The operation of coal mines is intricately linked with emitting a large quantity of coal mine methane, and in most cases, this methane releases into the atmosphere. In total, according to statistics, coal mining enterprises emit 8% of anthropogenic methane, determining a contribution to greenhouse gas emissions to the amount of 17%. There are various means for coal mine methane utilization. In this study, the concept “Coal-Energy-Information” is proposed. This concept implies both the construction of data processing centers on the industrial sites of coal mines and the usage of coal mine methane. Coal mine methane can be used as a primary energy source for the energy supply of data processing center consumers as well as coal mine consumers with necessary energy resources (electricity, heat, and cooling). Within the framework of the proposed concept, three options of coal mine methane utilization are considered. The first option is the use of gas genset for electrical and thermal energy... [more]

To reduce the on-peak electrical power consumption, storage devices are widely performed with the help of an energy management system. According to IEA, residential air conditioning consumes 70% of the electricity, increasing by 4% every year. To minimize peak power consumption, thermal energy storage (TES) can be used to store cooled water for the air conditioning system. An efficient chilled water tank was designed and computationally investigated. Three-dimensional cylindrical tanks were simulated with seven different heights to diameter (H:D) ratios. At first, the temperature changes in a chilled water tank during discharging and charging periods were studied. An 11-h charging period was carried out during the off-peak time at night, while the discharging period was 13 h during the daytime. Under time constraints regarding peak and off-peak periods, a tank with an H:D = 2.0 can only be used for 13-h discharging. Then the chilled water was simulated with a set temperature of 4 °C du... [more]

Motor vehicles are the backbone of global transport. In recent years, due to the rising costs of fossil fuels and increasing concerns about their negative impact on the natural environment, the development of low-emission power supply systems for vehicles has been observed. In order to create a stable and safe global transport system, an important issue seems to be the diversification of propulsion systems for vehicles, which can be achieved through the simultaneous development of conventional internal combustion vehicles, electric vehicles (both battery and fuel cell powered) as well as combustion hydrogen-powered vehicles. This publication presents an overview of commercial vehicles (available on the market) powered by internal combustion hydrogen engines. The work focuses on presenting the development of technology from the point of view of introducing ready-made hydrogen-powered vehicles to the market or technical solutions enabling the use of hydrogen mixtures in internal combusti... [more]

Renewable Energy Communities (RECs) have been defined as modes of collective prosumership under the Renewable Energy Directive (RED II). We evaluate the benefits offered by RECs and the barriers and enablers impacting their uptake. Germany is taken as a case study for a novel multi-disciplinary assessment of a potential REC intended as a climate-neutral, mixed-use district. We found that energy cooperatives may not be suited to form RECs, but the future may see an uptake of innovative organizational structures such as the Consumer Stock Ownership Plan. It has been shown that a high degree of prosumership can provide technical and economic benefits with maximum greenhouse gas savings of 35% and a maximum self-consumption share of 61% compared to no prosumership. The REC has a negative Net Present Value (NPV) after 25 years of operation and lacks financial attractiveness. A positive NPV is only possible by using the cost savings from prosumership to recoup the investments faster. RECs ar... [more]

Photovoltaics and wind power are expected to account for a large share of power generation in the carbon-neutral era. A gas turbine combined cycle (GTCC) with an industrial gas turbine as the main engine has the ability to rapidly start up and can follow up to load fluctuations to smooth out fluctuations in power generation from renewable energy sources. Simultaneously, the system must be more efficient than today’s state-of-the-art GTCCs because it will use either Carbon dioxide Capture and Storage (CCS) when burning natural gas or hydrogen/ammonia as fuel, which is more expensive than natural gas. This paper describes the trend of cooled turbine rotor blades used in large industrial gas turbines that are carbon neutral. First, the evolution of cooled turbine stationary vanes and rotor blades is traced. Then, the current status of heat transfer technology, blade material technology, and thermal barrier coating technology that will lead to the realization of future ultra-high-temperatu... [more]

Climate change is exacerbated by vehicle emissions. Furthermore, vehicle pollution contributes to respiratory and cardiopulmonary diseases, as well as lung cancer. This requires a drastic reduction in global greenhouse gas emissions for the automobile industry. To address this issue, researchers are required to reduce friction, which is one of the most important aspects of improving the efficiency of internal combustion engines. One of the most important parts of an engine that contributes to friction is the piston ring cylinder liner (PRCL) coupling. Controlling the linear deformation enhances the performance of the engine and, as a result, contributes positively to its performance. The majority of the tests to study the conformability between cylinder liner and piston were carried out on cylinder liners made of cast iron. It is possible to improve the performance of piston ring cylinder liner couplings by implementing new and advanced manufacturing techniques. In this work, a validat... [more]

Cloud covering is an important factor affecting solar radiation and causes fluctuations in solar energy production. Therefore, real-time recognition and the prediction of cloud covering and the adjustment of the angle of photovoltaic panels to improve power generation are important research areas in the field of photovoltaic power generation. In this study, several methods, namely, the principle of depth camera measurement distance, semantic segmentation algorithm, and long- and short-term memory (LSTM) network were combined for cloud observation. The semantic segmentation algorithm was applied to identify and extract the cloud contour lines, determine the feature points, and calculate the cloud heights and geographic locations of the cloud shadows. The LSTM algorithm was used to predict the trajectory and speed of the cloud movement, achieve accurate and real-time detection, and track the clouds and the sun. Based on the results of these methods, the shadow area of the cloud on the gr... [more]

This article deals with implementing a rule-based control method and startup sequence of a hybrid electric vehicle powered by a modular fuel cell system as its primary energy source and a lithium-ion battery system as its secondary energy source. The modular fuel cell system is composed of two separate fuel cell systems, electrically coupled to a one-power converter, using a programmable device. Depending on the vehicle’s operating mode, either both systems are used or just one of them. The vehicle’s fuel efficiency is improved by operating at constant power in the peak efficiency range of each fuel cell system. The experimental results show that the proposed system can significantly improve the fuel economy of a fuel cell vehicle and extend the driving range, while avoiding start/stop cycles. Additionally, this solution can increase the fuel cells’ lifecycle.

The fast frequency response (FFR) function in renewable energy source (RES)-based power stations has proved to be able to improve the frequency stability of power systems with high RES penetration significantly. However, most current FFR functions in photovoltaic (PV) power stations typically show power response deviations and unnecessary power loss issues that are caused by inadequate station power distribution strategies. This is particularly important in cases where the power must be increased when the system frequency shows a downward disturbance. This paper proposes a new distribution strategy for FFR in PV power stations and studies related distribution strategies, system structures, calculation algorithms, function execution effect, and active power regulation technology. The proposed approach uses a proportional distribution strategy based on an evaluation of the real-time potential maximum power capability values of the subarrays or generation regions, which are evaluated usin... [more]

In hydrogen recirculation side channel pumps, the motor rotor is exposed to a high-pressure mixture of steam and hydrogen, which makes hydrogen embrittlement occur in permanent magnets (PMs). A protective coating is necessary for the PMs in high-pressure hydrogen. However, in the process of sleeve interference installation, the protective coating of the PMs is easily damaged. This paper proposes two surface-mounted insert permanent magnet (SIPM) synchronous motor topologies, SIPM1 and SIPM2, in which the retaining sleeves can be eliminated and the PM protective coating is safe in the assembling process. A dovetail PM and rotor core structure is used to protect the PM with higher rotor strength without retaining the sleeve. The electromagnetic performance of the motors with different rotors, including airgap flux density, output torque, torque ripple, and energy efficiency is compared and optimized. It is concluded that the output torque of the SIPM motor can be promoted by 22.4% and to... [more]

The current paper proposes a novel multi-generation system, integrated with compound parabolic collectors and a biomass combustor. In addition to analyzing the comprehensive system in a steady state, the feasibility of using nanofluids as heat transfer fluids in the solar cycle and their effect on the overall performance of the system was studied. The multi-generation system is generally designed for generating electricity, cooling, freshwater, drying, hot water, and hydrogen, with the help of six subsystems. These include a double stage refrigeration system, an organic Rankine cycle, a steam Rankine cycle, a dryer, a proton exchange membrane electrolyzer, and a multistage flash distillation system. Two types of nanoparticles (graphene, silver), which have various high-quality properties when used within ethylene glycol, were chosen as absorbing fluids in the solar cycle. The performance parameters of the base case thermodynamic analysis and some of the variable parameters were calcula... [more]

Citizens are set to play an active role in the energy transition by transforming from ‘passive’ consumers to ‘active’ prosumers. Renewable Energy Communities (RECs) are envisioned as modes of collective prosumership by citizens under the Renewable Energy Directive of 2018 (RED II). A holistic understanding of RECs is essential to identify the benefits and challenges of collective prosumership. RECs have been the topic of several modelling studies, but a single model that simulates RECs from an integrated perspective—combining technical, economic and ecological analysis—is absent. Wide variability in the indicators discourages comparison of the results across studies. This article builds on the existing knowledge by proposing an integrated model to undertake a multi-disciplinary assessment of a potential REC. First, the proposed model analyses the technical possibilities of collective prosumership using energy flow analysis based on consumption and generation profiles. Second, the model... [more]

Nitrogen explosive decompression pretreatment was tested on barley straw, aspen wood, and pine wood in a two-step pretreatment approach. The two-step approach aims to avoid the uncontrolled degradation of hemicellulose during pretreatment and to recover high sugar yields from hemicellulose and cellulose. Additionally, the pretreated biomass was filtered after each pretreatment step with a fine metal sieve so that fermentation and hydrolysis inhibitors were removed. A total sugar yield of 43 g per 100 g of dry biomass was achieved from barley straw and aspen wood. For pine wood, the total sugar yield was significantly lower, with 12 g per 100 g of dry biomass. Possible reasons for this low sugar yield are the adsorption and deactivation of cellulases on softwood hemicellulose and on repolymerized lignin after pretreatment.

The application of expansion turbines at natural gas pressure reduction stations (PRS) is considered in order to recover energy contained in the natural gas. This energy is irretrievably lost at the reduction stations which use the traditional pressure reducer. Expanders allow for the electricity production for PRS own needs and for resale. The paper presents an analysis of the possibility of using turboexpanders at PRS in Poland. Authors performed static simulations for the assumed data sets and dynamic simulations for annual data from selected representative natural gas reduction and measurement stations. Energy balances are presented for the discussed scenarios that compare the energy requirements of natural gas pressure reduction stations which use a classic pressure reducer or turboexpander (TE). Using static simulations, authors investigated whether the use of a turboexpander is economically justified for the case if it is used only to supply the reduction station with electricit... [more]

The Sun is a huge and clean energy source that must be relied upon to reduce greenhouse gases and promote the renewable and sustainable energy transition. In this paper, the testing of Al, Cu, and Fe metals with different thicknesses, both bare and painted matte black, was investigated for solar water heating systems. The used technique was a direct contact flat solar heating system (DCFSHS). Many experiments were run to assess this system in terms of metals’ thicknesses and their thermal conductivities as well. Thicknesses of around 0.35 mm and 1 mm of Cu gave almost similar feedback. Maximum temperatures in the range of 93−97 °C were achieved during the autumn season in Amman, Jordan, while it was approximately 80 °C in winter. It has been confirmed that high water temperatures can be obtained in all used metals, regardless of their thermal conductivities. It was also found that a white color of the solar heater case inner wall leads to an increase in water temperature of approximate... [more]

Renewable energies have an essential role in reducing various forms of pollution. The policymakers within the European Union place more and more emphasis on the replacement of internal combustion engine vehicles with electric vehicles in order to reduce emissions. The aim of this research is to analyze the current trends in producing and using renewable energy until 2028 and to estimate the impact of replacing the current internal combustion engine cars with electric cars. The significance of this study emerges from the estimation of the amount of electricity needed to replace current cars with electric cars and if it can be covered from green sources, based on the forecast of green energy until the year 2028. In addition, we also calculate in this study the impact on the public budgets of the European Union member states, as a result of the reduction of excise duties for fuels, following the reduction of their consumption. The research was carried out based on the extensive literature... [more]

Film cooling has dramatically contributed to the performance improvement of gas turbines, as it is a very effective cooling technique for gas turbines. Large eddy simulation (LES) began to be used in the study of film cooling 20 years ago, and meaningful results have been found, but it has not yet been intensively reviewed. In this review paper, we analyze and introduce about 70 papers published on LES of film cooling over the past 20 years. Numerical instability must be overcome, and realistic inflow must be generated to perform LES of film cooling. This review summarizes how the groups that performed LES of film cooling solved these problems. In film-cooling research, the main topics are improving the film-cooling performance by preventing the lift-off of the injectant and the effect of flow conditions on film cooling. In addition, LES has also been conducted extensively on the above two topics, and this review focuses on them. Finally, turbulence statistics of film-cooling flow obta... [more]

We present a novel meshing and simulation approach for wind farms, featuring realignment and mesh adaptation. The turbines are modeled with actuator discs, which are discretized by means of an adaptation process to represent a level set function. The level-set-based simulation framework is combined with an adaptation cycle to capture both the solution and the actuator discs. In addition, we devise a turbine realignment process which takes into account the actual flow in the actuator disc configuration. Several results are presented to highlight the features of the approach. First, the adaptive simulation approach is validated, fulfilling the theoretical convergence rates and improving the accuracy of the boundary tight representations. Second, the adaptive simulation process is applied to a full wind farm configuration featuring 219 turbines, illustrating that is it well devised for complex wind farm configurations. Third, the turbine reorientation process is validated in a one turbine... [more]

Undelayable environmental requirements and the energy crisis following the pandemic, further increased by international contingencies, have evidenced the need to push forward with the energy transition and intensify the use of renewable energy to satisfy energy needs, with more flexible, resilient, and sustainable energy being required [...]

Multiphase flow properties of fractures are important in engineering applications such as hydraulic fracturing, evaluating the sealing capacity of caprocks, and the productivity of hydrocarbon-bearing tight rocks. Due to the computational requirements of high fidelity simulations, investigations of flow and transport through fractures typically rely on simplified assumptions applied to large fracture networks. These simplifications ignore the effect of pore-scale capillary phenomena and 3D realistic fracture morphology (for instance, tortuosity, contact points, and crevasses) that lead to macro-scale effective transport properties. The effect of these properties can be studied through lattice Boltzmann simulations, but they require high performance computing clusters and are generally limited in their domain size. In this work, we develop a technique to represent 3D fracture geometries and fluid distributions in 2D without losing any information. Using this innovative approach, we pres... [more]

The widespread use of wind power plants can provide full or partial energy supply to the consumer, taking into account certain investments and the instability of energy production. Modern wind energy technology involves the conversion of mechanical energy of the wind flow into electrical energy with subsequent conversion, at the request of the consumer, into thermal energy. In addition, the unprocessed use of the low-potential part of the wind flow, characterized by non-uniformity and randomness of its reception for the purpose of supplying heat to the recipient, requires new approaches to solving this problem. Bench experimental studies of this heater confirmed the adequacy of the mathematical model: within an hour, the temperature increase of the heater core changed from 22 °C to 36 °C at a voltage of 66 V and the number of pulses entering the heater coil was (15−17) discharges, which corresponds to the values of the mathematical expectation of the wind speed of (4−5.2) m∙s−1 in the... [more]

Colombia, a privileged country in terms of diversity, availability of natural resources, and geographical location, has set a roadmap for hydrogen as part of the energy transition plan proposed in 2021. To reduce its emissions in the mid-term and foster its economy, hydrogen production should be green and blue, with specific targets set for 2030 for the hydrogen costs and produced quantities. This work compares the state-of-the-art production of blue and green hydrogen and how Colombia is doing in each pathway. A deeper analysis considers the advantages of Colombia’s natural resources, the possible paths the government could follow, and the feedstock’s geographical location for hydrogen production and transportation. Then, one discusses what may be the next steps in terms of policies and developments to succeed in implementing the plan. Overall, it is concluded that green hydrogen could be the faster, more sustainable, and more efficient method to implement in Colombia. However, blue h... [more]

PV systems are a popular energy resource, prevalent worldwide; however, shade faults manifested in PV systems limit its power conversion efficiency. The occurrence of multiple power peaks and their location are highly uncertain in PV systems; this necessitates the use of complex maximum power point tracking algorithms to introduce high voltage oscillations. To address this issue, a new reconfigurable PV array to produce a global maximum power point (GMPP) algorithm close to the Voc regions was introduced. This enables the use of a simple Perturb and Observe (P&O) algorithm to easily track GMPP. For reconfiguration, a simple 5 × 5 PV array is considered, and a new physical relocation procedure based on the position square method is proposed. Performance of the proposed reconfiguration model is tested for four various shade events and its row current evaluations are comprehensively analyzed. Furthermore, evaluations of fill factor, mismatch loss, and power loss are quantitatively compare... [more]

This experimental study aimed to intensify the aerothermal performance index (API) in a round tube heat exchanger employing twisted tapes in rib and sawtooth forms (TTRSs) as swirl/vortex flow generators. The TTRSs have a constant twist ratio of 3.0, a constant rib pitch ratio (p/e) of 1.0, and six different sawtooth angles (α = 20°, 30°, 40°, 50°, 60°, and 70°). Experiments were carried out in an open flow using air as the working fluid for Reynolds numbers between 6000 and 20,000 in the current study, which was conducted in a heated tube under conditions of uniform wall heat flux. A typical twisted tape (TT) was also tested for comparison. The experimental results suggest that TTRSs yield Nusselt numbers ranging from 1.42 to 2.10 times of those of a plain tube. TTRSs with larger sawtooth angles (α) offer superior heat transfer. The TTRSs with α = 20°, 30°, 40°, 50°, 60°, and 70° respectively, enhance average Nusselt numbers by 158%, 162%, 166%, 172%, 180%, and 187% with average frict... [more]

In the era of upcoming European Union regulations limiting the registration of combustion cars from 2035, the development of various types of alternatives to balancing transport is on the agenda of modern cities. One of these types of services includes automated short-term car rental systems, i.e., car-sharing systems. In recent years, car-sharing services have been gaining more and more interest among operators and municipal authorities. Despite their intense activities, there are still people in society who have not used car-sharing services so far. A lot of research has been devoted to an attempt to answer their needs in the field of car-sharing, but there is a research gap in the field of detailed analyses of the fleet of cars that they would like to use. Noticing this niche, this article is dedicated to the topic of selecting vehicles for car-sharing systems from the point of view of current non-users and indicating the features that, in their opinion, are the most important param... [more]