Maintenance program for Electric Vehicles power train by Reliability Centred Maintenance

The reduction of environmental pollution is one of the greatest challenges for humanity, today and for the immediate future. Air quality is one of the most critical aspects in determining people’s health, particularly in big cities, and transportation emissions are currently considered accountable for almost 32% of total air contamination. The more widespread use of green vehicles could have important effects both on the environment and the economy, and this thesis work intends to focus on reliability and maintainability of pure-electric vehicles (EVs). The main objectives of this paper are: • To conduct research into state-of -art of pure-electric car powertrain technology, describing the functions and operations of its various components: mechanical, electrical and the control links between those components are all carefully considered. • To identify and define a long term maintenance plan for the power train system, utilising the RCM method. In order to achieve these targets and objectives, a wide literature review will be conducted on existing electric vehicle technology, taking already published and available information from similar technologies which are more mature than EVs one, but with comparable run conditions and operations. The method adopted for this maintenance study is Reliability Centred Maintenance (RCM): this logic will be reviewed and applied to the powertrain system, designing and completing proper worksheets (COFA worksheet and PM task worksheet) which will form the suggested maintenance plan. This proposed plan consists of various elements including: failure modes identification, failure effects on the vehicle, criticality classification of the components, failure causes identification and suggested preventive maintenance tasks with proper periodicity. In the final part of the paper, the results and outcomes of the analysis will be discussed, and possible future developments will be identified

False Data Injection Impact on High RES Power Systems with Centralized Voltage Regulation Architecture

The increasing penetration of distributed generation (DG) across power distribution networks (DNs) is forcing distribution system operators (DSOs) to improve the voltage regulation capabilities of the system. The increase in power flows due to the installation of renewable plants in unexpected zones of the distribution grid can affect the voltage profile, even causing interruptions at the secondary substations (SSs) with the voltage limit violation. At the same time, widespread cyberattacks across critical infrastructure raise new challenges in security and reliability for DSOs. This paper analyzes the impact of false data injection related to residential and non-residential customers on a centralized voltage regulation system, in which the DG is required to adapt the reactive power exchange with the grid according to the voltage profile. The centralized system estimates the distribution grid state according to the field data and provides the DG plants with a reactive power request to avoid voltage violations. A preliminary false data analysis in the context of the energy sector is carried out to build up a false data generator algorithm. Afterward, a configurable false data generator is developed and exploited. The false data injection is tested in the IEEE 118-bus system with an increasing DG penetration. The false data injection impact analysis highlights the need to increase the security framework of DSOs to avoid facing a relevant number of electricity interruptions

Reduction by the Positive Allosteric Modulator of the GABAB Receptor, GS39783, of Alcohol Self-Administration in Sardinian Alcohol-Preferring Rats Exposed to the “Sipper” Procedure

The present study was designed to evaluate (a) alcohol self-administration behavior of selectively bred, Sardinian alcohol-preferring (sP) rats exposed to the so-called “sipper” procedure (characterized by the temporal separation between alcohol-seeking and -taking phases), and (b) the effect of the positive allosteric modulator of the GABAB receptor, GS39783, on alcohol self-administration in sP rats exposed to this procedure. To this end, sP rats were initially trained to lever-respond under a reinforcement requirement (RR) 55 (RR55) for alcohol. Achievement of RR55 resulted in the 20-min presentation of the alcohol (15%, v/v)-containing sipper bottle. Once stable levels of lever-responding and alcohol consumption were reached, rats were treated with 0, 25, 50, and 100 mg/kg GS39783 (i.g.) 60 min before the self-administration session. Rats displayed robust alcohol-seeking (as suggested by relatively short latencies to the first lever-response and high frequencies of lever-responding) and -taking (as suggested by alcohol intakes averaging approximately 1.5 g/kg) behaviors. Pretreatment with GS39783 inhibited both alcohol-seeking (the number of rats achieving RR55 and the mean RR value were virtually halved) and -taking (the amount of self-administered alcohol was reduced by approximately 60%). The results of the present study suggest the power of the “sipper” procedure in triggering high levels of alcohol-seeking and -taking behavior in sP rats. Further, these results extend to this additional procedure of alcohol self-administration the capacity of GS39783 to reduce the motivational properties of alcohol and alcohol consumption in sP rats

COVID-19 patients display changes in lymphocyte subsets with a higher frequency of dysfunctional CD8lo T cells associated with disease severity

This work examines cellular immunity against SARS-CoV-2 in patients from Córdoba, Argentina, during two major waves characterized by different circulating viral variants and different social behavior. Using flow cytometry, we evaluated the main lymphocyte populations of peripheral blood from hospitalized patients with moderate and severe COVID-19 disease. Our results show disturbances in the cellular immune compartment, as previously reported in different cohorts worldwide. We observed an increased frequency of B cells and a significant decrease in the frequency of CD3+ T cells in COVID-19 patients compared to healthy donors (HD). We also found a reduction in Tregs, which was more pronounced in severe patients. During the first wave, the frequency of GZMB, CD107a, CD39, and PD-1-expressing conventional CD4+ T (T conv) cells was significantly higher in moderate and severe patients than in HD. During the second wave, only the GZMB+ T conv cells of moderate and severe patients increased significantly. In addition, these patients showed a decreased frequency in IL-2-producing T conv cells. Interestingly, we identified two subsets of circulating CD8+ T cells with low and high CD8 surface expression in both HD and COVID-19 patients. While the percentages of CD8hi and CD8lo T cells within the CD8+ population in HD are similar, a significant increase was observed in CD8lo T cell frequency in COVID-19 patients. CD8lo T cell populations from HD as well as from SARS-CoV-2 infected patients exhibited lower frequencies of the effector cytokine-producing cells, TNF, IL-2, and IFN-γ, than CD8hi T cells. Interestingly, the frequency of CD8lo T cells increased with disease severity, suggesting that this parameter could be a potential marker for disease progression. Indeed, the CD8hi/CD8lo index helped to significantly improve the patient’s clinical stratification and disease outcome prediction. Our data support the addition of, at least, a CD8hi/CD8lo index into the panel of biomarkers commonly used in clinical labs, since its determination may be a useful tool with impact on the therapeutic management of the patients

Electrical Energy Production from Natural Gas. Technical and Economic Performances during the Last Twenty Years

During the last twenty years (2000 - 2020) natural gas was the second fuel for electrical energy production. Even if its availability could be affected by force majeure events because of its geographical distribution, it has still a great share in many countries. The paper presents an analysis of the last twenty years of natural gas production, it analyses the technical indicators (i.e., capacity factor, energy efficiency and emissions) as well as the levelized cost of energy. The work is based on data publicly available, evaluating the actual working conditions of the power plants supplied by natural gas. Main outcomes show that actual indicators are significantly lower than rated values; this is mainly due to market conditions that are often unfavorable for production from coal. Finally, the results can be used for adjusting the most recent energy policies, that are going to face new market conditions because of force majeure events (i.e., Ukraine invasion) as well as decarbonization processes, already developed in many European countries

USO DI DERIVATI DELL’ACIDO 2-AMMINOTIOFEN-3- CARBOSSILICO PER IL TRATTAMENTO DELLE DIPENDENZE DA CIBO

Sono descritti derivati dell’acido 2-aminotiofen-3-carbossilico di formula (I), in cui R1, R2, A, G e Y assumono i significati indicati nella descrizione, utili per il trattamento delle dipendenze da cibo e dei disturbi dell’alimentazione

Electrical Energy Production from Coal: Technical and Economic Performances during the Last Twenty Years

During the last twenty years (2000 - 2020) coal was the first fuel for electrical energy production. Even if the global production is decreasing, it has still the highest share in the world energy mix. The paper presents an analysis of the last twenty years of coal production, it analyses the technical indicators (i.e., capacity factor, energy efficiency and emissions) as well as the levelized cost of energy. The presented analysis is based on data publicly available, summing up the actual working conditions of the coal power plants. Main outcomes highlight that actual indicators are significantly lower than rated values; this is mainly due to market conditions that are often unfavorable for production from coal. Finally, the results can be used for adjusting the most recent energy policies, that are going to face new market conditions because of force maj eure events (i.e., Ukraine crisis) as well as decarbonization processes, already developed in many European countries

Sardinia as a 100% renewable power system: A frequency stability study

Sustainable Energy, Grids and Networks Volume 32, December 2022, 100899 Sardinia as a 100% renewable power system: A frequency stability study Author links open overlay panelFedericoCarereLudovicoNati https://doi.org/10.1016/j.segan.2022.100899 Get rights and content Abstract This paper investigates a real complex power system supplied by a 100% renewable generation, focusing on the primary frequency regulation. The grid and the power production park are represented by means of an electro-mechanical model in a free open-source environment. The lack of synchronous generators in the grid, due to the conventional power plants shutdowns, requires higher performances from renewable power plants (RPPs) in terms of synchronization and inertial response. Doubly fed induction generators (DFIGs) are identified as the promising power plants able to lessen inertial issues. DFIG system control is investigated in the present paper, according to the recent studies in the literature, implementing a new strategy of control in case of avoiding maximum power point tracker (MPPT) operation. The 100% renewable 112-bus Sardinia islanded power system is the case study of this paper. Four scenarios were selected to show the primary frequency response in the most critical under and upper frequency events among the year. The simulations revealed that the most severe frequency nadir in the simulation reached a decrease of 0.37 Hz. DFIGs control system appeared robust in terms of inertial response and capability of reaching new stable operating point

Suppressing effect of CMPPE, a new positive allosteric modulator of the GABAB receptor, on alcohol self-administration and reinstatement of alcohol seeking in rats

Positive allosteric modulators (PAMs) of the GABAB receptor constitute a class of pharmacological agents gaining increasing attention in the alcohol research field because of their ability to suppress several alcohol-related behaviors in rodents. CMPPE is a novel GABAB PAM, still limitedly characterized in vivo. It was therefore of interest to test its ability to affect operant, oral self-administration of alcohol and cueinduced reinstatement of alcohol seeking in alcohol-preferring rats. To this end, female Sardinian alcohol-preferring (sP) rats were trained to lever-respond for alcohol (15% v/v) under the fixed ratio (FR) 5 (FR5) schedule of reinforcement. Once lever-responding had stabilized, rats were exposed to test sessions (under the FR5 [Experiment 1] and progressive ratio [PR; Experiment 2] schedules of reinforcement) preceded by treatment with CMPPE (0, 2.5, 5, and 10 mg/kg; intraperitoneally [i.p.]). In Experiment 3, once lever-responding had stabilized, rats underwent an extinction responding phase and then a single reinstatement session during which lever-responding was resumed by the non-contingent presentation of a complex of alcohol-associated cues; CMPPE (0, 2.5, 5, and 10 mg/kg; i.p.) was administered before the reinstatement session. Selectivity of CMPPE actionwas assessed by evaluating the effect of CMPPE (0, 2.5, 5, and 10 mg/kg; i.p.) on self-administration of a chocolate solution in male Wistar rats (Experiment 4). In Experiments 1 and 2, treatment with 5 and 10 mg/kg CMPPE reduced lever-responding and breakpoint for alcohol. In Experiment 3, treatment with 5 and 10 mg/kg CMPPE suppressed reinstatement of alcohol seeking. In Experiment 4, no dose of CMPPE affected lever-responding for the chocolate solution. These results extend to CMPPE the ability of all previously tested GABAB PAMs to affect alcohol-motivated behaviors in rodents and confirm that these effects are a shared feature of the entire class of GABAB PAMs. This conclusion is of relevance in view of the forthcoming transition of GABAB PAMs to clinical testing