Energy Diversification Research Articles

Low-Carbon Transformation of Electric System against Power Shortage in China: Policy Optimization

The low-carbon transition of the power system is essential for China to achieve peak carbon and carbon neutrality. However, China could suffer power shortages due to radical policies in some extreme cases. The gap between power demand and supply from March 2021 to November 2021 ranged between 5.2 billion kW·h and 24.6 billion kW·h. The main reason for the power shortage was over-reliance on renewable energy and insufficient coal power supply for the power system. The low-carbon transformation path of the electric system needs to be explored with more flexibility for power security. This study applied a modified LEAP model and carried out a forecast analysis of thermal power generation and installed capacity in 2025 and 2030 under normal and extreme weather scenarios. The results suggested that: the installed capacity of thermal power will need to account for about 44.6–46.1% of power generation in 2025 and 37.4–39.3% in 2030, with the assumption of power shortages caused by the instability and uncertainty of renewable power. In the future, China needs to pursue the development of diversified energy sources and enhance the power supply security capability while strengthening the development and utilization of renewable energy.

Experimental investigation on CO2-based combined cooling and power cycle

CO2-based combined cooling and power cycle has received increasing attentions especially in scenarios with diversified energy desires for its outstanding thermophysical properties in the recent years. Nevertheless, the current researches on the CO2-based combined cycle devote most to theoretical explorations rather than experimental studies yet. In this work, an experimental prototype of CO2-based combined cooling and power cycle, which is driven by engine waste heat, is developed with the purpose of filling the gaps in the related experiments. The combined cycle integrates a CO2 power sub-cycle and refrigeration sub-cycle via the conjunct condenser and reservoir, with an 10 kW-scale designed output of both power and refrigeration capacity. The flexibility of the prototype is validated, and impacts of external perturbations in the major components on system operation and performance are comprehensively explored. The results indicate that the perturbations in the refrigeration side impose insignificant impacts on the operating of the power side, while any perturbation in the power side may exert dramatic influences on the performance of the former. Simultaneous 5.11 kW power and 5.40 kW refrigeration outputs are achieved in the combined cycle with 93.1 kW heat input, where it operates at a turbine inlet pressure of 10.45 MPa, condensing temperature of 24.5 °C, and evaporating temperature of −0.6 °C. Detailed comparisons between the designed and tested results are conducted to ascertain the deficiencies in the present work and potential measures are concluded to further improve the performance of the combined cycle.

Optimized Control Strategy for Photovoltaic Hydrogen Generation System with Particle Swarm Algorithm

Distributed generation is a vital component of the national economic sustainable development strategy and environmental protection, and also the inevitable way to optimize energy structure and promote energy diversification. The power generated by renewable energy is unstable, which easily causes voltage and frequency fluctuations and power quality problems. An adaptive online adjustment particle swarm optimization (AOA-PSO) algorithm for system optimization is proposed to solve the technical issues of large-scale wind and light abandonment. Firstly, a linear adjustment factor is introduced into the particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm to adaptively adjust the search range of the maximum power point voltage when the environment changes. In addition, the maximum power point tracking method of the photovoltaic generator set with direct duty cycle control is put forward based on the basic PSO algorithm. Secondly, the concept of recognition is introduced. The particles with strong recognition ability directly enter the next iteration, ensuring the search accuracy and speed of the PSO algorithm in the later stage. Finally, the effectiveness of the AOA-PSO algorithm is verified by simulation and compared with the traditional control algorithm. The results demonstrate that the method is effective. The system successfully tracks the maximum power point within 0.89 s, 1.2 s faster than the traditional perturbation and observation method (TPOM), and 0.8 s faster than the incremental admittance method (IAM). The average maximum power point is 274.73 W, which is 98.87 W higher than the TPOM and 109.98 W more elevated than the IAM. Besides, the power oscillation range near the maximum power point is small, and the power loss is slight. The method reported here provides some guidance for the practical development of the system.

Study on Potential Utilization of New Renewable Energy to Support the Electricity System in Warudoyong Area

Energy is one of the most basic human necessities for supporting activities that continue to expand in number as the population and economy rise. On the other hand, the majority of today's energy originates from fossil-based electricity, which has non-renewable qualities, meaning that its reserves will deplete if consumed indefinitely. In particular, Indonesia and the Warudoyong region of West Java Province have a diverse range of new and renewable energy (EBT) possibilities dispersed across the majority of their territory, ranging from solar energy, wind energy, bioenergy, marine energy, and geothermal. The goal of this study is to map the potential of EBT in the Warudoyong area in order to aid the government's goal of achieving the national energy mix and supporting energy diversification in the power system. The findings of the study show that there is a lot of renewable energy potential in the Warudoyong area, which can be converted into electrical energy

Integrated performance optimization of a biomass-based hybrid hydrogen/thermal energy storage system for building and hydrogen vehicles

The increase of diversified energy demand, such as building and transportation fields, is bringing great challenges for energy supply. New energy vehicles, such as hydrogen vehicles, have drawn attention increasingly, in which hydrogen demand is usually close to buildings. To satisfy diversified energy demand and solve supply-demand mismatch, operation optimization of biomass-based hybrid hydrogen/thermal energy storage system for building and hydrogen vehicles is investigated, in which building and hydrogen vehicles loads are considered simultaneously. Two operation strategies (following the electricity demand with hydrogen load (FE-HL) and following the thermal demand with hydrogen load (FT-HL)) are proposed. Operation performance on weekday and weekend in different seasons under two operation strategies are compared. Researches indicate that system performance under FE-HL is much better than that of FT-HL. Under FE-HL strategy, primary energy consumption saving ratio, annual total expenditure reduction ratio and CO2 emission reduction ratio are 11.82%, 46.20% and 86.67%, respectively, and the above indicators are −12.11%, 27.83% and 65.72% under FT-HL strategy accordingly. Moreover, the system performances under two operation strategies show a reverse trend with the increase in hydrogen load. In general, this study provides an inspiring idea for supply-demand matching optimization between renewable integration system and building-hydrogen vehicles.

Modelling the effects of energy diversification on ecological footprint: evidence from Côte d'Ivoire.

Energy diversification is a vital contribution to sustainable development. Many countries are accelerating the diversification of their energy mix to meet the challenges of the energy transition. This study aims to model and investigate the effects of energy diversification on the ecological footprint of production in Côte d'Ivoire. The study uses an autoregressive distributed lag model with structural breaks and covers the period 1971-2015. Energy diversification is measured by an "Energy Mix Concentration Index," a concentration indicator based on the Herfindahl-Hirschman Index. The results suggest that, in the short term, energy diversification reduces the ecological footprint of production in Côte d'Ivoire, and is conducive for environmental protection. In the long term, energy diversification also has a reducing effect on the ecological footprint of production up to a certain threshold where energy concentration increases the ecological footprint. The study finds that there is an optimal level of energy diversification that is ideal for achieving a lower impact of energy diversification activities and exploitation of energy production sources on the environment in Côte d'Ivoire. The commissioning of the Azito power plant in 1999, which produces electricity using natural gas, has also had a major impact, not only on the country's energy mix since then, but also on its ecological footprint of production.

Determination of Biodiesel Production Volume of Sunflower as the Major Oilseed Crop in Turkey

Our agricultural system is struggling to respond to increasing demands for food and renewable energy. We need to prioritize our production of local biofuel feedstocks by going through energy diversification, whose raw material is based on agriculture. The need for biofuels, which are among the renewable energy sources in our country, is increasing day by day, especially in terms of energy security and sustainability. Sunflower, cotton, safflower, and rapeseed are among the vegetable oil feedstock sources of biodiesel production, an important place among biofuels in our country. The most abundant source of oil raw material belongs to sunflower. Is this year 2019 sowing season in our country, 2 100 000 tons of sunflower were harvested with a yield of 27 937 kg per hectare during the planting works carried out on 751 693 hectares of land. This study aimed to determine the potential biodiesel volume of the sunflower plant according to the data of 2019. As a result of the calculations, this oilseed plant's potential biodiesel production volume in our country has been determined as 582 643 166 liters. For the biodiesel sector to produce uninterruptedly, the production studies of second-generation biodiesel raw materials, which are not used in the food sector, are compatible with the conditions of our country, especially in low water demand, and can be grown quickly in marginal areas.

ТЕНДЕНЦИОЗНОСТЬ НАДЕЖНОГО РАЗВИТИЯ РОССИЙСКОЙ ЭНЕРГЕТИКИ

The design of the current global energy system contains a fundamental framework that has been created by many generations and functions effectively for the benefit of society. Modern trends in the development of human civilization prescribe the necessary changes in the energy sector associated with obtaining resources, construction, generation, transmission and consumption of energy. The inversion contains a large economic component related to the results of climate impact on the economy and adaptation to them, the need for political and economic decisions aimed at increasing the competitiveness of the latest energy systems. The values of the economic coefficient (EROI) appropriate for the implementation of scientific and technological progress and the socio-economic development of society are presented. The latest global trend is outlined - the rejection of fossil fuels and the transition to renewable energy sources. It is substantiated that the "energy transition" is being implemented by many countries and meets the demand of modern society, which implies the harmonization of environmental, climatic and technological characteristics. The factors that accelerate the transition to climate neutrality are considered: the latest modern technologies, the development of distributed generation located directly at the consumer, global warming and others. It was determined that nuclear energy is recognized as a clean source of energy, a large-scale expansion of renewable energy, the use of the latest technologies and methods of generation with a high installed capacity factor, the entry of hydrogen energy into this area, and in the future, the use of thermonuclear energy leads to diversification of the world's energy. The purpose of the study is to present a scientific view of the future construction of the world energy sector through an evolutionary path of development, taking into account the opinions of all stakeholders and the best minds of mankind.

Disruption of maritime trade chokepoints and the global LNG trade: An agent-based modeling approach

Maritime chokepoints are key corridors in the global supply chain because they connect waterbodies, countries, and regions worldwide with few alternative routes. In case of closure (as the blockade of the Suez Canal in March 2021), the energy supply is substantially affected. Therefore, clear and safe passage through these chokepoints plays a critical role in energy transportation, global economy, and sustainable development. This study uses Agent-Based Modeling to develop an LNG market model and simulate the disruption of three main chokepoints: Panama Canal, Suez Canal / Bab el-Mandeb Strait, and Malacca Strait. After validating the computational model with the actual historical data, the model shows the chokepoints blockade effects on changing the LNG trade and exports from suppliers. The implications are immediate. In general, countries should work together to secure maritime trade routes, retain clear and safe maritime corridors, establish potential passages as alternatives to these chokepoints where possible, and decentralize LNG plants to have access from or to different maritime routes. Each importer should integrate their gas markets with pipelines networks, search for domestic gas resources, and diversify energy sources to decline energy dependency and gas imports from remote producing areas.

Exposure of Whimbrels to offshore wind leases during departure from and arrival to a major mid-Atlantic staging site

The United States is pursuing a diversified energy portfolio that includes offshore wind with a focus on the Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). The Western Atlantic Flyway (WAF) supports one of the largest near-shore movement corridors of birds in the world, including several shorebird species of high conservation concern. We used satellite transmitters to examine orientation of Whimbrels (<em>Numenius phaeopus</em>) crossing the OCS and their overlap with two wind energy leases. Birds using a migratory staging site along the Delmarva Peninsula in Virginia crossed the OCS along a southeast-northwest axis. A considerable percentage (42.9%) of tracks intersected with one of the two wind leases. The juxtaposition to the Delmarva Peninsula placed wind leases southeast of the peninsula within both the departure and arrival trajectories of Whimbrels. The satellite transmitters used in this study were not equipped with altitude sensors, so we do not know if birds crossed wind leases within the rotor swept zone. Several species of shorebirds, including hundreds of thousands of individuals, make trans-Atlantic flights from three major staging sites: Delaware Bay, the lower Delmarva Peninsula, and Georgia Bight. All of these sites have wind leases positioned to their southeast. One of the most effective strategies for minimizing conflicts between birds and potential hazards is to place hazards away from critical movement corridors. More information is needed about departure and arrival patterns of shorebirds that cross the OCS to inform future lease placement.

Глобальные инновационные тенденции в сфере возобновляемой энергии в контексте энергетических потребностей современных агропродовольственных систем

Global agrifood system (AFS) today is one of the largest and most diversified energy consumers, since it is actually a reduced copy of the world economic system. Like other sectors of the world economy, technologies based on the renewable are penetrating rapidly the AFSs. This is a global trend however throughout leading economies the AFSs are still highly dependence on conventional and non-renewable energy sources. The article provides estimates of energy consumption volume in global AFS. The outperformance of renewable electricity production by country is demonstrated, as well as renewable energy share in certain areas of the AFS. The main part of the article associated with the analysis of innovative efforts aimed at increasing the competitiveness of modern renewables. The carried out analysis mainly concentrates upon the technologies of photovoltaic conversion of solar energy, since this area of renewable energy is currently predominant and is considered as the most promising. The cost factors of solar converters are investigated in the context of various innovative materials usage and the energy efficiency of various systems. Modern innovative approaches to a comprehensive assessment of the comparative competitiveness of the renewables, taking into account environmental and social externalities, are considered. The final part of the article covers one of the most important current problems for renewable energy – progress in electricity accumulation efficiency, on which the diversity and number of individual end users of the renewables depend most significantly.

Colombia's Public Policy for Energy Diversification: Role of Governance in Energy Democracy

Colombia's Public Policy for Energy Diversification: Role of Governance in Energy Democracy

Research on dynamic performance of gas engine power systems for marine applications under the background of energy diversification – A review

Research on dynamic performance of gas engine power systems for marine applications under the background of energy diversification – A review

Coal Supply Sustainability in China: A New Comprehensive Evaluation Methodology

Coal is a major source of energy in China. Quantifying China’s coal supply sustainability is essential to track China’s efforts towards sustainable development and achieve carbon neutrality goals. In this research, in addition to availability, economic sustainability, environmental sustainability and technological sustainability, we specially considered health and security, and transport sustainability of China’s coal supply. We select 19 indicators from the above six dimensions to build a coal supply sustainability index and construct a novel optimized comprehensive evaluation model with level difference maximization to evaluate China’s coal supply sustainability. The results showed that the policies issued by the Chinese government have effectively improved coal supply sustainability. China’s coal supply sustainability level has improved significantly, with the figure nearly doubling from 0.338 in 2000 to 0.7004 in 2019. To improve the sustainability of China’s coal supply further fundamentally, it is still necessary to improve energy diversification. Since phasing out China’s coal reliance requires considerable time, the Chinese government needs to introduce more positive and effective policies to such as increase the research and development support for carbon capture, utilization and storage technology, etc. to improve the sustainability of coal supply. The results of this research presented in this paper will have reference value for both promoting the sustainable development of China and other coal-consuming countries in the world.

South Africa power reforms: The Path to a dominant renewable energy-sourced grid

South Africa power system has undergone several power reforms from the pre-apartheid to post-apartheid era under various administrations in a bid to meet the increasing energy demand of its populace. Her enormous available renewable energy sources give hope for a revolutionized power sector with minimal environmental pollution. This research will therefore review the energy transition phases of South Africa power sector from the pre-apartheid to post-apartheid era, highlighting the various strides made by South African government towards the realization of a dominant renewable energy sourced grid. Furthermore, performance evaluation of the renewable energy driven programmes and its impact in promoting renewable energy sourced grid will be carried out based on five key performance metrics which are energy accessibility, energy diversification and enhancement, energy governance, environmental impact, and economic impact. In addition, the prevailing challenges of the South Africa energy system is highlighted, while a proposed model towards achieving a dominant renewable energy sourced grid is put forward.

Effect of High-Speed Powder Feeding on Microstructure and Tribological Properties of Fe-Based Coatings by Laser Cladding

In order to improve the wear resistance of 27SiMn steel substrate, Fe-based alloy coatings were prepared by laser cladding technology in the present study. In comparison to the conventional gravity powder feeding (GF) process, high-speed powder feeding (HF) process was used to prepare Fe-based alloy coating on 27SiMn steel substrate. The effect of diversified energy composition of powder materials on the microstructure and properties of coatings were systematically studied. X-ray diffractometer (XRD), optical microscope (OM) and scanning electron microscope (SEM) were used to analyze the phase structure and microstructure of Fe-based alloy coatings, and the hardness and tribological properties were measured by the microhardness tester and ball on disc wear tester, respectively. The results show that the microstructure of conventional gravity feeding (GF) coatings was composed of coarse columnar crystals. In comparison, owing to the diversification of energy composition, the microstructure of the high-speed powder feeding (HF) coatings consists of uniform and small grains. The total energy of the HF process was 75.5% of that of the GF process, proving that high-efficiency cladding can be achieved at lower laser energy. The refinement of the microstructure is beneficial to improve the hardness and wear resistance of the coating, and the hardness of the HF coating increased by 9.4% and the wear loss decreased to 80.5%, compared with the GF coating. The wear surface of the HF coating suffered less damage, and the wear mechanism was slightly adhesive wear. In contrast, wear was more serious in the GF coating, and the wear mechanism was transformed into severe adhesive wear.

Forecasting of the Share of Renewable Sources in the Total Final Energy Consumption for Selected European Union Countries

The development of society requires stable access to electricity at an acceptable price. In order to meet the growing demand in the European Union countries, we are observing a dynamic development of the use of renewable sources in the energy balances of the Member States. The article presents the legal framework resulting from the newly adopted climate strategy, New Green Deal, and the conditions for the development of renewable sources in the process of transforming energy systems. The characteristics of selected energy balances of countries are also presented, which may constitute a knowledge base on the diversity of the Member States in terms of energy resources used, levels of independence and self-sufficiency of raw materials, as well as the levels of current electricity prices. Based on the available statistical data, the Eurostat database presents forecasts of the levels of renewable energy consumption in the 2030 time horizon for selected countries and according to the main types of renewable energy such as wind, solar energy, biofuels, geothermal energy, and hydropower. The statistical analyzes presented in the article are important tools for building a development strategy for the process of integrating energy markets within the European Union. The obtained results of the analyzes constitute a new approach to the study of the diversified energy market in the EU and present potential development scenarios for the surveyed countries.

The effect of biochar application and number of shoots on the growth of ratoon sorghum in vertisol soil

Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.)) is one of the potential commodities that can be developed to support food and energy diversification programs in Indonesia. It has the advantage that one of them can be ratoon. However, the yield of ratoon is lower than that of the main crop. The research on ratoon sorghum was carried out in vertisol soil. This aims of the study to determine the interaction between biochar application and number of shoots on the growth of ratoon sorghum in vertisol soil, to obtain the right dose of biochar and to get the appropriate number of shoots to increase the yield of ratoon sorghum. The study was arranged in a factorial manner using a Completely Randomized Block Design (CRBD). The treatment factors were biochar (without biochar, 2.5 tons/ha, 5 tons/ha and 7.5 tons/ha), and the number of shoots (1 shoot, 2 shoots, 3 shoots, and 4 shoots) at the 5% level. The results showed that there was no interaction between biochar treatment and the number of shoots on the variable of panicle sorghum, weight of fresh stover, and weight of dry stover. The results showed an interaction on the variable of plants height observation. Provides growth results that are not significantly different in the parameters of plant height, panicle length and panicle weight. Gives significantly different results on panicle length, weight of fresh stover, and weight of dry stover. The number of 1 shoots produced the highest growth for all observed variables.

ENERGY DIVERSIFICATION OF SOURCES IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA: What Impact On Quality Of Life ?

The aims of this paper is to assess the effect of diversification of energy sources on quality of life in Sub-Saharan African countries from 2000 to 2015. Using the Shannon Wiener, Stirling (1999-2000) index and several estimation methods, our results show that diversification of energy sources has a positive influence on the quality of life. However, these countries should promote the diversification of energy sources through a specific structural change allowing a policy of decentralization of power generation, because improving access to energy increase in life expectancy of the population. Keywords: Energy Diversification of sources, Quality of life, Shannon Wiener Index

Mechanical Durability and Grindability of Pellets after Torrefaction Process

Renewable energy sources and their part in the global energy mix are beneficial to energy diversification and environment protection. However, raw biomass is characterized by low heating value, hydrophilic properties, various mechanical durability, and the logistic challenges related to transportation and storage. One frequently used process of combined biomass valorization is torrefaction and pelletization, which increase the heating value, homogeneity, and hydrophobicity of the fuel. However, industrial clients need fuel characterized by favorable grindability, whereas, the individual clients (householders) need fuel with high mechanical durability. Due to the different expectations of final customers regarding biomass fuel properties, it is necessary to investigate the influence of the torrefaction on the mechanical durability of the pellets. In this paper, five various types of pellets and their torreficates (obtained at a temperature of 200 and 300 °C) were examined. Then the mechanical durability index DU and the grindability of the untreated and torrefied pellets were determined. The results indicated that the mechanical durability of untorrefied pellets is significantly greater than torrefied pellets. Interestingly, no significant differences in mechanical durability between torrefied pellets at 200 and 300 °C were observed, For sunflower husk pellets, the DU index amounted to 95.28 ± 0.72 (untorrefied), 47.22% ± 0.28% (torrefied at 200 °C), and 46.34% ± 0.72% (torrefied at 300 °C). Considering the grindability, as the treatment temperature increased the energy demand for grindability decreased. For example, the grindability of pine tree pellets was 15.96 ± 3.07 Wh·kg−1 (untreated), 1.86 ± 0.31 Wh·kg−1 (torrefied at 200 °C), and 0.99 ± 0.17 Wh·kg−1 (torrefied at 300 °C). The highest difference between raw and torrefied pellets was determined for beetroot pomace pellet: 36.31 ± 2.06 Wh·kg−1 (untreated), 3.85 ± 0.47 Wh·kg−1 (torrefied at 200 °C), and 1.03 ± 0.12 Wh·kg−1 (torrefied at 300 °C).