Biography:

Dr. Magnus Ståhl, Senior Lecturer at Karlstad University, Sweden. Dissertation 2008,  ”Improving Wood Fuel Pellets for Household Use - Perspectives on Quality, Efficiency and Environment”. Published papers on wood fuel pellets focusing quality issues, energy efficiency, environmental aspects and additives in pellets. During 2013-2014, an reference group expert in”Analysis of factors affecting the Swedish pellet market” performed by IVL (Swedish Environmental Research Institute). Chairman at the 6th International Symposium on Energy Challenges & Mechanics – towards the bigger picture, 2016 in Inverness, Scotland, UK. Teaches in Environmental and energy sciences since 1999. Performed distance education of operators at a pellet mill.

Abstract:

Manufacturers of pellet equipment has asked for that the question of pellets cooling are investigated. The purpose is to examine how the temperature, cooling time and the velocity of the cooling air affects the durability of the pellets and the amount of fines during production. Wood fuel pellets have been produced at Karlstad University in a Pilot pellet production unit. Two cooling devices have been used, a custom built cooling tower and smaller cooling boxes where temperature, humidity, fan speed etc. are measured. Reference samples were cooled in a bucket over night and scattered in a large box on a perforated plate. All samples were cooled to ambient air temperature.

The best results for the cooling tower on the durability and bulk density was the pellets scattered in a box and left overnight. Additionally, there were a minimal amount of fine fractions. Pellets cooled with the lowest fan effect also showed good results on durability. Pellets cooled in a bucket over night got very humid, and pellet cooled at maximum fan power iniciated cracks in the pellets due to a cool outside and hot inside of the pellets. The results for the smaller cooling boxes showed similair results but also showed that a lower bed hight of the pellets in the boxes gave increrased durability and hardness. A high fan speed gave poorer results on durability, mostly depending on that the air transport through the boxes became uneven. Further tests in an industrial environment measuring the electrycity should be done.

Biography:

Dr. Sumaya Yusuf is a Lecturer at the College of Graduate Studies, Natural Resources and Environment Department, Environmental Management Program. She earned her PhD and MPhil in Environmental Engineering from WMG, University of Warwick, UK, and MSc in Environmental Management from AGU in 2011. In 2007, High Diploma and PGC in Bio-system Sustainability as a Japanese government fellow, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan. She graduated from the University of Bahrain, College of Science with BSc. in Biology in 2003.

She worked as admin assistant (2007-2012) at the College of Graduate Studies, Quality Assurance & Accreditation Coordinator, Acting Director for the Consultancies & Training Centre at AGU. Technical team member of AGJSR, Admin Coordinator of IWRM, UN Center of the Water Resources Management in the Arab Region- AGU. She worked as a Laboratory Assistant, at the Biology Department (2003-2006), College of Science, University of Bahrain.

Abstract:

Organic Household Waste (OHW) fraction of the Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) has become a point of focus globally due to its harmful effects on the environment if it is not managed properly. OHW represents the highest waste composition amongst most of the high-income developing countries including Bahrain, signifying a major opportunity in the realm of conversion technologies. Thus, exploring the opportunity for OHW management through selecting the most preferable technology option for the Bahraini context based on its organic waste characteristics seems to be necessary, especially considering the harmful effects of dumping solid waste into the landfill; it may also represent a possible alternative to natural gas, which is the primary resource of energy used to generate power in Bahrain. This research aims to explore the opportunity for OHW management technology options using the "Case Study" methodology in Muharraq Governorate. By developing a parameter/technology matrix based on literature review and the experimental phase which will be achieved through OHW characterisation in the lab (that is considered important criteria of the preferred technology option selection), the results will then be matched with the matrix to select the most preferred technologies. The Economic Criteria is important for the technology selection decision making; thus, a cost-benefit analysis was conducted for each technology in the Bahraini context. The Social Criteria is also important in selecting the preferred technology for decision-making; the public awareness measured for people in Muharraq Governorate as an important key factor to ensure the success of any waste management practices in the country. Furthermore, interviews were conducted with experts in order to explore the enablers and barriers to the OHW technology adoption in Bahrain. Research objectives were achieved via quantitative and qualitative approaches, including empirical sampling and lab analysis of OHW of Muharraq Governorate. This study involved chemical and physical characterization, surveys, questionnaires and semi-structured interviews, Microsoft office “Excel”, SPSS including ANOVA, t-test and Nvivo 12 for data analysis. The research may provide sufficient information for future adoption of evidence-based technology selection in order to manage OHW adoption in Bahrain, which contributes to the decision and policy-making processes. It may also provide a better understanding of OHW characterization in Bahrain, which may help further researches.

Biography:

I’am Dr. G.kavitha. Presently working as Assistant Professor under Dept of Chemical Engineering in IIIT Srikakulam. I received my doctorate in the year 2017 that is when I’m at the age of 30. I have 7 journal papers and presented 9 papers in national and international conference.

Abstract:

Batch and fixed bed column bio-sorption studies were conducted for the removal of lead from aqueous solution using Gracilaria corticata algae powder as bio-sorbent.  The effects of agitation time, size and dosage of adsorbent, pH, initial concentration of lead and temperature of aqueous solution are studied in this work.  The maximum bio-sorption of lead is attained at an equilibrium time of  60 min.  The optimum dosage and pH are 20 g/L and 6 respectively at an initial concentration of 20 mg/L at 303⁰ K.   The monolayer uptake capacity is 5.291 mg/g.  The statistical analysis of bio-sorption using Response Surface Methodology (RSM) was studied. The quadratic model for Central Composite Design (CCD) has fitted well to the experimental data. The optimum bio-sorption conditions (CCD) are initial pH = 6.096, initial lead ion concentration = 19.76 mg/L, bio-sorbent dosage = 19.93 g/L and temperature = 303.86 K.  The experimental data are well explained by Langmuir, Freundlich and Redlich-Peterson isotherm models. The bio-sorption data follows second order kinetics and the process is feasible, irreversible and endothermic.  An up-flow packed bed column is employed to investigate lead bio-sorption as a function of flow rate of aqueous solution, initial lead concentration and bio-sorbent bed height and the bed is formed with Gracilaria corticata powder. The experimental results and application of various models are studied.  The performance of packed bed column is finally analyzed using breakthrough curves.

 Keywords: Bio-sorption, Gracilaria Corticata algae powder, Response Surface Methodology, Column studies, flow rate, packed bed.

Biography:

Liqun Jiang is a PhD candidate in Shandong University, majoring on Environmental Science and Engineering. She focuses on promoting growth and lipid accumulation of microalgae in wastewater with phytohormones.

Abstract:

Wastewater has historically been seen as an efficient and economically alternative medium for microalgal biofuels, however, algae currently suffered from low viability and biomass productivity and required pretreatment of wastewater. Anaerobic digestion of kitchen waste (ADE-KW) was characterized as high ratio of nitrogen and phosphorus and contained ample bacteria inside. To optimize treatment methods, here, phosphate supplement, phytohormone GA₃ addition and sterilization were individually or interactively employed to promote biomass production of Chlorella SDEC-11 from ADE-KW. Phosphate supplement slightly enhanced biomass production, had no impact on lipid accumulation, and trigged bacterial bloom. Compared to ADE-KW control, sterilized ADE-KW obtained less biomass, while GA₃ increased biomass concentration by 1.8 times and improved lipid productivity to the same level of BG11, without bacterial bloom occurring. GA₃ also decreased the polyunsaturated fatty acid C18:3 to less than 10% and matched the EN 14214 biodiesel standard. Considering the interactions between nutrient, phytohormone and sterilization, phosphate hindered the promotion of GA₃ on algae in ADE-KW, concluding from less biomass when adding P and GA₃ simultaneously than that in sole GA₃ treatment. However, phosphate and GA₃ synergistically facilitated algal growth in sterilized ADE-KW and obtained the highest biomass production. These results indicated that wastewater-borne bacteria benefited from nutrients supplemented, followed by competing with or negatively influencing on algae, which could be avoided by sterilization and be ignored by GA₃ addition. Based on energy and nutrient consumption, the sole addition of phytohormone was a suitable, sustainable and economic treatment method for promoting algal growth in wastewater.

Biography:

Lijie Zhang has completed her PhD at the age of 27 years from Shandong University. She has published 4 papers as the first author (Average impact factor was 6.06) in top journals and has completed 2 invention patents. Besides, she has gone to  Miami, USA and Copenhagen, Denmark to attend international conferences in 2017 and 2018.

Abstract:

Microtubules have been verified to be able to regulate the precursors in microalgal cells. With the aim of testing the assumption that microtubule disruption could regulate precursors for complex organic matters and redirect carbon flow to promote lipid accumulation, Chlorella sorokiniana SDEC-18 was pretreated with different concentrations of oryzalin. Strikingly, microalgae, pretreated with 1.5 mM of oryzalin, accumulated 41.06% of lipid content which was 1.4 times higher than that without pretreatment, attributed to the cellular cross-talk in carbon partitioning induced by microtubule destruction. Furthermore, complete extraction of lipid was achieved after only one extraction steps in microalgae pretreated with 1.5 mM of oryzalin, that was because microtubules were depolymerized with oryzalin pretreatment, the cellulose synthase would be removed from membrane, and cellulose biosynthesis was then blocked, which enhanced cell fragility and thus easier to be broken. This study provided an important advance towards observation of microtubules in microalgae through immunocolloidal gold techniques combined with TEM, and microtubule destruction inducing efficient lipid accumulation and increased cell fragility expanded connotation of metabolic regulation by microtubules. (Up to 250 words)

Biography:

Chemical Engineer, by the University of Oriente. Cuba. Professor at the University of Holguin 1983-1996. Cuba. Ph.D Industrial Engineer by the Polytechnic University of Catalonia, 1999. Barcelona Spain.. Develops several pioneering projects in the use and application of biogas and waste treatment, including the first biogas upgrading plant of the Spanish government 2003 -2005. He founded the company Energy & Waste. As a result of its R + D + I work and the introduction of several technologies in the market, He has won several awards, among them, at Genera Innovation Room 2012, Techno energy magazine TPN-2012, Best Business Practices 2014 by The College of Industrial Engineers of Catalonia.

Abstract:

WWTPs are large consumers of energy, as a result of anaerobic digestion of the sludge coming from wastewater treatment is produced biogas, which by its concentration in methane (CH4) can be used as biofuel to produce energy and in this way meet the necessity of the own plant. Currently, the use of biogas generated in the WWTP is affected by the appearance of compounds, such as siloxanes and hydrogen sulfide (H2S) mainly and to a lesser extent by the appearance of hydrocarbons of different types. Another topic of interest in the energy generation from renewable fuels is related to the exhaust gases and the effect that it can have on the environment and people. BTS-MPdry technology for biogas cleaning is a multipurpose plant. This two-stage account: one for moisture reduction via cooling-condensation and the other adsorption on activated carbon (CA). For the development of this work, different types of operation tests were carried out with a view to evaluating, on the one hand, the effectiveness of cleaning technology in terms of the elimination of different harmful components of biogas, including moisture (H2O), hydrogen sulfide (H2S) and siloxanes, on the other hand, its influence on the benefits of the cogeneration system. Based on the result in this study it’s clear that an adequate biogas cleaning is needed to get a good performance of the CHP and in the quality of the exhaust gas emitted to the atmosphere..

Biography:

I have got my PhD in forest ecology and vegetation dynamic at the University of Antananarivo, Madagascar. My PhD investigated the native species regeneration in the natural forest and the artificial plantation forest in the eastern part of Madagascar. I am currently a researcher in the Centre National de Recherches sur l’Environnement (CNRE), where I investigate the valorization of some Malagasy trees species to produce biodiesel and to restore degraded soil in the mine site of Rio Tinto (Taolanaro, Madagascar). I am interested in the role of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi in facilitating native species and ecological restoration, as well as linking above- and below-ground ecosystem processes. I analyze also how soil ecosystem services (e.g. organic carbon storage, crop production), structure and diversity are affected by different agricultural practices (e.g. tillage practices…). In addition to forest ecology, my research interests focus on the biodiversity informatics.

Abstract:

Statement of the Problem: Madagascar is widely renowned for its unique biodiversity. Particularly, there are nine species of Millettia (Fabaceae) in Madagascar, including one introduced Millettia pinnata L. or Karanja, and eight endemic Malagasy species. While M. pinnata (Mp) is a famous tree for biodiesel production, no studies have ever been done on Malagasy Millettia species. The purpose of this study is to compare the physicochemical characteristics of oils extracted from MP seeds with those of two endemic Malagasy species: M. capuronii (Mc) and M. taolanaroensis (Mt).

Methodology & Theoretical Orientation: Millettia seeds were collected in the eastern part of Madagascar. Solvent extraction was used. Oil refraction indices were determined according to the NF T60-212 standard (AFNOR 1984). ANOVA was used to compare the differents parameters.

Findings: The MP oil is canary yellow with an unpleasant smell, the MC oil is pale green and its smells like a passion fruit. Mt oil is orange-yellow with a similar Mc smell. Mc seeds have the highest oil yield (48.3±1.39%), followed by Mt (43.8±0.51%) and Mp seeds have the lowest oil yield (36.2±0.73%), the difference was significant. In terms of density: Mp oil (D=0.918±0.0004g.cm-3) is denser than Mc oil (0.874±0.0007g.cm-3) and Mt oil (0.864±0.0008 g.cm-3). A significant difference was observed in the values of the refraction indexes (RI); Mp oil has the highest RI (1.475 ±0.0003) compared to Mc oil (1,463 ±0.0015) and Mt (1.46 ±0.0005). The cetane indices are respectively IC=54.62 for MP, IC=65.41 for Mc and IC=66.36 for Mt which are above the minimum standard required (IC=48) by ASTM D 976. The calorific powers are respectively 40.31MJ.kg-1 for MP, 41.85MJ.kg-1 for Mc and 42.12MJ.kg-1 for Mt.

Conclusion & Significance: These results showed that Malagasy Millettia species have characteristics close to biodiesel (gasoil), and have an interesting potential for biofuel production.

Biography:

I am Goldy Shah pursuing PhD from Centre for rural development and technology from Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, India. My academic background is B.Tech, M.Tech Chemical Engineering. Presently, my area of research is preparation of suitable environment friendly adsorbent for CO₂ capturing from biogas and designing a rector Pressure swing adsorption for biogas upgradation. I have published 4 papers in SCI Journal Index and presented paper in more than 10-12 international conferences in India as well as Europe. I have also 3 book chapters.

Abstract:

Besides many other problems, the world is challenged by global warming, and the target is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Moreover, biogas has potential as a renewable source of energy for rural areas because the majority of the rural population is agrarian, thereby generating substantial agricultural waste throughout the year. Interestingly, the biogas application at commercial scale may help in getting rid of biomass waste and reducing GHG emissions. Pressure swing adsorption has the remarkable potential to produce bio-CNG as an alternative for natural gas. A major issue faced in the majority of the upgradation plant is that an off-gas stream with a significant methane content is produced and released directly into the atmosphere, which requires to be treated further to avoid emission into the environment. Therefore, this work aims to evaluate parameters and off-gas treatment to develop an efficient model for reducing methane loss. In this study, carbon molecular sieves were employed as an adsorbent in a pressure swing adsorption for the removal and capture of CO2 from biogas. Adsorption isotherms of CH4 and CO2 were measured experimentally meanwhile a series of breakthrough experiments were also performed on a fixed bed packed with CMS. In order to design experiments of the PSA process more reasonable, Central Composite Design Methodology was employed to implement the design of experiments, while Response Surface Methodology was used to analyse experimental results. Bio-methane with purity higher than 94.2% and recovery higher than 88% was obtained experimentally with two columns and an equalization tank.