Operating policies for wind-pumped storage hybrid power stations in island grids

Pumped storage is today viewed as the most suitable storage technology for achieving high wind penetration levels in multi-megawatt-sized autonomous island grids, where the technical constraints introduced by the conventional generating units impose limitations on the output of wind farms. In this study, an operating policy is proposed for hybrid wind-hydro power stations (HPSs) in island grids, to increase wind penetration levels, while at the same time minimising the impact on the conventional generation system and ensuring the viability of the HPS investment. The proposed operating strategy is applied to three different autonomous island systems using a dedicated logistic model, to evaluate the effect of the HPS on the overall operation and economics of the island systems and to assess the feasibility of HPS investments.     

Speed and power factor controller for AC adjustable speed drives

The speed and power factor of an adjustable speed slip power recovery drive are controlled in order to optimize the operation. This is accomplished by means of a variable-voltage-variable-frequencies power converter. The function of the digital controller of the power converter is to provide the online speed and power factor regulation. The hardware and software are described. This scheme has an accurate voltage output with very low harmonic content, a good resolution for the phase angle regulation and the frequency control with the possibility of range extension     

Improving the utilization factor of a PEM electrolyzer powered by a 15 MW PV park by combining wind power and battery storage – Feasibility study

So far, the biggest photovoltaic park in Belgium has been injecting all its energy into the electric distribution grid through a power purchase agreement with an electricity supplier. Due to decreasing and volatile wholesale electricity prices, the industrial partners/owners of the photovoltaic park are considering hydrogen storage in an attempt to increase the value proposition of their renewable energy installation. A major objective of the present work is to show how the utilization factor of the electrolyzer is affected by the design of the power supply system when the latter consists only of renewable energy sources instead of using the electric grid. Different hybrid designs were developed, by combining the existing photovoltaic source with wind power and state-of-the-art energy storage technologies (Vanadium Redox Flow or Lithium NMC). Finally, four scenarios were investigated, all considering a 1 MW PEM electrolyzer: A) 15 MW PV, B) 15 MW PV, 2MW Wind, C) 15 MW PV, 2 MW Wind, Battery, D) 15 MW PV, 15 MW Wind. The utilization factor was found as follows, for each scenario respectively: A) 41,5%, B) 65,5%, C) 66,0–86,0%, D) 82,0%. Furthermore, the analysis was extended to include economic evaluations (i.e. payback period, accumulated profit), specifically concerning scenario B and C. The results of this study lead to a number of conclusions such as: i) The utilization of the electrolyzer is limited when its power supply is intermittent. ii) Compared to PV, wind power makes larger contribution to the increase of the utilization factor, iii) 100% utilization can be achieved only if an energy storage system co-exists. iv) With a utilization factor at 65,5% scenario B can deliver a payback period in less than 8 years, if hydrogen is sold above 5€/kg. An analytic overview of all conclusions is presented in the last section of the paper.     

Ostwald ripening: a decisive cause of cylinder corrosive wear

Acids formed from fuel combustion and lubricating oil breakdown can promote corrosive engine wear. Using capillary video-microcopy to investigate the neutralization of sulfuric acid droplets by overbased additives in lubricating oil, we have found that the Ostwald ripening of acid droplets may be a decisive factor of corrosive wear because it prolongs the lifetime of larger acid droplets. This finding provides a new understanding of how acids corrode engine parts, and in particular, why the most corrosive engine wear often occurs at piston top dead center, and may lead to new strategies for engine designs and lubricating oil additives.     

Collaborative work during interventional radiological procedures based on a multicast satellite-terrestrial network.

Collaboration is a key requirement in several contemporary interventional radiology procedures (IRPs). This work proposes a multicast hybrid satellite system capable of supporting advanced IRP collaboration, and evaluates its feasibility and applicability. Following a detailed IRP requirements study, we have developed a system which supports IRP collaboration through the employment of a hybrid satellite-terrestrial network, a prototype multicast version of wavelet based interactive communication system (WinVicos) application, and a partition aggregation and conditional coding (PACC) wavelet codec. A semistructured questionnaire was also used to receive evaluative feedback from collaborating participants. The departments of interventional radiology of University Hospital of Patras, Greece and of Charite Hospital of Berlin, Germany have been connected on the system. Eight interventional radiologists and a vascular surgeon participated periodically in three satellite-terrestrial "fully collaborative" IRPs (average time 90 min) of high complexity and in four terrestrial educational sessions with great success, evidenced by considerable improving the IRP outcomes (clinical and educational). In case of high complexity, where the simultaneous presence of remote interventional expert and/or surgeon is required, advanced collaboration among staff of geographically dispersed international centers is feasible via integration of existing networking and other technologies.