Energy Transformation Research Articles

Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) Implementation as a Method of Reducing Emissions from Coal Thermal Power Plants in Poland

The Polish economy, and especially the energy sector, is facing an energy transformation. For decades, most electricity in Poland has been generated from hard coal, but in recent years, renewable energy sources have been gaining an increasing share of the market. The aim of the energy transformation is to reduce the carbon footprint in electricity production, which translates into the decarbonization of the economy, including manufactured products. Currently (2024), increasing the share of renewable energy sources raises major challenges in terms of energy storage or other activities and forces cooperation with flexible sources of electricity generation. One of the challenges is to determine what a decarbonized energy mix in Poland could look like in 2050, in which there would be sources (with a smaller share of coal sources in the mix than currently) of electricity generation based on hard coal with CCS technology. In order to do this in an economically efficient manner, there are aspects related to the location of power plants that would remain in operation or repower current generating units. The added value of the study is the simulation approach to the analysis of the problem of assessing the effectiveness of CCS technology implementation together with the transport and storage infrastructure, as well as the multi-aspect scenario analysis, which can determine the limits of CCS technology effectiveness for a given power unit. Positive simulation results (NPV amounted to 147 million Euro) and the knowledge obtained in the scope of the correlated and simultaneous impact of many important cost factors and prices of CO2 emission allowances make this analysis and its results close to reality. Examples of analyses of the effectiveness of CCS system implementations known from the literature are most often limited to determining linear relationships of single explanatory variables with a specific forecasted variable, even if these are multifactor mathematical models.

Research on Reform and Innovation of Training Mode of Civil and Hydraulic Engineering Graduate Students under the Background of “Dual Carbon” Goals

As an important part of the overall layout of ecological civilization construction, carbon peaking and carbon neutrality provide strategic opportunities for low-carbon energy transformation and innovative development of higher education. Based on the training of civil and water conservancy professional postgraduate students, this paper builds an interdisciplinary teaching system centering on the concept of “dual carbon”, and explores the relationship between energy transformation and energy conservation and emission reduction, engineering technology and green development, practical cases and analysis and other course systems through the establishment of a composite innovative teaching team of civil and water conservancy and innovative personnel training mode. In order to achieve the “dual carbon” goals of the society, this paper puts forward the model of university-enterprise cooperation and the integration of science, production and education.

Data Acquisition System for a Hydroelectric Turbine with Deformable Blades

The scientific paper proposes a remote data transmission and acquisition system, for the analysis of the electrical parameters of a portable hydroelectric turbine with deformable blades placed on the stream. The major objective proposed by the authors is to monitor the transformation of the kinetic energy of water into electricity. Due to the impossibility of directly measuring the turbine elements as a whole, remote data transmission was chosen. This information is collected from the generator of the hydroelectric turbine through transducer elements into digital signals, is encoded and transmitted wirelessly to the receiver located on the shore, decoded, and then processed in real time and displayed on the monitor screen of a computer system in order to make decisions when the situation requires it. Data transmission is carried out in both directions (half duplex) through an efficient request/response communication protocol. Considering that the turbine is located in a hard-to-reach place, on the river, it was imposed to supply with reserve electric energy, autonomous from batteries, for the electronic part that is responsible for acquiring data from the hydroelectric generator. In this way, the monitoring circuit works permanently regardless of the turbine’s operating mode: normal or fault. The authors also present in detail the research methodology, the research results, the final conclusions resulting from the experimental data as well as the original contributions made through this applied research.

HYDROGEN DIPLOMACY AND GEOPOLITICS OF ENERGY TRANSFORMATION

The research is devoted to the issues of determining the EU’s long-term strategic choice in the context of energy transformation and studying the key elements of the EU’s hydrogen diplomacy. The main idea of the paper is to assess the key elements of the EU’s hydrogen diplomacy at the moment in the context of the geopolitics of energy transformation. The potential key centres of hydrogen production in Europe has been identified in the paper. The study also highlights that the EU plans to become an importer of green hydrogen and Power-to-X products. Hydrogen is likely to have a significant impact on the geography of energy trade, further regionalising energy relations. It should also be borne in mind that pure hydrogen will not generate profits comparable to today’s oil and gas. Hydrogen is a transformation, not an extraction, and it has the potential to be produced competitively in many places. It is argued that there is an urgent need to transform the EU’s hydrogen diplomacy in the paper, aligning Europe’s interests in enhancing its competitiveness and energy security in times of crisis with global goals of decarbonisation and sustainable economic development. The implementation of effective hydrogen diplomacy and partnerships within the H2-diplo initiative will consolidate the geopolitical and security environment on the way to the EU’s strategic autonomy. At the same time, it is noted that the EU needs to think deeply about the potential contribution of the EU to territorial defence and deterrence in the paper and how its defence instruments can strengthen the Atlantic Alliance’s deterrence and territorial defence strategy. This refocusing on traditional defence will significantly increase the EU’s added value. The National Security Strategy, approved by the Biden administration on 12 October 2022, makes this clear, distinguishing between China as a ‘systemic’, ‘global’ challenge and russia as an ‘immediate’, albeit more local, threat. It has been explaind that as the United States increases its focus on China and Asia, Europe will have to assume more responsibility for the security and defence of the continent.

Evaluation of the sustainable development efficiency of environment and energy in China

With the increasing global demand for sustainable development, China, being one of the world’s most populous countries, is confronted with increasingly prominent challenges in sustainable development of environment and energy, specifically in terms of environmental protection and energy transformation. To promote sustainable development in China’s environment and energy sector, this paper constructs an evaluation indicator system for sustainable development of environment and energy by integrating the relevant sustainable development goals outlined in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The DEA-SBM model is employed for static analysis of the sustainable development efficiency and dynamic analysis is conducted using the Malmquist index, aiming to reveal regional differences and trends in the efficiency of sustainable development from 2016 to 2022. The results indicate that there is a significant disparity in the sustainable development efficiency of environment and energy among the 31 provinces in China. China has seen a slight overall improvement in the sustainable development of environment and energy, with a promotion of environmentally friendly development patterns. Moreover, technological innovation proves to be a key element in achieving more efficient and environmentally friendly development. In addition, the decomposition of technical efficiency change also makes the management level and factor allocation be attached importance.

Decoding the Catalytic Potential of Dinuclear 1st-Row Transition Metal Complexes for Proton Reduction and Water Oxidation.

The growing interest in renewable energy sources has led to a significant focus on artificial photosynthesis as a means of converting solar energy into lucrative and energy-dense carbonaceous fuels. First-row transition metals have thus been brought to light in the search for efficient and high-performance homogenous molecule catalysts that can accelerate energy transformation and reduce overpotentials during the catalytic process. Their dinuclear complexes have opportunities to enhance the efficiency and stability of these molecular catalysts, primarily for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and water oxidation reaction (WOR). Recently, our group improved the catalytic activity, efficiencies, and stability of dinuclear molecular catalysts, particularly toward HER. Although one dinuclear complex has been tested for WOR, it demonstrated activity as water oxidation precatalysts. First-row transition metals are a great option for sustainable catalysis because they are readily available, reasonably priced, and have multifaceted coordination chemistry. Examples of these metals are cobalt, copper, and manganese. The structure-catalytic performance relationships of this first-row transition metal-based dinuclear catalysts are noteworthily interpreted in this account, providing avenues for optimizing their performance and advancing the development of sustainable and effective energy conversion technologies.

China's Low-carbon Energy Transformation: Development of Renewable Energy

In recent years, as the world's population continues to increase, it has brought a series of pollution problems, which causes global warming intensified. In order to solve the problem of climate warming, the development trend of low carbon and environmental protection is gradually becoming the keynote of global social and economic development. At the same time, due to the excessive reliance on energy consumption for the development of China's economy in the past, the problems of energy shortage and environmental degradation have become more and more serious in China in recent years. Therefore, the carbon emission reduction index has become one of the important assessment indicators for the development of China's economic quality and an unavoidable key task for economic development. Energy is the basis of economic and social development, in the process of economic development, China will inevitably encounter energy shortages, environmental pollution problems, the development of renewable energy has become a general trend, the transformation and optimization of the traditional energy structure is an effective way to achieve this goal and an important means. This paper analyzes and puts forward suggestions on the current situation of China's energy transition, factors affecting energy transition and future development trends through the literature review method and comparative analysis method.

Investments in Renewable Energy in Rural Communes: An Analysis of Regional Disparities in Poland

Although energy transformation is a widely discussed topic, there is a dearth of research on the role of rural communes in implementing that concept in Poland, a country where rural areas account for more than 90% of the total landmass. Most research projects are focused on larger local government units, such as cities, whereas rural communes’ role in the development of local energy policies and impact on the development of renewable energy sources (RESs) is often disregarded. Therefore, this study extends the existing literature resources with a view to bridging that gap by assessing rural communes’ investment activity in the context of the Polish energy transformation, with particular emphasis on regional differences in RES investments financed with Union funds. Therefore, the main purpose of this study is to assess the contribution of rural communes to the Polish energy transformation process, with a particular focus on regional differences in renewable energy investments financed with European Union funds in the successive seven-year financial perspectives 2007–2013 and 2014–2020. The study aimed to answer the following key research questions: how does the level of rural communes’ investment activities related to renewable energy development compare to that of other commune types? What are the regional differences in rural communes’ investment activities related to renewable energy? What are the main factors affecting rural communes’ investment activity in regions most involved in the development of renewable energies? The study relies on data from the Ministry of Development Funds and Regional Policy and from the Local Data Bank of the Central Statistical Office. The dataset was processed with the use of descriptive statistics methods and Ward’s method with a view to identifying regional patterns and conditions for the development of renewable energy investments. This study focuses on the investment activities of rural communes in Poland related to RESs financed with European Union funds. The empirical research results highlight rural municipalities’ crucial role in developing RES, emphasizing their high investment activity and significant regional differences. Municipalities from the eastern Polish provinces of Lublin and Podlasie have successfully secured EU funds for RES development. They have implemented numerous projects, primarily related to solar energy.

From Single Atom Photocatalysts to Synergistic Photocatalysts: Design Principles and Applications

AbstractPhotocatalysis represents a solar‐to‐chemical energy transformation process including three processes, light absorption, charge separation/transfer, and surface reactions. Owing to the merits of single‐atom catalysts (SACs) toward maximal atom utilization, unsaturated coordination structure, and tunable electronic configuration, single‐atom photocatalysts (SAPs) exhibit extraordinary photocatalytic performance toward a series of sustainable reactions. Accompanied by the complexity of photocatalytic processes and the realistic demand for tandem reactions as well as the promotion of intricate reactions with multiple reaction routes and intermediates, significant efforts are desired to gain in‐depth insights into the design and fabrication of synergistic photocatalysts. In this review, the first part discusses the design principles from traditional semiconductor‐based photocatalysts to SAPs. Moreover, six basic models of synergistic photocatalysts including remote dual atoms, bridged dual atoms, adjacent dual atoms, single atoms + clusters/nanoparticles (NPs), single atoms + defects, NPs + NPs, are highlighted and distinguished by their structure features. Second, specific examples of SAPs and synergistic photocatalysts are appreciated under the category of CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR), hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), nitrogen reduction reaction (NRR), and pollutants degradation. Finally, this review will conclude by discussing the challenges and future perspectives of SAPs and synergistic photocatalysts for sustainable applications.

A Coaxial Triboelectric Fiber Sensor for Human Motion Recognition and Rehabilitation via Machine Learning

This work presents the fabrication of a coaxial fiber triboelectric sensor (CFTES) designed for efficient energy harvesting and gesture detection in wearable electronics. The CFTES was fabricated using a facile one-step wet-spinning approach, with PVDF-HFP/CNTs/Carbon black as the conductive electrode and PVDF-HFP/MoS2 as the triboelectric layer. The incorporation of 1T phase MoS2 into the PVDF-HFP matrix significantly improves the sensor’s output owing to its electron capture capabilities. The sensor’s performance was carefully optimized by varying the weight percentage of MoS2, the thickness of the fiber core, and the CNT ratio. The optimized CFTES, with a core thickness of 156 µm and 0.6 wt% MoS2, achieved a stable output voltage of ~8.2 V at a frequency of 4 Hz and 10 N applied force, exhibiting remarkable robustness over 3600 s. Furthermore, the CFTES effectively detects human finger gestures, with machine learning algorithms further enhancing its accuracy. This innovative sensor offers a sustainable solution for energy transformation and has promising applications in smart portable power sources and wearable electronic devices.

An energy-based criterion for defining slope failure considering the coupling effect of groundwater table and impact loading

Slope instability poses significant risks in tunnel construction, particularly under the influence of impact loading and fluctuations in groundwater table. This study addresses the complexity of energy transformation and distribution in slopes affected by these factors. The research aims to analyze the local dynamic Factor of Safety (FOS) from the perspective of energy-based criterion, considering groundwater table, impact loading, and load position. Key findings indicate that the groundwater table is the most influential factor on slope stability, followed by load position and impact loading. The overall dynamic FOS was observed to peak at 0.35 s and trough appears at 1.0 s during impact loading, stabilizing after 2 s. The evolution of the overall dynamic FOS is explained from the energy dissipation and transformation mechanisms. These insights provide a critical basis for risk assessment and prevention in complex slope scenarios, contributing to sustainable infrastructure development in line with UN SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities).

Uma nova formulação para previsão da perfuração de impactos balísticos em concreto

Abstract This work presents a model for determining the depth of projectile perforation based on the RBL formula for ballistic impact, validated with microconcrete specimens made with Portland cement and coarse aggregate of granite and basalt. The model was validated with 7.62 x 51 mm FMJ (Full Metal Jacketed) ammunition on specimens with 5 cm of diameter and a height variation of 5.00 - 10.00 cm The transformation of kinetic energy into heat was found to be one of the forms of energy release. Experimental results showed that the calculation model proposed here predicts penetration depth values closer to the experimental values than current models, which is favorable for the safety.

Cellular structure assisted enhanced deformation-induced martensitic transformation in laser-directed energy deposited ferrous medium-entropy alloy

The effect of cellular structure on the deformation behavior of laser-directed energy deposited Fe60(CoNi)30Cr10 medium-entropy alloys was comprehensively analyzed. High dislocation density and elemental segregation at cellular boundaries significantly promoted deformation-induced martensitic transformation and enhanced heterogeneous deformation-induced strengthening. This highlights the potential to optimize the mechanical performance of the alloy through cellular engineering.

Energy evolution characteristics of ballasted track with elastic layers

Elastic layers (ELs), including under sleeper pad (USP) and under ballast mat (UBM) have been used to enhance the elasticity and mechanical performance of ballasted track. Previous studies mostly focus on macro settlement and ballast crushing of ballasted track with ELs, with little consideration of energy evolution characteristics. Investigating the energy evolution is crucial for understanding the role of ELs in energy consumption, absorption, and transformation, thereby optimizing their design and improving performance. Here, the discrete element method (DEM) simulation models of ballasted track without and with ELs under cyclic loading were established to study the influences of USP and UBM on energy evolution characteristics of track structure from a mesoscopic perspective. The results showed that the ELs reduce friction dissipation energy and damping dissipation energy inside ballasts, which helps to slow down the particle breakage and wear. Compared with damping energy dissipation, friction energy dissipation is the main form of energy dissipation of ballasted track. In the stable loading stage, elastic strain energy is the main energy form. The employment of ELs increases the proportion of elastic strain energy due to enhanced track elasticity. The stiffness of ELs significantly affects viscous strain energy and elastic strain energy in ballasted track structures.

Cause-and-effect Analysis of Anthropogenic and Natural Aspects in the Process of Assessing the Material Heritage Resource in Underground Mining Adaptation Planning

The ongoing energy transformation requires legal and economic intervention by the Polish government to phase out unprofitable mining enterprises, especially in the coal mining sector. The poorly executed process mentioned above may lead not only to environmental degradation but also to social problems (rupture of interpersonal relationships, elimination of traditions, eradication of cultural behaviors). Therefore, an effective solution to this problem may be the adaptation of the aforementioned facilities for tourism purposes. These facilities have significant potential related to mining heritage and geodiversity. The article defines basic criteria related to mining heritage and examines the cause-and-effect relationships using the DEMATEL method. The outcome of this process will be an attempt to develop requirements for anthropogenic intervention in underground excavations in interaction with the preservation of cultural, material, and geodiversity heritage (master plan).

Recent progress of soiling impact on solar panels and its mitigation strategies: A review

Global warming has become a serious concern due to the increased consumption of fossil fuels. Therefore, green energies have received extensive attention. Among all renewable energies, solar energy is one of the most accessible sources of energy that can be used in the electrical sector. However, it is a well-known fact that solar panels, the main transformers of solar energy into electricity, experience a decrease in performance due to soiling. Various methodologies are available for mitigating soiling losses on solar panels, including traditional approaches like water-based cleansing and robotic arms. However, these conventional methods are increasingly avoided due to drawbacks and the lack of water resources. Alternative strategies involve using advanced thin films with transparent conductive and anti-soiling properties. While transparent conductive films are active and augment electrical fields to repel dust particles through electrostatic forces, anti-soiling films are passive and reduce adhesion forces between dust particles and solar cell surfaces. The present study aims to fill the gap in the existing literature by providing a comprehensive review of passive methods for reducing dust on solar panels, which has been lacking until now. The methodologies and the test methods used in these approaches such as self-cleaning, dust repulsion, and mechanical abrasion tests are illustrated, offering researchers a thorough overview of previous studies. Finally, additional research topics and future perspectives for enhancing the key properties of these surfaces such as transparency, durability, thermal shock resistance, ease of coating process, affordability, and nontoxicity are discussed.

Evolutionary game study and empirical analysis of the adoption of green coal mining technology: A case study of ITMDB

The world is facing the challenge of energy transformation, and the integrated technology of mining, dressing, and backfilling (ITMDB) is a green mining technology that can effectively reduce resource waste and environmental pollution, thereby promoting sustainable development in the traditional energy sector. However, widespread adoption of ITMDB remains limited due to various factors. To address this, we construct an evolutionary game model between the government and coal enterprises. With system dynamics simulations, we analyze the impacts of subsidy, punishment, information sharing policy and their combinations on ITMDB adoption. Then, Empirical research was conducted to validate the simulation results and analyze the mechanism and heterogeneity effects using data from A-share listed coal companies in China. The results show that (1) A combined strategy of punishment and information sharing is most effective in encouraging ITMDB adoption. (2) The subsidy policy can have a negative effect in certain situations. (3) The optimal adoption strategy promotes technology adoption through executives green cognition (4) The optimal adoption strategy has the most significant effects on enterprises located in the central and eastern regions, areas with a lower proportion of secondary industry, and mature companies. Finally, this study provides policy recommendations for ITMDB adoption.

Study on two-stage robust optimal configuration of integrated energy system considering CCUS and electric hydrogen production

Under the background of complementary and cascade utilization of multiple types of energy, how to carry out the capacity planning of economic, efficient, and low-carbon integrated energy system to meet the diversified needs of cooling, heating, electricity, and hydrogen loads is a challenging problem. This study conducted a two-stage robust optimization (RO) configuration of integrated energy system considering Carbon Capture Utilization and Storage (CCUS) and electric hydrogen production. In order to adapt the configuration scheme to the potential extreme operational scenarios, the uncertainty sets of new energy and load are constructed based on Latin hypercubic sampling. The efficacy is validated through the design of several scenarios and a comparison with alternative methods. The results indicate: 1) Strengthening of carbon emission constraints facilitates the cleaner and electrified transformation of energy. In the shift from “low carbon” to “zero carbon” scenario, the proportion of new energy capacity in power generation equipment increases from 45.1% to 79.8%; the proportion of electric chillers in cooling equipment increases from 1.3% to 7.2%, and reaches 60% under “zero carbon” scenario. 2) With a 36% reduction in the investment cost of new energy, the spatiotemporal transfer value of energy is realized, which increases the investment capacity of energy storage by about 7 times. 3) The configuration of hydrogen production and storage equipment to meet hydrogen demand reduces costs by 19% compared to direct purchasing in “low carbon” scenario. 4) Compared to other methods, the proposed method in this study is able to reduce the solution time and configuration cost.

Energy transformation in parliamentary debates: shifting from technologies to climate strategy in Finland

ABSTRACT Politics plays a key role when states steer themselves towards becoming low-carbon societies, as parliaments hold the power to guide nations’ activities. This article engages in a longitudinal analysis of parliamentary debates on energy, and identifies how topics emerge, evolve in parallel, and diminish. We used transcripts of plenary debates in Finnish parliament to model topics in energy from 2008 to 2020. We show that debates shift from one focus area to another, and that significant political decisions have been followed by policy-related activities, such as taxation and national strategies guiding energy issues. The idea of renewable energy has become more varied and accepted in political debates, further transforming energy politics, and has been partly incorporated in, and replaced by, the debate on climate change mitigation. Reducing carbon emissions has become a key target of energy transformation, and is likely to stay on the agenda in parliamentary debates on energy.

Decentralized Energy Systems and the Circular Economy: Business Models for Sustainable Energy Transitions

To address current rising northern environmental concerns, and a remarkable increase in energy demand, this research aims to investigate the feasibility of implementing both decentralized energy systems and circular economy approach for successful sustainable energy transformations. As a general goal of this research, the aim is to compare different business models of agent-based decentralized energy production according to circular economy principles of efficiency, waste reduction, and secure sources of supply chains. It adopted both quantitative treatment of energy data pertaining to decentralized systems in European and Asian countries and qualitative findings generated from industry case studies. The study shows that business models include energy as a service and community power which plays an important role in energy saving resulting in operational efficiency after the application of the analyzed models leading to a decrease in energy losses ranging between 1530%. The major contribution of this study is to provide an integrative framework that not only emphasises the possibility of decentralised scenarios but also reveals how they can contribute to circular economy aims such as resource circulation and low carbon. Based on the findings of this study, there are insights drawn that speaker to policymakers, business strategists, and environmental organizations as these details a coherent explanation of models of sustainable energy as well as coming up with practical models that can be adopted in largescale manner. The approach of this research within its quantitative and practical methodologies provides valuable insights to inform the analysis of decentralised energy as it contributes to international agenda towards sustainability.