• Energy Research

Economic dispatch is a cost minimization problem that seeks to identify an optimal program for generating units operating in different types of power plants and under different technical constraints. This article develops a new hybrid resulting from the combination of sine–cosine (SCA) and flower pollination (FPA) algorithms, but some of the features of these algorithms have been modified to improve performance. The characteristics of the SCA and FPA algorithms that have been modified are: the heuristics used to update the solutions and the way of generating values for some parameters specific to the mentioned algorithms. The generation of these chaotic values is done in the proposed hybrid by using the logistic map. The proposed hybrid, abbreviated HSC-FP, is applied to solve the economic dispatch problem with/without including wind power uncertainty (wind speed being modeled by a Weibull distribution) and considering various practical features of power systems, such as the valve-point effects, transmission line losses, prohibited operating zones (POZ), ramp limits, multi-fuel sources. The performance of the HSC-FP hybrid is tested on several systems with various dimensions (10-unit, 14-unit, 40-unit and 80-unit) and characteristics. The obtained results show that the HSC-FP hybrid is a promising algorithm that surpasses the performance of other algorithms used in solving the economic dispatch problem with/without the inclusion of wind power.

Hydrogen (H2) is the most abundant element in the universe and it is also a neutral energy carrier, meaning the environmental effects of using it are strictly related to the effects of creating the means of producing of that amount of Hydrogen. So far, the H2 generation by water electrolysis research field did not manage to break the efficiency barrier in order to consider H2 production as a technology that sustains financially its self-development. However, given the complexity of this technology and the overall environmental impacts, an up-to-date research and development status review is critical. Thus, this study aims to identify the main trends, achievements and research directions of the H2 generation using pure and alkaline water electrolysis, providing a review of the state of the art in the specific literature. Methods: In order to deliver this, a Systematic Literature Review was carried out, using PRISMA methodology, highlighting the research trends and results in peer review publish articles over more than two years (2020–2022). Findings: This review identifies niches and actual status of the H2 generation by water and alkaline water electrolysis and points out, in numbers, the boundaries of the 2020–2022 timeline research.