1,721,139 research outputs found
Solar power generation in a mining town
Full text linkClimate change is a pertinent issue facing governments and societies around the world. The industrial revolution has resulted in a steady increase in the average global temperature. The mining and energy production industries have been significant contributors to this change prompting governments to intervene by promoting low emission technology within these sectors. This thesis reviews the energy problem in Australia and the mining sector with a focus on the energy requirements and production methods utilised in Newman WA. BHP operate the largest open cut iron ore mine in the world requiring substantial amounts of energy to maintain.
Renewable energy in the form of utility scale solar photovoltaics (PV) provides a solution to these problems by providing emission free energy which can be used to supplement the existing natural gas turbines in operation. This research presents a custom renewable solution for the Newman scenario considering the specific township network, local weather conditions and load profile. A summary of the required PV output is presented to supply slightly over 50% of the towns power requirements during the peak (summer) period, resulting in close to full coverage in the trough (winter) period. Power Factory is used to simulate the characteristics of the existing infrastructure and produces results of integrating PV. These results conclude that the problems requiring mitigation strategies unacceptable levels of harmonics and low power factor.
Strategies are proposed to control these issues predominantly through the use of high quality, made for purpose inverters. Results show that use of inverters with harmonic filtering dramatically reduce the level of harmonic injections to an acceptable level according to Australian standards. Furthermore, the configuration of inverters to supply active and reactive power assist in mitigating low power factor problems
The design of a stand alone power system for Chipendeke
Full text linkThis study developed a hybrid renewable energy integrated stand- alone power system for the community of Chipendeke, a remote area located in Zimbabwe. A techno-economic feasibility study has been undertaken to identify the prospect of the proposed hybrid power system. The study considers various technical and financial options that are available for the system with multiple distribution generation applications and the selection of the most optimum solution for the community.
Information about the community was researched, which included their way of life, load demand, future requirements and the renewable energy resources available in the area. This information, as well as the current prices of the required components of the system, were used to develop a model for the microgrid for Chipendeke. This thesis has only considered the design and costs of the system and more simulations and studies need to be undertaken in order for this system to be implemented. These would include analysing the current transmission system as well as developing protection strategies.
By developing a hybrid renewable stand-alone model, this study aims to be a useful resource for future work that is done within the community of Chipendeke. As the community grows, it is hoped that this model will act as a basis for further research in to the development of a microgrid for the area
Integrating photovoltaic systems into remote diesel generator powered networks
Full text linkThis thesis aims to research the effects of multiple ascending levels of photovoltaic (PV) power penetration on a prototype diesel generator powered network that has a PV power system integrated into it. First the effects of this additional photovoltaic penetration were documented then some ways to mitigate the effects of solar intermittency were investigated. This project relates to the Power and Water Corporation’s (PWC) proposed roll out of 10 megawatt of solar throughout more than 30 of the remote communities they service in the Northern Territory. This thesis is concerned with instantaneous PV power penetration and studying the effects levels of instantaneous penetration higher than 30 per cent may have on an individual network.
To conduct this study, literature about solar irradiance data and previous trials in the Northern Territory was studied to make sensible simulation event estimates for a mock network. A network model was created and used in simulations to approximate the network’s response to cloud shading during various levels of penetration. The simulations confirmed that photovoltaic penetration of 30 per cent and even 45 per cent could easily be implemented without the need for upgrading the existing infrastructure. Both 60 and 70 per cent penetration level simulations suggested that there would likely be a need to raise the nominal generated voltage and or apply shunt capacitor banks to the load buses. The significance of these results is that they confirm the Power and Water Corporations premise that 30 per cent penetration is a safe starting point and also suggest that higher levels of photovoltaic penetration can be achieved with little to no costly infrastructure upgrades, depending on the level of penetration implemented
Implementing Australia's first residential grid connected BESS - Industry Project
Full text linkEnergy Made Clean (EMC) designed, built and commissioned Australia’s first residential grid connected battery system in January of 2016. This project will serve as a touchstone for new Battery Energy Storage (BESS) installations around Australia and the world. The challenge of integrating the increasing up-take in residential PV installations into the grid has been undertaken. The technical problems caused by PV like peak demands and grid instability can be addressed through the successful operation of the BESS. The project can address these problems in theory though peak shaving and voltage/frequency assist control modes.
The outcome of the project was the supply of a BESS capable of operting in the modes which solve grid stability and peak demand issues of rooftop solar on the grid. The level of success in which the issues are solved can only be measured by data collected over the lifetime of the project.
This paper will not analyse the effectivness of the BESS in solving peak shaving and grid stability issues but will describe the objectives of the overall installation for context and purpose. Instead it will seek to display clear instances of my own applied learning while working on the project from an engineer’s perspective.
During the project I demonstrate the key learnings and appliction of those learnings using examples. There is also demonstrations of electrical engineering theory from the Engineering degree at Murdoch University being applied to solve a specific issue with matching voltages. These examples provide valuable insight into the project timeline as well as the development towards a successful installation
Demand response in remote communities
Full text linkOptimal Microgrid operation is considered as an important challenge to be achieved. Decreasing the active power Loss, maintaining bus voltages violation within the standard, operation cost and two-way communication between customer and energy utilities problems are fulfilled which reflected the aim of the operation through this challenge. Therefore, Demand Response programs attracted a lot of attention through operating of Microgrid and showed a sustained and rapid growth in recent years, as power supplies face the difficulties to meet the demands during the operation. Especially during the peak hours when the demand is higher than supply or vice versa.
This project explored the rural communities’ electricity network and the challenges, opportunities, and problems associated with Microgrids. The concept of DR, identification of current techniques and programs in a field of DR were highlighted.
The aim of this thesis is to use the sensitivity analysis method to determine the optimal location for Shunt Capacitor placement, identify the priority of the buses in the network and using Direct Load Control (DLC) method for DR implementation.
In order to achieve the objectives of this paper, the communications between MATLAB and DigSILENT were explored, and a DPL script has been developed for simulation to validate the DR method
Energy management for islanded microgrid with energy storage systems
Full text linkMicrogrid is a new form of electrical network interconnected with renewable energy resources mainly used for remote areas. A microgrid has two operational modes, grid-connected and isolated modes. In isolated mode operation, the microgrid needs to overcome the intermittent power generated by renewable energy resources (PV or wind turbines) as the amount of generation is largely affected by weather condition. In order to optimise the power dispatch and maintain power-quality for an islanded microgrid, an energy management system for a low-voltage islanded microgrid with an energy storage system (battery in this thesis) is presented.
The main objective of this energy management system is to optimise power dispatch and to make effective use of power generated by renewable resources (solar power in this paper) for an islanded microgrid to achieve the purpose of installing an environmental friendly power grid. The proposed energy management system is divided into two parts. Firstly, the system determines the battery charging/discharging state and the backup DG operating time based on the power generated by PV, base DG and load demand in each time step. From the decision-making process, the battery power, battery state of charge and the backup DG operating time is available for the next stage of the energy management system.
Secondly, the modified Gauss-Seidel load flow iteration process is run in MATLAB for computing the bus voltage and transmission line power losses in each time step. The Gauss-Seidel load flow analysis is a typical calculation strategy for evaluating the operation of power flow in an electrical network. In order to verify the effectiveness of the proposed energy management system, four case studies are provided in this report under different power profiles and load profiles. The energy management system is used not only for optimizing power dispatch for an isolated microgrid with renewable energy resources and an energy storage system, but also for sizing battery and diesel generators before the installation of the microgrid with reasonable prediction of load demand and renewable power generation
Evaluation of cascading events and line outages using artificial neural networks
Full text linkThis thesis undertakes a detailed literature review into the problem of “Line Outages” within power systems. Following research into existing methods of minimizing the effects of line outages on a system, two solutions are proposed which apply Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) to build from previous research:
1. A method for detecting line outages
2. A method for minimizing the risk of cascading line outages
Each solution has two objectives, a primary objective of providing a solution to the problem, and secondary objective of applying Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) within the solution.
A method for detecting line outages is proposed, applying ANNs rather than conventional methods for predicting the on/off status of all lines in a system for any given network state. Detailed results demonstrate the accuracy of the model within the limits of the training data, with decreasing accuracy outside that range.
A method for minimizing the risk of line outages is proposed, which assesses initial line outage events that trigger further outage events. This would provide power system designers with an insight into parts of the system that are vulnerable to cascading events. The method builds off of previous research by applying ANNs and is tested with and without ANNs for evaluating the accuracy of the ANN model. Both versions demonstrate reliability within the limitations that are discussed (decreased accuracy outside of training data for the ANN version, and processing time for the Power Factory version)
Investigating a fast, reliable and cost-effective communication technology for managing residential loads
Full text linkPower management has become an issue of concern in modern day. This thesis presents a research on methods used to identify a suitable communication technology that will assist households and ancillaries to know real time energy consumption and accordingly control and manage the power consumption of premises. To achieve this aim, an initial investigation into a suitable communication technology that can measure real time energy consumption of appliances is conducted and based on these results, necessary control approaches are proposed that manages residential loads efficiently. Utility companies can control home appliances by adopting control approaches with communication technologies. With the advancement in technology, remote monitoring has been made possible such that, from a central location, one can check the load connected against the supply and take the appropriate action (control method) in case of imbalance. Monitoring devices are kept at the load side and can transit this information wirelessly to the control centre. The effectiveness of such a system will thus depend largely on the accuracy and effectiveness of the communication technology being used. Herein, it is explained the different communication technologies that are being implemented in different places and compares them. At the end, a conclusion on which of them is the most effective will be drawn based on their performances. Based on this, the writer will explain how the chosen technology is applied in remote monitoring different household appliances. The technology will be used to generate reports which show the consumption patterns by the consumer and how this information can be used to create a balance in the grid lines will be discussed at the end
Control of an islanded microgrid
Full text linkThis thesis presents a detailed investigative process into the study of the control of an islanded microgrid. This investigation is done through the research and exploration of multiple existing control techniques for the control of a microgrid and then by analysing them to identify the areas where the existing methods can be altered in order to reduce or mitigate common operational issues.
The final goal was to use the gathered information to develop an innovative strategy that may be used to control an islanded microgrid. However, due to various challenges faced over the course of the project – this goal was not achieved.
In light of this, the aim of this thesis was for it to became a research focused development of a body of work that may be useful or potentially serve as a point of reference for future studies in the control of an islanded microgrid.
1. P & PI Controller Regulation & Response Times
2. Natural Load Sharing Amongst Distributed Generators
3. Secondary Frequency-Load Control Mechanisms
4. Controllable Storage Systems
5. Automated Load Shedding in Microgrids
6. Stabilizer Control Strategies
By developing this list of factors and considerations, this thesis project aims to be a useful resource for future studies performed in the topic of islanded microgrid control. The aspiration is that by collating extensive background, theoretical and technical research in this project, the efficiency of those who may want to continue work in this area of study will be improved
Embedded micro grid design & application for improvement in main grid performance and sustainability
Full text linkThis Thesis focusses on the practical application of Micro grid design in Western Australian, discussing current conditions of the main grid, challenges of micro grids, and how micro grid control can be used to improve the performance of the main grid.
Using the case study of the Kalbarri LV grid, I created and implemented the design according to area needs and specifications on PowerFactory, taking into account assumptions made with the static load.
I then compared different types of Master- Slave control strategies to compare which had the most positive effect on the grid in reliability and efficiency.
Different from proposed strategies, Voltage controlled master and current controlled slaves ended up being the most appropriate choice for grid connected mode due to increased reliability, efficiency and practical design in regards to transition from grid connected mode to Isolated mode and vice versa. The main reason for this is that the main grid control strategies were not enough to maintain recommended voltage limits to this feeder in an end of line scenario, due to the long distance.
Standardization for micro grids in regards to control requires individual assessment in regards to the micro grid’s purpose, whether it be to go unnoticed in a grid or increasing the performance of the main grid
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