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A balcony photovoltaic (PV) system, also known as a micro-PV system, is a small PV system consisting of one or two solar modules with an output of 100–600 Wp and a corresponding inverter that uses standard plugs to feed the renewable energy into the house grid. In the present study we demonstrate the integration of a commercial lithium-ion battery into a commercial micro-PV system. We firstly show simulations over one year with one second time resolution which we use to assess the influence of battery and PV size on self-consumption, self-sufficiency and the annual cost savings. We then develop and operate experimental setups using two different architectures for integrating the battery into the micro-PV system. In the passive hybrid architecture, the battery is in parallel electrical connection to the PV module. In the active hybrid architecture, an additional DC-DC converter is used. Both architectures include measures to avoid maximum power point tracking of the battery by the module inverter. Resulting PV/battery/inverter systems with 300 Wp PV and 555 Wh battery were tested in continuous operation over three days under real solar irradiance conditions. Both architectures were able to maintain stable operation and demonstrate the shift of PV energy from the day into the night. System efficiencies were observed comparable to a reference system without battery. This study therefore demonstrates the feasibility of both active and passive coupling architectures.
The accurate diagnosis of state of charge (SOC) and state of health (SOH) is of utmost importance for battery users and for battery manufacturers. State diagnosis is commonly based on measuring battery current and using it in Coulomb counters or as input for a current-controlled model. Here we introduce a new algorithm based on measuring battery voltage and using it as input for a voltage-controlled model. We demonstrate the algorithm using fresh and pre-aged lithium-ion battery single cells operated under well-defined laboratory conditions on full cycles, shallow cycles, and a dynamic battery electric vehicle load profile. We show that both SOC and SOH are accurately estimated using a simple equivalent circuit model. The new algorithm is self-calibrating, is robust with respect to cell aging, allows to estimate SOH from arbitrary load profiles, and is numerically simpler than state-of-the-art model-based methods.
Lithium-ion batteries show strongly nonlinear behaviour regarding the battery current and state of charge. Therefore, the modelling of lithium-ion batteries is complex. Combining physical and data-driven models in a grey-box model can simplify the modelling. Our focus is on using neural networks, especially neural ordinary differential equations, for grey-box modelling of lithium-ion batteries. A simple equivalent circuit model serves as a basis for the grey-box model. Unknown parameters and dependencies are then replaced by learnable parameters and neural networks. We use experimental full-cycle data and data from pulse tests of a lithium iron phosphate cell to train the model. Finally, we test the model against two dynamic load profiles: one consisting of half cycles and one dynamic load profile representing a home-storage system. The dynamic response of the battery is well captured by the model.
The contribution of the RoofKIT student team to the SDE 21/22 competition is the extension of an existing café in Wuppertal, Germany, to create new functions and living space for the building with simultaneous energetic upgrading. A demonstration unit is built representing a small cut-out of this extension. The developed energy concept was thoroughly simulated by the student team in seminars using Modelica. The system uses mainly solar energy via PVT collectors as the heat source for a brine-water heat pump (space heating and hot water). Energy storage (thermal and electrical) is installed to decouple generation and consumption. Simulation results confirm that carbon neutrality is achieved for the building operation, consuming and generating around 60 kWh/m2a.
Alexander von Humboldt, a German scientist and explorer of the 19th century, viewed the natural world holistically and described the harmony of nature among the diversity of the physical world as a conjoining between all physical disciplines. He noted in his diary: “Everything is interconnectedness.”
The main feature of Humboldt’s pioneering work was later named “Humboldtian science”, meaning the accurate study of interconnected real phenomena in order to find a definite law and a dynamic cause.
Following Humboldt's idea of nature, an Internet edition of his works must preserve the author’s original intention, retain an awareness of all relevant works, and still adhere to the requirements of scholarly edition.
At the present time, however, the highly unconventional form of his publications has undermined the awareness and a comprehensive study of Humboldt’s works.
Digital libraries should supply dynamic links to sources, maps, images, graphs and relevant texts. New forms of interaction and synthesis between humanistic texts and scientific observation need to be created.
Information technology is the only way to do justice to the broad range of visions, descriptions and the idea of nature of Humboldt’s legacy. It finally leads to virtual research environments as an adequate concept to redesign our digital archives, not only for Humboldt’s documents, but for all interconnected data.
The Humboldt Portal has been designed and implemented as part of an ongoing research project to develop an information system on the Internet to share the documents and rare books of Alexander von Humboldt, a 19th century German scientist and explorer, who viewed the natural world holistically and described the harmony of nature among the diversity of the physical world. Even after more than two centuries he is admired for his ability to see the natural world and human nature in the context of a complex network of relationships. The design and implementation of the Humboldt Portal are also oriented to support further research on Humboldt’s intellectual perspective.
Although all of Humboldt's works can be found on the internet as digitized documents, the complexity and internal inter-connectivity of his vision of nature cannot be adequately represented only by digitized papers or scanned documents in digital libraries.
As a consequence a specific portal of the Humboldt's documents was developed, which extends the standards of digital libraries and offers a technical approach for the adequate presentation of highly interconnected data.
Due to the continuous scientific and literary research, new insights and requirements for the digital presentation of Humboldt documents are constantly emerging, so that this article only provides a summary of the concepts realized at now. Consequently, the design and implementation of the Humboldt Portal is both: a consequence of a continuing research project and oriented to support more research on Humboldt´s intellectual holistic perspective, which was an anticipation to the System Approach of the last Century.
Automatic Identification of Travel Locations in Rare Books - Object Oriented Information Management
(2017)
The digital content of the Internet is growing exponentially and mass digitization of printed media opens access to literature, in particular the genre of travel literature from the 18th and 19th century, which consists of diaries or travel books describing routes, observations or inspirations. The identification of described locations in the digital text is a long-standing challenge which requires information technology to supply dynamic links to sources by new forms of interaction and synthesis between humanistic texts and scientific observations.
Using object oriented information technology, a prototype of a software tool is developed which makes it possible to automatically identify geographic locations and travel routes mentioned in rare books. The information objects contain properties such as names and classification codes for populated places, streams, mountains and regions. Together, with the latitudes and longitudes of every single location, it is possible to geo-reference this information in order that all processed and filtered datasets can be displayed by a map application. This method has already been used in the Humboldt Digital Library to present Alexander von Humboldt’s maps and was tested in a case study to prove the correctness and reliability of the automatic identification of locations based on the work of Alexander von Humboldt and Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.
The results reveal numerous errors due to misspellings, change of location names, equality of terms and location names. But on the other hand it becomes very clear that results of the automatic object detection and recognition can be improved by error-free and comprehensive sources. As a result an increase in quality and usability of the service can be expected, accompanied by more options to detect unknown locations in the descriptions of rare books.
In the 19th century Alexander von Humboldt explored the nature and was conceived a new vision of nature that still influences the way we understand the new world. Humboldt believed in the importance of accurate measurements and precise description of observations. His vision of nature included not only facts but also emotions.
Nowadays smart solutions will be developed by using computer technology, which will influence our relationship to nature, our handling of the complexity and diversity of nature itself and the technological influences on the society. Could we avoid a new form of “Colonialism”, when a network of super computers will create a smarter world?
Nowadays decarbonisation of the energy system is one of the main concerns for most governments. Renewable energy technologies, such as rooftop photovoltaic systems and home battery storage systems, are changing the energy system to be more decentralised. As a consequence, new ways of energy business models are emerging, e.g., peer-to-peer energy trading. This new concept provides an online marketplace where direct energy exchange can occur between its participants. The purpose of this study is to conduct a content analysis of the existing literature, ongoing research projects, and companies related to peer-to-peer energy trading. From this review, a summary of the most important aspects and journal papers is assessed, discussed, and classified. It was found that the different energy market types were named in various ways and a proposal for standard language for the several peer-to-peer market types and the different actors involved is suggested. Additionally, by grouping the most important attributes from peer-to-peer energy trading projects, an assessment of the entry barrier and scalability potential is performed by using a characterisation matrix.
The variable refrigerant flow system is one of the best heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems (HVAC) thanks to its ability to provide thermal comfort inside buildings. But, at the same time, these systems are considered one of the most energy-consuming systems in the building sector. Thus, it is crucial to well size the system according to the building’s cooling and heating needs and the indoor temperature fluctuations. Although many researchers have studied the optimization of the building energy performance considering heating or cooling needs, using air handling units, radiant floor heating, and direct expansion valves, few studies have considered the use of multi-objective optimization using only the thermostat setpoints of VRF systems for both cooling and heating needs. Thus, the main aim of this study is to conduct a sensitivity analysis and a multi-objective optimization strategy for a residential building containing a variable refrigerant flow system, to evaluate the effect of the building performance on energy consumption and improve the building energy efficiency. The numerical model was based on the EnergyPlus, jEPlus, and jEPlus+EA simulation engines. The approach used in this paper has allowed us to reach significant quantitative energy saving by varying the cooling and heating setpoints and scheduling scenarios. It should be stressed that this approach could be applied to several HVAC systems to reduce energy-building consumption.
Selbsttests in Lernmanagementsystemen (LMS) ermöglichen es Studierenden, den eigenen Lernfortschritt einzuschätzen. Im Gegensatz zur Einreichung und Korrektur vollständig ausformulierter Aufgabenlösungen nutzen LMS überwiegend die Eingabe der Lösung im Antwort-Auswahl-Verfahren (Single-Choice). Nach didaktischen Ansatz „Physik durch Informatik“ geben die Lernenden stattdessen ihre Aufgabenlösungen in einer Programmiersprache ins LMS ein, was eine automatisierte Rückmeldung erleichtert und das Erreichen einer höheren Kompetenzstufe fördert. Es wurden zehn LMS-Selbsttests erstellt, bei denen die Lösungen zu einer Lehrbuch-Aufgabenstellung jeweils durch Eingabe in einer Programmiersprache und von einer Kontrollgruppe im Antwort-Auswahl-Verfahren abgefragt wurden. Ergebnisse aus dem ersten Einsatz dieser Selbsttests für die Lehrveranstaltung Physik im Studiengang Biotechnologie werden vorgestellt.
Physik durch Informatik
(2022)
Selbsttests in Lernmanagementsystemen (LMS) ermöglichen es Studierenden, den eigenen Lernfortschritt einzuschätzen. Das didaktische Konzept Physik durch Informatik (PDI) ist charakterisiert durch die Nutzung einer Programmiersprache zur Lösungseingabe bei Mathematik und Physik-Aufgaben. Im Gegensatz zur Lösungseingabe durch Zahlenwerte oder im Antwort-Auswahl-Verfahren erfordert die Implementierung einer Lösung in einer Programmiersprache eine höhere Kompetenzstufe.
Decarbonisation Strategies in Energy Systems Modelling: APV and e-tractors as Flexibility Assets
(2023)
This work presents an analysis of the impact of introducing Agrophotovoltaic technologies and electric tractors into Germany’s energy system. Agrophotovoltaics involves installing photovoltaic systems in agricultural areas, allowing for dual usage of the land for both energy generation and food production. Electric tractors, which are agricultural machinery powered by electric motors, can also function as energy storage units, providing flexibility to the grid. The analysis includes a sensitivity study to understand how the availability of agricultural land influences Agrophotovoltaic investments, followed by the examination of various scenarios that involve converting diesel tractors to electric tractors. These scenarios are based on the current CO2 emission reduction targets set by the German Government, aiming for a 65% reduction below 1990 levels by 2030 and achieving zero emissions by 2045. The results indicate that approximately 3% of available agricultural land is necessary to establish a viable energy mix in Germany. Furthermore, the expansion of electric tractors tends to reduce the overall system costs and enhances the energy-cost-efficiency of Agrophotovoltaic investments.
The use of biochar is an important tool to improve soil fertility, reduce the negative environmental impacts of agriculture, and build up terrestrial carbon sinks. However, crop yield increases by biochar amendment were not shown consistently for fertile soils under temperate climate. Recent studies show that biochar is more likely to increase crop yields when applied in combination with nutrients to prepare biochar-based fertilizers. Here, we focused on the root-zone amendment of biochar combined with mineral fertilizers in a greenhouse trial with white cabbage (Brassica oleracea convar. Capitata var. Alba) cultivated in a nutrient-rich silt loam soil originating from the temperate climate zone (Bavaria, Germany). Biochar was applied at a low dosage (1.3 t ha−1). The biochar was placed either as a concentrated hotspot below the seedling or it was mixed into the soil in the root zone representing a mixture of biochar and soil in the planting basin. The nitrogen fertilizer (ammonium nitrate or urea) was either applied on the soil surface or loaded onto the biochar representing a nitrogen-enhanced biochar. On average, a 12% yield increase in dry cabbage heads was achieved with biochar plus fertilizer compared to the fertilized control without biochar. Most consistent positive yield responses were observed with a hotspot root-zone application of nitrogen-enhanced biochar, showing a maximum 21% dry cabbage-head yield increase. Belowground biomass and root-architecture suggested a decrease in the fine root content in these treatments compared to treatments without biochar and with soil-mixed biochar. We conclude that the hotspot amendment of a nitrogen-enhanced biochar in the root zone can optimize the growth of white cabbage by providing a nutrient depot in close proximity to the plant, enabling efficient nutrient supply. The amendment of low doses in the root zone of annual crops could become an economically interesting application option for biochar in the temperate climate zone.
Auswirkung eines Importstopps russischer Energieträger auf die Klimaschutzziele in Deutschland
(2022)
Ein Importstopp russischer Energieträger nach Deutschland wird derzeit vermehrt diskutiert. Wir wollen die Diskussion unterstützen, indem wir einen Weg zeigen, wie das Elektrizitätssystem in Deutschland kurzfristig mit geringen Energieimporten auskommt und welche Maßnahmen notwendig sind, um die Klimaschutzziele trotzdem einzuhalten. Die Ergebnisse eines solchen Energiewendeszenarios mit reduzierter Importabhängigkeit werden mit dem Energiesystemmodell MyPyPSA-Ger berechnet. Die wichtigsten Erkenntnisse sind, dass ein zügiger Ausbau Erneuerbarer Energien und von Speichertechnologien • die Abhängigkeit des deutschen Elektrizitätssystems von Energieimporten deutlich reduziert. • auch langfristig keine wesentlichen Importe der Energieträger Erdgas, Steinkohle und Mineralöl nach sich zieht. • über die Klimaziele der Bundesregierung hinaus das 1,5-Grad-Ziel im Elektrizitätssystem erreicht wird.
Recent advances in spiked shoe design, characterized by increased longitudinal stiffness, thicker midsole foams, and reconfigured geometry are considered to improve sprint performance. However, so far there is no empirical data on the effects of advanced spikes technology on maximal sprinting speed (MSS) published yet. Consequently, we assessed MSS via ‘flying 30m’ sprints of 44 trained male (PR: 10.32 s - 12.08 s) and female (PR: 11.56 s - 14.18 s) athletes, wearing both traditional and advanced spikes in a randomized, repeated measures design. The results revealed a statistically significant increase in MSS by 1.21% on average when using advanced spikes technology. Notably, 87% of participants showed improved MSS with the use of advanced spikes. A cluster analysis unveiled that athletes with higher MSS may benefit to a greater extent. However, individual responses varied widely, suggesting the influence of multiple factors that need detailed exploration. Therefore, coaches and athletes are advised to interpret the promising performance enhancements cautiously and evaluate the appropriateness of the advanced spike technology for their athletes critically.
Enhancing engineering creativity with automated formulation of elementary solution principles
(2023)
The paper describes a method for the automated formulation of elementary creative stimuli for product or process design at different levels of abstraction and in different engineering domains. The experimental study evaluates the impact of structured automated idea generation on inventive thinking in engineering design and compares it with previous experimental studies in educational and industrial settings. The outlook highlights the benefits of using automated ideation in the context of AI-assisted invention and innovation.
The increasing diffusion of rapidly developing AI technologies led to the idea of the experiment to combine TRIZ-based automated idea generation with the natural language processing tool ChatGPT, using the chatbot to interpret the automatically generated elementary solution principles. The article explores the opportunities and benefits of a novel AI-enhanced approach to teaching systematic innovation, analyses the learning experience, identifies the factors that affect students' innovation and problem-solving performance, and highlights the main difficulties students face, especially in interdisciplinary problems.
Running shoes were categorized either as motion control, cushioned, or minimal footwear in the past. Today, these categories blur and are not as clearly defined. Moreover, with the advances in manufacturing processes, it is possible to create individualized running shoes that incorporate features that meet individual biomechanical and experiential needs. However, specific ways to individualize footwear to reduce individual injury risk are poorly understood. Therefore, the purpose of this scoping review was to provide an overview of (1) footwear design features that have the potential for individualization; (2) human biomechanical variability as a theoretical foundation for individualization; (3) the literature on the differential responses to footwear design features between selected groups of individuals. These purposes focus exclusively on reducing running-related risk factors for overuse injuries. We included studies in the English language on adults that analyzed: (1) potential interaction effects between footwear design features and subgroups of runners or covariates (e.g., age, gender) for running-related biomechanical risk factors or injury incidences; (2) footwear perception for a systematically modified footwear design feature. Most of the included articles (n = 107) analyzed male runners. Several footwear design features (e.g., midsole characteristics, upper, outsole profile) show potential for individualization. However, the overall body of literature addressing individualized footwear solutions and the potential to reduce biomechanical risk factors is limited. Future studies should leverage more extensive data collections considering relevant covariates and subgroups while systematically modifying isolated footwear design features to inform footwear individualization.
Background
Internal tibial loading is influenced by modifiable factors with implications for the risk of stress injury. Runners encounter varied surface steepness (gradients) when running outdoors and may adapt their speed according to the gradient. This study aimed to quantify tibial bending moments and stress at the anterior and posterior peripheries when running at different speeds on surfaces of different gradients.
Methods
Twenty recreational runners ran on a treadmill at 3 different speeds (2.5 m/s, 3.0 m/s, and 3.5 m/s) and gradients (level: 0%; uphill: +5%, +10%, and +15%; downhill: –5%, –10%, and –15%). Force and marker data were collected synchronously throughout. Bending moments were estimated at the distal third centroid of the tibia about the medial–lateral axis by ensuring static equilibrium at each 1% of stance. Stress was derived from bending moments at the anterior and posterior peripheries by modeling the tibia as a hollow ellipse. Two-way repeated-measures analysis of variance were conducted using both functional and discrete statistical analyses.
Results
There were significant main effects for running speed and gradient on peak bending moments and peak anterior and posterior stress. Higher running speeds resulted in greater tibial loading. Running uphill at +10% and +15% resulted in greater tibial loading than level running. Running downhill at –10% and –15% resulted in reduced tibial loading compared to level running. There was no difference between +5% or –5% and level running.
Conclusion
Running at faster speeds and uphill on gradients ≥+10% increased internal tibial loading, whereas slower running and downhill running on gradients ≥–10% reduced internal loading. Adapting running speed according to the gradient could be a protective mechanism, providing runners with a strategy to minimize the risk of tibial stress injuries.
Electrochemical pressure impedance spectroscopy (EPIS) is an emerging tool for the diagnosis of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFC). It is based on analyzing the frequency response of the cell voltage with respect to an excitation of the gas-phase pressure. Several experimental studies in the past decade have shown the complexity of EPIS signals, and so far there is no agreement on the interpretation of EPIS features. The present study contributes to shed light into the physicochemical origin of EPIS features, by using a combination of pseudo-two-dimensional modeling and analytical interpretation. Using static simulations, the contributions of cathode equilibrium potential, cathode overpotential, and membrane resistance on the quasi-static EPIS response are quantified. Using model reduction, the EPIS responses of individual dynamic processes are predicted and compared to the response of the full model. We show that the EPIS signal of the PEMFC studied here is dominated by the humidifier. The signal is further analyzed by using transfer functions between various internal cell states and the outlet pressure excitation. We show that the EPIS response of the humidifier is caused by an oscillating oxygen molar fraction due to an oscillating mass flow rate.
Planung, Bau und Inbetriebnahme einer Anlage zur Entspannungsverdampfung im Technikums-Maßstab
(2023)
Das Ziel dieser Arbeit ist es, eine Anlage im Technikums-Maßstab für den Prozess der kontinuierliche Entspannungsverdampfung zu planen, zu bauen und in Betrieb zu nehmen. Ausgangspunkt der Arbeit ist die Entspannungsverdampfungs-Anlage „EVERDA“ der Hochschule Offenburg, welche in Batch-Fahrweise betrieben wurde.
Zur Erreichung dieses Ziels wurden die folgenden Punkte bearbeitet:
• Aufstellung von thermodynamischen Berechnungsgleichungen.
• Beschreibung der Entspannungsverdampfung in Batch-Fahrweise.
• Bewertung von Anlagenkomponenten der EVERDA in Batch-Fahrweise hinsichtlich ihrer Wiederverwendbarkeit für den kontinuierlichen Betrieb.
• Aufstellung der Rahmenbedingung für den kontinuierlichen Betrieb.
• Erstellung und Beschreibung eines detaillierten Anlagenkonzeptes für den kontinuierlichen Betrieb.
• Durchführung von Prozess-Simulationen mit dem neuen Konzept.
• Auslegung der Komponenten auf Basis der Rahmenbedingung und den Ergebnissen der Simulation.
• Entwurf und Aufbau der elektrischen Verschaltung zur Anlagensteuerung.
• Bau und Inbetriebnahme der Anlage.
During the coronavirus crisis, labs had to be offered in digital form in mechanical engineering at short notice. For this purpose, digital twins of more complex test benches in the field of fluid energy machines were used in the mechanical engineering course, with which the students were able to interact remotely to obtain measurement data. The concept of the respective lab was revised with regard to its implementation as a remote laboratory. Fortunately, real-world labs were able to be fully replaced by remote labs. Student perceptions of remote labs were mostly positive. This paper explains the concept and design of the digital twins and the lab as well as the layout, procedure, and finally the results of the accompanying evaluation. However, the implementation of the digital twins to date does not yet include features which address the tactile experience of working in real-world labs.
During the coronavirus crisis, labs had to be offered in digital form in mechanical engineering at short notice. For this purpose, digital twins of more complex test benches in the field of fluid energy machines were used in the mechanical engineering course, with which the students were able to interact remotely to obtain measurement data. The concept of the respective lab was revised with regard to its implementation as a remote laboratory. Fortunately, real-world labs were able to be fully replaced by remote labs. Student perceptions of remote labs were mostly positive. This paper explains the concept and design of the digital twins and the lab as well as the layout, procedure, and finally the results of the accompanying evaluation. However, the implementation of the digital twins to date does not yet include features that address the tactile experience of working in real-world labs.
High-tech running shoes and spikes ("super-footwear") are currently being debated in sports. There is direct evidence that distance running super shoes improve running economy; however, it is not well established to which extent world-class performances are affected over the range of track and road running events.
This study examined publicly available performance datasets of annual best track and road performances for evidence of potential systematic performance effects following the introduction of super footwear. The analysis was based on the 100 best performances per year for men and women in outdoor events from 2010 to 2022, provided by the world governing body of athletics (World Athletics).
We found evidence of progressing improvements in track and road running performances after the introduction of super distance running shoes in 2016 and super spike technology in 2019. This evidence is more pronounced for distances longer than 1500 m in women and longer than 5000 m in men. Women seem to benefit more from super footwear in distance running events than men.
While the observational study design limits causal inference, this study provides a database on potential systematic performance effects following the introduction of super shoes/spikes in track and road running events in world-class athletes. Further research is needed to examine the underlying mechanisms and, in particular, potential sex differences in the performance effects of super footwear.