Alternative energy design toolkit

Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, 2004.Includes bibliographical references (p. 122-127).This thesis concerns the concepts, structure, and applications of the Alternative Energy Design Toolkit. The toolkit is aimed to provide a widely accessible, easy to use, flexible, yet powerful modeling environment for assisting design associated with renewable energy technologies. Exchanges of ideas and knowledge among the users are also highly encouraged and facilitated. The toolkit is composed of three important components: a collection of models that are fundamentals of renewable energy design, a modeling environment called DOME, which is used as the toolkit's enabler, and a supporting Web site. At the beginning, a comprehensive survey of existing tools for renewable energy design is presented. Then, the detailed descriptions and key capabilities of the toolkit's components are provided. In addition, a collection of solar energy models, which is the initial set of models in the toolkit, is also presented. The toolkit is utilized in two design scenarios: a design of a stand-alone PV system, and a trade-off analysis of a hybrid PV-diesel electricity system. In both design scenarios, the models in the toolkit are proven to be useful and convenient resources. The processes of making the representations of the systems are straight-forward, and the analysis mechanisms that the toolkit provides make the design process simple yet effective.by Sittha Sukkasi.S.M

Commons-oriented information syntheses : a model for user-driven design and creation activities

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, 2008.Includes bibliographical references (p. 173-195).The phenomenon of user-driven creation activities has recently emerged and is quickly expanding, especially on the Web. A growing number of people participate in online activities, where they generate content by themselves, freely share their creations, and combine one another's creations in order to synthesize new material. Similar activities also occur in the area of product development, as people design products for themselves and share their designs for others to reuse or build upon. The phenomenon shows that under some special circumstances, typically passive users can become active creators. Also, under such circumstances, creation activities are not just isolated do-it-yourself activities of an individual; instead, people build on one another's creations and further share their own. Recognizing the positive potential of user-driven design, this work endeavored to understand the underlying drivers of open source creation and essential environmental elements. The most important element is the commons, or shared resources, of the communities where the activities take place. A model of commons-oriented information syntheses was formulated. The model provides a unifying description of user-driven creation activities and, more importantly, serves as a general prescription for how to construct a circumstance to recreate the phenomenon for desired applications. Key aspects of the model include: that, in this particular form of information synthesis, the processes of information creating, participating in a community, and sharing of information take place integrally; that the three processes revolve around the commons; and that people consider the prospective benefits and costs of all three processes when they decide on whether or not to engage in a synthesis activity. This understanding can be employed to build circumstances under which the phenomenon can be recreated.(cont.) The ability to recreate the phenomenon of user-driven creation activities can be beneficial in many areas, including design and knowledge transfer. In the design area, the understanding can be used to build an environment that induces and fosters open-source design. With such environment, people can design things for themselves by reusing, remixing, and building on designs shared by others. They can also freely make available their own designs, which can continue to evolve through a series of building-on processes by others. In the knowledge transfer area, the understanding can be a key to constructing an environment that not only supports transfer of knowledge, but also enables people to further generate knowledge by building on what they receive, particularly when the transferred knowledge is in meta-forms such simulation models. Possible applications include: engineering education (where students can connect models of fundamental topics in various ways to create simulations of complex systems and learn from them), sustainable development (where citizens can integrate models of potential environmental remedies to figure out which solution mix will be the most effective in their situations), and academic communities (where researchers can share and allow their colleagues to reuse or build on simulation models from which the results they publish in journal papers are derived). A prototypical online environment was designed and implemented, employing the essential elements outlined in the model. Hosting a commons of environmental and energy-related simulation models, the environment functions as an open-source design environment for alternative energy systems and a public platform for generative transfers of environmental knowledge. Anyone can freely access the commons, build on them to synthesize new simulation models, and further share their synthesized models as new commons.by Sittha Sukkasi.Ph.D

Stabilization of Empty Fruit Bunch derived Bio-oil using Solvents

The intention of this research was to select the ideal condition for accelerated aging of bio-oil and the consequences of additive in stabilizing the bio-oil. The bio-oil was produced from the catalytic pyrolysis of empty fruit bunch. The optimum reaction conditions applied to obtain the utmost bio-oil yield were 5 wt% of H-Y catalyst at reaction temperature of 500 °C and nitrogen flow rate of 100 ml/min. A 10 wt% of solvents including acetone, ethanol, and ethyl acetate were used to study the bio-oil’s stability. All the test samples were subjected to accelerated aging at temperature of 80 °C for 7 days. The properties of samples used as the indicator of aging were viscosity and water content. The effectiveness of solvents increased in the following order: acetone, ethyl acetate, and 95 vol% ethanol. Based on the result of Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS), it could impede the chain of polymerization by converting the active units in the oligomer chain to inactive units. The solvent reacted to form low molecular weight products which resulted in lower viscosity and lessen the water content in bio-oil. Addition of 95 vol% ethanol also inhibited phase separation

Stabilization of Empty Fruit Bunch derived Bio-oil using Solvents

The intention of this research was to select the ideal condition for accelerated aging of bio-oil and the consequences of additive in stabilizing the bio-oil. The bio-oil was produced from the catalytic pyrolysis of empty fruit bunch. The optimum reaction conditions applied to obtain the utmost bio-oil yield were 5 wt% of H-Y catalyst at reaction temperature of 500 °C and nitrogen flow rate of 100 ml/min. A 10 wt% of solvents including acetone, ethanol, and ethyl acetate were used to study the bio-oil’s stability. All the test samples were subjected to accelerated aging at temperature of 80 °C for 7 days. The properties of samples used as the indicator of aging were viscosity and water content. The effectiveness of solvents increased in the following order: acetone, ethyl acetate, and 95 vol% ethanol. Based on the result of Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS), it could impede the chain of polymerization by converting the active units in the oligomer chain to inactive units. The solvent reacted to form low molecular weight products which resulted in lower viscosity and lessen the water content in bio-oil. Addition of 95 vol% ethanol also inhibited phase separation

Investigation of electrodeposited Ni-based coatings for biodiesel storage

Biodiesel commonly experiences oxidative and hydrolytic degradation, leading to problems of low storage stability and corrosion of fuel containers. This study investigates the fabrication and use of electrodeposited nickel and nickel-tungsten alloys as potential coating materials that effectively protect steel-based biodiesel containers from corrosion. Through long-term static immersion, surface analyses of the coatings, and assessments of the biodiesel's acidity, it is determined that the electrodeposited nickel is well compatible with biodiesel, whereas the addition of tungsten deteriorates the corrosion resistance of nickel. Tight control of the tungsten content in nickel deposits is required to enhance both mechanical integrity and corrosion resistance of the deposits exposed to biodiesel environments.Electroplating Biofuel Oxidation stability Corrosion

Challenges and considerations for planning toward sustainable biodiesel development in developing countries: Lessons from the Greater Mekong Subregion

Biodiesel has the potential to economically, socially, and environmentally benefit communities as well as countries, and to contribute toward their sustainable development. Nonetheless, the complex nature of biodiesel development makes it susceptible to exogenous problems that could hinder sustainable development. To ensure that biodiesel development actually leads to a sustainable path, all possible issues and challenges need to be identified and analyzed up front, so that they can be prepared for and handled in the planning and management stages. Building upon lessons learned from biodiesel developments in the Greater Mekong Subregion, this work examines biodiesel development in developing countries in the aspects of policy, governance, management, infrastructure, technology, feedstock, impacts on the rural poor and local livelihood, climate change, and the environment. Issues within each aspect are also analyzed in the context of developing countries. As a result, this review can serve as a guideline for ensuring that biodiesel development contributes toward sustainable development in developing countries.Biodiesel Sustainable development Planning considerations Mekong