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In this paper, petroleum product (mainly petrol and diesel) consumption in the transportation sector of China is analyzed. This was based on the Bayesian linear regression theory and Markov Chain Monte Carlo method (MCMC), establishing a demand-forecast model of petrol and diesel consumption introduced into the analytical framework with explanatory variables of urbanization level, per capita GDP, turnover of passengers (freight) in aggregate (TPA, TFA), and civilian vehicle number (CVN) and explained variables of petrol and diesel consumption. Furthermore, we forecast the future consumer demand for oil products during “The 12th Five Year Plan” (2011–2015) based on the historical data covering from 1985 to 2009, finding that urbanization is the most sensitive factor, with a strong marginal effect on petrol and diesel consumption in this sector. From the viewpoint of prediction interval value, urbanization expresses the lower limit of the predicted results, and CVN the upper limit of the predicted results. Predicted value from other independent variables is in the range of predicted values which display a validation range and reference standard being much more credible for policy makers. Finally, a comparison between the predicted results from autoregressive integrated moving average models (ARIMA) and others is made to assess our task.

Despite activities to introduce low-carbon energy sources worldwide, the share of conventional facilities burning organic fuels remains high. One approach to address this problem is to look for solutions to reduce energy consumption. There are various research projects in the area of energy efficiency that lead to diverse results—such as models, methodologies, new data and theories. On the other hand, induction motor drives are becoming a major consumer of electric power because of their wide range of applications. In this paper, after careful selection and systematization of 151 literature sources, an extensive study and criteria analysis of the existing state of affairs in the area of energy efficiency improvement of induction motor drives has been carried out. Five major and 48 minor research areas in this field have been identified. The results show that issues related to the adaptation of scientific results and the conditions for their effective and wide-ranging application in practice have not been discussed and investigated so far. Adaptation should take into account the possibilities of data acquisition, including data from measurements; the competences of energy managers; and the type of information provided to them. Based on the seven conclusions formulated below, summary recommendations are made to direct future research towards the justification of models for increasing the power efficiency of induction drives, adapted for use by energy managers.

The success of the energy transition in Europe depends on the engagement of citizens and the sustainable replacement of conventional generation with renewable production. Highlights of the PAN European Technology Energy Research Approach (PANTERA) project, a H2020 coordination and support action, are presented in this paper. In broad terms, PANTERA offers a forum for actors in the smart grid to support the expansion of activities in smart grid research, demonstration, and innovation, especially in the below-average spending member states in the European Union (EU). The focus of this paper is on those activities of the project consortium related to the identification of gaps and barriers in regulations, standards, and network codes that hinder the sustainable engagement of energy citizens in the energy transition. The paper summarises the challenges to citizen engagement in the energy transit and considers the enablers that make the engagement of citizens viable, e.g., demand response (DR), renewable energy resources (RESs), and modern designs for local energy markets (LEMs). We focus on the barriers to the enablers that are explicitly and implicitly related to regulations, standards, and network codes and explore aspects of the relevant regulations and standards of the sample below-average spending member states. A specific case study of a research and demonstration project in Ireland for updating the network codes is also presented to demonstrate the ways in which member states are attempting to remove the barriers and enable citizen participation in the smart energy transition. Finally, the opportunities to foster smart grid research and innovation through shared knowledge and insights offered by the PANTERA European Interconnection for Research Innovation and Entrepreneurship (EIRIE) platform are highlighted.

This paper presents the structure and principle of operation of two circuit configurations of self-limiting LC oscillators using monolithic positive second-generation current conveyors (CCII+s), that are implemented using Current-Feedback Operational Amplifiers (CFOAs) with an available compensation pin (Z). The proposed LC oscillators are synthesized using a systematic approach in the design of analog electronic circuits and can be considered as variants of the basic three-point oscillators, implemented using transistors (BJTs or FETs). Based on the analysis of the structure and electrical parameters of the CFOAs with a compensation pin (Z), electronic circuits of oscillators with two-stage amplifier blocks are synthesized. The characteristic equations and self-oscillation conditions are derived for the obtained analog circuits, and recommendations for designing circuits with arbitrary frequencies are defined. To verify the efficiency of the proposed LC oscillators, an experimental study is performed in the frequency range from 100 kHz to 10 MHz. The CFOAs AD844A with an external terminal z of the internal current conveyor are used as active elements. The obtained experimental results well match the results of the simulation modelling and the parameters based on the derived analytical expressions. The developed LC oscillators are intended to be used in schematic configurations of gas sensors based on surface acoustic wave (SAW) resonators.

The aim of this study is to determine the impact of coal energy on the economic development of countries. For this purpose, similar studies in the literature have been examined and nine different criteria have been determined for three dimensions affecting the use of coal energy. In order to determine the most important factors, an analysis is performed with IT2 fuzzy DANP method. The most important contribution of this study to the literature is that a proposal can be made for the use of coal energy by considering both positive and negative opinions related to this energy. On the other hand, IT2 fuzzy DANP method has been taken into consideration in this study for the first-time regarding coal energy and it is believed that methodological originality has been achieved. It is identified that social factors have the most importance in the use of coal energy. In this context, environmental pollution, health problems and demographic factors resulting from the use of coal energy should be taken into consideration in the use of this energy. Thus, problems arising from the use of coal energy far outweigh the economic benefits of using this energy. Therefore, factors that may prevent air pollution, such as carbon capture technology, should be considered in the use of coal energy. In addition, the use of high-quality coal will contribute to the reduction of the problems caused with this energy. In addition, investing in renewable energy sources that do not have negative impacts on the environment is also important for the sustainability of future energy policies.

Hydrogen is a prospective energy carrier because there are practically no gaseous emissions of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere during its use as a fuel. The great benefit of hydrogen being a practically inexhaustible carbon-free fuel makes it an attractive alternative to fossil fuels. I.e., there is a circular process of energy recovery and use. Another big advantage of hydrogen as a fuel is its high energy content per unit mass compared to fossil fuels. Nowadays, hydrogen is broadly used as fuel in transport, including fuel cell applications, as a raw material in industry, and as an energy carrier for energy storage. The mass exploitation of hydrogen in energy production and industry poses some important challenges. First, there is a high price for its production compared to the price of most fossil fuels. Next, the adopted traditional methods for hydrogen production, like water splitting by electrolysis and methane reforming, lead to the additional charging of the atmosphere with carbon dioxide, which is a greenhouse gas. This fact prompts the use of renewable energy sources for electrolytic hydrogen production, like solar and wind energy, hydropower, etc. An important step in reducing the price of hydrogen as a fuel is the optimal design of supply chains for its production, distribution, and use. Another group of challenges hindering broad hydrogen utilization are storage and safety. We discuss some of the obstacles to broad hydrogen application and argue that they should be overcome by new production and storage technologies. The present review summarizes the new achievements in hydrogen application, production, and storage. The approach of optimization of supply chains for hydrogen production and distribution is considered, too.

In the context of limited water resources and the deterioration of natural water bodies’ state, and with the increase in the regulatory requirements for the quality of effluents, assessing the impact of the industrial and energy complex on water bodies is a task of increasingly greater significance to the whole energy sector. “zero discharge” is considered the most effective strategy for creating environmentally friendly thermal power plants. Hybrid reverse osmosis electrodialysis systems make it possible to obtain solutions with a higher concentration of components compared to single electrodialysis treatment, i.e., more efficient separation of brine and pure water. This article proposes experimental and pilot-industrial studies of a hybrid membrane system operation using industrial wastewater for the disposal of liquid waste from an ion-exchange chemical-desalting water treatment plant of a thermal power plant, followed by a calculation of economic efficiency and an analysis of the environmental feasibility of its use. The developed technological scheme offers separate processing of acidic and alkaline waste regeneration solutions using calcium carbonate reagent and desalination on baromembrane and electromembrane units to obtain clean water and dry residue. The hybrid system includes a booster filter press and an evaporator. The hybrid system makes it possible to provide a thermal power plant with a “zero discharge” with a minimum consumption of reagents and electricity, as well as return all wastewater back to the power plant cycle.

One of the ways to sustain development is striving for energy efficiency. This is the purpose of directive 2012/27/EU on energy efficiency, which aims at explaining and promoting energy–saving and ecological solutions that allow increasing the output of consumed energy. Several years after implementation, it is possible to assess the directive’s usefulness and completeness in a few areas of the economy, in particular in the operation of enterprises, which substantially contribute to the global energy consumption. Therefore, the purpose of the study was defined as an assessment of the execution of the concept of energy efficiency in business operations in EU countries, in accordance with the assumptions of directive 2012/27/EU. The collected raw data were derived from surveys gathered in the process of public consultations of the European Commission regard directive 2012/27/EU on energy efficiency. Resulting observations were analysed using the basic methods of descriptive statistics, along with a factor analysis. A logistic regression model was applied to identify the dependencies between the provisions of the directive and the motivation of enterprises to manage energy. As a result of conducted analyses, conclusions were drawn up concerning the assessment of the content of the directive in regard to activities undertaken by EU enterprises to the favour of effective energy management. Obtained results suggest that there is a need to introduce changes in the provisions of the directive, preceded by consultations with the EU business environment. The analysed literature concerning this issue demonstrates that the effectiveness of energy management is taken into consideration from this angle for the first time in our studies.

More accurate wind power prediction (WPP) is of great significance for the operation of electrical power systems, as offshore wind power penetration increases continuously. As the offshore wind turbines (OWT) are a key system in converting offshore wind power into electrical power, maintaining their condition plays a pivotal role in WPP. However, it is seldom considered in traditional WPP. This paper proposes an ultra-short term offshore WPP methodology based on the condition assessment (CA) of OWTs. Firstly, a modified fuzzy comprehensive evaluation (MFCE) based CA of the OWT is presented with a new defined deterioration of indicators calculated by the relative errors. Long short-term memory (LSTM) neural network is introduced to deal with the complicated interactions between the various monitoring data of an OWT and the dynamic marine environment. Then, with the classifications of the health conditions of the OWT, the historical operation data is classified accordingly. An OWT-condition based WPP with a backpropagation (BP) neural network is developed to deal with the non-linear mapping relations between the numerical weather prediction (NWP) information, health conditions of OWT, and the output power. The results of the case study show the influences of the OWT health conditions to its output power and verifies the effectiveness and higher accuracy of the proposed method.

A promising method of energy storage is the combination of hydrogen and compressed-air energy storage (CAES) systems. CAES systems are divided into diabatic, adiabatic, and isothermal cycles. In the diabatic cycle, thermal energy after air compression is discharged into the environment, and the scheme implies the use of organic fuel. Taking into account the prospects of the decarbonization of the energy industry, it is advisable to replace natural gas in the diabatic CAES scheme with hydrogen obtained by electrolysis using power-to-gas technology. In this article, the SENECA-1A project is considered as a high-power hybrid unit, using hydrogen instead of natural gas. The results show that while keeping the 214 MW turbines powered, the transition to hydrogen reduces carbon dioxide emissions from 8.8 to 0.0 kg/s, while the formation of water vapor will increase from 17.6 to 27.4 kg/s. It is shown that the adiabatic CAES SENECA-1A mode, compared to the diabatic, has 0.0 carbon dioxide and water vapor emission with relatively higher efficiency (71.5 vs. 62.1%). At the same time, the main advantage of the diabatic CAES is the possibility to produce more power in the turbine block (214 vs. 131.6 MW), having fewer capital costs. Thus, choosing the technology is a subject of complex technical, economic, and ecological study.