• Energy Research
• 2021-2025close
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Progressive urban density affects city centers especially and results in growing congestion, lack of parking spaces, and increasing environmental costs of transportation, causing increased air pollutant emissions and noise. These phenomena reduce the attractiveness of the city and result in a degradation of the quality of life for its residents. In light of these phenomena, there is a clear need for intelligent management of urban space using new technologies that would be complementary to existing intelligent transportation systems. Expanding information resources obtained from mobile cameras will have a positive impact on increasing the efficiency of transportation management and use of limited space in city centers. It will also have an impact on reducing external transport costs and increasing the quality of logistics services provided in the city. The main aim of the paper is to develop a concept of a transport management system in cities using mobile vision systems mounted on unmanned aerial vehicles. The model will concern the cases of lane occupation by freight vehicles and the analysis of parking spaces in the city in order to improve their management. The results of the developed model will contribute to the automation of the parking space management process and increase the efficiency of the use of city parking space resources.

AbstractEuropean climate is associated with variability and changes in the mid-latitude atmospheric circulation. In this study, we aim to investigate potential future change in circulation over Europe by using the EURO-CORDEX regional climate projections at 0.11° grid mesh. In particular, we analyze future change in 500-hPa geopotential height (Gph), 500-hPa wind speed and mean sea level pressure (MSLP) addressing different warming levels of 1 °C, 2 °C and 3 °C, respectively. Simple scaling with the global mean temperature change is applied to the regional climate projections for monthly mean 500-hPa Gph and 500-hPa wind speed. Results from the ensemble mean of individual models show a robust increase in 500-hPa Gph and MSLP in winter over Mediterranean and Central Europe, indicating an intensification of anticyclonic circulation. This circulation change emerges robustly in most simulations within the coming decade. There are also enhanced westerlies which transport warm and moist air to the Mediterranean and Central Europe in winter and spring. It is also clear that, models showing different responses to circulation depend very much on the global climate model ensemble member in which they are nested. For all seasons, particularly autumn, the ensemble mean is much more correlated with the end of the century than most of the individual models. In general, the emergence of a scaled pattern appears rather quickly.

Abstract Persistent luminescence (PersL), also called long-lasting phosphorescence or simply afterglow, is a luminescence characterised by the emission of radiation from a few seconds to several days after the excitation source has been switched off. Over the past two decades, research on PersL materials, both in fundamental and applied physics, has developed rapidly; however, the explanation for the physical processes that cause afterglow still needs to be clarified. Today, PersL materials are used mainly for luminescent paints, safety signs and decorations. At the same time, research into using such materials in medicine, information storage, anti-counterfeiting technology, etc., is underway. Currently, information on the long persistent luminescence materials with emission in the blue and green spectral range is widely available. In contrast, the number of publications on the afterglow in the red and near-infrared spectral range is considerably lower. Within the framework of this research, Mg2SiO4: Mn2+; M3+ (M3+ = B3+; Al3+; Ga3+; In3+) materials were synthesised using solid state reaction synthesis. When excited with X-rays, the materials exhibited a broad Mn2+ PersL band with two maxima at approximately 625 nm and 730 nm. After cessation of irradiation, an afterglow of at least 6 hours could be observed. The research focuses on the trap properties of the materials. It was concluded that at least three discrete trap levels with activation energies approximately between 0.4–1.6 eV were present in the samples. Additionally, co-doping with Al3+; Ga3+; In3+ ions improved PersL longevity of the Mg2SiO4: Mn2+ material.

Most of the world’s mountain glaciers have been retreating for more than a century in response to climate change. Glacier retreat is evident on all continents, and the rate of retreat has accelerated during recent decades. Accurate, spatially explicit information on the position of glacier margins over time is useful for analyzing patterns of glacier retreat and measuring reductions in glacier surface area. This information is also essential for evaluating how mountain ecosystems are evolving due to climate warming and the attendant glacier retreat. Here, we present a non-comprehensive spatially explicit dataset showing multiple positions of glacier fronts since the Little Ice Age (LIA) maxima, including many data from the pre-satellite era. The dataset is based on multiple historical archival records including topographical maps; repeated photographs, paintings, and aerial or satellite images with a supplement of geochronology; and own field data. We provide ESRI shapefiles showing 728 past positions of 94 glacier fronts from all continents, except Antarctica, covering the period between the Little Ice Age maxima and the present. On average, the time series span the past 190 years. From 2 to 46 past positions per glacier are depicted (on average: 7.8).

Energy efficiency is an increasingly important dimension of household appliances, which is why they are labeled to indicate their energy consumption. In 2020, the European Union countries changed the labeling system from the previous system: ranging from A+++ to D, to the new system: ranging from A to G, assuming it would be more transparent for the consumer. The aim of the study was to find out the extent to which consumers are aware of the new labeling system, and the impact that the new labels have (compared to the previous ones) on the perception of household appliances and consumer decision-making. For this purpose, the survey was conducted on a nationwide representative Polish sample (n = 1054). The research was partly experimental, where the same appliances were presented with new and previous energy labels. The results showed that currently most people do not identify the new energy classes. Furthermore, products with the new labels are perceived as being less energy efficient in comparison with products with the previous labels, which shows that there is some confusion among consumers in terms of the new energy efficiency labeling system.

This paper studies the vibrational motion of a dynamical system connected to an electromagnetic device, which is one of the energy harvesting (EH) devices that transform the vibrational motion into electric energy. This system has three degrees-of-freedom (DOF) and consists of two linked parts attached together; one is a nonlinear Duffing oscillator, and the other is a nonlinear damping spring pendulum. The regulating equations of motion (EOM) are achieved utilizing Lagrange’s equations and solved analytically applying the approach of multiple scales (AMS) till the third order of approximation. The accuracy of the attained solutions has been examined by comparing them with the numerical ones of the EOM. The time histories of the solutions and the nonlinear stability analysis of the modulation equations are represented graphically in various plots. The Poincaré maps and phase portraits diagrams displayed the stable behavior of the studied dynamical system. In addition, the different ranges of the stabilities are examined and discussed. In the electromagnetic device, the output power and current time series are depicted as a function of different values of the damping coefficients, excitation amplitudes, and load resistance. It is noted that the output current and power are dropped when the damping coefficient is raised. On the other hand, the increment of the excitation has a positive effect on the electrical generation and produces increment of the output power and current. Furthermore, the output power grows when the total resistance increases to accommodate the applied load. The EH device generates high output current and power at low-frequency values. The significance of this work is limited to the numerous uses of its outcomes in everyday life, such as powering medical devices, serving as a power supply for sensors, and serving as a backup energy source for some electronic devices.