Influence of the intraday electricity market structure on the degradation of Li-ion batteries used to firm PV production

This article considers the introduction of Li-ion batteries in photovoltaic power plants to firm their energy production and analyzes the dependence of their degradation on the structure of the electricity market where the power production is traded. The operation of the batteries is decided as a result of successive optimization problems that benefit from the use of deep-learning-based irradiance forecasting tools with low prediction error, which allows the batteries to keep a small size. In addition, state-of-the-art battery aging models are handled to derive a realistic lifetime prognosis. The simulation results obtained by using real data from three European locations, which have different irradiance patterns and market structures, show how the proposed control strategy makes it possible to decouple the saturation rate of the batteries from the climatic conditions of the plant location. Furthermore, regarding the market structure, the results show that the shorter the energy block and the closer the lead time, the lower is the degradation of the batteries.Funding for open access charge: CRUE-Universitat Jaume

Level set implementation for the simulation of anisotropic etching: application to complex MEMS micromachining

The use of atomistic methods, such as the continuous cellular automaton (CCA), is currently regarded as an accurate and efficient approach for the simulation of anisotropic etching in the development of micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS). However, whenever the targeted etching condition is modified (e. g. by changing the substrate material, etchant type, concentration and/or temperature) this approach requires performing a time-consuming recalibration of the full set of internal atomistic rates defined within the method. Based on the level set (LS) approach as an alternative and using the experimental data directly as input, we present a fully operational simulator that exhibits similar accuracy to the latest CCA models. The proposed simulator is tested by describing a wide range of silicon and quartz MEMS structures obtained in different etchants through complex processes, including double-sided etching as well as different mask patterns during different etching steps and/or simultaneous masking materials on different regions of the substrate. The results demonstrate that the LS method is able to simulate anisotropic etching for complex MEMS processes with similar computational times and accuracy as the atomistic models.This work has been supported by the Spanish FPI-MICINN BES-2011-045940 grant and the Ramon y Cajal Fellowship Program by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation. Also, we acknowledge support by the JAE-Doc grant from the Junta para la Ampliacion de Estudios program co-funded by FSE and the Professor Partnership Program by NVIDIA Corporation.Montoliu, C.; Ferrando Jódar, N.; Gosalvez Ayuso, MA.; Cerdá Boluda, J.; Colom Palero, RJ. (2013). 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Augmented reality for emergency situations in buildings with the support of indoor localization

Augmented reality is showing a continuous evolution due to the increasing number of smart glasses that are being used for different applications (e.g. training, marketing, industry, risk avoidance, etc.). In this paper, we present an implementation that uses augmented reality (AR) for emergency situations in smart buildings by means of indoor localization through the use of subGHz beacons. This also includes the mapping of emergency elements in the three-dimensional building, together with some example cases

Augmented reality for emergency situations in buildings with the support of indoor localization

Augmented reality is showing a continuous evolution due to the increasing number of smart glasses that are being used for different applications (e.g. training, marketing, industry, risk avoidance, etc.). In this paper, we present an implementation that uses augmented reality (AR) for emergency situations in smart buildings by means of indoor localization through the use of subGHz beacons. This also includes the mapping of emergency elements in the three-dimensional building, together with some example cases

Quality of Life in Breast Cancer Survivors in Relation to Age, Type of Surgery and Length of Time since First Treatment

(1) Background: Quality of life assessment is a critical aspect of breast cancer patient outcomes, as diagnosis, prognosis and treatment can have a major impact on quality of life. The aim of this study was to describe the characteristics of the sample and to verify the relationship between quality of life (QOL) in women diagnosed with breast cancer (BC) and their age, type or surgery and time since treatment; (2) Methods: a cross-sectional, descriptive study was conducted with 183 women diagnosed with BC, aged 30–80 years in Mexico. Women’s QOL was assessed using two questionnaires, The European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer-Quality of Life Core Questionnaire (EORTC QLQ-C30) and The Breast Cancer Module (EORTC QLQ-BR23). (3) Results: the results show significant differences in several items when the variable age is taken into account, indicating that younger women have poorer social and sexual function, as well as poorer sexual enjoyment and lower expectations of the future. The type of surgery also indicates a significantly better QOL in those women who receive conservative treatment versus a mastectomy; the time elapsed since surgery does not show any significant results, except for sexual functioning and breast-related symptoms where >5 years implies better scores on the items. (4) Conclusions: in conclusion, it is important to take into account the characteristics of women with BC, particularly at the time of treatment, in order to mitigate the impact of the disease on their QOL with the help of a multidisciplinary team