This paper thoroughly explores the feasibility of integrating a variety of intelligent electrical equipment and smart maintenance technologies within nuclear power plants to enhance the currently limited level of intelligence of these systems and better support operational and maintenance tasks. Initially, this paper outlines the demands and challenges of intelligent electrical systems in nuclear power plants, highlighting the current state of development of intelligent electrical systems, including new applications of artificial intelligence and big data technologies in power grid companies, such as intelligent defect recognition through image recognition, intelligence-assisted inspections, and intelligent production commands. This paper then provides a detailed introduction to the architecture of intelligent electrical equipment, encompassing the smart electrical equipment layer, the smart control system layer, and the cloud platform layer. It discusses the intelligentization of medi... [more]

The side-blown smelting process is becoming popular in the modern metallurgical industry due to its large potential for dealing with complex materials. To further enhance its efficiency, it is essential to comprehensively understand the complex gas−liquid flow behavior in the smelting bath. In this study, the volume-of-fluid method is employed to establish computational fluid dynamics modeling on a 1:5 scaled model of a side-blown furnace. The simulation was validated against the experimental results. Notably, the influences of the nozzle’s submerged depth, injection velocity, and angle were systematically investigated. The results show that increasing the injection velocity from 29.44 to 58.88 m/s resulted in 52.97%, 116.67%, 500.00%, and 5.88% increases in the interface area, liquid velocity, liquid turbulent kinetic energy, and gas penetration depth, respectively. The maximum gas−liquid interface area, gas penetration depth, velocity, and turbulence of the liquid were found at an in... [more]

Pain, a prevalent clinical symptom, significantly demands attention in the current public health system due to its profound impact on patients’ quality of life, daily activities, and economic circumstances. Despite being a pervasive issue, many forms of pain remain ineffectively addressed, hence posing an enormous burden on patients. Pharmaceutical treatments, the first-line approach for various forms of pain, continue to face considerable challenges due to their limited efficacy, lack of long-lasting effects, and adverse side effects. In recent years, the rapid advancements in science and technology, especially the incorporation of micro and nano technologies across various domains, have accelerated the development of novel therapeutics. This review underscores the merits and drawbacks of different pharmacological strategies for pain management. It focuses on the research progress and applications of poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid)(PLGA) as drug delivery carriers, elucidating their pot... [more]

Hydrothermal co-liquefaction (co-HTL) is a process involving two sources of biomasses aiming at bio-crude production. Since there is a lack of studies performed with sugarcane bagasse and residual soybean oil, this study investigated different conditions for the co-HTL of these biomasses, with and without the presence of ethanol as a co-solvent to maximize the bio-crude yield. All co-HTL reactions were carried out in a 300 mL Parr® reactor at temperatures ranging from 200 to 300 °C. After the reaction, a vacuum filtration was performed to separate the bio-char, later washed with ethanol to extract heavy bio-crude, while the liquid-phase was mixed with dichloromethane to recover light bio-crude. Bio-crude yields of around 95 wt.% were obtained at 300 °C using ethanol and water as solvents. The highest bio-char yield (16.6 wt.%) was achieved when using only sugarcane bagasse as the substrate, without the presence of soybean oil. Bio-crude samples obtained at higher temperatures (280 °C a... [more]

This study addresses the environmental and health hazards posed by Pb(II) and iodine, two significant contaminants. The objective was to explore the adsorption of these substances from aqueous solutions using biochar derived from the leaf midribs of the date palm through a slow pyrolysis process. The pyrolysis was conducted in two stages within a vacuum furnace: initially at 300 °C for 1 h followed by overnight cooling, and then at 600 °C with a similar cooling process. The resulting biochar was characterized for its microstructural features and functional groups using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy. It exhibited a porous structure with large numbers of pores (20 to 50 μm in size) and functional groups including O-H, C-H, and C=C, which are integral to its adsorption capabilities. For the adsorption studies, a 100 ppm Pb(II) ion solution was treated with varying amounts of biochar (20, 40, 60, and 80 mg) for 24 h. In parallel, iod... [more]

This study examines the geothermal energy extraction potential from the basement rock within the Denver−Julesburg Basin, focusing on the flow performance and heat extraction efficiency of different geothermal well configurations. It specifically compares U-shaped, V-shaped, inclined V-shaped, and pipe-in-pipe configurations against enhanced geothermal system setups. Through numerical modeling, we evaluated the thermal behavior of these systems under various operational scenarios and fracture conditions. The results suggest that while closed-loop systems offer moderate temperature increases, Enhanced geothermal system configurations show substantial potential for high-temperature extraction. This underscores the importance of evaluating well configurations in complex geological settings. The insights from this study aid in strategic geothermal energy planning and development, marking significant advancements in geothermal technology and setting a foundation for future explorations and o... [more]

A large number of construction practice projects have found that there are many joints and microcracks in rock, concrete, and other structures, which cause the complexity of rock mechanical properties and are the main cause of geological or engineering disasters such as earthquakes, landslides, and rock bursts. To establish a rock fracture toughness evaluation method and understand the distribution range of fracture toughness of Longmaxi Formation shale, this study prepared three-point bending semi-circular disk shale samples of Longmaxi Formation with different crack inclination angles. The dimensionless fracture parameters of the samples, including the dimensionless stress intensity factors of type I, type II, and T-stress, were calibrated using the finite element method. Then, the peak load of the samples was tested using quasi-static loading, and the load−displacement curve characteristics of Longmaxi Formation shale and the variation in fracture toughness with crack inclination an... [more]

Shear wave velocity is one of the important parameters reflecting the lithological and physical properties of reservoirs, and it is widely used in the fields of lithology and fluid property identification, reservoir evaluation, seismic data processing, and interpretation. However, due to the high cost and challenge of obtaining shear wave velocity, only a few key wells are measured. Considering the intricate nonlinear mapping relationship between shear wave velocity and conventional logging data, an integrated network incorporating an attention mechanism, a convolutional neural network, and a bidirectional gated recurrent unit (STACBiN) is proposed for predicting shear wave velocity. The impact of conventional logging data on shear wave velocity is analyzed, thus employing the attention mechanism to focus on data correlated with shear wave velocity, which can enable the prediction results of the method proposed superior to those of conventional methods. Additionally, the prediction res... [more]

Antarctic krill (Euphausua superba) need to undergo freeze-drying to facilitate lipid extraction, but freeze-drying is time-consuming and energy-intensive, resulting in high processing costs. Microwave heating technology can reduce freeze-drying time and lower energy consumption costs. The objective of this study was to establish a drying kinetic model to help the microwave freeze-drying process by predicting krill drying time and evaluating the impact of the drying process on krill quality. The results showed that changing the microwave power did not alter the total energy requirement to complete drying when the sample weight was fixed. The total energy requirement for microwave drying increases with the sample weight. Comparing the three methods of freeze-drying (FD), microwave freeze-drying (MWFD), and hot-air drying at 55 °C (HAD) showed that they took 18, 0.67, and 16 h, respectively, to reach the drying endpoint for krill. Overall, HAD resulted in browning, shrinkage, and quality... [more]

This review article focuses on applying operation state detection and performance optimization techniques in industrial electrical systems. A comprehensive literature review was conducted using the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) methodology to ensure a rigorous and transparent selection of high-quality studies. The review examines in detail how soft sensing technologies, such as state estimation and Kalman filtering, along with hybrid intelligent modeling techniques, are being used to enhance efficiency and reliability in the electrical industry. Specific case studies are analyzed in areas such as electrical network monitoring, fault detection in high-voltage equipment, and energy consumption optimization in industrial plants. The PRISMA methodology facilitated the identification and synthesis of the most relevant studies, providing a robust foundation for this review. Additionally, the article explores the challenges and research opportunit... [more]

In the modern aerospace industry, the importance of a lubrication system is self-evident for aero-engines, and the aero-engine bearing chamber return line is an even more challenging environment, as it involves a complex two-phase flow. The designer of the scavenge pipe needs to have an accurate understanding of the flow conditions in the scavenge pipe. This paper establishes a visual scavenge pipe test system. The flow direction was vertical flow, the test temperature was 370 k, and a high-speed camera was used to take high-definition flow photographs, which can observe the three main flow types: bubble flow, slug flow, and annular flow. Code program was created to analyze many pictures taken to obtain the apparent flow rate and perimeter of bubbles in the pipe under different flow conditions and to explore the gas−liquid two-phase flow in the scavenge pipe. A support vector machine (SVM) was used for data regression prediction, and the converted velocities of the gas−oil phases were... [more]

In this study, two types of recycling scenarios are assessed for spent battery materials using froth flotation. The first is for a single cathode chemistry and would be considered as the most likely scenario for a large battery manufacturer, who takes back their own batteries for reprocessing. The second scenario is for mixed cathode chemistry, and this would be the most likely scenario for regional reprocessing. The mixed spent battery materials assessed in this work were sourced from such an industrial recycling operation in Australia. Good results were obtained for both recycling scenarios. The anode recovery and anode grade in the final concentrate for both materials evaluated were for the single spent battery material 80.1% and 90.3%, respectively, and for the mixed spent battery material, 77.4% and 82.0%, respectively. For the final tailings, the cathode grades for both materials tested were 93.9% and 87.1%, respectively, with the lower grade for the mixed spent battery attribute... [more]

The main objective of this study is to analyze the drying kinetics of Citrus medica by using the freeze-drying method at various thicknesses (3, 5, and 7 mm) and cabin pressures (0.008, 0.010, and 0.012 mbar). Additionally, the study aims to evaluate the efficacy of an artificial neural network (ANN) in estimating crucial parameters like dimensionless mass loss ratio (MR), moisture content, and drying rate. Feedforward multilayer perceptron (MLP) neural network architecture was employed to model the freeze-drying process of Citrus medica. The ANN architecture was trained using a dataset covering various drying conditions and product characteristics. The training process, including hyperparameter optimization, is detailed and the performance of the ANN is evaluated using robust metrics such as RMSE and R2. As a result of comparing the experimental MR with the predicted MR of the ANN modeling created by considering various product thicknesses and cabin pressures, the R2 was found to be 0... [more]

Controlling the extent of water invasion in the reservoir and mitigating its detrimental effects on gas well production and natural gas recovery have long been a challenging task in the efficient development of strongly heterogeneous edge water gas reservoirs. To elucidate the edge water invasion mechanism of strongly heterogeneous carbonate gas reservoirs, this study investigates the pore throat characteristics and fluid mobility from both qualitative and quantitative aspects, leveraging natural core observations, cast thin sections, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) tests with centrifuge experiments. A core-scale edge water invasion simulation experiment was conducted under online NMR monitoring to examine the dynamic gas production characteristics of the three types of reservoirs during the water invasion process and to elucidate the formation mechanism and distribution pattern of water-sealed gas. Research findings indicate that carbonate rese... [more]

An improved fault localization method combining total aggregate empirical modal decomposition (MEEMD) and Teager energy operator (TEO) is proposed to address the fault localization issue of three-terminal multi-segment overhead line−cable hybrid transmission lines. This method solves the fault localization problem caused by wave impedance discontinuity in hybrid lines. First, the MEEMD algorithm, which improves modal aliasing, and the Teager energy operator, which reflects transient energy changes, are combined for the accurate detection of faulty traveling wave heads. The fault line section determination condition within the fault branch is used to determine the overhead line section or cable section where the fault is located after determining the faulty branch line. This condition is based on the time difference between the initial traveling wave of the fault arriving at each end measurement point and the T-node. Ultimately, the fault distance is determined using the double-ended tr... [more]

Deep peak shaving achieved through the integration of energy storage and thermal power units is a primary approach to enhance the peak shaving capability of a system. However, current research often tends to be overly optimistic in estimating the operational lifespan of energy storage and lacks clear quantification of the cost changes associated with system peak shaving. This study proposes an optimized operation model for the joint operation of thermal power and energy storage while considering the lifespan degradation of energy storage and the deep peak shaving of thermal power. This model measures the cost changes due to the participation of energy storage in thermal power unit peaking. It is able to reflect the value of economic externalities of energy storage in the power system and has a positive reference effect on energy storage investment planning and energy storage subsidy pricing. First, an energy storage lifespan degradation model based on equivalent cycle counts is constru... [more]

In the quest to achieve “double carbon” goals, the urgency to develop an efficient Integrated Energy System (IES) is paramount. This study introduces a novel approach to IES by refining the conventional Power-to-Gas (P2G) system. The inability of current P2G systems to operate independently has led to the incorporation of hydrogen fuel cells and the detailed investigation of P2G’s dual-phase operation, enhancing the integration of renewable energy sources. Additionally, this paper introduces a carbon trading mechanism with a refined penalty−reward scale and a detailed pricing tier for carbon emissions, compelling energy suppliers to reduce their carbon footprint, thereby accelerating the reduction in system-wide emissions. Furthermore, this research proposes a flexible adjustment mechanism for the heat-to-power ratio in cogeneration, significantly enhancing energy utilization efficiency and further promoting conservation and emission reductions. The proposed optimization model in this... [more]

The productivity and pressure response of the tight sand gas wells are influenced by multiple flow mechanisms, such as threshold pressure gradient, phase-change phenomena, and stress sensitivity. Understanding the sensitivity of these factors is crucial for the effective development of tight sand gas reservoirs. This study aims to clarify the sensitivity of various factors affecting the productivity and pressure response of tight sand gas wells. Based on the percolation theory of tight sand gas reservoirs, we considered stress sensitivity, threshold pressure gradient, and phase-change phenomena to derive an unsteady mathematical model of a fractured well with an infinite boundary, and a point source solution was obtained. The proposed model was solved using series function properties, variable substitution, perturbation technique, Poisson superposition formula, Laplace transform, and numerical inversion. The influence of several important parameters on pressure response and productivit... [more]

This study compared the behavior of the biomass in two fixed-film anaerobic reactors operated under equivalent organic loading rates but at different temperatures, i.e., 30 °C (RMM) and 55 °C (RMT). The reactors were fed with sugarcane vinasse and molasses (both fermented) in a simulation of sequential periods of season and off-season. The dynamics of biomass growth and retention, as well as the microbial composition, were assessed throughout 171 days of continuous operation, coupled with an additional 10-day test assessing the microbial activity in the bed region. Despite the different inoculum sources used (mesophilic granular vs. thermophilic flocculent sludge types), the biomass growth yield was identical (0.036−0.038 g VSS g−1COD) in both systems. The retention rates (higher in RMT) were regulated according to the initial amount of biomass provided in the inoculation, resulting in similar amounts of total retained biomass (46.8 vs. 43.3 g VSS in RMT and RMM) and biomass distributi... [more]

The use of alumina-containing nepheline raw materials as an alternative source of alumina is relevant in the context of the limited bauxite reserves in Kazakhstan. Nepheline processing can result in products such as alumina, sodium and potassium salts, silicate products and rare metals. In terms of economic value, alumina is the most important. This article considers an advanced technology for nepheline processing for the extraction of alumina that is first purified from potassium. The application of calcium sulphate and calcium oxide as additives to the nepheline raw materials is studied. The optimal conditions for two-stage leaching with calcium additives in the form of calcium sulphate and calcium hydroxide are determined.

This study examines the importance of cupuassu, a tropical fruit native to the Amazon, to Brazil’s biodiversity, the Amazon biome, and its potential for economic development. Cupuassu is a Non-Timber Forest Product and a fruit of the Theobroma genus, which also includes cocoa. Just in the state of Pará alone, cupuassu production in 2019 was over 4100 t with a gross value of 2.6 million USD produced. However, cupuassu cultivation still needs investment through technological advances to overcome threats such as witches’ broom disease and mycotoxin contamination. Cupuassu fruit is composed of pulp, seeds, and a shell; all these parts have a chemical composition with numerous bioactive compounds, especially the seeds, which also contain stimulant compounds, besides lipids and proteins. The processing of the whole cupuassu fruit has its economic value in the commercialization of the pulp, the extraction of cupuassu butter, and a product called Cupulate®. However, in this process, the cake r... [more]

Glyphosate, a broad-spectrum herbicide, poses a potential threat to human health and the ecosystem due to its toxicity. In this study, iron-based water treatment residuals (Fe-WTRs) were employed for glyphosate removal. The adsorption kinetics, isotherms, and thermodynamics, as well as the effects of pH, Fe-WTR particle size, and temperature, were explored. The results show that Fe-WTRs are an effective adsorbent for glyphosate adsorption, and the maximum uptake capacity was recorded as 30.25 mg/g. The Fe-WTR surface was positively charged, and low-valent iron dominated under acidic conditions, favoring glyphosate adsorption. Furthermore, smaller Fe-WTR particles (<0.125 mm) showed a faster absorption rate and 20% higher adsorption capacity than larger particles (2−5 mm). The kinetic analysis indicated that the adsorption process exhibits a two-step profile, conforming to the pseudo-second-order model, and the thermodynamic analysis indicated that it is a spontaneous, endothermic, a... [more]

The microwave-assisted Sonogashira C-C cross-coupling reaction catalysed by Pd ionanofluids based on bis(trifluoromethane-sulfonyl)imide (NTf2) ionic liquids, [Cnmim][NTf2] (n = 4, 6 or 8), is described here. An organic solvent- and Cu(I)-free methodology running under very mild conditions was established by creating in situ catalysts from Pd(II) salts and [Cnmim][NTf2]. The microwave-irradiated catalytic systems quickly yielded almost quantitative conversions of 4-bromoanisole and phenylacetylene (model reaction) into the desired 1-methoxy-4-(phenylethynyl)benzene as a single product, and a good recyclability of the Pd ionanofluids.

This paper is focused on researching the behaviour of heating companies in connection with current developments in the electricity market and flexibility in the context of market behaviour. The work assesses the increase in profitability through the creation of a technical−economic model using an objective function with profit maximization. The objective of the paper is to present the procedure and methodology for creating a model using the basic scheme of production processes integrated into the system platform. The result of the work is a comparative analysis of modelled cases of implemented operation deployment according to a defined period and modelling modes on selected time series. The description of individual outputs demonstrates the economic advantage of using combinations of modes of combined electricity and heat production, and non-combined electricity and heat production, including the use of heat-suppression mode because of overproduction of electricity.

Carbon dioxide geological storage is one of the key measures to control and alleviate atmospheric carbon dioxide content. To better grasp the developmental dynamic and trend of carbon dioxide geological storage research over the world, promoting the research of CO2 storage theory and technology, 5052 related studies published in the past 22 years were collected from the Web Of Science database. The annual published articles on carbon dioxide geological storage research, partnerships, research hotspots, and frontiers were analyzed by using the knowledge map method of article analysis. The results show that the articles on the carbon dioxide geological storage are increasing yearly. The United States, China, and the United Kingdom are the most active countries; meanwhile, Tianfu Xu and Xiaochun Li from China are experts with the most achievements in the field of carbon dioxide geological storage. Although the theoretical and research frameworks for geological storage of CO2 are abundant,... [more]