Numerical Flow Simulation in Turbine Mode of Counter-Rotating Type Pumping Unit to Cooperate with Wind Turbine

This serial research has proposed the hybrid power system combined the wind power unit with the counter-rotating type pump-turbine unit, to provide the constant output for the grid system, even at the suddenly fluctuating/turbulent wind circumstance. In this paper, the tandem impellers prepared for the counter-rotating type pumping unit were operated at the turbine mode, and the performances and the flow conditions were investigated numerically with accompanying the experimental results. Even though providing the pumping unit for the turbine mode, the maximum hydraulic efficiency is close to one of the counter-rotating type hydroelectric unit designed exclusively for the turbine mode. Besides, the runners/impellers of the unit work evidently so as to coincide the angular momentum change through the front runners/impellers with that through the rear runners/impellers, namely to take the axial flow at not only the inlet but also the outlet, without the guide vanes. From these results, it can be concluded that this type unit is effective to work at not only the pumping but also the turbine modes.     

Test Facility for Low Potential Pumped Storage Power Plants and Hydrokinetic Turbines

The electric energy which is generated by wind power plants depends on the wind speed and exceeds with strong permissible wind speed the electric energy requirements of the country. In order not to reduce this electrical energy, it must be stored. The sensible energy storage is currently the pumped storage power plants. As the mountain ranges for conventional pumped storage power plants with drop heights of H 〉 600 m are strictly limited, the development of low potential pumped storage power plants has begun. Increasing the capacity of pumped storage power plants with regard to the wind power plants is urgently needed. In this paper, it is shown using the example of an unneeded port facility, how a port facility can be used after low conversion as a test facility for low potential pumped storage power plants and at the same time for the testing of hydro-kinetic turbines. This type of pump storage power plants does not save the energy due to large drop heights, but primarily due to the large volume flow of water.     

Connecting Wind Turbine Generator to Distribution Power Grid--A Preload Flow Calculation Stage

A distribution grid is generally characterized by a high R/X （resistance/reactance） ratio and it is radial in nature. By design, a distribution grid system is not an active network, and it is normally designed in such a way that power flows from transmission system via distribution system to consumers. But in a situation when wind turbines are connected to the distribution grid, the power source will change from one source to two sources, in this case, network is said to be active. This may probably have an impact on the distribution grid to whenever the wind turbine is connected. The best way to know the impact of wind turbine on the distribution grid in question is by carrying out load flow analysis on that system with and without the connection of wind turbines. Two major fundamental calculations： the steady-state voltage variation at the PCC （point of common coupling） and the calculation of short-circuit power of the grid system at the POC （point of connection） are necessary before carrying out the load flow study on the distribution grid. This paper, therefore, considers these pre-load flow calculations that are necessary before carrying out load flow study on the test distribution grid. These calculations are carded out on a test distribution system.     

Assessing Micro-generation＇s and Non-linear Loads＇ Impact in the Power Quality of Low Voltage Distribution Networks

Distribution networks face an increasing penetration of solar PV （photovoltaic） and small WTG （wind turbine generator） as well as other forms of micro-generation. To this scenario, one must add the dissemination of non-linear loads such as EV （electric vehicles）. There is something in common between those loads and sources： the extensive use of power electronic converters with commutated switches. These devices may be a source of medium-to-high frequency harmonic distortion and their impact on the local distribution grid must be carefully assessed in order to evaluate their negative impacts on the network, on the existing conventional loads and also on other active devices. In this paper, methodologies to characterize effects such as： harmonics, network unbalances, damaging power line resonance conditions, and over/under voltages are described and applied to a real local grid configuration.     

Pure Jatropha Oil for Power Generation on Floreana IslandlGalapagos： Four Years Experience on Engine Operation and Fuel Quality

In the small country of Ecuador, all environmental risks of the production and consumption of fossil fuels can be observed by damages through oil exploration in the amazonite rainforest and two tank ship accidents close by Galapagos Islands causing death of 10,000 marine iguanas and other species. Now Ecuador plans to replace all environmentally dangerous diesel generators from all four inhabited Galapagos Islands by a hybrid system using 100% renewable energy for electricity production. Since 2010 a hybrid system of two Jatropha oil generators with an electrical power of 69 kW （kWel） and a photovoltaic plant with an electrical peak power of 21 kW （kWpeak） is successfully providing electricity from renewable energy for inhabitants and tourists of Floreana Island. After more than 15.000 engine operation hours of each engine there is no engine defect. For fuel supply, the so-called ＂Living Fence＂ concept collecting Jatropha seeds by farmers and families from already existing 6,000 km hedges on Ecuadorian mainland was chosen to comply with highest biofuel sustainability standards. The Jatropha oil is produced in a decentralized so-called CompacTropha oil mill container following the ambitious German fuel quality standard DIN51605. Since 2010 Floreana project successfully demonstrates that it is possible to replace diesel gen sets by generators fueled with pure Jatropha oil from decentralized sustainable production.     

Testing PV Central Inverters＇ Compliance with International Grid Codes

In many electrical grids worldwide, the rising amount of installed PV （photovoltaic） power entails a considerable influence of PV systems on grid quality and stability. Consequently, in the wake of the revised German medium voltage directives issued in 2009, new requirements for PV inverters have been established internationally. At Fraunhofer ISE＇s Inverter Laboratory, approximately 25 large PV inverters with a nominal power of up to 880 kVA have been characterized in the past three years. In this period, the focus of many inverter manufacturers has begun to shift from traditional European markets towards an international perspective. Therefore, experiences with numerous different grid codes have been gained by our team. This work summarizes the similarities and differences between these grid codes. Additionally, several requirements that have proved to be critical will be examined. Finally, the adequacy of these grid codes to guarantee the safe and reliable operation of electrical grids is discussed.     

A Novel Approach to Utilize DSM ＆ Smart Grid Initiatives for Power System Operations

This paper presents in detail the idea to utilize the advent of smart grid technologies and DSM （demand side management）, to ease the operational requirements of power system operations. Utilization of DSM and smart grids, to control load rather than generations, is explored. Usually, system security is attained through preventive measures, the system is maintained and prepared in advance to survive credible outages through ＂reserve management＂, for which requirements are specified as security standards in grid codes. However, with the utilization of DSM techniques on transmission level such as ＂direct control load＂, ＂responsive load＂, and interruptible load control, system operations can be shifted towards ＂corrective＂ mode keeping intact the system security.     

Potential of Photovoltaic Industry in Egypt

PV （photovoltaic） market is dominated by Europe, especially Germany and Spain. However, the PV industry leaders recently exist in Asia. The huge market growth require industry growth, but with competitive cost. The electricity shortage in Egypt makes transferring to photovoltaic technology necessary, especially with the high solar radiation. The only reason why grid parity is not yet reached in Egypt is the elevated subsidiary of conventional electricity. If this subsidy is transformed to incentives for using and manufacturing solar cells, the situation will vary. This article shows that transferring PV industry to Egypt has a potential of cost saving of 5.7%, which could be translated either into competitive price or higher return on investment. This work is not a feasibility study. However, based on the cost structure of each phase in the PV industry value chain, the benefit （5.7% cost reduction potential） of transferring the industry to Egypt is worthy to accomplish the needed feasibility study.     

Application of the Loss-Optimising-Management-Algorithm to a Micro Grid Energy Management System

Since the amount of decentralised power generation is increasing, it is important to develop an energy management system for low-voltage grids. This paper presents a method to operate such a management system. The system is designed for managing a group of smart houses which can consume or supply electrical energy. The aims are to reduce the transmission losses and to stay within the permitted limits of both the voltage drop and the utilisation of lines and transformers. The reduction of the losses is implemented in the LOMA （loss-optimising-management-algorithm）. This algorithm tries to find the power flow situation where minimal losses occur. The results of LOMA, the current power situation （in the low- and medium-voltage system） and the maximum power situation （based on grid parameters） are summarised in an individual incentive signal for every smart home, The simulations show the feasibility of such an energy management and a significant loss reduction.     

Stiffness Evaluation of the Welded Connection between Guide Thimbles and the Spacer Grids for 16 × 16 Fuel Assemblies Types,Using the Finite Element Method

The present work aims to evaluate the increase in the number of spot welds in the 16 × 16 type fuel assembly structure that connects guide thimbles and spacer grids, in order to provide a proper joint for this connection. This new and improved process can provide more stiffness to the whole structure, since the number of spots raised from four to eight. A 3-D geometric model of a guide thimble section was generated in a CAD （computer aided design） program （SolidWorks）. After that, the geometric model was imported to a CAE （computer aided engineering） program （ANSYS Mechanical APDL, Release 14.0）, where the finite element model was built, considering the guide thimble geometry assembled with the spacer grid through the welded connections. Boundaries conditions were implemented in the model in order to simulate the correct physical behavior due to the operation of the fuel assembly inside the reactor. The analysis covered specific loads and displacements acting on the entire structure. The method used to solve this finite element analysis was a linear static simulation in order to perform the connection between a spacer grid cell and a guide thimble section. Hence, four models was evaluated, differing on the spot weld number in the spacer grid and guide thimble connection. The rotational stiffness results of each model were compared. The results acquired from four and eight spot weld were validated with physical test results. The behavior of the structure under the acting force/displacement and the related results of the analysis, mainly the stiffness, were satisfied. The results of this analysis were used to prove that the increasing spot welds number is an improvement in the dimensional stability when submitted to loads and displacements required on the fuel assembly design. This analysis aid to get more information of extreme importance such as, the pursuance to develop better manufacturing process and to improve the fuel assembly performance due to the increasing of the bum-up.     

Simulation Analysis for Massive Deployment of Variable Renewables Employing an Optimal Power Generation Mix Model

This paper develops a high time-resolution optimal power generation mix model in its time resolution of 10 minutes on 365 days by linear programming technique. The model allows us to analyse the massive deployment of photovoltaic system and wind power generation in power system explicitly considering those short-term output variation. PV （photovoltaic） and wind output are estimated, employing meteorological database. Simulation results reveal that variable fluctuation derived from a high penetration level of those renewables is controlled by quick load following operation of natural gas combined cycle power plant, pumped-storage hydro power, stationary NAS （sodium and sulfur） battery and the output suppression control of PV and wind. It additionally turns out that the operational configuration of those technologies for the renewable variability differs significantly depending on those renewable output variations in each season and solving the seasonal electricity imbalance as well as the daily imbalance is important if variable renewables are massively deployed.     

Control of Indoor Swimming Pools with Potential for Demand Response

Buildings with indoor swimming pools are recognized as very high-energy consumers and present a great potential for electrical and thermal energy savings. A BEMS （building energy management system） could be conceived in order to optimize the building energy demand and with smart grid interaction. This paper presents the condition and potential contract-based demand side response in indoor swimming pools context. The BEMS designed by the authors implements control strategies for HVAC （heating, ventilation and air conditioning） and pumping system in order to reduce the electricity demand during peak hours or in response to an emergency signal from the system operator in critical times. The control strategies for HVAC was carried out by Building Thermal Simulation and the used of a theoretical formula for pumping system, strategies can carry out a significant reduction in power demand both in HVAC and pumping systems.     

Germany＇s Energy Transition and the European Electricity Market： Mutually Beneficial？

Germany＇s energy system is in transition towards less nuclear, lower carbon emissions and more renewables. Notwithstanding widespread neglect of its European dimension, this Energiewende will further exacerbate current network fluctuations due to the significant increase in wind and solar power. Key data from Denmark show that this transition will soon bring the German national power system to its limits for absorbing the resulting intermittency, and increase the need for more cross-border power transfers. Yet network analysis of import/export data shows that Germany＇s position in the European power system is contrary to the Danish case. The need for a European solution for Germany＇s energy transition will therefore soon become evident. In order to establish the necessary infrastructure, the Energiewende needs hence to be guided by an economic approach designed to prevent further fractures in the Internal Electricity Market. Constructive negotiations with neighbouring countries on market designs and price signals will be important preconditions. The article emphasizes the still neglected European paradox of Germany＇s energy transition and presents working examples and possible solutions to uphold electricity supply in Europe＇s power house.     

Stability Study of a Mixed Islanded Power Network

This paper presents the modelling, simulation and analysis of the dynamic behaviour of a mixed power network of 2.78 GW including hydro, thermal and wind power plants. The modelling of each power plant is described. The set of parameters of the turbine speed governor of the hydroelectric power plant is determined with a specific identification procedure to achieve stable operation for different cases such as interconnected, isolated or islanded operation. The analysis of the stability of the entire mixed islanded power plant is investigated through time domain simulations for different sets of controllers parameters and for different disturbances （load rejection and turbulent wind speed profile）.     

Feasibility of Wind Power Generation for the Reduction of Power Costs in Residential Buildings

The installation of wind power generators on buildings located in areas with regular winds may be a suitable investment in a renewable power source. Brazil has a high eolic potential, where the annual mean wind speed may reach over eight meters per second. This case study is aimed to assess the economic feasibility of the installation of small wind power plants in urban areas. This work evaluates a project for the installation of a vertical axis wind turbine in three buildings （15-, 22-, and 26-story） including the following stages： （1） installation of a real-time power meter in the 15-store unit; （2） demand analysis of the 26-store building＇s power consumption; （3） winds survey along the coast of the State of Ceara; （4） analysis of the wind turbines available in the market; （5） simulation aimed to choose the system. Vertical wind power generators offer better conditions of use in urban areas. The turnover time was established to be between four and six years in the three studied units. The installation of a wind power generator on buildings in regions with an adequate eolic regimen reaches a financial return of the investment before the end of the equipment＇s lifespan.     

干旱气候下基于风电并网的抽水蓄能电站经济调度模型

抽水蓄能电站配合风电出力有利于降低风电并网对电力系统的影响、提高电能质量、促进大规模风电并网,考虑到干旱气候可能制约抽水蓄能系统的发电和储存能力、进而影响风蓄联合系统的发电调度,以发电总可变成本的最小化为目标函数建立了基于风蓄联合系统的线性规划模型,评估了干旱气候对风蓄联合系统发电调度的影响,并利用变搜索半径优化的粒子群算法对模型进行求解。研究结果表明,干旱气候对风蓄联合系统的发电调度有较大的影响,且干旱气候可能促使系统二氧化碳排放量的增加,系统存储电能能力较强时,风电能有效促进二氧化碳减排;此外,算例分析还验证了所建模型的有效性。     

Design of Capacitor Bank in Parallel to Photovoltaic Power Plant

The purpose of the paper is to develop a solution for application of PV （photovoltaic） generators in MV （medium voltage） distribution system without unacceptable voltage changes due to drops of PV power output. The proposed solution includes operation of PV with predetermined leading power factor and addition of a capacitor bank in parallel to PV plant in order to compensate the reactive power absorbed by the PV inverters. The analytical expression of required power factor angle is derived. Adding a capacitor bank in parallel to PV power plant may pose a problem because of space limitations. The dimensions and cost of small MV capacitor banks depend significantly on the capacitor bank protection against internal faults. Application of the developed negative-sequence current difference method for the unbalance protection of the capacitor banks enables to achieve a compact and cost-reduced design of the banks connected in parallel to PV power plants. A real-world example of operation of the PV plant in parallel to the capacitor bank with the novel protection scheme is described.     

Advanced Reactive Power Control at Individual Residences to Smooth Energy Loss Fluctuation for a Clustered Grid-Interconnected PV System

Reactive power control can control voltage within the proper range from the power network side or from the distribution generation （PV （photovoltaic）） side. Reactive power control from the power network side is simpler because little controlled object apparatus, such as STATCOM, is required. However, it is difficult to optimize the individual voltages of residential consumers because few data have been obtained by the power network side as compared with the power generation side. Energy loss at each residence with PV is different due to the difference in the grid-interconnection condition, such as distribution line impedance when the same operating voltage is set at all residences. Therefore, in this paper, the authors propose an advanced reactive power control method for residential PV systems in order to optimally control the voltage at individual residences so as to minimize energy loss fluctuation. The effectiveness of the proposed reactive power control is demonstrated by numerical simulation.     

Dynamic Voltage Restorer with Active Disturbance Rejection Control

Power quality is one of the major concerns among consumers and electric utility companies. CUPS （custom power systems） devices are used to improve the quality of power and enhance the reliability of the power supply in the distribution networks. The DVR （dynamic voltage restorer） is an important CUPS device used to mitigate voltage sag/swell and imbalances. Various control techniques have been implemented to control the DVR, among which the PID （proportional-integral-derivative） controller is dominant because of its model independent property and its error driven technique. In this paper, a new controller based on the ADRC （active disturbance rejection control） concept is developed, and its performance is compared to that of the PID controller. The model of the DVR and its ADRC and PID controllers were developed under the MATLAB （matrix laboratory）/Simulink environment. The simulation results demonstrated the effectiveness of the ADRC over the PID controller.     

Examination for Experimental Verification of Improvement of Power Quality in Distribution System by PCS

In the future, the power quality will decrease by the introduction of a lot of renewable energy sources. The topic of this research is a new method of operation of PCS （power conditioning systems） in the future distribution system. The purpose of this research is development of PCS with a function of improvement of the distribution system. Therefore, the authors propose a method of the power quality improvement of the distribution system by PCS. In addition, the authors construct the control logic to use in PCS The control logic suggests adding harmonic restraint function to conventional control. These were verified by simulation and an experiment. As the results, we confirmed that basic operation of PCS being carried out, harmonics were restrained, and power quality had improved.