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Advanced Low-Carbon Energy Processes: Engineering, Optimization, and System Integration for...
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Advanced Low-Carbon Energy Processes: Engineering, Optimization, and System Integration for Carbon Neutrality

A special issue of Processes (ISSN 2227-9717). This special issue belongs to the section "Chemical Processes and Systems".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 May 2026 | Viewed by 3477

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Shuai Guo

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Energy and Power Engineering, Northeast Electric Power University, Jilin 132012, China
Interests: waste to energy; co-combustion; pyrolysis and gasification; desulfurization and denitration
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Chang Xing

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Energy Science and Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, China
Interests: combustion; clean energy; hydrogen power system
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Zhifeng Hu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Engineering, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
Interests: biomass; waste; hydrogen; syngas; chemical looping technology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Guicai Liu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Residues and Resource Reclamation Centre, Nanyang Environment and Water Research Institute, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 637141, Singapore
Interests: CO2 capture; waste-to-energy; chemical looping
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The global pursuit of carbon neutrality has spurred an urgent demand for innovative low-carbon energy technologies and integrated systems. Addressing climate challenges requires synergistic advancements in renewable energy utilization, traditional energy decarbonization, and carbon management. This Special Issue aims to provide a platform for showcasing cutting-edge research on low-carbon energy systems, focusing on technologies that enhance efficiency, reduce emissions, and accelerate the transition to net-zero carbon.

Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Renewable energy (wind, solar, and biomass) and advanced energy storage solutions;
  • Decarbonization of traditional energy systems (e.g., natural gas liquefaction with high-efficiency heat exchange);
  • Carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS), including integrated CO2 capture and utilization (ICCU);
  • Hydrogen energy technologies (e.g., hydrogen combustion engines);
  • Biomass conversion (e.g., biomass chemical looping gasification and pyrolysis–steam reforming);
  • Low-carbon energy materials and integrated smart energy systems.

We welcome contributions that explore the theoretical, experimental, and practical aspects of low-carbon energy, fostering solutions for a sustainable, carbon-neutral future.

Dr. Shuai Guo
Dr. Chang Xing
Dr. Zhifeng Hu
Dr. Guicai Liu
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Processes is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • carbon neutrality
  • low-carbon energy
  • renewable energy
  • carbon capture utilization
  • hydrogen energy
  • energy storage
  • traditional energy decarbonization

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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22 pages, 2751 KB  
Article
Cascaded Thermal Storage for Low-Carbon Heating: An Air-Assisted Ground-Source Heat Pump with Zoned Boreholes in a Cold-Climate Building
by Peiqiang Chen, Zhuozhi Wang and Yuanfang Liu
Processes 2026, 14(6), 958; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr14060958 - 17 Mar 2026
Viewed by 394
Abstract
The pursuit of carbon neutrality demands advanced low-carbon energy processes and their effective integration into building systems. Ground-source heat pumps (GSHPs) offer a key pathway for decarbonizing heating, yet their cold-climate application is compromised by soil thermal imbalance, which degrades their long-term efficiency. [...] Read more.
The pursuit of carbon neutrality demands advanced low-carbon energy processes and their effective integration into building systems. Ground-source heat pumps (GSHPs) offer a key pathway for decarbonizing heating, yet their cold-climate application is compromised by soil thermal imbalance, which degrades their long-term efficiency. This study proposes and evaluates an innovative air-assisted GSHP system that integrates a vegetable greenhouse with a zoned borehole configuration for seasonal thermal storage to achieve carbon neutrality. The system segregates boreholes into core and peripheral zones to establish a controlled soil temperature gradient, enabling cascaded heat storage and thermal optimization. A comprehensive year-long field test was conducted on a residential building in Harbin, China. The results demonstrate that the system reliably maintains comfortable indoor conditions during severe winters, achieving average seasonal COPs of 3.82 for the heat pump unit and 2.85 for the overall system. The zoned operation strategy successfully generated a significant intra-field soil temperature gradient, with a maximum differential of 5.9 °C between the core and peripheral boreholes during charging. The measured heat extraction-to-storage ratio was 0.598, confirming effective cascaded utilization. From an environmental perspective aligned with low-carbon energy technologies, the system achieves annual savings of 8.66 tons of standard coal and a net CO2 reduction of 1.3 tons when accounting for regional grid carbon intensity. This research provides empirical validation and practical design guidance for implementing efficient GSHP systems in severely cold regions, thereby contributing substantively to building sector decarbonization. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Low-Carbon Energy Processes: Engineering, Optimization, and System Integration for Carbon Neutrality)
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20 pages, 1504 KB  
Article
Feasibility and Characteristics Study on Direct Ignition of High-Temperature Biomass Gasification Syngas with Ambient Air
by Yao Xu, Yejian Qian, Yu Zhang, Taotao Zhou, Juye Wan and Ming Zhai
Processes 2026, 14(3), 474; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr14030474 - 29 Jan 2026
Viewed by 381
Abstract
To advance the engineering application of the fusion decoupling combustion technology previously proposed by our research group, this work focuses on its second stage—the high-temperature syngas combustion stage—and specifically addresses the critical issue of whether high-temperature gasified syngas can achieve direct and stable [...] Read more.
To advance the engineering application of the fusion decoupling combustion technology previously proposed by our research group, this work focuses on its second stage—the high-temperature syngas combustion stage—and specifically addresses the critical issue of whether high-temperature gasified syngas can achieve direct and stable ignition when mixed with ambient air. For this purpose, a high-temperature syngas combustion experimental system was established, utilizing syngas that simulates the composition of biomass gasification products as the research subject. A systematic investigation was carried out to explore the influence patterns of syngas temperature and key components on the ignition limits, which are characterized by the lower and upper limits of the excess air coefficient (λmin and λmax). The results indicate that increasing the syngas temperature significantly broadens the ignition limits: λmin decreased from 0.73 to 0.59, while λmax increased simultaneously, primarily due to accelerated reaction kinetics and the contribution of high-temperature sensible heat. An increase in H2 content significantly expands the ignition range, whereas an increase in CO content narrows the limits, reflecting the opposing roles of these two components in terms of reactivity. Both diluent components, CO2 and N2, increase λmin; however, N2 exhibits a more pronounced inhibitory effect due to its higher volumetric heat capacity and greater thermal inertia. This study confirms the feasibility of direct ignition between high-temperature gasification syngas and ambient air, providing important experimental evidence for the engineering application of the fusion decoupling combustion process. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Low-Carbon Energy Processes: Engineering, Optimization, and System Integration for Carbon Neutrality)
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20 pages, 5003 KB  
Article
Numerical Simulation of the Combustion Characteristics of a 330 MW Tangentially Fired Boiler with Preheating Combustion Devices Under Various Loads
by Siyuan Wang, Hong Tang, Zuodong Liu, Zhiming Xu and Shuai Guo
Processes 2025, 13(12), 4026; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr13124026 - 12 Dec 2025
Viewed by 617
Abstract
With the rapid development of renewable energy sources in power generation, utility boilers need to perform load regulation over a wide range to maintain the stability of the power supply system. Preheating combustion technology is a potential approach to achieve wide load range [...] Read more.
With the rapid development of renewable energy sources in power generation, utility boilers need to perform load regulation over a wide range to maintain the stability of the power supply system. Preheating combustion technology is a potential approach to achieve wide load range operation, improve combustion stability, and lower NOx emissions from utility boilers. Preheating combustion devices (PCDs) were designed and installed in the reduction zone of a boiler. These devices preheated the coal at an excess air ratio ranging from 0.35 to 0.7 to generate high-temperature gas and char, which effectively reduced NOx formation in the furnace. Numerical studies were conducted to evaluate the combustion performance and nitrogen oxides emissions of a 330 MW utility boiler retrofitted with PCDs at different loads. The simulations were conducted over a load range of 20% to 100% of the rated load, corresponding to an electrical power of 66 MW to 330 MW. The preheated combustion device’s previous experimental data served as the boundary conditions of the preheated product nozzles. The simulation results demonstrated that the retrofitted boiler could operate stably from 20% to 100% of the rated load, maintaining acceptable combustion efficiency and lower NOx emissions. The combustion efficiency gradually dropped with decreasing boiler load, reaching a minimum value of 95.6%. As the load declined, the size of the imaginary tangent circle of the boiler shrank, while the ignition distance increased. Additionally, the variation in NOx concentration with load was complex. The NOx concentration at the furnace outlet was between 102.7 and 220.3 mg/m3, and the preheated products effectively reduced the nitrogen oxides produced by combustion in the furnace at all loads. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Low-Carbon Energy Processes: Engineering, Optimization, and System Integration for Carbon Neutrality)
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17 pages, 1291 KB  
Article
Performance and Economic Analysis of a High-Efficiency Wide-Working Load Distillation System with Combined Ejector
by Bingxu Chen, Hongjie Chen, Zhizhou Xu, Wenfeng Liang, Haishen Huang and Lin Xia
Processes 2025, 13(12), 3783; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr13123783 - 23 Nov 2025
Viewed by 559
Abstract
A distillation system with an ejector for secondary steam utilization can effectively improve energy efficiency. However, the poor performance of the ejector under varying operating conditions makes it difficult for the distillation system to adapt to wide-range operational requirements. To address this challenge, [...] Read more.
A distillation system with an ejector for secondary steam utilization can effectively improve energy efficiency. However, the poor performance of the ejector under varying operating conditions makes it difficult for the distillation system to adapt to wide-range operational requirements. To address this challenge, a distillation system using a combined ejector with staged and continuous adjustment is proposed, and its performance and economic feasibility under wide load conditions is analyzed. The results show that when a combined ejector is used—composed of four fixed-structure ejectors with capacities of 6.25%, 12.5%, 25%, and 50%, along with a nozzle needle-adjustable ejector with a capacity range of 0–6.25%—the distillation system can combine the advantages of both staged and continuous adjustment. This system can utilize secondary steam across a load range of 2.53–100%, whereas a distillation system with a single continuously adjustable ejector can only utilize secondary steam within a load range of 40.5–100%. As the load varies from 0 to 100%, the proposed system achieves an average entrainment ratio of 0.525, with an efficiency not less than 50% of the design value over 95.23% of the range. In contrast, the conventional single continuously adjustable ejector has an average entrainment ratio of 0.177, and the distillation system efficiency remains above 50% of the design value for only 25.32% of the range. In a solar-assisted distillation system, the combined ejector improves the coefficient of performance (COP) by over 30%, with a payback period of less than one year. The findings highlight the system’s superior adaptability, efficiency, and economic viability for applications with unstable energy supply. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Low-Carbon Energy Processes: Engineering, Optimization, and System Integration for Carbon Neutrality)
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Review

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26 pages, 3463 KB  
Review
Lifecycle Carbon Emissions and Mitigation Strategies of Electrical Equipment: A Comprehensive Review
by Shuzhen Li, Yingwei Jiang, Jun Yi, Bo Miao, Chao Liu, Zhongqian Ling and Guangxue Zhang
Processes 2026, 14(1), 40; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr14010040 - 22 Dec 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1038
Abstract
Under the national carbon peaking and carbon neutrality goals, electrical equipment plays a crucial role in energy production, transmission, and end-use systems, making the research on its lifecycle carbon emissions and mitigation strategies particularly significant. Based on the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) framework, [...] Read more.
Under the national carbon peaking and carbon neutrality goals, electrical equipment plays a crucial role in energy production, transmission, and end-use systems, making the research on its lifecycle carbon emissions and mitigation strategies particularly significant. Based on the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) framework, this review systematically examines carbon emission characteristics across raw material acquisition, manufacturing, transportation, usage, and end-of-life recycling stages of electrical equipment. The analysis indicates that the manufacturing and usage stages are generally the main contributors to total lifecycle emissions. Moreover, challenges such as incomplete carbon data, inconsistent boundary definitions, and insufficient recycling systems are highlighted. Correspondingly, this review summarizes key mitigation pathways, including low-carbon design and material optimization, low-carbon manufacturing processes, energy-efficient operation supported by intelligent monitoring, and enhanced recycling and remanufacturing practices. Finally, future perspectives are proposed, emphasizing the need to establish unified LCA databases, develop intelligent and data-driven carbon monitoring systems, and strengthen cross-sector collaboration to support the green and low-carbon transformation of electrical equipment industries. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Low-Carbon Energy Processes: Engineering, Optimization, and System Integration for Carbon Neutrality)
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