Welcome to Volume 6 Issue 1 of Thermal Science and Engineering (TSE), where we present a selection of articles that reflect our commitment to advancing thermal science. This issue brings you the latest in thermal safety for electric vehicle batteries, innovative power-to-gas solutions for renewable energy storage, and IoT applications for energy efficiency. We also highlight advances in tandem solar cells and the economic analysis of biomass and solar energy in buildings. Dive into our pages for a comprehensive view of the thermal engineering landscape.
Table of Contents
The conversion of the energy supply to renewable sources (wind, photovoltaics) will increase the volatility in electricity generation in the future. In order to ensure a balanced power balance in the power grid, storage is required - not only for a short time, but also seasonally. The bidirectional coupling of existing energy infrastructure with the power grid can help here by using the electricity in electrolysis systems to produce hydrogen. The hydrogen can be mixed with natural gas in the existing infrastructure (gas storage, pipelines) to a limited extent or converted directly to methane in a gas-catalytic reaction, methanation, with carbon dioxide and/or carbon monoxide. By using the natural gas infrastructure, the electricity grids are relieved and renewable energies can also be stored over long periods of time. Another advantage of this technology, known as “Power-to-Gas”, is that the methane produced in this way represents a sink for CO2 emissions, as it replaces fossil sources and CO2 is thus fed into a closed cycle.
Research in the field of Power-to-Gas technology is currently addressing technological advances both in the field of electrolysis and for the subsequent methanation, in particular to reduce investment costs. In the field of methanation, load-flexible processes are to be developed that are adapted to the fluctuating supply of hydrogen. The profitability of the Power-to-Gas process chain can be increased through synergistic integration into existing industrial processes. For example, an integrated smelting works offers a promising infrastructural environment, since, on the one hand, process gases containing carbon are produced in large quantities and, on the other hand, the oxygen as a by-product from the water electrolysis can be used directly. Such concepts suggest an economic application of Power-to-Gas technology in the near future.
In this paper, we modeled and simulated two tandem solar cell structures (a) and (b), in a two-terminal configuration based on inorganic and lead-free absorber materials. The structures are composed of sub-cells already studied in our previous work, where we simulated the impact of defect density and recombination rate at the interfaces, as well as that of the thicknesses of the charge transport and absorber layers, on the photovoltaic performance. We also studied the performance resulting from the use of different materials for the electron and hole transport layers. The two structures studied include a bottom cell based on the perovskite material CsSnI3 with a band gap energy of 1.3 eV and a thickness of 1.5 µm. The first structure has an upper sub-cell based on the CsSnGeI3 material with an energy of 1.5 eV, while the second has an upper sub-cell made of Cs2TiBr6 with a band gap energy of 1.6 eV. The theoretical model used to evaluate the photocurrent density, current-voltage characteristic, and photovoltaic parameters of the constituent sub-cells and the tandem device was described. Current matching analysis was performed to find the ideal combination of absorber thicknesses that allows the same current density to be shared. An efficiency of 29.8% was obtained with a short circuit current density Jsc = 19.92 mA/cm2, an open circuit potential Voc = 1.46 V and a form factor FF = 91.5% with the first structure (a), for a top absorber thickness of CsSnGeI3 of 190 nm, while an efficiency of 26.8% with Jsc = 16.74, Voc = 1.50 V and FF = 91.4% was obtained with the second structure (b), for a top absorber thickness of Cs2TiBr6 of 300 nm. The objective of this study is to develop efficient, low-cost, stable and non-toxic tandem devices based on lead-free and inorganic perovskite.
The use of different energy sources and the worry of running out of some of them in the modern world have made factors such as environmental pollution and even energy sustainability vital. Vital resources for humanity include water, environment, food, and energy. As a result, building strong trust in these resources is crucial because of their interconnected nature. Sustainability in security of energy, water and food, generally decreases costs and improves durability. This study introduces and describes the components of a system named “Desktop Energetic Dark Greenhouse” in the context of the quadruple nexus of water, environment, food, and energy in urban life. This solution can concurrently serve to strengthen the sustainable security of water, environment, food, and energy. For home productivity, a small-scale version of this project was completed. The costs and revenues for this system have been determined after conducting an economic study from the viewpoints of the investor and the average household. The findings indicate that the capital return period is around five years from the investor’s perspective. The capital return on investment for this system is less than 4 years from the standpoint of the households. According to the estimates, this system annually supplies about 20 kg of vegetables or herbs, which means about one third of the annual needs of a family.
This paper is devoted to the determination of the dispersive component of the surface energy of two boron materials such as h-BN and BPO4 surfaces by using the inverse gas chromatography (IGC) at infinite dilution. The specific interactions and Lewis’s acid-base parameters of these materials were calculated on the light of the new thermal model concerning the dependency of the surface area of organic molecules on the temperature, and by using also the classical methods of the inverse gas chromatography as well as the different molecular models such as Van der Waals, Redlich-Kwong, Kiselev, geometric, Gray, spherical, cylindrical and Hamieh models. It was proved that h-BN surface exhibits higher dispersive surface energy than BPO4 material.
The specific properties of interaction of the two boron materials were determined. The results obtained by using the new thermal model taking into account the effect of the temperature on the surface area of molecules, proved that the classical IGC methods, gave inaccurate values of the specific parameters and Lewis’s acid base constants of the solid surfaces. The use of the thermal model allowed to conclude that h-BN surface has a Lewis basicity twice stronger than its acidity, whereas, BPO4 surface presents an amphoteric character.
This contribution aims to appraise, analyze and evaluate the literature relating to the interaction of electromagnetic fields (EMF) with matter and the resulting thermal effects. This relates to the wanted thermal effects via the application of fields as well as those uninvited resulting from exposure to the field. In the paper, the most popular EMF heating technologies are analyzed. This involves on the one hand high frequency induction heating (HFIH) and on the other hand microwave heating (MWH), including microwave ovens and hyperthermia medical treatment. Then, the problem of EMF exposure is examined and the resulting biological thermal effects are illuminated. Thus, the two most common cases of wireless EMF devices, namely digital communication tools and inductive power transfer appliances are analyzed and evaluated. The last part of the paper concerns the determination of the different thermal effects, which are studied and discussed, by considering the governing EMF and heat transfer (or bio heat) equations and their solution methodologies.
The paper examines the underlying science determining the performance of hybrid engines. It scrutinizes a full range of orthodox gasoline engine performance data, drawn from two sources, and how it would be modified by hybrid gasoline vehicle engine operation. The most significant change would be the elimination of the negative consequences of urban congestion, stop-start, and engine driving, in favour of a hybrid electric motor drive. At intermediate speeds there can be other instances where electric motors might give a more efficient drive than an engine. Hybrid operation is scrutinised and the electrical losses estimated. There also remains scope for improvements in engine combustion.
There are diverse effects in consequence of exposure to radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMF). The interactions of fields and the exposed body tissues are related to the nature of exposure, tissue comportment, field strength and signal frequency. These interactions can crop different effects.