Energy issues in microwave food processing: A review of developments and the enabling potentials of solid-state power delivery

The enormous magnitude and variety of microwave applications in household, commercial and industrial food processing creates a strong motivation for improving the energy efficiency and hence, sustainability of the process. This review critically assesses key energy issues associated with microwave food processing, focusing on previous energy performance studies, energy performance metrics, standards and regulations. Factors affecting energy-efficiency are categorised into source, load and source-load matching factors. This highlights the need for highly-flexible and controllable power sources capable of receiving real-time feedback on load properties, and effecting rapid control actions to minimise reflections, heating non-uniformities and other imperfections that lead to energy losses. A case is made for the use of solid-state amplifiers as alternatives to conventional power sources, magnetrons. By a full-scale techno-economic analysis, including energy aspects, it is shown that the use of solid-state amplifiers as replacements to magnetrons is promising, not only from an energy and overall technical perspective, but also in terms of economics.     

Analysing socioeconomic diversity and scaling effects on residential electricity load profiles in the context of low carbon technology uptake

Adequately accounting for interactions between Low Carbon Technologies (LCTs) at the building level and the overarching energy system means capturing the granularity associated with decentralised heat and power supply in residential buildings. The approach presented here adds novelty in terms of a realistic socioeconomic differentiation by employing dwelling/household archetypes (DHAs) and neighbourhood clusters at the Output Area (OA) level. These archetypes are combined with a mixed integer linear program (MILP) to generate optimum (minimum cost) technology configurations and operation schedules. Even in the baseline case, without any LCT penetration, a substantial deviation from the standard load profile (SLP) is encountered, suggesting that for some neighbourhoods this profile is not appropriate. With the application of LCTs, including heat pumps, micro-CHP and photovoltaic (PV), this effect is much stronger, including more negative residual load, more variability, and higher ramps with increased LCT penetration, and crucially different between neighbourhood clusters. The main policy implication of the study is the importance of understanding electrical load profiles at the neighbourhood level, because of the consequences they have for investment in the overarching energy system, including transmission and distribution infrastructure, and centralised generation plant. Further work should focus on attaining a superior socioeconomic differentiation between households.     

E-business technologies for xRM: Exploring the readiness of public broadcasters

This paper examines the possibilities of enhancing relationship management between public service broadcasters and their stakeholders by harnessing the potential of newest e-business technologies and concepts, such as: social media, digital and interactive TV, and mobile computing. In order to facilitate adoption of relationship management strategy, a framework for leveraging relationship management is proposed. Evaluation was performed within the e-business system of a public broadcaster. This empirical study explored the readiness and expected benefits of relationship management implementation. The research results have indicated that a public broadcaster could achieve a higher level of social responsibility, improve business sustainability, and empower communication and collaboration with all the stakeholders by using emerging technologies for relationship management activities.     

配电网继电保护技术研究

对配电网继电保护技术进行了深入研究，以期为我国电力企业的事故处理提供相关的参考。     

Novel glazing technologies to mitigate energy consumption in low‐carbon buildings: a comparative experimental investigation

Buildings play a key role in total world energy consumption as a consequence of poor thermal insulation characteristics of facade materials. Among the elements of a typical building envelope, windows are responsible for the greatest energy loss because of their notably high overall heat transfer coefficients. About 60% of heat loss through the building fabric can be attributed to the glazed areas. In this respect, novel cost‐effective glazing technologies are needed to mitigate energy consumption, and thus to achieve the latest targets toward low/zero carbon buildings. Therefore in this study, three unique glazing products called vacuum tube window, heat insulation solar glass and solar pond window which have recently been developed at the University of Nottingham are introduced, and thermal performance analysis of each glazing technology is done through a comparative experimental investigation for the first time in literature. Standardized co‐heating test methodology is performed, and overall heat transfer coefficient (U‐value) is determined for each glazing product following the tests carried out in a calibrated environmental chamber. The research essentially aims at developing cost‐effective solutions to mitigate energy consumption because of windows. The results indicate that each glazing technology provides very promising U‐values which are incomparable with conventional commercial glazing products. Among the samples tested, the lowest U‐value is obtained from the vacuum tube window by 0.40 W/m²K, which corresponds to five times better thermal insulation ability compared to standard air filled double glazed windows. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

An overview of the environmental,economic, and material developments of the solar and wind sources coupled with the energy storage systems

There is a constant growth in energy consumption and consequently energy generation around the world. During the recent decades, renewable energy sources took heed of scientists and policy makers as a remedy for substituting traditional sources. Wind and photovoltaic (PV) are the least reliable sources because of their dependence on wind speed and irradiance and therefore their intermittent nature. Energy storage systems are usually coupled with these sources to increase the reliability of the hybrid system. Environmental effects are one of the biggest concerns associated with the renewable energy sources. This study summarizes the last and most important environmental and economic analysis of a grid‐connected hybrid network consisting of wind turbine, PV panels, and energy storage systems. Focusing on environmental aspects, this paper reviews land efficiency, shaded analysis of wind turbines and PV panels, greenhouse gas emission, wastes of wind turbine and PV panels' components, fossil fuel consumption, wildlife, sensitive ecosystems, health benefits, and so on. A cost analysis of the energy generated by a hybrid system has been discussed. Furthermore, this study reviews the latest technologies for materials that have been used for solar PV manufacturing. This paper can help to make a right decision considering all aspects of installing a hybrid system. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Technologies for ballast water treatment: a review

Invasive aquatic species discharged through ballast water is one of the most serious problems posed nowadays in the marine environment. This review paper summarizes the available technologies applied for ballast water treatment. These technologies can be either port‐based or ship‐based, with the latter being easier to implement. Special emphasis was given to onboard treatment methods, which can be categorized as physical separation, mechanical or chemical methods. The efficiency of the methods, as well as the capacity of application and the target microorganisms were compiled and are presented in this review. Copyright © 2009 Society of Chemical Industry     

Analysis of the Stakeholder Engagement in the Deployment of Renewables and Smart Grid Technologies

The implementation of higher shares of renewables in a global energy mix has to be accompanied by simultaneous deployment of enabling smart grid technologies (SGTs). This combination will inevitably lead to a revolutionary change in a conventional energy system, particularly, the shifting role of consumers to prosumers. But resistance may arise from such a dramatic shift, since it is associated with high uncertainty in conjunction with increasing responsibilities of all stakeholders, the urgent need of effective control, and the development of a process. To ensure the positive influence, coherent actions of all players, and appropriate treatment of the spots of resistance, the analysis of the interplay between key stakeholders has been done. The paper introduces the framework for stakeholders' analysis, applies it on the European Union (EU) example, and provides recommendations to reduce the resistance of SGTs deployment.