74,371 research outputs found
Investment-based optimisation of energy storage design parameters in a grid-connected hybrid renewable energy system
Grid-connected hybrid renewable power systems with energy storage can reduce
the intermittency of renewable power supply. However, emerging energy storage
technologies need improvement to compete with lithium-ion batteries and reduce
the cost of energy. Identifying and optimizing the the most valuable
improvement path of these technologies is challenging due to the non-linearity
of the energy system model when considering parameters as independent
variables. To overcome this, a novel investment-based optimization method is
proposed. The method involves linear optimization of the hybrid renewable
energy system and subsequent investment optimization, accounting for
diminishing improvements per investment. Applied to thermal energy, pumped
thermal energy, molten salt, and adiabatic compressed air energy storage
technologies, the results show that enhancing discharge efficiency is most
valuable for all technologies. Reducing discharge capacity costs and energy
storage capacity cost can also become important. Charge capacity cost and
charge efficiency are found to be of lesser significance. The study provides
detailed improvement pathways for each technology under various operational
conditions, assisting developers in resource allocation. Overall, the
investment-based optimization method and findings contribute to enhancing the
competitiveness of emerging energy storage technologies and reducing reliance
on batteries in renewable energy systems
Electric Power Allocation in a Network of Fast Charging Stations
In order to increase the penetration of electric vehicles, a network of fast
charging stations that can provide drivers with a certain level of quality of
service (QoS) is needed. However, given the strain that such a network can
exert on the power grid, and the mobility of loads represented by electric
vehicles, operating it efficiently is a challenging problem. In this paper, we
examine a network of charging stations equipped with an energy storage device
and propose a scheme that allocates power to them from the grid, as well as
routes customers. We examine three scenarios, gradually increasing their
complexity. In the first one, all stations have identical charging capabilities
and energy storage devices, draw constant power from the grid and no routing
decisions of customers are considered. It represents the current state of
affairs and serves as a baseline for evaluating the performance of the proposed
scheme. In the second scenario, power to the stations is allocated in an
optimal manner from the grid and in addition a certain percentage of customers
can be routed to nearby stations. In the final scenario, optimal allocation of
both power from the grid and customers to stations is considered. The three
scenarios are evaluated using real traffic traces corresponding to weekday rush
hour from a large metropolitan area in the US. The results indicate that the
proposed scheme offers substantial improvements of performance compared to the
current mode of operation; namely, more customers can be served with the same
amount of power, thus enabling the station operators to increase their
profitability. Further, the scheme provides guarantees to customers in terms of
the probability of being blocked by the closest charging station. Overall, the
paper addresses key issues related to the efficient operation of a network of
charging stations.Comment: Published in IEEE Journal on Selected Areas in Communications July
201
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Distributed Resources Shift Paradigms on Power System Design, Planning, and Operation: An Application of the GAP Model
Power systems have evolved following a century-old paradigm of planning and operating a grid based on large central generation plants connected to load centers through a transmission grid and distribution lines with radial flows. This paradigm is being challenged by the development and diffusion of modular generation and storage technologies. We use a novel approach to assess the sequencing and pacing of centralized, distributed, and off-grid electrification strategies by developing and employing the grid and access planning (GAP) model. GAP is a capacity expansion model to jointly assess operation and investment in utility-scale generation, transmission, distribution, and demand-side resources. This paper conceptually studies the investment and operation decisions for a power system with and without distributed resources. Contrary to the current practice, we find hybrid systems that pair grid connections with distributed energy resources (DERs) are the preferred mode of electricity supply for greenfield expansion under conservative reductions in photovoltaic panel (PV) and energy storage prices. We also find that when distributed PV and storage are employed in power system expansion, there are savings of 15%-20% mostly in capital deferment and reduced diesel use. Results show that enhanced financing mechanisms for DER PV and storage could enable 50%-60% of additional deployment and save 15 /MWh in system costs. These results have important implications to reform current utility business models in developed power systems and to guide the development of electrification strategies in underdeveloped grids
A Taxonomy of Data Grids for Distributed Data Sharing, Management and Processing
Data Grids have been adopted as the platform for scientific communities that
need to share, access, transport, process and manage large data collections
distributed worldwide. They combine high-end computing technologies with
high-performance networking and wide-area storage management techniques. In
this paper, we discuss the key concepts behind Data Grids and compare them with
other data sharing and distribution paradigms such as content delivery
networks, peer-to-peer networks and distributed databases. We then provide
comprehensive taxonomies that cover various aspects of architecture, data
transportation, data replication and resource allocation and scheduling.
Finally, we map the proposed taxonomy to various Data Grid systems not only to
validate the taxonomy but also to identify areas for future exploration.
Through this taxonomy, we aim to categorise existing systems to better
understand their goals and their methodology. This would help evaluate their
applicability for solving similar problems. This taxonomy also provides a "gap
analysis" of this area through which researchers can potentially identify new
issues for investigation. Finally, we hope that the proposed taxonomy and
mapping also helps to provide an easy way for new practitioners to understand
this complex area of research.Comment: 46 pages, 16 figures, Technical Repor
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