The explosion-proof diesel engine trackless rubber-tyred vehicle (TRTV) has the disadvantages of high fuel consumption and serious exhaust emissions, while the problems of insufficient power and short endurance limit the development of the explosion-proof battery trackless rubber-tyred vehicle. Hybrid technology can effectively reduce fuel consumption and emissions on the basis of ensuring sufficient power. Exploring the application of hybrid electric trackless rubber-tyred vehicle (HETRTV) has practical significance for coal mine auxiliary transportation. The degree of hybridization (DOH) will directly affect the performance and cost of TRTV, which needs to be focused in the development process. The effects of DOH on dynamic performance, fuel economy, emission performance, and cost were studied based on a simulation by ADVISOR, and the results were verified and analyzed by experiment. Compared with the flameproof diesel engine trackless vehicles, HETRTV with the optimal DOH exhausts h... [more]

The continually increasing fossil fuel prices, the dwindling of these fuels, and the bad environmental effects which mainly contribute to global warming phenomena are the main motives to replace conventional transportation means to electric. Charging electric vehicles (EVs) from renewable energy systems (RES) substantially avoids the side effects of using fossil fuels. The higher the increase in the number of EVs the greater the challenge to the reliability of the conventional power system. Increasing charging connections for EVs to the power system may cause serious problems to the power system, such as voltage fluctuations, contingencies in transmission lines, and loss increases. This paper introduces a novel strategy to not only replace the drawbacks of the EV charging stations on the power system’s stability and reliability, but also to enhance the power system’s performance. This improvement can be achieved using a smart demand side management (DSM) strategy and vehicle to grid (V... [more]

This paper presents a modified Levy particle swarm optimization (MLPSO) to improve the capability of maximum power point tracking (MPPT) under various partial shading conditions. This method is aimed primarily at resolving the tendency to trap at the local optimum particularly during shading conditions. By applying a Levy search to the particle swarm optimization (PSO), the randomness of the step size is not limited to a specific value, allowing for full exploration throughout the power-voltage (P-V) curve. Therefore, the problem such as immature convergence or being trapped at a local maximum power point can be avoided. The proposed method comes with great advantages in terms of consistent solutions over various environmental changes with a small number of particles. To verify the effectiveness of the proposed idea, the algorithm was tested on a boost converter of a photovoltaic (PV) energy system. Both simulation and experimental results showed that the proposed algorithm has a high... [more]

Both storage and transport of medical products remains a challenging task because of many variables as well as infrastructures, territory, and so on. Among these variables, monitoring the medical products temperature is fundamental to guarantee their safety. On the other hand, for sectors like aerospace delivery, weight has a crucial role too. For such applications and especially for strongly variable external temperatures, Peltier cells might be employed for either cooling or heating medical products to be stored. Accordingly, this study addresses the optimization of a heat sink for the thermal management of a Peltier-cell-based biomedical refrigerator. In detail, a brute-force multi-objective optimization of an impinging-flow finned heat sink for the Peltier cell is carried out here. Thermal resistance, weight, and pressure drop are chosen as the three-objective functions to be minimized, with both geometrical and volumetric flow rate as design variables. The results present a very l... [more]

The production of municipal waste is increasing all over the world. Although a significant part of the waste is collected as commingled waste, much of it is recyclable if disposed of properly. Thus, separate deposition and collection plays an extremely important role today, more than ever, not only in terms of preventing pollution but also from the point of view of recycling as a driver of circular economy and of efficient use of resources. This work is focused on the development of compaction equipment to be applied to containers, which allows a more efficient approach to the process of collecting waste for recycling. As a management option, recycling depends on collective behavior which is based on individual acts. Therefore, individual use of plastic/metal compaction systems can help meet recycling targets, even as a complement to conventional bins. Thus, herein a proposal is presented for a plastic/metal collection station with a built-in compaction element that allows for the comp... [more]

To improve the performance and stability of the permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM), a new type of built-in permanent magnet synchronous motor (IPMSMB) is proposed. Firstly, the performance indexes of IPMSM, IPMSMA, and IPMSMB are compared by finite element analysis. The results show that the effective harmonic of the air-gap magnetic density of the motor increases when the rotor outer diameter is piecewise eccentric. At the same time, torque ripple and cogging torque decrease. Then the permanent magnet structure of the motor is changed on the basis of IPMSMA to form IPMSMB, which improves the output torque of the motor. Secondly, the Taguchi method is used to optimize the structural parameters of IPMSMB. After optimization, the output torque of IPMSMB is increased by 4.6%. The cogging torque and torque ripple are decreased by 45.5% and 25.7%, respectively. The consumption of permanent magnets is reduced by 7.74%. Finally, the rationality of the motor design is verified by the pr... [more]

Dry iron core reactors are widely used in various power quality applications. Manufacturers want to optimize the cost and loss simultaneously, which is normally achieved by the designers’ experience. This approach is highly subjective and can lead to a non-ideal product. Thus, an objective dry iron core reactor design approach to balance the cost and loss with a scientific basis is desired. In this paper, a multi-objective optimal design method is proposed to optimize both the cost and loss of the reactor, which provides an automatic and scientific design method. Specifically, a three-dimensional finite element model of dry iron core reactor is established, based on which the dependency of cost and loss upon the wire size of the reactor’s winding is studied by using joint Matlab-finite element method (FEM) simulation. The Non-dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm II (NSGA-II) is used to search for the Pareto optimal solution set, out of which the optimal wire size of the reactor is deter... [more]

With the increasing attention paid to sustainable development around the world, improving energy efficiency and applying effective means of energy saving have gradually received worldwide attention. As the largest energy consumers, manufacturing industries are also inevitably facing pressures on energy optimization evolution from both governments and competitors. The rational optimization of energy consumption in industrial operation activities can significantly improve the sustainability level of the company. Among these enterprise activities, operation and maintenance (O&M) of manufacturing systems are considered to have the most prospects for energy optimization. The diversity of O&M activities and system structures also expands the research space for it. However, the energy consumption optimization of manufacturing systems faces several challenges: the dynamics of manufacturing activities, the complexity of system structures, and the diverse interpretation of energy-optimization de... [more]

The compensating choke plays an important role in many high-power industrial applications with reactive power compensation. Due to the high number of devices installed every year and the EU’s efforts to reduce the energy demands of our society, it is advisable to maximize the efficiency of these devices. Due to the non-linearity of the magnetic core, the requirement of a linear operating characteristic, and the presence of a distributed air gap, this is a difficult task, with various technical challenges. This paper presents an analytical method for the electromagnetic design of a three-phase compensating choke with an air-gapped core and a flat load characteristic. The design method considers the fringing magnetic fields and the current-density dimensioning based on an advanced analytical thermal model. The proposed method is based on the use of existing analytical procedures; however, optimization was conducted to achieve a trade-off between the core and the I2R losses to manipulate... [more]

The foundation of energy-efficient architectural design is modeling heating and cooling loads (HLs and CLs), which defines the heating and cooling apparatus constraints necessary to maintain a suitable interior air environment. It is possible that analytical models for energy-efficient buildings might offer an accurate evaluation of the influence that various building designs would have. The implementation of these instruments, however, might be a process that requires a significant amount of manual labor, a significant amount of time, and is reliant on user experiences. In light of this, the authors of this paper present two unique methods for estimating the CL of residential structures in the form of complex mathematical concepts. These methodologies include an evolutionary web algorithm (EWA), biogeography-based optimization (BBO), and a hybridization of an adaptive neuro-fuzzy interface system (ANFIS), namely BBO-ANFIS and EWA-ANFIS. The findings initiated from each of the suggeste... [more]

Wear debris in lubrication oil provides important information for marine engine condition monitoring and faults diagnosis. Inductive sensors have been widely used to detect wear debris in lubrication oil. To improve the sensitivity, the inductive coil is always connected with a capacitor in parallel to form parallel LC resonance-sensing circuit. A previous study optimized the parallel resonance circuit by adjusting the excitation frequency. However, multiple parameters (namely, excitation signal, signal detection circuits, and signal-processing program, etc.) need to be adjusted accordingly for a series of the testing frequencies. To simplify the optimization, we propose a method based on adjusting the parallel capacitance in this work. The impedance (inductance and internal resistance) of the sensing coil and its variation induced by particles are first measured, which are the necessary parameters for establishing the function relationship between the parallel capacitance and the rela... [more]

Currently, the ocean energy strategy is rapidly developing, and a high proportionate tidal current energy grid connection presents significant obstacles to the planning and secure and stable operation of an island microgrid. For an island microgrid with high proportion tidal current energy access and demand response resources, this research suggests a multiple time scales rolling coordinative dispatching method. An MPPT control based on Q-Learning algorithm is first developed for real-time maximum power tracking of tidal current energy generation after the island microgrid’s topology has been examined. Following that, a multiple time scales rolling coordinative dispatching’s fundamental architecture and implementation method are provided, with equal time intervals coordinated in a step-by-step recursive way. In the example analysis of an island microgrid, we consider the rigid demand load that does not participate in the demand side response, and the ship load and controllable load tha... [more]

Accurate and reasonable matching design is a current and difficult point in electric vehicle research. This paper presents a parameter optimization method for the power system of a medium-sized bus based on the combination of the orthogonal test and the secondary development of ADVISOR software. According to vehicle theoretical knowledge and the requirements of the vehicle power performance index, the parameters of the vehicle power system were matched and designed. With the help of the secondary development of MATLAB/Simulink and ADVISOR software, the modeling of the key parts of the vehicle was carried out. Considering the influence of the number of battery packs, motor power model, wheel rolling resistance coefficient, and wind resistance coefficient on the design of the power system, an L9 (34)-type orthogonal table was selected to design the orthogonal test. The dynamic performance and driving range of the whole vehicle were simulated using different design schemes, and the accura... [more]

Wind energy is a powerful resource contributing to the decarbonization of the electric grid. However, wind power penetration introduces uncertainty about the availability of wind energy. This article addresses the complementarity of remote offshore wind sites in Brazil, demonstrating that strategic distribution of wind farms can significantly reduce the seasonality and the risk of periods without generation and reduce dependence on fossil sources. Field observations, atmospheric reanalysis, and simplified optimization methods are combined to demonstrate generation improvement considering regions under environmental licensing and areas not yet considered for offshore development. Aggregated power results demonstrate that with the relocation of wind turbines, a 68% reduction of the grid seasonal variability is possible, with a penalty of only 9% of the generated energy. This is accomplished through optimization and the inclusion of the northern region, which presents negative correlation... [more]

Given the combinatorial explosion related to the operation decisions in the thermal unit commitment problem, this paper presents a new strategy to reduce the search space and to start the multi-modal optimization process. To achieve such goals, a relevance matrix is obtained to indicate how important each generating unit is at each hour of the operational planning. This matrix is generated through the results of a constructive heuristic based on sensitivity indexes that account for operational and economic characteristics of the generating units and of the system under planning. The proposed method is shown to reduce the complexity of the problem, thus decreasing the combinatorial explosion and, consequently, the computational burden. Its effectiveness is verified by performing optimizations with and without its utilization. The results achieved with the proposed space-reduction approach enable solutions that present good quality. Furthermore, these solutions are retrieved with signifi... [more]

A brief review of the development of ideas on extremal principles in the theory of heat and mass transfer processes (including those in reacting media) is given. The extremal principles of non-equilibrium thermodynamics are critically examined. Examples are shown in which the mechanical use of entropy production-based principles turns out to be inefficient and even contradictory. The main problem of extremal principles in the theory of irreversible processes is the impossibility of their generalization, often even within the framework of a class of problems. Alternative extremal formulations are considered: variational principles for heat and mass transfer equations and other dissipative systems. Several extremal principles are singled out, which make it possible to simplify the numerical solution of the initial equations. Criteria are proposed that allow one to classify extremal principles according to their areas of applicability. Possible directions for further research in the searc... [more]

With the growth of electric vehicles’ (EVs) deployment as a substitute for internal combustion engine vehicles, the impact of this kind of load on the distribution grid cannot be neglected. An in-depth study needs to be performed on a regional basis to investigate the impacts of electric vehicle (EV) charging on the grid for each country’s grid configuration and specifications, in order to be able to reduce them. In this work, we built a case study of a charging infrastructure of a Tunisian workplace parking lot, by combining different measured data and simulations using OpenDSS and Matlab. The first objective was to analyze the integration impacts on the Tunisian low-voltage (LV) grid including phase unbalance, voltage drop, harmonics, and power losses. We found that 10 metric tons of carbon dioxide (MtCO2) in yearly emissions were caused by power losses, and 50% of these emissions came from harmonic losses, which can be avoided by active and passive filtering. The second objective wa... [more]

Mahu Oilfield is the largest tight glutenite oilfield in the world, and the upper Wuerhe formation is an important succeeding exploration horizon. However, the upper Wuerhe formation in the Mahu 1 zone has a high clay content, which can lead to serious wellbore collapse. Meanwhile, the horizontal well logging is not corrected. These factors lead to the inconsistency between the logging interpretation results and the oil test results. The interpretation precision of the clay content, water saturation, and porosity, which are crucial to reservoir evaluation, is very low. In this paper, a workflow of logging curve correction using multiple methods is proposed. The multiple linear fitting is used to correct boreholes, and then histogram frequency distribution matching is used to standardize multi-well logging curves. Finally, the optimization method is used to build a volume model based on skeleton analysis, and the results are calibrated with core analysis results. Horizontal well density... [more]

Solar air heater systems are equipment that uses energy captured directly from the sun to heat an existing airflow through the module. The technology to operate these systems is based on clean, renewable and free energy. Solar air heaters absorb thermal energy from the sun using an ab-sorption surface and achieve a transfer of heat from the absorption surface to the air flow supplied by one or two fans. This type of equipment can be used for space heating, drying, or ventilation processes. In addition, the equipment is capable of operating in cogeneration with other systems, e.g., preheating the air used for drying wood, preheating the air used to heat industrial premises, or preheating the water used in different heating systems. This scientific work is meant to reveal the current research context and the future opportunities in the case of cogeneration applications of solar air heaters, which are analyzed in light of their actual evolving dynamics. On this basis, we highlight expecta... [more]

The reduction of CO2 to CO through the reverse water gas shift (RWGS) reaction is an important catalytic step in the overall strategy of CO2 utilization. The product CO can be subsequently used as a feedstock for a variety of useful reactions, including the synthesis of fuels through the Fischer−Tropsch process. Recent works have demonstrated that potassium-promoted molybdenum carbide (K-Mo2C) is a highly selective catalyst for low-temperature RWGS. In this work, we describe the systematic investigation of key parameters in the synthesis of K-Mo2C, and their influence on the overall activity and selectivity for the low-temperature RWGS reaction. Specifically, we demonstrate how catalyst support, precursor calcination, catalyst loading, and long-term ambient storage influence performance of the K-Mo2C catalyst.

Energy Communities (EC) are becoming a major driver to foster the energy transition in Europe and the regulatory framework adopted by each Member State (MS) plays a key role for a prosperous deployment of ECs. This paper is thus divided into two layers. The first layer of this paper addresses the current regulations introduced by MSs regarding ECs, providing a critical comparison of each solution used. The second layer of research concerns the introduction of a Mixed Integer Linear Programming (MILP) optimization algorithm early studied by some of the authors furtherly developed to assess the conditions that favour prosumers’ participation to ECs. Both these models have been tested on a case study located in the city of Magliano Alpi, in the north of Italy. The results demonstrate that the proposed methodology correctly evaluates the key parameters influencing participation of citizens in ECs and indicate that for the Italian EC under study, there is the possibility to further expand t... [more]

Based on the requisition for an ideal precise power source for a hybrid electric emergency rescue vehicle (HE-ERV), we present an optimistic parameter matching and optimization schemes for the selection of a HE-ERV. Then, given a set of optimized power source components, they are classified into different types of HE-ERV. In this study, due to the different design objectives of different types of emergency rescue vehicles and the problems of hybrid electric vehicle parameter matching, a multi-island genetic algorithm (MIGA) and non-linear programming quadratic Lagrangian (NLPQL) is proposed for the matched parameters. The vehicle dynamic model is established based on the AVL Cruise simulation platform. The power source performance parameters are matched by theoretical analysis and coupled to the simulation platform. Finally, the optimized matched parameters are classified based on the support vector machines classification model to determine the category of the HE-ERV. The classificati... [more]

The composition distribution of slurry oil has a significant impact on the structure and performance of the mesophase. In this study, supercritical fluid extraction oil (SFEO) and extraction components were extracted from two slurry oils (SLOs) using the supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) technique. The fundamental properties and composition distribution of two SLOs and associated SFEOs were thoroughly investigated. Electron microscopy and spectroscopic techniques were employed to study the morphology and structures of mesophase pitch produced by carbonizing SLOs and their extraction components under the same conditions. The findings revealed that, compared to SLO−LH, SLO−SH has a higher proportion of 4−5 aromatic rings and a narrower hydrocarbon distribution range. In SLO−LH, O1, N1, and N1O1 molecules with long side chains and poor flatness make up the majority of the heterocyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. The distribution of CH compounds can be narrowed by using supercritical fluid e... [more]

New energy automobiles possess broad application prospects, and the charging technology of vehicle power batteries is one of the key technologies in the development of new energy automobiles. Traditional lithium battery charging mostly adopts the constant current-constant voltage method, but continuous and frequent charging application conditions will cause temperature rise and accelerated capacity decay, which easily bring about safety problems. Aiming at the above-mentioned problems related to the charging process of lithium-ion batteries, this paper proposes an optimization strategy and charging method for lithium-ion batteries based on an improved electric-thermal coupling model. Through the HPPC experiment, the parameter identification of the second-order RC equivalent circuit model was completed, and the electric-thermal coupling model of the lithium battery was established. Taking into account the two factors of charging time and charging temperature rise, the multi-stage chargi... [more]

The charging station location model is a nonlinear programming model with complex constraints. In order to solve the problems of weak search ability and low solution accuracy of the whale optimization algorithm (WOA) in solving location models or high-dimensional problems, this paper proposes an improved whale optimization algorithm (IWOA) based on hybrid strategies. Chaos mapping and reverse learning mechanism are introduced in the original algorithm, and the change mode of convergence factor and probability threshold is improved. Through optimization experiments on 18 benchmark functions, the test results show that IWOA has the best solution ability. Finally, IWOA is used to solve a site selection optimization model aiming at the minimum comprehensive cost. The results show that the proposed algorithm and model can effectively reduce the comprehensive cost of site selection. This provides a necessary decision-making reference for the scientific site selection for electric vehicle cha... [more]