In this thesis the integration of photovolatic (PV) generation and energy storage into the electrical grid is discussed. Although the studied system is for grid tied applications, here the integration of the PV generation and the energy storage system (ESS) on the DC-side of the system is addressed. The work contained in this thesis focuses on the integration of the DC-working parts before interfacing them with the grid through the use of an inverter and seeks an increasing in the energy that the system can deliver.First, a study of classical systems that present well-differentiated parts is presented: PV generation, a lithium-ion battery based ESS, the utility grid and a residential electricity consumer. PV installations of 3 and 10kWp are considered together with storage capacities ranging from 1 to 9kWh. This yields interesting insights on how the system works based on the timing of the generation and consumption of energy. The results are used to highlight the weaknesses of the selected converter arrangement for the interfacing of the PV source and the ESS. Results show that the system is rather stiff and lacks from conversion efficiency when it needs to work in a wide range of powers, mainly due to low consumer power demand during battery discharge. In this first part of the thesis, three solutions to workaround the efficiency problem are proposed: reducing the difference between the ESS and the DC-bus voltages, using isolated converters to interface the ESS, or adopting a new arrangement of the parts of the system. One of the first two proposed solutions should be adopted if the same system topology is to be kept. These two solutions address the efficiency problem when the ESS is involved in the energy conversion. The third solution is proposed as alternative to the classical systems that use a DC-bus to exchange power with the different parts of the system. The new proposed arrangement features a distributed maximum power point (DMPPT) type system that includes storage at module level. DMPPT systems are able to track the maximum power point (MPPT) of each panel separately by connecting a small power electronic converter (PEC) to each PV panel. They are specially useful when the PV installation receives uneven irradiance, i.e. shadows are present in some of the panels, increasing the annual yield of PV energy from 7 to 30% as reported in the literature. Unfortunately, this kind of systems cannot always handle high irradiance mismatches, and fail to track the maximum power point (MPP) throughout the whole installation in some cases. Including batteries at module level instead of connecting them to the DC-bus, allows for increasing the MPPT range of the system, virtually to any severity of irradiance mismatch (depending on the state of charge (SoC) of the battery pack), as well as adding storage capability to the system. The novel proposed system is able to workaround the problems of using non-isolated converters, achieving PV energy conversion efficiencies from 86% (for at least 10% of the peak power) to 90% and storage charge/discharge efficiencies ranging from 86% to 95%. Besides, it brings the opportunity to exploit the synergies of having storage at module level in systems that combine renewable energies and storage. Moreover, DMPPT systems achieve superior PV generation under partially shaded conditions when compared to classical PV arrays increasing the PV generation when compared to classical or centralized PV installations up to 45% in power as reported in the literature.In the second part of the thesis, the proposed novel DMPPT topology is presented. The whole system is fully designed from scratch, including PECs, sizing of the different parts of the modules, embedded control loops of the modules and supervisory control of the whole system. Finally, the results obtained from running the proposed system are shown and discussed, and suggestions given on how to operate and protect the system. Experimental results are obtained using a 1.5kWp PV power and 1.5kWh capacity test bench built for that purpose.The proposed system is able to generate PV energy, store the energy coming from PV generation and inject the generated and stored energy into the grid. The proposed system extends the MPPT capability of storage-less series-connected DMPPT systems. This is achieved by using the batteries not only to store energy when required, but also to compensate the power mismatch across DMPPT modules of the same string when the output voltage of the modules becomes a limit. It also presents a modular and upgradable approach to PV systems including storage. This modularity also brings fault tolerance, and an ability to continue working after failure of one or more of the DMPPT modules by partially or completely isolating the faulty module (depending on the nature of the fault). Moreover, the addition of the DC-DC converters allows for the use of different PV panels in the system, i.e. from different manufacturers or technologies.In conclusion, the presented system is very flexible, can be designed for a wide range of power levels and energy storage sizes, and presents improved reliability when compared to other series-connected DMPPT systems. / Doctorat en Sciences de l'ingénieur et technologie / info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished

Este trabalho propÃe o desenvolvimento de uma fonte de alimentaÃÃo portÃtil para notebooks e outros equipamentos eletrÃnicos usando energia fotovoltaica. O sistema completo à composto por dois mÃdulos fotovoltaicos poli-cristalinos de 54W conectados em paralelo; um conversor boost clÃssico usado para controlar a carga das baterias de chumbo-Ãcido reguladas a vÃlvula (VRLA-Valve Regulated Lead Acid) de 40 Ah associadas em sÃrie formando um barramento de 24Vcc e um conversor boost-flyback que tem a funÃÃo de elevar a tensÃo do banco de baterias de 24Vcc a uma tensÃo de saÃda de 250Vcc. O conversor boost utiliza o algoritmo perturba e observa (P&O) para conseguir o ponto de mÃxima potÃncia dos mÃdulos fotovoltaicos. Por outro lado, no conversor boost-flyback que opera em modo de conduÃÃo contÃnua (MCC) à usada a tÃcnica de controle por corrente de pico. Para verificar o princÃpio de funcionamento da fonte de alimentaÃÃo de dois estÃgios, o primeiro estÃgio foi desenvolvido com potÃncia de saÃda de 120W e o segundo estÃgio com potÃncia de saÃda de 200W. / This study proposes the development of a portable power supply to feed notebook computers and other electronic equipment using photovoltaic energy. The complete system is composed by two polycrystalline photovoltaic modules of 54W in parallel, a classic boost converter that allows to work the photovoltaic modules in the maximum power point (MPP) and to charge two lead-acid valve regulated batteries (VRLA Valve-Regulated Lead Acid) of 40Ah associates in series to form a bus of 24Vcc, and a boost-flyback converter that has as function to raise the battery bank voltage of 24Vcc to output voltage of 250Vcc. The boost converter uses the algorithm perturb and observe (P&O) to track the maximum power point of the photovoltaic modules. On the other hand, in the boost-flyback converter operates in continuous conduction mode (CCM) using peak current mode control technique to regulate the output voltage. To verify the feasibility of the two stage power supply, was developed a prototype with first stage of 120W output power, and the second stage of 200W output power.

Background: Hearing aid prescriptive recommendations for hearing losses having a conductive component have received less clinical and research interest than for losses of a sensorineural nature; as a result, much variation remains among current prescriptive methods in their recommendations for conductive and mixed hearing losses (Johnson and Dillon, 2011). Purpose: The primary intent of this brief clinical note is to demonstrate differences between two algebraically equivalent expressions of hearing loss, which have been approaches used historically to generate a prescription for hearing losses with a conductive component. When air and bone conduction thresholds are entered into hearing aid prescriptions designed for nonlinear hearing aids, it was hypothesized that that two expressions would not yield equivalent amounts of prescribed insertion gain and output. These differences are examined for their impact on the maximum power output (MPO) requirements of the hearing aid. Subsequently, the MPO capabilities of two common behind-the-ear (BTE) receiver placement alternatives, receiver-in-aid (RIA) and receiver-in-canal (RIC), are examined. Study Samples: The two expressions of hearing losses examined were the 25% ABG + AC approach and the 75% ABG + BC approach, where ABG refers to air-bone gap, AC refers to air-conduction threshold, and BC refers to bone-conduction threshold. Example hearing loss cases with a conductive component are sampled for calculations. The MPO capabilities of the BTE receiver placements in commercially-available products were obtained from hearing aids on the U.S. federal purchasing contract. Results: Prescribed gain and the required MPO differs markedly between the two approaches. The 75% ABG + BC approach prescribes a compression ratio that is reflective of the amount of sensorineural hearing loss. Not all hearing aids will have the MPO capabilities to support the output requirements for fitting hearing losses with a large conductive component particularly when combined with significant sensorineural hearing loss. Generally, current RIA BTE products have greater output capabilities than RIC BTE products. Conclusions: The 75% ABG + BC approach is more appropriate than the 25% ABG + AC approach because the latter approach inappropriately uses AC thresholds as the basis for determining the compression ratio. That is, for hearing losses with a conductive component, the AC thresholds are not a measure of sensorineural hearing loss and cannot serve as the basis for determining the amount of desired compression. The Australian National Acoustic Laboratories has been using the 75% ABG + BC approach in lieu of the 25% ABG + AC approach since its release of the National Acoustic Laboratories—Non-linear 1 (NAL-NL1) prescriptive method in 1999. Future research may examine whether individuals with conductive hearing loss benefit or prefer more than 75% restoration of the conductive component provided adequate MPO capabilities to support such restoration.

A ratchet is an asymmetric, non-equilibrated system that can produce a directed current of particles without the need for macroscopic potential gradients. In rocked quantum electron ratchets, tunnelling and wave-reflection can induce reversals in the direction of the net current as a function of system parameters. An asymmetric quantum point contact in a GaAs/GaAlAs heterostructure has been studied experimentally as a realisation of a quantum electron ratchet. A Landauer model predicts reversals in the direction of the net current as a function of temperature, amplitude of the rocking voltage, and Fermi energy. Artifacts such as circuit-induced asymmetry, also known as self-gating, were carefully removed from the experimental data, which showed net current and net differential conductance reversals, as predicted by the model. The model also predicts the existence of a heat current where the net electron current changes sign, as equal numbers of high and low energy electrons are pumped in opposite directions. An idealised quantum electron ratchet is studied analytically as an energy selective electron heat engine and refrigerator. The hypothetical device considered consists of two electron reservoirs with different temperatures and Fermi energies. The reservoirs are linked via a resonant state in a quantum dot, which functions as an idealised energy filter for electrons. The efficiency of the device approaches the Carnot value when the energy transmitted by the filter is tuned to that where the Fermi distributions in the reservoirs are equal. The maximum power regime, where the filter transmits all electrons that contribute positively to the power, is also examined. Analytic expressions are obtained for the power and efficiency of the idealised device as both a heat engine and as a refrigerator in this regime of operation. The expressions depend on the ratio of the voltage to the difference in temperature of the reservoirs, and on the ratio of the reservoir temperatures. The energy selective electron heat engine is shown to be non-endoreversible, and to operate in an analogous manner to the three-level amplifier, a laser based quantum heat engine. Implications for improving the efficiency of thermionic refrigerators and power generators are discussed.

Photovoltaic installations in urban areas operate under uneven lighting conditions. For such a system to achieve its peak efficiency, each solar panel is connected in series through a micro-converter, a dc-dc converter that performs per-panel distributed maximum power point tracking (DMPPT). The objective of this thesis is to design a compensator for the DMPPT micro-converter. A novel, systematic approach to plant modeling is presented for this system, together with a framework for characterizing the plant’s uncertainty. A robust control design procedure based on linear matrix inequalities is then proposed, which ensures robust performance and stability of the time-varying system. The proposed modeling and control design methods are demonstrated for an example rooftop photovoltaic installation. The system and the designed compensator are tested in simulations. Simulation results show satisfactory performance over a range of operating conditions, and the simulated system is shown to track the maximum power point of every panel.

Photovoltaic installations in urban areas operate under uneven lighting conditions. For such a system to achieve its peak efficiency, each solar panel is connected in series through a micro-converter, a dc-dc converter that performs per-panel distributed maximum power point tracking (DMPPT). The objective of this thesis is to design a compensator for the DMPPT micro-converter. A novel, systematic approach to plant modeling is presented for this system, together with a framework for characterizing the plant’s uncertainty. A robust control design procedure based on linear matrix inequalities is then proposed, which ensures robust performance and stability of the time-varying system. The proposed modeling and control design methods are demonstrated for an example rooftop photovoltaic installation. The system and the designed compensator are tested in simulations. Simulation results show satisfactory performance over a range of operating conditions, and the simulated system is shown to track the maximum power point of every panel.

P3HT single layer, P3HT/PCBM bilayer and P3HT/PCBM inverted bilayer devices were produced by spin coating organic layers onto ITO patterned glass in air, and clamping it with an Au coated silicon wafer, as top electrode, at the end (Figure13). Normal and inverted bilayer devices were also fabricated with and without PEDOT:PSS. All devices were divided into two groups by changing concentration of P3HT solution. The first group of devices contained 1.0 wt. % P3HT solution (P3HT in dichlorobenzene); the second group 0.56wt %. Power conversion efficiency, short circuit current, open circuit voltage, fill factor and maximum extracted power were measured on all produced devices. In contrast, all devices with 1.0wt % P3HT concentration showed better result than the devices with 0.56wt %. The highest result was obtained for P3HT single layer devices in both cases with short circuit current 56uA/cm2, open circuit voltage 0.94mV, maximum power 11.4uW/cm2 and power conversion efficiency of 0.11%. Inverted bilayer devices performed better than the non-inverted one. The devices with PEDOT:PSS got slightly better performance than the non-PEDOT:PSS used one. Charge carrier mobility measurement was done for all fabricated devices with charge extraction by linearly increasing voltage (CELIV) and dark injected space charge limited current (DI-SCLC) methods. All devices showed same magnitude of charge carrier mobility 10-5 cm2/V.s, the highest value still belongs to P3HT single layer device. The charge carrier mobility in all devices observed by DI-SCLC technique is one order of magnitude higher than by CELIV technique. This may be due to DI-SCLC method`s restriction on ohmic contacts between material and electrode. / بۇ تەتقىقاتتا ئورگانىك ماتېرىيالدىن پايدىلنىپ ئۈچ خىل قۇياش ئىنىرگىيەلىك باتارىيە ئادەتتىكى ئۆي مۇھىتىدا ياساپ چىقىلدى. ئەڭ چوڭ توك كۈچى، ئەڭ                                                    يۇقىرى بېسىم، ئەڭ يۇقىرى قۇۋەت ۋە زەرەت يۆتكۈلۈش تېزلىكى ئۆلچەپ چىقىلدى ئۇيغۇر

The wind turbine generation system (WTGS) exhibits a nonlinear characteristic and its maximum power point varies with changing atmospheric conditions. In order to operate the WTGS at maximum power output under various wind speeds and to avoid using speed encoder in practical applications, it is necessary to improve the controller system to operate the maximum power points in the WTGS. There are three factors to influence wind generator, the wind speed, power coefficient and the radius of blade. The power coefficient depends on the blade pitch angle and tip speed ratio (TSR). The objective of the dissertation is to develop an intelligent controlled wind energy conversion system (WECS) using AC/DC and DC/AC power converters for grid-connected power application. To achieve a fast and stable response for the real power control, an intelligent controller was proposed, which consists of a fuzzy neural network (FNN), a recurrent fuzzy neural network (RFNN), a wilcoxcon radial basis function network (WRBFN) and a improved Elman neural network (IENN) for MPPT. Furthermore, the parameter of the developed FNN, RFNN, WRBFN and IENN are trained on-line using back-propagation learning algorithm. However, the learning rates in the FNN, RFNN, WRBFN, and IENN are usually selected by trial and error method, which is time-consuming. Therefore, modified particle swarm optimization (MPSO) method is adopted to adjust the learning rates to improve the learning capability of the developed RFNN, WRBFN and IENN. Moreover, presents the estimation of the rotor speed is based on the sliding mode and model reference adaptive system (MRAS) speed observer theory. Furthermore, a sensorless vector-control strategy for an induction generator (IG) operating in a grid-connected variable speed wind energy conversion system can be achieved. On the other hand, a WRBFN based with hill-climb searching (HCS) maximum-power-point-tracking (MPPT) strategy is proposed for permanent magnet synchronous generator (PMSG) with a variable speed wind turbine. Finally, many simulation results are provided to show the effectiveness of the proposed intelligent control wind generation systems.

The declining cost of photovoltaic (PV) modules has enabled the vision of ubiquitous photovoltaic (PV) power to become feasible. Emerging PV technologies are facilitating the creation of intentionally non-flat PV modules, which create new applications for this sustainable energy generation currently not possible with the traditional rigid, flat silicon-glass modules. However, since the photovoltaic cells are no longer coplanar, there are significant new requirements for the power electronics necessary to convert the native form of electricity into a usable form and ensure maximum energy harvest. Non-uniform insolation from cell-to-cell gives rise to non-uniform current density in the PV material, which limits the ability to create series-connected cells without bypass diode or other ways to shunt current, which is well known in the maximum power tracking literature. This thesis presents a modeling approach to determine and quantify the variations in generation of energy due to intentionally non-flat PV geometries. This will enable the power electronics circuitry to be optimized to harvest maximum energy from PV pixel elements – clusters of PV cells with similar operating characteristics. This thesis systematically compares different geometries with identical two-dimensional projection "footprints" for energy harvest throughout the day. The results show that for the same footprint, a semi-cylindrical surface harvests more energy over a typical day than a flat plate. The modeling approach is then extended to demonstrate that by using non flat geometries for PV panel, the availability of a remotely located stand-alone power system can be increased when compared to a flat panel of same footprint. These results have broad application to a variety of energy scavenging scenarios in which either total energy harvested needs to be maximized or unusual geometries for the PV active surfaces are required, including building-integrated PV. This thesis develops the analysis of the potential energy harvest gain for advanced non-planar PV collectors as a necessary first step towards the design of the power electronics circuits and control algorithms to take advantage of the new opportunities of conformal and non-flat PV collectors.

Σκοπός της συγκεκριμένης διπλωματικής εργασίας είναι η εξομοίωση ενός φωτοβολταϊκού συστήματος διασυνδεδεμένου στο τριφασικό δίκτυο με σκοπό τη μελέτη της λειτουργίας του και του καλύτερου σχεδιασμού του. Το σύστημα περιλαμβάνει τη φωτοβολταϊκή γεννήτρια, ένα φίλτρο διασύνδεσης της γεννήτριας με τον αντιστροφέα και ένα απλοποιημένο μοντέλο του τριφασικού συστήματος. Για την εξομοίωση του κυκλώματος το οποίο είναι χρονικά μεταβαλλόμενο λόγω της διακοπτικής λειτουργίας του μετατροπέα αναπτύσσεται μια συστηματική και αποτελεσματική μέθοδος για την ανάλυση κυκλωμάτων που περιέχουν e-R-L, C κλάδους και ιδανικούς διακόπτες. Χρησιμοποιώντας την τοπολογία του κυκλώματος και κατάλληλες μήτρες μετασχηματισμού οι εξισώσεις που περιγράφουν το αγώγιμο και μη αγώγιμο τμήμα του κυκλώματος προκύπτουν αυτόματα. Οι χρησιμοποιούμενες μήτρες μετασχηματισμού προκύπτουν με απλό και συστηματικό τρόπο από τις θεμελιώδης μήτρες του κυκλώματος. Σε κάθε βήμα προκύπτουν τα ρεύματα όλων των κλάδων του κυκλώματος από την επίλυση του αγώγιμου τμήματος αυτού και οι τάσεις των βαλβίδων που δεν άγουν από την επίλυση του μη αγώγιμου τμήματός του. Η μέθοδος είναι γενική και μπορεί να εφαρμοστεί για την μελέτη τυχόντων σφαλμάτων σε οποιοδήποτε τμήμα του κυκλώματος. Παρουσιάζονται τα αποτελέσματα της εξομοίωσης για λειτουργία του μετατροπέα ως ανορθωτή, ως αντιστροφέα, ως αντιστροφέα με φωτοβολταϊκή γεννήτρια και ως αντιστροφέα με φωτοβολταϊκή γεννήτρια και με ανιχνευτή σημείου μέγιστης ισχύος. Το χρησιμοποιηθέν μοντέλο θα μπορούσε να βελτιωθεί αν στην θέση του τριφασικού συστήματος χρησιμοποιηθεί ακριβέστερη αναπαράσταση του τριφασικού δικτύου στην οποία να περιλαμβάνεται και ο τριφασικός μετασχηματιστής ισχύος που διασυνδέει το φωτοβολταϊκό σύστημα με το AC δίκτυο. / The objective of this “Diploma Thesis” is the simulation of a grid connected photovoltaic (PV) system and the study of its operation. The system consists of a PV generator, a DC filter and a simplified model of the three-phase system. The method which was used for the simulation of the circuit (which is a varying topology circuit due to the switching operation of the converter) is a systematic, efficient and conceptually simple method for the analysis of circuits consisting of linear e, R, L, C elements and ideal switches. On the basis of well known network topological concepts a suitable transformation tensor is constructed at every step. This tensor constitutes a flexible and powerful tool to assemble automatically the necessary on-switch current and off-switch voltage equations required for any conduction pattern. The method is general and can be applied for the study of any random faults in any part of the circuit. Results of the simulation for operation of the converter as rectifier, as inverter with battery, as inverter with PV generator and as inverter with PV generator and with MPPT are presented. The used model could be improved if the three-phase system is more precisely represented by a power three-phase transformer which connects the PV system with the AC network.