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Water-Energy-Environment Nexus (WEEN-2019)

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A special issue of Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417). This special issue belongs to the section "Environmental Sciences".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 August 2020) | Viewed by 36076

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Prof. Dr. Samir Kumar Khanal

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Guest Editor

Department of Molecular Biosciences and Bioengineering, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Mānoa, HI, USA

Prof. Dr. Ramaraj Boopathy

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Guest Editor

Department of Biological Sciences, Nicolls State University, 114 Gouaux Hall, Thibodaux, LA 70310, USA
Interests: bioremediation of hazardous chemicals; biofuel; biological treatment of wastewater; antibiotics and nanoparticles in the environment; anaerobic digestion
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The water–energy–environment nexus (WEEN) represents important interstate connections of water, energy, and the environment as security in water, energy, and the environment is associated with human, economic, and environmental sustainability. This interweaving is strengthening under aggregating natural resource scarcity and climate change. The understanding of the difficulties of these complex relationships is necessary to balance the needs of diverse stakeholders, local and international policy decisions, and to protect valuable resources regarding the management of water, energy, and the environment. Recently developed, highly efficient technologies on water, sustainable energy, and environmental interconnection, as well as future energy-efficient possibilities to save energy and protect the environment, are an urgent pathway towards achieving sustainable development. Recognizing the critical need to focus on sustainability in WEEN, an appropriately themed Special Issue on the water, energy, and environment nexus and the related potential fields of biodeterioration and biodegradation would be of great interest to the community of modern engineering science.

This Special Issue intends to publish papers (original research papers, communications, perspectives, review articles addressing innovative technology integration) in water, energy, and the environment as well as new methodologies aimed at improving the current state-of-the-art technologies in the fields of water, energy, the environment, and the related potential fields of biodeterioration and biodegradation. All submitted articles suitable for the water–energy–environment nexus will be subjected to rigorous peer review to ensure the highest levels of quality, and the review process will be carried out as quickly as possible.

The topics include but are not limited to:

Water

Advanced membrane technology and processes in drinking water, desalination, and wastewater treatment;
Watershed management strategies for green growth;
Water and wastewater treatment;
Seawater desalination;
Potable water treatment and ground water quality;
Water reuse;
Hybrid treatment systems;
Sustainable materials for water;
Novel disinfection technologies;
Industrial, pure, and ultrapure water production;
Integrated water resources policy, management, development, and governance;
Municipal and industrial effluent treatment;
Urban management in water use, infrastructure, planning, and reuse of water resources;
Water sensitive urban design;
Advanced oxidation processes;
Recent developments to improve desalination and brine disposal;
Urban flood, rainwater, storm water, and agricultural water management;
Sludge management including energy generation and disposal;
Sustainability approaches and indicators for the management of water resources;
Energy efficiency and resource recovery in water, seawater, and wastewater treatment;
Low impact development and sponge city construction;
Emerging technologies for nutrient and carbon recovery from water and wastewater;
Impacts on ground and surface water quality and quantity;
Emerging contaminants: Pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCP), microplastics, and antibiotic resistance;
Environmental protection and pollution prevention from industrial effluent contaminants;
Water pollution dispersion, modeling, and simulation;
Water production by renewable technologies;
Urine source separation and reuse;
Deammonification for sidestream and mainstream;
Climate change impacts on water, the environment, and the economy;
Life cycle analysis and environmental optimization of water and wastewater processes;
Bioelectrochemical systems for water and wastewater treatment;
Separation processes for water, wastewater, and water resources;
Nanotechnology for water, seawater desalination, and wastewater treatment.

Energy

Membrane technologies for recovery of bioenergy, fuels, and related separation processes;
Development of new alternative fuels, biofuels, and energy processing technologies;
New developments in microalgae for biofuels, value-added products, and energy production;
Improved physical and chemical properties of alternative fuels, energy, and renewable resources;
Development of bioreactors for waste to energy conversion technologies;
Novel feedstocks and pathways for biofuel and energy production;
Application of nano-catalysts and biochar for enhanced biofuel and energy production
Sustainable materials for energy production and storage;
Socioeconomic and environmental impacts of alternative fuels and energy management;
Engine performance and emissions of conventional and alternative fuels;
Developments in solar, wind, hydro, bioenergy, and hybrid technologies for energy generation;
Energy conversion, storage, governance, and management;
Conversion of gaseous pollutants to biofuels and energy;
Phosphorous, nitrogen, plastic, mineral, and energy recovery from waste and alternative resources;
Recovery and recycling of energy, materials, and products;
Waste management: Systems and processes for energy and material recovery;
Biotechnology and bioenergy;
Power and energy systems, distributed power generation/decentralized energy systems;
Sustainable energy;
International energy demand and supply analysis, policy, and strategy for energy sustainability;
Biomass processes and biofuels;
Energy and sustainable development;
Energy efficient buildings, green designs, and investment feasibility;
Technologies promoting energy autonomy;
Technical advancements in renewable energy and emerging energy technologies;
Bioelectrochemical systems for sustainable energy production;
Separation processes for energy systems and production;
Nanotechnology for energy, fuels production, conversion, and storage;
Pathways towards integrated and sustainable biorefinery;

Environment

Application of membrane technology and nanotechnology for environmental protection and pollution prevention;
Environment policy and management: Policy, regulations, economics, and planning;
Risk assessment and environmental analysis: Human and ecological risk assessment, environmental prediction and risk analysis/assessment strategies, life cycle analysis;
Environmental modeling and simulation;
Environmental database and artificial intelligence;
Environmental communication, open access data, and big data analysis;
Waste minimization: Waste treatment and disposal;
Landfill and waste repository design, operation, and management;
Land remediation and recovery;
Tools, techniques, and technologies for air pollution prevention and treatment;
Cross boundary air quality and dispersion modeling;
Monitoring, prediction, and mitigation of incidents;
Environmental pollutions, air pollutants, and human health impacts;
Catchment management;
Bioremediation of contaminated lands, soil chemistry, and amendments;
City operations;
Soil plant nutrition and fertilizers;
Ecological impacts of sedimentation and management of dredging operations;
Utilization of renewable materials;
Sustainable consumption and green practices;
Wetland eco-systems;
Case studies from industries and eco-industrial parks;
Low cost and innovative technologies for sustainability and climate change adaptation/mitigation;
Community engagements and social impacts;
Surveying, monitoring, and analyzing contaminated sites;
Greenhouse gases and management;
Biochar production: Characterization and applications, pre- and post-processing, handling, storage, commercialization, and co-products (bio-oil and gas);
Fate and transport of emerging contaminants in soil;
Air pollution/aerosol/order control;
Sustainable materials for environmental pollution mitigation;
Bioelectrochemical system for sustainable environment;
Separation processes for sustainable environment;
Carbon dioxide capture and sequestration.

Prof. Dr. Samir Kumar Khanal
Prof. Dr. Ramaraj Boopathy
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Applied Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

Biofuel, wastewater treatment, bioremediation, anaerobic digestion, biodegradation

Published Papers (9 papers)

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Research

19 pages, 1082 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Energy–Water Management System Based on Predictive Control Applied to the Water–Food–Energy Nexus in Rural Communities

by Tomislav Roje, Doris Sáez, Carlos Muñoz and Linda Daniele

Appl. Sci. 2020, 10(21), 7723; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/app10217723 - 31 Oct 2020

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 2544

Abstract

Generating strategies and techniques to feed the increasing world population is a significant challenge under climate change effects such as drought. Rural areas are especially sensitive to such effects as they are unable to overcome the lack of water with new agricultural production techniques. In developing countries, rural communities commonly do not have access to high-quality electricity supplies. In some cases, these communities lack electricity in their homes, which affects the opportunity to improve food production through the incorporation of new technologies. This work proposes an integrated optimizer based on model predictive control (MPC) that combines a water management system, which handles the medium-term water requirements for irrigation, with an energy management system, which handles short-term energy requirements. The proposed approach is based on predictive phenomenological models of evapotranspiration and electricity consumption considering climate conditions such as temperature, precipitation, solar radiation, and wind speed, and aims to optimize the use of energy and water and the relative yields of crops. The integrated energy–water management system (EWMS) improves water resource sustainability according to energy availability/costs and water use requirements. Simulation results using real data from a rural community in southern Chile show that the integrated EWMS based on an MPC optimizer successfully determines and satisfies the water and energy requirements under aquifer sustainability constraints. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Water-Energy-Environment Nexus (WEEN-2019))

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14 pages, 1921 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Corrosion Inhibition Performances of Imidazole Derivatives-Based New Ionic Liquids on Carbon Steel in Brackish Water

by Megawati Zunita, Deana Wahyuningrum, Buchari, Bunbun Bundjali, I Gede Wenten and Ramaraj Boopathy

Appl. Sci. 2020, 10(20), 7069; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/app10207069 - 12 Oct 2020

Cited by 32 | Viewed by 2693

Abstract

In this study, imidazole derivative-based new ionic liquids were investigated as corrosion inhibitors. These new ionic liquids (ILs) are 1,3-dipropyl-2-(2-propoxyphenyl)-4,5-diphenylimidazole iodide (IL1) and 1,3-dibutyl-2-(2-butoxyphenyl)-4,5-diphenylimidazole iodide (IL2). The corrosion inhibition effects of two new ILs were observed on carbon steel in brackish water media (1% NaCl solution). Carbon steel coupons were exposed to 1% NaCl solution with various concentrations of ILs. Corrosion inhibition effects were tested by the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) method and the Tafel method at various temperatures ranging from 25 °C to 55 °C. The results showed that ILs have potential as corrosion inhibitors and the adsorption mechanisms of IL1 and IL2 on carbon steel surfaces were also determined, which followed the Langmuir adsorption isotherm model. Acquisition of ∆G_ads values of IL1 and IL2 were −35.04 and −34.04 kJ/mol, respectively. The thermodynamic data of the ILs show that semi-chemical and or physical adsorptions occurred on carbon steel surfaces. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Water-Energy-Environment Nexus (WEEN-2019))

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14 pages, 6234 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Study of the Healing Properties of Natural Sources of Georgia and Modeling of Their Purification Processes

by Irina Bejanidze, Oleksandr Petrov, Tina Kharebava, Volodymyr Pohrebennyk, Nazi Davitadze and Nato Didmanidze

Appl. Sci. 2020, 10(18), 6529; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/app10186529 - 18 Sep 2020

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 3794

Abstract

The studies were conducted on the natural waters of Georgia: Gortubani and Naminauri (Adigeni region), Danisparauli, Dandalo and Makhinjauri (Adjara region) which exhibit medicinal properties. The following water indicators were determined: titratable acidity, electrical conductivity, hardness, the content of solids, sulfates, chlorides, hydrocarbonates, nitrates, ammonium salts and metals. These indicators were determined in the source water, as well as in the concentrate and permeate obtained by ultrafiltration. The productivity of the ultrafiltration process was determined, its dependence on the duration of the process, the applied pressure and the location of the spring. The productivity of the Danisparauli water ultrafiltration process decreases with time; the productivity remains unchanged during the filtration of the Makhinjauri and Naminauri waters; during ultrafiltration, the titratable acidity of the Makhinjauri water increases significantly, by 66.5%, that of the water Naminauri by 36.6%, the titratable acidity of the Danisparauli water remains unchanged, the sulfide ion content in the Makhinjauri water increases by 12%, and in the Naminauri water by 35.5%, the chloride content in the process of concentrating practically does not change. It was found that all the investigated waters are contaminated with heavy metals and the population should not use them for treatment. The data obtained can be used to simulate the purification of natural sources. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Water-Energy-Environment Nexus (WEEN-2019))

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20 pages, 3494 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

MBR-Assisted VFAs Production from Excess Sewage Sludge and Food Waste Slurry for Sustainable Wastewater Treatment

by Mohsen Parchami, Steven Wainaina, Amir Mahboubi, David I’Ons and Mohammad J. Taherzadeh

Appl. Sci. 2020, 10(8), 2921; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/app10082921 - 23 Apr 2020

Cited by 40 | Viewed by 3960

Abstract

The significant amount of excess sewage sludge (ESS) generated on a daily basis by wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) is mainly subjected to biogas production, as for other organic waste streams such as food waste slurry (FWS). However, these organic wastes can be further valorized by production of volatile fatty acids (VFAs) that have various applications such as the application as an external carbon source for the denitrification stage at a WWTP. In this study, an immersed membrane bioreactor set-up was proposed for the stable production and in situ recovery of clarified VFAs from ESS and FWS. The VFAs yields from ESS and FWS reached 0.38 and 0.34 gVFA/gVS_added, respectively, during a three-month operation period without pH control. The average flux during the stable VFAs production phase with the ESS was 5.53 L/m²/h while 16.18 L/m²/h was attained with FWS. Moreover, minimal flux deterioration was observed even during operation at maximum suspended solids concentration of 32 g/L, implying that the membrane bioreactors could potentially guarantee the required volumetric productivities. In addition, the techno-economic assessment of retrofitting the membrane-assisted VFAs production process in an actual WWTP estimated savings of up to 140 €/h for replacing 300 kg/h of methanol with VFAs. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Water-Energy-Environment Nexus (WEEN-2019))

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14 pages, 27193 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Nonlinear Model and Dynamic Behavior of Photovoltaic Grid-Connected Inverter

by Zhi-Xian Liao, Dan Luo, Xiao-Shu Luo, Hai-Sheng Li, Qin-Qin Xiang, Guo-Xian Huang, Ting-Hui Li and Pin-Qun Jiang

Appl. Sci. 2020, 10(6), 2120; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/app10062120 - 20 Mar 2020

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2765

Abstract

A photovoltaic grid-connected inverter is a strongly nonlinear system. A model predictive control method can improve control accuracy and dynamic performance. Methods to accurately model and optimize control parameters are key to ensuring the stable operation of a photovoltaic grid-connected inverter. Based on the nonlinear characteristics of photovoltaic arrays and switching devices, we established a nonlinear model of photovoltaic grid-connected inverters using the state space method and solved its model predictive controller. Then, using the phase diagram, folded diagram, and bifurcation diagram methods, we studied the nonlinear dynamic behavior under the influence of control parameters on both fast and slow scales. Finally, we investigated the methods of parameter selection based on the characteristics of nonlinear dynamic behavior. Our research shows that the predictive controller parameters are closely related to the bifurcation and chaos behaviors of the grid-connected photovoltaic inverter. The three-dimensional bifurcation diagram can be used to observe the periodic motion region of the control parameters. After selecting the optimization target, the bifurcation diagram can be used to guide the selection of control parameters for inverter design. The research results can be used to guide the modeling, stability analysis, and optimization design of photovoltaic grid-connected inverters. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Water-Energy-Environment Nexus (WEEN-2019))

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13 pages, 1601 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Optimization of Xylose Recovery in Oil Palm Empty Fruit Bunches for Xylitol Production

by Diah Meilany, Made Tri Ari Penia Kresnowati, Tjandra Setiadi and Raj Boopathy

Appl. Sci. 2020, 10(4), 1391; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/app10041391 - 19 Feb 2020

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3448

Abstract

The hardest obstacle to make use of lignocellulosic biomass by using green technology is the existence of lignin. It can hinder enzyme reactions with cellulose or hemicellulose as a substrate. Oil palm empty fruit bunches (OPEFBs) consist of hemicellulose with xylan as the main component. Xylitol production via fermentation could use this xylan since it can be converted into xylose. Several pretreatment processes were explored to increase sugar recovery from lignocellulosic biomass. Considering that hemicellulose is more susceptible to heat than cellulose, the hydrothermal process was applied to OPEFB before it was hydrolyzed enzymatically. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of temperature, solid loading, and pretreatment time on the OPEFB hydrothermal process. The xylose concentration in OPEFB hydrolysate was analyzed using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The results indicated that temperature was more important than pretreatment time and solid loading for OPEFB sugar recovery. The optimum temperature, solid loading, and pretreatment time for maximum xylose recovery from pretreated OPEFB were 165 °C, 7%, and 60 min, respectively, giving a xylose recovery of 0.061 g/g of pretreated OPEFB (35% of OPEFB xylan was recovered). Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Water-Energy-Environment Nexus (WEEN-2019))

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15 pages, 5475 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Experimental and Numerical Study on the Effect of the Temperature-Control Curtain in Thermal Stratified Reservoirs

by Jijian Lian, Peiyao Li, Ye Yao, Wei He and Nan Shao

Appl. Sci. 2019, 9(24), 5354; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/app9245354 - 08 Dec 2019

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2303

Abstract

The impoundment and power generation of dams cause the temperature of released water much lower than the original rivers in the thermal stratified reservoirs. In addition, the released low-temperature water would damage the downstream habitats of fish and other biological groups seriously. Available facilities, such as stop log gate intakes and multi-level intakes, are built to alleviate the problem. For overcoming the limitations of traditional facilities on construction conditions and the improved effect of water temperature, a new facility of the temperature control curtain (TCC), with the advantages of convenient regulation and no hydropower loss, has been proposed recently. However, to the author’s knowledge, the theory of TCC is not abundant, with incomplete experimental tests and few numerical simulations. In this paper, a rectangular tank is designed specifically to conduct experimental tests to verify the effects of TCC and explore its potential impacts on released water temperature (RWT) under four major influencing factors. The study results show that TCC has significant effects on improving RWT, with a maximum increase of 8.3 °C. In addition, a three-dimensional hydrodynamic model with the same size of experimental model is established for further research. The results show that RWT is mainly related to the temperature distribution of a reservoir and the water-retaining proportion of the curtain. Finally, a basic principle for TCC construction is proposed and all these laid an important theory foundation for its application in engineering practice. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Water-Energy-Environment Nexus (WEEN-2019))

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19 pages, 6272 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Feasibility Study on the Use of an Atmospheric Water Generator (AWG) for the Harvesting of Fresh Water in a Semi-Arid Region Affected by Mining Pollution

by Julio A. Mendoza-Escamilla, Francisco Josué Hernandez-Rangel, Pedro Cruz-Alcántar, María Zenaida Saavedra-Leos, Josefa Morales-Morales, Rafael A. Figueroa-Diaz, César Manuel Valencia-Castillo and Francisco J. Martinez-Lopez

Appl. Sci. 2019, 9(16), 3278; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/app9163278 - 09 Aug 2019

Cited by 18 | Viewed by 7946

Abstract

Worldwide, the shortage of fresh water has increased exponentially due to population growth and contamination of available water, especially in water tables that provide water for general consumption. One of the main pollutants of water is arsenic (As), present in the environment and in most mining/metallurgical processes, which is a major health risk, especially as a carcinogen. In the region of Matehuala, San Luis Potosi (SLP), Mexico, a highly productive mining area, arsenic concentrations of 138.1 mg/kg have been found in soils—6.2 times higher than what is allowed in domestic soils, while in water it is reported up to 158 mg/L, exceeding permissible limits for human consumption. In addition to As pollution, the region suffers from water shortage both in the city and in rural communities. Therefore, it is necessary to explore new technologies to provide the population with fresh water. This paper presents a feasibility study on the use of an atmospheric water generator (AWG) to capture fresh water in the region of Matehuala, SLP. The region was found to have the necessary environmental conditions to use AWGs, with an annual average relative humidity (RH) of approximately 60%. Using a mathematical model of a dehumidifier, water harvesting can be evaluated under the region’s prevailing climatic conditions. The month with lowest harvest was found to be January, with 0.89 to 3.6 L/day, while the month with largest harvest was August at 3.9 to 18 L/day and water production costs of 0.0093 and $ 0.038 USD/L, respectively. The study concludes that the use of AWGs would help alleviate water shortages, thus benefiting marginalized people or communities, preserving ecosystems and the environment. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Water-Energy-Environment Nexus (WEEN-2019))

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13 pages, 4547 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Composition and Morphology Characteristics of Magnetic Fractions of Coal Fly Ash Wastes Processed in High-Temperature Exposure in Thermal Power Plants

by Dinh-Hieu Vu, Hoang-Bac Bui, Bahareh Kalantar, Xuan-Nam Bui, Dinh-An Nguyen, Qui-Thao Le, Ngoc-Hoan Do and Hoang Nguyen

Appl. Sci. 2019, 9(9), 1964; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/app9091964 - 13 May 2019

Cited by 19 | Viewed by 4907

Abstract

Coal-fired power stations are one of the primary sources of power generation in the world. This will produce considerable amounts of fly ash from these power stations each year. To highlight the potential environmental hazards of these materials, this study is carried out to evaluate the characterization of fly ashes produced in thermal power plants in northern Vietnam. Fly ash was firstly fractionated according to size, and the fractions were characterized. Then, each of these fractions was analyzed with regard to their mineralogical features, morphological and physicochemical properties. The analytical results indicate a striking difference in terms of the characteristics of particles. It was found that magnetic fractions are composed of magnetite hematite and, to a lower rate, mullite, and quartz. Chemical analyses indicate that the non-magnetic components mainly consist of quartz and mullite as their primary mineral phases. As the main conclusion of this research, it is found that the magnetic and non-magnetic components differ in terms of shape, carbon content and mineralogical composition. In addition, it was found that magnetic components can be characterized as more spheroidal components compared to non-magnetic ones. This comprehensive characterization not only offers a certain guideline regarding the uses of different ash fractions but it will also provide valuable information on this common combustion process. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Water-Energy-Environment Nexus (WEEN-2019))

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