Techno-economics of micro-hydro projects for decentralized power supply in India

Results of a techno-economic feasibility evaluation of few micro-hydropower (MHP) projects being planned and implemented for decentralized power supply for remote locations in India are presented. The capital cost of such projects (including cost of power evacuation and distribution system), cost per unit of rated capacity, and relative cost of different sub-systems of MHP projects in the capacity range of 10–100 kW have been analysed. Unit cost of delivered electricity for these MHP projects has been estimated. Measures of financial performance for one of the MHP projects have also been determined. Breakeven values for useful life, plant load factor, and unit cost of electricity to the user have also been estimated for the same project.     

Photovoltaic projects for decentralized power supply in India: A financial evaluation

The present study concentrates on photovoltaic (PV) projects for providing decentralized power supply in remote locations in India. Results of a techno-economic evaluation are presented. Some PV projects in the capacity range 1–110 kW_p, that have either been implemented or are under implementation, have been considered. An analysis of the capital cost of the PV projects and sub-systems has been undertaken. Levelized unit cost of electricity (LUCE) has been estimated for eighteen select locations situated in different geographical regions of the country. The LUCE is found to vary in the range of Rs. 28.31–59.16/kW h (US$ 0.65–1.35/k Wh) for PV projects in the capacity range 1–25 kW_p. In view of high unit cost of electricity from PV projects, need for financial incentives has been examined from the perspective of users. A sensitivity analysis has also been undertaken.     

Biomass gasifier projects for decentralized power supply in India: A financial evaluation

Results of a techno-economic evaluation of biomass gasifier based projects for decentralized power supply for remote locations in India are presented. Contributions of different components of diesel engine generator (DG) sets, dual fuel (DF) engine generator sets and 100% producer gas (HPG) engine generator sets to their capital costs as well as to the levelized unit cost of electricity (LUCE) delivered by the same have been analyzed. LUCE delivered to the consumers has been estimated to be varying in the range of Rs. 13.14–24.49/kWh (US$¹ 0.30–0.55/kWh) for DF BGPP. LUCE increases significantly if BGPP is operated at part loads. Presently available 40 kW capacity HPG systems in India are expected to be financially competitive with a DG set of equivalent capacity beyond a break-even diesel price of Rs. 34.70/l. It is expected to be financially more attractive than an equivalent capacity DF BGPP for diesel prices of more than Rs. 44.29/l. In certain specific conditions operating two smaller capacity systems has been found to be attractive as against a single larger capacity system.     

Interrelation between configuration of electrodes for induction electric charging and collector current wind EHD power generator

This work aims to realize a wind electrohydro- dynamical (EHD) power generator using induction electric charging with a water jet. The electrodes for induction electric charging are composed of an orifice of which inner radius is 1.5mm and a ring made of a copper wire of which diameter is 1.5mm. It is important to design the electrodes that maximize induction electric charge. In this paper, it is experimentaly clarified that the ring electrode of inner diameter of 3.7cm gives the collector short current of the wind EHD power generator more than that of 4.7cm but has dispersion of the collector short current more than that of 4.7 cm.     

Cost effectiveness of decentralized energy supply systems taking solar and wind utilization plants into account

In this article, results are presented of annual simulations of a decentralized (regional) plant for the power and heat supply of a residential complex. This complex consists of four houses with 40 flats all in all. The annual power consumption of the complex is 157 MWh and the heat requirement is 325 MWh. The concrete dynamics of the energy demands over the year is taken into consideration. The energy supply system is composed of a power-controlled combined heat and power (CHP) plant (55 kW), a photovoltaic plant (PV array or PV plant) array for power generation as well as a field of solar thermal collectors with a short-term accumulator for water heating and a long-term accumulator for supplying heat for domestic heating purposes. Simulation results demonstrate that synergetic effects result from the combination of a CHP plant with wind power and PV plants of varying sizes, which have an effect on the cost effectiveness of the plant as a whole with the different dynamics of energy sources (wind and solar energies) and of the consumption of power and heat being the decisive factors. The power deficits of wind power and PV plants are compensated through the application of a natural gas-operated CHP plant. In almost all variants, the demand for fossil energy carriers is distinctly less than in conventional energy supply plants.     

国内风力发电的现状和前景

分析了我国的风能资源和风力发电的现状，探讨了在风力发电时要注意的几个问题，并对我国风力发电的发展前景提出了看法。     

风电与燃气轮机互补发电系统发电成本分析

在采用风电场与小型燃气轮机组成的互补系统发电特性参数的基础上,详细分析了互补系统发电成本的构成和各自的计算方法。采用新疆达坂城风电场的风速数据,基于互补系统的发电特性参数和风电场与燃气轮机电站的发电成本构成,应用改进过的等额支付折算法,在当前的技术条件和价格下,计算了风电场子系统和燃气轮机电站子系统各自的折旧成本、燃料成本和运行维护成本,得到了整滚发电系统发电成本的计算方法,为在新疆地区实现这种互补发电系统提供经济分析基础。     

电动汽车参与受阻风电消纳的源荷优化控制方法

大规模的电动汽车负荷可增加电网系统的调峰能力,消纳受阻风电。文章首先根据系统负荷和风电出力特性分析其受阻原因;其次,通过对电动汽车充放电特性、可时移特性和SOC模型的分析,建立了电动汽车充放电模型,并提出相应策略;然后,以电动汽车消纳后的风电剩余受阻量最小为目标,建立电动汽车参与受阻风电消纳的源荷优化控制模型,并利用差分进化算法对模型进行求解;最后,以某地区电网实际数据进行仿真计算,验证电动汽车参与受阻风电消纳协调控制的可行性与有效性。     

The effect of spatial dispersion of wind power plants on the curtailment of wind power in the Greek power supply system

To meet the national target of 29% for electricity production from renewable energy sources by 2020 in Greece, effective implementation of massive wind power installed capacity into the power supply system is required. In such a situation, the effective absorption of wind energy production is an important issue in a relatively small and weak power system such as that of Greece, which has limited existing interconnections with neighboring countries. The curtailment of wind power is sometimes necessary in autonomous systems with large wind energy penetration. The absorption or curtailment of wind power is strongly affected by the spatial dispersion of wind power installations. In the present paper, a methodology for estimating this effect is presented and applied for the power supply system of Greece. The method is based on probability theory, and makes use of wind forecasting models to represent the wind energy potential over any candidate area for future wind farm installations in the country. Moreover, technical constraints imposed by the power supply system management, the commitment of power plants and the load dispatch strategies are taken into account to maximize the wind energy penetration levels while ensuring reliable operation of the system. Representative wind power development scenarios are studied and evaluated. Results show that the spatial dispersion of wind power plants contributes beneficially to the wind energy penetration levels that can be accepted by the power system. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Value of electric heat boilers and heat pumps for wind power integration

The paper analyses the economic value of using electric heat boilers and heat pumps as wind power integration measures relieving the link between the heat and power production in combined heat and power plants. Both measures have different technical and economic characteristics, making a comparison of the value of these measures relevant. A stochastic, fundamental bottom‐up model, taking the stochastic nature of wind power production explicitly into account when making dispatch decisions, is used to analyse the technical and economical performance of these measures in a North European power system covering Denmark, Finland, Germany, Norway and Sweden. Introduction of heat pumps or electric boilers is beneficial for the integration of wind power, because the curtailment of wind power production is reduced, the price of regulating power is reduced and the number of hours with very low power prices is reduced, making the wind power production more valuable. The system benefits of heat pumps and electric boilers are connected to replacing heat production on fuel oil heat boilers and combined heat and power (CHP) plants using various fuels with heat production using electricity and thereby saving fuel. The benefits of the measures depend highly on the underlying structure of heat production. The integration measures are economical, especially in systems where the marginal heat production costs before the introduction of the heat measures are high, e.g. heat production on heat boilers using fuel oil. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

New insights into aerodynamic characteristics of oscillating wings and performance as wind power generator

In this paper, the effects of nondimensional frequency f*, pitch amplitude θ₀, and airfoil thickness on the energy extraction performance of an oscillating wing wind power generator were numerically investigated. It is found that the optimum value of f* or θ₀ exists to achieve the maximum energy efficiency. Additionally, the thickness of airfoil also significantly affects the efficiency and the flow patterns around the oscillating foil. For thin airfoils, a relatively large‐scale vortex was normally generated at its leading edge. This vortex detached from leading edge might be able to be “caught” by the airfoil again and then reutilized to increase its work capacity. By contrast, no induced leading edge vortex is formed on the upper surface of a thick airfoil. Nevertheless, the pressure difference between the upper and lower surface of the oscillating thick airfoil is greater than that of thin airfoil. Thus, the portion of the output power contributed by the oscillatory heaving motion is greatly increased and high energy extraction efficiency can still be achieved. For airfoils with moderate thickness, both flow phenomena observed on thin and thick oscillating airfoils that have high wind energy utilization efficiency are all likely to occur, depending on the adopted motion parameters.     

Pricing offshore wind power

Offshore wind offers a very large clean power resource, but electricity from the first US offshore wind contracts is costlier than current regional wholesale electricity prices. To better understand the factors that drive these costs, we develop a pro-forma cash flow model to calculate two results: the levelized cost of energy, and the breakeven price required for financial viability. We then determine input values based on our analysis of capital markets and of 35 operating and planned projects in Europe, China, and the United States. The model is run for a range of inputs appropriate to US policies, electricity markets, and capital markets to assess how changes in policy incentives, project inputs, and financial structure affect the breakeven price of offshore wind power. The model and documentation are made publicly available.     

适合于风力发电系统的电压跌落发生器

为满足在故障情况下的风力发电机控制策略的研究需要,给出了一种电压跌落发生器的拓扑结构,PC机与单片机通过串行通信来实现对电压跌落模式和跌落时间的控制.试验表明,该设备可以实现国外昂贵的电压跌落发生器的基本功能.     

风电与燃气轮机互补系统发电成本敏感性分析

详细讨论了大型风电场与燃气轮机组成的互补发电系统发电成本的主要影响因子及其对系统的敏感性。通过对互补发电系统发电成本理论公式的研究,推导了互补系统中各项影响因子相对于发电成本的数学方程和影响尺度,得到了影响发电成本几个关键的影响因子。通过采用敏感性分析原理,对这些主要的影响因子在不同变化条件下对互补发电系统发电成本的影响进行了详细的分析与讨论,提出降低系统发电成本的可行性措施及其努力的方向,为在新疆地区实现这种互补发电系统提供经济分析上的基础。     

Study on synchronization phenomena of fixed speed wind turbines with an induction generator in a wind farm

Synchronization of rotor angles of fixed speed wind energy converters with an induction generator has been reported in several wind farms. In terms of impacts on a power system, the synchronization could worsen the voltage flicker problems. Although many articles have examined this synchronization, there remains considerable room in the physical interpretation of the phenomena. This article discusses the physical context of the synchronization phenomena of wind turbines in a wind farm. After analysing interaction among electric power output, voltage, generator slip and rotor angle, differential equations describing the phenomena are presented. The synchronization phenomena are examined through a study on equilibria of the equations and their stability. Fundamental characteristics of the phenomena such as pull‐in force, speed of synchronization and the impact of discrepancies among generator characteristics are discussed for two‐ and three‐machine systems. The results show that synchronization tends to occur in wind energy converters with large 3p components and a low power factor, which are interconnected into a grid with large short‐circuit impedance of high X/R ratio. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Potential role of power authorities in offshore wind power development in the US

This article examines how power authorities could facilitate and manage offshore wind power development in US coastal waters. The power authority structure is an American 20th century institution for managing energy resources—a form of a public authority or public corporation dedicated to creating, operating and maintaining electric generation and transmission infrastructure. Offshore wind power is characterized by high capital costs but no fuel costs and thus low operating costs. Therefore a power authority, by virtue of its access to low-cost capital and managerial flexibility, could facilitate offshore wind power development by reducing financial risk of developing and lowering debt payments, thus improving the risk profile and lowering the cost of electricity production. Additionally, power authorities can be made up of multiple states, thus opening the possibility for joint action by neighboring coastal states. Using primary and secondary data, we undertake an in-depth analysis of the potential benefits and shortcomings of a power authority approach.     

Geothermal slim holes for small off-grid power projects

Economically viable, small (100 kW_e to 1000 kW_e), geothermal power generation units using slim holes are available for the production of electrical power in remote areas and for rural electrification in developing countries. Based on borehole data from geothermal fields in the United States and Japan, slim holes have been proven as adequate fuel sources for small-scale geothermal power plants (SSGPPs) and can deliver enough geothermal fluid to the wellhead in a baseload mode to be of practical interest for off-grid electrification projects. The electrical generating capacity of geothermal fluids which can be produced from typical slim holes (150-mm diameter or less), both by conventional, self-discharge, flash-steam methods for hotter geothermal reservoirs, and by binary-cycle technology with downhole pumps for low- to moderate-temperature reservoirs are estimated using a simplified theoretical approach. Depending mainly on reservoir temperature, the numerical simulations indicate that electrical capacities from a few hundred kilowatts to over one megawatt per slim hole are possible. In addition to the advantage of price per kilowatt-hour in off-grid applications, SSGPPs fueled by slim holes are far more environmentally benign than fossil-burning power plants, which is crucial in view of current worldwide climate-change concerns and burgeoning electricity demand in the less-developed and developing countries.     

Thermal-fluid-solid coupling of electric heat storage device based on wind power absorption

电网调峰能力不足，弃风问题严重，已成为我国风力发电规模进一步扩大的瓶颈。通过配置蓄热装置参与风电调峰，改变传统“以热定电”的约束模式，是解决我国大量弃风问题的一个趋势。提高电热蓄能装置效率及优化蓄热装置分布对于实现有效调峰具有重要意义。本文针对固体电蓄热装置内流动、传热、应力等现象，建立了热-流-固多场三维耦合传热数学模型，采用流-固耦合传热模型将难以确定的热流边界转化为系统内部边界，分析固体电蓄热装置温度场及应力场分布，并对比三种不同孔隙率、电热丝排布方式对蓄热装置温度分布均匀性及热膨胀量的影响。研究结果对提高固体电蓄热装置的效率以及电网调峰具有一定的参考价值。     

双馈风力发电机无速度传感器矢量控制

针对风力发电系统中的双馈电机提出一种转子感应电势定向矢量控制方法。通过调节双馈电机转子侧的瞬时有功电流和无功电流,实现对电机力矩和转子侧励磁电流的调节,进而实现双馈电机无功功率调节。在控制过程中只需检测交流侧电流电压,不需要位置传感器,所以可以应用无速度传感器。最终通过仿真试验证明该方法的正确性和实用性。     

直驱式风力发电系统的应用分析

结合目前市场应用和实验研究情况，综合评述了直驱式风力发电系统。具体介绍了5种直驱式风力发电系统的特点、优劣及应用状况，直驱式风力发电系统中应用的电力电子变换器概况。通过综合比较，指出了直驱式风力发电系统的应用前景。