The major challenges in designing a Hybrid Renewable Energy System (HRES) include selecting appropriate renewable energy sources and storage systems, accurately sizing each component, and defining suitable optimization criteria. This study addresses these challenges by employing Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) within a multi-criteria optimization framework to design an HRES in Kern County, USA. The proposed system integrates wind turbines (WTS), photovoltaic (PV) panels, Biomass Gasifiers (BMGs), batteries, electrolyzers (ELs), and fuel cells (FCs), aiming to minimize Annual System Cost (ASC), minimize Loss of Power Supply Probability (LPSP), and maximize renewable energy fraction (REF). Results demonstrate that the PSO-optimized system achieves an ASC of USD6,336,303, an LPSP of 0.01%, and a REF of 90.01%, all of which are reached after 25 iterations. When compared to the Genetic Algorithm (GA) and hybrid GA-PSO, PSO improved cost-effectiveness by 3.4% over GA and reduced ASC by 1.09% compared to GAPSO. In terms of REF, PSO outperformed GA by 1.22% and GAPSO by 0.99%. The PSO-optimized configuration includes WT (4669 kW), solar PV (10,623 kW), BMG (2174 kW), battery (8000 kWh), FC (2305 kW), and EL (6806 kW). Sensitivity analysis highlights the flexibility of the optimization framework under varying weight distributions. These results highlight the dependability, cost-effectiveness, and sustainability for the proposed system, offering valuable insights for policymakers and practitioners transitioning to renewable energy systems.

In this paper, we report the synthesis and characterization of pyrolyzed lignin compacts reinforced with 50 wt % wheat straw (WS) or sugar beet pulp (SBP) fibers. The compacts were pyrolyzed at 300, 500, 700, and 900 °C in an Ar atmosphere. Detailed thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), thermomechanical analysis (TMA), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and microstructure analysis were performed on these samples. FTIR analysis showed that pyrolysis of lignin–WS and lignin–SBP resulted in aromatic char. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) studies showed that foams obtained by pyrolyzing both lignin–50 wt % SBP and lignin–50 wt % WS composites have a cellular structure. X-ray tomography and energy-dispersive spectrometry (EDS) studies showed that pyrolysis of wheat straw caused the formation of mineral-rich nodules in the pyrolyzed lignin matrix, which was responsible for the denser and uniform microstructure of the lignin–WS composites. Due to this reason, the lignin–WS composites were denser and had a better mechanical strength as compared to the lignin–SBP composites. Both the compositions also showed temperature-dependent wettability behavior.

In this paper, we report the synthesis and characterization of polylactic acid (PLA)‐MAX (Ti₃SiC₂, Ti₃AlC₂, and Cr₂AlC) and PLA‐MoAlB composites by fused deposition modeling (FDM). Detailed scanning electron microscopy (SEM) studies showed that the particulate phases are uniformly dispersed in the PLA matrix of 3D‐printed samples. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) results showed that the addition of MAX phases promoted crystallization of PLA matrix as compared to MoAlB particulates. The mechanical testing results showed that the PLA matrix is sensitive to the addition of MAX or MoAlB phases, for example, PLA‐5 wt% Ti₃SiC_2, PLA‐5 wt% Ti₃AlC_2, and PLA‐5 wt% Cr₂AlC had a UTS of ~39 MPa, ~30.5 MPa, and ~38.7 MPa as compared to ~41.5 MPa in pure PLA. Comparatively, PLA‐5 wt% MoAlB had a UTS of ~23.2 MPa which shows that predominantly amorphous PLA‐MoAlB composites have lower strength. The tribological behavior improved after the addition of 1 wt% additives, for example, in PLA‐Cr₂AlC, the friction coefficient decreased by 76% to ~0.26 from ~0.34 in pure PLA, and the WR marginally decreased in PLA‐1 wt% Cr₂AlC to ~2.2 × 10⁻⁵ mm³/Nm as compared to 7.7 × 10⁻⁵ mm³/Nm in PLA. SEM investigations of the tribosurfaces showed the tribology is governed by the formation of tribofilms. The wettability study showed that all the 3D‐printed samples are hydrophilic in nature.