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Author Van Eynde, E.; Tytgat, T.; Smits, M.; Verbruggen, S.W.; Hauchecorne, B.; Lenaerts, S.
Title Biotemplated diatom silica-titania materials for air purification Type A1 Journal article
Year 2013 Publication (up) Photochemical & photobiological sciences Abbreviated Journal Photoch Photobio Sci
Volume 12 Issue 4 Pages 690-695
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)
Abstract We present a novel manufacture route for silicatitania photocatalysts using the diatom microalga Pinnularia sp. Diatoms self-assemble into porous silica cell walls, called frustules, with periodic micro-, meso- and macroscale features. This unique hierarchical porous structure of the diatom frustule is used as a biotemplate to incorporate titania by a solgel methodology. Important material characteristics of the modified diatom frustules under study are morphology, crystallinity, surface area, pore size and optical properties. The produced biosilicatitania material is evaluated towards photocatalytic activity for NOx abatement under UV radiation. This research is the first step to obtain sustainable, well-immobilised silicatitania photocatalysts using diatoms.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000316572500016 Publication Date 2012-10-25
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 1474-905x; 1474-9092 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 2.344 Times cited 18 Open Access
Notes ; ; Approved Most recent IF: 2.344; 2013 IF: 2.939
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:106625 Serial 5930
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Author Desmet, N.J.S.; van Belleghem, S.; Seuntjens, P.; Bouma, T.J.; Buis, K.; Meire, P.
Title Quantification of the impact of macrophytes on oxygen dynamics and nitrogen retention in a vegetated lowland river Type A1 Journal article
Year 2011 Publication (up) Physics and chemistry of the earth, parts A/B/C Abbreviated Journal
Volume 36 Issue 12 Pages 479-489
Keywords A1 Journal article; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)
Abstract When macrophytes are growing in the river, the vegetation induces substantial changes to the water quality. Some effects are the result of direct interactions, such as photosynthetic activity or nutrient uptake, whereas others may be attributed to indirect effects of the water plants on hydrodynamics and river processes. This research focused on the direct effect of macrophytes on oxygen dynamics and nutrient cycling. Discharge, macrophyte biomass density, basic water quality, dissolved oxygen and nutrient concentrations were in situ monitored throughout the year in a lowland river (Nete catchment, Belgium). In addition, various processes were investigated in more detail in multiple ex situ experiments. The field and aquaria measurement results clearly demonstrated that aquatic plants can exert considerable impact on dissolved oxygen dynamics in a lowland river. When the river was dominated by macrophytes, dissolved oxygen concentrations varied from 5 to 10 mg l−1. Considering nutrient retention, it was shown that the investigated in-stream macrophytes could take up dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) from the water column at rates of View the MathML source. And DIN fluxes towards the vegetation were found to vary from 0.03 to 0.19 g N ha−1 h−1 in spring and summer. Compared to the measured changes in DIN load over the river stretch, it means that about 313% of the DIN retention could be attributed to direct nitrogen uptake from the water by macrophytes. Yet, the role of macrophytes in rivers should not be underrated as aquatic vegetation also exerts considerable indirect effects that may have a greater impact than the direct fixation of nutrients into the plant biomass.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000295862600001 Publication Date 2008-06-15
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 1474-7065 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor Times cited Open Access
Notes Approved no
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:92439 Serial 8436
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Author Wang, L.; Miao, Q.; Niinemets, Ü.; Gielis, J.; Shi, P.
Title Quantifying the variation in the geometries of the outer rims of corolla tubes of Vinca major L Type A1 Journal article
Year 2022 Publication (up) Plants Abbreviated Journal
Volume 11 Issue 15 Pages 1987-12
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)
Abstract Many geometries of plant organs can be described by the Gielis equation, a polar coordinate equation extended from the superellipse equation, . Here, r is the polar radius corresponding to the polar angle φ; m is a positive integer that determines the number of angles of the Gielis curve when φ ∈ [0 to 2π); and the rest of the symbols are parameters to be estimated. The pentagonal radial symmetry of calyxes and corolla tubes in top view is a common feature in the flowers of many eudicots. However, prior studies have not tested whether the Gielis equation can depict the shapes of corolla tubes. We sampled randomly 366 flowers of Vinca major L., among which 360 had five petals and pentagonal corolla tubes, and six had four petals and quadrangular corolla tubes. We extracted the planar coordinates of the outer rims of corolla tubes (in top view) (ORCTs), and then fitted the data with two simplified versions of the Gielis equation with k = 1 and m = 5: (Model 1), and (Model 2). The adjusted root mean square error (RMSEadj) was used to evaluate the goodness of fit of each model. In addition, to test whether ORCTs are radially symmetrical, we correlated the estimates of n2 and n3 in Model 1 on a log-log scale. The results validated the two simplified Gielis equations. The RMSEadj values for all corolla tubes were smaller than 0.05 for both models. The numerical values of n2 and n3 were demonstrated to be statistically equal based on the regression analysis, which suggested that the ORCTs of V. major are radially symmetrical. It suggests that Model 1 can be replaced by the simpler Model 2 for fitting the ORCT in this species. This work indicates that the pentagonal or quadrangular corolla tubes (in top view) can both be modeled by the Gielis equation and demonstrates that the pentagonal or quadrangular corolla tubes of plants tend to form radial symmetrical geometries during their development and growth.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000839115100001 Publication Date 2022-08-01
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 2223-7747 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor Times cited Open Access OpenAccess
Notes Approved Most recent IF: NA
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:189315 Serial 7200
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Author Yao, W.; Niinemets, Ü.; Yao, W.; Gielis, J.; Schrader, J.; Yu, K.; Shi, P.
Title Comparison of two simplified versions of the Gielis equation for describing the shape of bamboo leaves Type A1 Journal article
Year 2022 Publication (up) Plants Abbreviated Journal
Volume 11 Issue 22 Pages 3058-11
Keywords A1 Journal article; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)
Abstract Bamboo is an important component in subtropical and tropical forest communities. The plant has characteristic long lanceolate leaves with parallel venation. Prior studies have shown that the leaf shapes of this plant group can be well described by a simplified version (referred to as SGE-1) of the Gielis equation, a polar coordinate equation extended from the superellipse equation. SGE-1 with only two model parameters is less complex than the original Gielis equation with six parameters. Previous studies have seldom tested whether other simplified versions of the Gielis equation are superior to SGE-1 in fitting empirical leaf shape data. In the present study, we compared a three-parameter Gielis equation (referred to as SGE-2) with the two-parameter SGE-1 using the leaf boundary coordinate data of six bamboo species within the same genus that have representative long lanceolate leaves, with >300 leaves for each species. We sampled 2000 data points at approximately equidistant locations on the boundary of each leaf, and estimated the parameters for the two models. The root–mean–square error (RMSE) between the observed and predicted radii from the polar point to data points on the boundary of each leaf was used as a measure of the model goodness of fit, and the mean percent error between the RMSEs from fitting SGE-1 and SGE-2 was used to examine whether the introduction of an additional parameter in SGE-1 remarkably improves the model’s fitting. We found that the RMSE value of SGE-2 was always smaller than that of SGE-1. The mean percent errors among the two models ranged from 7.5% to 20% across the six species. These results indicate that SGE-2 is superior to SGE-1 and should be used in fitting leaf shapes. We argue that the results of the current study can be potentially extended to other lanceolate leaf shapes.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000887783400001 Publication Date 2022-11-14
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 2223-7747 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor Times cited Open Access OpenAccess
Notes Approved Most recent IF: NA
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:191859 Serial 7289
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Huang, L.; Ratkowsky, D.A.; Hui, C.; Gielis, J.; Lian, M.; Shi, P.
Title Inequality measure of leaf area distribution for a drought-tolerant landscape plant Type A1 Journal article
Year 2023 Publication (up) Plants Abbreviated Journal
Volume 12 Issue 17 Pages 3143-11
Keywords A1 Journal article; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)
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.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 001065193100001 Publication Date 2023-08-31
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 2223-7747 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor Times cited Open Access OpenAccess
Notes Approved Most recent IF: NA
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:199564 Serial 8886
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Author Gao, J.; Huang, W.; Gielis, J.; Shi, P.
Title Plant morphology and function, geometric morphometrics, and modelling : decoding the mathematical secrets of plants Type Editorial
Year 2023 Publication (up) Plants Abbreviated Journal
Volume 12 Issue 21 Pages 3724-2
Keywords Editorial; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)
Abstract
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 001103336500001 Publication Date 2023-10-30
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 2223-7747 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record
Impact Factor Times cited Open Access
Notes Approved Most recent IF: NA
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:201173 Serial 9072
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Borah, R.; Kumar, A.; Samantaray, M.; Desai, A.; Tseng, F.-G.
Title Photothermal heating of Au nanorods and nanospheres : temperature characteristics and strength of convective forces Type A1 Journal article
Year 2023 Publication (up) Plasmonics Abbreviated Journal
Volume 18 Issue 4 Pages 1449-1465
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)
Abstract The nanoscale photothermal effect and the optofluidic convection around plasmonic nanoparticles drive the application of such nanoparticles in micro-environment. In this work, heat transfer and fluid flow around Au nanospheres and nanorods in water medium under continuous and pulsed wave laser irradiance was investigated using an FEM based numerical framework. Au nanospheres of a wide range of diameter: 40 nm = Diameter (D) = 180 nm and relatively large nanorods (diameter: 50 nm) with varying aspect ratio (1 = Aspect ratio (A) = 5) and orientation (0 degrees = ? = 90 degrees, ? = 0 degrees, 90 degrees) with respect to the incident EM radiation were investigated for continuous wave (CW) and pulsed wave laser. It was found that although nanorods can attain much higher temperature than nanospheres, orientation of a nanorod is an important factor to be carefully considered in applications. In micro-scale spherical and hemispherical confinements (diameter < 14.4 p.m), the convective velocity fields around nanoparticles is in the order of 10-9 m/s, with only a weak effect of the slip or no-slip boundary condition on the confining walls. Importantly, the size of the confinement has a strong effect leading to an order of magnitude stronger convection for 14.4 p.m (diameter) spherical confinement as compared to 3.6 p.m confinement. Additionally close proximity of the nanoparticles to the confining walls strongly reduces (by an order of magnitude) the convective currents. The results reported herein provides important insights for the use of photothermal nanoparticles in microscale confined space (e.g. cellular environment) for applications such as optical tweezers, photoporation, etc.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000985445100001 Publication Date 2023-05-11
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 1557-1955; 1557-1963 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 3 Times cited Open Access Not_Open_Access
Notes Approved Most recent IF: 3; 2023 IF: 2.139
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:197380 Serial 8914
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Smits, M.; Vanpachtenbeke, F.; Horemans, B.; De Wael, K.; Hauchecorne, B.; Van Langenhove, H.; Demeestere, K.; Lenaerts, S.
Title Effect of operating and sampling conditions on the exhaust gas composition of small-scale power generators Type A1 Journal article
Year 2012 Publication (up) PLoS ONE Abbreviated Journal Plos One
Volume 7 Issue 3 Pages e32825-e32825,10
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; AXES (Antwerp X-ray Analysis, Electrochemistry and Speciation); Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)
Abstract Small stationary diesel engines, like in generator sets, have limited emission control measures and are therefore responsible for 44% of the particulate matter (PM) emissions in the United States. The diesel exhaust composition depends on operating conditions of the combustion engine. Furthermore, the measurements are influenced by the used sampling method. This study examines the effect of engine loading and exhaust gas dilution on the composition of small-scale power generators. These generators are used in different operating conditions than road-transport vehicles, resulting in different emission characteristics. Experimental data were obtained for gaseous volatile organic compounds (VOC) and PM mass concentration, elemental composition and nitrate content. The exhaust composition depends on load condition because of its effect on fuel consumption, engine wear and combustion temperature. Higher load conditions result in lower PM concentration and sharper edged particles with larger aerodynamic diameters. A positive correlation with load condition was found for K, Ca, Sr, Mn, Cu, Zn and Pb adsorbed on PM, elements that originate from lubricating oil or engine corrosion. The nitrate concentration decreases at higher load conditions, due to enhanced nitrate dissociation to gaseous NO at higher engine temperatures. Dilution on the other hand decreases PM and nitrate concentration and increases gaseous VOC and adsorbed metal content. In conclusion, these data show that operating and sampling conditions have a major effect on the exhaust gas composition of small-scale diesel generators. Therefore, care must be taken when designing new experiments or comparing literature results.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000303836500012 Publication Date 2012-03-19
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 1932-6203 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 2.806 Times cited 5 Open Access
Notes ; ; Approved Most recent IF: 2.806; 2012 IF: 3.730
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:96545 Serial 5581
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Wambacq, E.; Alloul, A.; Grunert, O.; Carrette, J.; Vermeir, P.; Spanoghe, J.; Sakarika, M.; Vlaeminck, S.E.; Haesaert, G.
Title Aerobes and phototrophs as microbial organic fertilizers : exploring mineralization, fertilization and plant protection features Type A1 Journal article
Year 2022 Publication (up) PLoS ONE Abbreviated Journal Plos One
Volume 17 Issue 2 Pages e0262497-15
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)
Abstract Organic fertilizers and especially microbial biomass, also known as microbial fertilizer, can enable a paradigm shift to the conventional fertilizer-to-food chain, particularly when produced on secondary resources. Microbial fertilizers are already common practice (e.g. Bloom® and Synagro); yet microbial fertilizer blends to align the nutrient release profile to the plant’s needs are, thus far, unexplored. Moreover, most research only focuses on direct fertilization effects without considering added value properties, such as disease prevention. This study has explored three promising types of microbial fertilizers, namely dried biomass from a consortium of aerobic heterotrophic bacteria, a microalga (Arthrospira platensis) and a purple non-sulfur bacterium (Rhodobacter sphaeroides). Mineralization and nitrification experiments showed that the nitrogen mineralization profile can be tuned to the plant’s needs by blending microbial fertilizers, without having toxic ammonium peaks. In a pot trial with perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.), the performance of microbial fertilizers was similar to the reference organic fertilizer, with cumulative dry matter yields of 5.6–6.7 g per pot. This was confirmed in a pot trial with tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.), showing an average total plant length of 90–99 cm after a growing period of 62 days for the reference organic fertilizer and the microbial fertilizers. Moreover, tomato plants artificially infected with powdery mildew (Oidium neolycopersici), a devastating disease for the horticultural industry, showed reduced disease symptoms when A. platensis was present in the growing medium. These findings strengthen the application potential of this novel class of organic fertilizers in the bioeconomy, with a promising match between nutrient mineralization and plant requirements as well as added value in crop protection.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000775890100025 Publication Date 2022-02-02
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 1932-6203 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 3.7 Times cited Open Access OpenAccess
Notes Approved Most recent IF: 3.7
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:185568 Serial 7122
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Gielis, J.; Caratelli, D.; Fougerolle, Y.; Ricci, P.E.; Tavkelidze, I.; Gerats, T.
Title Universal natural shapes : from unifying shape description to simple methods for shape analysis and boundary value problems Type A1 Journal article
Year 2012 Publication (up) PLoS ONE Abbreviated Journal
Volume 7 Issue 9 Pages e29324-11
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)
Abstract Gielis curves and surfaces can describe a wide range of natural shapes and they have been used in various studies in biology and physics as descriptive tool. This has stimulated the generalization of widely used computational methods. Here we show that proper normalization of the Levenberg-Marquardt algorithm allows for efficient and robust reconstruction of Gielis curves, including self-intersecting and asymmetric curves, without increasing the overall complexity of the algorithm. Then, we show how complex curves of k-type can be constructed and how solutions to the Dirichlet problem for the Laplace equation on these complex domains can be derived using a semi-Fourier method. In all three methods, descriptive and computational power and efficiency is obtained in a surprisingly simple way.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000309517500001 Publication Date 2012-09-30
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 1932-6203 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor Times cited Open Access
Notes Approved no
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:102202 Serial 8711
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Gonzalez-Quiroga, A.; Kulkarni, S.R.; Vandewalle, L.; Perreault, P.; Goel, C.; Heynderickx, G.J.; van Geem, K.M.; Marin, G.B.
Title Azimuthal and radial flow patterns of 1g-Geldart B-type particles in a gas-solid vortex reactor Type A1 Journal article
Year 2019 Publication (up) Powder technology Abbreviated Journal
Volume 354 Issue Pages 410-422
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)
Abstract Processes requiring intensive interfacial momentum, mass and heat exchange between gases and particulate solids can be greatly enhanced by operating in a centrifugal field. This is realized in the Gas-Solid Vortex Reactor (GSVR) with centrifugal accelerations up to two orders of magnitude higher than the Earth's gravitational acceleration. Here, the flow patterns of two 1g-Geldart B-type particles are experimentally assessed, over the gas inlet velocity range 82–126 m s−1, in an 80 mm diameter and 15 mm height GSVR. The particles are monosized aluminum spheres of 0.5 mm diameter, and walnut shell in the sieve fraction 0.50–0.56 mm and aspect ratio 1.3 ± 0.2. Two dimensional Particle Image Velocimetry combined with Digital Image Analysis and pressure measurements revealed that periodic fluctuations in solids azimuthal and radial velocity between gas inlet slots are strongly related to the average solids azimuthal velocity and bed uniformity. Aluminum particles feature steeper changes in azimuthal velocity and more attenuated changes in radial velocity than walnut shell particles. Within the assessed gas inlet velocity range the solids bed of aluminum exhibits average azimuthal velocities and bed voidages 40–50% and ≈10% lower than those of walnut shell. The aerodynamic response time of the particles, i.e. ρsdp2/18μg, emerged as an important parameter to assess the influence of the carrier gas jet on the radial deflection of the particles and the interaction solids bed-outer wall. Too low aerodynamic response time relates to nonuniformity in bed voidage due to solids radial velocity fluctuations. Excessive aerodynamic response time indicates low solids azimuthal velocities due to solids bed-outer wall friction.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000490625500041 Publication Date 2019-06-17
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 0032-5910 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor Times cited Open Access
Notes Approved no
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:162120 Serial 7543
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Broos, W.; Wittner, N.; Dries, J.; Vlaeminck, S.E.; Gunde-Cimerman, N.; Cornet, I.
Title Rhodotorula kratochvilovae outperforms Cutaneotrichosporon oleaginosum in the valorisation of lignocellulosic wastewater to microbial oil Type A1 Journal article
Year 2024 Publication (up) Process biochemistry (1991) Abbreviated Journal
Volume 137 Issue Pages 229-238
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL); Biochemical Wastewater Valorization & Engineering (BioWaVE)
Abstract Rhodotorula kratochvilovae has shown to be a promising species for microbial oil production from lignin-derived compounds. Yet, information on R. kratochvilovae’s detoxification and microbial oil production is scarce. This study investigated the growth and microbial oil production on the phenolic-containing effluent from poplar steam explosion and its detoxification with five R. kratochvilovae strains (EXF11626, EXF9590, EXF7516, EXF3697, EXF3471) and compared them with Cutaneotrichosporon oleaginosum. The R. kratochvilovae strains reached a maximum growth rate up to four times higher than C. oleaginosum. Furthermore, all R. kratochvilovae strains generally degraded phenolics more rapidly and to a larger extent than C. oleaginosum. However, the diluted substrate limited the lipid production by all strains as the maximum lipid content and titre were 10.5% CDW and 0.40 g/L, respectively. Therefore, future work should focus on increasing lipid production by using advanced fermentation strategies and stimulating the enzyme excretion by the yeasts for complex substrate breakdown.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos Publication Date 2024-01-13
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 1359-5113 ISBN Additional Links UA library record
Impact Factor 4.4 Times cited Open Access Not_Open_Access
Notes Approved Most recent IF: 4.4; 2024 IF: 2.497
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:202365 Serial 9087
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Balemans, S.; Vlaeminck, S.E.; Torfs, E.; Hartog, L.; Zaharova, L.; Rehman, U.; Nopens, I.
Title The impact of local hydrodynamics on high-rate activated sludge flocculation in laboratory and full-scale reactors Type A1 Journal article
Year 2020 Publication (up) Processes Abbreviated Journal
Volume 8 Issue 2 Pages 131-18
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)
Abstract High rate activated sludge (HRAS) processes have a high potential for carbon and energy recovery from sewage, yet they suffer frequently from poor settleability due to flocculation issues. The process of flocculation is generally optimized using jar tests. However, detailed jar hydrodynamics are often unknown, and average quantities are used, which can significantly differ from the local conditions. The presented work combined experimental and numerical data to investigate the impact of local hydrodynamics on HRAS flocculation for two different jar test configurations (i.e., radial vs. axial impellers at different impeller velocities) and compared the hydrodynamics in these jar tests to those in a representative section of a full scale reactor using computational fluid dynamics (CFD). The analysis showed that the flocculation performance was highly influenced by the impeller type and its speed. The axial impeller appeared to be more appropriate for floc formation over a range of impeller speeds as it produced a more homogeneous distribution of local velocity gradients compared to the radial impeller. In contrast, the radial impeller generated larger volumes (%) of high velocity gradients in which floc breakage may occur. Comparison to local velocity gradients in a full scale system showed that also here, high velocity gradients occurred in the region around the impeller, which might significantly hamper the HRAS flocculation process. As such, this study showed that a model based approach was necessary to translate lab scale results to full scale. These new insights can help improve future experimental setups and reactor design for improved HRAS flocculation.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000521167900088 Publication Date 2020-01-24
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 2227-9717 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor Times cited Open Access
Notes ; This research was funded by Research Foundation Flanders (FWO SB Grant 1.S.705.18N). ; Approved Most recent IF: NA
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:165420 Serial 6543
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Clauwaert, P.; Muys, M.; Alloul, A.; De Paepe, J.; Luther, A.; Sun, X.; Ilgrande, C.; Christiaens, M.E.R.; Hu, X.; Zhang, D.; Lindeboom, R.E.F.; Sas, B.; Rabaey, K.; Boon, N.; Ronsse, F.; Geelen, D.; Vlaeminck, S.E.
Title Nitrogen cycling in bioregenerative life support systems : challenges for waste refinery and food production processes Type A1 Journal article
Year 2017 Publication (up) Progress in aerospace sciences Abbreviated Journal
Volume 91 Issue Pages 87-98
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)
Abstract In order to sustain human life in an isolated environment, an efficient conversion of wasted nutrients to food might become mandatory. This is particularly the case for space missions where resupply from earth or in-situ resource utilization is not possible or desirable. A combination of different technologies is needed to allow full recycling of e.g. nitrogenous compounds in space. In this review, an overview is given of the different essential processes and technologies that enable closure of the nitrogen cycle in Bioregenerative Life Support Systems (BLSS). Firstly, a set of biological and physicochemical refinery stages ensures efficient conversion of waste products into the building blocks, followed by the production of food with a range of biological methods. For each technology, bottlenecks are identified. Furthermore, challenges and outlooks are presented at the integrated system level. Space adaptation and integration deserve key attention to enable the recovery of nitrogen for the production of nutritional food in space, but also in closed loop systems on earth.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000404699800005 Publication Date 2017-05-04
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 0376-0421; 1873-1724 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor Times cited Open Access
Notes Approved no
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:148996 Serial 8310
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Mescia, L.; Chiapperino, M.A.; Bia, P.; Lamacchia, C.M.; Gielis, J.; Caratelli, D.
Title Multiphysics modelling of membrane electroporation in irregularly shaped cells Type P1 Proceeding
Year 2019 Publication (up) Progress in Electromagnetic Research Symposium (PIERS) T2 – 2019 PhotonIcs & Electromagnetics Research Symposium – Spring (PIERS-Spring), 17-20 June 2019, Rome, Italy Abbreviated Journal
Volume Issue Pages 2992-2998
Keywords P1 Proceeding; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)
Abstract Electroporation is a non-thermal electromagnetic phenomenon widely used in medical diseases treatment. Different mathematical models of electroporation have been proposed in literature to study pore evolution in biological membranes. This paper presents a nonlinear dispersive multiphysic model of electroporation in irregular shaped biological cells in which the spatial and temporal evolution of the pores size is taken into account. The model solves Maxwell and asymptotic Smoluchowski equations and it describes the dielectric dispersion of cell media using a Debye-based relationship. Furthermore, the irregular cell shape has been modeled using the Gielis superformula. Taking into account the cell in mitosis phase, the electroporation process has been studied comparing the numerical results pertaining the model with variable pore radius with those in which the pore radius is supposed constant. The numerical analysis has been performed exposing the biological cell to a rectangular electric pulse having duration of 10 μs. The obtained numerical results highlight considerable differences between the two different models underling the need to include into the numerical algorithm the differential equation modeling the spatial and time evolution of the pores size.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000550769302159 Publication Date 2020-03-03
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 978-1-72813-404-8; 978-1-72813-403-1 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor Times cited Open Access
Notes Approved no
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:169170 Serial 8288
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Author Mescia, L.; Chiapperino, M.A.; Bia, P.; Lamacchia, C.M.; Gielis, J.; Caratelli, D.
Title Relevance of the cell membrane modelling for accurate analysis of the pulsed electric field-induced electroporation Type P1 Proceeding
Year 2019 Publication (up) Progress in Electromagnetic Research Symposium (PIERS) T2 – 2019 PhotonIcs & Electromagnetics Research Symposium – Spring (PIERS-Spring), 17-20 June 2019, Rome, Italy Abbreviated Journal
Volume Issue Pages 2985-2991
Keywords P1 Proceeding; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)
Abstract In this work, a nonlinear dispersive multiphysic model based on Maxwell and asymptotic Smoluchowsky equations has been developed to analyze the electroporation phenomenon induced by pulsed electric field on biological cells. The irregular plasma membrane geometry has been modeled by incorporating in the numerical algorithm the Gielis superformula as well as the dielectric dispersion of the plasma membrane has been modeled using the multi-relaxation Debye-based relationship. The study has been carried out with the aim to compare our model implementing a thin plasma membrane with the simplified model in which the plasma membrane is modeled as a distributed impedance boundary condition. The numerical analysis has been performed exposing the cell to external electric pulses having rectangular shapes. By an inspection of the obtained results, significant differences can be highlighted between the two models confirming the need to incorporate the effective thin membrane into the numerical algorithm to well predict the cell response to the pulsed electric fields in terms of transmembrane voltages and pore densities, especially when the cell is exposed to external nanosecond pulses.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000550769302158 Publication Date 2020-03-03
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 978-1-72813-404-8; 978-1-72813-403-1 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record
Impact Factor Times cited Open Access
Notes Approved no
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:169171 Serial 8469
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Author Mescia, L.; Lamacchia, C.M.; Chiapperino, M.A.; Bia, P.; Gielis, J.; Caratelli, D.
Title Design of irregularly shaped lens antennas including supershaped feed Type P1 Proceeding
Year 2019 Publication (up) Progress in Electromagnetic Research Symposium (PIERS) T2 – 2019 PhotonIcs & Electromagnetics Research Symposium – Spring (PIERS-Spring), 17-20 June, 2019, Rome, Italy Abbreviated Journal
Volume Issue Pages 169-173
Keywords P1 Proceeding; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)
Abstract A new class of irregularly shaped dielectric lens antennas with a supershaped microstrip antenna feeder is presented and detailed in this work. The surface of the lens antenna and the feeder shape have been modelled by using the three and two-dimensional Gielis formula, respectively. The antenna design has been carried out by integrating an home-made software tool with the CST Microwave Studio®. The radiation properties of the whole antenna system have been evaluated using a dedicated high-frequency technique based on the tube tracing approximation. Moreover, the effects due to the multiple internal reflections have been properly modeled. The proposed model was applied to study unusual and complex lens antenna systems with the aim to design special radiation characteristics.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000550769300021 Publication Date 2020-03-03
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 978-1-72813-403-1; 978-1-72813-404-8; 978-1-72813-403-1 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record
Impact Factor Times cited Open Access
Notes Approved no
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:169169 Serial 7766
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Gielis, J.
Title Double helix of phyllotaxis : analysis of the geometric model of plant morphogenesis, by Boris Rozin Type Review
Year 2021 Publication (up) Quarterly Review Of Biology Abbreviated Journal Q Rev Biol
Volume 96 Issue 2 Pages 139-140
Keywords Review; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)
Abstract
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos Publication Date 2021-05-19
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 0033-5770; 1539-7718 ISBN Additional Links UA library record
Impact Factor 4.25 Times cited Open Access Not_Open_Access
Notes Approved Most recent IF: 4.25
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:178829 Serial 7824
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Author Dingenen, F.; Verbruggen, S.W.
Title Tapping hydrogen fuel from the ocean : a review on photocatalytic, photoelectrochemical and electrolytic splitting of seawater Type A1 Journal article
Year 2021 Publication (up) Renewable & Sustainable Energy Reviews Abbreviated Journal Renew Sust Energ Rev
Volume 142 Issue Pages 110866
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)
Abstract Direct splitting of earth-abundant seawater provides an eco-friendly route for the production of clean H2, but is hampered by selectivity and stability issues. Direct seawater electrolysis is the most established technology, attaining high current densities in the order of 1–2 A cm−2. Alternatively, light-driven processes such as photocatalytic and photoelectrochemical seawater splitting are particularly promising as well, as they rely on renewable solar power. Solar-to-Hydrogen efficiencies have increased over the past decade from negligible values to about 2%. Especially the absence of large local pH changes (in the order of several tenths of a pH unit compared to up to 9 pH units for electrolysis) is a strong asset for pure photocatalysis. This may lead to less adverse side-reactions such as Cl2 and ClO− formation, (acid or base induced) corrosion and scaling. Besides, additional requirements for electrolytic cells, e.g. membranes and electricity input, are not needed in pure photocatalysis systems. In this review, the state-of-the-art technologies in light-driven seawater splitting are compared to electrochemical approaches with a focus on sustainability and stability. Promising advances are identified at the level of the catalyst as well as the process, and insight is provided in solutions crossing different fields.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000632316600003 Publication Date 2021-03-03
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 1364-0321; 1879-0690 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 8.05 Times cited Open Access OpenAccess
Notes Approved Most recent IF: 8.05
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:175701 Serial 8642
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Author Buytaert, V.; Muys, B.; Devriendt, N.; Pelkmans, L.; Kretzschmar, J.G.; Samson, R.
Title Towards integrated sustainability assessment for energetic use of biomass : a state of the art evaluation of assessment tools Type A1 Journal article
Year 2011 Publication (up) Renewable and sustainable energy reviews Abbreviated Journal
Volume 15 Issue 8 Pages 3918-3933
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)
Abstract Biomass is expected to play an increasingly significant role in the greening of energy supply. Nevertheless, concerns are rising about the sustainability of large-scale energy crop production. Impacts must be assessed carefully before deciding whether and how this industry should be developed, and what technologies, policies and investment strategies should be pursued. There is need for a comprehensive and reliable sustainability assessment tool to evaluate the environmental, social and economic performance of biomass energy production. This paper paves the way for such a tool by analysing and comparing the performance and applicability of a selection of existing tools that are potentially useful for sustainability assessment of bioenergy systems. The selected tools are: Criteria And Indicators (C&I), Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), Cost Benefit Analysis (CBA), Exergy Analysis (EA) and System Perturbation Analysis (SPA). To evaluate the tools, a framework was constructed that consists of four evaluation levels: sustainability issues, tool attributes, model structure, area of application. The tools were then evaluated using literature data and with the help of a Delphi panel of experts. Finally, a statistical analysis was performed on the resulting data matrix to detect significant differences between tools. It becomes clear that none of the selected tools is able to perform a comprehensive sustainability assessment of bioenergy systems. Every tool has its particular advantages and disadvantages, which means that trade-offs are inevitable and a balance must be found between scientific accuracy and pragmatic decision making. A good definition of the assessment objective is therefore crucial. It seems an interesting option to create a toolbox that combines procedural parts of C&I and EIA, supplemented with calculation algorithms of LCA and CBA for respectively environmental and economic sustainability indicators. Nevertheless, this would require a more comprehensive interdisciplinary approach to align the different tool characteristics and focuses.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000298764100043 Publication Date 2011-08-06
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 1364-0321; 1879-0690 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor Times cited Open Access
Notes Approved no
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:96444 Serial 8682
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Author Shi, X.; Ronsse, F.; Roegiers, J.; Pieters, J.G.
Title 3D Eulerian-Eulerian modeling of a screw reactor for biomass thermochemical conversion. Part 1: solids flow dynamics and back-mixing Type A1 Journal article
Year 2019 Publication (up) Renewable energy Abbreviated Journal
Volume 143 Issue Pages 1465-1476
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)
Abstract Three-dimensional (3D) computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations were performed to study solids flow dynamics and solids back-mixing behavior in a screw reactor (designed for thermal conversion of dry biomass particles) based on the Eulerian-Eulerian method. Simulation results were compared against experimental data with respect to filling degree and mean residence time of particles. The mean deviations for filling degree and for mean residence time between simulation and experiment were about 0.01 and 11.4 s, respectively, which shows that the model is reasonably accurate in predicting solids flow behavior in the screw reactor. The solids flow dynamics inside the reactor were discussed. The solids residence time distribution (RTD) was calculated and the degree of solids back-mixing in the forward transportation direction of the reactor was analyzed. It was found that solids being flung over the shaft and solids back-leakage, resulting from the low solids forward transportation velocity at the clearance between the flight and the bottom shell of the screw reactor, were responsible for solids back-mixing. The degree of solids back-mixing can be reduced at higher screw rotating speeds when keeping inlet mass flow rate of solids constant. (C) 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000482686100039 Publication Date 2019-05-28
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 0960-1481 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor Times cited Open Access
Notes Approved no
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:162757 Serial 7384
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Wuyts, W.; Marin, J.; Brusselaers, J.; Vrancken, K.
Title Circular economy as a COVID-19 cure? Type A1 Journal article
Year 2020 Publication (up) Resources Conservation And Recycling Abbreviated Journal Resour Conserv Recy
Volume 162 Issue Pages 105016-2
Keywords A1 Journal article; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)
Abstract
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000569614800012 Publication Date 2020-06-17
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 0921-3449 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 13.2 Times cited 3 Open Access
Notes ; Part of this work was financially supported by the Research Foundation – Flanders (FWO), Belgium and the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology (MEXT), Japan. We want to thank Lynne Stearman Falick and the editor for proofreading and providing comments on previous drafts. ; Approved Most recent IF: 13.2; 2020 IF: 3.313
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:171912 Serial 6469
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Author Parchomenko, A.; Nelen, D.; Gillabel, J.; Vrancken, K.C.M.; Rechberger, H.
Title Evaluation of the resource effectiveness of circular economy strategies through multilevel statistical entropy analysis Type A1 Journal article
Year 2020 Publication (up) Resources Conservation And Recycling Abbreviated Journal Resour Conserv Recy
Volume 161 Issue Pages 104925-16
Keywords A1 Journal article; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)
Abstract In a circular economy (CE), materials, components and products should be kept at the highest level of functionality, while phenomena like dilution, mixing and contamination, often referred to as the loss of resources, should be avoided. One method that can assess the performance of systems to concentrate or avoid dilution of resources is Statistical Entropy Analysis (SEA). Up till now, the method has been applied on the substance level (elements and compounds) only, but showed its applicability to various scales and a variety of systems. Further development of the method allowed to consider information on the product, component and material levels, which makes the method applicable to different combinations of CE strategies, both destructive (e.g. recycling) and non-destructive (e.g. reuse). The method is demonstrated on a simplified vehicle life-cycle, which is modeled through four component groups and six materials. It shows that the method allows to evaluate different CE strategies and identify critical stages which lead to the most severe resource and functionality losses. Based on the methods results, it is possible to determine a perfect circularity reference level, representing a system state that preserves functionality and avoids resource losses. The introduction of a circularity reference level enables the establishment of a framework for resource effectiveness in which diluting and concentrating effects of activities (e.g. sorting) are quantified. The distance of a system to an ideal circular state determines the deviation from a resource-effective system that maintains the original product functionality over a maximum period of time, with minimal efforts.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000569610400032 Publication Date 2020-06-20
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 0921-3449 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 13.2 Times cited Open Access
Notes ; The authors would like to acknowledge the support of Prof. David Laner for his valuable inputs, as well as the financial support of Vito (Flemish Institute for Technological Research) and Altstoff Recycling Austria AG (ARA). ; Approved Most recent IF: 13.2; 2020 IF: 3.313
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:171925 Serial 6512
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Author Navare, K.; Muys, B.; Vrancken, K.C.; Van Acker, K.
Title Circular economy monitoring – How to make it apt for biological cycles? Type A1 Journal article
Year 2021 Publication (up) Resources Conservation And Recycling Abbreviated Journal Resour Conserv Recy
Volume 170 Issue Pages 105563
Keywords A1 Journal article; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)
Abstract Circular economy (CE) principles distinguish between technical and biological cycles. Technical cycles involve the management of stocks of non-renewable abiotic resources that cannot be appropriately returned to the biosphere, whereas, biological cycles involve the flows of renewable biotic resources that can safely cycle in and out of the biosphere. Despite this distinction, existing CE monitors are typically developed for technical cycles, and focus mainly on the extent to which resources are looped back in the technosphere. These monitors seem less apt to assess the circularity of biological cycles. This study aims to identify this gap by critically reviewing the CE monitoring criteria and CE assessment tools, and evaluate if they include the four key characteristics of biological cycles. Firstly, biotic resources, although renewable, require to be harvested sustainably. Secondly, while abiotic resources can be restored and recycled to their original quality, biotic resources degrade in quality with every subsequent use and are, hence, cascaded in use. Thirdly, biotic resources should safely return as nutrients to the biosphere to support the regeneration of ecosystems. Fourthly, biological cycles have environmental impacts due to resource extraction, resulting from land-use and resource-depletion and biogenic carbon flows. The CE monitoring criteria lack in thoroughly assessing these characteristics. With the growing demand for biotic resources, the gap in the assessment could exacerbate the overexploitation of natural resources and cause the degradation of ecosystems. The study discusses measures to bridge this gap and suggests ways to design a CE assessment framework that is also apt for biological cycles.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000667309200009 Publication Date 2021-03-31
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 0921-3449 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 3.313 Times cited Open Access Not_Open_Access
Notes Approved Most recent IF: 3.313
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:191685 Serial 7666
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Parchomenko, A.; Nelen, D.; Gillabel, J.; Vrancken, K.C.M.; Rechberger, H.
Title Resource effectiveness of the European automotive sector : a statistical entropy analysis over time Type A1 Journal article
Year 2021 Publication (up) Resources Conservation And Recycling Abbreviated Journal Resour Conserv Recy
Volume 169 Issue Pages 105558
Keywords A1 Journal article; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)
Abstract The European automotive sector is faced with potentially disruptive challenges. In particular, the projected increase in the share of electric vehicles (EVs) and calls to prepare for the implementation of more circular economy (CE) strategies are increasingly demanding systemic adaptations. Given the goals of the CE, the adaptations should enable a maximal preservation of the function and value of products (e.g. extension of lifetime), components (e.g. reuse of parts) and materials (e.g., material recycling), thus saving on the energy, materials and effort that would be required to restore the lost functionalities. In this context, statistical entropy analysis (SEA) is proposed as a methodology to assess the effort needed for preserving and restoring functionality at different product, component and material life cycle stages. Effort is measured as changes in statistical entropy that are caused by concentration and dilution activities in the production – consumption – End-of-Life (EoL) system. SEA was applied to a generic model of the European automotive system, in combination with a stock-driven model and a material flow analysis (MFA), allowing statistical entropy changes to be projected over time. The paper demonstrates how SEA can facilitate decision making on the transition towards a more circular economy by quantifying the effects of particular CE strategies and their combinations. The results show that without any additional system adaptations, an increasing share of EVs towards the year 2050 will lead to substantially increased effort in production as well as end-of-life vehicle treatment.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000657320800074 Publication Date 2021-03-18
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 0921-3449 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 3.313 Times cited Open Access OpenAccess
Notes Approved Most recent IF: 3.313
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:179770 Serial 8475
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Author Alaerts, L.; Van Acker, K.; Rousseau, S.; De Jaeger, S.; Moraga, G.; Dewulf, J.; De Meester, S.; Van Passel, S.; Compernolle, T.; Bachus, K.; Vrancken, K.; Eyckmans, J.
Title Towards a more direct policy feedback in circular economy monitoring via a societal needs perspective Type A1 Journal article
Year 2019 Publication (up) Resources, conservation and recycling Abbreviated Journal Resour Conserv Recy
Volume 149 Issue 149 Pages 363-371
Keywords A1 Journal article; Economics; Engineering Management (ENM); Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)
Abstract The increasing focus on circular economy at the level of governments and policy requires the development of appropriate indicators to effectively monitor the progress towards the circular economy. Currently two very different types of indicator areas are under development: (i) monitoring frameworks based on macro indicators that summarize the progress at (supra)national level, and (ii) micro indicators tailored towards assessing circularity at the level of products. It is not possible to obtain sufficiently direct feedback about the impact of policy interventions by either macro or micro indicators alone. In this paper, a conceptual approach is developed that aims to bridge the gap between the micro and macro level with meso level indicators, and thus ultimately deliver more direct feedback for policymakers, via the insertion of an extra level of meso indicators in between the macro and the micro level. These indicators have been extracted from a dedicated workshop that involved policy, sector and societal stakeholders. The aim of these indicators is to report on progress towards circular economy objectives based on the fulfillment of societal needs. In this way the consumption perspective is given a central position, and the role of circular business models is acknowledged. Following the development of the concept, the next steps towards tailored, flexible and agile monitoring frameworks for circular economy at (supra)national and regional level are outlined. The paper concludes with an illustrative example of the framework applied to the mobility system.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000483414300034 Publication Date 2019-06-21
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 0921-3449 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 3.313 Times cited 1 Open Access
Notes ; The authors are very grateful for financial support received from the Flemish administration via the Steunpunt Circulaire Economie (Policy Research Centre Circular Economy). This publication contains the opinions of the authors, not that of the Flemish administration. The Flemish administration will not carry any liability with respect to the use that can be made of the produced data or conclusions. The authors are also grateful to the numerous stakeholders for extended discussions and comments. ; Approved Most recent IF: 3.313
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:162774 Serial 6271
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Spiller, M.; Moretti, M.; De Paepe, J.; Vlaeminck, S.E.
Title Environmental and economic sustainability of the nitrogen recovery paradigm : evidence from a structured literature review Type A1 Journal article
Year 2022 Publication (up) Resources, conservation and recycling Abbreviated Journal Resour Conserv Recy
Volume 184 Issue Pages 106406-106413
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)
Abstract Our economy drives on reactive nitrogen (Nr); while Nr emissions to the environment surpass the planetary boundary. Increasingly, it is advocated to recover Nr contained in waste streams and to reuse it ‘directly’ in the agri-food chain. Alternatively, Nr in waste streams may be removed as N2 and refixed via the Haber-Bosch process in an ‘indirect’ reuse loop. As a systematic sustainability analysis of ‘direct’ Nr reuse and its comparison to the ‘indirect’ reuse loop is lacking, this structured review aimed to analyze literature determining the environmental and economic sustainability of Nr recovery technologies. Bibliometric records were queried from 2000 to 2020 using Boolean search strings, and manual text coding. In total, 63 studies were selected for the review. Results suggest that ‘direct’ Nr reuse using Nr recovery technologies is the preferred paradigm as the majority of studies concluded that it is sustainable or that it can be sustainable depending on technological assumptions and other scenario variables. Only 17 studies compared the ‘direct’ with the ‘indirect’ Nr reuse route, therefore a system perspective in Nr recovery sustainability assessments should be more widely adopted. Furthermore, Nr reuse should also be analyzed in the context of a ‘new Nr economy’ that relies on decentralized Nr production from renewable energy. It is also recommended that on-par technology readiness level comparisons should be carried out, making use of technology development and technology learning methodologies. Finally, by-products of Nr recovery are important to be accounted for as they are reducing the environmental burdens through avoided impacts.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000804938100001 Publication Date 2022-05-18
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 0921-3449 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 13.2 Times cited Open Access OpenAccess
Notes Approved Most recent IF: 13.2
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:188873 Serial 7156
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Borms, L.; Brusselaers, J.; Vrancken, K.C.M.; Deckmyn, S.; Marynissen, P.
Title Toward resilient organizations after COVID-19 : an analysis of circular and less circular companies Type A1 Journal article
Year 2023 Publication (up) Resources, conservation and recycling Abbreviated Journal
Volume 188 Issue Pages 106681-15
Keywords A1 Journal article; Economics; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL); Engineering Management (ENM)
Abstract The COVID-19 pandemic had large repercussions for our economy and organizations. Improved resilience can give organizations the ability to withstand crises and build back better and faster. This article assesses resilience of organizations and sole proprietorships in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic with eight circular strategies as explanatory variables. Furthermore, these eight circular strategies are also used to assess the organizations' and sole proprietorships' resilience outside of the COVID-19 pandemic. This analysis is conducted to explain how circular strategies can help companies and sole proprietorships maintain stability. The analysis was performed by means of a survey conducted between May and June 2020 in Flanders (Belgium), using a sample of 542 respondents. After performing a regression analysis combined with expert opinions collected through interviews, we find that companies and sole proprietorships with a higher circularity score have a significantly higher resilience score during crises and during normal times, compared to less circular companies. Furthermore, we find that the size of the company does not matter during a crisis to adapt and react flexibly, while it is important when there is no crisis. Finally, we argue that it is the combination of different circular strategies which yields to the highest results for the organizations' resilience and we provide policy recommendations based on the most asked support measures.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000867675200008 Publication Date 2022-09-21
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 0921-3449 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor 13.2 Times cited Open Access OpenAccess
Notes Approved Most recent IF: 13.2; 2023 IF: 3.313
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:191513 Serial 7344
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Coppens, J.; Meers, E.; Boon, N.; Buysse, J.; Vlaeminck, S.E.
Title Follow the N and P road : high-resolution nutrient flow analysis of the Flanders region as precursor for sustainable resource management Type A1 Journal article
Year 2016 Publication (up) Resources, conservation and recycling Abbreviated Journal
Volume 115 Issue Pages 9-21
Keywords A1 Journal article; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)
Abstract Resource-efficient nutrient management is key to secure food production in the context of a growing global population, rising resource scarcity and increasing pressure on the environment. To map the potential towards increasing nutrient use efficiencies and reduce environmental losses, a high-resolution insight of the nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) nutrient streams is pivotal. In this study, a substance flow analysis for N and P is presented for the nutrient intensive region of Flanders (6,211,065 inhabitants) in Belgium for the year 2009. A set of 160 nutrient fluxes was quantified throughout 21 economic and environmental compartments, with a particular focus on 10 waste management processes. A total nutrient load of 20 kg N cap(-1) yr(-1) (ca. 73% to the air and 28% to surface waters) and 0.53 kg P cap(-1) yr(-1) (to surface waters) is emitted to the environment; with crop and livestock production as the main contributors (49% of N and 36% of P). The food supply chain revealed a fertilizer-to-consumer efficiency of 14% for N as well as for P, with important losses embedded in waste streams such as excess manure. Advanced manure and waste processing facilities nevertheless offer the opportunity for enhanced nutrient recycling to increase the nutrient use efficiencies and reduce the dependency of inorganic fertilizers. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000384852500002 Publication Date 2016-08-30
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 0921-3449 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor Times cited Open Access
Notes Approved no
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:137229 Serial 7977
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author Sfez, S.; De Meester, S.; Vlaeminck, S.E.; Dewulf, J.
Title Improving the resource footprint evaluation of products recovered from wastewater : a discussion on appropriate allocation in the context of circular economy Type A1 Journal article
Year 2019 Publication (up) Resources, conservation and recycling Abbreviated Journal
Volume 148 Issue Pages 132-144
Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)
Abstract Shifting from a linear to a circular economy has consequences on how the sustainability of products is assessed. This is the case for products recovered from resources such as sewage sludge. The “zero-burden” assumption is commonly used in Life Cycle Assessment and considers that waste streams are burden-free, which becomes debatable when comparing waste-based with virgin material-based products in the context of the growing circular economy. If waste streams are considered as resources rather than waste, upstream burdens should be partly allocated to all products to allow a fair comparison with their virgin material-based equivalents. In this paper, five allocation approaches are applied to allocate the resource use of upstream processes (consumer goods production) to products recovered from the processing of sewage sludge in the Netherlands, which produces biogas, (phosphorus-based) chemicals and building materials. Except for the approach which allocates 100% of the impact from resource recovery processes to the preceding consumer goods, the allocation approaches show a resource use 27 to 80% higher than with the “zero-burden” assumption. In this particular case, using these allocation approaches is likely to find little support from recyclers. The producers of household products, recyclers and policy makers should find a consensus to consider the shift from a linear to a circular economy in sustainability assessment studies while avoiding discouraging the implementation of recovery technologies. This paper suggests starting the discussion with the approach which allocates the impacts from upstream processes degressively to the downstream products as it best translates the industrial ecology principles.
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Wos 000472242800012 Publication Date 2019-05-28
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 0921-3449 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
Impact Factor Times cited Open Access
Notes Approved no
Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:159887 Serial 8072
Permanent link to this record