Engineering Commons^™

Determining The Impacts Of Corn Silage Mixing Ratios On Hydrogen Production From Beef Cattle Manure, Katya Faber-Quimby

Honors Theses

With global warming becoming an increasingly serious threat and a growing population requiring additional energy resources, interest in the production of clean energy from the agricultural sector has surged in popularity. Biohydrogen, also known as green hydrogen, is H₂ that has been produced using renewable energy, such as from agricultural byproducts or waste materials. It presents a promising alternative to nonrenewable resources due to its high potential for energy storage and lack of carbon emissions when used. Cattle manure has been explored as a resource for the production of biohydrogen. Selecting for hydrogen-producing microbes in the manure serves the …

Support The Next Generation By Sponsoring The 2024 Windstorm Challenge!, Advanced Structures And Composites Center

General University of Maine Publications

The Windstorm Challenge is a unique opportunity for middle and high school students to get hands-on engineering practice at the Advanced Structures and Composites Center (ASCC). Organized by the same team that brings you AFloat, the Windstorm Challenge seeks to educate the next generation of floating offshore wind innovators.

Study On The Performance Of Solar Cells Cooled With Heatsink And Nanofluid Added With Aluminum Nanoparticle, Rouhollah Salehi, Ahmad Jahanbakhshi, Jong B. Ooi, Abbas Rohani, Mahmood R. Golzarian

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The cooling of photovoltaic (PV) panels based on nanofluids is one of the emerging cooling methods to improve the efficiency of PV panels. In this study, the effects of aluminum nanoparticles on the cooling performance and conversion efficiency of PV panels were investigated experimentally. The surface temperature, output power, and efficiency of the PV panels were assessed in Mashhad, Iran on a sunny winter day in November 2020 under ambient temperatures between 10 and 17 °C. Experimental results indicated that the nanofluid with aluminum nanoparticle improved the solar panel efficiency and solar PV panel's output power by an average of …

The Intertwined Renewable Energy–Water–Environment (Rewe) Nexus Challenges And Opportunities: A Case Study Of California, Shahryar Jafarinejad, Rebecca R. Hernandez, Sajjad Bigham, Bryan S. Beckingham

Michigan Tech Publications

In our built environment, societal production of energy and clean water is inextricably linked to the natural resources from which they are derived. Acknowledgement and consideration of the coupling of energy, water, and the environment (the energy–water–environment nexus) will be critical to a sustainable future. This is particularly true as we transition away from historical energy sources (e.g., coal, petroleum, natural gas) and into the widespread adaptation of renewable energy (RE) sources (e.g., solar, wind, geothermal, hydro, bioenergy) as a strategy to decrease greenhouse gas emissions and consequently slow global climate change. This transition is fraught with both challenges and …

The Neighborhood As An Energy-Generating Community The Case Of El-Banafseg Residential Neighborhood, East Cairo, Amany G. Micheal Prof., Mona Helmy Dr.

Centre for Advanced Materials

Nowadays, energy consumption is a global challenge. This is due to the shortage of several energy sources, and consequently, to their increasing prices. This paper argues that by using an integrative approach for using various energy harvesting techniques, a typical residential neighborhood can be operated as a self-generator of its needed energy, or part of it.

The paper follows a mixed qualitative, experimental, and numerical simulation approaches to examine the practicality of the paper hypothesis. It uses Space syntax modeling theory (a socio-spatial software) to analyze the pedestrian flow to indicate the potential locations of the kinetic energy harvesting Piezoelectric …

A Study On Scaling Floating Offshore Wind Turbine Geometry And Hydrostatics With Increasing Turbine Size, Samuel Davis

Honors College

Floating offshore wind offers a clean and sustainable alternative to fossil fuels for the future of energy production. In Maine in particular, there is a great opportunity to take advantage of the wind resource off the coast and become a global leader in offshore wind. With the Maine coastal waters being too deep for fixed-bottom turbine structures, floating platforms that support the turbines have the opportunity to gain traction as the technology matures. As wind turbines increase in size and capacity, the floating hulls must also increase in size. The research presented in this thesis aimed to calculate and examine …

Design And Concept Of Renewable Energy Driven Auto-Detectable Railway Level Crossing Systems In Bangladesh, Iftekharuzzaman Iftekharuzzaman, Susmita Ghosh, Mohammad K. Basher, Mohammad A. Islam, Narottam Das, Mohammad Nur-E-Alam

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Bangladesh’s railway system mostly uses typical manual railway crossing techniques or boom gates through its 2955.53 km rail route all over the country. Accidents frequently happen at railway crossings due to the lack of quickly operating gate systems, and to fewer safety measures at the railway crossing as well. Currently, there are very few automatic railway crossing systems available (without obstacle detectors). Additionally, all of them are dependent on the national power grid, without a backup plan for any emergency cases. Bangladesh is still running a bit behind in generating enough power for its consumption; hence, it is not possible …

Editorial: Internet Of Energy For Renewable Energy-Based Decarbonized Electrical Energy Systems, Onur Elma, Murat Kuzlu, Nasibeh Zohrabi

Engineering Technology Faculty Publications

[Introduction] This research topic aims to highlight the current state-of-the art technologies in digitalized smart grids, including renewable energy and others with the Internet of Energy (IoE) under the decarbonized electrical energy systems. These approaches will increase the overall efficiency of electrical power systems, along with emerging technologies and applications in the current system. IoE covers all digitalization processes with mobility, electronic devices, and energy network as seen in Figure 1.

A Retrospective On 2022 Cyber Incidents In The Wind Energy Sector And Building Future Cyber Resilience, Megan Egan

Cyber Operations and Resilience Program Graduate Projects

Between February and June 2022, multiple wind energy sector companies were hit by cyber-attacks impacting their ability to monitor and control wind turbines. With projected growth in the United States of 110.66 GW from 2020 to 2030, wind energy will increasingly be a critical source of electricity for the United States and an increasingly valuable target for cyberattacks. This paper shows the importance of redundant remote communications, secure third-party providers, and improving response and recovery processes that would ensure this growth period fulfills its potential as a unique opportunity to build in cyber resilience from the outset of new installations …

Comparison Of Predicted And Measured Annual Performance Of A Roof-Top Grid-Connected Pv System In The Irish Climate, Chibuisi Chinasaokwu Okorieimoh, Brian Norton Prof, Michael Conlon Prof

Conference Papers

The problem of energy scarcity has reached a global scale as a result of the majority of energy production relying on non-renewable sources of energy. Solar photovoltaic cells use the photovoltaic effect to convert solar energy into electrical energy. Solar energy can reduce emissions of carbon dioxide (CO₂) associated with the generation from fossil fuels as the only CO₂ emissions are those embodied in their manufacture. A 268.8 m² area roof-top grid-connected PV system with a total capacity of 49.92kW_p was installed at Warrenpoint (54.11^oN and 6.26^oW) in Ireland. 192 “Renesola” …

Z-Source-Based High Step-Up Dc-Dc Converters For Photovoltaic Applications, Ramin Rahimi, Saeed Habibi, Mehdi Ferdowsi, Pourya Shamsi

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This article proposes three high step-up Z-source (ZS)-based dc-dc converters by integrating the conventional ZS network with switched-capacitor (SC) cells. The proposed converters offer a simple structure with a smooth input current, a high-voltage gain, and low voltage stress on the semiconductor devices. In addition, the proposed converters, unlike some existing ZS-based topologies in the literature, do not impose any limitation on the duty cycle of the power switch. These characteristics make the proposed converters excellent candidates to interface a low-voltage solar photovoltaic (PV) panel with a high-voltage dc bus in PV applications. Among the proposed three converters, the operating …

Advances In Energy Hybridization For Resilient Supply: A Sustainable Approach To The Growing World Demand, Haider Al-Rubaye, Joseph D. Smith, Mohammed H.S. Zangana, Prashant Nagapurkar, Yishu Zhou, Gregory M. Gelles

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Energy poverty, defined as a lack of access to reliable electricity and reliance on traditional biomass resources for cooking, affects over a billion people daily. The World Health Organization estimates that household air pollution from inefficient stoves causes more premature deaths than malaria, tuberculosis, and HIV/AIDS. Increasing demand for energy has led to dramatic increases in emissions. The need for reliable electricity and limiting emissions drives research on Resilient Hybrid Energy Systems (RHESs), which provide cleaner energy through combining wind, solar, and biomass energy with traditional fossil energy, increasing production efficiency and reliability and reducing generating costs and emissions. Microgrids …

Optimization Of Solar-Coal Hybridization For Low Solar Augmentation, Aaron T. Bame, Joseph Furner, Ian Hoag, Kasra Mohammadi, Kody Powell, Brian D. Iverson

Faculty Publications

This work presents a process to determine the preliminary optimal configuration of a concentrating solar power-coal hybrid power plant with low solar augmentation, and is demonstrated on a regenerative steam Rankine cycle coal power plant in Castle Dale, UT, USA (average DNI of 542 W m⁻²). A representative plant model is developed and validated against published data for a coal power plant. The simplifications that lead to the representative model from a coal power plant model include combining multiple feedwater heaters, combining turbines, and using a mass-average calculation for extraction steam properties. Comparing net power generation and boiler …

Modeling And Analysis Of A 12kw Solar-Wind Hybrid Renewable Energy System, Ekaterina Muravleva

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

The increase in rate of depletion of natural resources in the last decade as well as the increased global focus on climate change has made the transition to renewable resources of energy a priority for various countries and organizations across the globe. The sporadic nature of energy generated by photovoltaic systems and wind energy conversion systems has led to an increased utilization of more reliable hybrid renewable energy systems. A combination of both solar and wind energy-based power generations systems reduces the impact of seasonal variation on the amount of power generated and therefore, can be used under varying weather …

High Hybrid Power Converter Performance Using Modern‐Optimization‐Methods‐Based Pwm Strategy, Khaled Nusair, Feras Alasali, William Holderbaum, Arangarajan Vinayagam, Asma Aziz

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Recently, interest in DC networks and converters has increased due to the high number of applications in renewable energy systems. Consequently, the importance of improving the efficiency of the hybrid converters has been highlighted. An optimal control strategy is a significant solution to handle the challenges of controlling the hybrid interleaved boost–Cuk converter. In this article, a modern‐optimization‐methods‐based PWM strategy for a hybrid power converter is developed. In order to improve the performance of the hybrid converter, four modern optimization algorithms—namely, Manta ray foraging optimization (MRFO), Marine Predators Algorithm (MPA), Jellyfish Search Optimizer (JS), and Equilibrium Optimizer (EO)—are employed to …

Multi-Objective Optimization Of A Microgrid For An Islanded Community, Roozbeh Ghasemi, Martin Wosnik, Weiwei Mo

Student Research Projects

Microgrid design for islanded communities is seeing renewed interest due to the increased accessibility of solar, wind, and energy storage technologies. Islanded communities are often economically disadvantaged, which requires cost-effective microgrid designs. This paper investigates the potential to achieve economic and environmental benefits via optimizing the sizing of various components of a renewable energy system. We used Shoals Marine Laboratory on Appledore Island, Maine, USA as a testbed for developing an optimization framework. A system dynamics (SD) model was first developed to simulate the daily operation of the island microgrid system and then the model was calibrated and validated using …

Frequency Event Detection And Mitigation In Power Systems: A Systematic Literature Review, Umar Farooq, Robert B. Bass

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Modern power systems characterized by complex topologies require accurate situational awareness to maintain an adequate level of reliability. Since they are large and spread over wide geographical areas, it is inevitable that failures will occur. Various generation and transmission disturbances, such as generator and transmission line tripping and load disconnection, give rise to a mismatch between generation and demand, which manifest as frequency events. These events can take the form of negligible frequency deviations or more severe emergencies that can precipitate cascading outages, depending on the severity of the disturbance and efficacy of remedial action schema. The impacts of such …

Editorial For Gels 6th Anniversary Special Issue, Esmaiel Jabbari, Gulden Camci-Unal

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

An Interleaved High Step-Up Dc-Dc Converter With Built-In Transformer-Based Voltage Multiplier For Dc Microgrid Applications, Ramin Rahimi, Saeed Habibi, Mehdi Ferdowsi, Pourya Shamsi

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This paper proposes a high step-up DC-DC converter with a built-in transformer (BIT)-based voltage multiplier (VM) that is suitable for integrating low-voltage renewable energy sources into a DC microgrid. A three-winding BIT is combined with the switched-capacitor (SC) cells to extend the voltage gain and reduce the voltage stress on the switches. The current-falling rates of the diodes are controlled by the leakage inductances of the BIT, alleviating the reverse-recovery problem of the diodes. The operating modes and steady-state analysis are presented. Additionally, the validity of the proposed converter is confirmed by the simulation and experimental results of a 400 …

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

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This paper introduces an interleaved high step-up DC-DC converter with high voltage gain, low voltage stresses on the switches, low current stresses on the components, and continuous input current with low ripple, all of which are beneficial for the renewable energy (RE) applications. The proposed converter is based on the integration of three voltage-boosting (VB) methods: coupled inductor (CI), built-in transformer (BIT), and switched-capacitor (SC) cells. The energies of the leakage inductances of the CIs and BIT are absorbed and recirculated to the output side, which further extends the voltage gain. In addition, the current-falling rates of the diodes are …

Dynamic Simulation Of A Novel Nuclear Hybrid Energy System With Large-Scale Hydrogen Storage In An Underground Salt Cavern, An Ho, Kasra Mohammadi, Matthew Memmott, John Hedengren, Kody Powell

Faculty Publications

In this study, a nuclear hybrid energy system (NHES) with large-scale hydrogen storage integrated with a gas turbine cycle is proposed as a flexible system for load following. The proposed system consists of a nuclear reactor, a steam Rankine cycle, a hydrogen electrolyzer, a storage system for hydrogen in an underground salt cavern, and a Brayton cycle that uses hydrogen as fuel to generate additional electricity to meet peak demand. A dynamic mathematical model is developed for each subsystem of the NHES. To evaluate the potential benefits of the system, a one-year study is conducted, using scaled grid demand data …

Afloat 2021: American Floating Offshore Wind Technical Summit, Advanced Structures And Composites Center

General University of Maine Publications

Email invitation to the "AFloat 2021: American Floating Offshore Wind Technical Summit" scheduled for September 8 and 9, 2021. Due to the emergence of COVID variants and the health risks they pose, a decision was made to hold the event virtually to ensure everyone's safety.

Comparing Behavioral Theories To Predict Consumer Interest To Participate In Energy Sharing, Julia Morgan, Casey I. Canfield

Engineering Management and Systems Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Consumer investment in distributed energy resources (DERs) is increasing the penetration of renewable energy in the grid. In some cases, DERs produce more electricity than needed by the owner and this excess electricity is sold to the utility (e.g., net metering). In contrast, energy sharing allows a facilitator, which may or may not be the utility, to redistribute excess renewable electricity to fellow community members directly. However, little is known about consumer interest in participating in this type of arrangement. This preregistered study uses structural equation modeling to compare two behavioral theories, Value-Belief-Norm and Diffusion of Innovation, to predict consumer …

Floating Offshore Wind Project Webinar, University Of Maine Alumni Association, John Diamond, Habib Dagher

General University of Maine Publications

Watch Dr. Habib Dagher, executive director of UMaine’s Advanced Structures and Composites Center, for a May 2021 update on UMaine’s offshore wind program. UMaine is collaborating with New England Aqua Ventus LLC, a joint venture between Diamond Offshore Wind, a subsidiary of the Mitsubishi Corporation, and RWE Renewables, the second-largest company in offshore wind globally, to develop an 11-megawatt floating offshore demonstration project off the coast of Maine.

The New England Aqua Ventus offshore wind project is a critical milestone in the commercial realization of UMaine’s internationally recognized offshore wind technology that was developed at the Advanced Structures and Composites …

Lecture 12: Recent Advances In Time Integration Methods And How They Can Enable Exascale Simulations, Carol S. Woodward

Mathematical Sciences Spring Lecture Series

To prepare for exascale systems, scientific simulations are growing in physical realism and thus complexity. This increase often results in additional and changing time scales. Time integration methods are critical to efficient solution of these multiphysics systems. Yet, many large-scale applications have not fully embraced modern time integration methods nor efficient software implementations. Hence, achieving temporal accuracy with new and complex simulations has proved challenging. We will overview recent advances in time integration methods, including additive IMEX methods, multirate methods, and parallel-in-time approaches, expected to help realize the potential of exascale systems on multiphysics simulations. Efficient execution of these methods …

Economics Of Grid-Tied Solar Photovoltaic Systems Coupled To Heat Pumps: The Case Of Northern Climates Of The U.S. And Canada, Joshua M. Pearce, Nelson Sommerfeldt

Michigan Tech Publications

Solar photovoltaic (PV) technology is now a profitable method to decarbonize the grid, but if catastrophic climate change is to be avoided, emissions from transportation and heating must also decarbonize. One approach to renewable heating is leveraging improvements in PV with heat pumps (HPs). To determine the potential for PV+HP systems in northern areas of North America, this study performs numerical simulations and economic analysis using the same loads and climate, but with local electricity and natural gas rates for Sault Ste. Marie, in both Canada and U.S. Ground-mounted, fixed-tilt, grid-tied PV systems are sized to match 100% of electric …

Photovoltaic Panels Tilt Angle Optimization, Kerry A. Sado, Lokman H. Hassan, Shivan Sado

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering: Faculty Publications

The tilt angle of solar panels is significant for capturing solar radiation that reaches the surface of the panel. Photovoltaic (PV) performance and efficiency are highly affected by its angle of tilt with respect to the horizontal plane. The amount of radiation reaching the surface of a PV panel changes with the changes in its tilt angle, hence adding a solar tracking system will maximize the amount of solar radiation reaching the surface of a PV panel at any time during the day, however, integrating solar tracking system will increase the total cost and maintenance of any PV system. Thus, …

A New Epoch For Community Renewable Energy Co-Operatives In Ireland? An Exploration Of The Factors Influencing Their Development, Gerard Doyle

Articles

The paper outlines the capacities required for community groups to successfully establish and maintain renewable energy co-operatives in Ireland. The paper finds that community groups that successfully establish renewable energy co-operatives must possess high levels of resilience, have access to technical expertise, and have appropriate finance. It also highlights how it is crucial that at least one member of each renewable energy co-operative engages with state agencies and the community. Pringle’s (2015) theoretical framework applied in this paper focuses on the capacities required for the successful implementation of community renewable energy projects (which include community renewable energy co-operatives) in rural …

A Low-Cost Secure Iot Mechanism For Monitoring And Controlling Polygeneration Microgrids, Josué Martínez-Martínez, Diego Aponte-Roa, Idalides Vergara-Laurens, Wayne Weaver

Michigan Tech Publications

The use of Internet-connected devices at homes has increased to monitor energy consumption. Furthermore, renewable energy sources have also increased, reducing electricity bills. However, the high cost of the equipment limits the use of these technologies. This paper presents a low-cost secured-distributed Internet of Things (IoT) system to monitor and control devices connected in a polygeneration microgrid, as a combined power system for local loads with renewable sources. The proposed mechanism includes a Wireless Sensor Actuator Networked Control System that links network nodes using the IEEE 802.15.4 standard. The Internet communication enables the monitor and control of devices using a …

Decentralized Renewable Hybrid Mini-Grids For Rural Communities: Culmination Of The Irep Framework And Scale Up To Urban Communities, Blessing Ugwoke, Adedoyin Adeleke, Stefano P. Corgnati, Joshua M. Pearce, Pierluigi Leone

Michigan Tech Publications

The Integrated Rural Energy Planning (IREP) framework offers a unified road map for locating, planning and operating decentralized renewable hybrid off-grid energy systems for localized (rural) applications in low-income countries. This paper presents the culmination of the IREP framework and aims to illustrate the final step of the IREP framework for two communities in Nigeria. It is focused on two aspects. Firstly, the techno-economic modeling (investment and operation optimization) of a hybrid mini-grid system using HOMER Pro, a techno-economic evaluation tool; and evaluating the benefits of demand side management (DSM) based on energy efficiency on the overall system economics using …