the basis of a lower produced yield and diverse
composition for the outlet syngas. The induced stepwise injection can be modeled on the basis of
fluid flow dynamics and momentum balances. The formation of a plugging obstacle and its partial
or total destruction at each step, determine the mass injected at each time.

The discontinued operation cause also the reactor to have an important induced stress, which
could provoke damages to the reactor structure. Necessary safety measures, both in terms of
operation and design should be introduced and they are illustrated in the present study.
Abstract
Forest biomass is a very versatile resource that can be used to produce heat, electricity, and
transport fuels etc. As one of the top electricity consumer country, Japan aims to improve the use
of biomass-based energy production which has been one of the main agendas for nation’s
sustainable development strategy. Especially after Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Accident, shifting
from nuclear and thermal power generation towards renewable energy is urgent. Remote sensing
is one of the most common approaches to estimate forest biomass and its dynamics over large
areas. Due to its rapid development, there is an increased usage of finer spectral and spatial
resolution to extract plant information, improve model parameters, and estimate forest biomass.
Here, we used multi-spectral remote sensing data to monitor and estimate the forest biomass in
Fukushima Prefecture. Spectral derived indices were used to extract vegetation information
including canopy cover and vegetation status. Social economic data and field plot data were used
as ancillary data for mapping and validate the forest biomass. The results revealed that multi-
spectral remote sensing data are useful for mapping forest biomass distribution and the grid-
based analysis are suitable to model and predict the forest biomass of Fukushima Prefecture. In
the end, the main challenges and opportunities for forest biomass estimation using RS
information in the future are listed.
Abstract
The paper will present the process of the optimization of the planned grid connection scheme for
wind power plants. At start the overview of the current status and trends will be observed
alongside a short description of the Croatian power system specifics. The special highlight will be
given to the wind energy integration. Following, the potential problems regarding the reduced
inertia, more complicated protection requirements and regulation issues will be shortly touched.
The paper will provide technical description and graphical representation of potential grid
connection solutions. Then, description of the calculation of different scenarios of load flows to
select the optimal grid connection solution will be explained. The prerequisite for the power flow
calculations is always the development of the thorough grid model which will also be described
briefly. Furthermore, the relevant and influencing new network elements must be chosen to
measure their influence through inclusion into the model and further scenarios selection
importance will be discussed. Based on the determined grid connection point and terrain
characteristics optimization of the wind power plant layout needs to be done to reduce the losses
combining the statistical analysis and power flow analysis. This results in the transformer stations
positions selection and desired voltage level selection. Finally, estimation and analysis of grid
connection costs and potential production levels shapes the final recommendations. Throughout
the paper described general methodology will be applied to a hypothetical case study and results
and conclusion will be shown.
Abstract
Worldwide studies, including the Paris agreement, show that it is necessary to reduce
dependency on the nonrenewable energy sources and fossil fuels such as oil and coal. According
to IEA, Finland has been highly dependent on imported fossil fuels, which will remain also in the
long run and poses a significant challenge in terms of energy security (IEA 2013). Since the 2013
IEA review, the Finnish government has set out ambitious climate targets and policy action that
are closely linked to energy.

Hybrid renewable energy systems can be implemented in multiple different ways. Some energy
sources like different forms of geothermal energy are available around the year. Instead some
renewable energy sources like solar, wind and bioenergy are often season dependent energy. To
ensure constant production for the grid or the district heating network, the hybrid systems and
the energy storage is in some cases needed. The decentralized hybrid production model is
observed as an effective solution to secure the continuous production of renewable energy.

This study introduces several hybrid systems operating mainly in Europe and Finland. Single
renewable energy techniques used in the hybrid solutions are for example solar and wind energy,
geothermal energy from boreholes, sediment heat, water course heat and asphalt heat from the
parking lots. Different combinations of these techniques are already in use and they are found to
work efficiently when certain presumptions are taken into account. Renewable energy production
is typically non continuous when using only a single technique. This can be avoided by using a
hybrid system. Advantages of the hybrid techniques are reliable, constant energy production and
also production in a bigger scale is possible.

The amount of energy generated by any HRES depends on both the technology and the
meteorology. The types of the energy sources used in the hybrid systems, component sizes, the
availability and the profiles of the meteorological quantities all have their effects. Also the load
profile variations with respect to variations in the meteorological quantities are important to
evaluate. The usage of excess energy needs to be solved too; whether to deliver it to the grid, use
the dump loads or the storage systems.

According to this study many combinations of renewable energy systems are available but they
must be well planned case by case.
Abstract
Aiming at providing energy security and responding to the social demand for environmental
quality in the cities, China is rapidly developing its renewable installed capacity and technology
performance, gradually becoming the leader of the 21st-century energy transition. This work
analyses how the Chinese Central Government managed to place China as a global renewable
superpower in less than ten years, by evaluating its energy strategy in the medium-to-long-term.
By reviewing the main Chinese renewable energy policies from 2005 to 2018, the development of
renewable energy in China was divided into three phases. Findings show that in the first phase
the main focus was to develop the supply-side, mobilizing large resources for scaling up and
verticalizing key strategic industries; the second phase was marked as the turning point of the
Chinese compromise for mitigating greenhouse gas emissions and investing in renewable energy.
This boosted the renewable installed capacity at the expenses of mismatches that were created
between capacity and generation (rapid growth and large curtailment, quantity without quality).
These problems were sought to be solved in the third phase, which focused on investing in the
energy demand-side, on making China a scientific and technological superpower, and on
expanding export infrastructure for the excess productive capacity. Over these three phases,
China has assumed the role of internationalizing a new energy model based on renewable energy
sources.
Abstract
The exponential uptake of solar photovoltaic (PV) and battery energy storage system (BESS)
raises a concern on the potential environmental and human health problems due to the improper
disposal once they reach end of life. This paper is an ongoing research employing a participatory
system dynamics (SD) approach to examine the effect of transition pathways on the effectiveness
of the EoL management activities. The model conceptualisation process is an essential process
before proceeding to the SD model to enable a comprehensive understanding on the
interrelationship and/or trade-offs between stakeholder’s roles and goals. Engagement with
stakeholders throughout the modelling process is imperative to integrate different stakeholder
objectives; thus ensuring that the model truly represents real system. A problem scoping stage
was performed via a systematic literature review, an iterative expert review, and a stakeholder
survey. A preliminary CLD along with the system archetypes were developed based on the
problematic situations identified. The CLD was refined in a PV working group meeting in regard
to its comprehensiveness and relevance of terms and descriptions. The refined CLD will then be
used as a basis to develop a concept model for group model building workshops which aim to
develop a stock-and-flow diagram in the SD approach.
Abstract
In recent years, fuzzy multi-criteria decision making (FMCDM) was introduced as a important
field of energy supply systems. The aim of this study is to develop the multi-criteria decision
support framework and determine optimal options for energy management in terms of energy
used in the residential-commercial sector (RCS) by taking into account the interactions of energy
and environment used in production sector. Energy management of the RCS and the environment
which have conflicting objectives are investigated in care of game theory approach. The objectives
of the RCS player are to ensure sustainability using fossil energy, renewable energy, waste energy
recovery and nuclear energy use, while the objectives of the environment player are to ensure the
sustainability of the environment. FMCDM problem with the Technique for Order Performance
by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) is employed for the analysis of the strategies’
performance efficiency values and select the best. Consequently the most appropriate strategies
that determine energy policies for each players are found and analyzed with a numerical example.
An application of this method demonstrate that the RCSs’ use of energy triggers the environment’s
strategy.
Abstract
Lack of energy to generated adequate electricity is a predominant feature of the economies in sub-
Sahara Africa. Over half of the population in sub-Sahara Africa are without electricity access.
Without adequate energy supply to drive economic, social and environmental developmental
agenda across the region, sustainable development in sub-Sahara Africa will largely remain
unachievable. Due to concerns over the security of electricity supply, coupled with the recent
global phenomenon of climate change, governments in sub-Sahara African countries are
beginning to adopt legislation and policies that emphasise the utilisation and development of
renewable energy resources that are available in each country for the production of electricity.
The aim of this paper is to explore the legal, policy and regulatory issues affecting the integration
of renewable energy sources into the electricity generation mix in sub-Sahara Africa by assessing
the cases of Nigeria and The Gambia. It aims to contribute to the emerging debate on powering
sub-Sahara Africa to achieving sustainable development by 2030 through renewable energy from
legal and policy perspectives. It argues that the renewable energy market in the region cannot
attract adequate investment needed to help achieve renewable energy targets if legal regulatory
and policy issues are not adequately addressed.
Abstract
Construction sector accounts for 40 % of the total energy consumption in Europe and produce
about 35 % of all greenhouse gas emissions. Residential buildings that represent almost 66 % of
the energy consumption and more than 64 % of the emissions of the total building construction
sector are the vast majority of the building sector and play a significant role in the energy and
environmental footprint of the whole building stock.

Energy performance certificates (EPCs) of buildings that are obligatory for new and existing
buildings in all European Union (EU) Member states when they are being constructed, sold or
rented not only provide the characteristics of individual buildings, so stimulating the real estate
market towards better energy performance, but are also useful for energy management and
planning in the building sector. However, despite the current wide spread of EPCs related
analyses in other European countries, the information potential of this national cadastre in
Lithuania is nearly not adapted in research studies at all.

This paper presents an overview of the energy performance of the existing Lithuanian residential
building stock by exploiting data from the national EPCs register. The results determine the
current situation in Lithuanian residential buildings emphasizing CO2 emissions and their
dependencies with different thermal sources that are used to generate the operational energy
during latter 5 years. The findings of this research could be used as guidance for management of
CO2 emissions in order to comply with the EU requirements to meet ambitious climate and energy
targets for 2020 by promoting a greater use of renewable energy sources. Moreover, the
recommendations for the extended scope of national energy performance certificates’ content
were also proposed.
Abstract
As reported by SR15 from the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), meeting 1.5°C is
possible, yet requiring deep and rapid decarbonisation in all energy sectors. In alignment with the
1.5°C scenario, the European Commission has provided a long-term strategy towards net-zero
emissions by 2050 in Europe. Some studies have investigated the optimal future energy systems,
but the transition pathways are still open questions, particularly given the fact that fossil fuels are
the backbone of current energy systems. On the one hand, falling costs of low-carbon
technologies, such as wind, solar PV and storage, could possibly result in less expensive energy
systems by delaying deployment of those technologies. On the other hand, wrong investments in
the early stage may cause lock-in effects, ending up with more expensive systems. Based on
current infrastructure, we model the European electricity, heating and cooling coupled system in
the hourly-resolved one-node-per-country network, undergoing myopic planning. Impacts of
distinctive GHG emission pathways, yet sharing the same amount of emission budget between
2015 and 2050, to energy systems are analysed in terms of economic and technical aspects. We
aim to quantify the extra costs or benefits by delaying or accelerating emission pathway, as well
as to identify the feasibility of infrastructure expansion during the transition.
Abstract
Bio-refineries use wood streams most often for the production of cellulosic fibers for paper or
related industries. The remaining waste product consists mainly of a lignin fraction. This fraction
is used for the production of energy in the form of electricity and heat. However, a new bio-
refinery with a reductive catalytic fractionation process, is currently being designed which
specifically targets the valorization of the lignin fraction into higher value end-products.

To identify the various R&D barriers that need to be overcome such that early investment can
take place, we developed an integrated techno-economic assessment which directly integrates the
results of lab studies with economic costs and benefits. Furthermore, different linkages are made
to upstream wood availability and downstream demand in order to understand how this process
can fit in existing biomass value chains.

By calculating the Net Present Value and the Internal Rate of Return we found that the scale of
the plant, the output quantities, and output prices highly determine the economic feasibility.
Furthermore, we show that also the use of different wood species highly impact the economic
feasibility. It is more economically beneficial to use wood with a higher moisture content than to
use dried wood. Looking at the downstream demand side and considering different feedstock
compositions and discount rates, we found that a price range between 1800 and 2300 EUR per
metric ton is needed for the lignin-based end-products to prove competitive.
Abstract
Biomass is an important renewable aromatic resource and the catalytic pyrolysis of biomass is
considered as a potential technique for the production of monoaromatic hydrocarbons of
benzene, toluene and xylenes (BTX) which are currently obtained from fossil sources. However,
among the components of lignocellosic biomass, lignin pyrolysis-derived phenolics have low
reactivity over zeolites, which are the most common catalysts used in catalytic biorefinery, and
their atmospheric deoxygenation is limited to high temperatures above 500 °C, resulting in low
yields of aromatic hydrocarbons. Hence, the main purpose of this study was to develop an effective
catalyst for efficient production of BTX aromatics through mild-condition (pressure: 1 atm,
temperature < 400 °C) hydrodeoxygenation of lignin-derived pyrolyzates. Catalytic activities of
various kinds of Fe based catalysts were examined in ex-situ catalytic hydropyrolysis of kraft
lignin. Lignin was pyrolyzed at 600 °C, and lignin-derived vapors were passed through a catalyst
bed kept at 350 °C. Among the various kinds of catalysts, the HDO activity of catalysts reduced in
the order: FeReOx/ZrO2 > Fe/ZrO2 > Fe/HBeta. BTX was the major aromatic hydrocarbons
produced from FeReOx/ZrO2 catalyzed pyrolysis of lignin. FeReOx/ZrO2 showed an efficient
catalytic activity for aromatic hydrocarbon production in atmospheric-pressure HDO of lignin
pyrolysis vapors at low temperature of 350 °C owing to the well-balanced acidity, high
mesoporosity and oxophilicity. To the best of our knowledge, this is the lowest temperature used
for atmospheric upgrading of lignin pyrolysis-derived oxygenates.
Abstract
Supercritical pyrolysis of kraft lignin under high pressure hydrogen atmosphere was investigated
by applying evolved gas analysis-mass spectrometry (EGA-MS) and pyrolysis-gas
chromatography/MS (Py-GC/MS) analysis using a high pressure tandem micro reactor
(HPTMR)-GC/MS. High pressure EGA-MS analysis results indicated that the lignin
decomposition pattern under high pressure hydrogen atmosphere was different with that under
high pressure helium atmosphere. Although EGA-MS analysis of kraft lignin under helium
revealed that kraft lignin was decomposed mainly at the lower temperature region than 500 oC,
that under hydrogen revealed the additional decomposition region at the higher temperature than
500 oC with the decreased formation amount of residual char. Py-GC/MS analysis results
obtained under high pressure hydrogen atmosphere indicated that the large amount of aromatic
hydrocarbons can be additionally formed by applying high pressure pyrolysis of lignin under
hydrogen atmosphere together with the decrease of residual char amount.
Abstract
Cassava is a form of vegetable that is rich in starch and is abundant in many countries. Several
bio-products can be extracted from its starch. The proposed study primarily aims to investigate
the influence of the starch isolated from cassava peel on the quality of the biogas produced via the
anaerobic digestion of cassava peel. The studyconfirmed that the effect of starch on the produced
biogas is quite low and can be neglected. The use of extracted starch in the production of more bio
products such as bio plastic and bio adhesive material beside the biogas may contribute in
enhancing the anaerobic digestion process. In this study, beating pre-treatment was applied to
isolate the starch and mechanically pre-treat the substrate. Also, the influence of temperature,
volatile solid and sludge quantity were investigated with the aid of Design of Experiments (DOE).
An optimization process was carried out to calculate the energy balance at the optimal results and
evaluate the impact of the starch on the biogas produced. The study revealed that, the influence
of the starch on the biogas quality is quite low and can be neglected. The largest biogas volume
obtained was 3830 CC at 37 °C, 4.2g/VS and 50% sludge quantity. While, the maximum CH4/g.VS
was 850 CC/g.VS at 37 °C, 1.1 g/VS and 50% of sludge quantity. However, the major findings of
the study will support future investigations of the production of multiple starch-based bio-
products simultaneously for biogas and bio-slurry applications.
Abstract
Due to the high costs and low selectivity associated with propene production, new routes for its
synthesis are being sought. Dehydration has been widely investigated in this field, but, thus far,
no study has produced satisfactory results for isopropanol. Vanadium-zirconia catalysts have
been shown to be effective for the dehydration of ethanol. Therefore, we investigate the activity of
such catalysts in the dehydration of isopropanol. The catalysts were synthetized on an SBA-15
base, supplemented with zirconia or combined zirconia and vanadium. Tests were conducted in a
continuous flow reactor at 150-300 °C. Samples were analyzed using a gas chromatograph. The
most active catalyst showed 95% conversion and 100% selectivity to propene. XRD, SEM and
Raman spectroscopy analyses revealed that as the vanadium content increases, the pore size of
the catalyst decreases, and both isopropanol conversion and propylene selectivity are reduced.
Thus, without an addition of vanadium, Zr-SBA-15 catalyst appears to be suitable for the
dehydration of isopropanol to propene.
Abstract
Ethylene is the most imported product in the petrochemical industry with yearly world production
about 143 million ton. The main production process is pyrolysis of hydrocarbons from petroleum.
As the society development increases and fossil sources decrease, a requirement for new chemical
rout for production of bulk chemical, chemical specialist and biofuels is the challenge for research
teams.

Bioethanol is a basic bio-chemical commonly produced by the alcohol fermentation of biomass.

In this sence, ethanol dehydration is being widely studied, because it allows the ethylene
production from renewable sources. A catalyst is needed in this process, and its development is
the main aim of this research. Several zeolites with variable acid and texture properties have been
prepared to study its use as catalysts. Different techniques were used for their characterization.
The structure was determined by X-ray diffraction (XRD). Zeolites were de-aluminated for
modifications of acid properties. Acidity and acid sites distribution were evaluated by TPD-NH3.
Zeolites were impregnated by transitions metals, as vanadium, lanthanum, titanium and
phosphor, for increasing the redux properties, which were determined by TPR-H2. The amount of
the transition metals and Si:Al molar ratio were evaluated by X-ray fluorescence method (XRF).
Zeolites are microporous materials. The mesoporous were formed by de-alumination, which leads
to decreasing the specific surface area. Therefore the specific surface area was determined by N 2-
physisorption and evaluated by BET method.

Catalysts prepared in this study, were tested in dehydration of ethanol to ethylene. Tests were
carried out in continuous flow micro reactor. Catalysts were activated at 450 °C, afterwards the
reaction started. Firstly, catalysts were tested at different space velocities the same temperature
(220 °C) and gas flowrate. Subsequently, different temperatures (220 – 280 °C). Samples of
gaseous products were collected each few hours and analyzed by gas chromatography (GC) and
RGA.
Abstract
The deposing velocity represents the lowest speed at which transportation can operate without
any deposit of solid particles in the bottom of the reactor or pipe.

This minimal velocity has been investigated in several types of reactors used in water treatment
and solid transport. A Little importance has been given to loop reactors in liquid solid mixtures
especially the torus reactor. In the present work the solid particle transport in torus reactor is
investigated by the modelling of the experimental determination of the just suspended speed (Njs)
at which all the solid particles are completely suspended.

Njs depends on the concentration, density and size of the solid particles. The determination of
Njs in solid transport and solid-liquid mixing operations is necessary in order to ensure a good
mass transfer between phases, and reduction of the operation cost.
Abstract
While traces of pharmaceuticals have been found in the environment, the pharmaceutical
industry produces waste streams high in PhACs concentration along with other components such
as salts. This work investigated the removal of three common pharmaceuticals, carbamazepine
(CBZ), ibuprofen (IBF), and diclofenac (DCF), at concentrations found in the pharmaceutical
industry, under different salt concentrations using a commercially available nanofiltration (NF)
membrane. The influence of salt concentration and temperature on the removal were determined.
PhAC rejection was found to be dependent on the compounds’ molecular weights, charge, and
hydrophobicity. DCF and IBF rejections were found to be high (90-99%) and (85-96%)
respectively and the rejection increased with increasing salt concentration. Meanwhile, moderate
retention values were found for the neutral CBZ (65-77%) and these values decreased with
increasing salt concentration, and also decreased with increasing temperatures. A threshold salt
concentration was found at which these effects were buffered or even reversed.
Abstract
Due to the large amount of ventilation air methane (VAM) emissions caused by coal mining every
year, serious environmental pollution and energy waste are caused. The effective utilization of
VAM is of great significance to energy conservation and emission reduction. Based on the
modified VAM preheating catalytic oxidation reactor with two chambers, the influence of space
velocity and inlet methane concentration on the heat extraction characteristics of the reactor are
studied. The results show that the temperature of catalytic oxidation bed increased with inlet
methane concentration and decreased with air velocity, and maximum change of temperature rise
at the first catalytic ceramic layer is 213K. Extraction heat is increased with inlet methane
concentration and space velocity and the maximum is 27% of methane oxidation heat. The
temperature non-uniformity coefficient is maximum at where methane reacts fastest and is
decreased with the increase of space velocity.
Abstract
In the current work, photocatalytic degradation of phenol was carried both in UV and visible light
to find the slowest step that is limiting the rate of photo-degradation process. Characterization
such as XRD, SEM, FT-IR, TEM, XPS, UV-DRS, PL, BET, UPS, ESR and zeta potential
experiments were conducted to assess the credibility of catalysts in boosting the photocatalytic
activity. To explore the synergy, TiO2 was doped with graphene and alumina. The orbital
hybridization with alumina doping (mediated by graphene) resulted in higher electron transfer
from conduction band of TiO2 to alumina surface where oxygen reduction reactions (ORR) occur.
Besides, the doping of alumina and graphene introduced defects into Ti lattice and helped in
improving the adsorptive properties of modified photo-catalyst. Results showed that these defects
promoted the oxygen reduction reactions (ORR) on catalyst’s surface. ORR activity aims at
producing the reactive oxygen species (ROS). These ROS species oxidizes the phenol molecules
which is adsorbed on the surface of photo-catalysts thereby driving the photocatalytic reactions.
Since mass transfer is considered as rate limiting step, various mathematical models were applied
to the experimental data to probe the best fit. By varying the parameters, it was found that intra-
particle diffusion was the slowest step in degradation process. Lagergren model gave the best R2
values indicating the nature of rate kinetics. Similarly, different adsorption isotherms were
employed and realized that Langmuir isotherm suits the best with tremendous increase in uptake
capacity (mg/g) of TiO2-rGO-Al2O3 as compared undoped TiO2. This further assisted in higher
adsorption of phenol molecules. The results obtained from experimental, kinetic modelling and
adsorption isotherms, it is concluded that apart from changes in surface, opto-electronic and
morphological properties that enhanced the photo-catalytic activity, the intra-particle diffusion
within the catalyst’s pores serve as rate limiting step in deciding the fate of photo-catalytic
degradation of phenol.
Abstract
Introduction

Waste electric and electronic equipment (WEEE) is one of the fastest growing waste streams in
Europe. WEEE can cause environmental and health problems when they are not managed
correctly. The release of the Directive 2012/19/EU was the framework regarding WEEE
management in the European Union. In order to achieve the established goals for re-use, recycling
and materials recovery, the Directive was transposed into national law by Member States. The
adoption of this new framework for WEEE implies the adaptation of current municipal waste
management systems. Hence, the municipal collection points shall be modified to comply with
the provisions regarding WEEE management and separate collection for preparing for reuse and
recycling.

Objective

The ESTRAEE project is focused on the adaptation of municipal collection points to the Directive
in the Galicia (Spain) and Northern Portugal cross-border area through novel policy tools at
municipal level. The project aims to increase valorization rates —i.e. reuse and recycling— and to
improve the environmental performance of WEEE collection and treatment in the area.

Material & methods

Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) was applied to evaluate the environmental performance of old-
outdated electronic appliances supply chain, including all stages from raw materials extraction,
manufacturing, distribution, maintenance, up to use and end of life. Additionally, Material Flow
Accounting was used for material flows calculation throughout the whole supply chain. The study
establishes three scenarios based on project execution level: i) baseline, WEEE management
before project implementation; ii) current, WEEE management during pilot cases; and iii)
expected, WEEE management after project implementation.

Results and conclusions

The results obtained showed that considerable impact reductions can be attained after ESTRAEE
implementation. Thus, current and expected scenarios (i.e. after project implementation)
performed better than baseline scenario, reducing environmental burdens from 15% to 20% on
average, respectively. Improvements of existing facilities in municipal collection points, new
municipal regulations and the establishment of a market for secondary raw materials (e.g.
refurbished appliances, spare parts, etc.) were the driving forces behind impact reductions.
Similarly, manual disassembly instead of mechanical shredding enabled a better material
separation in early stages, obtaining higher material recovery rates for following treatment stages.
Abstract
A microbubble pump having a regenerative impeller is widely used in the field of wastewater
treatments; for example, water purification, green algae removal treatment, etc. In the present
study, a novel ‘S-shape’ impeller used for a microbubble pump has been designed and optimized
to enhance the hydraulic pump performance. The ‘S-shape’ impeller, which has a continuous
serpentine shape unlike a conventional blade having separated cantilever-shape blades, has a
relatively robust structure as compared to a conventional impeller. The hydraulic performance of
a microbubble pump with the ‘S-shape’ impeller, has been analyzed by numerical simulations and
compared by experimental measurements. Commercial CFD code, ANSYS CFX, has been
employed to analyze the three-dimensional flow field inside the pump. The pump test rig has been
designed and developed to measure the pump performances, such as intake air and supplied water
flowrates, pressure and pump torque. For the optimal design of the pump impeller, the three
design parameters of blade numbers, blade thicknesses and rib radius of a blade have been
selected as design variables. The response surface method, one of the surrogate models, has been
used for optimization procedure. Throughout numerical simulation and experimental
measurements of the new designed pump, it is found that the number of the impeller blades is the
most sensitive variable to enhance the pump performance. Pump performance is increased by up
to about 35.3 percent, which corresponds to a 3.7 percent increase compared to the conventional
one. The detailed flow field inside the pump blades is also analyzed and compared.
Abstract
Energy planning models consider technical and economic criteria to define the optimal share of
energy sources to produce electricity. Although these models accurately represent the technical
and economic aspects of the grid, the results are sub-optimal from the social point of view, since
it does not include socio-environmental factors. The purpose of this study is to include
environmental variables in the expansion planning models. Thus, the efficiencies calculated by
the DEA can be implemented as constraints in the expansion planning models, signalizing that
the socio-environmental impact cannot exceed a limit, which can be calculated by an execution of
the model itself, in which the socio-environmental impact constraint is inactive. Our results show
that renewable power plants contribute more to allocative efficiency than fossil fuel ones, both in
terms of social and environmental aspects, which are of utmost importance in ranking power
plants to model power capacity expansion. Considering just technical and economic factors is not
enough to have an optimized system in terms of allocative efficiency.
Abstract
The energy system model REMix has been applied to analyze the impact of main techno-economic
parameters of electrical energy storages on their role in the future European power supply system.
The main assumptions include the limitation of yearly available carbon dioxide emissions, which
results in a penetration of renewable energies between 81 % and 93 %. Two main studies have
been calculated. The first one deals with a generic storage technology. Here the key storage
parameters (investment cost for converter and storage) have been systematically varied, aiming
to assess the possible ranges -such as installed capacities and geographical distribution- in
whichstorage systems may be installed and utilized. Among the main findings is that the ratio
between photovoltaics and Wind power potentials in a particular region have a relevant impact
on the capacity as well as on the energy to power ratio of the installed storages. In addition, a
strong competition has been observed between energy storages and gas turbines, due to the fact
that such components provide complementary system services. The second scenario assumes
different conventional storage technologies as well as different power-to-heat-to-power concepts.
We found that the cost optimal solution consists of a mix of mainly Pumped Hydro Storage,
Hydrogen underground storage and batteries, with an additional small share of power-to-heat-
to-power storages. In line with earlier studies, hydrogen storage is found mostly in regions with
high wind power supply, while the distribution of batteries is more spread overall in Europe.
Abstract
Because microgrids have relatively high share of renewable energy sources and energy storage
systems (ESSs) compared with existing large-scale power systems, the inter-temporal constraints
such as the generators’ ramp-rates and the state-of-charge of the ESSs have a much greater impact
on system operation. Therefore, in this paper, the optimization of the microgrid operation, the
commitment of generators and the charging/discharging of ESSs, is formulated as a mixed-
integer nonlinear programming (MINLP) problem with inter-temporal constraints. In order to
find the optimal solution to the problem effectively, we propose a method based on the generalized
Bender’s decomposition method and the optimality condition decomposition method. The
method has the structure which is suitable for parallel computation and the convergence to the
optimal solution is greatly improved compared with conventional MINLP solution methods. The
proposed method is applied to the CIGRE medium voltage microgrid benchmark system and the
simulation results show that the proposed method has a potential for facilitating parallel
computation ability and the application to the real-time operation of microgrid system.
Abstract
Eighty per cent of the people without access to electricity live in rural areas where, due to the high
investment costs, the solution will mainly rely on the installations of microgrids in island.
Microgrids that will include different energy sources: Solar PV, diesel generators, wind turbines,
small hydro, etc. and may be batteries among others.

There is a variety of factors to consider for the optimal design of hybrid microgrids. Besides, many
of these criteria are difficult to model and compare among each other. Is in this context where
Multi Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) are powerful tools as they work in environments
characterised by uncertainty, lack of information and complexity.

The objective of this work is better inform the decision making processes of the design of
microgrids in contexts of energy poverty.

For doing so, a panel experts were consulted to validate a complete list of criteria based on the
literature. Afterwards, we apply the MCDM method Analytic Network Process (ANP) to rank
order the criteria. Criteria have been classified into seven major clusters: economic, social,
resource inputs, environmental impacts, technical issues, institutional and risk. Afterwards,
clusters, and criteria within them, have been rank ordered following ANP.

To illustrate its feasibility and utility, the methodology was applied to the design of a microgrid
for a rural community in Honduras, in the Dry Corridor of Central America.

ANP is based on deriving ratio-scale measurements in order to allocate resources according to

their ratio-scale priorities; whereas ratio-scale assessments, in turn, enable considerations based
on trade-offs. ANP allows analysis for complex inter-relationships among the decision levels using
a network of criteria and alternatives, grouped into clusters. This provides an accurate modelling
of complex settings and allows handling of the usual situation of interdependence among
elements.

To provide with expert knowledge, different experts have contributed to this work: from the
academia, NGOs, international organisations and national cooperation agencies.

The project is currently in its last stage, the application to a case study in Honduras. One of our
major results is a complete classification of factors (criteria) that influence the achievement of the
goals of a hybrid microgrid.

After ranking ordering the criteria, the Economic cluster is deemed one of the most influential.
However, other clusters like the Social and the Institutional are found to be enough influential to
jeopardize the design of a hybrid microgrid based only on economic criteria.

Based on the results for the case study, a combination of electricity generation by means of diesel
powered electric generators and a storage system based on batteries, was found the alternative of
microgrid configuration with the better success potential.
Abstract
Moving towards carbon neutrality will require not only low carbon electricity systems but also an
ambitious decarbonisation of the energy system as a whole. To do so, the deployment of solar and
wind in the power sector have to be coordinated with an optimal allocation of bioenergies in end-
use sectors, the possibility of using Carbon Capture and Storage or a shift towards a greater
integration of electricity and gas systems with the development of CO2 reuse in Power-to-Gas
facilities. Furthermore, negative emissions can be generated by combining these options (Bio-
CCS or Bio-CCU).

The purpose of this paper is to assess the interaction between bioenergies, CCS and CCU, for
various decarbonisation goals in France and for contrasted acceptance scenarios regarding
nuclear and CCS. Our methodology uses a bottom-up optimization model of the French energy
system to computes the allocation of each technology for different carbon budgets. The
improvements made to our model include a complete description of power to gas options, and a
high temporal resolution to better capture the variability of renewable sources.

Our results show the interest of adopting a multi-energy approach as we quantify the resulting
interdependency between gas and electricity systems. BIO-CCS makes a considerable
contribution to reaching deep decarbonization targets and if the pace of deployment of
underground CO2 storage is limited by acceptance or implementation time, Bio-CCU through
Power-to-Gas appears has a robust option.
Abstract
The relevance of sector coupling is strongly related to the policy objective of shifting from current
highly centralised and mainly fossil fuel-based energy system to a more decentralized, energy
efficient and renewable energy-based energy system. It is already recognized as a cost-effective
decarbonisation strategy that provides greater flexibility to the system. Modelling of such cross-
sector interconnections is thus highly relevant. Dispa-SET is an open-source unit commitment
and optimal dispatch model that covers multiple energy sectors such as power, heating & cooling,
transportation etc. This work evaluates the impact of sector coupling in future systems with high
shares of renewable energy together with highly flexible and storage technologies in Europe
through several “what if” scenarios. Results show that contributions of individual technologies
are quite diverse, nevertheless combination of multiple flexibility options such as long-term
hydro, short-term electric vehicles and flexible thermal have proven to be the best solution with
lowest carbon emissions and lowest costs of running the system.
Abstract
Over the last two decades, vehicles have been increasingly equipped with hybrid electric power-
trains in order to provide significant gains in fuel economy, and also reductions in greenhouse
gases emissions. Due to the fact that hybrid power-trains consist of two or more different energy
sources, many of their variants are present nowadays. This leads to many open questions in terms
of hybrid electric power-train structure selection, components sizing and energy management
control, which all have influence on the power-train purchase cost and efficiency. The control
variables optimisation is crucial in order to find minimum possible fuel consumption and optimal
control rules for different power-train operating regimes. Among various control variable
optimisation methods, the dynamic programming approach is usually used in literature, because
of its unique feature to provide the global optimum solution. However, this method also requires
significant computing power and its application is limited to low-order systems. Having this in
mind, this paper evaluates the benefits of cascade approach to hybrid electric vehicle control
variable optimisation by combining dynamic programming with a gradient-based algorithm in
order to significantly reduce the computational time and also to increase the precision of the
globally-optimal result.
Abstract
The paper takes point of departure in two international tendencies that are observed in the district
heating sector. The first trend is the phasing out of fuel based cogeneration and the second trend
is the re-municipalisation of district heating systems.

The first trend challenges the viability of district heating systems since it undermines a traditional
competitive stronghold; the utilization of fossil fuels at high efficiencies. Facing this technological
change in electricity production, district heating grids are risking being left as uncompetitive
stranded assets. However, research addressing this issue has identified large potentials for district
heating systems in a renewable energy system, the so-called fourth generation district heating
system (4DH). The strategic role of district heating in this vision – from which it may derive its
future economic value – implies, among others, the ability to convert excess electricity from
fluctuating renewables to heat at high efficiencies. Converted electricity may not only provide heat
consumers with a cheap supply but also provide a storage capacity to the energy system.

The technical measures for establishing this strategic position is to lower the temperature in the
grid. Thus, investments in heat pumps and heat storage units at the utility level and investment
in heat savings at household level can be vital for district heating systems to remain competitive
in the transition to a renewable energy system.

The second trend of re-municipalization can increase the democratic and political power of cities
and local communities, and therefore potentially open up possibilities for local 4DH avenues.

This paper addresses policies and measures, which can incentivise the investments necessary for
a 4DH development. The analysis uses the city of Aalborg as a case where remunicipalisation
through a recent acquisition of a coal fired CHP plant has made an update of a strategic energy
plan necessary to the municipality. Combining datasets on buildings and insulation techniques
with economic methodology, we investigate, amongst others, how the local district heating tariff
can be adapted to support the transition to lower supply temperatures and improve the conditions
for heat savings. The paper concludes that a change in heat tariff design may improve the private
economic incentive for optimal levels of heat savings, while fluctuations and shortages in capital
markets may also be a barrier for investments in heat savings.
Abstract
This paper presents a novel method for the statistical evaluation of the synthetic driving cycles for
small-to-medium vehicles, based on the real driving cycles recorded with GPS tracker with
resolution of five seconds. The recorded data is processed so it can be used as an input for energy
planning, namely the estimation of battery electric vehicles' energy demand and charging
strategies in dump, smart and V2G regimes. Initial statistical analysis shows that hourly
distribution among various vehicles is best represented with gamma distribution. However, due
to the lower amount of data recorded from the GPS, synthetic driving cycles are matching the data
measurement with correlation of 0.5 and 0.8 for work days and weekends, respectively. This
drawback can be avoided with more data being recorded during the research on the topic and
consequent re-tuning of the distribution parameters.
Abstract
Individual consumers 'demand forecasts are important for balancing supply and demand.
Moreover, by analyzing and identifying demand patterns of individual consumers, it will be
possible to provide personalized services. However, demand trends change even for the same
consumer as time goes by, for example changes in the characteristics of time series of demand
and changes in relationships between multiple explanatory variables and demand data. If it is
possible to detect such a change in the demand trend and reflect it in the subsequent demand
forecast, it is possible to improve the accuracy of the demand forecast. As a method of detection
of changes of the characteristics of the time series data, there are a lot of methods. But even if a
change in the demand trend is detected, the time series data after the change has been obtained
only a short period of time, such as several days. Therefore a model that can make predictions
based on such short term data is required. In this research, we propose a method to update the
prediction model dynamically by detecting such a change in the potential structure of demand
and reflecting it in the prediction model in real time.
Abstract
The amount of electricity supply from renewable energy, such as solar power, is increasing year
by year, as a measure against global warming. However, such renewable energy supplies are often
unstable, for example, the supply of photovoltaic depends on amount of solar radiation at the
time. Thus, system which coordinates the imbalance of electricity demand and its supply is needed
and V2G system (Vehicle to Grid, which uses electric vehicle (EV) as secondary battery in a grid)
is one of the solutions.

In order to realize V2G, it is needed to know when EV is parked i.e. able to charge. It is important
to predict the EV users’ behaviour, when it is used and parked, with high accuracy, since it would
be inconvenient that the driver couldn’t use the car when they want to because of the lack of charge
and ,conversely, we can’t use the full potential of EV battery storage. So, in this paper, we studied
a method for EV users’ behaviour prediction and tried to increase the accuracy of the prediction.
We use past EV users’ behaviour and some other data, which might be related to users’ behaviour
to predict future users’ behaviour. We tried some approaches, prediction based on two weeks
average use, logistic regression, multiple perceptron (one of neural network machine learning
methods). As a result, logistic regression marks best accuracy in most cases, Overall, the best
model for prediction varies cars to cars, so it is needed to clarify and select what is the best model
for the car.

The data for this research which are collected in real use of EVs in Japan for about a year in 2013.
Abstract
This study focuses on the Ebro river basin (Spain) and on the competing environmental uses of
water and economic ones. Insofar as they reduce water availability and condition agricultural and
industrial uses, environmental flows represent a constraint for consumptive users in drought and
semi-drought areas. Some stakeholders of the Ebro river basin are claiming higher environmental
flows to preserve the Ebro delta biosphere reserve. To analyse the possible socio-economic impact
of establishing higher minimum flows at Ebro delta we combine hydro-economic modelling with
the input-output framework. We have developed a monthly-basis hydro-economic model for the
Ebro river basin and we use a multiregional input-output model for the Ebro river basin to
estimate the direct and indirect impact on value added and employment. We have evaluated the
opportunity cost in value added and employment terms of percentage increments in
environmental flows. If irrigate crop production would only depend on annual runoff, in a median
water year, increases in environmental flows exceeding 150% would imply reductions in the value
added of more than 150 million euros and close to 5,000 jobs considering direct and indirect
impacts.
Abstract
To support investment decisions in green infrastructure, city authorities in north-western Europe
expressed the need for simple valuation tools, as a means to quantify costs and the multiple
benefits at city level. A range of valuation tools for green infrastructure exist, designed for various
purposes. Most tools have not been designed to be used in urban context. This paper reviews the
potential of existing valuation tools to supporting investment decisions of urban green
infrastructure. Secondly, recommendations and guidelines are formulated to support the design
of simple valuation tools, tailored to support the development of green infrastructure in urban
areas.

In the assessment, the functionality is regarded specifically from the urban planning and
decision-making viewpoint. Interviews with authorized bodies in several cities aided to acquire
insight in the current urban planning and decision-making procedures. The selection consists of
13 valuation toolkits applicable for green infrastructure. As previous literature advocated for the
focus on biophysical and economic measurement to capture value, the toolkits were evaluated on
12 different criteria. The basis for this literature review are journal papers, governmental reports,
reports by international institutions and research organizations. After analyzing the toolkits on
these criteria, the findings are evaluated on the (mis)match with specific requirements in the
urban planning and management context. The review of the valuation tools brings forth an
oversight, in such a way that local authorities are allowed to conduct value estimations using the
appropriate tool given the circumstances. Approaching the valuation toolkits biophysically and
(socio-)economically provides an integral overview of the challenges and opportunities of the
capacities of each framework.

This paper is developed under the INTERREG 2seas Nature Smart Cities project aimed at
developing business models for the city-financing of green infrastructure investments in urban
areas (<550.000 inhabitants). A clear knowledge gap exists for local authorities that prevents
them from deploying green infrastructure on a scale that enables urban landscapes to become
climate resilient change and build more sustainable communities. The objective is to mainstream
a self-financing method for local authorities to fund green infrastructure projects, by
demonstrating that they can contribute a positive net gain to a local authority’s bottom line.
Abstract
The Covenant of Mayors (CoM) gathered more than 7700 Worldwide and more than 250 million
citizens together with one mutual goal; to reduce CO2 emissions by 20 percent until 2020.
Nowadays, when target year is getting closer many municipalities are reviewing their Sustainable
Energy Action Plans (SEAPs) and facing unexpectedly low CO2 emissions savings despite all
planned energy efficiency measures across the building, transport and public lighting sectors.

The review of SEAPs in seven cities in Istria region, in Croatia, highlighted several important
questions: (1) Why has public lighting been so important to be set out as one of the key sectors
when it is responsible for merely 2 to 4 percent of municipal CO2 emissions? Could the promotion
of LED technology through the CoM have prompted LED to become the mainstream technology
in public lighting? (2) Why does the reviewed data in transport sector result in significant
differences from the initial baselines and why is such emphasis put on the promotion of
electrification of the transport sector? (3) Why are there so many implemented CO 2 reduction
actions in the building sector and could that be correlated with continuously organized marketing
activities which promote energy efficiency in the housing sector ever since SEAP was introduced?

The revisions are an excellent dataset to analyze the correlation of realized SEAP measures and
subsequently lowered CO2 emissions, with specific sector related marketing activities.
Furthermore, this paper is challenging the CoM new goal of 40 percent of CO 2 reduction by 2030,
which is now known as Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plan (SECAP) and brings
adaptation to climate change in focus.
Abstract
The packaging waste management through the market-based deposit refund system (DRS) is one
of the ways to ensure sufficient quantities of plastic, metal and glass waste materials for the
production of fully recycled packaging. Deposit refund systems have proven themselves with large
amounts of collected and recovered waste packaging with a small amount of impurities within the
collected material (which is a prerequisite for high-efficiency recycling in a closed loop system).
Deposit refund systems in Europe regularly achieve collection rates of 80-90% while systems
without deposits achieve collection rates of 40% on average. Today, around 40 countries and
regions in the world have implemented DRS (many more are currently considering it).

This work is continuation of the previous study (in which Croatian DRS was compared to five
best performing deposit systems of EU and EEA countries) and focuses on the development of
detailed measures to improve its efficiency, taking into account the specificities of Croatian
deposit return system. An economic analysis has been made at the example of Croatian DRS
showing the economic side of such measures and how they could be successfully implemented
without jeopardizing the financial stability of the system.

As the main system costs were identified the compensation paid to the retailers (handling fee and
investment into reverse vending machines for automatized collection of packaging at retailer
stores), followed by transportation and logistics costs (including the costs of the
counting/processing centers). In terms of system revenues, unredeemed deposits represent the
largest source of income. This, however, depends on the return rate, because the higher the return
rate (of packaging waste), the lower the revenues from unredeemed deposits. Second biggest
income of the DRS comes from sales of packaging material to recyclers but this revenue is very
susceptible to market prices which can oscillate substantially (evident from the past years).

Considering all system costs and revenues, it was calculated that the average administrative fee
that producers and importers of the beverage packaging (responsible for putting the packing on
the market according to the Producer Responsibility Principle) pay for the operation of the DRS -
packaging collection and recycling, in an efficient deposit refund system would be around 1.11
cents EUR per packaging unit (with the assumption of the return rate of 85%).
Abstract
The world population has increased significantly during the past decades, which leads to a rapid
growth in the demand and consumption of textile fibers. According to The Fiber Year 2019, the
world fiber production has grown 5% in 2017 and exceeded 100 million tons. This growing
demand cannot be satisfied due to the limited availability of arable land and water for cotton
cultivation. Additionally, the increasing consumption accelerates the generation of textile wastes.
Therefore, the textile industry needs new technology and production process in order to mitigate
the conflicts between the economic development and the environmental sustainability. Ioncell-F
process is an environmentally friendly and safe method to produce high-quality man-made
cellulosic fibers (MMCFs) for textiles and technical applications. Compared to Viscose and Tencel
process, Ioncell-FTM uses tailor-made stable ionic liquid (IL) as solvent for the dissolution of
celluloses, and the process requires lower process temperature; moreover, Ioncell-FTM uses
naturally growing wood pulp (no conflict with arable land for food) and recycled cardboard and
cotton wastes (waste to valuable products) as raw materials. Aalto University and University of
Helsinki in Finland have developed the Ioncell-F process together. This study presents the design
of the continuous pilot-scale plant for Ioncell-F process with 1.5 kg/h fiber production. The
demonstration pilot plant will be built in 2020 at Aalto University based on this design. The plant
will be used to demonstrate the concept of Ioncell-F process, produce testing products for
interested parties, and collect information to optimize the designed process.
Abstract
Several scholars have researched the relationship between levels of energy consumption and
people’s well-being. This has been done in various contexts by providing comparative analyses
across countries. While assessing energy consumptiveness is rather straightforward, determining
well-being appears a thorny issue. Previous attempts have employed a diverse array of notions
such as ‘quality of life’, ‘personal realization or fulfillment’, ‘life satisfaction’, or ‘standard of living’.
In this paper, we propose to use the philosophical notion of the “good life” because it is specifically
rooted in the field of (virtue) ethics and provides a broader, normative perspective. Earlier studies
were mostly focused on providing descriptive analysis of “how much” individuals use to reach
certain levels of well-being. Indicators such as the Human Development Index (HDI) have been
frequently linked to the actual ability of people to choose among different lifestyles and actions.
For this reason, and because we are interested in individual well-being, we propose to consider
the topic of per capita energy consumption/energy footprint through the normative framework of
the Capabilities Approach (CA). In this way, energy consumption can be understood ethically
because the so-called “functionings” available to individuals (“beings” and “doings”) depend on
the concrete access they have to power. In particular, we explore the ethical implications of a
fascinating phenomenon that has been observed in different contexts worldwide. This is the so-
called “saturation” or “plateau” curve, which shows that after certain thresholds of per capita
energy consumption, little improvement in the corresponding values of human welfare can be
achieved. We suggest that considering energy consumption generally, and the saturation
phenomenon in particular, through the lens of the CA provides a solid basis to argue that 1) it is
possible to identify ranges and/or thresholds of energy consumption that constitute the
preconditions to meaningfully talk about what constitutes a good human life; 2) unjustified
energy consumptions that exceeds those identifiable thresholds should be discouraged,
increasingly taxed, punished with sanctions and eventually stopped. Vice versa, consumptions
patterns that move in the opposite direction should be supported and subsidized; 3) the access to
certain levels of energy consumption should be framed, legally speaking, as a fundamental human
right that the responsible institutional bodies commit to implement and protect. Overall, the
paper belongs to the emerging field of energy ethics. It develops a moral reasoning and
recommendations grounded in empirical data that are relevant to both policy makers and
practitioners working on the food-energy-water nexus and, more generally, energy transition
agendas.
Abstract
This study investigates the water-soluble inorganic ions (WSIIs): NO3-, NH4+, SO42-, Cl-, K+, Mg2+,
Na+, Ca2+, associated to PM10 particle fraction at eight localities situated in the Moravian-Silesian
Region (the Czech Republic) at the border with Poland during the Acceptable period (PM 10 3) and
Exceeded pollution (PM10 ˃50 µg/m3)in 2018. During air flowing from SW, i.e. from the Moravian
Gate (MG) (Acceptable period), concentrations of anions vary around 12.21 ± 4.12 µg/m3(29%),
cations 5.34 ± 1.87 µg/m3 (12%), elemental carbon (EC) 1.57 ± 0.80 µg/m3 (3.7%) and organic
carbon (OC) 15.75 ± 7.51 µg/m3 (37.4%). Concentrations of PM10 are the lowest. During air flowing
from NE (Poland), atmospheric concentrations of pollutants are the highest and concentrations
of ions vary in ranges: anions 26.1 ± 8.9 µg/m3 (25%), cations 9.12 ± 3.44 µg/m3 (8.5%), EC 5.36
± 1.73 µg/m3 (5%) and OC 53.4 ± 22.8 µg/m3 (50%). Air flowing from NW brings the higher
proportions of both OC and EC at the expense of WSIIs. On the basis of concentrations of cations,
atmospheric aerosol coming from the Moravian Gate can be divided into four types: the most
frequent ‒ NH4+ ˃ Ca2+ ˃ K+ ˃ Na+ ˃ Mg2+ (localities Ostrava-Radvanice, Nad Obcí; Ostrava-
Radvanice, OZO; Studénka; Mosty u Českého Těšína), second ‒ NH4+ ˃ Ca2+ ˃ Na+ ˃ K+ ˃ Mg2+
(Ostrava Poruba; Mosty u Českého Těšína), third ‒ NH4+ ˃ Ca2+ = K+ ˃ Na+ ˃ Mg2+ (Ostrava-
Mariánské Hory), and fourth ‒ NH4+ ˃ Ca2+ ˃ Na+ = K+ ˃ Mg2+ (Studénka). During the period with
air flowing from NW, cations with the most frequent occurrence are NH 4+ ˃ Ca2+ ˃ K+ ˃ Na+ ˃
Mg2+ (Ostrava-Radvanice, Nad Obcí; Ostrava-Radvanice, OZO; Ostrava-Mariánské Hory;
Věřňovice and Mosty u Českého Těšína) with probable prevalence of fossil fuels combustion in
local boilers, and NH4+ ˃ K+ ˃ Ca2+ ˃ Na+ ˃ Mg2+ with probable prevalence of biomass combustion.
Abstract
Today, strategies for emergency preparedness, in presence of accidental scenarios in high-risk
plants with releases into the atmosphere, have become a priority. To achieve this goal, it is
important to have forecast meteorological data in local areas to use in dispersion and transport
models and so to respond in advance emergency situations. The paper reports results of research
performed to develop a new tool, called FORCALM that is capable to elaborate European Centre
for Medium-Range Forecasts (ECMWF) forecast data to use for simulations by
CALMET/CALPUFF modeling system. A case study, relevant to an accident occurred in
Mediterranean Refinery at Milazzo (Italy), has been examined to validate the procedure and the
capacity to evaluate the transport and depositions pollutant in terms of forecast information. The
results were compared with those obtained using CALMET/CALPUFF simulations based on
measured meteorological, covering the area under study.
Abstract
In the past three decades, typical wind turbine rotors have increased approximately fivefold in
length, fortyfold in rated power and twentyfold in weight. Over the same period, the global
installed wind capacity grew from c. 1.5 GW to c. 600 GW. Many of the wind turbines installed in
the past three decades are now nearing the ends of their service lives.

At the end of a wind farm’s service life, the operator may choose to extend the project lifetime,
repower the site, or decommission the wind farm. When turbines are no longer required due to
site repowering or site decommissioning, the question of disposal then arises. The rotor blades
make up at least half of the turbine mass (excluding tower and foundations) and are generally
constructed from composite materials such as GFRP (glass fibre reinforced polymer), which are
difficult to recycle using conventional means. Innovative end-of-life solutions are required – these
may include reselling, repurposing, materials recovery, waste-to-energy or landfilling.

In this paper, we propose repurposing of composite wind turbine blades as an environmentally,

socially and economically sustainable end-of-life option. Repurposing is preferable to materials
recovery, waste-to-energy or landfilling within the circular economy paradigm, and may offer
additional social benefits over other options.

Conventional end-of-life options are compared from an environmental perspective using life-
cycle analysis (LCA). It is shown that transportation of decommissioned blades for processing in
waste-to-energy facilities may mitigate against this option, and several locally-based repurposing
options for decommissioned wind turbine blades are presented as alternatives.
Abstract
At present, South Korea has been faced with a serious environmental problem caused by air
pollution originated from various sources. Particularly, construction industry accounts for a large
amount of air pollutants emission due to its various types of work conducted by heavy equipment.
Moreover, air pollutants, especially PM10, that have adverse health effects causing significant
health risks for humans are dispersed differently according to the seasonal factors such as
temperature and humidity. In this regard, a simulation analysis on the PM10 generated from the
construction site needs to be conducted to investigate its seasonal patterns of dispersion and
concentrations into surroundings of the construction site. Thus, the objectives of this study were
to present the scope of high pollution impact areas that bring health risks to residents living close
to the construction site, and to analyze the dispersion patterns of PM10 concentrations so as to
prevent health risks. In addition, based on information regarding actual construction projects in
South Korea, a case study was carried out to analyze the dispersion patterns of PM10 generated
by construction activities that vary depending on meteorology and terrain. The case study found
that PM10 exhibits different monthly dispersion patterns depending on the temperature,
humidity and wind direction. The proposed method seeks to present dangerous areas of health
risks arising from environmental impacts of PM10 generated from the construction site to
residents living in nearby areas.
Abstract
In this work a preliminary study was performed on the feasibility of implementing a small-scale
biogas system in an urban community Nima in the capital city of Ghana. The potential production
of biogas was based on anaerobic digestion of human excreta from household to communal
sanitary facilities in Nima. Literature analysis on biogas system designs and construction was
done and cross referenced with the conditions in Nima by using multi-criteria analysis. The
determination of the feasibility was done by first analysing the geo-political circumstances of the
community, followed by an estimation of potential available waste from the sanitary facilities and
finally the determination of biogas and digestate yield.

The study carefully considered three different scenarios. Scenario one was based on waste
available from one household, while scenario two and three were based on one communal sanitary
system (serving 35 residents) and on the total potential collectable human excreta in Nima,
respectively. From these scenarios, the available waste, the potential production of biogas and
digestate and the sizing of the system was estimated.

Waste, consisting of human excreta, is significantly available from the communal sanitary
facilities. The estimated total waste was about 11489 kg per day for 41.6% of Nima’s population
using communal sanitary facilities. Based on the three scenarios, it became apparent that
construction of a biogas system only became feasible when a communal sanitary facility had the
capacity to serve at least 63 users. Thus, satisfying the minimum digester volume of 5m3.

The most applicable digester was shown to be the Chinese fixed-dome digester. This was
concluded by preforming a multi-criteria analysis on the three different types of digesters. The
second and third digesters that were taken into consideration consisted of the Indian floating-
drum digester and the plug-flow bag digester, respectively.

The produced biogas and digestate were given in mass balances according to the three created
scenarios. With the maximum theoretical amount of biogas and digestate consisting of 5945 and
5543 kg per day, respectively.

Research is ongoing on economic analysis as well as societal aspects of implementing the system.
Abstract
Commercial kitchens in the hospitality and food services sector in the United Kingdom account
for a water consumption of 153.7 to 158.8 Million m3 per year. A monitoring campaign in the
commercial kitchen at Penrhyn castle, at tourist attraction in Wales showed that, on average, 75%
of this water is heated before consumption. Health regulations require that the hot water reaches
a temperature of at least 55°C. In addition, the temperature of water used for dish washing and
cleaning is even greater. This results in both a significant heating demand in the kitchen, and hot
water going down the drain, with remaining value in the embedded energy.

This paper discusses a monitoring campaign, which ran for over a year, measuring the hot and
cold water consumption and the drain water temperature of a commercial kitchen at Penrhyn
castle. This kitchen serves a tea room, and a small restaurant, with aboth 100 000 tourists visiting
the castle each year, in addition to 32 to 45 personel working on expansive site. Based on these
observations, the value of the embedded energy and the related heat recovery potential were
estimated. Three different configurations for drain water heat recovery systems were proposed,
and all three were installed. The installation aimed to demonstrate the effectiveness of system and
its operation in practice.

This paper discusses the predicted energy recovery and related energy savings based on the
precursor monitoring campaign. This resulted in predicted thermal savings ranging between 1
675 and 2 267.5 kWh per year, which represents 28 to 38% of the kitchens heat demand, and
yearly electric savings ranging between 22.5 and 50 kWh. The paper also compares the predicted
values to the observed savings. Furthermore the installed demonstrator with the three
configurations was used to study the evolution of the performance of the drain water heat recovery
system over time, and the required maintenance.
Abstract
This paper presents a novel take on the energy-water nexus, exploring the coupling of energy
storage and generation from local distributed water assets and combination with other renewable
energy sources to attempt to reduce CO2 emission from residential heat demand. We present the
development of a simulation tool that uniquely integrates energy storage in drinking water
reservoirs, heat recovery from sewers, wind turbine(s), solar photovoltaic panel(s) and a non-
renewable source. Simulations are run for a community of 1000 UK households to find the
optimal energy generation mix to minimise the total annual carbon emissions (embedded and
operational) over a 10-year period. Results show that the coupled system could satisfy the heat
demand during 63% of the simulation period for the selected location and it reduced the
associated CO2 by 53%. Our work shows that integrating water and energy systems at
neighbourhood scale may be an approach to help the UK meeting its CO2 emission obligations by
substantially reducing the CO2 emissions associated with residential heat demand (currently
18%).
Abstract
Real-time and short-term prediction of river flow is essential for efficient water resources
management. To obtain accurate flow predictions, a reliable rainfall-runoff model should be used.
This study proposes the application of an evolutionary algorithm, Particle Swarm Optimization
(PSO), to train the Artificial Neural Network (ANN) parameters in order to overcome the ANN
drawbacks, such as slow learning speed and frequent trapping at local optimum. This hybrid
ANN-PSO approach was applied to forecast the streamflow as a function of antecedent rainfall
and streamflow in a small catchment in Southeast Queensland, Australia. Additionally, different
input combinations of antecedent rainfall and runoff (delays of one, two and three days) were
tested to investigate the sensitivity of the model to the number of antecedent days. The proposed
ANN-PSO model predicted the streamflow with high accuracy for both low and high flow
conditions. It was found that the input combination of two-day delay rainfall with one-day delay
runoff yielded the most accurate real-time streamflow predictions. Thus, it was concluded that
the ANN-PSO has significant potential in predicting streamflow data.
Abstract
Fluoride contamination of groundwater is a major health issue worldwide. The present study
reports the feasibility of zirconium impregnated hybrid anion exchange resin (HAIX-Zr) for
treating fluoride contaminated groundwater. HAIX-Zr resin was developed by impregnating ZrO2
nanoparticles on polymeric anion exchanger resin. Fluoride uptake by HAIX-Zr was quite rapid,
60% removal was obtained within 30 min. Fluoride uptake by HAIX-Zr resin followed pseudo-
second order kinetic model and Fruendlich adsorption isotherm respectively. Maximum fluoride
uptake capacity was observed as 12.0 mg/g, which was higher than that of activated alumina (1.07
mg/g). The defluoridation capacity decreases with increase in the solution pH. Presence of other
co-anions such as chloride, phosphate, bicarbonate, nitrate and sulphate at 100 mg/L
concentration significantly affected fluoride removal, bicarbonate showed highest interference.
Continuous flow packed bed experiments were performed with real groundwater. To maintain
lower pH, weak acid cation exchange resin (INDION-236) was used before HAIX-Zr. It was
observed that reducing the pH of sample water entering HAIX-Zr resin column, increases
defluoridation capacity of HAIX-Zr. Regeneration of fluoride containing resin was done by
passing 3% NaOH and 3% NaCl solution through saturated resin bed. The results revealed that
HAIX-Zr can effectively remove fluoride from groundwater.
Abstract
Critical issues arising from the governing nonlinear equations in surface water hydrodynamics
include discontinuities in water surface levels; blow up of water surface gradient, and treatment
of dry bed, involving mathematical problems related to functional regularities of unknown
variables such as the water depth in particular. Level-set method is a powerful approach to
relaxing requirements for functional regularities of unknowns in nonlinear partial differential
equations of the first order. In this study, the level-set method is applied to the one-dimensional
kinematic wave equation, resulting in a linear level-set equation of first order in a two-
dimensional space. The zeros of the level-set function represent the water depths. Hypothesizing
that the level-set function is continuous in the domain, it is numerically computed with a
characteristic method. Development of overturning is regulated with singular viscosity
regularization.
Abstract
The German Energiewende is not only a challenge for the technical system transformation but
will also imply changes in other resource systems and reallocation of resource uses. The
understanding of energy and the water resource systems and their interactions help to see risks
and constraints for the other one.

In this paper a literature review was conducted to see which interactions imply valuable
information for the energy system and how future water use projection could be conducted with
the help of energy system modelling. The considered interactions for the German case study are:
water demand for cooling technologies, irrigation practices of energy plants, as well as literature
based assessments of total water demand and renewable water availability. For the methodology
of simulating the water demand for cooling technologies a literature review was performed and a
data gap was closed by creating an own dataset for the distribution of cooling technologies. The
different water demands were coupled with the energy system model TIMES Pan EU and the
modelling of biomass cultivation was disaggregated and irrigation options applied within the
model.

Resulting on the energy scenario analysis the future water use for the energy system will change
from cooling water use to irrigation water use for energy plants. Since the irrigation practice on
energy crops can increase the crop yields, this option is highly attractive in a land scare country
like Germany, but is as well dependent on prices of the irrigation infrastructure, its lifetime, the
water pricing and the degree of land area scarcity. If other agriculture products would not increase
their irrigation practice, the total water demand would be nearly equal to the critical level of water
stress, but could be exceeded for other cases. The scenario results show that political measures
like the German climate action plan influence the energy water nexus intensely.
Abstract
The present work focuses on the quality of char and primary tar produced from fast pyrolysis of
lignocellulosic biomasses in both nitrogen (N2) and carbon dioxide (CO2) atmosphere. Three
biomasses are investigated: Walnut Shells, the richest in Lignin, Straw, the richest in
Hemicellulose, Pinewood, the richest in Cellulose. Heat treatment has been carried out in a heated
strip reactor (HSR) at 1573 and 2073 K with holding times of 3 s and heating rate of 104 K/s. The
equipment allows quenching the volatiles as soon as they are emitted from the particles and
collecting them for further chemical analyses. The char samples are also collected and analysed
by thermogravimetric analysis in air. Primary tar produced from pyrolysis of Walnut shells is the
richest in monosaccharides among the samples investigated. Surprisingly monosaccharides are
scarce in the tar produced from Straw, despite its high content of Hemicelluloses. PAHs and high
molecular weight tar are present in the primary products of all the biomasses investigated, but
particularly in tar from Walnut Shells, the biomass with the largest lignin fraction. The chars of
the three investigated biomasses appear to be all constituted by multiple components. After heat
treatment in N2 at 1573 K, the most reactive char is the one obtained from Straw, and the least
reactive is the Walnut Shells char. More severe heat treatment and the presence of CO 2 in the
atmosphere generate additional char components with both higher and lower reactivity.

Altogether the quality of the pyrolysis products does not correlate with the content of
Cellulose/Hemicellulose/Lignin of the original biomasses.
Abstract
In order to fulfil the EU’s climate and energy goals, the heating and cooling sector must cut its use
of fossil fuels. Solid biomass can constitute an alternative to fossil fuels as a renewable and carbon-
neutral source of energy but there are some aspects to residential biomass combustion (RBC) that
can compromise the environmental sustainability of this renewable energy source in terms of
burden on air quality. The priority pollutants in this respect are particulate matter (PM) and
nitrogen oxides (NOx). While PM emissions are often discussed, NOx emissions from small RBC
are relatively less in the centre of attention. The aim of the present study is to review the literature
regarding the NOx emissions from RBC discussing the main formation mechanisms and the state-
of-the-art control techniques, as well as the influence of heating appliance type and operating
conditions with the help the gathered experimental emission factors data.
Abstract
The present paper concerns the assessment of biomass by-products from the urban greenery
maintenance on a case study in Italy, where there is not a consolidated planning practice in this
sector, mainly because of lacks of information. The current disposal system of these pruning
residues leads to high expenses for the municipalities and does not permit the exploitation of the
energy content of a renewable resource, although with a poor low heating value.

In the framework of a multidisciplinary research that combine different expertise and academic
profiles, an innovative GIS-based method was implemented and tested on the case study of Milan,
in northern Italy. The method combines remote sensing, spatial analysis, urban and energy
planning to develop a geo database embedding: the distribution of urban green areas suitable for
collecting wooden biomass by scheduled pruning activities; their physic and energy
characteristics; the biomass quantity and quality that can be collected in the different seasons of
a typical year. The main outcome is the quantification of the energy and economic potential in
terms of available wooden biomass.

Moreover, the outcomes of the research could support the administrations in improving the
management of these materials otherwise wasted and therefore in converting public expenses for
maintenance into public profits available for further investments. On the energy supply side, the
geo database could support the local matching between available renewable sources and energy
supply systems in operation. The development of these practices may provide a low-range and
cost effective renewable resource, often unexpected, suitable for biomass plants in operation in
the urban surroundings, enhancing their economic and environmental sustainability.
Abstract
Smart district heating and cooling systems (DHCS) have a key role in urban decarbonisation
process, allowing a wide exploitation of renewable sources.

In Italy, district heating systems (DHS) are mostly supplied by fossil fuels and belong to 2 ndor
3rdgeneration. After the technical analysis of the state of the art of current DHS and in particular
of those fuelled by wooden biomass, the author analyses the opportunity to move towards 4 thor
5thgeneration solutions. In this framework, the case of study of “Milano 4 You”, a new nearly zero
energy and low carbon district near Milan (northern Italy) is described.

The project represents an interesting example where best practices in terms of buildings design
and integration of renewable energies are adopted.

After the evaluation of thermal energy needs including both residential and commercial
buildings, an innovative DHCS was designed with the specific aim to integrate multiple renewable
energy sources. Among some energy supply scenarios analysed in the beginning, the one
integrating cogeneration by wooden biomass was selected as one of the most suitable for the
scope. Core of the system is a small co-generation unit with a twin-screw expander for electricity
generation. Heat produced by the co-generator is used to pre-heated the water distributed
through a low-temperature district network also equipped with direct heat exchange with
groundwater. Each building is equipped with vapour-compression heat pumps that allow to
match the desired supply temperatures for space heating, cooling and domestic hot water. In
addition, buildings are equipped by PV systems (BiPV), in order to produce renewable electricity
for the heat pumps operation and other electric final uses.

The main goal of the present research is to define the most efficient and cost-effective
configuration of the energy system, including components sizing and control logic, in order to
optimize the integration of programmable and non-programmable renewable sources.

The outcomes demonstrate the benefits of the combination of a biomass co-generator with heat
pump systems and PV with a significant increase of renewable energy share with respect to
conventional applications of heat pump district systems.

The study can contribute to the development of one of the first real applications of innovative
DHCS in Italy, where biomass, PV and geothermal energy are optimally combined to achieve
effective and low carbon energy paradigms at district level and where water is distributed at low
temperature reducing also heat losses along the network
Abstract
Forests and forest products can play a key role in combatting climate change and in the
transformation to a bio-based economy. Lignin from forest biomass has so far mostly been used
as a source of energy but it can also be used as a feedstock to produce value-added chemicals and
materials. Lignin-based carbon fibres (L-CF) are an example of such materials and can replace
both glass fibres and fossil-based carbon fibres. The objective of this study was to determine the
environmental impact of the production of L-CF using life cycle assessment (LCA) in order to help
guide the further development of a novel L-CF production process and to compare the
environmental impact with both glass fibres and fossil-based carbon fibres.

The LCA was done from cradle to gate and followed an attributional approach. The L-CF
production process was assumed to be co-located at a pulp mill in southern Sweden. Different
data sources (e.g. experimental data, process simulation, databases and forest industry) were used
in order to assess the process.

The climate impact per kg of L-CF produced was 1.5 kg CO2,eq. The main contributors to this
impact were the production and use of chemicals in the different process steps. In comparison to
the production of glass fibre, the climate impact was reduced by 32% and the climate impact of
the production of fossil-based carbon fibre was an order of magnitude higher. The same result
was seen for eutrophication potential and human toxicity potential, while glass fibres had a lower
acidification potential and photochemical ozone creation potential. Sensitivity analysis showed
that changes in market pulp and lignin prices lead to the greatest changes in the environmental
impact. A prospective analysis, in which the background energy system was cleaner, showed that
the impacts of the production system for L-CF will decrease and outperform the glass fibre and
PAN-based carbon fibre production from a climate point-of-view.

The conclusion from the LCA is that L-CF has a lower environmental impact compared to both
glass fibres and fossil-based carbon fibres for the majority of the chosen environmental impact
categories. The LCA results can be applied in further LCA studies of products that consist of or
use L-CF.

This project has received funding from the Bio Based Industries Joint Undertaking under the
European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No
667501.
Abstract
Modern biomass feedstocks have a major role in global renewable energy supply, can contribute
to all heat, electricity and transport sectors. Considering the growing interest on the renewable
energy technologies, modern bioenergy supply is expected to increase several-folds in the future,
which entails using alternative feedstocks rather than wastes and residues. In this sense,
sustainably-grown energy crops appear as a viable option to provide the secure and cheap supply
of feedstock in the long term. This study sets out to investigate life cycle environmental impacts
of heat and/or power generation from two energy crops (miscanthus and poplar) in Turkey to
replace conventional fossil fuels. Different bioenergy conversion pathways including heat-only,
power-only, combined heat and power (CHP)-combustion and CHP-gasification are evaluated via
cradle-to-grave life cycle assessment (LCA), and 16 environmental impacts were quantified using
Recipe midpoint approach. Furthermore, greenhouse gases (GHG) impacts from direct land use
change caused by energy crop cultivation are calculated based on alternative land uses (i.e. crop,
set-aside, grass and forest lands). Results reveal that all bioenergy systems provide great
reductions in climate change (i.e. from 321 to 17-64 kg CO2 eq./MWhth+el) and fossil depletion
categories (i.e. from 155 to 8-23 kg oil eq./MWhel) in comparison to fossil alternatives. They also
provide savings in most of other impacts categories. Regarding feedstock options, these benefits
are higher if poplar is selected due to relatively lower requirement of chemical fertilisers’ and
energy input during its cultivation period. However, miscanthus is a better option if carbon
sequestration is considered as its roots can store 5-times higher amount and it increases further
when set-aside lands are transformed. Overall, results suggest that the use of energy crops in
relatively mature technologies (i.e. direct combustion) can contribute to decarbonisation of
energy systems in Turkey, especially those deployed for co-generated energy while contributing
to strategic use of lands.
Abstract
Planning of development of energy systems today becomes closely connected to analysis of day-
ahead energy markets, market coupling and dynamics of integration of both, renewable energy
sources and demand response technologies. To investigate the influence of investments in
production units on the commitment of units in the surrounding zones and quantify it, a scenario
approach and optimization of marginal cost of energy produced is used in this study. To create a
model of interconnected market zones, Dispa-SET software was used. A case study included
several national energy systems connected in the common market, with base year model created
in year 2016 for verification and future scenarios in 2030 created with different strategic decision
made in each of the zones. Scenarios for each energy system represented unambitious strategy
approach; moderate approach and ambitious approach in relation to intensity of energy transition
and the climate and energy goals of the European Union. Results demonstrate the influence of
different strategic pathways in different zones, expressed through load hours of different energy
production and storage installations in the investigated zone and neighbouring zones and over
the border transmission of energy. Based on such results, conclusions can be made on the
economic feasibility of new production and storage installations in different zones, as a
consequence of their local strategic decisions. Also, the direction of energy transmission provides
additional information about the benefits that certain zone had due to strategic decisions it
decided to implement.
Abstract
The paper focuses on the analysis of cross-subsidy between the industrial and residential
consumers in the Russian electric power industry and the establishment of socially and
economically optimal prices. A review of ultimate electricity prices with the use of data from
Passport database (1985-2017) allowed identifying countries for tariff policy analysis and
comparison. Developing and some other economies artificially restrain the household tariffs. This
measure is regarded as an element of social security, but has some severe drawbacks. While many
studies offer Ramsey pricing as the only solution, eliminating cross-subsidy requires more
comprehensive solutions. The paper analyzes benefits and deficiencies of various approaches to
tariff setting in electric power industry, and offers recommendations for a wider spectrum of
economic measures and policy tools that will facilitate the transition to market-based electric
power pricing, while assuring social security support to the poorest.
Abstract
In 2030 the EU should achieve energy savings of more than 32 %, which in turn will require
substantial additional investment. Effectiveness and efficiency, especially, of the spending of
(limited) public resources, is, therefore, crucial. Many studies have confirmed the negative impact
of transaction costs on the implementation and effectiveness of energy efficiency policies. One of
the main factors, which is often mentioned to be influencing the size and structure of transaction
costs is the effect of learning. It is believed that thanks to learning (both personal and
institutional), the transaction costs decrease over time, making the policies more efficient.
However, the rigorous underlying research which would support this causality has been
surprisingly limited so far.

Our paper, therefore, aims to fill this gap by exploring the link between transaction costs and
learning in energy efficiency programmes. It does so by investigating the transaction costs of
energy efficiency support programmes in Czechia which have been in place continuously since
2007 (Operational Programme Environment, and Operational Programme Enterprise and
Innovation). Following an in-depth study of primary policy documents of the programmes, we
carried out an extensive survey on the structure and level of transaction costs among the grant
recipients in the programme. We surveyed the recipients in 2011 (84 respondents) and 2019 (115
respondents). In addition, we carried out in-depth interviews with the programme administrators
in both periods.

The results for the Operational programme Environment show that in 2019 compared to 2011
the grant recipients spent on average 9 % less time administrating the subsidised project. Looking
at the costs of external services for the project administration for similarly sized projects, in 2011
the average costs for external services were CZK 300 000, and CZK 320 000 in 2019 (CZK 294
000 in 2011 price levels). In 2011, the overall burden of transaction costs reached 9 % of total
eligible costs, while in 2019 it was almost 15 %. The main reason is the opportunity costs, i.e. the
price of labour, which increased by 25 % between 2011 and 2019, making up basically for any
potential efficiency gains from learning. Furthermore, other factors, such as turnover of the
administrators, and policy and politically driven changes in the programme all (negatively)
impact the learning process, and therefore, the efficiency of the policy.
Abstract
Biofuel policies are an ongoing matter for both developed and developing countries. Brazil, a giant
world producer, has a historical roll of regulations and laws that affect the sector. Nevertheless,
studies from a political ecology perspective, which pay attention to the impacts of power relations
and discourses in political outcomes are scarce. In this sense, we focus on the National Biofuel
Policy (Renovabio), launched in 2017, to analyze discursive coalitions as well as perceptions from
social actors settle in a biofuel production territory. We sought to understand contradictions
between discourses and practices within Renovabio and how they reproduce traditional Brazilian
Biofuel policies. To answer these questions we used Atlas.ti software to support a content and
critical discursive analysis in order to detect distinct perspectives, narratives and interests during
Renovabio’s implementation. We draw on: i) statements from stakeholders, lobbyists, and
Congress members; ii) Bills, Law Projects and ordinances texts from the special commissions and
committees; iii) speeches from plenary sessions occurred on the National Congress; iv) Public
Audiences contributions; v) articles from biofuel magazines and specialized websites; and, vi)
digital platforms from lobbies and interest groups; We also conducted 24 interviews with
community members, farmers, local government officials, civil associations, and industry
representatives in the state of Goiás, a large ethanol/ sugar-energy production territory. Results
pointed to a strong ecological modernization discourse deployed to justify the rapid policy
implementation and to legitimize economic incentives, particularly ecological
labeling/certification. Renovabio’s goals, speeches and practices are in many senses contradictory
and reproduce problems detected in previous biofuel policies that dim legislative transparency,
weakens accountability and tramples society participation and representativeness over biofuel
development.
Abstract
Providing thermal comfort will be one of the main challenges of the energy transition. It requires
getting rid of fossil fuels and developing new sources to provide mainly heat (and sometimes cold).
As the consensus regarding the urgency of climate measures grew, it seemed that the
industrialized world could make quick leaps towards climate neutrality. However, on closer
observation, this consensus on goals appears to be only a thin veil behind which often several
controversies hide.

 Large scale options - small scale options

 Short term improvements – long term sustainable options

 Centrally controlled, locally controlled

 Emphasizing consumption reduction or carbon free resource

 Stimulating bottom up initiatives or emphasizing mainstream support

 Should experts be leading in making plans, or civil society/politics?

These differences are related to political ideologies (such trust in government planning or in self
organization of society), but also to other specific divisions in our societies such as divisions
between disciplines guided by different paradigms, between short term-ism and long term-ism.

Moreover, there are various issues that create additional controversy in projects, such as quite
technical issues like the allocation of CO2 emissions to production units that produce more than
one form of energy (e.g. Combined Heat and Power) or that produce heat as a side product
(industry, Waste Incinerators, Waste Water Treatment Plants), but also the allocation of costs
(more fixed costs for access, or more variable costs for consumption). As renewable sources of
energy are very much location specific (mountains, rivers, seashore, geothermal wells, soil, wind,
insolation, but also local industry, pipelines, forests, etc.), the system, i.e. the combination of
sources, grid, control and customers is location specific.

In this paper we will analyze projects in the city of The Hague to reduce the CO 2 footprint of the
city:

 Warmterivier, a project that aimed at using waste heat from a WWTP to provide
comfort for 12.000 dwellings
  Geothermal power station Leyweg. This enterprise went bankrupt by the 2008/2009 recession
and is restarted now.

 A heat pipeline to the Rotterdam Port Area to transport industrial waste heat. This has been
regarded as a competitor for more local heat solutions.

In the paper, we will analyze the projects histories and the positions of various stakeholders, in
order to analyze their success or failure.
Abstract
In the history of electricity systems in several countries different boundary conditions existed and
exist with respect to price formation in the market. After the periods of state regulation and the
first phase of liberalisation of the wholesale markets currently the electricity system faces the third
huge challenge: the change towards a bidirectional system, which should be more democratic and
sustainable. This process is currently under way in some countries as Germany, Austria, UK and
California. And in these countries also a change in the principle how prices come about is already
under way.

The core objective of this paper is to analyze and provide insights on how to bring about a
sustainable and competitive electricity system with even higher shares of renewable energy
sources (RES)It is triggered by the current discussion on how to integrate large shares of variable
RES but the fundamental intention goes beyond that.

The major results are:

 For a complete market and to enhance competition it is of core relevance to establish

a pricing system in an energy-only market (EOM) where the price signals provide
information about scarcity or excess capacities at every point-of-time;

 to balance variations in residual load most important is an optimal portfolio of flexibility

options which already exists today but is not fully harvested due to low economic incentives.

Another major finding is that in a complete market there will be a new core player in the chain,
the balancing group (the “supplier”), This player is the logical market coordinator of the electricity
supply chain and the organizer of competition between the different options.

Our major conclusions are:

 Revised Energy-only-markets have to be introduced which allow temporarily shortage

prices higher than short-term marginal costs and in times of excess electricity negative
prices;

 A very important element of such a market will be flexibility options. But these will only be
harvested when sufficiently high price signals from the electricity markets trigger these options,
when “the exploration principle in the markets work”. Yet this will only be done if the market is
not distorted by centralized capacity payments.

 The final conclusion of this analysis is, that it will be necessary to accept a paradigm shift in
our understanding of the whole electricity system where no longer the generators are the centre
but the balancing groups respectively the supply companies.
Abstract
Blast Furnace Slag (BFS) is a waste material of iron ore processing and may have a potential to be
used in different applications. In this research, BFS is used to examine dye removal ability from
wastewater. BFS has large porous surface area and distribution of particles that increase the
ability of dye removal from wastewater. Dye removal from wastewater depends on a variety of
conditions, such as the size of BFS particles, adsorbent dose, contact time and the pH. In this
study, the conditions responsible for dye removal from wastewater with BFS were analysed and
the removal capacity was optimized according to the BFS chemical content. In addition, BFS
composition before and after dye removal was determined with Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy
(EDS), X-ray Diffraction (XRD), and Fourier Transfer Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR).
Abstract
Iron ore mine contribute to elevated turbidity levels of surface water situated within and around
the mining lease area and the nearby environs. The removal of vegetation and a large volume of
overburden are normally involved during iron ore mines. The heavy down pull of terrains rain
normally results in massive erosion in the mining region. Due to the nature of overburden and
tailing, a slurry of gangue minerals and chemical effluents produced during and after
beneficiation of iron ore that are often store in tailing storage facility (TSF), that result from
mining and auxiliary operations, as well as the geology of the terrain where ore body is being
mined, sediment load in surface and groundwater may increase drastically. Thus, increasing the
turbidity of the water. Indian drinking water quality standard (IS-10500, 2012) requires the
turbidity to range from 1 Nephelometric Turbidity Unit (NTU) to 5 NTU. Beyond 5NTU, water is
considered unsafe for consumption 1 NTU is regarded as the accepted limit, while 5 NTU is the
permissible limit. The present study investigates the performance of Aluminium Sulphate (Alum)
and Ferric Chloride (FeCl3) as coagulants in chemical treatment of turbid surface and
groundwater bodies located within the iron ore mining belt of Koira-Joda in Sundergarh District,
Odisha, India. The visual and physical evaluations of both surface and groundwater samples
gathered from the mining region and dosed with both coagulants revealed significant results but
different doses of coagulants used showed different responses in the samples during analysis.
Moreover, the efficiency of turbidity reduction was observed to vary with respect to coagulant
used, dose applied, and individual water sample analyzed. Coagulation studies put forward a
significant development. The water samples which suspended solids that don’t settle easily even
after dosing them with coagulants like alum or FeCl3 settled by using both coagulants in equal
doses (50% alum & 50% FeCl3 combination). This technique can be adopted in iron and
manganese mines for treatment of turbid surface and groundwater samples.
Abstract
In recent decades new recycling technologies for source separated mixed plastic waste have
emerged. In thermochemical recycling, the polymer chains are broken to obtain hydrocarbons of
different molecular weights such as naphtha, oil or waxes, whose yields can be controlled by
varying the reaction parameters. Naphtha represents a closed-loop recycling process as it is a
feedstock for polyolefins; while the co-production of waxes, having several applications in e.g the
construction industry, exemplifies an open-loop recycling process. This paper compares the
economic and environmental performance of the pyrolysis of mixed polyolefin waste in a closed-
loop and open-loop scheme, including a probabilistic approach to the most important variables.
From an economic perspective, open-loop thermochemical recycling as presented outperforms
closed-loop recycling, thanks to the high prices of wax. Moreover, results present a high
dispersion due to the volatility of the prices of crude oil and its derivates.
Abstract
The Best Available Techniques reference document for Iron and Steel production sets a strict limit
value for the treated effluent of coke oven wastewater treatment plants regarding Chemical
Oxygen Demand (COD). The objective was to find options to decrease the residual COD in order
to safely meet the threshold in case of a specific plant. Membrane filtration experiments showed
that the remaining COD can only be reduced by 6-27 %, indicating that the majority of the
compounds are dissolved, not suspended. Inert COD measurements of the effluent showed that
82-96 % of the residual COD is non-biodegradable. GC-MS analysis detected two-third of the
approximately 30 different organic substances found in the influent also in the biologically treated
wastewater. These results prove that the activated sludge treatment step operates at its maximum
achievable efficiency, and that further polishing steps should be investigated to achieve the
required COD.
Abstract
The biggest producer of plastic products today is the packaging industry which makes up for
almost 40% of European plastic converter demand. In one year roughly 80% of produced plastic
packaging in Europe turns into waste. In 2016, for the first time, a larger share of overall collected
post-consumer plastic waste was recycled (31%) than landfilled (27%), while the rest was energy
recovered (42%) mostly by incineration. Pyrolysis, a thermochemical degradation, is a technology
used to valorise plastic waste by converting it into valuable products, such as fuels and chemicals.
Most common polymers used in the packaging industry are high and low-density polyethylene
(HDPE and LDPE), polypropylene (PP), polystyrene (PS), polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and
polyethylene terephthalate (PET). From those PVC and PET are not preferable components in the
feedstock for pyrolysis process because of the formation of corrosive and toxic compounds. As
pyrolysis reactor design is conditioned by prediction of the thermochemical behaviour and kinetic
parameters of feedstock, in this research thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) was carried out on
various mixtures of waste plastics containing HDPE, LDPE, PP, and PS in ratios that are
determined by the actual plastic mix in Europe. TGA was carried out in a nitrogen atmosphere
over a set of heating rates (5, 10, 15 and 20 °C/min) within a temperature range 40−600 °C.
Kinetic analysis was performed using the isoconversional (Kissinger–Akahira–Sunose) method.
Aim of this paper was to investigate the kinetics of the pyrolysis process of polymer mixtures using
Ni- or Fe- based catalysts on γ-Al2O3 as a support. The results of the kinetic analysis showed that
degradation mechanism of the polymer mixtures was complex because of the variation in
apparent activation energy with the conversion. The value of apparent activation energy for actual
plastic mix (22% HDPE, 31% LDPE, 35% PP, 12% PS) was in range 180.8−208.3 kJ/mol. With
the addition of catalyst Fe/γ-Al2O3 it lowered to 161.5−182.8 kJ/mol, and to 170.6−183.9 kJ/mol
with Ni/γ-Al2O3 catalyst.
Abstract
China has emerged as one of the world’s largest consumer of natural resources and raw materials.
With rapid development and urbanization, China have faced the challenge of municipal solid
waste (MSW) management. The MSW generation amount reached up to 203.6 million tons in
2016, and the amount of untreated MSW over the years has reached 7 billion tons. In response to
this circumstance, an increasing policies of waste-to-energy in China have accelerated waste
incineration plant construction. While existed studies mainly focus on case studies or waste power
generation evaluation. Rather few study focusing on the waste-to-energy (WTE) system
optimization, the cost benefit and related environmental benefit quantification are fairly limited.
As such, the goal of this study is to quantify the energy saving and environmental benefit of waste
incineration treatment. To measure the waste-to energy transition progress and to provide
regional waste management outlook with policy-relevant data and information. Typical mega
cities in China are selected as cases, the results indicate that, (1) Waste incineration produce steam
and supply to nearby industries has higher energy saving effects than waste power generation. (2)
China showed great emissions reduction potential through waste-to-energy transition, methane
and carbon dioxide emissions will decrease, while dioxin emission will increase. (3) From cost-
benefit perspective, the investment pay-back time varies greatly depending on the energy recovery
method and scale effect. This study provides quantitative analysis to understand the energy
savings and emissions reduction potential of waste-to-energy transition in China, and critical
insights into the of its application in developing countries which plan to accelerate the waste
incineration treatment.
Abstract
Energy efficiency is the hidden fuel that could contribute to fulfill energy demand up to 20%, but
needs to be enhanced by actively involving citizens to reduce their energy use. In particular,
students are a privileged target group to promote energy saving behavior and energy awareness.

In the framework of the Interreg MED PrioritEE project, the Schools4energy project (S4E) was
designed and implemented to raise energy awareness among young people and enable a transfer
of knowledge in the whole community.

S4E is based on the Living Lab, a user-centric methodology to encourage the development of
shared strategies that valorize inclusion, engagement and co-creation. Four primary and lower
secondary schools owned by the Potenza Municipality (Southern Italy) have been involved and
monitored in the school year 2018/2019 to reduce energy consumption.

To this issue, an Energy Team constituted by students, teachers and school employees was
established in each school to foster the adoption of an Energy Saving Chart, discussed and agreed
in a training workshop, which will drive the translation of the school’s commitment into concrete
behavioural change actions.

In order to valorize the energy concepts in a multidisciplinary framework, three modules have
been implemented: School Race (a friendly competition on reducing energy use), Art4energy
(an artistic competition on creative ways of energy savings) and Play4energy (promoting
gamification as an alternative learning method).

In School Race natural gas and electricity consumptions from participating schools are
monitored on a monthly basis using Benchmonitor®, a tool made available by the Lucanian
Energy Company. Energy savings are calculated by comparing the total percentage change in
consumption with a reference baseline (the average monthly consumption of the last three school
years).

Graphic and literary works are realized in Art4energy within the different cultural axes
(Languages, Mathematics, Science and Technology, Historical-Social). An online voting and jury
of experts will select the best works.

Play4energy valorizes the concept of serious gaming by allowing students to play with existing
tools and realize thematic videogames with the use of popular educational programs.
 The main outcomes are available on the Schools4energy’s website -www.schools4energy.it. A
win-win mechanism will reward the winning school that will get reimbursement of its maximum
savings achieved with 50% of the cost of the energy bill saved.
Abstract
Consuming less energy whenever possible and obtaining the same satisfaction with equipment or
services we use does not depend exclusively on the efficiency of the appliance. The behavior of the
energy consumer itself plays a fundamental role in this process. The consumer behavior is also
what help us go from efficiency to sufficiency in energy use. The fulfilment of our energy needs
reducing environmental externalities led us through the path of energy efficiency improvement
options and rational use of energy - Energy sufficiency. In this paper we discuss some of the results
obtained from a survey conducted with the aim of studying the electricity consumption behavior
of higher education students households. Its main objective was to characterize their willingness
to change behaviors of what we expect to be well-informed individuals. This survey is part of the
Learn2Behave project that intend to characterize consumer’s behavior and suggest new
alternatives that will increase efficiency and sufficiency behaviors in electricity use. Although the
results obtained are still preliminary, it was verified that the majority of students’ families when
deciding the appliance to be purchased take into consideration the corresponding energy
efficiency class. Nevertheless, it was not clear if these consumers make the best decision in their
acquisitions (i.e. in terms of energy consumption). For instance, 57% are willing to change the
periods of use of washing machines and irons for hours when energy is cheaper, 14% are willing
to change the working hours of all equipment (excluding televisions and lighting use), and 29%
consider no change of schedules. Regarding energy sufficiency, some questions were asked such
as, if when using a washing machine, they usually select the more appropriate washing program
and if, when ironing, they awaits for larger quantities of laundry. 86% of the students said they
select the appropriate washing program and 71% said to iron only when there are larger amounts
of laundry. Each energy user has some habits and behaviors that is not willing to change, even if
it rewards with a lower energy bill. The electricity costs do not seem to be the main driver
conducting the consumer behaviors. The convenience or the need of the energy service seems to
be the one.
Abstract
The need for lowering emissions of pollutants from vehicles has become one of the main concerns
of the automotive industry recently. One way of achieving this goal is to use cleaner fuels.

With this goal in mind, educators need to find ways of motivating students to learn about these
issues and how to address them during design processes.

Here a collegiate competition, involving off-road vehicles designed by students, is used to

introduce the idea of biofuels and their benefits in terms of pollutants reduction.

The SAE Collegiate Design series is an inter-collegiate challenge designed to provide students
with an opportunity to enhance their engineering design, project management skills and product
sale strategies. For the BAJA series, students are required to build an off-road vehicle following
specific requirements, but several aspects of the project are open, so they can build their own
vehicle.

These off-road vehicles utilize a small engine, which burns gasoline and where fuel control is
provided by a carburetor.

With the goal of improving emissions, students will conduct a study where an engine is modified
to use a high-blend ethanol-based biofuel (E85). Since high-blend ethanol is an oxygenated fuel,
it can provide much lower exhaust emissions of unburned hydrocarbons, which are the most
prevalent pollutants emitted when using gasoline engines.

For this case study, exhaust emissions will be experimentally determined when operating the
vehicle with the base required gasoline engine. Then emissions will be measured with a modified
version of the engine operating on the biofuel.

Comparisons will be made to evaluate overall emissions reduction. These results should be
indicative of emissions reductions possible in other applications, which could then be used in
other collegiate competitions.

In addition, this project is developed to provide college students with an educational experience
on the development and use of biofuels. The goal is to provide a learning experience which
involves fundamental principles of specific disciplines and broader issues, such as understanding
the impact of such technologies in a global environment.
Abstract
Motivation: Human activities, such as snowmobiling, strain our natural resources. The
environmental hazards of noise and exhaust emissions are a concern, due to operation in
ecologically sensitive areas, such as parks and wildlife preserves. Finite resources, such as
petroleum are also limited.

Engineering students must work in cross-discipline teams to minimize the negative consequences
of this human activity. Educators must find a project that will be of natural interest to the students
so that they will be motivated learn beyond the classroom.

Objectives: The SAE Clean Snowmobile Challenge (CSC) is an inter-collegiate event to develop
a snowmobile that is acceptable for use in environmentally sensitive areas. Students reengineer
an existing snowmobile in order to reduce the exhaust and noise emissions, while improving the
fuel economy and maintaining the snowmobile as a cost-effective and comfortable option for the
operator. Further, all Spark-ignited engine snowmobiles must be flex-fuel capable, operating on
fuels with a bio-content of ethanol from 0 to 85%.

Description of the Project: The Clean Snowmobile organizers provide rules that detail the
competition events, and engineering/safety requirements. Students present their design and
vehicle to a group of professionals working in the field. The snowmobiles then compete in a series
of testing events. Students have less than one year to design and modify the snowmobile.

The CSC attracts students with differing interests such as trail riding, concern for the
environment, and modifying a snowmobile for competition. Most of the students are mechanical
engineers; however students from Electrical Engineering, Computer Science and Management
also provide major contributions. At Kettering University, this is an extra-curricular activity for
most students, although some of the students are able to earn credit for senior projects and for
independent studies.

Results: This paper will provide a description of the SAE Clean Snowmobile Challenge, and the
approach taken by the team in meeting this challenge.

Finally, the benefits for the students and faculty participating in the challenge is documented.
Data is provided which describes the results of student and alumni surveys to provide relevant
feedback from the participants as to the value of these events.
Abstract
Sustainable development depends to a large extent on sustainable transportation. As alternative
fuels, electrification, and autonomy become common, higher education institutions must present
educational opportunities to students in these areas, to ensure that environmental awareness is a
dedicated component of engineering education. To address this concern, two Society of
Automotive Engineers Collegiate Design Series competitions have been implemented at Kettering
University, both with a focus on education in sustainability. One objective of participation in these
student competitions is to provide training to students in sustainable transportation systems and
related policy. Two particular aspects of transportation sustainability are addressed through the
competitions: 1) Design for alternative fuels in the Formula SAE series, and 2) Development of
autonomous mobility in the AutoDrive Challenge series. While these competitions center on
different tasks, they both require students to engage with difficult problems in transportation
sustainability, including the technical design of the associated systems and their social and legal
aspects. Ultimately, Kettering University's participation in these competitions has resulted in
greatly improved student knowledge and awareness of transportation sustainability.
Abstract
This paper is a synthetic description of the evolution of long-term research work on two-phase
flows using image analysis and stochastic processes. The state of current knowledge on the
research of gas-solid and gas-liquid systems as well as a review of research relating to these issues
are also presented. The work grants the principles of videogrammetric surveys based on stochastic
analysis for a series of photographs taken with video techniques. This is an excellent tool using
the analysis of changes in selected features and parameters contained in the time domain.
Especially in application to multiphase gas-liquid and solid-gas flows which are characterized by
strong variability as a function of time. Thanks to this, parameters such as flow pattern of the
mixture were determined as time-space distributions of phase concentration, displacement
speeds of separated two-phase structures, volume partitions of phases and velocity field
distributions in separated sections. The subject of this study covers the basics of image analysis
including videogrammetric techniques, description of two-phase mixture motion for co-current
ascending and descending flow in vertical channels, PIV technique for mapping of phase velocity
field, two-phase flow outside the bundle of pipes at the shell-and-tube cross-flow apparatus, phase
motion at the flow of a two-phase gas-liquid mixture in mini-channels, transport of liquids in air-
lift apparatus, fluidization, segregation and mixing of solid particles.
Abstract
Clean technologies do not enter the market in a vacuum. While consumers ultimately determine
which technology will be successful, policymakers influence the rate and direction of technological
change. By governing innovative activity through subsidies, they also generate support for policies
that send powerful signals to investors. Understanding what drives policymakers’ preferences in
the assessment of decarbonisation projects is therefore crucial. This paper argues that despite
governmental initiatives to decarbonise energy systems, the lock-in of society into dominant
technologies is one of the main barriers to the diffusion of clean technologies. As a consequence,
the process of technological transitions is often hindered by the resilience of existing
infrastructures, as policymakers (and consumers) are reluctant to invest in novel products or
services. Using the example of carbon capture and utilisation based fuel technologies, we test,
with a stated preference technique of a discrete choice experiment, whether policymakers have a
tendency to avoid investing in novel, and more disruptive technologies, compared to incumbents,
and what they already know. The implication of this ‘veil of experience’, is that technologies that
are closer to the status quo are potentially valued higher than those that require modifications
perceived to be more significant.
Abstract
Global environmental impacts, such as climate change, have urged the need for the development
of innovative sustainable technologies. To ensure that a new technology can fulfill this need, it
needs to be profitable and it needs to have a relatively low environmental impact. However, a new
technology that enters the market has often higher production costs and a higher environmental
impact than conventional technologies which are already established. This can be explained by
the scale and learning effects. A larger scale of production induces economies of scale which
renders the technology cheaper. This can be calculated in a prospective way based on generally
accepted rules of thumb, such as the six-tenth rule. Besides scale effects, also learning effects play
a role. A production process which is performed for the first time will run less smooth than a
production process which has been in operation for years. In contrast to the well-known scale
effects, these learning effects are less clear. Therefore, they are usually not taken into account
when assessing a new technology. This leads to a general disadvantage for new technologies when
their costs and environmental impacts are being compared to established technologies. This
disadvantage hampers innovation and investments in new technologies.

A review on the current literature on learning effects was conducted, in order to lift this obstacle.
The results of the review are presented in this manuscript. Both the effects on costs,
environmental impacts and the underlying technological performance were taken into account.
Different learning effects can be identified which influence different parts of the design process
such as learning-by-searching and learning-by doing. By investigating the connection between the
economic, environmental and technological learning effects, the learning potential of generic
parameters can be identified. This way, a generic range on the output indicators can be
determined, based on the learning potential of the technology. Based on the results of this review,
guidelines are provided on how to include learning effects in prospective technology assessment.
A reliable prediction of these learning effects could lead to a clearer perspective on the
environmental impact and cost structure of the new technology and a fairer comparison base with
conventional technologies. This leads to a faster adoption and a shorter time-to-market for
innovative sustainable technologies.
Abstract
Spices are food additives that are used in many different area of food technology. Production of
meat products, for instance, cannot be imagined without utilization of spices as additives.
Oregano, red papers, black papers, clove, garlic, basil and many other plant spices are frequently
used for both taste improvement and food safety reasons. Most of the spices contain essential oils
that are sensitive to thermal degradation processes. Thus, an alternative to conventional
preservation processes for enabling microbial safety of the spices should be considered. Gamma
irradiation technology is such a technology that enables guarantying of the microbial safety while
preserving the chemical stability of the thermo sensitive essential oils.

In this work a microbiological method for testing the efficiency was developed. As test materials
black papers and red papers were used. The preliminary investigation showed that the irradiation
resulted in several orders of magnitude lower number of the total cell count of microbial cells.
Abstract
Countries have to work out and follow tailored strategies for the achievement of their Sustainable
Development Goals. At the end of 2018, more than 100 voluntary national reviews were
published. Our research aims to identify country-specific thematic areas of these voluntary
national reviews. The reviews are transformed by text mining algorithms into networks of
keywords and community detection algorithms are utilized to determine the main focal points of
the strategies and clusters of countries that face similar problems and follow similar development
strategies. This article is addressed to all stakeholders in sustainable development goals and
invites players to work together to create a shared knowledge base. It is believed that the proposed
benchmark tool is capable of highlighting what kind of activities can make a significant
contribution to achieve sustainable development at a higher level.
Abstract
Recent innovations on alternative construction materials include considerations with economic,
environmental, technical, and social aspects as the movement for sustainability continues to be
popular. In the Philippines, one of the cross-cutting solutions in promoting resource efficiency is
the use of PET bottle eco-bricks, or simply Eco-bricks. Despite its recent popularity in small-scale
constructions, no study has yet proven the claim that eco-bricks are more sustainable than
concrete hollow blocks. This study addresses this issue by conducting life cycle assessment of PET
bottle eco-bricks and concrete hollow blocks to determine which is a more sustainable
construction material. By conducting a comparative life cycle assessment, carbon dioxide
emissions and energy consumption were calculated and the sustainability of these two products
were evaluated dependent on these characteristics. Results revealed that a wall made of PET
bottle eco-bricks require 56.37% less energy compared to a wall made of concrete hollow blocks.
Furthermore, a concrete hollow block wall produces 123% more CO2 emissions than a PET bottle
eco-brick wall. With these said, it can be concluded that PET bottle eco-bricks are more
sustainable than concrete hollow blocks in terms of energy inputs and CO2 emissions.
Abstract
The aim of this work is to evaluate and compare the environmental impact of different
technologies that use biogas as raw material. Biogas is a mixture of methane (CH4) and carbon
dioxide (CO2) produced by anaerobic digestion of organic matter (sewage, organic waste,
agricultural scraps, etc.). Today biogas is burnt to produce heat and electric energy using
Combined Heat and Power plant (CHP) or upgraded to biomethane through the removal of CO 2
and impurities. These technologies are considered green and with zero carbon emissions, but
actually, if the entire life-cycle assessment is considered they have a negative impact on the
environment. We proposed a new technology called CHCP (Combined Heat, Power and Chemical)
where biogas is converted in biomethanol (MeOH) fixing part of the carbon in a chemical
molecule avoiding the re-emission in the atmosphere of carbon dioxide. Here we compare the
environmental impact of this new technology with current alternatives like energy production
(CHP plant) and biogas upgrading to biomethane. We assess the environmental impacts
calculating the LCA of each technology using SimaPRO 8.5.0.0 software. We consider every step
CHCP plant and we hypothesize two different scenarios for methanol use, as chemical or as fuel.
Abstract
In this paper, exergy and environmental analyses are developed to determine the performance of
the electricity generation in the Dutch mix. To this end, a comparative assessment of diverse
electricity generation routes, including fossil and renewable energy resources, is carried out. An
exergoeconomy methodology, successfully applied to other electricity mixes of tropical countries,
such as Brazil, allows to properly allocate the renewable and non-renewable exergy costs and
specific CO2 emissions among the various products of a multiple-product energy system. The
Dutch electricity mix comprises thermal (e.g. petroleum derivatives), nuclear, onshore and
offshore wind, and solar electricity generation, as well as an increasing share of biomass-derived
resources. By using this methodology, the distribution of exergy destruction throughout the
different steps of the energy conversion processes is characterized as it relies on the Second Law
of the Thermodynamics for allocating the exergy consumption and partitioning the produced CO 2
emissions to the different exergy flows involved. Accordingly, it proves to be helpful in proposing
suitably indicators that may help the Dutch institutes issuing more sustainable energy planning
strategies. As a result, a weighted average of renewable and non-renewable unit exergy costs of
electricity generated in each route is calculated as cR=0.8375 kJ/kJ and cNR=1.7180 kJ/kJ,
respectively. Regarding the specific CO2 emissions, about 373.21 gCO2/kWh are emitted in the
electricity generation process, leading to a renewable to non-renewable exergy consumption ratio
of cR/cNR=0.49. This fact confirms that the Dutch electricity mix is dominated by fossil fuels
resources. Certainly, by using this approach, the electricity generation and its final applications
can be better compared to the production and end-use of other energy sources.
Abstract
Reliable and affordable access to energy is a key driver in the growth of developing communities
around the world. However in 2016 there were still around a billion people, the majority in rural
areas, without electricity. For sustainable energy access, electrification of remote communities
should be economically feasible while having minimal environmental impacts. This study
presents the simulation and assessment of the sustainability of future electricity scenarios for a
representative island community in the Philippines up to 2030. HOMER Pro software has been
used to design and simulate microgrids considering demand profiles and technology constraints
in seven future scenarios. The sustainability of the scenarios has been evaluated through life cycle
assessment (LCA) and life cycle costing (LCC).

The results show that the current (2015) power system running on diesel has a global warming
potential (GWP) of 1.01 kg CO2-eq./kWh and a levelised cost of electricity (LCOE) of 0.46
USD/kWh. With the expected increase in population and diesel price in the business-as-usual
scenario (BAU-1), this system will have 10% higher GWP and twice the LCOE. An alternative BAU
scenario wherein energy storage is added to the diesel system (BAU-2) reduces most of the 18 LCA
impacts considered by 5-17%, except for eutrophication, human toxicity and metal depletion
which increase by 10-26%. However, power in BAU-2 is 70% more expensive than at present.

Future scenarios which consider hybridising diesel generators with solar PV and/or wind (HYB-
1&2) show significant reductions (14-91%) in most LCA impacts and up to 30% lower LCOE, but
have >16% higher metal depletion and land occupation. In comparison, a system using solar PV
and wind turbines (RE) has a GWP of 79 g CO2-eq./kWh and an LCOE of 0.49 USD/kWh. The
least costly option (0.35 USD/kWh) for a higher household demand is a hybrid microgrid powered
by diesel, solar and wind (HYB+). Further constraining the technology options to only renewables
(RE+) generates a system design costing 0.60 USD/kWh.

Assuming equal weights for all the impacts in LCA, the most preferred scenario is HYB-2 and the
least preferred is RE+. Levelised costs are the highest for BAU-1 with diesel generators only, and
lowest for HYB-1. Assuming equal preferences for the LCA and LCC results indicates that the
HYB-2 and HYB+ scenarios are equally most preferable. This suggests that flexible capacity
expansion of off-grid systems can be achieved using solar PV and small wind turbines, but diesel
generators may still be necessary to balance cost, environmental performance and reliability.
Abstract
Supersonic Separators are a novel technology with high applicability in natural gas processing.
Extending its use beyond gas conditioning, an interesting approach consists in using supersonic
separators to produce valuable liquids phases. One such liquid is Liquified Natural Gas that has
seen expressive global growth associated to the rising impact of natural gas in the world’s energy
matrix. Use of supersonic separators could potentially improve energy efficiency of the
liquefaction enhancing performance. This work proposes and compares liquified natural gas
production via supersonic separators to traditional Joule-Thomson valves and turboexpanders.
To this end a new supersonic separator simulator for HYSYS was developed and the three
processes were contrasted in terms of their economic and energetic performance. Results show
that supersonic separators have the lowest overall energy consumption but lose to
turboexpanders in terms of energy intensity. Economic dimension shows that supersonic
separators produce the best result by reducing payback time in approximately 4 years and
achieving maximum return on investment.
Abstract
Energy storage systems constitute an option to provide an effective integration of renewable
energy sources, such as solar and wind in the power sector. Among those technologies, battery
approaches can be applied to support the grid, mostly suitable to meet energy demand at a lower
scale, such as for local use or in micro-grids. The latest research on the battery designs is focused
on attaining sustainable technologies based on new materials and applying circular economy
approaches including reuse and recycling to foster their manufacturing processes in industry 4.0.
In this sense, research on recyclability benefits of materials considered for the manufacturing
stage is a promising route towards the recycling 4.0. In this work two types of batteries are
environmentally assessed applying the Life Cycle Assessment methodology: the lithium-ion
battery, which is strongly positioned world-wide in the battery market and the vanadium-redox
flow battery, as a promising development in the ongoing evolution of the batteries.

The environmental profile of the two batteries modelled under the recyclability scenario provided
an insight into raw material handling route. For both battery cases, impacts were diminished
more than 20% in almost all the indicators. However, results showed that toxicity and ecotoxicity
categories were mostly reduced by half, followed by resource scarcity categories. Vanadium-redox
flow battery exhibited better recyclability ratio than the Li-ion battery by considering a scenario
of maximum recyclability efficiency for plastic, copper, aluminium and steel, which generated
advantages regarding its environmental performance. Based on these results, the key Vanadium-
redox flow battery components were the periphery ones (i.e., pumps, motors, racks and bolts)
attributed to the steel consumption and electrodes due to copper needs. For them, recyclability
scenario reported the most substantial benefit with a reduction of around 70% the environmental
impact because of the less consumption of virgin materials. Furthermore, 40% of environmental
impact reduction related to plastic consumption suggest that opportunities can be also foreseen
on materials selected for membranes design as measures to overcoming their battery-related
environmental concerns.
Abstract
The high content sodium of coal ash can induce severe slagging on heated surface. It has been
reported that some people use thermal expansion additives to solve this problem. In this work,
the effects of vermiculite and perlite on appearance, microscopic appearance, inorganic mineral
transformation and elemental composition change of slag were investigated. The results showed
that the molten slag obtained by drop-tube furnace at 1373K was transformed into weakly-
condensed slag and strongly-sticky slag respectively when vermiculite and perlite were added
separately. The vermiculite has a stronger anti-slagging property than the perlite. The slag
removal mechanism of vermiculite and perlite is proposed as follows: (1) The interaction between
ash particles is isolated by the combination of swelled vermiculite particles or perlite particles
with ash particles. (2) The coal ash particles are attached to the surface of vermiculite particles or
perlite particles and the gap between them, forming a porous structure. (3) Pargasite
(NaCa2Mg4Al(Si6Al2)O22(OH)2)、forsterite ferroan (Mg1.8Fe0.2SiO4) and brownmillerite
(Ca2Fe1.052Al0.665Mg0.133Si0.133O5) result in the weak viscosity of coal ash and vermiculite particles.
Forsterite (Mg2SiO4) increase the fusion point of slag with vermiculite added. (4) The sodium-
containing minerals and aluminosilicate components in perlite react with coal ash to form a large
amount of amorphous substance, which can flow downwards to make the bottom slag molten and
result in a weak anti-slagging property. (5) Vermiculite has a weak capacity for sodium capture at
1023K, and perlite has a slight capacity for sodium capture at 1373K.
Abstract
This paper investigates a new concept for the CO2 emission mitigation in the ceramic industry
based on carbon reduction and methane formation. The concept is analysed as a retrofit to the
natural gas fuelled ceramic kiln that represents the main responsible of this industry in terms of
energy consumption and exhaust emissions. The carbon dioxide conversion to methane is
obtained by reduction with hydrogen on a Ni catalyst and thus methane is used to fuel the
standard burners that equip the kiln. The paper addresses different sources for the hydrogen used
as a feedstock for the proposed concept as well as alternative catalysts are explored and compared
in terms of reduction efficiency and costs.

A lumped and distributed parameter simulation of the entire ceramic kiln is combined to the CFD
simulation of the reactor to estimate the efficiency of the CO2 reduction and the corresponding
methane production for a reference ceramic kiln. The results of the numerical simulations are
then employed to discuss the potential benefits of the proposed concept in terms of carbon dioxide
emission reduction for the ceramic production. An economic assessment of the system analysed
is also carried out concept to determine the investment necessary to implement the technology in
an existing ceramic kiln. The potential replicability for other industrial sector is also addressed.
Abstract
Cement production generates 7% of the global anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions. About
41% of these emissions are caused by the combustion of fossil fuels, which provide the thermal
energy necessary for the calcination of limestone. This study focuses on an innovative and
sustainable design of the calciner, which aims to reduce the use of fossil energy and the associated
combustion related emissions. The proposed system utilises solar thermal energy instead of fossil
fuels for the calcination of limestone. To ensure 24 h/day operation, a hybrid production system,
which combines 5 MWth solar kiln and petroleum coke fuelled calciner is proposed. In this system,
the solar kiln operates during daylight hours (8 h/day) and the conventional calciner operates for
the rest of the day. A life cycle assessment was conducted to compare the benefits of the hybrid
system over the current petroleum-coke fired rotary kiln. A cradle-to-grave approach was
followed for the assessment and, therefore, the system boundaries include the construction,
operation and end-of-life management of the solar plant.

The results show that the hybrid production process can reduce the climate change impact and
fossil depletion by more than 20%. Similar levels of reduction were also observed for particulate
matter formation, terrestrial acidification and ecotoxicity. For the solar system, the production of
additional components (solar kiln, solar field and receiver tower) increased the toxicity-related
impacts by around 20% and metal depletion by 30%. In particular, the solar field showed larger
contribution to the environmental impacts compared to other components, such as the solar kiln
or the tower. This is because of the materials used for the construction and maintenance of the
solar field. Overall, this analysis demonstrated that the proposed hybrid production system can
potentially mitigate the environmental impacts of limestone calcination and limit the use of non-
renewable resources. Moreover, further optimization of the solar thermal production process is
expected with further development in solar technologies.
Abstract
In this paper an analytical model for calculation of entropy production for Nusselt model of
condensation of pure substance vapor is given. Model development starts from basic two-
dimensional integral equation for entropy production and describes film condensation on a
vertical wall. Model covers entropy production which is a result of two-dimensional heat transfer
in a condensate layer, existence of velocity gradient and condensate layer viscosity. Entropy
contribution of each of the members is explicitly derived in a closed form and results of calculation
are shown in the appropriate diagrams. Diagrams present film condensation of dry saturated
water steam and dry saturated ammonia steam, both with saturation temperature of 100°C with
surface wall temperature 98.5 °C. Obtained equations and presentation of the related results have
shown that dominant entropy production is directly connected only with heat conduction in y axis
direction, where y axis corresponds with thickness of condensate layer.
Abstract
In this study, spherical γ-Al2O3-SiO2 catalysts with different ratios of Al:Si were successfully
prepared by combining sol-gel and spray pyrolysis (S.P) methods. The silica-alumina catalysts
were investigated under different conditions for hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) of guaiacol as a bio-
oil model compound. The HDO is considered as one of the promising methods for upgrading bio-
oil from pyrolysis by removal of the oxygen-containing groups. Guaiacol is one of the major
compositions in the bio-oil product from pyrolysis of woody biomass. The effect of catalyst activity
and stability on guaiacol at different reaction temperatures and calcination temperatures were
investigated. The produced gas and liquid was analyzed by gas chromatography (GC) with
TCD/FID detector and GC-MS, respectively, to determine the product compositions.

Catalyst activity increased with decreasing calcination temperature but decreased with increasing
reaction time. The γ-Al2O3-SiO2 catalyst with the ratio Al:Si (50:50) (calcined at 450 oC) showed
the highest conversion of guaiacol with 81.79% at 300oC, atmosphere pressure and 6.5 WHSV (g
of reactant on g of catalyst.h-1). The result showed that during HDO, not only carbon-oxygen
cleavage reactions took place, but also methyl group transfer reactions were observed. Under
reaction conditions, the guaiacol model compound was converted into deoxygenated products,
such as dimethylphenol, tetramethyl phenol, pentamethyl benzene, hexamethylbenzene. The
reaction pathways of guaiacol HDO also were proposed based on product analysis.
Abstract
Agro-food industries produce large amounts of wastes challenging innovative and efficient
valorisation strategies promoting the circular bioeconomy concept. Anaerobic digestion
technology is an interesting route for bioenergy recovery in the agro-food chain sector. In this
work, a simple approach is proposed for assessing energy performance of livestock manure and
wastewater treatment mixed sewage sludge, as mono-substrates by coupling the potential
addition of several agro-food wastes (fruit vegetable wastes, fish canning industry, other manures,
coffee wastes, and non-edible crops). The results obtained showed an increase of energy
performance indicator ranging from 19 to 250% and 77 to 539%, for livestock manure and mixed
sewage sludge, respectively. This conceptual approach for feedstocks promotes the circular
bioeconomy as it encourages the stakeholders to a smart use of anaerobic biotechnology at rural-
level or urban-level.
Abstract
The rapid depletion of fossil fuels as well as their environmental harmfulness led to the search for
alternate renewable and sustainable technologies and fuels such as hydrothermal liquefaction
(HTL) which is supposed to be a key technology for the conversion of several types of biomass to
drop-in fuels. Basically any type of biomass is able to serve as feedstock within the HTL process
chain. In this study we will focus on feedstocks which do not compete with other markets like food
production and seeming to be well-suiting for the process as well. Amongst those are sewage
sludge and bio-waste, which are part of the increasing urban waste streams in the European Union
and in most cases not efficiently used. With HTL, however, a promising waste-to-energy
conversion method gains more and more scientific attraction while being applicable to these
mostly urban waste streams. For these feedstocks, moreover, few studies can answer the question
what biomass potentials are available at national level. As transportation possibilities are highly
limited for these kind of biomasses we aimed at depicting these potentials in a spatially explicit
way in order to guide policy-makers concerning the possible location of HTL plants. Therefore,
we conducted a GIS-based assessment of bio-waste and sewage sludge potentials (technical
potential) with a spatial resolution of 1 km² in the EU-28. In this regard, we combined results and
data from statistical databases, previous studies and other European projects as well as high
resolution spatial information. One advantage of the here presented approach that distinguishes
it from other studies is its transparency. Using so-called calculation flowcharts which are
published alongside with the potential assessment and which have been used in a couple of other
recent potential assessment studies, it is possible to comprehend the whole potential assessment
and associated steps (calculation steps, data sources,etc.). As a result we will present spatially
explicit feedstock supply maps for EU-28 based on a 1 km² grid. First results indicate that there
are several preference regions in Europe with between 10,000 tons dry matter (separately
collected biogenic municipal waste) and 70,000 tons of dry matter (sewage sludge in major cities)
available in a 5 km² radius. Additional analysis will lead to case study specific feedstock supply
curves (feedstock supply in relation to distance to possible plant location) that will be presented
at the conference, too. Based on these results, one can determine spatially explicit locations for
future HTL plants with regard to the plant size and thus feedstock demand.
Abstract
As part of EU strategy to tackle climate changes, energy transition from fossil fuels to renewable
resources is necessary. During the last few years, in the Republic of Croatia there is a strong
tailwind towards promoting activities of geothermal energy exploration and exploitation. As
geothermal sector was often neglected in a favour of petroleum business in the past, there is still
a somewhat knowledge gap in groundwork related to defining resources potential. Since initial
investigation related to defining hot spots in geothermal gradient were conducted more than 40
years ago, there was a need to remodel older unprecise maps with a completely new groundwork
research in this area. As part of doctoral thesis, more than 150 deep wells scattered in the Croatian
part of the Pannonian Basin were elaborated. From the historical well development records and
temperature measurements, obtained with different methods, a novel geothermal gradient map
was constructed. Furthermore, to define local potential sites for direct heat utilization and
electricity production, temperature maps were designed for a depth of 1000 and 2000 m,
respectively.
Abstract
Red phosphorus (RP) has recently been considered as an anode material for sodium-ion batteries
owing to its high theoretical capacity (2596 mAh g-1). Even though it possesses high capacity, its
major drawback is low electronic conductivity and severe volume expansion during
charging/discharging. In this paper, we report the preparation of an electrode material with
multichannel RP nanoporous (MRPN) architectures synthesized via a facile solvothermal
method. As-prepared anode active materials are visualized in the range 50-100 nm for all ratios.
The MRPN-3 shows a better discharge capacity of 1814 mAh g-1 after 80 cycles at a current density
of 200 mA g-1; further, it exhibits an outstanding performance at high current density, providing
excellent long-term cyclability. In this paper, we show that electrode materials with hollow
nanoporous architectures offer several advantages, such as providing an efficient electron/ion
transport network, buffering the volume expansion of RP nanoparticles, and enabling superior
kinetics of efficient sodium-ion storage.
Abstract
In this work, the analysis of the potential and the issues of gasification of biomass produced from
pruning from plant-assisted bioremediation (PABR) is presented. Such biomass contains a small
but not negligible content in metals (mainly Cu and Zn) extracted from a contaminated soil. Even
if most of the metals analysed are confined in the roots and then the risks of release of hazardous
materials in the atmosphere is really very limited, we analyzed all the steps of the gasification
process aiming at tracking the heavy metals, tars and other hazardous compounds to assess a safe
procedure for trapping them.

The biomass pruning, after preliminary TGA-DTA analysis, are used to produce syngas in the
fluidized bed gasification plant located at Sapienza.

The paper analyses the distribution and the composition of the solid particles and the volatile
compounds released from the gasification process, allowing to determine that most of the metals
are concentrated in the ashes while their content in the syngas is negligible.
Abstract
The precise identification and distribution of heat demand for space heating is of high importance
for the planning and design of district heating systems. The aim of this paper is the quantification
and validation of heat demand distribution within a small municipality using a newly developed
Bottom-up and Top-down heat mapping method. The Bottom-up mapping method is based on
building characteristics such as surface floor area, building height, building use and the share of
the heated area while the top down mapping method relies on energy balances and population
distribution densities. These mapping methods are based on a GIS analysis of heat demand with
high spatial resolution grids 250m×250m. Two bottom-up scenarios have been created, one of
which overestimate and the other which satisfy the actual heat demands of the buildings and the
results of both are compared with the Top down analysis to quantify the impact of the
assumptions and input data on the final result.
Abstract
Compared to interconnected power grids, islanded microgrids are more sensitive to active power
disturbances due to lower specific rotational inertia and lack of spinning reserve. Because of these
properties, islanded microgrid control and power quality assurance are challenging tasks. Even
small power imbalances can lead to grid blackout, if not addressed in a proper and timely fashion.
This paper presents a dynamic model based on elastically coupled rotational inertial masses,
enabling a simple small-signal stability analysis. The modelled microgrid contains multiple
renewable power resources (thermal, hydro, photovoltaics and wind turbines) supplemented with
battery energy storage system. The model is linearized in the vicinity of several characteristic
operating points and such linearized model is used to develop a linear quadratic regulator (LQR)
to control distributed resources' power output. Dynamic properties of LQR microgrid control are
investigated by means of root locus analysis and comprehensive computer simulations.
Simulation results illustrate that incorporating appropriate LQR control laws in a peer-to-peer
control system enables its use for small-signal stability enhancement without incorporating a
traditional droop frequency controller, whereas the root-locus analysis illustrates how LQR input
parameters affect closed-loop poles and, thus, the small-signal stability properties.
Abstract
A transition towards renewable energy systems is needed in order to reduce greenhouse gas
emissions. Increase in the share of variable renewable energy sources (VRES), which are mainly
wind and solar energy; pronounces the necessity of storage technologies by which the
intermittency of VRES can be compensated. Although hydrogen has been envisioned to play a
significant role as a promising alternative energy carrier in a future European VRES based energy
system, the optimal design still remains uncertain. In this analysis, a hydrogen infrastructure is
designed to supply the electricity and hydrogen demand for a 100% renewable energy based
European energy system in the con text of 2050. The overall system design is optimized by
minimizing the total annual cost. Onshore and offshore wind energy, open-field photovoltaics
(PV), roof-top PV and hydro energy as well as biomass are the technologies employed for
electricity generation. Generated electricity is either transmitted via electrical grid or converted
into hydrogen via electrolyzers and then transmitted via hydrogen pipelines. Battery, hydrogen
vessels and salt caverns are considered by means of storage technologies. In case of a lull, stored
hydrogen can be reelectrified to generate electricity to supply the demand in that time period. For
each location, eligibility of technologies are introduced as well as their maximum capacity and
hourly demand profiles to build the optimization model. In addition, generation time series for
VRES has been derived exogenously for the model. The generation profiles of wind energy have
been investigated in detail by considering future turbine designs with high spatial resolution. In
terms of salt cavern storage, the technical potential for hydrogen storage is defined in the system
as maximum allowable capacity per region. Whether a technology is installed in a region or not
and hourly operation of these technologies as well as the cost of each technology are obtained
within the optimization results. It is seen that a 100% renewable energy system is possible to
supply both electricity demand as well as hydrogen demand in Europe. Within the full paper we
will further discuss the obtained results and show them in full details including their sensitivities.
Abstract
To further greenhouse gas emissions of integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) power
plants, precombustion and post combustion CO2 capture strategies with absorbents have been
proposed, resulting in a substantial energy penalty. To minimize this loss of efficiency, chemical
looping combustion (CLC) of the syngas fuel replacing the gas turbine firing chamber has been
thoroughly investigated in the past. This concept comprises a metal oxygen carrier that is
circulated between an oxidation reactor stage, where the metal carrier is oxidized withdrawing O2
from a compressed air stream, and a reduction reactor stage, where syngas is combusted thereby
regenerating the carrier to its reduced form. In such a way, inherent separation of combustion
products and air is achieved. The gas switching technology (GST) setup consists of a cluster of
fluidized bed reactors that operate in subsequent oxidation and reduction stages (with valve
stream switching) delivering in steady state operation a constant flow rate of air to the gas turbine
and a reduction gases outlet readily available for purification and capture after heat recovery. Gas
switching chemical looping combustion (GSCLC) of standalone parallel reactors poses
operational and scale up advantages for pressurized large scale designs (required for efficient
power production in a combined cycle) relative to interconnected fluidized beds CLC.

Alongside CLC carriers, some research effort has been dedicated in the past to develop metal
carriers which are able to release free O2 in the reduction stage. Gas switching chemical looping
Oxygen production (GSCLOP) reactor cluster, which operates analogously to GSCLC, offers
interesting integration opportunities in IGCC plants. In the first place, an integration between
GSOP reduction stage and the Gasification unit allows to eliminate a costly and energy intensive
air separation unit (ASU), while the oxidation stage can be effectively coupled with the gas turbine
compressor outlet to provide the oxygen source, and subsequently route the O2 depleted air
stream outlet to the GSCLC oxidation stage, efficiently utilized afterwards in the combined cycle
to generate power.

In this work, a thermodynamic and plant emissions assessment to show the attractiveness of the
integration of GSCLOP and GSCLC in an IGCC power plant from an energy and environmental
perspective has been performed and different possibilities for efficiency enhancement are
investigated.
Abstract
In Japan, the instalment of solar power plants has been rapidly developing within the framework
of the Feed-In Tariff (FIT) scheme that began in 2009. The total solar energy generation capacity
in Japan reached up to 49,040 MW in 2017, and this value was about 14 times higher than the
capacity in 2010. The use of solar power is expected to contribute largely to climate change
mitigation. However, recently, the negative impacts associated with solar power plants in Japan
are on the rise. These impacts include the loss of forests and moorlands caused by instalment of
solar power plants, and the damage caused by natural disasters to the solar power systems. This
study aims to examine the environmental management of solar power plants in Japan, specifically
regarding the loss of forests and moorlands, and the damage caused by natural disasters.

First, the loss of forests and moorlands due to the establishment of solar power plants in Japan
were reviewed using statistical surveys. The area of the forests and moorlands lost was also
estimated using Google Earth. Second, the damage caused by natural disasters to the solar power
plants in Japan was also reviewed, based on reports in the news and online. The amount of waste
derived from the damaged solar power systems was also estimated.

In Hyogo, Japan, 307 mega solar power plants have been operational since September, 2018.
During our investigation of the landscape before the installation of these plants, we found that
about 20% of the plants led to the modification of forests and moorlands during their setup. In
one case, 401,800 m2 of forest were cut down to install a mega solar plant with a maximum output
of 21.3 MW. There are other cases where the mega solar plants are installed on the slope of a
mountain or a hill, after cutting down the forest. The deforested slope loses its water holding
capacity, leading to the occurrence of landslides during heavy rainfall events. Consequently, a
secondary disaster could occur, such as the collapse of the solar panels along with the soil. In 2018
alone, 48 such solar plant accidents associated with natural disasters (heavy rain, typhoons, and
earthquakes) were reported in Japan. Based on the accident reports, we found that the waste
generated by a solar plant with a maximum output of 750 kW, which was damaged by a landslide,
was estimated to be 271 t.

The results of these reviews and surveys confirm the need for rigorous environmental
management of solar power plants.
Abstract
The water-energy nexus, as it is included in the United Nation Environment Program (UNEP) &
the 2030 Agenda by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), aims to ensure availability and
sustainable management of water and sanitation for all (SDG6) and access to reliable, affordable,
sustainable and modern energy for all (SDG7). The wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) is a
major actor of this nexus. The task of a WWTP is to remove the carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus
compounds from the sewage water and keep water pollutants below the regulation limits, while
reducing the operational costs by energy savings. WWTPs may benefit from using modeling and
simulation tools for automatic control and investigation of economic operation strategies.

This research presents the case study of a Romanian WWTP with Anaerobic-Anoxic-Oxic (A2O)
process configuration. Different control strategies were implemented and tested in a dynamic
WWTP simulator, based on the Activated Sludge Model No. 1 and the secondary settler Takacs
model. Calibration of the simulator was performed using measured data from the investigated
WWTP.

This study proposes to partially store in available tank infrastructure the wastewater received
during the day-time and schedule the purification of the stored wastewater at night-time. This
operational approach aims to shift part of the WWTP electrical energy consumption into the
night-time period when the energy has lower prices also contributing to the equilibration of the
electrical power generation system. The specially designed control system also takes into
consideration the weather forecast in order to act in a predictive way to rain, storm and rapid
temperature changing events. Ammonia based aeration control is considered and aeration
distribution between the aerated reactors was investigated. Feedback and feedforward control
strategies were involved. Performance indices (aeration energy, pumping energy, effluent quality)
were assessed and used to design the most favorable control setup.

Simulations with the proposed control strategies demonstrate reduction of the operational costs
and energy savings, while keeping effluent quality within the requested limits. They range from
10-15% reduction of the operational costs and are associated with roughly 10% energy cost
savings. Multiplied by the large number of the WWTPs using activated sludge technology, the
proposed operational approach may result in improved energy management and important global
impact.
Abstract
Hydrogen can play a key role to address the challenges arising from the effect of climate change,
helping to curb emissions of greenhouse gases and meet the increasing global energy demand. In
this paper biological routes to hydrogen production from waste water have been reviewed and key
future requirements/developments proposed. Worldwide, billions of litres of waste water are
produced daily from urban and industrial areas and require significant amount of energy to be
treated before being discharge into the water bodies. However, it is recognised that waste water
contains five to ten times the energy required to treat it; waste water is also a source of value-
added by-product, including hydrogen. The paper adopts a holistic approach to investigate
environmentally friendly hydrogen production processes, resource recovery and alternative waste
water treatments, including technology pros and cons, efficiency, cost effectiveness and
technology readiness level for biological based hydrogen production processes. Bio
electrochemical system (BESs) an emerging technology that can convert chemical energy of
various organic wastes into electricity or chemicals. Bacteria oxidize organic matter in the anodic
chamber and generate electrons and protons which are transported to the cathode chamber
through external circuit or electrolyte. Depending on the reaction occurring at the cathode
chamber, BES can be classified into microbial fuel cell (MFC), microbial electrolysis cell (MEC),
microbial electrosynthesis (MES) etc. Microbial electrolysis cell (MECs), where a small amount of
electricity is needed to generate the hydrogen gas from waste water, appear to be a promising
technology. Development of MECs and their integration with other bio-electrochemical
systems(BESs) attracted increasing interest among the researchers. Production of hydrogen and
remove organic contaminants in waste water is important but focus is required on how the
industry can adapt and use hydrogen as a clean fuel source.
Abstract
Water accumulations, besides their important role in multipurpose projects, get even more in the
attraction nowadays with increasing introducing of other renewable resources in the supply of
electro energy system for one country or the region. Solar or wind power plants with its stochastic
character bring a certain level of uncertainty in EES of the country and water storage behind a
dams are one of a possibilities to save the energy and to redistribute the energy in space and time
in the function of consumes and daily diagram of load changing. That is why they are so called:
green accumulators, or blue batteries. Especially pump storage schemas open the possibility of
the energy storage in dynamic of energy needs.

Environmental criteria often present obstacles for dam constructions and accumulation forming
behind. The philosophy of sustainability and mater of environmental protection should be more
critical analyzed. One meter cube of water can be used for increasing a head and for energy
production, flooding agriculture land or it can be used for irrigation and food production. One
meter cube of the space behind the dam can be used for flood control, or for water supply, or for
energy production. Different optimization models and its suitability for conflicting purposes of
water accumulations will be presented, with the special focus on nature inspired optimisation
modelling.

World positive practice in water accumulation forming will be presented, with the review on
characteristic case studies from the author practice: HPP Poechos, HPP Soulana, HPP Mandava,
HPP Mosul, HPP Buk Bijela, Bilecko lake, HPP Djerdap with pump storage, HPP Krupa, HPP
Banja Luka, HPP Kozluk, HPP Drina 1, 2 and 3, with belonging consequences of construction or
not being built. The subject of the strategy for renewable hydro projects adoption and decision
making process will be discussed.
Abstract
This study identifies the stochastic nature of precipitation at a site close to a micro dam, using a
Markov chain model whose states are ranges of precipitation depths in 10 minutes. The micro
dam is equipped with a spillway and a bottom intake structure. Transition probabilities of the
Markov chain with a state interval of 1 mm are calculated for each month, from the observed time
series data during a 4-year period. However, the estimated transition probabilities are not reliable
enough because of the short period of observation, and then they are interpolated with the gamma
distribution functions. Since a dynamic model is readily available for the runoff process in the
catchment area, it is now possible to consider a control system based on the knowledge of the
micro-dam storage volume precipitation, and the runoff from the catchment area as the inflow.
Abstract
The Water-Energy (W-E) Nexus of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) is one of the emerging
research areas of the present decade. WWTPs cover 1% of the global energy use and release
different greenhouse gases (GHGs) into the environment through various on-site and upstream
emissions. Apart from energy consumption and air emissions, WWTPs also have a good scope for
energy recovery from wastewater (WW) and renewable energy generation. Considering this, a
review was developed on the opportunities coming from the W-E nexus looking at over 100
research articles collected from different scientific resources published in the last 10 years, with a
focus on understanding how to model the nexus. The main aim of this work was: i) to highlight
the available options for reducing the energy demand at WWTPs, which includes the energy
recovery from WW and renewable energy generation at the site and ii) review tools and model to
assess the W-E nexus. The models and tools that were presented in 34 of the 100 articles were
categorized into three groups based on the energy efficiency studies conducted on the WWTPs
along with energy recovery and renewable energy generation potential at the site. Further, each
group was classified into sub-groups based on its carbon footprint reduction. The study shows
that most of the models and tools developed till date on Water-Energy nexus have mainly focussed
on either WWT process optimization or energy recovery or renewable integration. However, there
is no Water-Energy nexus tool or model that focuses on energy benchmarking, energy recovery
from WW and renewable energy integration together on a single platform.
Abstract
Nowadays a large number of desalination technologies are available and widely employed, but
most of them require high-energy consumption (in various forms) and high capital and operating
costs. Based on the specific characteristic of the desalination process and the requirements for the
final product, it is necessary to select the most appropriate desalination technology in order to
save costs and energy. In this work, the possibility of coupling a combined cycle of about 2 MW,
composed by a Brayton cycle (topping) and a Hirn cycle (bottoming) with desalination plants (DP)
is analysed. Several components combinations, i.e. gas turbine (GT) and steam turbine (ST), are
evaluated, in order to provide two opposite solutions: one, able to maximizing the thermal energy
production, the other able to maximizing the electrical energy production. The technical and
economic indicators of the considered energy desalination systems are evaluated and compared,
considering several desalination technologies: MED (Multi-Effect Distillation), MSF (Multi-Stage
Flash Distillation), RO (reversed osmosis) and hybrid technologies (MED+RO; MSF+RO). For
each considered solution, the fresh water productions and costs are computed and compared in
order to evaluate the solution able to better fit the economic and technical requirements.
Abstract
The remediation of contaminated sites requires the selection of appropriate technologies and
suitable strategies to be effective. This is even more important if one considers that also activities
aimed at environmental protection, site reclamation or treatment of contaminated effluents have
an environmental impact, as they might involve a significant use of chemical products or
processes. In some cases, this even results in highly invasive, no longer sustainable and socially
acceptable approaches.

In the present work, the possible application of some remediation approaches to a real problem
of heavy metal contamination has been investigated from the point of view of environmental
impact consequences through a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) procedure. In particular, two
innovative technologies, the phytoremediation and the electrokinetic approach (EKRT), were
evaluated against two consolidated approaches, soil washing and excavation and disposal, with
the aim of identifying the most acceptable option from an environmental point of view. In all
cases, the impacts were expressed in terms of Global Warming Potential (GPW-100) normalized
to the cubic meter of land to be reclaimed, and evaluated considering the entire process (from
cradle to grave) and the application over the entire area of the site to be reclaimed.

The results obtained from a case study of each technology were then compared, highlighting the
peculiarities of the various technologies and the advantages of some of them. The analysis also
revealed additional aspects of the different approaches that would otherwise be difficult to notice,
allowing to increase the knowledge on the technologies and pave the way for further modifications
and “eco-friendly” improvements.
Abstract
Air pollution has negative impact on human health and environment. Fine particulate matter ()
is one of the air pollutants which is harmful for human health. Recently, related studies prove that
is a key factor causing the cardiopulmonary diseases and respiratory diseases. However, there is
no formal emission controlling regulation for the mitigation of emission. With the flourishing
development of global trade, maritime transportation acts as a significant transportation mode
though it contributes considerable amounts of pollutant emissions. To reduce the emission,
initially, this study takes Kaohsiung port as the research area and uses activity-based model to
estimate emission of ships, cargo handling equipment and heavy vehicles on the basis of activity
mode. Subsequently, the external costs, including external environmental health costs and
economic costs, are assessed in accordance with estimated emission. For the external
environmental health cost, the disability adjusted life year (DALY) is utilized as unit to estimate
how much the emission from Kaohsiung port results in. Furthermore, this study refers to the
emission reduction goal of Intended Nationally Determined Contribution in 2030 and
Greenhouse Gas Reduction and Management Act in 2050 to evaluate the mitigation of and
external environmental costs in Kaohsiung port under these two regulations. The results show
that the ships account for the majority of the emissions and external environmental costs. While
the increasing number of entering ships means the prosperity of the port, the negative impact is
also a crucial problem we must not ignore. Moreover, under the emissions control of INDC and
Greenhouse Gas Reduction and Management Act, which aim to reduce 20% of the emissions in
2005 and 50% of the emissions in 2050 respectively, the external costs will also decrease. In
conclusion, if we aim to reduce the negative environmental impact from the port of Kaohsiung,
the mitigation of emissions should be a significant issue.
Abstract
The similarity of the chemical composition with the main raw materials commonly employed for
the zeolite synthesis makes it attractive to generates zeolites from waste fly ash. Zeolites of our
work are synthesized at various conditions summarizing somehow the methods and conditions
employed by others. Some representative zeolites thus obtained are characterized with various
methods in order to study the influence of the various parameters and synthesis conditions on the
type and properties of zeolites. The analyses show the production of a single phase zeolite type X,
and a single phase zeolite type A, mixture of type X and type P, mixture of type X and Faujasite-
Ca and sodalite when the time of incubation is longer and up to 72 hours. Other parameters like
temperature, crystallization duration, the ratio SiO2/Al2O3, type of water, pre-treatment with acid,
etc., are important parameters that influence the type of zeolite synthesized, pure phase and
surface area.
Abstract
This paper aims at examining the connection between energy consumption explanation from
renewable energy sources, and countries’ economic process expressed as gross domestic product
per capita regarding Mediterranean countries. This study uses data from the Mediterranean
countries with medium to high energy consumption levels in 1995–2017 (Spain, France, Monaco,
Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Albania, Greece, Turkey, Syria,
Lebanon, Israel, Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, and Morocco; Malta and Cyprus) to ascertain and
analyze the multiple effects of renewable energy consumption on economic process. The applied
math analysis relies on descriptive statistics, cluster analysis, and divulges that everyone variables
area unit related; this means a correlation between the variable quantity of gross domestic
product and also the independents of renewable energy sources (RES) and Non-RES energy
consumption, gross mounted capital formation within the long term. Moreover, the results show
that there's a better correlation between RES’ consumption and also the economic growth of some
countries that has an upper gross domestic product than with those of lower GDP. The obtained
results area unit is consistent with different papers reviewed during this study. Analysis results
show the non-linear impact of energy consumption on economic process.
Abstract
EirGrid, the transmission system operator in Ireland, has estimated that the Irish power system
will be required to operate at a system non-synchronous penetration (SNSP) level of 75% to
achieve its 2020 renewable energy targets. EirGrid has published the assumed system service
capability of the Irish power system in 2020 to achieve 75% SNSP by technology type. The findings
predict that wind generation will be responsible for approximately 33% of fast frequency
response, however, it will not be responsible for primary, secondary and tertiary operating
reserves. Historically, conventional generation have provided these essential system services.
With reduced levels of conventional generation forecast, there will be heavy reliance on the
interconnection with the United Kingdom to provide system services.

This paper investigates hybrid control of a wind turbine with integrated energy storage system
(ESS). Hybrid control will enhance wind generation’s ability to provide much needed system
services. The hybrid controller is based on fuzzy logic control and controls power flow between
the wind turbine and ESS. The control scheme is investigated using a modified IEEE 39 bus model
in DIgSILENT PowerFactory. At times of high wind speeds and low demand, the ESS is charged
using wind generation that would have conventionally been curtailed to maintain frequency
within its normal operating range. In 2017, the amount of available wind energy not used due to
transmission constraints and system curtailment was estimated to be 3.7%. This is a significant
amount of unused energy. At times of low wind speed, the ESS deploys active power generation.
Hybrid control decreases the intermittency of the wind farm’s power output, which improves its
ability to meet its dispatched power output order. Various load-generation imbalances were
simulated. The results show that hybrid control can improve the reliability of system services
procured from wind generation. As wind generation replaces conventional generation, it is
important that reliable system services are available when requested. Hybrid control of wind
generation and integrated energy storage could enhance a windfarm’s ability to provide reliable
system services, which would reduce Ireland’s dependence on interconnection with the United
Kingdom and possible future connection with other European countries.
Abstract
Biomass is the largest renewable energy source. Currently, direct burning of biomass for heat and
power generation is the most common and cost-effective routine to turn biomass into energy, in
which suspension-firing is most widely used. Biomass requires much more care in handling than
coal, particularly for suspension-firing which has the highest requirement on fuel quality and fuel
particle size among all combustion technologies. This paper reviews the development of biomass
preparation for suspension-firing, which directly affects fuel particle sizes and thus particle flow,
particle burnout and ash usability. Another critical issue in biomass suspension-firing, i.e.,
deposition and corrosion, is also presented. All the discussion is combined with concrete examples
of biomass dust-firing in power plants and their pros and cons, facilitating the understanding of
the key issues and also providing good models or references for other biomass dust-fired power
plants.
Abstract
In Niger 84% of the population live in rural areas, 8% of which have access to electricity. In order
to increase the electrification access to the widespread population, interdisciplinary approaches
need to be studied. The application of concepts such as collaborative consumption and
community ownership with the use of solar photovoltaics (PV) could present a way to bypass some
of the economic barriers to rural electrification in Africa. In this context, a comparison between
the willingness to pay (WTP) of a village and the possible cost of systems designed with and
without “collaborative consumption” is presented. A monthly expenses reduction of 68% could be
achieved for an electrification system using the collaborative consumption approach. This means
an increase from 12% to 67% in the WTP of the villagers for solar PV based electrification systems.
Collaborative consumption, provided its acceptance and equipped with the proper policies and
regulations, can thus contribute to an increase in the WTP of rural populations and to wider access
for electrification systems.
Abstract
Over the past 30-35 years, worldwide electricity production based on geothermal sources has
increased significantly: the installed generating capacity has grown from 1300 MW in 1975 to
almost 18,500 MW in 2018. In 1998 the Energy Institute “Hrvoje Požar” prepared a Program of
Geothermal Energy Usage in the Republic of Croatia, which shows that in the Republic of Croatia
there are some medium temperature geothermal sources (geothermal water) in the range from
90 to 170 ºC, by means of which it is possible to produce electricity in binary plants, either with
the Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) or with the Kalina cycle. However concrete initiatives for the
construction of geothermal power plants have only recently been started. In accordance with this
authors in previous papers have presented result of an energy-exergy analysis of geothermal
resources Velika Ciglena (170 ºC), Lunjkovec-Kutnjak (140 ºC), Babina Greda (125 ºC) and Rečica
(120 ºC), in order to determine which cycle is better for the conditions in Croatia. On the basis of
analysis results that the ORC is thermodynamically better from the Kalina cycle for temperatures
of all cited geothermal sources and cooling air, and considering the problems that all the new
technologies encounter in their early phase of application, authors propose the application of
binary plants using ORC cycle for all medium temperature geothermal sources in the Republic of
Croatia. Researches related to the application of the ORC generally deals with the selection of the
working fluid, optimization of the ORC unit and the whole plant and analysis of possible
modifications with aim to increase its thermodynamic efficiency or net mechanical power output.
Although in the available literature, there are a large number of published research results on the
selection of the working fluid, however, every geothermal source is a case for itself with respect to
the temperature of geothermal water and the cooling fluid on location (water or air). Therefore,
in this paper will be presented the results of analysis of the working fluid effect on both
thermodynamic efficiency and useful work and others cycle characteristics for the case of
Geothermal Power Plant Lunjkovec-Kutnjak with temperature of geothermal water 140 ºC. As the
working fluid the some refrigerants and hydrocarbons will be analyzed, e.g. isopentane (C 5H12),
isobutene (C4H10), isohexane (C6H14), R114 (C2Cl2F4), R141B (C2H3Cl2F) and R142B (C2H3Cl2F2),
etc.
Abstract
The advancing integration of power plants operating on intermittent renewable energy sources
into the energy system poses challenges to the electricity grid stability. The increasing discrepancy
of electricity supply and demand needs to be compensated by additional flexibility in the system,
which can provided by technological solutions like energy storage systems and demand-side
management or by operating other power plants on demand. Biogas plants have a high potential
to generate power flexibly due to the long storability of the energy carrier.

Most of the about 290 biogas plants that are currently operated in Austria are designed as base
load power plants receiving a fixed feed-in tariff. Due to expiring contract periods and changing
framework conditions, the future of the Austrian biogas sector is quite uncertain. The aim of this
study is to assess the economic feasibility and the effects on global warming potential of
integrating existing Austrian biogas plants into electricity markets that focus on balancing energy
supply and demand.

For this purpose, three biogas plants with electric rated outputs of 250, 500 and 625 kW were
modelled and investigated in course of a cost-benefit calculation and a life cycle assessment.
Investment and operational costs surveyed in course of a biogas plant operator inquiry and
consultation of plant manufacturers were used in the assessment. Four power generation
scenarios considering participation in the electricity spot market and markets for secondary
control energy reserves were assessed.

The findings of the economic assessment based on the annuity method show that participation
in electricity markets is not economically feasible without an appropriate support scheme. The
required premium for making power generation economically viable ranges from 138.8-226.7
EUR/MWh. The results of the life cycle assessment revealed a global warming potential of 0.004-
0.056 t CO2 eq./MWh for the investigated biogas plants, whereby the 500 kW plant yielded the
best outcome regarding global warming potential. Greenhouse gas mitigation costs ranged from
-156.59-704.20 EUR/(t CO2 eq.).
Abstract
A portable and small-scale biomass gasification system has a potential for use in damaged areas
by natural disasters (earthquake, flooding, Tsunami, etc.) or un-electrified rural areas in
developing countries. However, the available feedstocks are usually high moisture content ones
with different size, shape and properties. Therefore, some pretreatments are essential for efficient
gasification of these feedstocks. In this study, woody biomass samples were first carbonized by a
carbonizer without usage of electricity. Then the carbonized biomass were crushed and pelletized
to be supplied into a fixed bed updraft gasifier. The syngas produced in the gasifier was first
cleaned up by physical tar removal processes (the oil scrubbing and the char bed adsorption) and
was then supplied into a gas engine with 30kW electrical output. In the presentation, some detail
results on the carbonization process, the pelletization process, the gasification process, the gas
clean-up process and the gas engine operation will be presented. Then the successful 100 hours
continuous operation results will be presented to show the mass balance and the energy balance
of the total system.
Abstract
The Philippine commercial building sector accounts for roughly 10% of the total electricity power
consumption. For this research, the building studied was the National Engineering Center. The
study focused on eight representative offices within the building to serve as pilot facilities for this
research. The study evaluated the performance of existing lighting fixtures to attain the minimum
acceptable standard of 300 lux for offices as well as the performance of existing air conditioning
units to achieve a recommended room temperature of 24 Celsius, considering the tropical climate.
From the results, it is evident that the air conditioning unit makes up majority of power use in
almost all offices, with an average of 63% of total energy consumption, followed by lights with
23% and plug-in loads with 14%. For maximum lux values with minimal energy consumption, the
use of LED lights is recommended while for temperature, the use of inverter technology is
encouraged for long term energy savings.
Abstract
Serbia with its annual production of 600,000 tons is the third largest producer of plums in the
world. In average 95% of plum weight belongs to the exocarp and mesocarp, while the rest is the
endocarp and seed. After processing of plums only a smaller part of around 30,000 tons of plum
endocarps produced annually in Serbia is used as fuel while the rest is wasted, burned and/or left
to rot in landfill. Plum seeds can be a useful food additive since they are rich in proteins and
contain 30-45% of oils. Due to the large amount of unsaturated fatty acids of about 90%, this oil
can be used as a food oil after refining process. The bitter taste of plum seeds originates from
amygdalin, which has the anticancer activity and can be used for improving the human health.
The aim of this paper was to optimize the extraction of polyphenols from plum seeds using
ultrasound-assisted extraction. Box-Behnken design was used for optimization of this extraction
process. The four extraction parameters, such as the extraction time (10-40 min), ethanol
concentration (20-100%, v/v), liquid-to-solid ratio (10-30 cm3 g-1) and extraction temperature
(30–70 °C) were varied to investigate their impact on the total phenolic content in the plum seeds.
Compared to the conventional extraction methods, ultrasound-assisted extraction resulted in a
higher yield of polyphenols under the same conditions. The main contribution of this paper is the
developed economical alternative procedure for extraction of polyphenols with the application of
non-toxic and eco-friendly solvents. This procedure is acceptable from the ecological point of view
because in this way is possible to reduce the amount of waste after plum cultivation or after
production of alcoholic beverages.
Abstract
This study assesses the environmental sustainability of heat recovery systems for recovering heat
from drain water applying the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology. For the first time, a heat
recovery system from copper is compared to one including the innovative polymer-graphite
composite; and for the first time environmental burdens related to their life cycle is set into
context with the energy and environmental savings when installed in the drainpipe of a
commercial kitchen. The results show an environmental payback for most of the assessed
emissions within the 10-year lifetime for the copper system and full payback for the polymer-
graphite system, even when compared to renewable energies. Extrapolation of the findings to UK
level proves that environmental savings can be achieved for all addressed impact categories and
hence, application of this technology can be recommended for the food and drink service sector.
Abstract
There are numerous ways to recover heat and improve energy efficiency in production systems.
Recently, Rankine cycle is very exploited for heat recovery with transformation of thermal energy
into electricity. It allows use low temperature heat sources. That is enabled with use of specific
organic compounds as working fluids. This cycle is named as Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC).
Thermodynamic cycles like Rankine cycle can transform a heat into electricity. Today, waste heat
in production processes is reused for additional heating or cooling in production. But there can
be still part of unused heat that can be used in production of electricity with ORC.

This review paper analyses the methodologies for heat integration that includes ORC plant for
use of residual waste heat. Various authors show different approaches in incorporating of heat
pumps within heat recovery and energy saving in production. Pinch technology is probably one
of the most used methods in integration of ORC in production systems. Furthermore, there are
used other optimization methods like Non-Linear Programming (NLP), Multiple Integer Linear
Programming (MILP), Genetic Algorithm (GA), Artificial Neural Network (ANN) and many
different approaches in design of polygeneration systems. These different methods were
compared and systematized in general scheme for integration of ORC in production systems with
low temperature waste heat.
Abstract
Is it possible to become more resource efficient in a circular economy framework? A key part of
the answer lies in the design of the products. Ecodesign constitutes an opportunity for the
innovation, strengthening its position, considering the environmental dimension, besides the
economic one. In order to maintain competitiveness of the electrical and electronic toys into green
markets, it is necessary to guarantee quality improving the design and environmental
performance of the products.

In this sense, the aim of this study was to analyze the environmental performance of one
electronic toy and to recommend improvement strategies based on ecodesign principles and life
cycle assessment methodology. An ex-post analysis of the new version of the toy, modified
according to some of the recommended measures, was then performed and compared to the
results for the original. The results showed that the environmental impact of the original toy was
found to be heavily dependent on the use phase, given the comparatively large impact caused by
the life cycle of the employed batteries. Two use scenarios were thus defined: ‘single use’ and
‘continued use’, and the results were compared based on a common functional unit of ‘hour of
use’. Beside the batteries, the components with the greatest environmental impact were found to
be the electrical/electronic circuit and the game board, which represent approximately 50% and
30% of the impact of the game production stage, respectively. The new ecodesigned version of the
toy achieved approximately up to 60% impact reductions in the production stage.

Finally, this work was for the toy manufacturer of great help in identifying improvement
strategies. In particular, it was found that it was possible to apply strategies which only required
comparatively small investments, but which resulted in sizeable environmental improvements.
Abstract
Improvement of the energy conversion processes efficiency helps achieving more reliable energy
supply, cleaner environment, more competitive businesses and higher living standard.Data from
industry shows that there is a significant potential for efficiency enhancement of steam systems
and minimization of their operating costs by implementing various opportunities and measures.
The present work is a result of a system approach for energy performance analysis and
identification of opportunities for optimizing the steam and condensate system of the combined
heat and power plant ELEM Energetika, located in Skopje, R. N. Macedonia. The boiler plants
provide superheated steam, which is further used (1) for hot water preparation intended for the
local district heating system and (2) as process steam for industrial customers. Since the main
plant operational cost is the one for natural gas consumption, implementing a set of energy
efficiency measures shall lead to its reduction, accompanied with reducing the overall negative
impact on the environment.

As a result of a systems approach analysis a number of energy efficiency opportunities have been
identified. For each of the measures considered, the impact on certain/separate parts of the
system, as well as on the system as a whole, is analyzed using the Steam System Modeler Tool
(SSMT). This paper elaborates only some of the identified opportunities, which are considered
most viable from an operational and practical point of view, focused mostly on the steam
generation for district heating. Based on the conducted analysis, estimated were the energy and
financial savings that shall derive from implementing the elaborated measures, showing
significant potential for improvement.
Abstract
Dry acid gas removal process is key technology to realize highly efficient coal gasification-based
processes. One of the promising options of such process for power generation is integrated coal
gasification combined cycle plant with efficient CO2separation ability that comprised of O2/CO2–
blown gasifier and semi-closed cycle gas turbine. Sulfur control in the plant is established with
the fixed bed reactor process using regenerable honeycomb desulfurization sorbent. Honeycomb
sorbent has advantage in lower pressure drop across the reactor, good gas solid contact to achieve
higher removal efficiency, and durability to the plugging of dust in raw gas. The reactor with
honeycomb type sorbent however requires appropriate design to eliminate flow rate distribution
across the cross section of the sorbent bed. Although baffle structure is usually introduced in the
inlet of the reactor to reduce flow rate distribution, it tends to increase pressure drop due to the
complex structure, which will also increase the manufacturing cost of the reactor. In addition to
that, the proper design of such equipment is relied on to the empirical know how accumulated in
various plant engineering manufacture. In this study, gas flow distribution of reactor with
honeycomb sorbent bed was simulated with computational fluid dynamic modeling.
Computational mesh for the reactor whose geometry is adjusted to the commercial plant was built
as a combination of gas inlet part, inner space of hemispherical head of the reactor, and block of
honeycomb sorbent bed. Several types of baffle plate were designed and installed in that model to
compare the effect of the baffle plate to the flow distribution. It was revealed that the simple baffle
plate is effective in reducing the flow distribution and affordable pressure drop across the plate.
The model is very useful to review the full-scale reactor of the dry desulfurization process prior to
design the reactor and bed structure. This result confirmed that the established simulation model
will applicable to design proper structure of commercial size dry sulfur removal process.
Abstract
Carbon dioxide can be used as feedstock to produce chemicals. It represents a stimulating
defiance to manufacture novel cost-competitive materials with less environmental impact,
besides to investigate new opportunities for catalysts and industrial chemistry. The contribution
of carbon dioxide conversion goes beyond lowering global warming, by reducing fossil resource
depletion or even yielding more benign production pathways. Albeit promising, the literature data
regarding the quantity of energy needed to convert carbon dioxide into chemicals is limited and
narrowed to the most studied processes and products. In order to understand and model the
formation of species using carbon dioxide as raw material, some basic thermodynamic data are
needed. The development of detailed reaction schemes in the field is also scarce. In an effort to
enhance and further complete the database of the products obtained from carbon dioxide, this
study investigates different procedures to estimate the basic thermodynamic properties of the
reactants and products of these reactions. To date various methods have been developed and
introduced to determine the gas-phase standard enthalpies of formation and Gibbs energy.
Among them, group additivity and semi-empirical methods are widely employed due to their
accuracy and effort time for implementation compared to more rigorous methods. Semi-empirical
quantum-chemistry methods were compared with group additivity methods. Available literature
data were used to select the best method for property estimation of the whole set of species,
whereby produced from carbon dioxide. The results of this investigation show that semi-empirical
quantum-chemistry methods revealed to be more accurate for the studied species; additionally,
the method demonstrates robustness in estimating the properties. Together, these results provide
important insights into the thermodynamics of carbon dioxide related products.
Abstract
The energy penalty of solvent regeneration is a barrier for the deployment of chemical absorption
post-combustion carbon capture. Phase-changing absorption solvents have been proposed to
overcome this issue. CO2 absorption triggers phase separation with only the CO2-rich phase
requiring regeneration, potentially reducing energy demand. A systematic review supports the
choice of a set of solvents for experimental investigation, based on economic, process and energy-
related criteria. Until now the selected absorbents were only investigated in laboratory scale. They
need to move from lab to industrial scale to contribute to the global warming mitigation. Three
selected biphasic solvents are selected and tested, to confirm the results reported by its
developers. Solvent A, based on monoethanolamine/1-propanol, was considered the more
suitable one. This blend presented 26% of reduction on the lower (CO2-rich) liquid phase,
compared to the initial volume of fresh solvent. monoethanolamine is the more traditional
chemical absorbent for CO2 capture applications and both components can be considered
standard chemicals (low-cost), which is a remarkable advantage. The viscosity of the CO2-rich
phase of solvent A is 10 mPa.s at 25ºC, which is considered low compared to other candidates.
Solvent B, based on diethylene-triamine and N,N,N’,N”,N”-pentamethyldiethylenetriamine, was
disregarded for further evaluations. It presented only 10% of volume reduction on CO2 rich phase
and prohibitively high viscosity (360 mPa.s at 40ºC). Furthermore, chemical components of this
solvent are considered specialty (high cost). Solvent C, based on N-methylcyclohexylamine and
N,N-dimethylcyclohexylamine, was also disregarded for further tests. Although the costs of its
chemical components are in the same range of monoethanolamine and the CO2-rich liquid phase
presents an acceptable viscosity (58 mPa.s at 25ºC), this blend had an issue. It presented solids
precipitation on the CO2 rich phase, what is a potential source of operational problems on
industrial application. Solvent A was the only one tested on a bench scale screening plant,
designed for absorption and desorption of chemical absorption solvents. This blend presented a
CO2 loading of 2.8 mol/kg on the lower phase, 76% higher than MEA 30%. It is an opportunity to
reduce the energy penalty of carbon capture of CO2 by chemical absorption. The solvent A was
selected to further evaluation on a continuous mode pilot-plant (under construction). Based on
thermodynamic process simulation, the use of the solvent A in replacement of MEA 30% could
result in a decrease of 7.9% on the regeneration energy penalty.
Abstract
To reveal the fuel ignition delay differences among diluent gases, this paper chose C2H4 as ignition
fuel and selected non-reactive gas Ar, He, N2 and reactive gas CO2 four diluent gases to compare
the ignition difference utilizing a shock tube rig. The comparison was conducted in both ignition
delay results and free radical emission signal shape two perspectives. The tested condition
temperature and pressure range is 1074-1832 K and 2 atm. Comparison results show that the
ethylene ignition delay discrepancy was not pronounced between Ar, He and N 2 these non-
reactive dilution gases. In terms of CO2 dilution, a critical CO2 concentration was observed. When
the CO2 concentration was lower than this critical value, no distinguished ignition delay difference
was found. Conversely, the ignition delay measured in CO2 gas ambience is larger than it in Ar,
He and N2 dilution gases when the CO2 concentration was higher than this critical value.
Furthermore, once the CO2 exceeds this critical value, the differences of ignition delay measured
in between CO2 and the other three non-reactive diluent gases are grown larger as the temperature
decrease. Reaction dynamic analysis shows that the CO2 presents a dominant character of heat
effect in low temperature and chemical effect in high temperature, which can be used to interpret
the above phenomenon. In terms of free radical emission signal shape comparison, the non-
reactive dilution gases show no discrepancy among three non-reactive diluent gases. As for the
CO2 diluent ambience, the CH* or OH* emission signal intensity turns smaller and irregular as
the increase of CO2 concentration. The CO2 shows a strong inhibition effect which is closely
related with H radical consumption reaction CO2+H=CO+OH.
Abstract
Particle agglomeration in turbulent flow plays an important role in the formation process of
atmospheric pollution and the control technology of fine particulate matter. In this work, an
experimental platform was built to study the structure characteristics, including geometric size,
row number, spanwise pitch, longitudinal pitch and arrangement, of the vortex generators
affecting the particle agglomeration. The experimental results show that the optimal
agglomeration efficiency in the experiments is about 16.42%. Several agglomeration
morphologies, such as multi-branched particle tree, long strip-shaped particle chain and stacked
particle ball, are observed using the scanning electron microscope in the process of the particle
agglomeration. Moreover, a numerical model, considering the particle agglomeration and
Brownian motion in turbulent flows, was developed to understand the distribution and collision
of the particles in the vortexes. Combined the distributions of the turbulent dissipation rate and
the number of collisions, the results show that the windward boundary layer of the vortex
generator and the longitudinal edge of the vortex are main areas where collision and
agglomeration occur. In addition, the geometric size and the spanwise pitch of the vortex
generators should be as small as possible, while the longitudinal pitch should be kept in a
reasonable range. In the staggered arrangement, the particles tend to form preferential
concentration near the wall of the channel, while the particles are easily deposited on the leeward
sides of the vortex generators for the aligned arrangement.
Abstract
Heat pumps are an energy-efficient technology for heating and cooling. For calculating their
seasonal performance factor (SPF), the measure of how well the heat pump is operating, several
computer programs can be used. Nevertheless, some analysis, especially the ones which are
studying the effect of heat pumps on the power grid, would have more realistic results if the daily
coefficient of performance (COP) would be used.

The objective of this paper is to identify the difference in economic benefits of demand response
analysis of a heat pump using realistic daily COP values and SPF. The performance of an existing
seawater heat pump system was evaluated, studying the measured heating and cooling demands
as well as used electricity, in order to calculate the realistic daily COP of the heat pump.
Furthermore, a demand response analysis was made using the calculated COP and the difference
in the economic benefits of the results compared to a demand response analysis using the SPF
will be analysed. Results show that on the daily basis a big difference in calculated consumed
electrical energy and the costs of it can be noticed, but when looking at the whole year period, the
differences are almost no difference in the results, despite the demand response.
Abstract
District heating is a well-established system for providing energy efficient space and domestic hot
water heating in dwellings in particularly in temperate and cold climate zones. Current 3rd
generation district heating (3GDH) temperature levels are typically in excess of 80°C giving cause
to grid losses typically in excess of 20% while at the same time limiting the possibilities of utilising
excess heat from thermal processes and causing suboptimal efficiencies in heat generation units
including heat pumps and cogeneration of heat and power plants. 4th generation district heating
systems are designed to facilitate the integration between sectors, reduce grid losses and assist
the integration of renewables by working at lower temperatures, which previous studies have
already demonstrated on a general level.

This paper investigates the effects of going from 3GDH to 4GDH for the specific case of Aalborg,
where a 3GDH system has been operating for several. The analyses focus on three elements where
4GDH has an advantage over 3GDH: Reduction in grid losses due to lower temperature difference
between the heat medium and surrounding soil; improved possibility of utilising waste heat from
industrial and service sector processes either directly or through heat pumps and finally effects
on the thermodynamic efficiency of heat generation equipment. The effects of the changes are
simulated in the hourly energy systems analysis model EnergyPLAN.

The analyses indicate that the uptake of waste heat can be increased from 348 GWh direct and
113 GWh indirect via heat pumps with 3GDH to 1023 GWh direct and 180 GWh indirect with
4GDH where the indirect use requires temperature boosting through heat pumps. Grid losses can
be reduced from 21% to 15%. The coefficient of performance of future DH heat pumps can be
increased from 2.9 to 3.9 at the lower temperature levels. Altogether, going from 3GDH to 4GDH
decreases both the primary energy consumption and the costs of the heating supply and the entire
energy system.
Abstract
Grid-edge technology can unlock flexibility from consumers to contribute to meeting the growing
need for flexibility in the European energy systems. Furthermore, power-to-heat technology (e.g.
heat pumps and thermal energy storage) has been shown to both decarbonise heat and enable the
cost-effective integration of more renewable electricity on the grid. The consumer’s reaction to
price signals in this context presents the opportunity to simultaneously unlock operational cost
reductions for consumers and localised implicit demand-side flexibility.

This paper investigates the prediction accuracy, run-time, and reliability of several (meta-
heuristic) optimisation algorithms that are used to derive optimal operation schedules. An
optimisation effectiveness indicator (OEI) is proposed. The minimisation of non-linear, multi-
modal, and discontinuous cost functions was most effectively and robustly achieved using Particle
Swarm Optimisation and Genetic Algorithm. Simulated Annealing and Direct (Pattern) Search
were found to be not effective.
Abstract
The recently released European strategy for a climate neutral economy, stresses the importance
of an integrated energy sector approach. Among other strategic objectives, it points out the
coupling of the power and heating sectors as a means to achieve the energy efficiency and
decarbonisation goals.

This study examines the role of centralized CHP plants in combination with thermal storage and
networks. Despite the steep decarbonisation of the power system most scenarios foresee an
amount of fossil-fuelled thermal power plants by 2050. These plants can operate in a CHP mode
increasing the overall efficiency of the energy sector.

This work assesses the European potential (EU27) of the combined production of power and heat
delivered via thermal networks in a heavily decarbonized future power system. To do so, a pan
European open-source unit commitment and dispatch model, DISPA-SET, is used to evaluate the
feasibility, affordability and technical implications on the power system. Different scenarios are
investigated based on the technical potential thresholds, defined by different levels of heat
demand density, to deploy thermal networks cost-effectively.

The use of CHP plants results into higher overall system efficiency, lower costs and CO2
emissions. However, large utilisation of CHP may hinder the integration of higher renewables
shares and hence impedes full use of their potential. The results suggest that additional flexible
capacity and increased interconnections would be of use.
Abstract
In tropical regions there is a huge potential for solar energy production, but small villages are
often not connected to national electricity grid, local solar power plants with batteries and diesel
generator backups are typically established for serving critical infrastructures only. Solar based
electricity overproduction is offered for households controlled by simple rules. Present paper
proposes an optimization method in the form of P-graphs, which provides preliminary
estimations on optimal periodical energy balances between energy producers, storage, and
consumers of different priorities.

The major result for energy distribution control is the amount of energy delivered to consumers
of different priorities in each time periods, load and fuel need of generators. Latter can help
scheduling fuel transportation as well to avoid fuel and resultant electricity shortages at critical
infrastructures. Preliminary estimations serve parameters for advanced real-time control of
energy distribution aiming additional utilization of renewable energy sources and storages
gaining profit increase and faster return of investment.
Abstract
Smart city represents big potential for sustainable development and growth of economy including
improved quality of citizens' life. Application of new and efficient solutions in the smart city
includes lots of risk because it involves many sources of uncertainties. Characterization and
assessment of uncertainty of variables in planning methodology seems necessary in order to
quantify results uncertainties and to better present the probability of favorable realization
outcome for smart city project.

This work is describing developing methodology to quantify uncertainy for selected conventional
planning methodology for smart city development, focusing on the economic analysis for the
selected segments, e.g.: smart grid development, smart electric transportation solutions. The
main focus is to create method for systematic characterization of parameters uncertainties in
order to identify most critical for model results uncertainty.

Uncertainty of the variables depends on its nature but in general is consisted from stochastic
(random, aleatory, not reducible) and knowledge (epistemic, reducible with improved
understanding) parts. Both uncertainties could be expressed as some range of values or with
defined probability distribution (uniform, normal, triangle, etc.). Some knowledge related
uncertainties could be presented as parameters or scenarios (e.g., share of the capital, optimistic
or pessimistic outcome for usability etc.). This means that uncertainty has to be characterized for
example for the cost of technical components, cost of implementation, dynamic of
implementation (e.g., duration of realization), realization of the planned effects (e.g.,
functionality, efficiency) and acceptances of use of realized smart solutions (e.g., willingness of
citizens to engage, ergonomics and flexibility for different use cases). Determined uncertainties
present input for further analysis with potential that results determine the importance measures
of some variables and their impact on favorable outcome of smart city realization.

Develped methodology will be applied in the future on development of energy efficient solutions
of city of Ludbreg, for example on development of smart grid and electricity related part of smart
solutions in transportations. This would allow for better planning and optimization of the smart
city realization. In order to include uncertainty in smart city planning it is important first to
characterize related uncertainties.
Abstract
District heating systems already play an important role in increasing the sustainability of the
heating sector and decreasing its environmental impact. However, a high share of these systems
are old and inefficient and therefore need to change towards the 4 th generation district heating,
which will incorporate various energy sources, including renewables and excess heat of different
origins. Especially excess heat from industrial and service sector facilities is an interesting source
since its potential has already been proven to be highly significant, with some researches showing
that it could cover the heat demand of the entire residential and service sector in Europe.
However, most analysis of its utilization in district heating are not done on the hourly level,
therefore not taking into account the variability of its availability.

For that reason, the main goal of this work was to analyse the integration of industrial excess heat
into the district heating system consisting of different configurations, including the zero fuel cost
technologies like solar thermal. Furthermore, cogeneration units were a part of every simulated
configuration, providing the link to the power sector. Excess heat was shown to decrease the
operation of peak load boiler and cogeneration, that way decreasing the costs and environmental
effect of the system. However, since its hourly availability differs from the heat demand, thermal
storage needs to be implemented in order to increase the utilization of this source. The analysis
was performed on the hourly level in the energyPRO software.
Abstract
With environmental impact of the heating sector becoming a major issue, it is necessary to
increase the share of sustainable and renewable energy sources used for heat production, that way
reducing the emissions of greenhouse gases and local pollutants. In areas with higher heat
demand densities, district heating systems are the most logical way of achieving these aims,
especially when renewable energy sources or highly efficient cogeneration is used. However,
excess heat from industry is also recognized as a valuable source with the high potential for
utilization. Even though it is not necessary renewable at its source, it would otherwise be wasted
in air or water and therefore it does not emit any additional pollutants. Furthermore it also
increases the economic feasibility of the system due to the low operation and investment costs
and no fuel costs. The main goal of this work is to use the previously developed levelized cost of
excess heat method to evaluate the feasibility of excess heat utilization in a district heating system
which uses different configurations, including a natural gas cogeneration plant. Temperature
levels of the excess heat sources are a crucial parameter, which can significantly affect the overall
feasibility of excess heat utilization in district heating systems. Therefore, these will be taken into
account in the analysis to show changes in levelized cost of excess heat with different temperatures
and the necessary preconditions in order to utilize this type of heat source.
Abstract
The integration of renewable energy sources (RES), such as wind and solar power, indicate for
additional flexibility in the power system, according to their intermittency. RES will play a major
role in reducing the overall green house gas emissions, being a part of a global response to the
threat of climate change. Previous study done for the power system of the Dubrovnik region has
shown the ability of the system to achieve self-sufficiency being 100 % renewable. The results of
the study shown that the self-sufficient power system could be achieved adding the additional
energy storages or additional sources of flexibility in the system. Heat sector stands out with the
great potential in decarbonisation since it has a large share in the final energy consumption.
Previous studies have shown that the power-to-heat technologies may contribute to heat sector
decarbonisation as well as the integration of RES if they are sufficiently flexible. They are also
shown to have good effects on the system costs. In this work we selected one of the power-to-
heat/power-to-cool technologies to satisfy heating and cooling demand of the Old City of
Dubrovnik. Technology used in this work is a seawater source heat pump. The Old City is selected
because of its specific situation. Most of the people in Dubrovnik use air condition to supply their
heating and cooling demand which can also be defined as a power-to-heat/power-to-cool
technology. The problem with the Old City is that a large number of the outdoor units in not well
approved by UNESCO since the Old City is the UNESCO World Heritage Centre. This work will
provide a solution by replacing all air conditions and implementing the seawater source heat
pump that could cover all the heating and cooling demand. We had to collect the data on overall
heating and cooling demands in order to calculate the capacity of the heat pump. The analysis
showed that the seawater source heat pump will provide additional flexibility in the system and
improve the utilization of RES into the power system.
Abstract
While share of intermittent renewable energy sources in a power sector is constantly increasing,
demand response technologies are becoming crucial part of interconnected energy systems.
District heating sector has a great potential of offering such services if power-to-heat technologies
are implemented. Highly efficient compression heat pumps and electrical heaters, in combination
with thermal storage, can effectively transform electrical energy into thermal. This is well-known
method of utilizing low-price electricity from the market. Power-to-heat optimal supply capacities
are rarely studied with respect to different market conditions, especially from the point of view of
multi-objective optimization. This paper shows analysis of an impact of wind production increase
in a power sector on optimal power-to-heat capacities in a local district heating system. In order
to obtain these results, optimization model has been developed by using linear programming. The
model has been created in open-source and free programming language called Julia, while Clp
has been used as a LP solver. The model was tested on a case study of Nord Pool electricity market
and numerical example of a district heating system. The main outcome of this research is how
power-to-heat supply technologies operate in different market conditions and how different
parameters affect optimal power-to-heat capacities.
Abstract
District heating (DH) currently supplies > 20% of the Austrian delivered energy for space

heating and domestic hot water. Project T2LowEx aims to reduce supply and return temperatures
of these networks leading to large energy savings. The work presented here focuses on novel
approaches to detecting faults in heat consumer systems that lead to high return temperatures.

To detect possible faults in DH substations, Gadd and Werner [1] proposed constructing a
‘temperature difference signature’ consisting of a linear model of daily mean temperature
difference (between supply and return) versus daily mean outdoor temperature using data from
substations when they are fault free. Fault boundaries are established at ±3 standard deviations
from this line. Faults are identified where new data points fall outside these boundaries. In
applying this method to data from DH systems in Austria, it was found that many substations
have multiple distinct DT/ambient temperature responses. Typically, these consist of a negative
linear relationship due to space heating demand, and a near constant hot water heating demand.
The method proposed in the original paper mitigates this by disregarding data where mean
outdoor temperature was >10°C, however, this does not work well for customers with higher hot
water demand. The method also requires data from substations that are already known to be fault
free to create the temperature signature, which is difficult to ensure in many cases.

To resolve these issues, it is proposed that a class of unsupervised machine learning techniques,
called clustering algorithms, could be applied to group the data into distinct clusters, which would
be expected to correspond to different load types. A signature can then be constructed based on
one or several of these clusters. Multiple methods were examined; k-Means, Gaussian Mixture
Models and various density-based clustering approaches. k-Means was found to perform poorly
due to its bias towards circular clusters, Gaussian Mixture Models clustering performs well in
identifying linear clusters, although it often over clusters the data. Density based methods such
as DBSCAN appear promising, and allow outliers to be ignored, reducing the risk of pre-existing
faults biasing the signatures, however determining the correct number of clusters is considerably
more complex. This work is ongoing and validation of these techniques using data from the
networks participating in T2LowEx are currently performed.
Abstract
Cost-efficient integration of renewable heat supply represents a challenge for existing district
heating (DH) systems. Heat pumps have been identified as a promising option, but availability of
heat sources remains a question. This paper studies the feasibility of boreholes and exhaust air
heat recovery as distributed heat sources in a residential area forming an energy community. The
area studied is connected to the Helsinki DH system and consists of 16 residential buildings with
an average annual heat demand of 5.6 GWh. The capacities of heat pumps utilising the heat
sources, in addition to rooftop photovoltaics and solar collectors, are optimised in an energy
system with heat supply consisting of own production and purchased DH. System was allowed to
invest in both building specific systems and in a local ground source heat pump supplying all the
buildings in the area. Share of DH in heat supply was decreased gradually to analyse the effects of
increasing the residential self-sufficiency. Surplus heat produced in buildings can be transferred
through the network to other buildings or can be sold to the main DH network. Temperature
dependency of heat pump efficiencies when producing heating, domestic hot water or district
heating were taken into account. Solar output calculation is based on local weather data. Space
heating and domestic hot water heat demand of the buildings are based on measurement data.
Optimisation is carried out both for current and low (65 °C supply) DH temperature levels. The
results are based on two different model years, in terms of heating demand and electricity prices,
2015 and 2018. Limiting DH supply increases building based ground heat pump production,
however, with low shares of DH, production of centralised ground heat pump in cooperation with
centralised heat storage increases. In the 2018 case, heat pump production in buildings reaches
85% share (77% in 2015) of system heat supply. Also, building based investment in photovoltaics
based electricity generation and heat storage increases. With marginal cost based price curve of
sold DH, volumes of sold surplus heat into DH network were marginal in all cases. The results
indicate that the cost increases due to limiting DH supply into the area and investing in distributed
heat pump based heat supply are modest. However, completely removing the areal DH network
increases the total costs considerably, 22-37% (compared to 0% and 100% DH share cases) in
2015 and 15-43% in 2018.
Abstract
Biomass co-firing in coal power plants is an immediate and practical approach to reduce coal
usage and pollutant emissions because only minor modifications are required. With direct co-
firing, biomass can be used directly as secondary fuel in power plants to partially displace coal.
The solid biochar by-product can be used as soil fertilizer to achieve further reductions in GHG
emissions through carbon sequestration. However, as this calls for a separate biomass energy
conversion plant, its investment cost is higher. Moreover, this system faces uncertainties from the
inherent variability in biomass quality. This must be accounted for because mixing fuels results
in the blending of their properties. Biomass co-firing in coal power plants is an immediate and
practical approach to reduce coal usage and pollutant emissions because only minor
modifications are required. With direct co-firing, biomass can be used directly as secondary fuel
in power plants to partially displace coal. Although it requires minimal investments, it can lead to
equipment corrosion from unconventional fuel properties of the biomass-coal blend. With
indirect co-firing, the risk of damage is minimized by separately processing biomass. The solid
biochar by-product can be used as soil fertilizer to achieve further reductions in GHG emissions
through carbon sequestration. However, as this calls for a separate biomass energy conversion
plant, its investment cost is higher. Moreover, this system faces uncertainties from the inherent
variability in biomass quality. This must be accounted for because mixing fuels results in the
blending of their properties. A multi-objective mixed integer non-linear robust optimization
model for a biomass co-firing network integrating biomass property uncertainty with investment,
transportation and production planning is formulated and validated. The robust optimization
model produces solutions that are robust against uncertainty in biomass quality, while satisfying
cost and emissions target parameters. This approach allows the decision maker to select among
non-dominated solutions based on how much risk or uncertainty they are willing to tolerate.
Computational experiments reveal that biomass and coal blend ratios should be managed
carefully to reach acceptable fuel properties. When improperly managed, it can negatively impact
conversion yield and equipment life, which leads to increased costs and emissions because more
fuel, capacity expansions, and repairs would have to be performed to satisfy demand.
Furthermore, less efficiency loss despite unsuitable feedstock properties encourage the model to
use more biomass to replace coal because it will not negatively impact costs and would decrease
pollutant emissions. Analysis also shows that pre-treatment facilities are prioritized depending
on the effectiveness in improving properties that the biomass input violate the most based on
power plant system requirements.
Abstract
The main objective of this paper is the study of conceptual settings and comparison of reliability
of the two energy security indices widely used: The Energy Trilemma Index (developed by World
Energy Council) and the International Index of Energy Security Risk (developed by the U.S.
Chamber of Commerce). Analysis of reliability of the decision-making support tools is a very
important, but often neglected step in the process of energy policy conceptualization and
implementation. Reliability of the two chosen indicators is analyzed by using Cronbach`s Alpha
test. The result of this study shows that the Energy Trilemma Index reliability is at the very low
level (Cronbach`s Alpha is 0.694, slightly above limit of 0.600). At the same time, reliability of
the International Index of Energy Security Risk is higher (0.953). The paper comprises detailed
data processing, comments on the results obtained and recommendation for the improvements.
Based on the results, it can be concluded that the International Index of Energy Security Risk is
significantly more reliable, which certainly speaks in favor of the fact that it is conceived better.
Having in mind the above, it is possible to recommend broader use of the International Index of
Energy Security Risk (currently monitored only in 25 OECD countries); as for the Energy
Trilemma Index, it is recommended to re-examine the very concept.
Abstract
Transport represents an extensive industry, indicating of 6 % global gross domestic product and
5 % the European Union's. Transport bring an additional added value to the gross domestic
product as an integral part of several industries and sectors. Thus, transport as an important
sector requires an in-depth discussion on research, development and future trends, especially
those related to the environmental issues. This paper focuses on the transport life cycle
assessment studies to identify the compliance with the existing life cycle assessment methodology.
Furthermore, a quantitative content analysis was carried out to identify and assess the existing
research areas and future trends within transport oriented life cycle assessment studies, where
results are represented via concept maps, giving a comprehensive review of the life cycle
assessment research in the transport related sectors.
Abstract
In recent years there has been a great movement towards the generation of knowledge related to
the biorefinery concept. First-generation biorefineries bear the stigma of using arable land and
edible crops for fuel rather than as sources of food and feed. However, second-generation
biorefineries have not reached the level of full technical feasibility. Bearing in mind the target of
sugar production from sugar, starch or lignocellulosic raw materials, the purpose of this study is
to assess the environmental impact of first and second-generation biorefineries, considering as
an example for the comparative evaluation, the production of sugar fractions from crops (maize,
sugar beet, wheat) and biomass (hardwood). Characterization results were obtained through the
ReCiPe 1.1 model, implemented through the SimaPro 9.1 software. Both production systems are
inherently different and have strengths and weaknesses that need to be carefully analysed. The
resulting environmental profile shows that the production of hardwood chips contributes less to
the environmental impact than crops in most impact categories. In general, this study suggests
that first-generation systems are burdened environmentally by the use of fertilizers, which has a
significant impact on categories such as marine and freshwater eutrophication and terrestrial
acidification. Having the focus of LCA be on the upstream of systems for the production of bio-
based building blocks, rather than on the manufacture of biofuels or bioplastics, allows to
precisely identify which are the environmental burdens in fractionation and pre-treatment
technologies may be influencing the overall environmental profile of a biorefinery.
Abstract
With increasing environmental concerns, sustainability must be assured in designing new
processes. It encompasses multiple criteria that often point to opposite directions demanding
objective and systematic procedures for assessing performance quantitatively, to be embodied in
algorithmic process design procedures. Hence, application of metrics and indicators to measure
the level of sustainability may contribute to straightforward unbiased results. The Sustainable
Process Systems Engineering (S-PSE) method fulfills that gap of composite-index methods for
sustainability assessment at process systems engineering level targeting on performance
quantification and ranking of alternatives. The method is a hierarchical approach composed of
two levels. The first-level preliminarily evaluates alternative production pathways to select the
most sustainable plant-wide configuration in terms of environment, energy efficiency, material
efficiency, health and safety, and economy. The second-level appoint sustainability hotspots
within unit-operations. S-PSE interlinks the application of process technology-specific indicators
with aggregation procedures to put forth a highly relevant gate-to-gate sustainability composite-
index. This work applies S-PSE method to evaluate and compare the sustainability of two plants
producing ethylene oxide from alternative technologies: a conventional and an innovative process
employing a supersonic separator to enhance ethylene oxide recovery. Due to the supersonic
separator geometry, comprising a convergent-divergent nozzle, ethylene oxide can be condensed
and recovered in the purification stage, almost free from impurities. Both plants apply carbon
capture to reduce the amount of greenhouse gases emitted, recovering a highly pure stream of
CO2. The alternative comprising supersonic separator increases ethylene oxide recovery by 40
kg/h, being the option with best environmental, social (health and safety) and economic
performance. Ethylene oxidation reaction, cooling water tower and cooling tower air-blower are
the main unit-operations with sustainability hotspots. Reaction drawbacks are associated with
environmental, health and safety impacts, and the cooling water tower and air-blower are the
most material-intensive. The case study clearly demonstrates coordination of computer-aided
design tools (Aspen Hysys, Excel and Matlab) to sustainable process design.
Abstract
The objective of this study was to develop a model using the System Dynamics approach to
simulate actions that could have been applied concerning the water crisis (2012-2017) in small
towns in Brazil’s semi-arid northeastern region. The developed model considers the variability in
water demand and supply under a variety of scenarios, considering population growth and
demand management strategies, such as conservation and water pricing. First, we present a
conceptual model for integrating water supply and demand. Based on this, we build a System
Dynamics model to simulate and analyse the dynamics of water resource over time. The results
show that with the implementation of the combined scenario (Loss Control and Scarcity-based
Tariff), the cities supplied by the reservoir Epitacio Pessoa would have greater water security
caused by the efficiency of the scarcity tariff in reducing consumption and generating revenue for
investments in loss control.
Abstract
The transition of entirely coal-based energy system towards one focused on maximum share of
renewables presents a challenge that requires changing the energy system infrastructure and
integrating new technologies within the heating, cooling, electricity and transport sectors. The
goal of this work is to identify the influence which utilization of district heating systems coupled
with the power to heat technologies based on the flexible operation of coal-based power plants
and limited electricity system interconnections can have on the maximum integration of variable
renewables. An hourly deterministic programming tool EnergyPLAN will be used for simulation
of Kosovo energy system. Sensitivity analysis of increased district heating demands will be used
to create input data in Energy Plan for analyzing the effect that the expansion of district heating
systems and power to heat technologies can have in increasing renewable energy penetration into
coal-based power systems. Results obtained from simulations will show the role which district
heating systems, electricity interconnections and flexibility of coal power plants can have on
increasing the ability of a coal-based energy system to integrate variable renewable energy
sources.
Abstract
Enhanced Oil Recovery is a growing short-term solution to global carbon dioxideissues that
provides economic benefits such as increased well productivity and total oil recovered. Increased
carbon injection is bound to negatively affect product quality after breakthrough occurs. As
carbon dioxide concentration in produced gas rises, ever more stringent processing conditions
will be needed to fully remove undesired components. To avoid full technological overhauls,
processing flexibility becomes paramount to maintain process economics and long-term
efficiency. Supersonic Separators appear as a novel gas processing technology with high flexibility
to variable carbon dioxide concentrations without performance loss. When used in conjunction
with a decarbonation Membrane Permeation process, the system can withstand variable carbon
content overtime with improved energy efficiency but a worse quality product gas. Process
simulations are used to compare natural gas treatment options, using uniquely developed HYSYS-
based unit extensions to represent the supersonic and membrane units.
Abstract
Biodiesel is a notable biofuel due to its physical-chemical similarities with diesel and its
advantages such as high flash point, biodegradability, and renewability. Although it is considered
a greener fuel alternative, sustainability of its production process is influenced by the biomass
employed as feedstock – a wide variety of biomasses, such as edible, non-edible, microalgae and
waste oils. To comparatively evaluate sustainability of alternative feedstocks, a standard
procedure is required. Quantitative indicators can provide an unbiased picture of the process level
of sustainability and allow ranking of process alternatives. The focus of this work is the screening
of an initial set of 139 indicators – the extended set – for sustainability assessment of biodiesel
production process from different biomass feedstocks and, via principal component analysis,
identify a reduced set able to discriminate sustainability of process alternatives. Principal
Component Analysis is a multivariate statistical method that can extract the essential information
that a large set of results hold. The extended set comprises four dimensions: environmental,
process efficiency, energy, and economic. Four process configurations are simulated in Aspen
Hysys, diverging from employed feedstock: soybean oil, palm oil, microalgae oil, and waste
cooking oil. A unique composite indicator using additive aggregation technique is proposed for
the four analyzed dimensions to allow process ranking. Calculations are performed using four
computer-aided design (CAD) tools (Aspen HYSYS process simulator, Aspen Process Economic
Analyzer, Excel, and MATLAB), including automatic communication using a programming
language to avoid mistakes in data transfer among CAD tools. Results show that 35 indicators can
represent the extended set. Soybean oil is the best feedstock in the dimension efficiency, palm oil
in energy, and waste cooking oil in environmental and economic dimensions. Microalgae oil is the
worst scenario in all dimensions.
Abstract
Flexible, portable, wearable, and stretchable electronic devices have gained enormous popularity
in recent years. Many efforts have been made to develop safe, lightweight and flexible batteries to
meet the urgent need for flexible/wearable electronics. However, these widespread and long-term
applications still require better flexible batteries in terms of performance, safety and cost, which
can be achieved by better utilization of electrode materials and/or an optimized design of battery
configurations.

In this study, we prepare β-Na0.33V2O5 free-standing electrode for high electrochemical

properties flexible lithium batteries. β-Na0.33V2O5 possesses a larger interlayer distance, a higher
lithium diffusion coefficient as well as reduced interaction between the interlayer cations.
Moreover, the volume change of β-Na0.33V2O5 during the insertion/extraction processes is
smaller. Therefore, β-Na0.33V2O5 has the promise to show better cyclic performance and rate
capability with 234 mAh g-1.
Abstract
Latent heat storage is an advanced technique which always arouses much concern. The heat
transfer enhancement of phase change martial is the primary concern of promoting the energy
storage efficiency. Researches have proved that adding fins to extend heat transfer surface is an
effective way to enhance the thermal performance. This present study mainly focuses on
investigating the effect of fin position on the thermal performance inside the horizontal cylinder
unit. The fin is respectively put on the top, in the middle and on the bottom of the cylinder. The
enthalpy based lattice Boltzmann method, coupled with curved boundary is adopted to solve the
velocity and temperature field. Results indicate that fins at any position could both largely
promote the melting efficiency and the energy storage efficiency. The melting volume fraction is
almost the same when the fin is put on different positions. However, the dimensionless time spent
for completely melting of the phase change martial inside the cylinder is a little different. It is the
shortest when the fin is put in the middle, due to that the existence of the fin enhances the flow
around the un-melted region. When the fin is put on the bottom, the average temperature is
almost always higher than other cases, for that this kind of configuration could help the phase
change martial absorb more energy.
Abstract
The growing global concern about climate change is pushing all countries to plan energy policies
targeted to ever less environmental impact. In this context, the European Union has set very
ambitious goals for 2030. Various scenarios were built and designed to achieve these 2030 targets
in Europe and in Italy; in these scenarios the member states plan to increase renewable energy
penetration and to improve energy efficiency, but these targets require many investments.

In this paper different scenarios proposed for Italy, derived from European Union elaborations
(EUCO) and the National Energy Strategy (NES), are analysed comparatively with the aim of
quantifying the economic burden associated with the expected reduction of CO2 emissions. In the
light of the costs calculated, this paper will propose other alternative configurations of the
electricity sector, equally virtuous in environmental terms, but less impacting to economic level.

Results show that the complete elimination of coal, as provided for by NES, is not as beneficial as
other scenarios; however, it is clear that the key parameter for granting favourable performances
is energy efficiency, in a way in which both renewable and non-renewable sources are used
achieving the highest environmental objectives at the lowest cost.
Abstract
This paper presents a control system design methodology for the drill-string rotary drive and
draw-works hoist system aimed at their coordinated control for the purpose of establishing a fully-
automated mechatronic system suitable for geothermal drilling applications. Both the drill-string
rotary drive and the draw-works hoist drive are equipped with proportional-integral (PI) speed
controllers, which are readily available within modern controlled electrical drives. Moreover, the
rotary speed control system is equipped with drill-string back-spinning prevention scheme for the
case of stuck tool scenario, whereas the draw-works-based tool normal force control system is
extended with the auxiliary control system aimed at timely prevention of the drill-string torsional
overload. The design of proposed control systems has been based on suitable control-oriented
process models and so-called damping optimum criterion which guarantees a desired level of
closed-loop system damping. The functionality of the proposed cross-axis control system has been
verified by means of simulations, augmented by additional testing of individual rotary/draw-
works control systems on a downscaled laboratory experimental setup.
Abstract
High-rise buildings were initially built to help resolve problems in relation to demands in terms
of the rise of populations within large cities and as a solution to prevent greater use of land within
urban areas. With the development of progressively more high-rise buildings, it contradicts with
the idea of allowing more space within urban areas for open green spaces. Skycourts are designed
to solve problems of green space shortages within urban areas providing social and environmental
benefits to the urban habitat and to reduce the negative effects and consequences developed from
high-rise buildings. Investigation into skycourt is necessary to improve features in terms of space
usages and occupant satisfaction. The motivation for this study arises from the need of in-depth
study in skycourt to identify whether this is a potential solution to resolve issues within high-rise
buildings. Due to the limitations in number of existing skycourts and the unpopularity of these
relevant to wind and thermal comfort problems, this would become a significant finding used to
enhance new skycourt. The aim of this study is to analyse the wind and thermal conditions in
skycourt regions of a high-rise building to seek an optimum design that achieves comfort
conditions and to enable them to perform various activities within these regions. Also, to seek
whether the implementation of skycourt regions can provide a new strategy to reduce energy in
high-rise buildings through methods of passive cooling. Analysis was carried out using
Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) to investigate conditions within skycourt regions and
optimise designs. The model was validated with data from experimental tests and a good
agreement was observed. Skycourt design studied includes a cuboid shaped building with full and
partial skycourt regions and also a skycourt within a cylindrical shaped building. A total of four
skycourt regions were implemented across a height of 184m building. Results indicated that wind
comfort quality class C (>5.3m/s) and below can be easily achieved within all investigated designs.
For the design with a cylindrical shaped skycourt, it should be noted that the worst comfort
criteria were reached; with results as low as a quality class E (>15.1m/s) for most regions indicates
the areas to be unsafe and as reasons to why most skycourt design building should be cuboid and
not cylindrical. A wind factor was also developed to estimate the comfort criteria at any skycourt
level. The results here can produce essential guidelines that can be fed into skycourt design
requirements and as potential solution to improve the performance of high-rise buildings.
Abstract
The Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect is a phenomenon whereby urban areas become warmer than
their surrounding rural areas, due to the replacement of vegetation and soil with building
surfaces. These increased urban temperatures lead to increased energy demand for cooling
buildings, elevated emissions of air pollutants and GHG, compromised health (overheating) and
thermal discomfort. However, these temperatures can be used to heat water flowing through a
buried copper pipe. In this way, Road Pavement Solar Collector (RPSC) systems collects thermal
energy which used to meet increased energy demands and reduce UHI effect. The aim of this work
is to determine the best areas to locate RPSC systems for reducing surface temperature and
thermal energy collection. An urban area Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) model using the
code FLUENT 18 was developed and validated using the surface temperatures of Coates Roads
area, University Park campus at the University of Nottingham. Discrete Ordinate (DO) model and
Solar Ray Tracing were utilised in order to include the effect of solar radiation in the 3D
simulation. The validation of the CFD simulations of the urban surface temperatures were
measured in the summer of July 2018. The measurements were performed on the day with a
combination of high temperature, low winds and high solar radiation between 1230H to 1515H. A
forward looking infrared thermal imaging camera was used to measure urban surface
temperatures. An RPSC system CFD model was also developed and validated with laboratory test
data. The RPSC prototype consisted of a pre-fabricated box inserted with spiral copper tubing of
8 mm diameter and filled up with asphalt mixture. The asphalt was subjected to solar loads to
simulate daytime conditions in which the surface temperature reached as high as 353K (80 deg
C). Water was pumped through the piping at a flowrate of 160 l/hr. Temperatures were measured
in the piping inlet, outlet and in three locations (top, mid and bottom) in the asphalt slab to assess
the RPSC performance in terms of surface temperature reduction and potential thermal
collection. The near surface temperature of the asphalt slab was reduced by up to 10K. The outlet
water temperature increased by 2K at the same period. This study further expands the
investigation of optimising the system based on four tested parameters (pipe diameter, pipe
depth, water velocity and water temperature) comparing the system performance. This shows that
the proposed RPSC on a larger scale, shows significant potential in reducing the UHI effect and
in providing water heating for domestic or industrial use.
Abstract
Electricity generation worldwide is still based on large plants located far away from consumer
centers. However, a new the distributed generation (DG) model is emerging in several countries,
where the consumer produces his own energy (prosumer) near to the point of consumption which
gives autonomy, flexibility and freedom to the users of the electricity sector. In Brazil, solar
photovoltaic (PV) is the DG technology predominantly used. Thus, the main objectives of this
paper are to present the evolution of DG in Brazil and its current legislation and to critically
comment the DG legal framework, its scenarios, opportunities and risks in the DG market. The
methodology adopted was the literature review and analysis of the Brazilian DG regulatory
framework. The results obtained showed the growth of the DG market in Brazil, the divergence of
interests between energy distribution companies and prosumers and the existence of six scenarios
for DG which in five of them the current benefits of the prosumers will be reduced.
Abstract
The flow field in packed beds is rather complex and is of great importance since it will influence
macroscopic parameters and the overall performance of the packed bed system. Plug flow, which
means the flow field is evenly distributed, is good for the overall performance of packed beds,
however, the varying local pore structures in packed beds make the flow maldistributed and
deviated from the ideal plug flow. Structured packed beds have been proved to have better overall
heat transfer performance than the traditional randomly packed beds. And a kind of grille-sphere
composite packed bed (GSCPB) could promote the overall heat transfer performance further
compared to the simple cubic (SC) packing, one of the structured packed beds. The present paper
mainly focuses on the flow fields and flow inhomogeneities in the GSCPB and the SC packing.
Velocity deviation in the cross sections along the flow direction is calculated and residence time
distribution (RTD) is studied with ANSYS FLUENT. Results show that, firstly, the variation of the
average velocity in the flow direction in both configurations are the same, however, the velocity
deviation in the GSCPB is smaller than the SC packing, indicating that the grille wall could makes
the flow field more uniform and therefore closer to the plug flow. Secondly, as the fluid flows, the
flow maldistribution in the radial direction makes the RTD curve wider and lower. Thirdly, at the
same axial position, the RTD curves of GSCPB is thinner and taller than the SC packing which
reveals that the flow in GSCPB is closer to the ideal plug flow.
Abstract
The present study will analyse the energy and thermal comfort performance of a personal comfort
system, a heating chair for open plan type office using building energy simulation. The study
carried out a review of the recent works on heating, cooling and ventilation chairs and highlighted
the research gaps. A narrow open plan office building in London with a 1536 m2 floor area with a
height of 10.5m is modelled for the present study. The results were validated with data from the
literature and good agreement was observed between the annual simulation results for heating
energy demand (9.7% error). Three cases were simulated; standard office chair with the zone
thermostat maintained at 22ºC, standard office chair with the zone thermostat adjusted between
16-20ºC and thermal chair with the zone thermostat adjusted between 16-20ºC. The adjustment
of the thermostat set point reduced the heating load by 22.9% at 20ºC, 41.1% at 18ºC, 57.9% at
16ºC, which is in line with previous studies i.e. 10% per ºC set point adjustment. The consumption
of the thermal chair was relatively low. It was around 8.5% of the week heating load at 20ºC set
point, 11% at 18ºC set point and 15.5% at 16ºC set point. Further research is recommended to
focus on carrying out further field studies to further validate the results of the simulations and
carry out economic analysis of the thermal chair.
Abstract
Buildings account for up to 50% of energy consumption in many regions and HVAC systems
consume half of that energy. With different parts of the world facing the consequences of global
warming, it is becoming more crucial than ever to make informed decisions on energy use and
associated CO2 emissions. Passive cooling strategies can provide a significant reduction in energy
use in buildings. This particularly applies to high density regions like megacities where each
square foot of building stock can greatly impact the global CO2 emissions. While existing
megacities mostly require retrofitting these systems to current buildings, studying upcoming
megacities gives the opportunity to implement the best practices to the new buildings during their
design phase. This work uses a reference Building Energy Simulation (BES) model created by the
U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to simulate and quantify the energy saving potential of passive
and low-energy strategies in the top upcoming megacities in the world including Hyderabad,
Bogota, Johannesburg, Bangkok and Chengdu. The study will also look into the impact of various
passive strategies on thermal comfort and indoor air quality. The geometry thus chosen was that
of a typical medium-size office building as specified by the U.S. DOE which represents realistic
building characteristics and construction practices. The study showed that while shading can
reduce cooling loads and subsequently energy consumption in all cities, natural ventilation was
not able to provide similar results everywhere. In cities like Bangkok with very hot and humid
weather throughout the year, natural ventilation only made the interior conditions worse.
Meanwhile cities like Bogota with temperate climate and very little seasonal variation in
temperature were ideal for natural ventilation-induced energy-saving. The use of appropriate
materials was also conducted which involved a comparison of a several sets of material properties
to find the optimum set for the city. The results showed that for the IECC 2009 recommended
values may need to be updated, especially for very hot humid type climate, by considering the
differences in energy consumption and thermal comfort during occupied hours and unoccupied
hours and daytime versus night time. The analysis and data presented her can pave way to further
detailed study which can help provide guidelines for designing and planning buildings and cities.
Expanding on the study done here to more cities and using more strategies/combining and trying
several permutations and combinations of strategies would lead to results which can make
immense change in the way we view building design and planning.
Abstract
The utilization of biomass in grate boilers is one source of stationary particulate matter emissions.
The emissions and characteristics of particulate matters from a 30 MW biomass-fired power plant
equipped with fabric filter were investigated. The boiler is stoker-fired with a water cooled
vibration grate with a duration of 210 s vibrations every 13 min. The fine particles were sampled
by a Dekati low-pressure impactor and analyzed by a scanning electron microscopy equipped with
energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry. PM2.5 and PM10 were collected on the quartz filters to
determine the water-soluble ions by ion chromatography, and to determine the organic-carbon
(OC) and element-carbon (EC) contents by a thermal-optical method with a carbon analyzer
system. Results show that the particle size distribution of PM 10 at the inlet of fabric filter from the
combustion of blended feedstocks (50% bark, 30% capsicum stalks and 20% straw stalks) is
bimodal, while that of dry bark feedstocks (80% bark and 20% straw stalks) is essentially
unimodal with negligible PM1.0~10. The combustion of blended fuels generates higher PM1.0 yields
than that of dry bark feedstocks. Elemental analysis shows that PM 1.0 in all cases mainly consist
of potassium, chlorine, and sulfur, while the higher chlorine but lower sulfur contents are
observed in PM1.0 from blended fuels compared with that from bark feedstocks. The vibrating
operation of grate furnace reduces PM1.0 emission as well as the sulfur content in particulate
matter emissions. Ion chromatography results show that SO42- and Cl- are the two most abundant
water-soluble anions in particulate matters, while the water-soluble cations are richest in K+ with
considerable content of Ca2+, Mg2+, Na+ and NH4+. The contribution of particulate OC/EC in
PM2.5/PM10 is in the range of 1~3%, indicating the high combustion efficiencies and the low
OC/EC emissions of biomass-fired grate furnaces. The measuring result at the outlet of bag filter
shows that the bag filter is efficient to remove the particulate matters from biomass combustion,
resulting in an ultra-low PM10 emission of about 2.0 mg/Nm3.
Abstract
To provide better insulation of a building it is necessary to achieve equilibrium of three types of
relative humidity: indoor humidity, humidity in walls and outdoor humidity. Equilibrium relative
humidity is a form of steady state heat and mass transport through building insulation system.
However, it is difficult to achieve equilibrium relative humidity because outdoor relative humidity
is constantly changing and because of transient behavior of buildings. So this transient outdoor
relative humidity has influence on relative humidity in walls, indoor humidity and heat transport
through walls. High relative humidity can cause surface condensation. The paper analyzes how
climate change (outdoor relative humidity and dew point temperature) influence on surface
condensation. There were made comparison between climate conditions in Belgrade based on
TMY3 and meteorological year April 2015 - April 2016. As a result there was obtained difference
in sorption/desorption isotherm of typical building materials that are installed in Belgrade
residential area.
Abstract
Ultra-low emission technology is widely used in coal-fired power plants in China to reduce
pollutant emission. In this work, severe ash deposits on the surfaces of induced draft fan and the
second-stage low-temperature economiser were found in a 1000-MW coal-fired power plant with
ultra-low emission. Ash samples were collected and then analysed in detail to reveal the pathway
of sulfate formation and the underlying causes for these deposits. The results show that the
deposits were mainly composed of tschermigite, letovicite, calcium sulfate and quartz.
Tschermigite as the main coating component greatly enhance the deposition propensity of ash
particles. Ammonium-containing sulfate formation was mainly attributed to high concentration
of ammonia slip and sulfur acid vapor. The lower design temperature at the inlet of electrostatic
precipitator promoted the formation of more sulfuric acid mist. Most of the sulfuric acid mist
condensed on fine particles in electrostatic precipitator but escaped to the downstream flue gas
was one of the most important causes for inducing the severe deposits. For the unit equipped the
selective catalytic reduction system and the electrostatic precipitator with two-stage low-
temperature economiser, the flue gas temperature at the inlet of electrostatic precipitator should
be higher than the acid dew point, and it is suggested to real-time monitoring ammonia slip and
sulfur trioxide concentration.
Abstract
Multiple-Chillers systems represent viable solutions for medium/large-scale air conditioning
applications. In these systems, however, design and energy savings are highly affected by the
configuration and operation strategies adopted. For instance, when considering multiple chillers
of same size, “symmetric” or “sequential” load sharing strategies are two viable options.
Conversely, when considering chillers of different sizes, a wide combination of chillers cooling
capacities may be adopted. It is apparent that an integrated analysis of the design and operation
of these systems should be carried out in order to achieve profitable energy saving. With this
respect, Exergoeconomics, which rests on exergy as a rational basis for cost allocation, could
provide a support for energy analysts. In fact, by means of the exergoeconomic cost both design
and operative aspects are accounted for during the analysis of any energy conversion system.

In this paper, a multiple-chillers system serving a large office located in the Palermo was
considered as a case study. In particular, the following options were investigated: (i) multiple air-
cooled chillers of same size operated according to a “sequential” and “symmetric” load sharing
strategies (ii) multiple air-cooled chillers of different sizes. To this aim, an ad-hoc model was
developed in Engineering Equation Solver which accounted for the effect of outdoor conditions
and the off-design performances of the chillers. In the first part of this analysis, two load sharing
strategies were compared for equally-sized multiple-chillers system. In this case, results allowed
to recognize the relative incidence of capital and operating costs on the unit cost of chilled water
produced. Also, in order to account for environmental impacts, exergoenvironmental cost profile
were drawn for both the investigated strategies. In the last part, different design alternatives were
compared for unevenly-sized parallel multiple-chillers systems. Daily and yearly results are duly
presented. Exergoeconomic and exergoenvironmental unit costs results allowed to select the best
performing alternative among the proposed ones.
Abstract
Peer-to-peer (P2P) energy trading in the distributed energy generation (DEG) system is now in
the spotlight as a new energy market paradigm owing to cost-environmental advantages that are
superior to conventional central energy generation (CEG) systems. To optimize the DEG system
performance, optimal renewable energy generators (e.g., photovoltaic panel, wind turbine, fuel
cell, etc.) should be applied to the system considering its environment and conditions. The fuel
cell, in particular, is one of the valuable renewable energy generators for P2P energy trading,
because unlike other renewable energies (e.g., solar, wind, etc.), it can supply both heat and
electricity and generate constant energy regardless of the weather. However, due to the relatively
high initial investment costs for fuel cells and the lack of supporting policy, the profitability of
energy prosumers is not guaranteed and fuel cells for DEG systems are not commercialized in
Korea. Therefore, to properly commercialize and activate DEG systems with the fuel cell for P2P
energy trading in the future, this paper proposed a comprehensive strategy (i.e., subsidy and
energy trading price) to ensure the profitability of energy prosumers and consumers who are the
main participants in P2P energy trading. The strategy calls for the following three steps: (i)
determining the proper subsidies through comparative analysis of environmental performance
between the DEG system with the fuel cell and CEG system using fossil fuels; (ii) determining the
proper energy trading prices, which ensure the profitability of energy prosumers and consumers,
through life cycle cost (LCC) analysis according to determined subsidies; and (iii) optimizing the
subsidies and energy trading prices of DEG systems with the fuel cell considering both energy
prosumers and consumers in P2P energy trading. The resulting proposal is for the optimal
activation strategy of DEG systems with fuel cells by guaranteeing the profitability of energy
prosumers and consumers in P2P energy trading. In addition, renewable energy generators
including fuel cells can be successfully applied to DEG systems for P2P energy trading by
satisfying the profitability of energy prosumers and consumers in the future energy market.
Abstract
In its 2018 Global Risks Report, the World Economic Forum (WEF) stresses the need to address
simultaneously major global challenges concerning social instability on the one hand and the
increasing use of interdependent basic natural resources, i.e. food, energy, water (FEW-Nexus),
on the other. Analysing real income distribution and FEW-Nexus related consumption
expenditures reveals a social inequality in many democratic societies. Inequality touches the core
of liberal democracies because their constitutions guarantee equality of all citizens. However, the
efficiency of liberal market forces resulted in economic inequality, which can be characterized as
a trade-off between equality and efficiency. This paper addresses the issue of social inequality by
comparing German household data from 2008 and 2013. In order to account for different societal
attitudes towards social inequality the epsilon parameter of the Atkinson Index is used. This
parameter enables us to quantify the trade-off between constitutional requirements of individual
equality and unequal outcomes of current efficient liberal market forces. The disaggregated
consumption data sets used in this analysis are provided by the German household expenditure
survey (EVS) and offer information about economic life and consumer behaviour of private
households. Additionally, the data sets reveal social conditions and the socio-economic
development of the German population. Five household groups were selected for the cross section
analysis comparing the social conditions of 2008 and 2013: self-employed households, public
servant households, white-collar and blue-collar worker households, unemployed households and
retiree households. Our impact assessment model, firstly, delivers data for a direct assessment of
global risks over time (2008-2013) and a normative assessment considering different attitudes of
households towards inequality. Secondly, the analysis offers a valuable data background for
designing a new contract reconciling social equality and economic efficiency. These results
support German institutions in developing measures implementing a new social contract to meet
the global challenges in Germany.
Abstract
To achieve the objectives of keeping the global temperature increase well below 2°C and pursue
efforts to limit it to 1.5°C, as agreed upon in the Paris Agreement, additional mitigation efforts are
required by emerging and even developing countries. This paper examines the status and
implementation progress of the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) of ten countries
Germany works closely with on climate change issues: Colombia, Ethiopia, Georgia, Indonesia,
Iran, Kenya, Marshall Islands, Morocco, Peru, and Viet Nam. Furthermore, it points to additional
mitigation potentials in selected fields of action of each country which could allow countries to go
beyond current NDCs. To realise these potentials, however, international support may be
necessary. Finally, this paper identifies seven areas with potentials for further mitigation in
multiple countries:

 Accelerating the deployment of renewables-based electricity, especially non-hydro,

 Increasing energy efficiency in demand sectors

 Shifting to low-carbon transportation,

 Implementing low-carbon agriculture,

 Decreasing deforestation and/or implementing sustainable forest management and

agroforestry practices,

 Decreasing direct and process emissions from oil and gas production and industry, and

 Reducing methane emissions from waste processing.

These areas could be used as a point of orientation for policy makers in other countries to
achieve additional mitigation, despite different national contexts. The paper also points to
existing barriers to implement the measures, and provides an overview of the positive local
benefits the measure have beyond addressing the global challenge of climate change.
Abstract
Urban sprawl is rapidly occurring in many Spanish urban areas. According to statistical data from
the Household Budget Survey of the National Statistical Institute, in 2014, approximately 35% of
the population of Spain lived in houses, with 11% living in detached houses and 24.2% in semi-
detached houses. The remaining percentage of the population is distributed among other types of
houses, such as flats. The strong changes in income per capita, social customs and land use
pressures have made Spain a victim of urban sprawl.

Although there is no consensus, the urban sprawl may refer to environment, public health and
socio-economic development. Specifically, when it turns to evaluate the effects on energy
consumption it could be relevant for policy makers to get a deeper insight in the consequences of
urban sprawl on energy efficiency. This entails to the aim of developing urban polices able to
pursue higher efficiency relevant from both economic and environmental points of view.

Energy-related policies have very often been explored within a computable general equilibrium
(CGE) framework.

Since sprawl directly influences energy consumption, in this paper, our aim is to introduce CGE
as a frame to evaluate consequences of changing sprawl on the general economy of a city. Since
we are aware that sprawl dynamics may change due to several aspects and context we focus on a
particular known sprawl process, the City of Madrid. We develop a CGE model for the Madrid
province for 2010, with 66 sectors, in which the energy sector covers both electricity and gas.
There are two productive factors, labor and capital. The productive process is carried out through
the adoption of a nested production function. For the benchmark equilibrium we use the input-
output table (IOT) for the province of Madrid for 2010.

In order to evaluate different sprawling scenarios, we simulate changes in the urban sprawl for
the city of Madrid. Effects on energy consumption are then considered in our CGE model to
compute effects on the rest of the sectors and variables of the economy. Concretely, we are
interested in seeing the effects on prices, final production, value added, trade, and employment.
Moreover, making use of an emissions vector, obtained from the National Institute of Statistics
(INE in its Spanish acronym), we will be able to see the effects of the different sprawling scenarios
on CO2 emissions.
Abstract
The present paper describes one simulation model, used for designing the optimal structure of a
heating system, developed for buildings owned by the local authorities from rural areas. The
model is used for evaluating the total heat demand of the building and to establish the optimal
structure of bioenergy value chain, where the used feedstock is the biomass, the wood chips
produced on the energy plantations, like energy willow or another short rotation plant.

The paper starts with the presentation of the biomass and bioenergy value chain elements. The
second part is focused on presenting the theoretical algorithm for designing the optimal structure
of the heating system and establishing the fuel needs and the used marginal land area, where this
type of feedstock can be produced.

Finally, the cost-benefit analyses are presented for one best practice example, which can be used
and implemented in the rural area for supplying the principal local authorities building with heat
energy. For the use of the decarbonisation strategies in the rural area the presented model will be
implemented in different ways to produce the energy need by sustainable technology, like the use
of the solar thermal conversion units and the heat pumps.

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by Project Phoenix (MSCA/RISE Contract number 690925).
Abstract
The PV panels cooling allows one to increase the photovoltaic conversion efficiency, as well as to
obtain the waste heat product which can be for various purposes. This paper presents a model of
the radiator used for PV panels cooling. The cooling liquid is a water-glycol mixture, the PV panel
electrical power output is 300 W. The radiator consists of various number of segments (U-tube),
that are located at the PV panel width. The three-dimensional finite volume method formulation
is used to calculate the temperature distribution within the PV panel surface (glass, silica layer,
protective foil) and aluminium radiator. The one dimensional energy equation is used to calculate
the cooling liquid outlet temperature. The effect of increasing number of radiator segments and
mass flow rate is studied, to optimize the heat transfer performance and decrease the
manufacturing costs. The simulations are conducted for various conditions including the cloudy,
and the very hot days. The simulation results are compared with experimental data, collected at a
stand installed at the laboratory of the Institute of Thermal Power Engineering at Cracow
University of Technology. The measurement results and the numerical simulation shows quite
good agreement. For the studied case, it is shown that 6 cooling segments are sufficient, to ensure
the PV panel temperate bellow 40°C in summertime.
Abstract
Energy efficiency is the key issue of sustainable development. During the design of an industrial
device, it strives to achieve the highest possible energy efficiency. In the industrial systems, two-
phase flow is a difficult task - prediction of the two-phase flow. That is why we propose a choice
of a model that in the design phase will give the hint of the device geometry for which the best
hydrodynamic conditions of the two-phase mixture flow will be predicted. The tests were carried
out in a rectangular channel in which two-phase flow occurs. The aim of the work was to maintain
the low pressure drop or high heat and mass transfer rates. These parameters are influenced by
the phase velocity field. Various models are used for the determination of the velocity field. Their
results are based on initial implementation assumptions of the designed devices. Therefore there
is a problem of choosing a model that will give the results closest to the real conditions, which has
a real impact on the energy efficiency of the device. Flow visualization gives the opportunity of
noninvasive determination of the actual velocity field. An analysis of the velocity field
measurements results was performed, which showed that for different flow regimes there are
differences for the given algorithms. The following algorithms were used to determine the velocity
vector field. Adaptive correlation and adaptive PIV method was used. In the specialist literature
in the field of PIV research, both models are considered as reference. The determination of the
velocity fields in the quantitative and qualitative assessment of a given two-phase flow regime was
obtained.
Abstract
Methane yield is one of the most important parameters to assess the efficiency of the anaerobic
digestion process. One of the tools enabling its estimation, and thus determining the
methanogenic potential of tested materials are biochemical methane potential (BMP) assays. The
lack of standard protocols as well as the variety of experimental protocols raze many questions
regarding the factors affecting their outcome and repeatability. Therefore, the main objective of
this study was to determine to what extent, the methane potential of sewage sludge and mixtures
thereof with grease trap sludge is influenced by the following factors: a) type of medium (it was:
tap water or medium which was prepared according to the method described by Owen et al.
(1989)); b) source of inoculum (collected from wastewater treatment plant or obtained from
laboratory reactors, where ternary mixture consisting of sewage sludge, organic fraction of
municipal waste and grease trap sludge was digested in semi-continues regime at mesophilic
condition); c) inoculum to substrate ratio (I/S) – four ratios were tested, i.e. 0.5, 1.0, 1.5 and 2.0.
One-way analyses of variance (ANOVA) was used to determine the main effect of variables on
methane yield.

Additionally, kinetic parameters were estimated using the following methods: the modified
Gompertz model, the transference function, the first-order exponential, two-phase exponential as
well as the logistic function.

BMP assays were carried out in customized equipment consisting of Dreschel bottles,
fermentation bottles, an inductive stirring system as well as biogas collection units.

The results from this study indicate that: the source of the inoculum affects methane yield to the
greatest extent (F = 479.42, p = 0.000 and F = 149.66 p = 0.000 for sewage sludge and co-
digestion mixture, respectively); it is most preferable to perform the process using an inoculum
from reactors in which the co-digestion process is carried out - in 94% of obtained results, the
methane yield was higher for this source of inoculum. The optimum I/S ratio for determining the
methane yield for both substrates were 0.5. While, higher methane yields were obtained mostly
for samples in which the fermentation medium was a solution prepared in accordance with the
Owen procedure (for 69% of all tested combinations, methane yield was higher than for tap
water). All of the tested models fit the experimental data (R2> 0.80).

Reference: Owen WF, Stuckey DC, Healy JB, Young LY, McCarty PL, Bioassay for monitoring
biochemical methane potential and anaerobic toxicity. Water Res, 1979; 13(6): 485-492.
doi:10.1016/0043-1354(79)90043-5.
Abstract
The production of antibiotics in Algeria generates huge quantities of residual biomass that should
be considered as a valuable biosorbent. This work is a contribution to the valorization of this
biomass for the removal of Congo Red dye (CR) and hexavalent chromium Cr(VI). Therefore, the
biosorption by pleurotus mutilus biomass was studied in batch. Optimal conditions were
determined by varying the initial (CR) and Cr(VI) concentrations, contact time and temperature.

The maximum uptake capacity was found to be 18 mg/g for (CR) comparatively to Cr (VI) 15.50
mg/g at 50 mg/l of (CR) and Cr(VI) concentrations; in a duration time of 180 min and a
temperature of 300 K. Based on R2 value, equilibrium isotherm data was best described by the
Langmuir model than Freundlich, Temkin, Dubinin-Radushkevich models. The biosorption
kinetics of (CR) and Cr(VI) removal using pleurotus mutilus was better described by the pseudo-
first-order kinetic equation; the biosorption process is governed by an external mass transfer.

The thermodynamic parameters of the biosorption ΔG°, ΔH° and ΔS° demonstrates that
biosorption of (CR) and Cr(VI) by pleurotus mutilus was endothermic and physical processes in
nature.

Globally, this work showed the high potential of pleurotus mutilus as a biosorbent for the
treatment of water contaminated with (CR) and Cr(VI). The research results indicate that the
pleurotus mutilus, waste material first destined to incineration valorized with no treatment
indeed, could serve as an inexpensive source for dye and chromium recovery fromcontamined
water due to its low cost. The valorization of this biomass contributes effectively to sustainable
chemistry.
Abstract
Polygeneration increases overall efficiency and reduces environmental impact, and could be a
smart solution for households. Detailed demand profiles for domestic dwellings are an important
prerequisite for the design of those new polygeneration systems. The aim of this paper is to
provide residential sector energy demand data for a single-family dwelling located in the
Mediterranean European side. As the use of electricity, heating and cooling, domestic hot water
and fresh water within a dwelling varies along the year, a generic pattern depending mostly on
the amount of appliances and lighting, occupancy and location has been proposed here. The data
of electricity, domestic hot water and fresh water were obtained through literature reported
methods of demand profiles estimation, and heating and cooling have been estimated by existing
simulation methods. All methods provided the hourly consumption profile with 1-minute time
step along 1-year period. Data was also aggregate in a mean day for one representative month in
the season of the year. To validate the results, they have been checked with official data provided
by official institutions considering the total annual energy consumption, if they exist.
Abstract
Проблема нарушения устойчивости экосистем водохранилища была исследована на
основе моделирования биогеохимических циклов. Прогнозирование качественных
эффектов, связанных с развитием многолетних сообществ сообществ гидробионтов, с
возможным нарушением гомеостаза экосистем требует расширения границ
общепринятых подходов (например, [1]).

Это поднимает вопрос об изменении структуры модели водохранилища. В этом случае

изменения оценки видового состава и уровня развития для разных видов фитопланктона
и зоопланктона. В исследовании используются инструменты структурно-динамического
моделирования [2].

Дарвиновский принцип естественного отбора служит основой для прогнозирования

изменений в биоразнообразии. Такой подход приводит к оценке изменений характеристик
физиологической активности фитопланктона и зоопланктона в течение рассматриваемого
временного периода.

Экзогии (термодинамическая характеристика, которая находится в пределах расстояния

от состояния «мертвого» вещества).

Тенденция изменений уровня эвтрофикации, соответствующих данных многолетнего

мониторинга для Новосибирского водохранилища, была охарактеризована на основе
описания биогеохимических циклов трансформации питательных веществ.

Данное исследование было профинансировано Российским фондом фундаментальных

исследований и правительства Алтайского края Российской Федерации, грант № 18-41-
220002.

Рекомендации

 Цхай А.А., Леонов А.В. Водные ресурсы. 1995. Том. 22. № 3. С. 261-272.

 Jørgensen SE и соавт. Интегрированный экологический менеджмент.

Междисциплинарный подход. Издатель: CRC. 2015. ISBN: 978-1-4987-0510-3


Abstract
Biogas is a renewable fuel composed mostly of methane and carbon dioxide. The wide availability
of non-edible feedstocks – organic waste – and the low investment required for its production
renders biogas an attractive alternative to reduce fossil fuel dependence, mitigate greenhouse gas
effects, besides being a waste management strategy. Anaerobic digestion degrades organic
material, resulting in odor reduction, nutrient recycling (digestate finds application as fertilizer)
producing biogas, which can drive turbines to produce bioenergy. This work evaluates
economically and environmentally the value chain from waste to bioenergy (distribution grid),
using a commercial process simulator – ASPEN Plus (Aspentech Inc), which can adequately
simulate the downstream production chain (biogas upgrading and bioenergy generation) but does
not offer in its library of unit operation models a routine for representing anaerobic digestion. The
original contribution is to develop and apply an extension to ASPEN Plus, based on an existing
literature model developed for standalone use. Firstly, the model is coded in MATLAB (The
Mathworks Inc) and used to evaluate the its dynamic behaviour and sensitivity to kinetic and
operational parameters. Results demonstrate that the yields in the acidogenic phase (parameters
k3 and ks of the model) are determinant for the biogas production. Next, the model extension is
developed to evaluate conversion of biogas production in ASPEN Plus. To evaluate the waste-to-
bioenergy system under several conditions of organic load rate (OLR) and hydraulic retention
time (HRT), a conceptual design is proposed. The design contains several parallel biodigesters, a
gas compression area and a single-cycle power generation unit with steam generation. Process
performance is evaluated through three key indicators: net power generation; organic load
reduction (waste feedstock) in the digesters; methane productivity and CO 2 emission factor
(tCO2/MWh). Lastly, due to the developed ASPEN Plus extension, the analyses of fixed capital
investment and cost of manufacturing is performed using Aspen Process Economic Analyzer
(Aspentech Inc).
Abstract
The United Nations has adopted the Agenda 2030 with its 17 goals, tracking the most pressing
social and environmental challenges. Goals number 7 and 13 are directly linked to the energy
topics, ensuring access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all, and taking
actions to combat climate change. However, climate change and energy are closely interconnected
through the development, which mostly relies on fossil fuels, primary sources of greenhouse gas
emissions, affecting climate change. Nowadays, economies are turning into the usage of
renewable energy sources, fostering the reduction of emissions and moving towards sustainable
and low-carbon societies. To achieve this transition, implementation of innovative and
sustainable energy planning is needed, at local, regional as well as national levels. Energy
planning comprehends technical, economic, policy and environmental aspects and defines
concrete reduction measures, progress indicators and paths to achieve the proposed short- and
long-term environmental and energy consumption goals. Thus, an in-depth discussion of the
energy planning is of utmost importance. This paper focuses on a review of the scientific literature
considering energy planning and climate change mitigation. The emphasis will be given to
technical, geographical, economic, policy and environmental aspects, especially impacts on
climate change as well as future trends to foster the transition towards sustainable energy regions.
Studies (only scientific research and review research papers) are sourced from the Web of Science
database.

The methodology is based on meta-analysis, where empirical results from the Web of Science
database form a meta-sample, which will be treated statistically. The studies characteristic is
heterogeneity in terms of data, methods, topics considered, thus the objective is to identify
systematic variations in the studies and provide a robust evaluations of the outcomes. This paper
fills the gap from two perspectives: a) a synthesis of the previous research on energy planning and
climate change mitigation, offering a global view and b) provides outcomes and investigates
potential factors of significance in the energy planning for climate change mitigation facilitating
a transition towards more sustainable energy society. Furthermore, a conceptualization (a
quantitative content analysis) will be carried out, using Leximancer software, which uses a
machine learning technique. It identifies the main concepts and their correlations, conducting
thematic and semantic analyses by using two stages of co-occurrence information – semantic and
relational. The algorithms used are statistical, integrating nonlinear dynamics and machine
learning. The emerged results will be represented via concept maps, identifying dominant
concepts and their trends, giving a comprehensive review of the energy planning and climate
change mitigation as well as research gaps which need to be fulfilled in the future.
Abstract
Woda jest biologicznie stabilna, jeśli nie sprzyja rozwojowi drobnoustrojów, a zatem jest
pozbawiona nieorganicznych i organicznych składników odżywczych. Parametrem ilustrującym
biostabilność wody jest zawartość biodegradowalnego rozpuszczonego węgla organicznego
(BDOC) i przyswajalnego węgla organicznego (AOC). Związki chloru stosowane w celu niszczenia
bakterii lub zapobiegania ich rozwojowi wpływają zarówno na mikroorganizmy, jak i substancje
chemiczne obecne w wodzie, co może zwiększyć ich biodegradowalność. Prowadzi to do rozwoju
biofoulingu w systemie dystrybucji wody i obniża jakość wody i stan systemu.

W celu przeprowadzenia badań pobrano próbki wody z punktów poboru wody, które obejmują
studnie dla poszczególnych stacji uzdatniania wody i pompowni w punkcie uzdatniania
zlokalizowanym w województwie śląskim. Na obszarze, na którym działa firma, woda dostarczana
konsumentom jest wyłącznie wodą podziemną. Proces uzdatniania wody polega na
napowietrzaniu wody, odprężaniu i dezynfekcji podchlorkiem sodu. Dawka chloru zastosowana
przez firmę wodociągową wynosi 0,15-0,18 mg / L. W celu zbadania wpływu dawki chloru i
promieniowania UV na zawartość biodegradowalnej materii organicznej w wodzie podczas
dezynfekcji wody, woda z jednego ze studni w mieście została chlorowana.

Próbki wody pobierano do badania rano, około 8 (po nocnej stagnacji, w czasie wysokiego zużycia
wody). Następnie próbki zostały poddane analizie. Określono następujące wskaźniki
fizykochemiczne i mikrobiologiczne: wolny chlor, całkowity węgiel organiczny (TOC),
rozpuszczony węgiel organiczny (DOC), BDOC, AOC, a także ogólną liczbę mikroorganizmów.

Badania doprowadziły do następujących wniosków:

 Naturalna materia organiczna, niezależnie od jej ilości i pochodzenia, ma potencjał do

tworzenia BDOC.

 Zawartość BDOC w wodzie niekorzystnie wpływa na bezpieczeństwo mikrobiologiczne

wody.

 Chlorowanie wody prowadzi do powstawania produktów organicznych, które są

absorbowane przez bakterie.

 Im wyższa zawartość chloru, tym więcej BDOC powstaje podczas procesu dezynfekcji.

 Narażenie na promieniowanie UV zwiększa ilość BDOC powstającego podczas procesu

dezynfekcji.

 Prognozowanie i monitorowanie zawartości BDOC w wodzie wodociągowej po

dezynfekcji wody jest ważne i pomaga zminimalizować negatywny wpływ obecności
BDOC w wodzie wodociągowej na jej jakość i stan sieci wodociągowej.
PODZIĘKOWANIE

Finansowanie tej pracy zostało zapewnione przez BS / MN 402-301 / 13.

Abstract
A novel technology termed Phase Transition Agglomeration System (PTAS) was developed and
successfully applied at coal-fired power plants, installed downstream of the WFGD scrubber.
Besides the effective removal of multi-pollutants, the recovery of considerable waste heat (mainly
latent heat) and water vapor was achieved by cooling the flue gas emitted from the WFGD and
proved in the commercial application of PTAS as introduced in our published articles.
Improvements have been made in the PTAS to increase the heat recovery and integrate the
recovered waste heat within the main condensate heating system. Based on the normal form of
the PTAS that was commercially applied, a high temperature heat exchanger is added at the inlet
of the WFGD to reduce the temperature of the flue gas at this point, elevating the amount of total
recovered heat from flue gases and reducing the water consumption of WFGD system. The heat
exchangers at the inlet and outlet of WFGD are both made of fluorine plastics in response to the
corrosion and fouling environment. A case study with respect to a 1000 MW ultra-supercritical
coal-fired power unit with seawater refrigerated condenser, whose condensate temperature can
be as low as 20 ℃, is presented here to show the benefits brought by the PTAS in elevating the
thermal performance of steam power units. Condensate from the seawater refrigerated condenser
will be adopted as the coolant in PTAS and sent back to the steam cycle after absorbing the heat
released by the flue gas at the outlet and inlet of WFGD in turn, decreasing the steam extraction
and consequently increasing the power output and thermal efficiency of the steam power plant.
The complete thermal analysis of the steam cycle on the basis of analyzing the system components
separately is carried out. Effects of the condensate temperature, the point where the condensate
is extracted, the arrangement of heat exchangers of PTAS, and the terminal temperature
difference of the heat exchangers on the improvement of thermal performance of the steam power
plant at varying load factors are presented. A cost analysis is carried out in order to economically
assess the new system and estimate the additional profit for the plant. Several potential
advantages of the PTAS and suggestions for practical application are also discussed.
Abstract
The energy development has various direct and indirect impacts on the society and concerns not
only energy supply and prices, but also other societal impacts such as the development of research
and innovation system. The quantitative evaluation of such implications is challenging due to both
methodological and practical reasons. This paper aims at developing a plausible impact
assessment methodology and applying it on Lithuanian case. Experts’ evaluation coupled with an
extensive database of impact factors are the main building blocks of the methodological
framework employed in the present research. Such impact factors as the existence of smart
specialisation related to a particular technology, number of patents, funding amounts and others
are used to form integrated indicators for different technology development stages. The expert
evaluation is used to determine the weights of various factors and enables the integration of
multidimensional impacts. The developed framework allows performing a semiquantitative
assessment of energy development impacts on the research and innovation system and can be
applied in both technology screening and the analysis of full comprehensive energy development
scenarios prepared with energy system models.
Abstract
5-chloro-2-[2,4-dichlorophenoxy]-phenol, commonly known as Triclosan (TCS), belongs to the
group of Pharmaceutical and Personal Care products (PCPPs), used in cosmetics, hand wash,
toothpaste and soaps, among other things1. TCS and related compounds are characterized by
acute resistance to biodegradation, environmental persistence and high lipophilicity. The
exposure of aquatic organisms to TCS, coupled to its bioaccumulation potential, has led to
detectable levels of the antimicrobial compound in a number of aquatic species2. Furthermore,
many authors reported the presence of TCS in the environment and remarked the environmental
risk due to its feasible conversion to more harmful compounds such as dioxins under sunlight3.
The implementation of efficient technologies that are able to mineralize this type of compounds
becomes crucial; in this context the powerful role of advanced oxidation processes has been
highlighted 1,4,5. Here, we report the experimental study of the photocatalytic TCS oxidation in a
UV LED photoreactor (APRYA System S.L.) aim to determine the process performance in terms
of TCS removal, by-products formation and the evaluation of the toxicity of the oxidized samples.
Photocatalytic experiments were carried out applying 50 -75 W to aqueous samples with initial
concentration of TCS of 10 mg L-1. TCS was measured in a high-performance liquid
chromatograph (HPLC) Agilent Series 1100. 2,4-dichlorophenol was found in a good agreement
with previous literature and it was qualitatively analyzed by GC-MS. In the same way, a thorough
review of the literature provided reference to the presence of 2,8-dichlorodibenzpo-p-dioxin in
the oxidation treatment of TCS. In this work, the presence of 2,8-dichlorodibenzo-p-dioxin was
observed by GC-MS. However, when HPLC was used to support these results, the presence of this
compound could not be supported. Some authors associate the presence of 2,8-dichlorodibenzo-
p-dioxin to the operation conditions of GC-MS where inlet temperatures, 285 °C, could favor the
direct cyclization of TCS; thus, the origin of its presence in GC-MS samples could be different than
the oxidation medium. Conversely, the absence of 2,8-dichlorodibenzo-p-dioxin along the
photocatalytic treatment could be explained by the breakage of the TCS molecule promoted by
the action of OH radicals generated in the process. Finally, and following the EPA 1613 method,
the toxicity was evaluated using the Toxic Equivalency Factors (TEF), expressed as a 2,3,7,8-
TCDD Toxic Equivalents (TEQ) concentration, where 2,3,7,8-TCDD is the most toxic congener.
Results took values below 30 pg L-1 in all cases that is the threshold limit established by the U.S.
EPA for drinking water.
Abstract
Liquid Air Energy Storage (LAES) is a relatively novel large-scale energy storage system whose
round trip efficiency is largely affected by the thermal performance of the sub-thermal energy
storages, among which the high grade cold storage is by far the most important one. The objective
of the present work is to numerically investigate and compare the thermal behaviour of different
novel cryogenic packed beds filled by different materials. The main benefit of using both sensible
and latent heat material has been already shown for high temperature application, but the concept
has not ever been demonstrated for such an ultra-low temperature application. The performance
of the present system is compared with that of the conventional sensible thermal energy storage
(STES). A simplified transient one-dimensional numerical model to simulate the charging phase
of the HGCS system has been developed and validated against experimental results. It is assumed
that 1) latent heat is represented as a sensible heat spread over finite temperature difference;2)
the convection present in the liquid phase of the PCM is treated by using an effective heat
conduction coefficient in the liquid region of the PCM. The solution of the differential equations
problem is realized by an explicit finite difference method. The results show that, under opportune
conditions, the combined sensible and latent heat thermal energy storage is a promising
alternative to the sensible heat thermal energy storage in Liquid Air Energy Storage systems.
Abstract
Zeolites have been used as catalysts and high cation-exchange materials because of their suitable
structure, uniform pore size and high cation-exchange capacity. In this paper, type X zeolites
synthesized from fly ash were employed as substrates for developing catalysts with improved
performance. With the aim to determine potential application of synthetic products in catalysis,
zeolites (with different values of BET surface area) were treated with Ammonium Acetate to
perform Na ion exchange. However, such step has a negative influence on crystalline structure
and in the specific surface area, which changes in amorphous or lower crystalline material. Under
these conditions the synthetic zeolites were tested in the gas-phase as basic catalysts for phenol
alkylation using diethyl carbonate (DEC) as innovative alkylating agents. The results indicate that
the newly-formed zeolites are very selective for the O-ethylation of phenol also at higher
temperature. The catalytic activity of the zeolites synthesized from fly ash gives high yields, is
clean, cost effective, environmentally friendly which make the fly ash-based zeolites efficient
catalysts and alternatives for industrial applications.
Abstract
Biomass is recognized as a potential source for biofuel production. The bio-oil produced from fast
pyrolysis of biomass contains a high amount of oxygenates, causing variation in the properties of
bio-oil, such as instability, high acidity, and low heating value, thus reducing the quality of the
bio-oil. Consequently, an upgrading process should be recommended to ensure that these bio-oils
are widely used as fuel sources. Fractional catalytic pyrolysis is an updated pyrolysis method, in
which the biomass can be converted into higher quality bio-oil by upgrading the pyrolysis vapor
in a fluidized bed.

The catalytic fast pyrolysis of tulip tree was performed in a bubbling fluidized-bed reactor. The
quality of pyrolysis bio-oil can be improved by upgrading the pyrolysis vapor before its
condensation using the catalyst. Catalytic fast pyrolysis has attracted a lot of attention as a
promising method for producing high-quality bio-oil from biomass feedstock. The system used
silica sand, ferric oxides (Fe2O3 and Fe3O4) and HZSM-5 as the fluidized-bed material and
nitrogen as the fluidizing medium. The liquid yield reaches the highest value of was 54.96 wt% at
the pyrolysis temperature of 450℃, using Fe2O3 catalyst compare to this of 48.45 wt.% for HZSM-
5, 47.57 wt.% for Fe3O4 and 49.03 wt.% with sand. Catalysts rejected oxygen mostly as water and
produced lower amount of CO, CO2 but higher amount of H2 and hydrocarbons gas. The catalytic
process produced high H2/CO ratio in the gas product, that can be used in the synthesis of liquid
fuel and chemicals.
Abstract
metal-nitrogen-carbon (M-N-C) catalysts have been reported as a promising electrocatalysts to
replace noble metal catalysts (Pt/C, Au/C, and Ru/C etc.).

Carbonized ZIFs (Zeolite imidazole frameworks) as a precursor of metal-nitrogen-carbon (M-N-

C) catalyst have been extensively studied because of their porosity and ligand that is composed of
nitrogen and carbon. Most of ZIFs precursor is prepared by hydrothermal method with metal salt
and 2-methylimidazole. Although this method has advantages of simple and low-cost synthesis,
it is difficult to control the shape of the particles and it is difficult to synthesize in large quantities.
In this study, we synthesized M-doped ZIFs particles (M=Co, Cu, Mn and Fe) from M-doped ZnO
(M=Co, Cu, Mn and Fe) sphere by spray pyrolysis method and pseudomorphic replacement. This
process makes it possible to control the morphology of MOF particles and make MOF composite
particles easily. The pyrolyzed ZIFs particles were applied to oxygen reduction reaction, CO 2
reduction reaction and Hydrogen evolution reaction depending on the doped metal.
Abstract
The mixture of esters of higher fatty acids (biodiesel) is as alternative fuel for combustion engine.
It is usually prepared by transesterification of triacylglycerides (TG) by low molecular alcohols
(most often methanol), which is usually catalyzed by homogeneous, heterogeneous or enzymatic
catalyst. The sources of TG are vegetable oils, animal fats or waste frying oils. The TG and
methanol are immiscible liquids (heterogeneous mixture is formed) and the reaction process on
the interface. To increase the reaction rate (i.e. shorten the reaction time), the reaction mixture
had to be (i) intensive stirred to increase the area of interface or (ii) added co-solvent to reaction
mixture. The co-solvent solves both raw materials (TG and alcohol) to one phase, i.e.
homogeneous mixture is formed.

This study is focused on the comparison of various cosolvents such as tetrahydrofuran, acetone,
diethyl ether, n-hexane for homogeneously (KOH) and especially heterogeneously catalysed
transesterification, which is rarely studied with co-solvent. The Mg-Al mixed oxides, which were
synthesized from hydrotalcites, were chosen as the heterogeneous catalyst. Firstly, the ternary
plots (with binodal curve for all molar ratios) of components presented in the reaction mixture
(oil, methanol and cosolvent) was measured to find the homogeneous area. This is different from
other papers, where the ternary plots are not measured.

For homogenous catalyst, the main aim is to describe and compare the influence of cosolvents on
the (i) cause of transesterification (ii) properties of the ester phase (EP). Moreover, the properties
of the glycerol phase (as side product) including the ester loses were also determined, which are
often omitted in the open literature. The course of transesterification was monitored by
determination of reaction intermediates. For heterogeneous catalysis (Mg-Al mixed oxide), the
ester yield was related with results of catalyst characterizations such as pore size, specific surface
area and the concentration of basic sites, etc. However, the yield was lower with cosolvent than
without cosolvents at the same reaction conditions. The reason is probably dilution of reaction
components by cosolvent or bonding of cosolvent to the active sites of catalyst.

Acknowledgements: The authors gratefully thank to the Czech Science Foundation, Project No.
19-00699S and to project of University of Pardubice.
Abstract
In the last couple of years the commercial use of nanomaterials has been rapidly increasing
resulting in significant amounts of related waste entering the environment.As more and more
nanoparticles(NPs) enter wastewater treatment plants(WWTP) via various wastewater streams
more attention needs to be put on their sewage sludge treatment lines due to their environment
protection barrier character.It is estimated that more than 90% of silver is accumulated in sewage
sludge (Ss).Ss produced during treatment of wastewater is commonly stabilized by anaerobic
digestion(AD).

The main objective of the study was to evaluate the effect of silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) on AD
of Ss.AD effectiveness was evaluated on the basis of Ss VS removal, methane yield and kinetic
study.An additional aim of the research was to determine to what extent, the performance of AD
and microbial communities were affected by the occurring form of silver(ionic or Ag-NPs).The
process was carried out at mesophilic conditions in glass reactors.During the experiment,four
anaerobic digestors operated in parallel.One was fed with only Ss while the remaining ones were
fed with Ss with the addition of the following:1)selected type of silver NPs–NM300K;2)ionic
silver(Ag);3)diluent used for NM300K (DIS).The results indicated that:1) the form of silver had
significantly affected the methane yield (the highest value was recorded for the reactor feed with
the addition of Ag-NPs) as well as the share of H2S in the biogas (the highest share was observed
for the ionic silver additive);2)the tested additives did not significantly affect the VS removal and
biogas methane content;3)the addition of nanoparticles had a positive effect on the kinetic
parameters of AD;for the aforementioned sample, the maximum rate of methane production was
significantly higher in comparison to other trials executed in this experiment. Additionally, a
shorter lag time phase was observed for the feed with the additive in the form of silver NPs.At the
end of the incubation, we analyzed the diversity of the microbial community using MiSeq
sequencing of the 16S rDNA and rRNA. Whereas control and Ag reactors harbored similar
microbial diversities, in the reactors submitted to Ag-NPs or DIS microbial communities were
very different from the other ones.More precisely, composition of the active methanogen
community is highly different in Ag-NPs reactor, with a 5-fold increase in the number of
Methanosarcina genus compared to the control reactor. This suggests that increase in methane
yield in the Ag-NPs treatment is linked to a change in the the diversity and abundance of some
methanogens.
Abstract
Modern cruise ships are wide energivorous systems also for the included hotel services. From this
point of view, very high energy demands (for HVAC systems, sanitary hot water production,
artificial lights, auxiliary machineries, etc,) are required. Typically, the energy production is
obtained by several diesel generators and, in the next future, also through innovative additional
technologies (fuel cells, organic Rankin cycle power plants, etc.). In this paper the energy,
economic and environmental impact performance analysis of such new polygeneration and multi-
user systems is carried out. To this aim, a novel dynamic simulation model was developed and
implemented in TRNSYS (version 17). Specifically, it regards an innovative cruise ship system
layout in which the available heat recovered by engines generators fuelled by LNG is exploited to
supply different Thermal energy Activated Technologies (TATs), such as: single-stage absorption
chillers, multi-stage flash desalination units and organic Rankin cycle power plants. A suitable
comparison is carried out with respect to a traditional system configuration in which the cooling
energy, the desalination and the electricity production are obtained by electric vapour
compression chillers, reverse osmosis desalination units and LNG engines generators,
respectively. Aim of the carried out study is also the thermoeconomic system optimization for
maximizing the heat recovery and the related profitability. Note that, all the components of the
considered ship-plant system are detailly modelled in TRNSYS environment. In particular, the
ship envelope geometry and the related energy features are modelled by means of the Google
SketchUp TRNSYS3d plug-in and TRNBUILD (Type 56), respectively.

A novel case study is also presented. It refers to a suitable cruise of the considered ship in the
Mediterranean Sea. Note that, the ship space heating and cooling loads and demands, as well as
the electricity and fresh water requirements, are dynamically assessed by considering the effective
loads profiles and the different occurring ship orientation during the whole cruise. Here, a suitable
hourly weather file (assessed on the base of the considered ship trip) was developed and different
wind speeds (suitably calculated for ship motion and harbour hours) are taken into account.
Different HVAC system layouts are modelled as a function of the selected indoor thermal zone.
Here, innovative and conventional system components are investigated for comparison purposes.
The results obtained through the carried out analysis showed that significant benefits in terms of
reductions of fuel consumption, operating costs, and harmful emissions can be achieved. Useful
design and operating criteria for ship manufacturers and users are also provided.
Abstract
The overall goal of this work was to analyse the potential of various non animal derived waste
materials for production of plant-based composts for vegan agriculture. The scope of this work
included the overview of current trends in vegan food and vegan agriculture with reference to
standards and requirements as well as organizational framework, the comparison between
conventional and vegan agriculture, the analysis of potential substrates that can be used for
production of composts and growing media, and grounds for future work.

Since veganism has been attracting a lot of attention in recent years the demand for vegan food
is gradually increasing worldwide. This results in development of vegan agriculture which does
not allow any animal derived input or ingredients. Therefore, in vegan cultivation there is a need
for vegan composts and growing media. The main challenge for production of vegan composts is
the source of nitrogen. Production of plant-based composts would require selection of suitable
substrates that fulfil the requirements for moisture content, organic carbon, nitrogen and C/N
ratio. Potential substrates could constitute various materials such as plant biomass, fruit and
vegetable waste from industry processing as well households, agricultural residues and algae.
However, further work is needed to analyse the availability of those materials and composting
dynamics, as well as the properties of vegan composts and their suitability for growing different
plants.

This work was performed within the Organic PLUS project which has received funding from the
European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No
[774340].
Abstract
With a high number of diesel vehicles worldwide, particulate emission control is an urgent issue
with a global impact, from the health of citizens to commercial future of this technology in some
transport segments. Currently they are widely used as particulate filters for automotive engines
to comply emissions regulations. However, there is room for improvement of current diesel
particulate filters technologies as they add an additional backpressure in the exhaust system, and
efficient on-board regeneration process is challenging. The Fil-Bio-Diesel Project is a R&D
initiative to improve current particles filtration systems, based on the development of novel
biomorphic substrates. By replicating the biologic tissue of a wood precursor, a biomorphic silicon
carbide with hierarchic orthotropic microstructure can be produced. The porosity, the pore size,
and pore orientation of this bioceramic material can be tailored through the selection of the
precursor, widening the initially narrow relationship between filtration efficiency and pressure
drop that characterizes granular ceramic materials. This research work shows the peculiar
advantages of biomorphic silicon carbide, and the potential of this novel filter substrate through
several experimental studies. In this paper the methodology and main results of this project are
presented. The results show the potential for the use of biomorphic ceramic materials in future
diesel particulate abatement systems.
Abstract
The winter and summer air-conditioning demands of buildings strongly affect energy
requirements in the civil sector. Therefore, it can be interesting and effective to search alternative
solutions in this field, with the aim of saving primary energy and reducing the related greenhouse
gas emissions. Systems activated by renewable energy sources could achieve both of these aims.
Plants exploiting solar energy are widely studied. In this paper, an air-conditioning system driven
by the electricity available from small-scale wind turbines for an office building located in Naples
is analysed. Assessments with two kinds of wind turbines (5-5.5 kW), vertical and horizontal axis,
are performed, also considering the coupling with one and two identical wind generators. In order
to better use on-site the electricity a parametric study is proposed taking into account different
battery storage system sizes (3.2-9.6 kWh). Energy and environmental performance have been
evaluated through dynamic simulations, comparing the wind-activated plant with a conventional
one, fed by electricity taken from the external grid and natural gas. A primary energy saving and
a carbon dioxide emission reduction of 52% and 47%, respectively, are achieved in the best case.
The electricity taken from the power grid reduces with the battery storage size and when two
turbines are considered. With respect to generated electricity used on-site in the best case (one
vertical axis wind turbine and 9.6 kWh battery capacity) 83.1% of the production fed the load,
whereas, the maximum share of the load met by the wind generators is 25.1%, this takes place
when two vertical axis wind turbines and 9.6 kWh battery storage are considered.
Abstract
Despite the rapid development of the renewable energy systems, fossil fuels dominate the world
primary energy supply. Further improvement of the coal-fired power plants is needed due to many
reasons, including the environmental impact and economic operation, particularly of the ones
operating on low grade solid fuels, such as lignite. The thermal power plants operation is
commonly evaluated on a basis of the energy analysis, combustion efficiency and the level of
generated harmful emissions. The objective of this work is to present a methodology for analyzing
opportunities and measures for the efficiency improvement of coal-fired steam generators, based
on integration of zone thermal calculation method, exergy method and computational fluid
dynamics (CFD) technique, while studying the impact of some measures on the emission of NO x.
The work deals with an analysis of the energy and environmental performances of a lignite-fired
steam generator, which is a part of a 315 MW power generation unit. The zone thermal calculation
method is used as a basis for exergy analysis and application of an engineering method for the
calculation of NOx formation. The impact of the air and fuel redistribution, excess air level
optimisation and flue gas recirculation rate on NOx concentration in flue gases is presented.
Abstract
The overall goal of this work was to investigate the potential of poultry manure for thermal
conversion into biochar and the impact of temperature on selected biochar properties. Biochar is
a solid carbonized material that demonstrates a number of interesting properties such as high
microporosity and surface area, presence of surface functional groups and micro and
macroelements. Therefore, it can be applied as a sorbent to remove organic and inorganic
substances from liquid and gaseous phases, as an amendment in composting and anaerobic
fermentation, a component of fertilizers and soil improver or as a filler in production of
biocomposites. The scope of this work included: (1) collection and analysis of poultry manure
samples from an organic poultry farm, (2) laboratory pyrolysis of poultry manure in selected
temperatures (400-700ºC), (3) the analysis of biochar properties (chemical composition, surface
area, functional groups, etc.) produced in different temperatures and (4) discussion of potential
applications for the produced poultry derived biochars.

The efficiency of conversion of poultry manure to biochar was about 62% for 400°C and about
55% for 700°C. The obtained results demonstrated that biochars produced from poultry manure
showed a complex chemical composition. The following elements were present: C, O, N, Na, Mg,
Al, Si, P, S, Cl, K, Ca, Fe Si. Surface area of the obtained biochars was very low (about 5 m 2 g-1).
Gradual aromatization of the investigated biochar and formation of wide range of oxygen
functionalities were observed. In view to the obtained results poultry manure derived biochars
due to chemical composition could be potentially applied as a component of fertilizers, soil
improvers and composts. However, other applications such as removal of various contaminants
e.g. from wastewater or exhaust air would require additional modification through thermal
and/or chemical treatment.
Abstract
This work assesses a conventional large-scale bioethanol biorefinery technically and economically
covering the entire sugarcane supply-chain. The bioethanol production is evaluated in terms of
power consumption, carbon emissions and economic assessment. The cogeneration system
provides energy self-sufficiency through the burning of the main coproduct (bagasse). Results for
a capacity of 1,000 t/h of sugarcane processed comprise 236.70 MW of net electricity exportation
from cogeneration. Carbon emissions (735.04 tCO2eq/h) correspond to 5,880,320 tCO2eq/y,
resulting a net intake of 367,680 tCO2eq/y. Emissions from sugarcane production represent less
than 10% of the total carbon emissions from bioethanol biorefinery and sugarcane supply-chain.
The complex plantation-biorefinery is identified as a niche market for carbon capture and storage
(CCS) implementation. The huge carbon dioxide emissions make the complex a great scenario for
bioenergy with CCS. Finally, the economic analysis presents a positive net present value of 682.6
MMUSD, considering bioethanol and exported bioelectricity from cogeneration as revenues.
Abstract
Faced with the worldwide efforts to control global warming, bioenergy with carbon capture and
storage (BECCS) has been proved to be a great alternative in order to mitigate the negative effects
of greenhouse gases (GHG). Through BECCS it is possible to promote impressive abatement of
CO2 from the atmosphere, achieving the so-called negative emissions. To assess the net carbon
effect of BECCS, this work proposes a large-scale sugarcane-based biorefinery project with carbon
capture and storage in offshore oil reservoirs, adding value to CO 2 via enhanced oil recovery
(EOR). Carbon balance and economic performance are based on process simulation of a complex
BECCS arrangement, which comprises juice fermentation, ethanol distillation, biomass
combustion for cogeneration, integral CO2 capture (from fermentation and cogeneration),
compression and transport via pipeline, sharing idle capacity with CO2 suppliers along the way to
offshore oil fields in Brazilian pre-salt for EOR. The analysis shows above 93% CO2 recovery by
fermentation and post-combustion capture, which, associated with the carbon fixed by biomass
growth, uptakes 5.64 MtCO2/y from the atmosphere. This amount considers since the portion
fixed and emitted on the agricultural stage (production and use of fertilizers, fuels, etc) until more
significant emissions on the biorefinery. Revenues of the enterprise derive from ethanol and
electricity sales, CO2-EOR, rental of pipeline idle capacity (shared use of CO2 pipeline), and carbon
trading. Between the four scenarios evaluated, the scenario with full revenue potential presented
net present value of 2.8 MMMUSD and 8 years of payback-time.
Abstract
High-strength organic wastewater was treated using an ion exchange biological reactor after
electron beam irradiation. The optimal dose for the solubilization of wastewater ranged from 20
to 75 kGy. Chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal was proportional to the current density, and
the maximum organic removal was 85.1% at 75 kGy. For removal of nitrogen, nitrogen removal
was significantly affected by the current density irrespective of the applied dose. Nitrogen removal
increased with the current density and the maximum total nitrogen removal efficiency was 75.0%
at 1.09 A/m2. However, when the reactor was operated at the range of the current density from
0.67 to 0.87 A/m2, a great amount of ammonium was returned via a cation exchange membrane
caused by the gradient. Compared to bioelectrochemical reactor, organic matter and nitrogen
removal using anaerobic digester were lower. COD and nitrogen removal in anaerobic digestion
was 65.4% and 3.7%. Organic matter can be pretreated/mineralized by free radicals generated
from electron beam irradiation due to the strong oxidation capacity of hydroxyl radicals (E=2.8V).
The results of this research have yielded the following conclusions.

1. After electron beam irradiation, organic matter and nitrogen in wastewater were successfully
treated using the IEBR.

2. Removal of organic matter was determined by the solubilization of organic particle fraction.
The maximum COD removal was 85.1% at an OLR of 1.41 kg/m3·day (75 kGy).

3. The nitrogen removal was significantly affected by the current density. The maximum TN
removal was 75.0% at 1.09 A/m2.
Abstract
Fifth generation district heating and cooling networks are characterized by ultra-low supply
temperatures, allowing for the reduction of heat loss through the network as well as the
integration of typically unrecoverable heat sources. Optimizing the topology, i.e., physical layout,
of fifth generation district heating and cooling networks involves the evaluation of many
candidate network layouts, which is computationally intensive. At each time step of the analysis,
a building energy model is required to determine the building’s heating loads, cooling loads, and
energy transfer station outlet temperature. A topology analysis tool was developed in previous
research, utilizing reduced order models in substitute of fully-defined building energy models to
significantly decrease simulation time. The previous analysis is performed for small office and
retail buildings as well as a limited number of covariates. This research increases the number of
covariates and building types that can be considered by the reduced order models to offer a greater
diversity of buildings in the district energy analysis. Model performance is evaluated in terms of
prediction accuracy and time metrics. The performance of the extended reduced order models
was found to be comparable to the performance of the simpler reduced orders models with fewer
covariates, indicating the reduced order modeling approach is an effective pathway to modeling
urban energy systems with high complexity.
Abstract
Over the decades, various catalysts such as Pt alloys, non-Pt catalysts and non-precious metal
catalysts (NPMC) has been investigated to replace the state-of-the-art Pt catalyst for oxygen
reduction reaction (ORR), because the cost of Pt catalysts accounts for more than 50% of a fuel
cell stack cost when the fuel cell electric vehicles are produced for 500,000 units per year. Thus,
economic catalysts such as FeNC as NPMC catalyst are the final goal of catalyst research and
development. Recently, it was reported that FeNC having different morphologies derived by hard-
template method displayed the dependence of ORR activity on the particle size, mesopore size.
However, this study did not clearly conclude the particle size effect for ORR activity only due to
the combination of several factors such as different pore structure and particle shape.

Therefore, in this study, we investigate the effect of particle size only on the ORR activity using
the FeNC catalysts prepared by using the hard template having the same pore structure and shape.
The particle size of disordered mesoporous spherical silica (DMSS) is controlled by the base
concentration in the Stöber process, which has the three-dimensional disorder pore and spherical
shape. The three SP_FeNCs were derived from DMSS with three different particle sizes. The
smallest diameter was 189 nm, the midst was 540 nm and the largest diameter was 913 nm, which
diameters were estimated by counting 100 particles for average diameter. These catalysts had
specific surface areas in the range of 1100-1300 cm2/g, respectively, which suggests all exposed
catalytic active sites were similar. As anticipated, each catalyst showed different half-cell activity
for ORR in the 0.1M of KOH solution. Among the three SP_FeNC catalysts, medium size (540
nm) catalyst displayed the best half-wave potential (0.881V), the largest particle (913 nm) and the
smallest particle (189 nm) showed the similar activities as 0.844V and 0.845V, respectively. It is
worthy to note that all three catalysts showed a superior ORR activity than commercial Pt/C
catalyst in the alkaline condition. This tendency of activity for ORR could be attributed to the
agglomeration of the smallest catalyst, even though the smallest catalyst is favorable to the
diffusion of reactant. That is, it was suggested that spherical particle FeNC catalyst has an
optimum particle size to maximize the ORR activity.
Abstract
Weather conditions have a significant impact on railroad traffic operation and maintenance,
especially under icy conditions, and in the cases of substantial snowfall, rain, wind, fog, and
temperature extremes. These can affect the train dynamics by increasing movement resistances
while also lowering track to wheels adhesion, which is necessary for favorable traction. In the
former case, fuel consumption may significantly increase, whereas in the latter case the risk of
train derailment increases. The fifth generation wireless networks, which have been introduced
lately in mobile broadband market, can also support communication for different systems, such
as industrial automation, autonomous vehicles or Internet of Things (IoT). Therefore, these
networks can be used together with distributed sensors arrays and appropriate databases in order
to provide more accurate estimation of track conditions. Having this in mind, this paper proposes
the use of track condition data derived from the remote wireless sensor network for the purpose
of adaptive battery state of charge control within a hybrid locomotive, and the proposed concept
has been simulated over a mountain railway route driving scenario. The obtained simulation
results are used to gain insights about the possible benefits of usage of the proposed remote
wireless sensor network in terms of finding optimal control strategy for the freight train, while
simultaneously increasing the transportation safety and predicting possible delays due to changed
conditions at the route.
Abstract
Sustainable energy management is gaining ground, which is more significantly highlighted by the
7th sustainable development goal (ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern
energy for all) of the United Nations. Among the numerous renewable energy resources, the main
advantage of water energy is that it utilizes the current of the streams and rivers regardless of the
given time of the day or season. The main purpose of this study was to create a low capacity,
undershoot hydropower plant on the basis of reviewed methods and available scientific
information, which is suitable for shallow and even narrow water bodies. The device was designed
to create electric energy while floating on the water surface. The prototype was tested under
realistic circumstances to identify the impacts of various settings on the energy efficiency.
Examples of such variables are the number of paddles or the force of the strut. Measurements
were carried out on Brook Séd that flows through Veszprém. The average depth of the riverbed is
36 cm. Optimal efficiency was achieved by using 6 paddles. On the other hand, much lower
efficiency could be achieved when low number (2, 3) or high number (12, 15) of paddles were used.
The obtained results were cross-referenced with previous findings and the established optimal
levels of the variables correspond to the ones in literature. Based on the results of the prototype a
design model was elaborated that can facilitate the construction of an undershoot waterwheel for
any watercourse. The sensitivity analysis of the sizing variables used in the estimation of
performance was supported by network analysis techniques.
Abstract
The concept of “nexus” implies that the action in one of the systems has impacts on the others. In
particular, the energy-water nexus is a concept widely established to assess the nexus in at city
level, however, is rarely applied to food and beverage products, which have a great influence on
greenhouse gases emissions. In fact, the beverage sector accounts for around 2% of the global CO 2
emissions of the industrial sector and for 0.42% of the global CO 2 emissions produced by all
human activities. According to these data, it is necessary to contribute to the sustainable
development of the beverages sector boosting the rational and sustainable use of natural
resources using a life-cycle approach.

This work develops a nexus model (energy-water) to assess the natural resources energy and
water embedded in a beverage company dedicated to the artisanal elaboration of premium spirit
drinks such as gin and vodka. A material flow analysis is developed to first estimate the mass and
energy consumption along the supply chain under a life cycle thinking approach. Then, the related
consumed energy is estimated based on direct and indirect energy requirements. Virtual water
content is also calculated according to direct and indirect consumptions. Finally, it is proposed an
integrated index which combines life cycle assessment (LCA) and linear programming (LP) that
assesses and balances energetic and virtual water value of the proposed scenario, enabling the
identification of those scenarios with minors energetic and virtual water intensity and those stages
where larger efforts are required, helping the decision-making process.

Results indicated that the distillation step consumed the highest amount of direct energy while
the production and transportation of the glass bottle was the step with the greatest contribution
to the indirect energy consumption. On the other hand, the total consumption of direct water was
due to the water required in the maceration step, whereas the indirect consumption of water
presented a negative value due to avoided burdens in the waste management step.

The use of the WEN index as an environmental management tool is extendable to any scenario
system with the aim of facilitating the decision-making process in the development of more
sustainable products, so a sensitivity analysis was performed to check the robustness of the
method proposed. This index could facilitates the eco-labelling in terms of resources consumption
and can be combined with the carbon footprint, informing consumers about natural resources
consumption and environmental burdens.
Abstract
In this work, an innovative process layout to promote the integration among the chemical looping
combustion of solid fuels, solar hydrogen, and carbon methanation is numerically investigated.
The core of the layout is a multiple interconnected fluidized bed system (MFB) equipped with a
two-stage fuel reactor (t-FR), a riser used as Air Reactor (AR), a cyclone, a L-valve return leg, and
a loop-seal. In the first stage of the t-FR, where fuel and fresh oxygen carrier (OC) from the AR
enter, the solid fuel combustion took place. Volatile combustion occurs mainly in the second stage,
where the partly reduced OC is present. An internal riser connects the two stages, thus allowing
the solids to move from the first stage to the other. Solids from the second stage go through the
loop-seal into the AR where the oxidation capability of the OC is restored. A cyclone collects the
regenerated OC that is sent through the L-valve to the first stage of the t-FR. At the exit of the
second stage, water and fines were separated from flue gas. This latter is partly conveyed to a
methanation unit in order to react with a hydrogen stream coming from a electrolysis cells array
(EC), while the remnant is recycled to the t-FR. A coupled hydrodynamic and kinetic model of the
MFB is applied in order to evaluate flue gas composition and flow rate, and power production.
The performances of the system were evaluated by considering a coal and a sludge as fuels and
CuO supported on zirconia as oxygen carrier. A complex kinetic scheme comprising both gas–
solid heterogeneous reactions taking place in the fluidized beds, involving both carbon and oxygen
carrier, and gas-phase homogeneous reactions occurring in the freeboard of fuel reactors was
considered. The methanation unit was modelled developing a thermodynamic calculation method
based on minimization of the free Gibbs energy. The performance of the system was evaluated by
considering that the CO/CO2 stream coming from the t-FR reacts with a pure H2 stream from the
ECs over NiO supported on alumina catalyst. The number of ECs to be stacked in the array was
evaluated by considering that a constant H2 production able to convert the whole CO/CO2 stream
produced by the CLC process should be attained. Moreover, by considering that only energy from
renewable sources (such as photovoltaic panels or wind turbines) was fed to the ECs, it was
assessed the capability of the proposed process to be used as an energy storage system.
Abstract
The improvement of the energetic performances of the building envelope represents a crucial
aspect to increase the buildings energy efficiency and indoor environmental quality. In recent
years, one of the most appreciated design solutions in the worldwide architecture panorama is the
Double-Skin Façade. A lot of different technologies and innovative materials have been proposed
lately to improve or modify Double-Skin Façade appearance and energy efficiency. Unfortunately,
there is still a lack of numerical models able to reproduce coherently and comprehensively the
behaviour of complex Double-Skin Façades, let alone the cases in which innovative materials or
geometries are used. Therefore, two identical test-cells (called GEMINI) for on-site acoustic,
visual and thermal characterization of different full-scale modules for Double-Skin Façades have
been designed and are currently under construction at University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”.
In this paper, their structure, equipment and measurements layouts are presented and described
in detail.
Abstract
The most promising energy-efficient ways of engineering design of wastewater treatment systems
using a biological plateau have been studied. An order of analysis was established in accordance
with the methodology specified in the regulatory documentation (GOST) for the product under
test, using the analysis parameters when working with an appropriate chromatograph. An
appropriate action plan has been developed and selected, aimed at creating conditions for the
chromatographic and spectrometric analysis of purified water using a biological plateau. This
paper is an extensive literature review of construct wetlands and the ongoing applications for
metal cations removal. This review includes recent research on the mechanisms of removal, an
evaluation of different plant species, a discussion of anions partitioning in the wetland
environment and a look at the use of chemical additives to improve the removal efficiencyt.
Abstract
The present work focuses on the quality of primary products recovered from fast pyrolysis of
lignocellulosic components of biomasses in both nitrogen (N2) and carbon dioxide (CO2)
atmosphere. Three biomass components are investigated: Hemicellulose, Cellulose and Lignin.
Heat treatment has been carried out in a heated strip reactor (HSR) at 1573 and 2073 K with
holding times of 3 s and heating rate of 104 K/s. The gas in the reactor is either nitrogen or carbon
dioxide and is kept at nearly ambient temperature. Volatiles are quenched as soon as they are
emitted from the particles and collected for further chemical analyses. Such samples are
representative of primary pyrolysis products, because the peculiar experimental setup avoids
secondary reactions of volatiles in the gas phase. The condensed products are distinguished in
“Light” and “Heavy “ tar, the former soluble in acetone, the latter in N-methyl pyrrolidone (NMP).
In some cases also soot and char samples are recovered.

The product of primary pyrolysis of Hemicellulose at T=1573 and 2073 K is a light tar composed
mainly of monosaccharides, with only a small fraction of oxo-aromatics. Similar products are
obtained when pyrolysis is carried out in Nitrogen and in Carbon dioxide. Pyrolysis of Cellulose
at 1573 K, produces a light tar made exclusively of monosaccharides, however at the higher
temperature of 2073 K also heavy tar is obtained, whose molecular weight turns out to increase
when pyrolysis is carried out in CO2 atmosphere. The products of primary pyrolysis of Lignin
include light tar, heavy tar, soot and char. The light tar is made of oxo-aromatics and PAHs. Heavy
tar, and also PAHs, increase with pyrolysis temperature and in presence of CO2. .
Abstract
The potential of small watercourses and small hydropower plants (SHPP) is one of the possible
resources and means of using renewable energy sources (RES). The recent negative practices in
Serbia that many SHPP couldn’t be constructed due to public hearing; although the design
fulfilled every legal step, are a motive for the research carried out in this paper. The goal is to
examine the issues of conflicting interests on a holistic way, to quantify and rank certain negative
environmental impacts and seek synergistic sustainable solutions with less negative
environmental impact. The obtaining of a permit for the construction of SHPPs, in accordance
with the law, necessarily follows the preparation and adoption of the Environmental Impact
Study. The study is reviewed by the competent authorities. The public hearing becomes one of the
most important steps in a decision making process. The study has to be accepted by the interested
local community and the wider public. Rejecting a study, and consequently a project at a public
hearing, regardless of whether the investment is private or social, results in the devaluation of
previously invested funds in the project. At the same time, if the Study is accepted and if the
project is approved and implemented, the question arises whether the prescribed biological
minimum and environmental protection measures, such as monitoring and sanctions for
offenses, will be respected in practice. In order to manage resources efficiently, so that they can
be used by future generations, and in order to avoid any abuse, it is necessary to include all
relevant stakeholders in the decision-making process at the very beginning of the optimal
construction concept. The goal of this paper is also to quantify all functions, all potential impacts,
all conditions and constraints, and then to align the criteria by degree of importance, in order to
help in compromise decisions. Comprehensive and long term consideration of the problem is
required. In this paper, for the selection of an optimal SHPP concept, whether it will be a
multipurpose, accumulative, flow or derivative type of plants, it proposes a methodology with
respect to all conflicting interests and the search for synergistic compromise solutions, using
multi-criteria fuzzy logic. Examples of positive and negative practices in the field of hydropower
in Serbia and the world are given.
Abstract
São Paulo state is an example of the importance of tackling regional energy systems. While GHG
emissions from the energy sector in Brazil corresponds to 21% of total emissions, in São Paulo the
share is 51% and, in the land use sector, emissions reach 46% in the country and only 9% in the
state of São Paulo. Within the energy system, special attention must be given to the transport
sector, which corresponds to 54% of emissions from the energy sector. Using LEAP model, this
study aims at estimating greenhouse gases and pollutant emissions from freight transport by 2035
with a 10% substitution of heavy and light duty vehicles in the state of São Paulo. Results show
that greenhouse gases reductions are almost neglectable in a 10% substitution, mainly due to
increase in methane and nitrous oxide emissions. Pollutant reductions are seen in particulate
matter in both heavy and light duty vehicles. Nitrogen oxides and carbon monoxide, on the other
hand, increase in light duty and decrease in heavy duty. Hydrocarbons increase in both modals.
Abstract
In Japan, woody biomass energy systems have been promoted as national measures that can
provide important services, including energy production, climate change mitigation, regional
revitalization, etc. In particular, energy from woody biomass is expected to revitalize industry,
and thus, induce job creation in the region. However, there are increasing cases of natural
ecosystems and landscapes being destroyed to fulfill the increased demand of woody biomass. An
example is the clear cutting of forests and illegal logging. The use of renewable energy is desirable
from environmental, economic, and social perspectives; however, conflicts, such as the
destruction of local natural ecosystems, must be avoided because such destruction reduces the
appeal of the region in the long term, which may lead to economic and environmental decline of
the region.

This study aims to discuss the ideal energy utilization of woody biomass from the viewpoint of
preserving natural ecosystems. It consists of two parts: (i) modelling of the relationships between
utilization of energy from woody biomass and the health of natural ecosystems and (ii) identifying
positive and negative impacts on natural ecosystems by analyzing woody biomass energy systems
in Japan.

The relationship between utilization of energy from woody biomass and natural ecosystems was
systematically modelled. For example, using forest resources in the region for power generation
has a positive impact on natural ecosystems owing to the proper maintenance and management
of forests for the purpose. But this relationship was observed to hold only when thinned lumber
were being used; clear cutting has a negative impact on the natural ecosystem. Importing fuel
from woody biomass for power generation also has a negative impact on natural ecosystems as
forests might not be fully maintained or managed within the region.

Based on the results of the model, woody biomass energy systems in Japan were analyzed using
an online survey. One of the results revealed that about 27% of the 88 woody biomass power
plants included in the survey imported PKS (palm kernel shell) from south-east Asia as fuel. Since
PKS is a residue generated in large quantities by plantation, it is suitable in terms of providing a
stable supply of fuel, but decision makers of power plants should consider that the use of PKS
greatly affects the health of natural ecosystems in south-east Asia.
Abstract
The social challenge of youth unemployment is enlarged on islands. The youth on islands face
additional obstacles since they are constrained by geography, resources, economies of scale, and
suffer from seasonal unemployment. The focus of this paper is to present the results of a study
that was conducted in eight (8) European insular regions in the fields of renewable energy sources
(RES), energy efficiency, sustainable tourism and sustainable mobility. The aim is to identify the
future green market needs and the prerequisites of green jobs, as well as defining the solution that
will tackle the NEETs (not in education, employment, or training) unemployment problem.
Information, data and statistics were retrieved from national, European and international reports
and through the use of e-questionnaires to obtain the relevant stakeholders’ opinion on green
growth and NEETs issues. The results of the analysis are discussed in relation with the long-term
strategy on green growth and policy measures currently in place at a regional, national and
European level. This study revealed that the main routes for tackling the challenge of NEETs are
the formulation of the appropriate policy framework for encouraging green growth, the
cultivation of public environmental awareness through suitable educational programmes and the
preparation of younger generations with appropriate knowledge, training, and skills to avoid
becoming NEETs in the first place.

The paper is a part of the dissemination activities of the research project “Youth Employment
Network for Energy Sustainability in ISlands – YENESIS”, funded by EEA and Norway Grants
Fund for Youth Employment.
Abstract
Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are major air pollutants because of their adverse health
effects, such as headache, eye, nose and throat irritation, nausea, allergic reactions, and even
cancer. Moreover, their contribution to hazardous environmental problems, such as global
warming, stratospheric ozone depletion, suspended particulate matter, and photochemical smog
are considerable. Therefore, pertinent technologies removing VOCs before their emission is
necessary for environmental protection.

Catalytic ozonation is probably the most effective method for the removal of VOCs with low
concentrations. In particular, the reaction temperature for catalytic ozonation is considerably low,
resulting in energy savings. The major disadvantage of catalytic ozonation is that it can produce
potential toxic by-products caused by incomplete oxidation. These undesirable by-products can
be reduced using suitable catalysts. Recent studies have focused on removing VOCs, and it is
particularly important to develop catalysts with higher activity and fewer by-products.

Among the transition metal catalysts studied thus far, the Mn loaded catalyst showed higher
activity for the catalytic ozonation of VOCs than Ni, Fe, Cu, Co, and Ag. Mn is generally supported
on a material with a high specific surface area, such as zeolite. However, harmful byproducts such
as CO could be generated during catalytic ozonation. To reduce the byproducts, noble metals such
as Pt, Ag and Ru could be added to Mn loaded catalyst. In this study, differnet kinds of bimetallic
catalysts were synthesized using wetness impregnation method and applied to the catalytic
ozonation of toluene to examine the effects of adding noble metals to Mn/ZSM-5. The metal
loading of Mn was 5 wt. %, and loading of noble metals was 1wt. %. Among various bimetallic
catalysts, Ru-Mn/ZSM-5 showed the highest activity. The detailed relationship between catalystic
properties with catalytic activities will be suggested. This research was supported by the
Technology Development Program to Solve Climate Changes of the National Research
Foundation (NRF) funded by the Ministry of Science, ICT (2017M1A2A2086839).
Abstract
Carbon capture and storage from fossil fuel power plants has been considered a promising
alternative to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate climate changes. Amine absorption
is the most mature technology for post-combustion capture, although it poses a severe energy
penalty, increasing the cost of electricity from power plants. To overcome this penalty, new
solvents have been evaluated to improve energy efficiency of CO 2 capture technologies. Due to
their low volatility, high thermal stability, high CO2 solubility and low heat consumption for CO2
stripping, ionic liquids have been receiving much attention as potential solvents for CO 2 capture.
This work assesses technical an economic performance of a novel ionic-liquid-based CO2 capture
process from flue gas emitted by a 400 MW coal-fired power plant. The main novelty of the ionic-
liquid-based process is using a high-pressure CO2 stripping, taking advantage of the high thermal
stability of ionic liquids, which decreases compression power for CO 2 injection. The new process
is compared to conventional piperazine-activated methyldiethanolamine (MDEA/PZ) capture
process on economic grounds, showing a life cycle cost 10.7% lower (53.18$/tCO 2 vs
59.54$/tCO2).
Abstract
The impact of intermittent power production by Photovoltaic (PV) systems to the overall power
system operation is constantly increasing and so is the need for advanced forecasting tools that
enable understanding, prediction, and managing of such a power production. Solar power
production forecasting is one of the enabling technologies, which can accelerate the transition to
sustainable energy environment. Short-term forecast information on the expected power
production can assist existing forecasting techniques and enable efficient integration of renewable
energy sources through the efficient energy trading, power system control and management of
energy storage units.

The paper presents an approach to predict local PV power output based on short-term solar
forecasting by the use of ground-based camera and analyzes the benefits of such forecast to the
power system operation.

In the proposed research, analysis of the commonly used forecasting methods with added
precision of the short-term forecasting was made. Cost-effectiveness was calculated with different
scales of a power plant. An overview of the benefits for the transmission system operator is given.
This overview considers the ways in which short-term forecasting can improve the efficiency of
power management in an electric grid.

A system cost-effectiveness analysis was carried out for electricity producers that can use this
system to generate better forecasts for the production of electricity and thus reduce penalties for
non-compliance with the anticipated production.
Abstract
Due to the fast development, EU economy has grown over its own raw material production. To
enable future economic development without increasing imports, EU is trying to make its
economy more sustainable and resource efficient. This path is emphasised through the idea of
„Closing the Loop“ which is integrated into EU legislation by a Circular Economy Package and
emphasizes avoidance of waste production and its recovery. New waste management goals require
significant changes in the waste management system structure. This introduces potential new
problems and one of them is an increase in the cost for the system for its users (citizens). To assess
the impact of these changes, time-dependent LCA based waste, material, and energy flow tracking
framework is adapted and used to calculate material and energy production which can be
monetised on the material and energy markets. As waste management plants/facilities are built
with public money, to provide public service, economic calculations are done in the way that
annual cash flow of the system is equalized with zero, taking into account all incomes (incomes
from products like energy vectors, secondary materials, and compost) and expenses (like
investment and operating costs) of such a system. From these calculations, variable (volatile,
time-dependent) and average system gate fee (operating cost per tonne of input waste) is
calculated which is charged to the system users. Possible increase of system cost can cause the
issue of social unacceptance, which decision-makers, elected by the citizens, want to avoid.
Results show that energy recovery of waste generates higher income then material recovery while
overall lower system costs, and lower volatility of the system cost, is observed in the material
recovery based scenarios. The lowest system costs are calculated for the scenario which combines
material and energy recovery (via anaerobic digestion) and avoids investments in final
disposal/recovery facilities by outsourcing it (refuse-derived fuel incineration in the cement kiln).
The main problem with outsourcing the final disposal/recovery stage is the uncertainty of the cost
of such service. It is found that this kind of approach has not been previously used for the
assessment of the economic sustainability of the whole waste management systems and
represents a good tool for decision makers.
Abstract
Hybrid microgrids represent a cost-effective option to ensure access to energy in isolated
locations, such as rural areas located far from the main grid. Nonetheless, the sizing of rural
microgrids is complicated by the lack of models capable of accounting for the evolution of the load
demand over time, which is likely to occur in such contexts as a result of the modification of users’
lifestyles and the corresponding connection of initially unforeseen loads. In fact, state-of-the-art
tools for microgrid sizing are typically conceived only for a fixed, non-evolving load demand and
for a single-period investment plan.

To tackle this issue, the present study builds on the existing open-source MicroGridsPy model –
based on a linear programming (LP) formulation and implemented in Python language – by
developing a novel, long-term optimisation model formulation, capable of accounting for load
evolution and investment decision in multiple periods. The model is then applied to determine
the long-term optimal investment plan for a hybrid microgrid – composed of PV, batteries and
diesel genset – for an isolated village in the north of Chile. The present and future likely energy
needs of the village are assessed based on information collected via field surveys, subsequently
elaborated into load profiles by means of a bottom-up stochastic model. The results are hence
compared with those achievable adopting the typical single-period investment plan formulation,
with fixed load and fixed operation cost for the whole project lifetime. The comparison proves
how the new long-term sizing approach allows to unlock optimal investment plan decisions that
dominate those obtainable within a single-period formulation. In addition, the new approach
favors an increased penetration of PV, due to the possibility of delaying the purchase and
installation of additional renewable capacity to the moment in which the load requires it, rather
than oversizing the system at year zero.
Abstract
Fixed bed gasification is one of the most suitable process to exploit lignocellulosics because it can
be carried out at small scale (<1MWth) with a relatively simple and robust technology. From fixed
bed gasifier syngas can be draft from the bottom (downdraft type) of from the top (updraft type).
The latter is characterized by higher energy efficiency conversion and enhanced flexibility of
feedstock, as regard moisture content, size and composition.

One of the most important parameter for the syngas use is the ratio H2/CO. In the reported work
the focus is placed onto tuning syngas composition as a desirable feature of biomass gasification.
Such process flexibility can be achieved by introducing steam in the system, by using oxygen or
enriched air by a special reactor design (indirect gasification); by adding a catalytic step of water
gas shift (WGS) or a CO2 adsorption step.

Gasification was carried out in a pilot facility able to treat 20-30 kg/g of lignocellulosic feedstock.
In the reported tests almond shells were used that maintain a good gas permeation when loaded
as bulk. Main system component is a fixed bed, autothermal, updraft gasifier, operated slightly
above atmospheric conditions. The gasifier has a cylindrical basic shape with a height of 2.4 m
and diameter of 0.5 m. Air, oxygen, steam or mixtures of these can be used as the gasifying means;
the flow of gas is introduced into the lower part of the gasifier below the grate.

Novelty of this work can be seen in the measuring evolution of gasification at different heights of
the reactive biomass bed. This was achieved by probing syngas streams directly from the core and
analyzing it onsite to measure the content of H2, CO2, CO, CH4, CnHm, N2, O2. The chemical
composition was correlated to the thermal profile provided by in bed measurements of 7
thermocouples, plus 4 in freeboard. The plant is also equipped with section based on Water Gas
Shift to increase the H2 yield. The use of steam increased the hydrogen content and positively
affected the molar ratio H2/CO that reached the steady value of 1 by using air and steam as
gasifying medium. In the tests, the biomass was completely converted in gaseous and liquid
energy carriers with cold gas efficiency (CGE) ranging from 61% to 75%. With WGS the level of H 2
in gas reached 37 vol % (53 vol % on nitrogen free basis) corresponding to a new increased H2/CO
ratio of 9.
Abstract
Anaerobic digestion (AD) has undergone many developments since its first appearance. Despite
that, there are still some environmental and economical obstacles that are limiting its
sustainability. On the other hand, different types of starch have proven their effectiveness in some
different applications. Food processing industries are considered one of the largest generators of
wastes in the environment. With an aid of the Response surface methodology (RSM), the
proposed study aims to find an optimised way to overcome the obstacles by studying the impacts
of the starch isolated from the potato peels on the biogas produced from the AD of potato peels
before and after starch separation. The study found that potato peels represented approximately
12.5% of the potato total weight. The starch has only a slight influence on the quantity of the biogas
produced and much lower influences on its quality. This finding suggests further investigation is
required on the production of starch bio-based products simultaneously with the biogas and bio-
slurry, which may mitigate environmental influences and economical obstacles of AD and make
it more commercially attractive. The study reached also that, the highest energy gain by the g-
VS/0.2L of potato peels was 62.9% at 35° C, 1.62 g-VS/0.2L organic concentration and 50% sludge
concentration, which yielded a maximum CH4of 72.4%.
Abstract
Wastewater treatment plants play a key role in preserving the resources of the environment as
well as human health. The applied technological system of the sewage treatment plant determines
the efficiency of wastewater treatment and sewage sludge treatment, but also forces operating
costs. The purpose of the presented work is to compare and analyze the conventional
technological system of a small waste water treatment plant with some modifications, generating
both ecological and economic profit. In the following work the LCA analysis of waste water (and
sewage sludge) treatment plants with modified technological systems was made, comparing
different possible concepts of sewage sludge management on the tested treatment plant. Life cycle
assessment (LCA) was performed on four applied sewage sludge treatment practices: dewatering
of mixed sludge (DMS), thermostabilization and biomass production (TBP) with land application,
biomass incineration (BI) and biomass gasification (BG). In conducted study the BG scenario
performed better than others in energy production aspect. In the proposed system, wastewater
filtration and thermocomposting enable optimization of wastewater - sludge management
system. The use of a belt filter for suspension separation reduces the load on activated sludge
bioreactors and oxygen stabilization. It is also possible to reduce energy consumption and costs
of wastewater treatment and sludge treatment. The basic modification is the use of thermo-
composting of separated sewage sludge with the addition of structure-forming agent.
Importantly, no precipitating or flocculating substances or agents are used in this technology. The
technology used enables processing of sewage sludge to biomass with high fertilizing and energy
potential. Analyzes of energy consumption and LCA of the waste water treatment and sewage
sludge treatment technology studied confirm economic savings and minimize environmental
impact in relation to conventional solutions. The eco-toxicity showed also low impact potentials
for land application scenario. Overall, the present study emphasized the importance of including
all sewage sludge treatment scenarios in in the process of selecting wastewater treatment plants
for local conditions.
Abstract
The commonly used and developing engineering environmental technologies do not remain inert
for an ecosystem. The deepening climate changes is generally considered as the effects of human
activities. There is thus no doubt that any human interference in the environment should be
previously comprehensively checked for all its positive and negative aspects for environment as
well as society health. There are two different analytical tools useful in environmental
management: life cycle assessment (LCA) and risk assessment (RA). First of them follows the
product from “from birth to the grave” summing an environment impact at all stages of its “life”
including such elements like producing, used electricity, transport and many others. LCA refers
to quantification and classification all effects at all life stages and provides direct and indirect
possible environmental interactions. In turn, risk assessment is concentrated on linking stressors
and its possibilities and severity. RA tools reveals environmental and human health impact of
strictly separated element providing insight as to which emission consist an important threat.
This paper is focused on summarizing available methods and tools for support the decision
making process in using of engineering environmental technologies.
Abstract
Micro scale cogeneration units may find application in many bio-processes based on energy
recovery from waste. For example, farms and small food factories are excellent candidates for
micro-scale biogas production. To increase the energy performances of micro-scale plants, Solid
Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFCs) are a promising choice. Hence, to push their development in such
application cost reduction and performance durability are essential target. To this end, simplified
SOFC system may be implemented, applying regulation strategies meant at limiting degradation.
This work, based on experimental data, shows system analysis regarding to possible layouts:
direct biogas feeding to SOFC and air-biogas feeding to SOFC. While air addition causes a
decrease in performance, experimental evidence proves longer stability of performance, resulting
in a good compromise between short and long-term efficiency.
Abstract
This paper presents the first results of an innovative didactic experience of blended learning and
flipped classroom techniques, involving the courses of Buildings Physics at Politecnico di Milano.
The course is attended by second year students of the bachelor in Architecture and covers the
basic knowledges about thermodynamics, heat and moisture transfer in buildings, buildings’
energy behaviors, thermal and visual comfort, systems and plants based on fossil and renewable
energies. This innovative approach should improve the relation between architectural design
principles and their impacts on energy and environment, with the main aim of making the next
generation of architects more energy and environmentally conscious, more sensitive to global
problems and more able to operate in different contexts (including also developing countries and
emergency, temporary and informal settlements). The main eLearning mode adopted is the so-
called flipped classroom that includes tasks to be accomplished in the classroom and at home, in
order to improve the students’ competences and to facilitate the learning process. Moreover, the
methods and tools tested should help the students in developing problem solving and soft skills.
Didactic videos and online tests were the main tested and most appreciated tools. The experience
involved about 900 students in total, distributed in 4 classes in Italian and 1 class in English. The
first results clarify whether these innovative tools effectively supported the students in learning
the treated topics, with a more participative approach, and helped the professors in making the
course more attractive and understandable. Furthermore, the outcomes of the evaluation on the
data stored along the courses have been processed and correlated with the results of the final
examinations (in terms of participation, scores, pass and fail).
Abstract
Project SMART (Strategies to Promote Small Scale Hydro Electricity Production in Europe) from
the Intelligent Energy Europe (IEE) program, in which 7 institutions from 5 European states
participate (Province of Cremona – Italy; CESI RICERCA SPA – Italy; Faculty of Mechanical
Engineering and Naval Architecture, University of Zagreb – Croatia; Karlovac Regional Authority
– Croatia; Norwegian University of Science and Technology – Norway; Regional Secretariat of
Attica - Greece and Energieagentur Waldviertel – Austria), address to important barriers for the
expansion of small-scale hydro electricity (SHP) production in Europe: the lack of suitable
support methodologies and tools; the complexity of the legal/administrative processes to obtain
concessions, and the economical/financial attraction of private investors. One of the main
barriers is the lack of suitable methodology and tools (computer programs) able to create a clear
view of the smal hydro power potential in the given territory, as well as a complete techno-
economic analysis for certain location. Although, in the world there are a certain number of
computer programs for this purpose, but they are not able to take into account all the specifics of
watercourses. Due to, a new original numerical tool (software) for the techno-economic analysis
of small hydropower plants is developed and will be presented in this paper. In the software the
latest knowledges and technical developments in the field of small hydropower plants are
incorporated (e.g. the newest types of water turbines for small hydropower plants). Also, the
interface of the software is also designed to allow appropriate application. The program is very
useful for experts in the field of small hydropower plants, but also much wider, for decision-
makers, potential investors and stakeholders. It will improve water resources management,
disseminate opportunities to investors and increase the interest of stakeholders to invest in SHP,
resulting in their wider use.
Abstract
Phase change materials (PCMs) have been widely used in building applications as a thermal
storage medium for passive thermal regulation and for increasing the efficiency of HVAC systems.
Both applications have shown great potential in reducing energy demand or peak loads for both
heating and cooling in buildings. Literature shows different ways to incorporate PCMs in the
building envelope. This review focuses on the use of PCMs as an additive or replacement material
in typical concrete mixtures for building applications. Literature shows that organic paraffins and
non-paraffins are the most suitable PCMs for incorporation into concrete mixtures, as they have
suitable melting points that match human comfort temperature, high heat capacity, low volume
changes during phase change transition, and good chemical and thermal stability. To avoid PCM
leakage from the concrete, indirect methods of PCM incorporation in concrete are highlighted,
such as encapsulation methods and vacuum impregnation techniques combined with macro-
encapsulation methods. Updated information related to the influence of the type of PCM and
different incorporation methods on the physical, mechanical and thermal properties of fresh and
hardened concrete is presented. Literature shows that by adding PCM to the concrete mixture the
heat storage capacity of concrete is generally increased. However, various studies showed that
PCMs also have some negative impacts on the physical and mechanical properties of concrete.
New relationships between the quantity of PCM and the change in both the thermal and
mechanical properties of the concrete are provided. From the reviewed literature, it can be
concluded that the potential of using PCM in concrete still requires further research, to study
solutions that allow increasing the amount of PCM that is effectively incorporated into concrete
and to develop standard testing procedures for measuring the thermal properties of
inhomogeneous materials such as PCM-concrete composites.
Abstract
Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) must be integrated with either thermal energy storage or a fossil
power assist. Thermal storage initial and maintenance costs could be a challenge in some
countries. The emission production is another challenge due to fossil fuel usage in addition to the
limited access of the poor countries to fossil fuels. The renewability of CSP and biofuel/biogas is
much higher than using fossil fuel with CSP as power assist while solar irradiation is in absent.
The feasibility of integrating a biofuel/biogas based gas turbine power unit into a CSP unit is the
main focus of this study to generate water and electricity. Some countries have an excessive
amount of biofuels and/or biogas that can be produced in mass production in cheap rate. The
results of this study will help these countries utilizing solar irradiation, biofuels, and bio-waste for
producing electricity and pure water in lower cost.
Abstract
The paper represents the position of the Italian Federation of Renewable Energy Suppliers
(FIPER), which currently includes 90 district heating plants powered by wood biomass and low
enthalpy ground source, representing almost the 90% of Italian plants, and 109 plants of biogas
production from agriculture and zoo-technical products. Both the chains guarantee a sustainable
management of the territory in economic, environmental and employment terms.

The recent RED2 Directive provides indications to Member States towards the exploitation of
Renewable Energy Sources (RES). The target of 32% by RES in 2030 requires careful planning
and actions by the Member States and presupposes a change in the paradigm towards circular
economies and de-carbonized systems.

According to the "Renewable 2018" report by the International Energy Agency (IEA), modern
bio-energies will be the most growing until 2023 thanks to their greater use in heating and
transport, areas where other RES currently play a much more modest role. The management of
this predominant RES (46% of total RES worldwide in 2023) needs a synergic approach including
energy, agriculture, forestry and environment.

In this context, Italy has reacted by some measures including the first and the second National
Energy Strategy (SEN 1 and SEN 2) and the Climate-Energy Plan, but these reactions has been
not exactly consistent. E.g., in contrast to attract new investments on RES, SEN 2 promotes the
expansion of natural gas grid in mountain and rural areas, but this is possible only with public
incentives, given the very low margins of profitability of high investment costs that do not
generate any long-term local economic impact.

According to RED2 Directive, Fiper suggests to enhance the contribution of biomass for thermal
uses and to reconsider issues underestimated by the national plans and rules, such as the increase
in cooling demand and the possibility of developing efficient biomass district heating (DH).
Efficient DH is promoted also by RED 2 and represents the natural evolution of existing DH
systems toward multi-generative and low-temperature heating supply. Fiper states that room
suggested by SEN 2 for efficient DH is underestimated. In fact, according to FIPER evaluations,
new efficient biomass DH plants could be promoted in 458 municipalities located in the coldest
climatic zones of Italy, with a global thermal power of about 1-1.5 GW. Further benefits deriving
from the penetration of district cooling have to be considered. Strong of its political and normative
awareness as well as of its own experience in plants’ operation, Fiper has defined measures for
promoting efficient DH in Italy in harmony with the path towards 100% RE systems and
adherently to the economic reality. These includes smart supporting mechanisms, methods for a
sustainable use of wooden biomass (mark of origin) and guidelines for realizing economic benefits
along the chain.
Abstract
Shaanxi province has abundant biomass resources, however, the quantity of biomass from power
plant is very few due to the influence from biomass price. In this study, based on the current
situation of biomass power generation in China, we propose a new technology of biomass
briquette co-firing in large-scale coal-fired power plants. Compared with the traditional biomass
power generation and co-firing methods, this technology is more successful because of low lost
during collection and transportation. In addition, the low investment and low cost of fuel make
sure the good sustainability of this technology. In the 2009-2014, it was applied at Baoji Power
Plant and obtained positive results with good economy. Finally, considering the distribution of
biomass and power plants in Shaanxi province, we proposed that biomass briquette co-firing
should be intensively applied in the coal-fired power plant in Guanzhong Basin of Shaanxi
province to solve the problems of waste biomass utilization.
Abstract
This work presents a mathematical modelling of a proton-exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell
system integrated with a resistive variable load. The proposed model, implemented using
MATLAB Simulink software, is a combination of a steady-state sub-model and a dynamic sub-
model. The steady-state sub-model is based on an H-500xp pinch top PEM fuel cell type, and it
is used to calculate the reference fuel cell current at various conditions. The reference current is
the input value for the dynamic sub-model, where the performance of the PEM fuel cell is
simulated. The model is validated using the commercial Horizon H-500xp fuel cell stack system,
with the following components: 500 W PEM fuel cell, 13.5 VDC volt start-up battery, peak-load
super-capacitor bank, and 48 V DC-DC boost converter. In addition, the generated power is
dissipated in a variable resistive load. The results from the model shows the fuel cell output
current, voltage and power at both steady-state and transient condition in response to load and
hydrogen flow rate variation for optimised energy conversion efficiency and reduced fuel
consumption.
Abstract
Combustion systems will remain to have a part in the power and transport sectors during the
energy transition, and therefore the development of cleaner combustion technologies and
investigation of alternative sustainable fuels such as biofuels and energy vectors will continue.
The main challenge with combustion systems is the formation of pollutant emissions that are
harmful to the environment, and for that reason, the most of recent researches are focused on
finding the principles of pollutant formation and reduction. A valuable tool for getting an insight
into pollutant formation is Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), which is commonly used for
three-dimensional calculation of emissions from the combustion process. Due to the additional
computational demand, radiative heat transfer in some combustion simulations like internal
combustion engine simulations is often not considered, which can result in significant
discrepancies in emission calculations. In this work, radiative heat transfer in participating media
was modelled with Discrete Ordinates Method (DOM) that employs the finite volume method
discretisation. This model features spatial angle discretisation, where each spatial angle
represents one ordinate for which the transport equation is solved. Firstly, the temperature results
obtained by DOM radiation model were verified in comparison with Discrete Transfer Radiative
Method (DTRM) on a furnace combustion chamber, where for the calculation of furnace
combustion process, Steady Combustion model was used. Finally, the comparison between NO x
and soot emissions on internal combustion engine case is presented for calculation without
considering radiative heat transfer and with the DOM model. The results show a good trend
toward the agreement with experimental data when the radiative heat transfer is considered in
simulations.
Abstract
Waste heat recovery is an efficient way to enhance the heat efficiency and therefore reduce the
energy consumption of the industrial process. The industrial waste heat is estimated to account
for 10–50% of total fuel consumption in China, and the potential value in the cement, iron/steel
and glass industries are 410 TWh/yr, 29 TWh/yr and 18 TWh/yr, respectively. Heat exchanger is
a widely used method to recover the waste heat of flue gas. However, due to the weak heat transfer
behavior in gas side, the heat efficiency of gas heat exchanger is low. To address that problem, an
enhanced heat transfer method for flue gas is proposed in this paper, where a convection to
radiation converter (CRC) is established to convert the heat convection between gas and heat
transfer tube to radiation between CRC and the tube. The heat is firstly transferred from flue gas
to the CRC by convection, and then transferred from the CRC to the tube by radiation. The CRC
is characterized by a porous honey-comb structure, which possesses a high emissivity. The
effective emissivity is enhanced by increased converter thickness, and would approach to 1 with
the thickness larger than 120 mm. Through using the CRC in the gas heat exchanger, the heat
efficiency can be enhanced by 5~10 times.
Abstract
Ground-penetrating radar (GPR) is an excellent tool for nondestructive monitoring of buildings
and their surroundings, which can save significant efforts and costs in the renovation works. The
St. Benedict Church in Kančevci has been selected as a testing ground in the Slovenian Research
Agency funded project “Sensor technologies in diagnostics and monitoring of cultural heritage
buildings”. This building was selected because of severe crack patterns, which have appeared
because of the problems with renovation works in the past.

In this study, we measured the underground inside the church and in the vicinity of the church
with the purpose to find possible outside causes for the cracks. We focused particularly on the
roots of the large tree in the vicinity of the church, which grow below the church walls. GPR
experiment allows for the detection of the path of the roots noninvasively, without the need for
expensive digging. In this way, it is possible to recommend corrective measures, which are
cheaper than without information from GPR.

This method has great potential for the renovation of old buildings in the most sustainable
manner because it helps to focus the renovation to the most important areas only, which conserves
both the necessary work and the necessary raw materials and energy in the renovation processes.
Abstract
The thermoelectric power generators can directly convert waste heat into electricity. The
thermoelectric power generators have several advantages in comparison with other power
generators, including simple structure, high reliability, and quick response. In this work, the
crystal structure and thermoelectric properties of p-type Bi0.86Ba0.14CuSeO/xCu2-ySe (x = 0.05 -
0.15) composites were studied through X-ray diffraction (XRD), XRD Rietveld refinement, field
emission scanning electron microscope, Hall effect measurements, and thermoelectric transport
property measurements. The Bi0.86Ba0.14CuSeO/xCu2-ySe composites contained Cu1.8Se and Cu2Se
phases, along with Bi0.86Ba0.14CuSeO. The Bi0.86Ba0.14CuSeO in the composites had the tetragonal
crystal structure (P4/nmm space group), and the Cu2-ySe phases with y = 0 and 0.2 had the
tetragonal crystal structure (α-Cu2Se) and the cubic crystal structure (β-Cu1.8Se), respectively.
XRD Rietveld refinement showed that the Bi0.86Ba0.14CuSeO was composed of (Bi1.72Ba0.28O2)1.72+
and (Cu2Se2)2- layers. The O2- anion in the (Bi1.72Ba0.28O2)1.72+ layer was coordinated by four Bi3-
cations, thereby forming an OBi4 tetrahedron. In addition, the Cu1+ cation in the (Cu2Se2)2+ layer
was coordinated by four Se2- anions, thereby forming a CuSe4 tetrahedron. The electrical
conductivity, Seebeck coefficient, and thermal conductivity were significantly influenced by the
Cu2-ySe content. The Cu2-ySe led to an increase in the electrical conductivity of the
Bi0.86Ba0.14CuSeO/xCu2-ySe composites. This was attributed to the fact that the Cu2-ySe had very
high electrical conductivity. The thermal conductivity at 400 °C for the Bi 0.86Ba0.14CuSeO/xCu2-
ySe composites increased with increasing Cu2-ySecontent, which resulted from the fact that the
Cu2-ySe had high thermal conductivity.
Abstract
Red mud (RM) is by-product of alumina production. One ton of alumina produces 1-1.5 tons of
red mud (overall 100-120 million tons per year worldwide). Red mud is a waste, its storage is
problematic and space-consuming. The weather conditions in the biggest red mud producer
countries are suitable for drying the red mud outside in huge amount. The present study aimed
to develop a new “wet” homogenization methodology, which can be used not only in pot
experiments, but also in field experiments, under wetter climate conditions. Pot experiment was
conducted for 30 days using (1) sludge from Lake Balaton (soil:sludge: 1:1w/w) and (2) sewage
sludge (soil:sludge: 1:2w/w) as a soil amendment followed by RM treatments (0, 15, 30%w/w).
Garden soil was control and there were five replicates of each treatment. We planted white
mustard as a test plant in the pots. The maximum germ number was observed in case of S rm15
treatment (15%RM), compared to the Srm30 treatment in both type of mixtures. The plants were
underdeveloped in (2) compared to the (1) and the control, presumably due to excessive organic
matter content. The results suggest that “wet” homogenisation is a suitable substitute soil medium
with RM and other waste.
Abstract
The geothermal energy is one form of the renewable energy, which offers carbon free solutions
for heating and cooling spaces in the northern conditions.

In urban areas there is a huge potential of unutilized extra heat due to asphalt, concrete, vehicles,
people and lack of flora. The asphalt heat energy can be utilized by using the low energy network,
heat collection pipes and heat pumps. However, in high latitudes the reliability of asphalt heat
must be studied carefully before implementation.

In this study, the characteristics of the renewable asphalt heat energy in cold climate is studied.
The temperatures under the asphalt layer during four years period in 2014-2017 were measured
in Vaasa, Finland. Temperature measurements were made by using distributed temperature
sensing (DTS) method based on the light scattering. The temperature fluctuations at different
depths and between different years under the asphalt are presented here. The reliability of asphalt
heat availability in high latitude is verified in this study.
Abstract
While West Africa is likely to be one of the areas of the world experiencing a very high
demographic and economic growth over the next few decades, the need for infrastructure, and in
particular the development of its national electricity systems, is emerging as one of the most
important challenges. Although access to an abundant, inexpensive and sustainable energy source
is widely recognized as a good indicator of the improvement of people's living conditions and an
important determinant of economic growth, West Africa's electricity demand remains of an order
of magnitude comparable to that of a small EU country like the Netherlands.

Our objective in this research work is the development of an optimization model of future
technological choices for the electrical systems of the countries of West Africa. The TIMES-WAPP
model developed for this purpose defines optimal technological pathways according to the
availability of primary resources in each country, the pool of competing power supply options,
and the opportunities for cross-country exchanges. This presentation will describe the
characteristics of the model developed, as well as preliminary results for few contrasted scenarios
coupling demand and trading conditions.
Abstract
It is now clear that transition to decarbonised energy systems will include mainly huge investment
in new wind and solar capacities, while other renewables use will be limited by their limited and
already used potential. That creates issues with integration of variable renewables, that can be
solved either by electrification, hydrogen or e-fuels. The limit of cheap and easy integration for
wind is around 20% of yearly electricity generation, while a combined wind and solar may reach
30% (before duck curve hits 0), pending on necessary improving of transmission capacities and
flexibilization of conventional power plants. Going any further asks for implementation of free
energy markets, demand response, coupling of wholesale and retail energy prices, and integration
of electricity, heating/cooling, water and transportation systems. The cheapest and simplest way
is integrating power and heating/cooling systems through the use of district heating and cooling
(which may be centrally controlled and may have significant heat storage capacity), since power
to heat technologies are excellent for demand response. This may not be socially feasible
everywhere, in which case electrification of residential heating would require smart grid
implementation. Electrification of low energy density transportation (personal cars, local delivery
and local buses) allows not only for significant increase of energy efficiency, but also, the electric
cars, due to low daily use, may be excellent for demand response and even for storage. This will
necessarily bring smart grids development and digitalisation of power systems, allowing also for
demand response from buildings, appliances etc. Heating/cooling and transportation smart
electrification can allow reaching renewable share of 80% in energy system, but the remaining
20% - the part of transportation and industrial processes that cannot be electrified, as well as the
backup of power system in times when neither wind nor solar are available, may be more of an
uphill battle without technology breakthrough. Biomass can probably cover half of that demand,
while carbon dioxide from biomass combustion may be hydrogenised using hydrogen produced
from excess renewables, resulting in electric fuels (i.e. e-hydrogen, e-ammonia, e-methane, e-
methanol, e-DME). Alternative pathways to partial electrification of heating and transport, using
electric fuels, result in much higher costs, much higher needs for primary energy, and the system
that retains current inefficiencies. Therefore, hydrogen and other e-fuels should be used only
where electricity is not feasible, but there will still be huge need for those fuels, probably around
50% of primary energy will be used to produce such fuels.
Abstract
The energy consumption and efficiency of Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs) are key topics to
determine the usability and potential of electric vehicles in real-world conditions. In this
framework different aspects must be addressed, such as the representativeness of different test
duty cycles versus real-driving, the impact of different environmental conditions as well as the
energy demand of auxiliaries in different climate conditions.In order to perform accurate tests on
advance vehicle concepts such as BEV and hybrid electric vehicles (HEV) and to be able to
investigate their energy efficiency, a hardware system to accurately and reliably measure
parameters at several locations within the vehicles (i.e. performance of electric components, drive
trains etc.) has been customised.

The test results will set the base of comparison for the development of an improved and energy
efficient electric vehicle with increased driving range under real world driving conditions in
support to the research and innovation action H2020 project QUIET (QUalifying and
Implementing a user-centric designed and EfficienT electric vehicle).This is achieved by
exploiting the synergies of a technology portfolio in the areas of user centric design with enhanced
passenger comfort and safety, lightweight materials with enhanced thermal insulation properties,
and optimised vehicle energy management.

The paper provides the reader with a detailed description of the measurement equipment and
methods used for monitoring the energy consumption, current flows and voltages in selected
measurement points on the vehicle and an overview of driving range and distance specific energy
consumption results in different ambient conditions and with usage of auxiliaries’ systems.
Abstract
Thermal management systems are fundamental to provide comfort in all kinds of passenger
vehicles. However, in the field of electric vehicles, the thermal management system can consume
a significant amount of energy from the battery. For example, when heating in cold winter
conditions or cooling in warm summer conditions (e.g. at an ambient temperature of -10 °C and
+40 °C, respectively), it can consume up to 50% of the batterie’s capacity, which in turn reduces
the maximum driving range of the vehicle by 50%. The growing number of contributions in
scientific literature highlights the importance of this topic. Much of the current literature on
thermal management pays particular attention to developing new heating- and cooling
technologies or to improving the efficiency of existing components.

This paper proposes to use modelling and simulation to find an efficient operating strategy for a
thermal management system of a passenger electric vehicle. The specific objective of this study is
to reduce the amount of energy needed to heat up or cool down the passenger cabin. In turn, this
leads to an increased maximum driving range of the electric vehicle.

This contribution begins with modelling and parameterizing the thermal management system of
a reference electric vehicle. It will then go on to model-based system analysis, where the efficiency
in different operating points will be evaluated. Finally, an optimized operating strategy for the
components of the thermal management system will be elaborated for different ambient
conditions.

The proposed approach develops an enhanced and efficient operating strategy of the thermal
management system in a virtual environment. This offers a reduced development time when
compared to real-life testing. Measurements are only needed for parameterizing the single
components.
Abstract
The increasing concern about CO2 emission pushes the number of electric vehicles provided on
the market. However, due to financial reasons, the automotive industry mostly uses conventional
(combustion-engine based) vehicle platforms and converts them into electric vehicles. This leads
to highly inefficient electric vehicles and therefore to restricted maximum driving range. A much
better but also more expensive approach would be to consider electric vehicles as novel systems
and hence to develop them almost from scratch. This indicates a need to understand the
influences of possible actions in order to increase the maximum driving range of electric vehicles.

This paper provides a potential analysis about measures and actions which are available to
increase the maximum driving range of electric vehicles. Furthermore, this paper includes a case
study based on a specific electric vehicle, showing quantitative results about the impact of each of
these measures.

The paper is separated into two main parts. The first part uses data that were collected for this
study using a Honda Fit EV as reference vehicle. Based on this data, an entire vehicle simulation
model was developed and parameterized in Dymola / Modelica. In the second part, this model is
used to investigate the impact of different innovations including lightweight components, thermal
management and energy management on the maximum driving range of the vehicle. The results
are quantitatively elaborated and evaluated regarding their feasibility.

Intermediate results show the significant impact of the energy management system, and
especially the thermal management system for the passenger cabin, on the maximum driving
range of the reference electric vehicle. In contrast, the reduction of vehicle weight has only a minor
impact but, nevertheless, it must not be neglected.
Abstract
Thermal management is an important issue in many technical fields. Today the market is
dominated by conventional structures like those made of tubes and/or lamellas. There are several
applications where additional requirements need to be fulfilled, e.g. high specific surface to
volume ratio, interaction of various fluids, good conditions for nucleation, etc. In these cases
highly porous metal structures like metal foams or sintered hollow fiber structures are very
promising candidates for innovative solutions.

We present an evaporator structure for an adsorption heat pump as a first example, where
granules of expanded glass are embedded into the surface of preforms made from polymer
lattices. Then the preforms are infiltrated with aluminium melt by means of squeeze-casting.
Subsequent decomposing of the polymer results in open porous aluminium sponges with
embedded expanded glass granules. This approach allows also the direct integration of fluid
system elements like tubes. In the presentation details of the process and the resulting structures
will be shown, as well as first measurements as an evaporator structure.

As a second example a latent heat storage element will be presented where an open porous
aluminium foam structure is used to improve the thermal conductivity of the system.
Measurement results show a superior power output over time as compared to a conventional plate
heat exchanger.
Abstract
Phase change materials (PCM) are materials with a high latent heat. Mostly, the solid to liquid
transition is used to store energy. PCMs are commonly found in applications where the ratio of
power to stored heat capacity is 1:4 or lower. Examples are the cooling of buildings using PCM
storage systems charged during the night with cold air releasing the energy during the day, or
thermal stabilization of temperature sensitive goods during transport. However, there are many
possible applications that require a higher power rate compared to the stored energy which is
challenging as the PCMs themselves have low heat conductivities.

In the here discussed case a PCM storage is part of a heating, ventilation and air-conditioning
(HVAC) system of a fully electric vehicle (FEV). Specifications by the system (power, stored
capacity, allowed volume) require a power to stored heat ratio of about 12:1. This increase by a
factor of 50 compared to conventional PCM systems calls for a completely new design of the
storage.

Different approaches to reach this goal have been evaluated and tested. The best results were
achieved using an open porous aluminum foam structure (manufactured by IFAM) as carrier
matrix for the PCM and inserted aluminum tubes for the coolant. Rubitherm developed to fill
these with a leak-proof PCM to such an extent that application-safe components can be made in
small numbers. Different sized units of PCM filled aluminium foam were connected in multiple
ways to optimize pressure losses in the coolant system while keeping the power at the desired
level.

In the presentation it will be shown that the newly developed PCM storage system satisfies the
requirements by the HVAC system and the vehicle environment.
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Alfe M., 306 Atkins M., 78
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Alipour M., 419 Aunedi M., 274
Allam M., 557 Avsec J., 5, 103
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Almajed F., 643 Aydin C., 413
Almarzooqi F., 191 Ayoub G., 464
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Alouache A., 209, 463, 618 Bai X., 91
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Barczak M., 639 Bocian P., 316
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Batkovič T., 226, 227 Boškov I., 227
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Bayod Rujula A., 266 Boyle J., 558
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Bedoić R., 446 Brandoni C., 552
Beer S., 172 Brčić O., 575
Behnam S., 400 Brenner A., 681
Behrens D., 172 Breyer C., 5, 45
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Belviso C., 556, 629 Brosowski A., 539
Bemš J., 413 Brown T., 456
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Bente K., 383 Budim R., 350
Bentivoglio R., 270 Buffa P., 487
Berardi U., 5, 247, 668 Buffi M., 161
Bermad A., 209 Bühler F., 338
Bernardi A., 239 Bukrejewski P., 316
Bernardini G., 364 Buonomano A., 5, 234, 241, 245, 252,
Bertheau P., 117 253, 634
Bertok B., 579 Bupić M., 583
Bertsch V., 67 Burauel P., 290
Bešenić T., 5, 151 Burić M., 185
Bhandari R., 5, 560 Buzzetti M., 142
Bianchi M., 380, 422 Bykuć S., 374
Bicer Y., 92 Cabeza L., 628
Bidini G., 95, 406 Cadelano G., 239
Biernat K., 316 Calautit K., 5, 318, 319, 439, 441, 600,
Billen P., 512 601, 604, 605
Bizzarri F., 183 Calise F., 5, 267, 271, 272, 418
Björklund-Sänkiaho M., 447 Camara-Salim I., 590
Camilleri L., 236 Chelnokov V., 650
Campanale C., 384 Chemisana D., 256
Campanari S., 105 Chen D., 322
Campione A., 243, 271 Chen J., 314
Canaletti J., 244 Chen K., 197
Cantarel A., 206 Chen X., 605
Cao E., 254 Chen Y., 401
Cao R., 625 Cheng Q., 171
Cappietti L., 184 Chenrayan S., 435, 541
Caputo C., 162 Cherchi V., 655
Caputo P., 5, 499, 500, 666, 670 Chiaramonti D., 161
Cardona F., 5, 609 Chisalita D., 88
Caretta A., 554 Choi S., 106
Carnevale M., 542 Chrysanthou R., 252
Cartone A., 613 Ciampi G., 262, 649
Caruso C., 329 Ciappi L., 184
Carvaheiro F., 181 Ciasca B., 284
Carvalho M., 196, 198 Cicolin F., 239
Casalicchio V., 390 Ciervo A., 262
Casas Ledón Y., 309 Cinti G., 95, 406, 665
Casas S., 67 Cipek M., 5, 475, 599, 645
Casellas R., 681 Cipollina A., 5, 67, 73, 268, 271
Caserini S., 498 Cirillo D., 162
Catena F., 422 Cisek P., 60, 615
Catrini P., 425, 609 Ciulla G., 5, 609
Cavaliere Da Rocha R., 93 Cloete S., 546
Cavani F., 556, 629 Cloos J., 327
Čavar M., 123, 348 Cogger C., 217
Cazcarro I., 346 Colaninno N., 499
Celary P., 204, 210, 633 Colbertaldo P., 105
Celeska M., 395 Colledani M., 328
Cellura M., 236, 255 Colombo E., 660
Centurelli M., 681 Comodi G., 260, 332, 333, 628
Cerciello F., 497, 651 Compernolle T., 457
Cerinski D., 159 Contín I., 409
Cernuschi S., 498 Cools J., 481
Černý R., 5, 325, 326 Copani G., 400
Cerone N., 661 Coppola A., 303, 648
Cestnik B., 226, 227 Cormos A., 58
Cevc P., 223 Cormos C., 58, 88
Chacartegui R., 5, 426, 636 Correia De Araujo W., 592
Chaja P., 374 Ćosić B., 5, 446, 575
Chan M., 391, 564 Cosmi C., 348, 516
Chang C., 401, 402, 555 Costa Barbosa L., 657
Chang M., 391 Costa D., 518
Chang Woo L., 435, 541 Costa M., 91, 93, 162
Chang Y., 555 Courtois P., 206, 213, 633
Chao M., 330 Cristofari C., 5, 244
Charvat P., 5, 77 Čuček L., 5, 85, 427, 431
Chaudhari S., 494 Cuevas R., 564
Cheaitou A., 190 Cukovic Ignjatovic N., 139
Culcasi A., 268 Dimache L., 321, 577
Cumo F., 120 Dimitrijevic D., 607
Cunha F., 349, 602 Dimitrovski D., 525
Cunha J., 356 Ding F., 408
Cusumano V., 107 Ding L., 563
Cvelbar U., 224 Ding Y., 573
Cvetinović D., 5, 155 Djoerup S., 391, 476, 576
Czerwińska K., 214 Dobrovic S., 5
Czyżewski P., 89 Domac J., 5, 123
Dai G., 146, 153, 671 Domokos E., 646
Dai R., 165, 597 Dong H., 403
Dai Y., 197 Doračić B., 581, 582
Dalla Santa G., 239 Doran J., 360
Dall'o' G., 666 Dorotić H., 584
Danivska V., 432 Dou Y., 5, 515
Darie G., 336 Doudard R., 473
Davis G., 5, 519, 520, 521 Dragovic Matosovic M., 482
De Blasio C., 447 Dreizler A., 305
De Caprariis B., 542 Dróżdż D., 208, 220, 635
De Carli M., 239 Drysdale D., 391, 476
De Faria D., 375, 591, 595 Du Y., 574, 608
De Folly A., 554 Duan L., 153
De Freitas Dias Milão R., 640, 641 Duarte E., 5, 538
De Joannon M., 96 Duarte L., 181
De Jong P., 349 Duarte R., 480
De Oliveira Júnior S., 529 Dudley M., 452
De Pascale A., 5, 380, 422 Duić N., 229, 355, 388, 477, 543, 593,
De Paz Carmona H., 462 606, 625, 671, 680
De Queiroz Fernandes Araújo O., 657 Dvořáček J., 62
De Santoli L., 440 Dvořáček L., 505
Del Hoyo Arce I., 344 Dvorak D., 682, 683
Del Pero C., 142, 500, 666 Echardt L., 501
Del Portillo Valdes L., 342 Edelbauer W., 160
Del Rio Gamero B., 178 Eder L., 157
Delgado M., 198 Eggemann L., 290
Dell' Angelo A., 83 Egusquiza A., 354
Demay H., 238 El Khatib H., 142
Deng S., 147, 625 El Rafey M., 5, 428
Dentice D'accadia M., 267, 272, 418 Eller Z., 5, 69, 367
Desideri U., 5, 260 Ellersdorfer M., 216
Deur J., 433, 437 Elshkaki A., 5, 297, 298
Dewulf J., 524 Emmi G., 239
Di Blasio G., 162 Epple B., 302
Di Fraia S., 5, 263, 270 Erić M., 155
Di Leo S., 348, 516 Erten B., 331
Di Micco S., 269 Ertl T., 392
Di Trolio P., 269 Escobar N., 290
Díaz G., 370 Esmaeili Motlagh O., 322
Díaz-Dapena A., 613 Espinoza M., 244
Dida B., 556 Esposito A., 184, 303
Dienst C., 612 Evans T., 510
Eveloy V., 5, 201 Gagliardi G., 384
Falkoni A., 583 Gajic D., 5, 565
Fama G., 679 Galinis A., 5, 347, 626
Farnós J., 67 Gallardo A., 247, 668
Faust E., 172 Gallego-Schmid A., 530, 535
Febres Pascual J., 337 Galli F., 528
Fedorovich E., 553 Gallo V., 670
Fedoseev A., 80 Gallucci F., 542
Feijoo G., 590 Galluzzo M., 271
Fekete H., 612 Galovic A., 536
Fekhar B., 368 Gambini M., 275, 598
Feng P., 574 Ganci F., 107
Feng Y., 110 Garbellini P., 670
Ferla G., 499, 500, 666, 670 Garcia C., 354
Fernandez Arroiabe Txapartegi P., 344 García-Armingol T., 532
Ferrari Interlenghi S., 531, 594, 657 Garcia-Saez I., 426
Ferrari S., 5, 531, 594, 657, 666 Gargiulo V., 306
Ferreira G., 532 Gassie C., 206
Ferreira P., 356 Gatt D., 236
Ferreira-Beltran D., 407 Gauthier-Maradei P., 407
Ferro S., 554 Gaztañaga Arantzamendi H., 342
Fiala L., 325, 326 Gebremedhin A., 415
Fiaschi D., 184 Gendel Y., 108
Fichera A., 265 Gennaretti M., 364
Fijalkowski K., 207 Gerber Machado P., 411, 653
Filippidou F., 578 German M., 494
Firat C., 415 Gervais J., 206
Flamos A., 5, 423, 424 Gholamzadeh Chofreh A., 5, 76
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Florez-Orrego D., 529 Gieleciak Z., 205
Flörke M., 281 Giller L., 601
Florou A., 655 Gimi K., 443
Fokaides P., 655 Ginestet S., 354
Foley A., 50, 358, 359, 360, 361, 558 Ginting G., 443
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Fořt J., 325 Giraldo C., 354
Forzano C., 234, 241, 245, 252, 253, 634 Gjorgievski V., 229
Fragoso R., 538 Gjyli S., 556, 629
Franchi E., 554 Glanz S., 289
Frankovic D., 658 Goldmann D., 327
Fráter T., 513 Gołębiewski M., 89
Friedl A., 562 Göllei A., 5, 436
Frigaard P., 179 Gómez A., 348
Frigo G., 485 Gómez De Arteche Botas M., 344
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Graeser P., 302 Herrero López S., 344
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Greiml M., 372, 373 Heydari A., 120, 440
Greiner M., 456 Hidalgo J., 461
Grenni P., 384 Hillerbrand R., 485
Grgurić S., 185 Hiltunen E., 438, 450, 678
Grobelak A., 5, 204, 208, 212, 214, 221, Himmelbauer P., 392
429, 633, 663, 664 Hofmann F., 371
Groppi D., 120, 388, 655 Holjevac N., 449
Grosser A., 204, 208, 210, 617, 633 Holló A., 5, 68, 72
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Grubišić D., 276 Hong J., 489, 610
Guandalini G., 105 Hong T., 489, 610
Guarino F., 5, 236, 255, 262 Horák M., 505
Gueccia R., 73 Horschig T., 539
Guedea I., 365 Horvat I., 276
Guidicini G., 660 Horváth M., 646
Guillen-Lambea S., 198 Hrgetić M., 437
Guo X., 5, 110 Hribernik A., 385
Gurreri L., 268 Hriberšek M., 159
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Gustavsson L., 140, 261 Hrušat B., 416
Gustavsson M., 285 Hsieh C., 402
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Guyoneaud R., 206, 213, 633 Hu Z., 606
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Haas R., 5, 101, 503, 509 Hummel D., 172
Habersetzer A., 539 Hunt D., 321
Hachem C., 255 Hurink J., 374
Hájek M., 5, 416, 632 Ibrahim Y., 191
Hajji B., 251 Ifaei P., 341
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Hamilton-Jones M., 585 Ignjatovic D., 139
Han S., 537 Ikäheimo J., 277
Han X., 398 Ikeda A., 570
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Hao M., 408 Inguanta R., 107
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Hatzfeld O., 301 Iturralde Iñarga J., 344
Hawkes A., 411 Ivančić I., 412
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Helfer F., 493 Jakoplic A., 658
Henrysson M., 378 Jakša O., 397
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Heo S., 320 Janežič M., 227
Herrando M., 5, 348, 365 Jang C., 468
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Jannelli E., 269 Karło - Białozor A., 205
Janošťák F., 421 Karlsson I., 285
Janssen M., 501 Kárpáti Á., 513
Jaroszewska M., 374 Kasać J., 475
Jaskulak M., 214 Kask Ü., 655
Jaumann A., 539 Kasza T., 72
Jeglič A., 223 Katančić Z., 514
Jelonek P., 204 Katrašnik T., 161
Jenkins G., 493 Kavvadias K., 5, 474, 578
Jeswani H., 502, 535 Ke C., 167
Jia X., 5, 66 Keane M., 5, 337
Jiang B., 5, 84, 674 Keynia F., 440
Jiang D., 408 Khripko D., 121
Jiménez Álvaro Á., 546 Kienberger T., 372, 373
Jimenez Mendoza W., 394 Kies A., 371
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Johannes K., 250 Kikaj A., 227
Johnsson F., 285 Kilkis B., 5, 334
Johnston B., 360 Kim D., 382
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Jonkutė G., 455 Kim H., 169, 323, 471, 596, 676
Jovanovic Popovic M., 139 Kim J., 313, 382, 489, 537, 596, 630,
Jovanović R., 5, 155 631, 644
Jozič P., 228 Kim M., 150, 320
Juchelkova D., 5, 212, 486 Kim S., 295, 459, 537, 630, 642
Jukić L., 412 Kim W., 5, 471
Jukić P., 420 Kim Y., 5, 459
Jung S., 489 Kirincic V., 482, 658
Junior J., 518 Kisielewski P., 340
Junne T., 379 Kitanovski D., 569
Junnila S., 369, 430 Kiyar D., 410
Jurčević M., 315 Klimes L., 5, 77
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Kabbani H., 464 Klun M., 561
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664 Knast E., 281
Kalogirou S., 5, 252 Kneer R., 301
Kaluža B., 227 Knez M., 5, 397
Kalvin R., 332 Ko J., 630
Kamada M., 479 Kobayashi M., 5, 570
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Kang D., 366 Koch R., 646
Kang H., 489, 610 Kočí V., 325
Kang S., 98, 541 Koivisto R., 450
Kantor P., 399 Kokalj F., 145
Kapeller H., 683 Köll R., 238
Karabuğa A., 331, 353 Komninos K., 655
Karasalihović Sedlar D., 5, 412 Komogowski L., 172
Karbassi E., 177 Konrád P., 326
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Korpa A., 383, 556, 629 Leahy P., 488
Kortelainen E., 377 Lechón Y., 194
Köser J., 305 Lee B., 98
Kostadinovic D., 607 Lee C., 323
Kouros T., 655 Lee J., 644
Kovač A., 5, 102 Lee P., 154
Kovačić L., 102 Lee R., 393
Kovačič Lukman R., 5, 225, 589, 622 Lee S., 5, 468
Kowalkowski C., 400 Lefkir A., 209, 463
Kowalska A., 214, 221, 429, 664 Leivas R., 647
Kozak E., 615 Lekavičius V., 347, 626
Kozem Šilih E., 127 Lemière S., 633
Krajačić G., 5, 114, 118, 119, 123, 388, León Rodriguez A., 131
503, 583 Leonforte F., 142, 500
Králík T., 363 Leonhard K., 304
Krasniqi Alidema D., 638 Lesnik M., 135, 138
Krasniqi M., 638 Leu S., 148, 154
Kravanja S., 138 Levard C., 213
Kravanja Z., 79, 85, 427 Li B., 149, 167
Kremer I., 514 Li K., 75
Kresovic U., 512 Li Q., 320
Kriechbaum L., 373 Li R., 444
Križan J., 185 Li T., 156, 166, 178, 305, 360, 558
Krkoleva A., 5, 395 Li W., 5, 165, 171, 597
Krpan M., 449 Li X., 5, 74, 84, 156, 444
Krstic H., 141 Li Y., 5, 156, 465
Kucbel M., 5, 212, 214, 399, 486 Li Z., 574
Kulay L., 308 Liao W., 171
Kurdi R., 677 Ligus G., 616
Kurevija T., 540 Lim C., 106
Kuriyan K., 274 Lim H., 98
Kuzle I., 449 Lim S., 642
Kuznik F., 250 Limani N., 525
Kwag K., 471 Lindenberg G., 685
Kwarciak-Kozlowska A., 207 Linssen J., 545
Kwon O., 596 Lis-Alecio T., 178
Kylili A., 655 Lisi L., 306
La Rocca V., 255 Littler T., 360, 558
La Rosa D., 240 Liu C., 152
La Rovere E., 284 Liu F., 492
La Villetta M., 162 Liu G., 75
Lackner M., 157 Liu H., 574, 608
Laffi R., 649 Liu X., 5, 84, 156, 444
Lalic G., 482 Liu Y., 465
Lamnatou C., 256 Livreri P., 107
Lan W., 171 Lizana J., 426
Langarita R., 346, 480, 613 Lizin S., 523
Larrain M., 512 Lohan J., 321, 577
Laso J., 647 Loizate M., 180
Lazarevska A., 569 Lombardi F., 660
Lončar D., 200, 276 Manzanedo J., 342
Londo A., 415 Manzolini G., 390
Long N., 643 Mao M., 465
Longo S., 5, 255 Maraj A., 5, 415
Lónyi F., 404 Marchesi R., 264
Lopes A., 356 Margallo M., 568, 647
López Pérez S., 337, 344 Margheriti L., 179
Lotrič A., 109 Marino C., 243
Lovrak A., 445 Mariño D., 467
Lu X., 147, 171 Märker C., 287, 292, 611
Lubensky J., 216 Markovič Hribernik T., 385
Lucchesi A., 672 Marković Z., 155
Lugni C., 364 Markovska N., 229
Lui S., 612 Markowski M., 340
Luiz De Medeiros J., 572, 595 Marrasso E., 273
Lukić I., 128 Martinez A., 266
Luna L., 612 Martinez Del Alamo M., 67
Lund H., 51, 391, 476, 576 Martínez P., 467
Luo X., 171 Martínez-Fernández J., 636
Lütkehermöller K., 612 Martinkauppi B., 6, 438, 678
Lv Z., 533 Martorana F., 487
Lyng K., 211, 429, 663, 664 Martoriello G., 162
Ma D., 134, 135, 137, 146, 350, 399, 466, Maruševac T., 575
467, 606 Marušić A., 200, 276
Ma T., 5, 74, 170, 385, 575 Máša V., 59
Maarisetty D., 466 Masic S., 525
Maas K., 195 Masiukiewicz M., 616
Mac Suibhne N., 321 Massarotti N., 263, 270
Macaluso A., 263 Massmeyer A., 301
Macenić M., 540 Matak N., 114, 123, 655
Mach P., 632 Matasov A., 650
Maciel Filho R., 529, 665 Matos Fernandes F., 349
Madsen H., 118, 122 Matuszewska A., 316
Magalhães G., 591, 595 Matysek D., 399
Maggiore S., 329 Maučec D., 134, 135, 137
Magyar A., 436 Mauleón I., 6, 351
Majdandzic L., 655 Mawson V., 339
Majidi Nezhad M., 5, 120, 440 Mayfield M., 492
Makarova A., 80, 650 Mazzei A., 519, 521
Maki S., 345, 443, 515 Mazzoni S., 6, 260
Mäkiranta A., 438, 450, 678 Mbakwe I., 217
Makukhin S., 553 Mchugh D., 321
Malekizadeh A., 177 Mcilwaine N., 358, 359
Maletić F., 437 Mcnabola A., 491
Malińska K., 208, 220, 635, 639 Mean S., 495
Maljković D., 350 Medved I., 540
Malobane E., 217 Meha D., 543, 593
Mancusi E., 648 Melian-Martel N., 178
Manenti F., 83, 528 Melino F., 380, 422
Manfrida G., 184 Melka B., 184
Manno M., 5, 387, 598 Mendes De Almeida Collaço F., 653
Mendes Leite B., 653 Muhumuza R., 253
Menezes M., 324 Mulder K., 6, 490, 507
Menges R., 327 Muñoz-Gonzalez C., 131
Merlo L., 183 Muraj I., 133
Mersmann F., 352, 612 Murat M., 461
Meschede H., 6, 115 Murn D., 431
Meshalkin V., 650 Murugan N., 541
Mezher T., 191 Muscio A., 6, 249
Mezzasalma G., 239 Musil M., 416
Micale G., 67, 73, 268, 271 Muzas A., 266
Micallef D., 246 Nadeem A., 332
Micari M., 67 Nadjemi B., 463, 618
Miglioli A., 500, 670 Naegler T., 379
Mihalyi B., 562 Najafi B., 264
Mihelič I., 431 Nakamura S., 396
Mikulčić H., 6, 185, 355, 606, 671 Nakano R., 443
Milani G., 270 Nakkasunchi S., 552
Milani M., 534 Nam K., 320, 341
Milis K., 389 Nansubuga B., 400
Miltner A., 562 Nascimento C., 571
Mimica M., 118, 119 Nash J., 362
Minutillo M., 269 Naspolini G., 284
Miskolczi N., 367, 368 Natorilla D., 527
Mitchell J., 360 Nazzal Y., 307
Mladenoska I., 6, 525 Neczaj E., 204, 210
Mladenovska D., 569 Nemet A., 79
Moerman E., 512 Neves T., 196
Moghaddampoor F., 264 Nguyen Le T., 261
Mohamed A., 92 Nielsen S., 391, 444, 476, 576
Mohamed Abdul P., 215 Nieto Aguirrezabala N., 342
Møller H., 211 Nižetić S., 6, 315
Mondol J., 253, 254 Nop C., 551
Moniz P., 181 Noro M., 442
Monstvilas E., 455 Norvaišienė R., 244, 455
Montagnaro F., 303 Noussan M., 387
Montorsi L., 6, 534 Novak Pintarič Z., 6, 85
Morais R., 469 Novaković B., 544
Morello E., 499 Novosel T., 543
Moreno A., 256 Novosel U., 103
Moreno B., 6, 370 Nowak D., 204
Morgado C., 376 Nowak M., 184
Mori M., 109 Noworyta K., 316
Morozowski M., 469 Nsangwe Businge C., 329
Morrow J., 358, 359, 361 Nucara A., 243
Moser D., 390 Nugroho S., 443
Moser M., 6, 67, 470 Obergassel W., 352
Moser S., 335, 386 Obrecht M., 6, 397
Mossali E., 328 Ocłoń P., 6, 60, 615
Mouette D., 653 O'connor D., 318
Mudrinić S., 536 O'donovan K., 238
Muhler M., 651 Ogrinc M., 227
Ohnishi S., 345, 515 Peretto A., 380, 422
Oinas P., 484 Pérez C., 467
Okadera T., 6, 345 Perić K., 580
Olival E., 655 Perković L., 477
Oliveira P., 91 Perna A., 269
Omahne V., 225, 589 Pesendorfer S., 216
Omran A., 672 Pessanha J., 469
Ong B., 78 Peters R., 290
Ooba M., 6, 396 Petranović Z., 6, 158, 159, 160, 673
Ooi S., 260 Petrescu L., 88
Orihuela M. P., 6, 636 Petrikova M., 325
Ortiz I., 357, 627 Petrovic S., 6, 338
Ortiz W., 281 Petruzzelli G., 554
Ortiz-Prieto A., 568 Pfeifer A., 388, 503, 593
Østergaard P., 391, 476, 576 Piacentino A., 425, 609
Ostrež A., 227 Picone N., 328
Ottaviano S., 380 Pietrafesa M., 6, 243
Ottelin J., 432 Pietrapertosa F., 348, 516
Otura M., 681 Pigliautile I., 248
Oulebsir R., 209 Pirker G., 157
Ozgen S., 498 Pirola C., 6, 528
Pachler K., 151 Pirshayan E., 440
Pađen I., 160 Pischaeva K., 80
Paffumi E., 681 Piskunov M., 405
Pak C., 295, 644 Pitás V., 513
Palander T., 6, 377 Pithon M., 308
Palanisamy S., 435, 541 Pitschke T., 62
Palomba V., 240 Pivaro G., 470
Palombo A., 234, 241, 245, 252, 253, 634 Plata V., 407
Pang Y., 166 Plavšić T., 658
Panno D., 425 Plescia P., 542
Pantaleo A., 274 Pluchino A., 265
Papadopoulou K., 348 Polacik J., 70
Paris E., 542 Policicchio A., 306
Park D., 320 Posada Duque J., 529
Park K., 169, 676 Pospisil J., 70, 77
Park Y., 6, 458, 459, 656 Postawa P., 220
Pavičević M., 474, 578, 660 Premrov M., 127, 128, 129, 132, 135, 137,
Pavkovic D., 475, 544, 599, 645 138
Pavlak G., 242 Previtali D., 83, 528
Pavlas M., 6, 62, 421 Priesching P., 158, 673
Pažėraitė A., 347, 626 Procopiou S., 655
Peche R., 62 Proskuryakova L., 6, 504
Penalba M., 180 Proto M., 348, 516
Peng Z., 573 Puc U., 223, 675
Penke C., 539 Pučko Z., 134
Penttinen P., 369 Pudełko A., 220
Pepe A., 516 Pugh K., 362
Pepe F., 648 Pugsley A., 253, 254
Pereira A., 6, 284, 469 Pukšec T., 6, 445, 446, 477, 581, 582,
Peremans H., 389 584
Pursiheimo E., 124, 586 Rodriguez-Delgado C., 175
Puschnigg S., 335 Romagnoli A., 6, 260, 317, 628
Pustina L., 364 Rootzén J., 285
Putna O., 421 Rorat A., 206, 213, 633
Qadrdan M., 193 Rosato A., 6, 262, 649
Qi F., 149, 156 Roselli C., 6, 273, 637
Qian T., 448 Rosińska A., 219, 623
Qu H., 674 Rubiera-Morollón F., 613
Quiñoy D., 467 Ruiz Jaramillo J., 131
Quoilin S., 6, 474, 578, 660 Ruiz-Aguirre A., 73
Raal R., 483 Russo C., 497, 651
Rabe L., 327 Rusu E., 6, 182
Raclavská H., 212, 399, 486 Rusu L., 6, 176
Raclavský K., 212, 399, 486 Růžičková J., 212, 486
Rácz G., 677 Ryu C., 150
Radoman U., 338 Ryu J., 366
Radovanović M., 288, 588 Saastamoinen H., 277
Radulovic D., 482 Sabia P., 96
Raeburn G., 362 Šafář M., 212, 399
Ragucci R., 96 Safder U., 320, 341
Rajh B., 145 Safri A., 209
Rajić K., 348 Sagawa D., 478
Rakocz K., 623 Sahin O., 6, 419, 452, 592
Ram M., 45 Sahu H., 511
Rämä M., 124, 586 Saiger M., 379
Ramos F., 91 Sakai T., 479
Randazzo S., 73 Sakata I., 6, 230
Ranzi E., 83 Salatino P., 303
Rasamoelina M., 291 Salim H., 452
Raskovic P., 6, 561, 567 Salvia M., 348, 516
Rathmann R., 411 Samec N., 6, 145, 159
Rauch M., 536 Sánchez-Chóliz J., 6, 346, 480
Realini A., 329 Sandeva I., 525
Ren Z., 322 Sandu V., 58
Repnik R., 228 Santos De Lima A., 506
Ribbe L., 311 Saponelli R., 534
Ribeiro C., 411 Saracevic E., 562
Ribó-Pérez D., 472 Sarasa C., 6, 346
Richaume A., 206 Sarricchio G., 516
Riedl K., 172 Sarto L., 666
Rimini B., 534 Sasso M., 273, 637
Rinaldi F., 264 Satta F., 553
Rinaldi L., 660 Saur Modahl I., 211
Riverola A., 256 Savic I., 6, 565
Robinius M., 545 Savic-Gajic I., 565
Rocha R., 91 Saviuc I., 389
Rodin V., 335, 386 Saxegaard S., 663
Rodríguez E., 467 Scala F., 303
Rodríguez G., 467 Schallenberg J., 178
Rodriguez Merchan V., 309 Schauperl R., 94
Rodríguez O., 328 Schellart A., 492
Schellenberg C., 577 Simonetti I., 184
Schestak I., 566 Simperler L., 392
Schiemann M., 6, 302, 305 Sin Y., 106
Schlipf D., 172 Singh S., 6, 494
Schlör H., 280, 287, 292, 611 Siqueira F., 310
Schlott M., 371 Siroux M., 6, 336
Schmalz F., 304 Sitek T., 70
Schmid R., 304 Škobalj P., 155
Schmitt C., 394 Skopal F., 416
Schönauer A., 289 Skouroupathi M., 655
Schröder S., 357, 627 Škugor B., 433
Schubert S., 280 Šlaus I., 5
Scorpio M., 262, 649 Ślefarski R., 89, 90
Sebestyén T., 614 Smajla I., 412
Sebestyén V., 526, 646 Smerkol M., 227
Seela O., 117 Smith D., 672
Segon V., 123 Smith N., 237
Sehn V., 496 Smith R., 6, 48
Sejkora C., 373 Smolka J., 6, 184
Selatnia A., 463, 618 Smyth M., 253, 254
Seljak T., 161 Sobek S., 218
Senneca O., 497, 651 Sokolova E., 553
Serafini J., 364 Solá Gutiérrez C., 357, 627
Serras P., 180 Solans A., 256
Sessa V., 560 Soldo J., 433
Shah N., 274 Soldo V., 575, 583
Shahzad S., 604 Somogyi V., 6, 513, 646, 677
Shaji N., 435 Sørensen K., 94
Shan J., 149 Sorknæs P., 391, 476, 576
Shang B., 171 Sorrentino G., 96
Shemeikka J., 277 Soto Carrion C., 6, 394
Shen L., 297, 298, 299 Sousa J., 518
Shi Y., 465 Spanodimitriou Y., 649
Shin H., 471 Sparber W., 390
Shuai Y., 168 Spasevska H., 525
Si Ahmed D., 244 Sperling K., 391, 476, 576
Sibilio S., 262, 649 Šprajc P., 288, 588
Siekmann F., 283 Spriet J., 491, 566
Sihvonen T., 277 Šprljan P., 544, 599
Siliqi D., 556 Srbinovska M., 6, 395
Silva A., 518 Stachowiak T., 220
Silva C., 196 Stack M., 362
Silva M., 349 Stamford L., 530, 535
Silva Ortiz P., 529, 665 Stančin H., 355
Silva W., 196 Starodoubtseva A., 504
Šimek J., 461 Stavrakas V., 6, 423, 424
Šimić D., 682, 683 Stebel M., 184
Šimić Z., 580 Stehlik P., 59
Simoes S., 348 Steinberger-Wilckens R., 381
Simón R., 365 Stendardo S., 534
Simon S., 379 Sterling R., 337
Stevanović Ž., 6, 417, 607 Tholen L., 410
Stevovic S., 6, 550, 652 Thomassen G., 512, 524
Stewart R., 419, 452 Thury P., 513
Stilo T., 275, 598 Tian C., 6, 398
Stöglehner G., 392 Timothé B., 679
Stokes J., 460 Tirronen E., 484
Stolten D., 290, 545 Tišler Z., 461, 462
Storms I., 457 Togawa T., 396
Straková A., 632 Tomasek S., 404
Strbac G., 274 Tomatis M., 535
Strezov V., 6, 510 Tomei J., 411
Ströhle J., 302 Tomic M., 417, 607
Stropnik R., 109 Tomić T., 483, 514, 659
Stuermer B., 562 Toni F., 506
Styles D., 566 Torres E., 349
Su W., 167 Torricelli N., 380
Suárez García S., 655 Tóth O., 68
Suárez R., 131 Touš M., 59
Šuman N., 134 Trafczynski M., 6, 340
Suman S., 605 Traupmann A., 372, 373
Sun L., 345, 515 Traverso M., 6
Sun P., 465 Tripodi G., 329
Sundén B., 152, 166, 603 Trojan M., 6, 343
Sung S., 489, 610 Tsai W., 111
Sunseri C., 107 Tschulkow M., 457
Švédová B., 212, 399, 486 Tskhai A., 64, 620
Świątek J., 214 Tu J., 401
Sy C., 57, 587 Tzani D., 423, 424
Syrjälä T., 438 Ubieta Astigarraga E., 344
Szklo A., 451 Uche J., 266, 619
Tabanelli T., 556, 629 Ugwoke B., 136
Tabata T., 547, 654 Ulazia A., 180
Tafone A., 628 Ulbrich R., 522
Tait S., 492 Ulloa C., 309
Takeda H., 230 Unami K., 6, 495, 551
Taler D., 6, 343, 615 Unamuno Iriondo I., 344
Taler J., 6, 343, 615 Unuk Ž., 129
Talluri L., 184 Urbaniec K., 340
Tamburini A., 67, 268, 271 Urbanucci L., 235
Tan H., 146, 147, 167, 168, 533, 573, 574, Urciuolo M., 648
606, 608, 625, 671 Usón S., 266
Tanaka K., 478, 479 Utlu Z., 331, 353, 453
Tancredi M., 516 Vajda B., 181, 614
Tanno K., 570 Valentová M., 505
Tariello F., 273, 637 Valera-Medina A., 6, 97, 161
Taxeri E., 348 Valyon J., 404
Terrapon-Pfaff J., 281, 311, 612 Van Aelst J., 457
Tesfamariam E., 217 Van Dael M., 523
Testi D., 6, 235 Van Den Bosch S., 457
Tetu A., 179 Van Oijstaeijen W., 481
Thakur J., 378
Van Passel S., 6, 389, 457, 481, 512, 523, Wang X., 63, 146, 147, 153, 185, 355,
524 606, 671
Vandenbulcke F., 206, 213, 633 Wang Y., 6, 63, 148, 154, 403, 444, 608,
Vanoli L., 6, 263, 270 625
Varbanov P., 66 Wang-Helmreich H., 352, 612
Varevac D., 130 Wasilewski M., 616
Varga G., 71 Watanabe A., 459
Varga Z., 69, 71 Weger J., 363
Várhelyi M., 548 Wehbi N., 464
Vasconcelos H., 655 Wehnert T., 612
Vasić B., 288, 588 Wehrle J., 327
Vassdal L., 655 Wei S., 318, 441, 604, 605
Vasta S., 6, 240, 434 Weise J., 684
Vávra A., 416, 632 Weiss R., 277
Vavrova K., 6, 363 Werle S., 6, 218
Vella C., 246 Wimmer A., 157
Vellini M., 6, 275, 387, 598 Wolf G., 172
Venghaus S., 6, 287, 292, 611 Wolf J., 501
Venturelli M., 534 Wu Y., 319, 402, 601
Verrelli M., 241 Wulf C., 100
Vialetto G., 442 Wystalska K., 208, 639
Viani S., 329 Xhaxhiu K., 6, 383, 556
Vicidomini M., 6, 267, 272, 418, 634 Xia D., 6, 84, 674
Victoria M., 6, 456 Xiao J., 608
Vieweg M., 612 Xiao Y., 484
Villanueva-Rey P., 467 Xiong X., 147, 533, 573
Vimpari J., 369, 414 Xu Z., 74, 603
Virtič P., 6, 622 Xuan T., 157
Visentin J., 284 Yabe N., 443
Visnyei O., 71, 72 Yablonsky G., 153
Vlachos S., 655 Yamano H., 230
Vocciante M., 554 Yang F., 574
Volpe R., 265 Yang H., 323
Von Bohnstein M., 302 Yang J., 603
Vondra M., 59 Yang Y., 106
Vondrová P., 462 Yanovsky V., 405
Vresnik F., 185 Yasipourtehrani S., 510
Vujanovic A., 431 Ye I., 150
Vujanović M., 6, 151, 153, 158, 159, 160, Yetano-Roche M., 612
673 Yin C., 6, 559
Vujnović N., 123 Yönder Ö., 304
Wagner O., 410 Yoo C., 320, 341
Wallinder J., 501 Yoshikawa K., 6, 563
Walmsley T., 6, 78 Yousif C., 236
Wang J., 6, 152, 166, 603 Zabala Urrutia L., 337
Wang L., 156, 314 Zabolotnaia E., 650
Wang M., 533 Zabrodiec D., 301
Wang N., 110 Zachariou A., 655
Wang Q., 74, 165, 170, 597, 603 Zacharopoulos A., 6, 253, 254
Wang S., 6, 625 Zadravec T., 145
Zaffora A., 268
Zanon Zotin M., 451 Zhou S., 533
Zapp P., 100 Zhou Y., 465
Žegarac Leskovar V., 6, 128, 129, 132, Zhu H., 152, 154, 166
135, 137, 138 Zhu K., 456
Zekovic B., 139 Zhu Y., 606
Zeng M., 165, 170, 597 Zhu Z., 74
Zhang H., 168, 297 Zhuang H., 154
Zhang J., 146 Zidanšek A., 223, 226, 227, 228, 675
Zhang L., 606 Zidar M., 449
Zhang S., 170 Zimbardi F., 661
Zhang X., 6, 403 Ziółkowski Ł., 218
Zhang Y., 167 Zirngast K., 85
Zhao J., 168, 298, 299 Živić M., 103
Zheng S., 197, 671 Zivkovic P., 6, 417, 607
Zhong S., 297, 298, 299 Zoller F., 507
Zhou F., 674 Zorc D., 475
Zhou J., 654 Zsinka V., 368
Zhou L., 75 Zunino P., 6, 553
Aalborg University DLSU
Aalto University Dublin City University
Aarhus University 'Dunarea de Jos' University of Galati
Åbo Akademi University Effat University
AEE - Institue for Sustainable Technologies Elektroprojekt d.d.
Altai State Technical University, Institute for Energy Institute at the Johannes Kepler
Water and Environmental Problems University of Linz
American Climber Science Program and Research Energy Institute Hrvoje Požar
Center on Climate Change and Environmental Energylab
Management National University of San Antonio eni S.p.A
Abad of Cusco ENSTP
American University of Beirut EURAC research
ARMINES-Mines ParisTech-PSL Europa-Universität Flensburg
Aston University European Bank for Reconstruction and
Atlas Copco Development
Automotive Industry Institute Faculty of Civil Engineering and Architecture
Babeș-Bolyai University, Faculty of Chemistry Osijek
and Chemical Engineering Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Information
Bangor University Technologies
Baskent University Faculty of FESB, University of Split
Beijing Jiaotong University Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, University of
Bits-Pilani Montenegro
Brno University of Technology Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, University of
Cantabria University Prishtina “Hasan Prishtina”
Cardiff University Faculty of Mining, Geology and Petroleum
CENIM-CSIC Engineering
Centre ENET VSB-TU OSTRAVA Faculty of Natural Sciences
Chair of Theoretical Chemistry, Group of Faculty of technical sciences
Quantum Chemistry, Ruhr-University Bochum Federal University of Rio de Janeiro
Chalmers University of Technology Forschungszentrum Juelich GmbH
Cheongju University Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH
Chinese Academy of Sciences Frankfurt. Institute for Advanced Studies
Chung-Ang University Fraunhofer-Institute for Environmental, Safety
Chungbuk national univ. and Energy Technology
CIEMAT Free University of Bozen-Bolzano
CIRCE - University of Zaragoza Fundação Coppetec
CNR - Istituto di Ricerche sulla Combustione Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology
CNR - National Research Council of Italy Germane Aerospace Center (DLR)
CNR-IRC Ghent University/University of Antwerp
CNR-ITAE Green Energy Association , Romania
Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche Griffith University
Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche - CNR Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology
COPPE/UFRJ Hague University of Applied Sciences
Council for Agricultural Research and Economics, Hamad Bin Khalifa University
CREA Harbin Institute of Technology
Cracow University of Technology Hebei University of Technology
CRIEPI Hochschule Ostwestfalen-Lippe
CSIRO Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Czech Technical University in Prague Hrvatska Elektroprivreda d.d.
Częstochowa University of Technology Huazhong University of Science & Technology
D.Mendeleev University of Chemical Technology Huazhong University of Science and Technology
of Russia IfM Education and Consultancy Services
Daegu University IK4-TEKNIKER
Darmstadt Technical University IKERLAN
DBFZ Deutsches Biomasseforschungszentrum Imperial College London
gGmbH Indian Institute of Technology Bombay
Department Energy Systems Analysis, Institute of Innovation Center of the Faculty of Mechanical
Engineering Thermodynamics, German Engineering
Aerospace Center (DLR), Stuttgart, Germany INSA LYON
DLR e.V., Institute for Engineering INSA STRASBOURG ICUBE
Thermodynamics
Institue of Geographic Science & Nature
Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Science
Institute of Energy Systems and Technology
Institute of Fluid-Flow Machinery
Institute of Geographical Sciences and Natural
Resources Research, Chinese Academy of
Sciences
Institute of Technical Sciences of the Serbian
Academy of Sciences and Arts
Institute Vinča
Instituto Superior de Agronomia, Universidade
de Lisboa, Portugal
Instituto Superior Técnico
INTA
International Balkan University
ISTANBUL GEDIK UNIVERSITY
Istitute for Research on Combustion (IRC-CNR)
Italian National Research Council
Joint Research Centre
Jožef Stefan Institute
Jožef Stefan International Postgraduate School
Kangwon National University, South Korea
Karlsruhe Institute of Technology
Kaunas University of Technology
Kettering University
Key Laboratory of Thermo-Fluid Science and
Engineering, Ministry of Education
Khalifa University
King Saud University
Kobe University
Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute
Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building
Technology
Korea University
KTH, Royal Institute of Technology
KU Leuven
Kyoto University
Kyung Hee University
La Sapienza
Laboratory of Energy and Environment Piacenza
(LEAP)
LEC GmbH
LEDTEGE Ecole Normale Supérieure
Letterkenny Institute of Technology
Ling Tung University
Linnaeus University
Lithuanian Energy Institute
Loughborough University
Lund University
LUT University
Macquarie University
Masdar Institute of Science and Technology
Mediterranea University of Reggio Calabria
Montanuniversitaet Leoben
Montanuniversität Leoben Chair of Energy
Network Technology
Nanyang Technological University
Nanjing Normal University
National Cheng Kung University
National Institute for Environmental Studies,
Japan
National Research Council of Italy
National Research Tomsk Polytechnic University
National Research University Higher School of
Economics
National University of Chonbuk
Naval University of Engineering
NCKU Research and Development Foundation
Northeastern University
North-west Croatia Regional Energy Agency
Norwegian University of Life Sciences
Opole University of Technology
Ostfold Research
OT Industries Main Contracting Ltd.
Plataforma Oceánica de Canarias (PLOCAN)
Politecnico di Milano
Politecnico di Torino
Polytechnic University of Tirana
Polythécnic Institute of Setúbal
Poznan University of Technology
Pusan National University
Queen's University Belfast
RCGI/USP
REGEA - North-West Croatia Regional Energy
Agency
Research Center for Energy and Sustainable
Development - MANU
Ricerca sul Sistema Energetico - RSE S.p.A.
Roma tre university
Ruhr-University Bochum
RWTH Aachen University
Ryerson University
Sapienza University of Rome
SDEWES Centre
Sejong University
Seoul National University of Science &
Technology
Shandong University of Technology
Shenyang Agricultural University
Silesian University of Technology
SRH University Heidelberg
Stanford University
Sungkyunkwan University
Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry,
Chinese Academy of Sciences
Technical University of Denmark
Technical University of Krakow
Technion-Israel Institute of Technology
Technische Hochschule Ostwestfalen-Lippe
University of Applied Sciences and Arts
Technische Universitaet Wien
Tecnalia
Temida
Termoinžinjering d.o.o.
TH Köln
THDC INDIA LIMITED
THDCIL
Tokyo Institute of Technology
Trinity College, The University of Dublin
Tsinghua University
TU Berlin
TU Wien
UFBA
Ulsan National Institute of Science and
Technology (UNIST)
Ulster University
UMR CNRS 6134 University Of Corsica
Unipetrol Centre for Research and Education, a.s. University of Maribor
UNIST University of Modena and Reggio Emilia
Univ. of Suwon University of Mother Theresa, Faculty for
Universidad Castilla-La Mancha Technological Sciences
Universidad de Cantabria University of Naples "Parthenope"
Universidad de Concepción University of Naples Federico II
Universidad de Málaga University of Nottingham
Universidad de Zaragoza University of Osijek, Faculty of Economics in
Universidad Industrial de Santander Osijek
Universidad Politécnica de Madrid University of Oviedo
Universidad Pública de Navarra University of Padua
Universidad Rey Juan Carlos University of Palermo
Universidad Tecnológica del Perú University of Pannonia
Universidade de Brasília (UnB) University of Pardubice
Universidade de Santiago de Compostela University of Perugia
Universidade do Minho University of Piraeus Research Centre
Universidade Federal da Paraíba (UFPB) University of Pisa
Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro University of Pretoria
UNIVERSIDADE FEDERAL DO RIO DE University of Prishtina
JANEIRO - UFRJ University of Reunion Island - PIMENT
Universilty of Zagreb Laboratory
Università degli Studi del Sannio University of Rijeka, Faculty of Engineering
Università degli Studi di Firenze University of Rome Tor Veragata
Università degli Studi di Napoli Parthenope University of Rome Tor Vergata
Università degli Studi di Palermo University of Santiago de Compostela
Università degli Studi di Perugia University of São Paulo
Università di Catania University of Sarajevo
Università di Modena e Reggio Emilia university of science and technology beijing
Università Federico II University of Seoul
Università Politecnica delle Marche University of Sevilla
Universität für Bodenkultur Wien University of Sharjah
Universitat Politècnica de València University of Sheffield
Universite de Pau University of Ss. Cyril and Methodius, Faculty of
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Technology and Metallurgy, Skopje
University “Ss Cyril and Methodius” University of Strathclyde
University College Cork University of Technology Clausthal
University Federal of Paraiba University of technology Sydney
University Kassel University of the Basque Country
University of Antwerp University of the Philippines Diliman
University of Belgrade University of Tirana
University of Birmingham University of Tokyo
University of Bologna University of Vaasa
University of Bologna - CIRI EA University of Zagreb
University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli University of Zaragoza
University of Campinas - UNICAMP University Stuttgart
University of Cantabria Vienna University of Technology
University of Catania Vitar u krmu, obrt za stručne, znanstvene i
University of Colorado tehničke djelatnosti
University of Dubrovnik VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland
University of Eastern Finland Vyzkumny ustav Silva Taroucy pro krajinu a
University of Genova okrasne zahradnictvi, v. v. i.
University of La Rioja Warsaw University of Technology
University of Liberia Wuppertal Institute
UNIVERSITY OF LILLE Wuppertal Institute for Climate, Environment
University of Lleida and Energy
University of Ljubljana Xi'an Jiaotong University
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