{"title":"Visualizing unleashed latent heat of liquid metal for soft intelligence","authors":"Jianbo Tang, Bo Yuan, Hongzhang Wang, Jing Liu","doi":"10.1007/s11708-024-0951-7","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11708-024-0951-7","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":570,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Energy","volume":"18 5","pages":"545 - 549"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2024-07-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141648440","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Improved cyclic stability of LiNi0.8Mn0.1Co0.1O2 cathode enabled by a novel CEI forming additive","authors":"Zulipiya Shadike, Yiming Chen, Lin Liu, Xinyin Cai, Shuiyun Shen, Junliang Zhang","doi":"10.1007/s11708-024-0953-5","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11708-024-0953-5","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The undesired side reactions at electrode/electrolyte interface as well as the irreversible phase evolution during electrochemical cycling significantly affect the cyclic performances of nickel-rich NMCs electrode materials. Electrolyte optimization is an effective approach to suppress such an adverse side reaction, thereby enhancing the electrochemical properties. Herein, a novel boron-based film forming additive, tris(2,2,2-trifluoroethyl) borate (TTFEB), has been introduced to regulate the interphasial chemistry of LiNi<sub>0.8</sub>Mn<sub>0.1</sub>Co<sub>0.1</sub>O<sub>2</sub> (NMC811) cathode to improve its long-term cyclability and rate properties. The results of multi-model diagnostic study reveal that formation lithium fluoride (LiF)-rich and boron (B) containing cathode electrolyte interphase (CEI) not only stabilizes cathode surface, but also prevents electrolyte decomposition. Moreover, homogenously distributed B containing species serves as a skeleton to form more uniform and denser CEI, reducing the interphasial resistance. Remarkably, the Li/NMC811 cell with the TTFEB additive delivers an exceptional cycling stability with a high-capacity retention of 72.8% after 350 electrochemical cycles at a 1 C current rate, which is significantly higher than that of the cell cycled in the conventional electrolyte (59.7%). These findings provide a feasible pathway for improving the electrochemical performance of Ni-rich NMCs cathode by regulating the interphasial chemistry.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":570,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Energy","volume":"18 4","pages":"535 - 544"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2024-07-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141745961","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"A review on plasmonic enhancement of activity and selectivity in electrocatalytic CO2 reduction","authors":"Jing Xue, Zhenlin Chen, Yuchao Zhang, Jincai Zhao","doi":"10.1007/s11708-024-0950-8","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11708-024-0950-8","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Utilizing plasmonic effects to assist electrochemical reactions exhibits a huge potential in tuning the reaction activities and product selectivity, which is most appealing especially in chemical reactions with multiple products, such as CO<sub>2</sub> reduction reaction (CO<sub>2</sub>RR). However, a comprehensive review of the development and the underlying mechanisms in plasmon-assisted electrocatalytic CO2RR remains few and far between. Herein, the fundamentals of localized surface plasmonic resonance (LSPR) excitation and the properties of typical plasmonic metals (including Au, Ag, and Cu) are retrospected. Subsequently, the potential mechanisms of plasmonic effects (such as hot carrier effects and photothermal effects) on the reaction performance in the field of plasmon-assisted electrocatalytic CO<sub>2</sub>RR are summarized, which provides directions for the future development of this field. It is concluded that plasmonic catalysts exhibit potential capabilities in enhancing CO<sub>2</sub>RR while more <i>in situ</i> techniques are essential to further clarify the inner mechanisms.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":570,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Energy","volume":"18 4","pages":"399 - 417"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2024-07-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141835590","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Juntian Niu, Shengzhuo Chen, Xianrong Zheng, Haiyu Liu, Yan Jin, Jingyu Ran
{"title":"Impact of Ni particle size on CO2 activation and CO formation during reforming process: A density functional theory study","authors":"Juntian Niu, Shengzhuo Chen, Xianrong Zheng, Haiyu Liu, Yan Jin, Jingyu Ran","doi":"10.1007/s11708-024-0952-6","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11708-024-0952-6","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>In recent years, the dry reforming of methane (DRM) reaction has gained widespread attention due to its effective utilization of two major greenhouse gases. Supported Ni-based catalysts for DRM exhibit a strong dependence on particle size, however, the reaction mechanisms involved remain unclear. In this work, the effect of metal particle size on CO<sub>2</sub> activation and CO formation was explored in the DRM reaction using the density functional theory. Ni<i>x</i>/MgO (<i>x</i> = 13, 25, 37) was constructed to investigate the CO<sub>2</sub> activation and the formation of CO during the DRM reaction. It is found that CO<sub>2</sub> is more inclined to undergo chemisorption on Ni<i>x</i>/MgO before activation. With the variation in particle size, the main activation pathway of CO<sub>2</sub> on the catalyst changes. On the smallest Ni13/MgO, CO<sub>2</sub> tends to directly dissociate, while on the larger Ni25/MgO and Ni37/MgO, the hydrogenation dissociation of CO<sub>2</sub> is more kinetically favorable. Compared to Ni13/MgO and Ni37/MgO, the oxidation of surface C atoms and the oxidation of CH occur more readily on Ni25/MgO. This indicates that C atoms are less likely to form on Ni25 particle and are more easily to be oxidized. To some extent, the results suggest that Ni25/MgO exhibits superior resistance to carbon formation.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":570,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Energy","volume":"18 4","pages":"525 - 534"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2024-06-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141586159","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Plasma-assisted ammonia synthesis under mild conditions for hydrogen and electricity storage: Mechanisms, pathways, and application prospects","authors":"Feng Gong, Yuhang Jing, Rui Xiao","doi":"10.1007/s11708-024-0949-1","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11708-024-0949-1","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Ammonia, with its high hydrogen storage density of 17.7 wt.% (mass fraction), cleanliness, efficiency, and renewability, presents itself as a promising zero-carbon fuel. However, the traditional Haber–Bosch (H–B) process for ammonia synthesis necessitates high temperature and pressure, resulting in over 420 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually, and relies on fossil fuel consumption. In contrast, dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma-assisted ammonia synthesis operates at low temperatures and atmospheric pressures, utilizing nitrogen and hydrogen radicals excited by energetic electrons, offering a potential alternative to the H-B process. This method can be effectively coupled with renewable energy sources (such as solar and wind) for environmentally friendly, distributed, and efficient ammonia production. This review delves into a comprehensive analysis of the low-temperature DBD plasma-assisted ammonia synthesis technology at atmospheric pressure, covering the reaction pathway, mechanism, and catalyst system involved in plasma nitrogen fixation. Drawing from current research, it evaluates the economic feasibility of the DBD plasmaassisted ammonia synthesis technology, analyzes existing dilemmas and challenges, and provides insights and recommendations for the future of nonthermal plasma ammonia processes.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":570,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Energy","volume":"18 4","pages":"418 - 435"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2024-06-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141506179","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Pyrochlore La2Zr2–xNixO7 anodes for direct ammonia solid oxide fuel cells","authors":"Shiqing Yang, Yijie Gao, Xinmin Wang, Fulan Zhong, Huihuang Fang, Yu Luo, Lilong Jiang","doi":"10.1007/s11708-024-0948-2","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11708-024-0948-2","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Developing efficient anode catalysts for direct ammonia solid oxide fuel cells (NH<sub>3</sub>-SOFCs) under intermediate-temperatures is of great importance, in support of hydrogen economy via ammonia utilization. In the present work, the pyrochlore-type La<sub>2</sub>Zr<sub>2−<i>x</i></sub>Ni<sub><i>x</i></sub>O<sub>7+<i>δ</i></sub> (LZN<sub><i>x</i></sub>, <i>x</i> = 0, 0.02, 0.05, 0.08, 0.10) oxides were synthesized as potential anode catalysts of NH<sub>3</sub>-SOFCs due to the abundant Frankel defect that contributes to the good conductivity and oxygen ion mobility capacity. The effects of different content of Ni<sup>2+</sup> doping on the crystal structure, surface morphology, thermal matching with YSZ (Yttria-stabilized zirconia), conductivity, and electrochemical performance of pyrochlore oxides were examined using different characterization techniques. The findings indicate that the LZN<sub><i>x</i></sub> oxide behaves as an n-type semiconductor and exhibits an excellent high-temperature chemical compatibility and thermal matching with the YSZ electrolyte. Furthermore, LZN<sub>0.05</sub> exhibits the smallest conductive band potential and bandgap, making it have a higher power density as anode material for NH<sub>3</sub>-SOFCs compared to other anodes. As a result, the maximum power density of the LZN<sub>0.05</sub>-40YSZ composite anode reaches 100.86 mW/cm<sup>2</sup> at 800 °C, which is 1.8 times greater than that of NiO-based NH<sub>3</sub>-SOFCs (56.75 mW/cm<sup>2</sup>) under identical flow rate and temperature conditions. The extended durability indicates that the NH<sub>3</sub>-SOFCs utilizing the LZN<sub>0.05</sub>-40YSZ composite anode exhibits a negligible voltage degradation following uninterrupted operation at 800 °C for 100 h.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":570,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Energy","volume":"18 5","pages":"699 - 711"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2024-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141254358","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Geofrey Mugerwa, Tamer F. Megahed, Maha Elsabrouty, Sobhy M. Abdelkader
{"title":"Data-driven consumer-phase identification in low-voltage distribution networks considering prosumers","authors":"Geofrey Mugerwa, Tamer F. Megahed, Maha Elsabrouty, Sobhy M. Abdelkader","doi":"10.1007/s11708-024-0946-4","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11708-024-0946-4","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Knowing the correct phase connectivity information plays a significant role in maintaining high-quality power and reliable electricity supply to end-consumers. However, managing the consumer-phase connectivity of a low-voltage distribution network is often costly, prone to human errors, and time-intensive, as it involves either installing expensive high-precision devices or employing field-based methods. Besides, the ever-increasing electricity demand and the proliferation of behind-the-meter resources have also increased the complexity of leveraging the phase connectivity problem. To overcome the above challenges, this paper develops a data-driven model to identify the phase connectivity of end-consumers using advanced metering infrastructure voltage and current measurements. Initially, a preprocessing method that employs linear interpolation and singular value decomposition is adopted to improve the quality of the smart meter data. Then, using Kirchoff’s current law and correlation analysis, a discrete convolution optimization model is built to uniquely identify the phase to which each end-consumer is connected. The data sets utilized are obtained by performing power flow simulations on a modified IEEE-906 test system using OpenDSS software. The robustness of the model is tested against data set size, missing smart meter data, measurement errors, and the influence of prosumers. The results show that the method proposed correctly identifies the phase connections of end-consumers with an accuracy of about 98%.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":570,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Energy","volume":"18 6","pages":"827 - 840"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2024-05-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140936179","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Reverse electrodialysis heat engine with helium-gap diffusion distillation: Energy efficiency analysis","authors":"Junyong Hu, Yukun Sun, Yali Hu, Haiyu Liu, Jiajie Zhang, Suxia Ma, Jiaxin Huang, Xueyi Tan, Ling Zhao","doi":"10.1007/s11708-024-0947-3","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11708-024-0947-3","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The depletion of energy resources poses a significant threat to the development of human society. Specifically, a considerable amount of low-grade heat (LGH), typically below 100 °C, is currently being wasted. However, efficient utilization of this LGH can relieve energy shortages and reduce carbon dioxide emissions. To address this challenge, reverse electrodialysis heat engine (REDHE) which can efficiently convert LGH into electricity has emerged as a promising technology in recent years. Extensive efforts have been dedicated to exploring more suitable thermal distillation technologies for enhancing the performance of REDHE. This paper introduces a novel REDHE that incorporates helium-gap diffusion distillation (HGDD) as the thermal separation (TS) unit. The HGDD device is highly compact and efficient, operating at a normal atmospheric pressure, which aligns with the operational conditions of the reverse electrodialysis (RED) unit. A validated mathematical model is employed to analyze the impacts of various operating and structural parameters on the REDHE performance. The results indicate that maintaining a moderate molality of the cold stream, elevating the inlet temperatures of hot and cold streams, lengthening hot- and cold-stream channels, and minimizing the thickness of helium gaps contribute to improving the REDHE performance. Especially, a maximum energy conversion efficiency of 2.96% is achieved by the REDHE when decreasing the thickness of helium gaps to 3 mm and increasing the length of stream channels to 5 m.</p>","PeriodicalId":570,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Energy","volume":"89 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2024-04-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140838083","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Scientometric analysis of research trends on solid oxide electrolysis cells for green hydrogen and syngas production","authors":"Shimeng Kang, Zehua Pan, Jinjie Guo, Yexin Zhou, Jingyi Wang, Liangdong Fan, Chunhua Zheng, Suk Won Cha, Zheng Zhong","doi":"10.1007/s11708-024-0945-5","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11708-024-0945-5","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Solid oxide electrolysis cell (SOEC) is a promising water electrolysis technology that produces hydrogen or syngas through water electrolysis or water and carbon dioxide co-electrolysis. Green hydrogen or syngas can be produced by SOEC with renewable energy. Thus, SOEC has attracted continuous attention in recent years for the urgency of developing environmentally friendly energy sources and achieving carbon neutrality. Focusing on 1276 related articles retrieved from the Web of Science (WoS) database, the historical development of SOECs are depicted from 1983 to 2023 in this paper. The co-occurrence networks of the countries, source journals, and author keywords are generated. Moreover, three main clusters showing different content of the SOEC research are identified and analyzed. Furthermore, the scientometric analysis and the content of the high-cited articles of the research of different topics of SOECs: fuel electrode, air electrode, electrolyte, co-electrolysis, proton-conducting SOECs, and the modeling of SOECs are also presented. The results show that co-electrolysis and proton-conducting SOECs are two popular directions in the study of SOECs. This paper provides a straightforward reference for researchers interested in the field of SOEC research, helping them navigate the landscape of this area of study, locate potential partners, secure funding, discover influential scholars, identify leading countries, and access key research publications.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":570,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Energy","volume":"18 5","pages":"583 - 611"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2024-04-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140885736","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Special issue on electrochemical conversion and utilization of hydrogen energy","authors":"Yun Zheng, Bo Yu, Xiaogang Fu, Jiujun Zhang","doi":"10.1007/s11708-024-0944-6","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11708-024-0944-6","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":570,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Energy","volume":"18 3","pages":"263 - 264"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2024-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140699953","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}