Review
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Nils Thonemann, Leon Zacharopoulos, Felix Fromme, Jochen Nuhlen
Summary: Mineral carbonation technologies rely on mineralization reactions to sequester carbon dioxide into mineral products, aiming at carbon capture, utilization, and storage. Studies show that various pathways and methodologies can significantly impact the results of life cycle assessments, and by conducting qualitative and meta analyses, the most environmentally friendly ex-situ carbonation routes can be identified.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Dwarakanath Ravikumar, Gregory A. Keoleian, Shelie A. Miller, Volker Sick
Summary: Estimates suggest that by 2050, 6.2 gigatons of CO2 can be captured and utilized through pathways like concrete, chemical, and minerals. However, comparing the climate benefits of these different carbon capture and utilization methods is challenging due to the uncertainty and variability in the early-stage technologies. Stochastically determined climate ROI metric has been proposed to rank and prioritize CO2 utilization pathways, showing that certain concrete and chemical pathways have the highest likelihood of generating a climate benefit.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Shwe Yi Win, Pakorn Opaprakasit, Seksan Papong
Summary: Life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology is applied to study a coal-fired power plant in Thailand and evaluate the environmental risks of capturing and utilizing carbon dioxide emissions. The alternative CO2-based methanol and formic acid productions result in higher environmental impact and costs compared to conventional productions.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Christian Moretti
Summary: This study critically reviews the methodological formulation of the recommended method for life cycle assessment (LCA) of carbon capture and utilization (CCU) technologies. Suggestions for corrections to possible inaccuracies in the guideline are made. The use of the recommended substitution method improves comparability and decision-making in assessing the environmental impacts of CCU technologies.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Mitchell K. Hulst, Anne B. Ottenbros, Bram van der Drift, Spela Ferjan, Toon van Harmelen, Anna E. Schwarz, Ernst Worrell, Rosalie van Zelm, Mark A. J. Huijbregts, Mara Hauck
Summary: Dealing with heterogeneous plastic waste and reducing GHG emissions from plastic production require integrated solutions. This study quantified the GHG footprint of direct chemical conversion of heterogeneous post-consumer plastic waste to olefins. It found that the recycling system has a negative GHG footprint and provides GHG benefits compared to incineration. The benefits are projected to increase with decarbonization and process optimizations by 2030.
RESOURCES CONSERVATION AND RECYCLING
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Yangdong He, Lin Zhu, Junming Fan, Luling Li, Gaihuan Liu
Summary: This paper explores the environmental benefits of CO2 utilization through the reverse water gas shift into syngas for the production of liquid fuel and power. Compared with conventional NGCC and GTL standalone production systems, this system achieves an energy savings of 18.19% and a life-cycle carbon emission reduction rate of 46.87% at the same outputs.
FUEL PROCESSING TECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
E. Batuecas, F. Liendo, T. Tommasi, S. Bensaid, F. A. Deorsola, D. Fino
Summary: This research evaluated a novel method for producing nanoCaCO3 as cement filler using CO2 from cement flue gases, and determined the best production route through assessing three scenarios. In terms of environmental impact, adding 2% of CaCO3 nanoparticles to cement can significantly reduce emissions.
JOURNAL OF CO2 UTILIZATION
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Olivier Mirgaux, Helene Anselmi, Fabrice Patisson
Summary: The study aims to use CO2 from the flue gas of a coal-fired power plant as a raw material to reduce global warming impacts and increase plant productivity. Modeling of system combinations in the plant using process simulation software and life cycle assessment are used to evaluate technical feasibility and environmental aspects.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Reza Shirmohammadi, Alireza Aslani, Roghayeh Ghasempour, Luis M. M. Romeo, Fontina Petrakopoulou
Summary: This paper studies and optimizes the urea production in Iran's largest CO2 utilization plant. The location, magnitude, and source of inefficiencies in the plant are evaluated using various analysis methods. The optimization process uses decision variables and objective functions trained with a combination of an artificial neural network and a genetic algorithm. The results show the need for improvements in certain components of the plant, and highlight the environmental impact of the absorber column and stripper.
JOURNAL OF CO2 UTILIZATION
(2022)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Tatiane Tobias da Cruz, Jose A. Perrella Balestieri, Joao M. de Toledo Silva, Mateus R. N. Vilanova, Otavio J. Oliveira, Ivonete Avila
Summary: This paper provides an overview of the LCA of CCS/CCU technologies from 1995 to 2018 through bibliometric analysis, highlighting the widespread application of LCA in different economic sectors and technologies driven by climate change mitigation targets. Scientific gaps have been identified, guiding future research in this field.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF GREENHOUSE GAS CONTROL
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Thai Ngan Do, Chanhee You, Jiyong Kim
Summary: In this study, a framework for CO2 capture and utilization for energy products (CCU4E) was developed and examined for its techno-economic and environmental performance. A total of 72 CO2-to-fuel pathways were analyzed to understand the trade-off between economic output and environmental impact, with a focus on the role of H2 in mitigating CO2eq emissions and economic potential. The study also highlighted the significance of green hydrogen price as a key factor in future CCU4E for reducing CO2eq emissions at a more stable and lower cost.
ENERGY & ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Agricultural Engineering
Moumita Roy, Ravineet Yadav, P. Chiranjeevi, Sunil A. Patil
Summary: The study demonstrates the potential of utilizing low impurity unpurified industrial CO2 for acetate production through microbial electrosynthesis. A mixed culture dominated by Acetobacterium showed higher production efficiency and electron recovery compared to a pure culture of Clostridium ljungdahlii, suggesting the robustness and advancement in MES technology utilizing slightly impure industrial CO2 feedstocks.
BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Yaser Khojasteh-Salkuyeh, Omid Ashrafi, Ehsan Mostafavi, Philippe Navarri
Summary: The study compared various methanol production processes and evaluated three technologies for CO2 conversion to methanol. Results showed that the direct CO2 hydrogenation process has advantages in terms of thermal efficiency and environmental friendliness, but requires low-carbon electricity support.
JOURNAL OF CO2 UTILIZATION
(2021)
Article
Thermodynamics
Reza Shirmohammadi, Alireza Aslani, Roghayeh Ghasempour, Luis M. Romeo, Fontina Petrakopoulou
Summary: Utilizing industrial surplus heat for CO2 liquefaction can reduce carbon emissions, improve energy utilization efficiency, and have positive impacts on both industry and society. Analyzing the developed CO2 liquefaction system through energy, exergy, economic, and exergoeconomic analyses can evaluate its technical and economic benefits.
JOURNAL OF THERMAL ANALYSIS AND CALORIMETRY
(2021)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Lucia S. Layritz, Iulia Dolganova, Matthias Finkbeiner, Gunnar Luderer, Alberto T. Penteado, Falko Ueckerdt, Jens-Uwe Repke
Summary: The article analyzes two main strategies to reduce emissions from ethylene production, direct electrification and indirect electrification, and shows how emissions can be maximally reduced based on electricity carbon intensity. It is pointed out that achieving a net-zero emission production process through decarbonized electricity supply and product recycling may only be possible after 2030.
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Nils Thonemann, Sebastian Stiessel, Daniel Maga, Boris Dresen, Markus Hiebel, Bjoern Hunstock, Goerge Deerberg, Eckhard Weidner
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING & TECHNOLOGY
(2020)
Review
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Alexis Laurent, Bo P. Weidema, Jane Bare, Xun Liao, Danielle Maia de Souza, Massimo Pizzol, Serenella Sala, Hanna Schreiber, Nils Thonemann, Francesca Verones
JOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL ECOLOGY
(2020)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Nils Thonemann, Daniel Maga
CHEMIE INGENIEUR TECHNIK
(2020)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Eleonora Bargiacchi, Nils Thonemann, Jutta Geldermann, Marco Antonelli, Umberto Desideri
Editorial Material
Engineering, Environmental
Daniel Maga, Nils Thonemann, Philip Strothmann, Guido Sonnemann
RESOURCES CONSERVATION AND RECYCLING
(2021)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Anna Schulte, Daniel Maga, Nils Thonemann
Summary: The remanufacturing of medical products, such as electrophysiology catheters, is seen as having great potential for sustainability. Life cycle assessment (LCA) is commonly used to evaluate the environmental impact of remanufactured products, but a system perspective is needed for decision-making. This study found that using remanufactured catheters can significantly reduce global warming impact and abiotic resource use compared to newly-manufactured catheters.
Review
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Nils Thonemann, Leon Zacharopoulos, Felix Fromme, Jochen Nuhlen
Summary: Mineral carbonation technologies rely on mineralization reactions to sequester carbon dioxide into mineral products, aiming at carbon capture, utilization, and storage. Studies show that various pathways and methodologies can significantly impact the results of life cycle assessments, and by conducting qualitative and meta analyses, the most environmentally friendly ex-situ carbonation routes can be identified.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Daniel Maga, Christina Galafton, Jan Bloemer, Nils Thonemann, Aybueke Oezdamar, Juergen Bertling
Summary: This study proposes a method for assessing the risks of plastic emissions by quantifying plastic pollution equivalents using characterization factors based on the persistence of plastics in the environment. The results include degradation measurements, redistribution patterns, and an uncertainty analysis of the suggested characterization factors.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT
(2022)
Correction
Engineering, Environmental
Daniel Maga, Christina Galafton, Jan Bloemer, Nils Thonemann, Aybueke Oezdamar, Juergen Bertling
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT
(2022)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Karen Saavedra-Rubio, Nils Thonemann, Eleonora Crenna, Bruno Lemoine, Priscillia Caliandro, Alexis Laurent
Summary: The article discusses the importance of life cycle inventory (LCI) data gathering in life cycle assessment (LCA) studies and presents a stepwise data collection guidance to address the issues of inefficiency, lack of transparency, and inconsistency caused by existing guidelines limitations.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2022)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Leon Zacharopoulos, Nils Thonemann, Marcel Dumeier, Jutta Geldermann
Summary: This study develops a model that combines variable environmental impacts of electricity generation with user behavior, and quantifies and optimizes the environmental impacts at different time points. The study finds that focusing solely on minimizing overall environmental impacts could lead to conflicting objectives. Optimizing demand timing can significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but increases material resource depletion.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Christina Galafton, Daniel Maga, Guido Sonnemann, Nils Thonemann
Summary: This study assesses the environmental impacts of different plasticulture methods for strawberry cultivation, including the possible impacts caused by plastic emissions. The results show that using a combination of conventional mulch film and row cover or biodegradable mulch film has the lowest environmental impacts, while a macro tunnel or greenhouse has the highest impacts. Plastic pollution contributes significantly to the overall environmental impact of strawberry cultivation, and efforts are being made to include plastic emissions in life cycle assessment.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT
(2023)
Article
Environmental Studies
Lea Rupcic, Eleonore Pierrat, Karen Saavedra-Rubio, Nils Thonemann, Chizoba Ogugua, Alexis Laurent
Summary: The aviation sector contributes to environmental problems, and a systematic literature review of life cycle assessment studies is performed to map the environmental impacts in the sector and provide methodological recommendations. The sector is divided into cross-cutting systems, and the review confirms a focus on climate change impacts. Mitigation strategies involve reducing CO2 emissions during aircraft operations and improving fuel efficiency. Knowledge gaps, such as noise impacts and non-CO2 flight emissions, are identified and discussed, and recommendations are provided to LCA practitioners and aviation stakeholders.
TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH PART D-TRANSPORT AND ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Aerospace
Markus Meindl, Cor de Ruiter, Valerio Marciello, Mario Di Stasio, Florian Hilpert, Manuela Ruocco, Fabrizio Nicolosi, Nils Thonemann, Karen Saavedra-Rubio, Louis Locqueville, Alexis Laurent, Martin Maerz
Summary: The article discusses the challenges of sustainability and emission reductions faced by airports. It focuses on the GENESIS project and its aim to develop a technology roadmap for the transition to sustainable and competitive electric aircraft systems. The article proposes various options for ground power supply at a regional airport and estimates the future energy demand per day, month, and year.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Shitong Fang, Houfan Du, Tao Yan, Keyu Chen, Zhiyuan Li, Xiaoqing Ma, Zhihui Lai, Shengxi Zhou
Summary: This paper proposes a new type of nonlinear VIV energy harvester (ANVEH) that compensates for the decrease in peak energy output at low wind speeds by introducing an auxiliary structure. Theoretical and experimental results show that ANVEH performs better than traditional nonlinear VIV energy harvesters under various system parameter variations.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Wei Jiang, Shuo Zhang, Teng Wang, Yufei Zhang, Aimin Sha, Jingjing Xiao, Dongdong Yuan
Summary: A standardized method was developed to evaluate the availability of solar energy resources in road areas, which combined the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and the Geographic Information System (GIS). By analyzing critical factors and using a multi-indicator evaluation method, the method accurately evaluated the utilization of solar energy resources and guided the optimal location selection for road photovoltaic (PV) projects. The results provided guidance for the application of road PV projects and site selection for route corridors worldwide, promoting the integration of transportation and energy.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Chang Liu, Jacob A. Wrubel, Elliot Padgett, Guido Bender
Summary: The study investigates the effects of coating defects on the performance of the anode porous transport layer (PTL) in water electrolyzers. The results show that an increasing fraction of uncoated regions on the PTL leads to decreased cell performance, with continuous uncoated regions having a more severe impact compared to multiple thin uncoated strips.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Marcos Tostado-Veliz, Xiaolong Jin, Rohit Bhakar, Francisco Jurado
Summary: In this paper, a coordinated charging price mechanism for clusters of parking lots is proposed. The research shows that enabling vehicle-to-grid characteristics can bring significant economic benefits for users and the cluster coordinator, and vehicle-to-grid impacts noticeably on the risk-averse character of the uncertainty-aware strategies. The developed pricing mechanism can reduce the cost for users, avoiding to directly translate the energy cost to charging points.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Duan Kang
Summary: Building an energy superpower is a key strategy for China and a long-term goal for other countries. This study proposes an evaluation system and index for measuring energy superpower, and finds that China has significantly improved its ranking over the past 21 years, surpassing other countries.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Fucheng Deng, Yifei Wang, Xiaosen Li, Gang Li, Yi Wang, Bin Huang
Summary: This study investigated the synergistic blockage mechanism of sand and hydrate in gravel filling layer and the evolution of permeability in the layer. Experimental models and modified permeability models were established to analyze the effects of sand particles and hydrate formation on permeability. The study provided valuable insights for the safe and efficient exploitation of hydrate reservoirs.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Hao Wang, Xiwen Chen, Natan Vital, Edward Duffy, Abolfazl Razi
Summary: This study proposes a HVAC energy optimization model based on deep reinforcement learning algorithm. It achieves 37% energy savings and ensures thermal comfort for open office buildings. The model has a low complexity, uses a few controllable factors, and has a short training time with good generalizability.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Moyue Cong, Yongzhuo Gao, Weidong Wang, Long He, Xiwang Mao, Yi Long, Wei Dong
Summary: This study introduces a multi-strategy ultra-wideband energy harvesting device that achieves high power output without the need for external power input. By utilizing asymmetry, stagger array, magnetic coupling, and nonlinearity strategies, the device maintains a stable output voltage and high power density output at non-resonant frequencies. Temperature and humidity monitoring are performed using Bluetooth sensors to adaptively assess the device.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Tianshu Dong, Xiudong Duan, Yuanyuan Huang, Danji Huang, Yingdong Luo, Ziyu Liu, Xiaomeng Ai, Jiakun Fang, Chaolong Song
Summary: Electrochemical water splitting is crucial for hydrogen production, and improving the hydrogen separation rate from the electrode is essential for enhancing water electrolyzer performance. However, issues such as air bubble adhesion to the electrode plate hinder the process. Therefore, a methodology to investigate the two-phase flow within the electrolyzer is in high demand. This study proposes using a microfluidic system as a simulator for the electrolyzer and optimizing the two-phase flow by manipulating the micro-structure of the flow.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Shuo Han, Yifan Yuan, Mengjiao He, Ziwen Zhao, Beibei Xu, Diyi Chen, Jakub Jurasz
Summary: Giving full play to the flexibility of hydropower and integrating more variable renewable energy is of great significance for accelerating the transformation of China's power energy system. This study proposes a novel day-ahead scheduling model that considers the flexibility limited by irregular vibration zones (VZs) and the probability of flexibility shortage in a hydropower-variable renewable energy hybrid generation system. The model is applied to a real hydropower station and effectively improves the flexibility supply capacity of hydropower, especially during heavy load demand in flood season.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Zhen Wang, Kangqi Fan, Shizhong Zhao, Shuxin Wu, Xuan Zhang, Kangjia Zhai, Zhiqi Li, Hua He
Summary: This study developed a high-performance rotary energy harvester (AI-REH) inspired by archery, which efficiently accumulates and releases ultralow-frequency vibration energy. By utilizing a magnetic coupling strategy and an accumulator spring, the AI-REH achieves significantly accelerated rotor speeds and enhanced electric outputs.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Yi Yang, Qianyi Xing, Kang Wang, Caihong Li, Jianzhou Wang, Xiaojia Huang
Summary: In this study, a novel hybrid Quantile Regression (QR) model is proposed for Probabilistic Load Forecasting (PLF). The model integrates causal dilated convolution, residual connection, and Bidirectional Long Short-Term Memory (BiLSTM) for multi-scale feature extraction. In addition, a Combined Probabilistic Load Forecasting System (CPLFS) is proposed to overcome the inherent flaws of relying on a single model. Simulation results show that the hybrid QR outperforms traditional models and CPLFS exceeds the best benchmarks in terms of prediction accuracy and stability.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Wen-Jiang Zou, Young-Bae Kim, Seunghun Jung
Summary: This paper proposes a dynamic prediction model for capacity fade in vanadium redox flow batteries (VRFBs). The model accurately predicts changes in electrolyte volume and capacity fade, enhancing the competitiveness of VRFBs in energy storage applications.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Yuechao Ma, Shengtie Wang, Guangchen Liu, Guizhen Tian, Jianwei Zhang, Ruiming Liu
Summary: This paper focuses on the balance of state of charge (SOC) among multiple battery energy storage units (MBESUs) and bus voltage balance in an islanded bipolar DC microgrid. A SOC automatic balancing strategy is proposed considering the energy flow relationship and utilizing the adaptive virtual resistance algorithm. The simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed strategy in achieving SOC balancing and decreasing bus voltage unbalance.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Raad Z. Homod, Basil Sh. Munahi, Hayder Ibrahim Mohammed, Musatafa Abbas Abbood Albadr, Aissa Abderrahmane, Jasim M. Mahdi, Mohamed Bechir Ben Hamida, Bilal Naji Alhasnawi, A. S. Albahri, Hussein Togun, Umar F. Alqsair, Zaher Mundher Yaseen
Summary: In this study, the control problem of the multiple-boiler system (MBS) is formulated as a dynamic Markov decision process and a deep clustering reinforcement learning approach is applied to obtain the optimal control policy. The proposed strategy, based on bang-bang action, shows superior response and achieves more than 32% energy saving compared to conventional fixed parameter controllers under dynamic indoor/outdoor actual conditions.
