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The solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) film plays a significant role in the capacity and storage performance of lithium primary batteries. The electrolyte additives are essential in controlling the morphology, composition and structure of the SEI film. Herein, fluoroethylene carbonate (FEC) is chosen as the additive, its effects on the lithium primary battery performance are investigated, and the relevant formation mechanism of SEI film is analyzed. By comparing the electrochemical performance of the Li/AlF3 primary batteries and the microstructure of the Li anode surface under different conditions, the evolution model of the SEI film is established. The FEC additive can decrease the electrolyte decomposition and protect the lithium metal anode effectively. When an optimal 5% FEC is added, the discharge specific capacity of the Li/AlF3 primary battery is 212.8 mAh g−1, and the discharge specific capacities are respectively 205.7 and 122.3 mAh g−1 after storage for 7 days at room temperature and 55 °C. Compared to primary electrolytes, the charge transfer resistance of the Li/AlF3 batteries with FEC additive decreases, indicating that FEC is a promising electrolyte additive to effectively improve the SEI film, increase discharge-specific capacities and promote charge transfer of the lithium primary batteries.

Disposal of municipal solid wastes (MSW) remains a challenge to minimize its impacts on the environment and human health. Landfilling, currently the most common method used for MSW disposal, occupies land space and leads to soil and air emissions. Gasification, an alternative MSW disposal method, can convert waste to energy, but can also lead to soil and air emissions and is a more extensive operation. In this study, life cycle assessments (LCA) of the two disposal methods (landfilling without energy recovery and gasification) were compared to understand impacts on environment and health. The LCA was conducted following the ISO 14040 standards with one ton of MSW as the functional unit. The life cycle inventory was obtained from published journals, technical reports, LandGEM, HELP and GREET database. The impact assessment was done using TRACI 2.1 and categorized into eight groups. The LCA revealed that landfilling is a higher contributor in global warming, acidification, smog formation, eutrophication, ecotoxicity and human health cancer and non-cancer categories. The negative environmental impacts of MSW landfilling can be primarily attributed to the fate of leachate loss and landfill gas, while those of the MSW gasification can be attributed to the disposal of its solid residues.

Technological developments in the health sector for the safety of neonates are essential. Such efforts are needed to curb the increase in premature infant mortality cases caused by bacteria, asphyxia, infections, and poor management of facility equipment. Furthermore, preterm and other at-risk babies have low ability to regulate temperature and produce body heat as characterized by their dry skin conditions; hence, the need for baby incubators. For their operation, these baby incubators provide strict regulated energy change that is influenced by heat transfer caused by the surrounding atmospheric temperature and humidity. This paper presents the design, construction, and performance study of a proposed Fuzzy-PID hybrid control system for regulating temperature and humidity in a baby incubator. To accomplish its goal, the proposed controller must be able to distribute heat and maintain humidity in the incubator under fluctuating atmospheric conditions to keep the baby’s body warm. Performance tests of the proposed hybrid controller were conducted by comparing temperature and humidity outputs in the baby incubator against predetermined expected values. Results show that the proposed controller is able to successfully achieve and maintain the temperature and humidity set points. Further examination also suggests that the proposed Fuzzy-PID hybrid control offers an improved overall system response performance compared to the PID controller.

With the wide spread of new variants of coronavirus that cause the infectious disease COVID-19, governments around the world typically respond by imposing restrictions on people’s activities that range from partial to full lockdowns. This has severe implications on all economic activities, which is manifested by the changes in energy demand. In this study, the impact of COVID-19 on the electricity sector in Jordan is analysed through quantifying the strictness of the government response measures to contain the spread of the pandemic, as calculated by the stringency index, with the electricity demand by the different sectors. Results showed that the minimum peak load in 2020 decreased by 13% as compared to that of 2019. The most affected sectors were the domestic sector, whose share in consumption increased by 8%, and the commercial and hotel sector, whose share decreased by 19%. The concept of an energy-weighted stringency index was introduced to account for the impact of government response measures on the different sectors. The analysis was applied for all Jordan as well as for the three electricity distribution regions. Results also showed that despite measures taken to contain spread of the pandemic, the share of electricity generation by renewables increased from 15% in 2019 to 24% in 2020.

The poor operational stability of electrolytes is a persistent impediment in building redox flow battery technology; choosing suitable stability additives is usually the research direction to solve this problem. The effects of five phosphate containing additives (including 1-hydroxyethylidene-1,1-diphosphonic acid (HEDP), hexamethylene diamine tetramethylene phosphonic acid (HDTMPA), amino trimethylene phosphonic acid (ATMPA), sodium ethylenediamine tetramethylene phosphonate (EDTMPS), and diethyl triamine pentamethylene phosphonic acid (DTPMP)) on the thermal stability and electrochemical performance of the positive electrolyte of vanadium redox flow battery were investigated. With 0.5 wt% addition, most of the selected additives were able to improve the thermal stability of the electrolyte. HEDP and HDTMPA extended the stability time of the pentavalent vanadium electrolyte at 50 °C from 5 days (blank sample) to 30 days and 15 days, respectively. The electrochemical performance of the electrolyte was further investigated by cyclic voltammetry, steady state polarization, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy tests. It was found that most of the additives enhanced the electrochemical activity of the positive electrolyte, and the diffusion coefficients, exchange current densities, and reaction rate constants of V(IV) species became larger with the addition of these additives. It is verified that the thermal stability and electrochemical stability of the electrolyte are significantly improved by the combination of ATMPA + HEDP or ATMPA + HDTMPA. This study provides a new approach to improve the stability of the positive electrolyte for vanadium redox flow battery.

The need for energy-storing technologies with lower environmental impact than Li-ion batteries but similar power metrics has revived research in Zn-based battery chemistries. The application of bio-based materials as a replacement for current components can additionally contribute to an improved sustainability of Zn battery systems. For that reason, bacterial cellulose (BC) was investigated as separator material in Ni-Zn batteries. Following the biotechnological production of BC, the biopolymer was purified, and differently shaped separators were generated while surveying the alterations of its crystalline structure via X-ray diffraction measurements during the whole manufacturing process. A decrease in crystallinity and a partial change of the BC crystal allomorph type Iα to II was determined upon soaking in electrolyte. Electrolyte uptake was found to be accompanied by dimensional shrinkage and swelling, which was associated with partial decrystallization and hydration of the amorphous content. The separator selectivity for hydroxide and zincate ions was higher for BC-based separators compared to commercial glass-fiber (GF) or polyolefin separators as estimated from the obtained diffusion coefficients. Electrochemical cycling showed good C-rate capability of cells based on BC and GF separators, whereas cell aging was pronounced in both cases due to Zn migration and anode passivation. Lower electrolyte retention was concluded as major reason for faster capacity fading due to zincate supersaturation within the BC separator. However, combining a dense BC separator with low zincate permeability with a porous one as electrolyte reservoir reduced ZnO accumulation within the separator and improved cycling stability, hence showing potentials for separator adjustment.

One of the main retrofitting strategies in warm climates is the reduction of the effects of solar radiation. Cooling loads, and in turn, cooling consumption, can be reduced through the implementation of reflective materials such as solar control films. However, these devices may also negatively affect daylight illuminance conditions and the electric consumption of artificial lighting systems. In a hospital building, it is crucial to meet daylighting requirements as well as indoor illuminance levels and visibility from the inside, as these have a significant impact on health outcomes. The aim of this paper is to evaluate the influence on natural illuminance conditions of a solar control film installed on the windows of a public hospital building in a Mediterranean climate. To this end, a hospital room, with and without solar film, was monitored for a whole year. A descriptive statistical analysis was conducted on the use of artificial lighting, illuminance levels and rolling shutter aperture levels, as well as an analysis of natural illuminance and electric consumption of the artificial lighting system. The addition of a solar control film to the external surface of the window, in combination with the user-controlled rolling shutter aperture levels, has reduced the electric consumption of the artificial lighting system by 12.2%. Likewise, the solar control film has increased the percentage of annual hours with natural illuminance levels by 100–300 lux.

The objective of this paper is to study the spillover effects between energy markets and stock markets with emphasis on the significant crisis periods of the last 15 years, the period of the financial crisis that officially started in 2008, the pandemic period, generically called COVID-19, and the recent confrontation in Eastern Europe. Understanding the volatility transmission mechanisms between the energy and capital markets and also from the energy markets back and the spillover effects that result is very important. We use multivariate GARCH models to highlight a spillover effect between energy commodities and equities in Central and Eastern Europe. The highest correlations are recorded for CEE stock markets with electricity and Brent, and the lowest for CEE stock markets with gas. The biggest symmetric shocks between energy and CEE stock markets occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic. In contrast, the biggest asymmetric shocks occurred during the financial crisis (for gas) and the Ukrainian invasion (for Brent). We also find that volatility is more sensitive to its lagged values in the marketplace than it is to new information. The impact and contagion of shocks caused by the oil market are greater than those of other energy markets.