Engineering Commons^™

Life Cycle Assessment Projection Of Photovoltaic Cells: A Case Study On Energy Demand Of Quantum Wire Based Photovoltaic Technology Research, Shilpi Mukherjee

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

With increasing clean-energy demand, photovoltaic (PV) technologies have gained attention as potential long-term alternative to fossil fuel energy. However, PV research and manufacture still utilize fossil fuel-powered grid electricity. With continuous enhancement of solar conversion efficiency, it is imperative to assess whether overall life cycle efficiency is also being enhanced. Many new-material PV technologies are still in their research phase, and life cycle analyses of these technologies have not yet been performed. For best results, grid dependency must be minimized for PV research, and this can be accomplished by an analytical instrument called Life Cycle Assessment (LCA).

LCA is the …

Seeds Of Solutions™: An Economical & Efficient Approach Towards Power Engineering Education, Eli Alvarez

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

Power demands are set to increase over the next twenty years; however, research shows that there may be a shortage of power engineers due to an appreciable percentage of the current power engineer workforce retiring, insufficient enrollment in power engineering programs and a lack of emphasis in power engineering at the university level. This thesis provides supporting research for future power demands, workforce and faculty shortages. Using temporary research in modern learning / teaching styles, student / teacher perceptions, educational trends and regional course offerings, this thesis describes a learning approach towards power engineering education. Designed specifically for universities with …

Grid-Scale Energy Storage: A Proposed Control Algorithm For Sodium Sulfur Batteries, Daniel Spaizman

Master's Theses

With carbon dioxide levels in our atmosphere reaching record highs and 2020 quickly approaching, California is expected to pave the way for the United States in terms of replacing fossil fuel generation facilities with various renewable energy power plants. It is well documented that the inherent variability and limited duty cycle of renewables has hindered their growth. Energy storage technologies represent the bridge that can help us cross the divide from where we stand to where we must stand in the next 6 years. Utility companies value services such as peak shaving, voltage support, and frequency regulation, all of which …

Merry-Go-Round Human Powered Generator, Sarah Lorraine Ashe, Salvador Navarro

Electrical Engineering

How do you bring electricity to families who have limited resources in a developing country? The DC House project, advised by Dr. Taufik, provides a way for kids to have fun, exercise and generate power for their homes – play-park human powered generators. This project intends to create a more efficient and cost effective way for playground equipment to be implemented for power generation. The redesigned and reconstructed merry-go-round human powered generator converts mechanical energy into electrical energy to power the DC house. This was a fully functioning generator that needed a better voltage gain, as well as, a more …

Piezoelectric Powered Led Street Reflector, Collin Shane Douglass

Electrical Engineering

In many areas of Washington, it rains for a majority of the year. During rainy weather it becomes difficult to see street lanes and dividers, causing hazardous road conditions. The Piezoelectric Powered LED Street Reflector solves this problem. The PPL Street Reflector modifies a street reflector with LED lights. These lights help drivers clearly see where dividers and street lines are in non-ideal weather conditions, such as rain, fog, and snow. The PPL Street Reflector capabilities include harvesting energy through the Piezoelectric Effect, creating a self-sustaining device with minimal maintenance.

Application Of A High-Performance Optically Enhanced Solar Thermal Collector System, Timothy H. Cameron

Honors Theses

In an effort to make Union College a more environmentally friendly campus, this research project focuses on the application of Union’s liquid-based solar thermal collector system. The motivation for this research project is due to the increasing demand for renewable energy sources in order to decrease our society’s dependence on fossil fuels. The system features nine, 16-tube, evacuated tube solar modules which absorb radiant solar energy from the sun. Through a two loop system, thermal energy is stored in water within two-80 gallon storage tanks. This research project involves the design, construction, and analysis of two applications in order to …

Optimal Control Of Energy Efficient Buildings, Cale David Nelson

Masters Theses

The building sector consumes a large part of the energy used in the United States and is responsible for nearly 40% of greenhouse gas emissions. Therefore, it is economically and environmentally important to reduce the building energy consumption to realize massive energy savings. Commercial buildings are complex, multi-physics, and highly stochastic dynamic systems. Recent work has focused on integrating modern modeling, simulation, and control techniques to solving this challenging problem. The overall focus of this thesis is directed toward designing an energy efficient building by controlling room temperature. One approach is based on a distributed parameter model represented by a …

Local Energy Governance In Vermont: An Analysis Of Energy System Transition Strategies And Actor Capacity, Tarah Rowse

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

While global, national, and regional efforts to address climate and energy challenges remain essential, local governments and community groups are playing an increasingly stronger and vital role. As an active state in energy system policy, planning and innovation, Vermont offers a testing ground for research into energy governance at the local level. A baseline understanding of the energy planning and energy organizing activities initiated at the local level can support efforts to foster a transition to a sustainable energy system in Vermont. Following an inductive, applied and participatory approach, and grounded in the fields of sustainability transitions, energy planning, and …

Energy Optimization Of A Free-Piston Enhanced Hybrid Vehicle, Kenneth Jarod Jones

Dissertations

The world’s heavy dependence on vehicles which utilize hydrocarbon fuels as a primary power source has renewed the interest in electric and hybrid vehicles for industrial, commercial, and public use. The primary objective of this movement is centered on increased efficiency in energy usage for transportation. Hybrid vehicles which utilize an internal combustion engine as a linear generator, converting energy stored in hydrocarbon fuels into electrical power, could serve as a transitioning technology. The free-piston enhanced hybrid vehicle (FPHV) could potentially fill this role. The present work contains a theoretical and numerical approach to analyzing and optimizing the usage of …