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Both electrical and thermal efficiencies combine in determining and evaluating the performance of a PV/T collector. In this study, two PV/T systems consisting of poly and monocrystalline PV panels were used, which are connected from the bottom by a heat exchanger consisting of a spiral tube through which a nanofluid circulates. In this study, a base fluid, water, and ethylene glycol were used, and iron oxide nanoparticles (nano-Fe2O3) were used as an additive. The mixing was carried out according to the highest specifications adopted by the researchers, and the thermophysical properties of the fluid were carefully examined. The prepared nanofluid properties showed a limited effect of the nanoparticles on the density and viscosity of the resulting fluid. As for the thermal conductivity, it increased by increasing the mass fraction added to reach 140% for the case of adding 2% of nano-Fe2O3. The results of the zeta voltage test showed that the supplied suspensions had high stability. When a mass fraction of 0.5% nano-Fe2O3 was added the zeta potential was 68 mV, while for the case of 2%, it reached 49 mV. Performance tests showed a significant increase in the efficiencies with increased mass flow rate. It was found when analyzing the performance of the two systems for nanofluid flow rates from 0.08 to 0.17 kg/s that there are slight differences between the monocrystalline, and polycrystalline systems operating in the spiral type of exchanger. As for the case of using monocrystalline PV the electrical, thermal, and total PV/T efficiencies with 2% added Fe2O3 ranged between 10% to 13.3%, 43–59%, and 59 to 72%, respectively, compared to a standalone PV system. In the case of using polycrystalline PV, the electrical, thermal, and total PV/T efficiencies ranged from 11% to 13.75%, 40.3% to 63%, and 55.5% to 77.65%, respectively, compared to the standalone PV system. It was found that the PV/T electrical exergy was between 45, and 64 W with thermal exergy ranged from 40 to 166 W, and total exergy from 85 to 280 W, in the case of using a monocrystalline panel. In the case of using polycrystalline, the PV/T electrical, thermal, and total exergy were between 45 and 66 W, 42–172 W, and 85–238 W, respectively. The results showed that both types of PV panels can be used in the harsh weather conditions of the city of Baghdad with acceptable, and efficient productivity.

The prevailing need for a more sustainable management of natural resources depends not only on the decisions made by governments and the will of the population, but also on the knowledge of the role of energy in our society and the relevance of preserving natural resources. In this sense, critical work is being done to instill key concepts—such as the circular economy and sustainable energy—in higher education institutions. In this way, it is expected that future professionals and managers will be aware of the importance of energy optimization, and will learn a series of computational methods that can support the decision-making process. In the context of higher education, this paper reviews the main trends and challenges related to the concepts of circular economy and sustainable energy. Besides, we analyze the role of simulation and serious games as a learning tool for the aforementioned concepts. Finally, the paper provides insights and discusses open research opportunities regarding the use of these computational tools to incorporate circular economy concepts in higher education degrees. Our findings show that, while efforts are being made to include these concepts in current programs, there is still much work to be done, especially from the point of view of university management. In addition, the analysis of the teaching methodologies analyzed shows that, although their implementation has been successful in favoring the active learning of students, their use (especially that of serious games) is not yet widespread.

Background. Laws that enable a circular economy (CE) are being enacted globally, but reliable standardized and digitized CE data about products is scarce, and many CE platforms have differing exclusive formats. In response to these challenges, the Ministry of The Economy of Luxembourg launched the Circularity Dataset Standardization Initiative to develop a globalized open-source industry standard to allow the exchange of standardized data throughout the supply cycle, based on these objectives: (a) Provide basic product circularity data about products. (b) Improve circularity data sharing efficiency. (c) Encourage improved product circularity performance. A policy objective was to have the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) voted to create a working group. Methods. A state-of-play analysis was performed concurrently with consultations with industry, auditors, data experts, and data aggregation platforms. Results. Problem statements were generated. Based on those, a solution called Product Circularity Data Sheet (PCDS) was formulated. A proof of concept (POC) template and guidance were developed and piloted with manufacturers and platforms, thus fulfilling objective (a). For objective (b), IT ecosystem requirements were developed, and aspects are being piloted in third party aggregation platforms. Objective (c) awaits implementation of the IT ecosystem. The policy objective related to the ISO was met. Conclusions and future research. In order to fully test the PCDS, it is necessary to: conduct more pilots, define governance, and establish auditing and authentication procedures.

High-efficiency wireless power transfer (WPT) systems can present a perfect solution for fast-charging autonomous guided vehicles (AGV) to improve working hours in high-tech warehouses. Stationary charging stations reduce separation distance, improving coupling factor and power transfer efficiency. Analysis and design of the WPT system focused on maximum power at the load with a SS compensation circuit to reach high efficiency while applying the theory of power transformers design to maximize the power handleability with the physical dimensions. The proposed concept fits small AGVs. This paper proposes a unique ferrite structure for the transmitter ferromagnetic core. This novel shape introduces horizontal angular misalignment resistance due to the transmitter’s omnidirectional concave disc ferrite core combined with an E-core ferrite at the receiver side. The proposed WPT system can output 200 W at 100 kHz. A realistic 3D model has been designed into a symmetrical equivalent to reducing complexity and computational effort. The visualization of the magnetic flux distribution demonstrated that the proposed design has a better path to flow without concentrating flux in small regions, reducing heating losses.

Slotting effect in electric machines reduces flux per pole that effect magnetic flux density distribution in the air gap which induces harmonics in magnetic flux density causing flux pulsation, that in turn generates dominant torque pulsation in the form of cogging torque and torque ripples. To overcome the abovesaid demerits, a novel outer rotor field-excited flux-switching machine (OR-FSFSM) with a combined semi-closed and open slots stator is proposed in this study. The developed OR-FEFSM offers a high-power factor, due to the utilization of the semi-closed slot for armature coils. The open slot stator structure was chosen for the field excitation coil, which effectively suppresses leakage reluctance that causes flux pulsation. Thus, the influence of torque ripples is reduced, and the average torque is improved. In order to investigate the effectiveness of the proposed OR-FEFSM, a detailed study of stator slot and rotor pole combinations are performed. Based on simplified mathematical formulation, 12S/7P (stator slot/rotor poles), 12S/11P, 12S/13P, and 12S/17P are the most feasible combinations. Finite Element Analysis (FEA) based on comprehensive electromagnetic performance is performed on each combination, and found that 12S/13P offers the highest average torque of 4.62 Nm, whereas 3.72 Nm, 2.72Nm, and 1.68 Nm average torque is offered by 12S/17P, 12S/7P, and 12S/11P, respectively. Based on the initial analysis, 12S/13P was considered for further analysis and optimized using JMAG built-in Genetic Algorithm (GA). Moreover, thermal analysis was performed, and the proposed design was compared with the conventional design.

During the last decade, the application of pretreatment has been investigated to enhance methane production from lignocellulosic biomass such as wheat straw (WS). Nonetheless, most of these studies were conducted in laboratory batch tests, potentially hiding instability problems or inhibition, which may fail in truly predicting full-scale reactor performance. For this purpose, the effect of an alkaline pretreatment on process performance and methane yields from WS (0.10 g NaOH g−1 WS at 90 °C for 1 h) co-digested with fresh wastewater sludge was evaluated in a pilot-scale reactor (20 L). Results showed that alkaline pretreatment resulted in better delignification (44%) and hemicellulose solubilization (62%) compared to untreated WS. Pilot-scale study showed that the alkaline pretreatment improved the methane production (261 ± 3 Nm3 CH4 t−1 VS) compared to untreated WS (201 ± 6 Nm3 CH4 t−1 VS). Stable process without any inhibition was observed and a high alkalinity was maintained in the reactor due to the NaOH used for pretreatment. The study thus confirms that alkaline pretreatment is a promising technology for full-scale application and could improve the overall economic benefits for biogas plant at 24 EUR t−1 VS treated, improve the energy recovery per unit organic matter, reduce the digestate volume and its disposal costs.

Nowadays, the restructuring of power systems is extremely urgent due to the depletion of fossil fuels on the one hand and the environmental impact on the other. In the restructured environment, the incorporation of renewable energy sources and storage devices is key as they have helped achieve a milestone in the form of microgrid technology. As the restructuring of the power system increases, there are several types of generation sources, and distribution companies express their interest in trading in a deregulated environment to operate economically. When considering the power system deregulation, the contract value deviates in some situations, resulting in an imbalance between the generation and the energy consumption, which can bring the system into a power outage condition. In particular, load frequency control has been a great challenge over the past few decades to ensure the stable operation of power systems. This study considers two generation sources: mini-hydro in GENCO-1 and 3 and microgrid (combination of wind, fuel cell, battery storage, and diesel engine) in GENCO-2 and 4. It is two equal-area networks; in area-1, GENCO-1 and 2, and in area-2, GENCO-3 and 4 are considered, respectively. In addition, a FOPID controller and two ancillary devices, such as a unified power flow controller and a superconducting magnetic energy storage system, have been incorporated. Three different test networks have been formed according to the contract value, such as unilateral, bilateral, and agreement violations. The simulation results show that ancillary devices and controller participation significantly enhance the system response by reducing the frequency and tie-line power fluctuation. To validate the efficacy of the proposed method, respective performance indices and percentages of improvement have been obtained. Finally, this study demonstrated the effectiveness of the proposed restructured power system in a deregulated environment.