Energy technology最新文献

Currently, the photovoltaic manufacturing industry is confronted with an upcoming material shortage, primarily driven by the continued dependence on silver for front-side metallization in TOPCon, SHJ, and PERC solar cells. This study employs a mathematical model originally introduced by Ney et al. in 2019 to predict the outcome of printed contact structures based on mesh characteristics. For validation, printing experiments are conducted with variations in printing speed, screen angle, and calendaring strength. It is generally observed that predictions for screens with a 20° mesh angle are less accurate than for other angles. In addition, it is noted that the prediction became more accurate with increasing channel width. Although, for some cases, a prediction accuracy between 77 and 87% is achieved, it is important to acknowledge that the results obtained from the simulation deviate from the real-world observations to some extent. Additionally, a clear correlation between mesh thickness and printed volume is observed, enabling the prediction of silver usage and potential material savings.

MoS₂ is the most promising anode material for secondary battery with its unique 2D layered structure. However, the application of MoS₂ is restricted by the poor electrical conductivity and sluggish ion diffusion. Herein, hollow nanotubes constructed with highly conductive 1T phase MoS₂ nanosheets and polypyrrole (PPy) nanotubes are fabricated and used as anode materials for lithium-ion batteries and sodium-ion batteries. Remarkably, these hollow nanotubes show a high lithium-specific capacity of 755.5 mAh g⁻¹ at 100 mA g⁻¹ and excellent sodium-specific capacity of 503.3 mAh g⁻¹ after 200 cycles. The enhanced electrochemical performance can be attributed to the rational design of unique 1D and 2D composite structure. First, the highly conductive 1T phase MoS₂ 2D nanosheets and hollow 1D PPy nanotube can effectively promote the charge transfer kinetics. However, the increased interlayer spacing of 1T phase MoS₂ rapidly improves the insertion/extraction process of metal ions, and the vertical growth of MoS₂ nanosheets on the surface of the PPy nanotubes also exposes more energy storage sites. This work provides a new idea for the preparation of MoS₂-based composite materials, and also proposes a reference for its application in the secondary battery.

The widespread adoption of electronic devices has led to a dramatic increase in electronic waste (e-waste), posing significant environmental, human health, economic, and data security concerns while also exacerbating landfill waste. Effective e-waste management strategies are crucial for maintaining a sustainable planet. This article explores the upcycling of e-waste using triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) technology for electricity generation. Specifically, with straightforward procedures, the organic photoconductor (OPC) drum from printer cartridge waste is modified and incorporated as the positive triboelectric layer in the present TENG design. The fabricated OPC-TENG, featuring the OPC drum sheet and fluorinated ethylene propylene (FEP) pair, exhibits promising performance metrics: an open-circuit voltage of ≈492 V, a short-circuit current of 138 μA, and a power density of 4.6 W m⁻². Moreover, its capability to continuously operate digital watch and calculator with an integrated energy management circuit is demonstrated. The simplicity of the fabrication process, coupled with the significant energy output of the device, underscores its potential for self-powered applications. These findings highlight a pathway towards harnessing e-waste for sustainable energy production and revolutionizing e-waste management, contributing to a greener and more energy-efficient future.

Solar energy utilization in the transportation sector is important for reducing fossil fuel consumption and achieving the grant goal of carbon neutrality. The photovoltaic noise barriers (PVNB) are recognized as a potential alternative for electric vehicle charging. This study aims to evaluate the power generation capabilities of both monofacial photovoltaic noise barriers (mono-PVNB) and bifacial photovoltaic noise barriers (bi-PVNB) when applied along roads with different directions and shading conditions. Results show that the daily yields of bi-PVNB facing west, southwest, south, and southeast are 754, 819, 1101, and 894 Wh, respectively. In contrast, the daily yields of mono-PVNB are 459, 711, 968, and 764 Wh. The bifacial gains are, respectively, 64, 15, 14, and 17%. The influence of partial shading on PV power generation is tested, and sharp decrease is observed when horizontal shading reaches 20% and vertical shading reaches 40%. In summary, the bi-PVNB shows satisfactory power generation ability with different orientation and shading conditions. Under Shenzhen climate, the annual power generation of bi-PVNB along east–west, north–south, southeast–northwest, and southwest–northeast direction roads are predicted to be 304, 325, 342, and 335 MWh per kilometer.

Overcharging is a primary cause of thermal runaway in ternary lithium-ion batteries, often leading to serious safety incidents. Early detection of thermal runaway during overcharging is therefore critical. This study investigates a 5 Ah ternary lithium battery pack, applying appropriate preload force to simulate real-world conditions. Various overcharge experiments are conducted under different conditions, and changes in battery voltage, temperature, and expansion force are thoroughly analyzed. The results indicate that under the same initial conditions, higher charging rates accelerate the temperature rise in the lithium battery. Additionally, the internal gas generation rate increases, causing a faster rise in edge pressure and leading to earlier battery cracking. Building on these findings, a three-level early warning algorithm is developed, which comprehensively considers voltage, temperature, and expansion force changes. Experimental validation demonstrates that this algorithm can accurately identify the current stage of thermal runaway and detect the transition to the third warning stage 604 s before complete failure, thus providing critical protection for the safe operation of the battery pack. This study offers valuable guidance for enhancing the monitoring and early warning capabilities of battery management systems.

Intermittency is an inherent characteristic of photovoltaic (PV) power generation and results in high ramp rates of the generated power. This article explores the feasibility of integrating supercapacitors at the PV module level, aiming to reduce the power fluctuations of PV systems and control the power ramp rate into the power grid. First, an equivalent circuit model of a single-phase grid-connected PV system based on module-based supercapacitors is proposed, and a power ramp rate control scheme is established. Then, experimental setups for a single-phase grid-connected PV system based on module-based supercapacitors are implemented, and the computational model is verified through experiments. Finally, using the verified computational model and the proposed control scheme, the module-based supercapacitor sizes for different PV system sizes (PV module, rooftop, small system, large system) that meet specific ramp rate requirements under different ramp rate limits (5, 10, 15% min⁻¹) are compared. Case studies show that large-scale PV systems with geographical smoothing effects help to reduce the size of module-based supercapacitors per normalized power of installed PV, providing the possibility for the application of modular supercapacitors as potential energy storage solutions to improve power ramp rate performance in large-scale PV systems.

For the commercialization of perovskite solar cells (PSCs), detection of associated degradation mechanisms and mitigation of their effect is of paramount importance. The former requires outdoor and indoor stability tests to detect these mechanisms under real operation conditions and to accelerate them under controlled environments. Herein, the thermomechanical stability of encapsulated PSCs in outdoor tests at three locations coupled with indoor thermal cycling tests is investigated. Results show that encapsulant-induced partial delamination can occur in outdoor and indoor tests, leading to disruption in device integrity and substantial loss in the cell active area and short-circuit current. The findings suggest that delamination involves C₆₀ and SnO₂ layers as the mechanically weakest point in the device stack. To the best of our knowledge, this work is the first demonstration of delamination in encapsulated PSCs under real operation conditions. While partial delamination emerged on some of the cells exposed in Israel and Cyprus in just a few weeks, it did not occur in Germany over 2.5 years of outdoor exposure. This highlights the importance of multiclimate outdoor testing to validate the significance of failure modes observed through accelerated indoor testing.

Green ammonia and hydrogen from renewable energy sources have emerged as crucial players during the transition of the chemical industry from a fossil energy-dominated economy to one that is environmentally friendly. This work proposes a green ammonia synthesis system driven by synergistic hydrogen generation using alkaline water electrolyzers (AWE) and proton exchange membrane electrolyzers (PEMEC). The effects of hydrogen-production ratios of PEMEC and AWE on the thermodynamic and economic performance of the system are compared and analyzed via multi-objective optimization. The findings showed that an increase in the amount of hydrogen produced by PEMEC improves the system's energy efficiency, but the payback period is delayed because of the PEMEC high initial investment cost. The techno-economic performance of the system at a 1:1 ratio of PEMEC to AWE hydrogen production are investigated considering the system level heat integration based on the pinch point analysis method to maximize the heat recovery. The results show that increasing the operational temperature, the pressure of the electrolyzer, and the ammonia synthesis pressure will enhance the system's thermal performance. Economic analysis shows that reducing electricity prices and electrolyzer investment costs will be the key to achieving the economic feasibility of the green ammonia system.

The common method to improve battery performance and safety issues related to electrolyte leakage and evaporation in lead-acid batteries (LABs) is by electrolyte immobilization. Herein, a hydrogel electrolyte is proposed by immobilizing sulfuric acid within a cellulose-based hydrogel derived from coir fibers. The hydrogel is prepared using two steps: cellulose purification and hydrogel formation. In the first step, lignin and hemicellulose in coir fibers are removed using mechanical and chemical treatments to produce cellulose pulp. Then, cellulose hydrogel is prepared from the pulp using the dissolution-coagulation route in an alkali-urea system. The hydrogel is soaked in sulfuric acid to produce hydrogel electrolyte. The cellulose hydrogel has good mechanical strength, with a tensile strength of about 4.5 MPa and Young's modulus of about 39.02 MPa. The ionic conductivity of the hydrogel electrolyte is ≈0.183 mS cm⁻¹, approaching that of the sulfuric acid electrolyte used in LABs. Although the discharge capacity of cell using the hydrogel electrolyte is slightly lower than that of free sulfuric acid electrolyte (1907 vs. 2051 mAh g⁻¹), its stability is better. The study offers gel polymer electrolyte derived from agricultural waste coir fibers for use in LABs in an environmentally friendly and sustainable manner.

For the traditional energy harvester converting other energy forms into electrical power, lots of energy is wasted as heat or other forms due to the single energy transduction mechanism. To further improve the energy conversion efficiency, the study presented here provides an idea and realization of a triple piezoelectric-electromagnetic-piezoelectric energy harvester with cam contact driven and cylindrical magnet noncontact driven for improving the conversion efficiency of energy. The proposed energy harvester is composed of a rectangular piezoelectric energy harvester (RPEH), a circular piezoelectric energy harvester (CPEH), and an electromagnetic energy harvester (EMEH) for harvesting mechanical energy. The design concepts and working principle are evaluated and explained with the structural and Simulink models. The output performance is experimentally tested under different rotating speeds, cam geometries, lengths of magnets, and load resistances. The results reveal that the output power can achieve a milliwatt level (1.34 mW) with 3 cam protrusions, 15 mm magnet length, and 200 r min⁻¹ rotating speed. Finally, we successfully demonstrate the harvester has great potential in powering low-power electronics such as light-emitting diodes and digital clocks.