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Sustainable Management of Waste for Renewable Energy Resources
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Sustainable Management of Waste for Renewable Energy Resources

A special issue of Energies (ISSN 1996-1073). This special issue belongs to the section "A4: Bio-Energy".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (3 February 2023) | Viewed by 16210

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Ijung Kim

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Guest Editor
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Hongik University, Seoul 04066, Korea
Interests: wastewater treatment; soil and groundwater remediation; CO2 sequestration and desalination; nanoparticle-stabilized foams and emulsions

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We invite submissions to a Special Issue of Energies on the topic of Sustainable Management of Waste for Renewable Energy Resources.

Waste is among the growing renewable energy resources, with significant impacts on climate change, circular economy, and sustainability. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the entire world has experienced a remarkable change, including various contact-free approaches, which have substantially accelerated waste production due to increased consumption of disposable products, delivery packages, healthcare products, etc. Indeed, finding solutions to not only dealing with such increasing waste but also responding to the energy demand is as important as fighting the virus for a sustainable society. With regard to the waste management practices aiming at renewable energy production, the major challenges concern secondary contamination and low energy yield during the conversion of waste to renewable energy.

To address these issues, it is necessary to focus on the selection of proper waste sources, innovative conversion technology, and process optimization. Therefore, the relevant research topics are represented by appropriate waste selection and treatment techniques as well as a smart control system.

In this Special Issue, original contributions regarding recent developments and ideas in waste treatment and management to contribute to renewable energy production are encouraged. Potential topics include, but are not limited to, the following: waste-derived biochar, bioenergy production, plastic-to-liquid fuel, refuse-derived fuel, gasification, agricultural and sewage sludge treatment, and reviews on the conversion of waste to renewable energy.

Dr. Ijung Kim
Guest Editor

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. Energies 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 2600 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

  • waste management
  • renewable energy
  • municipal solid waste
  • agricultural waste
  • sewage sludge
  • gasification
  • incineration
  • biochar
  • biogas
  • liquid fuel
  • refuse-derived fuel
  • smart control
  • sustainability

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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13 pages, 2132 KiB  
Article
Investigation to Enhance Solid Fuel Quality in Torrefaction of Cow Manure
by Jiseok Hong, Changwon Chae, Hyunjoong Kim, Hyeokjun Kwon, Jisu Kim and Ijung Kim
Energies 2023, 16(11), 4505; https://doi.org/10.3390/en16114505 - 03 Jun 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1185
Abstract
Recently, the conversion of livestock manure to solid fuel via torrefaction has brought more attention to moving forward to a carbon neutral society. A proper design of livestock manure to solid fuel is key for sustainable waste management. In this study, cow manure, [...] Read more.
Recently, the conversion of livestock manure to solid fuel via torrefaction has brought more attention to moving forward to a carbon neutral society. A proper design of livestock manure to solid fuel is key for sustainable waste management. In this study, cow manure, as a representative of livestock manure, was examined for solid fuel production, focusing on enhancing the heating value. The torrefaction process was adopted as a main solid fuel generation process and compared to simple drying. The heating value of the torrefied cow manure was increased as the torrefaction temperature increased from 200 °C to 300 °C. The heating value was nearly saturated at around 30 min when the torrefaction temperature was increased from 20 min to 40 min. The heating value was further increased when the cow manure was mixed with sawdust or rice straw. The sawdust, which originally possessed a higher heating value, showed its potential as a candidate for additives to the torrefaction of cow manure. Compared to simple drying, torrefaction showed a higher heating value and energy density, successfully converting to stable carbon material. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Management of Waste for Renewable Energy Resources)
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11 pages, 2028 KiB  
Article
Composite Biochar with Municipal Sewage Sludge Compost—A New Approach to Phytostabilization of PTE Industrially Contaminated Soils
by Maja Radziemska, Mariusz Zygmunt Gusiatin, Zbigniew Mazur, Algirdas Radzevičius, Agnieszka Bęś, Raimondas Šadzevičius, Jiri Holatko, Midona Dapkienė, Inga Adamonytė and Martin Brtnicky
Energies 2023, 16(4), 1778; https://doi.org/10.3390/en16041778 - 10 Feb 2023
Viewed by 1221
Abstract
The presence of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) in soils can upset the natural balance and increase the risk of PTE incorporation into the food chain. The use of composite biochar with municipal sewage sludge compost (MSSC/C) can be an effective way of both [...] Read more.
The presence of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) in soils can upset the natural balance and increase the risk of PTE incorporation into the food chain. The use of composite biochar with municipal sewage sludge compost (MSSC/C) can be an effective way of both managing waste, such as sewage sludge, and providing an effective additive-supporting phytostabilization processes. The effectiveness of D. glomerata and MSSC/C in the technique of assisted phytostabilization of industrially contaminated soils was determined under the pot experiment conditions. The PTE contents in D. glomerata and the soil were determined using the spectrophotometric method. The addition of MSSC/C to PTE-contaminated soil contributed to an 18% increase in plant biomass and increased the soil pH by 1.67 units, with the PTE concentration being higher in the roots than in the above-ground parts of D. glomerata. The MSSC/C addition had the strongest effect on the reduction in Cd, Cr, and Ni contents in the soil following the completion of the experiment. The current study confirmed the effectiveness of MSSC/C in aiding the phytostabilization processes in PTE-contaminated soils. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Management of Waste for Renewable Energy Resources)
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23 pages, 2820 KiB  
Article
Closing of Carbon Cycle by Waste Gasification for Circular Economy Implementation in Poland
by Aleksander Sobolewski, Tomasz Chmielniak, Joanna Bigda, Tomasz Billig, Rafał Fryza and Józef Popowicz
Energies 2022, 15(14), 4983; https://doi.org/10.3390/en15144983 - 07 Jul 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1984
Abstract
Domestic coal and waste resources, which are valuable sources of carbon, can support efforts to transform a linear economy into a circular carbon economy. Their use, as an alternative to conventional, imported fossil resources (crude oil, natural gas) for chemical production, provides an [...] Read more.
Domestic coal and waste resources, which are valuable sources of carbon, can support efforts to transform a linear economy into a circular carbon economy. Their use, as an alternative to conventional, imported fossil resources (crude oil, natural gas) for chemical production, provides an opportunity for Poland to solve problems related to competitiveness, security of supply, and sustainable development in various industries. This is important for Poland because it can provide it with a long-term perspective of economic growth and development, taking into account global trends (e.g., the Paris Agreement) and EU legislation. The article presents a concept to support the transformation from linear toward a circular carbon economy under Polish conditions. The carried-out analyses showed that coal, RDF, and plastic waste fuels can be a valuable source of raw material for the development of the chemical industry in Poland. Due to the assumed availability of plastic waste and the loss of carbon in the production process, coal consumption is estimated at 10 million t/yr, both in the medium- and long-term. In case where coal consumption is reduced and an additional source of ‘green hydrogen’ is used, CO2 emissions could be reduced even by 98% by 2050. The presented results show the technical and economic feasibility of the proposed solution and could be the basis for development of the roadmap for transition of the linear to circular economy under Polish condition. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Management of Waste for Renewable Energy Resources)
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13 pages, 2685 KiB  
Article
A Study on the Possibility of Measuring Sludge Sedimentation Using Contrast Detection Characteristics of CdS Photoresistors
by Seong-Min Hong, Hyun-Ook Kim and Choong-Gon Kim
Energies 2021, 14(22), 7817; https://doi.org/10.3390/en14227817 - 22 Nov 2021
Viewed by 1578
Abstract
Although operators periodically measure the sludge volume index (SVI) to stabilize the bioreactor and solid–liquid separation during the wastewater treatment process, there is a problem of inconsistency attributed to the subjective judgment of the operator. This study aims to investigate the possibility of [...] Read more.
Although operators periodically measure the sludge volume index (SVI) to stabilize the bioreactor and solid–liquid separation during the wastewater treatment process, there is a problem of inconsistency attributed to the subjective judgment of the operator. This study aims to investigate the possibility of securing objective data by employing CdS (cadmium–sulfur) photoresistors for SVI measurements. The sedimentation velocity of settling sludge was measured using LED (Light Emitting Diode) lights at the same level as the installed CdS photoresistors. As a result of the experiment, the settling velocity of sludge in the CdS photoresistors’ installation position H1 to H8 (non-flocculent settling), H9 to H12 (discrete flocculent settling) and H13 to H18 (zone settling and compressive settling), was 0.594 mm/s, 0.180 mm/s and 0.056 mm/s, respectively. Through this study, it was confirmed that measuring sludge sedimentation using the CdS photoresistors is possible. If the measurement of solid matter in sludge using several sludge sedimentation measurements is enabled in the future, it will be possible to develop calculation algorithms to measure the SVI. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Management of Waste for Renewable Energy Resources)
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11 pages, 2262 KiB  
Article
Effect of Localized Temperature Difference on Hydrogen Fermentation
by Seongwon Im, Mo-Kwon Lee, Alsayed Mostafa, Om Prakash, Kyeong-Ho Lim and Dong-Hoon Kim
Energies 2021, 14(21), 6885; https://doi.org/10.3390/en14216885 - 20 Oct 2021
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1228
Abstract
In a lab-scale bioreactor system, (20 L of effective volume in our study) controlling a constant temperature inside bioreactor with a total volume 25 L is a simple process, whereas it is a complicated process in the actual full-scale system. There might exist [...] Read more.
In a lab-scale bioreactor system, (20 L of effective volume in our study) controlling a constant temperature inside bioreactor with a total volume 25 L is a simple process, whereas it is a complicated process in the actual full-scale system. There might exist a localized temperature difference inside the reactor, affecting bioenergy yield. In the present work, the temperature at the middle layer of bioreactor was controlled at 35 °C, while the temperature at top and bottom of bioreactor was controlled at 35 ± 0.1, ±1.5, ±3.0, and ±5.0 °C. The H2 yield of 1.50 mol H2/mol hexoseadded was achieved at ±0.1 and ±1.5 °C, while it dropped to 1.27 and 0.98 mol H2/mol hexoseadded at ±3.0 and ±5.0 °C, respectively, with an increased lactate production. Then, the reactor with automatic agitation speed control was operated. The agitation speed was 10 rpm (for 22 h) under small temperature difference (<±1.5 °C), while it increased to 100 rpm (for 2 h) when the temperature difference between top and bottom of reactor became larger than ±1.5 °C. Such an operation strategy helped to save 28% of energy requirement for agitation while producing a similar amount of H2. This work contributes to facilitating the upscaling of the dark fermentation process, where appropriate agitation speed can be controlled based on the temperature difference inside the reactor. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Management of Waste for Renewable Energy Resources)
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Review

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23 pages, 2206 KiB  
Review
Using Algae for Biofuel Production: A Review
by Agata Jabłońska-Trypuć, Elżbieta Wołejko, Mahmudova Dildora Ernazarovna, Aleksandra Głowacka, Gabriela Sokołowska and Urszula Wydro
Energies 2023, 16(4), 1758; https://doi.org/10.3390/en16041758 - 10 Feb 2023
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 7962
Abstract
One of the greatest challenges of the 21st century is to obtain an ecological source of transport fuels. The production of biofuels based on feedstock obtained through the exploitation of arable land translates into an increase in food prices and progressive degradation of [...] Read more.
One of the greatest challenges of the 21st century is to obtain an ecological source of transport fuels. The production of biofuels based on feedstock obtained through the exploitation of arable land translates into an increase in food prices and progressive degradation of the environment. Unlike traditional agricultural raw materials, algae are a neutral alternative in many respects. They can even be obtained as waste from polluted water reservoirs. One of the manifestations of the deterioration of surface waters is the eutrophication of water reservoirs, which leads to an increase in the number of algae. Algae reaching the shores of water reservoirs can be used as a raw material for the production of biofuels, including biogas, bioethanol and biodiesel. However, it should be remembered that water blooms are a periodic phenomenon, appearing in the summer months. Therefore, in order to ensure the continuity of obtaining energy from biomass, it is necessary to conduct algae cultivation in artificial open tanks or photobioreactors. Accordingly, this review first briefly discusses the properties and possible applications of different species of algae in various industrial areas, and then describes the process of eutrophication and the presence of algae in eutrophicated reservoirs. Technologies of algal cultivation in various systems and technologies of algal biomass pretreatment were critically discussed. Various methods of obtaining biomass from algae were also reviewed, and the process conditions were summarized. Biofuels of various generations and raw materials from which they are obtained are presented in order to determine the possible future directions of development in this field. Parameters affecting the selection of algae species for the production of biofuels were also examined and presented. Overall, algal biofuels still face many challenges in replacing traditional fossil fuels. Future work should focus on maximizing the yield and quality of algae-derived biofuels while increasing their economic viability. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Management of Waste for Renewable Energy Resources)
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