The commercialization of perovskite solar cells is hindered by the poor thermal stability of organic−inorganic hybrid perovskite materials. Herein, we demonstrate that crystalline thermoplastic polymer additives, such as a mixture of polyethylene oxide (PEO, 100,000 MW) and polyethylene glycol (PEG, 12,000 MW), can improve the thermal stability of CH3NH3PbI3 (MAPbI3) perovskites and thereby enhance device stability. High-quality less-defect perovskite films were obtained by establishing a strong reaction between hydroxy groups in the PEO + PEG mixture and the uncoordinated Pb2+ in MAPbI3 perovskites, leading to a high power conversion efficiency of over 18% despite the presence of insulating thermoplastic polymers in the MAPbI3 film. More importantly, as compared with pristine MAPbI3 perovskite solar cells, the PEO + PEG-modified counterparts showed significantly improved stability under thermal treatment at 85 °C in ambient air with a relative humidity of 50−60%, remaining at nearly 7... [more]

The regional parliament of Tyrol in Austria adopted the climate, energy, and resources strategy “Tyrol 2050 energy autonomous” in 2014 with the aim to become climate neutral and energy autonomous. “Use of own resources before others do, or have to do” is the main principle within this long-term strategic approach, in which the “power on demand” process is a main building block and the “power-to-hydrogen” process covers the intrinsic lack of a long-term, large-scale storage of electricity. Within this long-term strategy, the national research and development (R&D) flagship project WIVA P&G HyWest (ongoing since 2018) aims at the establishment of the first sustainable, business-case-driven, regional, green hydrogen economy in central Europe. This project is mainly based on the logistic principle and is a result of synergies between three ongoing complementary implementation projects. Among these three projects, to date, the industrial research within “MPREIS Hydrogen” resulted in the fir... [more]

Currently, the issue of creating decarbonized energy systems in various spheres of life is acute. Therefore, for gas turbine power systems including hybrid power plants with fuel cells, it is relevant to transfer the existing engines to pure hydrogen or mixtures of hydrogen with natural gas. However, significant problems arise associated with the possibility of the appearance of flashback zones and acoustic instability of combustion, an increase in the temperature of the walls of the flame tubes, and an increase in the emission of nitrogen oxides, in some cases. This work is devoted to improving the efficiency of gas turbine power systems by combusting pure hydrogen and mixtures of natural gas with hydrogen. The organization of working processes in the premixed combustion chamber and the combustion chamber with a sequential injection of ecological and energy steam for the “Aquarius” type power plant is considered. The conducted studies of the basic aerodynamic and energy parameters of... [more]

The Hellisheidi geothermal power plant, located in Iceland, is a combined heat and power double-flash geothermal plant with an installed capacity of 303.3 MW of electricity and 133 MW of hot water. This study aimed to elucidate the environmental impacts of the electricity and heat production from this double-flash geothermal power plant. In this vein, firstly, the most updated inventory of the plant was generated, and secondly, a life-cycle assessment approach based on the exergy allocation factor was carried out instead of applying the traditionally used allocations in terms of mass and energy. The functional unit was defined as the production of 1 kWh of electricity and 1 kWh of hot water for district heating. The life-cycle stages included the (i) construction, (ii) operation (including abatement operations and maintenance), and (iii) well closure of the geothermal plant. All of the life-cycle stages from construction to dismantling were considered. Finally, the results on the parti... [more]

This paper proposes to apply a newly developed Non-Dispersive Infrared Spectroscopy (NDIR) gas sensing system composed of pyroelectric infrared detectors to monitor the thermal runaway (TR) process of lithium-ion batteries in real time and achieve an early warning system for the battery TR process. The new Electrical Vehicle Safety—Global Technical Regulation (EVS-GTR) requires that a warning be provided to passengers at least five minutes before a serious incident. The experimental results indicate that carbon dioxide and methane gas were detected during the overcharge test of the automotive battery, and the target gas was detected 25 s in advance before the battery TR when the battery vent was closed. In order to further explore the battery TR mechanism, an experiment was carried out using the battery sample with the battery vent opened. The target gas was detected about 580 s before the battery temperature reached the common alarm temperature (60 °C) of the battery management system... [more]

Partial shading (PS) is a prevalent phenomenon that often affects photovoltaic (PV) installations, leads to the appearance of numerous peaks in the power-voltage characteristics of PV cells, caused by the uneven distribution of solar irradiance on the PV module surface, known as global and local maximum power point (GMPP and LMPP). In this paper, a new technique for achieving GMPP based on the dandelion optimizer (DO) algorithm is proposed, inspired by the movement of dandelion seeds in the wind. The proposed technique aimed to enhance the efficiency of power generation in PV systems, particularly under PS conditions. However, the DO-based MPPT is compared with other advanced maximum power point tracker (MPPT) algorithms, such as Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO), Grey Wolf Optimization (GWO), Artificial Bee Colony (ABC), Cuckoo Search Algorithm (CSA), and Bat Algorithm (BA). Simulation results establish the superiority and effectiveness of the used MPPT in terms of tracking efficiency... [more]

Cities are complex and constantly evolving systems where changing social needs have always reshaped the built environment. Considering recent evolutionary trends in housing emergencies, amplified by the COVID-19 pandemic, and environmental sustainability goals, a rethinking of the building heritage is fundamental. This article aims to promote the conversion of buildings designed initially for nonresidential uses as a process and project strategy based on energy efficiency and a holistic and integrated vision of the circular economy. The methodological approach is based on two main phases: definition of evaluative parameters for the potential reuse of a building, and integration of the evaluation system in a BIM and GIS environment. The result is a tool for rapid automatic pre-evaluation of the potential conversion of a building into a residential space. Applying the developed methodology allows for a practical approach to the significant issue of sustainable construction, with particul... [more]

Climate change and its ascertained attribution to anthropic activity need to be tackled with extreme urgency and must not be postponed. The need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions require a change in the energy paradigm, mainly affecting the construction and mobility sectors. Countries need to move towards climate neutrality with a widespread adoption of innovative models, systems, and technologies, reducing dependence on non-renewable sources and increasing energy efficiency. Measures to be adopted to achieve the prefixed decarbonization targets should involve, in addition to central governments, local communities. In this paper, in order to contribute to the definition of mitigation measures by the local administration, the balance of emissions and removal of greenhouse gases, assessed following the IPCC guidelines, for an Italian city (Reggio Calabria) on the date of 1 January 2020 is presented. Several hypotheses concerning reduction measures to be applied to the building and trans... [more]

Wind energy is going to be the leading renewable source of the next decades [...]

This scientific paper discusses the importance of reducing greenhouse gas emissions to mitigate the effects of climate change. The proposed strategy is to reach net-zero emissions by transitioning to electric systems powered by low-carbon sources such as wind, solar, hydroelectric power, and nuclear energy. However, the paper also highlights the challenges of this transition, including high costs and lack of infrastructure. The paper emphasizes the need for continued research and investment in renewable energy technology and infrastructure to overcome these challenges and achieve a sustainable energy system. Additionally, the use of nuclear energy raises concerns, such as nuclear waste and proliferation, and should be considered with its benefits and drawbacks. The study assesses the feasibility of nuclear energy development in Latvia, a country in Northern Europe, and finds that Latvia is a suitable location for nuclear power facilities due to potential energy independence, low-carbon... [more]

Grid-connected converters (GCCs) are used extensively for the integration of DC power sources with AC power sources. However, since it is a complex topic, there are many possibilities for regulating grid-injected currents, as well as different modulation techniques for generating full-bridge PWM voltages. The control techniques are directly related to the type of output filter, as well as to the topology of the converter, since a complex plant can require more sophisticated controllers to keep the system stable, and with good regulation performance. Furthermore, a discussion of the applicability of these converters in weak and very weak grids with high inductance content has recently been growing, which adds a greater degree of complexity to the control structure of the converter. In this brief overview are outlined some topics about topologies, output filters, and control, focusing on the current regulation of grid-connected converters. In addition, a discussion of the main challenges... [more]

The energy transition, originating in the limitation of fossil resources and greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction, is the basis of many studies on renewable energies in different industrial applications. The diffusion absorption refrigeration machines are very promising insofar as they allow the use of renewable resources (solar, geothermal, waste gas, etc.). This technology is often considered an alternative to vapor compression systems in cooling and refrigeration applications. This paper aims to overview the thermal mechanisms related to modeling system energy sources and highlight the primary methodologies and techniques used. We study and analyze the technology’s current challenges and future directions and, finally, identify the gaps in the existing models to pave the way for future research. The paper also gives a classification of absorption refrigeration systems (ARS) to position and limit the scope of the study. The paper will help researchers who approach the various aspe... [more]

Here, nitrogen doped molybdenum disulfide quantum dots (N-MoS2 QDs) are fabricated by making use of the pulsed laser ablation (PLA) process in liquid nitrogen (LN2) as a dopant agent. In fact, LN2 contributes the rapid condensation of the plasma plume to form MoS2 QDs, optimizing the conditions for the synthesis of N-doped MoS2 with p-type property. The structural/optical features of the synthesized products are studied using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), absorption spectroscopy, photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy techniques, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The TEM image shows the creation of MoS2 QDs with 5.5 nm average size. UV-vis and PL spectroscopy confirm the formation of N-MoS2 QDs according to the dominant peaks. The Tuck plot gives a direct band-gap of 4.34 eV for MoS2 QDs. Furthermore, XPS spectroscopy reveals Mo-N bonding, indicating nitrogen doping as evidence of p-type MoS2 QDs. Thus, PLA provides a single-stage way to the clean and green synthesis o... [more]

Low-carbon economic efficiency is an important indicator that can be used to measure the quality of regional economic development. In this study, an improved DEA model is introduced into the calculation of low-carbon economic efficiency in Zhejiang Province. Using the actual data of nine prefecture-level cities in Zhejiang Province from 2015 to 2020, the low-carbon economic efficiency of each prefecture-level city is calculated. The result is that the overall low-carbon economic efficiency of Zhejiang Province indicates a trend of first falling and then rising, and the low-carbon economic efficiencies of different prefecture-level cities largely differ. The causes of six inefficient DMUs (prefecture-level cities) are analyzed using projection. The improved DEA model is used to determine the “expansion coefficient” of the input and output of three DMUs (prefecture-level cities) with relatively low-carbon economic efficiency. The research results provide a strong basis and support for th... [more]

Radiolytic stability is one of the main requirements of the ligands for the reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel. The prediction of radiation stability based only on the 2D molecular structural formula allows us to accelerate and simplify the development of new ligands. Here, we used quantum chemistry to investigate the radiolytic behavior of water-soluble diglycolamides as one of the most popular ligands for spent nuclear fuel reprocessing. The accurate accounting of conformational mobility in the descriptors based on the Frontier Orbital Fukui theory allowed us to obtain a good correlation between theoretical and experimental data.

In this work, a novel workflow has been proposed, validated and applied to interpret the early time transient pressure data in tight oil reservoirs with physical constraints. More specifically, the theoretical model was developed to obtain the transient pressure response for a vertical well in tight oil reservoirs with consideration of pseudo threshold pressure gradient (TPG). Then, a physical constraint between the skin factor and formation permeability has been proposed based on the physical meaning of percolation theory. This physical constraint can be applied to determine the lower limit of the skin factor which can reduce the uncertainty during the interpretation process. It is found that the influence range of the skin factor and permeability may partially overlap during the interpretation process without consideration of physical constraints. Additionally, it is found that the equivalent wellbore radius is more reasonable by considering the skin factor constraints. Furthermore,... [more]

Previous gas hydrate production tests conducted by the Guangzhou Marine Geological Survey (GSGM) in 2017 and 2020 indicated the great potential of gas hydrates in the Shenhu Sea area in the Pearl River Mouth Basin (PRMB), China. In this study, the effects of deposition processes in submarine canyons and the distribution of gas chimneys on gas hydrate accumulation were investigated using high-resolution two- dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) seismic data. Four intact submarine canyons were identified in the study area. Five deepwater depositional elements are closely related to submarine canyons: lateral accretion packages (LAPs), basal lags, slides, mass transport deposits (MTDs), and turbidity lobes. MTDs and lobes with multiple stages outside the distal canyon mouth reveal that the sedimentary evolution of the canyon was accompanied by frequent sediment gravity flows. Gas chimneys originating from Eocene strata are generally up to 3 km wide and distributed in a lumpy or ban... [more]

In 2022, the record of extreme weather events already includes deep droughts in Sichuan province, China, and California, US; floods inundating a third of Pakistan and serious and repeated flooding in Eastern Australia; heat waves and drought in Europe; and wildfires in Europe and the western US [...]

Squirrel-cage fans are widely applied in air conditioning systems, and their aerodynamic noise mainly related to blade length. The aerodynamic performance and noise spectrum of squirrel-cage fans are synchronously measured in an anechoic wind tunnel. The effect of blade lengths and different geometric configurations on the noise of a squirrel-cage fan is experimentally investigated. This paper focuses on the total sound pressure level and noise spectrum characteristics at different measurement points. Noise distributions of the outlet of the forward squirrel-cage fan exhibited axial-symmetry and large differences for those of vertical direction. In lower fan positions, the noise was greater than that of the top. In particular, it was found that blades were easy to generate higher noise when their length was reduced by 31.7%. The findings suggest that the broadband noise of the squirrel-cage fan should be fully considered for noise reduction. The purpose of this work is to provide a nov... [more]

This is a conference extension of the paper ‘Investigation on the mature storm cloud’s electric field using long airborne antennas’. The use of vertical antennas (including the VEDs—Vertical Electric Dipoles), lifted up by aerostats to high altitudes without being anchored to the ground, presents numerous advantages in comparison with large terrestrial VLF (Very Low Frequency) antenna structures. A slow-moving floating-earth conductor—a vertical wire antenna—is subjected to intense electrification mechanisms in the atmosphere and inside the cloud layers, producing additional risks for the transmitter and the flight train itself. The electrical potential achieved in this process is, therefore, compared with the flashover voltages over the antenna’s upper fixing point, defining the voltage margins at which the VLF transmitter is able to operate. The electrification processes are also compared to the model based on experimental data on the occurrence of corona discharges over a long, vert... [more]

Humankind has an urgent need to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. Such a challenge requires deep transformation of the current energy system in our society. Achieving this goal has given an unprecedented role to decarbonized energy vectors. Electricity is the most consolidated of such vectors, and a molecular vector is in the agenda to contribute in the future to those end uses that are difficult to electrify. Additionally, energy storage is a critical issue for both energy vectors. In this communication, discussion on the status, hopes and perspectives of the hydrogen contribution to decarbonization are presented, emphasizing bottlenecks in key aspects, such as education, reskilling and storage capacity, and some concerns about the development of a flexible portfolio of technologies that could affect the contribution and impact of the whole hydrogen value chain in society. This communication would serve to the debate and boost discussion about the topic.

Heat pipes (HPs) are gaining increasing popularity in the propulsion motors of transportation electrification due to their remarkable thermal properties. However, the inclination angle affects the HP thermal performance and, thus, results in temperature nonuniformity, which may generate unbalanced thermal stress on the motor. Such an issue has received less attention to date and requires corresponding solutions. This article performs an experimental investigation on motor temperature nonuniformity with HPs and further proposes an improved structure to address this problem. A specimen based on a stator-winding assembly with HPs is prepared and a dedicated experimental platform is established. Then, the temperature distribution across the specimen is studied, followed by an evaluation of the effects of current density and wind velocity. To compensate for the degradation of HP thermal performance, an improved structure with enlarged fins is proposed, and the equilibrium point is determine... [more]

Hydrocarbon fluid migration through faulted cap rocks was determined by comparing the maximum connected thickness of cap rocks required for hydrocarbon fluid migration and the actual values, since cap rocks are important in the study of hydrocarbon fluid distribution in petroliferous basins based on its migration mechanism(s). The maximum connected thickness required was identified by comparing the cap rocks, fault displacement, and oil/gas distribution. The hydrocarbon fluid at the Putaohua reservoir migrated to the overlying Saertu and Heidimiao reservoirs in the Bayan Chagan Area, northern Songliao Basin. This was predicted to demonstrate the validity of the method. The results show that the adjusted Putaohua oil reservoir was distributed near the Talahai fault and Bayanchagan fault, rather than the Gulong sag in the southwest of the study area, where oil migrated vertically through the Sapu cap rocks to the overlying Saertu reservoir. Thick mudstone cap rocks in the second member o... [more]

GPS has become an attractive feature for geolocalization enabling asset tracking IoT devices. GPS satellite antennas radiate RHCP (right-hand circularly polarized) electromagnetic waves; thus, the typical antenna at the receiver is also RHCP. However, when the orientation of the receiving device is random, linear polarization antennas operate better in terms of TTFF (time to first fix). Through field measurements (urban and field) and considering different positions of the device in a vehicle, an RHCP microstrip patch antenna and a linear non-resonant antenna element called an antenna booster were compared. TTFF averaged for several positions was 7 s better for the linearly polarized antenna booster than for the microstrip RHCP patch antenna. The results demonstrate that the behavior of the linear polarization antenna booster technology is more robust in terms of TTFF to the arbitrary position of the IoT device while keeping a small size and simplicity.sdf

Hybrid donor extractants are a promising class of compounds for the separation of trivalent actinides and lanthanides. In this paper, we present a new ligand from the bipyridyl-dicarboxylic acid diamide family—N,N’-diethyl-N,N’-bis(2,4,5-trimethylphenyl)-[2,2’-bipyridine]-6,6’-dicarboxamide. The synthesis of N-ethyl-2,4,5-trimethylaniline from pseudocumene by selective acetylation is presented. The target ligand was obtained using this aminylene. Chemical synthesis of its complexes with Ln(NO3)3 and their spectroscopic analysis showed that the structure of the complexes is near to the corresponding structures of well-known di-methylated dianilides. A series of studies on the photophysical, complexing, and extraction properties of this ligand and its complexes were carried out. It was shown that the extraction system based on this ligand can selectively isolate americium from the solution of high-level waste imitator.