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Integrating Power-to-Heat Services in Geographically Distributed Multi-Energy Systems: A Case Study from the ERIGrid 2.0 Project
Get PDFThis paper investigates the integration and validation of multi-energy systems within the H2020 ERIGrid 2.0 project, focusing on the deployment of the JaNDER software middleware and universal API (uAPI) to establish a robust, high-data-rate, and low-latency communication link between Research Infrastructures (RIs). The middleware facilitates seamless integration of RIs through specifically designed transport layers, while the uAPI provides a simplified and standardized interface to ease deployment. A motivating case study explores the provision of power-to-heat services in a local multi-energy district, involving laboratories in Denmark, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, and Norway, and analyzing their impact on electrical and thermal networks. This paper not only demonstrates the practical application of Geographically Distributed Simulations and Hardware-in-the-Loop technologies but also highlights their effectiveness in enhancing system flexibility and managing grid dynamics under various operational scenarios.Integrating Power-to-Heat Services in Geographically Distributed Multi-Energy Systems: A Case Study from the ERIGrid 2.0 ProjectacceptedVersio
Toward a collaborative circular ecosystem within the built environment
Get PDFThe built environment has drastically transitioned toward the circular economy (CE) to reduce carbon footprint, waste emission, and resource consumption. The circular ecosystem with close collaboration between diverse actors is critical to the sector's CE transition success. However, a holistic perspective on the circular ecosystem of the built environment remains lacking. This paper provides new insights into the complex and intricate dynamics of actor collaborations in the circular building ecosystems on the niche and regime levels. Moreover, this study shows the orchestrating roles of the municipalities and developers as the ‘keystone’ actors in the circular ecosystem. It also stresses the increasingly significant roles of new actors as the driving forces for the socio-technical paradigm shift toward CE in construction. The actor collaboration in the circular building ecosystem has been shifted to more collaborative and multi-dimensional (i.e., top-down, bottom-up, and horizontal). We also map the actor networks using CE principles and explain the importance of addressing incentives for stronger actor collaborations. Finally, this paper provides policy and managerial implications to reinforce collaboration dynamics and CE practices in the built environment.publishedVersio
Inspection of hydrogen transport equipment: A data-driven approach to predict fatigue degradation
Get PDFHydrogen is an environmentally friendly fuel that can facilitate the upcoming energy transition. The development of an extensive infrastructure for hydrogen transport and storage is crucial. However, the mechanical properties of structural materials are significantly degraded in H2 environments, leading to early component failures. Pipelines are designed following defect-tolerant principles and are subjected to periodic pressure fluctuations. Hence, these systems are potentially prone to fatigue degradation, often accelerated in pressurized hydrogen gas. Inspection and maintenance activities are crucial to guarantee the integrity and fitness for service of this infrastructure. This study predicts the severity of hydrogen-enhanced fatigue in low-alloy steels commonly employed for H2 transport and storage equipment. Three machine-learning algorithms, i.e., Linear Model, Deep Neural Network, and Random Forest, are used to categorize the severity of the fatigue degradation. The models are critically compared, and the best-performing algorithm is trained to predict the Fatigue Acceleration Factor. This approach shows good prediction capability and can estimate the fatigue crack propagation in low-alloy steels. These results allow for estimating the probability of failure of hydrogen pipelines, thus facilitating the inspection and maintenance planning.publishedVersio
Fatigue assessment of suspended inter-array power cables for floating offshore wind turbines
Get PDFThe present paper aims to investigate the fatigue behavior of suspended inter-array power cables connecting two floating offshore wind turbines (FOWTs). Two spar FOWTs interconnected with a dynamic power cable are chosen as the base configuration for the present investigation. The base configuration is modeled in the dynamic analysis software OrcaFlex. The relationship between the axial tensions and curvatures of the power cable and its stresses is obtained by cross-section analysis in UFLEX (special purpose Finite Element program for nonlinear stress analysis of complex umbilical and cable cross-sections). Several different environmental conditions and load directions are applied. A fatigue life of 85 years is determined for the base configuration, with curvature-induced stresses being identified as the main contributor to the fatigue damage. Effects of marine growth on the fatigue life of the power cable are investigated. It is observed that marine growth negatively affects the fatigue life of the power cable. A parametric study on the effect of the number of buoys attached to the cable on the fatigue life is performed. Decreasing the number of buoys below the optimal value leads to an increase in fatigue life due to lower curvatures. In addition to the base configuration, an alternative configuration using semi-submersible floaters is investigated under the same metocean conditions and cable geometry. The power cable fatigue life is higher for semi-submersible floaters compared to the spar floaters. The present findings reveal that the main reason is the reduced number of large amplitude curvature cycles. The critical component prone to fatigue failure for all evaluated cases is the armor layer, and the largest fatigue damage always occurs at buoy-cable connection points. The critical direction of environmental load resulting in the highest fatigue damage is found to be the load case where waves, wind and current approach the suspended cable in a crossflow direction.publishedVersio
Hydrogen sampling systems adapted to heavy-duty refuelling stations' current and future specifications – A review
Get PDFTo meet the new regulation for the deployment of alternative fuels infrastructure which sets targets for electric recharging and hydrogen refuelling infrastructure by 2025 or 2030, a large infrastructure comprising truck-suitable hydrogen refuelling stations will soon be required. However, further standardisation is required to support the uptake of hydrogen for heavy-duty transport for Europe’s green energy future. Hydrogen-powered vehicles require pure hydrogen as some contaminants can reduce the performance of the fuel cell even at very low levels. Even if previous projects have paved the way for the development of the European quality infrastructure for hydrogen conformity assessment, sampling systems and methods have yet to be developed for heavy-duty hydrogen refuelling stations (HD-HRS). This study reviews different aspects of the sampling of hydrogen at heavy-duty hydrogen refuelling stations for purity assessment, with a focus on the current and future specifications and operations at HD-HRS. This study describes the state-of-the art of sampling systems currently under development for use at HD-HRS and highlights a number of aspects which must be taken into consideration to ensure safe and accurate sampling: risk assessment for the whole sampling exercise, selection of cylinders, methods to prepare cylinders before the sampling, filling pressure, and venting of the sampling systems.publishedVersio
Visual Modeling Languages in Patient Pathways: Scoping Review
Get PDFBackground: Patient pathways (PPs) are presented as a panacea solution to enhance health system functions. It is a complex concept that needs to be described and communicated well. Modeling plays a crucial role in promoting communication, fostering a shared understanding, and streamlining processes. Only a few existing systematic reviews have focused on modeling methods and standardized modeling languages. There remains a gap in consolidated knowledge regarding the use of diverse visual modeling languages.
Objective: This scoping review aimed to compile visual modeling languages used to represent PPs, including the justifications and the context in which a modeling language was adopted, adapted, combined, or developed.
Methods: After initial experimentation with the keywords used to describe the concepts of PPs and visual modeling languages, we developed a search strategy that was further refined and customized to the major databases identified as topically relevant. In addition, we consulted gray literature and conducted hand searches of the referenced articles. Two reviewers independently screened the articles in 2 stages using preset inclusion criteria, and a third reviewer voted on the discordance. Data charting was done using an iteratively developed form in the Covidence software. Descriptive and thematic summaries were presented following rounds of discussion to produce the final report.
Results: Of 1838 articles retrieved after deduplication, 22 satisfied our inclusion criteria. Clinical pathway is the most used phrase to represent the PP concept, and most papers discussed the concept without providing their operational definition. We categorized the visual modeling languages into five categories: (1) general purpose–modeling language (GPML) adopted without major extension or modification, (2) GPML used with formal extension recommendations, (3) combination of 2 or more modeling languages, (4) a developed domain specific modeling language (DSML), and (5) ontological modeling languages. The justifications for adopting, adapting, combining, and developing visual modeling languages varied accordingly and ranged from versatility, expressiveness, tool support, and extensibility of a language to domain needs, integration, and simplification.
Conclusions: Various visual modeling languages were used in PP modeling, each with varying levels of abstraction and granularity. The categorization we made could aid in a better understanding of the complex combination of PP and modeling languages. Standardized GPMLs were used with or without any modifications. The rationale to propose any modification to GPMLs evolved as more evidence was presented following requirement analyses to support domain constructs. DSMLs are infrequently used due to their resource-intensive development, often initiated at a project level. The justifications provided and the context where DSMLs were created are paramount. Future studies should assess the merits and demerits of using a visual modeling language to facilitate PP communications among stakeholders and use evaluation frameworks to identify, modify, or develop them, depending on the scope and goal of the modeling need.publishedVersio
A novel practical approach to cool down time thermal analyses in the oil and gas field
Get PDFThis paper introduces an innovative 'iterative-FEA' (iFEA) approach aimed at maintaining the accuracy of subsea production system (SPS) cool-down simulations, typical for CFD, while significantly reducing computation time to a level akin to FEA modeling. To assess this method's effectiveness, flow system test cases were modeled using both CFD and iFEA methods. The models were validated applying a full-scale experimental rig, incorporating a dummy SPS section immersed in a water container and equipped with a comprehensive data measurement and acquisition system. The rig simulated the system's operation and underwent experimental testing using three distinct working fluids: water, air, and diesel oil. A very good agreement can be observed when comparing the computational results with the experiments. The maximum error for CFD is 2.52°C, whereas for iFEA it is 2.7°C. The average simulation time for the iFEA models was over 10 times shorter than that of the full CFD simulation, despite the substantially lower computational power of the cluster. This achievement represents a breakthrough in industrial SPS thermal simulations.publishedVersio
Prospective LCA of brown seaweed-based bioplastic: Upscaling from pilot to industrial scale
Get PDFSeaweed-based bioplastics are considered a possible alternative to conventional fossil-based plastics due to their potential environmental advantages. The cultivation of seaweed is a fast-growing practice that requires no arable land, freshwater, or fertilizers, perceiving it as an advantageous option for bioresource production. However, research on the environmental impacts of seaweed-based bioplastics is still limited, highlighting the need for a life cycle assessment (LCA) to evaluate their potential. In this article, a prospective LCA is conducted to assess the environmental impacts of brown seaweed-based bioplastic production, from pilot to industrial scale. Upscaling techniques are combined for each life-cycle stage, using interviews to upscale seaweed production and process simulation for the biorefinery and film fabrication steps, and the end-of-life scenario is modelled as composting. All the processes were upscaled to 4000 tonnes (t) per year in 2030 and 2 million tonnes (Mt) per year in 2035, including marginal suppliers of brown seaweed. The results show that the production of 1 kg of brown seaweed-based bioplastic resulted in approximately 1.37 kg CO2-eq. in the best-performing scenario, producing 2 Mt per year in 2035 accounting for the carbon uptake, which is lower than low-density polyethylene (LDPE) with an impact of 3.6 kg CO2-eq. The impact in marine eutrophication in the 2 Mt scenario is −0.009 kg N-eq., and −0.002 kg P-eq. in freshwater eutrophication. This study provides for the first time estimates of prospective industrial-scale impacts of the emerging seaweed-based bioplastic and shows how different upscaling techniques can be successfully combined, i.e., interviews and process simulation, to conduct a prospective LCA of seaweed-based bioplastics. The results demonstrate the potential of seaweed-based bioplastics as a sustainable alternative to conventional plastics.publishedVersio
Recent Developments in Recirculating Aquaculture Systems: A Review
Get PDFThis article presents the recent advancements in recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS). The review explores new developments and potential future breakthroughs in RAS systems across leading countries. It highlights technical and technological advancement in plant management aimed at improving water quality, production efficiency, and animal welfare. A significant aspect of recent progress is the integration of artificial intelligence (AI), which is being used to optimize system performance, enhance monitoring, and support more precise and predictive management strategies. The review also addresses advancements in pathogen control and the prevention of disease outbreaks. Specific case studies of cutting-edge RAS systems from different parts of the world are discussed. The review also investigates how the improvements in RAS technology can help mitigate environmental impact. Finally, the paper focuses on advancements in the production of six fish species farmed in Europe, namely Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar), European seabass (Dicentrarchus labrax), gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata), yellowtail kingfish (Seriola lalandi), arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus), and rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). This review is part of the ERA-NET BlueBio cofound-funded project titled “Optimizing land-based fish production in next generation digital recirculating aquaculture systems,” which is focusing on the above-mentioned fish species.publishedVersio
Lipid droplet distribution in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) oocytes is related to the fertilisation and developmental outcome
Get PDFAt present, there is no simple and practical applicable method to determine the quality of Atlantic salmon oocytes upon collection at the fish farm. Investigating oocyte lipid droplet patterns might be a tool for the aquaculture industry to predict oocyte quality in Atlantic salmon. While examining the lipid distribution in oocyte batches from 16 females of Atlantic salmon with a range in fertilisation rate (6–97 %), five categories of lipid droplet patterns were distinguished. In category 1, the lipid droplets were evenly distributed whereas in the remaining categories lipid droplets showed varying degree of coalescence. Categories 2, 3, 4 and 5 were distinguished based on the area of coalesced lipid droplets. The fertilisation rate was observed to be high (≥ 90 %), in females that had more oocytes from category 1, 2 and 3 whereas females with more oocytes from category 4 and 5 showed a low fertilisation rate (<90 %). A similar pattern was revealed between lipid droplet categories and eyed embryo and hatching success. Staining of salmon oocytes further confirmed the observed lipid droplet patterns, and different sizes of lipid droplets were present in almost all oocytes. The study revealed a significant association between lipid droplet category and fertilisation outcome in oocytes of Atlantic salmon that can be a practical tool for predicting oocyte quality.publishedVersio