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Bringing Value to the Production and Consumption Patterns through Energy...
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Bringing Value to the Production and Consumption Patterns through Energy Saving

A special issue of Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417). This special issue belongs to the section "Energy Science and Technology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (10 July 2021) | Viewed by 19757

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Rubén Aldaco

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Cantabria, Avda. de los Castros s/n, 39005 Santander, Spain
Interests: sustainable development assessment methodologies, including environmental decision-making tools such as life cycle assessment (LCA) and sustainability tools and metrics; addresses bioeconomy, circularity aspects of products and processes, and resource productivity and sustainable use of energy and natural resources
Dr. Fresnedo San Roman

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Cantabria, Avda. de los Castros s/n, 39005 Santander, Spain
Interests: advanced processes of separation with membranes; hybrid processes modeling, simulation and optimization of separation processes; study of scaling (theoretical and experimental); applications of advanced oxidation processes; study of the formation/destruction of persistent organic compounds (PCDD/Fs)

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Energy is critical for achieving almost all of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, from the eradication of poverty to combating climate change. Under this overall energy framework, the main challenges to reaching sustainable energy models include progress in energy efficiency; safe, clean, and connected mobility; deployment of renewables; competitive industry and circular economy; bio-economy and natural carbon sinks; and carbon capture and storage to address remaining emissions. These challenges are a valuable opportunity to transform our current production and consumption systems into a more sustainable models.
This Applied Sciences Special Issue welcomes advanced works that offer comprehensive and extensive new knowledge on energy-saving contributing to a more sustainable energy models.
This Special Issue focuses on how to govern such transformations, and the technical tools that will be required, including analysis, modeling, and optimization for energy-efficiency and energy-saving throughout the full energy chain, from production to final consumption.

Prof. Dr. Rubén Aldaco
Dr. Fresnedo San Roman
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Applied Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Energy saving
  • Industrial ecology
  • Process system engineering (PSE)
  • Circular economy
  • Carbon capture and storage
  • Life cycle energy assessment
  • Process integration
  • Process intensification
  • Sustainable Development Goals

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

27 pages, 2482 KiB  
Article
Viability of Creating an Offshore Wind Energy Cluster: A Case Study
by Helena Junqueira, Margarita Robaina, Susana Garrido, Radu Godina and João C. O. Matias
Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(1), 308; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11010308 - 30 Dec 2020
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 4829
Abstract
Considering the advantages associated with the port sector concerning the potential of offshore wind energy, several international ports are aiming to achieve a solid integration in offshore wind energy clusters. This article performs an analysis of several seaports and offshore wind energy clusters [...] Read more.
Considering the advantages associated with the port sector concerning the potential of offshore wind energy, several international ports are aiming to achieve a solid integration in offshore wind energy clusters. This article performs an analysis of several seaports and offshore wind energy clusters in Europe to assess the feasibility of implementing an offshore wind energy cluster in the Port of Aveiro, Portugal. A deep literature review and a case study methodology were performed. Based on the analysis of the offshore energy market, and of the value chain of the company case study (ASM Offshore), it was concluded that the Portuguese market in this sector is not competitive, compared with other international markets. Nevertheless, the development of an offshore wind energy cluster could increase the included companie’s prospects, as well as dispute the growth of other companies associated with this sector. This research is relevant, because there is a lack of research that links the importance of seaports in offshore wind energy projects, in particular with a cluster structure, and because it contributes to knowledge for the development of the Aveiro region and Portugal, based on the exploitation of the renewable energy market and to the increase of related activities. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bringing Value to the Production and Consumption Patterns through Energy Saving)
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19 pages, 2537 KiB  
Article
Hydrogen Recovery from Waste Gas Streams to Feed (High-Temperature PEM) Fuel Cells: Environmental Performance under a Life-Cycle Thinking Approach
by Ricardo Abejón, Ana Fernández-Ríos, Antonio Domínguez-Ramos, Jara Laso, Israel Ruiz-Salmón, María Yáñez, Alfredo Ortiz, Daniel Gorri, Nicolas Donzel, Deborah Jones, Angel Irabien, Inmaculada Ortiz, Rubén Aldaco and María Margallo
Appl. Sci. 2020, 10(21), 7461; https://doi.org/10.3390/app10217461 - 23 Oct 2020
Cited by 15 | Viewed by 4580
Abstract
Fossil fuels are being progressively substituted by a cleaner and more environmentally friendly form of energy, where hydrogen fuel cells stand out. However, the implementation of a competitive hydrogen economy still presents several challenges related to economic costs, required infrastructures, and environmental performance. [...] Read more.
Fossil fuels are being progressively substituted by a cleaner and more environmentally friendly form of energy, where hydrogen fuel cells stand out. However, the implementation of a competitive hydrogen economy still presents several challenges related to economic costs, required infrastructures, and environmental performance. In this context, the objective of this work is to determine the environmental performance of the recovery of hydrogen from industrial waste gas streams to feed high-temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cells for stationary applications. The life-cycle assessment (LCA) analyzed alternative scenarios with different process configurations, considering as functional unit 1 kg of hydrogen produced, 1 kWh of energy obtained, and 1 kg of inlet flow. The results make the recovery of hydrogen from waste streams environmentally preferable over alternative processes like methane reforming or coal gasification. The production of the fuel cell device resulted in high contributions in the abiotic depletion potential and acidification potential, mainly due to the presence of platinum metal in the anode and cathode. The design and operation conditions that defined a more favorable scenario are the availability of a pressurized waste gas stream, the use of photovoltaic electricity, and the implementation of an energy recovery system for the residual methane stream. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bringing Value to the Production and Consumption Patterns through Energy Saving)
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21 pages, 3651 KiB  
Article
Reverse Electrodialysis: Potential Reduction in Energy and Emissions of Desalination
by Carolina Tristán, Marcos Fallanza, Raquel Ibáñez and Inmaculada Ortiz
Appl. Sci. 2020, 10(20), 7317; https://doi.org/10.3390/app10207317 - 19 Oct 2020
Cited by 16 | Viewed by 4261
Abstract
Salinity gradient energy harvesting by reverse electrodialysis (RED) is a promising renewable source to decarbonize desalination. This work surveys the potential reduction in energy consumption and carbon emissions gained from RED integration in 20 medium-to-large-sized seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) desalination plants spread worldwide. [...] Read more.
Salinity gradient energy harvesting by reverse electrodialysis (RED) is a promising renewable source to decarbonize desalination. This work surveys the potential reduction in energy consumption and carbon emissions gained from RED integration in 20 medium-to-large-sized seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) desalination plants spread worldwide. Using the validated RED system’s model from our research group, we quantified the grid mix share of the SWRO plant’s total energy demand and total emissions RED would abate (i) in its current state of development and (ii) if captured all salinity gradient exergy (SGE). Results indicate that more saline and warmer SWRO brines enhance RED’s net power density, yet source availability may restrain specific energy supply. If all SGE were harnessed, RED could supply ~40% of total desalination plants’ energy demand almost in all locations, yet energy conversion irreversibility and untapped SGE decline it to ~10%. RED integration in the most emission-intensive SWRO plants could relieve up to 1.95 kg CO2-eq m−3. Findings reveal that RED energy recovery from SWRO concentrate effluents could bring desalination sector sizeable energy and emissions savings provided future advancements bring RED technology closer to its thermodynamic limit. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bringing Value to the Production and Consumption Patterns through Energy Saving)
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16 pages, 2277 KiB  
Article
Toward Energy Savings in Campus Buildings under a Life Cycle Thinking Approach
by Ricardo Abejón, Jara Laso, Marta Rodrigo, Israel Ruiz-Salmón, Mario Mañana, María Margallo and Rubén Aldaco
Appl. Sci. 2020, 10(20), 7123; https://doi.org/10.3390/app10207123 - 13 Oct 2020
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2383
Abstract
Recent studies have identified that buildings all over the world are great contributors to energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. The relationship between the building industry and environmental pollution is continuously discussed. The building industry includes many phases: extraction of raw materials, manufacturing, [...] Read more.
Recent studies have identified that buildings all over the world are great contributors to energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. The relationship between the building industry and environmental pollution is continuously discussed. The building industry includes many phases: extraction of raw materials, manufacturing, construction, use, and demolition. Each phase consumes a large amount of energy, and subsequent emissions are released. The life cycle energy assessment (LCEA) is a simplified version of the life cycle assessment (LCA) that focuses only on the evaluation of energy inputs for different phases of the life cycle. Operational energy is the energy required for day-to-day operation processes of buildings, such as heating, cooling and ventilation systems, lighting, as well as appliances. This use phase accounts for the largest portion of energy consumption of the life cycle of conventional buildings. In addition, energy performance certification of buildings is an obligation under current European legislation, which promotes efficient energy use, so it is necessary to ensure that the energy performance of the building is upgraded to meet minimum requirements. For this purpose, this work proposes the consideration of the energy impacts and material resources used in the operation phase of a building to calculate the contribution of these energy impacts as new variables for the energy performance certification. The application of this new approach to the evaluation of university buildings has been selected as a case study. From a methodological point of view, the approach relied on the energy consumption records obtained from energy and materials audit exercises with the aid of LCA databases. Taking into practice the proposed methodology, the primary energy impact and the related emissions were assessed to simplify the decision-making process for the energy certification of buildings. From the results obtained, it was concluded that the consumption of water and other consumable items (paper) are important from energy and environmental perspectives. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bringing Value to the Production and Consumption Patterns through Energy Saving)
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16 pages, 7206 KiB  
Article
CFD Simulation of a Temperature Control System for Galvanizing Line of Metal Band Based on Jet Cooling Heat Transfer
by Giovanni Carozzo, Carlo Cravero, Martino Marini and Matteo Mazza
Appl. Sci. 2020, 10(15), 5248; https://doi.org/10.3390/app10155248 - 30 Jul 2020
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2933
Abstract
The work focuses on the development of a thermo-fluid dynamic simulation model of a section of close cooling, called a jet cooler, inserted in the galvanizing line of metal band production. Two models of increasing accuracy have been tested and calibrated by experimental [...] Read more.
The work focuses on the development of a thermo-fluid dynamic simulation model of a section of close cooling, called a jet cooler, inserted in the galvanizing line of metal band production. Two models of increasing accuracy have been tested and calibrated by experimental data. Special attention to turbulence modeling and boundary conditions has been given. A literature survey was focused on the jet impingement process (the reference heat transfer mechanism for the system component) and on available correlations to predict the heat exchange coefficient. The numerical simulation of jet impingement has been applied to a module of an actual industrial cooler for steel band production. The operation of the jet cooler was simulated in real operating conditions to get a detailed insight into the jet impingement mechanism in order to optimize the heat transfer and reduce, as far as possible, the cooling fluid mass flow rate. The comparison of heat transfer correlations, used in industrial preliminary design, with detailed CFD results is discussed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bringing Value to the Production and Consumption Patterns through Energy Saving)
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