Browsing by resource type "conference paper"
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- Current Progress of Activities at EU-SOLARIS ERIC: The European Research Infrastructure Consortium for CSP TechnologiesPublication . Sánchez-Moreno, Ricardo; Blanco Galvez, Julian; Guillot, Emmanuel; Flamant, Gilles; Blanco Muriel, Manuel Jesus; Benitez, Daniel; Georgiou, Marios; Fylaktos, Nestor; Cardoso, João; Canavarro, Diogo; Martín, José; Martinez, DiegoABSTRACT: An ERIC, established by a decision of the European Commission, is a legal entity possessing legal personality and full legal capacity acknowledged across all EU Member States. Its primary role is to establish and operate a research infrastructure on a non-economic basis. Under the initiative of Spain, France, Germany, and Cyprus as Members, with Portugal as an Observer, a European Research Infrastructure Consortium (ERIC) has been formed. This consortium, named "European Solar Research Infrastructure for Concentrated Solar Power" (EU-SOLARIS ERIC) is established in accordance with Council Regulation (EC) No. 723/2009 of 25 June 2009. The establishment of an ERIC was sanctioned by the European Commission, as evidenced in Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2022/2297 of 19 October 2022 [1]. The inaugural assembly of the EU-SOLARIS ERIC took place at the CIEMAT Headquarters in Madrid on 12th January 2023. During this gathering, the General Assembly was officially convened, and the Statutes along with other governing documents were formally endorsed. At the time of composing this document, negotiations for the accession of three additional countries—Greece, Turkey, and Italy—are underway. This paper summarizes the R&D activities carried out during this first year of the ERIC, particularly, we describe the new projects achieved.
- Decarbonization Transition Pathways and Regional Trends: Insights from One Million StudiesPublication . Bento, Nuno; Alves, Tiago; Ribeiro, Ricardo; Fontes, MargaridaABSTRACT: As global temperatures near critical thresholds and emissions continue to rise, the urgency for strategic, accelerated decarbonization grows. Despite a vast climate mitigation literature, a systematic understanding of actionable pathways remains limited. Here, we apply artificial intelligence to analyze over one million scientific papers (2011–2021), generating a data-driven typology of six archetypal decarbonization pathways: Technology Breakthrough, Electrification of Uses, Integrated Policy, Decarbonization of Electricity, Demand Reduction & Co-benefits, and Land Use & Circularity. Regional patterns show Electrification of Uses prevailing in Europe (EU27), while Technology Breakthrough dominates in China, the US, and Japan. Increasing political and societal resistance to mitigation makes the strategic selection and combination of pathways even more critical. Our analysis highlights key synergies between pathways, the scientific competencies required to support them, and persistent gaps—particularly in Land Use and Circularity. We also compare current climate policy directions with the typology, revealing alignment gaps that may weaken policy effectiveness. This framework enables policymakers to better match strategies with regional capacities and research strengths, offering a more coherent approach to decarbonization. Strengthening the integration of science, technology, and policy is essential to overcome fragmentation and deliver the emissions reductions needed to meet the net-zero climate targets.
- Driving Transformative Change: Assessing the Direction and Design of Decarbonization Policies in the EU, US, China, and JapanPublication . Fontes, Margarida; Sousa, Cristina; Bento, NunoABSTRACT: The transition to low‐carbon economies demands policies that drive both decarbonization and deep socioeconomic transformation. This paper assesses the “transformative potential” of 3,400 decarbonization policies from Europe, the US, China, and Japan. We define transformative potential considering both policy direction – alignment with sustainability goals, and policy design ‐ presence of mechanisms that can induce transformation, such as experimentation, actor diversity, multiscale coordination, and reflexivity. The research shows that when we consider a broad universe of decarbonization policies, transformative potential is still limited: only 20% of policies align with at least one transition pathway and include at least one transformative mechanism; and just 2% include three or more mechanisms. By identifying distinguishing features of these higher transformative potential policies, the paper contributes to understanding how technological, sectoral and contextual factors shape the capacity of policies to enable transformative change.
- Experimental investigation of a novel wave energy floating platform for hybrid wind-wave applications: The OctaPlatPublication . Mendonça, Nuno P.; Portillo, Juan C. C.ABSTRACT: The work presents the process of model design and testing and the experimental results for the OctaPlat, a new wave energy floating platform, conceived at IST/ULisboa. A physical model was designed on the basis of the Octaplat concept, which comprises five oscillating water columns (OWCs). The physical model design considered only three of the five OWCs due to infrastructure constraints and was made of acrylic material on a scale of 1:100th scale. The experimental campaign comprised free decay tests and tests under both regular and irregular wave conditions. Different power take-off systems for OWCs (impulse air turbines) were approximated through small orifices. Parameters such as RAO, dimensionless pressure, and the capture width ratio (CWR) were determined and analysed to understand the model performance under different conditions. Under regular waves, the results showed that the coupled hydrodynamic interaction between pitch and surge motions mainly affects the chambers located at the outer edges of the platform. Furthermore, the RAOs of the OWCs seem to be influenced by the natural coupled heave frequency, the natural frequencies of OWC1 and OWC3, and possibly the submultiple of the coupled heave natural frequency (k=1.5). Results also show that the different orifice plates considerably affect the CWR and the peaks' frequencies of its maximum values. Under irregular waves considering full-scale values, for a 2.5 m significant wave height, the peak pneumatic power reached 1.6 MW at 0.077 Hz with an equivalent rotor air turbine diameter of 6.3 m (that is, 30 mm orifice diameter) and 1.9 MW at 0.083 Hz with an equivalent rotor air turbine diameter of approximately 4 m (i.e., 20 mm orifice diameter). For a significant wave height of 3.4 m, the 30 mm orifice produced 3.6 MW at 0.077 Hz, while the 20 mm orifice reached 3.8 MW at 0.091 Hz. These results confirm the platform's feasibility for megawatt-scale wave energy conversion, supporting a key claim of this technology. The experimental results were compared with the numerical ones in terms of CWR. Good agreement was found between both, with a coefficient of determination (R^2) of about 0.94, and the relative difference between them was always less than 20%, except for a few peak deviations.
- From Day-Ahead to a 6-Hour Period-Ahead Market Adapted to the Stochastic Behaviour of Variable Energy Renewable SourcesPublication . Couto, António; Algarvio, Hugo; Lopes, Fernando; Estanqueiro, Ana; Santos, Gabriel; Lezama, Fernando; Faia, Ricardo; Carvalho, Rui; Vale, ZitaABSTRACT: The existing electricity market design challenges the fair and competitive participation of variable renewable energy sources (vRES) due to their weather dependence and limited forecasting accuracy, especially for long-time horizons, as required in the day-ahead market (DAM). These challenges impact market clearing prices and create imbalances, leading to inefficiencies, such as market-splitting events. To enhance the market efficiency and fairness for vRES producers, this work proposes a period-ahead market (PAM) with a 6-hour rolling horizon instead of the traditional 24-hour DAM. A case study of the Iberian electricity market with 2030 energy mix scenarios for Portugal and Spain, demonstrates that, in PAM, vRES producers can reduce wind and solar power forecast errors by over 7 % and 4 %, respectively, when compared with DAM. This leads to a 2 % decrease in electricity prices and an annual reduction of marketsplitting events in 158 hours thus enhancing price harmonization between Portugal and Spain. Additionally, balancing prices also decreased in PAM benefiting the balance responsible parties. The findings highlight that PAM improves the market's efficiency, a key factor in the pathway for the decarbonization of power systems.
- The H2Excellence Project-Fuel Cells and Green Hydrogen Centers of Vocational Excellence Towards Achieving Affordable, Secure, and Sustainable Energy for EuropePublication . Gano, António; Ribeiro Pinto, Paulo Jorge; Esteves, M. Alexandra; Rangel, Carmen M.ABSTRACT: The demand for green hydrogen (H2) and related technologies is expected to increase in the coming years, driven by climate changes and energy security of supply issues, amid the European and global energy crises. The European Green Deal and REpowerEU Plan have identified H2 as a key pillar for reaching climate neutrality by 2050 and for the intensification of hydrogen delivery targets, bringing the large-scale adoption of hydrogen production and applications, and stressing the need for a skilled workforce in emergent H2 markets. To that end, the H2Excellence project will establish a Platform of Vocational Excellence in the field of fuel cells and green hydrogen technologies, with an educational and training scheme to tackle identified skill gaps and to implement life-long learning opportunities. This project aims to become a European benchmark in training and knowledge transfer, incorporating the entire hydrogen value chain. The work is supported by the Knowledge Triangle Model, integrating education, research, and innovation efforts to build a dynamic ecosystem in the green hydrogen sector. In this work, activities conducted so far by LNEG as a project partner and expected impacts are highlighted. Those activities are based on a stakeholder needs assessment conducted by project partners and on the knowledge and experience accumulated in research activities developed in the Materials for Energy research area.
- Heat Flow Density Estimations in the Portuguese Northern Hercynian Massif using Silica GeothermometryPublication . Correia, Antonio; Ramalho, ElsaABSTRACT: Surface heat flow density (HFD) estimates in the Portuguese northern Hercynian Massif are difficult to obtain using the usual Fourier method. As a matter of fact, this zone is mostly composed by granitoid and metamorphic rocks, and most wells drilled there are too shallow for reliable HFD calculations; furthermore, HFD estimates are scarce and their geographical distribution is still very irregular. All these conditions imply that a HFD map for this region must be obtained using alternative methods, such as the silica geothermometry method. Under certain conditions, the use of silica geothermometers to estimate HFD in mineral waters has proved to be an effective way to understand and establish the thermal regime in areas with scarce conventional HFD determinations. Because temperatures obtained with silica geothermometry are related to deep thermal conditions in the crust and to water-rock equilibrium, a regional HFD analysis may be carried out using those temperatures. The silica geothermometer, developed by Truesdell in 1976 (Truesdell, 1976), give good results for low SiO2 concentrations, which is the case for the Portuguese northern Hercynian Massif, and is applied to more than 30 samples of mineral water occurrences reported for the zone. This number of samples, even though small, is considerably higher and more evenly distributed than conventional HFD estimates for the same area. Application of silica geothermometry to northern Hercynian Massif waters shows a discrete reservoir temperature zoning, ranging from about 45 ºC, in its southwest limit, to more than 120 ºC, towards its northeast limit. Using temperatures obtained by silica geothermometry and heat flow density values calculated through the conventional method in an area of 1º x 1º in the study zone, an empirical linear relationship between HFD and temperatures obtained by silica geothermometry is obtained and used to construct a HFD map for the Portuguese northern Hercynian Massif. The resulting HFD map is compared with the general geological and structural framework, and an attempt to a geothermal characterisation of the Portuguese northern Hercynian Massif is made.
- Li-ion Battery Recycling: A Summary ReviewPublication . Nogueira, Carlos; Neiva Correia, Maria Joana; Margarido, Fernanda; Plancha, Maria João; Pedrosa, Fátima; Gonçalves, Ana; Silva, Clara; Silva, SaraABSTRACT: A short review of battery recycling technologies is presented. Main components and materials of battery cells, modules and packs are identified, highlighting their compositions and contents. Main component of packs is aluminium, followed by the cathode materials, anode materials, copper and polymers. Safe discharge of the spent batteries is mandatory, and the subsequent dismantling allows separation and valorisation of the aluminium casings, electronic components, polymers and steel. The resulting cells or modules are pretreated by shearing and drying, and the solvent and evolving gases shall be safely treated and disposed. Physical separation operations, including secondary shredding, sieving, gravity separation, among others, are applied to separate the Al, Cu and polymer fragments from the electrode powders (black mass). Metallurgical processing, by hydro or pyrometallurgy, allows further recovery of the metals in pure forms, which are then sent back to the market. Nowadays, several hydrometallurgical processes are being introduced, allowing high recovery yields of the most important metals such as lithium, cobalt, nickel and manganese. By this way, a more sustainable management of the resources can be achieved.
- Numerical investigation of a novel hybrid wind-wave system and its variable pneumatic chamber volume controlPublication . Marreiros, João; Portillo, Juan C. C.ABSTRACT: This work presents a numerical investigation of a novel control system for a new hybrid wave-wind energy floating platform. It comprises the design of a control system for controlling the variable pneumatic chamber volumes coupled with the hydrodynamics of the floating platform to maximise wave power production. The numerical model is developed in the object-oriented non-casual language Modelica, for which a new module for the control system was integrated into an existing package developed at IST/ULisboa. A sensitivity analysis of the main control parameters in terms of techno-economic parameters is performed and analysed. Results show that the envelope of control parameters’ values for increasing conversion efficiencies and power production is narrow, and an increase of about 30% was achieved with the best case compared with the base case. Moreover, it was observed that the variable volume of the pneumatic chambers shows significant variations on a part of the operational periods typical of the west of Portugal.
- On the Integration of Hydrogen in multipurpose wave energy platformsPublication . Mourão, Guilherme; Portillo, Juan C. C.ABSTRACT: his work presents an integrated numerical modelling approach implemented in Modelica language, which combines a multipurpose wave energy floating platform made of multiple oscillating water columns and the production and storage of green hydrogen in the same platform. The modelling approach comprised the simulation of the platform in WAMIT from which the hydrodynamic coefficients were obtained that serve as input for the integrated model implemented in Modelica. The Cherry Library for electrolysis processes and new modules developed in this work for storage were used and coupled to a model for the five-oscillating-water-column floating platform. The optimisation of hydrogen production based on hydrodynamic performance and energy conversion from waves off the coast of Portugal was conducted to identify optimal green hydrogen production parameters. The operational performance of the system was studied in detail for four representative days of the seasons to estimate optimal production of green hydrogen from ocean waves under those conditions. Dispatch of hydrogen and its conversion to other sustainable fuels, such as methanol or Ammonia are also discussed in terms of the total levelised cost of hydrogen (LCOH). A new tool developed at the National Laboratory for Energy and Geology was implemented to estimate costs. Results are still under progress.