Power and Energy Commons^™

Sustainabake, Kevin Kunta Swanson Ii

Electrical Engineering

This senior project outlines the development of an oven that utilizes renewable energy to operate safely and effectively. It aims to test building an oven using mostly basic hardware students acquired during their time at Cal Poly and provide a starting point for those interested in creating a solar-powered oven. As our society continues to innovate and increasingly relies on electricity, it is important to place more emphasis on how we can make our lives sustainable to take care of our environment without introducing excessive pollutants. Food preparation is a daily activity that typically involves significant energy consumption, making this …

Analysis Of Policies And Incentives For The Successful Implementation Of Hydrogen-Fueled Medium-Duty And Heavy-Duty Vehicles In Humboldt County, California, Alka Verma

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

The 21st century has seen a significant rise in global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, with the transportation sector contributing 23% of these emissions. Medium-duty and heavy-duty vehicles (MD/HD) are particularly impactful, accounting for over a quarter of transport-related emissions. In Humboldt County, California, transportation represents 53% of total emissions, with MD/HD vehicles being a major contributor. As light-duty vehicles shift to zero-emission alternatives, the MD/HD sector faces unique challenges. Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles offer a promising solution, providing longer range, higher energy density, and quicker refueling compared to battery electric vehicles (BEVs). These features make hydrogen an attractive option for …

Generative Ai And Llm Applications In Renewable Energy And Smart Grids: A Systematic Review For The Sustainable Energy Transition, Umit Cali, Ugur Halden, Merlinda Andoni, Ferhat Ozgur Catak, Si Chen, Benoit Couraud, Emre Kantar, Samuel Knapper, Ibrahim Kucukdemiral, Huseyin Kusetogullari, Murat Kuzlu, Yashar Mousavi, Sonam Norbu, Taha Selim Ustun, David Flynn

Engineering Technology Faculty Publications

The global energy transition toward decarbonization and digitalization requires advanced methods to manage decentralized, data-intensive cyber-physical energy systems. This systematic review analyzes 106 research studies on Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) and Large Language Models (LLMs) in renewable energy and smart grids, organized into seven application clusters covering forecasting, system design, operation, reliability, data and cybersecurity, and energy markets. The review situates these applications within a Cyber-Physical-Social Systems (CPSS) framework. Results show that GANs dominate current applications (47.2%), followed by LLMs (10.4%) and VAEs (9.4%), with growing adoption of diffusion and score-based models (7.5% each). Selected studies report improved probabilistic forecasting …

A Solar Pv System For Industrial Application- A Case Study Of A Cement Industry In Tanzania, Santos Kihwele

Tanzania Journal of Engineering and Technology (TJET)

This study presents an implementation of the largest behind-the-meter solar photovoltaic (PV) system for a cement industry in Tanzania. The project aims to supply energy for the industry’s own use, without any energy injection into the utility grid, for the purposes of cutting energy-related expenditure and reducing reliance on the utility grid. The project also aims to contribute to the efforts towards the application of renewable and alternative energy sources as a means to reducing carbon footprints, towards achieving the net-zero CO₂ emission goal. A comprehensive site assessment was conducted, analyzing factors such as location, land availability, climate data, …

Incremental Quantities Based Permissive Overreaching Transfer Trip Scheme For Protecting Inverter-Based Renewable Resources, Osama Zangoti

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The power generation landscape evolves, with the increase of inverter-based resources (IBRs) such as solar photovoltaics and wind turbines, providing sustainable and clean energy sources. The shift towards IBRs mitigates climate change, creating considerable challenges to traditional power system protection due to their low fault current. Conventional protection schemes are designed around the internal dynamic of synchronous generators where they can supply an elevated fault current. This thesis explores a protection scheme designed to enhance the security of IBRs. The incremental characteristics of voltage and current coupled with the Permissive Overreaching Transfer Trip scheme (POTT) provide a remarkable ability to …

2024 Marine Energy Collegiate Competition, Nora Riedinger, Miles Mikkelsen, Brendan Stratford, Derek Tom, Zach Kwast, Harmon Yanikian-Sutton, Kennedy Urcelay, Tori Thomas, Brady Caron

Mechanical Engineering

PolyWave Energy is the second team from California Polytechnic University at San Luis Obispo to compete in the Marine Energy Collegiate Competition. PolyWave Energy consists of Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, and Business Administration students who have worked together from September 2023 to May 2024 on designing, building, and testing a marine power device to serve a selected market.

In response to the escalating concerns surrounding carbon emissions, climate change, and the depletion of fossil fuels, California Polytechnic State University’s Polywave Energy team has developed a sustainable and reliable energy source for Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) charging. Through extensive research of …

Model-Based And Model-Free Control Approaches In Subgrids: A Conceptual Review Of Control Strategies In Microgrids, Omobolade H. Abioye

Theses and Dissertations

Increased reliance on the power grid and concerns over climate change issues have resulted in the rapid adoption of renewable energy technologies. Consequently, it is necessary to consider how renewable energy resources are combined and controlled. The microgrid serves as the control center for distributed energy resources. This thesis paper introduces the microgrid elements and framework, its control strategies highlighting frequency and voltage control, and the prospects of artificial intelligence for control, considering two significant approaches. Key components of sub grids like the energy management system (EMS) and energy storage systems (ESSs) are discussed, and lastly, the …

Comparative Analysis Of Ac Coupled And Dc Coupled Microgrids: Analyzing Electrical Performances And Economics, Sanjeev Kumar

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

This study compares the electrical performance and economics of DC-coupled and AC-coupled community microgrid configurations through simulation and financial modeling of the Redwood Coast Airport Microgrid (RCAM), which integrates 2.2 MW of solar PV and 2.2 MW of battery storage. Unified load flow, short circuit, transient stability (including load impact), and efficiency studies using ETAP & SAM software tools demonstrate that the DC-coupled configuration is preferred based on efficiency, while both configurations exhibit equivalent performance with respect to selected power quality metrics. The DC setup exhibits 11% higher overall efficiency than AC coupling in converting solar energy to grid exports. …

Modeling And Mitigating Power Grid Vulnerabilities: A Comprehensive Analysis Of Renewable Energy Integration, Cascading Failures, And Microgrid Resilience, Saikat Das

Theses and Dissertations

In modern power systems, rapid integration of renewable energy and the emergence of microgrid technology emphasize the necessity for a comprehensive understanding of vulnerabilities and robust defense mechanisms. The research begins with an exploration of power grid vulnerabilities to cascading failure amidst the increasing integration of renewable energy sources. A novel power balance technique is employed for cascading failure analysis and power grid vulnerability measurement. Simulation results indicate that the growing penetration of renewable energy has a proportionally higher impact on grid vulnerability to cascading failures. After a certain level of renewable energy penetration, some systems may deteriorate rapidly, necessitating …

Frequency Stability Constrained Grid Operation With High Penetration Of Renewables, Ningchao Gao

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Achieving carbon neutrality necessitates a significant integration of renewable energy into power systems. However, the swift implementation of fluctuating renewable energy (VRE) sources such as solar photovoltaics (PV) exacerbates real time power imbalances due to the randomness and uncertainty associated with VRE power generation. Further, the declining reliance on conventional synchronous generators (SGs) for system inertia presents considerable challenges in maintaining frequency stability, especially following disturbances.

Two possible solutions are proposed to address the first issue. Firstly, a speedy real time generation dispatch can be scheduled to allocate generation resources within short time intervals to effectively respond to changes in …

Consensus-Based Active And Reactive Power Control And Management Of Microgrids, Shruti Singh

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Microgrids incorporating distributed generation and renewable energy sources offer potential solutions to the energy crisis while modernizing traditional grids. Despite cost-effectiveness in some technologies, financial support remains crucial for expensive ones like PV, fuel cells, and storage technologies. Microgrids bring economic benefits, efficiency, reduced emissions, and improved power quality. Their success hinges on cost reductions in renewables, storage, reliability, and energy management systems, enabling operation both with and without the utility grid.

Economic Dispatch optimizes system costs, considering all constraints. Various methods tackle this problem, including quadratic convex functions, Lagrangian relaxation, and quadratic programming. For microgrids with distributed generators, seamless …

Power System Dynamic Control And Performance Improvement Based On Reinforcement Learning, Wei Gao

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation investigates the feasibility and effectiveness of using Reinforcement Learning (RL) techniques for power system dynamic control, particularly voltage and frequency control. The conventional control strategies used in power systems are complex and time-consuming due to the complicated high-order nonlinearities of the system. RL, which is a type of neural network-based technique, has shown promise in solving these complex problems by fitting any nonlinear system with the proper network structure.

The proposed RL algorithm, called Guided Surrogate Gradient-based Evolution Strategy (GSES) determines the weights of the policy (which generates the action for our control reference signal) without back-propagation process …

Evaluating The Impact Of Increased Cycling On Thermal Power Plants Due To Wind Energy Penetration In The Midwest: A Case Study, Joscelyne Larson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

One of the most significant shifts in the mix of U.S. electricity generation over the past few years has been the rapid expansion of renewable energy resources, especially solar and wind. However, fossil fuels are still necessary to fulfill the world’s energy requirements. Despite efforts to increase the use of renewable energy sources, these sources can be at times unreliable, causing countries around the world to continue to rely on base load units such as coal and natural gas. This decrease in fossil fuels and increase in renewable energy sources presents many complex issues in terms of power system planning, …

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.

The Development Of An Inexpensive Alternative To Industry Solar Simulators, Raines A. Vanhuss

OUR Journal: ODU Undergraduate Research Journal

Solar cells are a prominent renewable energy source used in the twenty-first century. In order for the technology to grow, research lab equipment is needed to measure and characterizes these cells. This report covers solar simulator devices and proposes an alternative design solution to lessen the cost of solar cell lab equipment. Common household light sources were tested by generating I-V characteristics using an amorphous silicon solar cell. The light bulb that generated the best I-V curve was selected and then tested for the optimal distance between the light source and the solar panel. The alternative solar simulator was then …

Real Work With Real Consequences: Enlisting Community Energy Engineering As An Approach To Envisioning Engineering In Context, Michelle E. Jordan, Steve Zuiker, Wendy Wakefield, Mia Delarosa

Journal of Pre-College Engineering Education Research (J-PEER)

This study describes an illustrative case study from a year-round program that positions middle and high school youth to explore the social value of energy systems in their homes, schools, and neighborhoods. Designed to center existing youth assets, interests and values, Community Energy Engineering (CEE) frames engineering as a tool that students can enlist in order to understand and interrogate their local socio-energy system while also acting to transform it. CEE partners with Title 1 schools in Latino/a neighborhoods in the U.S. southwest. CEE situates youth community-based solar energy innovation projects as consequential, evolving in and with historically contingent engineering …

Distributed Control, Optimization, And State Estimation For Renewable Power System, Qiao Li

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The traditional power systems are usually centralized systems, in which the control, operation and monitoring are performed by the centralized control center, e.g., SCADA. However, with the development of renewable energy, power systems are getting more and more distributed. So, it becomes necessary to establish the distributed power system operation methods for these power systems. In this research, the distributed techniques for the renewable power systems are proposed based on the consensus protocol technique from graph theory. These techniques cover the three important problems in power systems, i.e., economic dispatch, state estimation, and optimal power flow. First, the Distributed Economic …

An Interleaved Quadratic High Step-Up Dc-Dc Converter With Coupled Inductor, Ramin Rahimi, Saeed Habibi, Mehdi Ferdowsi, Pourya Shamsi

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

A new high step-up DC-DC converter for renewable energy applications is proposed in this paper. Employing an interleaved quadratic structure, two two-winding coupled inductors (CIs), and voltage multiplier cells (VMCs), the proposed converter can provide high-voltage gains, continuous input current with low ripple, reduced voltage stresses on semiconductors, common ground between input and output sides, and low numbers of components. In addition, diode-capacitor lossless clamp circuits are utilized to limit the voltage stresses of the power switches and further extend the voltage gain. The operating and steady-state analyses, design considerations, and a comparison with other previously published high step-up converters …

Development Of Efficient Wide-Bandgap Perovskite Solar Cells With Composition And Interface Engineering, Khan Mamun Reza

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Metal halide perovskites are considered the most promising solar energy technology because of their distinct properties, such as defect tolerance, low cost, easy fabrication due to solution-processibility, band tunability, etc. Due to these properties, the efficiency of perovskite solar cells reaches more than 25% and approaches the limit of singlejunction within last few years. To increase the efficiency further in a more cost-effective way, double junction tandem solar cells with an efficient ‘top’ wide-bandgap cell is desired. But wide-bandgap perovskites still face some critical issues, such as poor morphology, smaller grain size, the formation of excessive lead halides, light-induced halide …

Utilizing Rotational Energy In Wind Turbine Blades With The Flywheel Mechanism And Predicting The Power Output By Neural Networking, Anamika Mishra

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

As we expand and innovate for better and safer living, there will always be a need for new energy sources. By replacing fossil fuels, renewable energy is becoming a viable option for primary power generation. That is why researchers are turning their attention to renewable energy sources and ways of making the most of them. WIND ENERGY is a promising renewable and clean energy source harvested from the wind which is plentiful on the planet. We already have the technology to harvest it, but the efficiency and power output are not optimal. In this thesis, to enhance the energy harvesting …

Utilizing Rotational Energy In Wind Turbine Blades With The Flywheel Mechanism And Predicting The Power Output By Neural Networking, Anamika Mishra

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

As we expand and innovate for better and safer living, there will always be a need for new energy sources. By replacing fossil fuels, renewable energy is becoming a viable option for primary power generation. That is why researchers are turning their attention to renewable energy sources and ways of making the most of them. WIND ENERGY is a promising renewable and clean energy source harvested from the wind which is plentiful on the planet. We already have the technology to harvest it, but the efficiency and power output are not optimal. In this thesis, to enhance the energy harvesting …

The Politics Of Biomass Energy In California: How External Benefits Are Used To Support An Economically Marginal Sector, Dana L. Dysthe

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Since the 1990s, there has been a decline in biomass energy generation in California. In order to promote state governmental policies aiming to increase biomass energy generation in California, the sector has been linked to a series of external benefits that biomass energy purportedly brings. Through document analysis, semi-structured interviews, and participant observation, five distinct external benefits were identified that have been used to promote the biomass energy sector. These external benefits are: renewable energy generation, air quality improvements, promotion of forest restoration and fuel removal projects, disposal of wood waste from agricultural and forestry sectors, and rural economic development. …

Photovoltaic Systems On Dairy Farms: Financial And Renewable Multi-Objective Optimization (Farmoo) Analysis, Michael Breen, J. Upton, Michael D. Murphy

Publications

No abstract provided.

Energy And Economic Losses Due To Soiling On Utility Scale Pv Systems To Guide Timing Of Cost Effective Cleaning, Sophia Mcmillin Stockburger, Vicente Jesus Rios

Electrical Engineering

The purpose of this senior project is to develop and recommend a cleaning schedule for Goldtree Solar Farm that is both economically beneficial and an efficient use of cleaning for the client. Solar farms can have various factors that influence the cleaning schedule such as weather behavior, time of the year, soiling, and other factors. Through this senior project, the goal is to assess these factors effect on the solar farm to produce a cleaning schedule that will maximize energy production, maximize profits, and prevent insignificant cleaning

This analysis is motivated by defining and promoting the benefits of regular maintenance …

Cybersecurity Methods For Grid-Connected Power Electronics, Stephen Joe Moquin

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The present work shows a secure-by-design process, defense-in-depth method, and security techniques for a secure distributed energy resource. The distributed energy resource is a cybersecure, solar inverter and battery energy storage system prototype, collectively called the Cybersecure Power Router. Consideration is given to the use of the Smart Green Power Node for a foundation of the present work. Metrics for controller security are investigated to evaluate firmware security techniques. The prototype's ability to mitigate, respond to, and recover from firmware integrity degradation is examined. The prototype shows many working security techniques within the context of a grid-connected, distributed energy resource. …

Net Energy Index: A New Way To Measure Energy Efficient Buildings, Dylan Suplee

Senior Honors Theses

Energy efficiency indexes are useful for providing tangible measurements of energy efficiency in buildings. Buildings use approximately 70% of all electricity in the USA. Using that energy efficiently has two primary benefits: limiting greenhouse gas emissions and reducing grid strain. Utilizing local renewable energy sources contributes to the same benefits. Currently, there is no index that considers renewable energy sources when measuring energy efficiency. Therefore, this paper proposes the Net Energy Index, which compares the net power usage of a building to the floor area of the building in order to determine energy efficiency. If renewable energy supplies power to …

Analyzing Cost Effectiveness Of Photovoltaic Pavements, Ian N. Parks

Theses and Dissertations

The United States Air Force (USAF) is the largest consumer of energy within the Department of Defense (DoD). As such, the USAF is continually looking for ways to reduce consumption, as well improving network resiliency and assuring supply. One potential method for addressing these items is focusing on applications of renewable energy. A specific application of renewable energy that could greatly benefit the USAF if viable would be photovoltaic (PV) pavements. PV pavements would be able to capitalize upon the large swathes of pavements on Air Force (AF) installations, while not being hampered by other concerns such as clear zones …

Experimental Investigation Of Low-Voltage Silicon Carbide (Sic) Semiconductor Devices For Power Conversion Applications, Saleh Salem H. Alharbi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Enhancing the performance and efficiency of power converter systems requires fast-switching power devices with considerably low switching and conduction losses. Silicon (Si) semiconductor devices are the essential components in electronic converter designs, and their behaviors and switching characteristics determine the system’s overall performance and efficiency. These conventional Si devices are nearing to hit their physical and operational limits in meeting power converter requirements with respect to high temperature and large voltage conditions. However, silicon carbide (SiC) power devices enable greater converter efficiency and better power density, particularly under hard switching frequencies and high output voltages due to their outstanding material …

Experimental Evaluation Of Medium-Voltage Cascode Gallium Nitride (Gan) Devices For Bidirectional Dc–Dc Converters, Salah Salem H. Alharbi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As renewable energy sources, such as photovoltaic (PV) cells and wind turbines, are rapidly implemented in DC microgrids, energy storage systems play an increasingly significant role in ensuring uninterrupted power supply and in supporting the reliability and stability of microgrid operations. Power electronics, especially bidirectional DC–DC converters, are essential parts in distributed energy storage and alternative energy systems because of their grid synchronization, DC power management, and bidirectional power flow capabilities. While there is increasing demand for more efficient, compact, and reliable power converters in numerous applications, most existing power converters are hindered by traditional silicon (Si) based semiconductors, which …

A Four-Port Bidirectional Dc-Dc Converter For Renewable Energy System And Microgrid, Xia Du

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Renewable energy has nowadays become important in electrical power applications. Power converters play an important role in integrating these distributed energy sources. However, due to their intermittence characteristics, e.g., the output power provided by the PV and wind turbine is not stable, either an energy storage system will be used or microgrid is formed between the main grid and the sources. To integrate these renewable energy sources and manage the power flow, a multiport converter is preferred because it is highly beneficial and cost-efficiently than the traditional solution that using multiple individual power converter for each source. This thesis proposed …