http://www.hindawi.com The latest articles from Hindawi Publishing Corporation © 2013 , Hindawi Publishing Corporation . All rights reserved. Wed, 08 May 2013 16:02:37 +0000 http://www.hindawi.com/journals/jre/2013/209364/ A new landfill gas-based reforming catalytic processing system for the conversion of gaseous hydrocarbons, such as incoming methane to hydrogen and carbon oxide mixtures, is described and analyzed. The exit synthesis gas (syn-gas) is fed to power effectively high-temperature fuel cells such as SOFC types for combined efficient electricity generation. The current research work is also referred on the description and design aspects of permreactors (permeable reformers) carrying the same type of landfill gas-reforming reactions. Membrane reactors is a new technology that can be applied efficiently in such systems. Membrane reactors seem to perform better than the nonmembrane traditional reactors. The aim of this research includes turnkey system and process development for the landfill-based power generation and fuel cell industries. Also, a discussion of the efficient utilization of landfill and waste type resources for combined green-type/renewable power generation with increased processing capacity and efficiency via fuel cell systems is taking place. Moreover, pollution reduction is an additional design consideration in the current catalytic processors fuel cell cycles. Zoe Ziaka and Savvas Vasileiadis Copyright © 2013 Zoe Ziaka and Savvas Vasileiadis. All rights reserved. Mon, 29 Apr 2013 15:01:47 +0000 http://www.hindawi.com/journals/jre/2013/607165/ This research project explored the technical feasibility of utilizing an offshore wind farm as a supplementary power source to several electrical grids of offshore oil and gas platforms and providing surplus power to an onshore grid. Three case studies comprising wind farms rated at 20 MW, 100 MW, and 1000 MW have been studied with the focus on (i) the operation benefits of CO2/NOx emission reduction, (ii) the electrical grid stability, and (iii) the technical implementation feasibility. The proposed 20 MW, 100 MW, and 1000 MW wind farm cases are theoretically feasible in terms of the selected technical criteria, although further detailed design operational studies, and economical analysis are required. Wei He, Kjetil Uhlen, Mahesh Hadiya, Zhe Chen, Gang Shi, and Emilio del Rio Copyright © 2013 Wei He et al. All rights reserved. Sun, 28 Apr 2013 18:06:22 +0000 http://www.hindawi.com/journals/jre/2013/184352/ This research paper describes the performance evaluation of a double-glazed box-type solar oven with reflector fabricated using locally available materials, compressed sawdust with binder; size of the box is 700 mm ×  700 mm × 400 mm and 10 mm thickness. The experimental solar cooker consists of an aluminium absorber plate (1 mm) painted matt black and a double-glazed lid. The bottom and sides are lagged with fibreglass wool insulator, thickness = 50 mm,  W/m°C. The reflector consists of a wooden-framed commercially available specular plane mirror which is sized to form a cover for the box when not being in use. Its thermal performance was tested according to the ASAE International Test procedure and Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) for testing the thermal performance of box-type solar cooker. Thermal performance experiments were conducted in order to determine the first figure of merit (F1), the second figure of merit (F2) and standard cooking power (Ps). The obtained test results were employed to calculate the two figures of merit (F1, and F2) and the standard cooking power (P50) to be 0.11 Km2w−1, 0.31, and 23.95 W, respectively. Finally, the results illustrated that the cooker has a good reliability for cooking food and boiling water. Joshua Folaranmi Copyright © 2013 Joshua Folaranmi. All rights reserved. Tue, 16 Apr 2013 14:38:23 +0000 http://www.hindawi.com/journals/jre/2013/290865/ Keeping the indoor air quality within the reference levels requires that the polluted indoor air be replaced by fresh air coming from the outside. This paper presents a sensitivity analysis and a series of simulations where the performance of this passive system is studied. The influence of each relevant factor, like the wind, the solar radiation, and the outdoor air temperature, is assessed. Two different local sets of climatic data were chosen, a mild and a cold winter. Jorge S. Carlos and Helena Corvacho Copyright © 2013 Jorge S. Carlos and Helena Corvacho. All rights reserved. Thu, 11 Apr 2013 18:56:00 +0000 http://www.hindawi.com/journals/jre/2013/835309/ Storage minimizes the intermittent nature of renewable sources. Solar and wind are the two fostered source of renewable energy. However, the availability of useful solar radiation and wind speed varies with geographical locations, and also the duration of this energy sources varies with seasonal variation. With the available vast open land and geographical position, Australia has great potential for both solar and wind energies. However, both these sources require energy buffering to support load demand to ensure required power quality. Electricity demand is increasing gradually, and also Australia has target to achieve 20% electricity from renewable sources by 2020. For effective utilization of solar and wind energy potential location of these sources needs to be identified, and effective size of storage needs to be estimated for best utilization according to the load demand. Therefore this paper investigated wind speed and solar radiation data of 210 locations in Australia, identified the potential locations, and estimated required storage in various potential locations to support residential load demand. Advantages of storage were analyzed in terms of loading on distribution transformer and storage support during energy fluctuation from renewable energy. Further analysis showed that storage greatly reduces greenhouse gas emission and reduces overall cost of energy by maximizing the use of solar and wind energies. Mohammad Taufiqul Arif, Amanullah M. T. Oo, and A. B. M. Shawkat Ali Copyright © 2013 Mohammad Taufiqul Arif et al. All rights reserved. Tue, 09 Apr 2013 10:37:04 +0000 http://www.hindawi.com/journals/jre/2013/307547/ This paper proposes an algorithm to calculate the optimum tilt angle of solar panels by means of global horizontal solar radiation data, provided from Earth-based meteorological stations. This mathematical modeling is based on the maximization of the theoretical expression of the global solar irradiation impinging on an inclined surface, with respect to the slope and orientation of the panel and to the solar hour angle. A set of transcendent equations resulted, whose solutions give the optimum tilt and orientation of a solar panel. A simulation was carried out using global horizontal solar radiation data from the European Solar Radiation Atlas and some empirical models of diffuse solar radiation. The optimum tilt angle resulted was related to latitude by a linear regression with significant correlation coefficients. The standard error of the mean values resulted increased significantly with latitude, suggesting that unreliable values can be provided at high latitudes. Emanuele Calabrò Copyright © 2013 Emanuele Calabrò. All rights reserved. Mon, 08 Apr 2013 08:10:36 +0000 http://www.hindawi.com/journals/jre/2013/101972/ The economic efficiency of harnessing wind energy in the autonomous power systems of Russia is analyzed. Wind turbines are shown to be competitive for many considered variants (groups of consumers, placement areas, and climatic and meteorological conditions). The authors study the possibility of storing energy in the form of hydrogen in the autonomous wind/diesel/hydrogen power systems that include wind turbines, diesel generator, electrolyzer, hydrogen tank, and fuel cells. The paper presents the zones of economic efficiency of the system (set of parameters that provide its competitiveness) depending on load, fuel price, and long-term average annual wind speed. At low wind speed and low price of fuel, it is reasonable to use only diesel generator to supply power to consumers. When the fuel price and wind speed increase, first it becomes more economical to use a wind-diesel system and then wind turbines with a hydrogen system. In the latter case, according to the optimization results, diesel generator is excluded from the system. O. V. Marchenko and S. V. Solomin Copyright © 2013 O. V. Marchenko and S. V. Solomin. All rights reserved. Wed, 03 Apr 2013 16:12:00 +0000 http://www.hindawi.com/journals/jre/2013/671545/ The effects of trace elements on the lipid productivity and fatty acid composition of Nannochloropis oculata (N. oculata) were studied. The results showed that trace elements had a strong influence on not only the lipid productivity but also the fatty acid composition. The addition of Fe3+, Zn2+, Mn2+, Mo6+, and EDTA and the deletion of Cu2+ and Co2+ can increase the lipid productivity. The optimum concentrations of the trace elements in the culture medium are 6 times of Fe3+ and EDTA, the same concentration of Zn2+, Mn2+, and Mo6+ as the control group, but the optimum medium has no Cu2+ or Co2+. Fe3+, Zn2+, Mn2+, Mo6+, and EDTA are indispensable during the EPA formation of N. oculata. The addition of Fe3+, Zn2+, Mn2+, Mo6+, and EDTA can strongly increase the content of EPA in the lipid of N. oculata, but the concentration of the trace elements had little influence on the level of EPA. Xiao Dou, Xiang-Hong Lu, Mei-Zhen Lu, Li-Sheng Yu, Rong Xue, and Jian-Bing Ji Copyright © 2013 Xiao Dou et al. All rights reserved. Mon, 25 Mar 2013 16:11:21 +0000 http://www.hindawi.com/journals/jre/2013/496348/ Due to its geographical position in the solar belt, Algeria is blessed with an abundance of solar energy and has the opportunity to utilize this bounty of natural energy effectively, promoting a clean environment and developing renewable energy technologies in the region. This paper assesses and analyses the solar energy potential in Ghardaïa area (south Algeria) to help users for solar energy applications. A database of solar radiation components has been employed for this purpose. The data presented in the paper are compared with other data supplied by renowned regional and international establishments, such as the solar atlas for the Mediterranean and the NASA. The frequency and the hourly distribution of solar radiation components indicate that the region is considered as an economical area and favorable for solar applications, such as the photovoltaic and the concentrating solar power (CSP) technologies. In addition to solar radiation, data of two functions, namely, clearness index and sunshine fraction have been examined; their results specify that the site has a clear sky conditions in most time of the year. In general, the obtained results illustrate that the site under consideration can use solar energy as a promising solution to conventional energy. Kacem Gairaa and Yahia Bakelli Copyright © 2013 Kacem Gairaa and Yahia Bakelli. All rights reserved. Wed, 20 Mar 2013 17:18:25 +0000 http://www.hindawi.com/journals/jre/2013/901962/ Photovoltaic (PV) system is one of the promising renewable energy technologies. Although the energy conversion efficiency of the system is still low, but it has the advantage that the operating cost is free, very low maintenance and pollution-free. Maximum power point tracking (MPPT) is a significant part of PV systems. This paper presents a novel intelligent MPPT controller for PV systems. For the MPPT algorithm, an optimized fuzzy logic controller (FLC) using the Hopfield neural network is proposed. It utilizes an automatically tuned FLC membership function instead of the trial-and-error approach. The MPPT algorithm is implemented in a new variant of coupled inductor soft switching boost converter with high voltage gain to increase the converter output from the PV panel. The applied switching technique, which includes passive and active regenerative snubber circuits, reduces the insulated gate bipolar transistor switching losses. The proposed MPPT algorithm is implemented using the dSPACE DS1104 platform software on a DS1104 board controller. The prototype MPPT controller is tested using an agilent solar array simulator together with a 3 kW real PV panel. Experimental test results show that the proposed boost converter produces higher output voltages and gives better efficiency (90%) than the conventional boost converter with an RCD snubber, which gives 81% efficiency. The prototype MPPT controller is also found to be capable of tracking power from the 3 kW PV array about 2.4 times more than that without using the MPPT controller. Subiyanto, Azah Mohamed, and M. A. Hannan Copyright © 2013 Subiyanto et al. All rights reserved. Sun, 17 Mar 2013 17:22:24 +0000 http://www.hindawi.com/journals/jre/2013/429230/ The knowledge of water resistance capacity of briquettes is important in order to determine how sensitive the produced briquettes are to moisture change during storage. The relative changes in length and diameter of briquettes during immersion in water for 6 hours were investigated. This was conducted to determine hygroscopic property of produced briquettes under process variables levels of binder (10, 20, 30, 40, and 50%) by weight of residue, compaction pressure (3.0, 5.0, 7.0, and 9.0 MPa) and particle size (0.5, 1.6, and 4 mm of dried and ground water hyacinth). Data was statistically analysed using Analysis of Variance, the Duncan Multiple Range Test, and descriptive statistics. The relative change in length of briquettes with process variables ranged significantly from % to % (binder), % to % (compaction pressure), and % to % (particle size) (). Furthermore, the relative change in diameter of briquettes with binder, compaction pressure, and particle size varied significantly from % to %, % to %, and % to %, respectively (). This study suggests optimum process variables required to produce briquettes of high water resistance capacity for humid environments like the Niger Delta, Nigeria, as 50% (binder proportion), 9 MPa (compaction pressure), and 0.5 mm (particle size). R. M. Davies and O. A. Davies Copyright © 2013 R. M. Davies and O. A. Davies. All rights reserved. Thu, 14 Mar 2013 10:17:37 +0000 http://www.hindawi.com/journals/jre/2013/475282/ A solar pond has been fabricated to analyze the thermal behavior of it, in the climatic conditions of Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh. Sodium chloride (NaCl) has been used to form a salt gradient for better performance, and a dark-colored (blackened) rigid surface bottom with 1 mm irregularities has been considered for trapping the heat in a good amount. A solar pond with a surface area of 2.56 m2 and a depth of 1 m has been filled with salty water of various densities to form three salty water zones (upper convective, nonconvective, and heat storage). A few investigations have been carried out to evaluate the thermal efficiencies of three different zones of the solar pond. An attempt is also made to improve the thermal performance of the salt gradient solar pond. Abhishek Saxena and Varun Goel Copyright © 2013 Abhishek Saxena and Varun Goel. All rights reserved. Thu, 14 Mar 2013 09:20:57 +0000 http://www.hindawi.com/journals/jre/2013/163829/ This paper presents the performance of biodiesel blends in a single-cylinder water-cooled diesel engine. All experiments were carried out at constant speed 1500 rpm and the biodiesel blends were varied from B10 to B100. The engine was equipped with variable compressions ratio (VCR) mechanism. For 100% Jatropha biodiesel, the maximum fuel consumption was 15% higher than that of diesel fuel. The brake thermal efficiency for biodiesel and its blends was found to be slightly higher than that of diesel at various load conditions. The increase in specific fuel consumption ranged from 2.75% to 15% for B10 to B100 fuels. The exhaust gas temperature increased with increased biodiesel blend. The highest exhaust gas temperature observed was 430°C with biodiesel for load conditions 1.5 kW, 2.5 kW, and 3.5 kW, where as for diesel the maximum exhaust gas temperature was 440°C. The CO2 emission from the biodiesel fuelled engine was higher by 25% than diesel fuel at full load. The CO emissions were lower with Jatropha by 15%, 13%, and 13% at 1.5 kW, 2.5 kW, and 3.5 kW load conditions, respectively. The emissions were higher by 16%, 19%, and 20% at 1.5 kW, 2.5 kW, and 3.5 kW than that of the diesel, respectively. Amar Pandhare and Atul Padalkar Copyright © 2013 Amar Pandhare and Atul Padalkar. All rights reserved. Wed, 13 Mar 2013 13:56:13 +0000 http://www.hindawi.com/journals/jre/2013/878329/ A hydrogen economy is needed, in order to resolve current environmental and energy-related problems. For the introduction of hydrogen as an important energy vector, sophisticated materials are required. This paper provides a brief overview of the subject, with a focus on hydrogen storage technologies for mobile applications. The unique properties of hydrogen are addressed, from which its advantages and challenges can be derived. Different hydrogen storage technologies are described and evaluated, including compression, liquefaction, and metal hydrides, as well as porous materials. This latter class of materials is outlined in more detail, explaining the physisorption interaction which leads to the adsorption of hydrogen molecules and discussing the material characteristics which are required for hydrogen storage application. Finally, a short survey of different porous materials is given which are currently investigated for hydrogen storage, including zeolites, metal organic frameworks (MOFs), covalent organic frameworks (COFs), porous polymers, aerogels, boron nitride materials, and activated carbon materials. M. Kunowsky, J. P. Marco-Lózar, and A. Linares-Solano Copyright © 2013 M. Kunowsky et al. All rights reserved. Thu, 07 Mar 2013 14:07:15 +0000 http://www.hindawi.com/journals/jre/2013/574196/ In China, the application of renewable energy witnesses rapid development. In the near future, a lot of demonstration projects will be built and thus it is urgent to know the economics of renewable energy building application technologies. Based on the renewable energy demonstration projects in Chongqing city, the author discussed the economy issue of water-source heat pump system (WSHPs) in order to provide suggestions for the application projects. According to the design information of demonstration projects, the average incremental investment, allowance, and payback period are calculated in this paper. Comparing WSHPs with traditional heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system, the saved energy of WSHPs is estimated in the current paper. The author calculated the amount of saved energy in unit applied area and unit intake water. Besides, the economy and efficiency of WSHPs project is analyzed at the end of this paper. Yong Ding, Xin Huang, Xiaobo Wu, and Baizhan Li Copyright © 2013 Yong Ding et al. All rights reserved. Wed, 06 Feb 2013 09:16:28 +0000 http://www.hindawi.com/journals/jre/2013/939504/ Moisture content is an important feedstock quality in converting it into energy through biochemical or thermochemical platforms. Knowledge of moisture sorption relationship is useful in drying and storage to preserve the quality of feedstocks. Moisture sorption isotherms for potential feedstocks such as corn stover and big bluestem are missing. EMC values of corn stover and big bluestem were determined using static gravimetric technique with saturated salt solutions (ERH 0.12–0.89) at different temperatures (20, 30, and 40°C). Depending upon the ERH values, EMC values were ranged from 8.0 to 19.6 and 8.8 to 19.2% db for corn stover and big bluestem, respectively, and they followed typical type II isotherm found in food materials. Nonlinear regression was used to fit five commonly used three-parameter isotherm models (i.e., modified Oswin model, modified Halsey model, modified Chung-Pfost model, modified Henderson model, and the modified Guggenheim-Anderson-de Boer (GAB) model) to the experimental data. Modified Halsey emerged as the best model with high -statistic and values with low and and fairly random scattered residual plot for corn stover and big bluestem. These models can be used to predict the equilibrium moisture content of these feedstocks starting from harvesting, drying, preprocessing, transportation, storage, and conversion. C. Karunanithy, K. Muthukumarappan, and A. Donepudi Copyright © 2013 C. Karunanithy et al. All rights reserved. Sat, 29 Dec 2012 13:40:08 +0000 http://www.hindawi.com/journals/jre/2013/168048/ Energy is considered as a key source for the future and plays a pivotal role in its socioeconomic development by raising the standard of living and the quality of life, not only for India but also for the world. In view of the scarce fossil fuel reserves, solar energy is one of the important sources of renewable energy used in India because of the suitable climate conditions. It receives about 5485.17 Wh/m2 day of solar insolation with an annual total of about 19, 74, 661.2 Wh/m2. Except for the monsoon months, solar radiation incidence is very encouraging, from the application point of view. For the efficient functioning and better performance of solar energy device, the information of solar radiation and its components at particular location is very essential for designing the solar energy devices. Therefore, over the years, several empirical correlations have been developed in order to estimate the more appropriate solar radiation in India as well as around the world. Here we present a review of different solar radiation models which predict global solar radiation and discussed the long-term plan to meet future energy demand with renewable energy due to economy growth. A. K. Katiyar and C. K. Pandey Copyright © 2013 A. K. Katiyar and C. K. Pandey. All rights reserved. Tue, 25 Dec 2012 17:01:20 +0000 http://www.hindawi.com/journals/jre/2013/374265/ Over the years, the production capacity for power generation has not been able to keep pace with the surge in electricity demand in the oil-rich State of Kuwait. To expand its power generation capacity, Kuwait's strategic energy plans focus on constructing gas turbine and fuel oil stations. This paper aimed to evaluate the prospect of photovoltaic solar energy (PV) in generating electricity as an alternative to decrease dependency on combined cycle gas turbine (CCGT) power stations. It applies the LCOE framework to evaluate the economic feasibility of installing a 100 MW PV and CCGT power stations in Kuwait. The results indicate that under the assumption of 5% interest rate, the estimated LCOE of PV station ($0.19/kWh) is unfeasible in comparison to the generation cost of gas turbine station ($0.11/kWh). However, the analysis has emphasized that evaluation of future electricity generation plans must not be limited to the LCOE criteria and should incorporate the following factors: the effect of natural gas supply constraints on the production of gas turbine plants, the environmental concerns of CO2 emissions, the peak load demand, and the domestic energy balance mix. The paper concludes that once these factors are addressed properly, the prospect of PV power stations becomes relatively feasible. Mohammad Ramadhan, Abdulhameed Hussain, and Dina Behbehani Copyright © 2013 Mohammad Ramadhan et al. All rights reserved. Tue, 25 Dec 2012 08:36:19 +0000 http://www.hindawi.com/journals/jre/2013/368940/ We consider the problem of wind energy production by using a second-order semi-Markov chain in state and duration as a model of wind speed. The model used in this paper is based on our previous work where we have shown the ability of second-order semi-Markov process in reproducing statistical features of wind speed. Here we briefly present the mathematical model and describe the data and technical characteristics of a commercial wind turbine (Aircon HAWT-10 kW). We show how, by using our model, it is possible to compute some of the main dependability measures such as reliability, availability, and maintainability functions. We compare, by means of Monte Carlo simulations, the results of the model with real energy production obtained from data available in the Lastem station (Italy) and sampled every 10 minutes. The computation of the dependability measures is a crucial point in the planning and development of a wind farm. Through our model, we show how the values of this quantity can be obtained both analytically and computationally. Guglielmo D'Amico, Filippo Petroni, and Flavio Prattico Copyright © 2013 Guglielmo D'Amico et al. All rights reserved. Thu, 06 Dec 2012 13:50:40 +0000 http://www.hindawi.com/journals/jre/2013/497530/ The study of B100 biodiesel oxidation stability, and its conservation, is extremely important to control its quality, especially regarding storage. Many spices have shown antioxidant effect and are the targets of study. Knowing the oxidation process in greater detail allows a reliable storage period to be stipulated for the biodiesel without its degradation until the time of use. Results have shown that according to the accelerated stove method, the optimal mixture, composed of 100% of oregano extract, can confer a 535-day shelf life to biodiesel without evident oxidation. According to the results obtained by the Rancimat method, the ideal mixture consists of 100% rosemary, resulting in 483 days of storage. The application of the process variable showed that the accelerated stove method was more suitable to determine oxidative stability of biodiesel. Rodolfo Lopes Coppo, Dionísio Borsato, Jaqueline Laís Pereira, and Hágata Cremasco da Silva Copyright © 2013 Rodolfo Lopes Coppo et al. All rights reserved. Wed, 05 Dec 2012 10:57:37 +0000 http://www.hindawi.com/journals/jre/2013/151578/ The paper presents results of thermal performance analysis of a solar air heater with v-down discrete rib roughness on the air flow side of the absorber plate, which supplies heated air for space heating applications. The air heater operates in a closed loop mode with inlet air at a fixed temperature of 295 K from the conditional space. The ambient temperature varied from 278 K to 288 K corresponding to the winter season of Western Rajasthan, India. The results of the analysis are presented in the form of performance plots, which can be utilized by a designer for calculating desired air flow rate at different ambient temperature and solar insolation values. Rajendra Karwa and V. Srivastava Copyright © 2012 Rajendra Karwa and V. Srivastava. All rights reserved. Thu, 29 Nov 2012 12:03:13 +0000 http://www.hindawi.com/journals/jre/2013/545212/ Using the low-temperature processing of different organofunctional silanes like TEOS, GPTS, and MPTS to incorporate within TiO2 network, dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs) processed at low temperatures were obtained. The UV-cured MPTS-modified layer exhibited better performance over the TEOS and GPTS, where better mechanical stable layer is achieved in addition to better interconnection between the TiO2 nanoparticles. The J-V characteristics of the DSC composed of silane-based layer showed that the improved cell performance was due to the high photocurrent density accompanied with more dye adsorption and higher charge injection from TiO2 to FTO substrate resulting from the formation of an ohmic contact with the substrate. The highest conversion efficiency attained for MPTS-TiO2 layer cured with UV and followed by heating at 300∘C was %, which is 2.8 times better than the GPTS-based layer. Naji Al Dahoudi, Qifeng Zhang, and Guozhong Cao Copyright © 2013 Naji Al Dahoudi et al. All rights reserved. Thu, 29 Nov 2012 08:59:31 +0000 http://www.hindawi.com/journals/jre/2013/924920/ Over the past few decades, there has been a recognition of the growing need for different forms of energy outside of fossil fuels. Since the latter half of the twentieth century individuals, corporations, and governments have become increasingly aware of the effects of the emissions of carbon and other harmful pollutants on the environment. With this greater concern has come increasing activity to combat these harmful emissions by using alternative fuel sources to power homes, businesses, and cities. As can be seen from recent trends in their installed capacity, it is clear that renewable energy resources will continue to be more commonly used in the future. As renewable energy increases, a decrease in a range of harmful pollutants from the energy sector will also occur. This paper provides a case study to estimate the potential environmental and health benefits of an increased shift from fossil fuels to renewable fuels for electrical production in Oklahoma. Results illustrate and quantify the specific reduction that wind energy can and will have on air quality, as well as provide a quantification of the associated potential health benefits. J. Scott Greene and Mark Morrissey Copyright © 2013 J. Scott Greene and Mark Morrissey. All rights reserved. Wed, 28 Nov 2012 16:48:47 +0000 http://www.hindawi.com/journals/jre/2013/360368/ This work examines the production of briquettes for household use from biomass in combination with plastic materials from different sources. Additionally, the combustion characteristics of the briquettes in a common open fireplace were studied. It is clear that the geometry of the briquettes has no influence on the smoke emissions. When the briquettes have a small amount of polyethylene terephthalate (PET), the behavior in the combustion is steadier because of the increase of oxygen supply. The smoke levels are between the 3rd and 4th grades of the smoke number scale. Measuring the carbon monoxide emission, it was observed that the burning of the plastic in the mixture with biomass increases the carbon monoxide emissions from 10% to 30% as compared to carbon monoxide emission from sawdust biomass emissions which was used as a reference. F. Zannikos, S. Kalligeros, G. Anastopoulos, and E. Lois Copyright © 2013 F. Zannikos et al. All rights reserved.