Power Engineering Research Research Articles

Utility-Scale Grid-Connected Microgrid Planning Framework for Sustainable Renewable Energy Integration

Microgrids have emerged as a crucial focus in power engineering and sustainable energy research, with utility-scale microgrids playing a significant role in both developed and developing countries like the Philippines. This study presents a comprehensive framework for utility-scale microgrid planning, emphasizing the sustainable integration of renewable energy resources to the distribution grid. The framework addresses the operational modes of grid-connected and islanded microgrids, emphasizing the seamless transition between these modes to ensure a continuous power supply. By leveraging local distributed energy resources, the microgrid aims to reduce dependence on the main transmission grid while enhancing resilience and reliability. The proposed planning framework not only eases the economic burden of constructing renewable energy sources but also aids distribution utilities in maximizing local resources to achieve sustainable energy goals. Through a detailed network analysis and modeling, the framework provides a robust foundation for optimizing the energy mix and enhancing the overall system performance. This research contributes to advancing microgrid technology as a key driver towards achieving UN Sustainable Development Goals, particularly in promoting clean and affordable energy access.

Applying deep reinforcement learning to solve the low-carbon economic dispatch problem in smart microgrids

Abstract Smart microgrid (SMG) technology can effectively integrate the advantages of new and renewable energy power generation - distributed generation, and, at the same time, provide a new technical approach for the large-scale application of new and renewable energy grid-connected power generation. Smart microgrids can improve the comprehensive utilization efficiency of energy and serve as an effective complementary power grid of the primary power grid to enhance the reliability of power supply and power quality, which is the latest frontier topic in power engineering research. This paper, aiming at the characteristics of distributed generation such as solar power generation, wind power generation, fuel cell power generation, and micro gas turbine in the smart microgrid system, considering the fuel, efficiency, operation, and maintenance costs of different types and capacities, the different greenhouse gas emissions, and the particularity of solar power generation and wind power generation, a mathematical model of low-carbon economic dispatch of smart microgrid that comprehensively considers the cost of power generation and emission is proposed. This paper presents a scheduling decision model based on an improved dual-delay depth deterministic strategy gradient algorithm. The improved double-delay deep deterministic strategy gradient algorithm is used to construct and train the neural network to avoid overestimation and improve the stability of the network output. At the same time, to improve the efficiency of network training, the historical experience data in the training process were stored, and the experience was replayed and sampled. Examples verify the superiority and practicability of the method proposed in this paper.

Development of a fully implicit ODE-solver for containment analysis code

The thermal–hydraulic dynamics in containment are governed by a system of stiff ordinary differential equations (ODEs). A fully implicit discretization scheme is adopted to discretize these ODEs in order to mitigate the effects of stiffness. In comparison with explicit or semi-implicit discretization schemes that are subject to Courant limits on time steps, the fully implicit discretization scheme is more suitable for a containment analysis code that focuses on predicting both short-term and long-term thermal–hydraulic parameters after an accident. This study introduces a general-purpose ODE solver for the containment analysis code. The outline of the solver is as follows: The fully implicit discrete equations lead to a large set of nonlinear equations that need to be solved using Newton’s iterative method. The partial derivative components in the Jacobi matrix are calculated by the perturbation method using finite difference approximation, which avoids the complicated derivation of partial derivatives. The scaling modification technique is incorporated into this ODE solver to deal with significant differences in unknown variable magnitudes, and the line search method is introduced to address the difficulty of obtaining an accurate root estimate with Newton’s method when the initial guess is far from the actual root. This proposed ODE solver was applied to two typical stiff ODE problems to test its stiffness-suppressed ability and to demonstrate that this proposed solver can perform calculations with a very large time step. Then, the CASSIA code, a containment analysis code developed by China Nuclear Power Technology Research Institute Co., Ltd (CNPRI), equipped with this ODE solver, was applied to the CSNI (Committee on the Safety of Nuclear Installations) benchmark problem and the Carolinas Virginia Tube Reactor (CVTR) test 3 problem to preliminarily demonstrate that the proposed ODE solver can perform containment thermal–hydraulic analysis correctly. This study could provide references for the development of a home-made containment analysis code.

Survey of Optimization Techniques in Interconnected Two Area Power system for the Application of AGC

The increasing need for energy has placed optimization at the center of power engineering research and development. Presenting the theoretical underpinnings of optimization from a practical power system perspective, this review article on Electric Power System Applications of Optimization explores state-of-the-art techniques, novel approaches, and ongoing application difficulties. This work addresses several algorithmic issues that arise from the planning and management of power systems using diverse approaches, as well as the analytical formulation of optimization. This article introduces new features related to market programs, pricing, reliability, and developments in intelligent systems with working algorithms and examples. This paper discusses the latest developments in the fields of adaptive feedback design and approximate dynamic programming. In order to describe new concepts and variations of Adaptive Dynamic Programming, this work begins with fundamental theories and theorems from functional optimization, optimum control, and dynamic programming. Because of its innovative integration of basic optimization principles with application, this review article encourages power engineers to make new discoveries in the provision of energy at the optimal rate.

SUMMER：A small modular lead-bismuth-cooled fast reactor for mobile energy supply

The pursuit of small modular reactors (SMRs) has become a trend in this century due to their potential to expand the use of clean and reliable nuclear energy to a broader range of customers and applications. One promising candidate is the lead-based fast reactor. A mobile energy supply unit based on a lead-bismuth-cooled, pool-type, small modular fast reactor named SUstainable Modular Mobile Enhanced Reactor (SUMMER) is being developed by the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) and China Nuclear Power Technology Research Institute. SUMMER is intended to provide stable energy supply in the field or remote regions, which are potential application scenarios for SMRs. Key features of SUMMER include a long lifetime of over a decade, mobility (transportable by truck or train), and inherent safety. In this paper, the reactor design is completed under the constraints of fulfilling these features, such as the limitation of size and lifetime. Neutronic and thermal-hydraulic analyses are implemented, as well as safety analyses of the reactor under several typical accidents. The results show that the design meets all these criteria and that the reactor has an adequate safety margin under both steady-state and transient conditions.

Preface

The 2023 2nd International Conference on Power System and Power Engineering (PSPE 2023) took place via virtual form in Nanchang, China from March 17th to 19th, 2023, with the attendance of 150 people.PSPE 2023 focused on research areas such as Electrical and Energy Circuits and Systems, Power System Security Defense and Restoration Control, Transmission and Distribution System and Equipment, Power Electronics, etc. The main goal was to bring together related scientists, researchers and developers to bridge the gap between research needs and advanced technological solutions. PSPE 2023 fostered research and development in power engineering and its applications. And it provided an opportunity for researchers and related personnels to present their recent theoretical developments, practical applications, and to discuss unsolved problems and potential challenges.The conference was divided into three main sessions. There are focused on keynote speeches, oral and poster presentations, as well as communication and discussion among all participants.We would like to highlight the main developments presented at the Conference and introduce the prominent speakers. The keynote speaker of the Conference Professor Qifang Chen (Beijing Jiaotong University, China) presented a report on The Interactive Strategy of Thermostatically Controlled Loads (Tcls) to Improve Feasibility and Scalability. In the speech he presented a new interactive control method to improve the feasibility and scalability of TCLs in demand response application. Professor Huihui Song (Harbin Institute of Technology (Weihai), China) talked on Preliminary Study on Synchronization Control Mechanism of Grid-Forming Asynchronous Power Sources under Ultra-High Proportion Consumption of New Energy. She analyzed the existing synchronization mechanism of asynchronous power sources, combined the achievements of NSFC, revealed the new stability mechanism of rhythmic synchronization from a new perspective of coupled oscillator synchronization science, and re-described the evolution process of system synchronization stability.Finally, we would like to thank the members of the Technical Program Committee and the Publication Chair for giving an opportunity to share scientific ideas and new developments at the Conference and the University of Agder, Norway for its friendly support. Last but not the least, our special acknowledgement also goes to the editors and staff of the Journal of Physics: Conference Series, for their kindness and assistance in publishing this volume.The Committee of PSPE 2023List of Committee Member are available in this pdf.

Conceptual design of oil field energy supply system based on natural circulation lead–bismuth fast reactor

To meet the specific requirements of heavy oil thermal recovery and realize clean and efficient recovery, University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) and China Nuclear Power Technology Research Institute Co., Ltd. jointly designed NCLFR-Oil, an oil field energy supply system based on natural circulation lead–bismuth fast reactor. The system uses a small modular reactor with a thermal power of 40 MWth, which is compact and has a lifetime of more than 15 years. In this paper, the overall design, core neutron characteristics and steady-state thermal–hydraulic design of the reactor are described and evaluated. And the steady-state thermal–hydraulic characteristics of the reactor core as well as the whole three loops are analyzed and discussed. The results show that the reactor meets the safety standards, which means that NCLFR-Oil's conceptual design is acceptable and the reactor has excellent safety characteristics.

Editorial on the XV Conference on Research and Development in Power Engineering (RDPE Conference 2021, 30 November-3 December 2021, Warsaw, Poland)

Editorial on the XV Conference on Research and Development in Power Engineering (RDPE Conference 2021, 30 November-3 December 2021, Warsaw, Poland)

Preface

The 2022 International Conference on New Energy, Energy Storage and Power Engineering (NESP 2022) was held successfully on July 15-17, 2022 in Kunming, China. NESP 2022 was to bring together innovative academics and industrial experts in the field of New Energy Science, Energy Storage and Power Engineering to a common forum. The primary goal of the conference was to promote research and developmental activities in New Energy Science, Energy Storage and Power Engineering and another goal was to promote scientific information interchange between researchers, developers, engineers, students, and practitioners working all around the world.During the conference, the conference model was divided into two sessions, including oral presentations and keynote speeches. In the first part, some scholars, whose submissions were selected as the excellent papers, were given about 5-10 minutes to perform their oral presentations one by one. Then in the second part, keynote speakers were each allocated 30-45 minutes to hold their speeches. We were greatly honored to invite Prof. Guosheng Shao from University of Surrey, UK and Zhengzhou University, China to serve as the Conference Chairman. His academic interest is “designer” materials and application devices, with current focus on sustainable (renewable) energy systems and environmental technologies. There were over 120 participants attending the meeting.In the second part, we were greatly honor to have invited ten distinguished experts as our keynote speakers. The keynote speakers list as follow: Prof. John Wang, from National University of Singapore, Singapore; Prof. Jian-Qiao Sun, from University of California, Merced; Prof. Jae Su Yu, from Kyung Hee University, Republic of Korea; Prof. Eric Cheng Ka-wai, from Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong-Kong, China; Prof. Guosheng Shao, from University of Surrey, UK and Zhengzhou University, China; Prof. Yang Hui Ying, from Singapore University of Technology and Design, Singapore; Prof. Lei Zuo, from Virginia Tech, USA; Prof. Bote Zhao, from South China University of Technology, China; Prof. Feixiang Wu, from Central South University, China; Prof. Xin Chen, from East China University of Science and Technology, China.NESP 2022 aimed to present the latest research and results of scientists related to New Energy, Energy Storage and Power Engineering. Therefore, we compiled a lot of excellent papers featuring the latest advanced studies on the following topics: electrochemical energy storage device, thermal energy storage, power system, smart grid and other related topics. All the papers have been through rigorous review and process to meet the requirements of international publication standard.We would like express our gratitude to all the participants, who have made this conference a great success. Without the dedicated cooperation, it would be impossible to hold the conference at such a high level and prepare the NESP 2022 proceedings. We hope all the participants have had a wonderful time at the conference. We hope that those volumes will not only provide the readers a broad overview of the latest advances but also provide the researchers a valuable summary and reference in this field.Committee of NESP 2022List of Committee member is available in this pdf.

Preface

Due to recent pandemic, 2022 4th International Conference on Energy Systems and Electrical Power (ICESEP 2022) was held virtually online on May 20-22, 2022. The decision to hold the virtual conference was made in compliance with many restrictions and regulations that were imposed by countries around the globe. Such restrictions were made to minimize the risk of people contracting or spreading the COVID-19 through physical contact. There were 120 individuals who attended this online conference, represented many countries.ICESEP 2022 is to bring together innovative academics and industrial experts in the field of energy systems, electrical engineering and power engineering to a common forum. The primary goal of the conference is to promote research and developmental activities in energy engineering, electrical engineering and power engineering and another goal is to promote scientific information interchange between researchers, developers, engineers, students, and practitioners working all around the world.During the conference, the conference model was divided into three sessions, including oral presentations, keynote speeches, and online Q&A discussion. In the first part, some scholars, whose submissions were selected as the excellent papers, were given about 5-10 minutes to perform their oral presentations one by one. Then in the second part, keynote speakers were each allocated 30-45 minutes to hold their speeches. In the second part, we invited four professors as our keynote speakers. Prof. Ismail Musirin, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia. Most of his researches dealt with the algorithms and techniques development in solving problems in Power System involving voltage stability, economic power dispatch, transient stability and so on. The second keynote speakers, Prof. Haslenda, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Malaysia. Prof Haslenda has an impressive list of high-quality publications (more than 200 publications to date according to Scopus) that have attracted over 5200 citations with h-index of 35. Prof. Abdul Hasib Chowdhury, Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, Bangladeshi. His research interests include power system planning, stability, reliability analysis, contingency and security analysis, vulnerability analysis, power quality analysis etc. Lastly, we were glad to invite Rafiziana Md.Kasmani, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Malaysia. Her research passions are focused on fire engineering, gas and dust explosion, and fire and explosion modelling. Their insightful speeches had triggered heated discussion in the third session of the conference. Every participant praised this conference for disseminating useful and insightful knowledge.The proceedings are a compilation of the accepted papers and represent an interesting outcome of the conference. Topics include but are not limited to the following areas: Energy Saving Technologies, Energy Engineering and Environmental, Renewable Energy Technologies and Systems and other related topics. All the papers have been through rigorous review and process to meet the requirements of international publication standard.We would like to acknowledge all of those who supported ICESEP 2022. The help and contribution of each individual and institution was instrumental in the success of the conference. In particular, we would like to thank the organizing committee for its valuable inputs in shaping the conference program and reviewing the submitted papers.List of Committee member is available in this pdf.

FUAS: An uncertainty and sensitivity analysis toolkit for fuel rod performance code

Fuel rod performance codes are used to predict the behavior of fuel rods in reactors. The uncertainty and sensitivity analysis are always needed when developing or using these codes. However, fuel rod codes typically have two characteristics that make relevant analysis challenging: First, there are many input parameters for which uncertainty needs to be considered. Second, the structure of the models is complex, non-linear and non-additive. To make the uncertainty and sensitivity analysis of a fuel rod code effectively and conveniently, an assistant toolkit, FUAS, has been developed recently by China Nuclear Power Technology Research Institute Co. Ltd. FUAS considers the fuel rod codes as black boxes and applies sampling-based approaches. Several statistical methods are available in this toolkit. A hypothetical steady-state scenario of the PWR fuel rod was simulated, and uncertainty and sensitivity analysis were performed with the sampling-based approach by coupling the fuel rod code and FUAS toolkit.

Preface

We are glad to introduce you the proceedings of the 2021 2nd International Conference on Clean Energy and Electric Power Engineering (ICCEPE 2021). ICCEPE 2021 is to bring together innovative academics and industrial experts in the field of clean energy and electric power engineering to a common forum. The primary goal of the conference is to promote research and developmental activities in clean energy and electric power engineering and another goal is to promote scientific information interchange between researchers, developers, engineers, students, and practitioners working all around the world. The conference will be held every year to make it an ideal platform for people to share views and experiences in clean energy and electric power engineering and related areas.As we may aware, the World Health Organization officially declared the novel coronavirus COVID-19 a pandemic. Governments around the world are now issuing restrictions on travel, gatherings, and meetings in an effort to limit and slow the spread of the virus. The health and safety of the author and research community is our first priority and we are supporting these efforts. Therefore, the ICCEPE 2021 conference was held virtually on July 02-04, 2021.During the conference, the conference model was divided into three sessions, including oral presentations, keynote speeches, and online Q&A discussion. In the first part, some scholars, whose submissions were selected as the excellent papers, were given about 5-10 minutes to perform their oral presentations one by one. Then, keynote speakers were each allocated 30-45 minutes to hold their speeches. In the third part, followed by a question and answer by the participants with a direct questioning system, through chat forums and Q&A forums provided by the zoom application. The number of participants who joined the zoom room was recorded around 60 participants.In the second part, we invited three professors as our keynote speakers. The first one, Prof. M. Shahidul Islam, from Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak. He presented his insightful speech: Waste Biomass the Potential Renewable Energy Source: A 2021 Update. A. Prof. Jia Cui, from Shenyang University of Technology. He had outstanding research in Multi-disciplinary research on clean energy consumption, intelligent control of energy internet and power big data technology area. The last keynote speakers, Prof. Jinghong Zhou, from School of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology, Changchun Institute of Technology. His speech title is Research on the Market Mechanism of Power Demand Side Adjustable Resources Participating in Grid Interaction. The speech mainly introduced the relevant research progress at home and abroad, the organization mode and market mechanism of power demand side resources participating in the grid interaction. Their insightful speeches had triggered heated discussion in the third session of the conference. Every participant praised this conference for disseminating useful and insightful knowledge.The proceedings of ICCEPE 2021 span over 3 topical tracks, that include: Clean energy, Power Engineering, Smart Grid and Energy Science. All the papers have been through rigorous review and process to meet the requirements of International publication standard.We would like to acknowledge all of those who have supported ICCEPE 2021. Each individual and institutional help were very important for the success of this conference. Especially we would like to thank the organizing committee for their valuable advices in the organization and helpful peer review of the papers. We hope that ICCEPE 2021 will be a forum for excellent discussions that will put forward new ideas and promote collaborative researches. We are sure that the proceedings will serve as an important research source of references and the knowledge, which will lead to not only scientific and engineering progress but also other new products and processes.The Committee of ICCEPE 2021List of Committee member, Conference Chairman, Program Committees, Technical Program Committees are available in this pdf.

Комплекс мероприятий, разработанный в рамках проекта модернизации газотурбинного двигателя ГТД-110*

Based on the materials of the joint meeting of the Scientific and technical council of the STC UES and the Section on the problems of reliability and safety of large energy systems of the Scientific council of the Russian academy of sciences on System research in power engineering, July 21, 2020

Pilot Low-Cost Concentrating Solar Power Systems Deployment in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Case Study of Implementation Challenges

Electricity is one of the most crucial resources that drives any given nation’s growth and development. The latest Sustainable Development Goals report indicates Africa still has a high deficit in electricity generation. Concentrating solar power seems to be a potential option to fill the deficit. That is because most of the components of concentrating solar power plants are readily available on the African market at affordable prices, and there are qualified local persons to build the plants. Pilot micro-concentrating solar power plants have been implemented in Sub-Saharan Africa and have shown promising results that could be expanded and leveraged for large-scale electricity generation. An assessment of a pilot concentrating solar power plant in the sub-region noticed one noteworthy obstacle that is the failure of the tracking system to reduce the operating energy cost of running the tracking control system and improve the multifaceted heliostat focusing behavior. This paper highlights the energy situation and the current development in concentrating solar power technology research in Africa. The paper also presents a comprehensive review of the state-of-the-art solar tracking systems for central receiver systems to illustrate the current direction of research regarding the design of low-cost tracking systems in terms of computational complexity, energy consumption, and heliostat alignment accuracy.

The novel design of an energy efficient superconductor-based series reactor for installation at a grid connected research site

This paper proposes the development of a superconducting series reactor (SSR) as an alternative to traditionally employed technologies and superconducting fault current limiters when managing fault levels on the electrical power grid. By utilizing superconducting tape, which has negligible resistance, in the construction of a series reactor, it is proposed that fault level mitigation could be achieved in a more energy efficient manner. Once constructed the SSR will be installed and tested at a grid-connected power engineering research site, and the proposed impact of this installation is firstly simulated using Reticmaster® power system simulation software. Design parameters for the prototype SSR are then calculated enabling the total cost of the modifications and prototype SSR to be determined. A desktop SSR was also constructed and tested as a pre-cursor to the prototype construction to confirm functionality and design and was found to be up to four times more energy efficient as the equivalent copper reactor. Finally, the calorimetric method of power loss determination was investigated and experimentally shown to be a viable alternative to the traditional electrical method of power loss determination. In the past, the relatively cheap cost of electricity in South Africa had favoured the installation of poor power efficiency devices that required a lower initial capital investment. With increasing energy costs and a focus on carbon emission reductions, the development of the SSR augurs a new era in power system engineering in which designs are proposed considering both total lifecycle costs and energy efficiency.
 
 Design proposal for the first superconducting power device in Africa
 Alternative to less efficient fault current management technologies currently employed
 Construction and testing of a desktop superconducting series reactor
 Verification of the calorimetric method for power loss determination.

Measurements of in-vessel and ex-vessel liquid corium surface tension and density in the VITI-MBP test bench within ALISA Euro-Chinese project

Within the ALISA (Access to Large Infrastructures for Severe Accidents) cooperation between the European Union and China on SA (Severe Accident) facilities, CNPRI (China Nuclear Power technology Research Institute) has proposed to CEA (Commissariat à l’Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives) a series of experiments to determine the density and surface tension of different oxidic mixtures representative from both in-vessel and ex-vessel retention scenarios. This article describes those tests performed in the VITI facility in in CEA severe accident experimental platform, PLINIUS, by means of the Maximum Bubble Pressure (MBP) method. The measurement procedure using the Maximum Bubble Pressure method is described. A first estimate of in-vessel corium surface tension is given, while both density and surface tension measurements are successfully performed for both ex-vessel corium compositions, which constitutes to our best knowledge the first measurements ever performed for ex-vessel (MCCI) liquid corium compositions.

Swarm algorithms in dynamic optimization problem of reactive power compensation units control

Optimization of a power supply system is one of the main directions in power engineering research. The reactive power compensation reduces active power losses in transmission lines. In general, researches devoted to allocation and control of the compensation units consider this issue as a static optimization problem. However, it is dynamic and stochastic optimization problem that requires a real-time solution. To solve the dynamic optimization NP-hard problem, it is advisable to use Swarm Intelligence. This research deals with the problem of the compensation units power control as a dynamic optimization problem, considering the possible stochastic failures of the compensation units. The Particle Swarm Optimization and the Bees Algorithm were applied to solve it to compare the effectiveness of these algorithms in the dynamic optimization of a power supply system.

Mechanical Characterization of Catalyst Coated Membranes Subjected to Isolated Chemical Degradation in PEM Fuel Cells

The lifetime of polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cells is governed by the operational stability of the membrane electrode assembly (MEA). Under dynamic automotive operating conditions and duty cycles, the membrane is subjected to chemical and mechanical degradation, which cause hydrogen leaks and ultimate cell failure. Chemical degradation is generally accepted as the key factor in the membrane decay process where membrane stability is affected by the formation of reactive radicals [1] and their attack on the ionomer molecular structure in the membrane [2]. H2O2 formed at the electrodes during fuel cell operation may diffuse into the membrane and decompose into hydroxyl radical ( . OH) via the Fenton’s reaction mechanism in presence of Fe2+ [3], commonly present as traces in membranes due to fabrication and/or operation-induced contamination. Low relative humidity (RH), and high temperature, reactant gas pressures and cell voltages accelerate the chemical degradation [1,4]. Steady-state open circuit voltage (SOCV) conditions are widely used in accelerated stress tests (AST) to intensify chemical stressors. In SOCV conditions, an Fe-ion redox cycle is generated in the MEA to preserve a relatively high Fe2+ concentration in the membrane, which leads to the most severe chemical membrane degradation through the Fenton mechanism [5,6]. Previously, the effects of isolated chemical degradation were exhibited at relatively mild stress levels at 90% RH (lifetime: 497 hours) and 100% RH (lifetime: 643 hours) where end-of-life (EOL) CCMs fractured at low strains right after passing their yield point during ex situ tensile tests [9]. In this work, an in situ SOCV-based AST with high stress levels and moderate humidity conditions were applied to induce pure chemical membrane degradation and establish its induced gradual decay in mechanical properties. Fluoride loss, an indication of global chemical degradation, increased steadily for the entire duration of the AST upto 140 hours (EOL). SEM investigations revealed gradual thinning of the membrane; however, no cracks were observed in the membrane. Previously, membranes subjected to pure mechanical degradation [7] and combined chemical and mechanical degradation [8-9] depicted localized damage (cracks and holes) that were incorporated due to RH cycling. Such features were not evident in the present work under isolated chemical stress. Thereafter, ex situ tensile experiments were performed with periodically extracted, partially AST-degraded CCM samples under both room (25oC, 50% RH) and fuel cell conditions (70oC, 90% RH). A dynamic mechanical analyzer (TA Instruments Q800 DMA) equipped with an environmental chamber was used. Reductions in ultimate tensile strength and fracture strain were observed as a function of AST operation time. Hygrothermal expansion test results revealed an overall decay in hygral expansion at 70oC of 33%, whereas the decay in thermal expansion at 90% RH was 40%. This was comparable to the results of CCMs subjected to pure mechanical degradation [7], where the hygral expansion decay from BOL upto 20,000 RH cycles was 33-50%, and a 50%-decay occurred in thermal expansion. For CCMs subjected to combined chemical and mechanical degradation, the decay in hygral expansion was only 25-30%, whereas 80% decay in thermal expansion was observed [8]. In summary, the observed microstructure-property relationship revealed the crucial role of chemical degradation by means of membrane thinning. Acknowledgements This research was supported by Mitacs through the Accelerate program, Ballard Power Systems, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), Canada Foundation for Innovation, British Columbia Knowledge Development Fund, Western Economic Diversification Canada and Simon Fraser University. This research was undertaken, in part, thanks to funding from the Canada Research Chairs program.

Power Engineering Education in India: Past, Present and Future Scenario

AbstractThe present paper deals with the sphere of Power Engineering and it’s past developments, current status and future scope of Power Engineering education in India. The aim of this manuscript is to explore the prevalent status of Power Engineering education in India from the grassroot level to Industry level applications, data has been collected from India’s premier Institutes of National Importance for this purpose. Introduction to Power Engineering has been given with India-specific past developments and current obstacles faced by the nation’s Power Engineering community in order to achieve a hundred percent electrification rate through clean and efficient means. India ranks second on the list of countries with the most population and seventh on the list of countries with the most land area, it is imperative that India becomes independent in terms of energy production, energy transmission and most importantly energy management. Electric power transmission-loss remains a major roadblock in the delivery of sufficient electric power to India’s citizens and the Power Engineers of India have to contribute to the best of their abilities in order to solve the problem of electric power transmission-loss in the worlds second most populated and seventh largest country. Challenges faced by Power Engineering aspirants and students who are pursuing undergraduate and postgraduate courses in Power Engineering have been analysed for every level of technical education available for students in India. Requirements for a Power Engineering Undergraduate aspirant currently in twelfth grade or currently pursuing a Diploma degree and requirements for a Power Engineering Post-Graduate currently in graduation have been explained separately using data from their syllabus which is verified by the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), a regulatory body formulated by the Government of India to guide, promote and scrutinize technical education syllabus’ in all institutes and organizations of India concerned with science and technology. Since a large portion of India’s population resides in rural areas and indulges in agrarian based employment practises, the importance of the Deendayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana (DUGJY) which is an initiative specifically formulated by the Government of India for electrification of India’s villages and rural areas has been explained, India is the second most populated country in the world and predominantly most of this population lives in villages, many of which are located in remote areas and thus it becomes nearly impossible to supply continuous electricity to these areas. As mentioned earlier a major part of India’s economy depends on agrarian products and by-products, thus it is imperative that Power Engineers of India contribute in the development of these areas through continuous supply of clean electrical power which helps in keeping the rural environments of India’s villages clean and green. Government of India’s approach towards marginalised sections of the Indian society for the implementations of these schemes so that they can offer last-mile connectivity has been statistically explained. Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM) is being approached and implemented for using the sun as a source of electrical power on war-footing by the Government of India to meet the demands of the second most populated nation on the planet. Power Engineers have actively participated for the efficient utilization of India’s 7500-kilometre coastline in order to generate electrical power from the force of blowing wind, employment opportunities for Power Engineering aspirants, Power Engineering Graduate and Power Engineering Postgraduate students have been disclosed in this manuscript. Initiatives of the Government of India in developing and redefining Power Engineering courses through massive open online courses through National Program on Technology Enhanced Learning (NPTEL) which is an online based platform for students and academia alike, NPTEL lectures are available in video format and are delivered by faculties from India’s designated Institutes of National Importance. Past involvement of power engineers in the electrification of India and their role in research and development of new technologies such as ultra-high voltage direct current and superconductors has been scrutinized. In conclusion, future scope of Power Engineering and new technological research and developments have been mentioned with regards to Industrial Revolution 4.0. Possibilities of Power Engineering’s contribution in research and development of Smart-Grids, Micro-Grids and Electrical Power Management sourced from academia, which includes the fourth largest Ph.D. population on the planet and industry alike have been explored in this manuscript.

Validation of the fuel rod performance analysis code FRIPAC

The fuel rod performance has great importance for the safety and economy of an operating reactor. The fuel rod performance analysis code, which considers the thermal-mechanical response and irradiation effects of fuel rod, is usually developed in order to predict fuel rod performance accurately. The FRIPAC (Fuel Rod Integral Performance Analysis Code) is such a fuel rod performance analysis code that has been developed recently by China Nuclear Power Technology Research Institute Co. Ltd. The code aims at the computational simulation of the Pressurized Water Reactor fuel rod behavior for both steady-state and power ramp condition. A brief overview of FRIPAC is presented including the computational framework and the main behavioral models. Validation of the code is also presented and it focuses on the fuel rod behavior including fuel center temperature, fission gas release, rod internal pressure/internal void volume, cladding outer diameter and cladding corrosion thickness. The validation is based on experimental data from several international projects. The validation results indicate that FRIPAC is an accurate and reliable fuel rod performance analysis code because of the satisfactory comparison results between the experimental measurements and the code predictions.