Techno-economic comparison of three technologies for precombustion CO2 capture from a lignite-fired IGCC

This paper compares the techno-economic performances of three technologies for CO2 capture from a lignite-based IGCC power plant located in the Czech Republic:(1)Physical absorption with a Rectisol-based process;(2)Polymeric CO2-selective membrane-based capture;(3)Low-temperature capture.The evaluations show that the IGCC plant with CO2 capture leads to costs of electricity between 91 and 120€·MWh−1,depending on the capture technology employed,compared to 65€·MWh−1 for the power plant without capture.This results in CO2 avoidance costs ranging from 42 to 84€·tCO2,avoided−1,mainly linked to the losses in net power output.From both energy and cost points of view,the low-temperature and Rectisol based CO2 capture processes are the most efficient capture technologies.Furthermore,partial CO2 capture appears as a good mean to ensure early implementation due to the limited increase in CO2 avoidance cost when considering partial capture.To go beyond the two specific CO2-selective membranes considered,a cost/membrane property map for CO2-selective membranes was developed.This map emphasise the need to develop high performance membrane to compete with solvent technology.Finally,the cost of the whole CCS chain was estimated at 54€·tCO2,avoided−1 once pipeline transport and storage are taken into consideration.

Techno-economic assessment of a chemical looping splitting system for H2 and CO Co-generation

The natural gas(NG)reforming is currently one of the low-cost methods for hydrogen production.However,the mixture of H2 and CO_(2) in the produced gas inevitably includes CO_(2) and necessitates the costly CO_(2) separation.In this work,a novel double chemical looping involving both combustion(CLC)and sorption-enhanced reforming(SE-CLR)was proposed towards the co-production of H2 and CO(CLC-SECLRHC)in two separated streams.CLC provides reactant CO_(2) and energy to feed SECLRHC,which generates hydrogen in a higher purity,as well as the calcium cycle to generate CO in a higher purity.Techno-economic assessment of the proposed system was conducted to evaluate its efficiency and economic competitiveness.Studies revealed that the optimal molar ratios of oxygen carrier(OC)/NG and steam/NG for reforming were recommended to be 1.7 and 1.0,respectively.The heat integration within CLC and SECLRHC units can be achieved by circulating hot OCs.The desired temperatures of fuel reactor(FR)and reforming reactor(RR)should be 850
C and 600
C,respectively.The heat coupling between CLC and SECLRHC units can be realized via a jacket-type reactor,and the NG split ratio for reforming and combustion was 0.53:0.47.Under the optimal conditions,the H2 purity,the H2 yield and the CH4 conversion efficiency were 98.76%,2.31 mol mol-1 and 97.96%,respectively.The carbon and hydrogen utilization efficiency respectively were 58.60% and 72.45%in terms of the total hydrogen in both steam and NG.The exergy efficiency of the overall process reached 70.28%.In terms of the conventional plant capacity(75 × 103 t y^(-1))and current raw materials price(2500$t^(-1)),the payback period can be 6.2 years and the IRR would be 11.5,demonstrating an economically feasible and risk resistant capability.

A Techno-Economical Characterization of Solar PV Power Generation in Rwanda:The Role of Subsidies and Incentives

Standalone Solar PV systems have been vital in the improvement of access to energy in many countries.However,given the large cost of solar PV plants’components,in developing countries,there is a dear need for such components to be subsidised and incentivised for the consumers to afford the produced energy.Moreover,there is a need for optimal sizing of the solar PV plants taking into account the solar information,energy requirement for various activities,and economic conditions in the off-grid regions in Rwanda.This study aims to develop optimally sized solar PV plants suited to rural communities in Rwanda.Likewise,it aims at characterizing the impacts of subsidies and incentives on the profitability and affordability of solar PV plants’energy in Rwanda.In the study,we have developed a model on basis of which the plant power(peak power)and costs of energy can be predicted given the load requirements using PVSyst.The model was validated using data corrected at eight different sites.Our generalized predictive model’s results matched the results obtained using field measurement data as inputs.The models have been able to replicate with a by degree of accuracy the peak powers and the plants’costs for different loads and were used to evaluate the economic viability of solar PV plants in Rwanda.It was found that with incentives and subsidies of 20%,the solar PV systems’costs,the Levelised Cost of Energy would drop from a maximum of 0.098 Euro to a minimum of 0.072 Euro,the payback period was reduced from a maximum of 7.5 years to a minimum of 6.0 years while the return on investments was seen to vary between 425.72 and 615.32 per cent over the plants’lifetime of 25 years.Overall our findings underscore the importance of government subsidies and incentives for solar PV energy generation projects to be significantly profitable.

CO_(2)capture costs of chemical looping combustion of biomass:A comparison of natural and synthetic oxygen carrier

Chemical looping combustion has the potential to be an efficient and low-cost technology capable of contributing to the reduction of the atmospheric concentration of CO_(2) in order to reach the 1.5/2°C goal and mitigate climate change.In this process,a metal oxide is used as oxygen carrier in a dual fluidized bed to generate clean CO_(2) via combustion of biomass.Most commonly,natural ores or synthetic materials are used as oxygen carrier whereas both must meet special requirements for the conversion of solid fuels.Synthetic oxygen carriers are characterized by higher reactivity at the expense of higher costs versus the lower-cost natural ores.To determine the viability of both possibilities,a techno-economic comparison of a synthetic material based on manganese,iron,and copper to the natural ore ilmenite was conducted.The synthetic oxygen carrier was characterized and tested in a pilot plant,where high combustion efficiencies up to 98.4%and carbon capture rates up to 98.5%were reached.The techno-economic assessment resulted in CO_(2) capture costs of 75 and 40€/tCO_(2) for the synthetic and natural ore route respectively,whereas a sensitivity analysis showed the high impact of production costs and attrition rates of the synthetic material.The synthetic oxygen carrier could break even with the natural ore in case of lower production costs and attrition rates,which could be reached by adapting the production process and recycling material.By comparison to state-of-the-art technologies,it is demonstrated that both routes are viable and the capture cost of CO_(2) could be reduced by implementing the chemical looping combustion technology.

Accuracy comparison and improvement for state of health estimation of lithium-ion battery based on random partial recharges and feature engineering

State of health(SOH)estimation of e-mobilities operated in real and dynamic conditions is essential and challenging.Most of existing estimations are based on a fixed constant current charging and discharging aging profiles,which overlooked the fact that the charging and discharging profiles are random and not complete in real application.This work investigates the influence of feature engineering on the accuracy of different machine learning(ML)-based SOH estimations acting on different recharging sub-profiles where a realistic battery mission profile is considered.Fifteen features were extracted from the battery partial recharging profiles,considering different factors such as starting voltage values,charge amount,and charging sliding windows.Then,features were selected based on a feature selection pipeline consisting of filtering and supervised ML-based subset selection.Multiple linear regression(MLR),Gaussian process regression(GPR),and support vector regression(SVR)were applied to estimate SOH,and root mean square error(RMSE)was used to evaluate and compare the estimation performance.The results showed that the feature selection pipeline can improve SOH estimation accuracy by 55.05%,2.57%,and 2.82%for MLR,GPR and SVR respectively.It was demonstrated that the estimation based on partial charging profiles with lower starting voltage,large charge,and large sliding window size is more likely to achieve higher accuracy.This work hopes to give some insights into the supervised ML-based feature engineering acting on random partial recharges on SOH estimation performance and tries to fill the gap of effective SOH estimation between theoretical study and real dynamic application.

Techno-economical evaluation of membrane based biogas upgrading system:A comparison between polymeric membrane and carbon membrane technology

A shift to renewable energy sources will reduce emissions of greenhouse gases and secure future energy supplies. In this context, utilization of biogas will play a prominent role. Focus of this work is upgrading of biogas to fuel quality by membrane separation using a carbon hollow fibre(CHF) membrane and compare with a commercially available polymeric membrane(polyimide) through economical assessment. CHF membrane modules were prepared for pilot plant testing and performance measured using CO_2, O_2, N_2. The CHF membrane was modified through oxidation, chemical vapour deposition(CVD) and reduction process thus tailoring pores for separation and increased performance. The post oxidized and reduced carbon hollow fibres(PORCHFs) significantly exceeded CHF performance showing higher CO_2 permeance(0.021 m^3(STP)/m^2 h bar) and CO_2/CH_4 selectivity of 246(5 bar feed vs 50 mbar permeate pressure). The highest performance recorded through experiments(CHF and PORCHF) was used as simulation basis. A membrane simulation model was used and interfaced to 8.6 V Aspen HYSYS.A 300 Nm^3/h mixture of CO_2/CH_4 containing 30-50% CO_2 at feed pressures 6, 8 and 10 bar, was simulated and process designed to recover99.5% CH_4 with 97.5% purity. Net present value(NPV) was calculated for base case and optimal pressure(50 bar for CHF and PORCHF). The results indicated that recycle ratio(recycle/feed) ranged from 0.2 to 10, specific energy from 0.15 to 0.8(kW/Nm^3 feed) and specific membrane area from 45 to 4700(m^2/Nm^3 feed). The high recycle ratio can create problems during start-up, as it would take long to adjust volumetric flow ratio towards 10. The best membrane separation system employs a three-stage system with polyimide at 10 bar, and a two-stage membrane system with PORCHF membranes at 50 bar with recycle. Considering biomethane price of 0.78 $/Nm^3 and a lifetime of 15 years, the technoeconomic analysis showed that payback time for the best cascade is 1.6 months.

Thermodynamic and Techno-economic Analysis of a Triple-pressure Organic Rankine Cycle: Comparison with Dual-pressure and Single-pressure ORCs

Investigation of a triple-pressure organic Rankine cycle(TPORC) using geothermal energy for power generation with the net power output of the TPORC analyzed by varying the evaporation pressures, pinch temperature differences(tpp) and degrees of superheat(tsup) aimed to find the optimum operation conditions of the system. The thermodynamic performance of the TPORC was compared with a dual-pressure organic Rankine cycle(DPORC) and a single-pressure ORC(SPORC) for geofluid temperatures ranging from 100°C to 200°C, with particular reference to the utilization of a hot dry rock(HDR) geothermal resource. Thermodynamic performances of the TPORC system using eight different organic working fluids have also been investigated in terms of the net power outputs. Results show that a higher geofluid mass flow rate can make a considerable contribution to shortening the payback period(PBP) as well as to decreasing the levelized electricity cost(LEC), especially when the geofluid temperature is low. For the temperature range investigated, the order from high to low based on thermodynamic and techno-economic performances is found to be TPORC > DPORC > SPORC. In terms of using geothermal resources within the given temperatures range(100°C–200°C), the TPORC system can be a better choice for geothermal power generation so long as the wellhead geofluid temperature is between 140°C and 180°C.

Global Research Progress on Municipal Waste and Future Prospect Based on the Cross-national Comparisons

Due to the acceleration of urbanization,the municipal waste(MW)problem has transformed into a global challenge for urb-an sustainability.To elucidate historical trends,current focal points,and future directions in MW research,we conducted a bibliometric analysis and employed knowledge graph visualization to scrutinize a total of 34212 articles,which were published between 1991 and 2021 in the Web of Science(WoS)core database.The results indicated that current major research themes encompass waste classifica-tion and recycling,waste management and public behavior,waste disposal methods and technologies,as well as environmental impact and evaluation.There has been a shift in the research focus from the environmental impacts of waste incineration to sustainable manage-ment related issues.A comparison of research from six typical countries revealed the differences in research priorities and techniques advantages.Scholars from the USA and Britain initiated MW research earlier than other countries and investigated management issues in depth,such as public behavior and willingness to pay.Meanwhile,Japanese,German,and Swedish scholars conducted extensive studies on advanced waste treatment technologies,such as disposal and recycling,risk assessment,and waste-to-energy techniques.Chinese scholars placed particular emphasis on end-of-pipe treatments and their associated environmental impacts.Hotspots and poten-tial future frontiers were identified by burst detection analysis.Keywords with high value of burst index(BI)worldwide are food waste and circular economy.Chinese scholars have put great efforts on waste environmental impact and its recycling technologies,while we’re expecting to further investigating vulnerable population.Furthermore,this study contributes to bridging the regional gap of scientific research among different countries and fostering international collaboration.

Direct Pointwise Comparison of FE Predictions to StereoDIC Measurements:Developments and Validation Using Double Edge-Notched Tensile Specimen

To compare finite element analysis(FEA)predictions and stereovision digital image correlation(StereoDIC)strain measurements at the same spatial positions throughout a region of interest,a field comparison procedure is developed.The procedure includes(a)conversion of the finite element data into a triangular mesh,(b)selection of a common coordinate system,(c)determination of the rigid body transformation to place both measurements and FEA data in the same system and(d)interpolation of the FEA nodal information to the same spatial locations as the StereoDIC measurements using barycentric coordinates.For an aluminum Al-6061 double edge notched tensile specimen,FEA results are obtained using both the von Mises isotropic yield criterion and Hill’s quadratic anisotropic yield criterion,with the unknown Hill model parameters determined using full-field specimen strain measurements for the nominally plane stress specimen.Using Hill’s quadratic anisotropic yield criterion,the point-by-point comparison of experimentally based full-field strains and stresses to finite element predictions are shown to be in excellent agreement,confirming the effectiveness of the field comparison process.

平“语”近人中课程思政元素comparison的应用及分析

文章的研究目的是理解平“语”近人中comparison(比喻)的用法,平“语”近人中课程思政的内容和其背后的真实含义具有重要的教育意义。文章以话语中课程思政元素的comparison主要例子作为研究对象,来探讨和研究平“语”近人话语中的关于comparison的应用并且加以分析。

Techno-economic analysis of single U-tube and double U-tube heat exchangers in Chongqing area

On the basis of practical projects in Chongqing,the thermal performance of heat exchangers (single U-tube type and double U-tube type) of the ground-source heat pump (GSHP) system in the hot summer was obtained and analyzed. The data obtained from test could match with the result deduced from theoretical calculation. From the test results,the cooling capacity of double U-tube is 1.6 times that of single U-tube. Taking cost per depth per watt Clq as the evaluation standard,Clq of single U-tube is 4.69 RMB$/W,and Clq of double U-tube is 3.14 RMB$/W. The double U-tube heat exchangers usage should be prioritized.

Techno-Economic Analysis and Life Cycle Assessment for the Typical Intermediate Crude Refining Scheme in China

The integration of refinery and petrochemical units(IRPUs)has become an inevitable choice for the sustainable development of petrochemical industry.The utilization efficiency of petroleum resources could be improved obviously through IRPUs.However,integrating economic and environmental impacts into the model of IRPUs is still a grand challenge.Herein,a model called TEA-GHG-OPWM(Techno-Economic Analysis and GreenHouse Gases Oriented Plant-Wide Model)has been established on Aspen HYSYSTM platform to calculate the energy consumption,the technoeconomic performance,and the GHG emissions for two different kinds of schemes,viz,:VRHCU(Vacuum Residue Hydrocracking Unit)and VRDS-RFCC(Vacuum Residue Desulfurization and Residue Fluid Catalytic Cracking).Furthermore,a novel processing pathway named VGOHDT-HTMP-DC(Vacuum Gas Oil Hydrotreating,Hydrogenation and TMP coupling process and Delayed Coking)has also been developed to find methods to improve the economic performance based on a ten-million-CNY output value(TMYOV)and a reduced GHG emissions.Our results demonstrate that VRHCRU could consume more energy and emit more GHG(877.11 t of CO2 eq·TMYOV^-1·h^-1)than VRDS-RFCC(817.03 t of CO2 eq·TMYOV^-1·h^-1)and VGOHDT-HTMP-DC(721.96 t of CO2 eq·TMYOV^-1·h^-1),while obtaining a higher mass yield of petrochemicals.The VGOHDT-HTMP-DC process exhibits the lowest feedstock consumption,hydrogen consumption,energy consumption,and GHG emissions,indicating that VGOHDT-HTMP-DC has both well economic and environmentally friendly performance.

Techno-Economic Analysis of Power Production by Using Waste Biomass Gasification

Energy recovery from waste biomass can have significant impacts on the most pressing development challenges of rural poverty and environmental damages. In this paper, a techno-economic analysis is carried out for electricity generation by using timber and wood waste (T & WW) gasification in Iceland. Different expenses were considered, like capital, installation, engineering, operation and maintenance costs and the interest rate of the investment. Regarding to revenues, they come from of the electricity sale and the fee paid by the Icelandic municipalities for waste collection and disposal. The economic feasibility was conducted based on the economic indicators of net present value (NPV) and discounted payback period (DPP), bringing together three different subgroups based on gasifier capacities, subgroup a: 50 kW, subgroup b: 100 kW and subgroup c: 200 kW. The results show that total cost increases as the implemented power is increased. This indicator varies from 1228.6 k€ for subgroups a to 1334.7 k€ for subgroups b and 1479.5 k€ for subgroups c. It is worth mentioning that NPV is positive for three subgroups and it grows as gasifier scale is extended. NPV is about 122 k€ (111,020 $), 1824 k€ (1,659,840 $) and 4392 k€ (3,996,720 $) for subgroups a, b and c, respectively. Moreover, DPP has an inversely proportional to the installed capacity. It is around 5.5 years (subgroups a), 9.5 months (subgroups b) and 6 months (subgroups c). The obtained results confirm that using small scale waste biomass gasification integrated with power generation could be techno-economically feasible for remote area in Iceland.

Techno-Economic Feasibility Analysis of Solar Photovoltaic Power Generation: A Review

With the rapid depletion of fossil fuel reserves, it is feared that the world will soon run out of its energy resources. This is a matter of concern for developing countries whose economy heavily leans on its use of energy. Under the circums-tances it is highly desirable that renewable energy resources should be utilized with maximum conversion efficiency to cope with the ever increasing energy demand. Furthermore, the global economic and political conditions that tend to make countries more dependent on their own energy resources have caused growing interest in the development and use of renewable energy based technologies. In terms of its environmental advantages, renewable energy sources generate electricity with insignificant contribution of carbon dioxide (CO2) or other greenhouse gases (GHG) to the atmosphere and they produce no pollutant discharge on water or soil and hence power generation from renewable becomes very important. Major types of renewable energy sources include solar, wind, hydro and biomass, all of which have huge potential to meet future energy challenges. Solar photovoltaic technology in one of the first among several renewable energy technologies that have been adopted worldwide for meeting the basic needs of electricity particularly in remote areas. In this paper literature review pertaining to techno-economic feasibility analysis of solar photovoltaic power generation is discussed. The literature is basically classified into the following three main category design methods, techno-economic feasibility of solar photovoltaic power generation, performance evaluations of various systems.

Simulation and Techno-Economic Performance of a Novel Charge Calculation and Melt Optimization Planning Model for Steel Making

Process algorithm, numerical model and techno-economic assessment of charge calculation and furnace bath optimization for target alloy for induction furnace-based steelmaking is presented in this study. The developed algorithm combines the make-to-order (MTO) and charge optimization planning (COP) of the steel melting shop in the production of target steel composition. Using a system-level approach, the unit operations involved in the melting process were analyzed with the purpose of initial charge calculation, prevailing alloy charge prediction and optimizing the sequence of melt chemistry modification. The model performance was established using real-time production data from a cast iron-based foundry with a 1- and 2-ton induction furnace capacity and a medium carbon-based foundry with a 10- and 15-ton induction furnace capacity. A simulation engine (CastMELT) was developed in Java IDE with a MySQL database for continuous interaction with changing process parameters to run the model for validation. The comparison between the model prediction and production results was analyzed for charge prediction, melt modification and ferroalloy optimization and possible cost savings. The model performance for elemental charge prediction and calculation purpose with respect to the charge input (at overall scrap meltdown) gave R-squared, Standard Error, Pearson correlation and Significance value of (0.934, 0.06, 0.97, 0.0003) for Carbon prediction, (0.962, 0.06, 0.98, 0.00009) for Silicon prediction, (0.999, 0.048, 0.999, 9E -11) for Manganese Prediction, and (0.997, 0.076, 0.999, 6E -7) for Chromium prediction respectively. Correlation analysis for melt modification (after charging of ferroalloy) using the model for after-alloying spark analysis compared with the target chemistry is at 99.82%. The results validate the suitability of the developed model as a functional system of induction furnace melting for combined charge calculation and melt optimization Techno-economic evaluation results showed that 0.98% - 0.25% ferroalloy saving per ton of melt is possible using the model. This brings about an annual production cost savings of 100,000 $/y in foundry A (medium carbon steel) and 20,000 $/y in foundry B (cast iron) on the use of different ferroalloy materials.

Techno-Economic Analysis of a Grid-Connected Waste to Energy Gasification Plant:A Case Study

With population growth around the world,municipal waste disposal and continued energy demand becomes some of the major challenges to deal with.In order to address these,an approach is required for an optimal waste management system that offers the population benefit with a lower environmental impact.This study evaluates the technical-economic and environmental impact analysis of a grid-connected waste to energy(WtE)plant to power a Univerisiti Teknologi Malaysia(UTM)community.The energy recovery potential of the waste stream was assessed using the life cycle assessment(LCA)method with GaBi^(TM) software(version 4).A technical,economic and environmental analysis was then carried out for the grid-connected WtE system using HOMERPro software with gasification conversion technology.The cash flow analysis was based on levelized costs of energy(LCOE)and total net present value(NPV).The results gave an NPV for the system at USD 1.11×10^(7),with most of the effects resulting from the grid operating costs and the LCOE of USD 0.43/kWh compared to the grid unit price of USD 0.7/kWh which corresponds to a saving of$0.27/kWh in energy purchase.From an environmental point of view,the results showed a significant reduction in carbon dioxide emissions from around 2,000 tons per year to around 400 tons per year.With regard to the amount of waste sent to landfills,the results show a significant improvement from 142,605.5 kg/year to 0.13 kg/year.

First acceptance testing of multiple A10 absolute gravimeters in China and analysis of the comparison results

Three A10 absolute gravimeters(AGs) were first acquired in China by the Hubei Earthquake Agency under the Belt and Road Seismic Monitoring Network Project. Although AG measuring and testing technique is not new, the purchase and simultaneous testing of 3 A10 absolute gravimeters is unprecedented in China. This study conducted the first acceptance testing of the AGs at 3 locations(the Jiufengshan Gravity Observation Station, the Global Navigation Satellite System Observation Station in Wuhan, and the Jiugongshan Observation Station in Xianning). The results were compared using a method based on expert validation, and the acceptance testing scheme was formulated by referring to the Technical Regulations for Tectonic Environment Monitoring Networks in China and Specifications for Gravimetry Control. Based on the repeatability, precision, and consistency of the measured g values, the results from each instrument were evaluated using the air pressure precision test. Comparing the instrument reference values, the final test results can identify the indicator parameters for 3 A10 AGs, the effects of the surrounding environment, and the related parameters on measurement precision. The precision of A10-059, A10-058, and A10-057 exceeded 0.78 μGal, 0.79 μGal, and 0.42 μGal, respectively.This testing scheme can be used as a reference for conducting acceptance testing of AGs in the future and obtaining absolute gravimetric measurements.

Modifying Plant Oils for Use as Fuel in Rural Contexts Tanzania: Techno-Economic Analysis

Techno-economic analysis of a small-scale Modified Plant Oil (MPO) production plant that has an annual production capacity of 15,072,741 kg of MPO (batch process) was carried out to estimate the capital and operating costs of a plant. The analysis was done by using a computer model that was designed and simulated with an aid of SuperPro Designer (Version 4.32) software. The specified feedstock was crude Jatropha oil (JO) and the main product was MPO. The major processes involved were degumming, neutralisation and blending. Degumming involved the removal of gums or phospholipids, and two methods were used: water degumming and acid degumming, whereas blending involved mixing of degummed or purified JO with natural gas condensate (NGC) modifier to lower the viscosity of JO. From techno-economic analysis of the process, it was found that the total capital investment of a plant was about US $ 10,222,000 and the predicted unit production cost of MPO was US $ 1.315/kg at a value of US $ 1.0/kg of JO. The economic feasibility of MPO production was found to be highly influenced by the price of feedstock, which contributed about 95% of the total annual production cost. The relationship between plant throughput and unit cost of producing MPO showed that unit production cost was very sensitive to production rate at low annual throughputs. The MPO cost showed a direct linear relationship with the cost of JO, with a change of US $ 0.50/kg of MPO in MPO cost in every change of US $ 0.50/kg of JO in JO price. The process technology simulated was found to be economically viable and can be implemented in rural setting, taking into consideration Tanzania’s rural situation.

Ethics and the Techno-Economic Future

The general theme-“ethics in the future”-intends to question a form of human knowledge,ethics,in relation to a dimension of time,the future.In broader terms,the title refers to a question about the relationship between knowledge and time,which in turn includes questions such as:“To what do different forms of knowledge-ethics,economics,physics-refer when they discuss the future?”;“What do they mean by a possible,probable,preferable future?”;“What future emerges through their key concepts?”;“What kind of future challenges present knowledge within an epochal context that is established in the form of an incessant reproduction of relative means and ends,one that is constantly outdated?”;“What form of knowledge is required first and foremost so that the establishment of this epoch can take place?”

Identification of Techno-Economically Viable Crop Residue Utilization in India

India generates more than 140 million tonnes of surplus crop residue every year In Haryana, the agricultural sector alone produces 24.64 million tonnes of residue annually;of which only 71% is consumed in various domestic and commercial activities within the state. The rest of the material is burned causing severe contamination of air with smoke. There is an urgent need to identify suitable and sustainable conversion technologies that are efficient, eco-friendly as well as cost-effective for managing the huge available biomass not only in the state but also in the country. This paper reviews briefly the available crop residue and quantities burned, proposes a scheme to incorporate part of the residue in the field for its fertilizer value. The remaining biomass is harvested for animal feed and the excess is converted to bioenergy and biofuels. Among the developed and developing biofuels, the paper identifies biogas production from biomass for on-farm use. Pelletization is identified as an enabling technology to provide high quality feedstock for conversion to heat/power and in near future to advanced biofuels.