Development of a dynamic control communication system for hybrid power systems

Hybrid power systems are the most attractive option for the electrification of remote locations. There are problems however that keep them from being widely implemented. These include high cost because of system complexity, site-specific design requirements and the lack of available control system flexibility. The solution to these problems is the creation of an appropriate and adaptable supervisory controller. Such a concept includes open standards, automatic component identification and an adaptable control algorithm. It assumes (1) hybrid power system components with communication ports allowing communication with a supervisory controller, (2) a central supervisory controller and (3) a communication network between each component in the system. A Universal Plug and Play specification is used to carry out the necessary functions of automatic component identification and inter-component communication. An experimental system (hardware and software) was constructed to prove the concept and to prepare a foundation for further development in the intelligent adaptable supervisory controller. The hardware involved two personal computers at its core: one containing the supervisory control and identification software and the other containing models of various system components. Tests were conducted that confirm the capability of this concept to use in hybrid power system     

Kinetic and CFD Modeling of Exhaust Gas Reforming of Natural Gas in a Catalytic Fixed-Bed Reactor for Spark Ignition Engines

Fuel reforming is an attractive method for performance enhancement of internal combustion engines fueled by natural gas, since the syngas can be generated inline from the reforming process. In this study, 1D and 2D steady-state modeling of exhaust gas reforming of natural gas in a catalytic fixed-bed reactor were conducted under different conditions. With increasing engine speed, methane conversion and hydrogen production increased. Similarly, increasing the fraction of recirculated exhaust gas resulted in higher consumption of methane and generation of H₂ and CO. Steam addition enhanced methane conversion. However, when the amount of steam exceeded that of methane, less hydrogen was produced. Increasing the wall temperature increased the methane conversion and reduced the H₂/CO ratio.     

In situ synthesis of CuS nanoparticle with a distinguishable SPR peak in NIR region

In this article we report the synthesis of CuS nanoparticle with distinguishable surface plasmonic resonance (SPR) peaks in near infrared region. For this purpose in situ synthesis (one-step fabrication) has been used to prepare CuS nanoparticles in PMMA polymer matrix at room temperature. The X-ray diffraction spectrum confirms the formation of CuS nanoparticles. The transmittance spectra of nano-composite samples reveal that the samples have a good transparency. The absorption spectra show a broad absorption peak in the wavelength region from 570 to 980 nm which is a characteristic SPR peak for CuS nanoparticle. An increase of refractive index was observed for the samples containing CuS nanoparticles. The linear relationship between the refractive index and volume fraction was observed. The appearance of SPR peak in refractive index spectra was attributed to CuS nanoparticles. Shifting of absorption edge to lower photon energy has been observed for nano-composite samples. The direct energy bandgap of nano-composite samples are reduced compare to pure PMMA polymer. The plot between the direct energy band gap and refractive index reveals that the decrease in bandgap energy is associated with the increase in index of refraction. The increase of optical dielectric constant can be ascribed to the formation of CuS nanoparticles. The low band gap of CuS nanoparticles in the present work reveals their importance for applications in optoelectronic devices.