Power and Energy Commons^™

Buffering Pv Output During Cloud Transients With Energy Storage, Yacouba Moumouni

College of Engineering: Graduate Celebration Programs

The Problem

• Photovoltaic output power can be affected by many factors including clouds passing overhead.

• Utilities in generally prefer a guaranteed power delivery level over some specified power delivery period.

• Power delivered during peak demand hours is generally more valued by utilities. For the Desert Southwest this is in the summertime afternoons. For the local area this will be defined as 1-5 pm for the three summer months.

• While battery power can be adapted to this problem, large batteries to be expensive.

Slides: Jisea Natural Gas Study: Potential U.S. Electric Power Futures, Jeffrey Logan

Drawing the Blueprint for a Sustainable Natural Gas Future (January 18)

Presenter: Jeffrey Logan, Denver Museum of Nature and Science

4 slides

Technical Feasibility Of Storage On Large Dish Stirling Systems, Charles E. Andraka, K Scott Rawlinson, Nathan P. Siegel

Faculty Journal Articles

Dish-Stirling systems have been demonstrated to provide high-efficiency solar-only electrical generation, holding the world record at 31.25%. This high efficiency results in a system with a high possibility of meeting the DOE SunShot goal of $0.06/kWh. Current dish-Stirling systems do not incorporate thermal storage. For the next generation of non-intermittent and cost-competitive solar power plants, we propose a thermal energy storage system that combines latent (phase-change) energy transport and latent energy storage in order to match the isothermal input requirements of Stirling engines while also maximizing the exergetic efficiency of the entire system. This report takes an initial look at …

Distributed Solar Photovoltaic Grid Integration System : A Case Study For Performance, Ming Shen

Dissertations and Theses

The needs to the sustainable development of electricity, energy efficiency improvement, and environment pollution reduction have favored the development of distributed generation (DG). But the problems come with increasing DG penetration in distribution networks. This thesis presents the Solar Energy Grid Integration System (SEGIS) Stage III project done by Portland General Electric (PGE), Advanced Energy, Sandia National Lab on a PGE selected distribution feeder. The feeder has six monitored commercial solar PV systems connected. The total power output from the PV systems has the potential to reach 30% of the feeder load. The author analyzes the performance of the solar …

Energy-Based Analysis Of Utility Scale Hybrid Power Systems, Kwame Agyenim-Boateng

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The promise of large-scale use of renewables such as wind and solar for supplying electrical power is tempered by the sources' transient behavior and the impact this would have on the operation of the grid. Among the methods cited for addressing some of those concerns are exploring the complementary nature of solar and wind power generation, and through the use of supplemental energy storage. While the technology for the latter has not been proven to be economical on a large scale at the present time, some assessments of what magnitude is required can be made. An energy-based analysis of utility …

Morphology Changes In Pcpdtbt:Pcbm And P3ht:Pcpdtbt:Pcbm And Its Effect On Polymer Solar Cell Performance, Galen David Cauble

Physics

Polymer solar cell morphology is sensitive to both heat and time. By thermally annealing polymer solar cells the morphology of the devices can be altered causing immediate changes in device performance. Blending PCPDTBT:PCBM with P3HT:PCPDTBT combines the absorption characteristics of each to create a more even absorption spectrum. Subjecting PCPDTBT:PCBM, and P3HT:PCPDTBT:PCBM polymer solar cells to thermal annealing as well as recording device performance through time has shown that P3HT:PCPDTBT:PCBM devices react positively to thermal annealing (increasing from 0.8% to 1.4%) while PCPDTBT:PCBM devices have varied reactions. Furthermore, the P3HT:PCPDTBT:PCBM devices have achieved efficiencies of 1.6% in AM 1.5 compared …

Improving The Efficiency Of Organic Solar Cells By Varying The Material Concentration In The Photoactive Layer, Kevin Anthony Latimer

Electrical & Computer Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Polymer-fullerene bulk heterojunction solar cells have been a rapidly improving technology over the past decade. To further improve the relatively low energy conversion efficiencies of these solar cells, several modifications need to be made to the overall device structure. Emerging technologies include cells that are fabricated with interfacial layers to facilitate charge transport, and tandem structures are being introduced to harness the absorption spectrum of polymers with varying bandgap energies.

When new structures are implemented, each layer of the cell must be optimized in order for the entire device to function efficiently. The most volatile layer of these devices is …

Correlations Of Capacitance-Voltage Hysteresis With Thin-Film Cdte Solar Cell Performance During Accelerated Lifetime Testing, David S. Albin, Joseph A. Del Cueto

Publications (E)

In this paper we present the correlation of CdTe solar cell performance with capacitance-voltage hysteresis, defined presently as the difference in capacitance measured at zero-volt bias when collecting such data with different pre-measurement bias conditions. These correlations were obtained on CdTe cells stressed under conditions of 1-sun illumination, open-circuit bias, and an acceleration temperature of approximately 100 ºC.

Use Of 2nd And 3rd Level Correlation Analysis For Studying Degradation In Polycrystalline Thin-Film Solar Cells, David S. Albin, Joseph A. Del Cueto, S. H. Demtsu, S. Bansal

Publications (E)

The correlation of stress-induced changes in the performance of laboratory-made CdTe solar cells with various 2^nd and 3^rd level metrics is discussed. The overall behavior of aggregated data showing how cell efficiency changes as a function of open-circuit voltage (V_oc), shortcircuit current density (J_sc), and fill factor (FF) is explained using a two-diode, PSpice model in which degradation is simulated by systematically changing model parameters. FF shows the highest correlation with performance during stress, and is subsequently shown to be most affected by shunt resistance, recombination and in some cases voltage-dependent collection. Large decreases …

Effect Of Hysteresis On Measurements Of Thin-Film Cell Performance, David S. Albin, Joseph A. Del Cueto

Publications (E)

Transient or hysteresis effects in polycrystalline thin film CdS/CdTe cells are a function of pre-measurement voltage bias and whether Cu is introduced as an intentional dopant during back contact fabrication. When Cu is added, the current-density (J) vs. voltage (V) measurements performed in a reverse-to-forward voltage direction will yield higher open-circuit voltage (V_oc), up to 10 mV, and smaller short-circuit current density (J_sc), by up to 2 mA/cm², relative to scanning voltage in a forward-to-reverse direction. The variation at the maximum power point, Pmax, is however small. The resulting variation in FF can be …

High Efficiency, Low Cost Solar Cells Manufactured Using ‘Silicon Ink’ On Thin Crystalline Silicon Wafers October 2009 - November 2010, Homer Antoniadis

Publications (E)

The objectives of Phase I (Feb – Oct 2009) include the development and demonstration of a 17% efficient 25mm x 25mm crystalline Silicon solar cell and a 16% efficient 125mm x 125mm crystalline Silicon solar cell, both produced by Ink-jet printing Silicon Ink on a thin crystalline Sil-icon wafer. To achieve these objectives, processing approaches were developed to print the Silicon Ink in a predetermined pattern to form a high efficiency selective emitter, remove the solvents in the Silicon Ink and fuse the deposited particle Silicon films. Additionally, standard solar cell manufacturing equipment with slightly modified processes were used to …

Hybrid Cooling Systems For Low-Temperature Geothermal Power Production, Andrea Ashwood, Desikan Bharathan

Publications (E)

The overall objective of this investigation is to identify and evaluate methods by which the net power output of an air-cooled geothermal power plant can be enhanced during hot ambient conditions using minimal amounts of water.

Geothermal power plants that use air-cooled heat rejection systems experience a decrease in power production during hot periods of the day. This decrease in power output typically coincides with the time when utilities need power to address high air conditioning loads. Hybrid cooling options, which use both air and water, have been studied for this report to assess how they might mitigate the net …

"Buried-Anode" Technology Leads To Advanced Lithium Batteries, National Renewable Energy Laboratory

Publications (E)

A technology developed at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory has sparked a start-up company that has attracted funding from the Advanced Projects Research Agency-Energy (ARPA-E). Planar Energy, Inc. has licensed NREL's "buried-anode" technology and put it to work in solid-state lithium batteries. The company claims its large-format batteries can achieve triple the performance of today's lithium-ion batteries at half the cost, and if so, they could provide a significant boost to the emerging market for electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles.

Commercial Program Development For A Ground Loop Geothermal System: Energy Loads, Gui, Turbulent Flow, Heat Pump Model And Grid Study, Paul A. Gross Ii

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

The use of the earth's thermal energy to heat and cool building space is nothing new; however, the heat transfer approximations used in modeling geothermal systems, leave uncertainty and lead to over sizing. The present work is part of a Wright State effort to improve the computer modeling tools used to simulate ground loop geothermal heating and cooling systems. The modern computer processor has equipped us with the computation speed to use a finite volume technique to solve the unsteady heat equation with hourly time steps for multi-year analyses in multiple spatial dimensions. Thus we feel there is more need …

Commercial Program Development For A Ground Loop Geothermal System: G-Functions, Commercial Codes And 3d Grid, Boundary And Property Extension, Kyle L. Hughes

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

The rise in fossil fuel consumption and green house gas emissions has driven the need for alternative energy and energy efficiency. At the same time, ground loop heat exchangers (GLHE) have proven capable of producing large reductions in energy use while meeting peak demands. However, the initial cost of GLHEs sometimes makes this alternative energy source unattractive to the costumer. GLHE installers use commercial programs to determine the length of pipe needed for the system, which is a large fraction of the initial cost. These commercial programs use approximate methods to determine the length of pipe mainly due to their …

Ab Initio Simulations Of Graphene-Based Nanosensor For Detecting No2 And Li, Ahmed Jama Hassan

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Nanosensors, i.e., sensors based on nanomaterials, have the potential of superior performance owing to their size effect, and can have significant effects on detection of pollutants in the environment. Various nanowires have been used in this context. Here we investigate the possibility of NO2 and Li detection using the quantum conductance change in graphene nanoribbon. Quantum conductance modification in graphene nanoribbon upon NO2/Li adsorption was calculated using ab initio methods. The optimized structures of the adsorbed NO2 indicated two different geometries where either nitrogen or oxygen was closer to the graphene lattice. The former resulted in charge transfer from NO2 …

Model-Based Analysis Of Electric Drive Options For Medium-Duty Parcel Delivery Vehicles, Robb A. Barnitt, Aaron D. Brooker, Laurie Ramroth

Publications (T)

Medium-duty vehicles are used in a broad array of fleet applications, including parcel delivery. These vehicles are excellent candidates for electric drive applications due to their transient-intensive duty cycles, operation in densely populated areas, and relatively high fuel consumption and emissions. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) conducted a robust assessment of parcel delivery routes and completed a model-based techno-economic analysis of hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) configurations. First, NREL characterized parcel delivery vehicle usage patterns, most notably daily distance driven and drive-cycle intensity. Second, drive-cycle analysis results framed the selection of drive cycles used …

Economic Analysis Of A Brackish Water Photovoltaic-Operated (Bwro-Pv) Desalination System, Ali Al-Karaghouli, Lawrence L. Kazmerski

Publications (E)

The photovoltaic (PV)-powered reverse-osmosis (RO) desalination system is considered one of the most promising technologies in producing fresh water from both brackish and sea water, especially for small systems located in remote areas. We analyze the economic viability of a small PV-operated RO system with a capacity of 5 m³/day used to desalinate brackish water of 4000 ppm total dissolve solids, which is proposed to be installed in a remote area of the Babylon governorate in the middle of Iraq; this area possesses excellent insolation throughout the year. Our analysis predicts very good economic and environmental benefits of …

User's Guide To Mbc3: Multi-Blade Coordinate Transformation Code For 3-Bladed Wind Turbine, G. S. Bir

Publications (E)

The dynamics of wind turbine rotor blades are conventionally expressed in rotating frames attached to the individual blades. The tower-nacelle subsystem though, sees the combined effect of all rotor blades, not the individual blades. Also, the rotor responds as a whole to excitations such as aerodynamic gusts, control inputs, and tower-nacelle motion—all of which occur in a nonrotating frame. Multi-blade coordinate transformation (MBC) helps integrate the dynamics of individual blades and express them in a fixed (nonrotating) frame. MBC involves two steps: transforming the rotating degrees of freedom and transforming the equations of motion. Reference 1 details the MBC operation. …

Green Power Marketing In The United States: A Status Report (2009 Data), Lori Bird, Jenny Sumner

Publications (E)

This report documents green power marketing activities and trends in the United States. Aggregate green power sales data for all voluntary purchase markets across the United States are presented for 2009. The data presented in this report are based primarily on figures provided to NREL by utilities and independent renewable energy marketers. Because data cannot be obtained from all market participants, the estimates presented here likely represent an underestimate of the market size. Key trends identified in this year’s report include:
• In 2009, total retail sales of renewable energy in voluntary markets exceeded 30 million MWh, an increase of …

Further Developments On The Geothermal System Scoping Model, Mark Antkowiak, Rosemary Sargent, Jesse W. Geiger

Publications (E)

The fields of well construction and engineering, power plant construction and engineering, and reservoir engineering often proceed independently of one another. Yet the subsystems of a geothermal plant with which each of these fields is concerned need to be integrated in order to create a viable geothermal power system and make enhanced (or engineered) geothermal systems (EGS) a technical and an economic reality. Furthermore, each of these subsystems need to be examined in the context of the overall power system to aid with plant construction, and–more salient to the U.S. Department of Energy–to help determine best investment of research dollars. …

The Applications And Limitations Of Printable Batteries, Matthew Delmanowski

Graphic Communication

This study focuses on the potential applications for printed batteries and how they could affect the printing industry. It also analyzes the main problems associated with manufacturing this technology and what needs to be done to overcome these issues. To find the answers to these questions, two methods of research were used. The first was through the elite and specialized interviewing of Dr. Scott Williams of Rochester Institute of Technology and Professor Nancy Cullins from Cal Poly. The second form of research was a common, yet useful, method called secondary research. This entailed looking at recent written research papers about …

2010 Spring Engr333 Project Final Report, Eric Ledy, Rachel Jelgerhuis, Jasper Gondhi, Michael Gondhi, Steve Brink, John Mantel, Kyle Harvey, Jim Vanleeuwen, Jacob Speelman, Mitch Brummel, Tyler Van Dongen, Nathan Van Heukelum, Lynette Hromada, Jen Meneely, Matthew Brouwer, Marc Eberlein, Steve Demaagd, Tim Opperwall, Andrew Dejong, Joel Love, Alex Boelkins, Amanda Hollinger, Betsy Huyser, Jason Dornbos, Jason Handlogten, Justin Karsten, Matt Milan

ENGR 333

Calvin is developing plans for a new data center to provide business continuity and quick recovery in the event of a disaster. The new data center will not replace the existing data center; rather, it will provide redundancy for the operations of the campus. Because of the energy demands of data centers, there is a worldwide push for energy efficiency. So-called “green data centers” provide the same functionality as a normal data center with reduced energy usage and reduced energy costs. Calvin, like most organizations, must weigh the long-term economic benefits of energy efficiency projects against higher initial cost. The …

2010 Spring Engr333 Poster 1, Eric Ledy, Rachel Jelgerhuis, Jasper Gondhi, Michael Gondhi, Steve Brink, John Mantel, Kyle Harvey, Jim Venleeuwen, Jacob Speelman, Mitch Brummel, Tyler Van Dongen, Nathan Van Heukelum, Lynette Hromada, Jen Meneely, Matthew Brouwer, Marc Eberlein, Steve Demaagd, Tim Opperwall, Andrew Dejong, Joel Love, Alex Boelkins, Amanda Hollinger, Betsy Huyser, Jason Dornbos, Jason Handlogten, Justin Karsten, Matt Milan

ENGR 333

Calvin is developing plans for a new data center to provide business continuity and quick recovery in the event of a disaster. The new data center will not replace the existing data center; rather, it will provide redundancy for the operations of the campus. This new data center will be placed in the Spoelhof Complex. Because of the energy demands of data centers, there is a worldwide push for energy efficiency. So-called “green data centers” provide the same functionality as a normal data center with reduced energy usage and reduced energy costs. Calvin, like most organizations, must weigh the long-term …

2010 Spring Engr333 Poster 2, Eric Ledy, Rachel Jelgerhuis, Jasper Gondhi, Michael Gondhi, Steve Brink, John Mantel, Kyle Harvey, Jim Vanleeuwen, Jacob Speelman, Mitch Brummel, Tyler Van Dongen, Nathan Van Heukelum, Lynette Hromada, Jen Meneely, Matthew Brouwer, Marc Eberlein, Steve Demaagd, Tim Opperwall, Andrew Dejong, Joel Love, Alex Boelkins, Amanda Hollinger, Betsy Huyser, Jason Dornbos, Jason Handlogten, Justin Karsten, Matt Milan

ENGR 333

The new redundant data center requires that Network Operations Center personnel are able to monitor certain conditions within the data center for the safety of the server equipment. Server equipment will fail if it gets too hot or if the surrounding environment becomes too humid, therefore the baseline instrumentation design must monitor both temperature and humidity in the data center. The system must also be capable of remotely alerting NOC personnel when there is a problem.

2010 Spring Engr333 Project Seminar Presentation, Eric Ledy, Rachel Jelgerhuis, Jasper Gondhi, Michael Gondhi, Steve Brink, John Mantel, Kyle Harvey, Jim Vanleeuwen, Jacob Speelman, Mitch Brummel, Tyler Van Dongen, Nathan Van Heukelum, Lynette Hromada, Jen Meneely, Matthew Brouwer, Marc Eberlein, Steve Demaagd, Tim Opperwall, Andrew Dejong, Joel Love, Alex Boelkins, Amanda Hollinger, Betsy Huyser, Jason Dornbos, Jason Handlogten, Justin Karsten, Matt Milan

ENGR 333

File for student presentation, given by students in the Spring 2010 class of ENGR333.

Input-Output Analysis Of Irish Construction Sector Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Adolf Acquaye, Aidan Duffy

Articles

Ireland is committed to limiting its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to 113% of 1990 levels over the period 2008-12 and to 84% of 2005 levels by 2020 under the Kyoto Agreement and the EU’s ’20 20’ by 2020 respectively. National policies have targeted many industry sectors but have failed to directly tackle GHG emissions associated with construction activity. This paper estimates energy and GHG emissions intensities of the Irish construction sector and subsectors and estimates its contribution to Irish national emissions. This information is used to identify and assess the impacts of policy measures which would result in a reduction …

Dc/Dc Converter For A Small Scale Wind Hydrogen System, Joel M. Jacobs

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

An electronic converter is designed for an isolated renewable energy system. In this system, energy produced by a small wind turbine is used to extract hydrogen from water. Unique aspects of this application that affect the performance of the converter will be defined. Design considerations of the individual components will be discussed. Calculations on performance and validation of those calculations are also presented. Lastly, an economic analysis of the produced hydrogen will be performed.

Barrier Coatings For Thin Film Solar Cells: Final Subcontract Report, L. C. Olsen

Publications (E)

This program has involved investigations of the stability of CdTe and copper-indium-gallium-diselenide (CIGS) solar cells under damp heat conditions and effects of barrier coatings. CdTe and CIGS cells were subjected to environmental conditions characterized by 60ºC and 90% relative humidity (60/90), and to some extent 85ºC and 85 % relative humidity (85/85). Barrier coating technology developed at PNNL for OLEDs was used to investigate approaches to encapsulation of the two types of thin film solar cells. Moisture barriers consisting of multi-layer coatings involving alternating layers of polymer and aluminum oxide were deposited directly onto the front surface of CIGS cells …

Solar Power And The Electric Grid, Energy Analysis, Nrel Energy Analysis

Publications (E)

In today’s electricity generation system, different resources make different contributions to the electricity grid. This fact sheet illustrates the roles of distributed and centralized renewable energy technologies, particularly solar power, and how they will contribute to the future electricity system. The advantages of a diversified mix of power generation systems are highlighted.