sustainable energy and fuels: materials, processing methods, and development

Sustainability refers to the concept that all people should be able to meet their basic needs indefinitely, without compromising future generations. Sustainability, in terms of energy, embraces the same principles. One day the world will run out of fossil fuels. We need to realize how important sustainable energy is and its significance when it comes to the future of our planet. Sustainable energy includes any energy source that cannot be depleted and can remain viable forever. It does not need to be renewed or replenished; sustainable energy meets our demand for energy without any risk of failing or running out. This is why sustainable energy is the answer to our energy needs. Furthermore, sustainable energy doesn’t harm the environment (or at most, there is a minimal risk), increase climate change, or cost a heavy price. Although there is a cost associated with creating and building ways to capture sustainable energy, the energy sources themselves are typically free. The main objective of this book is to provide an up-to-date review of conduction mechanisms, structure construction, operation, performance evaluation, and applications of various renewable energies and fuels. The current trend in innovation is likely to explore the potential to connect novel materials, design methods, and new techniques, which would allow us to maintain existing resources and develop new methods by employing smart technologies. This book provides a complete insight into recent advancements in nanomaterials, renewable energy design, and applications. The purpose of this book is to provide relevant theoretical frameworks that include materials, modeling, circuit design, and the latest developments in experimental work in the field of renewable energy and fuels.

This book:

• Presents solar energy conversion including photovoltaics and artificial photosynthesis
• Discusses important topics such as energy management standards, biofuels, biorefining, and capacitive desalination
• Illustrates the importance of novel materials and process improvements for sustainable energy and fuels
• Includes research problem statements with specifications and commercially available industry data
• Covers catalysis for energy technologies, including the sustainable synthesis of fuels and chemicals, molecular, and bioinspired catalysis

The text is primarily written for senior undergraduates and graduate students, and academic researchers in the fields of electrical engineering, electronics and communication engineering, environmental engineering, and renewable energy.

Dr. Piush Verma is presently working as Director of Reyat and Bahra University Mohali. Earlier he worked as Professor in Electrical Engg, NITTTR Chandigarh from 2019 to 2023. Before joining NITTTR, Dr Verma was Vice Chancellor of Bahra University Shimla Hills. Dr. Verma was Campus Director at Rayat-Bahra Group of Institutions, Patiala Campus for more than 10 years. He has served Thapar Group more than 17 years, it includes Thapar University, Thapar Research & Development Centre, Patiala, and M/s Crompton Greaves Hydro Division Ltd. Dr. Verma did his PhD and Master of Engineering with Honors from Thapar University, Patiala. He has more than 30 years of teaching, research, Industry, and administrative experience. During these periods he has published many research papers including one patent filed. He has produced no. of ME thesis and 04 PhDs, in Electrical and Electronics and Communication Engineering. Presently 05 students are pursuing PhD under him. He is Member of IEEE, USA, Fellow of Institution of Engineers India, Senior Member of International Association of Computer Science, and Information Technology (IACSIT), Singapore. He has honored with Best administration award from MHRD Ministry (AIMTC) and Institution of Engineers (India). He has visited countries USA, UK, France, Indonesia, Dubai, Germany, Singapore, Malaysia, Bangkok and Hong Kong, Canada for research collaborative projects and Invited Lectures. He is a Member of Board of Studies for Electrical Engineering, Punjab Technical University (PTU), Jalandhar. Member Board of Studies GNE (Deemed Univ.) Ludhiana, Member of Board of Research Studies National Institute of Technology (NIT), Hamirpur. He is the recipient of the best Paper award from Institution of Engineers. Dr. Verma Reviewer of IEEE Transaction USA and Electrical Power system and components of Taylor and Francis UK.

Ahmed Boubakeur was born on April 1, 1952, in Biskra Algeria. In June 1975, he obtained an engineering degree in Electrical Engineering from the Ecole Nationale Polytechnique (ENP) in Algiers. He obtained a certificate of specialization in High Voltage Engineering and in May 1979 he defended a doctoral thesis in Technical Sciences (PhD) at the Institute of High Voltages of the Polytechnic School of Warsaw in Poland (currently Technical University of Warsaw TUW). He has a certificate in Intellectual Property from the WIPO Worldwide Academy (2002), and a certificate in Eco-Management from ENP/EPF Lausanne (2003). He is currently a full professor at ENP, where he teaches and directs research works in the field of High Voltage Engineering since 1979. He has provided in the same field, graduation, and post- graduation (Magister) courses in some Algerian universities (Béjaïa, Batna, Jijel) and spent visits as a visiting professor at the Polytechnic School of the University of Nantes (France) and at the Warsaw University of Technology (WUT). He has given conferences at the Wroclaw University of Sciences and Technology (Poland) and at the Cardiff University (UK). He has supervised 24 magisters theses since 1984 (ENP, U-Tizi-Ouzou, U-Béjaïa, U-Batna) and 14 doctorate theses (PhD) since 2000 (ENP and U-Béjaïa). He is currently supervising several theses, some of which are in the new system (LMD). Since 1991, he has also taught Intellectual Property and Standardization at ENP as he taught the Graduated Intellectual Property course at the Department of Industrial Engineering of the University of Batna, as well as at the ENSET d’Oran (ENP-Oran) as part of the post- graduate training in Innovation. He has also been teaching Legal Metrology at ENP since 2011 at ENP. He organized and participated in the supervision of an ENP / EPF Lausanne Eco-management training course in 2002 and 2003, contributing to the introduction of environmental management tools in the training of ENP engineers. Since 1980 until August 2021, he has published 56 publications in internationally renowned journals, 120 papers at international congresses (IEEE conferences, ISH, CLDP...) and 72papers at national conferences (CNHT...), all of which have been published in edited proceedings. He is a member of scientific committees and organizing committees of several national and international conferences (CNHT, CNCEM, ICEE, COMADEM, CISTEM...). His research axes concern various topics of Insulation Technology (partial discharges, breakdown, aging of insulating materials, diagnosis etc.) and Insulation Coordination (pollution of insulators, earthing, lightning, and lightning protection, etc.). He is member of the Association of Graduates from ENP (AD-ENP) and member of the Association of High Voltage Electric Networks ARELEC (Algeria). He is CIGRE member (through the ARELEC as Algerian NC) and Senior Member of IEEE, member of DEI-Society, and for few years member of Education Society and of NPS-Society. He is member of the IEEE Algeria Section and of the DEI IEEE Algeria Section Chapter. He is a reviewer for various journals including those of IET (MST & GTD), and IEEE (trans22222qon DEI). He has been member of the Editorial Board of the International Journal of Electrical and Power Engineering (created in 2007) and from July 2014 to August 2019, member of the Editorial Board and Associate Editor of the journal IET Science Measurement and Technology. He is since January 2021 Associate Editor and member of the Editorial Board of the ENP Engineering Science journal. He served at ENP as Head of Department of Fundamental Sciences (1983-1985), Head of Department of Electrical Engineering (1985-1986), Director of (Undergraduate) Studies (1986- 1989 and 1995-2003) and finally, he has been Deputy Director in charge of Continuing Education and External Relations (2005-2019). Since 1995, he has contributed to the rapprochement between ENP and Industry and has set up some models of University-Industry relationship in Algeria which have been the subject of international communications (UNESCO congresses, QRM/I.MEch.E in Oxford...) and which continue to serve to simplify the realization of scientific and educational works in collaboration with industrial enterprises. He participated in the organization of the ENP young innovator competition and helped to set up an innovation center at ENP (opened in June 2007). He has collaborated in European Tempus projects on the quality of training, on innovation and on the employability of engineers. The latter led to the establishment of the « House of Industry » at ENP. He participated in various commissions of the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research: President of the National Pedagogical Committee of Electrical Engineering from 1986 to 1988, President of the Commission on Training-Employment Relation from 1995 to 1997, member in commissions on Training Programs, member of the National Equivalences Commission, and other think tanks on higher education systems. He also participated in working groups at the Ministries responsible for SMEs, Industry, Trade, ICT. He was a member of the Scientific Committees of USTHB university (3 years) and EMP Engineers School (6 years).

Leila Mekhnache is a Prof. in the Dept of Electrical Engineering in the University of Batna2 and Head of the National Higher school, for Renewable Energies, Environment & Sustainable Development (RE2=SD) opened in June 2020. She received her Magister and Doctorate from the ＂Ecole Nationale Polytechnique＂ of Algiers in 2004on the application of neural networks in the diagnosis and ageing prediction of high voltage insulations and it was the first application of AI in the field of High voltage. Her research work is in the fields of diagnosis, prediction, and maintenance for high voltage systems using artificial intelligence. She also worked on numerical methods (FEM) in high voltage insulation & Electromagnetics. She has participated in many international conferences, and she has published more than 100 papers& publications. She is a member of many technical & scientific boards in international journals and conferences. And now she is leading a project of a renewable power plant for 2 MWc in Batna2 with many applications (smart grid, smart home, applications in agriculture, in traffic, water desalination.

Dr. Balwinder Raj is currently working as Associate Professor in ECE Department, NIT Jalandhar. He is having more than 15 years of teaching/research experience. He did B. Tech, Electronics Engineering (PTU Jalandhar), M. Tech-Microelectronics (PU Chandigarh) and Ph.D-VLSI Design (IIT Roorkee), India in 2004, 2006 and 2010 respectively. For further research work, European Commission awarded him Mobility of life research fellowship for postdoc research work at University of Rome, Tor Vergata, Italy in 2010-2011. He also worked as visiting researcher at KTH university Sweden, Oct-Nov 2013, and Alto University Finlan July 2017. He has visited countries like Japan, Australia, Malaysia, Italy, Sweden, Finland, Thailand, for research collaborative projects, Invited Lectures, and conferences. Dr. Raj has authored/co-authored 05 books, 12 book chapters and more than 100 research papers in peer reviewed international/national journals and conferences. He guided 8 PhDs and currently 4 PhD scholars are working with him. He guided more than 40 M. Tech students. Dr. Raj completed 5 research projects from DST Delhi, SERB Delhi and CIMO Finland. Currently he is handing two research projects from AICTE and ISRO. His areas of interest in research are Classical/Non-Classical Nanoscale Semiconductor Device Modeling, Memory design for AI Applications, Low Power VLSI Design, Digital/Analog VLSI Design and FPGA implementation.