Water hydraulic fracturing involves pumping low viscosity fluid and proppant mixture into the artificial fracture under a high pumping rate. In that high Reynolds number conditions (HRNCs, Re > 2000), the turbulence effect is one of the key factors affecting proppant transportation and placement. In this paper, a Eulerian multiphase model was used to simulate the proppant particle transport in a parallel slot under HRNCs. Turbulence effects in high pumping rates and frictional stress among the proppant particles were taken into consideration, and the Johnson-Jackson wall boundary conditions were used to describe the particle-wall interaction. The numerical simulation result was validated with laboratory-scale slot experiment results. The simulation results demonstrate that the pattern of the proppant bank is significantly affected by the vortex near the wellbore, and the whole proppant transport process can be divided into four stages under HRNCs. Furthermore, the proppant placement st... [more]

Non-Intrusive Load Monitoring (NILM) increases awareness on user energy usage patterns. In this paper, an efficient and highly accurate NILM method is proposed featuring condensed representation, super-state and fusion of two deep learning based models. Condensed representation helps the two models perform more efficiently and preserve longer-term information, while super-state helps the model to learn correlations between appliances. The first model is a deep user model that learns user appliances usage patterns to predict the next appliance usage behavior based on past behaviors by capturing the dynamics of user behaviors history and appliances usage habits. The second model is a deep appliance group model that learns the characteristics of appliances with temporal and electrical information. These two models are then fused to perform NILM. The case study based on REFIT datasets demonstrates that the proposed NILM method outperforms two state-of-the-art benchmark methods.

The chemical degradation of the perfluorinated sulfonic acid (PFSA) ion-exchange membrane as a result of an attack from a radical species, originating as a by-product of the oxygen reduction reaction, represents a significant limiting factor in a wider adoption of low-temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cells (LT-PEMFCs). The efficient mathematical modeling of these processes is therefore a crucial step in the further development of proton exchange membrane fuel cells. Starting with an extensive kinetic modeling framework, describing the whole range of chemical processes leading to the membrane degradation, we use the mathematical method of sensitivity analysis to systematically reduce the number of both chemical species and reactions needed to efficiently and accurately describe the chemical degradation of the membrane. The analysis suggests the elimination of chemical reactions among the radical species, which is supported by the physicochemical consideration of the modeled rea... [more]

Electricity is widely used around 80% of the world. Electricity theft has dangerous effects on utilities in terms of power efficiency and costs billions of dollars per annum. The enhancement of the traditional grids gave rise to smart grids that enable one to resolve the dilemma of electricity theft detection (ETD) using an extensive amount of data formulated by smart meters. This data are used by power utilities to examine the consumption behaviors of consumers and to decide whether the consumer is an electricity thief or benign. However, the traditional data-driven methods for ETD have poor detection performances due to the high-dimensional imbalanced data and their limited ETD capability. In this paper, we present a new class balancing mechanism based on the interquartile minority oversampling technique and a combined ETD model to overcome the shortcomings of conventional approaches. The combined ETD model is composed of long short-term memory (LSTM), UNet and adaptive boosting (Ada... [more]

Accurate simulation and prediction of occupants’ energy use behavior are crucial in building energy consumption research. However, few studies have focused on household energy use behavior in severely cold regions that have unique energy use patterns because of the low demand of cooling in summer and the use of central heating system in winter. Thus, we developed an agent-based model to simulate the household electricity use behavior in severely cold regions, according to data for Harbin, China. The model regards apartments, residents, household appliances, and energy-management departments as agents and generates the household electricity consumption with respect to time, temperature, and energy-saving events. The simulation parameters include basic information of the residents, their energy-saving awareness, their appliance use behaviors, and the impact of energy-saving management. Electricity use patterns are described by decision-making mechanisms and probabilities obtained through... [more]

The simulation of very small vertical axis wind turbines is often a complex task due to the very low Reynolds number effects and the strong unsteadiness related to the rotor operation. Moreover, the high boundary layer instabilities, which affect these turbines, strongly limits their efficiency compared to micro horizontal axis wind turbines. However, as the scientific interest toward micro wind turbine power generation is growing for powering small stand-alone devices, Vertical Axis Wind Turbines (VAWTs)might be very suitable for this kind of application as well. Furthermore, micro wind turbines are widely used for wind tunnel testing, as the wind tunnel dimensions are usually quite limited. In order to obtain a better comprehension of the fluid dynamics of such micro rotors, in the present paper the authors demonstrate how to develop an accurate CFD 2D model of a micro H-Darrieus wind turbine, inherently characterized by highly unstable operating conditions. The rotor was tested in t... [more]

Three-dimensional (3D) facies and petrophysical models were generated from previously published data of carbonate strata in the Dam Formation (eastern Saudi Arabia) to quantitatively investigate, describe, understand, model, and predict the permeability anisotropy in tidal flat carbonate on the basis of a sequence stratigraphic framework. The resulting 3D models were used to conduct fluid flow simulations to demonstrate how permeability anisotropy influences the production of hydrocarbons and ultimately affects decisions concerning future drilling in the exploration and development of carbonate reservoirs with tidal flat strata. The constructed 3D facies model consists of four lithofacies associations, two of which are grain-dominated associations and two of which are mud-dominated associations. These lithofacies associations vary spatially in four reservoir zones (zones 1 to 4), which represent two fourth-order sequences in the uppermost part of the Dam Formation. Zones 1 and 3 consis... [more]

The focus of this paper is to establish a lumped kinetic scheme for secondary reactions of tar produced from pyrolysis of plastics or polymer-based wastes. Notably, the focus is not on the detailed yield of all reaction intermediates and products but on the propensity to form soot. Based on the assumption that that primary tar from pyrolysis of plastic wastes is mostly formed by aliphatics which can undergo progressive aromatization to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and soot, a reaction network with 198 species and 6307 reactions proposed by Ranzi and coworkers was lumped into a very simple five reaction mechanism. The lumped kinetic model has been used to predict PAHs and soot formation in different conditions and proved to be a good alternative to comprehensive kinetic models up for relatively low temperature and short residence times (of up to 1 min at 1200 K, up to 1 s at 1400 K). At higher temperature/longer residence times, the simplified model still provides reasonable... [more]

An evaluation is presented of the practical usage of the Herschel-Bulkley viscosity model for drilling fluids. If data from automatic viscosity measurements exist, the parameters should be selected from relevant shear rate ranges to be applicable. To be able to be used properly, viscosity measurements must be measured with a sufficient accuracy. It is shown that a manual reading of standard viscometers may yield insufficient accuracy. It is also shown that the use of yield point/plastic viscosity (YP/PV) as measured using API or ISO standards normally provide inaccurate viscosity parameters. The use of the Herschel-Bulkley model using dimensionless shear rates is more suitable than the traditional way of writing this model when the scope is to compare different drilling fluids. This approach makes it also easier to make correlations with thermodynamic quantities like pressure and temperature or chemical or mineralogical compositions of the drilling fluid.

This paper presents a broad overview of laboratory methods for measuring thermal properties and petrophysical parameters of carbonate rocks, and analytical methods for interpreting the obtained data. The investigation was conducted on carbonate rock samples from the Kraków region of Poland in the context of shallow geothermal potential assessment. The measurement techniques used included standard macroscopic examinations; petrophysical investigations (porosity, density); analysis of mineral composition thermal conductivity (TC) and specific heat measurements; and advanced investigations with the use of computed tomography (CT). Various mathematical models, such as layer model, geometric mean, and spherical and non-spherical inclusion models, were applied to calculate thermal conductivity based on mineralogy and porosity. The aim of this paper was to indicate the optimal set of laboratory measurements of carbonate rock samples ensuring sufficient characterization of petrophysical and th... [more]

The electricity-heat integrated system can realize the cascade utilization of energy and the coordination and complementarity between multiple energy sources. In this paper, considering the thermal comfort of users, taking into account the difference in dynamic characteristics of electric and heating networks and the response of users’ demands, a dispatch model is constructed. In this model, taking into account the difference in the time scale of electric and thermal dispatching, optimization of the system can be improved by properly extending the thermal balance cycle of the combined heat and power (CHP) unit. Based on the time-of-use electricity prices and heat prices to obtain the optimal energy purchase cost, a user demand response strategy is adopted. Therefore, a minimum economic cost on the energy supply side and a minimum energy purchase cost on the demand side are considered as a bilevel optimization strategy for the operation of the system. Finally, using an IEEE 30 nodes pow... [more]

Due to the recent development of information and communication technology (ICT), various studies using real-time data are now being conducted. The microgrid research field is also evolving to enable intelligent operation of energy management through digitalization. Problems occur when operating the actual microgrid, causing issues such as difficulty in decision making and system abnormalities. Using digital twin technology, which is one of the technologies representing the fourth industrial revolution, it is possible to overcome these problems by changing the microgrid configuration and operating algorithms of virtual space in various ways and testing them in real time. In this study, we proposed an energy storage system (ESS) operation scheduling model to be applied to virtual space when constructing a microgrid using digital twin technology. An ESS optimal charging/discharging scheduling was established to minimize electricity bills and was implemented using supervised learning techn... [more]

This article presents the simulation results of hydro generator faulty synchronization during connection to the grid for various voltage phase shift changes in a full range (−180°; 180°). A field-circuit model of salient pole synchronous hydro generator was used to perform the calculation results. It was verified using the measured no-load and three-phase short-circuit characteristics. This model allowed observing the physical phenomena existing in the investigated machine, especially in the rotor which was hardly accessible for measurement. The presented analysis shows the influence of faulty synchronization on the power system stability and the construction components which are the most vulnerable to damage. From a mechanical point of view, the most dangerous case was for the voltage phase shift equal to −120°, and this case was analyzed in detail. Great emphasis was placed on the following physical quantities: electromagnetic torque, stator current, stator voltage, rotor current, cu... [more]

Although the random forest (RF) model is a powerful machine learning tool that has been utilized in many wind speed/power forecasting studies, there has been no consensus on optimal RF modeling strategies. This study investigates three basic questions which aim to assist in the discernment and quantification of the effects of individual model properties, namely: (1) using a standalone RF model versus using RF as a correction mechanism for the persistence approach, (2) utilizing a recursive versus direct multi-step forecasting strategy, and (3) training data availability on model forecasting accuracy from one to six hours ahead. These questions are investigated utilizing data from the FINO1 offshore platform and Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Southern Great Plains (SGP) C1 site, and testing results are compared to the persistence method. At FINO1, due to the presence of multiple wind farms and high inter-annual variability, RF is more effective as an error-correction mechanism... [more]

Electric submersible pumps (ESPs) are widely used in the oil and gas industry for crude-oil lifting, especially in subsea oil fields or underground storage caverns. The failure of ESPs causes a large economic cost mainly attributed to a break in production continuity, as the ESP cannot be easily replaced. Therefore, the assurance of safe and efficient operation of ESPs has attracted high attention in recent years, although the problem still remains challenging given the complexity of carrying fluid and the mechanical structure of the ESP. In this article, we systematically review both the high-impact, classic contributions and the most up-to-date, current opinions in experimental and numerical advances of viscous effects and two-phase flow in ESPs. We specifically focus on the applications in the oil and gas industry and point out a few current challenges in the operation of ESPs. We aim to guide the audience which is new to the area of ESPs to the correct articles related to their int... [more]

Solar-powered desalination is a sustainable solution for countries experiencing water scarcity. Several studies have presented different solutions to provide cleaner production in desalination systems. Parabolic trough collector (PTC) is one of these solutions that has proven to be superior among solar concentrators. Furthermore, a number of studies have investigated the use of PTC for distillation of saline water in response to water scarcity. In this study, a modified PTC model was developed, in which the heat exchanger was replaced by a condensation tube to reduce the energy consumption, and a black layer was introduced to the surface of the receiver to enhance its absorptance. As a reference case, the system productivity according to average solar intensities in Zagazig, located at 30°34′N 31°30′E in the North East of Egypt, is estimated. The results indicated that the maximum production rate that can be attained is 1.72 kg/h. Then, the structure of the system is evaluated with the... [more]

Proper busbar selection based on analytical calculations is of great importance in terms of power grid functioning and its safe usage. Experimental tests concerning busbars are very expensive and difficult to be executed. Therefore, the great advantage for setting the valid parameters for busbar systems components are analytical calculations supported by FEM (finite element method) modelling and analysis. Determining electrodynamic forces in busbar systems tends to be crucial with regard to subsidiary, dependent parameters. In this paper analytical calculations of asymmetric three-phase busbar system were carried out. Key parameters, like maximal electrodynamic forces value, mechanical strength value, busbar natural frequency, etc., were calculated. Calculations were conducted with an ANSYS model of a parallel asymmetric busbar system, which confirmed the obtained results. Moreover, showing that a model based on finite elements tends to be very helpful in the selection of unusually-sha... [more]

Due to the growing demand for offshore renewable energy, the development of durable submarine power cables is critical. Submarine power cables are expected to have a service life of over 20 years. However, it has been shown that these cables suffer from water-tree flaws that progressively extend to conductors and corrode copper, which may lead to premature failure. Water treeing is caused by the of interconnection of voids (of a few nanometers) that are present in the insulator after manufacturing or formed during operation. The economic consequences of a breakdown can be drastic due to the heavy maintenance required. In the current study, the insulator is modelled as cubic unit cells containing water voids in the form of ellipsoids. The displacement field of ellipsoids is found to be dependent on its distribution in the cubic cell and on the applied electric field. Von Mises stress and effective plastic strain at the tips of the ellipsoid are found to be significant when either the re... [more]

Ground thermal properties are the design basis of ground source heat pumps (GSHP). However, effective ground thermal properties cannot be obtained through the traditional thermal response test (TRT) method when it is used in the coaxial borehole heat exchanger (CBHE). In this paper, an improved TRT (ITRT) method for CBHE is proposed, and the field ITRT, based on the actual project, is carried out. The high accuracy of the new method is verified by laboratory experiments. Based on the results of the ITRT and laboratory experiment, the 3D numerical model for CBHE is established, in which the flow directions, sensitivity analysis of heat transfer characteristics, and optimization of circulation flow rate are studied, respectively. The results show that CBHE should adopt the anulus-in direction under the cooling condition, and the center-in direction under the heating condition. The influence of inlet temperature and flow rate on heat transfer rate is more significant than that of the back... [more]

Knowledge of kinetic parameters of CO production during biowaste composting is significantly important for the prediction of its course and estimation of total gas quantity. This allows increasing the control of the process, to minimize its negative impact on the environment and to protect the occupational safety of employees exposed to CO in the biowaste composting plant. For the first time, a full study of the influence of temperature and biowaste sterilization on the kinetics of CO production is presented. The lab-scale experiments used a mixture of green waste, dairy cattle manure, and sawdust in two variants: sterilized and non-sterilized samples. The process was carried out in controlled temperature reactors with measuring the concentrations of CO, O2, and CO2 every 12 h.CO production and k value increased with temperature. However, higher CO production was observed in biotic conditions between 10~50 °C, suggesting the biotic CO formation and 1st-order kinetics. The abiotic (ther... [more]

Bioethanol synthesis techniques have been studied intensively due to the energy crisis and various environmental concerns. A two-step bioethanol production process was carried out multiple times in an unbaffled agitator tank. The parameters varied, including the fermentation temperature, the pH level, the amount of yeast, and the impeller type. Then, a simulation was used to obtain an image of the agitation behavior inside the agitator tank to compare the velocity profile of each type of impeller design. The impeller with eight blades was found to produce the highest flow velocity: 0.28 m/s. The highest concentration of bioethanol generated from the fermentation was 34 g/L, which was produced by using an eight-blade impeller at 30 °C, a pH level of 5, an agitation speed of 70 rpm, and 2 wt % yeast. The two-blade impeller produced the lowest bioethanol concentration, 18 g/L, under the same conditions. Ethanol concentration was found to peak at 40 °C and a pH level of 5. The geometry of... [more]

Recently, a lot of research has been carried out on partial discharge (PD) using machine learning techniques. However, most of these studies have focused on the identification of multiple PD sources, PD classification, or denoising PD measurements, with few studies on real-time PD occurrence detection. In this paper, we propose a method to detect PD occurrence based on anomaly pattern detection. The proposed method consists of three steps. First, in the data preprocessing step, the pulse sequence data are converted into a feature vector stream by applying a sliding window technique. In the next step, normal data modeling is performed using feature vectors transformed from pulse sequence data collected in a normal state where no PD occurs. Finally, for the monitored pulse sequence, an online process for PD detection is carried out through conversion to a feature vector data stream and an anomaly pattern detection method. Experimental results using simulated PD data demonstrate the capab... [more]

The order of the detailed model of doubly-fed induction generator (DFIG) wind farms are too high and the simulation is difficult. Most of the existing research has used a single-machine equivalent model and clustering aggregation model for equivalence and few papers have explored the principles and equivalent conditions of the single-machine equivalent model under sub-synchronous resonance (SSR). Due to this reason, this paper equates DFIG wind farms connected with series compensated transmission network to two separate units based on the principle of matrix similarity transformation and the mathematical model and physical model of each unit has been studied. Then, the DFIG wind farm equivalent model’s validity is analyzed in number difference and collecting line difference based on linearization analysis. Finally, the system model is built in EMTDC/PSCAD, the damping analysis method is used to test the equivalent model’s validity and further reveal the mechanism of the system’s unstab... [more]

In this paper, a combination of physical model tests and numerical simulations were carried out to explore the overlying strata movement laws, failure mechanism, and cracks evolution of the gob-side entry driven in a thick coal seam. The physical experimental results indicated that the hanging cantilever beam was easily developed above the coal pillar after mining out the 2101 panel, resulting in a larger and stronger stress concentration. The overburden loads acting on the coal pillar can be greatly released after the hanging roof strata were cut down with an 18 m cutting line. Additionally, we adopted Universal Discrete Element Code (UDEC) software to investigate the deformation and crack evolution mechanism of the gob-side entry under different conditions. The primary-supported roadway underwent severe deformation, filling with a great quantity of tensile and shear cracks to the inner coal pillar. Both the physical and numerical results proved that the optimized-support parameters c... [more]

In this study, we performed a numerical simulation and experimental measurements on a steel circular patch welded structure to investigate the temperature and residual stress field distributions caused by the application of buried-arc welding technology. The temperature histories during the welding and subsequent cooling process were recorded for two locations, with the thermocouples mounted inside the plate close to the weld bead. On the upper surface of the welded model, the temperature-time changes during the cooling process were monitored using an infrared camera. The numerically calculated temperature values correlated well with the experimentally measured ones, while the maximum deviation of the measured and calculated temperatures was within 9%. Based on the numerical result analysis regarding circumferential and radial stresses after the completion of the welding process, it is concluded that both stresses are primarily tensile within the circular disk. Outside the disk, the ci... [more]