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Energies, Volume 13, Issue 23 (December-1 2020) – 316 articles

Cover Story (view full-size image): This study provides the engineering science underpinnings for improved characterization and quantification of the interplay of gases with kerogen and minerals in shale. Mass balance was utilized in conjunction with X-ray computed tomography to visualize gas storativity within nanoporous media and improve the processing of quantitative image data. View this paper.
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21 pages, 8321 KiB  
Article
Lattice and Tubular Steel Wind Turbine Towers. Comparative Structural Investigation
by Nafsika Stavridou, Efthymios Koltsakis and Charalampos C. Baniotopoulos
Energies 2020, 13(23), 6325; https://doi.org/10.3390/en13236325 - 8 Dec 2020
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 6022
Abstract
Renewable energy is expected to experience epic growth in the coming decade, which is reflected in the record new installations since 2010. Wind energy, in particular, has proved its leading role among sustainable energy production means, by the accelerating rise in total installed [...] Read more.
Renewable energy is expected to experience epic growth in the coming decade, which is reflected in the record new installations since 2010. Wind energy, in particular, has proved its leading role among sustainable energy production means, by the accelerating rise in total installed capacity and by its consistently increasing trend. Taking a closer look at the history of wind power development, it is obvious that it has always been a matter of engineering taller turbines with longer blades. An increase in the tower height means an increase in the material used, thereby, impacting the initial construction cost and the total energy consumed. In the present study, a numerical investigation is carried out in order to actively compare conventional cylindrical shell towers with lattice towers in terms of material use, robustness and environmental impact. Lattice structures are proved to be equivalently competitive to conventional cylindrical solutions since they can be designed to be robust enough while being a much lighter tower in terms of material use. With detailed design, lattice wind turbine towers can constitute the new generation of wind turbine towers. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Wind Energy Structures)
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29 pages, 9063 KiB  
Article
Local Heat Transfer Analysis in a Single Microchannel with Boiling DI-Water and Correlations with Impedance Local Sensors
by Mohammadmahdi Talebi, Sahba Sadir, Manfred Kraut, Roland Dittmeyer and Peter Woias
Energies 2020, 13(23), 6473; https://doi.org/10.3390/en13236473 - 7 Dec 2020
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3167
Abstract
Determination of local heat transfer coefficient at the interface of channel wall and fluid was the main goal of this experimental study in microchannel flow boiling domain. Flow boiling heat transfer to DI-water in a single microchannel with a rectangular cross section was [...] Read more.
Determination of local heat transfer coefficient at the interface of channel wall and fluid was the main goal of this experimental study in microchannel flow boiling domain. Flow boiling heat transfer to DI-water in a single microchannel with a rectangular cross section was experimentally investigated. The rectangular cross section dimensions of the experimented microchannel were 1050 μm × 500 μm and 1500 μm × 500 μm. Experiments under conditions of boiling were performed in a test setup, which allows the optical and local impedance measurements of the fluids by mass fluxes of 22.1 kg·m−2·s−1 to 118.8 kg·m−2·s−1 and heat fluxes in the range of 14.7 kW·m−2 to 116.54 kW·m−2. The effect of the mass flux, heat flux, and flow pattern on flow boiling local heat transfer coefficient and pressure drop were investigated. Experimental data compared to existing correlations indicated no single correlation of good predictive value. This was concluded to be the case due to the instability of flow conditions on one hand and the variation of the flow regimes over the experimental conditions on the other hand. The results from the local impedance measurements in correlation to the optical measurements shows the flow regime variation at the experimental conditions. From these measurements, useful parameters for use in models on boiling like the 3-zone model were shown. It was shown that the sensing method can shed a precise light on unknown features locally in slug flow such as residence time of each phases, bubble frequency, and duty cycle. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section I: Energy Fundamentals and Conversion)
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12 pages, 19356 KiB  
Article
High Channel Density Ceramic Microchannel Reactor for Syngas Production
by Estelle le Saché, Panayiotis Tsaousis, Tomas Ramirez Reina and Enrique Ruiz-Trejo
Energies 2020, 13(23), 6472; https://doi.org/10.3390/en13236472 - 7 Dec 2020
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2224
Abstract
Solid oxide fuel cells can operate with carbonaceous fuels, such as syngas, biogas, and methane, using either internal or external reforming, and they represent a more efficient alternative to internal combustion engines. In this work, we explore, for the first time, an alumina [...] Read more.
Solid oxide fuel cells can operate with carbonaceous fuels, such as syngas, biogas, and methane, using either internal or external reforming, and they represent a more efficient alternative to internal combustion engines. In this work, we explore, for the first time, an alumina membrane containing straight, highly packed (461,289 cpsi), parallel channels of a few micrometers (21 µm) in diameter as a microreformer. As a model reaction to test the performance of this membrane, the dry reforming of methane was carried out using nickel metal and a composite nickel/ceria as catalysts. The samples with intact microchannels were more resistant to carbon deposition than those with a powdered sample, highlighting the deactivation mitigation effect of the microchannel structure. The coke content in the microchannel membrane was one order of magnitude lower than in the powder catalyst. Overall, this work is a proof of concept on the use of composite alumina membrane as microchannel reactors for high temperature reactions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emerging Materials and Fabrication Methods for Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFCs))
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14 pages, 2709 KiB  
Article
Molecular Profiling and Optimization Studies for Growth and PHB Production Conditions in Rhodobacter sphaeroides
by Yu Rim Lee, Hana Nur Fitriana, Soo Youn Lee, Min-Sik Kim, Myounghoon Moon, Won-Heong Lee, Jin-Suk Lee and Sangmin Lee
Energies 2020, 13(23), 6471; https://doi.org/10.3390/en13236471 - 7 Dec 2020
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 4094
Abstract
In the recent climate change regime, industrial demand for renewable materials to replace petroleum-derived polymers continues to rise. Of particular interest is polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) as a substitute for polypropylene. Accumulating evidence indicates that PHB is highly produced as a carbon storage material in [...] Read more.
In the recent climate change regime, industrial demand for renewable materials to replace petroleum-derived polymers continues to rise. Of particular interest is polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) as a substitute for polypropylene. Accumulating evidence indicates that PHB is highly produced as a carbon storage material in various microorganisms. The effects of growth conditions on PHB production have been widely studied in chemolithotrophs, particularly in Rhodobacter. However, the results on PHB production in Rhodobacter have been somewhat inconsistent due to different strains and experimental conditions, and it is currently unclear how diverse environmental factors are linked with PHB production. Here, we report optimized growth conditions for PHB production and show that the growth conditions are closely related to reactive oxygen species (ROS) regulation. PHB accumulates in cells up to approximately 50% at the highest level under dark-aerobic conditions as opposed to light aerobic/anaerobic conditions. According to the time-course, PHB contents increased at 48 h and then gradually decreased. When observing the effect of temperature and medium composition on PHB production, 30 °C and a carbon/nitrogen ratio of 9:1 or more were found to be most effective. Among PHB biosynthetic genes, PhaA and PhaB are highly correlated with PHB production, whereas PhaC and PhaZ showed little change in overall expression levels. We found that, while the amount of hydrogen peroxide in cells under dark conditions was relatively low compared to the light conditions, peroxidase activities and expression levels of antioxidant-related genes were high. These observations suggest optimal culture conditions for growth and PHB production and the importance of ROS-scavenging signaling with regard to PHB production. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bioproducts & Environmental Sustainability)
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24 pages, 7597 KiB  
Article
Analysis of the Impact of Self-Isolation of Residents during a Pandemic on Energy Demand and Indoor Air Quality in a Single-Family Building
by Walery Jezierski, Mirosław Zukowski and Beata Sadowska
Energies 2020, 13(23), 6470; https://doi.org/10.3390/en13236470 - 7 Dec 2020
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1953
Abstract
This work presents the results of analysis of the final energy demand (Qk) for a single-family house in a pandemic situation and accompanying self-isolation of residents. It was assumed that the object of study is located in Bialystok (Poland). This [...] Read more.
This work presents the results of analysis of the final energy demand (Qk) for a single-family house in a pandemic situation and accompanying self-isolation of residents. It was assumed that the object of study is located in Bialystok (Poland). This analysis covers the impact of various factors such as specific periods of the active pandemic phase, the length of the inhabitants’ self-isolation period, the number of residents at home, and the type of energy source used in the building. Based on the results of computational experiments, a deterministic mathematical model of the relationship between these variables was developed, and the effects of the selected factors on the final energy demand were analyzed for the typical meteorological year (TMY) weather data. It turned out that the change in the length of the self-isolation period from 0 to 31 days caused an increase of Qk by about 6.5% for the analyzed building. When the number of inhabitants changed from 1 to 4, Qk increased by 34.7%. A change from 4 to 7 people causes an additional 26.7% increase in Qk. It was found that the structure of energy demand for this building operation during the period of inhabitants’ self-isolation also changed. With the increase in the length of the self-isolation period from 0 to 31 days, the electricity demand (Eel) increases by about 40–42%, while the demand for energy related to fuel consumption (Qg) decreases by about 7–10%. The article also presents an analysis of the impact of residents’ self-isolation on indoor air quality (IAQ) and thermal comfort. The simulation results showed that the use of variable air volume ventilation allows the CO2 concentration to be kept significantly below the limit value. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Binomial IEQ: Energy Demand)
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28 pages, 20754 KiB  
Article
Introduction to the Dynamics of Heat Transfer in Buildings
by Bożena Babiarz and Władysław Szymański
Energies 2020, 13(23), 6469; https://doi.org/10.3390/en13236469 - 7 Dec 2020
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2746
Abstract
Changing climatic conditions cause the variability of the parameters of the building’s surroundings, which in turn causes both the gains and losses of heat to change over time. There is variability in both daily and annual cycles. Meeting the requirements of thermal comfort [...] Read more.
Changing climatic conditions cause the variability of the parameters of the building’s surroundings, which in turn causes both the gains and losses of heat to change over time. There is variability in both daily and annual cycles. Meeting the requirements of thermal comfort in rooms requires maintaining the required parameters, including constant temperature. Heat gains and losses must be balanced, and this balance is ensured through appropriate heating systems. At the same time, the above means that the demand for heating buildings is not constant but depends on external weather conditions and the energy efficiency of the building. This, in turn, affects the thermal inertia, causing changes in the partition temperature to occur slower than the changes in air temperature. Therefore, the amplitude of the heating power changes is not proportional to the amplitude of the outside air temperature change. The paper presents an example of the analysis of thermal dynamics in buildings. Various aspects of heat transfer in the building were investigated taking into account the transient conditions. The variability of temperature over time at different depths of the partition was analysed, showing the results graphically. The periodic variability of the outside air temperature and the intensity of solar radiation were described by the Fourier series. Moreover, the article shows the influence of the thermal insulation thickness of the external wall on the annual amplitude of temperature changes and on the duration of the heating season, which is important from the point of view of optimization. Full article
(This article belongs to the Collection Energy Use Efficiency)
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18 pages, 13294 KiB  
Article
Assessment of the Impact of Occupants’ Behavior and Climate Change on Heating and Cooling Energy Needs of Buildings
by Gianmarco Fajilla, Marilena De Simone, Luisa F. Cabeza and Luís Bragança
Energies 2020, 13(23), 6468; https://doi.org/10.3390/en13236468 - 7 Dec 2020
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2586
Abstract
Energy performance of buildings is a worldwide increasing investigated field, due to ever more stringent energy standards aimed at reducing the buildings’ impact on the environment. The purpose of this paper is to assess the impact that occupant behavior and climate change have [...] Read more.
Energy performance of buildings is a worldwide increasing investigated field, due to ever more stringent energy standards aimed at reducing the buildings’ impact on the environment. The purpose of this paper is to assess the impact that occupant behavior and climate change have on the heating and cooling needs of residential buildings. With this aim, data of a questionnaire survey delivered in Southern Italy were used to obtain daily use profiles of natural ventilation, heating, and cooling, both in winter and in summer. Three climatic scenarios were investigated: The current scenario (2020), and two future scenarios (2050 and 2080). The CCWorldWeatherGen tool was used to create the weather files of future climate scenarios, and DesignBuilder was applied to conduct dynamic energy simulations. Firstly, the results obtained for 2020 demonstrated how the occupants’ preferences related to the use of natural ventilation, heating, and cooling systems (daily schedules and temperature setpoints) impact on energy needs. Heating energy needs appeared more affected by the heating schedules, while cooling energy needs were mostly influenced by both natural ventilation and usage schedules. Secondly, due to the temperature rise, substantial decrements of the energy needs for heating and increments of cooling energy needs were observed in all the future scenarios where in addition, the impact of occupant behavior appeared amplified. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Thermal Behaviour, Energy Efficiency in Buildings and Sustainable Construction)
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25 pages, 7046 KiB  
Article
Impact of Chemistry–Turbulence Interaction Modeling Approach on the CFD Simulations of Entrained Flow Coal Gasification
by Jakub Mularski and Norbert Modliński
Energies 2020, 13(23), 6467; https://doi.org/10.3390/en13236467 - 7 Dec 2020
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 2970
Abstract
This paper examines the impact of different chemistry–turbulence interaction approaches on the accuracy of simulations of coal gasification in entrained flow reactors. Infinitely fast chemistry is compared with the eddy dissipation concept considering the influence of turbulence on chemical reactions. Additionally, ideal plug [...] Read more.
This paper examines the impact of different chemistry–turbulence interaction approaches on the accuracy of simulations of coal gasification in entrained flow reactors. Infinitely fast chemistry is compared with the eddy dissipation concept considering the influence of turbulence on chemical reactions. Additionally, ideal plug flow reactor study and perfectly stirred reactor study are carried out to estimate the accuracy of chosen simplified chemical kinetic schemes in comparison with two detailed mechanisms. The most accurate global approach and the detailed one are further implemented in the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) code. Special attention is paid to the water–gas shift reaction, which is found to have the key impact on the final gas composition. Three different reactors are examined: a pilot-scale Mitsubishi Heavy Industries reactor, a laboratory-scale reactor at Brigham Young University and a Conoco-Philips E-gas reactor. The aim of this research was to assess the impact of gas phase reaction model accuracy on simulations of the entrained flow gasification process. The investigation covers the following issues: impact of the choice of gas phase kinetic reactions mechanism as well as influence of the turbulence–chemistry interaction model. The advanced turbulence–chemistry models with the complex kinetic mechanisms showed the best agreement with the experimental data. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Turbulence and Fluid Mechanics)
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25 pages, 2776 KiB  
Review
A Review of Critical Stable Sectional Areas for the Surge Tanks of Hydropower Stations
by Wencheng Guo, Yang Liu, Fangle Qu and Xinyu Xu
Energies 2020, 13(23), 6466; https://doi.org/10.3390/en13236466 - 7 Dec 2020
Cited by 15 | Viewed by 6558
Abstract
The critical stable sectional area (CSSA) for surge tanks corresponds to the critical stable state of hydropower stations and is an important index to evaluate the stability of the turbine regulation system. The research on CSSA for surge tanks is always one of [...] Read more.
The critical stable sectional area (CSSA) for surge tanks corresponds to the critical stable state of hydropower stations and is an important index to evaluate the stability of the turbine regulation system. The research on CSSA for surge tanks is always one of the most important topics in the area of transient processes of hydropower stations. The CSSA for surge tanks provides the value basis for the sectional area of surge tanks. In engineering practice, the CSSA for surge tanks is widely used to guide their hydraulic design. This paper provides a systematic literature review about the CSSA for surge tank of hydropower stations. Firstly, the CSSA for surge tanks based on hydraulic transients is discussed. Secondly, the CSSA for surge tanks based on hydraulic-mechanical-electrical coupling transients is presented. Thirdly, the CSSA for air cushion surge tanks is illustrated. Finally, the CSSA for combined surge tanks, i.e., upstream and downstream double surge tanks and upstream series double surge tanks, is presented. In future research, the CSSA for surge tanks of pumped storage power stations should be explored. The CSSA for surge tanks considering multi-energy complement is worth studying. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section A: Sustainable Energy)
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19 pages, 6026 KiB  
Article
Potential for Shock-Wave Generation at Diesel Engine Conditions and Its Influence on Spray Characteristics
by Weidi Huang, Huifeng Gong, Raditya Hendra Pratama, Seoksu Moon, Keiji Takagi and Zhili Chen
Energies 2020, 13(23), 6465; https://doi.org/10.3390/en13236465 - 7 Dec 2020
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2364
Abstract
Increasing the fuel injection pressure is currently the most effective way to achieve a better fuel–air mixing quality in modern engines. Systems capable of delivering fuels at a pressure of over 250 MPa have been widely adopted in diesel engines. At such high [...] Read more.
Increasing the fuel injection pressure is currently the most effective way to achieve a better fuel–air mixing quality in modern engines. Systems capable of delivering fuels at a pressure of over 250 MPa have been widely adopted in diesel engines. At such high injection pressures, the shock-wave generation during fuel injection has been noticed. Investigations can be found widely discussing on how the shock-wave generation during fuel injection would affect the spray dynamics. However, the argument remains whether the shock wave can occur at diesel engine conditions since the diesel engine is operated at very high ambient temperature and density. Even if it could occur, how significantly the spray-induced shock wave affects the spray characteristics is rarely known. To address these concerns, this study was proposed. First, experiments were conducted to obtain the detailed spray dynamics from the nozzle exit to spray downstream field by taking advantage of the X-ray phase-contrast imaging (XPCI) and schlieren imaging techniques. It is found that supersonic and subsonic ligaments coexist in one spray. Increasing the injection pressure or reducing the ambient density would extend the supersonic part in the spray. Multiple shock waves occur subsequently from the nozzle exit, where the spray has the highest local velocity. Shock-wave generation during fuel injection could enhance spray penetration, whereas this effect depends on the length of the supersonic part in the spray. Finally, a diagram was proposed to predict the potential for the shock-wave generation and discuss the possible effect on spray characteristics at diesel engine conditions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Internal Combustion Engine Performance)
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20 pages, 5759 KiB  
Article
Leakage Inductances of Transformers at Arbitrarily Located Windings
by Marcin Jaraczewski and Tadeusz Sobczyk
Energies 2020, 13(23), 6464; https://doi.org/10.3390/en13236464 - 7 Dec 2020
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2858
Abstract
The article presents the calculation of the leakage inductance in power transformers. As a rule, the leakage flux in the transformer window is represented by the short-circuit inductance, which affects the short-circuit voltage, and this is a very important factor for power transformers. [...] Read more.
The article presents the calculation of the leakage inductance in power transformers. As a rule, the leakage flux in the transformer window is represented by the short-circuit inductance, which affects the short-circuit voltage, and this is a very important factor for power transformers. This inductance reflects the typical windings of power transformers well, but is insufficient for special transformers or in any case of the internal asymmetry of windings. This paper presents a methodology for calculations of the self- and mutual-leakage inductances for windings arbitrarily located in the air window. It is based on the 2D approach for analyzing the stray field in the air zone only, using discrete partial differential operators. That methodology is verified with the finite element method tested on real transformer data. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Electrical Machine Design for Emerging Technologies)
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27 pages, 2707 KiB  
Article
The Importance of the Microclimatic Conditions Inside and Outside of Plant Buildings in Odorants Emission at Municipal Waste Biogas Installations
by Marta Wiśniewska, Andrzej Kulig and Krystyna Lelicińska-Serafin
Energies 2020, 13(23), 6463; https://doi.org/10.3390/en13236463 - 7 Dec 2020
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1866
Abstract
Municipal waste biogas plants are an important element of waste treatment and energy policy. In this study, odorant concentrations and emissions were measured together with the air temperature (T) and relative humidity (RH) to confirm the hypothesis that the microclimatic conditions have an [...] Read more.
Municipal waste biogas plants are an important element of waste treatment and energy policy. In this study, odorant concentrations and emissions were measured together with the air temperature (T) and relative humidity (RH) to confirm the hypothesis that the microclimatic conditions have an important impact on the level of odorant emission at municipal waste biogas plants. A simple correlation analysis was made to evaluate the strength and the direction of the relationship between the odorant concentration and emission and air temperature and relative humidity. The mean volatile organic compound (VOC) and NH3 concentrations vary depending on the stage of the technological line of the analysed municipal waste biogas plants and are in the following ranges, respectively: 0–38.64 ppm and 0–100 ppm. The odorant concentrations and emissions correlated statistically significantly with T primarily influences VOC concentrations and emissions while RH mainly affects NH3 concentrations and emissions. The strongest correlations were noted for the fermentation preparation section and for emissions from roof ventilators depending on the analysed plant. The smallest influence of microclimatic factors was observed at the beginning of the technological line—in the waste storage section and mechanical treatment hall. This is due to the greater impact of the type and quality of waste delivered the plants. The analysis of correlation between individual odorants showed significant relationships between VOCs and NH3 for most stages of the technological line of both biogas plants. In the case of technological sewage pumping stations, a significant relationship was also observed between VOCs and H2S. The obtained results may be helpful in preparing strategies to reduce the odours from waste treatment plants. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Municipal Energy System Planning: New Approaches, Applications and Future Research Needs)
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22 pages, 4229 KiB  
Article
Activated Carbon from Winemaking Waste: Thermoeconomic Analysis for Large-Scale Production
by Isaac Lorero, Arturo J. Vizcaíno, Francisco J. Alguacil and Félix A. López
Energies 2020, 13(23), 6462; https://doi.org/10.3390/en13236462 - 7 Dec 2020
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2671
Abstract
An activated carbon manufacturing process from winemaking waste is analyzed. In that way, vine shoots conversion is studied as a basis for plant designing, and mass and energy balances of hydrothermal carbonization and physical activation are fulfilled. To develop an energy-integrated plant, a [...] Read more.
An activated carbon manufacturing process from winemaking waste is analyzed. In that way, vine shoots conversion is studied as a basis for plant designing, and mass and energy balances of hydrothermal carbonization and physical activation are fulfilled. To develop an energy-integrated plant, a network of heat exchangers is allocated to recover heat waste, and a cogeneration cycle is designed to provide electricity and remaining heat process demands. Furthermore, thermoeconomic analysis is applied to determine the thermodynamic efficiency and the economic viability of the plant. Energy balance indicates that heat exchangers energy integration covers 48.9% of the overall demands by crossing hot and cold streams and recovering heat from residual flue gas. On the other hand, the exergy costs analysis identifies combustion of pruning wood as the main source of exergy destruction, confirming the suitability of the integration to improve the thermodynamic performance. Attending to economic costs analysis, production scale and vineyard pruning wood price are identified as a critical parameter on process profitability. With a scale of 2.5 ton/h of pruning wood carbonization, a break-event point to compete with activated carbons from biomass origin is reached. Nevertheless, cost of pruning wood is identified as another important economic parameter, pointing out the suitability of wet methods such as hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) to treat them as received form the harvest and to contribute to cutting down its prices. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Materials Recycling and Energy Use of Waste)
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12 pages, 2977 KiB  
Article
Modelling of the Dynamic Young’s Modulus of a Sedimentary Rock Subjected to Nonstationary Loading
by Mikhail Guzev, Evgenii Riabokon, Mikhail Turbakov, Evgenii Kozhevnikov and Vladimir Poplygin
Energies 2020, 13(23), 6461; https://doi.org/10.3390/en13236461 - 7 Dec 2020
Cited by 17 | Viewed by 2235
Abstract
This paper presents a mathematical model that reflects the nature of the dynamic Young’s modulus of a dry sedimentary rock during nonstationary uniaxial loading. The model is based on an idealized model of a system suggested by Jaeger J.C. A rock sample is [...] Read more.
This paper presents a mathematical model that reflects the nature of the dynamic Young’s modulus of a dry sedimentary rock during nonstationary uniaxial loading. The model is based on an idealized model of a system suggested by Jaeger J.C. A rock sample is considered as a spring with stiffness, the bottom point of which is fixed, while the upper point carries a mass. A sample experiences dynamic load and the rock matrix response. Displacement of the mass from the equilibrium state sets the variation of the sample’s length. Displacement of all the sample’s points goes according to the same law regardless of the point location. The response of a rock to a disturbing nonstationary load is selected based on the combination of conditions of each experiment, such as the load frequency and amplitude and the mass, length, and diameter of a sample. The mathematical model is consistent with experimental data, according to which an increase in load frequency leads to an increase in the dynamic Young’s modulus for each value of the load. The accuracy of the models is evaluated. The relations underlying the model can be used as a basis to describe the Young’s modulus dispersion of sedimentary rocks under the influence of nonstationary loads. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section L: Energy Sources)
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14 pages, 3707 KiB  
Article
Optimization Design for Receiving Coil with Novel Structure Based on Mutual Coupling Model in Wireless Power Transmission for Capsule Endoscope
by Shuai Kuang, Guozheng Yan and Zhiwu Wang
Energies 2020, 13(23), 6460; https://doi.org/10.3390/en13236460 - 7 Dec 2020
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2457
Abstract
Wireless capsule endoscope (WCE) is a promising technology for noninvasive and painless imaging detection on gastrointestinal (GI) diseases. On the other hand, conventional endoscopes with wires could discomfort patients and cause them to vomit and aerosolize coronavirus if the patients are infected with [...] Read more.
Wireless capsule endoscope (WCE) is a promising technology for noninvasive and painless imaging detection on gastrointestinal (GI) diseases. On the other hand, conventional endoscopes with wires could discomfort patients and cause them to vomit and aerosolize coronavirus if the patients are infected with COVID-19. However, there stands a technical bottleneck on power supply for the WCE. With the help of wireless power transmission technology, a hollow receiving coil (RC) is proposed to supply sufficient power and also minimize the size of WCE. A model on mutual inductance between transmitting and receiving coils is proposed to evaluate receiving power when the RC is in a different position and direction of patient’s GI tract. Based on the model, an optimal RC is built to obtain sufficient and stable power. Measurement of mutual inductance with the optimal RC validates high accuracy of the proposed model. The standard deviation of receiving power is very low. WCE with optimum RC gets sufficient power and captures images stably in live pig’s intestine tract. Additionally, the model is little affected by biological tissues. It ensures reliable performance of WCE and makes popular clinical application of WCE possible, which is also a relief to reduce epidemics like COVID-19. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section A1: Smart Grids and Microgrids)
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16 pages, 1967 KiB  
Article
Diagnostic Simplexes for Dissolved-Gas Analysis
by James Dukarm, Zachary Draper and Tomasz Piotrowski
Energies 2020, 13(23), 6459; https://doi.org/10.3390/en13236459 - 7 Dec 2020
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 3579
Abstract
A Duval triangle is a diagram used for fault type identification in dissolved-gas analysis of oil-filled high-voltage transformers and other electrical apparatus. The proportional concentrations of three fault gases (such as methane, ethylene, and acetylene) are used as coordinates to plot a point [...] Read more.
A Duval triangle is a diagram used for fault type identification in dissolved-gas analysis of oil-filled high-voltage transformers and other electrical apparatus. The proportional concentrations of three fault gases (such as methane, ethylene, and acetylene) are used as coordinates to plot a point in an equilateral triangle and identify the fault zone in which it is located. Each point in the triangle corresponds to a unique combination of gas proportions. Diagnostic pentagons published by Duval and others seek to emulate the triangles while incorporating five fault gases instead of three. Unfortunately the mapping of five gas proportions to a point inside a two-dimensional pentagon is many-to-one; consequently, dissimilar combinations of gas proportions are mapped to the same point in the pentagon, resulting in mis-diagnosis. One solution is to replace the pentagon with a four-dimensional simplex, a direct generalization of the Duval triangle. In a comparison using cases confirmed by inspection, the simplex outperformed three ratio methods, Duval triangle 1, and two pentagons. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Dissolved Gas Analysis (DGA) and Its Applications in Condition Monitoring of Power Equipments)
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14 pages, 1864 KiB  
Article
Algorithm for Customizing the Material Selection Process for Application in Power Engineering
by Katarina Tomičić-Pupek, Ilija Srpak, Ladislav Havaš and Dunja Srpak
Energies 2020, 13(23), 6458; https://doi.org/10.3390/en13236458 - 7 Dec 2020
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2283
Abstract
Disruptions in the global market are influencing value and supply chains reminding businesses and industries that variability and diversity of supply chains may be essential for surviving and sustainability. Operations management of any business has to address these challenges in order to avoid [...] Read more.
Disruptions in the global market are influencing value and supply chains reminding businesses and industries that variability and diversity of supply chains may be essential for surviving and sustainability. Operations management of any business has to address these challenges in order to avoid any serious interruptions in supply of materials in production industries by seeking substitute inputs. At the same time, the technological development offers new materials with similar quality properties, making thereby the substitute material search more difficult in terms of selecting appropriate materials with a level of quality which is similar enough. Another aspect in shifting can be found in more social-related reasons addressing changes in the value chains like traceability, low carbonization, and a more customer-oriented approach, because of moving towards green digital business. In this sense the intention of this work was to propose an algorithm for customizing the process of identifying appropriate materials in production by relying on existing algorithms i.e., the Ashby mapping, big data, applying algorithms of data analysis based on exclusion criteria embracing transformation paradigms, for enabling customization of the material selection process. The proposed algorithm was applied on two case examples, demonstrating that diversity of materials plays an important role in addressing customization requests from customers. Consequently, understanding and implementing a customer-centric approach in various phases of the product life cycle contributes to a better response by businesses faced with issuing customized offerings. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Solutions for Monitoring, Protection and Control of Modern Power Transmission System)
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17 pages, 7110 KiB  
Article
Investigation of the Effects of Reduced Sintering Temperature on Dielectric, Ferroelectric and Energy Storage Properties of Microwave-Sintered PLZT 8/60/40 Ceramics
by Ajeet Kumar, Sivanagi Reddy Emani, K. C. James Raju, Jungho Ryu and A. R. James
Energies 2020, 13(23), 6457; https://doi.org/10.3390/en13236457 - 7 Dec 2020
Cited by 16 | Viewed by 2858
Abstract
In this study, (Pb0.92La0.08) (Zr0.60Ti0.40) O3 (PLZT 8/60/40) ceramics were synthesized using a high-energy ball-milling technique followed by microwave sintering at different temperatures from 900 °C to 1200 °C. The optimal microwave sintering temperature [...] Read more.
In this study, (Pb0.92La0.08) (Zr0.60Ti0.40) O3 (PLZT 8/60/40) ceramics were synthesized using a high-energy ball-milling technique followed by microwave sintering at different temperatures from 900 °C to 1200 °C. The optimal microwave sintering temperature for the PLZT 8/60/40 ceramics was found to be 1150 °C, which is relatively low compared with conventional sintering temperature. The sintered ceramics show the pure perovskite phase, uniform grain microstructure (1.2 µm) and high density (~99.5%). The polarization vs. electric field (P-E) hysteresis curves were used to investigate the ferroelectric and energy storage properties. The switching characteristic in P-E loops and occurrence of domain switching current in current vs. electric field (I-E) loops confirms their ferroelectric nature. The PLZT ceramics, which were sintered at 1150 °C, show the highest remnant polarization (Pr) of ~32.18 μC/cm2 and domain switching current (Imax) of ~0.91 mA with a low coercive field (Ec) of ~10.17 kV/cm. The bipolar and unipolar strain vs. electric field (S-E) hysteresis loops were also measured and the highest unipolar strain was found to be ~0.26% for the PLZT ceramics sintered at 1150 °C. The unipolar S-E curves were used to derive the piezoelectric coefficient (d33~495 pm/V) and a strain hysteresis loss (~5.8%). Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Materials for Supercapacitor Electrodes)
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19 pages, 4738 KiB  
Article
Chemistry of Reservoir Fluids in the Aspect of CO2 Injection for Selected Oil Reservoirs in Poland
by Ewa Knapik and Katarzyna Chruszcz-Lipska
Energies 2020, 13(23), 6456; https://doi.org/10.3390/en13236456 - 6 Dec 2020
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3081
Abstract
Worldwide experiences related to geological CO2 storage show that the process of the injection of carbon dioxide into depleted oil reservoirs (CCS-EOR, Carbon Capture and Storage—Enhanced Oil Recovery) is highly profitable. The injection of CO2 will allow an increasing recovery factor [...] Read more.
Worldwide experiences related to geological CO2 storage show that the process of the injection of carbon dioxide into depleted oil reservoirs (CCS-EOR, Carbon Capture and Storage—Enhanced Oil Recovery) is highly profitable. The injection of CO2 will allow an increasing recovery factor (thus increasing CCS process profitability) and revitalize mature reservoirs, which may lead to oil spills due to pressure buildups. In Poland, such a solution has not yet been implemented in the industry. This work provides additional data for analysis of the possibility of the CCS-EOR method’s implementation for three potential clusters of Polish oil reservoirs located at a short distance one from another. The aim of the work was to examine the properties of reservoir fluids for these selected oil reservoirs in order to assure a better understanding of the physicochemical phenomena that accompany the gas injection process. The chemical composition of oils was determined by gas chromatography. All tested oils represent a medium black oil type with the density ranging from 795 to 843 g/L and the viscosity at 313 K, varying from 1.95 to 5.04 mm/s. The content of heavier components C25+ is up to 17 wt. %. CO2–oil MMP (Minimum Miscibility Pressure) was calculated in a CHEMCAD simulator using the Soave–Redlich–Kwong equation of state (SRK EoS). The oil composition was defined as a mixture of n-alkanes. Relatively low MMP values (ca. 8.3 MPa for all tested oils at 313 K) indicate a high potential of the EOR method, and make this geological CO2 storage form more attractive to the industry. For reservoir brines, the content of the main ions was experimentally measured and CO2 solubility under reservoir conditions was calculated. The reservoir brines showed a significant variation in properties with total dissolved solids contents varying from 17.5 to 378 g/L. CO2 solubility in brines depends on reservoir conditions and brine chemistry. The highest calculated CO2 solubility is 1.79 mol/kg, which suggest possible CO2 storage in aquifers. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Utilization)
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21 pages, 7667 KiB  
Article
Modeling PCM Phase Change Temperature and Hysteresis in Ventilation Cooling and Heating Applications
by Yue Hu, Rui Guo, Per Kvols Heiselberg and Hicham Johra
Energies 2020, 13(23), 6455; https://doi.org/10.3390/en13236455 - 6 Dec 2020
Cited by 28 | Viewed by 3875
Abstract
Applying phase change material (PCM) for latent heat storage in sustainable building systems has gained increasing attention. However, the nonlinear thermal properties of the material and the hysteresis between the two-phase change processes make the modelling of PCM challenging. Moreover, the influences of [...] Read more.
Applying phase change material (PCM) for latent heat storage in sustainable building systems has gained increasing attention. However, the nonlinear thermal properties of the material and the hysteresis between the two-phase change processes make the modelling of PCM challenging. Moreover, the influences of the PCM phase transition and hysteresis on the building thermal and energy performance have not been fully understood. This paper reviews the most commonly used modelling methods for PCM from the literature and discusses their advantages and disadvantages. A case study is carried out to examine the accuracy of those models in building simulation tools, including four methods to model the melting and freezing process of a PCM heat exchanger. These results are compared to experimental data of the heat transfer process in a PCM heat exchanger. That showed that the four modelling methods are all accurate for representing the thermal behavior of the PCM heat exchanger. The model with the DSC Cp method with hysteresis performs the best at predicting the heat transfer process in PCM in this case. The impacts of PCM phase change temperature and hysteresis on the building energy-saving potential and thermal comfort are analyzed in another case study, based on one modelling method from the first case study. The building in question is a three-room apartment with PCM-enhanced ventilated windows in Denmark. The study showed that the PCM hysteresis has a larger influence on the building energy consumption than the phase change temperature for both summer night cooling applications and for winter energy storage. However, it does not have a strong impact on the yearly total energy usage. For both summer and winter transition seasons, the PCM hysteresis has a larger influence on the predicted percentage of dissatisfied (PPD) than the phase change temperature, but not a strong impact on the transition season average PPD. It is therefore advised to choose the PCM hysteresis according to whether it is for a summer night cooling or a winter solar energy storage application, as this has a significant impact on the system’s overall efficiency. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section G: Energy and Buildings)
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15 pages, 4149 KiB  
Article
An Advanced Exergoeconomic Comparison of CO2-Based Transcritical Refrigeration Cycles
by J. M. Belman-Flores, V. H. Rangel-Hernández, V. Pérez-García, A. Zaleta-Aguilar, Qingping Fang and D. Méndez-Méndez
Energies 2020, 13(23), 6454; https://doi.org/10.3390/en13236454 - 6 Dec 2020
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2364
Abstract
CO2-based transcritical refrigeration cycles are currently gaining significant research attention, as they offer a viable solution to the use of natural refrigerants (e.g., CO2). However, there are almost no papers that offer an exergoeconomic comparison between the different configurations [...] Read more.
CO2-based transcritical refrigeration cycles are currently gaining significant research attention, as they offer a viable solution to the use of natural refrigerants (e.g., CO2). However, there are almost no papers that offer an exergoeconomic comparison between the different configurations of these types of systems. Accordingly, the present work deals with a comparative exergoeconomic analysis of four different CO2-based transcritical refrigeration cycles. In addition, the work is complemented by an analysis of the CO2 abatement costs. The influences of the variation of the evaporating temperature, the gas cooler outlet temperature, and the pressure ratio on the exergy efficiency, product cost rate, exergy destruction cost rate, exergoeconomic factor, and CO2 penalty cost rate are compared in detail. The results show that the transcritical cycle with the ejector has the lowest exergetic product cost and a low environmental impact. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Global Progress on Exergetic Cost Analysis)
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27 pages, 3525 KiB  
Article
Energy, Exergy, Economic, and Exergoenvironmental Analyses of a Novel Hybrid System to Produce Electricity, Cooling, and Syngas
by Saeed Esfandi, Simin Baloochzadeh, Mohammad Asayesh, Mehdi Ali Ehyaei, Abolfazl Ahmadi, Amir Arsalan Rabanian, Biplab Das, Vitor A. F. Costa and Afshin Davarpanah
Energies 2020, 13(23), 6453; https://doi.org/10.3390/en13236453 - 6 Dec 2020
Cited by 40 | Viewed by 4085
Abstract
Efficient solar and wind energy to electricity conversion technologies are the best alternatives to reduce the use of fossil fuels and to evolve towards a green and decarbonized world. As the conventional photovoltaic systems use only the 600–1100 nm wavelength range of the [...] Read more.
Efficient solar and wind energy to electricity conversion technologies are the best alternatives to reduce the use of fossil fuels and to evolve towards a green and decarbonized world. As the conventional photovoltaic systems use only the 600–1100 nm wavelength range of the solar radiation spectrum for electricity production, hybrid systems taking advantage of the overall solar radiation spectrum are gaining increasing interest. Moreover, such hybrid systems can produce, in an integrated and combined way, electricity, heating, cooling, and syngas through thermochemical processes. They have thus the huge potential for use in residential applications. The present work proposes a novel combined and integrated system for residential applications including wind turbines and a solar dish collector for renewables energy harvesting, an organic Rankine cycle for power production, an absorption chiller for cold production, and a methanation plant for CH4 production from captured CO2. This study deals with the energy, exergy, economic, and exergoenvironmental analyses of the proposed hybrid combined system, to assess its performance, viability, and environmental impact when operating in Tehran. Additionally, it gives a clear picture of how the production pattern of each useful product depends on the patterns of the collection of available renewable energies. Results show that the rate of methane production of this hybrid system changes from 42 up to 140 Nm3/month, due to CO2 consumption from 44 to 144 Nm3/month during a year. Moreover, the energy and exergy efficiencies of this hybrid system vary from 24.7% and 23% to 9.1% and 8%, respectively. The simple payback period of this hybrid system is 15.6 and the payback period of the system is 21.4 years. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Hybrid Energy Storage Systems for Electric Vehicles)
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17 pages, 4360 KiB  
Article
X-in-the-Loop Testing of a Thermal Management System Intended for an Electric Vehicle with In-Wheel Motors
by Ilya Kulikov, Kirill Karpukhin and Rinat Kurmaev
Energies 2020, 13(23), 6452; https://doi.org/10.3390/en13236452 - 6 Dec 2020
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3296
Abstract
The article describes an elaboration of the X-in-the-loop (XiL) testing environment for a thermal management system (TMS) intended for the traction electric drive of an electric vehicle, which has each of its wheels driven by an in-wheel motor. The TMS features the individual [...] Read more.
The article describes an elaboration of the X-in-the-loop (XiL) testing environment for a thermal management system (TMS) intended for the traction electric drive of an electric vehicle, which has each of its wheels driven by an in-wheel motor. The TMS features the individual thermal regulation of each electric drive using a hydraulic layout with parallel pipelines and electrohydraulic pumps embedded into them. The XiL system is intended as a tool for studying and developing the TMS design and controls. It consists of the virtual part and the physical part. The former simulates the vehicle operating in a driving cycle with the heat power dissipated by the electric drive components, which entails the change in their temperature regimes. The physical part includes the TMS itself consisting of a radiator, pipelines, and pumps. The physical part also features devices intended for simulation of the electric drive components in terms of their thermal and hydraulic behaviors, as well as devices that simulate airflow induced by the vehicle motion. Bilateral, real-time interactions are established between the two said parts combining them into a cohesive system, which models the studied electric vehicle and its components. The article gives a description of a laboratory setup, which implements the XiL environment including the mathematical models, hardware devices, as well as the control loops that establish the interaction of those components. An example of using this system in a driving cycle test shows the interaction between its parts and operation of the TMS in conditions simulated in both virtual and physical domains. The results constitute calculated and measured quantities including vehicle speed, operating parameters of the electric drives, coolant and air flow rates, and temperatures of the system components. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Power Electronics, Control and Energy Management Systems for Electric and Hybrid Vehicles)
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19 pages, 1903 KiB  
Article
Powertrain Optimization for Electric Buses under Optimal Energy-Efficient Driving
by Alexander Koch, Olaf Teichert, Svenja Kalt, Aybike Ongel and Markus Lienkamp
Energies 2020, 13(23), 6451; https://doi.org/10.3390/en13236451 - 6 Dec 2020
Cited by 15 | Viewed by 3192
Abstract
State of the art powertrain optimization compares the energy consumption of different powertrain configurations based on simulations with fixed driving cycles. However, this approach might not be applicable to future vehicles, since speed advisory systems and automated driving functions offer the potential to [...] Read more.
State of the art powertrain optimization compares the energy consumption of different powertrain configurations based on simulations with fixed driving cycles. However, this approach might not be applicable to future vehicles, since speed advisory systems and automated driving functions offer the potential to adapt the speed profile to minimize energy consumption. This study aims to investigate the potential of powertrain optimization with respect to energy consumption under optimal energy-efficient driving for electric buses. The optimal powertrain configurations of the buses under energy-efficient driving and their respective energy consumptions are obtained using powertrain-specific optimized driving cycles and compared with those of human-driven unconnected buses and buses with non-powertrain-specific optimal speed profiles. Based on the results, new trends in the powertrain design of vehicles under energy-efficient driving are derived. The optimized driving cycles are calculated using a dynamic programming approach. The evaluations were based on the fact that the buses under energy-efficient driving operate in dedicated lanes with vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) communication while the unconnected buses operate in mixed traffic. The results indicate that deviating from the optimal powertrain configuration does not have a significant effect on energy consumption for optimized speed profiles; however, the energy savings from an optimized powertrain configuration can be significant when ride comfort is considered. The connected buses under energy-efficient driving operating in dedicated lanes may reduce energy consumption by up to 27% compared to human-driven unconnected buses. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section E: Electric Vehicles)
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20 pages, 1229 KiB  
Article
Combined Economic Emission Dispatch with Environment-Based Demand Response Using WU-ABC Algorithm
by Ho-Sung Ryu and Mun-Kyeom Kim
Energies 2020, 13(23), 6450; https://doi.org/10.3390/en13236450 - 6 Dec 2020
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 2321
Abstract
Owing to the growing interest in environmental problems worldwide, it is essential to schedule power generation considering the effects of pollutants. To address this, we propose an optimal approach that solves the combined economic emission dispatch (CEED) with maximum emission constraints by considering [...] Read more.
Owing to the growing interest in environmental problems worldwide, it is essential to schedule power generation considering the effects of pollutants. To address this, we propose an optimal approach that solves the combined economic emission dispatch (CEED) with maximum emission constraints by considering demand response (DR) program. The CEED consists of the sum of operation costs for each generator and the pollutant emissions. An environment-based demand response (EBDR) program is used to implement pollutant emission reduction and facilitate economic improvement. Through the weighting update artificial bee colony (WU-ABC) algorithm, the penalty factor that determines the weighting of the two objective functions is adjusted, and an optimal operation solution for a microgrid (MG) is then determined to resolve the CEED problem. The effectiveness and applicability of the proposed approach are demonstrated via comparative analyses at a modified grid-connected MG test system. The results confirm that the proposed approach not only satisfies emission constraints but also ensures an economically superior performance compared to other approaches. These results present a useful solution for microgrid operators considered environment issues. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Distributed Power Generation Scheduling, Modelling and Expansion Planning)
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19 pages, 5793 KiB  
Article
Wind Power Ramp Event Forecasting Based on Feature Extraction and Deep Learning
by Li Han, Yan Qiao, Mengjie Li and Liping Shi
Energies 2020, 13(23), 6449; https://doi.org/10.3390/en13236449 - 6 Dec 2020
Cited by 18 | Viewed by 3044
Abstract
In order to improve the accuracy of wind power ramp forecasting and reduce the threat of ramps to the safe operation of power systems, a wind power ramp event forecast model based on feature extraction and deep learning is proposed in this work. [...] Read more.
In order to improve the accuracy of wind power ramp forecasting and reduce the threat of ramps to the safe operation of power systems, a wind power ramp event forecast model based on feature extraction and deep learning is proposed in this work. Firstly, the Optimized Swinging Door Algorithm (OpSDA) is introduced to detect wind power ramp events, and the extraction results of ramp features, such as the ramp rate, are obtained. Then, a ramp forecast model based on a deep learning network is established. The historical wind power and its ramp features are used as the input of the forecast model, thereby strengthening the model’s learning for ramp features and preventing ramp features from being submerged in the complex wind power signal. A Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) is adopted to extract features from model inputs to obtain the coupling relationship between wind power and ramp features, and Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) is utilized to learn the time-series relationship of the data. The forecast wind power is used as the output of the model, based on which the ramp forecast result is obtained after the ramp detection. Finally, the wind power data from the Elia website is used to verify the forecast performance of the proposed method for wind power ramp events. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section A3: Wind, Wave and Tidal Energy)
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28 pages, 5704 KiB  
Article
Experimental Platform for Evaluation of On-Board Real-Time Motion Controllers for Electric Vehicles
by Thanh Vo-Duy, Minh C. Ta, Bảo-Huy Nguyễn and João Pedro F. Trovão
Energies 2020, 13(23), 6448; https://doi.org/10.3390/en13236448 - 6 Dec 2020
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3577
Abstract
Electric vehicles are considered to be a greener and safer means of transport thanks to the distinguished advantages of electric motors. Studies on this object require experimental platforms for control validation purpose. Under the pressure of research, the development of these platforms must [...] Read more.
Electric vehicles are considered to be a greener and safer means of transport thanks to the distinguished advantages of electric motors. Studies on this object require experimental platforms for control validation purpose. Under the pressure of research, the development of these platforms must be reliable, safe, fast, and cost effective. To practically validate the control system, the controllers should be implemented in an on-board micro-controller platform; whereas, the vehicle model should be realized in a real-time emulator that behaves like the real vehicle. In this paper, we propose a signal hardware-in-the-loop simulation system for electric vehicles that are driven by four independent electric motors installed in wheels (in-wheel motor). The system is elaborately built on the basis of longitudinal, lateral, and yaw dynamics, as well as kinematic and position models, of which the characteristics are complete and comprehensive. The performance of the signal hardware-in-the-loop system is evaluated by various open-loop testing scenarios and by validation of a representative closed-loop optimal force distribution control. The proposed system can be applied for researches on active safety system of electric vehicles, including traction, braking control, force/torque distribution strategy, and electronic stability program. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Electric Vehicle Efficient Power and Propulsion Systems)
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27 pages, 7565 KiB  
Article
Autonomous Energy Regions as a Proposed Choice of Selecting Selected EU Regions—Aspects of Their Creation and Management
by Piotr Maśloch, Grzegorz Maśloch, Łukasz Kuźmiński, Henryk Wojtaszek and Ireneusz Miciuła
Energies 2020, 13(23), 6444; https://doi.org/10.3390/en13236444 - 6 Dec 2020
Cited by 15 | Viewed by 3026
Abstract
There is a high demand for energy production, which is dependent on energy consumption and input. This demand affects socioeconomic development and quality of life. However, the lack of an innovative formal, legal, and organizational structure regarding public space in the European Union [...] Read more.
There is a high demand for energy production, which is dependent on energy consumption and input. This demand affects socioeconomic development and quality of life. However, the lack of an innovative formal, legal, and organizational structure regarding public space in the European Union (EU) is problematic; one solution could be preparing and implementing grid services as part of distributed energy solutions (based on local and regional renewable resources), and involving local public, private, and profitable entities. Autonomous energy regions (AREs) are a response to this type of problem, as they can contribute to the creation of organizational and legal tools that counteract the marginalization of crisis areas, where undesirable socioeconomic phenomena intensify (and the conditions and management of the natural environments deteriorate). Investments in energy infrastructure based on distributed energy (mainly renewable energy sources) will be a tool for socioeconomic changes in affected areas. In terms of practical considerations in the energy field (i.e., keywords, barriers to energy consumption, and access to it), it is important to formulate recommendations regarding the creation, management, identification, and designation of autonomous energy regions (AREs) in the EU. In this case, postal questionnaires and a taxonomic method (Hellwig’s method) were used. It is worth emphasizing that the creation of AREs is a modern requirement in connection with global CO2 emissions. Sustainable low-emission economies, according to the conducted research, may be introduced to the entire European Union. The lack of proposals for direction of regional development, in terms of autonomous energy regions, was indicated in this paper. There is a need to formulate specific recommendations regarding the possibility of creating and managing autonomous energy regions (AREs) in the European Union. Fortunately, there are natural, organizational, and social opportunities to begin this process. For example, local authorities may become leaders in creating a network of connections in emerging AREs, and communities might willingly make the effort to co-create AREs. Full article
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19 pages, 304 KiB  
Article
Renewable Energy and Economic Performance in the Context of the European Green Deal
by Mihaela Simionescu, Carmen Beatrice Păuna and Tiberiu Diaconescu
Energies 2020, 13(23), 6440; https://doi.org/10.3390/en13236440 - 6 Dec 2020
Cited by 36 | Viewed by 5434
Abstract
The European Green Deal considers the increase in the share of renewable energy in final energy consumption (REFEC) among the main targets for achieving sustainable EU economies. In this context, the main aim of this paper is to provide an empirical evaluation of [...] Read more.
The European Green Deal considers the increase in the share of renewable energy in final energy consumption (REFEC) among the main targets for achieving sustainable EU economies. In this context, the main aim of this paper is to provide an empirical evaluation of the relationship between GDP, global competitiveness index (GCI) and renewable energy consumption. According to panel data models based on the fully modified ordinary least squares method (FMOLS), there is a positive effect of renewable energy consumption progress on GDP and GCI growth, and also a positive influence of economic growth on renewable energy consumption in the period 2007–2019 in the EU countries. The energy consumption is more influenced by economic growth rather than economic competitiveness. Few scenarios were proposed for economic growth and share of renewable sources (RESs) in the final consumption using as forecasting method the proposed panel data models. The cluster analysis suggested two groups of countries according to RES share in gross final energy consumption (GFEC). The first group includes six countries (Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Latvia, Portugal and Austria) that fixed a target of 30% or more, while the second one refers to countries with lower targets. Some policy recommendations are provided for the EU countries to enhance the utilization of renewable energy. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Energy Policy for a Sustainable Economic Growth)
18 pages, 2653 KiB  
Review
High-Impedance Fault Diagnosis: A Review
by Abdulaziz Aljohani and Ibrahim Habiballah
Energies 2020, 13(23), 6447; https://doi.org/10.3390/en13236447 - 5 Dec 2020
Cited by 36 | Viewed by 7412
Abstract
High-impedance faults (HIFs) represent one of the biggest challenges in power distribution networks. An HIF occurs when an electrical conductor unintentionally comes into contact with a highly resistive medium, resulting in a fault current lower than 75 amperes in medium-voltage circuits. Under such [...] Read more.
High-impedance faults (HIFs) represent one of the biggest challenges in power distribution networks. An HIF occurs when an electrical conductor unintentionally comes into contact with a highly resistive medium, resulting in a fault current lower than 75 amperes in medium-voltage circuits. Under such condition, the fault current is relatively close in value to the normal drawn ampere from the load, resulting in a condition of blindness towards HIFs by conventional overcurrent relays. This paper intends to review the literature related to the HIF phenomenon including models and characteristics. In this work, detection, classification, and location methodologies are reviewed. In addition, diagnosis techniques are categorized, evaluated, and compared with one another. Finally, disadvantages of current approaches and a look ahead to the future of fault diagnosis are discussed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Techniques for Power Quality Improvement)
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