Master thesis deals with design of combusting chamber for gaseous fuels with predicted thermal output less than 30 kilowatts. Designed equipment will be used as a generator of flue gases with required parameters further used for experimental catalytic unit. Due to the need of draft creation inside the combustion chamber and exhaust pipe is master thesis also deals with design of ejector nozzle, which will be used for this purpose. Opening chapters of this work, considering a theoretical part, are focused on basic classification of combustion chambers and industrial burners. Next and main chapter is dedicated to main goal of this work, which is combustion chamber design, containing necessary calculations divided into balance calculation and construction design. Final chapters deals with above mentioned calculation of ejector nozzle ensuring sufficient draft and also sufficient cooling of flue gases incoming from catalytic unit.

The thesis contains a gas boiler room energy assessment in Lišov. In the mentioned boiler room, there are instaled gas condensing boilers and cogeneration units Theoretical part of the thesis lists a summary of generally used cogeneration equipment and ordinarily used gases. Calculation part includes four variants of the boiler room reconstruction. Energy assessment compares the chosen variant from the calculation part with the original condition of the boiler room.

Cette thèse vise à développer les opportunités et conséquences d’une demande incertaine pour le réseau de transport de gaz. Ce sujet est décliné en quatre contributions. Les deux premières adoptent une perspective de long terme : on cherche à évaluer l’efficacité de la réglementation du taux rendement lorsqu’il s’agit d’inciter à la réalisation de projets d’infrastructures gazières dans des pays en développement. Une première contribution analytique présente le développement d’une représentation simplifiée du réseau de transport de gaz, de forme Cobb-Douglas. Inspiré par les projets d’acheminement de gaz naturel au Mozambique, celle-ci est ensuite utilisée pour évaluer dans quelles conditions il est possible pour une autorité de régulation de choisir un taux de rendement régulé qui améliore l’efficacité du système dans le cas où la demande réelle serait plus importante que la demande anticipée par la firme régulée. A moyen terme ensuite, l’efficacité face à une demande de plus en plus variable de la structure tarifaire actuelle dite « entrée-sortie » pour l’accès au réseau européen est évaluée. Après avoir démontré l’existence d’inefficacités dans un tel système, celles-ci sont évaluées numériquement. Enfin, la dernière contribution explore la possibilité d’offrir directement la flexibilité du réseau de transport de gaz à ses utilisateurs, dans le cadre d’enchères et du système de prix nodaux. Après avoir souligné la complexité d’un tel mécanisme, les limites à son efficacité sont présentées. A chaque fois, l’analyse repose sur la modélisation simultanée du réseau de transport de gaz (en régime statique ou transitoire) et des mécanismes économiques en jeu. / This PhD thesis is centered on the opportunities and impact of demand uncertainty for the gas transport networks. We study the ability of various market designs to foster an efficient network allocation in liberalized gas markets when demand is variable or uncertain. We introduce and solve operation research models that bind an economic representation of the gas market and its associated regulation, to a technical representation of the gas network. The complex interactions at stake in liberalized gas markets, where shippers trade gas for its economic value and coordinate with system operators that allocate and operate the network, result in MCP or MPEC formulations. While a detailed network representation is necessary to assess the feasibility of gas flows under any market organization, the physics and engineering of gas transport networks adds non-linearities and non-convexities to those already challenging formulations. This thesis is divided in four contributions. We first introduce an approximated network representation of the Cobb-Douglas form and use it to study the impact of long-term demand uncertainty on investment problems in developing markets subject to rate-of-return regulation. We then study the effect of demand variability on daily gas dispatch in the European Entry-Exit system, using a linearized steady-state network representation. Finally, we assess the benefits of introducing flexibility products in gas locational marginal pricing auctions to handle intraday demand uncertainty. This requires the use of a linearized transient network formulation to account for linepack dynamics.

Thesis abstract: Geopolitical Rivalry in Central Asia and Turkmenistan's power as a weak state Charles University, Institute of International Studies, MAS programme 2019 Emma Welsink English Abstract Research on weak states and their position in the international system has been a widely discussed topic for decades, especially in relation to the Cold War bipolar system that revolved around Russia and the United States as great powers. Yet what is lacking is a contemporary analysis that concentrates on the current multipolar system in which the importance of economic alliances and power surpass military power, and how this affects weak states' foreign policy behavior and trade opportunities. This research therefore offers an empirical analysis on great power geopolitical competition between Russia and China over Turkmenistan's economic allegiance, specifically regarding its natural gas export, and seeks to explain how this geopolitical competition has affected Turkmenistan's foreign energy policy behavior as a weak state vis-á-vis these great powers. Additionally, this research seeks to examine how Turkmenistan has even instrumentalized this competition to further its national interest of energy export diversification. More specifically, this research shows that great power competition has played a...

This Master thesis examines the German foreign energy policy with focus on the German- Russian energy cooperation and the pipeline projects Nord Stream I and II. It seeks to analyze inconsistencies or even contradictions in the German foreign policy regarding the Nord Stream project. Both strategic and business interests on one hand and value based policy on the other are present and observable. Therefore this paper works with Jakub Eberle's concept of Germany as "dividual actor" which enables us to work with the already mentioned inconsistencies. Furthermore, this approach allows us to observe "geo-economic power" aspects in German actions (favoring strategic and mostly business interests) as well as "civilian power" aspects (value based policy) and eventually to see Germany as an actor in the international relations in its complexity. This thesis therefore aims to contribute to a broader debate about German actorness and its roles in international system. Moreover, German domestic energy policy will be analyzed in order to provide us with the basis for German foreign energy policy. The main focus of this paper is on natural gas and its importance in the German energy mix as well as on German dependence on its imports. The import routes and primarily the pipeline routes Nord Stream I and II are...

The diploma thesis is focused on the energy security of the European union, specifically on the import of natural gas. The dependence on the import of natural gas is one of the key questions for the energy security of the EU. One of the tools for dealing with this issue is diversification of the suppliers a searching for a new sources of energy to sustain the economical development of the EU. One of the goals of the EU' Energy security strategy is to lower its dependence on gas imports from Russia. In the lights of recent events, when the gas supply was disrupted a few times, because of the events on Ukraine, Russian aggression in the eastern part of Ukraine and annexation of the Crimea, EU is looking for a better alternative. The research is trying to find out what is the role of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, which will bypass Ukraine and go straight from Russia to Germany and will have impact on other Central and Eastern European countries. The question is whether the project is viable vis-a-vis energy security framework metrics and whether there are better alternatives such as the Southern Gas Corridor or the possibility to import liquified natural gas LNG from elsewhere. Apart from the energy security framework the geopolitics is taken into an account and will try to explain the power...

Eine kompakte und effiziente Wasserstofferzeugung aus verfügbaren Energieträgern ist für die Marktfähigkeit von Brennstoffzellenheizgeräten essentiell. Der Auslegung von Reformern für PEM-Brennstoffzellen kommt eine große Bedeutung zu, da bei diesem Brennstoffzellentyp keine interne Reformierung möglich ist. In dieser Arbeit werden die mathematische Modellierung der Dampfreformierung von Erdgas, die Rolle der eingesetzten Katalysatoren und die Problematik von Wärme- und Stofftransportprozessen untersucht. Für fünf kommerzielle Nickel- und einen Rhodiumkatalysator werden die Kinetik, die effektive Wärmeleitfähigkeit und der Diffusionskoeffizient ermittelt. Unter Verwendung dieser Werte wird in einem Einzelpartikelmodell die Existenz und Signifikanz von intra- und extrapartikulären Stoff- und Temperaturgradienten evaluiert. Daraus werden für ein quasihomogenes Reaktormodell Modellparameter abgeleitet, die eine exakte Simulation unter Berücksichtigung der relevanten Phänomene zulassen. Schließlich wird ein Reaktormodell erstellt, welches mit Messwerten aus einem Versuchsreaktor validiert und für eine Sensitivitätsanalyse verwendet wird.

Orientador: Ivonete Ávila / Resumo: O crescimento populacional e o progresso tecnológico têm levado a crescente demanda por recursos naturais e energia, resultando na intensificação de impactos ambientais. O setor de energia é um dos principais emissores de CO2 antropogênico, principalmente devido a utilização de combustíveis fósseis, o que tem levado à busca por soluções tecnológicas visando a redução dos impactos ambientais associados à sua geração. Nesse contexto, esse trabalho visa realizar uma avaliação de desempenho ambiental da geração de energia elétrica das centrais termelétricas Fernando Gasparian e Piratininga com inserção da técnica de captura de CO2 por oxicombustão. Essa avaliação é realizada por meio de uma proposta conceitual própria que inclui avaliação do ciclo de vida (ACV) e avaliação termodinâmica com bases exergéticas. A avaliação termodinâmica abrange a operação das termelétricas, por meio de análise energética e exergética utilizando a teoria do custo exergético e o método CExC (cumulative exergy consumption). A ACV abrange desde a extração dos recursos até o fim de vida das instalações, utilizando os métodos de contabilização de recursos CED (cumulative energy demand), CExD (cumulative exergy demand) e CML IA baseline. Os resultados da avaliação termodinâmica permitiram verificar que a câmara de combustão é a principal destruidora de exergia e a inserção da técnica de oxicombustão impõe maior penalidade energética por causa da inserção dos componentes de separação de ar e processamento ... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: Population growth and technological progress have led to an increasing demand for natural resources and energy, resulting in the intensification of environmental impacts. The energy sector is one of the main emitters of anthropogenic CO2, mainly due to the use of fossil fuels, which has led to the search for technological solutions aimed at reducing the environmental impacts associated with its generation. In this context, this work aims to carry out an environmental performance evaluation of the electric power generation at the Fernando Gasparian and Piratininga thermoelectric plants with the insertion of the CO2 capture technique by oxy-combustion. This assessment is carried out through a conceptual proposal that includes life cycle assessment (LCA) and thermodynamic assessment with exergetic bases. Thermodynamic evaluation covers the operation of thermoelectric plants, through energy and exergetic analysis using the theory of exergetic cost and the CExC method (cumulative exergy consumption). ACV covers everything from resource extraction to the end of the facility's life, using the resource accounting methods CED (cumulative energy demand), CExD (cumulative exergy demand) and CML IA baseline. The results of the thermodynamic evaluation allowed to verify that the combustion chamber is the main destroyer of exergy and the insertion of the oxy-combustion technique imposes a greater energy penalty due to the insertion of the air separation unit and CO2 processing unit for CO2... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Doutor

Naturgas är ett alternativ till oljebaserade bränslen. Ur ett miljöperspektiv är naturgasen fördelaktig eftersom den vid förbränning ger mindre utsläpp av miljöfarliga ämnen än olja. I en diesel dual-fuel motor används diesel och naturgas som bränsle. Naturgas består till största delen av metan. För att oskadliggöra den del av metangasen som inte förbränns i motorn krävs en avgaskatalysator som kan bryta ned det relativt stabila metanet vid låga temperaturer. Målet med det här kandidatexamensarbetet är att tillverka och testa tre olika avgaskatalysatorer för nedbrytning av metan. De tre katalysatorer som valdes för tillverkning och testning var Pd/Al2O3, Pd/SnO2 och In2O3/SnO2 (ITO). Valen baserade sig på att katalysatorerna som tillverkades skulle vara aktiva för nedbrytning av metan vid låga temperaturer. ITO sågs som en extra intressant kandidat eftersom In är billigare än ädelmetallen Pd. Pd/Al2O3 tillverkades med en kommersiell support och impregnering av Pd genom ”incipient wetness” (IW). Pd/SnO2 tillverkades på samma sätt. ITO tillverkades genom ”forward co-precipitation”. En monolit testades för varje katalysator. Vid ungefär 315 °C kunde 10 % omsättning av metan detekteras för alla tre katalysatorer. Pd/Al2O3 var den katalysator vars aktivitet förbättrades som mest då temperaturen ökade ytterligare. Katalysatorerna testades bara en gång. För att statistiskt säkerställa resultaten behöver upprepade tester göras. Resultaten överensstämmer delvis med tidigare studier. Slutsatsen av arbetet är att alla tre katalysatorer fungerar och att ITO skulle kunna vara en billigare men i övrigt likvärdig avgaskatalysator för en diesel dual-fuel lean burn motor vid 315 °C. Fler tester måste dock göras för att ta reda på om ITO verkligen är ett mer fördelaktigt alternativ.

Since long the energy policy has been escaping the concept of the common European policies or has been only partially influenced through the harmonisation of other common policies. If energy sector was considered an exclusive competence of every State Member (or as a part of its national security), nowadays, it has made a big step forward. At present, we talk about the establishment of a competitive internal energy market. The energy policy became part of the Community law only after the adoption of the Lisbon Treaty when the sector was granted a separate chapter and henceforth decided upon through a co-decisional procedure. The energy markets were subsequently given a new liberalisation impetus by the approval of the 3rd energy package (July 2009). My thesis focuses entirely on the natural gas sector and its crucial amendment to the network sector regulations. The core subject of the Directive 2009/73/EC concerning common rules for the internal market in natural gas is the ownership unbundling regime which stipulates the separation of production and sale operations from their transmission networks. This separation from the former vertically integrated utilities is supposed to guarantee an equal and non-discriminatory access to the transmission networks. Even though the ownership unbundling regime...