Investigations on the Optimization of Contacts Barrier Height for the Improved Performance of ZnO/CdS/CZTS Solar Cells

The numerical simulations were performed using the AMPS-1D simulator to study the effects of the CZTS as an absorber layer and the contacts’barrier height on the performance of four ZnO/CdS/CZTS solar cells.To obtain the best cell performances,the barrier heights of the back and front contacts were adjusted between 0.01,0.77,0.5,and 1.55 eV,respectively.For simulations,we used the lifetime mode,and the device performances were evaluated under AM1.5 illumination spectra.We found that the efficiency,fill factor,and open-circuit voltage were almost constant at a front contact barrier height of less than 0.31 eV.The short-current density was not affected by the front contact barrier height.The back contact material had a significant impact on the CZTS cells parameters.The best performance was obtained for the CZTS550 cell with JSC=29.53 mA/cm2,VOC=1.07 V,FF=0.88,andη=28.08%at barrier heights of 0.31 and 1.55 eV for front and back contacts,respectively.The conduction band offset at the CZTS550/CdS hetero-junction was found to be spike-like with 0.21 eV.The obtained conversion efficiency is comparable to those previously reported in the literature.

Thermal decomposition kinetics of Algerian Tamazarte kaolinite by thermogravimetric analysis

The decomposition kinetics of Algerian Tamazarte kaolinite(TK)was investigated using thermogravimetric analysis(TG).Differential thermal analysis(DTA)and TG experiments were carried out between room temperature and1400°C,at differentheating rates from10to40°C/min.The activation energies,measured by DTG from isothermal treatments usingJohnson-Mehl-Avrami(JMA)and Ligero methods and by non-isothermal treatments using Ozawa,Boswell and Kissinger methods,were around151and144kJ/mol,respectively.The Avrami parameter of growth morphology(indicating the crystallization mode)was found to be around1.57using non-isothermal treatments;however,when using isothermal treatments it is found to be equal to1.35.The numerical factor,which depends on the dimensionality of crystal growth,is found to be1.53using Matusita equation.Thefrequency factor calculated by the isothermal treatment is equal to1.55×107s-1.The results show that the bulk nucleation is followedby three-dimensional growth of metakaolinite with polyhedron-like morphology controlled by diffusion from a constant number ofnuclei.

Comparisons between unsteady sediment-transport modeling

The comparative study between unsteady flow models in alluvial streams shows a chaotic residue as for the choices of a forecasting model. The difficulty resides in the choice of the expressions of friction resistance and sediment transport. Three types of mathematical models were selected. Models of type one and two are fairly general, but require a considerable number of boundary conditions, which related to each size range of sediments. It can be a handicap during rivers studies which are not very well followed in terms of experimental measurements. Also, the use of complex models is not always founded. But then, the model of type three requires a limited number of boundary conditions and solves only a system of three equations at each time step. It allows a considerable saving in calculating times.

CFD-Based Simulation and Analysis of Hydrothermal Aspects in Solar Channel Heat Exchangers with Various Designed Vortex Generators

The hydrothermal behavior of air inside a solar channel heat exchanger equipped with various shaped ribs is analyzed numerically.The bottom wall of the exchanger is kept adiabatic,while a constant value of the temperature is set at the upper wall.The duct is equipped with a flat rectangular fin on the upper wall and an upstream V-shaped baffle on the lower wall.Furthermore,five hot wall-attached rib shapes are considered:trapezoidal,square,triangular pointing upstream(type Ⅰ),triangular pointing downstream(type Ⅱ),and equilateral-triangular(type Ⅲ)cross sections.Effects of the flow rates are also inspected for various Reynolds numbers in the turbulent regime(1.2×10^(4)-3.2×10^(4)).The highest performance(η)value is given for the Ⅱ-triangular rib case in all Re values,while the square-shaped ribs show a significant decrease in the η along the achieved Re range.The η value at Remax is 2.567 for the Ⅱ-triangular roughness case.Compared with the other simulated cases,this performance is decreased by about 3.768%in the case of Ⅰ-triangular ribs,15.249% in the case of Ⅲ-triangular ribs,20.802% in the case of trapezoidal ribs,while 27.541% in the case of square ribs,at the same Remax.Also,a comparison ismade with air-heat exchangers that have non-rough walls and contain cross-shaped VGs presented previously,in order to highlight the effectiveness of the rough surface presence in the baffled and finned channels.The obtained results indicated that the triangular-shaped rib(type Ⅱ)has the most significant hydrothermal behavior than the other cases.This indicates the necessity of roughness heat transfer surfaces for finned and baffled channels to improve significantly the performance of the air-heat exchangers they contain.

Design Of MV/LV Substation Transformer

A substation is a part of an electrical generation, transmission, and distribution system. Substations generally have switching, protection and control equipment, and transformers. The low voltage distribution networks are supplied from MV/LV substation transformer that represent the last step of bringing transformation to the? low voltage and ensuring the? protection and monitoring of the network. There are three types of MV/LV substation: pole-mounted transformer substation, the substation in an envelope and substation in masonry. This paper presents a general description for different MV/LV substation and a methodology to design the various elements making up the public distribution substation (choice of the emplacement, engineering, power transformer, choice of MV cells, circuit breakers, fuses, disconnect? switch, conductors,...etc).

Mathematical Model of Non-Coherent-DLL Discriminator Output and Multipath Envelope Error for BOC (α, β) Modulated Signals

In this paper we propose the derivation of the expressions for the non-coherent Delay Locked Loop (DLL) Discriminator Curve (DC) in the absence and presence of Multipath (MP). Also derived, are the expressions of MP tracking errors in non-coherent configuration. The proposed models are valid for all Binary Offset Carrier (BOC) modulated signals in Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) such as Global Positioning System (GPS) and Future Galileo. The non-coherent configuration is used whenever the phase of the received signal cannot be estimated and thus cannot be demodulated. Therefore, the signal must be treated in a transposed band by the non-coherent DLL. The computer implementations show that the proposed models coincide with the numerical ones.

Hydrogeochemical processes and multivariate analysis for groundwater quality in the arid Maadher region of Hodna,northern Algeria

This study focused on water quality and hydrogeochemical processes(evolution,origin)in the Maadher region,central Hodna in Algeria.In recent decades,the excessive exploitation of this resource due to urbanization,irrigation,and the effect of climate change reaching the countries of northern Africa have caused a decline in water levels and hydrochemical changes in the aquifer.The sampling campaign in 2019 based on 13 physicochemical parameters was carried out on the water from 32 boreholes in the study area,compared to data archives of both sampling campaigns in 1967 and 1996.The result revealed that the groundwater as a whole has moderate freshwater quality,due to its total dissolved solids(TDS)content and other dissolved ions of concern(nitrate NO),which exceed WHO standards.In addition,Piper diagram indicates that the hydrochemical facies of sulfate–chloride–nitrate–calcium(SO–Cl–NO–Catype),which globally characterizes the study area and these elements are the dominant dissolved ions.Principal component analysis and hierarchical cluster analysis(HCA)methodologies are applied in order to define the major control factors that affect the hydrochemistry of Maadher plain.Three distinct water groups were found,illustrating a different evolution of salinity(EC and TDS).The HCA indicated an interesting cluster with a distinct contamination signature and most likely with significantly higher sulfate,chloride,and nitrate concentrations.Anthropogenic processes also play an important role in the study area.The water resource comes from Bousaada Wadi,the exchange at the aquifer depth and the agricultural practices contribute to the deterioration of the quality.

Testing the validity of the Ehrenfest theorem beyond simple static systems: Caldirola–Kanai oscillator driven by a time-dependent force

The relationship between quantum mechanics and classical mechanics is investigated by taking a Gaussian-type wave packet as a solution of the Schr o¨dinger equation for the Caldirola–Kanai oscillator driven by a sinusoidal force. For this time-dependent system, quantum properties are studied by using the invariant theory of Lewis and Riesenfeld. In particular,we analyze time behaviors of quantum expectation values of position and momentum variables and compare them to those of the counterpart classical ones. Based on this, we check whether the Ehrenfest theorem which was originally developed in static quantum systems can be extended to such time-varying systems without problems.

Effects of Recycled Tires Rubber Aggregates on the Characteristics of Cement Concrete

This experimental work investigates the impact of substituting part of the conventional aggregates with rubber aggregates on certain characteristics of the cement concretes. This incorporation of rubber aggregates resulting from cutting worn tires in practical sizes decreases the mechanical resistances of the concretes while improving slightly the fluidity of the tested mixtures. The effect of these aggregates on the shrinkage of the concretes at an early age is appreciable and even very interesting for the concretes used, for example, in road construction. This technique of cutting worn tires without any further treatment makes it accessible to everyone which helps not only in saving the environment by getting rid of this cumbersome waste but also in saving traditional aggregates.

Dynamic Interaction Analysis of Coupled Axial-Torsional-Lateral Mechanical Vibrations in Rotary Drilling Systems

Maintaining the integrity and longevity of structures is essential in many industries,such as aerospace,nuclear,and petroleum.To achieve the cost-effectiveness of large-scale systems in petroleum drilling,a strong emphasis on structural durability and monitoring is required.This study focuses on the mechanical vibrations that occur in rotary drilling systems,which have a substantial impact on the structural integrity of drilling equipment.The study specifically investigates axial,torsional,and lateral vibrations,which might lead to negative consequences such as bit-bounce,chaotic whirling,and high-frequency stick-slip.These events not only hinder the efficiency of drilling but also lead to exhaustion and harm to the system’s components since they are difficult to be detected and controlled in real time.The study investigates the dynamic interactions of these vibrations,specifically in their high-frequency modes,usingfield data obtained from measurement while drilling.Thefindings have demonstrated the effect of strong coupling between the high-frequency modes of these vibrations on drilling sys-tem performance.The obtained results highlight the importance of considering the interconnected impacts of these vibrations when designing and implementing robust control systems.Therefore,integrating these compo-nents can increase the durability of drill bits and drill strings,as well as improve the ability to monitor and detect damage.Moreover,by exploiting thesefindings,the assessment of structural resilience in rotary drilling systems can be enhanced.Furthermore,the study demonstrates the capacity of structural health monitoring to improve the quality,dependability,and efficiency of rotary drilling systems in the petroleum industry.

Improved MPPT Control Strategy for PV Connected to Grid Using IncCond-PSO-MPC Approach

This paper proposes a new hybrid maximum power point tracking(MPPT)control strategy for grid-connected solar systems based on Incremental conductance—Particle Swarm Optimization and Model Predictive Controller(IncCond-PSOMPC).The purpose of the suggested method is to create as much power as feasible from a PV system during environmental changes,then transfer it to the power grid.To accomplish this,a hybrid combination of incremental conductance(IncCond)and particle swarm optimization(PSO)is proposed to locate maximum power,followed by model predictive control(MPC)to track maximum power and control the boost converter to achieve high performance regardless of parameter variations.A two-level inverter,likewise,controlled by Model Predictive Control,is employed to inject the PV power generated.In this application,the MPC is based on minimizing the difference between the reference and prediction powers,which is computed to select the switching state of the inverter.The proposed system is simulated and evaluated in a variety of dynamic conditions using Matlab/Simulink.Results reveal that the proposed control mechanism is effective at tracking the maximum power point(MPP)with fewer power oscillations.

Smart model for accurate estimation of solar radiation

Prediction of solar radiation has drawn increasing attention in the recent years.This is because of the lack of solar radiation measurement stations.In the present work,14 solar radiation models have been used to assess monthly global solar radiation on a horizontal surface as function of three parameters:extraterrestrial solar irradiance(),duration sunshine()and daylight hours().Since it has been observed that each model is adequate for some months of the year,one model cannot be used for the prediction of the whole year.Therefore,a smart hybrid system is proposed which selects,based on the intelligent rules,the most suitable prediction model of the 14 models listed in this study.For the test and evaluation of the proposed models,Tamanrasset city,which is located in the south of Algeria,is selected for this study.The meteorological data sets of five years(2000–2004)have been collected from the Algerian National Office of Meteorology(NOM),and two spatial databases.The results indicate that the new hybrid model is capable of predicting the monthly global solar radiation,which offers an excellent measuring accuracy of values ranging from 93%to 97%in this location.

Unified fuzzy logic controller and power management for an isolated residential hybrid PV/diesel/battery energy system

Hybrid systems based on renewable energies for the electrification of remote sites controlled by power management systems(PMSs)aim to reduce fossil fuels and increase the efficiency of renewable energy sources to minimize greenhouse gas emissions.The influential role of the PMS contributes to improving the efficiency and effectiveness of these systems by ensuring a balance between the different sources and loads in all operating modes.However,the abrupt transitions between the various operational modes selected by the PMS generate power loss and imbalance.To handle this issue,a fuzzy logic controller(FLC)-based PMS controlling a photovoltaic(PV)and diesel hybrid system with a battery storage element connected to a DC bus is proposed in this paper.The proposed PMS is wholly based on FLC to ensure a smooth transition between the different modes of the system.The success of using the suggested PMS lies in how well the FLC parameters are chosen before the system is processed.For this purpose,the particle swarm optimization algorithm is adapted to tune the FLC parameters.The resulting optimal intelligent PMS is tested and compared with a classical one using comprehensive simulations performed in a Simscape ElectricalTM MATLAB®environment.The obtained results show an overshoot attenuation at the DC-bus voltage of 2%when changing the mode and an improvement in the PV generator efficiency by 99.5%.

An efficient energy-management strategy for a DC microgrid powered by a photovoltaic/fuel cell/battery/supercapacitor

The outcome of this paper is to suggest an efficient energy-management strategy(EMS)for a direct-current(DC)microgrid(MG).The typical MG is composed of two renewable energy sources[photovoltaic(PV)systems and fuel cells(FCs)]and two energy-storage elements(lithium-ion battery and supercapacitor).An EMS was proposed to ensure optimal bus voltage with a power-sharing arrangement between the load and the sources.As a result,in the suggested DC MG,non-linear flatness control theory was used instead of the traditional proportional-integral control approach.The suggested EMS is intended to supply high power quality to the load under varying load conditions with fluctuating solar irradiation while considering the FC status.To validate and prove the effectiveness of the proposed EMS,a MATLAB®environment was used.In addition,the output power of the PV system was maximized using the particle swarm optimization algorithm as a maximum power point tracking(MPPT)technique to track the MPP of the 3000-W PV system under different irradiance conditions.The results show that the suggested EMS delivers a stable and smooth DC bus voltage with minimum overshoot value(0.1%)and improved ripple content(0.1%).As a result,the performance of the DC MG was enhanced by employing the flatness control theory,which provides higher power quality by stabilizing the bus voltage.

Positron Characteristics in Cadmium and Zinc Chalcogenides

Electron energy levels and positron states have been calculated for cadmium and zinc chalcogenide compounds within the pseudo-potential approach and the independent particle model.Furthermore,the present contribution deals with the electron and positron chemical potentials allowing the calculation of the positron affinity to different materials of interest and hetero-structures formed by these materials.Besides,we here determine the positron diffusion constant by means of the positron deformation potential.An attempt has been made to scale positron affinity and diffusion constant with the lattice constant and the band gap energy,respectively.Such scaling is found to be not possible.The information gathered by the present study is of prime importance for a better understanding of positron trapping at interfaces and precipitates and should be useful in slow positron beam experiments.