Energies

In the remote areas of northern China without central heating and gas supply, for users intending to replace coal-boilers, the air-source heat pump system is always questionable due to the contradiction between its heating capacity and user’s heating demand, especially in very cold areas, whose COP and economy is very poor. The accumulator with phase change materials would be a promising one to solve this problem. With the help of TRNSYS software, a heating system coupled with air-source heat pump, accumulator, and water-source heat pump and its operation mode are provided and analyzed based on the heat source renovation demand of a middle school in Tianshui City suburb which has 5560 m² area to be heated. The average COP simulated during the heating period of the coupled heating system is 2.23. Based on the simulation model and results, the heat source renovation of the middle school in Tianshui City suburb was carried out, its tested and simulated COP over the day was 2 and 2.05, respectively, which also reveals the validity of the numerical method for this problem. Full article

Micro turbojets are used for propelling radio-controlled aircraft, aerial targets, and personal air vehicles. When compared to full-scale engines, they are characterized by relatively low efficiency and durability. In this context, the degraded performance of gas path components could lead to an unacceptable reduction in the overall engine performance. In this work, a data-driven model based on a conventional artificial neural network (ANN) and an extreme learning machine (ELM) was used for estimating the performance degradation of the micro turbojet. The training datasets containing the performance data of the engine with degraded components were generated using the validated GSP model and the Monte Carlo approach. In particular, compressor and turbine performance degradation were simulated for three different flight regimes. It was confirmed that component degradation had a similar impact in flight than at sea level. Finally, the datasets were used in the training and testing process of the ELM algorithm with four different input vectors. Two vectors had an extensive number of virtual sensors, and the other two were reduced to just fuel flow and exhaust gas temperature. Even with the small number of sensors, the high prediction accuracy of ELM was maintained for takeoff and cruise but was slightly worse for variable flight conditions. Full article

The development and utilization of biomass can not only address the demand for low-carbon energy and reduce environmental pollution, but can also facilitate the achievement of carbon neutrality. However, there are many factors justifying the case for low utilization of agricultural residues. These factors could be well controlled by producing top-quality pellets. Production of pellets is generally accompanied by the problems of high energy consumption and serious mold wearing. To eliminate these deficiencies, pretreatment has attracted scholars’ attention. In this review, the effects of four pretreatments on the properties of pellets were assessed. Thermal pretreatment can improve the hydrophobicity of pellets, and optimize their properties, while degradation of diverse extractives is noteworthy. Hydrothermal pretreatment improves the physical properties of pellets, through the increase of polar functional groups on the surface of the biomass. Ultrasonic vibration-assisted (UV-A) pelleting produces pellets under low pressure without a heating process; however, it is still not applied to large-scale production. Supercritical fluid extraction can achieve the graded utilization of extracts and bioactive substances in biomass, and the residues can be subsequently utilized as pellet feedstock. Mild hydrothermal treatment is a promising approach to improving the quality of agricultural pellets. Additionally, the effects of process parameters on the physical and chemical properties of pellets should be systematically analyzed. Full article

The reliability of a coal mill's operation is strongly connected with optimizing the combustion process. Monitoring the temperature of a dust–air mixture significantly increases the coal mill's operational efficiency and safety. Reliable and accurate information about disturbances can help with optimization actions. The article describes the application of an additive regression model and data mining techniques for the identification of the temperature model of a dust–air mixture at the outlet of a coal mill. This is a new approach to the problem of power unit modeling, which extends the possibilities of multivariate and nonlinear estimation by using the backfitting algorithm with flexible nonparametric smoothing techniques. The designed model was used to construct a disturbance detection system in the position of hot and cold air dampers. In order to achieve the robust properties of the detection systems, statistical measures of the differences between the real and modeled temperature signal of dust–air mixtures were used. The research has been conducted on the basis of the real measuring data registered in the Polish power unit with a capacity of 200 MW. The obtained high-quality model identification confirms the correctness of the presented method. The model is characterized by high sensitivity to any disturbances in the cold and hot air damper position. The results show that the suggested method improves the usability of the statistical modeling, which creates good prospects for future applications of additive models in the issues of diagnosing faults and cyber-attacks in power systems. Full article

To broaden the absorption spectrum of cells, enhance the cell stability, and avoid high costs, a novel perovskite solar cell (PSC) with the structure of fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO)/ZnO/CsPbI₃/FAPbI₃/CuSCN/Au is designed using the solar cell capacitance simulator (SCAPS) software. The simulation results indicate that the CsPbI₃/FAPbI₃ heterojunction PSC has higher quantum efficiency (QE) characteristics than the single-junction CsPbI₃-based PSC, and it outputs a higher short-circuit current density (J_sc) and power conversion efficiency (PCE). In order to optimize the device performance, several critical device parameters, including the thickness and defect density of both the CsPbI₃ and FAPbI₃ layers, the work function of the contact electrodes, and the operating temperature are systematically investigated. Through the optimum analysis, the thicknesses of CsPbI₃ and FAPbI₃ are optimized to be 100 and 700 nm, respectively, so that the cell could absorb photons more sufficiently without an excessively high recombination rate, and the cell achieved the highest PCE. The defect densities of CsPbI₃ and FAPbI₃ are set to 10¹² cm⁻³ to effectively avoid the excessive carrier recombination centering on the cell to increase the carrier lifetime. Additionally, we found that when the work function of the metal back electrode is greater than 4.8 eV and FTO with a work function of 4.4 eV is selected as the front electrode, the excessively high Schottky barrier could be avoided and the collection of photogenerated carriers could be promoted. In addition, the operating temperature is proportional to the carrier recombination rate, and an excessively high temperature could inhibit V_oc. After implementing the optimized parameters, the cell performance of the studied solar cell was improved. Its PCE reaches 28.75%, which is higher than most of existing solar cells. Moreover, the open circuit voltage (V_oc), J_sc, and PCE are increased by 17%, 9.5%, and 25.1%, respectively. The results of this paper provide a methodology and approach for the construction of high-efficiency heterojunction PSCs. Full article

This paper presents an analysis of the upper bound of the dynamic error obtained during temperature measurements. This analysis was carried out for the case of the absolute error criterion and for the numerically determined excitation signals, with one and two constraints. The negative temperature coefficient (NTC) and K-type thermocouple sensors were tested, and the upper bound of the dynamic error was determined for the case of one and two constraints imposed on the input signal. The influence of the sensor modelling uncertainty on the values of the upper bound of the dynamic error has also been taken into account in this paper. Numerical calculations and the corresponding analysis were carried out using the MathCad 14 program. The solutions presented in this paper make it possible to obtain precise solutions in the field of classic calibration of temperature sensors—but, above all, they allow for a mutual comparison of the accuracy of widely used sensors in the energy industry. Full article

Heat recovery from a high-temperature wastewater is the major concern in the conventional textile industry. However, limited space in the textile plant is an important constraint for the process enhancement. Therefore, an easily applicable heat recovery system with a small amount of additional equipment to the existing dyeing process is required. To meet the needs from the industry, this study suggests an integrated heat recovery and supply system consisting of single heat exchanger and single storage tank using freshwater as a thermal carrier to utilize the reusable heat in the wastewater. Freshwater is stored in a tank after direct heat exchange with wastewater and is supplied to the next dyeing process. Three different designs of the integrated system were compared based on the lower limit of the wastewater temperature: above 50 °C, 40 °C, and 30 °C for Cases 1, 2, and 3, respectively. The energy and energy flow analyses showed Case 2 to be well balanced between the quality and quantity of the recovered heat, and there was no heat loss via drainage. The heat demand for Case 2 was 795.5 kW, which was the lowest among all cases. Furthermore, an economic analysis showed that the total cost for Case 2 was reduced by 63.2% compared with the base case. Despite the use of an additional heat exchanger and water storage tank, the proposed system was more economical because of the reduced operating costs. Finally, a detailed analysis was conducted by determining the more efficient temperature for heat recovery and supply. Full article

In this paper, an improved single-phase second order generalized integrator (SOGI) fixed-frequency phase-locked loop (FFPLL) is presented. The proposed improvement comprises the modification of the PLL input signal estimated phase angle correction factor, which is in this paper calculated and implemented with the exactly accurate value, while in the existing literature the approximated correction value is employed. Also, in this paper, the FFPLL with DC offset is presented, together with the corresponding estimated angle correction technique. Furthermore, the PLL with the positive sequence separation is outlined, based on the new FFPLL structure. The proposed technique is analyzed and verified by simulation and experimental runs, which proved the accuracy and efficiency of the proposed PLL technique. Furthermore, a corresponding PLL parameter values tuning procedure is presented that illustrates the dynamic performance improvements that SOGI based FFPLL introduces when compared with SOGI based PLL. Consequently, FFPLL combined with the proposed new estimated angle correction factor represents a significant improvement when compared to the conventional SOGI based PLL. Full article

Flat surfaces with different patterns of hydrophobic spots were employed for experimental investigation of boiling heat transfer. In one case, hydrophobic spots were created on a smooth copper surface and on a surface coated with arrays of micrococoons from silicon oxide nanowires by vapor deposition of a fluoropolymer. In the second case, a hydrophobic coating was deposited on heater surfaces with cavity microstructures formed by laser ablation and chemisorption of fluorinated methoxysilane. Water under saturation conditions at atmospheric pressure was used as the working liquid. The temperature of the heating surface was varied from 100 to 125 °C, and the maximum value of the heat flux was 160 W/cm². Boiling heat transfer on the test biphilic surfaces was significantly (up to 600%) higher than on non-biphilic surfaces. Surface texture, the shape of hydrophobic regions, and the method of their creation tested in this study did not show a significant effect on heat transfer. The boiling heat transfer rate was found to depend on the size of hydrophobic spots, the distance between them, and hence the number of spots. The highest heat transfer efficiency was detected for the surface with the largest number of hydrophobic spots. After long-term experiments (up to 3 years), the heat transfer coefficient on the obtained surfaces remained higher than on the smooth copper surface. Biphilic surfaces with arrays of cavities formed by laser ablation turned out to be the most stable during prolonged contact with boiling water. Full article

The development of a hydrogen energy-based society is becoming the solution for more and more countries. Fuel cell electric vehicles are the best carriers for developing a hydrogen energy-based society. The current research on hydrogen leakage and the diffusion of fuel cell electric vehicles has been sufficient. However, the study of hydrogen safety has not reduced the safety concerns for society and government management departments, concerning the large-scale promotion of fuel cell electric vehicles. Hydrogen safety is both a technical and psychological issue. This paper aims to provide a comprehensive overview of fuel cell electric vehicles’ hydrogen dispersion and the burning behavior and introduce the relevant work of international standardization and global technical regulations. The CFD simulations in tunnels, underground car parks, and multistory car parks show that the hydrogen escape performance is excellent. At the same time, the research verifies that the flow, the direction of leakage, and the vehicle itself are the most critical factors affecting hydrogen distribution. The impact of the leakage location and leakage pore size is much smaller. The relevant studies also show that the risk is still controllable even if the hydrogen leakage rate is increased ten times the limit of GTR 13 to 1000 NL/min and then ignited. Multi-vehicle combustion tests of fuel cell electric vehicles showed that adjacent vehicles were not ignited by the hydrogen. This shows that as long as the appropriate measures are taken, the risk of a hydrogen leak or the combustion of fuel cell electric vehicles is controllable. The introduction of relevant standards and regulations also indirectly proves this point. This paper will provide product design guidelines for R&D personnel, offer the latest knowledge and guidance to the regulatory agencies, and increase the public’s acceptance of fuel cell electric vehicles. Full article

A large population and rapid urbanization dramatically promote the heating supply demand, the combined heating and power (CHP) system for energy cascade utilization came into being. However, the research on the recovery and utilization of condensing heat, the exploration of the coupling law between power generation and heating supply, and the influence of heat source parameters on thermo-economic performance are still insufficient. To this end, two combined heating and power (CHP) systems coupled with an organic Rankine cycle (ORC) and vapor compression cycle (VCC) are proposed, and their thermodynamic and economic performances are optimized and analyzed by the laws of thermodynamics. Results show that the increase of the volume flow will increase the power generation and heating supply quantity of the system, and there is an optimal evaporation temperature range of 130–140 °C to optimize the performance of the system. The increase of heat source temperature will improve the economic performance of the system, but it will reduce the exergetic efficiency. Therefore, two factors should be comprehensively considered in practical engineering. There is mutual exclusivity between the net power output of the system and the heating supply quantity, it should be reasonably allocated according to the actual needs of users in engineering applications. In addition, the exergetic efficiency of the two systems can reach more than 60%, and the energy utilization rate is high, which indicates that the cascade utilization mode is reasonable. Full article

The article addresses some of the problems associated with the process of shaping commutation strategies in power substations. The issues of modelling the commutation processes of switching devices within a substation and a sample system, as well as mathematical models for creating switching steps within a substation were reviewed. Examples of optimisation methods to be possibly applied in the creation of algorithms for the division of a system into subsystems as a result of a threat of losing its integrity were discussed. The aim of this article is to present the results of preliminary research on the topic described. Its content includes the main methods to achieve the final research results. It is therefore an article marking the path of the research work carried out. The article shows that it is possible, with simple substation measures, to adapt a large power system in such a way that eventual subdivision into sub-systems can be realised by system operation planners before uncontrolled division as a result of a fault occurs. To illustrate the intent of the pathway, a New England test system modified version was used, using an example where the binodalisation process and one possible division of this system into subsystems was explained. Full article

Currently, the ocean energy strategy is rapidly developing, and a high proportionate tidal current energy grid connection presents significant obstacles to the planning and secure and stable operation of an island microgrid. For an island microgrid with high proportion tidal current energy access and demand response resources, this research suggests a multiple time scales rolling coordinative dispatching method. An MPPT control based on Q-Learning algorithm is first developed for real-time maximum power tracking of tidal current energy generation after the island microgrid’s topology has been examined. Following that, a multiple time scales rolling coordinative dispatching’s fundamental architecture and implementation method are provided, with equal time intervals coordinated in a step-by-step recursive way. In the example analysis of an island microgrid, we consider the rigid demand load that does not participate in the demand side response, and the ship load and controllable load that participate in the demand side response. On sea islands, ship loads on the long timeframe achieve traffic and energy interaction, and dispatchable loads on the short timescale participate in supply and demand balancing. This is due to the multiple time scales properties of demand response resources. In addition, a multiple time scales rolling coordinative dispatching model for an island microgrid is developed. It includes day-ahead, intraday, and real-time components. Finally, example analysis is used to confirm the dispatching method’s usefulness and advancement, and we conclude that the tidal current energy consumption rate of the island microgrid is increased by 17.08%. Full article

This paper focuses on the design of the wings used in airborne wind energy systems. At the moment, two different designs are being developed: soft wings and rigid wings. This paper aimed to establish which of the two alternative design choices has the highest chance of dominance and which factors affect that. We treated this problem as a battle for a dominant design, of which the outcome can be explained by factors for technology dominance. The objective was to find weights for the factors for technology dominance for this specific case. This was accomplished by applying the best worst method (BWM). The results are based on literature research and interviews with experts from different backgrounds. It was found that the factors of technological superiority, learning orientation and flexibility are the most important for this case. In addition, it appeared that both designs still have a chance to win the battle. Full article

The power systems of today seem inseparable from clean energy sources such as wind turbines (WTs) and photovoltaics (PVs). However, due to their uncertain nature, operational challenges are expected when WT and PV energy is added to the electricity network. It is necessary to introduce new technologies to compensate for the intermittent nature of renewable energy sources (RESs). Therefore, rationally implementing a demand response (DR) program with energy storage systems (ESSs) in a virtual power plant (VPP) environment is recommended as a way forward to minimize the volatile nature of RESs and improve power system reliability. Our proposed approach aims to maximize social welfare (SW) (i.e., maximization of consumer benefits while minimizing energy costs). Our method assesses the impact of the DR program on SW maximization. Two scenarios are examined, one with and one without a DR program. Stochastic programming theory is used to address the optimization problem. The uncertain behavior of WTs, PVs, and load demand is modeled using a scenario-based approach. The correctness of the proposed approach is demonstrated on a 16-bus UK generic distribution system. Our results show that SW and active power dispatch capacity of WT, PV, and ESS are fairly increased using the proposed approach. Full article

E-grocery is fast growing worldwide and represents a relevant issue for city logistics. Although in almost all countries the percentage of food e-buyers was lower than those purchasing other commodity categories, due to the pandemic, they have increased significantly in the last two years, with consequences that are difficult to fathom and estimate. This phenomenon therefore deserves more attention, especially with respect to its environmental impact, mostly at the urban scale. This paper presents a systematic literature review (SLR) on how e-grocery impacts the environment through the CO₂ emissions generated and the equivalent energy consumption. The methodology used for the review follows a standard approach, with different combinations of keywords used for the search performed in SCOPUS and the Web of Science databases. Emissions and energy consumption assessments were performed for all of the papers considered. The results point to two different findings: some studies consider online grocery as an environmentally friendly channel, while others note that the energy consumption of this emerging channel is higher than alternative ones. This paper contributes by suggesting future research directions to be explored on the relationship between e-grocery and energy use and provides some reflections that are useful not only to e-grocers and logistics operators, but also to policy makers with an interest in developing sustainable urban plans and promoting less environmentally impacting distributions/configurations of grocery delivery systems within city logistics. Full article

Solid-state argyrodite electrolytes are promising candidate materials to produce safe all-solid-state lithium batteries (ASSLBs) due to their high ionic conductivity. These batteries can be used to power electric vehicles and portable consumer electronics which need high power density. Atomic-scale modeling with ab initio calculations became an invaluable tool to better understand the intrinsic properties and stability of these materials. It is also used to create new structures to tailor their properties. This review article presents some of the recent theoretical investigations based on atomic-scale modeling to study argyrodite electrolytes for ASSLBs. A comparison of the effectiveness of argyrodite materials used for ASSLBs and the underlying advantages and disadvantages of the argyrodite materials are also presented in this article. Full article

For propulsion systems using gel fuels, reducing the gel fuel viscosity is essential for achieving better atomization and combustion. In this paper, we investigate the flow and heat transfer in a water-gel with a temperature and shear dependent viscosity. We consider several different channels, mimicking the transport of gelled fuels in propulsion systems, and we also look at corrugation, which is a way of enhancing fluid mixing and thus improving the heat transfer characteristics. The rheological parameters in the constitutive model of the gel are fitted with experimental data. The influence of different corrugation profiles, corrugation configuration parameters and the Reynolds number on the mean apparent viscosity and the pressure drop are investigated. It was found that the flow recirculation formed in the valley of the corrugations enhances the heat transfer and thus the temperature of the main flow. We also noticed an increase in the pressure drop due to the stronger viscous dissipation. Furthermore, it was observed that the sinusoidal corrugation can achieve lower viscosity with a lower pressure drop compared with triangular and trapezoidal corrugations. A shorter wavelength and a deeper wave amplitude of the corrugation seemed to be better for reducing the gel fuel viscosity, while we must consider the adverse consequence of increased pressure drop. A larger Reynolds number was helpful for both lowering the pressure drop and for reducing the viscosity. In addition, compared with a smooth straight pipe, a Y-shape corrugated channel with a constant inlet velocity reduced the mean apparent viscosity by 70.8%, and this value increased to 72.6% by further applying a pulsed inlet velocity, which can greatly enhance the gel fuel atomization and thus improve the combustion efficiency. Full article