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Sustainability in the Development of Renewable Energy Technologies and Thermal Engineering

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Energy Sustainability".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (1 March 2025) | Viewed by 6435

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Jesús Castro

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
The School of Industrial, Aerospace and Audiovisual Engineering of Terrassa (ESEIAAT), Terrassa, Spain
Interests: heat transfer; numerical simulation; energy; thermal engineering; numerical modeling; solar energy; heat exchangers; fluid mechanics; experimental fluid mechanics; mechanical engineering

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

To achieve the goal of carbon emission neutrality, renewable energy technologies will play a central role in the coming decades. The implementation of renewable energy technologies is a multidisciplinary engineering challenge, and thermal engineering is one of the most relevant areas for exploration. Thermal engineering problems are present in the thermal management of PV installations, wind turbine nacelles, bio and synthetic fuel production with renewables, etc. Moreover, in the case of renewable energy thermal systems, thermal engineering is even more relevant, e.g., solar thermal energy, geothermal, ground source, biomass, etc., used in power cycles or heat conversion. Especially significant are technologies linked to energy storage due to the inherent intermittent nature of renewable resources.

Therefore, this Special Issue, entitled "Sustainability in the Development of Renewable Energy Technologies and Thermal Engineering", is devoted to publishing scholarly papers associated with thermal engineering problems to be solved for the deployment of renewable energy systems (RES) and compiling cutting-edge research involving new ideas for increasing efficiency at the component or system level to achieve mainly energetic and economic benefits, i.e., decrease the levelized cost of energy (LCOE).

For this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:

  • Thermal management of RES: PV, wind turbines, bio and synthetic fuel production, solar thermal, geothermal, ground source, biomass, etc.
  • Thermal engineering problems related to the integration of energy storage systems with RES: electrochemical batteries, thermal and thermochemical energy storage devices, H2 storage systems (by compression/liquefaction, sorption technologies, and so on), etc.
  • Case Studies that explain the lessons learned from the new implementation of RES systems related to thermal engineering. Industrial cases will be especially welcome.
  • Energetic optimization by means of based on first and second thermodynamic principles.
  • Innovative control strategies related to thermal management to improve energy efficiency.
  • CAPEX and OPEX reduction of RES systems via energy efficiency improvements or component reduction.
  • Levelized cost of energy (LCOE) calculations for new implementations of RES systems.
  • Thermal studies related to innovations in the design of RES components to reduce carbon emissions via new materials, processes, etc.

I look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Jesús Castro
Guest Editor

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 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

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. Sustainability 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

  • sustainable energy system
  • renewable energy technology
  • energy economics
  • thermal engineering of res
  • thermal engineering of the integration of res with energy storage systems
  • innovative manufacturing methods for res components
  • industrial energy case studies
  • energetic optimization
  • thermal management control strategy
  • capex and opex reduction
  • levelized cost of energy (LCOE) calculations
  • life cycle assessment

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

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

18 pages, 2943 KiB  
Article
Production and Characterization of First-Generation Bioethanol from Extracted Mesquite Pod (Prosopis juliflora (Sw.) DC.) Broth
by Manoel T. Leite Filho, Mário E. R. M. Cavalcanti-Mata, Maria E. M. Duarte, Alexandre S. Lúcio, Francisca M. Sousa, Mylena O. P. Melo, Jorge J. A. Martins, João M. P. Q. Delgado and Antonio G. B. Lima
Sustainability 2025, 17(1), 173; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17010173 - 29 Dec 2024
Viewed by 837
Abstract
The mesquite tree (Prosopis juliflora) is cultivated across 500,000 hectares in the semi-arid region of Brazil, primarily aimed at recovering degraded areas in the northeastern part of the country, which represents 15.7% of the national territory. However, its economic potential remains [...] Read more.
The mesquite tree (Prosopis juliflora) is cultivated across 500,000 hectares in the semi-arid region of Brazil, primarily aimed at recovering degraded areas in the northeastern part of the country, which represents 15.7% of the national territory. However, its economic potential remains underutilized. Mesquite pods are particularly rich in carbohydrates, making them a promising raw material for bioethanol production. This study investigates the production of first-generation bioethanol from mesquite pods as feedstock. Mature pods were sourced from local producers in Sumé Town, located in the Cariri Paraibano microregion of Brazil. Sugar extraction from the mesquite pods involved hydration followed by pressing, with the extracted juice adjusted to a pH of 4.3 and soluble solids (°Brix) concentrations corrected to 20, 18, and 16. The juice was then subjected to fermentation using different yeast strains (fresh yeast, granular yeast, and FLNF CA-11) at a concentration of 25 g L−1. Alcoholic fermentation was carried out in a batch system, with measurements of cell concentration (biomass), soluble solids (°Brix), ethanol concentration (°GL), and pH taken at 2 h intervals over a 20 h period. The best physicochemical characterization of bioethanol was obtained using the LNF CA-11 yeast at 20 °Brix, producing a biofuel that met Brazilian legal standards set by the National Petroleum Agency (ANP). The bioethanol had a colorless appearance and was free of impurities, with a titratable acidity of 28.2 mg of acetic acid, electrical conductivity of 282.33 µS m−1, a specific mass of 809 kg m−3, an alcohol content of 95.5 °GL, a pH of 6.28, and no evaporation residue in 100 mL. Additionally, the highest bioethanol yield was achieved with broth fermented at 18 °Brix and LNF CA-11 yeast. These results highlight the potential of mesquite pods as a renewable energy alternative, especially relevant in the context of the global climate crisis; the growing need to reduce dependence on fossil fuels; and the need to reduce environmental problems; and they promote the added-value and use of this product. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability in the Development of Renewable Energy Technologies and Thermal Engineering)
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16 pages, 3274 KiB  
Article
CH4 and CO2 Reductions from Methanol Production Using Municipal Solid Waste Gasification with Hydrogen Enhancement
by Mohammad Ostadi, Daniel R. Cohn, Guiyan Zang and Leslie Bromberg
Sustainability 2024, 16(19), 8649; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16198649 - 6 Oct 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2377
Abstract
This study evaluates the greenhouse gas (GHG) impacts of converting municipal solid waste (MSW) into methanol, focusing on both landfill methane (CH4) emission avoidance and the provision of cleaner liquid fuels with lower carbon intensity. We conduct a life cycle assessment [...] Read more.
This study evaluates the greenhouse gas (GHG) impacts of converting municipal solid waste (MSW) into methanol, focusing on both landfill methane (CH4) emission avoidance and the provision of cleaner liquid fuels with lower carbon intensity. We conduct a life cycle assessment (LCA) to assess potential GHG reductions from MSW gasification to methanol, enhanced with hydrogen produced via natural gas pyrolysis or water electrolysis. Hydrogen enhancement effectively doubles the methanol yield from a given amount of MSW. Special attention is given to hydrogen production through natural gas pyrolysis due to its potential for lower-cost hydrogen and reduced reliance on renewable electricity compared to electrolytic hydrogen. Our analysis uses a case study of methanol production from an oxygen-fired entrained flow gasifier fed with refuse-derived fuel (RDF) simulated in Aspen HYSYS. The LCA incorporates the significant impact of landfill methane avoidance, particularly when considering the 20-year global warming potential (GWP). Based on the LCA, the process has illustrative net GHG emissions of 183 and 709 kgCO2e/t MeOH using renewable electricity for electrolytic hydrogen and pyrolytic hydrogen, respectively, for the 100-year GWP. The net GHG emissions using 20-year GWP are −1222 and −434 kgCO2e/t MeOH, respectively. Additionally, we analyze the sensitivity of net GHG emissions to varying levels of fugitive methane emissions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability in the Development of Renewable Energy Technologies and Thermal Engineering)
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26 pages, 5717 KiB  
Article
Economic Attractiveness of the Flexible Combined Biofuel Technology in the District Heating System
by Arvydas Galinis, Esa Kurkela, Minna Kurkela, Felix Habermeyer, Vidas Lekavičius, Nerijus Striūgas, Raminta Skvorčinskienė, Eimantas Neniškis and Dalius Tarvydas
Sustainability 2024, 16(19), 8406; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16198406 - 27 Sep 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1141
Abstract
European Union (EU) energy markets are changing rapidly. After the recent turmoil, a new wave of EU legislation is once again reshaping the way energy should be used in the EU, emphasizing not only the increasing importance of using renewable and local energy [...] Read more.
European Union (EU) energy markets are changing rapidly. After the recent turmoil, a new wave of EU legislation is once again reshaping the way energy should be used in the EU, emphasizing not only the increasing importance of using renewable and local energy sources but also highlighting the importance of energy efficiency and decarbonization of high to abate sectors (including aviation and marine fuels). Heating and cooling account for about half of the total gross final energy consumption in the EU. This article explores the novel concept of using waste heat from the flexible Fischer–Tropsch (FT) process (FLEXCHX) in the existing district heating network, resulting in tri-generation: FT C5+ liquids, heat, and electricity. FLEXCHX provides operation flexibility and combines advanced biomass gasification, catalytic liquefaction, electrolysis, and waste heat recovery, allowing use of biomass residues in a more sustainable way. Our results, based on the Kaunas district heating (DH) system, show that this process could be integrated into the existing district heating network in Northern Europe and successfully compete with existing heat-only boilers and CHPs using biomass or municipal waste, resulting in more efficient use of biomass and savings accumulated up to EUR 200 million over the study period in the analysis (2020–2050), supplying up to 30% of the heat in the Kaunas DH system. Enriching the FT process with hydrogen (using electrolysis) could result in additional FLEXCHX utilization benefits by creating demand for cheap excess electricity that might otherwise be curtailed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability in the Development of Renewable Energy Technologies and Thermal Engineering)
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20 pages, 11539 KiB  
Article
Reduction of Methane Emissions from Natural Gas Integral Compressor Engines through Fuel Injection Control
by Titilope Ibukun Banji, Gregg Arney, Mark Patterson and Daniel B. Olsen
Sustainability 2024, 16(14), 5943; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16145943 - 12 Jul 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1441 | Correction
Abstract
Methane emissions from over 7000 large-bore natural gas engines used for gas compression in the United States result from combustion inefficiency and the escape of unburned methane through the crevices. Methane is a strong greenhouse gas with a warming potential 28 times that [...] Read more.
Methane emissions from over 7000 large-bore natural gas engines used for gas compression in the United States result from combustion inefficiency and the escape of unburned methane through the crevices. Methane is a strong greenhouse gas with a warming potential 28 times that of carbon dioxide. The Inflation Reduction Act passed by the Biden administration in 2022 imposes a methane “waste” fee that accumulates yearly to invest in clean energy and climate action starting in 2024. This study aims to reduce the amount of methane emissions from large bore engines through fuel injection techniques, thereby advancing sustainable energy development. The strategies explored investigate fuel injection pressure and timing optimization, crankcase methane emissions quantification and mitigation, and ring-pack methane quantification. While varying injection pressures and injection timing on the engine, the performance and methane emission characteristics were measured. Also, a model of the engine was created for computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations using CONVERGE Studio v 3.0. Experimental results showed that methane emissions are minimized with late-cycle fuel injection at 500 psi and 100 degrees BTDC. Computational results showed that the ring pack contributes up to 34% of methane emissions in the large bore engine model. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability in the Development of Renewable Energy Technologies and Thermal Engineering)
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