The article evaluates the effectiveness of implementing a Dutch certifiable scheme for carbon reporting. This CO2 Performance Ladder is described as a energy management schemes and focuses on CO2 emission reduction in the construction industry sector. A literature study was combined with interviews.
Peer-to-peer (P2P) energy trading has been recognized as an important technology to increase the local self-consumption of photovoltaics in the local energy system. Different auction mechanisms and bidding strategies haven been investigated in previous studies. However, there has been no comparatively analysis on how different market structures influence the local energy system’s overall performance. This paper presents and compares two market structures, namely a centralized market and a decentralized market. Two pricing mechanisms in the centralized market and two bidding strategies in the decentralized market are developed. The results show that the centralized market leads to higher overall system self-consumption and profits. In the decentralized market, some electricity is directly sold to the grid due to unmatchable bids and asks. Bidding strategies based on the learning algorithm can achieve better performance compared to the random method.
In practice, faults in building installations are seldom noticed because automated systems to diagnose such faults are not common use, despite many proposed methods: they are cumbersome to apply and not matching the way of thinking of HVAC engineers. Additionally, fault diagnosis and energy performance diagnosis are seldom combined, while energy wastage is mostly a consequence of component, sensors or control faults. In this paper new advances on the 4S3F diagnose framework for automated diagnostic of energy waste in HVAC systems are presented. The architecture of HVAC systems can be derived from a process and instrumentation diagram (P&ID) usually set up by HVAC designers. The paper demonstrates how all possible faults and symptoms can be extracted on a very structured way from the P&ID, and classified in 4 types of symptoms (deviations from balance equations, operational states, energy performances or additional information) and 3 types of faults (component, control and model faults). Symptoms and faults are related to each other through Diagnostic Bayesian Networks (DBNs) which work as an expert system. During operation of the HVAC system the data from the BMS is converted to symptoms, which are fed to the DBN. The DBN analyses the symptoms and determines the probability of faults. Generic indicators are proposed for the 4 types of symptoms. Standard DBN models for common components, controls and models are developed and it is demonstrated how to combine them in order to represent the complete HVAC system. Both the symptom and the fault identification parts are tested on historical BMS data of an ATES system including heat pump, boiler, solar panels, and hydronic systems. The energy savings resulting from fault corrections are estimated and amount 25%. Finally, the 4S3F method is extended to hard and soft sensor faults. Sensors are the core of any FDD system and any control system. Automated diagnostic of sensor faults is therefore essential. By considering hard sensors as components and soft sensors as models, they can be integrated into the 4S3F method.
Nowadays, there is particular attention towards the additive manufacturing of medical devices and instruments. This is because of the unique capability of 3D printing technologies for designing and fabricating complex products like bone implants that can be highly customized for individual patients. NiTi shape memory alloys have gained significant attention in various medical applications due to their exceptional superelastic and shape memory properties, allowing them to recover their original shape after deformation. The integration of additive manufacturing technology has revolutionized the design possibilities for NiTi alloys, enabling the fabrication of intricately designed medical devices with precise geometries and tailored functionalities. The AM-SMART project is focused on exploring the suitability of NiTi architected structures for bone implants fabricated using laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) technology. This is because of the lower stiffness of NiTi alloys compared to Ti alloys, closely aligning with the stiffness of bone. Additionally, their unique functional performance enables them to dissipate energy and recover the original shape, presenting another advantage that makes them well-suited for bone implants. In this investigation, various NiTi-based architected structures will be developed, featuring diverse cellular designs, and their long-term thermo-mechanical performance will be thoroughly evaluated. The findings of this study underscore the significant potential of these structures for application as bone implants, showcasing their adaptability for use also beyond the medical sector.
Due to the existing pressure for a more rational use of the water, many public managers and industries have to re-think/adapt their processes towards a more circular approach. Such pressure is even more critical in the Rio Doce region, Minas Gerais, due to the large environmental accident occurred in 2015. Cenibra (pulp mill) is an example of such industries due to the fact that it is situated in the river basin and that it has a water demanding process. The current proposal is meant as an academic and engineering study to propose possible solutions to decrease the total water consumption of the mill and, thus, decrease the total stress on the Rio Doce basin. The work will be divided in three working packages, namely: (i) evaluation (modelling) of the mill process and water balance (ii) application and operation of a pilot scale wastewater treatment plant (iii) analysis of the impacts caused by the improvement of the process. The second work package will also be conducted (in parallel) with a lab scale setup in The Netherlands to allow fast adjustments and broaden evaluation of the setup/process performance. The actions will focus on reducing the mill total water consumption in 20%.
Plastic products are currently been critically reviewed due to the growing awareness on the related problems, such as the “plastic soup”. EU has introduced a ban for a number of single-use consumer products and fossil-based polymers coming in force in 2021. The list of banned products are expected to be extended, for example for single-use, non-compostable plastics in horticulture and agriculture. Therefore, it is crucial to develop sustainable, biodegradable alternatives. A significant amount of research has been performed on biobased polymers. However, plastics are made from a polymer mixed with other materials, additives, which are essential for the plastics production and performance. Development of biodegradable solutions for these additives is lacking, but is urgently needed. Biocarbon (Biochar), is a high-carbon, fine-grained residue that is produced through pyrolysis processes. This natural product is currently used to produce energy, but the recent research indicate that it has a great potential in enhancing biopolymer properties. The biocarbon-biopolymer composite could provide a much needed fully biodegradable solution. This would be especially interesting in agricultural and horticultural applications, since biocarbon has been found to be effective at retaining water and water-soluble nutrients and to increase micro-organism activity in soil. Biocarbon-biocomposite may also be used for other markets, where biodegradability is essential, including packaging and disposable consumer articles. The BioADD consortium consists of 9 industrial partners, a branch organization and 3 research partners. The partner companies form a complementary team, including biomass providers, pyrolysis technology manufacturers and companies producing products to the relevant markets of horticulture, agriculture and packaging. For each of the companies the successful result from the project will lead to concrete business opportunities. The support of Avans, University of Groningen and Eindhoven University of Technology is essential in developing the know-how and the first product development making the innovation possible.
