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Fernandez-Munoz, Raul. "Design of solar power plant with coupled thermal storage." Thesis, Georgia Institute of Technology, 1996. http://hdl.handle.net/1853/16722.
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Van, Dyk Cobus. "The realisation of the solar chimney inlet guide vanes." Thesis, Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2004. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/50175.
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Thesis (MScEng)--University of Stellenbosch, 2004.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Up to this point in time research on the South African solar chimney, proposed for a site in the Northern Cape, comprised of determining the structural integrity of the chimney structure, as well as airflow calculation, finding the optimal shape for the airflow channels. Not much work had been done on the realisation of the foundation of the global structure, i.e. how the cardinal parts are optimized in an integrated system. The inlet guide vanes (IGV's) should be central in such research efforts, being the main support of gravitational and lateral wind load on the chimney structure, as well as its important role in channelling air and creating pre-swirl of the airflow onto the turbine blades. However, little detailed research - research to actually determine and fix the many variables of the IGV's and integration with surrounding parts - had been performed! In this thesis as many of these variables as possible are investigated - ranging from structural integrity with regard to compressive and shear strength through optimizing structure eigenfrequency to economic feasibility. The outcome of this study is conceptual solutions regarding the geometry of the IGV structures in order for it to support the chimney while minimizing material volume. Finite element methods are used to create insight into the behaviour of the IGV's and force transferring structures, incorporating external factors such as lateral wind and gravitational loadsto determine the optimal shape of these structures. This study is valuable for researchers on the solar chimney, serving as a reference from where to design and secure the variables of the global structure, and eventually building the solar chimney. Keywords: Solar chimney, inlet guide vanes, solar power, massive concrete structures, structural realisation, finite element application, structure optimisation.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Tot op hede het die navorsing op die Suid Afrikaanse sonskoorsteen, wat beplan word vir konstruksie in die Noordkaap, bestaan uit die bepaling van die integriteit van die struktuur asook lugvloei berekeninge om die optimale vorm van die lugvloei kanale te lewer. Min werk is gedoen om die fondasies van die globale struktuur, dus hoe die kardinale dele geïntegreer is in die gesamentlike sisteem, te ondersoek. Die inlaat lei lemme behoort sentraal te lê in sulke navorsingspogings aangesien dit die hoof ondersteuner en verspreider van gravitasie en laterale windlaste op die skoorsteen struktuur is. Dit speelook 'n integrale rol in die kanalisering van invloeiende lug om dit vooraf 'n vorteks beweging te gee vir 'n optimale invalshoek op die turbine lemme. Min gedetaileerde navorsing - navorsing om die verskeie onbekende faktore rondom die inlaat lei lemme en die omliggende strukture te bepaal - is tot op hede gedoen. Hierdie tesis mik om soveel moontlik van hierdie veranderlikes - wat reik van struktuur integriteit met betrekking tot die samedrukkings- en skuifsterktes in die materiaal tot die eie-frekwensies en ekonomiese vatbaarheid van die struktuur - vas te stel. Die uitkoms van hierdie studie is konseptueie oplossings vir die geometrie van die inlaat lei lem strukture wat terselfdertyd die totale struktuur se materiaal volume minimiseer. Eindige element metodes word gebruik om insig in die gedrag van die inlaat lei lemme en ander strukture wat krag oordra, te genereer. Die metodes inkorporeer soveel as moontlik van die eksterne faktore soos gravitasie en laterale windlas om die optimale geometrie vir die betrokke struktuur te bepaal. Hierdie studie is waardevol vir navorsers oor die sonskoorsteen en dien as 'n bron waaruit verdere ontwerp en die vasstel van veranderlikes in die globale struktuur gedoen kan word met die oog op die uiteindelike daarstelling van 'n sonskoorsteen.
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Kretzschmar, Holger. "The Hybrid Pressurized Air Receiver (HPAR) for combined cycle solar thermal power plants." Thesis, Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/86377.
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Thesis (MScEng)--Stellenbosch University, 2014.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Concentrating solar power technology is a modern power generation technology in which central receiver systems play a significant role. For this technology a field of heliostats is used to reflect solar irradiation to the receiver located on top of the tower. An extensive review has shown that contemporary receiver designs face geometric complexities, lack of thermal efficiency as well as issues with durability and cost. The purpose of this study is to develop a new receiver concept that can potentially reduce these issues. A parametric analysis was used to identify potential means of improvement based on an energy balance approach including sensitivities involved with convection and radiation heat transfer. Design criteria such as the use of headers to minimize pressure drop was also investigated. Based on these findings the hybrid pressurized air receiver was developed which is a combination of tubular and volumetric receiver technologies. The fundamental idea of the receiver was investigated by simulating the ray-tracing and coupled natural convection and radiation heat transfer. The ray-tracing results have shown that the use of quartz glass is a prospective solution to higher allowable flux densities, but with reflection losses in the order of 7 %. The coupled natural convection heat transfer simulation further revealed that the receiver concept effectively eliminates the escape of buoyant plumes and radiative heat losses are minimized. Empirical data was gathered from a medium flux concentrator and good agreement with the numerical results was obtained. The thesis therefore concludes that the research outcomes were met. Ongoing research aims to optimise the receiver concept for a 5MW pilot plant.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Gekonsentreerde sonkrag tegnologie is ’n moderne kragopwekkingstegnologie waar sentrale ontvangersisteme ’n beduidende rol speel. Vir hierdie tegnologie word ’n veld heliostate gebruik om sonstraling na die ontvanger wat aan die bopunt van die toring geleë is te reflekteer. ’n Omvattende hersiening het daarop gewys dat kontemporêre ontwerpe van die ontvangers ’n aantal geometriese kompleksiteite, ’n tekort aan termiese doeltreffendheid sowel as probleme in terme van duursaamheid en koste in die gesig staar. Die doel van die studie is om ’n nuwe ontvangerskonsep te ontwikkel wat moontlik hierdie probleme kan verminder. ’n Parametriese analise is gebruik om potensiële maniere van verbetering aan te dui wat gebaseer is op ’n energiebalans benadering; insluitend sensitiwiteite betrokke by konvektiewe en stralingswarmteoordrag. Ontwerpkriteria soos die gebruik van spruitstukke om drukverliese te minimaliseer is ook ondersoek. Gebaseer op hierdie bevindinge is die hibriede saamgepersde-lug ontvanger ontwikkel. Laasgenoemde is ’n kombinasie van buis- en volumetriese ontvangertegnologie. Die fundamentele idee van die ontvanger is ondersoek deur straalberekening asook die gelyktydige natuurlike konveksie en stralingswarmteoordrag te simuleer. Die straalberekeningsresultate het getoon dat die gebruik van kwarts glas ’n moontlike oplossing is om hoër stralingsintensiteit te bereik, maar met refleksieverliese in die orde van 7 %. Die gelyktydige natuurlike konveksie en stralingswarmteoordrag simulasie het verder aan die lig gebring dat die ontvangerkonsep die ontsnapping
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Beviss-Challinor, Lauren Margaret. "Design, build and test a passive thermal system for a loft : a roof solar chimney application for South African weather conditions." Thesis, Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2007. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/348.
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Thesis (MEng (Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineering))--Stellenbosch University, 2007.ENGLISH: The design, construction and testing of a passive thermal system, a roof solar chimney, for a loft is considered. Unlike conventional solar chimneys the solar collector is constructed from corrugated iron roof sheets with the aim that it can be integrated into existing buildings at a lower cost or used in low cost housing developments. The main objective of the study was to determine the feasibility of such low-cost design to regulate thermal conditions in a loft, that is heating the loft during winter and enhancing natural ventilation during summer, by carrying out an experimental and analytical study. The results obtained from the experimental study showed that for winter the solar chimney, having a channel width, depth and length of 0.7 m, 0.1 m and 1.8 m respectively and with a peal solar radiation of 850 W/m², heated the room air 5°C higher than the ambient temperature during the hottest periods of the day, which is only marginally better than a loft with conventional roof insulation. At night, it was found that reverse airflow occurred through the chimney, cooling the loft down to ambient temperature, due to radiation heat loss from the roof collector to the night sky. For summer operation, the experimental data showed that the chimney was able to maintain the loft at ambient temperature and the analytical study found that the chimney was able to enhance natural ventilation effectively, reaching air exchange rate of 6.6 per hour for the 4.6 m³ volume space. It was also found that the chimney’s performance dropped rapidly and significantly during periods of low solar radiation and at night. A sensitivity analysis illustrated that for both summer and winter operation, the size, tilt angle and absorptivity of the roof collector greatly effected the efficiency and mass flow rates of the system, agreeing well with other literature. These results prove that this low cost solar chimney cooling design was feasible to enhance natural ventilation mainly during hot summer conditions with high solar radiation. Compared to a loft with only conventional roof insulation, the chimney did not perform effectively during the winter to heat the loft up, meaning that winter operation for this specific design is not feasible. Possible improvements to the design include using construction materials with higher thermal capacities to retain heat energy and ensure continued operation during periods of low solar radiation, as well as using selective absorber coatings on the collector surface. It is recommended that further work on the project include the integration of these improvements into the present design and to use the findings obtained from the sensitivity analysis to improve system efficiencies. CFD analysis of the test-rig will be insightful as an additional means to validate and compare with the analytical and experimental data obtained in this report. With the continuation of these studies, this low-cost solar chimney design can be optimised, validated on a commercial scale and built into existing and new housing developments. Incorporating such a passive thermal device will aid homeowners in air regulation and thermal comfort of their living space as well as saving on energy requirements.
Sponsored by the Centre for Renewable and Sustainable Energy Studies, Stellenbosch University
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Malan, Karel Johan. "A heliostat field control system." Thesis, Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/86674.
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Thesis (MEng)--Stellenbosch University, 2014.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The ability of concentrating solar power (CSP) to efficiently store large amounts of energy sets it apart from other renewable energy technologies. However, cost reduction and improved efficiency is required for it to become more economically viable. Significant cost reduction opportunities exist, especially for central receiver system (CRS) technology where the heliostat field makes up 40 to 50 per cent of the total capital expenditure. CRS plants use heliostats to reflect sunlight onto a central receiver. Heliostats with high tracking accuracy are required to realize high solar concentration ratios. This enables high working temperatures for efficient energy conversion. Tracking errors occur mainly due to heliostat manufacturing-, installation- and alignment tolerances, but high tolerance requirements generally increase cost. A way is therefore needed to improve tracking accuracy without increasing tolerance requirements. The primary objective of this project is to develop a heliostat field control system within the context of a 5MWe CRS pilot plant. The control system has to govern the tracking movement of all heliostats in the field and minimize errors over time. A geometric model was developed to characterize four deterministic sources of heliostat tracking errors. A prototype system comprising 18 heliostats was constructed to function as a scaled down subsection of the pilot plant heliostat field and to validate the chosen control method and system architecture. Periodic measurements of individual heliostats’ tracking offsets were obtained using a camera and optical calibration target combined with image processing techniques. Mathematical optimization was used to estimate model coefficients to best fit the measured error offsets. Real-time tracking error corrections were performed by each heliostat’s local controller unit to compensate for a combination of error sources. Experimental tracking measurements were performed using the prototype system. Daily open-loop RMS tracking errors below one milliradian were obtained, thereby satisfying the project’s primary objective. The thesis concludes that high tracking accuracy can be achieved using the control method proposed here. This could potentially lead to a reduction in heliostat cost, thereby lowering the levelised cost of electricity for CRS plants.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Gekonsentreerde sonkrag se vermoë om groot hoeveelhede energie effektief te stoor onderskei dit van ander hernubare energie tegnologieë. Kostebesparing en hoër effektiwiteit word egter vereis om dit ekonomies meer lewensvatbaar te maak. Beduidende kostebesparingsgeleenthede bestaan wel, spesifiek vir tegnologieë vir sentraal-ontvangerstelsels (central receiver system (CRS)) waar die heliostaatveld 40 tot 50 persent van die totale kapitaalbestedings uitmaak. CRS aanlegte gebruik heliostate om sonlig op ’n sentrale ontvanger te reflekteer. Heliostate met ’n hoë volgingsakkuraatheid word vereis om hoë sonkragkonsentrasieverhoudings te laat realiseer. Dit maak hoë werkstemperature moontlik vir effektiewe energie-omsetting. Volgingsfoute kom hoofsaaklik voor a.g.v. die heliostaat se vervaardigings-, installasie- en instellingstoleransies, maar hoë toleransie-vereistes verhoog gewoonlik die koste. Daar is dus ’n manier nodig om volgingsakkuraatheid te verbeter sonder om die toleransie-vereistes te verhoog. Die primêre doel van hierdie projek is om ’n heliostaat aanleg kontrole-stelsel te ontwikkel binne die konteks van ’n 5 MWe CRS toetsaanleg. Die kontrole-stelsel moet die volgingsbeweging van al die heliostate in die aanleg bestuur en ook met verloop van tyd volgingsfoute verminder. ’n Geometriese model is ontwikkel om die vier bepalende bronne van heliostaat volgingsfoute te karakteriseer. ’n Prototipe stelsel met 18 heliostate is gebou om as ’n funksionele skaalmodel van die toetsaanleg heliostaatveld te dien en om die gekose kontrole-metode en stelselargitektuur geldig te verklaar. Periodieke metings van die individuele heliostate se volgingsafwykings is verkry deur ’n kamera en optiese kalibrasie teiken te kombineer met beeldprosesseringstegnieke. Wiskundige optimering is gebruik om die model se koëffisiënte te skat om die beste passing te bepaal vir die gemete foutafwykings. Intydse volgingsfoutregstellings is deur elke heliostaat se plaaslike beheereenheid gedoen om te vergoed vir ’n kombinasie van foutbronne. Eksperimentele volgingsmetings is uitgevoer met die prototipestelsel. Daaglikse ooplus RMS volgingsfoute onder een milliradiaan is verkry, en sodoende is die projek se primêre doel behaal. Die tesis maak die gevolgtrekking dat hoë volgingsakkuraatheid behaal kan word deur die gebruik van die beheer-metode soos hier voorgestel. Dit kan potensieel bydra tot kostebesparing in die heliostaatveld van CRS aanlegte om sodoende die geykte koste van elektrisiteit te verminder.
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Stalin, Maria Jebamalai Joseph. "Receiver Design Methodology for Solar Tower Power Plants." Thesis, KTH, Energiteknik, 2016. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-192664.
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Centrala solmottagarsystem (CRS) är på frammarsch på grund av deras höga koncentrationsfaktor och höga potential att minska kostnaderna genom att öka kapacitetsfaktorn av solkraftanläggningar med lagring. I CRS kraftanläggningar är solljuset fokuserat på mottagaren genom arrangemanget av tusentals speglar för att omvandla solstrålning till värme för att driva värmecykler. Solmottagare används för att överföra värmeflux från solen till arbetsmediet. Generellt arbetar solmottagare i driftpunkter med hög temperatur och därför genereras strålningsförluster. Vidare har solmottagaren en betydande påverkan på den totala kostnaden för kraftverket. Således har konstruktion och modellering av mottagaren en signifikant påverkan på kraftanläggningseffektivitet och kostnad. Målet med detta examensarbete är att utveckla en designmetodik för att beräkna geometrin hos solmottagaren och dess verkningsgrad. Denna designmetodik riktar sig främst till stora kraftverk i området 100 MWe, men även skalbarheten av designmetoden har studerats. Den utvecklade konstruktionsmetoden implementerades i in-house designverktyg devISEcrs som även integrerar andra moduler som modellerar solspegelfält, lagring och kraftblocket för att beräkna den totala kraftverksverkningsgraden. Designmodeller för de andra komponenterna är delvis redan implementerade, men de är modifierade och/eller utvidgade för att integrera den nya CRS mottagarmodellen. Slutligen har hela mottagarmodellen validerats genom att jämföra resultaten med testdata från litteraturen.Central Receiver Systems (CRS) are gaining momentum because of their high concentration and high potential to reduce costs by means of increasing the capacity factor of the plant with storage. In CRS plants, sunlight is focused onto the receiver by the arrangement of thousands of mirrors to convert the solar radiation into heat to drive thermal cycles. Solar receivers are used to transfer the heat flux received from the solar field to the working fluid. Generally, solar receivers work in a high-temperature environment and are therefore subjected to different heat losses. Also, the receiver has a notable impact on the total cost of the power plant. Thus, the design and modelling of the receiver has a significant influence on efficiency and the cost of the plant. The goal of the master thesis is to develop a design methodology to calculate the geometry of the receiver and its efficiency. The design methodology is mainly aimed at large-scale power plants in the range of 100 MWe, but also the scalability of the design method has been studied. The developed receiver design method is implemented in the in-house design tool devISEcrs and also it is integrated with other modules like solar field, storage and power block to calculate the overall efficiency of the power plant. The design models for other components are partly already implemented, but they are modified and/or extended according to the requirements of CRS plants. Finally, the entire receiver design model is validated by comparing the results of test cases with the data from the literature.
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Low, Yee Weng. "Techno-economic model for designing marine and offshore power generating systems." Diss., Georgia Institute of Technology, 1999. http://hdl.handle.net/1853/15868.
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Tang, Qianjun. "Design of the Communication and Control Systems for Robotic Cleaning and Inspection of Solar Power Plants." Thesis, Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa, 2021. http://hdl.handle.net/10393/42274.
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The aim of this research is to design the communications monitoring and control functionalities of an energy-efficient, scalable system, capable of supporting robotic cleaning and fault detection of photovoltaic panels, deployed in solar electric power generation plants. The communication functionality is implemented by using a wireless sensor network (WSN) deployed over the photovoltaic energy production plant’s area. The network is designed to support the communication needs of static-sensing nodes as well as moving robotic units. It transports sensing data and commands between end units and the monitoring and control entity of the electric energy generation plant. Having robotic units replace humans in the cleaning and inspection tasks not only reduces the operational cost of the plant, but also results in increased energy production. Several innovations were necessary to achieve our objective, which are presented in this dissertation. A working prototype of the cleaning robotic system was built and tested in a solar power plant for a duration of 6 month. The prototyping was done in collaboration of Tipot technology.
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Storgärd, Per. "Grid Optimization Of Wind-Solar Hybrid Power Plants : Case Study Of Internal Grid Connections." Thesis, Uppsala universitet, Institutionen för geovetenskaper, 2016. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:uu:diva-319385.
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Hybrid renewable energy systems (HRES) have proven to be a more stable and feasible source of energy than heir single source counterparts. The benefit of HRES is their ability to balance the stochastic behavior of wind and solar production. As result of this, they have been used as stand-alone systems with great success. Optimization studies in the field have shown optimum sizing of the components in the system to be a key element in order to increase feasibility. This paper focuses on the HRES impact on internal grid design and cost. The goal of the thesis is to create a mathematical function and graph on the internal grid design/cost relation for a virtual site with varying wind speed and solar irradiation. A secondary goal is to analyze how much Photovoltaics (PV) in Megawatt (MW) that can be connected to the internal grid post realization of the wind farm and to performed this analyze on the two specific case projects, Site A (17.25 MW) in Sweden and Site B (51.75 MW) in Italy. By utilizing a case study methodology, a mathematical model was created based on two case projects, both with potential to be a combined Wind-PV hybrid plants provided by the wind developer OX2. Identifiers for the two cases studied in this thesis where removed with respect to OX2’s ongoing projects. Hybrid renewable energy systems is a method of increasing the utilization of a regions RES, the system has an increase in overall power output compared to the single RES alternative. However, the internal grid cost was shown to be 3.85 % more expensive Site A and 5.3 % in Site B. This stood in direct correlation to the HRES in Site A using 8.6 % more cable for its internal grid and 29.7 % more in Site B, this is highly depending (depending on the location of the PV array). Furthermore, the case projects showed that the maximum PV to be connected post realization of the farm without major curtailment would be 11.5% of the wind farms rated power in the case of site A and 67.6 % in the case of Site B. Variations in wind speed and solar irradiation were shown to have some impact on grid cost. However, the results pointed out that grid cost in HRES is to a higher degree affected by total cable length in the internal grid than fluctuation in available energy sources. The extent of increase in cable length, the total grid investment cost rises up to 53.4 % for the two case projects.
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Kamanzi, Janvier. "Thermal electric solar power conversion panel development." Thesis, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11838/2527.
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Thesis (DTech (Engineering))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2017.The world has been experiencing energy-related problems following pressuring energy demands which go along with the global economy growth. These problems can be phrased in three paradoxical statements: Firstly, in spite of a massive and costless solar energy, global unprecedented energy crisis has prevailed, resulting in skyrocketing costs. Secondly, though the sun releases a clean energy, yet conventional plants are mainly being run on unclean energy sources despite their part in the climate changes and global warming. Thirdly, while a negligible percentage of the solar energy is used for power generation purposes, it is not optimally exploited since more than its half is wasted in the form of heat which contributes to lowering efficiency of solar cells and causes their premature degradation and anticipated ageing. The research is geared at addressing the issue related to unsatisfactory efficiencies and anticipated ageing of solar modules. The methodology adopted to achieve the research aim consisted of a literature survey which in turn inspired the devising of a high-efficiency novel thermal electric solar power panel. Through an in-depth overview, the literature survey outlined the rationale of the research interest, factors affecting the performance of PVs as well as existing strategies towards addressing spotted shortcomings. While photovoltaic (PV) panels could be identified as the most reliable platform for sunlight-to-electricity conversion, they exhibit a shortcoming in terms of following the sun so as to maximize exposure to sunlight which negatively affects PVs’ efficiencies in one hand. On the other hand, the inability of solar cells to reflect the unusable heat energy present in the sunlight poses as a lifespan threat. Strategies and techniques in place to track the sun and keep PVs in nominal operational temperatures were therefore reviewed.
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Khamis, Ibrahim Ahmad 1956. "DYNAMIC SIMULATION OF A PROCESS INHERENT ULTIMATE SAFETY POWER PLANT (PIUS)." Thesis, The University of Arizona, 1986. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/275565.
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Mwinga, Makani. "Design and development of a fuel cell power supply unit." Thesis, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11838/2524.
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Thesis (MTech (Electrical Engineering))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2017.Fuel cell (FC) technology is one of the most sought-after renewable energy technology. However, the output voltage of FC stacks is inherently unstable; as such, it is of little or no use for most power supply applications. In addition to the unstable output voltage, FC stacks are susceptible to high current ripple, which can reduce the system’s life expectancy. The work carried out in order to stabilise the output voltage, and to reduce the current ripple of FC stacks involves a review of some existing converter topologies used for power conditioning units (PCUs), modelling, design, control and simulation of different converter topologies and the experiment of the prototype circuit for the interleaved boost voltage multiplier (IBVM) converter topology. In the process to stabilise the stack output voltage and to reduce the stack output current ripple, it is also required to improve the system response to load changes. This work presents results that show that system works, with the voltage stabilised, the stack output current ripple reduced and the response time reduced. A relative evaluation of the dynamic behaviour of four converter topologies in power conditioning units is carried out, and these are the isolated current-fed full-bridge (ICFFB) converter, the boost converter, the sepic converter and the IBVM converter. The simulation results of the four topologies show that the output voltage of a PEMFC stack was stabilised, and that the IBVM topology is a better topology compared to the others, especially when it comes to reducing the stack current ripple.
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Yiu, Hor-pui, and 姚可培. "Effective controls for engineering oriented construction project: a case study of Black Point Power StationProject." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 1996. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B31251432.
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Elwell, Lance Christopher. "Dynamics of stationary and obliquely oscillating free plane jets." Thesis, Georgia Institute of Technology, 2000. http://hdl.handle.net/1853/17371.
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Reperant, Jefferey John Robert. "Studies of turbulent liquid sheets for protecting IFE reactor chamber first walls." Thesis, Georgia Institute of Technology, 2002. http://hdl.handle.net/1853/18921.
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Krygowski, Thomas Wendell. "A novel simultaneous diffusion technology for low-cost, high-efficiency silicon solar cells." Diss., Georgia Institute of Technology, 1998. http://hdl.handle.net/1853/22973.
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Ferreira, Toni (Toni Jolene). "Some modifications to the design of a parabolic solar concentrator for construction in Lesotho and their effects on power production." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2005. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/32859.
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Thesis (S.B.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, 2005.Includes bibliographical references (leaf 15).
An experimental study was performed to test the effectiveness of design modifications terms of efficiency and power production in an existing parabolic solar concentrator. The proposed modifications included limiting the number of parabolic ribs to be constructed to two, using struts of slotted angle iron to approximate a continuous parabolic trough, and increasing the thickness of the mirrored sheet metal to be formed to 0.035". A quarter-scale model of the system was constructed using materials and tools indigenous to Lesotho. The apparatus was tested for its ability to raise the temperature of a known amount of water in a specified amount of time. Results show that the system was capable of creating steam; however, the water in the system only reached an internal temperature of 81⁰C as opposed to the theoretical value of 467.01⁰C, which yields an error of 82.7%.
by Toni Ferreira.
S.B.
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DeLucia, Dominic. "A Parametric Study on Power Variation for Model Wind Turbine Arrays." PDXScholar, 2013. http://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/open_access_etds/1120.
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This thesis presents the results of wind tunnel experiments performed for various model wind turbine arrays. The aim is to understand how siting affects power output. To optimize wind farm efficiency the experiments vary the parameters of the model wind turbines and the layout of the wind turbine array. The parameters include the alignment, height, spacing, and the rotational direction of the model wind turbines. These experiments employ mechanical torque sensors to simultaneously measure the torque and rotor angular velocity, which yields a direct measurement of the fluid mechanical power extracted by the turbine at multiple locations. For a 4 × 3 array, the power is calculated at the center turbine in each of the rows. Variations in wind farm efficiency ranging from 55% to 90% are observed between the 13 different layouts tested. Modifications to the layout of the wind turbine array clearly affects the power output of the wind turbines downstream. The results of such experiments highlight the importance of studying the relationship between wind farm layout and power output.
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Fisher, Kate School of Photovoltaic & Renewable Energy Engineering UNSW. "The pitfalls of pit contacts: electroless metallization for c-Si solar cells." Awarded by:University of New South Wales. School of Photovoltaic and Renewable Energy Engineering, 2007. http://handle.unsw.edu.au/1959.4/29568.
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This thesis focuses on improving the adhesion of electroless metal layers plated to pit contacts in interdigitated, backside buried contact (IBBC) solar cells. In an electrolessly plated, pit contact IBBC cell, the contact grooves are replaced with lines of pits which are interconnected by the plated metal. It is shown, however, that electroless metal layers, plated by the standard IBBC plating sequence, are not adherent on pit contact IBBC solar cells. The cause of this adhesion problem is investigated by examining the adhesive properties of each of the metal layers in the electroless metallization sequence on planar test structures. This investigation reveals that Pd activation of heavily P diffused Si impedes Ni silicide growth and that, in the absence of a silicide at the Ni/Si interface, an electrolessly plated Cu layer will cause the underlying Ni layer to peel away from the substrate. It is also found that the Ni silicidation process itself intermittently causes the unreacted Ni to spontaneously peel away from the substrate. An electroless metallization sequence that results in thick, adhesive Cu deposits on planar < 100> surfaces is developed in this thesis. It is shown that this process leads to the formation of a Ni silicide on both n- and p- type, heavily diffused surfaces. Fully plated, pit contact IBBC solar cells were not able to be fabricated during the course of this work but it is reasonable to expect that the modified plating sequence developed in this work will result in the metal layers being adhesive on these cells.
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Collins, Justin Andrew. "Velocity and free surface measurements of free plane jets." Thesis, Georgia Institute of Technology, 2000. http://hdl.handle.net/1853/17888.
Full text
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Gurganus, Heath Alan. "Battery Energy Storage Systems to Mitigate the Variability of Photovoltaic Power Generation." PDXScholar, 2013. https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/open_access_etds/1495.
Full textAbstract:
Methods of generating renewable energy such as through solar photovoltaic (PV) cells and wind turbines offer great promise in terms of a reduced carbon footprint and overall impact on the environment. However, these methods also share the attribute of being highly stochastic, meaning they are variable in such a way that is difficult to forecast with sufficient accuracy. While solar power currently constitutes a small amount of generating potential in most regions, the cost of photovoltaics continues to decline and a trend has emerged to build larger PV plants than was once feasible. This has brought the matter of increased variability to the forefront of research in the industry. Energy storage has been proposed as a means of mitigating this increased variability -- and thus reducing the need to utilize traditional spinning reserves -- as well as offering auxiliary grid services such as peak-shifting and frequency control. This thesis addresses the feasibility of using electrochemical storage methods (i.e. batteries) to decrease the ramp rates of PV power plants. By building a simulation of a grid-connected PV array and a typical Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) in the NetLogo simulation environment, I have created a parameterized tool that can be tailored to describe almost any potential PV setup. This thesis describes the design and function of this model, and makes a case for the accuracy of its measurements by comparing its simulated output to that of well-documented real world sites. Finally, a set of recommendations for the design and operational parameters of such a system are then put forth based on the results of several experiments performed using this model.
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Hamilton, Christopher. "Control strategy for maximizing power conversion efficiency and effectiveness of three port solar charging station for electric vehicles." Master's thesis, University of Central Florida, 2010. http://digital.library.ucf.edu/cdm/ref/collection/ETD/id/4548.
Full textAbstract:
Recent trends in the energy sector have provided opportunities in the research of alternative energy sources and optimization of systems that harness these energy sources. With the rising cost of fossil fuel and rising concern about detrimental effects that fossil fuel consumption has on the environment, electric vehicles are becoming more prevalent. A study put out in 2009 gives a prediction that in the year 2025, 20% of new vehicles will be PHEVs. As energy providers become more concerned about a growing population and diminishing energy source, they are looking into alternative energy sources such as wind and solar power. Much of this is done on a large scale with vast amounts of land used for solar or wind farms to provide energy to the grid. However, as population grows, requirements of the physical components of a power transmission system will become more demanding and the need for remote micro-grids will become more prevalent. Micro-grids are essentially smaller subsystems of a distribution system that provide power to a confined group of loads, or households. Using the idea of micro grid technology, a solar charging station can be used as a source to provide energy for the immediate surroundings, or also to electric vehicles that are demanding energy from the panels. Solar charging stations are becoming very popular, however the need for improvement and optimization of these systems is needed. This thesis will present a method for redesigning the overall architecture of the controls and power electronics of typical carports so that efficiency, reliability and modularity are achieved. Specifically, a typical carport, as seen commonly today, has been built on the University of Central Florida campus in Orlando. This carport was designed in such a way that shifting from conventional charging methods is made easy while preserving the fundamental requirements of a practical solar carport.ID: 029050761; System requirements: World Wide Web browser and PDF reader.; Mode of access: World Wide Web.; Thesis (M.S.E.E.)--University of Central Florida, 2010.; Includes bibliographical references (p. 97-98).
M.S.E.E.
Masters
Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Engineering and Computer Science
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Lambert, Darcy Erin. "Nanostructured Extremely Thin Absorber (ETA) Hybrid Solar Cell Fabrication, Optimization, and Characterization." PDXScholar, 2011. https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/open_access_etds/637.
Full textAbstract:
Traditional sources of electrical energy are finite and can produce significant pollution. Solar cells produce clean energy from incident sunlight, and will be an important part of our energy future. A new nanostructured extremely thin absorber solar cell with 0.98% power conversion efficiency and maximum external quantum efficiency of 61% at 650 nm has been fabricated and characterized. This solar cell is composed of a fluorine-doped tin oxide base layer, n-type aluminum doped zinc oxide nanowires, a cadmium selenide absorber layer, poly(3-hexylthiophene) as a p-type layer, and thermally evaporated gold as a back contact. Zinc oxide nanowire electrodeposition has been investigated for different electrical environments, and the role of a zinc oxide thin film layer has been established. Cadmium selenide nanoparticles have been produced and optimized in-house and compared to commercially produced nanoparticles. Argon plasma cleaning has been investigated as a method to improve electronic behavior at cadmium selenide interfaces. The thermal anneal process for cadmium selenide nanoparticles has been studied, and a laser anneal process has been investigated. It has been found that the most efficient solar cells in this study are produced with a zinc oxide thin film, zinc oxide nanowires grown under constant -1V bias between the substrate material and the anode, cadmium selenide nanoparticles purchased commercially and annealed for 24 hours in the presence of cadmium chloride, and high molecular weight poly(3-hexylthiophene) spin-coated in a nitrogen environment.
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Doan, Donald Scott. "Using Motor Electrical Signature Analysis to Determine the Mechanical Condition of Vane-Axial Fans." Thesis, University of North Texas, 2002. https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc3256/.
Full textAbstract:
The purpose of this research was a proof of concept using a fan motor stator as transducer to monitor motor rotor and attached axial fan for mechanical motion. The proof was to determine whether bearing faults and fan imbalances could be detected in vane-axial fans using Motor Electrical Signature Analysis (MESA). The data was statistically analyzed to determine if the MESA systems could distinguish between baseline conditions and discrete fault frequencies for the three test conditions: bearing inner race defect, bearing outer race defect, and fan imbalance. The statistical conclusions for these proofs of concept were that MESA could identify all three faulted conditions.
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Elliott, Kevin A. "Simulation decision aid for power station configuration evaluation." Thesis, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/10210/13387.
Full textAbstract:
M.Tech.In life extending and refurbishing old power station plant, the following question must be addressed: Does one maintain current configuration, which was based on the technology of 1960, or make use of current power utility technology trends, and change the power station's configuration. This specific problem involves four existing Eskom power stations, with an approximate combined replacement value of R7 billion. All these stations have the capability of using a common steam feed range to supply superheated steam to the turbo-generator sets. This common steam feed range becomes very maintenance intensive in its "old age". Hence the need for this study into the feasibility of its refurbishment. This common steam feed range configuration was considered state-of-the-art in the mid-1900's, but is currently not the practised technology. This is primarily due to the technology advancement into reheat boilers, making control of a range type configuration impossible. Monte Carlo simulation provides an effective, holistic decision mechanism, that is free from bias, emotions and conjecture. Hence the simulation product, highlighted in this dissertation, will have solved an industrial problem finally and effectively, by ensuring that for a relatively small cost of building the simulation models, major capital expenditure estimates can be accurate, with a confidence in the return on investment. This paper discusses the use of Monte Carlo simulation modelling as an engineering analysis tool, for the analysis of two power station configuration options, i.e. with a steam feed range and without. Firstly, an investigation into the selection of which computer language to use as a development tool is presented. The Monte Carlo simulation technique is then explained, and simulation models are built of the two power station configurations. The models, which are built using SIMSCRIPT 11.5 simulation language to represent the real world in each configuration option, are then discussed. The availability analysis is developed, and conclusions and recommendations are discussed, as presented in the report to Eskom Management.
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Huang, Pin-Chieh, and 黃品傑. "Design and Evaluation of an IEC 61850-compliant Data Aggregation Server for Small-scale Solar Power Plants." Thesis, 2019. http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/kq46un.
Full textAbstract:
碩士國立臺灣科技大學
資訊工程系
107
With the advancement of dispatching technology, the communication between distributed energy resource power plants and central supervisory control system plays an important role in the electric power system. In order to solve the dispersive data from small-scale solar power plants without using standard protocols, we develop an IEC 61850 server which aggregates the solar power stations data by different protocols such as HTTP POST, HTTPS API query, and TCP socket. Additionally, the server is capable of directly controlling solar power plant inverters with our bi-direction controller by using Modbus with the IEC 61850 control functions, INV2, WP41 and WP42. We also compare the response time of MMS and TCP socket with commercial products. With our proposed ICT communication architecture, central supervisory control system can easily predict the power generation and dispatch the power grid based on the electricity supply and demand.
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Gedeon, Stephen R. "Nuclear design analysis of low-power (1-30 KWe) space nuclear reactor systems." Thesis, 1993. http://hdl.handle.net/1957/37043.
Full textAbstract:
Preliminary nuclear design studies have been completed on ten
configurations of nuclear reactors for low power (1-30 kWe) space
applications utilizing thermionic energy conversion. Additional design
studies have been conducted on the TRICE multimegawatt in-core
thermionic reactor configuration. In each of the cases, a reactor
configuration has been determined which has the potential for operating
7 years with sufficient reactivity margin. Additional safety
evaluations have been conducted on these configurations including the
determination of sufficient shutdown reactivity, and consideration of
water immersion, water flooding, sand burial, and reactor compaction
accident scenarios. It has been found, within the analysis conducted
using the MCNP Monte Carlo neutron transport code, that there are
configurations which are feasible and deserve further analysis. It has
also been found that solid core reactors which rely solely on conduction
for heat removal as well as pin type cores immersed in a liquid metal
bath have merit. The solid cores look attractive when flooding and
compaction accident scenarios are considered as there is little chance
for water to enter the core and cause significant neutron moderation. A
fuel volume fraction effect has also been found in the consideration of
the sand burial cases for the SP-100 derived configurations.Graduation date: 1994
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Chou, Yu-Chun, and 周宥均. "Design and Evaluation of a Bidirectional Data Acquisition and Control System for Distributed Small-scale Solar Power Plants." Thesis, 2019. http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/4cggqd.
Full textAbstract:
碩士國立臺灣科技大學
資訊工程系
107
As global warming and energy shortages are gradually deteriorating, the issue of renewable energy has become a worldwide hot topic. In Taiwan, because of the narrowness of the ground which is highly populated, the setting of the solar power plants are small-scale and distributed. Therefore, communication between the solar power generation plants and the central monitoring and data acquisition system plays an important role in the power system. In order to solve the problem of distributed small-scale solar power plant data collection without standard protocols, the implementation of international standards for small-scale solar power plants is too expensive. In this thesis, we invent a low-cost bidirectional controller which collects and aggregates data from solar power plants by various protocols such as HTTP POST, HTTPS API query and TCP socket. In addition, the bidirectional controller is able to receive the control command from IEC 61850 server and then control the solar power plant inverters directly by using Modbus RTU protocol. By using the proposed bidirectional controller, the control center can easily collect data in order to predict power generation and quickly dispatch power in the grid. The overall hardware cost of our proposed system for each solar power plant is less than 20,000 NT dollars. Based on our stress tests, the IEC 61850 server can be built to load the entire power grid without using high-end hardware or a large number of servers.
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Lee, Hsing Hui. "System modeling and reactor design study of an advanced incore thermionic space reactor." Thesis, 1992. http://hdl.handle.net/1957/35935.
Full textAbstract:
Incore thermionic space reactor design concepts which operate at a
nominal power output range of 20 to 50 kWe are described. Details of the
neutronic, thermionic, thermal hydraulics and shielding performance are
presented. Due to the strong absorption of thermal neutrons by natural
tungsten, and the large amount of that material within the reactor core,
two designs are considered.
An overall system design code has been developed at Oregon State
University to model advanced incore thermionic energy conversion based
nuclear reactor systems for space applications. The code modules include
neutronics and core criticality, a thermionic fuel element performance
module with integral thermal hydraulics calculation capability, a
radiation shielding module, and a module for the waste heat rejection.
The results show that the driverless single cell ATI configuration,
which does not have driver rods, proved to be more efficient than the
driven core, which has driver rods. It also shows that the inclusion of
the true axial and radial power distribution decrease the overall
conversion efficiency. The flattening of the radial power distribution by
three different methods would lead to a higher efficiency. The results
show that only one thermionic fuel element (TFE) works at the optimum
emitter temperature; all other TFEs are off the optimum performance and
result in 40 % decrease of the efficiency of the overall system.Graduation date: 1993
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Lewis, Bryan R. "Development of systems analysis program for space reactor studies." Thesis, 1993. http://hdl.handle.net/1957/35762.
Full textAbstract:
An overall systems design code was developed to model
an advanced in-core thermionic energy conversion based
nuclear reactor system for space applications at power
levels of 10 to 50 kWe. The purpose of this work was to
provide the overall shell for the systems code and to also
provide the detailed neutronic analysis section of the code.
The design code that was developed is to be used to evaluate
a reactor system based upon a single cell thermionic fuel
element which uses advanced technology to enhance the
performance of single cell thermionic fuel elements.
A literature survey provided information concerning how
other organizations performed system studies on similar
space reactor designs.Graduation date: 1994
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Fangsuwannarak, Thipwan Photovoltaic & Renewable Energy Engineering UNSW. "Electronic and optical characterisations of silicon quantum dots and its applications in solar cells." 2007. http://handle.unsw.edu.au/1959.4/44340.
Full textAbstract:
In this thesis, the structural, optical and electrical properties of crystalline silicon quantum dots (SiQDs) are examined for application to silicon based tandem cells. The approach has been to concentrate on all silicon devices by taking advantage of quantum confinement in low-dimensional Si. RF magnetron co-sputtering provided the capability of creating superlattice structures in conjunction with high temperature annealing, to form Si nanocrystals in an oxide matrix. Structural techniques, including Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), micro-Raman spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIM) were employed to gather structural information about the SiQD/SiO2 SLs. The result combine presents that the packing density of Si QDs, correlated to the oxygen content of the silicon rich oxide layer can be control independently. The effect of Si nanocrystallite density on Raman scattering is investigated. The preliminary results present that a decrease in the oxygen content (x) results in an increased sharpness of the Strokes-mode peak of nanocrystalline Si, attributed to an increase in the proportion of crystalline Si because of the increased number of SiQDs. However the influence of the surface region on the crystallite core intensity scattering becomes dominant, when SiQD size diameter is very small (less than 3 nm). The present work shows that a decrease in x-content leading to an increase of the SiQD concentration, initially results in the enhancement of the lateral conductivity in the SiQD superlattice material. In this work, the Al contacting scheme, using a prolonged heat treatment technique at elevated temperature less than the eutectic point of Al and Si (577C) has been successfully applied to making Ohmic contacts on both SiQD SLs in oxide and nitride matrices. Activation energy (Ea) of SiQDs, extracted from a linear Arrhenius plot is investigated in the present work in order to expand the understanding of engineering electrical injection in laterally active paths. It is found that a lower barrier height of dielectric matrix influences to the lateral electron transport of the SiQDs in such dielectric matrix. PL results confirm that the band gap of surface oxidized SiQDs widens due to quantum confinement. The present results reveal that the strong peak (Q-peak) due to quantum confinement is more effective in the emission with increasing SiQD concentration. The surface oxide is believed to play an important role in the reduction of SiQD luminescence due to a trapped exiciton. It is concluded that SiQDs surface oxide accompanied by a SiO2 matrix may not provide a good passivation in very small SiQD size. However the energy band gap and conductivity of the SiQDs are tunablity, in the optimum range of SiQD size and concentration. This observation may be important for future nanoelectronics applications.
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Van, Rhyn Pierre. "Probabilistic low voltage distribution network design for aggregated light industrial loads." Thesis, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/10210/13361.
Full textAbstract:
D.Ing.This thesis initially reviews current empirical and probabilistic electrical load models available to distribution design engineers today to calculate voltage regulation levels in low voltage residential, commercial and light industrial consumer networks. Although both empirical and probabilistic techniques have extensively been used for residential consumers in recent years, it has been concluded that commercial and light industrial consumer loads have not been a focus area of probabilistic load study for purposes of low voltage feeder design. However, traditional empirical techniques, which include adjustments for diversity to accommodate non-coincidental electrical loading conditions, have generally been found to be applied using in-house design directives with only a few international publications attempting to address the problem. This work defines the light industrial group of consumers in accordance with its international Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) and presents case studies on a small group of three different types of light industrial sub-classes, It is proposed and proved that the electrical load models can satisfactorily be described as beta-distributed load current models at the instant of group or individual maximum power demand on typical characteristic 24-hour load cycles. Characteristic mean load profiles were obtained by recording repetitive daily loading of different sub-classes, ensuring adequate sample size at all times. Probabilistic modelling of light industrial loads using beta-distributed load current at maximum demand is a new innovation in the modelling of light industrial loads. This work is further -complemented by the development of a new probabilistic summation algorithm in spreadsheet format. This algorithm adds any selected number of characteristic load current profiles, adjusted for scale, power factor, and load current imbalance, and identifies the combined instant of group or system maximum demand. This spreadsheet also calculates the characteristic beta pdf parameters per phase describing the spread and profile of the combined system loading at maximum demand. These parameters are then conveniently used as input values to existing probabilistic voltage regulation algorithms to calculate voltage regulation in single-, bi- and three-phase low voltage distribution networks.
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Tshilate, Lindelani. "Evaluation of the suitably of proposed site for construction of photovoltaic solar facility at Kakamas in the Northern Cape of South Africa." Diss., 2019. http://hdl.handle.net/11602/1354.
Full textAbstract:
MESMEGDepartment of Mining and Environmental Geology
Solar energy development is experiencing significant growth due to national interest in increasing energy efficiency, reducing dependence on fossil fuels, increasing domestic energy production, and curbing greenhouse gas emissions. Northern Cape is generally known to be one of the preferred areas for the generation of solar energy in South Africa, and even in the world, due to its abundant solar radiation. Although this area has abundant potential for solar power generation, not all the areas are suitable for construction of solar plant facilities especially those that are prone to sand storm and dust accumulation. Consequently, site evaluation is very crucial for planning, design and construction of the solar facility. The main objective of this study was to determine the suitability of a proposed site at Kakamas in the Northern Cape for construction of a photovoltaic solar facility. The specific objectives of this research were to assess and establish all the geotechnical aspects that may have an impact on the development of the site, to explore the surface conditions at the proposed site and to establish the soil properties and comment on the use of the on-site soils in the construction of the solar facility. Other specific objectives included to determine the variability of ground conditions and effects of such variability on the proposed development and to provide foundation recommendations for the design and construction of the solar facility. In order to obtain this information, methods such as desktop studies, geological survey, soil survey, magnetic survey and soil profiling were employed to obtain information about the geotechnical aspects of the study area and properties of the on-site soil. Field tests such as cone penetration and resistivity survey and laboratory tests such as foundation indicator test, California Bearing Ratio, pH and permeability test were also performed in order to determine the engineering, behavioral and hydraulic properties of the soil. The results of the geologic and magnetic survey indicated that the study area is underlain by mainly igneous and metamorphic rocks such as gneiss, quartzite, pegmatite, gneiss and calcrete. The results of the soil profiling and the resistivity survey showed that the study area is comprised of sandy soil with either two or three horizons while the cone penetration results revealed high variable soil consistency and stiffness which ranged from very loose to very stiff soils. The particle size distribution, atterberg limits and grading modulus indicated that the study area is characterized mainly by dry, cohesionless and non-plastic to slightly plastic coarse-grained sandy soil with sand content ranging from 71- 96%. From the CBR results, it was found that the soils in the study area generally classifies as G6 material and can be used as base, sub base and backfilling material in accordance with the TRH 14 specifications. The permeability test results indicated moderately permeable sandy silt soils with coefficient of permeability ranging between 1x10-3 to 8x10-3 cm/sec and ground water was encountered at 1.3 m depth. The material excavatability indicated variable material on site ranging from soft calcretes with soft excavation to highly competent material such as quartz and dorbank which require hard excavation while the side wall stability of trial pits indicated stable pit walls during the investigation giving an indication of stability of long pit excavations. The foundation analysis showed that driven piles and earth screws are the ideal foundation types for this site and that the site is generally suitable for construction of the solar facility provided all the recommendations are implemented.
NRF
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Salve, Rima. "PV Based Converter with Integrated Battery Charger for DC Micro-Grid Applications." Thesis, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/1805/6108.
Full textAbstract:
Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI)This thesis presents a converter topology for photovoltaic panels. This topology minimizes the number of switching devices used, thereby reducing power losses that arise from high frequency switching operations. The control strategy is implemented using a simple micro-controller that implements the proportional plus integral control. All the control loops are closed feedback loops hence minimizing error instantaneously and adjusting efficiently to system variations. The energy management between three components, namely, the photovoltaic panel, a battery and a DC link for a microgrid, is shown distributed over three modes. These modes are dependent on the irradiance from the sunlight. All three modes are simulated. The maximum power point tracking of the system plays a crucial role in this configuration, as it is one of the main challenges tackled by the control system. Various methods of MPPT are discussed, and the Perturb and Observe method is employed and is described in detail. Experimental results are shown for the maximum power point tracking of this system with a scaled down version of the panel's actual capability.