Emerson has introduced the Rosemount 1208 Level and Flow Transmitter Series non-contacting radar transmitters. The product is an alternative to ultrasonic and hydrostatic devices for water monitoring applications, featuring 80 GHz fast-sweep frequency modulated continuous wave (FMCW) technology on a single electronic chip, which delivers measurements within a compact device suitable for applications with space constraints or compliance requirements, such as water applications.

The measurement accuracy of the line is unaffected by most process conditions, including condensation and variations in pressure, temperature and density. The transmitter collects information with fast-sweep FMCW technology and advanced algorithms. This provides level measurement accuracy of 2 mm at a range of 15 m, helping organisations optimise processes and comply with environmental requirements. In addition, the non-contacting design has no moving parts or calibration requirements, creating a virtually maintenance-free device that minimises manual procedures and delivers long-term performance.

The transmitter is available in two models, offering different communication protocols and approvals. It is designed specifically for water and process industry utility applications and offers IO-Link connectivity as part of its hybrid communication options that also include three-wire 4–20 mA and switch outputs. IO-Link connectivity reduces installation complexity, enables simple integration into high-level automation networks and provides access to process insights that can enhance operational performance. It further reduces complexity by enabling remote configuration and monitoring.

The product offers two-wire 4–20 mA and HART communication options, providing access to advanced diagnostics. This supports predictive maintenance and more effective troubleshooting, leading to reduced downtime and improved operational efficiency. Hazardous area approval enables use in areas where an explosive gas atmosphere could occur during normal operation.

source http://sustainabilitymatters.net.au/content/water/product/emerson-rosemount-1208-level-and-flow-transmitter-series-463768984

Researchers in the journal ACS Central Science have reported that artificial intelligence (AI) could speed up the development of promising materials that can be used to improve water filter systems. In a proof-of-concept study, the researchers simulated different patterns of water-attracting and water-repelling groups lining a filter’s porous membrane and found arrangements that could let water through and slow down contaminants.

Filter systems, ranging from faucets to industrial systems, clean up water for drinking and other uses. Current filtration membranes struggle with water that is extremely dirty or has small, neutral molecules such as boric acid. Synthetic porous materials are generally limited to sorting compounds by either size or charge whereas biological membranes have pores made of proteins, such as aquaporin, that can separate water from other molecules by both size and charge. This is because of the different types of functional groups, or collections of atoms, lining the channels.

In the study, M. Scott Shell and colleagues wanted to use computers to design the inside of a carbon nanotube pore that can filter water containing boric acid.

The researchers simulated a carbon nanotube channel with hydroxyl (water-attracting) and/or methyl (water-repelling) groups tethered to the atoms on the inner wall. They designed and tested thousands of functional group patterns with algorithms and machine learning, a type of AI, to assess the speed of water and boric acid moving through the pore. They found that:

• The optimal patterns had one or two rows of hydroxyl groups sandwiched between methyl groups, forming rings around the midsection of the pore.
• In these simulations, water went through the pore nearly twice as fast as boric acid.
• Another series of simulations showed that the optimised carbon nanotube designs could also separate other neutral solutes, including phenol, benzene and isopropanol from water.
   

According to the researchers, the study demonstrates AI’s usefulness toward developing water purification membranes with novel properties and could form the basis of a new type of filter system. The approach could also be adapted to design surfaces that have unique interactions with water or other molecules, such as coatings that resist fouling.

The study was supported with funding from the US Department of Energy (via the Centre for Materials for Water and Energy Systems (M-WET), an Energy Frontier Research Centre) as well as additional support from the US National Science Foundation, the California NanoSystems Institute, the Materials Research Science and Engineering Centre (MRSEC) and a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship.

Image caption: iStock.com/amixstudio

source http://sustainabilitymatters.net.au/content/water/case-study/using-ai-to-improve-water-filtration-1670008351

Automotive components undergo rigorous testing to meet regulatory standards, guarantee performance, and ensure consumer safety. These components continually require investment in innovation to meet the expressed governmental, consumer and commercial use requirements.

One of the vehicle components that is undergoing intense change is the battery. The market is heavily focused on increasing mileage use and life, which includes the shift from single-use lithium batteries to lithium-ion batteries that are rechargeable.

These customer sentiments are noticeable in the growing global electric vehicle (EV) and hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) demands for sustainable and longer-lasting battery solutions. Customer satisfaction and commercial applications are closely intertwined with a vehicle’s ability to travel longer distances without refuelling or charging. The demands and changes drive robust test and measurement programs to bring new battery models and designs to market.

In 2021, it is estimated the EV battery market exceeded 38% of total battery sales. As technology continues to improve the lifecycle and reduce battery costs, Precedence Research estimates 32% CAGR through 2030. This translated to $46bn in the US alone of market share, while Asia–Pacific is leading the production of EVs and overall demand for EV batteries. Based on global adoption of electric vehicles, supported by government initiatives and an intense focus on reduced carbon emissions, the EV battery market is expected to continue expanding around the world.

The testing of batteries is growing in complexity with the increase in number of cells, modern designs, materials, cycles, installation, vehicle models, certifications and charging equipment to name a few. Battery simulation and real battery integration testing are two examples of commonly used T&M programs used to validate battery adaptability and use requirements. In battery testing, accuracy and quality of the measurement devices are vital. The following are the most common battery types today:

• Lithium-ion Battery
• Lead-Acid Battery
• Sodium-ion Battery
• Nickel-Metal Hydride Battery
• Others
   

Due to the market shift to EVs, the lithium-ion battery is the number one battery type today. The domination of the lithium-ion battery exceeded all other battery types in 2021. Manufacturers of EVs prefer partnering with OEMs of newer model Li-ion batteries because they are lighter in weight and have higher energy density. The following details one of many Interface solutions offered to automotive component and battery manufacturers.

Electric vehicle battery monitoring

The EV battery manufacturer required a system to monitor its lithium-ion batteries. Normally, lithium-ion batteries are measured through voltage and current measurements (ICV) to analyse and monitor the battery life. In consultation with the design and testing engineers, Interface recommended a solution that required installing the LBM Compression Load Button Load Cell in between two garolite end plates, and measuring the force due to cell swelling or expansion. Instead of monitoring through voltage (ICV), this method is based on measured force (ICF). To monitor the testing, the load cell was paired with the 9330 Battery Powered High Speed Data Logging Indicator. This instrumentation solution provides the ability to display, record and log the force measurement results with supplied software.

Image credit: iStock.com/Nattapon Kongbunmee

source http://sustainabilitymatters.net.au/content/energy/case-study/ev-battery-testing-solution-1218991546

WaterGroup has launched the SmartEAR, a SebaKMT IoT noise logger built to detect leaks in water networks.

Thanks to the advances in modern IoT technologies, the product is designed to make it much easier to monitor critical or troublesome water mains. Instead of requiring two or even three devices to detect a leak, record it and send it to the cloud, this product is designed to do it all in one.

The device allows recording up to 10s noise files at configurable times and intervals, using a revised cloud-based monitoring platform: Poseyedon.

With a battery life of up to nine years, it can be accommodated in below-ground hydrant compartments, valve boxes and other tight spaces.

The SmartEAR-GO! app displays data and lets utilities install and manage the devices with a guided installation routine.

Another feature is the antenna test. Open and close the lid, and it will measure the current signal strength and quality in 1 s intervals. If required, the signal can be boosted by various external antenna solutions.

The device comes pre-programmed to enable quick leak detection. Thanks to the built-in NB-IoT/CAT-M1 combi module and its magnetic attachment, it is a simple plug-and-play installation.

Once in operation, the device can determine the probability of leakage in the water network each day.

source http://sustainabilitymatters.net.au/content/water/product/watergroup-smartear-leak-detecting-noise-logger-872524583

Local Government Waste Solutions (LGWS), a $10 million fund, has encouraged NSW councils and regional waste groups to develop waste reduction projects and support the transition to a circular economy.

Liesbet Spanjaard, NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) Executive Director, said local councils and regional waste groups need to bring their ideas to life in order to reach net zero by 2050. She said investment in innovation is essential to achieve the 2023 targets set out by the NSW Government, which include a 60% reduction in litter and an 80% average resource recovery rate from waste streams.

“We know there is value in what we waste, and this program will play an important role in unlocking the opportunities to drive a circular NSW,” Spanjaard said.

Eligible organisations are encouraged to prioritise projects that meet circular design principles such as material recovery and reprocessing which keep products in use for as long as possible.

The program will offer grants of up to $200,000 to individual councils and grants of up to $400,000 to regional waste groups and joint council initiatives in its first year.

The first round of funding is for $2 million in 2023, while another $8 million will be available over the following four years.

Applications for the first round of funding are open from 16 January to 31 March 2023.

The program is part of the NSW Government’s $356 million Waste and Sustainable Materials Strategy which outlines targets to help NSW transition to a circular economy over the next 20 years.

For more information: https://www.epa.nsw.gov.au/working-together/grants.

Image caption: iStock.com/AzmanJaka

source http://sustainabilitymatters.net.au/content/waste/news/nsw-government-offering-grant-for-waste-solutions-1413669220

Located North of Adelaide in South Australia, the Light Regional Council is responsible for the wastewater treatment systems in its location. The Waste Operations Coordinator, Adam Broadbent, and his team were having ongoing problems with their submersible pumps at the Kapunda CWMS treatment plant.

Broadbent advised Hydro Innovations that his team struggled to perform maintenance on the pumps as they weighed over 100 kg each and sat at the bottom of a 4 m-deep tank. He said that this was problematic from a logistical and work health and safety (WHS) perspective. On top of this, the submersible pumps were only lasting five to eight years.

After reviewing the application, engineers at Hydro Innovations recommended that the council move to a Gorman-Rupp self-priming wastewater pump so that operators could have easy access to the pump, without the need for lifting devices. The company also recommended that the council try the Eradicator version of its Gorman-Rupp Super T series of wastewater pump to minimise the chances of blockages by stringy materials such as rags and wet wipes.

The council then proceeded to purchase and install the pump.

During a “post-commissioning” check (performed by Hydro Innovations after all newly purchased pump-sets have been installed), the Hydro Regional Manager for South Australia met up with Ryan Steklin from the council. Steklin has the responsibility of keeping everything going and said he was “pleased the pump eliminated many OH&S problems associated with the submersible pumps and means we don’t have to lift the heavy pumps out of the tank to replace or perform maintenance on”. He also said that it “allowed us to frequently check the pump performance because it is easy to do so”.

Gorman-Rupp wastewater pumps are suitable for municipalities and general industry to replace submersible pumps to improve access and safety for operators. They are available in a range of sizes to suit flows from 4 L/s through to 200 L/s, so can be retrofitted into most wet wells.

source http://sustainabilitymatters.net.au/content/wastewater/case-study/light-regional-council-installs-solution-to-solve-a-pumping-problem-301312149

Engineers at RMIT University have developed an innovation that could see mobile phone batteries with a lifetime up to three times longer than today’s technology.

By using high-frequency sound waves to remove rust that inhibits battery performance, batteries could be recyclable and last up to nine years instead of the typical two or three years.

In Australia, only 10% of used handheld batteries, including for mobile phones, are collected for recycling. The remaining 90% of batteries go to landfill or are disposed of incorrectly, which can cause damage to the environment.

A major barrier to these items being reused is the high cost of recycling lithium, but that challenge could be addressed by the team’s research. They are working with a nanomaterial called MXene, a class of materials that may be used as an alternative to lithium for batteries in the future.

Leslie Yeo, Professor of Chemical Engineering and lead senior researcher, said MXene was similar to graphene with high electrical conductivity.

“Unlike graphene, MXenes are highly tailorable and open up a whole range of possible technological applications in the future,” Yeo said.

A challenge with using MXene was that it rusted easily, inhibiting electrical conductivity and rendering it unusable. The researchers overcame this by using sound waves at a certain frequency to remove rust and restore it to close to its original state.

“The ability to prolong the shelf life of MXene is critical to ensuring its potential to be used for commercially viable electronic parts,” Yeo said.

How the innovation works

Co-lead author Hossein Alijani, a PhD candidate, said the rust that forms on the surface on MXene in a humid environment or when suspended in watery solutions was its greatest challenge.

“Surface oxide, which is rust, is difficult to remove especially on this material, which is much, much thinner than a human hair,” Alijani said.

He said current methods used to reduce oxidisation rely on chemical coating of the material, which limits its use.

“In this work, we show that exposing an oxidised MXene film to high-frequency vibrations for just a minute removes the rust on the film. This simple procedure allows its electrical and electrochemical performance to be recovered,” he said.

Potential applications

The team’s method of removing rust from MXene opens the door for the nanomaterial to be used in applications in energy storage, sensors, wireless transmission and environmental remediation.

Associate Professor Amgad Rezk, one of the lead senior researchers, said, “Materials used in electronics, including batteries, generally suffer deterioration after two or three years of use due to rust forming. With our method, we can potentially extend the lifetime of battery components by up to three times.”

Next steps

While the innovation is promising, the team needs to work with industry to integrate its acoustics device into existing manufacturing systems and processes.

The team is also exploring the use of their invention to remove oxide layers from other materials for applications in sensing and renewable energy.

“We are keen to collaborate with industry partners so that our method of rust removal can be scaled up,” Yeo said.

The research paper ‘Recovery of Oxidized Two-Dimensional Titanium Carbide Ti3C2Tz MXene Films Through High Frequency Nanoscale Electromechanical Vibration’ was published in Nature Communications.

Image caption: Hossein Alijani and Dr Amgad Rezk with the new rust-busting device. Image credit: RMIT University

source http://sustainabilitymatters.net.au/content/energy/article/moving-a-step-closer-to-recyclable-phone-batteries-869879609

By reclaiming one of the most valuable elements from end-of-life solar panels and reconfiguring it to build better batteries, researchers have developed a sustainable way to address two issues in the clean energy transition.

By 2035, more than 100,000 tonnes of end-of-life solar panels are estimated to enter Australia’s waste stream.

Scientists from Deakin University’s Institute for Frontier Materials (IFM) have tested a process to extract silicon from old solar panels and convert it into a nano material worth more than $45,000 per kilo.

The nano-silicon developed by the researchers can be mixed with graphite to develop a type of battery anode shown to increase lithium-ion battery capacity by a factor of 10.

Dr Md Mokhlesur Rahman, lead researcher, said the only way to address the issue of solar panel waste and develop a successful recycling program is for scientists to find a way to harvest and repurpose the panels’ most valuable components.

“Solar panel cells are fabricated using high-value silicon, but this material cannot be re-used without purification, as it becomes highly contaminated over the 25 to 30 years of the panel’s life,” Rahman said.

The process his team has developed returns the silicon from used cells to about 99% purity within a day without the need for dangerous chemicals. It then takes the regular-sized purified silicon and reduces its size to nanoscale using a special ball-mining process, also without using dangerous chemicals.

“We are using that nano-silicon to develop low-cost battery materials that will help deliver the higher performing, longer lasting, affordable battery technology critically needed to drive Australia’s clean energy transition,” Rahman said.

Nano-silicon is in high demand not just for battery materials but for the development of nano-fertilisers, new methods for carbon capture and on-demand hydrogen gas generation.

By recycling solar panels, the researchers have found a way to make this material more accessible. Their technique could generate an estimated US$15bn in material recovery if extrapolated to the 78 million tonnes of solar panel waste that is expected to be generated globally by 2050.

The process comes from years of research from a team led by Alfred Deakin Professor Ying (Ian) Chen, Director of the ARC Research Hub for Safe and Reliable Energy, based at IFM in Geelong. The work has been supported with funding from ARC and Sustainability Victoria. The team is now talking with industry about plans to upscale the process.

source http://sustainabilitymatters.net.au/content/energy/case-study/using-solar-panel-waste-to-build-better-batteries-1050139210

In a study published in Science Advances, researchers from the School of Chemistry at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) demonstrated a novel technique for creating 3D materials that could eventually make hydrogen batteries and other fuel cells more sustainable. The study showed it is possible to sequentially ‘grow’ interconnected hierarchical structures in 3D at the nanoscale, creating unique chemical and physical properties to support energy conversion reactions.

Hierarchical structures are configurations of units like molecules within an organisation of other units that themselves may be ordered. In the natural world, similar phenomena can be seen in flower petals and tree branches. These structures have extraordinary potential at a level beyond the visibility of the human eye — at the nanoscale.

Scientists found it challenging to replicate these 3D structures with metal components on the nanoscale using conventional methods. Each of these materials must be small enough to measure in nanometres, and there are 1,000,000 nm in a mm.

“To date, scientists have been able to assemble hierarchical-type structures on the micrometre or molecular scale,” said Prof Richard Tilley, Director of the Electron Microscope Unit at UNSW and senior author of the study. “But to get the level of precision needed to assemble on the nanoscale, we needed to develop an entirely new bottom-up methodology.”

The researchers were able to use chemical synthesis to grow hexagonal crystal-structured nickel branches on cubic crystal-structured cores to create 3D hierarchical structures with dimensions of around 10–20 nanometres.

The resulting 3D nanostructure has a high surface area, high conductivity due to the direct connection of a metallic core and branches and surfaces that can be chemically modified. These properties make it a suitable electrocatalyst support, helping to speed up the rate of reactions in the oxygen evolution reaction, which is a crucial process in energy conversion. Its properties were examined using electrochemical analysis from electron microscopes provided by the Electron Microscope Unit.

“Growing the material step by step is a contrast to what we do assembling structures at the micrometre level, which is starting with bulk material and etching it down,” said Dr Lucy Gloag, lead author of the study and Postdoctoral Fellow at the School of Chemistry, UNSW Science. “This new method allows us to have excellent control over the conditions, which lets us keep all of the components ultrasmall — on the nanoscale — where the unique catalytic properties exist.”

In conventional catalysts, which are often spherical, most atoms remain stuck in the middle of the sphere and very few on the surface, meaning most material would be wasted as it cannot take part in the reaction environment. The new 3D nanostructures are engineered to expose more atoms to the reaction environment, which, according to Tilley, may facilitate more efficient and effective catalysis for energy conversion.

“If this is used in a fuel cell or battery, having a higher surface area for the catalyst means the reaction will be more efficient when converting hydrogen into electricity,” Tilley said.

Gloag said it means that less of the material needs to be used for the reaction.

“It will eventually decrease the costs as well, making energy production more sustainable and ultimately shifting our dependence further away from fossil fuels.”

In the next research stage, the scientists will aim to modify the surface of the material with platinum, which, though more expensive, is a superior catalytic metal.

“These exceptionally high surface areas would support a material like platinum to be layered on in individual atoms, so we have the absolute best use of these expensive metals in a reaction environment,” Tilley said.

Image caption: Authors of the study, Professor Richard Tilley and Dr Lucy Gloag. Photo: UNSW.

source http://sustainabilitymatters.net.au/content/energy/news/tiny-3d-structures-to-make-fuel-cells-more-efficient-1498740303

Sydney Water has awarded a contract for the first two upgrades to the Rouse Hill Water Resource Recovery Facility in Sydney’s North West. Awarded to Fulton Hogan, the contract is part of a larger project known as the Northwest Treatment Hub Program. The program will see progressive updates to all three treatment plants that service the area. The other two Water Resource Recovery Facilities locations are Castle Hill and Riverstone.

The works to be undertaken include a new odour control facility, new and upgraded treatment systems and upgrades to switch rooms and transformers.

Bernard Clancy, Sydney Water Project Director, confirmed the investment would ensure the growth in the area has appropriate wastewater treatment services. He said the recycled water could be used for gardens or flushing toilets to save precious drinking water, which is a bonus for environmental sustainability.

“Rouse Hill provides 32,000 customers with recycled water. Every year, surrounding households and industrial customers in the local area consume two billion litres of recycled water — that’s the equivalent of about 800 Olympic-sized swimming pools,” Clancy said.

Sydney Water’s Water Resource Recovery Leader, Jon Hiscock, also welcomed the upgrade.

“This is very exciting news. We look forward to working with Fulton Hogan as we build for the health of our current and future communities, the environment, and enhance our ability to recover and reuse resources such as recycled water,” Hiscock said.

Tony Williamson, Sydney Water Production Manager North West Hub, echoed those thoughts.

“It’s exciting to see that SWCs response to increasing population growth and environmental expectation is getting the balance right. Incorporating sustainable solutions and delivering the best possible customer experience and value is what we are all about.”

Several improvements addressing the plant’s environmental impact on the local area lie at the heart of the project, including noise and odour reduction.

“This upgrade ensures that the plant will maintain a very high standard of treatment as the population of Sydney’s North West continues to grow. We live in an international city with a unique natural environment, which treatment plants like Rouse Hill enhance,” said Fulton Hogan General Manager Steve Hall.

Upgrades to the Rouse Hill Water Recycling plant will commence in June. The plant will continue to deliver recycled water without interruption during the 18-month construction period.

source http://sustainabilitymatters.net.au/content/water/news/major-upgrade-to-water-resource-recovery-facility-in-sydney-571330527