The substantial improvements in transmission voltage, which have been adopted to meet fast-growing energy demands, require more reliable power equipment and higher-quality insulating materials. The polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) nozzle, as the key part of a high-voltage circuit breaker, is often subjected to arc ablation and breakdown phenomena. Thus, it is very urgent to develop nozzles with better performance. In this study, PTFE/boron nitride (BN) composites were prepared. The relationships among the BN filler loading, thermal transition properties, spectral reflectance properties, arc ablation resistance, and AC dielectric breakdown performances, as well as their corresponding mechanisms, were studied. Experimental results show that the thermal conductivity and thermal diffusivity of PTFE/BN composites increased monotonously with BN loading, and that both parameters were improved by 41% and 44%, respectively, for 11 wt % composites compared with pure PTFE. Moreover, PTFE/BN composi... [more]

Due to rapidly progressing development in the field of materials used in the automotive industry, research methods enabling the validation of the properties of materials used in specific applications, e.g., engines, are gaining importance. One such method is dilatometry, which belongs to a branch of physics dealing with methods of measuring the thermal expansion of bodies. It includes assessment study of the dependence of body measurements on external conditions. The authors propose that dilatometric methods could be used to diagnose damage and the causes of engine damage that has already occurred. This is a novel approach in diagnostic methods. The aim of the paper was to validate the proposed method for diagnosing of combustion engine components. Two cases of malfunction of this type of device are presented. In the first case, the subject of research is needle-nozzle holder precision pairs used in engines with a power of 150 kW. The main achievement of the research is revealing the o... [more]

In order to explore the influences of fault dislocations on tunnel stability under seismic action, a nonlinear dynamic simulation method for the rock−fault contact system is proposed. First, considering the deterioration effect of seismic action on the ultimate bearing load of the contact interface between rock mass and fault, a mathematical model is established reflecting the seismic deterioration laws of the contact interface. Then, based on the traditional point-to-point contact type in a geometric mesh, a point-to-surface contact type is also considered, and an improved dynamic contact force method is established, which considers the large sliding characteristics of the contact interface. According to the proposed method, a dynamic finite element calculation for the flow of the rock−fault contact system is designed, and the accuracy of the method is verified by taking a sliding elastic block as an example. Finally, a three-dimensional (3D) calculation model for a deep tunnel throug... [more]

The distribution network is the most exposed part of the electrical power system relative to different abnormal events; therefore, it reports the highest occurrence rates in terms of electrical and mechanical failures. The present project describes a strategy for restoring faulty areas after the occurrence of an abnormal event causing an outage; consequently, the proposed algorithm is not only focused on the maximization of the connected loads but also deals with the minimization of the switching operations by considering technical operational constraints. The remarked study has two stages: The first one finds an initial set of tie-line candidates using the spanning tree technique, while the second stage applies a genetic algorithm to determine the optimal solution considering all the constraints. Three cases studies have been used to test the proposed algorithm, then the simulation and results of IEEE 13, 37 and 94 node feeders depict the effectiveness of the restoration strategy.

Details on the hydrothermal characteristics of turbulent flows in a solar channel heat exchanger (CHE) are highlighted. The device has transverse T-shaped vortex generators (VGs). Two staggered VGs (baffles) are inserted on the lower and upper walls of the CHE. The working fluid is Newtonian and incompressible, with constant physical properties. The ANSYS Fluent 17.0 is utilized in this survey. The second-order upwind and QUICK schemes were utilized to perform the discretization of pressure and convective terms, respectively. The SIMPLE algorithm was employed to achieve the speed-pressure coupling. The residual target 10−9 was selected as a convergence criterion. The effects of the T-VGs’ geometrical shape and Reynolds numbers were inspected. At the baffle level, the wall effect was augmented due to the reduction of the passage area of flows, which is estimated here to be 55%, resulting thus in a considerable resistance to the movement of fluid particles. The thermal distribution is hi... [more]

The development and the diffusion of the electromobility is crucial for reducing air pollution and increase sustainable transport. In particular, electrification of private mobility has a significantly role in the energy transition within urban areas, since the progressive substitution of conventional passenger cars by electric vehicles (EVs) leads to the decarbonisation of transport sector without direct emissions. However, increasing EV penetration in the market forces an expansion of the existing charging infrastructure with potential negative impacts on the distribution grid. In this context, a simplified approach is proposed to estimate the energy and power demand owing to the recharge of electric passenger cars within the city of Turin in Italy. This novel approach is based on the usage of floating car data (FCD) to identify the travel behaviour and parking habits of a non-EV passenger car in the city. Mobility data were then used to evaluate EVs energy consumption and charging n... [more]

Due to the large scale of power systems, latency uncertainty in communications can cause severe problems in wide-area measurement systems. To resolve this issue, a significant amount of past work focuses on using emerging technology, including machine learning methods such as Q-learning, for addressing latency issues in modern controls. Although the method can deal with the stochastic characteristics of communication latency, the Q-values can be overestimated in Q-learning methods, leading to high bias. To address the overestimation bias issue, we redesign the learning structure of the deep deterministic policy gradient (DDPG). Then we develop a damping control twin-delayed deep deterministic policy gradient method to handle the damping control issue under unknown latency in the power network. The purpose is to address the damping control issue under unknown latency in the power network. This paper will create a novel reward algorithm, taking into account the machine speed deviation, t... [more]

Opposed-piston, two-stroke engines reveal degrees of freedom that make them excellent candidates for next generation, highly efficient internal combustion engines for hybrid electric vehicles and power systems. This article reports simulation results that explore the influence of key control and geometrical parameters, specifically crankshaft phasing and intake and exhaust port height-to-stroke ratios, in obtaining best thermal efficiency. A model of a 0.75 L, single-cylinder opposed-piston two-stroke engine is exercised to predict fuel consumption as engine speed, load, crankshaft phasing, intake and exhaust port height-to-stroke ratios, and stoichiometry are varied for medium-duty truck and range extender applications. Under stoichiometric operation, optimal crankshaft phasing is seen at 0−5°, lower than reported in the literature. If stoichiometric operation is not mandated, best fuel consumption is achieved at an air-to-fuel equivalence ratio λ = 1.25 and 5−10° crankshaft phase ang... [more]

The principles of Findability, Accessibility, Interoperability, and Reusability (FAIR) have been put forward to guide optimal sharing of data. The potential for industrial and social innovation is vast. Domain-specific metadata standards are crucial in this context, but are widely missing in the energy sector. This report provides a collaborative response from the low carbon energy research community for addressing the necessity of advancing FAIR metadata standards. We review and test existing metadata practices in the domain based on a series of community workshops. We reflect the perspectives of energy data stakeholders. The outcome is reported in terms of challenges and elicits recommendations for advancing FAIR metadata standards in the energy domain across a broad spectrum of stakeholders.

This article presents the characteristic curves of a vertical-axis hydrokinetic tidal turbine of the Darrieus subtype aimed at meeting the electricity demand of port facilities located at harbors and estuaries with low water-speed conditions. The turbine was tested in the water-current flume of the University of Santiago de Compostela for several flow conditions with different water heights and water speeds. Blockage conditions were tested by examining the results from two groups of tests: with and without an accelerator device that restricts the flow around the rotor. The tip speed ratio and the power coefficient were used to characterize the performance of the turbine for each test. Finally, the results for open-field conditions were obtained by applying empirical expressions, which allowed us to assess the performance of the device in estuaries and harbors with known water-flow regimes.

This paper addresses the problem of grasped object weight compensation in the one-handed manipulation of impedance controlled robots. In an exemplary identification procedure, the weight of an object and its centre of mass together with gripper kinematic configuration are identified. The procedure is based on the measurements from a 6-axis force/torque sensor mounted near the gripper. The proposed method reduces trajectory tracking errors coming from the model imprecision without compromising the main advantages of impedance control. The whole approach is applied according to the embodied agent paradigm and verified on the two-arm service robot both in simulation and on hardware. Due to the general description that follows system engineering standards, the method can be easily modified or applied to similar systems.

The effects of climate change and global warming are arising a new awareness on the impact of our daily life. Power generation for transportation and mobility as well as in industry is the main responsible for the greenhouse gas emissions. Indeed, currently, 80% of the energy is still produced by combustion of fossil fuels; thus, great efforts need to be spent to make combustion greener and safer than in the past. For this reason, a review of the most recent gas turbines combustion strategy with a focus on fuels, combustion techniques, and burners is presented here. A new generation of fuels for gas turbines are currently under investigation by the academic community, with a specific concern about production and storage. Among them, biofuels represent a trustworthy and valuable solution in the next decades during the transition to zero carbon fuels (e.g., hydrogen and ammonia). Promising combustion techniques explored in the past, and then abandoned due to their technological complexit... [more]

This paper elucidates the significance of partial slips and temperature jumps on the heat and mass transfer of a boundary layer nanofluid flowing through a stretched or shrinking surface. Considerable consideration is given to the dynamic properties of the nanofluid process, including Brownian motion and thermophoresis. A similarity transform is introduced to obtain a physical model of nonlinear ordinary differential equations, and the Chebyshev method of collocation is used to numerically analyze the influences of parameters of physical flow such as slip, temperature jump, Brownian motion, thermophoresis, suction (or injection) parameters, and Lewis and Prandtl numbers. The numerical results for temperature and concentration profiles, and heat and mass transfer rates, are graphically represented, and insights into the effects of slips and temperature jumps are revealed. In the case of a stretched sheet, the slip parameter enhances the temperature field and increases the thermal bounda... [more]

This study investigates the single-phase heat transfer, pressure drop, and temperature distribution of water in an industrial plate and shell heat exchanger (PSHE) under high-temperature conditions. In this experiment, the hot fluid flows downward on the plate side, while the cold fluid flows upward on the shell side. In the single-phase heat transfer experiment on water, the Nu is in the range of 7.85−15.2 with a Re from 1200 to 3200, which is substantially lower than that on the plate heat exchanger (PHE) studied previously. The decrease in the Nu is attributed to the reduced cross-sectional heat transfer area from the flow imbalance in the PSHE. As the Re increases, the pressure drop on the plate side increases more rapidly than that on the shell side because of the difference in the port pressure drop, flow direction, and flow position on the plate. When the Re is 2620, the pressure drops on the plate and shell sides are 52.5 kPa and 25.5 kPa, respectively, a difference of 51.4%. T... [more]

In this paper, we propose a method to efficiently design joint motors, which are the key elements that drive a cooperative robot. Designing joint motors with more power than the required capacity increases the volume and weight of the robot. On the other hand, designing joint motors with less power than the required capacity can lead to failure and safety accidents because of high temperature rise and mechanical instability. Therefore, in this study, the required capacities of the joint motors were determined through a dynamic analysis of the robot system and incorporated in the joint motor design specifications. An electromagnetic analysis was performed during design using the two-dimensional finite element method, and the detailed dimensions of the motor were determined using the response surface method, which is an optimal design technique. The thermal characteristics of the joint motor were evaluated using a thermal equivalent circuit. The designed joint motors were manufactured, a... [more]

Acid gas removal from gaseous streams such as flue gas, natural gas and biogas is mainly performed by chemical absorption with amines, but the process is highly energy intensive and can generate emissions of harmful compounds to the atmosphere. Considering the emerging interest in carbon capture, mainly associated with increasing environmental concerns, there is much current effort to develop innovative solvents able to lower the energy and environmental impact of the acid gas removal processes. To be competitive, the new blends must show a CO2 uptake capacity comparable to the one of the traditional MEA benchmark solution. In this work, a review of the state of the art of attractive solvents alternative to the traditional MEA amine blend for acid gas removal is presented. These novel solvents are classified into three main classes: biphasic blends—involving the formation of two liquid phases, water-lean solvents and green solvents. For each solvent, the peculiar features, the level of... [more]

Renewable sources of energy play a key role in the process of decarbonizing modern electric power systems. However, some renewable sources of energy operate in an intermittent, non-dispatchable way, which may affect the balance of the electrical grid. In this scenario, wind turbine generators must participate in the system frequency control to avoid jeopardizing the transmission and distribution systems. For that reason, additional control strategies are needed to ensure the frequency response of variable-speed wind turbines. This review article analyzes diverse control strategies at different levels which are aimed at contributing to power balancing and system frequency control, including energy storage systems.

Biolubricants refer to eco-friendly, biodegradable, and non-toxic lubricants. Their applications are still limited compared to mineral oils; however, their sustainable credentials are making them increasingly attractive. Vegetable oils are frequently used for this purpose. However, vegetable oils have issues of low lipid productivity, dependence on climatic conditions, and need for agricultural land. Microbial oils represent a more sustainable alternative. To ensure their widespread applicability, the suitability of microbial oils from a physicochemical point of view needs to be determined first. In this study, oils obtained from various oleagenic microbes—such as microalgae, thraustochytrids, and yeasts—were characterized in terms of their fatty acid profile, viscosity, friction coefficient, wear, and thermal stability. Oleaginous microalgal strains (Auxenochlorella protothecoides and Chlorella sorokiniana), thraustochytrids strains (Aurantiochytrium limacinum SR21 and Aurantiochytriu... [more]

In modern systems, there is a tendency to model issues more accurately with low computational cost and considering multiscale decision-making which increases the complexity of the optimization. Therefore, it is necessary to develop tools to cope with these new challenges. Supply chain management of enterprise-wide operations usually involves three decision levels: strategic, tactical, and operational. These decision levels depend on each other involving different time scales. Accordingly, their integration usually leads to multiscale models that are computationally intractable. In this work, the aim is to develop novel clustering methods with multiple attributes to tackle the integrated problem. As a result, a clustering structure is proposed in the form of a mixed integer non-linear program (MINLP) later converted into a mixed integer linear program (MILP) for clustering shape-based time series data with multiple attributes through a multi-objective optimization approach (since differ... [more]

Hydraulic pumped storage is a special power generation and electricity shortage technology, which is usually operated with thermal power and nuclear power units, and plays a key role in ultra-high voltage and smart grid. Pressure fluctuations are the main reasons for the instability of the S-shaped region of pump−turbines, which seriously affects their lifespan and operation stability. To reveal the mechanism and propagation law of pressure fluctuations in the S-shaped region as well as numerical simulations at the turbine, the braking and the reverse pump operating conditions of a pump−turbine were carried out. Numerical results were validated using the performance experiments, and the generation mechanism and propagation law of pressure fluctuation were analyzed in detail. The analyses show that high-amplitude pressure fluctuations mainly occur in the braking and reverse pump operating conditions. Under the braking condition, a 0.49-fn low-frequency pressure fluctuation was captured,... [more]

Each country must determine the Grid Code conditions and apply these criteria to integrate distributed generation (DG) systems into the existing electricity grid and to ensure a stable power system. Thus, experimental studies are required to provide an effective, national, and specific Grid Code. In this study, the Turkish Grid Code’s electrical criteria were examined, and the application of these criteria was carried out on a developed PV-based DG. A real-time energy management system (RTEMS) was proposed in the study. Electrical parameters on the developed DG were monitored in real-time by considering IEEE 1547, IEEE 929−2000, and Turkey’s electrical criteria. A practical grid code study was firstly investigated in detail about the Turkish Grid Code by a developed real-time monitoring-control and protection system. The proposed RTEMS method in the study is implemented as an inverter-resident system; thus, it provides advantages over many energy management systems embedded in the inve... [more]

This paper presents a power control method for a hybrid electrical system, which enhances a conventional main AC grid by adding a DC sub-grid in parallel. In this system, each prosumer connects to the sub-grid via a couple of half-bridge inverters of a device called a power router. All of the power routers connected to the sub-grid are controlled such that they maintain the voltage of the sub-grid equally, which is an essential feature of peer-to-peer power accommodation without synchronization. This paper proposes an adaptive hysteresis current-control technique for controlling sub-grid-connected inverters that maintains the voltage of the sub-grid while accommodating a given power. The proposed control method also balances currents between positive and negative lines of the sub-grid simultaneously. The proposed control method is implemented on a high-speed FPGA-based digital controller and is evaluated on three prototypes of the power router. The experimental results show that the pr... [more]

This paper presents a systematic mapping (SM) study with the aim to determine how Building Information Modeling (BIM) methodologies and technologies contribute to energy-related analyses over the course of the entire building life cycle. The method adopted in the study is based on a set of seven research questions. We used a mixed technique combining co-citation analysis and bibliographic coupling in order to analyze the publications’ datasets for the period 2010−2020. The main advantage and novelty of this study are that the joint dataset from the Scopus and Web of Science databases was used to develop the keyword map. The main findings of this study indicate that many BIM-based applications can be used to analyze the building energy performance at all stages of the building life cycle. However, the applications of BIM in conjunction with other information technologies are limited and are still in the initial stage. In the future, the main improvements should be focused on process, mo... [more]

The speed response of the interior permanent magnet synchronous motor (IPMSM) drive at low speeds was analyzed. To eliminate the effect of external disturbance or parameter uncertainty, a nonlinear speed control loop was designed based on the sliding-mode exponential reaching law, which reduces chatter, which is the major drawback of the constant reaching law sliding-mode control technique. The proposed nonlinear speed control eliminates speed ripples at low speed under load disturbance. The problem of speed convergence at low speed is caused by electromagnetic torque ripples, which cause shaft speed oscillations that affect drive performance. The main objective of the proposed method is to change the traditional IPMSM control design by compensating with an appropriate signal along the reference current and across the output of the speed control loop. To optimize the speed tracking performance during disturbances or parametric variations, a nonlinear speed control scheme is designed th... [more]

Energy generation has had several negative health impacts over the last few decades, mainly due to air pollution. One of the ways to decrease such impacts is to increase energy generation through renewable energy sources (RESs). These sources have important health co-benefits that need to be taken into consideration. This topic has been included in the literature, but research is scattered. The goal of this article is to show the status of the literature on this topic. We performed a systematic literature review on the health co-benefits of RES use, depicting the state of the art of this literature, some common findings, limitations, and lines for future research. It is clear from our analysis that this literature remains scarce. We found 28 studies fitting the inclusion criteria. Results can be summed as follows: (1) wind and solar power are the most studied RES sources; (2) most studies are for the United States and developing countries are largely understudied; and (3) health benefi... [more]