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12 pages, 54732 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Pressure Monitoring in Medium-Voltage Vacuum Interrupters

by Paweł Węgierek, Damian Kostyła, Michał Lech, Czesław Kozak and Alicja Zielonka

Energies 2023, 16(18), 6562; https://doi.org/10.3390/en16186562 - 12 Sep 2023

Viewed by 1042

Abstract

Innovation in the economy is closely tied to energy development, encompassing the exploration of new energy sources, increased energy production efficiency, and the integration of diverse energy sources for safe and effective supply to industries and households. Outdated energy infrastructure disrupts electricity continuity [...] Read more.

Innovation in the economy is closely tied to energy development, encompassing the exploration of new energy sources, increased energy production efficiency, and the integration of diverse energy sources for safe and effective supply to industries and households. Outdated energy infrastructure disrupts electricity continuity and hampers economic innovation. Power interruptions lead to higher SAIDI and SAIFI reliability indices. Quality and reliability requirements have sparked interest in enclosed energy devices. Vacuum technology has been pivotal in electrical switchgear insulation and arc-quenching for over four decades. However, the lack of real-time pressure monitoring systems for vacuum equipment, especially enclosed disconnectors, limits their use as isolation connectors. Potential insulation failure poses risks to power line maintenance teams and can lead to unplanned shutdowns, further compromising energy supply quality. This article explores an innovative pressure monitoring system for vacuum interrupters, utilizing fiber optic Bragg grids as a measuring sensor, enabling pressure measurement within the vacuum chamber ranging from 2 × 10¹ Pa to 5 × 10⁵ Pa. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advancement of Power Electronics in Renewable Energy, Power Quality, and Electrical Drive Systems)

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18 pages, 2404 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Modeling the Effect of Dust and Wind Speed on Solar Panel Performance in Iraq

by Israa Amer Dahham, Muhammad Ammirul Atiqi Mohd Zainuri, Ali Abdulabbas Abdullah and Mohd Faizal Fauzan

Energies 2023, 16(17), 6397; https://doi.org/10.3390/en16176397 - 4 Sep 2023

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1704

Abstract

Dust accumulation on a PV panel surface can considerably lead to photovoltaic energy degradation. A particle-based dust accumulation model was proposed to estimate the surface dust coverage fraction on a PV panel. The model determines the effect of the surface dust coverage fraction [...] Read more.

Dust accumulation on a PV panel surface can considerably lead to photovoltaic energy degradation. A particle-based dust accumulation model was proposed to estimate the surface dust coverage fraction on a PV panel. The model determines the effect of the surface dust coverage fraction on the performance of the PV panel. Gravity, wind, and particle-surface interaction forces were resolved to their components, and force balance was established to determine surface-parallel (slipping force) and surface-orthogonal (adhering force) component forces. The proposed model was validated through a schedule of lab and field experiments and by comparing the predicted values with the results of a validated model developed by Lu and Hajimirza. The relationship between a solar panel’s output power and the surface dust coverage fraction under the wind effect was established for three types of dust (graphene, silica, and natural dust) using Response Surface Methodology (RSM). Statistical analysis was applied to determine the most and least influencing variables on the output power of three types of solar panels (mono-crystalline, polycrystalline, and thin-film PV panels) exposed to dust accumulation. The obtained results show that dust particle size, wind velocity, and PV panel tilt angle play important roles in enhancing or degrading PV performance. Lower values of the tilt angle resulted in maximum output power, while high values of the tilt angle reduced the incident sunlight on the surface of the PV panel, resulting in lower output power. However, higher values of the tilt angle led to a lower dust coverage area of the PV panel and consequently decreased the power losses of the PV panel. The results also show that wind velocity has a considerable impact on the dust scraping of fine particles from a PV surface. The enhancement percentages of PV performance due to wind influence are 4.85%, 5.85%, and 10.9% for graphene, silica, and natural dust, respectively. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advancement of Power Electronics in Renewable Energy, Power Quality, and Electrical Drive Systems)

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18 pages, 13068 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Experimental Validation of 40 kW EV Charger Based on Vienna Rectifier and Series-Resonant Dual Active Bridge

by Grzegorz Wrona, Mariusz Zdanowski, Przemysław Trochimiuk, Jacek Rąbkowski and Radosław Sobieski

Energies 2023, 16(15), 5797; https://doi.org/10.3390/en16155797 - 4 Aug 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1938

Abstract

This work presents the experimental validation of a 40 kW electric vehicle (EV) charger. The proposed system comprises two 20 kW modules connected in parallel at the input and output. Each module has two stages—as a grid converter Vienna Rectifier (VR) was chosen, [...] Read more.

This work presents the experimental validation of a 40 kW electric vehicle (EV) charger. The proposed system comprises two 20 kW modules connected in parallel at the input and output. Each module has two stages—as a grid converter Vienna Rectifier (VR) was chosen, and as an isolated DC/DC stage, two Series-Resonant Dual-Active-Bridges (SRDABs) in input-series-output-parallel (ISOP) configurations were applied. The AC/DC and DC/DC stages were enclosed in 2U rack standard housing. A bipolar DC-link with ±400 V DC voltage was employed to connect both stages of the charger module while the charger’s output is dedicated to serving 800 V batteries. VRs operated at 66 kHz switching frequency and the SRDABs operated at 100 kHz. The converters used in the charger structure were based on silicon carbide (SiC) power devices. The description and parameters of the built hardware prototypes of both—AC/DC and DC/DC—converters are provided. Moreover, the experimental validation of each stage and the whole charging system, including oscilloscope waveforms and power analyzer measurements at nominal power, are included. Such a configuration enables energy conversion with high efficiency without a negative impact on the grid and high-quality grid waveforms. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advancement of Power Electronics in Renewable Energy, Power Quality, and Electrical Drive Systems)

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15 pages, 1317 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Decoupled Speed and Flux Control of a Three-Phase Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor under an Open-Circuit Fault Using a PR Current Controller

by Haneen Ghanayem, Mohammad Alathamneh and R. M. Nelms

Energies 2023, 16(14), 5325; https://doi.org/10.3390/en16145325 - 12 Jul 2023

Viewed by 1512

Abstract

Presented in this article is a method for decoupling the speed and flux control of a three-phase permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM) during an open-circuit fault (OCF) using a current controller based on proportional resonant (PR) control techniques. The suggested control approach is [...] Read more.

Presented in this article is a method for decoupling the speed and flux control of a three-phase permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM) during an open-circuit fault (OCF) using a current controller based on proportional resonant (PR) control techniques. The suggested control approach is relatively simple to implement and maintains good motor operation during the open circuit. PMSM performance under pre-fault, OCF, and post-fault conditions were investigated using Matlab/Simulink and an experimental setup based on a dSPACE DS1104. The conducted investigations provide strong evidence supporting the efficacy and resilience of the suggested control approach during OCF conditions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advancement of Power Electronics in Renewable Energy, Power Quality, and Electrical Drive Systems)

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16 pages, 2153 KiB

Open AccessArticle

An Evolutionary Annealing–Simplex Method for Inductance Value Selection for LCL Filters

by Xingyu Yang, Huanyi Zhou, Mohammad Alathamneh and R. M. Nelms

Energies 2023, 16(10), 4192; https://doi.org/10.3390/en16104192 - 19 May 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1002

Abstract

Grid-connected voltage-source inverters (VSIs) have evolved over the past years for the interconnection of renewable energy sources with the grid to satisfy the increased electrical load demand and utilize clean carbon-free energy. However, VSIs suffer a significant drawback of switching harmonics caused by [...] Read more.

Grid-connected voltage-source inverters (VSIs) have evolved over the past years for the interconnection of renewable energy sources with the grid to satisfy the increased electrical load demand and utilize clean carbon-free energy. However, VSIs suffer a significant drawback of switching harmonics caused by the inverter switches. To reduce the amount of current distortion injected into the utility grid and meet harmonic constraints as defined by power quality standards, an LCL filter is often used. Although extensive literature describes assorted design procedures for an LCL filter, all these methods cannot guarantee an optimal solution, because no direct mathematical function between the LCL filter parameters and the total harmonic distortion (THD) exists. Presented in this paper is the application of an evolutionary annealing–simplex method to select the inductance values in the LCL filter. This method is compared to other methods previously presented in the literature: a systematic method and an inductance grid-search method based on a calculated distribution of total harmonic distortion for various inductance values. The goal is to select the smallest overall inductance values to ensure lower manufacturing costs while maintaining the filter performance. Simulation and experimental results verify that at least a 40% reduction in overall inductance can be achieved with the proposed method while simultaneously guaranteeing the filtering performance. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advancement of Power Electronics in Renewable Energy, Power Quality, and Electrical Drive Systems)

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33 pages, 11311 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Solar Hydrogen Variable Speed Control of Induction Motor Based on Chaotic Billiards Optimization Technique

by Basem E. Elnaghi, M. N. Abelwhab, Ahmed M. Ismaiel and Reham H. Mohammed

Energies 2023, 16(3), 1110; https://doi.org/10.3390/en16031110 - 19 Jan 2023

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 1456

Abstract

This paper introduces a brand-new, inspired optimization algorithm (the chaotic billiards optimization (C-BO) approach) to effectively develop the optimal parameters for fuzzy PID techniques to enhance the dynamic response of the solar–hydrogen drive of an induction motor. This study compares fuzzy-PID-based C-BO regulators [...] Read more.

This paper introduces a brand-new, inspired optimization algorithm (the chaotic billiards optimization (C-BO) approach) to effectively develop the optimal parameters for fuzzy PID techniques to enhance the dynamic response of the solar–hydrogen drive of an induction motor. This study compares fuzzy-PID-based C-BO regulators to fuzzy PID regulators based on particle swarm optimization (PSO) and PI-based PSO regulators to provide speed control in solar–hydrogen, induction-motor drive systems. The model is implemented to simulate the production and storage of hydrogen while powering an induction-motor drive which provides a great solution for the renewable energy storage problem in the case of solar pumping systems. MATLAB/Simulink 2021a is used to simulate and analyze the entire operation. The laboratory prototype is implemented in real time using a DSP-DS1104 board. Based on the simulation and experimental results, the proposed fuzzy-PID-based C-BO has reduced speed peak overshoot by 45.3% when compared to a fuzzy PID based PSO speed regulator and by 68.13% when compared to a PI-based PSO speed controller in the case of a large-scale motor. Additionally, the proposed speed regulator has a 6.1% faster speed rising time than a fuzzy-PID-based PSO and a 9.5% faster speed rising time than a PI–PSO speed controller. It has an excellent dynamic responsiveness value when compared to the other speed regulators. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advancement of Power Electronics in Renewable Energy, Power Quality, and Electrical Drive Systems)

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17 pages, 4272 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Characteristics of Electricity Consumption on the Example of Poultry Farming in Poland

by Honorata Sierocka, Maciej Zajkowski, Grzegorz Hołdyński and Zbigniew Sołjan

Energies 2023, 16(1), 547; https://doi.org/10.3390/en16010547 - 3 Jan 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2377

Abstract

The article presents the results of the analysis of parameters describing electricity consumption in individual phases of the production cycle on a poultry farm. One full broiler rearing cycle on the farm was analyzed. Electrical parameters were tested during the broiler rearing process [...] Read more.

The article presents the results of the analysis of parameters describing electricity consumption in individual phases of the production cycle on a poultry farm. One full broiler rearing cycle on the farm was analyzed. Electrical parameters were tested during the broiler rearing process using a power quality analyzer with a measurement interval of 1 min. During the tests, the analyzer recorded the active and reactive power, phase and line voltage, power factor, and frequency. On the basis of collected data, original indicators describing electricity consumption per chicken w_kA, w_kQ, and per unit area w_iA, w_iQ were determined. The regression curves of active and reactive power consumption in particular stages of the cycle were also determined, and the minimum and maximum values of active and reactive power consumption were determined. The accomplished research can be used in planning electricity demand in energy-self-sufficient areas. The presented original indicators can be used to determine power demand on broiler farms, depending on the planned production volume or size of farm buildings. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advancement of Power Electronics in Renewable Energy, Power Quality, and Electrical Drive Systems)

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24 pages, 7596 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Model Antiseptic Control Scheme to Torque Ripple Mitigation for DC-DC Converter-Based BLDC Motor Drives

by Dileep Kumar, Surya Deo Choudhary, Md Tabrez, Afida Ayob and Molla Shahadat Hossain Lipu

Energies 2022, 15(21), 7823; https://doi.org/10.3390/en15217823 - 22 Oct 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1403

Abstract

Although brushless direct current motor (BLDCM) drives are becoming more popular in industrial and commercial applications, there are still significant difficulties and unresolved research issues that must be addressed. In BLDCM drives, commutation current ripple (CCR) and diode freewheeling during non-commutation zone (NCZ) [...] Read more.

Although brushless direct current motor (BLDCM) drives are becoming more popular in industrial and commercial applications, there are still significant difficulties and unresolved research issues that must be addressed. In BLDCM drives, commutation current ripple (CCR) and diode freewheeling during non-commutation zone (NCZ) are the major challenges. To overcome these limitations, this paper proposes a novel PWM-Model Antiseptic Control (PWM-MAC) technique to alleviate the freewheeling of the diode. The proposed PWM technique is used to alleviate the diode freewheeling in the NCZ, whereas the DCLV circuit is utilized to obtain variable DC-link voltage to address the CCR in the CZ. The MATLAB/Simulink results are included along with experimental results obtained from a laboratory prototype of 325 W. The proposed module reduces the current ripple by 31.7% and corresponding torque ripples are suppressed by approximately 32.5%. This evidences the performance of the proposed control technique. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advancement of Power Electronics in Renewable Energy, Power Quality, and Electrical Drive Systems)

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20 pages, 10019 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A New Voltage Based Fault Detection Technique for Distribution Network Connected to Photovoltaic Sources Using Variational Mode Decomposition Integrated Ensemble Bagged Trees Approach

by Younis M. Nsaif, Molla Shahadat Hossain Lipu, Aini Hussain, Afida Ayob, Yushaizad Yusof and Muhammad Ammirrul A. M. Zainuri

Energies 2022, 15(20), 7762; https://doi.org/10.3390/en15207762 - 20 Oct 2022

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 1516

Abstract

The increasing integration of renewable sources into distributed networks results in multiple protection challenges that would be insufficient for conventional protection strategies to tackle because of the characteristics and functionality of distributed generation. These challenges include changes in fault current throughout various operating [...] Read more.

The increasing integration of renewable sources into distributed networks results in multiple protection challenges that would be insufficient for conventional protection strategies to tackle because of the characteristics and functionality of distributed generation. These challenges include changes in fault current throughout various operating modes, different distribution network topologies, and high-impedance faults. Therefore, the protection and reliability of a photovoltaic distributed network relies heavily on accurate and adequate fault detection. The proposed strategy utilizes the Variational Mode Decomposition (VMD) and ensemble bagged trees method to tackle these problems in distributed networks. Primarily, VMD is used to extract intrinsic mode functions from zero-, positive-, and negative-sequence components of a three-phase voltage signal. Next, the acquired intrinsic mode functions are supplied into the ensemble bagged trees mechanism for detecting fault events in a distributed network. Under both radial and mesh-soft normally open-point (SNOP) topologies, the outcomes are investigated and compared in the customarily connected and the island modes. Compared to four machine learning mechanisms, including linear discriminant, linear support vector mechanism (SVM), cubic SVM and ensemble boosted tree, the ensemble bagged trees mechanism (EBTM) has superior accuracy. Furthermore, the suggested method relies mainly on local variables and has no communication latency requirements. Therefore, fault detection using the proposed strategy is reasonable. The simulation outcomes show that the proposed strategy provides 100 percent accurate symmetrical and asymmetrical fault diagnosis within 1.25 ms. Moreover, this approach accurately identifies high- and low-impedance faults. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advancement of Power Electronics in Renewable Energy, Power Quality, and Electrical Drive Systems)

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30 pages, 4461 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Modified Levy-based Particle Swarm Optimization (MLPSO) with Boost Converter for Local and Global Point Tracking

by Chanuri Charin, Dahaman Ishak, Muhammad Ammirrul Atiqi Mohd Zainuri, Baharuddin Ismail, Turki Alsuwian and Adam R. H. Alhawari

Energies 2022, 15(19), 7370; https://doi.org/10.3390/en15197370 - 7 Oct 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1253

Abstract

This paper presents a modified Levy particle swarm optimization (MLPSO) to improve the capability of maximum power point tracking (MPPT) under various partial shading conditions. This method is aimed primarily at resolving the tendency to trap at the local optimum particularly during shading [...] Read more.

This paper presents a modified Levy particle swarm optimization (MLPSO) to improve the capability of maximum power point tracking (MPPT) under various partial shading conditions. This method is aimed primarily at resolving the tendency to trap at the local optimum particularly during shading conditions. By applying a Levy search to the particle swarm optimization (PSO), the randomness of the step size is not limited to a specific value, allowing for full exploration throughout the power-voltage (P-V) curve. Therefore, the problem such as immature convergence or being trapped at a local maximum power point can be avoided. The proposed method comes with great advantages in terms of consistent solutions over various environmental changes with a small number of particles. To verify the effectiveness of the proposed idea, the algorithm was tested on a boost converter of a photovoltaic (PV) energy system. Both simulation and experimental results showed that the proposed algorithm has a high efficiency and fast-tracking speed compared to the conventional HC and PSO algorithm under various shading conditions. Based on the results, it was found that the proposed algorithm successfully converges most rapidly to the global maximum power point (GMPP) and that the tracking of GMPP under complex partial shading is guaranteed. Furthermore, the average efficiency for all test conditions was 99% with a tracking speed of 1.5 s to 3.0 s and an average output steady-state oscillation of 0.89%. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advancement of Power Electronics in Renewable Energy, Power Quality, and Electrical Drive Systems)

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34 pages, 7443 KiB

Open AccessArticle

High Step-Up Flyback with Low-Overshoot Voltage Stress on Secondary GaN Rectifier

by Radin Za’im, Jafferi Jamaludin, Yushaizad Yusof and Nasrudin Abd Rahim

Energies 2022, 15(14), 5092; https://doi.org/10.3390/en15145092 - 12 Jul 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2789

Abstract

This paper presents a new technique to mitigate the high voltage stress on the secondary gallium nitride (GaN) transistor in a high step-up flyback application. GaN devices provide a means of achieving high efficiency at hundreds (and thousands) of kHz of switching frequency. [...] Read more.

This paper presents a new technique to mitigate the high voltage stress on the secondary gallium nitride (GaN) transistor in a high step-up flyback application. GaN devices provide a means of achieving high efficiency at hundreds (and thousands) of kHz of switching frequency. Presently however, commercially available GaN is limited to only a 650 V absolute voltage rating. Such a limitation is challenging in high step-up flyback applications due to the secondary leakage. The leakage imposes high voltage stress on the secondary GaN rectifier during its turn-off transient. Such stress may cause irreversible damage to the GaN device. A new method of leakage bypass is presented to mitigate the high voltage stress issue. The experimental results suggest that when compared to conventional secondary active clamp, a 2.3-fold reduction in overshoot voltage stress percentage is achievable with the technique. As a result, it is possible to utilize GaN as the rectifier while keeping the peak voltage stress within the 650 V limitation with the technique. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advancement of Power Electronics in Renewable Energy, Power Quality, and Electrical Drive Systems)

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42 pages, 89442 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Dynamic Performance Enhancement of a Renewable Energy System for Grid Connection and Stand-Alone Operation with Battery Storage

by Mahmoud A. Mossa, Olfa Gam and Nicola Bianchi

Energies 2022, 15(3), 1002; https://doi.org/10.3390/en15031002 - 29 Jan 2022

Cited by 19 | Viewed by 2415

Abstract

This paper introduces a new formulated control scheme for enhancing the dynamic performance of a wind driven surface permanent magnet synchronous generator. The designed control scheme is based on predictive control theory, in which the shortcomings of previous predictive controllers are avoided. To [...] Read more.

This paper introduces a new formulated control scheme for enhancing the dynamic performance of a wind driven surface permanent magnet synchronous generator. The designed control scheme is based on predictive control theory, in which the shortcomings of previous predictive controllers are avoided. To visualize the effectiveness of the proposed control scheme, the performance of the generator was dynamically evaluated under two different operating regimes: grid connection and standalone operation in which a battery storage system was used to enhance the power delivery to the isolated loads. In addition, a detailed performance comparison between the proposed controller and traditional predictive controllers was carried out. The traditional control topologies used for comparison were the model predictive direct power control, model predictive direct torque control, and model predictive current control. A detailed description of each control scheme is introduced illustrating how it is configured to manage the generator operation. Furthermore, to achieve the optimal exploitation of the wind energy and limit the power in case of exceeding the nominal wind speed, maximum power point tracking and blade pitch angle controls were adopted. A detailed performance comparison effectively outlined the features of each controller, confirming the superiority of the proposed control scheme over other predictive controllers. This fact is illustrated through its simple structure, low ripples, low computation burdens and low current harmonics obtained with the proposed control scheme. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advancement of Power Electronics in Renewable Energy, Power Quality, and Electrical Drive Systems)

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Review

Jump to: Research

25 pages, 4048 KiB

Open AccessReview

Directions of Development of Diagnostic Methods of Vacuum Medium-Voltage Switchgear

by Paweł Węgierek, Damian Kostyła and Michał Lech

Energies 2023, 16(5), 2087; https://doi.org/10.3390/en16052087 - 21 Feb 2023

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2309

Abstract

The development of power grid infrastructure and increasingly stringent environmental regulations have intensified work, carried out by researchers and electrical equipment manufacturers, to develop innovative gas-insulated, environmentally neutral devices. The emergence of new designs of circuit breakers and disconnectors, in which the resulting [...] Read more.

The development of power grid infrastructure and increasingly stringent environmental regulations have intensified work, carried out by researchers and electrical equipment manufacturers, to develop innovative gas-insulated, environmentally neutral devices. The emergence of new designs of circuit breakers and disconnectors, in which the resulting electric arc is extinguished in a vacuum environment, requires the development of appropriate techniques for diagnosing the chambers responsible for the dielectric parameters of the device. The following article presents an overview of the directions of development of diagnostic methods for medium-voltage vacuum switching equipment, which can potentially be used to develop a real-time pressure monitoring system that can be applied to vacuum switching equipment used in electrical infrastructure. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advancement of Power Electronics in Renewable Energy, Power Quality, and Electrical Drive Systems)

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