Provide Energy Supply Research Articles

Case study: Design and properties of acoustic energy harvester

Converting acoustic energy into electric energy can not only suppress environmental noise but also provide energy supply, which is a potential way to solve the bottleneck problem of energy supply in wireless sensor networks (WSNs). An acoustic energy harvester structure and circuit system combining Helmholtz resonance effect with piezoelectric effect are proposed in this article. The band gap characteristics of the designed acoustic energy harvester are analyzed by plane wave expansion (PWE) theory and experiment. The substrate of Helmholtz resonator is made from piezoelectric sheet, and the acoustic energy harvester structure is arranged periodically. When the incident noise frequency keeps coincidence with the resonant frequency, the conversion efficiency goes high up to 21.3%. The influence of series and parallel connection of piezoelectric elements on the acoustic to electric energy is observed. The AC-DC conversion circuit is designed with rectifier bridge, and the energy storage circuit is designed with supercapacitor. The power obtained from the acoustic to electric energy conversion system is 1523 mW. Application tests indicate that the noise suppresses, energy conversion, and energy storage can be realized at the same time by the proposed acoustic energy harvester system.

Technical and economic analysis of a hybrid PV/wind energy system for hydrogen refueling stations

In recent years, the construction of hydrogen refueling stations (HRSs) has been in full swing. However, irrational configuration and design can increase the operation and maintenance costs of HRSs and reduce their overall energy conversion efficiency. This paper introduces the configuration optimization of a hybrid PV/wind energy system for hydrogen refueling stations. Firstly, the distribution of hydrogen refueling demand of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles (HFCVs) in different time periods was simulated by the Monte Carlo method according to the driving rules of HFCVs. Then a model of renewable energy HRS was established in Homer, the purpose is to provide energy supply service for HFCVs through hydrogen production by electrolysis of water from renewable energy generation. Based on this, a load demand response model is developed. Finally, the best system configuration under different scenarios is obtained with the objective of minimizing the total net present cost (NPC). Through simulation calculations, the results show that the system configuration is more economically feasible after considering the demand response. The best system configuration was a grid-connected system containing a 548 kW PV, 1040 kW WT, 600 kW electrolyzer, and 600 kg hydrogen tanks This renewable energy system has the lowest NPC of $8,351,442 and produces 40,000 kg of green hydrogen annually. The sensitivity analysis also shows that with the advancement of hydrogen energy development and technology, the system will bring multiple benefits such as environmental protection and economic benefits in the future.

Spectro-angular analysis of roadside-integrated bifacial solar power systems with reflecting sound barriers

Bifacial photovoltaic modules along highways provide energy supply and act as sound barriers simultaneously. This study examines the impact on energy production when incorporating sound barriers with varying light reflection properties into this integrated solar infrastructure along roadways. Specifically, we use advanced computational simulations to analyze the effects of integrating black, ideal specular, and ideal diffuse (Lambertian) reflectors into an existing highway solar power plant located in the Netherlands. Our analysis combines realistic spectro-angular irradiance data as input with our in-house reverse ray tracing software. Our calculations show that for an east-west facing system, an ideal diffuse reflector increases the annual yield by 70%, while a specular reflector decreases the yield due to shading. Most notably, the diffuse reflector doubles the energy yield during winter months, thereby offering a pathway to decrease the seasonal energy demand and supply gap.

Aging-Induced Reduction in Safflower Seed Germination via Impaired Energy Metabolism and Genetic Integrity Is Partially Restored by Sucrose and DA-6 Treatment.

Seed storage underpins global agriculture and the seed trade and revealing the mechanisms of seed aging is essential for enhancing seed longevity management. Safflower is a multipurpose oil crop, rich in unsaturated fatty acids that are at high risk of peroxidation as a contributory factor to seed aging. However, the molecular mechanisms responsible for safflower seed viability loss are not yet elucidated. We used controlled deterioration (CDT) conditions of 60% relative humidity and 50 °C to reduce germination in freshly harvested safflower seeds and analyzed aged seeds using biochemical and molecular techniques. While seed malondialdehyde (MDA) and fatty acid content increased significantly during CDT, catalase activity and soluble sugar content decreased. KEGG analysis of gene function and qPCR validation indicated that aging severely impaired several key functional and biosynthetic pathways including glycolysis, fatty acid metabolism, antioxidant activity, and DNA replication and repair. Furthermore, exogenous sucrose and diethyl aminoethyl hexanoate (DA-6) treatment partially promoted germination in aged seeds, further demonstrating the vital role of impaired sugar and fatty acid metabolism during the aging and recovery processes. We concluded that energy metabolism and genetic integrity are impaired during aging, which contributes to the loss of seed vigor. Such energy metabolic pathways as glycolysis, fatty acid degradation, and the tricarboxylic acid cycle (TCA) are impaired, especially fatty acids produced by the hydrolysis of triacylglycerols during aging, as they are not efficiently converted to sucrose via the glyoxylate cycle to provide energy supply for safflower seed germination and seedling growth. At the same time, the reduced capacity for nucleotide synthesis capacity and the deterioration of DNA repair ability further aggravate the damage to DNA, reducing seed vitality.

Cooperative Path Planning of Ground-air Robots for Distributed Photovoltaic Inspection

Facing the Distributed PV generation inspection scenario, to overcome the low efficiency of traditional manual inspection and the insufficient endurance of existing UAV inspection, UAV aerial inspection and UGVs to provide energy supply in the road network are adopted, and a path planning method that prioritizes the meeting points is proposed. Firstly, the improved genetic algorithm is used to plan the inspection path of each UAV, then the UAV path is clustered to determine the optimal number of meeting points, then the adaptive particle swarm algorithm is used to find the best location of the meeting points in the road network, and finally, the patrol path with the meeting points is optimized twice. Through the simulation test of the standard data set and real data, the effectiveness of the proposed method in solving the path planning problem of distributed photovoltaic coordinated inspection by ground-to-air robots is verified.

Co-amplification of luminol-based electrochemiluminescence immunosensors based on multiple enzyme catalysis of bimetallic oxides CoCeOx and NiMnO3 for the detection of CYFRA21-1.

The accelerated energy supply of co-reactants is an extremely effective strategy for achieving highly sensitive electrochemiluminescence analysis, and binary metal oxides would be an excellent tool for this purpose owing to the nano-enzyme acceleration of mixed metal valence states. Herein, an electrochemiluminescent (ECL) immunosensor for monitoring the concentration of cytokeratin 19 fragment antigen 21-1 (CYFRA21-1) was developed based on a co-amplification strategy triggered by two bimetallic oxides, CoCeOx and NiMnO3, with luminol as the luminophore. CoCeOx derived from an MOF exhibits a large specific surface area and excellent loading capacity as a sensing substrate, and the peroxidase properties enable the catalysis of hydrogen peroxide to provide energy supply to the underlying radicals. The dual enzymatic properties of flower-like NiMnO3 were employed as probe carriers for luminol enrichment. The peroxidase properties built on Ni2+/Ni3+ and Mn3+/Mn4+ binary redox pairs resulted in the integration of highly oxidative hydroxyl radicals, and the oxidase properties provided additional superoxide radicals via dissolved oxygen. The practically proven multi-enzyme-catalyzed sandwich-type ECL sensor easily accomplished an accurate immunoassay of CYFRA21-1, harvesting a detection limit of 0.3 pg mL-1 in the linear range of 0.001-150 ng mL-1. In conclusion, this work explores the cyclic catalytic amplification of mixed-valence binary metal oxides with nano-enzyme activity in the field of ECL and develops an effective pathway for ECL immunoassay.

Development of a method to harvest mechanical energy to use as an alternative to electrical energy in electric powered rides

Mechanical energy harvesting, storage and utilization methods and devices are a little explored area with a potential to replace electrical energy in machines operated with electricity and which is environmentally friendly. Energy harvesting from human actions is an optimistic solution to provide energy supply. There are various methods and techniques that discuss energy harvesting from human actions. The problem is that most of these methods deal with tiny energy output. The object of this study is to design and characterize a flat spiral spring based method to harvest enough mechanical energy, to store and to drive a ride as in an amusement park instead of electricity. A flat spiral spring is specifically designed and fabricated for this purpose. To begin with, a life-size prototype of the kids' ride using the flat spiral spring is modeled, analyzed, fabricated and implemented on the kids' ride prototype. The stability of the ride is analyzed by modeling the impact of the collision between two kids' rides. Energy is harvested by winding the spring by hands using a handle or by pulling back the kids’ ride and is stored in the spring. Experimental results show that the proposed method of harvesting, storing and utilization of mechanical energy can be an alternative to electrical energy in operating high-power machines like kids' rides. An optimum width of 30 mm and a thickness of 1.4 mm for the flat spiral spring are found to help in ease of manufacturability, ease of rotation by human and compactness. The average force required to wind the spring is calculated to be 16.06 N, which is approximately 33 % of the force that can be exerted by a human hand. The stability of the proposed system in case of collision is verified by calculating the roll angle, which is less than 3.83 degrees, which is well below the recommended roll angle limit in case of collision.

Optimal Operation Strategy of PV-Charging-Hydrogenation Composite Energy Station Considering Demand Response

Traditional charging stations have a single function, which usually does not consider the construction of energy storage facilities, and it is difficult to promote the consumption of new energy. With the gradual increase in the number of new energy vehicles (NEVs), to give full play to the complementary advantages of source-load resources and provide safe, efficient, and economical energy supply services, this paper proposes the optimal operation strategy of a PV-charging-hydrogenation composite energy station (CES) that considers demand response (DR). Firstly, the operation mode of the CES is analyzed, and the CES model, including a photovoltaic power generation system, fuel cell, hydrogen production, hydrogen storage, hydrogenation, and charging, is established. The purpose is to provide energy supply services for electric vehicles (EVs) and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles (HFCVs) at the same time. Secondly, according to the travel law of EVs and HFCVs, the distribution of charging demand and hydrogenation demand at different periods of the day is simulated by the Monte Carlo method. On this basis, the following two demand response models are established: charging load demand response based on the price elasticity matrix and interruptible load demand response based on incentives. Finally, a multi-objective optimal operation model considering DR is proposed to minimize the comprehensive operating cost and load fluctuation of CES, and the maximum–minimum method and analytic hierarchy process (AHP) are used to transform this into a linearly weighted single-objective function, which is solved via an improved moth–flame optimization algorithm (IMFO). Through the simulation examples, operation results in four different scenarios are obtained. Compared with a situation not considering DR, the operation strategy proposed in this paper can reduce the comprehensive operation cost of CES by CNY 1051.5 and reduce the load fluctuation by 17.8%, which verifies the effectiveness of the proposed model. In addition, the impact of solar radiation and energy recharge demand changes on operations was also studied, and the resulting data show that CES operations were more sensitive to energy recharge demand changes.

Multifunctional Low-Profile Fabry–Perot Resonator Antenna Integrated With Solar Cells

A novel multifunctional low-profile Fabry–Perot resonator (FPR) antenna integrated with solar cells (SCs) is proposed in this communication. It is mainly composed of a transparent partially reflective surface (PRS), a patch radiator, and an artificial magnetic conductor (AMC) made of SCs array. On the upper layer, the PRS is made of the transparent copper microgrid to perform the function of partial reflection as well as ensure that sufficient solar energy can be captured by the SCs. Here, the SCs array acting as AMC can reduce the profile of the FPR antenna, on the other hand, it can collect solar energy and convert it into direct current (dc) power to provide energy supply of the device. Through this design, the SCs and FPR antenna are well combined compatibly together. The proposed antenna is fabricated and verified, the measured results demonstrate that the proposed multifunctional FPR antenna has a realized gain of 11.5 dBi with high aperture efficiency of 58.3% and a good low-profile characteristic (approximately <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\lambda _{0}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> /6). The measured output power of SCs can reach to 600 <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\mu \text{w}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> . The work proposed in this communication illustrates the multifunctional requirements of antenna with high radiation properties, low profile, and the capability of power harvesting, simultaneously. It may be a good scheme for self-powered occasions, such as outdoor and satellite communication devices.

Mitochondria-Targeted Delivery of Camptothecin Based on HPMA Copolymer for Metastasis Suppression.

Poor anti-metastasis effects and side-effects remain a challenge for the clinical application of camptothecin (CPT). Mitochondria can be a promising target for the treatment of metastatic tumors due to their vital roles in providing energy supply, upregulating pro-metastatic factors, and controlling cell-death signaling. Thus, selectively delivering CPT to mitochondria appears to be a feasible way of improving the anti-metastasis effect and reducing adverse effects. Here, we established a 2-(dimethylamino) ethyl methacrylate (DEA)-modified N-(2-hydroxypropyl) methacrylamide (HPMA) copolymer–CPT conjugate (P-DEA-CPT) to mediate the mitochondrial accumulation of CPT. The mitochondria-targeted P-DEA-CPT could overcome multiple barriers by quickly internalizing into 4T1 cells, then escaping from lysosome, and sufficiently accumulating in mitochondria. Subsequently, P-DEA-CPT greatly damaged mitochondrial function, leading to the reactive oxide species (ROS) elevation, energy depletion, apoptosis amplification, and tumor metastasis suppression. Consequently, P-DEA-CPT successfully inhibited both primary tumor growth and distant metastasis in vivo. Furthermore, our studies revealed that the mechanism underlying the anti-metastasis capacity of P-DEA-CPT was partially via downregulation of various pro-metastatic proteins, such as hypoxia induction factor-1α (HIF-1α), matrix metalloproteinases-2 (MMP-2), and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). This study provided the proof of concept that escorting CPT to mitochondria via a mitochondrial targeting strategy could be a promising approach for anti-metastasis treatment.

Analysis of the possibility of using solar energy for the energy supply of the innovative ELTRO transport system for Myanmar

Background: The development and research of the applicability of various mathematical models for calculating the solar radiation of companies is an urgent task for the innovative transport system of Myanmar.&#x0D; Aim: Determination of the daily balance of energy generated by solar panels to perform a given operation of the transport system.&#x0D; Materials and methods: Mathematical, algorithmic and software (based on the Python language) have been developed for energy supply and creation of interactive geo-information models for the ELTRO transport system.&#x0D; Results: To estimate solar resources at a point with coordinates ( = 19.76 s. w.; = 96.07 w. d.), data from the databases "NASA", "Meteonorm" and the Myanmar GMS were used and compared with the actual data on the Myanmar GMS database in order to determine the reliability of the information presented in them.&#x0D; Conclusion: The results obtained made it possible to determine the structure of the solar energy supply system and the parameters of typical solar energy modules that provide energy supply not only to the transport system, but also to the adjacent territories.

Intelligent control algorithm for autonomous integrated power plants for Arctic regions

The article considers the information and technical aspects of an innovative autonomous integrated power plant management, including alternative energy sources and a diesel generator set, as well as controlled inverters that provide energy supply to consumers of various priority categories, which can be used in the Arctic regions of the Russian Federation. The main aspects of creating innovative systems are considered and it is determined that the creation of integrated energy systems requires a significant deepening of cooperation between national producers in order to ensure the scalability of integrated energy systems by ensuring the unity of information means of data exchange between individual modules and the control system. It is shown that a specific requirement for control systems of complex power plants is the requirement of high autonomy, including the ability to provide consumers with electricity under variable environmental conditions without direct intervention of operational personnel. The article substantiates the division of the information and algorithmic support of the control system of a complex power plant into two modules – analytical and control. For the analytical module, an algorithm is proposed that ensures the development of control solutions in a complex energy system, ensuring the stability of energy supply to the most important consumers. At the same time, the algorithm provides an increase in the reliability of the energy storage device based on Li-Ion batteries used in the system not only by eliminating excessive charge and deep discharge, but also by reducing the number of charge/discharge cycles. The solution of system autonomy problem is provided by a multivariate algorithm for predicting weather conditions using statistical data and methods for analyzing fuzzy time series. The intelligent control algorithm was implemented in C++, the weather forecasting algorithms were implemented in Python using the ANFIS library.

Optimal Scheduling Strategy for Electric Vehicle Charging Based on Particle Swarm Optimization Algorithm

The development of power demand side resources provides new opportunities and challenges for the advancement of energy revolution. Flexible loads such as electric vehicles provide a large number of load regulation resources for the power demand side, while distributed energy sources provide energy supply for the power demand side. Reasonable utilization of these flexible loads and energy supply facilities will be conducive to promoting the balance between supply and demand of the power demand side, promoting the development of new energy and improving the social and economic benefits. Considering the resource characteristics of electric vehicles and distributed energy, this paper sets up an optimal scheduling strategy based on particle swarm optimization algorithm. The grid-connected consumption of distributed energy is realized through charging and discharging load regulation of electric vehicles, which effectively saves the grid-connected cost of distributed energy and improves the market income of distributed energy operators and electric vehicle operators.

Optimal design and sensitivity analysis of the stand-alone hybrid energy system with PV and biomass-CHP for remote villages

Reliable access to electricity is still a serious problem for remote villages, however, abundant solar radiation and biomass have the potentials to provide energy supply in a sustainable way. This paper focuses on the optimal design and techno-economic analysis of the stand-alone hybrid energy system for a typical rural village in the northwest of China. Based on the estimation of local renewable energy potential and the investigation of heat and power consumption patterns, a mixed-integer linear programming optimization model is presented with the aim of minimum total annualized cost. The techno-economic analysis of different system configurations is conducted and compared. Particularly, the levelized cost of energy production and levelized cost of energy consumption is proposed to evaluate the economic-cost of energy from both supply and demand-side respectively. Furthermore, sensitivity analysis and scenario analysis is conducted to demonstrate the influences of the variations and uncertain environmental policy on total system cost and performance. The results demonstrate that the PV/biomass-CHP/diesel generator/gas boiler/battery/thermal energy storage hybrid energy system is the most economical option with a total annualized cost of 652 × 103 $. The levelized cost of energy consumption (0.355 $/kWh) is greater than that of energy production (0.275 $/kWh), implying a great potential for local electrification and more flexible heat/power output equipment.

Preventive maintenance scheduling of multi energy microgrid to enhance the resiliency of system

Recently, the application of multi-energy infrastructure has been widespread since the emergence of new technologies in this field. Accordingly, modeling and providing energy supply for consumers at an acceptable level of security is vital. It is also important for sustainable development in all directions to develop and support resources and infrastructures against natural disasters. In this study, the preventive maintenance scheduling of multi-energy microgrid is introduced to enhance the resiliency of system in unpredictable circumstances. The proposed formulation intends to make the best use of the profitable levels of freedom related to the maintenance and operational variables by considering the feasible operating region of components. By the use of sequential approach the near-optimal solutions in operation and maintenance schedule is obtained to meet the resiliency requirement. The exact model of electricity and natural gas is adopted to validate the simulation results. Three different cases is examined to prove the effectiveness of the proposed approach in standard multi-energy microgrid. According to the results, the utilization of the proposed method improves the resiliency of system in critical conditions.

Effects of the Transfer of Rights and Jurisdictions on Mining Reclamation Performance in State Forest Areas in East Kalimantan

Mining is still considered to be an essential sector to gain national income and to provide energy supply. Forest Leasehold License (FLL) is a mechanism to accommodate the non-forestry sector, including mining development in the forest area. This license is a form of transfer of right given from Minister of Environment and Forestry to a mining license holder. Transfer of right by FLL contractual shaped jurisdictional boundary that is one of the obligations that has to be complied by FLL holder is to conduct mining reclamation. This study aimed to analyze the effects of FLL and its jurisdictional boundary on mining reclamation performance in East Kalimantan forest areas. It is a descriptive qualitative study based implemented the agency theory with the institutional approach. The study found that mining permit and FLL is a temporary transfer of right. The emerging problem in the FLL and its jurisdictional boundary related to asymmetric information and transaction cost caused moral hazards such as adverse risk selection of FLL holders by the principal, reclamation ignorance by the agent, and opportunism both from principal and agent. These agency problems affect FLL reclamation performance that just reached 41.35% over disturbed areas. Institutional challenges are due to the regulation gap creating a conflict of interest, budget and human resource constrain, cost center activity, and lack of economic incentive as well as lack of coordination among the government institutions. The research findings suggested inputs for institutional arrangement in terms of transfer of the right, including FLL reclamation process business, to improve its performance in the East Kalimantan forest area.

Аналіз способів та засобів щодо зниження демаскуючих чинників пересувних електростанцій в умовах ведення бойових дій

В статті проаналізовані особливості пересувних електростанцій комплексів озброєння та військової техніки як джерел акустичного випромінювання, проаналізовані способи зниження демаскуючих чинників пересувних електростанції у складі військових підрозділів, які розгорнуті в польових умовах, та на підставі аналізу особливостей їх використання для забезпечення енергопостачання в таких умовах надані пропозиції щодо застосування технічних засобів зниження рівня акустичного випромінювання пересувних електростанцій комплексів озброєння та військової техніки Збройних Сил України.

Mammary Adipose Tissue Control of Breast Cancer Progression: Impact of Obesity and Diabetes.

Mammary adipose tissue (AT) is necessary for breast epithelium. However, in breast cancer (BC), cell-cell interactions are deregulated as the tumor chronically modifies AT microenvironment. In turn, breast AT evolves to accommodate the tumor, and to participate to its dissemination. Among AT cells, adipocytes and their precursor mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) play a major role in supporting tumor growth and dissemination. They provide energy supplies and release a plethora of factors involved in cancer aggressiveness. Here, we discuss the main molecular mechanisms underlining the interplay between adipose (adipocytes and MSCs) and BC cells. Following close interactions with BC cells, adipocytes lose lipids and change morphology and secretory patterns. MSCs also play a major role in cancer progression. While bone marrow MSCs are recruited by BC cells and participate in metastatic process, mammary AT-MSCs exert a local action by increasing the release of cytokines, growth factors and extracellular matrix components and become principal actors in cancer progression. Common systemic metabolic diseases, including obesity and diabetes, further modify the interplay between AT and BC. Indeed, metabolic perturbations are accompanied by well-known alterations of AT functions, which might contribute to worsen cancer phenotype. Here, we highlight how metabolic alterations locally affect mammary AT and interfere with the molecular mechanisms of bidirectional communication between adipose and cancer cells.

Creation of an autonomous energy supply system for isolated territories

In the presented study, existing design solutions for providing energy supply to various territories were analyzed. In the work, the volumes of electric energy production based on the use of renewable energy sources in different countries of the world were investigated, as a result of which, it was revealed that in some countries, this indicator reaches 50%. However, renewable energy sources are almost not used to provide thermal energy to consumers. As a result, it was proposed to use a design solution aimed at providing hot water supply to rural, remote and isolated territories.

Renewable energy in the Russian Arctic: Environmental challenges, opportunities and risks

The Arctic is a specific geographical region with extreme climate conditions, vulnerable environment, but rather intensive ongoing industrialization. The Arctic requires alternative solutions to provide energy supply to the energy consumers due to the growing energy demand and small-scale decentralized character of energy supply. At the moment, the largest part of energy consumption in the region is covered by hydrocarbon energy resources delivered from the mainland. Renewable energy technologies may be efficiently implemented to cover the needs of small scale decentralized energy consumers in the Russian Arctic, but at the moment they are applied on a very modest scale. The current study analyses and discusses the main challenges and risks related to renewable energy resources use in the Russian Arctic. Further, the study elaborates on the issues related to the environmental challenges and climate change-related threats, their relationship and influence on the technological choices of the future energy supply in the region, addressing the perspectives of sustainable development of the Russian Arctic.