Charge transporting materials (CTMs) in perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have played an important role in improving the stability by replacing the liquid electrolyte with solid state electron or hole conductors and enhancing the photovoltaic efficiency by the efficient electron collection. Many organic and inorganic materials for charge transporting in PSCs have been studied and applied to increase the charge extraction, transport and collection, such as Spiro-OMeTAD for hole transporting material (HTM), TiO2 for electron transporting material (ETM) and MoOX for HTM etc. However, recently inorganic CTMs are used to replace the disadvantages of organic materials in PSCs such as, the long-term operational instability, low charge mobility. Especially, atomic layer deposition (ALD) has many advantages in obtaining the conformal, dense and virtually pinhole-free layers. Here, we review ALD inorganic CTMs and their function in PSCs in view of the stability and contribution to enhancing the effi... [more]

Matrix acidizing is a highly successful, effective, and relatively inexpensive approach to enhancing well productivity in carbonate formations. Accordingly, there has been little motivation to address the ways to optimize the acid stimulation process better. Acid-in-oil emulsions that form during this process cause one of the most challenging problems that negatively impact the performance and deliverability, especially when these emulsions are highly stable over extended periods. Such stable emulsions can plug the flow path of oil causing high resistance to flow and potentially reducing well productivity. De-emulsifiers are some of the most widely used acid additives targeting the reduction of emulsion stability. However, there is doubt in the research community on whether there is enough shear mixing that can cause the formation of emulsions inside the rock matrix. Besides, the effectiveness of de-emulsifiers in eliminating such emulsions in the pore space has not been investigated.... [more]

Conventional experimental methods for testing the performance of super-capacitors include the measurement of capacitance through charge and discharge, measurement of equivalent series resistance (ESR) and measurement of self-discharge and the equivalent circuit model (ECM) by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). However, the methods are not suitable for the mass production line of supercapacitors since they require a long time for the test and several kinds of different instrument. EIS is an attractive method to evaluate the performance of supercapacitors except that it takes a long time for a single test. In this paper a fast EIS instrument suitable for quality assurance for the mass production of supercapacitors is proposed. In order to reduce the time for the test, a multi-sine sweeping method is used for the EIS test and the results are analyzed by extracting the parameters of the ECM to evaluate the performance of the supercapacitors. The proposed instrument is developed... [more]

We studied the effects of supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2) on the matrix permeability of reservoir rocks from the Eagle Ford, Utica, and Wolfcamp formations. We measured permeability using argon before exposure of the samples to scCO2 over time periods ranging from days to weeks. We measured permeability (and the change of permeability with confining pressure) when both argon and scCO2 were the pore fluids. In all three formations, we generally observe a negative correlation between initial permeability and carbonate content—the higher the carbonate content, the lower the initial permeability. In clay- and organic-rich samples, swelling of the matrix resulting from adsorption decreased the permeability by about 50% when the pore fluid was scCO2 although this permeability change is largely reversible. In carbonate-rich samples, dissolution of carbonate minerals by carbonic acid irreversibly increased matrix permeability, in some cases by more than one order of magnitude. This dissol... [more]

The industrial exploitation of perovskite solar cell technology is still hampered by the lack of repeatable and high-throughput fabrication processes for large-area modules. The joint efforts of the scientific community allowed to demonstrate high-performing small area solar cells; however, retaining such results over large area modules is not trivial. Indeed, the development of deposition methods over large substrates is required together with additional laser processes for the realization of the monolithically integrated cells and their interconnections. In this work, we develop an efficient perovskite solar module based on 2D material engineered structure by optimizing the laser ablation steps (namely P1, P2, P3) required for shaping the module layout in series connected sub-cells. We investigate the impact of the P2 and P3 laser processes, carried out by employing a UV pulsed laser (pulse width = 10 ns; λ = 355 nm), over the final module performance. In particular, a P2 process for... [more]

Estimation of fluid saturation is an important step in dynamic reservoir characterization. Machine learning techniques have been increasingly used in recent years for reservoir saturation prediction workflows. However, most of these studies require input parameters derived from cores, petrophysical logs, or seismic data, which may not always be readily available. Additionally, very few studies incorporate the production data, which is an important reflection of the dynamic reservoir properties and also typically the most frequently and reliably measured quantity throughout the life of a field. In this research, the random forest ensemble machine learning algorithm is implemented that uses the field-wide production and injection data (both measured at the surface) as the only input parameters to predict the time-lapse oil saturation profiles at well locations. The algorithm is optimized using feature selection based on feature importance score and Pearson correlation coefficient, in com... [more]

Large-scale offshore wind farms (OWF) are under construction along the southeastern coast of China, an area with a high typhoon incidence. Measured data and typhoon simulation model are used to improve the reliability of extreme wind speed (EWS) forecasts for OWF affected by typhoons in this paper. Firstly, a 70-year historical typhoon record database is statistically analyzed to fit the typhoon parameters probability distribution functions, which is used to sample key parameters when employing Monte Carlo Simulation (MCS). The sampled typhoon parameters are put into the Yan Meng (YM) wind field to generate massive virtual typhoon in the MCS. Secondly, when typhoon simulation carried out, the change in wind field roughness caused by the wind-wave coupling is studied. A simplified calculation method for realizing this phenomenon is applied by exchanging roughness length in the parametric wind field and wave model. Finally, the extreme value theory is adopted to analyze the simulated typ... [more]

Hexagonal boron nitride and silicone rubber (h-BN/SR) composites were prepared by the mechanical stirring method, and their crystal morphology, chemical structure, thermal properties, and compression stress−strain performance were investigated. The experimental results suggest that silicone rubber combined with h-BN exhibits better thermal conductivity and mechanical properties. When the proportion of h-BN is 30 wt%, the thermal conductivity of the h-BN/SR composite material is 0.58 W/m∙K, which is 3.4 times that of pure silicone rubber. At the same time, the compressive strength of h-BN/SR is 4.27 MPa, which is 6.7 times that of pure silicone rubber. Furthermore, the finite element model was employed to numerically analyze the thermal behavior of a battery with a h-BN/SR composite as the thermal interface material. The analytical results show that the highest temperature of the battery decreased when using h-BN/SR as the thermal interface material in the battery thermal management sys... [more]

Latent heat stored in phase change materials (PCM) can greatly improve energy efficiency in indoor heating/cooling applications. This study presents the materials and methods for the formation and characterization of a PCM layer for a latent heat thermal energy storage (LHTES) application. Four commercially available PCMs comprising the classes of organic paraffins and organic non-paraffins were selected for thermal storage application. Pure organic PCM and PCM in water emulsions were experimentally investigated. PCM electrospun microfibers were produced by a co-axial electrospinning technique, where solutions of Polycaprolactone (PCL) 9% w/v and 12% w/v in dichloromethane (DCM) were used as the fiber shell materials. PCM emulsified with sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), and Polyvinylalcohol 10% w/v (PVA) constituted the core of the fibers. The thermal behavior of the PCM, PCM emulsions, and PCM electrospun fibers were analyzed with differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). A commercial org... [more]

The geometrical and mechanical properties of non-persistent joints as well as the mechanical behavior of intact rock (rock bridges) are significantly effective in the shear strength of weakness planes containing non-persistent joints. Therefore, comprehensive knowledge of the shear mechanism of both joints and rock bridges is required to assess the shear strength of the planes. In this study, the shear behavior of specimens containing a single non-persistent rough joint is investigated. A novel procedure was used to prepare cast specimens embedding a non-persistent (disc-shaped) rough joint using 3D printing and casting technology, and the shear strength of the specimens was examined through an extensive direct shear testing program under constant normal load (CNL) condition. Three levels for three different variables of the joint roughness, rock bridge ratio, and normal stress were considered, and the effects of these factors on the shear behavior of prepared samples were tested. The... [more]

Carbon quantum dots (CQDs) are nanomaterials with a particle size range of 2 to 10 nm. CQDs have a wide range of applications such as medical diagnostics, bio-imaging, biosensors, coatings, solar cells, and photocatalysis. Although the effect of various experimental parameters, such as the synthesis method, reaction time, etc., have been investigated, the effect of different feedstocks on CQDs has not been studied yet. In this study, CQDs were synthesized from hydroxymethylfurfural, furfural, and microcrystalline cellulose via hydrothermal carbonization at 220 °C for 30 min of residence time. The produced CQDs showed green luminescence behavior under the short-wavelength UV light. Furthermore, the optical properties of CQDs were investigated using ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy and emission spectrophotometer, while the morphology and chemical bonds of CQDs were investigated using transmission electron microscopy and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, respectively. Results showe... [more]

The determination of natural gas content in coal seams is essential to safe mining activities and to estimate gas resources. It is used to estimate methane emissions into workings, which is very important when using preventive measures of methane ignition and explosion. Methane content in a coal seam is mostly determined using a direct method. However, a problem with estimation of gas loss during collecting a sample in a mine occurs in each method. That gas loss is estimated using different procedures. In the Polish mining industry, methane content in a coal seam is mostly determined during roadway advancing faces in coal seams. The differences in procedures for determining methane content in coal in various laboratories gave rise to starting research into developing a new method. This article presents results of study of gas loss unification for the determination of methane content in coal seams. The research focused mainly on determining a uniform method for estimating gas loss using... [more]

Lithium-ion capacitors (LICs) have gained significant attention in recent years for their increased energy density without altering their power density. LICs achieve higher capacitance than traditional supercapacitors due to their hybrid battery electrode and subsequent higher voltage. This is due to the asymmetric action of LICs, which serves as an enhancer of traditional supercapacitors. This culminates in the potential for pollution-free, long-lasting, and efficient energy-storing that is required to realise a renewable energy future. This review article offers an analysis of recent progress in the production of LIC electrode active materials, requirements and performance. In-situ hybridisation and ex-situ recombination of composite materials comprising a wide variety of active constituents is also addressed. The possible challenges and opportunities for future research based on LICs in energy applications are also discussed.

Polymer foams are expanding their applications into functional materials. Partial foam structure has been fabricated in polyethylene terephthalate−polyethylene naphthalate (PET−PEN) copolymer by solid state foaming. Through SEM image analyses, a potential to fabricate gradient foam structures with micropores and unfoamed skin layers has been identified. The post-foaming temperature Tf tune the pore size distribution. Radial distribution of micromechanical properties, indentation hardness and elastic modulus were measured for the partial foam and their values were around 0.12 GPa and 2.0 GPa, respectively, for the outer foamed region. Foaming temperature affects the glass transition temperature Tg, the coefficient of thermal expansion and the flame spreading rate. For the range of Tf ≤ 60°C, thermal expansion coefficients for T > Tg are about 0.5 m/m°C (steep expansion group, SEG). When Tf is above 80 °C, they are around 0.02 m/m°C (mild expansion group, MEG). The burning rate of SEG is... [more]

Determination of the mass diffusion coefficient for dried, inhomogeneous material is difficult as it depends on the drying agent temperature and the moisture content and physical structure of the material. The paper presents a method for efficient determination of the water diffusion coefficient for wood solid cuboids dried using convective drying methods. In this work, the authors define a theoretical dependence of the Fourier number on reduced water content in a convectively dried cuboidal solid, based on a simplified theoretical solution of the diffusion equation for such a body. The material for drying included shoots of common osier, robinia (false acacia), multiflora rose, and energy poplar, dried at temperatures of 40, 50, 60, 70, and 80 °C, in free convection. The obtained results differ from the theoretically anticipated changes of the coefficient.

In this study, maleic acid was produced from xylose contained in a hydrolysate generated by oxalic acid pretreatment of yellow poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera), and the factors that influenced maleic acid production were evaluated. Furfural was obtained from the hydrolysate using H2SO4 as a catalyst, depending on combined severity factors (CSFs). Furfural production increased as the H2SO4 concentration increased. Furfural yield (46.70%), xylose conversion (70.95%), and xylo−oligomer conversion (75.47%) from the hydrolysate were high at CSF 1.92 with 1.64% H2SO4. However, the furfural concentration was slightly increased at 1.64% H2SO4 to 7.10 g/L at CSF 1.89, compared with that at CSF 1.92. Maleic acid was produced from the hydrolysate (CSF 1.92 and 1.64% H2SO4) at a yield of 91.44%. Maleic acid production was slightly better when formic acid and acetic acid were included in the hydrolysate than when furfural was included alone (79.94% vs. 78.82%). Based on the results, the xylose obta... [more]

Because of environmental concerns, there is a growing interest in new ways to produce green energy. Among the several studied applications, enzymatic biofuel cells can be considered as a promising solution to generate electricity from biological catalytic reactions. Indeed, enzymes show very good results as biocatalysts thanks to their excellent intrinsic properties, such as specificity toward substrate, high catalytic activity with low overvoltage for substrate conversion, mild operating conditions like ambient temperature and near-neutral pH. Furthermore, enzymes present low cost, renewability and biodegradability. The wide range of applications moves from miniaturized portable electronic equipment and sensors to integrated lab-on-chip power supplies, advanced in vivo diagnostic medical devices to wearable devices. Nevertheless, enzymatic biofuel cells show great concerns in terms of long-term stability and high power output nowadays, highlighting that this particular technology is s... [more]

Hydrate-based carbon dioxide (CO2) separation and capture is a new technology for achieving CO2 emission reduction. However, it is still not commercially applied for the ambiguity of microscopic hydrate formation mechanism. In a constant volume experiment of hydrate formation, there are two or more pressure platforms, indicating that there might be two or more different hydrates formation in succession. In order to reveal the relationship between the microscopic process and the gas consumption in the process of hydrate formation, hydrate composition and formation mechanism of cyclopentane-CO2 (CP-CO2) system was investigated using a differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) and Raman spectroscopy. The results indicated CO2-CP binary hydrate and CO2 hydrate are formed successively, and they coexist in the final hydrate. CP-CO2 binary hydrates forms preferentially, and as crystal seeds, inducing the formation of CO2 hydrates. The two hydrates formation processes cause the two pressure-drop... [more]

This paper presents a comparison of two variants of an axial flux magnetic gear (AFMG), namely, with integer and fractional gear ratios. Based on calculations derived with the use of three-dimensional numerical models, the torque characteristics of the analyzed AFMGs are computed and verified on a physical model. The greatest emphasis is put on the detailed decomposition and analysis of local forces in modulator pole pieces (also used in the structural analysis) within the no-load and maximal load conditions. The authors also describe the unbalanced magnetic forces (UMF) in the axial and radial directions resulting from the construction of the considered AFMGs variants, and their possible effects in the context of the use of additive manufacturing (AM) in prototypes. The paper also proposes an effective method for limiting the axial strain by using the asymmetry of the air gaps, which slightly reduces the torque transmitted by AFMGs. Finally, a static strength analysis was presented th... [more]

Current rotorcraft gas turbine engines typically use titanium alloys and steel for the compressor section and single-crystal nickel superalloys for the hot-section turbine stator vanes and rotor blades. However, these material selections are rapidly changing due to increased requirements of power-density and efficiency. Future U.S. Army gas turbine engines will be using ceramic matrix composites for many high temperature engine components due to their low density and improved durability in high temperature environments. The gas turbine industry is also actively developing adaptive concept technologies for production and assembly of modular gas turbine engine components with integrated sensing. In order to actively monitor engine components for extended seamless operation and improved reliability, it is essential to have intelligent embedded sensing to monitor the health of critical components in engines. Under this U.S. Army Foreign Technology Assessment Support (FTAS) program funded r... [more]

Examples from the Polish clastic and carbonate reservoirs from the Central Polish Anticlinorium, Carpathians and Carpathian Foredeep are presented to illustrate possibilities of using well logging to geothermal resources recognition and characterization. Firstly, there was presented a short description of selected well logs and methodology of determination of petrophysical parameters useful in geothermal investigations: porosity, permeability, fracturing, mineral composition, elasticity of orogeny and mineralization of formation water from well logs. Special attention was allotted to spectral gamma-ray and temperature logs to show their usefulness to radiogenic heat calculation and heat flux modelling. Electric imaging and advanced acoustic logs provided with continuous information on natural and induced fracturing of formation and improved lithology recognition. Wireline and production logging were discussed to present the wealth of methods that could be used. A separate matter was th... [more]

The aim of the work is to investigate power flows in the vibration reduction system equipped with a magnetorheological (MR) damper and energy regeneration. For this purpose, experiments were conducted in the test rig compound of the shaker and the vibration reduction system (electromagnetic harvester, MR damper, spring) which are attached to the sprung mass. The experimental data acquired under sine excitations enabled us to analyze instantaneous power fluxes, as well as a rate of inertial energy changes in the system.

Long term stability is one of the decisive properties of solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) as well as solid oxide electrolysis cell (SOEC) materials from the commercialization perspective. To improve the understanding about degradation mechanisms solid oxide cells with different electrode compositions should be studied. In this work, Ni-Zr0.92Y0.08O2-δ (Ni-YSZ)| Zr0.92Y0.08O2-δ (YSZ)|Ce0.9Gd0.1O2-δ (GDC)|Pr0.6Sr0.4CoO3-δ (PSC) cells are tested in the SOFC regime for 17,820 h at 650 °C, and in the SOEC regime for 860 h at 800 °C. The SOFC experiment showed a degradation speed of 2.4% per 1000 h at first but decreased to 1.1% per 1000 h later. The electrolysis test was performed for 860 h at 800 °C. The degradation speed was 16.3% per 1000 h. In the end of the stability tests, an electrode activity mapping was carried out using a novel 18O tracing approach. Average Ni grain sizes were measured and correlated with the results of the oxygen isotope maps. Results indicate that Ni coarsening is d... [more]

As the most abundant element in the world, hydrogen is a promising energy carrier and has received continuously growing attention in the last couple of decades. At the very moment, hydrogen fuel is imagined as the part of a sustainable and eco-friendly energy system, the “hydrogen grand challenge”. Among the large number of storage solutions, solid-state hydrogen storage is considered to be the safest and most efficient route for on-board applications via fuel cell devices. Notwithstanding the various advantages, storing hydrogen in a lightweight and compact form still presents a barrier towards the wide-spread commercialization of hydrogen technology. In this review paper we summarize the latest findings on solid-state storage solutions of different non-equilibrium systems which have been synthesized by mechanical routes based on severe plastic deformation. Among these deformation techniques, high-pressure torsion is proved to be a proficient method due to the extremely high applied s... [more]

The paper presents the results of research aimed at evaluating the possibility of using selected tree leaf species to produce solid biofuels. The possibility of production of qualitative solid biofuels from urban tree leaves meets the expectations of the municipal sector. Collection of tree leaves in urban areas is very often necessary for road safety reasons, the need to collect biomass rich in dust and pollution as well as biomass infested with pests. The production of solid biofuels from tree leaves allows for effective management of this raw material with energy recovery. The performed research indicates such a possibility, and the obtained ash is used as a soil improver. The conducted research showed that the biomass of leaves of five tree species used in the experiment can be a source of raw materials for production of qualitative biofuels. The obtained pellets were characterized by properties comparable to those of classical wood pellets. The lower heating value of the obtained... [more]