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Biofuels and Sustainable Energy Materials Development
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Biofuels and Sustainable Energy Materials Development

A special issue of Energies (ISSN 1996-1073). This special issue belongs to the section "A4: Bio-Energy".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2021) | Viewed by 18214

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Farooq Sher

E-Mail Website1 Website2
Guest Editor
Department of Engineering, School of Science and Technology, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham NG11 8NS, UK
Interests: sustainable development; renewable energy technologies; bioenergy; biomass; thermochemical conversion; solar energy; climate change mitigation; hydrogen production; energy optimization; clean fossil fuels; carbon dioxide capture and storage (CCS)
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Jiří Jaromír KLEMEŠ

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Sustainable Process Integration Laboratory (SPIL), Brno University of Technology - VUT Brno, Technická 2896/2, 616 00 Brno, Czech Republic
Interests: process; heat; power and water integration; environmental footprints; sustainable development; circular economy
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Catalina Spataru

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Energy Institute, University College London, London WC1H 0NN, UK
Interests: resource nexus (water–energy–land–food–materials); governance; scenarios analysis; sustainability; systems modelling
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Hafiz M. N. Iqbal

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Guest Editor
School of Engineering and Sciences, Tecnologico de Monterrey, Av. Eugenio Garza Sada 2501 Sur, Monterrey CP 64849, N.L., Mexico
Interests: bio-catalysis; enzyme immobilization; enzymes; enzyme-based pollutant degradation; bioengineering; biomedical engineering; environmental engineering; biosensors; biomaterials; drug delivery systems; toxic heavy elements; liquid and solid waste management
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The research and development of renewable energy in recent decades is how the world has modernized energy systems, emission profiles and low carbon network development to respond to the challenges that countries are facing regarding global warming and climate change. Furthermore, the depletion of fossil fuels and environmental concern has also promoted the examination of biofuels as alternative fuel sources. Sustainable bioenergy plays a key role in the the transition to a green economy, by reducing fossil fuel dependency, improving the circularity and supporting the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and climate change agenda. Bioenergy is part of a larger bioeconomy, including agriculture, forestry and manufacturing. One of the primary dilemmas currently facing biofuel scientists involves the use of first generation versus second generation biofuels. The scientists, politicians and the public are looking into ways to find new energy sources and ways to convert biofuels into usable energy. Furthermore, sustainable bioenergy systems could help decatbonisation of energy supply and advance the circular economy.

This Special Issue concentrates on the fundamentals and applications of renewable energy sources, biomass conversion and sustainable energy materials concerning recent advances in resources, characteristics, conversion processes, reaction kinetics and utilization of renewable systems. Original research, reviews through conceptual models, analytical frameworks, as well as empirical studies on critical perspectives from different contexts are welcomed. These perspectives indicate their potential for bringing actionable insights and fruitful research outcomes. We also welcome experimental, theoretical and empirical contributions under the scope of a multidisciplinary approach, which collectively may provide a reference for pressing environmental issues describing the interaction between renewable energy fuels, global warming and CO2 mitigation.

Dr. Farooq Sher
Prof. Dr. Jiří Jaromír KLEMEŠ
Prof. Dr. Catalina Spataru
Prof. Dr. Hafiz M. N. Iqbal
Guest Editors

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. Energies 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 2600 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

  • Biomass
  • Bio refineries
  • Algal biofuels
  • Energy harvesting
  • Waste to bioenergy
  • Renewable energy sources
  • Biomass energy resources
  • Energy storage and fuel cells
  • Life cycle assessment (LCA)
  • Hydrong generation and storage
  • Sustainable energy technologies
  • Biomass conversion technologies
  • Policies for sustainable development
  • Environmental exposure mitigation strategies
  • Wind, solar, hydro, geothermal and nuclear energy
  • Sustainable education awareness and development
  • Synthesis and applications of biomass derived materials
  • Effects of global climate change on development and sustainability
  • Sustainable utilization of natural resources such as land, water, atmosphere and other
  • Bioenergy for a circular economy
  • Regulatory framework for the production of biofuels

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

20 pages, 4159 KiB  
Article
Integrated Optimal Design of Permanent Magnet Synchronous Generator for Smart Wind Turbine Using Genetic Algorithm
by Henda Zorgani Agrebi, Naourez Benhadj, Mohamed Chaieb, Farooq Sher, Roua Amami, Rafik Neji and Neil Mansfield
Energies 2021, 14(15), 4642; https://doi.org/10.3390/en14154642 - 30 Jul 2021
Cited by 22 | Viewed by 4554
Abstract
In recent years, the investment in the wind energy sector has increased in the context of producing green electricity and saving the environment. The installation of small wind turbines (SWTs) represents an actual strategy for meeting energy needs for off-grid systems and certain [...] Read more.
In recent years, the investment in the wind energy sector has increased in the context of producing green electricity and saving the environment. The installation of small wind turbines (SWTs) represents an actual strategy for meeting energy needs for off-grid systems and certain specialized applications. SWTs are more expensive per kilowatt installed as compared to large-scale wind turbines. Therefore, the main objective of this study is to produce an economical technology for the wind power market offering low-cost SWTs. The idea consists of considering a simple structure of the wind turbine using direct-drive permanent magnet synchronous generator (DDPMSG). DDPMSGs are the most useful machines in the wind energy field thanks to several advantages, such as elimination of noise and maintenance cost due to suppression of the gearbox and absence of the rotor circuit excitation barriers by the presence of the permanent magnets (PMs). Their major downside is the high cost of active materials, especially the PMs. Thus, the improvement of the generator design is treated as being the main component of the considered chain to assure active materials’ mass and cost reduction. The methodology studied aims to explain the approach of the design integrated by optimization of the considered system. It is based on the elaboration of analytical models to find a feasible structure for the system, taking into account the multi-disciplinary analysis. The relevance of these models is validated by the finite element method using 2D MATLAB-FEMM simulation. The models are integrated to elaborate the optimization problem based on a genetic algorithm to improve the cost of the proposed generator by minimizing the mass of its active constructive materials. As an outcome, an optimal solution is offered for the wind generators market, providing a 16% cost reduction. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biofuels and Sustainable Energy Materials Development)
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23 pages, 7145 KiB  
Article
A Study of Hot Climate Low-Cost Low-Energy Eco-Friendly Building Envelope with Embedded Phase Change Material
by Atiq Ur Rehman, Nouman Ghafoor, Shakil R. Sheikh, Zareena Kausar, Fawad Rauf, Farooq Sher, Muhammad Faizan Shah and Haseeb Yaqoob
Energies 2021, 14(12), 3544; https://doi.org/10.3390/en14123544 - 14 Jun 2021
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 3288
Abstract
The generation and use of energy are significant contributors to CO2 emissions. Globally, approximately 30% to 40% of all energy consumption can be directly or indirectly linked to buildings. Nearly half of energy usage in buildings is linked to maintaining the thermal [...] Read more.
The generation and use of energy are significant contributors to CO2 emissions. Globally, approximately 30% to 40% of all energy consumption can be directly or indirectly linked to buildings. Nearly half of energy usage in buildings is linked to maintaining the thermal comfort of the inhabitants. Therefore, finding solutions that are not only technically but also economically feasible is of utmost importance. Though much research has been conducted to address this issue, most solutions are still costly for developing countries to implement practically. This study endeavors to find a less expensive yet straightforward methodology to achieve thermal comfort while conserving energy. This study takes a broader view of multiple habitat-related CO2 emission issues in developing regions and describes a hybrid solution to address them. New technologies and innovative concepts are being globally examined to benefit from the considerable potential of PCMs and their role in thermal energy storage (TES) applications for buildings. The current study numerically investigates the thermal response of a hybrid building envelope consisting of PCM and local organic waste materials for low-cost low-energy buildings. The local organic waste materials used are those whose disposal is usually done by burning, resulting in an immense amount of greenhouse gases. In the first phase, different waste materials are characterized to determine their thermophysical properties. In the second phase, a low-cost, commonly available PCM calcium chloride hexahydrate, CaCl2·6H2O, is integrated with a brick and corn husk wall to enhance the thermal storage in the building envelope to minimize energy consumption. Temperature distribution plots are primarily used for analysis. The results show a marked improvement in thermal comfort by maintaining a maximum indoor temperature of 27 °C when construction is performed with a 6% corn husk composite material embedded with the PCM, while under similar conditions, the standard brick construction maintained a 31 °C indoor temperature. It is concluded that the integration of the PCM layer with the corn husk wall provides an adequate solution for low-cost and low-energy buildings. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biofuels and Sustainable Energy Materials Development)
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18 pages, 6842 KiB  
Article
A Low-Cost Sustainable Energy Solution for Pristine Mountain Areas of Developing Countries
by Shakil Rehman Sheikh, Syed Hassan Raza Shah, Umar Rauf, Fawad Rauf, Zareena Kausar, Umair Aziz, Muhammad Faizan Shah, Haseeb Yaqoob and Muhammad Bilal Khan Niazi
Energies 2021, 14(11), 3160; https://doi.org/10.3390/en14113160 - 28 May 2021
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3327
Abstract
The rise in energy requirements and its shortfall in developing countries have affected socioeconomic life. Communities in remote mountainous regions in Asia are among the most affected by energy deprivation. This study presents the feasibility of an alternate strategy of supplying clean energy [...] Read more.
The rise in energy requirements and its shortfall in developing countries have affected socioeconomic life. Communities in remote mountainous regions in Asia are among the most affected by energy deprivation. This study presents the feasibility of an alternate strategy of supplying clean energy to the areas consisting of pristine mountains and forest terrain. Southeast Asia has a much-diversified landscape and varied natural resources, including abundant water resources. The current study is motivated by this abundant supply of streams which provides an excellent environment for run-of-river micro vertical axis water turbines. However, to limit the scope of the study, the rivers and streams flowing in northern areas of Pakistan are taken as the reference. The study proposes a comprehensive answer for supplying low-cost sustainable energy solutions for such remote communities. The suggested solution consists of a preliminary hydrodynamic design using Qblade, further analysis using numerical simulations, and finally, experimental testing in a real-world environment. The results of this study show that the use of microturbines is a very feasible option considering that the power generation density of the microturbine comes out to be approximately 2100 kWh/year/m2, with minimal adverse effects on the environment. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biofuels and Sustainable Energy Materials Development)
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23 pages, 7188 KiB  
Article
Energy Efficient Parallel Configuration Based Six Degree of Freedom Machining Bed
by Zareena Kausar, Muhammad Faizan Shah, Zeeshan Masood, Hafiz Zia Ur Rehman, Sardor Khaydarov, Muhammad Tallal Saeed, Omid Razmkhah and Haseeb Yaqoob
Energies 2021, 14(9), 2642; https://doi.org/10.3390/en14092642 - 5 May 2021
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2397
Abstract
The process of material removal from a workpiece to obtain the desired shape is termed machining. Present-day material removal technologies have high spindle speeds and thus allow quick material removal. These high-speed spindles are highly exposed to vibrations and, as a result, the [...] Read more.
The process of material removal from a workpiece to obtain the desired shape is termed machining. Present-day material removal technologies have high spindle speeds and thus allow quick material removal. These high-speed spindles are highly exposed to vibrations and, as a result, the accuracy of the final workpiece’s dimensions is compromised. To overcome this problem, the motion of the tool is restricted, and multiple degrees of freedom are given through the motion of the workpiece in different axes. A machining bed configured as a parallel manipulator capable of giving six degrees of freedom (DOF) to the workpiece is proposed in this regard. However, the proposed six DOF machining bed should be energy efficient to avoid an increase in machining cost. The benefit of using the proposed configuration is a reduction in dimensional error and computational time which, as a result, reduces the energy utilization, vibrations, and machining time in practice. This paper presents kinematics, dynamics and energy efficiency models, and the development of the proposed configuration of the machining bed. The energy efficiency model is derived from the dynamics model. The models are verified in simulation and experimentally. To minimize error and computation time, a PID controller is also designed and tested in simulation as well as experimentally. The resulting energy efficiency is also analyzed. The results verify the efficacy of the proposed configuration of the machining bed, minimizing position error to 2% and reducing computation time by 27%, hence reducing the energy consumption and enhancing the energy efficiency by 60%. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biofuels and Sustainable Energy Materials Development)
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17 pages, 7074 KiB  
Article
Design and Energy Analysis of a Solar Desiccant Evaporative Cooling System with Built-In Daily Energy Storage
by Fahid Riaz, Muhammad Abdul Qyyum, Awais Bokhari, Jiří Jaromír Klemeš, Muhammad Usman, Muhammad Asim, Muhammad Rizwan Awan, Muhammad Imran and Moonyong Lee
Energies 2021, 14(9), 2429; https://doi.org/10.3390/en14092429 - 24 Apr 2021
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 3010
Abstract
Heat storage with thermochemical (TC) materials is a promising technology for solar energy storage. In this paper, a solar-driven desiccant evaporative cooling (DEC) system for air-conditioning is proposed, which converts solar heat energy into cooling with built-in daily storage. The system utilises thermochemical [...] Read more.
Heat storage with thermochemical (TC) materials is a promising technology for solar energy storage. In this paper, a solar-driven desiccant evaporative cooling (DEC) system for air-conditioning is proposed, which converts solar heat energy into cooling with built-in daily storage. The system utilises thermochemical heat storage along with the DEC technology in a unique way. Magnesium Chloride (MgCl2·6H2O) has been used, which serves as both a desiccant and a thermochemical heat storage medium. The system has been designed for the subtropical climate of Lahore, Pakistan, for a bedroom with 8 h of cooling requirements during the night. MATLAB has been employed for modelling the system. The simulation results show that 57 kg of magnesium chloride is sufficient to meet 98.8% of cooling demand for the entire month of July at an elevated cooling requirement. It was found that the cooling output of the system increased with increasing heat exchanger effectiveness. The heat exchangers’ effectiveness was increased from 0.7 to 0.8, with the solar fraction increased from 70.4% to 82.44%. The cooled air supplied to the building meets the fresh air requirements for proper ventilation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biofuels and Sustainable Energy Materials Development)
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