0 atendimento energético a pequenas comunidades rurais na Amazônia e extremamente incipiente, porque as políticas energéticas adotadas para a zona rural no Brasil priorizam apenas os aspectos técnico-econômicos, bem como a eletrificarao via conexão à rede. Com o advento do desenvolvimento sustentável, essa postura tem recebido muitas críticas, porque negligência os aspectos sócio-ambientais. Esta dissertação apresenta uma estrutura de planejamento energético, compatível com os preceitos do desenvolvimento sustentável, para ser utilizada como mecanismo de avaliação de alternativas energéticas para pequenas comunidades da Amazônia. Nos quatro primeiros capítulos, desenvolvem- se análises críticas sobre o conceito de desenvolvimento, o contexto amazônico e a problemática energética rural. Com base nessas análises, identifica-se o desenvolvimento sustentável como a filosofia de desenvolvimento mais adequada para a Amazônia, porque ela prioriza o atendimento das necessidades básicas da população, e detecta-se que a carência energética amazônica a determinada pela implementação de políticas energéticas centralizadoras, que tern nos critérios técnico-econômicos, os únicos para viabilizar os programas de energização rural. Nos capítulos subsequentes, aplica-se a estrutura de planejamento energético elaborada, tendo como estudo de caso a comunidade do igarape Combu, localizada na Ilha do Combu, Município de Belém, Estado do Pará. Entre as conclusões deste estudo, destaca-se a necessidade da incorporação do planejamento energético nos programas de energização rural, visando identificar as alternativas de oferta mais adequadas, em termos econômicos e ambientais , a partir do conhecimento de hábitos e poder aquisitivo da população a ser beneficiada pelos programas de atendimento, para atender as demandas energéticas das pequenas comunidades da Amazônia. / The energy supply for small rural communities in Amazon is extremely poor, because of the energy policies adopted for rural areas. These Brazilian policies prioritize only the economical and technical aspects, such as electrification from the electric grid. With the advent of sustainable development that posture has received some critics, because it ignores environmental and social aspects. This dissertation presents a framework for the energy planning, compatible with the precepts of sustainable development, to be used as an evaluation mechanism for energy alternatives in small communities from Amazon. The first four chapters show a critical analysis about the concept of development, the Amazon context and the rural energy problems. Based in these analyses, the sustainable development is identified as the philosophy more adequate for the Amazon, because it prioritizes the basic needs supply. The adoption of centralized energy policies, based on economical and technical criteria, are taken as responsibles for the lack of energy observed in Amazon. The last chapters apply the energy planning framework elaborated. The community of Igarape Combu, localized in Combu island, a district of Belem city, in Para State is taken as a study case. Among the conclusions, the work highlights the necessity of the energy planning incorporation for rural areas, in order to identify the more adequate alternatives, economically and environmentally sounding and based on people income and behave, aiming energy and basic needs supply for small communities from Amazon.

With the development of MEMS and nano-technology, effects of tribo-electrification on the size accuracy and quality of micro-element will be more sensitive. The electrification in the order of mV is also important in the nano-machining process. Therefore, the tribo-electrification mechanisms and characteristics between the metal surfaces are investigated in this study. The experiments are conducted on a reciprocating friction tester with a measuring system, and the tribo-electrification behavior is studied for eleven pure metals, namely, Platinum (Pt), Ferrous (Fe), Molybdenum (Mo), Titanium (Ti), Tungsten (W) and Lead (Pb), Zinc (Zn), Aluminum (Al), Silver (Ag), Aurum (Au), Copper (Cu), in dry severe wear process. According to the SEM and EDS observations on the wear particles and the worn surfaces, the tribo-electrification mechanisms between the metal surfaces are proposed. Concerning the study of self-mated pure metal pairs; a model of the tribo-electrification mechanism by asperity removal for five hard metal pairs of Pt/Pt, Fe/Fe, Mo/Mo, Ti/Ti, and W/W is proposed. In this model, the wear for the hard self-mated metals is mainly caused by the asperity removal with small wear particle. When the material transfers from pin specimen to plate specimen, the polarity of tribo-electrification for pin specimen becomes positive, and vice versa. Another model of the tribo-electrification mechanism by junction growth for six soft metal pairs of Pb/Pb, Zn/Zn, Al/Al, Ag/Ag, Au/Au and Cu/Cu is proposed. In this model, the wear mechanism of the soft self-mated metals is the flake-like wear particles that are formed by the particle aggregation with junction growth. The polarity of tribo-electrification for the upper specimen keeps negative due to the wear loss of the upper specimen always less than the plate specimen. Furthermore, the transition mechanisms of tribo-electrification are investigated with changing normal load, hence a map has been established to predict the polarity of tribo-electrification for self-mated metal pairs. That is, with increasing normal load, the polarity of tribo-electrification varies from the random, through tending to negative, to negative, and the formation mechanism of wear particle from the micro-asperity removal, through the transition, to the particle aggregation with junction growth. Moreover, an equation is proposed to predict the average magnitude of tribo-electrification. Results show that the average magnitude of electrification voltage is linearly proportional to the electric resistivity and the relative wear rate, but inversely to the real contact area. Concerning the study of dissimilar metal pairs of Pb/Fe, Ag/Fe, Cu/Fe, Zn/Fe and Al/Fe; the total voltage of tribo-electrification Vt for dissimilar metal pairs consists of three components: (a) tribo-electrification by material transfer Vw, Vw is independent of the reciprocating speed, and is proportional to the (1+n) power of normal load, where n is in the range from ¡V0.5 to ¡V0.9 for lead, silver, copper, zinc, and aluminum. (b) tribo-electrification by friction heat Vf, Vf is linearly proportional to the reciprocating speed, and is proportional to the square root of normal load. (c) tribo-electrification by residual heat Vr, Vr is linearly proportional to the reciprocating speed, and is proportional to the square root of normal load. Moreover, Temperature rise Tt between the contact surfaces can be calculated by Vf and Vr. Hence, Tt consists of two components: (a) temperature rise by friction heat Tf, an equation is proposed to predict Tf. Results show that Tf is a function of friction coefficient, normal load and speed. (b) temperature rise by residual heat Tr, Tr is linearly proportional to the reciprocating speed, and is proportional to the square root of normal load. Finally, a model of tribo-electrification mechanism for dissimilar metal pairs is proposed to describe the tribo-electrification phenomenon for sliding pairs with low to high mutual solubility.

The Houston LDAR II network is an array of twelve VHF time-of-arrival (TOA) sensors operated by Texas A&M University. The goals of the network are to conduct indepth studies of thunderstorm electrification and provide timely lightning threats to the Houston area. Before analyses are conducted using data from the Houston LDAR network, it is necessary to understand the LDAR networkâ s performance and limitations, such as the LDAR source detection efficiency, network range, and location accuracy. Initial results from the 31 October 2005 Mesoscale Convective System (MCS) timing error analysis revealed an RMS timing error for the Houston LDAR network of 90 ns for 6 sensor solutions. This gives a three-dimensional location accuracy of 1 km at a distance of 150 km and 100 m over the center of the network. Reanalysis with updated sensor positions decreased the RMS timing error to 75 ns. This decrease in RMS timing error increased the median three-dimensional location accuracy by ~100 m at a 100 km range. The network has been operated at both 70 MHz and 40 MHz. Model results of detection efficiency suggest that the change to 40 MHz yields an increase of 9 - 10 dB in network sensitivity. Analysis of VHF source power distributions shows a similar shift from that expected from the model. These results show that the 40 MHz LDAR network detects ~3.3 times more VHF sources than the 70 MHz network. The analysis of the usable network range for research purposes is currently set by rough guidelines of location accuracy and detection efficiency. For location accuracy, a 1 km limit allows storm analysis out to a range of more than 150 km. For the detection efficiency analysis, results based on source power distributions suggest a gradual fall off with range. Examining the change in VHF source density by range reveals different results. VHF source density remained fairly constant out to a range of 100 km at which point a significant fall off was observed. Based on these results the usable network range for the Houston network is 100 km.

Rural areas of Cameroon have limited to no availability of grid-supplied electricity, however many locations have significant hydro potential. Pico hydro (less than 5 kW generation capacity) has been identified as a promising means for rural electrification. Tests of previously implemented designs and field research in Cameroon were conducted to contextualize the design process. Field research involved end-user and artisan interviews, market research, site investigations, and artisan collaboration. Findings were used to select an axial flow propeller for the improved turbine. Detailed design used turbomachinery theory towards the development of a locally manufactured low head pico hydro turbine for rural electrification. A propeller turbine with complex blade geometries was designed but simplified to incorporate flat blade geometries to better suit the local manufacture capabilities. A prototype turbine was built and tested. The flat blade propeller turbine performed reasonably well, but was unable to achieve desired power generation targets with predefined head and flow rate conditions.

Energy poverty – the circumstance of depending on low quality fuels and inefficient end-uses, or conversely, the lack of access to modern energy services – is one of the defining global issues of our time. Access to electricity is essential to eradicating energy poverty and empowering individuals, communities and economies, to reach their potential. Globally, 1.3 billion people, mainly in less developed countries, lack access to electricity. While central grid extension often provides electricity at very low cost, the reliability of the central grid in less developed countries is so low that the priority given by policy makers to central grid extension must be questioned. Rather than maximizing the extent of often unreliable or simply unenergized central grid extensions, we demonstrate the imperative to consider a multi-track approach to electricity access that includes microgrids and high quality solar lighting products. Through case studies and modeling efforts based on extensive empirical data, we provide new insight to this imperative and elucidate the nature of the challenges and solutions for microgrids to eradicate energy poverty.

Typescript. / Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hawaii at Manoa, 1990. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 204-215) / Microfiche. / xx, 215 leaves, bound ill. 29 cm

Rural renewable electrification programs are increasingly being used as a means of providing the rural poor in developing countries with access to electricity. Those programs have varied significantly in design and implementation, as well as in their degrees of success. The explanations for the lack of success and the non-sustainability of the earliest programs are widely accepted as these tended to be technical demonstration projects that relied totally on funding from donor organisations or governments. These projects ignored or overlooked the vital question of how ongoing operational, maintenance and replacement costs would be met. Many genuine programs, however, also met with limited success and much effort has been invested in attempting to understand the reasons for this lack of success. To increase the rates of success of these programs, best practice guidelines were developed. Despite these efforts, many programs have continued to meet with limited success. These points required better explanations of the reasons for program success and failure, which requires a greater understanding of these programs. This thesis looks more closely at solar PV electrification programs being undertaken in the Asia-Pacific region to understand why some programs continue to be more successful than others. It aims to understand the decisions behind the planning and implementation of the programs and the reasons that are being implemented in the way that they are, the selection of program objectives, the actual benefits of the programs the and causes of any factors that contribute to their apparent success or lack of success. This understanding is obtained by undertaking in-depth comprehensive field surveys to obtain the views of all program stakeholders. The outcomes of these field surveys are then used to develop a comprehensive set of success criteria and a set of indicators that can be used to measure the success of rural renewable electrification programs. A roadmap that could be followed by the program planners and implementers to ensure program success is also provided.

Thesis (M.S.)--Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1994. / Vita. Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 65-67). Also available via the Internet.

Thesis (M.S.)--Humboldt State University, 2009. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 168-172). Also available via Humboldt Digital Scholar.

0 atendimento energético a pequenas comunidades rurais na Amazônia e extremamente incipiente, porque as políticas energéticas adotadas para a zona rural no Brasil priorizam apenas os aspectos técnico-econômicos, bem como a eletrificarao via conexão à rede. Com o advento do desenvolvimento sustentável, essa postura tem recebido muitas críticas, porque negligência os aspectos sócio-ambientais. Esta dissertação apresenta uma estrutura de planejamento energético, compatível com os preceitos do desenvolvimento sustentável, para ser utilizada como mecanismo de avaliação de alternativas energéticas para pequenas comunidades da Amazônia. Nos quatro primeiros capítulos, desenvolvem- se análises críticas sobre o conceito de desenvolvimento, o contexto amazônico e a problemática energética rural. Com base nessas análises, identifica-se o desenvolvimento sustentável como a filosofia de desenvolvimento mais adequada para a Amazônia, porque ela prioriza o atendimento das necessidades básicas da população, e detecta-se que a carência energética amazônica a determinada pela implementação de políticas energéticas centralizadoras, que tern nos critérios técnico-econômicos, os únicos para viabilizar os programas de energização rural. Nos capítulos subsequentes, aplica-se a estrutura de planejamento energético elaborada, tendo como estudo de caso a comunidade do igarape Combu, localizada na Ilha do Combu, Município de Belém, Estado do Pará. Entre as conclusões deste estudo, destaca-se a necessidade da incorporação do planejamento energético nos programas de energização rural, visando identificar as alternativas de oferta mais adequadas, em termos econômicos e ambientais , a partir do conhecimento de hábitos e poder aquisitivo da população a ser beneficiada pelos programas de atendimento, para atender as demandas energéticas das pequenas comunidades da Amazônia. / The energy supply for small rural communities in Amazon is extremely poor, because of the energy policies adopted for rural areas. These Brazilian policies prioritize only the economical and technical aspects, such as electrification from the electric grid. With the advent of sustainable development that posture has received some critics, because it ignores environmental and social aspects. This dissertation presents a framework for the energy planning, compatible with the precepts of sustainable development, to be used as an evaluation mechanism for energy alternatives in small communities from Amazon. The first four chapters show a critical analysis about the concept of development, the Amazon context and the rural energy problems. Based in these analyses, the sustainable development is identified as the philosophy more adequate for the Amazon, because it prioritizes the basic needs supply. The adoption of centralized energy policies, based on economical and technical criteria, are taken as responsibles for the lack of energy observed in Amazon. The last chapters apply the energy planning framework elaborated. The community of Igarape Combu, localized in Combu island, a district of Belem city, in Para State is taken as a study case. Among the conclusions, the work highlights the necessity of the energy planning incorporation for rural areas, in order to identify the more adequate alternatives, economically and environmentally sounding and based on people income and behave, aiming energy and basic needs supply for small communities from Amazon.