Modern Power Industry Research Articles

Fabrication of Hydrophilic Organosilicon Coatings and Study of Their Resistance to Factors Accompanying Corona Discharge

Modern power industry widely uses high-voltage overhead lines to transport electricity, which are characterized by problems of corona discharge and leakage currents, especially in rain and snow conditions. One approach to solve these problems is to create protective coatings that can reduce corona in adverse weather conditions. This paper presents a study of a hydrophilic organosilicon coating based on aminopropyltriethoxysilane and PEG-400 for aluminum wires. Studies conducted to assess the resistance of the coating to prolonged contact with water, UV radiation and an ozone-saturated atmosphere have shown that the hydrophilicity of the coating increases under effect of these factors, which improves its anti-corona properties. Thus, durability under operating conditions open prospects for use of the developed coating in the energy sector.

Deep learning anomaly detection in AI-powered intelligent power distribution systems

Introduction: Intelligent power distribution systems are vital in the modern power industry, tasked with managing power distribution efficiently. These systems, however, encounter challenges in anomaly detection, hampered by the complexity of data and limitations in model generalization.Methods: This study developed a Transformer-GAN model that combines Transformer architectures with GAN technology, efficiently processing complex data and enhancing anomaly detection. This model’s self-attention and generative capabilities allow for superior adaptability and robustness against dynamic data patterns and unknown anomalies.Results: The Transformer-GAN model demonstrated remarkable efficacy across multiple datasets, significantly outperforming traditional anomaly detection methods. Key highlights include achieving up to 95.18% accuracy and notably high recall and F1 scores across diverse power distribution scenarios. Its exceptional performance is further underscored by achieving the highest AUC of 96.64%, evidencing its superior ability to discern between normal and anomalous patterns, thereby reinforcing the model’s advantage in enhancing the security and stability of smart power systems.Discussion: The success of the Transformer-GAN model not only boosts the stability and security of smart power distribution systems but also finds potential applications in industrial automation and the Internet of Things. This research signifies a pivotal step in integrating artificial intelligence into the power sector, promising to advance the reliability and intelligent evolution of future power systems.

Research on Miniaturization Design of Floor-standing Pole Electric Slewing Mechanism

This study is dedicated to investigating the downsizing design and ensuring the structural robustness of pole-mounted slewing mechanisms, aligning with the dynamic requirements of the power industry. The research encompasses critical facets, including the intricacies of mechanical structure design, meticulous motor selection, and a thorough finite element analysis. The outcomes reveal a noteworthy safety factor of 2.08, surpassing the standard requirement of ≥ 2, albeit without factoring in stress concentration. This study underscores the paramount importance of downsizing design in meeting the evolving demands of the modern power industry. It offers invaluable insights into the structural integrity and stability of the mechanism, thereby ensuring its reliability and safety in practical applications. The implications of these findings are poised to catalyse significant technological advancements in the realm of pole-mounted electric slewing mechanisms.

A Furtherance of High-Power Adjustable-Speed Drive Systems: Medium-Frequency ac Link-Powered Machine Drive Systems

High-power machine drive systems are the heart of the modern power industry and have been used in a broad range of industry applications. Extensive R&D efforts have been carried out on the design and implementation of high-power machine drive systems. In this article, various converter topologies and research progress for high-power machine drive systems are reviewed. And a novel mediumfrequency ac link (MFACL)-powered machine drive system is analyzed and discussed for a furtherance of highpower adjustable-speed drive systems. In addition, some prospects for future research are highlighted to provide a feasible reference for practitioners.

Selected Materials and Technologies for Electrical Energy Sector

Ensuring the energy transition in order to decrease CO2 and volatile organic compounds emissions and improve the efficiency of energy processes requires the development of advanced materials and technologies for the electrical energy sector. The article reviews superconducting materials, functional nanomaterials used in the power industry mainly due to their magnetic, electrical, optical, and dielectric properties and the thin layers of amorphous carbon nitride, which properties make them an important material from the point of view of environmental protection, optoelectronic, photovoltaic and energy storage. The superconductivity-based technologies, material processing, and thermal and nonthermal plasma generation have been reviewed as technologies that can be a solution to chosen problems in the electrical energy sector and environment. The study explains directly both—the basics and application potential of low and high-temperature superconductors as well as peculiarities of the related manufacturing technologies for Roebel cables, 1G and 2G HTS tapes, and superconductor coil systems. Among the superconducting materials, particular attention was paid to the magnesium di-boride MgB2 and its potential applications in the power industry. The benefits of the use of carbon films with amorphous structures in electronics, sensing technologies, solar cells, FETs, and memory devices were discussed. The article provides the information about most interesting, from the R&D point of view, groups of materials for PV applications. It summarises the advantages and disadvantages of their use regarding commercial requirements such as efficiency, lifetime, light absorption, impact on the environment, costs of production, and weather dependency. Silicon processing, inkjet printing, vacuum deposition, and evaporation technologies that allow obtaining improved and strengthened materials for solar cell manufacturing are also described. In the case of the widely developed plasma generation field, waste-to-hydrogen technology including both thermal and non-thermal plasma techniques has been discussed. The review aims to draw attention to the problems faced by the modern power industry and to encourage research in this area because many of these problems can only be solved within the framework of interdisciplinary and international cooperation.

New Energy Power System Dynamic Security and Stability Region Calculation Based on AVURPSO-RLS Hybrid Algorithm

Using a high proportion of new energy is becoming the development trend of the modern power industry, with broad application prospects and potential threats to power system operation safety. This paper proposes a hybrid adaptive velocity update relaxation particle swarm optimization algorithm (AVURPSO) and recursive least square (RLS) method to quickly estimate the DSSR boundary using hyper-plane expression. Firstly, the operating point data in the high-dimension nodal injection space are analyzed using the AVURPSO algorithm to identify the key generators, equivalent search space, and critical points, which have relatively great effects on transient angle stability. The hyper-plane expression of the DSSR boundary, which matches the critical points best, is finally fitted by the RLS approach. Hence, the adopted algorithm is applied to rapidly approximate the DSSR boundary by hyper-plane expression in power injection spaces. Finally, the proposed algorithm is validated using a simulation case study on three wind farm regions of the actual Hami Power Grid of China using the DIgSILENT/Power Factory software. Consequently, the mentioned method effectively captures the security stability boundary of the new energy power system and realizes the three-dimensional visualization space of DSSR. By leveraging the DSSR, the state analysis can be conducted rapidly on several parameters, including security and stability assessments in relation to various energy supply capabilities. Meanwhile, these indices are calculated offline and applied online. The findings of this investigation confirm the efficacy and accuracy of the suggested modeling used in the analyzed system, offering technical assistance ensuring the stability of the new energy power system. The DSSR allows the rapid analysis of several parameters, including security and stability assessments with various energy supply capabilities.

Fusion-fission hybrid reactor facility: power profiling

The current state of research in the field of nuclear and thermonuclear power aimed at creating power generation plants makes it possible to predict the further development of modern power industry in the direction hybrid reactor power plants. Such hybrid systems include a tokamak with reactor technologies, worked out in detail in Russia, and systems with an additional source of neutrons. Power generation plants using tokamaks and accelerators with the required level of proton energy will be of exceptionally large size and power, which will postpone their construction on an industrial scale to the distant future. The ongoing research is aimed at the development of small generation and has the prospect of entering the field of energy use in a shorter period. The hybrid reactor facility under study consists of an axisymmetric assembly of fuel blocks of a high-temperature gas-cooled reactor and a linear plasma source of additional neutrons. The paper demonstrates the results of optimization plasma-physical, thermophysical and gas-dynamic studies, the purpose of which is to level the distortions of the power density field, which are formed in the volume of the multiplicating part of the facility due to the pulsed operation of the plasma source of D-T-neutrons. The studies on increasing the “brightness” of the source and modeling its operating modes were carried out using the DOL and PRIZMA programs. The thermophysical optimization and gas-dynamic calculations were performed using the verified SERPENT and FloEFD software codes. The calculations were made on a high-performance cluster of the Tomsk Polytechnic University.

Development and Implementation of the Smart Village Concept as a Challenge for the Modern Power Industry on the Example of Poland

Nowadays, while cities are often subject to research in terms of their development, especially smart development, studies on rural areas are rare. However, the development of the latter is very important. It is important that rural areas develop economically and socially. Smart villages are a challenge for the modern energy sector. The authors of the article try to answer the question: What are the challenges for the modern energy sector in the context of rural development? The aim of this article is to identify challenges for the modern power industry in the concept of smart countryside development. The article begins with the presentation of the essence of smart villages and the essence of energy policy. The research facilitated the identification of basic challenges that prevent or slow down the development of the smart villages in terms of modern energy solutions, as perceived by experts and residents, and farmers and entrepreneurs operating in rural areas. The article identifies a number of energy challenges in the context of a smart village. They include, among others, a lack of awareness regarding the impact of energy on the environment, a low level of public knowledge about new energy solutions, and a lack of social trust in modern energy solutions in rural areas. The research was conducted in rural areas in the north-western part of Poland. At the end, the article presents a model of rural development in the context of the modern energy sector. The research also allowed the creation of a smart village development model that focuses on smart economy, intelligent environment, intelligent people, and intelligent governance. Since these are universal solutions, they can be used as a proposition for other countries.

Design of hybrid heat and power co-generation system

The energy revolution considering renewable power is indispensable and inevitable in the development of modern power industry, yet has been restricted by many practical problems. The instability of renewable energy makes the whole power generation system unable to maintain stable output, which causes fluctuations in the power grid system, and ultimately affects the user side. Also, there are few researches on hybrid heat and power co-generation system and when applied to the regional power supply, current systems converse electric energy to thermal energy to meet the heating demand of users, which reduces the energy quality. Hybrid two or more kinds of renewable energy is a way to eliminate instability of renewable energy power generation system. In this paper, a hybrid heat and power co-generation system is designed to reach both heat and power demands of users, a solar-geothermal power generation system was simulated on ASPEN PLUS platform. The output power, entropy and energy efficiency are analyzed to optimize the system. Based on the solar-geothermal power generation system, exergy analysis shows that the parallel heating and power generating system is much more efficient than the original system.

Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Modern 11%Cr Heat-Resistant Steel Weld Joints.

In addition to good high-temperature creep resistance and adequate heat resistance, steels for the power industry must have, among other things, good weldability. Weldability of such steels is one of the criteria determining whether or not the material is suitable for applications in the power industry. Therefore, when materials such as martensitic steel Thor 115 (T115) are introduced into the modern power industry, the quality and properties of welded joints must be assessed. The paper presents the results of metallographic and mechanical investigations of T115 martensitic steel welded joints. The analysis was carried out on joints welded with two filler metals: WCrMo91 (No. 1) and EPRI P87 (No. 2). The scope of the investigations included: microstructural investigations carried out using optical, scanning and transmission electron microscopy and mechanical testing, i.e., Vickers microhardness and hardness measurement, static tensile test and impact test. The macro- and microstructural investigations revealed correct structure of the weld, without welding imperfections. The microstructural investigations of joint No. 1 revealed a typical structure of this type of joint, i.e., the martensitic structure with numerous precipitates, while in joint No. 2, the so-called Nernst’s layers and δ-ferrite patches were observed in the weld fusion zone as well as the heat affected zone (HAZ). The mechanical properties of the test joints met the requirements for the base material. A slight influence of the δ-ferrite patch on the strength properties of joint No. 2 was observed, and its negative effect on the impact energy of HAZ was visible.

Dynamic Behaviour of Wind Turbine Dfig Generator under Grid Fault Conditions (Lvrt – Symmeterical Fault)

Across modern renewable power industry in globally, significant advances was established in the wind industry. Rising limit involves wind generation has to keep up steady activity during matrix shortcoming conditions, can be determined in the low voltage ride through ability. Double Fed Induction generator in wind turbines were normally utilized in wind industry applications, which are delicate to aggravations after force matrix. Thus, various sorts of assurance paths also different regulator strategies are incurred to Double Fed Induction Generator Wind Turbines for Low Voltage Ride Through ability upgrade. Here provides as an exhaustive survey additionally assessment for projected Low Voltage Ride Through arrangements utilized in Double Fed Induction generator wind turbines, of internal control techniques.

Loss-Voltage Sensitivity Analysis Based Battery Energy Storage Systems Allocation and Distributed Generation Capacity Upgrade

Distributed Generation (DG) has become a key component in modern power industry due its significant advantages over the traditional power generation methods. Nevertheless, best expected outcomes can only be achieved with optimal allocation of DG resources where inappropriate allocation may impose problems in power system stability, protection and quality. This paper presents analytical approaches for optimizing the DG size, BESS (Battery Energy Storage Systems) capacities and power dispatch in Medium Voltage (MV) networks. Since most of the existing analytical approaches related to optimizing DG sizes for minimizing network losses and voltage deviations have considered individual objective function separately, both parameters may not be minimized simultaneously. Thus, in this paper, an analytical methodology was formulated based on an objective function built on new parameter Loss-Voltage Sensitivity Index (LVSI) that evaluates both minimum impact of network loss and voltage variations for optimizing the DG size. The results obtained from this approach were compared with a conventional Genetic Algorithm (GA) formulated by the authors. The BESS capacities are determined considering the effects of Load Proportionality Factor (LPF), State of Charge limits (SOC) of battery storages, number of load areas and the portion of daily off-peak solar generation period energy consumption expected to be served by each BESS unit. The significance of this BESS capacity determination methodology is highlighted as the BESS capacities can be numerically calculated whereas in existing work, they are heavily relying on conventional optimization techniques which do not give an idea about the internal behavior of parameters which determine the capacities of BESS units. Moreover, an optimal BESS dispatch algorithm is also presented in this paper for minimizing the energy losses and voltage deviations. The applicability of the proposed methodologies are verified using the standard IEEE-33 and IEEE-69 test bus systems. Simulations carried out in MATLAB is used to illustrate the accuracy and the appropriateness of the proposed approaches.

Experience and prospects of using robotics in the nuclear power industry

It is impossible to imagine the modern nuclear power industry without the use of robotics. Monitoring of equipment and structures conditions, elimination of accidents and catastrophes consequences are wide application areas of robots that allow to reduce the radiation load on personnel. In the near future, the global nuclear power industry will inevitably face the need to decommission nuclear power plants that were built in the 1970s-1980s, which currently form the core of nuclear generation. This determines the high relevance and importance of developing scientifically grounded methods and approaches to decontamination and dismantling of nuclear power plant radioactive structures with the preferential use of robotic technology. A review of domestic and international experience in the use of industrial and specialized robots in the field of nuclear energy allows us to assess the state and prospects of this direction, as well as to recognize the discrepancy between the existing technological level of robotic means and the promising tasks in the field of decommissioning of industrial nuclear reactors. In this case, it is considered appropriate and relevant to rapidly develop robotics as well as information simulation models that allow to provide various scenarios for dismantling of radioactive structures and equipment with the greatest involvement of modern robotic systems in this process.

Analysis Of Typical Power Grid Blackout Accidents And Suggestions For Countermeasures

The prevention and control of power grid blackout has become an important research content of the modern power industry and government departments. This paper collects and compares 160 influential international large-area blackouts since 1960, summarizes and analyzes the main causes, common problems and developing Process. Combined with the operation of China's power grid, the main risk sources of large-scale blackouts and the recovery process are summarized. Based on the lessons of international blackout accidents, some specific suggestions and countermeasures are put forward from four aspects, such as strengthening risk management and operation control of large power grid, which can provide useful reference for the safe operation of large power grids above provincial level.

Синтез и анализ комбинированного магнитного и газодинамического подвеса для модельного ряда высокоскоростных микрогазотурбинных энергоустановок нового поколения

The modern power industry is characterized by intense development of distributed generation, with which numerous sources of different capacities are connected into a single network. This makes it possible to improve the reliability of the entire system, since the probability of several sources to fail simultaneously is quite low. Electric generation based on high-speed gas turbine units accounts for a significant share in the overall balance, due to which scientific research and new engineering solutions in this area are important and relevant. An innovative design of a high-speed gas turbine unit based on a switched axial generator is proposed. This electrical machine has a diamagnetic armature, which eliminates magnetic losses, due to which better efficiency of the power unit is achieved and its design is simplified. The high speed of rotation and the presence of critical resonant rotor speeds generated the need to adopt appropriate engineering decisions in regard of its supports. A combined suspension involving the use of magnetic and gas-dynamic bearings is proposed. The magnetic bearings support the gas turbine unit operation at low speeds during its acceleration, and the gas-dynamic bearings support its operation at high nominal speed. The generator design and the combined suspension layout are shown. The numerical analyses of magnetic and gas-dynamic bearings for a gas turbine unit for a capacity of 100 kW and rotation speed of 70 000 rpm are given. The study results can be used for a series of gas turbine units with capacities ranging from 10 to 500 kW. In our opinion, this concept is competitive with modern analogs with a radial generator design.

Methodology of optimum unit commitment of energy systems with renewable energy sources

One of the promising ways to improve the reliability and efficiency of power supply for customers in the areas remote from central electrical grid is the use of hybrid power systems with renewable energy sources. The primary task of designing such systems is the unit commitment of the generating equipment that provides the optimal technical and economic indexes of the electric power system. The stochastic nature of generation and nonlinearity of the characteristics of power plants cause a high complexity of solving this problem, which, from a mathematical point of view, is formulated as an optimization problem. An accurate and reliable solution of this optimization problem increases the efficiency of design and operation of hybrid electric power systems with renewable energy sources. And it is a vital task of modern power industry. A probabilistic-statistical methods and models for the analysis of experimental data are used to construct climatic time series and graphs of electrical loads. In addition, to study the operating modes of the electric power system the MatLab system is used for the simulation and modeling, and an evolutionary particle swarm algorithm is used to solve the optimization problem. The original model of solar radiation is used as a part of this methodology. This model provides forecasting the key characteristics of solar radiation in any geographical point of Russia including the areas that have no results of routine actinometric observation. Weibull distribution function is used to forecast daily variations of wind speed. It enhances the validity of forecasting of electricity generation of wind-driven power plant at daily time interval. As a result of the research, a method of optimum unit commitment has been developed for the equipment of electric power systems based on renewable energy sources. The use of the particle swarm algorithm as a part of the methodology provides reliable and accurate determination of the extremum of the objective function, which increases the efficiency of design and operation of hybrid electric power systems with renewable energy sources. The method has been tested on practical examples of optimum unit commitment for the equipment of electric power systems of various configurations and has proven its effectiveness. The technique is implemented as a software application, which ensures the convenience of its practical application. The obtained results can be used by companies involved in the design and operation of electric power systems using renewable energy generating units.

Головні напрями російських розробок перспективних конструкцій водоохолоджуваних реакторів із надкритичним тиском

An analytical review of the evolution of attempts to create, schematic and constructive solutions for energycooled nuclear reactors with nuclear steam overheating and supercritical parameters of the working fluid in the conditions of the former USSR and the Russian Federation was made. A comparison of a number of major technical and economic characteristics of main developments of tube and tank reactors is made, the available information on the results of experimental and industrial operation of AMB reactors structures is considered, their advantages and disadvantages are evaluated in terms of technical perfection, reliability, technical and economic performance as well as environmental safety. The expected reduction in capital costs of 40% during the transition of nuclear power units with a capacity of 1,000 MW to single-circuit promising SCWR reactors is achievable only if the steam temperature rises to 625 °C, which has not yet been mastered even in traditional power engineering. The specific energy intensity of reactor’s active zones promising Russian developments under the SCWR program is in most cases extremely high, which will have a negative impact on the characteristics of nuclear safety. The conclusion is made concerning the high probability of a significant increase in the accident rate of the SCWR reactor cores, due to the insufficient study of the heat transfer process characteristics on the heat transfer surface of the TVEL under the conditions of supercritical parameters of the coolant, in particular, such phenomena as pseudo film boiling and thermoacoustic vibrations. In general, insufficient level of completeness of the latest Russian developments and lack of final conceptual projects were noted, which does not provide sufficient grounds for choosing promising schematic and constructive decisions necessary for making reasonable forecasts about the possibility of using supercritical parameters of the coolant in the modern nuclear power industry in the near future.

Compton (prompt-response) neutron detectors: Comparison of emitter materials through the nuclear transmutation model

Reactors’ safety and efficiency are the determining factors in the modern nuclear power industry, and their required level can be achieved only by using the appropriate control and protection systems. The problem of the accurate and prompt control of energy release is especially important when the reactor is operated near its critical parameters.Currently, β-emission self-powered neutron detectors (SPNDs) are used to control the energy release field in the WWER-1000 core. For such SPNDs, the signal delay and the life-time are inconsistent with the tendency to optimize the reactor operating conditions (for example, with the desire to increase the burnup rate of nuclear fuel). That is why, in order to ensure the necessary safety and economy indicators, it is proposed to use inertialess (prompt-response; Compton) SPNDs in the In-core Instrumentation System. Cd, Co, Er, Hf and Pt are usually used as the neutron-sensitive elements of such detectors. Therefore, it is necessary to determine, based on certain criteria, which metal is the best suited for WWER-1000 conditions. Such studies are usually carried out in real conditions and are quite complex, expensive and require a lot of time. However, the same can be realized by a qualitative comparison, which is a simpler way. In this paper, it is proposed to compare the popular materials of Compton SPNDs through the Rutherford model of nuclear transformations and the ‘Bateman solution’. By considering the calculation results of the elemental composition, the ability to absorb neutrons, the activity, the signal level, and metal cost, the number of possible candidates for the role of the most suitable Compton SPND emitter material can be significantly narrowed down.

Capacity Expansion of Wind Power in a Market Environment With Topology Control

Wind power integration is an essential problem for modern power industry. In this paper, we develop a stochastic bilevel mixed integer optimization model to investigate the wind power generation planning problem in an electricity market environment with topology control operations. Different from existing formulations, the lower level market clearing problem introduces binary variables to model line switching decisions, which have been proven very effective to improve transmission capability under different load profiles. To solve this challenging bilevel mixed integer program, a recent decomposition method is customized and a couple of enhancement techniques based on grid structure are designed. Numerical results on typical IEEE test beds show that 1) topology control could be very helpful in reducing wind energy curtailment and improving the wind penetration level, and 2) such advantage often can be achieved by applying topology control on a small number of lines in a coordinated fashion.

TEM apparent resistivity imaging for grounding grid detection using artificial neural network

Transient electromagnetic (TEM) method is a reliable means of non-destructive testing for fault diagnosis of grounding grid in substation. In view of the small transmitter loop of the TEM system and many measuring points and survey lines of grounding grid detection in substation. This study presents a fast solution to TEM apparent resistivity imaging for grounding grid detection using artificial neural networks. The input -output mapping relation of neural network is established based on TEM response characteristics of the grounding grid. The built network could map the recorded TEM data of grounding grid detection and quickly obtain the resistivity image. The proposed method offers accuracy and fast computation for the resistivity imaging of grounding grid. Feasibility and technical attractiveness of the proposed method in fast imaging of apparent resistivity is investigated with the measurement of grounding grids in the actual substations. It can be used in real time so that the recorded TEM data in substation can be calculated without re-training, which avoids time-consuming inversion computation. The rapid processing of massive data and submitting the detection results of the grounding grid to customers rapidly and in real time, which is expectation for a modern power industry.