An energy management approach for renewable energy integration with power generation and water desalination

The share of the renewable energy sources (RES) in the global electricity market is substantially increasing as a result of the commitment of many countries to increase the contribution of the RES to their energy mix. However, the integration of RES in the electricity grid increases the complexity of the grid management due to the variability and the intermittent nature of these energy sources. Energy storage solutions such as batteries offer either short-term storage that is not sufficient or longer period storage that is significantly expensive. This paper introduces an energy management approach which can be applied in the case of power and desalinated water generation. The approach is based on mathematical optimization model which accounts for random variations in demands and energy supply. The approach allows using desalination plants as a deferrable load to mitigate for the variability of the renewable energy supply and water and/or electricity demands. A mathematical linear programming model is developed to show the applicability of this idea and its effectiveness in reducing the impact of the uncertainty in the environment. The model is solved for the real world case of Saudi Arabia. The optimal solution accounts for random variations in the renewable energy supply and water and/or electricity demands while minimizing the total costs for generating water and power.     

Emerging technologies to power next generation mobile electronic devices using solar energy

Mobile electronic devices such as MP3, mobile phones, and wearable or implanted medical devices have already or will soon become a necessity in peoples’ lives. However, the further development of these devices is restricted not only by the inconvenient charging process of the power module, but also by the soaring prices of fossil fuel and its downstream chain of electricity manipulation. In view of the huge amount of solar energy fueling the world biochemically and thermally, a carry-on electricity harvester embedded in portable devices is emerging as a most noteworthy research area and engineering practice for a cost efficient solution. Such a parasitic problem is intrinsic in the next generation portable devices. This paper is dedicated to presenting an overview of the photovoltaic strategy in the chain as a reference for researchers and practitioners committed to solving the problem.     

Emerging technologies to power next generation mobile electronic devices using solar energy

Mobile electronic devices such as MP3, mobile phones, and wearable or implanted medical devices have already or will soon become a necessity in peoples’ lives. However, the further development of these devices is restricted not only by the inconvenient charging process of the power module, but also by the soaring prices of fossil fuel and its downstream chain of electricity manipulation. In view of the huge amount of solar energy fueling the world biochemically and thermally, a carry-on electricity harvester embedded in portable devices is emerging as a most noteworthy research area and engineering practice for a cost efficient solution. Such a parasitic problem is intrinsic in the next generation portable devices. This paper is dedicated to presenting an overview of the photovoltaic strategy in the chain as a reference for researchers and practitioners committed to solving the problem.     

A novel MCFC hybrid power generation process using solar parabolic dish thermal energy

In this paper, a novel molten carbonate fuel cell hybrid power generation process with using solar parabolic dish thermal energy is proposed. The process contains MCFC, Oxy-fuel and Rankine power generation cycles. The Rankine power generation cycles utilized various types of working fluid to emphasize taking advantage of the cycles in different thermodynamic conditions. The required hot and cold energies are provided from solar dish parabolic thermal hot and liquefied natural gas (LNG) cold energies, respectively. The carbon dioxide (CO₂) from MCFC effluent stream is captured from the process at liquid state. The process total heat integrated and in this regards, no need to any hot and cold external sources with the net electrical power generation. The energy and exergy analysis are conducted to determine the approaches to improve the process performance. This integrated structure consumed 2.30 × 10⁶ kg h⁻¹ of air and 2.67 × 10⁶ kg h⁻¹ of LNG to generate 292597 kW of net power. The products of this integrated structure are 6.25 × 10⁴ kg h⁻¹ of condensates, 183 kg h⁻¹ of water vapor, 2.20 × 10⁶ kg h⁻¹ of MCFC effluent stream, 2.60 × 10⁶ kg h⁻¹ of natural gas and 1.10 × 10⁵ kg h⁻¹ of CO₂ in liquid state. The presented new integrated structure has overall thermal efficiency of 73.14% and total exergy efficiency of 63.19%. Also, sensitivity analysis is performed for determination of the process key parameters which affected the process operating performance.     

Hybrid power generation system of solar energy and fuel cells

This paper introduces the methods of integration of solar energy and low‐temperature solid oxide fuel cells. On the one hand, we design the system that integrates the solar photovoltaic cells and fuel cells. On the other hand, solar energy is concentrated to heat up the fuel cell and supply the working temperature at hundreds Celsius degrees by Fresnel lens. Then the fuel conversion efficiency is increased because of gain from the solar energy. Moreover, integration of solar thermal energy power system with the fuel is a good method for resolving the instability of solar energy. CHP (combined heat and power) is another aspect to enhance the design hybrid system overall efficiency. Finally, we present a novel device but built on different scientific principle. It can convert solar energy and chemical energy of fuel to electric energy simultaneously within the same device to integrated solar cell and fuel cell from the device level. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

太阳能热发电系列文章(8)槽式太阳能热发电DSG技术

太阳能热发电是太阳能热利用的重要方向,是最可能引起能源革命的技术成果,是实现大功率发电、替代常规能源的最为经济的手段之一。太阳能热发电的三种方式各自优缺点非常明显,如:塔式效率高,但一次性投入大;槽式成本低,但相对塔     

Performance study of power density in PEMFC for power generation from solar energy

A study has been carried-out on power density in the Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell (PEMFC) for its application for solar power generation. It involves a fuel cell approach assisted with specific electro-catalysts to process special chemical coupling (2-propanol/acetone/H₂) for generating the power. This knowledge will be useful for designing the solar power generation system based on this special chemical coupling enabling to use low-grade solar heat (<100 °C). For this purpose, a wide study has been conducted in the PEMFC using different catalytic electrodes at various orientations (0°, 45° and 90°). The investigations were carried-out at different temperatures from 45 °C to 60 °C using liquid oxidant mixtures in different proportions. The maximum power density attained was 1.78 mW cm^?2 at 60 °C. The PEMFC based technique for solar power generation may prove to be a promising option to harness this everlasting source of sun’s energy in the coming future.     

一种新型太阳能、风能联合海水淡化装置

淡水资源短缺已成为一个世界性问题,我国也不例外.为了加大淡水供应,一条现实的途径就是充分利用我国丰富的海水资源,以及西北内陆地区的苦咸水(统称海水)进行淡化.提出了一种海水淡化装置,该装置利用温室效应原理和风能致热原理,可充分利用太阳能与风能进行海水淡化.与现有海水淡化装置相比该装置具有利用清洁能源、对环境无污染、适应性强、性价比高等特点.理论计算结果表明,该装置每小时产水量约为普通盘式太阳能海水淡化装置在晴天工作时的2倍.     

Direct use of solar energy for water desalination

Solar energy utilization in three different types of solar desalination systems is considered. The overall efficiency of a typical basin type solar desalination plant is 30 per cent or lower. The major design factors affecting energy utilization are basin temperature, condensing surface temperature and ambient air temperature. Basic reflection and thermal radiation from the evaporating surface and transparent cover are the major sources of heat energy loss in a solar still. The efficiency of a solar desalination plant can be improved by controlling radiation from the plant basin and by the reuse of the latent heat of condensation.     

Optical fibers and solar power generation

A study of the potential use of optical fibers for solar thermal power generation is presented. The main performance characteristics (numerical aperture and attenuation) and typical costs of currently available fibers are discussed. Several approaches to the application of fibers are presented, for centralized (tower, central receiver) and distributed (dish–engine) systems. The overall system design-point efficiency and overall system cost are estimated. A scaling relation between system size and the cost of the fiber component is identified, which severely limits the applicability of fibers to small systems only. The overall system cost for centralized systems is found to be higher than the currently competitive range, even under optimistic assumptions of mass production of major components. A significant reduction in fiber cost is required before the use of fibers for centralized solar power generation can become competitive. In distributed generation using dish/engine systems, however, the use of fibers does achieve competitive performance and costs, comparable to the costs for conventional dish systems.     

太阳能与燃煤机组集成发电系统的研究现状

介绍了太阳能与燃煤机组集成发电系统的发展背景、国内外发展状况以及集成方式,对太阳能与回热系统集成等三种集成方式进行了比较,分析了几种提高集成发电系统经济性的优化方式,指出了发展中存在的一些问题及发展前景。     

某15MW太阳能屋顶光伏发电工程的应用分析

在对太阳能屋顶光伏发电系统构成及发展意义阐述的基础上,通过对某15MW屋顶光伏发电工程大量实际数据的分析,表明太阳能屋顶光伏发电工程具有良好的社会、经济效益和广阔的发展前景。     

Seawater desalination using renewable energy sources

The origin and continuation of mankind is based on water. Water is one of the most abundant resources on earth, covering three-fourths of the planet's surface. However, about 97% of the earth's water is salt water in the oceans, and a tiny 3% is fresh water. This small percentage of the earth's water—which supplies most of human and animal needs—exists in ground water, lakes and rivers. The only nearly inexhaustible sources of water are the oceans, which, however, are of high salinity. It would be feasible to address the water-shortage problem with seawater desalination; however, the separation of salts from seawater requires large amounts of energy which, when produced from fossil fuels, can cause harm to the environment. Therefore, there is a need to employ environmentally-friendly energy sources in order to desalinate seawater.After a historical introduction into desalination, this paper covers a large variety of systems used to convert seawater into fresh water suitable for human use. It also covers a variety of systems, which can be used to harness renewable energy sources; these include solar collectors, photovoltaics, solar ponds and geothermal energy. Both direct and indirect collection systems are included. The representative example of direct collection systems is the solar still. Indirect collection systems employ two sub-systems; one for the collection of renewable energy and one for desalination. For this purpose, standard renewable energy and desalination systems are most often employed. Only industrially-tested desalination systems are included in this paper and they comprise the phase change processes, which include the multistage flash, multiple effect boiling and vapour compression and membrane processes, which include reverse osmosis and electrodialysis. The paper also includes a review of various systems that use renewable energy sources for desalination. Finally, some general guidelines are given for selection of desalination and renewable energy systems and the parameters that need to be considered.     

New energy power generation-wind power generation

This paper introduced the status quo of wind power and wind power generation technology. Focusing on the introduction of wind power generating system ibrational self-consistent field（VSCF）, program implementation included Alternating Current （AC）-Direct Current （DC）-AC conversion system, magnetic field modulation generator system, doubly-fed generator system etc. Among these, doubly-fed generator system is the trend. Where to build the wind farm is very important, so a perfect site is needed. Wind power generation will have a bright future. As long as the wind power can be linked to the grid in large scale.     

Electric power generation from solar pond using combined thermosyphon and thermoelectric modules

Salinity-gradient solar ponds can collect and store solar heat at temperatures up to 80 °C. As a result, these water bodies act as a renewable source of low grade heat which can be utilized for heating and power generation applications. In this paper, design and test result of the combined system of thermosyphon and thermoelectric modules (TTMs) for the generation of electricity from low grade thermal sources like solar pond is discussed. In solar ponds, temperature difference in the range 40-60 °C is available between the lower convective zone (LCZ) and the upper convective zone (UCZ) which can be applied across the hot and cold surfaces of the thermoelectric modules to make it work as a power generator. The designed system utilizes gravity assisted thermosyphon to transfer heat from the hot bottom to the cold top of the solar pond. Thermoelectric cells (TECs) are attached to the top end of the thermosyphon which lies in the UCZ thereby maintaining differential temperature across them. A laboratory scale model based on the proposed combination of thermosyphon and thermoelectric cells was fabricated and tested under the temperature differences that exist in the solar ponds. Result outcomes from the TTM prototype have indicated significant prospects of such system for power generation from low grade heat sources particularly for remote area power supply. A potential advantage of such a system is its ability to continue to provide useful power output at night time or on cloudy days because of the thermal storage capability of the solar pond.     

太阳能热发电系列文章(1)聚光类太阳能热发电概述

能源短缺、资源枯竭、环境污染等问题已严重影响人们的生活和制约社会的发展,各国竞相开展水能、风能、地热能、生物质能、潮汐能、太阳能等清洁和可再生能源的应用研究。美国、德国、以色列、澳大利亚及日本等国家在太阳能应用技术研究方面起步较早,也是当今太     

A solar energy storage and power generation system based on supercritical carbon dioxide

This paper proposes a new type of solar energy based power generation system using supercritical carbon dioxide and heat storage. The power generation cycle uses supercritical carbon dioxide as the working fluid and integrates the supercritical carbon dioxide cycle with an efficient high-temperature heat storage. The analysis shows that the new power generation system has significantly higher solar energy conversion efficiency in comparison to the conventional water-based (steam) system. At the same time, the heat storage not only overcomes the intermittent nature of solar energy but also improves the overall system efficiency. The study further reveals that the high temperatures and high pressures are favorable for solar energy storage and power generation. Moreover the expander and the heat storage/regenerator are found to be the key components that determine the overall system performance.     

Photo-electrochemical hydrogen generation from water using solar energy. Materials-related aspects

The present work considers hydrogen generation from water using solar energy. The work is focused on the materials-related issues in the development of high-efficiency photo-electrochemical cells (PECs). The property requirements for photo-electrodes, in terms of semiconducting and electrochemical properties and their impact on the performance of PECs, are outlined. Different types of PECs are overviewed and the impact of the PEC structure and materials selection on the conversion efficiency of solar energy are considered.Trends in research in the development of high-efficiency PECs are discussed. It is argued that very sophisticated materials engineering must be used for processing the materials that will satisfy the specific requirements for photo-electrodes. An important issue in the processing of these materials is the bulk vs. interface properties at the solid/solid interfaces (e.g., grain boundaries) and solid/liquid interfaces (e.g., electrode/electrolyte interface). Consequently, the development of PECs with the efficiency required for commercialization requires the application of up-to-date materials processing technology.The performance of PECs is considered in terms of:

• •excitation of electron–hole pair in photo-electrodes;
• •charge separation in photo-electrodes;
• •electrode processes and related charge transfer within PECs;
• •generation of the PEC voltage required for water decomposition.

This work also gives empirical data on the performance of PECs of different structures and materials selection.It is argued that PEC technology is the most promising technology for hydrogen production owing to several reasons:

• •PEC technology is based on solar energy, which is a perpetual source of energy, and water, which is a renewable resource;
• •PEC technology is environmentally safe, with no undesirable byproducts;
• •PEC technology may be used on both large and small scales;
• •PEC technology is relatively uncomplicated.

According to current predictions, the production of hydrogen will skyrocket by 2010 (Morgan and Sissine, Congressional Research Service, Report for Congress. The Committee for the National Institute for the Environment, Washington, DC, 20006-1401, 28 April 1995). Consequently, seed funding already has been allocated to several national research programs aiming at the development of hydrogen technology. The countries having access to this PEC technology are likely to form the OPEC of the future.     

Exploitation of solar energy collected by solar stills for desalination by membrane distillation

The aim of this work was to evaluate the technical feasibility of producing potable water from simulated seawater by integrating a membrane distillation module with a solar still. The relatively hot brine in the solar still was used as a feed to the membrane module. The synergistic action of the solar still and the membrane module in the production of potable water was quantified. For this purpose, two types of experiment were conducted, indoor experiments and outdoor experiments. The sensitivity of the permeate flux to the brine temperature, flow rate, salt concentration and solar irradiation were all investigated. Overall, the flux of water from the solar still was no more than 20% of the total flux. The brine temperature significantly affected the flux of both the solar still and the membrane module, while the effect of salt concentration was marginal. The effect of these process parameters was more noticeable in the membrane module than in the solar still.     

Analysis of solar desalination system using heat pump

This paper investigates a pilot desalination system which consists of a direct expansion solar assisted heat pump (DXSAHP) coupled to a single-effect evaporator unit. The working fluid used is R134a and distillate is obtained via falling film evaporation and flashing in the unit. Experiments have been conducted in both day and night meteorological conditions in Singapore and the effects of solar irradiation and compressor speed have been studied against the system performance. From the experiments, the Performance Ratio (PR) obtained ranges from 0.43 to 0.88, the average Coefficient of Performance (COP) was 8 and the highest distillate production recorded was 1.38 kg/h.