At present, because of their advantages of simple structure, low cost, low power consumption and high efficiency, single winding bearingless permanent magnet synchronous motors (SBPMSMs) have become one of the research hotspots in the bearingless technology field. However, a high motional-electromotive force (EMF) is generated by rotor rotation in the single winding, which already has side-effects on the normal suspension force current, and the suspension force response can be delayed. Because the method of double torque current inverse injection in the symmetrical winding allows the motional-EMFs of the corresponding phase windings to offset each other in the opposite direction, with no adverse effects on original performance, a T-shaped single winding configuration is proposed to realize precisely that effect. In this paper, the analytical expressions of the radial suspension force and torque are deduced and the motional-EMF and performance are analyzed by finite element method using... [more]

This paper provides a study of the smart grid projects realised in Europe and presents their technological solutions with a focus on smart metering Low Voltage (LV) applications. Special attention is given to the telecommunications technologies used. For this purpose, we present the telecommunication technologies chosen by several European utilities for the accomplishment of their smart meter national roll-outs. Further on, a study is performed based on the European Smart Grid Projects, highlighting their technological options. The range of the projects analysed covers the ones including smart metering implementation as well as those in which smart metering applications play a significant role in the overall project success. The survey reveals that various topics are directly or indirectly linked to smart metering applications, like smart home/building, energy management, grid monitoring and integration of Renewable Energy Sources (RES). Therefore, the technological options that lie be... [more]

Fabrication and characterization of CH₃NH₃PbI3−x−yBrxCly perovskite solar cells using mesoporous TiO₂ as electron transporting layer and 2,2′,7,7′-tetrakis-(N,N-di-4-methoxyphenylamino)-9,9′-spirobifluorene as a hole-transporting layer (HTL) were performed. The purpose of the present study is to investigate role of halogen doping using iodine (I), bromine (Br) and chlorine (Cl) compounds as dopant on the photovoltaic performance and microstructures of CH₃NH₃PbI3−x−yBrxCly perovskite solar cells. The X-ray diffraction identified a slight decrease of crystal spacing in the perovskite crystal structure doped with a small amount of I, Br, and Cl in the perovskite compounds. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) showed the perovskite crystal behavior depended on molar ratio of halogen of Pb, I, Br and Cl. Incorporation of the halogen doping into the perovskite crystal structure improved photo generation, carrier diffusion without carrier recombina... [more]

This review reports the properties of p-type semiconductors with nanostructured features employed as photocathodes in photoelectrochemical cells (PECs). Light absorption is crucial for the activation of the reduction processes occurring at the p-type electrode either in the pristine or in a modified/sensitized state. Beside thermodynamics, the kinetics of the electron transfer (ET) process from photocathode to a redox shuttle in the oxidized form are also crucial since the flow of electrons will take place correctly if the ET rate will overcome that one of recombination and trapping events which impede the charge separation produced by the absorption of light. Depending on the nature of the chromophore, i.e., if the semiconductor itself or the chemisorbed dye-sensitizer, different energy levels will be involved in the cathodic ET process. An analysis of the general properties and requirements of electrodic materials of p-type for being efficient photoelectrocatalysts of reduction proce... [more]

The objective of the study was to analyze chemical structure of date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) by employing ultimate, proximate and thermo-gravimetric techniques. Samples from different anatomical parts of date palm, namely trunk, frond base, frond midrib, leaflets, coir, fruit stem, date stone, and fruit empty bunches were considered for the experiments. Based on the findings in this work palm leaflet samples gave the highest amount of extractives content (32.9%), followed by date palm stone specimens with 31.5%. Cellulose content values of 32.8% and 47.5% were obtained for date palm stone and palm coir samples, respectively. Overall the hemicellulose contents of all samples were relatively similar to those of typical wood or non-wood lignocellulosic materials with the two exceptions of palm coir and palm leaflets. Both palm coir and palm leaflet specimens had 12.6% and 16.1% hemicellulose content. Volatile matter values of 74.3% and 87.5% were determined for leaflets and fruit em... [more]

With the rapid development of microgrids (MGs) in recent years, it is anticipated that combinations of multiple microgrids—multi-microgrids (MMGs)—will gradually become a new form of power grid. A safe and efficient black start strategy for MMGs is in urgent demand because of their complicated structure and control systems. In this paper, first, we analyze the topology and control system of residential-type MMGs with three-phase/single-phase (TP/SP) architecture. Second, a black start strategy based on a hierarchical control scheme is presented, including the selection strategy for the main power supply and master microgrid, the stand-alone operation strategy, and the grid-connected operation strategy. After the selection of the main power supplies, the master MG is determined. Hereby, all sub-microgrids (SMGs) execute the stand-alone algorithm. When the synchronous connection condition is satisfied, the slave SMGs connect to the master MG who provides the voltage and frequency support... [more]

The biochemical methane potential and composition of sugar beet pulp silage were investigated using samples taken from six different depths in both open and closed silos (height 3.6 m). The biochemical methane potential (BMP) of pulp silage in open silos ranged from 337 to 420 normal litre (NL) CH₄/kg volatile solids (VS), while the BMP of pulp silage in closed silos varied between 411 and 451 NL CH₄/kg VS. The biochemical methane potential peaked at a depth of 1.45 m with 420 NL CH₄/kg VS for open silos and 451 NL CH₄/kg VS for closed silos. The ethanol concentration and biochemical methane potential showed the same trend with depth throughout the silos. The energy loss correlated to the loss of volatile solids, and the depths described a linear relationship between them for both the open and closed silos (R² = 0.997 for the open silo and R² = 0.991 for the closed silo). The energy potentials and composition of beet pulp silage were highly stratified and there was a risk that the sila... [more]

A superheated steam fluidized bed dryer (SSFBD) in a self-heat recuperative configuration has a great potential of improving thermal efficiency of a lignite-fired power plant by recovering both of latent heat of vaporization of water kept in the fuel and part of sensible heat during the fuel processing. However, the optimal design of the dryer requires the fundamental knowledge of drying characteristics in respect to the individual properties of the utilized fuel. Experimental investigation to determine the correlation between a specific coal properties originated from geological background and its drying characteristics is thus the major concern in this paper. The investigated lignite is a representative of Turoszow deposit in Poland. Experimental attempts unveiling drying kinetics were carried out for 5 mm and 10 mm diameter spherical samples in the superheated steam atmosphere in the temperature range of 110 °C⁻170 °C. Simultaneous and continuous measurements of changes in weight, s... [more]

As a non-contact discharge detection method, ultraviolet (UV) imaging can rapidly, directly, and securely detect corona discharges. Therefore, UV imaging has been widely applied to power systems. To study the influences of different factors on UV corona discharge detection, two typical types of UV imagers (DayCor®Superb and CoroCAM®6D) were utilized. Results show that the observation angle has little impact on UV detection if no obstacles block the detection line of sight. Given that different UV imagers have different optimal imager gains, photon numbers under different gains could be calibrated to the values under optimal gains in accordance with the gain correction formula. Photon numbers decrease with the increase in the square of observation distance. Detection results under different observation distances could be corrected to the contrast distance after the detection of electrical equipment. The photon numbers of different UV imager types could be corrected in accordance with th... [more]

Coordinated dispatch of plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) with renewable energies has been proposed in recent years. However, it is difficult to achieve effective PEV dispatch with a win-win result, which not only optimizes power system operation, but also satisfies the requirements of PEV owners. In this paper, a multi-period PEV dispatch framework, combining day-ahead dispatch with real-time dispatch, is proposed. On the one hand, the day-ahead dispatch is used to make full use of wind power and minimize the fluctuation of total power in the distribution system, and schedule the charging/discharging power of PEV stations for each period. On the other hand, the real-time dispatch arranges individual PEVs to meet the charging/discharging power demands of PEV stations given by the day-ahead dispatch. To reduce the dimensions of the resulting large-scale, non-convex problem, PEVs are clustered according to their travel information. An interval optimization model is introduced to obtain th... [more]

The current method used for calculating societal aggregated exergy efficiencies is reviewed. Cooling is introduced as an end-use category; conversion efficiencies for heating processes are obtained for each energy carrier; and electricity shares per end-use are retrieved for each sector, improving the accuracy of the estimated values of aggregated exergy efficiencies. We show that: (1) cooling uses are a relevant end-use in Portugal and that their introduction decreased overall efficiency by 3.4% in 2009; and (2) disaggregating the heating second law efficiencies for each energy carrier has a significant effect on the aggregated efficiencies of the country, decreasing aggregated efficiency by 1.3% in 2009. We studied two other factors that showed no significant impact on aggregated exergy efficiency: a technological lag of 10 years in the efficiency of stationary mechanical drive devices and the use of a year-specific ambient temperature to compute exergy efficiencies of heating proces... [more]

A power transformer outage has a dramatic financial consequence not only for electric power systems utilities but also for interconnected customers. The service reliability of this important asset largely depends upon the condition of the oil-paper insulation. Therefore, by keeping the qualities of oil-paper insulation system in pristine condition, the maintenance planners can reduce the decline rate of internal faults. Accurate diagnostic methods for analyzing the condition of transformers are therefore essential. Currently, there are various electrical and physicochemical diagnostic techniques available for insulation condition monitoring of power transformers. This paper is aimed at the description, analysis and interpretation of modern physicochemical diagnostics techniques for assessing insulation condition in aged transformers. Since fields and laboratory experiences have shown that transformer oil contains about 70% of diagnostic information, the physicochemical analyses of oil... [more]

In a future sustainable energy vision, in which diversified conversion of renewable energies is essential, vertical axis wind turbines (VAWTs) exhibit some potential as a reliable means of wind energy extraction alongside conventional horizontal axis wind turbines (HAWTs). Nevertheless, there is currently a relative shortage of scientific, academic and technical investigations of VAWTs as compared to HAWTs. Having this in mind, in this work, we aim to, for the first time, study the wake of a single VAWT placed in the atmospheric boundary layer using large-eddy simulation (LES). To do this, we use a previously-validated LES framework in which an actuator line model (ALM) is incorporated. First, for a typical three- and straight-bladed 1-MW VAWT design, the variation of the power coefficient with both the chord length of the blades and the tip-speed ratio is analyzed by performing 117 simulations using LES-ALM. The optimum combination of solidity (defined as N c / R , where N is t... [more]

Passive solar elements for both direct and indirect gains, are systems used to maintain a comfortable living environment while saving energy, especially in the building energy retrofit and adaptation process. Sunspaces, thermal mass and glazing area and orientation have been often used in the past to guarantee adequate indoor conditions when mechanical devices were not available. After a period of neglect, nowadays they are again considered as appropriate systems to help face environmental issues in the building sector, and both international and national legislation takes into consideration the possibility of including them in the building planning tools, also providing economic incentives. Their proper design needs dynamic simulation, often difficult to perform and time consuming. Moreover, results generally suffer from several uncertainties, so quasi steady-state procedures are often used in everyday practice with good results, but some corrections are still needed. In this paper, a... [more]

The Korean government is fostering a renewable energy industry as a means of handling the energy crisis. Among the renewable energy systems available, geothermal energy has been highlighted as highly efficient, safely operable and relatively unaffected by outdoors air conditions. Despite the increasing use of renewable energy, the devices using renewables may not be operating appropriately. This study examined current problems in the operation of a geothermal heat pump (GHP) system. The efficiency of a geothermal heat pump system to studied to maximize the operation plan. Our study modelled the target building and analyzed the energy using TRNSYS, which is a dynamic energy simulation tool, to apply the coefficient of performance (COP) and evaluate the operation method. As a result, the GHP total energy consumption from the COP control method was reduced by 46% compared to the current operation. The proposed control method was evaluated after applying the system to a building. The resul... [more]

Climate change is altering hydrological processes with varying degrees in various regions of the world and remains a threat to water resources projects in southern Africa. The likely negative impacts of changes in Africa may be worse than in most other regions of the world. This study is an evaluation of the possible impacts of climate change on water resources and hydropower production potential in Kwanza River Basin, Angola. The regional climate data, the basis for future climate scenarios, is used in the hydrological model HBV to assess climate change impacts on water resources in the Kwanza River Basin. Evaluation of changes in hydropower production potential is carried out using an energy model. The simulations show that annual rainfall in 2080 would increase by approximately 16% with increasing inter-annual variability of rainfall and dry season river flow and later onset of the rainy season. The simulation results show that for the Kwanza River Basin the effects as a result of c... [more]

The 2nd generation plants producing ethanol from lignocelluloses demand risky and high investment costs. This paper presents the energy- and economical evaluations for integrating lignocellulose in current 1st generation dry mill ethanol processes, using filamentous fungi. Dry mills use grains and have mills, liquefactions, saccharifications, fermentation, and distillation to produce ethanol, while their stillage passes centrifugation, and evaporation to recycle the water and dry the cake and evaporated syrup into animal feed. In this work, a bioreactor was considered to cultivate fungi on the stillage either before or after the centrifugation step together with pretreated lignocellulosic wheat bran. The results showed that the integrated 1st and 2nd generation ethanol process requires a capital investment of 77 million USD, which could yield NPV of 162 million USD after 20 years. Compared to the fungal cultivation on thin stillage modified 1st generation process, the integrated proces... [more]

At present, the common practice in the power system of China is to represent the small and medium hydropower generator group as a negative load. This paper presents a method to build a dynamic equivalent model of the hydropower generator group using a 3rd order generator model and a static characteristic load model. Based on phasor measurements in the tie line which connects to the modeled hydropower generator group, the dynamic multi-swarm particle swarm optimizer (DMS-PSO) algorithm is used to obtain parameters of the equivalent model. The proposed method is verified in the small and medium hydropower generator group of Sichuan power grid with both simulation and actual data. The results show that the dynamic responses and the transient stability are consistent before and after the equivalence. The proposed method can be used for modeling a group of small and medium hydropower generators whose structures and parameters are unknown.

In this paper, advanced equivalent circuit models (ECMs) were developed to model large format and high energy nickel manganese cobalt (NMC) lithium-ion 20 Ah battery cells. Different temperatures conditions, cell characterization test (Normal and Advanced Tests), ECM topologies (1st and 2nd Order Thévenin model), state of charge (SoC) estimation techniques (Coulomb counting and extended Kalman filtering) and validation profiles (dynamic discharge pulse test (DDPT) and world harmonized light vehicle profiles) have been incorporated in the analysis. A concise state-of-the-art of different lithium-ion battery models existing in the academia and industry is presented providing information about model classification and information about electrical models. Moreover, an overview of the different steps and information needed to be able to create an ECM model is provided. A comparison between begin of life (BoL) and aged (95%, 90% state of health) ECM parameters (internal resistance (Ro), pola... [more]

The high contents of disadvantageous elements contained in non-woody biomass are known to cause problems during small and large scale combustion, typically resulting in a higher risk of slagging, corrosion, and increased emissions. Mechanically leaching the respective elements from the biomass through a sequence of process steps has proven to be a promising solution.The florafuel process used here is comprised of size reduction followed by washing and subsequent mechanical dewatering of the biomass. Densification of the upgraded biomass into standardized pellets (Ø 6mm) enables an application in existing small-scale boilers. The presented combustion trials investigated the performance of pellets made from leached grass, foliage and a mixture of both in two small-scale boilers (<100 kWth) with slightly different technology (moving grate versus water-cooled burner tube) during a 4-h measurement period. Emissions were in accordance with German emissions standards except for NOx (thresh... [more]

Light-emitting diode (LED) road lighting has been widely implemented in recent years, but few studies have evaluated its performance after installation. This study investigated whether LED road lighting complies with minimum regulations in terms of traffic safety and whether improvements for energy efficiency are possible. Average road surface luminance (L), overall luminance uniformity (Uo), longitudinal luminance uniformity (UI), power density (PD) and normalised power density (PN) were evaluated for 14 roads (seven designed for vehicular traffic and seven for pedestrians and bicycles). Energy savings were calculated as the percentage reduction to the minimum level of the existing lighting class or a lower lighting class and by applying a dimming schedule. The results showed that LED road lighting for vehicular traffic roads generally fulfilled the requirements, whereas that for pedestrian and bicycle roads generally corresponded to the lowest lighting class for L, and often did not... [more]

When drilling coal-bearing sequences to enhance coal seam permeability by hydraulic fracturing (HF), the location where fractures are initiated is important. To date, most research on fracture initiation has studied the problem in two dimensions. In this study, a three-dimensional model to assess initiation location is developed. The model analyzes the stress state of both the borehole wall and the coal-rock interface and the model shows that the fracture initiation location is affected by in situ stress, the dip of the coal seam, and the angle between the borehole and the coal seam. How the initiation location changes near different types of geological faults is calculated by assuming typical in situ stresses for the faults. Following these calculations, physical experiments were carried out to emulate cross-measure hydraulic fracturing under stress conditions equivalent to those in the Chongqing Tonghua coal mine, China. Fracture initiation during the experiments was monitored by an... [more]

This paper proposes a fault detection and the improved fault-tolerant control for an open fault in the five-phase inverter driving system. The five-phase induction machine has a merit of fault-tolerant control due to its increased number of phases. This paper analyzes an open fault pattern of one switch and proposes an effective fault detection method based upon this analysis. The proposed fault detection method using the analyzed patterns is applied in the power inverter. In addition, when the open fault occurs in the one switch of the induction machine driving system, the proposed fault-tolerant control method is used to operate the induction machine using the remaining healthy phases, after performing the fault detection method. Simulation and experiment results are provided to validate the proposed technique.

Cu(In,Ga)Se₂ (CIGS)/CdS thin-film solar cells have reached, at laboratory scale, an efficiency higher than 22.3%, which is one of the highest efficiencies ever obtained for thin-film solar cells. The research focus has now shifted onto fabrication processes, which have to be easily scalable at an industrial level. For this reason, a process is highlighted here which uses only the sputtering technique for both the absorber preparation and the deposition of all the other materials that make up the cell. Particular emphasis is placed on the comparison between different precursors obtained with either In₂Se₃ and Ga₂Se₃ or InSe and GaSe as starting materials. In both cases, the precursor does not require any heat treatment, and it is immediately ready to be selenized. The selenization is performed in a pure-selenium atmosphere and only lasts a few minutes at a temperature of about 803 K. Energy conversion efficiencies in the range of 15%⁻16% are reproducibly obtained on soda-lime glass (SLG... [more]

All-vanadium redox flow batteries (VRBs) are potential energy storage systems for renewable power sources because of their flexible design, deep discharge capacity, quick response time, and long cycle life. To minimize the energy loss due to the shunt current, in a traditional design, a flow field is machined on two electrically insulated frames with a graphite plate in between. A traditional bipolar plate (BP) of a VRB consists of many components, and thus, the assembly process is time consuming. In this study, an integrally molded BP is designed and fabricated to minimize the manufacturing cost. First, the effects of the mold design and injection parameters on frame formability were analyzed by simulation. Second, a new graphite plate design for integral molding was proposed, and finally, two integrally molded BPs were fabricated and compared. Results show that gate position significantly affects air traps and the maximum volume shrinkage occurs at the corners of a BP. The volume shr... [more]