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Nanotechnology, and particularly nanoparticles (NPs), command significant attention across diverse fields such as medicine, chemistry, and engineering. NPs are integrated into a base material through various techniques, such as dispersion, coating, and encapsulation. This review intends to offer an evaluation of the implementation of NPs in nuclear energy and radiation protection. Particular focus is given to nanofluids - suspensions of NPs in a base fluid - and their impact on the thermal–hydraulic and neutronic attributes of nuclear reactor cores. Discussion centers on how substituting water with nanofluids as a coolant can modify these characteristics. Computational modeling and experimental methods of nanofluids are examined, highlighting an enhanced heat transfer capacity under both regular and emergency reactor conditions. The influence of nanofluids on neutronic parameters, aiming for optimized operation and safety of nuclear reactors, is also explored. Furthermore, the potential of NPs for radiation shielding is considered, underlining their capability to attenuate radiation effects. Examples are drawn from the addition of NPs to containment structures in nuclear facilities and their use in radiotherapy, as well as enhancing radiation shielding in imaging techniques. Finally, the review encompasses the effects of nanofluids on surface oxidation and corrosion. The importance of these factors lies in their substantial impact on heat transport properties and potential for corrosive damage.

Water canal networks that are widely used for irrigation are an equally good source of micropower generation to be fed to the nearby areas. A practical example of such a system is the micro-hydro generation at Renala Khurd Pakistan integrated with the national grid known as hydro–grid configuration. Apart from the rare Renala Khurd hydro generation example, solar photovoltaic generation integrated with a mainstream network, i.e., solar PV-Grid configuration, is widely used. The integrated operation of combinations of primary distributed generation sources has different operational attributes in terms of economics and reliability that are needed to be quantified before installation. So far, various combinations of primary distributed generation sources have been simulated and their accumulative impact on project economics and reliability have been reported. A detailed economic and reliability assessment of various configurations is needed for sustainable and cost-effective configuration selection. This study proposes a trigeneration combination of solar–hydro–grid with an optimal sizing scheme to reduce the solar system sizing and grid operational cost. A genetic algorithm based optimal sizing formulation is developed using fixed hydro and variable solar and grid systems with a number of pre-defined constraints. The hydro–grid, solar–grid, and grid–hydro–solar configurations are simulated in HOMER Pro software to analyze the economic impact, and to undertake reliability assessments under various configurations of the project. Finally, optimal values of the genetic algorithm are provided to the HOMER Pro software search space for simulating the grid–hydro–solar configuration. It was revealed that the net present cost (NPC) of hydro-to-grid configuration was 23% lower than the grid–hydro–solar configuration, whereas the NPC of grid–hydro–solar without optimal sizing was 40% lower than the solar–grid configuration, and the NPC of grid–solar–hydro with the genetic algorithm was 36% lower than the hydro–grid configuration, 50.90% lower than solar–grid–hydro without the genetic algorithm, and 17.1% lower than the grid–solar configuration, thus proving utilization of trigeneration sources integration to be a feasible solution for areas where canal hydropower is available.

The concentration of furanic compounds in transformer's oil can be an effective measurement towards assessing the aging state of oil impregnated paper in the transformer. The rate of change of the concentration of furan content is vital for assessing the rate of deterioration of cellulose insulation and its severity. This promotes furan content as effective parameter in transformer oil for transformer condition assessment and accordingly asset management. In this paper the correlation between oil parameters and furan content is studied using artificial neural networks (ANN). A neural network is used for predicting the furan content based on different combinations of input parameters that are known to be correlated to cellulose paper degradation of the transformer. These input parameters are carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO2), water content, acidity, and break down voltage (BDV). Results on real data of forty transformers show that the proposed model is capable of predicting the furan content with an average accuracy of 90%. Consequently, this proposed model improves the efficiency of oil chemical tests and dissolved gas analysis (DGA) and their abilities to assess the condition of transformer solid insulation.

Energy depletion for the thermal regulation of buildings is a major global concern. Herein, we develop a binary eutectic phase change material (EPCM) consisting of sodium sulphate decahydrate (SSD) and sodium phosphate dibasic dodecahydrate (SPDD) that were modified using borax, carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), and graphene nanoplatelets (GNP). In the EPCM, SSD, and SPDD were blended at a proportion of 62:38 to obtain a eutectic point of 27.8 °C with a melting enthalpy of 202 J/g. Borax was a nucleating additive to lessen the issue of supercooling, CMC was a thickening agent to ensure phase stability, and GNP was added as a nanomaterial to enhance the thermal behavior of EPCM. Microtopography, chemical stability, optical transmissibility and absorptivity, phase transition characteristic, thermal conductivity, energy storage potential, degree of supercooling, and thermal stability over 200 thermal cycles were tested and determined. Using scanning electron microscopy, the GNP microstructure and its interaction with EPCM are visualized to present the dispersion and formation of the thermal network. The nanocomposite EPCM also has chemical stability, which is aided by a 571% increase in optical absorbance and an 83.8% decrease in transmissibility. With GNP as a nanomaterial, owing to the well-developed thermal network, we achieve a 106% increment in thermal conductance from 0.464 W/m⋅K to 0.956 W/m⋅K; likewise, GNP acts as a conducting binder and enhances the intermolecular interaction leading to an increase in melting enthalpy from 202.4 J/g to 226 J/g. Finally, a numerical simulation of EPCM heating a thermic fluid flowing within a concentric tube with focus on the temperature contour is conducted for elaborating the potential of PCM towards TES systems.

La tecnología de almacenamiento de energía es uno de los principales componentes de la integración de las energías renovables y la descarbonización de los sistemas energéticos mundiales. Se beneficia significativamente al abordar los servicios de energía auxiliares, la estabilidad de la calidad de la energía y la confiabilidad del suministro de energía. Sin embargo, los últimos años de la pandemia de COVID-19 han dado lugar a la crisis energética en diversos sectores industriales y tecnológicos. Para resolver estos desafíos, se realiza una encuesta integrada sobre el desarrollo de la tecnología de almacenamiento de energía, su clasificación, rendimiento y gestión segura. El desarrollo de la tecnología de almacenamiento de energía se ha clasificado en métodos electromecánicos, mecánicos, electromagnéticos, termodinámicos, químicos e híbridos. El estudio actual identifica tecnologías potenciales, marco operativo, análisis de comparación y características prácticas. Este estudio propuesto también proporciona información útil y práctica a los lectores, ingenieros y profesionales sobre los efectos económicos globales, los efectos ambientales globales, la resiliencia de la organización, los desafíos clave y las proyecciones de las tecnologías de almacenamiento de energía. También se propone un modelo de programación óptimo. A continuación, se describen las políticas de adaptación sostenible. Se ha recopilado una extensa lista de publicaciones hasta la fecha en la literatura abierta para retratar diversos desarrollos en esta área. La technologie de stockage de l'énergie est l'un des principaux composants de l'intégration des énergies renouvelables et de la décarbonisation des systèmes énergétiques mondiaux. Il bénéficie considérablement des services d'alimentation auxiliaires, de la stabilité de la qualité de l'énergie et de la fiabilité de l'alimentation électrique. Cependant, les dernières années de la pandémie de COVID-19 ont donné lieu à la crise énergétique dans divers secteurs industriels et technologiques. Une enquête intégrée sur le développement de la technologie de stockage d'énergie, sa classification, ses performances et sa gestion sûre est réalisée pour résoudre ces problèmes. Le développement de la technologie de stockage d'énergie a été classé en méthodes électromécaniques, mécaniques, électromagnétiques, thermodynamiques, chimiques et hybrides. La présente étude identifie les technologies potentielles, le cadre opérationnel, l'analyse comparative et les caractéristiques pratiques. Cette étude proposée fournit également des informations utiles et pratiques aux lecteurs, ingénieurs et praticiens sur les effets économiques mondiaux, les effets environnementaux mondiaux, la résilience des organisations, les principaux défis et les projections des technologies de stockage d'énergie. Un modèle d'ordonnancement optimal est également proposé. Les politiques d'adaptation durable sont ensuite décrites. Une longue liste de publications à ce jour dans la littérature ouverte est sollicitée pour décrire divers développements dans ce domaine. Energy Storage Technology is one of the major components of renewable energy integration and decarbonization of world energy systems. It significantly benefits addressing ancillary power services, power quality stability, and power supply reliability. However, the recent years of the COVID-19 pandemic have given rise to the energy crisis in various industrial and technology sectors. An integrated survey of energy storage technology development, its classification, performance, and safe management is made to resolve these challenges. The development of energy storage technology has been classified into electromechanical, mechanical, electromagnetic, thermodynamics, chemical, and hybrid methods. The current study identifies potential technologies, operational framework, comparison analysis, and practical characteristics. This proposed study also provides useful and practical information to readers, engineers, and practitioners on the global economic effects, global environmental effects, organization resilience, key challenges, and projections of energy storage technologies. An optimal scheduling model is also proposed. Policies for sustainable adaptation are then described. An extensive list of publications to date in the open literature is canvassed to portray various developments in this area. تعد تقنية تخزين الطاقة أحد المكونات الرئيسية لتكامل الطاقة المتجددة وإزالة الكربون من أنظمة الطاقة العالمية. وهو يفيد بشكل كبير في معالجة خدمات الطاقة الإضافية، واستقرار جودة الطاقة، وموثوقية إمدادات الطاقة. ومع ذلك، أدت السنوات الأخيرة من جائحة كوفيد-19 إلى أزمة الطاقة في مختلف القطاعات الصناعية والتكنولوجية. يتم إجراء مسح متكامل لتطوير تكنولوجيا تخزين الطاقة وتصنيفها وأدائها وإدارتها الآمنة لحل هذه التحديات. تم تصنيف تطوير تكنولوجيا تخزين الطاقة إلى طرق كهروميكانيكية وميكانيكية وكهرومغناطيسية وديناميكية حرارية وكيميائية وهجينة. تحدد الدراسة الحالية التقنيات المحتملة والإطار التشغيلي وتحليل المقارنة والخصائص العملية. توفر هذه الدراسة المقترحة أيضًا معلومات مفيدة وعملية للقراء والمهندسين والممارسين حول الآثار الاقتصادية العالمية والآثار البيئية العالمية ومرونة المنظمة والتحديات الرئيسية وتوقعات تقنيات تخزين الطاقة. كما يُقترح نموذج جدولة أمثل. ثم يتم وصف سياسات التكيف المستدام. يتم فحص قائمة واسعة من المنشورات حتى الآن في الأدبيات المفتوحة لتصوير التطورات المختلفة في هذا المجال.

The influence of the transparent conducting oxide (TCO) topography was studied on the performance of a silicon oxide intermediate reflector layer (IRL) in a-Si/μc-Si tandem cells, both experimentally and by 3-D optical simulations. Therefore, cells with varying IRL thickness were deposited on three different types of TCOs. Clear differences were observed regarding the performance of the IRL as well as its ideal thickness, both experimentally and in the simulations. Optical modeling suggests that a small autocorrelation length is essential for a good performance. Design rules for both the TCO topography and the IRL thickness can be derived from this interplay.

Una de las tareas importantes para aumentar la eficiencia del sistema fotovoltaico (PV) es el desarrollo y la mejora de los algoritmos de seguimiento del punto de máxima potencia (MPPT). Estos algoritmos MPPT conducen a la capacidad de capturar de manera eficiente el punto de máxima potencia global de la matriz fotovoltaica parcialmente sombreada. Uno de estos rastreadores es el algoritmo de optimización de enjambre de partículas (PSO), que es una de las técnicas de computación blanda. Los rastreadores convencionales basados en PSO tienen muchas ventajas, como la simplicidad de la implementación de hardware y la independencia del sistema instalado. El problema real de la aplicación práctica del PSO es la determinación de sus parámetros para garantizar una alta efectividad de la extracción del MPP global. El análisis de los trabajos científicos dedicados al algoritmo PSO ha demostrado que actualmente no existe una metodología para la selección de los parámetros óptimos de los seguidores de máxima potencia basados en el algoritmo PSO para el sistema fotovoltaico. Este trabajo tiene como objetivo crear un método conveniente y razonable para elegir los parámetros óptimos del algoritmo PSO, teniendo en cuenta la topología y los parámetros del convertidor DC-DC y la configuración de los paneles solares. Se ha presentado un nuevo método para seleccionar los parámetros de un convertidor reductor conectado a una batería. El valor óptimo del tiempo de muestreo para los controladores digitales MPP, proporcionando su máximo rendimiento; se ha determinado en base a una nueva metodología. El paquete de software Matlab/Simulink se utiliza como la principal herramienta de investigación. Los resultados destacados identifican que el PSO modificado y sus parámetros diseñados cumplen mejor con los requisitos del controlador MPPT para el sistema fotovoltaico. L'une des tâches importantes pour augmenter l'efficacité du système photovoltaïque (PV) est le développement et l'amélioration des algorithmes de suivi du point de puissance maximale (MPPT). Ces algorithmes MPPT permettent de capturer efficacement le point de puissance maximale global du réseau photovoltaïque partiellement ombré. L'un de ces trackers est l'algorithme d'optimisation d'essaim de particules (PSO) qui est l'une des techniques de calcul logiciel. Les trackers conventionnels basés sur PSO présentent de nombreux avantages tels que la simplicité de mise en œuvre du matériel et l'indépendance par rapport au système installé. Le véritable problème de l'application pratique de PSO est la détermination de ses paramètres pour assurer une grande efficacité d'extraction du MPP mondial. L'analyse des articles scientifiques consacrés à l'algorithme PSO a montré qu'il n'existe actuellement aucune méthodologie pour la sélection des paramètres optimaux des suiveurs de puissance maximale basés sur l'algorithme PSO pour le système PV. Cet article vise à créer une méthode pratique et raisonnable pour choisir les paramètres optimaux de l'algorithme PSO, en tenant compte de la topologie et des paramètres du convertisseur DC-DC et de la configuration des panneaux solaires. Une nouvelle méthode de sélection des paramètres d'un convertisseur abaisseur de tension connecté à une batterie a été présentée. La valeur optimale du temps d'échantillonnage pour les contrôleurs MPP numériques, fournissant leurs performances maximales ; a été déterminée sur la base d'une nouvelle méthodologie. Le progiciel Matlab/Simulink est utilisé comme principal outil de recherche. Les principaux résultats identifient que le PSO modifié et ses paramètres conçus répondent le mieux aux exigences du contrôleur MPPT pour le système PV. One of the important tasks for increasing the efficiency of photovoltaic (PV) system is the development and improvement of the maximum power point tracking algorithms (MPPT). These MPPT algorithms lead to the ability to catch efficiently the global maximum power point of the partially shaded PV array. One of these trackers is the particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm which is one of the Soft computing techniques. The conventional PSO based trackers have many advantages such as the simplicity of hardware implementation and independence from the installed system. The actual problem of the practical application of PSO is the determination of its parameters to ensure high effectiveness of extracting the global MPP. Analysis of scientific papers devoted to the PSO algorithm has shown that there is currently no methodology for the optimal parameters' selection of PSO algorithm based maximum power trackers for the PV system. This paper aims to create a convenient and reasonable method for choosing the optimal parameters of the PSO algorithm, taking into account the topology and parameters of the DC-DC converter and the configuration of solar panels. A new method for selecting the parameters of a buck converter connected to a battery has been presented. The optimal value of the sampling time for the digital MPP controllers, providing their maximum performance; has been determined based on a new methodology. Matlab/Simulink software package is used as the main research tool. The prominent outcomes identify that the modified PSO and its designed parameters best meet the requirements of the MPPT controller for the PV system. تتمثل إحدى المهام المهمة لزيادة كفاءة النظام الكهروضوئي (PV) في تطوير وتحسين خوارزميات تتبع نقطة الطاقة القصوى (MPPT). تؤدي خوارزميات MPPT هذه إلى القدرة على التقاط نقطة الطاقة القصوى العالمية للمصفوفة الكهروضوئية المظللة جزئيًا بكفاءة. أحد أجهزة التتبع هذه هي خوارزمية تحسين سرب الجسيمات (PSO) التي تعد واحدة من تقنيات الحوسبة اللينة. تتمتع أجهزة التتبع التقليدية التي تعتمد على PSO بالعديد من المزايا مثل بساطة تنفيذ الأجهزة والاستقلال عن النظام المثبت. تتمثل المشكلة الفعلية للتطبيق العملي لـ PSO في تحديد معاييره لضمان فعالية عالية لاستخراج MPP العالمي. أظهر تحليل الأوراق العلمية المخصصة لخوارزمية PSO أنه لا توجد حاليًا منهجية لاختيار المعلمات المثلى لأجهزة تتبع الطاقة القصوى القائمة على خوارزمية PSO للنظام الكهروضوئي. تهدف هذه الورقة إلى إنشاء طريقة مريحة ومعقولة لاختيار المعلمات المثلى لخوارزمية PSO، مع مراعاة طوبولوجيا ومعلمات محول DC - DC وتكوين الألواح الشمسية. تم تقديم طريقة جديدة لاختيار معلمات محول باك المتصل بالبطارية. تم تحديد القيمة المثلى لوقت أخذ العينات لوحدات تحكم MPP الرقمية، مما يوفر أقصى أداء لها ؛ بناءً على منهجية جديدة. تُستخدم حزمة برامج Matlab/Simulink كأداة بحث رئيسية. تحدد النتائج البارزة أن PSO المعدل ومعلماته المصممة تلبي على أفضل وجه متطلبات وحدة تحكم MPPT للنظام الكهروضوئي.

This work studies the kinetic model for the solar-driven fabrication of CoWO4/NCW heterostructure photocatalysts and investigates their enhanced photocatalytic degradation activity. The synthesis of CoWO4/NCW, its characterization, and the kinetic aspects of photocatalytic degradation under solar light. New nanocomposite prepared from Nano cellulose (NCW) by hydrolysis cotton waste (CW) by nitric acid and cobalt tungstate (CoWO4) prepared from sodium tungstate and cobalt chloride by wet chemical method and characterized through XRD, FTIR, EDX, and FE-SEM analyses. The composite's performance in organic oxidation from refinery wastewater (RWW) was evaluated under solar light. The high removal ratio was 97.4% for organic pollutants (OP) in refinery wastewater. The results indicate that the heterostructure exhibits improved photocatalytic performance compared to individual components, which kinetics model was the best to represent the photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutants from oily wastewater over the heterostructure CoWO4/NCW catalyst. Add future applications of this finding in the relevant industries. Copyright © 2024 by Authors, Published by BCREC Publishing Group. This is an open access article under the CC BY-SA License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0).