Storage Concept Research Articles

Optimized scheduling study of user side energy storage in cloud energy storage model.

With the new round of power system reform, energy storage, as a part of power system frequency regulation and peaking, is an indispensable part of the reform. Among them, user-side small energy storage devices have the advantages of small size, flexible use and convenient application, but present decentralized characteristics in space. Therefore, the optimal allocation of small energy storage resources and the reduction of operating costs are urgent problems to be solved. In this study, the author introduced the concept of cloud energy storage and proposed a system architecture and operational model based on the deployment characteristics of user-side energy storage devices. Additionally, a cluster scheduling matching strategy was designed for small energy storage devices in cloud energy storage mode, utilizing dynamic information of power demand, real-time quotations, and supply at the load side. Subsequently, numerical analysis was conducted to verify that the proposed operational mode and optimal scheduling scheme ensured the maximum absorption of renewable energy, improved the utilization rate of energy storage resources at the user side, and contributed to peak shaving and load leveling in the power grid. The model put forward in this study represents a valuable exploration for new scenarios in energy storage application.

A feedheat-integrated energy storage system for nuclear-powered steam plant

The paper provides thermodynamic analysis of an energy storage concept in which thermal stores are coupled with the feedwater heating train of nuclear-powered steam plant. This allows the electrical output of the plant to be flexed whilst maintaining constant reactor power, thereby providing the equivalent of an electricity storage system and facilitating the adoption of a load-following role for nuclear plant. The concept falls under the umbrella of ‘generation-integrated energy storage’, which exploits existing hardware required for generation to reduce storage costs, and benefits also from fewer energy transformations when compared to ‘electricity-in-electricity-out’ forms of storage. This means that a high (effective) round-trip efficiency can be achieved at low cost. An important feature of the proposed system is that the turbine bleed flows (at their various pressures and temperatures) automatically provide good thermal matching with the feedwater temperature profile, so that heat can ultimately be transferred to and from sensible-heat thermal-storage media with high exergetic efficiency. Various options are discussed for the thermal stores, including pressurised water tanks, thermal oils and packed beds. The analysis also includes consideration of the off-design behaviour of cycle components.

High energy density and durable pouch-cell graphite-based dual ion battery using concentrated hybrid electrolytes

Graphite-based dual-ion batteries (GDIBs) represent a promising battery concept for large-scale energy storage on account of low cost, high working voltage, and sustainability. The electrolyte concentration plays a critical role in determining the energy density and cycle life of GDIBs. However, the concentrated electrolytes show low Lithium ions (Li+) transport kinetics, reducing their intercalation and solid electrolyte interface (SEI) formation abilities. Moreover, the GDIBs in the high cut-off voltage suffer from electrolyte degradation, and corrosion of the current collector. Herein, we report a highly concentrated electrolyte formulation based on hybrid lithium hexafluorophosphate (LiPF6) and lithium bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide (LiFSI) salts with a super-wide electrochemical stability window (6 V) and the ability to form SEI and passivation layer on graphite anode and current collector, respectively. By regulating the concentrated LiFSI electrolyte with LiPF6 and solvent additive, the coulombic efficiency of the graphite cathode can be further improved to ∼98%. As a result, GDIB pouch cell exhibits a capacity of 21 mAh g−1 (cell level) at 50 mA g−1, and 98.2% capacity retention after 300 cycles. The resultant battery offers an energy density of 90.3 Wh kg−1, along with a high energy efficiency of 87% and average discharge voltage of 4.3 V.

Novel heat transfer fluid for maximum recovery of heat of compression: A steady state analysis on improving the performance of liquid air energy storage

BackgroundEnergy storage is a key technology required to manage the limitation of the variability of renewable energy resources. In this study, a concept of energy storage based on Liquid Air Energy Storage (LAES) is presented, with proposed designs to improve the performance based on the heat transfer fluid. The heat generated from the compression of ambient air during the charging stage is usually stored in the heat storage tank and later used for power recovery in the discharging process. The challenge with the LAES is their low round-trip efficiency. Studies have proposed different system configurations and materials for improving the efficiency of the LAES technology, by incorporating multigeneration systems (like organic Rankine cycle, refrigeration system etc.), packed beds for the charging and discharging process, and fluids for cold storage. MethodThis study presents a first-of-its-kind nanofluid analysis for heat recovery in the charging process of ambient air. The effect of hybridization and volume fraction of carbon nanotubes was analysed, in comparison with other oils (Therminol-VP1, Therminol-66, and Dowtherm Q). ResultThe results show that nanofluid@0.005 requires 3331 m3 of storage tank, which caused the least investment cost of the high-temperature storage tank, with $ 2.318 Million. The levelized cost of storage for the LAES systems utilizing nanofluid@0.005, nanofluid@0.001, nanofluid@0.0005, Therminol-VP1, Dowtherm-Q, and Therminol-66 are 208.4 $/MWh, 209.1 $/MWh, 209.7 $/MWh, 211.1 $/MWh, 211.7 $/MWh, and 210.2 $/MWh respectively.

Experimental studies of effects of temperature gradients on performance of pouch type large format NMC/C lithium-ion battery

Cell to pack design concept for energy storage in automotive applications leads to a substantially increased cell size that results in temperature gradients over the surface induced by non-uniform heat transfer linked to the cooling system design, which influences the cell performance. In this paper, temperature gradient effects on life performance of a large-format cell are experimentally investigated, using a developed device that can actively control appropriate gradients in the longitudinal direction and simultaneously measure the heat generation rate (HGR). Performances under uniform and non-uniform temperature conditions (MMM: uniform temperature, LMH: low-mean-high, HLH: high-low-high) are compared and quantified. At beginning of life (BOL), the low-temperature regions in the HLH and LMH conditions dominantly limit the cell capacity, and the HLH condition suppresses the HGR at high C-rates. During aging, the cell experiences a larger capacity fade and HGR increase under the HLH than MMM condition. The analyses of half coin cell, differential capacity (dQdV), dynamic resistance and impedance reveal that the attributing mechanisms are mainly the loss of Cathode active material, potentially the loss of lithium inventory, and the increase of impedances, indicating the electrochemically promoted side reactions and corrosions in the high-temperature regions of the HLH condition.

Synergy scenario for renewable energy production, CO2 and H2 storage in the Baltic offshore structure

CO2 Capture, Transport, Use and Storage (CCUS) is one of the core technologies to mitigate climate change. New techno-economic and techno-ecological concept of a synergy of CO2 geological storage (CGS), CO2 use, hydrogen (H2) production from different eco-friendly renewable energy recovery technologies and underground H2 storage (UHS), which we call here Geological Power Bank (Geo-PB), in Cambrian Deimena Formation sandstones in different compartments of the E6 structure offshore Latvia is presented for the first time. A five-phase circular economy concept of E6 geological structure energy and CO2 storage hub was developed in this study. The workflow is techno-ecological, eco-friendly, self-supporting, cost-competitive, and economically feasible. It consists of (1) CO2 transport by ships to the rig, (2) CO2 injection for CGS and CO2 Plume Geothermal technology (CPG), (3) H2 production, (4) Geo-PB, and (5) H2 transport by the same ships to the customers. The concept is supporting a win8 situation - innovative elements of techno-ecological synergy in one site: (1) CGS, (2) CPG, (3) solar energy, (4) wind energy, (5) sea currents energy, (6) H2 production (7) Geo-PB and (8) H2 transport to consumers. The proposed cycle is closed, demonstrating the principles of circular economy, which will increase the total efficiency of the concept. CGS and CPG are planned in the E6-A compartment of the E6 geological structure with an average CO2 storage capacity of 365 Mt in an optimistic approach and Geo-PB is planned in E6-B with an H2 storage capacity of 119 kt.The Baltic offshore scenario is ambitious and innovative, proposed new technologies, synergy with renewable energy (geothermal, solar, wind and sea current), large storage capacity, including CO2 storage and use captured by a CCUS clusters of emission sources from energy production, cement industry and bio-emissions from Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. The concept aimed to decrease the artificial impact of climate change by avoiding CO2 emissions to the atmosphere and implementing circular economy principles. It will increase public and policymakers’ acceptance of new underground CO2 and energy storage technologies. The proposed synergy solution for CGS and energy storage projects will make such a business economically feasible and attractive for investors. Our study demonstrates a new era, the next generation of cost-competitive, self-supporting conceptual techno-ecological examples of a possible synergy of storage concepts with renewable energies combined using circular economy approaches.

Influence of Fluidised Bed Inventory on the Performance of Limestone Sorbent in Calcium Looping for Thermochemical Energy Storage

This research work deals with the application of the calcium looping concept for thermochemical energy storage. Experiments were carried out in a lab-scale fluidised bed reactor, which was electrically heated. An Italian limestone (98.5% CaCO3, 420–590 μm) was present in the bed alone, or in combination with silica sand/silicon carbide (this last material was chosen as per its high absorption capacity in the solar spectrum). Calcium looping tests (20 calcination/carbonation cycles) were carried out under operating conditions resembling the “closed-loop” scheme (calcination at 950 °C, carbonation at 850 °C, fluidising atmosphere composed of pure CO2 in both cases). Carbonation degree, particle size distribution, and particle bulk density were measured as cycles progressed, together with the application of a model equation to relate carbonation degree to the number of cycles. Mutual relationships between the nature of the bed material and possible interactions, the degree of CaO carbonation, the generation of fragments, and changes in particle density and porosity are critically discussed. An investigation of the segregation behaviour of the bed material has been carried out through tests in a devoted fluidisation column, equipped with a needle-type capacitive probe (to measure solid concentration).

Coupld thermo-hydraulic modelling of heat storage in an embankment

Coupld thermo-hydraulic modelling of heat storage in an embankment

On the long-term behaviour of a deep underground gravity energy stor-age system: A numerical approach using the HCA model.

Worldwide, the energy transition is reflected in the constant development of renewable energy sources such as wind power or photovoltaics. These energy sources meanwhile provide cost-effective and mass-available energy. However, renewable energy sources are subjected to natural fluctuations. This can lead to intermittent energy supply and grid instability, highlighting the urgent need for massive energy storage systems to ensure a reliable and resilient energy supply [1].
 Gravity energy storage (GES) is a concept for large-scale energy storage [1, 10]. One approach is to store energy in a subsurface cavity. Through this cavity filled with water and covered by soil, potential energy can be stored through a volume and pressure increase. In a practical application, this process can be achieved by pumping water into the cavity. By discharging the water through a turbine, the stored energy can be recovered later. The earliest concepts of this innovative energy storage system proposed a geomembrane-lined bag filled with water and covered with several metres of soil as a ballast [7, 8]. However, to achieve a remarkable energy storage capacity with this concept, large volume fluxes are required. Numerical investigations [6, 9] in addition to large and small-scale laboratory tests [2, 8] show that the resulting large deformations of the soil can cause a stability problem in the soil and can result in large energy losses and soil collapse. To overcome these drawbacks, the concept of a deep cavity was presented in [3], which is schematically shown in Figure 1. The advantage of this new concept, which is the subject of the present work, is that the energy storage is carried out with significantly lower volume fluxes and, in contrast, with increased pressure.
 This concept leads to a significant reduction of the displacements and strains of the overlying soil, which allows investigations of the long-term stability of the overall system. Using the HCA model [5] in combination with the Hypoplasticity with intergranular strain [4], the cumulative soil behaviour can be modelled and cycles of energy storage can be simulated numerically. This corresponds to a lifetime of approx. 100 years for daily charging and discharging. Based on the investigations from [3], an extended numerical model is presented in this work and a comprehensive parameter study is carried out. In the finite element calculations, the impact of the groundwater is analysed for the first time in a quasi-static, coupled stress-pore fluid diffusion analysis both on the soil behaviour and on the energy storage. The axisymmetric numerical model and the spatial distribution of strain amplitude after cycles for saturated sand are shown in Figure 1.
 In addition to the energy capacity, energy efficiency and its degradation due to the cumulative soil behaviour as a result of cycles, the effects on the settlements and inclinations of structures on the ground surface are also investigated. Preliminary results are presented in Figure 1. The results of this extended numerical investigation show that the GES in the presented configurations leads to stable soil behaviour with simultaneously high energy efficiency and acceptable energy capacity. Stability problems were not detected even after storage cycles. The cumulative effects caused by the cyclic deformation are controllable. This study clearly shows that GES can contribute to energy storage and energy transition in the future.

Numerical Simulation and Optimization of a Phase-Change Energy Storage Box in a Modular Mobile Thermal Energy Supply System

Featuring phase-change energy storage, a mobile thermal energy supply system (M-TES) demonstrates remarkable waste heat transfer capabilities across various spatial scales and temporal durations, thereby effectively optimizing the localized energy distribution structure—a pivotal contribution to the attainment of objectives such as “carbon peak” and “carbon neutral”. To heighten the efficiency of energy transfer for mobile heating, this research introduces the innovative concept of modular storage and transportation. This concept is brought to life through the development of a meticulously designed modular mobile phase-change energy storage compartment system. Employing computational fluid dynamics (CFD), an in-depth exploration into the performance of the modular M-TES container and the adapted phase-change material (PCM) is conducted. By implementing fin arrangements on the inner wall of the heat storage module, a remarkable upsurge in the liquid phase-transition rate of the phase-change material is achieved in comparison to the design lacking fins—this improvement approximating around 30%. However, it is essential to acknowledge that the augmentation in heat transfer gradually recedes with the proliferation of fins or an escalation in their height. Moreover, the integration of expanded graphite into erythritol emerges as profoundly effective in amplifying the thermal conductivity of the PCM. Notably, with the addition of a 15.2% volume fraction of expanded graphite to erythritol, the duration of heat storage experiences a drastic reduction to nearly 10% of its original duration, thereby signifying a momentous advancement in thermal performance.

Toward a digital materials mechanical testing lab

To accelerate the growth of Industry 4.0 technologies, the digitalization of mechanical testing laboratories as one of the main data-driven units of materials processing industries is introduced in this paper. The digital lab infrastructure consists of highly detailed and standard-compliant materials testing knowledge graphs for a wide range of mechanical testing processes, as well as some tools that enable the efficient ontology development and conversion of heterogeneous materials’ mechanical testing data to the machine-readable data of uniform and standardized structures. As a basis for designing such a digital lab, the mechanical testing ontology (MTO) was developed based on the ISO 23718 and ISO/IEC 21838-2 standards for the semantic representation of the mechanical testing experiments, quantities, artifacts, and report data. The trial digitalization of materials mechanical testing lab was successfully performed by utilizing the developed tools and knowledge graph of processes for converting the various experimental test data of heterogeneous structures, languages, and formats to standardized Resource Description Framework (RDF) data formats. The concepts of data storage and data sharing in data spaces were also introduced and SPARQL queries were utilized to evaluate how the introduced approach can result in the data retrieval and response to the competency questions. The proposed digital materials mechanical testing lab approach allows the industries to access lots of trustworthy and traceable mechanical testing data of other academic and industrial organizations, and subsequently organize various data-driven research for their faster and cheaper product development leading to a higher performance of products in engineering and ecological aspects.

Intra- vs. intergenerational justice tradeoffs in nuclear waste storage (W01)

Abstract. We propose a workshop in two parts (approx. 90 min each) to discuss (i) general dilemmas due to the long time range until an operable solution for the waste problem is found and (ii) an ethics-inspired discussion on the extra burden for communities hosting interim storage sites (based on empirical data). In the first part, we highlight the twofold responsibility concerning the current generation's decision-making perspective for present and future generations. According to our survey data and a debate with citizens, we see the need to discuss the respective weighing of directly affected generations during the next few decades (until the repository's closure, which affects about four to five generations) compared to the justice for (five+) future generations in the following decades and centuries (see the figure in the Supplement). Questions are, for instance, is discounting the ethical relevance of future generations justified, necessary or forbidden? In the second part, we explore the consequences of the delayed final storage in Germany on the current interim storage sites. Following conversations with citizens (in Brokdorf, October 2022, and in Lubmin, March/April 2023) we investigate the tradeoffs between guaranteeing the safety in these sites and developing and implementing new concepts for long-term storage at these or new sites before commencing with final storage. In terms of safety and fairness, invasive monitoring of casks or storage in a new centralized interim repository would be welcomed by some. However, both possible measures conflict with long-term practices (e.g., approving licenses for several decades or the long-term planning for the final repository). Important questions to be discussed are, among others, how much time may current generations take to identify the most suitable site? How can addressing all three time horizons specified in the Site Selection Act help to contextualize delays in the initial steps? What are the risks and opportunities associated with delayed deep geological disposal (economic, social, political, etc.)? To what extent may intragenerational (current generations) justice discount for generations in the far future? How can the prolongation of interim storage be justified? We propose a specific format during the workshop in which participants work in small groups using the rich picture methodology (https://naturwissenschaften.ch/co-producing-knowledge-explained/methods/method_factsheets/rich_picture, last access: 12 June 2023). This format is suitable for work in small groups to visualize (consensus or divergent views on) complex problems, structures and interrelationships between agents. The results from the small groups are then presented and discussed in the plenary. The respective answers to the key questions may provide possible practice-oriented results for responsible decision-makers (e.g., at BASE Bundesamt für die Sicherheit der nuklearen Entsorgung (Federal Office For The Safety Of Nuclear Waste Management)).

(Invited) Unification of Bulk Storage and Supercapacitive Storage

In typical insertion electrodes for batteries, the capacity is determined by bulk storage within the electroactive particles, which is comparatively well investigated and understood. In contrast, supercapacitor electrodes are dominated by interfacial storage at interfaces, which is well addressed experimentally. However the charge carrier chemistry (defect chemistry) especially in the latter case is not taken seriously. Consequently a bridge between the two important fields is absent. Following and extending our quantitative concept of job-sharing storage, a generalized description that includes bulk and space charge storage (electrochemical and supercapacitive storage) is possible. In other words the treatment of defect chemistry as a function of the degree of storage as well as of position is key to a unification. The experimental part of our research uses TiO2 and Nb2O5 thin films. The precise measurement of the storage capacity of thin films as a function of thickness allows us to deconvolute bulk and interfacial contributions. We discuss the results in terms of bulk and space charge capacitance. The generalized treatment that comprises both contributions shows also how the ratio of both varies with the degree of storage. Meanwhile exploiting various techniques (bias dependent impedance, TEM and EELS) electric field and charge distributions from bulk to the interface region are investigated. In the same context we study the space charge behavior in a discretized manner rather than by using the analytical Poisson-Boltzmann function. In this way a more precise definition and demarcation of electrode and double layer capacity is achieved. In terms of application we expect this work to provide a better understanding of energy and power densities of storage devices which becomes particularly important for nanoionic systems.

Densification, Precipitation, and Dissolution of Vanadium Electrolyte for Vanadium Redox Flow Battery Systems

The all-vanadium redox flow battery system (VRFB) is the most mature RFB technology since it uses a single active species, which does not degrade. Rebalancing electrolytes to maintain maximum energy capacity in an RFB system that uses a single active species, or symmetrical electrolytes, is simple and enables the use of relatively low-selectivity separators, which have higher ionic conductivities.1 Conversely, finite-lifetime RFB chemistries, especially asymmetric chemistries, result in significant negative impacts on the levelized cost of storage (LCOS).2 Currently, the vanadium electrolyte used in a MWh-scale VRFB system is typically shipped to the installation site in liquid form in multiple totes and the VRFB-system tanks are filled onsite. A new approach explored in this study is to densify and precipitate the electrolyte in a solid form, which can then be quickly dissolved to its intended concentration onsite by the addition of de-ionized water.3 This approach can enable multiple benefits. First, shipping the electrolyte in solid form provides more stability and higher density during shipping, which significantly reduces shipping costs. Second, the solid electrolyte can be shipped in the actual containers that will be used onsite, which thus simplifies the required onsite work. This presentation will discuss a method used to densify the vanadium electrolyte, as well as nucleation and precipitation processes that generate the solid electrolyte form, which will quickly dissolve when deionized water is added onsite. The nucleation and precipitation process leverages recent work on the solid-liquid high-energy storage density method for RFB systems.4 References M. L. Perry, J. D. Saraidaridis, and R. Darling, “Crossover Mitigation Strategies for Redox-Flow Batteries,” Current Opinion in Electrochemistry, 21 (2020). 10.1016/j.coelec.2020.03.024 K. E. Rodby, M. L. Perry, and F. R. Brushett, “Assessing Capacity Loss Remediation Methods for Asymmetric Redox Flow Battery Chemistries Using Levelized Cost of Storage,” J. Power Sources, 506 (2021). 10.1016/j.jpowsour.2021.230085 M. L. Perry, Provisional U.S. Patent Application 63/312,999 filed on Feb. 2, 2022.Yuanchao Li and Trung Van Nguyen, “A Solid/Liquid High-Energy-Density Storage Concept for Redox Flow Batteries and Its Demonstration in an H2-V System,” J. Electrochem. Soc., 169 (2022). 10.1149/1945-7111/ac97c6

Enhancing of the power system resilience through the application of micro power systems (microgrid) with renewable distributed generation

The power sector plays a critical role in the functioning of the economy and the security of a country, being closely interconnected with other vital infrastructures, such as gas supply, water supply, transportation, and telecommunications. Ensuring a stable power supply is crucial for the uninterrupted operation of these systems. One way to enhance the resilience of the power system is by integrating local networks with distributed renewable generation into the overall energy infrastructure. The flexibility, stability, controllability, and self-healing capabilities of microgrids make them an effective solution for improving the resilience of the power system. The power grid is susceptible to disturbances and disruptions that can cause large-scale power outages for consumers. Statistical data indicates that approximately 90% of outages occur due to issues in the distribution system, thus research focuses on local microgrids with distributed renewable generation. This study analyzed the role of microgrids with renewable generation in enhancing the resilience of power systems. Additionally, functions of microgrids that contribute to enhancing power system resilience, such as service restoration, network formation strategies, control and stability, as well as preventive measures, were summarized. It was found that local microgrids have significant potential to enhance power system resilience through the implementation of various strategies, from emergency response planning to providing reliable energy supply for quick responses to military, environmental, and human-induced crises. The concept of local distributed energy generation, storage, and control can reduce reliance on long-distance power transmission lines, reduce network vulnerabilities, and simultaneously improve its resilience and reduce recovery time. It has been determined that the most necessary and promising approaches to enhance the resilience of the power system include developing appropriate regulatory frameworks, implementing automatic frequency and power control systems, ensuring resource adequacy (including the reservation of technical components), promoting distributed generation, integrating energy storage systems into the energy grid, and strengthening cyber security. Keywords: resilience, local power systems, MicroGrid, distributed generation, renewable energy sources.

Mobile compressed air energy storage for active distribution systems

Efficient energy storage technology is one of the key elements to enhance the flexibility, economy, and security of the power system. With the continuous development of energy storage technology, containerized mobile energy storage is coming into view, which has offered promising opportunities to improve distribution network (DN) performances and grid operating factors against emergencies. This paper proposes the concept of mobile compressed air energy storage (CAES) for an electric DN. The movable air storage tanks with stored energy are transported by trucks and placed at some distribution nodes/buses to improve DN performance. To overcome routing challenges for trucks, the configuration of the grid is mapped on the urban region of the city of Sydney, Australia, using Google map’s Application Programming Interface. This approach can accurately model distances between current and targeted locations, unavailability of tanks during traveling, route congestions, and fuel consumptions. A new heuristic mathematical method is proposed in this paper to convert the constraints of the mobile CAES (MCAES) model into feasible search spaces, which significantly improves the convergence quality and speed. Operating results for both stationary and mobile CAESs are presented and compared. The methodology is applied to IEEE 136-bus DN in addition to IEEE 33-bus DN to demonstrate the competence of MCAES for larger-scale grids in optimizing the total operating profit, active power loss, energy not supplied, and voltage stability index of the grid. The crucial application of the proposed model can deal with natural disasters to avoid large-scale power outages and, eventually, mitigate the power system damages.

Self-thermal storage integrated absorber-emitter to stabilize solar thermionic conversion

Solar thermionics is an appealing clean solid-state power technology, while it faces one of the major challenges for generating continuous and stable power on account of the temporal intermittency of solar radiation. This paper proposes a novel concept of self-thermal storage integrated absorber-emitter for solar thermionic conversion, which can store excess heat from the sun and generate remarkably stable day-night electricity. A transient 1-D energy transfer model is developed to investigate the impacts of various critical system parameters on the power performance of innovative thermionics. The results revealed that a maximum total energy density of 100.06 kW h/m2 is delivered at a cutoff wavelength of 1300 nm and a concentration ratio of 300. The thermionic power is not sensitive to the variation of solar radiation for low thermal diffusivity of substrate, while a thermionic converter with a high thermal effusivity substrate achieves superior discharge performance at night. A rather constant conversion efficiency of ∼31% is attained, regardless of the seasons, while a significantly lower discharge ratio of 11.69% is recorded in summer. The fluctuating with high intensity of solar radiation on cloudy days prompts a discharge ratio of ∼30% and a conversion efficiency of ∼45%.

Optimization of sustainable seawater desalination: Modeling renewable energy integration and energy storage concepts

Many arid and semi-arid regions of the world face growing freshwater scarcity, requiring increased utilization of seawater desalination to augment the existing freshwater resources. Seawater reverse osmosis (RO) is currently one of the most deployed technologies, due to its electrical energy efficiency and comparatively low costs. However, the required energy for desalination processes is often still converted from fossil sources. Given the growing demand for seawater desalination and the energy sector’s parallel decarbonization, the substitution by renewable energy sources (RES) is a critical issue. The volatility, lower availability of renewable energy, and cost for required electrical energy storage (EES) are all obstacles to the decarbonization of large-scale desalination plants and may affect production volume and water production costs negatively.This paper presents a mathematical model to determine a cost-optimal energy conversion and EES mix for the design and operation of large-scale seawater RO desalination plants. The linear program ensures satisfaction of the plant’s energetic demands. Furthermore, the model allows to investigate the general feasibility of integrating RES into large-scale desalination processes, which are examined by means of a case study while employing location-specific weather data. Different types of energy conversion technologies and the effect of EES on operating behavior, greenhouse gas emissions, and water unit costs are investigated. Specifically, the indirect storage of electrical energy via the smart management of a desalination plant’s oversized RO membranes is examined and compared to battery energy storage (BES).Results indicate that RES cannot meet an RO desalination plant’s full and constant electrical load demand without a high BES capacity, which is probably not feasible from a technical and economic point of view. The economic penalty from energy storage costs on one unit of desalinated water ranges from 3.10 $/m3 up to 5.38 $/m3. However, operating an oversized RO desalination plant intermittently could reduce the energy-related costs substantially and potentially provide a more appropriate way of adapting to a volatile supply of energy from renewable sources in order to decarbonize the desalination processes. Specific emissions of desalinated water can be reduced from 1.5 kg CO2 eq./m3 when relying mostly on combined cycle gas turbines down to 0.124 kg CO2 eq./m3 by intermittent operation and fully relying on renewable energy sources.

Enhancing Workforce Performance and Applications Toward Industry 5.0 with the 5G Conceptual Framework in Malaysia

As part of its "industry revolution plan," also known as "Industry4WRD," Malaysia has accepted and implemented contemporary technology, transforming Malaysia's diverse industrial sectors. We are currently well-established fourth Industrial Revolution of human history. The range and sophistication of digital instruments have increased significantly in recent years. Everything from robots to the Internet of Things (IoT) devices, communications infrastructure, data centres, and their power requirements. The manufacturing industry must develop innovative technologies, designs, structures, and concepts for communication and data storage to enhance the digital world's functioning and reduce the amount of energy necessary to operate it. Industry 5.0 is the next wave of industrial innovation, and industry experts eagerly anticipate its arrival. To increase industrial efficiency and flexibility, digitalisation and AI-driven technologies have supplanted the original goals of Industry 4.0, which included social fairness and sustainability. One interpretation of Industry 5.0 is that it is the return of the "human-centred" emphasis of Industry 4.0. By prioritising the well-being of people and the planet over pursuing financial gain, technological breakthroughs in industrial production would acquire a renewed sense of purpose and direction. A literature search was conducted to learn more about the first description of Industry 5.0. By utilising this strategy for systematic literature research, we could understand the concept and the most recent advancements in various published works. Following this, we used the software NVivo to develop a conceptual framework congruent with the study's objectives.

Power availability of PV plus thermal batteries in real-world electric power grids

As variable renewable energy sources comprise a growing share of total electricity generation, energy storage technologies are becoming increasingly critical for balancing energy generation and demand.In this study, a real-world electricity system was modeled rather than modeling hypothetical future electric power systems where the existing electricity infrastructure are neglected. In addition, instead of modeling the general requirements of storage in terms of cost and performance, an existing thermal energy storage concept with estimated capital cost that are sufficiently low to enable large-scale deployment in the electric power system were modeled. The storage unit is coupled with a photovoltaic (PV) system and were modeled with different storage capacities, whereas each storage unit had various discharge capacities.The modeling was performed under a baseline case with no emission constraints and under hypothetical scenarios in which CO2 emissions were reduced. The results show that power availability increases with increasing storage size and vastly increases in the hypothetical CO2 reduction scenarios, as the storage unit is utilized differently. When CO2 emissions are reduced, the power system must be less dependent on fossil fuel technologies that currently serve the grid, and thus rely more on the power that is served from the PV + storage unit.The proposed approach can provide increased knowledge to power system planners regarding how adding PV + storage systems to existing grids can contribute to the efficient stepwise decarbonization of electric power systems.