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The most severe failures in power grids are often characterized as cascading failures where an initial event triggers consequent failures all along the grid often leading to blackouts. Upon identifying a failure and its cascade potential, timely control actions should be performed by the grid operators to mitigate the effect of the cascade. These actions have to be delivered to one or more control devices, creating a dependency between the power grid and its control network. This paper examines the dependency of the operation of the power grid on the control network. Different from literature studies on failure control, our dependency model captures the impact of networking parameters. We formulate an algorithmic model that describes the impact of this dependency on cascade control. Based on this model, we propose an efficient cascade control algorithm using load shedding with consideration of delays in the communication network for power grids. Finally, we evaluate the impact of the power-communication network dependency with uncontrolled grids, ideal/simple control grids and our proposed control scheme. The results demonstrate that the proposed algorithm can significantly reduce the failure of power lines while sustaining larger power demand for users.

This research presents a 100% renewable energy (RE) scenario by 2050 with a high share of electric vehicles on the grid (V2G) developed in Ecuador with the support of the EnergyPLAN analysis tool. Hour-by-hour data iterations were performed to determine solutions among various features, including energy storage, V2G connections that spanned the distribution system, and long-term evaluation. The high participation in V2G connections keeps the electrical system available; meanwhile, the high proportions of variable renewable energy are the pillar of the joint electrical system. The layout of the sustainable mobility scenario and the high V2G participation maintain the balance of the electrical system during most of the day, simplifying the storage equipment requirements. Consequently, the influence of V2G systems on storage is a significant result that must be considered in the energy transition that Ecuador is developing in the long term. The stored electricity will not only serve as storage for future grid use. Additionally, the V2G batteries serve as a buffer between generation from diversified renewable sources and the end-use stage.

The use of renewable energy in Latin America has increased significantly in recent years as a result of social pressure due to the negative effects generated by the use of polluting energy. However, there is still limited empirical evidence on the effect of clean energy on the output. The objective of this research is to examine the causal link among the growth rates of sustainable energy consumption, non-sustainable energy and the real per capita output in Latin America, a region with a high potential to generate clean energy. We used Pedroni (1999) and Westerlund (2007) cointegration techniques, and Dumitrescu and Hurlin (2012) causality test to evaluate the relationship among the variables. In order to evaluate the strength of the cointegration vector, we applied the dynamic ordinary least squares for individual countries and the panel dynamic ordinary least squares model for country groups. We find robust empirical evidence that suggests that the growth rate of renewable energy consumption, non-renewable energy and the rate of growth of real per capita output have a short-term and long-term equilibrium relationship. The force of the cointegration vector among the output and the renewable energy is more forceful in the countries of medium-high and medium-low incomes. The cointegration vector among the output and non-renewable energy is stronger in high-income countries. The results of the causality test suggest that renewable energy and the real per capita output have a bidirectional relationship in low-middle income countries. The output causes renewable energy in all groups of countries. Likewise, there is a unidirectional causality from the real per capita output towards non-renewable energy. One possible policy implication derived from this research is that high-income countries in the region should look for alternative sources of energy to achieve sustainable growth, and medium-high and medium-low income countries should encourage the use of energy clean, which does not limit the economic growth. Keywords: Energy. output. Cointegration. Causality. Panel data. Latin America, JEL classification: F43, P28, C23

Although traditional agriculture carried out by ethnic groups is considered for its high biodiversity and important for food security and sovereignty, few studies have investigated the potential of these systems in the interest of promoting a sustainable agricultural development policy according to United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Using the FAO's Sustainability Assessment of Food and Agriculture (SAFA) methodology, this study analyzed the sustainability of four traditional agricultural systems, three indigenous (Waorani, Shuar, and Kichwa) and one migrant settler populations in the Yasuní Biosphere Reserve (YBR) and identified synergies and trade-offs among the dimensions of sustainability. The results showed different dynamics in all dimensions of sustainability-specifically, trade-offs in the dimensions of good governance with environmental integrity and social well-being, economic resilience, and social well-being. It was identified that the differences in terms of sustainability are narrowing between the indigenous Shuar people's traditional agricultural systems and those of migrant settlers, which provides policymakers with specific information to design sustainable development policies and rescue traditional agricultural systems in the Amazon region.

The paper represents the analysis, which has helped to establish the usage of gas hydrate technologies in the methane conversion. This gas could be obtained in different ways. Possibilities and sources for the gas obtaining have been demonstrated. Use of other environmentally friendly sources to support operation in such systems in terms of joint energy complex has been considered. The necessary kinetic connections to provide operational sustainability of all the constituents have been given. The approach helps evaluate quantitatively the priority of its physicochemical transformations to obtain gas hydrates artificially. It is possible to transport methane at considerable distances when it is solidified. Actually, in this case there is no necessity to build costly compressor stations and pipelines for its transportation to consumers. The approach is extremely important for mining regions as it helps prolong the operating period and working out of the abandoned and off-balance coal reserves. In this case, it is proposed to apply special gasification technologies tending to maximum methane recovery. The proposed solutions give the possibility to define the trends of our further research. They will be highlighted in the following authors’ studies.

Exergetic efficiency characterizes the performance of a system or a system component from the second-law of Thermodynamics viewpoint. Although this parameter can be used in the comparison of the operation of similar components working under similar conditions, there are not many articles in the literature dealing with this purpose. In this paper, a desalination plant located in Gran Canaria (Canary Islands, Spain) is considered. Different configurations are possible in the ten reverse osmosis production lines of the plant, depending on the procedure used for the energy recovery, the number of reverse osmosis stages, the technologies applied to the intake and filtration processes, or the components involved in feed water pressurization. Using real data, the exergetic efficiency is assessed as a performance evaluation tool. Through the comparison of the exergetic efficiency of similar devices, though different production lines, the components with operation defects that should be repaired are identified: the most inefficient pelton turbines, intake pumps, high pressure pumps, booster pumps, reverse osmosis membrane modules, and pressure exchanger modules. This way, exergetic efficiency can be successfully used to control and to improve the operation of the plant. 28 19 1,955 6,603 Q1 Q1 SCIE

The present work is a survey on aircraft hybrid electric propulsion (HEP) that aims to present state-of-the-art technologies and future tendencies in the following areas: air transport market, hybrid demonstrators, HEP topologies applications, aircraft design, electrical systems for aircraft, energy storage, aircraft internal combustion engines, and management and control strategies. Several changes on aircraft propulsion will occur in the next 30 years, following the aircraft market demand and environmental regulations. Two commercial areas are in evolution, electrical urban air mobility (UAM) and hybrid-electric regional aircraft. The first one is expected to come into service in the next 10 years with small devices. The last one will gradually come into service, starting with small aircraft according to developments in energy storage, fuel cells, aircraft design and hybrid architectures integration. All-electric architecture seems to be more adapted to UAM. Turbo-electric hybrid architecture combined with distributed propulsion and boundary layer ingestion seems to have more success for regional aircraft, attaining environmental goals for 2030 and 2050. Computational models supported by powerful simulation tools will be a key to support research and aircraft HEP design in the coming years. Brazilian research in these challenging areas is in the beginning, and a multidisciplinary collaboration will be critical for success in the next few years.

Road traffic accidents are currently between the seventh and tenth leading cause of death in the world, with approximately 1.35 million people killed per year. Despite extensive efforts by governments, according to the World Health Organization, road accidents still cause far too many deaths, especially among pedestrians, cyclists and two-wheel motor vehicle riders, who together account for almost 50% of road traffic fatalities. In particular, Spain had 410,974 traffic accidents between 2016 and 2019, involving 722,516 vehicles and 61,177 pedestrians with varying degrees of injury. This study uses the Bayesian network method to understand how the pedestrians’ responsibility and actions at the time of the traffic accident affect the injury suffered by said pedestrian, also considering the variables of the road infrastructure and vehicles at the accident site. The results confirm that the variables linked to the unsafe behavior of pedestrians, and their responsibility in traffic accidents, increase the risk of suffering serious or fatal injuries during an accident; for example, if a pedestrian is distracted this increases his/her probability of suffering a severe injury (27.86%) with respect to not being distracted (20.73%). Conditions related to traffic in high-speed areas, areas with no or poor lighting, and areas lacking sidewalks, also record increases in pedestrian injury, as is the case in the age group of pedestrians over 60 years of age.