Hydro/Battery Hybrid Systems for frequency regulation

An innovative Hydro/Battery Hybrid System (HBHS), composed of a hydropower plant (HPP) and a Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) is proposed to provide frequency regulation services in the Nordic Power System (NPS). The HBHS is envisioned to have a faster and more efficient response compared to HPPs currently providing these services, whilst retaining their high energy capacity and endurance, thus alleviating stand-alone BESS operation constraints. This Thesis aims to explore the operation and optimization of such a hybrid system in order to make it efficient and economically viable. A power plant perspective is employed, evaluating the impact different control algorithms and parameters have on the HBHS performance. Providing Frequency Containment Reserves for Normal Operation (FCR-N), to the national TSO in Sweden, is defined from technology and market analyses as the use case for the HBHS. The characteristics of HPPs suitable for HBHS implementation are found theoretically, by evaluating HPP operational constraints and regulation mechanisms. With the aim of evaluating the dynamic performance of the proposed HBHS, a frequency regulation model of the NPS is built in MATLAB and Simulink. Two different HBHS architectures are introduced, the Hydro Recharge, in which the BESS is regulating the frequency and the HPP is controlling its state of charge (SoC), and the Frequency Split, in which both elements are regulating the frequency with the HPP additionally compensating for the SoC. The dynamic performance of the units is qualitatively evaluated through existing and proposed FCR-N prequalification tests, prescribed by the TSO and ENTSO-E. Quantitative performance comparison to a benchmark HPP is performed with regards to the estimated HPP regulation wear and tear and BESS degradation during 30-day operation with historical frequency data. The two proposed HBHS architectures demonstrate significant reductions of estimated HPP wear and tear compared to the benchmark unit. Simulations consistently report a 90 % reduction in the number of movements HPP regulation mechanism performs and a more than 50 % decrease in the distance it travels. The BESS lifetime is evaluated at acceptable levels and compared for different architectures. Two different applications are identified, the first being installing the HBHS to enable the HPP to pass FCR-N prequalification tests. The second application is increasing the FCR-N capacity of the HPP by installing the HBHS. The Frequency Split HBHS shows more efficient performance when installed in the first application, as opposed to the Hydro Recharge HBHS, which shows better performance in the second application. Finally, it is concluded that a large-scale implementation of HBHSs would improve the frequency quality in the NPS, linearly decreasing the amount of time outside the normal frequency band with increasing the total installed HBHS power capacity

Small business innovation research: Program solicitation

This, the seventh annual SBIR solicitation by NASA, describes the program, identifies eligibility requirements, outlines the required proposal format and content, states proposal preparation and submission requirements, describes the proposal evaluation and award selection process, and provides other information to assist those interested in participating in NASA's SBIR program. It also identifies the Technical Topics and Subtopics in which SBIR Phase 1 proposals are solicited in 1989. These Topics and Subtopics cover a broad range of current NASA interests, but do not necessarily include all areas in which NASA plans or currently conducts research. High-risk high pay-off innovations are desired

Spatial clustering and nonlinearities in the location of multinational firms

We propose a semiparametric geoadditive negative binomial model of industrial location which allows to simultaneously address some important methodological issues, such as spatial clustering and nonlinearities, which have been only partly addressed in previous studies. We apply this model to analyze location determinants of inward greenfield investments occurred over the 2003-2007 period in 249 European regions. The inclusion of a geoadditive component (a smooth spatial trend surface) allows to control for omitted variables which induce spatial clustering, and suggests that such unobserved factors may be related to regional policies towards foreign investors Allowing for nonlinearities reveals, in line with theoretical predictions, that the positive effect of agglomeration economies fades as the density of economic activities reaches some limit value.industrial location, negative binomial models, geoadditive models, european union.

Information technology in support of research, scholarship, and creative activities: A strategic plan for Research Technologies – a division of UITS and a PTI Service and Cyberinfrastructure Center

Stewart, C.A., M.R. Link, E. Wernert, W.K. Barnett, T.M. Miller. 2012. Information technology in support of research, scholarship, and creative activities: A strategic plan for Research Technologies – a division of UITS and a PTI Service and Cyberinfrastructure Center. Indiana University, Bloomington, IN. PTI Technical Report PTI-TR12-007.IU is currently executing its second information technology strategic plan – Empowering People: Indiana University's Strategic Plan for Information Technology 2009 (hereafter referred to as Empowering People). In this document, we set out long-term goals for the Research Technologies (RT) division of UITS, reaffirm specific goals set for RT for 2019, describe Actions within Empowering People for which RT is responsible, and describe the new internal structure of Research Technologies. The mission of the Research Technologies division of UITS is to develop, deliver, and support advanced technology solutions that improve productivity of and enable new possibilities in research, scholarly endeavors, and creative activity at Indiana University and beyond; and to complement this with education and technology translation activities to improve the quality of life of people in Indiana, the nation, and the world

Versatile, Scalable, and Accurate Simulation of Distributed Applications and Platforms

International audienceThe study of parallel and distributed applications and platforms, whether in the cluster, grid, peer-to-peer, volunteer, or cloud computing domain, often mandates empirical evaluation of proposed algorithmic and system solutions via simulation. Unlike direct experimentation via an application deployment on a real-world testbed, simulation enables fully repeatable and configurable experiments for arbitrary hypothetical scenarios. Two key concerns are accuracy (so that simulation results are scientifically sound) and scalability (so that simulation experiments can be fast and memory-efficient). While the scalability of a simulator is easily measured, the accuracy of many state-of-the-art simulators is largely unknown because they have not been sufficiently validated. In this work we describe recent accuracy and scalability advances made in the context of the SimGrid simulation framework. A design goal of SimGrid is that it should be versatile, i.e., applicable across all aforementioned domains. We present quantitative results that show that SimGrid compares favorably to state-of-the-art domain-specific simulators in terms of scalability, accuracy, or the trade-off between the two. An important implication is that, contrary to popular wisdom, striving for versatility in a simulator is not an impediment but instead is conducive to improving both accuracy and scalability

Review of meteoroid-bumper interaction studies at McGill University

Experimental investigation of meteoroid-bumper impact, debris cloud expansion, and second surface pressure loadin