• Issue 1 (2016)

Seawater Biorefinery of Avicennia Marina –Biomethane Potential at Seawater Conditions

SWES, volume-08 , Issue 1 (2016), PP 33 - 34

Published: 28 Nov 2015

DOI: 10.5383/swes.8.01.007

by S. Almardeai, U. Javid, J.R.BBastidas-Oyanedel, and J.E. Schmidt from Masdar Institute of Science and Technology Institute Center for Energy-iEnergy, PO Box 54224, Abu Dhabi, UAE

Abstract: Lignocellulose is considered as an abundant source of carbohydrates that can be used to produce renewable fuels and chemicals such as biomethane, which have economic and environmental advantages over fossil resources. However, conventional bioprocesses are based on the use of fresh water. Finding a new way to minimize the need for fresh water is economically important. This study focuses on the feasibility of bioenergy production from local mangroves plant using sea water biorefinery concept. Samples of Avicennia marina were collected from the coastal areas in Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates. Based on anaerobic fermentation, inoculum was added to batch system that had sea water and the sampled biomass of 1.09g. Gas chromatography analysis had showed an increment in the biomethane production over an incubation period of initially of forty eight days at 37 ̊C and the last and highest reading reached 52.8 mlCH4/gVS by day 48. read more... read less...

Keywords: Seawater, Biorefinery, Anaerobic Digestion, Biomethane Potential

Smart Home System for Energy Saving using Genetic- Fuzzy-Neural Networks Approach

SWES, volume-08 , Issue 1 (2016), PP 27 - 31

Published: 28 Nov 2015

DOI: 10.5383/swes.8.01.006

by Anwar Jarndal from Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, 27272, UAE

Abstract: Home energy saving is very important to realize sustainable improvement. This can be achieved by designing a smart home system that provides a productive and cost-effective environment through optimization of different factors that will be explained in this paper. In this paper, an adaptive smart home system for optimal utilization of power will be designed. The system is based on genetic-fuzzy-neural networks technique, which can capture a human behavior patterns and use it to predict the user's mood. This technique will improve the intelligence of the smart home control to minimize the power losses. read more... read less...

Keywords: Smart Home, Neural Networks; Genetic Optimization, Fuzzy Logic, Power Saving

A Novel Low-Energy VentilativeCooling System for Sustainable Built Environment

SWES, volume-08 , Issue 1 (2016), PP 21 - 26

Published: 27 Nov 2015

DOI: 10.5383/swes.8.01.005

by Hassam Nasarullah Chaudhry from School of Energy, Geoscience, Infrastructure and Society, Heriot-Watt University, P O Box: 294 345, Dubai, UAE

Abstract: A numerical investigation into determining the thermal and ventilation capability of wind towers integrated with the heat pipe technology was carried out in this work. The water-charged copper heat pipes were systematically arranged in a horizontal orientation and integrated inside a modern roof-mounted wind tower. Water was used as the working fluid instead of synthetic refrigerants in order to make the system carbon-neutral alongside maintaining the indoor air quality of the built environment. The three-dimensional Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) equations along with the momentum, continuity and energy equations were solved using the commercial Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) ANSYS code for velocity and pressure field simulations. Using the inlet wind speeds ranging from 1m/s to 5m/s, the results of the study showed that the proposed cooling system was capable of meeting the regulatory fresh air intake requirements per occupant of 10L/s. In addition, the findings determined that a passive cooling capacity of up to 11K was achievable when the system was subjected to inlet temperatures of 310K or 37°C. The work characterised the sustainable operation of wind tower in delivering energy-free ventilative cooling in regions encompassing hot and dry climatic conditions. The technology presented in this work is currently under an Intellectual Property (IP) protection (GB1321709.6). read more... read less...

Keywords: Airflow, Computational Fluid Dynamics, Heat Pipe, Ventilation, Wind Tower

Beyond Zero Waste Concept:ARevolution for Sustainable Community

SWES, volume-08 , Issue 1 (2016), PP 13 - 19

Published: 27 Nov 2015

DOI: 10.5383/swes.8.01.004

by Mianda Khattab and Salah El Haggar from Environmental Engineering Department, The American University in Cairo, Egypt

Abstract: A community reflects a big number of citizens grouped in an area, sharing common characteristics, traditions, lifestyle and daily needs. People within a community will affect the area and surrounding citizens as per their daily acts and traditions as well as being affected by the surrounded environment too; meaning that the community and the people living within are interconnected where the action of one end will lead to a reaction in the other. Thus there is a need to introduce the concept of sustainable communities, which focuses on water, air quality, wastes, energy and materials being more of a marketing word nowadays to companies, industries, governments and communities. However, since natural resources are being abused to a big extend that currently some living categories cannot access. This leads to widening the gap between the rich and the poor thus diversifying the community. In addition to, negative actions are impacting the surrounding environment leading to an undesired living standards and lifestyle like the accumulation of wastes and the consequent rise of diseases and pollution. In brief, the objective of this paper is to propose a zero waste practical approach for urban communities, hoping to reach a common ground of understanding. While also having defined set of actions towards having a balanced environment and ecosystem for a better, balance, pollution-free life and natural resources management for future generations’ needs read more... read less...

Keywords: : Sustainable Community, Sustainability, Cradle-to-Cradle Concept, Zero-Waste Concept, Waste Management

Design Optimisation of Marine Wastewater Outfalls

SWES, volume-08 , Issue 1 (2016), PP 7 - 12

Published: 27 Nov 2015

DOI: 10.5383/swes.8.01.003

by Shaun Forrest, and Rabee Rustum from Institute of Infrastructure and Environment, Heriot-Watt University, Dubai, UAE

Abstract: This work presents a method that optimises the manifold pipe of a marine wastewater outfall under various hydraulic principles and cost considerations. Costing data from 37 international pipe supply companies providing pipes of various diameters for HDPE, steel and concrete were used to develop hybrid design equations for these three main materials used for outfall construction. These equations optimise the trade-off between pumping head and pipe size as well as the compromise between cost of material and favourable hydraulic characteristics. Various grades for each material were considered if relevant to marine outfalls. The resulting equations are very useful for outfall design, as oversizing of a project can incur unnecessary cost and under-sizing will not fulfil an outfall’s intended hydraulic purpose and will increase the operational cost in terms of energy. read more... read less...

Keywords: manifold pipe of a marine wastewater, international pipe supply, various diameters for HDPE

Effect of Temperature and Time of Carburizing Treatment on the Structure and the Hardness of Steel 20MC4

SWES, volume-08 , Issue 1 (2016), PP 3 - 6

Published: 27 Nov 2015

DOI: 10.5383/swes.8.01.002

by Younes Benarioua from Département de Génie Mécanique, Faculté de Technologie, Université de M’sila BP 166 Ichbilia 28000 M’sila – Algérie

Abstract: Carburizing technique has recently been developed to engineer the surfaces of the low steels for combined improvement in wear and fatigue resistance. The resultant carburized surface region is characterized by the high saturation of carbon in austenite lattices of steel. The duration and temperature of carburising surface hardening treatment can be chosen in agreement with the thermal treatment for obtaining optimal bulk hardness in the precipitation hardening steel. Characterization point of view structural and mechanical of the samples using X-ray diffraction, optical microscopy and micro indentation testing was then introduced in this work. It was found that the incorporation of carbon resulted in a hardened additional compounds consisting of a combination of martensite and expanded austenite. read more... read less...

Keywords: Steel, Cementation, Carbon, Carburizing

Biomethane Potential of Salicornia Sinus-Persica at Seawater Conditions

SWES, volume-08 , Issue 1 (2016), PP 1 - 2

Published: 26 Nov 2015

DOI: 10.5383/swes.8.01.001

by U. Javid, S. Almardeai, J.R. Bastidas-Oyanedel, and J.E. Schmidt from Masdar Institute of Science and Technology Institute Centre for Energy-i Energy, PO Box 54224, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi – UAE

Abstract: It is essential to find alternatives to fresh water to produce biofuels in the UAE where the consumption per capita of water is almost double that of global consumption. This study uses a local halophyte plant Salicornia sinus-persica found in the arid region of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. The objective of the work is to determine the biomethane potential using seawater as media and anaerobic sludge as inoculum. The experimental work was carried out in batch mode and Gas Chromatography was used to analyze the biomethane production. The results showed an increment of biomethane potential over a period of 48 days, the maximum value obtained was 22.12 mlCH4/gVS. read more... read less...

Keywords: Seawater, Biorefinery, Anaerobic Digestion, Biomethane Potential