Replacing conventional energy sources of electricity with solar energy in the UK and Iraq using statistical inference with hypothesis testing

Solar power represents a vast resource which could, in principle meet the world’s needs for lowcarbon power generation many times over. Recent growth in the use of photovoltaic (PV) technology (of around 40% per year) and rapid reduction in its cost (20% per doubling of capacity) has demonstrated the potential of solar power to deliver on a large scale. Energy is a vital resource required for the operation of any business. Currently, the vast majority of businesses use electricity derived for non-renewable fossil fuels, which are expected to run out at its current rate of expenditure and causing substantial environmental damage threatening the future generations. In the UK and Iraq if the current energy source used by small and medium enterprises (SME’s) could be replaced by solar energy then damage to the environment can be prevented. Solar cells involve harnessing the energy from the sun to generate electricity and as such the amount of sunlight hours or solar insulation available in the country is of utmost importance. In this study a methodology has been developed to compare a model micro-business in the UK and Northern Iraq. The comparison shows that using statistically inference the different regions (latitudinally) in Northern Iraq have a reasonable constant supply of solar insulation compared with the U.K which shows that there is more variation and less solar insulation in the more northern regions of the country. Therefore, it is more feasible to replace the existing non-renewable fossil fuel sources with solar cells in all regions of Iraq than the U.K which requires further cost benefit considerations

Design and Advanced Model Predictive Control of Wide Bandgap Based Power Converters

The field of power electronics (PE) is experiencing a revolution by harnessing the superior technical characteristics of wide-band gap (WBG) materials, namely Silicone Carbide (SiC) and Gallium Nitride (GaN). Semiconductor devices devised using WBG materials enable high temperature operation at reduced footprint, offer higher blocking voltages, and operate at much higher switching frequencies compared to conventional Silicon (Si) based counterpart. These characteristics are highly desirable as they allow converter designs for challenging applications such as more-electric-aircraft (MEA), electric vehicle (EV) power train, and the like. This dissertation presents designs of a WBG based power converters for a 1 MW, 1 MHz ultra-fast offboard EV charger, and 250 kW integrated modular motor drive (IMMD) for a MEA application. The goal of these designs is to demonstrate the superior power density and efficiency that are achievable by leveraging the power of SiC and GaN semiconductors. Ultra-fast EV charging is expected to alleviate the challenge of range anxiety , which is currently hindering the mass adoption of EVs in automotive market. The power converter design presented in the dissertation utilizes SiC MOSFETs embedded in a topology that is a modification of the conventional three-level (3L) active neutral-point clamped (ANPC) converter. A novel phase-shifted modulation scheme presented alongside the design allows converter operation at switching frequency of 1 MHz, thereby miniaturizing the grid-side filter to enhance the power density. IMMDs combine the power electronic drive and the electric machine into a single unit, and thus is an efficient solution to realize the electrification of aircraft. The IMMD design presented in the dissertation uses GaN devices embedded in a stacked modular full-bridge converter topology to individually drive each of the motor coils. Various issues and solutions, pertaining to paralleling of GaN devices to meet the high current requirements are also addressed in the thesis. Experimental prototypes of the SiC ultra-fast EV charger and GaN IMMD were built, and the results confirm the efficacy of the proposed designs. Model predictive control (MPC) is a nonlinear control technique that has been widely investigated for various power electronic applications in the past decade. MPC exploits the discrete nature of power converters to make control decisions using a cost function. The controller offers various advantages over, e.g., linear PI controllers in terms of fast dynamic response, identical performance at a reduced switching frequency, and ease of applicability to MIMO applications. This dissertation also investigates MPC for key power electronic applications, such as, grid-tied VSC with an LCL filter and multilevel VSI with an LC filter. By implementing high performance MPC controllers on WBG based power converters, it is possible to formulate designs capable of fast dynamic tracking, high power operation at reduced THD, and increased power density

Reductions in Co2 emissions from electricity generation from solar energy at Sulaymanyah airport in Kurdistan, Iraq

The gradual increase in the earth’s temperature in the last three decades highlights how global warming has become a major concern for the future of our planet. To meet the world’s needs for low CO2 power generation, alternatives to conventional fossil fuels are required. Solar energy is an attractive alternative that represents a vast resource which can be harnessed in all regions of the world. Dependency on fossil fuels to generate electricity in order to match the rapid power demand and increasing populations has resulted in huge pollution and damage to the environment. This paper considers the electricity demand and the amount of CO2 reductions of Sulymaniah International Airport in Kurdistan, Iraq. The cost of replacing a proportion of the conventional fossil fuel power generation with solar energy is first estimated and then theoretical calculations of possible reductions in CO2 emissions are presented

Solar photovoltaic generation potential and plant capactiy in Northern Iraq

Energy is an essential requirement globally, a reliable supply of energy is vital for our modern life; nowadays the majority of the energy supply comes from non-renewable energy sources such as fossil fuel. In the last three decades “Global Warming” has increasingly become a major concern for the future of our planet. More dependency and the use of fossil fuel to generate electricity in order to match the rapid power demand due to development of technology and increasing populations have resulted in huge pollution and damage of the environment. The reliance on fossil fuel sources needs to be reduced by efficient energy management and replacement with renewable energy sources. Solar energy photovoltaic cells (PV) have emerged as promising candidates. This study aims to introduce the feasibility and potential of solar electricity generation on the basis of solar radiation data gained from Agro-Meteorological-sub-sector [1], in the Erbil-Northern Iraq region. Analysis using linear regression and insolation data available for the region suggests that significant electricity output can be generated using solar power from available fixed plant areas. The results and the measurement calculations used justify and support clearly the method been utilised in the stud

Course Coordination In Academic Sector: An Expert System Foundation

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has come out from science fiction movies and it is now enabling machines to behave like human experts. Computers have some advantages over human beings because of their immunity toward perturbation factors. These factors include fatigue, stress and diminished attention. This ability makes computers more efficient and reliable in decision making. The real goal of AI is to computerize human intelligence. In this paper we explored “Expert Systems” that is one of the most important branches of AI. In expert systems, we simulate expertise of domain experts in computer systems. Machines can work like doctors, engineers and consultants and can be able to learn and use their judgmental power to conclude the situations. In academia, many subjects are being offering in every degree programs. A course coordinator is an expert who allot related subject to instructors by using some factual and heuristic knowledge. The real task is to simulate the judgment ability that he obtained after many years of experience. We proposed an expert system that will stimulates the intelligence of course coordinator and will make reliable decisions.

Exosomes and Their Role in Viral Infections

Exosomes are excretory nano-vesicles that are formed by the cell’s endocytic system and shed from the surface of almost all types of cells. These tiny extracellular vesicles, once thought to be “garbage bags for cells,” carry a wide variety of molecules of cellular origin, including proteins, lipids, and RNAs, that are selectively incorporated during the formation of exosomes. Exosomes are now known to play a central role in several important biological processes such as cellular communication, intercellular transfer of bioactive molecules, and immune modulation. Recent advances in the field have shown that a number of animal viruses can exploit the exosomal pathway by incorporating specific cellular or viral factors within exosomes, in order to modulate the cellular microenvironment and influence downstream processes such as host immunity and virus spread. In this chapter, we provide an overview of our current understanding of exosome biogenesis and how this normal physiological process is hijacked by some pathogenic viruses. Viral components that appear to be selectively incorporated into exosomes and the potential role of these exosomes in viral pathogenesis are discussed. Identifying viral signatures in exosomes and their mode of action is fundamental for any future diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for viral infections

Ticks in Cattle: Their Importance and Chemical and Treatment Control

Ticks transfer diseases to animals and humans. Ticks create major financial losses to livestock and have a variation of adverse special effects on cattle hosts. Tick working as possible vectors for helminth parasites and haemoprotozoa cause blood loss directly. Large numbers of tick’s drinking red blood induce anaemia and decreased living weight in cattle animals, even though their bites can damage the skins. Ticks, are answerable for important financial losses due to their potential to transmit rickettsial, viral infections and protozoan to cattles. Here are a variety of ticks-control tactics available, but then again each has its own set of problems. The importance of ticks and their control are the topic of this review. Ticks have controlled by the help of vaccine and spray or chemicals compounds etc

Socio-Economic Aspects of Slum Dwellers in Karachi - A Case Study of 14 Slums in District Malir

Karachi is one of most populated cities in the world. Like every other most populated cities of developing world, slums are the major part of Karachi’s population contributing almost 50 percent of the city’s population. So, for the wellbeing and development of a city like Karachi, study of slums in the city and their wellbeing is of utmost importance. Slums in Karachi are widely spread throughout the city making it really difficult for the researchers to study the slum problems. This study is an exclusive attempt to study the socio-economic aspects of slum dwellers in Karachi. 14 slums from Malir district of Karachi were considered for this study as Malir district comprises of almost 15-20 percent of the total slums in Karachi. Major factors assumed and considered for finding socio-economic aspects of slum dwellers included gender, marital status, occupation, education level of household head, monthly income of household, household size and room occupancy and duration of their residence and status in a particular locality. At the end, policy recommendations were developed to improve the overall living conditions and socio-economic well being of the slum dwellers. Keywords: key words, orkforce sizing, job-shop production, holonic mode