Internet of things and cloud computing‐based energy management system for demand side management in smart grid

A smart grid is an electricity network, which deals with electronic power conditioning and control of production, transmission, and distribution of electrical power by employing digital communication technologies to monitor and manage local changes in electricity usage. In the traditional power grid, energy consumers remain oblivious to their power consumption patterns, resulting in wasted energy as well as money. This issue is severely pronounced in the developing countries where there is a huge gap between demand and supply, resulting in frequent power outages and load‐shedding. For electrical energy savings, the smart grid employs demand side management (DSM), which refers to adaptation in consumer's demand for energy through various approaches such as financial incentives and awareness. The DSM in future smart grid must exploit automated energy management systems (EMS) built upon the state‐of‐the‐art technologies such as the internet of things (IoT) and cloud and/or fog computing. In this paper, we present the architecture framework, design, and implementation of an IoT and cloud computing‐based EMS, which generates load profile of consumer to be accessed remotely by utility company or by the consumer. The consumers' load profiles enable utility companies to regulate and disseminate their incentives and incite the consumers to adapt their energy consumption. Our designed EMS is implemented on a Project Circuit Board (PCB) to be easily installed at the consumer premises where it performs the following tasks: (a) monitors energy consumption of electrical appliances by means of our designed current and voltage sensors, (b) uploads sensed data to Google Firebase cloud over many‐to‐many IoT communication protocol Message Queuing Telemetry Transport (MQTT) where consumer's load profile is generated, which can be accessed via a web portal. These load profiles serve as input for implementing the various DSM approaches. Our results demonstrate generated load profiles of consumer load in terms of current, voltage, energy, and power accessible via a web portal.     

Development of the all‐vanadium redox flow battery for energy storage: a review of technological,financial and policy aspects

The commercial development and current economic incentives associated with energy storage using redox flow batteries (RFBs) are summarised. The analysis is focused on the all‐vanadium system, which is the most studied and widely commercialised RFB. The recent expiry of key patents relating to the electrochemistry of this battery has contributed to significant levels of commercialisation in, for example, Austria, China and Thailand, as well as pilot‐scale developments in many countries. The potential benefits of increasing battery‐based energy storage for electricity grid load levelling and MW‐scale wind/solar photovoltaic‐based power generation are now being realised at an increasing level. Commercial systems are being applied to distributed systems utilising kW‐scale renewable energy flows. Factors limiting the uptake of all‐vanadium (and other) redox flow batteries include a comparatively high overall internal costs of $217 kW^?1 h^?1 and the high cost of stored electricity of ≈ The commercial development and current economic incentives associated with energy storage using redox flow batteries (RFBs) are summarised. The analysis is focused on the all‐vanadium system, which is the most studied and widely commercialised RFB. The recent expiry of key patents relating to the electrochemistry of this battery has contributed to significant levels of commercialisation in, for example, Austria, China and Thailand, as well as pilot‐scale developments in many countries. The potential benefits of increasing battery‐based energy storage for electricity grid load levelling and MW‐scale wind/solar photovoltaic‐based power generation are now being realised at an increasing level. Commercial systems are being applied to distributed systems utilising kW‐scale renewable energy flows. Factors limiting the uptake of all‐vanadium (and other) redox flow batteries include a comparatively high overall internal costs of $217 kW^?1 h^?1 and the high cost of stored electricity of ≈ $0.10 kW^?1 h^?1. There is also a low‐level utility scale acceptance of energy storage solutions and a general lack of battery‐specific policy‐led incentives, even though the environmental impact of RFBs coupled to renewable energy sources is favourable, especially in comparison to natural gas‐ and diesel‐fuelled spinning reserves. Together with the technological and policy aspects associated with flow batteries, recent attempts to model redox flow batteries are considered. The issues that have been addressed using modelling together with the current and future requirements of modelling are outlined. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A review of large‐scale electrical energy storage

This paper gives a broad overview of a plethora of energy storage technologies available on the large‐scale complimented with their capabilities conducted by a thorough literature survey. According to the capability graphs generated, thermal energy storage, flow batteries, lithium ion, sodium sulphur, compressed air energy storage, and pumped hydro storage are suitable for large‐scale storage in the order of 10's to 100's of MWh; metal air batteries have a high theoretical energy density equivalent to that of gasoline along with being cost efficient; compressed air energy storage has the lowest capital energy cost in comparison to other energy storage technologies; flywheels, super conducting magnetic storage, super capacitors, capacitors, and pumped hydro storage have very low energy density; compressed air energy storage, cryogenic energy storage, thermal energy storage, and batteries have relatively high energy density; high efficiencyin tandem with high energy density results in a cost efficient storage system; and power density pitted against energy density provides a clear demarcation between power and energy applications. This paper also provides a mathematical model for thermal energy storage as a battery. Furthermore, a comprehensive techno‐economic evaluation of the various energy storage technologies would assist in the development of an energy storage technology roadmap. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Degradation mechanisms in Li‐ion batteries: a state‐of‐the‐art review

One of the most prominent energy storage technologies which are under continuous development, especially for mobile applications, is the Li‐ion batteries due to their superior gravimetric and volumetric energy density. However, limited cycle life of Li‐ion batteries inhibits their extended use in stationary energy storage applications. To enable wider market penetration of Li‐ion batteries, detailed understanding of the degradation mechanisms is required. A typical Li‐ion battery comprised of an active material, binder, separator, current collector, and electrolyte, and the interaction between these components plays a critical role in successful operation of such batteries. Degradation of Li‐ion batteries can have both chemical and mechanical origins and manifests itself by capacity loss, power fading or both. Mechanical degradation mechanisms are associated with the volume changes and stress generated during repetitive intercalation of Li ions into the active material, whereas chemical degradation mechanisms are associated with the parasitic side reactions such as solid electrolyte interphase formation, electrolyte decomposition/reduction and active material dissolution. In this study, the main degradation mechanisms in Li‐ion batteries are reviewed. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Power reclamation efficiency of a miniature energy‐harvesting device using external fluid flows

This study represents experimental results related to the energy‐harvesting capability of a miniature power reclamation device based on external liquid flows. The device's reclamation principle depends on the conversion of mechanical energy into electrical energy. The mechanical energy in the device was generated by capturing vibrations caused by external liquid flows via the device's tails, which were designed by taking inspiration from the body shape of the black ghost knife fish, Apteronotus albifrons. The reclaimed power was obtained through magnetic polarization, which was generated by rotating circular waterproof magnet structures as a result of rotating movements of the mentioned tails and is transferred to 3.76 V (Ni‐Mg) batteries. Power reclamation was also simulated using COMSOL 4.2a software in order to compare the maximum reclaimable theoretical energy‐harvesting capacity with the experimental results. Experimental tests were performed within a range of flow velocities (1.0 ~ 5.0 m/s) for various fluid densities (plain water, low‐salt water and high‐salt water) in order to obtain extensive experimental data related to the device in response to external fluid flows. According to experimental results, the device could generate powers up to 17.2 W. On the other hand, the maximum reclaimable power was obtained at 25.7 W from COMSOL Multiphysics 4.2a simulations. Promising energy harvesting results imply that the output from this device could be used as a power source in many applications such as in lighting and global positioning system (GPS) devices. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Comprehensive study of the performance of alkaline organic redox flow batteries as large‐scale energy storage systems

Alkaline‐based organic redox flow batteries (AORFBs) attract significant interest because they can retain the advantages of vanadium redox flow batteries (VRFBs) while being low‐cost because expensive vanadium is replaced with easily synthesizable metal‐free organic compounds and earth‐abundant raw materials. A comprehensive experimental study on the performance of AORFBs using alloxazine 7/8‐carboxylic acid (ACA) and ferrocyanide was conducted to investigate the feasibility of these batteries as large‐scale energy storage systems. The operating conditions, such as the electrolyte concentration, flowrate, and temperature, were varied in this study. The results show that the present AORFB achieves an energy efficiency above 76% at 80 mA cm^?2 at elevated temperature (55°C). Compared with those of VRFBs, AORFBs exhibit very good thermal stability and capacity retention. A large‐scale AORFB was constructed and tested to confirm the effectiveness of AORFBs.     

光伏电池室内光能采集系统的研究进展与展望

随着5G时代的到来,届时将存在数量庞大的室内物联网设备。尽管大多数室内物联网设备是低功率产品,但它们通常是分布式的,且需要定期更换供电设备,这会导致成本增加和工作不便,而环境能量采集技术正好可以解决这一难题。环境中的光能是最值得被开发利用的能源之一,光伏电池室内光能采集系统正是通过采集周围光能并转换成电能,达到为室内低功耗物联网设备供电的目的。本文针对如何最大化地延长光伏电池室内光能采集系统为室内低功耗物联网设备供电的时间这一主要问题,从高效率采集室内光能、最大功率点跟踪和储能选择三个方面进行简要综述。首先通过对比分析室内光源下带隙值,串并联电阻的大小和电池种类对光伏电池弱光性能的影响,提出了一种高效率采集室内光能的方案;其次从工作原理、优缺点和技术特征等方面分析讨论各类最大功率点追踪技术,指出开路电压比例系数法可能最适合用于室内场景下光伏电池的最大功率点追踪;最后分析和讨论超级电容和可充电电池各自存在的优缺点,指出在光伏电池室内光能采集系统的储能选择方面,可充电电池与超级电容结合使用的储能模块可能是一个有前途的发展方向,为进一步推进室内光能采集系统的设计提供参考。     

Thermal analysis of high‐power lithium‐ion battery packs using flow network approach

High‐power applications of lithium‐ion batteries require efficient thermal management systems. In this work, a lumped capacitance heat transfer model is developed in conjunction with a flow network approach to study performance of a commercial‐size lithium‐ion battery pack, under various design and operating conditions of a thermal management system. In order to assess the battery thermal management system, capabilities of air, silicone oil, and water are examined as three potential coolant fluids. Different flow configurations are considered, and temperature dispersions, cell‐averaged voltage distributions, and parasitic losses due to the fan/pump power demand are calculated. It is found that application of a coolant with an appropriate viscosity and heat capacity, such as water, in conjunction with a flow configuration with more than one inlet will result in uniform temperature and voltage distributions in the battery pack while keeping the power requirement at low, acceptable levels. Simulation results are presented and compared with literature for model validation and to show the superior capability of the proposed battery pack design methodology. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Vibration‐based piezoelectric,electromagnetic, and hybrid energy harvesters for microsystems applications: A contributed review

Wireless sensor nodes (WSNs) and embedded microsystems have recently gained tremendous traction from researchers due to their vast sensing and monitoring applications in various fields including healthcare, academic, finance, environment, military, agriculture, retail, and consumer electronics. An essential requirement for the sustainable operation of WSN is the presence of an uninterrupted power supply; which is currently obtained from electrochemical batteries that suffer from limited life cycles and are associated with serious environmental hazards. An alternative to replacing batteries of WSNs; either the direct replacement or to facilitate battery regular recharging, is by looking into energy harvesting for its sustainable drive. Energy harvesting is a technique by which ambient energy can be converted into useful electricity, particularly for low‐power WSNs and consumer electronics. In particular, vibration‐based energy harvesting has been a key focus area, due to the abundant availability of vibration‐based energy sources that can be easily harvested. In vibration‐based energy harvesters (VEHs), different optimization techniques and design considerations are taken in order to broaden the operation frequency range through multi‐resonant states, increase multi‐degree‐of‐freedom, provide nonlinear characteristics, and implement the hybrid conversion. This comprehensive review summarizes recent developments in VEHs with a focus on piezoelectric, electromagnetic, and hybrid piezoelectric‐electromagnetic energy harvesters. Various vibration and motion‐induced energy harvesting prototypes have been reviewed and discussed in detail with respect to device architecture, conversion mechanism, performance parameters, and implementation. Overall sizes of most of the reported piezoelectric energy harvesters are in the millimeter to centimeter scales, with resonant frequencies in the range of 2‐13 900 Hz. Maximum energy conversion for electromagnetic energy harvesters can potentially reach up to 778.01 μW/cm³. The power produced by the reported hybrid energy harvesters (HEHs) is in the range of 35.43‐4900 μW. Due to the combined piezoelectric‐electromagnetic energy conversion in HEHs, these systems are capable of producing the highest power densities.     

A review of the present situation and future developments of micro‐batteries for wireless autonomous sensor systems

Wireless sensor nodes (WSNs) are expected to play an increasing role in multiple application areas. These application areas vary from networks around the human body, sensors in smart tires, sensor networks that can control the safety and comfort levels throughout smart buildings, sensors that monitor the necessity for maintenance and sensors that track the conditions of food throughout the distribution chain. These wireless sensors need energy, which can be supplied by a battery or an energy harvester. However, even when an energy harvester is applied, energy storage is required to serve as energy buffer. In this review, the requirements that different types of wireless sensor networks impose on these batteries are explored, and several suitable types of batteries are reviewed. Moreover, the trends in battery development are described, and the future improvements are predicted. Finally, the possibilities are discussed to select a battery with properties that are matched to the requirements of the sensor nodes. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A novel multiobjective charging optimization method of power lithium‐ion batteries based on charging time and temperature rise

Power lithium‐ion batteries have been widely utilized in energy storage system and electric vehicles, because these batteries are characterized by high energy density and power density, long cycle life, and low self‐discharge rate. However, battery charging always takes a long time, and the high current rate inevitably causes great temperature rises, which is the bottleneck for practical applications. This paper presents a multiobjective charging optimization strategy for power lithium‐ion battery multistage charging. The Pareto front is obtained using multiobjective particle swarm optimization (MOPSO) method, and the optimal solution is selected using technique for order of preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS) method. This strategy aims to achieve fast charging with a relatively low temperature rise. The MOPSO algorithm searches the potential feasible solutions that satisfy two objectives, and the TOPSIS method determines the optimal solution. The one‐order resistor‐capacitor (RC) equivalent circuit model is utilized to describe the model parameter variation with different current rates and state of charges (SOCs) as well as temperature rises during charging. And battery temperature variations are estimated using thermal model. Then a PSO‐based multiobjective optimization method for power lithium‐ion battery multistage charging is proposed to balance charging speed and temperature rise, and the best charging stage currents are obtained using the TOPSIS method. Finally, the optimal results are experimentally verified with a power lithium‐ion battery, and fast charging is achieved within 1534 s with a 4.1°C temperature rise.     

A new IoT‐based smart energy meter for smart grids

The significant increase in energy consumption by the growth of the population or by the use of new equipment has brought big challenges to the energy security as well as the environment. There is a need that consumers can track their daily use and understand consumption standards for better organizing themselves to obtain financial and energetic efficiency. With the improvement of smart networks technology for better energy supply, a smart meter is not just a simple measurement gadget anymore, but it has additional functions including smart equipment control, bidirectional communication that allows integration of users and networks, and other functionalities. Smart meters are the most fundamental components in smart power grids. Besides, the meters used with a management system can be utilized for monitoring and controlling home appliances and other gadgets according to the users' need. A solution of an integrated and single system should be more efficient and economical. Smart measurement systems allow monitoring the energy consumption of the final consumers while providing useful information about the energy quality. The information provided by these systems is used by the operators to enhance the energy supply, and different techniques can be also applied for this end, such as charge scheduling, management from the demand side, and non‐intrusive load monitoring. The Internet of Things (IoT) is becoming a great ally in the management of smart distribution and energy consumption in smart systems scenarios. To address these issues, this paper proposes and demonstrates a new smart energy meter following an IoT approach and its associated costs and benefits. The developed device incorporates several communication interfaces. In order to easily integrate with any monitoring software solution, the meter has a multi‐protocol connection. Finally, the provided solution is validated and demonstrated in real‐life environments and it is also under use.     

Investigation on a low‐melting‐point gallium alloy MHD power generator

A magnetic hydrodynamic (MHD) power generator using an electro‐conductive low‐melting‐point gallium alloy is introduced. An experimental setup is designed and established to investigate its performance with aids of numerical simulations. Theoretical derivations based on Faraday Law are also presented as a theoretical foundation of the present study. It is found that the electric output increases with flow velocity, magnetic strength and electric conductivity, and the theoretical predictions and numerical results are in good agreement with the experimentally measured data. It is understood that in order to obtain a practical power generation, priority should be put on increasing fluid flow velocity and magnetic field strength. The present MHD power generation system has shown to be operated reliably in a long time at room temperature and could be used as a micro‐distributed energy supply system for domestic use in the future. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Vanadium redox flow batteries: a technology review

Flow batteries have unique characteristics that make them especially attractive when compared with conventional batteries, such as their ability to decouple rated maximum power from rated energy capacity, as well as their greater design flexibility. The vanadium redox flow batteries (VRFB) seem to have several advantages among the existing types of flow batteries as they use the same material (in liquid form) in both half‐cells, eliminating the risk of cross contamination and resulting in electrolytes with a potentially unlimited life. Given their low energy density (when compared with conventional batteries), VRFB are especially suited for large stationary energy storage, situations where volume and weight are not limiting factors. This includes applications such as electrical peak shaving, load levelling, UPS, and in conjunction with renewable energies (e.g. wind and solar). The present work thoroughly reviews the VRFB technology detailing their genesis, the basic operation of the various existing designs and the current and future prospects of their application. The main original contribution of the work was the addressing of a still missing in‐depth review and comparison of existing, but dispersed, peer reviewed publications on this technology, with several original and insightful comparison tables, as well as an economic analysis of an application for storing excess energy of a wind farm and sell it during peak demand. The authors have also benefited from their background in electric mobility to carry out original and insightful discussions on the present and future prospects of flow batteries in mobile (e.g. vehicle) and stationary (e.g. fast charging stations) applications related to this field, including a case study. Vanadium redox flow batteries are currently not suitable for most mobile applications, but they are among the technologies which may enable, when mature, the mass adoption of intermittent renewable energy sources which still struggle with stability of supply and lack of flexibility issues.Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Highly integrated post‐combustion carbon capture process in a coal‐fired power plant with solar repowering

While post‐combustion carbon capture (PCC) technology has been considered as the ready‐to‐retrofit carbon capture solution, the implementation of the technology remains hampered by high costs associated with the large energy penalty incurred by solvent regeneration. This paper presents a highly integrated PCC process for a coal‐fired power plant with solar repowering that features significantly enhanced energy efficiency. Validated process models are developed for the power, capture, and solar thermal plants and simulated in a model superstructure to evaluate the possible improvements in power plant energy efficiency and power output penalty reductions. A 660‐MW power plant is taken as the case study. Three cases are used in this simulation analysis: (a) base case consisting of 660‐MW power plant integrated with a PCC plant, (b) the base case extended to incorporate solar repowering, and (c) a highly integrated case that extends on the previous case to include CO₂ gas compression unit heat integration. This study also highlights and discusses the role and interaction of various PCC and solar plant variables (e.g., solar field size, steam extraction flow rate, and twin LP turbine pressures) in the integration with power plant parameters. In particular, the power plant deaerator conditions play an important role in determining the total solar thermal energy required from the solar plant, thus dictating the solar field size. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Lifetime and economic analyses of lithium‐ion batteries for balancing wind power forecast error

Wind power plant operators are often faced with extra charges when their power production does not match the forecasted power. Because the accuracy of wind power forecasts is limited, the use of energy storage systems is an attractive alternative even when large‐scale aggregation of wind power is considered. In this paper, the economic feasibility of lithium‐ion batteries for balancing the wind power forecast error is analysed. In order to perform a reliable assessment, an ageing model of lithium‐ion battery was developed considering both cycling and calendar life. The economic analysis considers two different energy management strategies for the storage systems and it is performed for the Danish market. Analyses have shown that the price of the Li‐ion BESS needs to decrease by 6.7 times in order to obtain a positive net present value considering the present prices on the Danish energy market. Moreover, it was found that for total elimination of the wind power forecast error, it is required to have a 25‐MWh Li‐ion battery energy storage system for the considered 2 MW WT. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Optimization of tree‐shaped flow distribution structures over a disc‐shaped area

In this paper, we review the fundamental problem of how to design a flow path with minimum overall resistance between one point (O) and many points situated equidistantly on a circle centred at O. This is a fundamental problem in energy engineering: the distribution of fluid, energy, electric power, etc., from points to surrounding areas. This problem is also fundamental in heat transfer and electronics cooling: how to bathe and cool with a single stream of coolant a disc‐shaped area or volume that generates heat at every point. This paper outlines, first, a direct route to the construction of effective tree‐shaped flow structures. The starting point is the optimization of the shape of each elemental area, such that the length of the flow path housed by the element is minimized. Proceeding towards larger and more complex structures—from elements to first constructs, second constructs, etc.—the paper develops tree‐shaped flow structures between one point and a straight line, as an elemental problem, and a circle and its centre. We also consider the equivalent tree‐shaped networks obtained by minimizing the pressure drop at every step of the construction, in accordance with geometric constraints. The construction method is applied to a fluid flow configuration with laminar fully developed flow. It is shown that there is little difference between the two methods. The minimal‐length structures perform very close to the fully optimized designs. These results emphasize the robustness of optimized tree‐shaped flows. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Least‐squares based coulomb counting method and its application for state‐of‐charge (SOC) estimation in electric vehicles

Coulomb counting method is a convenient and straightforward approach for estimating the state‐of‐charge (SOC) of lithium‐ion batteries. Without interrupting the power supply, the remaining capacities of them in an electric vehicle (EV) can be calculated by integrating the current leaving and entering the batteries. The main drawbacks of this method are the cumulative errors and the time‐varying coulombic efficiency, which always lead to inaccurate estimations. To deal with this problem, a least‐squares based coulomb counting method is proposed. With the proposed method, the coulombic losses can be compensated by charging/discharging coulombic efficiency η and the measurement drift can be amended with a morbid efficiency matrix. The experimental results demonstrated that the proposed method is effective and convenient. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The effects of vehicle‐to‐grid systems on wind power integration

Renewable energy portfolio standards have created a large increase in the amount of renewable electricity production, and one technology that has benefited greatly from these standards is wind power. The uncertainty inherent in wind electricity production dictates that additional amounts of conventional generation resources be kept in reserve, should wind electricity output suddenly dip. The introduction of plug‐in hybrid electric vehicles into the transportation fleet presents an possible solution to this problem through the concept of vehicle‐to‐grid power. The ability of vehicle‐to‐grid power systems to help solve the variability and uncertainty issuess in systems with large amounts of wind power capacity is examined through a multiparadigm simulation model. The problem is examined from the perspectives of three different stakeholders: policy makers, the electricity system operator and plug‐in hybrid electric vehicle owners. Additionally, a preliminary economic analysis of the technology is performed, and a comparison made with generation technologies that perform similar functions. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Effect of electrode physical and chemical properties on lithium‐ion battery performance

The effect of physical and chemical properties on the performance of both positive and negative electrodes is studied for lithium‐ion (Li‐ion) batteries. These properties include the lithium diffusivity in the active electrode material, the electrical conductivity of the electrode, and the reaction rate constant at electrode active sites. The specific energy and power of the cells are determined at various discharge rates for electrodes with different properties. In addition, this study is conducted across various cell design cases. The results reveal that at moderate discharge rates, lithium diffusivity in the active negative‐electrode material has the highest impact on cell performance. The specific energy and power of the cell are improved ~11% by increasing the lithium diffusivity in the active negative‐electrode material by one order of magnitude. Around 4% improvement in the cell performance is achieved by increasing the reaction rate constant at the active sites of either electrodes by one order of magnitude. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.