01 SOLID FUELS

Sources, winning, properties

09/01997 Biosolubilisation of Chinese lignite
Yin, S. et al. Energy, 2009, 34, (6), 775781.
The biosolubilization of coal is a promising coal processing technology
for converting solid coal to liquid oil at ambient conditions. In this
study, the biosolubilization of Chinese lignite was studied using a
fungus isolated from decaying wood. The intensity of biosolubilization
was determined by estimating the liquid formation time and by
measuring the weight loss of the lignite granules gravimetrically. The
biosolubilization product (black liquid) was characterized by ultraviolet
spectroscopy, infrared spectroscopy, gas chromatographymass
spectrometry, element analysis, and heating value. Results showed
that this fungus isolated from the decaying wood solubilized 31.83%
(by weight) of Chinese lignite to black liquid within 11 days at 27.5

C.
The biosolubilization product mainly contained aromatic acids and
chain hydrocarbons, and had organic function groups of hydroxyl,
cyclane, carbonyl, ether linkage and aromatic rings. The heating value
of the biosolubilization product was 14 MJ/kg. Chemical analysis of the
biosolubilization product indicated that side chains of lignite were
important structures in the biosolubilization mechanism.
09/01998 Correlation between optical, chemical and micro-
structural parameters of high-rank coals and graphite
Marques, M. et al. International Journal of Coal Geology, 2009, 77, (3
4), 377382.
In order to identify the parameters that best characterize the chemical
and structural evolution of organic matter during coalification, the
relationships between optical, chemical and micro-structural par-
ameters in high-rank coals and natural graphite were studied. The
samples include anthracites from PenarroyaBelmezEspiel Basin
(Spain), Douro Basin (Portugal), and Alto Chicama Basin (Peru);
and natural graphite from Canada, Mozambique, and Austria.
Correlations between the following optical parameters were assessed:
vitrinite random reflectance (R
r
), reflectance indicating surfaces (RIS)
axis (R
MAX
, R
INT
and R
MIN
), and RIS parameters (R
am
, R
ev
and R
st
),
as well as B
w
and AI anisotropy parameters. Furthermore, the chemical
parameters used were chosen according to their significant variation in
coals, namely volatile matter, carbon, and hydrogen contents calcu-
lated in dry ash free basis (VM
daf
, C
daf
, H
daf
), as well as the H/C atomic
ratio. Structural organization was characterized by micro-Raman
spectroscopy and XRD. Raman parameters used were the full width
at half maximum (FWHM) and position of G and D1 bands on the
first-order Raman spectrum, and the ID1/IG intensity area ratio. The
selected XRD parameters were interlayer spacing d
002
, and crystallite
sizes La and Lc. Results show that: (i) R
MAX
RIS axis seems to
correlate best with chemical and micro-structural parameters; (ii) for
the majority of studied samples, H
daf
and H/C atomic ratio are the only
chemical parameters with significant correlations with R
MAX
; (iii) the
FWHM of the G band of Raman spectrum shows good linear
correlation with the XRD parameter d
002
; and, (iv) structural
organization of carbon materials, as measured by trends in their
optical and crystalline parameters, is influenced by their hydrogen
content (daf basis) and therefore by the H/C atomic ratio.
09/01999 Geochemistry of coals from the Elk Valley
coalfield, British Columbia, Canada
Goodarzi, F. et al. International Journal of Coal Geology, 2009, 77, (3
4), 246259.
The Elk Valley coalfield of British Columbia is one of the major coal-
producing areas in Canada. The coals are of Cretaceous and Jurassic
Cretaceous age and range in rank from high-volatile to low-volatile
bituminous (%Ro
max
: 0.81.6). Coal seams from outcrops and active
mines in this coalfield were analysed for rank and maceral composition
using reflected light microscopy, for geochemistry using AAS, INAA,
and ICPES, and also by proximate and ultimate analyses. The Elk
Valley coal seams contain low average concentrations of hazardous
elements such as As, Mo, Pb, and Se. However, there are seams that
contain relatively high concentrations of some of these elements, such
as 8 mg/kg and 108 mg/kg of arsenic. When the geochemistry of coal
seams is compared within the different parts of the coalfield, the
elemental composition amongst the seams from various sections
located in the central area of the coalfield is similar. Coal seams in
the northern area of the coalfield have different geochemistry than coal
seams in other areas of the coalfield; seams in the northern area have
much higher As, Br, Cr, Cu, Fe, K, and Na content, but contain less Ca.
09/02000 Influence of inherent minerals and pyrolysis
temperature on the yield of pyrolysates of some Pakistani
coals
Ahmad, T. et al. Energy Conversion and Management, 2009, 50, (5),
11631171.
An analytical method has been developed to quantitize tar, liquids and
gaseous products resulting from the flash pyrolysis of sub-bituminous
Makarwal coal. The method involves the thermal decomposition of
200 mg of 85-mesh size coal at 690

C under the flow of nitrogen using

Shimadzu PYR-2A open tubular pyrolyser. The resulting tar and liquid
fractions were separated using two traps at the exit of the pyrolyser
while the gaseous products leaving the traps were on line injected to
gas chromatograph equipped with porapak Q column and flame
ionization detector for the analysis. Effect of demineralization on the
yields of products was investigated by treating raw samples with 2 M
HCl. Removal of inherent minerals from coal by acid wash decreased
the yield of total volatiles indicating catalytic properties of mineral
under the condition used in present study. The influence of pyrolysis
temperature on the yield of pyrolysates and hydrocarbon gases,
resulting from raw coal samples, was studied over the temperature
range of 500770

C.
Preparation
09/02001 Effect of altitude and palm oil biodiesel fuelling
on the performance and combustion characteristics of a
HSDI diesel engine
Benjumea, P. et al. Fuel, 2009, 88, (4), 725731.
Altitude above sea level and fuels chemical and physical nature affect
engine performance and combustion characteristics. In this work, a
combustion diagnosis model including exergy analysis was applied to a
turbocharged automotive diesel engine fuelled with neat palm oil
biodiesel (B100) and No. 2 diesel fuel (B0). Tests were performed
under steady state operating conditions, at two altitudes above sea
level: 500 and 2400 m. Biodiesel fuelling and altitude had an additive
effect on the advance in injection and combustion timings. The
duration of the premixed combustion stage increased with altitude
and decreased with biodiesel. When B100 was used, the transition
between this stage and the diffusion stage was practically suppressed.
As altitude increased, biodiesel fuelling led to shorter combustion
duration, and higher in-cylinder pressures and fuelair equivalence
ratios. Brake thermal efficiency decreased with altitude for both fuels,
but in a greater extent for B0. For all fuels and altitudes, exergy
destruction rose sharply when combustion started, indicating that this
process was the main source of irreversibilities. At both altitudes, the
cumulative exergy destruction was higher for B100 due to its earlier
and faster combustion process. Some of the results obtained in this
work indicate that palm oil biodiesel fuelling can lead to a better
engine performance at high altitudes.
09/02002 Effect of injection pressure on heat release rate
and emissions in CI engine using orange skin powder diesel
solution
Purushothaman, K. and Nagarajan, G. Energy Conversion and Manage-
ment, 2009, 50, (4), 962969.
Experiments have been conducted to study the effect of injection
pressure on the combustion process and exhaust emissions of a direct
injection diesel engine fuelled with orange skin powder diesel solution
(OSPDS). Earlier investigation by the authors revealed that 30%
OSPDS was optimum for better performance and emissions. In the
present investigation the injection pressure was varied with 30%
OSPDS and the combustion, performance and emissions characteristics
were compared with those of diesel fuel. The different injection
pressures studied were 215, 235 and 255 bar. The results showed that
the cylinder pressure with 30% OSPDS at 235 bar fuel injection
pressure, was higher than that of diesel fuel as well as at other injection
pressures. Similarly, the ignition delay was longer and with shorter
combustion duration with 30% OSPDS at 235 bar injection pressure.
The brake thermal efficiency was better at 235 bar than that of other
fuel injection pressures with OSPDS and lower than that of diesel fuel.
The NO
x
emission with 30% OSPDS was higher at 235 bar. The
hydrocarbon and carbon emissions were lower with 30% OSPDS at
235 bar. The smoke emission with 30% OSPDS was marginally lower
at 235 bar and marginally higher at 215 bar than for diesel fuel. The
combustion, performance and emission characteristics of the engine
operating on the test fuels at 235 bar injection pressure were better than
other injection pressures.
09/02003 Environmental chamber measurements of
mercury flux from coal utilization by-products
Pekney, N. J. et al. Fuel, 2009, 88, (5), 890897.
314 Fuel and Energy Abstracts September 2009
01 Solid fuels (preparation)
An environmental chamber was constructed to measure the mercury
flux from coal utilization by-product samples. Samples of fly ash, FGD
gypsum, and wallboard made from FGD gypsum were tested under
both dark and illuminated conditions with or without the addition of
water to the sample. Mercury releases varied widely, with 7-day
experiment averages ranging from 6.8 to 73 ng/m
2
h for the fly ash
samples and 5.2 to 335 ng/m
2
h for the FGD/wallboard samples.
Initial mercury content, fly ash type, and light exposure had no
observable consistent effects on the mercury flux. For the fly ash
samples, the effect of a mercury control technology was to decrease the
emission. For three of the four pairs of FGD gypsum and wallboard
samples, the wallboard sample released less (or absorbed more)
mercury than the gypsum.
09/02004 Nitrogen release during thermochemical
conversion of single coal pellets in highly preheated
mixtures of oxygen and nitrogen
Ponzio, A. et al. Fuel, 2009, 88, (6), 11271134.
In this investigation, single coal particles (pellets) were combusted in
highly preheated oxidants (8731273 K) with oxygen concentrations
ranging from 0% to 100%, using a small-scale batch reactor. In base of
the experimental results, the influence of oxygen concentration and
oxidizer temperature on total mass conversion, the release of fuel
nitrogen and the fraction of fuel nitrogen that is oxidized to NO
x
, is
discussed. For oxygen concentration 521%, the rate of the thermo-
chemical conversion was shown to be almost independent oxygen
concentration when oxidant temperatures of 10731273 K were used.
The opposite was true for an oxidant temperature of 873 K. Thus there
appears to be an oxidant temperature above which devolatilization is
controlled by convective heat transfer rather than reaction. Further it
was shown that the release of fuel nitrogen was promoted by an
increased oxygen concentration (from 5% to 21% at 1273 K) and an
increase of oxidant temperature (from 1073 K to 1273 K at 21%
oxygen). An estimate of the devolatilization of nitrogen from the
measured pellet temperature indicated that the devolatilization of
nitrogen is significantly delayed with respect to other components. In
fact, during the very initial part of the thermochemical conversion,
most released nitrogen appeared to follow the route via char rather
than via devolatilization. Favourable conditions for NO reduction
thanks to a prompt devolatilization contemporarily to a release of fuel
nitrogen via the char route was believed to be one of the explanation
for the evidenced low ratios between NO
x
emissions and fuel nitrogen
released, particularly in the beginning of the experiment. The fact that
the amount of released fuel nitrogen that is oxidized to NO
x
was shown
to decrease with increasing oxidant temperatures from 1073 K to
1273 K supports this interpretation, though a higher temperature of the
oxidant creates higher devolatilization rates.
Transport, storage
09/02005 Eastman Chemical Companys Chemicals from
Coal program: the first quarter century
Zoeller, J. R. Catalysis Today, 2009, 140, (34), 118126.
Eastman Chemical Company first initiated its Chemicals from Coal
programme in the mid-1970s. The programme led to the successful
commercialization of a process to produce acetic anhydride entirely
from coal-based synthesis gas in 1983. However, Eastman Chemical
Company did not stop to work with on chemicals from coal with the
attainment of the acetic anhydride process and they continued to look
at the additional processes for chemicals from coal. In this manuscript,
Eastman Chemical Company will discuss the case for coal which led
Eastman Chemical Company to take a leadership role in the
production of chemicals from coal and then present three case studies,
including the commercially practiced Eastman acetic anhydride process
and potentially competitive processes for vinyl acetate and methacrylic
acid, which demonstrate the viability of replacing petroleum and
natural gas based processes with processes based entirely on coal
derived synthesis gas.
09/02006 The impact of liberalisation of the electricity
market on the hard coal mining sector in Poland
Kaminski, J. Energy Policy, 2009, 37, (3), 925939.
The liberalization of the electricity market changed the conditions of
operation not only for the power industry, but also for related sectors.
One of the particularly sensitive industries in Poland is coal mining,
which is the result of coal-based structure of electricity generation. As
it is more difficult, in the liberalized market, to burden consumers with
all the costs, electricity producers are eager to transfer the risk of
operation to the suppliers. That increases uncertainty about the future
of the hard coal industry. The aim of this paper was to quantitatively
estimate the impact that liberalization of the electricity markets may
have on the coal mining sector in Poland. First of all, the possible areas
of that impact were identified. Then the model, which involved detailed
relations in the impact areas identified, was developed and employed to
evaluate the performance of the mining sector. The comparison of
scenarios of a monopolistic electricity sector with a liberalized one
enabled an estimation of the scale of the impact on the mining sector to
be made. The results showed that liberalization causes decreased coal
consumption and decreased operating profits in coal companies.
However, some savings in electricity costs are possible for coal
producers.
Economics, business, marketing, policy
09/02007 Analysis of the market penetration of clean coal
technologies and its impacts in Chinas electricity sector
Wang, H. and Nakata, T. Energy Policy, 2009, 37, (1), 338351.
This paper discusses policy instruments for promoting the market
penetration of clean coal technologies (CCTs) into Chinas electricity
sector and the evaluation of corresponding effects. Based on the reality
that coal will remain the predominant fuel to generate electricity and
conventional pulverized coal boiler power plants have serious impacts
on environment degradation, development of clean coal technologies
could be one alternative to meet Chinas fast growing demand of
electricity as well as protect the already fragile environment. A multi-
period market equilibrium model is applied and an electricity model of
China is established to forecast changes in the electricity system up to
2030s. Three policy instruments: SO
2
emission charge, CO
2
emission
charge and implementing subsidies are considered in this research. The
results show that all instruments cause a significant shift in Chinas
electricity structure, promote CCTs competitiveness and lead China to
gain great benefit in both resource saving and environment improve-
ment. Since resource security and environment degradation are
becoming primary concerns in China, policies that could help to gain
generations market share of advanced coal-based technologies such as
CCTs is suitable for the current situation of Chinas electricity sector.
Derived solid fuels
09/02008 Renewable energy benefits with conversion of
woody residues to pellets
Di Giacomo, G. and Taglieri, L. Energy, 2009, 34, (5), 724731.
In the frame of an Interreg IIIC Network-Operation named Reg-
Energy, that unites 18 partners from 11 countries of Europe, the
feasibility of using the woody by-products for heating purpose in a
typical Mediterranean region was investigated. Focusing on the
Abruzzo Region as representative sample area, it came out that a
significant amount of the-above mentioned renewable energetic
material is annually available as a consequence of well-consolidated
and economically significant agro-industrial activities, forest mainten-
ance and industrial wood production and transformation. In particular,
it was found that the total amount of woody residues, as dry substance,
are more than 700 kt/a, with 30% resulting from pruning activities
related to the cultivation of about 360 km
2
of vineyards and 450 km
2
of
olive-groves; these residues are concentrated in the hilly part of the
region close to the Adriatic sea coast. The feasibility of a properly
localized wood pellets production plant was supported by both the
economic and energetic analysis. Additional suggestions related to
optimal plant localization and to the best use of the woody pellets as
substitute of natural gas for heating purposes were reported along with
the positive impact of the whole action on the quality of the
environment and on the recovery of soil fertility.
09/02009 Solid fuel block as an alternate fuel for cooking
and barbecuing: preliminary results
Sharma, M. et al. Energy Conversion and Management, 2009, 50, (4),
955961.
A large part of the rural people of developing countries use traditional
biomass stoves to meet their cooking and heating energy demands.
These stoves possess very low thermal efficiency; besides, most of them
cannot handle agricultural wastes. Thus, there is a need to develop an
alternate cooking device that is simple, efficient and can handle a range
of biomass including agricultural wastes. In this reported work, a highly
densified solid fuel block using a range of low-cost agro-residues has
been developed to meet the cooking and heating needs. A strategy was
adopted to determine the best suitable raw materials, which was
optimized in terms of cost and performance. Several experiments were
conducted using solid fuel block which was manufactured using various
Fuel and Energy Abstracts September 2009 315
01 Solid fuels (derived solid fuels)
raw materials in different proportions; it was found that fuel block
composed of 40% biomass, 40% charcoal powder, 15% binder and 5%
oxidizer fulfilled the requirement. Based on this finding, fuel blocks of
two different configurations viz. cylindrical shape with single and multi-
holes (3, 6, 9 and 13) were constructed and its performance was
evaluated. For instance, the 13 hole solid fuel block met the
requirement of domestic cooking; the mean thermal power was
1.6 kW
th
with a burn time of 1.5 h. Furthermore, the maximum thermal
efficiency recorded for this particular design was 58%. Whereas, the
power level of single hole solid fuel block was found to be lower but
adequate for barbecue cooking application.
09/02010 Swedish perspective on wood fuel pellets for
household heating: a modified standard for pellets could
reduce end-user problems
Sta hl, M. and Wikstrom, F. Biomass and Bioenergy, 2009, 33, (5), 803
809.
The use of wood fuel pellets has increased significantly over the past
few years, and since 2006 the households use the major part of the
pellets available in Sweden. During the same period, the oil heating has
decreased. Many former oil users that were used to almost mainten-
ance-free heating systems now use pellets. Despite significant
improvements of pellet quality and storage and burner equipment,
there are still some problems that the household pellets user
encounters. In this work, common end-user problems are identified.
The cause of each problem, as well as whether a modified Swedish
standard for pellets could reduce some of the problems encountered, is
analysed. The results show that the most serious problems originate
from the crumbling of pellets. It can be concluded that many of the
problems could be avoided by modifying the Swedish standard, e.g. the
quality parameters could be set using intervals instead of threshold
values.
02 LIQUID FUELS
Sources, properties, recovery
09/02011 Application of a proportional-integral control for
the estimation of static formation temperatures in oil wells
Espinosa-Paredes, G. et al. Marine and Petroleum Geology, 2009, 26,
(2), 259268.
A strategy based on proportional-integral (PI) feedback control was
applied to solve an inverse heat transfer problem for estimating static
formation temperatures (SFTs) from logged temperatures in oil wells.
The PI control feedbacks the error between logged and simulated
temperatures during the shut-in time process, existing SFT proposal.
Thus, mathematically speaking an inverse heat transfer problem was
solved in this way, since SFT represents the initial conditions (which
are unknown) to solve the partial differential equations governing the
heat transfer process in the wellbore-formation system. The math-
ematical model considers transient convective heat transfer due to
circulation losses to the rock surrounding a well. The methodology was
tested analysing two oil wells (MB-3007 and MB-3009) from the Gulf
of Mexico and results were compared against two classic methods. The
method presented in this work needs only one temperature measure-
ment for each fixed depth to estimate the SFT.
09/02012 Characteristics of liquid ethanol diffusion flames
from mini tube nozzles
Chen, J. et al. Combustion and Flame, 2009, 156, (2), 460466.
A series of experiments was conducted to explore the combustion
characteristics of a diffusion flames from mini tubes fuelled by liquid
ethanol with visual observations of the flame shape, the dynamic
liquidvapour interface during phase change inside the capillary tubes
and the tube outer surface temperature using CCD and IR cameras. As
the fuel supply rate increased, the interface location rose to the tube
exit and the temperature gradient on the outer tube surface increased,
consequently the evaporating became much stronger and the interface
tended to be unstable. The combustion characteristics are closely
related to the rapid phase change and violent evaporation and
interfacial dynamics, with the violent evaporation, actually explosive
boiling, inducing an explosive flame. The intensity of the explosive
flame became stronger as the flowrate increased with the maximum
flame height, interface location movement, and sound intensity all
significantly increasing. The periodicity of the explosive flame was
directly proportional to the interface moving distance and inversely
proportional to the fuel flow rate.
09/02013 Characterization of reservoir systems at elevated
pressure
Jaeger, P. and Pietsch, A. Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineer-
ing, 2009, 64, (14), 2024.
The efficiency in enhanced oil recovery strongly depends on interphase
behaviour of the participating fluids and solids. Analysis is carried out
using experimental techniques for recording contact angles and
interfacial tension at elevated pressure and relating these data by use
of known approaches from literature. Even in fairly incompressible
liquidliquidsolid systems the solidliquid interfacial energies are
shown to change at rising pressure. Combination of measured contact
angles of a ternary watern-alkanedolomite system with those of the
respective binary systems enables estimation of surface and interfacial
energies of rock surfaces. In the presence of gases, especially methane,
the watern-alkane interfacial tension as well as the contact angle of a
(non-wetting) water drop on dolomite in n-alkane is decreased which is
only possible if the interfacial energy of n-alkanedolomite rises based
on Youngs law. In a water-wet system, wetting by water was also
observed to improve under pressure which is attributed to a decreasing
water-rock interfacial energy since the wateroil interfacial tension is
increased at the same time.
09/02014 Effects of stress and oscillatory frequency on the
structural properties of Daqing gelled crude oil at different
temperatures
Li, C. et al. Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering, 2009, 65, (3
4), 167170.
The structural properties of Daqing gelled waxy crude oil were studied
with a controlled-stress rheometer under oscillatory shear mode. The
results demonstrate that the gelled waxy crude oil shows viscoelastic
properties. The linear viscoelastic region and yielding of crude oil can
be determined not only by the critical linear shear stress (t
cl
) and yield
stress (t
y
), but also by the critical linear shear strain (
cl
) and yield
strain (
y
) respectively. With the decrease of test temperature, t
cl
and t
y
increased greatly while
cl
and
y
decreased gradually. The crude oil
showed more elastic at lower temperatures. The frequency had little
effect on the structure of crude oils in the measured range.
09/02015 Enhanced heavy oil recovery through interfacial
instability: a study of chemical flooding for Brintnell heavy
oil
Dong, M. et al. Fuel, 2009, 88, (6), 10491056.
This study is aimed at developing an alkaline/surfactant-enhanced oil
recovery process for heavy oil reservoirs with oil viscosities ranging
from 1000 to 10,000 mPa s, through the mechanism of interfacial
instability. Instead of the oil viscosity being reduced, as in thermal and
solvent/gas injection processes, oil is dispersed into and transported
through the water phase to production wells. Extensive emulsification
tests and oil/water interfacial tension measurements were conducted to
screen alkali and surfactant for the oil and the brine samples collected
from Brintnell reservoir. The heavy oil/water interfacial tension could
be reduced to about 7 10
2
dyn/cm with the addition of a mixture of
Na
2
CO
3
and NaOH in the formation brine without evident dynamic
effect. The oil/water interfacial tension could be further reduced to
1 10
2
dyn/cm when a very low surfactant concentration (0.005
0.03 wt%) was applied to the above alkaline solution. Emulsification
tests showed that in situ self-dispersion of the heavy oil into the water
phase occurred when a carefully designed chemical solution was
applied. A series of 21 flood tests were conducted in sandpacks to
evaluate the chemical formulas obtained from screening tests for the
oil. Tertiary oil recoveries of about 2223% IOIP (3235% ROIP) were
obtained for the tests using 0.6 wt% alkaline (weight ratio of Na
2
CO
3
to NaOH=2:1) and 0.045 wt% surfactant solution in the formation
brine. The sandpack flood results obtained in this project showed that a
synergistic enhancement among the chemicals did occur in the tertiary
recovery process through the interfacial instability mechanism.
09/02016 Influence of heat and pressure treatment on the
rheological behavior of petroleum pitches
Braga, C. P. et al. Fuel, 2009, 88, (5), 853860.
Pitch rheological properties are extremely important during the
manufacturing process of carbon materials, in mesophase formation,
and with regard to the final properties of the carbon products. In this
work, pitch samples have been prepared from three different FCC
decant oils by heat-treatment, under 0.9 MPa pressure, in a reactor at
390

C, 410

C, and 430

C. These samples were analysed in a rotational

rheometer using a parallel-plate sensor. The rheometric softening
points matched the results obtained using conventional equipment and
exponential relationships were found to exist between these softening
points and the pitch cosity when the former approached 180

C. The
quinoline-insoluble content (QI) has been shown to be more important
in increasing the pitch viscosity than the toluene-insoluble content
(TI). Oscillatory rheometry analysis has shown that an elastic response
is not always found in creep and recovery tests, even when the elastic
modulus G
0
is dominant over the viscous modulus G
00
. Pitch elasticity
316 Fuel and Energy Abstracts September 2009
02 Liquid fuels (sources, properties, recovery)
was found to be independent of the mesophase, and this pitch property
was either only observed when the cross-over point occurred at very
high frequencies or did not occur at all within the frequency range
studied.
09/02017 Laminar burning velocities at high pressure for
primary reference fuels and gasoline: experimental and
numerical investigation
Jerzembeck, S. et al. Combustion and Flame, 2009, 156, (2), 292301.
Spherical flames of n-heptane, iso-octane, PRF 87 and gasoline/air
mixtures are experimentally investigated to determine laminar burning
velocities and Markstein lengths under engine-relevant conditions by
using the constant volume bomb method. Data are obtained for an
initial temperature of 373 K, equivalence ratios varying from c=0.7 to
c=1.2, and initial pressures from 10 to 25 bar. To track the flame
front in the vessel a dark field HeNe laser Schlieren measurement
technique and digital image processing were used. The propagating
speed with respect to the burned gases and the stretch rate are
determined from the rate of change of the flame radius. The laminar
burning velocities are obtained through a linear extrapolation to zero
stretch. The experimentally determined Markstein numbers are
compared to theoretical predictions. A reduced chemical kinetic
mechanism for n-heptane and iso-octane was derived from the
Lawrence Livermore comprehensive mechanisms. This mechanism
was validated for ignition delay times and flame propagation at low
and high pressures. In summary an overall good agreement with the
various experimental data sets used in the validation was obtained.
09/02018 Partial least squares with outlier detection in
spectral analysis: a tool to predict gasoline properties
Bao, X. and Dai, L. Fuel, 2009, 88, (7), 12161222.
The aim of this study is to propose a novel partial least squares with
outlier detection (PLS_OD) calibration method and show its useful-
ness in calibration successfully with data containing outlying objects.
This method is applied in gasoline spectral analysis to predict gasoline
properties. In particular, a comparative study of PLS_OD and other
five methods is presented. The performances of the proposed method
are illustrated on spectral data set with and without outliers. The
obtained results suggest that the proposed method can be used for
constructing satisfactory gasoline prediction model whether there are
some outliers or not.
09/02019 Petrology and depositional evolution of the
Paleozoic rocks of Iraq
Al-Juboury, A. I. and Al-Hadidy, A. H. Marine and Petroleum Geology,
2009, 26, (2), 208231.
The study integrates petrographical and lithological data from deep
exploration wells and outcrops in northern Iraq to better understand
the sedimentary environments present in the basin and to evaluate the
depositional evolution of the Paleozoic rocks in Iraq. The studied
Paleozoic successions are represented by five sedimentary cycles of
intracratonic sequences. These are dominated mainly by siliciclastic
and mixed sedimentary packages, and are separated by major and
minor unconformity surfaces. These cycles are as follow: the
Ordovician cycle, represented by the Khabour Formation; the Silurian
cycle, represented by the Akkas Formation; the Middle-Late Devonian
to Early Carboniferous cycle, represented by the Chalki, Pirispiki,
Kaista, Ora and Harur formations; the PermianCarboniferous cycle,
represented by the Gaara Formation and late Permian cycle,
represented by the Chia Zairi Formation. Generally, the cycles are
characterized by siliciclastic and mixed carbonateclastic facies with
abrupt changes during Late Paleozoic reflecting the environmental and
tectonic events during this period. The Ordovician Khabour Formation
is suggested to be of shallow marine environment of deposition with
stacked transgressive and regressive cycles that are eustatically
controlled. The shale of Silurian Akkas Formation was deposited in
open-marine environment. Depositional regimes in the Late Devonian
to Early Carboniferous are considered as a continuation of deposition
in the subsiding basin with a wide geographic distribution that reflect
the epicontinental or epeiric seas in a homoclinic ramp setting. The
Permo-Carboniferous Gaara Formation was deposited in continental
to paralic environment while the Late Permian Chia Zairi Formation
represents the carbonate platform deposition. The study revealed that
potential source rocks may include some shale beds of the Khabour
Formation, hot shales of Akkas Formation and the shales of Ora
Formation. The sandstones of the Khabour, Akkas and Kaista
formations have good reservoir potential. The Late Permian carbon-
ates of Chia Zairi Formation may be self-sourcing and contain multiple
reservoirs. The occurrence of shale as source rocks and limestone as
reservoir rocks and some evaporates as sealing horizons make the
formation as a reservoir in its own right.
09/02020 Solar assisted method for recovery of bitumen
from oil sand
Kraemer, D. et al. Applied Energy, 2009, 86, (9), 14371449.
A novel concept for the recovery of bitumen from oil sands in a natural
gas limited environment with and without CO
2
constraints is presented.
A feasible method is suggested for the recovery of unconventional oil in
an environmentally friendly and sustainable way that has the potential
of eliminating the need of natural gas as a process fuel. The proposed
concept involves mid temperature steam generation for stimulating an
oil sand formation. The steam is generated by utilizing solar radiation.
The method uses the thermal mass of the oil sand formation to allow
for cyclic steam injection during solar availability while still yielding
continuous bitumen recovery. Feasibility assessments of the concept
from both a thermodynamic and financial point of view are presented
for a scenario of development in the Athabasca region in Alberta,
Canada.
09/02021 Theoretical and physical modeling of a solvent
vapour extraction (VAPEX) process for heavy oil recovery
Moghadam, S. et al. Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering,
2009, 65, (12), 93104.
Solvent vapour extraction (VAPEX) is an effective heavy oil recovery
process because of its significant viscosity reduction through sufficient
solvent dissolution and possible asphaltene precipitation. In this paper,
an analytical model is developed to predict the accumulative heavy oil
production in the entire VAPEX process. In the experiment, a total of
five VAPEX tests are conducted to recover a heavy oil sample from a
visual rectangular sand-packed high-pressure physical model and
measure the accumulative heavy oil production versus time data.
Theoretically, a mathematical model is formulated to predict the
accumulative heavy oil production data at different times. It is assumed
that the transition zone between the solvent chamber and the
untouched heavy oil zone has two straight-line boundaries with a
constant thickness during the VAPEX process. The constant tran-
sition-zone thickness is used as an adjustable parameter and thus
determined by finding the best fit of the theoretically predicted
accumulative heavy oil production data to the experimentally measured
data. It is found that the maximum variation of the transition-zone
thicknesses determined by using the accumulative heavy oil production
data at different times is within 15% for the five VAPEX tests. This
fact indicates that the constant transition-zone thickness assumption is
acceptable. In addition, it is also found that in general, the transition-
zone thickness is increased when the permeability of the VAPEX
physical model is decreased. Moreover, the analytical model is applied
to predict the position of the solvent chamber, and its horizontal
spreading velocity and falling velocity. Both the horizontal spreading
velocity and the falling velocity of the solvent chamber decrease with
time as the VAPEX process proceeds.
Transport, refining, quality, storage
09/02022 Application of Water Source Diagram (WSD)
method for the reduction of water consumption in petroleum
refineries
de Souza, A. A. U. et al. Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 2009,
53, (3), 149154.
The chemical, petrochemical, textile and paper and cellulose industries
consume great quantities of water and there is an ever increasing
demand to minimize this consumption as natural water resources
become scarcer. Also, the tendency for the cost of water and of effluent
treatment to increase, due to new restrictions regarding discharges to
the environment, has led to the necessity to minimize industrial water
consumption, increasingly favouring the development of new method-
ologies for the optimization of the use of these resources. Of the many
approaches which have been developed, the Water Source Diagram
(WSD) is highlighted since it offers a flexible and dynamic alternative
for the generation of different scenarios for the management of water
networks with the reduction of consumption. In this study, the
implementation of the method in a petroleum refinery with six
operations which consume water, where four contaminants are present
with different permissible input values for each operation, is
investigated. The cases of maximum water reuse, regenerative end-of-
pipe treatment and differentiated regeneration were studied. In the
differentiated regeneration system, there was an important reduction
in the water consumption, with a recycle rate of 37.93 ton/h in
regenerator 2 and 14.02 in regenerator 3. It was observed that with
the application of the WSD method the water consumption was
substantially reduced, in some cases obtaining a reduction in water
consumption greater than those reported in the literature.
09/02023 Hydrotreated-LCO oxidation in a transport
reactor-hydrocyclon system for a low-emission fuel oil
production. II Catalyst deactivation and simulation model
Tailleur, R. G. et al. Fuel, 2009, 88, (6), 11091119.
Fuel and Energy Abstracts September 2009 317
02 Liquid fuels (transport, refining, quality, storage)
The CuCr/IP (4-PVP) catalyst deactivation was studied using continu-
ous stirred-tank reactor (CSTR) laboratory equipment at different
temperatures during the oxidation of a tetralin- and fluorene-doped
diesel. The concentration of naphtho-aromatics molecules was fol-
lowed as a function of time on stream, and the catalyst properties
analysed at the beginning and end of run. A computational program
was developed to simulate the operation of a continuous recirculation
slurry-hydrocyclon-type reactor. The program uses a Runge Kutta
Felberg numerical method to solve the mass and energy balance
equations for gas, liquid, and solid. For this calculation, it uses a plug
flow recycle reactor model for the riser and a plug flow for the
downcomer, in agreement with previous fluid dynamic study. The
deactivation results indicate a low catalyst deactivation that can be
modelled by using an exponential function of the time on stream. The
simulation results show that the most important operating variables
affecting activity and selectivity are the gas/liquid ratio, the solid hold-
up, and the initial temperature. The study confirms the effect of both
fluid dynamics and kinetics model parameters in the diesel quality
improvement.
09/02024 Improvement of bitumen performance with epoxy
resin
Cubuk, M. et al. Fuel, 2009, 88, (7), 13241328.
This paper studies the modification of petroleum bitumen with epoxy
resin. Different amounts of epoxy were doped into bitumen with 50/70
penetration grade and variations in viscosity as a function of
temperature and additive concentration were determined. The effects
of the epoxy additive were examined by rheometer, penetration,
softening point, DSR (dynamic shear rheometer), DSC (differential
scanning calorimeter), RTFOT (rolling thin film oven test), PAV
(pressure aging vessel), BBR (bending beam rheometer) and surface
tension tests. Adhesion and stability of bitumen aggregate mixtures
prepared using original and modified bitumen were compared using
Nicholson stripping and Marshall tests. The optimum dosage of the
additive yielding the best rheological and performance properties was
found to be 2% (w/w). Appreciable decrease in the formation of
rutting, bleeding, stripping and cracking of modified bitumen may be
obtained through epoxy addition.
09/02025 Liquid phase desulfurization of jet fuel by a
combined pervaporation and adsorption process
Wang, Y. et al. Fuel Processing Technology, 2009, 90, (3), 458464.
Since the conventional hydrodesulfurization process employed in the
refinery industry is not suitable for mobile fuel cell applications (e.g.
auxiliary power units, APUs), the present study aims at developing an
alternative process and determining its technical feasibility. A large
number of processes were assessed with respect to their application in
fuel cell APUs. The results revealed that a two-step process combining
pervapouration and adsorption is a suitable process for the on-board
desulfurization of jet fuel. Therefore, a pervaporation process with
subsequent adsorption was selected for detailed investigation. Six
different membrane materials and 10 sorbent materials were screened
to choose the most suitable candidates. Further laboratory experiments
were conducted to optimize the operating conditions and to collect
data for a pilot plant design. Different jet fuel qualities with up to
1675 ppmw of sulfur can be desulfurized to a level of 10 ppmw. The aim
of developing a suitable process for the desulfurization of jet fuel in
fuel cell APUs was thus achieved.
09/02026 Multiphase poroelastic modeling in semi-space
for deformable reservoirs
Yin, S. et al. Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering, 2009, 64,
(14), 4554.
Field observations suggest that while pressure depletion is a local
process that occurs dominantly in reservoirs being exploited, it triggers
a redistribution of effective stress in a more extensive domain that
involves not just the adjacent strata, but the entire overburden and
surrounding rocks out to considerable distances. In an infinite or semi-
infinite domain, a petroleum reservoir can be simulated as a
displacement discontinuity, permitting use of an efficient displacement
discontinuity boundary element method to calculate surrounding stress
and displacement changes. A 3D poroelastic finite element method is
used to account for the local reservoir model. By coupling the
displacement discontinuity and finite element models, a 3D poroelastic
reservoir in an infinite or semi-infinite domain is simulated. The
numerical model has been verified and numerical examples are given.
Results show that the relative deformation properties of surrounding
strata have significant effects on pressure drawdown and reservoir
deformation during production, and thus should be taken into account.
09/02027 Prediction of asphaltene precipitation using
non-isothermal compositional network model
Thanyamanta, W. et al. Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering,
2009, 64, (14), 1119.
In this paper a comprehensive flow model which incorporates
compositional and non-isothermal effects is proposed to investigate
asphaltene precipitation onset conditions in advanced well com-
pletions. The focus is on precipitation induced by pressure and
temperature conditions, particularly in flow restrictions used in wells
to delay unwanted break through of water/gas. A network model is
used with a non-isothermal black oil fluid model to predict the
distribution of pressure, temperature, flow rate and phase fractions in
all components of the well completion. The network geometry consists
of a production tubing (or liner) and an annulus between the reservoir
and the tubing. This geometry will allow for flow between the annulus
and the tubing through inflow control devices which are commonly
used for zonal control. An asphaltene precipitation envelope is used to
identify locations in the well completion at risk. Subsequently, a fully
compositional and non-isothermal model is invoked at these locations.
This detailed model uses a finite difference representation of
conservation of mass, energy and momentum. Furthermore, it uses
an isenthalpic pseudo-three-phase equilibrium model to predict if
asphaltene precipitation actually will occur inside the restriction. A
case study is presented in which the proposed model was successfully
used to predict physical flow parameters and asphaltene onset
conditions. It was found that asphaltene precipitation may occur in
flow restriction due to large pressure drop. Furthermore, it was found
that the use of isothermal modelling to predict asphaltene precipitation
may lead to underestimation of the precipitation. It is concluded that
the details of the well completion must be represented in the flow
model since pressure and temperature may vary non-monotonically
from toe to heel in advanced well completions.
09/02028 The effect of N-containing compounds on
oxidative desulphurization of liquid fuel
Jia, Y. et al. Catalysis Today, 2009, 140, (34), 192196.
The oxidative removal of organic sulfur compounds from model fuel
with H
2
O
2
over Ti-containing molecular sieves in the presence of N-
containing compounds had been studied. The effect of the types and
amounts of nitrides on oxidative desulfurization were investigated. It
has been shown that pyridine and pyrrole have adverse impact on the
oxidation of thiophene and lead to the decrease of corresponding
removal rate. The pyridine has stronger influence than pyrrole.
Quinoline and indole have no impact on the final removal rate of
thiophene. However, the two kinds of nitrides, as well as carbazole,
have obvious impact on the oxidation removal of benzothiophene and
4,6-dimethyl dibenzothiophene. The effect of nitrides on oxidative
desulfurization can be attributed to the strong adsorption of nitrides
and their oxidized products on the active sites of catalysts. For pyridine
and quinoline, which are basic nitrides, their adsorptions on catalysts
are even stronger than that of sulfides.
09/02029 Understanding carbonaceous deposit formation
resulting from engine oil degradation
Diaby, M. et al. Carbon, 2009, 47, (2), 355366.
The formation processes of carbonaceous deposits in the first piston
ring grooves of direct injection diesel engines have been studied.
Deposits generated during engine tests were analysed by SEM/EDX,
thermogravimetric analysis, pyrolysis/gas chromatography/mass spec-
trometry, and FT-IR spectroscopy. These analyses showed that the
deposits, with a structure of cracked varnishes, mainly resulted from
the degradation of lubricants. Their state strongly depends on the
severity of the tests, which resulted in the formation of two kinds of
deposits, termed as oily and dry, according to their content of
volatile organic matters. Then, to better understand the deposit
formation process, a thermo-oxidative degradation of the lubricating
oil was carried out in a tubular furnace, while varying temperature,
duration of the test, and adding metallic elements to simulate the
engine wear. The consumption of antioxidant additives and the
lubricant carbonization were highlighted. Temperature level was
identified as the most influential parameter during the lubricant
degradation process. The presence of metallic elements appeared to
act as a catalyst by speeding up the degradation when the tests duration
was increased.
Economics, business, marketing, policy
09/02030 Allochthonous blocks misidentified as the
basement: implication for petroleum exploration in the SW
Thrace Basin (Turkey)
Sen, S. et al. Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering, 2009, 64,
(14), 5566.
The sedimentary sequence of the SW Thrace Basin (NW Turkey)
comprises of three major sedimentary packages: (a) Cretaceous
(Meastrichtien) Early Eocene package formed as pelagic carbonate,
318 Fuel and Energy Abstracts September 2009
02 Liquid fuels (economics, business, marketing, policy)
turbidite, shelf and nearshore-fluvial deposits, (b) Middle Eocene
Early Oligocene package formed as shallow marine, slope apron and
turbidite sediments, (c) Middle MioceneEarly Pliocene package
formed as alluvial fan-fluvial and nearshore deposits. This basin is
structurally complex and its southern margin is represented by a fold-
thrust zone. The Westward Propagation of the North Anatolian Fault
(WPNAF) intersects the Thrace Basin along its southwestern flank. In
the SW Thrace Basin, there are ophiolite and limestone blocks in the
sedimentary succession, which previously were interpreted as suture of
the Intra-Pontide Ocean, Cretaceous aged Yenikoy Melange or
Olistostromal Unit in the Eocene sediments. In this study these rocks
have been defined as allochthonous blocks facies of the Gazikoy
Formation aged MiddleLate Eocene. In previous studies the Karaagac
Formation (Early Eocene) was considered to be within oil window and
have an average potential for oil and gas generation. According to the
data the Karaagac Formation has a moderate TOC content, is mature
and overmature. In the study area, there are potential stratigraphic
traps (submarine fans and channels of the Karaagac and Kes an
Formations, fluvial channels of the Fic itepe Formation and reefs of the
Sog ucak Formation), potential fractured tuffs (the Gazikoy Formation)
and, potential structural traps related to the folds, thrusts and the
WPNAF. Although 17 exploration wells have been drilled in the study
area and vicinity, no discovery has yet been made. The cause of this
may be that the wells were terminated at depths shallower than
potential targets or possibly drilling may have been terminated at the
allochthonous block facies of the Gazikoy Formation, which is
especially derived from ophiolite melange and was misidentified as
basement.
09/02031 Can Brazil replace 5% of the 2025 gasoline world
demand with ethanol?
de Cerqueira Leite, R. C. et al. Energy, 2009, 34, (5), 655661.
Increasing use of petroleum, coupled with concern for global warming,
demands the development and institution of CO
2
reducing, non-fossil
fuel-based alternative energy-generating strategies. Ethanol is a
potential alternative, particularly when produced in a sustainable way
as is envisioned for sugarcane in Brazil. The authors consider the
expansion of sugarcane-derived ethanol to displace 5% of projected
gasoline use worldwide in 2025. With existing technology, 21 million
hectares of land will be required to produce the necessary ethanol. This
is less than 7% of current Brazilian agricultural land and equivalent to
current soybean land use. New production lands come from pasture
made available through improving pasture management in the cattle
industry. With the continued introduction of new cane varieties
(annual yield increases of about 1.6%) and new ethanol production
technologies, namely the hydrolysis of bagasse to sugars for ethanol
production and sugarcane trash collection providing renewable process
energy production, this could reduce these modest land requirements
by 2938%.
09/02032 FischerTropsch diesel production in a well-to-
wheel perspective: a carbon, energy flow and cost analysis
van Vliet, O. P. R. et al. Energy Conversion and Management, 2009, 50,
(4), 855876.
The authors calculated carbon and energy balances and costs of 14
different FischerTropsch (FT) fuel production plants in 17 complete
well-to-wheel (WTW) chains. The FT plants can use natural gas, coal,
biomass or mixtures as feedstock. Technical data, and technological
and economic assumptions for developments for 2020 were derived
from the literature, recalculating to 2005 euros for (capital) costs. The
best-guess WTW estimates indicate biomass-to-liquids (BTL) pro-
duction costs break even when oil prices rise above $75/bbl, CTL above
$60/bbl and GTL at $36/bbl. CTL, and GTL without carbon capture
and storage (CCS), will emit more CO
2
than diesel from conventional
oil. Driving on fuel from GTL with CCS may reduce GHG emissions to
around 123 g CO
2
/km. Driving on BTL may cause emissions of 32
63 g CO
2
/km and these can be made negative by application of CCS. It
is possible to have net climate neutral driving by combining fuels
produced from fossil resources with around 50% BTL with CCS, if
biomass gasification and CCS can be made to work on an industrial
scale and the feedstock is obtained in a climate-neutral manner.
However, the uncertainties in these numbers are in the order of tens of
percents, due to uncertainty in the data for component costs, variability
in prices of feedstocks and by-products, and the GHG impact of
producing biomass.
09/02033 How does petroleum price and corn yield
volatility affect ethanol markets with and without an ethanol
use mandate?
Thompson, W. et al. Energy Policy, 2009, 37, (2), 745749.
The recent increase in ethanol use in the USA strengthens and changes
the nature of links between agricultural and energy markets. Here, the
interaction of market volatility and the scope for policy to affect this
interaction are explored, with a focus on how corn yields and
petroleum prices affect ethanol prices. Mandates associated with new
US energy legislation may intervene in these links in the medium-term
future. A structural model that represents these markets is simulated
stochastically, and that includes mandates, in order to assess how
shocks to corn or oil markets can affect ethanol price and use. It is
estimated that the mandate makes ethanol producer prices more
sensitive to corn yields and less sensitive to changes in petroleum prices
overall. A discontinuity in these links is noted that is caused by the
mandate. Ethanol use can exceed the mandate if petroleum prices and
corn yields are high enough, but the mandate limits downside
adjustments in ethanol use to low petroleum prices or corn yields.
09/02034 Jump dynamics and volatility: oil and the stock
markets
Chiou, J.-S. and Lee, Y.-H. Energy, 2009, 34, (6), 788796.
This study distinguishes itself from prior studies within the oil and
financial literature by not only examining the asymmetric effects of oil
prices on stock returns, but also exploring the importance of structure
changes in this dependency relationship. Daily data were retrieved on
S&P 500 and West Texas Intermediate (WTI) oil transactions covering
the period from 1 January 1992 to 7 November 2006, and then
transformed into daily returns. In this study, consideration of expected,
unexpected and negative unexpected oil price fluctuations was
incorporated into the model of stock returns; the authors also focused
on the ways in which oil price volatility, as opposed to general
macroeconomic variables, can influence the stock market. The authors
went on to implement the ARJI (Autoregressive Conditional Jump
Intensity) model with structure changes, from which it was concluded
that high fluctuations in oil prices have asymmetric unexpected impacts
on S&P 500 returns.
09/02035 Mission improbable: does petroleum-related aid
address the resource curse?
Kolstad, I. et al. Energy Policy, 2009, 37, (3), 954965.
Petroleum-related aid programmes and projects are a key part of donor
activities in oil-rich developing countries. This paper critically assesses
petroleum-related aid activities, using the Norwegian Oil for Develop-
ment programme as a main case. Recent research suggests that
institutions, or governance, are essential in averting a resource curse.
While governance issues are beginning to receive more attention in
these types of programmes, they still form a minor part of programme
activities. The narrow sector focus that characterizes petroleum-related
aid makes it unlikely that it will produce the higher order institutional
changes needed to lift the resource curse. Petroleum-related aid
activities address the issue of corruption only to a limited extent. Given
the commercial and political interests of donor countries, questions
about the integrity and credibility of these types of programmes can be
raised.
09/02036 Policies to improve the local impact from
hydrocarbon extraction: observations on West Africa and
possible lessons for Central Asia
Klueh, U. H. et al. Energy Policy, 2009, 37, (3), 11281144.
The paper offers specific inputs to the debate on local content
promotion in the oil industries of West Africa and Central Asia. To this
end, the authors document the international experience with local
content promotion to derive best practices in the field. They then use a
case study approach to devise a simple analytical framework for
rationalizing the selection of viable sectors for local content promotion,
in an attempt to make operational one of the best practice principles
(efficiency) developed before. By proposing specific rules regarding the
acceptability of a project, the analysis seeks to add rigor and address
distortions on localization outcomes from rent-seeking. The emphasis
is not on supporting efforts to pick winners and subsidize them
through a range of by and large discredited instruments. Rather, the
paper focuses on the specific public inputs the government would have
to provide to support an otherwise market-driven process.
09/02037 Potential contribution of ethanol fuel to the
transport sector of Pakistan
Harijan, K. et al. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 2009, 13,
(1), 291295.
Pakistan is an energy-deficient country. The indigenous reserves of oil
and gas are limited and the country is heavily dependent on the import
of oil. The oil import bill is a serious strain on the countrys economy
and has been deteriorating the balance of payments situation. The
country has become increasingly more dependent on fossil fuels and its
energy security hangs on the fragile supply of imported oil that is
subject to disruptions and price volatility. The transport sector has a
28% share in the total commercial energy consumption in Pakistan.
About 1.15 million tonnes of gasoline was consumed by this sector
during 20052006. The gasoline consumption in the transport sector is
also a major source of environmental degradation especially in urban
areas. Consequently, Pakistan needs to develop indigenous, environ-
ment-friendly energy resources, such as ethanol, to meet its transport
sectors energy needs. Pakistan produces about 54 million tonnes of
Fuel and Energy Abstracts September 2009 319
02 Liquid fuels (economics, business, marketing, policy)
sugarcane every year. The estimated production potential of ethanol
from molasses is about 500 million litres per annum. Ethanol can be
used in the transport sector after blending with gasoline, in order to
minimize the gasoline consumption and associated economical and
environmental impacts. This paper presents the assessment of the
potential contribution of ethanol in the transport sector of Pakistan. It
is concluded that 510% of the annual gasoline consumption in
transport sector could be met from ethanol by the year 2030 under
different scenarios. About US$200400 million per annum could be
saved along with other environmental and health benefits by using
gasol in the transport sector.
09/02038 Recent oil price shock and Tunisian economy
Jbir, R. and Zouari-Ghorbel, S. Energy Policy, 2009, 37, (3), 1041
1051.
The objective of this paper is to study the oil pricesmacroeconomy
relationship by the analysis of the role of subsidy policy. The vector
autoregression (VAR) method was employed to analyse the data over
the period 1993 Q1 2007 Q3. The results of the model using both linear
and non-linear specifications indicate that there is no direct impact of
oil price shock on the economic activity. The shock of oil prices affects
economic activity indirectly. The most significant channel by which the
effects of the shock are transmitted is the governments spending.
Derived liquid fuels
09/02039 Bio-methanol: how energy choices in the western
United States can help mitigate global climate change
Vogt, K. A. et al. Renewable Energy, 2009, 34, (1), 233241.
Converting available biomass from municipal, agricultural and forest
wastes to bio-methanol can result in significant environmental and
economic benefits. Keeping these benefits in mind, one plausible
scenario discussed here is the potential to produce energy using bio-
methanol in five states of the western United States. In this scenario,
the bio-methanol produced is from different biomass sources and used
as a substitute for fossil fuels in energy production. In the US West,
forest materials are the dominant biomass waste source in Idaho,
Montana, Oregon and Washington, while in California, the greatest
amount of available biomass is from municipal wastes. Using a 100%
rate of substitution, bio-methanol produced from these sources can
replace an amount equivalent to most or all of the gasoline consumed
by motor vehicles in each state. In contrast, when bio-methanol
powered fuel cells are used to produce electricity, it is possible to
generate 1225% of the total electricity consumed annually in these
five states. As a gasoline substitute, bio-methanol can optimally reduce
vehicle C emissions by 229 Tg of C (2381% of the total emitted by
each state). Alternatively, if bio-methanol supported fuel cells are used
to generate electricity, from 2 to 32 Tg of C emissions can be avoided.
The emissions avoided, in this case, could equate to 2532% of the
total emissions produced by these particular western states when fossil
fuels are used to generate electricity. The actual C emissions avoided
will be lower than the estimates here because C emissions from the
methanol production processes are not included; however, such
emissions are expected to be relatively low. In general, there is less
carbon emitted when bio-methanol is used to generate electricity with
fuel cells than when it is used as a motor vehicle fuel. In the state of
Washington, thinning high-fire-risk small stems, namely 5.122.9 cm
diameter trees, from wildfire-prone forests and using them to produce
methanol for electricity generation with fuel cells would avoid C
emissions of 3.77.3 Mg C/ha. Alternatively, when wood-methanol
produced from the high-fire-risk wood is used as a gasoline substitute,
3.36.6 Mg C/ha of carbon emissions are avoided. If these same high-
fire-risk woody stems were burned during a wildfire 7.9 Mg C/ha would
be emitted in the state of Washington alone. Although detailed
economic analyses of producing methanol from biomass are in its
infancy, converting biomass into methanol and substituting it for fossil-
fuel-based energy production appears a viable option in locations that
have high biomass availability.
09/02040 Catalysis of SO
4
2
/ZrO
2
solid acid for the
liquefaction of coal
Wang, Z. et al. Fuel, 2009, 88, (5), 885889.
In order to study the catalysis of SO
4
2
/ZrO
2
solid acid for the
liquefaction of coal, a series of SO
4
2
/ZrO
2
solid acids were
synthesized by the method of precipitationimpregnation. The catalytic
behaviours of the SO
4
2
/ZrO
2
solid acids for the hydro-liquefaction of
Shenhua coal and model compounds, such as diphenylmethane,
bibenzyl and phenyl ethyl ether, were investigated. In addition, non-
catalytic liquefaction and the catalytic liquefaction under N
2
were
further compared with the catalytic liquefaction under H
2
in order to
understand the catalytic mechanism of SO
4
2
/ZrO
2
solid acid. The
results indicate that hydro-liquefaction conversions of coal and model
compounds are related to the strength, amount and nature of acid sites
on the surface of SO
4
2
/ZrO
2
, and the strong acid site responds to their
catalytic activities. The SO
4
2
/ZrO
2
solid acid catalyses mainly the
hydro-cracking, ring-opening and hydrogenation reactions of coal to
produce oil and gas during the coal liquefaction. The hydro-cracking
reactions in the liquefaction of model compounds and coal catalysed by
SO
4
2
/ZrO
2
involved via carbenium ion intermediate instead of
traditional radicals intermediate.
09/02041 Chemical composition and physical properties of
black liquors and their effects on liquor recovery operation
in Brazilian pulp mills
Cardoso, M. et al. Fuel, 2009, 88, (4), 756763.
Black liquor is the major by-product and fuel of pulp mills. In this
work, effects of black liquor properties on its recovery unit operation
are analysed. Thus, an experimental methodology for characterizing
the principal chemical and physical properties of eucalyptus Kraft and
bamboo soda black liquors has been developed, including sample
collections from six Brazilian mills. Based on results, eucalyptus and
bamboo black liquors present higher contents of non-processing
elements (NPEs), higher concentration and different molar mass of
lignin than those reported by the pine Kraft black liquor. This leads to
distinct rheological properties of these liquors. By comparing results
obtained for the both liquors, the bamboo and the eucalyptus, the
former has the lowest sulfur level, the highest silicon and lignin
concentration and, consequently, the highest apparent viscosity.
09/02042 Comparison criteria for large-scale hydrogen
liquefaction processes
Berstad, D. O. et al. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 2009,
34, (3), 15601568.
In a hydrogen liquefier the pre-compression of feed gas has generally
higher stand-alone exergy efficiency than the cooling and liquefaction
sub-process. Direct comparison of liquefiers based on overall exergy
efficiency and specific power consumption will favour those with a
higher portion of pre-compression. A methodology for comparing
hydrogen liquefaction processes that compensates for non-uniformity
in feed specifications has been developed and applied to three different
hydrogen liquefiers. The processes in consideration have been
modified to have equal hydrogen feed pressure, resulting in a more
consistent comparison. Decreased feed pressure results in generally
higher power consumption but also higher exergy efficiency, and vice
versa. This approach can be adapted to the boundary conditions that
the liquefaction process will be subject to in a real energy system.
09/02043 Conversion of Calotropis procera biocrude to
liquid fuels using thermal and catalytic cracking
Padmaja, K. V. et al. Fuel, 2009, 88, (5), 780785.
With the fast depletion of petroleum reserves, renewable resources like
biomass are acquiring great significance. Calotropis procera, a
laticiferous arid plant is identified as a potential petrocrop. The dried
biomass of C. procera was subjected to non-polar (n-heptane) solvent
extraction. Biocrude so obtained is a rich source of tri terpenoid type of
hydrocarbons. The biocrude was upgraded to useful liquid fuels using
different conversion processes such as thermal and catalytic cracking
(fluid catalytic cracking, FCC). The temperature, pressure and reaction
time maintained during thermal conversions were 430 and 460

C; 1.2
and 0.2 MPa; and 15 and 30 min, respectively. Catalytic cracking was
carried out in continuous mode micro reactor varying the catalyst to
feed ratio (37.03) and temperature (460520

C) aiming at maximiza-
tion of lighter fractions (up to diesel range). High conversions (up to
92%) were obtained using FCC as compared to thermal process
(57.7%). The HPLC analysis of the liquid fuels indicated that thermal
cracking yielded a better quality fuel compared to FCC. The fuel
obtained by FCC was found to contain large proportions of aromatics
and poly-aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH).
09/02044 Effect of CO
2
/N
2
addition to supercritical
methanol on reactivities and fuel qualities in biodiesel
production
Imahara, H. et al. Fuel, 2009, 88, (7), 13291332.
Addition of the third component to supercritical methanol has been
studied in the literature for biodiesel production in order to reduce
reaction temperature without deteriorating the reaction rate. However,
effect of pressure had often been neglected in the discussion. In this
paper, therefore, effect of pressure was examined with hexane, carbon
dioxide (CO
2
) and nitrogen (N
2
) as one of the third components, using
batch-type and flow-type reactors. As a result, it was found that an
addition of the third component did not contribute to better product
yield at constant reaction pressure. Furthermore, the reaction rate was
found to be determined by pressure and concentration of the reactants
involved in transesterification, not by the function of so-called co-
320 Fuel and Energy Abstracts September 2009
02 Liquid fuels (derived liquid fuels)
solvent. Additionally, N
2
addition was found to contribute to
improvement in oxidation stability and reduction of the total glycerol
content, thus offering high-quality biodiesel production.
09/02045 Intensified FischerTropsch synthesis process
with microchannel catalytic reactors
Cao, C. et al. Catalysis Today, 2009, 140, (34), 149156.
A microchannel catalytic reactor with improved heat and mass
transport has been used for FischerTropsch synthesis. It was
demonstrated that this microchannel reactor based process can be
carried out at gas hourly space velocity (GHSV) as high as 60,000 h
1
to achieve greater than 60% of single-pass CO conversion while
maintaining relatively low methane selectivity (<10%) and high chain
growth probability (>0.9). In this study, performance data were
obtained over a wide range of pressure (1035 atm) and hydrogen-to-
carbon monoxide ratio (12.5). The catalytic materials were charac-
terized using BET, scanning electron microcopy (SEM), transmission
electron microcopy (TEM), and H
2
chemisorption. A three-dimen-
sional pseudo-homogeneous model was used to simulate temperature
profiles in the exothermic reaction system in order to optimize the
reactor design. Intraparticle non-isothermal characteristics are also
analysed for the FT synthesis catalyst.
09/02046 Kinetics of hydrocarbon extraction from oil shale
using biosurfactant producing bacteria
Haddadin, M. S. Y. et al. Energy Conversion and Management, 2009,
50, (4), 983990.
This study was done to extract hydrocarbon compounds from El-Lajjun
oil shale using biosurfactant produced from two strains Rhodococcus
erythropolis and Rhodococcus ruber. The results have shown that,
optimal biosurfactant production was found using naphthalene and
diesel as a carbon source for R. erthropolis and R. ruber, respectively.
Optimum nitrogen concentration was 9 g/l and 7 g/l for R. erthropolis
and R. ruber, respectively. Optimum K
2
HPO
4
to KH
2
PO
4
ratio,
temperature, pH, and agitation speeds were 2:1, 37

C, 7 and
200 rpm. Under optimal conditions R. erthropolis and R. ruber pro-
duced 5.67 and 6.9 g/l biosurfactant, respectively. Maximum recovery
of oil achieved with hydrogen peroxide pre-treatment was 25% and
26% at biosurfactant concentration of 8 g/l and 4 g/l for R. erthropolis
and R. ruber, respectively. The extent desorption of hydrocarbons from
the pre-treated oil shale by biosurfactant were inversely related to the
concentration of high molecular weight hydrocarbons, asphaltenes
compounds. Pre-treatment of oil shale with hydrogen peroxide
produced better improvement in aromatic compounds extraction in
comparison with improvement which resulted from demineralization of
the oil shale.
03 GASEOUS FUELS
Sources, properties, recovery, treatment
09/02047 Effects of high-pressure homogenization on
physicochemical properties and storage stability of
switchgrass bio-oil
He, R. et al. Fuel Processing Technology, 2009, 90, (3), 415421.
A high-pressure homogenization (HPH) technique was used to
improve the physicochemical properties and storage stability of
switchgrass bio-oil. The viscosity, ethanol-insoluble fraction, and mass
average molecular weight (Mw) of the bio-oil decreased significantly,
and particle size became smaller after HPH processing; however, no
significant changes were detected in heating value, water content,
density, pH value, or ash content. The bio-oils chemical composition
changed after HPH: amounts of some compounds (furfural, levoglu-
cosan, diethoxymethyl acetate, and lignin-derived compounds) in-
creased, while others (acetic acid and 1,2-ethanediol) decreased. The
homogenization processing remarkably improved switchgrass bio-oil
stability: the viscosity of bio-oil homogenized at 100 MPa increased by
only 13.9% after storage at 40

C for 60 days, whereas that of

unhomogenized oil increased 56% after the same storage period. The
operating cost was very modest at only $0.0102/L for bio-oil HPH
processing at 100 MPa.
09/02048 Integrated energy, environmental and financial
analysis of ethanol production from cellulosic switchgrass
Felix, E. and Tilley, D. R. Energy, 2009, 34, (4), 410436.
Ethanol production from cellulosic sources such as switchgrass
(Panicum virgatum L.) requires the use of natural resources, fossil
fuels, electricity, and human-derived goods and services. The authors
used emergy accounting to integrate the ultimate amount of environ-
mental, fossil fuel, and human-derived energy required to produce
ethanol from switchgrass. Emergy is the total amount of energy of one
form required directly and indirectly to make another form of energy.
Forty-four per cent of required emergy came from the environment
either directly or embodied in purchased goods, 30% came from fossil
fuels either directly or embodied in purchased goods, and 25% came
from human-derived services indirectly. Ethanol production per
petroleum use (emergy/emergy) was 4.0-to-1 under the Baseline
Scenario, but dropped to 0.5-to-1 under a scenario that assumed
higher input prices, lower conversion efficiencies and less waste
recycling. At least 75% of total emergy was from non-renewable
sources. Energy hidden in indirect paths such as goods and services
was 65% of the total. Cellulosic-ethanol is not a primary fuel source
that substitutes for petroleum because its production relies heavily on
non-renewable energy and purchased inputs. It is a means for
converting natural resources to liquid fuel.
09/02049 Shallow gas and fluid migration in the northern
Arafura Sea (offshore Northern Australia)
Rollet, N. et al. Marine and Petroleum Geology, 2009, 26, (1), 129147.
A variety of shallow gas indicators and fluid migration pathways have
been interpreted from new sub-bottom profiler, multibeam bathymetry,
side-scan sonar, and echo-sounder data together with geochemical
analyses of sampled sediments from the northern Arafura Sea, offshore
Northern Australia. This study provides new geological data and a
seismic stratigraphy of the youngest units in the Money Shoal Basin, in
an area that has not been closely studied in over 30 years. The shallow
gas indicators include pockmarks, low frequency enhanced reflectors
and acoustic blanking. These indicators are supported by gas within
shallow cores. Geochemistry indicates that this gas has a microbial
origin but deeper fluid movement is also suggested by the presence of
interpreted hydrocarbon slicks based on synthetic aperture radar data.
A region of likely hydrocarbon seepage is indicated by the clear
coincidence of shallow gas indicators with an area of increased faulting
and a zone of poor quality seismic data (recognized on conventional
seismic data), together with anomalies (interpreted on remote-sensing
data) aligned with mapped deep structures.
09/02050 Simplified approach for predicting gas well
performance
Al-Attar, H. and Al-Zuhair, S. Journal of Petroleum Science and
Engineering, 2009, 65, (12), 5161.
This paper presents the development and application of a simple, yet
reasonably accurate, method for predicting gas well performance. The
proposed approach is based on predicting average reservoir pressure at
different time intervals from stabilized surface production-history data
using an iterative mode of calculations. The calculated (
"
P
r
/z) values are
then plotted versus cumulative gas production (G
p
) and the straight line
which best fits the data points can then be reasonably projected into
any future stage of depletion to predict the remaining reserves. The
present technique is suitable whenever the loss of cash flow due to shut-
in production and/or the use of special sensing down-hole equipment
become prohibitive, particularly when H
2
S and CO
2
are present in the
produced gas mixture. Dry gas wells, wet gas wells, and condensate gas
wells can be treated with the proposed technique. All calculations are
performed with Excel spread sheet solver and flow diagrams of these
calculations are included in this paper.
Transport, storage
09/02051 Predicting corrosion remaining life of
underground pipelines with a mechanically-based
probabilistic model
Li, S.-X. et al. Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering, 2009, 65,
(34), 162166.
A methodology is presented for predicting corrosion remaining life of
underground pipelines with a mechanically-based probabilistic model
by taking effect of randomness into account in pipeline corrosion.
Monte Carlo simulation technique is employed to calculate the
remaining life and its cumulative distribution function (CDF). The
sensitivity analysis is performed to identify the most important
parameters that affect pipeline failure. The results show that the
corrosion defect depth and radial corrosion rate are the key factors
influencing pipeline failure probability and remaining life. The pipeline
remaining life can be prolonged greatly by reducing mean value of
Fuel and Energy Abstracts September 2009 321
03 Gaseous fuels (transport, storage)
corrosion defect depth and radial corrosion rate. CDF is more
appropriate to characterize the pipeline failure probability compared
to probability density function (PDF) and reliability index.
09/02052 Predictive model of onset of pipe failure due to a
detonation of hydrogenair and hydrocarbonair mixtures
Kim, D. and Yoh, J. J. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 2009,
34, (3), 16131619.
A fuel specific detonation wave in a pipe propagates with a predictable
wave velocity. This internal detonation wave speed determines the level
of flexural wave excitation of pipes and the possibility of resonance
response leading to a serious structural damage. The authors study the
elastic response of metallic tubes and establish the resonance
conditions of pipe breakage for internally loaded pipe structures. The
analytical results are compared to the high strain rate calculation of a
multi-material blast wave analysis using a hydrocode. Various power
industries using hydrogen and hydrocarbon fuels exposed to such
potential hazards may benefit from the findings of this paper.
Economics, business, marketing, policy
09/02053 A distribution planning model for natural gas
supply chain: a case study
Hamedi, M. et al. Energy Policy, 2009, 37, (3), 799812.
In this paper, a real-world case study of a natural gas supply chain is
investigated. By using concepts related to natural gas industry and the
relations among the components of transmission and distribution
network, a six-level supply chain has been introduced and presented
schematically. The defined supply chain is a single-objective, multi-
period, and single-product problem that is formulated as a mixed
integer non-linear programming model, which can easily be linearized.
The objective of this model is to minimize direct or indirect distribution
costs. There are six groups of constraints including capacity, input and
output balancing, demand satisfaction, network flow continuity, and
relative constraints to the required binary variables. The solution
algorithm of the problem is hierarchical; in each step, one section of
the problem is solved using an exact method; the outputs of this section
are passed to the next relative section as inputs. Finally, it is shown that
the problem has been solved in a reasonable time and desirable results
are attained. The use of proposed model and its solution approach
have been studied in two gas trunk lines, to present the priority of its
cost saving.
09/02054 Assessment of potential for natural gas-based
cogeneration in Thailand
Gvozdenac, D. et al. Energy, 2009, 34, (4), 465475.
Using the results of a comprehensive data analysis of final energy
consumption in industry and commercial buildings, the assessment has
been made of the potential for gradual implementation of cogeneration
plants in these facilities. In doing so, plans for the expansion of the
natural gas pipeline distribution network in Thailand are taken into
consideration. The sample comprises of 2540 factories and 1651
commercial buildings from which it was found that 817 factories and
966 commercial buildings were suitable for the implementation of
natural gas-based cogeneration technologies until 2020. By the
implementation of cogeneration in these facilities, it is possible to
save 3.2% of the total primary energy consumption in Thailand in 2003.
09/02055 Epimerisation of menthol stereoisomers: kinetic
studies of the heterogeneously catalysed menthol
production
Etzold, B. et al. Catalysis Today, 2009, 140, (12), 3036.
The heterogeneously catalysed epimerization of neomenthol and
isomenthol is a key step in the synthesis of menthol in the Symrise
process (formerly know as Haarmann & Reimer process). A reaction
model based on the experimentally determined kinetic and thermo-
dynamic parameters was derived for industrial relevant conditions of
150210

C and 0.87.5 MPa hydrogen pressure. Results of experiments

and modelling show a good agreement and thus the derived kinetic
parameters can be used for the optimization of batch slurry processes
as well as of continuous fixed bed processes.
09/02056 Modelling of the change in national exchange rate
model depending on the economic parameters of a natural
gas cogeneration system: Turkey case
Inan, A. et al. Energy Conversion and Management, 2009, 50, (4), 1049
1055.
In this paper, to what extent a co-generation systems fixed and variable
costs and profits are affected from the exchange rate model
implemented in the country is examined. An autoproductor system,
as known, uses a part of its electrical energy production for its own
requirements while selling the remaining energy to the regional energy
corporation. As a function of the load factor and the fuel cost, the
production cost and energy sale income of the system are influenced
much by the exchange rate model of the country. A cost analysis of a
natural gas co-generation (autoproductor) system has been performed
for the numerical application, based on the monetary program
supported by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) commenced in
January 2000. In order to investigate the effect of the change in
exchange rate model (introducing the floating exchange rate model) on
the fuel cost, both the characteristics of the IMF program and some
various forecasting methods have been utilized.
Derived gaseous fuels
09/02057 Autothermal reforming of methane to synthesis
gas: modeling and simulation
Nezhad, M. Z. et al. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 2009,
34, (3), 12921300.
Autothermal reforming (ATR), that is the combination of non-catalytic
partial oxidation and adiabatic steam reforming, is an important
process to produce synthesis gas (syngas) from natural gas. The main
scope of this work is proposing a mathematical model considering an
autothermal reformer consisting of two distinct sections; a combustion
section and a catalytic bed section. In the combustion section,
temperature and composition were predicted using 108 simultaneous
elementary reactions considering 28 species. The results were
considered as initial conditions for the catalytic bed section. A one-
dimensional heterogeneous reactor model was used for kinetic
simulation of the second section. Results of the model were compared
by ATR process published data.
09/02058 Evolution of syngas from cardboard gasification
Ahmed, I. and Gupta, A. K. Applied Energy, 2009, 86, (9), 17321740.
Evolutionary behaviour of syngas characteristics evolved during the
gasification of cardboard has been examined using a batch reactor with
steam as a gasifying agent. Evolutionary behaviour of syngas chemical
composition, mole fractions of hydrogen, CO and CH
4
, as well as H
2
/
CO ratio, LHV (kJ/m
3
), hydrogen flow rate, and percentage of
combustible fuel in the syngas evolved has been examined at different
steam to flow rates with fixed mass of waste cardboard. The effect of
steam to carbon ratio as affect by the steam flow rate on overall syngas
properties has therefore been examined. A new parameter called
coefficient of energy gain has been introduced that provides infor-
mation on the energy gained from the process. This new parameter
elaborates the importance of optimizing the sample residence time in
the reactor.
09/02059 FischerTropsch synthesis: catalyst activation of
low alpha iron catalyst
Luo, M. et al. Catalysis Today, 2009, 140, (34), 127134.
Activation with three different gases (H
2
, CO and synthesis gas) over
an Fe100/K1.4/Si4.6/Cu2.0 catalyst was conducted to investigate the
effects of pretreatment gas on FischerTropsch synthesis (FTS) activity
and selectivity. Catalyst slurry was withdrawn from the reactor at
increasing time intervals of FTS for Mossbauer spectroscopic analysis.
Activation with CO produced the highest syngas conversion while H
2
generated the lowest; syngas activation produced a slightly lower
conversion than CO activation. CO activation transformed the majority
of the iron into -Fe
5
C
2
and Magnetite with only 12% -Fe
2.2
C being
detected. Unlike the CO activated catalyst, the syngas activated iron
catalyst resulted in a lower amount of -Fe
5
C
2
than -Fe
2.2
C. The
initial high (64%) content of -Fe
2.2
C decreased gradually to below
30% while CO conversion decreased from 83% to 55%. During this
period, -Fe
5
C
2
increased from initial 10% to 33%. Magnetite changed
little during the process while the form of carbides interchanged.
Hydrogen activation yielded a low CO conversion of 50% and only 8%
-Fe
5
C
2
and 16% -Fe
2.2
C was formed while Magnetite was as high as
75% after the FTS reaction rate became constant. Although activation
gas type had a significant effect on syngas conversion, hydrogen, syngas
and CO activations produced similar H
2
to CO usage ratio,
hydrocarbon product distribution, olefin fraction, alpha value and
CO
2
selectivity.
09/02060 Syngas yield during pyrolysis and steam
gasification of paper
Ahmed, I. et al. Applied Energy, 2009, 86, (9), 18131821.
Main characteristics of gaseous yield from steam gasification have been
investigated experimentally. Results of steam gasification have been
compared to that of pyrolysis. The temperature range investigated were
6001000

C in steps of 100

C. Results have been obtained under

pyrolysis conditions at same temperatures. For steam gasification runs,
322 Fuel and Energy Abstracts September 2009
03 Gaseous fuels (derived gaseous fuels)
steam flow rate was kept constant at 8.0 g/min. Investigated character-
istics were evolution of syngas flow rate with time, hydrogen flow rate
and chemical composition of syngas, energy yield and apparent thermal
efficiency. Residuals from both processes were quantified and
compared as well. Material destruction, hydrogen yield and energy
yield is better with gasification as compared to pyrolysis. This
advantage of the gasification process is attributed mainly to char
gasification process. Char gasification is found to be more sensitive to
the reactor temperature than pyrolysis. Pyrolysis can start at low
temperatures of 400

C; however char gasification starts at 700

C. A
partial overlap between gasification and pyrolysis exists and is
presented here. This partial overlap increases with increase in
temperature. As an example, at reactor temperature 800

C this
overlap represents around 27% of the char gasification process and
almost 95% at reactor temperature 1000

C.
09/02061 Upgrading of syngas derived from biomass
gasification: a thermodynamic analysis
Haryanto, A. et al. Biomass and Bioenergy, 2009, 33, (5), 882889.
Hydrogen yields in the syngas produced from non-catalytic biomass
gasification are generally low. The hydrogen fraction, however, can be
increased by converting CO, CH
4
, higher hydrocarbons, and tar in a
secondary reactor downstream. This paper discusses thermodynamic
limits of the synthesis gas upgrading process. The method used in this
process is minimization of Gibbs free energy function. The analysis is
performed for temperature ranges from 400 to 1300 K, pressure of 1
10 atm (0.11 MPa), and different carbon to steam ratios. The study
concludes that to get optimum H
2
yields, with negligible CH
4
and coke
formation, upgrading syngas is best practiced at a temperature range of
9001100 K. At these temperatures, H
2
could be possibly increased by
43124% of its generally observed values at the gasifier exit. The
analysis revealed that increasing steam resulted in a positive effect. The
study also concluded that increasing pressure from 1 to 3 atm can be
applied at a temperature >1000 K to further increase H
2
yields.
Hydrogen generation and storage
09/02062 Current status and progress of direct borohydride
fuel cell technology development
Liu, B. H. and Li, Z. P. Journal of Power Sources, 2009, 187, (2), 291
297.
In this review article, recent advances in the development of the direct
borohydride fuel cell (DBFC) technology are reviewed. Based on the
reported results, it is concluded that the BH
4

electro-oxidation is
determined by the catalyst used and BH
4

concentration at the
catalytic sites. Hydrogen evolution during the DBFC operation can be
suppressed by: (1) using a composite catalyst or a hydrogen storage
alloy as the anode catalyst via a quasi 8-electron reaction; (2) using
metals with high hydrogen over-potential, such as Au and Ag as the
anode catalyst via an intrinsic 8-electron reaction; and/or (3) modifying
and optimizing fuel composition. The single cell and stack performance
of DBFC is mainly influenced by the hydrogen evolution, the BH
4

cross-over, and the BH

4

tolerance of cathode catalyst. The develop-

ment of non-platinum cathode catalysts and stacking technology is on
the way. The reported results are encouraging but some problems still
remain to be further investigated and solved.
09/02063 Effects of CeO
2
additive on redox characteristics
of Fe-based mixed oxide mediums for storage and
production of hydrogen
Lee, D. H. et al. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 2009, 34,
(3), 14171422.
Effects of CeO
2
additive to Fe-based mixed oxide mediums with Rh
and ZrO
2
for chemical hydrogen storage were investigated in terms of
stability and reactivity of the mediums in water splitting oxidation with
repeated redox cycles. The mediums with CeO
2
content ranging from 0
to 30 wt% were prepared by co-precipitation method using urea
solution as a precipitant. The hydrogen storage and release properties
were investigated during repeated isothermal redox cycles at 823 K for
reduction with hydrogen and 623 K for oxidation with water vapour
under atmospheric pressure. The amount of hydrogen produced by the
mediums, both with and without CeO
2
, was maintained at an almost
constant level over 10 repeated redox cycles. However, the oxidation
rates of the mediums without CeO
2
were decreased during repeated
redox cycles while that increased with increasing CeO
2
contents.
Especially, the mediums added with 30 wt% of CeO
2
(FRZC-30)
showed high activity and stability for 10 redox cycles, the degree of
hydrogen storage was almost maintained ca. 1.9 wt% on the basis of
total amount of the medium.
09/02064 Electrochemical hydrogen storage properties of
ball-milled multi-wall carbon nanotubes
Wang, Y. et al. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 2009, 34, (3),
14371443.
The structure changes of multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWNTs)
processed by mechanical ball milling and the influence on their
electrochemical hydrogen storage capacities were studied. TEM
micrographs show that MWNTs are shortened and open-ended after
ball milling. The effects of different MWNT type and ball milling time
on the discharging capacity were investigated. Among all the samples
examined, the sample of short MWNTs with diameter of 5 nm and ball
milling time of 12 h has the largest discharge capacity (741.1 mAh/g).
According to the analysis of Raman spectra and nitrogen adsorption
experiments, it can be inferred that the micropore volume, specific
surface area and appropriate defects are crucial to the storage capacity.
In the cyclic voltammograms, the hydrogen desorption peak appears
prior to hydrogen oxidation peak, which is attributed to the slow
reaction of hydrogen oxidation at MWNTs. The results also suggest the
possible existence of the strong chemisorption of hydrogen.
09/02065 Hydrogen rich fuel gas production by gasification
of wet biomass using a CO
2
sorbent
Hu, G. and Huang, H. Biomass and Bioenergy, 2009, 33, (5), 899906.
Hydrogen rich fuel gas production by gasification of wet biomass
accompanied by CO
2
absorption is proposed. The paper addressed this
topic, and experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of the
moisture content (M), the molar ratio of Ca(OH)
2
to carbon in the
biomass ([Ca]/[C]) and the reactor temperature (T) on hydrogen
production and CO
2
absorption by CaO. Measurement of the calcium
compounds in solid residues was carried out with XRD and SEM. The
results show that directly gasifying of wet biomass not only favours
hydrogen production but also promotes CO
2
absorption by CaO. For
the experiment with wet biomass (M=0.90), the H
2
yield is increased
by 51.5% while the CO
2
content is decreased by 28.4% than that for
experiments with dry biomass (M=0.09). CaO plays the dual role of
catalyst and sorbent. It is noteworthy that CaO reveals a stronger effect
on the water gas shift reaction than on the steam reforming of methane.
The increase of the reactor temperature contributes to produce more
H
2
, but goes against CO
2
absorption by CaO. XRD spectrum and SEM
image of the solid residues further confirmed that high temperature is
unfavourable to CO
2
absorption by CaO. For the new method, the
optimal operating temperature is in the 923973 K range.
09/02066 Industrial emergy evaluation for hydrogen
production systems from biomass and natural gas
Feng, X. et al. Applied Energy, 2009, 86, (9), 17671773.
Fossil fuel resources are the main source for hydrogen production, and
hydrogen production by renewable energy, such as biomass, is under
development. To compare the performance in natural resource
utilization for different hydrogen production systems, in this paper,
two laboratorial hydrogen production systems from biomass and one
industrial hydrogen production system from natural gas are analysed by
using industrial emergy evaluation indices. One of the laboratorial
systems is a continuous supercritical water gasification system from
glucose, and the other is a batch supercritical water gasification system
from sawdust. The industrial system adopts American Brown technol-
ogy. The evaluation results show that although the industrial emergy
efficiency (IEE) of the industrial system from natural gas is higher than
that of the laboratorial systems from biomass, the industrial emergy
index of sustainability (IEIS) of the two laboratorial systems are higher
than that of the industrial system. To make the laboratorial biomass
system become an industrial system, the system should improve its
yield, and reduce its capital investment.
09/02067 New insights into the mechanism of H
2
generation through NaBH
4
hydrolysis on Co-based
nanocatalysts studied by differential reaction calorimetry
Garron, A. et al. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 2009, 34,
(3), 11851199.
This study is believed to be the first investigation by liquid-phase
calorimetry of the mechanism of hydrogen generation by hydrolysis of
sodium borohydride catalysed by Co
2
B nanoparticles generated in situ.
The differential reaction calorimeter was coupled with a volumetric
hydrogen measurement, allowing a simultaneous thermodynamic and
kinetic study of the reaction. At the end of the reaction, the catalyst
was characterized ex situ by TEM, XRD, magnetism, N
2
adsorption,
TGADTA, and the liquid hydrolysis products were analysed by Wet-
STEM and
11
B-NMR. The in situ preparation method made it possible
to form nanoparticles (<12 nm) of Co
2
B which are the active phase for
the hydrolysis reaction. In semi-batch conditions, the Co
2
B catalyst
formed in situ is subsequently reduced by each borohydride addition
and oxidized at the end of the hydrolysis reaction by OH

in the
presence of metaborate. A coating of the nanoparticles has been
Fuel and Energy Abstracts September 2009 323
03 Gaseous fuels (hydrogen generation and storage)
observed by calorimetry and physico-chemical characterization, corre-
sponding to the formation of a 23 nm layer of cobalt oxide or
hydroxide species.
09/02068 Photofermentative hydrogen production using
purple non-sulfur bacteria Rhodobacter sphaeroides
O.U.001 in an annular photobioreactor: a case study
Basak, N. and Das, D. Biomass and Bioenergy, 2009, 33, (67), 911919.
For meeting the increasing demand of energy, biohydrogen production
is to be considered in higher yield. Biohydrogen can be produced both
by dark and photofermentative process. In this study, the photo-
fermentative pathway is followed by using dl malic acid (IUPAC name:
2-hydroxybutanedioic acid, molecular weight: 134.08744 g mol
1
,
molecular formula: C
4
H
6
O
5
) as carbon source. Pure strain of purple
non-sulfur (PNS) bacteria: Rhodobacter sphaeroides strain O.U.001 was
studied to produce biohydrogen using the photobioreactor. The
photobioreactor was constructed aiming the uniform light distribution.
The objective of this study was to investigate the performance of 1 L
annular photobioreactor operating in indoor conditions. The highest
rate of hydrogen production was obtained at 92 h. In the designed
photobioreactor, using Rhodobacter sphaeroides strain O.U.001 (initial
dl malic acid concentration of 2.01 g L
1
) at an initial pH of 6.8 0.2,
temperature 32 2

C, inoculum volume 10% (v/v), inoculum age of

48 h, 250 rpm (rotation per minute) stirring and light intensity of
15 1.1 Wm
2
, the average H
2
production rate was about 6.5 0.1 mL
H
2
h
1
L
1
media and yield 4.5 0.05 mol of H
2
mol
1
of dl malic acid.
LuedekingPiret model was applied for the data fitting to determine the
relationship between the cell growth and photofermentative hydrogen
production. The photofermentative hydrogen production by this PNS
bacterium was found to be microbial mixed growth associated function.
09/02069 Preparation of stable CdS nanoparticles in
aqueous medium and their hydrogen generation efficiencies
in photolysis of water
Girginer, B. et al. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 2009, 34,
(3), 11761184.
Diallyl dimethyl ammonium chloride (DADMAC)-N-vinyl-2-pyrrol-
idinone (NVP) copolymers were demonstrated to provide excellent
stabilities for in situ generated CdS nanoparticles in aqueous medium.
Nearly transparent and stable CdS dispersions (up to 0.1 M concen-
trations) were produced in 1% copolymer solutions. Experiments
showed that, increasing DADMAC content induces greater stabiliz-
ation. UV-visible spectroscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy, X-ray
diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were
used for characterization of the stable nanoparticles. TEM images
showed snake-like alignment of nonspherical CdS nanoparticles with
5070 nm of size, due to template effect of the cationically charged
polymer. The CdS nanoparticles in aqueous medium showed reason-
ably high catalytic activities in photolysis of water, as inferred from
hydrogen evolution measurements carried out in the absence and
presence of noble metals, Pd and Pt. The highest hydrogen evolution
rate (5.6 mL per gram of CdS in min) was detected in the presence of Pt
metal, while illuminating with mercury lamp (160 W).
04 BY-PRODUCTS RELATED
TO FUELS
09/02070 An activated carbon monolith as an electrode
material for supercapacitors
Ruiz, V. et al. Carbon, 2009, 47, (1), 195200.
Activated carbon binderless monoliths with high consistency and large
porosity, synthesized from a mesophase pitch, are studied as electrodes
for supercapacitors. The electrochemical cells prepared provided high
capacitance values in sulfuric acid media (334 Fg
1
) and very low
electrical resistivity, which results in a very efficient energy storage
device (12 Wh kg
1
maximum energy density and 12,000 Wkg
1
maximum power density). Long-term cycling experiments showed
excellent stability with a reduction of the initial capacitance values of
19% after performing 23,000 galvanostatic cycles at $300 mAg
1
.
09/02071 An experimental investigation on liquefaction
potential and post-liquefaction shear strength of impounded
fly ash
Zand, B. et al. Fuel, 2009, 88, (7), 11601166.
Liquefaction resistance and post-liquefaction shear strength of
impounded Class F fly ash are investigated using laboratory exper-
iments. The study was aimed to evaluate liquefaction potential of a
45 ha impoundment proposed as a base for a utility monofill. The
evaluation included cyclic triaxial tests performed on reconstituted fly
ash specimens with various densities at different confining stresses and
cyclic stress ratios representative of the impounded material and the
seismic environment. The results are presented in the form of design
charts. Post-liquefaction strengths were measured by reconsolidating
the specimens at the initial effective confining stress and performing
consolidated undrained triaxial tests. The measured cyclic strength was
compared with the seismically induced stresses in the profile using a
one-dimensional wave propagation method. The cyclic loadings
imposed on the ash by the design earthquakes were found to be lower
than the measured cyclic strength of the material. The post liquefaction
shear strengths showed some scatter; however, they were typically
higher than the initial shear strengths before exposure of the material
to cyclic load.
09/02072 Effects of Lewis number and preferential
diffusion on flame characteristics in 80%H
2
/20%CO syngas
counterflow diffusion flames diluted with He and Ar
Park, J. et al. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 2009, 34, (3),
15781584.
Numerical study is conducted to grasp flame characteristics in H
2
/CO
syngas counterflow diffusion flames diluted with He and Ar. An
effective fuel Lewis number, applicable to premixed burning regime
and even to moderately stretched diffusion flames, is suggested
through the comparison among fuel Lewis number, effective Lewis
number, and effective fuel Lewis number. Flame characteristics with
and without the suppression of the diffusivities of H, H
2
, and He are
compared in order to clarify the important role of preferential diffusion
effects through them. It is found that the scarcity of H and He in
reaction zone increases flame temperature whereas that of H
2
deteriorates flame temperature. Impact of preferential diffusion of
H, H
2
, and He in flame characteristics is also addressed to reaction
pathways for the purpose of displaying chemical effects.
09/02073 Experimental investigation of high-temperature
coal tar upgrading in supercritical water
Han, L. et al. Fuel Processing Technology, 2009, 90, (2), 292300.
The upgrading of high-temperature coal tar in supercritical water
(SCW) was investigated using an autoclave reactor. The effects of
temperature (673753 K), pressure (2438 MPa) and residence time
(180 min) on product distribution were studied. The yields and
characteristics of products in SCW were compared with those obtained
in N
2
. In order to study the reaction mechanism of coal tar upgrading,
the experiments of model compounds were carried out in SCW at 673 K
and 34 MPa for 20 min. The results indicate that the asphaltene
conversion and the maltene yield are significantly higher in SCW. The
H/C atom ratios of oil obtained in SCW are higher than those obtained
in N
2
. More valuable aromatic compounds such as naphthalene,
fluorene and anthracene are obtained in SCW. The results of model
compounds suggest that water in SCW could participate in coal tar
upgrading and promote the formation of light products.
09/02074 First principles study of the structure and
stability of carbynes
Luo, W. and Windl, W. Carbon, 2009, 47, (2), 367383.
Possible structures for carbynes are investigated by a first principles
study and their free energy as a function of temperature and pressure is
examined. A possible model combining elements from previous models
is proposed for carbyne structures. Simulations show that structures
can be constructed which agree well with results previously proposed in
characterization work. The free energy of carbynes is calculated within
wide ranges of temperature and pressure (10004000 K and 018 GPa)
for 12 different structures. Results indicate that it is higher than the
free energy of graphite in the whole studied region. Therefore, it seems
that carbon-only carbynes are meta-stable structures. Introducing
additional elements to stabilize the carbyne structures is discussed.
The calculations confirm that a solid consisting of carbyne chains can
be stabilized by three CH
3
end groups.
09/02075 Leaching of elements from coal fly ash:
assessment of its potential for use in filling abandoned
coal mines
Dutta, B. K. et al. Fuel, 2009, 88, (7), 13141323.
Leaching of 10 elements namely, Fe, Mn, Ca, Na, K, Cu, Cr, Zn, As
and Pb from four fly ash samples collected from four different coal-
fired thermal power plants in West Bengal, India, has been reported.
The leaching conditions were selected to broadly simulate that of
surface coal mines in order to estimate the usefulness of the materials
for back-filling of abandoned mines and to assess the possibility of
contamination of the sites by release of heavy metal ions. Sequential
batch leaching consisted of four cycles each of seven days duration; the
long-term leaching continued over a period of 180 days. The starting
pH of the leaching solutions ranged from strongly acidic to strongly
basic. The leaching pattern and its dependence on the pH as well as the
solidliquid ratio have been critically analysed. A much higher mobility
of the elements have been expectedly observed at a low pH. Less
324 Fuel and Energy Abstracts September 2009
04 By-products related to fuels
leaching is found at a high pH except for arsenic. The mobilization
pattern is strongly governed by the well-known phenomenon of
dissolution and re-precipitation of iron with co-precipitation of a
series of elements depending upon the pH of the medium. Extraction
equilibrium was reached for Ca, Fe, Na and Zn at certain pH values. A
monotonic trend of release for the elements Mn, K, Cu, Pb, Cr and As
persisted over the long-term leaching period of 180 days. The alkalinity
or the calcium content of an ash sample greatly determines the leaching
pattern if the solution pH is neutral or mildly acidic. It appears that the
risk pollution of ground water as well as of surface water may not be
avoidable if fly ash alone is used for mine back-filling in an
environment where acid mine drainage is prominent. Nevertheless
blending with lime to enhance the alkalinity appears to offer a practical
solution to the problem.
09/02076 Mathematical model of the sorption phenomenon
of methanol in activated coal
Cortes, F. B. et al. Energy Conversion and Management, 2009, 50, (5),
12951303.
A transient model of a sorption refrigerator using activated carbon/
methanol pair is presented. It is a non-uniform pressure model
conformed by the mass, energy and momentum balance equations in
cylindrical coordinates, for the activated coal bed contained in the
adsorber. The results obtained from the simulation were suitably
validated by the experimental information obtained from field test data
and from data reported in the literature, presenting errors below 1.6%
for each cycle step. The model allows to get data of temperature,
pressure, density and gas velocity profiles in radial direction, as well as
the solid temperature and the quantity of adsorbed methanol in the
activated carbon bed in adsorption/evaporation and desorption/
condensation steps.
09/02077 Oxidation behavior of metallic interconnects for
SOFC in coal syngas
Li, Y. et al. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 2009, 34, (3),
14891496.
Crofer 22 and Haynes 230 alloys, which are candidates for solid oxide
fuel cell (SOFC) interconnects, were exposed at 800

C to a simulated
coal syngas (29.1CO + 28.5H
2
+ 11.8CO
2
+ 27.6H
2
O + 2.1N
2
+
0.01CH
4
) and air. The samples were characterized by SEM/EDS, XRD
and ASR. Results indicated that the compositions of the oxide scales in
syngas and in air were similar. For Crofer 22, scales formed in both air
and coal syngas were composed of (Cr,Fe)
2
O
3
, MnCr compounds and
Fe
3
O
4
. For Haynes 230 the main composition was Cr
2
O
3
. However, it
was found that the morphologies of the scales formed in coal syngas
were different from those formed in air. Besides, the cross section
element distributions of oxide scales formed on Crofer 22 were
disparate. In addition, the ASR values of the oxide scales formed in
coal syngas and in air were similar at 800

C but the activation energies

for electronic conduction of the oxide scales formed in coal syngas were
higher.
09/02078 Preparation of polystyrene-based activated
carbon spheres with high surface area and their adsorption
to dibenzothiophene
Wang, Q. et al. Fuel Processing Technology, 2009, 90, (3), 381387.
Polystyrene-based activated carbon spheres (PACS
K
) with high surface
area were prepared through KOH activation. Effects of the carboniz-
ation temperature and the ratio of KOH to carbon spheres (CS) on the
textural structure, hardness and yield of the resultant PACS
K
were
studied, and their adsorption to dibenzothiophene (DBT) were
investigated. The as-prepared PACS
K
exhibited a high surface area
(up to 2022 m
2
/g), large total pore volume (!0.78 cm
3
/g), superior
mechanical hardness and high adsorption capacity (ca. 153 mg/g). With
the increase of the KOH/CS ratio from 2:1 to 4:1, the surface area, total
pore volume, volume of micropores, and volume of mesopores,
increase, whereas the volume of small-micropores (<0.8 nm) decreases
from 0.36 to 0.31 cm
3
/g. The adsorption capacity has a good linear
correlation with the volume of small-micropores rather than the
surface area. In addition, the large quantity of acidic oxygen-containing
groups of PACS
K
may also be responsible for their higher adsorption
capacity and selectivity of DBT. The PACS
K
saturated by DBT can be
regenerated by a washing process in a shaking bath or using ultrasonic
with toluene at 80

C.
09/02079 Torsional instability of carbon nanotubes
encapsulating C60 fullerenes
Wang, Q. Carbon, 2009, 47, (2), 507512.
The torsional instability of a single-walled carbon nanotube containing
C60 fullerenes is investigated using molecular dynamics. A newly
revealed observation of a reduction of the shear stiffness of the carbon
nanotube filled with C60 fullerenes during torsion shows an unusual
local buckling nature of the material instead of a global buckling of an
unfilled carbon nanotube at a critical torsional angle. Such local
buckling largely increases the critical torsional angle for the instability
of the material, and hence enhances its stability. Simulations show that
the local buckling of the material is a result of the van der Waals
interaction between the nanotube and the encapsulated C60 fullerenes.
09/02080 Waste stabilization/solidification of an electric
arc furnace dust using fly ash-based geopolymers
Pereira, C. F. et al. Fuel, 2009, 88, (7), 11851193.
The stabilization/solidification (S/S) of a carbon steel electric arc
furnace (EAF) dust containing hazardous metals such as Pb, Cd, Cr or
Zn using geopolymerization technology is described in this paper.
Different reagents such as sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide,
sodium silicate, potassium silicate, kaolinite, metakaolinite and blast
furnace slag have been used. Mixtures of EAF waste with these
geopolymeric materials and class F fly ash have been processed for
studying the potential of geopolymers as waste immobilizing agents.
Compressive strength tests and leaching tests for determining the
efficiency of heavy metal immobilization have been carried out.
Comparison of fly ash-based geopolymer systems with classic Portland
cement stabilization methods has also been accomplished. Compressive
strength values far better than those achieved by hydraulic S/S methods
were easily obtained by geopolymer solids at 28 days. Regarding
leachability, the geopolymer S/S solids also manifested in general a
better behaviour, showing very promising results.
05 NUCLEAR FUELS
Scientific, technical
09/02081 Effects of loading on the dynamics of a low
enriched uranium fueled material test research reactor
Muhammad, F. and Majid, A. Progress in Nuclear Energy, 2009, 51, (2),
339346.
The effects of using high density low enriched uranium on the dynamics
of a material test research reactor were studied. For this purpose, the
low density LEU fuel of a material test research reactor (MTR) was
replaced with high density LEU fuels currently being developed under
the RERTR program. Since the alloying elements have different
properties affecting the reactor in different ways, fuels UMo (9w/o)
which contain the same elements in same ratio were selected for
analysis. Simulations were carried out to determine the reactor
performance under reactivity insertion and loss of flow transients.
Nuclear reactor analysis code PARET was employed to carry out these
calculations. It is observed that during the fast reactivity insertion
transient, the maximum reactor power is achieved and the energy
released until the power reaches its maximum increases by 45% and
18.5%, respectively, as uranium density increases from 6.57 gU/cm
3
to
8.90 gU/cm
3
. This results in increased maximum temperatures of fuel,
clad and coolant outlet, achieved during the transient, by 27.7 K, 19.7 K
and 7.9 K, respectively. The time required to reach the peak power
decreases. During the slow reactivity insertion transient, the maximum
reactor power achieved increases slightly by 0.3% as uranium density
increases from 6.57 gU/cm
3
to 8.90 gU/cm
3
but the energy generated
until the power reaches its maximum decreases by 5.7%. The
temperatures of fuel, clad and coolant outlet remain almost the same
for all types of fuels. During the loss of flow transients, no appreciable
difference in the power and temperature profiles was observed and the
graph plots overlapped each other.
09/02082 Fuel cycle analysis of GFR using advanced fuels
Foley, R. Q. and Knight, T. W. Progress in Nuclear Energy, 2009, 51,
(1), 109123.
The potential benefits of a synergistic light-water reactor (LWR) and
gas-cooled fast reactor (GFR) fuel cycle were evaluated for its impact
on the front-end and back-end of the fuel cycle. Comparisons were
made with conventional once-through cycle (OTC) and MOX fuel
cycle. Variations in the synergistic LWR/GFR fuel cycles were based
on the degree of recycle in the LWR including both plutonium and
reprocessed uranium with concomitant impact on used LWR fuel
inventory. This provided a wide range in composition of GFR feed
from low to high plutonium content with impact on transmutation/
incineration within the GFR fuel cycle. Self-recycle of all actinides was
modelled for the GFR with analyses demonstrating that the GFR can
be sustained on and consequently accept a wide range of feed
materials. Analyses were done using Monteburns along with MCNP
and Origen2.2 to model a 60-year period corresponding to the
anticipated lifetime of supposed contemporary LWRs and GFRs. All
cycles were evaluated based on actinide total mass and isotopic
Fuel and Energy Abstracts September 2009 325
05 Nuclear fuels (scientific, technical)
inventory, radiotoxicity, heatload, and resource requirements including
natural uranium and SWU. For comparison, all fuel cycles were
normalized based on 1 TWHe output. Improvements in fuel cycle
performance are dictated by the production and incineration of minor
actinides in the GFR and their continued recycle may not be feasible
due to the buildup of troublesome isotopes such as
244
Cm and
252
Cf.
But where uranium and plutonium continue to be recycled beyond the
60-year period, the LWR/GFR cycles demonstrated order of magni-
tude reductions in used fuel inventories, heatload, and radiotoxicity on
a per TWHe basis over LWR only cycles. The full details of the
advanced fuel cycle methodology and results are presented.
09/02083 Kinetic parameters of a material test research
reactor fueled with high density U
3
Si
2
dispersion fuels
Muhammad, F. and Majid, A. Progress in Nuclear Energy, 2009, 51, (1),
141145.
The kinetic parameters of a material test research reactor (MTR)
fuelled with high density U
3
Si
2
dispersion fuels were calculated. For
this purpose, the low density LEU fuel of an MTR was replaced with
high density U
3
Si
2
LEU fuels currently being developed under the
RERTR program. Calculations were carried out to find the core excess
reactivity, prompt neutron generation time and effective delayed
neutron fraction. Nuclear reactor analysis codes including WIMS-D4
and CITATION were employed to carry out these calculations. It is
observed that the excess reactivity (k/k), prompt neutron generation
time (ms) and effective delayed neutron fraction at the beginning of life
followed the relationships 0.05403 +0.00286,
U
(0.92958/,
U
2
), 10
6
/
(922.338 +5268.82/,
U
70.863/,
U
2
and (7.21657.23810
3
,
U
)/1000,
respectively, for 4.0 ,
U
(g/cm
3
) 6.0.
09/02084 Methods for determining operation life and
reactivity depletion for space reactors with fast energy
spectra
Schriener, T. M. and El-Genk, M. S. Progress in Nuclear Energy, 2009,
51, (2), 366373.
Space reactors with fast neutron energy spectrums are preferred for
their compactness and high fission power density, but require a high
fissile inventory. The operation life estimates of these reactors are
important to mission planning. This paper examines a number of fuel
depletion and neutronics code packages for determining the operation
lives of two space reactors with hard fast neutron energy spectra. These
are: the lithium-cooled, Sectored, Compact Reactor (SCoRe-S
11
), and
the submersion subcritical safe space reactor, cooled with a HeXe
binary gas mixture (40 g/mol). This work investigated the code
packages of Monteburns 2.0, MCNPX 2.6C and TRITON and
validated their prediction with fuel depletion data for a PWR fuel
bundle, with satisfactory results. The operation life predictions of the
two space reactors using these code packages are compared with those
calculated using a simplified method that couples MCNP5 to a burnup
analysis model using the Simulink
1
platform. This method considers
only the 10 most probable low-Z and high-Z elements of the fission
yield peaks plus
149
Sm, and neglects the depletion of fission products
due to capture and radioactive decay. The simplified method requires
significantly shorter running time and its predictions of the operation
lives for the two space reactors are within 0.2912.5% of those obtained
using Monteburns 2.0 and MCNPX 2.6C code packages. This method,
however, is not recommended for operation life predictions for space
or commercial reactors with thermal neutron spectrums.
09/02085 Microporosity of carbon deposits collected in the
Tore Supra tokamak probed by nitrogen and carbon dioxide
adsorption
Richou, M. et al. Carbon, 2009, 47, (1), 109116.
Nitrogen and carbon dioxide adsorption experiments have been used to
investigate the porosity of carbon deposits formed in the Tore Supra
tokamak as a consequence of the erosion of the plasma-facing
components. The authors compared BET, c
s
-, and DubininRaduske-
vich methods to distinguish between micropore volume ($0.04 cm
3
g
1
)
and external surface ($90 m
2
g
1
). Consistent results have been
obtained for nitrogen and carbon dioxide, and the smallest pores are
shown to be reversibly closed and opened under air exposure and
outgassing at 600

C, respectively, probably due to blocking of pore

entrances by surface oxides. Pore size distribution is calculated using
the non-local density functional theory: a novel and straightforward
method is used to fit the experimental isotherms by Lorentzian
distributions of pores centred in some relevant pore size regions. The
tokamak sample micropores are therefore shown to be mainly ultra-
micropores ($75%) whose widths are centred at 0.6 nm. This latter
result is in good qualitative agreement with the outgassing effect and in
good quantitative agreement with what is deduced from c
s
-plot.
09/02086 Particle swarm optimization applied to the
nuclear reload problem of a pressurized water reactor
de Moura Meneses, A. A. et al. Progress in Nuclear Energy, 2009, 51,
(2), 319326.
The concept of swarm intelligence is based on the ability of individuals
to learn with their own experience in a group as well as to take
advantage of the performance of other individuals, which are social
collaborative aspects of intelligence. In 1995, Kennedy and Eberhart
presented the particle swarm optimization (PSO), a computational
intelligence metaheuristic technique. Since then, some PSO models for
discrete search spaces have been developed for combinatorial
optimization, although none of them presented satisfactory results to
optimize a combinatorial problem such as the nuclear reactor reload
problem (NRRP). In this sense, the particle swarm optimization with
random keys (PSORK) was developed to optimize combinatorial
problems. PSORK has been tested for benchmarks to validate its
performance and to be compared to other techniques such as ant
systems and genetic algorithms, and in order to analyse parameters to
be applied to the NRRP. The authors also describe and discuss its
performance and applications to the NRRP with a survey of the
research and development of techniques to optimize the reloading
operation of Angra 1 nuclear power plant, located at the Southeast of
Brazil.
Economics, policy, supplies, forecasts
09/02087 Disposal concept for LILW in Korea:
characterization methodology and the disposal priority
Ahn, M. H. et al. Progress in Nuclear Energy, 2009, 51, (2), 327333.
Since 1977 the Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power Co. has generated
about 67,000 drums (200 L) of low and intermediate level radioactive
waste (LILW) and the drums are stored in the temporary storage
facility at each reactor site. The accumulated dry active waste (DAW)
amounts to around 36,600 drums. There are around 19,000 drums with
evaporator bottoms, 9700 drums of spent resin, and 1600 drums of
spent filters. This study proposes four mandatory items with regard to
the radioactive characterization of LILW: namely, the total activity,
surface dose, individual activity, and surface contamination. The
required contents of the physical characterization include the weight
(density), voidage, free liquid, and homogeneity. For the chemical
characterization, the required contents include leachability, corrosive-
ness, explosiveness, and chelation. Finally, the compressive strength
and integrity of drums are requested for the mechanical characteriz-
ation. To determine the disposal priority of LILW in the Republic of
Korea, the authors considered two main factors, namely, the waste
management situation in Korea and overseas case studies. After
considering those factors, the authors established a disposal priority for
the LILW: (1) concentrated waste solidified with the cement and low
radioactive DAW, the characterization of which can be readily
identified in detail; (2) spent resin solidified with cement; (3) spent
filters; (4) highly radioactive DAW, the characterization of which is
well documented; and (5) waste that needs to be researched further,
including spent resin in PE-HIC, evaporator bottoms and concentrated
waste solidified with paraffin, and DAW that contains some harmful
materials.
09/02088 Influence of evaluated data of fission product
poisons on criticality
Ahmad, A. et al. Progress in Nuclear Energy, 2009, 51, (2), 334338.
The main objective of this research is to study the influence of cross-
section differences of fission product poisons among various newly
released evaluated cross-section libraries ENDFB-VI.8, JENDL3.2,
JEF2.2, IAEA, ENDFB-VII and JEFF3.1 on criticality of an MTR type
research reactor. The effect of cross-sections of poisons on the
reactivity was studied with the help of WIMSD and CITATION codes.
Various cross-section libraries were used in SARC (System for
Analysis of Reactor Core) code for the fuel cycle analysis. It was
found that the negative reactivity induced due to
135
Xe for the
equilibrium core is around 36.00 mk whereas for
149
Sm it ranges from
6.65 to 7.06 mk. The three libraries (JENDL3.2, IAEA and ENDFB-
VII) resulted in small increase in the Xenon worth as compared to the
other three libraries. For Samarium, JEFF3.1 gives the highest worth
whereas ENDFB-VI.8 gives the least worth among the six libraries.
09/02089 Local power peaking factor estimation in nuclear
fuel by artificial neural networks
Montes, J. L. et al. Annals of Nuclear Energy, 2009, 36, (1), 121130.
This paper presents the training of an artificial neural network (ANN)
to accurately predict, in very short time, a physical parameter used in
nuclear fuel reactor optimization: the local power peaking factor
(LPPF) in a typical boiling water reactor (BWR) fuel lattice. The ANN
training patterns are distribution of fissile and burnable poison
materials in the fuel lattice and their associated LPPF. These data
were obtained by modelling the fuel lattices with a neutronic simulator:
the HELIOS transport code. The combination of the pin U
235
326 Fuel and Energy Abstracts September 2009
05 Nuclear fuels (economics, policy, supplies, forecasts)
enrichment and the Gd
2
O
3
(gadolinia) concentration, inside the
10 10 fuel lattice array, was encoded by three different methods.
However, the only encoding method that was able to give a good
prediction of the LPPF was the method which added the U
235
enrichment and the gadolinia concentration. The results show that
the relative error in the estimation of the LPPF, obtained by the
trained ANN, ranged from 0.022% to 0.045%, with respect to the
HELIOS results.
09/02090 Recent advances in nuclear power: a review
Abu-Khader, M. M. Progress in Nuclear Energy, 2009, 51, (2), 225235.
The rise in oil prices and the increased concern about environmental
protection from CO
2
emissions have promoted the attention to the use
of nuclear power as a viable energy source for power generation. This
review presents the recent advances in the field of nuclear power and
addresses the aspects of nuclear economics, safety, nuclear reactor
design and spent fuel processing and waste management.
09/02091 Recycling scheme and fuel cycle costs for twin
BWRs reactors
Ram rez, J. R. et al. Progress in Nuclear Energy, 2009, 51, (2), 303306.
To access possible economic advantages of reprocessing and recycling
the spent fuel from nuclear power reactors against a once through
policy, a proposed scenario for twin BWRs was established. Calcu-
lations for the amount of fuel that the plants will use and generate
during 40 years of operation under each scenario were made. An
evaluation of costs for each option applying current prices for uranium
and services were then carried out. Finally a comparison between the
options was made, and it was found that the recycling option is more
expensive than the once through cycle by about 4%.
09/02092 Studies on the overall safety aspects during
irradiation of TeO
2
in the central thimble of the TRIGA
research reactor
Huda, M. Q. et al. Annals of Nuclear Energy, 2009, 36, (2), 199212.
This study provides a detailed safety analysis of overall system and
components in terms of their ability to provide optimum output from
the irradiation of TeO
2
in the central thimble of the 3 MW TRIGA
MARK II research reactor at Atomic Energy Research Establishment
(AERE), Savar, Dhaka, Bangladesh. The research identifies safety
issues relevant to
131
I radioisotope production and ensures that safety
analysis and design are consistent. It also evaluates threats developed
within the facility during the irradiation process and ultimately ensures
establishment of in-core safety limits and conditions at all stages of
131
I
production. In-core irradiation safety not only ensures the safe
operation of the reactor but also strengthens the production of
radioisotopes (RI). The three-dimensional continuous energy Monte
Carlo code MCNP is used to develop a versatile and accurate full-core
model of the TRIGA core. The cross-section library and fission
product inventory are generated by using NJOY and ORIGEN
computer codes. The methodology to evaluate heat generation and
other relevant parameters necessary to provide enough information for
thermal hydraulic analysis are discussed. The neutron flux distribution
inside the dry and water filled central thimble is determined in order to
locate the highest neutron flux trapping position. The thermal
hydraulic and safety analysis are performed by elaborate numerical
analysis as well as by using GENGTC computer code. A mock-up
facility has also been developed to supplement and verify the
theoretically predicted results. The total energy generated during
irradiation of 50 gm TeO
2
sample in dry condition is found to be
113.84 w of which 75% energy is due to neutron heating and rest of the
amount is from gamma heating. Around 11.28 w of heat energy is also
generated in the quartz vial. When the total generated-heat transfer is
considered through conduction and radiation mechanisms, the calcu-
lated temperature of 50 g of TeO
2
reaches at 970

C. Considering
simultaneous heat transfer mechanisms, (conduction, radiation and
convection) the calculated maximum temperature of the 50 g of TeO
2
powder comes down at 680

C. It may be pointed out that a very high

amount of heat is generated during the irradiation of TeO
2
at 3 MW
reactor power in dry condition which is nearly the melting point of
TeO
2
and may be termed as unsafe mode of irradiation.
09/02093 Virtual environments simulation for dose
assessment in nuclear plants
Mol, A. C. A. et al. Progress in Nuclear Energy, 2009, 51, (2), 382387.
This work reports results obtained with the use of a game engine as a
tool to create and to navigate in virtual environments, to perform
simulations and training of workers in risky areas, for safety purposes.
The game engine used can be used for non-commercial and
educational purposes, and its source code is available for users. Thus,
the engine can be modified and adapted for the modelling and
simulation of any environment, including the development of new
functionalities. A case study is shown, which has the purpose of
supporting dose assessment in nuclear plants, for optimization of
operational routines in these areas. The implemented modifications
are explained, and simulations results are shown.
06 ELECTRICAL POWER
SUPPLY AND
UTILIZATION
Scientific, technical
09/02094 A multi-objective chaotic particle swarm
optimization for environmental/economic dispatch
Cai, J. et al. Energy Conversion and Management, 2009, 50, (5), 1318
1325.
A multi-objective chaotic particle swarm optimization (MOCPSO)
method has been developed to solve the environmental/economic
dipatch (EED) problems considering both economic and environmen-
tal issues. The proposed MOCPSO method has been applied in two test
power systems. Compared with the conventional multi-objective
particle swarm optimization (MOPSO) method, for the compromising
minimum fuel cost and emission case, the fuel cost and pollutant
emission obtained from MOCPSO method can be reduced about
50.08 $/h and 2.95 kg/h, respectively, in test system 1, about 0.02 $/h and
1.11 kg/h, respectively, in test system 2. The MOCPSO method also
results in higher quality solutions for the minimum fuel cost case and
the minimum emission case in both of the test power systems. Hence,
MOCPSO method can result in great environmental and economic
effects. For EED problems, the MOCPSO method is more feasible and
more effective alternative approach than the conventional MOPSO
method.
09/02095 A novel meta-heuristic optimization methodology
for solving various types of economic dispatch problem
Fesanghary, M. and Ardehali, M. M. Energy, 2009, 34, (6), 757766.
The increasing costs of fuel and operation of thermal power generating
units warrant development of optimization methodologies for econ-
omic dispatch (ED) problems. Optimization methodologies that are
based on meta-heuristic procedures could assist power generation
policy analysts to achieve the goal of minimizing the generation costs.
In this context, the objective of this study is to present a novel approach
based on harmony search (HS) algorithm for solving ED problems,
aiming to provide a practical alternative for conventional methods. To
demonstrate the efficiency and applicability of the proposed method
and for the purposes of comparison, various types of ED problems are
examined. The results of this study show that the new proposed
approach is able to find more economical loads than those determined
by other methods.
09/02096 Application of capacitive energy storage for
transient performance improvement of power system
Mukherjee, V. and Ghoshal, S. P. Electric Power Systems Research,
2009, 79, (2), 282294.
In this paper, a comparative transient performance of two types of
single machine power system is analysed. The two types of system
configurations are, namely, (i) automatic voltage regulator (AVR) loop
with single input conventional power system stabilizer (CPSS)
combined with automatic generation control (AGC) loop, (ii) AVR
with CPSS combined with capacitive energy storage (CES) unit-based
AGC loop. For AGC loop both thermal unit and hydro unit are
individually considered. The thermal unit is considered with either
single or double stage reheat turbine, hydro unit is considered with
mechanical or electric governor. Integral controller is provided in the
AGC loop. It is shown that the CES-based integral controlled AGC
loop along with CPSS assists in the best transient performance of the
power system in all cases under different operating conditions.
Parameters of the CPSS installed in AVR loop, gains of the integral
controller in AGC loop are optimized with the help of a novel particle
swarm optimization, developed by the authors, called as craziness-
based particle swarm optimization (CRPSO). Transient performance is
carried out with 1% step perturbation in either reference voltage or
load torque.
Fuel and Energy Abstracts September 2009 327
06 Electrical power supply and utilization (scientific, technical)
09/02097 Characteristics of the magnetic field under hybrid
ac/dc high voltage transmission lines
Ismail, H. M. Electric Power Systems Research, 2009, 79, (1), 17.
In recent years, the possibility for ac and dc transmission lines running
parallel to each other, sharing the same right-of-way (ROW) or even
the same-tower has increased. Design of such hybrid ac/dc networks
requires a precise calculation of the magnetic field around and under
them. This paper presents quantitative analysis of the magnetic field at
1-m height above ground surface for different hybrid ac/dc trans-
mission lines. Lateral profiles for typical 275, 132 (running in Kuwait),
500, 220 and 132 kV (running in Egypt) ac transmission lines after
adding bipolar dc lines are presented. The magnetic vector potential
concept, as extended to multi-conductor transmission lines employing
the superposition principle is used to model and calculate the RMS
values of the magnetic field generated by the hybrid ac/dc lines at any
point in the space. The RMS values of the field are determined directly
without dividing the ac supply cycle into a sufficient number of
subintervals. The presented graphs are useful for setting the maximum
allowable ac and dc line current magnitudes, for existing lines,
corresponding to a certain safe level of the magnetic field at the edge
of right-of-way.
09/02098 Classification of sags gathered in distribution
substations based on multiway principal component
analysis
Khosravi, A. et al. Electric Power Systems Research, 2009, 79, (1), 144
151.
Voltage sags, whether they occur in transmission or distribution
systems, may severely damage the loads connected to the power
system. As these problems could cost a great deal financially, electric
utilities are very interested in finding the origins of sags, that is,
whether they have been originated in the transmission network (high
voltage, HV) or in the distribution system (medium voltage, MV). In
addition to the needs of utilities and regulators, many researchers have
been prompted to develop reliable methods to properly classify sags.
Several of these methods, based on classifying meaningful features
extracted from data and waveforms, have been proposed in the
literature. Unlike those methods, though, a systematic transformation
of data is proposed here, based on multiway principal component
analysis (MPCA), to develop a new voltage sag classification proce-
dure. Sampled voltage and current waveforms of previously registered
sags are used together with the MPCA technique to obtain a lower
dimensional model. This model is then used to project new sags and
classify them according to their origin in the power system. Different
classification criteria and parameters are examined to maximize the
classification rates of not yet seen sags. Applying the proposed method
to real sags recorded in substations demonstrates its applicability and
power.
09/02099 Conversion of thermal energy into electricity via a
water pump operating in Stirling engine cycle
Slavin, V. S. et al. Applied Energy, 2009, 86, (78), 11621169.
In this paper, the principle of heat energy conversion via Stirling pump
into electricity is considered. New scheme of Stirling pump is proposed,
that differs from known ones in application of offset heater and cooler
and valves controlling the motion of liquid. The mathematical model is
implemented to examine the liquid flow and gas heat exchange in
cylinders and regenerator. The numerical simulation of engines
working cycle is conducted for the purpose of determining the
characteristic parameters of its design. A possibility of achieving high
thermal efficiency at acceptable power level is shown.
09/02100 Electricity generation from wave power in Canada
Dunnett, D. and Wallace, J. S. Renewable Energy, 2009, 34, (1), 179
195.
The performance of three different types of wave energy converters
(WECs) is evaluated at hundreds of Canadian locations using wave
activity data made available by the Marine Environmental Data Service
of Canada. Two Atlantic and three Pacific locations are found where at
least one of these devices operates with a capacity factor of greater
than 20%, while also being located close to urban/industrial centers.
The economics of a nominal 25 GWh wave power plant are investigated
at these five locations and compared among the three WEC types using
two indicators: the 25-year life-cycle cost, and the required price of
electricity for a 10-year simple payback period. The lowest required
electricity price for a 10-year payback is $0.089/kWh, and occurs at a
location near the Hibernia Oil Platform using the AquaBuOY WEC.
The highest annual capacity factor is 32.1%, which occurs near the
Hibernia Oil Platform when using the WaveDragon WEC. The 25-year
life-cycle cost evaluations suggest that wave power plants at locations
near Ucluelet, St. Johns, and the Hibernia Oil Platform could all be
profitable using either the AquaBuOY or the WaveDragon if a price of
electricity between $0.10 and $0.15/kWh can be secured, depending on
location and device.
09/02101 Generation Expansion Planning in pool market:
a hybrid modified game theory and improved genetic
algorithm
Shayanfar, H. A. et al. Energy Conversion and Management, 2009, 50,
(5), 11491156.
Unlike the traditional policy, generation expansion planning (GEP)
problem in competitive framework is complicated. In the new policy,
each generation company (GENCO) decides to invest in such a way
that obtains as much profit as possible. This paper presents a new
hybrid algorithm to determine GEP in a pool market. The proposed
algorithm is divided in two programming levels: master and slave. In
the master level a modified game theory (MGT) is proposed to
evaluate the contrast of GENCOs by the Independent System Operator
(ISO). In the slave level, an Improved genetic algorithm (IGA) method
is used to find the best solution of each GENCO for decision-making of
investment. The validity of the proposed method is examined in the
case study including three GENCOs with multi-type of power plants.
The results show that the presented method is both satisfactory and
consistent with expectation.
09/02102 Integrating generation and transmission
networks reliability for unit commitment solution
Jalilzadeh, S. et al. Energy Conversion and Management, 2009, 50, (3),
777785.
This paper presents a new method with integration of generation and
transmission networks reliability for the solution of unit commitment
(UC) problem. In fact, in order to have a more accurate assessment of
system reserve requirement, in addition to unavailability of generation
units, unavailability of transmission lines are also taken into account. In
this way, evaluation of the required spinning reserve (SR) capacity is
performed by applying reliability constraints based on loss of load
probability and expected energy not supplied indices. Calculation of
the above parameters is accomplished by employing a novel procedure
based on the linear programming which it also minimizes them to
achieve optimum level of the SR capacity and consequently a cost-
benefit reliability constrained UC schedule. In addition, a powerful
solution technique called integer-coded genetic algorithm is being
used for the solution of the proposed method. Numerical results on the
IEEE reliability test system show that the consideration of transmission
network unavailability has an important influence on reliability indices
of the UC schedules.
09/02103 Issues related to rural electrification using
renewable energy in developing countries of Asia and
Pacific
Urmee, T. et al. Renewable Energy, 2009, 34, (2), 354357.
Renewable energy (RE) systems represent the most environmentally
friendly and cost-effective means of providing electricity to those living
in rural communities or regions in developing countries, however, this
has been relatively slow and in many countries the proportion of the
rural population supplied with electricity remains low and the
proportion supplied with electricity from renewable energy systems is
even lower. To understand the causes of this slow progress, a
literatures review on renewable rural electrification programs was
undertaken. The review suggested a need for better coordination at the
national level between those institutions involved in the development
and implementation of these programs. This paper compiles and
analyse the issues associated with rural electrification in developing
countries in Asia and the Pacific. Two case studies of programs are
presented, one in Bangladesh and the other in Fiji. Based on the
literature review and these two case studies, comments are provided on
the policies and strategies required for renewable energy based rural
electrification programs.
09/02104 Multiconductor analysis of underground power
transmission systems: EHV AC cables
Benato, R. Electric Power Systems Research, 2009, 79, (1), 2738.
It is widely ascertained that the multiconductor analysis is a powerful
tool which can solve any structurally complex circuit (e.g. high-speed
railway supply system, gas insulated lines, etc.). Moreover, this method
can be also used as an in-depth analysis of the electric networks after
the power-flow studies when they introduce simplifying hypotheses
especially in the presence of asymmetry. In this paper, the multi-
conductor cell analysis has been applied to AC underground cable lines
(UGC). This multiconductor procedure based on the use of admittance
matrices, which account for the line cells (with earth return currents),
different types of sheath bonding, possible multiple circuits, allows
predicting the steady-state (and faulty) regime of any cable system. The
method calculates the proportion and behaviour of the phase currents
carried by each parallel conductor, the circulating current in the sheath
of each cable and the stray current in the earth. Moreover, some
comparisons have been made with traditional programs showing the
great accuracy of multiconductor cell model.
328 Fuel and Energy Abstracts September 2009
06 Electrical power supply and utilization (scientific, technical)
09/02105 Optimization of Hellenic overhead high-voltage
transmission lines lightning protection
Christodoulou, C. A. et al. Energy, 2009, 34, (4), 502509.
It is well known that the lightning protection of transmission lines is
exclusively relying on their correct initial design. Although detailed
engineering studies are usually performed by electric power utilities for
the design of new transmission lines, there are reported cases where
the design is based simply on tradition or on utilities standardization
policy. In this paper, the lightning protection of high-voltage
transmission lines is faced as an optimization problem where optimum
design parameters are calculated for the lines, relating their cost with
the lightning failures cost, aiming to reduce or even eliminate lightning
failures. The optimization method considers all the available protection
means, i.e. ground wires and surge arresters. In order to validate the
effectiveness of the proposed method, it is applied on several operating
Hellenic transmission lines of 150 kV carefully selected among others
due to their high failure rates during lightning thunderstorms. The
obtained optimum parameters, which reduce the failure rates caused by
lightning are compared with the operating transmission lines existing
parameters showing the usefulness of the method, which can prove to
be a valuable tool for the studies of electric power system designers.
09/02106 Reactive energy scheduling using bi-objective
programming with modified particle swarm optimization
Kuo, C.-C. Energy, 2009, 34, (6), 804815.
Interactive bi-objective with valuable trade-off programming, together
with a modified particle swarm optimization for the daily scheduling of
switched capacitors is presented. The two main contradictory concerns
of line loss reduction and minimum number of switching operations are
considered for realistic request. Both the operating and load
constraints for distribution feeders are formulated for practical
operation. The proposed approach can provide a set of flexible and
valuable trade-off solutions as dictated by decision makers of electric
utilities. Quantitative measures can also be provided to aid the
decision-making process. To demonstrate the effectiveness and
feasibility of the proposed approach, comparative studies were
systematically conducted on an actual feeder. The experiment showed
encouraging results suggesting that the proposed approach was capable
of efficiently determining better quality solutions.
09/02107 Study of thermoelectric systems applied to
electric power generation
Rodr guez, A. et al. Energy Conversion and Management, 2009, 50, (5),
12361243.
A computational model has been developed in order to simulate the
thermal and electric behaviour of thermoelectric generators. This
model solves the non-linear system of equations of the thermoelectric
and heat transfer equations. The inputs of the program are the
thermoelectric parameters as a function of temperature and the
boundary conditions, (room temperature and residual heat flux). The
outputs are the temperature values of all the elements forming the
thermoelectric generator, (performance, electric power, voltage and
electric current generated). The model solves the equation system
using the finite difference method and semi-empirical expressions for
the convection coefficients. A thermoelectric electric power generation
test bench has been built in order to validate and determine the
accuracy of the computational model, which maximum error is lower
than 5%. The objective of this study is to create a design tool that
allows us to solve the system of equations involved in the electric
generation process without needing to impose boundary conditions
that are not known in the design phase, such as the temperature of the
Peltier modules. With the computational model, the authors study the
influence of the heat flux supplied as well as the room temperature on
the electric power generated.
09/02108 Super-capacitor based energy storage system for
improved load frequency control
ud din Mufti, M. et al. Electric Power Systems Research, 2009, 79, (1),
226233.
A fuzzy-logic controlled super-capacitor bank (SCB) for improved load
frequency control (LFC) of an interconnected power system is
proposed, in this paper. The super-capacitor bank in each control
area is interfaced with the area control bus through a power conversion
system (PCS) comprising of a voltage source converter (VSC) and a
buck-boost chopper. The fuzzy controller for SCB is designed in such a
way that the effects of load disturbances are rejected on a continuous
basis. Necessary models are developed and control and implementation
aspects are presented in a detailed manner. Time domain simulations
are carried out to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed
scheme. The performance of the resulting power system under realistic
situation is investigated by including the effects of generation rate
constraint (GRC) and governor dead band (DB) in the simulation
studies.
09/02109 System performance of a three-phase
PV-grid-connected system installed in Thailand:
data monitored analysis
Boonmee, C. et al. Renewable Energy, 2009, 34, (2), 384389.
PV-grid-connected systems are worldwide installed because it allows
consumer to reduce energy consumption from the electricity grid and
to feed the surplus energy back into the grid. The system needs no
battery so therefore the system price is very cheap comparing to other
PV systems. PV-grid-connected systems are used in buildings that
already hooked up to the electrical grid. Finding efficiency of the PV-
grid-connected system can be done by using a standard instrument
which needs to disconnect the PV arrays from the grid before
measurement. The measurement is also difficult and energy is lost
during the measurement. This paper will present the system perform-
ance of a PV-grid-connected system installed in Thailand by using a
monitoring system. The monitored data are installed by acquisition
software into a computer. Analysis of monitored data will be done to
find out the system performance without disconnecting the PV arrays
from the system. The monitored data include solar radiation, PV
voltage, PV current, and PV power which has been recorded from a
5 kWp system installed of amorphous silicon PV at Rajamangala
University of Technology Suvarnabhumi, Nonthaburi, Thailand. The
system performance of the system by using the data monitored is
compared to the standard instrument measurement. The paper will
give all details about system components, monitoring system, and
monitored data. The result of data analysis will be fully given.
09/02110 Techno-economic comparison of energy storage
systems for island autonomous electrical networks
Kaldellis, J. K. et al. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 2009,
13, (2), 378392.
The oil-dependent electricity generation situation met in the Aegean
Archipelago Islands is in great deal determined by increased rates of
fuel consumption and analogous electricity production costs, this being
also the case for other island autonomous electrical networks world-
wide. Meanwhile, the contribution of renewable energy sources (RES)
to the constant increase recorded in both the Aegean islands annual
electricity generation and the corresponding peak load demand is very
limited. To compensate the unfavourable situation encountered, the
implementation of energy storage systems (ESS) that can both utilize
the excess/rejected energy produced from RES plants and improve the
operation of existing thermal power units is recommended. In the
present study, a techno-economic comparison of various RES-ESS
configurations supported by the supplementary or back-up use of
existing thermal units is undertaken. From the results obtained, the
shift of direction from the existing oil-dependent status to a RES-based
alternative in collaboration with certain storage technologies entails
apart from the clear environmental benefits financial advantages as
well.
Economics, policy, supplies, forecasts
09/02111 A computational tool for evaluating the
economics of solar and wind microgeneration of electricity
Kelleher, J. et al. Energy, 2009, 34, (4), 401409.
This paper presents a method, implemented as a freely available
computer programme, which is used to estimate the economics of
renewable microgeneration of electricity from wind and solar energy
sources. A variety of commercial small wind turbines and photovoltaic
(PV) panels are considered and combined with raw energy data
gathered from a variety of locations. Both residential and holiday home
user profiles are available and options are selectable concerning feed-
in tariffs (if available), government incentive schemes and the cost of
capital borrowing. The configuration of the generation setup, which
can consist of wind, PV and combination of wind/PV, is fully selectable
by the user, with a range of appropriate default data provided. A
numerical example, based on Irish data, is presented, which suggests
that payback periods for solar and wind microgeneration systems can
vary greatly (2.5500 years), depending on the location, installation and
economic variables.
09/02112 An extension of the problem table algorithm for
multiple utilities targeting
Costa, A. L. H. and Queiroz, E. M. Energy Conversion and Manage-
ment, 2009, 50, (4), 11241128.
This paper presents an extension of the problem table algorithm for
multiple utilities consumption targeting. For a given set of utilities and
their respective potential temperature ranges, the proposed procedure
allows the determination of the consumption of each utility and the
Fuel and Energy Abstracts September 2009 329
06 Electrical power supply and utilization (economics, policy, supplies, forecasts)
identification of thermodynamic limitations which constraint the
considered temperature range. It can be employed as an alternative
for the grand composite curve in pinch technology.
09/02113 Assessing the impact of regulatory reforms on
Chinas electricity generation industry
Du, L. et al. Energy Policy, 2009, 37, (2), 712720.
In the past two decades, China has experienced a series of regulatory
reforms in its electricity industry, aimed at improving power production
efficiency. The central planning system was broken up and the market-
oriented modern enterprise system was established. Furthermore, the
former vertically integrated electricity utilities were divested and the
generation sector was separated from the transmission and distribution
networks. In this paper, the authors intention is to estimate the impact
of regulatory reforms on production efficiency of fossil-fired gener-
ation plants using the plant-level national survey data collected in 1995
and 2004. Applying the econometric method of Differences-in-
Differences, it is estimated that the effects of these reforms on the
demand for inputs of employees, fuel and non-fuel materials. The
results show that the net efficiency improvement in labour input
associated with the regulatory reforms is roughly 29% and the gains in
non-fuel materials are about 35%, while there is no evidence of
efficiency gains in fuel input associated with the electricity reforms.
09/02114 Assessment of centralized grid connected wind
power cost in coastal area of Pakistan
Harijan, K. et al. Renewable Energy, 2009, 34, (2), 369373.
This work presents an assessment of per unit cost of electricity
generated from 15 MW wind farm at 40 locations in the coastal areas of
Pakistan using the method of net present value analysis. The Nordex
N43/600 wind turbine has been selected and used as reference wind
turbine. Wind duration curves were developed and utilized to calculate
per unit cost of electricity generated from chosen wind turbine. In
Sindh province, the minimum cost of electricity generated was found to
be 4.2 /kWh at Jamshoro, while the corresponding maximum was
7.4 /kWh at Kadhan site. In Balochistan, the minimum cost of
electricity generated was found to be 6.3 /kWh at Aghore, while the
corresponding maximum was 21.0 /kWh at Mand site. The study
concludes that at most of the locations especially in Sindh province,
wind power is competitive to conventional grid connected thermal
power even without considering the externalities.
09/02115 Benefits from a renewable energy village
electrification system
Zahnd, A. and Kimber, H. M. Renewable Energy, 2009, 34, (2), 362
368.
More than 100 years after Edisons life-changing discovery, 1.6
2 billion people around the globe still live without light, in dark and
smoke filled homes. The remote and impoverished Himalayan villages
of upper Humla, in north-west Nepal, belong to some of the 2.4 billion
people who still depend on the use of traditional biomass for their daily
energy services such as cooking, heating and light. These activities on
open fireplaces have a direct chronic impact on the health and
extremely low life expectancy of the women and children along with
devastating deforestation. There is a strong relationship between
prosperity and access to electricity. The more remote and isolated
communities in Nepal generally live in great poverty. Eighty per centof
Nepals 28.5 million people live in rural areas, with around half of these
so remote, that neither a road, nor the national grid is ever likely to
reach them. While Nepal has no fossil fuel resources, it is a country
that is rich in renewable energy resources such as hydropower and solar
energy. These abundant and locally available renewable energy
resources can be tapped into with appropriate locally developed
technologies. Generating and storing electrical energy derived from
these rich local energy resources can provide for appropriate and
sustainable lighting, which brings potential health, education, social
and economic benefits to the people who have previously lived in
homes with excessive indoor air pollution. This paper describes the
living conditions of some villages in upper Humla, and the possible
benefits of a simple village electrification system that provides basic
lighting for the homes and the consequent improvements in the living
conditions of the villagers.
09/02116 Coupled energy and reactive power market
clearing considering power system security
Rabiee, A. et al. Energy Conversion and Management, 2009, 50, (4),
907915.
In a deregulated environment, when talking about electricity markets,
one usually refers to energy market, paying less attention to the
reactive power market. Active and reactive powers are, however,
coupled through the AC power flow equations and branch loading
limits as well as the synchronous generators capability curves.
However, the sequential approach for energy and reactive power
markets cannot present the optimal solution due to the interactions
between these markets. For instance, clearing of the reactive power
market can change active power dispatch (e.g. due to a change of
transmission system losses and the capability curve limitation), which
can lead to degradation of the energy market clearing point. This paper
presents a coupled day ahead energy and reactive power market based
on the pay-at-MCP settlement mechanism. Besides, the proposed
coupled framework considers voltage stability and security issues and
branch loading limits. The coupled market is cleared through optimal
power flow (OPF). Its objective function includes total payment of
generating units for their active power production along with the total
payment function (TPF) of units for their reactive power compen-
sation. Moreover, lost opportunity cost (LOC) of the units is also
considered. The effectiveness of the proposed framework is examined
on the IEEE 24 bus Reliability Test System.
09/02117 Development of a new loss allocation method for
a hybrid electricity market using graph theory
Lim, V. S. C. et al. Electric Power Systems Research, 2009, 79, (2), 301
310.
This paper introduces a new method for allocating losses in a power
system using a loop-based representation of system behaviour. Using
the new method, network behaviour is formulated as a series of
presumed power transfers directly between market participants. In
contrast to many existing loss allocation methods, this makes it easier
to justify the resulting loss distribution. In addition to circumventing
the problems of non-unique loss allocations, a formalized process of
loop identification, using graph theory concepts, is introduced. The
proposed method is applied to both the IEEE 14-bus system and a
modified CIGRE Nordic 32-bus system. The results provide a
demonstration of the capability of the proposed method to allocate
losses in the hybrid market, and demonstrate the approachs capacity to
link the technical performance of the network to market instruments.
09/02118 Estimating deficit probabilities with price-
responsive demand in contract-based electricity markets
Galetovic, A. and Munoz, G. M. Energy Policy, 2009, 37, (2), 560569.
Studies that estimate deficit probabilities in hydrothermal systems have
generally ignored the response of demand to changing prices, in the
belief that such response is largely irrelevant. It is shown that ignoring
the response of demand to prices can lead to substantial over or under
estimation of the probability of an energy deficit. To make the point, an
estimation of deficit probabilities is presented in Chiles Central
Interconnected System between 2006 and 2010. This period is
characterized by tight supply, fast consumption growth and rising
electricity prices. When the response of demand to rising prices is
acknowledged, forecasted deficit probabilities and marginal costs are
shown to be substantially lower.
09/02119 Evacuation infrastructure for new generating
station: options available in Indian context
Goyal, M. Energy Policy, 2009, 37, (3), 10041011.
Facing a deficit of 9% in power generation, India needs to harness all
forms of generation including renewable energy (RE) which presently
contributes less than 8% to total generation capacity. To increase the
same, concerns of RE developers are being addressed by the
government and regulatory bodies. One such concern is availability
of transmission grid for evacuation of power. Transmission lines
required for power evacuation from RE generators are typically not
included in their network plan by the transmission utility. Considering
the financial health and underperformance of these utilities, even if the
required transmission lines are included in the network plan, RE
developers are uncertain and unsure of the timely execution of the
plan. Ministry of Power has guidelines for enabling private sector
participation in transmission to enable the private developers to build
the required evacuation infrastructure. This paper evaluates the
options available as per the legislative and regulatory framework in
India through which the evacuation infrastructure for the RE projects
can be built by the transmission utility or the potential investors. The
key concept of dedicated transmission line, which has been a keenly
debated and often a misunderstood issue, is also discussed in great
detail.
09/02120 Fast method to predict building heating demand
based on the design of experiments
Jaffal, I. et al. Energy and Buildings, 2009, 41, (6), 669677.
A rational choice of solutions for low-energy building requires a
performance evaluation for a large number of parameter combinations.
Currently, building thermal dynamic simulation is used to check design
solutions but it gives little information on what and how much may be
improved. Iterative parameter optimization is a solution but the
methods used may stick in local minima and do not allow the designer
to evaluate different solutions. An alternative evaluation method is to
obtain simple polynomial functions which estimate the annual energy
demand as a function of building envelope parameters. The coefficients
of these functions may be obtained by regression from dynamic
simulation results. The number of dynamic simulations needed is
330 Fuel and Energy Abstracts September 2009
06 Electrical power supply and utilization (economics, policy, supplies, forecasts)
reduced if the numerical simulations are optimally designed. The
polynomial functions may be used to predict alternative performances
from which the solution may be chosen. The designer is guided in his
choice by the coefficients of the polynomial function which give the
effect of each parameter on energy demand.
09/02121 Forecasting electricity consumption by clustering
data in order to decline the periodic variables affects and
simplification the pattern
Sadeghi Keyno, H. R. et al. Energy Conversion and Management, 2009,
50, (3), 829836.
Electricity demand forecasting is known as one of the most important
challenges in managing supply and demand of electricity. Consumption
pattern of electricity has been affected by some social, economical and
environmental factors by which the pattern will form various seasonal,
monthly, daily and hourly complex variations. Diversity and complexity
in consumption pattern of electricity have been leading to the extension
of the complicated models. Many attempts have been made to find the
best estimation for electricity consumption. These studies have been
tried to forecast the demand in two levels: (1) macro-economic decision
making and (2) engineering and middle management. In this research
an attempt has been made to introduce a method for pre-preparing
data and for developing a model that could be applied in both the
mentioned levels. By clustering primary data and by eliminating the
periodic variance in the study, the complicated pattern is decomposed
to a set of simple patterns which could be easily analysed with
conventional tools in both the levels.
09/02122 Integrated assessment of bioelectricity
technology options
Thornley, P. et al. Energy Policy, 2009, 37, (3), 890903.
Power generation from biomass is a sustainable energy technology
which can contribute to substantial reductions in greenhouse gas
emissions, but with greater potential for environmental, economic and
social impacts than most other renewable energy technologies. It is
important therefore in assessing bioenergy systems to take account of
not only technical, but also environmental, economic and social
parameters on a common basis. This work addresses the challenge of
analysing, quantifying and comparing these factors for bioenergy power
generation systems. A life-cycle approach is used to analyse the
technical, environmental, economic and social impacts of entire
bioelectricity systems, with a number of life-cycle indicators as outputs
to facilitate cross-comparison. The results show that similar green-
house gas savings are achieved with the wide variety of technologies
and scales studied, but land-use efficiency of greenhouse gas savings
and specific airborne emissions varied substantially. Also, while specific
investment costs and electricity costs vary substantially from one system
to another the number of jobs created per unit of electricity delivered
remains roughly constant. Recorded views of stakeholders illustrate
that diverging priorities exist for different stakeholder groups and this
will influence appropriate choice of bioenergy systems for different
applications.
09/02123 Joint market clearing in a stochastic framework
considering power system security
Aghaei, J. et al. Applied Energy, 2009, 86, (9), 16751682.
This paper presents a new stochastic framework for provision of
reserve requirements (spinning and non-spinning reserves) as well as
energy in day-ahead simultaneous auctions by pool-based aggregated
market scheme. The uncertainty of generating units in the form of
system contingencies are considered in the market clearing procedure
by the stochastic model. The solution methodology consists of two
stages, which firstly, employs Monte-Carlo simulation for random
scenario generation. Then, the stochastic market clearing procedure is
implemented as a series of deterministic optimization problems
(scenarios) including non-contingent scenario and different post-
contingency states. The objective function of each of these determi-
nistic optimization problems consists of offered cost function (includ-
ing both energy and reserves offer costs), lost opportunity cost and
expected interruption cost. Each optimization problem is solved
considering AC power flow and security constraints of the power
system. The model is applied to the IEEE 24-bus Reliability Test
System (IEEE 24-bus RTS) and simulation studies are carried out to
examine the effectiveness of the proposed method.
09/02124 Multi-criteria contingency ranking method for
voltage stability
Dester, M. and Castro, C. A. Electric Power Systems Research, 2009,
79, (1), 220225.
The objective of this paper is to propose a fast, accurate, and robust
method for ranking contingencies according to their severities as far as
voltage stability is concerned. In general terms, the proposed
procedure consists of obtaining the operating state and computing
performance indices for each contingency of a predefined list. The
contingencies are then ranked according to their performance indices.
The proposed method can be used as a real time operation tool, since
its computational effort is very small. The proposed method is able to
pick most of the severe contingencies, resulting in very good capture
ratios. Simulation results are shown for small test and large realistic
power systems.
09/02125 Multi-objective design and control of hybrid
systems minimizing costs and unmet load
Bernal-Agust n, J. L. et al. Electric Power Systems Research, 2009, 79,
(1), 170180.
This paper presents, for the first time, the application of the strength
Pareto evolutionary algorithm to the multi-objective design of isolated
hybrid systems, minimizing both the total cost throughout the useful
life of the installation and the unmet load. For this task, a multi-
objective evolutionary algorithm (MOEA) and a genetic algorithm
(GA) have been used in order to find the best combinations of
components for the hybrid system and control strategy. Also, a novel
control strategy has been developed and it will be expounded in this
article. As an example of application, a PVwinddiesel system has
been designed, obtaining a set of possible solutions (Pareto set) from
which the designer can choose those which he/she prefers considering
the costs and unmet load of each. The results obtained demonstrate the
practical utility of the design method used.
09/02126 Multiobjective clearing of reactive power market
in deregulated power systems
Rabiee, A. et al. Applied Energy, 2009, 86, (9), 15551564.
This paper presents a day-ahead reactive power market which is
cleared in the form of multiobjective context. Total payment function
(TPF) of generators, representing the payment paid to the generators
for their reactive power compensation, is considered as the main
objective function of reactive power market. Besides that, voltage
security margin, overload index, and also voltage drop index are the
other objective functions of the optimal power flow (OPF) problem to
clear the reactive power market. A multiobjective mathematical
programming (MMP) formulation is implemented to solve the problem
of reactive power market clearing using a fuzzy approach to choose the
best compromise solution according to the specific preference among
various non-dominated (pareto optimal) solutions. The effectiveness of
the proposed method is examined based on the IEEE 24-bus reliability
test system (IEEE 24-bus RTS).
09/02127 Nodal pricing in Ontario, Canada: implications for
solar PV electricity
Brown, B. J. and Rowlands, I. H. Renewable Energy, 2009, 34, (1), 170
178.
This article investigates the extent to which the value of solar electricity
(that is, electricity generated by photovoltaics), a form of distributed
generation, would be higher under a nodal pricing system as compared
to a uniform pricing system. More specifically, solar radiation and
electricity market data for the period 1 January 200531 December
2006 are examined for locations near Mississauga, Ontario and
Kingston, Ontario. The hybrid optimization model for electric renew-
ables (HOMER) program is used for the simulation of solar electricity
output. For Mississauga, the average monthly value of the solar
electricity based on Ontarios uniform pricing system (the hourly
Ontario energy price, or HOEP) was C$20.62. Based on nodal pricing,
the average monthly value was C$27.20 per month (32% higher). For
Kingston, the average monthly value of the solar electricity based on
HOEP was C$23.78 per month. Based on nodal pricing, the average
monthly value was C$36.03 (52% higher). Over the two-year period,
the monthly differences were greatest during the summer, with a 53%
spread in June in Mississauga and a 106% spread in May in Kingston.
As debates regarding electricity futures progress, the importance of
proper valuation of alternative generation sources continues to be
critical. This research aims to contribute to discussions regarding the
extent to which a nodal pricing system could facilitate the contribution
of solar electricity to a sustainable electricity system in Ontario.
09/02128 Optimal option of distributed generation
technologies for various commercial buildings
Ruan, Y. et al. Applied Energy, 2009, 86, (9), 16411653.
With the development of distributed generation (DG) technologies and
the implementation of policies to encourage their applications,
building combined heat and power (BCHP) is expected to play a
greater role in the commercial buildings in the future. BCHP is a
promising efficiency improvement and carbon mitigation strategy, but
careful selection of technology and operation mode is required to
achieve a reasonable system performance according to energy
consumption characteristics of buildings and technical features of
equipments. This paper analysed energy consumption characteristics of
four typical commercial buildings in Japan and simulated the energy
system performances of four mostly widely adopted DG technologies
under different operation mode conditions for the four buildings
studied. Various scenarios were evaluated and compared regarding
Fuel and Energy Abstracts September 2009 331
06 Electrical power supply and utilization (economics, policy, supplies, forecasts)
energy utilization efficiency, energy saving and environmental effects,
as well as economic efficiency. Results show that the hotels and
hospitals are more attractive for BCHP because of their stable thermal
load demands and a favourable heat-to-power ratio, which is the most
compatible match with available DG technologies. Furthermore, some
DG technologies are more suitable for a certain type of building than
others because of their technical features more matching with the
buildings energy consumption characteristics, as well as the users
motivation of selecting BCHP. In Japan, during selecting DG
technologies, the prior order is gas turbines (GT), gas engines (GE),
diesel engines (DE) and phosphoric acid fuel cells (PAFC) for the
hotels, PAFC, GE and GT, DE for the hospitals, PAFC, DE, GE and
GT for the stores, as well as DE, PAFC, GE and GT for the offices.
09/02129 Optimal selling price and energy procurement
strategies for a retailer in an electricity market
Hatami, A. R. et al. Electric Power Systems Research, 2009, 79, (1),
246254.
In an electricity market, the retailer sets up contracts with the
wholesale side for purchasing electricity and with the customers for
its selling. This paper proposes a mathematical method based on
mixed-integer stochastic programming to determine the optimal sale
price of electricity to customers and the electricity procurement policy
of a retailer for a specified period. The retailer has multiple choices for
electricity procurement, such as spot market, forward contracts, call
options and self-production. Risk is considered and modelled by
conditional value-at-risk methodology. Also, the competition between
retailers is modelled using a market share function. A case study is
illustrated to demonstrate the capability of the proposed method.
09/02130 Providing electricity access to remote areas in
India: niche areas for decentralized electricity supply
Nouni, M. R. et al. Renewable Energy, 2009, 34, (2), 430434.
This paper presents the results of a study undertaken for identifying
niche areas in India where renewable energy based decentralized
generation options can be financially more attractive as compared to
grid extension for providing electricity. The cost of delivering electricity
in remote areas considering cost of generation of electricity and also
cost of its transmission and distribution in the country have been
estimated. Considering electricity generated from coal thermal power
plants, the delivered cost of electricity in remote areas, located in the
distance range of 525 km is found to vary from Rs3.18/kWh to
Rs231.14/kWh depending on peak electrical load up to 100 kW and
load factor. The paper concludes that micro-hydro, dual fuel biomass
gasifier systems, small wind electric generators and photovoltaic
systems could be financially attractive as compared to grid extension
for providing access to electricity in small remote villages.
09/02131 Reactive power rescheduling with generator
ranking for voltage stability improvement
Raoufi, H. and Kalantar, M. Energy Conversion and Management, 2009,
50, (4), 11291135.
In a power system, voltage stability margin improvement can be done
by regulating generators voltages, transformers tap settings and
capacitors/reactors rated reactive powers (susceptances). In this paper,
one of these methods, reactive power rescheduling with generator
ranking, is considered. In this method, using ranking coefficients, the
generators are divided into important and less-important ones and
then, voltage stability margin is improved by increasing and decreasing
reactive power generation at the important and less-important
generators, respectively. These ranking coefficients are obtained using
modal analysis. In this paper, the methods performance for two types
of ranking coefficients has been analysed. Also, for comparison
purpose, the usual form of optimal reactive power dispatch method
has been simulated. For all simulations, the IEEE 30 bus test system
has been used. The simulation results show that in the former method,
for either type of ranking coefficients, voltage stability margin is
considerably improved and, usually, the system active loss and the
system operating cost are increased. Also, in the latter method, voltage
stability margin is improved and the system active loss and the system
operating cost are decreased.
09/02132 Reliability and economic evaluation of small
autonomous power systems containing only renewable
energy sources
Georgilakis, P. S. et al. Renewable Energy, 2009, 34, (1), 6570.
Evaluation of reliability performance in every power system has to be
done within a costbenefit framework. This approach, however, is a
very time-consuming task, especially for systems that contain a large
number of possible configurations, so simpler techniques referred to
the calculation of reliability indices are used. In small autonomous
power systems (SAPSs), such an evaluation uses mainly deterministic
criteria. This approach, however, cannot be applied in SAPS that
contain only renewable energy sources, due to the intermittent nature
of the provided energy. In this paper, a complete reliability cost and
worth analysis is implemented for these systems, combined with the
calculation of some basic probabilistic indices, in order to discover
their performance and propose the appropriate of them as a criterion
of optimal system configuration. This paper proposes that normalized
energy reliability indices as system minutes and energy index of
unavailability can be used as adequate criteria of systems optimal
performance. This conclusion is validated through a large number of
sensitivity analysis studies that are based on different maximum annual
loads and different mix of load types.
09/02133 The benefits of transmission expansions in the
competitive electricity markets
Bresesti, P. et al. Energy, 2009, 34, (3), 274280.
The paper presents an innovative method for assessing simultaneously
technical and economic benefits of transmission expansions. This
method takes into account the new needs of the transmission planning
process for competitive electricity markets, in which benefits of major
transmission expansions include: (a) improved reliability, (b) increased
availability of efficient supply and (c) increased competition among
suppliers. The fundamental elements of the REliability and MARKet
(REMARK) tool, which were implemented based on the aforemen-
tioned method, are: a yearly probabilistic simulation of power system
operation; use of the non-sequential Monte Carlo method to pick the
operational status of the network elements; full network represen-
tation; adoption of the simplified direct current model; quantitative
assessment of the reliability benefits through the expected energy not
supplied index; simulation of the strategic behaviour of suppliers based
on a simplified model that correlates the pricecost mark-up to
structural market variables (residual supply index and demand); a
quantitative assessment of economic benefits through the calculation
of the social welfare index. A test case application of the tool on the
IEEE 24-bus reliability test system shows that the method can assess
benefits of transmission expansions, in addition to the overall social
perspective, for each market zone as well as separately for consumers,
producers and transmission system operators. The results emphasize
that the effect of transmission expansions in mitigating market power
may be significant and that a simple and traditional cost-based
approach may lead to a wrong evaluation of benefits given by
transmission expansions.
09/02134 The impact of distributed synchronous
generators on quality of electricity supply and transient
stability of real distribution network
Calderaro, V. et al. Electric Power Systems Research, 2009, 79, (1),
134143.
The paper investigates steady state and transient impact of distributed
synchronous generators (DSG) on a real Italian distribution network.
Before connecting or allowing the connection of DSG, the worst
operating scenarios have to be analysed to guarantee that the network
voltages remain within allowed ranges. A voltage profile variation and
steady state voltage regulation are analysed, therefore following
connection of DSG. Transient analysis is also performed in order to
analyse the impact of DSG on stability and protection system. Further,
the islanding operating mode of the network is considered having in
mind that the DSG could provide additional to the load in the absence
of the main power supply. In particular, in the event of a supply outage,
the temporary islanding operation of DSG might improve the
continuity of service and such contribute to the overall quality of
electricity supply to the customers.
09/02135 The value of shade: estimating the effect of urban
trees on summertime electricity use
Donovan, G. H. and Butry, D. T. Energy and Buildings, 2009, 41, (6),
662668.
The authors estimated the effect of shade trees on the summertime
electricity use of 460 single-family homes in Sacramento, California.
Results show that trees on the west and south sides of a house reduce
summertime electricity use, whereas trees on the north side of a house
increase summertime electricity use. The current level of tree cover on
the west and south sides of houses in the sample reduced summertime
electricity use by 185 kWh (5.2%), whereas north-side trees increased
electricity use by 55 kWh (1.5%). Results also show that a London
plane tree, planted on the west side of a house, can reduce carbon
emissions from summertime electricity use by an average of 31% over
100 years.
09/02136 Time horizons and electricity futures:
an application of Nicholas Georgescu-Roegens general
theory of economic production
Farrell, K. N. and Mayumi, K. Energy, 2009, 34, (3), 301307.
This paper reports theoretical economic production work and uses
electricity futures trading to illustrate its argument. The focus is
relationships between time, production and tradition both in Nicholas
Georgescu-Roegens analytical representation of the production
process (i.e. flow/fund model) and in his dialectical scheme dealing
332 Fuel and Energy Abstracts September 2009
06 Electrical power supply and utilization (economics, policy, supplies, forecasts)
with the evolutionary changes in the economic process. The main
arguments are: (1) the flow/fund model is designed to be employed in
conjunction with attention to how the boundaries of a given process are
determined and (2) process boundaries are dialectical distinctions
between process and not-process that are strongly related to time and
tradition. It is proposed that Georgescu-Roegens The Entropy Law
and the Economic Process is best understood as the elaboration of a
general theory of economic production and two conceptual tools were
developed (time and meta-funds), both of which are related to the
dialectical distinction between process and not-process, which were
used to operationalize this general theory. Finally, it is demonstrated
that, although trading in electricity futures is surprising if one uses a
stock/flow vs services distinction (because electricity supply is classed
as a service) it appears perfectly logical under Georgescu-Roegens
general theory: shortening time horizons, combined with a shift in the
relationship between raw fuel supplies and power production pro-
cedures, lead to a shift in the status of electricity supply, from fund to
flow.
09/02137 Towards a future with large penetration
of distributed generation: is the current regulation of
electricity distribution ready? Regulatory
recommendations under a European perspective
Cossent, R. et al. Energy Policy, 2009, 37, (3), 11451155.
The European Energy Policy promotes renewable energy sources and
energy efficiency as means to mitigate environmental impact, increase
security of supply and ensure economic competitiveness. As a result,
the penetration levels of distributed generation (DG) in electricity
networks are bound to increase. Distribution networks and distribution
system operators (DSOs) will be especially affected by growing levels of
DG. This paper reviews the current regulation of distribution in the
European Union Member States, focusing on those aspects that might
hinder the future integration of DG. Several regulatory issues that may
hinder a successful integration of DG have been identified. Rec-
ommendations to improve the current situation are proposed.
Regarding economic signals sent to DG, connection charges and
cost-reflective use-of-system charges together with incentives to
provide ancillary services are the key aspects. Concerning DSOs
regulation, unbundling from generation and supply according to the
European Electricity Directive, incentives for optimal planning and
network operation considering DG, including energy losses and quality
of service, and innovation schemes to migrate to active networks are
the most relevant topics.
09/02138 Wind electric power in the world and perspectives
of its development in India
Golait, N. et al. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 2009, 13,
(1), 233247.
The global market for wind power is expanding faster than any other
source of renewable energy. From just 4800 MW in 1995 raise to
15-fold to reach 73,904 MW at the end of 2006. Top five wind electric
power generating countries at the end of 2006 were Germany, Spain,
USA, India and Denmark. Since the 1980s, when the first commercial
wind turbine was deployed, their capacity, efficiency and visual design
have all improved a lot. A modern wind turbine annually produces 180
times more electricity at less than half the cost per unit (kWh) than its
equivalent twenty years ago. The largest turbines being manufactured
now are of rated power of 5 MW capacity and a rotor diameter of
126 m. Modern turbines are modular and quick to install, whilst wind
farms vary in size from a few MW to several hundred MW. Keeping
these factors in view, an attempt has been made in this paper to present
current advances in wind turbine generator technology. Wind energy
scenario in the world in general and in India in particular have been
presented. Further the cost components of wind turbine electric
generation system have been included.
07 STEAM RAISING
Boiler operation/design
09/02139 Chemical, leaching and toxicity characteristics of
CFB combustion residues
Skodras, G. et al. Fuel, 2009, 88, (7), 12011209.
Within the last years, attention has been focused on the development
of clean coal technologies, based on the pulverized coal fired once-
through boiler technology and the circulating fluidized bed combustion
(CFBC) systems. The environmental problems provoked from those
wastes due to their toxic trace element contents necessitate their
detailed characterization. Within the scope of this concept, two
different coal types were used in a series of experimental trials. Fly
and bottom ash samples were collected and characterized in terms of
morphology, mineralogy, leaching and toxicity behaviour. According to
the results, toxic trace elements are preferentially concentrated in the
fly ash particles since they presented the smaller particles size.
However, the chemical analysis of the ash leachates showed that are
acceptable for safe disposal, since none of them exceeds the maximum
EPA limits. Additionally, the Microtox toxicity test proved that fly ash
leachates, which presented the higher heavy metals concentrations,
caused the higher toxic effects.
09/02140 Dynamic simulation of a supercritical once-
through heat recovery steam generator during load changes
and start-up procedures
Alobaid, F. et al. Applied Energy, 2009, 86, (78), 12741282.
This paper presents a static and dynamic simulation model of a
supercritical once-through heat recovery steam generator (SC HRSG)
and its application to investigate the load changes and start-up
processes for next generation high efficiency combined cycles. The
scale and complexity of the modern combined cycle power plants based
on high pressure and temperature steam requirements are increasing.
To design such a system, it is necessary to generate detailed computer
models. This study describes the upgrading of a validated sub-critical
heat recovery steam generator model to a supercritical once-through
heat recovery steam generator up to 250 bars in the high pressure
circuit. The SC HRSG model is built using commercial simulation
software named advanced process simulation software. The model
includes advanced control circuits to have a high level of accuracy,
especially during start-up. The comparison between the simulation
results and the designed data in steady state and different load changes
are documented. The obtained results demonstrate that the simulation
is very reliable to predict the start-up procedure for the SC HRSG.
Through a comparative study, the differences in the thermal efficiency
and the steam parameters between super/sub-critical heat recovery
steam generators during warm start-up process are assessed.
09/02141 Fouling control in biomass boilers
Romeo, L. M. and Gareta, R. Biomass and Bioenergy, 2009, 33, (5),
854861.
One of the important challenges for biomass combustion in industrial
applications is the fouling tendency and how it affects to the boiler
performance. The classical approach for this question is to activate
sootblowing cycles with different strategies to clean the boiler (one per
shift, one each 6 hours, etc.). Nevertheless, it has been often reported
no effect on boiler fouling or an excessive steam consumption for
sootblowing. This paper illustrates the methodology and the appli-
cation to select the adequate time for activating sootblowing in an
industrial biomass boiler. The outcome is a control strategy developed
with artificial intelligence (Neural Network and Fuzzy Logic Expert
System) for optimizing the biomass boiler cleaning and maximizing
heat transfer along the time. Results from an optimize sootblowing
schedule show savings up to 12 GWh/year in the case-study biomass
boiler. Extra steam generation produces an average increase of turbine
power output of 3.5%.
09/02142 NO
x
emission and thermal efficiency of a 300 MWe
utility boiler retrofitted by air staging
Li, S. et al. Applied Energy, 2009, 86, (9), 17971803.
Full-scale experiments were performed on a 300 MWe utility boiler
retrofitted with air staging. In order to improve boiler thermal
efficiency and to reduce NO
x
emission, the influencing factors
including the overall excessive air ratio, the secondary air distribution
pattern, the damper openings of CCOFA and SOFA, and pulverized
coal fineness were investigated. Through comprehensive combustion
adjustment, NO
x
emission decreased 182 ppm (NO
x
reduction effi-
ciency was 44%), and boiler heat efficiency merely decreased 0.21%.
After combustion improvement, high efficiency and low NO
x
emission
was achieved in the utility coal-fired boiler retrofitted with air staging,
and the unburned carbon in ash can maintain at a desired level where
the utilization of fly-ash as byproducts was not influenced.
09/02143 Optimization of coal-fired boiler SCRs based on
modified support vector machine models and genetic
algorithms
Si, F. et al. Fuel, 2009, 88, (5), 806816.
An integrated combustion optimization approach is presented for the
combined considering the trade offs in optimization of coal-fired boiler
and selective catalyst reaction (SCR) system, to balance the unit
thermal efficiency, SCR reagent consumption and NO
x
emissions.
Field tests were performed at a 160 MW coal-fired unit to investigate
the relationships between process controllable variables, and optimiz-
ation targets and constraints. Based on the test data, a modified on-line
support vector regression model was proposed for characteristic
Fuel and Energy Abstracts September 2009 333
07 Steam raising (boiler operation/design)
function approximation, in which the model parameters can be
continuously adapted for changes in coal quality and other conditions
of plant equipment. The optimization scheme was implemented by a
genetic algorithm in two stages. Firstly, the multi-objective combustion
optimization problem was solved to achieve an optimal Pareto front,
which contains optimal solutions for lowest unit heat rate and lowest
NO
x
emissions. Secondly, best operating settings for the boiler, and
SCR system and air preheater were obtained for lowest operating cost
under the constraints of NO
x
emissions limit and air preheater
ammonium bisulfate deposition depth.
09/02144 The boiler concept for combustion of large soya
straw bales
Mladenovic , R. et al. Energy, 2009, 34, (5), 715723.
In one of the largest agricultural companies in Serbia, with over
2000 ha of soya plantations, there are 4000 t/year of baled soya straw
produced. Soya straw biomass is planned to be used as a renewable
energy source for heating the greenhouses, with 5 ha in area. There-
fore, efforts have been made to develop a technology for utilizing large
bales of soya straw for energy production. In the first phase, a demo
energy production facility-furnace was developed and built. The facility
had been tested in order to examine the quality of combustion of large
soya straw bales. Since experimental results of testing of this facility
have proved to be very satisfactory, in the second phase of the
development, a hot water boiler of similar characteristics (burning soya
straw bales, with dimensions 0.71.22.7 m
3
) has been designed.
08 COMBUSTION
Burners, combustion systems
09/02145 A comparative study of n-heptane, methyl
decanoate, and dimethyl ether combustion characteristics
under homogeneous-charge compressionignition engine
conditions
Hoffman, S. R. and Abraham, J. Fuel, 2009, 88, (6), 10991108.
Combustion characteristics of n-heptane, a surrogate for hydrocarbon
diesel, methyl decanoate, a surrogate for biodiesel, and dimethyl ether,
a fuel that can be derived from bio-feedstocks, are investigated with a
homogeneous constant-pressure reactor model and a homogeneous-
charge compressionignition engine thermodynamic simulation model,
with focus on two variables: ignition delay and NO formation, under
conditions of varying oxygen concentration. Negative temperature
coefficient (NTC) behaviour is observed for the three fuels. Reducing
oxygen concentration increases ignition delay for all fuels. The results
and conclusions with the two models differ because it is necessary to
vary initial conditions in the engine model to optimize combustion
phasing and maximize indicated efficiency.
09/02146 Comparative fixed/fluidized bed experiments for
the thermal behaviour and environmental impact of olive
kernel ash
Vamvuka, D. Renewable Energy, 2009, 34, (1), 158164.
Olive kernel can play an important role as a fuel for heat and power
production in the island of Crete, substituting a large part of
conventional fuels. However, combustion of this biofuel may create
operational and environmental problems related to its inorganic
constituents. Thus, the thermal behaviour of the ashes in terms of
slagging and fouling propensities and their environmental impact upon
disposal to local soils were investigated, through lab-scale fixed/
fluidized bed combustion tests. Bottom and fly ashes were character-
ized by mineralogical, chemical, morphological and fusibility analyses,
as well as standard leaching tests and the results under the different
combustion configurations were compared. Olive kernel ash was rich in
Ca, Si and P minerals and contained substantial amounts of alkali.
Under the conditions of the combustion tests, no signs of bed
agglomeration or ash deposition were noticed; however, when
combustion takes place in a fixed bed this should be operated below
1100

C, to avoid ash melting and the companion problems. Trace

elements showed little preference for the fly ash. The elements Cr, Cu,
Ni and Mn were enriched in fixed bed ash. Toxic metal ions were
released in low quantities in the soil, below the legislative limit values,
with the exception of Cr. The low leachability of trace elements from
the fixed bed ash was attributed to the alkaline nature of the ashes, the
mineralogy, the chemistry and the buffering capacity of the soil. The
high extraction rates of Mn, Zn and Cr, from the fly ash, suggest that
these elements were associated with carbonates, sulfides, sulfates or
organic matter.
09/02147 Density measurement of fine aerosol fractions
from wood combustion sources using ELPI distributions
and image processing techniques
Coudray, N. et al. Fuel, 2009, 88, (5), 947954.
Aerosols from combustion sources are of high concern since they
present a risk for health and environment. Particle size distribution of
aerosols and in particular number size distribution are easily and
quickly obtained using an electrical low pressure impactor (ELPI).
However, this technique is depending of aerosol density; ,, which may
lead to biased particle size distributions. Aerosol density from
combustion sources is usually not well known and depends on several
parameters. Aerosol density cannot be measured with usual methods
since there is generally not enough matter collected on each stage of the
ELPI. The approach uses electronic microscopy to evaluate , at each
impaction stage in order to increase the accuracy of the number size
distributions resulting from the ELPI measurements. Particles were
collected on glass substrates deposited on each impaction stages.
Images were obtained using a scanning electron microscope and image
processing tools were applied. This method was first tested with silica
particles resulting from a combustion process which have a constant
density found to be comprised between 2.2 and 2.4 g cm
3
for stages 2
(57 and 95 nm) and 3 (95 and 158 nm), respectively. Once validated, this
method was used to determine the density of wood combustion
aerosols. The results match well for fly ashes from wood combustion
with densities varying from 1.1 to 3.0 g cm
3
for particles of mean
equivalent diameter ranging from 69 to 157 nm, respectively.
09/02148 Development of a self-thermal insulation
miniature combustor
Jiang, L. Q. et al. Energy Conversion and Management, 2009, 50, (5),
13081313.
A novel miniature cylindrical combustor, whose chamber wall is made
of porous material, has been designed and experimented for reducing
heat loss and enhancing flame stability. The combustor has the function
of reducing wall heat loss, extending residence time and avoiding
radical chemical quenching with a self-thermal insulation concept in
which heat loss reduction is obtained by the opposite flow directions
between thermal energy transfer and mass flow. The methane/air
mixture flames formed in the chamber are blue and tubular in shape.
Between the flames and the porous wall, there is a thin unburned film
that plays a significant role in reducing the flames heat loss and
keeping the flames stable. The porous wall temperature was 150
400

C when the temperatures of the flames and exhaust gas were more
than 1200

C. When the equivalence ratio c<1.0, the methane

conversion ratio was above 95%; the combustion efficiency was near
90%; and the overall sidewall heat loss was less than 15% in the
1.53 cm
3
chamber. Moreover, its combustion efficiency is stable in a
wider combustion load (input power) range.
09/02149 Development of an oxycoal swirl burner operating
at low O
2
concentrations
Heil, P. et al. Fuel, 2009, 88, (7), 12691274.
This work is to clarify the underlying mechanisms of burning pulverized
coal in a mixture of CO
2
/O
2
. The performance of two different burner
designs, single central orifice-type (SCO) and single annular orifice-
type (SAO), under oxycoal conditions was examined in a down-fired
test facility. Based on detailed in-flame measurements, combined with
numerical simulations, the main parameters influencing the stability of
a CO
2
/O
2
pulverized coal swirl flame were investigated. The oxycoal
flame was stabilized at the burner quarl by: increasing the O
2
concentration above 34 vol% without changes to the air-firing burner
design and by modifications of the burner geometry thus changing its
aerodynamics. The modification of the burner allowed a decrease of
the O
2
concentrations to 23 vol% for SCO burner and to less than 21
vol% for SAO burner. Comprehensive measurement data for axial and
tangential velocity, flue gas temperature and oxygen concentration for
stable oxy-firing at 21 vol% O
2
is presented. The results reported can
be used as a guideline for a development of an industrial swirl burner
capable of stable operation in both regimes, namely: air and oxycoal.
09/02150 Effect of pyrolysis temperature on the
composition of the oils obtained from sewage sludge
Sanchez, M. E. et al. Biomass and Bioenergy, 2009, 33, (67), 933940.
Sewage sludge was pyrolysed in a quartz reactor at 350, 450, 550 and
950

C. The pyrolysis oils from the sewage sludge were characterized in

detail by means of gas chromatographymass spectrometry (GCMS).
Changes in the composition of the oils related to the process conditions
were assessed by normalizing the areas of the peaks. It was
demonstrated that, as the temperature of pyrolysis increased from
350 to 950

C, the concentration of mono-aromatic hydrocarbons in the

oils also increased. Conversely, phenol and its alkyl derivatives showed
334 Fuel and Energy Abstracts September 2009
08 Combustion (burners, combustion systems)
a strong decrease in their concentration as temperature rose. Polycyclic
aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) with two to three rings passed through
a maximum at a pyrolysis temperature of 450

C. PAHs with 45 rings

also presented a major increase as temperature increased up to 450

C,
the concentration at 950

C being slightly higher than that at 450

C.
Quantification of the main compounds showed that sewage sludge
pyrolysis oils contain significant quantities of potentially high-value
hydrocarbons such as mono-aromatic hydrocarbons and phenolic
compounds. The oils also contain substantial concentrations of PAHs,
even at the lowest temperature of 350

C. The pathway to PAH

formation is believed to be via the DielsAlder reaction and also via
secondary reactions of oxygenated compounds such as phenols.
09/02151 Effects of fuel type and equivalence ratios on the
flickering of triple flames
Sahu, K. B. et al. Combustion and Flame, 2009, 156, (2), 484493.
An experimental study has been conducted in axisymmetric, co-flowing
triple flames with different equivalence ratios of the inner and outer
reactant streams (2 < c
in
< 3 and 0 c
out
< 0.7). Different fuel
combinations, like propane/propane, propane/methane or methane/
methane in the inner and outer streams respectively, have been used in
the experiments. The structures of the triple flames have been
compared for the different fuel combinations and equivalence ratios.
The conditions under which triple flames exhibit oscillation have been
identified. During the oscillation, the non-premixed flame and the
outer lean premixed flame flicker strongly, while the inner rich
premixed flame remains more or less stable. The flickering frequency
has been evaluated through image processing and fast Fourier
transform (FFT) of the average pixel intensity of the image frames.
It is observed that, for all the fuel combinations, the frequency
decreases with the increase in the outer equivalence ratio, while it is
relatively invariant with the change in the inner equivalence ratio.
However, an increase in the inner equivalence ratio affects the
structure of the flame by increasing the heights of the inner premixed
flame and non-premixed flame and also enlarges the yellow soot-laden
zone at the tip of the inner flame. A scaling analysis of the oscillating
flames has been performed based on the measured parameters, which
show a variation of Strouhal number (St) with Richardson number (Ri)
as St /Ri
0.5
. The fuel type is found to have no influence on this
correlation.
09/02152 Flame characteristics of hydrogen-enriched
methaneair premixed swirling flames
Kim, H. S. et al. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 2009, 34,
(2), 10631073.
The effect of hydrogen addition in methaneair premixed flames has
been examined from a swirl-stabilized combustor under unconfined
flame conditions. Different swirlers have been examined to investigate
the effect of swirl intensity on enriching methaneair flame with
hydrogen in a laboratory-scale premixed combustor operated at
5.81 kW. The hydrogen-enriched methane fuel and air were mixed in
a pre-mixer and introduced into the burner having swirlers of different
swirl vane angles that provided different swirl strengths. The combus-
tion characteristics of hydrogen-enriched methaneair flames at fixed
thermal load but different swirl strengths were examined using particle
image velocimetry (PIV), OH chemiluminescence, gas analysers, and
micro-thermocouple diagnostics to provide information on flow field,
combustion generated OH radical and gas species concentration, and
temperature distribution, respectively. The results show that higher
combustibility of hydrogen assists to promote faster chemical reaction,
raises temperature in the reaction zone and reduces the recirculation
flow in the reaction zone. The upstream of flame region is more
dependent on the swirl strength than the effect of hydrogen addition to
methane fuel. At lower swirl strength condition the NO concentration
in the reaction zone reduces with increase in hydrogen content in the
fuel mixture. Higher combustibility of hydrogen accelerates the flow to
reduce the residence time of hot product gases in the high temperature
reaction zone. At higher swirl strength the NO concentration increases
with increase in hydrogen content in the fuel mixture. The effect of
dynamic expansion of the gases with hydrogen addition appears to be
more dominant to reduce the recirculation of relatively cooler gases
into the reaction zone. NO concentration also increases with decrease
in the swirl strength.
09/02153 Modelling solid-convective flash pyrolysis of
straw and wood in the Pyrolysis Centrifuge Reactor
Bech, N. et al. Biomass and Bioenergy, 2009, 33, (67), 9991011.
Less than a handful of solid-convective pyrolysis reactors for the
production of liquid fuel from biomass have been presented and for
only a single reactor a detailed mathematical model has been
presented. This article presents a predictive mathematical model of
the pyrolysis process in the pyrolysis centrifuge reactor, a novel solid-
convective flash pyrolysis reactor. The model relies on the original
concept for ablative pyrolysis of particles being pyrolysed through the
formation of an intermediate liquid compound which is further
degraded to form liquid organics, char, and gas. To describe the
kinetics of the pyrolysis reactions the BroidoShafizadeh scheme is
employed with cellulose parameters for wood and modified parameters
for straw to include the catalytic effect of its alkali-containing ash
content. The model describes the presented experimental results
adequately for engineering purposes for both wood and straw feedstock
even though conditions for ablative pyrolysis from a reaction
engineering point of view are not satisfied. Accordingly, even though
the concept of an ablatively melting particle may constitute a limiting
case, it can still be used to model flash pyrolysis provided that the
reacting particle continuously shed the formed char layer.
09/02154 Monitoring combustion unstable dynamics by
means of control charts
Fichera, A. and Pagano, A. Applied Energy, 2009, 86, (9), 15741581.
Thermoacoustic instabilities in combustion chambers represent a
serious threat to combustion systems, which can lead to performance
degradation as well as to relevant structural damages. The non-linearity
of these phenomena represents a serious obstacle to the prediction of
the evolution of the relevant system variables. The early prediction of
out-of-control states in combustion chambers might represent an
important step ahead in the design of accurate control system for the
suppression of undesired behaviours. This study proposes the
application of control charts to the prediction of out-of-control states
in an experimental combustion chamber. EWMA control charts have
been used because they are very useful when on line single
measurements are collected from the process. In order to deal with
the high level of autocorrelation characterizing the deterministic non-
linear experimental measurement, the EWMA control charts have
been applied to the residuals of an inputoutput NARMAX identifi-
cation model, implemented by means of a Multilayer Perceptron
artificial neural network. Obtained results show the ability of the
control charts in detecting unstable combustion phenomena, pointing
out the promising application of these statistical tools in the diagnostic
of combustion instabilities.
09/02155 Optimization of air staging in a 1 MW tangentially
fired pulverized coal furnace
Li., S. et al. Fuel Processing Technology, 2009, 90, (1), 99106.
This paper deals with an experimental study of air staging in a 1 MW
(heat input power) tangentially fired pulverized coal furnace. The
influences of several variables associated with air staging on NO
x
reduction efficiency and unburned carbon in fly ash were investigated,
and these variables included the air stoichiometric ratio of primary
combustion zone (SR
1
), the locations of over-fire air nozzles along
furnace height, and the ratio of coal concentration of the fuel-rich
stream to that of the fuel-lean one (RRL) in primary air nozzle. The
experimental results indicate that SR
1
and RRL have optimum values
for NO
x
reduction, and the two optimum values are 0.85 and 3:1,
respectively. NO
x
reduction efficiency monotonically increases with the
increase of OFA nozzle location along furnace height. On the
optimized operating conditions of air staging, NO
x
reduction efficiency
can attain 47%. Although air staging can effectively reduce NO
x
emission, the increase of unburned carbon in fly ash should be noticed.
09/02156 Optimization of the combustion of blends of
domestic fuel oil and cottonseed oil in a non-modified
domestic boiler
Daho, T. et al. Fuel, 2009, 88, (7), 12611268.
This study characterizes combustion of blends of DFO (domestic fuel
oil) and refined cottonseed oil produced in Burkina Faso at different
percentages in a non-modified DFO burner by determining its overall
performance (consumption and thermal capacity) and gas emissions
(CO, CO
2
, O
2
, NO, NO
x
, SO
2
). The physical and chemical character-
istics of the different blends confer on each blend the status of a special
fuel requiring specific adjustment of the burner. The influence of
combustion parameters such as equivalence ratio and fuel pressure is
studied. Results show that emissions of CO, NO
x
and CO
2
are similar
for all fuel blends at the operating point corresponding to 0.86
equivalence ratio and 20 bars fuel pressure. Whatever the fuel pressure
is, SO
2
emission is increasing with DFO percentage in blends.
Experimental emission results obtained with suitable adjustments for
a blend containing 30% cottonseed oil and 70% DFO are compared to
the calculated results obtained using a combustion equation based on a
global chemical mechanism. The results show that there is a
satisfactory match between the calculation and experimental results.
09/02157 Possibility of using paper sludge in co-firing
applications
Vamvuka, D. et al. Fuel, 2009, 88, (4), 637643.
The possibility of co-processing paper sludge with coal in power plants
for power production and useful products was investigated as an
alternative to the disposal option. The thermal behaviour of the fuels
and their blend during pyrolysis and combustion processes was studied,
kinetic models were developed and the compatibility of each
Fuel and Energy Abstracts September 2009 335
08 Combustion (burners, combustion systems)
component in the blend was evaluated. The experiments were
conducted in a thermogravimetric analysis system, at non-isothermal
heating conditions, over the temperature range 25850

C. The effect
of the inorganic constituents of the fuels and their mixture on thermal
conversion characteristics, reactivity, slagging and fouling propensities
and environmental pollution was examined. The thermochemical
reactivity of the two fuels was different in both nitrogen and air.
Devolatilization of paper sludge occurred earlier and with a higher
rate, while its combustion was hindered by the high content of ash.
When the two fuels were mixed their pyrolysis or combustion
reactivities did not substantially change. A first-order parallel reactions
model for pyrolysis and a power low model for combustion fitted the
experimental results accurately. The kinetic parameters of the blend
could be predicted from the data of the individual components. Co-
firing paper sludge with sub-bituminous coal might somehow improve
the slagging/fouling potential of the coal. However, if the mineral
matter of paper sludge is partly removed before use, then the
combustion behaviour of the mixture could resemble that of coal
alone and the overall efficiency of the process would increase.
09/02158 Pyrolysis characteristics of Oriental white oak:
kinetic study and fast pyrolysis in a fluidized bed with an
improved reaction system
Park, H. J. et al. Fuel Processing Technology, 2009, 90, (2), 186195.
The kinetic parameters for the pyrolysis of Oriental white oak were
evaluated by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The white oak was
pyrolysed in a fluidized bed reactor with a two-staged char separation
system under a variety of operating conditions. The influence of the
pyrolysis conditions on the chemical and physical characteristics of the
bio-oil was also examined. TGA showed that the Oriental white oak
decomposed at temperatures ranging from 250 to 400

C. The apparent
activation energy ranged from 160 to 777 kJ mol
1
. The optimal
pyrolysis temperature for the production of bio-oil in the fluidized
bed unit was between 400 and 450

C. A much smaller and larger feed

size adversely affected the production of bio-oil. A higher fluidizing gas
flow and higher biomass feeding rate were more effective in the
production of bio-oil but the above flow rates did not affect the bio-oil
yields significantly. Recycling a part of the product gas as a fluidizing
medium resulted the highest bio-oil yield of 60 wt.%. In addition, high-
quality bio-oil with a low solid content was produced using a hot filter
as well as a cyclone. With exception of the pyrolysis temperature, the
other pyrolysis conditions did not significantly affect the chemical and
physical characteristics of the resulting bio-oil.
09/02159 Simulation of the influence of flue gas cleaning
system on the energetic efficiency of a waste-to-energy
plant
Grieco, E. and Poggio, A. Applied Energy, 2009, 86, (9), 15171523.
Municipal solid waste incinerators are designed to enhance the
electrical efficiency obtained by the plant as much as possible. For
this reason strong integration between the flue gas cleaning system and
the heat recovery system is required. To provide higher electrical
efficiencies acid gas neutralization process has the major importance in
flue gas cleaning system. At least four technologies are usually applied
for acid gas removal: dry neutralization with Ca(OH)
2
or with
NaHCO
3
, semi-dry neutralization with milk of lime and wet scrubbing.
Nowadays, wet scrubbers are rarely used as a result of the large amount
of liquid effluents produced; wet scrubbing technology is often applied
as a final treatment after a dry neutralization. Operating conditions of
the plant were simulated by using Aspen Plus in order to investigate
the influences of four different technologies on the electrical efficiency
of the plant. The results of the simulations did not show a great
influence of the gas cleaning system on the net electrical efficiency, as
the difference between the most advantageous technology (neutraliz-
ation with NaHCO
3
) and the worst one, is about 1%.
09/02160 Synergy effects of co-firing wooden biomass with
Bosnian coal
Kazagic, A. and Smajevic, I. Energy, 2009, 34, (5), 699707.
The paper presents synergy effects found during the co-firing of
wooden biomass with Bosnian coal types in an experimental reactor.
The co-firing tests used spruce sawdust in combination with Kakanj
brown coal and a lignite blend of Dubrave lignite and Sikulje lignite.
Coal/biomass mixtures at 93:7 and 80:20 wt% were fired in a 20 kW
pulverized fuel (PF) entrained flow reactor. Over 20 test trials were
performed to investigate ash deposition behaviour and emissions under
different conditions, varying the process temperature, excess air ratio,
and air distribution. During the tests, the temperature in the
experimental facility varied between 880 and 1550

C, while the excess

air ratio varied between 0.95 and 1.4. There was sufficient combustion
efficiency under all co-firing regimes, with burning out at 96.599.5%
for brown coalsawdust co-firing. Synergy effects were detected for all
co-firing regimes with regard to SO
2
emission, as well for slagging at
the process temperature suitable for the slag tap furnace. CO
2
emissions were also calculated for the blends tested and significant
reductions of CO
2
found, due to the very low ranking of Bosnian coals.
09/02161 The combustion chemistry of a fuel tracer:
measured flame speeds and ignition delays and a detailed
chemical kinetic model for the oxidation of acetone
Pichon, S. et al. Combustion and Flame, 2009, 156, (2), 494504.
Acetone ignition delay and stretch-free laminar flame speed measure-
ments have been carried out and a kinetic model has been developed to
simulate these and literature data for acetone and for ketene, which
was found to be an important intermediate in its oxidation. The
mechanism has been based on one originally devised for dimethyl ether
and modified through validation of the hydrogen, carbon monoxide
and methane sub-mechanisms. Acetone oxidation in argon was studied
behind reflected shock waves in the temperature range 13401930 K, at
1 atm and at equivalence ratios of 0.5, 1 and 2; it is also shown that the
addition of up to 15% acetone to a stoichiometric n-heptane mixture
has no effect on the measured ignition delay times. Flame speeds at
298 K and 1 atm of pure acetone in air were measured in a spherical
bomb; a maximum flame speed of $35 cms
1
at c=1.15 is indicated.
Fire safety
09/02162 Effect of velocity inflow conditions on the
stability of a CH
4
/air jet-flame
Troiani, G. Combustion and Flame, 2009, 156, (2), 539542.
The experimental findings of this study show that jet flame inlet
velocity conditions, quantified by the Karlovitz stretch parameter, can
deeply affect flame front continuity deprived of anchoring problems.
Nonetheless, local quenching can alter the stability and, in turn, the
width and topology of the turbulent flame brush.
09/02163 Fire in the hole: a review of national spent nuclear
fuel disposal policy
Rogers, K. A. Progress in Nuclear Energy, 2009, 51, (2), 281289.
Today, nuclear power plants operate in 31 countries and account for
approximately 15% of the worlds electricity production. Moreover, a
number of additional reactors are expected to come on-line over the
next several years as a result of a global resurgence in nuclear power.
Since the amount of spent nuclear fuel generated by these plants is
expected almost to double by 2020, the issue of how to dispose of highly
radioactive waste properly is an international concern of growing
importance. As of now, no country has yet solved the problem of what
to do with the mounting inventories of spent nuclear fuel created as a
by-product of nuclear power generation. This article focuses on
national approaches for the disposal of spent nuclear fuel, and
discusses the need for a global approach to cope adequately with the
increasing inventories of highly radioactive waste.
09/02164 Flame structure and NO generation in oxy-fuel
combustion at high pressures
Seepana, S. and Jayanti, S. Energy Conversion and Management, 2009,
50, (4), 11161123.
A numerical study of oxy-fuel combustion has been carried out in the
pressure range of 0.13 MPa with methane as the fuel and carbon
dioxide-diluted oxygen with trace amount of nitrogen as the oxidant.
The flame structure and NO generation rate have been calculated using
the flamelet model with the detailed GRI 3.0 mechanism for two
oxygen concentrations of 23.3% and 20% by weight in the oxidant at a
strain rate of 40 s
1
(corresponding to a scalar dissipation rate of 1 s
1
).
It is observed that, for the reference case of 23.3 wt.% of oxygen, as the
pressure increases, the peak temperature of the flame increases rapidly
up to a pressure of 0.5 MPa, and more gradually at higher pressures.
The concentrations of important intermediate radicals such as CH
3
, H
and OH decrease considerably with increasing pressure while NO
concentration follows the same trend as the temperature. Reducing the
oxygen concentration to 20% by weight leads to an order of magnitude
reduction in NO concentration. Also, for pressures greater than
0.3 MPa, the NO concentration decreases with increasing pressure in
spite of the increasing peak flame temperatures. This can be attributed
to the increasing domination of recombination reactions leading to less
availability of the intermediate radicals H and OH which are necessary
for the formation of NO by the thermal route. It is concluded that a
stable, low NO
x
oxy-fuel flame can be obtained at high pressures at
slightly increased dilution of oxygen.
09/02165 Mixture fraction analysis of combustion products
in the upper layer of reduced-scale compartment fires
Ko, G. H. et al. Combustion and Flame, 2009, 156, (2), 467476.
336 Fuel and Energy Abstracts September 2009
08 Combustion (fire safety)
A mixture fraction analysis is performed to investigate the character-
istics of chemical species production in smoky compartment fires
burning condensed-phase hydrocarbon fuels. A series of fire exper-
iments were conducted in a 2/5 scale compartment based on the ISO-
9705 room. Gas species and soot measurements were made at two
locations in the upper layer of the compartment. The fuels considered,
heptane, toluene, and polystyrene, generate highly smoky fires over a
range of natural ventilation conditions. The mass fractions of measured
chemical species, such as unburned hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide,
carbon dioxide, oxygen, and soot are presented as a function of mixture
fraction and compared with state relationships based on the idealized
reactions of a hydrocarbon fuel. The results show that plotting the local
composition as a function of the mixture fraction adequately collapses
hundreds of species measurements from an assortment of compartment
conditions with varying heat release rates and spatial locations into a
few coherent lines or bands. It is also shown that about half (or more)
of the fuel carbon may exist in the form of carbonaceous soot in the
upper layer of smoky compartment fires. Inclusion of soot in the
mixture fraction analysis allows identification of fuel-rich or under-
ventilated conditions.
09/02166 Surface effects on flammable extent of hydrogen
and methane jets
Hourri, A. et al. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 2009, 34,
(3), 15691577.
Studies on the effect of surfaces on the extent of the flammable cloud
of high-pressure horizontal and vertical jets of hydrogen and methane
are performed using CFD numerical simulations. For the horizontal
jets, two scenarios pertaining to the location of the surface are studied:
horizontal surface (the ground), and vertical surface (side wall). For a
constant flow rate release, the extent of the flammable cloud is
determined as a function of time. Effects of the proximity of the surface
on the flammable extent along the axis of the jet and its impact on the
maximum extent of the flammable cloud is explored and compared for
both hydrogen and methane. The results are also compared to the
predictions of the Birch correlations for flammable extents. It is found
that the presence of a surface and its proximity to the jet centerline
result in a pronounced increase in the extent of the flammable cloud
compared to a free jet.
09/02167 Upgrading biomass pyrolysis gas by conversion
of methane at high temperature: Experiments and modelling
Valin, S. et al. Fuel, 2009, 88, (5), 834842.
Biomass gasification at temperatures below 1273 K produces gas which
contains methane and too much tar for FischerTropsch synthesis. The
aim of this study is to investigate methane conversion at high
temperature. Experimental tests were performed between 1273 and
1773 K, with a mixture of gas representative of wood pyrolysis at 1100 K
(main components only: CO, CO
2
, CH
4
, H
2
, H
2
O). Two different
kinetic schemes were used to predict the gas composition, and PAH
molecules formation. For a residence time of 2 s in the reactor, the gas
must be heated to at least 1650 K to reach a methane conversion rate of
90%. A parametric study was performed at 1453 K, by varying the
initial methane, steam and hydrogen contents, so as to find out which
components are the most influent on methane conversion and soot
production.
09 PROCESS HEATING,
POWER AND
INCINERATION
Energy applications in industry
09/02168 Air-blown biomass gasification combined cycles
(BGCC): system analysis and economic assessment
Kilmantos, P. et al. Energy, 2009, 34, (5), 708714.
Within the carbon constrained world, biomass-based power production
is expected to constitute one of the candidates for CO
2
abatement.
However, within the framework of a liberalized energy market, biomass
power systems must be competitive from efficiency and cost point of
view for their successful commercial breakthrough. Integrated gasifica-
tion combined cycles (IGCC) based on pressurized biomass gasifica-
tion, coupled with economical acceptable hot gas clean-up systems, are
one of the most promising options. In this study, a technical and
economic assessment is carried out of alternative power plant concepts
with the aid of computer simulation tools. Various gas turbine plant
sizes are considered ranging from 10 to 70 MW
e
and their performance
is evaluated. Apart from stand-alone power systems, the study is
complemented with cases linked with a coal-fired power plant by
parallel integration of a gas turbine with the existing steam cycle.
09/02169 An economic feasibility study of O
2
/CO
2
recycle
combustion technology based on existing coal-fired power
plants in China
Xiong, J. et al. Fuel, 2009, 88, (6), 11351142.
In order to reduce the CO
2
emission from the coal-fired power plants,
O
2
/CO
2
recycle combustion (Oxy-combustion) technique has been
proposed through combining a conventional combustion process with a
cryogenic air separation process. The technique is capable of enriching
CO
2
concentration and then allowing CO
2
sequestration in an efficient
and energy-saving way. Taking into account the CO
2
taxation and CO
2
sale, the paper evaluates the economic feasibility of Oxy-combustion
plants retrofitted from two typical existing conventional coal-fired
power plants (with capacities of 2 300 MW and 2 600 MW,
respectively) with Chinese data. The cost of electricity (COE) and
the CO
2
avoidance cost (CAC) are also considered in the evaluation.
The COE of the retrofitted Oxy-combustion plant is nearly the same as
that of the corresponding conventional plant if the unit price of CO
2
sale reaches 1722 $/t (different cases). The CAC of the retrofitted
2 300 MW Oxy-combustion plant is 13 $/t bigger than that of the
retrofitted 2 600 MW Oxy-combustion plant. Supercritical plants are
more economical and appropriate for Oxy-combustion retrofit. The
result indicates that Oxy-combustion technique is not only feasible for
CO
2
emission control based on existing power plants but is also cost-
effective.
09/02170 CSFB applied to fluidized-bed gasification of
special fuels
de Souza-Santos, M. L. Fuel, 2009, 88, (5), 826833.
The new version of a comprehensive simulation program of moving and
fluidized-beds (CSFB or CSFMB) has been tested against data
generated from a gasification unit at the University of California at
Davis (UCD), Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering.
The pilot operated at atmospheric pressure under bubbling fluidized-
bed and consumed various biomasses as well residues. Air was used as
gasifying agent and electrical resistances around the reactor helped
heating the reactor during start-up and were kept under low energy
discharge during experiments. CSFMB was adapted to allow simulation
of such cases as well to several other possibilities of additional heating
systems to reactors. The present paper presents the results from cases
of almond shells and walnut pruning gasification. Good to reasonable
agreement between simulation and operational data have been
obtained.
09/02171 Development of a framework and tool to assess
on-farm energy uses of cotton production
Chen, G. and Baillie, C. Energy Conversion and Management, 2009, 50,
(5), 12561263.
Within highly mechanized agricultural production systems such as the
Australian cotton industry, operational energy inputs represent a major
cost to the growers. In this paper, a framework to assess the
operational energy inputs of various production systems and the
relative performance of a grower within an adopted system is
developed. It divides energy usage of cotton production into six
broadly distinct processes, including fallow, planting, in-crop, irriga-
tion, harvesting and post harvest. This enables both the total energy
inputs and the energy usage of each production processes to be
assessed. This framework is later implemented and incorporated into
an online energy assessment tool (EnergyCalc). Using the developed
software, seven farm audits are conducted. It is found that overall,
depending on the management and operation methods adopted, the
total energy inputs for these farms range from 3.7 to 15.2 GJ/ha of
primary energy, which corresponds to $80310/ha and 2751404 kg CO
2
equivalent/ha greenhouse gas emissions. Among all the farming
practices, irrigation water energy use is found to be the highest and
is typically 4060% of total energy costs. Energy use of the harvesting
operation is also significant, accounting for approximately 20% of
overall direct energy use. If a farmer moves from conventional tillage to
minimum tillage, there is a potential saving of around 10% of the
overall fuel used on the farm. Compared with cotton, energy usage by
other crops are generally much smaller, due to less intensive manage-
ment practices, and reduced irrigation requirements.
09/02172 Early detection of stator voltage imbalance in
three-phase induction motors
Samsi, R. et al. Electric Power Systems Research, 2009, 79, (1), 239
245.
Online health monitoring of electric motors is of paramount interest to
various applications. As the operation of industrial processes becomes
more complex, the cost of health monitoring increases dramatically. To
Fuel and Energy Abstracts September 2009 337
09 Process heating, power and incineration (energy applications in industry)
this end, much efforts have been directed towards enhancement of
fault diagnostics and prognostics in electric motors, largely based on
conventional signal processing and pattern classification. This paper
formulates and experimentally validates a recently reported technique,
called symbolic dynamic filtering (SDF), for early detection of stator
voltage imbalance in three-phase induction motors. The SDF-based
imbalance detection algorithm is built upon the principles of wavelet
transforms and symbolic time series analysis.
09/02173 Effects of energy policies on industry expansion
in renewable energy
Lund, P. D. Renewable Energy, 2009, 34, (1), 5364.
Energy policies may lead to important industrial outcomes. This paper
investigates the impacts of energy policies on industry growth in
renewable energy. Research tools employed include the commerciali-
zation process, value chain analysis, and empirical case studies.
Different renewable energy technologies and geographical regions
are considered covering over 50% of the world markets of the
technology fields considered. Market deployment measures that
enhance home markets of domestic industries will in most cases lead
to growing industrial activities. Irrespective of the domestic market
situation, pure investment or R&D support alone to already strong
industries in related fields may be powerful to help with diversification
into sustainable energy business. Several exogenous factors such as
timing, size factors, geography, etc. will influence both the industrial
and policy positioning in practice. The results indicate that there are
increased industrial opportunities in renewable energy to be captured
not only by large countries or through large public resources, but also
smaller countries can gain success through clever policies and optimal
managing of the commercialization process.
09/02174 Exergy analyses and parametric optimizations for
different cogeneration power plants in cement industry
Wang, J. et al. Applied Energy, 2009, 86, (6), 941948.
The cement production is an energy intensive industry with energy
typically accounting for 5060% of the production costs. In order to
recover waste heat from the preheater exhaust and clinker cooler
exhaust gases in cement plant, single flash steam cycle, dual-pressure
steam cycle, organic Rankine cycle and the Kalina cycle are used for
cogeneration in cement plant. The exergy analysis for each cogenera-
tion system is examined, and a parameter optimization for each
cogeneration system is achieved by means of genetic algorithm to reach
the maximum exergy efficiency. The optimum performances for
different cogeneration systems are compared under the same con-
dition. The results show that the exergy losses in turbine, condenser,
and heat recovery vapour generator are relatively large, and reducing
the exergy losses of these components could improve the performance
of the cogeneration system. Compared with other systems, the Kalina
cycle could achieve the best performance in cement plant.
09/02175 Natural gas combined cycle power plant modified
into an O
2
/CO
2
cycle for CO
2
capture
Amann, J.-M. et al. Energy Conversion and Management, 2009, 50, (3),
510521.
Reduction of greenhouse gas emissions is becoming essential for
struggling against global warming. Priority has been given to sources
where carbon dioxide (CO
2
) emissions are the largest and the most
concentrated. Power plants using fossil fuels offer a great opportunity
of applying CO
2
recovery processes. The O
2
/CO
2
cycle is an interesting
option since CO
2
concentration in the flue gas is highly increased. This
cycle has been applied to a natural gas combined cycle (NGCC) using
an advanced gas turbine (GE9H). The aim of this study is to assess by
simulation the energy and environmental performances of this new
type of power plant. The oxygen required is produced by an air
separation unit (ASU) that can deliver oxygen with a purity ranging
between 85 and 97 mol.%. A CO
2
recovery process based on a
cryogenic separation of carbon dioxide from inert gases has been
designed and assessed. The impact of CO
2
capture has been calculated
with the Aspen plus
TM
software. With an O
2
purity of 90 mol.% and an
85% CO
2
recovery rate, the net electrical efficiency reaches 51.3%
[based on the low heating value (LHV)]. This corresponds to an
efficiency loss of 8.1%-points in comparison with the base case. The
quantity of avoided CO
2
is about 280 g kW
1
h
1
. These results have
been compared with a conventional amine scrubbing applied to a
NGCC. With a lean CO
2
loading of 0.16 mol CO
2
/mol amine, this
process leads to a net electrical efficiency of 49.1% (LHV). The
conversion into an O
2
/CO
2
cycle seems to be more efficient than amine
scrubbing but more difficult to implement because of the specific gas
turbine.
09/02176 Optimal operation of a micro-combined cooling,
heating and power system driven by a gas engine
Kong, X. Q. et al. Energy Conversion and Management, 2009, 50, (3),
530538.
The objective of this paper is to investigate the problem of energy
management and optimal operation of cogeneration system for micro-
combined cooling, heating and power production (CCHP). The energy
system mainly consists of a gas engine, an adsorption chiller, a gas
boiler, a heat exchanger and an electric chiller. On the basis of an
earlier experimental research of the micro-CCHP system, a non-linear-
programming cost-minimization optimization model is presented to
determine the optimum operational strategies for the system. It is
shown that energy management and optimal operation of the micro-
CCHP system is dependent upon load conditions to be satisfied and
energy cost. In view of energy cost, it would not be optimal to operate
the gas engine when the electric-to-gas cost ratio (EGCR) is very low.
With higher EGCR, the optimum operational strategy of the micro-
CCHP system is independent of energy cost.
09/02177 Optimum conditions for a natural gas combined
cycle power generation system based on available oxygen
when using biomass as supplementary fuel
Gnanapragasam, N. V. et al. Energy, 2009, 34, (6), 816826.
Due to the higher oxygen content and lower heating value, the amount
of biomass required in a combined cycle, where it is used as
supplementary fuel, to meet a given energy demand is such that the
biomass consumes almost all of the oxygen remaining from gas turbine
combustion process under certain conditions. This situation requires
additional air for biomass combustion thus reducing the cycle efficiency
and the network output rate while increasing carbon dioxide emissions.
Three conditions at which the oxygen is completely consumed are
identified based on alterations in net fuel utilization. The first
condition is linked to fuel utilization, which is observed to be
significantly affected by variations in temperatures at three locations
in the combined cycle (air temperature entering the gas turbine
combustion chamber, gas turbine inlet temperature and HRSG inlet
temperatures). The second condition relates to the characteristics of
the feedstock (oxygen content of the biomass and heating value of
natural gas). The heat loss due to combustion of natural gas and
biomass is the third condition that affects oxygen availability. The
current work assesses these conditions in order to identify the proper
condition at which no additional air is required for supplementary
firing of biomass.
09/02178 Oxygen carriers for chemical looping combustion
of solid fuels
Rubel, A. et al. Fuel, 2009, 88, (5), 876884.
A thermal analyserdifferential scanning calorimetermass spectro-
meter (TGDSCMS) was used to study oxygen carriers (OC) for their
potential use for the application of chemical looping combustion
(CLC) to solid fuels. Reaction rates, changes in reaction rates with
repeated oxidationreductions, exothermic heats during oxidation, and
the effect of changing reduction gas compositions were studied.
Oxidation rates were greater than reduction rates and reaction rates
were reproducible through multiple oxidationreduction cycles except
where agglomeration occurred with powders. Iron oxide (Fe
2
O
3
powder) and iron-based catalysts were found suitable for CLC of solid
fuels having rapid reduction rates which increased with higher reducing
gas concentrations. Fe
2
O
3
powder was used to oxidize a high carbon
coal char in an inert gas removing 88% of the carbon from the char.
Other properties such as cost and durability indicated iron oxide OCs
potential use for CLC of solid fuels.
09/02179 Potential CO
2
emission reduction for BFBOF
steelmaking based on optimised use of ferrous burden
materials
Wang, C. et al. International Journal of Greenhouse Gas Control, 2009,
3, (1), 2938.
Currently, the blast furnace (BF) to basic oxygen furnace (BOF) is the
dominant steel production route in the steel industry. The direct CO
2
emission in this process system exceeds 1 t of CO
2
/t of crude steel
produced. Different ferrous burden materials, for instance iron ore and
scrap, can be used in various proportions in this steelmaking route.
This paper analyses how energy use, conversion costs, and CO
2
emissions can be influenced by the use of different ferrous burden
materials when producing crude steel. An optimization mixed integer
linear programming (MILP) model has been applied for analysis. By
the use of the optimization model, it is possible to highlight some issues
of special importance, such as best practices to increase production at
low conversion cost, or best practices to increase production at low
CO
2
emission. It is found out that more benefits will be gained when
using the system-oriented analysis to the steelmaking process.
Furthermore, a comprehensive view of the trade-offs between the
objectives of cost and CO
2
can provide useful information for decision-
makers to generate strategies under the future emission trading.
09/02180 Power plant perspectives for sugarcane mills
Bocci, B. et al. Energy, 2009, 34, (5), 689698.
338 Fuel and Energy Abstracts September 2009
09 Process heating, power and incineration (energy applications in industry)
Biomass, integral to life, is one of the main energy sources that modern
technologies could widely develop, overcoming inefficient and pollu-
tant uses. The sugarcane bagasse is one of the more abundant biomass.
Moreover, the fluctuating sugar and energy prices force the sugarcane
companies to implement improved power plants. Thanks to a multiyear
collaboration between University of Rome and University of Piura and
Chiclayo, this paper investigates, starting from the real data of an old
sugarcane plant, the energy efficiency of the plant. Furthermore, it
explores possible improvements as higher temperature and pressure
Rankine cycles and innovative configurations based on gasifier plus hot
gas conditioning and gas turbine or molten carbonate fuel cells. Even if
the process of sugar extraction from sugarcane and the relative
Rankine cycles power plants are well documented in literature, this
paper shows that innovative power plant configurations can increase
the bagasse-based cogeneration potential. Sugarcane companies can
become electricity producers, having convenience in the use of
sugarcane leaves and trash (when it is feasible). The worldwide
implementation of advanced power plants, answering to a market
competition, will improve significantly the renewable electricity
produced, reducing CO
2
emissions, and increasing economic and
social benefits.
09/02181 Risk-constrained dynamic self-scheduling of a
pumped-storage plant in the energy and ancillary service
markets
Kazempour, S. J. et al. Energy Conversion and Management, 2009, 50,
(5), 13681375.
This work addresses a new framework for self-scheduling of an
individual price-taker pumped-storage plant in a day-ahead (DA)
market. The goal is achieving the best trade-off between the expected
profit and the risks when the plant participates in DA energy, spinning
reserve and regulation markets. In this paper, a set of uncertainties
including price forecasting errors and also the uncertainty of power
delivery requests in the ancillary service markets are contemplated.
Considering these uncertainties, a new approach is proposed which is
called dynamic self-scheduling (DSS). This risk-constrained dynamic
self-scheduling problem is therefore formulated and solved as a mixed
integer programming (MIP) problem. Numerical results for a case
study are discussed.
09/02182 Sensitivity analysis of technological, economic
and sustainability evaluation of power plants using the
analytic hierarchy process
Chatzimouratidis, A. I. and Pilavachi, P. A. Energy Policy, 2009, 37,
(3), 788798.
Technological, economic and sustainability evaluation of power plants
by use of the analytic hierarchy process and nine end node criteria for a
reference scenario based on subjective criteria weighting has been
presented in a previous paper by authors. However, criteria weight
variations may substantially modify overall evaluations and rankings of
power plants. The current paper presents a sensitivity analysis with four
alternative scenarios (sets of criteria weights) compared with the
reference scenario. The results show that priority to technology and
sustainability favours renewable energy power plants, while priority to
economic criteria favours mainly nuclear power plants and less the
four types of fossil fuel power plant.
09/02183 Studies on the operation of loop-seal in
circulating fluidized bed boilers
Basu, P. and Butler, J. Applied Energy, 2009, 86, (9), 17231731.
Loop-seal, considered heart of a circulating fluidized bed (CFB),
returns solids captured by cyclone to the base of the riser while
preventing direct flow of gas from high pressure riser to the low-
pressure cyclone. This non-mechanical valve is used in thousands of
CFB systems yet only a limited information is available on its working.
Present research studies the flow of solids through a loop-seal and the
effect of several design and operating parameters on it. This
experimental study was conducted in a loop-seal 110 mm 448 mm
400 mm high connected to a riser 152 mm diameter and 5180 mm
high. Majority of the experiments was done with 171 mm sand though
several other size and type of solids were studied for their flowability. It
was found that for the solids to flow through the loop-seal a minimum
level of aeration, in excess of that required for minimum fluidization
was required. The length of the horizontal passage connecting the
supply and recycle chambers of the loop-seal had an important effect
on the solids flow. For example, the minimum aeration for the onset of
solids flow increases with increase in this length. The pressure drop per
unit length across the passage also increased with the passage length.
The air fed into the supply chamber is split such that the superficial air
velocity in the supply chamber (or the standpipe) remained below the
minimum fluidization velocity of the particles while the remaining air
conveys solids through the horizontal passage. Present study showed
that the solids flowing through the horizontal passage are neither fully
fluidized nor moving packed or suspended solids. It moves as a
segregated flow of solids driven by hydrostatic pressure and fluid drag.
09/02184 Use of alternative hydrogen energy carriers in
SOFCMGT hybrid power plants
Cocco, D. and Tola, V. Energy Conversion and Management, 2009, 50,
(4), 10401048.
Solid oxide fuel cellmicro-gas turbine (SOFC-MGT) hybrid power
plants are a very attractive near-term option, as they achieve
efficiencies of over 60% even for small power outputs (200400 kW).
The SOFC hybrid systems currently developed are fuelled with natural
gas, which is reformed inside the same stack at about 800900

C.
However, the use of alternative fuels with a lower reforming
temperature can improve performance of the hybrid plant. This paper
is concerned with a comparative performance analysis of internally
reformed SOFCMGT power plants fuelled with methane, methanol,
ethanol and DME. Since the reforming temperature of methanol and
DME (250350

C) is significantly lower than that of methane (700

900

C), the performance of externally reformed SOFCMGT power

plants using these fuels has been also evaluated. The comparative
analysis has demonstrated that simply replacing methane with
methanol, ethanol or DME in SOFCMGT power plants with internal
reforming slightly reduces efficiency and power output. However, using
methanol and DME in externally reformed hybrid plants improves
significantly efficiency (by about 4.0% points better than methane for
methanol and 1.5 for DME). The study also shows that external
reforming enhances efficiency on account of improved exhaust waste
heat recovery and of the higher cell voltage produced by the greater
hydrogen partial pressure at the anode inlet.
10 SPACE HEATING AND
COOLING/HEAT PUMPS
09/02185 A new version of a solar water heating system
coupled with a solar water pump
Sutthivirode, K. et al. Applied Energy, 2009, 86, (9), 14231430.
This research target was to improve the thermal efficiency of a solar
water heating system (SWHS) coupled with a built-in solar water
pump. The designed system consists of 1.58-m
2
flat plate solar
collectors, an overhead tank placed at the top level, the larger water
storage tank without a heat exchanger at the lower level, and a one-way
valve for water circulation control. The discharge heads of 1 and 2 m
were tested. The pump could operate at the collector temperature of
about 7090

C and vapour gauge pressure of 1018 kPa. It was found

that water circulation within the SWHS ranged between 15 and 65 l/d
depending upon solar intensity and discharge head. Moreover, the max
water temperature in the storage tank is around 59

C. The max daily

pump efficiency is about 0.0017%. The SWHS could have max daily
thermal efficiency of about 21%. It is concluded that the thermal
efficiency was successfully improved, except for the pump one. The new
SWHS with 1 m discharge head or lower is suitable for residential use.
It adds less weight to a building roof and saves electrical energy for a
circulation pump. It has lower cost compared to a domestic SWHS.
09/02186 A review of gas engine driven heat pumps
(GEHPs) for residential and industrial applications
Hepbasli, A. et al. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 2009, 13,
(1), 8599.
This study considers the promising new techology of gas engine-driven
heat pump (GEHP) systems for residential and industrial applications
in terms of energetic and exergetic aspects. The first investigations into
these systems were performed in the late 1970s, with the first
merchandized GEHP being produced and on the market in 1985.
GEHP systems are now used across the world for various purposes,
although their main use is for space and water heating/cooling.
However, they can also be integrated to industrial applications,
especially for drying. In this study, a brief history of the development
of GEHP systems is provided, followed by a description of the system
operation, with a review and presentation of related studies.
Performance evaluation is then considered for modelled GEHPs using
energy and exergy analysis methods. Finally, an illustrative example is
given, and the results obtained discussed. In addition, a new project on
the integration of GEHP systems to food drying processes in Turkey
initiated by the authors is introduced. It is expected that this
comprehensive study will be very beneficial to everyone involved or
interested in the energetic and exergetic design, simulation, analysis
and performance of assessment of GEHP systems.
09/02187 Analyses of ice slurry formation using direct
contact heat transfer
Hawlader, M. N. A. and Wahed, M. A. Applied Energy, 2009, 86, (78),
11701178.
Fuel and Energy Abstracts September 2009 339
10 Space heating and cooling/heat pumps
In the present study, ice slurry is produced by direct contact heat
transfer between water and a coolant, Fluroinert FC 84. An analytical
model has been developed to predict the growth of ice around the
injected supercooled coolant droplets, which involves phase change
and heat transfer between layers. During the journey of the coolant
droplets through the ice generator, detachment of ice layer formed on
the droplets occurs. Equations have been development to describe the
process of detachment. Experiments were performed to validate the
model developed to predict the ice generation. Parametric studies were
then carried out on ice growth rate for different variables, such as
droplet diameters and initial liquid temperatures. Both droplet
diameters and initial liquid temperatures play an important role in
the ice formation around the supercooled liquid surface. Ice growth
rate increases with the increase of the droplet diameter, while the
growth rate decreases with the increase of the initial temperature of the
liquid droplet. For an ice slurry system, it is found that the predicted
values of ice slurry generation are in good agreement with the
experimental findings.
09/02188 Analysis of ground source heat pumps with
horizontal ground heat exchangers for northern Japan
Tarnawski, V. R. et al. Renewable Energy, 2009, 34, (1), 127134.
Computer simulation and analysis of a ground source heat pump
system with horizontal ground heat exchangers operating in heating
(max 5.5 kW) and cooling (max 3.3 kW) mode was carried out for a
typical residential house, with 200 m
2
of living space, located in
Sapporo (Japan). In spite of high electricity rate, the ground source
heat pump system is more beneficial alternative for space heating than
an oil furnace and an electric resistance system. Besides, the heat pump
technology offers relatively low thermal degradation of the ground
environment, lower cost of heating and cooling, higher operating
efficiency than electric resistance heating or air-source heat pump and
is environmentally clean, i.e. without greenhouse gas emission, if the
electricity is generated from renewable energy resources, such as wind
and solar. The use of the cooling mode can provide further benefits like
a shorter investment payback and human thermal comfort in summer.
As a result, application of horizontal loops for new and retrofit
residential and commercial use in northern Japan is feasible
particularly in farmland areas.
09/02189 Chinese kang as a domestic heating system in
rural northern China a review
Zhuang, Z. et al. Energy and Buildings, 2009, 41, (1), 111119.
The Chinese kang is an ancient integrated home system for cooking,
sleeping, domestic heating and ventilation. It is still widely used today
in nearly 85% of rural homes in northern China. In 2004, there were 67
million kangs used by 175 million people. Existing kang designs are
mostly based on the intuition and accumulation of craftsman
experience. There is a trend that Chinese kang is gradually replaced
by bed and coal-burning radiators, domestic heating stoves, etc. using
commercial energy. As rural building heating constitutes 25% of total
building energy consumption in China, it is considered that the
transition and new technologies for rural home heating in northern
China is crucial for managing future building energy consumption in
China. This paper reviews the basic heat transfer and airflow principles
of Chinese kang, as well as describing the traditional grounded kang
and the relatively new elevated kang. The thermal performance of the
kang is shown by data from literature and field surveys. The future of
Chinese kang and research needs is also briefly discussed. There is also
a need for scientific study in addition to experience accumulation, to
form basis for engineering design.
09/02190 Comparison between hot-gas bypass defrosting
and reverse-cycle defrosting methods on an air-to-water
heat pump
Huang, D. et al. Applied Energy, 2009, 86, (9), 16971703.
Frost build-up blocks the gap between fins and decreases the airflow
rate, and the heating capacity and COP of air-source heat pump
become lower. The reverse-cycle defrosting (RCD) and hot-gas bypass
defrosting HGBD are the two common methods of frost removal. The
comparison between the RCD and HGBD methods on one heat pump
were not found by authors up to now. This paper compared the
dynamic characteristics during the RCD and HGBD periods on one
medium air-to-water heat pump of 55 kW. The feasibility of the
HGBD method without heat provided to evaporate the liquid
refrigerant after melting frost, which was supposed in the danger of
the compressor liquid slugging, was especially discussed. The results
showed the liquid refrigerant leaving the air cooled coils for the HGBD
method was trapped in the suction accumulator and flashed into the
saturated gas by the compressor pumping action, and no compressor
liquid slugging happened in the tests. The HGBD time was much
longer than the RCD time. The amenity for the HGBD method was
better than that for the RCD method, due to lower refrigerant noise,
smaller indoor temperature fluctuation, and no cold blowing. The
suction superheat and discharge superheat for the HGBD method were
lower than those for the RCD method. The HGBD could overcome the
main disadvantages of the RCD method and deserved the further
investigation.
09/02191 Design and experimental investigation of portable
solar thermoelectric refrigerator
Abdul-Wahab, S. A. et al. Renewable Energy, 2009, 34, (1), 3034.
The main objective of this study is to design and build an affordable
solar thermoelectric refrigerator for the Bedouin people (e.g. deserts)
living in remote parts of Oman where electricity is still not available.
The refrigerator could be used to store perishable items and facilitate
the transportation of medications as well as biological material that
must be stored at low temperatures to maintain effectiveness. The
design of the solar-powered refrigerator is based on the principles of a
thermoelectric module (i.e. Peltier effect) to create a hot side and a
cold side. The cold side of the thermoelectric module is utilized for
refrigeration purposes; provide cooling to the refrigerator space. On
the other hand, the heat from the hot side of the module is rejected to
ambient surroundings by using heat sinks and fans. The designed solar
thermoelectric refrigerator was experimentally tested for the cooling
purpose. The results indicated that the temperature of the refrigeration
was reduced from 27

C to 5

C in approximately 44 min. The

coefficient of performance of the refrigerator (COP
R
) was calculated
and found to be about 0.16.
09/02192 Design and performance prediction of an
adsorption heat pump with multi-cooling tubes
Wang, D. C. and Zhang, J. P. Energy Conversion and Management,
2009, 50, (5), 11571162.
Widespread application of adsorption heat pumps has been delayed
not only by poor heat and mass transfer performance but also by low
operating reliability because high vacuum must be maintained in the
adsorption cooling system, especially in a water system. An adsorption
cooling tube is a tube in which an adsorber, a condenser and an
evaporator are all completely housed to construct a small scale
adsorption cooling unit. In this work, an adsorption cooling tube and
an adsorption heat pump with multi-cooling tubes are designed. A
theoretical model is built to simulate the performance of the designed
chiller. According to the results, the coefficient of performance and
specific cooling power reach about 0.5 and 85 W/kg adsorbent,
respectively, at the hot water temperature of 85

C. These results
indicate that the designed heat pump in this work would provide a
better choice if the operating reliability became crucial for an
adsorption heat pump.
09/02193 Empirical correlation for the time lag of double
pipe heat exchanger operating with variable flow rates
Guellal, M. and Abdesselam, H. Energy Conversion and Management,
2009, 50, (4), 970976.
The behaviour of a heat exchanger in a variable regime can be
described by a two-parameter model with a time lag and a time
constant. In many studies, the analytical calculation based on the
energy balance permitted to express the time constant in various
configurations of the device operating. However, the time lag is only
experimentally determined. An empirical method is proposed for the
prediction of this parameter when a double pipe heat exchanger is
submitted to a flow rate step at the entrance. Experimental data are
used for developing correlations of both hot and cold fluids.
09/02194 Energy and environmental indicators related to
construction of office buildings
Dimoudi, A. and Tompa, C. Resources, Conservation and Recycling,
2008, 53, (12), 8695.
The construction of buildings has a major determining role on the
environment through consumption of land and raw materials and
generation of waste. It is also a significant user of non-renewable
energy and an emitter of greenhouse gases and other gaseous wastes.
As environmental issues continue to become increasingly significant,
buildings become more energy efficient and the energy needs for their
operation decreases. Thus, the energy required for construction and
consequently, for the material production, is getting of greater
importance. The present paper investigates the role of different
construction materials and quantifies them in terms of the embodied
energy and the equivalent emissions of CO
2
and SO
2
in contemporary
office buildings. It also assesses the importance of the embodied energy
of the buildings structure as compared to the operational energy of the
building. It was shown that the embodied energy of the structures
building materials (concrete and reinforcement steel) represents the
largest component in the buildings total embodied energy of the
examined buildings, varying from 66.73% to 59.57%, while the
embodied energy of the building envelopes materials represents a
lower but significant proportion of the buildings total embodied
energy. When the construction elements are examined, the slabs have
the higher contribution at the embodied energy of the studied buildings
and from the envelope elements, the external wall is contributing the
340 Fuel and Energy Abstracts September 2009
10 Space heating and cooling/heat pumps
maximum in the overall embodied energy of the building. The
embodied energy correspondence varies between 12.55 and 18.50%
of the energy needed for the operation of an office building over a
50 years life.
09/02195 Energy performance optimization of radiant slab
cooling using building simulation and field measurements
Tian, Z. and Love, J. A. Energy and Buildings, 2009, 41, (3), 320330.
Few field studies of energy performance of radiant cooling systems
have been undertaken. A recently constructed 17,500 m
2
building with
a multi-floor radiant slab cooling system in the tower was investigated
through simulation calibrated with measured building energy use and
meteorological data. For the very cold, dry region where the building
was located, it was found that a typical floor of the tower would have
had 30% lower annual energy use with a conventional variable air
volume system than with the as-built radiant cooling-variable air
volume combination. This was due to (1) simultaneous heating and
cooling by the existing radiant cooling and air systems, (2) the large
amount of free cooling possible in this climate, and (3) suboptimal
control settings. If these issues were remedied and combined with
improved envelope and a dedicated outdoor air system with exhaust air
heat recovery, a typical floor could achieve annual energy use 80%
lower than a typical floor of the existing building HVAC system. This
shows that radiant thermal control can make a significant contribution
to energy-efficiency, but only if the building design and operating
practices complement the strengths of the radiant system.
09/02196 Evaluation of alternative arrangements of a heat
pump system for plume abatement in a large-scale chiller
plant in a subtropical region
Wang, J. et al. Energy and Buildings, 2009, 41, (6), 596606.
Heat pumps could be used to produce hot water for hybrid cooling
towers for preventing the occurrence of plume in subtropical regions.
The evaporative side of the heat pump system could be arranged either
at the inlet side or at the outlet side of these cooling towers for cooling
down the cooling water temperature. Alternatively, the evaporative
side of the heat pump system could also be arranged at the evaporative
side of chillers to reduce return chilled water temperature and
therefore to reduce the cooling load of chillers. This study presents
the evaluation of the impacts of these three arrangements of the heat
pump system on the plume control performance and the energy
performance in a large-scale chiller plant in Hong Kong. The
performance prediction and evaluation of the chiller plant and the
plume abatement system were conducted on a dynamic simulation
platform. The results show that these three arrangements have almost
the same plume control performance with sufficient plume control
capability. The results also show that the arrangement of the
evaporative side of the heat pump system for cooling down return
chilled water temperature has much better performance that the other
two arrangements for improving the overall energy efficiency.
09/02197 Experimental performance evaluation of a novel
heat exchanger for a solar hot water storage system
Deb Mondol, J. et al. Applied Energy, 2009, 86, (9), 14921505.
The performance of a novel heat exchanger unit (Solasyphon)
developed for a solar hot water storage system was experimentally
investigated. The Solasyphon is a simple bolt-on heat exchange unit
that can be integrated externally to a traditional single-coil hot water
cylinder (HWC) avoiding the costly replacement of an existing HWC
with a twin-coil HWC. The installation cost of a Solasyphon is lower
compared to a traditional HWC thus offers greater cost effectiveness.
A data acquisition system was designed to compare the thermal
performance of an integrated Solasyphon HWC with a traditional
twin-coil HWC under controlled simulated conditions. The analysis
was based on experimental data collected under various operating
conditions including different primary supply temperatures (solar
simulated); primary supply patterns and draw off patterns. The results
indicated that the Solasyphon delivered solar heated water directly to
the top of the HWC producing a stratified supply at a useable
temperature. Under variable solar conditions the Solasyphon would
transfer the heat gained by a solar collector to a HWC more efficiently
and quickly than a traditional HWC. The Solasyphon system can
reduce installation costs by 1040% and has a lower embodied energy
content due to less material replacement.
09/02198 Experimental study of the performance of porous
materials to moderate the roof surface temperature by its
evaporative cooling effect
Wanphen, S. and Nagano, K. Building and Environment, 2009, 44, (2),
338351.
The change of urban surfaces from permeable to impermeable
materials, i.e. asphalt or concrete, has caused the rising of surface
temperatures, particularly in densely developed cities. The conse-
quences of this problem lead to higher energy consumption, especially
for cooling purposes and other environment related issues. This paper
aims to investigate the performance of several non-porous and porous
potential roofing materials, to determine which ones might best be
used to create a more effective system by utilizing their moisture
absorption and evaporation capabilities. Here, four kinds of materials
pebbles, silica sand, volcanic ash, and siliceous shale were tested to
evaluate their moisture and thermal performance, including the effects
from different particle sizes. First, the necessary physical properties
and pore characteristics were obtained. Thus, each material, under
simple boundary conditions, was evaluated in an evaporation exper-
iment, to determine comparative moisture and thermal behaviour.
Next, cyclic experimentation was conducted, in which variations of
temperature, relative humidity and simulated solar radiation were
included. The measurement results showed that porous materials can
satisfactorily lower surface temperature. Among the tested
samples, siliceous shale of both small and large particle diameter was
found to lower the daily average surface temperature by up to 6.8 and
8.6

C, respectively. The better performance of large size particles

could possibly be caused by the ventilation occurring within the
material layers and high solar penetration through the large gaps
between particles, which would release more latent heat when
compared to materials of smaller particle size. Finally, analysis of
surface energy balance suggested that water contents, solar absorptiv-
ity, and wind effects all have significant influences on cooling the
surface temperature.
09/02199 Fast simulation of temperature distribution in air
conditioned rooms by using proper orthogonal
decomposition
Sempey, A. et al. Building and Environment, 2009, 44, (2), 280289.
Real-time control of air-conditioning needs dynamic models of
temperature distribution and air velocity field in rooms. Complete
models, based on computational fluid dynamics (CFD), give this
information, but they are too time-consuming for real-time appli-
cations. Therefore, a reduced model is needed. In mixed convection,
when the air temperature has negligible variations, the velocity field
may be considered fixed. In this case, the size of a CFD model may be
reduced by solving only the energy balance equation, then putting this
equation in the form of state-space and finally by reducing its order by
proper orthogonal decomposition (POD). This algorithm was applied
to a room equipped with a fan coil. Four fixed airflow fields,
corresponding to negligible air temperature variation, were considered,
resulting in four airflow patterns: the air jet sticks to the ceiling and
reaches the opposite wall, the air jet falls before reaching the opposite
wall, the air jet reaches the ceiling without extending along it, and the
air jet falls before reaching the ceiling. The reduced model obtained
from these airflow patterns was validated by comparing with CFD
results for step variation of inlet temperature. As the order of the
reduced model is always lower than seven, it may be used for real-time
control applications.
09/02200 High latent heat storage and high thermal
conductive phase change materials using exfoliated
graphite nanoplatelets
Kim, S. and Drzal, L. W. Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells, 2009,
93, (1), 136142.
Using exfoliated graphite nanoplatelets (xGnP), paraffin/xGnP com-
posite phase change materials (PCMs) were prepared by the stirring of
xGnP in liquid paraffin for high electric conductivity, thermal
conductivity and latent heat storage. xGnP of 1, 2, 3, 5 and 7 wt%
was added to pure paraffin at 75

C. Scanning electron microscopy

(SEM) morphology showed uniform dispersion of xGnP in the paraffin
wax. Good dispersion of xGnP in paraffin/xGnP composite PCMs led
to high electric conductivity. The percolation threshold of paraffin/
xGnP composite PCMs was between 1 and 2 wt% in resistivity
measurement. The thermal conductivity of paraffin/xGnP composite
PCMs was increased as xGnP loading contents. Also, reproducibility of
paraffin/xGnP composite PCMs as continuous PCMs was manifested in
results of electric and thermal conductivity. Paraffin/xGnP composite
PCMs showed two peaks in the heating curve by differential scanning
calorimeter (DSC) measurement. The first phase change peak at
around 35

C is lower and corresponds to the solidsolid phase

transition of the paraffin, and the second peak is high at around
55

C, corresponding to the solidliquid phase change. The latent heat

of paraffin/xGnP composite PCMs did not decrease as loading xGnP
contents to paraffin. xGnP can be considered as an effective heat-
diffusion promoter to improve thermal conductivity of PCMs without
reducing its latent heat storage capacity in paraffin wax.
09/02201 Integral treatment of coupled heat and mass
transfer by natural convection from a cylinder in porous
media
Singh, B. B. and Chandarki, I. M. International Communications in
Heat and Mass Transfer, 2009, 36, (3), 269273.
Fuel and Energy Abstracts September 2009 341
10 Space heating and cooling/heat pumps
This paper deals with the study of the buoyancy induced heat and mass
transfer from a slender body of revolution embedded in a saturated
porous medium. The study has reported the important case of a
cylinder with linear temperature and concentration distributions. The
governing parameters for the problem under study are buoyancy ratio
(N) and Lewis number (Le). The numerical values of local Nusselt and
local Sherwood numbers have also been computed for a wide range of
N and Le. The results pertaining to the variations of local Nusselt
number, local Sherwood number, N and Le with one another have been
studied graphically, and it has been concluded that the local Nusselt
number decreases while the local Sherwood number increases along
with N>0 for increasing Lewis number. The local Nusselt number
decreases while the local Sherwood number increases along with Le for
positive values of N. Also the boundary layer thickness ratio decreases
along with Le for N!0. In this study, an integral method of Von-
Karman type has been used in order to obtain mathematical
expressions for local Nusselt and local Sherwood numbers.
09/02202 Investigation into performance of a heat pipe with
micro grooves fabricated by extrusionploughing process
Wang, X. et al. Energy Conversion and Management, 2009, 50, (5),
13841388.
Constrained by the micro geometry structure, a heat pipe with groove
shaped capillary structure fabricated by the traditional method always
shows smaller heat transfer limits. This study considers heat pipes
fabricated by a novel extrusionploughing process. Because of the
extrusion from tools, two kinds of grooves, namely a leading groove and
a secondary groove, are formed in this kind of heat pipe. This feature
will polish the geometry structure of an ordinary heat pipe. Consider-
ing the fact of the parallel combination of these two kinds of grooves,
improvement on the heat transfer performance can be expected. By
experiments, the empirical mathematical regression equations relating
the fabrication parameter to the geometry groove dimensions and the
theoretical calculation of heat transfer limits are established here. The
results show that the heat pipe fabricated by the extrusionploughing
process exhibits larger heat transfer limits when the work temperature
ranges from 340 to 390 K.
09/02203 Ion-exchanged and salt hydrates-encapsulated
zeolites for solar refrigeration
Cindrella, L. and Dyer, A. Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells,
2009, 93, (2), 161166.
Solar refrigeration is the best method of utilization of solar energy due
to the in-phase relationship between the availability of the solar
radiation and the refrigeration requirements. Zeolites with their water
content and ion-exchange capability can be used as the material for
solar refrigeration. This study aims at further enhancement in the
adsorption refrigeration capacity of zeolite by salt hydrate encapsula-
tion. Ion-exchanged and salt hydrate encapsulated zeolites are
prepared and characterized for their application as potential candi-
dates in solar refrigeration. A sorption machine has been constructed
with the salt-encapsulated zeolite and the results highlight the
enhanced suitability of the salt-encapsulated zeolites for solar
refrigeration.
09/02204 Laboratory research on combined cooling,
heating and power (CCHP) systems
Fu, L. et al. Energy Conversion and Management, 2009, 50, (4), 977
982.
Combined cooling, heating and power (CCHP) systems offer the
potential for a significant increase in fuel use efficiency by generating
electricity onsite and recycling the exhaust gas for heating, cooling, or
dehumidifying. A challenge for CCHP system is the efficient
integration of distributed generation (DG) equipment with thermally
activated (TA) technologies. The China Ministry of Science and
Technology and Tsinghua University launched the 863 Hi-Tech
Program in 2007 to focus on laboratory and demonstration research
to study the critical issues of CCHP systems, advance the technology
and accelerate its application. The research performed at the Building
Energy Research Center (BERC) Laboratory focuses on assessing the
operational performance and energy efficiency of the integration of
current DG and TA technologies; developing and verifying mathemat-
ical models of the individual devices and all the systems. The test
laboratory is a flexible test-bed for the configuration of DG (presently a
70-kW natural gas-fired internal combustion engine (ICE) with various
heat recovery units, such as an flue gas-to-water heat recovery unit
(FWRU), a jacket water heat recovery unit (JRU), liquid desiccant
dehumidification systems (LDS), an exhaust-gas-driven double-effect
absorption heat pump (EDAHP), and a condensation heat recovery
unit (CRU)). In the winter, the exhaust gas from the ICE is used in the
FWRU or used to drive the EDAHP directly, and the exhaust gas from
the EDAHP is used in the CRU. The water flows from the CRU can be
directed to the evaporator side of the EDAHP as the low-grade heat
source. The water flows from the condensation side of the EDAHP, in
conjunction with the jacket water flows from the JRU, is used for
heating. In the summer, the exhaust gas from the ICE is used to drive
the EDAHP for cooling directly, the exhaust gas from the EDAHP is
bypassed to the exit via automated damper controls. The waste heat of
the jacket water is used to drive the liquid desiccant dehumidification
systems, to realize the separate control of heat and humidity. The
automated damper is used in order to test various configurations and
operating modes. The testing results show that the operating
parameters and efficiencies of the overall system depend on different
configurations. Under certain combinations of CCHP, the efficiency of
the overall system can be as high as 90% (based on lower heating value
of the natural gas).
09/02205 Modelling earth-to-air heat exchanger behaviour
with the convolutive response factors method
Tittelein, P. et al. Applied Energy, 2009, 86, (9), 16831691.
This paper shows a new numerical model of earth-to-air heat
exchanger. The system is discretized into n sections perpendicular to
the exchanger pipe. In each section, the problem of conduction is
solved using response factors method in order to reduce computational
time. Each response factor is calculated using a finite elements program
that solves 2D conduction problems. The particularity of this problem
is that the time-constants are very high, making it impossible to use
conventional properties of response factors to reduce the number of
calculations. A new approach is set out to solve this particular
problem. Heat flux entering the pipe is then expressed as a function of
the temperature of the air crossing the pipe and the external
solicitations. A heat balance is then applied for each layer to find the
resulting outlet air temperature. The model is then compared to an
analytical model and a 3D model based on the dynamic finite volume
approach. Finally an example of coupling between an earth-to-air heat
exchanger and a low-consumption building is presented.
09/02206 Modelling the carbon-saving performance of
domestic ground-source heat pumps
Jenkins, D. P. et al. Energy and Buildings, 2009, 41, (6), 587595.
A ground-source heat pump (GSHP) model is formulated and used to
estimate the potential of a domestic GSHP as a carbon-saving
technology (compared to a conventional gas boiler) with actual thermal
data for a dwelling in the UK. The model shows good agreement with
current sizing guidelines but shows possible barriers to the carbon-
savings (and running cost savings) of GSHPs. This includes an analysis
of output temperatures, system sizes and grid CO
2
intensity. The model
suggests that GSHPs should be aimed towards a new-build market
(rather than retrofit) due to the likely reliance on high surface area/low
temperature distribution systems. Also, grid CO
2
intensity needs to be
better understood when estimating the electrical consumption CO
2
emissions of GSHPs, both for current and future scenarios.
09/02207 Numerical simulation of cooling performance of
wind tower (Baud-Geer) in hot and arid region
Kalantar, V. Renewable Energy, 2009, 34, (1), 246254.
In the present study, an attempt is made to study the cooling
performance of a wind tower in a hot and dry region, Yazd, in Iran.
For the relevant experiments and numerical studies, at first, the
temperature and wind velocity inside and outside of the wind tower
measured. Based on four-day measurements during last summer, a
computer program was designed with language C
++
to solve the
equations. Also in the study the effects of parameters including wind
tower height, variety of the materials used in the wind tower walls, the
amount of vaporized water, the temperature of input and output air,
the wind velocity and the relative humidity were investigated.
Furthermore, to develop, a natural flow of air, for days without
blowing a wind the role of solar chimney was considered. Finally, to
evaluate the method of integral view and take information about
streamlines of airflow in wind tower (Baud-Geer), velocity, pressure,
humidity, temperature and density profile of fluid, Fluent software is
applied to analyse the air flow in the wind tower in differential view for
three-dimensional and steady state conditions with water spraying at
the top of wind tower. The results indicate that the evaporative cooling
is very effective in a hot and dry region. The temperature decreases
considerably, if the wind towers are equipped with the water
vaporization system. This causes the air becomes heavier and a natural
motion of air through downside of wind tower to be produced.
09/02208 Optimization for ice-storage air-conditioning
system using particle swarm algorithm
Lee, W.-S. et al. Applied Energy, 2009, 86, (9), 15891595.
Ice-storage air-conditioning system, while known for its advantage of
shifting power consumption at peak hours during the day to the
nighttime, can increase both energy consumption and CO
2
emission.
The study adopts particle swarm algorithm to facilitate optimization of
ice-storage air-conditioning systems and to develop optimal operating
strategies, using minimal life-cycle cost as the objective function.
Increase in power consumption and CO
2
emission triggered by the use
of ice-storage air-conditioning system is also examined and analysed.
342 Fuel and Energy Abstracts September 2009
10 Space heating and cooling/heat pumps
Case study is based on a typical air-conditioning system in an office
building. Results indicate that, with proper parameters, particle swarm
algorithm can be effectively applied to the optimization of ice-storage
air-conditioning system. In addition, optimal capacity of the ice-storage
tank can be obtained. However, the volume of power consumption and
CO
2
emission rises with the increase in ice-storage tank capacity.
Consideration of additional costs of power consumption like carbon tax
can therefore lead to changes in the optimal system configuration.
09/02209 Performance characteristics of a quantum Diesel
refrigeration cycle
He, J. et al. Energy Conversion and Management, 2009, 50, (4), 933937.
The Diesel refrigeration cycle using an ideal quantum gas as the
working substance is called quantum Diesel refrigeration cycle, which
is different from Carnot, Ericsson, Brayton, Otto and Stirling
refrigeration cycles. For ideal quantum gases, a corrected equation of
state, which considers the quantum behaviour of gas particles, is used
instead of the classical one. The purpose of this paper is to investigate
the effect of quantum gas as the working substance on the performance
of a quantum Diesel refrigeration cycle. It is found that coefficients of
performance of the cycle are not affected by the quantum degeneracy
of the working substance, which is the same as that of the classical
Diesel refrigeration cycle. However, the refrigeration load is different
from those of the classical Diesel refrigeration cycle. Lastly, the
influence of the quantum degeneracy on the performance character-
istics of the quantum Diesel refrigeration cycle operated in different
temperature regions is discussed.
09/02210 Performance prediction of a direct expansion
solar assisted heat pump using artificial neural networks
Mohanraj, M. et al. Applied Energy, 2009, 86, (9), 14421449.
This paper presents the suitability of artificial neural network (ANN)
to predict the performance of a direct expansion solar assisted heat
pump (DXSAHP). The experiments were performed under the
meteorological conditions of Calicut city (latitude of 11.15

N,
longitude of 75.49

E) in India. The performance parameters such as

power consumption, heating capacity, energy performance ratio and
compressor discharge temperature of a DXSAHP obtained from the
experimentation at different solar intensities and ambient tempera-
tures are used as training data for the network. The back propagation
learning algorithm with three different variants [such as: Lavenberg
Marguardt (LM), scaled conjugate gradient (SCG) and Pola-Ribiere
conjugate gradient (CGP)] and logistic sigmoid transfer function were
used in the network. The results showed that LM with 10 neurons in
the hidden layer is the most suitable algorithm with maximum
correlation coefficients (R
2
) of 0.999, minimum root mean square
(RMS) value and low coefficient of variance (COV). The reported
results conformed that the use of ANN for performance prediction of
DXSAHP is acceptable.
09/02211 Performance study of a consolidated manganese
chlorideexpanded graphite compound for sorption deep-
freezing processes
Li, T. X. et al. Applied Energy, 2009, 86, (78), 12011209.
A consolidated composite sorbent made from manganese chloride and
expanded graphite was produced for sorption deep-freezing processes
and used for cold production at a temperature as low as 35

C.
Experimental results showed that the addition of a porous graphite
matrix can prevent the agglomeration and the attenuation of sorption
capacity of reactive salt. The composite sorbent could incorporate
0.537 kg of ammonia per kg of reactive salt and the average specific
cooling power (SCP) obtained varied between 200 and 700 Wkg
1
when the evaporation temperature ranged from 35

C to 0

C. The
analysis of the data suggested that the heat transfer characteristic in the
composite sorbent was strongly influenced by chemical reaction and
the conversion rate was very sensitive to the constraint temperatures.
The SCP and coefficient of performance of a simple sorption deep-
freezing system were 350 Wkg
1
and 0.34, respectively, at the
generation temperature of 180

C, the heat sink temperature of 25

C
and the evaporation temperature of 30

C.
09/02212 Phase change behaviour of some latent heat
storage media based on calcium chloride hexahydrate
Carlsson, B. Solar Energy, 2009, 83, (4), 485500.
Phase change behaviour of pure and some chemically modified calcium
chloride hexahydrate materials suggested in the literature as suitable
heat storage media was studied in storage systems with a low degree of
mixing in order to evaluate their long-term reversibility. The influence
of gravitation on the phase change properties of the pure system was
elaborated by determining local salt concentrations in the liquid phase
and changes in the volume of the system during repeated melting and
crystallization, whereby the amounts of the different phases being
present could be assessed. It was found that thermogravitational effects
are of minor importance in generating salt concentration gradients in
the liquid phase when compared to the concentration gradients
resulting from the sedimentation of the formed tetrahydrate and the
hexahydrate during the phase change reactions. Due to these effects it
was not possible to prevent irreversible tetrahydrate formation and
deterioration in heat storage capability by adding a surplus of water to
the hexahydrate materials, if seeds for the tetrahydrate were present
during repeated melting and crystallization. Upon addition of
SrCl
2
6H
2
O a solid solution of the two hexahydrates is formed and
as a result the formation of the tetrahydrate is suppressed. Due to
irreversible formation of SrCl
2
2H
2
O a state of true congruent melting
seems, however, not possible to reach. Phase segregation effects also in
this case lead to irreversible calcium chloride tetrahydrate formation if
seeds for the latter are added during repeated melting and crystal-
lization. If Ca(OH)
2
is also added, the tetrahydrate formation can be
further suppressed. But, even in this case, irreversible tetrahydrate
formation can not be prevented if the composition of the liquid phase
corresponds to the hexahydrate. On addition of 5 wt% KCl or 5 wt%
KCl +2 wt% SrCl
2
6H
2
O or 5 wt% KCl +0.4 wt% NaCl, repeated
melting and crystallization in the presence of seeds of the tetrahydrate
can, however, be carried out without irreversible formation of the latter
occurs. In the heat storage system CaCl
2
6H
2
O+5 wt% KCl,
formation of tetrahydrate is observed but its rate of dissolution is
found considerably faster than in the pure hexahydrate system. It was
concluded that with those modified calcium chloride hexahydrate
systems reversible phase change cycling can be performed and
therefore there is for example no the need for thickener agents to be
added to avoid irreversible tetrahydrate formation successively redu-
cing heat storage capability of systems in those cases.
09/02213 Review on thermal energy storage with phase
change materials and applications
Sharma, A. et al. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 2009, 13,
(2), 318345.
The use of a latent heat storage system using phase change materials
(PCMs) is an effective way of storing thermal energy and has the
advantages of high-energy storage density and the isothermal nature of
the storage process. PCMs have been widely used in latent heat
thermal-storage systems for heat pumps, solar engineering, and
spacecraft thermal control applications. The uses of PCMs for heating
and cooling applications for buildings have been investigated within the
past decade. There are large numbers of PCMs that melt and solidify at
a wide range of temperatures, making them attractive in a number of
applications. This paper also summarizes the investigation and analysis
of the available thermal energy storage systems incorporating PCMs for
use in different applications.
09/02214 Second law comparison of single effect and
double effect vapour absorption refrigeration systems
Gomri, R. Energy Conversion and Management, 2009, 50, (5), 1279
1287.
In this paper a comparative study between single effect and double
effect absorption refrigeration systems with identical cold output is
carried out. Simulation results were used to study the influence of the
various operating parameters on the performance coefficient, the
thermal loads of the components, exergetic efficiency (rational
efficiency) and the total change in exergy of the two systems. It is
concluded that the COP of double effect system is approximately twice
the COP of single effect system but the exergetic efficiency of double
effect system increase slightly compared to the exergetic efficiency of
single effect system. It is found that for each condenser and evaporator
temperature, there is an optimum generator temperature where the
total change in exergy of the single effect and double effect absorption
refrigeration systems is minimum. At this point the COP and exergetic
efficiency of the systems become maximum. In this study and when the
evaporation temperature is varied from 4

C to 10

C, condenser and
absorber temperatures are varied from 33

C to 39

C and generator
(HPG) temperature is varied from 60

C to 190

C the maximum COP

values of the single effect refrigeration systems are in the range of
0.730.79 and for double effect refrigeration systems are in the range of
1.221.42. The maximum exergetic efficiency values of the single effect
refrigeration systems are in the range of 12.523.2% and for double
effect refrigeration systems are in the range of 14.325.1%.
09/02215 The migration characteristics of nanoparticles in
the pool boiling process of nanorefrigerant and
nanorefrigerantoil mixture
Ding, G. et al. International Journal of Refrigeration, 2009, 31, (1), 114
123.
Migration characteristics of nanoparticles in the pool boiling process of
nanorefrigerant and nanorefrigerantoil mixture are fundamental
knowledge for the application of nanorefrigerants in refrigeration
systems. In this paper, migration characteristics of nanoparticles in the
nanorefrigerantoil mixture as well as in the nanorefrigerant were
experimentally studied and numerically simulated. Experimental
results show that the migrated mass of nanoparticles in the pool
boiling process of both nanorefrigerant and nanorefrigerantoil
Fuel and Energy Abstracts September 2009 343
10 Space heating and cooling/heat pumps
mixture, increase with the increase of the original mass of nanoparticles
and the mass of refrigerant; the migration ratio decreases with the
increase of volume fraction of nanoparticles; the migrated mass of
nanoparticles and migration ratio in the nanorefrigerant are larger
than those in the nanorefrigerantoil mixture. A numerical model,
which can qualitatively well predict the migrated mass of nanoparticles,
was established, and the deviations between the model predictions and
experimental data were in the range of 7.738.4%.
09/02216 The use of helical heat exchanger for heat
recovery domestic water-cooled air-conditioners
Yi, X. and Lee, W. L. Energy Conversion and Management, 2009, 50,
(2), 240246.
An experimental study on the performance of a domestic water-cooled
air-conditioner (WAC) using tube-in-tube helical heat exchanger for
preheating of domestic hot water was carried out. The main aims are to
identify the comprehensive energy performance (space cooling and hot
water preheating) of the WAC and the optimum design of the helical
heat exchanger taking into account the variation in tap water flow rate.
A split-type WAC was set up for experimental study at different indoor
and outdoor conditions. The cooling output, the amount of recovered
heat, and the power consumption for different hot water flow rates
were measured. The experimental results showed that the cooling
coefficient of performance (COP) of the WAC improves with the
inclusion of the heat recovery option by a minimum of 12.3%. This can
be further improved to 20.6% by an increase in tap water flow rate.
Same result was observed for the comprehensive COP of the WAC.
The maximum achievable comprehensive COP was 4.92 when the tap
water flow rate was set at 7.7 L/min. The overall heat transfer
coefficient of the helical heat exchanger under various operating
conditions were determined by Wilson plot. A mathematical model
relating the over all heat transfer coefficient to the outer pipe diameter
was established which provides a convenient way of optimising the
design of the helical heat exchanger.
09/02217 Thermal and economical analysis of an
underground seasonal storage heating system in Thrace
Karacavus, B. and Can, A. Energy and Buildings, 2009, 41, (1), 110.
Economical analysis of the solar heating system with seasonal storage,
which was established in Edirne (41

39
0
54
00
N) in order to provide the
heat requirement of buildings, has been fulfilled. Optimum collector
area for the heating system has been determined. Total heat
requirement of 69% has been met by means of heating system
concerning the space heating and domestic water heating. In the
accordance with the results of the economical analysis, the payback
time of the heating system has been determined as 1920 years.
09/02218 Thermal storage performance analysis on
Chinese kangs
Zhuang, Z. et al. Energy and Buildings, 2009, 41, (4), 452459.
Chinese kangs are widely used as a rural home heating system in
Northern China by 175 million people. The main features of Chinese
kangs include the effective use of thermal mass in kang plate. In this
paper, a thermal and airflow model for an elevated kang is developed
with a simply consideration of the heat transfer in building envelope.
Approximate analytical formulas are derived to identify the critical
parameters that affect the levels and fluctuations of kang plate
temperature and indoor air temperature. It can be observed that the
increase of the plate time constant and the heat source frequency with
continuous firings and equally distributing the firings and adding the
number of firing with intermittent firings can effectively decrease the
fluctuation of kang plate temperature and indoor air temperature. The
results of model analytical solutions can serve engineers for design
proposals or check analysis to determine the required thermal capacity
of kang plate at the early design stage. An example of heat source-
based design process is described to determine the thickness of a kang
plate and firing distribution.
09/02219 Transient two-dimensional model of frost
formation on a fin-and-tube heat exchanger
Lenic, K. et al. International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer, 2009,
52, (12), 2232.
In the paper, numerical and experimental analyses of heat and mass
transfer during frost formation on a fin-and-tube heat exchanger have
been presented. Modelling of the frost formation on cold surfaces
placed in a humid air stream, requires a complex mathematical
approach. A transient two-dimensional mathematical model of frost
formation has been developed. The applied mathematical model has
been defined using governing equations for the boundary layer that
include air and frost sub-domains as well as a boundary condition on
the airfrost interface. The mathematical model with initial and
boundary conditions has been discretized according to the finite
volume method and solved numerically using the SIMPLER algorithm
for the velocitypressure coupling. Results have shown that the frost
layer formation significantly influences the heat transfer between air
and fins. As a result of numerical calculations, time-wise frost thickness
variations for different air humidities, temperatures and velocities have
been presented. Using the developed mathematical model, the
algorithm and the computer code, which have been experimentally
validated, it is possible to predict a decrease of exchanged heat flux in
the heat exchanger under frost growth conditions.
09/02220 Unsteady MHD free convection of a micropolar
fluid between two parallel porous vertical walls with
convection from the ambient
Zueco, J. et al. International Communications in Heat and Mass
Transfer, 2009, 36, (3), 203209.
The study is concerned with the unsteady free convection flow of an
incompressible electrically conducting micropolar fluid, bounded by
two parallel infinite porous vertical plates submitted to an external
magnetic field and the thermal boundary condition of forced
convection. The governing equations are solved using a numerical
technique based on the electrical analogy, where only previous spatial
discretization is necessary to obtain a stable and convergent solution
with very low computational times. To solve the system of algebraic
equations with time as continuous function, an electric circuit simulator
is used. This method permits the direct visualization of the local and/or
integrated transport variables (temperatures and velocities) at any
point or section of the medium. Numerical results for temperature,
velocity and microrotation are illustrated graphically.
11 ENGINES
Power generation and propulsion,
electrical vehicles
09/02221 A computational study of free-piston diesel
engine combustion
Mikalsen, R. and Roskilly, A. P. Applied Energy, 2009, 86, (78), 1136
1143.
This paper investigates the in-cylinder gas motion, combustion process
and nitrogen oxide formation in a free-piston diesel engine and
compares the results to those of a conventional engine, using a
computational fluid dynamics engine model. Enhanced radial gas flow
(squish and reverse squish) around top dead centre is found for the
free-piston engine compared to a conventional engine, however it is
found that this has only minor influence on the combustion process. A
higher heat release rate from the pre-mixed combustion phase due to
an increased ignition delay was found, along with potential reductions
in nitrogen oxides emissions formation for the free-piston engine.
09/02222 An improved model of induction motors for
diagnosis purposes slot skewing effect and airgap
eccentricity faults
Ghoggal, A. et al. Energy Conversion and Management, 2009, 50, (5),
13361347.
This paper describes an improved method for the modelling of axial
and radial eccentricities in induction motors (IM). The model is based
on an extension of the modified winding function approach (MWFA)
which allows for all harmonics of the magnetomotive force (MMF) to
be taken into account. It is shown that a plane view of IM gets easily
the motor inductances and reduces considerably the calculation
process. The described technique includes accurately the slot skewing
effect and leads to pure analytical expressions of the inductances in
case of radial eccentricity. In order to model the static, dynamic or
mixed axial eccentricity, three suitable alternatives are explained.
Unlike the previous proposals, the discussed alternatives take into
account all the harmonics of the inverse of airgap function without
any development in Fourier series. Simulation results as well as
experimental verifications prove the usefulness and the effectiveness of
the proposed model.
09/02223 Axial-flow turbines for low head microhydro
systems
Alexander, K. V. et al. Renewable Energy, 2009, 34, (1), 3547.
This paper describes the design of four different specific speed
microhydro propeller turbines operating at heads between 4 m and
9 m, and their application to a wider range of heads and outputs by
scaling. The features are specifically tailored for ease of manufacture
and uniquely resistant to debris blockage. Test machines are described
and test results given; hydraulic efficiencies of over 68% have been
344 Fuel and Energy Abstracts September 2009
11 Engines (power generation and propulsion, electrical vehicles)
achieved in all test models despite the fact that these turbines blades
are planar, further simplifying manufacture. Theoretical models show
how closely these flat blades can be made to approach the ideal blade
shapes. Outline drawings are given with key dimensions for each
reference model, along with the equations for scaling to arbitrary sites.
These turbines are the axial flow members of a family of turbines
developed to cover the microhydro range from 2 m to about 40 m of
head.
09/02224 Combustion analysis of preheated crude
sunflower oil in an IDI diesel engine
Canakci, M. et al. Biomass and Bioenergy, 2009, 33, (5), 760767.
In this study, preheated crude sunflower oil (PCSO) was tested for
combustion and emission properties against petroleum based diesel
fuel (PBDF) in a naturally aspirated, indirect injection (IDI) engine.
The cylinder gas pressure and heat release curves for PCSO at 75

C
were similar to those of PBDF. The ignition delays for the PCSO were
longer and the start of injection timing was earlier than for PBDF. The
difference in the average brake torque was a decrease of 1.36% for
PCSO though this was statistically insignificant. The brake specific fuel
consumption increased by almost 5% more or less in proportion to the
difference in calorific value, so that the 1.06% increase in thermal
efficiency was again statistically insignificant. The emission test results
showed that the decreases in CO
2
emissions and smoke opacity 2.05%
and 4.66%, respectively; however, this was not statistically significant,
though in line with the apparent increase in thermal efficiency. There
was a significant 34% improvement in the emissions of unburnt
hydrocarbons. Carbon monoxide increased by 1.77% again the result
was not statistically significant given the small number of repeat tests.
The use of PCSO does not have any negative effects on the engine
performance and emissions in short duration engine testing.
09/02225 Comparative performance of direct injection
diesel engine operating on ethanol, petrol and rapeseed oil
blends
Labeckas, G. and Slavinskas, S. Energy Conversion and Management,
2009, 50, (3), 792801.
This article presents the bench testing results of a four stroke, four
cylinder, direct injection, unmodified, diesel engine operating on pure
rapeseed oil (RO) and its 2.5 vol%, 5 vol%, 7.5 vol% and 10 vol%
blends with ethanol (ERO), petrol (PRO) and both improving agents
applied in equal proportions as 50:50 vol% (EPRO). The purpose of
the research is to examine the effect of ethanol and petrol addition into
RO on the biofuel kinematical viscosity, brake mean effective pressure
(bmep), brake specific fuel consumption (bsfc) of a diesel engine and
its brake thermal efficiency (bte). Addition into RO from 2.5 to
7.5 vol% of ethanol and petrol its viscosity at ambient temperature of
20

C diminishes by 9.228.3% and 14.131.7%, respectively. Heating

up to the temperature of 60

C the viscosity of pure RO, blends

ERO2.57.5 and PRO2.510 further diminishes 4.2, 3.93.8 and 3.93.6
times. At 1800 min
1
speed, the maximum brake mean effective
pressure (bmep) higher up to 1.6% comparing with that of pure RO
(0.77 MPa) ensure three agent blends EPRO57.5, whereas at rated
2200 min
1
speed, the bmep higher by 5.6% can be obtained when
fuelling the engine with blend PRO2.5. Brake specific fuel consump-
tion (bsfc) at maximum torque (240.2 g/kWh) and rated power (234.0 g/
kWh) is correspondingly lower by 3.4% and 5.5% in comparison with
pure RO when biofuel blends EPRO5 and PRO2.5 are used. The
biggest brake thermal efficiency at maximum torque (0.400.41) and
rated power (0.420.43) relative to that of RO (0.39) suggest blends
PRO2.5 and EPRO57.5, respectively.
09/02226 Demonstrating direct use of wet ethanol in a
homogeneous charge compression ignition (HCCI) engine
Mack, J. H. et al. Energy, 2009, 34, (6), 782787.
Homogeneous charge compression ignition (HCCI) engines are
amenable to a large variety of fuels as long as the fuel can be fully
vaporized, mixed with air, and receive sufficient heat during the
compression stroke to reach the autoignition conditions. This study
investigates an HCCI engine fuelled with ethanol-in-water mixtures, or
wet ethanol. The motivation for using wet ethanol fuel is that
significant energy is required for distillation and dehydration of
fermented ethanol (from biosources, not from petroleum), thus direct
use of wet ethanol could improve the associated energy balance.
Recent modelling studies have predicted that an HCCI engine can
operate using fuel containing as little as 35% ethanol-in-water with
surprisingly good performance and emissions. With the previous
modelling study suggesting feasibility of wet ethanol use in HCCI
engines, this paper focuses on experimental operation of a 4-cylinder
1.9-L engine running in HCCI mode fuelled with wet ethanol. This
paper investigates the effect of the ethanol-water fraction on the
engines operating limits, intake temperatures, heat release rates, and
exhaust emissions for the engine operating with 100%, 90%, 80%, 60%,
and 40% ethanol-in-water mixtures.
09/02227 Derating of an induction machine under voltage
unbalance combined with over or undervoltages
Gnacinski, P. Energy Conversion and Management, 2009, 50, (4), 1101
1107.
This work deals with the load carrying capacity of an induction cage
machine under voltage unbalance combined with over- or under-
voltage. The effect of complex voltage unbalance factor (CVUF) angle
on the derating factor is taken into consideration. The derating curves
obtained with two different methods are compared. The machine
efficiency, stator currents and temperature-rise distribution after
applying the required derating factor are discussed. The results of
experimental investigations and computer calculations are presented
for two low-power induction motors of opposite properties. One of
them has a comparatively weakly saturated magnetic circuit and is
especially exposed to the risk of overheating for undervoltage. The
other investigated machine has a comparatively strongly saturated
magnetic circuit and is especially exposed to overheating in the
conditions of overvoltage.
09/02228 Design and cost analysis of low head simple
reaction hydro turbine for remote area power supply
Date, A. and Akbarzadeh, A. Renewable Energy, 2009, 34, (2), 409415.
This paper is aimed at exploring the performance characteristics of a
simple reaction hydro turbine for power generation. Using principles of
conservation of mass, momentum and energy, the governing equations
have been identified for an ideal case of no frictional losses. The paper
also describes the conception of a cross-pipe rotor for remote area
electricity production. Using the ideal governing equations an
optimized geometry of the rotor was selected for the working head of
5 m. Theoretical analysis of the self-governing characteristics has been
presented. Experiments were carried out for 2, 3, 4 and 5 m head and
evaluated against theoretical results. Split pipe turbine model is
presented with detail layout, while different methods of experimen-
tation are explored for different output requirements with varied
heads. Various losses in the system are discussed, quantified and
included in the graphical format. It is also demonstrated that the
experimental power outputs do not have the same tendencies as
theoretical predictions and decreases due to jet interference beyond a
certain rotational speed as it passes the maximum power point.
09/02229 Design, demonstrations and sustainability impact
assessments for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles
Bradley, T. M. and Frank, A. A. Renewable and Sustainable Energy
Reviews, 2009, 13, (1), 115128.
Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) are hybrid electric vehicles
that can draw and store energy from an electric grid to supply
propulsive energy for the vehicle. This simple functional change to the
conventional hybrid electric vehicle allows a plug-in hybrid to displace
petroleum energy with multi-source electrical energy. This has
important and generally beneficial impacts on transportation energy
sector petroleum consumption, criteria emissions output, and carbon
dioxide emissions, as well as on the performance and makeup of the
electrical grid. PHEVs are seen as one of the most promising means to
improve the near-term sustainability of the transportation and
stationary energy sectors. This review presents the basic design
considerations for PHEVs including vehicle architecture, energy
management systems, drivetrain component function, energy storage
tradeoffs and grid connections. The general design characteristics of
PHEVs are derived from a summary of recent PHEV design studies
and vehicle demonstrations. The sustainability impact of PHEVs is
assessed from a review of recent studies and current research and
development needs for PHEVs are proposed.
09/02230 Identification of behaviour and evaluation of
performance of small scale, low-temperature Organic
Rankine Cycle system coupled with a RO desalination unit
Manolakos, D. et al. Energy, 2009, 34, (6), 767774.
This paper presents the detailed laboratory experimental results of a
low-temperature organic Rankine cycle (ORC) engine coupled with a
reverse osmosis (RO) desalination unit. In a previous work, the
identification of performance of the scroll type expander was
presented. At that primary experimental phase an electric brake was
co-axially connected to the expander to act as the mechanical load of
the ORC engine. The identification of behaviour of the integrated
ORCRO system is a research step ahead since the electric brake is
replaced by the RO desalination unit representing the actual systems
mechanical load. Several characteristic quantities of both energy supply
(ORC) and demand (RO) side have been measured and are illustrated
in the current paper. The results show that ORC can be effectively used
to exploit low-temperature thermal sources (i.e. in the range from 40 to
70

C) for desalination of sea or brackish water through the RO

process. Such low-temperature values can be available from excess
industrial heat, solar collectors and geothermal fields making the
Fuel and Energy Abstracts September 2009 345
11 Engines (power generation and propulsion, electrical vehicles)
ORCRO process an alternative desalination variant. However, it
becomes clear that the system performance strongly depends on the
corresponding operation point.
09/02231 Investigation of fuel spray atomization in a DI
heavy-duty diesel engine and comparison of various spray
breakup models
Hossainpour, S. and Binesh, A. R. Fuel, 2009, 88, (5), 799805.
In the last decade 3D-CFD has been successfully established for the
simulation of IC-engine fuel spray formation and propagation
processes. The accuracy of the calculation results, however, strongly
depends on the models adopted for simulation of the primary and
secondary atomization processes. Hence, careful validations of the
individual models serve as major prerequisites for the successful
analysis and optimization of high-pressure sprays in diesel engines. In
the present work, a CFD code has been used to study the detailed
modelling of spray and mixture formation in a caterpillar heavy-duty
diesel engine. With respect to the liquid-phase, spray calculations are
based on a statistical method referred to as the Discrete Droplet
Method (DDM). This paper presents a comparison of four Lagrangian
fuel spray breakup models that are in use with commercial softwares in
diesel engine simulation. In this paper, the authors tried to highlight
this models prediction difference for sample case, compare their result
and explain some possible reasons for differences. The predicted
results are validated by comparing with existing experimental data. A
good agreement between the predicted and experimental values
ensures the accuracy of the numerical predictions collected with the
present work.
09/02232 Minimization of the fuel consumption of a
gasoline engine using dynamic optimization
Saerens, B. et al. Applied Energy, 2009, 86, (9), 15821588.
This paper discusses the minimization of the fuel consumption of a
gasoline engine through dynamic optimization. The minimization uses
a mean value model of the powertrain and vehicle. This model has two
state variables: the pressure in the engine intake manifold and the
engine speed. The control input is the throttle valve angle. The model
is identified on a universal engine dynamometer. Optimal state and
control trajectories are calculated using Bocks direct multiple shooting
method, implemented in the software MUSCOD-II. The developed
approach is illustrated both in simulation and experimentally for a
generic test case where a vehicle accelerates from 1100 rpm to 3700 rpm
in 30 s. The optimized trajectories yield minimal fuel consumption. The
experiments show that a linear engine speed trajectory yields an extra
fuel consumption of 13% when compared to the optimal trajectory. It
is shown that, with a simple model, a significant amount of fuel can be
saved without loss of the fun-to-drive.
09/02233 Multi-zone thermodynamic modelling of
spark-ignition engine combustion an overview
Verhelst, S. and Sheppard, C. G. W. Energy Conversion and Manage-
ment, 2009, 50, (5), 13261335.
Multi-zone thermodynamic engine model is a generic term adopted
here for the type of model also referred to as quasi-dimensional, two-
zone, three-zone, etc.; based on the laws of mass and energy
conservation and using a mass burning rate sub-model (as opposed
to a prescribed mass burning rate) to predict the in-cylinder pressure
and temperature throughout the power cycle. Such models have been
used for about three decades and provide valuable tools for rapid
evaluation of the influence of key engine parameters. Numerous papers
have been published on the development of models of varying
complexity and their application. The current work is not intended as
a comprehensive review of all these works, but presents an overview of
multi-zone thermodynamic models for spark-ignition engines, their
pros and cons, the model equations and sub-models used to account for
various processes such as turbulent wrinkling, flame development,
flame geometry, heat transfer, etc. It is suggested that some past
terminology adopted to distinguish combustion models (e.g. entrain-
ment versus flamelet) is artificial and confusing; it can also be
difficult to compare the different models used. Naturally, different
models use varying underlying assumptions; however, the influence of
several physical processes has frequently been incorporated into one
term, not always well documented or clearly described. The authors
propose a unified framework that can be used to compare different
sub-models on the same basis, with particular focus on turbulent
combustion models.
09/02234 Optimization of cycloidal water turbine and the
performance improvement by individual blade control
Hwang, I. S. et al. Applied Energy, 2009, 86, (9), 15321540.
This paper investigates an advanced vertical axis turbine to enhance
power generation from water energy. The turbine, known as a cycloidal
water turbine, is a straight-bladed type adopting a cycloidal blade
system that actively controls the rotor blades for improved turbine
efficiency, according to the operating conditions. These characteristics
enable the turbine to self-start and produce high electric power at a low
flow speed, or under complex flow conditions. A parametric study has
been carried out by CFD analysis, with various characteristics including
different number of blades, chord length variations, variety of tip speed
ratios, various hydrofoil shapes, and changing pitch and phase angles.
Optimal parameters have been determined, and the performance of the
turbine has achieved approximately 70% better performance than that
of a fixed pitch turbine. An experimental study has also been carried
out which shows that the results correlate quite well with the
theoretical predictions although the power output was reduced due
to the drag forces of the mechanical devices. Another numerical
optimization was carried out to improve the rotor performance by
adopting an individual blade control method. Controllable pitch angles
were employed to maximize the rotor performance at various operating
conditions. The optimized result obtained using genetic algorithm and
parallel computing, shows an improvement in performance of around
25% compared with the cycloidal motion.
09/02235 Performance, combustion and emissions of a
diesel engine operated with reformed EGR. Comparison of
diesel and GTL fuelling
Abu-Jrai, A. et al. Fuel, 2009, 88, (6), 10311041.
In this work, the effects of a standard ultra-low sulfur diesel (ULSD)
fuel and a new, ultra-clean synthetic gas-to-liquid (GTL) fuel on the
performance, combustion and emissions of a single-cylinder, direct
injection, diesel engine were studied under different operating
conditions with addition of simulated reformer product gas, referred
to as reformed exhaust gas recirculation (REGR). For this purpose
various levels of REGR of two different compositions were tested.
Tests with standard EGR were also carried out for comparison.
Experiments were performed at four steady state operating conditions
and the brake thermal efficiency, combustion process and engine
emission data are presented and discussed. In general, GTL fuel
resulted in a higher brake thermal efficiency compared to ULSD but
the differences depended on the engine condition and EGR/REGR
level and composition. The combustion pattern was significantly
modified when the REGR level was increased. Although the extent
of the effects of REGR on emissions depended on the engine load, it
can be generally concluded that an optimal combination of GTL and
REGR significantly improved both NO
x
and smoke emissions. In some
cases, NO
x
and smoke emission reductions of 75% and 60%,
respectively, were achieved compared to operation with ULSD without
REGR. This offers a great potential for engine manufacturers to meet
the requirements of future emission regulations.
09/02236 Performance, emission and combustion
characteristics of a compression ignition engine operating
on neat orange oil
Purushothaman, K. and Nagarajan, G. Renewable Energy, 2009, 34, (1),
242245.
Biomass derived fuels are preferred as alternate fuels for internal
combustion engines due to their abundant availability and renewable
nature. Fuels such as methanol and ethanol have proved to be suitable
alternate fuels in the transport sector. In the present work the
performance, emission and combustion characteristics of a single
cylinder, constant speed, direct injection diesel engine using orange oil
as an alternate fuel were studied and the results are compared with the
standard diesel fuel operation. Results indicated that the brake thermal
efficiency was higher compared to diesel throughout the load spectra.
Carbon monoxide and hydrocarbon emissions were lower and oxides of
nitrogen were higher compared to diesel operation. Peak pressure and
heat release rate were found to be higher for orange oil compared to
diesel fuel operation.
09/02237 Performance, emission and combustion
characteristics of poon oil and its diesel blends in a DI
diesel engine
Devan, P. K. and Mahalakshmi, N. V. Fuel, 2009, 88, (5), 853860.
Experimental tests have been carried out to evaluate the performance,
emission and combustion characteristics of a diesel engine using Neat
poon oil and its blends of 20%, 40%, and 60%, and standard diesel fuel
separately. The common problems posed when using vegetable oil in a
compression ignition engine are poor atomization; carbon deposits,
ring sticking, etc. This is because of the high viscosity and low volatility
of vegetable oil. When blended with diesel, poon oil presented lower
viscosity, improved volatility, better combustion and less carbon
deposit. It was found that there was a reduction in NO
x
emission for
Neat poon oil and its diesel blends along with a marginal increase in
HC and CO emissions. Brake thermal efficiency was slightly lower
for Neat poon oil and its diesel blends. From the combustion analysis,
it was found that poon oildiesel blends performed better than Neat
poon oil.
346 Fuel and Energy Abstracts September 2009
11 Engines (power generation and propulsion, electrical vehicles)
09/02238 Reluctance network modelling of surface
permanent magnet motor considering iron nonlinearities
Raminosoa, T. et al. Energy Conversion and Management, 2009, 50, (5),
13561361.
This paper presents a simple, quick and precise non-linear reluctance
network modelling of an in-wheel surface permanent magnet motor.
The saturation of the ferromagnetic materials is considered and a
simple air-gap length function is used to take the slotting effect into
account. The topology and the reluctance values of the air-gap network
are automatically computed for any rotor position. Thus, the proposed
technique allows a steady state time stepping simulation. For any
saturation level, there is a good accordance with the finite element
method for the torque and back EMF. Moreover, the model accurately
predicts the effect of the demagnetization. The proposed model can be
advantageously used for a geometry optimization as well as for the
diagnosis of demagnetization.
09/02239 Rotor cage fault diagnosis in three-phase
induction motors based on a current and virtual flux
approach
Pires, D. F. et al. Energy Conversion and Management, 2009, 50, (4),
10261032.
This paper focuses on the detection of a rotor cage fault in a three-
phase PWM feed induction motor. In inverter-fed machines there are
some difficulties for the detection of a rotor cage fault. These
difficulties are due to the fault signature that will be contained in the
currents or voltages applied to the machine. In this way, a new
approach based on the current and a virtual flux is proposed. The use
of the virtual flux allows the improving of the signal to noise ratio. This
approach also allows the identification of a rotor cage fault
independently of the type of control used in the ac drive. The
theoretical principle of this method is discussed. Simulation and
experimental results are presented in order to show the effectiveness of
the proposed approach.
09/02240 The development and experimental validation of a
reduced ternary kinetic mechanism for the auto-ignition at
HCCI conditions, proposing a global reaction path for
ternary gasoline surrogates
Machrafi, H. et al. Fuel Processing Technology, 2009, 90, (2), 247263.
To acquire a high amount of information of the behaviour of the
homogeneous charge compression ignition (HCCI) auto-ignition
process, a reduced surrogate mechanism has been composed out of
reduced n-heptane, iso-octane and toluene mechanisms, containing 62
reactions and 49 species. This mechanism has been validated
numerically in a 0D HCCI engine code against more detailed
mechanisms (inlet temperature varying from 290 to 500 K, the
equivalence ratio from 0.2 to 0.7 and the compression ratio from 8 to
18) and experimentally against experimental shock tube and rapid
compression machine data from the literature at pressures between 9
and 55 bar and temperatures between 700 and 1400 K for several fuels:
the pure compounds n-heptane, iso-octane and toluene as well as binary
and ternary mixtures of these compounds. For this validation,
stoichiometric mixtures and mixtures with an equivalence ratio of 0.5
are used. The experimental validation is extended by comparing the
surrogate mechanism to experimental data from an HCCI engine. A
global reaction pathway is proposed for the auto-ignition of a
surrogate gasoline, using the surrogate mechanism, in order to show
the interactions that the three compounds can have with one another
during the auto-ignition of a ternary mixture.
09/02241 Thermodynamic analysis of a b type Stirling
engine with a displacer driving mechanism by means of
a lever
Karabulut, H. et al. Renewable Energy, 2009, 34, (1), 202208.
In this study a novel configuration of u-type Stirling engine was
described and studied from kinematic and thermodynamics points of
view. Some aspects of the novel engine were compared to the crank
driven and Rhombic-drive engines. By means of nodal analysis, the
instantaneous temperature distribution of working fluid, through the
heatingcooling passage, conducting the cold space to hot space, was
studied. Variation of work generation due to leak of the working fluid
was examined and an estimation of the clearance between piston and
cylinder was made. By using three different practically possible values
of convective heat transfer coefficient, which were 200, 300 and
400 W/m
2
K, respectively, variation of work generation with working
fluid mass was examined. For the same values of convective heat
transfer coefficient, the variation of engine power with engine speed
was examined. A simple prototype was built and tested with no
pressurized ambient air. By applying 260

C temperature to the hot end

and 20

C temperature to the cold end of displacer cylinder 14.72 watts

shaft power was measured. Results of theoretical study and exper-
imental measurements were presented in diagrams.
Hybrid engine systems
09/02242 Effects of valve events on the engine efficiency in
a homogeneous charge compression ignition engine fueled
by dimethyl ether
Jang, J. and Bae, C. Fuel, 2009, 88, (7), 12281234.
Combustion characteristics of a homogeneous charge compression
ignition (HCCI) engine were investigated with regard to the residual
gas, i.e. internal exhaust gas recirculation (IEGR), by changing the
intake and exhaust maximum opening points (MOP) and the exhaust
cam lifts. Three different exhaust camshafts were used and had 2.5 mm,
4.0 mm and 8.4 mm exhaust valve lift. In-cylinder gas was sampled at
the intake valve immediately before ignition to measure the IEGR rate.
The heat release, fuel conversion efficiency and combustion efficiency
were calculated using the in-cylinder pressure and composition of
exhaust gases to examine the combustion features of the HCCI engine.
The negative valve overlap (NVO) was increased as exhaust valve lift
was reduced. Longer NVO made an increased IEGR through exhaust
gas trapping. The IEGR rate was increased as the exhaust valve timing
advanced while it was affected more by exhaust valve timing than by
intake valve timing. Combustion phase was advanced by lower exhaust
valve lift and early exhaust and intake MOP. It was because of higher
amount of IEGR gas and effective compression ratio. The fuel
conversion efficiency with higher exhaust valve lift was higher than
that with lower exhaust valve lift. The late exhaust and intake MOP
made the fuel conversion efficiency improve.
09/02243 Experimental study on combustion
characteristics of a spark-ignition engine fueled with natural
gashydrogen blends combining with EGR
Hu, E. et al. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 2009, 34, (2),
10351044.
An experimental study on the effect of hydrogen fraction and exhaust
gas recirculation (EGR) rate on the combustion characteristics of a
spark-ignition engine fuelled with natural gashydrogen blends was
investigated. The results show that flame development duration, rapid
combustion duration and total combustion duration are increased with
the increase of EGR rate and decreased with the increase of hydrogen
fraction in the blends. Hydrogen addition shows larger influence on
flame development duration than that on rapid combustion duration.
The coefficient of variation of the indicated mean effective pressure
increases with the increase of EGR rate. And hydrogen addition into
natural gas decreases the coefficient of variation of the indicated mean
effective pressure, and this effectiveness becomes more obviously at
high EGR rate. Engines fuelled with natural gashydrogen blends
combining with proper EGR rate can realize the stable low
temperature combustion in gas engine.
09/02244 Load sharing using fuzzy logic control in a fuel
cell/ultracapacitor hybrid vehicle
Kisacikoglu, M. C. et al. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy,
2009, 34, (3), 14971507.
Fuel cell (FC) and ultracapacitor (UC) based hybrid power systems
appear to be very promising for satisfying high energy and high power
requirements of vehicular applications. The improvement in control
strategies enhances dynamic response of the FC/UC hybrid vehicular
power system under various load conditions. In this study, FC system
and UC bank supply power demand using a current-fed full bridge dc
dc converter and a bidirectional dcdc converter, respectively. This
study focuses on a novel fuzzy logic control algorithm integrated into
the power conditioning unit (PCU) for the hybrid system. The control
strategy is capable of determining the desired FC power and keeps the
dc voltage around its nominal value by supplying propulsion power and
recuperating braking energy. Simulation results obtained using
MATLAB
1
& Simulink
1
and ADVISOR
1
are presented to verify
the effectiveness of the proposed control algorithm.
09/02245 Modeling of autoignition and NO sensitization for
the oxidation of IC engine surrogate fuels
Anderlohr, J. M. et al. Combustion and Flame, 2009, 156, (2), 505521.
This paper presents an approach for modelling with one single kinetic
mechanism the chemistry of the autoignition and combustion processes
inside an internal combustion engine, as well as the chemical kinetics
governing the postoxidation of unburned hydrocarbons in engine
exhaust gases. Therefore a new kinetic model was developed, valid over
a wide range of temperatures including the negative temperature
coefficient regime. The model simulates the autoignition and the
oxidation of engine surrogate fuels composed of n-heptane, iso-octane,
and toluene, which are sensitized by the presence of nitric oxides. The
new model was obtained from previously published mechanisms for the
oxidation of alkanes and toluene where the coupling reactions
describing interactions between hydrocarbons and NO
x
were added.
The mechanism was validated against a wide range of experimental
Fuel and Energy Abstracts September 2009 347
11 Engines (hybrid engine systems)
data obtained in jet-stirred reactors, rapid compression machines,
shock tubes, and homogeneous charge compression ignition engines.
Flow rate and sensitivity analysis were performed in order to explain
the low temperature chemical kinetics, especially the impact of NO
x
on
hydrocarbon oxidation.
09/02246 The impact of government incentives for
hybrid-electric vehicles: evidence from US states
Diamond, D. Energy Policy, 2009, 37, (3), 972983.
This paper examines the impact of government incentives policies
designed to promote the adoption of hybrid-electric vehicles (HEVs).
As a primary methodology, it employs cross-sectional analysis of hybrid
registration data over time from US states to test the relationship
between hybrid adoption and a variety of socioeconomic and policy
variables. It also compares hybrid adoption patterns over time to the
US average for specific states that have changed incentive policies, to
examine how differences in incentive schemes influence their efficacy.
The results of these analyses suggest a strong relationship between
gasoline prices and hybrid adoption, but a much weaker relationship
between incentive policies and hybrid adoption. Incentives that provide
payments upfront also appear to be the most effective.
09/02247 Utilization of unattended Putranjiva roxburghii
non-edible oil as fuel in diesel engine
Haldar, S. K. et al. Renewable Energy, 2009, 34, (1), 343347.
The search for alternative sources of energy has been driven by the
increased cost and depletion of supply of fossil fuels. The alternatives
are mainly vegetable oils. Putranjiva roxburghii, a non-edible vegetable
oil can be used in diesel engine for its fuel properties which are
comparable with diesel. Blends (10%, 20%, 30%, and 40% v/v) of pure
Putranjiva oil and diesel are used in Ricardo Variable Compression
Diesel Engine to study the performance and emission characteristics at
various brake power. Putranjiva oil blends yield better performance at
45

CA bTDC injection timing in comparison to 40

CA bTDC timing
for diesel. Maximum 30% blend of Putranjiva oil with diesel can be
used as an alternative fuel in diesel engine for it differs very little from
diesel in performance and is better than diesel with regard to emissions.
Transport battery development
09/02248 Beyond batteries: an examination of the benefits
and barriers to plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) and
a vehicle-to-grid (V2G) transition
Sovacool, B. K. and Hirsh, R. F. Energy Policy, 2009, 37, (3), 1095
1103.
This paper explores both the promise and the possible pitfalls of the
plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV) and vehicle-to-grid (V2G)
concept, focusing first on its definition and then on its technical state-
of-the-art. More originally, the paper assesses significant, though often
overlooked, social barriers to the wider use of PHEVs (a likely
precursor to V2G) and implementation of a V2G transition. The article
disputes the idea that the only important barriers facing the greater use
of PHEVs and V2G systems are technical. Instead, it provides a
broader assessment situating such technical barriers alongside more
subtle impediments relating to social and cultural values, business
practices, and political interests. The history of other energy
transitions, and more specifically the history of renewable energy
technologies, implies that these socio-technical obstacles may be just
as important to any V2G transition and perhaps even more difficult
to overcome. Analogously, the article illuminates the policy impli-
cations of such barriers, emphasizing what policymakers need to
achieve a transition to a V2G and PHEV world.
09/02249 Enhanced coulomb counting method for
estimating state-of-charge and state-of-health of lithium-ion
batteries
Ng, K. S. et al. Applied Energy, 2009, 86, (9), 15061511.
The coulomb counting method is expedient for state-of-charge (SOC)
estimation of lithium-ion batteries with high charging and discharging
efficiencies. The charging and discharging characteristics are investi-
gated and reveal that the coulomb counting method is convenient and
accurate for estimating the SOC of lithium-ion batteries. A smart
estimation method based on coulomb counting is proposed to improve
the estimation accuracy. The corrections are made by considering the
charging and operating efficiencies. Furthermore, the state-of-health
(SOH) is evaluated by the maximum releasable capacity. Through the
experiments that emulate practical operations, the SOC estimation
method is verified to demonstrate the effectiveness and accuracy.
09/02250 Lead-acid batteries for micro- and mild-hybrid
applications
Valenciano, J. et al. Journal of Power Sources, 2009, 187, (2), 599604.
Car manufactures have announced the launch in coming months of
vehicles with reduced emissions due to the introduction of new
functions like stopstart and regenerative braking. Initial performance
request of automotive lead-acid batteries are becoming more and more
demanding and, in addition to this, cycle life with new accelerated
ageing profiles are being proposed in order to determine the influence
of the new functions on the expected battery life. This paper will show
how different lead-acid battery technologies comply with these new
demands, from an improved version of the conventional flooded SLI
battery to the high performance of spiral wound valve-regulated lead-
acid (VRLA) battery. Different approaches have been studied for
improving conventional flooded batteries, i.e. either by the addition of
new additives for reducing electrolyte stratification or by optimization
of the battery design to extend cycling life in partial state of charge
conditions. With respect to VRLA technology, two different battery
designs have been compared. Spiral wound design combines excellent
power capability and cycle life under different depth of discharge
(DoD) cycling conditions, but flat plate design outperform the latter in
energy density due to better utilization of the space available in a
prismatic enclosure. This latter design is more adequate for high-end
class vehicles with high electrical energy demand, whereas spiral wound
is better suited for high-power/long-life demand of commercial vehicle.
High temperature behaviour (75

C) is rather poor for both designs due

to water loss, and then VRLA batteries should preferably be located
out of the engine compartment.
09/02251 Optimization of fuel cell system operating
conditions for fuel cell vehicles
Zhao, H. and Burke, A. F. Journal of Power Sources, 2009, 186, (2),
408416.
Proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) technology for use in
fuel cell vehicles and other applications has been intensively developed
in recent decades. Besides the fuel cell stack, air and fuel control and
thermal and water management are major challenges in the develop-
ment of the fuel cell for vehicle applications. The air supply system can
have a major impact on overall system efficiency. In this paper a fuel
cell system model for optimizing system operating conditions was
developed which includes the transient dynamics of the air system with
varying back pressure. Compared to the conventional fixed back
pressure operation, the optimal operation discussed in this paper can
achieve higher system efficiency over the full load range. Finally, the
model is applied as part of a dynamic forward-looking vehicle model of
a load-following direct hydrogen fuel cell vehicle to explore the energy
economy optimization potential of fuel cell vehicles.
09/02252 Per unit representation of electrical magnitudes
in batteries: a tool for comparison and design
Gauch a, L. and Sanz, J. Energy Conversion and Management, 2009, 50,
(3), 554560.
When a comparison between the performance of batteries with
different characteristics, or sizing of a particular battery system in a
power system (electrical grid, etc.) is carried out, the usual expression
of electrical variables in terms of absolute magnitudes (volts, etc.) has
some important disadvantages derived from the wide range of values
these variables can assume, as they are dependant on the size of the
system, defined by its rated capacity, voltage or current. This makes
impossible any direct comparison between different alternatives.
Furthermore, it collides with the usual way power engineers use to
represent and analyse the electrical power system. This paper proposes
the application of a per unit system to batteries to overcome these
problems. In this per unit system, all magnitudes are represented as
non-dimensional values, with reference to a set of base magnitudes.
Therefore, absolute values are converted into relative ones, which
allow a direct comparison between different batteries. To apply a per
unit system, a set of base magnitudes is studied and defined taking into
account the special characteristics of a battery. The conclusion is that
with a per unit system the information extracted is more accessible,
direct and representative than using absolute magnitudes.
09/02253 Performance evaluation of direct methanol fuel
cells for portable applications
Rashidi, R. et al. Journal of Power Sources, 2009, 187, (2), 509516.
This study examines the feasibility of powering a range of portable
devices with a direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC). The analysis includes
a comparison between a Li-ion battery and DMFC to supply the power
for a laptop, camcorder and a cell phone. A parametric study of the
systems for an operational period of 4 years is performed. Under the
assumptions made for both the Li-ion battery and DMFC system, the
battery cost is lower than the DMFC during the first year of operation.
However, by the end of 4 years of operational time, the DMFC system
would cost less. The weight and cost comparisons show that the fuel
cell system occupies less space than the battery to store a higher
348 Fuel and Energy Abstracts September 2009
11 Engines (transport battery development)
amount of energy. The weight of both systems is almost identical.
Finally, the CO
2
emissions can be decreased by a higher exergetic
efficiency of the DMFC, which leads to improved sustainability.
09/02254 The influences of some additives on
electrochemical behaviour of nickel electrodes
Begum, S. N. et al. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 2009, 34,
(3), 15481555.
Nickel hydroxide is used as an active material in positive electrodes of
rechargeable alkaline batteries. Since the nickel hydroxide electrode
exhibits a poor performance which results not only from the
competitive reactions of the oxidation of the active material but also
from the evolution of oxygen. Its reduced charge acceptance is
suspected to be related to a relatively long distance between nickel
hydroxide particles and the nearest portion of the substrate. The
practical capacity of the positive nickel electrode depends on the
efficiency of the conductive network connecting the Ni(OH)
2
particle
with the current collector. In this study, a pasted-type electrode is
prepared using spherical nickel hydroxide powder as the main active
material on a foamed nickel grid as a current collector. The effects of
additives such as metallic cobalt powder, cobalt hydroxide, calcium
carbonate and cobalt powder with calcium carbonate on the electrode
performance are examined. The calcium carbonate addition increases
the oxygen evolution potential while the metallic cobalt powder and its
compounds enhance the conductivity of the active material. This
combined effect in nickel hydroxide electrode in turn increases the
capacity of the NiMH battery due to the augmentation in the
utilization of the active material of the positive electrode.
12 REFRACTORIES/
CERAMICS
Properties, production, applications
09/02255 Analysis of different models to estimate energy
savings related to windows in residential buildings
Urbikain, M. K. and Sala, J. M. Energy and Buildings, 2009, 41, (6),
687695.
A window energy rating system (WERS) provides a simple, approxi-
mate method to compare the energy performance of the various
windows and to determine the different potential savings for the
various weather conditions. The main aim of this paper is to obtain a
WERS for two climatic zones in Spain. For this purpose, the heating
loads and energy savings of a residential building with different types of
windows were obtained by three ways. Firstly, the energy through the
window was evaluated considering only the climatic conditions.
Secondly, the study was performed taking into account the energy
useful for the heating system considering the climate and the type of
building. Finally, the different cases were simulated using TRNSYS16
and WINDOW5. This study was performed for different European
climates. The WERS proposed here is based on the second method. It
takes into account the U factor of the window, U factor of the frame,
absortivity of the frame, solar heat gain of the glazing and infiltration.
09/02256 CdTe solar cell degradation studies with the use
of CdS as the window material
Mendoza-Perez, R. et al. Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells, 2009,
93, (1), 7984.
The authors present in this work the degradation effects with time in
thin film CdTe/CdS solar cells, where the CdS and CdTe layers are
deposited by chemical bath deposition (CBD) and close space vapour
transport (CSVT), respectively. The CdS thin films were grown from
different baths by varying the S/Cd ratio. The variation of the S/Cd
ratio allowed us to control the morphology and the density of defects,
thus giving rise to better quality CBD CdS films. Depending on the S/
Cd ratio an improvement of the morphology and capacitance signal was
observed, these factors have also an influence on the open-circuit
voltage, short-circuit current density, fill factor and conversion
efficiency of the solar cell. The variation with time of these parameters
in the devices was tracked during a period of 3 years measured directly
on the exposed back contact regions (CdTe/Cu/Au). A discussion on
the deterioration of the photovoltaic (PV) performance of the solar
cells is presented in correlation with the local environmental
conditions. This particular environment has contamination, and
represents another type of stress for standard PV operations. These
conditions reduce the mean life time of solar cells beyond short
periods; this can be of interest for PV community.
09/02257 FischerTropsch synthesis on ceramic
monolith-structured catalysts
Liu, W. et al. Catalysis Today, 2009, 140, (34), 142148.
This paper reports recent research results about the impact of different
catalyst bed configurations on FischerTropsch (FT) synthesis product
distributions. A powdered CoRe/-alumina catalyst with a particle size
ranging from 60 to 100 mesh was prepared and tested in a packed bed
reactor. The same catalyst was ball milled and coated on a ceramic
monolith support structure of channel size about 1 mm. The monolith
catalyst module was tested in two different ways, as a whole piece and
as well-defined channels. Steady-state reaction conversion was
measured at various temperatures under a constant H
2
/CO feed ratio
of 2 and a reactor pressure of 25 bar. Detailed product analysis was
performed. Significant formation of wax was evident with the packed
particle bed and with the monolith catalyst that was improperly packed.
By contrast, wax formation was not detected in the liquid product by
confining the reactions inside the monolith channel. This study
presents an important finding about the structured catalyst/reactor
system, in that the product distribution highly depends on how the
structured reactor is set up. Even if a catalyst is tested under identical
reaction conditions (T, P, H
2
/CO ratio), hydrodynamics (or flow
conditions) inside a structured channel may have a significant impact
on the product distribution.
09/02258 Heat transfer modelling on windows and glazing
under the exposure of solar radiation
Pal, S. et al. Energy and Buildings, 2009, 41, (6), 654661.
Due to the effect of solar radiation on windows and glazing system the
evaluation of heat flow is of primary importance in modelling the
thermal performance within building interiors to account thermal
comfort and overall energy consumption of a building. In this context
the optical properties of window glazing are measured to determine the
percentage absorption of incident solar radiation. An experimental
study was performed in a room to measure the glazing surface
temperature due to the global radiation on it. The corresponding
window plane global radiation and horizontal global radiation were
measured outside for simulation. Mathematical models have been
developed to simulate the window plane solar radiation and corre-
sponding glazing surface temperature aiming at validating the
measured values. The thermal model is concerned with laminar heat
transfer for natural and forced convection process according to the
ambient conditions. The estimated errors between experimental and
simulated values of window plane radiation and glazing temperature
are shown to be within 5%. Using the developed thermal model the
heat flow inside the room through windows is determined. Thus overall
heat transfer coefficient of glazing (U-factor) and the solar heat gain of
building interior have been predicted from the simulation.
09/02259 In-situ determination of the heat flux density at
the glass/mould interface during a glass pressing
production cycle
Dusserre, G. et al. International Journal of Thermal Science, 2009, 48,
(2), 428439.
The glass pressing process involves heat transfer between the glass gob
and the forming tool, among the most important parameters influen-
cing the thermo-mechanical stresses in the moulds. This paper presents
the development of the instrumentation of a mould for the measure-
ment of temperatures during the production cycle. These measure-
ments are exploited with an inverse method to evaluate the heat flux
densities at the working surface of the mould. The influence of each
process stage and of the location at the surface of the mould on the
thermal loadings are described. The evaluated heat flux densities
are used as boundary conditions in a finite element calculation. The
validity of these results are discussed taking into account the
differences between experiment and calculation, the hypothesis of
the inverse method and the time response of the thermocouples.
09/02260 Performance evaluation of a hybrid photovoltaic
thermal (PV/T) (glass-to-glass) system
Joshi, A. S. et al. International Journal of Thermal Science, 2009, 48, (1),
154164.
In this paper, an attempt is made to evaluate the thermal performance
of a hybrid photovoltaic thermal (PV/T) air collector system. The two
type of photovoltaic (PV) module namely PV module with glass-to-
tedlar and glass-to-glass are considered for performance comparison.
The results of both PV modules are compared for composite climate of
New Delhi. Analytical expression for solar cell, back surface, outlet air
temperatures and an overall thermal efficiency are derived for both
cases. It is observed that hybrid air collector with PV module glass-to-
glass gives better performance in terms of overall thermal efficiency.
Parametric studies are also carried out.
Fuel and Energy Abstracts September 2009 349
12 Refractories/ceramics (properties, production, applications)
09/02261 Potential application of see-through solar cells
in ventilated glazing in Hong Kong
Chow, T.-T. et al. Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells, 2009, 93, (2),
230238.
This paper reports the findings on the energy performance of see-
through PV glazing as applied to a typical open-plan office
environment of Hong Kong. An experimental system was first set up
and the measurements were used to verify the theoretical models
developed via the ESP-r simulation platform. The validated models
were subsequently used to evaluate the annual variations in thermal
loads and electricity generation for two PV glazing systems as
compared to the common absorptive glazing provisions. The results
indicate that the innovative natural-ventilated PV double-glazing
technology could significantly cut down the air-conditioning power
consumption by 28%, as compared to the conventional single
absorptive glazing system.
09/02262 Study of steam electrolysis using a microtubular
ceramic reactor
Hashimoto, S. et al. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 2009,
34, (3), 11591165.
Steam electrolysis was carried out using a microtubular ceramic reactor
with the following cell configuration: La
0.6
Sr
0.4
Co
0.2
Fe
0.8
O
3c
(LSCF)
Ce
0.8
Gd
0.2
O
1.9
(CGO) electrode/CGO buffer layer/(ZrO
2
)
0.89
(Sc
2
O
3
)
0.1
(CeO
2
)
0.01
(ScSZ) electrolyte/Ni-ScSZ electrode supporting
tube. Ten per cent H
2
/Ar gas was used as steam carrier gas, and 18%
steam was supplied to the ceramic reactors. The cell performance was
as follows: 1.43 V at 0.1 Acm
2
and 650

C (Area specific resistance:

4.7 cm
2
) or 1.37 V at 0.1 A cm
2
and 700

C (4.3 cm
2
). During steam
electrolysis, hydrogen production proportionally increased with current
density according to Faradays law, and heat generation at a low
current density was observed by an electrochemical technique. Voids
and Zr diffusion from the ScSZ electrolyte were confirmed in the CGO
buffer layer. Such factors near the surface probably influenced the
increase in ohmic loss and electrode polarization.
09/02263 The role of thermal treatment on the optical
properties of Ge
0.15
Se
0.85
system
Alnajjar, A. A. Renewable Energy, 2009, 34, (1), 7174.
The Ge
0.15
Se
0.85
alloy has been prepared in evacuated quartz tubes.
Thin amorphous film of Ge
0.15
Se
0.85
system has been prepared by using
thermal evaporation technique with 400 5 nm thickness. Atomic
absorption spectroscopy (AAS) was used to determine the concen-
tration of the composite elements (Ge and Se). Amorphous structure
was observed for prepared films by using X-ray diffraction (XRD). The
optical properties of Ge
0.15S
e
0.85
system have been studied as a function
of annealing temperatures (T
a
=300, 350, 400 and 450 K). The results
showed that optical transitions are direct and indirect. The energy gap
E
g
increased with increasing annealing temperature, i.e the absorption
edge shifts to lower wavelength. The refractive index, extinction
coefficient and real and imaginary parts of dielectric constant for
these films vary with heat treatment. Outcome of the study confirms
that this system may be used for photovoltaic devices.
13 ALTERNATIVE ENERGY
SUPPLIES
Biofuels and bioconversion energy
09/02264 A review on gasification of biomass
Kirubakaran, V. et al. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 2009,
13, (1), 179186.
Studies on the effect of size, structure, environment, temperature,
heating rate, composition of biomass and ash are reviewed. Based on
the observations reported so far, auto-gasification of biomass by the
bio-oxygen and the catalytic ash would be feasible. The auto-
gasification may be explained in terms of heterogeneous catalytic
reaction. Better understanding of auto-gasification is possible by
further studies carrying out on the effect of heating rate on auto-
gasification.
09/02265 An experimental study on air gasification of
biomass micron fuel (BMF) in a cyclone gasifier
Guo, X. et al. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 2009, 34, (3),
12651269.
Biomass micron fuel (BMF) produced from feedstock (energy crops,
agricultural wastes, forestry residues and so on) through an efficient
crushing process is a kind of powdery biomass fuel with particle size of
less than 250 mm. Based on the properties of BMF, a cyclone gasifier
concept has been considered in the laboratory for biomass gasification.
The concept combines and integrates partial oxidation, fast pyrolysis,
gasification, and tar cracking, as well as a shift reaction, with the
purpose of producing a high quality of gas. In this paper, characteristics
of BMF air gasification were studied in the gasifier. Without outer heat
energy input, the whole process is supplied with energy produced by
partial combustion of BMF in the gasifier using a hypostoichiometric
amount of air. The effects of equivalence ratio (ER) and biomass
particle size on gasification temperature, gas composition, gas yield,
low-heating value (LHV), carbon conversion and gasification efficiency
were studied. The results showed that higher ER led to higher
gasification temperature and contributed to high H
2
-content, but too
high ER lowered fuel gas content and degraded fuel gas quality. A
smaller particle was more favourable for higher gas yield, LHV, carbon
conversion and gasification efficiency. And the BMF air gasification in
the cyclone gasifier with the energy self-sufficiency is reliable.
09/02266 Biodiesel from waste cooking oil via base-
catalytic and supercritical methanol transesterification
Demirbas, A. Energy Conversion and Management, 2009, 50, (4), 923
927.
In this study, waste cooking oil has subjected to transesterification
reaction by potassium hydroxide (KOH) catalytic and supercritical
methanol methods obtaining for biodiesel. In catalysed methods, the
presence of water has negative effects on the yields of methyl esters. In
the catalytic transesterification free fatty acids and water always
produce negative effects since the presence of free fatty acids and
water causes soap formation, consumes catalyst, and reduces catalyst
effectiveness. Free fatty acids in the waste cooking oil are transester-
ified simultaneously in supercritical methanol method. Since waste
cooking oil contains water and free fatty acids, supercritical transester-
ification offers great advantage to eliminate the pre-treatment and
operating costs. The effects of methanol/waste cooking oils ratio,
potassium hydroxide concentration and temperature on the biodiesel
conversion were investigated.
09/02267 Biodiesel production from oleaginous
microorganisms
Meng, X. et al. Renewable Energy, 2009, 34, (1), 15.
High energy prices, energy and environment security, concerns about
petroleum supplies are drawing considerable attention to find a
renewable biofuels. Biodiesel, a mixture of fatty acid methyl esters
(FAMEs) derived from animal fats or vegetable oils, is rapidly moving
towards the mainstream as an alternative source of energy. However,
biodiesel derived from conventional petrol or from oilseeds or animal
fat cannot meet realistic need, and can only be used for a small fraction
of existing demand for transport fuels. In addition, expensive large
acreages for sufficient production of oilseed crops or cost to feed
animals are needed for raw oil production. Therefore, oleaginous
microorganisms are available for substituting conventional oil in
biodiesel production. Most of the oleaginous microorganisms like
microalgae, bacillus, fungi and yeast are all available for biodiesel
production. Regulation mechanism of oil accumulation in microorgan-
ism and approach of making microbial diesel economically competitive
with petrodiesel are discussed in this review.
09/02268 Biodiesel production in a small community:
case study in Thailand
Phalakornkule, C. et al. Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 2009,
53, (3), 129135.
A community-scale process of biodiesel production from animal fats
was reported together with an economic analysis and wastewater
treatment process. The biodiesel product whose qualification met Thai
biodiesel standards for agricultural engines could be used directly in
agricultural engines, such as water pumps, cultivator engines, trailer-
mounted engines, dump trucks and farm vehicles with single-cylinder,
four-stroke diesel engines without operational problems. This study
was an illustration for producing inexpensive and renewable energy
from domestic sources to reduce dependence on foreign sources of
petroleum. The treatment of wastewater from the biodiesel production
process was necessary because the water contained high levels of COD
(approximately 138,000 mg L
1
) and oils/fats, which may hinder the
biological mechanism. By adding aluminium sulfate of an appropriate
amount followed by an adjustment of pH, alkalinity and nitrogen levels,
the water could be further treated by an anaerobic process.
09/02269 Bioethanol production from thick juice as
intermediate of sugar beet processing
Dodic , S. et al. Biomass and Bioenergy, 2009, 33, (5), 822827.
350 Fuel and Energy Abstracts September 2009
13 Alternative energy supplies (biofuels and bioconversion energy)
The aims of this study were to investigate the bioethanol production of
thick juice as intermediate from sugar beet processing in batch culture
by free Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells and the effect of sugar
concentration on ethanol yield and CO
2
weight loss rate. Thick juice
and molasses of sugar beet from a domestic sugar factory were diluted
with distilled water to give a total sugar concentration of 5, 10, 15, 20
and 25% (ww
1
). Initial concentration of fermentable sugars of 20%
(ww
1
) in culture medium can be taken as optimal, enabling maximal
ethanol yield (68%) and maximal CO
2
evolution rate was realized,
amounting to more than 90 g L
1
h
1
. The optimal concentration of
fermentable sugar from thick juice for bioethanol production by free S.
cerevisiae cells was 20% (ww
1
) at 30

C, pH 5 and agitation rate

200 rpm gave maximum ethanol concentration of 12% (v v
1
).
09/02270 Biofuels in the U.S. challenges and
opportunities
Hoekman, S. K. Renewable Energy, 2009, 34, (1), 1422.
Biofuels are of rapidly growing interest for reasons of energy security,
diversity, and sustainability as well as for greenhouse gas mitigation.
In recent years, the USA has enacted regulations and adopted
aggressive goals to encourage increased usage of biofuels. Individual
States (especially California) have taken even stronger positions with
respect to biofuels. Initial efforts have focused mainly on ethanol,
produced via fermentation of sugars from grains (especially corn).
Todays R&D focus is on second-generation biofuels that are
produced from a variety of biomass feedstocks utilizing a wide range
of conversion technologies. This paper summarizes policy and
regulatory drivers for biofuels in the USA, describes usage trends
and projections, and highlights major R&D efforts to promote
development and commercialization of second-generation biofuels.
R&D is being conducted in many areas, including biomass resource
assessment, development of new biomass feedstocks, improved
conversion technologies, and integration of systems. Other important
considerations include fuel quality and specifications, as well as
requirements for blending, distribution, and storage. Considerable
R&D, policy, and regulatory efforts are also focused on the energy and
environmental consequences of biofuels. This includes not only direct
emissions associated with vehicular uses, but also the fuels life-cycle
impacts with respect to total energy usage, greenhouse gas emissions,
and multi-media effects. Due to the wide diversity of biomass
feedstocks, conversion technologies, and systems integration ap-
proaches, the life-cycle impacts of biofuels can vary widely.
09/02271 Biogas as a sustainable energy source in Nepal:
present status and future challenges
Gautam, R. et al. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 2009, 13,
(1), 248252.
Cattle manure, human excreta and agriculture residues are used in
anaerobic bioreactors in many parts of the world to produce methane
gas, which is used for the purpose of cooking and lighting. Since such
waste materials are readily available in farms, rural people of many
developing countries have been benefited from this technology.
Besides, this technology is cheaper and simpler, thus, gaining
popularity throughout the world. Nepal is one of the least developed
countries with the vast majority of people involved in subsistence
agriculture. The use of biogas technology in Nepal has benefited the
country in improving health, environment, economy and energy
conservation. This paper presents the state of the biogas sector in
Nepal.
09/02272 Biomass-based energy fuel through biochemical
routes: a review
Saxena, R. C. et al. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 2009,
13, (1), 167178.
Energy demand is increasing continuously due to rapid growth in
population and industrialization development. The development of
energy sources is not keeping pace with spiraling consumption. Even
developed countries are not able to compensate even after increasing
the energy production multifold. The major energy demand is provided
from the conventional energy sources such as coal, oil, natural gas, etc.
Two major problems, which every country is facing with these
conventional fuels, are depletion of fossil fuels and deterioration of
environment. The present review article aims to highlight various
biochemical processes for conversion of biomass into biological
hydrogen gas and ethanol. The present discussion focuses on hydrogen
production through various routes, namely fermentative, photosyn-
thesis and biological water gas shift reaction. In addition, emphasis has
been laid on ethanol as biomass-based energy fuel. The discussion has
been focused on the technology for ethanol production from various
biomass sources such as molasses, lignocellulosic feedstock and starch.
Various biochemical processes and their major steps involved during
the ethanol production from biomass have been discussed in detail.
09/02273 Biomethanation of herbaceous biomass residues
using 3-zone plug flow like digesters a case study from
India
Chanakya, H. N. et al. Renewable Energy, 2009, 34, (2), 416420.
Biomethanation of herbaceous biomass feedstock has the potential to
provide clean energy source for cooking and other activities in areas
where such biomass availability predominates. A biomethanation
concept that involves fermentation of biomass residues in three steps,
occurring in three zones of the fermentor is described. This approach
while attempting take advantage of multistage reactors simplifies the
reactor operation and obviates the need for a high degree of process
control or complex reactor design. Typical herbaceous biomass
decompose with a rapid volatile fatty acids flux initially (with a
tendency to float) followed by a slower decomposition showing
balanced process of volatile fatty acids generation and its utilization
by methanogens that colonize biomass slowly. The tendency to float at
the initial stages is suppressed by allowing previous days feed to hold it
below digester liquid which permits volatile fatty acids to disperse into
the digester liquid without causing process inhibition. This approach
has been used to build and operate simple biomass digesters to provide
cooking gas in rural areas with weed and agro-residues. With
appropriate modifications, the same concept has been used for
digesting municipal solid wastes in small towns where large fermentors
are not viable. With further modifications this concept has been used
for solidliquid feed fermentors. Methanogen colonized leaf biomass
has been used as biofilm support to treat coffee processing wastewater
as well as crop litter alternately in a year. During summer it functions
as a biomass based biogas plants operating in the three-zone mode
while in winter, feeding biomass is suspended and high strength coffee
processing wastewater is let into the fermentor achieving over 90%
biological oxygen demand reduction. The early field experience of
these fermentors is presented.
09/02274 Characteristics and composition of Jatropha
gossypiifolia and Jatropha curcas L. oils and application for
biodiesel production
de Oliveira, J. S. et al. Biomass and Bioenergy, 2009, 33, (3), 449453.
In this work two genus of the Jatropha family: the Jatropha
gossypiifolia (JG) and Jatropha curcas L. (JC) were studied in order
to delimitate their potential as raw material for biodiesel production.
The oil content in wild seeds and some physicalchemical properties of
the oils and the biodiesel obtained from them were evaluated. The
studied physicalchemical properties of the JC and JG biodiesel are in
the acceptable range for use as biodiesel in diesel engines, and therefore
show a promising economic exploitation of these raw materials in semi-
arid regions. However, further agronomic studies are needed in order
to improve the seed production and the crude oil properties.
09/02275 Characteristics of high heating rate biomass
chars prepared under N
2
and CO
2
atmospheres
Borrego, A. G. et al. International Journal of Coal Geology, 2009, 77,
(34), 409415.
Partial substitution of coal by biomass in combustion systems in
conjunction with advanced technologies for carbon dioxide capture and
storage may result in a significant reduction of greenhouse gases
emissions. This study investigates three biomass chars produced from
rice husk, forest residuals and wood chips under nitrogen and carbon
dioxide atmospheres using a drop tube furnace (DTF) heated at
950

C. The char constitutes an unburned residue which has been

devolatilized under conditions resembling in thermal history those in
full scale boilers. Higher weight losses were achieved under nitrogen
than under carbon dioxide for each type of biomass, and the highest
weight loss was that of wood chips biomass, followed by forest residuals
and then rice husk. The results indicate significant morphological
differences between the biomass chars produced. The wood chips
yielded thick-walled chars with a cenospheric shape very similar to
those of low-rank vitrinite. The forest residual chars were angular in
shape and often had a tenuinetwork structure, while the rice husk chars
retained their vegetal structure. Overall, the studied biomass chars can
be described as microporous solids. However, in the case of the rice
husk, the silica associated to the char walls was essentially mesoporous,
increasing the adsorption capacity of the rice husk chars. The
atmosphere in the DTF affects the development of porosity in the
chars. The pore volumes of the rice husk and forest residual chars
prepared under a carbon dioxide atmosphere were higher than those of
chars prepared under a nitrogen atmosphere, whereas the opposite was
the case with the wood chip chars. The chars that experienced the most
drastic devolatilization were those with the lowest intrinsic reactivity.
This indicates a more efficient reorganization of the chemical structure
that reduces the number of active sites available for oxygen attack.
Overall a similar morphology, optical texture, specific surface area
and reactivity were found for the biomass chars generated under
nitrogen and carbon dioxide, which is a similar result to that obtained
for coal chars.
Fuel and Energy Abstracts September 2009 351
13 Alternative energy supplies (biofuels and bioconversion energy)
09/02276 Comparing the lubricity of biofuels obtained from
pyrolysis and alcoholysis of soybean oil and their blends
with petroleum diesel
Suarez, P. A. Z. et al. Fuel, 2009, 88, (6), 11431147.
A diesel-like fuel, pyrodiesel, was synthesized by a pyrolysis method
using soybean oil as starting material. Some physical properties of the
material were studied, both neat and in blends with high-sulfur and
low-sulfur diesel fuels, and compared with blends of biodiesel in fossil
fuels. It was observed using different methods that the lubricity of
biobased fuels obtained after the transesterification or pyrolysis of
soybean oil is superior to low-sulfur and high-sulfur diesel fuels and
also that the lubricity of diesel fuels are enhanced when either biodiesel
or pyrodiesel are added. Based on the results reported herein,
pyrodiesel is a viable alternative to biodiesel for use in compression-
ignition engines.
09/02277 Comparison of Arundo donax L. and
Miscanthus x giganteus in a long-term field experiment
in Central Italy: analysis of productive characteristics
and energy balance
Angelini, L. G. et al. Biomass and Bioenergy, 2009, 33, (4), 635643.
Miscanthus x giganteus (miscanthus) and Arundo donax L. (giant reed)
are two perennial crops which have been receiving particular attention
during the last decade as bioenergy crops. The main aim of the present
study was to compare the above-ground biomass production and the
energy balance of these perennial rhizomatous grasses in a long-term
field experiment. The crops were cultivated from 1992 to 2003 in the
temperate climate of central Italy with 20,000 plants ha
1
, 100100100
kg N, P
2
O
5
, K
2
O per hectare, and without irrigation supply. For each
year of trial, biomass was harvested in autumn to estimate biometric
characteristics and productive parameters. Besides, energy analysis of
biomass production was carried out determining energy output, energy
input, energy efficiency (output/input) and net energy yield (output
input). Results showed high above-ground biomass yields over a period
of 10 years for both species, with better productive performances in
giant reed than in miscanthus (37.7 t DMha
1
year
1
versus 28.7
t DMha
1
year
1
averaged from 2 to 12 years of growth). Such high
yields resulted positively correlated to number of stalks (miscanthus),
plant height and stalk diameter (giant reed). Moreover, these perennial
species are characterized by a favourable energy balance with a net
energy yield of 467 and 637 GJ ha
1
(112 year mean) for miscanthus
and giant reed respectively. With such characteristics, both grasses
could be proposed as biomass energy crops in southern Europe with a
significant and environmentally compatible contribution to energy
needs.
09/02278 Design of a thermally integrated
bioethanol-fueled solid oxide fuel cell system integrated
with a distillation column
Jamsak, W. et al. Journal of Power Sources, 2009, 187, (1), 190203.
Solid oxide fuel cell systems integrated with a distillation column
(SOFC-DIS) have been investigated in this study. The MER (maximum
energy recovery) network for SOFC-DIS system under the base
conditions (CEtOH=25%, EtOH recovery =80%, V=0.7 V, fuel
utilization =80%, TSOFC=1200 K) yields QCmin =73.4 and
QHmin =0 kW. To enhance the performance of SOFC-DIS, utilization
of internal useful heat sources from within the system (e.g. condenser
duty and hot water from the bottom of the distillation column) and a
cathode recirculation have been considered in this study. The
utilization of condenser duty for preheating the incoming bioethanol
and cathode recirculation for SOFC-DIS system were chosen and
implemented to the SOFC-DIS (CondBio-CathRec). Different MER
designs were investigated. The obtained MER network of CondBio-
CathRec configuration shows the lower minimum cold utility (QCmin)
of 55.9 kW and total cost index than that of the base case. A heat
exchanger loop and utility path were also investigated. It was found
that eliminate the high temperature distillate heat exchanger can lower
the total cost index. The recommended network is that the hot effluent
gas is heat exchanged with the anode heat exchanger, the external
reformer, the air heat exchanger, the distillate heat exchanger and the
reboiler, respectively. The corresponding performances of this design
are 40.8%, 54.3%, 0.221 Wcm
2
for overall electrical efficiency,
combined heat and power efficiency and power density, respectively.
The effect of operating conditions on composite curves on the design of
heat exchanger network was investigated. The obtained composite
curves can be divided into two groups: the threshold case and the pinch
case. It was found that the pinch case which TSOFC=1173 K yields
higher total cost index than the CondBio-CathRec at the base
conditions. It was also found that the pinch case can become a
threshold case by adjusting split fraction or operating at lower fuel
utilization. The total cost index of the threshold cases is lower than that
of the pinch case. Moreover, it was found that some conditions can give
lower total cost index than that of the CondBio-CathRec at the base
conditions.
09/02279 Determination of biodiesel blend levels in
different diesel samples by
1
H NMR
Monteiro, M. R. et al. Fuel, 2009, 88, (4), 691696.
The use of
1
H NMR to quantify different methyl biodiesels in diesel
from different sources is described. Biodiesel samples from soybean
and castor oils, which have different fatty acid compositions, and three
diesel fuels, which have distinct chemical compositions, were used to
prepare biodiesel blends (0.530%, v/v). These samples were analysed
by
1
H NMR and some relationships of integrals were employed to
construct calibration curves. The results indicated that the quantifi-
cation of biodiesel in diesel by
1
H NMR is not affected by either
biodiesel or diesel types and thus this technique is especially valuable
for such determination.
09/02280 Direct synthesis of carbon nanofibers on
modified biomass-derived activated carbon
Chen, X.-W. et al. Carbon, 2009, 47, (1), 340343.
Carbon nanofibres were synthesized on activated carbons produced
from agricultural waste using chemical vapour deposition. Importantly,
iron already present in the ash content of the activated carbon was
employed as a natural catalyst for nanofibre formation. The need for a
wet chemical catalyst preparation step was avoided.
09/02281 Energy production from grassland assessing
the sustainability of different process chains under German
conditions
Rosch, C. et al. Biomass and Bioenergy, 2009, 33, (4), 689700.
In many regions of Europe, grassland shapes the landscape and fulfils
important functions in protecting nature, soil, and water. However, the
traditional uses of grassland for forage production are vanishing with
progress in breeding and structural adaptations in agriculture. On the
other hand, the demand for biomass energy is rising due to political
sustainability goals and financial measures to support renewable
energy. Against this background, the Institute for Technology Assess-
ment and Systems Analysis investigated the applicability, economic
efficiency, and sustainability of different techniques for energy
production from grassland as well as from grassland converted into
maize fields or short-rotation poplars under German conditions. The
results show that despite relatively high energy prices and the financial
support for bioenergy, the effects of energy production from grassland
on employment in agriculture and farmers income are modest. What is
beneficial are savings in non-renewable energy, reductions in green-
house gas emissions, and local provision of energy carriers. If grassland
biomass (grass silage or hay) is used for energy purposes, this brings
the further advantages of preserving biodiversity and the cultural
landscape and protecting of soil and groundwater. Negative impacts on
sustainable development result from an increase in emissions, which
leads to acidification, eutrophication, and risks to human health. The
overall evaluation indicates that short-rotation poplars are compara-
tively advantageous from the economic and ecological point of view.
Therefore, a development plan for grassland is required to identify
areas where grassland could be used as an energy resource or where it
would be favourable to install energy plantations with fast-growing
perennial plants.
09/02282 Establishing perennial grass energy crops in the
UK: a review of current propagation options for Miscanthus
Atkinson, C. J. Biomass and Bioenergy, 2009, 33, (5), 752759.
A key UK government strategy is to expand the supply of home grown
biomass and facilitate the development and competitiveness of a
sustainable supply chain, while promoting low-carbon technology.
Analysis of the potential supply chain suggests that this can, in part, be
achieved by growing energy crops. Meeting expectations is, however,
reliant on developing an economically viable biomass sector which
incorporates efficient, sustainable and regional supply chains to
increase biomass use. This review aims to present the knowledge by
which plant propagules, for the biomass supply chain, can be produced
at minimum cost. It specifically addresses the potential of biomass
production from the perennial grass Miscanthus. This review is part of
a project to identify the causes for the apparent limitations in the
establishment of UK perennial energy crops. The work reported here
focuses on the knowledge available regarding the potential routes by
which Miscanthus material could be mass produced. The review
concludes that high density plantings must be established to maximize
yields. Vegetative clonal plant propagation is required to deliver
uniform crops of selected germplasm. Commercial seed production in
the UK is not possible and potentially undesirable for selected
germplasm. Rhizome production and division is slow, but currently
does not limit increases in production because the UK industry uptake
is currently small. Uptake of new germplasm will be dependent on the
use of rapid and cost effective plant propagation systems, particularly
vegetative systems. The germplasm collection established provides an
opportunity for genotypes to be propagated by a range of techniques to
determine ease of propagation in terms of cost and multiplication rates.
At present the establishment rate of Miscanthus is slow and this
352 Fuel and Energy Abstracts September 2009
13 Alternative energy supplies (biofuels and bioconversion energy)
appears limited by economics; evidence suggests that the cost of plant
propagules is one factor that constrains widespread planting. New
techniques are required that simultaneously reduce unit costs of
propagules and increase the speed of their availability to aid this
developing industry.
09/02283 Estimates of technically available woody biomass
feedstock from natural forests and willow biomass crops for
two locations in New York State
Castellano, R. J. et al. Biomass and Bioenergy, 2009, 33, (3), 393406.
A geographic information system was used to estimate the technically
available woody biomass from forests and willow biomass crops within
a 40 km radius of Syracuse and Tupper Lake, New York. Land cover
and land use data were used to identify the available land base and
restrictions were applied for slope, parcel size and designated wetlands.
Approximately 222,984 oven-dry tonnes (odt) of forest biomass are
technically available annually around Syracuse, from 165,848 hectares
(ha) of timberland. There are 67,880 ha of agricultural land technically
available for growing willow biomass crops, which could produce 38,181
odt yr
1
if 5% of this land was used and yields were 11.25 odt ha
1
yr
1
.
There are approximately 215,300 odt of forest biomass technically
available annually around Tupper Lake from 211,500 ha of timberland.
There are 781 ha of technically available agricultural land in this area
so willow biomass production would be minimal. While these two areas
have different land cover and land use characteristics, both have the
potential to produce significant amounts of woody biomass.
09/02284 Factors affecting strength and durability of
densified biomass products
Kaliyan, N. and Morey, R. V. Biomass and Bioenergy, 2009, 33, (3),
337359.
Effectiveness of a densification process to create strong and durable
bonding in densified products such as pellets, briquettes, and cubes can
be determined by testing the strength (i.e. compressive resistance,
impact resistance, and water resistance), and durability (i.e. abrasion
resistance) of the densified products. These tests can indicate the
maximum force/stress that the densified products can withstand, and
the amount of fines produced during handling, transportation, and
storage. In this article, the procedures used for measuring the strength
and durability of the densified products are discussed. The effects of
constituents of the feed such as starch, protein, fiber, fat, lignin and
extractives; feed moisture content; feed particle size and its distri-
bution; feed conditioning temperature/preheating of feed; added
binders; and densification equipment variables (forming pressure,
and pellet mill and roll press variables) on the strength and durability
of the densified products are reviewed. This article will help select
process parameters to produce strong and durable densified products
from new biomass feedstocks or animal feed formulations. Guidelines
for developing standards on criteria for the acceptance levels of
strength and durability of the densified products are presented.
09/02285 Hydrogen-rich gas from catalytic steam
gasification of biomass in a fixed bed reactor: influence of
particle size on gasification performance
Luo, S. et al. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 2009, 34, (3),
12601264.
The catalytic steam gasification of biomass was carried out in a lab-
scale fixed bed reactor in order to evaluate the effects of particle size at
different bed temperatures on the gasification performance. The bed
temperature was varied from 600 to 900

C and the biomass was

separated into five different size fractions (below 0.075 mm, 0.075
0.15 mm, 0.150.3 mm, 0.30.6 mm and 0.61.2 mm). The results show
that with decreasing particle size, the dry gas yield, carbon conversion
efficiency and H
2
yield increased, and the content of char and tar
decreased. And the differences due to particle sizes in gasification
performance practically disappear as the higher temperature bound is
approached. Hydrogen and carbon monoxide contents in the produced
gas increase with decreasing particle size at 900

C, reaching to 51.2%
and 22.4%, respectively.
09/02286 Improvements in char yield and pore properties of
wood-derived carbon by iodine treatment
Nakamura, K. et al. Carbon, 2009, 47, (1), 348.
An iodine treatment was applied to wood to seek improvements in char
yields and pore-related properties, i.e. surface area, micro-pore volume
and the pore-size distribution, of the carbons derived from them
without any other special pre- and post-treatments. Char yields were
improved, surface area and micro-pore volumes were increased. The
initiation temperature of pyrolysis of the treated woods was decreased,
and gases such as CH
3
I and HI were produced during the pyrolysis.
The change in the above-mentioned yields and pore-related properties
with the iodine treatment was analysed using wood-component
polymers such as cellulose and lignin. By spectroscopic analyses,
iodine in the polymers exists in its ionic state, which may increase the
stability of the polymers. Iodine-treated lignin plays a role of the
modification of the pyrolysis process in the improvements in the yields
and pore-related properties in the resultant wood-derived carbons.
09/02287 Nonmarket cobenefits and economic feasibility of
on-farm biogas energy production
Yiridoe, E. K. et al. Energy Policy, 2009, 37, (3), 11701179.
Standard analysis of the economic feasibility of on-farm biogas energy
production tend to emphasize primarily on direct financial benefits to
farmers, and abstracts from the non-market co-benefits associated with
anaerobic digestion of livestock manure and other biomass feedstock.
This shortcoming of the standard feasibility analysis raises a funda-
mental question: How is the economic feasibility of on-farm anaerobic
biogas energy production affected by the associated nonpecuniary co-
benefits? Incorporating key non-market co-benefits from biogas energy
production extends the standard economic feasibility analysis, and
provides important insights. When non-market co-benefits were
excluded, on-farm biogas energy production was generally not
financially feasible for the dairy and swine farm size ranges studied
(except for 600- and 800-sow farms). Overall, results of the financial
feasibility analysis did not change compared to a base scenario (without
non-market co-benefits) when an estimated annual total non-market
co-benefits of CND$5000 was incorporated into the analysis, for both
dairy and swine farms. Biogas energy production was generally
financially viable for small-size dairy (i.e. 50-cow) and swine (i.e.
200-sow) farms when the non-market co-benefits were valued at
CND$15,000 (or higher). Improvements in financial feasibility were
more dramatic for dairy than for swine farms.
09/02288 Optimisation of FAME production from waste
cooking oil for biodiesel use
Bautista, L. F. et al. Biomass and Bioenergy, 2009, 33, (5), 862872.
This study consists of the development and optimization of the
potassium hydroxide-catalysed synthesis of fatty acid methyl esters
(FAME) from waste cooking oil. A factorial design of experiments and
a central composite design have been used. The variables chosen were
fatty acid concentration in the waste cooking oil, temperature and
initial catalyst concentration by weight of waste cooking oil, while the
responses were FAME purity and yield. The initial catalyst concen-
tration is the most important factor, having a positive influence on
FAME purity, but a negative one on FAME yield due to the positive
influences of the yield losses (triglyceride saponification and methyl
ester dissolution in glycerol). Fatty acid concentration in the waste
cooking oil is the second factor of importance, having negative
influences in FAME purity and yield. Temperature has an insignificant
effect on FAME purity, but it has a significant negative influence on
FAME yield due to the positive effect of temperature on the yield
losses. Second-order models were obtained to predict the responses
analysed as a function of these variables.
09/02289 Optimization of biodiesel production from edible
and non-edible vegetable oils
Patil, P. D. and Deng, S. Fuel, 2009, 88, (7), 13021306.
The non-edible vegetable oils such as Jatropha curcas and Pongamia
glabra (karanja) and edible oils such as corn and canola were found to
be good viable sources for producing biodiesel. Biodiesel production
from different edible and non-edible vegetable oils was compared in
order to optimize the biodiesel production process. The analysis of
different oil properties, fuel properties and process parameter
optimization of non-edible and edible vegetable oils were investigated
in detail. A two-step and single-step transesterification process was
used to produce biodiesel from high free fatty acid (FFA) non-edible
oils and edible vegetable oils, respectively. This process gives yields of
about 9095% for J. curcas, 8085% for P. glabra, 8095% for canola,
and 8596% for corn using potassium hydroxide (KOH) as a catalyst.
The fuel properties of biodiesel produced were compared with ASTM
standards for biodiesel.
09/02290 Overview of fuel properties of biomass fast
pyrolysis oils
Lu, Q. et al. Energy Conversion and Management, 2009, 50, (5), 1376
1383.
Fast pyrolysis of biomass is one of the most promising technologies for
converting biomass to liquid fuels. As a result, this technology has
gained extensive attention in the last two decades. The pyrolysis
liquids, known as the bio-oils, have been regarded as promising
candidates to replace petroleum fuels to be used in various thermal
devices. However, bio-oils are totally different from petroleum fuels.
Therefore, the successful utilization of bio-oils in terms of liquid fuels
requires adequate understanding of their fuel properties. This review
concentrates on the detailed fuel properties of bio-oils and discusses
how these properties affect the utilization of bio-oils.
Fuel and Energy Abstracts September 2009 353
13 Alternative energy supplies (biofuels and bioconversion energy)
09/02291 Palm oil: addressing issues and towards
sustainable development
Tan, K. T. et al. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 2009, 13,
(2), 420427.
The quest for renewable energy has intensified since the escalating
price of crude petroleum in the recent years. Renewable energy such as
biodiesel has the potential to replace petroleum-derived transportation
fuel in the future. Biodiesel is defined as the mono-alkyl esters of long-
chain fatty acids derived from vegetable oils such palm oil, rapeseed
and soybean. Currently, more than 80% of the world biodiesel
productions are from rapeseed oil. However, the cost of palm oil,
which is at least US$200 per tonne cheaper than rapeseed oil, indicates
that palm oil could be a more suitable and attractive candidate as the
source of biodiesel compared to other vegetable oils. Although palm oil
is known to be a multi-purpose vegetable oil with products ranging
from food to biodiesel, there are a lot of issues surrounding palm oil
production. Nevertheless, some of these issues reported in the
literature were found to be misleading and are thus confusing the
public perception on palm oil. Thus, the aim of this paper is to
highlight and clarify the negative issues reported in the literature
surrounding palm oil production. Apart from that, various policies or/
and strategies that will lead to a more sustainable production and
development of palm oil industries will also be proposed. Hence, palm
oil will be able to become the leading vegetable oil in terms of food and
non-food production, especially as the main source of renewable
energy, biodiesel.
09/02292 Predicting the temperature dependent viscosity
of biodiesel fuels
Yuan, W. et al. Fuel, 2009, 88, (6), 11201126.
The purpose of this work was to develop a method for predicting
temperature dependent viscosities of biodiesel based on fatty acid ester
composition. The GrunbergNissan equation combined with a group
contribution method was used as the mixing rule to calculate viscosities
of mixtures of fatty acid esters. Prediction errors at 25

C were less than

2.5% for 22 mixtures of fatty acid ethyl esters. Compared with
experimentally measured viscosities at 20100

C, predicted viscosities
of soybean oil and yellow grease methyl esters were within 3%. For
coconut, palm and canola oil methyl esters, maximum errors were
underestimations at approximately 7%.
09/02293 Prediction of optimized pretreatment process
parameters for biodiesel production using ANN and GA
Rajendra, M. et al. Fuel, 2009, 88, (5), 868875.
An artificial neural network (ANN) based program coupled with
genetic algorithm (GA) was developed on MATLAB platform for
predicting the optimized process parameters required for reducing
high free fatty acids (FFA) of any vegetable oils for successful
transesterification. The developed ANN was a feed forward back
propagation network (47131) with one input, two hidden and one
output layers. The input parameters for the ANN to generalize the
pretreatment process were initial acid value of vegetable oil (IAV),
methanol-to-oil ratio (M), catalyst concentration (C) and reaction time
(T) and the output parameter was final acid value (FAV) of oil. The
developed ANN was trained with the experimental data obtained for
jatropha, mahua, simaruoba and rice bran oils with acid value more
than 14 mg KOH/g-oil. The trained ANN was tested with separate set
of data generated from pretreatment of mahua oil using response
surface methodology (RSM) based on central composite rotatable
design (CCRD) and found to predict the input pretreatment process
parameters with low mean square error (MSE) and relative percentage
deviation (RPD). The well trained ANN synaptic joint weights and
threshold values were used by GA to evaluate the fitness (to get FAV of
oil less than 2 after pretreatment) of individuals (combinations of M, C
and T) for optimization. The optimized process parameters predicted
by the developed ANNGA technique for sunflower oil with IAV
28 1 mg KOH/g-oil were experimentally verified and the FAV was
measured to be 2 0.2 mg KOH/g-oil against the predicted value of
2 mg KOH/g-oil.
09/02294 Pretreatment of yellow grease for efficient
production of fatty acid methyl esters
Diaz-Felix, W. et al. Biomass and Bioenergy, 2009, 33, (4), 558563.
Biodiesel is a renewable fuel comprised of fatty acid methyl esters
(FAME) derived from vegetable oils or animal fats. Comparisons
between biodiesel and petroleum-based diesel have shown biodiesel to
be effective in reducing exhaust emissions of carbon monoxide,
hydrocarbons, particulate matter, and sulfur dioxide. While there are
advantages of biodiesel over the traditional petroleum based diesel,
biodiesel commercialization is limited by production cost that is
dominated by the price of the feedstock (soybean oil). Yellow grease
has the potential to be an effective feedstock with lower cost, but the
chemical composition of these oils is variable depending on the source
of collection and differs from that of virgin oil due to the presence of
free fatty acids (FFA). Esterification has been previously demonstrated
to reduce the FFA levels of YG; however, large quantities of methanol
were required to drive the reaction to high yield. Methanol usage for
processing and FFA content are the main factors affecting the
economics of FAME production from YG. In this study, the
relationship between composition and process variables was system-
atically studied. The effect of FFA ranging from 2% to 32% (w/w) was
studied at three different molar ratios of methanol to FFA (4.5:1, 9:1,
18:1) and was found to have a non-linear relationship. Data obtained
from this full factorial screening was used to develop a predictive
statistical model to forecast the conversion based on initial FFA level
and proportion of alcohol applied for esterification.
09/02295 Steps to discern sustainability criteria for a
certification scheme of bioethanol in Brazil: approach and
difficulties
Delzeit, R. and Holm-Muller, K. Energy, 2009, 34, (5), 662668.
Taking Brazilian bioethanol as an example, this paper presents possible
sustainability criteria for a certification scheme aimed to minimize
negative socio-ecological impacts and to increase the sustainable
production of biomass. The authors describe the methods that have
led us to the identification of a first set of feasible sustainability criteria
for Brazilian bioethanol and discuss issues to be considered when
developing certification schemes for sustainability. General problems
of a certification scheme lie in the inherent danger of introducing new
non-tariff trade barriers and in the problems of including important
higher scale issues like land conversion and food security. A
certification system cannot replace a thorough analysis of policy
impacts on sustainability issues.
09/02296 Techno-economic analysis of the energy
exploitation of biomass residues in Heraklion Prefecture
Crete
Boukis, I. et al. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 2009, 13,
(2), 362377.
As with most of the Greek islands, Crete is not interconnected to the
national power grid. Therefore, power is generated locally and is based
on a handful of ageing power plants running on imported diesel fuel
oil, owned by the Public Power Corporation. However, the growth of
the tourism industry and the subsequent need for more power present
major challenges for the electricity production on the island. The high
potential of biomass residues on the island creates new prospects for
the energy concept of Crete. The purpose of this work is to examine the
feasibility of a biomass-fired plant in the Heraklion Prefecture, on the
island of Crete, taking into account the high biomass residues potential
of this area.
09/02297 Theoretical study of the transesterification of
triglycerides to biodiesel fuel
Asakuma, Y. et al. Fuel, 2009, 88, (5), 786791.
The transesterification of various triglycerides was considered in terms
of the activation energy obtained from quantum computational
chemistry. According to these values, the effect upon the reactivity of
the structure of the triglyceride is not particularly large. Moreover, the
transesterification reaction is completed via a transition state, in which
ring formation consisting of the carbon of the carboxyl and alkoxy
groups appears, even if a long-chain alcohol is used as a reactant.
Finally, an ideal reaction pathway, in which the ester bond at the center
of the triglyceride is transesterified before peripheral ester bonds, was
shown by an activation energy analysis and electrostatic potential
distribution.
09/02298 Utilization of carbon-negative biofuels from low-
input high-diversity grassland biomass for energy in China
Zhou, X. et al. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 2009, 13,
(2), 479485.
This paper considered the utilization of carbon-negative biofuels from
low-input high-diversity grassland biomass on degraded lands (LIHD)
for energy including energy equivalent to greenhouse gas (GHG)
capture and storage. The results show that the energy output of LIHD
biomass on degraded soil is nearly equal to that of ethanol from
conventional corn grain on fertile soil. It has also been shown that
LIHD biofuel is far more economical than the conventional biofuels
such as corn ethanol or soybean biodiesel. China is a large
agriculturally developing country, with its rural area largely populated
and vast land degraded. The potential of using energy from LIHD
biomass on degraded lands in China was estimated and the results
show that the potential energy production of LIHD biomass reaches
6350971.32 TJ year
1
, accounting for about 15% of Chinas energy
consumption in 2002.
09/02299 Variability in sunflower oil quality for biodiesel
production: a simulation study
Pereyra-Irujo, G. A. et al. Biomass and Bioenergy, 2009, 33, (3), 459
468.
354 Fuel and Energy Abstracts September 2009
13 Alternative energy supplies (biofuels and bioconversion energy)
Biodiesel is an alternative fuel made from vegetable oils or animal fats.
The fatty acid composition of the feedstock, which varies among and
within species, is the main determinant of biodiesel quality. In this
work, the variability in biodiesel quality (density, kinematic viscosity,
heating value, cetane number and iodine value) obtained from
sunflower oil is analysed, by means of a validated crop model that
predicts the fatty acid composition of one high-oleic, and three
traditional (high-linoleic) sunflower hybrids. The model was run with
a 10-year average weather data from 56 weather stations in Argentina,
and simulation results were compared to the biodiesel standards of
Argentina, USA and Europe. It is shown that biodiesel produced from
sunflower oil does not have one fixed quality, but different qualities
depending on weather conditions and agricultural practices, and that
intraspecific variation in biodiesel quality can be larger than inter-
specific differences. The results suggest that (a) sunflower oil from
high-oleic hybrids is suitable for biodiesel production (within limits of
all analysed standards), regardless of growing conditions and (b)
sunflower oil from traditional hybrids is suitable for biodiesel
production under the standards of Argentina and USA, while only
certain hybrids grown in warm regions (e.g. northern Argentina,
southern USA, China, India, Pakistan) are suitable for biodiesel
production according to the European standard.
Geothermal energy
09/02300 In-situ thermal response test for ground source
heat pump system in Elazig , Turkey
Esen, H. and Inalli, M. Energy and Buildings, 2009, 41, (4), 395401.
Ground source heat pump (GSHP) systems exchange heat with the
ground, often through a vertical, U-tube, borehole heat exchanger
(BHE). The performance of this U-tube BHE depends on the thermal
properties of the ground formation, as well as grout or backfill in the
borehole. The design and economic probability of GSHP systems need
the thermal conductivity of geological structure and thermal resistance
of BHE. Thermal response test (TRT) method allows the in-situ
determination of the thermal conductivity (`) of the ground formation
in the vicinity of a BHE, as well as the effective thermal resistance (R
b
)
of this latter. Thermal properties measured in laboratory experiments
do not comply with data of in-situ conditions. The main goal has been
to determine same in-situ ground type of BHE, including the effect of
boreholes depths (60 m: VB2; 90 m: VB3). As shown in these results,
` and R
b
of the VB2/VB3 boreholes are determined as 1.70/
1.70 Wm
1
K
1
and 0.05/0.03 KW
1
m, respectively.
09/02301 Monitoring of energy exergy efficiencies and
exergoeconomic parameters of geothermal district heating
systems (GDHSs)
Ozgener, L. and Ozgener, O. Applied Energy, 2009, 86, (9), 17041711.
In this work, the monitoring energy and exergy efficiency results of the
last heating seasons of operation of the geothermal district heating
systems (GDHSs) and their technical availability analysis and
monitoring exergoeconomic parameters are presented. The case
studies cover the actual system data taken from the systems in Afyon
and Salihli GDHSs, Turkey. General energy, exergy, technical
availability, and exergoeconomic analysis of the GDHSs are intro-
duced. Furthermore, the average technical availability, real availability,
capacity factor and energy and exergy efficiencies value of GDHSs have
been analysed.
09/02302 Review of geothermal energy resources in
Pakistan
Zaigham, N. A. et al. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 2009,
13, (1), 223232.
Pakistan, despite the enormous potential of its energy resources,
remains energy deficient and has to rely heavily on imports of
hydrocarbon products to satisfy hardly its needs. Moreover, a very
large part of the rural areas does not have the electrification facilities
because they are either too remote and/or too expensive to connect to
the national grid. Pakistan has wide spectrum of high potential
renewable energy sources, conventional and as well non-conventional.
Many of them have not been adequately explored, exploited and
developed. Geothermal energy is one of them. Pakistan can be
benefited by harnessing the geothermal option of energy generation
as substitute energy in areas where sources exist. Most of the high
enthalpy geothermal resources of the world are within the seismic belts
associated with zones of crustal weakness like the seismo-tectonic belt
that passes through Pakistan having inherited a long geological history
of geotectonic events. The present study of the geotectonic framework
suggests that Pakistan should not be lacking in commercially
exploitable sources of geothermal energy. This view is further
strengthened by (a) the fairly extensive development of alteration
zones and fumeroles in many regions of Pakistan, (b) the presence of a
fairly large number of hot springs in different parts of the country, and
(c) the indications of Quaternary volcanism associated with the Chagai
arc extending into Iran and Afghanistan border areas. These
manifestations of geothermal energy are found within three geotec-
tonic or geothermal environments, i.e. (i) geo-pressurized systems
related to basin subsidence, (ii) seismo-tectonic or suture-related
systems, and (iii) systems related to NeogeneQuaternary volcanism. A
few localities, scattered sporadically all over the country, have been
studied to evaluate only some of the basic characteristic parameters of
the geothermal prospects. The present review study the geothermal
activities of varying intensity and nature, associated with different
geotectonic domains, and reveals the viable potential of the geothermal
environments, which could be exploited for the generation of
sustainable indigenous energy in Pakistan.
09/02303 Thermal-economic modeling and optimization of
vertical ground-coupled heat pump
Sanaye, S. and Niroomand, B. Energy Conversion and Management,
2009, 50, (4), 11361147.
The optimal design process of a ground source heat pump includes
thermal modelling of the system and selection of optimal design
parameters which affect the system performance as well as initial and
operational costs. In this paper, the modelling and optimizing
processes of a ground-coupled heat pump (GCHP) with closed vertical
ground heat exchanger (VGHX) are presented. To verify the modelling
procedure of heat pump and VGHX systems, the simulation outputs
were compared with the corresponding values reported in the literature
and acceptable accuracy was obtained. Then an objective function (the
sum of annual operating and investment costs of the system) was
defined and minimized, exposed to the specified constraints to estimate
the optimum design parameters (decision variables). Two Nelder
Mead and genetic algorithm optimization techniques were applied to
guarantee the validity of the optimization results. For the given
heating/cooling loads and various climatic conditions, the optimum
values of heat pump design parameters (saturated temperature/
pressure of condenser and evaporator) as well as VGHX design
parameters (inlet and outlet temperatures of the ground water source,
pipe diameter, depth and number of boreholes) were predicted.
Furthermore, the sensitivity analysis of change in the total annual cost
of the system and optimum design parameters with the climatic
conditions, cooling/heating capacity, soil type, and number of bore-
holes were discussed. Finally, the sensitivity analysis of change in
optimum design parameters with increase in the investment and
electricity costs was performed.
Solar energy
09/02304 A comparative performance study of some
thermal storage materials used for solar space heating
Khalifa, A. J. N. and Abbas, E. F. Energy and Buildings, 2009, 41, (4),
407415.
One of the most common methods used in passive heating is the
utilization of a massive wall for heat storage. Many factors affect the
performance of the wall, such as the thickness and the media used for
heat storage. A numerical study has been conducted on a zone heated
by a thermal storage wall. Three different storage materials are
examined, namely concrete, the hydrated salt CaCl
2
6H
2
O and paraffin
wax (N-eicosane). A numerical model is presented in this paper which
judges the suitability of these materials as thermal storage mediums
under the actual weather conditions of Iraq. For that purpose, the
room temperature fluctuation in the zone is evaluated for each
material using different thickness for each wall. The study concluded
that an 8-cm-thick storage wall made from the hydrated salt is capable
of maintaining the comfort temperature in the zone with the least room
temperature fluctuation.
09/02305 A model for calculating hourly global solar
radiation from satellite data in the tropics
Janjai, S. et al. Applied Energy, 2009, 86, (9), 14501457.
A model for calculating global solar radiation from geostationary
satellite data is presented. The model is designed to calculate the
monthly average hourly global radiation in the tropics with high aerosol
load. This model represents a physical relation between the earth-
atmospheric albedo derived from GMS5 satellite data and the
absorption and scattering coefficients of various atmospheric constitu-
ents. The absorption of solar radiation by water vapour which is
important for the tropics, was calculated from ambient temperature
and relative humidity. The relationship between the visibility and solar
radiation depletion due to aerosols was developed for a high aerosol
load environment. This relationship was used to calculate solar
Fuel and Energy Abstracts September 2009 355
13 Alternative energy supplies (solar energy)
radiation depletion by aerosols in the model. The total column ozone
from TOMS/EP satellite was employed for the determination of solar
radiation absorbed by ozone. Solar radiation from four pyranometer
stations was used to formulate the relationship between the satellite
band earth-atmospheric albedo and broadband earth-atmospheric
albedo required by the model. To test its performance, the model
was used to compute the monthly average hourly global radiation at 25
solar radiation monitoring stations in tropical areas in Thailand. It was
found that the values of monthly average of hourly global radiations
calculated from the model were in good agreement with those obtained
from the measurements, with the root mean square difference of 10%.
After the validation the model was employed to generate hourly solar
radiation maps of Thailand. These maps reveal the diurnal and season
variation of solar radiation over the country.
09/02306 A modified sulphuriodine cycle for efficient
solar hydrogen production
Prosini, P. et al. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 2009, 34,
(3), 12181225.
A thermochemical water-splitting cycle representing a modification of
the classical sulfuriodine cycle is proposed. To decrease the energetic
demand, increasing the cycle energy efficiency, the distillation of the
iodine phase was replaced with the evaporation of the excess of water
and iodine. This was obtained by neutralizing the hydrogen iodide in
the iodine phase with nickel oxide. In such a way water and iodine can
be simply recovered by evaporation leaving nickel iodide as solid phase.
The nickel iodide is decomposed to obtain nickel metal and hydrogen is
produced by reaction of the metal with sulfuric acid. The nickel
sulphate, obtained after hydrogen production, is decomposed to
generate sulfur dioxide (used as the reagent in the Bunsen reaction)
and nickel oxide (that is recycled). To validate the cycle effectiveness
the proposed reactions have been carried out. Crystalline solid
materials have been identified by XRD diffraction. Powders mor-
phology was studied by scanning electron microscopy and energy
dispersive X-ray. Thermodynamics studies were carried out by
thermogravimetric and differential thermal analysis. Finally an energy
balance to evaluate the theoretical energy efficiency was computed.
09/02307 Air-cooled LiBrwater absorption chillers for
solar air conditioning in extremely hot weathers
Kim, D. S. et al. Energy Conversion and Management, 2009, 50, (4),
10181025.
A low temperature-driven absorption cycle is theoretically investigated
for the development of an air-cooled LiBrwater absorption chiller to
be combined with low-cost flat solar collectors for solar air condition-
ing in hot and dry regions. The cycle works with dilute LiBrwater
solutions so that risk of LiBr crystallization is less than for
commercially available water-cooled LiBrwater absorption chillers
even in extremely hot ambient conditions. Two-phase heat exchangers
in the system were modelled taking account of the heat and mass
transfer resistances in falling film flows by applying the film theory in
thermal and concentration boundary layers. Both directly and
indirectly air-cooled chillers were modelled by properly combining
component models and boundary conditions in a matrix system and
solved with an algebraic equation solver. Simulation results predict that
the chillers would deliver chilled water around 7.0

C with a COP of
0.37 from 90

C hot water under 35

C ambient condition. At 50

C
ambient temperature, the chillers retained about 36% of their cooling
power at 35

C ambient. Compared with the directly air-cooled chiller,

the indirectly air-cooled chiller presented a cooling power performance
reduction of about 30%.
09/02308 Artificial intelligence techniques for sizing
photovoltaic systems: a review
Mellit, A. et al. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 2009, 13,
(2), 406419.
Artificial intelligence (AI) techniques are becoming useful as alternate
approaches to conventional techniques or as components of integrated
systems. They have been used to solve complicated practical problems
in various areas and are becoming more and more popular nowadays.
AI-techniques have the following features: can learn from examples;
are fault tolerant in the sense that they are able to handle noisy and
incomplete data; are able to deal with non-linear problems; and once
trained can perform prediction and generalization at high speed. AI-
based systems are being developed and deployed worldwide in a myriad
of applications, mainly because of their symbolic reasoning, flexibility
and explanation capabilities. AI have been used and applied in
different sectors, such as engineering, economics, medicine, military,
marine, etc. They have also been applied for modelling, identification,
optimization, prediction, forecasting, and control of complex systems.
The main objective of this paper is to present an overview of the AI-
techniques for sizing photovoltaic (PV) systems: stand-alone PVs, grid-
connected PV systems, PV-wind hybrid systems, etc. Published
literature presented in this paper show the potential of AI as a design
tool for the optimal sizing of PV systems. Additionally, the advantage
of using an AI-based sizing of PV systems is that it provides good
optimization, especially in isolated areas, where the weather data are
not always available.
09/02309 Better or worse? The role of solar photovoltaic
(PV) systems in sustainable development: case studies of
remote atoll communities in Kiribati
Mala, K. et al. Renewable Energy, 2009, 34, (2), 358361.
The Republic of Kiribati, formerly known as the Gilbert Islands, is
Micronesian (one of the three groups of islands in the Pacific). The
eight territories that make up Micronesia are Commonwealth of the
Northern Mariana Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Republic
of Kiribati, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Republic of Nauru,
Republic of Palau, Territory of Guam and Territory of Wake Island.
The other two groups of islands in the Pacific are Melanesia and
Polynesia) country in the Pacific. The energy sources utilized in
Kiribati include petroleum products, biomass, solar energy and wind
power. Solar energy was introduced in Kiribati in the early 1980s,
documented in an earlier study. Currently, it makes a very insignificant
(less than 1%) contribution to the total annual primary energy supply.
Solar energy in Kiribati is used mostly in the form of solar photovoltaic
(PV) technologies for the provision of lighting and electricity. This
study examines the role of PV technologies in the sustainable
development process in Kiribati, with particular reference to remote
atoll communities. Initial results from on-site surveys carried out are
reported in this paper. These surveys have sought to identify the
reasons why people use or do not use PV systems.
09/02310 Comparison of Fresnel concentrators for building
integrated photovoltaics
Chemisana, D. et al. Energy Conversion and Management, 2009, 50, (4),
10791084.
To develop concentrating photovoltaic systems for building integration
applications, two optical devices are proposed. The concentrators are
based in stationary linear Fresnel lenses and secondary CPC. The
moving focal area is 10 times smaller than the Fresnel lens aperture.
Concentrator characteristics are studied in detail: shadowing effect,
placement of the focal area and optical concentration efficiency. The
main contribution of this paper is the three-dimensional optical
analysis of the non-imaging concentrating systems. In terms of solar
radiation, photovoltaic moving modules placed in the focal area of
stationary concentrators are compared with simply fixed photovoltaic
modules. In favourable weather locations, the beam radiation incident
on the concentrating modules would be a large percentage, more than
50%, of the global radiation received by the fixed photovoltaic devices.
09/02311 Correlations for estimation of daily global solar
radiation with hours of bright sunshine in Turkey
Bakirci, K. Energy, 2009, 34, (4), 485501.
In this study, seven different empirical equations are employed to
estimate the monthly average daily global solar radiation on a
horizontal surface for provinces in the different regions of Turkey,
using only the relative duration of sunshine. Daily global solar
radiation and sunshine measurement data collected for the provinces
of Turkey are obtained from the Turkish State Meteorological Service.
The regression constants of the new models developed in this study are
found for the provinces of Turkey, as well as that of some models given
in the literature. In order to indicate the performance of the models,
the statistical test methods of the mean bias error (MBE), mean
absolute bias error (MABE), mean relative error (MRE), root mean
square error (RMSE) and correlation coefficient (r) are used.
09/02312 Design and performance of a transportable
hemispherical solar still
Ismail, B. Renewable Energy, 2009, 34, (1), 145150.
A simple transportable hemispherical solar still was designed and
fabricated, and its performance was experimentally evaluated under
outdoors of Dhahran climatic conditions. It was found that over the
hours of experimental testing through daytime, the daily distilled water
output from the still ranged from 2.8 to 5.7 l/m
2
day. The daily average
efficiency of the still reached as high as 33% with a corresponding
conversion ratio near 50%. It was also found that the average efficiency
of the still decreased by 8% when the saline water depth increased by
50%.
09/02313 Design and performance of solar powered
absorption cooling systems in office buildings
Eicker, U. and Pietruschka, D. Energy and Buildings, 2009, 41, (1), 81
91.
The paper contributes to the system design of solar thermal absorption
chillers. A full simulation model was developed for absorption cooling
systems, combined with a stratified storage tank, steady-state or
dynamic collector model and hourly resolved building loads. The
model was validated with experimental data from various solar cooling
plants. As the absorption chillers can be operated at reduced generator
356 Fuel and Energy Abstracts September 2009
13 Alternative energy supplies (solar energy)
temperatures under partial load conditions, the control strategy has a
strong influence on the solar thermal system design and performance.
It could be shown that buildings with the same maximum cooling load,
but very different load time series, require collector areas varying by
more than a factor of 2 to achieve the same solar fraction. Depending
on control strategy, recooling temperature levels, location and cooling
load time series, between 1.7 and 3.6 m
2
vacuum tube collectors per kW
cooling load are required to cover 80% of the cooling load. The cost
analysis shows that Southern European locations with higher cooling
energy demand lead to significantly lower costs. For long operation
hours, cooling costs are around 200 e MWh
1
and about 280 e MWh
1
for buildings with lower internal gains and shorter cooling periods. For
a southern German climate, the costs are more than double.
09/02314 Efficiency analysis of the Solarflow
an innovative solar-powered desalination unit for
treating brackish water
Dallas, S. et al. Renewable Energy, 2009, 34, (2), 397400.
The Solarflow was invented at the Environmental Technology Centre,
Murdoch University (the Murdoch ETC) in Perth, Western Australia
as part of a doctoral thesis in the early 1990s researching suitable water
treatment systems for remote indigenous communities. The design has
been modified since this time by its original manufacturer but full
commercialization was not achieved. The current owner Solco Pty Ltd
was keen to further improve the efficiency and lower the purchase cost
of the unit and engaged the Murdoch ETC to undertake further
testing. The Solarflow is a self-contained solar-powered unit capable of
producing 400 L/day of high-quality drinking water from brackish water
via reverse osmosis and requires only 120 W of photovoltaic power.
This is achievable due to its innovative energy recovery system. In
order to assess the units efficiency more accurately the latest high-rate
data logging technology from the ResLab laboratory at Murdoch
University was employed. This enabled quantification of the Solar-
flows unique and complex waveforms of the four key parameters:
voltage, current, pressure and flow. The results of this testing are
presented in this paper.
09/02315 Hydrolysis rate of submicron Zn particles for
solar H
2
synthesis
Ernst, F. O. et al. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 2009, 34,
(3), 11661175.
The hydrolysis rate of Zn particles by up to 50 mol% water vapour in
Ar gas was measured by thermogravimetric analysis at atmospheric
pressure and 330360

C and quantified by a core-shell model. An

initial ZnO layer led to an initially linear conversion profile attributed
to a fast surface reaction (half-order with respect to water vapour mole
fraction, y) followed by a parabolic conversion profile independent of y
but dependent on Zn ion diffusion through a ZnO layer. The latter is
most important for solar H
2
formation by the Zn/ZnO water-splitting
cycle as it determines the required process residence time for Zn
hydrolysis. A ready-to-use equation for calculation of ZnO and H
2
formation during Zn hydrolysis is proposed and compared to literature
data revealing enhanced hydrolysis rates for submicron Zn particles.
09/02316 Integrated collector storage solar water heater:
temperature stratification
Garnier, C. et al. Applied Energy, 2009, 86, (9), 14651469.
An analysis of the temperature stratification inside an integrated
collector storage solar water heater (ICS-SWH) was carried out. The
system takes the form of a rectangular-shaped box incorporating the
solar collector and storage tank into a single unit and was optimized for
simulation in Scottish weather conditions. A 3-month experimental
study on the ICS-SWH was undertaken in order to provide empirical
data for comparison with the computed results. Using a previously
developed macro model; a number of improvements were made. The
initial macro model was able to generate corresponding water bulk
temperature in the collector with a given hourly incident solar
radiation, ambient temperature and inlet water temperature and
therefore able to predict ICS-SWH performance. The new model was
able to compute the bulk water temperature variation in different SWH
collectors for a given aspect ratio and the water temperature along the
height of the collector (temperature stratification). Computed longi-
tudinal temperature stratification results obtained were found to be in
close agreement with the experimental data.
09/02317 Laboratory investigations on continuous
bio-methanization of energy crops as mono-substrate
without supplementation
Demirel, B. Biomass and Bioenergy, 2009, 33, (67), 988993.
Continuous bio-methanization of an energy crop, namely the beet
silage, was investigated in this laboratory-scale work as mono-substrate,
using a mesophilic biogas digester controlled by a fuzzy logic control
(FLC) technique and without using any supplementing or buffering
agent, despite the low pH of the substrate around 3.80. The
temperature, pH, redox potential (ORP), daily biogas production and
composition of digester biogas were continuously measured online.
During the operation, the hydraulic retention time (HRT) varied
between 24.8 and 9 days, as the organic loading rate (OLR) ranged
from 2.6 to 4.7 g L
1
d
1
. The average pH, specific gas production rate
(spec. GPR) and volumetric gas production rate (vol. GPR) were
determined to be 7.12, 0.31 Lg VS
1
d
1
and 1.084 LL
1
d
1
, respect-
ively. The average methane (CH
4
) content of digester biogas was about
56%. The FLC technique, which was developed at HAW Hamburg for
anaerobic conversion of acidic energy crops to methane, determined
the daily feeding volume ($ OLR/HRT) for the biogas digester,
depending on the feedback from online pH and methane measure-
ments, and on the calculation of the spec. GPR. The spec. GPR was
calculated by the corrected daily biogas production. Through online
monitoring of pH, biogas production rate and composition, and by use
of the FLC technique, the acidic beet silage could continuously be
converted to biogas, without using manure or any other kind of
buffering or supplementing agent(s). The lab-scale anaerobic biogas
digester performed stable and safe, without encountering any problems
of instability, as indicated by an adequate amount of buffering capacity,
a VFA content below 0.5 g L
1
and a neutral pH range throughout the
study.
09/02318 Low cost management for photovoltaic systems
in isolated site with new IV characterization model proposed
Benghanem, M. Energy Conversion and Management, 2009, 50, (3),
748755.
The control and follow-up of the operational photovoltaic (PV)
systems in isolated sites allow the mystery of this type of installation.
In this context, an experimental manipulation was set up based on
microcontroller in order to acquire the data issued from a PV
installation in isolated site. Then transmit these data by using high
frequency (HF) wireless connection to a central computer which
manipulates the information. This work presents the design of a
universal data acquisition system with available components and is
easily accessible with a central server. The contribution of this work is
to control the functioning of PV system and also to give the current
voltage (IV) curve of PV modules in real conditions. The transmission
of the data by using HF connection, reduce considerably the cost of the
system management. This work allows us to study the performances of
the PV system in real time. Also, a new model for IV characterization
was presented in this article, as well as the system realized and the
obtained results.
09/02319 Novel concept for producing energy integrating a
solar collector with a man made mountain hollow
Zhou, X. et al. Energy Conversion and Management, 2009, 50, (3), 847
854.
The concept of the solar chimney thermal power technology was
proven with the successful operation of the Manzanares prototype built
in the 1980s. However, all previous attempts at producing energy from
a commercial solar chimney thermal power plant on a large scale have
failed because of bad engineering and safety. A novel concept for
producing energy by integrating a solar collector with a mountain
hollow is presented and described. Solar energy is collected in the
collector and heats the ground, which is used to store heat energy and
heat the indoor air. Then, the hot air is forced by the pressure
difference between it and the ambient air to move along the tilted
segment and up the vertical segment of the chimney, driving the
turbine generators to generate electricity. The mountain hollow,
formed by excavation in a large-elevation mountain, can avoid the
safety issues of erecting a gigantic concrete chimney, which is needed
for commercial solar chimney thermal power plants. Furthermore, it
can also save a great amount of construction materials for constructing
a robust chimney structure and reduce the energy cost to a level less
than that of a clean coal power plant, providing a good solution to the
reclamation and utilization of undeveloped mountains, especially in
mountainous countries.
09/02320 Operating temperature of photovoltaic modules:
a survey of pertinent correlations
Skoplaki, E. and Palyvos, J. A. Renewable Energy, 2009, 34, (1), 2329.
The importance of solar cell/module operating temperature for the
electrical performance of silicon-based photovoltaic installations is
briefly discussed. Suitable tabulations are given for most of the explicit
and implicit correlations found in the literature which link this
temperature with standard weather variables and material/system-
dependent properties, in an effort to facilitate the modelling/design
process in this very promising area of renewable energy applications.
09/02321 Optimal policy of energy innovation in developing
countries: development of solar PV in Iran
Shafiei, E. et al. Energy Policy, 2009, 37, (3), 11161127.
The purpose of this study is to apply managerial economics and
methods of decision analysis to study the optimal pattern of innovation
activities for development of new energy technologies in developing
Fuel and Energy Abstracts September 2009 357
13 Alternative energy supplies (solar energy)
countries. For this purpose, a model of energy research and
development (R&D) planning is developed and it is then linked to a
bottom-up energy-systems model. The set of interlinked models
provide a comprehensive analytical tool for assessment of energy
technologies and innovation planning taking into account the specific
conditions of developing countries. An energy-system model is used as
a tool for the assessment and prioritization of new energy technologies.
Based on the results of the technology assessment model, the optimal
R&D resources allocation for new energy technologies is estimated
with the help of the R&D planning model. The R&D planning model is
based on maximization of the total net present value of resulting R&D
benefits taking into account the dynamics of technological progress,
knowledge and experience spillovers from advanced economies,
technology adoption and R&D constraints. Application of the set of
interlinked models is explained through the analysis of the develop-
ment of solar PV in Iranian electricity supply system and then some
important policy insights are concluded.
09/02322 Redrawing the solar map of South Africa for
photovoltaic applications
Munzhedzi, R. and Sebitosi, A. B. Renewable Energy, 2009, 34, (1),
165169.
The South African solar map has been redrawn to make it applicable to
photovoltaic installations. This has been done with the aim of reducing
the cost of solar PV installations in South Africa through accurate
energy resource assessment and competent system design. Climate data
software as well as solar design software was used to aid this process.
The new map provides an alternative to the map in current use, which
only considers radiation, whereas many more factors affect the output
of a panel, such as wind, cloud cover and humidity. All these are taken
into account when drawing the new map.
09/02323 Reduction of irreversibility generation in sugar
and ethanol production from sugarcane
Ensinas, A. V. et al. Energy, 2009, 34, (5), 680688.
Sugarcane is one of the most important industries of the Brazilian
economy, and its main products are sugar and ethanol. Most of the
industrial plants produce both products in an integrated process, in
which the sugarcane bagasse is a by-product that can be used as a fuel
in the cogeneration system. The bagasse is used as the only fuel of the
plant, supplying all energy required for the process, and also producing
electricity surplus that may be sold to the grid. In this paper, exergy
analysis is used to assess an integrated sugar and ethanol plant with its
cogeneration system. The plant was divided into eight sub-systems to
evaluate the irreversibility generation in each separately. Data from
typical sugarcane factories in Brazil, which produce sugar and ethanol,
were used in the process simulation. The analysis has shown that the
sub-systems with the highest contribution for the total irreversibility
generation of the plant were co-generation, juice extraction and
fermentation. Some improvements are proposed, including process
thermal integration and the introduction of more efficient equipments
for prime mover and steam and electricity generation. The analysis
indicated that the total irreversibility could be reduced by 10% should
those changes be implemented.
09/02324 Review and modelling the systems of
transmission concentrated solar energy via optical fibres
Kandilli, C. and Ulgen, K. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews,
2009, 13, (1), 6784.
The aims of this study are to optimize the coupling of a low-cost offset
paraboloidal dish, which concentrates direct solar irradiance with dual
axes tracking component, and the fibre optic bundle (FOB), which
transmits concentrated solar energy; to review previous studies on the
transmission of concentrated solar energy via optical fibres (TCSE-
vOF) by classifying according to their purposes; to present a
mathematical model for coupling symmetrical paraboloidal dish and
FOB, and a modified model for optimum coupling of offset
paraboloidal dish proposed in the study, taking into account the
parameters of the dish and dispersion effect; to apply the models to
symmetrical and offset paraboloidal dish under the same conditions;
and to compare the annual output power obtained. Optical efficiency
of the whole system was calculated as 68% in optimum condition, but it
was found to be 63% for the system proposed. Overall system efficiency
was found to be 59%. It was found that the offset paraboloidal dish
produced much more energy than the symmetrical one does when
comparing under the same conditions. The difference of monthly
average annual obtainable power was calculated as 0.82%. The monthly
average annual power gained from the offset paraboloidal dish
proposed was computed as 1041.6 kW to per square metre.
09/02325 Simultaneous desalination and power generation
using solar energy
Zhao, Y. et al. Renewable Energy, 2009, 34, (2), 401408.
Using solar energy to produce fresh water and electricity simul-
taneously is a prospective way to solve the problems combining fresh
water shortage, energy crisis and farm land degradation in Northern
Victoria. This paper records the process of calculating the performance
of the nozzle applying homogenous equilibrium model, designing and
testing the prototype of such system using three different types of the
nozzles in static and rotary systems. The research on the project is
divided into two steps: first is about static system in which the spray
nozzle is proved to be the best in both production of fresh water and
power generation; while on the second stage, the convergentdivergent
(CD) nozzles are the best in rotary system. Some data were analysed
theoretically based on the test and the results found that the
percentage of fresh water measured by experiment is consistent with
the calculation using homogenous equilibrium expansion model
(HEM), however, there is big difference in power generation between
theory and experiments. Based on the experimental figures and
analysis, the reasons for low power generation are found and a new
model is proposed. According to the new model, a different reaction
turbine using curve length CD nozzles is designed to overcome the
problems which were encountered in the previous prototype. After
analysing the efficiency of the cycle by Ts diagram, the evacuated tube
solar collector integrated heat pipe is suggested to be applied on this
system.
09/02326 Solar thermal heat engines for water pumping:
an update
Delgado-Torres, A. M. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews,
2009, 13, (2), 462472.
Solar thermal-driven heat engines for water pumping have been
previously reviewed for some authors in the past century. However,
some devices have not been treated as metal hydride-based systems or
the pumping subsystems of solar thermal-driven reverse osmosis
desalination systems. Following the typical classification given in the
previous literature, in this work an update of the solar heat engines for
water pumping based in thermodynamic methods (conventional and
unconventional) is presented. Besides small remarks about systems
previously quoted by other authors, new designs found in the literature
are described. In general, the main characteristics of these systems is
their low efficiency, low power output and, in the case of unconven-
tional designs, its simplicity. This work in conjunction with previous
review papers make up reference point for the knowledge of the use of
solar thermal energy for liquid pumping purpose.
09/02327 Solar-powered cooling systems: technical
and economic analysis on industrial refrigeration
and air-conditioning applications
Desideri, U. et al. Applied Energy, 2009, 86, (9), 13761386.
In the last years, the growing demand for air conditioning has caused a
significant increase in demand for primary energy resources. Solar-
powered cooling is one of the technologies which allows to obtain, by
using the renewable solar source, an important energy saving compared
to traditional air conditioning plants. The paper describes different
technical installations for solar cooling, their way of operation,
advantages and limits. The objective of the present study has been to
analyse the technical and economic feasibility of solar absorption
cooling systems, designed for two different application fields: industrial
refrigeration and air conditioning. The possibility to replace or
integrate the existing plants is studied, by considering the refrigeration
requirements of a company, which works in meat manufacturing, and
the heating and cooling demands of a hotel located in a tourist town in
Italy. In the first case, the system comprises an absorption chiller
coupled to solar flat plate collectors, whereas the second application is
about a hybrid trigeneration plant, known as thermo-solar trigenera-
tion; this option allows having greater operational flexibility at sites
with demand for energy in the form of heating as well as cooling, for
example in a hotel. In this way the authors could compare different
results obtained by a technical and economic experimental analysis
based on existing users and evaluate the advantages and disadvantages
in order to suggest the best solution for the two studied cases.
09/02328 The performance of silicon solar cells operated in
liquids
Wang, Y. Applied Energy, 2009, 86, (78), 10371042.
Better performance can be achieved when the bare silicon solar cells
are immersed into liquids for the enhanced heat removing. In this
study, the performance of solar cells immersed in liquids was examined
under simulated sunlight. To distinguish the effects of the liquid optic
and electric properties on the solar cells, a comparison between
immersion of the solar module and the bare solar cells was carried out.
It was found that the optic properties of the liquids can cause minor
efficiency changes on the solar cells, while the electric properties of the
liquids, the molecular polarizable and ions, are responsible for the
most of the changes. The bare solar cells immersed in the non-polar
silicon oil have the best performance. The accelerated life tests were
carried out at 150

C high temperature and under 200 W/m

2
ultraviolet
358 Fuel and Energy Abstracts September 2009
13 Alternative energy supplies (solar energy)
light irradiation, respectively. It was found that the silicon oil has good
stability. This study can give support on the cooling of the concentrated
photovoltaic systems by immersing the solar cells in the liquids directly.
09/02329 Theoretical variations of the thermal performance
of different solar collectors and solar combi systems as
function of the varying yearly weather conditions in
Denmark
Andersen, E. and Furbo, S. Solar Energy, 2009, 83, (4), 552565.
The thermal performances of solar collectors and solar combi systems
with different solar fractions are studied under the influence of the
Danish design reference year, DRY data file, and measured weather
data from a solar radiation measurement station situated at the
Technical University of Denmark in Kgs. Lyngby. The data from DRY
data file are used for any location in Denmark. The thermal
performances of the solar heating systems are calculated by means of
validated computer models. The measured yearly solar radiation varies
by approximately 23% in the period from 1990 until 2002, and the
investigations show that it is not possible to predict the yearly solar
radiation on a tilted surface based on the yearly global radiation. The
annual thermal performance of solar combi systems cannot with
reasonable approximation be fitted to a linear function of the annual
total radiation on the solar collector or the annual global radiation.
Solar combi systems with high efficient solar collectors are more
influenced by weather variations from one year to another than systems
with low efficient solar collectors. The annual thermal performance of
solar collectors cannot be predicted from the global radiation, but both
the annual thermal performance and the annual utilized solar energy
can with a reasonable approximation be fitted to a linear function of
the yearly solar radiation on the collector for both flat plate and
evacuated tubular solar collectors. Also evacuated tubular solar
collectors utilize less sunny years with large parts of diffuse radiation
relatively better than flat plate collectors.
09/02330 Thermal conductivities study of new types of
compound adsorbents used in solar adsorption refrigeration
Zhao, H. et al. Energy Conversion and Management, 2009, 50, (5),
12441248.
In this paper, the thermal probe is firstly introduced and used in
adsorption refrigeration to measure the working pairs thermal
conductivities. Different types of compound adsorbents were prepared,
and the thermal conductivities of all the types were measured with
different adsorption capacities. Experimental results demonstrate that:
with the same adsorption capacity, the conductivities of the compound
adsorbents increase with the quantity of sodium silicate (Na
2
SiO
3
)
content. The conductivities of the compound adsorbents increase
sharply when the sodium silicate content is between 0% and 7.5% and
increase slowly when the content is 7.520%. For 13 zeolite and
compound adsorbents Z3 and Z4, their thermal conductivities increase
as a quadratic polynomial with their adsorption capacities. The
conductivities increase more than 158.2% when the adsorption
capacities increase from 0% to 25%. The thermal conductivities of
compound adsorbent Z3 and Z4 are 0.183 and 0.199 W (mK)
1
,
respectively, and increase about 65.4% and 80.1%, respectively,
compared with the 13 zeolite. With these test results, the compound
adsorbent Z4 is used for making an adsorption bed, and the
experimental coefficient of performance (COP) of the solar cooling
tube is about 0.26.
09/02331 Thermotropic layers for flat-plate collectors
a review of various concepts for overheating protection
with polymeric materials
Resch, K. and Wallner, G. M. Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells,
2009, 93, (1), 119128.
Within this paper a comprehensive review of the developments of
thermotropic hydrogels, thermotropic polymer blends and thermo-
tropic systems with fixed domains for overheating protection purposes
is given. In addition, performance properties for thermotropic layers to
prevent overheating in solar collectors are defined. The different
thermotropic material classes are discussed as to their ability to meet
these requirements. The review shows that thermotropic layers
developed so far need to be adapted as to switching temperature and
long-term stability for applicability in solar thermal collectors.
09/02332 Thin-film solar cells on commercial ceramic tiles
Iencinella, D. et al. Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells, 2009, 93,
(2), 206210.
Amorphous silicon solar cells were deposited on porcelain stoneware
tiles in order to develop a fully integrated photovoltaic (PV) building
element. In a previous work the authors demonstrated the feasibility of
adopting porcelain stoneware tiles as thin-film solar cell substrates and
fabricated 1 1 cm
2
solar cells on industrial-level ceramic substrates
showing more than 4% efficiency. In this study the focus is on larger
area (7 cm
2
) devices deposited on 100 cm
2
tiles. As the active area
increases additional problems arise from the surface of the substrate.
In particular short-circuit paths originate from the unfavourable
properties of the substrate tiles (roughness, porosity, etc.) having
dramatic consequences on the performance of larger area devices.
With the assumption that spot-like regions, in which the back layer and
the front layer are in electrical contact (local short-circuits), are
present all over the device, a new device structure is proposed to
overcome the substrate drawbacks. A new contacts arrangement was
designed in order to minimize the shunting effect of short-circuit paths.
As a result an initial efficiency of 2.5% has been obtained using the new
device structure for 7 cm
2
devices deposited on a 100 cm
2
PV mini-
module tile.
09/02333 Three dimensional numerical and experimental
study of forced convection heat transfer on solar collector
surface
Turgut, O. and Onur, N. International Communications in Heat and
Mass Transfer, 2009, 36, (3), 274279.
In this study, experimental and three-dimensional numerical work was
carried out to determine the average heat transfer coefficients for
forced convection air flow over a rectangular flat plate. Three-
dimensional numerical simulations were obtained using a commercial
finite volume based fluid dynamics code called Fluent 6.3. The
experiments were performed for mass transfer using the naphthalene
sublimation technique. The results were presented in terms of heat
transfer parameters using the analogy between heat and mass transfer.
All the experimental results are correlated within an accuracy of 12%.
09/02334 Transformation in the photovoltaics industry in
Australia, Germany and Japan: comparison of actors,
knowledge, institutions and markets
Marinova, D. and Balaguer, A. Renewable Energy, 2009, 34, (2), 461
464.
The paper analyses the evolution of the photovoltaics industry in
Australia, Germany and Japan from a comparative policy perspective.
It uses a sectoral innovation system framework to discuss the way the
three countries have approached the development of knowledge and
new technologies, the actors in the sector and the interactions between
them, the role of institutions and availability of funding as well as the
development of markets for photovoltaics. It outlines the different
paths that the countries have adopted for the process of transition from
niche to mass production. The findings show that various national
players have specialized in different activities, with the institutions
building block being a key determinant for success or otherwise. In the
case of Australia, it is also the least developed area which ultimately
exposes the country to losing its innovation benefits.
09/02335 Transport boundary conditions for solar cells
Volovichev, I. N. et al. Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells, 2009,
93, (1), 610.
Boundary conditions (BCs) to the Poisson and transport equations for
stationary transport processes of nonequilibrium carriers in semi-
conductor structures, including solar cells, are formulated. The
applicability of the resulting BCs for solar cells consisting of several
various materials (metals, bipolar semiconductors, including ones in
the quasineutrality approach) and their structures are analysed for
both closed and open circuit conditions.
09/02336 Wind turbulence used as searching signal for
MPPT in variable-speed wind energy conversion systems
Munteanu, I. et al. Renewable Energy, 2009, 34, (1), 322327.
The control problem associated to a class of horizontal-axis fixed-pitch
variable-speed low-power wind energy conversion systems, working in
the partial load region, consisting in the energy conversion maximiza-
tion, is approached here under the assumption that the wind turbine
model and its parameters are poorly known. Using a new approach
derived from the optimum seeking methods category, generically called
maximum power point tracking (MPPT), the proposed control solution
aims at driving the average position of the operating point near to
optimality. Instead of inducing sinusoidal search signals, the wind
turbulence is here used as search disturbance. The high-speed shafts
average rotational speed is slowly adjusted using the fast Fourier
transform processing of some available measures from the system as an
estimate of the operating points position/distance to optimality.
Numerical simulations are used for preliminary checking the control
law based on this estimation.
Fuel and Energy Abstracts September 2009 359
13 Alternative energy supplies (solar energy)
Wind energy
09/02337 A comparative study between three sensorless
control strategies for PMSG in wind energy conversion
system
Brahmi, J. et al. Applied Energy, 2009, 86, (9), 15651573.
This paper presents a comparative study of sliding mode, artificial
neural network and model reference adaptive speed observers for a
speed sensorless permanent magnet synchronous generator (PMSG) in
wind energy conversion system (WECS). Wind velocity and position
sensorless operating methods for wind generation system using
observer are proposed only by measuring phase voltages and currents.
Maximum wind energy extraction is achieved by running the wind
turbine generator in variable-speed mode. In addition the three speed
observers are compared to verify the robustness against parameter
variations.
09/02338 A review of surface engineering issues critical to
wind turbine performance
Dalili, N. et al. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 2009, 13,
(2), 428438.
Wind turbine performance can be significantly reduced when the
surface integrity of the turbine blades is compromised. Many frontier
high-energy regions that are sought for wind farm development
including Nordic, warm-humid, and desert-like environments often
provide conditions detrimental to the surface of the turbine blade. In
Nordic climates ice can form on the blades and the turbine structure
itself through a variety of mechanisms. Initial ice adhesion may slightly
modify the original aerodynamic profile of the blade; continued ice
accretion can drastically affect the structural loading of the entire rotor
leading to potentially dangerous situations. In warmer climates, a
humid wind is desirable for its increased density; however, it can come
at a price when the region supports large populations of insects. Insect
collisions with the blades can foul blade surfaces leading to a marked
increase in skin drag, reducing power production by as much as 50%.
Finally, in more arid regions where there is no threat from ice or
insects, high winds can carry soil particles eroded from the ground
(abrasive particles). Particulate-laden winds effectively sand-blast the
blade surfaces, and disrupt the original skin profile of the blade, again
reducing its aerodynamic efficiency. While these problems are
challenging, some mitigative measures presently exist and are discussed
in the paper. Though, many of the current solutions to ice or insect
fouling actually siphon power from the turbine itself to operate, or
require that the turbine be stopped, in either case, profitability is
diminished. The survey of this topic in the course of this research
suggests that a desirable solution may be a single surface engineered
coating that reduces the incidence of ice adhesion, insect fouling, and
protects the blade surface from erosive deterioration. Research
directions that may lead to such a development are discussed herein.
09/02339 A transition toward a market expansion phase:
policies for promoting wind power in Taiwan
Huang, Y.-H. and Wu, J.-H. Energy, 2009, 34, (4), 437447.
Considering the significant issues on global warming and environmen-
tal protection, the energy sector needs a long-term policy, by which
renewable energies gradually replace conventional fossil fuels. In terms
of an energy system, the development of renewable energies implies a
challenge to existing energies like fossil fuels and nuclear power that
have been for decades equipped with sound infrastructure and
regulations. And a transformation of the energy system cannot expect
any achievement without overcoming considerable opposition from
vested interests involved with the fossil fuels technologies. Analyses of
the technological system can serve as a guide to explore how the
phase-in and phase-out of actors in the energy system, the formation of
the networks, and the establishment of policies come to work on
development potentials of each function in the energy system. This
article, by taking wind power for example, first investigates into the
analytical framework of the technological system to analyse develop-
mental strategies for the wind power evolution in Taiwan. Besides, a
comparative analysis is drawn from the development of wind power
between Germany and Sweden (a positive and an unsatisfactory
example) to understand what essentials policy makers should consider
for expanding wind power utilization in Taiwan.
09/02340 An optimization approach for wind turbine
commitment and dispatch in a wind park
Moyano, C. F. and Pec Lopes, J. A. Electric Power Systems Research,
2009, 79, (1), 7179.
This paper describes an operational optimization strategy to be
adopted at the wind park control level, that enables defining the
commitment of wind turbines and their active and reactive power
outputs following requests from Wind Park Dispatch Centers,
assuming that individual wind turbines short-term wind speed forecasts
are known and are expressed as power availability. This operational
strategy was also developed with a concern on the minimization of the
connection/disconnection changes of the individual wind generators,
for a given time horizon. When identifying the active/reactive
dispatching policies, wind generators loading capabilities are also
taken in account. This optimization tool is especially suited to manage
large wind parks.
09/02341 Complex-valued prediction of wind profile using
augmented complex statistics
Mandic, D. P. et al. Renewable Energy, 2009, 34, (1), 196201.
This paper presents a novel approach for the simultaneous modelling
and forecasting of wind whereby the wind field is considered as a vector
of its speed and direction components in the field of complex numbers
C. To account for the intermittency and coupling of wind speed and
direction, the study uses the recently introduced framework of
augmented complex statistics. The augmented complex least mean
square algorithm is introduced and its usefulness in wind forecasting is
analysed. Simulations over different wind regimes support the
approach.
09/02342 Condition monitoring and fault detection of wind
turbines and related algorithms: a review
Hameed, Z. et al. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 2009, 13,
(1), 139.
Renewable energy sources like wind energy are widely available
without any limitation. Wind turbines are used to tap the potential of
wind energy, which is available in millions of MW but the reliability of
wind turbines is critical to extract this maximum amount of energy from
the wind. The authors reviewed different techniques, methodologies
and algorithms developed to monitor the performance of wind turbines
as well as for an early fault detection to avoid sudden breakdowns. To
keep the wind turbine in operation, the implementation of a condition
monitoring system (CMS) and a fault detection system (FDS) is
paramount and for this purpose ample knowledge of these two types of
systems is mandatory. So, an attempt has been made in this study to
review maximum approaches related to CMS and FDS.
09/02343 Current situation of the wind energy use and
investigation of wind resources in the coastal region of the
Baltic Sea in Lithuania
Katinas, V. et al. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 2009, 13,
(1), 201207.
This paper reviews the current situation and future prospects of the use
of wind energy and wind power resource assessment experience in
Lithuania. Installed wind power capacity has increased from 6.4 to
54.84 MW in Lithuania in 2006. During last five years wind power
resource assessment was carried out, wind measurements were
generalized and on the basis of obtained results Lithuanian wind
resources map was developed. Measurements have shown that the most
suitable region for building WT of big capacity is the 10 km wide
coastal strip in Lithuania. The suitability of several existing WT sites
was evaluated by the power output coefficient, which describes the
efficiency of installed WT. The aim of this work is to present
the current situation of wind energy development and the results of
the investigation of wind climate conditions in the coastal region of the
Baltic Sea in Lithuania.
09/02344 Design and construction of a simple blade pitch
measurement system for small wind turbines
Whale, J. Renewable Energy, 2009, 34, (2), 425429.
For small wind turbines to be reliable they must have in place good
mechanisms to protect themselves against very high winds or sudden
removal of load. One common protection method in small wind
turbines is that of blade feathering. It is important that the blade
feathering mechanism of a small wind turbine is tested before the
turbine is installed in the field. This paper presents a simple system for
monitoring the blade feathering of a turbine with an overall component
cost that small wind turbine manufacturers can afford. The blade pitch
measurement system (BPMS) has been designed and constructed by
the Research Institute of Sustainable Energy (RISE) and aids small
wind turbine manufacturers in testing and optimizing the settings of
the blade feathering mechanisms on their machines. The results show
that the BPMS was successful in recording the behaviour of the blade
feathering mechanism in field trials with a 20 kW and a 30 kW wind
turbine. The BPMS displays significant potential as an effective,
inexpensive system for small wind turbine manufacturers to ensure the
reliability of their pitch regulating over-speed protection mechanisms.
09/02345 Development and validation of a multicriteria
indicator for the assessment of objective aesthetic impact of
wind farms
del Carmen Torres Sibille, A. et al. Renewable and Sustainable Energy
Reviews, 2009, 13, (1), 4066.
360 Fuel and Energy Abstracts September 2009
13 Alternative energy supplies (wind energy)
Wind energy represents one of the most important renewable
resources. However, despite the fact that wind farms are represented
as environmentally friendly projects, they frequently encounter public
resistance. One of the main criticisms of wind farm construction
projects is directed at their poor aesthetic integration into the
landscape. This work develops an indicator to assess the magnitude
of the objective aesthetic impact on the landscape caused by the
installation of the wind farm. The indicator combines measures of
visibility, colour, fractality and continuity that can be taken from
photographs. Value functions are constructed for each variable and
incorporated into the indicator. This indicator has been used to
calculate the objective aesthetic impact of five wind farms. Comparison
of the indicator results with a population survey shows that the
indicator correctly represents the order of impact as perceived by the
population sample, and is thus an appropriate objective measure of
aesthetic impact of wind farms.
09/02346 Effect of wind parks with doubly fed
asynchronous generators on small-signal stability
Tsourakis, G. et al. Electric Power Systems Research, 2009, 79, (1), 190
200.
This paper investigates modes of response introduced by wind parks
with doubly fed asynchronous generators (DFAGs), as well as their
impact on electromechanical oscillations in interconnected power
systems. A DFAG model with detailed control loops is used, as it
appears in the literature and commercial software. It is shown that
under certain conditions and without appropriate controller tuning the
voltage/VAR control loop of an interconnected DFAG tends to
instability. Furthermore, the effect of increased penetration of DFAGs
on the stability of inter-area oscillations in a small typical power system
is examined. It is shown that the effect is generally favourable, but
there are cases where the inter-area mode is less damped or can even
be destabilized. Improved controller tuning to avoid instability in the
latter case is proposed.
09/02347 Equivalent models of wind farms by using
aggregated wind turbines and equivalent winds
Fernandez, L. M. et al. Energy Conversion and Management, 2009, 50,
(3), 691704.
In this paper, new equivalent models of wind farms equipped with wind
turbines based on squirrel-cage induction generators and doubly-fed
induction generators are proposed to represent the collective beha-
viour on large power systems simulations, instead of using a complete
model of wind farms where all the wind turbines are modelled. The
models proposed here are based on aggregating wind turbines into an
equivalent wind turbine which receives an equivalent wind of the ones
incident on the aggregated wind turbines. The equivalent wind turbine
presents re-scaled power capacity and the same complete model as the
individual wind turbines, which supposes the main feature of the
present equivalent models. Two equivalent winds are evaluated in this
work: (1) the average wind from the ones incident on the aggregated
wind turbines with similar winds, and (2) an equivalent incoming wind
derived from the power curve and the wind incident on each wind
turbine. The effectiveness of the equivalent models to represent the
collective response of the wind farm at the point of common coupling
to grid is demonstrated by comparison with the wind farm response
obtained from the detailed model during power system dynamic
simulations, such as wind fluctuations and a grid disturbance. The
present models can be used for grid integration studies of large power
system with an important reduction of the model order and the
computation time.
09/02348 Estimation of wind energy potential using finite
mixture distribution models
Akpinar, S. and Akpinar, E. K. Energy Conversion and Management,
2009, 50, (4), 877884.
This study carried out an analysis of wind characteristics of four
stations (Elazig, Elazig-Maden, Elazig-Keban, and Elazig-Agin) over a
period of 8 years (19982005). The probabilistic distributions of wind
speed are a critical piece of information needed in the assessment of
wind energy potential, and have been conventionally described by
various empirical correlations. Among the empirical correlations, there
are the Weibull distribution and the maximum entropy principle. These
wind speed distributions cannot accurately represent all wind regimes
observed in that region. However, this study represents a theoretical
approach of wind speed frequency distributions observed in that region
through applications of a singly truncated from below normal Weibull
mixture distribution and a two component mixture Weibull distribution
and offer less relative errors in determining the annual mean wind
power density. The parameters of the distributions are estimated using
the least squares method and Statistica software. The suitability of the
distributions is judged from the probability plot correlation coefficient
plot R
2
, RMSE and
2
. Based on the results obtained, it can be
concluded that the two mixture distributions proposed here provide
very flexible models for wind speed studies.
09/02349 Mathematical modelling of a wind power system
with an integrated active filter
Belov, V. et al. Electric Power Systems Research, 2009, 79, (1), 117125.
A novel technical solution of the power quality and electromagnetic
compatibility (EMC) problems has been proposed through computer-
aided design of a wind power system. In the considered wind power
system, an AC power source generates the power, which is comparable
to the consumed power. Consumer equipment is represented by a
switch-mode power supply. Instead of the standard solution for the
power quality and EMC problems, where a harmonic filter is placed
between the load side and the wind-driven power generator, an active
power filter has been integrated into the AC/DC/AC converter of the
wind power system. A mathematical model of the AC/DC/AC
converter built upon the multi-phase bridge-element concept has been
introduced. A computer program for analysis of electromagnetic
processes in a wind power system has been developed. A practical
example of a wind power system has been analysed where the system
frequency response is calculated using the developed mathematical
model.
09/02350 Multi-criteria decision making on strategic
selection of wind farms
Lee, A. H. I. et al. Renewable Energy, 2009, 34, (1), 120126.
With maturity of advanced technologies and urgent requirement for
maintaining a healthy environment with reasonable price, China is
moving toward a trend of generating electricity from renewable wind
resources. How to select a suitable wind farm becomes an important
focus for stakeholders. This paper first briefly introduces wind farm
and then develops its critical success criteria. A new multi-criteria
decision-making model, based on the analytic hierarchy process
associated with benefits, opportunities, costs and risks, is proposed to
help select a suitable wind farm project. Multiple factors that affect the
success of wind farm operations are analysed by taking into account
experts opinions, and a performance ranking of the wind farms is
generated.
09/02351 Nonlinear control with wind estimation of a DFIG
variable speed wind turbine for power capture optimization
Boukhezzar, B. and Siguerdidjane, H. Energy Conversion and Manage-
ment, 2009, 50, (4), 885892.
A cascaded non-linear controller is designed for a variable speed wind
turbine equipped with a doubly fed induction generator (DFIG). The
main objective of the controller is wind energy capture optimization
while avoiding strong transients in the turbine components and
specially in the drive train. The inner loop controller ensures an
efficient tracking of both generator torque and stator flux, while the
outer loop controller achieves a close tracking of the optimal blade
rotor speed to optimize wind energy capture. It is combined to a wind
speed estimator that provides an estimation of the wind speed and the
aerodynamic torque involved in the controller. The global controller is
firstly tested with a simplified mathematical model of the aeroturbine
and DFIG for a high-turbulence wind speed profile. Secondly, the
aeroturbine controller is validated upon a flexible wind turbine
simulator. These new control strategies are compared to other existing
controllers based on tests upon an aeroelastic wind turbine simulator.
The obtained results show better performance in comparison with the
existing controllers.
09/02352 Performance evaluation of Jepirachi Wind Park
Pinilla, A. et al. Renewable Energy, 2009, 34, (1), 4852.
This paper presents some technical details, operational experiences,
and lessons learnt by the Colombian public utility Empresas Publicas
de Medell n with a recently installed 19.5 MW wind park in the
northern region of Colombia province of La Guajira. This is the first
ever wind park feeding to the electricity network in Colombia. The
Jepirachi Wind Park was commissioned in April 2004 and it has to date
accumulated nearly 180,000 h of operation. During that time 15
NORDEX N60/1.3 MW turbines have fed electricity to the Colombian
main electricity grid. This work describes the park layout, including
meteorological stations installed in the surroundings and the wind
regime prevailing in the zone. Details are also given about remote
monitoring of the Wind Park and individual turbines, through the
Supervisory, Control and Data Acquisition system (SCADA Nordex
Control 2). Since July 2004, Empresas Publicas de Medell n (EEPPM)
and Universidad de Los Andes-Bogota, Colombia have been working
together in a wind park performance monitoring programme. This has
permitted both institutions to learn more rapidly matters relating to
evaluation, planning and operation of wind parks exposed to extreme
climatic conditions like those present in the semi-desert region of the
Guajira. This work describes the wind park operation, where individual
wind turbines have yielded monthly production capacity factors as high
as 6575%; values which are high when compared to similar turbines
installed elsewhere. Accordingly, levels of electrical energy production
of up to 1750 kWh/m
2
-year per turbine have been measured, exceeding
typical values reported in the wind energy literature. A series of
Fuel and Energy Abstracts September 2009 361
13 Alternative energy supplies (wind energy)
operational and technical troubles have become evident, which are
related to some of the particular features of the climate and the wind
regime at the site of the Jepirachi Wind Park. Because of these local
features it is suggested that a greater level of uncertainty (limiting the
validity of methods and hypotheses) may exist in the study and
planning of future wind parks in regions such as La Guajira.
09/02353 Performance of a 3 kW wind turbine generator
with variable pitch control system
Nagai, B. M. et al. Applied Energy, 2009, 86, (9), 17741782.
A prototype 3 kW horizontal upwind type wind turbine generator of
4 m in diameter has been designed and examined under real wind
conditions. The machine was designed based on the concept that even
small wind turbines should have a variable pitch control system just as
large wind turbines, especially in Japan where typhoons occur at least
once a year. A characteristic of the machine is the use of a worm and
gear system with a stepping motor installed in the center of the hub,
and the rotational main shaft. The machine is constructed with no
mechanical breaking system so as to avoid damage from strong winds.
In a storm, the wind turbine is slowed down by adjusting the pitch angle
and the maximum electrical load. Usually the machine is controlled at
several stages depending on the rotational speed of the blades. Two
control methods have been applied: the variable pitch angle, and
regulation of the generator field current. The characteristics of the
generator under each rotational speed and field current are first
investigated in the laboratory. This paper describes the performances
of the wind turbine in terms of the functions of wind turbine rotational
speed, generated outputs, and its stability for wind speed changes. The
expected performances of the machine have been confirmed under real
wind conditions and compared with numerical simulation results.
The wind turbine showed a power coefficient of 0.257 under the
average wind speed of 7.3 m/s.
09/02354 Reliability analysis of grid connected small wind
turbine power electronics
Arifujjaman, M. et al. Applied Energy, 2009, 86, (9), 16171623.
Grid connection of small permanent magnet generator (PMG) based
wind turbines requires a power conditioning system comprising a
bridge rectifier, a dcdc converter and a grid-tie inverter. This work
presents a reliability analysis and an identification of the least reliable
component of the power conditioning system of such grid connection
arrangements. Reliability of the configuration is analysed for the worst
case scenario of maximum conversion losses at a particular wind speed.
The analysis reveals that the reliability of the power conditioning
system of such PMG based wind turbines is fairly low and it reduces to
84% of initial value within one year. The investigation is further
enhanced by identifying the least reliable component within the power
conditioning system and found that the inverter has the dominant
effect on the system reliability, while the dcdc converter has the least
significant effect. The reliability analysis demonstrates that a perma-
nent magnet generator based wind energy conversion system is not the
best option from the point of view of power conditioning system
reliability. The analysis also reveals that new research is required to
determine a robust power electronics configuration for small wind
turbine conversion systems.
09/02355 Tapping the energy storage potential in electric
loads to deliver load following and regulation, with
application to wind energy
Callaway, D. S. Energy Conversion and Management, 2009, 50, (5),
13891400.
This paper develops new methods to model and control the aggregated
power demand from a population of thermostatically controlled loads,
with the goal of delivering services such as regulation and load
following. Previous work on direct load control focuses primarily on
peak load shaving by directly interrupting power to loads. In contrast,
the emphasis of this paper is on controlling loads to produce relatively
short time scale responses (hourly to sub-hourly), and the control
signal is applied by manipulation of temperature set points, possibly via
programmable communicating thermostats or advanced metering
infrastructure. To this end, the methods developed here leverage the
existence of system diversity and use physically based load models to
inform the development of a new theoretical model that accurately
predicts even when the system is not in equilibrium changes in load
resulting from changes in thermostat temperature set points. Insight
into the transient dynamics that result from set point changes is
developed by deriving a new exact solution to a well-known hybrid state
aggregated load model. The eigenvalues of the solution, which depend
only on the thermal time constant of the loads under control, are shown
to have a strong effect on the accuracy of the model. The paper also
shows that load heterogeneity generally something that must be
assumed away in direct load control models actually has a positive
effect on model accuracy. System identification techniques are brought
to bear on the problem, and it is shown that identified models perform
only marginally better than the theoretical model. The paper concludes
by deriving a minimum variance control law, and demonstrates its
effectiveness in simulations wherein a population of loads is made to
follow the output of a wind plant with very small changes in the
nominal thermostat temperature set points.
09/02356 The key technology of offshore wind farm and its
new development in China
Wang, Z. et al. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 2009, 13,
(1), 216222.
As energy demands increase, renewable energy systems become more
important and wind farms offer many advantages. This paper reviews
the characteristics and developing state of offshore wind farms mainly
in Europe, and considers the technology relating to offshore wind farm.
Many key aspects of wind power production are considered, such as
optimization configuation and estimation, electricity transmission and
connection, system and stability operation, access, manufacturing
excursion systems, turbine foundations. Plans for use of offshore wind
farms in China are also discussed.
09/02357 Wind power price trends in the United States:
struggling to remain competitive in the face of strong
growth
Bolinger, M. and Wiser, R. Energy Policy, 2009, 37, (3), 10611071.
The amount of wind power capacity being installed globally is surging,
with the United States the world leader in terms of annual market
share for three years running (20052007). The rapidly growing market
for wind has been a double-edged sword, however, as the resulting
supply-demand imbalance in wind turbines, along with the rising cost
of materials and weakness in the US dollar, has put upward pressure on
wind turbine costs, and ultimately, wind power prices. Two mitigating
factors reductions in the cost of equity provided to wind projects and
improvements in project-level capacity factors have helped to relieve
some of the upward pressure on wind power prices over the last few
years. Because neither of these two factors can be relied upon to
further cushion the blow going forward, policymakers should recognize
that continued financial support may be necessary to sustain the wind
sector at its current pace of development, at least in the near term.
Though this article emphasizes developments in the US market for
wind power, those trends are similar to, and hold implications for, the
worldwide wind power market.
09/02358 Wind turbulence characteristics study at the
Stonecutters Bridge site: part I mean wind and turbulence
intensities
Hui, M. C. H. et al. Journal of Wind Engineering and Industrial
Aerodynamics, 2009, 91, (1), 2236.
Hong Kong is situated in the typhoon belt thus major civil engineering
structures such as tall buildings and bridges are exposed to very severe
gusty winds caused by a direct hit once every few years. Stonecutters
Bridge in Hong Kong is a cable-stayed bridge having a colossal central
span of 1018 m. The dynamic action of gusty wind on the bridge
therefore needs careful consideration. A study into the turbulence
characteristics at the bridge site has therefore been initiated with the
objective of deriving a model of turbulence suitable for buffeting
calculations of slender structures. To this end, Highways Department
of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) erected a 50 m
high meteorological mast at the bridge site and commissioned wind
tunnel experiments employing a 1/1500 scale terrain model. Part I of
this paper focuses on the study of mean wind and turbulence
intensities. Part II will focus on the other turbulence characteristics
including wind power spectra, integral length scales and wind
coherences.
09/02359 Wind turbulence characteristics study at the
Stonecutters Bridge site: Part II: Wind power spectra,
integral length scales and coherences
Hui, M. C. H. et al. Journal of Wind Engineering and Industrial
Aerodynamics, 2009, 91, (1), 4859.
Stonecutters Bridge in Hong Kong is a cable-stayed bridge having a
colossal central span of 1018 m. The dynamic action of gusty wind on
the bridge therefore needs careful consideration. In order to obtain a
realistic estimate of the wind turbulence characteristics, Highways
Department of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR)
erected a 50 m high meteorological mast near Stonecutters Bridge and
commissioned wind tunnel experiments employing a 1/1500 scale
terrain model. Part I of this paper has focused the discussion on the
study of mean wind and turbulence intensities. In this Part II of the
paper, the other turbulence characteristics including wind power
spectra, integral length scales and wind coherences are discussed.
362 Fuel and Energy Abstracts September 2009
13 Alternative energy supplies (wind energy)
Others, including economics
09/02360 A Kalina power cycle driven by renewable energy
sources
Lolos, P. A. and Rogdakis, E. D. Energy, 2009, 34, (4), 457464.
The present paper investigates a Kalina cycle using low-temperature
heat sources to produce power. The main heat source of the cycle is
provided from flat solar collectors. In addition, an external heat source
is connected to the cycle, which corresponds to 5% up to 10% of the
total thermal energy supplied to the cycle. The cycle operates at low
pressure levels (0.24.5 bar) and low maximum temperature (130

C).
The NH
3
mass fraction at the turbine inlet varies along with the
expansion pressure and the effects on the cycle efficiency are studied.
For given conditions, an optimum range of vapour mass fractions and
operating pressures can be identified that result in optimum cycle
performance. Simple equations have been derived that link the
operational parameters with the independent variables as well as with
the cycle efficiency.
09/02361 Application of STATCOM/BESS for wind power
smoothening and hydrogen generation
Muyeen, S. M. et al. Electric Power Systems Research, 2009, 79, (2),
365373.
This paper proposes static synchronous compensator (STATCOM)
incorporated with battery energy storage system (STATCOM/BESS) to
smooth the line power of wind farm consists of fixed-speed wind
generators. Constant output power reference is not a good choice
because there may be some cases where wind speed is very low and
then sufficient power cannot be obtained. In that case, energy storage
device can solve the problem but large energy capacity may be needed.
This paper proposes exponential moving average (EMA) to generate
the reference output power, and thus the energy capacity of BESS unit
can be small. Another salient feature of this study is the generation of
hydrogen by using wind energy. At the wind farm terminal, two
topologies of hydrogen generators and their merits and demerits are
analysed. Finally, by taking the advantage of STATCOM/BESS, simple
hydrogen generator topology composed of rectifier and electrolyser is
proposed. Detailed modelling and control strategy of hydrogen
generator and STATCOM/BESS topologies are discussed and a
cooperative control is developed. The effectiveness of the proposed
system is verified by the simulation analysis using PSCAD/EMTDC.
09/02362 Assessment of H
2
- and H
2
O-based renewable
energy-buffering systems in minor islands
Corsini, A. et al. Renewable Energy, 2009, 34, (1), 279288.
The paper assesses the energy and environmental performance of two
solutions designed to complement renewable energy (RE) technol-
ogies, in stand-alone power system (SAPS) configuration typical of
minor Mediterranean islands, by converting the available RE surplus.
The studied SAPS, based on the Ventotene island demographic,
meteorological and load data, features high renewable energy
penetration onto the load power demand, i.e. up to 55.25% share of
peak power capacity. Transient models have been developed to
simulate the storage process of winter renewable energy surplus and
the time-dependent matching among SAPS electric demand and the
stochastic renewable power contributions combined with energy
surplus conversion systems. The study compares a hydrogen-based
system and a desalinated water-production system, proposed as two
effective alternatives for renewable energy seasonal buffering in an
island context. The comparative analysis of the time-dependent
systems behaviour has been investigated with an hourly distribution
over the period of one reference year, in terms of fuel consumption and
hydrogen system energy storage or desalination capacity. The assess-
ment is carried out by taking performance indicators, SAPS fuel
savings, as well as stored and dump power data. The study
demonstrates the suitability of both the models for the winter
renewable energy buffer, in order to improve to the matching of peak
energy and water demands.
09/02363 Competition between first and second generation
technologies: lessons from the formation of a biofuels
innovation system in the Netherlands
Suurs, R. A. A. and Hekkert, M. P. Energy, 2009, 34, (5), 669679.
The support of sustainable energy innovations has become a dominant
topic on the political agenda of many countries. Providing this support
remains difficult, since the processes constituting such innovation
trajectories are poorly understood. To increase insight in such
processes, this paper takes the historical development of biofuels in
the Netherlands as the topic of study. Special attention is paid to the
simultaneous development of two technology generations within the
field: a first generation (1G) and a second generation (2G) of biofuels.
A critical question asked is whether deployment programmes for a 1G
technology may have positive effects on the development of later
generations. Two archetypical support strategies are identified: one is
to keep investing in R&D concerning 2G technology, where the
expected outcome is a fast move from one technology generation to the
other. The other strategy is to focus on learning-by-doing in the 1G
technology. In that way progress can be made in 1G technologies but
the effects on 2G technologies are uncertain. A technological
innovation system perspective was applied to analyse the strategies
followed and their effects. From the results lessons of relevance are
drawn for practitioners who aspire to understand and influence
emerging energy technologies.
09/02364 Cost determination of the electro-mechanical
equipment of a small hydro-power plant
Ogayar, B. and Vidal, P. G. Renewable Energy, 2009, 34, (1), 613.
One of the most important elements on the recovery of a small hydro-
power plant is the electro-mechanical equipment (turbinealternator),
since the cost of the equipment means a high percentage of the total
budget of the plant. The present paper intends to develop a series of
equations which determine its cost from basic parameters such as
power and net head. These calculations are focused at a level of
previous study, so it will be necessary to carry out the engineering
project and request a budget to companies specialized on the
construction of electro-mechanical equipment to know its cost more
accurately. Although there is a great diversity in the typology of
turbines and alternators, data from manufacturers which cover all the
considered range have been used. The above equations have been
developed for the most common of turbines: Pelton, Francis, Kaplan
and semiKaplan for a power range below 2 MW. The obtained
equations have been validated with data from real installations which
have been subject to analysis by engineering companies working on the
assembly and design of small plants.
09/02365 Current status and perspectives of renewable
energy sources in Poland
Paska, J. et al. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 2009, 13, (1),
142154.
Using renewable energy sources is one of the crucial components of the
sustainable development, giving rational economic, ecological and
social effects. Developed countries notice the necessity of emission
reduction from combustion of energy fuels processes and the necessity
of seeking alternative energy resources. Support for development of
the use of renewable energy sources became a very important objective
within the European Union. In this article the present state and
perspectives of using renewable energy sources in Poland are depicted
as well as the main tools for promoting their development and
utilization.
09/02366 Design, economic analysis and environmental
considerations of mini-grid hybrid power system with
reverse osmosis desalination plant for remote areas
Setiawan, A. A. et al. Renewable Energy, 2009, 34, (2), 374383.
This paper discusses the design process of a mini-grid hybrid power
system with reverse osmosis desalination plant for remote areas,
together with an economic analysis and environmental considerations
for the project life-cycle. It presents a design scenario for supplying
electricity and fulfilling demand for clean water in remote areas by
utilizing renewable energy sources and a diesel generator with a reverse
osmosis desalination plant as a deferrable load. The economic issues
analysed are the initial capital cost needed, the fuel consumption and
annual cost, the total net present cost (NPC), the cost of electricity
(COE) generated by the system per kWh and the simple payback time
(SPBT) for the project. The environmental considerations discussed
are the amount of gas emissions, such as CO
2
and NO
x
, as well as
particulate matter released into the atmosphere. Simulations based on
an actual set of conditions in a remote area in the Maldives were
performed for two conditions: before and after the tsunami of 26th
December 2004. Experimental results on the prototype 5 kVA mini-grid
inverter and reverse osmosis desalination plant, rated at 5.5 kWh/day,
are also presented here to verify the idea of providing power and water
supplies to remote areas.
09/02367 Distributed power generation: a case study of
small scale PV power plant in Greece
Bakos, G. C. et al. Applied Energy, 2009, 86, (9), 17571766.
In recent years, energy systems have been undergoing a development
trend characterized by privatization of the most important energy
sectors (electricity and natural gas) that has turned former monopolies
into free-market competitors. Furthermore, community awareness of
environmental impact caused by large conventional power plants is
growing, together with a greater interest in distributed-generation
(DG) technologies based upon renewable energy sources (RES) and
cogeneration. In this context, renewable energy technologies are
emerging as potentially strong competitors for more widespread use.
Despite the remarkable progress attained over the past decades, RES
have not yet been fully integrated into the power sector. Some RES-
Fuel and Energy Abstracts September 2009 363
13 Alternative energy supplies (others, including economics)
technologies have already achieved a significant market share. The
industry is now quite mature, although far from having developed its
global potential. This paper deals with the current status of DG in
Greece and the presentation of a 60 kWp PV power station, developed
under Law 3468/06 Production of Electricity from Renewable Energy
Sources, High Efficiency Cogeneration of Heat and Power and Other
Devices. This application is the first DG installation with fixed PV
modules implemented in the country after the approval of Law 3468/06.
Cash flow economic analysis of the developed DG installation is
performed and the experiences related to the potential of DG in Greek
electricity market is presented and discussed.
09/02368 Energy system analysis of 100% renewable
energy systems the case of Denmark in years 2030 and
2050
Lund, H. and Mathiesen, B. V. Energy, 2009, 34, (5), 524531.
This paper presents the methodology and results of the overall energy
system analysis of a 100% renewable energy system. The input for the
systems is the result of a project of the Danish Association of
Engineers, in which 1600 participants during more than 40 seminars
discussed and designed a model for the future energy system of
Denmark. The energy system analysis methodology includes hour by
hour computer simulations leading to the design of flexible energy
systems with the ability to balance the electricity supply and demand.
The results are detailed system designs and energy balances for two
energy target years: year 2050 with 100% renewable energy from
biomass and combinations of wind, wave and solar power; and year
2030 with 50% renewable energy, emphasizing the first important steps
on the way. The conclusion is that a 100% renewable energy supply
based on domestic resources is physically possible, and that the first
step towards 2030 is feasible to Danish society. However, Denmark will
have to consider to which degree the country shall rely mostly on
biomass resources, which will involve the reorganization of the present
use of farming areas, or mostly on wind power, which will involve a
large share of hydrogen or similar energy carriers leading to certain
inefficiencies in the system design.
09/02369 Exergy analysis of renewable energy-based
climatisation systems for buildings: a critical view
Tor o, H. et al. Energy and Buildings, 2009, 41, (3), 248271.
Exergy is naturally related to the concept of quality of energy.
Therefore, exergy analysis has been widely applied in parallel with
energy analysis in order to find the most rational use of energy. Within
the built environment a wide margin for exergy saving may be found.
Actually, buildings require mostly low quality energy for thermal uses
at low temperatures and nowadays their energy demand is mainly
satisfied with high quality sources. Exergy analysis of renewable
energy-based climatization systems may be considered an emerging
field, where different and often contrasting approaches are followed.
Then, in this paper a comprehensive and critical view on the most
recent studies on this topic is presented. Special attention is paid to the
methodological aspects specifically related to climatization systems and
renewables, and to the comparison of the results. Main renewable
energy-based heating and cooling systems are considered in detail.
Finally, conclusions regarding the state of the art and possible trends
on this field are derived, with the aim to highlight future research
issues and promote further developments of this method. Furthermore,
conclusions regarding the usability of the exergy method as a tool to
promote a more efficient use of available energy sources are also
derived.
09/02370 Gauging the future competitiveness of renewable
energy in Colombia
Caspary, G. Energy Economics, 2009, 31, (3), 443449.
This article aims to assess the likely competitiveness of different forms
of renewable energy in Colombia over the next 25 years. To this end, it
compares the likely power production cost for a set of renewable
energy sources, and compares them to the likely long-run cost of
traditional energy. Costs from global and local externalities through the
use of traditional energy sources are also factored into the analysis.
The key conclusion of the article is that while solar PV will likely
remain uncompetitive under any future cost scenario, cost paths for
small hydro, modern biomass or geothermal are already close enough
to being competitive, so that appropriate government intervention may
make the decisive difference in making these technologies competitive
with conventional energy technologies.
09/02371 Geo-spatial multi-criteria analysis for wave
energy conversion system deployment
Nobre, A. et al. Renewable Energy, 2009, 34, (1), 97111.
The growing requirements for renewable energy production lead to the
development of a new series of systems, including wave energy
conversion systems. Due to their sensitivity and the impact of the
aggressive marine environment, the selection of the most adequate
location for these systems is a major and very important task. Several
factors, such as technological limitations, environmental conditions,
administrative and logistic conditions, have to be taken into account in
order to support the decision for best location. This paper describes a
geo-spatial multi-criteria analysis methodology, based on geographic
information systems technology, for identification of the best location
to deploy a wave energy farm. This methodology is not conversion
system dependent and therefore can be easily customized for different
systems and implementation conditions. Selection factors can include,
for example, ocean depth, sea bottom type, existing underwater cables,
marine protected areas, ports location, shoreline, power grid location,
military exercise areas, climatology of wave significant height, period
and power. A case study demonstrating this methodology is presented,
for an area offshore the Portuguese southwest coast. The system output
allows a clear differential identification of the best spots for
implementing a wave energy farm. It is not just a simple Boolean
result showing valid and invalid locations, but a layer with a valued
suitability for farm deployment.
09/02372 Hybrid renewable energy-fuel cell system: design
and performance evaluation
Leva, S. and Zaninelli, D. Electric Power Systems Research, 2009, 79,
(2), 316324.
The paper introduces hybrid photovoltaic-wind-diesel generation
systems supplying a remote power load considering the advantages of
sustainable energy from the economic point of view. In particular, a
cost investment valuation is performed on a real plant showing the
effect of sustainable economical saving. The possibility to introduce a
fuel cell generation device in a photovoltaic-wind existing plant for
supplying Telecommunication apparatus is also investigated and the
results are reported and discussed in the paper. Furthermore, starting
from measured data, a control system is realized in order to verify the
functionality of the plant.
09/02373 Hydropower planning coordinated with wind
power in areas with congestion problems for trading on the
spot and the regulating market
Matevosyan, J. et al. Electric Power Systems Research, 2009, 79, (1),
3948.
In this paper a day-ahead planning algorithm for a multi-reservoir
hydropower system coordinated with wind power is developed.
Coordination applies to real situations, where wind power and
hydropower are owned by different utilities, sharing the same
transmission lines, though hydropower has priority for transmission
capacity. Coordination is thus necessary to minimize wind energy
curtailments during congestion situations. The planning algorithm
accounts for the uncertainty of wind power forecasts and power market
price uncertainty. Planning for the spot market and the regulating
market is considered in the algorithm. The planning algorithm is
applied to a case study and the results are summarized in the paper.
09/02374 New directions in renewable energy education
Jennings, P. Renewable Energy, 2009, 34, (2), 435439.
The renewable energy industry is growing rapidly amidst rising
concerns about oil depletion and climate change. Renewable energy
is seen by many as part of the appropriate response to these concerns
and some national Governments have put programs in place to support
the wider use of sustainable energy systems. This has led to a rapid
increase in demand for renewable energy specialists who are able to
design, install and maintain such systems. Most engineers are not
trained to use these renewable energy technologies and most are not
aware of the principles of sustainability. There is therefore an urgent
need to develop and implement new courses that prepare engineers,
scientists and energy planners to work with renewables to produce
sustainable energy generation systems. Renewable energy education is
a relatively new field and previously it formed a minor part of
traditional engineering courses. These days it has an identity of its own,
with special techniques, standards and requirements which are not
normally encountered in other disciplines. Attempts to add one or two
units of study on renewables into traditional science and engineering
degrees are unlikely to produce graduates with sufficient knowledge or
understanding to use renewables effectively. Modern renewable energy
education includes a study of the technology, resources, systems design,
economics, industry structure and policies in an integrated package.
This prepares the graduates to design sound systems from amongst the
range of options available. There are more pitfalls in the use of
renewables than there are in using the more mature conventional
technologies and systems. Designers, installers and service personnel
need to be particularly aware of the industry and the characteristics of
the various firms and their technologies. Over the past decade several
new approaches have emerged to renewable energy education that seek
to address the needs of the 21st century for sustainable energy supply
systems. This paper will describe the aims, philosophy, structure and
outcomes of several of these initiatives. It includes courses in
renewable energy science, renewable energy engineering, renewable
364 Fuel and Energy Abstracts September 2009
13 Alternative energy supplies (others, including economics)
energy policy and planning and renewable energy technician training.
The paper will also describe some aspects of the training of researchers
in cooperation with the renewable energy industry.
09/02375 Opportunities and challenges for renewable
energy policy in China
Zhang, P. et al. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 2009, 13,
(2), 439449.
Renewable energy is the inevitable choice for sustainable economic
growth, for the harmonious coexistence of human and environment as
well as for the sustainable development. Government support is the key
and initial power for developing renewable energy. In this article, an
overall review has been conducted on renewable energy development
policy (including laws and regulations, economic encouragement,
technical research and development, industrialized support and
government model projects, etc.) in China. On this basis, a systematic
analysis has been conducted on the disadvantages of renewable energy
development policy. On the point of long-term effective system for
renewable energy development, a series of policy advice has been
offered, such as strengthening the policy coordination, enhancing
regional policy innovation, echoing with clean development mechan-
ism, implementing process management, constructing market invest-
ment and financing system. It is expected that the above advices could
be helpful to ever-improvement of renewable energy development
policy.
09/02376 Organization of the current U.S. biopower
industry: a template for future bioenergy industries
Altman, I. and Johnson, T. Biomass and Bioenergy, 2009, 33, (5), 779
784.
The development of biomass based industries face many challenges.
Technological and environmental questions are paramount. However,
the organization of developing biomass-based industries could be a key
non-technical barrier. Given that industrial organization is not the
focus of many research agendas, this article attempts to fill the void.
Biomass sources could be a low cost feedstock for energy production
such as cellulosic ethanol. This potential low cost hinges on effective
and efficient methods of exchange. One way to address the need to
understand the organization of future biomass based industries is to
examine current related industries such as the United States biopower
industry. This article first examines the broad industrial structure of the
current biopower industry by briefly discussing inputs, technology,
function and production trends. Then the discussion is narrowed to
focus on the type of organizational form used to procure or transfer
ownership of biomass materials in the current US biopower industry.
Based on survey evidence the current biopower industry is found to be
highly vertically integrated with little use of spot markets. This result is
found to be consistent across the type of biomass fuel used.
09/02377 Renewable portfolio standards and cost-effective
energy-efficiency investment
Mahone, A. et al. Energy Policy, 2009, 37, (3), 774777.
Renewable portfolio standards (RPSs) and mandates to invest in cost-
effective energy efficiency (EE) are increasingly popular policy tools to
combat climate change and dependence on fossil fuels. These supply-
side and demand-side policies, however, are often uncoordinated.
Using California as a case in point, this paper demonstrates that states
could improve resource allocation if these two policies were coordi-
nated by incorporating renewable-energy procurement cost into the
cost-effectiveness determination for EE investment. In particular, if
renewable energy is relatively expensive when compared to conven-
tional energy, increasing the RPS target raises the cost-effective level
of EE investment.
09/02378 Short-term generation scheduling model of Fujian
hydro system
Wang, J. Energy Conversion and Management, 2009, 50, (4), 10851094.
The Fujian hydropower system is one of the provincial hydropower
systems with the most complicated hydraulic topology in China. This
paper describes an optimization program that is required by Fujian
Electric Power Company Ltd. to aid the shift engineers in making
decisions with the short-term hydropower scheduling such that the
generation benefit can be maximal. The problem involves 27 reservoirs
and is formulated as a non-linear and discrete programming. It is a very
challenging task to solve such a large-scale problem. In this paper, the
Lagrangian multipliers are introduced to decompose the primal
problem into a hydro subproblem and many individual plant-based
subproblems, which are respectively solved by the improved simplex-
like method and the dynamic programming. A numerical example is
given and the derived solution is very close to the optimal one, with the
distance in benefit less than 0.004%. All the data needed for the
numerical example are presented in detail for further tests and studies
from more experts and researchers.
09/02379 Simulation based size optimization of a PV/wind
hybrid energy conversion system with battery storage under
various load and auxiliary energy conditions
Ekren, B. Y. and Ekren, O. Applied Energy, 2009, 86, (9), 13871394.
In this paper, size of a PV/wind integrated hybrid energy system with
battery storage is optimized under various loads and unit cost of
auxiliary energy sources. The optimization is completed by a simulation
based optimization procedure, OptQuest, which integrates various
heuristic methods. In the study, the main performance measure is the
hybrid energy system cost. And the design parameters are PV size,
wind turbine rotor swept area and the battery capacity. The case study
is realized for Izmir Institute of Technology Campus Area, Urla,
Turkey. The simulation model of the system is realized in ARENA
12.0, a commercial simulation software, and is optimized using the
OptQuest tool in this software. Consequently, the optimum sizes of PV,
wind turbine and battery capacity are obtained under various auxiliary
energy unit costs and two different loads. The optimum results are
confirmed using loss of load probability (LLP) and autonomy analysis.
And the investment costs are investigated how they are shared among
those four energy sources at the optimum points.
09/02380 Social demand for electricity from forest biomass
in Spain: does payment periodicity affect the willingness to
pay?
Solino, M. et al. Energy Policy, 2009, 37, (2), 531540.
In this article, social preferences for a partial substitution programme
of electricity generated by conventional energy sources is analysed, for
energy generated from a local renewable energy source, such as forest
biomass. This analysis sets arguments in favour of accelerating the
introduction of this renewable technology in the Spanish electricity
system. Simultaneously, two methodological goals concerning the
contingent valuation method are discussed. In the first one, it is
analysed to see if there are statistical differences in the willingness to
pay (WTP) when a single- or a double-bounded format is employed to
ask the valuation question. Results show that WTP estimates from
single- and double-bounded significantly differ. In the second one, the
effect of the periodicity of the payment vehicle on the estimates of
welfare change is analysed. The timeframe specification of the payment
vehicle has been scarcely studied, and this fact constitutes the main
contribution of this paper to the specialized literature. Results show
that periodicity influences upon the probability to favour the proposed
change. The periodicity does not affect to the mean WTP obtained in
the single-bounded format, but there are statistical differences in the
double-bounded format. These results might be explained by the
presence of yea saying and payment scale bias.
09/02381 Sustainability by combining nuclear, fossil, and
renewable energy sources
Forsberg, C. W. Progress in Nuclear Energy, 2009, 51, (1), 192200.
The energy industries face two sustainability challenges: the need to
avoid climate change and the need to replace traditional crude oil as
the basis of transport systems. Radical changes in our energy system
will be required to meet these challenges. These challenges may
require tight coupling of different energy sources (nuclear, fossil, and
renewable) to produce liquid fuels for transportation, match electricity
production to electricity demand, and meet other energy needs. This
implies a paradigm shift in which different energy sources are
integrated together, rather than being considered separate entities
that compete. Several examples of combined-energy systems are
described. High-temperature nuclear heat may increase worldwide
light crude oil resources by an order of magnitude while reducing
greenhouse gas releases from the production of liquid fossil fuels.
Nuclearbiomass liquid-fuels production systems could potentially
meet world needs for liquid transport fuels. Nuclearhydrogen peak
power systems may enable renewable electricity sources to meet much
of the worlds electric demand by providing electricity when the wind
does not blow and the sun does not shine.
09/02382 Sustainable application of renewable sources in
water pumping systems: optimized energy system
configuration
Ramos, J. S. and Ramos, H. M. Energy Policy, 2009, 37, (2), 633643.
Eighteen years ago, in Portugal, the expenses associated with the
energy consumption of a water supply system were quite low. However,
with the successive fuel crises and the increase of the energy tariff as
well as the water demand, energy consumption is becoming a larger
and a more important part of the total budget of water supply pumping
systems. In addition, new governmental policies, essentially in devel-
oped countries, are trying to implement renewable energies. For these
reasons, a case-study of a water pumping system in Portugal connected
to solar and wind energy sources was undertaken. A stand-alone and a
grid-connected systems were tested. The stand-alone system was
compared with the cost of extending the national electric grid. In the
grid-connected system two solutions were analysed, one with a water
turbine and another without. To be able to implement a water turbine,
Fuel and Energy Abstracts September 2009 365
13 Alternative energy supplies (others, including economics)
a larger water pump was needed to pump the necessary water as for
consumption as for energy production. For the case analysed the
system without a water turbine proved to be more cost-effective
because the energy tariff is not yet so competitive as well as the cost of
water turbines.
09/02383 The cost of water from an autonomous
wave-powered desalination plant
Folley, M. and Whittaker, T. Renewable Energy, 2009, 34, (1), 7581.
A techno-economic model of an autonomous wave-powered desalina-
tion plant is developed and indicates that fresh water can be produced
for as little as 0.45/m
3
. The advantages of an autonomous wave-
powered desalination plant are also discussed indicating that the real
value of the system is enhanced due to its flexibility for deployment and
reduced environmental impact. The modelled plant consists of the
Oyster wave energy converter, conventional reverse osmosis mem-
branes and a pressure exchangerintensifier for energy recovery. A
time-domain model of the plant is produced using wave-tank
experimentation to calibrate the model of Oyster, manufacturers data
for the model of the reverse osmosis membranes and a hydraulic model
of the pressure exchangerintensifier. The economic model of the plant
uses best-estimate cost data which are reduced to annualized costs to
facilitate the calculation of the cost of water. Finally, the barriers to the
deployment of this technology are discussed, but they are not
considered insurmountable.
09/02384 The vulnerability of renewable energy to climate
change in Brazil
de Lucena, A. F. P. et al. Energy Policy, 2009, 37, (3), 879889.
Energy supply in Brazil relies heavily on renewable energy source. The
production of energy from renewable sources, however, greatly
depends on climatic conditions, which may be impacted in the future
due to global climate change (GCC). This paper analyses the
vulnerabilities of renewable energy production in Brazil for the cases
of hydropower generation and liquid biofuels production, given a set of
long-term climate projections for the A2 and B2 IPCC emission
scenarios. The most important result found in this study is the
increasing energy vulnerability of the poorest regions of Brazil to
GCC. Both biofuels production (particularly biodiesel) and electricity
generation (particularly hydropower) may negatively suffer from
changes in the climate of those regions. Other renewable energy
sources such as wind power generation may also be vulnerable,
raising the need for further research. However, the results found are
fundamentally dependent on the climate projections which, in turn, are
still highly uncertain with respect to the future evolution of greenhouse
gas emissions, greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere and
GCC. Therefore, in such long-term scenario analyses, the trends and
directions derived are the ones to be emphasized rather than the
precise results one arrives.
14 FUEL SCIENCE AND
TECHNOLOGY
Fundamental science, analysis,
instrumentation
09/02385 A GIS-based methodology for highlighting
fuelwood supply/demand imbalances at the local level:
a case study for Central Mexico
Ghilardi, A. et al. Biomass and Bioenergy, 2009, 33, (67), 957972.
When fuelwood is harvested at a rate exceeding natural growth and
inefficient conversion technologies are used, negative environmental
and socio-economic impacts, such as fuelwood shortages, natural
forests degradation and net GHG emissions arise. In this study, the
authors argue that analysing fuelwood supply/demand spatial patterns
require multi-scale approaches to effectively bridge the gap between
national results with local situations. The proposed methodology is
expected to help (1) focusing resources and actions on local critical
situations, starting from nationwide analyses and (2) estimating, within
statistically robust confidence bounds, the proportion of non-renew-
able harvested fuelwood. Starting from a previous work, a county-based
fuelwood hot spot was selected in the Central Highlands of Mexico,
identified from a national wide assessment, and developed a grid-based
model in order to identify single localities that face concomitant
conditions of high fuelwood consumption and insufficient
fuelwood resources. By means of a multi-criteria analysis, 20 localities,
out of a total of 90, were identified as critical in terms of six indicators
related to fuelwood use and availability of fuelwood resources.
Fuelwood supply/demand balances varied among localities from
16.2 2.5 Gg y
1
to 4.4 2.6 Gg y
1
, while fractions of non-renewable
fuelwood varied from 0 to 96%. These results support the idea that
balances and non-renewable fuelwood fractions (mandatory inputs for
clean development mechanism cookstoves projects) must be calculated
on a locality by locality basis if gross under or over-estimations want to
be avoided in the final carbon accounting.
09/02386 A numerical simulation tool for predicting the
impact of outdoor thermal environment on building energy
performance
He, J. et al. Applied Energy, 2009, 86, (9), 15961605.
A building affects its surrounding environment, and conversely its
indoor environment is influenced by its surroundings. In order to
obtain a more accurate prediction of the indoor thermal environment,
it is necessary to consider the interactions between the indoor and
outdoor thermal environments. However, there is still a lack of
numerical simulation tools available for predicting the interactions
between indoor and outdoor microclimate that take into account the
influences of outdoor spatial conditions (such as building forms and
tree shapes) and various urban surface materials. This present paper
presents a simulation tool for predicting the effect of outdoor thermal
environment on building thermal performance (heating/cooling loads,
indoor temperature) in an urban block consisting of several buildings,
trees, and other structures. The simulation tool is a 3D CAD-based
design tool, which makes it possible to reproduce the spatial forms of
buildings and constructed surface materials in detail. The outdoor
thermal environment is evaluated in terms of external surface
temperature and mean radiant temperature (MRT). Simulated results
of these temperatures can be visualized on a colour 3D display.
Building heating/cooling loads and indoor air temperature (internal
surface temperature) can also be simulated. In this study, a simulation
methodology is described, and a sensitivity analysis is conducted for a
wooden detached house under different outdoor conditions (building
coverage, adjacent building height, surrounding with trees or no-trees).
Simulation results show that the simulation tool developed in this study
is capable of quantifying the influences of outdoor configurations and
surface materials on both indoor and outdoor environments.
09/02387 A state machine approach in modelling the
heating process of a building
Pakanen, J. and Karjalainen, S. Energy and Buildings, 2009, 41, (5),
528533.
Process models and their applications have gradually become an
integral part of the design, maintenance and automation of modern
buildings. The following state machine model outlines a new approach
in this area. The heating power described by the model is based on the
recent inputs as well as on the past inputs and outputs of the process,
thus also representing the states of the system. Identifying the model
means collecting, assorting and storing observations, but also effec-
tively utilizing their inherent relationships and nearest neighbours. The
last aspect enables to create a uniform set of data, which forms the
characteristic, dynamic behaviour of the HVAC process. The state
machine model is non-parametric and needs no sophisticated algorithm
for identification. It is therefore suitable for small microprocessor
devices equipped with a larger memory capacity. The first test runs,
performed in a simulated environment, were encouraging and showed
good prediction capability.
09/02388 A study on a scenario using the PID method
Lee, S. H. and Hwang, Y. S. Progress in Nuclear Energy, 2009, 51, (2),
253257.
A scenario, a broad-brush description of a possible future evolution of
a system, can be specified in terms of a set of FEPs (features, events
and processes) and their interactions. KAERI has developed a scenario
using the PID (process influence diagram) method to reveal the
interactions between processes in detail. For the development of PID,
KAERI established a methodology of four principles based on the
KAERI RES (rock engineering system). According to the method-
ology, a model PID of a reference scenario is under development and
three sub-PIDs of a container corrosion, a mechanical stress change
and a radionuclide migration sub-scenario have been constructed.
Also, a main frame for a full PID has been integrated using two sub-
PIDs such as a container corrosion sub-scenario and a mechanical
stress change sub-scenario. After constructing the full PID of a
reference scenario, the other PIDs will be constructed in a similar
manner to the model PID. In addition, various reduced PIDs as well as
a full PID will be provided to meet a users requirements. Realization
of the scenario using RES and PID is expected to increase the
confidence and the transparency for a safety assessment of a high-
radioactive waste repository.
366 Fuel and Energy Abstracts September 2009
14 Fuel science and technology (fundamental science, analysis, instrumentation)
09/02389 An algorithm for calculating the optimal reference
temperature in buildings
Vrec ko, D. et al. Energy and Buildings, 2009, 41, (2), 182189.
In this paper, an algorithm for calculating the reference temperature in
the rooms of a building is presented. The algorithm works in such a way
as to properly reduce the reference temperature in the rooms when
they are not occupied, and at the correct start time, before the rooms
are occupied, recover the reference temperature back to the defined
value. The algorithm is tested in six rooms of a simulated hotel building
using the well-known TRNSYS software. Different occupancy regimes
are considered in the various rooms, and simulations are performed for
a period of 1 year using the weather data of the town of Portoroz,
Slovenia. The results obtained with the proposed algorithm are
compared to the results achieved with a constant reference tempera-
ture setting. The comparison is made with regard to the energy
consumed for the heating and cooling of the rooms, and taking account
of the deviations from the allowed temperature rise time. In the rooms
where the occupancy is not known in advance similar results can be
obtained with the proposed algorithm as with the constant reference
setting. However, in the rooms where the occupancy is known in
advance, desired level of guest comfort can be preserved with the
proposed algorithm with an approximately 10% lower energy con-
sumption for the heating and cooling of the rooms than with the
constant reference recovery time setting.
09/02390 An entropy generation metric for non-energy
systems assessments
Sekulic, D. P. Energy, 2009, 34, (5), 587592.
Processes in non-energy systems have not been as frequent a subject of
sustainability studies based on thermodynamics as have processes in
energy systems. This paper offers insight into thermodynamic thinking
devoted to selection of a sustainability energy-related metric based on
entropy balancing of a non-energy system. An underlying objective in
this sustainability-oriented study is product quality involving thermal
processing during manufacturing vs resource utilization (say, energy).
The product quality for the considered family of materials processing
for manufacturing is postulated as inherently controlled by the imposed
temperature non-uniformity margins. These temperature non-unifor-
mities can be converted into a thermodynamic metric which can be
related to either destruction of exergy of the available resource or, on a
more fundamental level of process quality, to entropy generation
inherent to the considered manufacturing system. Hence, a manufac-
turing system can be considered as if it were an energy system, although
in the later case the system objective would be quite different. In a non-
energy process, a metric may indicate the level of perfection of the
process (not necessarily energy efficiency) and may be related to the
sustainability footprint or, as advocated in this paper, it may be related
to product quality. Controlled atmosphere brazing of aluminium, a
state-of-the-art manufacturing process involving mass production of
compact heat exchangers for automotive, aerospace and process
industries, has been used as an example.
09/02391 An intelligent power factor corrector for power
system using artificial neural networks
Bayindir, R. et al. Electric Power Systems Research, 2009, 79, (1), 152
160.
An intelligent power factor correction approach based on artificial
neural networks (ANNs) is introduced. Four learning algorithms,
backpropagation, delta-bar-delta, extended delta-bar-delta and di-
rected random search, were used to train the ANNs. The best test
results obtained from the ANN compensators trained with the four
learning algorithms were first achieved. The parameters belonging to
each neural compensator obtained from an off-line training were then
inserted into a microcontroller for on-line usage. The results have
shown that the selected intelligent compensators developed in this
work might overcome the problems occurred in the literature providing
accurate, simple and low-cost solution for compensation.
09/02392 Analytical study of natural convection in high
Prandtl number
Nadim, N. and Domairry, G. Energy Conversion and Management,
2009, 50, (4), 10561061.
In the case of natural convection modelling, when the Boussinesq
assumption is used, coupled non-linear differential equations are
encountered. In this work, the authors have modelled natural heat
convection by implementing one of the newest analytical methods of
solving non-linear differential equations called homotopy analysis
method (HAM), this provides a vast freedom to choose the answer
type. An iterating analytical method was used in order that cope with
non-linearity. Also, some provisions were applied because of particular
difficulties that are caused by coupling problem. A new adapting
boundary condition is proposed in this work that is based on an initial
guess and then it is developed to the solution expression. HAM was
applied to the case study according to the physics of the target
problem.
09/02393 Capacitor placement and scheduling using
interactive bi-objective programming with valuable trade off
approach
Kuo, C.-C. Energy Conversion and Management, 2009, 50, (4), 995
1003.
The interactive bi-objective programming with valuable trade off
(IBVT) approach to general capacitor placement and scheduling
problems is proposed. A novel simulated annealing-like, modified
particle swarm optimization is also presented and applied for better
solution quality. Two main contradictory concerns, which including
cost and quality properties, are considered for optimization. For
practical needs, the operating and expansion constraints of distribution
feeders are formulated. Also, both fixed and switched types of
capacitors are included. To demonstrate the effectiveness and
feasibility of the proposed method, comparative studies were con-
ducted on an actual feeder systematically. The experiment showed
encouraging results, suggesting that the proposed approach was
capable of efficiently determining higher quality solutions.
09/02394 Effect of linear and non-linear components in the
temperature dependences of thermoelectric properties on
the cooling performance
Yamashita, O. Applied Energy, 2009, 86, (9), 17461756.
The relative cooling of performance of c/c
0
for a thermoelectric (TE)
element was derived analytically by taking the linear and non-linear
components in the temperature (Tz) dependences of TE properties into
the thermal rate equations (TRE) on the assumption that all of the TE
properties are expressed by a quadratic function of Tz at a position z
along a TE element and the temperature profile along a TE element is
linear or non-linear, where c and c
0
are the coefficients of performance
(COP) derived from the new and conventional TRE, respectively. The
linear and non-linear components in the Tz-dependences of TE
properties were estimated experimentally for BiTe alloys. When a
TE element has a linear temperature profile, c/c
0
estimated using the
linear and/or non-linear components in the Tz-dependences of their TE
properties increases with an increase of T and reached great values of
1.31.6 at ZT=1 under the condition of T=300 K and T=80 K. As
a result, it was found that the linear component in the electrical
resistivity , and the non-linear one in the Seebeck coefficient c have a
significant effect on c/c
0
. When c/c
0
was estimated for a non-linear
temperature profile of a module fabricated using these BiTe alloys,
however, it was slightly lower than that obtained for a linear
temperature profile. The formulas obtained for c and c/c
0
are
applicable even for the practical TE coolers and refrigerators with a
strong non-linearity in the temperature profile.
09/02395 Energy and exergy analyses on a novel hybrid
solar heating, cooling and power generation system for
remote areas
Zhai, H. et al. Applied Energy, 2009, 86, (9), 13951404.
In this study, a small scale hybrid solar heating, chilling and power
generation system, including parabolic trough solar collector with
cavity receiver, a helical screw expander and silica gelwater adsorption
chiller, etc., was proposed and extensively investigated. The system has
the merits of effecting the power generation cycle at lower temperature
level with solar energy more efficiently and can provide both thermal
energy and power for remote off-grid regions. A case study was carried
out to evaluate an annual energy and exergy efficiency of the system
under the climate of northwestern region of China. It is found that both
the main energy and exergy loss take place at the parabolic trough
collector, amount to 36.2% and 70.4%, respectively. Also found is that
the studied system can have a higher solar energy conversion efficiency
than the conventional solar thermal power generation system alone.
The energy efficiency can be increased to 58.0% from 10.2%, and the
exergy efficiency can be increased to 15.2% from 12.5%. Moreover, the
economical analysis in terms of cost and payback period (PP) has been
carried out. The study reveals that the proposed system the PP of the
proposed system is about 18 years under present energy price
conditions. The sensitivity analysis shows that if the interest rate
decreases to 3% or energy price increase by 50%, PP will be less than
10 years.
09/02396 Experimental investigation on liquidliquidgas
flow: flow patterns and pressure-gradient
Bannwart, A. C. et al. Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering,
2009, 65, (12), 113.
The use of core-annular flow pattern, where a thin fluid surrounds a
viscous one, may be attractive to heavy oil transportation and as an
artificial lifting method in heavy oil wells, a situation that can become
frequent in the Brazilian offshore scenario. However, in petroleum
production operations gas is frequently present. Therefore, the study of
three-phase flow of heavy oil, water and gas is in order. This paper
reports pressure drop measurements and three-phase flow patterns
observed in horizontal and vertical 2.84-cm i.d. glass pipes. The focus
was a mixture of heavy crude oil (3400 mPa s, 970 kg/m
3
at 20

C), water
Fuel and Energy Abstracts September 2009 367
14 Fuel science and technology (fundamental science, analysis, instrumentation)
an air at several combinations of the individual flow rates. Three-phase
pressure drop data were compared with single-phase oil and two-phase
oil-gas flows to assess the gains due to water injection. In addition,
three-phase flow patterns formed inside vertical and slightly inclined
1.0 cm i.d. pipes are also presented. Thus, scale-up and inclination
effects could be qualitatively analysed. Full-scale onshore-field
experiments were conducted in order to investigate the applicability
of using water to transport heavy oil in actual lines in the presence of
gas. A big steel pipeline (7.7 cm i.d. and 274 m) conveying a very viscous
crude oil (36950 mPa s, 972.1 kg/m
3
at 20

C), natural gas (GOR 15 m

3
/
m
3
) and water was used. Onshore-field three-phase flow tests were
carried out and pressure gradient data are reported. The observed
improvements in oil production rates and the pressure drop reductions
obtained are remarkable.
09/02397 Flamelet mathematical models for non-premixed
laminar combustion
Carbonell, D. et al. Combustion and Flame, 2009, 156, (2), 334347.
Detailed numerical calculations based on the solution of the full
transport equations have been compared with flamelet calculations in
order to analyse the flamelet concept for laminar diffusion flames. The
goal of this work is to study the interactive (Lagrangian flamelet model
and interactive steady flamelet model), and non-interactive (steady
flamelet model and enthalpy defect flamelet model) flamelet models
considering both differential diffusion and non-differential diffusion
situations, and adiabatic and non-adiabatic conditions. Moreover, a
new procedure has been employed to obtain enthalpy defects in the
flamelet library, the application of which has been found to be
encouraging. The effect of using in-situ, local or stoichiometric scalar
dissipation rate conditions, and also the effect of using local or
stoichiometric conditions to evaluate the flamelet-like time has been
analysed. To improve slow species predictions using the non-interactive
models, their transport equations are solved with the reaction terms
calculated from the flamelet library, also considering local or
stoichiometric conditions in the so-called extended flamelet models.
09/02398 Friction pressure correlations for turbulent flow
of drag reducing polymer solutions in straight and coiled
tubing
Gallego, F. and Shah, S. N. Journal of Petroleum Science and
Engineering, 2009, 65, (34), 147161.
Accurate determination of friction pressure losses of dilute drag
reducing polymer solutions remains to be a challenge in many practical
applications. These include a wide variety of hydraulic operations
performed on a daily basis in the oil and gas industry. Most drilling,
completions, and stimulation jobs require pumping fluids at high flow
rates, which in turn generates high frictional pressure losses, enhanced
by the use of small diameter tubing or coiled tubing. Curvature in this
latter is believed to generate secondary flows and thus extra flow
resistance. Therefore, good drag reduction characteristics of fluids are
desirable. In this study, energy dissipation by eddies in turbulent flow
of viscoelastic fluids is assumed to be the mechanism causing drag
reduction. Various concentrations of Nalco ASP-700 and Nalco ASP-
820 dilute polymer solutions are tested at ambient temperature in
laboratory-scale and full-scale flow loops installed with straight and
coiled tubing sections exhibiting different values of diameter, curvature
ratio and pipe roughness. In addition, flow tests are conducted at
100

F and 130

F using the laboratory-scale flow loop. Effects of

concentration, temperature, curvature ratio, and pipe roughness on
drag reduction are discussed in light of Fanning friction factor versus
solvent Reynolds number plots. Results show that drag reduction in
coiled tubing is lower than in straight tubing. As curvature ratio
increases, drag reduction decreases. The effect of increasing tempera-
ture is to decrease drag reduction in straight tubing and increase it in
coiled tubing. In turn, the effect of increasing pipe roughness is to
slightly decrease drag reduction in straight tubing up to a certain
Reynolds number value and then it starts to increase. For coiled tubing,
the effect of increasing pipe roughness is to decrease drag reduction. In
this study, generalized correlations for the prediction of drag reduction
in dilute polymer solutions flowing in straight and coiled tubing are
developed on the basis of the energy dissipation of eddies in turbulent
flow field and a shear rate dependent relaxation time. In addition,
correlations are validated using experimental data for a low concen-
tration guar fluid flowing through full-scale flow loop.
09/02399 Generalized travel-time inversion on unstructured
grids
Stenerud, V. R. et al. Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering,
2009, 65, (34), 175187.
In this study an extension to unstructured grids for the so-called
generalized travel-time inversion method for inversion of production
data is proposed. The framework of the inversion method applies
directly to fully unstructured grids, but there are aspects regarding
sensitivities and regularization that have to be addressed. First, a
generalized smoothing operator is proposed for the regularization to
impose smooth modification on reservoir parameters. Second, to
handle reservoir models with great heterogeneity in cell sizes, the use
of rescaled sensitivities (average cell volume multiplied by local
sensitivity density) in the inversion is considered. The authos
demonstrate the utility of the extensions on three synthetic cases in
2-D. First, by validating the inversion method by applying it to a
reservoir model represented both on a Cartesian and on a refined
triangular grid. Second, by applying the method for a highly
unstructured grid with large differences in cell sizes. Third, by
considering an example with faults and non-matching connections.
All examples show that that this method is able to match the data with
the same quality as has been obtained earlier on structured grids and
without degrading the realism of the reservoir parameters. Finally, a
simple synthetic 3D case is presented to illustrate that using rescaled
sensitivities may be important to avoid unwanted grid-effects in models
with strong variations in the thickness of the stratigraphic layers.
09/02400 IFTEM: an interval-fuzzy two-stage stochastic
optimization model for regional energy systems planning
under uncertainty
Lin, Q. G. et al. Energy Policy, 2009, 37, (3), 868878.
The development of optimization models for energy systems planning
has attracted considerable interest over the past decades. However, the
uncertainties that are inherent in the planning process and the complex
interactions among various uncertain parameters are challenging the
capabilities of these developed tools. Therefore, the objective of this
study is to develop a hybrid interval-fuzzy two-stage stochastic energy
systems planning model (IFTEM) to deal with various uncertainties
that can be expressed as fuzzy numbers, probability distributions and
discrete intervals. The developed IFTEM is then applied to a
hypothetical regional energy system. The results indicate that the
IFTEM has advantages in reflecting complexities of various system
uncertainties as well as dealing with two-stage stochastic decision
problems within energy systems.
09/02401 Interactions between louvers and ceiling
geometry for maximum daylighting performance
Freewan, A. A. et al. Renewable Energy, 2009, 34, (1), 223232.
The impact of ceiling geometries on the performance of louvres was
investigated using physical model experiments and Radiance simu-
lations. Two performance indicators, the illuminance level and its
distribution uniformity, were used to assess daylighting performance in
a room located in a subtropical climate region. It was found that the
performance of the louvres can be improved by changing the ceiling
geometry. The illuminance level increased in the rear of the room, and
decreased in the front near the window compared to rooms having
horizontal ceilings. Radiance results were found to be in good
agreement with physical model data obtained under a clear sky and
high solar radiation. Louvres daylighting performance was reduced by
tilting the louvres downward. The best ceiling shape was found to be
one that is chamfered in the front and rear of the room.
09/02402 Isoconversional kinetic analysis of
co-combustion of sewage sludge with straw and coal
Xiao, H.-M. et al. Applied Energy, 2009, 86, (9), 17411745.
In this paper, the co-combustion behaviour of sewage sludge with straw
and coal were carried out in a thermogravimetric analyser under
different atmospheres and at different heating rates (10, 20 and
40 Kmin
1
) in the temperature range from ambient temperature to
1000

C. TG and DTG curves were analysed. The FlynnWallOzawas

(FWO) and KissingerAkahiraSunoses (KAS) isoconversional
methods were used to yield dependency of the activation energy of
reduction process on the degree of conversion. The values of E
c
were
obtained. The results indicate that: with the increase of heating rate,
the maximum weight loss rate of samples increase obviously. The
activation energy is practically constant in the 0.2 c0.9 range, with
the average values of E
c
=137.27 and 132.38 kJ mol
1
calculated by
FWO and KAS methods, respectively.
09/02403 Modeling of a pressure modulated desalination
system using bond graph methodology
Kumar, R. and Umanand, L. Applied Energy, 2009, 86, (9), 16541666.
A desalination system is a complex multi-energy domain system
comprising power/energy flow across several domains such as elec-
trical, thermal, and hydraulic. The dynamic modelling of a desalination
system that comprehensively addresses all these multi energy domains
is not adequately addressed in the literature. This paper proposes to
address the issue of modelling the various energy domains for the case
of a single-stage flash evaporation desalination system. This paper
presents a detailed bond graph modelling of a desalination unit with
seamless integration of the power flow across electrical, thermal, and
hydraulic domains. The paper further proposes a performance index
function that leads to the tracking of the optimal chamber pressure
368 Fuel and Energy Abstracts September 2009
14 Fuel science and technology (fundamental science, analysis, instrumentation)
giving the optimal flow rate for a given unit of energy expended. The
model has been validated in steady state conditions by simulation and
experimentation.
09/02404 Numerical approach for optimum electromagnetic
parameters of electrical machines used in vehicle traction
applications
Fodorean, D. et al. Energy Conversion and Management, 2009, 50, (5),
12881294.
A large speed variation is an essential request in the automobile
industry. In order to compete with diesel engines, the flux weakening
technique has to be employed on the electrical machines. In this way,
appropriate electromagnetic and geometrical parameters can give the
desired speed. Using the inverse problem method coupled with
numerical analysis by finite element method, the authors propose an
optimum parameters configuration that maximizes the speed domain
operation. Several types of electrical machines are under study:
induction, synchronous permanent magnet, variable reluctance and
transverse flux machines, respectively. With a proper non-linear model,
by using analytical and numerical calculation, an optimum solution for
the speed variation of the studied drives is proposed.
09/02405 Optimization of economic load dispatch of higher
order general cost polynomials and its sensitivity using
modified particle swarm optimization
Saber, A. Y. et al. Electric Power Systems Research, 2009, 79, (1), 98
106.
This paper presents a modified particle swarm optimization (MPSO)
for constrained economic load dispatch (ELD) problem. Real cost
functions are more complex than conventional second order cost
functions when multi-fuel operations, valve-point effects, accurate
curve fitting, etc., are considering in deregulated changing market. The
proposed modified particle swarm optimization (PSO) consists of
problem dependent variable number of promising values (in velocity
vector), unit vector and erroriteration dependent step length. It
reliably and accurately tracks a continuously changing solution of the
complex cost function and no extra concentration/effort is needed for
the complex higher order cost polynomials in ELD. Constraint
management is incorporated in the modified PSO. The modified PSO
has balance between local and global searching abilities, and an
appropriate fitness function helps to converge it quickly. To avoid the
method to be frozen, stagnated/idle particles are reset. Sensitivity of
the higher order cost polynomials is also analysed visually to realize the
importance of the higher order cost polynomials for the optimization of
ELD. Finally, benchmark data sets and methods are used to show the
effectiveness of the proposed method.
09/02406 Pinch design method in the case of a limited
number of process streams
Ras kovic , P. and Stoiljkovic , S. Energy, 2009, 34, (5), 593612.
The use of Pinch technology is very often strongly limited by the
existence of complex chemical process units (combustion, drying,
scrubbing, etc.) in the energy system of the plant. Since this
methodology, in its standard form, does not account for chemical
operation inside those units, only a few process streams can be used for
the creation of the heat exchanger network. The final design, in
accordance with the overall mass and energy balance of the plant, will
generate only slight increase in the energy efficiency. To exceed these
limitations, the plant can be reconfigured by adding the modules of
virtual heat exchangers in existing physical and mathematical models of
the plant. These exchangers present just fictive elements, which
simulate possible heating/cooling of the streams, and their purpose is
only to ensure the conservancy of balance equations. In this way, the
new task enables the use of more streams in the pinch design, which
can result in the solution with significant improvement of plant energy
performance.
09/02407 Recurrent fuzzy neural network by using
feedback error learning approaches for LFC in
interconnected power system
Sabahi, K. et al. Energy Conversion and Management, 2009, 50, (4),
938946.
In this study, a new adaptive controller based on modified feedback
error learning (FEL) approaches is proposed for load frequency
control (LFC) problem. The FEL strategy consists of intelligent and
conventional controllers in feedforward and feedback paths, respect-
ively. In this strategy, a conventional feedback controller (CFC), i.e.
proportional, integral and derivative (PID) controller, is essential to
guarantee global asymptotic stability of the overall system; and an
intelligent feedforward controller (INFC) is adopted to learn the
inverse of the controlled system. Therefore, when the INFC learns the
inverse of controlled system, the tracking of reference signal is done
properly. Generally, the CFC is designed at nominal operating
conditions of the system and, therefore, fails to provide the best
control performance as well as global stability over a wide range of
changes in the operating conditions of the system. So, in this study a
supervised controller (SC), a lookup table based controller, is
addressed for tuning of the CFC. During abrupt changes of the power
system parameters, the SC adjusts the PID parameters according to
these operating conditions. Moreover, for improving the performance
of overall system, a recurrent fuzzy neural network (RFNN) is adopted
in INFC instead of the conventional neural network, which was used in
past studies. The proposed FEL controller has been compared with the
conventional feedback error learning controller (CFEL) and the PID
controller through some performance indices.
09/02408 Road-surface properties affecting rates of energy
dissipation from vehicles
Igwe, E. A. et al. Applied Energy, 2009, 86, (9), 16921696.
The rates of energy that moving vehicles dissipate to road surfaces as
well as noise emissions and their propensities for pitting (and hence
their repair costs per year) all depend upon the structural properties of
these surfaces. Thus, to increase the strength of bituminous concrete
(i.e. a typical flexible road-surface) has been one of the major recent
aims in highway engineering. The present study explored techniques
that will increase these strength properties by modifying the material,
using rubber latex, through rubberization and hence, improve the
strength of the flexible trafficked surface when in contact with vehicles.
At the optimal design asphalt (i.e. bitumen) content of 4.68%, the
successive addition of various percentages of the rubber latex produced
a design value of 1.65% rubber content, which increased the stability of
the roadway from 1595 to 2639 N (i.e. an 65.5% increase) and the
density from 2447 to 2520.8 kg/m
3
(i.e. a 3.02% increase). This shows
that the addition of rubber latex to bituminous concrete (a flexible
road-surface) increased sustainability and the strength (in terms of
stability and density). Similarly, the air voids and voids in the mineral
aggregate (VMA) were reduced by introducing latex from 4.22% to
3.45% (i.e. a 17.06% reduction) and 16.25% to 13.43% (i.e. an 17.4%
reduction), respectively. Whereas, the reduction in voidage volume
added strength to the bituminous concrete by increasing its stability
and density, the reduction in VMA had no positive impact on the
strength properties of the flexible road-surface.
09/02409 Study of phase changing characteristics of
granular composites using differential scanning calorimetry
Rady, M. Energy Conversion and Management, 2009, 50, (5), 1210
1217.
Characterization of the phase changing behaviour of granular materials
is an important issue for design and optimization of latent heat thermal
energy storage (LHTES) systems. In the present work, differential
scanning calorimetry (DSC) has been used to study the phase changing
behaviour of granular composites consisting of ceramic encapsulated
phase change material (EPCM) with particle diameters of 13 mm. The
obtained DSC curves characterizing melting and solidification of the
composite material are shown to be dependent upon the values of
heating and cooling rates. Direct utilization of the measured DSC
curves could result in an inexact representation of the sample enthalpy
change. A simple procedure has been advised to obtain accurate
quantitative results from the DSC measurements based on the
estimation of the thermal resistance between the sample and its
enclosure. Analysis of the evolution of latent heat of EPCM with
temperature at different values of cooling/heating rates is presented.
09/02410 The experience curve, option value, and the
energy paradox
Ansar, J. and Sparks, R. Energy Policy, 2009, 37, (3), 10121020.
This paper develops a model to explain the energy paradox, the
inclination of households and firms to require very high internal rates
of return in order to make energy-saving investments. The model
abstracts from many features of such investments to focus on their
irreversibility, the uncertainty of their future payoff streams, and the
investors anticipation of future technological advance. In this setting,
the decision to invest in energy-saving technology can be delayed,
providing option value. In addition, delay allows the potential investor
to cash in on future experience-curve effects: With the passage of time,
firms gain practical knowledge in producing and installing the energy-
saving technology, enabling them to reduce the technologys up-front
cost per unit of energy saved. The authors incorporate these
fundamentals into a stochastic model where the investments dis-
counted benefits follow geometric Brownian motion. To demonstrate
the models capabilities, simulation results are generated for photo-
voltaic systems that highlight the experience-curve effect as a
fundamental reason why households and firms delay making energy-
saving investments until internal rates of return exceed values of 50%
and higher, consistent with observations in the economics literature.
The authors also explore altruistic motivations for energy conservation
and the models implications for both additionality and the design of
energy-conservation policy.
Fuel and Energy Abstracts September 2009 369
14 Fuel science and technology (fundamental science, analysis, instrumentation)
Fuel cell technology
09/02411 Development of electrical efficiency
measurement techniques for 10 kW-class SOFC system.
Part I: measurement of electrical efficiency
Tanaka, Y. et al. Energy Conversion and Management, 2009, 50, (3),
458466.
Measurement techniques to estimate electrical efficiency of 10 kW-
class solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC) systems fuelled by town-gas were
developed and demonstrated for a system developed by Kansai Electric
Power Company and Mitsubishi Materials Corporation under a NEDO
project. Higher heating value of the fuel was evaluated with a
transportable gas sampling unit and conventional gas chromatography
in AIST laboratory with thermal-conductivity and flame-ionization
detectors, leading to mean value 44.69 MJ m
3
on a volumetric base for
ideal-gas at the standard state (0

C, 101.325 kPa). Mass-flow-rate of

the fuel was estimated as 33.04 slm with a mass-flow meter for CH
4
,
which was calibrated to correct CH
4
flow-rate and effect of sensitivity
change and to obtain conversion factor from CH
4
to town-gas. Without
calibration, systematic effect would occur by 8% in flow-rate
measurement in the case for CH
4
. Power output was measured with
a precision power analyser, a virtual three-phase starpoint adapter, and
tri-axial shunts. Power of fundamental wave (60 Hz) was estimated as
10.14 kW, considering from total active power, total higher harmonic
distortion factor, and power consumption at the starpoint adapter. The
electrical efficiency was presumed to be 41.2% (HHV), though this
mean value will be complete only when uncertainty estimation is
accompanied.
09/02412 Development of electrical efficiency
measurement techniques for 10 kW-class SOFC system.
Part II: uncertainty estimation
Tanaka, Y. et al. Energy Conversion and Management, 2009, 50, (3),
467478.
Uncertainty of electrical efficiency measurement was investigated for a
10 kW-class solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC) system using town gas.
Uncertainty of heating value measured by the gas chromatography
method on a mole base was estimated as 0.12% at 95% level of
confidence. Micro-gas chromatography with/without CH
4
quantifi-
cation may be able to reduce uncertainty of measurement. Calibration
and uncertainty estimation methods are proposed for flow-rate
measurement of town gas with thermal mass-flow meters or controllers.
By adequate calibrations for flowmeters, flow rate of town gas or
natural gas at 35 standard litres per minute can be measured within
relative uncertainty 1.0% at 95 % level of confidence. Uncertainty of
power measurement can be as low as 0.14% when a precise wattmeter
is used and calibrated properly. It is clarified that electrical efficiency
for non-pressurized 10 kW-class SOFC systems can be measured within
1.0% relative uncertainty at 95% level of confidence with the
developed techniques when the SOFC systems are operated relatively
stably.
09/02413 Experimental results from a 5 kW PEM fuel cell
stack operated on simulated reformate from highly diluted
hydrocarbon fuels: efficiency, dilution, fuel utilisation, CO
poisoning and design criteria
Hedstrom, L. et al. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 2009, 34,
(3), 15081514.
The present article analyses the effects of dilute biogas on efficiency,
fuel utilization, dynamics, control strategy, and design criteria for a
polymer electrolyte fuel cell (PEFC) system. The tested fuel
compositions are exemplified by gas compositions that could be
attained within various Swedish biofuel demonstration projects.
Experimental data which can serve as a basis for design of PEFC
biogas systems operating in load-following, or steady-state mode, are
reported for a 5 kW PEFC stack.
09/02414 Fuel constituent effects on fuel reforming
properties for fuel cell applications
Shekhawat, D. et al. Fuel, 2009, 88, (5), 817825.
The effect of different types of compounds commonly found in diesel
fuel (e.g. paraffins, naphthenes, and aromatics), as well as their
chemical structure (e.g. branched versus linear paraffins) on fuel
reforming has been investigated. Diesel reforming is very complicated
because diesel is a complex mixture of hundreds of compounds with
greatly different reactivities. The syngas production rates at the same
conditions were observed in this order: paraffins >naphthenes )aro-
aromatics. Additionally, the type of reforming performed (OSR,
CPOX, or SR) as well as the process parameters (space velocity and
reaction temperature) significantly affected the syngas production rates
as well as carbon formation. The reactivity of one fuel component can
affect the conversion pattern of others, e.g. overall yields from the
reforming of a fuel mixture are not additive of yields from individual
fuel components, rather the more reactive component is consumed
first. Furthermore, the type of substituent in aromatics and
naphthenes, the carbon chain length in n-paraffins, branching in
paraffins, and degree of aromatic saturation affect the overall
hydrocarbon conversion, syngas selectivity, and carbon formation.
The presence of sulfur compounds in the fuel caused significant drops
in H
2
yields compared to CO yields.
09/02415 Numerical predictions of a PEM fuel cell
performance enhancement by a rectangular cylinder
installed transversely in the flow channel
Perng, S.-W. et al. Applied Energy, 2009, 86, (9), 15411554.
This paper numerically investigates the installation of the transverse
rectangular cylinder along the gas diffusion layer (GDL) in the flow
channel for the cell performance enhancement of a proton exchange
membrane fuel cell (PEMFC). The effects of the blockage at various
gap sizes and the width of the cylinder on the cell performance
enhancement have been studied with changing the gap ratios `=0.05
0.3, for the same cylinder) and the width-to-height ratios (WR=0.66
1.66, for the same cylinder height and gap ratio). The results show that
the transverse installation of a rectangular cylinder in the fuel flow
channel effectively enhances the cell performance of a PEMFC. In
addition, the influence of the width of the cylinder on the cell perform-
ance is obvious, and the best cell performance enhancement occurs at
the gap ratio 0.2 among the gap ratios of 0.05, 0.1, 0.2, and 0.3.
09/02416 Parametric analysis of proton exchange
membrane fuel cell performance by using the Taguchi
method and a neural network
Wu, S.-J. et al. Renewable Energy, 2009, 34, (1), 135144.
This study proposes a novel parameter optimization method, capable
of integrating the neural network and the Taguchi method for
parametric analysis of proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC)
performance. Numerous parameters affecting the PEMFC perform-
ance are analysed, such as fuel cell operating temperatures, cathode
and anode humidification temperatures, operating pressures, and
reactant flow rate. In the traditional design of experiments, the
Taguchi method has been popularly utilized in engineering. However,
the parameter levels selected to form the orthogonal array in the
Taguchi method are discrete, preventing the estimation of the real
optimum. This study used the Taguchi method to acquire the primary
optimums of the operating parameters in the PEMFC. Each row in the
orthogonal array together with its relative responses was used to
establish a set of training patterns (input/target pair) to the neural
network. The neural network can then construct relationships between
the control factors and responses in the PEMFC. The actual optimums
of the operating parameters in the PEMFC were obtained by the
trained neural network. Experimental results are presented for
identifying the proposed approach, which is useful in improving
performance for PEMFC and developing electrical system on advanced
vehicles and ships.
09/02417 PEM fuel cell testing by electrochemical
impedance spectroscopy
Brunetto, C. et al. Electric Power Systems Research, 2009, 79, (1), 17
26.
Nowadays, proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFC) are
candidate as middle term power sources for automotive, stationary
generation and portable power applications. In order to introduce
these devices into the market an improvement in their performances
seems necessary, as well as the development of an effective control
system able to find their optimal operating conditions. This paper deals
with electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) using an effective
tool, where a cost-effective measurement hardware has been developed
creating a software to analyse the results. Both single fuel cells and
stacks have been tested in various operating conditions. This
experimental approach allows to highlight variations of model
parameters and to perform a further analysis of the processes occurring
in a fuel cell through electrical circuit models. A special attention is
given to the experimental results, in order to address fuel cell
malfunctions using the EIS approach as an effective diagnostic method.
09/02418 Polymer electrolyte fuel cells employing
electrodes with gas-diffusion layers of mesoporous carbon
derived from a solgel route
Sahu, A. K. et al. Carbon, 2009, 47, (1), 102108.
Solgel derived mesoporous carbon (MC) for the preparation of gas-
diffusion layer (GDL) and its ameliorating effect on the performance
of polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFCs) is reported. MC with a
specific surface area of 370 m
2
/g, pore diameter of 6.7 nm and pore
volume of 0.45 cm
3
/g has been synthesized by co-assembly of a tri-block
copolymer, namely pluronic-F127, as a structure directing agent, and a
mixture of phloroglucinol and formaldehyde as carbon precursor. X-
ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy have been
employed to examine the structural properties of the MC. Surface
370 Fuel and Energy Abstracts September 2009
14 Fuel science and technology (fuel cell technology)
morphology of the GDL comprising MC has been studied by scanning
electron microscopy. A peak power density of 0.53 W/cm
2
at a load
current-density of 1.1 A/cm
2
is achieved for the PEFC employing
electrodes with GDL of MC compared to the peak power density of
0.47 W/cm
2
at a load current-density of 0.93 A/cm
2
for the PEFC
employing electrodes with GDL of commercial Vulcan XC-72R
carbon, while operating at 70

C with H
2
and air feeds at atmospheric
pressure.
09/02419 Static and dynamic modeling of a diesel fuel
processing unit for polymer electrolyte fuel cell supply
Chrenko, D. et al. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 2009, 34,
(3), 13241335.
This article introduces the energetic macroscopic representation
(EMR) as approach for the dynamic modelling of a diesel fuel
processing unit. The EMR is the first step toward model-based control
structure development. The autothermal fuel processing system
containing: heat exchanger, reformer, desulfurization, water gas shift,
preferential oxidation and condensation is divided into a multitude
simple subblocks. Each subblock describes an elementary step of the
fuel conversion, several of these blocks may occur in a single module.
Calculations are carried out using two basic principles: mass and
energy balances. For model-based control development, it is imperative
that the model represents dynamic behaviour, therefore temperature
and pressure dynamics are taken into account in the model. It is shown
that the model is capable to predict the stationary behaviour of the
entire fuel processing unit correctly by comparison with given data.
Predictions regarding reformer heat up, temperature and pressure
dynamics are also provided.
09/02420 Static and dynamic modeling of solid oxide fuel
cell using genetic programming
Chakraborty, U. K. Energy, 2009, 34, (6), 740751.
Modelling of solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) systems is a powerful
approach that can provide useful insights into the non-linear dynamics
of the system without the need for formulating complicated systems of
equations describing the electrochemical and thermal properties.
Several algorithmic approaches have in the past been reported for
the modelling of solid oxide fuel cell stacks. However, all of these
models have their limitations. This paper presents an efficient genetic
programming approach to SOFC modelling and simulation. This
method, belonging to the computational intelligence paradigm, is
shown to outperform the state-of-the-art radial basis function neural
network approach for SOFC modelling. Both static (fixed load) and
dynamic (load transient) analyses are provided. Statistical tests of
significance are used to validate the improvement in solution quality.
15 ENVIRONMENT
Pollution, health protection,
applications
09/02421 An energy performance assessment for indoor
environmental quality (IEQ) acceptance in air-conditioned
offices
Wong, L. T. and Mui, K. W. Energy Conversion and Management, 2009,
50, (5), 13621367.
Maintaining an acceptable indoor environmental quality (IEQ) for air-
conditioned office buildings consumes a considerable amount of
thermal energy. This study correlates thermal energy consumption
with the overall occupant acceptance of IEQ in some air-conditioned
offices. An empirical expression of an IEQ index associated with
thermal comfort, indoor air quality, aural and visual comfort is used to
benchmark the offices. Employing input parameters obtained from the
building stocks of Hong Kong, the office portfolios regarding the
thermal energy consumption and the IEQ index are determined by
Monte Carlo simulations. In particular, an energy-to-acceptance ratio
and an energy-to-IEQ improvement ratio are proposed to measure the
performance of energy consumption for the IEQ in the air-conditioned
offices. The ratios give the thermal energy consumption corresponding
to a desirable percentage of IEQ acceptances and to an IEQ upgrade,
respectively. The results showed a non-linear increasing trend of
annual thermal energy consumption for IEQ improvement at the
offices of higher IEQ benchmarks. The thermal energy consumption
for visual comfort and indoor air quality would also be significant in
these offices. This study provides useful information that incorporates
the IEQ in air-conditioned offices into the development of perform-
ance evaluation measures for thermal energy consumption.
09/02422 Assessment of post-Kyoto climate change
mitigation regimes impact on sustainable development
Streimikiene, D. and Girdzijauskas, S. Renewable and Sustainable
Energy Reviews, 2009, 13, (1), 129141.
This article analyses post-Kyoto climate change mitigation regimes and
their impact on sustainable development. Wide range of post-Kyoto
climate change mitigation architectures have different impact on
different groups of countries, therefore sustainability assessment is
performed for four main group of countries: EU and other Annex-I
countries, USA, advanced developing countries and least developed
countries. The post-Kyoto climate change mitigation regimes are
evaluated based on their economical, environmental, social and
political impact for different groups of countries. For the assessment
the scoring is applied. The architectures are further ranked according
to the best results or highest score obtained during assessment
according to all criteria and for all groups of countries.
09/02423 Comparative population dose risks from nuclear
fuel cycle closure and renewal of the commercial nuclear
energy alternative in the U.S.
Pennington, C. W. et al. Progress in Nuclear Energy, 2009, 51, (2), 290
296.
The debate over a large expansion of commercial nuclear energy for
electricity production in the USA, termed a nuclear renaissance, has
most recently focused on the issues of spent nuclear fuel transportation
and the closing of the once-through nuclear fuel cycle through the
licensing, construction, and operation of the national spent nuclear fuel
repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. While such a commercial
nuclear energy expansion is postulated to have environmental, climate,
resource utilization, and economic benefits, the fundamental issue for
typical US citizens about nuclear energy concerns the potential for
exposure to ionizing radiation. Two generations of US citizens have
experienced public and media education that has heightened their
primal fears of ionizing radiation from commercial nuclear energy. In
such an environment, comparing the risks of radiation doses from
commercial nuclear energy fuel cycle closure and further nuclear
energy expansion with ionizing radiation population doses experienced
year after year, decade after decade from non-nuclear (conventional)
industries seems worthwhile for use in achieving stakeholder education
and concurrence. The US National Academy of Sciences (NAS) has
recently performed its own landmark risk assessment of spent fuel
transport in the USA, demonstrating the guiding principles and
methods for use in comparative risk assessments involving radiation
dose considerations. Using the NAS assessment approach, this paper
broadens its application to the full consideration of the risk of nuclear
fuel cycle closure and renewal of the commercial nuclear energy
alternative in the USA, to evaluate the ionizing radiation dose risks of
such expansion compared to those routinely accepted for non-nuclear
industries by policy makers and the public. The 50-year collective dose
risk from the total commercial nuclear fuel cycle, even if the US triples
its installed nuclear capacity, transports spent fuel to Yucca Mountain,
and operates the Yucca Mountain repository as planned, is shown to be
in the range of 3.1-million person-cSv; for five selected non-nuclear
industries, the corresponding 50-year collective dose risk exceeds
1 billion person-cSv, a more than 300 times greater risk. A key step
towards renewing the commercial nuclear energy alternative, then, is to
use this knowledge for education of various stakeholder parties.
09/02424 Comparative study of environmental strategies:
the case of Portuguese industries
Sarmento, M. and Durao, D. Energy, 2009, 34, (5), 540546.
This paper aims at assessing some environmental strategies im-
plemented by the managers of potential polluting industries. Three
inquiries were answered by 150 large, medium, and small enterprises,
located all over Portugal, in 2001, 2003, and 2005. It was concluded that
companies are increasingly concerned with environmental issues, since
the mean values are x
m
=3.9 in 2001, x
m
=4.4 in 2003, and x
m
=4.4 in
2005, for a scale varying from 1 to 5. The companies are investing
increasingly in environmental processes since the mean values are
x
m
=2.7 in 2001, x
m
=3.7 in 2003, and x
m
=3.8 in 2005. As far as the
equipment is concerned, the mean values are x
m
=3.2 in 2001, x
m
=4.0
in 2003, and x
m
=4.3 in 2005.
09/02425 Consumers perceptions regarding tradeoffs
between food and fuel expenditures: a case study of U.S.
and Belgian fuel users
Skipper, D. et al. Biomass and Bioenergy, 2009, 33, (67), 973987.
Biofuels have been suggested as a sustainable alternative to fossil-
based fuels, but when produced with inputs traditionally used as food
and feed grain, the production of biofuels has contributed to price
increases in the food sector. In the fall of 2006, a survey was
Fuel and Energy Abstracts September 2009 371
15 Environment (pollution, health protection, applications)
administered to compare consumer perceptions regarding the tradeoff
between renewable fuels and food in the USA (n =242) and Belgium
(n =363). Results show that respondents in both countries prefer lower
food prices to lower fuel prices (67.6% in the USA and 78.9% in
Belgium). A logit model was estimated to determine which variables
impacted whether a consumer favoured policies that lower fuel prices at
the cost of higher food prices. While the sample of Belgian respondents
appeared to realize that lower fuel prices eventually had to come at the
cost of higher food prices, the sample of US respondents felt domestic
agriculture could provide some low-cost, environmentally friendly
alternatives with little impact on food prices. Accessible public
transportation in Belgium acted as an important fuel saving strategy
in that country and led respondents to emphasize food price decreases
over fuel price decreases. Also, respondents with heightened awareness
towards the environment recognized that the expansion of renewable
fuels may need to come at the cost of higher food prices. These
attitudes were similar in both countries. Finally, in both countries older
respondents placed more importance on lower food prices than lower
fuel prices.
09/02426 Energy consumption pattern of a decentralized
community in northern Haryana
Devi, R. et al. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 2009, 13, (1),
194200.
A survey of household energy consumption pattern has been carried
out in a village, Bibipur, district Jind, Haryana, India, during 2004. The
households surveyed covered heterogeneous population belonging to
different income groups, education groups and social groups. Studies
were made on the total energy available, total energy required and
energy consumption in different sectors domestic, agricultural, trans-
port, rural industries and miscellaneous uses. The total energy
available from all the sources (animate, biomass/non-conventional
and inanimate sources) in the village is 468,205 MJ and the require-
ment for all the activities and from all the resources is 592,220 MJ.
There is a big gap between energy supply and demand for the village.
There is more availability of non-conventional energy resources as
compared to conventional energy resources and some resources are
unexploited. Therefore, to meet the balance of energy demand and
supply, non-conventional resources should be exploited. In domestic
sector, maximum energy is used in cooking (52.1%) and 45% of it is
supplied from non-conventional energy sources and 10% from
conventional energy sources. Calculations were made by considering
all the energy resources for average per capita energy consumption and
it was 20.02 MJ/day per capita. Electricity is used mainly for lighting
and power, while gas is preferred for cooking. In agricultural sector,
energy consumption for different activities was calculated and it was
found that maximum energy consumption is in irrigation (41.7%) and
minimum in transplanting. In agricultural sector, maximum energy
comes from conventional energy sources (about 60%) and from non-
conventional energy sources it is only about 30%. From the study, it
was found that maximum population having good economic conditions
like electricity very much as an energy source followed by LPG, biogas,
coal, firewood and agricultural residues.
09/02427 Environmental impacts of a lignocellulose
feedstock biorefinery system: an assessment
Uihlein, A. and Schebek, L. Biomass and Bioenergy, 2009, 33, (5), 739
802.
Biomass is a sustainable alternative to fossil energy carriers that are
used to produce fuels, electricity, chemicals, and other goods. At the
moment, the main biobased products are obtained by the conversion of
biomass to basic products like starch, oil, and cellulose. In addition,
some single chemicals and fuels are produced. Presently, concepts of
biorefineries which will produce a multitude of biomass-derived
products are discussed. Biorefineries are supposed to contribute to a
more sustainable resource supply and to a reduction in greenhouse gas
emissions. However, biobased products and fuels may also be
associated with environmental disadvantages due to, e.g. land use or
eutrophication of water. The authors performed a life-cycle assessment
of a lignocellulose feedstock biorefinery system and compared it to
conventional product alternatives. The biorefinery was found to have
the greatest environmental impacts in the three categories: fossil fuel
use, respiratory effects, and carcinogenics. The environmental impacts
predominantly result from the provision of hydrochloric acid and to a
smaller extent also from the provision of process heat. As the final
configuration of the biorefinery cannot be determined yet, various
variants of the biorefinery system were analysed. The optimum variant
(acid and heat recoveries) yields better results than the fossil
alternatives, with the total environmental impacts being approximately
41% lower than those of the fossil counterparts. For most biorefinery
variants analysed, the environmental performance in some impact
categories is better than that of the fossil counterparts while
disadvantages can be seen in other categories.
09/02428 Identifying potential environmental impacts of
large-scale deployment of dedicated bioenergy crops in
the UK
Rowe, R. L. et al. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 2009, 13,
(1), 271290.
This review assesses the evidence base for potential impacts of large-
scale bioenergy crop deployment principally within the UK context, but
with wider implications for Europe, the USA and elsewhere. The
authors focus on second generation, dedicated lignocellulosic crops,
but where appropriate draw comparison with current first-generation
oil and starch crops, often primarily grown for food. For lignocellulosic
crops, positive effects on soil properties, biodiversity, energy balance,
greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation, carbon footprint and visual impact
are likely, when growth is compared to arable crops. Compared to
replacement of set-aside and permanent unimproved grassland,
benefits are less apparent. For hydrology, strict guidelines on
catchment management must be enforced to ensure detrimental effects
do not occur to hydrological resources. The threat of climate change
suggests that action will be required to ensure new genotypes are
available with high water use efficiency and that catchment-scale
management is in place to secure these resources in future. In general,
for environmental impacts, less is known about the consequences of
large-scale deployment of the C4 grass Miscanthus, compared to short
rotation coppice (SRC) willow and poplar, including effects on
biodiversity and hydrology and this requires further research. Detailed
consideration of GHG mitigation and energy balance for both crop
growth and utilization suggest that perennial crops are favoured over
annual crops, where energy balances may be poor. Similarly, crops for
heat and power generation, especially combined heat and power
(CHP), are favoured over the production of liquid biofuels. However, it
is recognized that in contrast to heat and power, few alternatives exist
for liquid transportation fuels at present and research to improve the
efficiency and energy balance of liquid transport fuel production from
lignocellulosic sources is a high current priority. Although SRC, and to
a lesser extent energy grasses such as Miscanthus, may offer significant
benefits for the environment, this potential will only be realized if
landscape-scale issues are effectively managed and the whole chain of
crop growth and utilization is placed within a regulatory framework
where sustainability is a central driver. Land resource in the UK and
throughout Europe will limit the contribution that crops can make to
biofuel and other renewable targets, providing a strong driver to
consider sustainability in a global context.
09/02429 Indoor environmental quality in Hellenic hospital
operating rooms
Dascalaki, E. G. et al. Energy and Buildings, 2009, 41, (5), 551560.
Indoor environmental quality (IEQ) in hospital operating rooms (ORs)
constitutes a major challenge for the proper design and operation of an
energy efficient hospital. A subjective assessment of the indoor
environment along with a short monitoring campaign was performed
during the audits of 18 ORs at nine major Hellenic hospitals. A total of
557 medical personnel participated in an occupational survey, provid-
ing data for a subjective assessment of IEQ in the audited ORs. The
OR personnel reported work related health symptoms and an
assessment of indoor conditions (thermal, visual and acoustical
comfort, and air quality). Overall, personnel reported an average of
2.24 work-related symptoms each, and 67.2% of respondents reported
at least one. Women suffer more health symptoms than men. Special
dispositions, such as smoking and allergies, increase the number of
reported symptoms for male and female personnel. Personnel that
perceive satisfactory indoor comfort conditions (temperature, humid-
ity, ventilation, light, and noise) average 1.18 symptoms per person,
while for satisfactory indoor air quality the average complaints are 0.99.
The perception of satisfactory IEQ (satisfactory comfort conditions
and air quality) reduces the average number of health complaints to
0.64 symptoms per person and improves working conditions, even in a
demanding OR environment.
09/02430 Investigation on the feasibility and enhancement
methods of wind power utilization in high-rise buildings of
Hong Kong
Lu, L. and Ip, K. Y. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 2009,
13, (2), 450461.
This paper reports the investigation results of wind power application
in buildings. It is found that the concentration effect of buildings and
the heights of buildings could enhance wind power utilization by
increasing the wind speed by 1.52 and wind power density by 38
under the given simulation conditions. The wind aerodynamics and
wind flows over the buildings are investigated based on local
meteorological data and local high-rise building characteristics. This
paper concludes that wind power utilization in high-rise buildings in
Hong Kong is feasible theoretically, and some effective enhancement
methods are proposed based on the simulation results, such as making
full use of the heights of buildings and the concentration effect of
buildings, and choosing optimal shape of building roof. However, to
372 Fuel and Energy Abstracts September 2009
15 Environment (pollution, health protection, applications)
receive the highest potential wind energy resource and avoid turbulent
areas, the tool of computational fluid dynamics has to be used to model
the annual wind flows over buildings to help analyse, locate, and design
wind turbines in and around buildings.
09/02431 Lack of international consensus on the
disposition and storage of disused sealed sources
Streeper, C. et al. Progress in Nuclear Energy, 2009, 51, (2), 258267.
Radioactive sealed sources are found in almost every country in the
world because of their beneficial medical and commercial or industrial
applications. Some of the isotopes used have short half-lives iridium-
192 (Ir-192), 73.8 days while others have very long half-lives
americium-241 (Am-241), 432 years or plutonium-239 (Pu-239),
24,130 years. It is important, particularly for longer lived isotopes, to
find final disposition pathways. Lack of a permanent disposition
pathway such as recycling or irretrievable disposal creates numerous
problems, including the potential loss of regulatory control, which
increases the risk of inadvertent or deliberate misuse of the material.
The misuse of radioactive materials has the potential for substantial
public health and economic damage. Disused sources also pose an
inherent risk to the end-users from a liability, safety, and public health
perspectives. This paper examines various disposition pathways
employed by several key source manufacturing or possessing nation-
states for disused sources. Examples of source disposition pathways
include long-term storage, deep geological disposal, borehole disposal
and shallow land burial. The Off-Site Source Recovery Project
(OSRP), part of the office of Global Threat Reduction Initiative
(GTRI), acts as an intermediary in the recovery and ultimate
disposition of US origin sealed radiological materials. Several concepts
that could help mitigate the challenge of a lack of long-term disposition
options for sources are available, but these tools have not yet been
applied by most nation-states. For example, regional consolidation and
repatriation of sources to the country of manufacture would ease or
eliminate the need for in situ disposal or storage in a number of
developing nation-states.
09/02432 Land use and carbon mitigation in Europe:
a survey of the potentials of different alternatives
Ovando, P. and Caparros, A. Energy Policy, 2009, 37, (3), 9921003.
This paper considers studies that analyse carbon emission mitigation
alternatives involving the use of land within Europe. The aims are to
approximate the aggregate amount of carbon offsets that can be
achieved through these alternatives, such as land-use changes, forest
management and bioenergy production, and to show to what extent the
results of the different studies are compatible and take into account the
fact that land is a finite resource. Finally, based on the surveyed
studies, the authors estimate the potential contribution of these
alternatives to the goals of emission reduction proposed by the
European Union for the years 2020 and 2050. Taking into account
the results of the different studies analysed in this survey, land-based
alternatives can contribute from 13% to 52% of the European
proposed target by 2020. The implementation of these alternatives
would concurrently require from 8% to 30% of EU-25 agricultural land
to be afforested or diverted to bioenergy crops in this period.
09/02433 Modulating societal acceptance in new energy
projects: towards a toolkit methodology for project
managers
Raven, R. P. J. M. et al. Energy, 2009, 34, (5), 564574.
This paper considers the results of the Create Acceptance project. In a
comparative analysis of 27 case studies on new energy projects, five
crucial challenges were identified for project managers of new energy
projects related to societal acceptance. A six-step methodology was
discussed for facilitating societal acceptance in new and ongoing energy
projects. The methodology was tested and refined in five demon-
stration projects in Europe to test its usability. The experiences with
the methodology were positive, but several issues were identified for
further improvement.
09/02434 Prediction of yearly energy requirements of
indoor ice rinks
Seghouani, L. et al. Energy and Buildings, 2009, 41, (5), 500511.
A model of the transient heat transfer between the ground under and
around the foundations of an indoor ice rink and the brine circulating
in pipes embedded in the concrete slab under the ice has been coupled
with a previously developed model calculating heat fluxes towards the
ice by convection, radiation and phase changes. Subroutines calculating
the energy consumption for heating and humidifying (or cooling and
reheating) the ventilation air have also been added to the model. The
resulting simulation tool has been used to calculate monthly
refrigeration loads and energy consumption by the ventilation system,
the lights, the brine pump, the radiant heating system of the stands and
the underground electric heating used to prevent freezing and heaving
for four North American cities with very different climates. Corre-
lations expressing the energy consumption of the ventilation air stream
in terms of the sol-air temperature are formulated.
09/02435 Representations of environmental concerns in
costbenefit analyses of solid waste recycling
Pickin, J. Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 2008, 53, (12), 7985.
The value of costbenefit analysis (CBA) as a decision tool in the area
of solid waste recycling is examined, centring on a review of how 37
effect-by-effect English language studies attempt to encapsulate the
associated environmental issues. In this study, the author identifies five
critical areas where CBAs are often inconsistent with each other, with
popular views of recycling, or with other areas of policy. These are: the
types of environmental impact and their valuation; the relevance of
upstream externalities; whether there is a scarcity externality; the
economic significance of householder efforts; and the need to drive
towards long-term sustainability through eco-restructuring. Rather
than the hard rationality it seems to promise, the author concludes that
CBA with environmental externality measurement and valuation has
diverted debate from the public arena into technical complexities that
are the preserve of experts, allowing space for analysts ideological
inclinations to be manifest and for commissioning agencies to procure
results that suit their interests. The author argues that the best CBAs
are those with multiple levels of information, disaggregated environ-
mental data, range values, sensitivity analysis, itemization of excluded
or unvalued elements, and, to the extent affordable, valuation by
multiple methods. Expressed preference methods may produce
valuations that accord with economic theory and are also more in
tune with popular opinion.
09/02436 Social, economical and environmental impacts of
renewable energy systems
Akella, A. K. et al. Renewable Energy, 2009, 34, (2), 390396.
Conventional energy sources based on oil, coal, and natural gas have
proven to be highly effective drivers of economic progress, but at the
same time damaging to the environment and to human health. Keeping
in mind, the social, economical and environmental effects of renewable
energy system have been discussed in this paper. The uses of renewable
energy system, instead of, conventional energy system, to control social,
economical and environmental problems have been discussed. The
results show that the trends of total emission reduction in different
years, which is exponentially increasing after the installation of
renewable energy system in remote areas.
09/02437 The relationship between income and
environment in Turkey: is there an environmental Kuznets
curve?
Akbostanci, E. et al. Energy Policy, 2009, 37, (3), 861867.
This study investigates the relationship between income and environ-
mental quality for Turkey at two levels. First, the relationship between
the CO
2
emissions and per capita income is examined by the help of a
time series model using cointegration techniques. In the second stage,
the relationship between income and air pollution is investigated by
using PM
10
and SO
2
measurements in Turkish provinces. In this part of
the study panel data estimation techniques are utilized. The time series
model covers 19682003, and the panel data model covers 19922001
including observations from 58 provinces. A monotonically increasing
relationship between CO
2
and income is found in the long-run
according to time series analysis. On the other hand, panel data
analysis indicates an N-shape relationship for SO
2
and PM
10
emissions.
Therefore, the results of the time series and panel data analyses do not
support the Environmental Kuznets Curve hypothesis, which assumes
an inverted U-shaped relationship between environmental degradation
and income.
09/02438 The relative importance of social and institutional
conditions in the planning of wind power projects
Agterbosch, S. et al. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 2009,
13, (2), 393405.
Governments around the world try to stimulate the development and
use of renewable energy technologies, like wind energy. While wind
turbines are increasingly being implemented, however, a lack of social
acceptance at the local level remains an important challenge for
developers of wind power plants. This article aims to explore the
relative importance of social and institutional conditions and their
interdependencies in the operational process of planning wind power
schemes. The article not only focuses on how negative local social
conditions can frustrate public policy (cf. NIMBY syndrome), but also
on how positive local social conditions can compensate for a negative
public policy framework. The authors analysed the cases of implement-
ing wind power of two actors (the regional energy distributor and small
private investors) in the municipality of Zeewolde, the Netherlands.
Both cases illustrate that the formal institutional framework (formal
rules, procedures and instruments) is neutral in a certain sense. Social
conditions management styles, interests and informal contacts put
Fuel and Energy Abstracts September 2009 373
15 Environment (pollution, health protection, applications)
meaning in this framework. The way stakeholders deal with the
prevailing institutional structure clarifies social acceptance and there-
with implementation.
CO
2
, NO
x
, SO
2
and particulate
emissions
09/02439 Accounting for energy-related CO
2
emission in
China, 19912006
Zhang, M. et al. Energy Policy, 2009, 37, (3), 767773.
As the country with the second largest emitter of energy-related CO
2
gas, China experienced a dramatic decline in CO
2
emission intensity
from 1991 to 2000, but since then the rate of decline slowed and CO
2
emission intensity actually increased in 2003. In this paper, the
complete decomposition method developed by Sun is used to analyse
the nature of the factors that influence the changes in energy-related
CO
2
emission and CO
2
emission intensity during the period 19912006.
The authors found that: (1) energy intensity effect is confirmed as the
dominant contributor to the decline in CO
2
emission and CO
2
emission
intensity, (2) economic activity effect is the most important contributor
to increased CO
2
emission, and (3) economic structure and CO
2
emission coefficient effects are found to contribute little to the changes
in CO
2
emission and CO
2
emission intensity, which actually increased
CO
2
emission and CO
2
emission intensity over the period 19912006
except for several years.
09/02440 An econometric study of CO
2
emissions, energy
consumption, income and foreign trade in Turkey
Halicioglu, F. Energy Policy, 2009, 37, (3), 11561164.
This study attempts to empirically examine the dynamic causal
relationships between carbon emissions, energy consumption, income,
and foreign trade in the case of Turkey using the time-series data for
the period 19602005. This research tests the interrelationship between
the variables using the bounds testing to cointegration procedure. The
bounds test results indicate that there exist two forms of long-run
relationships between the variables. In the case of first form of long-
run relationship, carbon emissions are determined by energy consump-
tion, income and foreign trade. In the case of second long-run
relationship, income is determined by carbon emissions, energy
consumption and foreign trade. An augmented form of Granger
causality analysis is conducted amongst the variables. The long-run
relationship of CO
2
emissions, energy consumption, income and
foreign trade equation is also checked for the parameter stability.
The empirical results suggest that income is the most significant
variable in explaining the carbon emissions in Turkey which is followed
by energy consumption and foreign trade. Moreover, there exists a
stable carbon emissions function. The results also provide important
policy recommendations.
09/02441 Assessing the effect of mass transfer on the
formation of HC and CO emissions in HCCI engines, using a
multi-zone model
Komninos, N. P. Energy Conversion and Management, 2009, 50, (5),
11921201.
The focus of the present study is to assess the effect of mass transfer on
the formation of unburned HC and CO emissions in HCCI engines. A
multi-zone model was modified and used for this purpose. The new
feature of the multi-zone model is its ability to switch between two
distinct simulation modes, i.e. either including or excluding mass
transfer between zones. The switch between modes occurs at a user-
defined point in the engine closed cycle. Apart from mass transfer, the
two modes use identical sub-models for the heat transfer between
zones and to the cylinder wall and for combustion simulation, which is
modelled using a reduced set of chemical reactions coupled with a
chemical kinetics solver. Using the modified multi-zone model, four
cases were simulated and compared: one including mass transfer
throughout the closed cycle, and three cases whereby mass transfer is
neglected after the initiation of the first or second heat release or after
the completion of main heat release. The simulation results reveal that
mass transfer affects the HC and CO accumulated at the colder regions
during combustion and governs the HC partial oxidation and CO
production during expansion. For the operating conditions studied,
neglecting mass transfer during combustion results to an under-
prediction of HC by as much as 50% and of CO by 45% relative to
the case where mass transfer is considered for. Omitting mass transfer
only during expansion, results in an overestimation of HC by 9% and in
an underestimation of CO by 26%.
09/02442 Control of NO emission during coal reburning
Luan, T. et al. Applied Energy, 2009, 86, (9), 17831787.
In this study, two types of coals were used as the reburning fuel to
investigate the influence of the reburning zone stoichiometry SR
2
, the
primary NO level and the particle size on NO reduction. For both
coals, the NO reduction can reach as high as 6070% in the tested SR
2
range of 0.71.1. No optimum reburning zone stoichiometry was
observed in this study. The NO reduction decreases monotonically with
the decrease of reburning zone stoichiometry. The effect of particle
size is only obvious for larger particle sizes.
09/02443 Experimental research on catalytic
decomposition of nitrous oxide on supported catalysts
Wang, Y. et al. Energy Conversion and Management, 2009, 50, (5),
13041307.
A series of NiCo catalysts were prepared in this study. Experimental
results showed that supported NiCo catalyst had the ability of
decomposition of N
2
O, and its activity was increased with increasing
content of the catalytic components on the support. Study indicated
that a little addition of platinum catalytic component to the NiCo
catalyst would benefit on improving its activity, and it was obvious
under lower reaction temperature. Experimental results showed that
the PtNiCo catalyst had good stability. XRD, SEM, TG and ICP
characterization also showed that the prepared catalyst had a good
stable structure before and after reaction.
09/02444 Greenhouse gas emissions assessment of
hydrogen and kerosene-fueled aircraft propulsion
Nojoumi, H. et al. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 2009, 34,
(3), 13631369.
The paper highlights the importance of hydrogen as a promising
alternative for future aircraft fuel, with respect to reduced environ-
mental impact, increased sustainability, high energy content and
favourable combustion kinetics, since the rapid growth and depen-
dence of aircraft propulsion on fossil fuels are unsustainable. This
paper compares the environmental impact of hydrogen and kerosene-
fuelled aircraft, in terms of greenhouse gas emissions and other
emission comparisons. Sample flights from Toronto to Montreal, and
Calgary to London are examined. Emissions from a conventional
aircraft are estimated and compared with the LH
2
(liquid hydrogen)
aircraft. The environmental benefits and drawbacks of these systems
are presented from safety and storage perspectives. Radiative forcing
factors that compare conventional aircraft and LH
2
aircraft are
included. It is shown that the amount of NO
x
, HC and CO emissions
for the trips with conventional aircraft for Calgary is 171.4, 41.9 and
32.2 kg, while Montreal is 56.17, 2.43 and 21.9 kg, and London is 251.7,
5.1 and 39.2 kg, respectively. These results are compared against
hydrogen propulsion to show the promising capabilities of hydrogen as
an aircraft fuel.
09/02445 Modified CaO-based sorbent looping cycle for
CO
2
mitigation
Li, Y. et al. Fuel, 2009, 88, (4), 697704.
CaO-based sorbent looping cycle, i.e. cyclic calcination/carbonation, is
one of the most interesting technologies for CO
2
capture during coal
combustion and gasification processes. In order to improve the
durability of limestone during the multiple calcination/carbonation
cycles, modified limestone with acetic acid solution was proposed as an
CO
2
sorbent. The cyclic carbonation conversions of modified limestone
and original one were investigated in a twin fixed bed reactor system.
The modified limestone shows the optimum carbonation conversion at
the carbonation temperature of 650

C and achieves a conversion of 0.5

after 20 cycles. The original limestone exhibits the maximum carbona-
tion conversion of 0.15 after 20 cycles. Conversion of the modified
limestone decreases slightly as the calcination temperature increases
from 920

C to 1100

C with the number of cycles, while conversion of

the original one displays a sharp decay at the same reaction conditions.
The durability of the modified limestone is significantly better than the
original one during the multiple cycles because mean grain size of CaO
derived from the modified limestone is lower than that from the
original one at the same reaction conditions. The calcined modified
limestone shows higher surface area and pore volume than the calcined
original one with the number of cycles, and pore size distribution of the
modified limestone is superior to the original one after the same
number of calcinations.
09/02446 Predictive equations for CO
2
emission factors for
coal combustion, their applicability in a thermal power plant
and subsequent assessment of uncertainty in CO
2
estimation
Roy, J. et al. Fuel, 2009, 88, (5), 792798.
The emission of carbon dioxide varies systematically with the rank and
type of coal combusted. Hence use of a single default emission factor
proposed by IPCC (Inter Governmental Panel on Climate Change) for
entire categories coals may not be appropriate option to obtain a
reliable estimate of carbon dioxide emission level or towards the
preparation of national carbon dioxide inventory. Even predictive
374 Fuel and Energy Abstracts September 2009
15 Environment (CO
2
, NO
x
, SO
2
and particulate emissions)
equations developed based on the coals of different origin may not
work well with coals of a specific origin. Several linear predictive
equations were thus developed separately for coking and non-coking
coals of Indian origin for the estimation of carbon dioxide emission
utilizing basic coal parameters such as VM, FC, GCV and NCV on
different basis. Large numbers of authenticated data set were used for
multiple regression analysis and good correlations were obtained.
Those equations were also validated with different data sets of Indian
coals. Its applicability towards estimation of CO
2
emission from power
plant was also studied and uncertainty in CO
2
estimation is revealed.
The developed equations may be utilized to get a realistic estimate of
carbon dioxide emission with specific cases where Indian coals are
mostly used.
09/02447 Regulated and unregulated emissions from a
light-duty diesel engine with different sulfur content fuels
Tan, P.-Q. et al. Fuel, 2009, 88, (5), 10861091.
Five different sulfur content fuels were used on a light-duty diesel
engine to study the effect of fuel sulfur on emissions. Four regulated
emissions: smoke, nitrogen oxide (NO
x
), unburned hydrocarbon (HC)
and carbon monoxide (CO) emissions of the engine were investigated,
as well as three unregulated emissions: formaldehyde (HCHO),
acetaldehyde (MECHO) and sulfur dioxide (SO
2
). The smoke emission
decreases continuously and remarkably with the fuel sulfur content,
and the fuel sulfur has more influence on smoke emission at lower
engine load. The concentration of NO
x
emissions did not change
significantly with the different sulfur content fuels. As the fuel sulfur
content decreases, the concentrations of HC and CO emissions have
distinct reduction. The HCHO emission values are very low. The
MECHO emission decreases with increasing engine load, and it
continuously decreases with the fuel sulfur content and it could not
be detected at higher engine load with 50 ppm sulfur fuel. The SO
2
emission increases continuously with the engine load, and obviously
decreases with the fuel sulfur contents.
Hydrocarbon emissions
09/02448 Investigating the importance of mass transfer on
the formation of HCCI engine emissions using a multi-zone
model
Komninos, N. P. et al. Applied Energy, 2009, 86, (78), 13351343.
The focus of the present study is to investigate the importance of mass
transfer on the formation of the most important HCCI engine
emissions, i.e. unburned HC and CO emissions. A multi-zone model
is used for this purpose. The multi-zone model includes sub-models for
the heat transfer between zones and to the cylinder wall and for the
mass transfer between the hotter and colder regions of the combustion
chamber. The combustion mechanism is modelled using a reduced set
of chemical reactions coupled with a chemical kinetics solver. The
results indicate that mass transfer during combustion and expansion
plays a significant role on the formation of both the unburned HC and
the CO emissions and therefore must be taken into account for the
closed part of the engine cycle, i.e. compression, combustion and
expansion. According to the model results, the formation of these
emissions is located mainly at the crevice and the near-the-wall regions
and is determined by the temperature field and mass transfer. It is
shown that neglecting mass transfer in these regions during combustion
and expansion would result to a significant deviation from the values
predicted with the inclusion of mass transfer.
09/02449 Particulate-bound polycyclic aromatic
hydrocarbons in naturally ventilated multi-storey residential
buildings of Singapore: vertical distribution and potential
health risks
Kalaiarasan, M. et al. Building and Environment, 2009, 44, (2), 418425.
The main objective of the study is to quantify the polycyclic aromatic
hydrocarbons (PAHs) concentration levels (US EPA priority com-
ponents) in fine traffic-generated particles (PM
2.5
) at various heights of
typical multi-storey public housing buildings located in close proximity,
i.e. within 30 m and along a busy major expressway in Singapore. The
secondary objective is to estimate the potential health risks associated
with inhalation exposure, based on the toxic equivalency factors (TEFs)
at the various floors of these buildings. Two typical public housing
buildings, both naturally ventilated residential apartment blocks, of
point block configuration (22-storey) and slab block configuration (16-
storey) were selected for the study. Particulate samples were collected
for chemical analysis at three representative floors: the lower, the mid,
and the upper floors of the buildings. Key meteorological parameters
such as wind speed, wind direction, ambient temperature, and relative
humidity were also measured at the representative floors. All samples
were analysed for the 16 PAH priority pollutants listed by US EPA.
The vertical PAH distribution profile varies with height of building
depending on the type of block configuration. The total mean
concentrations of particulate PAHs for point and slab blocks are
3.32 1.76 ng/m
3
(0.567.2 ng/m
3
) and 6.0 1.88 ng/m
3
(3.1910.26 ng/
m
3
), respectively. The results suggest that the building configuration
influences the vertical distribution of particulate PAHs. The dominant
particulate PAHs measured at the point block are naphthalene,
acenaphthylene, benzo(b)fluoranthene, and benzo(g,h,i)perylene while
those for the slab block, the main particulate PAHs are naphthalene,
phenanthrene, fluoranthene, and benzo(g,h,i)perylene. The Bpe/Ind
ratio for both blocks ranged from 0.92 0.2 to 1.63 0.6 indicating
particulate PAHs are contributed by a mixture of both diesel and petrol
engine type of vehicles, with diesel engine vehicles contributing a higher
percentage of particulate PAHs to the different floor levels of both
buildings. The total BaP equivalency results showed the potential
health risk to cancer due to inhalation exposure is of concern for
residents living in both blocks since the total BaP
eq
concentrations for
both blocks were very close to, or slightly exceeded the maximum
permissible risk level of 1 ng/m
3
of benzo(a)pyrene.
Life cycle analysis
09/02450 Design of environmentally conscious absorption
cooling systems via multi-objective optimization and life
cycle assessment
Gebreslassie, B. H. et al. Applied Energy, 2009, 86, (9), 17121722.
In this paper, a systematic method based on mathematical program-
ming is proposed for the design of environmentally conscious
absorption cooling systems. The approach presented relies on the
development of a multi-objective formulation that simultaneously
accounts for the minimization of cost and environmental impact at
the design stage. The latter criterion is measured by the Eco-indicator
99 methodology, which follows the principles of life-cycle assessment
(LCA). The design task is formulated as a bi-criteria non-linear
programming (NLP) problem, the solution of which is defined by a set
of Pareto points that represent the optimal trade-off between the
economic and environmental concerns considered in the analysis.
These Pareto solutions can be obtained via standard techniques for
multi-objective optimization. The main advantage of this approach is
that it offers a set of alternative options for system design rather than a
single solution. From these alternatives, the decision-maker can choose
the best one according to his or her preferences and the applicable
legislation. The capabilities of the proposed method are illustrated in a
case study problem that addresses the design of a typical absorption
cooling system.
09/02451 Influence of insulated roof slabs on air
conditioned spaces in tropical climatic conditions a life
cycle cost approach
Halwatura, R. U. and Jayasinghe, M. T. R. Energy and Buildings, 2009,
41, (6), 678686.
The recent energy crisis and the environment impacts of building
industry have led to the active promotion of principles of sustainable
development in recent times. Minimization of energy usage is the key
to improve sustainability where the actual impact is assessed on the
basis of life-cycle cost estimates. In this context, the performance of
insulated roof slabs, which can be used as an alternative to
conventional light weight roofs, have been assessed in detail especially
with respect to air conditioned buildings. It is shown that insulated roof
slabs could have a desirable behaviour with respect to life-cycle
performance in addition to providing other benefits such as cyclone
resistance and higher robustness to the building.
09/02452 Life cycle assessment of processes for hydrogen
production. Environmental feasibility and reduction of
greenhouse gases emissions
Dufour, J. et al. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 2009, 34,
(3), 13701376.
Decomposition of CH
4
(natural gas) is one of the alternatives under
study to achieve the sustainable production of hydrogen. No CO
2
or
other greenhouse gases emissions are produced in this route and
carbon is obtained as a solid co-product at the end of the reaction
(CH
4
C + 2H
2
). This process can be thermally or catalytically
conducted and recent studies have demonstrated that the carbon
obtained in the reaction can also show catalytic activity. In this work,
thermal and autocatalytic decomposition of methane were studied and
compared with the steam reforming with and without CO
2
capture and
storage from an environmental point of view, using life-cycle assess-
ment (LCA) tools. As well, different energetic scenarios were included
in the study. The selected functional unit was 1 Nm
3
of hydrogen and
the LCA was focused on material and raw materials acquisition and
Fuel and Energy Abstracts September 2009 375
15 Environment (life cycle analysis)
manufacturing stages. The assessment was carried out with SimaPro 7.1
software by using Eco-indicator 95 method. Results showed that
autocatalytic decomposition is the most environmental-friendly process
for hydrogen production since presented the lowest total environmen-
tal impact and CO
2
emissions. Also, steam reforming with CO
2
capture
and storage led to lower CO
2
emissions but higher total environmental
impact than conventional steam reforming.
09/02453 Life cycle assessment of waste management
systems in Italian industrial areas: case study of 1st
Macrolotto of Prato
Tarantini, M. et al. Energy, 2009, 34, (5), 613622.
Life-cycle assessment (LCA) is not widely used as a decision-
supporting tool in Italy, despite recent European Commission policies
fostering its adoption to achieve an energy- and resource-efficient
economy. In this paper, an LCA of waste management system of the 1st
Macrolotto industrial area is presented. The aims of the study were to
identify the environmental critical points of the system and to evaluate
opportunities and problems in applying this methodology at industrial
area level. After a description of the waste management system of the
1st Macrolotto industrial area, the main assumptions of the study and
some elements of the system modelling are presented. Results
confirmed that door-to-door separated collection and packaging
recycling are successful strategies for reducing the use of natural
resources. The co-operation of the waste management company, which
was part of the area management structure, was strategic for the
completion of the analysis. Country-specific databases and models
should be developed for a widespread application of the LCA
methodology to waste management in Italian industrial areas.
09/02454 Simulation-based life-cycle assessment of energy
efficiency of biomass-based ethanol fuel from different
feedstocks in China
Yu, S. and Tao, J. Energy, 2009, 34, (4), 476484.
Interests in biomass-based fuel ethanol (BFE) have been re-boosted
due to oil shortage and environmental deterioration. Biomass-based
fuel ethanol is renewable and, apparently, environmentally friendly.
Biomass-based E10 (a blend of 10% ethanol and 90% gasoline by
volume) is a promising conventional gasoline substitute, because
vehicle engines require no modifications to run on E10 and vehicle
warranties are unaffected. This paper presented life-cycle assessments
(LCAs) of energy efficiency of wheat-based E10 from central China,
corn-based E10 from northeast China, and cassava-based E10 from
southwest China. The respective energy flow-based evaluation model of
wheat-, corn-, and cassava-based E10 was built based on data from
pilot BFE plants. Monte Carlo method is applied to deal with the
uncertain parameters and input and output variables of the evaluation
model because of its wide application and easy development of
statistical dispersion of calculated quantities. According to the
assessment results, the average energy input/output ratio of wheat-
based fuel ethanol (WFE), corn-based fuel ethanol (CFE), and
cassava-based fuel ethanol (KFE) is 0.70, 0.75, and 0.54, respectively,
and biomass-based E10 vehicle can have less fossil energy demand than
gasoline-fuelled ones.
16 ENERGY
Supplies, policy, economics, forecasts
09/02455 A close look at the China design standard for
energy efficiency of public buildings
Hong, T. Energy and Buildings, 2009, 41, (4), 426435.
This paper takes a close look at the China national standard GB50189
2005, Design Standard for Energy Efficiency of Public Buildings, which
was enforced on July 1, 2005. The paper first reviews the standard, then
compares the standard with ASHRAE Standard 90.12004 to identify
discrepancies in code coverage and stringency, and recommends some
energy conservation measures that can be evaluated in the design of
public buildings to achieve energy savings beyond the standard. The
paper also highlights several important features of 90.12004 that may
be considered as additions to the GB501892005 standard during the
next revision. At the end the paper summarizes the latest developments
in building energy standards and rating systems in China and the USA.
09/02456 Analysis of changes in the structure of rural
household energy consumption in northern China: a case
study
Zhou, Z. et al. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 2009, 13,
(1), 187193.
There is currently a paucity of research examining changes in the
structure of household energy consumption in rural areas of northern
China. In response to this, the authors have thoroughly analysed
household energy consumption in terms of energy sources and energy
end-uses in villages of Huantai County from 1989 to 2005. The results
indicated that commercial energy consumption increased, both in the
absolute amount and the relative proportion. Non-commercial energy
(traditional biomass energy) use decreased greatly but still accounted
for a significant proportion of all energy sources. In terms of energy
end-uses, cooking and home-heating energy consumptions were of
nearly equal importance. While energy for cooking has historically
dominated total consumption, energy used for recreational activities
increased dramatically in comparison. In addition, the authors discuss
the influence of changes in energy consumption structure on household
energy expenditures, environmental effects and supply-demand bal-
ance of energy. Results showed the payout of household energy
consumption was stable, the environment deteriorated, the fossil fuel
supply was unsustainable in the long term. For the sustainable
development of local energy sources, the environment, and the
economy, it will be imperative to fully exploit suitable, local renewable
energy resources.
09/02457 Beyond Bush: environmental politics and
prospects for US climate policy
Harris, P. G. Energy Policy, 2009, 37, (3), 966971.
The United States was a pioneer in domestic environmental law-
making, and it was a leader in international environmental co-
operation in the final decades of the last century. During the current
decade, however, it has moved away from co-operating with other
states in finding new ways to protect the global environment. While its
early efforts to address climate change were no worse, and often better
than, other developed countries, it has fallen far behind as a number of
European states and the European Union have started to implement
robust policies to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. This paper
recounts this evolution in US policy from environmental leader to
environmental laggard. It summarizes the US climate change-related
policies and diplomacy, recounting significant events during the
presidential administrations of George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton and
George W. Bush. It then extends this summary of events to assess the
prospects for US climate policy in the near future.
09/02458 Brazilian biodiesel policy: social and
environmental considerations of sustainability
Garcez, C. A. G. and de Souza Vianna, J. N. Energy, 2009, 34, (5), 645
654.
The objective of this article is to analyse the Brazilian biodiesel policy
(PNPB) and to identify the social and environmental aspects of
sustainability that are present or absent within it. Biofuels, namely
alcohol and biodiesel, have been increasing in popularity on a global
scale due to their potential as alternative and renewable energy
sources. Brazil, a vast country blessed with abundant natural resources
and agricultural land, has emerged as a global leader in the production
of biofuels. This article includes a brief analysis of the concept of
sustainable development, which served as a basis to evaluate the policy
documents. Although PNPBs implementation, which began in 2004, is
still within its initial stage, it was possible to identify and elaborate on
the environmental and social aspects of the policy, namely: the social
inclusion of family farmers; regional development; food security;
influencing the carbon and energy balance of biodiesel; promoting
sustainable agricultural practices and a diversity of feedstock.
09/02459 Energy and environmental issues relating to
greenhouse gas emissions for sustainable development in
Turkey
Kaygusuz, K. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 2009, 13, (1),
253270.
Turkeys demand for energy and electricity is increasing rapidly. Since
1990, energy consumption has increased at an annual average rate of
4.3%. As would be expected, the rapid expansion of energy production
and consumption has brought with it a wide range of environmental
issues at the local, regional and global levels. With respect to global
environmental issues, Turkeys carbon dioxide (CO
2
) emissions have
grown along with its energy consumption. Emissions in 2004 reached
193 million tons. States have played a leading role in protecting the
environment by reducing emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs). State
emissions are significant on a global scale. CO
2
and carbon monoxide
(CO) are the main GHGs associated with global warming. At the
present time, coal is responsible for 3040% of the world CO
2
376 Fuel and Energy Abstracts September 2009
16 Energy (supplies, policy, economics, forecasts)
emissions from fossil fuels. Sulfur dioxide (SO
2
) and NO
x
contribute to
acid rain. Carbon assessments can play an important role in a strategy
to control CO
2
emissions while raising revenue.
09/02460 Energy and greenhouse gas emission savings of
biofuels in Spains transport fuel. The adoption of the EU
policy on biofuels
Lechon, Y. et al. Biomass and Bioenergy, 2009, 33, (67), 920932.
Using life-cycle assessment the fossil energy benefits and avoided
global warming emissions have been evaluated for the EU biofuels
goals in Spain. The Biofuels considered are cereal ethanol, biodiesel
from residual oils, and from palm, sunflower, soybeans and rapeseed
vegetable oils. The findings are that the source of the cereal and
vegetable oil influences the efficacy of the Biofuels and that results
greatly depend on whether or not electricity has been produced as co-
product in bioethanol plants and that without CHP the energy balance
of ethanol is negative with few greenhouse gas offsets.
09/02461 Energy technology roadmap for the next 10 years:
the case of Korea
Lee, S. K. et al. Energy Policy, 2009, 37, (2), 588596.
The Korea Institute of Energy Research (KIER), the only government-
sponsored research institute specialized in the development of energy
technology and policy, has established a long-term strategic energy
technology roadmap (ETRM) for the period spanning from 2006 to
2015. Taking into account such variables as the energy environment,
economic spin-off, and commercial potential, the ETRM was classified
into three sectors, namely high oil prices, the UNFCCC, and the
hydrogen economy. The ETRM not only represents a milestone in
terms of the development of national energy technology in Korea, but
also serves to identify the primary energy technologies which should be
developed. The ETRM also supplies energy policymakers with
successful R&D alternatives vis-a` -vis the development of energy
technologies under the current Korean energy environment.
09/02462 European Unions renewable energy sources and
energy efficiency policy review: The Spanish perspective
de Alegr a Mancisidor, I. M. et al. Renewable and Sustainable Energy
Reviews, 2009, 13, (1), 100114.
The European Unions (EU) energy objectives, legislation and
programmes are determinant for the current strategy for the promotion
of renewable energy sources (RES) and energy efficiency (EE) in
Spain, which is becoming a key element for its international
competitiveness. Firstly, this article explores the evolution of the EUs
energy strategy, focusing on the adopted legislations and programmes
to promote RES and EE. It concludes with an analysis of the impact of
those measures in Spain.
09/02463 Hidden biases in Australian energy policy
Schlapfer, A. Renewable Energy, 2009, 34, (2), 456460.
The challenges in developing technology for the capture and storage of
CO
2
from coal, oil and gas power generation, as well as those
associated with the storage of nuclear waste, are widely regarded as
solvable. According to proponents of clean coal, oil and gas
technologies, as well as the proponents of nuclear technology, it is
only a matter of time and resources to find a solution to their waste
problems. Similarly, the Australian government argues that efforts
should be concentrated on clean coal technologies, as well as
considering the nuclear option. However, when it comes to the
challenges associated with renewable energy technologies, like inter-
mittency of wind generated grid power, storage of electricity from
renewable energy and so on, there seems to be an attitude amongst
Australian energy planners that these challenges represent insurmoun-
table technical and financial problems, and will, at least in the short to
medium term, prevent them from becoming a viable alternative to coal,
oil, gas and uranium based energy technologies.
09/02464 Implications of fossil fuel constraints on
economic growth and global warming
Nel, W. P. and Cooper, C. J. Energy Policy, 2009, 37, (1), 166180.
Energy security and global warming are analysed as 21st century
sustainability threats. Best estimates of future energy availability are
derived as an energy reference case (ERC). An explicit economic
growth model is used to interpret the impact of the ERC on economic
growth. The model predicts a divergence from twentieth-century
equilibrium conditions in economic growth and socio-economic welfare
is only stabilized under optimistic assumptions that demands a
paradigm shift in contemporary economic thought and focused
attention from policy makers. Fossil fuel depletion also constrains
the maximum extent of global warming. Carbon emissions from the
ERC comply nominally with the B1 scenario, which is the lowest
emissions case considered by the IPCC. The IPCC predicts a
temperature response within acceptance limits of the global warming
debate for the B1 scenario. The carbon feedback cycle, used in the
IPCC models, is shown as invalid for low-emissions scenarios and an
alternative carbon cycle reduces the temperature response for the ERC
considerably compared to the IPCC predictions. The analysis proposes
that the extent of global warming may be acceptable and preferable
compared to the socio-economic consequences of not exploiting fossil
fuel reserves to their full technical potential.
09/02465 Resolving the impasse in American energy
policy: the case for a transformational R&D strategy at the
U.S. Department of Energy
Sovacool, B. K. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 2009, 13,
(2), 346361.
From its inception in 1977, the US Department of Energy (DOE) has
been responsible for maintaining the nations nuclear stockpile, leading
the country in terms of basic research, setting national energy goals,
and managing thousands of individual programs. Despite these gains,
however, the DOE research and development (R&D) model does not
appear to offer the nation an optimal strategy for assessing long-term
energy challenges. American energy policy continues to face con-
straints related to three Is: inconsistency, incrementalism, and
inadequacy. An overly rigid management structure and loss of mission
within the DOE continues to plague its programs and create
inconsistencies in terms of a national energy policy. Various layers of
stove-piping within and between the DOE and national laboratories
continue to fracture collaboration between institutions and engender
only slow, incremental progress on energy problems. And funding for
energy research and development continues to remain inadequate,
compromising the countrys ability to address energy challenges. To
address these concerns, an R&D organization dedicated to transfor-
mative, creative research is proposed.
09/02466 SWOT analyses of the national energy sector for
sustainable energy development
Markovska, N. et al. Energy, 2009, 34, (6), 752756.
A holistic perspective of various energy stakeholders regarding the
strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOTs) of the
energy sector in Macedonia is utilized as baseline to diagnose the
current state and to sketch future action lines towards sustainable
energy development. The resulting SWOT analyses pointed to the
progressive adoption of European Union (EU) standards in energy
policy and regulation as the most important achievement in the energy
sector. The most important problems the national energy sector faces
are scarce domestic resources and unfavourable energy mix, low
electricity prices, a high degree of inefficiency in energy production and
use, as well as insufficient institutional and human capacities. The
formulated portfolio of actions towards enabling sustainable energy
development urges the adoption of a comprehensive energy strategy
built upon sustainability principles, intensified utilization of the natural
gas, economic prices of electricity, structural changes in industry,
promotion of energy efficiency and renewables, including clean
development mechanism projects, enforcement of EU environmental
standards and meeting the environmental requirements, as well as
institutional and human capacity building.
09/02467 The distributional implications of a carbon tax in
Ireland
Callan, T. et al. Energy Policy, 2009, 37, (2), 407412.
In this paper, the authors study the effects of carbon tax and revenue
recycling across the income distribution in the Republic of Ireland. In
absolute terms, a carbon tax of e20/tCO
2
would cost the poorest
households less than e3/week and the richest households more than e4/
week. A carbon tax is regressive, therefore. However, if the tax revenue
is used to increase social benefits and tax credits, households across the
income distribution can be made better off without exhausting the total
carbon tax revenue.
09/02468 The energy policy of the Republic of Cyprus
Pilavachi, P. A. et al. Energy, 2009, 34, (5), 547554.
This paper presents the energy policy of the Republic of Cyprus
government controlled areas from 1960 until 2006. It describes the
sectors of electricity, petroleum, natural gas and renewable energy
sources. It also deals with the marine layers of oil and with
environmental aspects. The energy policy of Cyprus is harmonized
with that of the European Union according to its national obligations,
having as its guidelines to secure competition in the market and to
fulfill the energy needs of the country, with the least burden to the
economy and to the environment. The future plans and targets of
Cyprus related to its energy strategy are also presented.
09/02469 The iterative contribution and relevance of
modelling to UK energy policy
Strachan, N. et al. Energy Policy, 2009, 37, (3), 850860.
This paper discusses the iterative provision of modelling insights on
long-term decarbonization scenarios for UK energy policy makers. A
multi-year model construction process of the UK MARKAL-Macro-
hybrid energy-economic model, and four subsequent major policy
Fuel and Energy Abstracts September 2009 377
16 Energy (supplies, policy, economics, forecasts)
analyses illustrates the scope of this interaction. The initial set of
modelling runs focused on the technical feasibility of long-term 60%
carbon dioxide (CO
2
) reduction scenarios, the role of key technologies,
and the underlying uncertainties. Furthermore subsequent modelling
studies were aimed to generate insights on more stringent targets, and
on issues and uncertainties that may make targets harder to achieve.
Hence, this paper analyses the large number of long-term UK CO
2
reduction scenarios through a clustering approach on target stringency
and barriers to implementation. Robust findings and key uncertainties
are highlighted, including the critical role of the power sector, trade-
offs between resources, sectors, key energy technologies and beha-
vioural responses, and the increasing level and spread of CO
2
marginal
prices and GDP impacts. The relevance and use of modelling insights
to the UK energy policy process is shown in the continuation of the
energy modellingpolicy interface. This constitutes both ongoing model
development, and nuanced scenario analysis designed to further
explore key uncertainties in evolving policy issues.
09/02470 The role of the nuclear power generation in the
Korean national economy: an inputoutput analysis
Yoo, S.-H. and Yoo, T.-H. Progress in Nuclear Energy, 2009, 51, (1),
8692.
The nuclear power generation has played an important role in the
economic development of Korea and electric power has become a
critical factor sustaining the well-being of the Korean people. This
paper attempts to apply inputoutput (IO) analysis to investigate the
role of the nuclear power generation in the national economy, with
specific application to Korea. A static IO framework is employed,
focusing on three topics in its application: the impact of nuclear power
supply investment on the production of other sectors and the inter-
industry linkage effect; the nuclear power supply shortage effect; and
the impact of the rise in nuclear power rate on prices of other products.
This paper pays particular attention to the nuclear power generation
sector by taking the sector as exogenous and then investigating its
economic impacts. Moreover, potential uses of the results are
illustrated from the perspective of policy instruments and some policy
implications are discussed.
09/02471 Towards an international tradable green
certificate system the challenging example of Belgium
Verhaegen, K. et al. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 2009,
13, (1), 208215.
In Europe, a common framework for renewable energy sources (RES)
is aspired. Tradable green certificates (TGCs) are a market-based cost-
efficient means to stimulate electricity production from RES. Since
TGCs are the most widespread support scheme in Europe together
with feed-in tariffs, chances are that a common European framework
could well be based on TGCs. However, while integrating currently
existing different national TGC systems, any remaining differences
should be carefully considered. Just how difficult the creation of an
international TGC market would be is illustrated in this paper by the
case of Belgium, where no less than four different TGC systems exist
nowadays. The example of Belgium illustrates that harmonizing
different TGC systems is easier said than done and represents a
serious challenge. This clearly illustrates that a single European
support scheme for RES, however desirable, is still far in the future.
Energy conservation
09/02472 A methodology for the electrical energy system
planning of Tamil Nadu state (India)
Daniel, J. et al. Energy Policy, 2009, 37, (3), 904914.
In this paper, an energy planning optimization procedure of a selected
territory is illustrated and applied using an energy flow optimization
model. The developed approach takes into account various electricity
generating options to meet the energy needs of various demand sectors.
Energy saving techniques and hybrid technologies are considered and
various scenarios are developed by assessing the contribution of
renewable energy technologies over the planning period. The pro-
cedure aims to reduce the total actualized cost of energy generation
over selected time horizon and predicts the additional installations
required along with the existing facilities to meet the energy demand.
At the same time the role of renewable energy technologies and of
energy saving measures is evaluated by imposing suitable constraints on
CO
2
emissions and primary energy sources exploitation. The procedure
is applied to the territory of Tamil Nadu state (India) by considering
different energy planning scenarios.
09/02473 A study of energy efficiency of private office
buildings in Hong Kong
Chung, W. and Hui, Y. V. Energy and Buildings, 2009, 41, (6), 696701.
A benchmark study of the energy efficiency of private office buildings
in Hong Kong was conducted in 2002 because energy efficiency was
declining. In the study, private office buildings were divided into five
user groups. For each group, a multiple regression model was
developed to find the relationship between energy use intensities
(EUIs) and other factors, such as operating hours, for normalization
and benchmarking purposes. This study makes use of the regression
results to study the energy efficiency of private office buildings by
different grades. In Hong Kong, office buildings are divided into three
grades (A, B, and C) based on the quality of the facility, which is
reflected in rental values; a Grade A office building denotes expensive
luxury. The EUI of Grade A office buildings was found to be the
highest, consuming over 50% of the total energy used in office
buildings. Recently, the annual EUI of office buildings has improved
even though Grade A floor space is increasing. This may be due to the
promotion of the energy efficiency program launched in the last
decade.
09/02474 Advice tool for early design stages of intelligent
facades based on energy and visual comfort approach
Ochoa, C. E. and Capeluto, I. G. Energy and Buildings, 2009, 41, (5),
480488.
Increased awareness on environmental issues, together with require-
ments imposed by implementation of energy efficiency codes, has
generated the need for tools that evaluate thermal performance of
buildings. Their objective is to ensure compliance and certification.
However, existing computer models are still rudimentary with many
limitations for use in early design stages of any architectural project.
They require exact data in a stage when designers consider conceptual
ideas from a range of options rather than precise details and numbers.
Design tools that suggest solutions based on ideas are rare. This
disadvantage can be seen in the planning of intelligent facades, where
the number of possible configurations can be overwhelming and
decisions made in early stages have profound effects on energy and
comfort performance. This paper presents NewFacades, a model that
helps pass from ideas to significant concepts in the design of intelligent
facades. It uses energy and visual comfort strategies abstracted from a
prescriptive energy code for hot climates to suggest a range of good
starting solutions. Designers can have energy and visual comfort
estimations to these alternatives through an advanced stage energy
simulation program such as EnergyPlus, or explore them further with
other tools. Methods used by the tool are presented here in the context
of sample cases. By working on energy principles or relying on local
existing energy standards, the model can be extended to all types of
climates.
09/02475 An empirical approach for ranking environmental
and energy saving measures in the hotel sector
Beccali, M. et al. Renewable Energy, 2009, 34, (1), 8290.
The energy demand of the hotel sector of an Italian region is here
utilized for hierarchizing, by means of an empirical method, efficient
measures devoted to energy saving and reduction of CO
2
emissions.
Due to the large number of consumers present in the selected
territorial area and the lack in detailed data, the energy demand
assessment is here carried out by the analysis of a sample of
representative consumers. A short set of indexes, referring to energy
and environmental performances, are defined and calculated for
different clusters of hotels, grouped on the basis of site characteristics,
opening periods, number of beds, and building age. Such indexes are
utilized to establish lists of actions with assigned priorities stemming
from energy, environmental and economics issues. Energy planners
and decision makers can easily use this approach for defining,
implementing and monitoring energy efficiency as well as sustainability
policies in the tourist sector of a given geographical area, starting from
a limited set of data. The method has been proposed by authors within
the assessment of the Sicilian Energy Masterplan.
09/02476 Analysis of sectoral energy conservation in
Malaysia
Al-Mofleh, A. et al. Energy, 2009, 34, (6), 733739.
The electrical energy consumption in Malaysia has increased sharply in
the past few years, and modern energy efficient technologies are
desperately needed for the national energy policy. This article presents
a comprehensive picture of the current status of energy consumption
and various energy conservation options viable for Malaysian environ-
ment. A detailed survey is made to assess the consumption pattern and
the existing techniques for energy efficiency. Based on the survey, the
feasibility of improving the available systems and adopting new
programs in different sectors is investigated. The study reveals the
fact that the energy conservation policy of the country has been fairly
improved in the past 10 years. However the country has to pay more
attention to this area and make urgent measures to adopt more energy
efficient technologies in various sectors.
378 Fuel and Energy Abstracts September 2009
16 Energy (energy conservation)
09/02477 Can envelope codes reduce electricity and CO
2
emissions in different types of buildings in the hot climate of
Bahrain?
Radhi, H. Energy, 2009, 34, (2), 205215.
The depletion of non-renewable resources and the environmental
impact of energy consumption, particularly energy use in buildings,
have awakened considerable interest in energy efficiency. Building
energy codes have recently become effective techniques to achieve
efficiency targets. The Electricity and Water Authority in Bahrain has
set a target of 40% reduction of building electricity consumption and
CO
2
emissions to be achieved by using envelope thermal insulation
codes. This paper investigates the ability of the current codes to
achieve such a benchmark and evaluates their impact on building
energy consumption. The results of a simulation study are employed to
investigate the impact of the Bahraini codes on the energy and
environmental performance of buildings. The study focuses on air-
conditioned commercial buildings and concludes that envelope codes,
at best, are likely to reduce the energy use of the commercial sector by
25% if the building envelope is well-insulated and efficient glazing is
used. Bahraini net CO
2
emissions could drop to around 7.1%. The
simulation results show that the current energy codes alone are not
sufficient to achieve a 40% reduction benchmark, and therefore, more
effort should be spent on moving towards a more comprehensive
approach.
09/02478 Determinants of consumer interest in fuel
economy: lessons for strengthening the conservation
argument
Popp, M. et al. Biomass and Bioenergy, 2009, 33, (5), 768778.
With an outlook for higher global energy prices and concomitant
increase of agricultural resources for the pursuit of fuel, consumers are
expected to seek more fuel-economic transportation alternatives. This
paper examines factors that influence the importance consumers place
on fuel economy, with attention given to differences between American
and European consumers. In a survey conducted simultaneously in the
USA and Belgium in the fall of 2006, respondents in both countries
ranked fuel economy high among characteristics considered when
purchasing a new vehicle. Overall, respondents in the US placed
greater emphasis on fuel economy as a new-vehicle characteristic.
Respondents budgetary concerns carried a large weight when
purchasing a new vehicle as reflected in their consideration of a fuels
relative price (e.g. gasoline vs. diesel vs. biofuel) and associated car
repair and maintenance costs. On the other hand, high-income
Americans displayed a lack of concern over fuel economy. Concern
over the environment also played a role since consumers who felt
empowered to affect the environment with their purchasing decisions
(buying low and clean emission technology and fuels) placed greater
importance on fuel economy. No statistically significant effects on fuel
economy rankings were found related to vehicle performance, socio-
demographic parameters of age, gender or education. Importantly, the
tradeoff between using agricultural inputs for energy rather than for
food, feed and fibre had no impact on concerns over fuel economy.
Finally, contrary to expectations, US respondents who valued
domestically produced renewable fuels did not tend to value fuel
economy.
09/02479 Economic analysis of energy-saving renovation
measures for urban existing residential buildings in China
based on thermal simulation and site investigation
Ouyang, J. et al. Energy Policy, 2009, 37, (1), 140149.
Energy-saving renovations of existing residential buildings have proven
to be very helpful in alleviating the pressure of energy shortages and
CO
2
emission, but an economic analysis of the measures by using a life-
cycle cost (LCC) method is very important and necessary to determine
whether to implement them or not. Based on thermal simulation and
site investigation, the paper uses one urban existing residential building
in Hangzhou city of China as the subject building, and analyses the
economic benefits from the energy-saving renovation measures
through the LCC method. The findings clearly show that the
investigation of the factual electricity consumption of the subject
building is very important to predict accurately the energy-saving
effects and financial benefits of the measures for the building, because
of the great discrepancy between in fact and in thermal simulation of
the heating and cool loads, and the too cheap electricity price may
hamper the development of energy-saving implementations in residen-
tial sector in China.
09/02480 Effect of fuel type on the optimum thickness of
selected insulation materials for the four different climatic
regions of Turkey
Ucar, A. and Balo, F. Applied Energy, 2009, 86, (5), 730736.
The optimum insulation thickness of the external wall for four various
cities from four climate zones of Turkey, energy savings over a lifetime
of 10 years and payback periods are calculated for the five different
energy types and four different insulation materials. Foamboard 3500,
Foamboard 1500, extruded polystyrene and fibreglass as insulation
material are selected. In this study, it is calculated the value of the
amount of the net energy savings using the P
1
P
2
method. The results
show that optimum insulation thicknesses vary between 1.06 and
7.64 cm, energy savings vary between 19 $/m
2
and 47 $/m
2
, and payback
periods vary between 1.8 and 3.7 years depending on the city and the
type of fuel. The highest value of energy savings is reached in Agri for
LPG fuel type, while the lowest value is obtained in Aydin for natural
gas.
09/02481 Energy and exergy analysis of the Greek hotel
sector: an application
Xydis, G. et al. Energy and Buildings, 2009, 41, (4), 402406.
Energy consumption in buildings vary significantly, depending on
factors as the use of the building, the construction type, maintenance,
existing heating, cooling and lighting systems and other types of
services. Hotel buildings have high energy consumption rate, as a result
of their unique operational characteristics. Energy consumption in
hotels is among the highest in the non-residential building sector in
absolute values. Available specific information on the energy charac-
teristics, thermal performance, energy losses, electric loads, and
comfort conditions play significant role for the sustainable develop-
ment of hotels systems. These data can also be used to identify
whether there is space for improvement in new or existing hotels by
comparing them against predicted or actual building energy perform-
ance. The aim of the present paper is to analyse the energy and exergy
utilization in four hotels in Rethimno, Crete (southern Greece) and in
Kassandra, Halkidiki (northern Greece).
09/02482 Energy monitoring and conservation potential in
school buildings in the C
0
climatic zone of Greece
Dimoudi, A. and Kostarela, P. Renewable Energy, 2009, 34, (1), 289
296.
Energy efficiency is very important in school buildings as it is
associated with comfort and air quality conditions in their interior
and energy costs of these buildings are associated with their main
operational costs. Moreover, school buildings differ from other types of
buildings because they are the places where children are educated and
have the opportunity to learn how to become environmentally-aware
citizens. There is an increasing awareness throughout Europe for
promotion of sustainable solutions in school buildings involving energy
efficient technologies and measures. The aim of this article is to assess
the energy performance, based on monitored data, of school buildings
in the C
0
climatic zone of Greece, a region with the lowest air
temperature during winter period. It also demonstrates, through
simulation studies, the potential for energy conservation of school
buildings in this region.
09/02483 Energy rebound and economic growth: a review
of the main issues and research needs
Madlener, R. and Alcott, B. Energy, 2009, 34, (3), 370376.
Contrary to conventional wisdom, more efficient use of energy may
actually through rebound effects lead to greater instead of less total
consumption of energy or at least to no diminution of energy
consumption. If so, energy efficiency strategies may serve goals of
raising economic growth and affluence, but as an environmental or
energy policy strategy could backfire, leading to more resource use in
absolute terms rather than less. This, in turn, could in the long run
hamper economic growth, for instance if resource scarcity crowds out
technical change. The hypothesis that rebound is greater than unity
(backfire) predicts the observed real-world correlation between rising
energy consumption and rising efficiency of energy services, however
difficult it may be to define a precise holistic metric for the latter. The
opposing hypothesis, i.e. that rebound is less than unity and that energy
efficiency increases therefore result in less energy consumption than
before, requires on the other hand strong forces that do account for the
empirically observed economic growth. This paper summarizes some of
the discussions around the rebound effect, puts it into perspective to
economic growth, and provides some insights at the end that can guide
future empirical research on the rebound topic.
09/02484 Energy-saving strategies with personalized
ventilation in cold climates
Schiavon, S. and Melikov, A. K. Energy and Buildings, 2009, 41, (5),
543550.
In this study the influence of the personalized supply air temperature
control strategy on energy consumption and the energy-saving
potentials of a personalized ventilation system have been investigated
by means of simulations with IDA-ICE software. GenOpt software was
used to determine the optimal supply air temperature. The simulated
office room was located in a cold climate. The results reveal that the
supply air temperature control strategy has a marked influence on
energy consumption. The energy consumption with personalized
ventilation may increase substantially (in the range: 61268%)
compared to mixing ventilation alone if energy-saving strategies are
Fuel and Energy Abstracts September 2009 379
16 Energy (energy conservation)
not applied. The results show that the best supply air temperature
control strategy is to provide air constantly at 20

C. The most effective

way of saving energy with personalized ventilation is to extend the
upper room operative temperature limit (saving up to 60% compared
to the reference case). However, this energy-saving strategy can be
recommended only in a working environment where the occupants
spend most of their time at their workstation. Reducing the airflow rate
does not always imply a reduction of energy consumption. Supplying
the personalized air only when the occupant is at the desk is not an
effective energy-saving strategy.
09/02485 Evolution strategy based optimal chiller loading
for saving energy
Chang, Y. C. et al. Energy Conversion and Management, 2009, 50, (1),
132139.
This study employs evolution strategy (ES) to solve optimal chiller
loading (OCL) problem. ES overcomes the flaw that Lagrangian
method is not adaptable for solving OCL as the power consumption
models or the kW-PLR (partial load ratio) curves include convex
functions and concave functions simultaneously. The complicated
process of evolution by the genetic algorithm (GA) method for solving
OCL can also be simplified by the ES method. This study uses the PLR
of chiller as the variable to be solved for the decoupled air conditioning
system. After analysis and comparison of the case study, it has been
concluded that this method not only solves the problems of Lagrangian
method and GA method, but also produces results with high accuracy
within a rapid timeframe. It can be perfectly applied to the operation of
air conditioning systems.
09/02486 Explaining the adoption of energy-efficient
technologies in U.S. commercial buildings
Andrews, C. J. and Krogmann, U. Energy and Buildings, 2009, 41, (3),
287294.
This paper investigates factors explaining the adoption of energy-
efficient heating, cooling, window, and lighting technologies in US
commercial buildings. It presents multinomial logit models of
technology adoption using the 2003 Commercial Buildings Energy
Consumption Survey microdata set, examining, first, fundamental
building components, and, second, energy-efficient adaptations. Key
findings are that the choice of fundamental building components is
strongly influenced by locational factors, the activities that are expected
to take place in the building, and building-specific characteristics.
Lighting technologies are an exception, and are poorly explained by
these factors. By contrast, energy-efficient heating, cooling, window,
lighting, and control adaptations appear to share common drivers, and
are more likely to be adopted in newer, larger, more energy-intensive,
owner-occupied buildings. These are the buildings that can best afford
the up-front costs of innovation, which is often a design-intensive
process. Absent policy interventions, the energy-efficient adaptations
are unlikely to diffuse rapidly to the rest of the commercial building
stock.
09/02487 Feasibility study of capturing carbon credit
benefits in an academic institution: a case study
Kafle, N. and Mathur, J. Energy and Buildings, 2009, 41, (1), 133137.
The clean development mechanism (CDM) potential in an academic
institution hosting 2500 students is analysed through the introduction
of renewable energy technologies (solar water heater, solar steam
cooking) and adoption of energy efficient technologies (compact
fluorescent lighting, energy efficient air conditioners). The baseline
emission has been calculated for each technology. A detail investment
analysis has been carried out for each of these measures. The impact of
revenue generated by selling carbon credits through the CDM, on the
economic viability of the project activity is analysed along with
sensitivity analysis. Out of the four cases analysed, energy efficient
lighting and energy efficient air conditioners do not require CDM
benefits for their viability hence they fail to prove the additionality.
Solar steam cooking having negative value of IRR does not pass the
additionality criterion for CDM. The solar water heater generating
48.13 tCO
2
/year is identified as the candidate CDM project. The total
amount of CO
2
that can be saved from emitting to the atmosphere by
employing the renewable and energy efficient technologies is 311.34
tCO
2
/year. The certified emission reductions generated by this project
are insufficient to cover the validation/verification and registration
expenses. For converting the CDM potential into reality, bundling of
the similar activities with nearby academic institutes can be considered.
09/02488 Forecasting electricity spot market prices with a
k-factor GIGARCH process
Diongue, A. K. et al. Applied Energy, 2009, 86, (4), 505510.
In this article, conditional mean and conditional variance forecasts are
investigated using a dynamic model following a k-factor GIGARCH
process. Particularly, the analytical expression of the conditional
variance of the prediction error is provided. This method is applied
to the German electricity price market for the period 15 August 2000 to
31 December 2002 and spot prices forecasts are tested until one-month
ahead forecast. The forecasting performance of the model is compared
with a SARIMAGARCH benchmark model using the year 2003 as the
out-of-sample. The proposed model outperforms clearly the benchmark
model. It is concluded that the k-factor GIGARCH process is a
suitable tool to forecast spot prices, using the classical RMSE criteria.
09/02489 How energy efficiency fails in the building
industry
Ryghaug, R. and Srensen, K. H. Energy Policy, 2009, 37, (3), 984991.
This paper examines how energy efficiency fails in the building industry
based on many years of research into the integration of energy
efficiency in the construction of buildings and sustainable architecture
in Norway. It argues that energy-efficient construction has been
seriously restrained by three interrelated problems: (1) deficiencies
in public policy to stimulate energy efficiency, (2) limited governmental
efforts to regulate the building industry, and (3) a conservative building
industry. The paper concludes that innovation and implementation of
new, energy-efficient technologies in the building industry requires new
policies, better regulations and reformed practices in the industry itself.
09/02490 Innovative method for energy management:
modelling and optimal operation of energy systems
Andreassi, L. et al. Energy and Buildings, 2009, 41, (4), 436444.
This paper presents an optimal management control strategy for power
systems in industrial plants. A dedicated code has been developed to
perform system analysis and simulation. The energy/mass balances
existing between building and power plant has been depicted through a
mathematical model based on vector equations, taking into account the
behaviour of each system component. The main result is the definition
of the power plant component set points satisfying the energy load
under predefined optimization criteria (i.e. system efficiency, costs,
pollutant emissions). Input data are the industrial plant loads, both
electric and thermal, the technical characteristic of the installations,
and the cost of electricity and fuel. As a general result the authors show
that the optimal management of a power plant is as significant as the
efficiency of its components for energy saving purposes. In particular,
the correlation between the component set point profiles and the
energy/cost/pollution savings is highlighted. Yearly simulations are
performed on an existing energy system of an industrial plant varying
the frequency of energy load dataset. The considered time steps are
month, half a day, 4 h and 1 h. The results demonstrate that the whole
power plant management leads to a global reduction of the cost and
that the availability of more detailed energy load dataset leads to better
operation cost estimation. As expected, considering a large time-step,
the variation of energy load is not appreciable. The energy saving
potential of this method is demonstrated allowing the best plant
management solution under different energy loads.
09/02491 Methodology for optimizing the operation of
heating/cooling plants with multi-heat-source equipments
Wang, F. et al. Energy and Buildings, 2009, 41, (4), 416425.
A methodology for optimizing the operation of heatingcooling plants
with multi-heat-source equipments is proposed. The methodology
decides the optimal combination of the running machines to minimize
the energy consumption of a heating/cooling plant. The energy
consumption, energy cost and carbon dioxide emission are simulated
using a tool developed in the MATLAB
1
Simulink
1
environment,
embedded with a module developed using MATLAB
1
Stateflow
1
that
can automatically decide the on/off states of heat source machines
corresponding to cooling and heating loads and an operational priority
order of heat source machines. A case study is introduced to
demonstrate the methodology, which is an actual heatingcooling
plant located in Osaka, Japan. The plant consists of two absorption
chillerheaters, one centrifugal chiller, one ice chiller, and two air-
source heat pumps. The proposed methodology is used to simulate the
plant performance at six different operational priority orders of heat
source machines. The best operational combination can reduce primary
energy consumption by 19.7%, energy cost by 12.8%, and carbon
dioxide emission by 29.6%, compared to present operation.
09/02492 Optimal chilled water temperature calculation of
multiple chiller systems using Hopfield neural network for
saving energy
Chang, Y.-C. and Chen, W.-H. Energy, 2009, 34, (4), 448456.
The values of chilled water supply temperatures in chillers indicate the
load distributions as the chilled water return temperatures in all
chillers are the same in a decoupled air-conditioning system. This study
employs the Hopfield neural network (HNN) to determine the chilled
water supply temperatures in chillers, which are used to solve the
optimal chiller loading (OCL) problem. A linear inputoutput model is
utilized as a substitute for the sigmoid function, which eliminates the
shortcoming of the conventional HNN method. Notably, HNN over-
comes the flaw in the Lagrangian method in that the latter cannot be
utilized for solving the OCL problem as its power-consumption models
380 Fuel and Energy Abstracts September 2009
16 Energy (energy conservation)
include non-convex functions. The chilled water supply temperatures
are used as variables to be solved for a decoupled air-conditioning
system and solve the problem using the HNN method to overcome the
defect in the Lagrangian method. After analysis of the case study and
comparison of results using these two methods, it was concluded that
the HNN method solves the problem of the Lagrangian method, and
produces highly accurate results. The HNN method can be applied to
the operation of air-conditioning systems.
09/02493 Potential for reducing electricity demand for
lighting in households: an exploratory socio-technical study
Wall, R. and Crosbie, T. Energy Policy, 2009, 37, (3), 10211031.
Illuminance data were collected from 18 UK dwellings during 1-week
periods in spring 2007, to establish when luminaires were used and to
calculate electricity consumption for lighting. Householders were also
interviewed about lighting use and choices. The potential for reducing
lighting electricity consumption by replacing incandescent bulbs with
compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) is assessed. Mean weekly electricity
consumption for lighting was 3.756 kWh and mean proportion of total
electricity consumption used for lighting was 6.55%. It is notable,
however, that participants generally expressed high levels of environ-
mental awareness and that electricity consumption figures for less
environmentally-aware households may differ. On average, households
could have reduced lighting electricity consumption by 50.9% if all
incandescent bulbs were replaced with CFLs. Even householders
making extensive use of efficient lighting technologies expressed
concerns about these technologies performance, but seemed willing
to tolerate perceived shortcomings for environmental reasons. How-
ever, the study raises questions about whether people without strong
environmental motivations can be convinced that efficient lighting
technologies will meet their needs. It also raises questions about the
effectiveness of policies phasing out general lighting service incandes-
cent bulbs, as there is a risk that householders may switch to tungsten
halogen bulbs rather than low-energy options.
09/02494 Sustainable development of the Belgrade energy
system
Jovanovic , M. et al. Energy, 2009, 34, (5), 532539.
Cities are the most important energy consumers of any country in all
energy vector components. Nowadays, Belgrade as a cultural, edu-
cational, scientific, administrative, political, and business center of the
region with its own structure of production, transportation, services,
and urban system, represents significant consumer of different energy
forms. Only useful and final energy is delivered to energy consuming
sectors of a city. Simulation model MAED was used in this paper to
estimate energy demand in city for a long time period. On the basis of
energy demand forecast for three major energy consumers (sectors of
household/service, industry, and transportation) until 2020, the
sustainable development scenarios of Belgrade energy system are
developed (20052010, 20102015, 20152020). For each scenario, the
energy systems of primary resources are determined so to satisfy the
predicted differences in energy consumption for the mentioned time
intervals until 2020. In this case different scenarios are evaluated. The
evaluation of scenarios sustainability is obtained by method of multi-
criteria analysis. Using energy indices for sustainable development, the
following indices are taken into consideration for the assessment of
scenario sustainability: economical, social, and environmental. The
obtained results can be used by experts in decision-making process.
09/02495 The effect of suspended ceilings on energy
performance and thermal comfort
Hseggen, R. et al. Energy and Buildings, 2009, 41, (2), 234245.
The objective of this study is to determine the potential energy savings
and thermal comfort benefits of exposing concrete in the ceiling to the
indoor air as an alternative to suspended ceiling. The performances
were assessed through monitoring of room air and surface tempera-
tures in an office building in operation, and simulation of different
scenarios with a calibrated building simulation model. In this study, it is
shown that ESP-r is capable of simulating an advanced controlled
office building in operation with good agreement with the measure-
ments. The results presented in this paper indicate that exposed
concrete in the ceiling both reduces the number of hours with excessive
temperatures considerably and create a better and more stable thermal
environment during the working day. Also, exposed concrete increases
the achievements of utilizing night free cooling significantly. However,
by removing the suspended ceiling, only minor annual heating energy
savings are achieved.
09/02496 The role of compressed air energy storage
(CAES) in future sustainable energy systems
Lund, H. and Salgi, G. Energy Conversion and Management, 2009, 50,
(5), 11721179.
Future sustainable energy systems call for the introduction of
integrated storage technologies. One of these technologies is com-
pressed air energy storage (CAES). In Denmark at present, wind
power meets 20% and combined heat and power production (CHP)
meets 50% of the electricity demand. Based on these figures, the paper
assesses the value of integrating CAES into future sustainable energy
systems with even higher shares of fluctuating renewable energy
sources. The evaluation is made on the basis of detailed energy system
analyses in which the supply of complete national energy systems is
calculated hour by hour in relation to the demands during a year. The
Danish case is evaluated in a system-economic perspective by
comparing the economic benefits achieved by improving the inte-
gration of wind power to the costs of the CAES technology. The result
is compared to various other storage options. Furthermore, a business-
economic evaluation is done by calculating the potential income of the
CAES technology from both spot markets and regulating power
markets. The evaluation includes both historical hour by hour prices
during a 7-year period on the Nordic Nord Pool market as well as
expected future price variations. The conclusion is that even in energy
systems with very high shares of wind power and CHP, neither the
historical nor the expected future price variations on the spot market
alone can justify the investment in CAES systems. Other storage
technology options are significantly more feasible. CAES may operate
both on the spot market and the regulating power market, which
indicates potential feasibility. However, such strategy is highly risky
because of the small extent of the regulating power market and if
CAES is to become feasible it will depend on incomes from auxiliary
services.
09/02497 Very low energy homes in the United States:
perspectives on performance from measured data
Parker, D. S. Energy and Buildings, 2009, 41, (5), 512520.
This study presents measured annual performance data from a dozen
recent-vintage very low energy homes in North America. Many of the
designs combine greater energy efficiency with solar electric photo-
voltaic power in an attempt to create zero energy homes (ZEH). The
authors also provide measured data from the first home constructed to
the German Passivhaus standard in the United States. Several projects
either exceeded or come very close to true net zero energy when
evaluated over a year. The data indicate that very low energy use
buildings can very readily be achieved in North America. Annual
energy use half that or less than standard housing can be achieved for
an equivalent cost of $0.10/kWh from the efficiency investment. In
general, the better cost-effectiveness seen from energy efficiency
measures indicates that greater investment in conservation should be
a prerequisite to installation of solar water heating and solar electricity
in Zero Energy Homes. However, over emphasis in efficiency is also
possible. This suggests that optimization tools such as BEopt and
EGUSA, which characterize both renewable resource performance and
that also of specific combinations of energy efficiency measures, will
best guide designers to locate the most economically favourable mix to
reach an energy neutral level.
17 ENERGY CONVERSION
AND RECYCLING
09/02498 A unified approach to assess performance of
different techniques for recovering exhaust heat from gas
turbines
Carapellucci, R. Energy Conversion and Management, 2009, 50, (5),
12181226.
Exhaust heat from gas turbines can be recovered externally or
internally to the cycle itself. Of the technology options for external
recovery, the combined gassteam power plant is by far the most
effective and commonly used worldwide. For internal recovery
conventional solutions are based on thermodynamic regeneration and
steam injection, while innovative solutions rely on humid air
regeneration and steam reforming of fuel. In this paper a unified
approach for analysing different exhaust heat recovery techniques is
proposed. It has been possible to define a characteristic internal heat
recovery plane, based on a few meaningful parameters and to identify
an innovative scheme for repowering existing combined cycles. The
characteristic plane indicates directly the performance obtainable with
the different recovery techniques, showing that performances close to
combined cycle plants (external recovery) can only be achieved with
combined recovery techniques (humid air regeneration, steam reform-
ing of fuel). The innovative repowering scheme, which requires the
addition of a gas turbine and one-pressure level HRSG to an existing
combined gassteam power plant, significantly increases power output
with fairly high marginal efficiency.
Fuel and Energy Abstracts September 2009 381
17 Energy conversion and recycling
09/02499 An experimental study on a novel shredder for
municipal solid waste (MSW)
Luo, S. et al. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 2009, 34, (3),
12701274.
Based on composition and volume-mass properties of municipal solid
waste (MSW) (i.e. unit weight, void ratio, and water content), a new
way for the breakage of the organic MSW is presented to effectively
convert MSW to heat and fuel gas. A lab-scale shredder consisting of
compaction and shredding chambers is designed and the breakage
process of MSW in the shredder can be divided into three successive
phases: deformation, further deformation, compressive shearing. The
performances of the shredder, such as the effect of the rotor velocity
and hydraulic pressure on product size distribution and specific energy
are investigated. The results show that with hydraulic pressure the
specific energy is reduced, and size distribution of product is finer.
When hydraulic pressure is constant, the specific energy decreases with
increasing rotor velocity, while the products size distribution is coarser.
09/02500 Effects of internal exhaust gas recirculation on
controlled auto-ignition in a methane engine combustion
Cho, G. et al. Fuel, 2009, 88, (6), 10421048.
The effects of internal exhaust gas recirculation (IEGR) on controlled
auto-ignition were evaluated with a single cycle simulator consisting of
a rapid intake compression and expansion machine (RICEM) using
methane as the fuel. The fuelair mixture and simulated residual gas
were introduced to the combustion chamber through the spool-type
valves. Simulated residual gas representing the IEGR was generated by
burning the fuelair mixture in the IEGR chamber during the intake
stroke. Various supply timings, homogeneities, and equivalence ratios
of simulated residual gas were tested to investigate their effects on the
auto-ignition of the fuelair mixture. Multi-point ignitions and faster
combustion were observed along with realized controlled auto-ignition
combustion. The supply timing of simulated residual gas correlates
with its temperature which subsequently affects the auto-ignition
timing and burning duration. Stratification between the fuelair
mixture and simulated residual gas can maintain locally high
temperatures of the simulated residual gas and enhance the auto-
ignition of the fuelair mixture. The auto-ignition temperature under
the stratified mixing condition was more than 100 K lower than that
under homogeneous mixing conditions. Relatively lean mixtures had
more difficulty with auto-ignition and frequently showed misfire even
at high temperatures.
09/02501 Evaluating renewable carbon sources as
substrates for single cell oil production by Cunninghamella
echinulata and Mortierella isabellina
Fakas, S. et al. Biomass and Bioenergy, 2009, 33, (4), 573580.
The biochemical behaviour of two oleaginous Mucorales strains,
namely Mortierella isabellina ATHUM 2935 and Cunninghamella
echinulata ATHUM 4411, was studied when the aforementioned
microorganisms were cultivated on xylose, raw glycerol and glucose
under nitrogen-limited conditions. Significant differences in the process
of lipid accumulation as related to the carbon sources used were
observed for both microorganisms. These differences were attributed to
the different metabolic pathways involved in the assimilation of the
above substrates. Therefore, the various carbon sources were chan-
neled, at different extent, to storage lipid or to lipid-free biomass
formation. Although glucose containing media favored the production
of mycelial mass (15 g L
1
of total biomass in the case of C. echinulata
and 27 g L
1
in the case of M. isabellina), the accumulated lipid in dry
matter was 46.0% for C. echinulata and 44.6% for M. isabellina. Lipid
accumulation was induced on xylose containing media (M. isabellina
accumulated 65.5% and C. echinulata 57.7% of lipid, wt wt
1
, in dry
mycelial mass). In these conditions, lipids of C. echinulata contained
significant quantities of -linolenic acid (GLA). This fungus, when
cultivated on xylose, produced 6.7 g L
1
of single cell oil and 1119
mg L
1
of GLA. Finally, the growth of both C. echinulata and M.
isabellina on raw glycerol resulted in lower yields in terms of both
biomass and oil produced than the growth on xylose.
09/02502 Hydrogen-rich gas from catalytic steam
gasification of municipal solid waste (MSW): influence of
catalyst and temperature on yield and product composition
He, M. et al. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 2009, 34, (1),
195203.
In the present study the catalytic steam gasification of MSW to produce
hydrogen-rich gas or syngas (H
2
+CO) with calcined dolomite as a
catalyst in a bench-scale downstream fixed bed reactor was investi-
gated. The influence of the catalyst and reactor temperature on yield
and product composition was studied at the temperature range of 750
950

C, with a steam to MSW ratio of 0.77, for weight hourly space

velocity of 1.29 h
1
. Over the ranges of experimental conditions
examined, calcined dolomite revealed better catalytic performance, at
the presence of steam, tar was completely decomposed as temperature
increases from 850 to 950

C. Higher temperature resulted in more H

2
and CO production, higher carbon conversion efficiency and dry gas
yield. The highest H
2
content of 53.29 mol%, and the highest H
2
yield
of 38.60 mol H
2
/kg MSW were observed at the highest temperature
level of 950

C, while, the maximum H

2
yield potential reached
70.14 mol H
2
/kg dry MSW at 900

C. Syngas produced by catalytic

steam gasification of MSW varied in the range of 36.3570.21 mol%.
The char had a highest ash content of 84.01% at 950

C, and negligible
hydrogen, nitrogen and sulfur contents.
09/02503 Integrated waste-to-energy conversion and waste
transportation within island communities
Zsigraiova, Z. et al. Energy, 2009, 34, (5), 623635.
Usually in islands both primary energy sources and drinking water are
missing. Additionally, municipal solid waste (MSW) must be managed
avoiding exclusive use of landfills, which limits sustainable develop-
ment. Power generation from MSW incineration contributes signifi-
cantly to replacing energy produced from fossil fuels and to reduce
overall emissions. A solution based on thermodynamics, environmental
and economic analyses and 3D-GIS modelling for the afore-mentioned
problems for Cape Verde is proposed. This model integrates waste
transportation optimization and incineration with energy recovery
combining production of heat and power (CHP), the heat being used
for drinking water production. The results show that extraction
condensing steam turbines are more suitable when power production
is a priority (5.0 MW with 4000 m
3
/d of drinking water), whereas back-
pressure turbines yield 55406650 m
3
/d of drinking water with an
additional power production of 3.34.7 MW. The environmental and
economic assessment performed shows the feasibility of the proposed
CHP solution, which brings a considerable reduction in net air
emissions (1.6 kt), including a significant decrease in the greenhouse
gas emissions (131 ktCO
2
), and that the revenue from energy sales
(e15 million) has potential to balance the incineration cost. Moreover,
when terrain relief is accounted for in the route optimization for
minimum fuel consumption, savings up to 11% are obtained.
09/02504 Lactic acid recovery from fermentation broth of
kitchen garbage by esterification and hydrolysis method
Zhao, W. et al. Biomass and Bioenergy, 2009, 33, (1), 2125.
Kitchen garbage was utilized to produce lactic acid (LA) to reduce the
corresponding cost. The whole process for pure LA production
involved fermentation, esterification and hydrolysis. Kitchen garbage
could produce 47.9 g L
1
LA with pH adjusted with ammonia to 67.
Then the fermentation broth was concentrated by water evaporation,
the ammonium lactate inside was esterified with the butanol to produce
butyl lactate. Proper catalyst was studied to improve esterification rate,
a cation-exchange resin modified by FeCl
3
as a catalyst was proved to
be effective. The esterification yield of ammonium lactate (NH
4
LA)
could reach 96%. Pure LA was hydrolysed from the obtained butyl
lactate in presence of a cation-exchange resin in the H
+
form as a
catalyst. The catalyst for hydrolysis could be regenerated and reused to
save the cost. LA production from the kitchen garbage could not only
save cost, but also solve the pollution problems of kitchen garbage.
09/02505 Parametric optimization and comparative study of
organic Rankine cycle (ORC) for low grade waste heat
recovery
Dai, Y. et al. Energy Conversion and Management, 2009, 50, (3), 576
582.
Organic Rankine cycles (ORC) for low-grade waste heat recovery are
described with different working fluids. The effects of the thermodyn-
amic parameters on the ORC performance are examined, and the
thermodynamic parameters of the ORC for each working fluid are
optimized with exergy efficiency as an objective function by means of
the genetic algorithm. The optimum performance of cycles with
different working fluids was compared and analysed under the same
waste heat condition. The results show that the cycles with organic
working fluids are much better than the cycle with water in converting
low grade waste heat to useful work. The cycle with R236EA has the
highest exergy efficiency, and adding an internal heat exchanger into
the ORC system could not improve the performance under the given
waste heat condition. In addition, for the working fluids with non-
positive saturation vapour curve slope, the cycle has the best
performance property with saturated vapour at the turbine inlet.
09/02506 Performance and combustion characteristics of a
DI diesel engine fueled with waste palm oil and canola oil
methyl esters
Ozsezen, A. N. et al. Fuel, 2009, 88, (4), 629630.
This study discusses the performance and combustion characteristics of
a direct injection diesel engine fuelled with biodiesels such as waste
(frying) palm oil methyl ester (WPOME) and canola oil methyl ester
(COME). In order to determine the performance and combustion
characteristics, the experiments were conducted at the constant engine
speed mode (1500 rpm) under the full load condition of the engine.
The results indicated that when the test engine was fuelled with
382 Fuel and Energy Abstracts September 2009
17 Energy conversion and recycling
WPOME or COME, the engine performance slightly weakened; the
combustion characteristics slightly changed when compared to pet-
roleum based diesel fuel. The biodiesels caused reductions in carbon
monoxide, unburned hydrocarbon emissions and smoke opacity, but
they caused to increases in nitrogen oxides (NO
x
) emissions.
09/02507 Pyrolysis kinetics and combustion
characteristics of waste recovered fuels
Grammelis, P. et al. Fuel, 2009, 88, (1), 195205.
Alternative fuels, such as biomass and refuse-derived fuels tend to play
an increasingly important role in the European energy industry. Co-
firing fuels derived from non-hazardous waste streams have the
potential of covering a significant part of the future demand on co-
incineration capacities, which is expected to increase due to the
implementation of the 2000/76 EC landfill directive. However, their
combustion behaviour has not yet been fully investigated, because of
the difficulty to define representative fuel characteristics simulating
accurately all the fuel fractions. In the present study, refuse-derived
fuel behaviour was investigated by thermogravimetry under pyrolysis
and combustion conditions. A non-isothermal thermogravimetric
analyser (TA Q600) operated at ambient pressure was used for both
the pyrolysis and combustion experiments. The devolatilization of the
waste samples was investigated at a temperature range of 301000

C
with the constant heating rate of 20

C/min and for particle sizes

between 150 and 250 mm. Combustion tests were realized under the
same heating conditions. The independent parallel, first order,
reactions model was elaborated for the kinetic analysis of the pyrolysis
results. The thermal degradation of the refuse-derived fuel samples was
modelled assuming four parallel reactions corresponding to the
devolatilization of cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin and plastics. In-
creased activation energies were calculated for the plastics fraction.
Lignin presented the lowest contribution in the pyrolysis of the
samples. Slightly increased combustion reactivities were found for the
waste fuel samples compared to lignite. It is concluded that waste-
recovered fuels can be used in existing combustion facilities either
alone or in combination with coal and future investigations should
focus on the operational behaviour of large-scale facilities when
exploiting these waste species.
09/02508 Recovery of discarded sulfated lead-acid
batteries by inverse charge
Karami, H. et al. Energy Conversion and Management, 2009, 50, (4),
893898.
The aim of this research is to recover discarded sulfated lead-acid
batteries in order to save the energy. In this work, the effect of inverse
charge on the reactivation of sulfated active materials has been
investigated. At first, the battery is deeply discharged and the
electrolyte of battery is replaced with a new sulfuric acid solution of
1.28 g/cm
3
. Then, the battery is inversely charged with constant current
method (2 A for the battery with the nominal capacity of 40 Ah) for
24 h. At the final stage, the inversely charged battery is directly charged
for 48 h. Through these processes, a discarded battery can recover its
capacity to more than 80% of a similar fresh and non-sulfated battery.
Inverse oxidation and reduction of batterys active materials can
transform inactive sulfates into active sulfates. Discharge and cycle-life
behaviours of the recovered batteries were investigated and compared
with similar healthy battery. The morphology and structure of plates
was studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) before and after
inverse charge.
09/02509 Recovery of value-added products from the
catalytic pyrolysis of waste tyre
Shah, J. et al. Energy Conversion and Management, 2009, 50, (4), 991
994.
The influence of an acidic (SiO
2
), basic (Al
2
O
3
) and mixture of acidic
and basic (Al
2
O
3
: SiO
2
) catalyst on the pyrolysis of used tyre rubber
has been investigated. The yield of the derived gas, liquid and solid has
been studied in term of the temperature, time and amount of catalyst.
Oil fractions were analysed by FTIR spectroscopy and gas chromatog-
raphy with FID. Oil derived with Al
2
O
3
containing higher concen-
tration of polar hydrocarbons (40%) and lower concentration of
aliphatic hydrocarbons while 40% aliphatic hydrocarbons and 30%
polar hydrocarbons were found in oil derived with SiO
2
. A mixture of
catalyst (Al
2
O
3
: SiO
2
) gave equal concentration of aliphatic (35%) and
polar (35%) hydrocarbons in oil.
09/02510 Steam jet ejector cooling powered by waste or
solar heat
Meyer, A. J. et al. Renewable Energy, 2009, 34, (1), 297306.
A small scale steam jet ejector experimental setup was designed and
manufactured. This ejector setup consists of an open loop configur-
ation and the boiler operate in the temperature range of T
b
=85
140

C. The typical evaporator liquid temperatures range from

T
e
=5

C to 10

C while the typical water-cooled condenser pressure

ranges from P
c
=1.70 kPa to 5.63 kPa (T
c
=1535

C). The boiler is

powered by two 4 kW electric elements while a 3 kW electric element
simulates the cooling load in the evaporator. The electric elements are
controlled by means of variacs. Primary nozzles with throat diameters
of 2.5 mm, 3.0 mm and 3.5 mm are tested while the secondary ejector
throat diameter remains unchanged at 18 mm. These primary nozzles
allow the boiler to operate in the temperature range of T
b
=85110

C.
When the nozzle throat diameter is increased, the minimum boiler
temperature decreases. A primary nozzle with a 3.5 mm throat diameter
was tested at a boiler temperature of T
b
=95

C, an evaporator
temperature of T
e
=10

C and a critical condenser pressure of

P
crit
=2.67 kPa (22.6

C). The systems COP is 0.253. In a case study

the experimental data of a solar powered steam jet ejector air
conditioner is investigated. Solar powered steam ejector air condition-
ing systems are technical and economical viable when compared to
conventional vapour compression air conditioners. Such a system can
either utilize flat plate or evacuated tube solar thermal collectors
depending on the type of solar energy available.
09/02511 Study of recycling exhaust gas energy of hybrid
pneumatic power system with CFD
Huang, K. D. et al. Energy Conversion and Management, 2009, 50, (5),
12711278.
A hybrid pneumatic power system (HPPS) is integrated by an internal
combustion engine (ICE), a high efficiency turbine, an air compressor
and an energy merger pipe, which can not only recycle and store
exhaust gas energy but also convert it into useful mechanical energy.
Moreover, it can make the ICE operate in its optimal state of maximum
efficiency; and thus, it can be considered an effective solution to
improve greatly the exhaust emissions and increase the overall energy
efficiency of the HPPS. However, in this system, the flow energy
merger of both high pressure compressed air flow and high
temperature exhaust gas flow of the ICE greatly depends on the
merging capability of the energy merger pipe. If the compressed air
pressure (P
air
) at the air inlet is too high, smooth transmission and
mixture of the exhaust gas flow are prevented, which will interfere with
the operation condition of the ICE. This shortcoming is mostly omitted
in the previous studies. The purpose of this paper is to study the effect
of the level of P
air
and the contraction of cross-section area (CSA) at
the merging position on the flow energy merger and determine their
optimum adjustments for a better merging process by using compu-
tation fluid dynamics (CFD). In addition, the CFD model was
validated on the basis of the experimental data, including the
temperature and static pressure of the merger flow at the outlet of
the energy merger pipe. It was found that the simulation results were in
good agreement with the experimental data. The simulation results
show that exhaust gas recycling efficiency and merger flow energy are
significantly dependent on the optimum adjustment of the CSA for
changes in P
air
. Under these optimum adjustments, the exhaust gas
recycling efficiency can reach about 83%. These results will be valuable
bases to research and design the energy merger pipe of the HPPS.
Fuel and Energy Abstracts September 2009 383
17 Energy conversion and recycling