Evaluation of energy generation in Iraqi territory by solar photovoltaic power plants with a capacity of 20 MW

The study evaluates the visibility of solar photovoltaic power plant construction for electricity generation based on a 20 MW capacity. The assessment was performed for four main cities in Iraq by using hourly experimental weather data (solar irradiance, wind speed, and ambient temperature). The experimental data was measured for the period from 1st January to 31st December of the year 2019, where the simulation process was performed at a 1 h time step resolution at the same resolution as the experimental data. There are two positionings considered for solar photovoltaic modules: (i) annual optimum tilt angle and (ii) two-axis tracking system. The effect of the ambient temperature and wind on the overall system energy generated was taken into consideration. The study is targeted at evaluating the potential solar energy in Iraq and the viability of electricity generation using a 20 MW solar photovoltaic power plant. The results showed that the overall performance of the suggested power plant capacity is highly dependent on the solar irradiance intensity and the ambient temperature with wind speed. The current 20 MW solar photovoltaic power plant capacity shows the highest energy that can be generated in the mid-western region and the lowest in the northeast regions. The greatest influence of the ambient temperature on the energy genrated by power plants is observed in the southern regions.

Investigation of aerodynamic interaction between the balloon and the ducted wind turbine in airborne configuration

An aerodynamic analysis is presented in the current work, which estimates the separation distance between the balloon and the turbine in an airborne wind energy system (AWES). The stability of the structure of AWES depends on the aerodynamic interaction between the turbine and the balloon. A minimum gap must be maintained between the balloon and the wind turbine to reduce the interaction between the balloon and the turbine assembly. Three cases of AWES have been studied with a separation gap of 5 m, 10 m, and 16 m to estimate the minimum distance of separation between the balloon and the turbine. The aerodynamic interaction details suggest that a minimum distance of 13 m needs to be maintained between the turbine and the balloon to avoid the interaction between the balloon and turbine. Steady-state simulations of the rotor are run for various wind conditions to evaluate the efficiency of the duct-mounted configuration. The ducted turbine configuration saw a 7.4% increase in torque than the inducted turbine for a wind speed of 5 m s−1. A torque increase of 17.85% was observed when the separation distance was increased to 16 m from earlier 10 m.

Techno-economic analysis and design of hybrid renewable energy microgrid for rural electrification

Electricity is the most sought after resource in this world and is crucial for the development of any community. The power system structure has been changing according to the evolving scientific technologies. A novel concept in this direction is a Microgrid (MG) which is a small power system having generation and distribution with negligible presence of transmission. A MG can operate in off-grid (standalone) or grid-connected mode. The objective of this study is to perform techno-economic analysis and to design a MG model for the purpose of rural electrification. The region being considered has different resources which are capable of providing reliable supply to the load. The proposed model is compared economically with the option of grid extension. The study considers power system reliability and economic feasibility as the primary objectives for MG modelling. The village of Jarre which is located in the eastern part of Ethiopian, Somali region, is selected for this study. Particle Swarm Optimization is implemented for obtaining the most economic and reliable MG having Hybrid Renewable Energy Sources (HRES). The simulation is performed using MATLAB and Homer.

The comparison of triboelectric power generated by electron-donating polymers KAPTON and PDMS in contact with PET polymer

The Triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) are Fabricated by contact between two surfaces of different materials and convert of electric loads between them. In such structures, the two contacting layers should be radically different in terms of their electric property so that one of the layers could induce positive electrical charge while the other induces a negative charge. The application of force on and friction between the two layers induce positive and negative charges. Through the electrodes in external load, the electrical charges flow as electric current. In the present study, TEGN structures fabricated of polyethylene terephthalate polymers (PET) act as electron acceptor while Polyamide (KAPTON) and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) act as electron donator. The resulting outputs are compared consequently. Considering the fact that the two materials are relatively identical in terms of electron donation as they are in contact with PET, the generators fabricated of KAPTON could generate 400% more power under identical conditions. Therefore, one may conclude that KAPTON could be more suitable for development of self-power system as they are more available and more environmentally compatible.

Optimized routing with efficient energy transmission using Seline Trustworthy optimization for waste management in the smart cities

Rapid development in technology provides an emerging growth based on innovation, invention, and diffusion, where the diffusion of resources stands with the proper disposal of wastes, due to the over-utilization of resources, growing population growth, and migration increases the accumulation of wastes especially, in Indian cities. Therefore, managing the wastes effectively is a raising challenge in the metropolitan cities of India, where the continuous monitoring of the wastes and disposal needs to be initiated. In this research, an internet-of-things-based smart waste management system in smart cities (IoT-SWMS) is focused on proposing an optimal path selection protocol that facilitates the continuous monitoring and disposal of wastes. The proposed optimal path selection protocol named Seline trustworthy optimization developed to determine the optimal routing path in IoT network renders the faster communication of the collected data regarding the level of the dustbins, which is disposed properly at the right time. The analysis of the proposed Seline trustworthy optimization-based IoT network for SWMS is performed based on the performance measures, such as delay, throughput, energy, and Packet Delivery Ratio (PDR) in comparison with the traditional methods. The proposed methodology yields the maximal PDR of 99%, a minimum delay of 0.11 s, and a maximal throughput of 38,400 kbps.

Energy visibility of a modeled photovoltaic/diesel generator set connected to the grid

The paper presents a technical and economic analysis for two energy systems (conventional and renewable) with grid connection. The investigation was carried out using an experimental measurement for the desired load and weather data (solar irradiance and ambient temperature), were 5.1 kWh the daily energy consumption as measured and 4.6 kWh/m2/day the annual average of the solar irradiance. The simulation process was done by using MATLAB and HOMER software at a 1 min time step resolution. The economic optimization objective presented for two energy system scenarios (i) photovoltaic/grid and (ii) diesel/grid, takes into account the economic aspects and component prices based on the Iraqi market and regulations. The diesel generator, very popular in rural areas, is designed to work during the same period as the photovoltaic system (only during day hours). The yearly operating hours were recorded at 4380 h/year, and energy generation was approx. 2349 kWh/year while fuel consumption was 1826 L/year. The results showed that the photovoltaic system in scenario (i) can generate about 7895 kWh, and for the diesel generator in scenario (ii), it can generate approximately 2346 kWh. Furthermore, for scenario (i) the levelized net present cost is $1079 and the cost of energy is about $0.035/kWh, while for scenario (ii) the levelized net present cost is $12,287 and the cost of energy is $0.598/kWh. The use of solar energy is highly recommended compared to diesel generators due to the lowest cost and delivery of energy to the grid. Furthermore, it can capture carbon dioxide by about 5295 kg/year.

Effectiveness of line type and cross type piezoelectric patches on active vibration control of a flexible rectangular plate

In the present work, vibration control of a simply supported plate with line type and cross type piezoelectric (PZT) patches are investigated with and without actuation voltage. The plate is modeled under the assumption of Kirchhoff’s Plate theory. The mass of PZT patches remain constant in all cases. In case of actuation, applied voltage considered are 1, 2 and 3 mV. The external excitation to the plate is in the form of harmonically varying point load of 1 mN. It is noticed that cross type PZT patch is more effective in deflection suppression of plate than that of line type PZT patch at 3 mV of actuation at patch thickness of 0.75 μm. Suppression of central deflection of plate for line type and cross type PZT patches are obtained in different frequency bands of (175–185 Hz) and (870–880 Hz) respectively.

Design and simulation of a MEMS MIM capacitive pressure sensor with high sensitivity in low pressure range

In this paper, the improvement of the sensitivity of a capacitive MEMS pressure sensor is investigated. The proposed spring for the sensor can increase the sensitivity. Silicon is used as the substrate and gold and aluminium nitrate are used as the diaphragm and the dielectric layer, respectively. The dimensions of the diaphragm are 150 µm × 150 µm, which is suspended by four springs. The air gap between the diaphragm and the top electrode is 1.5 µm. The proposed structure is an efficient sensor for the pressures in the range of 1–20 kPa. By using the proposed design, the sensitivity of the MEMS sensor in 18 kPa has improved to 663 (× 10−3 pF/kPa).

Effect of unified power flow controller installation in dual feed induction generator (DFIG) wind turbines

In recent years, the use of wind energy to generate electricity in the world has been accelerating and growing. Wind farms are unstable when dynamic voltage fluctuations occur, especially sudden and sudden changes in load, and show oscillating performance at their output. In this paper, the Unified Power Flow Controller (UPFC) has been simulated and studied by Matlab software to improve the dynamic stability and transient behavior of the wind power plant in the event of sudden load changes. The simulation results show that by controlling the UPFC series inverter, voltage fluctuations in the PCC bus are prevented and the UPFC parallel inverter injects power after changing the load for faster recovery and stability of the PCC bus voltage and thus the stability of the wind farm. The UPFC can control the active and reactive power at the transmission line, and in fact, controls the output of the wind turbine with the generator from both sides to the fluctuations caused by sudden load changes that play a role such as sudden disturbances and oscillating errors. Also, the presence of UPFC in the system reduces power fluctuations.

Performance assessment of a balloon assisted micro airborne wind turbine system

This study intends to examine the performance of a balloon-assisted micro airborne wind turbine in a low wind speed location. The influence of the balloon separation gap on the airborne wind energy system (AWES) performance is also explored. A micro-AWES with a diameter of 3 m and a power output of 1 kW was fabricated and tested at 50, 100, 150, 200, and 250 m. Further, the optimum separation spacing of 13 m was maintained between the balloon and the ducted turbine to reduce balloon turbulence on the turbine. The airborne wind turbine achieved a maximum power output of 250 W at 250 m height while the average wind speed remained 6 m/s. The maximum power coefficient obtained was 0.25 while annual energy production (AEP) remained 1200 kWh. The low power coefficient is credited to the turbulence and drifting in the airborne system and the drag caused by the airborne structure. While a cost-effective commercial model of micro AWES is still being developed, the present work attempts to harvest wind energy at high elevations in low wind speed areas.