Power Source Research Articles

From play to power: china’s video games as instruments of soft power

This paper investigates the burgeoning role of video games as a strategic instrument of soft power, with a particular focus on China’s utilization of the gaming industry to extend its cultural and political influence on a global scale. Through a comprehensive analysis of Chinese gaming giant Tencent, the study reveals how these companies embed Chinese cultural elements and narratives within their games, effectively turning them into vehicles for cultural exchange and soft power projection. The paper categorizes video games as an emerging source of soft power by examining the strategies of Chinese video games and their impact on global gaming trends. It further explores the symbiotic relationship between these gaming strategies and China’s broader soft power objectives under the Digital Silk Road initiative, illustrating how digital entertainment mediums can contribute to the country’s international diplomacy efforts.

Enhanced anti-bacterial properties and thermal regulation via photothermal conversion with localized surface plasmon resonance effect in cotton fabrics

Enhanced anti-bacterial properties and thermal regulation are realized in cotton fabrics cross-linked with hybrid poly(di(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate-co-oligo(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate-co-ethylene glycol methacrylate) nanogels containing gold nanoparticles (Au NPs), denoted as hybrid P(MA-co-MA300-co-EGMA)/Au nanogels. Pure P(MA-co-MA300-co-EGMA) nanogels are synthesized by emulsion polymerization as carriers and then embedded with Au NPs via in-situ reduction. By applying 1,2,3,4-butanetetracarboxylic acid as a cross-linker and changing the amount of hybrid P(MA-co-MA300-co-EGMA)/Au nanogels in solution, the weight gain ratios of hybrid nanogels on cotton fabrics are set as 10 % (CHN-10) and 20 % (CHN-20). Due to the densely packed structure of the hybrid nanogels on the surface, the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) effect of the Au NPs improves the photothermal conversion capability and converts the absorbed light energy into thermal energy. Simply illuminating with visible light, the surface temperature of CHN-20 pronouncedly increases from 20.4 to 43.0 °C in 50 s. The increased local temperature induces the denaturation of protein and the death of bacteria on the surface. Thus, an illumination with visible light for 2 h results in an anti-bacterial rate for S. aureus of 100 % for CHN-20. Additionally, it presents an excellent thermal regulation capability via photothermal conversion and can be used for continuously maintaining human body temperature in cold areas. Because no additional chemical agents and external power source are required for the anti-bacterial properties and thermal regulation, the obtained cotton fabrics cross-linked with hybrid P(MA-co-MA300-co-EGMA)/Au nanogels are eco-friendly and suitable for smart textiles in daily wear.

Energy-efficient power summator of hydrogen fuel cell

The most important task after the end of the COVID-18 pandemic is to solve the problem of preserving the planet's climate and improving the environment in populated areas (metropolises, cities, towns). The most important principles contributing to the solution of this problem were set out in the Centenary Memorandum (A.L. Gusev, T.N. Veziroglu, J. Sheffield and other scientists, 2006). The most important element of hydrogen energy is the fuel cell. Fuel cells are produced in different modifications, they can be different in principle of operation, and different in size and DC generation power. Large consumers, both stationary and autonomous, at different times consume different amounts of power from the minimum value to the average and maximum. Obviously, if an object consumes minimal power over a given period of time, then there is no point in generating maximum power. Typically, fuel cells are designed for a specific power range. In connection with the above, in practice situations arise when it is necessary, depending on energy consumption, to connect hydrogen fuel cells of various powers.A new principle for constructing energy-efficient and small-sized summing step-up capacitor DC-DC converters (SSCC) capable of not only converting the level of output voltages, but also summing the powers of several sources in a common load is proposed. The sources are hydrogen fuel cells converted into constant voltage sources, different in output parameters and having a common grounded bus. The principle of multi-cycle construction of SSСС is proposed, which provides additional improvement of their weight and size characteristics under conditions of increased source power. It is shown that the effect is achieved by a multiple increase in the conversion frequency of individual SSСС modules and the practical elimination of a bulky output capacitor due to a sharp decrease and multiple increase in the frequency of the first harmonic of the total output current. Analytical expressions have been obtained that make it possible to calculate the parameters of the reactive elements of the SSСС, to analyze and quantify their efficiency.

Forgotten treasures in the HST/FOC UV imaging polarimetric archives of active galactic nuclei. II. Mrk 463E

The Mrk 463 system is known to host two powerful sources that are separated by about 4 kpc, which were both identified as active galactic nuclei (AGN). This makes the Mrk 463 system a unique laboratory for studying the geometry and dynamics of galaxy merging and its relation to AGN duty cycles. The eastern nucleus, Mrk 463E, is the brighter of the two and thus a prime target for a polarimetric study. It is classified as a Seyfert 2 galaxy, meaning that high polarization degrees from scattering off electrons and dust in the polar winds are expected. In the continuity of our series of papers, we reduced archived and previously unpublished polarization observations obtained with the Faint Object Camera on board the Hubble Space Telescope to obtain a high-resolution near-ultraviolet polarization map of the Mrk 463E nuclei. We coupled this map to near-infrared and X-ray observations to obtain a clear picture of the geometric arrangement of matter around the core of Mrk 463E. We found that the nucleus location is farther south of the optical peak flux than previously estimated. The strongly polarized conical wind has a half-opening angle of $ and displays three main periods of mass ejection. Its polarization allowed us to estimate the AGN inclination toward the observer ($ Finally, our maps revealed a streamer connecting Mrk 463E and Mrk 463W, with a tentative detection of a large kiloparsec-scale ordered magnetic field connecting both galaxies. This unpublished observation finally offered more than the original proposal asked for and allowed us to derive tight geometric and dynamical constraints for Mrk 463E. High-resolution radio maps and infrared polarimetry are now necessary to further study the jet and the newly discovered streamer.

Moisture electricity generation based self-powered humidity sensor for smart agriculture

With the rapid development of smart agriculture, it is of great significance to monitor soil moisture through humidity sensors to maintain suitable soil environmental conditions and improve crop yield and quality. This study reports a self-powered humidity sensor (SPHS) based on moisture electricity generation, which was designed by using a humidity-sensitive composite film composed of polystyrene sulfonic acid: polyvinyl alcohol doped LiCl as the electrolyte layer and combined with copper and aluminum electrodes. The SPHS easily adsorbs and diffuses water molecules in humid environment, and relies on the principles of ion diffusion and electrochemical reaction to realize the sensing of soil moisture, without the external power source, and with good reliability and durability. The SPHS can spontaneously generate current response over a relative humidity (RH) range of 33 %–91 %, with a current response of 2.6 μA at 33 % RH and up to 76.1 μA at 91 % RH, which provides excellent RH-current linear response characteristics (R2 = 0.988). SPHS can be successfully applied in the field of human wearable devices, such as integration into masks for human breathing monitoring, as well as having excellent application potential in contactless human-computer interfaces. By integrating smart sensing technology and IoT communication technology, a smart agricultural environment sensing system was built in conjunction with SPHS for in-situ monitoring of soil moisture, ambient temperature, and light intensity to achieve real-time monitoring of the farmland environment, which promotes the development of agricultural production in the direction of intelligence, efficiency, and sustainability.

Modelling and simulation hybrid electric vehicle with hydrogen fuel cells

The article is devoted to the development of simulation model in the MATLAB Simulink software environment of an electric vehicle hybrid traction drive based on fuel cells and lithium battery. The applied topologies of battery and hybrid traction drives are considered. A traction drive model has been synthesized, in which the main energy source is a fuel cell (FC) with a proton exchange membrane (PEM), and the unevenness of the transport load is smoothed out by a high-power buffer storage unit (BSU) based on a lithium-titanium-oxide (LTO) battery.The dependence of the required BSU capacity on the power of the primary source, reduced to a ton of vehicle weight, was obtained. Based on this, the optimal range of hybrid power plant parameters was determined (FC power from 5 to 11 kW/t, LTO battery capacity from 6 to 10 Ah/t) when driving according to the WLTC load cycle. The calculated fuel consumption in this case was 0.56 kg/(km-t), and the time of included state of FC was 94.53%.

Cost-effective self-powered heterostructure π-SnS/Si photodetector with superior sensitivity for near-infrared light

Photodetectors generally require external power supplies to facilitate the separation of charge carriers and the generation of photocurrents. This significantly enlarges the device's dimensions and weight, limiting its applicability in real-time medical therapy monitoring and wireless environmental sensing. To address this limitation, extensive research focuses on developing self-powered photodetectors that operate autonomously without external power sources. The heterojunction structure photodetector, characterized by a sufficient built-in potential, facilitates the separation of photo charge carriers and the generation of photocurrent, leading to self-powered photodetectors. In this study, a novel and straightforward heterostructure photodetector was developed using a tin monosulfide (π-SnS) film and silicon (Si). This device exhibited a barrier height of 0.82 eV, which effectively separates photogenerated carriers and results in a highly sensitive (5.7 × 104) self-powered photodiode for near-infrared light. The SnS film was deposited onto an n-type Si wafer substrate using a simple and cost-effective chemical bath deposition method. The photoresponse characteristics were controlled and tuned by adjusting the operating bias voltage and illumination power density. At a bias voltage of 5 V, the photodiode demonstrated high responsivity (3863 mA/W) and detectivity (7.2 × 1011 Jones). The π-SnS/Si self-powered heterojunction photodetector, with its superior sensitivity, holds promise for advancing the technological implementation of optoelectronic devices.

Control strategy for geometry at the start and end of bead in WAAM steel walls using a custom GMAW DF power source (MIG-AD)

Control strategy for geometry at the start and end of bead in WAAM steel walls using a custom GMAW DF power source (MIG-AD)

Optimal dispatch of an electricity-heat virtual power plant based on Benders decomposition

Recently, wind energy has been developed as an important technology to address the energy crisis. However, due to an unreasonable energy structure, wind power curtailment is becoming increasingly severe. Combined heat and power dispatch (CHPD) provided a solution for wind accommodation by utilizing the flexibility resources of district heating systems. Because of the imperfect dispatch methods and CHPD platforms, many wind power heating projects have not effectively linked the use of abandoned wind and heating. The virtual power plant (VPP) achieves the reasonable combination of controllable power sources, distributed energy, controllable loads, and energy storage systems within a certain area. Thus, we propose a VPP model based on combined dispatch of wind power and heat energy, which integrates wind turbines, thermal turbines, CHP units, etc., into a whole to join in the grid operation. Besides, to preserve the privacy of energy agents, Benders decomposition algorithm is adopted to solve the proposed model in this paper. The validity and efficiency of the proposed VPP model and Benders decomposition algorithm are verified via numerical cases.

Electrochemical transformation of 2D materials to their quantum dots

The term two-dimensional (2D) material refers to a single layer of monatomic units or molecules that reveals distinct electrical and optical properties and has received much attention recently due to its immense application potential. For example, graphene as a monolayer has captured intense efforts during the past decade, and other 2D materials like transition metal dichalcogenides, phosphorene, borophene, bismuthene, and stanene have also evolved for various applications such as nanoelectronics, hydrogen storage, supercapacitors, and solar cells. More recently, their heterostructures including Janus layers have also emerged with several exceptional electronic properties. Although there are several ways of synthesizing quantum dots of these exciting materials, electrochemical methods are especially relevant for preparing 2D materials (often in a size-controlled manner) from suitable precursors. More importantly, hetero-atom doping could also be carried out at room temperature when these materials are prepared by applying electric field without any major change in the morphology or size distribution after doping. With this disposition, we summarize the essential experimental methodology and a few mechanistic insights for the electrochemical synthesis of quantum dots from different 2D materials. This topic has not been discussed unambiguously in the past, lacking the proper motivation to emphasize the importance of controlling the electric field, substrate electrodes, precursors, and the role of counter ions during the synthesis. In this review, we concisely discuss the synthesis of such 0D materials by electrochemical methods, the mechanism, advantages, and limitations in comparison with other methods, along with the benefits ensued for a few selected applications. The genre of this category of work has always been intriguing despite the fact that only a few other groups are involved in the synthetic methodology, making the topic an everchanging field of exciting applications ranging from flexible power sources for wearable electronics to green electrocatalysts for sustainability and nano-sensors for biological applications.

Mechanical and tribology performance of nanostructured ZrN-Cu coatings obtained by hybrid HiPIMS-DCMS technology

One of the biggest players in the world economy is the naval industry, which mainly controls the merchandise transportation sector. Any issue with ships could represent millions of USD of loss and increases in the cost of goods for the population worldwide. Two main problems which this industry has fought are corrosion and biofouling. Lastly, the pollution of the sea has gained importance, and more strict policies have been applied regarding the use of certain products by this industry. One of these is paintings, which represented this industry's definitive solution to avoid the mentioned problems for a long time. This situation allowed to explore other solutions like PVD coatings through multifunctional coatings. Zirconium nitride has been demonstrated to be useful in resisting corrosion with reliable mechanical properties. However, this material does not possess antimicrobial action. The present study presents a nanostructured coating combining ZrN with Cu, which works as a biocide, contributing to the desired multifunctionality. The developed coating was obtained using a hybrid magnetron co-sputtering employing High-power impulse (HiPIMS) and direct current (DCMS) power sources under a reactive atmosphere. SEM, EDX, XRD and Raman spectroscopy were used to assess the physico-chemical properties of the coatings. Besides, depth-sensing nano-indentation explored the mechanical properties. The tribological performance was tested by a reciprocating tribometer under dry and wet (with 3.5 % w/w NaCl solution) contact conditions and employing a soda lime glass ball as a counterbody. The results showed that adding Cu to ZrN through this technology resulted in a limited hardness reduction from 19 (pure ZrN) to 14 GPa. Also, the chemical activation with NaOCl solution softens the obtained coating and, together with the saline solution, influences the wear resistance. However, the nanostructured coating has been demonstrated to be suitable for use under real conditions, without loss of its protection over the used substrate. It opens a new possibility of a solution for the naval industry.

Enhanced and Sustainable Indoor Carbon Dioxide Monitoring by Using Ambient Light to Power Advanced Biological Sensors

Enhancing carbon dioxide (CO2) detection is crucial for improving indoor air quality and environmental surveillance. Traditional CO2 sensors face drawbacks like high costs, large sizes, environmental impact, and reliance on external power, limiting their practicality for continuous indoor monitoring. In this research, an innovative indoor CO2‐sensing system using a self‐powered bio‐solar cell (BSC) platform is introduced. Utilizing cyanobacteria as a sensitive biocatalyst and sustainable power source, the system offers a cost‐effective, eco‐friendly, and maintenance‐free alternative to conventional sensors. It operates by monitoring electron‐transfer processes in cyanobacteria during photosynthesis, converting CO2 and water into oxygen and chemical energy, enabling accurate CO2 level monitoring. The system responds to CO2 fluctuations and issues alerts when levels are outside the recommended range of 500–1000 ppm for human health and productivity. A self‐sustaining configuration of eight BSCs—one for sensing and others for power generation—ensures continuous operation without external power. An integrated energy‐harvesting board efficiently manages power distribution to a microcontroller and display system for real‐time data visualization, with the array producing up to 400 μW. Additionally, a machine‐learning model interprets BSC outputs to accurately quantify CO2 levels, enhancing the sensor's adaptive performance.

A New Proposed Triple Active Bridge Converter for Fuel Cell Applications

This paper deals with a new proposed three port converter structure dedicated for two-input source hybrid systems especially for fuel cell applications. This converter is made up of three-phase triple active bridges which are galvanically isolated by means of three single phase high frequency transformers. The present converter integrates a fuel cell as the primary power source with a battery that stores energy, harnessing the unique benefits of both sources to deliver reliable power to a DC load through a single power conversion stage. In order to control the power flow between the ports, a phase shift control technique has been carried out to generate the control signals of the load and battery side bridges in reference with those of the fuel cell bridge. A detailed analysis of the proposed converter has been presented in this paper. A novel proposed energy management algorithm has been developed. This algorithm provides a robust solution for managing and distributing power flow between the converter's ports, ensuring an optimal balance of power delivery. The algorithm has been rigorously validated through simulations and experimental test, using Dspace 1104 board.

Skin‐Like Soft Thermoelectric Composites with a “J‐Shaped” Stress–Strain Behavior for Self‐Powered Strain Sensing

AbstractPolymer thermoelectric (TE) materials present a promising alternative to actuating low‐power wearable electronics without an additional power source, among which poly(3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT):poly(styrenesulfonate) (PSS) is a promising candidate. However, it is too hard and brittle to integrate into wearables seamlessly and comfortably. Herein, PEDOT:PSS‐based TE composites with simultaneous softness and stretchability are fabricated by a water‐borne polyurethane (WPU) and PEDOT:PSS mixture containing the judiciously chosen ionic liquid (IL) and subsequent drop casting. The obtained composites show a stable TE voltage, high stretchability (>500%), ultra‐flexibility, and excellent sensitivity (gauge factor = 1251). More importantly, it exhibited “J‐shaped” stress–strain curves resembling human skins after a loading/releasing treatment. The skin‐like nonlinear elastic behavior combines enough softness in the “toe” region, high stretchability, and a strong strain hardening at the late deformation stage, enabling its seamless and comfortable integration with the human body. Given the desired mechanical performance and strain‐sensing capability, the composite is designed to serve as a self‐powered sensor with high sensitivity and accuracy, suggesting a high potential in human motion detection. This work demonstrates the versatility of the developed skin‐like PEDOT:PSS‐based composites in wearable electronics.

Research and Design of an Active Light Source System for UAVs Based on Light Intensity Matching Model

The saliency feature is a key factor in achieving vision-based tracking for multi-UAV control. However, due to the complex and variable environments encountered during multi-UAV operations—such as changes in lighting conditions and scale variations—the UAV’s visual features may degrade, especially under high-speed movement, ultimately resulting in failure of the vision tracking task and reducing the stability and robustness of swarm flight. Therefore, this paper proposes an adaptive active light source system based on light intensity matching to address the issue of visual feature loss caused by environmental light intensity and scale variations in multi-UAV collaborative navigation. The system consists of three components: an environment sensing and control module, a variable active light source module, and a light source power module. This paper first designs the overall framework of the active light source system, detailing the functions of each module and their collaborative working principles. Furthermore, optimization experiments are conducted on the variable active light source module. By comparing the recognition effects of the variable active light source module under different parameters, the best configuration is selected. In addition, to improve the robustness of the active light source system under different lighting conditions, this paper also constructs a light source color matching model based on light intensity matching. By collecting and comparing visible light images of different color light sources under various intensities and constructing the light intensity matching model using the comprehensive peak signal-to-noise ratio parameter, the model is optimized to ensure the best vision tracking performance under different lighting conditions. Finally, to validate the effectiveness of the proposed active light source system, quantitative and qualitative recognition comparison experiments were conducted in eight different scenarios with UAVs equipped with active light sources. The experimental results show that the UAV equipped with an active light source has improved the recall of yoloV7 and RT-DETR recognition algorithms by 30% and 29.6%, the mAP50 by 21% and 19.5%, and the recognition accuracy by 13.1% and 13.6, respectively. Qualitative experiments also demonstrated that the active light source effectively improved the recognition success rate under low lighting conditions. Extensive qualitative and quantitative experiments confirm that the UAV active light source system based on light intensity matching proposed in this paper effectively enhances the effectiveness and robustness of vision-based tracking for multi-UAVs, particularly in complex and variable environments. This research provides an efficient and computationally effective solution for vision-based multi-UAV systems, further enhancing the visual tracking capabilities of multi-UAVs under complex conditions.

The discreet charm of the oligarchy: conceptualizing material power and opportunity hoarding

Abstract Stark wealth inequality is consequential for politics, yet the underlying mechanisms are still understudied. We join recent research urging a deeper analysis of how oligarchic interests and material power operate in highly unequal societies by expanding the business power literature to understand new sources of influence based on wealth. We engage in a concept-building exercise for the concept of business power and clarify the similarities and differences between material power and other sources of business power. We then discuss different mechanisms underlying material power and develop the mechanism of opportunity hoarding from the literature on social closure. Opportunity hoarding helps understand how oligarchic interests appropriate well-functioning state institutions for their benefit. We illustrate these mechanisms by analyzing the case of Guatemala, a country with tremendous wealth inequality and pervasive political instability. We highlight the usefulness of our proposed concept structure for analyzing diverse instances of business power and the concept of material power for understanding business influence in highly unequal societies.

The Need for Solar Power Energy Utilization in the Northern Part of Nigeria for Sustainability and Economic Growth (A case study of Nigeria)

Northern Nigeria is one of the most recognizable areas, having vast amounts of solar radiation and rapidly growing populations. Thus, there is an opportunistic aspect of the use of solar power in this region. Since this region enjoys all-year sunshine, it is one of the best places for the integration of solar energy. With huge problems of energy she presently faces such as irregular supply of electricity, people's growth and thus demand, solar power presents an immediate usable, reliable, and sustainable solution. The energy demand in northern Nigeria is expected to sharply increase from about 48 billion kWh in 2024 to 64.5 billion kWh by 2034. This escalated energy requirement directly puts a demand for an efficient and sustainable source of energy, and as such, the promise of steady and renewable energy supply through solar power makes it very appealing. The average regional solar radiation exceeds 6 kWh/m2 per day, which points towards a very vast potential for solar energy generation. But to meet the energy requirements that will arise in the future from solar, it would call for a tremendous investment in infrastructure. This is because it is estimated that approximately 246,000 km2 of solar panels might be needed by 2034 in order to be able to cover the energy needs of the country. However, this massive area is required, but the benefits of solar energy do not stop there at solving shortages of energy. Solar power would increase economic activities due to job creation, stimulation of local industries, and the end reliance on fossil fuels. It has implications on environmental sustainability as it reduces greenhouse gas emissions and promotes cleaner practices of energy consumption. Northern Nigeria will unlock a stable and reliable source of power through investment in this infrastructure. This is important for economic development, thereby eventually improving the quality of life. Indeed, the integration of solar power addresses the immediate needs of satisfying energy challenges but builds a foundation for sustainable growth and environmental stewardship over the long term. Solar power in northern Nigeria is important for ensuring future demands for energy and significant economic development while emphasizing sustainability within the environment. A lot still has to be tapped into by tapping into the solar resources that are available. Key words: Solar Energy,Sustainability,Economic Growth,Energy Demand,Renewable Resources

Automatic Jig-Assisted Battery Exchange for Lightweight Drones

Drones utilize rechargeable batteries as a power source. Operating a drone requires human interaction with the exchange or recharge process of these batteries. This can provide limits for drones, which is why some use cases for drones could benefit from automated battery exchange. The purpose of this work was to research how a robotic arm could be used to automatically exchange flight batteries in flying drones without interference from operators and create a proof-of-concept system for evaluation. The devised method was based around a separate jig, which would hold the drone in place during the exchange operation, where battery exchange itself was handled by the use of a robotic arm. The constructed prototype could exchange flight batteries in drones in under two minutes with reasonable perpetuity and reliability.

Construction of pumped storage power stations among cascade reservoirs to support the high-quality power supply of the hydro-wind-photovoltaic power generation system

Multi-energy complementary technology has become one of the core elements to promote the structural transformation of global energy and cope with climate change. Faced with the rapid growth of wind power and photovoltaic, the uncertainty of its power generation will increase further, and it is urgent to explore more types of flexible regulation power sources to compensate for them. The construction of pumped storage power stations among cascade reservoirs is a feasible way to expand the flexible resources of the multi-energy complementary clean energy base. However, this way makes the hydraulic and electrical connections of the upper and lower reservoirs more complicated, which brings more uncertainty to the power generation. Hence, to support the high-quality power supply, this research explores the complementary characteristics of the clean energy base building different types of pumped storage power stations, and recognizes the efficient operation intervals of the giant cascade reservoir. First, a multi-dimensional uncertainty evaluation system is proposed to elaborate on the typical output scenarios of wind power and photovoltaic in more detail. Next, based on different utilization principles of wind power and photovoltaic, the multi-energy complementary operation models of the hydropower-wind-PV hybrid system, the hydropower-wind-PV hybrid system including pump stations, and the hydropower-wind-PV hybrid system including reversible hydro units are established. Further, a multi-dimensional scenarios random combination method is applied to investigate the response relationship between the operation parameters of the key reservoir and the operation indicators of the clean energy base. Finally, these above methods have been practiced in the clean energy base in the upper Yellow River basin. The main results of the research are as follows: (1) when the power output of wind-PV plants is high, the absorption rates of wind power and photovoltaic increase by 36% and 12% respectively, in hydropower-wind-PV hybrid systems with reversible hydro units and with pump stations, compared to the hydropower-wind-PV hybrid system; (2) when the power output of wind-PV plants is high, the load loss rates of the transmission channel decrease by 28.57% and 14.28% respectively, in hydropower-wind-PV hybrid systems with reversible hydro units and with pump stations, compared to the hydropower-wind-PV hybrid system; (3) for the hydropower-wind-PV hybrid system including reversible hydro units, the comprehensive utilization flow of the key reservoir respectively maintain 500-800 m3/s and 1000-1200 m3/s in the max scenario and min scenario of wind power and photovoltaic, which is beneficial to the efficient absorption of new energy and high-quality power transmission; (4) for the hydropower-wind-PV hybrid system including pump stations, the comprehensive utilization flow of the key reservoir should respectively keep 500-750 m3/s and 950-1100 m3/s in the max scenario and min scenario of wind power and photovoltaic.

Using STPA for hazard identification and comparison of hybrid power and propulsion systems at an early design stage

The decarbonization of the shipping industry is a hot topic and new emission reduction goals, regulations, and initiatives all over the world underline its importance. These goals apply to the ocean going fleet, as well as coastal shipping and fisheries. Both academia and industry, work on the development and testing of new technologies to reach emission reduction targets. Besides technical feasibility and economic viability, the safety of new power and propulsion systems must be considered in this process. In this paper, the Systems Theoretic Process Analysis (STPA) method is used for hazard identification and comparison of two alternative hybrid power and propulsion systems for a small-scall fishing vessel. The assessment method allows for identifying focus areas for hazard reduction in a systematic manner. System safety requirements derived from the assessment can be considered when designing power and propulsion systems. Based on the results, a discussion of the method and the usefulness of the results is given. The main findings are that the assessment provides valuable insights into the hazards introduced by new power and propulsion systems in a qualitative manner. For a quantification of the risk, further work and an extension of the assessment are needed. The STPA results show that especially the control of the power sources and their interactions internally and externally with the consumer side are crucial. Therefore, special attention should be given to the design of the automated control system, feedback system, and user interaction with the system.