0 / SPK / specialcollections@tulane.edu

Non-thermal plasmas are considered to be very promising for the initiation of chemical reactions and a vast amount of experimental work has been dedicated to plasma assisted hydrocarbon conversion processes, which are reviewed in the fourth chapter of the thesis. However, current knowledge and experimental data available in the literature on plasma assisted liquid hydrocarbon cracking and gaseous hydrocarbon decomposition is very limited. The experimental methodology is introduced in the chapter that follows the literature review. It includes the scope and objectives section reflecting the information presented in the literature review and the rationale of this work. This is followed by a thorough description of the design and construction of the experimental plasma reformer and the precise experimental procedures, the set-up of hydrocarbon characterization equipment and the development of analytical methods. The methodology of uncertainty analysis is also described. In this work we performed experiments in attempt the cracking of liquid hexadecane into smaller liquid hydrocarbons, which was not successful. The conditions tested and the problems encountered are described in detail. In this project we performed a parametric study for methane and propane decomposition under a corona discharge for COx free hydrogen generation. For methane and propane a series of experiments were performed for a positive corona discharge at a fixed inter-electrode distance (15 mm) to study the effects of discharge power (range of 14 - 20 W and 19 – 35 W respectively) and residence time (60 - 240 s and 60 – 303 s respectively). A second series of experiments studied the effect of inter-electrode distance on hydrogen production, with distances of 15, 20, 25, 30 and 35 mm tested. The analysis of the results shows that both discharge power and residence time, have a positive influence on gaseous hydrocarbon conversion, hydrogen selectivity and energy conversion efficiency for methane and propane decomposition. Longer discharge gaps favour hydrogen production for methane and propane decomposition. A final series of experiments on corona polarity showed that a positive discharge was preferable for methane decomposition.

Starting this thesis with the intention to inspire and to be inspired, I have tried to zoom out and look on designing a car from a new perspective. By telling a holistic design story rather than solving a specific problem I want people to imagine a future where one can live a modern and connected life in rural communities, all made possible after a green energy revolution. Design research, brand analysis, sketching, form verification using clay and digital modeling and advanced visualization were the main activities performed during the project. They helped me to explore, understand and successfully propose a complete story of vehicle and context. The result is BMW iMPULSE, a shared and fully autonomous vehicle that is wirelessly powered by clean energy and is always ready to support the spontaneous lifestyle

Texas – the energy center of the world – is emerging as a pioneer in algae biodiesel research and production. There are a number of reasons for this. Texas is the largest emitter of CO₂ in the country, and efforts are being made to reduce the state's dependence on fossil fuels. Also, algae – robust and promising organisms – need non-arable land, lots of sunlight and brackish/waste water, along with CO₂. Texas has all of these in abundance, plus universities and algae start-ups that are doing crucial R / text

NA / The purpose for the research is to prove that the further rise of the world economy and China in particular is closely and directly depends on clean energy implementation in energy sector in and development within by countries. The decline of clean energy development will automatically mean the decline of the world economy and energy consumption as well as the rise of China. It’s no secret that adequate, affordable energy is the basis of the operation of any production, and human civilization. Today we no longer think their lives without those technological advances, which today have, but do not think that all these achievements were made possible only through development of new energy and new ways of primary energy production. But it’s not just that. The problem is that the reserves of energy resources, the principal of which remain oil, coal and gas, not infinite. These resources are non-renewable. According to the report of the Expert Commission of the World Resources Institute (WRI) in Washington, oil reserves will be declined by 2015. WRI does not correspond quite tempting future view that while maintaining the current figure of consumption of oil has enough for another 40 or 50 years, because many oil companies about their stocks are great doubts. According to some foreign scholars the world oil reserve are 1800 to 2300 billion barrels. Once oil reverse, increasing cost and labor-intensive production would probably reduce the produced raw materials. This will possibly happen between 2010 and 2014 year. Note the price. At present, in most countries of the world total cost of the electricity is not stated in the tariff, and distributed to the entire society. Costs due to pollution of the environment are also not included in rates, although some countries are trying to enter the “environmental tax”. This situation actually means that life from the future generation, which will take into account of all costs and consequences. Since prices are still low, the government is not especially prepared for the upcoming economic conscience pricked again. Not to mention the role of clean energy in China. China announced plans to increase use of renewable sources of energy, including the wind and the Sun, in an attempt to reduce pollution and greenhouse gases. The Deputy of the national development and Reform Commission of China Chen Demin announced that by 2020, about 15% of the energy would be pure commodities, mainly provided by the expansion projects. Study development of RES in China is now becoming an important aspect for the portrayal of the energy world.

No description available.

Submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy, Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa, 2017. / The purpose of this study was to evaluate the barriers to and the determinants of funding sustainable development through the implementation of the Clean Development Mechanism at the Bisasar Road and Mariannhill landfill sites. The Clean Development Mechanism is an economic construct, arising out of the Kyoto Protocol (UNFCCC 2004:10), and formulated to promote social and economic welfare by transferring technology in such a manner, that it promotes sustainable development and ecological renewal. The stated goal of CDM (UNFCCC: 10) is to reduce harmful emissions and thereafter, to produce sustainable development and ecological renewal. This research utilised the case study methodology as advocated by Eisenhardt (1989:538). The study employed multiple data collection methodologies which included face-face interviews, within case analysis, triangulation, field notes and photographs. An important component of the data collection methodology was to access financial records of revenue flows for the CDM implementation process from January 2009 to December 2015. The research found that there is no conclusive evidence to suggest that the Clean Development Mechanism, as implemented at Bisasar Road and Mariannhill, reduced carbon emissions. Further, the study found that the production of clean energy produced financial losses rather than revenues for funding sustainable development. The relevance and value of this research lies in the presentation and formatting of the Systematic Sequential Analysis Model. The purpose of the Systematic Sequential Analysis Model is to introduce a series of financial, macro-economic, micro-economic, and technical sustainability filters for the implementation of the Clean Development Mechanism in developing countries. / D

The development of techniques for colloidal nanoparticle synthesis has allowed scientists to fabricate materials that can manipulate light on a scale that is small even compared to the wavelength of the light itself. This ability has led to the development of myriad and diverse applications of nanostructures in wide-ranging fields. This thesis focuses on the investigation and exploitation of nanoscale material properties in the fields of medicine and energy. The unique optical properties of nanoparticles arise from their size and their high surface area to volume ratios compared to bulk materials. As a result of this relationship, the surface characteristics of nanoparticles generally dominate their properties, whereas in bulk materials the surface atoms have very little bearing on the properties of the composite. Chapter 1 gives an introduction to nanoparticles and their optical properties, including a discussion of the plasmon resonance and the properties imbued upon nanoparticles possesing such a resonance as well as the applicability of these properties that will be explored in the subsequent chapters. Chapter 2 presents a study of the interaction of cationic, hydrophobic gold nanoparticles as probes to elucidate specific regions of interest on cell surfaces. The high imaging contrast of gold nanoparticles in electron microscopy allows for visual, macroscopic observation of the aggregation patterns formed by these nanoparticles on cell surfaces. Plasmon resonant coupling between proximal nanoparticles is exploited in order to monitor nanoprobe binding and localization over time with the use of extinction spectroscopy. The role of surface proteins in the nanoparticle-cell surface interaction is elucidated, generating composite data with relevance in pharmaceutical development and pharmacokinetics. Additionally, bacteria strain-dependent toxicity is observed and subsequently investigated for smaller gold nanoparticle probes, demonstrating a potential use for nanoparticles as strain-specific antibiotics. The development of affordable, effective antibiotic technology is one of the major scientific challenges of our time; infections from pathogen-infested drinking water alone account for millions of deaths each year worldwide. In Chapter 3, we investigate the use of titanium dioxide as an inexpensive method to harness solar energy to split water into reactive species and thereby decontamitate solutions of E. coli. Though titanium dioxide is an excellent catalyst for water splitting, it requires UV irradiation, which is fairly lacking in the solar emission spectrum. Further, recuperation of titanium dioxide nanoparticles from solution is non-trivial, and its immobilization into a film greatly limits its surface area and charge carrier efficiency, thereby limiting its activity. We treat both the poor visible light absorption capability as well as the surface area limitation in this study. CdS semiconductor nanocrystals are used to extend the absorption edge of TiO₂ further into the visible light region of the spectrum by providing for lower-energy photon absorption and charge injection into titanium dioxide. TiO₂ is also electrochemically anodized to generate TiO₂ nanotube arrays, which have greatly increased surface area as well as more efficient charge transfer properties compared to thin films of TiO₂ nanoparticles. The utility of nanoparticles in increasing the light absorption of other systems continues as a theme in the work presented in the next two chapters. Chapter 4 ex- amines the plasmonic enhancement of the solar energy conversion in a biomimetic system. In this endeavor, we enhance the photocurrent generated by a light-transducing, proton-pumping protein, bacteriorhodopsin, in a 3-dimensional wet electrochemical cell. First, we increase the overall charge carrier separation with the use of a proton- selective membrane in order to minimize ionic depolarization in the cell. We then use plasmonic nanoparticles to exploit an irregularity in the bacteriorhodopsin photocycle known as the blue light effect. This effect shortens the timescale of the photocyle by more than 99% via blue photon absorption, but it has a very low natural occurrence. Plasmonic nanoparticles tuned to the blue wavelength region increase the flux of blue photons on a local level and thereby increase the overall photocurrent generation. We first examine the importance of nanoparticle field strength to photocurrent enhancement using silver nanospheres with different capping shell thicknesses. We then consider the trade-off between (1) using a nanoparticle with a plasmon resonance tuned perfectly to the blue wavelength region and (2) using a nanoparticle with a stronger field intensity but weaker energetic presence in the blue. By minimizing ionic depolarization, minimizing shielding of the plasmon electromagnetic field, and maximizing the field strength while maintaining the plasmon frequency at the proper wavelength, we demonstrate an enhancement of 5,000-fold in the photocurrent production by bacteriorhodopsin. Chapter 5 explores a variation on the theme of Chapter 4 with an application in cancer therapeutics. Here, a photodynamic cancer drug, protoporphyrin IX (PpIX), is incorporated into complexes with silver nanospheres, gold nanospheres, and gold nanorods. Each of these nanoparticles displays a plasmon resonance in a different region of the spectrum, with consequent different overlap with the absorption or emission of the drug. Photodynamic therapeutic potential is measured in situ and in vivo, and the drug activity is shown to be strongest when drug absorption overlaps with plasmon resonance. Absorption by electronic excitations in the particle crystal lattice is shown to function as a competitive light filter and decrease drug activity. Additionally, the method of attachment of the drug to the nanoparticle is examined. Maximum enhancement of drug activity is shown to require the drug to remain bound close to the nanoparticle surface, where the electromagnetic field strength is highest. This plasmonic enhancement effect on drug activity is shown to outstrip the increase in drug activity seen when using the nanoparticle solely as a delivery platform. In Chapter 6, some synthetic techniques are presented for various nanomaterials. Included are syntheses for gold, silver, and semiconductor nanoparticles of a variety of shapes and sizes as well as for TiO₂ nanotube arrays. The relationship of the ratio of capping agent to metal salt is explored for gold nanospheres, and a method for facile tuning of the longitudinal plasmon resonance displayed by gold nanorods is presented. Synthetic techniques are also presented for the nanoparticles whose applications are explored in the preceding chapters.

M. Tech. (Engineering: Electrical, Department Electronic Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Technology), Vaal University of Technology, / “If we think oil is a problem now, just wait 20 years. It’ll be a nightmare.” — Jeremy Rifkin, Foundation of Economic Trends, Washington, D.C., August 2003. This statement harmonises with the reality that human civilisation faces today. As a result, humankind has been forced to look for alternatives to fossil fuels. Among possible solutions, fuel cell (FC) technology has received a lot of attention because of its potential to generate clean energy. Fuel cells have the advantage that they can be used in remote telecommunication sites with no grid connectivity as the majority of telecommunication equipment operates from a DC voltage supply. Power plants based on phosphoric acid fuel cell (PAFC) have been installed worldwide supplying urban areas, shopping centres and medical facilities with electricity, heat and hot water. Although these are facts regarding large scale power plants for on-site use, portable units have been explored as well. Like any other fuel cell, the PAFC output power is highly unregulated leading to a drastic drop in the output voltage with changing load value. Therefore, various DC–DC converter topologies with a wide range of input voltages can be used to regulate the fuel cell voltage to a required DC load. An interleaved synchronous buck converter intended for efficiently stepping down the energy generated by a PAFC was designed and developed. The design is based on the National Semiconductor LM5119 IC. A LM5119 evaluation board was redesigned to meet the requirements for the application. The measurements were performed and it was found that the converter achieved the expectations. The results showed that the converter efficiently stepped down a wide range of input voltages (22 to 46 V) to a regulated 13.8 V while achieving a 93 percent efficiency. The conclusions reached and recommendations for future research are presented. / Telkom Centre of Excellence, TFMC, M-Tech, THRIP.

O presente trabalho tem o objetivo de identificar fatores intervenientes na adoção de energias limpas nos principais setores industriais do Estado de São Paulo. Para tanto, apresenta a fundamentação teórica sobre os diversos temas pertinentes a pesquisa, tais como: o atual cenário energético brasileiro e o desenvolvimento sustentável, bem como o estudo dos métodos aplicados. A análise dos dados realizada teve caráter qualitativo e quantitativo, por meio, respectivamente, da Técnica do Incidente Crítico e da Análise Conjunta. A aplicação da Técnica do Incidente Crítico forneceu os atributos que as empresas consideram importantes no processo de escolha. Já a Análise Conjunta, técnica estatística multivariada de análise de dados, foi utilizada para determinar a utilidade e importância relativa dos atributos relevantes na escolha das empresas. Com os resultados da pesquisa acredita-se que as empresas usuárias e não usuárias de energias limpas poderão ter conhecimentos sobre a opinião de seus pares com relação às vantagens e desvantagens do uso destes energéticos nos processos produtivos, assim como ao governo estabelecer estratégias adequadas para orientar e estimular a adoção de energias que promovem baixo impacto ao meio ambiente. / The scope of the present work is to identify intervening factors in the adoption of clean energy resources in the main industrial sectors of the São Paulo state. In order to perform such evaluation, a theoretical reasoning on the various relevant issues related to the research shall be displayed, such as: the current brazilian energy context and sustainable development, as well as the study of applied methods. The data analysis was realized guided on a qualitative and quantitative basis, by means, respectively, of the Critical Incident Technique and the Conjoint Analysis. The application of the Critical Incident Technique has imputed capabilities that companies regard as pivotal in the selection process. The Conjoint Analysis, on its hand, multivariate statistics technique on data analysis, was used in order to determine the utility and relative importance of the capabilities relevant to the companies\' selection. Based on the results inferred from the research it may be conjectured that companies that adopt and do not adopt clean energy resources may acquire acknowledge about the opinion of its couples in what it concerns the advantages and disadvantages of the use of these energetic in these productive processes, as well the government may set to establish adequate strategies in order to instruct and encourage the adoption of energy resources that promote a lesser impact to the environment.