Knowledge of the drying properties of tobacco in high temperatures above 100 °C and its dust are crucial in the design of dryers, both in the optimization of the superheated-steam-drying process and in the correct selection of innovative explosion protection and mitigation systems. In this study, tobacco properties were determined and incorporated into the proposed model of an expanding superheated steam flash dryer. The results obtained from the proposed model were validated by using experimental data yielded during test runs of an industrial scale of a closed-loop expansion dryer on lamina cut tobacco. Moreover, the explosion and fire properties of tobacco dust before and after the superheated steam-drying process at 160, 170, 180, and 190 °C were experimentally investigated, using a 20 L spherical explosion chamber, a hot plate apparatus, a Hartmann tube apparatus, and a Godbert−Greenwald furnace apparatus. The results indicate that the higher the drying temperature, the more likely... [more]

Energy modelling is key in order to face the challenges of energy transition. There is a wide variety of modelling tools, depending on their purpose or study phase. This article summarises their main characteristics and highlights ones that are relevant when it comes to the preliminary design of energy studies at district scale. It introduces OMEGAlpes, a multi-carrier energy modelling tool to support stakeholders in the preliminary design of district-scale energy systems. OMEGAlpes is a Mixed-Integer Linear Programming (MILP) model generation tool for optimisation. It aims at making energy models accessible and understandable through its open-source development and the integration of energy stakeholders and their areas of responsibility into the models. A library of use cases developed with OMEGAlpes is presented and enables the presentation of past, current, and future development with the tool, opening the way for future developments and collaborations.

The article reviews selected methods and techniques of agricultural biogas desulphurization. Presented is the current state of technological and measurement systems as well as raw biogas purification methods in terms of control and measurement-socio-economic aspects were also pointed out. On the example of a pilot agricultural biogas with the use of pig slurry, the required technical and technological criteria for the production and processing of agricultural biogas were indicated. The article presents the preliminary results of experimental studies on the course of changes in the volumetric composition of biogas on the basis of the average daily production of agricultural biogas.The amount of H2S in raw and purified biogas was analyzed with the proprietary biogas desulphurization method in terms of the process parameters. A novelty is the use of a developed carbon mixture (activated carbon) with turf ore (iron compounds), which allows for 100% desulfurization of raw agricultural bioga... [more]

Thermal management is the most vital element of electric vehicles (EV) to control the maximum temperature of module/pack for safety reasons. This paper presents a novel passive thermal management system (TMS) composed of a heat sink (HS) and phase change materials (PCM) for lithium-ion capacitor (LiC) technology under the premise that the cell is cycled with a continuous 150 A fast charge/discharge current rate. The experiments are validated against numerical analysis through a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model. For this purpose, a comprehensive electro-thermal model based on an equivalent circuit model (ECM) is designed. The designed electro-thermal model combines the ECM model with the thermal model since the performance of the LiC cell highly depends on the temperature. Then, the robustness of the model is evaluated using a precise second-order ECM. The extracted parameters of the electro-thermal model are verified by the experimental results in which the voltage and temperat... [more]

Modeling the fuel injection process in modern gasoline direct injection engines plays a principal role in characterizing the in−cylinder mixture formation and subsequent combustion process. Flash boiling, which usually occurs when the fuel is injected into an ambient pressure below the saturation pressure of the liquid, is characterized by fast breakup and evaporation rates but could lead to undesired behaviors such as spray collapse, which significantly effects the mixture preparation. Four mono−component fuels have been used in this study with the aim of achieving various flashing behaviors utilizing the Spray G injector from the Engine Combustion Network (ECN). The numerical framework was based on a Lagrangian approach and was first validated for the baseline G1 condition. The model was compared with experimental vapor and liquid penetrations, axial gas velocity, droplet sizes and spray morphology and was then extended to the flash boiling condition for iso−octane, n−heptane, n−hexa... [more]

Connected communities potentially offer much greater demand response capabilities over singular building energy management systems (BEMS) through an increase of connectivity. The potential increase in benefits from this next step in connectivity is still under investigation, especially when applied to existing buildings. This work utilizes EnergyPlus simulation results on eight different commercial prototype buildings to estimate the potential savings on peak demand and energy costs using a mixed-integer linear programming model. This model is used in two cases: a fully connected community and eight separate buildings with BEMS. The connected community is optimized using all zones as variables, while the individual buildings are optimized separately and then aggregated. These optimization problems are run for a range of individual zone flexibility values. The results indicate that a connected community offered 60.0% and 24.8% more peak demand savings for low and high flexibility scenar... [more]

Vuilleumier machines are a promising technology for heating. Respective performances of Vuilleumier’s engine and cooler are generally unclear. In Stirling machines, performances can be determined based on PV power flow and heat flow methods. In this work, respective performances based on two methods in current Vuilleumier models were investigated. It was found that PV power flow and heat flow methods in current Vuilleumier models were ineffective for analysis of respective performances due to there being no piston as a boundary between Vuilleumier’s engine and cooler. Then, a virtual piston was assumed, and a virtual piston based Vuilleumier model (VPBVM) was developed. The relative Carnot efficiencies of the obtained engine and cooler were 53~64% and 43~49%, respectively, at conditions of 550 °C hot temperature, 50~70 °C warm temperature, and −20~10 °C cold temperature. The results indicated that respective performances obtained in VPBVM were reasonable. Moreover, the engine’s compres... [more]

Virtual simulations and calculations are a key technology for future development methods. A variety of tools and methods for calculating thermal comfort have not gained sufficient acceptance in practice due to their inherent complexity. This article investigates alternative means of determining thermal comfort, namely, the linearization of the equivalent temperature calculation. This enables a wide range of users to evaluate thermal comfort in a fast and easy manner, for example, for energy efficiency simulation. A flow and thermal model were created according to the requirements of DIN EN ISO 14505 to determine heat transfer coefficients under calibration conditions. The model to simulate the equivalent temperature in calibration conditions comprises a geometrically realistic 3D model of a human test person according to the standard. The influence of the turbulence model, as well as the influence of the equivalent temperature on the heat transfer coefficient in calibration conditions,... [more]

Flowback water after completion of hydraulic fracturing is one of major waste streams generated during the lifespan of a well so its beneficial reuse is crucial. The application of treated flowback is not limited to stimulation processes but also may include drilling operations and secondary oil recovery. The flowback water used in this work is characterized by high salinity reaching up to ~295 g/L caused mainly by NaCl. The presence of suspended solids, mainly corrosion products, prompts the use of coagulation and filtration as treatment methods. Among tested coagulants the most effective one was the SAX18 (NaAlO2) commercial coagulant applied at concentration of 12 mL/L which reduces the water turbidity from over 400 FTU to 23 FTU. The applied treatment greatly reduces the concentration of scaling ions and so the concentration of SiO2 is reduced by 64%, Ba2+−66%, Fe2−36%, Mn2+−65%, SO42−−66%. The treated flowback fluid can be reused in surfactant flooding for enhanced oil recovery wh... [more]

This paper presents a simulation-based analysis of hybrid and plug-in hybrid propulsion system concepts for diesel-electric multiple unit regional railway vehicles. These alternative concepts primarily aim to remove emissions in terminal stops with longer stabling periods, with additional benefits reflected in the reduction of overall fuel consumption, produced emissions, and monetary costs. The alternative systems behavior is modeled using a backward-looking quasi-static simulation approach, with the implemented energy management strategy based on a finite state machine control. A comparative assessment of alternative propulsion systems is carried out in a case study of a selected regional railway line operated by Arriva, the largest regional railway undertaking in the Netherlands. The conversion of a standard diesel-electric multiple unit vehicle, currently operating on the network, demonstrated a potential GHG reduction of 9.43−56.92% and an energy cost reduction of 9.69−55.46%, dep... [more]

Reactive Power Dispatch is one of the main problems in energy systems, particularly for the power industry, and a multi-objective framework should be proposed to solve it. In this study, we present a multi-objective framework for the optimization of wind turbines in wind farms. We investigate a new combined optimization method with Chaotic Local Search, Fuzzy Interactive Honey Bee Mating Optimization, Data-Sharing technique and Modified Gray Code for discrete variables. We use the proposed model to select optimal energy system parameters. The optimization process is based on simultaneous optimization of three functions. Finally, we improve a new method based on Pareto-optimal solutions to select the best one among all candidate solutions. The presented model and methodology are validated on energy systems with wind turbines. The evaluated efficiency is compared with the real system.

In this study, experimental measurements in a spherical combustion bomb were performed in order to investigate the flame propagation in N2-diluted CH4-N2O mixtures with stoichiometric equivalence ratio, at several initial pressures (0.5−1.75 bar) and ambient initial temperatures. Methane was chosen as a test-fuel, since it is the main component of natural gas, a fuel often used as a substitute to gasoline in engines with internal combustion and industrial plants. The method approached in this study is based on a simple examination of the cubic law of pressure rise during the early (incipient) period of flame propagation. The incipient stage defined by a pressure rise equal or smaller than the initial pressure, was divided into short time intervals. The burnt mass fractions (obtained using three different Equations) and flame radii at various moments of the flame propagation in the course of the incipient stage were calculated. The cubic law coefficients and corresponding laminar burnin... [more]

Decarbonization plays an important role in future energy systems for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and establishing a zero-carbon society. Hydrogen is believed to be a promising secondary energy source (energy carrier) that can be converted, stored, and utilized efficiently, leading to a broad range of possibilities for future applications. Moreover, hydrogen and electricity are mutually converted, creating high energy security and broad economic opportunities toward high energy resilience. Hydrogen can be stored in various forms, including compressed gas, liquid hydrogen, hydrides, adsorbed hydrogen, and reformed fuels. Among these, liquid hydrogen has advantages, including high gravimetric and volumetric hydrogen densities and hydrogen purity. However, liquid hydrogen is garnering increasing attention owing to the demand for long storage periods, long transportation distances, and economic performance. This paper reviews the characteristics of liquid hydrogen, liquefaction techno... [more]

In this work, the impact of chemical additions, especially nano-particles (NPs), was quantitatively analyzed using our constructed artificial neural networks (ANNs)-response surface methodology (RSM) algorithm. Fe-based and Ni-based NPs and ions, including Mg2+, Cu2+, Na+, NH4+, and K+, behave differently towards the response of hydrogen yield (HY) and hydrogen evolution rate (HER). Manipulating the size and concentration of NPs was found to be effective in enhancing the HY for Fe-based NPs and ions, but not for Ni-based NPs and ions. An optimal range of particle size (86−120 nm) and Ni-ion/NP concentration (81−120 mg L−1) existed for HER. Meanwhile, the manipulation of the size and concentration of NPs was found to be ineffective for both iron and nickel for the improvement of HER. In fact, the variation in size of NPs for the enhancement of HY and HER demonstrated an appreciable difference. The smaller (less than 42 nm) NPs were found to definitely improve the HY, whereas for the HER... [more]

This paper presents a buck converter with a novel constant frequency controlled technique, which employs the proposed frequency detector and adaptive on-time control (AOT) logic to lock the switching frequency. The control scheme, design concept, and circuit realization are presented. In contrast to a complex phase lock loop (PLL), the proposed scheme is easy to implement. With this novel technique, a buck converter is designed to produce an output voltage of 1.0−2.5 V at the input voltage of 3.0−3.6 V and the maximum load current of 500 mA. The proposed scheme was verified using SIMPLIS and MathCAD. The simulation results show that the switching frequency variation is less than 1% at an output voltage of 1.0−2.5 V. Furthermore, the recovery time is less than 2 μs for a step-up and step-down load transient. The circuit will be fabricated using UMC 0.18 μm 1P6M CMOS processes. The control scheme, design concept and circuit realization are presented in this paper.

This paper presents the analysis of the main reasons for a significant decrease in the intensity of diffusion processes during the formation of gas hydrates; solutions to this problem are proposed in a new process flow diagram for the continuous synthesis of gas hydrates. The physical processes, occurring at the corresponding stages of the process flow, have been described in detail. In the proposed device, gas hydrate is formed at the boundary of gas bubbles immersed in cooled water. The dynamic effects arising at the bubble boundary contribute to the destruction of a forming gas hydrate structure, making it possible to renew the contact surface and ensure efficient heat removal from the reaction zone. The article proposes an assessment technique for the main process parameters in the synthesis of hydrates based on the criterion of thermodynamic parameters optimization. The optimization criterion determines the relationship of intensity of heat and mass transfer processes at the phase... [more]

This study focuses on the sizing and optimization of a micro-grid with storage, which is destined to supply the load of an economic activity zone (EAZ) in Sidi Bouzid, Tunisia. To solve this problem, a genetic algorithm is established and programmed into MATLAB. The objective functions are considered by providing three minimums, namely Greenhouse Gas emissions (GHG), Life Cycle Cost (LCC) and Embodied Energy (EE), for three values of loss of power supply probability (LPSP) previously fixed. The sizing and optimization results are found and evaluated using a time series exchange of energy during a year to determine the optimal component size of a photovoltaic/wind/battery system (PV/WT/Bat). The simulation results show that the lowest ratio of LPSP values corresponds to the higher GHG, EE, LCC, photovoltaic panels area (APV), battery storage capacity (Cn), wind turbines area (AWT) and vice versa. This means that demanding higher energy reliability leads to higher energy cost and polluti... [more]

Energy audits are a time-consuming and expensive initial step in the building retrofit process. Virtual energy audits purport to be an alternative that remotely identifies energy efficiency measures (EEMs) that may reduce electricity consumption and offset operational costs to businesses operating during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. This case study reviews virtual energy audits as a means to benchmark energy use and estimate cost savings from future EEMs. A novel feature was the estimation of energy costs associated with increasing ventilation to improve indoor air quality. The authors analyzed ten virtual energy audits performed in Honolulu, Hawai’i, over a two-week period that used existing building information and electricity use data to estimate a potential 9% to 41% annual electricity use reduction per building and a 24 MWh to 1195 MWh reduction, respectively. This paper makes a significant contribution through its assessment of virtual energy audits as a step beyond benchmark... [more]

A complete fuel cell-based auxiliary power unit in the 7.5 kWe power class utilizing diesel fuel was developed in accordance with the power density and start-up targets defined by the U.S. Department of Energy. The system includes a highly-integrated fuel processor with multifunctional reactors to facilitate autothermal reforming, the water-gas shift reaction, and catalytic combustion. It was designed with the help of process analyses, on the basis of which two commercial, high-temperature PEFC stacks and balance of plant components were selected. The complete system was packaged, which resulted in a volume of 187.5 l. After achieving a stable and reproducible stack performance based on a modified break-in procedure, a maximum power of 3.3 kWe was demonstrated in a single stack. Despite the strong deviation from design points resulting from a malfunctioning stack, all system functions could be validated. By scaling-up the performance of the functioning stack to the level of two stacks,... [more]

Food waste has caused double waste of resources in the food itself and the food supply chain of production, transportation, cooking, and processing, resulting in unnecessary greenhouse gas emissions and economic losses. This paper first conducted the quantification of students’ food waste and the collection of canteens operation data in the three canteens at Taiyuan University of Technology (China) in 2019 through the weighing method and interview. Then an integration of Life Cycle Assessment and Life Cycle Costing was used to quantify the impact of food waste in university canteens on the environment and costs. The study found that the total amount of food waste in the university canteens with 22,000 students was 246.75 t/a, the carbon footprint caused by food waste was 539.28 t CO2-eq, and the cost was 4,729,900 yuan. Most of the impact of canteen meals on the environment comes from the use of energy in food cooking and the consumption of animal food types. The innovative integration... [more]

In order to study the multiple restricted factors and parameters of the eddy current loss of generator end structures, both the multi-layer perceptron (MLP) and support vector regression (SVR) are used to study and predict the mechanism of the synergistic effect of metal shield conductivity, relative permeability of clamping plates and structural characteristics of eddy current losses. Based on the eddy current losses of generator end structures under different metal shielding thicknesses and electromagnetic properties, the calculation accuracy of the MLP and SVR is compared. The prediction method gives an effective means for the complex design of the end region of the generator, which reduces the effort of the designers. It also promotes the design efficiency of the electrical generator.

This paper presents AC/DC converters for cost-effective small wind turbine systems. The analysis focuses on reliable, sensor-less, and low-cost solutions. A recently developed type of the three phase AC/DC two-switch converter is compared, for the first time, using simulations and experiments, with two other converters. The operating principles and control methods are discussed. Simulation results are verified experimentally and interesting conclusions are drawn. It is shown that less known converters are also attractive solutions for use in small wind turbines.

The multiphase induction motor is considered to be the promising alternative to the conventional three-phase induction motor, especially in safety-critical applications because of its inherent fault-tolerant feature. Therefore, the attention of many researchers has been paid to develop different techniques for detecting various fault types of multiphase induction motors, to securely switch the control mode of the multiphase drive system to its post-fault operation mode. Therefore, several fault detection methods have been researched and adapted; one of these methods is the indices-based fault detection technique. This technique was firstly introduced to detect open-phase fault of multiphase induction motors. The main advantage of this technique is that its mathematical formulation is straightforward and can easily be understood and implemented. In this paper, the study of the indices-based fault detection technique has been extended to test its applicability in detecting some other sta... [more]

The analysis of the soil behavior when the pile is driving into the seabed in offshore wind platforms is one of the major problems associated with this new form of clean energy generation. At present, there are no scaled studies carried out analyzing the mechanical and deformational behavior of both the material of the pile supporting the engine (large steel hollow piles with a diameter of 8 m and a thickness of 15−20 cm) and the soil where the pile is driven. Usually, these elements are installed on sands with a very small grain size displaced from the limits of dry−wet beach (water limit) toward the offshore limits, which prevents them from returning to their previous location in a natural way. This paper presents results obtained from scale tests in a steel pool to analyze the behavior of the sand where the piles were installed. First, the California Bearing Ratio (CBR) test was carried out to estimate the soil behavior in similar conditions to the steel pool. The scale tests consis... [more]

Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) projects span the entire cycle of industrial plants, from bidding to engineering, construction, and start-up operation and maintenance. Most EPC contractors do not have systematic decision-making tools when bidding for the project; therefore, they rely on manual analysis and experience in evaluating the bidding contract documents, including technical specifications. Oftentimes, they miss or underestimate the presence of technical risk clauses or risk severity, potentially create with a low bid price and tight construction schedule, and eventually experience severe cost overrun or/and completion delays. Through this study, two digital modules, Technical Risk Extraction and Design Parameter Extraction, were developed to extract and analyze risks in the project’s technical specifications based on machine learning and AI algorithms. In the Technical Risk Extraction module, technical risk keywords in the bidding technical specifications are c... [more]