Small-Scale Energy Generation for Remote Rural Areas using Solar-Powered Compressed Air Storage System

Energy reach in the rural areas is still of major concern today especially in developing nations. Small-scale energy generation with stored compressed air is the focus of this work towards solving the energy deficit in remote rural environments through renewable sources. The method involves an experimental setup that harnessed energy from the sun through solar PV for isothermal compression and expansion of an air storage system to gain the advantages of low cost, longevity, and environmental friendliness of air storage in small scale electrical power generators. Results from a small, scalable, artificial air storage system of 360m3 show that one charge results in approximate temperature loss of 29oC for compression and 10oC for expansion (in a single cycle). A pressure charge of about 6bars from a compressor speed of 300rpm was also obtained and was able to maintain a constant alternator speed of 2500rpm on no load to produce electricity at 230Vac during expansion.  When advanced and standardized, the air storage could provide a medium for cheap electrical energy storage for small scale renewable sources and a means for electrical energy availability in remote rural environments

Hybrid Energy Systems: Optimal Resource Determination and Cost Evaluation Using Homer Grid Software

This paper proposes a resource evaluation and validation study of a grid-connected hybrid power system whichtends to maximize the use of renewable energy generation with energy storage systems while minimizing thetotal system cost. The HOMER (Hybrid Optimization of Multiple Energy Resources) Grid software is adoptedin this study to find the optimal configuration of solar energy sources with battery storage systems to delivercomplementary electricity supply to satisfy AC primary load of 68.55 kWh/day with a 10.2 kW peak loaddemand to a building on a University campus premises located in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. The resultsobtained from simulations showed a list of feasible resource configurations for the hybrid system. However,the most optimal/economical configuration is a grid-connected Solar PV-Gasoline system with a least cost ofenergy (COE) at ₦93.83/kWh and 6.7% renewable energy fraction

Optimal Configuration and Energy Scheduling Algorithm for an Off-Grid Hybrid Microgrid

Off-grid hybrid microgrid which combines power sources from different technologies based on the availability of such resources and the economic/environmental considerations is gaining global interest due to the unreliable nature of conventional power systems. This research seeks to obtain an optimal configuration and develop a simple energy scheduling algorithm for a modern market using PV/Battery storage/Diesel generator technologies. HOMER software was used in obtaining the optimal configuration and economic/environmental analysis. The development of the scheduling algorithm was done based on the concept of energy flow in an off-grid hybrid microgrid using MATLAB software. An estimated load of 389.79 kW and average daily solar irradiance of 164.09W/m2 was recorded for the study site. The simulation results yielded Net Present Cost (NPC) of $6,405,234.36 and$0.2414 Cost of Energy (COE). A Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emission reduction of 42% was recorded for an off-grid system with solar renewable source. These clearly indicate that the use of optimized hybrid electrical energy resources with simple scheduling could greatly reduce both operational cost and environmental pollution

Detecting defects in noncommissioned oil and gas pipelines using a ground robotic vehicle with thermal image processing

Leak detection is one of the most crucial aspects of oil and gas pipeline operation. These leaks are a result of defects that may have been present before laying the pipes. Early defect detection helps a lot to save both service and maintenance costs, as well as prevent possible operational shutdowns and damages. Several methods are used for leak detection and defect identification, but most often, the approaches are usually from the external structural view of the pipes. This paper presents an internal pipe approach to defect detection through the application of a robot equipped with a thermal imaging system. The robot is developed around a Raspberry Pi B+ ARM11-based microcomputer with a Graphic Processing Unit to support a video/photographic camera. Image capture points were obtained by the location of object distance and image frame sizing. Acquired images are processed with a modified image processing algorithm using Gaussian and Sobel filters with morphological transformation in OpenCV. Results show good performance of the robot’s movement and image capture points at distances less than 80cm. Processed images also indicate areas of defects within the pipe internals

Comparative analysis of the economics and reliability of pure solar energy and utility supply

The increasing demand for energy and the need to transition to renewable sources has led to a growing interest in the use of solar energy. This paper conducts a comparative analysis of the economy and reliability of pure solar energy systems and utility supply in a small load area. The energy requirement of the chosen load area was estimated and the appropriate sizing of the solar system was made. The study uses the payback period method to estimate the economy and the Monte Carlo method to estimate the reliability. Load estimation was performed to determine the appropriate solar systems, which were then modelled using PVSyst. The results of the study show that solar energy can be a cost-effective and reliable alternative to utility supply; with a consistent maintenance cost of 4 % per annum, the return on investment was calculated to be 14.1 % per annum at a supply current tariff of ₦ 61.34 per kWh. The payback period showed that the investment in a solar photovoltaic (PV) system can be recovered in six years and nine months (6 years, 9 months). The Monte Carlo simulation demonstrated the reliability of the energy supply in a solar PV system compared to the Nigerian utility supply with the reliability index of the solar system being 93.81 % and that of the utility supply at 55.73 %

A Power Estimation Model for Wind- Hydrogen-Fuel-Cell-Inverter Hybrid Power Generation System

ABSTRACT: This paper presented a power estimation model in a wind/hydrogen/fuel-cell/inverter system for green energy generation. An abundant amount of energy is in motion in the form of wind caused by differential heating of the earth's surface and its rotation. This energy source can be tapped in a pollutant-free generation process through a wind turbine, and then used to produce hydrogen from the electrolysis of water in an electrolyzer. Hydrogen produced and stored is re-convertible to electrical power through a fuel-cell/inverter arrangement. A mathematical estimation model of power produced as a function of wind speed and system's components efficiency is presented. A simulation of the system in MATLAB/SIMULINK show that not all energy contained in the wind can be extracted due to turbine components characteristics leading to a performance coefficient (efficiency) less than 100%. The characteristic behavior of the turbine efficiency results in a non-linear output of proportional deviation with wind speed variations. Furthermore, power output at the inverter end shows that more than half of power extracted from the wind could be lost to hydrogen production and power conversion processes in the fuel-cell and inverter section given today's conventional technologies. These losses are due to low efficiencies that must be improved upon or carefully selected for particular applications. A power distribution and control algorithm for load connection to the wind-hydrogen-fuel-cellinverter hybrid power generation system is also presented