Power and Energy Commons^™

Practical Analysis Of Key Electrical Interfaces For Wave Energy Converter Arrays, Fergus Sharkey, Michael Conlon, Kevin Gaughan

Conference papers

The authors have previously outlined a proposed path for the development of electrical networks for deepwater wave farms. This path broadly followed that of offshore wind farms as the least cost solution. The main differences between wind farm and wave farm electrical networks were identified as the method of installation and maintenance and the components at the WEC interface with the electrical network. Components such as dynamic cables, submarine connectors, submarine switchgear all form part of these interfaces. This paper examines the key electrical interfaces for WEC arrays such as the dynamic cable to WEC interface, dynamic cable to static …

Design And Test Of A Linear Switched Reluctance Generator For Use In Wave-Energy Applications, Garret Brady, Cathal O'Loughlin, John Massey, David Griffiths, Carlos Villegas

Conference Papers

This paper describes the design of a double-sided linear switched reluctance generator for use in wave energy applications, and the build and test of a working bench-scale prototype. Beginning with a standard shape, the development of the design, from concept to detail, is presented. Numerical simulation results – magnetic, mechanical and electrical – inform the detailed design. Construction of the generator and test rig is described. Experimental results give good agreement with simulation predictions.

Analysis Of Compensation Techniques Applied To The Control Of Converter Connected Synchronous Wind Turbines And Dfig’S During Grid Disturbances., Joseph Kearney, Michael Conlon, Eugene Coyle

Conference papers

This paper investigates control schemes to improve the performance of converter connected synchronous generators and DFIG’s to grid voltage unbalance and grid faults. Both the synchronous generator with a full converter and a DFIG are modelled in Matlab/Simulink. The control schemes of both turbines are modified to improve their performance during grid disturbances including grid voltage unbalance and single-phase faults. These disturbances are introduced into the models at specific times to analyse the performance of the wind generation systems. The performances of both systems to the grid disturbances are compared and the results are analysed.

An Energy Survey Of The Church Lane Building At Dit, Joseph Teehan

Other resources

Within the European Union, the collective governments have introduced broad energy policies in order to increase energy efficiency and improve energy performance in new and existing buildings, within each member state. The following dissertation considers energy and how energy is used within the context of global and local consumption in an extensive literature review. Where does the future lie for Ireland and its energy sources? Policies, standards and regulations associated with energy efficiency and the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) are defined and briefly explained. The status of how well the response from the commercial building market to Building …

Monitoring And Regression Based Modelling Of End Winding Vibration In Large Synchronous Generators., David Shally

Masters

This research project was set up to monitor, on an ongoing basis, the condition of the end windings and their support structures of a 288 MVA 2-pole synchronous generator with a known end winding vibration problem Excessive vibration at the end windings was caused by the natural frequencies of individual end bars (local) and of the entire end winding structure (global) being at or close to the magnetic forcing frequency of 100 Hz. Resonant vibration such as this has been a cause of major failures in machines of the same type in the past, resulting in significant down time ranging …

Integration Of Upqc For Power Quality Improvement In Distributed Generation Network – A Review, Shafiuzzaman Khan Khadem, Malabika Basu, Michael Conlon

Conference Papers

In this paper a technical review of the integration of a Unified Power Quality Conditioner (UPQC) in a distributed generation network is presented. Although the primary task of UPQC is to minimize grid voltage and load current disturbances along with reactive and harmonic power compensation, additional functionalities such as compensation of voltage interruption and active power transfer to the load and grid have also been identified. Connection methodologies with their advantages and disadvantages are also described. Recent improvements in capacity expansion techniques and future trends for the application of UPQC in distributed modes are also identified.

Analysis Of Converter Connected Synchronous Wind Turbines To Grid Disturbances., Joseph Kearney, Michael Conlon, Eugene Coyle

Conference papers

This paper investigates the performance of synchronous generators to grid voltage unbalance and grid faults. A Model of a synchronous generator with a full converter is implemented in the SimPowerSystems toolbox in Matlab/Simulink. Methods to modify the converter control schemes to improve the synchronous generator systems response to grid voltage unbalance and grid faults are investigated. Grid faults including grid voltage unbalance, and line-to-ground faults are introduced into the model at specific times to analyse the performance of the wind generation system. Improvements in the performance of the synchronous generator WECS to the grid disturbances are illustrated.

A Review Of Parallel Operation Of Active Power Filters In The Distributed Generation System, Shafiuzzaman Khan Khadem, Malabika Basu, Michael Conlon

Conference papers

In this paper a technical review of parallel operation of Active Power Filter (APF) for harmonic power compensation in distributed generation (DG) network has been presented. Controlling methods and connection topologies with their pros and cons are described. Recent improvements in controlling and future trends for the application of APFs in distributed mode are also identified.

Enhancing The Performance Of Building Integrated Photovoltaics, Brian Norton, Philip C. Eames, Tapas K. Mallick, Ming Jun Huang, Sarah J. Mccormack, Jayanta D. Mondol, Yigzaw G. Yohanis

Articles

Recent research in Building Integrated Photovoltaics (BIPV) is reviewed with the emphases on a range of key systems whose improvement would be likely to lead to improved solar energy conversion efficiency and/or economic viability. These include invertors, concentrators and thermal management systems. Advances in techniques for specific aspects of systems design, installation and operation are also discussed.

Investigation Of Wave Farm Electrical Network Configurations, Fergus Sharkey, Michael Conlon, Kevin Gaughan

Conference papers

Wave Energy Converters (WECs) have been in development for a number of decades and some devices are now close to becoming a commercial reality. As such, pilot projects are being developed, particularly in the UK and Ireland, to deploy WECs on a pre-commercial array scale. There is little experience in the wave energy or utility industry of designing and installing electrical networks for WEC arrays with the closest comparison being offshore wind farms. There are some key features of WECs which will ultimately dictate thatthe electrical configuration differs from that of offshore wind farms.

This paper investigates the potential representative …

A Discussion Of Anti-Islanding Protection Schemes Incorporated In A Inverter Based Dg, Mohamed Moin Hanif, Malabika Basu, Kevin Gaughan

Conference papers

The discussion in this paper is about the local anti-islanding protection techniques that are incorporated in a inverter based DG. The most widely used passive and active techniques along with their suitability to reduce the Non-detection zone (NDZ) are explained here. The most recent work using wavelet transform which actually reduces the NDZ to zero is also introduced in the last section of the paper.

Measured Performance Of A 1.72 Kw Rooftop Grid Connected Photovoltaic System In Ireland, Lacour Ayompe, Aidan Duffy, Sarah Mccormack, Michael Conlon

Articles

This paper presents results obtained from monitoring a 1.72 kWp photovoltaic system installed on a flat roof of a 12 m high building in Dublin, Ireland (latitude 53.4 N and longitude 6.3 E). The system was monitored between November 2008 and October 2009 and all the electricity generated was fed into the low voltage supply to the building. Monthly average daily and annual performance parameters of the PV system evaluated include: final yield, reference yield, array yield, system losses, array capture losses, cell temperature losses, PV module efficiency, system efficiency, inverter efficiency, performance ratio and capacity factor. The maximum solar …

Transparent Patch Antenna On A-Si Thin Film Glass Solar Module, Maria Roo Ons, S. Shynu, Max Ammann, Sarah Mccormack, Brian Norton

Articles

An optically transparent microstrip patch mounted on the surface of a commercially available solar module is proposed. The patch comprises a thin sheet of clear polyester with a conductive coating. The amorphous silicon solar cells in the module are used as both photovoltaic generator and antenna ground plane. The proposed structure provides a peak gain of 3.96 dBi in the 3.4-3.8 GHz range without significantly compromising the light transmission in the module. A comparison between copper and transparent conductors is made in terms of antenna and solar performance. The proposed technique is considerably simpler that previous integration approaches.

Dynamic Electrical Ratings And The Economics Of Capacity Factor For Wave Energy Converter Arrays, Fergus Sharkey, Elva Bannon, Michael Conlon, Kevin Gaughan

Conference papers

Wave Energy Converters (WECs) have been in development for several decades with some devices now coming close to commercial realities. As such, pilot projects are being developed, particularly in the UK and Ireland, to deploy WECs on a pre-commercial array scale. The ultimate ambition is to have multiple WECs installed in a ‘wave farm’ in a similar fashion to offshore wind farms. For large scale wind farms the inter-array and export electrical systems can represent more than 20% of the project’s capital expenditure. Submarine power cables account for a large proportion of this cost. The same is expected to hold …

Parallel Operation Of Inverters And Active Power Filters In Distributed Generation System: A Review, Shafiuzzaman Khan Khadem, Malabika Basu, Michael Conlon

Articles

In this paper a technical review of parallel operation of power electronics inverters for load sharing conditions in distributed generation (DG) network is presented. Emphasis is given to parallel operation of Active Power Filters (APFs) as they are widely used to mitigate load current disturbances into DG networks. Discussions on recent advances in control strategies as applied to APFs are presented.

The Generation Of Domestic Electricity Load Profiles Through Markov Chain Modelling, Fintan Mcloughlin, Aidan Duffy, Michael Conlon

Articles

Micro-generation technologies such as photovoltaics and micro-wind power are becoming increasing popular among homeowners, mainly a result of policy support mechanisms helping to improve cost competiveness as compared to traditional fossil fuel generation. National government strategies to reduce electricity demand generated from fossil fuels and to meet European Union 20/20/20 targets is driving this change. However, the real performance of these technologies in a domestic setting is not often known as high time resolution models for domestic electricity load profiles are not readily available. As a result, projections in terms of reducing electricity demand and financial paybacks for these micro-generation …

The Application Of Multi Frequency Resonant Controllers In In A Dfig To Improve Performance By Reducing Unwanted Power And Torque Pulsations And Reducing Current Harmonics., Joseph Kearney, Michael Conlon, Eugene Coyle

Conference papers

The paper describes a method to control the rotor-side and grid side converters in a DFIG when subjected to the effects of network voltage unbalance conditions. Multi Frequency Resonant Controllers are incorporated into the grid side and rotor side converters to assist in the control functions. The Resonant Controllers are tuned to twice the network frequency to assist in the control of power and torque pulsations and to three times the network frequency to assist in the control of the generated third harmonic currents. A DFIG model is implemented in Matlab/Simulink and simulations show the reduction in power and torque …

The Application Of Multi Frequency Resonant Controllers In In A Dfig To Improve Performance By Reducing Unwanted Power And Torque Pulsations And Reducing Current Harmonics., Joseph Kearney, Michael Conlon, Eugene Coyle

Conference papers

The paper describes a method to control the rotor-side and grid side converters in a DFIG when subjected to the effects of network voltage unbalance conditions. Multi Frequency Resonant Controllers are incorporated into the grid side and rotor side converters to assist in the control functions. The Resonant Controllers are tuned to twice the network frequency to assist in the control of power and torque pulsations and to three times the network frequency to assist in the control of the generated third harmonic currents. A DFIG model is implemented in Matlab/Simulink and simulations show the reduction in power and torque …

Wavelet Based Islanding Detection Of Dc-Ac Inverter Interfaced Dg Systems, Mohamed Moin Hanif, Malabika Basu, Kevin Gaughan

Conference papers

The increased penetration of distributed generation (DG) often connected to grid through dc-ac interface has made islanding detection an important and challenging issue to power engineers. Several methods based on passive and active detection scheme have been proposed in the literature. While passive schemes have a large non detection zone (NDZ), concern has been raised on active method due to its degrading power quality effect. This paper proposes a wavelet based passive islanding detection scheme with almost zero NDZ for dc-ac inverter interfaced grid connected DGs. The key idea is to utilize the spectral changes in the higher frequency components …

The Generation Of Domestic Electricity Load Profiles Through Markov Chain Modelling, Aidan Duffy, Fintan Mcloughlin, Michael Conlon

Conference Papers

Micro-generation technologies such as photovoltaics and micro-wind power are becoming increasing popular among homeowners, mainly a result of policy support mechanisms helping to improve cost competiveness as compared to traditional fossil fuel generation. National government strategies to reduce electricity demand generated from fossil fuels and to meet European Union 20/20 targets is driving this change. However, the real performance of these technologies in a domestic setting is not often known as high time resolution models for domestic electricity load profiles are not readily available. As a result, projections in terms of reducing electricity demand and financial paybacks for these micro-generation …

Validated Real-Time Energy Models For Small-Scale Grid-Connected Pv-Systems, Lacour Ayompe, Aidan Duffy, Sarah Mccormack, Michael Conlon

Articles

This paper presents validated real-time energy models for small-scale grid-connected PV-systems suitable for domestic application. The models were used to predict real-time AC power output from a PV system in Dublin, Ireland using 30-min intervals of measured performance data between April 2009 and March 2010. Statistical analysis of the predicted results and measured data highlight possible sources of errors and the limitations and/or adequacy of existing models, to describe the temperature and efficiency of PV-cells and consequently, the accuracy of power prediction models. PV-system AC output power predictions using empirical models for PV-cell temperature and efficiency prediction showed lower percentage …

Development Of A 12 Kva Dsp-Controlled Laboratory Prototype Upqc, Iurie Axente, Jayanti Navilgone Ganesh, Malabika Basu, Michael Conlon, Kevin Gaughan

Articles

This paper reports the development of a laboratory prototype of a fully digital DSP-controlled 12-kVA unified power quality conditioner (UPQC), capable of compensating for both the supply voltage and the load current imperfections. A fully digital controller based on the TMS320F2812 DSP platform is implemented for the reference generation as well as control purposes. The delay problem in the digital controller is overcome by application of a fast DSP, a compact control technique and proper flow of control steps in the DSP software. A phase-locked loopless software grid synchronization method has been implemented for the effective operation of the UPQC …

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 …

Projected Costs Of A Grid-Connected Domestic Pv System Under Different Scenarios In Ireland, Using Measured Data From A Trial Installation, Lacour Ayompe, Aidan Duffy, Sarah Mccormack, Michael Conlon

Articles

This paper presents results of a study of projected costs for a grid-connected PV system for domestic application in Ireland. The study is based on results from a 1.72kWpPV system installed on a flat rooftop in Dublin, Ireland. During its first year of operation a total of 885.1kWh/kWp of electricity was generated with a performance ratio of 81.5%. The scenarios employed in this study consider: a range of capital costs; cost dynamics based on a PV module learning rate of 2+/-75%; projections for global annual installed PV capacity under an advanced and moderate market growth conditions; domestic electricity cost growth …

Power Quality In Grid Connected Renewable Energy Systems: Role Of Custom Power Devices, Shafiuzzaman Khan Khadem, Malabika Basu, Michael Conlon

Conference papers

This paper deals with the technical review of power quality problems associated with the renewable based distributed generation systems and how the custom power devices like STATCOM, DVR and UPQC play important role in power quality improvement. IEEE and IEC standard for the grid connected renewable energy systems are one of the critical point of interest for the selection of custom power devices. Special attention has been given on the compensation of reactive power, harmonic current and voltage fluctuation during the interconnected as well as islanding mode of operation. As the solar and wind are the most abundant resources therefore …

The Control Of Rotor Side And Grid Side Converters In A Dfig During Network Voltage Unbalance Conditions Using Resonant Current Controllers., Joseph Kearney, Michael Conlon, Eugene Coyle

Conference papers

This paper implements control techniques to enable improved operation of DFIG’s when subjected to the effects of network voltage unbalance conditions. The control scheme involves the integration of a resonant regulator into the PI controllers of both the rotor side and grid side converters in a DFIG. The resonant controller is tuned to twice the network frequency (2ω_e) and designed to mitigate against the oscillations in a DFIG due to network voltage unbalance conditions. The grid side converter controller also incorporates a second resonant controller tuned to three times the grid frequency (3ω_e) to alleviate the …

Novel Ac Side P&O Maximum Power Transfer Control For Grid Connected Photovoltaic Systems, Mohamed Moin Hanif, Malabika Basu, Kevin Gaughan

Conference papers

Grid connected Photovoltaic inverters can convert PV energy into electricity with very high efficiencies. Power from the PV panels fluctuates depending on various weather conditions. PV inverters usually include a maximum power point tracker (MPPT) to track this varying power, in order to transfer all the available power to the grid efficiently. Control of power transferred to the grid along with the MPPT plays a crucial role in determining the efficiency of a PV system. This paper discusses about the basic power transfer theory between sources (PV and Grid) and focuses on the need of a DC-DC boost circuit, along …

Estimating The Yield Of Micro Wind Turbines In An Urban Environment: A Methodology, Keith Sunderland, Michael Conlon

Conference papers

Micro wind turbines currently have the majority share of micro (electricity) generation installations in Ireland. These technologies are being installed predominantly in rural environments, and current applications to the Distribution Services Operator (DSO) for connection of all types of micro generator stand at less than 500. Poor market dissemination of information and research findings compounded with poor options for spill payment - as well as onerous planning restrictions do not –it appears - create a platform conducive to encouraging development in this market.

This paper outlines the complexities associated with evaluating the wind resource within an urban environment and investigates …

Simulation Procedure For The Co-Optimization Of Photovoltaic Water Pumping Systems., Brian Norton

Articles

Abstract: Photovoltaic (PV)-powered centrifugal water pumping systems have been modelled based on field experience and analysis of long-term measured performance of several installed PV-powered water pumping systems. This paper presents detailed modelling of a PV array, an inverter, a three-phase induction motor, a centrifugal pump, a well, a storage tank, an overflow controller, and an integrated reverse osmosis desalination unit. The component models were validated using both laboratory measurements and long-term monitored data. All system components have been modelled separately, and the system was modelled in TRNSYS. The models are capable of simulating grid-connected, diesel-powered, and PV-powered water pumping systems, …

The Integrated Control Of The Rotor Side And Grid Side Converters In A Dfig To Reduce Both Power And Torque Pulsations During Network Voltage Unbalance Conditions., Joseph Kearney, Michael Conlon, Eugene Coyle

Conference papers

No abstract provided.