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This thesis investigates the feasibility of converting spent oil and gas wells for use in geothermal power generation. A novel approach to heat exchange with the ground was proposed whereby two directionally drilled (L-shaped) wells are connected to create a continuous loop. A Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) model was developed that simulates flow through the connected wells and the associated heat exchange with the ground. The model consisted of a coupled fluid-solid domain; 1D fluid flow was explicitly coupled to the 2D cylindrical solid domain using a convection boundary condition. Temperatures in the solid domain were resolved using an Alternating Direction Implicit (ADI) solver, which suited the largely unidirectional nature of the heat transfer problem. Fluid temperatures were solved for using a Tri-Diagonal Matrix Algorithm (TDMA). The results from a series of simulations demonstrated that geothermal power generation from abandoned wells is feasible under certain conditions. The findings of this research show that the correct selection of a well, considering geothermal gradient, well diameter, and ambient temperatures (impacting the inlet temperature), will significantly influence the level of power production. Further, the simulations show that it is necessary to optimize the flow rate for the given well conditions. The research indicates that the addition of insulation to a portion of the system can lead to modest improvements in power when the system is operated continuously. In contrast, it was found that insulation was necessary for the viability of intermittent use, which would allow the system to meet the demand for peak power generation. The simulations demonstrated that the proposed system could produce approximately 200 kW to 300 kW of electricity. / Thesis / Master of Applied Science (MASc)

I jakt på nya energikällor undersöks idag potentialen hos hydrovoltaiska generatorer. Detta är en typ av generator som utvinner elektricitet genom direkt interaktion mellan vatten och ett material. En variant av denna anordning är den avdunstningsdrivna hydrovoltaiska generatorn. Denna består av ett poröst material som är delvis nedsänkt i vatten, som då dras upp i materialet genom kapillärkrafter och avdunstar från dess yta. Detta skapar ett flöde av vatten genom materialet, vilket genererar en elektrisk spänning tack vare ett elektrokinetiskt fenomen som kallas för strömningspotential. Denna studie undersöker huruvida hydro- och aerogeler gjorda av nanofibriller från vassleprotein utgör lämpliga porösa material för den ovan beskrivna generatorn. Då det är en biprodukt från mejeriindustrin är vassleprotein billigt och förnybart. Gelerna har dessutom egenskaper som väntas främja en hög strömningspotential, såsom hydrofilicitet, små porer, och en ytladdning. I studien testades två sorters hydrogeler, varav den ena korslänkades med hjälp av citronsyra för att göra den mer vattentålig. Aerogeler tillverkades med tre olika koncentrationer av vassleprotein. Dessa geler frystes också på tre olika sätt inför att de frystorkades för att bilda aerogeler. De frystes vid -80 °C i en frys, vid -196 °C i flytande kväve, samt genomgick riktad frysning i flytande kväve. Detta för att variera deras porstruktur. När de olika gelerna testades som hydrovoltaiska generatorer gav de olika spänningar, men ingen mätbar ström. När spänningen från de olika generatorerna mättes över tid följde den oftast samma mönster av en inledande skarp ökning följd av en långsammare minskning som slutligen planade ut mot något jämviktsvärde. Den genomsnittliga maxspänningen från de olika gelerna varierade mellan 73 och 149 mV, huvudsakligen beroende på vilken frysmetod som använts. Längre tester visade att aerogelerna kunde upprätthålla en spänning på runt 60 mV i minst 19 timmar. Hydrogelernas spänningsprofiler hade inte någon pik i början såsom aerogelerna hade, men såg ut att också skapa en jämviktsspänning på runt 60 mV, vilket innebar att de var kompetitiva med aerogelerna. Således visade studien att material av nanofibriller från vassleprotein kunde producera en låg men signifikant hydrovoltaisk potential, och att porernas morfologi var en avgörande faktor för potentialens styrka. / In search of new power sources, scientists are investigating hydrovoltaic devices. This is a type of device that generates electricity from the direct interaction between water and a material. One such device is the evaporation-driven hydrovoltaic device. It consists of a porous material that is partially submerged into water, which rises though the material through capillary forces and evaporates from its surface. This creates a flow of water through the material which gives rise to an electric voltage, through an electrokinetic phenomenon called the streaming potential. This study investigates whetherhydro- and aerogels made from whey protein nanofibrils are a suitable porous material for these devices. As a by-product from the dairy industry, whey protein is cheap and renewable. The gels also have properties which are beneficial for generating a high streaming potential, such as hydrophilicity, small pores, and charged surface groups. In the study, two types of hydrogels were tested, one of which was treated with citric acid as a crosslinker in order to increase their stability in water. Aerogels were fabricated with three different initial concentrations of WPI. The gels were also frozen in three different ways before being freeze-dried to create aerogels. They were frozen at -80 °C in a freezer, at -196 °C by submersion in liquid nitrogen, and through directional freezing using liquid nitrogen, in order to vary their pore structure. When tested as hydrovoltaic devices, the gels did produce voltages, but no measurable currents. When measured over time, the voltages of most aerogels followed the same pattern with a fast initial increase followed by a slow decrease which levelled out towards some equilibrium voltage. The average maximum voltages for the aerogels varied between 73 and 149 mV, depending mostly on the freezing method. Varying the WPI concentration showed no significant effect on the voltage. Long term tests showed that the gels could sustain a voltage of around 60 mV for at least 19 hours. Hydrogels did not have an initial voltage peak but appeared to also produce an equilibrium voltage of around 60 mV, showing them to be competitive with the aerogels. It was thus shown that whey protein nanofibril materials could produce a low but significant hydrovoltaic potential, and that pore morphology was a significant factor in determining the voltage produced.

Thermoelectric materials are playing a larger role in the global effort to develop diverse, efficient, and sustainable energy technologies: primarily through power-generating thermoelectric modules. The principal components of thermoelectric modules are solid-state thermoelectric materials – typically heavily doped semiconductors – that convert heat directly into electricity. However, this conversion efficiency is too low to supplant traditional energy technologies – severely limiting the distribution of clean and sustainable thermoelectric energy technologies. Efforts to enhance thermoelectric efficiency, which have been underway for decades, have been slow to realize appreciable gains in thermoelectric efficiency. However, a key advance in improving efficiency – the New Paradigm in thermoelectric material research – has been the development of thermoelectric nanocomposites. Thermoelectric nanocomposites show improved efficiency; however, they are often synthesized from highly toxic elements via energetically intense and costly synthesis procedures. Therefore, this research focuses on the discovery and development of a novel procedure for synthesizing thermoelectric nanocomposites – attrition enhanced nanocomposite synthesis – from open cage-like skutterudite-based materials. With further optimization, high-performance power-generating thermoelectric materials can be produced via this technique. Therefore, attrition-enhanced nanocomposite synthesis may play a small, though instrumental, role in achieving sustainable electrical power. / Graduation date: 2012 / Access restricted to the OSU Community at author's request from Jan. 6, 2012 - Jan. 6, 2013

Notre société évolue constamment et se positionne vis-à-vis du monde qui l’entoure. Cette évolution la pousse à se réorganiser atour d’énergie provenant de source locale et renouvelable. Pour ces raisons, il semble pertinent de concevoir une évolution possible de la méthanisation par des unités localisées. On parle alors de micro-méthanisation à l’échelle urbaine. La rédaction de cette thèse a ainsi eu pour objectif d’apporter des éléments de réponse quant à la question de la faisabilité d’intégrée cette micro-méthanisation dans des quartiers. Pour cela, il a été réalisé : i) Une analyse des retours d’expérience issus de villes porteuses de projet de méthanisation urbaine. ii) Une approche expérimentale, dans le but d’obtenir un processus de méthanisation des déchets urbains à l’échelle laboratoire. iii) Ces données d’entrée ont ensuite permis l’établissement d’un modèle de valorisation des déchets dans un quartier. Ces résultats mettent en avant la nécessité d’une approche systémique afin de pouvoir intégrer la méthanisation dans un quartier. Ils permettent de plus, de recommander l’utilisation de certains procédés et l’emploie de déchets, afin d’améliorer la mise en œuvre du processus dans l’espace urbain. Dans des conditions définies la méthanisation urbains est possible et stable dans le temps. De plus, le bilan énergétique s’avère bénéfique pour le quartier. On note que l’énergie ainsi produite, l’est majoritairement sous forme de chaleur ce qui met en avant l’intérêt d’un processus intégré, proche des habitations. / Our society is constantly evolving and positioning itself in relation to the world around it. This evolution pushes it to reorganize itself around energy from local and more renewable sources. For these reasons, it seems appropriate to design a possible evolution of anaerobic digestion (AD) by localized units. This is referred to a micro-AD at urban scale. The purpose of this thesis was to provide some answers to the question of the feasibility of integrating this micro-AD into a neighbourhood.To this end, it was carried out: i) An analysis of feedback from cities with urban AD projects. ii) An experimental approach, with the aim of obtaining a stable AD process of urban waste atlaboratory scale. iii) These input data then made it possible to establish a waste recovery model in a district. These results highlight the need for a systemic approach in order to be able to integrate AD in a neighbourhood. They also make it possible to recommend processes and wastes, in order to improve the implementation of the process in urban areas. Under defined conditions, urban AD is possible and stable over time. In addition, the energy balance is beneficial for the district. It should be noted that the energy thus produced is mainly in the form of heat, which highlights the importance of an integrated process, close to homes.

Healthcare is one of the most energy-intensive industries because of its 24 hour-a-day and 7-days-a-week operation model. Climate change, due to environmental pollution, has increased the incidence of respiratory disease, cardiovascular disease, and cancer, which further overload the financial burden of our healthcare system. The National Health Service Sustainable Development Unit suggested that a sustainable healthcare sector also requires using their resources in an efficient and responsible way. Hong Kong public hospitals are facing this problem along with high energy expenditure. The purpose of this qualitative, multiple site case study was to explore strategies for Hong Kong's public hospital leaders to develop and implement a sustainable program to reduce energy consumption. A purposive sample consisted of five local public hospital leaders that had successfully implemented a sustainable energy at their hospitals and received the 2014 Certificate of Merit of The Hong Kong Awards for Environmental Excellence. Semistructured interviews and document reviews were the data analysis methods for this study. The findings from the data analysis suggested that five major themes arose from the data: (a) external and internal driving forces, (b) leadership, (c) governance, (d) building a sustainable culture, and (e) performance measures. The recommendations of this study may lead to improving the use of energy in an efficient and responsible manner at the local public hospitals, reducing the hospital energy consumption cost, and reducing the disease incidences caused by environmental pollution.

The risk for climate change is a growing concern for theglobal society. According to what is known as the Kyoto Protocol,developed countries have committed themselves to reduce theirgreenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The purpose of this thesis hasbeen to analyse opportunities for CO2 reductions in Swedish pulpand paper mills. The pulp and paper industry accounts forsignificant shares of the Swedish utilisationof both electricityand, in particular, biomass fuels. In this thesis, it has been agoal to focus not only on the technical potential of alternativesfor CO2 reductions in the energy systems of pulp and paper mills,but also on analysing the costeffectiveness of the studiedmeasures. Moreover, the analysis has covered questions concerningthe capacity and willingness among the actors involved with thepulp and paper mills’energy systems to realise CO2reduction potentials. A broad techno-economical evaluation of available technologiesfor increased power production as well as more efficient energyutilisation is carried out. Furthermore, a more indepth analysisof pulp mill-based biomass energy with CO2 removal and permanentsequestration (BECS) is presented. An evaluation is made of thepotential for pulp and paper production with a negative CO2balance through the implementation of BECS. In recent yearsoutside suppliers, mainly energy service companies (ESCOs), havebegun to operate energy facilities in some Swedish pulp and papermills. Based on interviews with managers from pulp and papercompanies and ESCOs, the main driving forces behind theincreasing co-operation as well as the opportunities and riskswith energy related co-operation are presented. Furthermore, the technical possibility of carbon-negativitythrough the implementation of BECS is discussed in relation tocarbon management on both corporate and global levels. The extentto which CO2-reducing measures in pulp and paper mills arerealised will have an impact on Sweden’s capacity to reachCO2 reduction targets. Whether or not technologies for CO2capture and sequestration are developed and implemented inSwedish pulp mills has a very large impact on the size ofSweden’s long-term CO2 reduction potential. Moreover, thedevelopment of business and competence focus in pulp and papercompanies and ESCOs suggests that cooperation will become ofincreasing importance for future sustainable industrial energymanagement. <b>Keywords:</b>CO2 reduction, pulp and paper industry, energysystem, biomass, CO2 capture and sequestration, black liquor,gasification, power production, outsourcing, sustainable energymanagement