1,721,011 research outputs found

    The Potential of Hydrogen Technologies for Low-Carbon Mobility in the Urban-Industrial Symbiosis Approach

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    The use of green hydrogen to power vehicles is recognized as contributing to the mitigation of the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions responsible for climate change. On the other hand, the need for reducing GHG emissions is even more urgent in densely industrialized areas, traditionally located nearby highly populated zones. In these areas, road transportation is a relevant source of environmental pressures affecting air quality and the nearby communities’ health: in Europe, private vehicles, vans, trucks, and buses produce more than 70% of the overall greenhouse gas emissions from transport, as well as particulate matter and nitrogen oxide. The European Hydrogen Strategy considers using green hydrogen as an energy carrier to de-carbonize industry and the transport sector, highlighting the need for the infrastructure to produce, store, and distribute hydrogen. The spatial configuration of the industrial sites and the existing infrastructure can facilitate the creation of hydrogen hubs serving both the logistics needs of companies and the public and private mobility in an urban-industrial symbiosis approach. Thus, this study aims at investigating the opportunities offered by the creation of synergies between industrial clusters and the nearby urban areas to improve the local sustainability by supporting the deploying of low-carbon mobility using green hydrogen. The available literature is reviewed in order to schematise and discuss the sustainability-related basis of adopting such a strategy, presenting an updated analysis of the latest research and application results suitable for future research applications and for supporting decision-making processes

    Sustainable management of electric vehicle battery remanufacturing: A systematic literature review and future directions

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    The increasing adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) and the corresponding surge in lithium-ion battery (LIB) production have intensified the focus on sustainable end-of-life (EOL) management strategies (i.e., reuse, repurpose, remanufacture, and recycle). This paper presents a systematic literature review of the entire remanufacturing process of LIBs, aiming to offer a cohesive perspective on the approach that reduces the environmental impact of LIB waste by prolonging their lifecycle for reuse in their original EV applications. It reveals major issues from EOL collection to renewed batteries, clustering results into six research streams, and proposes a research agenda to develop integrative, data-driven models that incorporate technical, economic, and environmental considerations. Key findings highlight the need for standardised, non-damaging joining techniques, enhanced safety protocols for disassembly, and scalable cathode re-functionalisation methods. Recommendations include leveraging advanced technologies such as AI, machine learning, IoT, and blockchain to optimise remanufacturing processes and enhance supply chain transparency and efficiency. This comprehensive review aims to foster the development of sustainable remanufacturing practices, contributing to the circular economy and supporting the growth of the EV industry

    Optical simulation of Rondine® PV solar concentrators by two inverse characterization methods

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    In this paper we describe two optical characterization methods applied to photovoltaic solar concentrators. Both methods are of the 'inverse' type, where the light source is applied in place of the receiver in order to reverse the path of light inside the concentrator. The first method is the 'inverse illumination method', already known in the literature, whereas the second one is a method obtained by modifying the 'inverse luminescence method', operating with electroluminescent light. Both methods use ideal Lambertian sources for producing the inverse light and can be applied to any type of solar concentrator (photovoltaic or thermodynamic). The optical simulations show their equivalence in obtaining the angular distribution of the transmission efficiency function of Rondine® PV concentrators, but the original inverse illumination method requires a simpler configuration and significantly lower simulation times. © 2012 IOP Publishing Ltd

    Empowering rural districts with Urban-Industrial Symbiosis: A multiobjective model for Waste-to-Energy cogeneration and hydrogen sustainable networks

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    The growing demand for sustainable energy sources and the need to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions have led to increased interest in developing efficient, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly industrial systems. This paper presents a multi-echelon multi-objective network design model for urban-industrial symbiosis, combining biogas and hydrogen production plants with locally sourced organic waste as feedstock. The integrated biogas-hydrogen system utilizes locally sourced agricultural and organic waste as feedstock, enhancing rural processes sustainability and resource efficiency. The model optimizes the location of industrial plants based on environmental and economic parameters, including transportation emissions, energy consumption, and carbon footprint. A case study set in Emilia Romagna validates the model, and a sensitivity analysis examines the impact of varying input parameters on the designed industrial park. Results demonstrate that the novel combined biogas-hydrogen system not only reduces greenhouse gas emissions but also produces hydrogen at a lower cost due to the utilization of excess power from the biogas cogeneration plant. This research has significant implications, offering a sustainable and cost-effective hydrogen source while promoting efficient supply chain management and strategic decision-making in the renewable energy sector. Further study might investigate system robustness against disruptive events, plant design, and the integration of additional renewable sources

    Photovoltaic concentrators: Entry into solar market

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    The development of new technologies in the field of renewable energies is becoming a key issue for economies of the next future. The worldwide exponential growth of photovoltaic installation, recently pushed up in many countries by feed-in tariffs, is giving a boost to the research and development of new solutions in the PV world. Huge investments have recently been made for the installation of plants for production of purified polysilicon as well as for the production of thin film solar cells. A very interesting way for reduction of costs of the photovoltaic energy production, which has the final goal to compete with the fossil fuel sources, is given by the photovoltaic concentrators; this alternative solution consists of replacing the large area of photoactive material, which is the most expensive component of the PV panels, with low cost optical structures with the function of concentrating the light on photovoltaic cell of the small area

    Mechanical effects of chemical etchings on monocrystalline silicon for photovoltaic use

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    The mechanical effects of two etching treatments commonly applied on silicon wafers for the PV industry, are considered. The failure characteristics of this material under concentrated load are shown. In both cases, the maximum elongation and sustainable load of the etched wafers were measured to be higher than those of the original sample. The employed experimental procedure and results are presented here and a statistical data analysis substantiates the results observed. An attempt of explanation for this effect is offered based on the removal of a shallow highly defective layer induced by the etching of the material. © 2001 Elsevier Science B.V

    Empowering rural districts with Urban-Industrial Symbiosis: A multiobjective model for Waste-to-Energy cogeneration and hydrogen sustainable networks

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    The growing demand for sustainable energy sources and the need to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions have led to increased interest in developing efficient, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly industrial systems. This paper presents a multi-echelon multi-objective network design model for urban-industrial symbiosis, combining biogas and hydrogen production plants with locally sourced organic waste as feedstock. The integrated biogas-hydrogen system utilizes locally sourced agricultural and organic waste as feedstock, enhancing rural processes sustainability and resource efficiency. The model optimizes the location of industrial plants based on environmental and economic parameters, including transportation emissions, energy consumption, and carbon footprint. A case study set in Emilia Romagna validates the model, and a sensitivity analysis examines the impact of varying input parameters on the designed industrial park. Results demonstrate that the novel combined biogas-hydrogen system not only reduces greenhouse gas emissions but also produces hydrogen at a lower cost due to the utilization of excess power from the biogas cogeneration plant. This research has significant implications, offering a sustainable and cost-effective hydrogen source while promoting efficient supply chain management and strategic decision-making in the renewable energy sector. Further study might investigate system robustness against disruptive events, plant design, and the integration of additional renewable sources

    Indicators for sustainable touristic destinations: a critical review

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    Globally, tourism is currently one of the fastest-growing industries, with strong impacts on territories, from an environmental, economic and social point of view. The increase in the number of tourists who flock to destinations requires greater attention to sustainability through tools (indicators) such as strategic destination management support. This paper, through the review of 104 scientific papers, aims to analyze the structure and evolution of the evaluation and monitoring of sustainable tourism through the use of sets of indicators. In particular, the study favors the understanding of the most significant aspects of sustainable tourism that the literature suggests to analyze, evaluating how these vary in relation to the type of destination and the time period of the study. The results contribute to the understanding of the theoretical and operational aspects which, today, are considered representative of the concept of sustainable tourism, improving the sustainable management of territories
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