Open Access

Article

Article ID: 4074

Performance comparison of PI and AI-based controllers for solar PV-fed fast electric vehicle battery charging systems

by Apoorva Srivastava, Vikas Yadav, Vinit Yadav, Tarun Nayyar, Shailesh Kumar Yadav, Ayush Asthana

Energy Storage and Conversion, Vol.4, No.2, 2026;

The rapid growth of electric vehicles (EVs) has created a strong demand for efficient and fast charging solutions. However, conventional charging methods are time-consuming and place significant stress on the power grid when deployed on large scale. To address these challenges, this study proposes a standalone solar photovoltaic (PV)-based DC microgrid for fast EV charging. The system is designed to regulate charging using a DC-DC boost converter controlled by two strategies: a conventional Proportional-Integral (PI) controller and an Artificial Neural Network (ANN)-based controller. A detailed simulation model is developed in MATLAB/Simulink, including PV system parameters, converter specifications, and a lithium-ion battery modeled using a Thevenin equivalent circuit. The ANN controller is trained using real-time operating conditions such as irradiance, temperature, and state of charge (SoC). Performance is evaluated based on transient response, overshoot, settling time, steady-state error, and total harmonic distortion (THD). Results show that the ANN controller significantly improves system performance. Voltage overshoot is reduced from 10% to 2%, current overshoot from 20% to 4%, and THD from 6.8% to 2.1%. Additionally, the settling time is improved by approximately 57% compared to the PI controller. These findings demonstrate that AI-based control strategies provide a more efficient, stable, and reliable solution for renewable energy-based EV charging systems. The ANN controller reduced voltage overshoot from 10% to 2%, current overshoot from 20% to 4%, and THD from 6.8% to 2.1%, while improving settling time by up to 57%.

Open Access

Article

Article ID: 4141

Overview of Integrated Packaging Single-Cell Technology for Hydrogen Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells

by Ji Pu, Qianya Xie, Kai Li, Zhanfeng Wang, Chunyu Li, Jun Li, Ziliang Zhao

Energy Storage and Conversion, Vol.4, No.2, 2026;

Proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) are gaining significant traction as a promising clean energy technology due to their high efficiency and low-temperature operation. Especially, the integrated single-cell technology is beginning to become the future trend in system applications. This paper provides a systematic review of the technological innovations and design optimizations in membrane electrodes, bipolar plates, and overall packaging for single-cell. It critically analyzes the advantages and limitations of current single-cell solutions from the perspectives of cost, performance, and durability. It provides theoretical support for the engineering application and large-scale production of PEMFC single-cell technology.They shall not contain displayed mathematical equations, numbered reference citations, nor footnotes. They should include three or four different keywords or phrases, as this will help readers to find it. It is important to avoid over-repetition of such phrases as this can result in a page being rejected by search engines. Ensure that your abstract reads well and is grammatically correct.

Open Access

Article

Article ID: 4098

Solar box cooker dehydration of culinary leaves: Leaf morphometrics and relative humidity endpoint detection

by Victor J. Law, James F. Lalor, Jenny Magnes, Denis Pius Dowling

Energy Storage and Conversion, Vol.4, No.1, 2026;

Open solar dehydration has been used traditionally to remove moisture from culinary leaves in order to preserve their medicinal and nutritional qualities. This paper investigates the performance of a converted family-size (27 L) solar box cooker for solar dehydration of culinary leaves (Bay, Sweet, and Greek Basil and Common Sage). The investigation was carried out over the three month period from May to July 2025, on the island of Crete. The chosen leaves vary in their in vivo water content and leaf-blade morphology. The leaves are vertically triple-stacked within the dehydrator, and a green agricultural shadow-mesh cover is used to prevent direct solar irradiance damage. By performing solar dehydration during the day, leaf dehydration stress characteristics are identified. Solar dehydration parameters reported are: air temperature, relative humidity as a function of process time, leaf mass pre- and post-dehydration, and leaf water stress outcome in terms of visually observed leaf morphological changes (leaf rolling score and leaf shrinkage). For the top frame within the unloaded dehydrator, the relative humidity baseline follows a 4th-order polynomial time series 0D-model, with a extreme end behavior equilibrating to 8% relative humidity. Leaf-loaded studies reveal leaf water moisture is injected into the dehydrator, thereby linearizing the unloaded dehydration curve. Over a 3 to 7.5 h period of sunlight exposure, the top frame leave average a weight loss of 4.0 to 4.5 g per hour. For the partially sun blocked leaves on the middle and bottom frames, a supervised endpoint model is used, required adding approximately 1 hour to account for the longer drying time.

Open Access

Article

Article ID: 4058

Large-scale transferability of a PSO-optimized hybrid energy system: A comparative study of two African regions

by Souleymane Kientega, Mohammed Ferfra , Youssef El Baqqal

Energy Storage and Conversion, Vol.4, No.1, 2026;

This study looks at the resilience and cross-region fidelity of a HRES (Hybrid Renewable Energy Systems) across multiple climates in Africa. The study modelled the systems with a PSO (Particle Swarm Optimization) algorithm in MATLAB (Matrix Laboratory). “Large-scale transferability” refers to the system’s capacity maintained against tight acceptance criteria. Normalized load curves were used to derive the climate impacts and case studies were in Laâyoune–Sakia El Hamra, Morocco and Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. They display high adaptability of the systems; a complementarity of winds and solar see a LCOE (Levelized Cost of Energy) of 0.0954 USD/kWh and an annual system cost of $100,039 in Laâyoune–Sakia El Hamra, in Ouagadougou dominates mostly solar, with additional storage requirements, remained very competitive, with LCOE at 0.1014 USD/kWh (+6.3% variance). Both sites achieved similar levels of reliability (Loss of Load Probability, LLP ≈ 0.01) and reduced CO₂ emissions significantly (275.29 tCO₂/yr and 283.13 tCO₂/yr, respectively). LCOE variation was less than 6.5% and LLP variation is less than 0.002, regardless of climate change. These results demonstrate that the flexibility of the methodology employed ensures the maintenance of techno-economic advantages, even in the face of a 45% decrease in wind power potential. Thus, the present paper contributes to the further evolution of HRES design—from an ad hoc narrow-site-specific optimization regime to a scalable, context-sensitive design framework. It also proposes a proven path toward sustainable and affordable renewable energy growth in developing countries.

Open Access

Article

Article ID: 4099

Solar box recovery of mixed-wax candle fragments and reuse on the island of Crete

by Victor J. Law, James F. Lalor, Jenny. Magnes, Denis P. Dowling

Energy Storage and Conversion, Vol.4, No.1, 2026;

This paper investigates the proof of principle of small-scale off-grid solar thermal batch recovery of candle wax on the island of Crete in astronomical winter season, where the Sun’s irradiance is in the range of 820–940 W×m⁻². The investigation was carried out based on the recovery of unconsumed mixed petroleum-based paraffin and plant-based soy and palm-wax (250 g each) candle fragments and their re-casting into new 50–60 g blended-wax candles. Based on a converted family size (27 L) solar box cooker the investigation is conducted during the spring equinox of March 2025 and the winter solstice in December 2025. The solar box cooker conversion extends its functionality from simple food cooking and culinary leaf dehydration to the circular economy of mixed-wax fragments recovery and reuse thereby increasing the cost-benefits of the cooker. Sensible heat measurements and latent heat of fusion calculations for the solar wax recovery process are explored; in terms of solar box cooker energy conversion to applied power (W, or J.s⁻¹) into the wax phase-change process, wax energy budget (J), and wax energy density (J.g⁻¹). The challenge in sourcing pre-used temporary and permanent molds is explored along with solar heated water used for releasing of the blended wax From a circular economy perspective, the off-grid solar box cooker design allows future scaling-out to a possible 1 kg of mixed-wax recovery, when solar processing is performed at, or around, the time of the summer solstice where solar irradiance is strongest (typically, 1,020 W×m⁻²) and increased available daylight hours allow a third, and possibly a fourth 250 g of mixed-wax to be recovered and re-cast.

Open Access

Article

Article ID: 4036

Optimizing tilt angles for enhanced solar PV output: A techno-environmental case study across Syrian cities

by Ayman Abdul Karim Alhijazi, Samer diab, Adil adam

Energy Storage and Conversion, Vol.4, No.1, 2026;

Accurate estimation of solar radiation and optimal tilt angles is essential for maximizing the efficiency and power output of photovoltaic (PV) systems. This study investigates the optimal tilt angles and expected power generation of PV systems across major Syrian cities using climatic and geographical data. Both isotropic and anisotropic solar radiation models were evaluated, with the anisotropic model yielding approximately 5% higher energy estimates than the isotropic model. Monthly and annual optimal tilt angles were calculated using global horizontal irradiance (GHI) and ambient temperature data. The estimated total solar radiation across the studied cities reaches peak values of 8.45–8.92 kWh/m²/day in June. Using a 2.76 kWp monocrystalline silicon PV system, the predicted peak PV power output ranges from 0.92–0.96 kW during the summer months, while winter outputs decrease to approximately 0.45–0.50 kW due to reduced solar radiation and shorter daylight hours. The findings indicate that the predicted optimal tilt angle for the year is quite close to the towns' latitudes. By adjusting the photovoltaic module monthly rather than annually, it is possible to achieve a 3.8% increase in power output at ambient temperature for the investigated cities. The paper also uses geographic and meteorological data, such as monthly averages of GHI and ambient temperatures, to determine optimal tilt angles on a monthly and yearly basis. These findings highlight the significant solar energy potential across Syrian regions and provide practical guidelines for optimizing PV system installation and performance. The results can assist engineers and energy planners in improving solar energy utilization and supporting sustainable energy development in Syria.