Mechanical Engineering Commons^™

Scheduling And Cooperative Control Of Electric Vehicles' Charging At Highway Service Stations, Florida Solar Energy Center, Azwirman Gusrialdi

FSEC Energy Research Center®

This is a re-print version of a publication for the 53rd IEEE Conference on Decision and Control, Los Angeles, California, USA, December 15-17, 2014Due to their limited ranges, electric vehicles (EVs)need to be periodically charged during their long-distance travels on a highway. Compared to the fossil-fuel powered vehicles, the charging of a single EV takes much more time(up to 30 mins versus 2 mins). As the number of EVs on highways increases, adequate charging infrastructure needs to be put in place. Nonetheless waiting times for EVs to get charged at service stations could still vary significantly unless an appropriate scheduling …

Process Simulation Of Biomass Gasification Integrated With A Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Stack, Wayne Doherty, Anthony Reynolds, David Kennedy

Articles

Biomass gasification-solid oxide fuel cell (BG-SOFC) combined heat and power (CHP) systems are of major interest in the context of climate change mitigation, energy security and increasing energy efficiency. Aspen Plus is employed to simulate various BG-SOFC CHP systems. The aim of the research work is to investigate the technical feasibility of these systems and to study the influence of important operating parameters and examine integration options. Systems based on dual fluidised bed steam gasification and tubular SOFC technologies are modelled. The cathode recycle and electric heater integration options are not attractive in comparison to the base case anode recycle …

Phased Retrofits In Existing Homes In Florida Phase I: Shallow And Deep Retrofits, Florida Solar Energy Center, Danny Parker

FSEC Energy Research Center®

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Building America program, in collaboration with Florida Power & Light (FPL), is conducting a phased residential energy-efficiency retrofit program. This research seeks to establish impacts on annual energy and peak energy reductions from the technologies applied at two levels of retrofit ' shallow and deep, with savings levels approaching the Building America program goals of reducing whole-house energy use by 40%. Under the Phased Deep Retrofit (PDR) project, we have installed phased, energy-efficiency retrofits in a sample of 56 existing, all-electric homes. End-use savings and economic evaluation results from the phased measure packages and …

Heat Transfer Enhancement And Applications Of Femtosecond Laser Processed Metallic Surfaces, Corey M. Kruse

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

In the present work, functionalized 304 stainless steel metallic surfaces were created with the use of a Femtosecond Laser Surface Processing (FLSP) technique. The laser processing technique produces self-organized micro/nanostructures on the surface. The heat transfer performance of various FLSP functionalized surfaces were characterized through pool boiling and Leidenfrost experiments. Enhancement in both the nucleate and film boiling heat transfer were observed through an increase of the critical heat flux and heat transfer coefficient as well as shifts in the Leidenfrost temperature respectively. For both experiments, a polished reference sample was used as a baseline line to compare against the …

Direct Synthesis Of Methane From Co2-H2O Co-Electrolysis In Tubular Solid Oxide Electrolysis Cells, Long Chen, Fanglin Chen, Changrong Xia

Faculty Publications

Directly converting CO₂ to hydrocarbons offers a potential route for carbon-neutral energy technologies. Here we report a novel design, integrating the high-temperature CO₂–H₂O co-electrolysis and low-temperature Fischer–Tropsch synthesis in a single tubular unit, for the direct synthesis of methane from CO₂ with a substantial yield of 11.84%.

Optimised Integration Of Grid-Connected Renewable Energy Technologies For Domestic Application In Ireland, Zhe Li

Doctoral

The utilisation of renewable energy resources for electricity and thermal generation is extremely important in Ireland due to the lack of indigenous fossil fuel resources and the high dependence on imported fossil fuels. The release of environmentally-damaging greenhouse gases in the combustion of fossil fuels in electricity and thermal generation is also a major issue. In Ireland, the domestic dwelling is recognised as one of the biggest energy consumers. The use of renewable energy technologies to provide electricity, heating and hotwater can effectively offset the usage of fossil fuels. The aim of this research study was to develop a novel …

Second Semi-Annual Program Progress Performance Report For University Transportation Systems, Florida Solar Energy Center, David Block

FSEC Energy Research Center®

The Electric Vehicle Transportation Center (EVTC) supports the U.S. Department of Transportation's strategic goal of planning for near-term integration of alternative fuel vehicles as a means to build a sustainable transportation system. The project will evaluate technologies, standards and policies to ensure seamless integration of electric vehicles (EVs) into a complex transportation network and electricity grid. The EVTC will bridge the gap between deployment of electric vehicles and the traditional transportation system.

The EVTC's goals were described in detail in the previous Program Progress Performance Report. These goals have not changed significantly and this report provides updates to each of …

Electric Vehicle Life Cycle Cost Assessment, Florida Solar Energy Center, Richard Raustad

FSEC Energy Research Center®

The Electric Vehicle Transportation Center (EVTC) has developed a life cycle cost (LCC) model to include all reasonable costs associated with vehicle ownership over a 5, 10, 15, or 20-year period. The EVTC LCC model compares ownership costs of conventional vehicles to plug-in hybrid and battery electric vehicles. Internal combustion engines using gasoline, ethanol, or diesel are considered. The analysis includes costs for tires, insurance and maintenance, federal incentives, state tax, dealership fee, and financed interest payments. Traction battery replacement costs are difficult to ascertain yet are included to investigate their impact on overall life cycle costs. Economic factors used …

An Analysis Of Fuel Cell Vehicle Models By Major Automakers, Florida Solar Energy Center, Nan Qin

FSEC Energy Research Center®

Fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) use hydrogen as fuel and exhaust only water. They provide driving ranges and fueling times comparable to gasoline vehicles. Despite the advantages, FCEVs have been in and out of spot light of the auto industry for the past several decades. The information on the development of fuel cell vehicles by major automakers is disparate. This report systematically examined the technical developments of FCEVs since the introduction of the first lab-based fuel cell vehicle in 1966. It included an overview of 117 FCEV models from 31 automakers. It should help the stakeholders to gain an insight …

Achieving Challenge Home In Affordable Housing In The Hot-Humid Climate, Florida Solar Energy Center, David Beal

FSEC Energy Research Center®

No abstract provided.

Cost Effectiveness Of 2015 Iecc Compliance Using The Hers Index, Florida Solar Energy Center, Philip Fairey

FSEC Energy Research Center®

The EnergyGauge HERS software tool is used to examine the 2012 IECC Standard Reference Design (IECC SRD) configuration for three-bedroom, one-story 2000 ft² and three-bedroom, two-story 2,400 ft² single-family homes in sixteen representative U.S. cities. The energy use of the 2012 SRD homes is compared against the energy use of homes complying with the 2015 IECC using the ERI compliance method. HERS simulations for each home are conducted for both a best case home orientation and a worst case home orientation. Improvements to the 2012 IECC SRD homes are made such that the HERS Index for the homes …

Investigation Of Potential Benefits Of Revising Exception 1 Under Florida Building Code, Energy Conservation, Section 101.4.7.1.1 Duct Sealing Upon Equipment Replacement, Florida Solar Energy Center, Janet Mcilvaine

FSEC Energy Research Center®

Section 101.4.7.1.1, Duct sealing upon equipment replacement (Mandatory), of the 2012 Supplement to the Florida Building Code, Energy Conservation went into effect briefly in 2013. The new section required sealing of accessible ducts at the time of HVAC equipment replacement. Exception #1 however, eliminates the requirement for ducts in conditioned space, and by doing so, effectively eliminates the sealing requirement for building cavities in conditioned space that are used as air distribution paths. However, test results show that these building cavities are often connected to adjacent unconditioned spaces, in effect they are not really in the conditioned space because they …

Initial Testing Of A Unitary Hvac System Advanced Control Module, Florida Solar Energy Center, Richard Raustad

FSEC Energy Research Center®

Testing of a unitary HVAC system advanced control module and the results.

Assessment Of Energy Efficient Methods Of Indoor Humidity Control For Florida Building Commission Research, Florida Solar Energy Center, Charles Withers, Jr.

FSEC Energy Research Center®

This research project was conducted with the primary objective to identify approaches and technologies which can achieve energy-efficient latent cooling in light of code requirements that may increase overall ventilation rates in new Florida homes. This report covers the work of two primary efforts of completing a literature review and testing a few space conditioning methods in a mechanically ventilated building. Results from a literature review provide a list of various approaches to managing the latent load in homes with emphasis on energy efficiency and cost-effectiveness. In addition to a literature review, controlled experiments using four different approaches to space …

A Review Of Home Airtightness And Ventilation Approaches For Florida Building Commission Research, Florida Solar Energy Center, Jeffrey Sonne

FSEC Energy Research Center®

This research project was conducted with the primary objectives of 1) providing a literature review, examination of experimental data, and calculations of energy impacts of using or not using various types of ventilation systems and 2) developing alternative approaches to achieving acceptable levels of ventilation while avoiding the risks associated with super-tight home enclosures and potential mechanical system failures. The report includes discussions of pertinent airtightness and mechanical ventilation topics and provides recommended ventilation practices for Florida.

Redox Stable Anodes For Solid Oxide Fuel Cells, Guoliang Xiao, Fanglin Chen

Faculty Publications

Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) can convert chemical energy from the fuel directly to electrical energy with high efficiency and fuel flexibility. Ni-based cermets have been the most widely adopted anode for SOFCs. However, the conventional Ni-based anode has low tolerance to sulfur-contamination, is vulnerable to deactivation by carbon build-up (coking) from direct oxidation of hydrocarbon fuels, and suffers volume instability upon redox cycling. Among these limitations, the redox instability of the anode is particularly important and has been intensively studied since the SOFC anode may experience redox cycling during fuel cell operations even with the ideal pure hydrogen as …

Flexible Residential Test Facility: Impact Of Infiltration And Ventilation On Measured Cooling Season Energy And Moisture Levels, Florida Solar Energy Center, Danny Parker

FSEC Energy Research Center®

Air infiltration and ventilation in residential buildings is a very large part of the heating loads, but empirical data regarding the impact on space cooling has been lacking. Moreover, there has been little data on how building tightness might relate to building interior moisture levels in homes in a hot and humid climate. To address this need, BA-PIRC has conducted research to assess the moisture and cooling load impacts of airtightness and mechanical ventilation in two identical laboratory homes in the hot-humid climate over the cooling season.

Economic, Energy And Ghg Emissions Performance Evaluation Of A Whispergen Mk Iv Stirling Engine Μ-Chp Unit In A Domestic Dwelling, Gerry Conroy, Aidan Duffy, Lacour Ayompe

Articles

This paper presents an assessment of the energy, economic and greenhouse gas emissions performances of a WhisperGen Mk IV Stirling engine μ-CHP unit for use in a conventional house in the Republic of Ireland. The energy performance data used in this study was obtained from a field trial carried out in Belfast, Northern Ireland during the period June 2004 - July 2005 by Northern Ireland Electricity and Phoenix Gas working in collaboration with Whispertech UK. A comparative performance analysis between the µ-CHP unit and a condensing gas boiler revealed that the µ-CHP unit resulted in an annual cost saving of …

Semi-Annual Program Progress Performance Report For University Transportation Systems, Florida Solar Energy Center, David Block

FSEC Energy Research Center®

The Electric Vehicle Transportation Center's (EVTC) vision is to transform the country's transportation network into a fully integrated "smart" electric vehicle deployment system coupled with a "smart" electric grid achieved with maximum efficiency and minimum time and disruption.

To accomplish the EVTC vision, the Center's goals are to serve as the focal point for the U.S. Department of Transportation's strategic goal of planning for near-term integration of alternative fuel vehicles as a means to build a sustainable transportation system. The project will evaluate technologies, standards and policies to ensure seamless integration of EVs into a complex electricity grid and transportation …

Small Scale Wind Turbine, Cameron Allen, Davis Gumbo, Mitchell Petronek, Scott Roskens

College of Engineering Presentations

The Department of Energy (DOE) has put together a collegiate wind competition to design, build, and market a small wind turbine (17.7in diameter rotor dimension). For our mechanical engineering senior design project our team will participate in this competition. Ten schools will compete in the competition in Las Vegas this May. Our team designed a wind turbine to produce power for ultraviolet light water purification in remote areas and during emergency situations. The turbine was designed to produce 10 watts at a wind speed between 5 and 14 m/s. The turbine is also equipped with an emergency brake that will …

Technical And Business Solutions For Zero Net-Energy Ready And Zero Net-Energy Homes In The Hot Humid Climate, Florida Solar Energy Center, Eric Martin

FSEC Energy Research Center®

The Department of Energy's Challenge Home program provides a standardized platform for application and marketing of Building America innovations in new residential construction and is intended to facilitate delivery of zero net-energy ready and zero net-energy homes that also meet goals for durability, quality, affordability, and comfort. The Building America Partnership for Improved Residential Construction, one of the Building America research team leads, has partnered with several builders in the hot-humid climate, as they work through the process of adopting Challenge Home. This paper serves to identify viable technical pathways to meeting the Challenge Home criteria in this region and …

Hydrogen Fueling Stations Infrastructure, Florida Solar Energy Center, Nan Qin

FSEC Energy Research Center®

Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles (FCEVs) can provide customers with the benefits of low to zero greenhouse gas emissions, high performance, and comfort without compromising range and refill time. With three major automakers (Honda, Hyundai, and Toyota) planning to introduce consumer FCEVs by the end of 2015, FCEVs will play an increasingly important role in the electric vehicle arena. Building hydrogen fueling infrastructure has been identified as a major obstacle in FCEV commercialization. This report is part of an ongoing effort within an Electric Vehicle Transportation Center (EVTC) project: "Fuel Cell Vehicle Technologies, Infrastructure and Requirements." This report is based on …

Energy And Peak Power Reduction From Air Misting Products Applied To Commercial Condensing Units In Hot And Humid Climates, Florida Solar Energy Center, Charles Withers, Jr.

FSEC Energy Research Center®

A proprietary research project was conducted to evaluate the potential annual and peak energy reduction resulting from the addition of a water misting system applied to supermarket condenser coils in the Florida Power and Light service territory. Tests were performed to evaluate the performance of a mist system under various outdoor conditions over an eight-month period in a hot and humid climate zone. The project measured an average of 2.8% percentage energy savings and average 3.2% utility peak demand reduction. The report discusses why hot and humid climates can expect much lower savings compared to hot and arid climates. One …

Comparative Performance Analysis: Hers Index Score Dependencies Related To Home Geometries And Operating Assumptions, Florida Solar Energy Center, Philip Fairey

FSEC Energy Research Center®

EnergyGauge USA v.3.1.02 is used examine the impact of geometry and operating conditions on comparative simulation analysis techniques that are used to evaluate home energy performance with respect to a standardized reference case. A cohort of homes is simulated using the HERS Index scoring system in 15 U.S. cities that are representative of the 8 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) climate zones. All of the homes are configured to have the thermal envelope characteristics specified by Table R402.1.1 of the 2012 IECC. All homes are also configured to meet all other mandatory requirements of the 2012 IECC, including 75% high …

Maine Tidal Power Initiative: Environmental Impact Protocols For Tidal Power, Michael Peterson, Gayle Zydlewski, Huijie Xue, Teresa R. Johnson

University of Maine Office of Research Administration: Grant Reports

As a result of ongoing climate change, the pressure for the development of new sources of renewable energy has increased. It is extremely likely that climate change is caused by anthropogenic activities. Thus even if dramatic gains are made in energy efficiency; the addition of novel renewable energy sources is critical to reducing fossil fuel emissions. Even current goals for a reduction in the growth of greenhouse gas emissions mean that all possible low-carbon or non-carbon emitting energy sources be considered. In the marine environment, energy in tidal currents, waves, and thermal structure may be extracted to produce electricity. These …

Impact Of Residential Mechanical Ventilation On Energy Cost And Humidity Control, Florida Solar Energy Center, Eric Martin

FSEC Energy Research Center®

The DOE Building America program has been conducting research leading to cost effective high performance homes since the early 1990's. Optimizing whole house mechanical ventilation as part of the program's systems engineered approach to constructing housing has been an important subject of the program's research. Ventilation in residential buildings is one component of an effective, comprehensive strategy for creation and maintenance of a comfortable and healthy indoor air environment. The study described in this white paper is based on building energy modeling with an important focus on the indoor humidity impacts of ventilation. The modeling tools used were EnergyPlus version …

Free Wake Potential Flow Vortex Wind Turbine Modeling: Advances In Parallel Processing And Integration Of Ground Effects, Nathaniel B. Develder

Masters Theses 1911 - February 2014

Potential flow simulations are a great engineering type, middle-ground approach to modeling complex aerodynamic systems, but quickly become computationally unwieldy for large domains. An N-body problem with N-squared interactions to calculate, this free wake vortex model of a wind turbine is well suited to parallel computation. This thesis discusses general trends in wind turbine modeling, a potential flow model of the rotor of the NREL 5MW reference turbine, various forms of parallel computing, current GPU hardware, and the application of ground effects to the model. In the vicinity of 200,000 points, current GPU hardware was found to be nearly 17 …

A Novel Microgrid Demand-Side Management System For Manufacturing Facilities, Terance J. Harper, William J. Hutzel, James C. Foreman, Aaron L. Adams, Athula Kulatunga

Purdue Polytechnic Masters Theses

Thirty-one percent of annual energy consumption in the United States occurs within the industrial sector, where manufacturing processes account for the largest amount of energy consumption and carbon emissions. For this reason, energy efficiency in manufacturing facilities is increasingly important for reducing operating costs and improving profits. Using microgrids to generate local sustainable power should reduce energy consumption from the main utility grid along with energy costs and carbon emissions. Also, microgrids have the potential to serve as reliable energy generators in international locations where the utility grid is often unstable.

For this research, a manufacturing process that had approximately …

Why Waste The Wind? A Look Into Small Scale Wind Energy, Mitchell Negus, Jon Swanton, Ben Chilcoat, Mark Settembrino

Student Showcase

The human race’s dependence on fossil fuels for energy generation has started to cause major changes in the environment. Climate change is a universal issue and it is evident that our current energy schematic is not sustainable. At the University of Massachusetts, small-scale wind power has the potential to be a key component in UMass’ energy portfolio as the university shifts from reliance on fossil fuels to renewable energy. Strategically placed turbines would produce clean, renewable energy, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and help to decentralize energy dependence on the Central Heating Plant. Small-scale turbines, like the eddyGT, are tested technologies …

Electric Vehicle Sales And Future Projections, Florida Solar Energy Center, David Block

FSEC Energy Research Center®

The objective of this research is to evaluate historical vehicle sales as a basis to determine future projections of electric vehicles sales and cumulative values within the U.S. and by selected states. The results for the U.S. show that the cumulative sales of electric vehicles through 2013 is 167,600 vehicles with 96, 700 sold in 2013 or that 58% of total vehicles were sold in 2013. Depending upon the escalation rate selected, the 10 year future U.S. cumulative sales (2023) are predicted to be from 1.8 to 7.3 million vehicles. Future predictions were also done for the states of Florida, …