Search Results (478)

Electric power material warehouses are critical to optimizing power grid supply chains and reducing carbon emissions, aiding the power sector’s decarbonization and climate goals. Nevertheless, to our knowledge, there are no comprehensive assessments of the life cycle carbon emissions associated with storage warehouses, so the emission reduction potential of the ever-increasing number of automated technologies is still unknown. This study presents an extensive life cycle carbon footprint assessment model tailored for electric power material warehouses, and it encompasses both traditional and automated frameworks. Utilizing a process-based life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology, carbon emissions across five distinct stages are examined: storage buildings and facilities, loading and unloading, transportation, packaging, and information management systems. For this purpose, warehouses in Jiangsu Province, China, are employed as a case study. The results show that automating warehouses can achieve a reduction in total carbon emissions of 42.85% compared with traditional warehouses, with total life cycle emissions of 39,531.26 tCO₂, and the transportation stage is identified as the predominant contributor. This research not only offers actionable recommendations for strategies, including renewable energy integration, intelligent control systems, and standardized packaging protocols, but also establishes a framework for future investigations of refining carbon accounting methodologies—particularly in underexplored domains such as packaging. Full article

This article addresses the developing of a framework to obtain specific GHG emissions for the railway system and proposes mitigation strategies. To achieve this purpose, a comprehensive life cycle assessment (LCA) method was employed with input data from various sources to analyze the contribution of energy consumption and the emissions of the railway system. This paper included gathering data from an infrastructure operation and maintenance for detailed GHG emissions impact. This study also presents a comparative analysis of the GHG emissions in different urban railway transportation systems in Northeast Brazil, providing valuable contextual insights. As a result of the combination of total GHG emissions analysis from the states of the Northeast Brazil railway system, a total of 11,996.11 metric tons of CO₂ equivalent (tCO₂e) was estimated. The main line traction was a prominent source of the greenhouse gas footprint, especially for the diesel traction systems at Paraiba. The proposed framework shows that significant environmental benefits can be realized with proper decision-making to increase the number of passengers–kilometer transported by rail. Full article

This study offers a comprehensive summary of the current states as well as potential future directions of transparent conducting oxides (TCOs), particularly tin-doped indium oxide (ITO), the most readily accessible TCO on the market. Solar cells, flat panel displays (FPDs), liquid crystal displays (LCDs), antireflection (AR) coatings for airbus windows, photovoltaic and optoelectronic devices, transparent p–n junction diodes, etc. are a few of the best uses for this material. Other conductive metals that show a lot of promise as substitutes for traditional conductive materials include copper, zinc oxide, aluminum, silver, gold, and tin. These metals are also utilized in AR coatings. The optimal deposition techniques for creating ITO films under the current conditions have been determined to be DC (direct current) and RF (radio frequency) MS (magnetron sputtering) deposition, both with and without the introduction of Ar gas. When producing most types of AR coatings, it is necessary to obtain thicknesses of at least 100 nm and minimum resistivities on the order of 10⁻⁴ Ω cm. For AR coatings, issues related to less-conductive materials than ITO have been considered. Full article

The global transport sector, a significant contributor to energy consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, requires innovative solutions to meet sustainability goals. Artificial intelligence (AI) has emerged as a transformative technology, offering opportunities to enhance energy efficiency and reduce GHG emissions in transport systems. This study provides a comprehensive review of AI’s role in optimizing vehicle energy management, traffic flow, and alternative fuel technologies, such as hydrogen fuel cells and biofuels. It explores AI’s potential to drive advancements in electric and autonomous vehicles, shared mobility, and smart transportation systems. The economic analysis demonstrates the viability of AI-enhanced transport, considering Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) and cost-benefit outcomes. However, challenges such as data quality, computational demands, system integration, and ethical concerns must be addressed to fully harness AI’s potential. The study also highlights the policy implications of AI adoption, underscoring the need for supportive regulatory frameworks and energy policies that promote innovation while ensuring safety and fairness. Full article

Due to the increasing share of battery electric buses (BEBs) in cities, depots need to be adapted to the increasing load demand. The integration of renewable energy sources (RESs) into a depot can increase the self-consumption, but optimal sizing is required for a cost-efficient and reliable operation. Accordingly, this paper introduces a co-design optimization framework for a depot microgrid, equipped with photovoltaics (PVs) and an energy storage system (ESS). Three European cities are considered to evaluate the effect of different environmental conditions and electricity prices on the optimal microgrid design. Accurate models of the different subsystems are created to estimate the load demand and the power generation. Different energy management strategies (EMSs), developed to properly control the power flow within the microgrid, are compared in terms of operational costs reduction, one of which was also experimentally validated using a hardware-in-the-loop (HiL) test setup. In addition, the total cost of ownership (TCO) of the depot microgrid is analyzed, showing that an optimally designed depot microgrid can reduce the charging-related expenses for the public transport operator (PTO) by 30% compared to a scenario in which only the distribution grid supplies the BEB depot. Full article

Due to the significant increase in the number of EVs, this manuscript presents a study of the total ownership cost of electric vehicles in Romania. The total cost of ownership (TCO) includes the initial purchase price, maintenance costs, power prices, and government incentives or subsidies unique to the market in Romania. The TCO was calculated for battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and internal combustion vehicles (ICEs). Several vehicles were selected for the study, representing the models with the highest sales in Romania and a similar price range. The results show that EVs have a lower TCO compared with internal combustion vehicles if the battery replacement cost for EVs is not considered in the analysis. If this cost is considered, the TCO for the BEVs has a significant increase due to the high cost of the battery. Another analysis performed regards the CO₂ emissions. These are higher for ICEs compared to BEVs, so the BEVs help reduce emissions. Full article

Antimicrobial compounds play a critical role in combating microbial infections. However, the emergence of antibiotic and antifungal resistance and the scarcity of new antibiotic developments pose a significant threat and demand the discovery of new antimicrobials for both bacterial and fungal pathogens. Our previous work described the first generation (G1) of organoantimony-based compounds that showed antimicrobial activity against several bacterial and fungal pathogens. Here, we present our efforts in modifying these compounds by replacing the tetraphenyl backbone in G1 compounds with a trimethyl group, thereby generating a new series of compounds we refer to as “generation 2”, G2. In addition to the novel backbone structure, we introduced three new anionic chloro-cyanoxime ligand groups, namely 2,4-diCl-PhCO⁻, 2,6-diCl-PhCO⁻ and 2Cl-PhCO⁻, which were found to be biologically active in the past. Nine new compounds of SbMe₃L₂ composition were obtained in high yields and characterized by NMR, IR spectroscopies, thermogravimetric TG/DSC and X-ray single crystal analyses. The antibacterial activity of the cyanoximates was tested against three bacterial (Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1, Escherichia coli S17 and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) NRS70) and two fungal (Candida albicans strain SC5314 and Cryptococcus neoformans strain H99) pathogens. Two compounds, SbMe₃(MCO)₂ and SbMe₃(2,4-diClPhCO)₂, were active against bacterial strains and inhibited the growth of PAO1 and MRSA with MICs of 50 and 100 µg/mL, respectively. Three compounds, SbMe₃(MCO)₂, SbMe₃(ECO)₂ and SbMe₃(TCO)₂, were active against fungal strains and inhibited either one of or both C. albicans and C. neoformans at MICs of 2.6–66.67 μg/mL. In addition, SbMe₃(TCO)₂ and SbMe₃(MCO)₂ were fungicidal at MFC 33.33–66.67 μg/mL. Ultra-thin-layer TEM imaging suggested that SbMe₃(MCO)₂ targets the integrity of bacterial membranes. Overall, four of the studied G2 series compounds possess antimicrobial activity against a broad range of microbial pathogens, with particular potential against fungal pathogens, which will be explored in further studies. Full article

This study examined the carbon cycling dynamics in the tropical Atlantic Ocean from 1985 to 2023, focusing on factors influencing the surface partial pressure of CO₂ (pCO₂), freshwater input, total alkalinity (ALK), total dissolved carbon (TCO₂), and pH levels. The time series data revealed significant trends, with average pCO₂ concentrations rising from approximately 350 μatm in the early 1990s to over 400 μatm by 2023. The TCO₂ levels increased from about 2000 μmol/kg to 2200 μmol/kg, while ALK rose from approximately 2300 μmol/kg to 2500 μmol/kg. This increase highlights the ocean’s role as a carbon sink, particularly in areas with high biological productivity and upwelling where TCO₂ also rose. This study employed Empirical Orthogonal Functions (EOFs) to identify variability modes and understand spatial patterns of pCO₂. Freshwater dynamics significantly affect TCO₂ concentrations, particularly in coastal regions, where pH can shift from 8.2 to 7.9, exacerbating acidification. Rising sea surface temperatures have been linked to elevated pCO₂ values. These findings support the need for ongoing monitoring and effective management strategies to mitigate the impacts of climate change and ensure the sustainability of marine resources. This study documented the long-term trends in tropical Atlantic CO₂ parameters linked to the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) and Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO). Full article

This study aimed to obtain the energy recovery potential of the biogas produced from anaerobic digestion (AD) of the sludge from a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP), including the use of biochar as an additive for substrate co-digestion and catalyst for methane production. We carried out the following steps: chemical–physical laboratory analyses of sludge samples; the building, operation, and monitoring of an experimental prototype of a batch bioreactor of 2.5 L for the AD of the sludge (with and without the addition of charcoal); qualitative measurements of biogas; the study of charcoal morphology; and the projection of useful energy generation from the AD sludge after treatment. A study on the economic viability and avoided greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions was performed based on the experimental results. The substrate showed alterations in all the physicochemical parameters evaluated after AD, such as a reduction of 35% in the biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) analysis; the experiment carried out using biochar showed positive results regarding the speed of CH₄ production and a greater potential for energy recovery. Enterprises from 2000 kW onwards would present an internal rate of return (IRR) equal to or higher than the minimum attractiveness rate (MAR) of 15%. The USD 95.28/MWh tariff presented economic feasibility for the studied scenarios. WWTPs that produce enough sludge to generate power of 2000 kW would need to process the waste of 117,200 inhabitants with charcoal addition and 136,000 without charcoal. It would be possible to avoid the emission of 2307.97 tCO₂/year (2000 kW). According to the results obtained, this study revealed that using alternative energies based on anaerobic digestion and biochar can generate positive results regarding methane production, and its application as an energy source in a WWTP proved to be economically viable at a specific level of power production. Full article

Background: Having a laboratory renal profile for medical imaging examinations requiring contrast media (CM) administration is strongly advised. Creatinine helps identify patients at risk of contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN). The GEM^® Premier™ ChemSTAT (Werfen) is a point-of-care (POC) analyzer with 12 emergency parameters, including a creatinine assay. This study aims to compare ChemSTAT with the central analytical solution of the University Hospital of Clermont-Ferrand and to evaluate the interest in using POC creatinine in the emergency department (ED) to optimize the flow of patients, especially when CM administration is necessary. Methods: More than 200 whole blood (WB) samples from the ED were evaluated on the ChemSTAT analyzer. As comparative methods, the plasma aliquots from the same samples were assayed on an Atellica^® CH (Siemens Healthineers). The clinical concordance was assessed according to the decision cut-offs of the French Society of Radiology for the risk of CIN. The availability times of biological results between ChemSTAT and the central laboratory were studied. Results: WB results from the ChemSTAT analyzer correlated well with those from the Atellica^® CH, except for tCO2 (the known bias between the Siemens and Cobas Roche methods for predicting ChemSTAT values). The results of the creatinine assay allow for identical medical decisions in comparison to the renal-risk cut-offs. The availability of the biological results was reduced by 50 min on average with ChemSTAT vs the central laboratory. Computed tomography (CT) was performed for 44.7% of patients, including the injection of the CM in 68% of cases. For these patients, the availability of creatinine results relative to imaging time is faster with the ChemSTAT by an average of 45.2 min. Conclusions: Great analytical and clinical correlations for creatinine assays allow for the safe identification of patients at risk of CIN, and improve patient flow in ED, especially for those requiring computed tomography with CM. Full article

As interest in transparent electronics increases, ensuring the reliability of transparent RRAM (T-RRAM) devices, which can be used to construct transparent electronics, has become increasingly important. However, defects and traps within these T-RRAM devices can degrade their reliability. In this study, we investigated the improvement of transparency and reliability of T-RRAM devices with an AZO/HfO₂/Ti structure through rapid thermal annealing (RTA) at 450 °C for 60 s in a nitrogen atmosphere. The device without RTA exhibited a low transmittance of 30%, whereas the device with RTA showed a significantly higher transmittance of over 75%. Furthermore, the device operated at lower current levels after RTA, which resulted in a reduction in its operating voltages, and the forming, setting, and reset voltages changed from 3.3, 2.4, and −5.1 V, respectively, to 2, 1, and −2.7 V. This led to an improvement in the endurance characteristics of the device, which thereby suggests that these improvements can be attributed to a reduction in the defects and trap density within the T-RRAM device caused by RTA. Full article

Eco-friendly castor oil-based composites with a high content of clam shell powder were prepared in this study. Biomass composites were prepared by blending castor-oil-based polyurethane prepolymer (COPU) with a filler consisting of high-content clam shell powder (CSP), named CSP-COPU. The structure, microstructure, mechanical properties, and thermal stability of the composites were investigated. The results showed that even at a loading as high as 75 wt.% of the CSP filler, the composite still exhibited good tensile strength and elongation at break. Furthermore, compared with the CSP-COPU composites, TCOS-50 synthesized through blending OH-terminated castor oil-based polyurethane prepolymer (TCOPU) and CSP filler proved that the chemical bond between COPU containing terminal -NCO groups and CSP containing active -OH groups was the key reason to obtaining the composite material with desirable properties. These findings provide prospects for applying biomass-loaded CSP-COPU composites in the packaging industry while contributing to carbon peak achievement and carbon neutrality. Full article

With the development of the micro electromechanical system (MEMS), which widely adopts micro differential pressure sensors (MDPSs), the demand for high-performance MDPSs had continuously increased. Pressure sensors realized using MEMS technology integrated with biomedical catheters are of significant importance in the detection and treatment of various biological diseases. Biomedical catheters used in low-Fr applications (1Fr = 0.33 mm outer diameter) require miniaturized sensors that do not compromise their performance. For instance, catheters (5Fr) used for central venous pressure (CVP) monitoring require the integration of high-performance sensors with total dimensions smaller than 1.65 mm along at least two directions (length, width, or height). In this paper, a silicon-on-insulator (SOI)-based MDPS was designed and fabricated for micro-pressure detection in the range of 0–1 kPa. The dimension of the sensor is only 1 mm × 1 mm × 0.4 mm, with a sensitivity of 3.401 mV/V/kPa at room temperature, nonlinearity of 0.376% FS (full scale), and an overall accuracy of 0.59% FS. The sensor operates normally when the temperature is even increased to 160 °C, and its temperature coefficient of zero output (TCO) and temperature coefficient of sensitivity (TCS) are 0.093% FS/°C and −0.144% FS/°C. The dimension and performance results of this MDPS demonstrate its potential to play a significant role in biomedical catheters. In addition, it is fabricated using an 8-inch MEMS process, which significantly reduces the cost. Full article

In this paper, we optimized IGZO/Ag/IGZO (IAI) multilayer films by post-rapid thermal annealing (RTA) to enhance the electrical conductivity and optical transmittance in visible wavelengths for solar cell applications. Our optimized device showed an average transmittance of 85% in the visible range, with a lowest sheet resistance of 6.03 Ω/□ when annealed at 500 °C for 60 s. Based on these results, we assessed our device with photo-generated short circuit current density (J_SC) using a solar cell simulator to confirm its applicability in the solar cell. IAI multilayer RTA at 500 °C for 60 s showed a highest J_SC of 40.73 mA/cm². These results show that our proposed IAI multilayer film, which showed a high optical transparency and electrical conductivity optimized with post RTA, seems to be excellent transparent electrode for solar cell applications. Full article

As the number of electric vehicles (EVs) on North American roads continues to rise, driven by the shift toward sustainable transportation, understanding the economic implications of this transition is crucial. This review paper prioritizes an evaluation of the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) for various types of EVs, providing insights into how different driving profiles align with the financial benefits of EV adoption. It demonstrates that at-home charging and government incentives are pivotal in reducing TCO. The analysis also offers a comprehensive overview of the factors driving EV growth, including declining operating and maintenance costs. Additionally, the paper explores adoption rates, charging infrastructure, and other non-monetary factors that influence consumer decisions in the shift to EVs. Conclusions emphasize that while EVs offer a financial advantage for many drivers, the success of broader adoption depends on decreasing the initial cost of EVs, developing charging infrastructure, and investing in charging networks. Full article