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Special Issue "Green Technology and Renewable Energy Projects"

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A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainable Engineering and Science".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 March 2022.

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Special Issue Editor

Dr. Mostafa Ghasemi Baboli
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Guest Editor

Chemical Engineering Section, Faculty of Engineering, Sohar University, Sohar 311, Oman
Interests: carbon nano materials; composite synthesis and application; application of nanocomposite materials in the wastewater treatment and energy production
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

At present, with the rise in environmental problems around the world, such as global warming and drought, interest in green technologies has increased. Energy is the most important issue of the green technologies. Conventional sources of energy are running out rapidly, and this is one of the main concerns of all governments that need to find, utilize, and provide other sources of energy. Renewable energy is one type of energy source which does not pollute the environment and can also be reproduced. The concern of this Special Issue is to identify new research, innovations, and activities on green technology and renewable energy projects. Research on the impact of green technology and renewable energy, on societies, viability, as well as economic analysis compared to conventional technologies and energy are welcomed. Further, the Special Issue welcomes research on the effect of green technology and renewable energy at different parts of the world and the relation of some advanced technologies such as nanotech, biotech, and so on with green technology and renewable energy, and how effective they can be in solving the problems of the world in the new era.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mostafa Ghasemi Baboli
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 papers will be 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 1900 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

renewable and nonrenewable energy
green technology
environmental protection
economic viability
fuel
social impact
global warming

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

Open AccessArticle

Carbon Nanotube/Pt Cathode Nanocomposite Electrode in Microbial Fuel Cells for Wastewater Treatment and Bioenergy Production

Mostafa Ghasemi

Mehdi Sedighi

and

Yie Hua Tan

Sustainability 2021, 13(14), 8057; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13148057 - 19 Jul 2021

Viewed by 401

Abstract

In this paper, we reported the fabrication, characterization, and application of carbon nanotube (CNT)-platinum nanocomposite as a novel generation of cathode catalyst in microbial fuel cells (MFCs) for sustainable energy production and wastewater treatment. The efficiency of the carbon nanocomposites was compared by platinum (Pt), which is the most effective and common cathode catalyst. This nanocomposite is utilized to benefit from the catalytic properties of CNTs and reduce the amount of required Pt, as it is an expensive catalyst. The CNT/Pt nanocomposites were synthesized via a chemical reduction technique and the electrodes were characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy, electronic dispersive X-Ray analysis, and transmission electron microscopy. The nanocomposites were applied as cathode catalysts in the MFC to obtain polarization curve and coulombic efficiency (CE) results. The catalytic properties of electrodes were tested by linear sweep voltammetry. The CNT/Pt at the concentration of 0.3 mg/cm² had the highest performance in terms of CE (47.16%), internal resistance (551 Ω), COD removal (88.9%), and power generation (143 mW/m²). In contrast, for the electrode with 0.5 mg/L of Pt catalyst, CE, internal resistance, COD removal, and power generation were 19%, 810 Ω, 96%, and 84.1 mW/m², respectively. So, it has been found that carbon nanocomposite cathode electrodes had better performance for sustainable clean energy production and COD removal by MFC. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Green Technology and Renewable Energy Projects)

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Open AccessArticle

Performance of Conventional and Innovative Single U-Tube Pipe Configuration in Vertical Ground Heat Exchanger (VGHE)

Adel Eswiasi

and

Phalguni Mukhopadhyaya

Sustainability 2021, 13(11), 6384; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13116384 - 04 Jun 2021

Viewed by 557

Abstract

A ground source heat pump system (GSHP) with a ground heat exchanger (GHE) is a renewable and green technology used for heating and cooling residential and commercial buildings. An innovative U-Tube pipe configuration is suggested to enhance the heat transfer rate in the vertical ground heat exchanger (VGHE). Laboratory experiments are conducted to compare the thermal efficiency of VGHEs with two different pipe configurations: (1) an innovative U-Tube pipe configuration (single U-Tube with two outer fins) and (2) a single U-Tube. The results show that the difference between the inlet and outlet temperatures for the innovative U-Tube pipe configuration was 0.7 °C after 60 h, while it was 0.4 °C for the single U-Tube after the same amount of time. The borehole thermal resistance for the innovative U-Tube pipe configuration was 0.680 m·K/W, which is 29.22% lower than that of the single U-Tube. The heat exchange rate in the innovative U-Tube pipe configuration is increased by 57.95% compared to the conventional single U-Tube. Measured ground temperatures indicate that compared to single U-Tube pipe configuration, the innovative U-Tube pipe configuration has superior heat transfer performance. Based on the experimental results presented in this paper, it was concluded that increasing the surface area significantly by introducing external fins to the U-Tube enhances the heat transfer rate, resulting in increased thermal efficiency of the VGHE. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Green Technology and Renewable Energy Projects)

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Open AccessArticle

Determination of Dehumidification Capacity of Water Wall with Controlled Water Temperature: Experimental Verification under Laboratory Conditions

and

Sustainability 2021, 13(10), 5684; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13105684 - 19 May 2021

Viewed by 353

Abstract

Water elements with flowing water on the surface are common in buildings as a form of indoor decoration, and they are most often perceived as passive humidifiers. However, by controlling water temperature, they can be also used for air dehumidification. The dehumidification capacity of indoor water elements was investigated experimentally under laboratory conditions. For the experimental verification of dehumidification capacity, a water wall prototype with an effective area of falling water film of 1 m² and a measuring system were designed and developed. A total of 15 measurements were carried out with air temperatures ranging from 22.1 °C to 32.5 °C and relative humidity from 58.9% to 85.6%. The observed dehumidification capacity varied in the range of 21.99–315.36 g/h for the tested measurements. The results show that the condensation rate is a dynamic process, and the dehumidification capacity of a water wall strongly depends on indoor air parameters (air humidity and temperature). To determine the dehumidification capacity of a water wall for any boundary conditions, the equations were determined based on measured data, and two methods were used: the linear dependence between humidity ratio and condensation rate, and nonlinear surface fitting based on the dependence between the condensation rate, air temperature, and relative humidity. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Green Technology and Renewable Energy Projects)

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Open AccessArticle

The AgTech Startup Perspective to Farmers Ex Ante Acceptance Process of Autonomous Field Robots

Friedrich Rübcke von Veltheim

and

Heinke Heise

Sustainability 2020, 12(24), 10570; https://doi.org/10.3390/su122410570 - 17 Dec 2020

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 622

Abstract

Autonomous vehicles not only provide a new impetus in the development of car models in the automotive industry—even in agriculture there has recently been talk of autonomous field robots (AFR). Great expectations are placed on these digital assistants from a wide variety of perspectives. However, it is still unclear whether they will make the transition from market niches to broad-based distribution. Apart from various factors, this depends on user acceptance of this new technology expected by the innovators, since this is likely to be essential for the further development of AFR. For this purpose, the ex ante user acceptance of farmers from the perspective of various AgTech startups with AFR involvement in Europe was investigated in this exploratory and qualitative study. The Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) served as the basis for the developed interview guideline. In summary, the results confirm that a variety of factors potentially influence farmer acceptance and AFR diffusion from the perspective of AgTech startups, with perceived usefulness being considered the main motivation for using AFR. The interviewed experts believe that AFR will initially be used in crops that have relatively high costs for crop protection treatments before becoming economically attractive for other crops. The basic prerequisite for a successful market launch is an adjustment of the legal framework, which sets standards in relation to AFR and thus, provides security in the production process. The results could support political decision-makers in dealing with this new technology and AFR manufacturers in the promotion of AFR. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Green Technology and Renewable Energy Projects)

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