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Electronics
Special Issues
Energy Harvesting and Storage Technologies
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Energy Harvesting and Storage Technologies

A special issue of Electronics (ISSN 2079-9292). This special issue belongs to the section "Industrial Electronics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 May 2024 | Viewed by 7944

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Giacomo Cerretti

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Microfabrica Inc., Los Angeles, CA 91406, USA
Interests: semiconductors; microelectronics; electronics testing; renewable energies; materials science

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

With a continuously growing population, the amount of energy required to power the always higher number of electronic devices and technologies that have become part of our daily lives has reached unsustainable levels. The consequences are evident, and we are all witnessing the devastating effects of global warming firsthand on a global scale. Unfortunately, this process is irreversible, but we still have time to slow it down. In this scenario, it becomes particularly crucial to reduce the quantity of energy we use while also maximizing the efficiencies of the power-producing systems that are currently in place. Energy harvesting and energy storage technologies can play a crucial role in achieving these objectives. This Special Issue of Electronics aims at drawing attention to these technologies, their current stage of development, and the ongoing research.

This Special Issue of Electronics will focus the attention on the state of the art and the ongoing developments of such technologies. The goal is to produce comprehensive work that focuses on current efforts in design, simulations, implementation, testing, and analysis of the key energy-harvesting and storage technologies, including:

  • Piezoelectric;
  • Electromagnetic energy harvesting (RF, wireless, etc.);
  • Pyroelectric;
  • Thermoelectric;
  • Thermal energy storage;
  • Batteries;
  • Fuel cells;
  • Solar energy;
  • Wind energy.

Dr. Giacomo Cerretti
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Electronics is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

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21 pages, 6106 KiB  
Article
A Novel Energy Management Control Scheme for a Standalone PV System in a DC Nanogrid
by Armel Asongu Nkembi, Danilo Santoro, Paolo Cova and Nicola Delmonte
Electronics 2023, 12(23), 4725; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics12234725 - 21 Nov 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 755
Abstract
Distributed energy resources (DERs), such as photovoltaic (PV) sources, together with storage systems, such as battery energy storage systems (BESS), are increasingly present and necessary in our electricity distribution networks. Furthermore, the need for efficient use of energy from DERs, especially in developing [...] Read more.
Distributed energy resources (DERs), such as photovoltaic (PV) sources, together with storage systems, such as battery energy storage systems (BESS), are increasingly present and necessary in our electricity distribution networks. Furthermore, the need for efficient use of energy from DERs, especially in developing countries and remote communities, must be addressed with the development of nanogrids (NGs), particularly DC NGs, and standalone PV systems with adequate control strategies. This paper investigates the control and dynamic operation of a standalone PV system. It consists mainly of three DC–DC power converters for the PV source interface, battery management, and load voltage control. A two-level modulation scheme is applied to each of these converters to switch them ON and OFF. A maximum power point tracking (MPPT) closed-loop voltage control system is implemented to make sure that the PV operates at optimum power regardless of the irradiance level or temperature, while battery voltage and load-side voltage control are also implemented to indirectly provide the required load power. The control of each of the converters is achieved by deriving their small-signal models using a state-space approach from which various control objectives are implemented. The DC-link is clamped by a BESS which acts as a backup source to provide power to the DC load in the absence of sufficient power from the PV panel. The dynamic operation of the whole system is enhanced by proposing a robust feedforward scheme that improves the response of the system in the presence of disturbances. The models are analyzed and implemented using PLECS, and numerical simulations are performed to validate the developed models and control schemes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Energy Harvesting and Storage Technologies)
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18 pages, 6693 KiB  
Article
Profitability of Hydrogen-Based Microgrids: A Novel Economic Analysis in Terms of Electricity Price and Equipment Costs
by Jesús Rey, Francisca Segura and José Manuel Andújar
Electronics 2023, 12(20), 4355; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics12204355 - 20 Oct 2023
Viewed by 1205
Abstract
The current need to reduce carbon emissions makes hydrogen use essential for self-consumption in microgrids. To make a profitability analysis of a microgrid, the influence of equipment costs and the electricity price must be known. This paper studies the cost-effective electricity price (EUR/kWh) [...] Read more.
The current need to reduce carbon emissions makes hydrogen use essential for self-consumption in microgrids. To make a profitability analysis of a microgrid, the influence of equipment costs and the electricity price must be known. This paper studies the cost-effective electricity price (EUR/kWh) for a microgrid located at ‘’La Rábida Campus’’ (University of Huelva, south of Spain), for two different energy-management systems (EMSs): hydrogen-priority strategy and battery-priority strategy. The profitability analysis is based, on one hand, on the hydrogen-systems’ cost reduction (%) and, on the other hand, considering renewable energy sources (RESs) and energy storage systems (ESSs), on cost reduction (%). Due to technological advances, microgrid-element costs are expected to decrease over time; therefore, future profitable electricity prices will be even lower. Results show a cost-effective electricity price ranging from 0.61 EUR/kWh to 0.16 EUR/kWh for hydrogen-priority EMSs and from 0.4 EUR/kWh to 0.17 EUR/kWh for battery-priority EMSs (0 and 100% hydrogen-system cost reduction, respectively). These figures still decrease sharply if RES and ESS cost reductions are considered. In the current scenario of uncertainty in electricity prices, the microgrid studied may become economically competitive in the near future. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Energy Harvesting and Storage Technologies)
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19 pages, 9853 KiB  
Article
Efficiency Measurements of Energy Harvesting from Electromagnetic Environment for Selected Harvester Systems
by Wiesław Sabat, Dariusz Klepacki, Kazimierz Kamuda, Kazimierz Kuryło and Piotr Jankowski-Mihułowicz
Electronics 2023, 12(20), 4247; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics12204247 - 13 Oct 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 646
Abstract
The results of our research devoted to efficiency measurements of energy harvesting from tele-transmission systems featuring examples of model autonomous semi-passive RFID identifiers have been presented in this paper. The selected harvester systems were tested in different systems and circuit configurations to determine [...] Read more.
The results of our research devoted to efficiency measurements of energy harvesting from tele-transmission systems featuring examples of model autonomous semi-passive RFID identifiers have been presented in this paper. The selected harvester systems were tested in different systems and circuit configurations to determine of energy harvesting conditions. The appropriate laboratory stand was designed and constructed for investigations in accordance with real-world electromagnetic conditions. The obtained results made it possible to determine the dependence of harvester output voltage in selected applications (operation mode, localization related to the energy source) as well as the minimum power threshold required for identifier operations in the environment. The real energy balance was also established, which is highly useful for configuring identifier parameters and optimizing the operation mode to achieve the best energy harvesting from the electromagnetic environment. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Energy Harvesting and Storage Technologies)
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17 pages, 9043 KiB  
Article
Battery-Assisted Battery Charger with Maximum Power Point Tracking for Thermoelectric Generator: Concept and Experimental Proof
by Shunsuke Tanabe and Toru Tanzawa
Electronics 2023, 12(19), 4102; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics12194102 - 30 Sep 2023
Viewed by 774
Abstract
This paper proposes a concept of battery-assisted battery charger with maximum power point tracking for DC energy transducer such as thermoelectric generator and photo voltaic generator, and shows experimental results to prove the concept. The DC energy transducer is connected in series with [...] Read more.
This paper proposes a concept of battery-assisted battery charger with maximum power point tracking for DC energy transducer such as thermoelectric generator and photo voltaic generator, and shows experimental results to prove the concept. The DC energy transducer is connected in series with a battery to increase the voltage. The plus terminal for the DC energy transducer is connected with the input terminal of a DC-DC buck converter, whereas the battery is connected with the output terminal of the converter. Thus, the current is boosted from the input to the output. When the net current to the battery is positive, the system works as a battery charger. To extract the as much power from the DC energy transducer as possible for high charging efficiency, maximum power point tracking is introduced. The converter was designed in 180 nm 3V CMOS with a silicon area of 1.05 mm2. The concept was experimentally proven by varying the reference voltages to control the input voltage. An all-solid-state battery was charged up from 2.2 V to 2.3 V in two hours by the converter with a flexible thermoelectric generator which had an open-circuit voltage of 0.6 V. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Energy Harvesting and Storage Technologies)
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25 pages, 5932 KiB  
Article
The Economic Impact and Carbon Footprint Dependence of Energy Management Strategies in Hydrogen-Based Microgrids
by Jesús Rey, Francisca Segura, José Manuel Andújar and Andrea Monforti Ferrario
Electronics 2023, 12(17), 3703; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics12173703 - 01 Sep 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1645
Abstract
This paper presents an economic impact analysis and carbon footprint study of a hydrogen-based microgrid. The economic impact is evaluated with respect to investment costs, operation and maintenance (O&M) costs, as well as savings, taking into account two different energy management strategies (EMSs): [...] Read more.
This paper presents an economic impact analysis and carbon footprint study of a hydrogen-based microgrid. The economic impact is evaluated with respect to investment costs, operation and maintenance (O&M) costs, as well as savings, taking into account two different energy management strategies (EMSs): a hydrogen-based priority strategy and a battery-based priority strategy. The research was carried out in a real microgrid located at the University of Huelva, in southwestern Spain. The results (which can be extrapolated to microgrids with a similar architecture) show that, although both strategies have the same initial investment costs (EUR 52,339.78), at the end of the microgrid lifespan, the hydrogen-based strategy requires higher replacement costs (EUR 74,177.4 vs. 17,537.88) and operation and maintenance costs (EUR 35,254.03 vs. 34,877.08), however, it provides better annual savings (EUR 36,753.05 vs. 36,282.58) and a lower carbon footprint (98.15% vs. 95.73% CO2 savings) than the battery-based strategy. Furthermore, in a scenario where CO2 emission prices are increasing, the hydrogen-based strategy will bring even higher annual cost savings in the coming years. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Energy Harvesting and Storage Technologies)
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15 pages, 2737 KiB  
Article
Exploring the Limitations of Electric Field Energy Harvesting
by Jordi-Roger Riba, Ricard Arbat, Yaye Oumy Ndong and Manuel Moreno-Eguilaz
Electronics 2023, 12(17), 3626; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics12173626 - 28 Aug 2023
Viewed by 1162
Abstract
Energy harvesting systems are key elements for the widespread deployment of wireless sensor nodes. Although many energy harvesting systems exist, electric field energy harvesting is a promising choice because it can provide uninterrupted power regardless of external conditions and depends only on the [...] Read more.
Energy harvesting systems are key elements for the widespread deployment of wireless sensor nodes. Although many energy harvesting systems exist, electric field energy harvesting is a promising choice because it can provide uninterrupted power regardless of external conditions and depends only on the presence of AC voltage in the grid, regardless of the magnitude of the line current, even under no-load conditions. However, it also has some disadvantages, such as low power availability, the need for storage, or reliance on capacitive coupling, which is a complex phenomenon that depends on parasitic capacitances. This paper aims to provide useful and practical information on the possibilities of electric field energy harvesting for both high- and low-voltage applications. Since the objective of this paper is to quantify the physical limit of the harvested energy, it considers only the physical harvester itself and not the electronic circuitry required to transfer the harvested energy to the load. Theoretical, simulation, and experimental results show the feasibility of this energy source for low-power applications such as wireless sensor nodes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Energy Harvesting and Storage Technologies)
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Review

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21 pages, 3294 KiB  
Review
Optimizing Piezoelectric Energy Harvesting from Mechanical Vibration for Electrical Efficiency: A Comprehensive Review
by Demeke Girma Wakshume and Marek Łukasz Płaczek
Electronics 2024, 13(5), 987; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics13050987 - 05 Mar 2024
Viewed by 965
Abstract
In the current era, energy resources from the environment via piezoelectric materials are not only used for self-powered electronic devices, but also play a significant role in creating a pleasant living environment. Piezoelectric materials have the potential to produce energy from micro to [...] Read more.
In the current era, energy resources from the environment via piezoelectric materials are not only used for self-powered electronic devices, but also play a significant role in creating a pleasant living environment. Piezoelectric materials have the potential to produce energy from micro to milliwatts of power depending on the ambient conditions. The energy obtained from these materials is used for powering small electronic devices such as sensors, health monitoring devices, and various smart electronic gadgets like watches, personal computers, and cameras. These reviews explain the comprehensive concepts related to piezoelectric (classical and non-classical) materials, energy harvesting from the mechanical vibration of piezoelectric materials, structural modelling, and their optimization. Non-conventional smart materials, such as polyceramics, polymers, or composite piezoelectric materials, stand out due to their slender actuator and sensor profiles, offering superior performance, flexibility, and reliability at competitive costs despite their susceptibility to performance fluctuations caused by temperature variations. Accurate modeling and performance optimization, employing analytical, numerical, and experimental methodologies are imperative. This review also furthers research and development in optimizing piezoelectric energy utilization, suggesting the need for continued experimentation to select optimal materials and structures for various energy applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Energy Harvesting and Storage Technologies)
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