AN OUTCOME ANALYSIS OF SUSTAINABLE ENERGY AND ITS ROLE IN ELECTRICAL VEHICLE

The future of sustainable energy is bright, with continued advancements in technology and growing global awareness of the need to transition to renewable energy sources to combat future challenges. The electrical vehicle is new hope for the automobile industry where the deduction of carbon emission is the priority. The increasing level of carbon emission may be harmful to the environment and society. A qualitative exploration of sustainable energy and its role in electrical vehicles are other aspects of the study where green energy is another variable. The research design used in the study is exploratory in nature and covers the different dimensions of sustainable energy. Production of the batteries is also following certain protocols of natural sustainability and emission. This study will enunciate the role of sustainable energy sources under the aspects of green energy. Economic benets are also associated with the dened issue. Resultants are qualitative in nature where the crux of the previous study had been discussed. This study has concluded

Evaluación del desempeño de una celda de combustible microbiana con electrodo de grafito modificado para el tratamiento de agua residual del procesamiento del café / Evaluation of the performance of a microbial fuel cell with modified graphite electrode for the treatment of wastewater from coffee processing / Avaliação do desempenho de uma célula combustível microbial com eletrodo de grafite modificado para o tratamento de águas residuais do processamento de café

Resumen La actividad cafetalera en Costa Rica procesa aproximadamente 69.000 toneladas de café mediante la técnica de beneficiado húmedo. Esta actividad conlleva un alto impacto ambiental debido a la generación de8Lde agua residual/kg de café oro producido. El presente trabajo tiene como objetivo utilizar el agua residual del procesamiento de café como sustrato en celdas combustibles microbianas (CCM), con el propósito de generar energía eléctrica a través de su uso y, a la vez, disminuir la carga orgánica del residuo. La CCM empleó un cátodo modificado con ftalocianinas de hierro (FePc), generó una eficiencia coulómbica de 0,7% y una densidad de potencia de 89 UW/ cm2 en un ciclo de operación de cinco días. Además, se determinó que la CCM disminuye la demanda química de oxígeno (DQO) del residuo hasta en 27% bajo las condiciones de operación nativas del sustrato, a temperatura ambiente, sin mediadores químicos para la reacción anódica y con el uso de electrodos de platino para el cátodo. El estudio confirma la oportunidad de emplear el sustrato con una flora microbiana nativa apta para la operación de la tecnología de la CCM, y así perfilar el dispositivo como una opción novedosa para el tratamiento de este residuo en Costa Rica.

Abstract In Costa Rica coffee production is the most traditional agroindustrial activity, each year approximately 69,000 tons of coffee are processed through the technique of wet processing. The process has a high environmental impact since it generates eight liters of wastewater/kg of produced coffee. Consequently, the main goal of this research was to evaluate the electric generation of a Microbial Fuel Cell (MFC) with two chambers, using coffee wastewater as a substrate, which would generate a sustainable solution with an added economic value to this waste in Costa Rica. The MFC with a cathode modified with iron phthalocyanines (FePc) generated a coulombic efficiency of 0.7% and a power density of 89 -uW/cm2 in a 5-day operation cycle. In addition, it was determined that the MFC decreases the COD of the waste by up to 27% under native substrate conditions, without the use of high temperatures, or chemical mediators for the anodic reaction and platinum electrodes for the cathode chamber. The efficiency of the device can be improved with changes at design level that reduce the ohmic internal resistance and improve electrical generation, the study confirms the potential of the substrate with a native microorganism suitable for the use of MFC technology, shaping the device as a novelty option for the treatment of the waste in Costa Rica.

Resumo A indústria do café na Costa Rica processa cerca de 69 000 toneladas de café por meio da técnica de moagem úmida, o que acarreta um alto impacto ambiental devido à geração de 8 L de água residual / kg de café dourado. O objetivo deste trabalho era usar águas residuais do processamento do café como substrato em Células de Combustível Microbianas (CCM) a fim de gerar energia elétrica por meio do seu aproveitamento e ao mesmo tempo reduzir a carga orgânica do resíduo. CCM usando cátodo modificado com ftalocianinas de ferro (FePc) gerou uma eficiência coulômbica de 0,7% e uma densidade de potência de 89 uW/cm2 em um ciclo operacional de cinco dias. Além disso, foi determinado que o CCM reduz a Demanda Química de Oxigénio (DQO) do resíduo em até 27% nas condições nativas de operação do substrato, à temperatura ambiente, sem mediadores químicos para a reação anódica e com a utilização de eletrodos de platina para o cátodo. O estudo confirma a oportunidade de utilizar o substrato com flora microbiana nativa adequada para o funcionamento da tecnologia CCM e, assim, delinear o dispositivo como uma nova opção para o tratamento desses resíduos na Costa Rica.

Process conditions for a rapid in situ transesterification for biodiesel production from oleaginous yeasts

BACKGROUND: Microbial oils produced by diverse microorganisms are being considered as alternative sources of triglycerides for biodiesel production. However, the standalone production of biodiesel from microorganisms is not currently economically feasible. In case of yeasts, the use of low-value nutrient sources in microbial production and the implementation of cost-efficient downstream processes could reduce costs and make microbial lipids competitive with other commodity-type oils in biodiesel production. Industrial biodiesel synthesis from oleaginous seeds is currently based on a multistep process. However, a simple process called in situ transesterification (ISTE), which takes place within the biomass without a previous lipid extraction step, is receiving increasing interest. In this work, the optimal conditions for an ISTE process to obtain biodiesel from previously selected oleaginous yeast (Rhodotorula graminis S1/S2) were defined using the response surface methodology (RSM). RESULTS: Using the RSM approach, the optimal conditions for the maximum yield with minimum reaction time included a methanol-to-biomass ratio of 60:1, 0.4 M H2SO4, and incubation at 70°C for 3 h. The optimized in situ process yield was significantly higher (123%) than that obtained with a two-step method in which fatty acids from saponifiable lipids were first extracted and then esterified with methanol. The composition of the fatty acid methyl ester mixture obtained from R. graminis S1/S2 by ISTE met Uruguayan standards for biodiesel. CONCLUSION: The characteristics achieved by the optimized method make microbial oil a potential alternative for biodiesel production from yeast at an industrial scale.