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    Fungal Fermented Palm Kernel Expeller as Feed for Black Soldier Fly Larvae in Producing Protein and Biodiesel
    (2022-04-01)
    Liew, Chin Seng
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    Wong, Chung Yiin
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    Abdelfattah, Eman A.
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    Raksasat, Ratchaprapa
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    Rawindran, Hemamalini
    Being the second-largest country in the production of palm oil, Malaysia has a massive amount of palm kernel expeller (PKE) leftover. For that purpose, black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) are thus employed in this study to valorize the PKE waste. More specifically, this work elucidated the effects of the pre-fermentation of PKE via different amounts of Rhizopus oligosporus to enhance PKE palatability for the feeding of BSFL. The results showed that fermentation successfully enriched the raw PKE and thus contributed to the better growth of BSFL. BSFL grew to be 34% heavier at the optimum inoculum volume of 0.5 mL/10 g dry weight of PKE as compared to the control. Meanwhile, excessive fungal inoculum induced competition between BSFL and R. oligosporus, resulting in a reduction in BSFL weight. Under optimum feeding conditions, BSFL also registered the highest lipid yield (24.7%) and protein yield (44.5%). The biodiesel derived from BSFL lipid had also shown good compliance with the European biodiesel standard EN 14214. The high saturated fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) content (C12:0, C14:0, C16:0) in derived biodiesel made it highly oxidatively stable. Lastly, the superior degradation rate of PKE executed by BSFL further underpinned the sustainable conversion process in attaining valuable larval bioproducts.
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    Catalytic Hydrotreating of Crude Pongamia pinnata Oil to Bio-Hydrogenated Diesel over Sulfided NiMo Catalyst
    (2022-02-01)
    Plaola, Yuwadee
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    Leangsiri, Wanwipa
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    Pongsiriyakul, Kanokthip
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    Kiatkittipong, Worapon
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    Srifa, Atthapon
    This work studied the catalytic activity and stability of Ni-MoS2 supported on γ-Al2O3, SiO2, and TiO2 toward deoxygenation of different feedstocks, i.e., crude Pongamia pinnata oil (PPO) and refined palm olein (RPO). PPO was used as a renewable feedstock for bio-hydrogenated diesel production via catalytic hydrotreating under a temperature of 330 °C, H2 pressure of 50 bar, WHSV of 1.5 h<sup>−1</sup>, and H2/oil (v/v) of 1000 cm<sup>3</sup>/cm<sup>3</sup> under continuous operation. The oil yield from a Soxhlet extraction of PPO was up to 26 wt.% on a dry basis, mainly consisting of C18 fatty acids. The catalytic activity in terms of conversion and diesel yield was in the same trend as increasing in the order of NiMo/γ-Al2O3 > NiMo/TiO2 > NiMo/SiO2. The hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) activity was more favorable over the sulfided NiMo supported on γ-Al2O3 and TiO2, while a high DCO was observed over the sulfided NiMo/SiO2 catalyst, which related to the properties of the support material and the intensity of metal–support interaction. The deactivation of NiMo/SiO2 and NiMo/TiO2 occurred in a short period, due to the phosphorus and alkali impurities in PPO which were not found in the case of RPO. NiMo/γ-Al2O3 exhibited the high resistance of impure feedstock with excellent stabil-ity. This indicates that the catalytic performance is influenced by the purity of the feedstock as well as the characteristics of the catalysts.
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    Feasibility study of a combined system of electricity generation and cooling from liquefied natural gas to reduce the electricity cost of data centres
    Global data centre power demands would expand from 286 TWh in 2016 to around 321 TWh in 2030. The cooling system represents electricity consumption of approximately 40–50% of the total energy used. The global LNG trade has reached 356.1 MTPA. Cold energy equal to 89025 GW is released into the ocean. Therefore, this study focused on the technical and economic feasibility of an LNG receiving terminal combined with a data centre using a direct expansion cycle (DEC), a Rankine cycle (RC) and a combination of Rankine cycle and direct expansion cycle (RC + DEC) under different natural gas distribution pressures to produce a supply of cooling water and electricity to reduce electricity consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. According to the study, the RC + DEC produces the maximum cold water at 7 °C, with the total cold energy of 44.23 MW which is sufficient for cooling a data centre with a capacity of 5345 racks, to reduce the electricity for conventional cooling system is 13521 kWh and generated electricity form turbine is 9968 kWh. This research has the potential to reduce the operating costs of data centres by more than USD 23.87 million per annum as well as CO<inf>2</inf> emissions by 83859 t per annum with exergy efficiency of 78.94%. In an economic study, indicated a payback period of 1.60 years with an IRR of 62%.
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    Alternative Hydrocarbon Biofuel Production via Hydrotreating under a Synthesis Gas Atmosphere
    (2017-11-16)
    Pongsiriyakul, Kanokthip
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    Kiatkittipong, Worapon
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    Laosiripojana, Navadol
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    Faungnawakij, Kajornsak
    Direct use of syngas, a cheaper hydrogen-rich gas, instead of pure hydrogen, as a deoxygenating agent for biohydrogenated diesel (BHD) production is presented in this study. Low-cost palm fatty acid distillate (PFAD), an inedible byproduct from refining palm oil, is used as a feedstock in the presence of a Pd/C catalyst. The results indicate that syngas can be effectively used in BHD production, while the achieved BHD yield is slightly lower than that obtained from pure hydrogen. The liquid products contain mostly n-C<inf>15</inf> and n-C<inf>17</inf>, which fall into a diesel range. Decarbonylation is a prominent pathway under both hydrogen and syngas atmospheres. It was found that CO in syngas can act as a reducing agent, which can remove an oxygen atom from fatty acid molecules to form alkenol that could be further reduced to alkene and then cyclized to cycloparaffins. After reactivation, the activity of the catalyst could be fully recovered for at least 4 reused cycles. Reaction pathways for the catalytic deoxygenation under syngas are also proposed with the underlying mechanism on the role of CO.
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    Hydrogen production from catalytic supercritical water reforming of glycerol with cobalt-based catalysts
    (2013-04-15)
    Pairojpiriyakul, Thirasak
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    Croiset, Eric
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    Kiatkittipong, Worapon
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    Arpornwichanop, Amornchai
    Glycerol reforming under catalytic supercritical water at temperatures in the range of 723-848 K using Co catalyst deposited on various supports including ZrO<inf>2</inf>, yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ), La<inf>2</inf>O<inf>3</inf>, γ-Al<inf>2</inf>O<inf>3</inf>, and α-Al<inf>2</inf>O<inf>3</inf> was investigated. An increase in operating temperature promoted the continued increase in glycerol conversion; however, carbon formation causing system operation failure was observed for γ-Al<inf>2</inf>O<inf>3</inf> and α-Al<inf>2</inf>O<inf>3</inf> at high operating temperatures (i.e. 748-798 K). Co supported on YSZ provided the most efficient performance for hydrogen production. 10 wt.% Co loading on YSZ support was an optimum amount to enhance the reaction. The increase in glycerol conversion and reduction of the amount of liquid products were observed for lower weight hourly space velocity (WHSV), higher operating temperature or higher cobalt loading. On Co/YSZ catalyst, glycerol conversion of 0.94 and hydrogen yield of 3.72 was obtained with WHSV of 6.45 h<sup>-1</sup>at 773 K. © 2013, Hydrogen Energy Publications, LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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    Black soldier fly larval valorization benefitting from ex-situ fungal fermentation in reducing coconut endosperm waste
    (2021-02-01)
    Wong, Chung Yiin
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    Kiatkittipong, Worapon
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    Ntwampe, Seteno K.O.
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    Lam, Man Kee
    Oftentimes, the employment of entomoremediation to reduce organic wastes encounters ubiquitous shortcomings, i.e., ineffectiveness to valorize recalcitrant organics in wastes. Considering the cost-favorability, a fermentation process can be employed to facilitate the degradation of biopoly-mers into smaller organics, easing the subsequent entomoremediation process. However, the efficacy of in situ fermentation was found impeded by the black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) in the current study to reduce coconut endosperm waste (CEW). Indeed, by changing into ex situ fermentation, in which the fungal Rhizopus oligosporus was permitted to execute fermentation on CEW prior to the larval feeding, the reduction of CEW was significantly enhanced. In this regard, the waste reduction index of CEW by BSFL was almost doubled as opposed to in situ fermentation, even with the inoculation of merely 0.5 wt % of Rhizopus oligosporus. Moreover, with only 0.02 wt % of fungal inoculation size to execute the ex situ fermentation on CEW, it could spur BSFL growth by about 50%. Finally, from the statistical correlation study using principal component analysis, the presence of Rhizopus oligosporus in a range of 0.5–1.0 wt % was regarded as optimum to ferment CEW via ex situ mode, prior to the valorization by BSFL in reducing the CEW.
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    Feasibility of integrating small-scale liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal with combined cycle power plant to reduce carbon emissions and costs for data centers
    (2025-06-01) ;
    Sukjai, Yanin
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    Rajoo, Srithar
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    Global data centers are projected to consume 2–3% of global electricity and contribute 8% of carbon emissions by 2030, driven by the rising demand for 5G. In Southeast Asia's tropical climate, cooling data centers presents a challenge, as power plant efficiency drops by 10–20% during summer, when ambient temperatures reach 35–40°C. This study introduces a novel system that integrates a small-scale liquefied natural gas (LNG) receiving terminal with a combined cycle power plant (CCPP) and a data center, designed specifically for tropical climates. The system harnesses LNG cold energy through three configurations: intermediate fluid vaporizer (IFV), Rankine cycle (RC), and direct expansion cycle (DEC), to optimize electricity generation and chilled water production. By reducing the gas turbine inlet temperature from 35°C to 22°C, the system boosts power output by 12.22% and thermal efficiency by 3.84%. Nighttime cooling supports a 3,048-rack data center, resulting in annual savings of $5.50 million and a reduction of 20,304 tons of CO₂ emissions. Switching to gas power plants during summer further increases savings to $7.75 million and cuts emissions by 29,104 tons. An economic analysis shows a payback period of 2.30 years and an internal rate of return (IRR) of 69%. This integrated approach offers an efficient, cost-effective, and environmentally sustainable solution for power generation and data center operation in hot climates.
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    Optimization of Salt-Leaching Parameters for Gelatin/Na2Ti3O7 Scaffolds Using a Mixture Design Experiment
    (2022-02-01)
    Sangkatip, Rittichai
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    ; ;
    Jongwuttanaruk, Kaona
    The purpose of this research was to learn the formation of biomedical scaffold material from gelatin by using titanate (Na<inf>2</inf>Ti<inf>3</inf>O<inf>7</inf>), which is a newly synthesized derivative of titanium dioxide (TiO<inf>2</inf> ) with gelatin. It was prepared by mixed several solutions and cross-linked molecules by heating and salt-leaching. The biomedical scaffold was formed, and its porosity depended on the size of the salt crystal. The mixture was designed by using a mixture design with three factors: gelatin, titanate, and deionized water to determine the optimal mixture for the tensile strength of the biomedical scaffold. The microstructure of the biomedical scaffold was studied using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The findings revealed that Na<inf>2</inf>Ti<inf>3</inf>O<inf>7</inf> thoroughly pen-extracted the biomedical scaffold, and the tensile strength of the gelatin/titanate scaffold was higher than the biomedical scaffold, which was formed using pure gelatin. By using the mixture design technique, the 14.73% gelatin, 0.2% Na<inf>2</inf>Ti<inf>3</inf>O<inf>7</inf>, and 85.07% DI water got the highest yield of tensile strength (1508.15 kP). This was an about 4.88% increase in the tensile strength property when compared with using TiO<inf>2</inf> .
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    Green pathway in utilizing CO2 via cycloaddition reaction with epoxide-A mini review
    (2020-05-01) ;
    Shukri, Muhammad Amirul Amin Mohamad
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    Kiatkittipong, Worapon
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    Lim, Jun Wei
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    Show, Pau Loke
    Carbon dioxide (CO<inf>2</inf>) has been anticipated as an ideal carbon building block for organic synthesis due to the noble properties of CO<inf>2</inf>, which are abundant renewable carbon feedstock, non-toxic nature, and contributing to a more sustainable use of resources. Several green and proficient routes have been established for chemical CO<inf>2</inf> fixation. Among the prominent routes, this review epitomizes the reactions involving cycloaddition of epoxides with CO<inf>2</inf> in producing cyclic carbonate. Cyclic carbonate has been widely used as a polar aprotic solvent, as an electrolyte in Li-ion batteries, and as precursors for various forms of chemical synthesis such as polycarbonates and polyurethanes. This review provides an overview in terms of the reaction mechanistic pathway and recent advances in the development of several classes of catalysts, including homogeneous organocatalysts (e.g., organic salt, ionic liquid, deep eutectic solvents), organometallic (e.g., mono-, bi-, and tri-metal salen complexes and non-salen complexes) and heterogeneous supported catalysts, and metal organic framework (MOF). Selection of effective catalysts for various epoxide substrates is very important in determining the cycloaddition operating condition. Under their catalytic systems, all classes of these catalysts, with regard to recent developments, can exhibit CO<inf>2</inf> cycloaddition of terminal epoxide substrates at ambient temperatures and low CO<inf>2</inf> pressure. Although highly desired conversion can be achieved for internal epoxide substrates, higher temperature and pressure are normally required. This includes fatty acid-derived terminal epoxides for oleochemical carbonate production. The production of fully renewable resources by employment of bio-based epoxy with biorefinery concept and potential enhancement of cycloaddition reactions are pointed out as well.
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    Oil extracted from spent coffee grounds for bio-hydrotreated diesel production
    (2016-10-15)
    Phimsen, Songphon
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    Kiatkittipong, Worapon
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    Yamada, Hiroshi
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    Tagawa, Tomohiko
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    Oil extracted from spent coffee grounds is utilized as a renewable source for bio-hydrotreated fuel production. In the present work, oil yield up to 13% can be obtained by Soxhlet extraction with hexane as a solvent. As the extracted oil contained high content of free fatty acids (6.14%), therefore one step alkali-catalyzed for ester based biodiesel production is impractical. Hydrotreating of extracted oil was performed over two catalysts i.e. NiMo/γ-Al<inf>2</inf>O<inf>3</inf> and Pd/C with different operating parameters i.e. reaction time, operating temperature, and H<inf>2</inf>/oil. It was found that the reaction time of 2 h and the reaction temperature of 400 °C are favorable operating conditions. The liquid products mostly consisted of n-pentadecane and n-heptadecane, which contain one carbon atom shorter than the corresponding fatty acid (C<inf>n−1</inf>) i.e. palmitic and stearic acid, respectively. Unfavorable cracking of diesel product is pronounced at high temperature and prolonged reaction time. In addition, although increased H<inf>2</inf>/oil promoted overall reaction and hydrodeoxygenation activity (C<inf>n−1</inf>/C<inf>n</inf> decreased) for both catalysts, hydrocracking is enhanced over Pd/C, leading to significant increase in gasoline yield. Moreover, Pd/C gave higher olefin content in liquid product (22.3 wt%) than NiMo/γ-Al<inf>2</inf>O<inf>3</inf> (4.8 wt%). However, NiMo/γ-Al<inf>2</inf>O<inf>3</inf> shows higher isomerization activity. The amount of isoparaffins catalyzed by NiMo/γ-Al<inf>2</inf>O<inf>3</inf> and Pd/C were 10.8 and 1.7 wt%, respectively. Physiochemical analysis of the diesel fraction exhibit satisfactory properties. The density and kinematic viscosity were consistent with the specification of commercial bio-hydrogenated diesel, NExBTL, while the cetane index was much higher than conventional diesel.