The high dependence on light crude oil as the main source of energy in automobiles., industrial processes, source of raw material for various industrial synthesis have made the heavy crude more available in the world and open for research work on its potentials as a source of energy for the increasing population of the world in areas like energy source for powering big marine engines, energy source in heavy industrial machines e.t.c. Though the relatively unfavourable characteristics of heavy fuel oil such as; high viscosity, high probability of precipitating is a reasonable challenge to the possible utilization of heavy fuel as a source of energy in the areas highlighted above. These issues of heavy fuel oil are largely due to the presence of Asphaltene in it which is a large complex hydrocarbon in heavy fuel oil. Understanding the combustion potential of asphaltene is therefore an interesting and challenging problem that has attracted increasing attention from both academia and industry. This research work is aimed at carrying combustion studies on the Forcados (Ni-geria) heavy fuel fraction asphaltene HFFA extracted from Forcados crude Oil and examining its combustion characteristics with the view to examine it for future sweet heavy fuel generation for it source got low sulphur content, to ascertain the volatile composition, moisture and ash content. The HFFA extracted to determine physical characteristics of the HFFA extracted for fuel properties potentialities and this study was carried out to evaluate the chemical constituents of forcadous asphaltene lead-ing to the generaration of HFFA using GCMS. The Forcados asphaltene showed some good fuel properties when subjected to ce-tane number, API gravity, flash point and cloud point parameter test. Probing further with AAS for trace metal presence showed some high concentration on Chromium (Cr), Nickel (Ni), Iron (Fe), Lead (Pb), Cadmium (Cd), Copper (Cu), Manganese (Mn) and Zinc (Zn) indicating the potential for residual and soot formation after combus-tion. But still being a sweet asphaltene from Nigerian sweet crude source will be de-void of corrosive effect on machineries and heavy fuel engine if used to power it as in the case of high sulphur content in Venezuelan crude oil and some other world. The GCMS showed the decomposition of heavy crude asphaltene peaks and sig-naling the presence of heavy fuel fraction in the composition of the asphaltene while the FTIR and the UV-VIS identified the various functional groups in the compounds and the identification of signals that cannot be seen in the normal spectrum respec-tively.

In order to establish the formation patterns of the Co–Mg oxide system, samples with different Co:Mg ratios and heat treatment temperatures were synthesized and studied. Study of the sam-ples confirmed the phase transition of MgxCo2–xO4 spinels into corresponding solid solutions at 800–900 °C. The similarity of formation patterns for different compositions is shown. The rock-salt oxide in low-temperature samples is an anion-modified paracrystalline phase that forms a “true” solid solution only upon spinel decomposition. TPR profiles of decomposed Co3O4 spinel show surface Co3O4 peaks and a wide peak corresponding to well-crystallized CoO, while par-tial Co3O4 TPR up to 380 °C results in dispersed and amorphous CoO. High-temperature non-stoichiometric samples are poorly reduced, indicating their low oxygen reactivity. Spinel reoxidation after heat treatment to 1100 °C by calcination at 750 °C showed complete regenera-tion for MgCo2O4–Co3O4 samples and its absence in case of an excess of MgO relative to stoi-chiometry. Based on the data obtained, it can be concluded that the processes governing the formation of Co–Mg oxide systems are determined by both Co:Mg ratio and the heat treatment conditions, potentially providing the possibility of fine tuning for specific catalytic processes.

To realize the utilization of peanut shell, this study investigates the combustion behavior, chemical kinetics, and thermodynamic parameters of peanut shell using TGA under atmospheric air. Results indicate that increasing the heating rate leads to higher ignition, burnout, and peak temperatures, as observed in the TG/DTG curves shifting to the right. Analysis of combustion performance parameters suggest that higher heating rates can enhance combustion performances. Kinetic analysis using two model-free methods, KAS and FWO, shows that the activation energy (Eα) ranges from 93.30 to 109.65 kJ/mol for FWO and 89.72 to 103.88 kJ/mol for KAS. The data fit well with coefficient of determination values (R2) close to 1. Pre-exponential factors using FWO range from 2.19×106 to 8.06×107 s–1, and for KAS range from9.72×105 to 2.25×107 s–1. Thermodynamic analysis indicates a low-energy barrier (≤ ±6 kJ/mol) between activation energy and enthalpy changes, suggesting easy reaction initiation. Furthermore, variations in enthalpy (ΔH), Gibbs free energy (ΔG), and entropy (ΔS) upon conversion (α) suggest that peanut shell combustion is endothermic and non-spontaneous, with the generation of more homogeneous or well-ordered products as combustion progresses. These findings offer a theoretical basis and data support for the further utilization of agricultural biomass.

The transition to cleaner energy sources, particularly in hard-to-abate industrial sectors, often requires gradual integration of new technologies. Hydrogen, crucial for decarbonization, is explored as a fuel in blended combustions. Blending or replacing fuels impacts combustion stability and heat transfer rates due to differing densities. An extensive literature review examines blended combustion, focusing on hydrogen-methane mixtures. While industrial burners claim to accommodate up to 20% hydrogen, theoretical support is lacking. A novel thermodynamic analysis methodology is introduced, evaluating methane-hydrogen combustion using the Wobbe index. Findings highlight practical limitations beyond 25% hydrogen volume, necessitating a shift to "totally hydrogen" combustion. Blended combustion can be proposed as a medium-term strategy, acknowledging hydrogen's limited penetration. Higher percentages require burner and infrastructure redesign.

This study investigates the impact of thin flame combustor design on hydrogen flame characteristics and combustion performance through numerical simulations. Variations in flame shape and combustibility between 100% methane and 100% hydrogen combustion are analyzed. Three combustor header shapes (flat, concave, and convex) are modeled to assess their influence on flame behavior. Results show distinct flow patterns, with concave headers promoting strong central flows and convex headers dispersing the flow outward. Temperature field analysis indicates that hydrogen flames have higher temperatures and shorter quenching distances compared to methane flames. A comparative analysis of combustion products is conducted to evaluate combustion performance and NOx emissions. Consequently, the concave header has high combustibility and increases temperatures and NOx fraction in hydrogen combustion.

Demand for environmentally friendly types of energy is growing all over the world, which naturally increases the intensity of work on the production of hydrogen-containing fuel mixtures. Steam reforming of methanol is one of the most effective areas of research, as it is a process with low energy consumption. The results of steam reforming of methanol on the catalysts prepared by solution combustion synthesis (SCS) and impregnation by moisture capacity are presented. Investigation of the activity of Cu-Ce-Al catalysts of different composition was carried out for production of hydrogen and comparison of SCS with traditional impregnation method. Methanol conversion reaches 99%, while the selectivity of H2 was 88%, at 500 °C. It was found that CuAl2O4 spinel formation is due to substitution of Al3+ with Cu2+ Ce3+ cations. A consequence CuAl2O4 and CeAlO3 lattice parameters increase because of difference in ionic radius of Al3+ (0.53 Å) and Cu2+ (0.73 Å), Ce3+ (1.07 Å). Advantages of SCS catalysts in steam reforming of methanol were shown. The aim of this research is to develop a new catalyst for conversion of methanol into hydrogen containing fuel mixtures, which will further promote the organization of a new era of environmentally friendly energy-saving production methods.

Keywords: Biomass pyrolysis, Chemical Looping Combustion, Life Cycle Assessment, Environmental Impacts, Carbon Footprint.

Based on a constant volume combustion chamber, the initial ambient pressure effect on combustion performance and flame propagation of the active and passive pre-chamber ignition systems were studied. Compared with the passive pre-chamber, the active pre-chamber can significantly expand the lean combustion limit, enhance the ignition and combustion performance, and speed up the combustion of the main combustion chamber. At slightly lean combustion conditions, the heat release performance has a positive correlation with the initial ambient pressure. As the premixed λ increases, the heat release performance and the initial ambient pressure begin to become negatively correlated. Ignition delay can be minimized by controlling the excess air coefficient in the pre-chamber close to the stoichiometric ratio. The high ambient pressure in the constant volume chamber greatly reduces the mixture entrainment ability of the jet flame at lean combustion conditions, thereby reducing the combustion speed and peak heat release rate.

Soot combustion experiments with 5%O2/He were conducted using model soot, and four distinct compositions of CexPr1-xO2-δ oxides were prepared, varying nominal cerium com-positions (x=0, 0.2, 0.3, and 1). The catalyst samples were comprehensively characterized using techniques such as XRD, Raman spectroscopy, HR-TEM, N2 adsorption at −196 °C, XPS, O2-TPD, H2-TPR, and work function measurements. The Pr-rich compositions, rang-ing from Ce0.3Pr0.7O2-δ to PrO2-δ, resulted in a significant increase in the total evolved O2 amounts and enhanced catalyst reducibility. However, a decrease in textural properties of the catalysts was noted, being particularly important for the pure praseodymia under the synthesis route conducted. The catalytic activity was investigated under two contact modes of mixing between soot and catalyst: loose and tight. The results revealed that the catalytic performance is associated with the surface contact in tight contact mode and with the combination of surface/subsurface/bulk oxygen mobility and the BET surface ar-ea in loose contact mode. Notably, the T10 and T50 parameters were achieved at much lower temperatures than the uncatalyzed soot combustion, even under loose contact conditions. Specifically, the 50% conversion was achieved at 511℃ and 538℃ for Ce0.3Pr0.7O2 and Ce0.2Pr0.8O2, respectively. While no direct correlation between catalytic activity and work function was observed a significant relationship emerges between work function values and the formation of oxy-gen vacancies, whatever the conditions used for these measurements. On the other hand, the ability to generate a high population of oxygen vacancies at low temperatures, rather than the direct activation of gas-phase O2, influences the catalytic performance of Pr-doped ceria catalysts, highlighting the importance of surface/subsurface oxygen vacancy generation, which was the parameter which showed better correlation with the catalytic activity, whatever the soot conversion value or the mode of contact considered.

Hydrogen plays a key role in the transition to a carbon-free economy. One of the areas of hydrogen use is the substitution of hydrocarbon fuel in gas turbine engines and power plants. This review article discusses the features of hydrogen combustion and their influence on the characteristics of combustion chambers in comparison with methane. The paper presents both the results of a study of pure hydrogen or methane and methane-hydrogen mixtures with different hydrogen content. Among the main features, it is worth noting a smaller ignition delay time and higher laminar flame speed with a shift in its maximum value to a rich mixture, which significantly affects on flashback inside burners premixer, especially at elevated air temperatures. Another feature is the increased temperature of the flame, which can lead to an increase in the rate of nitrogen oxides formation. However, wider combustion concentration ranges contribute to the stable combustion of hydrogen at temperatures lower than those of methane. Along with this, it was shown that even at the same adiabatic temperature, more nitrogen oxides are formed in a hydrogen flame than in a methane flame, which indicates an additional mechanism for NOx formation in addition to the Zeldovich mechanism. The article also summarizes some of the results of a study on the effect of hydrogen on the occurrence of thermoacoustic instability, which depends on the initial nature of pulsations during methane combustion. The presented data will be useful both to engineers who are engaged in solving the problems of designing hydrogen combustion devices, and to scientists in this field of study.

Cobalt oxide nanoparticles are promising candidates for various kinds of practical application. The interest of researchers and scientists in these nanoparticles is due to their unique physical and chemical properties such as density, melting point, magnetic characteristics and band gap. The need to develop high performance and low-cost technologies for obtaining Co3O4 nanoparticles is a major reason in research in this area. The widespread commercial use of Co3O4 nanoparticles will open doors for numerous novel cost effective technologies, which are mostly dependent on the type of synthesis method and raw materials. A possible solution to this problem is to use Cobalt nitrates as a cost-effective precursor using the solution combustion method. Solution combustion synthesis method is one of the best candidate methods that have the potential for high performance and is also cost-effective. This review examines recent progress in the synthesis of Co3O4 nanoparticles by solution combustion method and underscores their significance across various fields, highlighting the need for further research and exploration of their multifaceted applications. In addition, the most recent advancements in the applications of Co3O4 nanoparticles in sensitive sensing, catalysis, supercapacitors/batteries and water treatment/pollutants removal are reviewed and described, focusing on current trends, challenges, and future outlooks.

This article provides a detailed analysis of non-invasive techniques for prediction and diagnosis of faults in internal combustion engines, focusing on the application of the Proknow-C and Methodi Ordinatio systematic review methods. Initially, the relevance of these techniques in promoting energy sustainability and mitigating greenhouse gas emissions is discussed, aligning with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of Agenda 2030 and the Paris Agreement. The systematic review conducted in the subsequent sections offers a comprehensive mapping of the state-of-the-art, highlighting the effectiveness of combining these methods in categorizing and systematizing relevant scientific literature. The results reveal significant advancements in the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and digital signal processors (DSP) to enhance fault diagnosis, as well as underscore the crucial role of non-invasive techniques in minimizing interference in monitored systems. Finally, concluding remarks point towards future research directions, emphasizing the need to develop digital twins for internal combustion engines and identify gaps for further improvements in fault diagnosis and prediction techniques.

Gas turbine engines are widely used in various industries such as aviation, power generation, and marine propulsion due to their high efficiency and reliability. The combustion chamber of a gas turbine engine design contains a number of elements, including as the chamber's size and form, the fuel injection system, the ignition system, and the cooling system and it plays a critical role in the performance and efficiency of the engine. This research discusses the fabrication of a combustion chamber model for a gas turbine engine. The aim of this research is to develop a combustion chamber that is cost-effective, easily available, and can be fabricated in less time. The research covers the different types of combustion chambers used in gas turbine engines and compares their advantages and disadvantages. It then selects the best type of combustion chamber for the gas turbine engine based on its cost, availability, and fabrication time, Efficiency and high power to fuel ratio. The report also describes the fabrication process involved, including the techniques and materials used, along with safety precautions and environmental protection measures. Lastly, the research suggests future improvements and potential applications for the fabricated combustion chamber model.

This paper describes the proposal and development of a proof of concept (PoC) for a data logger system designed for operation and fault detection in bench testing of combustion engines. The main objective was to develop a data logger system that collects data on vibration, sound, temperature, and CO2 levels to identify ignition and combustion faults, thereby contributing to reducing greenhouse gas emissions (GHG). The paper presents (i) the proposal and development and (ii) the open-source code: proof of concept for a data logger system focused on detecting faults and monitoring the operational condition of benchtop combustion engines. The results indicate the feasibility of the PoC for data acquisition and dataset creation for Research and Development purposes.

The purpose of this project was to demonstrate the potential of converting an existing internal combustion engine for hydrogen operation at relatively low cost and to optimize the combustion process for ultra-low NOx emissions. The conversion has been carried out on a 450cc naturally aspirated single cylinder engine. The first baseline measurements and setup have shown lower NOx emissions than the baseline gasoline engine (without catalytic converter) for similar power output and engine efficiency. Further optimization of the combustion process allowed to achieve Euro VI and (latest European Commission proposal) Euro VII heavy-duty NOx limits without exhaust gas aftertreatment system (EATS) in steady state conditions. The concept is very promising and the knowledge gained should allow for further optimization to achieve near zero NOx emissions at high engine efficiency and power output with supercharging. It should also allow an efficient conversion of other engine types for different applications. In particular, a project with the aim to convert a heavy duty 6 cylinder engine intended for public transport buses has started. It follows a feasibility study which has shown the competitiveness of the hydrogen engine for this application.

This research aims to delve into the intricacies of combustion processes, specifically focusing on heating oil and a blend of heating oil with TPO (Tire Pirolysis Oil) in a self-developed evaporative combustion chamber featuring steam injection. The primary objective is to scrutinize the impact of steam injection on the combustion dynamics. Conducting a series of tests, the investigation involved the meticulous manipulation of stoichiometric ratios while introducing ambient air through gravity fuel flow. Subsequent iterations of these tests incorporated the introduction of steam into the ambient air stream. The examination encompassed the combustion of both heating oil and the TPO blend within the combustion chamber. The evaluation criteria comprised an in-depth analysis of flame characteristics, temperature distribution within the combustion chamber, and the quantification of emissions such as particulate matter (PM), nitrogen oxides (NOx), carbon dioxide (CO2), carbon monoxide (CO), and water vapor (H2O). Throughout the experimentation phase, commercially available diesel fuel served as the primary fuel source. To facilitate the tests, the combustion chamber under scrutiny was seamlessly integrated into an AVL engine test bench system. Essential parameters, including fuel consumption, were meticulously gauged using an AVL 735 fuel flow meter, while fuel temperature was monitored using the AVL 745 fuel temperature conditioning system. The intake air, a crucial element in the combustion process, was quantified with precision using an AVL Flowsonix sensor. Emission measurements were conducted meticulously using state-of-the-art equipment, with gaseous emissions analyzed using an AVL FTIR AMA i60 exhaust gas analyzer. Simultaneously, soot emissions were quantified through employment of an AVL Micro Soot sensor. This comprehensive approach not only delves into the fundamental aspects of combustion but also extends its reach to the exploration of innovative techniques, such as steam injection, to enhance combustion efficiency and reduce emissions. The integration of advanced measurement tools ensures a robust and thorough analysis of the combustion process and its environmental implications.

This review summarises the main numerical models of fuel droplet heating and evaporation (DHE) in combustion engines across the different scales by accessing the nano/micro, meso and macroscopic fluid elements. The phenomena of multi-physics, multi-scale and multi-phase fluid flow and heat transfer are fully investigated when the fuel droplet (dodecane) is heating and evaporated into a background gas (nitrogen) crossing the liquid-vapour (LV) interface, kinetic region (i.e., Knudsen layer) and the bulk regions of liquid and gas in terms of molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, kinetic theory modelling (i.e., direct numerical solutions of Boltzmann equations) and convectional fluid dynamics approach, respectively. The evaporation coefficient of fuel evaporating molecules and their velocity distributions at the LV interface derived from MD simulations formulate a new kinetic boundary condition (KBC). Moreover, a novel kinetic model considering the inelastic collision between fuel molecules alongside the new KBC enables us to describe the non-equilibrium gas dynamics of fuel vapour and gas mixture in Knudsen layer (KL). Heat and mass flux analysis of the fuel droplet under combustion engine conditions can be accurately assessed by implementing the inelastic collision between fuel molecules in KL and a temperature-dependent evaporation coefficient at the LV interface into DHE. The surface temperature of fuel droplet and its evaporation time, which play a significant role in resolving the ignition delay and hence the combustion phasing in engines, can also be well estimated. The multi-scale modelling of fuel DHE will make significantly potential input into the cleaner engine targeting the low-carbon emissions and enhance the capability of the existing computational fluid dynamics (CFD) solvers.

Copper-based nanoparticles were synthesized using the glycine–nitrate process (GNP) by using copper nitrate trihydrate [Cu(NO₃)₂‧3H₂O] as the main starting material and glycine [C₂H₅NO₂] as the complexing and incendiary agent. The as-prepared powders were characterized through X-ray diffraction (XRD), Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) analysis, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. Using Cu(NO₃)₂.3H₂O as the oxidizer (N) and glycine as fuel (G), we obtained CuO, mixed-valence copper oxides (CuO + Cu₂O, G/N = 0.3–0.5), and metallic Cu (G/N = 0.7). The XRD and BET results indicated that increasing the glycine concentration (G/N = 0.7) and reducing particle surface area increased the yield of metallic Cu. The effects of varying reaction parameters such as catalyst activity, catalyst dose, and H₂O₂ concentration on nonylphenol-9-polyethoxylate (NP9EO) degradation were assessed. With a copper‐based catalyst in a heterogeneous system, the NP9EO and total organic carbon removal efficiencies were 83.1% and 70.6%, respectively, under optimum operating conditions (pH, 6.0; catalyst dose, 0.3 g/L; H₂O₂ concentration, 0.05 mM). The results suggested that removal efficiency increased with an increase in H₂O₂ concentration but decreased when the H₂O₂ concentration exceeded 0.0.5 mM. Furthermore, the trend of photocatalytic activity was as follows: G/N = 0.5 > G/N = 0.7 > G/N = 0.3. The G/N = 0.5 catalysts showed the highest photocatalytic activity and resulted in 94.6% NP9EO degradation in 600 min.

Environmental preservation presents numerous challenges, particularly in capturing carbon di-oxide. Despite multiple studies on this topic, there remains a need for additional capture plants, particularly in the energy sector. The power industry emits flue gas during its post-combustion process, and capturing carbon dioxide from this gas would make power plants more environ-mentally friendly while aiding the preservation of the planet. The work conducted in This study aimed to investigate the gap in knowledge to contribute to the development of a better world without harming it. The identified research gap reveals no established optimal monoethanola-mine (MEA) solvent concentration for the process. A simulation was performed using Aspen Hysys to analyze the absorption efficiency at higher solvent concentrations and address this is-sue. The input data was obtained from a flue gas capture plant in the UK. The results obtained from discrete increments indicate an optimal solid result for an MEA concentration of 36 wt.%. Further analysis of temperature and pressure revealed that other solvents, such as diethanola-mine (DEA) and triethanolamine (TEA), are more stable at higher concentrations and that DEA and TEA at the same concentration as MEA consumed significantly less energy to capture carbon dioxide.

Stabilization of planar premixed flame front on a lattice (porous) burner is considered. It is rigorously mathematically proved that there exist two different stabilization regimes: one with flame front located nearby the surface of the burner, and another with flame front located inside the lattice. These two regimes result in qualitatively different gas temperature profiles along the flow, that is monotonic and non-monotonic, respectively. Boundary between the two regimes is described in terms of dependence of the lattice solid material temperature on flow Peclet number. Likewise temperature profiles, such dependencies may be both monotonic and non-monotonic. Transition between the two types of dependencies is controlled by Arrhenius number. Conclusions of the study are supported by numerical analysis. They also compare favourably with available experimental data. Novelty of the present approach is fundamentally rigorous analytical analysis of the problem.

With the continuous improvement and observable benefits of electric vehicles (EVs), major logistic companies are introducing more EVs into their conventional fleets. This gives rise to a new type of vehicle routing problem with mixed vehicles, where heterogeneous internal combustion vehicles (ICVs) and electric vehicles are considered in route planning. In addition, certain deliveries that are not efficient on any type of vehicles, are outsourced to third-party common carriers. In this paper, we define this problem as a mixed vehicle routing problem with common carriers (MVRPC). The objective of such problems is to minimize the transportation costs by considering routes with ICVs and EVs, the possibility of visiting recharging stations, outsourcing options, and drivers’ layover regulations. This variant of the vehicle routing problems has many practical applications, particularly in the design of long-haul transportation and last-mile delivery services. Effective MVRPC solutions play a key role in promoting the going Green image and optimally allocating resources. The problem has received limited attention in the literature likely because addressing all the needed aspects is especially challenging. To solve the large-scale problem, we develop a branch-and-cut pricing framework that relies on strong cuts and customized labeling algorithms. Numerical experiments highlight the effectiveness of our algorithm. This success can be attributed to tailored critical resources, dynamically bounded bidirectional labeling procedures, strong dominance criteria, and implementation strategies.

In this study, the generality and prediction accuracy of a generalised series model for large eddy simulation of premixed and non-premixed turbulent combustion is explored. The model is based on Taylor series expansion of the chemical source term in scalar space and implemented into OpenFOAM. The mathematical model does not depend on the combustion regimes, and has the correct limiting behaviour. The numerical error sources are outlined and analysed. The model is first applied to a piloted methane/air non-premixed jet flame (Sandia Flame D). The statistical (time-averaged and RMS) results agree well with experimental measurements, particularly with regard to the mixture fraction, velocity, temperature, and concentrations of major species CH4, CO2, H2O, and O2. The concentrations of intermediates CO and H2 are over-predicted, due to the limitations of the reduced reaction mechanism employed. Then, a Bunsen piloted flame is simulated. Most of the statistical properties of both reactive species and progress variable are well reproduced. The only major discrepancy evident is in the temperature, which is attributed to the experimental uncertainties of temperature fields in the pilot stream. These findings have demonstrated the model`s generality for both premixed and non-premixed combustion simulation, as well as the accuracy of prediction of reactive species distribution.

This study focuses on the increased risk of high heat release and asphyxiation (toxic gas poisoning) in the event of a fire of polyurethane (PU) and MDF-based building materials, which are commonly used in building fires. Among them, polyurethane (PU) building materials are essential for buildings except in Europe and some other countries due to their excellent thermal insulation performance, but problems of short-term heat release and spread of toxic gases in the event of a fire continue to occur. To overcome these problems, researchers are actively working on introducing various flame retardants into building materials. Therefore, in this study, we produced a laboratory-sized (500mm*500mm) plate flame retardant board that can be utilized as a building material with a lower heat release rate and a lower toxicity index by mixing expanded graphite and ceramic binder as flame retardants in a main material based on the cellulose of waste paper by replacing the existing building materials with a hot-press method. According to the ISO-5660-1 test on the heat release rate of the plate flame retardant board, the THR value was 2.9 (MJ/m2) for 10 minutes, showing an effect of reducing the THR value by 36.3 (MJ/m2) compared to the THR value of 39.2 (MJ/m2) of the specimen made using only paper. In addition, the toxicity index of the flame retardant board was checked through the NES 713 test. As a result, the test specimen showed a toxicity index of 0.7, which is 2.4 lower than the toxicity index of 3.1 of MDF, which is utilized as a conventional building material. Based on the results of this study, the cellulose fire retardant board showed the effect of reducing the heat release rate and toxicity index of building materials in a building fire, which reduces the risk of rapid heat spread and smoke toxicity. This has the potential to improve the evacuation time (A-SET) of evacuees in fires. It is also important to show that recycling waste paper and utilizing it as the main material for building materials can be an alternative in terms of sustainable development.

Membrane gas absorption technology and solar-assisted regeneration system are two promising approaches to reduce high energy consumption associated with carbon dioxide capture from coal fired power plants. In the present study, a solar-assisted hollow fiber membrane contactor (SOL-HFMC) power plant is proposed to capture and desorb CO₂ in hollow fiber membrane contactors with the assistance of solar thermal collectors. Techno-economic assessment and sensitivity analysis of the proposed system is carried out in three studied locations with different weather conditions for a 580 MWe pulverized coal power plant. Research results show that, the output capacity and net efficiency of the SOL-HFMC power plant are significantly higher than those of the reference power plant regardless whether TES system is applied or not. In addition, CEI of the SOL-HFMC power plant with TES system is 4.36 kg CO₂/MWh, 4.45 kg CO₂/MWh and 4.66 kg CO₂/MWh lower than that of the reference power plant. The prices of membrane, vacuum tube collector and phase change material should be reduced to achieve lower LCOE and COR values. Specifically for SOL-HFMC power plant with TES system, the corresponding vacuum tube collector price shall be lower than 25.70 $/m² for Jinan, 95.20 $/m² for Xining, and 128.70 $/m² for Lhasa, respectively. To be more competitive than solar-assisted ammonia-based post-combustion CO₂ capture power plant, the membrane price in Jinan, Xining and Lhasa shall be reduced to 0.012 $/m, 0.015 $/m and 0.016 $/m for the sake of LCOE, and 0.03 $/m, 0.033 $/m and 0.034 $/m for the sake of COR, respectively. The findings can provide guidance for decision-making and risk management strategies.

: Innovative solutions are now being researched to manage the ever-increasing amount of data required to optimize the performance of internal combustion engines. Machine Learning ap-proaches have shown to be a valuable tool for signal prediction due to their real-time and cost-effective deployment. Among them, the architecture consisting of Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) and one-dimensional Convolutional Neural Networks (1DCNN) has emerged as a highly promising and effective option for replacing the role of physical sensors. The architecture com-bines the capacity of LSTM to detect patterns and relationships in smaller segments of the signal with the ability of 1DCNN to detect patterns and relationships in larger segments of the signal. The purpose of this work is to assess the feasibility of substituting a physical device dedicated to calculating the torque supplied by a spark-ignition engine. The suggested architecture was trained and tested using signals from the field during a test campaign conducted under transient operating conditions. The results reveal that LSTM+1DCNN is particularly well suited for signal prediction with considerable variability. It constantly outperforms other architectures used for comparison, with average error percentages of less than 2%, proving the architecture's ability to replace physical sensors.

The previously developed models for fuel droplet heating and evaporation processes, mainly the Discrete Multi Component Model (DMCM), and Multi-Dimensional Quasi-Discrete Model (MDQDM) are investigated for the aerodynamic combustion simulation. The models have been recently improved, and generalised for a broad range of bio-fossil fuel blends so that the application areas are broadened with increased accuracy. The main distinctive features of these models are that they consider the impacts of species thermal conductivities and diffusivities within the droplets to account for the temperature gradient, transient diffusion of species and recirculation. A formulation of fuel surrogates is made, using the recently introduced model, referred to as ‘’Complex Fuel Surrogate Model (CFSM)’’ and analysing their heating, evaporation, and combustion characteristics. The CFSM is aimed to reduce the full composition of fuel to a much smaller number of components based on their mass fractions, and to formulate fuel surrogates. Such approach has provided a proof of concept with the implementation of the developed model into a commercial CFD code ANSYS-Fluent. A case study is made for the CFD modelling of gas-turbine engine using kerosene fuel surrogate. The surrogate is proposed using the CFSM. The model is implemented into ANSYS-Fluent via a user-defined function to provide the first full simulation of the combustion process. Detailed chemical mechanism is also implemented into ANSYS Chemkin for the combustion study.

An approach based on the OpenFOAM library has been developed to solve a high-speed, multicomponent mixture of a reacting, compressible flow. This work presents comprehensive validation of the newly developed solver called compressibleCentralReactingFoam with different supersonic flows, including shocks, expansion waves, and turbulence-combustion interaction. The comparisons of the simulation results with experimental and computational data confirm the fidelity of this solver for problems involving multicomponent high-speed reactive flows. The gas dynamics of turbulence-chemistry interaction are modeled using a partially-stirred reactor formulation and provide promising results to better understand the complex physics involved in supersonic combustors. A time-scale analysis based on local Damköhler numbers reveals different regimes of turbulent combustion. In the core of the jet flow, the Damköhler number is relatively high indicating that the reaction time scale is smaller than the turbulent mixing time scale. This means that the combustion is controlled by turbulent mixing. In the shear layer, where the heat release rate and the scalar dissipation rate have the highest value, the flame is stabilized due to finite rate chemistry with small Damköhler numbers and a high fraction of fine structure. This solver allows three-dimensional gas dynamic simulation of high-speed multicomponent reactive flows relevant to practical combustion applications.

The objective of this work was to improve the thermal stability, flame resistance and surface properties of black poplar (Populus nigra L.) wood via different impregnation methods. The impregnation method was employed through two distinct modalities: vacuum impregnation and immersion impregnation. Here, poplar wood was impregnated with calcium oxide solutions (1%, 3% and 5%). Fourier transform infrared spectroscopic analysis revealed a shift in the typical peaks of cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin depending on the impregnation method and solution ratio. Thermogravimetric analysis and the limiting oxygen index indicated that the samples impregnated with lime solutions exhibited higher thermal stability than the unimpregnated wood. In both impregnation methods caused a decrease water absorption and thickness swelling of the sample groups. Using a scanning electron microscope, the effect of the impregnation process on the structure of the wood was examined. In terms of surface properties, it was determined that the surface roughness value increased. On the contrary, it was observed that the contact angle value also increased. A significant difference emerged between the applied methods. In conclusion, the applied lime minerals are suitable substances to increase flame resistance and thermal stability of black poplar wood.

This study was conducted in a laboratory-controlled environment aiming at studying the physical properties and elemental composition of coal combustion particles in a brazier. Particles were sampled ~1 m above the stove using a partector, where particles were collected on gold Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) grids and polycarbonate filters for TEM and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) analysis, respectively. Particles for elemental analysis collected on a 37 µm polycarbonate filters whereby a Gillian pump was used to draw in air. During sampling, a 2.5 µm cyclone was attached to the sampling cassette to isolate larger particles. The results have shown that combustion particles emitted during the early stage of combustion where single spherical particles with a diameter of around 450 nm. As the combustion progresses, the particle diameter gradually decreases and the morphology changes to accretion chain and fluffy bead structure for the flaming and char-burning phase, respectively.

In this paper, four lithological parameters, i.e. thermal conductivity, particle size, porosity and saturation, are investigated by combining experimental observations with numerical simulations to study the influence laws and mechanisms of action on the combustion process of methane hydrate sediments. The variation of combustion characteristics parameters such as flame height, effective combustion ratio and dimensionless discharge water mass with the lithological parameters are studied. In addition, the combustion mechanism of lithologic parameters on methane hydrate deposits is revealed. Combining the experimental results and simulation calculations, to optimize the combustion of methane hydrate sediments, it is recommended to use methane hydrate sediment samples with high saturation and low thermal conductivity, while the oxidant concentration and porosity of methane hydrate sediment samples should be increased.

Flammability was evaluated and the results showed the values of critical flux at extinguishment (CFE) as 49.5kW/㎡ on average, total heat release (Qt) as 0.21MJ on average, and peak heat release rate (Qp) as 0.66kW on average, which satisfied all of the thresholds presented by the IMO. Therefore, flame-retardant plywood, of which the flame-retardant performance was evaluated, was determined to be an applicable finishing material that satisfies fire safety standards.

Alkali-containing submicron particles were measured continuously during three months, including late winter and spring seasons in Gothenburg, Sweden. The overall aims were to characterize the ambient concentrations of combustion-related aerosol particles and to address the importance of local emissions and long-range transport for the atmospheric concentrations in the urban background environment. K and Na concentrations in the PM1 size range were measured by an alkali aerosol mass spectrometer (Alkali-AMS) and a cluster analysis was conducted. Local meteorological conditions and some other data sets were obtained, and back trajectory analyses and chemical transport model (CTM) simulations were included for the evaluation. The Alkali-AMS cluster analysis indicated three major clusters: 1) biomass burning origin, 2) mixture of other combustion sources, and 3) marine origin. Low temperatures and low wind speed conditions correlated with high concentrations of K-containing particles, mainly due to regional emissions from residential biomass combustion; transport of air masses from continental Europe also contribute to cluster 1. The CTM results indicate that open biomass burning in the eastern parts of Europe may have contributed substantially to high PM2.5 concentrations (and to cluster 1) during an episode in late March. According to the CTM results the mixed cluster (2) is likely to include particles emitted from different source types and no single geographical source region seems to dominate for this cluster. The back trajectory analysis and meteorological conditions indicated that the marine origin cluster was correlated with westerly winds and high wind speed; this cluster had high concentrations of Na-containing particles, as expected for sea salt particles.

Elemental sulfur, commonly known for its wide range of biological activity, has a long history of being used to protect all garden and vegetable crops from a range of pests and diseases, including powdery mildew, ascochyta blight, clubroot, plant mites, oidium, anthracnose, and scab. In the present study, a quick and environmentally friendly approach has been developed for the synthesis of sulfur nanoparticles with antibacterial activity. Sulfur nanoparticles (SNPs) were prepared by modifying the surface of elemental sulfur using various polyelectrolyte-surfactant mixtures (PSM) including NaCMC-SDBS and PHMG-CTAB. The SNPs were characterized by UV–visible spectrophotometry, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and thermogravimetric analysis (TG/DSC), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), with the SNPs showing an almost spherical shape with an average size in the range of 150-200 nm. The antibacterial activity of the sulfur nanoparticles was tested using against gram-positive S. aureus and E. faecium and gram-negative E. coli and P. aeruginosa bacteria. From this, it could be seen that SNPs exhibited significant antimicrobial activity against gram-positive bacteria, i.e., S. aureus and E. faecium. The in vitro cytotoxicity of the SNPs-1 and SNPs-2 studied to normal (MeT-5A) and tumorous (MCF-7) human cell lines was assessed in the concentration range from 500 μg/ml to 0.12 mg/ml, from which it was determined as being non-cytotoxic. The received products can be considered for potential application in agriculture and medicine.

Considering the concerns for emissions reduction in the maritime sector, the present paper evaluates, through modeling and simulation, the oxy-fuel combustion in a two-stroke ship engine (2SE) and the best production system configuration to obtain the required oxygen (O2). An initial model of a ship engine is calibrated with the engine manufacturer’s data, and then adapted to work with O2 as the oxidant to eliminate nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions and with exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) to control the in-cylinder combustion temperature. Mixed Ionic-Electronic Conducting (MIEC) membranes produce the necessary O2 from the ambient air, which is heated up and pressurized by a heat exchanger and turbocharging coupled system to provide the air conditions required for the proper operation of the MIEC. Several layouts of this system are evaluated for the full load engine operating point to find the optimum O2 production system configuration. Results reveal that the engine operating under oxy-fuel combustion conditions avoids NOx emissions at the expense of higher brake specific fuel consumption (BSFC) to obtain the original brake torque, and also expels a stream composed exclusively of CO2 and H2O, what facilitates the separation of CO2 from exhaust gases.

This study investigated the physical and combustion properties of briquettes produced from agricultural wastes (groundnut shells and corn cobs), wood residues (Anogeissus leiocarpus) and admixtures of the particles at 15%, 20% and 25% starch levels (binder). A 6 x 3 factorial experiments in a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) was adopted for the study. The briquettes produced were analyzed for density, volatile matter, ash content, fixed carbon and specific heat of combustion. The result revealed that the density ranged from 0.44g/cm³ to 0.53g/cm³, while briquettes produced from groundnut shells had the highest (0.53g/cm³) significant mean density. Mean volatile matter and ash content of the briquettes ranged from 24.35% to 34.95% and 3.37% to 4.91%. A. leiocarpus and corn cobs particles had the lowest and highest ash content respectively. The briquette fixed carbon and specific heat of combustion ranged from 61.68% to 68.97% and 7362kca/kg to 8222kca/kg respectively. Briquette produced from A. leiocarpus particles had the highest specific heat of combustion. In general, briquettes produced from A. leiocarpus particles and admixture of groundnut shell and A. leiocarpus particles at 25% starch level had better quality in terms of density and combustion properties and thus suitable as environmentally friendly alternative energy source.

Rice cultivation is the main agricultural activity in Asia, and it results in an enormous amount of agricultural waste, that are usually disposed-off by burning, causing serious environmental health and climate problems. Pakistan is the tenth largest producer in the world and the fourth exporter of rice in the world. To date, there are no studies targeting Pakistan’s profile monitoring its contribution in open burning emissions from rice straw waste. This study presents the characterization of PCDD/Fs, PCBs and PAHs emissions from three samples of rice straw collected from the main rice cultivation regions of Pakistan (Punjab, Sindh and Azad Jammu and Kashmir) in relation to the role of metal-based agricultural additives. PCDD/Fs, PCBs and PAHs emissions were quantified using a fixed grid system biomass plant and measuring the macro-pollutants online and sampling the organic micro-pollutants and metals in isokinetic mode, followed by ISO and CEN standards methods. In addition, role of agrochemicals was monitored in terms of metal catalysis resulted in POPs emissions. This study provides the characterization of most relevant group of pollutants (metals, PCDD/Fs, PCBs and PAHs) as a result of agricultural waste combustion. The rice straw samples from AJK showed high values of organochlorine micro-pollutants compared to the values followed by samples from Punjab and Sindh, i.e., respectively, ∑PCDD/F (2594>1493>856 pg/Nm³) and ∑PCB (41>38>30 pg/Nm³). Whereas the organic micro-pollutants ∑PAH, indicators of incomplete combustion (PICs), were recorded high in the samples from Sindh followed by Punjab and AJK. This study supports the idea that the phenomena that lead to the formation of PCDD/F and PCB are influenced not only by poor combustion but also by the presence of metal catalysts or precursors in the burned fuel.

On the aero-engine combustor liner, a phenomenon of overheating resembling a hot spot exists, accompanied by a preferential peeling of the YSZ thermal barrier coating that will negatively affect the service life of the component. The temperature gradient of the hot spot may affect the YSZ fracture pattern.In this paper, the morphological and property changes of YSZ sintering is investigated experimentally, and a coupled analysis of the YSZ Crack Propagation Mode under the hot spot is performed using ABAQUS. The results show that the pore fractal size D of YSZ increases by 15%. Inside the hot spot region, the coating has a shear stress of 75MPa. By inserting Cohesive units globally in the model to simulate the random crack initiation and propagation, unlike the thinning of YSZ layered peeling caused by uniform superheating, hot spot will cause the crack initiation at the tip of the pores inside the coating and the oblique propagation, eventually forming an oblique crack connection through the pores. When the temperature gradient reaches 30K/mm, the crack propagation is 40% greater than in a uniform temperature field; consequently, the YSZ in the hot spot boundary region with a greater temperature gradient results in more severe bulk peeling.

Accurate prediction of mercury content emitted from fossil-fueled power stations is of utmost importance for environmental pollution assessment and hazard mitigation. In this paper, mercury content in the output gas of power stations’ boilers was predicted using an adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) method integrated with particle swarm optimization (PSO). The input parameters of the model include coal characteristics and the operational parameters of the boilers. The dataset has been collected from 82 power plants and employed to educate and examine the proposed model. To evaluate the performance of the proposed hybrid model of ANFIS-PSO model, the statistical meter of MARE% was implemented, which resulted in 0.003266 and 0.013272 for training and testing, respectively. Furthermore, relative errors between acquired data and predicted values were between -0.25% and 0.1%, which confirm the accuracy of the model to deal nonlinearity and representing the dependency of flue gas mercury content into the specifications of coal and the boiler type.

Residential coal combustion is one of the most significant sources of carbonaceous aerosols in the Highveld region of South Africa, significantly affecting the local and regional climate. In this study, we investigated single coal-burning particles emitted when using different fire-ignition techniques (top-lit up-draft vs bottom-lit up-draft) and air ventilation rates (defined by the number of air holes above and below the fire grate) in selected informal braziers. Aerosol samples were collected on nucleopore filters at the Sustainable Energy Technology and Research Centre Laboratory, University of Johannesburg. Individual particles (~700) were investigated using a scanning electron microscope equipped with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). Two distinct forms of spherical organic particles (SOPs) were identified, one less oxidized than the other. The particles were further classified into "electronically" dark and bright. EDS analysis showed that 70% of the dark spherical organic particles had higher (~60%) relative oxygen content than in the bright SOPs. We quantified the morphology of spherical organic particles and classified them into four categories: ~50% are bare single particles; ~35% particles are aggregated and form diffusion accretion chains; 10% have inclusions, and 5% are deformed due to impaction on filter material during sampling. We conclude that there are two distinct kinds of coal burning spherical organic particles and that dark SOPs are less volatile than bright SOPs. We also show that these spherical organic particles are similar in nature and characteristics to tar balls observed in biomass combustion and that they have the potential to absorb sunlight thereby affecting the earth’s radiative budget and climate. This study provides insights into the mixing states, morphology, and possible formation mechanisms of these organic particles from residential coal combustion in informal stoves.

This work focuses on forced combustion with regards to the relationship between vent mixer models and several injection locations in unheated supersonic flow. A plasma jet torch was used to ignite the hydrogen–air mixture in a laboratory-scaled combustor duct. The flow field of the combustion was visualized with pressure and gas-sampling measurements. The vent mixers indicate good dispersion characteristics of the mixture for both parallel and normal 1 injections. However, forced combustion is dominantly governed by the injection rate toward the plasma jet (hot source) because the combustible region is restricted under the cold main flow. For this reason, the parallel injection, which provides the hydrogen–air mixture directly toward the plasma jet, shows good combustion performance. The normal 1 injection interacted with the vent mixers and shows slightly good combustion performance. Lastly, the normal 2 injection is little affected by the vent mixers and has poor combustion performance.

In order to the effect of hydrated phase change materials on suppressing coal spontaneous combustion, the thermogravimetric experiment and reaction activation energy analysis experiment were used to explore the changes of combustion characteristic, parameters characteristic temperature and activating energy of gas coal, long flame coal, meagre coal, and lean coal before and after adding hydrated phase change materials. The research results showed that hydrated phase change materials increased the coal samples’characteristic temperature point and have effective inhibitory effects on different stages of oxidation process.However, the effect was best at low temperatures, as hydrated phase change materials undergo phase change and absorb heat when heated at low temperatures, isolating coal from contact with oxygen. The activating energy increased by 1.138 KJmol-1～23.048 KJmol-1 and the mass loss reduced by 1.6%～9.3% after the inhibition of the coal sample,indicating that the oxidation rate of various coal samples can be slowed down and the spontaneous combustion can be suppressed by using hydrated phase change materials.At the same time, this material can also reduce the combustibility index of meagre coal and lean coal, as well as the comprehensive combustion index and maximum loss rate of long flame coal and gas coal.

Carbon dioxides capture chemical looping combustion (CLC) technology uses metal oxides as oxygen transporters (TO). (1) These oxygen transporters, OXMN009 and OXMN009P, are used in a cyclic process that prevents the formation of nitrogen oxides by keeping air and fuel separate. (2) Thermogravimetric balance (TGA) experiments were conducted to evaluate the kinetic behavior of these copper-modified oxygen transporters. (3) It was found that OXMN009P has improved reactivity and oxygen transfer properties due to copper impregnation. The kinetic parameters obtained in the TGA indicate that the reaction is non-thermal and requires less energy to initiate. (4) The results show that OXMN009P has reactivity comparable to other manganese-based materials reported in the literature and can be an effective option for carbon dioxide capture.

In combustor systems, thermoacoustic instabilities may occur and must be avoided for reliable op-eration. An acoustic network model can be used to predict the eigenfrequencies of the instabilities and the growth rate by incorporating the combustion dynamics with a Flame Transfer Function (FTF). The FTF defines the interconnection between burner aerodynamics and the rate of combus-tion. In the current study, the method to measure the FTF in a pressurized combustor is explored. A siren unit, mounted in the fuel line, induced a fuel flow excitation of variable amplitude and high maximum frequency. This was done here for pressurized conditions at 1.5 bar and 3 bar and at thermal power of 125 kW and 250 kW. In addition to the experimental investigation, a 1-D acoustic network model approach is used. In the model, thermo viscous damping effects and reflection coefficients are incorporated. The model results compare well with experimental data, indicating the proposed method to determine the FTF is reliable. In the approach, a combination of a FTF with a band stop approach and a network modeling approach was applied. The method provides a good match between experimentally observed behavior and analytical approach and can be used for instability analysis.

The present work presents and discusses experimental performance and gaseous emission results of the use of ternary mixtures of diesel oil, biodiesel and ethanol in an ASTM-CFR engine. Eight different mixtures with biodiesel content equal to 8%, 20% and 60%, and ethanol content equal to 0%, 5% and 8% were analyzed. After the selection and preparation of the mixtures, the determination of the cetane number for each one was performed following the ASTM D613 standard. After cetane number evaluation, two off-standard operating conditions were selected, and performance and emissions were obtained. A thermodynamic analysis and a Bayesian inverse approach were applied and physical quantities of interest, such as indicated work, maximum pressure, rate of heat released by the fuel, ignition delay, and combustion duration, were obtained. In-cylinder pressure data were obtained through an AVL Indicating system installed in the ASTM-CFR engine. The heating values of each mixture were determined using a bomb calorimeter and thermal and indicated efficiencies were evaluated based on the total heat released by the fuel and the indicated work. Finally, a gaseous emissions analysis was conducted to evaluate the influence of the blend compositions, as well as of their cetane numbers, on the formation of NOx, CO and CO₂.

In this paper an integrated methodology for the coupling between 1D- and 3D-CFD simulation codes is presented, which has been developed to support the design and calibration of new diesel engines. The aim of the proposed methodology is to couple 1D engine models, which may be available in the early-stage engine development phases, with 3D predictive combustion simulations, in order to obtain reliable estimates of engine performance and emissions for newly designed automotive diesel engines. The coupling procedure features simulations performed in 1D-CFD by means of GT-SUITE and in 3D-CFD by means of Converge, executed within a specifically designed calculation methodology. An assessment of the coupling procedure has been performed by comparing its results with experimental data acquired on an automotive Diesel engine, considering different working points including both part load and full load conditions. Different multiple injection schedules have been evaluated for part-load operation, including pre and post injections. The proposed methodology, featuring detailed 3D chemistry modeling, was proven to be capable to properly assess pollutant formation, specifically to estimate NOx concentrations. Soot formation trend was also well-matched for most of the explored working points. The proposed procedure can therefore be considered as a suitable methodology to support the design and calibration of new Diesel engines, thanks to its ability to provide reliable engine performance and emissions estimations from the early-stage of a new engine development.

: Climate change necessitates urgent actions to mitigate carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from fossil fuel-based energy generation. Among various strategies, the deployment of carbon capture and storage (CCS) solutions are critical for reducing emissions from point sources such as power plants and heavy industries. In this context, cryogenic carbon capture (CCC) via desublimation has emerged as a promising technology. While CCC offers high separation efficiency, minimal downstream compression work, and integration potential with existing industrial processes, challenges such as low operating temperatures and equipment costs persist. Ongoing research aims to address these hurdles in order to optimize the desublimation processes for widespread implementation. This review consolidates diverse literature works, providing insights into the strengths and limitations of CCC technology, including the latest pilot plant scale demonstrations. The transformative potential of CCC is first assessed on a theoretical basis, such as thermodynamic aspects and mass transfer phenomena. Then, recent advancements in the proposed process configurations are critically assessed and compared through key performance indicators. Furthermore, future research directions for this technology are clearly highlighted.

In this study, the shape and size of a combustion cavity with a fracture zone in the gasified coal seam was determined with use control boreholes and a ground-penetrating radar (BGPR) test. The underground coal gasification (UCG) field-scale experiment was performed in Carboniferous strata in coal seam 501 at a depth of approx. 460 m in the Wieczorek hard-coal mine in the Upper Silesian Coal Basin, Poland. After the termination of the UCG reactor, five coring boreholes were drilled to identify the geometry of the resulting combustion cavity and the impact of the UCG process on the surrounding rock mass. Borehole ground-penetrating radar measurements were performed using a 100 MHz antenna in three boreholes with a length of about 40-50 m. This enabled the identification of the boundaries of the combustion cavity and the fracture zone in the coal seam. The fracture zones of rock layers and lithological borders near the control borehole were also depicted. As a result, the cavity was estimated to have a length of around 32 m, a width of around 7 m and a height of around 5 m. The analyses performed with the control boreholes and the BGPR provided sufficient information to determine the geometry of the combustion cavity and the fracture zone.

A D-grade type coal was burned under simulated domestic practices in a controlled laboratory set-up, in order to characterize emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs); viz. benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylenes (BTEX). Near-field concentrations were collected in a shack-like structure constructed using corrugated iron, simulating a traditional house found in informal settlements in South Africa. Measurements were carried out using the Synspec Spectras GC955 real-time monitor over a three-hour burn cycle. The 3-hour average concentrations (in µg/m³) of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, p-xylene and o-xylene were 919 ± 44, 2051 ± 91, 3838 ±19, 4245 41 and 3576 ± 49, respectively. The cancer risk for adult males and females in a typical SA household exposure scenario, was found to be 1.1 -1.2 and 110-120 folds higher than the US EPA designated risk severity indicator (1E^-6), respectively. All four TEX compounds recorded the Hazard Quotient (HQ) of less than 1, indicating a low risk of developing related non-carcinogenic health effects. The HQ for TEX ranged from 0.001– 0.05, with toluene concentrations being the lowest and ethylbenzene the highest. This study has demonstrated that domestic coal burning may be a significant source of BTEX emission exposure.

This paper develops a chemical model for a closed constant volume combustion of gaseous mixtures of methane and hydrogen. Since the combustion is strongly depending on temperature, pressure and fuel composition, they were chosen the actual corresponding thermodynamic systems using this kind of combustion, respectively the spark ignition reciprocating engines in order to evaluate the combustion parameters and exhaust flue gases composition. The actual cycles impose extra restrictive operational conditions through the engine volumetric compression ratio, the geometry of combustion volume, the mode to prepare the mixture of methane and hydrogen, the cooling system and the delivered power. The chemical model avoided the unknown influences in order to explain accurately the influence of hydrogen upon the constant volume combustion and flue gases composition. The model adopted simplifying hypotheses, respectively isentropic compression and expansion processes, closed constant volume combustion developed by two successive steps obeying to the energy and mass conservation laws and, flue gases exhaust described also by two steps, i.e. an isentropic expansion through the flow section of exhaust valves followed by a constant pressure stagnation (this succession is corresponding in fact to a throttling direct process). The chemical model supposed the homogeneous mixtures of gases with variable heat capacities function of temperatures, the Mendeleev - Clapeyron ideal gas state equation and, the variable chemical equilibrium constants for chosen chemical reactions. It was assumed that the flue gases chemistry is prevailing during the isentropic expansion and flue gases exhaust and has mainly a thermal ground. The chemical model allowed evaluation of flue gasses composition and of noxious emissions.

Burning woody biomass for energy is gaining attention due to environmental issues associated with fossil fuels and carbon emission. The carbon released from burning wood is absorbed by plants and is carbon neutral. The purpose of this study was to investigate the combustion characteristics (heat calorific values and ash contents) of three timbers: Araucaria cunninghamii, Instia bijuga and Pometia pinnata and recommend for fuelwood. The test samples were sawdust particles (treatment) and solid woods (control) extracted from the heartwoods. The sawdust particles were oven-dried, sieved and pelletized into pellets using a hand-held pelletizing device, thus, forming cylindrical dimension (volume 1178.57 mm3, oven dry density 0.0008 g/mm3). While the solid woods were cubed and oven-dried (volume 1000.00 mm3, oven dry density 0.001 g/mm3). Prior to combustion in a semi-automatic bomb calorimeter, 90 test specimens (15 replicates per treatment and control per species) were conditioned to 14 % moisture content (at temperature 105 ºC) and weighed to a constant (unit) mass (1.0 g). The heat energy outputs and ash residues (of treatments) were analyzed statistically. The results indicated variability in heat energy outputs and ash residues between test specimens of the three species. Comparatively, the treatment specimens of A. cunninghamii produced higher calorific value (18.546 kJ/g) than the control (18.376 kJ/g) whilst the treatment specimens of I. bijuga and P. pinnata generated lower heat calorific values (17.124 kJ/g and 18.822 kJ/g) than the control (18.415 kJ/g and 20.659 kJ/g), respectively. According to ash content analysis, A. cunninghamii generated higher residues (6.3%) followed by P. pinnata (4.5%) and I. bijuga (2.8%). The treatment specimens of the three species could not meet the standard heat energy requirement (20.0 kJ/g) and thus, were unsuitable for fuelwood. However, the control specimens of P. pinnata generated equivalent heat energy (20.659 kJ/g) and could be a potential fuelwood.

Air pollution has become the world’s single biggest environmental health risk of the past decade, causing about 7 million yearly deaths worldwide. One of the dominant air pollutants is fine particulate matter (PM2.5), a product of combustion. Exposure to PM2.5 has been associated with decreased lung function, impaired immunity, and exacerbations of lung disease. Accumulating evidence suggests that many of the adverse health effects of PM2.5 exposure are associated with lung inflammation and oxidative stress. While the physical structure and surface chemistry of PM2.5 are surrogate measures of particle oxidative potential, little is known about their contributions to negative health effects. In this study, we used functionalized carbon black particles as surrogates for atmospherically aged combustion formed soot to assess the effects of PM2.5 surface chemistry in lung cells. We exposed the BEAS-2B lung epithelial cell line to different soot at a range of concentrations, and assessed cell viability, inflammation, and oxidative stress. Our results indicate that exposure to soot with varying particle surface composition results in differential cell viability rates, expression of pro-inflammatory and oxidative stress genes, and protein carbonylation. We conclude that particle surface chemistry, specifically oxygen content, in soot modulates lung cell inflammatory and oxidative stress responses.

In order to explore the combustion performance of a non-road air-cooled two-cylinder turbocharged diesel engine, an experiment on the effects of engine compression ratio, combustion chamber shape and injection timing were systematically conducted in this study. Moreover, the effects of intake air conditions on combustion performance were numerically investigated using the one-dimensional simulation platform. The findings of this study could help provide new insights for promoting the sustainable development of diesel engines used in generator sets. The results show that the increase of intake air temperature can delay the combustion center of gravity, and improve the combustion performance and the sustainability of diesel engines. The decrease of intake air pressure will lead to a reduction in oxygen amount during the combustion process, thus causing a deterioration of cylinder pressure and combustion performance. By modifying the combustion chamber, the ignition delay and combustion duration are each extended by 1.6 degrees and 4.2 degrees under 100% engine load. The ignition delay and combustion duration are not obviously affected by modifying the combustion chamber shape under 25% and 50% loads. By increasing the compression ratio from 19.5 to 20.5, the ignition delay and combustion duration are shortened, which could enhance the cylinder pressure and heat release rate. However, reducing the compression ratio from 19.5 to 18.5 could significantly decrease the heat release rate. Under middle and low loads, combustion duration is less affected by injection timing. Under 100% load, the peak cylinder pressure increases to 11.4 MPa, and the ignition delay is shortened by advancing injection timing from -17°CA to -20°CA.

In this paper, a 100CMM regenerative thermal oxidizer (RTO) system based on a high heating device for low-emission combustion is implemented at a volatile organic compound (VOCs) gas generation workplace. Existing RTO has a structure that repeats the inflow and discharge of VOCs gas into a cylindrical drum-type rotating disk and has excellent energy efficiency with a heat recovery rate of 95% or more. However, when used for a long time, there is a problem that rotation stops or explodes due to the discharge of pollutants due to dust and thermal expansion due to high temperature of 800℃. To overcome this, a RTO based on a high heating device was developed to reduce low-emission combustion emissions and energy use. Through 177 hours of demonstration time, the oxidation efficiency of VOCs was 98.87%; the waste heat recovery rate was reduced by 95.78%, the fuel consumption was reduced by 21.95%, and the nitrogen oxide concentration was 3.9 ppm

Hydrogen fuel is gaining particular attention in internal combustion engines. In addition to zero-carbon emissions, major advantages relate to its combustion characteristics, which allow significant increase in thermal efficiency under ultra-lean operation and with very low NOx levels. The ignition system is one of the main technology enablers, as it determines the capability to control ultra-lean operations, avoid backfire phenomena, or reduce the risks of abnormal combustions. The latter results from the hydrogen low ignition energy and it is associated with factors like high-temperature residuals, hot spots, and irregular spark plug discharge. ACIS gen 2-Barrier Discharge Igniter excels in accelerating the initial flame growth speed by the generation of non-equilibrium low-temperature plasma, strong ignition promoter for the combined action of kinetic and thermal effects. Moreover, its volumetric discharge facilitates combustion initiation on a wide region, in contrast to the localized ignition of traditional spark systems. In this work we present for the first time, to the best of our knowledge, experimental results showing the performance of a hydrogen engine with a low-temperature plasma discharge. Tests were conducted on a single-cylinder research engine, achieving ultra-lean conditions with cycle-to-cycle variability results below 2.5%. The analysis indicates that the H2 - BDI combined solution is capable of accelerating the evolution of the flame front compared to traditional spark plugs, leading to a significant reduction in the cycle-to-cycle variability. A meticulous adjustment of the BDI control parameters further enhances igniter performance and contributes to a deeper understanding of the innovative approach proposed in this study.

In this paper, a 100CMM regenerative thermal oxidizer (RTO) system based on a high heating device for low-emission combustion is implemented at a volatile organic compound (VOCs) gas generation workplace. Existing RTO has a structure that repeats the inflow and discharge of VOCs gas into a cylindrical drum-type rotating disk and has excellent energy efficiency with a heat recovery rate of 95% or more. However, when used for a long time, there is a problem that rotation stops or explodes due to the discharge of pollutants due to dust and thermal expansion due to high temperature of 800℃. To overcome this, a RTO based on a high heating device was developed to reduce low-emission combustion emissions and energy use. Through 177 hours of demonstration time, the oxidation efficiency of VOCs was 97.87%; the waste heat recovery rate was reduced by 95.78%, the fuel consumption was reduced by 21.95%, and the nitrogen oxide concentration was 3.9 ppm

The spontaneous combustion of coal in goaf is the main cause of mine fire at present. Lignite has become a major hidden danger in mine production safety because of its easy oxidation. In this paper, an innovative strategy was proposed to inhibit the spontaneous combustion of lignite by using the principle of microbial-induced calcium deposition. Based on the optimized culture method, a novel composite inhibitor of Bacillus pasteurelli was prepared. SEM, pore size analysis and FT-IR experiments were carried out simultaneously, and the oxidation properties of lignite before and after inhibition were quantitatively characterized from the perspective of microstructure, and the flame retardant properties of microbial and chemical retardants on coal samples were compared. The results show that a large number of deposited calcium carbonate particles are obviously attached to the surface of lignite after microbial inhibition treatment, which plays a physical oxygen insulation role. At the same time, the total pore volume and specific surface area of the coal sample decreased by 68.49% and 74.01%, respectively, indicating that microbial inhibitors can effectively plug the primary pores of lignite. Based on the peak measurement of 400-4000cm-1 infrared spectrum of coal samples, it is found that the contents of active groups including hydroxyl, carboxyl and methyl/methylene in lignite molecules after microbial inhibition are lower than those in raw coal, especially the methyl/methylene content involved in the initial oxidation reaction decreased by 96.5% compared with the baseline content in raw coal. The results show that the oxidation and self-heating capacity of lignite after microbial inhibition is effectively restrained in the initial spontaneous combustion. The research results of this paper can provide effective solutions for the prevention and control of coal spontaneous combustion risk in mined-out area.

In this paper, the catalytic combustion of DMDS (dimethyl disulfide, CH₃SSCH₃) over bimetallic supported catalysts were investigated. It was confirmed that Cu/γ-Al₂O₃-CeO₂ showed best catalytic performance among the five single-metal catalysts. Furthermore, six different metals were separately added into Cu/γ-Al₂O₃-CeO₂ to investigate the promoting effect. The experiments revealed Pt as the most effective promoter and the the best catalytic performance was achieved as the adding amount of 0.3 wt%. The characterization results indicated that high activity and resistance to sulfur poisoning of Cu-Pt/γ-Al₂O₃-CeO₂ could be attributed to the synergistic effect between Cu and Pt.

The emission of carbon compounds (in the form of soot) to the atmosphere has a significant impact on the environment and human health. Air pollution with combustion products, having a unique combination of physical and chemical properties, is an important component of very fine suspended dust, which is emitted from various sources related to combustion processes. The carbon compounds in the aerosol and deposited in the substrate are found all over the Earth. The paper presents results of comparative research on the content of 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in soot samples obtained as a result of combustion of solid fuels such as hard coal with granulation above 60 mm, coal with a grain size of 25-80 mm, coal with a grain size of 8-25 mm, pellets and dry wood. On the basis of the conducted tests, it was found that the soot obtained in the combustion of coal in different granulation contains more cytotoxic PAHs in comparison to the combustion of wood pellets or dry firewood.

The improvement of the methane combustion activity was observed in cyclic temperature-programmed and isothermal reactions over Pd/ZrO2 catalysts by simple reduction/re-oxidation treatment. The catalytic activity increased during the initial stages of isothermal reaction, and the light-off temperature was lowered as the number of cycles increased in the cyclic temperature-programmed reaction. To reveal the origin of activation, variations in the reduction properties after the activation period were carefully investigated through CH4 temperature-programmed reduction (TPR) measurements. From the CH4-TPR results, it was confirmed that the reduction temperature decreased significantly after activation. The observation of the CH4-TPR peak at relatively low temperatures is directly proportional to the catalytic activity of CH4 combustion. It was therefore concluded that repeated reduction/re-oxidation occurred in the reactant stream, and this phenomenon allowed the combustion reaction to proceed more easily at lower temperatures.

Forest plantations can substantially contribute to carbon sequestration and greenhouse gases (GHG) mitigation at the country and global scale. Forest fires (specially when combined with droughts) may significantly reduce such carbon sequestration capability. IPCC has global scale estimates for such losses, but they can vary widely depending on crops, climate, topography and management, among others. IPCC defines a factor for biomass loss as a consequence of forest fires, expressed as a fraction of total biomass. This methodology implies using aggregated data and the default emission factor, being only recommended for countries where wildfires are not a key category. In Chile, and over the last decade, there are between 5,000 to 8,000 wildfires annually (average 6,398 for the period 2011-2020), burning an average of 122,328 hectares each year. Countries may progress in the refinement of such factors depending on the availability and reliability of local values. This paper aims at estimating C_f values for the main forest plantation species in Chile: Pinus radiata, Eucalyptus nitens, and Eucalyptus globulus, across different age-classes and forest fire severities. To this aim we assessed the biomass loss after forest fires for a stratified sample of forest plots for the season 2018-2019. We fitted a model to predict the amount of biomass loss during fires, and in this way, predict the emissions associated to wildfires. The model employs very simple predictive variables, age and species, because statistics for burnt areas in plantations are only provided by age-classes and species, without details about productivity or management.

The Hollow fiber membrane contactor (HFMC) is an intensification process that combines membrane and absorption technologies, being a technology in expansion, so the dynamics of this process is crucial for an increase in industrial scale-up. In this manuscript a rigorous dynamic model of an HFMC is developed and simulated in Python software for the absorption of post-combustion CO2 using a monoethanolamine (MEA) solution, which was validated using available data in literature in steady state. Dynamic simulations were performed to analyze the model's capability to predict the effect of disturbances on the responses of CO2 capture ratio and loading. Four distinct experiments were conducted by step changes and pulse disturbances at the following variables: gas and liquid volumetric flow rates, CO2 composition in flue gases, and CO2 lean load. The gas phase showed a faster response compared to the liquid. The CO2 capture ratio and rich loading presented opposite responses when disturbing both liquid flows, and for the composition and lean loading variations, the capture ratio presented an inverse response characteristic, while the loading showed a delayed response. As the model proved to be capable of returning to the reference state, it can potentially be used for control studies purposes.

With growing regulations on ship emissions, specifically carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxides, this study emphasizes the critical need for improving the performance of existing ship diesel engines. Focusing on easily modifiable injection conditions within the fuel system, the research aims to enhance combustion characteristics for operational ships. The study provides a concise analysis of the combustion performance improvements achievable in the field. The study employed a range of calculation conditions, spanning from fuel injection pressures of 20 MPa to 160 MPa, injection timing from 15 degrees before top dead center (BTDC) to 5 degrees after top dead center (ATDC), and spray angles varying between 10 degrees and 50 degrees. A comprehensive analysis was conducted, focusing on fuel distribution behavior, combustion dynamics, carbon monoxide (CO) production and extinction, as well as nitrogen oxide (NO) production. This thorough examination aimed to provide insights into the complex interplay of these factors in order to optimize combustion performance in ship diesel engines. The analysis indicated that substantial unburned fuel occurred at injection pressures below 40 MPa and spray angles less than 20 degrees. This issue was significantly mitigated when injection pressures exceeded 80 MPa or a spray angle of 40 degrees was employed. High flame propagation speeds were observed at injection pressures over 80 MPa and injection timings before BTDC 10. Carbon monoxide emissions were notably low when injection pressures exceeded 80 MPa and a 40-degree spray angle was used. Nitrogen oxide emissions were minimized under conditions of injection pressure below 40 MPa, injection timing after BTDC 5 degrees, and a spray angle between 30 and 40 degrees. The study concludes that the most effective injection conditions for concurrently reducing fuel consumption, minimizing incomplete combustion products, and lowering nitrogen oxide emissions in the target engine are optimal when the injection pressure is set at 80 MPa, the injection timing is positioned at 5 degrees before top dead center (BTDC), and the spray angle is maintained at 40 degrees.

Global energy scenario is becoming vital for the sustainable economic development of a region or country. Current changes in energy production, mainly due to scarcity and geopolitical factors, have proven the need for changes in energy mix towards a lower energy dependence. In that sense, a considerable amount of biomass waste is generated in many regions, because of agro-industrial activities, whose management could contribute to energy production. The aim of this work was to study the determination of combustion conditions in a biomass stove by using different raw materials as fuels, such as pine, poplar, and plum tree pellets. For that purpose, power, excess air, and biomass content were optimized, among other parameters, and fumes were analyzed with a Testo 335 analyzer, recording temperatures with temperature probes. As a conclusion, high yields were found for the optimized parameters of the studied biomass (ranging from 91.1 % for poplar pellet to 92.34 % for pine pellet), making these three biomass fuels suitable for combustion in the abovementioned stove. Also, increasing biomass flow by 25 % in the stove contributed to a higher efficiency of the process, especially in the case of plum tree pellets.

The paper presents results from investigation focused on toxicity content in the exhaust gases emitted by the internal combustion compression ignition engine fueled with glycerol-ethanol blends at ratio of 50/50% by volume. Innovative issue of this engine is application of 2 high pressure injectors for glycerol-ethanol blend and diesel fuel direct injection at high pressure over 200 MPa. As known, glycerol is considered is by-product from biodiesel production technologies, hence its cost is relatively low to other renewable alternative fuels, which can be applied as a fuel to the reciprocating piston engines. Tests on exhaust gases toxicity were performed. It was found that the toxic components UHC, NOx and CO were below the maximal allowed limits. Both NOx and smoke emissions were strongly reduced with increase in glycerol-ethanol fraction in the fuel. Summarizing, such a fueling strategy proposed in this paper made it possible to effectively and environmentally friendly combust crude glycerol in the compression ignition engine working in a heat and power cogeneration unit. Exhaust gas emission tests conducted in this case confirmed usability of this technology to be implemented into practice.

Research on engine operation using hydrogen may enable appropriate optimization of thrust and, therefore, performance related to its potential use in aircraft. It is particularly important that the share of hydrogen in combustion affects the reduction of combustion products such as carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxide, hydrocarbons and solid matter. This is in line with the new requirements regarding the increased supply of sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) and the related changes in emissions, i.e. reducing the harmful impact of exhaust gases on the environment. The paper presents the results of measurements carried out in the GTM400 MOD turbojet engine. Based on the research performed, the impact of hydrogen and aviation kerosene combustion on selected engine parameters was presented. The paper shows changes in the rotational speed and volume flow of JET A-1 fuel as a function of engine operation time. Changes in temperature measured at the edge of the flame tube were also examined. The tests confirmed that the combustion chamber works correctly in the selected area in the range of tested fuel mixtures. After incorporating hydrogen into the combustion process, the consumption of traditional JET A-1 fuel was significantly reduced.

Biomass storage is an essential requirement in the supply chain of bio-refineries and power plants. This research aims to evaluate the influence of long-term outdoor storage (1 year) of baled rockrose (Cistus laurifolius L.) shrub biomass on biofuel´s quality, pre-treatment processes and on combustion emissions in an industrial boiler. The raw material was obtained from different rockrose shrublands in North-center Spain. 233 tWM (tones of wet matter) of biomass were used to produce biofuels (30 mm milled biomass and Ø 8 mm pellets) in the pre-treatment pilot plants at CEDER-CIEMAT. The combustion tests were conducted in an industrial moving grate boiler with a thermal power of 50 MWth, in a 17 MWe power plant. Outdoor storage improved some quality biofuels parameters, mainly the reduction in ash content, what allowed to classify 30 mm milled material as class I1 (ISO 17225-9:2022) and pellets as class I3 (ISO 17225-2-2021). No significant differences were observed in the total specific mass flow and energy consumptions in the pre-treatment processes. The combustion tests had similar results, being the emissions below the limits established in the Directive (EU) 2015/2193. The results obtained indicated that 1-year outdoor store of rockrose-baled biomass under Mediterranean conditions was feasible for its subsequent use as biofuel.

As the demand for fossil fuels continues to rise and their availability becomes increasingly limited, it is crucial to explore innovative approaches to optimize fuel combustion in existing systems. Among various engines, diesel engines are heavily reliant on fluid motion within the engine cylinder, which plays a critical role in fuel-air mixing. This abstract focuses on the potential of dynamic mathematical model simulation for multi-compartment rotor compressed combustion engines, aiming to revolutionize power generation by enhancing fuel burning efficiency. By leveraging advanced simulation techniques, this research seeks to unlock new insights into fluid dynamics and optimize fuel-air mixing, leading to more efficient and sustainable energy utilization. Through this exploration, we aim to pave the way for groundbreaking advancements in the field of combustion engines, ultimately contributing to a greener and more sustainable future. In the realm of internal combustion engines, the fluid dynamics within the engine cylinder greatly influence the combustion processes and heat transfer. For compression ignition (C.I) engines, both the bulk gas motion and turbulence characteristics play vital roles in engine performance. This study focuses on enhancing the combustibility of the fuel-air mixture in C.I engines by modifying the engine design to induce turbulence through squish and tumble flows. The modification involves creating multiple compartments on the rotor crown, comprising three small chambers spaced 120º apart. By implementing this design, the aim is to optimize the fuel-air mixing and improve the overall combustion efficiency. Through comprehensive analysis and experimentation, we seek to revolutionize C.I engine technology and pave the way for more efficient and environmentally-friendly power generation. In this study, the performance of a compression ignition (C.I) engine with a multiple compartment rotor has been analyzed under motoring conditions using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations with FLUENT software. The obtained results have been compared with those of a base C.I engine. The analysis focused on the effects of the modified engine design on the tumble ratio and squish velocity, which are important parameters for fuel-air mixing and combustion efficiency. The results indicated a significant improvement with the modified engine, with a 35% increase in tumble ratio and a 31% increase in squish velocity compared to the base engine. These findings suggest that the modified engine design has the potential to enhance fuel-air mixing and combustion performance, leading to improved overall engine efficiency. This research presents promising insights into the optimization of C.I engine design and contributes to the development of more efficient and environmentally-friendly power generation technologies..

Combustion parameters are the important aspects in the development and research of an internal combustion engines. Hence present work is an attempt to develop an artificial neural network (ANN) model for anticipating the combustion characteristics of computerized CI DI VCR, four strokes, single cylinder, and water cooled engine using mixture of two biodiesel and diesel blends as a fuel. The two biodiesel selected are Jatropha and Simarouba and mixed in the ratio of 75:25. Two biodiesel mixtures is used for the preparation of various blends with diesel. Experiments are carried out at different compression ratio, at different % load and blends B20, B40, B60and neat diesel (B00) fuel to accumulate the assorted combustion data. The input variables are % load, compression ratio, blends and crank angle. The outputs well thought-out are cylinder pressure (CP), net heat release rate (NHRR), cumulative heat release (CHR), rate of pressure rise (RPR), mass fraction burned (MFB) and maximum cylinder pressure. The assessment is focused on developing artificial neural network for the prediction and verifying the combustion characteristics of engine. MATLAB software is used for analysis of different combustion aspects of the engine. Multilayer neural network perceptions are used with Feed-Forward Back Propagation algorithm with performance function for mapping the input and output parameters. The experimental outcomes are compared with ANN estimated results for the analysis. The outcome from the study authenticate that experimental results are in match with ANN results. The accuracy of the ANN model shows the developed model can effectively predict the engine combustion characteristics with excellent regression coefficients ‘R’ and its values are close to unity and the mean square errors are extremely less. ANN model approach is competent towards predicting the combustion aspect of diesel engine with good accuracy

“Anti-stripping Agents" or "adhesion promoters” can enhance the chemical affinity between as-phalt and aggregate by increasing their mutual attraction. Various forms of anti-stripping agents have been proposed to mitigate pavement stripping, and siloxane-based Zychotherm is one of them. Choosing the appropriate type and dose of anti-stripping additives is no doubt vital to the intended performance. Therefore, it is critically important to determine the dose of the additives used in the modification of asphalt binders. This research developed a feasible detection method that can closely measure the dose (0.05% and 0.1%) of siloxane-based anti-stripping liquid agents. Related test methods including heat combustion test, residue visualization, burning, and ignition were implemented. Heat combustion results showed that with the addition of Zychotherm anti-stripping additive, average heat combustion value decreased by 1.34% and 1.72% for 0.05% and 0.1% Zychotherm modified binder respectively. In the burning and ignition process, the modified binder leaves yellowish substances in the residue, which is an indication of the presence of Zy-chotherm. The weight of the yellowish residue relates more to the quantity of Zychotherm in as-phalt binder.

The article presents the influence of ecological agents, i.e. the effective microorganisms and silver compounds addition to lubricating oil on operating parameters of an internal combustion engine. The basic diagnostic parameters of a piston engine determining its technical condition were described. In the further part, the research stand and materials were presented. In the main part of this article for pure oil compared to oil with the effective microorganisms and silver compounds addition were shown. It was found that the addition of effective microorganisms and silver compounds to the oil reduces the emission of toxic components into the atmosphere along with the exhaust gases, while the remaining engine operating parameters for each load value show that these additives do not cause deterioration of the technical condition of the tested engine. Of all the agents used, the best results are obtained with the addition of ceramic tubes, because it is an additive that does not affect the properties of the oil in its composition. The advantage of ceramic tubes is the slow release of effective microorganisms, which has an effect on the parameters of the oil and thus on the operation of the engine. In further research, it will be checked how these additives affect the anti-seize and anti-wear properties of the lubricating oil used, which should give a broader view of the impact of these additives on the technical condition of the operated piston engine.

In the present scenario of increased industrialization and transportation in the world leads to increased consumption of fossil fuels which in turns leads to depletion of fossil fuels at a faster rate. Fossil fuels combustion is the dominant source for greenhouse gases and global warming. In view of energy crisis raised in 1970’s and environmental concern, many researches are directed towards search of alternative fuels which can replace consumption of fossil fuels as well as reduce pollution. In developing countries like India which is agriculture land the best alternative fuels are biodiesel and ethanol as they are produced from renewable feedstocks like sugarcane, corn etc. and they are also less hazardous to environment because of lower emission property. Ethanol blends results in significant reduction of emissions of hydrocarbon (HC), carbon monoxide (CO) and particulates matter but increase in nitrogen oxides (NOx). The main purpose of ethanol addition is to reduce the viscosity of biodiesel blends. This paper represents significance of Compression Ratio(CR) on performance, combustion and emission of single cylinder four stroke CI diesel engine by using various compression ratios such as 17.5:1, 18.5:1 and 19.5:1. Experimental research has been conducted with four types of ethanol blends, namely E10, E20, E30 and E40. Ethanol-biodiesel mixture mixed with 2% emulsifier 1% diethyl carbonate and 1% ethyl acetate to maintain similarity and to avoid phase separation. Ethanol subjected to high compression ratio has been used to increase brake thermal efficiency (BTE). The compression ratio has been increased to improve the combustion and performance of the diesel engine.

This study presents the encapsulation of two amino acid-based ionic liquids (AAILs), 1-Ethyl-3-methylimidazolium glycine [Emim][Gly] and 1-Ethyl-3-methylimidazolium alanine [Emim][Ala], in a highly porous metal organic framework (MOF-177), to generate state-of-the-art composites for post-combustion CO2 capture. The thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) demonstrated a successful encapsulation of the AAILs, consequently dramatically reducing the composites' surface area and pore volume. Both [Emim] [Gly]@MOF-177 and [Emim][Ala]@MOF-177 had close to 3 times the CO2 uptake of MOF-177 at 20 wt.% loading, 0.2 bar, and 303 K. Additionally, 20-[Emim][Gly]@MOF-177 and 20-[Emim] [Ala]@MOF-177 enhanced their CO2/N2 selectivity from 5 (pristine MOF-177) to 13 and 11, respectively.

In the environments of all kinds open coal storage sites , mining-affected coalbeds, and goafs, parts of coal body at low moisture content (≤8%) are prone to spontaneous combustion under the influence of some external environmental factors. In order to examine the influence effect of low moisture content on the spontaneous combustion tendency of coals with different metamorphic grade, we conducted temperature programmed oxidation (TPO) experiment and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) experiment to study the spontaneous combustion characteristics of coals with different metamorphic grade at four different low moisture content, and comparatively analyzed the change laws of the characteristic parameters of four different metamorphic grade coals at four different low moisture content. The experimental results indicate that: 1) Compared other low moisture content, anthracite and fat coal at low moisture content of 1.2% show stronger tendency to undergo spontaneous combustion, long flame coal and lignite at low moisture content of 3.4% and 5.6% are more prone to spontaneous combustion. 2) Four different metamorphic grade coals at low moisture content of 7.8% are less prone to spontaneous combustion; 3) Coals with different metamorphic grade have different tendency to undergo spontaneous combustion.

Abstract: Unusual methane emission and spontaneous combustion of coal induced by the air leakage are both hazards during mining. The most common practice has been to improve mine safety is sealing the mining fractures. In this paper, the methane and geology, coal spontaneous combustion characteristics and the coexistence of methane emission and spontaneous combustion of coal were analyzed. The preparation system of inorganic solidified foam (ISF) in field applications is studied and the working principle of generating device consists of foam generator and mixer was expounded. The technical plan of site construction is that the foam fluids was injected to respectively seal the mining fractures behind hydraulic supports, the cavities of air return corner, and the fractures nearby the coal pillar. After the foam fluids injection, the two stress values in the coal pillar eventually maintained above 15.5Mpa and 13Mpa, respectively. It indicated that the ISF can enhance the bearing stress ability of the coal pillar by transforming the stress state from two dimensional to three dimensional. The methane concentration in the air return corner and air return roadway declined significantly to 0.63% and 0.25%. The differential pressure inside and outside of the 4301(1) goaf fluctuated between -100pa to 150pa and the concentration of CO and O2 declined to 9ppm and 6%. The CO concentration in the air return corner finally reached a stable level of 6ppm. What that all means, the foam fluids can seal the air leakage and inhibit spontaneous combustion of coal effectively.

Nanoparticles of graphene and carbon nanotubes are attractive materials for improvement of mechanical and barrier properties and functionality of biodegradable polymers for food packaging applications. However, the increase of the manufacture and consumption increases the probability of exposure of human and environment to such nanomaterials, this rising questions about the risks of nanomaterials since they can be toxic. For a risk assessment, it is crucial to know whether airborne nanoparticles of graphene and carbon nanotubes can be released from nanocomposites into the environment at their end-life, or they remain embedded in the matrix. In this work the release of graphene and carbon nanotubes from the poly(lactic) acid nanocomposite films were studied for the scenarios of: (i) biodegradation of matrix polymer at the disposal of wastes; and (ii) combustion and fire of nanocomposite wastes. Thermogravimetric analysis in air atmosphere, TEM, AFM and SEM were used to verify the release of nanoparticles from nanocomposite films. The three factors model was applied for the quantitative and qualitative risk assessment to the release of graphene and carbon nanotubes from nanocomposite wastes for these scenarios. Safety concern is discussed in respect to the existing regulations for nanowastes stream.

Molecular modeling studies were carried out at the DFT level of the adsorption of propane and propene on Ag surfaces as a model of the interaction of light hydrocarbons with Ag/ZrO2 catalysts for the catalytic combustion reaction. It was found that the most stable mode of adsorption of propene through its π system on Ag atom has energies consistent with chemisorption and generates an elongation of the C1=C2 bond, which would explain the increase in the activity of the catalysts as function of its metallic charge. The results obtained from the DFT calculations explain the different types of interaction between propene and propane with the metallic surface. The propene is chemisorbed on the Ag surface, distorting its bonds and generating its activation. This would imply that a higher metallic charge in the catalyst would increase the number of active sites in which this activation occurs, generating a higher activity. Besides, with the addition of O, the binding energy between the propene and the metal surface increased. On the other hand, the presence of a metallic surface is not enough for the activation of the propane molecule. This would explain why by increasing the amount of metal in the catalyst, the activity for the combustion of propane is practically not affected

Gas turbine power plants have important roles in the global power generation market. The examines thermodynamically the impact of steam injection for a combined cycle including a gas turbine cycle with a two-stage turbine and carbon dioxide recompression. The combined cycle is compared with the simple case without steam injection. Steam injection’s impact is observed on important parameters such as energy efficiency, exergy efficiency, and output power. It is revealed that steam injection reduces exergy destruction in components compared to the simple case. The efficiencies for both cases are obtained. The energy and exergy efficiencies respectively are found to be 30.4% and 29.4% for the simple case, and 35.3% and 34.1% for the case with steam injection. Also, incorporating steam injection reduces emissions of carbon dioxide.

The present paper deals with the complex study of the CO2 capture from combined heat power plant flue gases using the efficient technological scheme design – membrane cascade type of «Continuous Membrane Column». In contrast to well-known multi-step or multi-stage process designs, the cascade type of separation unit provides several advantages. That apparatus conceptually refers to the distillation columns. Here, the separation process is implemented in it by creating two counter current flows. In one of them is depleted by the high-permeable component in a continuous mode, meanwhile the other one is enriched. Taking into account, that the circulating flows rate overcome the withdrawn ones, there is a multiplicative growth in separation efficiency. A comprehensive study of the CO2 capture using membrane cascade type of «Continuous Membrane Column» includes the determination of optimal membrane material characteristics, the sensitivity study of the process and feasibility evaluation. It was clearly demonstrated that proposed process provides the efficient CO2 capture, which meets the modern requirements in terms of CO2 content (≥ 95 mol.%), recovery rate (≥ 90 %) and residual CO2 concentration (≤ 2 mol.%). Moreover, it was observed, that it is possible to process CO2 with purity up to 99.8 mol.% at the same recovery rate. This allows use of this specific process design in the CO2 pretreatment operations in the production of high-purity carbon dioxide.

Slags and ashes generated in thermal waste treatment facilities require proper management. In line with the principles of the circular economy, new, more economical and ecological possibilities for utilizing these substances are sought. These waste materials exhibit characteristics similar to rocks in many aspects. This study focuses on analyzing the similarities and differences between nine selected rocks and three samples of slags and ashes obtained from municipal waste incineration. The main research device used was a polarizing microscope, using reflected, transmitted and fluorescent light. Additionally, low-pressure gas adsorption equipment, as well as helium and quasi-liquid pycnometers, were used for complementary analysis. The parameters analyzed mainly covered broadly defined petrographic properties of rocks and slags, with a particular emphasis on porosity, porous structure and the spatial distribution of pores and fractures. The conducted analyses confirmed a significant similarity between slags and ashes and clastic sedimentary rocks such as sandstones and mudstones. The research results underscore the importance of petrographic microscopic studies for analyzing materials other than rocks. They also allow for exploring applications for slags and ashes in areas traditionally reserved for natural rock resources. The findings also indicate the necessity of using methods other than microscopic ones to describe the pore space of rocks. The lower measurement range of the optical microscope is limited to approximately 1 μm, covering only macropores. Other methods extend this characteristic to micro- and mesopores. Therefore, a combination of different methods is often employed to obtain a more comprehensive characterization of rock porosity.

Milk serves as a crucial source of natural bioactive compounds essential for human nutrition and health. The gastrointestinal digestion of milk proteins releases various biologically active peptides that positively impact human health and enhance physiological performance. With the growing production of cheese, Greek yogurt, and other dairy products, the volume of unutilized acid whey is significantly increasing. Acid whey, containing almost all whey proteins and approximately one-quarter of casein, presents a valuable raw material for generating peptides with potential health benefits. These peptides exhibit properties such as antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, anticarcinogenic, antihypertensive, antithrombotic, opioid, mineral-binding, and growth-stimulating activities, contributing to improved human immunity and the treatment of chronic diseases. Enzymatic hydrolysis of milk proteins has been developed as a method to produce these peptides, facilitating their use in food fortification. To incorporate whey into functional beverages, it undergoes fermentation by lactic acid bacteria with proteolytic activity. To specifically enrich these beverages with peptides exhibiting targeted bioactivities, it is essential to select lactic acid bacteria strains possessing the requisite protease profiles. Additionally, the sensory properties of the final product can be enhanced using starter cultures with diverse metabolic capabilities, even in the absence of added flavoring agents. Given the imperative to develop waste-free technologies and enhance the profitability of the dairy industry, there is a growing need to efficiently utilize and transform acid whey into a broad spectrum of valuable products and food additives. This approach is justified not only by the nutritional benefits of the bioactive components in whey but also by the commercial potential of safe and health-enhancing products.

The paper focuses on the application of a multilevel, integrative and territorial approach to the protection of cultural heritage through planning instruments in Serbia. It points out the problems of the sectoral approach and discusses international recommendations that can be integrated into the planning methodology. The case study is the area of Djerdap National Park, which has an already established international and national importance. The research suggests that the cultural heritage in the area, with the exception of the Roman limes, is still recognized at the level of individual localities. The study emphasizes the importance of aligning all levels of governance to safeguard the whole spatial entity rather than focusing solely on its particular areas. The interna-tional and national importance of the planning area contributes to the strengthening of awareness of heritage and its institutional protection. However, the vitality of the area, which is key to its sustainable development, comes from the local level. Planning documents contribute to the inte-gration of local values and local communities into development programs and projects.

In order to shorten the detection time and improve the average precision on embedded devices, A lightweight and high accuracy model is proposed for passion fruit in complex environments (backlight, occlusion, overlap, sunny, cloudy, rainy). Firstly, replacing the backbone network of YOLOv5 with a lightweight GhostNet model reduces the number of parameters and computation while improving detection speed. Secondly, a new feature branch is added to the GhostNet network, and the feature fusion layer in the neck network is reconstructed to effectively combine the lower-level and higher-level features, which not only improves the accuracy of the model but also maintains its lightweight. Finally, the knowledge distillation methods are used to transfer the knowledge from the more capable teacher model to the less capable student model, which significantly improving the detection accuracy. The improved model is denoted as G-YOLO-NK. The average accuracy of the G-YOLO-NK network is 96.00%, which is 1.00% higher than the original YOLOv5s model. Furthermore, the improved model size is 7.14MB, reduced to half of the original model, and the real-time detection frame rate is 11.25 FPS on the Jetson Nano. Compared to the state-of-the-art model, the proposed model outperforms them in terms of average precision and detection performance. The present work provides an effective model for real-time detection of passion fruits in complex orchard scenes, which can provide valuable technical support for the development of orchard picking robots and greatly improve the intelligence level of orchards.

The Simultaneous Localization And Mapping (SLAM) scanner is an easy and portable Light Detection And Ranging (LiDAR) data acquisition device. Its main output is a 3D point cloud covering the scanned scene. Regarding the importance of accuracy in the survey domain, this paper aims to assess the accuracy of two SLAM scanners: the NavVis VLX and the BLK2GO Scanner. This assessment is conducted for both outdoor and indoor environments. In this context, two types of reference data are used: the Total Station (TS) and the static scanner Z+F Imager 5016. To carry out the assessment, four comparisons are tested: cloud to cloud, cloud to mesh, mesh to mesh, and edge detection board assessment. However, the results of the assessments confirm that the accuracy of indoor SLAM scanner measurements (5 mm) is greater than that of outdoor ones (between 10 mm and 60 mm). Moreover, the comparison of cloud to cloud provides the best accuracy regarding direct accuracy measurement without manipulations. Finally, based on the high accuracy, scanning speed, flexibility, and the accuracy differences between tested cases, it is confirmed that SLAM scanners are effective tools for data acquisition.

The impact of interaction SS with MJO on rainfall along Java Island to East Nusa Tenggara has been studied using daily rainfall observation data from 2140 weather observation stations, which are also equipped with GSMaP, OLR, and ERA5 data. There were 61 SS events found, 17 during active MJO and 44 in inactive MJO. Rainfall increases more in the western study area when the active MJO and more in the eastern study area when the inactive MJO is due to SS. SS reduces rainfall in the Jakarta region, regardless of the activity or inactivity of the MJO. SS causes extreme rainfall to only occur in a small part of certain areas, so it tends to significantly reduce the possibility of extreme rainfall. In the southern part of the IMC, SS predominates over MJO in supporting increased water vapor transport. Large-scale synoptic circulations like the monsoon, SS, and MJO can interact with local land-sea wind circulation to produce spatiotemporal variability in rainfall on Java Island. Rainfall mostly increases in the afternoon and decreases in the morning when SS occurs, whether there is MJO or not. Convective instability analysis indicates that SS increases precipitation, most likely by lowering CIN and raising VIMFC.

Glycosidic linkage analysis was conducted on the unfractionated polysaccharides in the alcohol-insoluble residues (AIRs) prepared from six red seaweeds (Gracilariopsis sp., Prionitis sp., Mastocarpus papillatus, Callophyllis sp., Mazzaella splendens, and Palmaria palmata) using GC-MS/FID analysis of partially methylated alditol acetates (PMAAs). The cell walls of P. palmata primarily contained mixed-linkage xylans and small amounts of sulfated galactans and cellulose. In contrast, the unfractionated polysaccharides of the other five species were rich in galactans displaying diverse 3,6-anhydro-galactose and galactose linkages with varied sulfation patterns. Different levels of cellulose were also observed. This glycosidic linkage method offers advantages for cellulose analysis over traditional monosaccharide analysis that is known for underrepresenting glucose in crystalline cellulose. Relative linkage compositions calculated from GC-MS and GC-FID measurements showed that anhydro sugar linkages generated more response in the latter detection method. This improved linkage workflow presents a useful tool for studying polysaccharide structural variations across red seaweed species. Furthermore, for the first time, relative linkage compositions from GC-MS and GC-FID measurements, along with normalized FID and total ion current (TIC) chromatograms without peak assignments, were analyzed using principal component analysis (PCA) as a proof-of-concept demonstration of the technique's potential to differentiate various red seaweed species.

Background: Educating college students about the importance of good sleep habits could lead to the adoption of healthier sleep routines, including sufficient sleep duration and sleep quality. The current pre-post study examines the impact of completing a sleep education program called “Sleep 101” on (1) sleep hygiene practices, (2) sleep quality, and (3) weekday and weekend sleep behaviors among college students. “Sleep 101” is an interactive online course developed to educate college students about the importance of sleep by addressing basic sleep physiology, the impact of sleep on mood, academic and physical performance, the interactions between sleep and various substances, and common sleep disorders. Methods: 338 college students were recruited from a midsized public university in the US and invited to participate in “Sleep 101”, of which 25 participants completed the baseline and post-intervention questionnaire. The Sleep Hygiene Index (SHI) was utilized to evaluate sleep hygiene practices, while standard questions were employed to assess weekday and weekend sleep behaviors and overall sleep quality. Results: Those who completed the study demonstrated a significant increase in weekday sleep duration and were less likely to engage in negative prior bedtime activities. In addition, 40% of those who completed baseline and post-intervention assessments noticed improvements in their sleep quality. Conclusion: These findings suggest that a brief online program is beneficial in improving sleep behaviors among college and could be a scalable approach to addressing current sleep issues and preventing future sleep problems in college students.

The profile of secondary metabolites occurring in apple cuticular layer is not only characteristic for particular apple cultivar, but also dynamically reflects various external factors in growing environment. In this study, the possibility to authenticate apple samples based on analysis of their cuticular layer extracts was investigated. Ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to high resolution tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-HRMS/MS) was employed for obtaining metabolomic fingerprints. In total, 274 authentic apple samples, four cultivars harvested within the seasons 2020 to 2022 in the Czech Republic and Poland were analysed. The generated complex data processed by univariate and multivariate statistical methods enabled to build classification models for discrimination of apple cultivars as well as their geographical origin. The models showed very good performance in differentiation of Czech and Polish samples for three of four cultivars: ‘Gala’, ‘Golden Delicious’ and ‘Idared’, moreover, the validity of the models was verified over harvest seasons. The diagnostic markers, besides metabolites of triterpene biosynthetic pathway, mainly represented wax esters. ‘Jonagold’, which is known to be susceptible to mutations, was the only cultivar for which the unambiguous classification of geographical origin was not possible.

Superior fiber quality is one of the most important objectives in cotton breeding. To detect the genetic basis underlying fiber quality, an F2 population containing 413 plants was constructed by crossing Jifeng 914 and Jifeng 173, both of which have superior fiber quality, with Jifeng 173 being better. Five fiber quality traits were investigated in the F2, F2:3, F2:4, and F2:5 populations. Quantitative trait loci (QTL) mapping was conducted based on a high-density genetic map containing 11,488 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and spanning 4,202.12 cM in length. Transgressive segregation patterns and complex correlations in the five tested traits were observed. A total of 108 QTLs were found, including 27 for fiber length (FL), 16 for fiber strength (FS), 24 for micronaire (MC), 17 for fiber uniformity (FU), and 24 for fiber elongation rate (FE). Chromosome A7 contained 12 QTL, ranking the first. No QTL was found on chromosome D1 and D11. Each QTL contributed 1.98%–21.45% to the phenotypic variation (PV), including 13 major effect QTLs that contributed more than 10% toward PV. Two QTLs could be repeatedly detected in three populations, including qFL-D3-2 in F2, F2:4, and F2:5 with 9.18%–21.45% of PV, qFS-A11-1 in F2:3, F2:4 and F2:5 with 6.05%–10.41% of PV. Another seven stable QTLs could be detected in two populations, including four major effect QTLs: qFL-A12-3, qFS-D10-2, qMC-D6-2, and qMC-D8-1. Fourteen QTL-overlapping regions were found, which might explain the complex correlations among the five phenotypic traits. Four regions on chromosome A11, D3, D6, and D10 covered by both stable and major effect QTLs are promising for further fine mapping. The genomic regions of the two QTLs detected in three populations and the four major effect QTLs contain 810 genes. Gene functional analysis revealed that the annotated genes are mainly involved in protein binding and metabolic pathways. Fifteen candidate genes in the qFL-D3-2 region are highly expressed in fiber or ovules during fiber initiation, elongation, secondary cell wall thickening, or maturation stages. qRT-PCR revealed that Ghir_D03G005440.1 and Ghir_D03G011310.1 may play a role in promoting fiber initiation, Ghir_D03G006470.1 may be beneficial for promoting fiber elongation. This study provides more information for revealing the molecular genetic basis underlying cotton fiber quality.

Currently there are fewer depth models applied to pepper picking detection, while the existing generalized neural networks have problems such as large model parameters, long training time, and low model accuracy.In order to solve the above problems, this paper proposes a Yolo-chili target detection algorithm for chili pepper detection. First, the classical target detection algorithm yolov5 is used as a benchmark model, and an adaptive spatial feature pyramid structure combining the attention mechanism and the idea of multi-scale prediction is introduced to improve the model's detection effect on occluded peppers and small target peppers. Secondly, a three-channel attention mechanism module is introduced to improve the algorithm's long-distance recognition ability and reduce the interference of redundant testers. Finally, the quantized pruning method is used to reduce the model parameters and realize the lightweight processing of the model. Applying the method to the homemade chili pepper dataset, the AP value of chili pepper reaches 93.11%; the accuracy rate is 93.51% and the recall rate is 92.55%.The experimental results show that yolo-chili is able to achieve accurate and real-time pepper detection under complex orchards.

The temporary immersion system bioreactor named GreenTray®[2], [3]presents advantages over the existing ones. Firstly, there is no need to use forceps to move the shoots or plantlets in or out of the recipient, neither the use of scalpel to divide them. Secondly, the basis of the shoot can remain in the GreenTray® and can sprout again in several cycles of growth. These two characteristics reduce the costs in the process of micropropagation. Besides, shoots or plantlets development is enhanced by the aeration of the recipient, thus enriching with CO2 the recipient atmosphere. The chapter describes and provides images and values of interest in (1) the micropropagation process of some commercial Prunus or Pyrus rootstocks; (2) the plantlet growth under autotrophic conditions; and (2) the inoculation of plants with pathogens that reproduce in vitro the symptoms observed in vivo, using the GreenTray® bioreactor.

Aiming at the problems of inaccurate segmentation of long object and information loss of small object in real-time semantic segmentation algorithm, this paper proposes a lightweight multi-branch real-time semantic segmentation network based on BiseNetV2. The new auxiliary branch makes full use of spatial details and context information to cover the long object in the field of view. Meanwhile, in order to ensure the inference speed of the model, the asymmetric convolution is used in each stage of the auxiliary branch to design a structure with low computational complexity. In the multi-branch fusion stage, the alignment and fusion module is designed to provide guidance information for deep and shallow feature mapping, so as to make up for the problem of feature misalignment in the fusion of information at different scales, and thus reduce the loss of small target information. In order to further improve the model’s awareness of key information, a global context module is designed to capture the most important features in the input data. The proposed network uses NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU experiment, on the road street view data set Cityscapes and CamVid average occurring simultaneously ratio reached 77.1% and 78.4% respectively, with running speed of 127 frames/s respectively and 112 frames/s. The experimental results show that the proposed algorithm can achieve real-time segmentation and improve the accuracy significantly, showing good semantic segmentation performance

In this paper we study a class of impulsive delayed neural networks with parameter uncertainties and reaction-diffusion terms. Using the properties of M-matrices and some inequality techniques, some sufficient conditions are derived to guarantee the global exponential stability of the given system. The results obtained are presented by simple algebraic inequalities, which are certainly more concise than previous methods. Finally, the validity and usefulness of our results are illustrated by arithmetic examples.

Strawberry root rot caused by Neopestalotiopsis clavispora is one of the main diseases of strawberry and significantly impacts the yield and quality of strawberry fruit. There are now no effective control techniques available except for fungicide sprays, which may directly impact consumers. Biological control is becoming an alternative method for the control of plant diseases to replace or decrease the application of traditional synthetic chemical fungicides. Trichoderma is widely used as a biological agent for controlling strawberry root rot. In order to provide resources for screening the highly effective biocontrol fungus for controlling strawberry root rot caused by Neopestalotiopsis clavispora, the biocontrol mechanism,the control effects of Trichoderma asperellum CMT10 against strawberry root rot and growth-promoting effects on strawberry seedlings were investigated by plate culture, microscopy observation and root drenching methods.The results showed that CMT10 had obvious competitive, antibiotic and hyperparasitism effects on Neopestalotiopsis clavispora CMGF3. The CMT10 could quickly occupy nutritional space, and the inhibition rates of CMT10 against CMGF3 in confrontation culture on 7 d was 65.49%. The inhibition rates of volatile metabolite and fermentation metabolite produced by CMT10 against CMGF3 were 79.67% and 69.84%, respectively. The mycelium of strain CMT10 can act as hyperparasites by making contacting, winding and penetrating hyphae of CMGF3. Pot experiment showed that the biocontrol efficacy of CMT10 on strawberry root rot caused by Neopestalotiopsis clavispora was 63.00%. CMT10 had obvious promotion effect on strawberry growth, the plant height, root length, total fresh weight, root fresh weight, stem fresh weight and root dry weight, with the promotion rates were 20.09%, 22.39%, 87.11%, 101.58%, 79.82% and 72.33%, respectively. Overall, this study showed the ability of Trichoderma asperellum CMT10 to control strawberry root rot and their potential to develop as novel biocontrol agents to replace chemical fungicides for eco-friendly, sustainable agriculture.

Pyrops candelaria is one of the common pests of fruit trees, but the research on the pathogenic microorganisms it may carry is very limited. Therefore, it is essential to reveal the pathogenic microbes it carries and their potential hazards. This study found a new virus from the transcriptome of P. candelaria, which was first reported in P. candelaria and named as PyCaV (Pyrops candelaria associated virus). RACE and bioinformatics assay revealed that the full-length of PyCaV is 10855 bp with the polyA tail, containing a single open reading frame (ORF) encoding a polyprotein consisting of 3171 amino acid (aa). The virus has a typical Iflavirus structure, including two rhv domains, a RNA helicase domain (HEL), a 3C cysteine protease domain (Pro), and a RNA-dependent RNA polymerase domain (RdRp). Further phylogenetic analysis revealed that this virus belongs to family Iflaviridae and sequence alignements analysis suggedted PyCaV is new member in unassigned genus of family Iflaviridae. Further in-depth analysis of virus-infection-part showed that PyCaV is distributing in the whole longan lanternfly, including its head, chest, and abdomen, but more PyCaV was identified in the chest. The distribution of PyCaV in different parts of P. candelaria was further explored, which showed that more PyCaV were detected in its piercing-sucking mouthparts and chest viscera. Statistical analysis showed that the PyCaV infection was affected by time and locations.

With the burgeoning growth of online retail, the issue of counterfeit products has become a significant threat to both consumer trust and brand integrity, posing challenges to sustainable market practices. Online retail platforms are promoted to redesign their channel structures and enhance brand traceability to tackle counterfeits using blockchain technology. To investigate the interactions between blockchain technology and the channel structures of online retail platforms, we design a game theory model incorporating a manufacturer with(out) blockchain participation selling products via an online retail platform that operates an agency channel and/or a reselling channel. We show that the critical trade-off of blockchain participation comprises the brand assurance effect of the blockchain, the channel competition intensification effect, and the blockchain adoption cost. The platform is capable of strategically designing the channel structure to encourage (while discouraging) blockchain participation by the manufacturer. Our analysis highlights the complementarity between blockchain participation and the channel structure. Furthermore, the effect of the consumer’s belief in the reselling channel, the commission fee in the agency channel, and the substitutability between channels are investigated in depth. The research provides valuable insights for online retail platforms and policymakers seeking to foster a sustainable and trustworthy e-commerce ecosystem.

Apis mellifera, especially weak ones, are highly vulnerable to Carpoglyphus lactis mites, which can rapidly infest and consume stored pollen, leading to weakened colonies and potentially colony collapse. This study aimed to ascertain and investigate the prevalence of this mite in honeybee colonies across 9 provinces in the Republic of Korea (ROK). A total of 615 honeybee colonies were collected, from 66 apiaries during the spring and 58 apiaries during the summer of 2023. A 1,242 bp segment of the the Cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (COI) gene was amplified using the polymerase chain reaction method. The detection levels of C. lactis in the honeybees were compared between winter and summer. Based on the COI sequence analysis, the nucleotide sequence similarity of C. lactis mites isolated in the ROK with those from China (NC048990.1) was found to be 99.5%, and with those from the United Kingdom (KY922482.1) was 99.3%. This study is the first report of C. lactis in Korean apiaries. The findings in this study demonstrate a significantly higher detection rate in winter, which is 4.1 times greater than that in summer (p < 0.001). Furthermore, the results underscore the usefulness of molecular diagnostic techniques for detecting C. lactis mites.

COX II containing a dual core CuA active site is one of the three core subunits of mitochondrial Cco, which plays a significant role in the physiological process. In this report, the full-length cDNA of COXⅡ gene was cloned from Sitophilus zeamais, which had an ORF of 684 bp encoding 227 amino acids residues. The predicted COXⅡ protein had a molecular mass of 26.2 kDa with pI value of 6.37, and multiple sequence alignment and phylogenetic analysis indicated that Sitophilus zeamais COXⅡ had high sequence identity 78.51% with the COXⅡ of other insect species, especially similarity to sitophilus oryzae. This gene was subcloned into the prokaryotic expression vector pET-32a, and induced by IPTG in E.coli Transetta (DE3) expression system. Finally the COXⅡ with 6-His tag was purified using affinity chromatography with Ni²⁺-NTA agarose. WB showed the recombinant COXⅡ was about 44 kD, and the concentration of fusion protein was 50μg/mL. UV-spectrophotometer and infrared spectrometer analysis showed that recombinant COXⅡ could catalyze the oxidation of substrate Cytc, and influenced by AITC. It was found that AITC could form a hydrophobic region with COXⅡ protein via molecular docking, besides, a sulfur atom of AITC structure could form a length of 2.9 Å hydrogen bond with Leu-31. These results will provide valuable information for elucidating the role of COXⅡ in Sitophilus zeamais responses to AITC, meanwhile, it will helpful to carry out a point mutation in AITC binding sites for the future research.

The properties of the annual, semiannual and triennial oscillations (AO, SAO and TO) in the middle atmosphere have been investigated using the TIMED/SABER temperature data. The Lomb-Scargle and wavelet spectra were used to determine the dominant oscillations in the background temperature field. The AO is prominent at the mid-latitudes. The AO amplitudes present an asymmetry between the two Hemispheres, being larger in the mesosphere than in the stratosphere. The SAO dominates the tropical regions, with three amplitude maxima at altitudes of 45, 75, and 85 km. The SAOs in the upper mesosphere (75 km) are out of phase with those in the mesopause (85 km) in the tropical regions, which can generate an enhancement of 11 K at each equinox, contributing to the lower mesospheric inversion layer. The TO is significant in the tropical region, with amplitude being maximum at 35, 45 and 85 km. Result shows that there may be potential interaction by the TO with SAO at 85km at the equator. The relation between ENSO and TO has also been discussed. The ENSO signal may modulate the amplitude of the TO, mainly in the lower stratosphere. The real origin of the TO may lie in the wave-mean-flow interaction.

The paper describes the new method for image compression based on coordinated group signal transformation. The algorithm is a type of difference coding. Coordinated processing significantly simplifies the difference signal conversion scheme using a single group codec for all signals. The described method considers color channels as correlated signals of a multi-channel communication system. The specifics of the processed data required modification of the coordinated group processing algorithm. First, we changed how to calculate the difference signals to prevent data loss. Secondly, the group codec was supplemented with a neural network to improve the quality of reconstructed images. We considered the following types of neural networks: fully connected, recurrent, convolution, and convolution in the Fourier space. Based on the simulation results, it is best to use fully connected neural networks if the goal is to minimize processing delay time. These networks have a response time of 13 ms. On the other hand, if the priority is to improve quality in cases where delays are not critical, then convolution neural networks in the Fourier space should be used. These networks have a response time of 140 ms and are of significant interest.

As the world population grows, fulfilling the need for biomaterials in the healthcare system becomes increasingly important. Biomaterials, which include metals, polymers, ceramics, and composites, play an important role in the creation of medical devices that improve people's lives. The European Society for Biomaterials described biomaterials as non-biological materials used in medical devices to interact with biological systems. This definition has developed to encompass materials that treat, assess, or replace tissues or bodily functions. Biocompatibility, as defined by the FDA, is a key feature of biomaterials, as is the requirement to fulfil design requirements such as mechanical performance, geometry, and electrical control. Over the last decade, advances in regenerative medicine and tissue engineering have boosted biomaterials' usage in medical applications dramatically. Despite its promise, scientists, engineers, and physicians continue to face significant challenges due to the complexity of biomaterials. Biomaterials have various benefits, including biodegradability, non-toxicity, and biocompatibility, making them extremely useful for replacing, sustaining, or improving biological activities in damaged tissues. They are used in a wide range of applications, including tissue engineering implants, human tissue healing and regeneration, medication delivery systems, and biosensors. This study gives insights into the fundamental characteristics, case studies, and ethical issues associated with the usage and use of biomaterials, further examining their potential and significance in healthcare and medicine.