Article
Engineering, Environmental
Malihe Barahoei, Mohammad Sadegh Hatamipour, Saeed Afsharzadeh
Summary: This study investigated the suitability of using Chlorella vulgaris for brackish water desalination, finding that modifying the culture medium resulted in enhanced microalgae growth and salt removal efficiency. The results suggest that Na+ ions are adsorbed on the Chlorella vulgaris cell surface, contributing to the desalination process.
PROCESS SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Abdul Mannan Zafar, Muhammad Asad Javed, Ashraf Aly Hassan, Endalkachew Sahle-Demessie, Stephen Harmon
Summary: This study investigated the biodesalination potential of P. keutzingianum at different levels of salinity and confirmed its ability to produce biomass, biosorb, bioaccumulate, and biomineralize in all tested salinities.
Review
Plant Sciences
Amitap Khandelwal, Meenu Chhabra, Piet N. L. Lens
Summary: Biofuels, especially algae, hold promise as a sustainable source of renewable energy and can also produce valuable by-products. Integrating algae cultivation with bio-electrochemical systems, such as microbial fuel cells, can eliminate the need for oxygen quenching and make the overall process more sustainable.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Electrochemistry
Marina Ramirez-Moreno, Abraham Esteve-Nunez, Juan Manuel Ortiz
Summary: A microbial desalination cell is a type of microbial fuel cell integrated with an electrodialysis cell for wastewater treatment, desalination, and energy production. This study explored brackish water desalination and energy production using ferricyanide as the catholyte, and found conductivity variation in the saline chamber can predict electrochemical performance.
ELECTROCHIMICA ACTA
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Maria Di Vincenzo, Alberto Tiraferri, Valentina-Elena Musteata, Stefan Chisca, Mihai Deleanu, Francesco Ricceri, Didier Cot, Suzana P. Nunes, Mihail Barboiu
Summary: Membrane-based technologies play a crucial role in water purification and desalination. Inspired by biological proteins, artificial water channels (AWCs) are introduced to enhance the permeability/selectivity balance in desalination processes. Optimal combinations of AWCs with specific monomers exhibit remarkable performances in reverse osmosis membranes, significantly improving water permeance while maintaining high salt rejection rates.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Article
Thermodynamics
Argyris Panagopoulos
Summary: The research evaluates the energy, economic, and environmental aspects of zero liquid discharge (ZLD) desalination systems in the Eastern Mediterranean, showing that ZLD brackish water systems have lower energy consumption and costs compared to ZLD seawater systems.
ENERGY CONVERSION AND MANAGEMENT
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Jiuling Yu, Meshack Audu, Maung T. Myint, Feng Cheng, Jacqueline M. Jarvis, Umakanta Jena, Nagamany Nirmalakhandan, Catherine E. Brewer, Hongmei Luo
Summary: Hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) is effective in recovering bioenergy from wet microalgae for cleaning polluted water body. The byproduct of HTL, hydrochar, can be recycled as a renewable anode material for lithium ion batteries (LIBs) to improve electrochemical performance.
FUEL PROCESSING TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Multidisciplinary
Rasha Saeed, A. H. Konsowa, Marwa S. Shalaby, Moustapha S. Mansour, M. G. Eloffy
Summary: Reverse osmosis (RO) is an efficient desalination technology, but it faces challenges in energy consumption and fouling. Forward osmosis (FO), on the other hand, is a low-energy membrane desalination process that can be coupled with RO to reduce energy consumption. Through optimization using a mathematical model, the FO-RO hybrid system significantly improves water productivity and permeate quality, while reducing energy consumption.
ALEXANDRIA ENGINEERING JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Angela Fasuyi, Alexander M. Lopez
Summary: Research shows that the use of ionic polymers can improve the ion conductivity and energy efficiency of resin wafers, thus enhancing the performance of resin wafer electrodeionization (RW-EDI) systems. In the experiment, different ionic polymers were used, and the results demonstrated that resin wafers incorporating these polymers had higher ion conductivity and significantly lower specific energy consumption in the RW-EDI system, compared to traditional resin wafers.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
(2023)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Soraya Honarparvar, Xin Zhang, Tianyu Chen, Ashkan Alborzi, Khurshida Afroz, Danny Reible
Summary: Climate change, population growth, and increased industrial activities are worsening freshwater scarcity and increasing interest in desalination of saline water. Different membrane desalination processes face challenges such as membrane fouling and scaling, but these can be overcome through pre-treatment steps and membrane surface modification. Advancements in material, architecture, and operation of these processes are improving performance and competitiveness with traditional RO processes.
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Emad Ali
Summary: The productivity of a single threshold membrane distillation (MD) module can be enhanced through distributed feed arrangement. Two redistributed feed structures were tested: one increased productivity by 10%, while the other failed to maintain the productivity of the reference case.
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Anas Sanna, Benedikt Buchspies, Mathias Ernst, Martin Kaltschmitt
Summary: Photovoltaic driven decentralized reverse osmosis plants for brackish water desalination face the challenge of continuous operation with high energy efficiency. This study proposes an innovative concept using pumped storage as hydraulic energy storage to ensure steady drinking water production. The overall efficiency of the pumped storage in this system is higher than that of current designs based on PV and battery systems.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Dipak Ankoliya, Anurag Mudgal, Manish Kumar Sinha, Philip Davies, Edxon Licon, Ruben Rodriguez Alegre, Vivek Patel, Jatin Patel
Summary: The performance of the electrodialysis system is influenced by water quality data, stack configuration, and flow characteristics. The total cost is affected by the interplay between linear flow velocity and cell-pair thickness. System design under specific conditions can impact the overall production cost.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Mehran Aliaskari, Ramatisa L. Ramos, Andrea Schaefer
Summary: In this study, the removal of arsenic and selenium from brackish water using a batch electrodialysis system was investigated. The results showed that the removal of these elements was influenced by pH and salinity, with higher concentrations leading to higher removal rates. Electromigration transport was found to be the dominant mechanism, and the ionic characteristics played a key role in the removal process. Real contaminated groundwater samples also demonstrated the potential of electrodialysis for selective removal of more mobile ions.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Longqian Xu, Shuai Peng, Yunfeng Mao, Yang Zong, Xiaomeng Zhang, Deli Wu
Summary: Flow-electrode capacitive deionization (FCDI) is an electrodriven technology for desalination of brackish water. This study proposes a magnetic field-assisted FCDI system (magnetic FCDI) using magnetic activated carbon (MAC) as flow electrodes, achieving enhanced desalination performance. The magnetic field assistance significantly improves the salt removal rate and stable desalination performance, as well as enables electrode particle regeneration.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Abdul Mannan Zafar, Muhammad Asad Javed, Ashraf Aly Hassan
Summary: The study shows that measuring salt removal based on chloride ion concentration is more accurate than using electrical conductivity (EC), which is not the best parameter to evaluate salt removal using algae. Additionally, there may be misrepresentation of salt removal in some studies that solely rely on EC for estimating biodesalination efficiency.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Manisha S. Kothari, Kinjal G. Vegad, Kosha A. Shah, Ashraf Aly Hassan
Summary: This study models and optimizes the batch electrocoagulation process for removing brilliant green dye using an artificial neural network (ANN) and response surface methodology (RSM). The optimized conditions resulted in a dye removal efficiency of 98.83% and an electrical energy consumption of 14.99 kWh/kg.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Mitham Al-Faliti, Bruce Dvorak, Ashraf Aly Hassan
Summary: In this study, the potential of using biotrickling filters (BTFs) as an alternative to conventional air treatment methods in ethanol production was investigated. The BTFs successfully removed formaldehyde and methanol emissions, demonstrating their effectiveness in purifying the air.
JOURNAL OF THE AIR & WASTE MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Mohsina Sherief, Ashraf Aly Hassan
Summary: This study measured the H2S concentration at the Al-Saad wastewater treatment plant in the United Arab Emirates and analyzed the factors influencing H2S emissions. By utilizing a neural network model, the researchers successfully predicted the H2S concentration in the wastewater treatment plant with an accuracy of 80%.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Himadri Rajput, Munjed A. Maraqa, Fatima Zraydi, Lina A. Al Khatib, Noor Ameen, Rime Ben ElKaid, Safia S. Al Jaberi, Noura A. Alharbi, Reka Howard, Ashraf Aly Hassan
Summary: Plastic waste poses a serious threat to the environment and human health, especially single-use plastic water bottles. The survey revealed that most UAE residents are aware of environmental issues but have low rates of recycling plastic products. However, there is a high acceptance of biodegradable bottles among them.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Muhammad Umar Farooq, Abdul Mannan Zafar, Warda Raheem, Muhammad Irfan Jalees, Ashraf Aly Hassan
Summary: Comparing the efficiency of multivariate linear regressions (MLR) and artificial neural network (ANN) models, this study found that the ANN model performs better in predicting groundwater parameters for total dissolved solids (TDS). Therefore, ANN can be considered as a feasible tool for groundwater quality prediction.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Abdul Mannan Zafar, Muhammad Asad Javed, Ashraf Aly Hassan, Endalkachew Sahle-Demessie, Stephen Harmon
Summary: This study investigated the biodesalination potential of P. keutzingianum at different levels of salinity and confirmed its ability to produce biomass, biosorb, bioaccumulate, and biomineralize in all tested salinities.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Muhammad Asad Javed, Abdul Mannan Zafar, Sulaiman Al-Zuhair, Amro El Badawy, Ashraf Aly Hassan
Summary: Based on experimental data, this study demonstrated that glucose supplementation is the most appropriate carbon substrate for higher H2 yield and substantial organics removal in co-culture.
ACS SUSTAINABLE CHEMISTRY & ENGINEERING
(2022)
Review
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Mohammed H. Alzard, Hilal El-Hassan, Tamer El-Maaddawy, Marwa Alsalami, Fatma Abdulrahman, Ashraf Aly Hassan
Summary: This paper comprehensively understands the current research situation and future development directions of self-healing concrete by analyzing and summarizing the publications on self-healing concrete. Results indicate that tracking the work of productive authors is essential and collaboration leads to more exposure and a higher citation rate. The keywords analysis highlights the focus areas and potential gaps in self-healing concrete research.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Namita Das, Himadri Rajput, Ashraf Aly Hassan, Sandeep Kumar
Summary: This study tested five widely employed coagulants for the treatment of complex oilfield-generated produced water. The results showed that ferric chloride was the most efficient coagulant, removing 74.25% of total solids, with a treatment cost of USD 4 per m(-3) of produced water.
Review
Environmental Sciences
Shirin P. P. Arimbrathodi, Muhammad Asad Javed, Mohamed A. A. Hamouda, Ashraf Aly Hassan, Mahmoud E. E. Ahmed
Summary: The demand for clean energy has increased due to the impact of climate change caused by excessive greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuels. This study analyzed the production of H-2 using microalgae through bibliometric analysis and scoping review. The results showed a significant increase in research interest in bioH(2) production from microalgae in the past decade. The International Journal of Hydrogen Energy published the highest number of articles, with a significant contribution from China. The study also identified oxygen sensitivity and sulfur deprivation as the main limiting factors for bioH(2) production using microalgae, and suggested effective process modifications to improve H-2 yield.
Article
Education & Educational Research
Melinda Joy Biggs Albuquerque, Dina Mustafa Mohammad Awadalla, Francisco Daniel Benicio de Albuquerque, Ashraf Aly Hassan
Summary: This study investigated the awareness, adoption, and ease-of-implementation perceptions of evidence-based instructional practices (EBIPs) among STEM faculty at a leading university in the United Arab Emirates, and compared the data with that of STEM faculty at a top-tier research and teaching university in the United States. The study also examined the contextual factors influencing faculty adoption of EBIPs.
EDUCATION SCIENCES
(2023)
Review
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Mahmoud E. Ahmed, Abdul Mannan Zafar, Mohamed A. Hamouda, Ashraf Aly Hassan, Shirin Arimbrathodi
Summary: Due to population growth and industrialization, water scarcity may affect two-thirds of the world's population by 2025. Biodesalination, a sustainable practice using micro-organisms to remove salt from seawater, has shown promise with lower energy consumption and less environmental impact. This study analyzed the development of biodesalination from 2007 to 2022 through bibliometric analysis and identified research trends and advancements in the field.
Article
Education & Educational Research
Munjed A. Maraqa, Mohamed Hamouda, Hilal El-Hassan, Amr S. El-Dieb, Ashraf Aly Hassan
Summary: This study investigated the perspectives and experiences of undergraduate students and faculty members in the Civil Engineering program at the United Arab Emirates University regarding the transition to online learning during COVID-19. Student engagement and online exams were identified as areas in need of improvement. Online exams posed challenges for students and faculty in terms of preparation and administration. The provision of technical support is crucial for the successful implementation of online courses. Initially, a majority of students had a positive attitude towards online learning, which increased during the transition period. The main advantages of online learning were the ability to continue learning during the COVID-19 crisis and access to recorded materials, while challenging online exams and limited social interaction were seen as the main disadvantages.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Muhammad Asad Javed, Ashraf Aly Hassan
Summary: This study analyzed the performance characteristics of a sequential flow batch reactor (SFBR) for biohydrogen production using co-cultures. The results showed that optimizing organic loading rate (OLR) and hydraulic retention time (HRT) can increase biohydrogen production. Additionally, the limitations of continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR) handling need to be addressed.
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Arvin Sohrabi, Mousa Meratizaman, Shuli Liu
Summary: This paper simulates and discusses possible solutions to improve the economic and technical performances of a battery-less renewable energy-powered BWRO system under real climate conditions. The study finds that the photovoltaic-based system performs better in terms of specific energy consumption and unused energy ratio.
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Chunlan Pan, Xiaoyin Hu, Vishal Goyal, Theyab R. Alsenani, Salem Alkhalaf, Tamim Alkhalifah, Fahad Alturise, Hamad Almujibah, H. Elhosiny Ali
Summary: This paper introduces a novel waste heat recovery method using the hot flue gas from a ship's engine to produce liquefied hydrogen while meeting the ship's air-conditioning requirement. A comprehensive feasibility assessment is conducted and an artificial neural network with a multiobjective grey wolf optimization method is used for optimization. The findings indicate the highest mean sensitivity index of the flash temperature and the best optimization scenario for exergy efficiency, CO2 emission reduction, and liquefied hydrogen cost.
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Daniele Chinello, Jan Post, Louis C. P. M. de Smet
Summary: In this study, PVDF-based anion-exchange membranes were designed to selectively separate nitrate from chloride. Experimental data showed that increasing the concentration of PVDF enhanced nitrate transport but also increased the membrane electrical resistance. The selectivity of nitrate was found to be independent of the membrane thickness and mainly driven by the increased affinity between the anion and the membrane.
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Umar Noor, Muhammad Fayyaz Farid, Ammara Sharif, Amna Saleem, Zubair Nabi, Muhammad Furqan Mughal, Kiran Abbas, Toheed Ahmed
Summary: Global water scarcity is increasing, and water desalination is an important solution. Multifunctional advanced materials, such as membrane materials and solar-driven desalination, play a crucial role in water desalination. Additionally, these materials can be used for water purification, wastewater treatment, and pollutant elimination.
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Emrah Gumus
Summary: With growing global concerns about climate change and environmental impacts, the use of nuclear energy in naval vessels offers a cleaner and more efficient solution to reduce emissions and address water and energy supply challenges. This study explores a novel system that combines a nuclear-driven supercritical carbon dioxide power cycle with reverse osmosis cogeneration to meet the water and electricity demands in maritime operations, enhancing the sustainability, efficiency, and self-sufficiency of naval vessels. The results indicate that the system has the potential to be a viable and effective solution for naval operations.
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Dao Thi Thanh Huyen, Saikat Sinha Ray, Young -Nam Kwon
Summary: This study focuses on the modification of a commercially available polyamide thin-film composite membrane with a zwitterionic material to enhance its fouling resistance. The modified membrane shows improved salt rejection and reduced permeability compared to the pristine membrane. Fouling tests demonstrate that the modified membrane has a lower fouling ratio and higher recovery ratio. The enhanced antifouling characteristics are attributed to the improved hydrophilicity resulting from the zwitterionic brushes and the salting-in effect.
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Niklas Koeller, Lukas Mankertz, Selina Finger, Christian J. Linnartz, Matthias Wessling
Summary: This study presents a methodology to scale up Flow-electrode Capacitive Deionization (FCDI) technology from lab-scale to pilot-scale systems. By increasing membrane area and using a stacking approach, the FCDI modules were successfully scaled up and achieved a salt transfer rate comparable to lab-scale systems. This provides a foundation for future assessments of energy demand and economics.
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Mona Gulied, Sifani Zavahir, Tasneem Elmakki, Hyunwoong Park, Guillermo Hijos Gago, Ho Kyong Shon, Dong Suk Han
Summary: This study introduces a novel hybrid system that combines direct contact membrane distillation (DCMD) and electrically switched ion exchange (ESIX) to facilitate seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) brine enrichment and selective lithium recovery.
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Zhiqiang Zhang, Ruifeng Deng, Jiao Zhang, Lu She, Guangfeng Wei, Renyong Jia, Pengyu Xiang, Siqing Xia
Summary: A transmembrane electro-chemisorption system with authigenic acid and base was developed for enhancing ammonia recovery from strong ammonia wastewater. The system efficiently transformed ammonium into free ammonia, which was then adsorbed and recovered through transmembrane chemisorption. This system yielded pure (NH4)2SO4 product and produced valuable byproducts of pure hydrogen and oxygen. Higher applied voltage resulted in better ammonia recovery.
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Alena Popova, Sandrine Boivin, Takuji Shintani, Takahiro Fujioka
Summary: This study aimed to produce a high-integrity RO membrane by forming a polyamide skin layer on a TE support layer, in order to enhance the integrity of the membrane and improve the microbiological safety of potable water reuse.
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Sanjana Yagnambhatt, Saber Khanmohammadi, Jonathan Maisonneuve
Summary: This study investigates the concept of using heat to enhance reverse osmosis (RO) desalination. The effect of temperature on water permeate flux, specific energy, permeate quality, and applied operating pressures is evaluated using an analytical model. The results suggest that under specific conditions, the tradeoff between savings in mechanical pump work and thermal energy input in thermally-enhanced RO can be favorable, leading to overall energy savings.
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Jiangju Si, Chenrui Xue, Shun Li, Linchao Yang, Weiwei Li, Jie Yang, Jihong Lan, Ningbo Sun
Summary: To meet the huge demand for lithium resources, there is an urgent need to develop a new efficient technology for lithium recovery from salt-lake brines. In this study, a selective membrane capacitive deionization system is reported, which achieves high lithium recovery capacity and rate through the use of materials with efficient intercalated pseudo-capacitance and a high specific area porous carbon. The use of a modified thin-coated membrane allows for selective Li+ recovery, and adjusting the concentrations of Li+ and Mg2+ in the feed solution enables higher Li+/Mg2+ selectivity.
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Mohamed R. Salem, R. Y. Sakr, Ghazy M. R. Assassa, Omar A. Aly
Summary: This research proposes a new method of using wasted thermal energies as an additional heating source for solar still distillation units (SSDUs) to increase productivity and reduce pollution and global warming. By testing two SSDUs, the study shows that heating airflow can raise temperatures, enhance freshwater production, and improve system thermal efficiency.
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Qimeng Sun, Miao Sun, Linyan Yang, Yuan Gao, Xinghai Zhou, Lihua Lyu, Chunyan Wei
Summary: This study presents an innovative design and fabrication of a fabric-based conical roll (FCR) evaporator, which enables low-temperature evaporation and achieves high evaporation efficiency with excellent thermal management ability. The evaporator has demonstrated advanced light-harvesting capability and can produce freshwater that meets drinking water standards, showing great potential for applications in desalination and sewage treatment.
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Yidong Zhang, Wangfang Deng, Meiyan Wu, Chao Liu, Guang Yu, Qiu Cui, Pedram Fatehi, Chunlin Xu, Bin Li
Summary: In this study, a novel polydopamine-functionalized lignin-containing pulp foam evaporator with high-efficiency desalination and multi-contaminant adsorption capabilities was designed. The foam evaporator showed excellent light absorption, water absorption, thermal conductivity, and chelation abilities, allowing for solar evaporation and contaminant adsorption synergistically. It also exhibited potential applications in metal ion concentration and contaminated seawater treatments, and demonstrated superior biodegradability compared to poly-styrene foam. This foam material holds promise for developing multifunctional photo-thermal systems for solar-driven water purification.
