This study compares the electric power sectors between Japan and South (S) Korea. Both nations have been under a global trend of deregulation. To assess their progress due to industrial change and technology development, we use Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) as an assessment tool that enables us to evaluate the level of simultaneous achievements on economic and technological measures, so assessing the degree of holistic development. DEA has been widely applied for performance assessment in the past decades. In this study, the method compares electric power firms by their operational efficiencies. To compare their achievements, it is necessary to develop a new type of DEA application for performance measurement. The proposed approach adds two analytical capabilities. First, the approach needs to handle “zero” in a data set and then restrict multipliers (i.e., weights among inputs and outputs) without any prior information to increase our empirical reliability. No study has simultaneous... [more]

This paper proposes a control system for the single-phase Three-Ports Active Neutral- Point-Clamped (ANPC-3P) converter, which can inject a sinusoidal current into the grid, balance the neutral point voltage, and regulate the energy storage system (ESS) current with reduced low-frequency ripple. Despite other applications, ANPC-3P inverter can be used in grid-tied renewable generation to allow the simultaneous connection of a photovoltaic (PV) energy source and an ESS to the AC grid. The ESS is connected directly to the inverter circuit without any auxiliary DC-DC converter, but due to the DC bus pulsed power, it can be subjected to low-frequency current ripple. This undesired current ripple is difficult to filter and can lead to shorter battery life. A control system based on well-known controllers is analyzed and designed. Theoretical analysis is validated experimentally using a single-phase 1-kW prototype.

Today, self-excited synchronous machines are the object of increasing interest because they use neither brushes nor permanent magnets. In fact, the price of rare earth metals is considerably high and still raising. This is the main reason why researchers are looking for suitable alternatives to permanent magnets in the construction of rotating electrical machinery. This paper deals with the design and laboratory testing of a synchronous machine with an efficient layout and an economic construction. The proposed self-excited machine exploits the space harmonics of the magneto-motive force to produce the excitation field. The model analysis is based on the computation of the back EMFs that are associated to the magneto motive force components. The mathematical model suggests an easy way to decouple the rotor windings. The machine has been built and experimental tests have been performed in order to validate the electrical behavior.

This paper presents the hardware-in-the-loop simulation for dynamic performance test (HILS-DPT) of power electronic equipment replicas using a real-time hybrid simulator (RTHS). The authors developed the procedure of HILS-DPT, and as an actual case example, the results of HILS-DPT of Static VAR Compensator (SVC) replica using RTHS is presented. RTHS is a co-simulation tool that synthesizes real-time simulator (RTS) with transient stability program to perform real-time dynamic simulation of a large power system. As power electronics applications have been increasing, the electric utilities have performed HILS-DPT of the power electronics equipment to validate the performance and investigate interactions. Because inspection tests are limited in their ability to validate its impact on the power system during various contingencies, all power electronics equipment newly installed in the Korean power system should take HILS-DPT using large-scale RTS with replicas since 2018. Although large-s... [more]

In order to account for big uncertainties such as well interferences, hydraulic and natural fractures’ properties and matrix properties in shale gas reservoirs, it is paramount to develop a robust and efficient approach for well spacing optimization. In this study, a novel well spacing optimization workflow is proposed and applied to a real shale gas reservoir with two-phase flow, incorporating the systematic analysis of uncertainty reservoir and fracture parameters. One hundred combinations of these uncertainties, considering their interactions, were gathered from assisted history matching solutions, which were calibrated by the actual field production history from the well in the Sichuan Basin. These combinations were used as direct input to the well spacing optimization workflow, and five “wells per section” spacing scenarios were considered, with spacing ranging from 157 m (517 ft) to 472 m (1550 ft). An embedded discrete fracture model was used to efficiently model both hydraulic... [more]

One of the challenges in laboratory investigation of degradation and ageing of HVDC cable insulation is related to securing, or in other words, imitating the real service environment of the material specimens. So far, the published data refer to experiments conducted in thermo-oxidative conditions, which is not the case during normal cable operation. In service, the cable insulation is protected by a metallic barrier that blocks the transfer of any substances in and out of the construction. By-products from the cross-linking reactions cannot diffuse out and any foreign substances are blocked from entering the insulation. Thus, in order to generate results that are valid, these conditions must be replicated in laboratory experiments. This contribution presents a methodology elaborated for performing ageing experiments in a hermetically sealed environment. Degradation of the material is evaluated through changes in the electrical tree inception voltage and test object capacitance over ti... [more]

The presence and evolution of static power converters in electric grids are growing on a daily basis. Starting from the most used voltage source converter (VSC), passing through the use of multilevel converters, the most recent configuration is the so-called modular multilevel converter (MMC). Because of its intrinsic advantages, it is used not only in high-voltage systems but also in low- and medium-voltage ones to interface renewable energy sources such as photovoltaic (PV) panels. Several configurations and maximum power point tracker (MPPT) algorithms have been proposed and analyzed for MMC-PV-based systems. However, when using distributed MPPTs, partial shading conditions cause a problem. The PV panel can be directly connected to the MMC using its dc link or submodule. Based on this configuration, this paper proposes a novel control strategy that tracks both the ac grid current and ac circulating current for a single-phase low-voltage system to obtain the maximum power under any i... [more]

Final energy consumption in the residential sector is increasing, even in countries with favourable climate conditions and technological capacity to promote the use of renewable resources and energy efficiency. Air conditioning systems based on absorption cycles are common solutions in solar assisted installations. In this paper, the main characteristics of the Gijón Solar Cooling Laboratory (GSCL) are summarized, showing its ability to test cooling machines with a variety of heat sources and sinks, as well as different technologies and strategies. An absorption machine with internal energy storage in LiCl salts has been tested at the GSCL, measuring power and temperatures as a function of time during several charging and discharging cycles. During the charging cycles, the operation of the machine was analysed for various hot temperatures and power values. In the discharging cycles, special attention was paid to the refrigeration capacity produced for various chilled water temperatures... [more]

A new non-isolated modified SEPIC front-end dc-dc converter for the low power system is proposed in this paper, and this converter is the next level of the traditional SEPIC converter with additional devices, such as two diodes and splitting of the output capacitor into two equal parts. The circuit topology proposed in this paper is formulated by combining the boost structure with the traditional SEPIC converter. Therefore, the proposed converter has the benefit of the SEPIC converter, such as continuous input current. The proposed circuit structure also improves the features, such as high voltage gain and high conversion efficiency. The converter comprises one MOSFET switch, one coupled inductor, three diodes, and two capacitors, including the output capacitor. The converter effectively recovers the leakage energy of the coupled inductor through the passive clamp circuit. The operation of the proposed converter is explained in continuous conduction mode (CCM) and discontinuous conduct... [more]

A novel analytical method was developed for analysis of efficiency at maximum power of a hybrid cycle combining electrochemical and Otto engines. The analysis is based on the low-dissipation model, which relates energy dissipation with energy transfer rate. Efficiency at maximum power of a hybrid engine operating between two reservoirs of chemical potentials is evaluated. The engine is composed of an electrochemical device that transforms chemical potential to electrical work of an Otto engine that uses the heat generated in the electrochemical device and its exhaust effluent for mechanical work production. The results show that efficiency at maximum power of the hybrid cycle is identical to the efficiency at maximum power of an electrochemical engine alone; however, the power is the product of the electrochemical engine power and the compression ratio of the Otto engine. Partial mass transition by the electrochemical device from the high to the low chemical potential is also examined.... [more]

Automated fault detection and diagnostics (FDD) could provide a cornerstone for predictive maintenance of heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems based on the development of simulation models able to accurately compare the faulty operation with respect to nominal conditions. In this paper, several experiments have been carried out for assessing the performance of the HVAC unit (nominal cooling/heating capacity of 5.0/5.0 kW) controlling the thermo-hygrometric comfort inside a 4.0 × 4.0 × 3.6 m test room at the Department of Architecture and Industrial Design of the University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli (Italy); then, a detailed dynamic simulation model has been developed and validated by contrasting the predictions with the measured data. The model has also been used to analyze the dynamic variations of key parameters associated to faulty operation in comparison to normal performance, in order to identify simplified rules for detection of any non-optimal states of HV... [more]

As a countermeasure to the greenhouse gas problem, the world is focusing on alternative fuel vehicles (AFVs). The most prominent alternatives are battery electric vehicles (BEV) and fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs). This study examines FCEVs, especially considering hydrogen refueling stations to fill the gap in the research. Many studies suggest the important impact that infrastructure has on the diffusion of AFVs, but they do not provide quantitative preferences for the design of hydrogen refueling stations. This study analyzes and presents a consumer preference structure for hydrogen refueling stations, considering the production method, distance, probability of failure to refuel, number of dispensers, and fuel costs as core attributes. For the analysis, stated preference data are applied to choice experiments, and mixed logit is used for the estimation. Results indicate that the supply stability of hydrogen refueling stations is the second most important attribute following fuel... [more]

We analyze energy use efficiency of manufacturing industries in US manufacturing over five decades from 1960 to 2011. We apply a 4-component stochastic frontier model, which allows disentangling efficiency into a short- and long-term efficiency as well as accounting for industry heterogeneity. The data come from NBER-CES Manufacturing Industry Database. We find that relative to decade-specific frontiers, the overall efficiency of manufacturing industries, which is a product of transient and persistent efficiencies has deteriorated greatly in the 1970s and rebounded only in the 2000s. The industries are very efficient in the short-term and this has not changed over five decades. The high level of overall inefficiency is almost completely due to the structural inefficiency which can be explained by what is referred to as the “energy paradox”. Finally, higher energy-intensive industries perform worse in terms of energy use efficiency than their low energy-intensity counterparts.

Biomass is the fourth largest energy source in the world; it is easy to store and can be converted into various kinds of renewable energies. The biomass cogeneration system is an important way to utilize biomass energy, especially in northern China. At present, there are many problems in biomass power plants in China, such as high latent heat loss of chimney and cooling towers, low power generation efficiency, and thermal efficiency. In order to solve this problem, this paper introduces low vacuum circulating water heating technology in the biomass cogeneration system, and expounds the differences between China and Western countries in biomass power plants. Based on this background, the technology is redesigned and reformed to make it more suitable for the biomass fuel varieties in the power plant location, and realize the localization of technology and the expansion of scale. The application of this improved technology in China’s biomass cogeneration project is analyzed. Based on the... [more]

The application of a distribution static synchronous compensator (D-STATCOM) is the best technical means to solve the problem of reactive power compensation and harmonics. The D-STATCOM system has the characteristics of variable parameters, strong coupling, nonlinearity and multi-variability. In order to improve the speed of the dynamic tracking response and anti-disturbance capability of the D-STATCOM, the article proposes an improved Linear Active Disturbance Rejection Controller (LADRC) based on the total disturbance deviation control method. Combined with double closed-loop control, the inner loop takes the current as the state variable, and the outer loop uses the DC side output voltage as the state variable to achieve robust stability of the D-STATCOM and controller output. The simulation results show that the improved LADRC is more stable than the traditional LADRC in controlling the DC voltage waveform of the compensator, reactive current tracking and reactive power compensatio... [more]

The present inquiry addresses the income-environment relationship in oil-producing countries and scrutinizes the further drivers of atmospheric pollution in the respective settings. The existing literature that tests the environmental Kuznets curve hypothesis within the framework of the black-box approaches provides only a bird’s-eye perspective on the long-run income-environment relationship. The aspiration behind this study is making the first step toward the disentanglement of the sources of carbon dioxide emissions, which could be employed in the pollution mitigation policies of this group of countries. Based on the combination of two strands of literature, the environmental Kuznets curve conjecture and the resource curse, the paper at hand proposes an augmented theoretical framework of this inquiry. To approach the research questions empirically, the study employs advanced panel cointegration techniques. To avoid econometric misspecification, the study also employs for the first t... [more]

Device engineering with proper material integration into perovskite solar cells (PSCs) would extend their durability provided a special care is spent to retain interface integrity during use. In this paper, we propose a method to preserve the perovskite (PSK) surface from solvent-mediated modification and damage that can occur during the deposition of a top contact and furtherly during operation. Our scheme used a hole transporting layer-free top-contact made of Carbon (mostly graphite) to the side of hole extraction. We demonstrated that the PSK/graphite interface benefits from applying a vacuum-curing step after contact deposition that allowed mitigating the loss in efficiency of the solar devices, as well as a full recovery of the electrical performances after device storage in dry nitrogen and dark conditions. The device durability compared to reference devices was tested over 90 days. Conductive atomic force microscopy (CAFM) disclosed an improved surface capability to hole exchan... [more]

Recently, there has been dynamic development of electromobility. This trend is predicted to grow exponentially, which will contribute to the creation of an extensive infrastructure of electric car charging points. For distribution network operators, this implies that in addition to the increase in demand for power and electricity, the number of converter systems connected to their networks will also increase. It is therefore necessary to determine the potential impact of electric vehicle charging systems on electricity quality. To this end, the authors of the present study developed simulation models based on measurements of the actual charger and the data provided by the manufacturers of the equipment and using simulation models widely described in the literature. On the basis of the study results, the impact of electric car chargers on electric power quality was assessed, and attention was given to the opportunities offered by the development of charging systems with vehicle-to-grid... [more]

In solar-powered wireless sensor networks (SP-WSNs), the best use of harvested energy is more important than minimizing energy consumption since energy can be supplied periodically. Meanwhile, as is well known, the reliability of the communication between sensor nodes is very limited due to the resource constraints of sensor nodes. In this paper, we propose an efficient forward error correction (FEC) scheme which can give solar-powered wireless sensor networks more reliable communication. First, the proposed scheme provides energy-adaptive operation for the best use of solar energy. It calculates the amount of surplus energy which can be used for extra operations and then determines the number of additional parity bits for FEC according to this amount of surplus energy. At the same time, it also provides a link quality model that is used to calculate the appropriate number of parity bits for error recovery required for the current data communication environment. Finally, by considering... [more]

The managerial and environmental studies conducted in the energy research area reflect its substantial importance, particularly when optimizing and modifying consumption patterns, transitioning to renewable sources away from fossil ones, and designing plans and systems. The aim of this study is to provide a systematic review of the literature allowing us to identify which research subjects have been prioritized in the fields of energy and sustainability in recent years, determine the potential reasons explaining these trends, and categorize the techniques applied to analyze the uncertainty faced by decision-makers. We review articles published in highly ranked journals through the period 2003−2020 and apply text analytics to cluster their main characteristics; that is, we rely on pre-processing and text mining techniques. We analyze the title, abstract, keywords, and research methodology of the articles through clustering and topic modeling and illustrate what methods and fields consti... [more]

Increasing needs for taller wind turbines with bigger capacities, intended for places with high wind velocities or at higher altitudes, have led to new technologies in the wind energy industry. A recently introduced structural system for onshore wind turbine towers is the hybrid steel tower. Comprehension of the environmental response of this hybrid steel structural system is warranted. Even though life cycle assessments (LCAs) for conventional wind turbine tubular towers exist, the environmental performance of this new hybrid structure has not been reported. The present paper examines the LCA of 185 m tall hybrid towers. Considerations made for the LCA procedure are meticulously described, including particular attention at the erection and transportation stage. The highest environmental impacts arise during the manufacturing stage followed by the erection stage. The tower is the component with the largest carbon emissions and energy requirements. The obtained LCA footprints of hybrid... [more]

By integrating distributed energy resources (DER, mostly renewable energy sources) in the depth of the distribution network transmission system operators (TSOs), planning and control of transmission systems has been greatly hindered due to the lack of knowledge about the circumstances at the transmission and distribution network’s interface and the lack of coordination with the distribution system operator (DSO). By adopting the Commission Regulation (EU) 2017/1485 (System Operational Guideline—SOGL) establishing a guideline on electricity transmission system operation, harmonized rules on system operation for TSOs, DSOs and significant grid users (SGUs) are set out, inter alia, in order to provide a clear legal framework for the exchange of necessary data and information between the aforementioned subjects. In this paper, the methodology of DER representation at the interface of the transmission and distributed system is presented, with the indicated interactive data exchange between... [more]

The profitability of domestic battery energy storage systems has been poor and this is the main barrier to their general use. It is possible to increase profitability by using multiple control targets. Market price-based electricity contracts and power-based distribution tariffs alongside storage of surplus photovoltaic energy make it possible to have multiple control targets in domestic use. The battery control system needs accurate load forecasting so that its capacity can be utilized in an optimally economical way. This study shows how the accuracy of short-term load forecasting affects cost savings by using batteries. The study was conducted by simulating actual customers’ load profiles with batteries utilized for different control targets. The results of the study show that knowledge of customers’ load profiles (i.e., when high and low peaks happen) is more important that actual forecast accuracy, as measured by error criteria. In many cases, the load forecast based on customers’... [more]

One of the major problem of photovoltaic grid integration is limiting the solar-induced imbalances since these can undermine the security and stability of the electrical system. Improving the forecast accuracy of photovoltaic generation is becoming essential to allow a massive solar penetration. In particular, improving the forecast accuracy of large solar farms’ generation is important both for the producers/traders to minimize the imbalance costs and for the transmission system operators to ensure stability. In this article, we provide a benchmark for the day-ahead forecast accuracy of utility scale photovoltaic (PV) plants in 1325 locations spanning the country of Italy. We then use these benchmarked forecasts and real energy prices to compute the economic value of the forecast accuracy and accuracy improvement in the context of the Italian energy market’s regulatory framework. Through this study, we further point out several important criticisms of the Italian “single pricing” syst... [more]

Accurate energy profiles are essential to the optimization of parallel applications for energy through workload distribution. Since there are many model-based methods available for efficient construction of energy profiles, we need an approach to measure the goodness of the profiles compared with the ground-truth profile, which is usually built by a time-consuming but reliable method. Correlation coefficient and relative error are two such popular statistical approaches, but they assume that profiles be linear or at least very smooth functions of workload size. This assumption does not hold true in the multicore era. Due to the complex shapes of energy profiles of applications on modern multicore platforms, the statistical methods can often rank inaccurate energy profiles higher than more accurate ones and employing such profiles in the energy optimization loop of an application leads to significant energy losses (up to 54% in our case). In this work, we present the first method specif... [more]