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Made available in DSpace on 2014-10-09T12:49:17Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 / Made available in DSpace on 2014-10-09T14:01:41Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 09996.pdf: 9839112 bytes, checksum: 191077eddeaa1bbd2d98314d2e7d250a (MD5) / Dissertacao (Mestrado) / IPEN/D / Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares - IPEN/CNEN-SP

O problema da poluição do ar se constitui em uma das mais graves ameaças à qualidade de vida de homens, animais, vegetais e a todo ambiente. O aumento da concentração de poluentes atmosféricos é gerado devido à crescente urbanização e ao aumento da frota de veículos automotores, principalmente. As emissões causadas por veículos carregam diversas substâncias tóxicas como: monóxido de carbono (CO), óxidos de nitrogênio (NOx), compostos orgânicos voláteis (COV), hidrocarbonetos policíclicos aromáticos (HPA) e outros que produzem vários efeitos negativos sobre a saúde. Tendo em vista essa situação, o objetivo deste trabalho foi a análise de gases poluentes emitidos por motores por Cromatografia Gasosa de Alta Resolução (CGAR). Foram analisados compostos orgânicos voláteis (benzeno, tolueno, etilbenzeno, o-xileno, m-xileno e p-xileno) nas emissões de motores empregando diesel de petróleo como combustível, B10 e etanol. Para estes combustíveis, compararam-se os teores dessas emissões (substâncias poluentes) variando-se alguns parâmetros dos motores. Também, foram feitas determinações dessas substâncias tóxicas nas emissões de motores empregando etanol como combustível. Nas emissões deste tipo de motor variando-se os parâmetros qualidade da mistura e rotação detectou-se benzeno na concentração 0,129 &#177 0,021, 0,124 &#177 0,020 e 0,132 &#177 0,007 &#956g/mL (mistura rica, estequiométrica e pobre, respectivamente); 0,134 &#177 0,017, 0,129 &#177 0,007 e 0,133 &#177 0,044 &#956g/mL (1700 rpm, 2200 rpm e 2700 rpm, respectivamente) que podem ser provenientes do óleo lubrificante. Em geral, para o motor de ignição por compressão, comparando-se as emissões tanto por diesel de petróleo como com mistura B10 observou-se uma redução significativa nas emissões dos poluentes aromáticos quando se emprega a mistura B10. Principalmente, para o benzeno, notou-se diminuição nas concentrações de até 24,5%. Apesar de ter obtido um valor de concentração abaixo de 1 &#956g/mL tanto na utilização do diesel quanto na de B10, esta redução é extremamente significante, por ser o benzeno, um composto carcinogênico. Além disso, a adição de biodiesel ao diesel mostrou-se eficiente na redução das emissões de poluentes. / Air pollution\'s is one of the most serious environment problems concerning human animals and vegetables life. The increase of concentration of atmospheric pollutants is generated mainly due to increasing urbanization and the increase on the number of motor vehicles. The emissions caused by vehicles contain several toxic substances as: carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen oxides (NOx), volatile organic compounds (VOC), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and others substances ending quite negative effect on health. Considering this situation, this study described the procedures of analysis of pollutant gases emitted by engines, such as volatile organic compounds (benzene, toluene, ethilbenzene, o-xylene, m-xylene and p-xylene) by using High Resolution Gas Chromatography (HRGC) applied to diesel, B10 mixture, and ethanol emissions analysis. Considering the use of diesel and B10 as fuel, a comparative studies has been performed for fossil fuel (diesel) and biodiesel by varying some parameters of the engines. Also, determination of these toxic substances in the emissions of engines had been made using ethanol as fuel. In the emissions of this type of engine varying the parameters as mixture quality and rotation had been detected benzene at concentration values 0,129 &#177 0,021, 0,124 &#177 0,020 e 0,132 &#177 0,007 &#956g/mL (rich, stoichiometry and lean mixture); 0,134 &#177 0,017, 0,129 &#177 0,007 e 0,133 &#177 0,044 &#956g/mL (1700 rpm, 2200 rpm and 2700 rpm, respectively) that can be proceeding from the lubricant oil. In general, for CI engine burning diesel or B10 mixture it has been observed drastically reduction in the emissions of the aromatic compounds by using B10. Especially for benzene the reduction of concentrations occurs on the level of about 24.5%. Although, it has obtained a concentration value below 1 &#956g/mL as much as in the using diesel and B10, this reduction is, extremely significant, to being benzene a carcinogenic compound. Moreover, the addition of biodiesel to the diesel has been showed efficient in the reduction of the pollutants emissions.

M.Ing. / The performance and reliability of induced draft fans are of ever growing concarn in industry, especially in the power generation industry. The reliability and plant efficiency depend on the design conditions of all plant components. Induced draft fans handle high temperature flyash-laden flue gas, and are often plagued by mass-flow deficiencies and excessive vibration in fossil fuel powerplants [1]. In this research an existing induced-draft fan is analysed to investigate the occurrence of high stresses forming on the impeller, as these stresses lead to cracks appearing on the centre plate of the impeller. The basic approach used to address this problem is implementing the Finite Element Method starting with different cantilever beam configurations to simulate the connection of the blade with the centre plate. Geometries are kept constant to facilitate in the practical set-up implementation stage of the dissertation. The practical set-up is used to verify the results obtained from the Finite Element Method program, and it serves as a benchmark test for evaluating the further use of the chosen Finite Element Method program. A simplified Finite Element Method model is presented for the induced draft fan. Static and frequency analyses are done to determine the characteristics of the fan structure. Lastly an advanced dynamic analysis is done on the specific fan. Different ramp force functions are used to simulate different start-up curves for the fan. A conclusion will be drawn from the dissertation, and recommendations will be made for similar future research work.

Thesis engages problems of supply boilers to fuel. Theme in thesis is divided on 3 parts. For identification with traffic apparatus, which is install in heating plant Přerov for transportation of fuel, is in first part indicated cardinal technical description of this apparatus. Below takes up general description of planned reconstruction of apparatus in heating plant Přerov. In last part was practised technical pursuit of designed resolutions of supply productive block of fuel.

The South African electricity mix is highly dependent on subcritical coal-fired power stations. The average thermal efficiency of these power plants is low. Traditional methods to increase the thermal efficiency of the cycle have been widely studied and implemented. However, utilising the waste heat at the condenser, which accounts for the biggest heat loss in the cycle, presents a large potential to increase the thermal efficiency of the cycle. Several methods can be implemented for the recovery and utilisation of low-grade waste heat. This theoretical study focuses on replacing the traditional condenser in a fossil fuel power station with a boiling condenser (BC), which operates in a similar manner to the core of a boiling water reactor at a nuclear power plant (Sharifpur, 2007). The system was theoretically tested at the Komati Power Station, South Africa's oldest power station. The power station presented an average low-grade waste heat source. The BC cycle was theoretically tested with several working fluids and numerous different configurations. Several of the theoretical configurations indicated increased thermal efficiency of the cycle. The BC cycle configurations were also tested in two theoretical scenarios. Thirty configurations and 103 working fluids were tested in these configurations. The configuration that indicated the highest increase in thermal efficiency was the BC cycle with regeneration (three regenerative heat exchangers) from the BC turbine. A 2.4% increase in thermal efficiency was obtained for the mentioned theoretical implementation of this configuration. The working fluid tested in this configuration was ethanol. This configuration also indicated a 7.6 MW generating capacity. The increased thermal efficiency of the power station presents benefits not only in increasing the available capacity on South Africa's strained grid, but also environmental benefits. The mentioned reduction of 7.6 MW in heat released into the atmosphere also indicated a direct environmental benefit. The increase in thermal efficiency could also reduce CO2 emissions released annually in tons per MW by 5.74%. The high-level economic analysis conducted, based on the theoretically implemented BC cycle with the highest increase in thermal efficiency, resulted in a possible saving of R46 million per annum. This translated to a saving of R19.2 million per annum for each percentage increase in thermal efficiency brought about by the BC cycle. The theoretical implementation of the BC, with regeneration (three regenerative heat exchangers) from the BC turbine and ethanol as a working fluid, not only indicated an increase in thermal efficiency, but also significant economic and environmental benefits. / Dissertation (MEng)--University of Pretoria, 2016. / Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering / MEng / Unrestricted

Bangladesh is a South Asian country that has great potential for renewable energy and a growing economy. Hence, it is important to understand the obstructing forces against Bangladesh’s sustainable development. Current literature has shown that removing fossil fuel subsidies can increase welfare by 1.89 per cent and small-scale hydropower plants can generate clean and reliable electricity while also providing clean drinking water, supporting irrigation systems, and managing severe flooding. The purpose of this report is to provide public opinion on reinvesting fossil fuel subsidies towards hydropower production. It seeks to present the views of Bangladeshi citizens on renewable energy, both their support for or against hydropower production and education levels on the topic. Both are important for policymakers as it allows them to plan their next steps in the energy transition with the knowledge of their general population.  It aims to achieve this through survey data, using snowballing sampling and the pretest-posttest design. Data was analysed using cross tabulation and contingency graphs and found that (1) there was an overall good understanding of fossil fuel consumption in Bangladesh but uncertainties to its relation to flooding and natural disasters. (2) Majority of Bangladeshis think the government over-subsidises fossil fuels and are willing to switch to renewables for electricity if the government offered it. And (3) while a few participants have concerns about hydropower, the majority are willing to support the reinvestment of fossil fuel subsidies into hydropower.

The increase of petroleum cost as well as global warming and climate change result in investigation to discover new renewable energy resources. Bioenergy is one of the most important sources that is concerning the scientists and industrial sector. Although bioethanol had to be known as one of the most important renewable energy sources in order to reduce greenhouse gases and global warming, there is a limited number of publications reporting on them. In this review, a brief overview is offered about bioethanol production from algae. It can be given a deeper insight in dificulties and promising potential of bioethanol from algae. / Sự gia tăng giá nhiên liệu hóa thạch cùng với cảnh báo toàn cầu về biến đổi khí hậu hướng đến việc nghiên cứu tìm ra những nguồn năng lượng có thể tái tạo. Năng lượng sinh học là một trong những nguồn quan trọng được các nhà khoa học và doanh nghiệp quan tâm. Mặc dù ethanol sinh học đã được biết đến như là một trong những dạng năng lượng tái tạo quan trọng nhất để giảm thiểu các khí nhà kính và cảnh báo toàn cầu, nhưng chỉ có một số ít bài báo về nó. Trong bài tổng quan này, chúng tôi giới thiệu vắn tắt việc sản xuất ethanol sinh học từ tảo. Nó đưa ra cái nhìn sâu hơn về những khó khăn và tiềm năng hứa hẹn của sản xuất ethanol sinh học từ tảo.

Solar Energy and Hydrogen (energy carrier) are possible replacement options for fossil fuel and its associated problems of availability and high prices which are devastating small, developing, oil-importing economies. But a major drawback to the full implementation of solar energy, in particular photovoltaic (PV), is the lowering of conversion efficiency of PV cells due to elevated cell temperatures while in operation. Also, hydrogen as an energy carrier must be produced in gaseous or liquid form before it can be used as fuel; but its‟ present major conversion process produces an abundance of carbon dioxide which is harming the environment through global warming. In search of resolutions to these issues, this research investigated the application of Thermal Management to Photovoltaic (PV) modules in an attempt to reverse the effects of elevated cell temperature. The investigation also examined the effects of coupling the thermally managed PV modules to a proton exchange membrane (PEM) Hydrogen Generator for the production of hydrogen gas in an environmentally friendly and renewable way. The research took place in Kingston, Jamaica. The thermal management involved the application of two cooling systems which are Gravity-Fed Cooling (GFC) and Solar-Powered Adsorption Cooling (SPAC) systems. In both systems Mathematical Models were developed as predictive tools for critical aspects of the systems. The models were validated by the results of experiments. The results of the investigation showed that both cooling systems stopped the cells temperatures from rising, reversed the negative effects on conversion efficiency, and increased the power output of the module by as much as 39%. The results also showed that the thermally managed PV module when coupled to the hydrogen generator impacted positively with an appreciably increase of up to 32% in hydrogen gas production. The results of this work can be applied to the equatorial belt but also to other regions with suitable solar irradiation. The research has contributed to the wider community by the development of practical, environmentally friendly, cost effective Thermal Management Systems that guarantee improvement in photovoltaic power output, by introducing a novel way to use renewable energy that has potential to be used by individual household and/or as cottage industry, and by the development of Mathematical Tools to aid in photovoltaic power systems designs.

The use of microalgae culture to convert CO2 from power plant flue gases into biomass that are readily converted into biofuels offers a new frame of opportunities to enhance, compliment or replace fossil-fuel-use. Apart from being renewable, microalgae also have the capacity to utilise materials from a variety of wastewater and the ability to yield both liquid and gaseous biofuels. However, the processes of cultivation, incorporation of a production system for power plant waste flue gas use, algae harvesting, and oil extraction from the biomass have many challenges. Using SimaPro software, Life cycle Assessment (LCA) of the challenges limiting the microalgae (Chlorella vulgaris) biofuel production process was performed to study algae-based pathway for producing biofuels. Attention was paid to material use, energy consumed and the environmental burdens associated with the production processes. The goal was to determine the weak spots within the production system and identify changes in particular data-set that can lead to and lower material use, energy consumption and lower environmental impacts than the baseline microalgae biofuel production system. The analysis considered a hypothetical transesterification and Anaerobic Digestion (AD) transformation of algae-to- biofuel process. Life cycle Inventory (LCI) characterisation results of the baseline biodiesel (BD) transesterification scenario indicates that heating to get the biomass to 90% DWB accounts for 64% of the total input energy, while electrical energy and fertilizer obligations represents 19% and 16% respectively. Also, Life Cycle Impact Assessment (LCIA) results of the baseline BD production scenario show high proportional contribution of electricity and heat energy obligations for most impact categories considered relative to other resources. This is attributed to the concentration/drying requirement of algae biomass in order to ease downstream processes of lipid extraction and subsequent transesterification of extracted lipids into BD. Thus, four prospective alternative production scenarios were successfully characterised to evaluate the extent of their impact scenarios on the production system with regards to lowering material use, lower energy consumption and lower environmental burdens than the standard algae biofuel production system. A 55.3% reduction in mineral use obligation was evaluated as the most significant impact reduction due to the integration of 100% recycling of production harvest water for the AD production system. Recycling also saw water demand reduced from 3726 kg (freshwater).kgBD- 1 to 591kg (freshwater).kgBD- 1 after accounting for evaporative losses/biomass drying for the BD transesterification production process. Also, the use of wastewater/sea water as alternative growth media for the BD production system, indicated potential savings of: 4.2 MJ (11.8%) in electricity/heat obligation, 10.7% reductions for climate change impact, and 87% offset in mineral use requirement relative to the baseline production system. Likewise, LCIA characterisation comparison results comparing the baseline production scenarios with that of a set-up with co-product economic allocation consideration show very interesting outcomes. Indicating -12 MJ surplus (-33%) reductions for fossil fuels resource use impact category, 52.7% impact reductions for mineral use impact and 56.6% reductions for land use impact categories relative to the baseline BD production process model. These results show the importance of allocation consideration to LCA as a decision support tool. Overall, process improvements that are needed to optimise economic viability also improve the life cycle environmental impacts or sustainability of the production systems. Results obtained have been observed to agree reasonably with Monte Carlo sensitivity analysis, with the production scenario proposing the exploitation of wastewater/sea water to culture algae biomass offering the best result outcome. This study may have implications for additional resources such as production facility and its construction process, feedstock processing logistics and transport infrastructure which are excluded. Future LCA study will require extensive consideration of these additional resources such as: facility size and its construction, better engineering data for water transfer, combined heat and power plant efficiency estimates and the fate of long-term emissions such as organic nitrogen in the AD digestate. Conclusions were drawn and suggestions proffered for further study.