Weihui Xu

When a thermal power unit operates under deep peak shaving and variable load conditions, the heat-resistant materials of the boiler’s heat exchange surfaces will suffer accelerated fatigue damage due to frequent thermal shocks. To grasp the evolution law of thermal shock damage in high-temperature heat-resistant steel for the key equipment of thermal power units, based on the 12Cr1MoVG heat-resistant steel, a plastic strain simulation analysis was conducted. Through numerical simulation, the coupling relationship among thermal shock duration, thermal stress evolution, equivalent plastic strain (PEEQ) accumulation, damage penetration depth, and fatigue life was investigated. The results show that extending the duration of thermal shock will increase the thermal stress of the material, causing the failure depth to increase from 2.24 mm to 2.6 mm, and the accumulation rate of PEEQ at different depths of the material to accelerate, with the theoretical life decreasing from 1.82 × 10⁵ cycles to 1.72 × 10⁵ cycles. Extending the duration of low-temperature exposure will reduce the thermal stress of the material, causing the failure depth to decrease from 2.24 mm to 2.03 mm, and the accumulation rate of PEEQ at different depths of the material to slow down, with the theoretical life increasing from 1.81 × 10⁵ cycles to 1.94 × 10⁵ cycles. The research results can provide reference for fatigue damage and life assessment of the high-temperature and high-pressure materials used in key equipment of thermal power.

The growing demand for portable power has triggered a sharp increase in end-of-life lithium–nickel–cobalt–manganese oxide (NCM) batteries. Efficient recovery of NCM cathode materials is crucial for resource security. This study investigates an ascorbic acid–tartaric acid leaching system for extracting cobalt and manganese from spent NCM batteries. Temperature influences the leaching efficiencies of cobalt and manganese. Leaching efficiencies increase from 50 to 80 °C, consistent with the Arrhenius law. However, beyond 80 °C, side reactions inhibit cobalt leaching. Leaching efficiency increases with time over the range of 40 to 120 min, and then stabilizes at equilibrium. Ascorbic acid concentration plays a critical role. Within 0–1.5 mol/L, ascorbic acid promotes dissolution through reduction and coordination. At higher concentrations, excess H⁺ ions hinder complex formation. Similarly, tartaric acid concentration has an optimum range of 0.2–0.5 mol/L, where both H⁺ and ligands are supplied effectively. Outside this range, ligand availability is reduced. The solid–liquid ratio also affects performance. The optimal range of 5–15 g/L promotes mass transfer. Outside this range, efficiency declines due to solid accumulation or reduced diffusion. The results show that under optimal conditions, leaching recovery reaches 94.8% for Co and 99.3% for Mn. The optimal leaching conditions were determined as follows: tartaric acid, 0.5 M; ascorbic acid, 1.5 M; liquid-to-solid ratio, 15 g/L; stirring speed, 300 rpm; temperature, 80 °C; and leaching time, 120 min. This system represents a promising laboratory-scale approach for recovering cobalt and manganese from spent NCM batteries, pending further validation in larger-scale studies.

The sinter cooler, essential for cooling hot sintered ore to a specific temperature, has seen recent advancements with the introduction of a vertical sinter cooling furnace. This innovation aims to enhance energy efficiency, reduce emissions, and improve waste heat recovery. Despite significant research, a quantitative analysis of factors impacting its cooling and heat transfer efficiency is lacking. This study utilizes the Euler model and local non-equilibrium thermodynamic theory to identify key factors affecting the gas–solid cooperative cooling process in the vertical cooler. Through an orthogonal experimental approach, the paper determines the optimal structural and operational parameters for the furnace. Key findings include that a gas–solid ratio of 1200m^3/t, inlet air temperature of 50 ℃, cooling section height of 6m, and diameter of 13.25m maximize efficiency, achieving a weighted range normalization value of 0.962. This configuration meets sintered ore cooling requirements while optimizing waste heat recovery. The study reveals that the impact on heat transfer efficiency is influenced primarily by the gas–solid ratio, followed by the cooling section's height, diameter, and inlet air temperature. These insights are crucial for enhancing the vertical sinter cooler's design, contributing to more energy-efficient and environmentally friendly sintering processes.

Photovoltaic power generation prediction constitutes a significant research area within the realm of power system artificial intelligence. Accurate prediction of future photovoltaic output is imperative for the optimal dispatchment and secure operation of the power grid. This study introduces a photovoltaic prediction model, termed ICEEMDAN-Bagging-XGBoost, aimed at enhancing the accuracy of photovoltaic power generation predictions. In this paper, the original photovoltaic power data initially undergo decomposition utilizing the Improved Complete Ensemble Empirical Mode Decomposition with Adaptive Noise (ICEEMDAN) algorithm, with each intrinsic mode function (IMF) derived from this decomposition subsequently reconstructed into high-frequency, medium-frequency, and low-frequency components. Targeting the high-frequency and medium-frequency components of photovoltaic power, a limiting gradient boosting tree (XGBoost) is employed as the foundational learner in the Bagging parallel ensemble learning method, with the incorporation of a sparrow search algorithm (SSA) to refine the hyperparameters of XGBoost, thereby facilitating more nuanced tracking of the changes in the photovoltaic power’s high-frequency and medium-frequency components. Regarding the low-frequency components, XGBoost-Linear is utilized to enable rapid and precise prediction. In contrast with the conventional superposition reconstruction approach, this study employs XGBoost for the reconstruction of the prediction output’s high-frequency, intermediate-frequency, and low-frequency components. Ultimately, the efficacy of the proposed methodology is substantiated by the empirical operation data from a photovoltaic power station in Hebei Province, China. Relative to integrated and traditional single models, this paper’s model exhibits a markedly enhanced prediction accuracy, thereby offering greater applicational value in scenarios involving short-term photovoltaic power prediction.

In order to explore the law of gas–solid countercurrent cooling heat transfer in a vertical sinter cooling furnace at a high temperature, based on the Euler model and the local non-thermodynamic equilibrium theory, an exergy efficiency model was built to evaluate the heat transfer process in the vertical sinter cooling furnace with different parameter changes. It was found that the inlet temperature of cooling air and sinter inlet temperature are the main factors affecting the temperature field and gas–solid heat transfer characteristics in the furnace. Under the conditions of each parameter, the cooling air temperature presents a radial “M” shape distribution. The axial cooling section is the most intense area of gas–solid heat transfer, and this part has the best heat transfer effect. When the inlet temperature of cooling air and the inlet temperature of sinter increase, the outlet temperature of sinter and the outlet temperature of cooling air increase. When the sinter equivalent diameter increases, the cooling air outlet temperature decreases gradually, while the sinter outlet temperature increases gradually. When the diameter and height of the cooling section increase, respectively, the outlet temperature of the sinter decreases and the outlet temperature of the cooling air increases. Based on dimensional analysis, the heat transfer correlation formula suitable for certain test conditions is obtained.

An AC excitation power supply will produce a series of harmonic currents in motors compared to the conventional power supply, increase the time harmonic component, and then generate a harmonic magnetic field; harmonics will cause motor vibrations and noise in the motor and will produce a corresponding additional loss, increasing the motor temperature rise; these key technical problems need to be solved in domestic pumped storage AC excitation motor engineering applications. Herein, the no-load loss characteristic test of a 3 MW alternating current excited motor was mainly carried out using a test prototype of the 3 MW alternating current excitation motor. Further, with the aid of the finite element method, the numerical study of the no-load loss characteristics of a 3 MW alternating current excited motor was performed. The relationship between the key factors such as the no-load characteristics, no-load loss characteristics, and constant loss and voltage per unit value is analyzed, and the variation law of the no-load core loss of motors under different loads is explored. The results demonstrate that, under no-load conditions, when the applied voltage was less than the rated voltage, the voltage was proportional to the current. When the applied voltage was more significant than the rated voltage, the current increased as the voltage increased, but the relationship between the two was no longer proportional. The constant loss of the motor maintained a linear relationship with the square of the unit value of the voltage scale. When the square of the unit value of the voltage scale was zero, the loss was equivalent to the wind friction loss under no load. The core loss increased with the increase in load, and the greater the load, the faster the increase rate of the motor iron loss. The comparison deviation between the test and simulation results was less than 10%. The simulation and experimental results verified the effectiveness of finite element modeling and the finite element calculation method.

The water inlet channel is an essential component of the thermal power plant’s circulating water system. It primarily arranges the water flow in the channel so that it is introduced into the pump room smoothly, steadily, and uniformly. Significantly, the operation state of the circulating water pump is impacted by the flow condition of the water inlet channel. The coal-fired generating set’s water input channel was chosen as the research object in this work, and the Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) Method was used to examine hydraulic issues impacting anomalous vibration of circulating pumps. Nine optimization options were also suggested, and the effects of the various plans on the water inlet channel’s flow state were examined—the simulation’s outcomes. The simulation’s findings indicate that the arc deflector can enhance the water entry channel’s flow pattern. The wall-attached bias flow of the suction chamber vanished, and the constant flow state is present around the pump’s bellmouth. The thermal power unit’s circulating water pump’s vibration was eliminated, and the circulating pump’s operating efficiency increased due to the curved deflector’s rectification procedures being implemented in the forebay. The study’s findings can guide the hydraulic performance optimization of channels for water inlets with similar sideways or high slopes.

Cooling towers are widely used in many fields, but the generation of visible plumes has a serious impact on the environment. Moreover, the evaporation losses also cause a great waste of water. In this paper, a vapor-condensing plume abatement system was designed for a mechanical-draft cooling tower based on the mechanism of vapor plume generation. An effective method to achieve water-saving and eliminate the water fog generated in the cooling tower was proposed, and its feasibility was verified by using thermodynamic analysis. Next, the vapor-condensing plume abatement device was designed and used for both the confined space cooling tower (CSCT) and the free space cooling tower (FSCT). The surface type heat exchanger was adopted to design the vapor-condensing plume abatement device. Then a basic calculation flow and method were proposed to obtain thermodynamic operating parameters. According to the comparison between the results of theoretical calculation and practical engineering application, it was found that the designed vapor-condensing plume abatement system obviously benefits the water-saving of a mechanical-draft cooling tower and considerable economic benefits can be obtained. The contents presented provide the theoretical basis and technical support for the upgrade of the cooling tower and the design of the new cooling tower.

While the visible plume from a cooling tower is not a pollutant, it can affect the surrounding environment. Moreover, the accompanied evaporation loss has a great potential for wastewater recovery. In the present study, a novel coupling technology for water conservation and plume abatement was proposed, and its feasibility was verified by using thermodynamic analysis. A surface-type heat exchanger was designed and a thermodynamic calculation model was established. Next, based on the principle of “no plume,” the effect of the number of heat exchanger units (N) and the circulating water volume (G) on the water conservation and plume abatement was evaluated under design condition. Results showed that the optimized parameters for the operation of the cooling towers were N = 8 and G < 3000 m³/h, which have a good effect on water conservation and plume abatement. Furthermore, as per the condensation calculation model, the average water conservation amount was 1.105 kg/s and the annual water conservation amount reached 2.8641 × 10⁷ kg.