Numerical Study on Hydraulic Characteristics and Discharge Capacity of Modified Piano Key Weir with Various Inlet/Outlet Width Ratio

A modified piano key weir with a rounded nose and a parapet wall (MPKW) can improve the discharge capacity significantly compared to a standard piano key weir. However, the optimum of the inlet/outlet width ratio (Wi/Wo) on the discharge efficiency of MPKW is still not investigated numerically. The present work utilized the numerical modeling to investigate and analyze the effects of the inlet/outlet key width ratios on the hydraulic characteristics and discharge capacity of the MPKW. To validate the numerical model with the experimental data, the results indicate that the average relative error is 2.96%, which confirms that the numerical model is fairly well to predictthe specifications of flow over on the MPKW. Numerical simulation results indicated that the discharge capacity of the MPKW can be improved up to 8.5% by optimizing the Wi/Wo ratio ranging from 1.53 to 1.67 even if the other parameters of the MPKW keep unchanged. A big Wi/Wo ratio generally leads to an increase in discharge capacity at low heads and a little effect on the discharge efficiency at high heads. The discharge efficiency of the inlet and outlet crests increases up to 9.6% for high heads, while discharge efficiency of the lateral crest decreases up to 23.5% compared with the reference model. The findings of the study revealed that the intrinsic influencing mechanism of the Wi/Wo ratio on the discharge performance of MPKWs.

Formation mechanism of bright and dark concentric-ring pattern in dielectric barrier discharge

In this work,a bright and dark concentric-ring pattern is reported in a dielectric barrier discharge for the first time.The spatiotemporal dynamics of the bright and dark concentric-ring pattern are investigated with an intensified charge-coupled device and photomultiplier tubes.The results indicate that the bright and dark concentric-ring pattern is composed of three concentric-ring sublattices.These are bright concentric-ring structures,dark concentric-ring structures and wider concentric-ring structures,respectively.The bright concentric-ring structures and dark concentricring structures are alternately distributed.The bright concentric-ring structures are located at the centre of the wider concentric-ring structures.The wider concentric-ring structures first form from the outer edge and gradually develop to the centre.The essence of all three concentric-ring structures is the individual discharge filaments.The optical emission spectra of different sublattices are acquired and analysed.It is found that the plasma parameters of the three concentricring sublattices are different.Finally,the formation mechanism of the bright and dark concentricring pattern is discussed.

A comparative study of data-driven battery capacity estimation based on partial charging curves

With its generality and practicality, the combination of partial charging curves and machine learning(ML) for battery capacity estimation has attracted widespread attention. However, a clear classification,fair comparison, and performance rationalization of these methods are lacking, due to the scattered existing studies. To address these issues, we develop 20 capacity estimation methods from three perspectives:charging sequence construction, input forms, and ML models. 22,582 charging curves are generated from 44 cells with different battery chemistry and operating conditions to validate the performance. Through comprehensive and unbiased comparison, the long short-term memory(LSTM) based neural network exhibits the best accuracy and robustness. Across all 6503 tested samples, the mean absolute percentage error(MAPE) for capacity estimation using LSTM is 0.61%, with a maximum error of only 3.94%. Even with the addition of 3 m V voltage noise or the extension of sampling intervals to 60 s, the average MAPE remains below 2%. Furthermore, the charging sequences are provided with physical explanations related to battery degradation to enhance confidence in their application. Recommendations for using other competitive methods are also presented. This work provides valuable insights and guidance for estimating battery capacity based on partial charging curves.

Influence of Four Factors on Discharge Capacity and Self-Discharge Rate of Iron Electrode

Ni-Fe rechargeable batteries possess the advantages of long cycle life, high theoretical specific energy, abundant raw material, low price and environmental friendship. It has a wide applied perspective. The advantages, disadvantages and preparation methods of iron electrodes were summarized. The influence of four factors on discharge capacity and self-discharge rate of iron electrode were discussed by means of orthogonal experiments, galvanostatic charges and discharges. The influences of graphite on the discharge capacity and self-discharge rate of iron electrode were the most remarkable, the most unapparent influences on the discharge capacity and self-discharge rate were HPMC (hydroxy propoxy methoxy cellulose) and sodium sulphide, respectively. The aim of the present research was to study the effects of graphite, HPMC and iron powder added in the electrodes, sodium sulphide added in the electrolytes on the discharge capacity and self-discharge rate of iron electrodes. The largest discharge capacity of the iron electrodes was 488.5 mAh/g-Fe at 66.4 mA/g-Fe in the first ten cycles, and the average self-discharge rate was 0.367% per hour.

A New Perspective on the 5 V Discharge Capacity of Li/Al Doped Manganese Spinels

A series of manganese spinels LiMn2-yMeyO4 （Me = Li, A1, Mg） were prepared and examined by XRD and electrochemical methods. The spinels doped with Li or high content of A1 can exhibit discharge capacity in the 5 V region, but spinels doped with Mg do not exhibit any 5 V discharge capacity. It is also observed that the 5 V discharge capacity of Li/A1 doped spinels will be greatly suppressed once calcinated at temperatures above 900 ℃ in preparation. It is suggested that the 5 V discharge capacity of Li/A1 doped spinels may be originated from the special chemical/structural characteristics of spinel phases containing Li or high content of A1 prepared at temperatures below 900 ℃.

A superhigh discharge capacity induced by a synergetic effect between high-surface-area carbons and a carbon paper current collector in a lithium–oxygen battery

This paper invesitages the synergetic effect between high-surface-area carbons, such as Ketjan Black(KB) or Super P(SP) carbon materials, and low-surface-area carbon paper(CP) current collectors and it also examines their influence on the discharge performance of nonaqueous Li–O2cells. Ultra-large specific discharge capacities are found in the KB/CP cathodes, which are much greater than those observed in the individual KB or CP cathodes. Detailed analysis indicates that such unexpectedly large capacities result from the synergetic effect between the two components. During the initial discharges of KB or SP materials, a large number of superoxide radical(O·-2) species in the electrolytes and Li2O2 nuclei at the CP surfaces are formed, which activate the CP current collectors to contribute considerable capacities. These results imply that CP could be a superior material for current collectors in terms of its contribution to the overall discharge capacity.On the other hand, we should be careful to calculate the specific capacities of the oxygen cathodes when using CP as a current collector; i.e., ignoring the contribution from the CP may cause overstated discharge capacities.

Simulation analysis on microscopic discharge characteristics of the bipolar corona of a floating conductor

A floating conductor exhibits a bipolar corona phenomenon with microscopic discharge characteristics that are still unclear.In this study,a plasma simulation model of the bipolar corona with 108 chemical reaction equations is established by combining hydrodynamics and plasma chemical reactions.The evolution characteristics of electrons,positive ions,negative ions and neutral particles,as well as the distribution characteristics of space charges are analyzed,and the evolutionary flow of microscopic particles is summarized.The results indicate that the positive end of the bipolar corona initiates discharge before the negative end,but the plasma chemistry at the negative end is more vigorous.The electron generation rate can reach 1240 mol(m^(3) s)^(-1),and the dissipation rate can reach 34 mol(m^(3) s)^(-1).The positive ion swarm is dominated by O_(4)^(+),and the maximum generation rate can reach 440 mol((m^(3) s)^(-1).The negative ion swarm is mainly O_(2) and O_(4).The O_(2) content is approximately 1.5-3 times that of O_(4),and the maximum reaction rate can reach 51 mol(m^(3) s)^(-1).The final destination of neutral particles is an accumulation in the form of O_(3) and NO,and the amount of O3 produced is approximately 4-6 times that of NO.The positive end of the bipolar corona is dominated by positive space charges,which continue to develop and spread outwards in the form of a pulse wave.The negative end exhibits a space charge distribution structure of concentrated positive charges and diffused negative charges.The validity of the microscopic simulation analysis is verified by the macroscopic discharge phenomenon.

3D Carbon Frameworks for Ultrafast Charge/Discharge Rate Supercapacitors with High Energy‑Power Density

Carbon-based electric double layer capacitors(EDLCs)hold tremendous potentials due to their high-power performance and excellent cycle stability.However,the practical use of EDLCs is limited by the low energy density in aqueous electrolyte and sluggish diffusion kinetics in organic or/and ionic liquids electrolyte.Herein,3D carbon frameworks(3DCFs)constructed by interconnected nanocages(10-20 nm)with an ultrathin wall of ca.2 nm have been fabricated,which possess high specific surface area,hierarchical porosity and good conductive network.After deoxidization,the deoxidized 3DCF(3DCFDO)exhibits a record low IR drop of 0.064 V at 100 A g^−1 and ultrafast charge/discharge rate up to 10 V s^−1.The related device can be charged up to 77.4%of its maximum capacitance in 0.65 s at 100 A g^−1 in 6 M KOH.It has been found that the 3DCF-DO has a great affinity to EMIMBF4,resulting in a high specific capacitance of 174 F g^−1 at 1 A g^−1,and a high energy density of 34 Wh kg^−1 at an ultrahigh power density of 150 kW kg^−1 at 4 V after a fast charge in 1.11 s.This work provides a facile fabrication of novel 3D carbon frameworks for supercapacitors with ultrafast charge/discharge rate and high energy-power density.

Charge-discharge process of MnO_2 supercapacitor

Mechanochemical synthesis of α-MnO2 was carried out with KMnO4 and Mn(CH3COO)2 in 1:1 mole ratio. The electrochemical performance of MnO2 electrode was investigated by cyclic voltammograms and alternating current impedance. The charge-discharge process of MnO2 supercapacitor in 6 mol/L KOH was studied within 1.2 V at 200 mA/g, suggesting that it displays double-layer capacibility in low potential scope and pseudo-capacitance properties in high potential scope. It is found that Mn3O4, an electrochemical inert, mainly forms in the initial 40 charge-discharge cycles. During cycling, the pseudo-capacitance properties disappear and the discharge curves are close to ideal ones, indicating double-layer capability. The maximum capacitance of MnO2 electrode is as high as 416 F/g, and retains 240 F/g after 200 cycles. The equivalent series resistance increases from 17 to 41 Ω.

Location and Capacity Determination Method of Electric Vehicle Charging Station Based on Simulated Annealing Immune Particle Swarm Optimization

As the number of electric vehicles(EVs)continues to grow and the demand for charging infrastructure is also increasing,how to improve the charging infrastructure has become a bottleneck restricting the development of EVs.In other words,reasonably planning the location and capacity of charging stations is important for development of the EV industry and the safe and stable operation of the power system.Considering the construction and maintenance of the charging station,the distribution network loss of the charging station,and the economic loss on the user side of the EV,this paper takes the node and capacity of charging station planning as control variables and the minimum cost of system comprehensive planning as objective function,and thus proposes a location and capacity planning model for the EV charging station.Based on the problems of low efficiency and insufficient global optimization ability of the current algorithm,the simulated annealing immune particle swarm optimization algorithm(SA-IPSO)is adopted in this paper.The simulated annealing algorithm is used in the global update of the particle swarm optimization(PSO),and the immune mechanism is introduced to participate in the iterative update of the particles,so as to improve the speed and efficiency of PSO.Voronoi diagram is used to divide service area of the charging station,and a joint solution process of Voronoi diagram and SA-IPSO is proposed.By example analysis,the results show that the optimal solution corresponding to the optimisation method proposed in this paper has a low overall cost,while the average charging waiting time is only 1.8 min and the charging pile utilisation rate is 75.5%.The simulation comparison verifies that the improved algorithm improves the operational efficiency by 18.1%and basically does not fall into local convergence.

Electric Vehicle Charging Capacity of Distribution Network Considering Conventional Load Composition

At present,the large-scale access to electric vehicles(EVs)is exerting considerable pressure on the distribution network.Hence,it is particularly important to analyze the capacity of the distribution network to accommodate EVs.To this end,we propose a method for analyzing the EV capacity of the distribution network by considering the composition of the conventional load.First,the analysis and pretreatment methods for the distribution network architecture and conventional load are proposed.Second,the charging behavior of an EVis simulated by combining the Monte Carlo method and the trip chain theory.After obtaining the temporal and spatial distribution of the EV charging load,themethod of distribution according to the proportion of the same type of conventional load among the nodes is adopted to integrate the EV charging load with the conventional load of the distribution network.By adjusting the EV ownership,the EV capacity in the distribution network is analyzed and solved on the basis of the following indices:node voltage,branch current,and transformer capacity.Finally,by considering the 10-kV distribution network in some areas of an actual city as an example,we show that the proposed analysis method can obtain a more reasonable number of EVs to be accommodated in the distribution network.

Study on High Rate Discharge Performance and Mechanism of AB_5 Type Hydrogen Storage Alloys

The effects of surface treatment, particle size distribution,rare earth composition and B additive on the high rate discharge performance of hydrogen storage alloys were investigated. It is found that the activity, discharge capacity and high rate dischargeability of the alloys are improved after physical and chemical modification as a result of the increase of the surface area and formation of the electrocatalysis layers, which increase both the electrochemical reaction rate on the alloy surface and H diffusion rate in the alloy bulk. It is also found that both the over-coarse and over-fine particle size increase the contact resistance of the electrode, resulting in a decrease of discharge capacity, deterioration of high rate dischargeability and lower discharge plateau. In another word, a suitable particle size distribution can enhance the alloy activity, discharge capacity and high rate dischargeability. In addition, the high rate dischargeability is enhanced by increasing La content and decreasing Ce content of the alloy composition because of enlargement of the unit cell volume and the improvement of the surface activity. Moreover, B additive resultes in the formation of the second phase, and makes the alloys easier pulverization, which greatly improves the activity, discharge capacity and high rate dischargeability.

Capacitive charge storage enables an ultrahigh cathode capacity in aluminum-graphene battery

Aluminum^-graphene battery is promising for its abundant raw materials,high power density,ultralong cycle life and superior safety.However,the development of aluminum^-graphene battery is currently restricted by its insufficient cathode capacity,calling for a newly developed working mechanism.In addition,an irregular constant increase of the cathode capacity was always observed during cycling,but cannot be explained based on the current understanding.Here,we observed an increase of specific capacity by 60%with stable Coulombic efficiency of 98%during 7000 cycles life of Al-graphene batteries employing AlCl3/ET3NHCl electrolyte.We demonstrated this growing cathode capacity is attributed to an increasing contribution of capacitive charge storage during cycling,because a gradually enlarged surface area as capacitive active sites is enabled by the exfoliation of graphitic cathode during the periodic intercalation process.Moreover,the graphene cathode was exfoliated more significantly in AlCl3/ET3NHCl than 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride-based electrolyte,which results from the heavier stress on the graphene layers caused by the larger intercalants in AlCl3/ET3NHCl.The common intercalation of cations with AlCl4-clusters was therefore supposed to occur during charging.This new proposed mechanism can offer the new thought for future design on high-capacity cathode of Al-ion battery.

Co-Estimation of State of Charge and Capacity for Lithium-Ion Batteries with Multi-Stage Model Fusion Method

Lithium-ion batteries(LIBs)have emerged as the preferred energy storage systems for various types of electric transports,including electric vehicles,electric boats,electric trains,and electric airplanes.The energy management of LIBs in electric transports for all-climate and long-life operation requires the accurate estimation of state of charge(SOC)and capacity in real-time.This study proposes a multistage model fusion algorithm to co-estimate SOC and capacity.Firstly,based on the assumption of a normal distribution,the mean and variance of the residual error from the model at different ageing levels are used to calculate the weight for the establishment of a fusion model with stable parameters.Secondly,a differential error gain with forward-looking ability is introduced into a proportional–integral observer(PIO)to accelerate convergence speed.Thirdly,a fusion algorithm is developed by combining a multistage model and proportional–integral–differential observer(PIDO)to co-estimate SOC and capacity under a complex application environment.Fourthly,the convergence and anti-noise performance of the fusion algorithm are discussed.Finally,the hardware-in-the-loop platform is set up to verify the performance of the fusion algorithm.The validation results of different aged LIBs over a wide range of temperature show that the presented fusion algorithm can realize a high-accuracy estimation of SOC and capacity with the relative errors within 2%and 3.3%,respectively.

Experimental study on discharge coefficient of a gear-shaped weir

This study focused on hydraulic characteristics around a gear-shaped weir in a straight channel. Systematic experiments were carried out for weirs with two different gear heights and eight groups of geometrical parameters. The impacts of various geometrical parameters of gear-shaped weirs on the discharge capacity were investigated. The following conclusions are drawn from the experimental study:(1) The discharge coefficient(m_c) was influenced by the size of the gear: at a constant discharge, the weir with larger values of a/b(a is the width of the gear, and b is the width between the two neighboring gears) and a/c(c is the height of the gear) had a smaller value of m_c. The discharge capacity of the gear-shaped weir was influenced by the water depth in the weir.(2) For type C1 with a gear height of 0.01 m, when the discharge was less than 60m^3/h and H_1=P < 1.0(H_1 is the water depth at the low weir crest, and P is the weir height), m_c significantly increased with the discharge and H_1=P; with further increases of the discharge and H_1=P, m_cshowed insignificant decreases and fluctuated within small ranges. For type C2 with a gear height of 0.02 m, when the discharge was less than 60m^3/h and H_1=P < 1.0, m_csignificantly increased with the discharge and H_1=P; when the discharge was larger than 60m^3/h and H_1=P > 1.0, m_c slowly decreased with the increases of the discharge and H_1=P for a=b 1.0 and a=c 1.0, and slowly increased with the discharge and H_1=P for a=b > 1.0 and a=c > 1.0.(3) A formula of m_cfor gear-shaped weirs was established based on the principle of weir flow, with consideration of the water depth in the weir, the weir height and width, and the height of the gear.

Characteristics of charge and discharge of PMMA samples due to electron irradiation

In this study, using a comprehensive numerical simulation of charge and discharge processes, we investigate the formation and evolution of negative charge and discharge characteristics of a grounded PMMA film irradiated by a non- focused electron beam. Electron scattering and transport processes in the sample are simulated with the Monte Carlo and the finite-different time-domain （FDTD） methods, respectively. The properties of charge and discharge processes are presented by the evolution of internal currents, charge quantity, surface potential, and discharge time. Internal charge accumulation in the sample may reach saturation by primary electron （PE） irradiation providing the charge duration is enough. Internal free electrons will run off to the ground in the form of leakage current due to charge diffusion and drift during the discharge process after irradiation, while trapped electrons remain. The negative surface potential determined by the charging quantity decreases to its saturation in the charge process, and then increases in the discharge process. A larger thickness of the PMMA film will result in greater charge amount and surface potential in charge saturation and in final discharge state, while the electron mobility of the material has little effects on the final discharge state. Moreover, discharge time is less for smaller thickness or larger electron mobility. The presented results can be helpful for estimating and weakening the charging of insulating samples especially under the intermittent electron beam irradiation in related surface analysis or measurement.

Decay characters of charges on an insulator surface after different types of discharge

In an insulating system including solid and gas dielectrics, discharge type has a strong impact on charge accumulation at the interface between two dielectrics, and hence charge decay. In order to clarify the influence, a surface charge measurement system was constructed, and three types of discharge, i.e. surface discharge, and low intensity and high intensity coronas, were introduced to cause surface charge accumulation. The decay behavior of surface charges after different types of discharge was obtained at various temperatures. It was found that total surface charges monotonically decreased with time, and the decay rate became larger as temperature increased. However, after a surface discharge or a high intensity corona, surface charge density in the local area appeared to fluctuate during the decay process. Compared with this, the fluctuation of surface charge density was not observed after a low intensity corona. The mechanisms of surface charge accumulation and decay were analysed. Moreover, a microscopic physical model involving charge production, accumulation, and decay was proposed so that the experimental results could be explained.

A Repetitive Nanosecond Pulse Source for Generation of Large Volume Streamer Discharge

Using a unipolar pulse with the rise time and the pulse duration in the order of microsecond as the primary pulse, a nanosecond pulse with the repetitive frequency of several kilohertz is generated by a spark gap switch. By varying both the inter-pulse duration and the pulse frequency, the voltage recovery rate of the spark gap switch is investigated at different working conditions such as the gas pressure, the gas composition as well as the bias voltage. The results reveal that either increase in gas pressure or addition of SF6 to the air can increase the voltage recovery rate. The effect of gas composition on the voltage recovery rate is discussed based on the transferring and distribution of the residual space charges. The repetitive nanosecond pulse source is also applied to the generation of large volume, and the discharge currents are measured to investigate the effect of pulse repetition rate on the large volume streamer discharge.

Hierarchical platinum–iridium neural electrodes structured by femtosecond laser for superwicking interface and superior charge storage capacity

The interfacial performance of implanted neural electrodes is crucial for stimulation safety and the recording quality of neuronal activity.This paper proposes a novel surface architecture and optimization strategy for the platinum–iridium(Pt–Ir)electrode to optimize electrochemical performance and wettability.A series of surface micro/nano structures were fabricated on Pt–Ir electrodes with different combinations of four adjustable laser-processing parameters.Subsequently,the electrodes were characterized by scanning electron microscopy,energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy,cyclic voltammetry,electrochemical impedance spectroscopy,and wetting behavior.The results show that electrode performance strongly depends on the surface morphology.Increasing scanning overlap along with moderate pulse energy and the right number of pulses leads to enriched surface micro/nano structures and improved electrode performance.It raises the maximum charge storage capacity to 128.2 mC/cm^(2) and the interface capacitance of electrodes to 3.0×10^(4)μF/cm^(2) for the geometric area,compared with 4.6 mC/cm^(2) and 443.1μF/cm2,respectively,for the smooth Pt–Ir electrode.The corresponding optimal results for the optically measured area are 111.8 mC/cm^(2) and 2.6×10^(4)μF/cm^(2),which indicate the contribution of fner structures to the ablation profle.The hierarchical structures formed by the femtosecond laser dramatically enhanced the wettability of the electrode interface,giving it superwicking properties.A wicking speed of approximately 80 mm/s was reached.Our optimization strategy,leading to superior performance of the superwicking Pt–Ir interface,is promising for use in new neural electrodes.

Simulation Studies of Rib Structure Effect on Discharge Characteristics of Plasma Display Panel

To investigate the effect of the rib structure on the discharge characteristics of the plasma display panel, the potential distribution, particles density distribution and ions incident angle distribution were examined by simulation of a two-dimensional particle-in-cell/Monte Carlo collision, with two kinds of rib structure： the stripe rib structure and the Waffle rib structure. The results showed that the distribution of electric potential at the corner of the discharge cell was almost the same for these two rib structures while in the centre there was a difference between these two rib structures. The striation phenomenon could be observed in both cases. The distribution of density also indicated that the striation phenomenon was accompanied by the firing of discharge, and the Waffle rib structure might reduce the density humps. In the cell with a stripe rib structure, the profiles of the surface charge density along the sustained dielectric layer presented a better fluctuating distribution than that in the cell with a Waffle rib structure. The spatial potential and particle density in the discharge bulk showed that the Waffle ribs could weaken the striation phenomenon, which could be explained by the decrease in the particle numbers in the discharge cell. The simulation results of the ion incident angle showed that most ions impacted the sustained dielectric layer in the normal stripe rib cell with an incident angle in the range of 6° to 19° while with the Waffle rib structure the incident angle of most ions was in the range of 4° to 19°. The Waffle rib structure did not affect the angle distribution of incident ions significantly.