Concentrated solar power plants (CSPs) are gaining increasing interest, mostly as parabolic trough collectors (PTC) or solar tower collectors (STC). Notwithstanding CSP benefits, the daily and monthly variation of the solar irradiation flux is a main drawback. Despite the approximate match between hours of the day where solar radiation and energy demand peak, CSPs experience short term variations on cloudy days and cannot provide energy during night hours unless incorporating thermal energy storage (TES) and/or backup systems (BS) to operate continuously. To determine the optimum design and operation of the CSP throughout the year, whilst defining the required TES and/or BS, an accurate estimation of the daily solar irradiation is needed. Local solar irradiation data are mostly only available as monthly averages, and a predictive conversion into hourly data and direct irradiation is needed to provide a more accurate input into the CSP design. The paper (i) briefly reviews CSP technologies and STC advantages; (ii) presents a methodology to predict hourly beam (direct) irradiation from available monthly averages, based upon combined previous literature findings and available meteorological data; (iii) illustrates predictions for different selected STC locations; and finally (iv) describes the use of the predictions in simulating the required plant configuration of an optimum STC. The methodology and results demonstrate the potential of CSPs in general, whilst also defining the design background of STC plants.

/pdf/concentrated-solar-power-plants-review-and-design-1vowjo3z7e.pdf

Concentrated solar power plants: Review and design methodology

Recent developments in phase change materials for energy storage applications: A review

An overview of thermal energy storage systems

The most significant threat that mankind faces in the 21th century is global warming. Buildings, which account for 40% of global energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, play a pivotal role in global warming. Estimates show that their destructive impact will grow by 1.8% per year through 2050, which indicates that future consumption and emissions will be worse than today. Therefore, the impact of cooling systems cannot be ignored, as they, along with ventilation and heating systems, account for 60% of the energy consumed in buildings. Passive cooling techniques are a promising alternative to conventional cooling systems. Of the various passive cooling strategies, thermal energy storage by means of latent heat is an efficient way to increase the thermal inertia of building envelopes, which would reduce temperature fluctuations, leading to the improved thermal comfort of occupants. Phase change materials (PCMs) with high density for thermal energy storage can be efficiently employed to this purpose. This paper reviews recent studies of the application of PCMs for passive cooling in buildings. From the literature, a comprehensive list of different organic, inorganic and eutectic PCMs appropriate for passive cooling in buildings are reviewed. Full-scale testing and numerical modeling were found to be the most popular investigative methods used for experimental and theoretical analysis of PCMs. The combination of these two methods can provide a detailed and valid technique for PCM investigations. Finally, incorporating PCMs into building walls with macro encapsulation was also a dominant interest in previous studies.

A review on phase change material (PCM) for sustainable passive cooling in building envelopes

Heat transfer fluids for concentrating solar power systems – A review

Thermal energy storage: Recent developments and practical aspects

Adsorption of Congo red dye on FexCo3-xO4 nanoparticles.

Hydrogen is a common reactant in the petro-chemical industry and moreover recognized as a potential fuel within the next 20 years The production of hydrogen from biomass and carbohydrate feedstock, though undoubtedly desirable and favored, is still at the level of laboratory or pilot scale The present work reviews the current researched pathways Different types of carbohydrates, and waste biomass are identified as feedstock for the fermentative bio-hydrogen production Although all techniques suffer from drawbacks of a low H2 yield and the production of a liquid waste stream rich in VFAs that needs further treatment, the technical advances foster the commercial utilization Bacterial strains capable of high hydrogen yield are assessed, together with advanced techniques of co-culture fermentation and metabolic engineering Residual VFAs can be converted The review provides an insight on how fermentation can be conducted for a wide spectrum of feedstock and how fermentation effluent can be valorized by integrating fermentation with other systems, leading to an improved industrial potential of the technique To boost the fermentation potential, additional research should firstly target its demonstration on pilot or industrial scale to prove the process efficiency, production costs and method reliability It should secondly focus on optimizing the micro-organism functionality, and should finally develop and demonstrate a viable valorization of the residual VFA-rich waste streams

/pdf/reviewing-the-potential-of-bio-hydrogen-production-by-1g5nfitm8q.pdf

Huili Zhang

Papers

Concentrated solar power plants: Review and design methodology

Thermal energy storage: Recent developments and practical aspects

Adsorption of Congo red dye on FexCo3-xO4 nanoparticles.

Reviewing the potential of bio-hydrogen production by fermentation

Latent heat storage with tubular-encapsulated phase change materials (PCMs)