Small Energy Sources Research Articles

Supercontinuum Generation by Controlling Pitch in Photonic Crystal Fibers

The influence of varying the distance between air holes (pitch) on the geography of solitone propagation through a photonic crystal fiber has been tested. The study depends on the Split-Step Fourier method and the results quantified using MATLAB. The first-order solitone was tested with the change in pitch, and it was found that there is a clear decay in the amplitude of the resulting pulse with an increase in pitch. When increasing the pitch in the case of second-order solitons, it was noticed that the pulse would split into multiple-order solitons down to higher-order solitons with the increase in pitch. In the case of third-order solitons, solitonic fission leads to the supercontinuum generation with increasing the pitch, where the supercontinuum generation was reached in this way depending on a very small energy source compared to the high energies used to generate this type of spectrum by the previous methods. In this study, I observed that when the pitch values increased in the third-order soliton, this result led to the use of supercontinuum generation (ScG) which has many applications such as medical and industrial applications and has an important role in modern communication systems. Keywords: Photonic Crystal Fiber, Split-Step Fourier, Soliton Pulse, Pitch, Supercontinuum Generation.

Reviewing the Situation and Prospects for Developing Small Renewable Energy Systems in Poland

The objective of this study was to evaluate changes in the number of small renewable energy sources (RES) power plants and the volume of generated energy in the years 2016–2020, with an outlook to year 2025. The study covered the area of Poland, including the division into provinces and different sources of renewable energy. Absolute values of electric power production and sale were presented, in addition to calculated structure indices. Moreover, the number and structure of small power plants using different renewable energy sources was determined for every Polish province. A classification of the provinces was made, where four classes were distinguished depending on the number of RES plants operating in the provinces. The research results allowed us to diagnose the current situation and make a prognosis for the future, which may translate into support for the development of particular types of installations, depending on the natural and economic characteristics of each area. The added value of the study stems from the fact that previous reports focused mainly on micro or large power plants and the time span covered data before and during the pandemic. This made it possible to assess the impact of the pandemic on the development of small renewable energy sources.

THE PHOTOVOLTAIC SYSTEM CONNECTED WITH THE GRID FOR A RESIDENTIAL BUILDING IN BAGHDAD CITY

contribution of solar photovoltaic (PV) energy to the electrical power sector is rapidly rising. Photovoltaic generators (PVGs) account for 47% of small network renewable energy sources (RESs). This paper focuses on a strategy to control the photovoltaic power systems connected to the grid for a residential building in the city of Baghdad, based on the solar radiation which is taken from average NASA data to make a scientifically reliable and significant contribution to the sustainable energy supply and to further improve the performance and stability of the power system, a comprehensive technique is being carried out, This investigation includes an examination of various control techniques, such as maximum power point tracking (MPPT) for grid-connected single-phase photovoltaic inverters. This research aims to develop efficient and effective control strategies for power flow management in grid-connected photovoltaic systems, to reduce energy consumption. By advancing our understanding of power flow management techniques, we can help to accelerate the transition to a more sustainable and resilient energy future. Phase locked loop (PLL) circuit is implemented to synchronize with the domestic 11 kV/380 V, 250 kVA transformer. The model in this work includes the current and voltage regulator and smart meters. The simulation results demonstrate that the proposed control systems can regulate the energy flow and guarantee the efficient transmission of maximum power to the grid. The perturb and observe (P&O) and Incremental Conductance Algorithm (IC) are used to estimate the Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) of the Solar Panel. The initial cost of the PV used, according to the prevailing prices in Baghdad at the present time, is about 3000 dollars, The results indicate that the PV system that is connected to the grid can substantially reduce the monthly energy consumption and the monthly costs to about 12% and 6% respectively.

Takeoff of a 2.1 g Fully Untethered Tailless Flapping-Wing Micro Aerial Vehicle With Integrated Battery

Insect-scale micro-aerial vehicles (MAV) are becoming increasingly important for sensing and mapping spatially constrained environments. However, achieving untethered flight powered by a small and lightweight on-board energy source remains a challenge. In this study, we successfully demonstrated the untethered takeoff of a flapping-wing MAV powered by a commercially available LiPo battery for a short duration without stability control. By incorporating a high-efficiency direct-drive piezoelectric actuator, and an optimized control circuit for high-impedance-width modulation and charge recovery, this electronics configuration realizes over 5 min of practical operation with a thrust of 1.5 times its own weight, while offering wireless communication capability and sensors for attitude estimation. Our MAV has a total mass of 2.1 g, which is an eight-fold reduction compared to the lightest battery-powered tailless flapping-wing MAV currently available, making this the first report of a battery-powered tailless flapping-wing MAV with insect-scale weight.

The Generation of Positrons from Mega-STN and Function as an Alternative Energy Source

Paul Dirac (1902-1984) theoretically predicted the existence of positrons for the first time in 1928, and Carl Anderson (1905-1991) found the positrons through cosmic ray observation experiments in 1932. Positrons are the antiparticle of electron, and their spin and mass are equal to electrons and they have the same electric charge but are different in sign. That is, their spin is ½ Fermion, their electric charge is base charge +e, and their mass is approximately 9.11×10−31 kg. Because positrons are the lightest particle with a positive charge, they have an infinite lifespan without collapsing into other particles. But if positron meets with another electron surrounding them, double extinction of positron and electron occurs, and positrons disappear with electrons, and then photons are generated. Because the earth has many electrons, double extinction occurs immediately in most cases even if positrons are created. There is gravity, electromagnetic force, weak interaction in the interaction of positrons, and the isotopes emitting positrons include carbon-11, nitrogen-13, oxygen-15, fluorine-18. For example, carbon- 11 turns into boron-11. These isotopes are used on positron emission tomography device. Electron capture is another way of decay that can occur competitively with positron emission, but the larger the difference of energy is, the higher the probability of decaying due to positron emission is. Researchers say that positrons are generated if there is collision between high energies by the interaction of positrons, but we think that this should be supplemented more. There is a hypothesis that positrons are generated when the unstable radioactive isotopes created during a supernova explosion collapse. It is inevitable that it will cost a lot of time and money when generating radioactive isotopes according to this hypothesis. This makes us try new methods about positrons emission breaking away from conventional fusion methods. Our new methods for generating positrons are to make artificially the fusion with micro/nanoparticles and isotopes emitting positrons and the interchangeability between them, and to create a great deal of heat energy by making micro/ nanoparticles collide into each other with using thermal energy and waves between micro/nanoparticles. We think that our new methods are the best way to generate high heat with a small energy source. To put our ideas into practice, we made a stainless steel rectangular plate using the combined materials of MEGA-STN, that is the new types fused with each of micro/nanoparticles and isotopes emitting positrons, and added MEGA-STN to materials of the existing stainless steel heater stick. We measured temperature changes depending on whether or not the materials are present and depending on the content of the materials, and checked even positrons emission in our study. We also measured the air quality and the amount of oxygen as well as humidity. Consequently, we found out obtaining high-temperature heat energy by investing less energy. The surface temperature of the existing stainless-steel heater stick did not exceed 320℃ when 3Kw electricity was supplied, but one of stainless-steel heater stick which is mixed with the materials of MEGA-STN was 1000℃. Based on these results, we think that our MEGA-STN can be replaced as a heat energy source which is necessary for all industries using fossil fuel, nuclear power, sunlight generation, wind power and so on, and this can bring good synergy to climate and environment. We expect that our emitted positrons cause the changes of the amount of oxygen and air quality, affect plants and animals including ecological growth, and so make a big difference in human life.

Perancangan Dan Implementasi Half Bridge Dc – Dc Converter Dengan Kendali Arus Hysteresis

DC-DC Converter is a direct voltage (DC) power supply device that is produced by converting DC input voltage into a lower or higher DC output voltage. In its development, the application of DC-DC Converter allows an electronic device to function with a small energy source, where the output voltage can be varied as needed. DC-DC Converters have been widely developed because they have various advantages, including: simpler form and has high efficiency. In this thesis, an Arduino Mega 2560-based current controller will be implemented. The type of current controller implemented is hysteresis current control with the well-known, tested and proven considerations. Current control works if the inductor current rises from the lower limit of the hysteresis band to the upper limit then the switch will be turned off (inductor current above the upper reference Ip.Ref) and if this current drops from the upper limit to the lower limit the switch will be turned on (current inductor under low frequency Iv.Ref). This current control also has advantages in overcurrent protection such as when there is a short circuit in the load.

The Relation between MEGA-STN and Positron Wave Thermal Energy

Paul Dirac(1902-1984) theoretically predicted the existence of positrons for the first time in 1928, and Carl Anderson(1905-1991) found the positrons through cosmic ray observation experiments in 1932. Positrons are the antiparticle of electron, and their spin and mass are equal to electrons and they have the same electric charge but are different in sign. That is, their spin is ½ Fermion, their electric charge is base charge +e, and their mass is approximately 9.11×10−31 kg. Because positrons are the lightest particle with a positive charge, they have an infinite lifespan without collapsing into other particles. But if positron meets with another electron surrounding them, double extinction of positron and electron occurs, and positrons disappear with electrons, and then photons are generated. Because the earth has many electrons, double extinction occurs immediately in most cases even if positrons are created. There are gravity, electromagnetic force, weak interaction in the interaction of positrons, and the isotopes emitting positrons include carbon-11, nitrogen-13, oxygen-15, fluorine-18. For example, carbon11 turns into boron-11. These isotopes are used on positron emission tomography device. Electron capture is another way of decay that can occur competitively with positron emission, but the larger the difference of energy is, the higher the probability of decaying due to positron emission is. Researchers say that positrons are generated if there is collision between high energies by the interaction of positrons, but we think that this should be supplemented more. There is a hypothesis that positrons are generated when the unstable radioactive isotopes created during a supernova explosion collapse. It is inevitable that it will cost a lot of time and money when generating radioactive isotopes according to this hypothesis. This makes us try new methods about positrons emission breaking away from conventional fusion methods. Our new methods for generating positrons are to make artificially the fusion with micro/nanoparticles and isotopes emitting positrons and the interchangeability between them, and to create a great deal of heat energy by making micro/nanoparticles collide into each other with using thermal energy and waves between micro/ nanoparticles. We think that our new methods are the best way to generate high heat with a small energy source. To put our ideas into practice, we made a stainless steel rectangular plate using the combined materials of MEGA-STN, that is the new types fused with each of micro/nanoparticles and isotopes emitting positrons, and added MEGA-STN to materials of the existing stainless steel heater stick. We measured temperature changes depending on whether or not the materials are present and depending on the content of the materials, and checked even positrons emission in our study. Consequently, we found increasing to 200~300℃ compared to the general temperature when a constant temperature is created with minimal energy, making a marked change in temperature of our MEGA-STN and emitting positrons at a particular temperature. It is believed to have paved the way for the use of energy sources throughout the industry. Additionally, we realized that photon production caused by the double annihilation of positrons and electrons can affect plants (growth and yields) and insects (the activity of bees in winter) ecologically, cause changes in the environment such as the quality of air and water, and have a positive impact in all areas of our life.

Energy Management System and Enhancement of Power Quality with Grid Integrated Micro-grid using Adaptive Fuzzy Logic Controller

Microgrids (MGs) are a flexible way to incorporate renewable energy sources into the grid. Micro grid (MG)offers a different way to generate electricity at the supply voltage level through installation of small distributed energy sources. Through their interconnection, the power electronics components contribute to MG's adaptability and dependability. Power quality issues are caused by grid’s many non-linear, unbalanced loads. Intelligent controllers must be implemented to boost Micro-grid power quality, battery characteristics, MPPT for solar, wind power. Adaptive controllers are favored in this study. By controlling charging, discharging of battery units in response to generation-demand mismatches, battery status, integrated micro-grids that make use of adaptive fuzzy logic controllers and fuzzy logic controllers can reduce frequency fluctuations. In this article, MPPT is achieved by the application of Petrurb & Observe (P&O), Incremental Conductance (IC) technique. The proposed model's dynamic behaviour is analyzed over operational conditions. During grid isolation, measurements of solar irradiance, temperature, wind speed are taken from connected systems, calculations of actual, reactive power are made. The results are obtained by MATLAB/ SIMULINK .

Lifetime Maximization in Underwater Wireless Communication Networks

The rise in demand for underwater wireless communication networks (UWCN) has been driven by the emergence of new applications including unmanned underwater vehicles, deep-sea exploration, maritime and underwater archaeology research, and diver communications. For various applications, underwater network lifetime must be long, since unlike terrestrial sensor networks, it is a major job to change/recharge node batteries in underwater environments. In this paper, we introduce a solution where critical nodes in a UWCN are periodically recharged by small renewable energy sources. Further, a caching mechanism is introduced to relieve critical nodes of heavy workload when their residual energies run low. By leveraging these two techniques of energy replenishment and content-caching, the network lifetime extension challenge is formulated as an optimization problem. The results indicate that our proposed solution offers up to 45% longer UWCN lifetime compared to existing solutions.

The Road to Clean Energy: And a Changing of the Guard [Editors’ Voice

No one ever said a clean energy transformation would be easy. The history behind establishing and expanding reliable electric power systems based on networked, large, central generation is engrained in operations and planning processes as well as the institutions and personnel that support them. A variety of large and small renewable energy sources have been entering the picture and displacing environmentally challenged resources. As the speed of change accelerates in various regions, traditional system management paradigms bend and creak to accommodate the trends.

Advanced Modular and Integrated Equipment Design Trend in Waste-to-Energy Processes

Proper processing and management of various types of waste represent an important feature of a developed society. Thermal processing followed by heat utilization of waste (or Waste-to-Energy) provides an excellent solution to reduce environmental pollution, and simultaneously to maximize the financial profit. Following the current trend of energy decentralization by small energy sources, this paper presents several novel incineration based technologies for processing solid and gaseous wastes. In the case of solid waste processing, the micro-incineration unit, called EVECONT, is presented as a modular advanced technology enabling environmentally friendly and energy-efficient waste management in place of its origin. Subsequently, two industrial units for waste gas treatment are introduced in an up to date integrated design enabling the minimization of the built up area and heat losses. Finally, an experimental unit based on Urea hydrolysis for NOx removal from flue gas is presented as a promising complementary technology to Waste-to-Energy processes.

Towards roll-to-roll printed batteries based on organic electrodes for printed electronics applications

There is a growing interest in smart packaging applications and small IoT devices realized as printed electronic devices. Because of their electrical nature, these printed devices require small rechargeable energy sources for their repeatable functionality. For these reasons, the printing of rechargeable batteries alongside the main printed electronics features is welcome, especially if it is realized by the roll-to-roll (R2R) process. A reliable R2R printing process is an advantage and it is a solution overcoming technology difficulties related with the conventional approach of bonding pouch cells to these devices. R2R printing process allows battery manufacturing in the same printing line, at the same substrate, with proper shape and required capacity. Because most of the printed electronic devices are manufactured by R2R printing processes we present a study that is focused on the development of electrode materials towards fully R2R printed secondary batteries based on easily accessible materials and printed by robust and scalable technology. We demonstrate a fully R2R printed secondary battery with open-circuit voltage (OCV) higher than 2.0 V where an organic-based anode and a cathode without Co and Ni are used. The R2R printed secondary battery could be assembled at ambient conditions, which is important for the development of a cheap industrial R2R manufacturing process without inert atmosphere requirements. The R2R printed battery assembled at ambient conditions provides 100 cycles with a capacity of over 50 mAh/g. In the presented study, it was demonstrated that printed PAQS electrodes could be used also in the Na-ion batteries with a capacity of over 120 mAh/g.

The participation of small-scale variable distributed renewable energy sources to the balancing services market

The paper considers different market settings for the participation to the balancing services market of small scale variable renewable energy sources connected to the distribution grid. By mixing an economical and a technical approach, it evaluates the efficiency of participation to the market under two distinct approaches to resources' aggregation: a commercial scheme and a technical one. In the former, the supply of the small scale variable distributed renewable energy sources is grouped on a purely commercial basis; in the latter, the distribution system operator is responsible of the imbalances that may possibly arise in the distribution grid and aggregates the sources from a technical perspective. By considering a reference distribution network and designing scenarios for the forecast uncertainty about supply and demand of power profiles, the impact of different market frameworks is assessed. The upward and downward balancing services provided by variable distributed energy resources and controllable units connected to the high voltage grid are both considered. Moreover, the power supply curtailments, that endogenously arise due to the violation of technical constraints of the distribution grid and the random nature of energy supply by renewables, are addressed, for each specific market model. As a general outcome of this research, it is shown that providing balancing energy based on a commercial approach is preferable as long as renewables' curtailment penalty is low and local generators have correlated forecast errors (as in the case of photovoltaic units) with a large reserve capacity. High penalties for curtailment and lower correlation among generation schedule deviations, along with a lower reserve by distributed units, make the technical approach more convenient.

Modern Small and Microcogeneration Systems—A Review

Small and micro energy sources are becoming increasingly important in the current environmental conditions. Especially, the production of electricity and heat in so-called cogeneration systems allows for significant primary energy savings thanks to their high generation efficiency (up to 90%). This article provides an overview of the currently used and developed technologies applied in small and micro cogeneration systems i.e., Stirling engines, gas and steam microturbines, various types of volumetric expanders (vane, lobe, screw, piston, Wankel, gerotor) and fuel cells. Their basic features, power ranges and examples of implemented installations based on these technologies are presented in this paper.

Performance analysis of hybrid power configurations: Impact on primary energy intensity, carbon dioxide emissions, and life cycle costs

Utilization of Natural gas and Hydrogen to support current and future building energy needs to offset the total electric demand while improving the grid resiliency and energy efficiency was investigated. Demand side energy management will play an important role in efficiently managing the available energy resources. Performance assessment of different power generation and energy management configurations is presented in this paper. Development of solutions in addressing grid resiliency by providing the ability to design suitable configurations for meeting individual building energy needs is discussed. Primary movers (PM) such as internal combustion engines (ICE) and fuel cells (FC) along with small scale auxiliary renewable energy source such as photovoltaics (PV) were considered. Key attributes of total carbon foot-print, life cycle costs including capital and operational expenditure, electric grid offset or peak shaving capability, thermal energy availability and its further potential to offset total electric demand, and primary energy intensity are analyzed and discussed in detail.

Impacts of Array Orientation and Tilt Angles for Photovoltaic Self-Sufficiency and Self-Consumption Indices in Olive Mills in Spain

Olive mills are extensive in the Mediterranean Basin, and Spain constitutes approximately 45% of global production. The industrial sector faces a new energetic paradigm where distributed generation provided by small renewable energy sources may reduce the dependence from fossil energy sources as well as avoid energy distribution losses. Photovoltaic self-consumption systems can play an important role in confronting this challenge due to their modularity and their decreasing cost. Most of self-sufficiency energy studies are focused on building sector and discussions about the idiosyncrasy of industrial load profiles, and their matching capability with photovoltaic generation profiles can be scarcely found. This work analyzes the potential of photovoltaic self-consumption systems as a function of the array power, array tilt, and orientation angles to face the electric consumption in olive mills. Different recording intervals and reporting periods are considered. Results show that a self-sufficiency index of 40% may be achieved on olive harvest basis. Moreover, due to the load profile particularities, percentage error lower than 1.6% has been found when considering a recording interval of 60 min when matching the olive load consumption and photovoltaic generation profiles. Chosen array tilt and orientation angles may be key parameters to maximize the self-sufficiency index.

Distributed Optimization in Low Voltage Distribution Networks via Broadcast Signals †

With the development of distributed energy resources, the low voltage distribution network (LVDN) is supposed to be the integrator of small distributed energy sources. This makes the users in LVDNs multifarious, which leads to more complex modeling. Additionally, data acquisition could be tricky due to rising privacy concerns. These impose severe demands on control schemes in LVDNs that the classical centralized control might not be able to fulfill. To tackle this, a model-free control approach with distributed decision-making architecture is proposed in this paper. Employing statistical methods and game theory, individual users in LVDNs achieve local optimum autonomously. Comparing to conventional approaches applied in LVDNs, the proposed approach is able to achieve active control with less communication burden and computational resources. The paper proves the convergence to the Nash Equilibrium (NE) and uses player compatible relations to form the specific equilibrium. A variant of the log-linear trial and error learning process is applied in a novel “suggest-convince” mechanism to implement the proposed approach. In the case study, a 103 nodes test network based on a real Belgian semiurban LVDN is illustrated. The proposed approach is validated and analyzed with practical load profiles on the 103 nodes network. In addition to that, centralized control is implemented as a benchmark to show the performance of the proposed approach by comparing it with the classical optimization result. The results demonstrate that the proposed approach is able to achieve player compatible equilibrium in an expected way, resulting in a good approximation to the local optimum.

Renewable Energy Communities in the Law of the EU, Australia, and New Zealand

The article juxtaposes the regulatory approach to small renewable energy sources and energy communities in the European Union, Australia, and New Zealand, highlighting such matters as the nature, character, and scope of the regulatory model of renewable energy sector. The paper also analyses energy communities in the past, current and drafted European law (as in the "Clean Energy for all Europeans" package) as well as discussing relevant legislation and policies on small renewable energy sources and energy communities in Australia and New Zealand. In this context, this article reviews the possibility of exporting the European model on energy communities outside the EU.

Mn Doped PbZrTiO3 Thick Films for the Renewable Piezoelectric Energy Harvesters for Mobile Communications

Renewable energy systems including piezoelectric, thermoelectric, and photovoltaic devices have been intensively considered for the for the internet of things. Small energy sources with sustainable and robust properties for sensors, actuators, and communications were indispensable for the next industrial revolution. In this research, Mn doped PbZrTiO3 thick films piezoelectric renewable energy harvesters were prepared and employed for the sustainable energy sources for the energy harvesters. Nano sized powders were prepared by the high energy ball milling process. Calcination and sintering processes were sequentially processed for the device applications. Generated output energies were measured and tested by the impedance matching circuits and applied to the energy sources.

Market opportunities for small energy harvesters

There are several small energy sources that can be exploited to provide useful energy: small temperature differences, mechanical vibrations, flow variations, latent exhausts are just some examples. The recovery of such common and small energy sources, usually wasted, for example with the conversion into useful amounts of electrical energy, is called energy harvesting. Energy harvesting allows low-power embedded devices to be powered from naturally-occurring or unwanted environmental energy (e.g. pressure or temperature difference). The main aim in the last years of researches in such field, was the increasing of the efficiency of such components, with a higher power output and a smaller size. At present, a wide range of systems incorporating energy harvesters are now available commercially, all of them specific to certain types of energy source. Energy harvesting from dissipation processes such as fluid lamination is a challenge for many different applications. In addition, control valves to dissipate overpressures are common usage of many plants and systems. This paper surveys the market opportunities of such harvesting systems, considering the trade-offs affecting their efficiency, their applicability, and ease of deployment. Particular attention will be devoted to small energy harvesters than can exploit small expansions, such as from lamination valves or to systems that can feed mini sensors from small pressure drops, promising compactness, efficiency and cost effectiveness.