The embodied energy associated with water provision comprises an important part of water management, and is important when considering sustainability. In this study, an input-output based hybrid analysis integrated with structural path analysis was used to develop an embodied energy model. The model was applied to a groundwater supply system (Kalamazoo, Michigan) and a surface water supply system (Tampa, Florida). The two systems evaluated have comparable total energy embodiments based on unit water production. However, the onsite energy use of the groundwater supply system is approximately 27% greater than the surface water supply system. This was primarily due to more extensive pumping requirements. On the other hand, the groundwater system uses approximately 31% less indirect energy than the surface water system, mainly because of fewer chemicals used for treatment. The results from this and other studies were also compiled to provide a relative comparison of embodied energy for major water supply options.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
---|---|
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2011.08.016 | DOI Listing |
Sci Robot
January 2025
Biorobotics Laboratory, Soft Robotics Research Center, Institute of Advanced Machines and Design, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Institute of Engineering, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Snap-through, a rapid transition of a system from an equilibrium state to a nonadjacent equilibrium state, is a valuable design element of soft devices for converting a monolithic stimulus into systematic responses with impulsive motions. A common way to benefit from snap-through is to embody it within structures and materials, such as bistable structures. Torque-reversal mechanisms discovered in nature, which harness snap-through instability via muscular forces, may have comparative advantages.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFACS Sustain Resour Manag
January 2025
Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87123, United States.
Wind energy offers a low emission source of energy while also being among the cheapest forms of electricity generation in the United States. While most materials in a wind turbine can be recycled at the end of their life, large composite blades are often treated as waste, leading to potential strains on regional landfills, a loss of durable materials, and forfeiture of embodied energy. Numerous approaches exist for recycling composite wind blades at various levels of technological and commercial maturity.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMar Pollut Bull
January 2025
University of Zagreb, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Naval Architecture, Ivana Lučića 5, 10002 Zagreb, Croatia.
Seaborn trade has a share of about 80 % in global supply chains and is responsible for approximately 10 % of global carbon emissions. This is why the environmental impact of ships and the shipbuilding process matter. Despite that, this topic is addressed rather sparsely in the present literature body.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSmall Methods
January 2025
State Key Laboratory of Material Processing and Die & Mould Technology, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430074, P. R. China.
Next-generation ionic skin (i-skin) should be self-healing and self-powered, promoting its development toward lightweight, miniaturization, compact, and portable designs. Previously reported self-powered i-skin mostly either lack the ability to self-repair damaged parts or only have self-healing capabilities some components, falling short of achieving complete device self-healability. In this work, a self-bonding strategy is presented to obtain an all-polymerizable deep eutectic solvent (PDES) magnetoelectric i-skin (MIS) that simultaneously achieves self-powering and full-device autonomous self-healability.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSmall
January 2025
Nanotechnology and Bio-Engineering Research Group, Atlantic Technological University, ATU Sligo, Ash Lane, Sligo, F91 YW50, Ireland.
The rising demand for efficient energy storage in flexible electronics is driving the search for materials that are well-suited for the fabrication of these devices. Layered Double Hydroxides (LDHs) stand out as a remarkable material with a layered structure that embodies exceptional electrochemical properties. In this study, both double-shelled and single-shelled NiFe-Layered Double Hydroxide (LDH) particles are prepared using spindle-shaped MIL-101(Fe) as the template.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEnter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!