25 research outputs found
Biodiesel production by lipase-catalyzed transesterification of Ocimum basilicum L. (sweet basil) seed oil
No full textThe increasing global demand for fuel, limited fossil fuel resources, and increasing concern about the upturn in gaseous CO<sub>2</sub> emissions are the key drivers of research and development into sources of renewable liquid transport fuels, such as biodiesel. In the present work, we demonstrate biodiesel production from Ocimum basilicum (sweet basil) seed oil by lipase-catalyzed transesterification. Sweet basil seeds contain 22% oil on a dry weight basis. Artificial neural network with genetic algorithm modelling was used to optimize reaction. Temperature, catalyst concentration, time, and methanol to oil molar ratio were the input factors in the optimization study, while fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) yield was the key model output. FAME composition was determined by gas chromatography mass spectrometry. The optimized transesterification process resulted in a 94.58% FAME yield after reaction at 47 °C for 68 h in the presence of 6% w/w catalyst and a methanol to oil ratio of 10:1. The viscosity, density, calorific value, pour point, and cloud point of the biodiesel derived from sweet basil seed oil conformed to the EN 14214 and ASTM D6751 standard specifications. The antioxidant stability of the biodiesel did not meet these specifications but could be improved via the addition of antioxidant
Advancements in Electrode Development for Water Electrolysis: From Support Electrodes to Self‐Supported Electrodes
No full textHydrogen is emerging as a pivotal energy carrier for the industrial, transportation, and power sectors due to its high energy density and potential for decarbonization. Water electrolysis is a promising, emission-free method for hydrogen production, with various electrolyzer technologies—alkaline water electrolysis (AWE), proton exchange membrane electrolysis (PEME), and anion exchange membrane electrolysis (AEME)—in active development. This review critically analyzes the advancements in electrode materials, focusing on the transition from support-based to self-supported electrodes (SSEs), which offer enhanced performance and stability under high current densities. The review emphasizes the critical shift from traditional supporting electrodes to self-supported electrodes (SSEs), which provide enhanced mechanical stability, reduce ohmic resistance, and improve overall performance at high current densities. PEM electrolyzers, for instance, generate 4.0 A/cm² at 2.36 V, achieving 70%–80% energy efficiency, while AEM electrolyzers perform at the same current density but at a lower voltage of 1.9 V. SSEs, such as Ru@Cu-TM cathodes, have exhibited superior performance, delivering current densities of 1.0 A/cm² at 1.69 V and maintaining stability over prolonged operational periods. While SSEs eliminate the limitations of traditional electrodes—such as catalyst peeling and binder instability—further research is needed to optimize their mechanical properties and scalability. Integrating advanced SSEs can significantly lower hydrogen production costs, with estimates as low as US$2.09/kg H₂, positioning them as a pivotal solution for sustainable energy. This review provides valuable insights into the future of SSE-based electrolyzers and their role in accelerating the global transition to green hydrogen.Mohammad Boshir Ahmed, Islam Md Rizwanul Fattah, M. Mofijur, Fitranto Kusumo, Arridina Susan Silitonga, Md Abul Kalam, T. M. Indra Mahli
Rice bran oil based biodiesel production using calcium oxide catalyst derived from Chicoreus brunneus shell
No full textEnvironmental pollution and the declining global supply of accessible fossil fuels are the key drivers of the search for alternative sources of energy. Biodiesel, a renewable liquid transport fuel, is commercially-produced using heterogeneous catalysts. \ud
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Heterogeneous catalysts obtained from seashells appeared as promising alternatives thanks to their low preparation cost and increased efficiency in transesterification. In this study, shells from Chicoreus brunneus (known as Adusta murex) were calcined, hydrated, and dehydrated to produce CaO heterogeneous nanocatalyst for the transesterification of rice bran oil into biodiesel. \ud
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Field emission scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, surface area measurement (Brunauer-Emmett-Teller method), and X-ray diffraction were used to characterise the seashell-derived catalyst. The properties of the rice bran oil-derived biodiesel (acid value, calorific value, density, oxidation stability, and flash point) conformed to the American Society of Testing and Materials (ASTM) D6751 and European EN 14214 biodiesel standards, except for kinematic viscosity. \ud
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Therefore, the impact of the parameters used for production of the CaO heterogeneous nanocatalyst (calcination temperature and time) and the transesterification reaction (catalyst loading and methanol to rice bran oil ratio) on the kinematic viscosity of RBO-derived biodiesel were determined. \ud
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A model for the transesterification process was developed using a combination of artificial neural networking with ant colony optimisation. The model predicted that C. brunneus-derived CaO catalyst prepared at 1100 °C for 72 min could be used to produce biodiesel from rice bran oil with a minimum kinematic viscosity (4.42 mm2 s-1) confirming to both the ASTM D6751 and EN 14214 biodiesel standards in a transesterification reaction operating with a 35:1 methanol to rice bran oil molar ratio and 0.5 wt% catalyst mass
Optimalisasi Pelayanan Kesehatan Melalui Perancangan Bangunan Rumah Sakit Studi Kasus: RS Kanker Dharmais
No full textDalam perancangan rumah sakit umumnya merupakan integrasi kompleks antara seluruh sistem infrastruktur dan pendukung peralatan kesehatan agar efektif dan bisa operasional dengan baik. Hal yang terjadi kemudian adalah penempatan unit gawat darurat, poli rawat inap dan rawat jalan yang tidak pernah berubah. Operasional rumah sakit selalu akan mengikuti tata ruang yang sudah terstandar.
Penulis melakukan pendekatan perencanaan rumahsakit sebagai upaya optimalisasi dari operasional rumahsakit yang diukur dalam bentuk layanan kesehatan yang lebih baik. Rumahsakit yang baik selalu melakukan pengukuran terhadap mutu layanan terhadap pasien, beberapa penelitian telah menulis tentang upaya optimalisasi mutu melalui perubahan manajemen diantaranya melalui metode perampingan operasional. Tesis ini melakukan paparan tentang optimalisasi layanan kesehatan melalui perancangan bangunan rumahsakit dengan metode lean architecture sebagai pendekatan optimasi terhadap pola kerja dalam operasional rumah sakit. Berdasarkan temuan hasil survey maka penulis melakukan efisiensi terhadap akses dan tata letak ruang dalam rumah sakit hingga bentuk perancangan lebih optimal dalam pengoperasian rumah sakit.
Kata kunci : rumah sakit, lean, akses./ Hospital design is a complex integration between infrastructure systems and supporting
health equipment. In general, during such a process, the target is to ensure each piece
of equipment is effective and operatable as intended while at the same time discussing
a working system that is as efficient as possible. Hence, the author focuses on two
aspects of hospital design: a standardized hospital operation layout for emergency unit placement and polyclinics inpatient/outpatient. The capable hospital consistently measures its quality of service to patients. Several
studies have written about efforts to optimize quality through management changes.
Such efforts include streamlining operational methods. To optimize hospital operations
working patterns for better healthcare services, the author proposes to use the lean
method as a solution. Furthermore, based on the author's survey, the proposed solution
had favourable findings. The result shows an improvement in efficiency in both access
and room layout in the hospital. Which in terms yields a more optimal design form for
daily operations.
Keywords: hospital, lean, acces
Modeling and Optimization of Microwave-Based Bio-Jet Fuel from Coconut Oil: Investigation of Response Surface Methodology (RSM) and Artificial Neural Network Methodology (ANN)
No full textIn this study, coconut oils have been transesterified with ethanol using microwave technology. The product obtained (biodiesel and FAEE) was then fractional distillated under vacuum to collect bio-kerosene or bio-jet fuel, which is a renewable fuel to operate a gas turbine engine. This process was modeled using RSM and ANN for optimization purposes. The developed models were proved to be reliable and accurate through different statistical tests and the results showed that ANN modeling was better than RSM. Based on the study, the optimum bio-jet fuel production yield of 74.45 wt% could be achieved with an ethanol–oil molar ratio of 9.25:1 under microwave irradiation with a power of 163.69 W for 12.66 min. This predicted value was obtained from the ANN model that has been optimized with ACO. Besides that, the sensitivity analysis indicated that microwave power offers a dominant impact on the results, followed by the reaction time and lastly ethanol–oil molar ratio. The properties of the bio-jet fuel obtained in this work was also measured and compared with American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) D1655 standard
Sardine feast metaheuristic optimization: an algorithm based on sardine feeding frenzy
No full textMany metaheuristics mimic biological interaction metaphors, such as ant colony, particle swarm, bee foraging, eagle predator behavior, and cuckoo brood parasitism, to solve complex optimization problems. Another type of biological interaction is commensalism, where one species obtains food from the other without harming or benefiting the latter. One of the great objective-driven commensalism phenomena that amazes scientists and has not yet been modeled is the sardine feast. In this study, we create an optimization algorithm, the sardine feast metaheuristic algorithm (SFMO), based on the ecological relationship between all predators involved in the feast. In this initial work, the algorithm is based on the behavior of dolphins and two types of sea birds, blue-footed boobies and brown pelicans, which prey on a school of sardines. We demonstrate the usefulness of the algorithm for solving several standard benchmark functions and compare the results with those obtained by using another metaheuristic algorithm, namely the Genetic Algorithm (GA), Bat-inspired Algorithm (BA) and Cuckoo Search (CS). The results of the tests show that the SFMO is better in terms of number of evaluations compared with the other algorithms. Further refinement of the model is needed to fully develop the algorithm
Analysis of the performance, emission and combustion characteristics of a turbocharged diesel engine fuelled with Jatropha curcas biodiesel-diesel blends using kernel-based extreme learning machine
No full textPhysicochemical properties of biodiesel synthesised from grape seed, Philippine tung, kesambi, and palm oils
No full text© 2020 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). The production of biodiesel using vegetable oil is an effective way to meet growing energy demands, which could potentially reduce the dependency on fossil fuels. The aim of this study was to evaluate grape seed (Vitis vinifera), Philippine tung (Reutealis trisperma), and kesambi (Schleichera oleosa) oils as potential feedstocks for biodiesel production to meet this demand. Firstly, biodiesels from these oils were produced and then their fatty acid methyl ester profiles and physicochemical properties were evaluated and compared with palm biodiesel. The results showed that the biodiesel produced from grape seed oil possessed the highest oxidation stability of 4.62 h. On the other hand, poor oxidation stability was observed for Philippine tung biodiesel at 2.47 h. The poor properties of Philippine tung biodiesel can be attributed to the presence of α-elaeostearic fatty acid. Furthermore, synthetic antioxidants (pyrogallol) and diesel were used to improve the oxidation stability. The 0.2 wt.% concentration of pyrogallol antioxidant could increase the oxidation stability of grape seed biodiesel to 6.24 h, while for kesambi and Philippine tung, biodiesels at higher concentrations of 0.3% and 0.4 wt.%, respectively, were needed to meet the minimum limit of 8 h. The blending of biodiesel with fossil diesel at different ratios can also increase the oxidation stability
Evaluating Geothermal Power Plant Sites with Additive Ratio Assessment: Case Study of Mount Seulawah Agam, Indonesia
No full textIndonesia, a country rich in geothermal resources, has yet to fully exploit its potential, particularly in volcanic regions like Mount Seulawah Agam. This study investigates the application of the Additive Ratio Assessment (ARAS) method for the site selection of Geothermal Power Plants (GPP) in Indonesia. The ARAS method provides a systematic approach to evaluating and prioritizing geothermal development sites by integrating multiple criteria, including geological, environmental, and socio-economic factors. The study collects data from various sources and weights criteria using the Ordinal Priority Approach (OPA), incorporating expert opinions. The findings demonstrate the effectiveness of the ARAS method in identifying optimal locations for GPP development, ensuring sustainability and feasibility. The study also tests the ARAS method in existing GPP locations in Jaboi, Sabang, Indonesia, to investigate alignment with the results and validate the approach. Furthermore, the study presents recommendations for GPP site selection. This research emphasizes the significance of multi-criteria decision-making techniques in facilitating renewable energy projects. It promotes a more systematic and informed approach to geothermal energy development in Indonesia and other geothermal-rich regions
Experimental study and prediction of the performance and exhaust emissions of mixed Jatropha curcas-Ceiba pentandra biodiesel blends in diesel engine using artificial neural networks
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