Review of potential and actual penetration of solar power in Vietnam

With the average solar radiation reaching up to 5 kWh/m2, Vietnam is considered as a country showing an excellent potential for solar power production. Since the year 2000, there have been a lot of studies about the potential of this source in Vietnam. So far, many applications of solar power have been implemented on small, medium, and large scales. In fact, the total capacity of current grid-connected solar power plants has exceeded the planned capacity by 2020 nearly 6 times. However, the studies of solar potential in Vietnam are still incomplete. The policies and mechanisms for developing solar power projects have received attention from the authorities but have not been really satisfactory. The infrastructure is still poor and the power system does not keep up with the development of modern grids. This paper reviewed the potential and actual implementation stage of photovoltaic projects in Vietnam. Moreover, the barriers and challenges of institution, technique, economy, and finance have been considered explicitly for the future development of solar energy in Vietnam

Critical Assessments of the Potential for Integrating Renewable Energy into Isolated Grids on Vietnamese Islands: The Case of the An-Binh Grid

Renewable electricity for off-grid areas is widely seen as one of the top choices in supporting local economic development in most countries, and so is Vietnam. Over the years, many isolated networks using renewable energy sources have been deployed for off-grid areas in Vietnam. However, the use of these energy sources in Vietnam’s isolated networks is still facing many challenges due to its infancy here. The issues of reliability and vulnerability of these networks are not given the expected attention. Another challenge is that the issues of the operational security of these systems could also be negatively affected by the variable nature of renewable sources, including static and dynamic security. For this reason, this study aims to contribute to a better understanding of integrating renewable energy into isolated networks, and in this case, using solar power for the An-Binh Island grid in Vietnam. The findings from this study suggest that choosing the right structure of the power mix could contribute to improving the operational security of isolated networks. Moreover, several solutions to enhance the reliability of this grid are also proposed. The NEPLAN environment was selected for simulation and analysis for all the scenarios in this study

The transition towards a sustainable energy system in Europe: What role can North Africa's solar resources play?

Securing energy supply and speeding up the transition towards a reliable, sustainable, low-carbon energy system are among the major current and future challenges facing Europe. Importing dispatchable solar electricity from North Africa is considered as a potential and attractive option. Nevertheless, as things currently stand, the European Commission focuses mainly on the exploitation of the existing wind power potential in the North Sea, largely ignoring the solar power potential in the Sahara region of North Africa. After discussing the major challenges and issues facing Europe to achieve the assigned ambitious objectives, the paper emphasises the importance of North Africa's solar resources in helping Europe to successfully address the challenge of decarbonising its electricity system, in particular with regards to the security of supply and sustainability. Within these two major challenges, the paper explores the issues of access, barriers and opportunities. The paper highlights why the EU’s energy and climate goals will not be achievable without adequate grid expansion and grid-scale energy storage facilities, as well as other innovative measures to manage demand and ensure a secure energy supply. In this respect, the paper shows how the import of dispatchable electricity from North Africa via specific HVDC links could play a key role in helping the EU achieve its energy targets in a cost effective way without recourse to significant investments in transmission infrastructure and storage facilities. The paper then attempts to identify and analyze the main barriers that continue to inhibit the export of solar electricity from North Africa to Europe. Finally, to make the project more attractive and achievable in the near future, the paper proposes a systematic approach for setting up energy import scenarios. A promising import scenario is presented where energy import via Italy is shown to be a more viable and effective solution than via Spain.Peer reviewe

Engineering validation for lithium target facility of the IFMIF under IFMIF/EVEDA project

The International Fusion Materials Irradiation Facility (IFMIF), presently in the Engineering Validation and Engineering Design Activities (EVEDA) phase was started from 2007 under the frame of the Broader Approach (BA) agreement. In the activities, a prototype Li loop with the world's highest flow rate of 3000L/min was constructed in 2010, and it succeeded in generating a 100mm wide and 25mm thick with a free-surface lithium flow along a concave back plate steadily at a high-speed of 15m/s at 250°C for 1300h. In the demonstration operation it was needed to develop the Li flowing measurement system with precious resolution less than 0.1mm, and a new wave height measuring method which is laser-probe method was developed for measurements of the 3D geometry of the liquid Li target surface. Using the device, the stability of the variation in the Li flowing thickness which is required in the IFMIF specification was ±1mm or less as the liquid Li target, and the result was satisfied with it and the feasibility of the long-term stable liquid Li flow was also verified. The results of the other engineering validation tests such as lithium purification tests of lithium target facility have also been evaluated and summarized

Avoiding or Reversing Hartmann’s Procedure Provides Improved Quality of Life After Perforated Diverticulitis

# 2010 The Author(s). This article is published with open access at Springerlink.com Introduction The existing literature regarding acute perforated diverticulitis only reports about short-term outcome; longterm following outcomes have not been assessed before. The aim of this study was to assess long-term quality of life (QOL) after emergency surgery for perforated diverticulitis. Patients and Methods Validated QOL questionnaires (EQ-VAS, EQ-5D index, QLQ-C30, and QLQ-CR38) were sent to all eligible patients who had undergone emergency surgery for perforated diverticulitis in five teaching hospitals between 199

2013 WSES guidelines for management of intra-abdominal infections

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