Transformer failures have a significant cost impact on the operation of an electrical network. In many utilities, transformers have been operating for many years past their expected usable life. As power demand has surged, transformers in some areas are being loaded beyond their rated capacity to meet the demand. One of the vital components in a transformer is the on-load tap changer (OLTC), which regulates the voltage in the distribution network. This study aims to review several condition-monitoring techniques (online and offline) that can monitor the health of the OLTC and assure the safety of the transformer’s OLTC from irreparable damage by detecting the defect at an earlier stage, which is preceded by the specification of typical faults. This paper also discussed the common faults of the OLTC and the root causes of these faults. The OLTC is prone to mechanical faults due to its frequently changing mechanism in the tap operation. The OLTC are also prone to oil as well as thermal faults. As a result, it is critical to monitor OLTC conditions while they are in use. Proper management of condition monitoring (CM) for the OLTC is useful and necessary to increase availability and achieve optimised operating. Condition monitoring (CM) and diagnostics methods (DM) have been developing since the 1950s. CM and DM have been implemented to diagnose and detect an incipient fault, especially for the OLTC. Many techniques, online and offline, are being used to monitor the condition of the OLTC to prevent failure and minimize outages. These DM and CM will prolong the operational cycle and avoid a major disaster for the OLTC, which is an unfavorable scenario.
In recent years, research communities have shown significant interest in solar energy systems and their cooling. While using cells to generate power, cooling systems are often used for solar cells (SCs) to enhance their efficiency and lifespan. However, during this conversion process, they can generate heat. This heat can affect the performance of solar cells in both advantageous and detrimental ways. Cooling cells and coordinating their use are vital to energy efficiency and longevity, which can help save energy, reduce energy costs, and achieve global emission targets. The primary objective of this review is to provide a thorough and comparative analysis of recent developments in solar cell cooling. In addition, the research discussed here reviews and compares various cooling systems that can be used to improve cell performance, including active cooling and passive cooling. The outcomes reveal that phase-change materials (PCMs) help address critical economic goals, such as reducing the cost of PV degradation, while enhancing the lifespan of solar cells and improving their efficiency, reliability, and quality. Active PCMs offer precise control, while passive PCMs are simpler and more efficient in terms of energy use, but they offer less control over temperature. Moreover, an innovative review of advanced cooling methods is presented, highlighting their potential to improve the efficiency of solar cells.
Small-scale vertical-axis wind power generation technologies such as Savonius wind turbines are gaining popularity in suburban and urban settings. Although vertical-axis wind turbines (VAWTs) may not be as efficient as their horizontal-axis counterparts, they often present better opportunities for integration within building structures. The main issue stems from the suboptimal aerodynamic design of Savonius turbine blades, resulting in lower efficiency and power output. To address this, modern turbine designs focus on optimizing various geometric aspects of the turbine to improve aerodynamic performance, efficiency, and overall effectiveness. This study developed a unique optimization method, incorporating a new blade geometry with guide gap flow for Savonius wind turbine blade design. The aerodynamic characteristics of the Savonius wind turbine blade were extensively analyzed using 3D ANSYS CFX software. The optimization process emphasized the power coefficient as the objective function while considering blade profiles, overlap ratio, and blade number as crucial design parameters. This objective was accomplished using the design of experiments (DOE) method with the Minitab statistical software. The research findings revealed that the novel turbine design “OR0.109BS2BN2” outperformed the reference turbine with a 22.8% higher power coefficient. Furthermore, the results indicated a trade-off between the flow (swirling flow) through the gap guide flow and the impact blockage ratio, which resulted from the reduced channel width caused by the extended blade tip length.