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Utility-Scale Solar Pv Performance Enhancements Through System-Level Modifications, Andrew D. S. Glick, Naseem Ali, Juliaan Bossuyt, Marc Calaf, Raul Bayoan Cal Jan 2020

Utility-Scale Solar Pv Performance Enhancements Through System-Level Modifications, Andrew D. S. Glick, Naseem Ali, Juliaan Bossuyt, Marc Calaf, Raul Bayoan Cal

Mechanical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Performance of solar PV diminishes with the increase in temperature of the solar modules. Therefore, to further facilitate the reduction in cost of photovoltaic energy, new approaches to limit module temperature increase in natural ambient conditions should be explored. Thus far only approaches based at the individual panel level have been investigated, while the more complex, systems approach remains unexplored. Here, we perform the first wind tunnel scaled solar farm experiments to investigate the potential for temperature reduction through system-level flow enhancement. The percentage of solar irradiance converted into electric power depends upon module efficiency, typically less than 20%. The …


Utility-Scale Solar Pv Performance Enhancements Through System Level Modifications, Andrew D. S. Glick, Naseem Ali, Juliaan Bossuyt, Marc Calaf, Raúl Bayoán Cal Jan 2020

Utility-Scale Solar Pv Performance Enhancements Through System Level Modifications, Andrew D. S. Glick, Naseem Ali, Juliaan Bossuyt, Marc Calaf, Raúl Bayoán Cal

Mechanical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Performance of solar PV diminishes with the increase in temperature of the solar modules. Therefore, to further facilitate the reduction in cost of photovoltaic energy, new approaches to limit module temperature increase in natural ambient conditions should be explored. Thus far only approaches based at the individual panel level have been investigated, while the more complex, systems approach remains unexplored. Here, we perform the first wind tunnel scaled solar farm experiments to investigate the potential for temperature reduction through system-level flow enhancement. The percentage of solar irradiance converted into electric power depends upon module efficiency, typically less than 20%. The …


Planning For Change In The Electric Power Industry: A Primer For Transactive Energy Scenario Development, Joshua Binus Jan 2019

Planning For Change In The Electric Power Industry: A Primer For Transactive Energy Scenario Development, Joshua Binus

Engineering and Technology Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

The electric power industry and its associated infrastructures (a.k.a. "the grid") are evolving from centrally planned, organized, and operated networks of players, technologies, and resources to systems of systems that are increasingly digitized and distributed in their operation and innovative capacity. Subsequently, strategic planners and technology managers associated with the electric power industry are faced with a range of scenarios to evaluate, including one that considers the emergence of commercialized transactive energy systems in the coming ten-year time horizon. The crafting of a transactive energy scenario can help inform technology innovation and management efforts that benefit consumers, electricity providers, and …


Assessing Spacing Impact On Coherent Features In A Wind Turbine Array Boundary Layer, Naseem Ali, Nicholas Hamilton, Dominic Delucia, Raúl Bayoán Cal Feb 2018

Assessing Spacing Impact On Coherent Features In A Wind Turbine Array Boundary Layer, Naseem Ali, Nicholas Hamilton, Dominic Delucia, Raúl Bayoán Cal

Mechanical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

As wind farms become larger, the spacing between turbines becomes a significant design consideration that can impose serious economic constraints. To investigate the turbulent flow structures in a 4 x 3 Cartesian wind turbine array boundary layer (WTABL), a wind tunnel experiment was carried out parameterizing the streamwise and spanwise wind turbine spacing. Four cases are chosen spacing turbines by 6 or 3D in the streamwise direction, and 3 or 1:5D in the spanwise direction, where D = 12 cm is the rotor diameter. Data are obtained experimentally using stereo particle image velocimetry. Mean streamwise velocity showed maximum …


Deposition Velocity Dependence On Urban Morphology, Rawand Muzafar Rasheed May 2017

Deposition Velocity Dependence On Urban Morphology, Rawand Muzafar Rasheed

Undergraduate Research & Mentoring Program

Understanding the interactions between the atmospheric boundary layer and urban structures provides insights into emerging problems such as green building design as well as dispersion and deposition of pollutants on urban structures. Characterization of deposition velocity dependence through the naphthalene sublimation method on model urban structures is conducted herein where the analogous fundamental transport mechanisms of momentum and mass transport is obtained via mass of naphthalene transferred. Via wind tunnel experiments, results show that deposition velocity of naphthalene from urban structures increases with increased number of urban structures ahead of the point of investigation. This is attributed to the wakes …


Design For Fractal Grid Generated Turbulence, Moira Gion Jan 2016

Design For Fractal Grid Generated Turbulence, Moira Gion

Undergraduate Research & Mentoring Program

Fractal geometry can be used to find organization or order in something that appears to be in disorder, or chaos. Turbulence is viewed as one place where fractal geometry can be found in nature. The irregularity in fluid flow is dependent on the initial conditions. In the past, the idea of self-similarity has been used to develop statistical theories of energy cascade in a turbulent flow. Recent studies have done experiments on obstructing flows with fractal objects to observe intermittency, (or self-similarity) within a turbulent flow. Experiments on fractal grid generated turbulence has been performed by other research groups, so …


The Effect Of Microencapsulated Phase-Change Material On The Compressive Strength Of Structural Concrete, Chad Norvell, David J. Sailor, Peter Dusicka Jul 2013

The Effect Of Microencapsulated Phase-Change Material On The Compressive Strength Of Structural Concrete, Chad Norvell, David J. Sailor, Peter Dusicka

Mechanical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Latent heat energy storage through phase-change materials (PCMs) is one possible strategy to control interior temperatures in buildings, improve thermal comfort, and passively reduce building energy use associated with heating and cooling. While PCMs integrated into building structure elements have been studied since the 1970s, challenges of integrating PCMs into building materials while maintaining their heat storage benefits have limited their application in practice. The recent introduction of microencapsulated phase-change materials provides the energy storage capability of PCMs in micron-scale, chemically-inert capsules that can be easily integrated into composite materials such as gypsum wallboard and concrete. The size and physical …