Engineering Commons^™

Exploring The Potential Of Pavegen’S Kinetic Energy Generating Floor For Sustainable Energy Solutions: A Proposal For Cal Poly Slo, Brandon J. Cuneo

Construction Management

This paper proposes the installation of Pavegen's kinetic energy generating floors at Cal Poly’s campus as a sustainable energy solution. Pavegen has developed a pioneering technology that converts footsteps into clean and renewable energy. The versatility of these floors is demonstrated through successful implementations in various settings, such as transportation hubs and public spaces, generating power from foot traffic. Collaborations with Schneider Electric, installation at Dupont Circle, and integration at Heathrow Airport showcase the potential for sustainable urban infrastructure. This paper outlines research conducted on Pavegen and similar solutions, including communication with company representatives and examining proposed installation locations at …

Paired Storage Distributed Energy System Design For A Local Community Farm, Neil Albert Collison, Lily Goldman

Electrical Engineering

This project considers the design of a renewable energy microgrid for a 19-acre community farm in San Luis Obispo, CA as the farm seeks to increase the magnitude of its electrical loads, and gain back-up electrical capability. The microgrid design will enable lower carbon emissions, reduce demand on the utility grid while saving on energy costs, and provide improved reliability and resiliency to the operator of the community farm. The eventual implementation of the design by a professional engineering entity will allow the community farm to expand its education program to include renewable energy as well as gain notoriety in …

Towards Optimal Operation And Control Of Emerging Electric Distribution Networks, Jimiao Zhang

Theses and Dissertations

The growing integration of power-electronics converters enabled components causes low inertia in the evolving electric distribution networks, which also suffer from uncertainties due to renewable energy sources, electric demands, and anomalies caused by physical or cyber attacks, etc. These issues are addressed in this dissertation. First, a virtual synchronous generator (VSG) solution is provided for solar photovoltaics (PVs) to address the issues of low inertia and system uncertainties. Furthermore, for a campus AC microgrid, coordinated control of the PV-VSG and a combined heat and power (CHP) unit is proposed and validated. Second, for islanded AC microgrids composed of SGs and …

Addressing The Challenged Of Dcop Based Decision-Making Algorithms In Modern Power Systems, Luis Daniel Ramirez Burgueno

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Natural disasters have been determined as the leading cause of power outages, causing not only huge economic losses, but also the interruption of crucial welfare activities and the arise of security concerns. Because of the later, decision-making considering grid modernization, power system economics, and system resiliency has been a crucial theme in power systemsâ?? research. The need to better withstand catastrophic events and reducing the dependency of bulky generating units has propelled the development and better management of behind-the-meter generation or distributed energy resources (DERs). DERs can assist in the grid in different manners, not only by meeting energy demand …

Wireless Environmental Weather Monitor, Joel Christie-Millett, Nathan Schroeder, Sylvester Wilson, Matthew Szijarto

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The goal of this senior design/honors project is to create a device that monitors environmental conditions in order to detect a wildfire. This device should notify a user of the status of the environment. The device should also last for 6 months without any human interaction. My role on the team is to design the power supply system that maximizes efficiency and uses renewable energy.

Implementation And Optimization Of Multi-Resonance And Phase Control Of The Electrical Power Take-Off On A Wec Array For Improved Performance, Madelyn G. Veurink

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Many governments around the world are pledging to reduce their consumption of fossil fuels as they look to curb the amount of green house gasses they release into the atmosphere. These green house gasses are what scientists blame for global warming and the recent increase in extreme weather events. Producing electricity is one of the largest producers of these gasses but utilizing renewable sources can greatly decrease the amount of green house gasses produced. Common forms of renewable energies are wind and solar and both of these green energies have reached a state of maturation where they are economically viable …

Development Of Analytical Models For Photovoltaic Systems, Arjun M

Interdisciplinary Collection

One of the frequent circumstances in photovoltaic (PV) systems is partial shading, often characterized by multiple peaks in its characteristics. As a result, modelling and delivering peak power is strenuous. Analytical techniques are well-known effective instruments to overcome such challenges by establishing

correlations between variables with the help of non-linear implicit mathematical equations. With an aim to simplify these models, earlier research has focussed on formulating explicit equations by making assumptions/approximations, leading to less accurate results. With today’s fast processing computers, solving nonlinear equations is no longer a problem. Moreover, the application of analytical techniques has only been limited to …

Surface Modified Hybrid Znsno3 Nanocubes For Enhanced Piezoelectric Power Generation And Wireless Sensory Application, Sk Md Ali Zaker Shawon, Zaida D. Carballo, Valeria Suarez Vega, Chen Lin, Muhammad Sufian Rafaqut, Andrew Xu Sun, James Li, Mohammed Jasim Uddin

Chemistry Faculty Publications and Presentations

Piezoelectric Nanogenerators (PENGs), which can convert ambient mechanical stimuli into electrical energy, are held in high regard due to their cost-effectiveness, energy harvesting applications, and potential as self-powered sensors. We report an aluminum-doped zinc stannate (ZnSnO3) PENG that can achieve high electrical outputs with respect to the external force. In order to enrich the piezoelectric mechanics, a low-temperature solution method was adopted in our work to synthesize ZnSnO3 nanocubes with an average side length of only 30 – 55 nm. Furthermore, ZnSnO3 was doped with 1 wt% to 5 wt% of aluminum nanoparticles. We report that 2 wt% of aluminum …

An Interleaved High Step-Up Dc-Dc Converter Based On Integration Of Coupled Inductor And Built-In-Transformer With Switched-Capacitor Cells For Renewable Energy Applications, Ramin Rahimi, Saeed Habibi, Mehdi Ferdowsi, Pourya Shamsi

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This paper proposes an interleaved high step-up DC-DC converter with the coupled inductor (CI) and built-in transformer (BIT) for renewable energy applications. Two double-winding (2W) CIs and one triple-winding (3W) BIT are integrated with the switched-capacitor (SC) voltage multiplier cells (VMCs) to achieve high-voltage gains without extreme duty cycles. The CIs and BIT turns-ratios provide two other degrees of freedom -- in addition to the duty cycle -- to adjust the voltage gain that leads to increased design flexibility. The diodes turn off naturally under the zero-current switching (ZCS) conditions because their current falling rates are controlled by the leakage …

State Level Trends In Renewable Energy Procurement Via Solar Installation Versus Green Electricity, Eric Michael Hanson

Masters Theses

“In the past 5 years, consumer options for procuring renewable energy have increased, ranging from rooftop solar installation to utility green pricing to Community Choice Aggregation. These options vary in terms of costs and benefits to the consumer as well as grid integration implications. However, little is known regarding how the presence of a wide range of options for utility-scale renewable procurement affects demand for distributed residential solar installations. In theory, there are three possible relationships, (1) positive correlation, where utility-scale and distributed resources complement each other to increase overall production, (2) negative correlation, where utility-scale and distributed resources are …

An Examination Of Grid Stability As It Relates To The Increased Integration Of Inverter-Based Resources, Daniel Voss

Electrical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

There is currently a growing interest in increasing the amount of renewable energy resources connected to the bulk electric system (BES) that stems from various environmental, political, and social concerns. However, the differences between conventional generation resources and inverter-based resources (IBR)—namely wind and solar—pose new issues that make this increased integration a larger problem. In other studies, the increased penetration of renewable energy resources has resulted in weak-grid systems that are more susceptible to collapse. This comes as a result from the inability for IBRs to effectively provide enough reactive power, an effect especially apparent during fault conditions, which the …

Modular Multilevel Converters With Module-Level Energy Storage For Medium Voltage Applications, Bora Novakovic

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is on Modular Multilevel Converter (MMC) converter design and analysis and its integration with energy storage at the low voltage module-level. The developed converter concept and topology can be used in various applications especially for the support of intermittent renewable energy resources. The general converter structure is analyzed and extended to include integrated energy storage suitable but not limited to medium voltage applications. The behavior of the idealized structure is analyzed to obtain equations that govern general converter behavior and identify possible control loops. Detail mathematical switching model is developed for the MMC converter with generalized module structure. …

Field Testing The Effects Of Low Reynolds Number On The Power Performance Of The Cal Poly Wind Power Research Center Small Wind Turbine, John B. Cunningham

Master's Theses

This thesis report investigates the effects of low Reynolds number on the power performance of a 3.74 m diameter horizontal axis wind turbine. The small wind turbine was field tested at the Cal Poly Wind Power Research Center to acquire its coefficient of performance, C­_p, vs. tip speed ratio, λ, characteristics. A description of both the wind turbine and test setup are provided. Data filtration and processing techniques were developed to ensure a valid method to analyze and characterize wind power measurements taken in a highly variable environment. The test results demonstrated a significant drop in the …

Miso Dc-Dc Farmbot, Quyen Thi Nguyen, Brian Armijo, Astha Adhikari

Electrical Engineering

Making use of renewable energy directly from the location of production requires converting source power into usable power. The specific scope of this project focuses on the DC to DC conversion within a user friendly universal farmbot system. Since renewable sources vary widely in voltage and current, a wide input-range DC to DC converter is desired. Physical isolation, long lifespan, and adverse weather requires safe and reliable final product specifications. The goal of a very wide customer base drives the need for a product that does not require tinkering to get working, but to be usable out of the box …

Efficiency Optimization Of Miso Converter, Gabriel Leonides, Christopher S. Peters, Lauren N. Rotsios

Electrical Engineering

In recent years, there has been a rapidly growing need for sustainable energy sources. This need comes from the increasing threat of climate change, significant population growth, as well as the effort to bring electricity to rural and underdeveloped areas across the world. The DC House project at Cal Poly aims to address these issues. The Multiple Input Single Output (MISO) converter is an integral part of the DC House project. The MISO converter is a system that connects multiple power sources to a DC bus. This allows the DC House to be powered by multiple types of renewable energy …

Improving Pv Module Efficiency Through Cooling, Harrison Dawson

Chemical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

The Solarbacks researched and designed a variety of cooling methods that could be used to improve the efficiency of photovoltaics. These cooling methods can be separated into two categories: active and passive methods. The active cooling method of hydraulic cooling and the passive cooling methods of heat sinks (fins), optical coatings, thermosyphons, phase change materials, and thermoelectric generators were all taken into consideration as potential cooling methods. Passive cooling methods were preferred because the use of electricity required for the cooling mechanism would reduce the net electricity and subsequent profit from the panels.

Two variations of hydraulic cooling were researched: …

Characterization Of Contact Resistance Properties Of Different Tlm Structure Designs, Nicole A. Karam Pannaci

Digital Repository: Showcase of Undergraduate Research Excellence

No abstract provided.

Optimal Combinations Of Utility Level Renewable Generators For A Net Zero Energy Microgrid Considering Different Utility Charge Rates, Evan S. Jones, Huangjie Gong, Dan M. Ionel

Power and Energy Institute of Kentucky Faculty Publications

High initial investment and the intermittent nature of resources are major challenges for large scale renewable generation. The size of photovoltaic (PV) and wind turbine (WT) farms in the microgrid needs optimized to avoid curtailment and to efficiently meet the demand of a power system. Battery energy storage systems (BESSs) may also be used to improve flexibility. This paper explores the optimal sizing for PV and wind generators, as well as a BESS at the utility level for a large grid-connected net zero energy (NZE) hybrid microgrid considering characteristics such as initial investment, levelized cost of energy (LCOE), operating costs, …

The Quiet Undoing: How Regional Electricity Market Reforms Threaten State Clean Energygoals, Danny Cullenward, Shelley Welton

All Faculty Scholarship

In a series of largely unnoticed but extremely consequential moves, two regional electricity market operators are pursuing reforms to make it more difficult for states to achieve their clean energy goals. The federal energy regulator, FERC, has already approved one such reform and ordered a second market operator to go farther in punishing state-supported clean energy resources than it had initially proposed. This disturbing trend highlights a shift in energy governance that threatens to destabilize the field’s delicate cooperative federalist model. Over the past several decades, states have increasingly ceded control over energy dispatch and grid planning to private market …

Bidirectional Electric Vehicles Service Integration In Smart Power Grid With Renewable Energy Resources, Ahmed A S Mohamed Mr

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As electric vehicles (EVs) become more popular, the utility companies are forced to increase power generations in the grid. However, these EVs are capable of providing power to the grid to deliver different grid ancillary services in a concept known as vehicle-to-grid (V2G) and grid-to-vehicle (G2V), in which the EV can serve as a load or source at the same time. These services can provide more benefits when they are integrated with Photovoltaic (PV) generation. The proper modeling, design and control for the power conversion systems that provide the optimum integration among the EVs, PV generations and grid are investigated …

Electricity Market Designs For Demand Response From Residential Customers, Ailin Asadinejad

Doctoral Dissertations

The main purpose of this dissertation is to design an appropriate tariff program for residential customers that encourages customers to participate in the system while satisfying market operators and utilities goals. This research investigates three aspects critical for successful programs: tariff designs for DR, impact of renewable on such tariffs, and load elasticity estimates. First, both categories of DR are modeled based on the demand-price elasticity concept and used to design an optimum scheme for achieving the maximum benefit of DR. The objective is to not only reduce costs and improve reliability but also to increase customer acceptance of a …

Design Studies And Aerodynamic Performance Analysis Of Small Scale Horizontal Axis Wind Turbine Blade For Nano-Grid Applications, Md Mehedi Hasan, Adel El-Shahat, Mosfequr Rahman

Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Publications

Wind energy, being easily accessible, environmentally friendly, and being cost effectively, has become the world's one of popular growing renewable energy sources of electricity generation. Among all of the wind turbines, Horizontal Axis Wind Turbine (HAWT) is considered as leading technology due to its high efficiency. However, to spread this technology to mankind it is needed to develop turbine in this way that people can use it individually and comfortably. This kind of thinking accelerates the advancement of integration of wind turbine with Nano grid concept. Although great progress has been achieved in the wind technology, there is still scope …

Design And Performance Analysis Of Small Scale Horizontal Axis Wind Turbine For Nano Grid Application, Md Mehedi Hasan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Wind energy, being easily accessible, environmentally friendly, and being cost effective, has become one of the world’s popular growing renewable energy sources of electricity generation. To spread this technology to mankind it is necessary to develop turbines in this way that people can use it individually and comfortably. This kind of thinking accelerates the advancement of integration of wind turbine with Nano grid concept. Although significant progress has been achieved in the wind technology, there is still scope to reduce the cost and improve the performance of small-scale wind turbines. Moreover, low wind velocity should also need to be utilized …

A New Paradigm Of Maximizing The Wind And Solar Penetration– A Economical Assessment, Yuming Chen

Theses and Dissertations

Wind and solar energies are the most potential and widely-used renewable energies. But in most cases these energies cannot be maximized because of transmission line capacity and their remote location. Therefore, this thesis proposes a new paradigm which using battery transportation and logistics instead of transmission line, to maximize wind and solar energies. The main focus of this work is to investigate the economical feasibilities of this new paradigm.

In the first part, different models and application are presented. The purpose is finding an appropriate model which can make full use of existing grid resources such as transmission line and …

Energy Harvesting Using Photovoltaic And Betavoltaic Devices, Ashish Sharma

Doctoral Dissertations

There is an important need for improvement in both cost and efficiency of photovoltaic cells. For improved efficiency, a better understanding of solar cell performance is required. An analytical model of thin-film silicon solar cell, which can provide an intuitive understanding of the effect of illumination on its charge carriers and electric current, is proposed. The separate cases of homogeneous and inhomogeneous charge carrier generation rates across the device are investigated. This model also provides for the study of the charge carrier transport within the quasi-neutral and depletion regions of the device, which is of an importance for thin-film solar …

Supervision Of Community Based Microgrids: An Economic Model Predictive Control Approach, Francesco Tedesco, Lubna Mariam, Malabika Basu, Alessandro Casavola, Michael F. Conlon

Conference papers

Abstract— In this paper, an Economic Model Predictive Control (EMPC) approach has been presented to manage a Community-based microgrid (C-µGCC) at the pricing level. The main task is at satisfying the demand at prosumer sides and, at the same time, optimizing various µ-Grid contrasting objectives. Emphasis has been given to the operational constraints related to the components lifetime, whose satisfaction would be beneficial for the grid in that the maintenance and replacement costs would be reduced. A simulative analysis has been carried out on the basis of available measured data related to a location in Dublin, Ireland. Results show the …

Designing, Building And Testing A Solar Thermoelectric Generation, Steg, For Energy Delivery To Remote Residential Areas In Developing Regions, Yacouba Moumouni

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

New alternatives and inventive renewable energy techniques which encompass both generation and power management solutions are fundamental for meeting remote residential energy supply and demand today, especially if the grid is quasi-inexistent. Solar thermoelectric generators can be a cost-effective alternative to photovoltaics for a remote residential household power supply. A complete solar thermoelectric energy harvesting system is presented for energy delivery to remote residential areas in developing regions. To this end, the entire system was built, modeled, and then validated with LTspice simulator software via thermal-to-electrical analogy schemes. Valuable data in conjunction with two novel LTspice circuits were obtained, showing …

Real Time Testing And Validation Of A Novel Short Circuit Current (Scc) Controller For A Photovoltaic Inverter, Vishwajitsinh H. Atodaria

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

About 45% applications from PV solar farm developers seeking connections to the distribution grids in Ontario were denied in 2011-13 as the short circuit current (SCC) capacity of several distribution substations had already been reached. PV solar system inverters typically contribute 1.2 p.u. to 1.8 p.u. fault current which was not considered acceptable by utility companies due to the need for very expensive protective breaker upgrades. Since then, this cause has become a major impediment in the growth of PV based renewable systems in Ontario.

A novel predictive technique has been patented in our research group for management of short …

General Application Of Smart Inverters In Distribution And Smart Grid, Wenxin Peng

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The electric grid of the near future will face challenges and opportunities based on two aspects. First, the rapid growth of renewable generations expedites the upgrading of traditional electric grids, allowing more and more distributed generation connected at the customers’ side. Distributed generation units use a wide range of generation technologies, including gas turbines, diesel engines, solar photovoltaics (PV), wind turbines, fuel cells, biomass, and small hydroelectric generators. Under certain penetration level, the grid will experience issues like unexpected voltage rise as well as reverse power flows due to the fluctuation of power production of the distributed generation, especially when …

Virtual Droop Control Framework And Stability Analyses For Microgrids With High Penetration Of Renewables, Ashishkumar Kanubhai Solanki

Theses and Dissertations

Microgrids can provide the most promising means of integrating large amounts of distributed sources into the power grid and can supply reliable power to critical loads. However, managing distributed sources and loads within a microgrid during island and grid-tie modes and during transitions is a challenge. Stable operation of a microgrid is a concern specifically during the starting of motor loads, switching of large loads, and in presence of high penetration of renewable resources. Hence, a generalized control framework is required to regulate microgrid voltage and frequency, maintain power quality, manage Distributed Generations (DG) and ensure microgrid stability. Several control …