Performance analysis of multiple energy-storage devices used in electric vehicles

This is the final version. Available from MDPI via the DOI in this record. Data Availability Statement: The original contributions presented in the study are included in the article, further inquiries can be directed to the corresponding authors.Considering environmental concerns, electric vehicles (EVs) are gaining popularity over conventional internal combustion (IC) engine-based vehicles. Hybrid energy-storage systems (HESSs), comprising a combination of batteries and supercapacitors (SCs), are increasingly utilized in EVs. Such HESS-equipped EVs typically outperform standard electric vehicles. However, the effective management of power sources to meet varying power demands remains a major challenge in the hybrid electric vehicles. This study presents the development of a MATLAB Simulink model for a hybrid energy-storage system aimed at alleviating the load on batteries during periods of high power demand. Two parallel combinations are investigated: one integrating the battery with a supercapacitor and the other with a photovoltaic (PV) system. These configurations address challenges encountered in EVs, such as power fluctuations and battery longevity issues. Although lead- batteries are commonly used in conjunction with solar PV systems for energy storage, they incur higher operating costs due to the necessity of converters. The findings suggest that the proposed supercapacitor–battery configuration reduces battery peak power consumption by up to 39%. Consequently, the supercapacitor–battery HESS emerges as a superior option, possibly prolonging battery cycle life by mitigating stress induced by fluctuating power exchanges during the charging and discharging phases

Dextrin

Dextrins are low-molecular-weight carbohydrates produced by partial hydrolysis of glycogen or starch achieved by applying dry heat under acidic conditions (pyrolysis or roasting) and/or using enzymes (amylases), malting or mashing. Dextrin is thus a glucose-containing saccharide polymer having the same general formula of starch, but smaller and less complex. Depending on the source and on how it is digested, it can exhibit different structural features (linear, branched, or cyclic) and properties such as hygroscopicity, fermentability, sweetness, stability, gelation, solubility, bioavailability, and molecular compositions. Among starch-derived materials, dextrin is widely used in a variety of applications, namely, adhesives in the manufacture of gummed tapes, textiles and paper, as moisturizing component in cosmetics, or in the food industry. However, its biocompatibility and biodegradability combined with its low cost, abundance, and availability in medical grade make dextrin an excellent polymer for biomedical applications. In this entry, we present an overview of biomedical applications of linear dextrins. The potential of dextrin as tissue engineering scaffolds, hydrogels, drug delivery systems, excipient in tablets, or nanomedicines are thoroughly discussed in this entry.C.G., S.M., V.C. and D.S. were supported by the grants SFRH/BPD/70524/2010, SFRH/BPD/64726/2009, SFRH/ BPD/73850/2010 and SFRH/BD/64571/2009, respectively, from Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT), Portugal. We thank FCT funding through EuroNanoMed ENMED/0002/2010.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio