Applications of power to gas technologies in emerging electrical systems

Abstract The energy sector is undergoing substantial changes in order to promote better efficiency, increase the use of renewable energy, reduce emissions and effectively deploy technologies to trade off costs and benefits One emerging solution is the application of the Power-to-Gas technology, which can be used for different purposes. In recent years, Power-to-Gas has been studied to understand the role it could play in the electrical system. This paper has the aims of analysing the existing literature about the Power-to-Gas technology in detail, by considering some solutions that have a direct impact on the electrical system (in particular electrolyser and CO2 production) and applications in the different sectors of the electricity value chain (i.e., generation, transmission, distribution and utilisation). This paper sets out the conceptual aspects that are necessary to include Power-to-Gas facilities in a more comprehensive analysis framework of the operation of the electrical system in various sectors. Some perspectives concerning new Power-to-Gas applications are also presented for each sector, and some promising aspects that are expected to play a relevant role in the future technical and economic evolution of electrical systems are discussed

Taking Sides : Clashing Views On Controversial Social Issues - 5/E

This fifth edition of taking sides clashing views on controversial social issues continues the well development purpose of providing student with carefully considered and sharply opposed viewpoints on a number of enduring social issues. The editors provide on concise introduction to and postscript summary for each issue and then stand back to allow the pro and contra essays to speak for themselves. These essays have been selected for liveliness and substance and represent the arguments of leading social scientists and commentators. The student who has thoughtfully examined opposing viewpoints on a number of important issues should soon perceive what other position can be occupied on those issues and what other issues demand a careful consideration of antithetical viewpoints. It is the development of this critical approach to information which is the ultimate purpose of this and other volumes in the widely acclaimed taking sides program

Real-Time Image-Based Motion Detection Using Color and Structure

In this paper we propose a method for automating the process of detecting regions of motion in a video sequence in real time. The main idea of this work is to detect motion based on both structure and color. The detection using structure is carried out with the aid of information gathered from the Census Transform computed on gradient images based on Sobel operators. The Census Transform characterizes local intensity patterns in an image region. Color-based detection is done using color histograms, which allow efficient characterization without prior assumptions about color distribution in the scene. The probabilities obtained from the gradient-based Census Transform and from Color Histograms are combined in a robust way to detect the zones of active motion. Experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach

Design and Calibration Strategies for Improving HCCI Combustion in Dual-Fuel Diesel–Methane Engines

The interest in methane is lately increased due to power-to-gas tech-nologies, through which green electricity in excess could be used to produce eas-ily storable gaseous fuels. Among engines for methane exploitation, dual-fuel piston engines is a very efficient and low impact solution. Their operation, still limited by high hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide emissions at low and knock at high loads, is characterized by many parameters. Besides the ones well recog-nized in literature, like pilot quantity and substitution rate, other parameters, like engine volumetric compression ratio, intake charge conditions, pilot injection pressure and timing, engine load and speed and exhaust gas recirculation showed an impact on engine performance and emissions. This work first describes the results of a full factorial DoE in which the effects of compression ratio, intake charge pressure, pilot injection timing and pressure, and methane flow rate effect, are evaluated and discussed on combustion devel-opment, engine performance and pollutant emission levels at the exhaust. Through ANalysis of VAriance analysis, the first and second order effects were also quantified. Moreover, the factors variation ranges leading the engine to operate in or close to HCCI combustion, i.e. guaranteeing a high conversion efficiency and low emission levels at the same time, were sought and highlighted. This suggested that not only very advanced, but also retarded injection timings, combined with high intake charge pressure determine very low levels of nitrogen oxides and maximum pressure rise rate, with little or no penalty on engine efficiency and emission levels