In this paper, a new solution to improve the traditional control operation of raceway microalgae reactors is presented. The control strategy is based on an event-based method that can be easily coupled to a classical time-driven proportional-integral controller, simplifying the design process approach. The results of a standard Proportional-Integral (PI) controller, as well as of two event-based architectures, are presented in simulation and compared with each other and with traditional On/Off control. It is demonstrated that the event-based PI controller—operating during the whole day instead of only during daytime—achieves a better performance by reducing the actuator effort and saving costs related to gas consumption.

Double-suction centrifugal pumps are widely used in industrial and agricultural applications since their flow rate is twice that of single-suction pumps with the same impeller diameter. They usually run for longer, which makes them susceptible to cavitation, putting the downstream components at risk. A fast approach to predicting the Net Positive Suction Head required was applied to perform a multi-objective optimization on the double-suction centrifugal pump. An L32 (84) orthogonal array was designed to evaluate 8 geometrical parameters at 4 levels each. A two-layer feedforward neural network and genetic algorithm was applied to solve the multi-objective problem into pareto solutions. The results were validated by numerical simulation and compared to the original design. The suction performance was improved by 7.26%, 3.9%, 4.5% and 3.8% at flow conditions 0.6Qd, 0.8Qd, 1.0Qd and 1.2Qd respectively. The efficiency increased by 1.53% 1.0Qd and 1.1% at 0.8Qd. The streamline on the blade... [more]

Silver nanoparticle-based crystalline conductive films were synthesized using a simple and environmentally friendly method centered on chemical reduction. A stoichiometric balance of three different molecular weights of polyethylene glycol (PEG) was used as a capping agent. Resistivity, and its correlation with temperature and the particle size of nanoparticle films, was probed. The silver nanoparticles were characterized using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM). Further silver films deposited on a glass substrate were characterized by FESEM, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and resistivity measurements. Particle size distribution and room temperature electrical conductivity were also investigated. The high conductivity of sintered films suggested applications for the ink-jet printing of electronic circuitry on thermally sensitive substrates.

Transmission congestion not only increases the operation risk, but also reduces the operation efficiency of power systems. Applying a quasi-dynamic thermal rating (QDR) to the transmission congestion alarm system can effectively alleviate transmission congestion. In this paper, according to the heat balance equation under the IEEE standard, a calculation method of QDR is proposed based on the threshold of meteorological parameters under 95% confidence level, which is determined by statistical analysis of seven-year meteorological data in Weihai, China. The QDR of transmission lines is calculated at different time scales. A transmission congestion management model based on QDR is established, and the transmission congestion alarm system including conductor temperature judgment is proposed. The case shows that transmission congestion management based on QDR is feasible, which improves the service life and operation flexibility of the power grid in emergencies and avoids power supply shor... [more]

The demand for noble metals is increasing, owing to their excellent chemical and physical properties. In order to meet the demand, the recovery of noble metals with high purity from diverse secondary resources, which contain small amounts of noble metals, is of immense value. In this work, the possibility of the separation of Au(III), Pd(II), Pt(IV), Rh(III), and Ir(IV) by solvent extraction from a synthetic HCl solution is investigated. Only Au(III) was selectively extracted by Cyanex 272 in the HCl concentration range from 0.5 M to 9 M, leaving the other metal ions in the raffinate. The loaded Au(III) in Cyanex 272 was efficiently stripped by (NH2)2CS. The other four noble metals were sequentially separated on the basis of the procedures reported in the previous work. The mass balance showed that about 98% of each metal, except Pt(IV), was recovered by the proposed process. An efficient process for the recovery of the five noble metal ions from the HCl leaching solution of secondary... [more]

Saline water treatment has become increasingly important for drinking water supplies. The aim of this study was to evaluate the ability of the electrocoagulation (EC) process with combined aluminum electrodes in removing various types of salt from water samples collected at Sawa Lake, Al-Muthanna, Iraq. The targeted types of salt include total dissolved solids (TDS), chloride salt (Cl−), bromine (Br−), and sulphate (SO42−). A bench scale consisting of combined EC configurations with static electrodes was employed under combined electrical connections. The effect of the six variables factors, such as applied current density (I), reaction time (RT), pH, temperature (T), stirring speed (Mrpm) and inter electrode distance (IED) were observed to achieve a higher removal of TDS, Cl−, Br− and SO42−. Initial results showed the following optimum operating conditions: I = 2 mA/cm2, RT = 80 min, pH = 8, T = 25 °C, IED = 1 cm and Mrpm = 500. The maximum removal efficiency of TDS, Cl−, Br− and SO42... [more]

To make full use of the flexible charging and discharging capabilities of the growing number of electric vehicles (EVs), a bidding strategy for EV aggregators to participate in a day-ahead electricity energy market is proposed in this work. The proposed bidding strategy is able to reduce the operating cost of the EV aggregators and to handle the uncertainties of day-ahead market prices properly at the same time. Agreements between the EV owners and the aggregators are discussed, and a hierarchical market structure is proposed. While assuming the aggregators as economic rational entities, the bidding strategy is established based on the market prices, extra battery charging/discharging costs and the expected profits. The bidding clearing system will display the current/temporal market clearance results of the day-ahead market before the final clearance, and hence the market participants can revise their bids and mitigate the risks, to some extent, of forecasted market price forecast err... [more]

An innovative computationally efficient method for the simultaneous determination of top dead centre (TDC) offset and pressure offset is presented. It is based on characteristic deviations of the rate of heat release (ROHR) that are specific for both offsets in compression phase and expansion phase after the end of combustion. These characteristic deviations of the ROHR are derived from first principles and they were also confirmed through manual shifts of the pressure trace. The ROHR is calculated based on the first law of thermodynamics using an in-cylinder pressure trace, engine geometrical parameters and operating point specific parameters. The method can be applied in off-line analyses using an averaged pressure trace or in on-line analyses using a single pressure trace. In both application areas the method simultaneously determines the TDC position and the pressure offset within a single processing of the pressure trace, whereas a second refinement step can be performed for obtai... [more]

Outdoor lighting is an essential service for modern life. However, the high influence of this type of facility on energy consumption makes it necessary to take extra care in the design phase. Therefore, this manuscript describes an algorithm to help light designers to get, in an easy way, the best configuration parameters and to improve energy efficiency, while ensuring a minimum level of overall uniformity. To make this possible, we used a particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm. These algorithms are well established, and are simple and effective to solve optimization problems. To take into account the most influential parameters on lighting and energy efficiency, 500 simulations were performed using DIALux software (4.10.0.2, DIAL, Ludenscheid, Germany). Next, the relation between these parameters was studied using to data mining software. Subsequently, we conducted two experiments for setting parameters that enabled the best configuration algorithm in order to improve efficiency... [more]

Gas hydrate blockage in pipelines during offshore production becomes a major problem with increasing water depth. In this work, a series of experiments on gas hydrate formation in a flow loop was performed with low flow rates of 0.33, 0.66, and 0.88 m/s; the effects of the initial subcooling, flow rate, pressure, and morphology were investigated for methane hydrate formation in the flow loop. The results indicate that the differential pressure drop (ΔP) across two ends of the horizontal straight pipe increases with increasing hydrate concentration at the early stage of gas hydrate formation. When the flow rates of hydrate fluid are low, the higher the subcooling is, the faster the transition of the hydrates macrostructures. Gas hydrates can agglomerate, and sludge hydrates appear at subcoolings of 6.5 and 8.5 °C. The difference between the ΔP values at different flow rates is small, and there is no obvious influence of the flow rates on ΔP. Three hydrate macrostructures were observed:... [more]

As kerogen is the main organic component in shale, the adsorption capacity, diffusion and permeability of the gas in kerogen plays an important role in shale gas production. Based on the molecular model of type II kerogen, an organic nanoporous structure was established. The Grand Canonical Monte Carlo (GCMC) and Molecular Dynamics (MD) methods were used to study the adsorption and diffusion capacity of mixed gas systems with different mole ratios of CO₂ and CH₄ in the foregoing nanoporous structure, and gas adsorption, isosteric heats of adsorption and self-diffusion coefficient were obtained. The selective permeation of gas components in the organic pores was further studied. The results show that CO₂ and CH₄ present physical adsorption in the organic nanopores. The adsorption capacity of CO₂ is larger than that of CH₄ in organic pores, but the self-diffusion coefficient of CH₄ in mixed gas is larger than that of CO₂. Moreover, the self-diffusion coefficient in the horizontal directi... [more]

The uncertain and variable nature of renewable energy sources in modern power systems raises significant challenges in achieving the dual objective of reliable and economically efficient system operation. To address these challenges, advanced scheduling strategies have evolved during the past years, including the co-optimization of energy and reserves under deterministic or stochastic Unit Commitment (UC) modeling frameworks. This paper presents different deterministic and stochastic day-ahead UC formulations, with focus on the determination, allocation and deployment of reserves. An explicit distinction is proposed between the uncertainty and the variability reserve, capturing the twofold nature of renewable generation. The concept of multi-timing scheduling is proposed and applied in all UC policies, which allows for the optimal procurement of such reserves based on intra-hourly (real-time) intervals, when concurrently optimizing energy and commitments over hourly intervals. The day-... [more]

The flashing phenomenon is relevant to nuclear safety analysis, for example by a loss of coolant accident and safety release scenarios. It has been studied intensively by means of experiments and simulations with system codes, but computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation is still at the embryonic stage. Rapid increasing computer speed makes it possible to apply the CFD technology in such complex flow situations. Nevertheless, a thorough evaluation on the limitations and restrictions is still missing, which is however indispensable for reliable application, as well as further development. In the present work, the commonly-used two-fluid model with different mono-disperse assumptions is used to simulate various flashing scenarios. With the help of available experimental data, the results are evaluated, and the limitations are discussed. A poly-disperse method is found necessary for a reliable prediction of mean bubble size and phase distribution. The first attempts to trace the evol... [more]

Ground source heat pumps (GSHPs) are one of the most widespread forms of geothermal energy technology. They utilise the near-constant temperature of the ground below the frost line to achieve energy-efficiencies two or three times that of conventional air-conditioners, consequently allowing a significant offset in electricity demand for space heating and cooling. Relatively mature GSHP markets are established in Europe and North America. GSHP implementation in Australia, however, is limited, due to high capital price, uncertainties regarding optimum designs for the Australian climate, and limited consumer confidence in the technology. Existing GSHP design standards developed in the Northern Hemisphere are likely to lead to suboptimal performance in Australia where demand might be much more cooling-dominated. There is an urgent need to develop Australia’s own GSHP system optimisation principles on top of the industry standards to provide confidence to bring the GSHP market out of its in... [more]

Global solar radiation is generally measured on a horizontal surface, whereas the maximum amount of incident solar radiation is measured on an inclined surface. Over the last decade, a number of models were proposed for predicting solar radiation on inclined surfaces. These models have various scopes; applicability to specific surfaces, the requirement for special measuring equipment, or limitations in scope. To find the most suitable model for a given location the hourly outputs predicted by available models are compared with the field measurements of the given location. The main objective of this study is to review on the estimation of the most accurate model or models for estimating solar radiation components for a selected location, by testing various models available in the literature. To increase the amount of incident solar radiation on photovoltaic (PV) panels, the PV panels are mounted on tilted surfaces. This article also provides an up-to-date status of different optimum til... [more]

In the application of rail transit vehicles, when using typical wireless power transfer (WPT) systems with series⁻series (SS) compensation supply power for supercapacitors, the output current is in an approximately inverse relationship with the duty cycle in a wide range. This renders the typical buck circuit control inappropriate. In order to help resolve the above issues, this paper designs inductor/capacitor/capacitor (LCC) compensation with new compensation parameters, which can achieve an adjustable quasi-constant voltage from the input of the inverter to the output of the rectifier. In addition, the two-port network method is used to analyze the resonant compensation circuit. The analysis shows that LCC compensation is more suitable for the WPT system using the supercapacitor as the energy storage device. In the case of LCC compensation topology combined with the charging characteristics of the supercapacitor, an efficient charging strategy is designed, namely first constant curr... [more]

DC link back-to-back converters are widely used in industrial applications. This interest comes from their power factor unity capability on the utility grid and to maintain regulated output parameters, thanks to the decoupling between the grid and the load side. In this paper, a 150 KVA prototype of DC link back-to-back converter for electrical resistance seam welding applications is described. The focus of the paper is on the control strategy developed to absorb constant power from the three-phase utility grid. The key idea is to allow the voltage on the DC bus to vary in order to avoid the propagation at the input side of the pulsed power required by the load. An estimation procedure of the load parameters is presented too. The effectiveness of this control scheme has been proved by simulations and tests.

State of charge (SOC) and state of health (SOH) are key issues for the application of batteries, especially the absorbent glass mat valve regulated lead-acid (AGM VRLA) type batteries used in the idle stop start systems (ISSs) that are popularly integrated into conventional engine-based vehicles. This is due to the fact that SOC and SOH estimation accuracy is crucial for optimizing battery energy utilization, ensuring safety and extending battery life cycles. The dual extended Kalman filter (DEKF), which provides an elegant and powerful solution, is widely applied in SOC and SOH estimation based on a battery parameter model. However, the battery parameters are strongly dependent on operation conditions such as the SOC, current rate and temperature. In addition, battery parameters change significantly over the life cycle of a battery. As a result, many experimental pretests investigating the effects of the internal and external conditions of a battery on its parameters are required, sin... [more]

It is a great challenge for DC microgrids with stochastic renewable sources and volatility loads to achieve better operation performance. This study proposes an energy management strategy based on multiple operating states for a DC microgrid, which is comprised of a photovoltaic (PV) array, a proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) system, and a battery bank. This proposed strategy can share the power properly and keep the bus voltage steady under different operating states (the state of charge (SOC) of the battery bank, loading conditions, and PV array output power). In addition, a microgrids test platform is established. In order to verify the effectiveness of the proposed energy management strategy, the strategy is implemented in a hardware system and experimentally tested under different operating states. The experimental results illustrate the good performance of the proposed control strategy for the DC microgrid under different scenarios of power generation and load demand.

The exhaustion of natural resources has increased petroleum prices and the environmental impact of oil has stimulated the search for an alternative source of energy such as biodiesel. Waste cooking oil is a potential replacement for vegetable oils in the production of biodiesel. Biodiesel is synthesized by direct transesterification of vegetable oils, which is controlled by several inputs or process variables, including the dosage of catalyst, process temperature, mixing speed, mixing time, humidity and impurities of waste cooking oil that was studied in this case. Yield, turbidity, density, viscosity and higher heating value are considered as outputs. This paper used multi-response surface methodology (MRS) with desirability functions to find the best combination of input variables used in the transesterification reactions to improve the production of biodiesel. In this case, several biodiesel optimization scenarios have been proposed. They are based on a desire to improve the biodies... [more]

With the setting of wind energy harvesting moving from coastal waters to deep waters, the South China Sea has been deemed to offer great potential for the construction of floating wind farms thanks to the abundance of wind energy resources. An engineering model describing the wind profiles and wave spectra specific to the South China Sea conditions, which is the precondition for offshore wind farm construction, has, however, not yet been proposed. In the present study, a series of numerical simulations have been conducted using the Weather Forecast and Research model. Through analyzing the wind and wave information extracted from the numerical simulation results, engineering models to calculate vertical profiles of wind speeds and wave spectra have been postulated. While the present paper focuses on the wind profile model, a companion paper articulates the wave spectrum model. For wind profiles under typhoon conditions, the power-law and log-law models have been found applicable under... [more]

Along with the commercialization of offshore wind energy in China, the South China Sea has been identified as ideal for constructing offshore wind farms, especially for farms consisting of floating wind turbines over deep waters. Since the wind profiles and wave spectra are somewhat primitive for the design of an offshore wind turbine, engineering models describing the wind and wave characteristics in the South China Sea area are necessary for the offshore wind energy exploitation given the meteorological, hydrological, and geographical differences between the South China Sea and the North/Norwegian Sea, where the commonly used wind profile and wave spectrum models were designated. In the present study; a series of numerical simulations were conducted to reveal the wave characteristics in the South China Sea under both typhoon and non-typhoon conditions. By analyzing the simulation results; the applicability of the Joint North Sea Wave Project (JONSWAP) spectrum model; in terms of char... [more]

The adoption of energy efficient electrical appliances by households has a great potential to reduce electricity consumption in Nigeria. A well-formulated and implemented policy (mix) to spur adoption is said to be required to drive this process. This article presents an assessment of policies that aim to spur adoption among households, and the related governance system. The analytical framework used for this analysis is the Governance Assessment Tool (GAT). Data collection involved semi-structured interviews, a review of policy documents, and secondary quantitative data. The results show that policies in Nigeria had little effect in meeting pre-set goals. The governance system was found to be weakly developed due to a lack of policy, the overlapping work of different governmental organizations, a lack of appropriate resources, and a lack of householders’ involvement in agenda-setting and decision-making processes. Current actions mostly depend on local programmes that run via donor ai... [more]

The air/fuel ratio (AFR) regulation for spark-ignition (SI) engines has been an essential and challenging control problem for engineers in the automotive industry. The feed-forward and feedback scheme has been investigated in both academic research and industrial application. The aging effect can often cause an AFR sensor fault in the feedback loop, and the AFR control performance will degrade consequently. In this research, a new control scheme on AFR with fault-tolerance is proposed by using an artificial neural network model based on fault detection and compensation, which can provide the satisfactory AFR regulation performance at the stoichiometric value for the combustion process, given a certain level of misreading of the AFR sensor.

Improving the estimation accuracy for the energy consumption of electric vehicles (EVs) would greatly contribute to alleviating the range anxiety of drivers and serve as a critical basis for the planning, operation, and management of charging infrastructures. To address the challenges in energy consumption estimation encountered due to sparse Global Positioning System (GPS) observations, an estimation model is proposed that considers both the kinetic characteristics from sparse GPS observations and the unique attributes of EVs: (1) work opposing the rolling resistance; (2) aerodynamic friction losses; (3) energy consumption/generation depending on the grade of the route; (4) auxiliary load consumption; and (5) additional energy losses arising from the unstable power output of the electric motor. Two quantities, the average energy consumption per kilometer and the energy consumption for an entire trip, were focused on and compared for model fitness, parameter, and effectiveness, and the... [more]