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Prof. MIGUEL TORRES GARCIA
Department of Energy Engineering, University of Seville, 41092 Seville, Spain

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Journal article
Published: 05 June 2021 in Sustainability
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This article presents a methodological proposal to address the urban issue from the perspective of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Different tools have been developed for this purpose: the Aura Method and the Aura Matrix. The Aura Matrix of relationships built from the SDGs, along with the conceptual proposals to which the project must respond, allows for the definition of a methodological framework of action, defined as the Aura Method, applicable to any project that aims to respond to the urban scale from a more sustainable and healthy approach and within the framework of the above-mentioned goals. Two proposals for the Solar Decathlon Latin America of the Aura Team from the University of Seville (2015 and 2019) in Cali, Colombia, and their comparison, are presented as case studies. The scope of the 2019 proposal based on the use of these tools is more rigorous and bold with respect to the requirements defined by the SDGs than the 2015 proposal, based on the millennium goals. This reinforces to a great extent the resilience of the urban scope under study and its capacity to face serious situations in terms of citizens’ health, such as the pandemic we are currently suffering, and improves life quality. The main findings lay on the defined Aura Matrix and Aura Method tools as pragmatic opportunities to translate conceptual approaches such as G3: ‘Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages’ into practical decisions and urban design proposals to improve the quality of life and health of citizens.

ACS Style

Rafael Herrera-Limones; Maria LopezDeAsiain; Milagrosa Borrallo-Jiménez; Miguel Torres García. Tools for the Implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals in the Design of an Urban Environmental and Healthy Proposal. A Case Study. Sustainability 2021, 13, 6431 .

AMA Style

Rafael Herrera-Limones, Maria LopezDeAsiain, Milagrosa Borrallo-Jiménez, Miguel Torres García. Tools for the Implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals in the Design of an Urban Environmental and Healthy Proposal. A Case Study. Sustainability. 2021; 13 (11):6431.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Rafael Herrera-Limones; Maria LopezDeAsiain; Milagrosa Borrallo-Jiménez; Miguel Torres García. 2021. "Tools for the Implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals in the Design of an Urban Environmental and Healthy Proposal. A Case Study." Sustainability 13, no. 11: 6431.

Journal article
Published: 23 May 2021 in International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
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The COVID-19 pandemic forced the population worldwide into lockdown. The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of this measure on the health and comfort of university students and the role that the characteristics of the home may have played. It is essential to differentiate between the terms comfort and health both from the medical and architectural perspectives, as there are differences between the two concepts that are, nonetheless, shared by both disciplines. An online survey was fulfilled by 188 medicine and architecture undergraduate students at the University of Seville, Spain. In terms of health, 89% suffered neuropsychiatric disorders (56% anxiety and 49% depression), 38% gained weight and 59% reported alcohol consumption. In relation to comfort, the majority rated their home positively, comfortable in terms of room temperature and noise at night, and they had a good relationship with cohabitants. However, those who did not have a balcony or terrace would have liked to have open spaces They would have also liked to increase the size of their bedroom, where they spent most of their time and where they studied. A built-up environment gave them a sense of being imprisoned, while those who enjoyed open spaces found a sense of peace. The absence of open spaces in the house, the environment and the impossibility of making the most frequently used spaces more flexible may have had negative impacts on the health and comfort of university students during confinement.

ACS Style

Antonio Millán-Jiménez; Rafael Herrera-Limones; Álvaro López-Escamilla; Emma López-Rubio; Miguel Torres-García. Confinement, Comfort and Health: Analysis of the Real Influence of Lockdown on University Students during the COVID-19 Pandemic. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 2021, 18, 5572 .

AMA Style

Antonio Millán-Jiménez, Rafael Herrera-Limones, Álvaro López-Escamilla, Emma López-Rubio, Miguel Torres-García. Confinement, Comfort and Health: Analysis of the Real Influence of Lockdown on University Students during the COVID-19 Pandemic. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2021; 18 (11):5572.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Antonio Millán-Jiménez; Rafael Herrera-Limones; Álvaro López-Escamilla; Emma López-Rubio; Miguel Torres-García. 2021. "Confinement, Comfort and Health: Analysis of the Real Influence of Lockdown on University Students during the COVID-19 Pandemic." International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 18, no. 11: 5572.

Editorial
Published: 09 May 2021 in Processes
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Biofuels have recently attracted a lot of attention, mainly as alternative fuels for applications in energy generation and transportation

ACS Style

Miguel Torres-García; Paloma Álvarez-Mateos; Juan García-Martín. Special Issue “Production of Biofuels and Numerical Modelling of Chemical Combustion Systems”. Processes 2021, 9, 829 .

AMA Style

Miguel Torres-García, Paloma Álvarez-Mateos, Juan García-Martín. Special Issue “Production of Biofuels and Numerical Modelling of Chemical Combustion Systems”. Processes. 2021; 9 (5):829.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Miguel Torres-García; Paloma Álvarez-Mateos; Juan García-Martín. 2021. "Special Issue “Production of Biofuels and Numerical Modelling of Chemical Combustion Systems”." Processes 9, no. 5: 829.

Journal article
Published: 13 February 2021 in Sustainability
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In this research, a study is carried out on the differences between tourism start-ups in relation to intangibles, economic and financial sustainability, by region and by sector of activity, in order to determine their sustainability both in a situation of economic crisis and growth, In the study carried out in this article, the tourist startups are identified, by branch of activity (hotels, restaurants, transport and travel agencies) with identification of intangibles in their balance sheet. Once identified, a descriptive analysis of the incorporation of intangibles, economic sustainability and financial sustainability, by branch of activity and community, is developed. This analysis is completed with an analysis of variance to determine if there is a relationship between intangible and branches of tourism and region; economic sustainability and branches of tourism and region; financial sustainability and branches of tourism and region. The conclusions of the work show that parameters such as investment in intangibles, economic sustainability and financial sustainability are key variables in crisis situations such as the current one.

ACS Style

María García-Gallo; Félix Jiménez-Naharro; Miguel Torres-García; José Guadix-Martín; Susan Giesecke. Sustainability of Spanish Tourism Start-Ups in the Face of an Economic Crisis. Sustainability 2021, 13, 2026 .

AMA Style

María García-Gallo, Félix Jiménez-Naharro, Miguel Torres-García, José Guadix-Martín, Susan Giesecke. Sustainability of Spanish Tourism Start-Ups in the Face of an Economic Crisis. Sustainability. 2021; 13 (4):2026.

Chicago/Turabian Style

María García-Gallo; Félix Jiménez-Naharro; Miguel Torres-García; José Guadix-Martín; Susan Giesecke. 2021. "Sustainability of Spanish Tourism Start-Ups in the Face of an Economic Crisis." Sustainability 13, no. 4: 2026.

Journal article
Published: 31 October 2020 in Applied Sciences
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The AURA 1.0 prototype is a sustainable social housing proposal, designed by the University of Seville and built for the first Latin American edition of the prestigious Solar Decathlon competition. Different conditioning strategies were integrated into this prototype, optimized for a tropical climate, and focused on contributing positively to the health of the most humble people in society. In this moment, in which a large part of the world population is confined to their homes due to the Covid-19 pandemic, we have the opportunity (and the obligation) to reconsider the relationship between architecture and medicine or in other words, between the daily human habitat and health. For this reason, this analysis of aspects derived from the interior conditioning of the homes is carried out. The main objective of the Aura proposal is to be able to extract data through a housing monitoring system, which allows us to transfer some design strategies to the society to which is a case study, in order to promote environmental comfort and, therefore, people’s health. The AURA 1.0 prototype develops flexible and adaptable living spaces, with a high environmental quality, in order to maintain the variables of temperature, relative humidity and natural lighting within a range of comfort required by the rules of the event. To achieve this end, the prototype develops an architectural proposal that combines passive and active conditioning strategies, using construction qualities and typical costs of social housing. These strategies allowed the project to achieve the first prize in the Comfort Conditions test. So, this paper presents an appropriate and tested solution that can satisfy comfortability and health of residents who live in social housing while maintaining low energy consumption.

ACS Style

Álvaro López-Escamilla; Rafael Herrera-Limones; Ángel León-Rodríguez; Miguel Torres-García. Environmental Comfort as a Sustainable Strategy for Housing Integration: The AURA 1.0 Prototype for Social Housing. Applied Sciences 2020, 10, 7734 .

AMA Style

Álvaro López-Escamilla, Rafael Herrera-Limones, Ángel León-Rodríguez, Miguel Torres-García. Environmental Comfort as a Sustainable Strategy for Housing Integration: The AURA 1.0 Prototype for Social Housing. Applied Sciences. 2020; 10 (21):7734.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Álvaro López-Escamilla; Rafael Herrera-Limones; Ángel León-Rodríguez; Miguel Torres-García. 2020. "Environmental Comfort as a Sustainable Strategy for Housing Integration: The AURA 1.0 Prototype for Social Housing." Applied Sciences 10, no. 21: 7734.

Journal article
Published: 20 August 2020 in Energies
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The construction industry is responsible for a high percentage of the energy consumed on the planet and the emission of greenhouse gases, therefore it is considered necessary to rethink many of the processes that this industry carries out in order to reduce its environmental impact. For this, one of the paths could take into account the Life Cycle Assessment of the used materials, for which it is necessary to evaluate this aspect through indicators that allow the qualification and quantification of the weight of these environmental impacts. In this context, this article presents a methodological proposal for the quantitative evaluation of the embodied primary energy and CO2 production at each stage of the life cycle of prefabricated structural systems, taking as case studies eight prototypes from the “Solar Decathlon” competition in its editions of Europe (2014), United States (2015) and Latin America (2015), through a Simplified Life Cycle Analysis, using the Eco Audit tool from CES Edupack. Through this analysis, conclusions are drawn about the optimization of a structural system with lower environmental demand and the possibilities of transferring knowledge from this competition to be applied in innovative systems of new housing models.

ACS Style

J.F. Luna-Tintos; Carlos Cobreros; Álvaro López-Escamilla; Rafael Herrera-Limones; Miguel Torres-García. Methodology to Evaluate the Embodied Primary Energy and CO2 Production at Each Stage of the Life Cycle of Prefabricated Structural Systems: The Case of the Solar Decathlon Competition. Energies 2020, 13, 4311 .

AMA Style

J.F. Luna-Tintos, Carlos Cobreros, Álvaro López-Escamilla, Rafael Herrera-Limones, Miguel Torres-García. Methodology to Evaluate the Embodied Primary Energy and CO2 Production at Each Stage of the Life Cycle of Prefabricated Structural Systems: The Case of the Solar Decathlon Competition. Energies. 2020; 13 (17):4311.

Chicago/Turabian Style

J.F. Luna-Tintos; Carlos Cobreros; Álvaro López-Escamilla; Rafael Herrera-Limones; Miguel Torres-García. 2020. "Methodology to Evaluate the Embodied Primary Energy and CO2 Production at Each Stage of the Life Cycle of Prefabricated Structural Systems: The Case of the Solar Decathlon Competition." Energies 13, no. 17: 4311.

Journal article
Published: 14 August 2020 in International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
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Medicine and architecture are disciplines with the main objectives of satisfying the fundamental needs of human beings: health, comfort, well-being, safety, and ensuring an acceptable quality of life in a sustainable habitat. In both areas of knowledge, the advances and the most innovative proposals in the fields of research and teaching are focused on transversal knowledge and the use of learning methods through problem solving (learning by doing). The student competitions called “Solar Decathlon” are focused on the development of these concepts, in which prototypes of sustainable and, as far as possible, healthy social housing are tested. In these university competitions, the design of energy-efficient and comfortable living environments that contribute to the health of the occupants are encouraged; however, the methodology for evaluating the “comfort conditions” stipulated in the competition rules considers only parameters that can be monitored by sensors. For this article, the prototypes presented by the “Solar Decathlon Team of the University of Seville” to the editions of said competition held in Latin America and Europe (in 2015 and 2019, respectively) are being studied. The present research starts from the fact that the unique consideration of measurable indices (such as temperature, humidity, etc.), is clearly insufficient when it comes to evaluating the real conditions of habitability and comfort that a domestic architectural space presents. For this reason, a theoretical–practical analysis is carried out by means of surveys, with the final objective of determining a methodology for evaluating comfort—complementary to that of the competition—which assesses other relevant issues and which, in short, takes into account the repercussion on people’s health. From our analysis, we conclude that at least these two methodologies should be used to evaluate comfort because they are individually considered incomplete in terms of the data provided by each one of them. The survey-based methodology provides complementary information on comfort and health that could be taken into account in future editions of Solar Decathlon.

ACS Style

Rafael Herrera-Limones; Antonio Millán-Jiménez; Álvaro López-Escamilla; Miguel Torres-García. Health and Habitability in the Solar Decathlon University Competitions: Statistical Quantification and Real Influence on Comfort Conditions. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 2020, 17, 5926 .

AMA Style

Rafael Herrera-Limones, Antonio Millán-Jiménez, Álvaro López-Escamilla, Miguel Torres-García. Health and Habitability in the Solar Decathlon University Competitions: Statistical Quantification and Real Influence on Comfort Conditions. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2020; 17 (16):5926.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Rafael Herrera-Limones; Antonio Millán-Jiménez; Álvaro López-Escamilla; Miguel Torres-García. 2020. "Health and Habitability in the Solar Decathlon University Competitions: Statistical Quantification and Real Influence on Comfort Conditions." International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 17, no. 16: 5926.

Journal article
Published: 01 June 2020 in Journal of the Energy Institute
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There is a high potential for plant oils as alternative fuel for low and medium speed diesel engines, making petroleum-derived fuels likely to be replaced in these types of engines. Vegetable oils have important advantages over both heavy fuel oil (HFO) and marine gas oil (MGO), the fuels currently used in diesel power plants by large two stroke low-speed diesel engines and by medium speed diesel engines, respectively. The emission of certain pollutants and greenhouse gases like SOx, soot and, mainly, CO2 can be reduced by using vegetable oils in these types of engines. This work discusses the potential of vegetable oils as fuel for power plant diesel engines and the problems that can be derived from their use. Current experiences with medium speed diesel engines together with the analysis carried out in this paper indicate that vegetable oils can substitute HFO and MGO, without almost any engine modification.

ACS Style

Miguel Torres-García; Juan Francisco Garcia Martin; Francisco José Jiménez-Espadafor Aguilar; Douglas Fernandes Barbin; Paloma Álvarez-Mateos. Vegetable oils as renewable fuels for power plants based on low and medium speed diesel engines. Journal of the Energy Institute 2020, 93, 953 -961.

AMA Style

Miguel Torres-García, Juan Francisco Garcia Martin, Francisco José Jiménez-Espadafor Aguilar, Douglas Fernandes Barbin, Paloma Álvarez-Mateos. Vegetable oils as renewable fuels for power plants based on low and medium speed diesel engines. Journal of the Energy Institute. 2020; 93 (3):953-961.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Miguel Torres-García; Juan Francisco Garcia Martin; Francisco José Jiménez-Espadafor Aguilar; Douglas Fernandes Barbin; Paloma Álvarez-Mateos. 2020. "Vegetable oils as renewable fuels for power plants based on low and medium speed diesel engines." Journal of the Energy Institute 93, no. 3: 953-961.

Journal article
Published: 22 May 2020 in Sustainability
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Nowadays, start-ups, assuming increasing importance, have the possibility to include intangible knowledge as another resource on which they can carry out planning exercises, impact studies, evaluation and monitoring, protection, accumulation and exploitation. The study carried out in this paper allows us to analyze the influence that intangible knowledge has on the financial status of a start-up and, therefore, on its economic sustainability. This enables start-ups to present a good image, become more transparent, have more opportunities, reduce uncertainty, improve sustainability, etc. Moreover, the study presents a descriptive analysis of intangibles according to regions and activity sectors. An analysis of variance was carried out, to see if there is a relationship between the investment in intangible assets and the activity sector and/or regions to which the company belongs. The study concludes that, among all sectors, the differences in the incorporation of intangible assets into financial statements are most recognized in tourism, which may be a key factor for the sustainability of this sector, especially in periods of economic crisis, such as the one Europe and the planet are currently facing.

ACS Style

María Dolores García-Gallo; Félix Jiménez-Naharro; Miguel Torres-García; Susan L. Giesecke; José Guadix-Martín. Incorporation of the Intangibles into the Spanish Start-Ups by Activity Sector and Region. Improving Their Economic Sustainability. Sustainability 2020, 12, 4268 .

AMA Style

María Dolores García-Gallo, Félix Jiménez-Naharro, Miguel Torres-García, Susan L. Giesecke, José Guadix-Martín. Incorporation of the Intangibles into the Spanish Start-Ups by Activity Sector and Region. Improving Their Economic Sustainability. Sustainability. 2020; 12 (10):4268.

Chicago/Turabian Style

María Dolores García-Gallo; Félix Jiménez-Naharro; Miguel Torres-García; Susan L. Giesecke; José Guadix-Martín. 2020. "Incorporation of the Intangibles into the Spanish Start-Ups by Activity Sector and Region. Improving Their Economic Sustainability." Sustainability 12, no. 10: 4268.

Review
Published: 26 April 2020 in Processes
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Olive oil industry is one of the most important industries in the world. Currently, the land devoted to olive-tree cultivation around the world is ca. 11 × 106 ha, which produces more than 20 × 106 t olives per year. Most of these olives are destined to the production of olive oils. The main by-products of the olive oil industry are olive-pruning debris, olive stones and different pomaces. In cultures with traditional and intensive typologies, one single ha of olive grove annually generates more than 5 t of these by-products. The disposal of these by-products in the field can led to environmental problems. Notwithstanding, these by-products (biomasses) have a huge potential as source of energy. The objective of this paper is to comprehensively review the latest advances focused on energy production from olive-pruning debris, olive stones and pomaces, including processes such as combustion, gasification and pyrolysis, and the production of biofuels such as bioethanol and biodiesel. Future research efforts required for biofuel production are also discussed. The future of the olive oil industry must move towards a greater interrelation between olive oil production, conservation of the environment and energy generation.

ACS Style

Juan Francisco García Martín; Manuel Cuevas; Chao-Hui Feng; Paloma Álvarez Mateos; Miguel Torres García; Sebastián Sánchez. Energetic Valorisation of Olive Biomass: Olive-Tree Pruning, Olive Stones and Pomaces. Processes 2020, 8, 511 .

AMA Style

Juan Francisco García Martín, Manuel Cuevas, Chao-Hui Feng, Paloma Álvarez Mateos, Miguel Torres García, Sebastián Sánchez. Energetic Valorisation of Olive Biomass: Olive-Tree Pruning, Olive Stones and Pomaces. Processes. 2020; 8 (5):511.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Juan Francisco García Martín; Manuel Cuevas; Chao-Hui Feng; Paloma Álvarez Mateos; Miguel Torres García; Sebastián Sánchez. 2020. "Energetic Valorisation of Olive Biomass: Olive-Tree Pruning, Olive Stones and Pomaces." Processes 8, no. 5: 511.

Journal article
Published: 30 March 2020 in Plants
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Jatropha curcas has the ability to phytoextract high amounts of heavy metals during its first months just after seeding. Notwithstanding, there is scarce information about metal uptake by adult J. curcas plants. To shed light on this issue, 4-year-old J. curcas L. plants were planted in a soil mixture of peat moss and mining soil (high metals content), and the biomass growth and metal absorption during 90 days were compared with those of plants growing in peat moss. The main metal found in the mining soil was Fe (31985 mg kg−1) along with high amounts of As (23717 mg kg−1). After the 90-day phytoremediation, the plant removed 29% of Fe and 44% of As from the soil mixture. Results revealed that J. curcas L. translocated high amounts of metals to its aerial parts, so that translocation factors were much higher than 1. Because of the high translocation and bioaccumulation factors obtained, J. curcas L. can be regarded as a hyperaccumulator plant. Despite the great capacity of J. curcas L. to phytoremediate heavy-metal-contaminated soils, the main drawback is the subsequent handling of the metal-contaminated biomass, although some potential applications have been recently highlighted for this biomass.

ACS Style

Juan Francisco García Martín; María Del Carmen González Caro; María Del Carmen López Barrera; Miguel Torres García; Douglas Barbin; Paloma Álvarez Mateos. Metal Accumulation by Jatropha curcas L. Adult Plants Grown on Heavy Metal-Contaminated Soil. Plants 2020, 9, 418 .

AMA Style

Juan Francisco García Martín, María Del Carmen González Caro, María Del Carmen López Barrera, Miguel Torres García, Douglas Barbin, Paloma Álvarez Mateos. Metal Accumulation by Jatropha curcas L. Adult Plants Grown on Heavy Metal-Contaminated Soil. Plants. 2020; 9 (4):418.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Juan Francisco García Martín; María Del Carmen González Caro; María Del Carmen López Barrera; Miguel Torres García; Douglas Barbin; Paloma Álvarez Mateos. 2020. "Metal Accumulation by Jatropha curcas L. Adult Plants Grown on Heavy Metal-Contaminated Soil." Plants 9, no. 4: 418.

Journal article
Published: 11 December 2019 in Processes
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To meet the increasingly strict emission limits imposed by regulations, internal combustion engines for transport applications require the urgent development of novel emission abatement systems. The introduction of biodiesel or other biofuels in the engine operation is considered to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. However, these alternative fuels can affect the performance of the post-combustion systems due to the variability they introduce in the exhaust particle distribution and their particular physical properties. Bioceramic materials made from vegetal waste are characterized by having an orthotropic hierarchical microstructure, which can be tailored in some way to optimize the filtration mechanisms as a function of the particle distribution of the combustion gases. Consequently, they can be good candidates to cope with the variability that new biofuel blends introduce in the engine operation. The objective of this work is to predict the filtration performance of a wall-flow particulate filter (DPF) made of biomorphic silicon carbide (bioSiC) with a systematic procedure that allows to eventually fit different fuel inputs. For this purpose; a well-validated DPF model available as commercial software has been chosen and adapted to the specific microstructural features of bioSiC. Fitting the specific filtration and permeability parameters of this biomaterial into the model; the filtration efficiency and pressure drop of the filter are predicted with sufficient accuracy during the loading test. The results obtained through this study show the potential of this novel DPF substrate; the material/microstructural design of which can be adapted through the selection of an optimum precursor.

ACS Style

M. Pilar Orihuela; Onoufrios Haralampous; Ricardo Chacartegui; Miguel Torres García; Julián Martínez-Fernández. Numerical Simulation of a Wall-Flow Particulate Filter Made of Biomorphic Silicon Carbide Able to Fit Different Fuel/Biofuel Inputs. Processes 2019, 7, 945 .

AMA Style

M. Pilar Orihuela, Onoufrios Haralampous, Ricardo Chacartegui, Miguel Torres García, Julián Martínez-Fernández. Numerical Simulation of a Wall-Flow Particulate Filter Made of Biomorphic Silicon Carbide Able to Fit Different Fuel/Biofuel Inputs. Processes. 2019; 7 (12):945.

Chicago/Turabian Style

M. Pilar Orihuela; Onoufrios Haralampous; Ricardo Chacartegui; Miguel Torres García; Julián Martínez-Fernández. 2019. "Numerical Simulation of a Wall-Flow Particulate Filter Made of Biomorphic Silicon Carbide Able to Fit Different Fuel/Biofuel Inputs." Processes 7, no. 12: 945.

Journal article
Published: 08 November 2019 in Processes
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Companies in the field of the collection and treatment of waste cooking oils (WCO) for subsequent biodiesel production usually have to cope with high acidity oils, which cannot be directly transformed into fatty acid methyl esters due to soap production. Since glycerine is the main byproduct of biodiesel production, these high acidity oils could be esterified with the glycerine surplus to transform the free fatty acids (FFA) into triglycerides before performing the transesterification. In this work, commercial glycerol was esterified with commercial fatty acids and commercial fatty acid/lampante olive oil mixtures over tin (II) chloride. In the first set of experiments, the esterification of linoleic acid with glycerol excess from 20 to 80% molar over the stoichiometric was performed. From 20% glycerol excess, there was no improvement in FFA reduction. Using 20% glycerol excess, the performance of a biochar obtained from heavy metal-contaminated plant roots was compared to that of SnCl2. Then, the effect of the initial FFA content was assessed using different oleic acid/lampante olive oil mixtures. The results illustrated that glycerolysis was impeded at initial FFA contents lower than 10%. Finally, the glycerolysis of a WCO with 9.94% FFA was assayed, without success.

ACS Style

Juan Francisco García Martín; Javier Carrión Ruiz; Miguel Torres García; Chao-Hui Feng; Paloma Álvarez Mateos. Esterification of Free Fatty Acids with Glycerol within the Biodiesel Production Framework. Processes 2019, 7, 832 .

AMA Style

Juan Francisco García Martín, Javier Carrión Ruiz, Miguel Torres García, Chao-Hui Feng, Paloma Álvarez Mateos. Esterification of Free Fatty Acids with Glycerol within the Biodiesel Production Framework. Processes. 2019; 7 (11):832.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Juan Francisco García Martín; Javier Carrión Ruiz; Miguel Torres García; Chao-Hui Feng; Paloma Álvarez Mateos. 2019. "Esterification of Free Fatty Acids with Glycerol within the Biodiesel Production Framework." Processes 7, no. 11: 832.

Journal article
Published: 21 May 2019 in Processes
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Waste cooking oils (WCO) recycling companies usually have economic losses for buying WCO not suitable for biodiesel production, e.g., WCO with high free acidity (FA). For this reason, the determination of FA of WCO by near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy was studied in this work to assess its potential for in situ application. To do this, FA of 45 WCO was measured by the classical titration method, which ranged between 0.15 and 3.77%. Then, the NIR spectra from 800 to 2200 nm of these WCO were acquired, and a partial least squares model was built, relating the NIR spectra to FA values. The accuracy of the model was quite high, providing r2 of 0.970 and a ratio of performance to deviation (RPD) of 4.05. Subsequently, a model using an NIR range similar to that provided by portable NIR spectrometers (950–1650 nm) was built. The performance was lower (r2 = 0.905; RPD = 2.66), but even so, with good accuracy, which demonstrates the potential of NIR spectroscopy for the in situ determination of FA of WCO.

ACS Style

Juan Francisco García Martín; María Del Carmen López Barrera; Miguel Torres García; Qing-An Zhang; Paloma Álvarez Mateos; García Martín; Del Carmen Barrera; Torres García; Álvarez Mateos. Determination of the Acidity of Waste Cooking Oils by Near Infrared Spectroscopy. Processes 2019, 7, 304 .

AMA Style

Juan Francisco García Martín, María Del Carmen López Barrera, Miguel Torres García, Qing-An Zhang, Paloma Álvarez Mateos, García Martín, Del Carmen Barrera, Torres García, Álvarez Mateos. Determination of the Acidity of Waste Cooking Oils by Near Infrared Spectroscopy. Processes. 2019; 7 (5):304.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Juan Francisco García Martín; María Del Carmen López Barrera; Miguel Torres García; Qing-An Zhang; Paloma Álvarez Mateos; García Martín; Del Carmen Barrera; Torres García; Álvarez Mateos. 2019. "Determination of the Acidity of Waste Cooking Oils by Near Infrared Spectroscopy." Processes 7, no. 5: 304.

Journal article
Published: 23 February 2019 in Energies
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This work aims to shed light on the use of two biochars, obtained from the pyrolysis at 550 °C of heavy-metal-contaminated Jatropha curcas L. roots, as heterogeneous catalysts for glycerol esterification using residual glycerine. To do this, glycerine from biodiesel production was purified. In a first step, H3PO4 or H2SO4 was used to remove non-glycerol organic matter. The glycerol-rich phase was then extracted with ethanol or propanol, which increased the glycerol content from 43.2% to up to 100%. Subsequently, the esterification of both purified glycerine and commercial USP glycerine was assayed with acetic acid (AA) or with acetic anhydride (AH) at 9:1 molar ratio to glycerol using Amberlyst-15 as catalyst. Different reaction times (from 1.5 to 3 h) and temperatures (100–115 °C when using AA and 80–135 °C when using AH) were assessed. Results revealed that the most suitable conditions were 80 °C and 1.5 h reaction time using AH, achieving 100% yield and selectivity towards triacetylglycerol (TAG) almost with both glycerines. Finally, the performance and reuse of the two heterogeneous biocatalysts was assessed. Under these conditions, one of the biocatalysts also achieved 100% TAG yield.

ACS Style

Juan Francisco García-Martín; Francisco Javier Alés-Álvarez; Miguel Torres-García; Chao-Hui Feng; Paloma Álvarez-Mateos. Production of Oxygenated Fuel Additives from Residual Glycerine Using Biocatalysts Obtained from Heavy-Metal-Contaminated Jatropha curcas L. Roots. Energies 2019, 12, 740 .

AMA Style

Juan Francisco García-Martín, Francisco Javier Alés-Álvarez, Miguel Torres-García, Chao-Hui Feng, Paloma Álvarez-Mateos. Production of Oxygenated Fuel Additives from Residual Glycerine Using Biocatalysts Obtained from Heavy-Metal-Contaminated Jatropha curcas L. Roots. Energies. 2019; 12 (4):740.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Juan Francisco García-Martín; Francisco Javier Alés-Álvarez; Miguel Torres-García; Chao-Hui Feng; Paloma Álvarez-Mateos. 2019. "Production of Oxygenated Fuel Additives from Residual Glycerine Using Biocatalysts Obtained from Heavy-Metal-Contaminated Jatropha curcas L. Roots." Energies 12, no. 4: 740.

Journal article
Published: 10 November 2018 in Engineering Failure Analysis
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This work is focused on the study of the failures identified in the valve train system of two different types of engines, one diesel and one fed by compressed natural gas, both pertaining to a fleet of urban buses. The studied failure has been reported in >20 different units, the affected elements being both the cams (material removal at the cam nose) and the tappets (hard plate removal and strong tappet core deformation) and requiring the vehicles to be out of service until being repaired. In order to determine the root cause of the failure, the performed analyses have covered the lube oil characteristics, the kinematic chain status, highlighting the review of the camshaft modal response and the behaviour of the valves springs, and, finally, the verification of the selection regarding both the material and heat treatment of the camshaft.

ACS Style

José Antonio Vélez Godiño; Miguel Torres García; Francisco José Jiménez-Espadafor Aguilar; Daniel Palomo Guerrero. Failure analysis of an overhead valve train system in urban buses. Engineering Failure Analysis 2018, 96, 455 -467.

AMA Style

José Antonio Vélez Godiño, Miguel Torres García, Francisco José Jiménez-Espadafor Aguilar, Daniel Palomo Guerrero. Failure analysis of an overhead valve train system in urban buses. Engineering Failure Analysis. 2018; 96 ():455-467.

Chicago/Turabian Style

José Antonio Vélez Godiño; Miguel Torres García; Francisco José Jiménez-Espadafor Aguilar; Daniel Palomo Guerrero. 2018. "Failure analysis of an overhead valve train system in urban buses." Engineering Failure Analysis 96, no. : 455-467.

Journal article
Published: 05 October 2018 in Energies
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In this study, the results of simulations generated from different thermodynamic models of Stirling engines are compared, including characterizations of both instantaneous and indicated operative parameters. The aim was to develop a tool to guide the decision-making process regarding the optimization of both the performance and reliability of Stirling engines, such as the 2.9 kW GENOA 03 unit—the focus of this work. The behavior of the engine is characterized using two different approaches: an ideal isothermal model, the simplest of those available, and analysis using the ideal adiabatic model, which is more complex than the first. Some of the results obtained with the referred ideal models deviated considerably from the expected values, particularly in terms of thermal efficiency, so a set of modifications to the ideal adiabatic model are proposed. These modifications, mainly related to both heat transfer and fluid friction phenomena, are intended to overcome the limitations due to the idealization of the engine working cycle, and are expected to generate results closer to the actual behavior of the Stirling engine, despite the increase in the complexity derived from the modelling and simulation processes.

ACS Style

Miguel Torres García; Elisa Carvajal Trujillo; José Antonio Vélez Godiño; David Sánchez Martínez. Thermodynamic Model for Performance Analysis of a Stirling Engine Prototype. Energies 2018, 11, 2655 .

AMA Style

Miguel Torres García, Elisa Carvajal Trujillo, José Antonio Vélez Godiño, David Sánchez Martínez. Thermodynamic Model for Performance Analysis of a Stirling Engine Prototype. Energies. 2018; 11 (10):2655.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Miguel Torres García; Elisa Carvajal Trujillo; José Antonio Vélez Godiño; David Sánchez Martínez. 2018. "Thermodynamic Model for Performance Analysis of a Stirling Engine Prototype." Energies 11, no. 10: 2655.

Journal article
Published: 01 September 2018 in Journal of Sustainable Development of Energy, Water and Environment Systems
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ACS Style

Miguel Torres García; David Sánchez Martínez; Francisco Aguilera Roldán; Francisco J. Jiménez-Espadafor Aguilar; Elisa Carvajal Trujillo. Mechanical Analysis of Genoa 03 Stirling Engine. Journal of Sustainable Development of Energy, Water and Environment Systems 2018, 6, 521 -533.

AMA Style

Miguel Torres García, David Sánchez Martínez, Francisco Aguilera Roldán, Francisco J. Jiménez-Espadafor Aguilar, Elisa Carvajal Trujillo. Mechanical Analysis of Genoa 03 Stirling Engine. Journal of Sustainable Development of Energy, Water and Environment Systems. 2018; 6 (3):521-533.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Miguel Torres García; David Sánchez Martínez; Francisco Aguilera Roldán; Francisco J. Jiménez-Espadafor Aguilar; Elisa Carvajal Trujillo. 2018. "Mechanical Analysis of Genoa 03 Stirling Engine." Journal of Sustainable Development of Energy, Water and Environment Systems 6, no. 3: 521-533.

Journal article
Published: 01 August 2018 in Journal of the Energy Institute
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ACS Style

José Antonio Vélez Godiño; Francisco José Jiménez-Espadafor Aguilar; Miguel Torres García. Simulation of HCCI combustion in air-cooled off-road engines fuelled with diesel and biodiesel. Journal of the Energy Institute 2018, 91, 549 -562.

AMA Style

José Antonio Vélez Godiño, Francisco José Jiménez-Espadafor Aguilar, Miguel Torres García. Simulation of HCCI combustion in air-cooled off-road engines fuelled with diesel and biodiesel. Journal of the Energy Institute. 2018; 91 (4):549-562.

Chicago/Turabian Style

José Antonio Vélez Godiño; Francisco José Jiménez-Espadafor Aguilar; Miguel Torres García. 2018. "Simulation of HCCI combustion in air-cooled off-road engines fuelled with diesel and biodiesel." Journal of the Energy Institute 91, no. 4: 549-562.

Journal article
Published: 01 December 2015 in Applied Thermal Engineering
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ACS Style

Francisco José Jiménez-Espadafor; Daniel Palomo Guerrero; Elisa Carvajal Trujillo; Miguel Torres García; Nils Peter Johan Ingemar Wideberg. Fully optimized energy management for propulsion, thermal cooling and auxiliaries of a serial hybrid electric vehicle. Applied Thermal Engineering 2015, 91, 694 -705.

AMA Style

Francisco José Jiménez-Espadafor, Daniel Palomo Guerrero, Elisa Carvajal Trujillo, Miguel Torres García, Nils Peter Johan Ingemar Wideberg. Fully optimized energy management for propulsion, thermal cooling and auxiliaries of a serial hybrid electric vehicle. Applied Thermal Engineering. 2015; 91 ():694-705.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Francisco José Jiménez-Espadafor; Daniel Palomo Guerrero; Elisa Carvajal Trujillo; Miguel Torres García; Nils Peter Johan Ingemar Wideberg. 2015. "Fully optimized energy management for propulsion, thermal cooling and auxiliaries of a serial hybrid electric vehicle." Applied Thermal Engineering 91, no. : 694-705.