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Papers by Nidia Caetano

Research paper thumbnail of Life cycle assessment tool of electricity generation in Portugal

Environment, Development and Sustainability, May 31, 2018

Research paper thumbnail of Decentralized electricity storage evaluation in the Portuguese context

The Electricity Journal, Oct 1, 2020

Abstract Portugal has made great progress in implementing renewable energy systems (RES) to use i... more Abstract Portugal has made great progress in implementing renewable energy systems (RES) to use its endogenous renewable resources. As the cost of renewable energy generation is decreasing, mainly for photovoltaic energy, a significant increase in its production is expected, in particular at the local and domestic levels. Yet, much investment and development is still needed to fulfil the goals for renewable energy generation defined by the Portuguese government and the European Union, in order to decarbonize energy generation and reduce energy dependence. Besides limitations in the installed capacity, the full potential of existing and future RES is not fulfilled, mainly due to imbalances in supply and demand, resulting from the varying climatic conditions and limited energy storage capacity. Although some investment was made in large scale Energy Storage Systems (ESS), especially pumped hydro, distributed energy storage (DES), in particular for stationary domestic storage appliances, have received little attention from decision makers. When properly defined, designed and implemented, they can contribute to increase the efficiency of existing and future RES and the capacity factor. Thus, in this work the questions regarding the implementation of DES are analysed. The main criteria that have to be considered when selecting the proper storage technology for DES are defined, taking into account information and data from current legislation and/or strategic plans and goals, and the technical and scientific literature, in order to support decision making and policy definition at different levels. The proposed application of the various criteria leads to the conclusion that for DES, electrochemical based ESS are the most adequate, among which Li ion batteries and redox flow batteries, particularly suited for local and/or household applications. The current policies sought out for Portugal are also examined in order to identify which aspects should be improved to promote and increase the relevance of DES in the Portuguese energy mix, and it is concluded that specific policies and support are needed to increase the relevance of decentralized electricity storage systems.

Research paper thumbnail of Life cycle assessment of a renewable energy generation system with a vanadium redox flow battery in a NZEB household

Energy Reports, Feb 1, 2020

Research paper thumbnail of Environmental assessment of industrial production of microalgal biodiesel in central-south Chile

Journal of Cleaner Production, Sep 1, 2020

Research paper thumbnail of Life cycle assessment of a vanadium flow battery

Energy Reports, Feb 1, 2020

Research paper thumbnail of A life cycle inventory of microalgae-based biofuels production in an industrial plant concept

Energy Reports, Feb 1, 2020

Research paper thumbnail of Life cycle assessment of bioethanol from corn stover from soil phytoremediation

Energy Reports, Jun 1, 2022

Research paper thumbnail of Biofixation of CO2 emissions from natural gas combined cycle power plant

Energy Reports, Feb 1, 2020

Research paper thumbnail of Microalgae for Pigments and Cosmetics

CRC Press eBooks, Feb 14, 2022

Research paper thumbnail of LCA: A Tool to Develop Sustainable Microalgal Biorefineries

CRC Press eBooks, Feb 14, 2022

Research paper thumbnail of Correction: Syngas production by bi-reforming methane on an Ni–K-promoted catalyst using hydrotalcites and filamentous carbon as a support material

Research paper thumbnail of Evaluation of Areca palm renewable options to replace disposable plastic containers using life cycle assessment methodology

Energy Reports, Feb 1, 2020

Research paper thumbnail of LCA for Membrane Processes

Green chemistry and sustainable technology, 2017

This chapter presents an overview of the current state of the art concerning the application of l... more This chapter presents an overview of the current state of the art concerning the application of life cycle assessment (LCA) to assess and improve the environmental performance and sustainability of processes that use or are based on membrane technologies. A presentation of the LCA methodology is made, based on the current framework defined by the ISO Standard, focusing on the main aspects and how LCA can be applied to a given product or process system. A review of the available studies was done for membrane based or systems in which membranes have an important role, focusing in water treatment process, either for human and industrial application or wastewater treatment. The analysis shows that the application of LCA is still limited in membrane process, and more work still needs to be done, for example, taking into account the manufacture and final disposal/recycling of the membranes and their corresponding process modules, and to properly asses how membranes may increase the sustainability of existing processes by replacing existing technologies with larger environmental impact. As the need to evaluate the environmental impact and sustainability of new processes increases, the application of the LCA methodology will become more common both in process design and/or process operation.

Research paper thumbnail of Water footprint of microalgae cultivation in photobioreactor

Energy Procedia, Oct 1, 2018

Research paper thumbnail of Microalgae for biotechnological applications: Cultivation, harvesting and biomass processing

Research paper thumbnail of Learning Sustainability with EPS@ISEP – Development of an Insectarium

Research paper thumbnail of Lipid Content and Productivity of Arthrospira platensis and Chlorella vulgaris under Mixotrophic Conditions and Salinity Stress

Chemical engineering transactions, 2016

Lipid Content and Productivity of Arthrospira platensis and Chlorella vulgaris under Mixotrophic ... more Lipid Content and Productivity of Arthrospira platensis and Chlorella vulgaris under Mixotrophic Conditions and Salinity Stress Teresa M. Mata*, António A. Martins, Octávio Oliveira, Sandra Oliveira, Adélio M. Mendes, Nídia S. Caetano a LEPABE – Laboratory for Process Engineering, Environment, Biotechnology and Energy, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto (FEUP), R. Dr. Roberto Frias S/N, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal b Department of Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Engineering and Technology (FCNET), Oporto Lusophone University, R. Dr. Augusto Rosa, 24, 4000-098 Porto, Portugal c CIETI, Department of Chemical Engineering, School of Engineering (ISEP), Polytechnic Institute of Porto (IPP), R. Dr. António Bernardino de Almeida S/N, 4200-072 Porto, Portugal tmata@fe.up.pt

Research paper thumbnail of Sustainability Evaluation of Biodiesel from Arthrospira Platensis and Chlorella Vulgaris Under Mixotrophic Conditions and Salinity Stress

Chemical engineering transactions, 2016

Sustainability Evaluation of Biodiesel from Arthrospira platensis and Chlorella vulgaris under Mi... more Sustainability Evaluation of Biodiesel from Arthrospira platensis and Chlorella vulgaris under Mixotrophic Conditions and Salinity Stress António A. Martins*, Teresa M. Mata, Octávio Oliveira, Sandra Oliveira, Adélio M. Mendes, Nídia S. Caetano a LEPABE – Laboratory for Process Engineering, Environment, Biotechnology and Energy, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto (FEUP), R. Dr. Roberto Frias S/N, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal b Department of Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Engineering and Technology (FCNET), Oporto Lusophone University, R. Dr. Augusto Rosa, 24, 4000-098 Porto, Portugal c CIETI, Department of Chemical Engineering, School of Engineering (ISEP), Polytechnic Institute of Porto (IPP), R. Dr. António Bernardino de Almeida S/N, 4200-072 Porto, Portugal tmata@fe.up.pt

Research paper thumbnail of Sustainability Evaluation of Nanotechnology Processing and Production

Chemical engineering transactions, 2015

a LEPABE – Laboratory for Process Engineering, Environment, Biotechnology and Energy, Faculty of ... more a LEPABE – Laboratory for Process Engineering, Environment, Biotechnology and Energy, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto (FEUP), R. Dr. Roberto Frias S/N, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal b Department of Chemical Engineering, School of Engineering (ISEP), Polytechnic Institute of Porto (IPP), R. Dr. António Bernardino de Almeida S/N, 4200-072 Porto, Portugal c Department of Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Engineering and Technology (FCNET), Oporto Lusophone University, R. Dr. Augusto Rosa, 24, 4000-098 Porto, Portugal tmata@fe.up.pt

Research paper thumbnail of Economic analysis of microalgae biodiesel production in a small-scale facility

Research paper thumbnail of Life cycle assessment tool of electricity generation in Portugal

Environment, Development and Sustainability, May 31, 2018

Research paper thumbnail of Decentralized electricity storage evaluation in the Portuguese context

The Electricity Journal, Oct 1, 2020

Abstract Portugal has made great progress in implementing renewable energy systems (RES) to use i... more Abstract Portugal has made great progress in implementing renewable energy systems (RES) to use its endogenous renewable resources. As the cost of renewable energy generation is decreasing, mainly for photovoltaic energy, a significant increase in its production is expected, in particular at the local and domestic levels. Yet, much investment and development is still needed to fulfil the goals for renewable energy generation defined by the Portuguese government and the European Union, in order to decarbonize energy generation and reduce energy dependence. Besides limitations in the installed capacity, the full potential of existing and future RES is not fulfilled, mainly due to imbalances in supply and demand, resulting from the varying climatic conditions and limited energy storage capacity. Although some investment was made in large scale Energy Storage Systems (ESS), especially pumped hydro, distributed energy storage (DES), in particular for stationary domestic storage appliances, have received little attention from decision makers. When properly defined, designed and implemented, they can contribute to increase the efficiency of existing and future RES and the capacity factor. Thus, in this work the questions regarding the implementation of DES are analysed. The main criteria that have to be considered when selecting the proper storage technology for DES are defined, taking into account information and data from current legislation and/or strategic plans and goals, and the technical and scientific literature, in order to support decision making and policy definition at different levels. The proposed application of the various criteria leads to the conclusion that for DES, electrochemical based ESS are the most adequate, among which Li ion batteries and redox flow batteries, particularly suited for local and/or household applications. The current policies sought out for Portugal are also examined in order to identify which aspects should be improved to promote and increase the relevance of DES in the Portuguese energy mix, and it is concluded that specific policies and support are needed to increase the relevance of decentralized electricity storage systems.

Research paper thumbnail of Life cycle assessment of a renewable energy generation system with a vanadium redox flow battery in a NZEB household

Energy Reports, Feb 1, 2020

Research paper thumbnail of Environmental assessment of industrial production of microalgal biodiesel in central-south Chile

Journal of Cleaner Production, Sep 1, 2020

Research paper thumbnail of Life cycle assessment of a vanadium flow battery

Energy Reports, Feb 1, 2020

Research paper thumbnail of A life cycle inventory of microalgae-based biofuels production in an industrial plant concept

Energy Reports, Feb 1, 2020

Research paper thumbnail of Life cycle assessment of bioethanol from corn stover from soil phytoremediation

Energy Reports, Jun 1, 2022

Research paper thumbnail of Biofixation of CO2 emissions from natural gas combined cycle power plant

Energy Reports, Feb 1, 2020

Research paper thumbnail of Microalgae for Pigments and Cosmetics

CRC Press eBooks, Feb 14, 2022

Research paper thumbnail of LCA: A Tool to Develop Sustainable Microalgal Biorefineries

CRC Press eBooks, Feb 14, 2022

Research paper thumbnail of Correction: Syngas production by bi-reforming methane on an Ni–K-promoted catalyst using hydrotalcites and filamentous carbon as a support material

Research paper thumbnail of Evaluation of Areca palm renewable options to replace disposable plastic containers using life cycle assessment methodology

Energy Reports, Feb 1, 2020

Research paper thumbnail of LCA for Membrane Processes

Green chemistry and sustainable technology, 2017

This chapter presents an overview of the current state of the art concerning the application of l... more This chapter presents an overview of the current state of the art concerning the application of life cycle assessment (LCA) to assess and improve the environmental performance and sustainability of processes that use or are based on membrane technologies. A presentation of the LCA methodology is made, based on the current framework defined by the ISO Standard, focusing on the main aspects and how LCA can be applied to a given product or process system. A review of the available studies was done for membrane based or systems in which membranes have an important role, focusing in water treatment process, either for human and industrial application or wastewater treatment. The analysis shows that the application of LCA is still limited in membrane process, and more work still needs to be done, for example, taking into account the manufacture and final disposal/recycling of the membranes and their corresponding process modules, and to properly asses how membranes may increase the sustainability of existing processes by replacing existing technologies with larger environmental impact. As the need to evaluate the environmental impact and sustainability of new processes increases, the application of the LCA methodology will become more common both in process design and/or process operation.

Research paper thumbnail of Water footprint of microalgae cultivation in photobioreactor

Energy Procedia, Oct 1, 2018

Research paper thumbnail of Microalgae for biotechnological applications: Cultivation, harvesting and biomass processing

Research paper thumbnail of Learning Sustainability with EPS@ISEP – Development of an Insectarium

Research paper thumbnail of Lipid Content and Productivity of Arthrospira platensis and Chlorella vulgaris under Mixotrophic Conditions and Salinity Stress

Chemical engineering transactions, 2016

Lipid Content and Productivity of Arthrospira platensis and Chlorella vulgaris under Mixotrophic ... more Lipid Content and Productivity of Arthrospira platensis and Chlorella vulgaris under Mixotrophic Conditions and Salinity Stress Teresa M. Mata*, António A. Martins, Octávio Oliveira, Sandra Oliveira, Adélio M. Mendes, Nídia S. Caetano a LEPABE – Laboratory for Process Engineering, Environment, Biotechnology and Energy, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto (FEUP), R. Dr. Roberto Frias S/N, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal b Department of Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Engineering and Technology (FCNET), Oporto Lusophone University, R. Dr. Augusto Rosa, 24, 4000-098 Porto, Portugal c CIETI, Department of Chemical Engineering, School of Engineering (ISEP), Polytechnic Institute of Porto (IPP), R. Dr. António Bernardino de Almeida S/N, 4200-072 Porto, Portugal tmata@fe.up.pt

Research paper thumbnail of Sustainability Evaluation of Biodiesel from Arthrospira Platensis and Chlorella Vulgaris Under Mixotrophic Conditions and Salinity Stress

Chemical engineering transactions, 2016

Sustainability Evaluation of Biodiesel from Arthrospira platensis and Chlorella vulgaris under Mi... more Sustainability Evaluation of Biodiesel from Arthrospira platensis and Chlorella vulgaris under Mixotrophic Conditions and Salinity Stress António A. Martins*, Teresa M. Mata, Octávio Oliveira, Sandra Oliveira, Adélio M. Mendes, Nídia S. Caetano a LEPABE – Laboratory for Process Engineering, Environment, Biotechnology and Energy, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto (FEUP), R. Dr. Roberto Frias S/N, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal b Department of Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Engineering and Technology (FCNET), Oporto Lusophone University, R. Dr. Augusto Rosa, 24, 4000-098 Porto, Portugal c CIETI, Department of Chemical Engineering, School of Engineering (ISEP), Polytechnic Institute of Porto (IPP), R. Dr. António Bernardino de Almeida S/N, 4200-072 Porto, Portugal tmata@fe.up.pt

Research paper thumbnail of Sustainability Evaluation of Nanotechnology Processing and Production

Chemical engineering transactions, 2015

a LEPABE – Laboratory for Process Engineering, Environment, Biotechnology and Energy, Faculty of ... more a LEPABE – Laboratory for Process Engineering, Environment, Biotechnology and Energy, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto (FEUP), R. Dr. Roberto Frias S/N, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal b Department of Chemical Engineering, School of Engineering (ISEP), Polytechnic Institute of Porto (IPP), R. Dr. António Bernardino de Almeida S/N, 4200-072 Porto, Portugal c Department of Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Engineering and Technology (FCNET), Oporto Lusophone University, R. Dr. Augusto Rosa, 24, 4000-098 Porto, Portugal tmata@fe.up.pt

Research paper thumbnail of Economic analysis of microalgae biodiesel production in a small-scale facility

Research paper thumbnail of Learning Sustainability by Developing a Solar Dryer for Microalgae Retrieval

Excessive fossil fuel consumption is driving the search for alternative energy production solutio... more Excessive fossil fuel consumption is driving the search for alternative energy production solutions and, in particular, for sustainable sources of energy such as microalgae, from which biodiesel, among other useful compounds, can be obtained. After producing the microalgae, they must be harvested and dried. Existing drying solutions consume too much energy and are, therefore, expensive and unsustainable. The goal of this EPS@ISEP Spring 2013 project was to develop a solar microalgae dryer for the microalgae laboratory of ISEP. A multinational team of five students from distinct fields of study was responsible for designing and building the solar microalgae dryer prototype. The prototype includes a control system to ensure that the microalgae are not destroyed during the drying process. The solar microalgae dryer works as a distiller, extracting the excess water from the microalgae suspension. This paper details the design steps, the building technologies, the ethical and sustainable concerns and compares the prototype with existing solutions. The proposed sustainable microalgae drying process is competitive as far as energy usage is concerned. Finally, the project contributed to increase the team’s sustainable development awareness, active learning and motivation.

Research paper thumbnail of Valorisation of Spent Coffee Grounds: Production of Biodiesel via Enzymatic Catalysis with Ethanol and a Co-solvent

This work aims to explore the production of biodiesel from oil extracted from spent coffee ground... more This work aims to explore the production of biodiesel from oil extracted from spent coffee grounds (SCG) via enzymatic catalysis with the Lipozymes RM IM, TL 100L and CALB L, in the presence of a co-solvent, and to optimize the reaction conditions. A three factors design of experiments was performed to evaluate the influence on the reaction performance of ethanol/oil molar ratio, enzyme concentration and reaction temperature. Oil was extracted from air dried SCG with hexane in a pilot solid/liquid extractor, resulting in 6.4{\%} (m/m oil) in dry SCG. The coffee oil was characterized for its kinematic viscosity (38.04 mm2/s), density (0.903 g/cm3), heating value (38 MJ/kg), iodine value (63 g I2/100 g oil), water content (0.1458{\%}), acid value (44.78 mg KOH/g oil), flash point (>120{\thinspace}{\textdegree}C) and triglyceride content (82.8{\%}). Based on the design of experiments, the best conditions for the transesterification reaction are 5:1 molar ratio of ethanol/oil, 4.5{\%} (m/m oil) of enzyme and 45{\thinspace}{\textdegree}C of temperature, resulting in an experimental yield of 96.7{\%}, with 87.6{\%} (m/m) of esters content. Additionally, it was studied the effect of water in the transesterification reaction, using ethanol at 92, 85 and 75{\%} (v/v). Results show that the best reaction yield (97.2{\%}) and esters content (92.1{\%}) were obtained using ethanol 92{\%}. Although the esters content of the biodiesel obtained from coffee oil does not accomplish the EN 14214:2009 requirements, it is promising as there is the possibility to blend the coffee oil with oil from other sources in order to meet the standard requirements.