As the pretreatment process is the most expensive and energy-consuming step in the overall second generation bioethanol production process, it is vital that it is studied and optimized in order to be able to develop the most efficient production process. The aim of this paper was to investigate chemical and physical changes in biomass during the process of applying the explosive decompression pretreatment method using two different gases—N₂ and synthetic flue gas. The explosive decompression method is economically and environmentally attractive since no chemicals are used—rather it is pressure that is applied—and water is used to break down the biomass structure. Both pre-treatment methods were used at different temperatures. To be able to compare the effects of the pretreatment, samples from different process steps were gathered together and analysed. The results were used to assess the efficiency of the pretreatment, the chemical and physical changes in the biomass and, finally, the... [more]

In opportunistic device-to-device (D2D) networks, the epidemic routing protocol can be used to optimize the message delivery ratio. However, it has the disadvantage that it causes excessive coverage overlaps and wastes energy in message transmissions because devices are more likely to receive duplicates from neighbors. We therefore propose an efficient data dissemination algorithm that can reduce undesired transmission overlap with little performance degradation in the message delivery ratio. The proposed algorithm allows devices further away than the k-th furthest distance from the source device to forward a message to their neighbors. These relay devices are determined by analysis based on a binomial point process (BPP). Using a set of intensive simulations, we present the resulting network performances with respect to the total number of received messages, the forwarding efficiency and the actual number of relays. In particular, we find the optimal number of relays to achieve almost... [more]

The textile industry is one of the world’s major sources of industrial pollution, and related environmental issues are becoming an ever greater concern. This paper considers the environmental issues of carbon emissions, energy recycling, and waste reuse, and uses a mathematical programming model with Activity-Based Costing (ABC) and the Theory of Constraints (TOC) to achieve profit maximization. This paper discusses the combination of mathematical programming and Industry 4.0 techniques to achieve the purpose of green production planning and control for the textile industry in the new era. The mathematical programming model is used to determine the optimal product mix under various production constraints, while Industry 4.0 techniques are used to control the production progress to achieve the planning targets. With the help of an Industry 4.0 real-time sensor and detection system, it can achieve the purposes of recycling waste, reducing carbon emission, saving energy and cost, and fina... [more]

The simplest model for an atmospheric boundary layer assumes a uniform steady wind over a certain depth, of order 1 km, with the forces of friction, pressure gradient and Coriolis in balance. A linear model is here employed for the adjustment of wind to this equilibrium, as the wake of a very wide wind farm. A length scale is predicted for the exponential adjustment to equilibrium. Calculation of this length scale is aided by knowledge of the angle for which the wind would normally cross the isobars in environmental conditions in the wake.

Despite the need for large-scale retrofit of UK housing to meet emissions reduction targets, progress to date has been slow and domestic energy efficiency policies have struggled to accelerate housing retrofit processes. There is a need for housing retrofit policies that overcome key barriers within the retrofit sector while maintaining economic viability for customers, funding organizations, and effectively addressing UK emission reductions and fuel poverty targets. In this study, we use a simple assessment framework to assess three policies (the Variable Council Tax, the Variable Stamp Duty Land Tax, and Green Mortgage) proposed to replace the UK’s current major domestic retrofit programme known as the Energy Company Obligation (ECO). We show that the Variable Council Tax and Green Mortgage proposals have the greatest potential for overcoming the main barriers to retrofit policies while maintaining economic viability and contributing to high-level UK targets. We also show that, while... [more]

This study deals with the energy/water nexus on small off-grid islands. Small islands share several characteristics that hinder the introduction of new plants, such as: Energy system balance when renewable sources are introduced; water shortages, usually addressed via shipping from the mainland; environmental and historical heritage values; and, scarce land availability. In these cases, it is mandatory to detect energy/water technology integration and management solutions respecting the peculiarities and boundaries of the sites. The present work proposes a desalination plant with a primary scope of load leveler and a secondary scope of water producer. The aim is to propose a simple and non-invasive solution for energy/water management in order to limit impacts on the local environment while improving the match between renewable energy and local generation by means of desalination. This study led to an integrated system composed of local diesel engine power plant, distributed roof-top p... [more]

Power quality is a research field related to the proper operation of devices and technological equipment in industry, service, and domestic activities. The level of power quality is determined by variations in voltage, frequency, and waveforms with respect to reference values. These variations correspond to different types of disturbances, including power fluctuations, interruptions, and transients. Several studies have been focused on analysing power quality issues. However, there is a lack of studies on the analysis of both the trending topics and the scientific collaboration network underlying the field of power quality. To address these aspects, an advanced model is used to retrieve data from publications related to power quality and analyse this information using a graph visualisation software and statistical tools. The results suggest that research interests are mainly focused on the analysis of power quality problems and mitigation techniques. Furthermore, they are observed impo... [more]

Accurate and reliable fault location method for alternating current (AC) transmission lines is essential to the fault recovery. MMC-based converter brings exclusive non-linear characteristics to AC networks under single-phase-to-ground faults, thus influencing the performance of the fault location method. Fault characteristics are related to the control strategies of the converter. However, the existing fault location methods do not take the control strategies into account, with further study being required to solve this problem. The influence of the control strategies to the fault compound sequence network is analyzed in this paper first. Then, a unique boundary condition that the fault voltage and negative-sequence fault current merely meet the direct proportion linear relationship at the fault point, is derived. Based on these, a unary linear regression analysis is performed, and the fault can be located according to the minimum residual sum function principle. The effectiveness of... [more]

The paper presents optimal operating point tracking algorithm for wireless charging system using identical coupling coils providing us to meet simultaneously high efficiency and high transmitted power under varied load and detuning conditions. The proposed method is suitable either for purely resistive load or battery load and it is based on phase-shift control between the primary and the secondary voltage. The paper also gives an intuitive mathematical description of the key control idea and demonstrates its operational abilities. The proposed algorithm is finally implemented into digital signal processor (DSP) and tested on 4 kW laboratory prototype of shielded wireless power transfer system.

Positive and negative streamer inception voltages from ultra-sharp needle tips (with tip radii below 0.5 μm) are measured in TiO₂, SiO₂, Al₂O₃, ZnO and C60 nanofluids. The experiments are performed at several concentrations of nanoparticles dispersed in mineral oil. It is found that nanoparticles influence positive and negative streamers in different ways. TiO₂, SiO₂ and Al₂O₃ nanoparticles increase the positive streamer inception voltage only, whilst ZnO and C60 nanoparticles augment the streamer inception voltages in both polarities. Using these results, the main hypotheses explaining the improvement in the dielectric strength of the host oil due to the presence of nanoparticles are analyzed. It is found that the water adsorption hypothesis of nanoparticles is consistent with the increments in the reported positive streamer inception voltages. It is also shown that the hypothesis of nanoparticles reducing the electron velocity by hopping transport mechanisms fails to explain the resu... [more]

Presently, Thailand runs various sustainable development-based policies to boost the growth in economy, society, and environment. In this study, the economic and social growth was found to continuously increase and negatively deteriorate the environment at the same time due to a more massive final energy consumption in the petroleum industries sector than any other sectors. Therefore, it is necessary to establish national planning and it requires an effective forecasting model to support Thailand’s policy-making. This study aimed to construct a forecasting model for a final energy consumption prediction in Thailand’s petroleum industry sector for a longer-term (2018⁻2037) at a maximum efficiency from a certain class of methods. The Long Term-Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average with Exogeneous variables and Error Correction Mechanism model (LT-ARIMAXS model) (p, d, q, Xi, ECT(t−1)) was adapted from the autoregressive and moving average model incorporating influential variables toge... [more]

In order to alleviate the negative impacts of harmonically distorted grid conditions on inverters, this paper presents a linear quadratic regulator (LQR)-based current control design for an inductive-capacitive-inductive (LCL)-filtered grid-connected inverter. The proposed control scheme is constructed based on the internal model (IM) principle in which a full-state feedback controller is used for the purpose of stabilization and the integral terms as well as resonant terms are augmented into a control structure for the reference tracking and harmonic compensation, respectively. Additionally, the proposed scheme is implemented in the synchronous reference frame (SRF) to take advantage of the simultaneous compensation for both the negative and positive sequence harmonics by one resonant term. Since this leads to the decrease of necessary resonant terms by half, the computation effort of the controller can be reduced. With regard to the full-state feedback control approach for the LCL-fi... [more]

This paper deals with the Differential Evolution (DE) based method for identification of the heat equation parameters applied for the estimation of a bare overhead conductor`s temperature. The parameters are determined in the optimization process using a dynamic model of the conductor; the measured environmental temperature, solar radiation and wind velocity; the current and temperature measured on the tested overhead conductor; and the DE, which is applied as the optimization tool. The main task of the DE is to minimise the difference between the measured and model-calculated conductor temperatures. The conductor model is relevant and suitable for the prediction of the conductor temperature, as the agreement between measured and model-calculated conductor temperatures is exceptional, where the deviation between mean and maximum measured and model-calculated conductor temperatures is less than 0.03 °C.

With the large scale operation of electric buses (EBs), the arrangement of their charging optimization will have a significant impact on the operation and dispatch of EBs as well as the charging costs of EB companies. Thus, an accurate grasp of how external factors, such as the weather and policy, affect the electric consumption is of great importance. Especially in recent years, haze is becoming increasingly serious in some areas, which has a prominent impact on driving conditions and resident travel modes. Firstly, the grey relational analysis (GRA) method is used to analyze the various external factors that affect the power consumption of EBs, then a characteristic library of EBs concerning similar days is established. Then, the wavelet neural network (WNN) is used to train the power consumption factors together with power consumption data in the feature library, to establish the power consumption prediction model with multiple factors. In addition, the optimal charging model of EBs... [more]

By combining together the extended Kalman filter with a newly developed C&I particle swarm optimization algorithm (C&I-PSO), a novel estimation method is proposed for parameter estimation of electromechanical oscillation, in which critical physical constraints on the parameters are taken into account. Based on the extended Kalman filtering algorithm, the constrained parameter estimation problem is formulated via the projection method. Then, by utilizing the penalty function method, the obtained constrained optimization problem could be converted into an equivalent unconstrained optimization problem; finally, the C&I-PSO algorithm is developed to address the unconstrained optimization problem. Therefore, the parameters of electromechanical oscillation with physical constraints can be successfully estimated and better performed. Finally, the effectiveness of the obtained results has been illustrated by several test systems.

This article aims to study the codigestion of food waste (FW) and three different lignocellulosic wastes (LW) (Corn stover (CS), Prairie cordgrass (PCG), and Unbleached paper (UBP)) for thermophilic anaerobic digestion to overcome the limitations of digesting food waste alone (volatile fatty acids accumulation and low C:N ratio). Using an enriched thermophilic methanogenic consortium, all the food and lignocellulosic waste mixtures showed positive synergistic effects of codigestion. After 30 days of incubation at 60 °C (100 rpm), the highest methane yield of 305.45 L·kg−1 volatile solids (VS) was achieved with a combination of FW-PCG-CS followed by 279.31 L·kg−1 VS with a mixture of FW-PCG. The corresponding volatile solids reduction for these two co-digestion mixtures was 68% and 58%, respectively. This study demonstrated a reduced hydraulic retention time for methane production using FW and LW.

This paper summarizes the results of the flow boiling heat transfer study with ethanol in a 1.8 mm deep and 2.0 mm wide horizontal, asymmetrically heated, rectangular mini-channel. The test section with the mini-channel was the main part of the experimental stand. One side of the mini-channel was closed with a transparent sight window allowing for the observation of two-phase flow structures with the use of a fast film camera. The other side of the channel was the foil insulated heater. The infrared camera recorded the 2D temperature distribution of the foil. The 2D temperature distributions in the elements of the test section with two-phase flow boiling were determined using (1) the Trefftz method and (2) the hybrid Picard⁻Trefftz method. These methods solved the triple inverse heat conduction problem in three consecutive elements of the test section, each with different physical properties. The values of the local heat transfer coefficients calculated on the basis of the Robin bounda... [more]

The aim of this study is to investigate the spray characteristics of diesel and gasoline under various ambient conditions. Ambient conditions were simulated, ranging from atmospheric conditions to high pressure and temperature conditions such as those inside a combustion chamber of an internal combustion engine. Spray tip penetration and spray cross-sectional area were calculated in liquid and vapor spray development. In addition, initial spray development and end of injection near nozzle were visualized microscopically, to study spray atomization characteristics. Three injection pressures of 50 MPa, 100 MPa, and 150 MPa were tested. The ambient temperature was varied from 300 K to 950 K, and the ambient density was maintained between 1 kg/m³ and 20 kg/m³. Gasoline and diesel exhibited similar liquid penetration and spray cross-sectional area at every ambient density condition under non-evaporation. As the ambient temperature increased, liquid penetration length and spray area of both... [more]

Promotion of retrofit actions on existing buildings is a goal in Italy, since most of them were built before the 80′s when little attention was paid to energy saving. This paper presents an integrated passive design approach to reduce the heating demand and limit the costs of a representative existing residential complex located in Bologna, in the northern part of Italy. To this purpose, we explored different scenarios upon actions taken on the building structure: (1) High efficiency windows; (2) additional insulation on the external walls; or (3) the simultaneous application of high efficiency windows and improved thermal envelope, on both external walls and roofing. The numerical optimization has been performed dynamically using TRNSYS simulation tool, to evaluate energy consumptions in different structural conditions. Then, the developed model has been calibrated by the real consumption data deduced from energy bills (years 2009⁻2015). Finally, the energy results obtained in the abo... [more]

One of the bottlenecks hindering the usage of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell technology in automotive applications is the highly load-sensitive degradation of the cell components. The cell failure cases reported in the literature show localized cell component degradation, mainly caused by flow-field dependent non-uniform distribution of reactants. The existing methodologies for diagnostics of localized cell failure are either invasive or require sophisticated and expensive apparatus. In this study, with the help of a multiscale simulation framework, a single polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) model is exposed to a standardized drive cycle provided by a system model of a fuel cell car. A 2D multiphysics model of the PEMFC is used to investigate catalyst degradation due to spatio-temporal variations in the fuel cell state variables under the highly transient load cycles. A three-step (extraction, oxidation, and dissolution) model of platinum loss in the cathode cataly... [more]

Information technologies must be made aware of the sustainability of cost reduction. Data centers may reach energy consumption levels comparable to many industrial facilities and small-sized towns. Therefore, innovative and transparent energy policies should be applied to improve energy consumption and deliver the best performance. This paper compares, analyzes and evaluates various energy efficiency policies, which shut down underutilized machines, on an extensive set of data-center environments. Data envelopment analysis (DEA) is then conducted for the detection of the best energy efficiency policy and data-center characterization for each case. This analysis evaluates energy consumption and performance indicators for natural DEA and constant returns to scale (CRS). We identify the best energy policies and scheduling strategies for high and low data-center demands and for medium-sized and large data-centers; moreover, this work enables data-center managers to detect inefficiencies an... [more]

In this paper, a Fractional Order Power System controller (FOPSS) is designed, and its performance and robustness are experimentally evaluated by tests in a 10 kVA laboratory scale power system. The FOPSS design methodology is based on the tuning of an additional design variable, namely the fractional order of the controller transfer function. This design variable is tuned aiming to obtain a tradeoff between satisfactory damping of dominant oscillating mode and improved closed-loop system robustness. For controller synthesis, transfer function models were estimated from data collected at selected operating points and subsequently applied for the controller design and for obtaining upper bounds estimates on the operating-point depends on plant uncertainties. The experimental results show that the FOPPS was able to obtain a robust performance for the considered set of the power system operating conditions.

Finite-control-set model predictive current control (FCS-MPCC) has been widely investigated in the field of motor control. When the discrete motor prediction model is not obtained accurately, prediction error often occurs, which can result in improper determinations of optimal voltage vectors and can further affect the control performance of motor systems. However, papers evaluating the motor control performance employing FCS-MPCC rarely consider prediction error and its utilization to weaken the influence of inaccurate prediction model. This paper investigates in depth the prediction error caused by three influencing factors from the perspective of model accuracy—discretization method, prediction stepsize, and parameter mismatch. Firstly, the evaluation index, prediction error, is defined and its formulas considering the above three factors are derived based on interior permanent magnet synchronous motor (IPMSM). Then, the theoretical analysis of prediction error is provided. Finally,... [more]

A prospect of increasing penetration of uncoordinated electric vehicles (EVs) together with intermittent renewable energy generation in microgrid systems has motivated us to explore an effective strategy for safe and economic operation of such distributed generation systems. This paper presents a robust economic dispatch strategy for grid-connected microgrids. Uncertainty from wind power and EV charging loads is modeled as an uncertain set of interval predictions. Considering the worst case scenario, the proposed strategy can help to regulate the EV charging behaviors, and distributed generation in order to reduce operation cost under practical constraints. To address the issue of over-conservatism of robust optimization, a dispatch interval coefficient is introduced to adjust the level of robustness with probabilistic bounds on constraints, which gradually improves the system's economic efficiency. In addition, in order to facilitate the decision-making strategies from an economic per... [more]

The Switched Reluctance Generator (SRG) is suitable for wind power generation due to its good reliability and robustness. However, The SRG system adopting the conventional control algorithm with Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) method has a drawback, low response speed. The pulse train (PT) control has been widely used in dc/dc power converters operating in the discontinuous conduction mode due to its advantages of simple implementation and fast response. In this paper, for the first time, the PT control method is modified and adopted for controlling the output voltage of SRG system in order to achieve fast response. The capacitor current on the output side is sampled and combined with the output voltage to select the pulse trains and the low frequency oscillation cased by PT can be suppressed by tuning the feedback coefficient of the capacitor current. Also, good performance can be guaranteed with a wide range of voltage regulations, fast response, and no overshoot. The experimental platf... [more]