Energy sources and multi-input DC-DC converters used in hybrid electric vehicle applications – A review

With the drastic inclination towards reduction of atmospheric issues, hybrid electric vehicles are becoming the major alternative for internal combustion engine vehicles. Compared to internal combustion engine vehicles, hybrid electric vehicles are remarkable in terms of efficiency, durability and acceleration capability. However, the major drawback of hybrid electric vehicle is energy storage capability. An electric vehicle requires the energy sources with high specific power (W/kg) and high specific energy (Wh/kg) to reduce the charging time. Generally, fuel cells, batteries, ultracapacitors, flywheels and regenerative braking systems are used in hybrid electric vehicles as energy sources and energy storage devices. All these energy storage devices are connected to the different DC-DC converter topologies to increase the input source voltage. From the recent past, most of the hybrid electric vehicles are using multi-input converters to connect more than one energy source in order to improve the efficiency and reliability of the vehicle. This survey presents an assessment of present and future trend of energy storage devices and different multi-input DC-DC converter topologies that are being used in hybrid electric vehicles. In addition, different electric vehicle architectures are also discussed.     

A review of biomass potential and current utilisation – Status quo for 93 biogenic wastes and residues in Germany

The efficient use of biogenic by-products, residues and waste offers an extensive range of advantages. As well as fulfilling requirements of public services, intelligent “cascading” can tap alternative sources of carbon and play a key part in a system using renewable sources of energy. However, a comprehensive overview of existing resources and their current use is required as a sufficient basis for decision-making. Accordingly, this article studies the development and application of a four-stage categorisation of relevant biomasses and a consistent comparison of existing findings in form of a literature review. Taking the case example of Germany, 30 studies were evaluated with regard to their information on the theoretical and technical potential of biomass and its current use as a material and source of energy. The compiled results offer a detailed, consistent overview of the status quo in Germany for a total of 93 individual biomass types. The findings show a technical biomass potential between 92.7 and 122.1 million Mg (DM) that means up to 1,500 kg per capita. A share of 62.7–71.2 million Mg (DM) is already in established use. 26.9–46.9 million Mg (DM) are still unused. Currently, however, there is no guaranteed, unified reference year for cross-sectoral reporting on the potential and use of biomass. Also, the handling of sustainability criteria is regulated insufficiently. Thus, long-term monitoring is required to manage the efficient, sustainable use of resources in a future-proof manner. Looking forward, up to 7% of Germany's current primary energy consumption, and at least 13% of the target consumption, could be met using residual matter and waste.     

Lost carbon emissions: the role of non-manufacturing “other industries” and refining in industrial energy use and carbon emissions in IEA countries

We present a review of trends in energy use and output in branches of industry not often studied in detail: petroleum refining and what we call the other industries — agriculture, mining, and construction. From a sample of IEA countries we analyze eight with the most complete data from the early 1970s to the mid-1990s. We carry out a decomposition analysis of changes in energy use and carbon emissions in the “other industries” sector. We also review briefly the impact of including refining in the evolution of manufacturing energy use, usually studied without refining. Despite many data problems, we present our results as a way of enticing others to study these important “lost” sectors more carefully. We have five basic findings. First, “other industries” tends to be a minor consumer of energy in many countries, but in some, particularly Denmark, the US, and Australia, mining or agriculture can be a major sector too large to be overlooked. Second, refining is an extremely energy intensive industry which despite a relatively low share of value added consumes as much as 20% of final energy use in manufacturing. Third, as a result of a slower decline in the carbon-intensity of these industries vis-à-vis the manufacturing industries, their share of industrial emissions has been rising. Fourth, for other industries variation in per capita output plays a relatively small role in differentiating per capita carbon emissions compared to the impact of subsectoral energy intensities. Finally, including this energy in CO₂ calculations has little impact on overall trends, but does change the magnitude of emissions in most countries significantly. Clearly, these industries provide important opportunities for searching for carbon emissions reductions.     

Coal,nuclear and renewable energy policies in Germany: From the 1950s to the “Energiewende”

Over the last 50 years, German energy policy has ranged from strong enthusiasm for both coal and nuclear energy to deep skepticism. The most dramatic changes with respect to energy policies have occurred as a response to nuclear accidents, yet the accidental and unintended effects of coal policies are also important in influencing the trajectory. The newly emerging climate debate prevented the coal industry from acting as a substitute for the diminishing share of nuclear power. In 2011 the conservative government announced the Energiewende (‘energy transformation’) and decided to reduce the amount of fossil fuels from 80% of the energy supply to 20% by 2050. However, while the verdict on nuclear was unequivocal with a final phase-out date of 2022, the share of coal in the electricity market did not decrease and the amount of carbon dioxide released into the air slightly increased from 2011 to 2013. There are growing conflicts over the immediate costs and practicalities of coal replacement. Consequently, the future of coal in Germany is still relatively open and contested.     

Energy demand in the fifteen European Union countries by 2010 —: A forecasting model based on the decomposition approach

This paper develops a forecasting model based on the complete decomposition method. The forecasting model allows the trend effect, the rebound effect and dematerialization/materialization to be estimated. To demonstrate the model, a case analysis of the probable energy demand in the 15 European Union (EU) countries up to 2010 has been made. The results show that the aggregate energy demand in the 15 EU countries by the end of 2010 will have increased from 258 to 426 Mtoe compared to the 1997 level, and dematerialisation will have increased from 73 to 225 Mtoe.     

《新能源进展》(Advances in New and Renewable Energy)征稿简则

<正>《新能源进展》(Advances in New and Renewable Energy),由中国科学院主管,中国科学院广州能源研究所主办。《新能源进展》于2012年批准创刊,双月刊(偶数月最后一天出版),2013年8月第1卷第1期正式出版,面向国内外公开发行。《新能源进展》已入编"中国核心期刊(遴选)数据库";入编"中国学术期刊综合评价数据库来源期刊";被《中文科技期刊数据库》(维普网)全文收录、《中国学术期刊网络出版总库》及CNKI系列数据库全文收录。《新能源进展》主要刊登新能源与可再生能源,包括太阳能、生物质能、风能、氢能、海洋能、地热能、天然气水合物等领域科学技术以及可再生能源集成互补和相关配套技术(如储能、智能电网、分布式能源系统)方面原创性学术论文和高水平的综述性文     

《新能源进展》(Advances in New and Renewable Energy)征稿简则

<正>《新能源进展》(Advances in New and Renewable Energy),由中国科学院主管,中国科学院广州能源研究所主办。《新能源进展》于2012年批准创刊,双月刊(偶数月月末出版),2013年8月第1卷第1期正式出版,面向国内外公开发行。     

《新能源进展》(Advances in New and Renewable Energy)征稿简则

<正>《新能源进展》(Advances in New and Renewable Energy),由中国科学院主管,中国科学院广州能源研究所主办。《新能源进展》于2012年批准创刊,双月刊(偶数月月末出版),2013年8月第1卷第1期正式出版,面向国内外公开发行。《新能源进展》已入编中国核心期刊(遴选)数据库;入编中国学术期刊综合评价数据库来源期刊;被《中文科技期刊数据库》(维普网)全文收录、《中国学术期     

《新能源进展》(Advances in New and Renewable Energy)征稿简则

<正>《新能源进展》(Advances in New and Renewable Energy),由中国科学院主管,中国科学院广州能源研究所主办。《新能源进展》于2012年批准创刊,双月刊(偶数月月末出版),2013年8月第1卷第1期正式出版,面向国内外公开发行。《新能源进展》已入编中国核心期刊(遴选)数据库;入编中国学术期刊综合     

A (negative) replication of ‘The relationship between energy consumption,energy prices,and economic growth: Time series evidence from Asian developing countries’ (Energy Economics, 2000)

This paper replicates Asafu-Adjaye (2000) which employs unit root and cointegration tests together with error correction models to investigate the relationships between energy consumption and income for four energy-dependent Asian developing countries using data from 1971 through 1995. This paper finds not only that the results cannot be replicated, but that the results are not robust to alternative estimation procedures that include the simulation of finite sample critical values and the extension to panel unit root, stationarity and cointegration tests which are necessary to improve upon the power properties of the short time series employed by Asafu-Adjaye (2000). The results from the extension of the analysis to more modern time series techniques disprove the original paper's results, with panel cointegration tests finding that the trivariate system (income, energy consumption, and prices) does not follow a long run relationship for India, Indonesia, Thailand, and the Philippines.     

Energy loss in electrochemical diaphragm process of chlorine and alkali industry – A collateral effect of the undesirable generation of chlorate

Contamination of NaOH with chlorate constitutes a major problem for the chlorine–alkali industry, particularly when electrolytic cells based on the diaphragm process are employed. In this paper, pilot and laboratory cell experiments revealed that chlorate contamination in diaphragm cells also inhibits hydrogen evolution and gives rise to a significant increase in electrical energy consumption. Electrolysis carried out under conditions that simulated the industrial process (current density 240 mA cm⁻²; temperature 90 °C; brine flux 23 L cm⁻² h⁻¹) revealed that chlorate formation depends on brine flux and NaOH production. The inhibitory effect of chlorate on the main cathodic reaction was demonstrated in bench cell experiments, with cathodic displacement of the hydrogen evolution reaction by more than 100 mV in the presence of 0.4% chlorate compared with ideal conditions in which chlorate formation was absent. This hydrogen generation overpotential can charge the total electric energy balance in more than 5% of the total value, consisting of a critical loss for this process.     

A vibrational spectroscopic and modeling study of poly(2,5-benzimidazole) (ABPBI) – Phosphoric acid interactions in high temperature PEFC membranes

This paper reports a FT-ATR-IR spectroscopic study on proton conducting poly(2,5-benzimidazole) (ABPBI) membranes doped with orthophosphoric acid. The analysis of the vibrational profiles is a good diagnostic tool to help understand the interactions occurring between the phosphoric acid and the polymer membranes. The experimental data show evidence that an acid-base proton exchange reaction has occurred between the imidazole moieties in the polymer chain and phosphoric acid to produce dihydrogen phosphate ions and protonated imidazolium cations in ABPBIⁿ⁺. Vibrational modes associated with the dihydrogen phosphate ions are evident in the FT-IR spectra at lower doping levels and then become partially masked by the large amount of free phosphoric acid at high acid concentrations. Several bands in the FT-IR and FT-Raman spectra attributed to mixed modes containing varying contributions from NH bending motions exhibit high frequency shifts upon protonation the imidazole moieties. The correlatively assigned experimental vibrational bands were compared with calculated normal modes for small molecule models. The optimized geometry of the benzimidazolium dimer suggests that protonation of ABPBI results in a perturbation of the extended conjugated π system and allows rotation of the benzimidazole monomer units along the polymer chain. The results described here provide insight into the roles of phosphoric acid and ABPBI in the conduction mechanism of polybenzimidazole systems.     

Energy use in two Italian and Chinese tile manufacturers: A comparison using an enterprise input–output model

It is becoming evident that sustainable development methods are now being considered by governments and corporations from all countries at both local and global level. Firms are increasingly looking to strike a balance between profit, preserving the local environment, and energy savings, rather than just looking for profit. In this paper, an enterprise input–output analysis based on production processes is used to investigate two tile manufacturers, one located in China and the other in Italy. The aim of the paper is to describe their energy/materials use and consequent pollution/waste emissions, and to make a comparison between them. As this industry uses huge quantities of energy, it is useful to monitor these consumption uses along with pollution levels. This accounting can help in planning future local development strategies that would make production cycles more efficient and sustainable.