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Design, Integration and Optimization of Energy Systems: Energy Efficiency, Economics and Sustainability

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A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Energy Sustainability".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 June 2023) | Viewed by 8717

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Haoshui Yu

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Guest Editor

Department of Chemistry and Bioscience, Aalborg University, 6700 Esbjerg, Denmark
Interests: energy system integration; green energy production; energy saving; energy system design; carbon capture; utilization and storage
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Ahmad Arabkoohsar

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Guest Editor

Department of Civil and Mechanical Engineering, Section Thermal Energy, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Copenhagen, Denmark
Interests: renewable energy
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Brenno Menezes

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Guest Editor

College of Science and Engineering, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Doha, Qatar
Interests: process engineering

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Due to the urgent need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, efficient and sustainable energy systems are attracting increasing attention. However, sustainable solutions are usually costly, and therefore techno-economic optimization is a critical step for energy systems design. The trade-offs between technology, economics and sustainability have to be considered in a systematic way. The main aim of this Special Issue on “Techno-Economic Optimization and Evaluation of Energy System: Energy Efficiency, Economics and Sustainability” is to highlight the importance of the optimization and process integration of energy systems and address the trade-off between energy efficiency, economics, and sustainability.

In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. The scope includes (but is not limited to) the following topics, where the energy efficiency, economics and sustainability dimensions are explicitly considered:

Energy system design;
Energy system integration;
Green energy production and transition;
Energy saving technologies;
Carbon capture, utilization and storage;
TEA of energy systems;
Novel energy production technologies;
Renewable and sustainable energy systems.

Dr. Haoshui Yu
Dr. Ahmad Arabkoohsar
Dr. Brenno Menezes
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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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. Sustainability 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

techno-economic optimization
energy system
sustainability
renewable energy
carbon capture
utilization and storage
energy efficiency
energy saving
process integration
zero-emission
carbon neutrality

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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20 pages, 3429 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Optimizing Solar Energy Harvesting through Integrated Organic Rankine Cycle–Reverse Osmosis Systems: A Techno–Economic Analysis

by Lina Wang, Chunyu Zhou and Hamid Reza Rahbari

Sustainability 2023, 15(18), 13602; https://doi.org/10.3390/su151813602 - 12 Sep 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1569

Abstract

When it comes to seawater desalination in the small- to medium-electricity ranges, the organic Rankine cycle (ORC) powered by solar energy stands out as the most energy-efficient technology currently available. Various solar techniques have been developed to capture and absorb solar energy. Among them, the parabolic trough collector (PTC) has gained recognition as a low-cost solar thermal collector with a long operating life. This study investigates the thermodynamic performance and economic parameters of a PTC-powered ORC using Dowtherm A and toluene as working fluids for the solar cycle and ORC cycle, respectively. Thermo-economic multi-objective optimization and decision-making techniques are applied to assess the system’s performance. Four key parameters are analyzed for their impact on exergy efficiency and total hourly cost. Using TOPSIS decision-making, the best solution from the Pareto frontier is identified, featuring an ORC exergy efficiency of 30.39% and a total hourly cost of 39.38 US$/h. The system parameters include a mass flow rate of fresh water at 137.7 m³/h, a total output net power of 577.9 kJ/kg, and a district heating supply of 1074 kJ/kg. The cost analysis reveals that the solar collector represents approximately 68% of the total hourly cost at 26.77 US$/h, followed by the turbine, thermoelectric generator, and reverse osmosis (RO) unit. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Design, Integration and Optimization of Energy Systems: Energy Efficiency, Economics and Sustainability)

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13 pages, 1551 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Influencing Factors and Their Influencing Mechanisms on Integrated Power and Gas System Coupling

by Min Pang, Yichang Zhang, Sha He and Qiong Li

Sustainability 2023, 15(17), 13251; https://doi.org/10.3390/su151713251 - 4 Sep 2023

Viewed by 884

Abstract

In order to study the deep mechanism of integrated power–gas system (IPGS) coupling, the influencing factors of IPGS coupling are investigated using the Decision Making Test and Evaluation Test–Interpretative Structural Modeling–Method-Cross-Impact Matrix Multiplication Method (DEMATEL-ISM-MACMIC). By means of a literature review and field research, on the basis of summarizing and forming an index system of IPGS coupling influence factors, this study establishes an IPGS coupling influence factor model based on the DEMATEL-ISM-MACMIC method, analyzes the attribute characteristics of each factor influencing IPGS coupling and extracts the key elements, explores the logical relationships among the factors, and finally, puts forward relevant suggestions, in order to provide theoretical and methodological support for this field of research. This study shows that the economic base, resource endowment, and economic and social development of the country are the most important factors. The study shows that the bottom-level factors, such as economic base and resource endowment; the middle-level factors, such as energy structure and market mechanism; and the surface-level factors, such as technology level and market price, are important factors influencing IPGS coupling, and the focus should be on the above factors. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Design, Integration and Optimization of Energy Systems: Energy Efficiency, Economics and Sustainability)

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Review

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39 pages, 12360 KiB

Open AccessReview

A Comprehensive Review on Development and Applications of Cross-Flow Wind Turbines

by Zahra Sefidgar, Amir Ahmadi Joneidi and Ahmad Arabkoohsar

Sustainability 2023, 15(5), 4679; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15054679 - 6 Mar 2023

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 5305

Abstract

The rapid globalization of the energy crisis and the adverse effects of global warming have caused the need for non-conventional energy resources to be felt more than ever. As a result of this, vertical axis wind turbines (VAWT) have received much attention over the recent decades, and have thus been more developed and used worldwide. The cross-flow wind turbine (CFWT) is a wind turbine in the category of VAWTs, and perfectly suitable for urban applications due to its simplicity, high starting torque at low wind speed, and self-starting capability, even though its low power coefficient as its main drawback has slowed down its widespread use so far. The main aim of this paper is to review the scientific literature and recent developments in the field of CFWTs. The governing equations and turbulence models for the simulation of the turbine are discussed and various wind resource assessment methods for estimating potential site locations, different aspects, and wind energy harvesting systems from buildings are debated. The research gaps, challenges, and future possible works on such turbines and their applications are discussed. Investigations indicate that changing the rotor geometric parameters and adding innovative augmentation devices have been the most widely addressed approaches for making performance enhancement of the wind turbine in the literature. The critical performance-affecting parameters are improved by various innovative designs of the turbine structure or blades, as well as several augmentation techniques, such as guide nozzle, casing, windshield, guide vane, deflector, cowling, etc. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Design, Integration and Optimization of Energy Systems: Energy Efficiency, Economics and Sustainability)

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