Search Results (244)

This paper presents an attack detection, response, and recommendation framework designed to protect the integrity and operational continuity of IoT-based critical infrastructure, specifically focusing on an energy use case. With the growing deployment of IoT-enabled smart meters in energy systems, ensuring data integrity is essential. The proposed framework monitors smart meter data in real time, identifying deviations that may indicate data tampering or device malfunctions. The system comprises two main components: an attack detection and prediction module based on machine learning (ML) models and a response and adaptation module that recommends countermeasures. The detection module employs a forecasting model using a long short-term memory (LSTM) architecture, followed by a dense layer to predict future readings. It also integrates a statistical thresholding technique based on Tukey’s fences to detect abnormal deviations. The system was evaluated on real smart meter data in a testbed environment. It achieved accurate forecasting (MAPE < 2% in most cases) and successfully flagged injected anomalies with a low false positive rate, an effective result given the lightweight, unsupervised, and real-time nature of the approach. These findings confirm the framework’s applicability in resource-constrained energy systems requiring real-time cyberattack detection and mitigation. Full article

The evolution of electrical power systems into smart grids has brought about significant advancements in electricity generation, transmission, and utilization. These cutting-edge grids have shown potential as an effective way to maximize energy efficiency, manage resources effectively, and enhance overall reliability and sustainability. However, with the integration of complex technologies and interconnected systems inherent to smart grids comes a new set of safety and security challenges that must be addressed. First, this paper provides an in-depth review of the key considerations surrounding safety and security in smart grid environments, identifying potential risks, vulnerabilities, and challenges associated with deploying smart grid infrastructure within the context of the Internet of Things (IoT). In response, we explore both cryptographic and non-cryptographic countermeasures, emphasizing the need for adaptive, lightweight, and proactive security mechanisms. As a key contribution, we introduce a layered classification framework that maps smart grid attacks to affected components and defense types, providing a clearer structure for analyzing the impact of threats and responses. In addition, we identify current gaps in the literature, particularly in real-time anomaly detection, interoperability, and post-quantum cryptographic protocols, thus offering forward-looking recommendations to guide future research. Finally, we present the Multi-Layer Threat-Defense Alignment Framework, a unique addition that provides a methodical and strategic approach to cybersecurity planning by aligning smart grid threats and defenses across architectural layers. Full article

In Japan’s hilly and mountainous areas, which cover over 60% of the national land area, issues such as population outflow, aging, and regional decline are intensifying. This study explored sustainable decarbonization pathways by examining two representative regions (Maniwa City and Hidakagawa Town), while accounting for diverse regional characteristics. A bottom-up approach was adopted to calculate energy consumption and CO₂ emissions within residential and transportation sectors. Six future scenarios were developed to evaluate emission trends and countermeasure effectiveness in different regions. The key findings are as follows: (1) in the study areas, complex regional issues have resulted in relatively high current levels of CO₂ emissions in these sectors, and conditions may worsen without intervention; (2) if the current trends continue, per-capita CO₂ emissions in both regions are projected to decrease by only around 40% by 2050 compared to 2020 levels; (3) under enhanced countermeasure scenarios, CO₂ emissions could be reduced by >99%, indicating that regional decarbonization is achievable. This study provides reliable information for designing localized sustainability strategies in small-scale, under-researched areas, while highlighting the need for region-specific countermeasures. Furthermore, the findings contribute to the realization of multiple Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly goals 7, 11, and 13. Full article

Standalone tsunami defense structures have demonstrated limitations in mitigating wave energy during the 2011 Japan tsunami. In order to mitigate future tsunamis in Japan, multi-layered protective mechanisms have been suggested or implemented after the incident. These include heightening the destroyed or existing embankment with concrete or stones, protecting embankments with concrete blocks, compacting the landward soil, elevating the ground following the coastal embankment, and incorporating green belts. Despite extensive research on the mitigation effects of such multiple countermeasures, the optimal structural configuration remains uncertain. In this study, we evaluated the performance of a multiple mitigation system consisting of a landward forest (F) on an elevated mound (M) following a seaward embankment (E) under a range of supercritical flow conditions using a flume experiment. Several mound heights and lengths were selected to determine the optimum mound for installing the forest. The combination of E and F of 12 rows of trees on M with a minimum height of 1.8 cm (Case EMF_R12) created the greatest water cushion depth between E and M. When M was positioned without F, the water cushion between E and M was created by raising the height of the mound rather than its length. Conversely, a mound with a minimum height and length with a forest was found to be effective in creating the largest water cushion and maximum reduction of the flow energy. The highest energy reduction was between 45 and 70% in this experiment. These findings provide useful insights for developing multiple tsunami mitigation strategies that combine artificial and natural approaches. Full article

As the proportion of new energy generation continues to rise, power systems are confronted with novel challenges. Grid-forming converters, which possess voltage source characteristics and can support the grid, typically employ a VSG control strategy during normal operation to emulate the behavior of synchronous generators. This approach enhances frequency response and system stability in modern power systems. This review article systematically examines two typical fault control strategies for grid-forming converters: the switching strategy and the virtual impedance strategy. These different control strategies result in distinct fault response characteristics of the converter. Based on the analysis of fault control strategies for grid-forming converters, this study investigates the impact of the converter’s fault response characteristics on overcurrent protection, pilot protection, distance protection, and differential protection and investigates and prospects corresponding countermeasures. Finally, through simulation modeling, the fault response characteristics under different control strategies and their effects on protection are verified and analyzed. Focusing on grid-forming converters, this paper dissects the influence of their fault control strategies on relay protection, providing strong support for the wide application and promotion of grid-forming converters in new types of power systems. Full article

Green technology innovation (GTI) is crucial for achieving synergistic development in reducing pollution and carbon emissions (CEs). The spatio-temporal evolutionary aspects of carbon emission intensity (CEI) in resource-based cities (RBCs) and the heterogeneity of the carbon emission reduction effects of GTI from zoning, grading, and classification perspectives are investigated using kernel density estimation, Markov chains, and panel regression models. Our results are as follows: the CEI of RBCs displays a fluctuating downwards trend from 2006 to 2022. Spatially, the main feature is that the north is higher than the south. Second, GTI has significantly reduced the CEI of RBCs through structural optimization, energy savings, and efficiency improvement, as verified in different development stages and dominant resource types. In addition, national high-tech zones (NHTZs) have significantly contributed to reducing CEI in RBCs. The proposed countermeasures include increasing investment in GTI, establishing an exchange platform for GTI, and implementing differentiated policies according to local conditions, which are important for constructing an ecological civilization in RBCs. Full article

Epidemiological analysis has revealed key insights into the frequency, severity, and circumstances surrounding subway-to-pedestrian incidents; however, there remains a lack of available impact test data specific to this impact type that can be used in modelling and countermeasure design studies. To address this gap, nine controlled impact tests were conducted using a cylindrical headform to derive force–penetration relationships for foam, as well as foam encased in 1 mm aluminium or 3 mm ABS shells. These relationships were validated in MADYMO multibody simulations. Building on a previous multibody computational study of subway-to-pedestrian collisions this research evaluates three passive countermeasure designs using a reduced simulation test matrix: three impact velocities (8, 10, and 12 m/s) and a trough depth of 0.75 m. In subway collisions, due to the essential rigidity of a subway front relative to a pedestrian, it is the pedestrian stiffness characteristics that primarily dictate the contact dynamics, as opposed to a combined effective stiffness. However, the introduction of energy-absorbing countermeasures alters this interaction. Results indicate that modular energy-absorbing panels attached to the train front significantly reduced the Head Injury Criterion (HIC) (by 90%) in the primary impact and pedestrian-to-wheel contact risk (by 58%), with greater effectiveness when a larger frontal area was covered. However, reducing primary impact severity alone did not substantially lower total fatal injury risk. A rail-guard design, used in combination with frontal panels, reduced secondary impact severity and led to the largest overall reduction in fatal injuries. This improvement came with an expected increase in hospitalisation-level outcomes, such as limb trauma, reflecting a shift from fatal to survivable injuries. These findings demonstrate that meaningful reductions in fatalities are achievable, even with just 0.5 m of available space on the train front. While further development is needed, this study supports the conclusion that subway-to-pedestrian fatalities are preventable. Full article

Composite materials have been extensively utilized in unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and other aerospace applications due to their unique advantages, while laser countermeasures have emerged as a critical approach in anti-UAV warfare. Different laser modes produce significantly different effects. In this study, we have mainly considered the ablation and damage characteristics of composite materials affected by continuous wave (CW) and pulsed laser (PL) modes. Through comparative analysis of damage morphologies and elemental variations, the damage characteristics and mechanisms of composite materials have been studied, and thermodynamic models have been established. The results demonstrate that the damage produced using the CW mode is primarily thermal ablation, induced through power intensification, whereas the PL mode predominantly causes thermal stress fractures via energy concentration. This investigation provides fundamental references for optimizing laser-based counter-UAV systems. Full article

In order to cope with global warming, the Chinese government is actively promoting the “dual-carbon” target policy, a green and efficient system which will become the future development direction of China’s energy system. As the main body of the carbon emissions of enterprises is bound to be the focus of governance, we must accelerate green transformation. In this paper, we use procedural rooting theory, collect data from field interviews, and use open coding, principal axis coding, selective coding, and a theoretical saturation test to explore antecedent motivation mechanisms and the consequent pathway of the green change in corporate environmental behaviours under the “dual-carbon” goal. We aim to clarify the evolution of “internal and external factors—enterprise green change willingness—green change behavior” to construct a theoretical model. The results show that the influence of and interaction effects among the micro-level, macro-environmental level, and meso-industry level dimensions of enterprise will drive companies to make green changes and adopt green change behaviours in the forms of strategic change and innovation optimisation. This study enriches the theoretical framework of green change in corporate environmental behaviour under the rigid constraint of the “dual-carbon” goal and provides countermeasure suggestions for the successful achievement of the “dual-carbon” goal at the corporate body level. Full article

This paper focuses on the carbon emission problem of new energy vehicle (NEV) battery recycling, constructs a tripartite evolutionary game model of battery manufactures, new energy vehicle original equipment manufacturers (NEV OEMs) and certified recyclers, analyzes the stability of each party’s strategy selection and the relationship between the influence of the elements, and simulates to verify the validity of the conclusions, and arrives at the conditions for the occurrence of the lowest carbon emission stabilizing strategy combinations, and puts forward countermeasure suggestions accordingly, and analyzes the effects of the changes of the key parameters on the equilibrium results, and the study shows that (1) Carbon emission cost, battery decomposition cost, recycling channel construction cost and R&D cost are the main factors affecting the equilibrium results. (2) Under the carbon emission reduction policy, the battery manufacturer’s investment in low-carbon production can help other actors in the supply chain to reduce the negative impact of the policy so that they can reduce their costs. (3) The cooperative recycling model based on the recycling network constructed by vehicle manufacturers can maximize the interests of all parties in the supply chain. The findings of the study provide management insights for governments, battery manufacturers, NEV OEMs, and certified recyclers. Full article

The global plastic pollution control process has put forward higher requirements for waste plastic reduction and recycling. This study evaluated the plastic demands by 2030 and 2050 in China based on a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods, identified the four consumption terminals, and put forward countermeasures for the sustainable development of the plastics industry. The results show that based on the analysis of China’s low-carbon transition and global plastic pollution control policies, the reasonable demands for plastic will reach 118 and 110 million tons by 2030 and 2050, respectively. The packaging, construction and decoration, electronics and appliance, and automobile areas are the four major terminals of plastic consumption in China, accounting for more than 80% of the total plastic consumption. The enhanced implementation of the policy of banning and restricting plastic bags will lead to a significant drop in the consumption of disposable packaging plastics, while the low-carbon transformation of the whole society will promote the realization of low-energy consumption in the field of construction, the automobile industry toward lightweight materials, and electronics and appliance products toward high quality, thus further stimulating the related plastics demand. Finally, countermeasures for the sustainable development of plastic are proposed. Full article

Grid capacity constraints present a prominent challenge in the construction of ultra-fast charging (UFC) stations. Active load management (ALM) and battery energy storage systems (BESSs) are currently two primary countermeasures to address this issue. ALM allows UFC stations to install larger-capacity transformers by utilizing valley capacity margins to meet the peak charging demand during grid valley periods, while BESSs rely more on energy storage batteries to solve the gap between the transformer capacity and charging demand This paper proposes a four-quadrant classification method and defines four types of schemes for UFC stations to address grid capacity constraints: (1) ALM with a minimal BESS (ALM-Smin), (2) ALM with a maximal BESS (ALM-Smax), (3) passive load management (PLM) with a minimal BESS (PLM-Smin), and (4) PLM with a maximal BESS (PLM-Smax). A generalized comparison framework is established as follows: First, daily charging load profiles are simulated based on preset vehicle demand and predefined charger specifications. Next, transformer capacity, BESS capacity, and daily operational profiles are calculated for each scheme. Finally, a comprehensive economic evaluation is performed using the levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) and internal rate of return (IRR). A case study of a typical public UFC station in Tianjin, China, validates the effectiveness of the proposed schemes and comparison framework. A sensitivity analysis explored how grid interconnection costs and BESS costs influence decision boundaries between schemes. The study concludes by highlighting its contributions, limitations, and future research directions. Full article

The Energy Storage System (ESS) market is rapidly expanding as global environmental policies are pushing for renewable energy with an increasing momentum. However, due to the thermal runaway phenomenon specific to lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), ESSs are prone to catching fire, and initial suppression is difficult under current countermeasures. In this study, we introduce a liquid-immersed battery (LImB) ESS, in which the battery cells are fully submerged in a liquid agent. The full-immersion structure of the ESS with the particular thermal properties of the liquid agent blocks fire propagation. Moreover, the immersion system improves thermal management efficiency during normal operation. These enhanced thermal management performances of the LImB ESS were validated under various conditions at an independent energy station. These findings suggest that the liquid-immersed battery system paves the way for safe and efficient ESS operation by enhancing thermal management and fire suppression. Full article

In recent years, the effects of global climate change have become more apparent, and reducing energy-derived CO₂ emissions has become an important issue. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the CO₂ emission reduction effect according to energy conservation scenarios in the residential sector, based on actual data. In this study, we set up energy-saving scenarios assuming the implementation of energy-saving behavior and the replacement of energy-consuming equipment and calculated the CO₂ emission reduction effects of energy conservation for cooling, heating, and hot water using individual data from a large-scale survey of 29,161 samples. Consequently, we could quantify the relationship between the set scenarios and the associated CO₂ reduction effects. Based on the results, we compared countermeasures and considered their respective potentials. However, despite there being an aggressive scenario in which all households implemented energy conservation measures, the calculated savings were limited. Therefore, we also considered the potential of demand response as a rough estimate. The results indicated that, while continued efforts to curb energy demand are necessary, a comprehensive countermeasure approach is important for achieving carbon neutrality. Full article

New urbanization (NU) and low-carbon energy transition (LCET) are important issues of Chinese-style modernization, with the necessity and possibility of coordinated development. By using panel data for 30 provinces from 2013 to 2022, this paper adopted the entropy method, principal component analysis, and coupled coordination model to evaluate the coupled coordination degree (CCD) of NU and LCET, and applied the Dagum Gini coefficient, kernel density estimation, and spatial Durbin model to reveal the regional differences and spatial effects of coupled coordination. Research found that the comprehensive levels of NU and LCET exhibit growing trends, with regional variations. The overall coupling coordination index steadily increased, accompanied by polarization. The intra-regional disparities are biggest in the west and smallest in the central region, while the inter-regional differences (except the central and northeast) show narrowing trends. The coupling coordination level shows a positive spillover effect. As for influencing factors, the levels of economic development, social consumption, energy consumption, and R&D intensity have an inhibitory effect on neighboring regions, while digital economy and environmental regulation intensity have a positive spatial spillover effect on neighboring provinces. Finally, countermeasures are proposed to promote the coordinated development of the two systems. Full article