Thermodynamic comparison and dynamic simulation of direct and indirect solar organic Rankine cycle systems with PCM storage

A thermodynamic comparison between a novel direct solar ORC system (DSOS) and indirect solar ORC system (ISOS) is carried out in this study. A phase change material (PCM) heat storage unit is integrated with both systems to ensure the stability of power generation. Water and R245fa are selected as a heat transfer fluids (HTFs) for ISOS and DSOS respectively. However, R245fa is used as working fluid for both systems. Weekly, monthly and annual dynamic simulations are carried out to compare the performance of both systems using hourly weather data of Islamabad, Pakistan. ISOS has shown 1.71% system efficiency and able to provide 34.02 kW/day power while DSOS has shown 4.5 times higher system efficiency and 2.8 times higher power on annual basis. Numerical model for the PCM storage is developed and validated with the previous experimental data. Average annual amount of energy stored by PCM during charging phase for ISOS is 4.24 MW/day higher than DSOS. However, in comparison with ISOS, DSOS has delivered 33.80 kW/day more power to HTF during discharging phase of the PCM on annual basis. Maximum benefits of PCM storage are observed during the summer season compared to the winter season at selected operating conditions. Furthermore, average annual increment in capacity factor by using PCM storage are found to be 21.71% and 17% for DSOS and ISOS respectively

Modelling, simulation and comparison of phase change material storage based direct and indirect solar organic Rankine cycle systems

The thermodynamic performance of a novel direct solar organic Rankine cycle system and conventional indirect solar organic Rankine cycle system is compared in this study. The working fluid is vaporized directly in the solar collectors in direct solar organic Rankine cycle system while heat transfer fluid is used to vaporize the working in indirect solar organic Rankine cycle system. The evacuated flat plate collectors array covering a total aperture area of 150 m2 is employed as a heat source and a phase change material tank having a surface area of 25.82 m2 is used as thermal storage for both configurations. R245fa and water are chosen as heat transfer fluids for direct and indirect solar organic Rankine cycle systems, respectively. However, R245fa is used as a working fluid for both configurations. The performance of both configurations is compared by carrying out weekly, monthly and annual dynamic simulations in MATLAB by using hourly weather data of Islamabad, Pakistan. The direct solar organic Rankine cycle system outperforms the indirect solar organic Rankine cycle system in terms of thermal efficiency and net power. The annual system efficiency and an annual average net power of the direct solar organic Rankine cycle system are 71.96% and 64.38% higher than indirect solar organic Rankine cycle system respectively. However, average annual heat stored by phase change material during charging mode of indirect solar organic Rankine cycle system is 4.24 MJ more than direct solar organic Rankine cycle system. Conversely, direct solar organic Rankine cycle system has provided annual daily average power of 33.80 kW extra to heat transfer fluid during the discharging mode of phase change material storage. Furthermore, with phase change material storage, the capacity factor is increased by 17 % and 21.71 % on annual basis for direct and indirect solar organic Rankine cycle systems, respectively

Kernel recursive least square tracker and long-short term memory ensemble based battery health prognostic model

Summary: A data-driven approach is developed to predict the future capacity of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) in this work. The empirical mode decomposition (EMD), kernel recursive least square tracker (KRLST), and long short-term memory (LSTM) are used to derive the proposed approach. First, the LIB capacity data is split into local regeneration and monotonic global degradation using the EMD approach. Next, the KRLST is used to track the decomposed intrinsic mode functions, and the residual signal is predicted using the LSTM sub-model. Finally, all the predicted intrinsic mode functions and the residual are ensembled to get the future capacity. The experimental and comparative analysis validates the high accuracy (RMSE of 0.00103) of the proposed ensemble approach compared to Gaussian process regression and LSTM fused model. Furthermore, two times lesser error than other fused models makes this approach an efficient tool for battery health prognostics

Proposed Scheme of Pliable Gas Insulated Transmission Line and Its Comparative Appraisal Regarding Electrostatic and Dielectric Aspects

Gas insulated transmission lines (GILs) are being used in electrical systems regarding power transmission and substation interconnection. However, operational complexities of conventional schemes, such as structural rigidity, corrosion protection, gas leakage in case of seismic vibrations, larger bending radius and jointing complexities which restrain their application perspectives, could be curtailed by developing a flexible GIL. In this research paper, a new pliable scheme of gas insulated transmission line is proposed. Further, COMSOL Multiphysics® (version 5.1, COMSOL Inc., Stockholm, Sweden) based electrostatic assay and practically performed high voltage tests-based dielectric analysis is performed for the proposed scheme. Electrostatic appraisal is comprised of field utilization based electrostatic stress analysis. In addition, dimensional optimization of pliable GIL regarding enclosure and pitch sizes in relation to electrostatic stresses and field utilization is also performed. Regarding dielectric perusal, experimental setup has been developed for standard lightning impulse and disruptive discharge tests in order to investigate the synergistic dielectric characteristics of proposed flexible post insulators for pliable GIL. Experimental and simulation appraisal unveil that the proposed scheme exhibits almost analogous electrostatic and dielectric behavior in comparison to the conventional GIL scheme and could simplify the operational intricacies associated with conventional scheme. The proposed modifications could eliminate the requirement of trench development, corrosion protection and acceleration dampers, along with a significant reduction in required land area at bends, due to a smaller bending radius which will ultimately result in substantial cost reduction

Environment-Friendly and Efficient Gaseous Insulator as a Potential Alternative to SF6

Sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) is commonly used in electrical insulation networks due to its superior dielectric properties. However, it possesses a high Global Warming Potential (GWP) of 22,800 times compared to CO2 (at equal mass over a time span of 100 years) and a high atmospheric lifetime. This alarming metric prompted investigation for substitute gases with minor environmental influences. The overall objective of this research is to evaluate refrigerant R152a as a potential alternative for SF6 in electrical insulation systems. R152a gas has a significantly reduced value of GWP (140) and is a cheap insulation medium as compared to SF6. In this paper, dielectric breakdown testing of R152a and a mixture of CO2 with different concentrations have been tested. The dielectric strength of R152a/CO2 gas shows a saturated growth trend with increasing the gap difference, gas pressure and mixing ratio of R152a. Based on our experimental conditions, R152a/CO2 gas reveals good dielectric properties, and insulation performance can reach up to 96% of SF6. Finally, this work will bring a cost-effective and environment-friendly gaseous insulator for utility companies and power equipment manufacturers

Towards a Smarter Battery Management System for Electric Vehicle Applications: A Critical Review of Lithium-Ion Battery State of Charge Estimation

Energy storage system (ESS) technology is still the logjam for the electric vehicle (EV) industry. Lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries have attracted considerable attention in the EV industry owing to their high energy density, lifespan, nominal voltage, power density, and cost. In EVs, a smart battery management system (BMS) is one of the essential components; it not only measures the states of battery accurately, but also ensures safe operation and prolongs the battery life. The accurate estimation of the state of charge (SOC) of a Li-ion battery is a very challenging task because the Li-ion battery is a highly time variant, non-linear, and complex electrochemical system. This paper explains the workings of a Li-ion battery, provides the main features of a smart BMS, and comprehensively reviews its SOC estimation methods. These SOC estimation methods have been classified into four main categories depending on their nature. A critical explanation, including their merits, limitations, and their estimation errors from other studies, is provided. Some recommendations depending on the development of technology are suggested to improve the online estimation

Electro-Mechanical Design and Creep Analysis of Proposed Enclosure for Flexible Gas Insulated Line Regarding Subsurface Metropolitan Applications of High-Voltage Transmission Lines

Land shortage in metropolitan vicinities entails subsurface implementation of power transmission lines (PTLs) which demand structural flexibility, as well as substantial load bearing capability. Thus, development of a flexible gas insulated transmission line (FGIL) necessitates its strength degradation analysis, regarding the synergistic effect of aging and mechanical loadings. Moreover, correlation of conductor and enclosure dimensions of FGIL apropos field distribution, requires careful consideration regarding their dimensional specifications. In this research, a comprehensive electro-mechanical design is performed for the proposed flexible-thermoplastic-enclosure of a 132 kV FGIL by considering the synergistic impact of time and temperature-based aging, along with the effect of external and internal loadings, such as dead load, live load and internal gas pressure. Additionally, a recursive design algorithm for the proposed scheme regarding electro-mechanical aspects, along with aging perspectives is developed. Comparative analysis of proposed and conventional schemes regarding electro-mechanical and aging aspects revealed that the proposed enclosure exhibits the required structural strength, as well as flexibility for trenchless subsurface application of FGILs in metropolitan areas

Evaluation of a Sustainable Urban Transportation System in Terms of Traffic Congestion—A Case Study in Taxila, Pakistan

Traffic delays are not wholly new and are a well-known problem that impacts many of the world’s populations through disruptions and pollution. The rising urbanization and quantity of powered road vehicles necessitate a greater traffic control demand to maintain flow and avoid jams. In order to understand the notion of sustainable transportation, this study first examined sustainable transportation systems. This research then assessed Pakistan’s present transportation infrastructure and urban transportation to find the most reasonable and sustainable alternative to reduce congestion. The Taxila intersection was utilized as a pilot study area because of its vicinity to Pakistan’s leading economic hubs (i.e., industrial estates and the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi). The study used multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) techniques, including the fuzzy AHP, TOPSIS, VIKOR, and traffic simulation software, to determine the optimal solution for a more sustainable transportation system, and reducing traffic congestion. A pairwise comparison of the criteria and alternatives was made using a survey. This survey was used to look into the perspectives of various stakeholders and experts. The outcomes of the fuzzy AHP-TOPSIS and fuzzy AHP-VIKOR revealed that a flyover is the best alternative. In contrast, the best alternative, according to the software was a parking area. Ultimately, we assessed our results using the literature, and site observation, and concluded that a parking area would be the most sustainable alternative in the Taxila intersection

An Optimized Methodology for a Hybrid Photo-Voltaic and Energy Storage System Connected to a Low-Voltage Grid

The growing human population and the increasing energy needs have produced a serious energy crisis, which has stimulated researchers to look for alternative energy sources. The diffusion of small-scale renewable distributed generations (DG) with micro-grids can be a promising solution to meet the environmental obligations. The uncertainty and sporadic nature of renewable energy sources (RES) is the main obstacle to their use as autonomous energy sources. In order to overcome this, a storage system is required. This paper proposes an optimized strategy for a hybrid photovoltaic (PV) and battery storage system (BSS) connected to a low-voltage grid. In this study, a cost function is formulated to minimize the net cost of electricity purchased from the grid. The charging and discharging of the battery are operated optimally to minimize the defined cost function. Half-hourly electricity consumer load data and solar irradiance data collected from the United Kingdom (UK) for a whole year are utilized in the proposed methodology. Five cases are discussed for a comparative cost analysis of the electricity imported and exported. The proposed scheme provides a techno-economic analysis of the combination of a BSS with a low-voltage grid, benefitting from the feed-in tariff (FIT) scheme