Optimal Distributed Power Generation Under Network-Load Constraints

In electrical power networks nowadays more and more customers are becoming power-producers, mainly because of the development of novel components for decentralized power generation (solar panels, small wind turbines and heat pumps). This gives rise to the question how many units of each type (solar panel, small wind turbine or central heating power units) can be inserted into any transmission line in the network, such that under given distributions on the typical production and consumption over time, the maximum loads on the lines and components will not be exceeded. In this paper, we present a linear programming model for maximizing the amount of decentralized power generation while respecting the load limitations of the network. We describe a prototype showing that for an example network the maximization problem can be solved efficiently. We also modeled the case were the power consumption and decentralized power generation are considered as stochastic variables, which is inherently more complex

The flow of power law fluids in elastic networks and porous media

The flow of power law fluids, which include shear thinning and shear thickening as well as Newtonian as a special case, in networks of interconnected elastic tubes is investigated using a residual based pore scale network modeling method with the employment of newly derived formulae. Two relations describing the mechanical interaction between the local pressure and local cross sectional area in distensible tubes of elastic nature are considered in the derivation of these formulae. The model can be used to describe shear dependent flows of mainly viscous nature. The behavior of the proposed model is vindicated by several tests in a number of special and limiting cases where the results can be verified quantitatively or qualitatively. The model, which is the first of its kind, incorporates more than one major non-linearity corresponding to the fluid rheology and conduit mechanical properties, that is non-Newtonian effects and tube distensibility. The formulation, implementation and performance indicate that the model enjoys certain advantages over the existing models such as being exact within the restricting assumptions on which the model is based, easy implementation, low computational costs, reliability and smooth convergence. The proposed model can therefore be used as an alternative to the existing Newtonian distensible models; moreover it stretches the capabilities of the existing modeling approaches to reach non-Newtonian rheologies.Comment: 12 pages, 4 figure