Energy System Configuration Research Articles

Evaluation of three kinetic energy storage systems

Abstract. This paper investigates recent advances in energy recovery systems (ERS) in automotive vehicles to reduce air pollution and impact on climate change. The three ERS systems: mechanical flywheel, regenerative braking, and regenerative electrically assisted (REAT) turbocharger are evaluated for their potential to reclaim energy wasted by the automobile thereby increasing range and efficiency of the vehicle. The methods of comparison are based on data sourced from current literature relevant to total energy recovery, system configuration, and application feasibility. This will identify regenerative braking as best for new vehicles to decrease fuel consumption and regenerative electrically assisted turbocharges (REAT) as best for retrofitting older vehicles. The paper will use the results to identify the energy recovery system with the greatest potential for immediate application and further research to overcome remaining challenges.

Electricity supply resiliency evaluation by a hybrid renewable energy system for a petrochemical plant: Frameworks and quantitative assessment methodologies

The escalation of harm inflicted upon energy systems, has spurred the investigation of energy system resilience. In this regard, the measurement of resilience capacity can serve as a valuable metric for assessing the energy system's ability to withstand a variety of events that may result in potential adverse outcomes. For renewable energy systems, the measurement of resilience is imperative due to the inherent unpredictability and unreliability in their nature. Often, resilience studies lack the comprehensiveness required to fully comprehend the intricate interdependencies within integrated hybrid renewable energy systems. This research delineates the essential factors required to facilitate a comprehensive understanding and advancement in the quantification of such integrated systems in small-scale. Pardis Petrochemical Company, located in Asalouyeh city, Iran, has been chosen as case study. Four distinct configurations of hybrid renewable energy systems—comprising Photovoltaic panels, Photovoltaic panels + Wind Turbines, Photovoltaic panels + Wave energy converters, and Photovoltaic panels + Wind Turbines + Wave energy converters— connected to grid, have been developed. These configurations are the result of a multi-objective optimization process, considering the following metrics: the cost of electricity (as an economic metric), CO2 emissions (as an environmental metric), loss of power supply probability (as a reliability metric), and exergy efficiency (as a technical metric). Subsequently, a methodological framework for multicriteria decision support is introduced. This framework is constructed based on primary resilience dimensions, namely: “resist,” “restabilize,” “technology,” and “withstand” serve as a tool for measuring the resiliency of the optimized configurations. The findings indicate that the Photovoltaic panels + Wind Turbines + Wave Energy Converters configuration is as the most resilient system among the studied alternatives.

Hydrogen vs. conventional sector-coupling residential energy systems: An economic and environmental comparison based on multi-objective design optimization

Planning residential energy systems faces economic, environmental, and technical challenges, necessitating cost-effective and environmentally friendly solutions. Hydrogen technologies in districts have recently gained interest. However, their economic and environmental potential relative to conventional technologies remains largely unexplored. Therefore, we quantitatively compared the impacts of designing hydrogen-based and conventional sector-coupling systems on total costs and CO2 emissions.We developed a multi-objective optimization model for the design and operation of generation and storage units, aiming to minimize total costs and CO2 emissions. We created three energy system configurations for an exemplary German district, each involving photovoltaics, heat storage, and batteries, while varying the main heat supplier. The first configuration includes a gas combined heat and power unit, the second features a heat pump, and the third incorporates a fuel cell, an electrolyzer, and hydrogen storage.Our comparison of the Pareto fronts revealed that the hydrogen system’s cost is 83% higher than the gas-based system and 33% higher than the heat-pump-based system. Environmentally, the hydrogen system emits 11% less than the gas-based system but 47% more than the heat-pump-based system. In conclusion, hydrogen units offer environmental benefits through improved photovoltaic utilization but perform poorly economically due to high investment and operating costs.

CRITIC-TOPSIS Method

The increasing demand for electricity has driven the development of hybrid renewable energy systems (HRES) in developing countries and remote areas. HRES combines various renewable energy sources to overcome the limitations of each source by utilizing their respective strengths. Although HRES has advantages such as flexibility and low pollution, the development of renewable energy needs to consider environmental impacts and principles of sustainable development. This study aims to find the optimal configuration of a hybrid renewable energy system in the new capital region of Indonesia, namely IKN Nusantara in East Kalimantan province. We conducted a geospatial approach and literature review to gather relevant information, such as solar radiation data, hydropower potential, and biomass potential. We utilized the hybrid optimization model for electric renewables (HOMER) software to design the HRES, and we optimized the results using the multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) method. The experimental results show that the combination of PV and hydro is the optimal configuration in terms of energy and environmental aspects, with a relative closeness value of 0.675 compared to the ideal solution. Therefore, the implementation of MCDM to evaluate and determine the best configuration of HRES in the IKN Nusantara region is worth considering for further research and development.

Techno-economic analysis of a hybrid energy system for electrification using an off-grid solar/biogas/battery system employing HOMER: A case study in Vietnam

The electrification of off-grid /island villages is a critical step towards improving the techno-economic circumstances of rural regions and the overall general growth of the country. However, consistent supply from a single source is not possible in these areas. Thus, a hybrid renewable energy system performs better in these conditions. The research challenge now is to identify the optimal combinations of HRES from the available resources in a specific village site that can supply the power demand sustainably and to determine whether this is a cost-effective option. The present work is an endeavour to develop a sustainable and dynamic energy demand-supply model using HOMER Pro energy software in a specified off-grid rural site in Vietnam. The research presents four unique configurations of a combined energy system for Vietnam's island settlements, incorporating biomass-based biogas facilities, photovoltaic panels, lithium-ion batteries, and converters. Homer Pro was used for optimization and design, focusing on key performance measures such as cost of energy, net present cost, initial cost, operating cost, renewable fraction, and carbon emissions. The best HES system layout includes a 100-kW biomass-based generator, 2.62 kW photovoltaic installation, 10 lithium-ion batteries, and a 6.31 kW converter, producing 100 % renewable energy. The system's low cost of energy ($0.48), and net present cost ($25,730.89) make it an economically viable alternative, while its low CO2 emissions demonstrate its commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Beyond Catalysts: Pioneering a New Era in Aluminum‐Based Electrochemical Energy Systems

AbstractAqueous Aluminum‐air batteries (AABs) hold promise for advancing high‐energy density storage systems in future technologies. However, their widespread practical deployment is limited by the inherent hydrogen side reactions in Aluminum (Al) and incomplete cathodic reactions. To address these challenges, the Al‐sodium persulfate (Na2S2O8) system is introduced as an alternative to traditional AABs. Utilizing Na2S2O8 allows to simultaneously achieve three critical objectives, namely, eliminating the need for a cathode catalyst, increasing the system voltage from 1.4 to 2 V, and reducing the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Three distinct configurations of the Aluminum electrochemical energy system (Al‐EES) using Na2S2O8: static, flow, and gel are developed. The static configuration demonstrates a performance 1.7 times superior to that of traditional AABs. The flow configuration of Al‐EES achieves a discharge duration of 77 h, which is three to four times longer than that of AABs and exhibits an energy density of 2,650 Wh kgAl−1. This emerging technology has the potential to significantly enhance electric vehicles by providing powerful, efficient, cost‐effective, and durable power‐generation devices.

A comparison of multi-source power supply systems for autonomous marine vehicles: The SWAMP case study

Extensive research on zero-emissions autonomous surface vehicles has been recently carried out, aiming at increasing autonomy. Due to their small size, unmanned vehicles present unique difficulties in terms of weight and dimensions when powering the vehicle with renewable energy sources. In this paper, photovoltaic source, fuel cell and Li-ion battery multi-source configurations are proposed, demonstrating by physical layout and simulation results the feasibility of the prototype, compliant with strict constraints of the vehicle under test. The energy system model of the vehicle under test is implemented in MATLAB/Simulink. A comparison of multi-source energy system configurations is proposed and validated by simulation results in terms of endurance, weight and size. If compared with the original battery-powered vehicle, as shown by comparing simulation results, the endurance is doubled, extended up to 12 h on the most favorable day of the year. The solution even complies with payload and physical dimensions constraints.

Modeling of a “Hydrogen Valley” to investigate the impact of a regional pipeline for hydrogen supply

Introduction: The transition towards electrolysis-produced hydrogen in refineries and chemical industries is expected to have a potent impact on the local energy system of which these industries are part. In this study, three urban areas with hydrogen-intense industries are studied regarding how the energy system configuration is affected if the expected future hydrogen demand is met in each node individually, as compared to forming a “Hydrogen Valley,” in which a pipeline can be used to trade hydrogen between the nodes.Method: A technoeconomic, mixed-integer, linear optimization model is used to study the investments in and dispatch of the included technologies with an hourly time resolution, while minimizing the total system cost. Four cases are investigated based on the availability of offshore wind power and the possibility to invest in a pipeline.Results: The results show that investments in a pipeline reduces by 4%–7% the total system cost of meeting the demands for electricity, heating, and hydrogen in the cases investigated. Furthermore, investments in a pipeline result in greater utilization of local variable renewable electricity resources, as compared to the cases without the possibility to invest in a pipeline.Discussion: The different characteristics of the local energy systems of the three nodes in local availability of variable renewable electricity, grid capacity and available storage options compared to local demands of electricity, heating and hydrogen, are found to be the driving forces for forming a Hydrogen Valley.

AN EFFICIENT STUDY OF PV/WIND/BATTERY/ELECTROLYZER/H2-TANK/FC FOR A REMOTE AREA ELECTRIFICATION

With the rapid development of the use of renewable energy systems, it is becoming more and more important to combine different sources into hybrid renewable energy systems. Many parameters in hybrid renewable energy systems must be optimized to effectively size hybrid system components to achieve economic, technical, and design goals practically. This paper focuses on the optimal configuration of off-grid hybrid renewable energy systems (HRES). The system consists of a photovoltaic (PV), wind turbine (WT) and battery bank (BB), fuel cell (FC) with hydrogen tank (H2-tank), and electrolyzer (Elect). The optimal size of the proposed HRES component is achieved using a novel meta-heuristic technique called the whale optimization algorithm (WOA). WOA improves the optimal configuration of HRES to produce the best minimum value of the fitness function, which converges to the global optimal solution after several iterations. The proposed WOA is used to solve the multi-objective optimization problem of the cost of energy (COE) in $/kWh and the total net present cost (TNPC) in $. Two recent algorithms, particle swarm optimization (PSO) and gray wolf optimizer (GWO), have also been implemented in this work to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm.

Bi-level robust planning of hydrogen energy system for integrated electricity–heat–hydrogen energy system considering multimode utilization of hydrogen

This paper proposes a bi-level robust planning model to address the rational configuration of a hydrogen energy system, accounting for the impact of wind power uncertainty in an integrated electricity–heat–hydrogen energy system (IEHHES) with the increasing wind power penetration. The upper-level problem aims to determine the capacity of the hydrogen energy system in this system, whereas the lower-level problem is formulated as a two-stage robust optimization model to simulate the typical daily operational scheme of the system, considering uncertain wind turbine output and the on/off switching of devices. This model considers multiple hydrogen utilization modes and the physical characteristics of various hydrogen storage tanks. The complex bi-level robust model is intractable directly. Therefore, this bi-level robust planning model is initially decomposed into planning and operation subproblems. These subproblems are then can be solved in parallel using the alternating direction method of multipliers (ADMM) algorithm; the planning subproblem, a quadratic programming model, is solved using a commercial solver; the operating subproblem, a two-stage robust optimization model, is solved using the column and constraint generation algorithm. Finally, case studies validate the advantages and effectiveness of the developed model and algorithm.

Optimization of residential energy system configurations considering the bidirectional power supply of electric vehicles and electricity interchange between two residences

Electric vehicles (EVs) combined with bidirectional home chargers (vehicle-to-home (V2H) units) and electricity interchange between residences are promising options for the self-consumption of rooftop photovoltaics (PVs) in residences. Furthermore, considering that EVs have large storage capacities, one EV + V2H might support neighborhood-scale electricity storage by electricity interchange between residences, resulting in more cost-efficient self-consumption systems. Therefore, this paper investigates how permitting electricity interchange between residences affects the economically optimal design of distributed energy systems, such as PVs, EVs and V2H units. For this purpose, a mixed-integer linear programming model is developed to optimize the configurations and operation strategies of distributed energy resources (DERs) considering electricity interchange in neighborhoods. V2H units, which supply electricity from EVs to residences, are considered DER options independent of EVs. Furthermore, the optimization results are compared under two scenarios wherein electricity interchange is and is not permitted between two residences. The results indicate that permitting electricity interchange improves the self-consumption rate of PV power while reducing investment in storage facilities. The one influencing factor is sharing one EV + V2H between two residences and effectively utilizing the available storage capacity.

Comprehensive techno-economic analysis of a standalone renewable energy system for simultaneous electrical load management and hydrogen generation for Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles

This research conducts a comprehensive analysis of renewable energy systems across five distinct geographic regions, focusing on economic power and hydrogen generation for community-based electrical load and Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles (FCEVs). The considered geographical regions include diverse regions across Pakistan and include Karachi, Awaran, Hyderabad, Nok Kundi, and Pasni. The objective is to identify systems with the least Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE) for electricity and Levelized Cost of Hydrogen (LCOH) for hydrogen production, tailoring solutions to each location's unique characteristics. The study undertakes an evaluation of nine prospective configurations of renewable energy systems for a comprehensive techno-economic analysis, aiming to ascertain the most cost-effective and optimal system. Findings highlight the effectiveness of the combination of PV, WT, electrolyzer, battery bank, and hydrogen tank in Pasni, Balochistan, with a notable LCOE of 0.30 $/kWh and LCOH of 9.52 $/kg. This optimal configuration not only meets energy and hydrogen load demands but also presents considerable environmental benefits by reducing carbon emissions. The study emphasizes the effectiveness of Hybrid Optimization Model for Electric Renewables (HOMER) for modeling hybrid energy system for the considered case studies and underscores the potential of hydrogen technologies as alternatives to traditional battery banks for long-term energy storage, offering valuable insights into sustainable power generation and emission-free transportation.

Research on optimal configuration of natural gas electric hybrid energy system

Natural gas resources are crucial for the development of the international community, which has the advantages of energy conservation, economy, and environmental protection. By optimizing the allocation of natural gas energy storage resources, the negative impact of randomness and volatility on the energy system can be effectively suppressed. Therefore, this article proposes a research on optimal configuration of natural gas electric hybrid energy system. Using the investment payback period as the economic evaluation indicator, analyze the influencing factors of the economic performance of the natural gas electricity hybrid energy system from a technical and economic perspective. By using historical data of actual natural gas electricity hybrid energy systems for example calculation and analysis, the configuration method under the proposed strategy was verified to meet the multi time scale requirements of the system while considering equipment characteristics, effectively improving system economy. l gas electric hybrid energy system

Negawatt-Driven Sustainable Energy Management Based-on Nanomaterial-Enhanced Batteries

With the dramatic increase of energy demand around the world, it has become a necessity to monitor and optimize energy consumption to conserve its use and decrease carbon emissions. This paper presents a comprehensive analysis of MicroGrids (MGs) that encompass a diverse array of energy sources, including renewable energy, Diesel Generators (DGs), and Battery Storage Systems (BSS). In this study, critical constraints are addressed such as distributed generator limits and grid power exchange. Moreover, the potential integration of nanomaterials within BSS to enhance energy efficiency and achieve Negawatt energy are explored. The main objectives are to evaluate the performance of various energy system configurations, with a specific focus on nanomaterial-enhanced batteries, and identify the optimal strategy to minimize operating costs while maximizing Negawatt energy production. By considering technical, economic, and environmental factors, this research aims to provide valuable insights into sustainable and efficient Microgrid solutions for future energy management.

Dynamic analysis and multi-objective optimization of solar and hydrogen energy-based systems for residential applications: A review

This paper examines the potential of solar and hydrogen (H2) energy-based hybrid energy systems for residential applications. The growing need for energy and the demand for sustainable energy sources have led to the development of integrated energy systems that combine renewable energy resources to meet energy needs. This paper overviews recent studies on hybrid energy systems for on-grid and off-grid residential utilizations. It discusses the system configuration and components of hybrid energy systems, including solar panels, electrolyzers, fuel cells (FC), and batteries. It also covers the technical optimization of integrated energy systems, including sizing, control strategies, and economic analysis. The key findings of this review paper indicate that hybrid energy systems can offer dependable and sustainable energy for residential applications. Through numerical analyses, the optimal dimensioning of the system elements and control strategies can significantly enhance the system's performance and lower the cost of energy. This study also highlights the challenges and opportunities for integrating hybrid energy systems within residential applications. Overall, it provides in-depth perspectives on the possibilities inherent in solar and hydrogen energy-based hybrid energy systems for residential applications. The findings can guide future research and the advancement of hybrid energy systems for sustainable energy solutions.

Techno-economic assessment of hydrogen-based energy storage systems in determining the optimal configuration of the nuclear-renewable hybrid energy system

Population growth and economic development have significantly increased global energy demand. Hence, it has raised concerns about the increase in the consumption of fossil fuels and climate change. The present work introduced a new approach to using carbon-free energy sources, such as nuclear and renewable, to meet energy demand. The idea of using the Nuclear-Renewable Hybrid Energy System (N-R HES) is suggested as a leading solution that couples a nuclear power plant with renewable energy and hydrogen-based storage systems. For this purpose, using a meta-heuristic method based on Newton's laws, the configuration of the N-R HES is optimized from an economic and reliability point of view. The optimal system is selected from among six cases with different subsystems such as wind turbine, photovoltaic panel, nuclear reactor, electrolysis, fuel cell, and hydrogen storage tank. Furthermore, the performance of hydrogen-based energy storage systems such as high-temperature electrolysis (HTE) and low-temperature electrolysis (LTE) is evaluated from technical and economic aspects. The results of this work showed that using nuclear energy to supply the base load increases the reliability of the system and reduces the loss of power supply probability to zero. More than 70 % of the power is produced by nuclear reactors, which includes more than 80 % of the system costs. The key findings showed that despite HTE's higher efficiency, using LTE as a storage system in N-R HES is more cost-effective. Finally, due to recent developments and the safer design of nuclear reactors, they can play an important role in combination with renewable energies to support carbon-free energy sectors, especially in remote areas, for decades to come.

Study on the Economic and Technical Optimization of Hybrid Rural Microgrids Integrating Wind, Solar, Biogas, and Energy Storage with AC/DC Conversion

Under the guidance of the 'dual carbon' goals and 'rural revitalization' strategy, the development of microgrids primarily based on wind, solar, and biogas energy is rapidly advancing in rural areas. A critical and challenging area of current research is how to optimally configure the capacity of these microgrids of varying sizes, taking into account the availability of resources in the system's environment and specific climatic conditions, to maximize economic benefits. Based on this, the article constructs a model of a hybrid AC/DC microgrid system powered by wind, solar, and biogas energy. It undertakes multi-objective optimization to achieve the highest utilization of renewable energy, the most economical cost, and the minimum carbon emissions while ensuring the reliability of the system's power supply. The study explores the economically and technically optimal configuration of this microgrid energy system under certain climatic conditions. The results indicate that the optimal configuration for a rural microgrid powered by wind, solar, and biogas energy should include a 2.6 kW biogas generator, 30.00 kW solar panels, 5.24 kW wind turbines, a 2.6 kW battery storage system, and a 10.00 kW bidirectional inverter. This configuration results in the lowest total net cost of the system, achieving optimal outcomes in terms of total net cost, cost per kilowatt-hour, and supply reliability.

Modelling and evaluating different multi-carrier energy system configurations for a Dutch house

The urge to reduce the dependence on natural gas for heating at the residential level has led to the deployment of different fossil fuel-free alternatives. In the Netherlands, two technologies are leading the transition: heat pumps, due to their high COP, and photovoltaic–thermal systems, due to their dual electric-thermal output. However, both represent a challenge for users and grid operators, aside from their stochastic behavior. Heat pumps alone can surpass a typical Dutch house’s total energy and power consumption. Photovoltaic–thermal systems, as their only electric homologs, usually have a mismatch between generation and demand, causing energy injections to the grid. From the electric perspective, storage systems are a proven solution to reduce the energy exchange with the distribution network. This paper proposes four multi-carrier energy system configurations for a Dutch household, comprising different combinations of a photovoltaic–thermal system, a battery energy storage, a heat pump, and an underground water tank thermal energy system, providing analytical models for every component (including the thermal losses from the thermal storage to the ground), and the space heating and electrical demands. We determined the components’ compatibility and evaluated the combinations considering their thermal performance, electrical performance, and equivalent CO2 emissions. The results suggest that using a heat pump combined with a photovoltaic system and a battery provides the best trade-off. The photovoltaic–thermal system alone could not supply the thermal demand required for comfortable space heating nor reach temperatures high enough to charge the thermal storage. Combining the thermal storage with the heat pump allows a certain degree of flexibility for the heat pump activation at the cost of COPs between 0.8 and 1.38 when used to charge the thermal storage, thus increasing energy consumption and equivalent emissions considerably.

Optimizing integrated energy systems using a hybrid approach blending grey wolf optimization with local search heuristics

Integrated energy systems play a crucial role in the transition to sustainable energy solutions, requiring a delicate balance between economic efficiency and reliability. Energy storage and demand response are pivotal components for managing power fluctuations and optimizing consumption. This paper introduces a hybrid approach that combines Grey Wolf Optimization (GWO) with Local Search Heuristics (GWOLSH) to achieve optimal energy system configurations. The approach formulates a hybrid energy storage capacity allocation method that considers the needs of wind power companies and users. It begins by constructing load-shifting and load-reduction models based on flexible user-side load response characteristics. In a comparative analysis, GWOLSH exhibits superior performance over WSO and PSO, evidenced by achieving a lower cost reduction of 330,595 USD (GWOLSH) compared to 344,974 USD (WSO) and 350,694 USD (PSO), along with higher percentage improvements in system stability (0.38 % for GWOLSH, 0.39 % for GWO, and 0.40 % for Particle swarm optimization (PSO)) and greater user satisfaction levels (0.8985 for WSOLSH, 0.8930 for GWO, and 0.8928 for PSO). This hybrid configuration proves effective in enhancing both economic efficiency and system reliability, offering a promising solution for maintaining a consistent power supply amid fluctuations, identifying energy system configurations that enhance economic efficiency while bolstering system reliability to ensure a consistent power supply amid fluctuations.

Evaluation of Technological Configurations of Residential Energy Systems Considering Bidirectional Power Supply by Vehicles in Japan

To reduce CO2 emissions in the residential and transportation sectors, distributed energy technologies, such as photovoltaic power generation (PV), stationary storage batteries (SBs), battery electric vehicles (BEVs), and vehicle-to-home (V2H) systems, are expected to be introduced. The objective of this study was to analyze the impact of the installed capacity of PV and SB, the type of vehicle, and their combination on the economic and environmental performance of the total energy consumption of residences and vehicles. Thus, this study developed a model to optimize the technological configuration of residential energy systems, including various vehicle types and driving patterns. The simulation results showed that it is more economically and environmentally efficient to install a BEV and a V2H system in households with longer parking times at the residence and to install an SB in addition to these technologies in households with shorter parking times at the residence. Furthermore, comparing a gasoline vehicle and an SB, the most economical combination, with a BEV and a V2H system and with a BEV, a V2H system, and an SB, estimated the carbon tax rate necessary for cost equivalence. The result indicated that the carbon tax rate needs to be increased from its current level.