Power and Energy Commons^™

Synthesis And Application Of Redox-Active Covalent Organic Frameworks In Rechargeable Batteries, Mohammad K. Shehab

Theses and Dissertations

Synthesis and Application of Redox-Active Covalent Organic Frameworks in Rechargeable Batteries

Mohammad K. Shehab

Department of Chemistry, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia 23284, United States

Abstract

In recent years, lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) have been considered the dominant energy storage devices for portable electronics and electric vehicles due to their high energy density, low self-discharge rate, and long cycle life. In LIBs, the traditional positive electrodes employed are mainly derived from metal-containing inorganic compounds composed of cobalt, iron, nickel, or manganese (LiCoO₂, LiMn₂O₄, and LiFePO₄) coupled with graphite as the negative electrode. Despite …

An Economic Evaluation Of Binary Cycle Geothermal Electricity Production, Crissie D. Fitzgerald

Theses and Dissertations

The U.S. is heavily dependent on fossil fuels to produce electricity. Geothermal energy, the heat in the earth's crust, can provide an alternative source of energy for electricity production as well as reduce fossil fuel consumption. The economic analysis presented in this study focuses on binary cycle geothermal electricity production. Variables such as well flow rate, geothermal gradient and electricity prices were varied to study their influence on the economic payback period for binary cycle geothermal electricity production. Payback periods represent the amount of time (in years) necessary to recover initial costs of plant construction.

A Life Cycle Assessment And Economic Analysis Of Wind Turbines Using Monte Carlo Simulation, Edward J. Liberman

Theses and Dissertations

The United States depends heavily on nonrenewable fossil fuels to generate electricity. Using renewable energy sources, such as wind, could reduce air emissions and fossil fuel dependency. Previous studies have examined the life cycle costs and environmental impacts of using wind to generate electricity, but results have varied due to inconsistent modeling assumptions. This research uses Monte Carlo simulation to conduct an economic payback analysis and life cycle assessment of 11 modern, utility-scale wind turbines. Hourly meteorological data was used to evaluate 239 U.S. locations. For each location, the wind turbine with the shortest median payback period was assumed to …