International Journal of Energetica
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Design of a flywheel energy storage system (fess) with plc node-red control system for electrical energy generation during off-peak hours
Get PDFThis paper presents the design, simulation, and implementation of a Flywheel Energy Storage System (FESS) integrated with a Node-RED Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) supervisory control system. The system is engineered to store electrical energy during off-peak hours and generate/discharge it during periods of high demand or grid instability. The core electromechanical design focuses on a high-speed composite rotor operating in a low-vacuum environment, coupled with a permanent magnet synchronous motor/generator (PMSM). Numerical simulations and prototype data confirm a designed storage capacity of 5.0 kWh and a maximum continuous output power of 100 kW. The system achieves a round-trip efficiency (RTE) of 87% when operating over a 15-minute discharge cycle, with rotor speeds ranging from 8,000 RPM at minimum state-of-charge (SoC) to 20,000 RPM at maximum. The bespoke Node-RED control interface, communicating via Modbus TCP/IP with the industrial PLC, enables automated scheduling for off-peak charging (simulated nightly from 00:00 to 05:00 hrs) and on-demand dispatch. Real-time monitoring of key parameters—including rotor speed (accuracy ±50 RPM), chamber pressure (maintained below 0.1 mbar), and bearing temperature—demonstrates stable operation. Economic analysis for the scaled prototype indicates a levelized cost of storage (LCOS) of $0.15/kWh over a 20-year lifespan, primarily driven by the high cycle life (>100,000 deep cycles) of the FESS. The results validate the proposed FESS-PLC-Node-RED architecture as a reliable, efficient, and programmable solution for temporal energy arbitrage and grid support, effectively shifting off-peak energy for use during peak periods
Floating Photovoltaic Systems: Expanding Renewable Alternatives to Combat Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Get PDFExtreme weather events like droughts, floods, heatwaves, and cyclones are increasingly linked to climate change, leading to fatalities, infrastructure damage, and the displacement of thousands. CO2 emissions primarily drive this climate change from burning fossil fuels. South Africa (SA), the highest CO2 emitter in Africa, heavily relies on coal, which accounts for nearly 85% of its emissions. However, SA also has significant but underdeveloped solar energy potential. Expanding solar PV is crucial for SA and other African nations to address energy shortages, reduce GHG emissions, enhance energy security, stimulate economic growth, create jobs, and achieve long-term cost savings. The study includes a computational modelling case study to evaluate PV potential and system performance, comparing onshore and offshore scenarios. It reports a Global Tilted Irradiance (GTI) of 1866 kWh/m² for land-based PV (LPV) and 1797 kWh/m² for FPV, with a Levelised Cost of Energy (LCOE) of 0.05664/kWh for FPV, respectively. The results suggest that the 10-kWp LPV system slightly outperforms the FPV system, though both are within acceptable performance ranges because of harsher offshore conditions. The paper proposes hybrid RE systems including FPV to improve SA's grid stability and efficiency.
Balancing Strategies for Reliable Vision Lithium Battery Operation
Get PDFThis paper investigates frequent operational challenges associated with Vision Lithium batteries, particularly spurious alarms indicating cell overvoltage (OV) and reductions in autonomy time. Such alarms, typically registering at a warning level but occasionally escalating to faults, have been reported both during commissioning and after extended field operation. The study categorizes these issues into four main cases: (1) unbalanced cells within a module during charging near full capacity, with voltages exceeding 3.380 V per cell, (2) unbalanced cells during discharge when the state of charge (SOC) falls below 20% (under 3.150 V per cell), (3) module-level imbalances during charging, where an entire module maintains a higher voltage relative to others, and (4) single cell voltage collapse, leading to substantial reductions in backup time, with deviations reaching several minutes below expected autonomy. Tests demonstrated that using the Equalizer Tool effectively restores balance within affected modules by equalizing cell voltages when connected at approximately 2.85 V per cell for at least 8 hours. This intervention ensures balanced performance in subsequent cycles. The findings highlight the importance of proactive balancing strategies to maintain battery system reliability and operational safety
Energy Efficiency Analysis and Performance Improvement under Real Operating Conditions in Ilorin Kwara state, Negeria
No full textThe performance of Asa and Agba dam waterworks in Kwara State, Nigeria was carried out using flow rate (m3/hr), power consumption (kW) and efficiency of the pumps (%). Daily flow rate of low and high lift pumps were obtained from log book of the Asa dam pump operators from 2011 to 2015 while the monthly electrical power consumption was retrieved from the archive of the Power Holdings Company of Nigeria (PHCN) in Ilorin, Nigeria. The data were analyzed using statistical parameters in the Microsoft Excel to determine measures of central tendency such as monthly minimum, maximum, mean and standard deviation. Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was used to test for statistically significant in the interaction between the flow rate, power consumption and the efficiency of the pumps. Results revealed that maximum efficiency of the pump varies between 35.5 % in 2011 to 20.4% in 2015. Comparison between pump efficiencies and design specification of 75-90 %, implies that the pump is performing below its design specification. The ANOVA results indicate that there is statistically significant interaction between the flow rate, power input and the efficiency of the pumps. It can be concluded that there is need to upgrade and replace the damage pump parts for its optimum performance
Innovations in Blade Design for Enhancing Wind Turbine Efficiency: A Review of Aerodynamic, Structural, and Material Advancements
Get PDFThis paper reviews the most significant aerodynamic, structural, and material advances in wind turbine blades. If the market is to be more sustainable, wind turbine efficiency becomes an important consideration. The article highlights the aerodynamic innovations that refine blades to optimize performance and capture more energy in higher lift-to-drag ratios. The structural advancement is based on high-end design techniques for high performance in extreme conditions to eliminate maintenance costs. Then there are the material improvements, such as lightweight, robust composites that make for longer blades with the ability to capture more energy without compromising strength. This multidimensional approach is, overall, crucial to widespread utilization of wind as a sustainable and affordable energy source against the backdrop of increasing energy needs
Characterization of Silica in sandstone rocks for Advanced Energy Applications
Get PDFSilica (SiO2), represents a main component used in various applications such as the manufacture of photovoltaic cells and fiberglass. Despite this importance, the use of silica in Algeria remains limited due to the quality of the material or unknown for some deposit. In this work, we carried out an in-depth characterization of the siliceous sandstone samples, using various advanced qualitative and quantitative characterization techniques of metallographic microscope, granulometric analysis, DRX and XRF. The results showed that the different characterized samples have a fairly silicon dioxide (SiO2) purity of 89.15 % at 250-400 µm of size with the presence of different types of defects, namely mineral inclusions of clay and oxide minerals. The presence of impurities, in particular iron and aluminum, limit the use of this silica for the production of advanced materials
Speedy Adoption of Solar Home Systems in Sub-Saharan Africa
Get PDFDespite the strong commitment of various countries around the world towards energizing the unserved population in their communities, around 1.3 billion people still lack access to affordable and reliable electricity. Interestingly, technological advancement is gradually reducing the cost of investing in off-grid renewable energy solutions. Developing an appropriate business model can play a vibrant role in electrifying off-grid rural communities. Literature on various business models for rural electrification has revealed that the model for off-grid rural areas in emerging nations should be service-based, scalable to several use case scenarios, and permit transparentness and superiority of service. This paper intends to present the business model for the speedy adoption of solar home systems in sub-Saharan Africa. The work further looks into the existing business models in rural electrification. It suggests insights for stakeholders to subscribe to the scalable-pay-as-you-go (SPAYG) business model in the SSA countries in their bids to fast-track the deployment and adoption of green electricity to rural households and businesses. It was established based on the survey that the adoption of upgrades by various PAYG SHS companies in their business model will further accelerate the speedy of electrification access via PAYG SHS.
Design, Implementation, and Analysis of a Local Pelton Turbine
Get PDFThis study investigates the performance characteristics of a locally designed Pelton turbine, focusing on the relationship between rotational speed, torque, and mechanical power output. Understanding these dynamics is crucial for optimizing turbine efficiency in various applications. Our experiments revealed that as the turbine’s rotational speed increased to 844 RPM, the torque decreased from 0.090 to 0.079 N·m, indicating a reduction in the efficiency of energy transfer from the water jets to the turbine buckets from 39% to 33%. This decline highlights the importance of maintaining an optimal speed range to maximize energy conversion. Furthermore, while power output initially increases with speed, operating the turbine beyond its optimal range can lead to diminishing returns due to mechanical and efficiency losses. These findings provide valuable insights for improving the design and operational strategies of Pelton turbines, ensuring enhanced performance and reliability
Dust Accumulation Effects on the Performance of Photovoltaic Panels: An Experimental Study in the Algerian Region of El-Oued
Get PDFThis paper examines the dust accumulation impact on the performance of photovoltaic panels in the Algerian region of El-Oued, where two similar photovoltaic panels were analyzed: a clean reference photovoltaic panel (PVr) and a dirty targeted photovoltaic panel (PVt) with 14.5 g/m² of dust. The data was collected on May 4th and 13th, 2022, through experimental works and numerical validation. The results show that dust significantly reduces the PV performance. On May 4th, 2022, the PVr produced 330.89 Wh, compared to 216.72 Wh for the PVt, with a difference of 34.65%. On May 13th, 2022, PVr generated 414.01 Wh, while PVt produced 271.16 Wh, with a difference of 34.67%. In terms of PV power generation, PVr reached maximum values of 52.82 W and 66.28 W on May 4th and 13th, respectively, compared to 34.5 W and 43.29 W for PVt. The PVr performance varied between 5.85% and 6.56%, while that of PVt was limited to 3.82% and 4.29%. These results highlight the importance of keeping photovoltaic panels clean to ensure optimal energy production, especially in desert environments like El-Oued,. Moreover, the study confirms that regular panel maintenance is essential to minimize power reduction due to dust and guarantee maximum panel efficiency
Effect of preparation rotation speed on structural properties of CH3NH3PB1-xSnxCl3 using spin coating methods
Get PDFPerovskite-based hybrid organic-inorganic solar cells that use the methylammonium lead tri-iodide (CH3NH3PbI3) have demonstrated ever-increasing energy conversion efficiency and low processing costs, comparable to that of high-efficiency silicon-based solar cells. However, it is suffuring from instability caused by material degradation. Recently, enhancing stability and hence decreasing the degradation process of CH3NH3PbI3based solar cells is one of the main topics of research in photovoltaic field. The poor stability of these cells prevents their commercialization despite their huge potential that exceeds conventional solar cells. The energy efficiency and economic viability of Perovskite cells depend primarily on the rate of degradation caused by light, temperature, moisture, and oxygen. This paper presents a review of different degradation sources of CH3NH3PbI3-based Perovskite solar cells (PSCs). In this work, a deposition of a CH3NH3PB1-xSnxCl3 Perovskite layer using spin coating method has been investigated. Therefore, different rotation speed have been used in layer spin coating phase to find out their effects on structural parameters characteristics of the resulting CH3NH3PB1-xSnxCl3 organic/inorganic Perovskite material.