Browsing by Keyword "Fuel Technology"
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Item Added value services for EV charging management(IEEE, 2013-11) Rodríguez-Sánchez, Raúl; Vidal, Narcís; Zabala, Eduardo; Tecnalia Research & InnovationThe deployment of Electrical Vehicles (EV) is not taking place at the expected rate. Consumers’ tendency to value losses higher than gains works against electric vehicles when comparing them to traditional solutions. In this context, added value services may support business models with additional incomes, business differentiation or appealing mobility concepts. In the frame of the Green eMotion FP7 project, added value services will be proposed and their implementation in backend systems studied, in order to permit a widespread and sustainable deployment of EVs. Services and functionalities are delimited by business models defining the overall stakeholder relationship framework. Therefore, the latter will have direct influence, not only at economical level but also in technical aspects of the implementation of added value services. EV services are classified in two main groups: those provided by the EVs to the network and those provided by service providers to end-users. EVs characteristics make them especially suitable for service oriented business, while ICT solutions appear as key enablers of new sustainable mobility concepts. It is very important to decide which services and how these services need to be implemented to allow a wide range of business models to be applied. Interoperability is another essential aspect when dealing with EVs, since all systems involved in service provision should be able to communicate with each other. This will allow EV users to have transparent and efficient driving experiences, together with lower cost solutions. New advances in communication standards definition and in interoperability assessment (COTEVOS FP7 EU project) are currently going on and will tackle this challenge.Item Advanced m-CHP fuel cell system based on a novel bio-ethanol fluidized bed membrane reformer(2017-05-11) Viviente, Jose Luis; Meléndez, Jon; Pacheco Tanaka, David Alfredo; Gallucci, Fausto; Spallina, Vincenzo; Manzolini, Giampaolo; Foresti, Stefano; Palma, Vincenzo; Ruocco, Concetta; Roses, Leonardo; TECNOLOGÍA DE MEMBRANAS E INTENSIFICACIÓN DE PROCESOS; Tecnalia Research & InnovationDistributed power generation via Micro Combined Heat and Power (m-CHP) systems, has been proven to over-come disadvantages of centralized generation since it can give savings in terms of Primary Energy consumption and energy costs. The FluidCELL FCH JU/FP7 project aims at providing the Proof of Concept of an advanced high performance, cost effective bio-ethanol m-CHP cogeneration Fuel Cell system for decentralized off-grid applications by end of 2017. The main idea of FluidCELL is to develop a new bio-ethanol membrane reformer for pure hydrogen production (3.2 Nm3/h) based on Membrane Reactors in order to intensify the process of hydrogen production through the integration of reforming and purification in one single unit. The novel reactor could be more efficient than the state-of-the-art technology due to an optimal design aimed at circumventing mass and heat transfer resistances. Moreover, the design and optimization of the subcomponents for the BoP could also be improved. Particular attention has to be devoted to the optimized thermal integration that can improve the overall efficiency of the system at >90% and reducing the cost due to low temperature reforming. The main results obtained until now in terms of performance of the catalysts, membranes and the membrane reactors will be presented in this work.Item Advanced shifting control of a two speed gearbox for an electric vehicle(Korean Society of Automotive Engineers, 2015) Allende, M.; Prieto, P.; Hériz, B.; Cubert, J. M.; Gassman, T.; Tecnalia Research & Innovation; POWERTRAINThe apparition of electric vehicles on the market generates new challenges. Within them, one of the most important is related to the vehicle autonomy. In this paper an advanced shifting control system for a two speed gearbox is presented. It combines driving conditions and driving style inference techniques in conjunction with an expert decision control system for selecting the most suitable gear for energy saving. The expert control system is offline-tuned using a set of pre-specified simulation trips which characterize different scenarios. These pre-specific trips are recognized in real time to apply the expert control rules. The strategy is combined with an automatic shifting sequence with speed synchronization which reduces shifting times and torque transitions. Compared to a single-geared vehicle, an energy saving up to 10% can be achieved keeping the driver sensations while driving. An ad-hoc HIL mechatronic test bed has been developed for the complete system testing purposes.Item Applying International Power Quality Standards for Current Harmonic Distortion to Wave Energy Converters and Verified Device Emulators(2019-09-24) Kelly, James; Aldaiturriaga, Endika; Ruiz-Minguela, Pablo; Tecnalia Research & InnovationThe push for carbon-free energy sources has helped encourage the development of the ocean renewable energy sector. As ocean renewable energy approaches commercial maturity, the industry must be able to prove it can provide clean electrical power of good quality for consumers. As part of the EU funded Open Sea Operating Experience to Reduce Wave Energy Cost (OPERA) project that is tasked with developing the wave energy sector, the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) developed electrical power quality standards for marine energy converters, which were applied to an oscillating water column (OWC). This was done both in the laboratory and in the real world. Precise electrical monitoring equipment was installed in the Mutriku Wave Power Plant in Spain and to an OWC emulator in the Lir National Ocean Test Facility at University College Cork in Ireland to monitor the electrical power of both. The electrical power generated was analysed for harmonic current distortion and the results were compared. The observations from sea trials and laboratory trials demonstrate that laboratory emulators can be used in early stage development to identify the harmonic characteristics of a wave energy converter.Item Architectural framework for the integration of distributed resources(2003) Jimeno, J.; Laresgoiti, I.; Oyarzabal, J.; Stene, B.; Bacher, R.; POWER SYSTEMS; Tecnalia Research & InnovationDeregulation of the electricity sector, environmental concern, advances i in Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) and the appearance of new cost effective energy generation technologies, are driving the traditionally safe and reliable electrical network onto a situation in which the quality level of electricity supply will not only have to be maintained, but even increased, although difficulties for doing it will be greater than before due to uncertainties arising from competitive market driven transactions. The integration of market management together with the physical management of the electrical network creates several problems that the use of ICTs is going to help to solve. In this context, Internet andjthe Semantic Web technologies appear as the most cost effective and promising way to achieve the interoperation of bothlinterrelated worlds. Scada is the basic system for every process control. The data provided by the Scada system is mainly focused onto the control of the process without taking into account that the information can be used for other means and by other services within a utility. The research performed in this paper reports on the ways to achieve the ntitization of the SCADA information in different kind of applications by wrapping the data values coming from the process with the semantic meaning of what they mean, and its use for different energy related applications.Item Assessment on the Efficiency of an Active Solar Thermal Facade: Study of the Effect of Dynamic Parameters and Experimental Analysis When Coupled/Uncoupled to a Heat Pump: Study of the effect of dynamic parameters and experimental analysis when coupled/uncoupled to a heat pump(2020) Elguezabal, Peru; Lopez, Alex; Blanco, Jesus Maria; Chica, Jose Antonio; ECOEFICIENCIA DE PRODUCTOS DE CONSTRUCCIÓN; SGThe building sector presents poor performance in terms of energy efficiency and is looking for effective alternatives aimed at reducing the use of fossil fuels. The facade is a key element able to harness renewable energy as an Active Solar Thermal Facade (ASTF). The main purpose of this study is the assessment of a novel design concept based on a steel sandwich panel technology. The performance of the active system will be first addressed by a parametric study in order to analyze its behavior and secondly, by describing a real case based on an experimental test by connecting the active panels to a heat pump. The study shows the impact of solar irradiation and mass flow on the thermal jump achieved, while ambient and fluid inlet temperatures are the most influencing parameters in the efficiency of the facade. When coupled to the heat pump, results from a measurement campaign demonstrate a remarkable improvement in the performance of the ASTF. The results presented provide significant proof about the benefits of a synergetic combination of both technologies—solar facades and heat pumps—as efficient alternatives for the building sector, aiming to improve energy efficiency as well as reduce their dependence on non-renewable sources.Item Building energy performance metamodels for district energy management optimisation platforms(2024-01) Sánchez-Zabala, Víctor F.; Gómez-Acebo, Tomás; EDIFICACIÓN DE ENERGÍA POSITIVAReactive control strategies lack the flexibility necessary to optimize the operational costs of buildings and district systems. To overcome this limitation and to enable the transition to model predictive control strategies (MPC), the development of dedicated control platforms and models is required. Predictive models for district systems management should provide supply and demand side integrated modelling, high accuracy, generalization capacity and reduced computational times. However, traditionally available MPC solutions do not meet these requirements as simplified models offer short computational times but lack the required accuracy; detailed physics-based models provide satisfactory generalization but at the expense of high computational costs; and the generalization capacity of data models is constrained by the quality and availability of data. In contrast, metamodels developed through the combined use of physics-based models and machine learning techniques offer a powerful alternative at reduced computational cost. This paper describes an upgraded Integrated District Model concept developed through co-simulation coupling metamodels of buildings with a district heating infrastructure Modelica model. Furthermore, the process to produce the metamodels and optimization engine required to generate demand flexibility optimization functionalities for the buildings of the Stepa Stepanovic subnetwork (Belgrade) is depicted. Starting from the development of metamodels of instances of specific buildings (residential and educational use) the process was expanded to provide additional generalization to define, (1) a generic metamodel with the capacity to reproduce the behaviour of any instance of building of the residential typology, and (2) metamodels with generalization capacity in relation to operational settings. As part of this process the potential of several machine learning algorithms (e.g Support Vector Machines, etc) was evaluated including the latest ensemble boosting methods (e.g. Adaboost, Gradient Boosting and Extreme Gradient Boosting) with comparatively low use in the building simulation community. Finally, a virtual test bed consisting in metamodels coupled to an optimization engine based on genetic algorithms, was implemented, and compared to a traditional Physics-based model MPC solution (EnergyPlus-GENOPT), to evaluate the potential of the developed building level optimization functionalities. The metamodels and optimization engine were able to reproduce the optimized settings identified by the EnergyPlus-GENOPT MPC solution with cost savings potentials of 5–10%.Item Carbon-Free Electricity Generation in Spain with PV–Storage Hybrid Systems(2022-06-29) Fraile Ardanuy, Jesús; Alvaro-Hermana, Roberto; Castano-Solis, Sandra; Merino, Julia; Tecnalia Research & InnovationClimate change motivated by human activities constitutes one of the main challenges of this century. To cut carbon emissions in order to mitigate carbon’s dangerous effects, the current energy generation mix should be shifted to renewable sources. The main drawback of these technologies is their intermittency, which will require energy storage systems to be fully integrated into the generation mix, allowing them to be more controllable. In recent years, great progress to develop an effective and economically feasible energy storage systems, particularly motivated by the recent rise of demand for electric transportation, has been made. Lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery prices have fallen near 90% over the past decade, making possible the affordability of electric vehicles and transforming the economics of renewable energy. In this work, a study on storage capacity demand previously presented as conference paper is expanded, including a deep analysis of the Spanish generation mix, the evaluation of the energy storage requirements for different low-carbon and carbon-free scenarios in Mainland Spain, and the calculation of the CO2 emissions’ reduction and the associated storage costs.Item Carrier interleaved PWM techniques in modular multilevel converters: A comparison based on same voltage level waveforms(Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc., 2014-11-11) Darus, Rosheila; Konstantinou, Georgios; Pou, Josep; Ceballos, Salvador; Agelidis, Vassilios G.; POWER ELECTRONICS AND SYSTEM EQUIPMENTDepending on the modulation method the upper and lower arms of the modular multilevel converter are controlled, the topology can generate two different output voltage levels (N+1 and 2N+1) using the same number (N) of sub-modules (SMs). The analysis and evaluation presented in this paper demonstrates that for an output voltage with a given number of levels and same amount of stored energy in the arms, carrier interleaving between the arms of the MMC results in a similar overall performance compared to an MMC without carrier interleaving, despite having less SMs in each arm. The set of presented results complement existing analysis for carrier interleaving applied to MMCs with a given number of SMs per arm. The simulation and experimental results confirm the similar performance of the two configurations and modulation techniques.Item A Characterization of European Collective Action Initiatives and Their Role as Enablers of Citizens’ Participation in the Energy Transition(2021-12-14) Lupi, Veronica; Candelise, Chiara; Calull, Merce Almuni; Delvaux, Sarah; Valkering, Pieter; Hubert, Wit; Sciullo, Alessandro; Ivask, Nele; van der Waal, Esther; Iturriza, Izaskun Jimenez; Paci, Daniele; Della Valle, Nives; Koukoufikis, Giorgos; Dunlop, Tessa; Policies for Innovation and TechnologyThis paper provides novel additional evidence on the characteristics of Collective Action Initiatives (CAIs), investigating their role within the European energy sector. It analyses and presents results of a survey administered in six European countries: the Netherlands, Belgium, Italy, Poland, Estonia, and Spain. CAIs are studied in light of four key dimensions, those being their creation dynamics, the way they are organized, financed, and the activities they undertake. The results presented are also interpreted to reflect on their role as drivers of social innovation (SI) within energy transition in Europe. The analysis shows that the contribution of CAIs to the energy transition has a much wider scope than the development of energy projects and provision of energy services. CAIs are intrinsically socially innovative models of implementation as characterised by a strong level of citizen involvement and participation. Moreover, they have a potential multi-level role in the energy transition, from the technological and social perspectives. Indeed, alongside traditional energy activities, our results show that CAIs are evolving and expanding towards socially innovative activities, raising awareness on environmental issues, promoting citizens’ mobilization, and fostering social inclusion.Item Chemicals from biomass: Synthesis of lactic acid by alkaline hydrothermal conversion of sorbitol(2011-06) Ramírez-López, Camilo A.; Ochoa-Gómez, José R.; Gil-Río, Silvia; Gómez-Jiménez-Aberasturi, Olga; Torrecilla-Soria, Jesús; Tecnalia Research & Innovation; Laboratorio Químico; BIOECONOMÍA Y CO2; SGBACKGROUND: Currently, the 'green chemistry' philosophy is being increasingly adopted by the chemical industry and, therefore, new production procedures of valuable chemicals from biomass-derived raw materials are being sought. In this work, the synthesis of lactic acid from sorbitol under alkaline hydrothermal conditions is investigated by analyzing the influence on conversions and yields of temperature, NaOH/sorbitol molar ratio (MR), initial sorbitol concentration (SC) and reaction time. RESULTS: A 100% sorbitol conversion and a maximum 39.5% yield of lactic acid on a carbon basis are obtained at 280 °C, 50 min, 1.0 mol L-1 SC and 2.0 MR. Glyceraldehyde was the only identified intermediate while formic acid, acrylic acid, acetic acid, oxalic acid and sodium carbonate were identified as over-oxidation products, all of them in very low yields with the exception of formic acid (16% yield at a MR of 4 and 280 °C). Several plausible conversion routes of sorbitol involving dehydrations, keto-enol tautomerisms, reverse aldol condensations, aldol condensations, Cannizzaro reactions and oxidations are proposed. CONCLUSIONS: Considering the high number of parallel conversion routes as a consequence of high functionality of sorbitol, the 39.5% lactic acid yield obtained is a good result. Total carbon mass in all identified products only justifies, at most, 50% of that in sorbitol due to the coexistence of several conversion routes resulting in a large number of products other than lactic acid.Item CHESTER: Experimental prototype of a compressed heat energy storage and management system for energy from renewable sources(2024-07-01) Theologou, K.; Johnson, M.; Tombrink, J.; Corrales Ciganda, José L.; Trebilcock, Felipe T.; Couvreur, K.; Tassenoy, R.; Lecompte, S.; SISTEMAS TÉRMICOS EFICIENTESThe increasing share of renewable energies in the electricity grid requires storage technologies to balance energy supply and demand. Thermally integrated pumped thermal energy storage systems are considered a promising technology for medium to large-scale storage applications. Among these, compressed thermal energy storage in particular has been identified in numerous theoretical studies as a promising candidate. Despite these studies, the feasibility of the thus far theoretical concept has not yet been proven experimentally. To overcome this gap this publication presents for the first time the entire setup and experimental results of the world's first CHESTER (Compressed Heat Energy Storage for Energy from Renewable Sources) laboratory prototype at a representative scale consisting of a high-temperature heat pump and an organic Rankine cycle coupled by a combination of a sensible and a novel dual-tube latent heat storage as a high-temperature thermal energy storage system. The stable operation of a fully integrated CHEST system on a 10 kW scale was demonstrated and the stable function of the latent heat storage unit as both a condenser and an evaporator was confirmed. With the current prototype, which combines three first of its kind subsystems, efficiencies of up to 37 % have been achieved. The presented results confirm the practical feasibility of the thus far theoretical concept and provide guidance for further optimization of the components and more importantly the interaction between the individual subsystems.Item Collective Action and Social Innovation in the Energy Sector: A Mobilization Model Perspective: A mobilization model perspective(2020) Gregg, Jay Sterling; Nyborg, Sophie; Hansen, Meiken; Schwanitz, Valeria Jana; Wierling, August; Zeiss, Jan Pedro; Delvaux, Sarah; Saenz, Victor; Polo-Alvarez, Lucia; Candelise, Chiara; Gilcrease, Winston; Arrobbio, Osman; Sciullo, Alessandro; Padovan, Dario; Tecnalia Research & Innovation; Policies for Innovation and TechnologyThis conceptual paper applies a mobilization model to Collective Action Initiatives (CAIs) in the energy sector. The goal is to synthesize aspects of sustainable transition theories with social movement theory to gain insights into how CAIs mobilize to bring about niche-regime change in the context of the sustainable energy transition. First, we demonstrate how energy communities, as a representation of CAIs, relate to social innovation. We then discuss how CAIs in the energy sector are understood within both sustainability transition theory and institutional dynamics theory. While these theories are adept at describing the role energy CAIs have in the energy transition, they do not yet offer much insight concerning the underlying social dimensions for the formation and upscaling of energy CAIs. Therefore, we adapt and apply a mobilization model to gain insight into the dimensions of mobilization and upscaling of CAIs in the energy sector. By doing so we show that the expanding role of CAIs in the energy sector is a function of their power acquisition through mobilization processes. We conclude with a look at future opportunities and challenges of CAIs in the energy transition.Item Comparison between carbon molecular sieve and Pd-Ag membranes in H2-CH4 separation at high pressure(2020-10-30) Nordio, Maria; Melendez, Jon; van Sint Annaland, Martin; Pacheco Tanaka, D. Alfredo; Llosa Tanco, Margot; Gallucci, Fausto; Tecnalia Research & Innovation; TECNOLOGÍA DE MEMBRANAS E INTENSIFICACIÓN DE PROCESOSFrom a permeability and selectivity perspective, supported thin-film Pd–Ag membranes are the best candidates for high-purity hydrogen recovery for methane-hydrogen mixtures from the natural gas grid. However, the high hydrogen flux also results in induced bulk-to-membrane mass transfer limitations (concentration polarization) especially when working at low hydrogen concentration and high pressure, which further reduces the hydrogen permeance in the presence of mixtures. Additionally, Pd is a precious metal and its price is lately increasing dramatically. The use of inexpensive CMSM could become a promising alternative. In this manuscript, a detailed comparison between these two membrane technologies, operating under the same working pressure and mixtures, is presented. First, the permeation properties of CMSM and Pd–Ag membranes are compared in terms of permeance and purity, and subsequently, making use of this experimental investigation, an economic evaluation including capital and variable costs has been performed for a separation system to recover 25 kg/day of hydrogen from a methane-hydrogen mixture. To widen the perspective, also a sensitivity analysis by changing the pressure difference, membrane lifetime, membrane support cost and cost of Pd/Ag membrane recovery has been considered. The results show that at high pressure the use of CMSM is to more economic than the Pd-based membranes at the same recovery and similar purity.Item Comparison between Energy Simulation and Monitoring Data in an Office Building(2021-12-30) Martin-Escudero, Koldobika; Atxalandabaso, Garazi; Erkoreka, Aitor; Uriarte, Amaia; Porta, Matteo; EDIFICACIÓN DE ENERGÍA POSITIVA; Tecnalia Research & InnovationOne of the most important steps in the retrofitting process of a building is to understand its pre-retrofitting stage energy performance. The best choice for carrying this out is by means of a calibrated building energy simulation (BES) model. Then, the testing of different retrofitting solutions in the validated model allows for quantifying the improvements that may be obtained, in order to choose the most suitable solution. In this work, based on the available detailed building drawings, constructive details, building operational data and the data sets obtained on a minute basis (for a whole year) from a dedicated energy monitoring system, the calibration of an in-use office building energy model has been carried out. It has been possible to construct a detailed white box model based on Design Builder software. Then, comparing the model output for indoor air temperature, lighting consumption and heating consumption against the monitored data, some of the building envelope parameters and inner building inertia of the model were fine tuned to obtain fits fulfilling the ASHRAE criteria. Problems found during this fitting process and how they are solved are explained in detail. The model calibration is firstly performed on an hourly basis for a typical winter and summer week; then, the whole year results of the simulation are compared against the monitored data. The results show a good agreement for indoor temperature, lighting and heating consumption compared with the ASHRAE criteria for the mean bias error (MBE).Item Compatibility of materials with hydrogen. Particular case: Hydrogen embrittlement of titanium alloys(2009-07) Madina, V.; Azkarate, I.; MATERIALES PARA CONDICIONES EXTREMAS; Tecnalia Research & InnovationA review of the effect of hydrogen on materials is addressed in this paper. General aspects of the interaction of hydrogen and materials, hydrogen embrittlement, low temperature effects, material suitability for hydrogen service and materials testing are the main subjects considered in the first part of the paper. As a particular case of the effect of hydrogen in materials, the hydride formation of titanium alloys is considered. Hydrogen absorption and the possible associated problems must be taken into account when considering titanium as a candidate material for high responsibility applications. The sensitivity of three different titanium alloys to the Hydrogen Assisted Stress Cracking phenomena has been studied by means of the Slow Strain Rate Technique (SSRT). The testing media have been sea water and hydrogen has been produced on the specimen surface during the test by cathodic polarization. Tested specimens have been characterized by metallography and scanning electron microscopy. Results obtained show that the microstructure of the materials, particularly the β-phase content, plays an important role on the sensitivity of the studied alloys to the Hydrogen Assisted Stress Cracking Phenomena.Item Composite-alumina-carbon molecular sieve membranes prepared from novolac resin and boehmite. Part I: Preparation, characterization and gas permeation studies(2015-05-04) Llosa Tanco, Margot A.; Pacheco Tanaka, David A.; Rodrigues, Sandra C.; Texeira, Miguel; Mendes, Adélio; TECNOLOGÍA DE MEMBRANAS E INTENSIFICACIÓN DE PROCESOSAbstract Supported composite alumina-carbon molecular sieve membranes (c-CMSM) were prepared from in house prepared novolac phenolic resin loaded with boehmite nanoparticles in a single dipping-drying-carbonization step. A porous α-alumina tube support was dipped into a N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone solution containing polymerized novolac resin loaded with boehmite, subsequently dried at 100 C and carbonized at 500 C under nitrogen environment. The structure, morphology and performance of the membranes were examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), carbon dioxide adsorption and permeation of N2, O2, He, H2 and CO2. SEM showed carbon membranes with a thin and very uniform layer with a thickness of ca. 3 μm CO2 adsorption isotherms indicated that the produced carbon membranes presented a microporous structure. The c-CMSM exhibited good gas separation properties. The permselectivity surpass the Robeson upper bound for polymeric membranes, especially regarding ideal permselectivities of pairs H2/N2 = 117, and He/O2 = 49. Aging effects were observed after membrane exposure to ambient air. However with a thermal treatment under nitrogen atmosphere the permeance of nitrogen increases.Item Composite-alumina-carbon molecular sieve membranes prepared from novolac resin and boehmite. Part II: Effect of the carbonization temperature on the gas permeation properties(2015-03-02) Llosa Tanco, Margot A.; Pacheco Tanaka, David A.; Mendes, Adélio; TECNOLOGÍA DE MEMBRANAS E INTENSIFICACIÓN DE PROCESOSThe influence of carbonization temperature on the permeation properties and aging of thin (4 μm) supported carbon molecular sieve membranes (c-CMSM), prepared from in house synthesized novolac phenolic resin loaded with boehmite nanoparticles, were studied. Just after membrane carbonization (fresh membrane), high permeance to N2 and O2 and low O2/N2 permselectivities were observed; the highest permeations were observed for carbonization end temperatures between 500 °C and 700 °C. After leaving the c-CMSM 1 day in the air, a large decrease in the permeation and considerable increase in the permselectivity were observed due to the reduction of the pore size by oxygen chemisorption and water physical adsorption; the permeability to H2 and H2/N2 ideal permselectivity for a membrane carbonized at 550 °C are close to palladium membranes for low temperature (<100 °C). The effect of the permeation characteristics of the membranes carbonized at various temperatures and the removal of water adsorbed in the pores by heat treatment were studied.Item A Comprehensive Review of the Design and Operation Optimization of Energy Hubs and Their Interaction with the Markets and External Networks(2023-05) Papadimitriou, Christina; Di Somma, Marialaura; Charalambous, Chrysanthos; Caliano, Martina; Palladino, Valeria; Cortés Borray, Andrés Felipe; González-Garrido, Amaia; Ruiz, Nerea; Graditi, Giorgio; POWER SYSTEMSThe European Union’s vision for energy transition not only foresees decarbonization of the electricity sector, but also requires commitment across different sectors such as gas, heating, and cooling through an integrated approach. It also sets local energy communities at the center of the energy transition as a bottom-up approach to achieve these ambitious decarbonization goals. The energy hub is seen as a promising conceptual model to foster the optimization of multi-carrier energy systems and cross-sectoral interaction. Especially in the context of local energy communities, the energy hub concept can enable the optimal design, management, and control of future integrated and digitalized networks where multiple energy carriers operate seamlessly and in complementarity with each other. In that sense, the optimal design and operation of energy hubs are of critical importance, especially under the effect of multiple objectives taking on board not only technical, but also other aspects that would enable the sustainability of local energy communities, such as economic and environmental. This paper aims to provide an in-depth review of the literature surrounding the existing state-of-the-art approaches that are related to the design and operation optimization of energy hubs by also exploring their interaction with the external network and multiple markets. As the planning and operation of an energy hub is a multifaceted research topic, this paper covers issues such as the different optimization methods, optimization problems formulation including objective functions and constraints, and the hubs’ optimal market participation, including flexibility mechanisms. By systematizing the existing literature, this paper highlights any limitations of the approaches so far and identifies the need for further research and enhancement of the existing approaches.Item Control Room Requirements for Voltage Control in Future Power Systems(2018) Coelho, António; Soares, Filipe; Merino, Julia; Riaño, Sandra; Peças Lopes, João; Tecnalia Research & Innovation; SISTEMAS FOTOVOLTAICOSIn future power grids, a large integration of renewable energy sources is foreseen, which will impose serious technical challenges to system operators. To mitigate some of the problems that renewable energy sources may bring, new voltage and frequency control strategies must be developed. Given the expected evolution of technologies and information systems, these new strategies will benefit from increasing system observability and resources controllability, enabling a more efficient grid operation. The ELECTRA IRP project addressed the new challenges that future power systems will face and developed new grid management and control functionalities to overcome the identified problems. This work, implemented in the framework of ELECTRA, presents an innovative functionality for the control room of the cell operator and its application in assistance with the voltage control designed for the Web-of-Cells. The voltage control method developed uses a proactive mode to calculate the set-points to be sent to the flexible resources, each minute, for a following 15-min period. This way, the voltage control method developed is able to mitigate voltage problems that may occur, while, at the same time, contributes to reduce the energy losses. To enable a straightforward utilization of this functionality, a user interface was created for system operators so they can observe the network state and control resources in a forthright manner accordingly.