The concept of energy traceability: Application to EV electricity charging by Res

The energy sustainability, in the era of sources diversification , can be guaranteed by an energy resources utilization most correct, foreseeing no predominance of one source over the others in any area of the world but a proper energy mix, based on locally available resources and needs. In this scenario, manageable with a smart grid system, a virtuous use of RES must be visible, recognizable and quantifiable, in one word traceable. The innovation of the traceability concept consists in the possibility of having information concerning the exact origin of the electricity used for a specific end use, in this case EV charging . The traceability, in a context of increasingly sustainability and smartness city, is an important develop tool because only in this way it is possible to quantify the real emissions produced by EVs and to ensure the real foresight of grid load. This paper wants investigate the real ways to introduce this kind of real energy accounting, through the traceabilit

Experimental tests to recover the photovoltaic power by battery system

The uncertainty and variability of the Renewable Energy Sources (RES) power plants within the power grid is an open issue. The present study focuses on the use of batteries to overcome the limitations associated with the photovoltaic inverter operation, trying to maximize the global energy produced. A set of switches, was placed between a few photovoltaic modules and a commercial inverter, capable to change configuration of the plant dynamically. Such system stores the power that the inverter is not able to let into the grid inside batteries. At the base of this optimization, there is the achievement of two main configurations in which the batteries and the photovoltaic modules are electrically connected in an appropriate manner as a function of inverter efficiency and thus solar radiation. A control board and the relative program, to change the configuration, was designed and implemented, based on the value of the measured radiation, current, batteries voltage, and calculated inverter efficiency. Finally from the cost and impact analysis we can say that, today the technology of lithium batteries, for this application, is still too expensive in comparison with lead-acid batteries

Comparing the Sustainability of Different Powertrains for Urban Use

The real environment impacts the fuel and energy consumption of any vehicle: technology, physical and social phenomena, traffic, drivers’ behaviour, and so on; many of them are difficult to quantify. The authors’ methodology was used to test the real impact of vehicles in “standard” urban conditions, and many generations of hybrid powertrains are compared. One of the latest performance indexes is the percentage of time the vehicle runs with zero emissions (ZEV). For example, the hybrid vehicle tested ran up to 80% with no emissions and fuel consumption below 3 L per 100 km. A few energy performance indicators were compared between five vehicles: one battery electric vehicle (BEV), two hybrid gasoline–electric vehicles (HEVs), and two traditional vehicles (one diesel and one gasoline). Their potential to use only renewable energy is unrivalled, but today’s vehicles’ performances favour hybrid power trains. This paper summarises the most sustainable powertrain for urban use by comparing experimental data from on-road testing. It also evaluates the benefits of reducing emissions by forecasting the Italian car fleet of 2025 and three use cases of the evolution of car fleets, with a focus on Rome

Diagnóstico ambiental das áreas de entorno da lagoas da APA Lagoas e Dunas do Abaeté por meio de imagens de satélite.

A Área de Proteção Ambiental (APA) Lagoas e Dunas do Abaeté, localizada em Salvador (BA), compreende área ocupada por dunas de areias quartzosas, de coloração branca e de grande permeabilidade, potencialmente favoráveis à acumulação de água subterrânea, que constituem a zona de recarga das lagoas existentes no local. O alto valor ambiental e paisagístico e a importância turística e cultural das lagoas e das dunas têm levado a iniciativas de conservação da área, como a criação da APA. Trata-se de um ecossistema bastante frágil, que vem sofrendo intervenções pela expansão urbana e demográfica de Salvador. A impermeabilização de áreas do entorno pode provocar a redução do espelho d'água das lagoas. A superficialidade do lençol freático e a elevada permeabilidade das dunas tornam o local vulnerável à infiltração de cargas poluentes geradas por processos de ocupação. O desmatamento das dunas provoca a remobilização das areias pela ação dos ventos e deslizamentos das faces antes estabilizadas pela vegetação, o que pode causar o assoreamento ou mesmo o soterramento das lagoas. Por meio da interpretação e classificação de imagens do satélite QuickBird de dezembro de 2005, foram mapeadas e quantificadas as áreas impermeabilizadas, as áreas vegetadas e as áreas de dunas expostas, de dunas com vegetação e dunas com deposição de materiais alóctones localizadas dentro da APA e em seu entorno. Os resultados obtidos mostram áreas no entorno da APA fortemente urbanizadas, com alto índice de impermeabilização. Nas proximidades das lagoas, embora ainda predominem áreas com dunas expostas ou vegetadas, observa-se a presença de loteamentos, construções, deposição de material argiloso e estabelecimento de sistema viário com ou sem impermeabilização do solo. Esse mapeamento permitiu avaliar o grau de intervenção antrópica no ambiente ao redor das principais lagoas do local e estimar o impacto dessa intervenção sobre suas águas

energy consumption of a last generation full hybrid vehicle compared with a conventional vehicle in real drive conditions

Abstract Hybrid vehicles are one of the most important choices to improve efficiency and reduce CO2 production of vehicles. Benefits in using hybrid powertrains are generally found in urban environment where lower average speeds, higher accelerations make the internal combustion engine run at lower efficiency points. The originality of the present paper consists in the data elaboration and analysis collected in a measurement campaign on road in real driving conditions, on an ad hoc path planned according to the average national daily mileage in metropolitan urban context, which thus acquires a significance generalizable in that specific context, which led to the consumption quantification and an analysis of the main factors that determine the reduction in consumption of full-hybrid vs conventional vehicles. Another important and original aspect of this paper is the analysis of the operating times in ZEV mode of hybrid vehicles, which shows how this solution leads to a significant reduction of pollutant emissions in urban contest. An on-road experimental campaign has been done by comparing two different versions of the same model (Toyota Yaris Hybrid and a conventional one, Toyota Yaris 1.5 gasoline) and a hybrid vehicle with different characteristics (the hybrid born - Toyota Prius), like size, traction battery capacity, generator/motor electric power. Thirty drivers on a fixed path have done this experimental campaign and in this paper, the results are reported. The results show that a strong influence on consumption is due not only to the type of vehicle, but also to driving style and speed. The comparison between the two versions of Yaris, shows a strong reduction in consumption using hybrid vehicle for low and medium speeds (for 20 km/h about 50%), such benefit decreases with the increasing speed and for values higher than 90 km/h both the vehicles have the same consumption. The reduced consumption of the hybrid vehicle at low speeds is due, on the one hand, to the greater efficiency of the hybrid vehicle engine compared to the conventional one and on the other hand to the high functioning in ZEV mode, with the engine off, (63% of time) thanks to the use of the electric motor. The comparison between the two hybrid vehicles with different characteristics (YarisHy and Prius) shows that the consumption trend vs. speeds is similar but the Prius has lower consumption due above all to the high efficiency of the braking energy recovery system, despite the greatest mass. This lead then to significant consumption reduction, but also lower emissions in places where such parameters have an important role: the urban environment

Dinâmica espaço temporal do uso das terras e do carbono aprisionado pela fitomassa da cana-de-açúcar e pastagem na região nordeste do estado de São Paulo.

Este estudo apresenta os resultados obtidos com a avaliação da dinâmica de uso e cobertura das terras e o carbono aprisionado pelos agroecossistemas de cana-de-açúcar e de pastagens. A avaliação da dinâmica dos estoques de carbono em cana-de-açúcar e pastagens, baseado na interpretação de imagens de satélite da região nordeste do estado de São Paulo foi feito em duas épocas distintas: 1988 e 2003. Os resultados mostraram que a fitomassa da cana-de-açúcar é capaz de acumular nove vezes mais carbono em t.hal.ano' que as pastagens cultivadas. A expansão da área cultivada com cana-de-açúcar, com eficiente acúmulo de CO2 por unidade de tempo e de área (107,2 t CO2 naLano"), sobre áreas de pastagens possibilitou a remoção da atmosfera de 128,8 milhões de toneladas em um período de quinze anos. Os resultados obtidos podem ser de extrema importância para a geração de indicadores ambientais e subsídios mais efetivos para posicionar o país nas negociações das commodities da agroenergia frente a outros países, além gerar impactos positivos de valoração ambiental dos sistemas de produção

Análise integrada da cobertura das terras e qualidade da água na APA das Lagoas e Dunas do Abaeté - Salvador/BA.

A APA das Lagoas e Dunas do Abaeté situa-se em parte na bacia do rio Ipitanga e parte na bacia bastante urbanizada do rio Jaguaribe que juntas definem a microbacia de Stella Maris. É uma APA Estadual e está incluída no SAVAM (Sistema de Áreas de Valor Ambiental e Cultural) como Parque da Natureza ? PN, definido como ?espaço dotado de ecossistemas naturais excepcionais e beleza cênica, que possui um ou mais ecossistemas totalmente inalterados ou parcialmente alterados pela ação do homem e que se destinam prioritariamente à preservação da natureza? (SALVADOR, 2004). Nos últimos anos essa área tem sofrido intensa especulação imobiliária relacionada principalmente ao turismo e começa a apresentar sinais de degradação ambiental. Justamente devido ao importante valor social e econômico para o município de Salvador tornam-se necessários trabalhos periódicos de levantamento e caracterização ambiental minuciosa para contribuir com dados importantes ao planejamento ou reordenamento territorial

Localization of DNA methyltransferase-1 during oocyte differentiation, in vitro maturation and early embryonic development in cow

DNA methyltransferase-1 (Dnmt1) is involved in the maintenance of DNA methylation patterns and is crucial for normal mammalian development. The aim of the present study was to assess the localization of Dnmt1 in cow, during the latest phases of oocyte differentiation and during the early stages of segmentation. Dnmt1 expression and localization were assessed in oocytes according to the chromatin configuration, which in turn provides an important epigenetic mechanism for the control of global gene expression and represents a morphological marker of oocyte differentiation. We found that the initial chromatin condensation was accompanied by a slight increase in the level of global DNA methylation, as assessed by 5-methyl-cytosine immunostaining followed by laser scanning confocal microscopy analysis (LSCM). RT-PCR confirmed the presence of Dnmt1 transcripts throughout this phase of oocyte differentiation. Analogously, Dnmt1 immunodetection and LSCM indicated that the protein was always present and localized in the cytoplasm, regardless the chromatin configuration and the level of global DNA methylation. Moreover, our data indicate that while Dnmt1 is retained in the cytoplasm in metaphase II stage oocytes and zygotes, it enters the nuclei of 8-16 cell stage embryos. As suggested in mouse, the functional meaning of the presence of Dnmt1 in the bovine embryo nuclei could be the maintainement of the methylation pattern of imprinted genes. In conclusion, the present work provides useful elements for the study of Dnmt1 function during the late stage of oocyte differentiation, maturation and early embryonic development in mammals

Forming and preserving aragonite in shear zones: First report of blueschist facies metamorphism in the Jabal Akhdar Dome, Oman Mountains

We report the first occurrence of high-pressure metamorphic aragonite in Precambrian carbonates of the Jabal Akhdar Dome in the Oman Mountains (northern Oman). We propose a model for both its formation at blueschist facies conditions and its subsequent preservation to the surface within the tectonic framework of the Late Cretaceous obduction of the Semail Ophiolite. Aragonite formed at temperature ∼350 °C and pressure ≥0.9 GPa and is preserved within mylonitic shear zones and in stretched-fiber dilational veins where the necessary conditions for its formation and preservation, such as plastic strain accommodation, fluid-enhanced mineralogical reactions, and an anisotropic permeability structure, were preferentially met with respect to the surrounding rock. High-strain structural domains are ideal sites to look for and study prograde and retrograde high-pressure metamorphic histories in deeply subducted and exhumed terrains