Mean Power Density Research Articles

Assessment of wind power potential and economic viability at Al-Hodeidah in Yemen: Supplying local communities with electricity using wind energy

Wind energy is a promising sector in the power generation industry because it is renewable and globally available. This study assessed the wind power potential and the economic viability of utilizing wind turbines at the chosen location to produce electricity. This work uses wind speed data collected during (2012–2014) at 10 m height. This research presents the maximum and mean values of measured wind speeds. We have analyzed annual, seasonal, and monthly variations of wind speed. The wind characteristics and wind power potential of the study site have been investigated using Weibull and Rayleigh distribution functions. The annual mean wind speed and Weibull parameters (shape and scale) have been determined to be 4.477 m/s, 2.494, and 5.046 m/s, respectively, according to the actual data collected over the three years. The annual mean power density and energy density have been computed to be 86.39 W/m2 and 757.226 kWh/m2 according to the actual data collected over the three years, and the predicted annual mean power density and energy density have been computed to be 86.492 W/m2 and 758.358 kWh/m2 using Weibull parameters and 164.372 W/m2 and 1441.2 kWh/m2 using Rayleigh distribution, respectively. Accordingly, the power density computed using the Weibull parameters was similar to the power density computed using real wind data, whereas the power density calculated by the Rayleigh function was higher. An economic analysis has been done to choose a suitable turbine for the study site. The results indicate that the wind turbine ZEFIR D14-Px-Ty is indeed a viable option for wind power generation in Al-Hodeidah. It has a relatively low cost of energy of $0.03/kWh and a high capacity factor of 0.428, indicating its efficiency in converting wind energy into electricity. Therefore, the selected location is recommended for some small stand-alone systems as well as small wind farms.

A Comparative Performance Assessment of the Integrated Upflow and Surface Flow-Based Constructed Wetlands Dosed with Landfill Leachate: Electrode Coupling and Input Load Variation

This study reports organic, nutrient, and coliform removal performances of two integrated wetlands designed to treat landfill leachate. Each integrated system included two components: a normal or electrode-integrated upflow-based wetland and a surface flow wetland (with internal baffle walls). The components were fully or partially filled with stone dust media and planted with Canna indica. Two hydraulic loading rates, i.e., 15 L and 60 L (per day), were applied. The integrated wetlands achieved a mean biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD), total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), and coliform removal efficiency ranges of 89–94%, 95–97%, 85–91%, 91–98%, and 70–88%, respectively, within the applied loading ranges. The electrode-dependent system achieved better pollutant removal performances due to the influence of electrochemical-based bioreactions that fostered microbial decomposition. Nitrogen accumulation percentage (with respect to observed removal) in plant tissues ranged between 0.6 and 25%; phosphorus accumulation percentage was negligible, i.e., ≤0.009%. The chemical composition of the stone dust media supported nutrient adsorption. Stable nutrient removal performance was observed with both systems despite variable loading ranges due to pollutant removal in the upflow-based wetlands followed by controlled flow direction (induced by baffle walls) in the surface flow wetlands that triggered chemical and biological removals. Mean power density production ranged between 235 and 946 mW/m3 with the electrode-based integrated wetland system. In summary, this study demonstrates the application of integrated wetland systems to treat landfill leachate and the associated factors to achieve stable removal under variable loading ranges.

Renewable energy potential in the State of Palestine: Proposals for sustainability

Renewable energy is not only a viable economic choice in Palestine, but it is also an imperative requirement to end the country's current energy crisis, which is particularly acute in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. The main focus of this study, which makes it the most thorough in its sector, is showcasing Palestine's distinct renewable energy potentials (thermal solar, PV, wind, biomass, and hydropower). The System Advisor Model software (SAM) was used to predict the power potentials for a year. The results indicate that Palestine has a significant potential for PV power generation within 1,700 kWh/kWp. Wind energy can see a considerable difference in capacity, with a mean power density in the high mountains of WB of 600 W/m2, a mean power density for all of WB of 300 W/m2, and a relatively low power density for GS of less than 100 W/m2. Options for investments in the high seas and with the nearby Arabic nations were also offered. About 1,717 GWh of energy equivalent comes from biomass resources. It is determined that the best designed system can produce 82 % of the total while only 18 % is purchased from the grid using HOMER to retrieve the optimum on-grid hybrid energy system. Furthermore, only 70.7 % of the energy produced is consumed, with the remainder being sold back to the grid. Therefore, using renewable energy sources in addition to the grid is advised to cut costs and potentially generate income. Reduce reliance on fossil fuels and combat global warming, as well.

Bioenergy-producing two-stage septic tank and floating wetland for onsite wastewater treatment: Circuit connection and external aeration

This study designed a two-stage, electrode-integrated septic tank-floating wetland system and assessed their pollutant removal performances under variable operational conditions. The two-stage system achieved mean organic, nitrogen, phosphorus, and coliform removal percentages of 99, 78, 99, and 97%, respectively, throughout the experimental run. The mean metals (chromium, cadmium, nickel, copper, zinc, lead, iron, and manganese) removal percentages ranged between 81 and 98%. Accumulated sludge, filler media, and the hanging root mass contributed to pollutant removals by supporting physicochemical and biological pathways. The mean effluent organic concentration and coliform number across the two-stage system were 20 mg/L and 1682 CFU/100 mL, respectively, during the closed-circuit protocol, which was beneath the open-circuit-based performance profiles, i.e., 32 mg/L and 2860 CFU/100 mL, respectively. Effluent organic, nitrogen, phosphorus, metals, and coliform number ranges across the two-stage system were 9–17 mg/L, 13–24 mg/L, 1–1.5 mg/L, 0.001–0.2 mg/L, and 1410–2270 CFU/100 mL, respectively during intermittent and continuous aeration periods. The air supply rate differences influenced pollutant removal depending on the associated removal mechanisms. The non-aeration phase produced higher effluent pollutant concentrations than the aeration periods-based profiles. The overall mean power density production of the septic tank ranged between 107 and 596 mW/m3; 110 and 355 mW/m3 with the floating wetland. The bioenergy production capacity of the septic tank was positively correlated to external air supply rates. This study demonstrates the potential application of the novel bioenergy-producing septic tank-floating wetland system for wastewater treatment in decentralized areas.

Influence of Layer Thickness and Shade on the Transmission of Light through Contemporary Resin Composites.

Material-dependent parameters have an important impact on the efficiency of light polymerization. The present in vitro study aimed to investigate the influence of the increment thickness and shade of nano- and nanohybrid resin composites on the transmission of curing light. Three contemporary resin composites were evaluated: Tetric EvoCeram® (TEC); Venus Diamond® (VD); and Filtek Supreme XTE® (FS XTE). Light transmission (LT) was recorded in accordance with the sample thickness (0.5 to 2.7 mm) and the shade. Polymerized samples were irradiated for 10 s each using the high-power LED curing light Celalux 2 (1900 mW/cm2). LT was simultaneously recorded using the MARC Patient Simulator (MARC-PS). LT was strongly influenced by the composite layer thickness. For 0.5 mm-thick samples, a mean power density of 735 mW/cm2 was recorded at the bottom side. For the 2.7 mm samples, a mean power density of 107 mW/cm2 was measured. Only LT was markedly reduced in the case of darker shades. From A1 to A4, LT decreased by 39.3% for FS XTE and 50.8% for TEC. Dentin shades of FS XTE and TEC (A2, A4) showed the lowest LT. The thickness and shade of resin composite increments strongly influences the transmission of curing light. More precise information about these parameters should be included in the manufacture manual.

Feasibility and repeatability of ultrasound-guided surface electroenterography to measure colonic slow wave motility in healthy adults

Surface electroenterography is a potential non-invasive alternative to current diagnostics of colonic motility disorders. However, electrode positioning in electroenterography is often based on general anatomy and may lack generalizability. Furthermore, the repeatability of electroenterography measurements is unknown. This study aimed to evaluate ultrasound-guided electrode positioning for electroenterography measurements and to determine the repeatability of those measurements. In ten healthy adults, two electroenterography procedures were performed, consisting of fasting, ultrasound-guided electrode localization and two 20-minute electroenterography recordings separated by a meal. The dominant frequency, the mean power density (magnitude of colonic motility) and the power percent difference (relative pre- to postprandial increase in magnitude) were determined. Repeatability was determined by Lin’s concordance correlation coefficient. The results demonstrated that the dominant frequency did not differ between pre- and postprandial recordings and was 3 cpm, characteristic of colonic motility. The mean power density increased between the pre- and postprandial measurements, with an average difference of over 200%. The repeatability of both the dominant frequency and power density was poor to moderate, whereas the correlation coefficient of the power percent difference was poor. Concluding, ultrasound-guided surface electroenterography seems able to measure the gastrocolic reflex, but the dissatisfactory repeatability necessitates optimization of the measurement protocol.

Elaboration of a Generalized Mixed Model for the wind speed distribution and an assessment of wind energy in Algerian Coastal regions and at the Capes

Understanding and evaluating wind energy involves various steps, including the observed temporal and directional variations in wind speed, choosing a suitable Probability Density Function (PDF) to describe wind regimes, and selecting an appropriate location for building wind farms. The wind speed data archived from nine meteorological stations along the northern coast of Algeria from 2017 to 2021 was used as a dataset to achieve these purposes. Zero-inflated mixed model (ZIMM) has been elaborated to model the wind speed regimes that combine two processes. The first process consists of mixing two PDFs that generate the counts data. The second process generates the residual zero-counts data. The estimation of ZIMM parameters is obtained with the Expectation–Maximization algorithm. ZIMM performances were evaluated at the selected sites using the commonly used goodness of fit (GOF) metrics: coefficient of determination (R2), root mean square error (RMSE), sum of square error (SSE), Kolmogorov–Smirnov (KS), Akaike information criterion (AIK), Bayesian Information Criterion (BIC), and compared with the widespread single PDFs: the two parameters Weibull, generalized extreme value (GEV) and Normal–Weibull mixed model. The datasets are used as input for assessing wind power and the feasibility of wind power plants in 24 Algerian Capes where the data is unavailable, using the Wind Atlas Analyses and Application Program (WAsP) and three different wind turbines, namely Nordex N50, Bonus B54, and Nordex N60. The results show significant variations in diurnal, monthly, and seasonal mean wind speed and power density. According to all GOF, the ZIMM PDF model outperforms conventional PDFs and the mixed model at the nine meteorological stations. The Bonus B54 wind turbine has the best capacity factor (Cp) with the lowest electrical production cost of all Algerian Capes, and the Cp exceeds 0.3 at 15 Capes from the 24 analyzed Capes. The highest Cp, about 0.467 with an annual electric production that reaches 4.09 GWh/year, is obtained at Cape Takouch with the lowest electrical production cost of 0.0414 $/kWh and 2.032 Kton/year of CO2 emission avoided.

A study on effects of cell phone tower-emitted non-ionizing radiations in an Allium cepa test system.

Considering enormous growth in population, technical advancement, and added reliance on electronic devices leading to adverse health effects, in situ simulations were made to evaluate effects of non-ionizing radiations emitted from three cell phone towers (T1, T2, and T3) of frequency bands (800, 1800, 2300MHz), (900, 1800, 2300MHz), and (1800MHz), respectively. Five sites (S1-S5) were selected near cell phone towers exhibiting different power densities. The site with zero power density was considered as control. Effects of radiations were studied on morphology; protein content; antioxidant enzymes like ascorbate peroxidase (APX), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione-S-transferase (GST), guaiacol peroxidase (POD), and glutathione reductase (GR); and genotoxicity using Allium cepa. Mean power density (μW/cm2) was recorded as 1.05, 1.18, 1.6, 2.73, and 12.9 for sites 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, respectively. A significant change in morphology, root length, fresh weight, and dry weight in Allium cepa was observed under the exposure at different sites. Protein content of roots showed significant difference for samples at all sites while bulbs at sites S4 and S5 when compared to control. Antioxidant activity for root in terms of APX, GST, and POD showed significant changes at S4 and S5 and GR at site S5 and SOD at S1, S2, S3, S4, and S5. Similarly, bulbs showed significant changes at sites S4 and S5 for APX while at sites S3, S4, and S5 for POD and S2, S3, S4, and S5 for SOD and S5 for GR and GST. Genotoxicity study has shown induction of abnormalities at different stages of the cell cycle in Allium cepa root tips. The samples under exposure to radiation with maximum power density have shown maximum induction of oxidative stress and genotoxicity.

Site suitability analysis of wind energy resources in different regions of Algeria’s southwestern highland

This paper presents a site suitability analysis for a 20 MW wind farm project in western Algeria’s highlands. The aim is to improve the quality of the electricity grid’s service and increase Algeria’s renewable energy utilization. The wind potential of three regions, Mecheria, El Kheiter, and Naâma, was evaluated using the Weibull function and the wind atlas analysis and application program (WAsP) with a ten-year database (2011-2021) at 10 m hub height. The assessment encompassed a comprehensive analysis of various wind resource parameters, including mean wind speed, prevailing direction, and power densities. In comparison to other sites, the Mecheria region has the best wind potential, with a mean annual wind speed of 6.31 m/s, a power density of 283 W/m2, and Weibull parameters A = 7.1 m/s and k = 2.02. These promising results prompted us to design a wind farm in this region using Power Wind 90/2000 kW turbine technology facing the predominant wind directions of the site, producing 103.91 GWh of total annual gross energy produced (gross AEP) and 103.75 GWh of total annual net energy produced (net AEP). Finally, it appears that the wind resources in the selected region are well-suited for electricity generation, offering a promising opportunity to reduce the country's dependence on fossil fuels.

Design, simulation and experiment for a piezoelectric energy harvester based on fluid pressure pulsation in water hydraulic system

Water hydraulic pump is an essential component of water hydraulic system, and periodic pressure pulsation is generated during its operation. A hydraulic piezoelectric energy harvester (HPEH) with excellent sealing and insulation performance is proposed to recover the vibrational energy from pressure pulsation. The energy harvesting performance of HPEH is investigated through simulation and experiment under different parameter combinations. The results show that the transient voltage and transient pressure exhibit the same fundamental and harmonic frequencies. Higher pressure amplitude is favorable for deformation and can lead to higher electric energy generation, but the static pressure has little effect on the energy harvesting performance. Although the voltage increasing with increasing the resistance, the average power increases first and then decreases. Compared with the existing piezoelectric energy harvesters, the present HPEH has advantages in voltage and power density. The root mean square voltage, average power and power density can reach up to 9.9 V, 791.7 μW and 2.067 μW/(bar·mm3), respectively. Moreover, 42 LEDs connected in parallel are lighted to demonstrate the feasibility of using the HPEH as a power source. This study can lay a foundation for driving low-power components using piezoelectric harvesting energy from pressure pulsation in water hydraulic system.

Wind Speed Characteristics and Energy Potentials in Lafia, Nasarawa State, Nigeria

Renewable energy, specifically wind power, is vital for reducing fossil fuel dependency, greenhouse gas emissions, and improving energy security. With advancements in technology, wind energy has become cost-effective and competitive. Wind energy research in Lafia is essential to developing solutions in harnessing its potential as a significant renewable energy source for Nigeria, which has abundant but untapped wind energy resources. This study investigates the wind energy potential in Lafia, Nasarawa State, using daily averaged wind speed data from MERRA-2 measured at 2, 10, and 50-metre altitudes. The Weibull distribution function was applied to determine Lafia's wind energy potential, and the outcomes revealed that the highest yield for wind harvest occurred during the peak of the dry season in February, while the lowest yield for wind harvest occurred during the beginning of the dry season in October. Moreover, the monthly mean power densities peaked in February, 2001 at 341.87 W/m2 (class 3: 300 < PD ≤ 399), indicating moderate potential, and in January, 2002 at 454.12 W/m2 (class 4: 400 < PD ≤ 499), indicating good potential. However, the peak monthly mean power densities in December, 2003 and February, 2004 were poor and marginal, respectively, according to the Wind Resource Potential (WRP) classification. Furthermore, at 50 metres altitude, the recorded wind speeds were above the recommended minimum (3.00 – 4.00 m/s) for most wind turbines to start producing electricity. The findings indicate significant wind resource potential at high altitudes (50 metres) in Lafia, which suggests great potential for wind energy generation.

High-Density Integration of Ultrabright OLEDs on a Miniaturized Needle-Shaped CMOS Backplane.

Direct deposition of organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) on silicon-based complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) chips has enabled self-emissive microdisplays with high resolution and fill-factor. Emerging applications of OLEDs in augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR) displays and in biomedical applications, e.g., as brain implants for cell-specific light delivery in optogenetics, require light intensities orders of magnitude above those found in traditional displays. Further requirements often include a microscopic device footprint, a specific shape and ultrastable passivation, e.g., to ensure biocompatibility and minimal invasiveness of OLED-based implants. In this work, up to 1024 ultrabright, microscopic OLEDs are deposited directly on needle-shaped CMOS chips. Transmission electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy are performed on the foundry-provided aluminum contact pads of the CMOS chips to guide a systematic optimization of the contacts. Plasma treatment and implementation of silver interlayers lead to ohmic contact conditions and thus facilitate direct vacuum deposition of orange- and blue-emitting OLED stacks leading to micrometer-sized pixels on the chips. The electronics in each needle allow each pixel to switch individually. The OLED pixels generate a mean optical power density of 0.25mWmm-2, corresponding to >40000cdm-2, well above the requirement for daylight AR applications and optogenetic single-unit activation in the brain.

Cracked Film Lithography with CuGaOx Buffers for Bifacial CdTe Photovoltaics.

Bifacial CdTe solar cells with greater power density than the monofacial baselines are demonstrated by using a CuGaOx rear interface buffer that passivates while reducing sheet resistance and contact resistance. Inserting CuGaOx between the CdTe and Au increases mean power density from 18.0±0.5 to 19.8±0.4mWcm-2 for one sun front illumination. However, coupling CuGaOx with a transparent conductive oxide leads to an electrical barrier. Instead, CuGaOx is integrated with cracked film lithography (CFL)-patterned metal grids. CFL grid wires are spaced narrowly enough (≈10µm) to alleviate semiconductor resistance while retaining enough passivation and transmittance for a bifacial power gain: bifacial CuGaOx /CFL grids generate 19.1±0.6mWcm-2 for 1 sun front + 0.08 sun rear illumination and 20.0±0.6mWcm-2 at 1 sun front + 0.52 sun rear-the highest reported power density at field albedo conditions for a scaled polycrystalline absorber.

Comparative Analysis of Electric Field Strength, Magnetic Field Strength and Power Density around the Cell Phone Towers of Varying Characteristics with a Proposed Classification Facilitating Research on Human Population.

The continuous exposure of electromagnetic field (EMF) radiation from cell phone towers may possibly have an influence on public health. Each cell phone tower is unique in terms of number of antennas and its associated attributes; thus, the radiation exposure varies from one tower to another. Hence, a standardized method for quantifying the exposure is beneficial while studying the effects of radiation on the human population residing around the cell phone towers. A mere collection of data or human samples without understanding the cell phone tower differences may show study results such as an increase or decrease in biological parameters. Those changes may not be due to the effects of EMF radiation from cell phone towers but could be due to any other cause. Therefore, a comparative study was designed with the aim of quantifying and comparing the electric field strength (EF), magnetic field strength (MF) and power density (PD) on four sides of cell phone towers with varying numbers of antennas at 50 m and 100 m. Further, an attempt was made to develop a PD-based classification for facilitating research involving human biological samples. Through convenience sampling, sixteen cell phone towers were selected. With the use of coordinates, the geographic mapping of selected towers was performed to measure the distance between the towers. Based on the number of antennas, the cell phone towers were categorized into four groups which are described as group I with 1-5 antennas, group II comprising of 6-10 antennas, group III consisting of 11-15 antennas and group IV comprised of towers clustered with more than 15 antennas. The study parameters, namely the EF, MF and PD, were recorded on all four sides of the cell phone towers at 50 m and 100 m. One-way ANOVA was performed to compare the study parameters among study groups and different sides using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 25.0. The mean MF in Group IV was 2221.288 ± 884.885 μA/m and 1616.913 ± 745.039 μA/m at 50 m and 100 m respectively. The mean PD in Group IV at 50 m was 0.129 ± 0.094 μW/cm2 and 0.072 ± 0.061 μW/cm2 at 100 m. There was a statistically significant (p < 0.05) increase in the MF and PD at 50 m compared to 100 m among cell phone tower clusters with more than 15 antennas (Group IV). On the other hand, a non-significant increase in EF was observed at 50 m compared to 100 m in Group II and IV. The EF, MF and PD on all four sides around cell phone towers are not consistent with distance at 50 m and 100 m due to variation in the number of antennas. Accordingly, a PD-based classification was developed as low, medium and high for conducting research involving any biological sample based on quantile. The low PD corresponds to 0.001-0.029, medium to 0.03-0.099 and high to 0.1-0.355 (μW/cm2). The PD-based classification is a preferred method over the sole criteria of distance for conducting human research as it measures the true effects of EMF radiation from the cell phone towers.

Microscale Wind Assessment, Comparing Mesoscale Information and Observed Wind Data

One of the most common problems in wind resource assessment is that measured data are not always available at the site of interest. That is why, in several studies, reanalysis data have been used as an alternative, which, in some cases, have been validated by measured data. Mexico is no exception, since there are not many measurement towers in the country that provide valid records throughout the country. In view of the above, in this study a comparison was made between the measurements observed in six anemometric towers, located in different locations in the United Mexican States; data from the MERRA-2 and ERA-5 reanalysis; and data from the generalized wind climates (GWC), available in the Global Wind Atlas. The study was conducted at 80 m, which is the highest height at which data were recorded on the measurement towers at each site. In the case of the MERRA-2 and ERA-5 data, extrapolation of the data series to 80 m was required. In the case of the towers, a comparison of the two data sets measured at 80 m and the height at which two anemometers were available, was performed. This analysis was supported by Windographer version 4 software designed by the company UL solutions, from which *.tab files were exported at 80 m, which were then imported from the WAsP 10.0 program to perform the microscale modeling. The comparison variable was the mean power density, for which the relative deviations between the measured values and those obtained from the reanalysis data and the GWCs were determined. For a better interpretation of the relative errors calculated, an analysis of the orographic characteristics of all the sites was performed using the roughness index (RIX). The results obtained showed that the behavior of the reanalysis and the GWC data was not homogeneous in the sites studied; therefore, an adequate relationship between the magnitudes of the ΔRIX and the relative deviations was not observed, especially for the ERA5 and GWC. The ERA5 data were the furthest from the measured data, with relative deviations greater than 50% at five of the six sites; however, the MERRA-2 and GWC data were the closest to the measured data. The MERRA-2 data showed deviations of less than 11%, except at the La Venta site, where it was 29.5%—a site where the GWC also had a high deviation of 139.4%. The latter is attributable to the effects caused by the nearby wind farms on the wind flow measured by the La Venta station. In general, the MERRA-2 data are an alternative to performing a pre-analysis of the wind resource in Mexico.

Low Enrichment Nuclear Fuel Based on Uranium-Zirconium Carbonitride: Reactor Tests and Preparation for Studies at Critical Assemblies

Uranium-zirconium carbonitride has been developed at the Federal State Unitarian Enterprise Scientific Research Institute the Scientific Industrial Association "Luch" (LUCH FSUE) and is a high-density high-temperature fuel with high heat conductivity capable of being used in various types of reactors, including fast reactors. The main problem hindering wide application of this fuel is insufficient knowledge of its behavior under irradiation, especially at high burnup. In the USSR, HEU UZrCN (96% by U-235) fuel underwent reactor testing to a low burnup of approximately 1%. However, to confirm practical applicability of this fuel, the fuel needs to be reactor tested at a high burnup. In the framework of a joint Belarussian-American-Russian effort, LEU (19.75% by U-235) UZrCN fuel will undergo reactor testing to a burnup of approximately 40% in the SM-3 reactor at the Joint Stock Company "State Scientific Center Research Institute of Atomic Reactors" (JSC "SSC RIAR"). To conduct the prolonged reactor experiment, an irradiating device with an experimental capsule containing UZrCN pellets has been made, neutronic analysis and thermophysical analysis have been carried out and a programme of pre-irradiation experiments has been implemented. In June 2019 a methodical experiment was carried out in the SM-3 reactor at the JSC "SSC RIAR" in order to confirm operability of the irradiating device developed. Testing of the irradiating device and refinement of the prolonged irradiation experiment procedure were carried out at cell 11 of the reflector of the SM-3 reactor at the JSC "SSC RIAR". The period of irradiation equaled 23.3 effective days. The mean power density in the tested pellets throughout the methodical reactor testing was 516 W=cm3. Burnup achieved for the pellets studied was 0.63% FIFA. The "Giacint" and "Kristal", critical facilities of the State Scientific Institution "The Joint Institute for Power and Nuclear Research - Sosny" (the Scientific Institution "JIPNR - Sosny") will be used for studying neutronic characteristics of critical and subcritical fast assemblies simulating the physical particulars of the cores of advanced gas- or liquid metal cooled fast reactor systems and accelerator driven systems. This paper provides a detailed description of the results of preparatory works for conducting the reactor testing and the results of the methodical reactor experiment. Also the experimental programme and the descriptions of the design and composition of the fast critical assemblies with UZrCN fuel are presented.

Techno-Economic Analysis of Wind Energy Potential in North-Eastern of Thailand

Thailand's alternative power development plan attempts to reduce the dependence of electrical power generation on fossil fuels by setting a goal of generating electricity from wind energy resources of 3,002MW within year 2,036. Moreover, the shortage of electricity in the North-eastern region of Thailand needs to be cared for to create stability of energy in Thailand. Therefore, the assessment of wind power resource potential in the north-eastern part of Thailand needs to be studied. This paper presents a technical and economic analysis of the wind power potential for five stations in the north-eastern part of Thailand: Buriram, Roi Et, Sri Sa Ket, Surin, and Ubon Ratchathani within 4 years (2017-2020) at a 10-minute interval. The data was collected from Thai Meteorological Department (TMD) at a 10m height above ground level. This paper focuses on the wind climate at 60m and 80m above ground level by using WAsP to simulate the mean wind speed and power density of each station. Moreover, this study uses Vestas V52-850kW and Vestas V90-2,000kW wind turbine generators to calculate the net annual energy production of each station. In addition to evaluating the economic analysis of investment, this study uses economic tools to evaluate the feasibility of investment. The result showed that Roi Et is the most suitable location for a wind farm. The mean wind speeds and power densities are 5.95 m/s and 265 W/m2 at 60m and 6.15 m/s and 311 W/m2 at 80m. The AEP can be generated at 18.932 GWh and 56.322 GWh at 60m and 80m heights respectively for Roi Et with a cost per unit of 0.09 $/kWh and 0.07 $/kWh. The other provinces have an AEP of 10.674 GWh for Buriram, 12.152 GWh for Sri Sa Ket, 12.969 GWh for Surin, and 8.508 GWh for Ubon Ratchathani at 60m height level, with a cost per unit of 0.15 $/kWh, 0.14 $/kWh, 0.13 $/kWh, and 0.2 $/kWh respectively. At 80m height, the AEP is 33.437 GWh with 0.11 $/kWh for Buriram, 45.737 GWh with 0.09 $/kWh for Sri Sa Kat, 41.189 GWh with 0.09 $/kWh for Surin, and 27.524 GWh with 0.14 $/kWh for Ubon Ratchathani.

Topographic Data Analysis of Observed Wind Data Recorded at 15 Different Stations in Thailand

This study focuses on the collection and observation of mean wind speed and power density of 15 stations in Thailand merged with the topographic map of the stations. The wind data was collected by installing anemometers at 10m, 15m, 20m,25m and 30m height at 15 selected stations around Thailand. Wind Analysis and Application Program (WAsP) is used to generate mean wind speed and power density. Meanwhile, roughness and surface elevation map are produced and merged with the data in WAsP. The results showed the highest wind speed in Songkhla station which was 3.16 to 12.15m/s and on the other hand data from Narathiwat showed the lowest mean wind ranging from 1.13 to 1.72m/s. Finally, Songkhla station power density ranges from 24-1372W/m2 and in Narathiwat station ranging from 2-5W/m2 in terms of power density. In Thailand, the landscape is diverse such as plateau, plains, coastal plains, land, mountains, mountain ranges and hills. Generally, the wind speeds and directions change due to landscape. For this season, to study wind resource, investigation on topography is vital.

A comparative analysis of wind characteristics for distinct terrains of India

The accurate wind potential assessment is the critical and inevitable process before wind farm planning. This paper aims to evaluate and compare the wind potential between the evolutionary algorithms and numerical methods using the wind data measurement data on flat, complex, coastal offshore, and offshore sites from the mast and remote sensing method. The maximum likelihood method, modified maximum likelihood method, and WAsP (wind atlas analysis and application program) are employed to estimate the optimum Weibull parameters. Furthermore, the Jaya algorithm is compared with particle swarm optimization and genetic algorithms to evaluate Weibull function for different topological terrains of India. The four-performance metrics, root mean square error, normalized root mean square error, normalized error, and root mean square difference are estimated to analyze the accuracy of various methods. Considering numerical methods, the WAsP method was found better than other numerical techniques. While the Jaya algorithm and particle swarm optimization were found to be efficient as compared to the genetic algorithm. The mean power density is maximum in the coastal area followed by offshore, complex terrain, and flat terrain with 687 W/m2, 485 W/m2, 301 W/m2, and 243 W/m2, respectively at 100 m height.

Energy harvesting from the gust response of membrane wing using piezoelectrics

Micro-air vehicles face challenges in aerodynamic and endurance. This paper presents a novel gust response-based membrane wing energy harvester to solve these issues. An aero-electro-mechanical model based on CFD/CSD coupling method is established to investigate the dynamic response and the energy harvesting performance of this energy harvester under harmonic gust loads. The geometric nonlinearity of structure and aerodynamic nonlinearity are considered in this paper. The harmonic gust loads were obtained from a Navier–Stokes CFD solver based on unstructured meshes. The large deformation electro-mechanical finite element model was built based on the updated Lagrangian formulation and the principle of virtual work. The mean power density is defined to evaluate the energy harvesting performance. The effects of the external load resistance, the PVDF patch location, the gust amplitude and frequency, and Reynold number are studied, respectively. The results show that the optimal resistance of this energy harvester is 1.6kΩ, and the flexibility of the membrane wing improves the aerodynamic and energy harvesting performance greatly through increases the amplitude of odd super harmonics. The PVDF location has a relatively small impact on the energy harvesting performance except near end surfaces. The PVDF patch located at 0.1c–0.9c all can get better energy harvesting performance. When the equivalent angle of attack of gust amplitude exceeds 4 deg, the energy harvesting performance decreases slightly due to the formation and convection of leading-edge vortex. A sustained output power density of 5.31mW/cm3 is harvested at Re=25,000. The present work provides an effective theoretical basis for further studying energy harvesting of Micro air vehicles.