61,734 research outputs found
Pipeline politics and energy (in)security in Central and South-Eastern Europe
No abstract available
Pipeline politics and energy (in)security in Central and South-Eastern Europe
No abstract available
Experimental and computational investigation of a new solar integrated collector storage system
The paper discusses a combined experimental-numerical analysis of an innovative solar thermal device to be used as an Integrated Collector Storage (ICS) system providing domestic hot water. In this equipment the collector acts also as a storage unit, without requiring an external vessel. Due to its simple configuration, the ICS device was successfully used in several circumstances, especially in extreme situations such as in post-earthquake tent cities or to reach remote users in Africa.
In order to assess the efficiency of this collector, the draw-off process was investigated measuring the value of the mean temperature of the water discharging from the tap as cold water filled the collector. In the present configuration the draw-off is not completely optimised and a detailed analysis was carried out in order to investigate the mixing of cold and hot water in the solar collector during the discharge phase.
A series of thermocouples was placed in selected positions around the shield of the collector to investigate the evolution of the near wall temperature.
Furthermore, a numerical analysis based on Large-Eddy Simulation (LES) of the mixing process inside the collector was carried out using an open source, in-house, finite-volume computational code. Even if some restrictive hypotheses were made on the thermal boundary conditions and the absence of stratification, the LES results gave interesting findings to improve the collector performance
European Unionâs Dependency on Russian Energy. Geopolitical Considerations
Russia is not a military or economic superpower anymore, but is still an energy superpower. Itâs advantage? Russia controls the access to the energy resources on its own territory and the ones in its âclose vicinityâ. Considering the geostrategic energy resources, the Caspian Sea is a âRussian lakeâ or a âmare nostrumâ. Bearing in mind that the Middle East is under âAmerican controlâ and in conflict for thirty years, and China became a âblack holeâ in this field, absorbing anything it can, the Caspian area appeared for the European consumers âthe promised landâ of energy, especially after the implosion of the communist system. Now, here we find the most important international actors: Russia, USA, European Union and China. Will the Caspian area become a new âMiddle Eastâ?geostrategic energy resources; European Union; Russia; energy resources geopolitics
EV charging stations and RES-based DG: A centralized approach for smart integration in active distribution grids
Renewable Energy Sources based (RES-based) Dispersed Generation (DG) and Electrical Vehicles (EVs) charging systems diffusion is in progress in many Countries around the word. They have huge effects on the distribution grids planning and operation, particularly on MV and LV distribution grids. Many studies on their impact on the power systems are ongoing, proposing different approaches of managing. The present work deals with a real application case of integration of EVs charging stations with ES-based DG. The final task of the integration is to be able to assure the maximum utilization of the distribution grid to which both are connected, without any upgrading action, and in accordance with Distribution System Operators (DSOs) needs. The application of the proposed approach is related to an existent distribution system, owned by edistribuzione, the leading DSO in Italy. Diverse types of EVs supplying stations, with diverse diffusion scenarios, have been assumed for the case study; various Optimal Power Flow (OPF) models, based on diverse objective functions, reflecting DSO necessities, have been applied and tried. The obtained results demonstrate that a centralized management approach by the DSO, could assure the respect of operation limits of the system in the actual asset, delaying or avoiding upgrading engagements and charges
Globalization and European Integration: Threat or Opportunity? Perception, knowledge and policy preferences. eupinions 2018/1 of European citizens. eupinions
The Eurozone crisis has pushed reform of the European Union (EU) to the forefront
of political debate. How can a Union of 28 states with a population of over half
a billion be reformed to weather future economic crises and political challenges?
Finding an answer to this question is extremely difficult not only because current
reform proposals are so varied, but even more so because we lack insights into the
preferences for reform amongst national elites and publics.
Although EU support
has interested scholars for over three decades now, we virtually
know nothing
about public support for EU reform. Current research
focuses
almost
exclusively
on the causes of support for the current project and fails to provide a sufficient
basis for effective reform decisions. Surely, the feasibility
and sustainability of
EU reform crucially hinges on the support amongst national
publics. eupinions
examines public support for EU reform by developing a theoretical model and
employing cutting-edge data collection techniques. Our findings will aid policy
makers to craft EU reform proposals that can secure widespread public support
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