Analisi e ottimizzazione della configurazione di un macrosistema di conversione di energia

The depletion of fossil fuel sources and the increasing difficulty in the search and development of alternative sources push to the search of more complex energy systems configurations to enhance efficiency and reduce costs. This, in turn, requires more efficient (but simple) tools to predict systems behavior with the required level of accuracy (simulation tools), and increases the number of options both in the system design and operation (optimization procedures). A general approach for energy systems simulation and optimization is first presented in this thesis, which applies at any level of system complexity and dimensions. The attention is then focused on Macro-Systems, consisting of a set of energy systems which convert primary energy sources into different energy forms required by the users, the former being variable both in time and space, the latter depending also on market rules and users characteristics. Reliable models are built to forecast Macro-Systems behavior. Binary variables are included in these models at design level to decide the inclusion or exclusion of a single plant or to decide its on-off status at off-design conditions depending on the objective being considered. At the same time detailed models of the single plants that are expected to be included in the Macro-Systems are developed to extract reliable Fuel-Products relationships of each plant to be included in the Macro-System model. These relationships are in general well approximated by linear functions. Constraints on the variability in time of each plant load are also included to model their real behavior. The design and off-design optimization problems of Macro-Systems described by these models belongs to the wider MILP (Mixed-Integer Linear Programming) dynamic optimization problems, which is analyzed in the first part of this thesis, describing in particular the “dynamic programming” technique that is used to simplify the search of the solution. An original approach for the decomposition of the dynamic optimization problems into two sub-problems is then proposed to simplify the search of the solution and reduce the computational effort without a significant loss in accuracy. Finally, two applications are presented: the first one refers to traditional steam and combined cycle power plants operating in the German power free market generation system. The reduction in profits generated by these plants deriving from the priority assigned to renewable power systems in the market is evaluated using real price and fuel cost data in a period of four years. The second application deals with a complex Macro-Systems for combined heat and power production feeding a district heating network with variable demand. The volume of a thermal storage system which keeps the electric power generation independent of the thermal demand is optimized according to the maximum profit of the whole Macro-System in a year of operation

3.3 Gigahertz Clocked Quantum Key Distribution System

A fibre-based quantum key distribution system operating up to a clock frequency of 3.3GHz is presented. The system demonstrates significantly increased key exchange rate potential and operates at a wavelength of 850nm.Comment: Presented at ECOC 05, Glasgow, UK, (September 2005

Optimum design and performance of a solar dish microturbine using tailored component characteristics

Versión revisada. Embargo 24 mesesThe aim of the paper is to find the optimum design and performance of solar microturbines powered by parabolic dish collectors using an innovative methodology which integrates the design and off-design models of the total system. In contrast to the common practice of assigning an estimated efficiency to the engine turbomachinery (generalized performance maps), the procedure hereinafter produces the specific geometry and the characteristic maps of compressor and turbine, according to their inlet/outlet thermodynamic states and working cycle boundary conditions. With this global approach, a sensitivity analysis is performed to search for the pressure ratio that maximizes the solar-to-electric efficiency at design point for a constant air mass flow rate and turbine inlet temperature. Maximum values in the range 18.0–21.7% are obtained for a pressure ratio of 3.2 when the turbine inlet temperature changes between 800 °C (base-case system) and 900 °C. The methodology allows also to simulate the performance of the system when different design DNIs are considered with the aim to maximize the annual yield of the system. Simulations performed for Beijing, Seville and San Diego showed that quite different DNIs (610–815 W/m2) are to be chosen to get the maximum annual (average) efficiency: 11–16% for the base-case system and 14–19% for a more advanced design.Comisión Europea Grant Agreement No. 30895

Energy, economic and environmental benefits of Demand Response for improving building energy flexibility

The increasing penetration of intermittent renewable sources in power generation at local and building-level poses growing issues in balancing generation and demand. To avoid imbalances, it is therefore necessary to ensure adequate levels of flexibility in the building energy system. This can be done both on the generation side, through the coupling of different energy carriers (cogeneration, power-to-heat solutions) and/or the integration of storage systems, and on the demand side, through smart “demand response” programs. This paper considers a tourist facility located in central Germany as a case study to evaluate the energy, economic and environmental benefits that can be obtained from the application of appropriate demand response strategies. The electrical demand data of the facility are monitored at both aggregate and individual load levels and made available by means of a cloud platform. The facility includes two stationary combined heat and power internal combustion engines powered by natural gas and a photovoltaic system. The results show how, thanks to appropriate load management, it is possible, on the one hand, to increase the self-consumption of PV-generated energy and, on the other hand, to keep more constant the load of the engines, which can therefore operate with better efficiencies. This results in both a reduction in energy expenses and a decrease in carbon dioxide emissions attributable to the building

Experimental performance evaluation of a multi-diaphragm pump of a micro-ORC system

Abstract The performance of micro-scale ORC systems strongly depends on the performance of their key components. While the heat exchangers and expander have been extensively investigated, the pump has only received limited attention. The main purpose of this work is the experimental characterization of a multi-diaphragm positive displacement pump, integrated in an experimental ORC system with a rated power output of 4kWel. The study focuses on the experimental evaluation of the pump performance and on cavitation phenomena. A detailed presentation of the experimental procedure and results is supplied. A great effort has been spent in calculating the global and volumetric pump efficiencies for a wide range of operational conditions, which reach maximum values around 45-48% and 95%, respectively. With regards to cavitation issues, the effect of the available Net Positive Suction Head at the pump inlet has been deeply investigated both at partial and full load to obtain guidelines for stable operation. Finally, an extensive dataset of steady-state operating points has been used to calibrate an improved version of a semi-empirical model previously developed for positive displacement ORC pumps. Special attention has been given to the ability of the model to accurately predict the behaviour and performance of the pump at different, properly chosen, steady-state conditions. Relative errors in between 0.5%, for the outlet temperature, and 10%, for the electric power consumption, are achieved

Aditivos incorporados à ureia para reduzir perdas de nitrogênio após aplicação ao solo

The objective of this work was to develop urea-based fertilizers with internal incorporation of urease inhibitors and other additives in the granule. The effects of the incorporation of NBPT, copper (Cu+2), boric acid (H3BO3), elemental sulphur (Sº), and a clay mineral from the zeolite group in powder urea – with ten different combinations of these additives – were evaluated as to N losses by volatilization and leaching. The losses in laboratory-developed formulations were compared with those of commercial fertilizers coated with the same additives (Super N, FH Nitro Mais, and FH Nitro Gold). The evaluations were made in greenhouse conditions, using a Ultisol accommodated in PVC columns. Nitrate and ammonium leaching was evaluated in the solution percolated through the soil columns. Ammonia volatilization was measured with a semi-open static chamber. The incorporation of urease inhibitors (NBPT, H3BO3, and Cu+2) into the urea granules was efficient to reduce N volatilization. Ammonia volatilization in the laboratory-developed ureas was lower than in commercial fertilizers coated with the same additives, while ammonium sulfate losses by leaching were similar. The addition of zeolite does not reduce N volatilization. Mineral N leaching in the soil profile is not affected by urease inhibitors.O objetivo deste trabalho foi desenvolver fertilizantes à base de ureia com a incorporação interna no grânulo de inibidores de urease e outros aditivos. Os efeitos da incorporação de NBPT, cobre (Cu+2), ácido bórico (H3BO3), enxofre elementar (Sº) e um mineral de argila do grupo das zeólitas na ureia em pó – com dez diferentes combinações desses aditivos – foram avaliados quanto às perdas por volatilização e lixiviação. As perdas nas formulações desenvolvidas em laboratório foram comparadas com as de fertilizantes comerciais revestidos com os mesmos aditivos (Super N, FH Nitro Mais e FH Nitro Gold). As avaliações foram realizadas em casa de vegetação, tendo-se utilizado um Argissolo Vermelho, o qual foi acondicionado em colunas de PVC. A lixiviação de nitrato e amônio foi avaliada na solução percolada através das colunas do solo. A volatilização da amônia foi estimada por meio de uma câmara estática semiaberta. A incorporação de inibidores de urease (NBPT, H3BO3 e Cu+2) nos grânulos de ureia foi eficiente para reduzir a volatilização de N. A volatilização de amônia das ureias desenvolvidas em laboratório foi menor do que nos fertilizantes comerciais revestidos com os mesmos aditivos, enquanto as perdas do sulfato de amônio por lixiviação foram semelhantes. A adição da zeólita não reduz a volatilização de N. A lixiviação de N mineral no perfil do solo não é afetada pelos inibidores de urease

S-SETA: Selective Software-Only Error-Detection Technique Using Assertions

Software-based techniques offer several advantages to increase the reliability of processor-based systems at very low cost, but they cause performance degradation and an increase of the code size. To meet constraints in performance and memory, we propose SETA, a new control-flow software-only technique that uses assertions to detect errors affecting the program flow. SETA is an independent technique, but it was conceived to work together with previously proposed data-flow techniques that aim at reducing performance and memory overheads. Thus, SETA is combined with such data-flow techniques and submitted to a fault injection campaign. Simulation and neutron induced SEE tests show high fault coverage at performance and memory overheads inferior to the state-of-the-art.This work was supported in part by CNPq and CAPES, Brazilian agencies

Quantum Key Distribution in a Multi-User Network at Gigahertz Clock rates

In recent years quantum information research has lead to the discovery of a number of remarkable new paradigms for information processing and communication. These developments include quantum cryptography schemes that offer unconditionally secure information transport guaranteed by quantum-mechanical laws. Such potentially disruptive security technologies could be of high strategic and economic value in the future. Two major issues confronting researchers in this field are the transmission range (typically <100km) and the key exchange rate, which can be as low as a few bits per second at long optical fiber distances. This paper describes further research of an approach to significantly enhance the key exchange rate in an optical fiber system at distances in the range of 1-20km. We will present results on a number of application scenarios, including point-to-point links and multi-user networks. Quantum key distribution systems have been developed, which use standard telecommunications optical fiber, and which are capable of operating at clock rates of up to 2GHz. They implement a polarization-encoded version of the B92 protocol and employ vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers with emission wavelengths of 850 nm as weak coherent light sources, as well as silicon single-photon avalanche diodes as the single photon detectors. The point-to-point quantum key distribution system exhibited a quantum bit error rate of 1.4%, and an estimated net bit rate greater than 100,000 bits- per second for a 4.2 km transmission range.Comment: Presented at SPIE Symposium on Microtechnologies for the New Millennium, Sevilla, Spain (May 2005

A physically based model for evaluating the Photon DetectionEfficiency and the Temporal Response of SPAD detectors

We present a physically-based model aimed at calculating the Photon Detection Efficiency (PDE) and the temporal response of a Single-Photon Avalanche Diode (SPAD) with a given structure. A comparison between simulation and experimental results is also reported in order to confirm the model accuracy

SPAD array detectors for parallel photon timing applications

Over the past few years there has been a growing interest in monolithic arrays of single photon avalanche diodes (SPAD) for spatially resolved detection of faint ultrafast optical signals. SPADs implemented in CMOS-compatible planar technologies offer the typical advantages of microelectronic devices (small size, ruggedness, low voltage, low power, etc.). Furthermore, they have inherently higher photon detection efficiency than PMTs and are able to provide, beside sensitivities down to single-photons, very high acquisition speeds. In order to make SPAD array more and more competitive in time-resolved application it is necessary to face problems like electrical crosstalk between adjacent pixels