Conventional propane dehydrogenation faces high carbon emissions and energy intensity, creating an urgent need for sustainable alternatives. This study develops a solar-driven poly-generation system integrating spectral-splitting photovoltaic-thermal collectors with a bromine-mediated oxidative dehydrogenation cycle for co-producing propylene, hydrogen, and heat. The optimal left spectral cutoff wavelength is identified to minimize the levelized cost of propylene, followed by exergo-economic cost allocation. The optimal levelized cost reaches 427 & euro;/ton at a cutoff wavelength of 440 nm, representing 152 & euro;/ton lower than that of the commercial process. The system achieves an annual primary energy saving rate of 16.60% while eliminating operational carbon emissions. Thermo-economic analysis shows that hydrogen and propylene costs exceed 36 & euro;/MWh, while hot water cost remains below 18 & euro;/MWh, reflecting allocation based on energy quality. Sensitivity analysis identifies propane price, and system lifetime as key economic drivers. The system maintains competitiveness across a wide range of conditions, offering a promising pathway toward sustainable and cost-effective propylene production.

Migrating to low-carbon poly-generation systems is vital for achieving sustainable energy objectives. The coupling of solar resources, hydrogen fuel cells, and combined cooling, heating, and power configurations presents a promising solution. However, a holistic framework for analyzing these systems from an integrated thermodynamic, economic, and environmental perspective remains underdeveloped. Addressing this need, this study investigates a solar-assisted solid oxide fuel cell-combined cooling, heating, and power system and proposes an integrated evaluation framework. This framework merges conventional and advanced exergy, exergoeconomic, and exergo-carbon footprint assessments. Through a two-dimensional decomposition techniqueutilizing avoidable/unavoidable and endogenous/exogenous splitting-this approach quantifies the actual improvement potential for exergy destruction, costs, and carbon emissions by disentangling specific component weaknesses from system-wide interaction effects. The results indicate that the system exhibits a total avoidable exergy destruction of 0.331 MW (accounting for 14.28%), an avoidable exergoeconomic cost rate of 58.90 $/h, and an avoidable exergo-carbon footprint rate of 188.93 kg CO2-eq/h. By isolating significant endogenous avoidable shares, the absorption refrigeration system, solid oxide fuel cell, and afterburner are distinguished as critical candidates for retrofit through the advance analysis, effectively mitigating the selection biases common to conventional methods. Ultimately, this work establishes a powerful tool for the rigorous and rational appraisal of complex renewable energy architectures.

This study introduces a multi-energy regional integrated energy systems (RIES) model incorporating power-togas (P2G) to satisfy diverse user demands, alongside a carbon capture unit and a tiered carbon trading mechanism to enhance economic and low-carbon performance. The carbon capture unit is engineered to absorb CO2 from fossil-based sources and collaborates with P2G to balance carbon utilization and scheduling flexibility. The scheduling challenge is framed as a Markov decision process and addressed using the twin delayed deep deterministic policy gradient algorithm, facilitating adaptive and cost-effective control. The results indicate that integrating P2G technology enables the RIES to manage energy conversion more flexibly. Additionally, the introduction of carbon capture technology significantly reduced P2G equipment utilization rates, impacting system scheduling. Implementing a tiered carbon trading mechanism decreased carbon emissions by 28.7% and operational costs by 10.4%. These findings demonstrate that the tiered carbon trading mechanism promotes the system's shift to lower-carbon operations.

Integrating solar energy into conventional energy systems for multiple products generation holds significant potential for enhancing local renewable energy penetration. This study establishes a solar full-spectrum assisted poly-generation system that innovatively integrates parabolic trough-photovoltaic/thermal (PT-PV/T) collectors for electricity and syngas production with electrical and thermal energy storages (ES/TES). A multi-objective optimization framework, considering year-specific equipment updates over a 20-year lifespan, is developed to minimize loss of power supply probability (LPSP) and specific exergo-environmental cost (SPEC) while maximizing solar power share (SPS), followed by a regional adaptability analysis across four Chinese climate zones. Key results reveal that the optimal PV/T capacity increases steeply from 1.98 MW to 11.99 MW over the project life. The strategic role of the ES is critical for reliability in later years, with its optimal capacity rising to 1.84 MWh to 1.92 MWh, whereas the contribution of the TES remains below 5 %. The optimized system achieves a minimum SPEC of $0.14/kWh, a maximum SPS of 20.69 %, and LPSP as low as 2.06 % in later operational years. Comparative analysis shows that omitting the thermochemical process increases LPSP above 83 % and eliminates ES, while ignoring carbon penalty costs raises SPEC by up to $0.15/kWh. This study provides novel insights and quantitative benchmarks for integrating full-spectrum solar utilization with hybrid energy storage, offering a pathway toward climate-resilient and efficient energy systems.

A comprehensive and in-depth analysis of energy systems from multiple perspectives is essential for improving system performance. Therefore, based on advanced exergy analysis, this research proposes a novel advanced eco-exergy analysis framework that integrates ecological sustainability and economic performance into a unified evaluation system. The framework is applied to a biomass- and natural gas–driven combined cooling, heating, and power system and is evaluated from four perspectives: exergy, advanced exergy, eco-exergy, and advanced eco-exergy. The exergy analysis reveals that the gasifier exhibits the highest exergy destruction, at 0.696 MW, accounting for 30.366% of the total exergy destruction. The advanced exergy analysis shows that 24.782% of the exergy destruction is avoidable, while 93.717% is endogenous. The eco-exergy analysis indicates that the high-pressure generator and the pump exert the greatest ecological impacts, with eco-exergy destruction values of 6.376E+17 and 5.971E+17 Sej/year, respectively. The advanced eco-exergy analysis further shows that 15.408% of eco-exergy destruction is avoidable, whereas 94.878% is endogenous, indicating significant potential for improvement in both economic and ecological sustainability of the system. Overall, this study provides an in-depth understanding of how key components influence ecological sustainability and offers a novel perspective for the evaluation and optimization of energy systems.

The emergence of consumer-owned wind and solar power generation has the potential to transform incumbent utilities' business. It could become a 'black swan', an unprecedented and high-risk event. Incumbent firms seldom survive black swans, but incumbent utilities appear to have done so. This paper investigates how incumbent firms overcome black swans. To include unexpectedness and unpredictability in the study, the theoretical framework combines the black swan approach with the unowned process approach. A typology of firms' perceptions on changes is presented. Case studies from four EU countries, and three incumbent utilities from each country are presented. Changes are analysed at macro level. Consumer-ownership created a black swan event in two of the countries studied. However, they came about at different times, and through different processes and actors. Moreover, all the impacted incumbents overcome them. Industry specific factors, coincident and unexpected outcomes of multiple interlinked change processes contributed to that. [GRAPHICS]

A novel multi-modal sensitivity analysis framework is proposed for electrochemical models of lithium-ion battery, integrating time-domain constant-current discharge data with linear and second-order nonlinear impedance spectroscopy data to improve battery model parameter identifiability. By analyzing 26 parameters of a commercial NMC 811 cell (NMC/graphite), we demonstrate that frequency-domain analysis, particularly through the first-ever implementation of second-order nonlinear electrochemical impedance spectroscopy in battery parameter studies, significantly enhances sensitivity quantification capabilities. The framework extends the Doyle-Fuller-Newman pseudo-two-dimensional model deriving frequency-dependent governing equations via Maclaurin/Fourier expansions, which are validated with impedance spectroscopy. Parameter ranges were constrained by experimental calibration, rather than arbitrary intervals, to prevent misleading sensitivity conclusions. The results show that while time-domain methods captured only capacity-related parameters, the frequency-domain approaches improved the identifiability of 14 critical parameters, such as solid-phase diffusion coefficients, double-layer capacitances, and reaction rate constants. Moreover, low-sensitivity parameters such as electrode area and Bruggeman coefficients achieve measurable sensitivity through the nonlinear impedance analysis. The proposed methodology not only quantifies parameter sensitivity but also provides a guideline for developing advanced, multi-modal parameter identification frameworks. Non-linear impedance method is used to assess parameter sensitivity of electrochemical model of Li-ion battery.Using a nominal parameter set more consistent with experimental data ensures a more reliable sensitivity analysis.Integrating time-domain and two frequency-domain models overcomes the limitations of single-modal method.

This study systematically investigated flow boiling characteristics within a novel three-layer microchannel heat sink with 3/4 open-ring pin fin arrays, designed for high-heat-flux thermal management of low-carbon metallurgical reactors. Two-phase flow regimes, pressure drop, and wall temperature responses were analyzed. To evaluate the impact of functional surface material properties on thermo-hydraulic behavior, a hydrophilic nano-coating modification was applied to the inner copper channel walls for comparison. Increasing the flow rate triggered a transition from a vapor-dominated confined slug flow to a liquid-dominated dispersed bubble flow, which effectively improved the thermo-hydraulic stability. Hydrophilic surface modification resulted in an average pressure drop reduction of 33% and significantly diminished the sensitivity of flow resistance to velocity variations. Through hydrophilic treatment, the localized vapor film effect at high velocities was suppressed, and temperature field homogenization was promoted, yielding a maximum convective heat transfer coefficient of 7760 W/(m2·°C), i.e., 72.9% enhancement over the baseline heat sink. The underlying mechanism is attributed to the formation of a stable near-wall thin liquid film and the promotion of high-frequency nucleate boiling. These results will be of high relevance for developing efficient cooling solutions for power electronics, thereby supporting the advancement of low-carbon metallurgical reactors.

In large-aperture parabolic trough solar power plants, improving the efficiency of heat collection elements remains a critical research challenge. This study proposes an integrated system consisting of a novel vacuum absorber tube combined with a flat secondary reflector, configured within a three-stage heating structure to form a single-loop parabolic trough solar collector system. The system includes three sequentially arranged absorber sections with diameters decreasing from 90 mm to 80 mm and finally to 70 mm, coupled with an 8 m-wide aperture concentrator. Under direct normal irradiance levels ranging from 400 to 1000 W/m2, the system achieves an optical efficiency of 79.3 % and a thermal efficiency between 62.9 % and 72.8 %. The total loop length is 1314.5 m, representing a reduction of 71.5 m (5.2 %) compared to a conventional system using an optimal 90 mm absorber tube. Furthermore, the optical and thermal efficiencies are improved by 3.1 % and 4.0 %, respectively. Additionally, the system enables the heat transfer fluid to reach an outlet temperature exceeding 560 degrees C, significantly enhancing its applicability in high-efficiency power cycles. These results demonstrate the potential of the proposed multi-stage variable-diameter design to simultaneously enhance optical performance, thermal output, and economic feasibility in next-generation concentrated solar power applications.

The conventional oxidative dehydrogenation of propane suffers from high energy consumption, a challenge that can be mitigated by renewable energy integration. This study proposes a solar-driven propylene production system using bromine-mediated oxidative dehydrogenation. The system integrates parabolic trough collectors and photovoltaic modules into a gas turbine-based combined cooling, heating, and power system, along with thermal energy storage to address solar intermittency and enable coordinated electricity-heat operational strategies. A comparative analysis is conducted between following electric (FEL) and following thermal (FTL) modes within a multi-criteria optimization framework. Results show that FEL achieves maximum energy savings (18.1%) and environmental savings (18.0%) at 90 MW solar capacity. For carbon reduction, FEL outperforms FTL by 30% to 45.4%; for economic performance, FTL reduces production costs by an additional 0.3% to 0.4%. The proposed system offers a feasible pathway for low-carbon chemical production.

Integrating renewable resources into district energy systems enhances energy utilization and sustainability. This study investigates the operational optimization and exergy-economic performance of an isolated zero-carbon trigeneration system that integrates solar full-spectrum, wind, and biogas resources with heterogeneous electricity and hydrogen storage. A demand-response-enabled dispatch framework is developed to coordinate realtime renewable generation, storage operation, and flexible demand profiles, and an exergy-based cost allocation method is applied to evaluate the pricing of multiple energy products considering their energy quality. A case study demonstrates that incorporating demand response reduces total daily operating costs by 9.3% (from $1046.1 to $948.9), primarily due to lower biogas and maintenance expenditures. When energy-level-based cost allocation is applied, heat costs drop by over 90% (e.g., from $0.0514/kWh to $0.0034/kWh), while electricity costs increase, reflecting the 'higher quality, higher price' principle of exergy-based costing. Sensitivity analysis shows that rising biogas and maintenance costs disproportionately affect electricity prices, which increase by up to 77.3%, compared to 48.3% for heat and 12.4% for gas. The system achieves a 92.8% to 93.4% reduction in heat costs under energy-level considerations, highlighting the critical role of demand-side management in mitigating cost volatility and enhancing renewable integration for sustainable urban energy systems.

Superionic conductors with an exceptionally high ionic conductivity are placed central in the development of next-generation energy conversion and storage technologies, yet their designing approach and materials remain a persistent challenge. Here, we report an alternative cation-ordered Ce-Al (1:1) fluorite oxide (ACO) that stabilizes a periodic oxygen vacancy (Ov) network to build the required architecture. The resulting lattice-engineered configuration creates a uniform and flattened potential energy landscape with significantly reduced activation energy, capable of a superionic conductivity of 0.216 S cm-1 and a fuel cell power density of 1086 mW cm-2 at 500 degrees C. Unlike conventional random ion hopping in doped oxides, the vacancy-ordered framework supports coherent, phonon-assisted and wave-like ions motion enabling dielectric-enhanced superionic conduction. These findings introduce a new family of superionic conductors, where lattice-level ordering of both cations and Ovs offers a scalable design strategy for high-performance efficient electrochemical systems.

This article presents a conceptual design for a linear solar concentrator that incorporates a stationary reflector with an asymmetric parabolic shape and an independently movable receiver. This novel design aims at reducing the number of mobile components and tracking complexity and simultaneously enhancing the land use ratio, compared to conventional linear concentrators, such as parabolic troughs and linear Fresnels. To validate the suitability of the new optics for various geographical locations and seasonal periods, a mathematical model is developed to investigate the distribution characteristics of the deviation angle. The impact of the deviation angle on solar concentrating performance is then analyzed by using Monte Carlo ray tracing simulation. The results demonstrate that the concentrated spot is minimized when the concentrator is aligned in the east-west axial direction and adjusted to the local latitude for the parabolic tilt angle, while the overall concentration ratio reaches between 10 and 30. This article provides an initial exploration into the feasibility of the novel linear solar concentrator across diverse seasons and geographical regions worldwide.

Heterostructure fuel cells offer substantial advantages, including low-temperature operation and improved ionic conductivity. However, their underlying mechanisms and industrial development remain insufficient to meet essential scientific requirements and the need for rigorous adaptability testing. In this study, we present a metallic heterostructure CeO2/LiCoO2 as a high-performance fuel cell electrolyte, combining density functional theory (DFT) calculations with experimental validation. The CeO2/LiCoO2 heterostructure is synthesized via a simple solid-state reaction. DFT analysis confirms the successful formation of the CeO2/LiCoO2 heterostructure facilitated by the interaction ofp-type CeO2 and n-type LiCoO2, with hybridized O-2p and Co-3d orbitals crossing the Fermi level. The electrochemical experiments reveal that the CeO2/LiCoO2 metallic heterostructure fuel cell achieves a remarkable power density of 863 mW center dot cm-2 and an enhanced ionic conductivity of 0.56 S center dot cm-1 at 500 degrees C, underscoring its superior performance. Furthermore, the CeO2/LiCoO2 metallic heterostructure effectively suppress the reduction of Ce4+/Ce3+, significantly enhancing operational stability. This work advances the understanding of metallic heterostructure fuel cells, demonstrating their potential in achieving superior ionic conductivity for practical applications.

MS-XN-33S-Ternary sodium nickel-ferric manganate layered oxide (NFMNa), a commercialized electrode material for sodium battery, has been used as electrolyte in low-temperature ceramic fuel cells (LT-CFCs) and has attained stable operation for 110 hours at 500 °C. In order to reach stable operation of fuel cells at lower temperatures, H2 treated NFMNa (H-NFMNa) is studied. We find that the Ni (Fe, Mn)-O bond length in the H-NFMNa is shorter than that in NFMNa, while the Na−O bond length in H-NFMNa is longer than that in NFMNa. And the content of polycrystalline Na2CO3 increases in H-NFMNa. Ceramic fuel cells with H-NFMNa electrolyte have ion conductivity of 0.092 S cm-1 and peak power density of 523 mW cm-2 at 500 °C. Hydrogen and oxygen concentration cells indicate that H-NFMNa material can only conduct protons in 400-520 °C, while can simultaneously conduct proton and oxygen ion in 540-600 °C. Finally, the fuel cell device using NFMNa electrolyte and BaZr0.1Ce0.7Y0.2O3-δ (BZCY) buffer layer obtain stable operation for 182 hours at 490 °C. This result is beneficial for the development of LT-CFCs electrolyte materials and lithium/sodium batteries electrode materials.

The high temperature (>750 degrees C) operation has always hindered ceramic fuel cells (CFCs) commercialization. This work investigates the effect of lithium content in anode on the performance and stability of low-temperature (< 550 degrees C) CFCs based on anode-assisted in-situ densification of electrolyte (AASDE) technology. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) analysis reveals that increasing lithium content in the anode results in valley values for ohmic resistance and anode activation resistance while cathode activation resistance decreases. Consequently, CFCs with optimal lithium content in anode exhibit improved performance and stability. Specifically, CFCs using Li0.8Ni0.91Co0.06Al0.03O2 anode achieve maximum power density of 493 mW cm(-2) and stable operation for 47 h at current density of 163 mA cm(-2) at 500 degrees C. EIS curves under various atmospheres and concentration cell curve indicate that sodium doped samarium oxide (NDS) electrolyte shows proton conduction based on AASDE technology. High temperature contact angle of 2.6 degrees indicates that LiOH can adsorb onto NDS, forming a stable physicochemical system. Based on a stable electrolyte system, the CFCs maintain stable operation for 42 h at 450 degrees C. This study highlights the potential for low-cost, stable operation of CFCs at low temperatures based on AASDE technology.

While conventional propane dehydrogenation research has primarily emphasized reaction metrics, the energy sustainability at a systems level remains underexplored. This study provides an exergo-environmental analysis of a solar full-spectrum assisted bromine-mediated oxidative dehydrogenation (Br-ODH) process integrated with waste heat recovery. Through exergy-environmental cost allocation, the system's performance and economic viability are evaluated under two photovoltaic-thermal scenarios. Results demonstrate that, compared to conventional direct dehydrogenation, the polycrystalline silicon-based Br-ODH process reduces carbon emissions by 13.9% (from 590 to 508 kg/ton) and lowers the levelized cost by 95.2% (from 415 to 35.1 $/ton). Sensitivity analysis further reveals that equipment lifespan, system cost, and propane price significantly influence economics, highlighting the critical need for strategic optimization to develop sustainable and cost-effective energy solutions in a carbon-constrained future.

As one of the basic components in the low-temperature heat utilization of solar energy, flat plate solar collectors are also the leading products in the world solar energy market. Due to their simple manufacturing process, high reliability, and easy integration with buildings, they have received attentions. This article studied the heat dissipation problem caused by air flow inside the flat plate solar collector cavity, and the air forms the single layer quasi-ordered vortex. Which is similar structures and same sizes between two cold sources, and among cold source and boundary, the vortex near the cold source occupy two-thirds of position and near the boundary occupy one-third. The losses efficiency of 6.6-18.3 % caused by convection is about five times than thermal conductivity, which can improve 15%-thermal efficiency under the condition of forming thermal conductivity. The research results provide a theoretical basis for the optimization technologies such as honeycomb structures and insulation films in air cavity. It also indicates that the heat transfer method is changed from convection to conduction by optimizing the structure of the air cavity to obstruct vortex motion, which will become a strategy to improve thermal efficiency.

Proton conduction in oxides (PCOs) is traditionally explained by hydration-based equilibrium models, which assume sufficient proton uptake from moisture or hydrogen. However, this static hydration-based framework fails under real operating conditions of proton ceramic fuel cells, where proton injection and field-driven dynamic processes dominate. This disconnection has led to an underestimation of proton concentration and mobility, also limiting the development of advanced PCOs. Here, we establish a distinct fundamental and experimental framework based on electrochemical proton injection (EPI) and proton-electron spillover, which are dynamic processes enabling an enhanced proton transport both in bulk and across grain boundary domains. Supported by in situ electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and the distribution of relaxation time, we demonstrate that EPI surpasses the conductivity ceiling imposed by the hydration-limited models. This urgent correction restores the true basis of proton transport and suggests a transformative strategy for designing next-generation oxide electrolytes for electrochemical energy devices.