Search Results (14)

Limited battery life compromises the usability of inspection and operation robots in hazardous environments such as nuclear sites under decommissioning. Both manually replacing the batteries and installing charging bays may be infeasible. Inductive wireless power transfer is a possible solution to deliver power through barriers such as reinforced concrete walls without physical contact. However, when requiring decent power (e.g., 100 W) to be transmitted over longer distances, the exaggerated dimensions of transmitting and receiving coils restrain the integrations with mobile robots. In this paper, a novel retractable design of the coil used in an inductive wireless power charging system is proposed, proving the minor deformation of the winding shape does not affect the transmission efficiency. A prototype with 5× size compression is implemented and tested. It successfully transmits 116.5 W over a distance of 1 m with 68.72% energy efficiency. The principle can be applied to a wide range of mobile platforms with a limited payload area where remote power is needed. Full article

In recent years, the rapid growth in electric vehicle ownership has resulted in a significant number of decommissioned traction batteries that will require recycling in the future. As consumer expectations for electric vehicle range continue to rise, the turnover of traction batteries has accelerated substantially. Consequently, there is an urgent need for electric vehicle manufacturers to establish an efficient, recyclable supply chain for the return of end-of-life (EOL) electric vehicle (EV) traction batteries. In this paper, we investigate the closed-loop recycling supply chain for retired power batteries in electric vehicle manufacturers, taking into account blockchain technology and the high range preferences in the electric vehicle market, which are influenced by varying demand for different levels of electric vehicle capacitance. Blockchain, as a distributed and decentralized technology, offers features such as consensus mechanisms, traceability, and security, which have been effectively applied across various fields. In this study, we construct four models involving EV battery manufacturers, EV retailers, and battery comprehensive utilization (BCU) enterprises participating in the recycling process. Through the analysis of a Stackelberg response model, we find that (1) single-channel recycling is less efficient than dual-channel recycling models, a difference driven by the diversity of recycling channels and the variability in recycling markets; (2) Recycling models incorporating blockchain technology demonstrate superior performance compared to those that do not utilize blockchain technology, particularly when the intensity of recycling competition is below 0.76; (3) Traction batteries integrated with blockchain technology exhibit higher recycling rates when the optimization index is below 0.96. Electric vehicle battery manufacturers must evaluate the benefits and costs of adopting blockchain technology; (4) With lower recycling incentive levels and EV range preferences, the single-channel recycling model yields better returns than the other three recycling models. EV manufacturers can enhance overall battery supply chain revenues by establishing varying incentive levels based on market demand for different capacitance levels. Full article

At present, cobalt belongs to what are called critical raw materials due to its scarcity and its economic importance. Cobalt is a crucial element in the development of new technologies and applications for decarbonization, with around 40% of cobalt consumption being used for rechargeable battery materials. Additionally, cobalt-based catalysts are used in the production of hydrogen fuel cells, and this element is also employed in the production of superalloys for aerospace and power generation industries. For this reason, it is imperative to increase cobalt recycling by recovering from secondary sources, such as decommissioned lithium-ion batteries. Among the technologies for cobalt recovery, adsorption is a reliable alternative as it allows its recovery even at low concentrations in aqueous solutions and is relatively low in cost. Among the potential adsorbents for cobalt recovery, this paper reviews two of the most promising adsorbents for cobalt recovery from aqueous solutions: zeolitic and carbonaceous materials. Regarding zeolitic materials, the maximum adsorption capacities are reached by FAU-type zeolites. In the case of carbonaceous materials, the actual trend is to obtain activated carbons from a wide range of carbon sources, including waste, the adsorption capacities, on average, being larger than the ones reached with zeolitic materials. Additionally, activated carbons allow, in many cases, the selective separation of cobalt from other ions which are present at the same time in the aqueous solutions such as lithium. Full article

Battery energy storage systems (BESSs) can overwhelm some of the environmental challenges of a low-carbon power sector through self-consumption with standalone photovoltaic (PV) systems. This solution can be adapted for different applications such as residential, commercial, and industrial uses. Furthermore, the option to employ second-life batteries derived from electric vehicles represents a promising opportunity for preserving the environment and improving the circular economy (CE) development. Nowadays, the industrial sector is progressively applying CE principles in their business strategies, and focusing on the potential positive consequences of CE eco-innovations on climate change mitigation. With the aim to promote the transition to an open-loop circular economy for automotive batteries, this study assesses and quantifies the potential environmental benefits resulting from the integration of a second-life battery-based BESS (SL-BESS) connected to an industrial machine. For this purpose, various scenarios involving the use of BESS, SL-BESS, and a standalone PV system are compared with a base case, where the machine is entirely powered by electricity from the grid. The examination of life cycle stages follows the life cycle assessment (LCA) cradle-to-grave methodology as outlined in ISO 14040:2006 and ISO 14044:2006/Amd 1:2017. Simapro^® 9 is utilized as the software platform. Results demonstrate that the combination of the SL-BESS with a standalone photovoltaic (PV) system represents the optimal solution in terms of global warming potential (GWP) reduction, with a saving of up to −74.8%. However, manufacturing and end-of-life stages of PV and batteries contribute to abiotic depletion and human toxicity, resulting from the use of chemicals and the extraction of resources essential for their manufacture. Indeed, when BESS is made of new batteries, it demonstrates the most significant impacts in terms of AD at 1.22 × 10⁻¹ kg Sb eq and human toxicity (HT) at 3.87 × 10³ kg 1,4-DB eq, primarily attributable to the manufacturing stages of both BESS and PV systems. The findings represent a significant breakthrough, highlighting the substantial capacity of incorporating SL-BESS alongside renewable energy sources to mitigate GWP resulting from industrial applications, and the criticality of repurposing decommissioned batteries from the automotive industry for secondary use. Full article

Decarbonization and the replacement of coal-fired power plants with solar and wind farms require adequately large energy storage facilities. This is especially important in countries such as Poland, which still do not have a nuclear power plant. Supercapacitors represent a new generation of energy storage. The paper demonstrates that the use of supercapacitors presents an opportunity to increase the share of solar and wind power plants in the energy market. Furthermore, there is no need to replace all coal plants (that are being gradually decommissioned) with nuclear ones. The paper underscores that any further decarbonization and increase in the share of renewable energy sources (RES) in the Polish energy market necessitates the deployment of large energy storage facilities. Rechargeable batteries have a short lifespan, and their production results in significant greenhouse gas emissions. The widespread use of supercapacitors in a new generation of energy storage unveils new possibilities and bolsters decarbonization efforts. Based on an annual analysis of hourly electricity production from wind farms and PVs, a formula is proposed to calculate the capacity of energy storage necessary for the operation of the grid-powered national electricity, mainly from RES. Full article

With the rapid development of the new energy vehicle industry, the number of power battery decommissioning is increasing year by year. The recycling of power batteries is of great significance for protecting the ecological environment, improving the efficiency of resource utilization, and ensuring the sustainable and healthy development of the new energy automobile industry. In this study, the chemical compositions of power batteries were introduced, the technical path and development status of the echelon utilization of decommissioned power batteries were discussed, and the specific steps and challenges of regenerative utilization of decommissioned power batteries were described in detail from two aspects of pyrometallurgy and hydrometallurgy. Combined with the relevant research results, the main methods of the direct regeneration of positive electrode materials were analyzed. Finally, the main development direction and related suggestions for the resource utilization of decommissioned power batteries were put forward. Full article

With the increase in battery usage and the decommissioning of waste power batteries (WPBs), WPB treatment has become increasingly important. However, there is little knowledge of systems and norms regarding the performance of WPB dismantling treatments, although such facilities and factories are being built across the globe. In this paper, environmental performance is investigated quantitively using life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology for a dismantled WPB manufacturing process in Tongliao city of Inner Mongolia Province, China. The functional unit was selected to be one metric ton of processed WPB, and the average data of 2021 were used. The results indicated that WPB dismantling treatments are generally sustainable in their environmental impacts, because the life cycle environmental effects can be neutralized by the substitution of virgin products with recycled counterparts. Of all the processes of dismantlement, Crude Lead Making, Refining, and Preliminary Desulfurization, were the top three contributors to the total environmental burden. The results of the sensitivity analysis showed that increasing photovoltaic power, wind power, and natural gas usage may significantly reduce the burden on the environment. On the basis of our findings, some suggestions are put forward for a policy to promote environmental green growth of WPB treatment. Although this paper is aimed at the power lead–acid battery, the research method is also of significance for the power lithium-ion battery, and we will conduct relevant research on the disassembly process of the power lithium-ion battery in the future. Full article

Low-carbon energy transitions taking place worldwide are primarily driven by the integration of renewable energy sources such as wind and solar power. These variable renewable energy (VRE) sources require energy storage options to match energy demand reliably at different time scales. This article suggests using a gravitational-based energy storage method by making use of decommissioned underground mines as storage reservoirs, using a vertical shaft and electric motor/generators for lifting and dumping large volumes of sand. The proposed technology, called Underground Gravity Energy Storage (UGES), can discharge electricity by lowering large volumes of sand into an underground mine through the mine shaft. When there is excess electrical energy in the grid, UGES can store electricity by elevating sand from the mine and depositing it in upper storage sites on top of the mine. Unlike battery energy storage, the energy storage medium of UGES is sand, which means the self-discharge rate of the system is zero, enabling ultra-long energy storage times. Furthermore, the use of sand as storage media alleviates any risk for contaminating underground water resources as opposed to an underground pumped hydro storage alternative. UGES offers weekly to pluriannual energy storage cycles with energy storage investment costs of about 1 to 10 USD/kWh. The technology is estimated to have a global energy storage potential of 7 to 70 TWh and can support sustainable development, mainly by providing seasonal energy storage services. Full article

As a valuable reuse resource, the efficient recycling of retired power batteries is of great significance to the sustainable development of the new energy vehicle (NEV) industry. With the arrival of the NEV power battery decommissioning tide in China, how the government promotes the relevant responsible subject to improve the recovery rate is becoming urgent. Current studies have not considered the policy role of a government reward-penalty mechanism (RPM) in power battery recycling. Therefore, based on the extended producer responsibility (EPR) system, this paper constructs three models under the government RPM: the government implements the RPM only for vehicle enterprises; the government implements the RPM only for power battery manufacturers, and the government implements the RPM for both vehicle enterprises and power battery manufacturers. The results of the study show that: on the one hand, when the government implements the RPM only for vehicle enterprises, the recovery rate is the highest, and the total profit of the closed-loop supply chain is also the highest. Therefore, it is suggested that the government should set a target recycling rate according to the actual situation of each region and implement the RPM only for vehicle enterprises. On the other hand: when the government implements the RPM only for vehicle enterprises, they can implement the strategy of small profit and quick turnover to improve the recovery rate and their own profits. When the government implements the RPM only for power battery manufacturers, they should adopt the strategy of reducing the wholesale price of power battery to increase their profits by increasing sales. When the government implements the RPM for both vehicle enterprises and power battery manufacturers, if the vehicle enterprises share a large responsibility, all members of the closed-loop supply chain can benefit from the RPM. Full article

Lithium-ion batteries are an ideal power supplier for electric vehicles (EVs) due to their high-power density and wide operating voltage, but their performance decays to 80% before retirement from EVs. Nevertheless, they still have a particular use value after decommissioning, so recycling the retired power battery in cascade can be considered. Therefore, accurate estimation of battery state-of-charge (SoC) and state-of-health (SoH) is crucial for extending the service life and echelon utilization of power lithium-ion battery packs. This paper proposes a comprehensive co-estimation scheme of battery SoC/SoH for the second-use of lithium-ion power batteries in EVs under different cycles using an adaptive extended Kalman filter (AEKF). First, according to the collected battery test data at different aging cycle levels, the external battery characteristics are analyzed, and then a cycle-dependent equivalent circuit model (cECM) is built up. Next, the parameter estimation of this battery model is performed via a recursive least square (RLS) algorithm. Meanwhile, the variations in internal battery parameters of the cycle numbers are fitted and synthesized. Moreover, validation of the estimated parameters is further carried out. Based on this enhanced battery model, the AEKF algorithm is utilized to fulfill battery SoC/SoH estimation simultaneously. The estimated results of SoC/SoH are obtained for a LiCoO₂ cell in the case of CCC (constant current condition) under different cycle times. The results show that this proposed co-estimation scheme can predict battery SoC and SoH well, wherein the peak values of the SoC errors are less than 2.2%, and the peak values of SoH, calculated by the estimated capacity and internal resistance, are less than 1.7% and 2.2%, respectively. Hence, this has important guiding significance for realizing the cascade utilization of lithium-ion power batteries. Full article

Road vehicles are responsible for air pollution in Hong Kong, and electric vehicles (EVs) are a promising alternative to internal combustion engine vehicles as the city is transitioning to clean energy. In this work, EV adoption in Hong Kong is investigated and analyzed, including the global EV markets, present EV status in Hong Kong, local challenges facing EV development, suggestions for EV promotion in Hong Kong, emerging technologies, and decommissioning of batteries and EVs. The challenges of EVs include insufficient charging infrastructures, inadequate management of public charging facilities, difficulties in EV repair and maintenance, “dead mileage” during charging, unacceptable long charging times, and limited commercial EV models. Strategies such as providing incentives and bonuses for commercial EVs, offering high-power quick-charging facilities, actively developing commercial EVs, installing more charging infrastructures for private EVs, building connections among stakeholders, encouraging the participation of the private sector to promote fee-based services, and supporting the development of innovative technologies should be implemented to promote EVs in Hong Kong. Emerging technologies for EVs such as wireless charging, smart power distribution, vehicle-to-grid and vehicle-to-home systems, connected vehicles, and self-driving are discussed. Eco-friendly decommissioning of EV batteries can be realized by recycling and second-life applications. This paper serves as a reference and guide for the sustainable and smart evolution of the transportation sector in Hong Kong and other global large cities. Full article

The global demand for electricity is rising due to the increased electrification of multiple sectors of economic activity and an increased focus on sustainable consumption. Simultaneously, the share of cleaner electricity generated by transient, renewable sources such as wind and solar energy is increasing. This has made additional buffer capacities for electrical grids necessary. Battery energy storage systems have been investigated as storage solutions due to their responsiveness, efficiency, and scalability. Storage systems based on the second use of discarded electric vehicle batteries have been identified as cost-efficient and sustainable alternatives to first use battery storage systems. Large quantities of such batteries with a variety of capacities and chemistries are expected to be available in the future, as electric vehicles are more widely adopted. These batteries usually still possess about 80% of their initial capacity and can be used in storage solutions for high-energy as well as high-power applications, and even hybrid solutions encompassing both. There is, however, no holistic review of current research on this topic. This paper first identifies the potential applications for second use battery energy storage systems making use of decommissioned electric vehicle batteries and the resulting sustainability gains. Subsequently, it reviews ongoing research on second use battery energy storage systems within Europe and compares it to similar activities outside Europe. This review indicates that research in Europe focuses mostly on “behind-the-meter” applications such as minimising the export of self-generated electricity. Asian countries, especially China, use spent batteries for stationary as well as for mobile applications. In developing countries, off-grid applications dominate. Furthermore, the paper identifies economic, environmental, technological, and regulatory obstacles to the incorporation of repurposed batteries in second use battery energy storage systems and lists the developments needed to allow their future uptake. This review thus outlines the technological state-of-the-art and identifies areas of future research on second use battery energy storage systems. Full article

Nowadays, due to the decreasing use of traditional generators in favor of renewable energy sources, power grids are facing a reduction of system inertia and primary frequency regulation capability. Such an issue is exacerbated by the continuously increasing number of electric vehicles (EVs), which results in enforcing novel approaches in the grid operations management. However, from being an issue, the increase of EVs may turn to be a solution to several power system challenges. In this context, a crucial role is played by the so-called vehicle-to-grid (V2G) mode of operation, which has the potential to provide ancillary services to the power grid, such as peak clipping, load shifting, and frequency regulation. More in detail, EVs have recently started to be effectively used for one of the most traditional frequency regulation approaches: the so-called frequency droop control (FDC). This is a primary frequency regulation, currently obtained by adjusting the active power of generators in the main grid. Because to the decommissioning of traditional power plants, EVs are thus recognized as particularly valuable solutions since they can respond to frequency deviation signals by charging or discharging their batteries. Against this background, we address frequency regulation of a power grid model including loads, traditional generators, and several EVs. The latter independently participate in the grid optimization process providing the grid with ancillary services, namely the FDC. We propose two novel control strategies for the optimal control of the batteries of EVs during the frequency regulation service. On the one hand, the control strategies ensure re-balancing the power and stabilizing the frequency of the main grid. On the other hand, the approaches are able to satisfy different types of needs of EVs during the charging process. Differently from the related literature, where the EVs perspective is generally oriented to achieve the optimal charge level, the proposed approaches aim at minimizing the degradation of battery devices. Finally, the proposed strategies are compared with other state-of-the-art V2G control approaches. The results of numerical experiments using a realistic power grid model show the effectiveness of the proposed strategies under the actual operating conditions. Full article

Extracting tiny amounts of energy from non-conventional sources using Peltier cells, piezoelectrics, antennas or inductive probes has become very popular in recent years to power low-consuming sensors in IoT applications and smart grids. These energy harvesting methods rely on the continuous generation of small quantities of electrical energy scavenged from heat, vibration or electromagnetic emissions. This energy is stored in batteries or capacitors reaching low-voltage levels that cannot be used directly to power any device. In general, the voltage is boosted to more appropriate levels with a converter. Using inductive sensors to harvest energy from electrical power lines is common knowledge. Obtaining this energy from high-power low-frequency signals is currently possible and, in some cases, reliable and profitable. The aim of this paper is to evaluate the possibility of harvesting energy from extremely low-power and high-frequency events that occur in electrical assets when the insulation is damaged. These events, called partial discharges, are used in electrical maintenance to detect possible defects in the insulation. Evaluating partial discharge activity is a common protocol in all utilities that requires the use of expensive sensors and acquisition systems, and in most occasions, decommissioning the asset to connect the measuring system. The energy from these phenomena is stored in capacitors and the use of a high-frequency voltage multiplier allows to reach voltages close to 4 V. This voltage is proportional to the number of partial discharges in a certain time span. Therefore, if the number of partial discharges per time-unit has increased noticeably, the insulation has deteriorated and the asset should be decommissioned to evaluate the damages. The paper tests the possibility of using this method as an early-warning system in the maintenance of electrical assets. Full article