The natural jute fiber can be the effective material to reinforce concrete strength which will not only explore a way to improve the properties of concrete, it will also explore the use of jute and restrict the utilization of polymer which is environmentally detrimental. In Bangladesh, jute is locally available and, hence, less expensive. To achieve this goal, an experimental investigation of the compressive, flexural, and tensile strengths of Jute Fiber Reinforced Concrete Composites (JFRCC) has been conducted. Cylinders, prisms, and cubes of standard dimensions have been made to introduce jute fiber varying the mix ratio of the ingredients in concrete, water-cement ratio, and length and volume of fiber to know the effect of parameters as mentioned. Flexural, compressive, and tensile strength tests have been conducted on the prepared samples by appropriate testing apparatus according to standard specifications. The results of JFRCC were also compared to the plain concrete. The large cut length and higher content of reinforcing materials (jute fiber) result to the unfortunate tendency of balling formation and high porosity of composites followed by the degrading of mechanical properties of JFRCC in reference to plain concrete. But in the incorporation of short and low fiber content, an intact structure develops which enhances the mechanical properties of the same composite. It was also noted that all the remarkable increment values were found mostly in the presence of higher cement content. So it can be concluded that the presence of jute fiber with more cement content strengthens the concrete in greater extent.
Waste management is becoming one of the most challenging tasks for developing countries in order to ensure good human health, as well as a healthy environment. Rajshahi City Corporation (RCC) is one of the 12 city corporations in Bangladesh. Various environmental and human health problems have arisen due to a lack of proper knowledge of waste management. Thus, the aim of this work is to illustrate the present status of MSW generation and management in Rajshahi City Corporation, Bangladesh. Fifty households were selected throughout RCC for waste collection, which represent approximately all types of households in RCC. From the qualitative and quantitative analysis, it is estimated that the approximate MSW generation in RCC is 358.19 t/d (tons/day) at an approximate rate of 0.4214 kg/person/d. Calorific values of the wastes have also been determined using the ultimate analysis results of the MSW. A higher calorific value of the dry MSW has been calculated as 14.9 MJ/kg. Moisture content of the MSW has been found to be 48.28%. It is also estimated that the possible power generation (steam energy to electrical power) from MSW generated in RCC is 159.40 MWh/d. Lastly, future scopes of MSW management and different waste management measures that need to be taken are illustrated. Waste-to-energy (WTE) conversion has been given priority and anaerobic digestion (AD) has been found to be an interesting prospect in this sector. Techno-economic analysis of the AD has been conducted. Energy potential from the proposed plant has been calculated as 3.85 MW and the payback period has been found to be 4.9 years. It has been observed that employing AD on a large scale can not only reduce the waste, but also meet a large portion of the energy demand of this city.
The aims of this paper are to develop hybrid energy systems considering biomass energy sources as well as a framework and optimal configuration of hybrid systems of energy for a southern sub-urban area of Bhola district in Bangladesh, named Kukri Mukri island, and analyse the feasibility of the techno-economic prospects of these systems. In this work, electrification for the rural area is analysed for different configurations of the hybrid systems. The estimation of available resources with optimal sizing and analysis of techno-economic aspects is done through HOMER Pro software to satisfy the demand of peak load. Different configurations of hybrid energy systems, including PV/diesel, PV/wind, PV/diesel/wind, PV/wind/diesel/biomass, and wind/diesel, are analysed and compared through optimization of different energy sources in HOMER. The size of the system and components are optimized and designed depending on the net present cost (NPC) and the levelized cost of energy (LCOE). Due to the lower availability and rising cost of wind energy, the outcome of this work shows a solar-based photovoltaic (PV) as the main energy source, battery as the storage media, and diesel generator as an energy source for backup. The results indicate that LCOE is much lower for PV/wind/diesel/biomass (0.142 USD/kWh) than PV/diesel (0.199 USD/kWh), PV/wind (0.239 USD/kWh), PV/diesel/wind (0.167 USD/kWh), PV/diesel (0.343 USD/kWh), and wind/diesel (0.175 USD/kWh). Additionally, it is demonstrated from the research that the genetic algorithm (GA) process gives sustainable and cost-effective outcomes compared to HOMER.
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