Modular Pumped Hydro Energy Storage (MPHES): Relevance, concept design, economics and future prospect

This project gives an overview and literature review of Pumped Hydro Energy Storage (PHES) technology detailing the present context and future prospects with particular focus on Australia’s National Electricity Market (NEM). Discussion that addresses present challenges and requirements to move forward with sustainable hydro power development electricity supply is explored. An overview of the fundamental system components and a technical design base for a Modular PHES (MPHES) is presented. A cost base is given for the MPHES and subsequently compared with other technologies. A concept design is proposed for a deployable, scalable MPHES system and is applied to two Case Studies. Discussion is given with respect to the relevance of such a scheme in Australia and the potential scalability and costs. The MPHES was found the be technically feasible and economically comparable to recent solar developments

A general framework integrating techniques for scheduling under uncertainty

Ces dernières années, de nombreux travaux de recherche ont porté sur la planification de tâches et l'ordonnancement sous incertitudes. Ce domaine de recherche comprend un large choix de modèles, techniques de résolution et systèmes, et il est difficile de les comparer car les terminologies existantes sont incomplètes. Nous avons cependant identifié des familles d'approches générales qui peuvent être utilisées pour structurer la littérature suivant trois axes perpendiculaires. Cette nouvelle structuration de l'état de l'art est basée sur la façon dont les décisions sont prises. De plus, nous proposons un modèle de génération et d'exécution pour ordonnancer sous incertitudes qui met en oeuvre ces trois familles d'approches. Ce modèle est un automate qui se développe lorsque l'ordonnancement courant n'est plus exécutable ou lorsque des conditions particulières sont vérifiées. Le troisième volet de cette thèse concerne l'étude expérimentale que nous avons menée. Au-dessus de ILOG Solver et Scheduler nous avons implémenté un prototype logiciel en C++, directement instancié de notre modèle de génération et d'exécution. Nous présentons de nouveaux problèmes d'ordonnancement probabilistes et une approche par satisfaction de contraintes combinée avec de la simulation pour les résoudre. ABSTRACT : For last years, a number of research investigations on task planning and scheduling under uncertainty have been conducted. This research domain comprises a large number of models, resolution techniques, and systems, and it is difficult to compare them since the existing terminologies are incomplete. However, we identified general families of approaches that can be used to structure the literature given three perpendicular axes. This new classification of the state of the art is based on the way decisions are taken. In addition, we propose a generation and execution model for scheduling under uncertainty that combines these three families of approaches. This model is an automaton that develops when the current schedule is no longer executable or when some particular conditions are met. The third part of this thesis concerns our experimental study. On top of ILOG Solver and Scheduler, we implemented a software prototype in C++ directly instantiated from our generation and execution model. We present new probabilistic scheduling problems and a constraintbased approach combined with simulation to solve some instances thereof

Hawaii geothermal drilling guide : Circular C-126

Contents: introduction -- rules and regulations -- drilling -- casing and cementing -- blowout prevention -- well completion & testing -- monitoring and reporting -- workovers, plugging, and abandonment -- emerging technology -- illustrations -- appendices"This Geothermal Drilling Guide has been prepared at the request of the State of Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources to provide a single, comprehensive document that describes geothermal drilling and well-testing operations for the use of potential developers, operators, and stakeholders. This guide is intended as a general reference for common practices currently found in the geothermal industry. For site-specific well programs, detailed analysis of all available project data should be performed in order to ensure compliance with applicable federal, state, and county regulations.""Prepared by GeothermEx, Inc., a Schlumberger company."Department of Land and Natural Resources, State of Hawai

energy contracting under private law

As construções criadas através da abstração e fīdūcia, como moeda corrente, precisam de construções diferentes das aplicadas às realidades corpóreas. Energia, por natureza e, agora, por intenção legislativa, é dinâmica, fungível e representa mudança que não é possível harmonizar com a lógica do conjunto de “coisas” imutáveis, determinadas e concretas. Isto exige análise meta-jurídica (como a construção dominante não se sustenta para fenômenos incorpóreos e dinâmicos) e uma reconstrução de entidades e classes, de uma entidade (substância), para o sistema. Além de "coisas", são rēs, não apenas o que é "percebido pelos sentidos", mas também, o que emerge da autonomia da vontade. Além disso, o tempo é uma variável contínua e, não podemos postular um ordenamento jurídico onde todos os fenômenos (e normas) são discretos. Esta dissertação está estruturada em 5 capítulos: I - Substantia (como a eletricidade, é o objecto do contrato) vai ser tratado: § (De)construção (constitutiva) de posição jurídica unilateral (fōrma), com base no princípio da autonomia da vontade (associado à responsabilidade), limitada pelo princípio da boa fé. Seus atributos, em relação a outras posições aquisitivas (testando), como um direito dispositivo e seus efeitos e, soluções subsequentes (e correções) dentro do ordenamento jurídico. § Categorias, como a criação de entidade ou definição, dos atributos de uma determinada substância. Derivado, os conceitos de Commixtiō e Cōnfūsiō também serão abordados. § Posição, em que é definida a substantia do PPA. II - Vectores, a direcção (como a transferência de uma determinada posição) ligada com o tempo, sob um sistema causal e consensual, integrados no MIBEL e as suas modalidades contratuais, como mercado de futuros. Por fim será construído, como um contrato contínuo com vários despachos (como uma função vectorial).III – Tensores, são apresentadas as várias transformações, que um conjunto de elementos e entidades podem definir para alcançar a sua causa final, nomeadamente, se for utilizada uma infraestrutura comum. IV - Sistema, onde substantia, vectores e tensores se inserem, no sistema de referência, nomeadamente os termos e condições, em conexão com os regulamentos actuais que (podem) formatar tais termos, como o transporte e despacho. V - Epílogo, são as conclusões finais e observações. É resumido nos anexos: § Descrição do mercado e suas dependências, devido à natureza da energia. § A compreensão na doutrina, jurisprudência e, outros sistemas jurídicos.The constructions created through abstraction and fīdūcia, as currency, needed different constructions of the ones applied to corporeal realities. Energy, by nature, and now, by legal intent, is dynamic, fungible and represents a change that is not possible to harmonise with the logic of the immutable, determined and concrete set of “things”. This demands a meta-juristic analysis (as the dominant construction does not hold incorporeal and dynamic phenomena) and, reconstruction of entities and classes, from an entity (substantia), to the system. Besides “things” there are facts, not only those “perceived by the senses” but also, emerging from the autonomy of the will. Also, time is a continuous variable and, we cannot postulate a legal system where all phenomena (and norms) are discrete. This dissertation is structured into 5 chapters, whereas: I - Substantia, as electricity, is the subject matter of the analysed contract, it will be analysed: § The (de)construction of (constitutive) unilateral juridical position (fōrma), based on the principle of autonomy of the will (associated with responsibility), limited by the principle of good faith. Its attributes, namely regarding other acquisitive positions (tested), as the right of disposal and effects and, subsequent solutions (and corrections) within the legal system. § Categories, as entity creation or definition, as attributes of a given substance. As a derivative, the concepts of Commixtiō and Cōnfūsiō are also addressed. § Position, where it is defined the substantia of the PPA. II - Vectors, the direction (as the transfer of a given position) linked with time, under a causal and consensual system, integrated with MIBEL, its contracting modalities, namely as a futures market). Lastly, will be constructed, as a continuous contract with several dispatches (as a vector value function). III – Tensors, presents several transformations, that a set of elements and entities may define, for achieving its final cause, namely if using a common infrastructure.IV - System, takes substantia, vectors and tensors, and are inserted in a coordinate system, namely the main terms and conditions, connecting with the current regulations that (may) shape such terms, as transportation and dispatch. V - Epilogue, are the final conclusions and remarks. There are summarised in the annexes: § Description of the market and its dependencies, due to the nature of energy; § Understanding, doctrine, jurisprudence and, other legal systems

THE FUTURE OF GEOTHERMAL ENERGY

Recent national focus on the value of increasing our supply of indigenous, renewable energy underscores the need for reevaluating all alternatives, particularly those that are large and welldistributed nationally. This analysis will help determine how we can enlarge and diversify the portfolio of options we should be vigorously pursuing. One such option that is often ignored is geothermal energy, produced from both conventional hydrothermal and Enhanced (or engineered) Geothermal Systems (EGS). An 18-member assessment panel was assembled in September 2005 to evaluate the technical and economic feasibility of EGS becoming a major supplier of primary energy for U.S. base-load generation capacity by 2050. This report documents the work of the panel at three separate levels of detail. The first is a Synopsis, which provides a brief overview of the scope, motivation, approach, major findings, and recommendations of the panel. At the second level, an Executive Summary reviews each component of the study, providing major results and findings. The third level provides full documentation in eight chapters, with each detailing the scope, approach, and results of the analysis and modeling conducted in each area

Dispatchability Conditions for Schedules with Consumable Resources

Abstract. Earlier work on scheduling by autonomous systems has demonstrated that schedules in the form of simple temporal networks, with intervals of values for possible event-times, can be made “dispatchable”, i.e., executable incrementally in real time with guarantees against failure due to unfortunate event-time selections. In the present work we show how the property of dispatchability can be extended to networks that include constraints for consumable resources. We describe conditions that can be placed on resource use by activities during execution to avoid oversubscription while insuring schedule dispatchability. This involves preventing interactions between resource use and scheduling per se, that can compromise dispatchability. We also describe strategies that can be used in conjunction with these conditions to increase flexibility of resource allocation. This work indicates that flexible handling of resource use can be safely extended to the execution layer to provide more effective deployment of consumable resources.

Aircraft Maintenance Engineering : developing Aircraft Maintenance Programme using Reliability Centred Maintenance / MSG3 analysis and taking into consideration ETOPs and low utilisation

The thesis is entitled "Aircraft Maintenance Engineering: Developing an Aircraft Maintenance Programme using Reliability Centred Maintenance/ MSG3 Analysis Taking into Consideration ETOPS and Low Utilisation", It brings together and explains an area that the author feels is not well documented or published today in the world of aviation maintenance management, yet it is fundamental on the continued airworthiness of an aircraft, it can be considered as the building block for maintaining the inherent reliability and airworthiness of the design. It is the author's experience that too many times operators have attempted to carry out the function of maintenance engineering with out full understanding of the reasons and implication of their actions, thus ending up with an ineffective and non applicable collection of maintenance activities that can only add to the expense of the technical operation and even at times contribute to the possibility of occurrences. The thesis also goes on to develop new decision tree diagrams based upon Reliability Centred Maintenance (RCM) / Maintenance Steering Group 3 (MSG3) analysis for the use in developing the Maintenance and Reliability Programme and incorporating new aspects of aircraft operation