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Accurate estimation of battery internal model parameters and consequently SOC prediction is crucial in any battery power system. Hence, it is a fundamental need in electric vehicles, smart grids, and energy storage systems. The accuracy of parameters identification will affect the battery management system, battery safety, characteristics, and performance, which mainly depends on battery model parameters. So, to estimate the parameters accurately and easily, we require effective, simple, and robust parameters estimation algorithms. In this article, we propose a new method for estimation of parameters using least square method algorithm for Lithium-Ion Batteries (LIBs) for Electric Vehicle (EV) applications. In this, a second-order RC equivalent circuit model is considered for estimation of parameters of NMC battery. The estimation of parameters and relation between OCV-SOC nonlinear is obtained from the experimental data. This proposed method shows that the calculation of parameters is fast and efficient.

The objective of this article is to illustrate the various fast charging techniques that are being used to charge the lithium-ion batteries in electric vehicles. Various charging protocols such as constant current, constant voltage, constant current constant voltage, multistage constant current, varying current method, pulse charging methods are critically reviewed and explained in their broader perspective of fundamental concepts to their modeling/simulation. Amongst, the constant current constant voltage charging approach is considered as a benchmark for other charging protocols in terms of the charging time, the charging efficiency, and battery life. A critical comparison among the various charging methods mentioned above are discussed and possible future research directions in the design and development of new fast charging techniques have been proposed based on the commercial and societal demands.

Biosynthesis of nanoparticles employing plant extracts has become incredibly popular as a simple and environmentally benign alternative to chemical and physical methods for synthesizing nanoparticles. The present work reports a low-cost green synthesis of gold nanoparticles (GNP) using green tea leaf extract as a reducing and stabilizing agent. Synthesized nanoparticles were characterized by UV–Visible absorption spectroscopy and Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) to confirm the presence of GNP in the solution. Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS) analysis confirmed the particle size in the range of 43 nm. These biosynthesized GNP were studied to understand their catalytic role in photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue (MB) under daylight conditions.

Phase change materials (PCM) are commonly utilized materials in latent heat energy storage (LHES) systems. In the present study, Fe2O3 was incorporated into myristic acid. The composites were prepared by melting and mixing method. The acids dispersed with Fe2O3 were prepared to enhance the thermal properties of the PCM mixtures and heat transfer at various nanoparticle loadings of 1 wt%, 2 wt%, 3 wt%, and 4 wt% were investigated. It was observed from the experimental results that the duration of melting and cooling rates for PCM composites increased in all nano compositions with respect to the pure myristic acid. Fourier transform infrared spectrum confirmed higher chemical stability of the nanoenhanced phase change material.

Phase change materials (PCM) are commonly utilized materials in latent heat energy storage systems. In the present study, Fe2O3 was incorporated into the eutectic mixture of myristic acid and lauric acid. The composites were prepared by a melting and mixing method. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and dynamic light scattering results revealed the physicochemical properties of the eutectic mixture. Thermal analysis was performed on the optimized PCM mixtures with various Fe2O3 loadings of 1 wt.%, 2 wt.%, 3 wt.%, 4 wt.%, and 5 wt.%. It is observed from the experimental results that the duration of melting and cooling rates for PCM composite with 4 wt.% Fe2O3 loadings was significantly improved, i.e., 85.72% and 78.31%, respectively, when compared to its pristine counterparts. These enhanced heating/cooling rates and thermal conductivity are attributed to the optimized impregnation of 4 wt.% Fe2O3 nanostructures into the eutectic mixture.

Herein, we present an advanced approach for the estimation of battery model parameters using the Cuckoo Search optimization Algorithm (CSA) for Lithium-Ion Batteries (LIB) in Electric Vehicle (EV) applications. In any battery-powered system, accurate determination of internal battery parameters and, as a consequence, SOC prediction is essential. The precision of parameter identification, which is mostly governed by battery model parameters, will significantly impact the battery’s safety, characteristics, and performance. Hence, we need effective, simple, and efficient parameter estimation algorithms to estimate the parameters accurately. The parameters of the NMC cell are predicted using a 2RC (second-order RC) Equivalent Circuit Model (ECM). The experimental data was utilized to determine the parameters and the correlation between OCV and SOC. The suggested approach and validation results demonstrate that the CSA for detecting parameters in LIBs is efficient and resilient. The proposed algorithm tends to limit the root mean square error of 0.44 percent between experimental and simulation results. Simulated results show that the novel approach outperforms the standard algorithm nonlinear least square method and other metaheuristic methods such as GA and PSO.

The recent surge of research in the development of sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) as an alternative to the lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) has shown that the SIBs can reduce the load of the LIBs in certain areas. However, the development of SIBs in the commercial arenas is yet to be tapped. This perspective delineates the importance of Ni-rich cathodes and various strategies to ameliorate the performance of the Ni-rich cathodes in the SIBs. Also, discussed various synthesis routes for the industrial-scale synthesis of Ni-rich materials and tried to elucidate the importance of SC cathodes and the necessity to develop those in SIBs.

The advent of industrialization increased the problems of water scarcity and groundwater degradation. Solar stills are robust devices to produce fresh water from contaminated. The low productivity of these devices limits their widespread commercial usage. This drawback could be enhanced by the utilization of phase change nanocomposite materials. This paper proposes a design for the modification of solar still by using both nanocomposites and solar photovoltaic energy. The integration of both these approaches will enhance the effectiveness of the process and will increase the productivity of solar stills.

Solar panels are widely used renewable power generation sources. However, their light to energy conversion efficiency is low. This efficiency further decreases by 0.02% per degree Celsius temperature rise of a solar cell. This paper presents a method of cooling the photovoltaic panel through the complete back surface by a phase change material (PCM) absorber layer to prevent the formation of hotspots. The excess heat absorbed in the panel can be rejected to the PCM layer. Adding nanoparticles in this PCM will provide a better heat transfer and maintain optimum PV panel temperatures. A novel carbon-based PCM nanocomposite with very low concentration of additives is proposed. The model showed that increasing the nanoparticle concentration in PCM heat sink, the steady-state heat rejection rate from the panel to the PCM layer will increase from 320 to 621 J/s. Therefore, the temperature rise in the panel can be reduced by using PCM absorber layer.

Phase change materials (PCM) are commonly utilized materials in the latent heat energy storage systems. However, they have the limitation of low thermal conductivities which leads to poor charging and discharging rates. Lauric acid dispersed with the iron oxide nanoparticle was tested for its thermal performance to characterize its phase change properties. Different compositions of lauric acid were formulated with varying concentrations of iron oxide ranging from 1 wt. % to 4 wt. % were investigated. From the thermal charging and discharging studies, it was observed that lauric acid with 4% had shown the maximum heat transfer rate. Also, the FTIR spectrum confirmed the chemical stability and uniform dispersion of nanoparticle in lauric acid even after several thermal cycles. Such, lauric acid nanocomposites embedded with the iron oxide could be potential candidates in PCM applications.

One of the great technological challenges in the present century is the development of renewable energy technologies due to serious problems related with the production and use of energy. Nanotechnologies are considered as a promising area of research that provide an extensive range of resources to resolve energy-related problems, as the developing components in the nano-regime provide alternate ways to capture, store, and exchange energy. Applications of nanotechnology have opened new avenues and brought novel concepts to the fore to improve the photovoltaic efficiency of devices without compromising on cost-effectiveness. Further, nanotechnology can also play a major role in making cost-effective fuel cells, manufacturing materials with high durability and lower weight for the wind energy industry. In this context, this chapter focuses mainly on nanomaterial-based devices that could provide benefits by providing alternative energy sources or modifying existing ones, which are environmentally benign or improve the existing sources of renewable energy.

In this present study, we are demonstrating the application of green synthesized Nanocarbon soot which is environmentally benign, and low cost option which can be used in the crime scene for the development of latent finger print. Different surfaces like paper, plastic and metals are explored to evaluate the performance of nanocarbon as compared with standard carbon powder. Nanocarbon showed an improved image quality on both porous and nonporous surfaces by revealing more number of minutiae in comparison with commercial black powder.

The thermal energy storage (TES) in phase change materials (PCMs) plays an important role in energy management systems. Paraffin has found wide range of applications as a PCM due to its unique thermal and physical properties. The present study reports about the synthesis of MoO3 nanomaterials using chemical method. MoO3 nanomaterial was diffused into paraffin wax in 0.5, 1, 1.5, and 2 weight percentages and thermal analysis was conducted. It was observed that 1.5 wt % doped PCM showed best enhancement in thermal performance with 20.28% and 35.71% improvement in heating and cooling cycles. The photocatalytic activity of synthesized nanocomposite was also evaluated by degradation of methylene dye under visible light irradiation. The photocatalytic degradation effectiveness of as synthesized nanocomposites has showed high photodegradation efficiency (93.83 %) of methylene blue under visible light radiation.

In this study, flower-like MoS2 nanospheres were synthesized via a facile hydrothermal route. The morphological and phase analysis confirmed the formation of polycrystalline MoS2 nanoflowers assembled by lamellar nanosheets. A novel shape-stabilized phase change material was fabricated by imprisoning different concentrations of MoS2 into myristic acid. It was observed from the experimental results that the duration of melting and cooling rates for PCM of 0.25 wt%, 0.5 wt%, 0.75 wt%, 1 wt%, 1.25 wt% increased as compared to pristine counterparts. 1 wt% had the highest heat transfer rate, with a value of 9.4% and 52.81% for melting and cooling, respectively. The result from analytical technique showed there was no chemical reaction between MoS2 and myristic acid even after multiple cycles. Since this unique MoS2 based composite has indicated good thermal reliability for latent-heat storage, and release, this composite can be considered as an appropriate PCM for thermal energy storage applications.

One-dimensional nanofibers fabricated by the process of electrospinning have found engaging applications in the field of dye sensitized solar cells (DSSC) due to semi-directed electron transport. Current research accounts for the development of conductive mats made from nanofibers, which is achieved through the electrospinning of TiO2–ZnO composites and by using polyvinylpyrrolidine as a carrier solution. This fiber was annealed at 450 °C to attain a continuous network of conducting nanofibers. ZnO from the composite was selectively etched to fabricate high surface area anisotropic TiO2 hierarchical fiber. Morphological and phase analysis conducted by scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction studies confirmed the formation of anatase phase and 1-D hierarchical morphology of TiO2. These structures were employed as photoanodes in DSSC, which had shown superior photoconversion efficiency.

The ongoing production in the area of Nanotechnology changed the industrial, commercial and scientific experimental regions inclusive of agriculture business. Numerous usages of nanotech has risen because of the necessity of nanoparticles for various areas of food chemistry, for example, food-processing, food-packaging, food-development, food-safety, identification of germs found in food which is increasing time span of usability of food and additionally consumable items. This review paper describes about the role of particles in size of nanometers in the food industry so as to deliver harmless and toxin-less consumable products to the public. Nanotech contains prospective to enrich the nutritional values of food products and even introduce decent food and edibles through bio-encapsulation. Nano materials can be used to develop bio sensors and nano sieves for pathogen and contamination detection. It can likewise utilize for food packaging materials to increase antimicrobial properties and improve shelf life. This innovation additionally increases worry about toxicology parts of nanoparticles in the consumable items. Impacts of direct introduction of consumers to nanoparticles incorporated in food are likewise reviewed.

Nanoparticles-based sensors have many benefits in sensitivity and specificity over traditional sensors. Nanoparticles-based sensors have more specificity due to operation at a small scale and hence the new properties on that basis. A novel, simple and highly sensitive method for the identification of the spoiled milk was developed based on measuring the percentage of lactic acid in spoiled milk by a functionalized nanoparticles sensor. In the present study silver nanoparticles were synthesized by chemical method and functionalized with cysteine and histidine. The nanoparticles were characterized by Dynamic light scattering (DLS) and UV-Visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis). A distinct color change was observed by the addition of functionalized nanoparticle to spoiled milk. Amino acids are helping in binding of nanoparticles and lactic acid resulting in the aggregation of nanoparticle. With the increase in the lactic acid concentration, thereby depicting the color change.

2D Molybdenum disulfide (MoS 2 ) is one among the most significant transition metal dichalcogenides which is attracting a wide range of research interests due to its potential applications in a broad spectrum. Monolayer of MoS 2 shows a direct band gap in the range of 1.8 eV and its layer dependence related to the band structure addresses the perennial problems related to graphene. Its applicability in such a versatile spectrum makes it an interesting candidate of study and this review attempts to explain the structure, properties and different characterization methods of 2D MoS 2 .

A comprehensive understanding of lithium-ion batteries became an essential aspect of solid-state electrochemical research due to their coalescence with routine. While it exhilarates us with increase in productivity of LIBs due to the emergence of Ni-rich cathode materials, the scope to upscale it according to the industrial needs is yet to be tapped to its full potential. Through this perspective article, the functional differences between LIBs and SIBs, state-of-the-art Single-crystalline NCM cathode, the status of the respective research works, crucial factors for industry scaling of the cathode materials, and the future scope of the research work are elucidated.

Green-synthesized mesoporous-structures have widespread attention due to its environmentally-benign nature and numerous applications. Herein, we report the green synthesis of mesoporous iron oxide network using green tea extract. The morphological and phase analyses were evaluated and elucidated the formation of mesoporous-structure showing predominantly hematite-phase. Catalytic role of α-Fe2O3 was investigated in Fenton reaction for the removal of methylene blue dye to understand its significance in wastewater treatment. Keywords: Green-synthesis, Mesoporous, α-Fe2O3, Photocatalysis

Staphylococcus aureus is one of the major causes of skin and soft tissue infections. In this study we compared the antimicrobial activity of two different TiO2 nanoformulations against Staphylococcus aureus. We synthesized TiO2 nanoparticles of approximately 80 nm diameter and TiO2 nanowires of approximately 100 nm diameter. Both nanoformulations possess anti-microbial activity; were non-hemolytic and cytocompatible. However, the anti-staphylococcal activity of TiO2 nanowires was better than the nanoparticles. In broth culture, growth of S. aureus was only partially inhibited by 2% and 4 wt% TiO2 nanoparticles and completely inhibited by TiO2 nanowires till 24 h. TiO2 nanowires treated S. aureus cells exhibits diminished membrane potential than nanoparticle treated cells. The anti-microbial properties of both TiO2 nanoformulations were validated using ex vivo porcine skin model which supplements the in vitro assays. Anti-bacterial activity of the TiO2 nanowires were also validated against multi drug resistant pathogenic strains of S. aureus, showing the clinical potency of the TiO2 nanowires compared to its nanoparticles.

The present study demonstrates a facile approach by which TiO2-graphene nanocomposites can be processed into bulk powders via molten salt technique. A detailed study had been performed to elucidate the effect of graphene content (0.2–10 wt%) in these nanocomposites and its impact on the opto-electrical properties. From the analysis an intrinsic correlation between the graphene content and conductance of the composite has been explained on the basis of relative band gap and work function properties. Fluorescence spectroscopy measurements showed the excitonic intensity to be lower in these nanocomposites indicating that the recombination of photo-induced electrons and holes can be effectively inhibited. Conductivity measurements revealed mean specific conductance values about 15–55% higher than that of the TiO2 nanoparticles. Preliminary studies have shown that an efficiency of 5.4% could be attained by employing TiO2-graphene nanocomposites as photoanodes in dye sensitized solar cells.

The present paper reports a simple route to fabricate high surface area anatase TiO2 mesoflowers from electrospun TiO2–SiO2 composite nanostructures. Electrospun fiber- and rice-shaped TiO2–SiO2 composite nanostructures upon treatment with concentrated alkali (NaOH) under hydrothermal conditions (180 °C) result in chemical transformation of the TiO2 and in situ etching of SiO2 to give sodium titanates. The sodium titanate upon acidification followed by a low temperature sintering (180 °C) results in 3D TiO2 mesoflowers. The material is found to be superior to the commercial P-25 in photocatalysis.

The present study reports the electrospinning of commercially available polyaniline-carbon black composite to develop conductive nanofibrous mats using polyvinyl alcohol as a binder solution. This binder solution was sublimated at 230 � C to attain a complete conducting nanofiber network. The binder sublimation was confirmed using thermo gravimetric analysis (TGA). Ultra-violet visible spectroscopy was used to determine the refractive index values for porosity measurements. It was observed that the heat treatment reduced the fiber diameter from ∼ 250 nm to ∼ 160 nm and increased the porosity from 41 ± 1.2% to 70 ± 2%. The spatial specific conductance mapping using Scanning Electro-Chemical Microscopy showed that the presence of polyvinyl alcohol binder in polyaniline-carbon black composite could introduce percolation threshold. The heat-treated fibers showed four times increase in specific conductance values on removal of binder phase from the fiber structure. The role of nanoscaled Schottky barriers in determining conductive pathways through polymer by hopping mechanism and also along carbon black particles are also been proposed in this study.

Staphylococcus aureus is one of the major causes of skin and soft tissue infections. In this study we compared the antimicrobial activity of two different TiO2 nanoformulations against Staphylococcus aureus. We synthesized TiO2 nanoparticles of approximately 80 nm diameter and TiO2 nanowires of approximately 100 nm diameter. Both nanoformulations possess anti-microbial activity; were non-hemolytic and cytocompatible. However, the anti-staphylococcal activity of TiO2 nanowires was better than the nanoparticles. In broth culture, growth of S. aureus was only partially inhibited by 2% and 4 wt% TiO2 nanoparticles and completely inhibited by TiO2 nanowires till 24 h. TiO2 nanowires treated S. aureus cells exhibits diminished membrane potential than nanoparticle treated cells. The anti-microbial properties of both TiO2 nanoformulations were validated using ex vivo porcine skin model which supplements the in vitro assays. Anti-bacterial activity of the TiO2 nanowires were also validated against multi drug resistant pathogenic strains of S. aureus, showing the clinical potency of the TiO2 nanowires compared to its nanoparticles.

A rice-shaped TiO2-ZnO composite was prepared by electrospinning a mixture comprising the precursors of TiO2 and ZnO in polyvinyl acetate polymer dissolved in N,N-dimethyl acetamide. The electrospun nanofibers upon heat treatment in air resulted in collapse of the continuous fiber morphology and the formation of the rice-shaped TiO2-ZnO composite. The TiO2-ZnO composite was then treated with dilute acetic acid under hydrothermal conditions to etch ZnO from the TiO2-ZnO composite to get coral-shaped anisotropic TiO2. The structural anisotropy of TiO2 produced by the selective etching of ZnO resulted in a high surface area of 148 m(2) g(-1) for the TiO2. The initial and final materials were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, Raman and XPS spectroscopies, powder X-ray diffraction and BET surface area measurements. The utility of the anisotropic TiO2 in photovoltaics and photocatalysis was explored. Dye-sensitized solar cells fabricated using the TiO2 showed a conversion efficiency of 6.54% as against 4.8% for a control experiment with the rice-shaped TiO2. The anisotropic TiO2 also showed good photocatalysis in the degradation of methyl orange dye and phenol.

The present study demonstrates an original approach by which Au nanoparticles (approximately 10 nm) are embedded into TiO2 fibers via electrospinning. The photocatalytic performance of the resultant fibrous material was studied and related to the architecture and the nature of the internal interfaces in the composite. It was found that embedment of nano Au particles into the TiO2 fiber significantly improved the photocatalytic performance as compared to non-embedded ones. Electrospun fibers with the Au nanoparticles (approximately 10 nm) showed an average fiber diameter of approximately 380 nm. The photocatalytic studies of Au embedded TiO2 fibers using ultra-violet (UV) visible spectroscopy showed approximately 35% increase in photocatalytic activity when compared to the TiO2 fibers without the Au nanoparticles after 7 hrs of UV irradiation. This increase in photocatalysis was attributed to the ability of Au to increase charge separation in TiO2 and also to the ability of Au to transfer plasmonic energy to the dye.

The present study demonstrates a novel approach by which titanium foils coated with electropolymerized poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) in combination with sputtered platinum can be processed into a high-surface area cathodes for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). A detailed study has been performed to elucidate how surface nanomorphology and I(-)/I(3-) redox reaction behaviors underlying these photocathodes impact the DSSC performances. From the analysis of the relevant electrochemical parameters, an intrinsic correlation between the photovoltaic performances and the cathode surface area has been deduced for such a system and explained on the basis of relative contributions of the galvanic coupling properties of the nanomorphology PEDOT film and platinum. Depending on the type of photocathodes incorporated, it was observed that these PEDOT coated cathodes can exhibit higher stability over a given time range and photo-conversion efficiencies 12-40%, higher than that achievable in absence of the intermediate PEDOT coatings. It has been shown that DSSCs based on such metal-polymer hybrid photo-cathodes allow significant room for improvement in the catalytic performance at the electrode/electrolyte interface.

We report a simple synthesis route for producing ultrafine porous TiO2 nanofibers (∼10 nm diameters) from electrospun rice-shaped TiO2 nanostructures. The rice-shaped TiO2 obtained by annealing the as-spun TiO2–PVAc composite nanofibers was treated with concentrated alkali (with KOH under hydrothermal conditions) followed by acid treatment and low temperature sintering. The alkali treatment produces the titanate (K2Ti3O7) which undergoes exchange of ions (protons) during the acid treatment resulting in H2Ti3O7. The heat treatment of the protonated titanate (H2Ti3O7) results in their conversion to ultrafine TiO2 (titanate-derived TiO2) nanofibers. The rice-shaped TiO2 and the titanate-derived TiO2 nanofibers were characterized by SEM, TEM, XRD, XPS, Raman and BET measurements and the latter has ∼2.5 times higher surface area than the former. The TiO2 nanofibers showed superior photocatalytic applications than the commercial P-25 TiO2 .

Herein, we report the facile synthesis of two α-Fe2O3 nanostructures with different morphologies via an electrospinning technique using ferric acetyl acetonate as a precursor and polyvinyl acetate and polyvinyl pyrrolidone as the respective polymers. The as-electrospun metal oxide–polymer composite fibers were sintered at 500 °C to obtain two distinct nanostructures, denoted as nanograins and porous fibers throughout this manuscript. These crystalline nanostructures were characterized using powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDAX) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The characterization results elucidated the predominance of hematite (α-Fe2O3) with particle sizes of 21 and 53 nm, for the respective nanostructures. Electrophoretic deposition was carried out in order to fabricate thin film electrodes, which were then subjected to electrochemical analysis. Electrochemical characterization revealed that both of the fabricated electrodes exhibited excellent performance in 1 M LiOH electrolyte with specific capacitance values of 256 and 102 F g−1 for the porous fiber and nanograin structures, respectively, at a scan rate of 1 mV s−1 and excellent capacitance retention, even after 3000 cycles, thus making them promising electrode materials for energy storage devices.

The present study reports the electrospinning of TiO2-graphene composite nanofibers to develop conductive nano-fiber mats using polyvinylpyrrolidone as a carrier solution. This carrier solution was sublimated at 450 °C to attain a complete conducting continuous nanofibrous network. It was observed during the annealing that as the graphene content was increased to 1 wt% the continuous fiber morphology was lost. Annealing did not have any impact on the fiber diameter (∼150 nm) or morphology as the graphene content was maintained between 0.0–0.7 wt%. The surface porosity of these samples was found be in the range of 45–48%. The presence of graphene in TiO2 nanofibers was confirmed using Raman spectroscopy. Photoluminescence spectroscopy showed excitonic intensity to be lower in graphene-TiO2 samples indicating that the recombination of photo-induced electrons and holes in TiO2 can be effectively inhibited in the composite nanofibers. Fluorescence spectroscopy was used to confirm this phenomenon where blue and quenched emissions were observed for the electrospun TiO2 nanofibers and composite fibers, respectively. Conductivity measurements showed the mean specific conductance values obtained for TiO2-graphene composites to be about two times higher values than that of the electrospun TiO2 fibers. Assembling these TiO2-graphene fiber composites as photoanodes in dye sensitized solar cells, an efficiency of 7.6% was attained.