Staff publications (AEPe)

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Open Access
A study of the motion response of floating solar PV and cross-flow savonius turbine in moored conditions
(EDP Sciences, 2025-02-05) Ramsy de Fretes, Patrick; Jifaturrohman, Mohammad Izzuddin; Putranto, Teguh; Utama, I Ketut Aria Pria; Huang, Luofeng
The transition towards Net Zero Emissions (NZEs) is being accelerated by hybrid renewable technologies such as Floating Photovoltaic (FPV) systems and marine current turbines, which combine solar panels and cross-flow marine turbines mounted on floating structures for near-shore applications. Despite their innovative potential, these renewable technologies face significant challenges in stability and durability due to the effects of wind, waves, and ocean currents. Therefore, a flexible mooring system is essential to address these challenges. This research examines the influence of variations in the number of mooring lines and wave direction on the hydrodynamic response of FPV systems. Utilizing a catenary mooring system consisting of anchors, mooring lines, floats, and connectors, the study evaluates various configurations to determine the optimal solution for enhanced motion stability. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations are employed to analyze the dynamic response of FPV systems under different environmental conditions, represented on a sea-state scale, with a focus on pure oscillatory motions: heave, roll, and pitch. The findings aim to provide valuable insights for the design and operation of more stable and efficient FPV systems in marine environments, thereby supporting the advancement of sustainable renewable energy.
Open Access
Catalysing decentralised renewable energy investment in Nigeria: investor-focused risk evaluation and de-risking strategies
(Elsevier, 2025-06-01) Abba, Yahajja Zara Ibrahim; Balta-Ozkan, Nazmiye; Drew, Gillian H.
Scaling up private investment in Decentralised Renewable Energy (DRE) is crucial for achieving universal electricity access in sub-Saharan Africa. Tailored de-risking actions based on investors' risk perceptions can facilitate investment. However, current literature provides a fragmented perspective of investor-specific DRE investment risks. Through a multi-step participatory approach involving an online survey, focus groups, and interviews, 40 multidimensional risk factors across six categories were evaluated using the analytical hierarchy process, to establish their significance among four investor groups: development finance institutions, domestic finance institutions, developers, impact investors. Overall, economic and financing risk categories emerged as most critical, while social and environmental risks were least prioritised. However, risk factor priorities varied among different investor groups, highlighting key mutual high-priority risk factors amounting to 37–58 % of risk weighting including currency volatility, low access to low-cost capital, revenue risk, and insecurity. Limited awareness of existing risk mitigation practices, cultural and behavioural barriers to energy use, and path dependence were identified as influential risk drivers. Evidence-based risk mitigation strategies such as priority sector lending mandates, portfolio aggregation, stronger policy implementation, social interventions, collaboration, and capacity development are recommended to facilitate DRE investment. This study serves as a reference for decision-makers to prioritise actions for catalysing DRE investment.
Open Access
Design and experimental tests for novel shapes of floating OWC wave energy converters with the additional purpose of breakwater
(Elsevier, 2025-06-01) Lyu, Xiangcheng; Mi, Chenhao; Collions, Stan; Chen, Wenchuang; Yang, Danlei; Huang, Luofeng
The oscillating water column (OWC) is a type of wave energy converter (WEC) that captures the energy of incoming waves. As waves reach the structure, their movement causes the water within an enclosed chamber to oscillate, creating airflow that powers a turbine, generating electricity. This principle can be applied to the design of breakwaters, which can protect marine structures such as floating solar farms and wind turbines. This study involved designing two types of buoyancy chambers for the OWC-WEC and two underneath baffles with adjustable spacing. These configurations were tested in a wave tank to assess wave energy capture, wave attenuation, hydrodynamics, and mooring forces. The experimental results demonstrate that a baffle spacing of 1 m, combined with a V-type buoyancy chamber, significantly enhances the wave energy capture and wave attenuation performance of the OWC. This configuration achieves up to a 57.09 % increase in the capture width ratio and a maximum reduction of 20.88 % in the wave transmission coefficient. Furthermore, mooring line forces are reduced by 21.86 %, while the baffles effectively mitigate pitch motion. Notably, greater pitch reduction improves the capture width ratio. In conclusion, this study introduces a novel wave energy converter, providing key insights for future marine energy development.
Open Access
Effect of the combined use of cryogenic + aging treatment on mechanical and damping property of Mn-Cu alloy based on response surface model
(Elsevier, 2025-06-01) Ding, Ran; Liu, Guang-lei; Liu, Shu-cong; Ranjbar, Mostafa; Potter, Andrew; Liu, Hai-xia
In this paper, the response surface method (RSM) is used to model the response surface between the target values and the cryogenic + aging treatment parameters. The effects of cryogenic + aging treatment on microstructures, mechanical, and damping properties of Mn-20Cu-5Ni-2Fe alloy are then investigated. The outcome indicates cryogenic + aging treatment can effectively enhance both mechanical and damping properties, and the optimum parameters cryogenic (-196 °C/30 h) + aging (428 °C/2 h) were obtained. The associated microstructural changes caused by the precipitated phase after the compound treatment resulted in an increase in the tensile strength from 358.3 MPa to 396.7 MPa, 38 MPa higher compared to that of the as-cast alloy. Meanwhile, it has the best damping property within a wide temperature range. At 50 °C, the internal friction value increased from 0.033 to 0.074, which was increased by 124 %. The damping strengthening mechanisms were discussed mainly from the perspective of the change in formation of {101} twins and motionable interface induced by fcc-fct transformation after the compound treatment. The obtained results provide a new reference for simultaneously improving mechanical and damping behaviors of Mn-Cu based alloys.
Open Access
Evaluation of an intuitive 4WD drift assist control concept in a driving simulator
(Taylor & Francis, 2025-12-31) Sun, Yiwen; Velenis, Efstathios; Krishnakumar, Ajinkya
In this paper, we present a concept of drift assist control for a 4-Wheel-Drive (4WD) electric vehicle that allows independent wheel torque control, aiming at an intuitive interaction with the average human driver. The concept is evaluated through a driver-in-loop trial using a driving simulator. Starting with a 4WD drift equilibrium analysis, we demonstrate the necessity of incorporating the throttle input for sideslip control and the idea of restricting the sideslip rate in order to assist the driver in stabilising the vehicle in drifting. Subsequently, we design a sideslip rate and yaw rate controller according to the desired sideslip angle from the driver using torque vectoring. To evaluate our control concept, a circular track is built in Cranfield University’s driving simulator based on the IPG CarMaker software. 34 participants were recruited to perform two drifting tasks, including the transition from normal cornering to drifting and regulating the sideslip under different configurations of sideslip damping rate and steering wheel feedback torque. Through subjective questionnaires and objective evaluation of vehicle states, the results show that our concept can assist the driver in intuitively controlling the vehicle during drifting.
Open Access
Fuelling hydrogen futures? A trust-based model of social acceptance
(Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC), 2025) Gordon, Joel A.; Balta-Ozkan, Nazmiye; Haq, Anwar U. l.; Nabavi, Seyed Ali
Public trust plays a fundamental role in shaping national energy policies in democratic countries, as exemplified by nuclear phase-out in Germany following the Fukushima accident. While trust dynamics have been explored in different contexts of the energy transition, few studies have attempted to quantify the influence of public trust in shaping social acceptance and adoption potential. Moreover, the interaction between public trust and perceived community benefits remains underexplored in the literature, despite the relevance of each factor to facilitating social acceptance and technology uptake. In response, this quantitative analysis closes a parallel research gap by examining the antecedents of public trust and perceived community benefits in the context of deploying hydrogen heating and cooking appliances across parts of the UK housing stock. Drawing on results from a nationally representative online survey (N = 1845), the study advances insights on the consumer perspective of transitioning to ‘hydrogen homes’, which emerged as a topical and controversial aspect of UK energy policy in recent years. Partial least squares structural equation modelling and necessary condition analysis are undertaken to assess the predictive capabilities of a trust-based model, which incorporates aspects of institutional, organisational, interpersonal, epistemic, and social trust. Regarding sufficiency-based logic, social trust is the most influential predictor of public trust, whereas trust in product and service quality corresponds to the most important necessary condition for enabling public trust. Nevertheless, trust in the government, energy sector, and entities involved in research & development are needed to facilitate and strengthen public trust. Overall, this study enriches scholarly understanding of how public trust may shape prospects for trialling novel low-carbon technologies, highlights the need for segment-specific consumer engagement, and advances scholarly understanding of the innovation-decision process in the context of net-zero pathways. As policymakers approach critical decisions on the portfolio of technologies needed to support residential decarbonisation, public trust will prove fundamental to fuelling hydrogen-based energy futures.
Open Access
High performance rechargeable aluminium ion batteries enabled by strategy of covalent organic frame material
(Elsevier, 2025-05-01) Wei, Guokang; Qiao, Jia; Li, Xin; Dou, Aichun; Hu, Sijiang; Xie, Wei; Luo, Zhenhua; Yang, Jianhong
Emerging rechargeable aluminium-ion batteries (RAIBs) are a sustainable option for the next generation of low-cost, high-safety and large-scale energy storage technologies. While the unsatisfying availability of traditional inorganic materials has limited the development of RAIBs, the advance of organic materials is expected to be a breakthrough towards high-performance cathode. However, the existing extensive research often focuses on the selection of appropriate organic monomers or stay in the tentative stage of preliminary polymerization. It is difficult to break through the inherent characteristics of the instability of small organic ones and the easy aggregation and accumulation of macromolecular polymers, which is no doubt ignoring the huge potential of organic compounds for structural design at the molecular level. In this connection, our study demonstrates a material design strategy that introduces active functional groups to small molecular monomers and polymerizes them into REDOX active covalent organic framework (COF) with multiple N-containing groups. Theoretical simulations and ex-situ analysis revealed the key function of C-N and C=N as active sites for reversible storage of AlCl2 + ions. In addition, the macro-ring frame brings enhanced structural stability and environmental tolerance for COF in complex electrolyte, resulting in significantly improved electrochemical performance. At 1 A g−1, it exhibits a high specific capacity of 161.2 mAh g−1 and an excellent cycle life of approximately 100 % coulombic efficiency after more than 3,000 cycles. This work fully demonstrates the operability of the design strategy to synthesize COF from small molecular organics by introducing reactive functional groups and its great potential in the role of cathode materials in RAIBs. The success meanwhile provides an inspiration for the development of COF-based organic battery system in large-scale energy storage.
Open Access
Hydrodynamic modeling of unstretched length variations in nonlinear catenary mooring systems for floating PV installations in small Indonesian Islands
(MDPI, 2025-06-01) Jifaturrohman, Mohammad Izzuddin; Utama, I Ketut Aria Pria; Putranto, Teguh; Setyawan, Dony; Suastika, I Ketut; Sujiatanti, Septia Hardy; Satrio, Dendy; Hayati, Noorlaila; Huang, Luofeng
Floating photovoltaic (FPV) systems offer a promising renewable energy solution, particularly for coastal waters. This preliminary numerical study proposes a single-array pentamaran configuration designed to maximize panel installation and enhance stability by reducing rolling motion. The study investigates the effect of mooring length on the motion behavior of FPV systems and actual line tension using the Boundary Element Method (BEM) in both frequency and time domains under irregular wave conditions. The results demonstrate that the mooring system significantly reduces all horizontal motion displacements, with reductions exceeding 90%. Even with a reduction of up to 51% in the unstretched mooring length, from the original design (304.53 m) to the shortest alternative (154.53 m), the motion response shows minimal change. This is supported by RMSE values of only 0.01 m/m for surge, 0.02 m/m for sway, and 0.09 deg/m for yaw. In the time-domain response, the shortened mooring line demonstrates improved motion performance. This improvement comes with the consequence of stronger nonlinearity in restoring forces and stiffness, resulting in higher peak tensions of up to 15.79 kN. Despite this increase, all configurations remain within the allowable tension limit of 30.69 kN, indicating that the FPV’s system satisfies safety criteria.
Open Access
Investigation of ash and combustion characteristics during co-combustion of coal and solid recovered fuel in a laboratory-scale combustor
(Taylor & Francis, 2025) Prismantoko, Adi; Karuana, Feri; Prayoga, Moch Zulfikar Eka; Darmawan, Arif; Muflikhun, Muhammad Akhsin; Sunyoto, Nimas Mayang Sabrina; Zhu, Mingming; Aziz, Muhammad; Hariana, Hariana
Population growth and limited landfill area increase the problems associated with municipal solid waste (MSW). The MSW conversion into solid recovered fuel (SRF) improves the calorific value which has the potential to be used as a power plant boiler fuel. This study investigates ash deposition and combustion characteristics during co-combustion of coal and SRF at various dosages (5, 10, 15, 20, and 25 wt%). Thermogravimetry analysis, preliminary risk assessment, and morphology analysis of ash deposits are comprehensively performed. The study reveals that based on combustion performance, SRF blends up to 20 wt% show slightly altered burnout temperatures compared to coal combustion, whereas, at 25 wt%, the combustion temperature increases significantly. On the initial risk assessment, the samples tested have a low to medium risk of slagging. Morphological observations show that fine, irregular, and unmelted particles dominate coal ash deposits, while SRF ash deposits are dominated by melted and agglomerated particles. The melted particles gradually increase as the dosage of SRF in the mixture increases. Low melting temperature element-rich particles start to be observed at doses higher than 10 wt%. At 25 wt% SRF blends, material degradation is observed with the presence of Cr in the ash deposit. Overall, co-combustion over 10 wt% SRF shows results that should be considered, particularly the increase in sintering ash that can cause problems in the boiler pipes. This study provides insight into the optimum dosage suitable for blending SRF and coal in power plant boilers.
Open Access
Investigation on the mechanism of improving the forming quality of cavitation water jet micro-punching by using a rubber membrane
(Springer, 2025-05-01) Li, Fuzhu; Meng, Wei; Mori, Stefano; Wang, Yun; Wang, Chunju; Guo, Yuqin
Cavitation water jet micro-punching (CWJP) is a high-strain-rate micro-punching technique that utilizes high-energy shock waves generated by the collapse of cavitation bubbles to perform micro-punching on metal foils. However, defects such as brittle fracture, warpage deformation, and edge tearing often occur in the micro-punched holes due to the reverse impact of high-speed backflow. To solve this issue, a novel rubber membrane-assisted cavitation water jet micro-punching (RA-CWJP) technique was proposed in the present work, in which a flexible rubber membrane was introduced as a soft punch to prevent cavitation water jet from entering the die hole. Comparative experiments of the CWJP and RA-CWJP processes were conducted on 50 μm-thick T2 copper foils. The forming quality of micro-punched holes in both processes was evaluated based on microscopic morphology (fracture surface and cross section), shape, and dimensional accuracy. Additionally, the effect of high-speed backflow on the CWJP process was analyzed in detail. Fluid–solid coupling numerical simulations were conducted to better understand the improvement mechanism of the rubber membrane on the forming quality of micro-punched holes. The research results show that applying a 200 μm-thick rubber membrane to the CWJP process prevents brittle fractures, warpage, and edge tearing caused by the reverse impact force of backflow. Meanwhile, the rubber membrane also increases the depth of the shearing zone, and reduces both the rollover zone and burr formation. Compared to the CWJP process, the shape and dimensional accuracy of micro-punched holes formed by the RA-CWJP process increased by 16.1%–63.5% and 45.4%–82.2%, respectively. In the RA-CWJP process, the excellent fluidity and compressibility of the rubber membrane enable precise shearing separation of the copper foil along the die edge. Furthermore, the rubber membrane reduces elastic recovery after punching through enhanced plastic deformation, significantly improving the dimensional accuracy.
Open Access
Lane centerline extraction based on surveyed boundaries: an efficient approach using maximal disks
(MDPI, 2025-04-18) Yin, Chenhui; Cecotti, Marco; Auger, Daniel J.; Fotouhi, Abbas; Jiang, Haobin
Maps of road layouts play an essential role in autonomous driving, and it is often advantageous to represent them in a compact form, using a sparse set of surveyed points of the lane boundaries. While lane centerlines are valuable references in the prediction and planning of trajectories, most centerline extraction methods only achieve satisfactory accuracy with high computational cost and limited performance in sparsely described scenarios. This paper explores the problem of centerline extraction based on a sparse set of border points, evaluating the performance of different approaches on both a self-created and a public dataset, and proposing a novel method to extract the lane centerline by searching and linking the internal maximal circles along the lane. Compared with other centerline extraction methods producing similar numbers of center points, the proposed approach is significantly more accurate: in our experiments, based on a self-created dataset of road layouts, it achieves a max deviation below 0.15 m and an overall RMSE less than 0.01 m, against the respective values of 1.7 m and 0.35 m for a popular approach based on Voronoi tessellation, and 1 m and 0.25 m for an alternative approach based on distance transform.
Open Access
Revolutionizing power electronics design through large language models: applications and future directions
(Elsevier, 2025-04) Ibrahim, Khalifa Aliyu; Luk, Patrick Chi-Kwong; Luo, Zhenhua; Ng, Seng Yim; Harrison, Lee
The design of electronic circuits is critical for a wide range of applications, from the electrification of transportation to the Internet of Things (IoT). It demands substantial resources, is time-intensive, and can be highly intricate. Current design methods often lead to inefficiencies, prolonged design cycles, and susceptibility to human error. Advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) play a crucial role in power electronics design by increasing efficiency, promoting automation, and enhancing sustainability of electrical systems. Research has demonstrated the applications of AI in power electronics to enhance system performance, optimization, and control strategy using machine learning, fuzzy logic, expert systems, and metaheuristic methods. However, a review that includes the recent AI advancements and potential of large language models (LLMs) like generative pre-train transformers (GPT) has not been reported. This paper presents an overview of applications of AI in power electronics (PE) including the potential of LLMs. The influence of LLMs-AI on the design process of PE and future research directions is also highlighted. The development of advanced AI algorithms such as pre-train transformers, real-time implementations, interdisciplinary collaboration, and data-driven approaches are also discussed. The proposed LLMs-AI is used to design parameters of high-frequency wireless power transfer (HFWPT) using MATLAB as a first case study, and high-frequency alternating current (HFAC) inverter using PSIM as a second case study. The proposed LLM-AI driven design is verified based on a similar design reported in the literature and Wilcoxon signed-rank test was conducted to further validate the result. Results show that the LLM-AI driven design based on the OpenAI foundation model has the potential to streamline the design process of power electronics. These findings provide a good reference on the feasibility of LLMs-AI on power electronic design.
Open Access
Seakeeping analysis of catamaran and barge floats for floating solar arrays: a CFD study with experimental validation
(Elsevier, 2025-05-15) Ou, Binjian; Cerik, Burak Can; Huang, Luofeng
Whilst floating photovoltaic (FPV) is gaining attention for ocean-based applications, their motion response in waves significantly affects structural integrity and power generation efficiency. In particular, FPV is expected to operate in arrays consisting of extensive solar panels, and thus, floating solar systems are required to be analysed with neighbouring devices connected by joints. This study investigates the seakeeping characteristics of two FPV systems in arrays, comparing conventional barge floats with twin-hull (catamaran) floats under various wave conditions. A systematic investigation using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) was conducted for the hydrodynamic response of both isoslated-single-floater and multi-body (1 × 3) configurations in regular waves, with non-dimentional wavelength ratio (λ/L) 1.62-4.27 to the floater length. Wave tank experiments were conducted to validate the CFD model, showing agreement with less than 10% discrepancies. The study focused on the multi-body behavior of heave and pitch Response Amplitude Operators (RAOs) and mooring line forces. Results show that the multi-catamaran configuration exhibited lower heave RAOs (by approximately 20°%) compared to multi-barge pontoons in long waves (λ/L > 2.47) while maintaining similar pitch responses. However, in shorter waves (λ/L < 2), the catamaran configuration showed up to 15% higher RAOs than barge's. The multi-body arrangement demonstrated significant array effects, with the leading float experiencing 30% higher mooring loads than the trailing float. The leading float also experiences the highest mooring forces. As the wavelength ratio increases, the barge float's front mooring force increases dramatically, reaching nearly twice that of the catamaran at a ratio of 4.27. These findings align with the RAO results, indicating that the barge float is more wave-sensitive under long-wavelength conditions, whereas the catamaran demonstrates superior station-keeping with lower mooring forces. This work provides quantitative guidance for selecting appropriate floater forms for FPV applications based on expected wave conditions.
Open Access
Thermal modelling and temperature estimation of a cylindrical lithium iron phosphate cell subjected to an automotive duty cycle
(MDPI, 2025-03-22) Achanta, Simha Sreekar; Fotouhi, Abbas; Zhang, Hanwen; Auger, Daniel J.
Li ion batteries are emerging as the mainstream source for propulsion in the automotive industry. Subjecting a battery to extreme conditions of charging and discharging can negatively impact its performance and reduce its cycle life. Assessing a battery’s electrical and thermal behaviour is critical in the later stages of developing battery management systems (BMSs). The present study aims at the thermal modelling of a 3.3 Ah cylindrical 26650 lithium iron phosphate cell using ANSYS 2024 R1 software. The modelling phase involves iterating two geometries of the cell design to evaluate the cell’s surface temperature. The multi-scale multi-domain solution method, coupled with the equivalent circuit model (ECM) solver, is used to determine the temperature characteristics of the cell. Area-weighted average values of the temperature are obtained using a homogeneous and isotropic assembly. A differential equation is implemented to estimate the temperature due to the electrochemical reactions and potential differences. During the discharge tests, the cell is subjected to a load current emulating the Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicles Test Procedure (WLTP). The results from the finite element model indicate strikingly similar trends in temperature variations to the ones obtained from the experimental tests.

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