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The new generation of Smart Home Device : Health Monitoring system for Smart Homes / Ny generation av Smart Home DeviceJarque Antolí, Carlos January 2019 (has links)
This thesis project was conveyed in collaboration with Block Zero, a strategic Design Studio in Malmö, Sweden, with the purpose to design a product that develops a new type of interaction within the Smart Home. This design project will primarily focus on the research, exploration and definition of possible solutions, and the resulting design and development of the final product, a Smart Home Health Hub. From a global perspective, throughout the following document is covered a description of the design process from initial research to the final prototype. The project is defined in this approach and establishes the mentioned principles to guide the execution of the project through a deductive method, synthesising until the final result.
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Neurofunctional reorganization to support semantic processing during aging : an fMRI studyHaitas, Niobe 11 1900 (has links)
Le langage est dans son ensemble bien préservé pendant le vieillissement (Meyer & Federmeier, 2010) tandis que la mémoire sémantique peut même s'améliorer (Kavé, Samuel-Enoch, & Adiv, 2009; Prinz, Bucher, & Marder, 2004; Salthouse, 2009; Verhaegen & Poncelet, 2013 ; Wingfield & Grossman, 2006), malgré de nombreux changements neurophysiologiques se produisant dans le cerveau (Grady, Springer, Hongwanishkul, McIntosh, & Winocur, 2006 ; Kemper & Anagnopoulos, 1989 ; Wingfield & Grossman, 2006). Cette thèse se concentre sur la préservation de la mémoire sémantique dans le vieillissement, « l'acte cognitif d'accéder aux connaissances stockées sur le monde » (Binder, Desai, Graves et Conant, 2009) à travers une tâche de jugement sémantique manipulant le contrôle sémantique avec deux niveaux de demande (faible et élevé) et deux types de relations sémantiques (taxonomique et thématique). Nous avons développé une nouvelle tâche variant les niveaux de demande (faible et élevé) chez 39 adultes jeunes et 39 adultes âgés. Plus précisément, les objectifs de notre étude étaient 1) d'identifier si le vieillissement affecte l'activité cérébrale liée à la mémoire sémantique conformément aux prédictions du modèle CRUNCH, à travers une tâche de jugement sémantique à deux niveaux d'exigences. 2) de combler le vide de la littérature sur l'existence et l'évolution des hubs sémantiques dans le vieillissement, à la lumière des théories single hub et dual-hub, en évaluant l'effet du vieillissement sur le rôle des lobes temporaux antérieurs (ATL) et du jonction temporo-pariétale (TPJ) en tant que représentations neuronales des centres sémantiques responsables respectivement du traitement taxonomique et thématique. Une soumission par rapport pré-enregistré (registered report) a été utilisée pour ce projet de recherche. Nos participants, adultes plus jeunes et plus âgés, étaient globalement appariés en termes de réserve cognitive, plus précisément en ce qui concerne le niveau d'éducation et comme le montrent les questionnaires évaluant l'engagement dans des activités cognitivement stimulantes, les tests MoCA et WAIS-III. Les résultats comportementaux ont confirmé que la tâche varie correctement la difficulté de la tâche puisque les taux d'erreur et les temps de réponse (RT) augmentent de manière linéaire avec l'augmentation des exigences de la tâche, à savoir dans la condition de forte demande. Nous avons constaté que la participation à des activités stimulantes sur le plan cognitif avait un impact positif à la fois sur les RT de référence et sur la précision. Nous n’avons pas observé de différence statistiquement significative dans la précision entre les participants jeunes et plus âgés, quelle que soit la condition. Nous avons constaté que des scores plus élevés aux tests WAIS-III et PPTT étaient positivement corrélés avec la précision chez les personnes âgées. En termes de RT, nous avons observé une différence statistiquement significative entre les participants jeunes et plus âgés pour la tâche et les conditions de référence, les adultes plus âgés étant plus lents à répondre en général. Les RT augmentent linéairement avec l'âge du participant. En tant que telle, la tâche de mémoire sémantique a réussi à a) manipuler la difficulté de la tâche sur deux niveaux d'exigences et b) démontrer une performance comportementale invariante selon l'âge pour le groupe plus âgé, comme l'exige le test du modèle CRUNCH (Fabiani, 2012 ; Schneider-Garces et al., 2010). Pour l'objectif n°1, les tests cruciaux du modèle CRUNCH, l'interaction IRMf groupe par difficulté, n'étaient pas cohérents avec les prédictions du modèle. Malgré nos résultats comportementaux, lorsque nous avons comparé directement la condition de faible demande avec la condition de forte demande, il n'y avait pas de différence statistiquement significative dans l'activation entre les conditions de faible et de forte demande. Nous n'avons pas non plus obtenu d'interaction entre tranche d'âge et difficulté. Nous avons obtenu des interactions significatives en comparant les conditions de demande faible et élevée avec la ligne de référence. Au niveau neuronal, indépendamment de l'âge, la tâche de jugement de similarité sémantique a activé un large réseau bilatéral fronto-temporo-pariétal. Pour l'objectif n°2 concernant l'effet de relation sémantique, le contraste de la condition taxonomique avec la condition thématique directement n'a pas trouvé d'activation robuste à un seuil corrigé. La condition taxonomique a donné des résultats intéressants par rapport à la condition de base. Sept groupes distincts dans le cortex fronto-temporo-pariétal ont été activés dans les deux hémisphères, y compris les lobes temporaux antérieurs (ATL) et la jonction temporo-pariétale gauche (TPJ). De plus, l'activation était significative dans le gyrus supérieur frontal gauche, le gyrus angulaire gauche (AG) et le gyrus frontal inférieur (partie orbitale) sur l'hémisphère droit. Cette découverte pourrait être en partie conforme à la théorie du double-hub, qui propose que les ATL bilatéralement et le TPJ agissent comme des hubs sémantiques. Bien que nous n'ayons pas trouvé d'activation significative dans les ATL pendant la condition taxonomique et dans le TPJ pendant la condition thématique, nous avons cependant constaté que dans la condition taxonomique parmi les sept clusters significativement activés, l'activation dans le gyrus frontal supérieur gauche était significativement corrélée avec la performance dans la condition taxonomique pour les deux groupes d'âge. L'activation dans le gyrus temporal moyen droit était également corrélée à l'amélioration des performances, mais cela n'était pas significatif dans le groupe plus âgé. En ce qui concerne la condition thématique, par contraste avec condition de référence, dix groupes distincts ont été activés, y compris la jonction temporo-pariétale (TPJ), alors que les ATL n'ont pas été activés de manière robuste pendant la condition thématique. Plus précisément, les régions activées comprenaient bilatéralement le gyrus angulaire, le gyrus temporal moyen, le gyrus frontal inférieur (partie triangulaire) et le gyrus frontal moyen. Nous visons à poursuivre des analyses supplémentaires pour explorer la relation entre les exigences de la tâche, le type de relation sémantique et la réorganisation neurofonctionnelle liée à l'âge. Cependant, ces résultats relatifs à la préservation avec l'âge des capacités à traiter les différentes relations sémantiques de mots sont associés à un certain nombre de réorganisations neurofonctionnelles. Celles-ci peuvent être spécifiques au traitement de différentes relations sémantiques et de différentes demandes de tâches. Il reste à déterminer si cette réorganisation est induite par les changements structurels du cerveau avec l'âge, ou par l'utilisation accrue de telles relations sémantiques tout au long de la trajectoire de la vie. / Language overall is well preserved in aging (Meyer & Federmeier, 2010) whereas semantic memory may even improve (Kavé, Samuel-Enoch, & Adiv, 2009; Prinz, Bucher, & Marder, 2004; Salthouse, 2009; Verhaegen & Poncelet, 2013; Wingfield & Grossman, 2006), despite numerous neurophysiological changes taking place in the brain (Grady, Springer, Hongwanishkul, McIntosh, & Winocur, 2006; Kemper & Anagnopoulos, 1989; Wingfield & Grossman, 2006). The present study focuses on the preservation of semantic memory in aging, the ‘cognitive act of accessing stored knowledge about the world’ (Binder, Desai, Graves, & Conant, 2009) by means of a semantic judgment task manipulating semantic control with two demand levels (low and high) and two types of semantic relations (taxonomic-thematic). We used a novel task that varied task demands (low versus high) in 39 younger and 39 older adults. More specifically, the aims of this study was 1) to identify whether aging affects the brain activity subserving semantic memory in accordance with the CRUNCH predictions, through a semantic judgment task with two levels of demands (low and high). 2) To bridge the gap in the literature on the existence and evolution of semantic hubs in aging, in light of the dual and single-hub theories, by evaluating the effect of aging on the role of the Anterior Temporal Lobes (ATLs) and the Temporo-parietal junction (TPJ) as neural representations of the semantic hubs responsible for taxonomic and thematic processing, respectively. A submission by registered report was opted for this research project. Our participants, younger and older adults, were overall matched in regards to level of education and as shown in questionnaires assessing engagement in cognitively stimulating activities, MoCA and WAIS-III tests. The behavioral results confirmed that the task was successful in manipulating task difficulty, with error rates and RTs increasing with increasing task demands, namely in the high-demand condition. We found that engaging in cognitively stimulating activities impacted positively on both baseline RTs and accuracy and that higher scores on the WAIS-III and the PPTT tests were positively correlated with accuracy in older adults. There was no statistical difference in accuracy between younger and older participants regardless of the condition, so there was no age effect in accuracy. In terms of RTs, there was a statistically significant difference between younger and older participants for both the task and the baseline conditions, with older adults being slower to respond in general. RTs increased the more the participant’s age increased, which is in line with findings in the literature. As such, the semantic memory task was successful in a) manipulating task difficulty across two levels of demands and b) demonstrating age-invariant behavioural performance for the older group, as requires to test the CRUNCH model (Fabiani, 2012; Schneider-Garces et al., 2010). For objective no 1, the crucial test of CRUNCH model, the fMRI age group by task demand interaction was not found. We did not find statistically significant interaction neither between task demands and age group for RTs or accuracy, nor in regards to brain activation. At the neural level, independently of age, the semantic similarity judgment task activated a large network including bilateral inferior frontal, parietal, supplementary motor, temporal and occipital brain regions, which correspond overall with the semantic network, as suggested in the literature. Region of interest analyses demonstrated task demand effect in these regions, most notably in the left and right inferior frontal gyrus, the left posterior middle temporal gyrus, the posterior inferior temporal gyrus and the pre-frontal gyrus, regions which are typically associated with semantic control requirements. We did not find any significant interactions between task demands and activation in the regions of interest either. Several possible reasons may justify the lack of findings as predicted by the CRUNCH hypothesis. For objective no 2 in regards to the semantic relation effect, the contrast of the taxonomic with the thematic condition directly did not produce any robust activation at a corrected threshold. The taxonomic condition yielded interesting results when contrasted with the baseline one. Seven distinct clusters in the fronto-temporo-parietal cortex were activated across the two hemispheres, including the anterior temporal lobes (ATLs) and the left temporo-parietal junction (TPJ). Additionally, activation was significant in the left frontal syperior gyrus, the left angular gyrus (AG) and the inferior frontal gyrus (orbital part) on the right hemisphere. This finding could be partly in line with the dual-hub theory, that proposes that the ATLs bilaterally and the TPJ act as semantic hubs. Though we did not find the expected double dissociation e.g., significant activation in the ATLs during the taxonomic condition only and in the TPJ during the thematic condition only, we found however that in the taxonomic condition among the seven significantly activated clusters, activation in the left superior frontal gyrus was significantly correlated with performance in both age groups. Activation in the right middle temporal gyrus was also correlated with improved performance, but this was not significant in the older group. During the thematic condition, when contrasted with baseline, ten distinct clusters were activated, including the temporo-parietal junction (TPJ), whereas the ATLs were not robustly activated during the thematic condition. We aim to pursue additional analyses to explore the relation between task demands, type of semantic relation and age-related neurofunctional reorganization. However, these results in relation to the preservation with age of the abiliites to process the different semantic word relations is associated with a number of neurofunctional reorganizations. These can be specific to the processing of different semantic relations and different task demands. Whether this reorganization is induced by the structural changes in the brain with age, or by the enhanced use of such semantic relations along the trajectory of life is still under exploration.
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Constructing a macro-actor in practice : the case of wave hubIskandarova, Marfuga January 2013 (has links)
This research examines whether study of the controversial evolution of energy systems and emerging energy technologies can contribute to the debates in energy policy and STS, especially those concerning the ongoing search for solutions to energy and environmental problems through the promotion of low-carbon technologies. The focus of this study is on the emergence and growth of a technological project in the renewable energy sector, Wave Hub in Cornwall, UK. The analysis, informed by actor-network theory, helps to explore the emergence of Wave Hub as a complex socio-technical system and a macro-actor. The case study reveals that the project is associated with various controversies and problematic temporalities. The construction of credibility and viability of the technological project is explored, including the 'public face’ of the project, various meanings attributed to Wave Hub and its symbolic capital. The discourse around Wave Hub is critically reviewed, as regards stakeholder assumptions about the technological feasibility of the project. Consideration is also given to the political dimensions of credibility, including the promissory role of policy discourse. An actor-network theory approach helps questioning the idea of policy as ‘macro context’; the utility of an analytical approach to policy as an actant is thus investigated. I ask to what extent, and in what sense, policy can be understood as an element of an actor-network, not merely a context. Furthermore, this helps to build a critical discussion around the evolution of the actor-network with policy as its active element and critically assess to what extent this approach might help to understand the destiny of a technological project. The politics of expertise in the case of Wave Hub is shown to play a critical role for the ‘credibility-economy’ of the project. Exploring how the expertise is understood and performed in the case of Wave Hub, I consider the question of the self-representation of experts and how the expert knowledge and the expert status are constituted. Studying the contestation of expertise and its categorisation helps to analyse various forms of collaboration formed around Wave Hub, but also antagonism which was revealed between different groups of experts.
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Design of a single-sided axial flux PM in-wheel electric vehicle machine with non-overlap stator windingsKierstead, Harold Junior 12 1900 (has links)
Thesis (MScEng (Electrical and Electronic Engineering))--University of Stellenbosch, 2009. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: With the current worldwide energy problems electric vehicles are set to replace conventional combustion engine vehicles. Electric vehicles with gearless in-wheel mounted brushless permanent magnet motors provide a more flexible and efficient means of vehicle propulsion but the electric motors, particularly the non-overlap stator winding type have not been fully researched.
This study focuses on the selection and design of suitable in-wheel hub drive machine. Several machine topologies are evaluated and the single-sided axial flux machine is chosen. The average vehicle requirements are determined and design optimisations are carried with the aid of finite element analysis and an optimisation algorithm. A comparison of torque quality between single-layer and double-layer machines is carried out and it is found that double-layer machines have the least torque ripple and single-layer machines with un-equal teeth the best torque per ripple characteristics. A 16 kW, 30-pole 27-slot prototype machine optimised for power density is built, and it is found fitting for the application meeting the design requirements. The prototype machine is extensively tested and good agreement is found between finite element and measured results. The well known axial flux attraction forces are encountered in the prototype machine and they are overcome by suitable bearing selection and mechanical design. It is found that theoretical and measured cogging torques are inconsistent, the reason for this is that practical machines are not absolutely ideal due to material and manufacturing tolerances. Excessive rotor losses are found in the prototype machine and appropriate methods for their reduction are presented. This work does not aim to find the best in-wheel hub drive solution, but instead looks to uncover some of the technical available solutions. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Met die huidige wêreldwye energie probleme, is elektriese voertuie bestem om konvensionele binnebrandenjin voertuie te vervang. Elektriese voertuie met ratlose binnewiel-geleë borsellose permanente magneet motors, voorsien „n meer aanpasbare en effektiewe metode van voertuig aandrywing, maar die elektriese motors, veral die oorvleulende stator winding tipe is nog nie ten volle nagevors nie.
Hierdie studie fokus op die keuse en ontwerp van „n binnewiel aandryf masjien. Verskeie masjien uitlegte word geëvalueer en „n enkelkant aksiaalvloed masjien is gekies. Die gemiddelde voertuig behoeftes word bepaal en ontwerp optimalisering word uitgevoer met behulp van eindige element analise en „n optimaliserings algoritme. Enkellaag en dubbellaag masjiene se draaimoment kwaliteit word vergelyk. Die bevinding is dat dubbellaag masjiene die laagste draaimoment rimpel toon terwyl die enkellaag masjiene, met oneweredige tande, die beste draaimoment per rimpel karakteristieke toon. „n 16 kW, 30 pool, 27 gleuf prototipe masjien, wat vir drywingsdigtheid ge-optimaliseer is, is gebou en is geskik vir die toepassing en die vereistes. Die prototipe masjien is getoets en goeie vergelykings word getref tussen die eindige element analise en die gemete resultate. Die alom bekende aksiaal vloed aantrekkings kragte word in die prototipe masjien gesien en word oorkom deur die regte rollaer keuse en meganiese ontwerp. Nog „n bevinding is dat die teoretiese en gemete waardes vir die vertandings draaimoment nie ooreenstem nie. Die rede hiervoor is dat die praktiese masjien nie ideaal is in terme van materiaal en vervaardigings toleransies nie. Groot rotor verliese in die prototipe masjien is gevind en goeie metodes vir die minimering daarvan word voorgestel. Hierdie werk is nie „n soektog na die beste binnewiel aandrywings oplossing nie, maar mik eerder om sommige van die tegniese beskikbare oplossings te onthul.
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Darwinian Domain-Generality: The Role of Evolutionary Psychology in the Modularity DebateLundie, Michael 03 May 2017 (has links)
Evolutionary Psychology (EP) tends to be associated with a Massively Modular (MM) cognitive architecture. I argue that EP favors a non-MM cognitive architecture. The main point of dispute is whether central cognition, such as abstract reasoning, exhibits domain-general properties. Partisans of EP argue that domain-specific modules govern central cognition, for it is unclear how the cognitive mind could have evolved domain-generality. In response, I defend a distinction between exogenous and endogenous selection pressures, according to which exogenous pressures tend to select for domain-specificity, whereas the latter, endogenous pressures, select in favor of domain-generality. I draw on models from brain network theory to motivate this distinction, and also to establish that a domain-general, non-MM cognitive architecture is the more parsimonious adaptive solution to endogenous pressures.
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Celulolytické houby a jejich diverzita na rostlinném opadu / Cellulolytic fungi and their diversity on plant litterGálová, Diana January 2014 (has links)
Litter decomposition requires the presence of corresponding degradative enzymes, produced mainly by fungi. Forest soils show considerable spatial heterogeneity of distribution of these enzymes at diferent scales. Moreover, enzyme pruduction varies during the year, usually accompanied by the change in fungal community composition. In this work I examined if this spatial heterogeneity can be seen even at a scale of an individual leaf and whether the fungal community differs among enzyme activity hotspots and inactive parts of the leaves. Another goal was isolation of celulytic fungi from cellulose litterbags incubated on forest floor using particle filtration and dilution-to-extinction method. In a broadleaved forest dominated by oak leaves at different stages of decay were collected: senescent leaves on twigs, and leaves after 2, 10 and 22 months of decomposition. Ten leaves per season were taken for analysis of cellobiohydrolase activity over the leaf surface. Leaves were attachmed onto melted agarose plate and leaf surface was covered with low melting point agarose containing fluorescently labelled substrate. For each leaf a map of enzyme activity was created and area with the high and low enzyme activity was identified. From both sites a square of approx. 1 cm2 was cut out, DNA was extracted and fungal...
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Incorporating Sustainability Planning in Airport Master Plans: A Case Study of Six U.S Small Hub AirportsCaroline K Marete (6199067) 14 May 2019 (has links)
<div>
<p>The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) <i>Report on the Sustainable Master Plan Pilot
Program and Lessons Learned </i>published in December 2012 showed that airports
of all sizes can benefit from incorporating sustainability in their master
plans. Global aviation organizations such as the International Civil Aviation
Organization (ICAO) and Airports Council International (ACI) have been in the
forefront in championing aviation sustainability. While incorporating
sustainability in airport planning is highly encouraged, there are challenges
associated with such a process. Some of the challenges experienced by airport
managers in planning and implementation sustainability are lack of financial
capability, and lack of skilled sustainability specialists. In 2009, FAA launched
the Airport Sustainability - Airport Improvement Program (AIP), to provide
grants to airports that were willing to invest the time and resources in
preparing airport master plans that incorporate sustainability issues. To date,
44 airports have been funded through the FAA Airport Sustainability AIP grant.
Six of the 44 airports are in the category of small hub airports as classified
by the National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems (NPIAS). The objective of
this study is to gain an in-depth understanding of the approaches to
sustainability planning used by the six small hub airports in the FAA program.
The researcher chose a case study design to conduct an exploratory case study with
multiple cases. The results of the study show that the approaches used by the
six airports vary depending on the specific airport needs and resources
available. Based on the study results, the researcher concludes there are more
similarities than differences in the approaches airports have used to
incorporate sustainability in the master planning process.</p>
</div>
<br>
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Metodologia aplicada para obter um sistema de indicadores de porto concentrador de carga. / Applied methodology to obtain an information system from a hub port.Moreira, Aluisio de Souza 08 September 2009 (has links)
A política é umbilicalmente ligada à atividade humana e está associada às questões de educação. As carências desse conjunto de diretrizes nas áreas de transportes somadas às lacunas da literatura e fragilidades desses sistemas prejudicam também os sistemas energéticos e ambientais. No Brasil as combinações desses problemas causam significativas perdas no processo de geração de bens e da qualidade de vida humana. Focando o papel do terminal portuário, representado pelo principal sistema brasileiro, as fragilidades citadas são demonstradas neste trabalho que, com o objetivo de indicar referências para implantações, melhorias, expansões, modernizações e construções de terminais de cargas, aplica uma metodologia de pesquisa para apontar a configuração dos modelos dos portos concentradores de referências internacionais com ênfase em contêineres. Os portos paradigmas são selecionados, coletam-se evidências e gera-se um sistema de informações de indicadores. Ao final, conclui-se pelo êxito do processo empregado e propõe-se dar seguimento ao projeto para gerar sinais e medidas que aperfeiçoem os sistemas portuários. / The policy is umbilically linked to human activity and it is connected to issues of education. The absence of policies in the area of transportation, added to the limitation in literature on the subject and the fragility of the transport systems also affect the environmental and energetic systems. In Brazil the combination of these problems causes significant losses in the generation of goods and the quality of human life. Focusing on the role of the port terminal, represented by the main Brazilian system, the mentioned weaknesses are demonstrated in this project that - in order to indicate references to improvements, expansions, modernization and construction of cargo terminals - applies a methodology of research aiming at the configuration for the best worldwide models of a hub port, with emphasis on container traffic. The paradigm ports are selected, evidence is collected and information system of indicators is generated. At the end, the success of the process employed is confirmed and it is proposed to proceed with the project to generate signals and measures to improve port systems.
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A hierarchical and structured methodology to solve a general delivery problem : resolution of the basic sub-problems in the operational phaseLian, Lian 01 October 2010 (has links) (PDF)
Les entreprises de transport et de distribution sont confrontées à des difficultés d'exploitation liées à la taille et à la complexité de leur processus de livraison. Dans cette problématique, nous proposons une approche globale du Problème Général de Livraison (PGL).Au niveau méthodologique, c'est une approche hiérarchique (stratégique, tactique, opérationnelle) et structurée. Il s'agit de concevoir et d'exploiter un PGL en le décomposant en problèmes de livraisons élémentaires identifiés et le plus possible indépendants les uns des autres (problèmes de transport, de hubs, d'agences, de tournées...).Au niveau algorithmique, des modèles et algorithmes de résolution ont été proposés pour résoudre ces problèmes élémentaires de livraison dans la phase opérationnelle en tenant compte, en particulier, du nombre et de la capacité limités des moyens de transport.Au niveau applicatif, deux exemples réels sont traités : le système de livraison d'une entreprise de Vente à Distance et le système de livraison des casernes de pompiers du Nord de la France à partir de la pharmacie centrale de Lille
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Enabling Utility-Scale Electrical Energy Storage through Underground Hydrogen-Natural Gas Co-StoragePeng, Dan 11 September 2013 (has links)
Energy storage technology is needed for the storage of surplus baseload generation and the storage of intermittent wind power, because it can increase the flexibility of power grid operations. Underground storage of hydrogen with natural gas (UHNG) is proposed as a new energy storage technology, to be considered for utility-scale energy storage applications. UHNG is a composite technology: using electrolyzers to convert electrical energy to chemical energy in the form of hydrogen. The latter is then injected along with natural gas into existing gas distribution and storage facilities. The energy stored as hydrogen is recovered as needed; as hydrogen for industrial and transportation applications, as electricity to serve power demand, or as hydrogen-enriched natural gas to serve gas demand. The storage of electrical energy in gaseous form is also termed “Power to Gas”. Such large scale electrical energy storage is desirable to baseload generators operators, renewable energy-based generator operators, independent system operators, and natural gas distribution utilities. Due to the low density of hydrogen, the hydrogen-natural gas mixture thus formed has lower volumetric energy content than conventional natural gas. But, compared to the combustion of conventional natural gas, to provide the same amount of energy, the hydrogen-enriched mixture emits less carbon dioxide.
This thesis investigates the dynamic behaviour, financial and environmental performance of UHNG through scenario-based simulation. A proposed energy hub embodying the UHNG principle, located in Southwestern Ontario, is modeled in the MATLAB/Simulink environment. Then, the performance of UHNG for four different scenarios are assessed: injection of hydrogen for long term energy storage, surplus baseload generation load shifting, wind power integration and supplying large hydrogen demand. For each scenario, the configuration of the energy hub, its scale of operation and operating strategy are selected to match the application involved. All four scenarios are compared to the base case scenario, which simulates the operations of a conventional underground gas storage facility.
For all scenarios in which hydrogen production and storage is not prioritized, the concentration of hydrogen in the storage reservoir is shown to remain lower than 7% for the first three years of operation. The simulation results also suggest that, of the five scenarios, hydrogen injection followed by recovery of hydrogen-enriched natural gas is the most likely energy recovery pathway in the near future. For this particular scenario, it was also found that it is not profitable to sell the hydrogen-enriched natural gas at the same price as regular natural gas. For the range of scenarios evaluated, a list of benchmark parameters has been established for the UHNG technology. With a roundtrip efficiency of 39%, rated capacity ranging from 25,000 MWh to 582,000 MWh and rated power from 1 to 100 MW, UHNG is an energy storage technology suitable for large storage capacity, low to medium power rating storage applications.
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