German Electricity Reserve Markets

This paper analyzes the functioning of the markets for electricity reserves in Germany. We provide an overview of the technical requirements and the market design and structure of the primary, secondary and tertiary reserve markets, and then look at developments following the introduction of market-based reserve management. We assess the dependence of the minute reserve market by conducting a correlation analysis. The results indicate an increasing correlation among Germany’s four local markets as well as a relationship to wholesale market outcomes. We test the competitiveness of the reserve market by estimating the average income a peak load supplier can obtain by bidding on the reserve market

German Electricity Reserve Markets

This paper analyzes the functioning of the markets for electricity reserves in Germany. We provide an overview of the technical requirements and the market design and structure of the primary, secondary and tertiary reserve markets, and then look at developments following the introduction of market-based reserve management. We assess the dependence of the minute reserve market by conducting a correlation analysis. The results indicate an increasing correlation among Germany’s four local markets as well as a relationship to wholesale market outcomes. We test the competitiveness of the reserve market by estimating the average income a peak load supplier can obtain by bidding on the reserve market

Triplet Exciton Generation in Bulk-Heterojunction Solar Cells based on Endohedral Fullerenes

Organic bulk-heterojunctions (BHJ) and solar cells containing the trimetallic nitride endohedral fullerene 1-[3-(2-ethyl)hexoxy carbonyl]propyl-1-phenyl-Lu3N@C80 (Lu3N@C80-PCBEH) show an open circuit voltage (VOC) 0.3 V higher than similar devices with [6,6]-phenyl-C[61]-butyric acid methyl ester (PC61BM). To fully exploit the potential of this acceptor molecule with respect to the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of solar cells, the short circuit current (JSC) should be improved to become competitive with the state of the art solar cells. Here, we address factors influencing the JSC in blends containing the high voltage absorber Lu3N@C80-PCBEH in view of both photogeneration but also transport and extraction of charge carriers. We apply optical, charge carrier extraction, morphology, and spin-sensitive techniques. In blends containing Lu3N@C80-PCBEH, we found 2 times weaker photoluminescence quenching, remainders of interchain excitons, and, most remarkably, triplet excitons formed on the polymer chain, which were absent in the reference P3HT:PC61BM blends. We show that electron back transfer to the triplet state along with the lower exciton dissociation yield due to intramolecular charge transfer in Lu3N@C80-PCBEH are responsible for the reduced photocurrent

Polymer Derived Ceramic Membranes for Gas Separation

Ceramic membranes based on polymer derived ceramics (PDCs) like silicon oxycarbide (SiOC) and silicon carbonitride (SiCN) offer an attractive combination of physical and chemical properties like chemical inertia, high mechanical strength and high temperature resistance. SiOC and SiCN membranes were deposited as thin layers by coating on top of tubular asymmetric porous ceramic substrates starting from a polymeric precursor solution followed by crosslinking and pyrolysis above 600 °C in inert atmosphere. High ideal permselectivities were achieved at 300 °C. SiOC membrane showed nearly ten times higher permeances of hydrogen to carbon dioxide and therefore possessed molecular sieving properties in separation of H2/CO2. A comparable SiCN membrane had a very low H2/CO2 ideal permselectivity but promising results for the other ideal permselectivities

Ziffern und ihre Anordnung im Flankerexperiment

Flankerexperimente tragen als weit verbreitetes Paradigma zur Aufklärung der Struktur visueller Aufmerksamkeit bei. Diese Studie untersucht in Anlehnung an frühere Studien die räumliche Struktur der Aufmerksamkeit in einem Flankerexperiment mit Ziffern in horizontaler und vertikaler Anordnung. Dazu wurden die Daten von 75 Probanden (40 männlich, 35 weiblich) im Alter zwischen 18 und 64 Jahren ausgewertet. Für die typischen Reaktionszeiten und die Fehlerraten wurden separate 2x2x2-faktorielle Varianzanalysen mit den Faktoren Anordnung und den beiden Flankerkompatibilitäten durchgeführt. Das Bild der Reaktionszeiten bestätigt frühere Befunde zur räumlichen Struktur der Aufmerksamkeit auch für die Verwendung von Ziffern: Horizontale Flanker haben einen stärkeren Effekt als vertikale Flanker und in Leserichtung vorhergehende (linke bzw. obere) Flanker haben einen stärkeren Effekt als nachfolgende (rechte bzw. untere) Flanker. In den Fehlerquoten ergibt sich in vertikaler Anordnung ein umgekehrtes Bild: Der untere Flanker hat einen stärkeren Einfluss auf die Fehlerrate als der obere Flanker. Die Befunde werden mit Bezug zu Lesegewohnheiten in die Verarbeitungskette aus Wahrnehmung, Klassifikation, Reaktionsgenerierung und Reaktionauswahl bei Flankerexperimenten eingeordnet und mit unterschiedlichen Wirkmechanismen auf Reaktionszeit und Fehlerrate erklärt. Weiterführende Experimente werden zur weiteren Untersuchung der Befunde vorgeschlagen

Disassembly analysis of slates: Design for repair and recycling evaluation. Final report: Version August 2013

This project was initiated by Fraunhofer IZM, Berlin, to investigate the current status of slate designs with respect to repair and recycling. Following the Energy Star definition, slate computing devices are defined as a type of computer lacking a physical keyboard, relying solely on touchscreen input, having solely a wireless network connection (e.g., Wi-Fi, 3G), and primarily powered from an internal battery (with connection to the mains for charging, not primary powering of the device). EPEAT supported this project. An overarching objective upon request by EPEAT is to create an independent evidence base for future stakeholder discussions on EPEAT criteria for slates. It is not the objective of this study to propose such criteria, nor did the study take into account all facets to def ine such criteria. Definitely, additional aspects and arguments need to be considered thoroughly in the course of the upcoming stakeholder process