Energy Systems Commons^™

Estimating Solar Energy Production In Urban Areas For Electric Vehicles, Shaimaa Ahmed

Theses and Dissertations

Cities have a high potential for solar energy from PVs installed on buildings' rooftops. There is an increased demand for solar energy in cities to reduce the negative effect of climate change. The thesis investigates solar energy potential in urban areas. It tries to determine how to detect and identify available rooftop areas, how to calculate suitable ones after excluding the effects of the shade, and the estimated energy generated from PVs. Geographic Information Sciences (GIS) and Remote Sensing (RS) are used in solar city planning. The goal of this research is to assess available and suitable rooftops areas using …

Machine Learning Approach To Investigate Ev Battery Characteristics, Shayan Falahatdoost

Major Papers

The main factor influencing an electric vehicle’s range is its battery. Battery electric vehicles experience driving range reduction in low temperatures. This range reduction results from the heating demand for the cabin and recuperation limits by the braking system. Due to the lack of an internal combustion engine-style heat source, electric vehicles' heating system demands a significant amount of energy. This energy is supplied by the battery and results in driving range reduction. Moreover, Due to the battery's low temperature in cold weather, the charging process through recuperation is limited. This limitation of recuperation is caused by the low reaction …

Development Of A Computationally Efficient Method For Modelling Thermal Energy Storage In Packed Beds Of Spherically Encapsulated Phase Change Material, Colin Jaffray

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

A novel computationally efficient method for modelling melting and solidification processes in packed beds of PCM encapsulated spheres is introduced. The proposed method involves the full discretization of only one centrally located sphere to fully simulate the phase change process, while treating all other spheres in the packed bed as voids with boundary conditions derived from the simulated sphere. At each time step, the computed heat transfer parameters on the exterior surface of the simulated sphere undergoing the phase change process are extracted, and imposed as boundary conditions on surrounding spheres. The proposed method results in a significant reduction in …

Diffusion-Dependent Electrodes For All-Solid-State Lithium-Ion Batteries, Peiman Mardani

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Electrode design, which is closely related to electronic and ionic transport, has a significant impact on all-solid-state batteries' performance. Typically, a combination of the active material and solid electrolyte serves as the electrode for all-solid-state batteries. An effective scaling technique to spatially organize the two components is essential for high-performance all-solid-state batteries. Here, an electrode design for all-solid-state batteries is given with a higher energy density than the typical composite-type electrode. The first section of the thesis presents a simple electrode design that primarily consists of blended active materials of graphite and phosphorus to meet the demands of all-solid-state batteries …

Numerical Study Of Advanced Solar Receiver Tubes Based On A Coupled Thermo-Mechanical Analysis For Concentrated Solar Power Tower Plant, Shawn Michael Hatcher

Theses and Dissertations

The search for more sustainable energy to match the growing energy demand begins with finding more dispatchable resources such as solar energy. As one of the promising solar technologies, concentrated solar power (CSP) has a full capacity to store thermal energy for extended operation. Nevertheless, some key components in CSP systems usually face extreme environment, such as uneven solar flux, cyclic thermal expansion, structural degradation on the solar absorber tubes in a Concentrated Solar Power Tower (CSPT) Plant. In this study, we applied Multiphysics simulation to explore the benefits of introducing optimized fins for heat transfer enhancement and uniform temperature …

Nanocomposites For Applications In Ultracapacitors Based Energy Storage Systems, Duy Pham, Jake Ivirn, Jacob Dileonardi, Ben Mckinney, Ashish Aphale

Symposium of Student Scholars

Electrochemical capacitors also known as ultracapacitor is a potential technology for modern energy storage due to their high performance of charge capacity and fast charge-discharge rates. The superior performance of ultracapacitors will help to meet demands for energy systems in applications such as transportation. Ultracapacitor device consists of electrodes, a polymeric separator, and an electrolyte. Under the applied voltage, the migration of ions between two porous electrodes from the bulk of the electrolyte governs the performance of such devices. In this work, we present experimental research on the synthesis of different electrode materials using atomically thick graphene and conducting polymers. …

Multiscale Investigation Of Freeze Cast Process And Ion Transport For Graphene Aerogel Electrodes, Yu-Kai Weng

Doctoral Dissertations

Effective use of renewable energy resources has been regarded as the most promising solution to climate emergency and energy crisis. However, the fluctuating and intermittent nature of renewable resources causes stability issues in the electric grid. High-capacity electrical energy storage is essential to stabilize the electric power supply using renewable resources. Among various types of energy storage systems, organic redox flow battery (ORFB) has attracted attentions due to their high stability, flexibility, low cost, and environmental compatibility, but the performance of the ORFB still needs a significant improvement due to their low energy or current density. Specifically, even though the …

Solar Chimney Power Plants: A Mini Review, Ahmed Reda, Waseem Salah, Ahmed Suwailem, Shehab Eldin Ahmed, Omar Lasheen, Amira Elkodama, Moustafa R. Shousha, Amr Ismaiel, Anas A. Rahman

Future Engineering Journal

The main investigations of a novel solar thermal application known as SCPP are summarized in this paper. It is a method of producing electricity from solar energy that relies on the fact that air rises when it is heated. An adequate position within a tall chimney can be utilized to position a turbine to turn it, creating an updraft that can be used to generate power. This system's specifications, design, construction, and use are all covered in the paper along with experimental and analytical research related to it. It also emphasizes the development and execution of SCPP programs.

Low-Cost, Low-Weight Test Rig Design For A Laboratory-Scale Twin Rotor Wind Turbine, Ahmed Ayoub, Ahmed Elzeedy, Mahmoud Elkordy, Eslam Ayad, Mohamed Waleed, Amira Elkodama, Amr Ismaiel

Future Engineering Journal

Multi-Rotor Wind Turbine (MRWT) has been proven advantageous over Single-Rotor Wind Turbine (SRWT) in many aspects. In order to study the performance of MRWT over SRWT, this work presents a low-cost and low-weight design for a test rig for laboratory-scale wind turbine configurations. The configurations under study are a single-rotor, and a twin-rotor of the same size with a diameter of 30 cm. Aerodynamic loads have been calculated using the Blade Element Momentum (BEM) method, then the loads were used for stress analysis over the test rig proposed. The test rig is designed on Solidworks and the aerodynamic and inertial …

Changing Climates And Extreme Weather For Minnesota, Patrick A. Tebbe

Mechanical and Civil Engineering Department Publications

Climate change is impacting the design, prediction, and operation of HVAC systems for the built environment, and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. This presentation reviews climate predictions for the upper Midwest and how they will affect the HVAC industry. Topics such as changing design conditions, extreme weather impact, and increased electrification will be addressed.

Injustice Within Renewable Energy Life Cycles: Can Irena Offer A Solution?, G. Webster Ross

IdeaFest: Interdisciplinary Journal of Creative Works and Research from Cal Poly Humboldt

This paper explores case studies of green colonialism, supply chain injustices, and poor e-waste management within renewable energy life cycles, and investigates how the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) may be the best suited organization to address and mitigate these issues on a global scale. While renewable energy technology is often heralded as the key to a sustainable future, the life cycle of these technologies is riddled with human rights violations and other injustices. To begin with, many of the minerals required for assembling the hardware are mined in unregulated environments, resulting in several injustices such as health and safety …

Numerical Investigation Of Flow And Thermal Behavior In Channels With Pcm-Filled Thermal Energy Storage Columns For Potential Application In Photobioreactors, Sameed Akber

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Microalgae has been identified as a potential source in the production of biofuel. Photobioreactors, which are used for microalgae production, normally experience temperature variations over the diurnal cycle due to changes in ambient conditions. The thermal regulation of photobioreactors to minimize temperature variations will result in a higher yield of microalgae, which are sensitive to such variations. The present research is aimed to investigate a novel approach to thermally regulate photobioreactors using phase change materials (PCM) where the latent heat of the material is exploited as the energy storage. The present research uses a numerical approach to study the flow …

Comparison Of Layered Nickel Cobalt Manganese Oxide Cathodes With Different Compositions And Morphologies In Lithium-Ion Batteries, Fanny Poon

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The revolutionary rechargeable lithium-ion battery paves the way for environmentally-friendly applications such as electric vehicles. Nevertheless, further improvements are required to match or exceed the performance of conventional internal combustion engine vehicles, such as higher energy density, faster charging speed, longer lifetime, better safety and lower cost. Lithium layered nickel cobalt manganese oxides (NCM) are a popular choice of cathode material, but they still suffer from problems such as cation mixing, volume changes, microcracking, surface side reactions, high temperature performance issues and structural reconstruction. This thesis compares various NCM materials to figure out what guidelines should be followed to improve …

Structural Dynamics Of Awt-27 Wind Turbine Blade, Amr Ismaiel

Future Engineering Journal

Wind energy is one of the world’s current leading renewable energy resources. One of the major aspects of studying wind turbines is the structural dynamics for the turbine structure including blades and support structure. In the current work, the blades of the Advanced Wind Turbine (AWT-27) are investigated in a dynamic approach. Different wind fields have been generated for the study to provide different Design Load Conditions (DLCs). Three laminar wind velocities of 5 m/s, 12 m/s, and 17 m/s were simulated. Turbulent wind flow fields have also been generated at the three standard classes A, B and C of …

Applications Of Thermal Energy Storage With Electrified Heating And Cooling, Erich Ryan

Masters Theses

With a clear correlation between climate change and rising CO₂ emissions, decarbonization has garnered serious interest in many sectors to limit the adverse effects of global warming. Heating and cooling systems have been a focus of decarbonization efforts, with heat pumps becoming more popular in the United States and abroad. In fact, heating, ventilation, and air conditioning accounts for nearly 27% of total energy use in the United States [1]. Ground source heat pumps (GSHP) utilizing borehole heat exchangers (BHE) have been shown to be an effective method of electrifying heating and cooling systems, maintaining some of the best …

Mmteg Heatsink Design, Peyton Nienaber, Kadin Feldis, Alec Savoye, Jack Waeschle

Mechanical Engineering

In this document, Cal Poly Senior Design Team F16 presents a summary of its work developing a suitable heatsink for Gas Technology Institute’s Methane Mitigation Thermoelectric Generator. After several months of iterating between experimental testing and simulated heat transfer, a suitable prototype was selected for use in further refining simulation parameters. This was called the structural prototype and it allowed Team F16 to confirm several remaining unknowns relating to component thermal conductivity. All documentation of this process can be found in Preliminary, Critical, and Interim Design Review documents (PDR, CDR, IDR), included in this report. Having a realistic model …

Sunsation’S Solar Powered Picnic Table, Michelle M. Barnett, Christopher Barber, Casey Durham, David Mason

Mechanical Engineering

Team SunSation is an interdisciplinary senior design project group that was tasked with developing a semi-permanent seating area for Cal Poly's electrical engineering courtyard. The EE courtyard is populated with plastic folding tables and chairs that are slowly falling apart. Dale Dolan, the head of the EE department, requested that a table design be developed that incorporates the use of solar panels. The addition of the solar panels to the table would help promote clean renewable energy as well as provide shade to those sitting in the courtyard.

The solution that SunSation arrived at is broken up into mechanical/structural, electrical, …

Baker/Koob Final Report: Solar Solution For Mini Mars Rover, Jonathan Cederquist, Cole Korchek, Derick Louie, Michaella Ochotorena, Collin Petersen

Mechanical Engineering

This project focused on designing, building, and testing a functional prototype of a collapsible solar array on the mini Mars rover being developed by client and sponsor, Mr. Rich Murray. Although many previous collapsible solar arrays have been deployed for space missions, the previous solar-powered Mars rovers only deployed their arrays once upon landing. This solar array will be able to collapse and deploy multiple times to allow for greater rover mobility and stability when the rover is not charging. This system is critical to the success of the rover project because it provides power without which the rover cannot …

Solid Thermal Storage As An Energy Storage Device In Insulated Solar Electric Cookers: Thermal Modeling And Experiment, Michael Antonio Fernandez

Physics

The use of solid thermal storage (STS) as an energy storage device in insulated solar electric cookers (ISEC) was explored using a thermal simulation before retrofitting an existing cooker without energy storage and testing it under several conditions. STS sizing, material selection, and geometry were examined from both theoretical and practical perspectives and re-examined following experimental results. Characterization of the system’s thermal interfaces and methods to improve their thermal conductivities were investigated resulting in several performance enhancements to the system.

Enhancing Bifacial Pv Efficiency With The Addition Of A Rear Side Reflector, Neila Watson

Honors Theses

Bifacial photovoltaics are an expanding sector of solar electricity production, collecting solar energy on the front, back, and sides of the module. This increases the efficiency by around 10% to 30% over a typical mono facial cell, which only collects sunlight on the front. However, the performance of bifacial PV arrays depends on a variety of factors, including temperature, shadows, solar insolation, and set-up geometry. The geometry is affected by the tilt angle, the azimuth angle, the height from the ground to the panel, and the reflectance from the ground surface. The addition of a reflector, usually white in color …