Engineering Science and Materials Commons^™

The Effects Of The Transient And Performance Loss Rates On Pv Output Performance, Chibuisi Chinasaokwu Okorieimoh, Brian Norton, Michael Conlon

Conference papers

Solar photovoltaic (PV) panels experience long-term performance degradation as compared to their initial performance, resulting in lower like-per-like efficiencies and performance ratios. Manufacturers of solar photovoltaic modules normally guarantee a lifespan of more than 20 years. To meet such commitments, it is important to monitor and mitigate PV module degradation during this period, as well as beyond, to recognize maintenance and repair needs. Solar PV modules degrade over time, becoming less effective, less reliable, and eventually unusable. The effects of transient and performance loss rates on the output performance of polycrystalline silicon (p-Si) solar PV modules are the focus of …

Thermal And Orbital Analysis Of Darkness Cubesat, Katie Dickey

Honors Program Projects

Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory is sending a 3U CubeSat into LEO to search for a 3.5 keV photon corresponding to the decay of a theorized dark matter particle called the sterile neutrino. The CubeSat will encounter environmental variations while in orbit that can be computed through an orbital analysis using System’s Tool Kit. In order to minimize thermal noise readout, improve optical resolution, and increase bandwidth, the sensors must be kept below 170K while taking data. This temperature is difficult to achieve due to radiation from the Sun and the Earth’s albedo radiation. Through the thermal analysis, the lowest temperature …

Kinetic Energy Investigation, Mike Jackson

High School Lesson Plans

Students will build a mouse trap powered car that converts elastic potential energy contained in the trap’s spring to linear kinetic energy of the car. The release of this energy results in a net force which leads to linear acceleration. This acceleration can be measured with Vernier Logger Pro®, and using Newton’s Second Law of Motion, the net force can be calculated. Finally, using the concept of work, the final kinetic energy of the car can be calculated. Once students become familiar with the calculation of work and energy, the teacher will challenge the students to modify their cars to …

Investigation Of Electrical Defects Arising From Excessive Sidewall Force And Excessive Tensile Strain On Power Cables, Darren Mcconnon, Joseph Kearney, Tom Looby, James O'Shaughnessy

Conference papers

The study includes a comprehensive review of the existing literature and guidelines regarding the effects of sidewall force and tensile strain on power cables during installation. The most appropriate diagnostic test methods required to analyse these effects are also assessed. The results of tests and analysis of the existing literature are then combined in an attempt to determine a realistic basis for guidelines and recommendations relevant to cable installation forces.

Umass Amherst Green Building Guidelines 2013, Ludmilla Pavlova-Gillham, Ted Mendoza, Ezra Small, Patricia O'Flaherty, Nariman Mostafavi, Mohamed Farzinmoghadam, Somayeh Tabatabaee Pozveh

Campus Planning Reports and Plans

Facilities & Campus Services, Sustainable UMass and Campus Planning support sustainability and energy conservation initiatives by providing in-house resources to campus staff as well as designers and contractors working with the University. The UMass Amherst Green Building Guidelines provide a framework for approaching new construction and major renovation projects at UMass Amherst that are undergoing LEED certification by focusing the conversation on green building aspects that are most important to the campus. They are intended to be the beginning of a dynamic conversation between designers, environmental consultants and constructors, university stakeholders, and users of new high performance buildings.

Coupled Electromagnetic And Heat Transfer Model For Microwave Heating In Domestic Ovens, Krishnamoorthy Pitchai, Sohan Birla, Jeyamkondan Subbiah, D. D. Jones, Harshanardhan Thippareddi

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

Microwave ovens are used extensively for heating a variety of not-ready-to-eat food products. Non-uniform heating of foods in microwave ovens is a major concern in assuring microbiological safety of such products. The non-uniform heating of foods is attributed by complex interaction of microwaves with foods. To understand this complex interaction, a comprehensive model was developed to solve coupled electromagnetic and heat transfer equations using finite-difference time-domain based commercial software. The simulation parameters, cell size, heating time step, and number of iterations for steady state electromagnetic field were optimized. The model was validated by 30 s heating profile of a cylindrical …

In-Situ Ellipsometry Characterization Of Anodically Grown Silicon Dioxide And Lithium Intercalation Into Silicon, Eric A. Montgomery

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

In this thesis, in-situ ellipsometry and electroanalytical investigations of two electrochemical processes are reported: including the formation of anodically grown silicon dioxide and the intercalation of lithium into silicon. Analysis of the ellipsometry data shows that the anodically grown silicon dioxide layer is uniform and has similar properties as thermally grown silicon dioxide. The lithium-ion intercalation data reveals non-uniform thin film formation, which requires further studies and development of appropriate ellipsometric optical models.

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