1,721,001 research outputs found
Innovation Report - Design of a proof-of-concept Hybrid Solar Concentrator System Utilising Spectrum Beam Splitting Technology to generate sustainable heat and electricity, for palm oil processing farms in South-West Nigeria
No full textSansom, Christopher L. - Associate SupervisorThis research explores the potential of a hybrid solar energy system that combines
Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) and Photovoltaics (PV) using spectrum beam-splitting
technology to address energy shortages in Nigeria’s small-scale agro-industrial sector. By using
cold and hot mirrors in a dish-based setup, the system separates the solar spectrum into visible
and infrared bands for simultaneous electrical and thermal energy production, enabling
cogeneration. Laboratory experiments, backed by theoretical modelling, show that this method
can improve overall system efficiency, reduce PV overheating, and offer a reliable, modular, and
sustainable energy solution.
The innovation is situated within a design-based, neighbourhood-scale framework that aligns
with regenerative sustainability principles. A real-life application is presented using the palm oil
processing sector at Owodaiye Farms in Ijebu-Ife, Ogun State, Nigeria, as a demonstrator site.
Here, the hybrid system not only meets off-grid energy demands but also catalyses local
empowerment, circular economies, and thematic integration within agricultural tourism.
The implications of this work extend beyond energy efficiency: the proposed system offers a
replicable model for integrated rural development and community-based renewable energy
infrastructure. It bridges the gap between technology and place-based regeneration by framing
solar energy as a “Crude Sunlight Refinery”—a novel construct that envisions sunlight as a raw,
separable, and usable resource for decentralized processing.
Future research will investigate the scalability of this beam-splitting concept into modular solar
refineries featuring fluid-based thermal receivers, enhanced optical coatings, and adaptive
tracking mechanisms. Additionally, investigations into policy alignment, climate resilience
metrics, and long-term techno-economic feasibility will strengthen its potential deployment
across sub-Saharan Africa.EngD in Sustainable Materials and Manufacturin
Development of soiling process characterisation methods for solar mirrors, for analysing mirror cleaning processes
No full textSansom, Christopher L. - Associate Supervisor - University of Derby
Schiller, Tara - Associate Supervisor - University of WarwickConcentrated Solar Power has the potential to provide power for the developing
global economies towards a sustainable future. This solar radiation-based
technology, reflects the radiation received by a solar mirror onto a receiver device
which absorbs heat. Maintenance is required to keep the solar mirrors clean, and
remove airborne particulate matter that settles on the mirror, which has an impact
on the solar collector efficiency. Constant research to optimize cleaning methods
and cleaning–strategies is paramount.
An artificial soiling test rig and soiling methods were developed, which are
capable of simulating repeatable soiling events and to specific soiling load.
These features are necessary to simulate cleaning cycles with a period of several
days. The developed test rig has a capability to provide a minimum soiling load
of 0.25g/m² and has a constant error of 16%. Repeatable soiling tests were
carried out up to 10 times.
Extensive soiling experiments with two soiling materials (silt material and ground
taken material from Almeria, Spain) and numerical simulation have revealed the
exponential nature of the soiling process. An empirical model was formulated,
which calculates specular reflectance, and includes material intrinsic parameters
and soiling load data. This model highlighted the fact that compared to a linear
model, between 7-20% lower soiling load is predicted, which potentially has a
positive influence on cleaning cycles and therefore the costs attributed to them.
A simulation series of a 10day cleaning cycles, which includes repeatable soiling
and condensation events, used the artificial soiling test rig and a cooling plate
located in a dry chamber. The adhesion effect (particle caking and capillary
aging) were analysed by a centrifuge and the coverage ratio of the mirror samples
before and after the experiments were calculated. It was noted that the
repeatable soiling test (soiling and condensation) had a visible difference
compared to the one-off soiling and condensation test series.
The experimental modelling work will help to improve the considerable
maintenance effort involved in mirror cleaning in solar field operations.Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC)EngD in Sustainable Materials and Manufacturin
Annual performance of a novel configuration for an integrated solar combined cycle utilising municipal solid waste
Full text linkSansom, Christopher L. - Associate SupervisorClimate change has been a major incentive for the global power generation
industry to move towards the implementation of sustainable renewable energy
technologies in order to reduce the emissions of greenhouse gases, especially
carbon dioxide emissions. Concentrated solar power (CSP) has established itself
as one of the common renewable energy technologies for large scale power
generation. A further attractive feature of this solar technology is its hybrid
operation in the form of integrated solar combined cycle (ISCC) which facilitates
control and ensures that the power plant is available to meet demand whenever
it occurs. ISCC commonly uses natural gas to operate the combined cycle but
this CSP hybrid system also has the potential to limit its use of this fossil fuel with
a more environmentally friendly fuel, namely the produced syngas from solid
feedstock gasification which can be accomplished by further integration of the
gasification reactor with ISCC. The organic fraction of municipal solid waste
(MSW) was selected for this application, both to replace natural gas as well as
for its value as a waste management method. In the present work, the thesis
studies and contrasts four configurations of ISCC based on two factors, the type
of fuel and the level of solar thermal contribution. One configuration represents
the conventional form by using natural gas (ISCC 1) while another configuration
uses municipal solid waste (ISCC 2) and in both cases, the solar field generates
high -pressure saturated steam using parabolic trough with thermal oil. The last
two configurations are related to the research proposal for ISCC which states that
this hybrid system runs on municipal solid waste and utilises enhanced solar
thermal contribution. This enhanced thermal power from the solar field is used to
generate high-pressure superheated steam using parabolic trough with molten
salt (ISCC 3) or solar power tower with molten salt (ISCC 4). In all cases, the fuel
runs the combined cycle, and the solar field operates in parallel to provide extra
steam for the hybrid system. However, the use of gasification in ISCC 2, ISCC 3
and ISCC 4 generates extra steam for the hybrid system through syngas cooling
system which is attached to the low-pressure section of the steam turbine cycle.
In this work, models are developed to investigate the differences between the
various configurations in terms of technical and economic performances using
Spain and Saudi Arabia as case studies. The results indicate that the use of a
solar power tower in the proposed concept, ISCC 4, gave the highest electricity
production at 646 GWh with a solar share of 12.80% under Spanish weather and
644 GWh with a solar share of 15.24% under the Saudi Arabian weather.
Furthermore, ISCC 4 offered the lowest levelised cost of electricity at 28.45
/MWh for Saudi Arabia and Spain, respectively, when the
novel concept (ISCC 3 and ISCC 4) is compared to the conventional concept
(ISCC 1). The main thesis contribution was to reveal the impact of coupling the
ISCC using enhanced solar thermal power with municipal solid waste gasification
and its potential as Waste-to-Energy plant. Based on the study presented
outcomes, The proposed concept of integrated solar combined cycle (ISCC 3 and
ISCC 4) demonstrated its practicality against conventional concept (ISCC 1) due
to achieving higher performance outcomes with lower costs. The outcomes of
ISCC 2 in both countries presented slightly lower LCOE values than the novel
concept indicating that the replacement of fuel alone did not show a significant
impact against the novel concept in terms electricity production cost.PhD in Energy and Powe
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Variations on the Author
Full text link“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
Appropriate Similarity Measures for Author Cocitation Analysis
Full text linkWe provide a number of new insights into the methodological discussion about author cocitation analysis. We first argue that the use of the Pearson correlation for measuring the similarity between authors’ cocitation profiles is not very satisfactory. We then discuss what kind of similarity measures may be used as an alternative to the Pearson correlation. We consider three similarity measures in particular. One is the well-known cosine. The other two similarity measures have not been used before in the bibliometric literature. Finally, we show by means of an example that our findings have a high practical relevance.information science;Pearson correlation;cosine;similarity measure;author cocitation analysis
Dispelling the Myths Behind First-author Citation Counts
Full text linkWe conducted a full-scale evaluative citation analysis study of scholars in the XML research field to explore just how different from each other author rankings resulting from different citation counting methods actually are, and to demonstrate the capability of emerging data and tools on the Web in supporting more realistic citation counting methods. Our results contest some common arguments for the continued
use of first-author citation counts in the evaluation of scholars, such as high correlations between author rankings by first-author citation counts and other citation
counting methods, and high costs of using more realistic citation counting methods that are not well-supported by the ISI databases. It is argued that increasingly available digital full text research papers make it possible for citation analysis studies to go beyond what the ISI databases have directly supported and to employ more
sophisticated methods
koamabayili/VECTRON-author-checklist: VECTRON author checklist
No full textWe have done our best to complete the author checklist relating to the use of animals in the hut study. Note that the objective for the hut study was to evaluate the IRS treatment applications for residual efficacy against Anopheles mosquitoes, including the local An. coluzzii mosquito population. Cows were only used to attract mosquitoes into the huts and no tests were carried out directly on the cows. The author checklist is intended for use with studies where experiments are carried out on animals, which is why we have had such difficulty in completing this for the hut study, as many of the questions do not relate to how the cows were used
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