batterydata/paper-abstracts huggingface dataset:
Hierarchical, nanostructured copper oxide spheres were synthesized in a stirred solution of cupric acetate and ammonium hydroxide. Cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) was used as a surfactant to modify the surface morphology of CuO spheres. Ordered nano-needle arrays can be formed on the surface of the CuO spheres (instead of disordered nano-leaves) in the presence of CTAB. Each CuO sphere is about 2μm in diameter and possesses a large number of nano-needles that are about 20–40nm in width and more than 300nm in length. The needle-like hierarchical structure can greatly increase the contact area between CuO and electrolyte, which provides more sites for Li+ accommodation, shortens the diffusion length of Li+ and enhances the reactivity of electrode reaction, especially at high rates. After 50 cycles, the reversible capacity of the prepared needle-like CuO can sustain 62.4% and 56.4% of the 2nd cycle at a rate of 0.1C and 1C, respectively.
Among seabirds, alcids are particularly sensitive to bycatch in fisheries and oil pollution, yet their distribution at sea remains scarcely known in most of their breeding areas. GPS telemetry data of fifteen individuals of alcids (5 Razorbills 6 Common Murres and 4 Puffins) were analyzed to determine their distribution during the breeding period of 2016 at Saint Pierre and Miquelon Archipelago (SPM). Two analytical methods (threshold and a switching state-space model) were used to identify behavioral modes and foraging areas. We compared foraging movements and estimated the overlap between the species. Distribution and foraging covered an area located between SPM and Newfoundland. Our results revealed that the three species headed northward of their breeding colony, targeting coastal waters. Nonetheless, the three species differed in their habitat distribution as well as in their space-use sharing. There was limited overlap between the foraging zones of the three species and a gillnet fishery targeting Atlantic salmon. Identifying alcids habitat use is imperative to the successful management and survival of these marine species especially since the distribution areas coincide with fishing pressure.
NiO nanowalls are directly grown on porous Ni foam via a facile electrochemical corrosion method and subsequent annealing, which show excellent cycle stability and rate capability as anode for lithium ion batteries. It delivers initial discharge and charge capacity of 1029 and 761 mAh g−1 at 0.15C, maintaining of 721 and 704 mAh g−1 after 100 cycles. After 60 cycles at various rates from 0.06 to 10C, the discharge capacity of the NiO/Ni can gradually restore when lowering the charge/discharge, finally arriving at 745 mAh g−1 after 30 cycles at 0.06C. The excellent electrochemical performance of the NiO/Ni electrode is relevant to a novel electrochemical reconstruction in cycling, which can be described as the initial formation of a large number of nanosized particles and the subsequent reassembly of these nanoparticles into a unique porous architecture.
This article examines the subjective antecedents of life satisfaction of workers. Adopting a ‘bottom-up’ perspective, we assessed the unique influence that satisfaction with multiple life domains have on evaluative judgments of overall life satisfaction. Based on a nationwide sample of 530 Chilean workers, we simultaneously tested the effects of seven life domain satisfactions that have been consistently included in extant models of life satisfaction and subjective well-being. These were satisfaction with health, financial situation, social relationships, one’s self-worth, leisure-time, family, and work. Having controlled for age and gender, results showed that satisfaction with one’s financial situation was the dominant predictor of overall life satisfaction of workers, with a weight of .36. Satisfaction with family, work, and health had effects of .25, .14, and .14, respectively. Interestingly, satisfaction with one’s self-worth, leisure-time, and social relationships did not have statistically significant effects on life satisfaction, although the first two showed t values near the critical value.
In this work, we present a simple and cost-effective method to form a dual-scale porous electrode by KOH activation of the fibers of carbon papers. The large pores (∼10 μm), formed between carbon fibers, serve as the macroscopic pathways for high electrolyte flow rates, while the small pores (∼5 nm), formed on carbon fiber surfaces, act as active sites for rapid electrochemical reactions. It is shown that the Brunauer-Emmett-Teller specific surface area of the carbon paper is increased by a factor of 16 while maintaining the same hydraulic permeability as that of the original carbon paper electrode. We then apply the dual-scale electrode to a vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB) and demonstrate an energy efficiency ranging from 82% to 88% at current densities of 200–400 mA cm−2, which is record breaking as the highest performance of VRFB in the open literature.
When the thoracic spinal cord is transected on postnatal day (PD) 5 in the North American opossum, descending and ascending axons grow through the lesion site. When the lesion is made on PD20, comparable growth is limited to a subset of descending axons. To better understand the mechanisms underlying these differences, we analyzed the transection site at different times after lesioning at both ages. Axons which crossed the lesion site could be identified using silver impregnation and immunostaining for neurofilament. Nissl stains revealed that abnormal appearing grey matter was also present in some of the PD5 cases. In many PD5 cases, however, and in all of the animals transected at PD20, grey matter was not present at the lesion site. Immunostaining with a neuron specific antibody supported that conclusion. However, immunostaining with phenotypic specific antibodies revealed that glial cells were present in all cases. Immunostaining for Schwann cells was negative. Fibronectin-positive cells were also present at the lesion site after transection of the thoracic cord at PD20, but their identity was uncertain. When injections of bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU), a thymidine analog, were made at different times after lesioning and the pups were sacrificed for BrdU immunohistochemistry up to 40 days later, labeled cells were found in the tissue which bridged the lesion site indicating that cell proliferation contributed to reconstruction at the lesion site.
Raw material supply is essential for all industrial activities. The use of secondary raw material gains more importance since ore grade in primary production is decreasing. Meanwhile urban stock contains considerable amounts of various elements. Photovoltaic (PV) generating systems are part of the urban stock and recycling technologies for PV thin film modules with CdTe as semiconductor are needed because cadmium could cause hazardous environmental impact and tellurium is a scarce element where future supply might be constrained. The paper describes a sequence of mechanical processing techniques for end-of-life PV thin film modules consisting of sandblasting and flotation. Separation of the semiconductor material from the glass surface was possible, however, enrichment and yield of valuables in the flotation step were non-satisfying. Nevertheless, recovery of valuable metals from urban stock is a viable method for the extension of the availability of limited natural resources.
In this work, we report on superior coplanar micro-supercapacitors (MSCs) where single-wall carbon nanotube (SWNT)/carbon and SWNT/carbon/MnO2 are employed as the current collectors and hybrid electrodes, respectively. A composite of high dense SWNT network and photoresist is firstly patterned on the substrate and a followed carbonization process converts the photoresist into amorphous carbon to form the SWNT/carbon current collectors which demonstrates good conductivity and superior electrochemical performance. In addition, MnO2 nanostructures are uniformly grown on the carbon collectors to significantly increase the specific capacitance of the MSCs. It is found that the MSCs with SWNT/carbon/MnO2 hybrid electrodes show an excellent electrochemical performance with a high stack capacitance of 20.4Fcm−3 and an outstanding cycling performance, i.e., 92.4% of the initial capacitance after 5000 cycles. In addition, the as-prepared hybrid electrodes could be transferred to a soft substrate so that the designed coplanar MSCs can serve as a power source to be integrated with flexible microelectronic devices.
For archipelagic states such as the Philippines, it is important to evaluate centralized and decentralized approaches to electricity supply to ensure that the many and far-flung islands receive affordable, reliable and sustainable electricity. This study compares the feasibility of (I) submarine cable interconnection and (II) renewable energy based hybrid system development for 132 islands. For (I), we conduct a geospatial analysis and use an algorithm to compute the optimized grid outline, taking into account bathymetric models. For (II) we apply an optimization tool that computes for each island the least-cost power generation option, taking into account diesel generator, solar photovoltaic systems, battery storage, and electricity demand. The results indicate that a grid extension of 2239 km submarine cable and 1752 km land cable would be required to connect all of the islands considered. The overall investment under the given cost assumptions amounts to more than 3 billion USD for submarine cable interconnection and more than 700 million USD for a hybridized system development. Nevertheless, submarine cable interconnection is the most economically feasible option for 35 islands and can reduce power generation costs by up to 0.21 USD/kWh. A sensitivity analysis reveals that submarine cable interconnection remains the cost-effective option for most of the identified islands, even with costs increasing by 90%. This study gives an initial assessment of centralized and decentralized electricity supply strategies, and finds renewable energy based hybrid systems most feasible for the majority of islands, and submarine cable interconnection more promising for a few larger islands.
BiOCl micro-assembles appearing spherical and plate-like in shape consisting of ultrafine nanoplates were successfully synthesized by a simple hydrothermal method. The obtained BiOCl micro-assembles were characterized as oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) catalyst for air electrode of aluminum air batteries by using linear polarization and constant-current discharge techniques. The effect of precursor concentration on the electrochemical properties of the air electrodes based on the synthesized BiOCl micro-assembles was intensively investigated. The results demonstrated that the BiOCl catalyst exhibited promising ORR performance. Koutecky–Levich analysis indicated that a two-electron reaction was favored for the ORR mechanism of the BiOCl (0.18) sample.
Previous research indicates that behavioral performance in simple probability learning tasks can be organized into response strategy classifications that are thought to predict important personal characteristics and individual differences. Typically, relatively small proportion of subjects can be identified as optimizers for effectively exploiting the environment and choosing the more rewarding stimulus nearly all of the time. In contrast, the vast majority of subjects behaves sub-optimally and adopts the matching or super-matching strategy, apportioning their responses in a way that matches or slightly exceeds the probabilities of reinforcement. In the present study, we administered a two-choice probability learning paradigm to 51 individuals with schizophrenia (SZ) and 29 healthy controls (NC) to examine whether there are differences in the proportion of subjects falling into these response strategy classifications, and to determine whether task performance is differentially associated with symptom severity and neuropsychological functioning. Although the sample of SZ patients did not differ from NC in overall rate of learning or end performance, significant clinical differences emerged when patients were divided into optimizing, super-matching and matching subgroups based upon task performance. Patients classified as optimizers, who adopted the most advantageous learning strategy, exhibited higher levels of positive and negative symptoms than their matching and super-matching counterparts. Importantly, when both positive and negative symptoms were considered together, only negative symptom severity was a significant predictor of whether a subject would behave optimally, with each one standard deviation increase in negative symptoms increasing the odds of a patient being an optimizer by as much as 80%. These data provide a rare example of a greater clinical impairment being associated with better behavioral performance.
Electrical stimulation is emerging as a viable alternative for patients with epilepsy whose seizures are not alleviated by drugs or surgery. Its attractions are temporal and spatial specificity of action, flexibility of waveform parameters and timing, and the perception that its effects are reversible unlike resective surgery. However, despite significant advances in our understanding of mechanisms of neural electrical stimulation, clinical electrotherapy for seizures relies heavily on empirical tuning of parameters and protocols. We highlight concurrent treatment goals with potentially conflicting design constraints that must be resolved when formulating rational strategies for epilepsy electrotherapy, namely, seizure reduction versus cognitive impairment, stimulation efficacy versus tissue safety, and mechanistic insight versus clinical pragmatism. First, treatment markers, objectives, and metrics relevant to electrical stimulation for epilepsy are discussed from a clinical perspective. Then the experimental perspective is presented, with the biophysical mechanisms and modalities of open-loop electrical stimulation, and the potential benefits of closed-loop control for epilepsy.
An economic design for an alkaline zinc-anode flow-assisted battery without membrane separators was tested at grid-scale of 25 kWh with a string of thirty 833 Wh cells in series, and also at bench scale with individual 28 Wh cells. The bench-scale tests allowed optimization of parameters such as electrolyte flow, choice of hardware material, electrolyte composition, and charge/discharge protocol. The best-performing bench scale cell cycled for over 3300 cycles with energy efficiency above 80%, and was selected as the design basis for scale-up to the 25 kWh battery string. Testing of the grid-scale string demonstrated 1000+ cycles with round trip energy efficiency above 80%. Two challenges observed at the bench scale were overcome for successful scale-up, namely a) passivation of the anode surface, which occurred when the anode experienced voltages 100 mV above zinc's rest voltage, and b) zinc particulates that jammed the gap between the electrodes and caused cathode degradation and passivation of the anode surface. Best practices to overcome these challenges and achieve long cycle life are presented.
In the Mediterranean region, there are many drip irrigation systems with pumps that are powered by diesel generator sets (gensets). Although they could be powered by renewable energy produced on-site, technical and economic factors make that difficult. Moreover, the seasonal nature of demand requires an oversizing of energy generation and/or storage, increasing system costs. In this paper, we sought renewable energy systems that were economically optimal. We focused on six farming facility case studies to find the optimal energy generation solution using a simulation and optimization tool based on genetic algorithms. Photovoltaic-diesel hybrids and diesel systems were found to be optimal, with energy costs from 0.13 to 1.08 €/kWh and from 0.32 to 0.52 €/kWh, respectively. The strong effect of demand management was an interesting finding, as it may indicate significant system size and cost reductions. In addition, the optimum photovoltaic fixed tilt angles depended not only on the seasonal profile of the demand, but also on the pumping schedule. Although the difference between market interest rates and the rise of fuel prices strongly influences the advantage of incorporating, or not, renewable generation, this study supports that hybrid photovoltaic-diesel systems can make profitable use of renewable energy in drip irrigation.
This paper investigates phenomena related to water condensation behavior inside a polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC), and analyzes the effects of liquid water and gas flow on the performance of the fuel cell. A method for simultaneous measurements of the local current density across the reaction area and direct observation of the phenomena in the cell are developed. Experimental results comparing separator types indicate the effect of shortcut flow in the gas diffusion layer (GDL) under the land areas of serpentine separators, and also show the potential of straight channel separators to achieve a relatively uniform current density distribution. To evaluate shortcut flows under the land areas of serpentine separators, a simple circuit model of the gas flow is presented. The analysis shows that slight variations in oxygen concentration caused by the shortcut flows under the land areas affect the local and overall current density distributions. It is also shown that the establishment of gas paths under the water in channels filled with condensed water is effective for stable operation at low flow rates of air in the straight channels.
Despite the growing importance of cities in climate change mitigation, there remains a dearth of rigorous analysis to inform municipal climate policies and mitigation strategies. Our study addresses this gap in the literature. We develop an energy system optimization model for urban-scale decarbonization, and use it to analyze the Community Climate Plan adopted by Austin, Texas. Austin is a valuable testbed for analysis because it is a member of the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group and its goal of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 is particularly ambitious. We find that this policy objective can be achieved at a modest 2.7% increase in net present power and transportation costs relative to business-as-usual. The optimal decarbonization pathway proceeds through two distinct stages, first reducing power sector emissions, then electrifying transportation. Solar PV expands in the long run with or without the climate plan based on favorable cost projections, but the policy causes wind to replace natural gas as a complement to solar PV. Results also highlight the substantial value of intelligently scheduled battery storage operations and electric vehicle charging.
The preparation of LiCo y Mn x Ni1−x−y O2 from LiOH·H2O, Ni(OH)2 and γ-MnOOH in air was studied in detail. Single-phase LiCo y Mn x Ni1−x−y O2 (0≦y≦0.3 and x=0.2) is obtained by heating at 830–900°C. The optimum heating temperatures are 850°C for y=0–0.1 and 900°C for y=0.2–0.3. Excess lithium (1≦z≦1.11 for y=0.2) and the Co doping level (0.05≦y≦0.2) do not significantly affect the discharge capacity of Li z Co y Mn0.2Ni0.8−y O2. The doping of Co into LiMn0.2Ni0.8O2 accelerates the oxidation of the transition metal ion, and suppresses partial cation mixing. Since the valence of the manganese ion in LiMn0.2Ni0.8O2 is determined to be 4, the formation of a solid solution between LiCo y Ni1−y O2 and Li2MnO3 is confirmed.
The future wearable/portable electronics need flexible power sources with higher storage capability. Lithium-sulfur (Li-S) battery is very promising for the development of next-generation high-energy battery due to its ultra-high theoretical capacity. However, the development of flexible Li-S battery has been plagued by its fast capacity decay and lack of suitable flexible substrates. Herein, a conductive activated cotton textile (ACT) with porous tubular structure was first derived from natural cotton textile to load sulfur, which was further wrapped with partially reduced graphene oxide (ACT/S-rGO) to immobilize lithium polysulfides. Meanwhile, the partially reduced graphene oxide nanosheets could be served as a conductive coating, which further mitigated the poor conductivity of sulfur and enabled fast electron transportation along ACT fibers. Furthermore, a KOH-activated ACT with micropore size distribution was inserted between cathode and separator to mitigate the “shuttle effect” of polysulfides. Finally, the assembled ACT/S-rGO cathode with porous ACT interlayer exhibited an exceptional rate capability and durable cyclic performance (with a well-retained capacity of ∼1016mAhg−1 even after 200 cycles). A flexible Li-S cell with ACT/S-rGO as a cathode was also assembled to demonstrate its superior potential as flexible power sources for future wearable electronic devices.
Research on batteries is at the crossroads. The research goal of Li-ion batteries is laser-focused, which is to push the performance limits of electrodes and electrolytes for an ever-higher energy density. However, the primary evaluation metric of storage batteries is the levelized energy cost, and there may exist several routes to reach a cost target. Therefore, it becomes urgent for researchers to have a roadmap for this new paradigm of storage batteries. In this article, I describe five dimensions of storage battery research from a chemical reaction point of view, where electrode materials and ion charge carriers represent the reactants, electrolytes provide the medium for the reaction, battery operation principles describe the configurations of the reactors, and electrode–ion chemical bonding reveals the nature of the reaction. The permutations of these five dimensions create 10 unique research planes, and the research activities on Li-ion batteries have been in one such plane: electrode materials × electrolytes. For Li-ion batteries, the electrode–ion interactions are largely taken as purely ionic; in contrast, the electrode–ion interplays may be to a large extent of donor–acceptor covalency when charge carriers are no longer small metal cations. Covalent-ionic bonding in batteries may represent the nexus to engender a constellation of new solutions in energy storage. Design of storage batteries entails a panoramic view with these five dimensions holistically considered. A deeper understanding of the chemical reaction nature of batteries will be advantage that unifies rather than compartmentalizes a paradigm of storage battery research.
Vanadium redox flow batteries (VRFBs) with their high flexibility in configuration and operation, as well as long cycle life are competent for the requirement of future energy storage systems. Nevertheless, due to the application of perfluorinated membranes, VRFBs are plagued by not only the severe migration issue of vanadium ions, but also their high cost. Herein, we fabricate semi-interpenetrating polymer networks (SIPNs), consisting of cross-linked polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) and polysulfone (PSF), as alternative membranes for VRFBs. It is demonstrated that the PVP-based SIPNs exhibit extremely low vanadium permeabilities, which contribute to the well-established hydrophilic/hydrophobic microstructures and the Donnan exclusion effect. As a result, the coulombic efficiencies of VRFBs with PVP-based SIPNs reach almost 100% at 40 mA cm−2 to 100 mA cm−2; the energy efficiencies are more than 3% higher than those of VRFBs with Nafion 212. More importantly, the PVP-based SIPNs exhibit a superior chemical stability, as demonstrated both by an ex situ immersion test and continuously cycling test. Hence, all the characterizations and performance tests reported here suggest that PVP-based SIPNs are a promising alternative membrane for redox flow batteries to achieve superior cell performance and excellent cycling stability at the fraction of the cost of perfluorinated membranes.