Comparison analysis of an energy generation system using diesel, natural gas and biogas as a primal fuel resource

With the aim to study the behavior of biogas versus different types of fossil fuels and determine the optimal fuel resource for an Energy Generation System, an electric generation system and different types of fuels were proposed to supply an energy demand of 2424 kWh/day, which is the scaled annual average of a chemical laboratory facility. This study shows the behavior of different fuels and how they affect the operating cost of the system using HOMER Pro software. The proposed system consists of different electric generators (340kW) for each type of fuel. The results of the simulation showed that the biogas works very efficiently regarding the production of polluting gases compared to the fossil fuels used in the simulation. However, the installation costs for the devices necessary to obtain biogas from a biomass resource are expensive

Detección de fallas usando Análisis de Componentes Principales y Modelado de Valor Medio en un motor a gas natural de 2 MW

This paper describes the combination of statistical techniques and mathematical modeling in order to developed a fault detection system in a 2 MW natural gas engine under actual operation conditions. The Mixing chamber, turbochargers, intake and exhaust manifolds, cylinders, throttle and bypass valves, and the electric generator, which are the main components of the gas engine, were studied under a mean value engine to complement the statistical analysis. Objective: The main objective of this paper is to integrate two approaches in order to relate the faults with the changes of mean thermodynamic values of the system, helping to sustain the engine in optimal operating conditions in terms of reliability. The Principal Component Analysis (PCA), a multivariate statistical fault detection technique, was used to analyze the historical data from the gas engine to detect abnormal operation conditions, by means of statistical measures such as Square Prediction Error (SPE) and T2. These abnormal operation conditions are categorized using cluster techniques and contributions plots, to later examine its causes with the support of the results of a mean value mathematical model proposed for the system. The integration of the proposed methods allowed successfully identify which component or components of the engine might be malfunctioning. Once combined, these two methods were able to accurately predict and identify faults as well as shut downs of the gas engine during a month of operation. Statistical analysis was used to detect faults on a 2 MW industrial gas engine, also the result were compared with a mean value model in order to detect variations of the thermodynamic properties of the system at abnormal conditions.Este artículo describe la combinación de técnicas estadísticas y modelos matemáticos para desarrollar un sistema de detección de fallas en un motor de gas natural de 2 MW bajo condiciones reales de operación. La cámara de mezcla, los turbocompresores, los múltiples de admisión y escape, los cilindros, las válvulas throttle, bypass y el generador eléctrico, que son los principales componentes del motor de gas, fueron estudiados bajo un motor de valor medio para complementar el análisis estadístico. El objetivo principal de este trabajo es integrar dos enfoques para relacionar los fallos con los cambios de los valores medios termodinámicos del sistema, ayudando a mantener el motor en condiciones óptimas de funcionamiento en términos de confiabilidad. El Análisis de Componentes Principales (PCA), una técnica estadística multivariante de detección de fallas, se utilizó para analizar los datos históricos del motor a gas para detectar condiciones anormales de operación, por medio de indicadores estadísticos tales como el Error de Predicción Cuadrado (SPE) y T2. Estas condiciones anormales de operación se categorizan mediante técnicas de clústeres y diagramas de contribuciones, para luego examinar sus causas con el apoyo de los resultados de un modelo matemático de valor medio propuesto para el sistema. La integración de los métodos propuestos permitió identificar satisfactoriamente qué componente o componentes del motor podrían estar funcionando mal. Una vez combinados, estos dos métodos fueron capaces de predecir e identificar con precisión las fallas, así como las paradas del motor de gas durante un mes de funcionamiento. Se utilizó el análisis estadístico para detectar fallas en un motor de gas industrial de 2 MW, también se comparó el resultado con un modelo de valor medio para detectar variaciones de las propiedades termodinámicas del sistema en condiciones anormales

Multi-Objective analysis of a CHP system using natural gas and biogas on the prime mover

With the aim of reducing operational costs and gas emissions in a Combined Heat and Power System (CHP), a type of biofuel is proposed as a product of a process using a biomass resource to replace other types of fossil fuels, and to be able to cover the average annual scale of power demand of 24 MWh/day from a metallurgical plant, and a thermal energy demand of 60 MWh/day. This study shows the behavior of gas emissions and economic analysis through the use of HOMER Pro software depending on the type of fuel selected. The proposed system consists of a set of electric generators (2MW in total) and a boiler with a cogenerative system connected to the gas outlet of the electric generators. The results of the simulation showed that the system working with natural gas presents a decrease of 5.66% in the annual operating cost concerning the system that works with biogas. However, the biogas system causes a 19.39% decrease in carbon dioxide production compared to the other systems

Estudio de la influencia de las propiedades del material en el proceso de conversión de energía de generadores termoeléctricos para aplicaciones de recuperación de calor

The present study analyzed the effect of material properties in the energy conversion process of Thermoelectric Generators (TEGs). For the development of the study, two materials whose properties vary with respect to temperature (Bi0.4Sb1.6Te3 and Cu11NiSb4S13) and a material with constant properties (Bi2Te3) were analyzed. Through numerical simulation processes, each material was subjected to different temperature differences to monitor the effect on the electrical output power, heat flux, and energy conversion efficiency. The results showed that neglecting the temperature dependence produces higher or lower performance estimations depending on the temperature levels experienced by the TEG.  Overall, the material Bi2Te3 displayed 35% more electrical power output and conversion efficiency compared to the Bi0.4Sb1.6Te3 material. Therefore, considering the variability of thermoelectric materials demonstrated to be essential to obtain realistic process performance. Also, the heat flux produced by the Fourier effect presents the most significant impact on the electrical power generation of the TEG. Among materials with variable properties, the Bi0.4Sb1.6Te3 increases the conversion efficiency up to 25% compared to the Cu11NiSb4S13. In conclusion, the study of material properties using numerical simulations emerged as a robust and practical tool to evaluate TEG performance.En el presente estudio, se propone un análisis del efecto de las propiedades del material en el proceso de conversión de energía de generadores termoeléctricos (GTE). En el desarrollo del estudio, se analizaron dos materiales cuyas propiedades varían con respecto a la temperatura (Bi0.4Sb1.6Te3 y Cu11NiSb4S13) y un material de propiedades constantes (Bi2Te3). A través del proceso de simulación, cada material se sometió a variaciones de temperatura para monitorear su efecto en variables tales como la generación eléctrica, flujo de calor y eficiencia de conversión energética. Los resultados obtenidos mostraron que, al considerar la dependencia de la temperatura del material se obtienen estimaciones mayores o menores dependiendo en el nivel de temperatura experimentado por el GTE. De manera general, el material Bi2Te3 incrementó la generación de electricidad y la eficiencia hasta en un 35 % comparado al material Bi0.4Sb1.6Te3. De tal forma, se demostró que considerando la variabilidad del material del GTE es esencial para obtener resultados realistas del proceso de conversión energético. Por otro lado, el flujo de calor producido por el efecto de Fourier mostró el mayor impacto en la generación de electricidad del GTE. Dentro de los materiales con propiedades variables, el material Bi0.4Sb1.6Te3 incrementó la eficiencia de conversión hasta en un 25% en comparación con el Cu11NiSb4S13. Finalmente, el estudio de las propiedades de los materiales para la construcción de GTEs usando simulaciones numéricas demostró ser una herramienta robusta y práctica para evaluar el desempeño de este dispositivo

Nueva metodología para la detección de fallas en rodamientos en motores de inducción trifásicos

This study shows a methodology for the detection, classification, and location of bearings that presented ball faults, cage faults, and outer race faults. For this study, a three-phase induction motor was used, in which the stator current and voltage signals were measured. By calculating the total harmonic distortion and using the Stockwell Transform, different characteristics were obtained in the electrical signals that allowed defining fault conditions in the bearing, classification of the type of fault, and the location of the defective bearing (fan side or load side). By calculating the difference between the total harmonic distortion of the current and voltage signal, it is possible to identify a threshold value of 0.004 that separates a healthy condition and a fault condition. The joint use of the Stockwell Transform and the Fisher Scoring Algorithm allows us to classify the fault conditions with an average precision of 92.5%. The location of a bearing with defects on the load side generates a greater amplitude in the signal compared to those located on the fan side. This behavior allows establishing a threshold value of 1.6 for ball faults and 0.001 for cage faults and outer race. Due to the results obtained, the algorithm proposed in the study is considered to be a tool with a high degree of reliability for the diagnosis of bearings in induction motors.Este estudio expone una metodología para la detección, clasificación y ubicación de fallas en rodamientos de bola, en la jaula y la pista exterior. Para este estudio se utilizó un motor de inducción trifásico, en el que se midieron las señales de tensión y corriente del estator. Calculando la distorsión armónica total y utilizando la Transformada de Stockwell, se obtuvieron diferentes características en las señales eléctricas que permitieron definir las condiciones de falla en el rodamiento, la clasificación del tipo de falla y la ubicación del rodamiento defectuoso (lado ventilador o lado carga). Calculando la diferencia entre la distorsión armónica total de la señal de corriente y voltaje, es posible identificar un valor de umbral de 0.004 que separa una condición de operación normal y una condición de falla. El uso de la Transformada de Stockwell y el algoritmo de puntuación de Fisher nos permite clasificar las condiciones de falla con una precisión promedio del 92.5%. La ubicación de un rodamiento con defectos en el lado de carga genera una mayor amplitud en la señal, en comparación con los ubicados en el lado del ventilador. Este comportamiento permite establecer un valor umbral de 1.6 para fallas de bola y 0.001 para fallas en la jaula y en la pista exterior. Por los resultados obtenidos, el algoritmo propuesto en el estudio se considera una herramienta con un alto grado de confiabilidad para el diagnóstico de rodamientos en motores de inducción

A scientometric analysis of the investigation of biomass gasification environmental impacts from 2001 to 2017

To reduce the effects of climate change due to massive CO 2 emissions, renewable energy sources have been implemented; among them biomass through gasification. An important aspect of studying are the environmental impacts of this process. Therefore, a search was made in the database of the science website using keywords gasification environmental impact in the period from 2001 to 2017. When analyzing the 238 articles, an increasing tendency was observed in the publication of studies related to the ecological effects of the biomass gasification process. The United States, the United Kingdom, Italy, Spain and the People’s Republic of China are the countries that have the most studies on the subject. The indicator total local citation score is used in order to identify the items that are the most cited, which indicates the degree of development they have in the study of the impacts of gasification

A systematic procedure to combine the integral management systems in a services sector company

Nowadays, the companies with national leadership have decided to provide services that allow the industries to give solutions for manufacturing, repair, reconstruction, maintenance and supply to the necessary tools necessary for the operation of the machinery required in the development of projects. The objective of this work is based on the identification of the relationship and points of convergence between the ISO 9001:2015, ISO 14001:2015, ISO 50001:2011, and OHSAS 18001:2007 standards, for the implementation of the IMS-HSE (Integrated Management System and Health, Safety and the Environment respectively), in companies in the metal-mechanical sector that develop their economic activity in Colombia. An analysis of the regulatory structure was conducted, identifying common and non-common aspects to find a compliance baseline that provides business leaders with a decision-making tool for implementing Geographical Information System (GIS) and HSE aimed at continuous improvement. The result of this research offers a characterization regarding scope, planning, performance evaluation and development in legal terms, applied to the systems integrated into the service company in the metal-mechanical sector. So that, the results can be used as an operational and organizational tool that provides them with a characteristic of viability, competitiveness, and profitability compared to companies in the same dynamic scenario, guaranteeing compliance with the legal commitments of the Colombian regulatory framework

Risk-assessment V1.0: A new interactive software to develop risk assessment using MATLAB®

This article presents the use of an interactive computer tool developed in MATLAB® called RISKASSESSMENT v1.0, to perform market risk analysis of commercial products, through the development of cash flow, sensitivity analysis, and SpiderPlot graphics, which allow the identification of the economic-financial equilibrium point of a company. The tool facilitates the reduction of the uncertainty produced in the return on investment due to changes in the economic environment of the sector in which the company operates, through statistical techniques and tools that involve parameters such as the annual effective rate in the Colombian national currency, net present value, internal rate of return, period of recovery of capital, through a sensitivity analysis. To validate the effectiveness of using software in the development of risk analysis, a case study was conducted for an alcohol beverage sales business, where, based on the portfolio containing the product quantity, unit variable cost, sales price, percentage of sales growth and annual sales volume, in addition to detailed information on the initial investment, the cash flow with a 5-year horizon, the net present value, the internal rate of return, the period of capital recovery and the average accounting profitability are calculated. The tool also performs sensitivity analysis and SpiderPlot for each of the products. Finally, the program presented allows to calculate the annual cash flows in a fast and didactic way, which normally requires time and specialized training in a traditional exercise

Application of equivalent occupation method as a tool for energy management in hotel sector

At nowadays, the operational control of energy performance indicators based on the equivalent occupation method plays a fundamental role in the rational use of energy for the hotel sector, since it allows in a competitive way to comply with the quality of the service offered by the company in terms of the thermal comfort of the occupants, minimizing the environmental impact. Within the framework of the energy diagnosis and implementation of the program of efficient energy management under ISO 50001: 2011, based on the method of equivalent occupation for a hotel company on the Colombian Caribbean coast, the line base, target line by 2015, determining performance control indicators such as accumulative trend and base efficiency index 100, to identify potential savings. From the diagnosis, 9.11% of energy savings were obtained by operational control. Through the implementation of corrective action plans, such as the shutdown of unnecessary equipment in the company, installation of LED lighting modules, the configuration of thermostats, in addition to training and sensitization to staff, and reactive energy control in the hotel effective savings were achieved around 8% of primary energy consumption by 2016

Risk-assessment V1.0: A new interactive software to develop risk assessment using MATLAB®

This article presents the use of an interactive computer tool developed in MATLAB® called RISKASSESSMENT v1.0, to perform market risk analysis of commercial products, through the development of cash flow, sensitivity analysis, and SpiderPlot graphics, which allow the identification of the economic-financial equilibrium point of a company. The tool facilitates the reduction of the uncertainty produced in the return on investment due to changes in the economic environment of the sector in which the company operates, through statistical techniques and tools that involve parameters such as the annual effective rate in the Colombian national currency, net present value, internal rate of return, period of recovery of capital, through a sensitivity analysis. To validate the effectiveness of using software in the development of risk analysis, a case study was conducted for an alcohol beverage sales business, where, based on the portfolio containing the product quantity, unit variable cost, sales price, percentage of sales growth and annual sales volume, in addition to detailed information on the initial investment, the cash flow with a 5-year horizon, the net present value, the internal rate of return, the period of capital recovery and the average accounting profitability are calculated. The tool also performs sensitivity analysis and SpiderPlot for each of the products. Finally, the program presented allows to calculate the annual cash flows in a fast and didactic way, which normally requires time and specialized training in a traditional exercise