Biomass Homogeneity Reinforced Carbon Aerogels Derived Functional Phase-Change Materials for Solar–Thermal Energy Conversion and Storage

We deviseda functional form stable compositephase-change materials(PCMs)toachieve a three-dimensional(3D)interconnectedporous carbon aerogel structure for encapsulating polyethyleneglycol(PEG).Anovelhomogeneity reinforced carbonaerogel witha well-interconnected porous structure was constructed bycombining a flexible carbonresource from biomass guar gum with hard-brittle carbonfrom polyimide,to overcome severeshrinkage andpoor mechanical performance of traditionalcarbon aerogel.Thesupportingcarbon aerogel-encapsulated PEG produced thenovel composite PCMswithgood structure stability andcomprehensive energy storage performance.Theresults showed thatthecomposite PCMsdisplayed awell-defined 3Dinterconnected structure,and theirenergy storage capacities were 171.5 and169.5 J/g,which changed onlyslightlyafter 100 thermalcycles,andthe compositescould maintainthe equilibrium temperature at50.0−58.1℃ for about 760.3 s.The thermal conductivityofthe compositescould reach0.62 W m^(−1) K^(−1),which effectively enhanced the thermalresponse rate.And thecomposite PCMs exhibited good leakage-proof performance andexcellent light–thermal conversion.The compressive strengthof thecomposite PCMscan improveupto 1.602 MPa.Results indicatethatthisstrategy canbe efficiently usedtodevelop novel composite PCMswithimproved comprehensive thermalperformance and high light–thermal conversion.

2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities:A third update of the energy costs of human activities

Background:The Compendium of Physical Activities was published in 1993 to improve the comparability of energy expenditure values assigned to self-reported physical activity(PA)across studies.The original version was updated in 2000,and again in 2011,and has been widely used to support PA research,practice,and public health guidelines.Methods:This 2024 update was tailored for adults 19-59 years of age by removing data from those≥60 years.Using a systematic review and supplementary searches,we identified new activities and their associated measured metabolic equivalent(MET)values(using indirect calorimetry)published since 2011.We replaced estimated METs with measured values when possible.Results:We screened 32,173 abstracts and 1507 full-text papers and extracted 2356 PA energy expenditure values from 701 papers.We added303 new PAs and adjusted 176 existing MET values and descriptions to reflect the addition of new data and removal of METs for older adults.We added a Major Heading(Video Games).The 2024 Adult Compendium includes 1114 PAs(912 with measured and 202 with estimated values)across 22 Major Headings.Conclusion:This comprehensive update and refinement led to the creation of The 2024 Adult Compendium,which has utility across research,public health,education,and healthcare domains,as well as in the development of consumer health technologies.The new website with the complete lists of PAs and supporting resources is available at https://pacompendium.com.

Older Adult Compendium of Physical Activities:Energy costs of human activities in adults aged 60 and older

Purpose:To describe the development of a Compendium for estimating the energy costs of activities in adults>60 years(OA Compendium).Methods:Physical activities(PAs)and their metabolic equivalent of task(MET)values were obtained from a systematic search of studies published in 4 sport and exercise databases(PubMed,Embase,SPORTDiscus(EBSCOhost),and Scopus)and a review of articles included in the 2011 Adult Compendium that measured PA in older adults.MET values were computed as the oxygen cost(VO_(2),mL/kg/min)during PA divided by 2.7 m L/kg/min(MET_(60+))to account for the lower resting metabolic rate in older adults.Results:We identified 68 articles and extracted energy expenditure data on 427 PAs.From these,we derived 99 unique Specific Activity codes with corresponding MET_(60+)values for older adults.We developed a website to present the OA Compendium MET_(60+)values:https://pacompendium.com.Conclusion:The OA Compendium uses data collected from adults>60 years for more accurate estimation of the energy cost of PAs in older adults.It is an accessible resource that will allow researchers,educators,and practitioners to find MET_(60+)values for older adults for use in PA research and practice.

Oxygen functionalization-assisted anionic exchange toward unique construction of flower-like transition metal chalcogenide embedded carbon fabric for ultra-long life flexible energy storage and conversion

The metal-organic framework(MOF)derived Ni–Co–C–N composite alloys(NiCCZ)were“embedded”inside the carbon cloth(CC)strands as opposed to the popular idea of growing them upward to realize ultrastable energy storage and conversion application.The NiCCZ was then oxygen functionalized,facilitating the next step of stoichiometric sulfur anion diffusion during hydrothermal sulfurization,generating a flower-like metal hydroxysulfide structure(NiCCZOS)with strong partial implantation inside CC.Thus obtained NiCCZOS shows an excellent capacity when tested as a supercapacitor electrode in a three-electrode configuration.Moreover,when paired with the biomass-derived nitrogen-rich activated carbon,the asymmetric supercapacitor device shows almost 100%capacity retention even after 45,000 charge–discharge cycles with remarkable energy density(59.4 Wh kg^(-1)/263.8μWh cm^(–2))owing to a uniquely designed cathode.Furthermore,the same electrode performed as an excellent bifunctional water-splitting electrocatalyst with an overpotential of 271 mV for oxygen evolution reaction(OER)and 168.4 mV for hydrogen evolution reaction(HER)at 10 mA cm−2 current density along with 30 h of unhinged chronopotentiometric stability performance for both HER and OER.Hence,a unique metal chalcogenide composite electrode/substrate configuration has been proposed as a highly stable electrode material for flexible energy storage and conversion applications.

Nigerian Biomass for Bioenergy Applications:A Review on the Potential and Challenges

Nigeria,often referred to as“the giant of Africa,”boasts a sizable population,a thriving economy,and abundant energy resources.Nevertheless,Nigeria has yet to fully harness its renewable energy potential,despite its enormous capacity in this field.The goal of this review paper is to thoroughly examine the difficulties and untapped opportunities in utilizing biomass for bioenergy production in Nigeria.Notably,Nigeria generates substantial volumes of biomass annually,primarily in the form of agricultural waste,which is often either discarded or burned inefficiently,resulting in significant ecological and environmental damage.Therefore,an efficient approach to reducing pollution and transforming waste into wealth involves converting these biomass resources into energy.This work critically examines the status of biomass utilization for energy applications in Nigeria and highlights the bottlenecks that impede its widespread adoption.The review emphasizes the economic and ecological advantages of biomass utilization over traditional waste treatment methods.Additionally,it underscores the appeal of biomass as an industrial fuel source,particularly considering the current high cost of fossil fuels in contemporary Nigeria.Relevant literature on biomass,energy,agricultural waste,fossil fuel,and calorific value in the context of Nigeria was reviewed by utilizing a thorough search technique in key scientific databases.The analysis did not include any non-English publications.The findings of this research provide valuable insights into the challenges faced in maximizing Nigeria’s biomass potential and offer strategic recommendations to promote the use of biomass for bioenergy development.This review paper will assist a wide range of local and international readers,as well as industries interested in green and bioenergy,in making informed decisions regarding the most suitable types of biomass for biofuel production.

Optimal scheduling of a township integrated-energy system using the adjustable heat-electricity ratio model

With the expansion and implementation of rural revitalization strategies,there is a constant need for new energy sources for the construction of new townships.Consequently,integrated energy systems with the interconnection and interaction of multiple energy sources are developing rapidly.Biomass energy,a renewable green energy source with low pollution and wide distribution,has significant application potential in integrated energy systems.Considering the application of biomass energy in townships,this study established an integrated biomass energy system and proposed a model to optimize its operation.Lowest economic cost and highest clean energy utilization rate were considered as the objective functions.In addition,a plan was suggested to adjust the heat-electricity ratio based on the characteristics of the combined heat and power of the biomass.Finally,a simulation analysis conducted for a town in China was discussed,demonstrating that the construction of a township integrated-energy system and the use of biomass can significantly reduce operating costs and improve the energy utilization rate.Moreover,by adjusting the heat-electricity ratio,the economic cost was further reduced by 6.70%,whereas the clean energy utilization rate was increased by 5.14%.

A Distributionally Robust Optimization Scheduling Model for Regional Integrated Energy Systems Considering Hot Dry Rock Co-Generation

Hot dry rock(HDR)is rich in reserve,widely distributed,green,low-carbon,and has broad development potential and prospects.In this paper,a distributionally robust optimization(DRO)scheduling model for a regionally integrated energy system(RIES)considering HDR co-generation is proposed.First,the HDR-enhanced geothermal system(HDR-EGS)is introduced into the RIES.HDR-EGS realizes the thermoelectric decoupling of combined heat and power(CHP)through coordinated operation with the regional power grid and the regional heat grid,which enhances the system wind power(WP)feed-in space.Secondly,peak-hour loads are shifted using price demand response guidance in the context of time-of-day pricing.Finally,the optimization objective is established to minimize the total cost in the RIES scheduling cycle and construct a DRO scheduling model for RIES with HDR-EGS.By simulating a real small-scale RIES,the results show that HDR-EGS can effectively promote WP consumption and reduce the operating cost of the system.

Recent advances in graphene-based phase change composites for thermal energy storage and management

Energy storage and conservation are receiving increased attention due to rising global energy demands.Therefore,the development of energy storage materials is crucial.Thermal energy storage(TES)systems based on phase change materials(PCMs)have increased in prominence over the past two decades,not only because of their outstanding heat storage capacities but also their superior thermal energy regulation capability.However,issues such as leakage and low thermal conductivity limit their applicability in a variety of settings.Carbon-based materials such as graphene and its derivatives can be utilized to surmount these obstacles.This study examines the recent advancements in graphene-based phase change composites(PCCs),where graphene-based nanostructures such as graphene,graphene oxide(GO),functionalized graphene/GO,and graphene aerogel(GA)are incorporated into PCMs to substantially enhance their shape stability and thermal conductivity that could be translated to better storage capacity,durability,and temperature response,thus boosting their attractiveness for TES systems.In addition,the applications of these graphene-based PCCs in various TES disciplines,such as energy conservation in buildings,solar utilization,and battery thermal management,are discussed and summarized.

Renewable Biomass as a Platform for Preparing Green Chemistry

1 About the Special Issue Editor Qiaoguang Li is an associate professor and master’s supervisor in the Department of College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering,Zhongkai University of Agriculture and Engineering.He received his PhD from Institute of Chemical Industry of Forestry Products,Chinese Academy of Forestry in 2018.He has been focusing his research on the chemical basis and application of natural resources.He has published nearly 30 international peer reviewed papers and applied for 10 patents.

Revealing the correlation between adsorption energy and activation energy to predict the catalytic activity of metal oxides for HMX using DFT

Traditional selection of combustion catalysis is time-consuming and labor-intensive.Theoretical calculation is expected to resolve this problem.The adsorption energy of HMX and O atoms on 13 metal oxides was calculated using DMol3,since HMX and O are key substances in decomposition process.And the relationship between the adsorption energy of HMX,O on metal oxides(TiO_(2),Al_(2)O_(3),PbO,CuO,Fe_(2)O_(3),Co_(3)O_(4),Bi_(2)O_(3),NiO)and experimental T30 values(time required for the decomposition depth of HMX to reach 30%)was depicted as volcano plot.Thus,the T30 values of other metal oxides was predicted based on their adsorption energy on volcano plot and validated by previous experimental data.Further,the adsorption energy of HMX on ZrO_(2)and MnO_(2)was predicted based on the linear relationship between surface energy and adsorption energy,and T30 values were estimated based on volcano plot.The apparent activation energy data of HMX/MgO,HMX/SnO_(2),HMX/ZrO_(2),and HMX/MnO_(2)obtained from DSC experiments are basically consistent with our predicted T30 values,indicating that it is feasible to predict the catalytic activity based on the adsorption calculation,and it is expected that these simple structural properties can predict adsorption energy to reduce the large quantities of computation and experiment cost.

Advances in Triboelectric Nanogenerators for Blue Energy Harvesting and Marine Environmental Monitoring

Blue energy,which includes rainfall,tidal current,wave,and water-flow energy,is a promising renewable resource,although its exploitation is limited by current technologies and thus remains low.This form of energy is mainly harvested by electromagnetic generators(EMGs),which generate electricity via Lorenz force-driven electron flows.Triboelectric nano genera tors(TENGs)and TENG networks exhibit superiority over EMGs in low-frequency and high-entropy energy harvesting as a new approach for blue energy harvesting.A TENG produces electrical outputs by adopting the mechanism of Maxwell’s displacement current.To date,a series of research efforts have been made to optimize the structure and performance of TENGs for effective blue energy harvesting and marine environmental applications.Despite the great progress that has been achieved in the use of TENGs in this context so far,continuous exploration is required in energy conversion,device durability,power management,and environmental applications.This review reports on advances in TENGs for blue energy harvesting and marine environmental monitoring.It introduces the theoretical foundations of TENGs and discusses advanced TENG prototypes for blue energy harvesting,including TENG structures that function in freestanding and contact-separation modes.Performance enhancement strategies for TENGs intended for blue energy harvesting are also summarized.Finally,marine environmental applications of TENGs based on blue energy harvesting are discussed.

Energy dissipation mechanism and ballistic characteristic optimization in foam sandwich panels against spherical projectile impact

This study systematically examines the energy dissipation mechanisms and ballistic characteristics of foam sandwich panels(FSP)under high-velocity impact using the explicit non-linear finite element method.Based on the geometric topology of the FSP system,three FSP configurations with the same areal density are derived,namely multi-layer,gradient core and asymmetric face sheet,and three key structural parameters are identified:core thickness(t_(c)),face sheet thickness(t_(f))and overlap face/core number(n_(o)).The ballistic performance of the FSP system is comprehensively evaluated in terms of the ballistic limit velocity(BLV),deformation modes,energy dissipation mechanism,and specific penetration energy(SPE).The results show that the FSP system exhibits a significant configuration dependence,whose ballistic performance ranking is:asymmetric face sheet>gradient core>multi-layer.The mass distribution of the top and bottom face sheets plays a critical role in the ballistic resistance of the FSP system.Both BLV and SPE increase with tf,while the raising tcor noleads to an increase in BLV but a decrease in SPE.Further,a face-core synchronous enhancement mechanism is discovered by the energy dissipation analysis,based on which the ballistic optimization procedure is also conducted and a design chart is established.This study shed light on the anti-penetration mechanism of the FSP system and might provide a theoretical basis for its engineering application.

Biomass valorization via electrocatalytic carbon–carbon bond cleavage

Renewable electrocatalytic upgrading of biomass feedstocks into valuable chemicals is one of the promising strategies to relieve the pressure of traditional energy-based systems.Through electrocatalytic carbon–carbon bond cleavage of high selectivity,various functionalized molecules,such as organic acids,amides,esters,and nitriles,have great potential to be accessed from biomass.However,it has merely received finite concerns and interests in the biorefinery.This review first showcases the research progress on the electrocatalytic conversion of lipid/sugar-and lignin-derived molecules(e.g.,glycerol,mesoerythritol,xylose,glucose,1-phenylethanol,and cyclohexanol)into organic acids via specific carbon–carbon bond scission processes,with focus on disclosing reaction mechanisms,recognizing actual active species,and collecting feasible modification strategies.For the guidance of further extensive studies on biomass valorization,organic transformations via a variety of reactions,including decarboxylation,ring-opening,rearrangement,reductive hydrogenation,and carboxylation,are also disclosed for the construction of similar carbon skeletons/scaffolds.The remaining challenges,prospective applications,and future objectives in terms of biomass conversion are also proposed.This review is expected to provide references to develop renewed electrocatalytic carbon–carbon bond cleavage transformation paths/strategies for biomass upgrading.

Regulation of different light conditions for efficient biomass production and protein accumulation of Spirulina platensis

Light plays an important role in the photosynthesis and metabolic process of microalgae.However,how different light conditions regulate the biomass production and protein accumulation of microalgae is mostly unknown.In this study,the influence of different light conditions,including light colors,densities,and light:dark cycles on the cell growth and biochemical composition of Spirulina platensis was symmetrically characterized.Under different colored lights,S.platensis all shows an increase trend within the increased light intensity ranges;however,each showing different optimal light intensities.At the same light intensity,different colored lights show different growth rate of S.platensis following the sequence of red>white>green>yellow>blue.The maximum growth rate and protein accumulation were determined as 21.88 and 5.10 mg/(L·d)when illuminated under red LED.The energy efficiency of different light sources was calculated and ranked as red>white>blue≈green>yellow.Transcriptomic analysis suggests that red light can promote cell growth and protein accumulation by upregulating genes related to photosynthesis,carbon fixation,and C-N metabolism pathways.This study provides a conducive and efficient way to promote biomass production and protein accumulation of S.platensis by regulating light conditions.

Facile preparation of Fe/N-based biomass porous carbon composite towards enhancing the thermal decomposition of DAP-4

Fe/N-based biomass porous carbon composite(Fe/N-p Carbon) was prepared by a facile high-temperature carbonization method from biomass,and the effect of Fe/N-p Carbon on the thermal decomposition of energetic molecular perovskite-based material DAP-4 was studied.Biomass porous carbonaceous materials was considered as the micro/nano support layers for in situ deposition of Fe/N precursors.Fe/Np Carbon was prepared simply by the high-temperature carbonization method.It was found that it showed the inherent catalysis properties for thermal decomposition of DAP-4.The heat release of DAP-4/Fe/N-p Carbon by DSC curves tested had increased slightly,compared from DAP-4/Fe/N-p Carbon-0.The decomposition temperature peak of DAP-4 at the presence of Fe/N-p Carbon had reduced by 79°C from384.4°C(pure DAP-4) to 305.4°C(DAP-4/Fe/N-p Carbon-3).The apparent activation energy of DAP-4thermal decomposition also had decreased by 29.1 J/mol.The possible catalytic decomposition mechanism of DAP-4 with Fe/N-p Carbon was proposed.

Renewable Energy: Prospects and Challenges in Bangladesh

Among expert scientists and politicians, there is increasing agreement that it is absolutely necessary to reduce the emission of greenhouse gas (GHG) to lessen the severity of climate change. Although little, renewable energy sources currently reduce GHG that are being emitted from the energy industries. According to the majority of long-term energy estimates, renewable energy will be a substantial addition to the supply of energy worldwide by the end of this century, as capacity of renewable energy is gradually increasing in the early decades. However, developing nations like Bangladesh are largely reliant on pricey imported energy supplies (coal, gas, and oil) that lay a heavy weight on the country’s economy. Also, air pollution growing in importance as a national and international environmental issue. Regarding the development of clean and sustainable energy, renewable energy sources seem to be among the most practical and efficient alternatives, in both Bangladesh and globally. The geographic advantages of Bangladesh allow for widespread usage of the majority of such renewable energy sources. The comparative potential and use of fossil fuels against renewable energy sources globally and in Bangladesh is explored in this review.

Diagnosis of the Kinetic Energy of the“21·7”Extreme Torrential Rainfall Event in Henan Province,China

An extreme torrential rain(ETR)event occurred in Henan Province,China,during 18-21 July 2021.Based on hourly rain-gauge observations and ERA5 reanalysis data,the ETR was studied from the perspective of kinetic energy(K),which can be divided into rotational wind(V_(R))kinetic energy(K_(R)),divergent wind kinetic energy(K_(D)),and the kinetic energy of the interaction between the divergent and rotational winds(K_(RD)).According to the hourly precipitation intensity variability,the ETR process was divided into an initial stage,a rapid increase stage,and maintenance stage.Results showed that the intensification and maintenance of ETR were closely related to the upper-level K,and most closely related to the upperlevel K_(R),with a correlation coefficient of up to 0.9.In particular,the peak value of hourly rainfall intensity lagged behind the K_(R) by 8 h.Furthermore,diagnosis showed that K transformation from unresolvable to resolvable scales made the ETR increase slowly.The meridional rotational wind(u_(R))and meridional gradient of the geopotential(φ)jointly determined the conversion of available potential energy(APE)to K_(R) through the barotropic process,which dominated the rapid enhancement of K_(R) and then caused the rapid increase in ETR.The transportation of K by rotational wind consumed K_(R),and basically offset the K_(R) produced by the barotropic process,which basically kept K_(R) stable at a high value,thus maintaining the ETR.

Heuristic Estimation of the Vacuum Energy Density of the Universe: Part II-Analysis Based on Frequency Domain Electromagnetic Radiation

In Part I of this paper, an inequality satisfied by the vacuum energy density of the universe was derived using an indirect and heuristic procedure. The derivation is based on a proposed thought experiment, according to which an electron is accelerated to a constant and relativistic speed at a distance L from a perfectly conducting plane. The charge of the electron was represented by a spherical charge distribution located within the Compton wavelength of the electron. Subsequently, the electron is incident on the perfect conductor giving rise to transition radiation. The energy associated with the transition radiation depends on the parameter L. It was shown that an inequality satisfied by the vacuum energy density will emerge when the length L is pushed to cosmological dimensions and the product of the radiated energy, and the time duration of emission is constrained by Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle. In this paper, a similar analysis is conducted with a chain of electrons oscillating sinusoidally and located above a conducting plane. In the thought experiment presented in this paper, the behavior of the energy radiated by the chain of oscillating electrons is studied in the frequency domain as a function of the length L of the chain. It is shown that when the length L is pushed to cosmological dimensions and the energy radiated within a single burst of duration of half a period of oscillation is constrained by the fact that electromagnetic energy consists of photons, an inequality satisfied by the vacuum energy density emerges as a result. The derived inequality is given by where is the vacuum energy density. This result is consistent with the measured value of the vacuum energy density, which is 5.38 × 10-10 J/m. The result obtained here is in better agreement with experimental data than the one obtained in Part I of this paper with time domain radiation.

Carbon emission reduction: Contribution of geothermal energy and practice in China

As a kind of natural energy from the earth’s interior,geothermal energy is characterized by large reserve,wide distribution,good stability,high utilization coefficient,and positive effects of energy-saving and emission-reduction.It is of great significance for promoting green and low-carbon energy transition,reducing greenhouse gas emission,and achieving global climate goals and sustainable economic development.Hence,it has been highly recognized and valued by lots of countries around the world,and has become one of the most important clean energy sources that countries are accelerating to develop and utilize.The potential of the global geothermal energy resource is estimated to be 1.25×1027 J,equivalent to 4.27×10^(16) t of standard coal,among which the geothermal resource between 0 km and 5 km is 1.45×10^(26) J,equivalent to 4.95×1015 t of standard coal(China Geological Survey,2018).

Performance Analysis and Optimization of Energy Harvesting Modulation for Multi-User Integrated Data and Energy Transfer

Integrated data and energy transfer(IDET)enables the electromagnetic waves to transmit wireless energy at the same time of data delivery for lowpower devices.In this paper,an energy harvesting modulation(EHM)assisted multi-user IDET system is studied,where all the received signals at the users are exploited for energy harvesting without the degradation of wireless data transfer(WDT)performance.The joint IDET performance is then analysed theoretically by conceiving a practical time-dependent wireless channel.With the aid of the AO based algorithm,the average effective data rate among users are maximized by ensuring the BER and the wireless energy transfer(WET)performance.Simulation results validate and evaluate the IDET performance of the EHM assisted system,which also demonstrates that the optimal number of user clusters and IDET time slots should be allocated,in order to improve the WET and WDT performance.