This paper presents the results of a research project aimed at evaluating the unconventional natural gas potential of the autochthonous Miocene sediments in the Polish part of the Carpathian Foredeep. The primary objective of the study was to re-evaluate the biogenic gas generation system within Miocene sediments, paying special attention to unconventional gas resources accumulated in tight mudstone formations. The four-dimensional (4D) petroleum system modeling method (PetroMod software) was used to reconstruct the basin geometry and three-dimensional (3D) evolution through a geological timescale, in particular the progress of gas generation, migration, and accumulation processes, as well as their consequences for gas exploration and development. Special attention was paid to the dynamics of gas generation processes and the advancement of sediment compaction and their time dependence, as well as to the progress and outcomes of gas migration and accumulation processes. The results indi... [more]

Changing the connection type of a medium voltage (MV) cable screen is linked to a decrease in power loss, although it may also lead to the generation of overvoltage in a metallic cable screen, which is hazardous for proper cable line work. In this paper, results of simulation and field researches are presented, showing the range of voltages that occurs in cable screens during single-phase ground fault. There are considered to be three scenarios according to the applied type of cable screen connection. Conducted researches allow the comparison of chosen methods of simulation with an actual outcome. Results obtained during simulation and field studies lead to the conclusion that the range of overvoltage occurred in a cable screen could in fact be dangerous for the cable line’s sheath insulation without proper overvoltage protection.

A dynamic Smagorinsky−Lilly model (DSLM) subgrid model on the basis of the Smagorinsky−Lilly subgrid model (SLM) was introduced in the OpenFOAM software. The flow field of the vehicle was simulated, and the pressure coefficient and sound pressure curve of the monitoring points were compared with the wind tunnel test results. The results show that the DSLM subgrid model with a wall function can achieve high simulation accuracy. The investigation of the flow field structure revealed an intermittent detachment of the turbulent vortex after the airflow passed through the rearview mirror, thereby resulting in a violent pressure pulsation on the side window around the rearview mirror. Airflow passed through the A-pillar, separated, and reattached on the upper side window, thereby producing aerodynamic noise. The research results can serve as a good reference for the simulation and test of aerodynamic noises outside the vehicle, and for the reduction of the aerodynamic noises of vehicles.

A thin silicon oxide (SiOx) layer (thickness: 1.5−2.0 nm) formed at an Al2O3/Si interface can enhance the interface properties. However, it is challenging to control the characteristics of thin SiOx layers because SiOx forms naturally during Al2O3 deposition on Si substrates. In this study, a ~1.5 nm-thick SiOx layer was inserted between Al2O3 and Si substrates by wet chemical oxidation to improve the passivation properties. The acidic solutions used for wet chemical oxidation were HCl:H2O2:H2O, H2SO4:H2O2:H2O, and HNO3. The thicknesses of SiOx layers formed in the acidic solutions were ~1.48, ~1.32, and ~1.50 nm for SiOx-HCl, SiOx-H2SO4, and SiOx-HNO3, respectively. The leakage current characteristics of SiOx-HNO3 were better than those of the oxide layers formed in the other acidic solutions. After depositing a ~10 nm-thick Al2O3 on an SiOx-acidic/Si structure, we measured the effective carrier lifetime using quasi steady-state photoconductance and examined the interfacial properties... [more]

An increase in demand for renewable energy resources, energy storage technologies, and electric vehicles requires high-power level DC-DC converters. The DC-DC converter that is suitable for high-power conversion applications (i.e., resonant, full-bridge or the dual-active bridge) requires magnetic transformer coupling between input and output stage. However, transformer design in these converters remains a challenging problem, with several non-linear scaling issues that need to be simultaneously optimized to reduce losses and maintain acceptable performance. In this paper, a new transformer-less high step-up boost converter with a charge pump capacitorand capacitor-inductor-diode CLD cell is proposed using dynamic modeling. The experimental and simulation results of the proposed converter are carried out in a laboratory and through Matlab Simulink, where 10 V is given as an input voltage, and at the output, 100 V achieved in the proposed converter. A comparative analysis of the propose... [more]

The sixth-generation (6G) mobile networks are expected to operate at a higher frequency to achieve a wider bandwidth and to enhance the frequency reuse efficiency for improved spectrum utilization. In this regard, three-dimensional (3D) spatial reuse of millimeter-wave (mmWave) spectra by in-building small cells is considered an effective technique. In contrast to previous works exploiting microwave spectra, in this paper, we present a technique for the 3D spatial reuse of 28 and 60 GHz mmWave spectra by in-building small cells, each enabled with dual transceivers operating at 28 and 60 GHz bands, to enhance frequency reuse efficiency and achieve the expected spectral efficiency (SE) and energy efficiency (EE) requirements for 6G mobile networks. In doing so, we first present an analytical model for the 28 GHz mmWave spectrum to characterize co-channel interference (CCI) and deduce a minimum distance between co-channel small cells at both intra- and inter-floor levels in a multistory b... [more]

Under-ventilation and high energy consumption are some of the problems associated with school classrooms. Thus, it is necessary to develop a ventilation strategy that is characterized by high energy-saving and ventilation efficiency. To this end, this study aims to investigate natural ventilation as a possible strategy to improve the indoor environment while reducing ventilation loads and maintaining energy costs during intermediate seasons. Ventilation and cooling load reductions based on the opening and closing of several windows were analyzed. Window flow coefficients and ventilation rates were measured and used for computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation to obtain pressure coefficients for 16 wind directions. The results obtained showed that the improved natural ventilation strategy could be used to effectively establish required indoor conditions (26 °C, 60% RH). Additionally, compared with the mechanical ventilation system with variable refrigerant flow, this natural strate... [more]

As one of the promising technologies to meet the increasing demand for electricity, supercritical CO2 (S-CO2) Brayton cycle has the characteristics of high efficiency, economic structure, and compact turbomachinery. These characteristics are closely related to the thermodynamic properties of working fluid. When CO2 is mixed with other gas, cycle parameters are determined by the constituent and the mass fraction of CO2. Therefore, in this contribution, a thermodynamic model is developed and validated for the recompression cycle. Seven types of CO2-based mixtures, namely CO2-Xe, CO2-Kr, CO2-O2, CO2-Ar, CO2-N2, CO2-Ne, and CO2-He, are employed. At different CO2 mass fractions, cycle parameters are determined under a fixed compressor inlet temperature, based on the maximization of cycle efficiency. Cycle performance and recuperators’ parameters are comprehensively compared for different CO2-based mixtures. Furthermore, in order to investigate the effect of compressor inlet temperature, cyc... [more]

This paper uses a two-layered soft voting-based ensemble model to predict the interfacial tension (IFT), as one of the transformer oil test parameters. The input feature vector is composed of acidity, water content, dissipation factor, color and breakdown voltage. To test the generalization of the model, the training data was obtained from one utility company and the testing data was obtained from another utility. The model results in an optimal accuracy of 0.87 and a F1-score of 0.89. Detailed studies were also carried out to find the conditions under which the model renders optimal results.

Thin-film solar cells are predominately designed similar to a stacked structure. Optimizing the layer thicknesses in this stack structure is crucial to extract the best efficiency of the solar cell. The commonplace method used in optimization simulations, such as for optimizing the optical spacer layers’ thicknesses, is the parameter sweep. Our simulation study shows that the implementation of a meta-heuristic method like the genetic algorithm results in a significantly faster and accurate search method when compared to the brute-force parameter sweep method in both single and multi-layer optimization. While other sweep methods can also outperform the brute-force method, they do not consistently exhibit 100% accuracy in the optimized results like our genetic algorithm. We have used a well-studied P3HT-based structure to test our algorithm. Our best-case scenario was observed to use 60.84% fewer simulations than the brute-force method.

Preheating furnaces, which are commonly used in many production sectors (e.g., iron and steel), are simultaneously one of the most energy-intensive devices used in the industry. Partial replacement of natural gas with biomass-derived synthesis gas as a fuel used for heating would be an important step towards limiting industrial CO2 emissions. The time dependent computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model of an exemplary furnace was created to evaluate whether it is possible to obtain 40% of energy from syngas combustion without deterioration of thermal parameters of the treated load. As an outcome, a promising method to organize co-firing in the furnace was indicated. The obtained results show that the co-firing method (up to 40% thermal natural gas replacement with syngas), assuming low air-to-fuel equivalence ratio (λNG = 2.0) and even distribution of power among the furnace corners, lead to satisfactory efficiency of the heat treatment process—the heat transferred to the load exceeds 9... [more]

In recent decades, many EU and national regulations have been issued in order to increase the energy efficiency in different sectors and, consequently, to reduce environmental pollution. In the building sector, energy efficiency interventions are usually based on the use of innovative insulated materials and on the installation of cogeneration and tri-generation units, as well as solar technologies. New and retrofitted buildings are more and more commonly being called “smart buildings”, since they are characterized by the installation of electric and thermal power generation units, energy storage systems, and flexible loads; the presence of such technologies determines the necessity of installing Building Energy Management Systems (BEMSs), which are used to optimally manage their operation. The present paper proposes a BEMS for a smart building, equipped with plants based on renewables (photovoltaics, solar thermal panels, and geothermal heat pump), where the heating and cooling demand... [more]

In this paper, we investigate the effect of pore size heterogeneity on fluid composition distribution of multicomponent-multiphase hydrocarbons and its subsequent influence on mass transfer in shale nanopores. The change of multi-contact minimum miscibility pressure (MMP) in heterogeneous nanopores was investigated. We used a compositional simulation model with a modified flash calculation, which considers the effect of large gas−oil capillary pressure on phase behavior. Different average pore sizes for different segments of the computational domain were considered and the effect of the resulting heterogeneity on phase change, composition distributions, and production was investigated. A two-dimensional formulation was considered here for the application of matrix−fracture cross-mass transfer and the rock matrix can also consist of different segments with different average pore sizes. Both convection and molecular diffusion terms were included in the mass balance equations, and differe... [more]

In order for numerical weather prediction (NWP) models to correctly predict solar irradiance reaching the earth’s surface for more accurate solar power forecasting, it is important to initialize the NWP model with accurate cloud information. Knowing where the clouds are located is the first step. Using data from geostationary satellites is an attractive possibility given the low latencies and high spatio-temporal resolution provided nowadays. Here, we explore the potential of utilizing the random forest machine learning method to generate the cloud mask from GOES-16 radiances. We first perform a predictor selection process to determine the optimal predictor set for the random forest predictions of the horizontal cloud fraction and then determine the appropriate threshold to generate the cloud mask prediction. The results show that the random forest method performs as well as the GOES-16 level 2 clear sky mask product with the ability to customize the threshold for under or over predict... [more]

Photovoltaic (PV) panels and thermal collectors are commonly known as mature technologies to capture solar energy. The efficiency of PV cells decreases as operating cell temperature increases. Photovoltaic Thermal Collectors (PVT) offer a way to mitigate this performance reduction by coupling solar cells with a thermal absorber that can actively remove the excess heat from the solar cells to the Heat Transfer Fluid (HTF). In order for PVT collectors to effectively counter the negative effects of increased operating cell temperature, it is fundamental to have an adequate heat transfer from the cells to the HTF. This paper analyzes the operating temperature of the cells in a low concentrating PVT solar collector, by means of both experimental and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulation results on the Solarus asymmetric Compound Parabolic Concentrator (CPC) PowerCollector (PC). The PC solar collector features a Compound Parabolic Concentrator (CPC) reflector geometry called the Maxi... [more]

In this research, two hybrid intelligent models are proposed for prediction accuracy enhancement for wind speed and power modeling. The established models are based on the hybridisation of Ensemble Empirical Mode Decomposition (EEMD) with a Pattern Sequence-based Forecasting (PSF) model and the integration of EEMD-PSF with Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) model. In both models (i.e., EEMD-PSF and EEMD-PSF-ARIMA), the EEMD method is used to decompose the time-series into a set of sub-series and the forecasting of each sub-series is initiated by respective prediction models. In the EEMD-PSF model, all sub-series are predicted using the PSF model, whereas in the EEMD-PSF-ARIMA model, the sub-series with high and low frequencies are predicted using PSF and ARIMA, respectively. The selection of the PSF or ARIMA models for the prediction process is dependent on the time-series characteristics of the decomposed series obtained with the EEMD method. The proposed models are exam... [more]

Localized air cooling can be used for various purposes, e.g.: electronic equipment cooling, and air conditioning. The paper emphasizes that the connection between the air-flow and cooling has to fulfill a contradictory requirement (low pressure loss and effective cooling). The cooling and the pressure loss are dependent on the moisture content of the air flow. In the study, heat sink geometries were examined at various fresh air relative humidity, temperature and flowrates with commercially available simulation software (Ansys Fluent). The most favorable option was chosen by Pareto-vector length optimization. For optimization, head loss coefficient and temperature coefficient were used. Firstly, 108 cases were made to evaluate the sensitivity of the optimization parameters. Secondly, on 40 finned heat sinks with different fin width and quantity optimization were made. Thirdly, a prototype was made from the favorite solution where the performance was evaluated. For the measurement two t... [more]

Owing to the stochastic states of power systems with large-scale renewable generation, the impact of high-voltage direct current (HVDC) systems on the stability of the power system should be examined in a probabilistic manner. A probabilistic small signal stability assessment methodology to select the best locations for multi-infeed high-voltage direct current systems in alternating current (AC) grids is proposed in this paper. The Latin hypercube sampling-based Monte Carlo simulation approach is taken to generate the stochastic operation scenarios of power systems with the consideration of several stochastic factors, i.e., load demand and power generation. The damping ratio of the critical oscillation modes and the controllability of power injection to oscillation modes are analyzed by the probabilistic small signal stability. A probabilistic index is proposed to select the best locations of high-voltage direct current systems for improving the damping of the oscillation modes. The pr... [more]

This study aims to build a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model that can be used to predict fluid flow pattern and to analyse the mixing process in a full-scale OD. CFD is a widely used numerical tool for analysing, modelling and simulating fluid flow patterns in wastewater treatment processes. In this study, a three-dimensional (3D) computational geometry was used, and the Eulerian-Eulerian multiphase flow model was built. Pure water was considered as the continuous phase, whereas air was modelled as the dispersed phase. The Shear Stress Transport (SST) turbulence model was specified which predicts turbulence eddies in free stream and wall-bounded region with high accuracy. The momentum source term approach and the transient rotor-stator approach were implemented for the modelling of the submersible agitators. The hydrodynamic analysis was successfully performed for four different scenarios. In order to prevent the incorrect positioning of the submerged agitators, thrust analysis... [more]

The investigation and improvement of the cooling process of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) used in battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) are required in order to achieve better performance and longer lifespan. In this manuscript, the temperature and velocity profiles of cooling plates used to cool down the large prismatic Graphite/LiFePO4 battery are presented using both laboratory testing and modeling techniques. Computed tomography (CT) scanning was utilized for the cooling plate, Detroit Engineering Products (DEP) MeshWorks 8.0 was used for meshing of the cooling plate, and STAR CCM+ was used for simulation. The numerical investigation was conducted for higher C-rates of 3C and 4C with different ambient temperatures. For the experimental work, three heat flux sensors were attached to the battery surface. Water was used as a coolant inside the cooling plate to cool down the battery. The mass flow rate at each channel was 0.000277677 kg/s. The k-ε model wa... [more]

In this work, to ameliorate the quantum efficiency (QE), we made a valuable development by using wide band gap material, such as lithium fluoride (LiFx), as an emitter that also helped us to achieve outstanding efficiency with silicon heterojunction (SHJ) solar cells. Lithium fluoride holds a capacity to achieve significant power conversion efficiency because of its dramatic improvement in electron extraction and injection, which was investigated using the AFORS-HET simulation. We used AFORS-HET to assess the restriction of numerous parameters which also provided an appropriate way to determine the role of diverse parameters in silicon solar cells. We manifested and preferred lithium fluoride as an interfacial layer to diminish the series resistance as well as shunt leakage and it was also beneficial for the optical properties of a cell. Due to the wide band gap and better surface passivation, the LiFx encouraged us to utilize it as the interfacial as well as the emitter layer. In addi... [more]

In top-coal caving, the window control of hydraulic support is a key issue to the perfect economic benefit. The window is driven by the electro-hydraulic control system whose command is produced by the control model and the corresponding algorithm. However, the model of the window’s control is hard to establish, and the optimal policy of window action is impossible to calculate. This paper studies the issue theoretically and, based on the 3D simulation platform, proposes a deep reinforcement learning method to regulate the window action for top-coal caving. Then, the window control of top-coal caving is considered as the Markov decision process, for which the deep Q-network method of reinforcement learning is employed to regulate the window’s action effectively. In the deep Q-network, the reward of each step is set as the control criterion of the window action, and a four-layer fully connected neural network is used to approximate the optimal Q-value to get the optimal action of the wi... [more]

Electricity storage systems (ESSs) are potential solutions to facilitate renewable energy transition. Lack of viable business models, as well as high levels of uncertainty in technology, economic, and institutional factors, form main barriers for wide implementation of ESSs worldwide and in the Netherlands. Therefore, the design of business models for an ESS is necessary for the development of ESSs. We elaborated on this problem before, and developed a design space for business models of ESSs in the context of the Netherlands. This conceptual paper provides a further view on barriers and uncertainties of ESS development in the Netherlands through the involvement of a business practitioner, elaboration of goals, objectives, and testing of ESS business model designs, suggests and provides a theoretical foundation for combining agent-based modeling and exploratory modeling analysis as a method to test and explore ESS business models, and provides an abstract conceptual agent-based model d... [more]

In this paper, an integrated and automated methodology for the coupling between 1D- and 3D-CFD simulation codes is presented, which has been developed to support the design and calibration of new diesel engines. The aim of the proposed methodology is to couple 1D engine models, which may be available in the early stage engine development phases, with 3D predictive combustion simulations, in order to obtain reliable estimates of engine performance and emissions for newly designed automotive diesel engines. The coupling procedure features simulations performed in 1D-CFD by means of GT-SUITE and in 3D-CFD by means of Converge, executed within a specifically designed calculation methodology. An assessment of the coupling procedure has been performed by comparing its results with experimental data acquired on an automotive diesel engine, considering different working points, including both part load and full load conditions. Different multiple injection schedules have been evaluated for par... [more]

In order to study the effects of the suction and discharge conditions on the hydraulic performance and unsteady flow phenomena of an axial-flow reactor coolant pump (RCP), three RCP models with different suction and discharge configurations are analyzed by computational fluid dynamics (CFD) method. The CFD results are validated by experimental data. The hydraulic performance of the three RCP models shows little difference. However, the unsteady flow phenomena of RCP are significantly affected by the variation of suction and discharge conditions. Compared with that of Model E-S (baseline, elbow-single nozzle), the pressure pulsation in rotating frame of Model S-S (straight pipe-single nozzle) and Model E-D (elbow-double nozzles) is weakened in different degrees and forms, due to the more uniform flow fields upstream and downstream of the impeller, respectively. It indicates that the generalized rotor-stator interaction (RSI) actually exists between the rotating impeller and all stationa... [more]