No description available.

abstract: This is a two-part thesis. Part 1 presents the seasonal and tilt angle dependence of soiling loss factor of photovoltaic (PV) modules over two years for Mesa, Arizona (a desert climatic condition). Part 2 presents the development of an indoor artificial soil deposition chamber replicating natural dew cycle. Several environmental factors affect the performance of PV systems including soiling. Soiling on PV modules results in a decrease of sunlight reaching the solar cell, thereby reducing the current and power output. Dust particles, air pollution particles, pollen, bird droppings and other industrial airborne particles are some natural sources that cause soiling. The dust particles vary from one location to the other in terms of particle size, color, and chemical composition. The thickness and properties of the soil layer determine the optical path of light through the soil/glass interface. Soil accumulation on the glass surface is also influenced by environmental factors such as dew, wind speeds and rainfall. Studies have shown that soil deposition is closely related to tilt angle and exposure period before a rain event. The first part of this thesis analyzes the reduction in irradiance transmitted to a solar cell through the air/soil/glass in comparison to a clean cell (air/glass interface). A time series representation is used to compare seasonal soiling loss factors for two consecutive years (2014-2016). The effect of tilt angle and rain events on these losses are extensively analyzed. Since soiling is a significant field issue, there is a growing need to address the problem, and several companies have come up with solutions such as anti-soiling coatings, automated cleaning systems etc. To test and validate the effectiveness of these anti-soiling coating technologies, various research institutes around the world are working on the design and development of artificial indoor soiling chambers to replicate the natural process in the field. The second part of this thesis work deals with the design and development of an indoor artificial soiling chamber that replicates natural soil deposition process in the field. / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis Engineering 2017

No description available.

Solar energy installations located in dry, arid regions chosen for their availability of sunlight often face the problem of dust accumulation, or "soiling", on their solar collector surfaces, requiring this dust to be cleaned regularly in order to maintain optimal power production. The electrodynamic screen (EDS) is a technology that can clean this dust off the surfaces of photovoltaic panels and concentrating solar power mirrors using no water and a minimum of power. The EDS is a series of conductive electrodes embedded between two thin dielectric layers, where voltages applied across the electrodes create a patterned electric field which directs the motion of charged dust particles off the EDS surface. As the dust in different desert regions across the world have different physical characteristics, a different set of design parameters is required for the optimal EDS for each region. This optimization work could be easily conducted using a computer model of the physics of an EDS and the dust it clears off its surface. In this thesis, a computer model of the EDS system is created using COMSOL Multiphysics. This model simulates the voltages applied across the electrodes and the resulting electric fields, and then use these to simulate the trajectories of the charged dust particles as they move across the EDS surface. This particle tracing work is validated using experimental data from high-speed camera trials and performance data for different EDS designs. This validation work shows both agreements and disagreements between the predicted and observed dust particle motion, and the beginnings of the investigation into this difference is presented. Finally, the ability to further develop this model for EDS design optimization is discussed.

abstract: Photovoltaic (PV) systems are one of the next generation's renewable energy sources for our world energy demand. PV modules are highly reliable. However, in polluted environments, over time, they will collect grime and dust. There are also limited field data studies about soiling losses on PV modules. The study showed how important it is to investigate the effect of tilt angle on soiling. The study includes two sets of mini-modules. Each set has 9 PV modules tilted at 0, 5, 10, 15, 20, 23, 30, 33 and 40°. The first set called "Cleaned" was cleaned every other day. The second set called "Soiled" was never cleaned after the first day. The short circuit current, a measure of irradiance, and module temperature was monitored and recorded every two minutes over three months (January-March 2011). The data were analyzed to investigate the effect of tilt angle on daily and monthly soiling, and hence transmitted solar insolation and energy production by PV modules. The study shows that during the period of January through March 2011 there was an average loss due to soiling of approximately 2.02% for 0° tilt angle. Modules at tilt anlges 23° and 33° also have some insolation losses but do not come close to the module at 0° tilt angle. Tilt anlge 23° has approximately 1.05% monthly insolation loss, and 33° tilt angle has an insolation loss of approximately 0.96%. The soiling effect is present at any tilt angle, but the magnitude is evident: the flatter the solar module is placed the more energy it will lose. / Dissertation/Thesis / M.S.Tech Engineering 2011

Submitted by MARCELO LAMPKOWSKI null (marcelo-l@uol.com.br) on 2017-07-06T18:01:33Z No. of bitstreams: 1 MarceloLampkowski Tese Final revisada.pdf: 6540212 bytes, checksum: bbd4ca237af5c08ca2fd14eed4fdef30 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by LUIZA DE MENEZES ROMANETTO (luizamenezes@reitoria.unesp.br) on 2017-07-06T18:56:26Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 lampkowski_m_dr_bot.pdf: 6540212 bytes, checksum: bbd4ca237af5c08ca2fd14eed4fdef30 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-07-06T18:56:26Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 lampkowski_m_dr_bot.pdf: 6540212 bytes, checksum: bbd4ca237af5c08ca2fd14eed4fdef30 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-05-19 / A possibilidade de redução na oferta de combustíveis convencionais aliada ao crescimento da demanda por energia e a crescente preocupação com o meio ambiente impulsionam a pesquisa e desenvolvimento de fontes alternativas de energia menos poluentes, renováveis e que produzam menor impacto ambiental. Dentre estas alternativas, destaca-se a energia solar, fonte disponível e passível de ser explorada a partir de todas as suas potencialidades. Atualmente, uma das vias tecnológicas de aproveitamento da fonte solar para geração de energia é a heliotermia, também conhecida como energia solar concentrada ou Concentrated Solar Power (CSP), baseada na utilização de superfícies espelhadas que refletem e concentram a radiação solar direta com o objetivo de convertê-la em energia térmica, a partir da qual se gera vapor d’água que irá acionar um ciclo termodinâmico reversível que converte calor em trabalho, conhecido como Rankine. O soiling consiste no depósito de diferentes tipos de sujeiras em uma superfície exposta em um dado ambiente. No caso de usinas CSP de torre central, o acúmulo gradativo de poeira, sujeira ou até mesmo de excremento de pássaros nas superfícies refletoras dos heliostatos causa uma redução significativa na quantidade de radiação solar que atinge o receptor posicionado no alto da torre e diminuição da eficiência de todo o sistema. Assim, faz-se necessário manter um alto fator de refletividade nas superfícies espelhadas dos heliostatos por meio de uma limpeza regular. Este trabalho apresenta a proposta de um mecanismo automatizado para efetuar a limpeza de superfícies refletoras de heliostatos. O desenvolvimento deste dispositivo, desde sua concepção, passando pelas fases de construção, instalação e funcionamento, respeita padrões de eficiência da limpeza, visa o baixo custo de produção, facilidade de instalação e minimização dos impactos ambientais pertinentes, como, por exemplo, baixo consumo de água na operação. Por meio de experimentos realizados em situações reais de aplicação, utilizando para tal um heliostato de 8 m2 localizado no Departamento de Engenharia Rural da Faculdade de Ciências Agronômicas da UNESP, campus de Botucatu, constatou-se que o dispositivo proposto é uma opção operacionalmente e economicamente viável de solução ao soiling quando aplicado na região de Botucatu, principalmente se comparado a outras propostas de métodos de limpeza de heliostatos apresentadas nos cenários internacional e nacional. Além disso, por meio de estudos sobre os impactos ambientais de usinas heliotérmicas, foi possível sugerir melhorias no processo de licenciamento ambiental de usinas CSP no Brasil. / The possibility of reduction in the supply of conventional fuels, the continuous growing demand for energy and the current concern with the environmental scenario influence the development of researches regarding alternative, renewable and less polluting energy sources, which produces less environmental impact. Among these alternatives, it is worth mentioning the solar energy, available source and that can be explored from all its potentialities. Nowadays, one of many the technological process that uses solar energy for electricity generation is the solar thermal one, also known as Concentrated Solar Power (CSP), based on the use of mirrored surfaces that reflect and concentrate the direct sunlight in order to convert it into thermal energy, from which it generates water vapor that will initiate a reversible thermodynamic cycle which converts heat into energy (Rankine cicle). The phenomenon known as soiling consists in the depositing of different types of dirt on a surface exposed in a given environment. In the case of power tower CSP plants, the gradual accumulation of dust, dirt or even bird's excrements on the reflective surfaces of heliostats causes a significant reduction in the amount of solar radiation that reaches the receiver located at the top of the tower and decreases the efficiency of the entire system. Thus, it is necessary to maintain a high reflectivity factor in the mirrored surfaces of the heliostats through a regular cleaning. This work presents a proposal of an automated mechanism to clean up the reflective surfaces of heliostats. The development of this device, from its conception, through the stages of construction, installation and operation, regarding the cleaning efficiency standards, aimed at low production cost, ease of installation and minimizing the relevant environmental impacts, such as, low consumption of water during its operation. Through experiments in real situations, using a 8 m2 heliostat located in the Department of Rural Engineering of UNESP's Faculty of Agronomic Sciences, Botucatu campus, it was verified that the proposed device is an operationally and economically option for the solution to soiling when applied at Botucatu's region, especially if compared to other proposed methods of heliostats cleaning presented in the international and national scenarios. In addition, through studies on the environmental impacts of heliothermic plants, it was possible to suggest improvements in the environmental licensing process of CSP plants in Brazil.

Highly repellent surfaces are constantly being sought in a number of industrial sectors, where accumulation of unwanted material (ice, debris, insects etc…) can cause seriously detrimental effects on these function. The chemistry and physics of such surfaces is relatively well-understood, yet their industrial adoption is still very limited, due to their poor durability. Emerging technologies for nanostructured coatings have significant potential for the development of advanced surfaces, where high repellency can be combined with mechanical robustness. However, lack of understanding of the wear mechanism in such coatings and lack of recognised test methodologies to enable comparison of various approaches hinders effective progress in advanced surfaces development. Furthermore, there is no comprehensive classification system that allows categorization of highly repellent surfaces. New multi-variable analysis methodology for the evaluation of durability in highly repellent coatings was developed in this study. Key coating parameters were identified, including initial wettability, abrasive wear, adhesive wear and ability to retain repellency. Coating characteristics were examined with FTIR, SEM, AFM, DSA, Taber Abrader, roughness profilometer and goniometer. Furthermore, these characteristics were presented in a form of spider diagrams and performance indices and are used to generate plot of performance indices. In this study, six types of TWI coating anti-soiling materials (based on patented TWI’s Vitolane® technology, containing silsesqioxanes and functionalized silica nanoparticles) and two commercial easy clean products were prepared and subjected to new assessment methodology. It has been found that this novel methodology for evaluation of highly repellent surfaces allows comparison and categorizing different families of coatings. The data obtained from plot of performance indices supports the statement that there is an inverse relation between repellency and durability of hydrophobic surfaces. It has been found that coatings with low Ra value (no more than 10nm) and symmetric distribution of peaks and valleys are the most durable, yet their WCA value doesn’t exceed more than 105°. It has been also found that some nanostructured coatings behave beyond this inverse relationship. Addition of novel inorganic building blocks with controlled size (Ra in a range of 200nm and symmetric distribution in roughness profile) and functionalities (3-(trimethoxysilyl)propyl methacrylate and 1H 1H 2H 2H-perfluorooctyltriethoxysilane) improves overall coating performance by linking mechanical robustness with desired wetting characteristics (WCA reaches 112°C). The progress in testing and classification criteria of repellent coatings enables further development of next generation of materials. This novel knowledge-based approach for highly repellent coatings validation has the potential to accelerate uptake. The findings open a promising new direction in materials development, where advanced coatings and surface treatments can be developed by design, reducing the number of development iterations, ultimately leading to reduced cost and development time.

abstract: The deposition of airborne dust, especially in desert conditions, is very problematic as it leads to significant loss of power of photovoltaic (PV) modules on a daily basis during the dry period. As such, PV testing laboratories around the world have been trying to set up soil deposition stations to artificially deposit soil layers and to simulate outdoor soiling conditions in an accelerated manner. This thesis is a part of a twin thesis. The first thesis, authored by Shanmukha Mantha, is associated with the designing of an artificial soiling station. The second thesis (this thesis), authored by Darshan Choudhary, is associated with the characterization of the deposited soil layers. The soil layers deposited on glass coupons and one-cell laminates are characterized and presented in this thesis. This thesis focuses on the characterizations of the soil layers obtained in several soiling cycles using various techniques including current-voltage (I-V), quantum efficiency (QE), compositional analysis and optical profilometry. The I-V characterization was carried out to determine the impact of soil layer on current and other performance parameters of PV devices. The QE characterization was carried out to determine the impact of wavelength dependent influence of soil type and thickness on the QE curves. The soil type was determined using the compositional analysis. The compositional data of the soil is critical to determine the adhesion properties of the soil layers on the surface of PV modules. The optical profilometry was obtained to determine the particle size and distribution. The soil layers deposited using two different deposition techniques were characterized. The two deposition techniques are designated as “dew” technique and “humidity” technique. For the same deposition time, the humidity method was determined to deposit the soil layer at lower rates as compared to the dew method. Two types of deposited soil layers were characterized. The first type layer was deposited using a reference soil called Arizona (AZ) dust. The second type layer was deposited using the soil which was collected from the surface of the modules installed outdoor in Arizona. The density of the layers deposited using the surface collected soil was determined to be lower than AZ dust based layers for the same number of deposition cycles. / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis Engineering 2016

Dentre as diferentes fontes conhecidas identifica-se a energia solar fotovoltaica como um interessante mecanismo para a produção de eletricidade, apresentando um grande crescimento ao redor do mundo, principalmente no caso Brasileiro, em que é verificado, nos últimos anos, um aumento do uso desses sistemas de forma conectada à rede e em ambientes urbanos. Apesar da confiabilidade técnica, os sistemas fotovoltaicos ainda apresentam dúvidas relacionadas ao seu desempenho operacional em ambientes com elevado nível de poluição e/ou que apresentam expressiva quantidade de material particulado suspenso, o que abre espaço para a busca e pesquisa de informações no âmbito da sujidade, custos e benefícios da frequência de limpeza, bem como índices de consumo de água, possibilitando auxiliar na operacionalidade dos sistemas. Nesta dissertação, apresenta-se uma breve revisão de literatura sobre o tema e apresenta-se um estudo que analisa perdas de produtividade de energia, ao longo de 12 meses, em geradores fotovoltaicos situados em uma localidade propensa ao efeito da sujidade, quantificando perdas de energia da ordem de 0,6 % ao mês, 3,0 % em seis meses e 6,0 % ao ano, bem como, saturação de sujidade em 8 meses, custos de limpeza, mão-de-obra, consumo de água e tempo de limpeza. Este estudo também apresenta recomendações em relação a procedimentos de limpeza em sistemas fotovoltaicos. / Among the different known sources, photovoltaic solar energy is identified as an interesting mechanism for electricity production, presenting a great growth around the world, especially in Brazilian case where is verified, in the last years, an interesting evolution related to the use of these systems in an urban environment and also grid-connected. Despite having a high technical reliability, photovoltaic systems still have doubts related to their operational performance in environments with high pollution level, and/or which present an expressive quantity of particulate matter, which opens space to research and investigation of many informations associated to the soiling field, costs and benefits of cleaning schedule, as well as water consumption index, making possible support the system operability. In this dissertation, shows up a brief literature review about the theme and displays a study which analyzes the energy productivity losses, along 12 months, in photovoltaic generators located in a region prone to the soiling effect, quantifying energy losses in the order of 0.6 % per month, 3.0 % in six months and 6.0 % in one year, as well as soiling saturation in 8 months, cleaning costs, labor, water consumption and cleaning time. This study also shows recommendations regarding cleaning procedures in photovoltaic systems.

La salissure des modules photovoltaïques (PV) dégrade grandement leurs performances dans les environnements désertiques. Les études précédentes en extérieur ont tendance à trouver de faibles corrélations entre les taux de salissure et les paramètres météorologiques. On pensait que l'une des raisons était le long intervalle de mesure - jours ou semaines - des techniques traditionnelles de mesure des salissures sur le terrain. Dans la présente étude, un «microscope de souillure extérieur» (OSM) a été développé pour mesurer le dépôt et le détachement de particules de poussière individuelles, toutes les 10 minutes, dans des conditions extérieures, de jour comme de nuit. En utilisant une paire d'OSM graissés et non graissés, il était en outre possible de séparer les salissures en trois vitesses de flux de poussière de composants - dépôt, rebondissement immédiat et remise en suspension retardée. Les OSM ont été utilisés pour mesurer les taux de flux dans des expériences sur le terrain à Doha, au Qatar. La nouvelle méthode a révélé des effets explicatifs de paramètres environnementaux qui avaient auparavant été obscurcis par de longs intervalles de mesure des salissures et des taux de flux de poussière confondus. L'OSM pouvait également mesurer l'apparition et la croissance de gouttelettes de condensation microscopiques dans des conditions de terrain et de laboratoire. De telles expériences, ainsi que des mesures isothermes et des analyses de composition, ont démontré que la condensation sur les surfaces sales au terrain d’études était fortement influencée par la présence de matière hygroscopique dans la poussière autre que NaCl. En raison de cette matière, la condensation microscopique peut persister à la surface même si elle est bien supérieure à la température du point de rosée. Les résultats de l'étude suggèrent que la souillure des modules photovoltaïques pourrait être atténuée en tirant parti des variations naturelles des conditions météorologiques au cours de la journée. / Soiling of photovoltaic (PV) modules greatly degrades their performance in desert environments. Previous field studies have tended to find weak correlations between the soiling rate and weather parameters. It was thought that one reason was the long measurement interval — days or weeks — of conventional field soiling measurement techniques. In the present study, an “outdoor soiling microscope” (OSM) was developed able to measure deposition and detachment of individual dust particles, every 10 minutes, in outdoor conditions, day and night. By using a greased and ungreased pair of OSMs, it was further possible to separate soiling into three component dust flux rates — deposition, immediate rebound, and delayed resuspension. OSMs were used to measure flux rates in field experiments in Doha, Qatar. The novel method revealed explanatory effects of environmental parameters that had previously been obscured by limits of conventional long soiling measurement intervals and confounded dust flux rates. The OSM could also measure the onset and growth of microscopic condensation droplets in field and laboratory settings. Such experiments, along with isotherm measurements and composition analysis, demonstrated that condensation on soiled surfaces at the test site was strongly influenced by the presence of hygroscopic matter in the dust other than NaCl. Because of such matter, microscopic condensation could persist on both hydrophilic and hydrophobic surfaces well above the dew-point temperature. Results of the study suggest that soiling of PV modules might be mitigated by taking advantage of natural time-of-day variations in weather conditions.