In this thesis, the potential to purify water utilizing waste heat from a unit which stores thermal energy and converts it to electricity is studied. The unit, called TES.POD, is developed by Azelio AB and is in this thesis used as a heat source to drive an air gap membrane distillation (AGMD) unit developed by Scarab Development AB. Heat from the TES.POD and ambient air temperature constitutes a temperature difference over a membrane used as a driving force to vaporize a part of the water that transfer through the membrane, and later condensates as clean distilled water as the contaminations stays in the hot stream of feed water. An analysis has been conducted to determine quasi-steady performance of the combined system for estimating the amount of purified water that can be supplied when the TES.POD unit is in peak electricity discharge mode. The 26 kW of waste heat accessible from the TES.POD is shown to enable two AGMD-modules producing purified water at a production of 7, 1l/h per unit having the feed water at 50°C and cooling water at 25°C. A correlation between the amount of waste heat and distilled water production is determined, as the TES.POD could be configured to produce less electricity and more waste heat at a higher temperature. The correlation showed that an 9% increase in cooling temperature, lead to an 30% increase in pure water output and a 33% decrease in electricity output. The results show that when implementing the two companies’ units together, a system that both provides electricity and distilled water is obtained. This is a system with a high demand, especially in off-grid areas with lack of both resources but with accessible renewable energy sources. Moreover, by using waste heat to purify water, it can also reduce the production cost compared to cases where conventional energy sources are used. The potential revenue of the production was estimated to 673 790 SEK/year with an implementation cost of 93 861 SEK with yearly operational expenses estimated to 14 080 SEK/year. / I detta arbete undersöks möjligheten att rena vatten med spillvärme från ett system vilket lagrar termisk energi och av den producerar elektricitet, när det behövs. Systemet är utvecklat av Azelio AB och har produktnamnet TES.POD. Vattendestillationen utförs med en så kallad air gap membrane distillation (AGMD) modul, utvecklad av Scarab Development AB. Värmen från TES.POD och omgivningstemperaturen utgör, i AGMD-modulen, en temperaturdifferens vilken i sin tur skapar en partielltryckskillnad över membranet. Denna partielltryckskillnad låter en del av det förorenade vattnet som flödar i AGMD-modulen att förångas och passera genom membranet. Föroreningarna stannar kvar i det strömmande vattnet och ångan kondenserar som renat vatten.  Arbetet visar att de 26kW som finns att tillgå i form av spillvärme är tillräckligt för att driva två AGMD-moduler att producera 7,1 l/h destillerat vatten per modul. Detta är under förutsättningar att det förorenade vattnet är 50°C och kylvattnet är 25°C. I rapporten återfinns också ett samband mellan mängden spillvärme och produktionen av destillerat vatten, eftersom TES.POD kan konfigureras till att producera spillvärme vid en högre temperatur. Sambandet visade på att 9% ökning av spillvärmens temperatur motsvarar 30% ökning i produktionen av destillerat vatten och en minskad elektricitetsproduktion på 33%.  Resultatet visar på att integrationen av dessa två produkter bildar ett system som både producerar rent vatten och elektricitet när så önskas. Detta system har till synes en stor efterfrågan, speciellt i områden utanför fast el- och vattennätverk men med goda förnyelsebara energikällor. Dessutom, eftersom vattendestillationen sker med spillvärme, kan produktionskostnaderna vara lägre än då konventionella energikällor används. Den potentiella inkomsten från produktionen estimeras till 673 790 SEK/year med en inköpskostnad om 93 861 SEK samt årliga omkostnader om 14 080 SEK/year.

See file / Se bif. fil

Il presente lavoro si è concentrato sui meccanismi neurofisiologici e comportamentali legati all'invecchiamento sano e patologico. Il primo studio ha esplorato le dinamiche comportamentali ed elettrofisiologiche (N2pc e CDA) del processamento di oggetti multipli in pazienti con decadimento cognitivo lieve ed in pazienti con malattia di Alzheimer (AD), al fine di identificare marcatori neurofisiologici per distinguere l’invecchiamento normale da quello patologico. I dati suggeriscono che la CDA può essere un marcatore neurale utile sia per distinguere tra invecchiamento sano e patologico che per caratterizzare le diverse fasi lungo il continuum della malattia di Alzheimer, diventando un biomarcatore per la diagnosi precoce di AD. Il secondo studio ha valutato la possibilità di applicare un protocollo di neuroriabilitazione non invasiva, mediante stimolazione elettrica transcranica (tES), per migliorare le prestazioni cognitive aumentando il livello di eccitazione. Sia le prestazioni comportamentali ad un compito di memoria a breve termine che gli indici di attivazione fisiologica autonomica (dilatazione pupillare e conduttanza cutanea) sono stati studiati in un gruppo di soggetti giovani sani e in un gruppo di soggetti anziani sani. Nei giovani, entrambe le risposte comportamentali e fisiologiche non sono state modulate dall’applicazione della tES. Negli anziani, invece, la stimolazione reale ha indotto la rievocazione di una proporzione significativamente più bassa di stimoli ad alta salienza, rispetto alla condizione sham, suggerendo una riduzione della capacità di memoria. Gli indici fisiologici risultano inaffidabile nei partecipanti anziani e non possono essere utilizzati per trarre conclusioni definitive sulle modulazioni indotte dalla tES sul livello di eccitazione. Questi risultati hanno mostrato che l’applicazione della tES, durante un compito di memoria a breve termine, modulano diversamente le prestazioni comportamentali nei partecipanti giovani ed in quelli anziani. / The present work focused on neurophysiological and behavioral mechanisms related to healthy and pathological aging. The first study explored the behavioral and electrophysiological dynamics (N2pc and CDA) of multiple object processing in mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients to identify neurophysiological markers able to differentiate normal from pathological aging. Data suggested that CDA may be a useful neural signature to both distinguish between healthy and pathological aging and characterize the different stages along the AD continuum, possibly becoming a reliable candidate for an early diagnostic biomarker of AD pathology. The second study evaluated the possibility to apply a non-invasive neurorehabilitation protocol, by means of transcranial electrical stimulation (tES), to improve cognitive performance by increasing the level of arousal. Both the behavioral performance to a short term memory task and indexes of autonomic physiological activation (pupillary dilatation and skin conductance) were investigated in a group of healthy young subjects and in a group of healthy elderly subjects. In young, both behavioural and physiological responses were not modulated by tES application. In elderly, instead, real tES induced the report of a significant lower proportion of high salient stimuli, compared to the sham condition, suggesting a reduction of the memory span. The physiological indexes resulted unreliable in elderly participants and they could not be used to draw firm conclusions on the tES modulations of the level of arousal. These results showed that bursts of tES, applied during a short term memory task, differently modulated behavioural performance in young and elderly participants.

Les succès des récentes mesures des anisotropies en température et en polarisation du spectre du fond diffus cosmologique (CMB), notamment par les satellites WMAP et bientôt PLANCK, ont considérablement transformé les perspectives en cosmologie. Sur le plan scientifique, celles ci viennent fortement confirmer le scénario du Big Bang et ont contribué à établir un modèle standard de la Cosmolgie appelé ΛCDM. Les efforts sont aujourd'hui portés sur la polarisation de ce rayonnement. En effet pendant une période inflationnaire où l'univers aurait subi une expansion accélérée, un mode particulier de polarisation du CMB appelé mode B aurait été généré par des ondes gravitationnelles primordiales. La mesure de ces modes B primordiaux pousse les contraintes instrumentales de 3 à 5 ordres de grandeur. Leur détection éventuelle fait du CMB un enjeu pour la physique fondamentale en tant que preuve indirecte de l'existence des ondes gravitationnelles, tout en nous offrant une fenêtre unique et riche en information sur les tout premiers instants de l'Univers. Mon travail de thèse aborde cette problématique au niveau instrumental. Les détecteurs utilisés sont aujourd'hui en dessous du bruit lié à la statistique d'arrivée des photons. Le seul moyen d'améliorer la sensibilité est donc d'augmenter soit le temps d'observation, soit le nombre de détecteurs, en prenant soin de réduire au maximum les sources d'erreurs systématiques. Une des solutions les plus prometteuses est le développement de la technologie supraconductrice. Cette dernière offre une réponse à ces deux problèmes : - Une facilité de réalisation en matrice en utilisant des techniques de micro-fabrication. - La possibilité d'utiliser une contre-réaction négative afin d'améliorer l'uniformisation de leur réponse et ainsi réduire les effets systématiques.

The focus of this thesis work was the development of an approachto couple a previosly existing Thermal Energy Storage (TES) modelwritten in C++ with a Simulink/Simscape plant model to simulate anAdvanced Adiabatic Compressed Air Energy Storage (AA-CAES) plant.After the creation and validation of such tool, the complete modelwas used to run simulations, with the aim of assessing the AA-CAESplant's performance under multiple patterns of charge anddischarge.Most of the works found in the literature only provide values ofstorage efficiency obtained from analytical approaches, whilethose that use simulation tools provide average values ofefficiencies when the plant is performing a series of identicalcycles of charge and discharge. During this thesis project,instead, simulations were performed for consecutive irregularcycles determined as the plant response to the electric grid powerrequest. The average efficiency values obtained provide thereforea better representation of how the plant would perform in realapplications.The results show that, under the assumptions made, the AA-CAESplant's overall storage efficiency is influenced very weakly byalterations of the charge-discharge patterns, and that goodperformances can be expected not only for identical chargedischargeconsucutive cycles, but for any pattern that observesthe cavern pressure limits, as long as the thermal energy storageis sized wisely.In addition, a sensitivity analysis was performed in order toassess the influence of turbomachinery efficiency on overallstorage efficiency, for a specified plant layout. The results showthat the turbine efficiency is the most affecting parameter to theplant's performance, while the impact of the main compressors'sinefficiency is mitigated by the thermal recovery that takes placein the TES.The present work confirms that AA-CAES is a promising technologyand that storage efficiencies above 70% can be achieved even inrealistic production scenarios.Finally, future steps for more accurate simulations of plants'performances and more detailed energy production scenarios areproposed.MSc ET 18007Examinator: Joakim WidénÄmnesgranskare: Ane HåkanssonHandledare:

Made available in DSpace on 2015-03-13T17:08:39Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 LuizGSD_ate_cap6.pdf: 3498562 bytes, checksum: 2d2d95d878c0320cd578c1fd98d02cfe (MD5) Previous issue date: 2006-08-31 / Coordena??o de Aperfei?oamento de Pessoal de N?vel Superior / The of Serrinha plutonic suite, northeastern portion of the Borborema Province (NE Brazil), is characterized by a voluminous and diversified magmatism of Neoproterozoic age, intrusive in the Archean to Paleoproterozoic gneissic-migmatitic basement of the S?o Jos? de Campestre massif. Field relations and petrographic and geochemical data allowed us to individualize different lithologic types among this plutonic suite, which is represented by intermediate to mafic enclaves, porphyritic diorites, porphyritic granitoids, porphyritic granodiorites, microporphyritic granites and dykes/sheets of microgranite. The intermediate-to-mafic enclaves occur associated with porphyritic granitoids, showing mixture textures. The porphyrytic diorites occur as isolated bodies, generally associated with intermediate-to-mafic enclaves and locally as enclaves within porphyritic granites. The granodiorites represent mixing between an intermediate to mafic magma with an acidic one. The micropophyritic granites occur as isolated small bodies, generally deformed, while the microgranite dykes/sheets crosscut all the previous granitoids. A U-Pb zircon age of 576 + 3 Ma was obtained for the Serrinha granite. This age is interpreted as age of the peak of the regional ductile deformational event (D3) and of the associated the E-W Rio Jacu shear zone, which control the emplacement of the Neoproterozoic syntectonic plutons. The porphyrytic granitoids show monzogranitic composition, transitional between peraluminous and metaluminous types, typically of the high potassium subalkaline-calc-alkaline series. The intermediate-to-mafic enclaves present vary from quartz diorite to tonalite/granodiorite, with metaluminous, shoshonitic affinity. The diorites are generally quartz-monzodiorite in composition, with metaluminous, subalkaline affinity. They display coarse-grained, inequigranular, porphyrytic texture, with predominance of plagioclase phenocrystals immersed in a matrix composed of biotite and pyroxenes. The microporphyrytic granites are essentially monzogranites of fine- to medium-grained texture, whereas microgranite dikes/sheets varying from monzogranites to syenogranites, with fine to media texture, equigranular. The diversified magmatism occurring at a relatively small surface associated with shear zones, suggests lithospheric dimensions for such structures, with magma extractions from different depths within the lower crust and upper mantle. The geological, geochemical and geochronological characteristics of the Serrinha plutonic suite suggest a pos-collisional geodynamic context for the Neoproterozoic magmatism. Thermobarometric data show emplacement conditions in the range 5-6 kbar (AlTamphibole) and 730-740?C (plagioclase-amphibole) for the porphyrytic granitoids (Serrinha body) and the intermediate-to-mafic enclaves / A su?te plut?nica da regi?o de Serrinha, localizada no extremo nordeste da Prov?ncia Borborema (NE do Brasil), caracteriza-se por um volumoso e diversificado magmatismo de idade neoproteroz?ica, intrusivo no substrato gn?issico-migmat?tico, de idade arqueana a paleoproteroz?ica, do Maci?o S?o Jos? de Campestre. Rela??es de campo, dados petrogr?ficos e geoqu?micos permitiram individualizar os diferentes tipos litol?gicos desta su?te plut?nica, que s?o representados por encraves intermedi?rios a m?ficos, rochas dior?ticas porfir?ticas, granit?ides porfir?ticos, granodioritos porfir?ticos, granitos microporfir?ticos e diques/sheets microgran?ticos. Os encraves intermedi?rios a m?ficos ocorrem, principalmente, associados aos granit?ides porfir?ticos, exibindo fei??es de mistura. Os dioritos porfir?ticos ocorrem como corpos isolados, associados com encraves intermedi?rios a m?ficos, e localmente como encraves nos granitos porfir?ticos. Os granodioritos representam um f?cies t?pico de mistura entre um magma intermedi?rio a m?fico, dior?tico, e outro ?cido, granitico. Os granitos microporfir?ticos apresentam-se como pequenos corpos isolados, geralmente deformados. Os diques e sheets microgran?ticos s?o tardios na seq??ncia magm?tica da ?rea estudada, com rela??es intrusivas nas demais unidades magm?ticas. Uma idada U-Pb em zirc?o de 576 + 3 Ma foi obtida para o Granito Serrinha, que ocorre controlado por uma zona de cisalhamento de dire??o geral E-W (Zona de Cisalhamento Rio Jacu). Tendo em vista o car?ter sintect?nico desse pl?ton, essa idade marca a sua coloca??o e o pico da deforma??o D3 associada. Este evento ? respons?vel pela atual arquitetura estrutural da ?rea mapeada, com gera??o da tect?nica ranscorrente/distensional impressa nas zonas de cisalhamento que controlam o alojamento dos pl?tons neoproteroz?icos. Os granit?ides porfir?ticos apresentam composi??o predominantemente monzogran?tica, apresentando caracter?sticas transicionais entre peraluminosos e metaluminosos, tipicamente de afinidade subalcalina - c?lcio-alcalina de alto K. Os encraves intermedi?rios a m?ficos variam de quartzo dioritos a tonalitos/granodioritos, com textura faner?tica fina a m?dia. S?o rochas metaluminosas de afinidade shoshon?tica. As rochas dior?ticas porfir?ticas s?o principalmente quartzo monzodioritos, com textura inequigranular porfir?tica, com predom?nio de fenocristais de plagiocl?sio imersos numa matriz composta por biotita e pirox?nios. S?o rochas metaluminosas, de afinidade subalcalina m?fica. Os granitos microporfir?ticos s?o essencialmente monzogranitos de textura fina a m?dia, inequigranular, e os diques e sheetsmicrogran?ticos apresentam composi??o variando de monzogranitos a sienogranitos, com textura fina, equigranular. Apesar da pouca quantidade de dados, essas rochas apresentam caracter?sticas de afinidade geoqu?mica com a s?rie c?lcio-alcalina de alto K. O diversificado magmatismo ocorrendo em uma superf?cie relativamente pequena, associado a zonas de cisalhamento, apontam dimens?es litosf?ricas para essas estruturas, com extra??o de magmas a partir de diferentes n?veis da crosta e do manto superior. As caracter?sticas geol?gicas, geoqu?micas e geocronol?gicas da su?te plut?nica Neoproteroz?ica da regi?o de Serrinha sugerem um contexto geodin?mico p?s-colisional para a coloca??o dos corpos estudados ao final da orog?nese Neoproteroz?ica. Dados termobarom?tricos apontam condi??es P-T da ordem de 5-6 kbar (AlT-anfib?lio) e 730-740?C (plagiocl?sio-anfib?lio) para a coloca??o dos granit?ides porfir?ticos e encraves intermedi?rios a m?ficos associados

Continued emission of green house gases has energized research activity worldwide to develop efficient ways to harness renewal energy. The availability of large scale energy storage technologies is essential to make renewal energy a reliable source of energy. Redox flow batteries show potential in this direction. These batteries typically need expensive membranes which need replacement be-cause of fouling. The recently proposed soluble lead redox flow battery (SLRFB), in which lead ions deposit on electrodes in charge cycle and dissolve back in discharge cycle, can potentially cut down the cost of energy storage by eliminating membrane. A number of challenges need to be overcome though. Low cycleability, residue formation, and low efficiencies are foremost among these, all of which require an understanding of the underlying mechanisms. A model of laminar flow-through SLRFB is first developed to understand buildup of residue on electrodes with continued cycling. The model accounts for spatially and temporally growing concentration boundary layers on electrodes in a self consistent manner by permitting local deposition/dissolution rates to be controlled by local ion transport and reaction conditions. The model suggests controlling role for charge transfer reaction on electrodes (anode in particular) and movement of ions in the bulk and concentration boundary layers. The non-uniform current density on electrodes emerges as key to formation of bare patches, steep decrease in voltage marking the end of discharge cycle, and residue buildup with continuing cycles. The model captures the experimental observations very well, and points to improved operational efficiency and decreased residue build up with cylindrical electrodes and alternating flow direction of recirculation. The underlying mechanism for more than an order of magnitude increase in cycle life of a beaker cell battery with increase in stirrer speed is unraveled next. Our experiments show that charging with and without stirring occurs identically, which brings up the hitherto unknown but quite strong role of natural convection in SLRFB. The role of stirring is determined to be dislodgement/disintegration of residue building up on electrodes. The depletion of active material from electrolyte due to residue formation is offset by “internal regeneration mechanism”, unraveled in the present work. When the rate of residue formation, rate of dislodging/disintegration from electrode, and rate of regeneration of active material in bulk of the electrolyte becomes equal, perpetual operation of SLRFB is expected. The identification of strong role of free convection in battery is put to use to demonstrate a battery that requires stirring/mixing only intermittently, during open circuit stages between charge and discharge cycles when no current is drawn. Inspired by our experimental finding that the measured currents for apparently diffusion limited situations (no external flow) are far larger than the maxi-mum possible theoretical value, the earlier model is modified to account for natural convection driven by concentration gradient of lead ions in electrolyte. The model reveals the presence of strong natural convection in battery. The induced flow in the vicinity of the electrodes enhances mass transport rates substantially, to the extent that even in the absence of external flow, normal charge/discharge of battery is predicted. The model predicted electrochemical characteristics are verified quantitatively through voltage-time measurements. The formation of flow circulation loops driven by electrode processes is validated qualitatively through PIV measurements. Natural convection is predicted to play a significant role in the presence of external flow as well. The hitherto unexplained finding in the literature on insensitivity of charge-discharge characteristics to electrolyte flow rate is captured by the model when mixed mode of convection is invoked. Flow reversal and wavy flow are predicted when natural convection and forced convection act in opposite directions in the battery. The effect of the presence of non-conducting material (PbO on anode) on the performance of SLRFB is studied using a simplified approach in the model. The study reveals the presence of charge coup de fouet phenomenon in charge cycle. The phenomenon as well as the predicted effect of depth of discharge on the magnitude of charge coup de fouet are confirmed experimentally.

This study has examined how an oil storage could be converted into a thermal heat storage (TES). Focus was put on the transient thermal heat flow that occurs during the early years when using a rock cavern as a TES. First existing literature were studied to learn from earlier experiences. Crucial steps of a conversion were identified as well as important mistakes that have been made in the past. Simulations of Sundsvall’s district heating (DH) system were made to see what impact a large TES would have. These simulations showed the importance of being able to transfer enough amount of heat. Then heat simulations were preformed to study the transient heat flow. This showed that much of the heat will be heating the rock around the cavern. Over time, the losses decrease as the rock around the cavern remains heated, due to its thermal inertia. This means that some energy needs to be considered an investment cost as it will not be used in the DH-grid but will increase the efficiency of the TES. 4 different heating strategies were analysed and the heat losses during 25 years were measured. The results showed that a conversion would save between 0,7 – 1,55 million SEK annually depending on how many caverns were converted and cost approximately 6 million SEK for one cavern, 10,5 million SEK for two caverns and 15 million SEK for three caverns. / I denna studie har det undersökts hur ett oljelager kan omvandlas till ett termisk värmelager. Fokus låg på det transienta värmeflödet som inträffar under de första åren när ett bergrum används som värmelager. Först studerades litteratur för att lära av tidigare erfarenheter. Avgörande steg för en konvertering identifierades liksom viktiga misstag som har gjorts tidigare. Simuleringar av Sundsvalls fjärrvärmesystem gjordes för att se vilken påverkan ett stort värmelager skulle ha. Dessa simuleringar visade vikten av att kunna överföra tillräcklig mängd värme. Därefter genomfördes värmesimuleringar för att studera det transienta värmeflödet. Detta visade att mycket av värmen kommer att värma berget runt bergrummet. Med tiden minskar förlusterna när berget runt rummet förblir uppvärmd på grund av dess termiska tröghet. Detta innebär att en del energi måste betraktas som en investeringskostnad eftersom den inte kommer att användas i fjärrvärmesystemet utan kommer att öka effektiviteten hos lagret. Fyra olika uppvärmningsstrategier analyserades och värmeförlusterna under 25 år mättes. Resultaten visade att en omvandling skulle spara mellan 0,7 - 1,55 miljoner SEK årligen med en trivial driftstrategi beroende på hur många bergrum som konverterades och kosta cirka 6 miljoner SEK för ett bergrum, 10,5 miljoner SEK för två bergrum och 15 miljoner SEK för tre bergrum. I framtida studier bör en optimal driftstrategi tas fram utifrån det aktuella systemet.

The integration of distributed energy sources and systems is of high relevance for the transition towards a more sustainable energy system. Taking into consideration the  amount of emissions produced by the heating sector, which account for at least half of the energy demand in buildings, district heating systems have the potential to play a key role in the transition, by enabling the integration of various energy sources and provide flexible energy services to the grid. The objective of this research is to evaluate the potential for flexible sector coupling between the electrical and heating sectors, utilizing thermal energy storage alongside various heat generation units, including heat pumps and a combined heat and power (CHP) unit. To examine this concept, we used a district heating facility located in Oskarshamn, Sweden, as our case study. At present, the production mix at this facility comprises various production units- that utilize mainly biomass as their fuel source, including wood pellets, wood chips, and occasionally, bio-oil. Extensive research was conducted to review the existing literature and gain a comprehensive understanding of the technologies and concepts associated with FSC. This thorough examination allowed for a comprehensive overview of the current state-of-the-art in FSC. As the main contributions of this work, two numerical models respectively for production and dispatch optimization were developed and simulated complementary, concerning the thermal and electrical system of the studied plant. A dispatch model was developed with the aim of analyzing the operating behaviour of the system, identifying the available energy sources and optimizing their hourly dispatch. Subsequently, utilizing the open-access tool for capacity and investment optimization (OSeMOSYS), various scenarios were examined to evaluate the potential of thermal energy storage (TES), where a water tank was found to be the most cost-effective solution, and heat pump integration in enhancing the plant performance and providing flexibility. The study was divided into two distinct time periods. The first period focused solely on hourly dispatch optimization until 2035. In the second period, the analysis extended to include investment optimization, followed by the subsequent dispatch optimization until 2050, hence, using both tools. To effectively compare and assess the different scenarios, several key performance indicators (KPIs) were chosen, including the levelized cost of energy (LCOE), capital expenditure (CAPEX), generation costs, and emissions. These scenarios were designed to account for variations in crucial variables such as electricity prices, the plant’s self-consumption potential, and the capital cost of storage. By considering the aforementioned factors, a comprehensive analysis was conducted to determine the optimal approach for maximizing performance and cost-effectiveness. It is important to mention that the electrical self-consumption within the plant was considered as one of the potential improvements. While the potential for electrical self-consumption was mainly studied on a shorter-term, the variability in the capital cost of the TES system was better considered on the long-term investment analysis. From the different simulations, the cases where self-consumption is included result in smaller operating costs, as producing electricity via the CHP unit of the plant is cheaper on average than the prices offered by the local distribution company. The obtained capacities for TES and the heat pump vary among the studied scenarios. Higher electricity prices favor investments in alternative fuel boilers like wood chips or wood pellets, while lower electricity prices result in increased TES capacities and higher heat pump production. The capital cost of storage also determines the capacity chosen for the storage water tank, sometimes investing a bit more to gain efficiency and reduce operational costs. Throughout the project, various sustainability aspects have been addressed. These encompass environmental responsibilities, with a focus on reducing CO2 emissions, enhancing social equity by implementing a more efficient heating system within the municipality, and assessing the economic viability of these initiatives. In conclusion, the study provides evidence and showcases the viability of implementing FSC in Oskarshamn’s power plant, as results from the different scenarios commonly show that FSC could bring down the total costs, as well as the amount of CO2 emissions on a long-term basis. Based on the findings, additional recommendations are proposed to optimize the plant’s performance and leverage the potential of this innovative approach. The proposed recommendations include increasing the time resolution in the model simulations to improve result accuracy and exploring different scenarios, which may involve considering various electricity or fuel price predictions, among other factors. / Integreringen av distribuerade energikällor och energisystem är av stor betydelse för övergången till ett mer hållbart energisystem. Med hänsyn till det utsläpp från värmesektorn, som står för minst hälften av energibehovet i byggnader, har fjärrvärmesystem potential att spela en nyckelroll i omställningen genom att möjliggöra integrering av olika energikällor och tillhandahålla flexibla energitjänster till nätet. Syftet med denna forskning är att utvärdera Potentialen för flexibel sektorkoppling (FSC) mellan el- och värmesektorerna, med hjälp av termisk energilagring tillsammans med olika värmeproduktionsenheter, inklusive värmepumpar och en kombinerad kraftvärmeproduktion (CHP). För att undersöka detta koncept, använde vi en fjärrvärmeanläggning i Oskarshamn, Sverige, som vår fallstudie. För tillfället består produktionsmixen vid denna anläggning av olika produktionsenheter som huvudsakligen använder biomassa som bränslekälla, inklusive träpellets, träflis och ibland bioolja. Omfattande forskning genomfördes för att granska den befintliga litteratur och få en heltäckande förståelse för de tekniker och koncept som är förknippade med FSC. Denna grundliga undersökning möjliggjorde en omfattande översikt av det aktuella kunskapsläget inom FSC. Som de viktigaste bidragen i detta arbete utvecklades och simulerades två numeriska modeller för produktions- respektive leveransoptimering, som berör det termiska och elektriska systemet i den studerade anläggningen. En fördelningsmodell utvecklades i syfte att analysera systemets driftsbeteende, identifiera tillgängliga energikällor och optimera deras fördelning per timme. Med hjälp av det verktyget med öppna tillgång (open-aceess) för kapacitets- och investeringsoptimering (OSeMOSYS) undersöktes därefter olika scenarier för att utvärdera potentialen för termisk energilagring (TES), där en vattentank visade sig vara den mest kostnadseffektiva lösningen, och integration av värmepumpar för att förbättra anläggningens prestanda och ge flexibilitet. Studien var uppdelad i två olika tidsperioder. Den första perioden fokuserade enbart på optimering av timfördelning fram till 2035. Under den andra perioden utvidgades analysen till att omfatta investeringsoptimering, följt av efterföljande optimering av driften fram till 2050, vilket innebär att båda verktygen användes. För att effektivt kunna jämföra och bedöma de olika scenarierna valdes flera viktiga nyckelprestandaindikatorer (KPI:er), inklusive den nivellerade energikostnaden (LCOE), kapitalinvesteringar (CAPEX), produktionskostnader och CO2 utsläpp. Dessa scenarier utformades för att ta hänsyn till variationer i viktiga variabler som elpriser, anläggningens självkonsumtionspotential och kapitalkostnaden för lagring. Med hänsyn till de ovan nämnda faktorerna genomfördes en omfattande analys för att fastställa den optimala metoden för att maximera prestanda och kostnadseffektivitet. Det är viktigt att nämna att den elektriska självförbrukningen inom anläggningen betraktades som en av de potentiella förbättringarna. Medan potentialen för elektrisk självförbrukning främst studerades på kortare sikt, beaktades variationen i kapitalkostnaden för TES-systemet bättre i den långsiktiga investeringsanalysen. De olika simuleringarna visar att de fall där självförbrukning ingår resulterar i lägre driftskostnader, eftersom elproduktionen via kraftvärmeverket i genomsnitt är billigare än de priser som erbjuds av det lokala distributionsbolaget. De erhållna kapaciteterna för TES och värmepumpen varierar mellan de studerade scenarierna. Högre elpriser gynnar investeringar i alternativa bränslepannor som flis eller träpellets, medan lägre elpriser resulterar i ökad TES-kapacitet och högre värmepumpsproduktion. Kapitalkostnaden för lagring avgör också vilken kapacitet som väljs för vattentanken (some en TES), ibland investerar man lite mer för att öka effektiviteten och minska driftskostnaderna. Under hela projektet har olika hållbarhetsaspekter beaktats. Dessa omfattar miljöansvar, med fokus på att minska CO2-utsläppen, öka den sociala rättvisan genom att införa ett mer effektivt värmesystem inom kommunen, och bedöma den ekonomiska bärkraften i dessa initiativ. Sammanfattningsvis visar studien att det är möjligt att implementera FSC i Oskarshamns kraftverk, eftersom resultaten från de olika scenarierna visar att FSC kan sänka de totala kostnaderna samt mängden CO2-utsläpp på lång sikt. Baserat på resultaten föreslås ytterligare rekommendationer för att optimera anläggningens prestanda och utnyttja potentialen i denna innovativa metod. De föreslagna rekommendationerna inkluderar att öka tidsupplösningen i modellsimuleringarna för att förbättra resultatens noggrannhet och utforska olika scenarier, vilket bland annat kan innebära att man överväger olika el- eller bränsleprisprognoser.

Präeklampsie (PE) ist eine Komplikation, die während der Schwangerschaft auftritt, fast 2-8% aller Schwangerschaften betrifft und human spezifisch ist. PE ist eine der Hauptursachen für den Tod von Mutter und Kind. Eine abnormale Plazentaentwicklung aufgrund einer verminderten Trophoblasteninvasion und einem gestörten Umbau der Spiralarterien trägt zur Pathogenese der PE bei. Klinisch wird die PE durch Bluthochdruck und Proteinurie, auftretendnach der 20. Schwangerschaftswoche, diagnostiziert und kann durch eine Funktionsstörung von Organen begleitet werden. Bei besonders schweren Verläufen ist die frühzeitige Endbindung die letzte Möglichkeit das Überleben der Mutter zu gewährleisten. Das Ziel dieser Studie ist es, weitere Gene zu identifizieren, die durch ERVs in der menschlichen Plazenta spezifisch reguliert werden und in PE dysreguliert sind. Um dieses Ziel zu erreichen, wurde das Transkriptom von primären menschlichen Trophoblastenzellen von 5 gesunden und 5 früh einsetzenden PE-Plazenten mittels RNA-Sequenzierung analysiert. Es wurden 335 Gene identifiziert, welche eine höhere Expression in den Trophoblastenzellen im Vergleich zu anderen Geweben aufwiesen. Zusätzlich zeigten einige der Gene (n=88) eine Co-Regulation der Expression durch retrovirale LTRs (10-kb 5‘ des transcription start side (TSS) des Gens). Hauptinteresse lag hierbei auf den Genen, welche ebenfalls eine Dysregulation in der PE aufwiesen (n = 16). Diese Studie identifizierte EPS8L1, das durch primaten-spezifisches ERV-LTR (MLT1G1) in Trophoblastenzellen reguliert wird, als einen wichtigen Faktor in der Entwicklung der menschlichen Plazenta. EPS8L1 ist in der PE Plazenta dysreguliert und involviert in mehrere Signalwege und die Funktionalität von Trophoblasten wie Invasion, Angiogenese und Redoxhomöostase. Hierdurch führt diese Arbeit zu einem besseren Verständnis der PE und deren human-spezifischer Natur. / Preeclampsia (PE) is a complication that occurs during pregnancy and affects almost 2-8% of all pregnancies and is often regarded as a human-specific disorder.1,2 PE is one of the major causes of maternal and fetal death.1 Failure of the trophoblast cells to invade into the maternal decidua results in the improper remodeling of spiral arteries leading to PE pathogenesis. Clinically, it is diagnosed as a maternal syndrome, diagnosed by the new-onset of hypertension and proteinuria or other end-organ dysfunction after the 20th week of pregnancy. So far, the only effective treatment of the disorder is the removal of the placenta tissue and delivery of the infant. The aim of this study is to identify additional genes that are regulated by the human ERV-LTRs in the human placenta specifically, and are dysregulated in PE. To achieve this aim, the transcriptome of primary human trophoblast cells of 5 healthy and 5 early-onset PE placentas were analyzed by RNA sequencing (RNA-seq). RNA-seq analysis identified genes (n=335) with stronger expression in the trophoblast cells as compared to other human body tissues. Additionally, some of the genes (n=88) showed co-regulation of expression by the human ERV-LTRs in their vicinity (10-kb upstream of transcription start side (TSS) of the gene). Since my interest was to identify the new targets of PE pathogenesis, so I focused on genes (n=16) with dysregulated expression in women presented with PE. This study identified a new gene EPS8L1, regulated by primate-specific ERV-LTR in trophoblast cells that has a predominant role in the human placenta development and demonstrated that its dysregulation affected multiple pathways involved in trophoblast function like invasion, angiogenesis and maintenance of cell redox homeostasis. Furthermore, this study leads to the better understanding of the disease by explaining certain aspects of human-specific nature of PE.