Conventional Energy Research Articles

The Power of Place: Unleashing the Potential of Place-Based Green Energy Landscapes

This research explores the role landscape architects can play in shaping renewable energy infrastructure in the Southwest United States. Conventional energy development often neglects the impacts on landscapes and communities, resulting in community frustration and project terminations. To address this issue and tackle the need for decarbonization, the Southwest Regional Virtual Workshop was convened to foster co-creation and generate innovative ideas for new energy solutions. The Southwest Regional Virtual Workshop (SRVW) aimed to unite landscape architects, architects, engineers, and energy professionals to craft place-based, at-scale, and environmentally sensitive solutions. Key insights from this study demonstrate landscape architects have the capacity to help transform renewable energy projects into attractive, engaging, and productive infrastructure. Their expertise in community engagement, site-specific design, and interdisciplinary collaboration positions them as ideal designers for energy landscapes that go beyond mere functionality. By adopting a landscape-centric approach, landscape architects can help seamlessly integrate energy infrastructure with the environment and aesthetics to gain steadfast community support. Harmonizing functionality with visual appeal can instill a deep sense of pride and ownership among community members, ultimately fostering increased acceptance of renewable energy development. In conclusion, landscape architects can expand upon their expertise to include energy and help create projects that align with the values of local communities and contribute to a resilient energy future.

The impact of conventional energy markets on connectedness dynamics among eco-friendly assets

ABSTRACT This study examines the connectedness among eco-friendly assets and how volatility in fossil energy markets affects this connectedness. Using a broad coverage for eco-friendly assets such as a clean energy index, a clean cryptocurrency (Cardano), a green bond index, and a sustainability-leaders index, our results show that the connectedness is higher in the extremities (tail-risk spillovers) and more significant during essential world events such as a pandemic or war. Further, we employ nonparametric causality in quantiles, quantile regression, and kernel-based regularised least squares methods to investigate the influence of fossil energy markets (crude oil, natural gas, and gas oil) volatility on eco-friendly assets’ connectedness. Our results imply that fossil energy market volatility has a positive and causal effect on connectedness dynamics among eco-friendly assets. Our study offers important implications for investors and policymakers in crafting portfolio strategies and policy decisions.

Energy and economic prospects from the utilization of sawdust waste as biomass briquettes in East Nusa Tenggara

The utilization of sawdust waste in East Nusa Tenggara has not been utilized optimally. This waste is only burned, so it sometimes causes air pollution. So there needs to be an effort to overcome these problems by making alternative energy in the form of briquettes. Analytical description method with observation, literature study and economic and energy analysis is used in this research. Sources of data in this observation came from direct observations in the field through questionnaires and interviews. Based on the data of sawdust waste produced can reach 20-60 kg per day and can be used as other forms of energy. This energy can be used as a source of electrical energy to replace conventional energy which is less environmentally friendly and fuel for burning fishery products in East Nusa Tenggara. Based on the value of the benefit-cost ratio (BCR) and payback period, good results were obtained with a value of 2.13 with a return on investment of 0.82 years. The generated electricity biomass can replace conventional electrical energy and provide cost savings of 19.2% per kWh. In addition, the utilization of this energy can have a positive impact on regional income, health, schools, and transportation as well as agriculture.

Comparative analysis of the current energy of Colombia and the countries of its meridian.

The research focuses on the evaluation of the progress of the renewable installed capacity of the meridian countries with Colombia. Junto a Colombia, there are 12 other countries that are crossed by an imaginary line that surrounds the planet and because of this, each of these countries that it crosses, have a similar climatology, which, compared to Colombia, is assimilated to have the same conditions for the implementation of renewable energies. A bibliographic compilation was carried out where the amount of published information that can show the moment that the energy sector of each country that belongs to the Equatorial Meridian is going through was taken into account, with the aim of analyzing and comparing the energy news of Colombia with respect to these. This study shows the current energy state of each country, where different points are observed in relation to renewable and conventional energies. This comparative analysis was carried out based on the information found and gives a good impression of Colombia in the current and future energy field, but with difficulties due to factors outside its projection.

Synthesis of virtual monoenergetic images from kilovoltage peak images using wavelet loss enhanced CycleGAN for improving radiomics features reproducibility.

Dual-energy computed tomography (CT) can provide a range of image information beyond conventional CT through virtual monoenergetic images (VMIs). The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of material decomposition in detector-based spectral CT on radiomics features and effectiveness of using deep learning-based image synthesis to improve the reproducibility of radiomics features. In this paper, spectral CT image data from 45 esophageal cancer patients were collected for investigation retrospectively. First, we computed the correlation coefficient of radiomics features between conventional kilovoltage peak (kVp) CT images and VMI. Then, a wavelet loss-enhanced CycleGAN (WLL-CycleGAN) with paired loss terms was developed to synthesize virtual monoenergetic CT images from the corresponding conventional single-energy CT (SECT) images for improving radiomics reproducibility. Finally, the radiomic features in 6 different categories, including gray-level co-occurrence matrix (GLCM), gray-level difference matrix (GLDM), gray-level run-length matrix (GLRLM), gray-level size-zone matrix (GLSZM), neighborhood gray-tone difference matrix (NGTDM), and wavelet, were extracted from the gross tumor volumes from conventional single energy CT, synthetic virtual monoenergetic CT images, and virtual monoenergetic CT images. Comparison between errors in the VMI and synthetic VMI (sVMI) suggested that the performance of our proposed deep learning method improved the radiomic feature accuracy. Material decomposition of dual-layer dual-energy CT (DECT) can substantially influence the reproducibility of the radiomic features, and the degree of impact is feature dependent. The average reduction of radiomics errors for 15 patients in testing sets was 96.9% for first-order, 12.1% for GLCM, 12.9% for GLDM, 15.7% for GLRLM, 50.3% for GLSZM, 53.4% for NGTDM, and 6% for wavelet features. The work revealed that material decomposition has a significant effect on the radiomic feature values. The deep learning-based method reduced the influence of material decomposition in VMIs and might improve the robustness and reproducibility of radiomic features in esophageal cancer. Quantitative results demonstrated that our proposed wavelet loss-enhanced paired CycleGAN outperforms the original CycleGAN.

The Existing Dynamics of Electric Grid Systems in the Province of Takhar, Afghanistan

The research paper investigates about the development of electric networks which states the amount of electricity that the people of Takhar currently use in Afghanistan, and expansion of Takhar’s electrical networks. The electric networks have become a significant importance research area to the socio-economic development of the country. It is in a state of flux and development among difficulties in Takhar province, currently. The region still has a long way to go before attaining widespread and dependable electrification, even with the notable progress made in recent years toward expanding access to power and strengthening infrastructure. Takhar's electrical grid is made up of both conventional and renewable energy sources, while it imports a significant amount of power from nearby nations. However, it has been determined that a crucial tactic for improving the province's energy security and sustainability is the incorporation of renewable energy sources, particularly hydroelectric and solar power. The research explores the present situation, difficulties, and potential futures of the province's electric networks. The main problem for using a mixed-methods methodology that combines qualitative interviews with important stakeholders including local utility providers, government officials (Ministry of Energy and Water, Da Afghanistan Brishna Shirkat (DABS)), and community members with quantitative data analysis. In order to overcome current obstacles and meet the region's electrical demands, this abstract emphasizes the dynamic character of the electric network growth in Takhar province and emphasizes the vital need for ongoing investment, innovation, and cooperation. Finally, the researcher found out the amount of renewable energy sources in Takhar, the amoun of energy that Takhar can produce, the amount of electricity that the people of Takhar currently use, and the amount of electricity that is needed by 2032 so that the people of Takhar Be self-sufficient in electricity. 

Economic enhancement and grid‐frequency control of a wind farm‐CAES‐fuel cell‐based hybrid system

AbstractIn the present era, the electrical network faces difficulty owing to the restricted supply of conventional energy resources. Solar and wind power are supremely acceptable renewable energy around the globe due to their cheap availability, zero fuel costs, and environmental safety features. Maintaining power balance in a renewable combined day‐ahead power network becomes challenging owing to the uncertainty of renewable sources, resulting in economic instability. An energy‐storing device is essential for combining renewable sources with existing thermal power plants to control the energy supply and maintain system stability. Any government agency in the deregulated market does not set up energy pricing. The ISO (independent system operator) is the primary organization in the day‐ahead power network that is responsible for collecting energy bids from DISCOs (distribution companies), TRANSCOs (transmission companies), and GENCOs (generation companies). The energy pricing is set by the market regulator at a rate known as Location‐based marginal pricing (LBMP), which provides benefits to GENCOs, and DISCOs as well as the customers. In a deregulated market, the unpredictability of renewable sources affects system profit owing to the creation of instability cost (ISC), induced by mismatching the bidding power production from the renewable plant. To lessen these concerns, the presented approach has proposed an innovative model that employs ideal scheduling of the WF (wind‐farm)‐CAES (compressed‐air‐energy‐storage)‐fuel cell (FC) hybrid systems to enhance system economic profitability while keeping the grid frequency (GF) in the safe zone. The fuel cell acts as the energy‐storing device that can be utilized during high‐demand times on the grid, with the ultimate goal of maximizing profits for the overall system. The CAES system's energy level is separated into four dissimilar points, and this study presents an optimum approach for efficiently using it to maintain grid frequency. The new strategy outperformed the previous methods in all categories. The study was performed using the IEEE 30 bus test system.

President's Page: Geophysics in Africa: A personal reflection

Africa is a continent laden with numerous natural resources, from important fluids to critical and rare-earth minerals. This makes Africa a pivotal force in conventional energy production and sustainable low-carbon geoenergy development. The continent's unique position necessitates a continuous influx of proficient geoscientists, particularly geophysicists, to effectively extract and commercialize these subsurface treasures.

Modelling and implementation of a photovoltaic system through improved voltage control mechanism

Renewable energy dependence is increasing daily due to the decaying of conventional energy sources. Another primary reason is the increment of pollution as well as global warming. Various alternate energy sources are being used to replace conventional ones. Among them, the prominent photovoltaic source provides clean and green energy. This research focuses on energy production through the photovoltaic source. The photovoltaic cells combination is used along with the boost converter to get the maximal power output. The maximum power point tracker was designed and implemented to obtain the optimal power from the photovoltaic cells, which do not provide the desired results. Therefore, the voltage control method is an alternative to the maximum power point tracker. Both methodologies compared at different intensities of solar light. The load is attached to the photovoltaic output to test its reliability and smooth performance. The system is designed using MATLAB simulation, and the desired results are obtained.

Examining the effect of global energy reserves to production ratio on carbon emission in the USA

A salient perspective to the global net zero emission aspiration that has yet received sparse attention is the unabating conventional energy reserves to production ratio. Considering the both the energy and energy-related emission profiles of the United States, this study considers the outlook of the country's carbon neutral 2050 with reference to the coal, natural gas, and oil energy reserves to production ratios for the period 1970 to 2040. The investigation implied a number of relevant results after employing the Markov switching, cointegration, and causality approaches. The result revealed that both oil and natural gas reserves to production ratio on global scale exert a significantly and positive influence on emission of carbon dioxide in the USA while coal has negative significant effect on carbon dioxide (CO2) emission in two different regimes. From the Wavelet coherence, both in phase and anti-phase relationship, CO2 and oil reserves-production ratio display strong interdependence while a mixed result in the short run (in phase) and medium run (anti phase) is established for CO2 and coal reserves-production ratio. In both short and medium run, natural gas reserves-production ratio leads CO2, and the reverse is also true. Additionally, from the frequency domain causality result, we found causality from oil reserves-production ratio to CO2 while there is bidirectional causality between CO2 and gas reserves-production ratio. The relevance of this study is that it offers insight into the seriousness of the carbon global goal amidst the dimension of energy reserves and production.

Performance Analysis of Open Steam Power Cycle Powered by Concentrated Solar Energy

This study aims to develop a concentrated solar receiver designed to directly generate steam for driving a steam turbine within the steam power cycle of a carbon-free system. The solar power system consists of parabolic dishes, evaporation tanks, and a steam turbine, and the experimental setup was tested on different days, analyzing the measured parameters with the EES software. Results from the investigation indicate that, under the optimal conditions with a maximum recorded temperature and pressure of 143 ℃ and 2.5 bar, respectively, and a vaporized water mass of 100 grams, the manufactured turbine achieved a maximum isentropic efficiency of 92.48% and a power of 1.76 W. Notably, the evaporation tank and the mini steam turbine demonstrated the capability to generate steam and mechanical power, respectively, without relying on conventional energy.

Maximizing Solar Panel Performance: A Comparative Study of Aluminum and Copper Panel Integration in Off-Grid Systems

Abstract: This study explores the implementation of off-grid solar energy systems with strategically mounted aluminum panels behind solar panels, aiming to devise an efficient, economical, and environmentally friendly design. The research builds upon existing literature in the field, focusing on optimizing solar panel performance. Through a comprehensive analysis involving voltage, current, temperature, and solar radiation, the study achieved a notable 1-2% increase in solar panel efficiency. Notably, this enhancement is realized without the need for additional space, making the proposed design a practical and space-efficient solution. The findings underscore the potential of this approach as a permanent, cost-effective, and environmentally conscious solution for PV solar panel installations. With the escalating costs of conventional electrical energy, the study advocates for the adoption of this method, aligning with the global push towards sustainable and eco-friendly energy alternatives. The insights gleaned from this research contribute valuable knowledge to the ongoing discourse on advancing renewable energy technologies, emphasizing the significance of efficient and sustainable solutions in the transition towards a cleaner energy future.

The effect of photovoltaic system operating parameters on exergy efficiency

Solar energy is a unique source of renewable energy due to its availability and the unlimited quantity. It has long attracted the attention of scientists who are conducting theoretical and experimental research into its use. Solar energy plays an increasingly important role in the context of energy conservation. With the rising cost of conventional energy sources and limited access to natural resources, interest in the use of renewable energy sources is increasing. In this context, environmental protection is another factor favoring the development of technologies based on renewable energy sources. With economic development, the significance of new environmentally friendly technologies is increasing. One of the most popular ways for the average household to utilize renewable energy sources is by installing photovoltaic panels. Such an installation allows the use of solar energy to generate electricity, which contributes to reducing energy costs and protecting the environment. The article presents the results of an analysis of the exergy efficiency of prosumer photovoltaic systems found in the area of northern Poland. The analysis presented was based on actual operating parameters over a certain time interval. A key aspect is the analysis of exergy, which is not distributed in renewable energy sources (RES) systems.

Risk-averse bi-level planning model for maximizing renewable energy hosting capacity via empowering seasonal hydrogen storage

Renewables (i.e., solar and wind power) in the Nordic area have highly seasonal characteristics, which severely restrict the wide development of renewables since they can be excessive in summer but insufficient in winter with intermittent outputs. The conventional battery energy storage system (BESS) with short-term adjustment functionality cannot eliminate the seasonal imbalance of renewables. In this regard, a risk-based bi-level planning model is presented to maximize the hosting capacity (HC) of renewables through configuring seasonal hydrogen storage (SHS) and BESS. Specifically, the upper level applies a multi-objective scheme to maximize HC and minimize the investment cost simultaneously. In turn, the lower level is driven by maximizing the profits of the distribution system operator (DSO) with the implementation of price-based demand response (PBDR). Due to forecasting errors of renewables and load resulting from intermittent output and random behaviors, a stochastic programming (SP) method is developed to address and adapt multiple uncertain fluctuations. Moreover, the conditional value-at-risk (CVaR) is introduced to measure the effect of the risks raised by multiple uncertainties on system operation. Finally, numerical studies are employed to verify the effectiveness of the proposed model. Compared to the cases without considering PBDR and SHS, the total renewable energy HC in the proposed model is increased by 2.30 MW and 0.37 MW, respectively, while the yearly cost benefit of DSO is enhanced by 28063.2 US$ and 17823.7 US$, respectively. The promising results demonstrate the empowerment of SHS can promote the cross-seasonal consumption of renewables, effectively maximizing the HC and improving the economic operation of distribution systems.

Efficient improvement of energy detection technique in cognitive radio networks using K-nearest neighbour (KNN) algorithm

With the birth of the IoT era, it is evident that the existing number of devices is going to rise exponentially. Any two devices will communicate with each other using the same frequency band with limited availability. Therefore, it is of vital importance that this frequency band used for communication be used efficiently to accommodate the maximum number of devices with the available radio resources. Cognitive radio (CR) technology serves this exact purpose. The stated one is an intelligent radio that is made to automatically identify the optimal wireless channel in the available wireless spectrum at a given instant. An important functionality of CR is spectrum sensing. Energy detection is a very popular algorithm used for spectrum sensing in CR technology for efficient allocation of radio resources to the devices intended to communicate with each other. Energy detection detects the presence of a primary user (PU) signal by continuously monitoring a selected frequency bandwidth. The conventional energy detection technique is known to perform poorly in lower SNR ranges. This paper works towards the improvement of the energy detection algorithm with the help of machine learning (ML). The ML model uses the general properties of the signal as training data and classifies between a PU signal and noise at very low SNR ranges (− 25 to − 10 dB). In this research, a K-nearest neighbours (KNN) model is selected for its versatility and simplicity. Upon testing the model with an out-of-sample dataset, the KNN model produced a detection accuracy of 94.5%.

Interface engineering of BiVO4/Zn3V2O8 heterocatalysts for escalating the synergism: Impact of Cu electron mediator for overall water splitting

The risk of global warming is increasing due to excessive consumption of fossil fuels. To fill the gap between production and consumption of conventional energy sources, modern societies are searching green and renewable alternatives. In this work, BiVO4/Zn3V2O8 heterocatalysts were synthesized and interfacially engineered for overall water splitting reactions. To obtain the structural and interfacial morphologies, catalysts were characterized by XRD, FTIR, Raman spectroscopy, SEM and AFM techniques. The optical and chemical characteristics of as-synthesized catalysts were evaluated using UV–Vis/DRS, PL, EIS, EDX, XPS and BET analysis. The role of Cu metal, synergism between BiVO4/Zn3V2O8 and mechanistic approaches were further revealed. The results depict that Cu metal exceptionally compete to sustain the synergism as an electron mediator source. The synergistic effect and electron mediator were found as key factors to boost the overall water splitting efficiencies. Due to interfacial engineering of BiVO4/Zn3V2O8 system, charge transfer becomes more feasible for the redox reactions (i.e. water splitting). It was examined that due to presence of Cu metal, rate of overall water splitting reaction was higher than the catalysts having no mediator (i.e. absence of Cu). During photoreaction, two successive rates for H2 and O2 evolution were speculated 17.66 and 8.96 mmol g−1 h−1, respectively which delivers approximately 5.04 kJ g−1 h−1 energy. On the basis of results and activities, it could be concluded that, this research will exhibit exceptional potential and hold promise of an ultimate transition to the water splitting and green energy technologies.

Mitochondria: the gatekeepers between metabolism and immunity.

Metabolism and immunity are crucial monitors of the whole-body homeodynamics. All cells require energy to perform their basic functions. One of the most important metabolic skills of the cell is the ability to optimally adapt metabolism according to demand or availability, known as metabolic flexibility. The immune cells, first line of host defense that circulate in the body and migrate between tissues, need to function also in environments in which nutrients are not always available. The resilience of immune cells consists precisely in their high adaptive capacity, a challenge that arises especially in the framework of sustained immune responses. Pubmed and Scopus databases were consulted to construct the extensive background explored in this review, from the Kennedy and Lehninger studies on mitochondrial biochemistry of the 1950s to the most recent findings on immunometabolism. In detail, we first focus on how metabolic reconfiguration influences the action steps of the immune system and modulates immune cell fate and function. Then, we highlighted the evidence for considering mitochondria, besides conventional cellular energy suppliers, as the powerhouses of immunometabolism. Finally, we explored the main immunometabolic hubs in the organism emphasizing in them the reciprocal impact between metabolic and immune components in both physiological and pathological conditions.

The performance of pharmaceutical wastewater treatment system of electrocoagulation assisted adsorption using perforated electrodes to reduce passivation.

The integrated electrocoagulation-assisted adsorption (ECA) system with a solar photovoltaic power supply has gained more attention as an effective approach for reduction chemical oxygen demand (COD) from pharmaceutical wastewater (PhWW). In this research, the ECA system was used for the treatment of PhWW.Several operating parameters were investigated, includingelectrode number, configuration, distance,operating time, current density, adsorption time, and temperature. Acurrent density of 6.656mA/cm2, sixelectrodes,a 20-mintime,a 4cm distance,an MP-Pconfiguration, anda 45 °C temperature produced the maximum COD reductions, where the operating cost of conventional energy was 0.273 $/m3. The EC, adsorption, and combination of EC and adsorption processes achieved efficient COD reductions of 85.4, 69.1, and 95.5%, respectively. The pseudo-second-order kinetic model and the Freundlich isotherm fitthe data of the endothermic adsorption process. Therefore, it was found that the combination processes were superior to the use of these processes in isolation to remove COD.

Enhanced electrocatalytic conversion of tellurium with MnO hollow nanospheres modified hierarchical n-doped carbon nanosheets in high-performance aqueous Zn-Te battery

Rechargeable aqueous zinc batteries (AZBs) are increasingly recognized as an alternative to conventional energy storage systems due to their environmentally safe nature, abundant zinc resources, and high theoretical capacity. However, the intercalation or surface redox mechanisms limit the development of AZBs cathode materials due to low specific capacity and energy density. The tellurium-based (Te) materials with conversion mechanisms are promising cathode materials for AZBs. Nevertheless, the slow kinetics are detrimental to the increase in specific capacity and energy density for Zn-Te battery. Therefore, a hierarchical structure of manganese oxide (MnO) hollow nanospheres loaded on nitrogen-doped carbon nanosheets (MnO@NC) was rationally designed and used as Te hosts (Te/MnO@NC) for Zn-Te battery. This hierarchical structure facilitates the loading of more Te species. Meanwhile, the MnO hollow nanospheres can expose more active sites, which can promote the kinetics of Te redox reactions thereby lowering the reaction energy barrier. The Te/MnO@NC cathode exhibits high specific capacity and high energy density (429 mAh g−1 and 407 Wh Kg−1 at 0.1 A g−1). Additionally, the conversion mechanism was investigated by systematic characterization and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. This study presents a new design platform for developing AZBs with high specific capacity and energy density.

Design optimization of Solar Power Inverter using the GRA Method

Among the most crucial components of a solar-powered system is an inverter. It is an apparatus that transforms the direct current (DC) produced by solar panels into the alternating current (AC) required by the electric system. Flashing hybrid solar inverter is the best solar inverter for home which offers the following features: - Its operating voltage is between 100-290V. - It has 700 VA of power. 5kW solar inverter price budget starts at $2,000 for excellent single-phase devices and $1,000 for existing datasets (like Sungrow) (eg Fronius or SMA). The most popular size, 5kW, can accommodate arrays up to 6.6kW in power. A solar charge controller can only function effectively during the day, because when the ultraviolet irradiance is strong and, the system's Voltage rating must reach the inverter at a moderate DC voltage level in order for it to function. Your photovoltaic systems and inverter operate at night power will be off. The inverter doesn't run overnight because it doesn't want to draw electricity. Instead, it rises again in the morning when the sun shines. Your home and solar system are connected to the utility grid. By switching to solar PV-based power generation from the airport's current conventional energy source, the carbon footprint of the facility can be decreased. Power distribution solar PV power facilities may be built in regions that are required to be broad and free of obstructions around runways. Based on first year operating data, the current study seeks to evaluate the operational efficiency of a 12 MWp solar-powered airport at Cochin Airport Limited (CIAL), India. With the aid of the most well-liked PV simulation programmes, such as Deterioration in quality and Solar Gis, the plant effectiveness is precisely rendered. The software's performance metrics were discovered to perfectly resemble the observed values. Economic and ecological studies of Kochi airports powered by solar energy attest to its efficiency in lowering carbon footprint, resulting in an airport with almost no emissions that is clean, green, and sustainable.Gray correlation analysis is widely used to measure the degree of relationship between sequences through the gray correlation coefficient. Gray relational analysis has been used by many researchers to optimize control parameters with multiple responses through gray relational grading. The fundamental tenet of the GRA approach is that the chosen option must have the "greatest degree of Green relation" to the positive-ideal solution and the "minimum of grey relation" to the negative-best answer. A technique for determining whether or not variables are connected and how much they are correlated is called grey correlation coefficient analysis. The primary method of determining these curves' geometric similarity is by the construction of characteristic series curves. Type of Solar Module, No of modules per string, No of string, No of inverters and No of transformers Short circuit current (ISC), Open circuit voltage (VOC), Operating Temperature and Dimension. Stress Management in Healthcare Institutions in Work overload is got the first rank whereas is the Overtime is having the lowest rank.