Temperature and Pressure-Induced Atomic Structure Evolution During Solidification of Zr50Nb50 Metallic Melt via Molecular Dynamics Simulation

In this report, the evolution of the local atomic structure of the Zr50Nb50 melt was investigated by applying temperature (2600 to 300 K) and pressure (0 to 50 Gpa) using classical molecular dynamics simulations. To gain clear insight into the structural evolution during quenching, we used various methods of structural analysis such as the radial distribution function g(r), coordination number, bond angle distribution, and Voronoi tessellation. We found that the icosahedral motifs (which are the signature of the short-range ordering) and distorted BCC-like clusters dominate in the liquid and glass region under 0 and 5 Gpa external pressure. A first-order phase transition to a crystal-like structure was observed at 10, 15, and 20 Gpa external pressure at 1400, 1500, and 1600 K, respectively. Before the first-order phase transition, the system was dominated by icosahedral and distorted BCC-like clusters. When the temperature is lowered further below the glass transition at 10,15, and 20 Gpa external pressure, all structural analyses show that the solidified system consists mainly of body-centered cubic-like clusters in the case of our specific cooling rate of 1012 K/s.Comment: 11 figure

Combining green energy technologies to electrify rural community of Wollega, Western Ethiopia

Power shortages are a major problem in rural Ethiopia. Only about 45% of people living in around cities have access to the public power grid. The rest of the inhabitants lives in rural regions with limited access to grid-connected energy. To evaluate the potential of a standalone solar-wind hybrid energy system (HES) for a rural off-grid settlement in western Ethiopia, a feasibility study was performed. The electrical demand of a model household, comprising a school and health facility, was calculated. HOMER Pro is a tool for determining the viability of HES. When the software is executed, optimization results are obtained and sorted according to the lowest net present cost (NPC) and cost of Electricity (COE). The results reveal that the Photovoltaic (PV)/battery/converter combination is the most cost-effective, with the lowest NPC and COE. This setup's NPC is $9150, the COE is$0.173/kWh, and the renewable resource contribution is 100%. The study's findings can be used by interested parties, decision makers and investors to show the benefits of increasing renewable energy, modifying components, and reducing electricity bills