Long-term stability analysis of large-scale underground plant of Xiangjiaba hydro-power station

Numerical analysis of the optimal supporting time and long-term stability index of the surrounding rocks in the underground plant of Xiangjiaba hydro-power station was carried out based on the rheological theory. Firstly,the mechanical parameters of each rock group were identified from the experimental data; secondly,the rheological calculation and analysis for the cavern in stepped excavation without supporting were made; finally,the optimal time for supporting at the characteristic point in a typical section was obtained while the creep rate and displacement after each excavation step has satisfied the criterion of the optimal supporting time. Excavation was repeated when the optimal time for supporting was identified,and the long-term stability creep time and the maximum creep deformation of the characteristic point were determined in accordance with the criterion of long-term stability index. It is shown that the optimal supporting time of the characteristic point in the underground plant of Xiangjiaba hydro-power station is 5-8 d,the long-term stability time of the typical section is 126 d,and the corresponding largest creep deformation is 24.30 mm. While the cavern is supported,the cavern deformation is significantly reduced and the stress states of the surrounding rock masses are remarkably improved.

Location of Large-Scale Concentrating Solar Power Plants in Northeast Brazil

Heliothermic electricity generation is gaining popularity in several countries worldwide. In Brazil, this form of energy generation has not yet been explored for large scale projects. However, the country possesses extensive areas with normal and high-intensity direct irradiation and low seasonality factors, particularly in the semi-arid region of the Brazilian Northeast. The region also presents other important features for setting up such plants: proximity to transmission lines, sufficient flatness, non-endangered vegetation, a suitable land use profile low maximum wind speeds, low population density, and more recently, an increase in the demand for local electric energy due to economic growth above the Brazilian average. A Geographic Information System includes a set of specialised resources that allow us to manipulate spatial data, providing quickness and efficiency in the identification of appropriate places for installing solar power plants while also preparing us for future scenarios, with regards to their impacts, costs and benefits. This article presents a study of the optimal location for thermoelectric power plants in the semi-arid region of the Brazilian Northeast on the scale of 1:10,000,000. All provinces with good potential for the implementation of large-scale concentrating solar power plants are identified. Considering that the installed capacity for parabolic cylindrical concentrators in terrains with a steepness of less than 1% is 43.26 MW/km2 for systems without storage and 30.82 MW/km2 for systems with 6 hours of storage, the potential of the southeast region of Piauí alone is huge. Even with the lack of information about the urban areas, terrain continuity, and other variables,utilising only 10% of the identified potential area, or879.7 km2, would result in an installed capacity of 38.1-27.1 GW. This value corresponds to more than 1/3 of the potency of the current Brazilian electric system. If the same calculation is made for the semi-arid region of the Brazilian Northeast, its capacity will be greater than 1000 GW.

Difference between grid connections of large-scale wind power and conventional synchronous generation

In China, regions with abundant wind energy resources are generally located at the end of power grids. The power grid architecture in these regions is typically not sufficiently strong, and the energy structure is relatively simple. Thus, connecting large-capacity wind power units complicates the peak load regulation and stable operation of the power grids in these regions. Most wind turbines use power electronic converter technology, which affects the safety and stability of the power grid differently compared with conventional synchronous generators. Furthermore, fluctuations in wind power cause fluctuations in the output of wind farms, making it difficult to create and implement suitable power generation plans for wind farms. The generation technology and grid connection scheme for wind power and conventional thermal power generation differ considerably. Moreover, the active and reactive power control abilities of wind turbines are weaker than those of thermal power units, necessitating additional equipment to control wind turbines. Hence, to address the aforementioned issues with large-scale wind power generation, this study analyzes the differences between the grid connection and collection strategies for wind power bases and thermal power plants. Based on this analysis, the differences in the power control modes of wind power and thermal power are further investigated. Finally, the stability of different control modes is analyzed through simulation. The findings can be beneficial for the planning and development of large-scale wind power generation farms.

A Special Issue:“Key Technologies of Virtual Power Plant and Distributed Energy Resources”for Global Energy Interconnection

The increasing penetration of renewable and distributed energy resources(DERs)is transforming the power grid into a new type of clean and low-carbon power system.However,the uncertainty and volatility of DERs have also brought severe challenges to the secure and reliable operation of the power systems.In order to successfully integrate renewable DERs,virtual power plant(VPP)has emerged as a new technique for coordinating demand-side DERs,which has drawn significant attention from industry and academia.

Research on Verification Method of Motor Startups in Nuclear Power Plants Based on Topology Recognition

There are many motors in operation or on standby in nuclear power plants,and the startup of group motors will have a great impact on the voltage of the emergency bus.At present,there is no special or inexpensive software to solve this problem,and the experience of engineers is not accurate enough.Therefore,this paper developed a method and system for the startup calculation of group motors in nuclear power plants and proposed an automatic generation method of circuit topology in nuclear power plants.Each component in the topology was given its unique number,and the component class could be constructed according to its type and upper and lower connections.The subordination and topology relationship of switches,buses,and motors could be quickly generated by the program according to the component class,and the simplified direct power flow algorithm was used to calculate the power flow for the startup of group motors according to the above relationship.Then,whether the bus voltage is in the safe range and whether the voltage exceeds the limit during the startup of the group motor could be judged.The practical example was used to verify the effectiveness of the method.Compared with other professional software,the method has high efficiency and low cost.

IoT-Enabled Plant Monitoring System with Power Optimization and Secure Authentication

Global food security is a pressing issue that affects the stability and well-being of communities worldwide.While existing Internet of Things(IoT)enabled plant monitoring systems have made significant strides in agricultural monitoring,they often face limitations such as high power consumption,restricted mobility,complex deployment requirements,and inadequate security measures for data access.This paper introduces an enhanced IoT application for agricultural monitoring systems that address these critical shortcomings.Our system strategically combines power efficiency,portability,and secure access capabilities,assisting farmers in monitoring and tracking crop environmental conditions.The proposed system includes a remote camera that captures images of surrounding plants and a sensor module that regularly monitors various environmental factors,including temperature,humidity,and soil moisture.We implement power management strategies to minimize energy consumption compared to existing solutions.Unlike conventional systems,our implementation utilizes the Amazon Web Services(AWS)cloud platform for reliable data storage and processing while incorporating comprehensive security measures,including Two-Factor Authentication(2FA)and JSON Web Tokens(JWT),features often overlooked in current agricultural IoT solutions.Users can access this secure monitoring system via a developed Android application,providing convenient mobile access to the gathered plant data.We validate our system’s advantages by implementing it with two potted garlic plants on Okayama University’s rooftop.Our evaluation demonstrates high sensor reliabil-ity,with strong correlations between sensor readings and reference data,achieving determination coefficients(R2)of 0.979 for temperature and 0.750 for humidity measurements.The implemented power management strategies extend battery life to 10 days on a single charge,significantly outperforming existing systems that typically require daily recharging.Furthermore,our dual-layer security implementation utilizing 2FA and JWT successfully protects sensitive agricultural data from unauthorized access.

Quantification of CO_(2) Emissions from Three Power Plants in China Using OCO-3 Satellite Measurements

Coal-fired power plants are a major carbon source in China. In order to assess the evaluation of China's carbon reduction progress with the promise made on the Paris Agreement, it is crucial to monitor the carbon flux intensity from coal-fired power plants. Previous studies have calculated CO_(2) emissions from point sources based on Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 and-3(OCO-2 and OCO-3) satellite measurements, but the factors affecting CO_(2) flux estimations are uncertain. In this study, we employ a Gaussian Plume Model to estimate CO_(2) emissions from three power plants in China based on OCO-3 XCO_(2) measurements. Moreover, flux uncertainties resulting from wind information, background values,satellite CO_(2) measurements, and atmospheric stability are discussed. This study highlights the CO_(2) flux uncertainty derived from the satellite measurements. Finally, satellite-based CO_(2) emission estimates are compared to bottom-up inventories.The satellite-based CO_(2) emission estimates at the Tuoketuo and Nongliushi power plants are ~30 and ~10 kt d^(-1) smaller than the Open-Data Inventory for Anthropogenic Carbon dioxide(ODIAC) respectively, but ~10 kt d^(-1) larger than the ODIAC at Baotou.

Virtual Power Plants for Grid Resilience: A Concise Overview of Research and Applications

The power grid is undergoing a transformation from synchronous generators(SGs) toward inverter-based resources(IBRs). The stochasticity, asynchronicity, and limited-inertia characteristics of IBRs bring about challenges to grid resilience. Virtual power plants(VPPs) are emerging technologies to improve the grid resilience and advance the transformation. By judiciously aggregating geographically distributed energy resources(DERs) as individual electrical entities, VPPs can provide capacity and ancillary services to grid operations and participate in electricity wholesale markets. This paper aims to provide a concise overview of the concept and development of VPPs and the latest progresses in VPP operation, with the focus on VPP scheduling and control. Based on this overview, we identify a few potential challenges in VPP operation and discuss the opportunities of integrating the multi-agent system(MAS)-based strategy into the VPP operation to enhance its scalability, performance and resilience.

GRU-integrated constrained soft actor-critic learning enabled fully distributed scheduling strategy for residential virtual power plant

In this study,a novel residential virtual power plant(RVPP)scheduling method that leverages a gate recurrent unit(GRU)-integrated deep reinforcement learning(DRL)algorithm is proposed.In the proposed scheme,the GRU-integrated DRL algorithm guides the RVPP to participate effectively in both the day-ahead and real-time markets,lowering the electricity purchase costs and consumption risks for end-users.The Lagrangian relaxation technique is introduced to transform the constrained Markov decision process(CMDP)into an unconstrained optimization problem,which guarantees that the constraints are strictly satisfied without determining the penalty coefficients.Furthermore,to enhance the scalability of the constrained soft actor-critic(CSAC)-based RVPP scheduling approach,a fully distributed scheduling architecture was designed to enable plug-and-play in the residential distributed energy resources(RDER).Case studies performed on the constructed RVPP scenario validated the performance of the proposed methodology in enhancing the responsiveness of the RDER to power tariffs,balancing the supply and demand of the power grid,and ensuring customer comfort.

Determination of the Performance Scores of a Photovoltaic Power Plant Connected to the Grid: The Zagtouli Photovoltaic Power Plant in Burkina-Faso

Photovoltaic solar energy is still in its infancy in Burkina Faso, despite the country’s high solar potential. The electricity grid is experiencing an increase in demand for energy, creating a shortfall in supply. The Zagtouli photovoltaic solar power plant in Burkina Faso is the first milestone in the development of renewable photovoltaic energy, with a rated output of 33.6 Megawatts peak, to strengthen the electricity grid by reducing hydrocarbon consumption. The aim of this work is to evaluate the performance of the plant by proposing a performance score for the Zagtouli plant, which should provide a basis for assessing the performance of a power plant. To meet the objectives, we collected data for three consecutive years of production, from 2019 to 2021. From this data, we used the method based on the calculation of the performance indicators specified by the International Energy Agency (IEA) and described in the standardised norms IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission) CEI61724, and we also carried out a performance classification using the K-Means method. It is clear that with the results obtained for the PR performance index (over 70%), the installation can be classified as one of the best-performing systems. It also emerges that various losses (temperatures on the panels, cabling, partial shading, spectral losses, dirt, and unexpected inverter failures) have a negative impact on the installation’s energy production.

Parametric Energy and Economic Analysis ofModified Combined Cycle Power Plant with Vapor Absorption and Organic Rankine Cycle

To meet the escalating electricity demand and rising fuel costs,along with notable losses in power transmission,exploring alternative solutions is imperative.Gas turbines demonstrate high efficiency under ideal International Organization for Standardization(ISO)conditions but face challenges during summer when ambient temperatures reach 40℃.To enhance performance,the proposal suggests cooling inlet air by 15℃using a vapor absorption chiller(VAC),utilizing residual exhaust gases from a combined cycle power plant(CCPP)to maximize power output.Additionally,diverting a portion of exhaust gases to drive an organic Rankine cycle(ORC)for supplementary power generation offers added efficiency.This integrated approach not only boosts power output but alsominimizes environmental impact by repurposing exhaust gases for additional operations.This study presents a detailed energy and economic analysis of a modified combine cycle power plant,in Kotri,Pakistan.R600A is used as organic fuel for the ORC while LiBr-H2O solution is used for the VAC.Two performance parameters,efficiency and energy utilization factor,Four energetic parameters,Work output of ORC,modified CCPP,original CCPP and cooling rate,and one economics parameter,payback period were examined under varying ambient conditions and mass fraction of exhaust gases from outlet of a gas turbine(ψ).A parametric investigation was conducted within the temperature range of 18℃to 50℃,relative humidity between 70%and 90%,and theψranging from 0 to 0.3.The findings reveal that under elevated ambient conditions(40℃,90%humidity)withψat 0,the Energy Utilization Factor(EUF)exceeds 60%.However,the ORC exhibits a low work output of 100KWalongside a high cooling load of 29,000 kW.Conversely,the modified system demonstrates an augmented work output of approximately 81,850 KWcompared to the original system’s 78,500KW.Furthermore,the integration of this systemproves advantageous across all metrics.Additionally,the payback period of the system is contingent on ambient conditions,with lower conditions correlating to shorter payback periods and vice versa.

Proposal of a Deuterium-Deuterium Fusion Reactor Intended for a Large Power Plant

This article looks for the necessary conditions to use Deuterium-Deuterium (D-D) fusion for a large power plant. At the moment, for nearly all the projects (JET, ITER…) only the Deuterium-Tritium (D-T) fuel is considered for a power plant. However, as shown in this article, even if a D-D reactor would be necessarily much bigger than a D-T reactor due to the much weaker fusion reactivity of the D-D fusion compared to the D-T fusion, a D-D reactor size would remain under an acceptable size. Indeed, a D-D power plant would be necessarily large and powerful, i.e. the net electric power would be equal to a minimum of 1.2 GWe and preferably above 10 GWe. A D-D reactor would be less complex than a D-T reactor as it is not necessary to obtain Tritium from the reactor itself. It is proposed the same type of reactor yet proposed by the author in a previous article, i.e. a Stellarator “racetrack” magnetic loop. The working of this reactor is continuous. It is reminded that the Deuterium is relatively abundant on the sea water, and so it constitutes an almost inexhaustible source of energy. Thanks to secondary fusions (D-T and D-He3) which both occur at an appreciable level above 100 keV, plasma can stabilize around such high equilibrium energy (i.e. between 100 and 150 keV). The mechanical gain (Q) of such reactor increases with the internal pipe radius, up to 4.5 m. A radius of 4.5 m permits a mechanical gain (Q) of about 17 which thanks to a modern thermo-dynamical conversion would lead to convert about 21% of the thermal power issued from the D-D reactor in a net electric power of 20 GWe. The goal of the article is to create a physical model of the D-D reactor so as to estimate this one without the need of a simulator and finally to estimate the dimensions, power and yield of such D-D reactor for different net electrical powers. The difficulties of the modeling of such reactor are listed in this article and would certainly be applicable to a future D-He3 reactor, if any.

Increasing the Efficiency and Level of Environmental Safety of Pro-Environmental City Heat Supply Technologies by Low Power Nuclear Plants

In connection with the current prospect of decarbonization of coal energy through the use of small nuclear power plants (SNPPs) at existing TPPs as heat sources for heat supply to municipal heating networks, there is a technological need to improve heat supply schemes to increase their environmental friendliness and efficiency. The paper proves the feasibility of using the heat-feeding mode of ASHPs for urban heat supply by heating the network water with steam taken from the turbine. The ratio of electric and thermal power of a “nuclear” combined heat and power plant is given. The advantage of using a heat pump, which provides twice as much electrical power with the same heat output, is established. Taking into account that heat in these modes is supplied with different potential, the energy efficiency was used to compare these options. To increase the heat supply capacity, a scheme with the use of a high-pressure heater in the backpressure mode and with the heating of network water with hot steam was proposed. Heat supply from ASHPs is efficient and environmentally friendly even in the case of significant remoteness of heat consumers.

Conceptual Strategy for Mitigating the Risk of Hydrogen as an Internal Hazard in Case of Severe Accidents at Nuclear Power Plant Considering Existing Risks and Uncertainties Associated with the Use of Traditional Strategies

Hydrogen challenge mitigation stands as one of the main objectives in the management of severe accidents at Nuclear Power Plants (NPPs). Key strategies for hydrogen control include atmospheric inertization and hydrogen removal with Passive Autocatalytic Recombiners (PARs) being a commonly accepted approach. However, an examination of PAR operation specificity reveals potential inefficiencies and reliability issues in certain severe accident scenarios. Moreover, during the in-vessel stage of severe accident development, in some severe accident scenarios PARs can unexpectedly become a source of hydrogen detonation. The effectiveness of hydrogen removal systems depends on various factors, including the chosen strategies, severe accident scenarios, reactor building design, and other influencing factors. Consequently, a comprehensive hydrogen mitigation strategy must effectively incorporate a combination of strategies rather than be based on one strategy, taking into consideration the probabilistic risks and uncertainties associated with the implementation of PARs or other traditional methods. In response to these considerations, within the framework of this research it has been suggested a conceptual strategy to mitigate the hydrogen challenge during the in-vessel stage of severe accident development.

Comparative Study of Solar PV Power Plant Dimensionnement Connected to Network Based on Monofacial and Bifacial Modules

This article presents the results of comparative study of two PV solar modules technologies,namely monofacial and bifacial.This study main objective is to identify conditions and parameters that make it possible to obtain better energy and economic efficiency from one or other of two technologies.The study reason lies in revival observed on bifacial module in recent years where all the major manufacturers of PV solar panels are developing them where in a few years,this technology risks being at the same price as the monofacial solar panel with better efficiency.Economic indicator used is energy levelized cost(LCOE)which is function technology type,energy productivity,annual investment and operation cost.To achieve this,a 3.685 MWc solar PV power plant was dimensioned and simulated under Matlab for a 3.5 ha site with a 2,320,740,602 FCFA budget for monofacial installation,against 1,925,188,640 FCFA for 2.73 MWc bifacial installation.The LCOE comparative analysis of two technologies calculated over a period of 25 years,showed that plant with bifacial panels is more beneficial if bifacial gain is greater than 9%.It has further been found that it is possible to gain up to 40%of invested cost if bifacial gain reaches 45%.Finally,a loss of about 10%of invested cost could be recorded if bifacial gain is less than 9%.

Choice of the Best Production Prediction Model for the Zagtouli Solar Power Plant in Burkina-Faso

In this paper, we present a study on the prediction of the power produced by the 33 MWp photovoltaic power plant at Zagtouli in Burkina-Faso, as a function of climatic factors. We identified models in the literature, namely the Benchmark, input/output, Marion, Cristo-fri, Kroposki, Jones-Underwood and Hatziargyriou prediction models, which depend exclusively on environmental parameters. We then compared our linear model with these seven mathematical models in order to determine the most optimal prediction model. Our results show that the Hatziargyriou model is better in terms of accuracy for power prediction.

Seasonal Performance of Solar Power Plants in the Sahel Region: A Study in Senegal, West Africa

The main objective of this study is to evaluate the seasonal performance of 20 MW solar power plants in Senegal. The analysis revealed notable seasonal variations in the performance of all stations. The most significant yields are recorded in spring, autumn and winter, with values ranging from 5 to 7.51 kWh/kWp/day for the reference yield and 4.02 to 7.58 kWh/kWp/day for the final yield. These fluctuations are associated with intense solar activity during the dry season and clear skies, indicating peak production. Conversely, minimum values are recorded during the rainy season from June to September, with a final yield of 3.86 kWh/kW/day due to dust, clouds and high temperatures. The performance ratio analysis shows seasonal dynamics throughout the year with rates ranging from 77.40% to 95.79%, reinforcing reliability and optimal utilization of installed capacity. The results of the capacity factor vary significantly, with March, April, May, and sometimes October standing out as periods of optimal performance, with 16% for Kahone, 16% for Bokhol, 18% for Malicounda and 23% for Sakal. Total losses from solar power plants show similar seasonal trends standing out for high loss levels from June to July, reaching up to 3.35 kWh/kWp/day in June. However, using solar trackers at Sakal has increased production by up to 25%, demonstrating the operational stability of this innovative technology compared with the plants fixed panel. Finally, comparing these results with international studies confirms the outstanding efficiency of Senegalese solar power plants, other installations around the world.

The Application of Intelligent Lighting in Thermal Power Plants

With the rapid development of electronic information technology,the Internet of Things(IoT),Internet technology,and modern communication technology,people are demanding higher standards for the building environment.Especially in modern large-scale buildings with high levels of industrialization,lighting systems should also be optimized accordingly.This article explores the application path of intelligent lighting in thermal power plants for reference.

Exploration of Construction Organization for Maintenance of Steam Turbine Equipment in Thermal Power Plants

The continuous development of the power industry has had a positive impact on thermal power plants,helping them maintain a good production form.In the use of steam turbine equipment in thermal power plants,to prolong its lifespan and avoid safety hazards,it is necessary to pay attention to strengthening maintenance and construction organization,better implementing effective organizational work,and effectively applying steam turbine equipment to ensure the sustainable development of thermal power plants.This article discusses the concept of equipment maintenance from the perspective of steam turbine equipment in thermal power plants,analyzes the current situation of equipment maintenance,and proposes a specific construction organization to provide a reference for steam turbine equipment maintenance.

Economic Overhaul Mode of Steam Engine Professional Equipment in Thermal Power Plant

To ensure that the daily production activities of thermal power plants can produce their due effect in the production and business activities,it is necessary to carry out efficient and orderly maintenance work on the professional equipment of steam engines.However,the maintenance work of steam engine professional equipment in thermal power plants usually uses high-cost expenditures.Therefore,how to take effective measures to reduce the cost of professional equipment maintenance in thermal power plants has become a problem that needs to be solved before such maintenance can proceed.Among them,through the application of economic maintenance equipment in thermal power plants,the actual production and operation costs can be effectively reduced.Based on this,the author will analyze the application of the model of economic maintenance of steam engine professional equipment in thermal power plants.