The surface of an α-Al2O3 carrier for semi-permeable zeolite membranes was modified with copper via an electroless plating process.Following hydrothermal synthesis,dense and highly organized zeolite membranes were obtained.Membrane thickness was confined to the nanoscale following layer-by-layer self-assembly of polyelectrolytes with opposite charges.This controllable and low-cost preparation method could drastically reduce the cost of fabricating reverse osmosis membranes,which is highly significant for the realization of large-scale seawater desalination through reverse osmosis.Understanding the influences of interactions between various ions and the zeolite pores,inter-crystalline gaps,membrane structure and surface chemical properties,transmembrane pressure,and temperature on the desalination process will help provide a theoretical basis and reference point for the development of reverse osmosis membranes.

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Under the background of sustainable energy transition and environmental protection,Global Energy Interconnection (GEI),which features an innovative combination of clean energy (e.g.,solar power) and ultra-high voltage(UHV) transmission technologies,provides a means to realize global climate governance.China is a large country with unevenly distributed water resources,energy production,and energy consumption,and the large areas of desert in northern and western China have the potential for installing large-scale solar power plants.This study analyzed the potential of using large-scale solar power from deserts to coastal seawater desalination plants,which could alleviate the freshwater crisis and control desertification in China.First,the measurement data from NASA were used to estimate the potential exploitable amount of solar energy in desert areas.A macro idea was proposed for the transmission of electrical power from inland integrated energy bases to coastal seawater desalination and pumping of freshwater to western China to combat desertification and alleviate the freshwater crisis.Based on this,the electricity demands for desalination and water redistribution were estimated.As a huge interruptible load,desalination and pumping systems could be used to suppress power fluctuations of the integrated energy bases.Finally,the fundamental support roles of UHV grids in large-scale renewable energy allocation and utilization were discussed.This analysis offers a theoretical framework to help realize efficient renewable energy generation and consumption and alleviate freshwater shortage.

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Under dual crisis of energy and freshwater,solar chimney technology has been widely applied in freshwater production in recent years.According to different access to freshwater,the research progress of the coupling of solar chimney with other technologies such as solar desalination technology,humidification and humidification desalination technology,as well as integrated systems that obtain freshwater output from ambient air were summarized respectively.The integrated solar chimney system can realize multi-target production of electricity and freshwater,and improve the comprehensive utilization of solar energy,which provides new possibility for the site selection and small-scale construction of solar chimney power plant in the future.It has certain practical significance and is conducive to the promotion and application of solar chimney technology.

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With the rapid development of the economy,the continuously increasing population,and ongoing climate change,the shortage of freshwater resources has become an increasingly important global problem.Seawater desalination technology can effectively alleviate the pressure on freshwater supplies and has been investigated in many countries.However,the majority of existing projects focus on the research and development of desalination equipment and the use of new technologies and pay less attention to the operation optimization of the desalination process.The micro energy network(MEN) designed in this study is an efficient distributed energy supply system that can be used to simultaneously supply electricity,cooling,heating,and freshwater as photovoltaic power,wind power,combined heat and power (CHP),electric cooling and heating,and a seawater desalination device are integrated into the MEN.In this study,a model for operation optimization of a MEN for seawater desalination was developed and the influences of the electric cooling and heating ratios and the operation optimization of the seawater desalination device were studied with the aim of minimizing the life cycle cost.Based on the results of this study,MENs can reduce the operation cost of desalination devices and improve the efficiency of renewable energy sources.

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In this paper,a new type of pumped-storage power station with faster response speed,wider regulation range,and better stability is proposed.The operational flexible of the traditional pumped-storage power station can be improved with variable-speed pumped-storage technology.Combined with chemical energy storage,the failure to achieve second-order response speed and the insufficient safety and reliability of pumped-storage power units could be solved.With the better solar energy and site resources,the integrated performance can be improved by an optical storage system installed in future pumped-storage stations.Through the characteristics analysis of the new type of pumped-storage power station,three types of optimal station locations are proposed,namely,the load concentration area,new energy concentration area,and ultrahigh-voltage direct current receiver area.Taking the new pumped-storage power station as an example,the advantages of multi-energy cooperation and joint operation are analyzed.It can be predicted that the frequency and load regulation of the power grid will be more flexible,and the service capacity to the main power grid will be much stronger in the future.

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After the implementation of the Reform and Opening-up Policy for a period of 40 years,the exploitation of China’s hydropower resources developed significantly.Through vast amounts of scientific and technological research and construction practices,China has accumulated abundant engineering experience with respect to the construction technologies required for 300-meter-high concrete arch dams,200-meter-high roller-compacted concrete gravity dams,200-meter-high concrete face rockfill dams,250-meter-high earth core rockfill dams,large-flow discharge and energy dissipation,huge underground cavern group constructions,complicated foundation treatments for high earth and rockfill dams and high and steep slope reinforcements.These series of technologies have now reached an international leading level.In the near future,these technical improvements will likely have broader application prospects and make greater contributions toward hydropower development both in China and across the world.

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This paper discusses the benefits of developing cross border interconnection.It was written to promote the benefits of interconnection to facilitate renewable energy development and trading.It illustrates the assessment of the benefit with coupling between two power systems with an example importing renewable energy.The strategy for the development of European wide interconnection to level prices is described together with the trading arrangements.The process to evaluate the potential for new interconnection investment is outlined together with a discussion of the technology options.The paper concludes with an illustration of the arrangements for cross border trading.

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During concrete dam construction,concrete temperature monitoring and control is key to ensuring dam concrete quality and construction safety.In this study,a 2D thermal field restructuring method relating to the Kriging temperature interpolation is proposed.Based on dam site monitoring data of distributed optical fiber,the results indicated that the proposed restructuring method can be applied to effectively and quickly obtain 2D real thermal field.The evolution law of thermal field in early ages and temperature differences of concrete blocks based on the thermal field data are obtained.It also can be concluded that the proposed restructuring method could help obtain accurate and reliable restructuring monitoring data.

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How do people perceive environmental change when coping with scarcity? Previous studies on scarcity tend to overlook the aspect of perception.By analyzing repeated water conflicts in northern Thailand,this study sheds light on this aspect and solves the puzzle posed by repeated water conflicts in a small watershed.

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The global water demand and supply situation is becoming increasingly severe due to water shortage and uneven distribution of water resources.The highest water demand in the energy sector is attributable to power generation.With cross-country and cross-continental power grid interconnections becoming a reality,electricity trading across countries and the creation of new opportunities for re-allocation of water resources are possible.This study expands the concept of virtual water and proposes a generalized virtual water flow in an interconnected power grid system to accurately estimate water resource benefits of clean power transmission from both the production and the consumption sides.By defining the water scarcity index as a price mechanism indicator,the benefits of water resources allocation through power grid interconnections are evaluated.Taking the Africa-Asia-Europe interconnection scenario as an example,the total water saving would amount to 88.95 million m3 by 2030 and 337.8 million m3 by 2050.This result shows that grid interconnections could promote the development of renewable energy and expand the benefits of available water resources.

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