S.P. Koh’s research while affiliated with Universiti Tenaga Nasional and other places

Direct Methanol Fuel Cell (DMFC) is a powerful system for generating electrical energy for various applications. However, there are several limitations that hinder the commercialization of DMFCs, such as the expense of platinum (Pt) at market price, sluggish methanol oxidation reaction (MOR) due to carbon monoxide (CO) formation, and slow electrooxidation kinetics. This work introduces carbon nanocages (CNCs) that were obtained through the pyrolysis of polypyrrole (Ppy) as the carbon source. The CNCs were characterized using BET, XRD, HRTEM, TEM, SEM, and FTIR techniques. The CNCs derived from the Ppy source, pyrolyzed at 750 °C, exhibited the best morphologies with a high specific surface area of 416 m2g−1, allowing for good metal dispersion. Subsequently, PtRu catalyst was doped onto the CNC-Ppy750 support using chemical reduction and microwave-assisted methods. In electrochemical tests, the PtRu/CNC-Ppy750 electrocatalyst demonstrated improved CO tolerance and higher performance in MOR compared to PtRu-supported commercial carbon black (CB), with values of 427 mA mg−1 and 248 mA mg−1, respectively. The superior MOR performance of PtRu/CNC-Ppy750 was attributed to its high surface area of CNC support, uniform dispersion of PtRu catalyst, and small PtRu nanoparticles on the CNC. In DMFC single-cell tests, the PtRu/CNC-Ppy750 exhibited higher performance, approximately 1.7 times higher than PtRu/CB. In conclusion, the PtRu/CNC-PPy750 represents a promising electrocatalyst candidate for MOR and anodic DMFC applications.

The distribution network is a crucial component of the power system, with industrialization driving increased energy demand. Traditional power-generating techniques, such as thermal and hydroelectric are not enough to meet this demand, leading to the development of Distributed Generation (DG). DG requires an extensive re-evaluation of the current power system, as it modifies energy losses and line flows. Inadequate integration of DG can cause power outages, disruption of protection coordination, and lead to islanding. AI can help overcome this issue by determining the best system architecture. Researchers have been interested in the Artificial Immune System (AIS) algorithm, which has room for development and lacks a fixed template. In order to improve AIS, X3PAIS, a hybridization strategy that combines clonal selection with a three-parent crossover has been developed within the scope of the study. X3PAIS was pre-tested using applications in a planetary gear train, a wastewater treatment facility, and mathematical calculations, showcasing its robustness and versatility. In the context of power distribution, X3PAIS is used in the multiple DG architecture of the power distribution system, reducing power losses by placing DG units in the best locations and sizing them to match load profiles. The four DGs' experiment results show that X3PAIS can minimize power losses by more than 89 %. To optimize power losses in the power distribution system, X3PAIS may be improved with a three-parent multiple-point crossover operation.

In the near future, the aviation industry is expected to significantly increase the usage of “drop-in” bio-jet fuel as the technologies in biofuel production advances and matures. Given the high rate of growth in the aviation sector, the demand for aerial transportation of passenger and cargo is projected to increase by two-fold in the next twenty years. This will raise the global aviation fuel consumption to an estimated 22.48 quadrillion British thermal unit (BTU) by 2040. To meet these high energy demands, it is necessary to develop alternative and sustainable methods to produce jet fuel. In light of this, intense research and numerous fundings have been allocated into developing efficient production methods for bio-jet fuel. Conventional jet fuel emits a considerable amount of greenhouse gases (GHGs) when combusted, which contributes to global warming. Compared to traditional jet fuel, bio-jet fuel is a renewable energy source and regarded to emit less GHGs. Bio-jet fuel can be produced using a diverse range of both edible (food crops such as soybean, corn, and sugar cane) and inedible (such as energy crops, agricultural wastes, and lignocellulosic biomass) feedstocks. There are various promising technologies that can produce aviation biofuel, which includes oil-to-jet [hydroprocessed ester and fatty acids (HEFA)], alcohol-to-jet, sugar-to-jet [hydroprocessing of fermented sugars (HFS)], and syngas-to-jet [Fisher-Tropsch (FT)]. Compared to the other techniques, HEFA bio-jet fuel can be sold at a lower price because HEFA requires less capital investment, capital cost, and energy cost. Although FT technique require high capital investment, FT bio-jet fuel can be sold at medium price due to its matured technology. The breakeven cost of ATJ and HFS bio-jet fuel varies greatly due to the supply and cost of sugar-rich feedstocks, as well as short lifespan of enzymes. Although bio-jet fuel has the potential to replace petroleum jet fuel in the future, there are still many technological and socio-economic challenges that must be overcome. Therefore, this paper aims to highlight the current status, technological advances, and economic challenges of bio-jet fuel production for energy transition in the aviation industry.

Energy from hydrogen has been looked upon with great favours to encounter the shortage of fossil fuels in energy generation. Safety issues and storage concerns of hydrogen has been a major drawback in this regard. Here, a novel material g–C3N4–MoS2–Ni(OH)2 is crafted to achieve promisingly sufficient storage capacity for hydrogen. Hydrothermal route is optimized in a best possible way to achieve flower like structure of MoS2. It is then blended with fine sheets of Ni(OH)2 and as synthesized g-C3N4 to develop the promising nanocomposite g–C3N4–MoS2–Ni(OH)2. Morphological investigation using TEM and SEM analyses revealed flower-like structure near fine sheets of Ni(OH)2 and g-C3N4. Fruitfully, the modified surface of the nanocomposite resulted in an enhanced hydrogen storage capability. The hydrogen sorption experiments were carried out at 150 °C for 15 and 30 min intervals under 10 bar hydrogen pressure, and the hydrogen desorption process was carried out from room temperature (RT) to 200 °C with a ramping rate of 15 °C min−1 in an argon medium with a flow rate of 100 mL min−1. During non-isothermal H2 desorption, S150 composite exhibits better hydrogen storage capacity of 2.79 and 3.21 wt% under hydrogenation intervals of 15 and 30 min respectively. Furthermore, S150 desorbed 3.7 wt% H2 in 20 min at isothermal desorption of 200 °C.

Advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) is an integrated system of smart meters, communications networks, and data management systems that enable the secure, effective, and dependable distribution of power while also delivering enhanced capabilities to energy consumers. The system also can measure power usage, connect, and disconnect service, detect tampering, identify and isolate outages, and monitor voltage automatically and remotely, which were previously unavailable or required user intervention. This article focuses on AMI and effectively integrating renewable energy sources (RES). However, the study also recommends smart metering for renewables such as solar photovoltaic (PV), hydropower, anaerobic digestion (ad) metering, and renewable energy storage, in which AIM thoroughly supervises the energy utilized by users' appliances. With the prediction of new ancillary services connected with contestability, related regulation, the sufficiency of consumer protection, and safety issues, the magnitude of renewable energy sources in the AMI is an almost unprecedented problem for consumers. The present energy management problems include reducing the power supply-demand gap and boosting power supply dependability. Implementing AMI with distributed renewable energy resources might be a viable strategy for lowering power consumption, improving power supply management, and maximizing management resource use.