bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Factors Affecting Route Selection of Balloon-Assisted Enteroscopy in Patients with Obscure Gastrointestinal Bleeding: A KASID Multicenter Study
Authors: Baek Dong Hoon , Hwang Seonyeong , Eun Chang Soo , Jeon Seong Ran , Kim Jinsu , Kim Eun Ran , Yang Dong-Hoon , Jang Hyun Joo , Im Jong Pil , Park Soo Jung , Jung Sung Hoon
Published: October 2021

Balloon-assisted enteroscopy (BAE) is an important diagnostic modality for ongoing obscure gastrointestinal bleeding (OGIB). However, it is difficult to determine the optimal insertion route. We retrospectively analyzed the records of patients with OGIB contained in a multicenter enteroscopy database of 1108 balloon-assisted enteroscopy (BAE) procedures (875 patients) to find out factors affecting BAE route selection in patients with OGIB. A total of 603 BAE procedures in 512 patients were investigated: there were 392 (65.0%) bidirectional and 211 (35.0%) unidirectional procedures. Overt OGIB was more frequent in the latter group (p = 0.024). Computed tomography (CT) was more frequently performed in the unidirectional group (p < 0.001). Capsule endoscopy and a small bowel barium study were performed more frequently in the bidirectional group (p < 0.001 and p = 0.039, respectively). Multivariate analysis showed that occult OGIB, capsule endoscopy and a small bowel barium study were independently associated with use of the bidirectional approach (p = 0.011, p = 0.013 and p = 0.046, respectively). Conversely, CT was associated with use of the unidirectional approach (p < 0.001). Conclusion: CT can aid the selection of an optimal insertion route in OGIB patients. However, capsule endoscopy and small bowel barium study are unhelpful.
Dissipation-Dependent Thermal Escape from a Potential Well
Authors: Cheng Chungho , Cirillo Matteo , Grønbech-Jensen Niels
Published: October 2021

Langevin simulations are conducted to investigate the Josephson escape statistics over a large set of parameter values for damping and temperature. The results are compared to both Kramers and Büttiker–Harris–Landauer (BHL) models, and good agreement is found with the Kramers model for high to moderate damping, while the BHL model provides further good agreement down to lower damping values. However, for extremely low damping, even the BHL model fails to reproduce the progression of the escape statistics. In order to explain this discrepancy, we develop a new model which shows that the bias sweep effectively cools the system below the thermodynamic value as the potential well broadens due to the increasing bias. A simple expression for the temperature is derived, and the model is validated against direct Langevin simulations for extremely low damping values.
An Improved Slice Reconciliation Protocol for Continuous-Variable Quantum Key Distribution
Authors: Wen Xuan , Li Qiong , Mao Haokun , Wen Xiaojun , Chen Nan
Published: October 2021

Reconciliation is an essential procedure for continuous-variable quantum key distribution (CV-QKD). As the most commonly used reconciliation protocol in short-distance CV-QKD, the slice error correction (SEC) allows a system to distill more than 1 bit from each pulse. However, the quantization efficiency is greatly affected by the noisy channel with a low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), which usually limits the secure distance to about 30 km. In this paper, an improved SEC protocol, named Rotated-SEC (RSEC), is proposed through performing a random orthogonal rotation on the raw data before quantization, and deducing a new estimator for the quantized sequences. Moreover, the RSEC protocol is implemented with polar codes. The experimental results show that the proposed protocol can reach up to a quantization efficiency of about 99%, and maintain at around 96% even at the relatively low SNRs (0.5,1), which theoretically extends the secure distance to about 45 km. When implemented with the polar codes with a block length of 16 Mb, the RSEC achieved a reconciliation efficiency of above 95%, which outperforms all previous SEC schemes. In terms of finite-size effects, we achieved a secret key rate of 7.83×10−3 bits/pulse at a distance of 33.93 km (the corresponding SNR value is 1). These results indicate that the proposed protocol significantly improves the performance of SEC and is a competitive reconciliation scheme for the CV-QKD system.
Alien Attack: A Non-Pharmaceutical Complement for ADHD Treatment
Authors: Ahufinger Sofia , Herrero-Martín Pilar
Published: October 2021

Mental health issues are among the most common health issues nowadays, with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) being the most common neurobehavioral disorder affecting children and adolescents. ADHD is a heterogeneous disease affecting patients in various cognitive domains that play a key role in daily life, academic development, and social abilities. Furthermore, ADHD affects not only patients but also their families and their whole environment. Although the main treatment is based on pharmacotherapy, combined therapies including cognitive training and psychological therapy are often recommended. In this paper, we propose a user-centered application called Alien Attack for cognitive training of children with ADHD, based on working memory, inhibitory control, and reaction-time tasks, to be used as a non-pharmacological complement for ADHD treatment in order to potentiate the patients’ executive functions (EFs) and promote some beneficial effects of therapy.
Integration of Ensemble GoogLeNet and Modified Deep Residual Networks for Short-Term Load Forecasting
Authors: Ding Aijia , Liu Tingzhang , Zou Xue
Published: October 2021

Due to the strong volatility of the electrical load and the defect of a time-consuming problem, in addition to overfitting existing in published forecasting methods, short-term electrical demand is difficult to forecast accurately and robustly. Given the excellent capability of weight sharing and feature extraction for convolution, a novel hybrid method based on ensemble GoogLeNet and modified deep residual networks for short-term load forecasting (STLF) is proposed to address these issues. Specifically, an ensemble GoogLeNet with dense block structure is used to strengthen feature extraction ability and generalization capability. Meanwhile, a group normalization technique is used to normalize outputs of the previous layer. Furthermore, a modified deep residual network is introduced to alleviate a vanishing gradient problem in order to improve the forecasting results. The proposed model is also adopted to conduct probabilistic load forecasting with Monte Carlo Dropout. Two acknowledged public datasets are used to evaluate the performance of the proposed methodology. Multiple experiments and comparisons with existing state-of-the-art models show that this method achieves accurate prediction results, strong generalization capability, and satisfactory coverages for different prediction intervals, along with reducing operation times.
Correction: Balasubramanian et al. Approximate Array Multipliers. Electronics 2021, 10, 630
Authors: Balasubramanian Padmanabhan , Nayar Raunaq , Maskell Douglas L.
Published: October 2021

The authors wish to correct the mistakes in Figures 3a and 4a,b of the article [...]
Wireless Power Transfer Systems Optimization Using Multiple Magnetic Couplings
Authors: Niculae Dragoș Marin , Stanculescu Marilena , Deleanu Sorin , Iordache Mihai , Bobaru Lavinia
Published: October 2021

Multiple magnetic couplings used to increase the link distance in wireless power transfer systems (WPTSs) are not new. An efficient power transfer in conditions of an extended link distance requires a series connection of the intermediate coils. However, all four connections of the emitter and receiver coils are equally possible. This present paper conducts an extensive analysis of WPTSs utilizing three magnetic couplings. The type of connection of the emitter and receiver coils represented the criterion utilized for the WPTS optimization assessment. The first step requires the determination of the schematic of the sinusoidal equivalent circuit. Then, one synthesizes the functions describing the system performances (e.g., the amount of delivered active power or efficiency) by applying the entirely symbolic and or the hybrid symbolic-numerical formalism. The output of such functions consists of appropriate representation in the frequency domain, based upon Laplace state variable equations (SVE) or complex or Laplace modified nodal equations (MNE). The dependency of the WPTS performance on the number of magnetic couplings and their parameters included a study on resistive loss minimization. The minimization applies to the intermediate coils, whereas the outcomes are the active delivered power and the power transfer efficiency—the first study case aimed at a comparison between two distinct WPTSs: three magnetic couplings versus two. The second case of the study compared the WPTSs having a series connection of three magnetic couplings with those built with the emitter-receiver resonators in parallel. One determined the normalized sensitivities as frequency functions, which depend on circuit resistances, load resistance and the coupling factor between the second and the third coil. The optimization algorithms are suitable for computing optimal parameters of the given circuit to ensure maximum and minimum values of the performance value. Good simulation examples followed the proposed optimization techniques.
Multi-Connectivity Enhanced Communication-Incentive Distributed Computation Offloading in Vehicular Networks
Authors: Zhang Kangjie , Xu Xiaodong , Zhang Jingxuan , Han Shujun , Wang Bizhu , Zhang Ping
Published: October 2021

Flexible resource scheduling and network forecast are crucial functions to enhance mobile vehicular network performances. However, BaseStations (BSs) and their computing unit which undertake the functions cannot meet the delay requirement because of limited computation capability. Offloading the time-sensitive functions to User Equipment (UE) is believed to be an effective method to tackle this challenge. The disadvantage of the method is offloading occupies communication resources, which deteriorate the system capability. To better coordinate offloading and communication, a multi-connectivity enhanced joint scheduling scheme for distributed computation offloading and communication resources allocation in vehicular networks is proposed in this article. Computation tasks are divided into many slices and distributed to UEs to aggregate the computation capability. A communication-incentive mechanism is provided for involving UEs to compensate the loss of UEs, while multi-connectivity is adopted to enhance the system throughput. We also defined offloading failure ratio as a conclusive condition for offloading size by analyzing the movement of UEs. By a two-step optimization, the co-scheduling of offloading size and throughput is solved. The system-level simulation results show that the offloading size and throughput of the proposed scheme are larger than comparisons when the time constraint is tight.
Semi-Supervised Machine Condition Monitoring by Learning Deep Discriminative Audio Features
Authors: Thoidis Iordanis , Giouvanakis Marios , Papanikolaou George
Published: October 2021

In this study, we aim to learn highly descriptive representations for a wide set of machinery sounds and exploit this knowledge to perform condition monitoring of mechanical equipment. We propose a comprehensive feature learning approach that operates on raw audio, by supervising the formation of salient audio embeddings in latent states of a deep temporal convolutional neural network. By fusing the supervised feature learning approach with an unsupervised deep one-class neural network, we are able to model the characteristics of each source and implicitly detect anomalies in different operational states of industrial machines. Moreover, we enable the exploitation of spatial audio information in the learning process, by formulating a novel front-end processing strategy for circular microphone arrays. Experimental results on the MIMII dataset demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method, reaching a state-of-the-art mean AUC score of 91.0%. Anomaly detection performance is significantly improved by incorporating multi-channel audio data in the feature extraction process, as well as training the convolutional neural network on the spatially invariant front-end. Finally, the proposed semi-supervised approach allows the concise modeling of normal machine conditions and accurately detects system anomalies, compared to existing anomaly detection methods.
OC6 Phase Ib: Floating Wind Component Experiment for Difference-Frequency Hydrodynamic Load Validation
Authors: Robertson Amy , Wang Lu
Published: October 2021

A new validation campaign was conducted at the W2 Harold Alfond Ocean Engineering Laboratory at the University of Maine to investigate the hydrodynamic loading on floating offshore wind substructures, with a focus on the low-frequency contributions that tend to drive extreme and fatigue loading in semisubmersible designs. A component-level approach was taken to examine the hydrodynamic loads on individual parts of the semisubmersible in isolation and then in the presence of other members to assess the change in hydrodynamic loading. A variety of wave conditions were investigated, including bichromatic waves, to provide a direct assessment of difference-frequency wave loading. An assessment of the impact of wave uncertainty on the loading was performed, with the goal of enabling validation with this dataset of numerical models with different levels of fidelity. The dataset is openly available for public use and can be downloaded from the U.S. Department of Energy Data Archive and Portal.
Solar Photovoltaic Investment Changes across China Regions Using a Spatial Shift-Share Analysis
Authors: Sheng Ruxu , Du Juntian , Liu Songqi , Wang Changan , Wang Zidi , Liu Xiaoqian
Published: October 2021

Solar photovoltaic (PV) has become the fastest-growing new energy in China and one of the main contributors to China’s clean energy transition. From 2013 to 2019, China’s solar PV installed capacity grew from 15,890 MW to 204,180 MW, increasing by 11.85 times. To explore solar PV investment changes across China regions, we use spatial shift-share analysis model to decompose solar PV investment changes from 2013 to 2019 into four components: national energy investment growth effect (NEG), national energy investment structure effect (NES), neighbor–nation solar PV investment competitive effect (NNC), and region–neighbor solar PV investment competitive effect (RNC). Based on the decomposition results, we find that the value of NNC of most western provinces is negative for the entire period, while the NNC of most central and eastern provinces is in the middle and lower range. There is little difference in RNC among these regions. While comparing the influence caused by the four effects, NNC and RNC play dominant roles in solar PV investment changes in eastern and central provinces, which means NEG and NES have relatively small impacts. By contrast, NEG and NES affect the solar PV investment changes at a larger scale in most western provinces. Comparing the NNC and RNC, we find that RNC played a prominent role in the eastern and central regions, while NNC played a dominant role in the west.
Study on the Relationship between Combustion Parameters and Cylinder Head Vibration Signal in Time Domain
Authors: Ji Shaobo , Li Yang , Tian Guohong , Ma Rongze , Shu Minglei , Zhang Shiqiang , Yu Wenbin , Lan Xin , Cheng Yong
Published: October 2021

Combustion-related characteristic parameters, such as the start of combustion (SoC) and the timing of the peak pressure increase rate (PIR), can be used as the feedback signals for the closed-loop control of combustion. A dynamic Finite Element Method (FEM) model was firstly developed to confirm the closely related time period between combustion pressure and vibration. On this basis, a fast processing method was developed to estimate the timings of SoC and the peak PIR in the closely related time period. This method was verified on a twelve-cylinder heavy-duty diesel engine at various engine speed and load. Results showed that the maximum deviation of the two parameters were within 2 °CA and 1.5 °CA, respectively, which suggested that the proposed method had an adequate accuracy.
Bank as a Stakeholder in the Financing of Renewable Energy Sources. Recommendations and Policy Implications for Poland
Authors: Daszyńska-Żygadło Karolina , Jajuga Krzysztof , Zabawa Justyna
Published: October 2021

The paper concerns the role of the banking sector in renewable energy financing in Poland. The main goal of the paper is to provide recommendations for the banking sector in Poland, which can be used in the process of financing RES. The main methods used in the paper are the thorough analysis of the solutions used to finance RES in different countries and multivariate analysis of options presented on the ordinal scale. The first finding is the answer to the question of which financial instruments used by banks are the most effective in the financing of RES. It is based on the prepared ranking of different instruments used by banks in the process of renewable energy financing, by assessing the structure and value of required financing for renewable energy based on future scenarios. The second finding in the paper is the set of recommendations for the banking sector and policymakers as to financing renewable energy sources in Poland. The main conclusion is that renewable energy financing through the instruments available in the banking sector is efficient and is characterized by relatively low risk.
Flexibility from Combined Heat and Power: A Techno-Economic Study for Fully Renewable Åland Islands
Authors: Thomasson Tomi , Kiviranta Kirsikka , Tapani Antton , Tähtinen Matti
Published: October 2021

As energy systems globally are transitioning into renewable energy, simultaneous targets of high self-sufficiency have led to complex system design proposals. While conventional technology solutions would reduce the complexity in theory, limitations in the potential outcome may exist. To address this dilemma, the work quantified the systemic value provided by a conventional solution; biomass combined heat and power (CHP) production, in terms of economic feasibility, provided flexibility and energy self-sufficiency. The analysis focused on the renewable energy integration of the Åland Islands, where the synergetic island energy system is heavily increasing the wind power capacity. While considering local fuel resource availability, multiple alternative energy system scenarios were constructed. To evaluate the scenarios, the work developed and validated a combined dispatch and investment optimization model. The results showed that the studied conventional approaches limited the achievable self-sufficiency in the power sector (80.6%), however, considerably increasing the value from the present state (18.5%). Second, compared to previous studies, the results indicated a low value from biomass CHP in the wind-based energy system. Instead, the combination of high wind capacity and power-to-heat enabled the best economic feasibility and high self-sufficiency, which could be further improved by lower electricity taxation.
Numerical Analysis and Parameter Optimization of J-Shaped Blade on Offshore Vertical Axis Wind Turbine
Authors: Pan Lin , Zhu Ze , Xiao Haodong , Wang Leichong
Published: October 2021

In this study, the performance of offshore wind turbines at low tip speed ratio (TSR) is studied using computational fluid dynamics (CFD), and the performance of offshore wind turbines at low tip speed ratio (TSR) is improved by revising the blade structure. First, the parameters of vertical axis offshore wind turbine are designed based on the compactness iteration, a CFD simulation model is established, and the turbulence model is selected through simulation analysis to verify the independence of grid and time step. Compared with previous experimental results, it is shown that the two-dimensional simulation only considers the plane turbulence effect, and the simulation turbulence effect performs more obviously at a high tip ratio, while the three-dimensional simulation turbulence effect has well-fitting performance at high tip ratio. Second, a J-shaped blade with optimized lower surface is proposed. The study showed that the optimized J-shaped blade significantly improved its upwind torque and wind energy capture rate. Finally, the performance of the optimized J-blade offshore wind turbine is analyzed.
Solar Irradiation Evaluation through GIS Analysis Based on Grid Resolution and a Mathematical Model: A Case Study in Northeast Mexico
Authors: Valenzuela-Domínguez Fausto André , Santa Cruz Luis Alfonso , Enríquez-Velásquez Enrique A. , Félix-Herrán Luis C. , Benitez Victor H. , Lozoya-Santos Jorge de-J. , Ramírez-Mendoza Ricardo A.
Published: October 2021

The estimation of the solar resource on certain surfaces of the planet is a key factor in deciding where to establish solar energy collection systems. This research uses a mathematical model based on easy-access geographic and meteorological information to calculate total solar radiation at ground surface. This information is used to create a GIS analysis of the State of Nuevo León in Mexico and identify solar energy opportunities in the territory. The analyzed area was divided into a grid and the coordinates of each corner are used to feed the mathematical model. The obtained results were validated with statistical analyses and satellite-based estimations from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The applied approach and the results may be replicated to estimate solar radiation in other regions of the planet without requiring readings from on-site meteorological stations and therefore reducing the cost of decision-making regarding where to place the solar energy collection equipment.
Duct Attachment on Improving Breaking Wave Zone Energy Extractor Device Performance
Authors: Pawitan Krisna Adi , Takebe Hideki , Andrean Hanley , Misumi Shuji , Fujita Jun , Shintake Tsumoru
Published: October 2021

A challenging wave energy converter design that utilized the denser energy part of the nearshore breaking wave zone to generate electricity was introduced in 2016 by Shintake. The Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University’s project aims to take advantage of breaking wave energy to harness electricity. The 2016 version of the device consisted only of a bare turbine and power generator. Early exploration of the design recorded short periods and high impact wave pressures were experienced by the structure, with the turbine unable to harvest energy effectively. Additional structure to not only reduce incoming impact pressure but also increase the duration of water flow through the turbine was needed. These are the main reasons behind incorporating the duct attachment into the design. This paper show that the duct is capable of halving the impact pressure experienced by the turbine and can increase the energy exposure by up to 1.6 times the bare turbine configuration. Furthermore, it is also said that wave angle (β) = 40° is the critical angle, although the duct still increases wave energy exposure to the power take-off up to β = 60°.
Calculation Method of Allowable Continuous Current for Direct Burial Laying HVDC Underground Cable
Authors: Park Kyu-hoon , Kwon Il , Lee Bang-wook
Published: October 2021

The calculation of the continuous allowable current of an underground cable is determined by various characteristics. To calculate the allowable current in cables with alternating magnetic fields such as AC, special phenomena such as the proximity effect and skin effect must be applied. However, there are no standards or research related to the calculation of the continuous allowable current of a DC power cable that does not have an alternating magnetic field. In this paper, a quantitative DC cable continuous allowable current calculation formula of direct burial laying was derived by applying the existing AC cable continuous allowable current calculation method to the DC system. We developed a calculation tool that can calculate the continuous allowable current of DC cables using the derived formula. Assuming the cable conditions (cable specification, laying conditions, soil characteristics, arrangement, and number of strands, etc.), a continuous allowable current simulation of DC cables was performed. In addition, the level of contribution to the continuous allowable current value was analyzed by classifying the parameter categories into major and minor factors in the order of influence on the allowable current among the determined calculated parameters. As a result, the effectiveness of the DC cable continuous allowable current calculation tool derived by performing the allowable current calculation simulation was evaluated, and the allowable current calculation method of the HVDC cable was established.
An Embedded Half-Bridge Γ-Z-Source Inverter with Reduced Voltage Stress on Capacitors
Authors: Mashinchi Maheri Hamed , Vinnikov Dmitri , Nozadian Mohsen Hasan Babayi , Shokati Asl Elias , Babaei Ebrahim , Chub Andrii
Published: October 2021

In this paper, an embedded half-bridge Z-source inverter based on gamma structure is proposed. In contrast with the classical half-bridge inverter, the proposed inverter can generate zero voltage levels in output. High voltage gain and low voltage stress on capacitors are the main advantages of the proposed converter. The value of the boost factor in the proposed structure is increased by changing both the shoot-through (ST) duty cycle and turns ratio of the transformer. The operating principle of the proposed converter in four operating modes is presented. We also calculate the critical inductance and compare the proposed converter with conventional topologies. In addition, power loss and THD analysis are presented. Finally, PSCAD/EMTDC software is used to verify the correct operation of the proposed inverter and the experimental results.
A Comprehensive Weight-Based Severity Evaluation Method of Voltage Sag in Distribution Networks
Authors: Guo Xiaohan , Li Yong , Wang Shaoyang , Cao Yijia , Zhang Mingmin , Zhou Yicheng , Yosuke Nakanishi
Published: October 2021

With the increasing use of sensitive loads in frequency converters and in relays in distribution networks, voltage sag has become a major power quality issue that urgently needs to be solved. For the purpose of improving the understanding of voltage sag severity in distribution networks, a comprehensive weight-based severity evaluation method of voltage sag is presented in this paper. First, a multi-side index system that takes into account the combined influence of the source, network, and the load is established. A comprehensive weight method, which combines the improved analytic hierarchy process (IAHP) and the entropy method, is then adopted to determine the index weight. The weight of each index and the degree of superiority are linearly weighted to obtain the severity of voltage sag at different observation points. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed method is verified using a distribution network model established in DIgSILENT PowerFactory (15.1.7, Gomaringen, Germany).
Time-Dependent Upper Limits to the Performance of Large Wind Farms Due to Mesoscale Atmospheric Response
Authors: Patel Kelan , Dunstan Thomas D. , Nishino Takafumi
Published: October 2021

A prototype of a new physics-based wind resource assessment method is presented, which allows the prediction of upper limits to the performance of large wind farms (including the power loss due to wind farm blockage) in a site-specific and time-dependent manner. The new method combines the two-scale momentum theory with a numerical weather prediction (NWP) model to assess the “extractability” of wind, i.e., how high the wind speed at a given site can be maintained as we increase the number of turbines installed. The new method is applied to an offshore wind farm site in the North Sea to demonstrate that: (1) Only a pair of NWP simulations (one without wind farm and the other with wind farm with an arbitrary level of flow resistance) are required to predict the extractability. (2) The extractability varies significantly from time to time, which may cause more than 30% of change in the upper limit of the performance of medium-to-high-density offshore wind farms. These results suggest the importance of considering not only the natural wind speed but also its extractability in the prediction of (both long- and short-term) power production of large wind farms.
Emission Characteristics of Pollution Gases from the Combustion of Food Waste
Authors: Liu Haili , Zhang Xu , Hong Qingchao
Published: October 2021

The emission characteristics of pollution gases produced via the combustion of food waste were studied through a laboratory-scale electrically heated tube furnace. The results showed that the pollution gases generated from the combustion of food waste were CO, H2 and NOx. Each emission curve of CO had a peak. When the combustion temperature rose from 400 °C to 1000 °C, the peak first increased (from 400 °C to 700 °C) and then decreased (from 800 °C to 1000 °C). However, the burnout time shortened with the increase in temperature. Therefore, food waste should be combusted at a higher temperature than 700 °C from the perspective of reducing CO emissions. The emissions of H2 were similar to those of CO. In other words, if CO emissions increased, H2 emissions also increased in the same temperature range. Some NOx emission curves had two peaks (the combustion of cooked rice at 1000 °C; the combustion of vegetable leaves in the temperature range of 600 °C to 1000 °C). The higher the combustion temperature, the higher the second NOx emission peak. NOx emissions from the combustion of cooked rice were greater in the temperature range of 400 °C to 500 °C, whereas for vegetable leaves, that temperature range was from 600 °C to 700 °C. Hence, from the viewpoint of reducing pollution gases, food waste should be combusted at a higher temperature than 700 °C.
When, What and How to Teach about Electric Mobility? An Innovative Teaching Concept for All Stages of Education: Lessons from Poland
Authors: Turoń Katarzyna , Kubik Andrzej , Chen Feng
Published: October 2021

The implementation of new mobility solutions based on electric vehicles such as electric cars, electric scooters, and electric bikes, in urban transport systems, may bring several advantages for society, from environmental and economic benefits to improved quality of life. Nevertheless, we witness a scarcity of education and promotion that supports electric mobility, which can lead to social barriers due to the lack of knowledge. Consequently, people may be discouraged from using new transport technologies. The article focuses on electric mobility issues and present the original concept of electric mobility education. The goal of the work is to identify appropriate educational methods, useful during teaching about electric mobility at different levels of education. The concept focuses on education from primary school to long-life learning. Presented pedagogical concept is based on the three main pillars of pedagogy as diagnosis, forecasting, and content developing. It was developed based on expert research and diagnosed challenges and education gaps during teaching about electric mobility. The concept includes many techniques of education, from the classic methods as lectures and working with books to new educational solutions as e-learning. The original concept of electric mobility education creates new opportunities to promote electric mobility and support the process of creating new services in the electric mobility market.
Computing and Assessment of Discrete Angle Positions for Optimizing the Solar Energy Harvesting for Urban Sustainable Development
Authors: Quiroga-Ocaña Guillermo , Montaño-Moreno Julio C. , Enríquez-Velásquez Enrique A. , Benitez Victor H. , Félix-Herrán Luis C. , Lozoya-Santos Jorge de-J. , Ramírez-Mendoza Ricardo A.
Published: October 2021

This paper proposes the computation and assessment of optimal tilt and azimuth angles for a receiving surface, using a mathematical model developed at the University of Tomsk, Russia. The model was validated and analyzed for the Nuevo León State, Northeast Mexico, utilizing a set of metrics, comparing against satellite data from NASA. A point of interest in the city of Monterrey was analyzed to identify orientation patterns throughout the year for an optimal solar energy gathering. The aim is providing the best orientation tilt angles for photovoltaic or solar thermal panels without tracking systems. In addition, this analysis is proposed as a tool to achieve optimal performance in sustainable urban development in the region. Based on the findings, a set of optimal tilt and azimuth surface angles are proposed for the analyzed coordinates. The aim is to identify the optimal performance to obtain the maximum solar irradiation possible over the year for solar projects in the region. The results show that the model can be used as a tool to accelerate decision making in the design of solar harvesting surfaces and allows the design of discrete tracking systems with an increase in solar energy harvesting above 5% annually.
Multi-Objective Unified Optimal Control Strategy for DAB Converters with Triple-Phase-Shift Control
Authors: Zeng Jinhui , Rao Yao , Lan Zheng , He Dong , Xiao Fan , Liu Bei
Published: October 2021

To solve the problems of large current stress, difficult soft-switching of all switches, and slow dynamic response of dual active bridge converters, a multi-objective unified optimal control strategy based on triple-phase-shift control was proposed. The forward power flow global modes of triple-phase-shift control were analyzed, and three high-efficiency modes were selected to establish the analytical models of current stress and soft-switching. Combined with these models, the optimal solutions in different modes were derived by using the cost function-optimization equation to overcome the limitation of the Lagrange multiplier method, such that the DAB converter achieved the minimum current stress, and all switches operated in the soft-switching state over the entire power range. At the same time, the virtual power component was introduced in the phase-shift ratio combination, which improved the dynamic response of output voltage under the input voltage or load steps changed by power control. The theoretical analysis and experimental results show that the proposed control strategy can optimize the performance of the DAB converter from three aspects, such as current stress, soft-switching, and dynamic response, which achieves multi-objective optimization of the steady-state and dynamic performance of DAB converters.
Reply to Variny et al. Comment on “Hamayun et al. Evaluation of Two-Column Air Separation Processes Based on Exergy Analysis. Energies 2020, 13, 6361”
Authors: Hamayun Muhammad Haris , Ramzan Naveed , Hussain Murid , Faheem Muhammad
Published: October 2021

This is a reply to the paper by Variny et al. [...]
Convection Inside Nanofluid Cavity with Mixed Partially Boundary Conditions
Authors: Chaabane Raoudha , D’Orazio Annunziata , Jemni Abdelmajid , Karimipour Arash , Ranjbarzadeh Ramin
Published: October 2021

In recent decades, research utilizing numerical schemes dealing with fluid and nanoparticle interaction has been relatively intensive. It is known that CuO nanofluid with a volume fraction of 0.1 and a special thermal boundary condition with heat supplied to part of the wall increases the average Nusselt number for different aspect ratios ranges and for high Rayleigh numbers. Due to its simplicity, stability, accuracy, efficiency, and ease of parallelization, we use the thermal single relaxation time Bhatnagar-Gross-Krook (SRT BGK) mesoscopic approach D2Q9 scheme lattice Boltzmann method in order to solve the coupled Navier–Stokes equations. Convection of CuO nanofluid in a square enclosure with a moderate Rayleigh number of 105 and with new boundary conditions is highlighted. After a successful validation with a simple partial Dirichlet boundary condition, this paper extends the study to deal with linear and sinusoidal thermal boundary conditions applied to part of the wall.
Review of Polygeneration Schemes with Solar Cooling Technologies and Potential Industrial Applications
Authors: Villarruel-Jaramillo Andrés , Pérez-García Manuel , Cardemil José M. , Escobar Rodrigo A.
Published: October 2021

The trend to reduce CO2 emissions in cooling processes has made it possible to increase the alternatives for integrating solar energy with thermal equipment whose viability depends on its adaptation to polygeneration schemes. Despite the enormous potential offered by the industry for cooling and heating processes, solar cooling technologies (SCT) have been explored in a limited way in the industrial sector. This work discusses the potential applications of industrial SCTs and classifies hybrid polygeneration schemes based on supplying cold, heat, electricity, and desalination of water; summarizes the leading SCTs, and details the main indicators of polygeneration configurations in terms of reductions on primary energy consumption and payback times. To achieve an energy transition in refrigeration processes, the scenarios with the most significant potential are: the food manufacturing industry (water immersion and crystallization processes), the beverage industry (fermentation and storage processes), and the mining industry (underground air conditioning).
Power Quality Phenomena, Standards, and Proposed Metrics for DC Grids
Authors: Mariscotti Andrea
Published: October 2021

This work addresses the problem of power quality (PQ) metrics (or indexes) suitable for DC grids, encompassing low and medium voltage applications, including electric transports, all-electric ships and aircrafts, electric vehicles, distributed generation and microgrids, modern data centers, etc. The two main pillars on which such PQ indexes are discussed and built are: (i) the physical justification, so the electric phenomena affecting DC grids and components (PV panels, fuel cells, capacitors, batteries, etc.), causing, e.g., stress of materials, aging, distortion, grid instability; and (ii) the existing standardization framework, pointing out desirable coverage and extension, similarity with AC grids standards, but also inconsistencies. For the first point, each phenomenon is discussed with quantitative conclusions on relevant thresholds: in many cases some percentage of distortion (ripple) is acceptable (stress on capacitors and storage, impact on fuel cells, and PV panels), whereas in other cases, much higher levels may be tolerated (interference to protection and monitoring devices). Standards are reviewed for indications not only of low-order harmonics and voltage fluctuations typical of old DC grid schemes, but also for high-frequency noise, including thus supraharmonics and common-mode disturbance, and filling the gap with the electromagnetic compatibility domain. However, phenomena typical of EMC and electrical safety (such as various types of overvoltages and fast transients) are excluded. Suitable PQ indexes are then reviewed, suggesting integrations and modifications, to cover the relevant phenomena and technological progress, and to better follow the normative exigencies: ripple is considered in time and frequency domain, in particular with a band limited implementation; for transients and pulsed loads, more traditional indexes based on area, energy, and half duration are confronted with indexes evaluating the power trajectory and its derivative.
The Effects of Using Steam to Preheat the Beds of an Adsorption Chiller with Desalination Function
Authors: Sztekler Karol , Kalawa Wojciech , Mika Lukasz , Lis Lukasz , Radomska Ewelina , Nowak Wojciech
Published: October 2021

Adsorption chillers are a promising alternative to traditional compressor-based devices. Adsorption chillers can be supplied with low- or medium-temperature waste heat or heat from renewable energy sources. In addition, they can be used for water desalination purposes. Thus, the adsorption chillers are unique devices that meet essential problems of the modern world: a need to limit the negative impact of humankind on the natural environment and growing problems with access to drinking water. However, adsorption chillers also have disadvantages, including ineffective operation and large size. Therefore, in this paper, the influence of steam utilization on the operation of an adsorption chiller with water desalination function was investigated experimentally, which has not been done before. The research was carried out on the adsorption chiller, working on a silica gel–water pair, installed in the AGH UST Center of Energy. The chiller was modified to preheat the sorbent with the use of steam. The results show that the use of steam instead of water for preheating the bed leads to higher temperatures in the heat exchanger and the bed. As a result, heat transfer from the heating medium to the bed is more intense, and a significant shortening of the desorption process is observed. In the case of using steam for preheating, the desorption time was about 30 s, while for water, it was 300 s. Thanks to this solution, it is possible to reduce the size of the device and increase its efficiency. The proposed solution opens a new course of research on adsorption chillers and broadens the horizon of their applications, as steam is a by-product of many industrial processes.
Thermal Cycling in Converter IGBT Modules with Different Cooling Systems in Pitch- and Active Stall-Controlled Tidal Turbines
Authors: Wani Faisal , Shipurkar Udai , Dong Jianning , Polinder Henk
Published: October 2021

This paper compares active and passive cooling systems in tidal turbine power electronic converters. The comparison is based on the lifetime of the IGBT (insulated gate bipolar transistor) power modules, calculated from the accumulated fatigue due to thermal cycling. The lifetime analysis accounts for the influence of site conditions, namely turbulence and surface waves. Results indicate that active cooling results in a significant improvement in IGBT lifetime over passive cooling. However, since passive cooling systems are inherently more reliable than active systems, passive systems can present a better solution overall, provided adequate lifetime values are achieved. On another note, the influence of pitch control and active speed stall control on the IGBT lifetime was also investigated. It is shown that the IGBT modules in pitch-controlled turbines are likely to have longer lifetimes than their counterparts in active stall-controlled turbines for the same power rating. Overall, it is demonstrated that passive cooling systems can provide adequate cooling in tidal turbine converters to last longer than the typical lifetime of tidal turbines (>25 years), both for pitch-controlled and active speed stall-controlled turbines.
Conditions for Effective Application of the Decline Curve Analysis Method
Authors: Martyushev Dmitriy A. , Ponomareva Inna N. , Galkin Vladislav I.
Published: October 2021

Determining the reliable values of the filtration parameters of productive reservoirs is the most important task in monitoring the processes of reserve production. Hydrodynamic studies of wells by the pressure build-up method, as well as a modern method based on production curve analysis (Decline Curve Analysis (DCA)), are some of the effective methods for solving this problem. This paper is devoted to assessing the reliability of these two methods in determining the filtration parameters of terrigenous and carbonaceous productive deposits of oil fields in the Perm Krai. The materials of 150 conditioned and highly informative (obtained using high-precision depth instruments) studies of wells were used to solve this problem, including 100 studies conducted in terrigenous reservoirs (C1v) and 50 carried out in carbonate reservoirs (C2b). To solve the problem, an effective tool was used—multivariate regression analysis. This approach is new and has not been previously used to assess the reliability of determining the filtration parameters of reservoir systems by different research methods. With its use, a series of statistical models with varying degrees of detail was built. A series of multivariate mathematical models of well flow rates using the filtration parameters determined for each of the methods is constructed. The inclusion or non-inclusion of these filtration parameters in the resulting flow rate models allows us to give a reasonable assessment of the possibility of using the pressure build-up method and the DCA method. All the constructed models are characterized by high statistical estimates: in all cases, a high value of the determination coefficient was obtained, and the probability of an error in all cases was significantly less than 5%. As applied to the fields under consideration, it was found that both methods demonstrate stable results in terrigenous reservoirs. The permeability determined by the DCA method and the pressure build-up curve does not control the flow of the fluid in carbonate reservoirs, which proves the complexity of the filtration processes occurring in them. The DCA method is recommended for use to determine the permeability and skin factor in the conditions of terrigenous reservoirs.
Experimental Study on Ignition Characteristics of RP-3 Jet Fuel Using Nanosecond Pulsed Plasma Discharge
Authors: Guo Xiaoyang , Hu Erjiang , Li Xiaotian , Yin Geyuan , Huang Zuohua
Published: October 2021

A study on forced ignition characteristics of RP-3 jet fuel-air mixture was conducted around a constant volume combustion vessel and a nanosecond pulsed plasma discharge power supply. Experiments were carried out at different initial pressures (pu = 0.2, 0.3, 0.5 atm), equivalence ratios (ϕ = 0.7, 0.8, 1.1), steam concentrations (ZH2O = 0%, 10%, 15%) and oxygen concentrations (ZO2 = 13.5%, 16%, 21%). The relationship between ignition probability and ignition energy is investigated. The experimental results show that the decrease in pressure, equivalence ratio, oxygen concentration and the increase in steam concentration all lead to an increase in minimum ignition energy (MIE). In order to further analyze the experimental data, one existing fitting equation is reformed with the initial conditions taken into account. Multivariate fitting is carried out for different conditions, and the fitting results of ignition probability are in good agreement with the experiments. The MIE results under different experimental conditions are figured out with the new fitting equation. The impact indexes, which stand for the effects of different factors, are also calculated and compared in present work.
The Influence of Power Network Disturbances on Short Delayed Estimation of Fundamental Frequency Based on IpDFT Method with GMSD Windows
Authors: Borkowski Józef , Szmajda Mirosław , Mroczka Janusz
Published: October 2021

This paper presents an application of the IpDFT spectrum interpolation method to estimate the fundamental frequency of a power waveform. Zero-crossing method (ZC) with signal prefiltering was used as a reference method. Test models of disturbances were applied, based on real disturbances recorded in power networks, including voltage harmonics and interharmonics, transient overvoltages, frequency spikes, dips and noise. It was determined that the IpDFT method is characterized by much better dynamic parameters with better estimation precision. In an example, in the presence of interharmonics, the frequency estimation error was three times larger for the reference method than that for the IpDFT method. Furthermore, during the occurrence of fast transient overvoltages, the IpDFT method reached its original accuracy about three times faster than the ZC method. Finally, using IpDFT, it was possible to identify the type of disturbances: impulsive, step changes of frequency or voltage dips.