Particle Size Optimization of Thermochemical Salt Hydrates for High Energy Density Thermal Storage

Thermal energy storage(TES)solutions offer opportunities to reduce energy consumption,greenhouse gas emissions,and cost.Specifically,they can help reduce the peak load and address the intermittency of renewable energy sources by time shifting the load,which are critical toward zero energy buildings.Thermochemical materials(TCMs)as a class of TES undergo a solid-gas reversible chemical reaction with water vapor to store and release energy with high storage capacities(600 kWh m^(-3))and negligible self-discharge that makes them uniquely suited as compact,stand-alone units for daily or seasonal storage.However,TCMs suffer from instabilities at the material(salt particles)and reactor level(packed beds of salt),resulting in poor multi-cycle efficiency and high-levelized cost of storage.In this study,a model is developed to predict the pulverization limit or Rcrit of various salt hydrates during thermal cycling.This is critical as it provides design rules to make mechanically stable TCM composites as well as enables the use of more energy-efficient manufacturing process(solid-state mixing)to make the composites.The model is experimentally validated on multiple TCM salt hydrates with different water content,and effect of Rcrit on hydration and dehydration kinetics is also investigated.

Spatiotemporal phase change materials for thermal energy long-term storage and controllable release

Phase change materials(PCMs)have attracted much attention in the field of solar thermal utilization recently,due to their outstanding thermal energy storage performance.However,PCMs usually release their stored latent heat spontaneously as the temperature below the phase transition temperature,rendering thermal energy storage and release uncontrollable,thus hindering their practical application in time and space.Herein,we developed erythritol/sodium carboxymethylcellulose/tetrasodium ethylenediaminetetraacetate(ERY/CMC/EDTA-4Na)composite PCMs with novel spatiotemporal thermal energy storage properties,defined as spatiotemporal PCMs(STPCMs),which exhibit the capacity of thermal energy long-term storage and controllable release.Our results show that the composite PCMs are unable to lose latent heat due to spontaneous crystallization during cooling,but can controllably release thermal energy through cold crystallization during reheating.The cold-crystallization temperature and enthalpy of composite PCMs can be adjusted by proportional addition of EDTA-4Na to the composite.When the mass fractions of CMC and EDTA-4Na are both 10%,the composite PCMs can exhibit the optical coldcrystallization temperature of 51.7℃ and enthalpy of 178.1 J/g.The supercooled composite PCMs without latent heat release can be maintained at room temperature(10-25℃)for up to more than two months,and subsequently the stored latent heat can be controllably released by means of thermal triggering or heterogeneous nucleation.Our findings provide novel insights into the design and construction of new PCMs with spatiotemporal performance of thermal energy long-term storage and controllable release,and consequently open a new door for the development of advanced solar thermal utilization techniques on the basis of STPCMs.

Sensitivity Test and Data Analysis for Storage Reliability Assessment of Explosive Initiator

The explosive initiator is one kind of sensitivity products with long life and high reliability.In order to improve the storage reliability assessment,the method of storage reliability assessment for explosive initiator was proposed based on time series model using the sensitivity test data.In the method,the up and down test was used to estimate the distribution parameters of threshold.And an approach to design the up and down test was present to draw better estimations.Furthermore,the method of shrinkage estimation was introduced to get a better estimation of scale parameter by combining the sample information with prior information.The simulation result shows that the shrinkage estimation is better than traditional estimation under certain conditions.With the distribution parameters estimations,the time series models were used to describe the changing trends of distribution parameters along with storage time.Then for a fixed storage time,the distribution parameters were predicted based on the models.Finally,the confidence interval of storage reliability was obtained by fiducial inference.The illustrative example shows that the method is available for storage reliability assessment of the explosive initiator with high reliability.

Drillhole high-pressure packer permeability test for underground powerhouse in Pushihe pumped storage hydro-plant

Usually the water head of the pumped storage hydro-plant is high, generally up to 400-500 m, therefore the rock mass under the high-pressure bifurcation pipe have to bear as high as millions Pascal water pressure, in according with the requirements of high water head pumped storage hydro-plant should be 1.2 times of the water head special high-pressure packer permeability test compared with normal to test the permeability of rock and rock cleavage pressure value. The test results on the choice of design options often play a decisive role. Based on the engineering practice, the authors studied the drillhole high-pressure packer permeability test in the pumped storage hydro-plant's underground powerhouse, by the analysis of test results, this article offers a demonstration of the deformation of rock fracture witch under building in the condition of high-pressure water head, it provides a more detailed engineering geological background.

Field Load Test Based SHM System Safety Standard Determination for Rigid Frame Bridge

The deteriorated continuous rigid frame bridge is strengthened by external prestressing. Static loading tests wereconducted before and after the bridge rehabilitation to verify the effectiveness of the rehabilitation process. Thestiffness of the repaired bridge is improved, and the maximum deflection of the load test is reduced from 37.9 to27.6 mm. A bridge health monitoring system is installed after the bridge is reinforced. To achieve an easy assessmentof the bridge’s safety status by directly using transferred data, a real-time safety warning system is createdbased on a five-level safety standard. The threshold for each safety level will be determined by theoretical calculationsand the outcomes of static loading tests. The highest risk threshold will be set at the ultimate limit statevalue. The remaining levels, namely middle risk, low risk, and very low risk, will be determined usingreduction coefficients of 0.95, 0.9, and 0.8, respectively.

Efficient Technique for Long-Term <i>in Vitro</i>Storage of Transgenic Aspen Genotypes

In vitro culture of isolated cells from tissues and organs is sometimes used to preserve and reproduce unique genotypes of woody plants. The technique, however, requires regular subculturing which raises storage costs and creates risks for contamination and accumulation of somaclonal variations. We examined the effects of sugar composition of culture medium, the length of photoperiod, light intensity, and ambient temperature on the survival of plant material in vitro. The study was performed on 49 genotypes of Populus tremula (46 transgenic genotypes carrying GFP-, Xeg- and Gus-genes, and 3 control (wild-type) genotypes). It was shown that effective storage of plants was achieved through optimization of the combined effects of all storage parameters under study. Based on the experimental data, we developed a protocol for long-term in vitro storage of desirable genotypes without subculture and with a survival rate of up to 98%. The best results were obtained when the plant material was pre-cultured on a WPM medium containing 15 g/L sucrose, 7.5 g/L sorbitol and 7.5 g/L mannitol, and then stored at +4°C under a 24-hour light day cycle with only 8 hours of light per day and maximum light intensity of 2000 lux. Post-storage recovery was done by culturing on a medium containing 1 mg/L gibberellic acid. The developed method can be used for effective in vitro storage of the studied genotypes for up to 24 months without subculture.

Smart Inverter Functionality Testing for Battery Energy Storage Systems

Variable distributed energy resources (DERs) such as photovoltaic (PV) systems and wind power systems require additional power resources to control the balance between supply and demand. Battery energy storage systems (BESSs) are one such possible resource for providing grid stability. It has been proposed that decentralized BESSs could help support microgrids (MGs) with intelligent control when advanced functionalities are implemented with variable DERs. One key challenge is developing and testing smart inverter controls for DERs. This paper presents a standardized method to test the interoperability and functionality of BESSs. First, a survey of grid-support standards prevalent in several countries was conducted. Then, the following four interoperability functions defined in IEC TR 61850-90-7 were tested: the specified active power from storage test (INV4), the var-priority Volt/VAR test (VV) and the specified power factor test (INV3) and frequency-watt control (FW). This study then out-lines the remaining technical issues related to basic BESS smart inverter test protocols.

The Efficiency Improving of Traction Drive Test Bench with Supercapacitor Energy Storage System

For development of passenger electrical transport, it is necessary to use energy more rationally. One of methods of vehicle power efficiency increase is installation of on-board energy storage systems. For studying of system operation, it is necessary to carry out a lot of experiments, therefore it is favorable to use the test bench and its computer model for reduction of the number of physical experiments. In this article, the results of computer modeling for the optimization of traction drive test bench by adjusting of the operation parameters of supercapacitor energy storage are described. Test bench operation is considered in cases of the energy storage system working at various selected supercapacitor initial voltages. Maximal increase of possibility of vehicle test bench regenerative braking with minimal decrease of autonomous power supply mode possibility is investigated. There is estimated the energy storage system efficiency improving measures dependence from supercapacitor operational voltage ranges. Parameters at which the minimum losses of energy are observed are revealed. Dependence of energy storage system discharge power on the most admissible supercapacitor current is established.

Cost Optimization Strategy for Long-Term Storage of Scientific Workflow

With the rapid development of cloud environment, the capabilities of systems have been promoted with powerful computing and storage. But for the characteristic of “pay-as-you-go” of cloud resources, it is necessary to consider the different data storage cost. Especially for processing of “old data” in longterm storage, an appropriate strategy is needed to reduce users’ cost. Considering the characteristics of price stratification in the current commercial cloud environment, a three-level price stratified storage strategy is proposed based on the CTT-SP algorithm, which stores part of the “old data” on relatively inexpensive secondary and tertiary storage, and ensures that the time delay caused by three-level storage does not exceed the deadline. Compared with other storage methods, the experimental result shows the strategy proposed can guarantee the time delay while reducing the cost of users significantly in longterm storage.

Multi-Time-Scale Resource Allocation Based on Long-Term Contracts and Real-Time Rental Business Models for Shared Energy Storage Systems

The push for renewable energy emphasizes the need for energy storage systems(ESSs)to mitigate the unpre-dictability and variability of these sources,yet challenges such as high investment costs,sporadic utilization,and demand mismatch hinder their broader adoption.In response,shared energy storage systems(SESSs)offer a more cohesive and efficient use of ESS,providing more accessible and cost-effective energy storage solutions to overcome these obstacles.To enhance the profitability of SESSs,this paper designs a multi-time-scale resource allocation strategy based on long-term contracts and real-time rental business models.We initially construct a life cycle cost model for SESS and introduce a method to estimate the degradation costs of multiple battery groups by cycling numbers and depth of discharge within the SESS.Subsequently,we design various long-term contracts from both capacity and energy perspectives,establishing associated models and real-time rental models.Lastly,multi-time-scale resource allocation based on the decomposition of user demand is proposed.Numerical analysis validates that the business model based on long-term contracts excels over models operating solely in the real-time market in economic viability and user satisfaction,effectively reducing battery degradation,and leveraging the aggregation effect for SESS can generate an additional increase of 10.7%in net revenue.

Experimental study of water curtain performance for gas storage in an underground cavern

An artificial water curtain system is composed of a network of underground galleries and horizontal boreholes drilled from these galleries.Pre-grouting measures are introduced to keep the bedrock saturated all the time.This system is deployed over an artificial or natural underground cavern used for the storage of gas（or some other fluids） to prevent the gas from escaping through leakage paths in the rock mass.An experimental physical modeling system has been constructed to evaluate the performance of artificial water curtain systems under various conditions.These conditions include different spacings of caverns and cavern radii located below the natural groundwater level.The principles of the experiment,devices,design of the physical model,calculation of gas leakage,and evaluation of the critical gas pressure are presented in this paper.Experimental result shows that gas leakage is strongly affected by the spacing of water curtain boreholes,the critical gas pressure,and the number and proximity of storage caverns.The hydraulic connection between boreholes is observed to vary with depth or location,which suggests that the distribution of water-conducting joint sets along the boreholes is also variable.When designing the drainage system for a cavern,drainage holes should be orientated to maximize the frequency at which they encounter major joint sets and permeable intervals studying in order to maintain the seal on the cavern through water pressure.Our experimental results provide a significant contribution to the theoretical controls on water curtains,and they can be used to guide the design and construction of practical storage caverns.

Determination of the maximum allowable gas pressure for an underground gas storage salt cavern——A case study of Jintan,China

Increasing the allowable gas pressure of underground gas storage(UGS) is one of the most effective methods to increase its working gas capacity. In this context, hydraulic fracturing tests are implemented on the target formation for the UGS construction of Jintan salt caverns, China, in order to obtain the minimum principal in situ stress and the fracture breakdown pressure. Based on the test results, the maximum allowable gas pressure of the Jintan UGS salt cavern is calibrated. To determine the maximum allowable gas pressure, KING-1 and KING-2 caverns are used as examples. A three-dimensional(3D)geomechanical model is established based on the sonar data of the two caverns with respect to the features of the target formation. New criteria for evaluating gas penetration failure and gas seepage are proposed. Results show that the maximum allowable gas pressure of the Jintan UGS salt cavern can be increased from 17 MPa to 18 MPa(i.e. a gradient of about 18 k Pa/m at the casing shoe depth). Based on numerical results, a field test with increasing maximum gas pressure to 18 MPa has been carried out in KING-1 cavern. Microseismic monitoring has been conducted during the test to evaluate the safety of the rock mass around the cavern. Field monitoring data show that KING-1 cavern is safe globally when the maximum gas pressure is increased from 17 MPa to 18 MPa. This shows that the geomechanical model and criteria proposed in this context for evaluating the maximum allowable gas pressure are reliable.

Optimization of Baffled Rectangular and Prismatic Storage Tank Against the Sloshing Phenomenon

The fluid motion in partially filled tanks with internal baffles has wide engineering applications. The installation of baffles is expected to reduce the effect of sloshing as well as the consequent environmental damages. In the present study, a series of experimental tests are performed to investigate the sloshing phenomenon in a baffled rectangular storage tank. In addition, the sloshing phenomenon is also modeled by using Open Foam. Based on the experimental and numerical studies, optimization of the geometric parameters of the tank is performed based on some criteria such as tank area, entropy generation, and the horizontal force exerted on the tank area due to the sloshing phenomenon.The optimization is also carried out based on the entropy generation minimization analysis. It is noted that the optimum baffle height is in the range of h_b/h_w=0.5-0.75 in the present study(where h_b and h_w are the baffle height and water depth, respectively). Based on the results, the optimal design of the tank is achieved with R_A= 0.9-1.0(where R_A=L/W, L and W are the length and width of the tank, respectively). The results also show that the increase of h_b can lead to a decrease of the maximum pressure and horizontal force exerted on the tank. It is also noted that the horizontal force exerted on the tank firstly continues to increase as the sway motion amplitude increases.However, as the normalized motion amplitude parameter, a/L(The parameter a is the motion amplitude), exceeds0.067, the effect of motion amplitude on the force is not obvious. The same optimization is also performed in the multiple-variable-baffled tank and prismatic storage tank.

The impact of storage conditions upon gentamicin coated antimicrobial implants

A systematic approach was developed to investigate the stability of gentamicin sulfate(GS) and GS/poly(lacticco-glycolic acid)(PLGA) coatings on hydroxyapatite surfaces.The influence of environmental factors(light,humidity,oxidation and heat) upon degradation of the drug in the coatings was investigated using liquid chromatography with evaporative light scattering detection and mass spectrometry.GS coated rods were found to be stable across the range of environments assessed,with only an oxidizing atmosphere resulting in significant changes to the gentamicin composition.In contrast,rods coated with GS/PLGA were more sensitive to storage conditions with compositional changes being detected after storage at 60 °C,75% relative humidity or exposure to light.The effect of γ-irradiation on the coated rods was also investigated and found to have no significant effect.Finally,liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry analysis revealed that known gentamines C_1,C_1 aand C_2were the major degradants formed.Forced degradation of gentamicin coatings did not produce any unexpected degradants or impurities.

Seismic performance evaluation of VCFPB isolated storage tank using real-time hybrid simulation

Variable curvature friction pendulum bearings(VCFPB)effectively reduce the dynamic response of storage tanks induced by earthquakes.Shaking table testing is used to assess the seismic performance of VCFPB isolated storage tanks.However,the vertical pressure and friction coefficient of the scaled VCFPB in the shaking table tests cannot match the equivalent values of these parameters in the prototype.To avoid this drawback,a real-time hybrid simulation(RTHS)test was developed.Using RTHS testing,a 1/8 scaled tank isolated by VCFPB was tested.The experimental results showed that the displacement dynamic magnification factor of VCFPB,peak reduction factors of the acceleration,shear force,and overturning moment at bottom of the tank,were negative exponential functions of the ratio of peak ground acceleration(PGA)and friction coefficient.The peak reduction factors of displacement,acceleration,force and overturning moment,which were obtained from the experimental results,are compared with those calculated by the Housner model.It can be concluded that the Housner model is applicable in estimation of the acceleration,shear force,and overturning moment of liquid storage tank,but not for the sliding displacement of VCFPBs.

Carbon dioxide reforming of methane over bimetallic catalysts of Pt-Ru/γ-Al_2O_3 for thermochemical energy storage

The reaction of CO2 reforming of CH4 has been investigated with y-A1203-supported platinum and ruthenium bimetallic catalysts, with the specific purpose of thermochemical energy storage. The catalysts were prepared by using the wetness impregnation method. The prepared catalysts were characterized by a series of physico-chemical characterization techniques such as BET surface area, thermo-gravimetric （TG）, transmission electron microscope （TEM） and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy （XPS）. In addition, the amount of carbon deposits on the surface of the catalysts and the type of the carbonaceous species were discussed by TG. It was found that the bimetallic Pt-Ru/7-A1203 catalysts exhibit both superior catalytic activity and remarkable stability by comparison of monometallic catalysts. During the 500 h stability test, the bimetallic catalyst showed a good performance at 800 ~C in CO2 reforming of CH4, exhibiting an excellent anti-carbon performance with the mass loss of less than 8.5%. The results also indicate that CO2 and CH4 have quite stable conversions of 96.0 % and 94.0 %, respectively. Also, the selectivity of the catalysts is excellent with the products ratio of CO/H2 maintaining at 1.02. Furthermore, it was found in TEM images that the active carbonaceous species were formed during the catalytic reaction, and well-distributed dot-shaped metallic particles with a relatively uniform size of about 3 nm as well as amorphous carbon structures were observed. Combined with BET, TG, TEM tests, it is concluded that the selected bimetallic catalysts can work continuously in a stable state at the high temperature, which has a potential to be utilized for the closed-loop cycle of the solar thermochemical energy storage in future industry applications.

A Study of Estimating the Safe Storage Life, Self-accelerating Decomposition Temperature and Critical Temperature of Thermal Explosion of Double-base Propellant Using Isothermal and Non-isothermal Decomposition Behaviours

A method of estimating the safe storage life （τ）, self-accelerating decomposition temperature （TsADT） and critical temperature of thermal explosion （Tb） of double-base propellant using isothermal and non-isothermal decomposition behaviours is presented. For double-base propellant composed of 56±1wt% of nitrocellulose （NC）, 27±0.5wt% of nitroglycerine （NG）, 8.15±0.15wt% of dinitrotoluene （DNT）, 2.5±0.1wt% of methyl centralite, 5.0±0.15wt% of catalyst and 1.0±0.1wt% of other, the values of r of 49.4 years at 40℃, of TSAOT of 151.35℃ and of Tb of 163.01℃ were obtained.

Assessment of Fatigue Strength of An Offshore Floating Production and Storage Unit

The procedure of assessment of structural fatigue strength of an offshore floating production and storage and offloading unit (FPSO) in this paper. The emphasis is placed on the long-term prediction of wave induced loading, the refined finite element model for hot spot stress calculation, the combination of stress components, and fatigue damage assessment based on S-N curve.

Mathematical Evaluation Changes in Rheological and Mechanical Properties of Pears during Storage under Variable Conditions

In order to better design, fabricate and control pear handling machine, we should take into account mechanical and rheological properties of pear fruits as related to handling process. The changes in rheological properties of pears stored at 5, 15, 25 ℃ and variable （fluctuating） temperature for 12 days were evaluated in terms of elasticity and viscosity parameters using creep tests. The elasticity and viscosity parameters in creep tests in general decreased with increase in storage time both under constant and variable storage conditions. For the variable storage condition, a bulk mean temperature calculated to account for a series combination of storage time and temperature to which the pears subjected. The changes in rheological properties due to variable storage temperature were described as a function of storage time. The result indicated that except the viscosity parameter of the Maxwell component of the four-element model, it was possible to describe the changes in rheological properties as a function of storage time, which are better physical parameters to estimate the quality of pears.

Experimentation of a Plane Solar Integrated Collector Storage Water Heater

In order to popularize the use of the solar-water heaters, especially in the residential and tertiary sectors with the third world, it appears to be necessary to reduce their cost while improving their performances. It is the object of this integrated storage collector thus created and tested in the south of Tunisia. It is simply made up of a tank playing the double part of solar absorber and storage tank of warm water, of a glazing to profit from the greenhouse effect and of an insulating case. Its measured energy performances, by the method of input-output proves its effectiveness to produce hot water, in spite of its simplicity of manufacture, usage and maintenance. Indeed a temperature of water exceeding 70?C is reached towards the afternoon True Solar Time, and for an efficiency of 7%. Thus, this type of collector with integrated storage is entirely satisfactory and could be available to larger mass.