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Records |
Links |
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Author |
Lin, S.; Shao, L.; Hui, C.; Song, Y.; Reddy, G.V.P.; Gielis, J.; Li, F.; Ding, Y.; Wei, Q.; Shi, P.; Reddy, G.V.P. |
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Title |
Why does not the leaf weight-area allometry of bamboos follow the 3/2-power law? |
Type |
A1 Journal article |
| |
Year |
2018 |
Publication |
Frontiers in plant science |
Abbreviated Journal |
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| |
Volume |
9 |
Issue |
|
Pages |
583 |
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| |
Keywords |
A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL) |
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Abstract |
The principle of similarity (Thompson, 1917) states that the weight of an organism follows the 3/2-power law of its surface area and is proportional to its volume on the condition that the density is constant. However, the allometric relationship between leaf weight and leaf area has been reported to greatly deviate from the 3/2-power law, with the irregularity of leaf density largely ignored for explaining this deviation. Here, we choose 11 bamboo species to explore the allometric relationships among leaf area (A), density (ρ), length (L), thickness (T), and weight (W). Because the edge of a bamboo leaf follows a simplified two-parameter Gielis equation, we could show that A ∝ L2 and that A ∝ T2. This then allowed us to derive the density-thickness allometry ρ ∝ Tb and the weight-area allometry W ∝ A(b+3)/2 ≈ A9/8, where b approximates −3/4. Leaf density is strikingly negatively associated with leaf thickness, and it is this inverse relationship that results in the weight-area allometry to deviate from the 3/2-power law. In conclusion, although plants are prone to invest less dry mass and thus produce thinner leaves when the leaf area is sufficient for photosynthesis, such leaf thinning needs to be accompanied with elevated density to ensure structural stability. The findings provide the insights on the evolutionary clue about the biomass investment and output of photosynthetic organs of plants. Because of the importance of leaves, plants could have enhanced the ratio of dry material per unit area of leaf in order to increase the efficiency of photosynthesis, relative the other parts of plants. Although the conclusion is drawn only based on 11 bamboo species, it should also be applicable to the other plants, especially considering previous works on the exponent of the weight-area relationship being less than 3/2 in plants. |
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Thesis |
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Place of Publication |
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Editor |
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Language |
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Wos |
000431415100001 |
Publication Date |
2018-05-04 |
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Series Editor |
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Series Title |
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Abbreviated Series Title |
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Series Volume |
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Series Issue |
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Edition  |
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ISSN |
1664-462x |
ISBN |
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Additional Links |
UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles |
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Impact Factor |
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Times cited |
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Open Access |
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Notes |
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Approved |
no |
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Call Number |
UA @ admin @ c:irua:150948 |
Serial |
8758 |
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| Permanent link to this record |
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Author |
Mishra, V.K.; Kumar, P.; Van Poppel, M.; Bleux, N.; Frijns, E.; Reggente, M.; Berghmans, P.; Int Panis, L.; Samson, R. |
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Title |
Wintertime spatio-temporal variation of ultrafine particles in a Belgian city |
Type |
A1 Journal article |
| |
Year |
2012 |
Publication |
The science of the total environment |
Abbreviated Journal |
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| |
Volume |
431 |
Issue |
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Pages |
307-313 |
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Keywords |
A1 Journal article; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL) |
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Abstract |
Simultaneous measurements of ultrafine particles (UFPs) were carried out at four sampling locations situated within a 1 km(2) grid area in a Belgian city, Borgerhout (Antwerp). All sampling sites had different orientation and height of buildings and dissimilar levels of anthropogenic activities (mainly traffic volume). The aims were to investigate: (i) the spatio-temporal variation of UFP within the area, (ii) the effect of wind direction with respect to the volume of traffic on UFP levels, and (iii) the spatial representativeness of the official monitoring station situated in the study area. All sampling sites followed similar diurnal patterns of UFP variation, but effects of local traffic emissions were evident. Wind direction also had a profound influence on UFP concentrations at certain sites. The results indicated a clear influence of local weather conditions and the more dominant effect of traffic volumes. Our analysis indicated that the regional air quality monitoring station represented the other sampling sites in the study area reasonably well; temporal patterns were found to be comparable though the absolute average concentrations showed differences of up to 35%. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. |
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Corporate Author |
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Thesis |
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Place of Publication |
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Editor |
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Language |
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Wos |
000306887900037 |
Publication Date |
2012-06-14 |
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Series Editor |
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Series Title |
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Abbreviated Series Title |
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Series Volume |
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Series Issue |
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Edition |
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ISSN |
0048-9697; 1879-1026 |
ISBN |
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Additional Links |
UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles |
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Impact Factor |
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Times cited |
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Open Access |
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Notes |
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Approved |
no |
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Call Number |
UA @ admin @ c:irua:101123 |
Serial |
8759 |
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| Permanent link to this record |
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Author |
Wang, Y.-T.; Wu, S.-M.; Luo, G.-Q.; Tian, G.; Wang, L.-Y.; Xiao, S.-T.; Wu, J.-X.; Wu, A.; Wu, K.-J.; Lenaerts, S.; Yang, X.-Y. |
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Title |
A core-shell confined Pd@TS-1 @meso-SiO2 catalyst and its synergy effect on styrene oxidation |
Type |
A1 Journal article |
| |
Year |
2023 |
Publication |
Applied catalysis : A : general |
Abbreviated Journal |
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| |
Volume |
650 |
Issue |
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Pages |
119016-6 |
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Keywords |
A1 Journal article; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL) |
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Abstract |
Dual active sites from acidic zeolite and Pd are not only capable of catalyzing multiple type of reactions, but could also generate unique functions owing to the synergy between metals and acidic sites. However, there are only a few reports on the investigation of the synergy of acid/Pd dual sites in TS-1. Herein, TS-1 confined Pd catalyst with mesoporous silica shell (Pd@TS-1 @meso-SiO2) has been successfully synthesized and its synergy effect contributes to the enhanced conversion rate (19.2%) and selectivity (74.7%) on styrene oxidation. The interaction between Pd and TS-1 has been investigated by EPR and 1H NMR techniques, the experimental measurements show an obvious change in the signal distribution of weakly acidic terminal hydroxyls and hydrogen-bonding silanols. The schematic illustration of selective styrene oxidation in the model of Pd@TS-1 @meso-SiO2 is proposed to clarify the synergistic effect on styrene oxidation between TS-1 and Pd nanoparticles at an atomic-/nanoscale. |
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Address |
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Corporate Author |
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Thesis |
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Publisher |
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Place of Publication |
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Editor |
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Language |
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Wos |
001015700000001 |
Publication Date |
2022-12-28 |
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Series Editor |
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Series Title |
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Abbreviated Series Title |
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Series Volume |
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Series Issue |
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Edition |
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ISSN |
0926-860x |
ISBN |
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Additional Links |
UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles |
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| |
Impact Factor |
5.5 |
Times cited |
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Open Access |
Not_Open_Access |
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Notes |
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Approved |
Most recent IF: 5.5; 2023 IF: 4.339 |
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| |
Call Number |
UA @ admin @ c:irua:197805 |
Serial |
8826 |
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| Permanent link to this record |
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Author |
Shi, P.; Chen, L.; Quinn, B.K.; Yu, K.; Miao, Q.; Guo, X.; Lian, M.; Gielis, J.; Niklas, K.J. |
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Title |
A simple way to calculate the volume and surface area of avian eggs |
Type |
A1 Journal article |
| |
Year |
2023 |
Publication |
Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences |
Abbreviated Journal |
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| |
Volume |
1524 |
Issue |
1 |
Pages |
118-131 |
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Keywords |
A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL) |
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Abstract |
Egg geometry can be described using Preston's equation, which has seldom been used to calculate egg volume (V) and surface area (S) to explore S versus V scaling relationships. Herein, we provide an explicit re-expression of Preston's equation (designated as EPE) to calculate V and S, assuming that an egg is a solid of revolution. The side (longitudinal) profiles of 2221 eggs of six avian species were digitized, and the EPE was used to describe each egg profile. The volumes of 486 eggs from two avian species predicted by the EPE were compared with those obtained using water displacement in graduated cylinders. There was no significant difference in V using the two methods, which verified the utility of the EPE and the hypothesis that eggs are solids of revolution. The data also indicated that V is proportional to the product of egg length (L) and maximum width (W) squared. A 2/3-power scaling relationship between S and V for each species was observed, that is, S is proportional to (LW2)(2/3). These results can be extended to describe the shapes of the eggs of other species to study the evolution of avian (and perhaps reptilian) eggs. |
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Address |
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Corporate Author |
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Thesis |
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Publisher |
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Place of Publication |
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Editor |
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Language |
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Wos |
000975679400001 |
Publication Date |
2023-04-28 |
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Series Editor |
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Series Title |
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Abbreviated Series Title |
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Series Volume |
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Series Issue |
|
Edition |
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| |
ISSN |
0077-8923; 1749-6632 |
ISBN |
|
Additional Links |
UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles |
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| |
Impact Factor |
5.2 |
Times cited |
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Open Access |
OpenAccess |
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| |
Notes |
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Approved |
Most recent IF: 5.2; 2023 IF: 4.706 |
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Call Number |
UA @ admin @ c:irua:196724 |
Serial |
8827 |
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| Permanent link to this record |
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Author |
Saeumel, I.; Ramirez, L.R.; Santolin, J.; Pintado, K. |
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Title |
A step to disentangle diversity patterns in Uruguayan grasslands : climatic seasonality, novel land-uses, and landscape context drive diversity of ground flora |
Type |
A1 Journal article |
| |
Year |
2023 |
Publication |
Conservation Science and Practice |
Abbreviated Journal |
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Volume |
5 |
Issue |
9 |
Pages |
1-20 |
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Keywords |
A1 Journal article; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL) |
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Abstract |
South American grasslands contain extraordinary biodiversity and play a central role in the subsistence of regional agroecosystems. In recent decades, afforestation, followed by the soybean planting boom, have led to drastic land-use changes at the expense of grasslands. Impacts on local biodiversity have remained understudied. We explored the taxonomic richness and ss-diversity of plants of ground layer (excluding trees and shrubs) at different land uses, its interplay at regional scale with environmental heterogeneity, and at local scale with novel land cover types and landscape configurations. We conducted correlation, principal component, NDMS, and SDR analysis to explore variation of taxonomic richness, richness difference, replacement, and similarity of ground flora as response to environmental filters and land use change across Uruguay. We surveyed 160 plots distributed in 10 land cover types, that is, closed and open native forests, different grasslands, crops, orchards, and timber plantations. We observed overlaying regional patterns driven by seasonality of temperature and precipitation, and land cover shaping taxonomic richness at local scale. Landscape configuration affects diversity patterns of native ground flora, which seems to be sustained mainly by the “old growth grassland” species pool. Taxonomic richness of native species decreases with an increase of distance to grassland. Crops and grasslands harbor a higher number of native species in the ground flora than native forests and timber plantations. The introduction of exotics is driven mostly by crops or highly modified pastures. Diversity patterns only partially reflect the ecoregion concept. Expanding the perspective from conservation in purely natural ecosystems to measures conserving species richness in human-modified landscapes is a powerful tool against species loss in the Anthropocene. |
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Address |
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Corporate Author |
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Thesis |
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Publisher |
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Place of Publication |
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Editor |
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Language |
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Wos |
001034673500001 |
Publication Date |
2023-07-24 |
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Series Editor |
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Series Title |
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Abbreviated Series Title |
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| |
Series Volume |
|
Series Issue |
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Edition |
|
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| |
ISSN |
2578-4854 |
ISBN |
|
Additional Links |
UA library record; WoS full record |
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Impact Factor |
|
Times cited |
|
Open Access |
OpenAccess |
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Notes |
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Approved |
Most recent IF: NA |
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Call Number |
UA @ admin @ c:irua:198300 |
Serial |
8828 |
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| Permanent link to this record |
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Author |
Kummamuru, N.B.; Watson, G.; Ciocarlan, R.-G.; Verbruggen, S.W.; Cool, P.; Van Der Voort, P.; Perreault, P. |
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Title |
Accelerated methane storage in clathrate hydrates using mesoporous (Organo-) silica materials |
Type |
A1 Journal article |
| |
Year |
2023 |
Publication |
Fuel |
Abbreviated Journal |
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| |
Volume |
354 |
Issue |
|
Pages |
129403-129418 |
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Keywords |
A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Laboratory of adsorption and catalysis (LADCA); Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL) |
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Abstract |
Methane (CH4) clathrate hydrates have gained much attention in the ever-growing search for novel energy storage methods; however, they are currently limited due to their poor water-to-hydrate conversions and slow formation kinetics. To surmount these bottlenecks, significant research has been centered on the design of novel methods (porous media). In this vein, the present work explores two hydrophobic mesoporous solids, an alkyl-grafted mesoporous silica (SBA-15 C8) and a periodic mesoporous organosilica (Ring-PMO), in their ability to promote CH4 clathrates. Both materials have shown to facilitate CH4 clathrate formation at mild operating conditions (6 MPa and 269–276 K). The study revealed that the maximal CH4 storage capacities are strongly linked to the critical/optimal quantity of water in the system which was determined to be at 130% and 200% of the pore volume for SBA-15 C8 and Ring-PMO, respectively. Up to 90% and 95% of the maximum water-to-hydrate conversions were achieved in 90 min at the lowest experimental temperature and critical water content for SBA-15 C8 and Ring-PMO, respectively. At these conditions, SBA-15 C8 and Ring-PMO showed a maximum gas uptake of 98.2 and 101.2 mmol CH4/mol H2O, respectively. Both the materials exhibited no chemical or morphological changes post-clathrate formations (characterized using FT-IR, N2 sorption, XRD, and TEM), inferring their viability as clathrate promoters for multiple cycles. An integrated multistep model was considered adequate for representing the hydrate crystallization kinetics and fits well with the experimental kinetic data with a low average absolute deviation in water-to-hydrate conversions among the three distinct kinetic models analyzed. Overall, the results from this study demonstrate hydrophobic porous materials as effective promoters of CH4 clathrates, which could make clathrate-based CH4 storage and transport technology industrially viable. |
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Address |
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Corporate Author |
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Thesis |
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Publisher |
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Place of Publication |
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Editor |
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Language |
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Wos |
001059413200001 |
Publication Date |
2023-08-07 |
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Series Editor |
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Series Title |
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Abbreviated Series Title |
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Series Volume |
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Series Issue |
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Edition |
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| |
ISSN |
0016-2361 |
ISBN |
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Additional Links |
UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles |
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Impact Factor |
7.4 |
Times cited |
|
Open Access |
Not_Open_Access: Available from 07.02.2024 |
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Notes |
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Approved |
Most recent IF: 7.4; 2023 IF: 4.601 |
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| |
Call Number |
UA @ admin @ c:irua:197987 |
Serial |
8829 |
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| Permanent link to this record |
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Author |
Xie, Y.; Van Tendeloo, M.; Zhu, W.; Peng, L.; Vlaeminck, S.E. |
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Title |
Autotrophic nitrogen polishing of secondary effluents : Alkaline pH and residual nitrate control S0-driven denitratation for downstream anammox treatment |
Type |
A1 Journal article |
| |
Year |
2023 |
Publication |
Journal of Water Process Engineering |
Abbreviated Journal |
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| |
Volume |
56 |
Issue |
|
Pages |
104402-104409 |
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Keywords |
A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL) |
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Abstract |
Energy-lean nitrogen removal technologies, such as partial nitritation/anammox, often encounter effluent issues due to elevated nitrate and ammonium levels. This study proposed a novel autotrophic polishing strategy coupling sulfur-driven denitratation with anammox. To explore the denitratation potential in obtaining stable and sufficient nitrite accumulation, the effects of pH, residual nitrate level, and biomass-specific nitrate loading rate (BSNLR) were investigated in an S0-packed bed reactor at low hydraulic retention time (i.e., 0.2 h). Implementing pH and residual nitrate control strategies would be easier in practice than BSNLR control to polish secondary effluent. Alkaline pH values could realize successful nitrite accumulation without residual nitrate, and further intensify the accumulation under increased residual nitrate levels. The nitrate level was positively correlated with the nitrite accumulation efficiency. At pH 8.5 and nitrate concentration of 1.0 ± 0.8 mg N L−1, sulfur-driven denitratation could successfully maintain nitrite accumulation of 6.4 ± 1.0 mg NO2−-N L−1, ideally for the downstream anammox in case of residual ammonium levels of around 5 mg N L−1. Since Thiobacillus members play a key role in managing nitrite accumulation, their abundance should be guaranteed in the practical application. |
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Address |
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Corporate Author |
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Thesis |
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Publisher |
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Place of Publication |
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Editor |
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Language |
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Wos |
001103341400001 |
Publication Date |
2023-10-18 |
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Series Editor |
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Series Title |
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Abbreviated Series Title |
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Series Volume |
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Series Issue |
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Edition |
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| |
ISSN |
2214-7144 |
ISBN |
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Additional Links |
UA library record; WoS full record |
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Impact Factor |
7 |
Times cited |
|
Open Access |
Not_Open_Access: Available from 18.04.2024 |
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Notes |
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Approved |
Most recent IF: 7; 2023 IF: NA |
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Call Number |
UA @ admin @ c:irua:200036 |
Serial |
8835 |
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| Permanent link to this record |
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Author |
Raes, A.; Ninakanti, R.; Van den Bergh, L.; Borah, R.; Van Doorslaer, S.; Verbruggen, S.W. |
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Title |
Black titania by sonochemistry : a critical evaluation of existing methods |
Type |
A1 Journal article |
| |
Year |
2023 |
Publication |
Ultrasonics sonochemistry |
Abbreviated Journal |
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| |
Volume |
100 |
Issue |
|
Pages |
106601-106609 |
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Keywords |
A1 Journal article; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL); Theory and Spectroscopy of Molecules and Materials (TSM²); Laboratory of adsorption and catalysis (LADCA) |
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Abstract |
In the field of photocatalysis, the fabrication of black titania is a booming topic, as it offers a system with improved solar light harvesting properties and increased overall efficiency. The darkening of white TiO2 powders can be ascribed to surface hydroxylation, oxygen vacancies, Ti3+ centres, or a combination thereof. A handful of studies suggests these defects can be conveniently introduced by acoustic cavitation, generated during sonochemical treatment of pristine TiO2 powders. In reproducing these studies, P25 TiO2 samples were ultrasonicated for various hours with a power density of 8000 W/L, resulting in powders that indeed became gradually darker with increasing sonication time. However, HAADF–STEM revealed that extensive erosion of the sonotrode tip took place and contaminated the samples, which appeared to be the primary reason for the observed colour change. This was confirmed by UV–Vis DRS and DRIFTS, that showed no significant alteration of the catalyst surface after sonication. EPR measurements showed that only an insignificant fraction of Ti3+ centres were produced, far less than in a TiO2 sample that was chemically reduced with NaBH4. No evidence of the presence oxygen vacancies could be found. The enhanced photocatalytic activities of ultrasonicated materials reported in literature can therefore not be ascribed to the synthesis of actual black (defected) TiO2, but rather to specific changes in morphology as a result of acoustic cavitation. Also, this study underlines the importance of considering probe erosion in sonochemical catalyst synthesis, which is an unavoidable side effect that can have an important impact on the catalyst appearance, properties and performance. |
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Address |
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Corporate Author |
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Thesis |
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Publisher |
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Place of Publication |
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Editor |
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Language |
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Wos |
001084391500001 |
Publication Date |
2023-09-15 |
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Series Editor |
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Series Title |
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Abbreviated Series Title |
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Series Volume |
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Series Issue |
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Edition |
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| |
ISSN |
1350-4177 |
ISBN |
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Additional Links |
UA library record; WoS full record |
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Impact Factor |
8.4 |
Times cited |
|
Open Access |
OpenAccess |
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Notes |
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Approved |
Most recent IF: 8.4; 2023 IF: 4.218 |
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Call Number |
UA @ admin @ c:irua:198848 |
Serial |
8838 |
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| Permanent link to this record |
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Author |
Maes, R.R.; Potters, G.; Fransen, E.; Geuens, J.; Van Schaeren, R.; Lenaerts, S. |
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Title |
Can we find an optimal fatty acid composition of biodiesel in order to improve oxidation stability? |
Type |
A1 Journal article |
| |
Year |
2023 |
Publication |
Sustainability |
Abbreviated Journal |
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| |
Volume |
15 |
Issue |
13 |
Pages |
10310-10 |
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Keywords |
A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL); Medical Genetics (MEDGEN) |
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Abstract |
Air quality currently poses a major risk for human health. Currently, diesel is widely used as fuel and is a significant source of nitrogen oxides (NOx) and particulate matter (PM), both hazardous to human health. A good alternative for mineral diesel is biodiesel, not only for the improvement of hazardous components in the exhaust gases but also because it can be produced in view of a circular economy. Biodiesel consists of a mix of different fatty acid methyl esters, which can react with oxygen. As a consequence, the oxidation stability of biodiesel has to be studied, because the oxidation of biodiesel could affect the performance of the engine due to the wear of injectors and fuel pumps. The oxidation stability could also affect the quality of the exhaust gases due to increases in NOx and PM. The basic question we try to answer in this communication is: 'Can we find an optimal fatty acid composition in order to have a maximal oxidation stability?' In this article, we try to find the optimal fatty acid composition according to the five most common fatty acid methyl esters present in biodiesel in order to reach a maximal oxidation stability. The measurements and statistical analysis show, however, that there is no useful regression model because there are statistically significant two- and three-way interactions among the different fatty acids. |
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Address |
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Corporate Author |
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Thesis |
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Publisher |
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Place of Publication |
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Editor |
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Language |
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Wos |
001028597300001 |
Publication Date |
2023-06-30 |
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Series Editor |
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Series Title |
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Abbreviated Series Title |
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Series Volume |
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Series Issue |
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Edition |
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| |
ISSN |
2071-1050 |
ISBN |
|
Additional Links |
UA library record; WoS full record |
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| |
Impact Factor |
3.9 |
Times cited |
|
Open Access |
OpenAccess |
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| |
Notes |
|
Approved |
Most recent IF: 3.9; 2023 IF: 1.789 |
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| |
Call Number |
UA @ admin @ c:irua:198241 |
Serial |
8839 |
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| Permanent link to this record |
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Author |
Perreault, P.; Boruntea, C.-R.; Dhawan Yadav, H.; Portela Soliño, I.; Kummamuru, N.B. |
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Title |
Combined methane pyrolysis and solid carbon gasification for electrified CO₂-free hydrogen and syngas production |
Type |
A1 Journal article |
| |
Year |
2023 |
Publication |
Energies |
Abbreviated Journal |
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| |
Volume |
16 |
Issue |
21 |
Pages |
7316-7320 |
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Keywords |
A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL) |
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| |
Abstract |
The coupling of methane pyrolysis with the gasification of a solid carbon byproduct provides CO2-free hydrogen and hydrogen-rich syngas, eliminating the conundrum of carbon utilization. Firstly, the various types of carbon that are known to result during the pyrolysis process and their dependencies on the reaction conditions for catalytic and noncatalytic systems are summarized. The synchronization of the reactions’ kinetics is considered to be of paramount importance for efficient performance. This translates to the necessity of finding suitable reaction conditions, carbon reactivities, and catalysts that might enable control over competing reactions through the manipulation of the reaction rates. As a consequence, the reaction kinetics of methane pyrolysis is then emphasized, followed by the particularities of carbon deposition and the kinetics of carbon gasification. Given the urgency in finding suitable solutions for decarbonizing the energy sector and the limited information on the gasification of pyrolytic carbon, more research is needed and encouraged in this area. In order to provide CO2-free hydrogen production, the reaction heat should also be provided without CO2. Electrification is one of the solutions, provided that low-carbon sources are used to generate the electricity. Power-to-heat, i.e., where electricity is used for heating, represents the first step for the chemical industry. |
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Address |
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Corporate Author |
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Thesis |
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Publisher |
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Place of Publication |
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Editor |
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| |
Language |
|
Wos |
001103312100001 |
Publication Date |
2023-10-29 |
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| |
Series Editor |
|
Series Title |
|
Abbreviated Series Title |
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| |
Series Volume |
|
Series Issue |
|
Edition |
|
|
| |
ISSN |
1996-1073 |
ISBN |
|
Additional Links |
UA library record; WoS full record |
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| |
Impact Factor |
|
Times cited |
|
Open Access |
OpenAccess |
|
| |
Notes |
|
Approved |
Most recent IF: NA |
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| |
Call Number |
UA @ admin @ c:irua:200456 |
Serial |
8842 |
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| Permanent link to this record |
| |
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| |
|
Author |
Zhu, W.; Van Tendeloo, M.; De Paepe, J.; Vlaeminck, S.E. |
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| |
Title |
Comparison of typical nitrite oxidizing bacteria suppression strategies and the effect on nitrous oxide emissions in a biofilm reactor |
Type |
A1 Journal article |
| |
Year |
2023 |
Publication |
Bioresource technology |
Abbreviated Journal |
|
|
| |
Volume |
387 |
Issue |
|
Pages |
129607-129609 |
|
| |
Keywords |
A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL) |
|
| |
Abstract |
In mainstream partial nitritation/anammox (PN/A), suppression of nitrite oxidizing bacteria (NOB) and mitigation of N2O emissions are two essential operational goals. The N2O emissions linked to three typical NOB suppression strategies were tested in a covered rotating biological contactor (RBC) biofilm system at 21 degrees C: (i) low dissolved oxygen (DO) concentrations, and treatments with (ii) free ammonia (FA), and (iii) free nitrous acids (FNA). Low emerged DO levels effectively minimized NOB activity and decreased N2O emissions, but NOB adaptation appeared after 200 days of operation. Further NOB suppression was successfully achieved by periodic (3 h per week) treatments with FA (29.3 & PLUSMN; 2.6 mg NH3-N L-1) or FNA (3.1 & PLUSMN; 0.3 mg HNO2-N L-1). FA treatment, however, promoted N2O emissions, while FNA did not affect these. Hence, biofilm PN/A should be operated at relatively low DO levels with periodic FNA treatment to maximize nitrogen removal efficiency while avoiding high greenhouse gas emissions. |
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Address |
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Corporate Author |
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Thesis |
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Publisher |
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Place of Publication |
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Editor |
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| |
Language |
|
Wos |
001063180200001 |
Publication Date |
2023-08-05 |
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| |
Series Editor |
|
Series Title |
|
Abbreviated Series Title |
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| |
Series Volume |
|
Series Issue |
|
Edition |
|
|
| |
ISSN |
0960-8524 |
ISBN |
|
Additional Links |
UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles |
|
| |
Impact Factor |
11.4 |
Times cited |
|
Open Access |
Not_Open_Access: Available from 21.02.2024 |
|
| |
Notes |
|
Approved |
Most recent IF: 11.4; 2023 IF: 5.651 |
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| |
Call Number |
UA @ admin @ c:irua:199051 |
Serial |
8843 |
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| Permanent link to this record |
| |
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| |
|
Author |
De Paepe, J.; Garcia Gragera, D.; Arnau Jimenez, C.; Rabaey, K.; Vlaeminck, S.E.; Gòdia, F. |
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| |
Title |
Continuous cultivation of microalgae yields high nutrient recovery from nitrified urine with limited supplementation |
Type |
A1 Journal article |
| |
Year |
2023 |
Publication |
Journal of environmental management |
Abbreviated Journal |
|
|
| |
Volume |
345 |
Issue |
|
Pages |
118500-118510 |
|
| |
Keywords |
A1 Journal article; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL) |
|
| |
Abstract |
Microalgae can play a key role in the bioeconomy, particularly in combination with the valorisation of waste streams as cultivation media. Urine is an example of a widely available nutrient-rich waste stream, and alkaline stabilization and subsequent full nitrification in a bioreactor yields a stable nitrate-rich solution. In this study, such nitrified urine served as a culture medium for the edible microalga Limnospira indica. In batch cultivation, nitrified urine without additional supplements yielded a lower biomass concentration, nutrient uptake and protein content compared to modified Zarrouk medium, as standard medium. To enhance the nitrogen uptake efficiency and biomass production, nitrified urine was supplemented with potentially limiting elements. Limited amounts of phosphorus (36 mg L−1), magnesium (7.9 mg L−1), calcium (12.2 mg L−1), iron (2.0 mg L−1) and EDTA (88.5 mg Na2-EDTA.2H2O L−1) rendered the nitrified urine matrix as effective as modified Zarrouk medium in terms of biomass production (OD750 of 1.2), nutrient uptake (130 mg N L−1) and protein yield (47%) in batch culture. Urine precipitates formed by alkalinisation could in principle supply enough phosphorus, calcium and magnesium, requiring only external addition of iron, EDTA and inorganic carbon. Subsequently, the suitability of supplemented nitrified urine as a culture medium was confirmed in continuous Limnospira cultivation in a CSTR photobioreactor. This qualifies nitrified urine as a valuable and sustainable microalgae growth medium, thereby creating novel nutrient loops on Earth and in Space, i.e., in regenerative life support systems for human deep-space missions. |
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Address |
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Corporate Author |
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Thesis |
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| |
Publisher |
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Place of Publication |
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Editor |
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| |
Language |
|
Wos |
001052880800001 |
Publication Date |
2023-08-03 |
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| |
Series Editor |
|
Series Title |
|
Abbreviated Series Title |
|
|
| |
Series Volume |
|
Series Issue |
|
Edition |
|
|
| |
ISSN |
0301-4797 |
ISBN |
|
Additional Links |
UA library record; WoS full record |
|
| |
Impact Factor |
8.7 |
Times cited |
|
Open Access |
Not_Open_Access: Available from 03.02.2024 |
|
| |
Notes |
|
Approved |
Most recent IF: 8.7; 2023 IF: 4.01 |
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| |
Call Number |
UA @ admin @ c:irua:199049 |
Serial |
8844 |
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| Permanent link to this record |
| |
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| |
|
Author |
Perreault, P.; Van Hoecke, L.; Pourfallah, H.; Kummamuru, N.B.; Boruntea, C.-R.; Preuster, P. |
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| |
Title |
Critical challenges towards the commercial rollouts of a LOHC-based H2 economy |
Type |
A1 Journal article |
| |
Year |
2023 |
Publication |
Current opinion in green and sustainable chemistry |
Abbreviated Journal |
|
|
| |
Volume |
41 |
Issue |
|
Pages |
100836-100838 |
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| |
Keywords |
A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL) |
|
| |
Abstract |
This short review discusses recent developments related to the storage and release of hydrogen from liquid organic hydrogen carriers (LOHCs). It focusses on three areas of recent literature: the application and development of novel, alternative LOHC systems, process development and process integration in the storage and release of hydrogen from LOHCs, and the electrochemical conversion of LOHCs. For the novel LOHC systems, we briefly focus on reaction enthalpy and storage capacity as main KPIs for the comparison of those systems and discuss the technical availability on a relevant scale. In the field of process- and reactor development our emphasis lies on the power density of the chemical conversion units. The LOHC technology still requires further development to reach the necessary energy efficiency, flexibility and overall research maturity for market competitivity and commercial impact. |
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Address |
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Corporate Author |
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Thesis |
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Publisher |
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Place of Publication |
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Editor |
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| |
Language |
|
Wos |
001019180100001 |
Publication Date |
2023-05-18 |
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| |
Series Editor |
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Series Title |
|
Abbreviated Series Title |
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| |
Series Volume |
|
Series Issue |
|
Edition |
|
|
| |
ISSN |
2452-2236 |
ISBN |
|
Additional Links |
UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles |
|
| |
Impact Factor |
9.3 |
Times cited |
|
Open Access |
OpenAccess |
|
| |
Notes |
|
Approved |
Most recent IF: 9.3; 2023 IF: NA |
|
| |
Call Number |
UA @ admin @ c:irua:196520 |
Serial |
8845 |
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| Permanent link to this record |
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| |
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Author |
Perreault, P.; Preuster, P. |
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| |
Title |
Editorial hydrogen production storage and use |
Type |
Editorial |
| |
Year |
2023 |
Publication |
Current opinion in green and sustainable chemistry |
Abbreviated Journal |
|
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| |
Volume |
44 |
Issue |
|
Pages |
100861-100863 |
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| |
Keywords |
Editorial; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL) |
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| |
Abstract |
In the pursuit of clean and sustainable energy sources, hydrogen has emerged as a key contender, offering high energy density and the potential to serve as a carbon-neutral fuel. However, one of the major challenges associated with hydrogen is efficient and safe storage and transportation. In this Special Edition, we delve into the exciting developments in the upcoming hydrogen economy, from its sustainable production to chemical hydrogen storage. Some of our reviews focus on particular technologies namely on liquid organic hydrogen carriers (LOHCs) and the utilization of ammonia as a hydrogen carrier. |
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Address |
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Corporate Author |
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Thesis |
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Publisher |
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Place of Publication |
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Editor |
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| |
Language |
|
Wos |
001079651000001 |
Publication Date |
2023-08-09 |
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| |
Series Editor |
|
Series Title |
|
Abbreviated Series Title |
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| |
Series Volume |
|
Series Issue |
|
Edition |
|
|
| |
ISSN |
2452-2236 |
ISBN |
|
Additional Links |
UA library record; WoS full record |
|
| |
Impact Factor |
9.3 |
Times cited |
|
Open Access |
Not_Open_Access |
|
| |
Notes |
|
Approved |
Most recent IF: 9.3; 2023 IF: NA |
|
| |
Call Number |
UA @ admin @ c:irua:198505 |
Serial |
8853 |
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| Permanent link to this record |
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| |
|
Author |
Verbruggen, S.W.; Mul, G. |
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| |
Title |
Editorial overview : photocatalysis 2022 shining light on a diversity of research opportunities |
Type |
Editorial |
| |
Year |
2023 |
Publication |
Current opinion in green and sustainable chemistry |
Abbreviated Journal |
|
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| |
Volume |
42 |
Issue |
|
Pages |
100838-2 |
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| |
Keywords |
Editorial; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL) |
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Abstract |
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Address |
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Corporate Author |
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Thesis |
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Publisher |
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Place of Publication |
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Editor |
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Language |
|
Wos |
001034184800001 |
Publication Date |
2023-06-03 |
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| |
Series Editor |
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Series Title |
|
Abbreviated Series Title |
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| |
Series Volume |
|
Series Issue |
|
Edition |
|
|
| |
ISSN |
2452-2236 |
ISBN |
|
Additional Links |
UA library record; WoS full record |
|
| |
Impact Factor |
9.3 |
Times cited |
|
Open Access |
Not_Open_Access |
|
| |
Notes |
|
Approved |
Most recent IF: 9.3; 2023 IF: NA |
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| |
Call Number |
UA @ admin @ c:irua:197220 |
Serial |
8854 |
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| Permanent link to this record |
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| |
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Author |
Wang, L.; Shi, P.; Chen, L.; Gielis, J.; Niklas, K.J. |
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| |
Title |
Evidence that Chinese white olive (Canarium album(Lour.) DC.) fruits are solids of revolution |
Type |
A1 Journal article |
| |
Year |
2023 |
Publication |
Botany letters |
Abbreviated Journal |
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| |
Volume |
|
Issue |
|
Pages |
1-7 |
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| |
Keywords |
A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL) |
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| |
Abstract |
Although many fruit geometries resemble a solid of revolution, this assumption has rarely been rigorously examined. To test this assumption, 574 fruits of Canarium album (Lour.) DC. which appear to have an ellipsoidal shape, were examined to determine the validity of a general avian-based egg-shape equation, referred to as the explicit Preston equation (EPE). The assumption that the C. album fruit geometry is a solid of revolution is tested by applying the volume formula for a solid of revolution using the EPE. The goodness of fit of the EPE was assessed using the adjusted root-mean-square error (RMSEadj). The relationship between the observed volume (Vobs) of each fruit, as measured by water displacement in a graduated cylinder, and the predicted volumes (Vpre) based on the EPE was also evaluated using the equation Vpre = slope * Vobs. All the RMSEadj values were smaller than 0.05, which demonstrated the validity of the EPE based on C. album fruit profiles. The 95% confidence interval of the slope of Vpre vs. Vobs included 1.0, indicating that there was no significant difference between Vpre and Vobs. The data confirm that C. album fruits are solids of revolution. This study provides a new approach for calculating the volume and surface area of geometrically similar fruits, which can be extended to other species with similar fruit geometries to further explore the ontogeny and evolution of angiosperm reproductive organs. |
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Address |
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Corporate Author |
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Thesis |
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Publisher |
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Place of Publication |
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Editor |
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| |
Language |
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Wos |
001033135400001 |
Publication Date |
2023-07-25 |
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| |
Series Editor |
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Series Title |
|
Abbreviated Series Title |
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| |
Series Volume |
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Series Issue |
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Edition |
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| |
ISSN |
2381-8107; 2381-8115 |
ISBN |
|
Additional Links |
UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles |
|
| |
Impact Factor |
1.5 |
Times cited |
|
Open Access |
Not_Open_Access: Available from 24.01.2024 |
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| |
Notes |
|
Approved |
Most recent IF: 1.5; 2023 IF: NA |
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| |
Call Number |
UA @ admin @ c:irua:198001 |
Serial |
8864 |
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| Permanent link to this record |
| |
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| |
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Author |
Zhu, W.; Van Tendeloo, M.; Alloul, A.; Vlaeminck, S.E. |
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| |
Title |
Feasibility of a return-sludge nursery concept for mainstream anammox biostimulation : creating optimal conditions for anammox to recover and grow in a parallel tank |
Type |
A1 Journal article |
| |
Year |
2023 |
Publication |
Bioresource technology |
Abbreviated Journal |
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| |
Volume |
385 |
Issue |
|
Pages |
129359-12 |
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| |
Keywords |
A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL) |
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| |
Abstract |
To overcome limiting anammox activity under sewage treatment conditions, a return-sludge nursery concept is proposed. This concept involves blending sludge reject water treated with partial nitritation with mainstream effluent to increase the temperature, N levels, and electrical conductivity (EC) of the anammox nursery reactor, which sludge periodically passes through the return sludge line of the mainstream system. Various nursery frequencies were tested in two 2.5 L reactors, including 0.5-2 days of nursery treatment per 3.5-14 days of the total operation. Bioreactor experiments showed that nursery increased nitrogen removal rates during mainstream operation by 33-38%. The increased anammox activity can be partly (35-60%) explained by higher temperatures. Elevated EC, higher nitrogen concentrations, and a putative synergy and/or unknown factor were responsible for 15-16%, 12-14%, and 10-36%, respectively. A relatively stable microbial community was observed, dominated by a “Candidatus Brocadia” member. This new concept boosted activity and sludge growth, which may facilitate mainstream anammox implementations based on partial nitritation/anammox or partial nitrification/denitratation/anammox. |
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Address |
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Corporate Author |
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Thesis |
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Publisher |
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Place of Publication |
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Editor |
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| |
Language |
|
Wos |
001031586400001 |
Publication Date |
2023-06-19 |
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| |
Series Editor |
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Series Title |
|
Abbreviated Series Title |
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| |
Series Volume |
|
Series Issue |
|
Edition |
|
|
| |
ISSN |
0960-8524 |
ISBN |
|
Additional Links |
UA library record; WoS full record |
|
| |
Impact Factor |
11.4 |
Times cited |
|
Open Access |
Not_Open_Access |
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| |
Notes |
|
Approved |
Most recent IF: 11.4; 2023 IF: 5.651 |
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| |
Call Number |
UA @ admin @ c:irua:198259 |
Serial |
8866 |
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| Permanent link to this record |
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Author |
Gielis, J. |
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| |
Title |
Fred Van Oystaeyen : Time hybrids: a new generic theory of reality |
Type |
Review |
| |
Year |
2023 |
Publication |
Symmetry, Culture and Science |
Abbreviated Journal |
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| |
Volume |
34 |
Issue |
3 |
Pages |
347-351 |
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| |
Keywords |
Review; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL) |
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Abstract |
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Address |
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Corporate Author |
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Thesis |
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Publisher |
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Place of Publication |
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Editor |
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Language |
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Wos |
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Publication Date |
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Series Editor |
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Series Title |
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Abbreviated Series Title |
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| |
Series Volume |
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Series Issue |
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Edition |
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| |
ISSN |
|
ISBN |
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Additional Links |
UA library record |
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| |
Impact Factor |
|
Times cited |
|
Open Access |
OpenAccess |
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| |
Notes |
|
Approved |
Most recent IF: NA |
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| |
Call Number |
UA @ admin @ c:irua:199538 |
Serial |
8871 |
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| Permanent link to this record |
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| |
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Author |
Lian, M.; Shi, P.; Zhang, L.; Yao, W.; Gielis, J.; Niklas, K.J. |
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Title |
A generalized performance equation and its application in measuring the Gini index of leaf size inequality |
Type |
A1 Journal article |
| |
Year |
2023 |
Publication |
Trees: structure and function |
Abbreviated Journal |
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| |
Volume |
37 |
Issue |
|
Pages |
1555-1565 |
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| |
Keywords |
A1 Journal article; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL) |
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| |
Abstract |
The goal of this study is to provide a rigorous tool to quantify the inequality of the leaf size distribution of an individual plant, thereby serving as a reference trait for quantifying plant adaptations to local environmental conditions. The tool to be presented and tested employs three components: (1) a performance equation (PE), which can produce flexible asymmetrical and symmetrical bell-shaped curves, (2) the Lorenz curve (i.e., the cumulative proportion of leaf size vs. the cumulative proportion of number of leaves), which is the basis for calculating, and (3) the Gini index, which measures the inequality of leaf size distribution. We sampled 12 individual plants of a dwarf bamboo and measured the area and dry mass of each leaf of each plant. We then developed a generalized performance equation (GPE) of which the PE is a special case and fitted the Lorenz curve to leaf size distribution using the GPE and PE. The GPE performed better than the PE in fitting the Lorenz curve. We compared the Gini index of leaf area distribution with that of leaf dry mass distribution and found that there was a significant difference between the two indices that might emerge from the scaling relationship between leaf dry mass and area. Nevertheless, there was a strong correlation between the two Gini indices (r2 = 0.9846). This study provides a promising tool based on the GPE for quantifying the inequality of leaf size distributions across individual plants and can be used to quantify plant adaptations to local environmental conditions. |
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Address |
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Corporate Author |
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Thesis |
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Publisher |
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Place of Publication |
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Editor |
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| |
Language |
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Wos |
001069570200001 |
Publication Date |
2023-08-26 |
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| |
Series Editor |
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Series Title |
|
Abbreviated Series Title |
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| |
Series Volume |
|
Series Issue |
|
Edition |
|
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| |
ISSN |
0931-1890; 1432-2285 |
ISBN |
|
Additional Links |
UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles |
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| |
Impact Factor |
2.3 |
Times cited |
|
Open Access |
Not_Open_Access: Available from 26.02.2024 |
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| |
Notes |
|
Approved |
Most recent IF: 2.3; 2023 IF: 1.842 |
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| |
Call Number |
UA @ admin @ c:irua:199562 |
Serial |
8874 |
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| Permanent link to this record |
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| |
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Author |
Ag, K.R.; Minja, A.C.; Ninakanti, R.; Van Hal, M.; Dingenen, F.; Borah, R.; Verbruggen, S.W. |
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| |
Title |
Impact of soot deposits on waste gas-to-electricity conversion in a TiO₂/WO₃-based photofuel cell |
Type |
A1 Journal article |
| |
Year |
2023 |
Publication |
Chemical engineering journal |
Abbreviated Journal |
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| |
Volume |
470 |
Issue |
|
Pages |
144390-13 |
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| |
Keywords |
A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL) |
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| |
Abstract |
An unbiased photo-fuel cell (PFC) is a device that integrates the functions of a photoanode and a cathode to achieve simultaneous light-driven oxidation and dark reduction reactions. As such, it generates electricity while degrading pollutants like volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The photoanode is excited by light to generate electron-hole pairs, which give rise to a photocurrent, and are utilized to oxidise organic pollutants simultaneously. Here we have systematically studied various TiO2/WO3 photoanodes towards their photocatalytic soot degradation performance, PFC performance in the presence of VOCs, and the combination of both. The latter thus mimics an urban environment where VOCs and soot are present simultaneously. The formation of a type-II heterojunction after the addition of a thin TiO2 top layer over a dense WO3 bottom layer, improved both soot oxidation efficiency as well as photocurrent generation, thus paving the way towards low-cost PFC technology for energy recovery from real polluted air. |
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Address |
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Corporate Author |
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Thesis |
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Publisher |
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Place of Publication |
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Editor |
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| |
Language |
|
Wos |
001030456200001 |
Publication Date |
2023-06-25 |
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| |
Series Editor |
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Series Title |
|
Abbreviated Series Title |
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| |
Series Volume |
|
Series Issue |
|
Edition |
|
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| |
ISSN |
1385-8947; 1873-3212 |
ISBN |
|
Additional Links |
UA library record; WoS full record |
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| |
Impact Factor |
15.1 |
Times cited |
|
Open Access |
Not_Open_Access: Available from 29.12.2023 |
|
| |
Notes |
|
Approved |
Most recent IF: 15.1; 2023 IF: 6.216 |
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| |
Call Number |
UA @ admin @ c:irua:197222 |
Serial |
8882 |
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| Permanent link to this record |
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Author |
Wittner, N. |
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| |
Title |
Improving and characterising solid-state fungal pretreatment by Phanerochaete chrysosporium for sugar production from poplar wood |
Type |
Doctoral thesis |
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Year |
2023 |
Publication |
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Abbreviated Journal |
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Volume |
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Issue |
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Pages |
206 p. |
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Keywords |
Doctoral thesis; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL); Biochemical Wastewater Valorization & Engineering (BioWaVE) |
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Abstract |
Pretreatment is a critical step in the conversion of lignocellulose into biofuels and biochemicals. During pretreatment, the recalcitrance of lignocellulose is reduced, e.g. by removing lignin, thereby making the carbohydrates more accessible for enzymatic saccharification. Fungal delignification by white-rot fungi is a biotechnological alternative to chemical/physicochemical methods, which is carried out in solid-state fermentation with mild reaction conditions and without the formation of microbial inhibitors. However, fungal pretreatment presents some challenges, such as long pretreatment time, non-selective and low delignification, low enzymatic digestibility and feedstock sterilisation requirement, making its commercial implementation challenging compared to conventional methods. This study investigates the possibility of improving and characterising the solid-state fungal pretreatment of poplar wood by Phanerochaete chrysosporium. The individual and combined effects of MnSO4 and CuSO4 supplements on the delignification of sterilised wood are investigated using response surface methodology to improve the degree and selectivity of fungal delignification. Spore-inoculated solid-state fermentations are carried out for 4 weeks in sterile vented bottles. The mechanism of the concerted action of the metal ions on lignin degradation is then elucidated by relating fungal growth and ligninolytic enzyme activities to lignocellulose degradation as a function of pretreatment time. The optimised metal-supplemented system is then applied to the pretreatment of non-sterilised wood using different inoculation techniques (spores and pre-colonised substrate), nutrients (metal ions with or without glucose and sodium nitrate) and cultivation environments (sterile aerated bottles and open trays). The fermentations are then characterised using infrared spectroscopy, in particular NIR and ATR-FTIR spectroscopy, with the aim of developing rapid lignin quantification methods as an alternative to conventional wet chemical methods. Finally, the feasibility of producing fermentable sugars from sterilised and non-sterilised poplar wood using fungal pretreatment is evaluated through a techno-economic analysis. Supplementing the pretreatment system with 2.01 µmol CuSO4 and 0.77 µmol MnSO4 g-1 wood resulted in 1.9-fold higher lignin degradation, 2.3-fold higher delignification selectivity value and 2.9-fold higher glucose yield. The improved delignification could be explained by the concerted action of Mn2+ and Cu2+ ions, with Mn2+ ions inducing and Cu2+ prolonging manganese peroxidase production responsible for delignification. Fungal pretreatment at non-sterile conditions was obtained using trays in a simple solid-state fermentation set-up without sterile aeration. A 1:3 ratio of pre-colonised and untreated wood was applied for inoculation and only Cu2+, Mn2+ and sodium nitrate as supplements. Remarkably, this technology resulted in a comparably high glucose yield (28.51 ± 0.28%) to the traditional method using sterilised wood, sterile aeration and spores as inoculum, while reducing the amount of wood to be sterilised by 71.2%. Infrared spectroscopy-based methods with high coefficients of determination (R_CV |
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UA library record |
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Open Access |
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Notes |
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Approved |
Most recent IF: NA |
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Call Number |
UA @ admin @ c:irua:197185 |
Serial |
8883 |
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| Permanent link to this record |
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Author |
Van Putte, N. |
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Title |
Improving groundwater dynamics : a key factor for successful tidal marsh restoration |
Type |
Doctoral thesis |
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Year |
2023 |
Publication |
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Abbreviated Journal |
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Volume |
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Issue |
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Pages |
166 p. |
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Keywords |
Doctoral thesis; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL); Ecosphere |
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Abstract |
Tidal marshes take up and release certain elements from and to the river water. Hence, they act as a filter, improving the estuarine water quality. This filtering function depends on the interaction between the marsh soil and water that infiltrates into the marsh platform at high tide and seeps out of the creek banks at low tide. In the past centuries, many tidal marshes disappeared due to large scale land reclamations, together with their associated ecosystem services. Nowadays, tidal marshes are increasingly restored on formerly embanked agricultural areas to regain these ecosystem services. Here, we studied the effect of historical agricultural land use on the contribution of restored tidal marshes to water quality improvement, and we investigated several solutions to stimulate the water quality improving function in newly restored tidal marshes. In restored tidal marshes, the soil is often compacted due to the historical agricultural land use, leading to a reduced organic matter content and micro- and macroporosity. In this compacted soil, groundwater flow is hindered, leading to a more waterlogged soil and reduced groundwater dynamics in the restored marsh as compared to a natural marsh. The depth of groundwater drainage and the groundwater flow velocity have important implications for the processes that contribute to water quality improvement, e.g. removal of nitrogen, phosphorus retention and silica cycling. Where groundwater drains deeper, i.e. in the vicinity of tidal creeks and in a more porous soil, these processes are promoted. We suggest that, in newly restored tidal marshes, the soil porosity can be increased by amending the soil (e.g. with organic matter), and the distance to the nearest tidal creek can be reduced by creek excavation. Numerical modelling showed that the largest gain in groundwater dynamics and seepage was attained when both measures were applied together. The effect of organic soil amendments on groundwater dynamics and nutrient cycling was further explored in a large scale in situ mesocosm experiment. Where the soil was amended, groundwater drained deeper and nitrogen removal increased. For new tidal marsh restoration projects, we advise to conduct an explorative soil study. When the soil is heavily compacted, design measures, such as creek initiation and organic soil amendments can be applied to jumpstart the contribution to water quality improvement of newly restored tidal marshes. |
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Additional Links |
UA library record |
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Impact Factor |
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Times cited |
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Open Access |
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Notes |
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Approved |
Most recent IF: NA |
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Call Number |
UA @ admin @ c:irua:196965 |
Serial |
8884 |
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| Permanent link to this record |
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Author |
Huang, L.; Ratkowsky, D.A.; Hui, C.; Gielis, J.; Lian, M.; Shi, P. |
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Title |
Inequality measure of leaf area distribution for a drought-tolerant landscape plant |
Type |
A1 Journal article |
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Year |
2023 |
Publication |
Plants |
Abbreviated Journal |
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Volume |
12 |
Issue |
17 |
Pages |
3143-11 |
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Keywords |
A1 Journal article; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL) |
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Abstract |
Measuring the inequality of leaf area distribution per plant (ILAD) can provide a useful tool for quantifying the influences of intra- and interspecific competition, foraging behavior of herbivores, and environmental stress on plants’ above-ground architectural structures and survival strategies. Despite its importance, there has been limited research on this issue. This paper aims to fill this gap by comparing four inequality indices to measure ILAD, using indices for quantifying household income that are commonly used in economics, including the Gini index (which is based on the Lorenz curve), the coefficient of variation, the Theil index, and the mean log deviation index. We measured the area of all leaves for 240 individual plants of the species Shibataea chinensis Nakai, a drought-tolerant landscape plant found in southern China. A three-parameter performance equation was fitted to observations of the cumulative proportion of leaf area vs. the cumulative proportion of leaves per plant to calculate the Gini index for each individual specimen of S. chinensis. The performance equation was demonstrated to be valid in describing the rotated and right shifted Lorenz curve, given that >96% of root-mean-square error values were smaller than 0.004 for 240 individual plants. By examining the correlation between any of the six possible pairs of indices among the Gini index, the coefficient of variation, the Theil index, and the mean log deviation index, the data show that these indices are closely related and can be used interchangeably to quantify ILAD. |
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Wos |
001065193100001 |
Publication Date |
2023-08-31 |
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Series Editor |
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Abbreviated Series Title |
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Series Volume |
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Series Issue |
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Edition |
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ISSN |
2223-7747 |
ISBN |
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Additional Links |
UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles |
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Impact Factor |
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Times cited |
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Open Access |
OpenAccess |
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Notes |
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Approved |
Most recent IF: NA |
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Call Number |
UA @ admin @ c:irua:199564 |
Serial |
8886 |
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Author |
Phuttaro, C.; Krishnan, S.; Saritpongteeraka, K.; Charnnok, B.; Diels, L.; Chaiprapat, S. |
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Title |
Integrated poultry waste management by co-digestion with perennial grass : effects of mixing ratio, pretreatments, reaction temperature, and effluent recycle on biomethanation yield |
Type |
A1 Journal article |
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Year |
2023 |
Publication |
Biochemical engineering journal |
Abbreviated Journal |
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Volume |
196 |
Issue |
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Pages |
108937-12 |
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Keywords |
A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL) |
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Abstract |
This work aims to enhance the efficiency of integrated poultry waste management in bio-circular-green economy by maximizing the co-digestion of chicken manure and its digestate-grown biomass. In a series of batch assays, Napier grass (NG) was mixed with chicken manure (CM) at various proportions (100:0, 80:20, 60:40, 50:50, 40:60, 20:80 and 0:100) to identify co-substrate synergism, followed by physiochemical conditioning (size reduction and ultrasonication) of NG before co-digestion. Results indicated that NG mix of at least 80% was required to gain a full methanation potential of the individual substrates; no synergistic ratio above unity was found. However, the combined effect of size reduction and sonication was found to markedly improve the cosubstrate's biodegradability by 88.7%. The findings were then used to run continuous co-digestion at various operating regimes. In optimal continuous co-digestion condition, NG particle size of 0.6-2.4 mm combined with sonication intensity at 1111 kJ/kgTS improved biomethanation yield as high as 106.3%. Sub-thermophilic digestion at 45 degrees C was shown to give a higher and more stable CH4 yield than at 55 degrees C. Finally, it was also found that recycling liquid effluent at 40% to replace freshwater in feed, although showed no significant difference in CH4 yield (& alpha; = 0.05), noticeably increased system buffer capacity. This optimized biodegradation regime could give co-digestion waste management a higher overall plant efficiency and economic return. |
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Wos |
001054826200001 |
Publication Date |
2023-04-06 |
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Abbreviated Series Title |
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Edition |
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ISSN |
1369-703x; 1873-295x |
ISBN |
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Additional Links |
UA library record; WoS full record |
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Impact Factor |
3.9 |
Times cited |
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Open Access |
Not_Open_Access |
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Notes |
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Approved |
Most recent IF: 3.9; 2023 IF: 2.892 |
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Call Number |
UA @ admin @ c:irua:199209 |
Serial |
8887 |
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Author |
Van Hoecke, L.; Kummamuru, N.B.; Pourfallah, H.; Verbruggen, S.W.; Perreault, P. |
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Title |
Intensified swirling reactor for the dehydrogenation of LOHC |
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A1 Journal article |
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Year |
2023 |
Publication |
International journal of hydrogen energy |
Abbreviated Journal |
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Volume |
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Issue |
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Pages |
1-13 |
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Keywords |
A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL) |
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Abstract |
In the recent advances towards more sustainable global energy supply, H2 is a possible alternative for large scale energy storage. In this view, Liquid Organic Hydrogen Carriers (LOHC) are a class of molecules that allow for easier long term energy storage compared to conventional H2 technologies. CFD simulations were used to showcase the hydrodynamics of the dehydrogenation of a LOHC in a new reactor unit, via a cold flow mock-up study. This reactor was designed to allow for a swirling motion of the liquid carrier material, favouring the removal of H2 gas from the flow and forcing the equilibrium of the reaction towards dehydrogenation, as well as to keep the catalyst particles in motion. The CFD simulations were validated qualitatively with experimental operation of the reactor, in a system with identical dimensionless numbers (Reynolds and Stokes), in order to use less costly products during the prototyping phase. |
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Wos |
001139598200001 |
Publication Date |
2023-08-30 |
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Abbreviated Series Title |
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Edition |
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ISSN |
0360-3199 |
ISBN |
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Additional Links |
UA library record; WoS full record |
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Impact Factor |
7.2 |
Times cited |
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Open Access |
Not_Open_Access: Available from 01.03.2024 |
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Notes |
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Approved |
Most recent IF: 7.2; 2023 IF: 3.582 |
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Call Number |
UA @ admin @ c:irua:198534 |
Serial |
8889 |
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Author |
Wittner, N.; Vasilakou, K.; Broos, W.; Vlaeminck, S.E.; Nimmegeers, P.; Cornet, I. |
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Title |
Investigating the technical and economic potential of solid-state fungal pretreatment at nonsterile conditions for sugar production from poplar wood |
Type |
A1 Journal article |
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Year |
2023 |
Publication |
Industrial and engineering chemistry research |
Abbreviated Journal |
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Volume |
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Issue |
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Pages |
1-11 |
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Keywords |
A1 Journal article; Economics; Engineering sciences. Technology; Engineering Management (ENM); Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL); Biochemical Wastewater Valorization & Engineering (BioWaVE); Intelligence in PRocesses, Advanced Catalysts and Solvents (iPRACS) |
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Abstract |
Pretreatment is crucial for the conversion of lignocellulose to biofuels. Unlike conventional chemical/physicochemical methods, fungal pretreatment uses white-rot fungi and mild reaction conditions. However, challenges, including substrate sterilization, long duration, and low sugar yields associated with this method, contribute to lower techno-economic performance, an aspect that has rarely been investigated. This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of fungal pretreatment of nonsterilized poplar wood. Various factors, including inoculum types, fermentation supplements, and cultivation methods, were investigated to optimize the process. A techno-economic assessment of the optimized processes was performed at a full biorefinery scale. The scenario using nonsterilized wood as a substrate, precolonized wood as an inoculum, and a 4 week pretreatment showed a 14.5% reduction in sugar production costs (€2.15/kg) compared to using sterilized wood. Although the evaluation of nonsterilized wood pretreatment showed promising cost reductions, fungal pretreatment remained more expensive than conventional methods due to the significant capital investment required. |
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Wos |
001102138000001 |
Publication Date |
2023-10-25 |
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Abbreviated Series Title |
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Series Volume |
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Series Issue |
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Edition |
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ISSN |
0888-5885; 1520-5045 |
ISBN |
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Additional Links |
UA library record; WoS full record |
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Impact Factor |
4.2 |
Times cited |
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Open Access |
Not_Open_Access: Available from 24.04.2024 |
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Notes |
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Approved |
Most recent IF: 4.2; 2023 IF: 2.843 |
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Call Number |
UA @ admin @ c:irua:200155 |
Serial |
8891 |
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Author |
Shi, P.; Gielis, J.; Niklas, K.J.; Niinemets, Ü.; Schrader, J. |
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Title |
Leaf functional traits : ecological and evolutionary implications |
Type |
ME3 Book as editor |
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Year |
2023 |
Publication |
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Abbreviated Journal |
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Volume |
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Issue |
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Pages |
185 p. |
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Keywords |
ME3 Book as editor; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL) |
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Wos |
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Publication Date |
2023-04-14 |
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Series Editor |
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Abbreviated Series Title |
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Series Volume |
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Series Issue |
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Edition |
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ISSN |
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ISBN |
978-2-8325-2086-4; 1664-8714 |
Additional Links |
UA library record |
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Impact Factor |
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Times cited |
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Open Access |
OpenAccess |
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Notes |
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Approved |
Most recent IF: NA |
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Call Number |
UA @ admin @ c:irua:198002 |
Serial |
8894 |
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Author |
Wagaarachchige, J.D.; Idris, Z.; Arstad, B.; Kummamuru, N.B.; Sætre, K.A.S.; Halstensen, M.; Jens, K.-J. |
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Title |
Low-viscosity nonaqueous sulfolane–amine–methanol solvent blend for reversible CO2 capture |
Type |
A1 Journal article |
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Year |
2022 |
Publication |
Industrial and engineering chemistry research |
Abbreviated Journal |
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Volume |
61 |
Issue |
17 |
Pages |
5942-5951 |
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Keywords |
A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL) |
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Abstract |
In this work, the absorption–desorption performance of CO2 in six new solvent blends of amine (diisopropylamine (DPA), 2-amino-2-methyl-1-propanol (AMP), methyldiethanolamine (MDEA), diethanolamine (DEA), diisopropanolamine (DIPA), and ethanolamine (MEA)), sulfolane, and methanol has been monitored using ATR-FTIR spectroscopy. Additionally, NMR-based species confirmation and solvent viscosity analysis were done for DPA solvent samples. The identified CO2 capture products are monomethyl carbonate (MMC), carbamate, carbonate, and bicarbonate anions in different ratios. The DPA solvent formed MMC entirely with 0.88 molCO2/molamine capture capacity, 0.48 molCO2/molamine cyclic capacity, and 3.28 mPa·s CO2-loaded solvent viscosity. MEA, DEA, DIPA, and MDEA were shown to produce a low or a negligible amount of MMC while AMP occupied an intermediate position. |
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Wos |
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Publication Date |
2022-04-25 |
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Abbreviated Series Title |
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Series Volume |
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Series Issue |
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Edition |
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ISSN |
0888-5885; 1520-5045 |
ISBN |
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Additional Links |
UA library record |
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Impact Factor |
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Times cited |
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Open Access |
OpenAccess |
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Notes |
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Approved |
no |
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Call Number |
UA @ admin @ c:irua:199111 |
Serial |
8895 |
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Author |
Alvarado-Alvarado, A.A.; De Bock, A.; Ysebaert, T.; Belmans, B.; Denys, S. |
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Title |
Modeling the hygrothermal behavior of green walls in Comsol Multiphysics® : validation against measurements in a climate chamber |
Type |
A1 Journal article |
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Year |
2023 |
Publication |
Building and environment |
Abbreviated Journal |
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Volume |
238 |
Issue |
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Pages |
110377-12 |
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Keywords |
A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL); Energy and Materials in Infrastructure and Buildings |
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Abstract |
Green walls (GW) can diminish building's surface temperature through shading, insulation, and evapotranspiration mechanisms. These can be analyzed by computer models that account for heat and mass transfer phenomena. However, most previous models were one-dimensional thermal simulations in which boundary conditions (BC), like convective moisture transport, were not or only partly considered. The present work proposes a more comprehensive way to predict GW's hygrothermal behavior by integrating a 3D multiphysics model that couples heat and moisture transport in Comsol Multiphysics®. The air cavity that usually separates the GW from the building was also considered. Heat sink terms were added to represent plants' transpiration and substrates' evaporation, considering the leaf area density (LAD) and substrate's water saturation (Sr). The model was validated against experiments where four green wall-test panels (GW-TPs) were evaluated in a climate chamber under steady-state conditions. This provides a much sounder approach for validation than what currently exists (r = 0.97; RMSE = 0.33 °C). The four GW-TPs decreased the masonry's surface temperature in the range of 0.89–1.14 °C (0.97 ± 0.11 SD °C). The average contribution of the evapotranspiration effect was 30%, whereas the contribution of the air cavity was 60.7 ± 0.09%. The temperature at the substrate's rear was reduced on average by 0.57 ± 0.15 SD °C. When solar radiation was considered as a BC, the GW-TPs decreased the building's surface temperature by 10 °C. Lastly, high values of LAD and Sr translated into increased temperature reduction values. |
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Wos |
001001412600001 |
Publication Date |
2023-05-02 |
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Series Editor |
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Series Title |
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Abbreviated Series Title |
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Series Volume |
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Series Issue |
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Edition |
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ISSN |
0360-1323 |
ISBN |
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Additional Links |
UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles |
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Impact Factor |
7.4 |
Times cited |
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Open Access |
OpenAccess |
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Notes |
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Approved |
Most recent IF: 7.4; 2023 IF: 4.053 |
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Call Number |
UA @ admin @ c:irua:196467 |
Serial |
8899 |
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| Permanent link to this record |
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Author |
Ysebaert, T. |
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Title |
Modelling and experimental validation of deposition on vegetation to facilitate urban particulate matter mitigation |
Type |
Doctoral thesis |
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Year |
2023 |
Publication |
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Abbreviated Journal |
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Volume |
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Issue |
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Pages |
xxvi, 234 p. |
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Keywords |
Doctoral thesis; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL) |
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Abstract |
Exposure to air pollution, such as particulate matter (PM), causes adverse health effects, particularly to the respiratory tract and cardiovascular system. PM is the collective name for all kinds of particles ranging from small particles and liquid droplets, which contain organic compounds, acids and metals, to soil or dust particles. One distinguishes PM10, PM2.5 and PM0.1, which have aerodynamic particle sizes smaller than 10, 2.5 and 0.1 µm, respectively. It is mainly the latter that is the most harmful, as PM0.1 penetrates deep into the respiratory system and carries relatively more toxic substances than the other PM fractions. Over a 15-year period, PM concentrations in European member states have fallen by about 30%. Nevertheless, the World Health Organisation (WHO) air quality guidelines, which became stricter in 2021, are exceeded in most places around the world. Particularly in cities, excessive levels of PM are measured and it is here that PM mitigation should be investigated. For this, the implementation of urban green infrastructure, including trees, shrubs, green roofs and green walls, is being looked at. Plants hinder airflow and remove PM from the air by deposition on their leaves and branches. This process is known as dry deposition. Plants can capture PM very efficiently, due to their complex structure of leaves and branches. Green walls offer significant advantages over other types of urban green infrastructure because they can grow on the huge available wall area and, because they do not hinder air circulation, as we sometimes see with trees. Green walls are believed to have a much greater, untapped potential to reduce PM pollution. However, a literature review showed that we do not know the quantitative impact of green walls and lack the tools and/or general methodology to do so. The objective of this thesis is therefore to develop a method for assessing PM removal by green walls, based on predictive models and based on relevant parameters that are experimentally determined. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) is a numerical method to simulate airflow in complex environments such as cities. These models can also simulate the vegetation-wind interaction in detail and are interesting tools to assess the effect of green walls on PM concentrations in real environments. It is important to first study the aerodynamic effect of green walls and parameterise it correctly in CFD models. Plants decrease the wind speed and create turbulence through a combination of viscous and form drag, which are determined by the permeability (K) and drag coefficient (Cd), respectively. Wind tunnel experiments were conducted with three commonly found climbers (Hedera helix, Parthenocissus tricuspidata and Parthenocissus quinquefolia) and the variation of leaf area density was investigated for two of them. It was observed that the air resistance depended on plant species, leaf area density and wind speed. The difference between the plant species was assigned to the functional leaf size (FLS), the ratio of the largest circle within the boundaries of the leaf to the total leaf area. FLS is likely associated with other morphological characteristics of plants that, when considered collectively, provide a more comprehensive representation of leaf complexity. The pressure and velocity measurements obtained were used to optimise the permeability and drag coefficient in a CFD model. At wind speeds below 0.6 m s-1, the resistance was mainly determined by viscous drag and a larger leaf size resulted in a higher viscous drag. At wind speeds above 1.5 m s-1, form drag was dominant and the parameterised Cd decreased with increasing wind speed due to the sheltering effect of successive plant elements. The leaf area density had a significant effect on K and Cd and, is therefore an important plant parameters in CFD models. The main conclusion here is that the common practice of using a constant Cd to model the influence of plants on the air flow leads to deviations from reality. Wind tunnels are highly suitable to study the impact of green walls on PM concentration under controlled environmental conditions. For this purpose, a new wind tunnel setup was built and great attention was paid to obtaining a uniform air flow. Thus, based on CFD models, appropriate flow controllers were chosen, consisting of honeycombs and screens with different mesh sizes. New PM generation devices and measuring equipment were installed and set up appropriately. Devices were available for generating and measuring ultrafine dust (<0.1 µm, i.e. PM0.1) and fine dust (<0.3 µm, i.e. PM0.3) consisting of soot particles, and, on the other hand, fine dust with particle sizes smaller than 2.5 (PM2.5) and 10 µm (PM10) consisting of 'Arizona fine test dust'. With the new wind tunnel setup, it was possible to measure the influence of Hedera helix (common ivy), grown in a planter against a climbing aid, on the PM concentration and this was expressed by a collection efficiency, i.e. the difference in concentration in front and behind the plants normalised for the incoming concentration. The collection efficiency of H. helix depended on the particle size of the PM and wind speed. The collection efficiency decreased when the particle size increased from 0.02 to 0.2 µm and increased again for particle sizes above 0.3 µm. The collection efficiency also increased with increasing wind speed, especially for particle sizes > 0.03 µm. On the other hand, relative humidity and the type of PM (soot or dust) did not significantly affect the collection efficiency. The main objective of this study was to obtain an optimised size-resolved deposition model. Dry deposition occurs through several mechanisms, in particular gravity, diffusion, impaction and interception, and the subsequent resuspension of deposited PM back to the environment. The modelling of these mechanisms was described by \citet{Zhang2001} and \citet{Petroff2010}. The data obtained from the wind tunnel experiments allowed validating these deposition models. It was for the first time that deposition of real PM on green walls was studied. The different PM deposition mechanisms were found to be strongly dependent on particle size and wind speed. The models of \citet{Zhang2001} and \citet{Petroff2010} each matched PM concentration measurements for only certain particle sizes. Therefore, a combination of the two models was investigated and the root mean square error was lower by on average 3.5% (PM < 0.03 µm) and 46% (PM > 0.03 µm) compared to the original models at wind speeds greater than 1.5 m s-1. For wind speeds less than 1.5 m s-1, the optimised model did not differ from the original models. The optimised model was able to meet the imposed criteria for air quality models, where a correct model exhibits low deviation from measurements ('normalised mean square error' < 1.5), low bias ('fractional bias' between -0.3 and 0.3) and high R2. In comparison, the R$2$ of the optimised model was 0.57, while that of Zhang et al. (2001) and Petroff et al. (2010) was 0.23 and 0.31, respectively. The optimised model was however characterised by a high scatter, with the fraction of modeled results located within a factor of two of the measurements being lower than 50. A model study with a green façade oriented parallel to the incoming airflow showed that deposition by interception and impaction reduced remarkably, but that the orientation had no effect on deposition by Brownian diffusion. A promising green wall form for PM mitigation is the living wall system (LWS). LWS consist of supporting structures with substrate to grow plants in and can be planted with a variety of plant species. This allows to select plant species with optimal characteristics to achieve PM deposition. These characteristics refer to the macro- and microstructure of the leaves, and research has been conducted mainly on these. On the other hand, the influence of the supporting structure and substrate on PM concentrations has rarely been studied. With the new wind tunnel setup, LWS from different manufacturers were tested for their ability to capture PM. The setups were subjected for three hours to an air flow with a low PM concentration (resuspension phase) and then for three hours to an air flow to which additional PM was added (deposition phase). Some setups were able to decrease the PM concentration during both phases, while others just caused the concentration to increase. Some systems were able to reduce particulate matter concentration during both phases, namely LWS consisting of planters (-2% and -4% for PM0.1 and PM2.5, respectively) and textile cloths (-23% and -5% for PM0.1 and PM2.5, respectively). While other systems actually resulted in an increase in concentration especially LWS existing textile fabrics consisting of geotextiles (+11% for both PM fractions) and with moss as substrate (+2% and +5% for PM0.1 and PM2.5, respectively). This highlights the importance of careful selection of suspension systems to reduce particulate matter concentrations. Further research is therefore needed on the materials used in these systems in relation to their particulate content, as well as on plant development in these systems. In addition to air measurements, measurements were taken of the amount of PM deposited on the leaves and suspension system of LWS. This allowed the difference in PM resuspension and deposition between plant species to be investigated. The amount of deposited particulate matter was determined based on 'saturation isothermal remanent magnetisation' (SIRM), a measure of magnetisable particulate matter. This was possible because the added 'Arizona fine test dust' contained iron oxide. However, no significant difference was observed between the SIRM values measured before the wind tunnel experiment, after resuspension and after deposition. This suggested that the iron oxide content in the Arizona fine test dust was too low to measure a significant difference in the SIRM values on leaves after three hours. The plant species did give rise to different SIRM values ranging between 5 and 260 µ A. In particular, SIRM values above 26 µ A were observed for the plant species that were grouped due to their significantly higher accumulation of PM. 'Specific leaf area' (SLA), specifically the ratio of the one-sided 'fresh' leaf area to its dry mass, was the significant leaf characteristic. SLA correlated with leaf complexity. In particular, plant species with elongated leaves were characterized by low SLA, high FLS and high complexity and showed significantly higher SIRM values. Finally, the optimised size-resolved deposition model was also tested in an urban model to get an idea of the impact of a green wall on PM concentrations in a so-called 'street canyon'. These are narrow streets with high buildings on both sides, making air pollution more persistent. To this end, an ideal scenario was tested in which a green wall was introduced along both sides of the street over a length of about 270 m. The model result showed a decrease in PM2.5 and PM10 of 46 ± 12% and 52 ± 14%. This result is of course for a very optimal scenario where the green wall covers the entire building façades. Since this is not feasible in reality, other ways of promoting contact between green walls and polluted air can be explored. The insights obtained illustrate that the use of climbing plants can be a cost-effective and environmentally friendly solution to reduce PM concentrations. Moreover, the findings showed that models can be used to investigate the impact of green walls on PM levels. These findings fit within the broader context of designing healthy and sustainable urban environments and developing innovative solutions based on solid scientific knowledge. |
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UA @ admin @ c:irua:199439 |
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8900 |
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