Search results for "renewable"

A novel method for harmonic mitigation for single-phase five-level cascaded H-Bridge inverter

2018

The efficiency of a system is a very important parameter for high power electrical drives applications. Moreover, the efficiency of power converters plays a fundamental role. Aim of this work, is to propose a novel selective harmonic mitigation method without solving non-linear equations. Through a very simple approach, the polynomial equations which drive the control angles have been detected for a single-phase five-level cascaded H-Bridge inverter. The obtained polynomial equations can be easily implemented in a digital system to real-time operation. The paper also presents the simulation analysis and experimental validation.

Reverse electrodialysis heat-engine: Case studies of improving energy efficiency through recovery of low temperature excess heat

2018

Reverse Electrodialysis (RED) is a technology for generating electricity from the difference in salinity between two solutions. RED is usually applied to natural water streams with different salinities, like seawater vs. freshwater. In the RED Heat-to-Power project we explore the option of using artificial water solutions operating in a closed loop where the difference in salinity is regenerated in a separation step powered by heat at temperature ranges between 60 and 100°C. We call this system Reverse Electrodialysis Heat Engine (RED HE). In this paper, first we summarise the possible system configurations and the overall amount of excess heat available in Europe for powering the RED HE pr…

Proton exchange membrane fuel cell made of magnetron sputtered Pt–CeO and Pt–Co thin film catalysts

2015

Abstract Preparation of catalysts for proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) is of growing interest during last years. The magnetron sputtering technique is a promising method of catalyst preparation because it permits to synthesize catalysts in a fast and relatively less expensive way, however control of specific surface and durability of such catalysts still remains the main concern. We tested a single cell PEMFC catalyzed by using exclusively thin film approach by combining state-of-the art Pt-doped cerium oxide anode and a new Pt–Co alloy cathode. We have shown that beside very high mass activity of the catalysts relative to the membrane electrode assembly the catalyst nanoporous …

Revisiting the happy-productive worker thesis from a eudaimonic perspective: a systematic review

2021

The happy-productive worker thesis (HPWT) is considered the Holy Grail of management research, and it proposes caeteris paribus, happy workers show higher performance than their unhappy counterparts. However, eudaimonic well-being in the relationship between happiness and performance has been understudied. This paper provides a systematized review of empirical evidence in order to make a theoretical contribution to the happy-productive worker thesis from a eudaimonic perspective. Our review covers 105 quantitative studies and 188 relationships between eudaimonic well-being and performance. Results reveal that analyzing the eudaimonic facet of well-being provides general support for the HPWT…

Efficient and rapid transformation of high silica CHA zeolite from FAU zeolite in the absence of water

2017

High silica CHA zeolite plays an important role in selective catalytic reduction of NOx with NH3 (NH3-SCR), but its synthesis is not highly efficient due to the use of a relatively high-cost structural directing agent (SDA) N,N,N-trimethyl-adamantammonium hydroxide (TMAdaOH) and relatively long crystallization time under hydrothermal conditions. Herein, we report an efficient and rapid synthesis of a high silica CHA zeolite possessing good crystallinity and uniform crystals (CHA-ST). The method includes interzeolite transformation of high silica FAU zeolite in the absence of water but the presence of zeolite seeds and a bromide form of the SDA. The absence of water in the synthesis signific…

Modelling the Reverse ElectroDialysis process with seawater and concentrated brines

2012

Technologies for the exploitation of renewable energies have been dramatically increasing in number, complexity and type of source adopted. Among the others, the use of saline gradient power is one of the latest emerging possibilities, related to the use of the osmotic/chemical potential energy of concentrated saline solutions. Nowadays, the fate of this renewable energy source is intrinsically linked to the development of the pressure retarded osmosis and reverse electrodialysis technologies. In the latter, the different concentrations of two saline solutions is used as a driving force for the direct production of electricity within a stack very similar to the conventional electrodialysis …

A joint action of deep eutectic solvents and ultrasound to promote Diels−Alder reaction in a sustainable way

2020

The need to reduce environmental impact of chemical processes has induced a surge of attention in the choice of solvent and methodologies to carry them out. In this context, we studied the Diels−Alder reaction using N-ethylmaleimide as dienophile and changing the nature of the diene in deep eutectic solvents (DES) under both conventional heating and ultrasonic activation. DES obtained by the combination of different hydrogen bond acceptors and donors allowed assessing the role played by solvent nature. DES proved suitable solvent media for the target reaction, allowing higher yields and faster reactions compared to conventional organic solvents. The trend of yields, both in silent and under…

Catalytic treatment of rapeseed straw for enhanced production of furfural and glucose for bioethanol production

2021

Abstract Ethanol produced from renewable biomass, such as lignocellulosic feedstock, is one of the most promising future biofuels. In this paper, rapeseed straw was tested as an abundant and cost-effective renewable resource material for the production of cellulosic glucose. Pre-treatment of this material is an important step to improve the efficiency of subsequent cellulose hydrolysis. In this study, we used two pre-treatment methods – hydrothermochemical and ultrasound. Studies have shown that, in the initial hydrothermal pre-treatment of rapeseed straw, Al2(SO4)3 may be used as an efficient catalyst, at least in procedures for obtaining glucose. An increase in the amount of this catalyst…

Obituary for Prof. Dr. Jun-ichi Yoshida

2019

Schools That ‘Open Doors’ to Prevent Child Abuse in Confinement by COVID-19

2020

Background: Due to the expected increase in child abuse during the period of COVID-19 confinement, it is essential that social researchers and other professionals work together very quickly to provide alternatives that protect children. To respond to this extremely urgent demand, evidence-based actions are presented that are being carried out in nine schools in the autonomous communities of Valencia and Murcia, Spain, during the confinement with the goal of “opening doors” to foster supportive relationships and a safe environment to prevent child abuse. Methods: The research was conducted through the inclusion of teachers who are implementing these actions in dialogue with the researchers t…