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Isabel Malico
Instituto Superior Técnico (IDMEC), Universidade de Lisboa, 1049-001 Lisboa, Portugal

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Journal article
Published: 10 August 2021 in Sustainability
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Wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) located in regions far from a high-pressure grid can produce renewable biomethane, which can partially substitute the natural gas locally consumed. However, the economic viability of implementing biomethane plants in WWTP has to be guaranteed. This paper uses the discount cash flow method to analyze the economic viability of producing biomethane in a WWTP located in Évora (Portugal). The results show that, under the current conditions, it is unprofitable to produce biomethane in this WWTP. Since selling the CO2 separated from biogas may result in an additional income, this option was also considered. In this case, a price of 46 EUR/t CO2 has to be paid to make the project viable. Finally, the impact of potential government incentives in the form of feed-in premia was investigated. Without selling CO2, the project would only be profitable for feed-in premia above 55.5 EUR/MWh. If all the CO2 produced was sold at 30 EUR/t CO2, a premium price of 20 EUR/MWh would make the project profitable. This study shows that the economic attractiveness of producing biomethane in small WWTP is only secured through sufficient financial incentives, which are vital for developing the biomethane market with all its associated advantages.

ACS Style

Francisco Baena-Moreno; Isabel Malico; Isabel Marques. Promoting Sustainability: Wastewater Treatment Plants as a Source of Biomethane in Regions Far from a High-Pressure Grid. A Real Portuguese Case Study. Sustainability 2021, 13, 8933 .

AMA Style

Francisco Baena-Moreno, Isabel Malico, Isabel Marques. Promoting Sustainability: Wastewater Treatment Plants as a Source of Biomethane in Regions Far from a High-Pressure Grid. A Real Portuguese Case Study. Sustainability. 2021; 13 (16):8933.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Francisco Baena-Moreno; Isabel Malico; Isabel Marques. 2021. "Promoting Sustainability: Wastewater Treatment Plants as a Source of Biomethane in Regions Far from a High-Pressure Grid. A Real Portuguese Case Study." Sustainability 13, no. 16: 8933.

Journal article
Published: 21 May 2021 in Sustainability
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Studies that quantify forest bioenergy potentials hardly address the questions of site quality, proportion and type of residues removed from the stands, and environmental impacts of those removals. However, those factors are important for energy-potential results and forest sustainability. This study compares, in terms of residual biomass availability for energy production and of sustainability, different locations, site indices, and forest management strategies in Eucalyptus globulus stands for pulp and paper in northern and central Portugal. A growth and production simulator was used to calculate the availability of residues and the area needed to supply a biomass-fired power plant under a variety of scenarios. Regions with more rainfall generate more residues, but site index and quantity and type of residues harvested are the most important factors. Under the different scenarios analyzed, the amount of residues potentially harvested range from 0.7 to 4.3 Mg ha−1 a−1, the upper bound corresponding to a scenario where stumps are valorized. The maximization of residue removal maximizes the bioenergy produced but has to be considered prudently. Studies indicate that stump removal has limited effect on Eucalyptus globulus stand productivity, diversity, and system sustainability, but impacts of residue removals increase with a decrease in site index.

ACS Style

Isabel Malico; Ana Gonçalves. Eucalyptus globulus Coppices in Portugal: Influence of Site and Percentage of Residues Collected for Energy. Sustainability 2021, 13, 5775 .

AMA Style

Isabel Malico, Ana Gonçalves. Eucalyptus globulus Coppices in Portugal: Influence of Site and Percentage of Residues Collected for Energy. Sustainability. 2021; 13 (11):5775.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Isabel Malico; Ana Gonçalves. 2021. "Eucalyptus globulus Coppices in Portugal: Influence of Site and Percentage of Residues Collected for Energy." Sustainability 13, no. 11: 5775.

Journal article
Published: 22 June 2020 in Energy
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A novel analysis addresses the economic viability of biomethane production from small biogas plants in South Spain, as a claim to promote the use of green energy and reduce the consumption of natural gas. To this end, the importance of governmental incentives to reach profitability in biomethane plants is illustrated through a case study. To date, no study addressing this problem specifically for South Spain can be found. The study considers the whole process from biogas production to biomethane feeding into the grid, for three different biomethane capacities (50, 100 and 150 m3/h) and includes an exhaustive sensitivity analysis. For the three cases, implementing a biomethane plant is not viable and, therefore, not attractive for investors. Results considering biomethane governmental incentives as feed-in premia show significant improvements on the profitability of the largest plants. For example, supporting 150 m3/h biomethane production capacity plants with a premium price of only 6 €/MWh (6.6 cents/m3) results in 270 k€ NPV. Nevertheless, the smallest biomethane plants are hardly feasible. Concerning governmental support through investment subsidies, 150 m3/h plants are profitable if 10% of the investment is subsidized, whereas the smallest plants do not reach profitability even if 50% of the investment is subsidized.

ACS Style

Francisco M. Baena-Moreno; Isabel Malico; Mónica Rodríguez-Galán; Antonio Serrano; Fernando G. Fermoso; Benito Navarrete. The importance of governmental incentives for small biomethane plants in South Spain. Energy 2020, 206, 118158 .

AMA Style

Francisco M. Baena-Moreno, Isabel Malico, Mónica Rodríguez-Galán, Antonio Serrano, Fernando G. Fermoso, Benito Navarrete. The importance of governmental incentives for small biomethane plants in South Spain. Energy. 2020; 206 ():118158.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Francisco M. Baena-Moreno; Isabel Malico; Mónica Rodríguez-Galán; Antonio Serrano; Fernando G. Fermoso; Benito Navarrete. 2020. "The importance of governmental incentives for small biomethane plants in South Spain." Energy 206, no. : 118158.

Conference paper
Published: 17 January 2020 in Communications in Computer and Information Science
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Industrial furnaces consume a large amount of energy and their operating points have a major influence on the quality of the final product. Designing a tool that analyzes the combustion process, fluid mechanics and heat transfer and assists the work done during energy audits is then of the most importance. This work proposes a hybrid model for such a tool, having as its base two white-box models, namely a detailed Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) model and a simplified Reduced-Order (RO) model, and a black-box model developed using Machine Learning (ML) techniques. The preliminary results presented in the paper show that this composite model is able to improve the accuracy of the RO model without having the high computational load of the CFD model.

ACS Style

Daniel Santos; Luís Rato; Teresa Gonçalves; Miguel Barão; Sérgio Costa; Isabel Malico; Paulo Canhoto. Composite SVR Based Modelling of an Industrial Furnace. Communications in Computer and Information Science 2020, 158 -170.

AMA Style

Daniel Santos, Luís Rato, Teresa Gonçalves, Miguel Barão, Sérgio Costa, Isabel Malico, Paulo Canhoto. Composite SVR Based Modelling of an Industrial Furnace. Communications in Computer and Information Science. 2020; ():158-170.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Daniel Santos; Luís Rato; Teresa Gonçalves; Miguel Barão; Sérgio Costa; Isabel Malico; Paulo Canhoto. 2020. "Composite SVR Based Modelling of an Industrial Furnace." Communications in Computer and Information Science , no. : 158-170.

Review article
Published: 26 June 2019 in Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews
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Industrial heat is important in Europe’s energy consumption and dominated by fossil fuels. Therefore, promoting renewables in this sector is vital to move Europe towards a low-carbon economy. Since solid biomass is the only renewable with significant industrial use, it is crucial to know the status of its present use and to analyze the prospects of its future utilization by the industry. The current European industrial energy consumption is reviewed, with a focus on bioheat. The available solid biomass feedstock and energy conversion alternatives are examined, along with future perspectives for further biomass consumption in several industrial sectors. Defining global strategies for industrial heat is not easy because of the diversity of industrial processes. Combustion dominates industrial heat production from biomass, but gasification systems are already commercially available. Combined heat and power production is mainly based on steam cycles. The full temperature range required by industry can be attained with biomass efficiently. The use of biomass-fired systems is generalized in the industries that generate solid biomass by-products, but the implementation of additional, more efficient and alternative biomass uses should be sought. Biomass penetration into sectors with no own biomass resources is more difficult. Major barriers are the high investment costs of biomass systems, strong competition with fossil fuels, and feedstock availability and security of supply. Although Europe’s solid biomass production and consumption are almost balanced, the pressure on resources is increasing. Therefore, it is important that resources are monitored and that sustainability is taken into consideration.

ACS Style

Isabel Malico; Ricardo Nepomuceno Pereira; Ana Cristina Gonçalves; Adélia Sousa. Current status and future perspectives for energy production from solid biomass in the European industry. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 2019, 112, 960 -977.

AMA Style

Isabel Malico, Ricardo Nepomuceno Pereira, Ana Cristina Gonçalves, Adélia Sousa. Current status and future perspectives for energy production from solid biomass in the European industry. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews. 2019; 112 ():960-977.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Isabel Malico; Ricardo Nepomuceno Pereira; Ana Cristina Gonçalves; Adélia Sousa. 2019. "Current status and future perspectives for energy production from solid biomass in the European industry." Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 112, no. : 960-977.

Review
Published: 23 January 2019 in Renewable Resources and Biorefineries
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Among the different terrestrial ecosystems, forests are the most important biomass carbon producers and the ones that store the most standing biomass carbon. Consequently, they are also the major source of biomass for energy. Forest biomass has been used as a fuel from early times, and from the late twentieth century onward, there has been a renewed interest in its use to produce heat and electricity. The interest in forest biomass as an energy source relates to some of its features, such as relative abundance and uniformity worldwide and neutrality of CO2 emissions. Nonetheless, its use is not free of risks, mostly related with the sustainability of the forest systems and their productions. This study reviews the state of the art of the forest sources of biomass for energy, their assessment, their properties as a fuel, as well as the conversion technologies used in the most common energy applications.

ACS Style

Ana Cristina Gonçalves; Isabel Malico; Adélia Sousa. Solid Biomass from Forest Trees to Energy: A Review. Renewable Resources and Biorefineries 2019, 1 .

AMA Style

Ana Cristina Gonçalves, Isabel Malico, Adélia Sousa. Solid Biomass from Forest Trees to Energy: A Review. Renewable Resources and Biorefineries. 2019; ():1.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Ana Cristina Gonçalves; Isabel Malico; Adélia Sousa. 2019. "Solid Biomass from Forest Trees to Energy: A Review." Renewable Resources and Biorefineries , no. : 1.

Original paper
Published: 26 July 2018 in Waste and Biomass Valorization
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This paper determines the potential of installing power plants fired with wood residues generated at the sawmills located in the region of a 8 GW hydropower complex in the Amazon. Two different scenarios were considered: (i) the residues are converted locally at the mills or (ii) transported to a centralized power plant. To evaluate the existing electricity potential, sawmills were contacted and the amount and type of generated residues assessed. The LHV (lower heating value) of wood of native species processed at the mills was experimentally determined. Data from real biomass power plants was fitted to calculate efficiencies versus power. With LHV data and conversion efficiency, the potential of installing micro to large-scale biomass-fired power plants was estimated. In 2004 and 2014, sawmills around the Tucuruí dam generated 404 × 103 t of wood residues, showing that in the region there is a large untapped potential for energy valorization. If the residues were converted at the mills, 57 GWhe could be annually produced. The energy production would be around two times higher in the centralized scenario. The importance of the efficiency in determining biomass potentials or optimizing biomass supply chains is quantified. Ignoring the dependency of efficiency with power leads to erroneous conclusions.

ACS Style

A. C. M. Brasil; I. Malico; A. Brasil. Evaluation of the Electrical Energy Potential of Woody Biomass in the Near Region of the Hydropower Plant Tucuruí-Brazil. Waste and Biomass Valorization 2018, 11, 2297 -2307.

AMA Style

A. C. M. Brasil, I. Malico, A. Brasil. Evaluation of the Electrical Energy Potential of Woody Biomass in the Near Region of the Hydropower Plant Tucuruí-Brazil. Waste and Biomass Valorization. 2018; 11 (5):2297-2307.

Chicago/Turabian Style

A. C. M. Brasil; I. Malico; A. Brasil. 2018. "Evaluation of the Electrical Energy Potential of Woody Biomass in the Near Region of the Hydropower Plant Tucuruí-Brazil." Waste and Biomass Valorization 11, no. 5: 2297-2307.

Journal article
Published: 01 June 2017 in Diffusion Foundations
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Inlet and outlet pressure drop effects can contribute significantly to the total pressure drop in porous media if thin solid matrices are used. However, these effects are usually ignored and few are the studies that focus on this topic. This paper uses a numerical simulation approach to determine the importance of the inlet and outlet pressure drop effects on the total pressure drop in a staggered arrangement of square cylinders with equal sizes, dc. The Navier-Stokes equations are solved at the pore level for several matrix lengths (from dc to 34dc) and for several Reynolds numbers based on dc and maximum velocity of the velocity inlet profile (from 36 to 120). Accurate results of the velocity and pressure fields are obtained through the use of the immersed boundary method in combination with the finite differences method, 4th-order compact schemes for spatial discretization and 4th-order Runge-Kutta temporal discretization. The results presented in this paper confirm that the classical models (e.g., Hazen-Dupuit-Darcy model) are only valid when the solid matrix has a length above a certain value, called the critical length. For shorter porous media, the pressure drop does not vary linearly with the matrix length. The deviations to the model that occur at the shortest porous media are explained by the entrance and exit contributions to the total pressure drop that, in these cases, are not negligible when compared to the bulk pressure drop. For the staggered array of square cylinders and range of Reynolds numbers considered, the critical porous medium length is 16dc. A practical outcome of the present study is the quantification of the influence of the pressure tap locations on the measurements of pressure drop in porous media. When the matrix is short when compared to the particle diameter, care must be taken with the pressure taps placement: they should be located outside the porous matrix and not too close to its inlet and outlet sections. If the matrix is thick enough when compared to the particle diameter, the taps can be placed either inside or outside the matrix. Also, if the influence of the side walls on the total pressure drop is not high (i.e., the walls are at a relative large distance when compared to the particle diameter), there is no practical need to correct the measured pressure values to account for the influence of the walls. This correction should be considered for the shortest matrices though.

ACS Style

Isabel Malico; P.J.S.A. Ferreira De Sousa. Pressure Drop through Structured Porous Media - Inlet and Outlet Effects. Diffusion Foundations 2017, 10, 55 -69.

AMA Style

Isabel Malico, P.J.S.A. Ferreira De Sousa. Pressure Drop through Structured Porous Media - Inlet and Outlet Effects. Diffusion Foundations. 2017; 10 ():55-69.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Isabel Malico; P.J.S.A. Ferreira De Sousa. 2017. "Pressure Drop through Structured Porous Media - Inlet and Outlet Effects." Diffusion Foundations 10, no. : 55-69.

Journal article
Published: 01 February 2017 in Defect and Diffusion Forum
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In 2014, Portugal was the seventh largest pellets producer in the World. Since the shortage of raw material is one of the major obstacles that the Portuguese pellets market faces, the need for a good assessment of biomass availability for energy purposes at both country and regional levels is reinforced. This work uses a Geographical Information System environment and remote sensing data to assess the availability and sustainability of forest biomass residues in a management unit with around 940 ha of maritime pine forest. The period considered goes from 2004 to 2015. The study area is located in Southwestern Portugal, close to a pellets factory; therefore the potential contribution of the residual biomass generated in the management unit to the production of pellets is evaluated. An allometric function is used for the estimation of maritime pine above ground biomass. With this estimate, and considering several forest operations, the residual biomass available was assessed, according to stand composition and structure. This study shows that, when maritime pine forests are managed to produce wood, the amount of residues available for energy production is small (an average of 0.37 t ha-1 year-1 were generated in the study area between 2004 and 2015). As a contribution to the sustainability of the Portuguese pellets industries, new management models for maritime pine forests may be developed. The effect of the pinewood nematode on the availability of residual biomass can be clearly seen in this study. In the management unit considered, cuts were made to prevent dissemination of the disease. This contributes to a higher availability of forest residues in a specific period of time, but, in the medium term, they lead to a decrease in the amount of residues that can be used for energy purposes.

ACS Style

Isabel Malico; A.C. Gonçalves; A. Sousa. Assessment of the Availability of Forest Biomass for Biofuels Production in Southwestern Portugal. Defect and Diffusion Forum 2017, 371, 121 -127.

AMA Style

Isabel Malico, A.C. Gonçalves, A. Sousa. Assessment of the Availability of Forest Biomass for Biofuels Production in Southwestern Portugal. Defect and Diffusion Forum. 2017; 371 ():121-127.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Isabel Malico; A.C. Gonçalves; A. Sousa. 2017. "Assessment of the Availability of Forest Biomass for Biofuels Production in Southwestern Portugal." Defect and Diffusion Forum 371, no. : 121-127.

Journal article
Published: 01 January 2017 in Journal of Enhanced Heat Transfer
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ACS Style

José C. F. Pereira; Mario Costa; Isabel Malico. POROUS COUNTERFLOW HEAT EXCHANGER MODEL: EXPERIMENTAL AND NUMERICAL INVESTIGATION. Journal of Enhanced Heat Transfer 2017, 24, 305 -320.

AMA Style

José C. F. Pereira, Mario Costa, Isabel Malico. POROUS COUNTERFLOW HEAT EXCHANGER MODEL: EXPERIMENTAL AND NUMERICAL INVESTIGATION. Journal of Enhanced Heat Transfer. 2017; 24 (1-6):305-320.

Chicago/Turabian Style

José C. F. Pereira; Mario Costa; Isabel Malico. 2017. "POROUS COUNTERFLOW HEAT EXCHANGER MODEL: EXPERIMENTAL AND NUMERICAL INVESTIGATION." Journal of Enhanced Heat Transfer 24, no. 1-6: 305-320.

Research article
Published: 12 October 2016 in Environmental Science and Pollution Research
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Since black carbon concentrations are useful to reveal changes in anthropogenic activities, measurements taken from 2007 to 2015 in a Portuguese city are used to assess to which extent the ambient air was impacted by the economic crisis. The average black carbon concentrations are representative of an urban area of small size (1.3 ± 1.3 μg m-3). The highest concentrations are observed in the heating season, being biomass combustion one of the causes for the high values. The daily cycle of black carbon concentrations presents both morning and evening peaks, mainly due to road traffic and, in the heating season, to domestic heating as well. The yearly averaged black carbon mass concentrations decreased 33 % from 2007 to 2015, possibly due to a combination of the economic recession and environmental legislation. The reduction in road traffic led to a decrease in the daily morning peak from 2007 to 2015. This reduction was not followed by a decrease in the evening peak, explained by an increase in biomass burning. Biomass is the cheapest heating fuel in Portugal, and its consumption increased in the aftermath of the economic crisis. The use of bioenergy is an alternative to fossil fuels and presents many advantages. However, energy policies should discourage inefficient biomass burning and promote better ways of exploiting the available energy resources and emission air pollution mitigation strategies.

ACS Style

Isabel Malico; Sergio Nepomuceno Pereira; Maria João Costa. Black carbon trends in southwestern Iberia in the context of the financial and economic crisis. The role of bioenergy. Environmental Science and Pollution Research 2016, 24, 476 -488.

AMA Style

Isabel Malico, Sergio Nepomuceno Pereira, Maria João Costa. Black carbon trends in southwestern Iberia in the context of the financial and economic crisis. The role of bioenergy. Environmental Science and Pollution Research. 2016; 24 (1):476-488.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Isabel Malico; Sergio Nepomuceno Pereira; Maria João Costa. 2016. "Black carbon trends in southwestern Iberia in the context of the financial and economic crisis. The role of bioenergy." Environmental Science and Pollution Research 24, no. 1: 476-488.

Journal article
Published: 01 January 2016 in Journal of Cleaner Production
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The use of forest and agricultural residues for energy production presents multiple benefits, but the link between bioenergy and the environment is complex and not all of the energetic options have the same impacts. This work evaluates the net positive effect of valorizing residual biomass in the context of a rural area of Portugal, Estremoz. It focuses on the combined assessment of biomass availability, techno-economic feasibility and environmental aspects of utilizing forest and agricultural residues to produce bioheat. At first, the energy potential of the residual biomass available in the municipality is evaluated using a geographical information system database. The assessment with RETScreen of the techno-economic feasibility of replacing electricity by biomass for heating local public schools follows. The results show that around 27 314 t of residues, corresponding to about 267 680 GJ, are produced each year in Estremoz, more than half in montado areas. The use of this biomass for the replacement of the existing electric heating systems of nine local schools by biomass-based ones offers good project profitability. As far as the environment is concerned, the energetic valorization of the residual biomass in Estremoz has multiple benefits. It contributes to climate change mitigation by saving greenhouse gas emissions and promoting the preservation of the traditional extensive uses of the ecosystems. Moreover, a correct vegetation management decreases the fire risk, potentiates the increase in biodiversity, offers better conditions for native species and allows to maintain the ecosystems

ACS Style

I. Malico; J. Carrajola; C. Pinto Gomes; J.C. Lima. Biomass residues for energy production and habitat preservation. Case study in a montado area in Southwestern Europe. Journal of Cleaner Production 2016, 112, 3676 -3683.

AMA Style

I. Malico, J. Carrajola, C. Pinto Gomes, J.C. Lima. Biomass residues for energy production and habitat preservation. Case study in a montado area in Southwestern Europe. Journal of Cleaner Production. 2016; 112 ():3676-3683.

Chicago/Turabian Style

I. Malico; J. Carrajola; C. Pinto Gomes; J.C. Lima. 2016. "Biomass residues for energy production and habitat preservation. Case study in a montado area in Southwestern Europe." Journal of Cleaner Production 112, no. : 3676-3683.

Journal article
Published: 01 June 2015 in Defect and Diffusion Forum
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This paper presents direct numerical simulations for the flow through regular porous media composed of equal size staggered square cylinders obtained with a compact finite differences immersed boundary method. Different moderate Reynolds numbers are simulated in order to capture the dependence of the pressure drop with the Reynolds number in the Forchheimer regime. The pressure drop predictions agree well with the Hazen-Dupuit-Darcy model; however, when compared to a widely used semi-empirical correlation, the modified Ergun equation, the agreement is poor. A better agreement is found if the particle diameter is taken to be equal to the cylinder diameter. From the intrinsic-averaged pressure calculated along the flow direction, it can be seen that, for the porous media studied, the bulk pressure drop dominates and the entrance and exit effects are negligible.

ACS Style

Isabel Malico; C. Ferrão; P.J.S.A. Ferreira De Sousa. Direct Numerical Simulation of the Pressure Drop through Structured Porous Media. Defect and Diffusion Forum 2015, 364, 192 -200.

AMA Style

Isabel Malico, C. Ferrão, P.J.S.A. Ferreira De Sousa. Direct Numerical Simulation of the Pressure Drop through Structured Porous Media. Defect and Diffusion Forum. 2015; 364 ():192-200.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Isabel Malico; C. Ferrão; P.J.S.A. Ferreira De Sousa. 2015. "Direct Numerical Simulation of the Pressure Drop through Structured Porous Media." Defect and Diffusion Forum 364, no. : 192-200.

Journal article
Published: 01 February 2015 in Diffusion Foundations
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This work presents the extension of a compact finite difference immersed boundary method for the detailed calculation of fluid flow and heat transfer in porous media. The unsteady incompressible Navier-Stokes and energy conservation equations are solved with fourth-order Runge-Kutta temporal discretization and fourth-order compact schemes for spatial discretization, which allows achieving highly accurate calculations. Verification proves that the method is higher than third-order accurate. Three test cases were used for the validation of the method: (i) isothermal flow around a square cylinder in a plane parallel channel, (ii) isothermal flow through an infinite row of square cylinders and iii) flow and heat transfer around a square cylinder in a plane parallel channel. The validation tests establish confidence in the application of the method to porous media. As an example of such an application, direct numerical simulations are conducted for a staggered array of equal size square cylinders. Although the problem is rather complex from the geometrical point of view, a Cartesian grid is employed, with all its advantages. The potential of applying an immersed boundary method to the solution of a multiphase problem with complex internal boundaries is demonstrated.

ACS Style

I. Malico; P.J.S.A. Ferreira De Sousa. Modelling the Pore Level Heat Transfer in Porous Media Using the Immersed Boundary Method. Diffusion Foundations 2015, 3, 63 -85.

AMA Style

I. Malico, P.J.S.A. Ferreira De Sousa. Modelling the Pore Level Heat Transfer in Porous Media Using the Immersed Boundary Method. Diffusion Foundations. 2015; 3 ():63-85.

Chicago/Turabian Style

I. Malico; P.J.S.A. Ferreira De Sousa. 2015. "Modelling the Pore Level Heat Transfer in Porous Media Using the Immersed Boundary Method." Diffusion Foundations 3, no. : 63-85.

Journal article
Published: 01 June 2014 in Renewable Energy
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The Amazon region is characterized by communities isolated from the grid that currently are using Diesel engines to produce electricity and that have residual biomass energy potentials between 60 and 500 kW. In this scenario, gasification appears as an evident choice as far as energy generation is concerned. Other than wood, açaí seed is the biomass residue most wasted in the Pará State and its use in gasification systems is assessed in this study. With this purpose, a cylindrical bodied downdraft gasifier was designed, built and tested, and an equilibrium model implemented. The comparison of the simulation values with the experimental and numerical results of other authors show that they are in-line with the predictions of other equilibrium models. Also, they confirm that this kind of models is a fast and useful tool for a preliminary assessment of the applicability of a specific biomass gasification process for electricity production. Moreover, the deviation between the numerical and experimental results obtained in this study was lower around the equivalence ratio that optimizes the gasification process (in the 2.15-2.3 range). As far as biomass humidity is concerned, the producer gas calorific value and cold gas efficiency decreases with an increase in this parameter

ACS Style

Yuu Itai; Robson Santos; Mónica Branquinho; Isabel Malico; Grace F. Ghesti; Augusto M. Brasil. Numerical and experimental assessment of a downdraft gasifier for electric power in Amazon using açaí seed (Euterpe oleracea Mart.) as a fuel. Renewable Energy 2014, 66, 662 -669.

AMA Style

Yuu Itai, Robson Santos, Mónica Branquinho, Isabel Malico, Grace F. Ghesti, Augusto M. Brasil. Numerical and experimental assessment of a downdraft gasifier for electric power in Amazon using açaí seed (Euterpe oleracea Mart.) as a fuel. Renewable Energy. 2014; 66 ():662-669.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Yuu Itai; Robson Santos; Mónica Branquinho; Isabel Malico; Grace F. Ghesti; Augusto M. Brasil. 2014. "Numerical and experimental assessment of a downdraft gasifier for electric power in Amazon using açaí seed (Euterpe oleracea Mart.) as a fuel." Renewable Energy 66, no. : 662-669.

Journal article
Published: 01 February 2013 in Defect and Diffusion Forum
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A compact finite differences method is used to calculate two-dimensional viscous flows through complex geometries. The immersed boundaries are set through body forces that allow for the imposition of boundary conditions that coincide with the computational grid. Two different flow configurations are simulated. First, the flow through a row of cylinders with square cross-sections is calculated and used as a validation study. The computed average drag coefficient and Strouhal number are compared to data available in the literature, showing a good agreement between the results. The second flow configuration analyzed is the flow through a porous matrix composed of equal size staggered square cylinders. Flow visualization results are shown and various flow regimes identified. Different inlet boundary conditions are compared. The drag coefficient is larger when a uniform inlet velocity is prescribed and the variability between cylinders is lower.

ACS Style

P.J.S.A. Ferreira De Sousa; Isabel Malico; Gérson Fernandes. 2D Flow in a Wall-Bounded Porous Medium. Defect and Diffusion Forum 2013, 334-335, 359 -364.

AMA Style

P.J.S.A. Ferreira De Sousa, Isabel Malico, Gérson Fernandes. 2D Flow in a Wall-Bounded Porous Medium. Defect and Diffusion Forum. 2013; 334-335 ():359-364.

Chicago/Turabian Style

P.J.S.A. Ferreira De Sousa; Isabel Malico; Gérson Fernandes. 2013. "2D Flow in a Wall-Bounded Porous Medium." Defect and Diffusion Forum 334-335, no. : 359-364.

Book chapter
Published: 26 June 2012 in Advanced Structured Materials
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This chapter demonstrates the potential of the immersed boundary method for the direct numerical simulation of the flow through porous media. A 2D compact finite differences method was employed to solve the unsteady incompressible Navier–Stokes equations with fourth-order Runge–Kutta temporal discretization and fourth-order compact schemes for spatial discretization. The solutions were obtained in a Cartesian grid, with all the associated advantages. The porous media is made of equal size square cylinders in a staggered arrangement and is bounded by solid walls. The transverse and longitudinal distances between cylinders are equal to two cylinder diameters and at the inlet a fully developed velocity profile is specified. The Reynolds number based on the cylinder diameter and maximum inlet velocity ranges from 40 to 80. The different flow regimes are identified and characterised, along with the prediction of the Reynolds number at which transition from steady to unsteady flow takes place. Additionally, the average drag and lift coefficients are presented as a function of the Reynolds number.

ACS Style

Isabel Malico; Paulo J. S. A. Ferreira De Sousa. Modeling the Pore Level Fluid Flow in Porous Media Using the Immersed Boundary Method. Advanced Structured Materials 2012, 27, 229 -251.

AMA Style

Isabel Malico, Paulo J. S. A. Ferreira De Sousa. Modeling the Pore Level Fluid Flow in Porous Media Using the Immersed Boundary Method. Advanced Structured Materials. 2012; 27 ():229-251.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Isabel Malico; Paulo J. S. A. Ferreira De Sousa. 2012. "Modeling the Pore Level Fluid Flow in Porous Media Using the Immersed Boundary Method." Advanced Structured Materials 27, no. : 229-251.

Journal article
Published: 01 April 2012 in Defect and Diffusion Forum
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This paper is centred on a compact finite differences method for the calculation of two-dimensional viscous flows through complex geometries. The immersed boundaries are set through body forces that allow for the imposition of boundary conditions that coincide with the computational grid. Two different flow configurations are simulated. First, the flow past a cylinder with square cross-section inside a plane channel is calculated. The computed average drag coefficient and Strouhal number are compared to data available in the literature. The agreement between the results is good. The second flow configuration analyzed is the flow through a porous matrix composed of equal size staggered square cylinders. Flow visualization results are shown. The work presented in this paper illustrates the potential of the immersed boundary method in general and of this implementation in particular to simulate the flow through porous matrices.

ACS Style

P.J.S.A. Ferreira De Sousa; Isabel Malico; Gérson Fernandes. Numerical Simulation of 2D Flow through a Packed Bed of Square Cylinders. Defect and Diffusion Forum 2012, 326-328, 725 -730.

AMA Style

P.J.S.A. Ferreira De Sousa, Isabel Malico, Gérson Fernandes. Numerical Simulation of 2D Flow through a Packed Bed of Square Cylinders. Defect and Diffusion Forum. 2012; 326-328 ():725-730.

Chicago/Turabian Style

P.J.S.A. Ferreira De Sousa; Isabel Malico; Gérson Fernandes. 2012. "Numerical Simulation of 2D Flow through a Packed Bed of Square Cylinders." Defect and Diffusion Forum 326-328, no. : 725-730.

Journal article
Published: 01 April 2012 in Energy Policy
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The current status and legal framework of biogas production in Portugal are analyzed and compared to that of five other European countries, characterized by wide-ranging diversity of substrates and biogas applications. With this comparison, and with the calculation of the biogas energy potential in Portugal, the authors want to assess the significance of developing the Portuguese biogas sector. This study illustrates that the highest biogas feed-in tariffs are applied in the countries with a more developed sector. In Portugal, despite the fact that the organic effluents are a relevant energy source (873 Mm3 biogas year-1; 4889 GWh year-1) and that new feed-in tariffs were established, biogas valorisation is still at an early stage. The importance of anaerobic digestion was only recognized in 2007 and the present installed power is about 10% of the potential electrical power (229 MW). Therefore, it is desirable to strengthen the national and regional biogas market

ACS Style

Miguel Ferreira; Isabel Paula Marques; Isabel Malico. Biogas in Portugal: Status and public policies in a European context. Energy Policy 2012, 43, 267 -274.

AMA Style

Miguel Ferreira, Isabel Paula Marques, Isabel Malico. Biogas in Portugal: Status and public policies in a European context. Energy Policy. 2012; 43 ():267-274.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Miguel Ferreira; Isabel Paula Marques; Isabel Malico. 2012. "Biogas in Portugal: Status and public policies in a European context." Energy Policy 43, no. : 267-274.

Journal article
Published: 01 January 2012 in Journal of Porous Media
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This paper reports experiments and calculations for the flow at the inlet and exit of a ceramic foam located in a straight pipe and in a pipe with a 1:4 sudden expansion. For the latter, the foam, with thickness to diameter ratio between 0.15 and 0.60, was located at different distances from the sudden expansion wall. Three different pore sizes (10, 20 and 60 ppi) were investigated for pore Reynolds numbers in the range 20

ACS Style

Jose Pereira; Isabel Malico; T. C. Hayashi; Jorge M. F. Raposo. A STUDY OF HIGH REYNOLDS NUMBER PIPE FLOWS WITH POROUS INSERTS. Journal of Porous Media 2012, 15, 549 -563.

AMA Style

Jose Pereira, Isabel Malico, T. C. Hayashi, Jorge M. F. Raposo. A STUDY OF HIGH REYNOLDS NUMBER PIPE FLOWS WITH POROUS INSERTS. Journal of Porous Media. 2012; 15 (6):549-563.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Jose Pereira; Isabel Malico; T. C. Hayashi; Jorge M. F. Raposo. 2012. "A STUDY OF HIGH REYNOLDS NUMBER PIPE FLOWS WITH POROUS INSERTS." Journal of Porous Media 15, no. 6: 549-563.