The article describes an elaboration of the X-in-the-loop (XiL) testing environment for a thermal management system (TMS) intended for the traction electric drive of an electric vehicle, which has each of its wheels driven by an in-wheel motor. The TMS features the individual thermal regulation of each electric drive using a hydraulic layout with parallel pipelines and electrohydraulic pumps embedded into them. The XiL system is intended as a tool for studying and developing the TMS design and controls. It consists of the virtual part and the physical part. The former simulates the vehicle operating in a driving cycle with the heat power dissipated by the electric drive components, which entails the change in their temperature regimes. The physical part includes the TMS itself consisting of a radiator, pipelines, and pumps. The physical part also features devices intended for simulation of the electric drive components in terms of their thermal and hydraulic behaviors, as well as devic... [more]

State of the art powertrain optimization compares the energy consumption of different powertrain configurations based on simulations with fixed driving cycles. However, this approach might not be applicable to future vehicles, since speed advisory systems and automated driving functions offer the potential to adapt the speed profile to minimize energy consumption. This study aims to investigate the potential of powertrain optimization with respect to energy consumption under optimal energy-efficient driving for electric buses. The optimal powertrain configurations of the buses under energy-efficient driving and their respective energy consumptions are obtained using powertrain-specific optimized driving cycles and compared with those of human-driven unconnected buses and buses with non-powertrain-specific optimal speed profiles. Based on the results, new trends in the powertrain design of vehicles under energy-efficient driving are derived. The optimized driving cycles are calculated u... [more]

Owing to the growing interest in environmental problems worldwide, it is essential to schedule power generation considering the effects of pollutants. To address this, we propose an optimal approach that solves the combined economic emission dispatch (CEED) with maximum emission constraints by considering demand response (DR) program. The CEED consists of the sum of operation costs for each generator and the pollutant emissions. An environment-based demand response (EBDR) program is used to implement pollutant emission reduction and facilitate economic improvement. Through the weighting update artificial bee colony (WU-ABC) algorithm, the penalty factor that determines the weighting of the two objective functions is adjusted, and an optimal operation solution for a microgrid (MG) is then determined to resolve the CEED problem. The effectiveness and applicability of the proposed approach are demonstrated via comparative analyses at a modified grid-connected MG test system. The results c... [more]

In order to improve the accuracy of wind power ramp forecasting and reduce the threat of ramps to the safe operation of power systems, a wind power ramp event forecast model based on feature extraction and deep learning is proposed in this work. Firstly, the Optimized Swinging Door Algorithm (OpSDA) is introduced to detect wind power ramp events, and the extraction results of ramp features, such as the ramp rate, are obtained. Then, a ramp forecast model based on a deep learning network is established. The historical wind power and its ramp features are used as the input of the forecast model, thereby strengthening the model’s learning for ramp features and preventing ramp features from being submerged in the complex wind power signal. A Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) is adopted to extract features from model inputs to obtain the coupling relationship between wind power and ramp features, and Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) is utilized to learn the time-series relationship of the dat... [more]

Electric vehicles are considered to be a greener and safer means of transport thanks to the distinguished advantages of electric motors. Studies on this object require experimental platforms for control validation purpose. Under the pressure of research, the development of these platforms must be reliable, safe, fast, and cost effective. To practically validate the control system, the controllers should be implemented in an on-board micro-controller platform; whereas, the vehicle model should be realized in a real-time emulator that behaves like the real vehicle. In this paper, we propose a signal hardware-in-the-loop simulation system for electric vehicles that are driven by four independent electric motors installed in wheels (in-wheel motor). The system is elaborately built on the basis of longitudinal, lateral, and yaw dynamics, as well as kinematic and position models, of which the characteristics are complete and comprehensive. The performance of the signal hardware-in-the-loop s... [more]

The European Green Deal considers the increase in the share of renewable energy in final energy consumption (REFEC) among the main targets for achieving sustainable EU economies. In this context, the main aim of this paper is to provide an empirical evaluation of the relationship between GDP, global competitiveness index (GCI) and renewable energy consumption. According to panel data models based on the fully modified ordinary least squares method (FMOLS), there is a positive effect of renewable energy consumption progress on GDP and GCI growth, and also a positive influence of economic growth on renewable energy consumption in the period 2007−2019 in the EU countries. The energy consumption is more influenced by economic growth rather than economic competitiveness. Few scenarios were proposed for economic growth and share of renewable sources (RESs) in the final consumption using as forecasting method the proposed panel data models. The cluster analysis suggested two groups of countri... [more]

There is a high demand for energy production, which is dependent on energy consumption and input. This demand affects socioeconomic development and quality of life. However, the lack of an innovative formal, legal, and organizational structure regarding public space in the European Union (EU) is problematic; one solution could be preparing and implementing grid services as part of distributed energy solutions (based on local and regional renewable resources), and involving local public, private, and profitable entities. Autonomous energy regions (AREs) are a response to this type of problem, as they can contribute to the creation of organizational and legal tools that counteract the marginalization of crisis areas, where undesirable socioeconomic phenomena intensify (and the conditions and management of the natural environments deteriorate). Investments in energy infrastructure based on distributed energy (mainly renewable energy sources) will be a tool for socioeconomic changes in aff... [more]

High-impedance faults (HIFs) represent one of the biggest challenges in power distribution networks. An HIF occurs when an electrical conductor unintentionally comes into contact with a highly resistive medium, resulting in a fault current lower than 75 amperes in medium-voltage circuits. Under such condition, the fault current is relatively close in value to the normal drawn ampere from the load, resulting in a condition of blindness towards HIFs by conventional overcurrent relays. This paper intends to review the literature related to the HIF phenomenon including models and characteristics. In this work, detection, classification, and location methodologies are reviewed. In addition, diagnosis techniques are categorized, evaluated, and compared with one another. Finally, disadvantages of current approaches and a look ahead to the future of fault diagnosis are discussed.

The digital transformation of business models is a process which helps traditional business solutions reach new functionalities through innovative technologies. Digital transformation is now crucial to the development of the rail transport sector. The main rail market entities are railway undertakings, infrastructure managers, entities in charge of maintenance, or certification bodies. Digitalization creates new opportunities to shape the business ecosystem in the rail transport sector. The aim of the research is to identify and indicate key social perspectives related to the development of digital business models functioning in railway enterprises. Technological aspects and relational determinants related to the strong mutual cooperation required between railway undertakings and infrastructure managers have particular significance in this context. In this approach, the digitalization of processes is important. The approach also reveals a significant process of business model socializa... [more]

The food manufacturing sector is one of the most dominant consumers of energy across the globe. Food processing methods such as drying, baking, frying, malting, roasting, etc. rely heavily on the heat released from burning fossil fuels, mainly natural gas or propane. Less than half of this heat contributes to the actual processing of the product and the remaining is released to the surroundings as waste heat, primarily through exhaust gases at 150 to 250 °C. Recovering this waste heat can deliver significant fuel, cost and CO2 savings. However, selecting an appropriate sink for this waste heat is challenging due to the relatively low source temperature. This study investigates a novel application of gas-to-air low temperature waste heat recovery technology for a confectionary manufacturing process, through a range of experiments. The recovered heat is used to preheat a baking oven’s combustion air at inlet before it enters the fuel-air mixture. The investigated technology is compared w... [more]

In the renewable energy source (RES) market, which is highly atomized, business events play an important role in supporting inter-organizational cooperation. The aim of this paper was to examine the impact of three characteristics of the events, namely, the location of the event, type of event (brokerage event versus company mission), and type of leading partner (public versus private), on the effectiveness of the business events (expressed by the number of meetings during an event and the number of partnerships initiated as a result of these meetings). We analyzed 304 promotional events organized in the European RES market. We employed basic statistical tests to verify our hypotheses. Our findings suggest that (1) the numbers of meetings and partnerships differ depending on the event’s location (country and region of Europe), (2) the type of the event (brokerage event versus company mission) affects the numbers of meetings and partnerships (in particular, during brokerage events (BEs)... [more]

Innovative lighting and dynamic sound systems as well as adaptive object mapping solutions constitute a rapidly developing branch of lighting technology and multimedia technology. In order to make it possible to adjust the content to specific objects in the scene, it is necessary to correctly identify them and place them in the accepted frame of reference. Dynamic identification and tracking of objects can be carried out based on two particular types of input data: data from markers installed on objects and data from digital recording systems, founding the operation on infrared (IR), visible light (RGB) and the most advanced RGB-D (RGB and depth) analysis. Most systems used today are those that use various types of markers. This paper presents the advantages and disadvantages of such solutions as well as a target system for dynamic identification and mapping of objects and the human body based on the analysis of data from digital RGB-D cameras. Analyses of identification times, impleme... [more]

One of the most important requirements concerning the quality of natural gases, guaranteeing their safe use, involves providing the proper level of their odorization. This allows for the detection of uncontrolled leakages of gases from gas networks, installations and devices. The concentration of an odorant should be adjusted in such a manner that the gas odor in a mixture with air would be noticeable by users (gas receivers). A permanent odor of gas is guaranteed by the stability of the odorant molecule and its resistance to changes in the composition of odorized gases. The article presents the results of experimental research on the impact of a hydrogen additive on the stability of tetrahydrothiophene (THT) mixtures in methane and in natural gas with a hydrogen additive. The objective of the work was to determine the readiness of measurement infrastructures routinely used in monitoring the process of odorizing natural gas for potential changes in its composition. One of the elements... [more]

Harnessing energy from the sunlight using solar photovoltaic trees (SPVTs) has become popular at present as they reduce land footprint and offer numerous complimentary services that offset infrastructure. The SPVT’s complimentary services are noticeable in many ways, e.g., electric vehicle charging stations, landscaping, passenger shelters, onsite energy generated security poles, etc. Although the SPVT offers numerous benefits and services, its deployment is relatively slower due to the challenges it suffers. The most difficult challenges include the structure design, the photovoltaic (PV) cell technology selection for a leaf, and uncertainty in performance due to weather parameter variations. This paper aims to provide the most practical solution supported by the performance prioritization approach (PPA) framework for a typical multilayered SPVT. The proposed PPA framework considers the energy and sustainability indicators and helps in reporting the performance of a multilayered SPVT,... [more]

The TBN (Total Base Number) parameter is generally recognized by both engine oil processors and engine manufacturers as a key factor of oil quality. This is especially true for lubricating oils used in diesel and gas engines, which are exposed to relatively high temperatures and, therefore, require more effective protection against degradation. The FTIR spectrometry method together with a multivariate statistical software helped to create a model for the determination of TBN of worn motor oil SAE 15W-40 ACEA: E5/E7, API: CI-4. The best results were provided using a model FTIR with Partial Least Squares (PLS) regression in an overall range of 4000−650 cm−1 without the use of mathematical adjustments of the scanned spectra by derivation. Individual spectral information was condensed into nine principal components with linear combinations of the original absorbances at given wavenumbers that are mutually not correlated. A correlation coefficient (R) between values of TBN predicted by the... [more]

The paper presents research on methods of a wheeled mobile robot localization using an optical motion capture system. The results of localization based on the model of forward kinematics and odometric measurements were compared. A pure pursuit controller was used to control the robot’s behaviour in the path following tasks. The paper describes a motion capture system based on infrared cameras, including the calibration method. In addition, a method for determining the accuracy of robot location using the motion capture system, based on the Hausdorff distance, was proposed. As a result of the research it was found that the Hausdorff distance is very useful in determining the accuracy of localization of wheeled robots, especially those described by differential drive kinematics.

Permeability characterizes the ability of rocks to store and transport natural gas, crude oil and reservoir fluids. Permeability heterogeneity of reservoir rocks, including dolomites, results from overlapping geological and physicochemical processes. The permeability study of gas-bearing dolomites was carried out on the Lubiatów hydrocarbon deposit (Poland), located at the Ca2 carbonate platform toe-of-slope, which is a prospective area for hydrocarbon exploration in Europe. Due to the complicated rock textures and overlapping alteration processes, including secondary crystallization or dissolution of minerals, the permeability of the deposit is variable. Studies of dolomites from a depth of 3242−3380 m show high mineralogical diversity; the percentage of dolomite ranges from 79% to 95% with a variable content of other minerals: anhydrite, gypsum, quartz, fluorite, plagioclase and clay minerals. The porosity variability ranges from 4.69% to 31.21%, depending on the measurement method u... [more]

Retailers and major consumers of electricity generally purchase an important percentage of their estimated electricity needs years ahead in the forward market. This long-term electricity procurement task consists of determining when to buy electricity so that the resulting energy cost is minimised, and the forecast consumption is covered. In this scientific article, the focus is set on a yearly base load product from the Belgian forward market, named calendar (CAL), which is tradable up to three years ahead of the delivery period. This research paper introduces a novel algorithm providing recommendations to either buy electricity now or wait for a future opportunity based on the history of CAL prices. This algorithm relies on deep learning forecasting techniques and on an indicator quantifying the deviation from a perfectly uniform reference procurement policy. On average, the proposed approach surpasses the benchmark procurement policies considered and achieves a reduction in costs of... [more]

Electrical installations are a significant component of fire load inside a building, although they are often neglected in the overall fire safety analysis and are not subjected to any kind of fire safety evaluation of a building. A typical electrical installation unconnected to the mains was experimentally studied using a single burning item (SBI) test apparatus, fixed to two types of popular non-combustible or combustible (wooden-based) backgrounds simulating a typical building internal wall or ceiling. The semi-real scale test showed that poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) cable, commonly used in installations in buildings in Europe and used in SBI tests, showed high fire properties related to heat release, smoke production and flame spread to other interior elements. The results of the electrical circuit connected to the main measurements carried out showed a significant impact of the heating effect towards the uncovered surface socket, causing the possibility of easy ignition inside the in... [more]

The aim of this paper is to research the parameters that optimize the thermal performances of a horizontal single-duct Earth to Air Heat eXchanger (EAHX). In this analysis, the EAHX is intended to be installed in the city of Naples (Italy). The study is conducted by varying the most crucial parameters influencing the heat exchange between the air flowing in the duct and the ground. The effect of the geometrical characteristics of the duct (pipe length, diameter, burial depth), and the thermal and flow parameter of humid air (inlet temperature and velocity) has been studied in order to optimize the operation of this geothermal system. The results reveal that the thermal performance increases with length until the saturation distance is reached. Moreover, if the pipe is designed with smaller diameters and slower air flows, if other conditions remain equal, the outlet temperatures come closer to the ground temperature. The combination that optimizes the performance of the system, carried... [more]

The research on the deformation mechanism of monopile foundation supporting offshore wind turbines is significant to optimize the design of a monopile foundation under wave and current load. In this paper, a three-dimensional wave-pile-soil coupling finite element model is proposed to investigate the deformation mechanism of monopile undercurrent and fifth-order Stokes wave. Different from the conventional assumption that there is no slip at the pile-soil interface, Frictional contact is set to simulate the relative movement between monopile and soil. Numerical results indicate that under extreme environmental conditions, the monopile foundation sways within a certain range and the maximum displacement in the loading direction is 1.3 times the displacement in the reverse direction. A further investigation has been made for a large-diameter pipe pile with various design parameters. The finite element analyses reveal that the most efficient way to reduce the deflection of the pile head i... [more]

The high-pressure gaseous hydrogen (HPGH2) storage method is widely used owing to the low density of hydrogen gas at ambient temperature and atmospheric pressure. Therefore, rigorous safety analysis of the filling and discharging of compressed gas in a hydrogen tank is required to achieve reliable operational solutions for the safe storage of hydrogen. In this study, the behavior of compressed hydrogen gas in a hydrogen tank was investigated for its discharge. Numerical models for the adaptation of gas and turbulence models were examined. Gas model effects were examined to account for hydrogen gas behavior at the discharge temperature and pressure conditions. Turbulence model effects were analyzed to consider the accuracy of each model: the assessment of the turbulence models was compared in terms of the turbulence intensity. From the study of gas model effect, the Redlich−Kwong equation was found to be one of the realistic gas models of the discharging gas flow. Among the turbulence m... [more]

It is critical to discover the behavior of piston wind induced by a braking train in a tunnel, but there is little research on the theoretical derivation for piston wind behavior. Predicting piston wind behavior as an unsteady airflow by a theoretical formula is hard work due to the complexity of train running states and airflow fields. Herein, we develop a mathematical model to investigate the behavior of piston wind as an unsteady airflow, considering the variation of wind direction in the annular area. In general, the theoretical model is validated by experiments. However, experimental studies about piston wind are scarce. In this study, we simulated the emergent braking process of a train to validate the mathematical model by establishing a 1/50 scaled experimental configuration. The piston wind data tested in the experiment have good agreement with the results calculated by theoretical formulas. In addition, sensitivity analysis of the effect parameters of piston wind (i.e., tunne... [more]

Although mature industrial wireless sensor network applications increasingly require low-power operations, deterministic communications, and end-to-end reliability, it is very difficult to achieve these goals because of link burstiness and interference. In this paper, we propose a novel link quality estimation mechanism named the burstiness distribution metric, which uses the distribution of burstiness in the links to deal with variations in wireless link quality. First, we estimated the quality of the link at the receiver node by counting the number of consecutive packets lost in each link. Based on that, we created a burstiness distribution list and estimated the number of transmissions. Our simulation in the Cooja simulator from Contiki-NG showed that our proposal can be used in scheduling as an input metric to calculate the number of transmissions in order to achieve a reliability target in industrial wireless sensor networks.

In 2018, the production of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) in EU-28 reached 250.6 Mt, with the adoption of different management strategies, involving recycling (48 wt %), incineration and thermal valorization (29 wt %) and landfilling (23 wt %). This work was based on the analysis of the baseline situation of MSW management in EU-28 in 2018, considering its progress in 2008−2018, and discussed the possible improvement perspectives based on a framework involving incineration and recycling as the only possible alternatives, specifically evaluating the capability of already-existing incineration plants to fulfill the EU needs in the proposed framework. The results of the assessment showed two main crucial issues that could play a pivotal role in the achievement of Circular Economy action plan targets: the need to increase the recycling quotas for specific MSW fractions through the separate collection, and therefore the improvement of definite treatment process chains; the optimization of the... [more]