Excess Energy Research Articles

Full-spectrum solar water decomposition for hydrogen production via a concentrating photovoltaic-thermal power generator-solid oxide electrolysis cell system

This study introduces a novel solar-powered concentrating photovoltaic-thermal power generator-solid oxide electrolysis cell system designed to enhance hydrogen production efficiency by optimizing both electrical and thermal energy utilization. The system incorporates a thermal power generator to convert excess high-temperature thermal energy into electrical energy, addressing energy losses associated with high-temperature water electrolysis. Thermodynamic analysis shows that the integration of the thermal power generator improves energy and exergy efficiencies to 0.60 and 0.52, while lowering the optimal operating temperature to 1173 K. The system’s efficiency is sensitive to the proportion of electrical energy supplied by the thermal power generator, with an optimal range identified between 0.1 and 0.2. Higher temperatures improve hydrogen production and efficiency, but increased voltage negatively impacts thermodynamic efficiency. These findings demonstrate that the proposed system offers substantial improvements over conventional solar hydrogen production methods, making it a promising candidate for sustainable hydrogen production. Further research will focus on system integration, material costs, and scalability for commercial use.

An optimized decentralized peer-to-peer energy trading system for smart grids incorporating uncertain renewable energy sources through fuzzy optimization

The significant issue in today's world is that the power system is undergoing on account of unafforded power generation and distribution. Consequently, improper utilization of renewable energy, as well as its pricing mechanism of electrical energy, is also a vital issue in transmission and distribution systems (TDS). In addition, in the context of upcoming power systems, ensuring energy stability and effective energy management have become paramount. This paper introduces a novel approach to address these challenges by proposing an optimal demand response grid-connected decentralized peer-to-peer (P2P) energy trading system. This system efficiently manages energy transactions among prosumers, the grid, and renewable energy sources (RES) under uncertain conditions. Fuzzy optimization (FO) is employed to facilitate interconnections between these entities. A fuzzy logic controller with intelligent rules governs the overall strategy and pricing mechanism based on prosumer power deviation (PPD). Inspired by human thinking, these rules prioritize P2P transactions, with surplus energy exported to the main grid (MG) and energy imported from the MG when necessary. Pricing adjusts dynamically with load demand. Simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness of the fuzzy rules across various conditions, ensuring proper system operation. The proposed model also proves that the P2P energy trading system has reduced power consumption by balancing the generated power and the load demand. The proposed system is environmentally friendly, emitting no harmful gases.

Analysis of CSP/PV Hybrid Power Plants in High Latitude Regions

This study aims to explore the potential of combined CSP and PV systems in high latitude areas. Several performance metrics are evaluated and compared with standalone CSP or PV plants to identify the benefits and challenges of deploying such hybrid plants. Six different sites have been selected and the ASDELSOL hybrid power plant simulation tool, developed by the Thermodynamics and Renewable Energies Group at the University of Seville, has been used. This simulation tool allows performing dynamic performance simulations of hybrid solar plants under various operation strategies, along with conducting economic evaluations. We have analyzed a hybrid solar plant composed of 50 MW PTC and 75 MW PV, with 10 hours of TES and a 15 MW electric heater to transfer excess PV energy to the TES tanks in a 50 MW base load operation strategy, where the main objective of the PV plant is to cover the self-consumption of the PTC plant. Results obtained show that PV/PTC hybridization reduces LCOE and increases CF compared to standalone PV or PTC plants. These improvements are more pronounced in regions where the contribution of PTC plants is lower. In high latitude regions, an N-S orientation of PTC fields achieves higher production than an E-W orientation. However, a combination of both orientations can optimize their production and performance. Finally, it is concluded that it is necessary to carry out feasibility studies in high latitude locations before dismissing them outright, as it has been observed that, in certain regions, hybrid PV/PTC solar plants can offer an effective alternative.

Mining the atmosphere: A concrete solution to global warming

To neutralize anthropogenic climate impacts, excess carbon dioxide (CO2) – about 400 Gt of carbon – needs to be removed from the atmosphere. After the energy transition is accomplished, we propose that excess renewable energy can be used to extract CO2 from the atmosphere and convert it into methane or methanol, which are further processed into polymers, hydrogen, and solid carbon. End-of-life polymers are pyrolysed and part of the carbon is used to produce silicon carbide. Solid carbon and silicon carbide become then aggregates and fillers for concrete and asphalt. At the end of their lifecycle, landfilled construction materials become the final carbon sink. Up to 12 Gt of carbon could be stored per year, mostly as concrete aggregates. The synthesis of carbon-based materials in cycles of increased chemical reduction has multiple advantages, including long-term stability, high storage density of the carbon, decentralized implementation, and replacement of current CO2-emitting materials.

Techno-economic of Residential Application for Grid-Connected Photovoltaic-Battery under Net Energy Metering

Nowadays, the demand for electrical energy is increasing due to the application of electrical equipment such as air conditioning, refrigerators, television, computers etc. Grid-connected photovoltaic is a network that allows for significant penetration of electricity by PV generation into the national utility grid under Net Energy Metering (NEM) incentive. Under NEM incentive, the owner can offset the energy for 10 years to reduce the electricity billing. Unfortunately, after that, the self-consumption (SELCO) program is implemented. Under SELCO program, the energy generated by PV will be consumed by the owner and there is no rebate for excess energy to the grid. This paper represents the techno-economic analysis of different rated power of PV design installed for residential applications. The 1.04kWp, 1.56kWp and 2.08kWp PV are designed to charge 5.544kWh battery and simulated by using PVsyst software. The payback period is calculated under Net Energy Metering (NEM) 3.0 incentive. As a result, 1.56kWp is the optimize sizing for grid-connected PV-battery with electricity billing saving at RM730.20 per year under one-on-one program and RM660.61 under SELCO program. Thus, return on investment (ROI) of this system design is 16.5 years.

Effect of water on the excess properties of eutectic solvents

Three eutectic solvents were created utilizing a heating and stirring process. The solvents consist of tetrabutylammonium bromide and levulinic acid, as well as tetrabutylammonium chloride with either levulinic acid or lactic acid. The characterization of the samples was conducted using 1H NMR and IR techniques. The density and viscosity of three different low eutectic solvent and water binary mixture systems were determined within the temperature range of 293.15 to 333.15 K. The volume properties (excess molar volume, coefficient of expansion, coefficient of excess expansion) of the binary mixtures with different amounts of water were thoroughly investigated across the complete range of mole fraction. The study also investigated the impact of viscosity parameters, such as viscosity deviation and Excess activation Gibbs free energy of viscous flow. Furthermore, an analysis was conducted on the interaction between the eutectic solvent and the solvent molecules in the binary mixture. This analysis revealed the presence of hydrogen bonds between the eutectic solvent and water molecules. Moreover, it was confirmed that the excess properties could be fitted with the Redlich-Kister equation with r2 ≥ 0.99,demonstrating high suitability for binary mixes consisting of low eutectic solvents and water.

A Feasibility Study of a Music Enrichment Program on Relative Reinforcing Value of Food and Home Environmental Enrichment among Families of Low Socioeconomic Status.

Emerging evidence suggests that low socioeconomic status (SES) home environments may play a role by promoting excess energy intake through a lack of access to non-food reinforcers. Because of the deleterious effects of SES-related disparities on child health and development, feasible and culturally acceptable interventions are urgently needed. Community-based music enrichment programs may be an ideal intervention strategy. In collaboration with a local non-profit organization and music studio, we conducted a pilot randomized controlled trial to assess the effects of a music enrichment program versus a play date control in a group of 9-24-month-old healthy infants (N = 16). The study was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki and approved by the Institutional Review Board of Children's Mercy Hospital Kansas City. This study is registered with clinicaltrials.gov (NCT05868811). Overall, we found some intervention effects on the relative reinforcing value of food (RRVfood) and the home environmental enrichment measures (i.e., increased music use at home and the home language environment). Our intervention demonstrated large effects on the increased use of music at home. We did not find significant group differences in the RRVfood and home language environment, but some of the effect sizes were medium-to-large. Results also suggest that our intervention is feasible and acceptable. Parent feedback indicated that the intervention was well-liked and that the steps we took to help reduce barriers worked. Music enrichment programs may be a high-impact, low-cost strategy to address socioeconomic disparities.

УПРАВЛІННЯ ГІБРИДНОЮ СИСТЕМОЮ ЕЛЕКТРОЖИВЛЕННЯ ТВАРИННИЦЬКОЇ ФЕРМИ З ВІДНОВЛЮВАЛЬНИМИ ДЖЕРЕЛАМИ ТА ЕЛЕКТРОТРАНСПОРТОМ

The article considers the improvement of the control with using the generation of renewable energy sources forecast for a grid-connected a hybrid power supply system of a livestock farm with electric transport and a gas generator. The task is to form a graph of the state of charge of the main battery with a limitation of the depth of discharge with the maximum use of renewable sources energy. The calculation method of the state of charge of a battery and power consumption graph when working with the grid and in autonomous mode has been improved, with the definition of recommendations for charging electric transport. A mechanism has been developed for correcting the power consumption based on the deviation of the battery charge state relative to the specified value, with the correction disabled to implement the function of eliminating the export of excess energy to the grid or gas generator. This ensures the limitation of the gas generator power within certain limits and helps to limit the influence of generation and load deviations relative to the forecast on the battery discharge depth. The structure of the energy processes model in the system for the daily operation cycle has been developed. In the process of modeling, the deviation of renewable energy generation up to 20% and 10% was studied simultane-ously with a 10% increase in load.

Excited State Band Mapping and Ultrafast Nonequilibrium Dynamics in Topological Dirac Semimetal 1T-ZrTe2.

We performed time- and polarization-resolved extreme ultraviolet momentum microscopy on the topological Dirac semimetal candidate 1T-ZrTe2. Excited state band mapping uncovers the previously inaccessible linear dispersion of the Dirac cone above the Fermi level. We study the orbital texture of bands using linear dichroism in photoelectron angular distributions. These observations provide hints about the topological character of 1T-ZrTe2. Time-, energy-, and momentum-resolved nonequilibrium carrier dynamics reveal that intra- and interband scattering processes play a major role in the relaxation mechanism, leading to multivalley electron-hole accumulation near the Fermi level. We also show that electrons' inverse lifetime has a linear dependence as a function of their excess energy. Our time- and polarization-resolved XUV photoemission results shed light on the excited state electronic structure of 1T-ZrTe2 and provide valuable insights into the relatively unexplored field of quantum-state-resolved ultrafast dynamics in 3D topological Dirac semimetals.

Investigation of intermolecular interactions in binary mixtures of N,N-dimethyl benzyl amine with higher alkanols (N,N-dimethyl benzyl amine with 1-octanol, 1-nonanol, 1-decanol)

ABSTRACT Measurements of densities (ρ), speeds of sound (u), and viscosities (η) for binary mixtures of N,N-dimethyl benzyl amine (DMBA) with 1-octanol (D1), 1-nonanol (D2), and 1-decanol (D3) were performed across temperatures from 303.15 K to 313.15 K under atmospheric pressure, covering all composition ranges. These experimental results were utilised to calculate the excess molar volume, excess isentropic compressibility, viscosity deviation, and the excess Gibbs free energy of activation for viscous flow. Calculations for partial molar properties and infinite dilution partial molar properties were also carried out for each binary mixture. The dominant intermolecular interactions within these mixtures were analysed using the PFP theory. Additionally, the Jouyban−Acree model was applied to predict the thermo physical properties such as density, speed of sound, and viscosity. The model’s accuracy was evaluated by comparing predicted values with experimental data through mean relative deviations (MRDs) and individual relative deviations (IRDs).

A Global Resilience Analysis-Based Benchmark Framework for Comparing Reliability Surrogate Measures of Water Distribution Systems

Various reliability surrogate measures have emerged over the last three decades to design water distribution systems. However, existing comparative studies cannot assess surrogate measures from the resilience perspective considering the dynamic absorption–recovery process imposed by pipe failures. In this work, we propose a novel benchmark framework based on the global resilience analysis to examine surrogate measures’ performance. Surrogate measures were compared via the stress–strain curve derived from the global resilience analysis under extended period simulation. In particular, we identify the comparable stress range to articulate the differences among surrogate measures and significantly reduce the computational burden. Then, we develop the normalized resilience score (NRS) to evaluate the quality of solutions to network design. Five well-known measures are compared for the multiobjective design of two benchmark networks. Results show that the Network Resilience Index achieves 2.5% to 10.1% better NRSs than the mean NRSs over five surrogate measures, implying that both nodal surplus energy and pipe diameter uniformity greatly impact the network system’s resilience. The uniformity of pipe diameters is more significant than the uniformity of flow rate. Our findings contribute to the design of new and better surrogate measures for network resilience evaluation.

Drug treatment of true gynecomastia in overweight adult men

BACKGROUND: True gynecomastia is associated with excess body mass, which is caused by an imbalance of androgens/estrogens. Therefore, there is an interest in evaluating the possibility of drug therapy for this condition through the use of antiestrogens or aromatase inhibitors.AIM: To evaluate the possibility of drug therapy for true gynecomastia in adult men with excess body mass through the use of clomiphene or letrozole.MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective study included men with newly developed gynecomastia and excess body mass who sought medical help at the Endocrinology Research Center from January 2020 to May 2024, and received either clomiphene therapy or letrozole for a period of 4 weeks. All patients were evaluated for the condition of their breast glands, total bilirubin, liver transaminases, creatinine, urea, luteinizing hormone, prolactin, sex hormone-binding globulin, estradiol, total testosterone, alpha-fetoprotein, and chorionic gonadotropin. The baseline level of statistical significance was set at p<0.05.RESULTS: With clomiphene treatment, no statistically significant differences were found in the evaluated parameters, except for estradiol and testosterone levels, which increased. Clomiphene therapy worsened the condition of three patients (13% (95% CI 2,8;33,6)) - they experienced breast pain that was not present at the time of prescription. With letrozole treatment, there was a positive trend - all evaluated parameters significantly improved. Comparing the changes in the studied parameters, it was found that letrozole treatment had a better effect in terms of the severity of gynecomastia (-1[0;-1] degree), reduction in estradiol levels (-31,7[-8,8;-90,8] pmol/l), and also reduced the number of patients willing to undergo surgical removal of gynecomastia (-63,4% (95% CI -46,9;-77,9)).CONCLUSION: The use of an aromatase inhibitor reduces the severity of gynecomastia and decreases the number of patients willing to undergo surgical removal.

Analysis of Electricity Supply and Demand Balance in Residential Microgrids Integrated with Micro-CAES in Northern Portugal

As global energy demand continues to rise, integrating renewable energy sources (RES) into power systems has become increasingly important. However, the intermittent nature of RES, such as solar and wind, presents challenges for maintaining a stable energy supply. To address this issue, energy storage systems are essential. One promising technology is micro-compressed air energy storage (micro-CAES), which stores excess energy as compressed air and releases it when needed to balance supply and demand. This study investigates the integration of micro-CAES with RES in a 19-home microgrid in northern Portugal. The research aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a microgrid configuration that includes 100 kW of solar PV, 70 kW of wind power, and a 50 kWh micro-CAES system. Using real-world data on electricity consumption and local renewable potential, a simulation is conducted to assess the performance of this system. The findings reveal that this configuration can supply up to 68.8% of the annual energy demand, significantly reducing reliance on the external grid and enhancing the system’s resilience. These results highlight the potential of micro-CAES to improve the efficiency and sustainability of small-scale renewable energy systems, demonstrating its value as a key component in future energy solutions.

Fluoride Ion Storage and Conduction Mechanism in Fluoride Ion Battery Positive Electrode, Ruddlesden-Popper-Type Layered Perovskite La1.2Sr1.8Mn2O7 Crystal.

Structural characteristics on fluoride ion storage and conduction mechanism in La1.2Sr1.8Mn2O7, and its fluoridated materials, La1.2Sr1.8Mn2O7F and La1.2Sr1.8Mn2O7F2, for an all-solid-state fluoride ion battery positive electrode with a high volumetric capacity surpassing those of lithium-ion ones have been revealed using the Rietveld method and maximum entropy method. In La1.2Sr1.8Mn2O7, once the F- ions are taken into the NaCl slabs in its crystal through the charging process, it forms two stable fluoride compounds, La1.2Sr1.8Mn2O7F and La1.2Sr1.8Mn2O7F2, with the help of the Mn oxidation reaction. In these oxyfluorides, thermal vibrations of the F- ions inserted are much larger, especially in the a-b plane, than along the c axis. When surplus energy, such as an electric field for charging, is applied to these crystals at near room temperature or higher, the anions immediately begin to jump to their neighboring lattice sites, resulting in sufficiently rapid and large ionic conduction. The MEM analyses and density functional theory (DFT) calculations have revealed that the F- ions enable to easily travel along the ⟨110⟩ directions in the NaCl slabs of these crystals. These structural features thus make La1.2Sr1.8Mn2O7 and its fluorides possess both of two features incompatible with each other, ion storage and conduction, indispensable for rechargeable batteries.

Thermodynamic and spectroscopic analyses of N-Methyl benzylamine-isomeric amyl alcohol binary mixtures: Jouyban-Acree model correlation and experimental validation

ABSTRACT Excess molar volume, excess isentropic compressibility, deviation in viscosity, and excess Gibbs free energy of activation for viscous flow for binary mixtures of N-Methyl benzyl amine (NMBA) with 2-Methyl-2-butanol (2M2B), 2-Methyl-1-butanol (2M1B), and 3-Methyl-1-butanol (3M1B) were determined from measured densities (ρ), viscosities (η) and speeds of sound (u) at 303.15 K to 313.15 K. Influence Structural disparities on excess properties is discussed concerning intermolecular forces. The Prigogine – Flory – Patterson (PFP) theory identifies predominant molecular interactions, and the Jouyban – Acree model correlates density, speed of sound, and viscosity with composition. Thermodynamic activation parameters were calculated using the Eyring equation to study viscous flow thermodynamics. FT-IR and 1H NMR spectra of equimolar binary mixtures were analysed to confirm experimental findings through absorption bands (cm−1) and chemical shifts.

DoubleTES detectors to investigate the CRESST low energy background: results from above-ground prototypes

In recent times, the sensitivity of low-mass direct dark matter searches has been limited by unknown low energy backgrounds close to the energy threshold of the experiments known as the low energy excess (LEE). The CRESST experiment utilises advanced cryogenic detectors constructed with different types of crystals equipped with Transition Edge Sensors (TESs) to measure signals of nuclear recoils induced by the scattering of dark matter particles in the detector. In CRESST, this low energy background manifests itself as a steeply rising population of events below 200 eV. A novel detector design named doubleTES using two identical TESs on the target crystal was studied to investigate the hypothesis that the events are sensor-related. We present the first results from two such modules, demonstrating their ability to differentiate between events originating from the crystal’s bulk and those occurring in the sensor or in its close proximity.

Research on mobile energy storage scheduling strategy for emergency power supply protection of post-disaster isolated loads

Aiming at the problem of insufficient power supply capacity of isolated loads in oceanic islands, a concept based on mobile energy storage and power conservation is proposed in this paper. Firstly, the energy flow and traffic flow characteristics of mobile energy storage are quantitatively analyzed, and an accurate mathematical model is established. Furthermore, the time-space distribution characteristics of load are carefully considered, and the Voronoi diagram and Tyson polygon method are introduced to determine cell differentiation. On this basis, combined with the power demand of load nodes and the energy storage characteristics of mobile energy storage vehicles, the evaluation indicators of cell energy and relative surplus energy of cells are designed, and the agent-cellular automata algorithm is used to schedule the mobile energy storage. The simulation results show that the power supply mode based on mobile energy storage can effectively improve the reliability of isolated loads. This paper provides a new perspective for solving the reliable power supply problem of isolated loads.

Hederagenin from Hedera helix Promotes Fat Browning in 3T3-L1 Adipocytes.

The prevalence of obesity is increasing globally, with approximately 700 million obese people worldwide. Currently, regulating energy homeostasis by increasing energy expenditure is attracting attention as a strategy for treating obesity. White adipose tissue is known to play a role in accumulating energy by storing excess energy, while brown adipose tissue expends energy and maintains body temperature. Thus, the browning of white adipose tissue has been shown to be effective in controlling obesity. Hedera helix (H. helix) has been widely used as a traditional medicine for various diseases. In several previous studies, hederagenin (HDG) from H. helix has demonstrated many biological activities. In this study, we investigated the antiobesity effect of HDG on fat browning in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Consequent to HDG treatment, a reduction in lipid accumulation was measured through oil red O staining. In addition, this study investigated that HDG increases energy expenditure by upregulating the expression of several targets related to thermogenesis, including uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1). This process involves inhibiting lipogenesis via the adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) signaling pathway and promoting lipolysis through the protein kinase A (PKA) pathway. HDG is expected to be effective in promoting fat browning, indicating its potential as a natural antiobesity candidate.

Alleviative Effect of Exogenous Application of Fulvic Acid on Nitrate Stress in Spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.)

Salt stress could be a significant factor limiting the growth and development of vegetables. In this study, Fulvic Acid (FA) (0.05%, 0.1%, 0.15%, 0.2%, and 0.25%) was applied under nitrate stress (150 mM), with normal Hoagland nutrient solution as a control to investigate the influence of foliar spray FA on spinach growth, photosynthesis, and oxidative stress under nitrate stress. The results showed that nitrate stress significantly inhibited spinach growth, while ROS (reactive oxygen species) accumulation caused photosystem damage, which reduced photosynthetic capacity. Different concentrations of FA alleviated the damage caused by nitrate stress in spinach to varying degrees in a concentration-dependent manner. The F3 treatment (0.15% FA + 150 mM NO3−) exhibited the most significant mitigating effect. FA application promoted the accumulation of biomass in spinach under nitrate stress and increased chlorophyll content, the net photosynthetic rate, the maximum photochemical quantum yield of PSII (Photosystem II) (Fv/Fm), the quantum efficiency of PSII photochemistry [Y(II)], the electron transport rate, and the overall functional activity index of the electron transport chain between the PSII and PSI systems (PItotal); moreover, FA decreased PSII excitation pressure (1 − qP), quantum yields of regulated energy dissipation of PSII [Y(NPQ)], and the relative variable initial slope of fluorescence. FA application increased superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, and catalase activities and decreased malondialdehyde, H2O2, and O2− levels in spinach under nitrate stress. FA can enhance plant resistance to nitrate by accelerating the utilization of light energy in spinach to mitigate excess light energy and ROS-induced photosystem damage and increase photosynthetic efficiency.

Grain boundary solute segregation across the 5D space of crystallographic character

Solute segregation in materials with grain boundaries (GBs) has emerged as a popular method to thermodynamically stabilize nanocrystalline structures. However, the impact of varied GB crystallographic character on solute segregation has never been thoroughly examined. This work examines Co solute segregation in a dataset of 7272 Al bicrystal GBs that span the 5D space of GB crystallographic character. Considerable attention is paid to verification of the calculations in the diverse and large set of GBs. In addition, the results of this work are favorably validated against similar bicrystal and polycrystal simulations. As with other work, we show that Co atoms exhibit strong segregation to sites in Al GBs and that segregation correlates strongly with GB energy and GB excess volume. Segregation varies smoothly in the 5D crystallographic space but has a complex landscape without an obvious functional form.