The global growth in electricity consumption and the shortcomings of renewable electricity generation technologies are some of the reasons why it is still relevant to evaluate the performance of power conversion technologies that are used in fossil fuel power stations. The power conversion technology that is widely used in fossil fuel power stations is the Rankine cycle. The goal of this study was to determine if the efficiency of a typical Rankine cycle can be improved by adding a heat pump as a bottoming cycle. Three simulation models were developed to perform this evaluation. The first is a simulation model of a Rankine cycle. A quite detailed Rankine cycle configuration was evaluated. The simulation model was used to determine the heating requirements of the heat pump cycle as well as its operating temperature ranges. The efficiency of this Rankine cycle was calculated as 43.05 %. A basic vapour compression cycle configuration was selected as the heat pump of the combined cycle. A simulation model of the vapour compression cycle and the interfaces with the Rankine cycle was developed as the second simulation model. Working fluids that are typically used in vapour compression cycles cannot be used for this application, due to temperature limitations. The vapour compression cycle’s simulation model was therefore also used to calculate the coefficient of performance (COP) for various working fluids in order to select a suitable working fluid. The best cycle COP (3.015 heating) was obtained with ethanol as working fluid. These simulation models were combined to form the simulation model of the Rankine-heat pump combined cycle. This model was used to evaluate the performance of the combined cycle for two different compressor power sources. This study showed that the concept of using steam turbine or electrical power to drive a compressor driven vapour compression cycle in the configuration proposed here does not improve the overall efficiency of the cycle. The reasons for this were discovered and warrant future investigation. / Thesis (MIng (Mechanical Engineering))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013.

O aporte térmico, ou imposição de calor, é uma das características com grande importância nos processos de soldagem, pois ela está diretamente relacionada com as propriedades mecânicas e as transformações metalúrgicas da junta soldada. Neste sentido, este trabalho propõe o projeto, a construção e a validação de um calorímetro com uma vazão contínua de água para avaliação do aporte térmico e da eficiência térmica em processos de soldagem a arco elétrico que seja de baixo custo, adaptável aos diferentes processos de soldagem, de simples operação e fácil movimentação. Foram realizados experimentos com três processos, sendo eles: soldagem a arco com gás de proteção e eletrodo consumível (GMAW – Gas Metal Arc Welding), soldagem a arco com eletrodo não consumível e gás de proteção (GTAW – Gas Tungsten Arc Welding) e soldagem ao arco submerso (SAW – Submerged Arc Welding). As atividades realizadas visam identificar o efeito sobre a eficiência térmica devido à variação de alguns dos parâmetros de soldagem bem como identificar características intrínsecas do calorímetro construído. Para o processo de soldagem GMAW verificou-se um rendimento médio do arco de 72,82%, com uma eficiência média de 71,10% especificamente para o processo GMAW com transferência metálica goticular e de 76,26% para transferência metálica por curto-circuito. O processo de soldagem GTAW apresentou uma eficiência térmica média de 68,44% e para o processo SAW foi observado um rendimento do arco de 91,05%. Os resultados obtidos se mostraram coerentes quando comparados aos valores reportados anteriormente por outros autores e também apresentaram uma boa repetitividade, sendo de 4,5% a maior diferença observada entre cordões de solda de um mesmo experimento. / Heat input is an important welding process characteristic since it is directly related to the mechanical properties and metallurgical transformations of the welded joint. This paper aims to present the project, construction and validation of a calorimeter with continuous water flow to evaluate the heat input and the thermal efficiency of arc welding processes. The proposed calorimeter shall have a low cost, versatile, easy to handle and to operate. Experiments were carried out with gas metal arc welding (GMAW), gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW) and submerged arc welding (SAW). These activities aimed to identify the effect that changes of certain welding parameters perform on the thermal efficiency and to identify intrinsic characteristics of the proposed calorimeter. For GMAW processes it was obtained a global thermal efficiency of 72.82%. For this process, the results were different according to the metal transfer: 71.10% for GMAW with spray transfer and 76.26% for GMAW with short circuit transfer. The average thermal efficiency obtained for the GTAW was of 68.44% and for the SAW process was of 91.05%. The experiments results showed to be consistent when compared to previously reported values by other authors and also showed good repeatability, where the large difference observed between weldments of the same experiment was of 4.5%.

abstract: Energy consumption of the data centers worldwide is rapidly growing fueled by ever-increasing demand for Cloud computing applications ranging from social networking to e-commerce. Understandably, ensuring energy-efficiency and sustainability of Cloud data centers without compromising performance is important for both economic and environmental reasons. This dissertation develops a cyber-physical multi-tier server and workload management architecture which operates at the local and the global (geo-distributed) data center level. We devise optimization frameworks for each tier to optimize energy consumption, energy cost and carbon footprint of the data centers. The proposed solutions are aware of various energy management tradeoffs that manifest due to the cyber-physical interactions in data centers, while providing provable guarantee on the solutions' computation efficiency and energy/cost efficiency. The local data center level energy management takes into account the impact of server consolidation on the cooling energy, avoids cooling-computing power tradeoff, and optimizes the total energy (computing and cooling energy) considering the data centers' technology trends (servers' power proportionality and cooling system power efficiency). The global data center level cost management explores the diversity of the data centers to minimize the utility cost while satisfying the carbon cap requirement of the Cloud and while dealing with the adversity of the prediction error on the data center parameters. Finally, the synergy of the local and the global data center energy and cost optimization is shown to help towards achieving carbon neutrality (net-zero) in a cost efficient manner. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Computer Science 2014

O aporte térmico, ou imposição de calor, é uma das características com grande importância nos processos de soldagem, pois ela está diretamente relacionada com as propriedades mecânicas e as transformações metalúrgicas da junta soldada. Neste sentido, este trabalho propõe o projeto, a construção e a validação de um calorímetro com uma vazão contínua de água para avaliação do aporte térmico e da eficiência térmica em processos de soldagem a arco elétrico que seja de baixo custo, adaptável aos diferentes processos de soldagem, de simples operação e fácil movimentação. Foram realizados experimentos com três processos, sendo eles: soldagem a arco com gás de proteção e eletrodo consumível (GMAW – Gas Metal Arc Welding), soldagem a arco com eletrodo não consumível e gás de proteção (GTAW – Gas Tungsten Arc Welding) e soldagem ao arco submerso (SAW – Submerged Arc Welding). As atividades realizadas visam identificar o efeito sobre a eficiência térmica devido à variação de alguns dos parâmetros de soldagem bem como identificar características intrínsecas do calorímetro construído. Para o processo de soldagem GMAW verificou-se um rendimento médio do arco de 72,82%, com uma eficiência média de 71,10% especificamente para o processo GMAW com transferência metálica goticular e de 76,26% para transferência metálica por curto-circuito. O processo de soldagem GTAW apresentou uma eficiência térmica média de 68,44% e para o processo SAW foi observado um rendimento do arco de 91,05%. Os resultados obtidos se mostraram coerentes quando comparados aos valores reportados anteriormente por outros autores e também apresentaram uma boa repetitividade, sendo de 4,5% a maior diferença observada entre cordões de solda de um mesmo experimento. / Heat input is an important welding process characteristic since it is directly related to the mechanical properties and metallurgical transformations of the welded joint. This paper aims to present the project, construction and validation of a calorimeter with continuous water flow to evaluate the heat input and the thermal efficiency of arc welding processes. The proposed calorimeter shall have a low cost, versatile, easy to handle and to operate. Experiments were carried out with gas metal arc welding (GMAW), gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW) and submerged arc welding (SAW). These activities aimed to identify the effect that changes of certain welding parameters perform on the thermal efficiency and to identify intrinsic characteristics of the proposed calorimeter. For GMAW processes it was obtained a global thermal efficiency of 72.82%. For this process, the results were different according to the metal transfer: 71.10% for GMAW with spray transfer and 76.26% for GMAW with short circuit transfer. The average thermal efficiency obtained for the GTAW was of 68.44% and for the SAW process was of 91.05%. The experiments results showed to be consistent when compared to previously reported values by other authors and also showed good repeatability, where the large difference observed between weldments of the same experiment was of 4.5%.

O aporte térmico, ou imposição de calor, é uma das características com grande importância nos processos de soldagem, pois ela está diretamente relacionada com as propriedades mecânicas e as transformações metalúrgicas da junta soldada. Neste sentido, este trabalho propõe o projeto, a construção e a validação de um calorímetro com uma vazão contínua de água para avaliação do aporte térmico e da eficiência térmica em processos de soldagem a arco elétrico que seja de baixo custo, adaptável aos diferentes processos de soldagem, de simples operação e fácil movimentação. Foram realizados experimentos com três processos, sendo eles: soldagem a arco com gás de proteção e eletrodo consumível (GMAW – Gas Metal Arc Welding), soldagem a arco com eletrodo não consumível e gás de proteção (GTAW – Gas Tungsten Arc Welding) e soldagem ao arco submerso (SAW – Submerged Arc Welding). As atividades realizadas visam identificar o efeito sobre a eficiência térmica devido à variação de alguns dos parâmetros de soldagem bem como identificar características intrínsecas do calorímetro construído. Para o processo de soldagem GMAW verificou-se um rendimento médio do arco de 72,82%, com uma eficiência média de 71,10% especificamente para o processo GMAW com transferência metálica goticular e de 76,26% para transferência metálica por curto-circuito. O processo de soldagem GTAW apresentou uma eficiência térmica média de 68,44% e para o processo SAW foi observado um rendimento do arco de 91,05%. Os resultados obtidos se mostraram coerentes quando comparados aos valores reportados anteriormente por outros autores e também apresentaram uma boa repetitividade, sendo de 4,5% a maior diferença observada entre cordões de solda de um mesmo experimento. / Heat input is an important welding process characteristic since it is directly related to the mechanical properties and metallurgical transformations of the welded joint. This paper aims to present the project, construction and validation of a calorimeter with continuous water flow to evaluate the heat input and the thermal efficiency of arc welding processes. The proposed calorimeter shall have a low cost, versatile, easy to handle and to operate. Experiments were carried out with gas metal arc welding (GMAW), gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW) and submerged arc welding (SAW). These activities aimed to identify the effect that changes of certain welding parameters perform on the thermal efficiency and to identify intrinsic characteristics of the proposed calorimeter. For GMAW processes it was obtained a global thermal efficiency of 72.82%. For this process, the results were different according to the metal transfer: 71.10% for GMAW with spray transfer and 76.26% for GMAW with short circuit transfer. The average thermal efficiency obtained for the GTAW was of 68.44% and for the SAW process was of 91.05%. The experiments results showed to be consistent when compared to previously reported values by other authors and also showed good repeatability, where the large difference observed between weldments of the same experiment was of 4.5%.

Submitted by Irene Nascimento (irene.kessia@ufpe.br) on 2016-09-28T18:19:36Z No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 1232 bytes, checksum: 66e71c371cc565284e70f40736c94386 (MD5) Jarmison de Araújo Silva_Programa de pós-Graduação em Engenharia Mecânica_Centro de Tecnologia e .pdf: 2062372 bytes, checksum: 0382d3abc9db2bf28ffdcfe8a828adce (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-09-28T18:19:36Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 1232 bytes, checksum: 66e71c371cc565284e70f40736c94386 (MD5) Jarmison de Araújo Silva_Programa de pós-Graduação em Engenharia Mecânica_Centro de Tecnologia e .pdf: 2062372 bytes, checksum: 0382d3abc9db2bf28ffdcfe8a828adce (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-02-26 / CAPES, PFRH / No cenário atual brasileiro a energia de biomassa aparece como uma oportunidade de singular importância por colaborar com um montante de aproximadamente 25% da oferta total de energia do país. Além da biomassa tradicional, contabilizada no balanço energético nacional, existe um grande potencial nos resíduos agrícolas, industriais e urbanos para fins energéticos. No uso da biomassa para fins energéticos, em particular a produção de eletricidade, podem ser utilizadas tecnologias que envolvem combustão direta da biomassa (ciclos a vapor, por exemplo) ou tecnologias que requerem a necessidade de conversão da biomassa em combustíveis líquidos ou gasosos antes da sua combustão. Exemplos do último caso são as tecnologias que fazem uso de gaseificação, biodigestão e pirólise. A grande vantagem na conversão de biomassa em combustíveis líquidos e gasosos é o aumento da flexibilidade de uso destes combustíveis em motores de combustão interna e turbinas a gás. Os processos termoquímicos da pirólise e a gaseificação podem ser definidos como a degradação térmica de qualquer material orgânico sólido na ausência total ou parcial de um agente oxidante, ou em uma quantidade tal que a oxidação não seja completa, dando origem a compostos químicos que tem potencial energético para serem utilizados como combustíveis se assim for requerido. O presente trabalho representa um estudo numérico do processo de gaseificação considerando uma modelagem que envolve equilíbrio químico e as equações de reações principais que atuam na transformação termoquímica via gaseificação. O modelo foi validado com resultados experimentais e aplicado a um estudo paramétrico envolvendo fontes de biomassa da região nordeste do Brasil, diferentes condições de temperatura de reação, dois diferentes agentes de gaseificação e variação da fração do agente de gaseificação em relação à biomassa. Os resultados mostram, entre outras conclusões, que o aumento da temperatura do reator aumenta a fração de H2 e CO em detrimento da formação de CH4. Este comportamento ocorre para os dois agentes de gaseificação utilizados (vapor e ar), embora com algumas diferenças nos valores das frações dos gases produzidos. Por sua vez, o aumento na fração do vapor como agente de gaseificação causa um aumento na produção de H2 e uma redução na produção de CO, enquanto que a produção de CH4 sofre pouco efeito pela variação da fração de vapor utilizado. O efeito do agente de gaseificação, para uma mesma fração em relação à biomassa, indica que a gaseificação com vapor de água produz uma maior fração de H2 e CH4 quando comparado à gaseificação com ar e o contrário acontece em relação à produção de CO. / In the Brazilian current scenario biomass energy appears as an opportunity of singular importance for collaborating with an amount of approximately 25% of total energy supply of the country. In addition to traditional biomass, accounted for in the national energy balance, there is great potential in agricultural, industrial and municipal waste for energy purposes. In the use of biomass for energy purposes, in particular for the production of electricity, may be used technologies involving direct biomass combustion (steam cycles, for example) or technologies that require the need for conversion of biomass into liquid or gaseous fuels before its combustion. Examples of this latter case are the technologies that make use of gasification and pyrolysis digestion. The great advantage of the conversion of biomass into liquid and gas is the increased flexibility of use of these fuels in internal combustion engines and gas turbine engines. The thermochemical processes of pyrolysis and gasification can be defined as the thermal degradation of any solid organic material in the total or partial absence of an oxidizing agent, or in such an amount that oxidation is not complete, giving rise to chemical compounds that have potential energy to be used as fuels if so required. This study is a numerical study of the gasification process considering a modeling involving chemical equilibrium and the main reaction equations that work in the thermochemical conversion via gasification. The model was validated with experimental results and applied to a parametric study of sources of biomass northeast region of Brazil, different reaction temperatures, two different gasification agents and varying the fraction of the gasification agent in relation to biomass. The results show, among other findings, that the increase in reactor temperature increases the fraction of CO and H2 instead of formation of CH4. This behavior occurs for both gasification agents used (steam and air), although with some differences in the values of fractions of produced gases. In turn, the increase in the fraction of steam as gasification agent causes an increase in H2 production and a reduction in CO production while producing CH4 undergoes little effect on the variation of the vapor fraction used. The effect of the gasification agent, to the same fraction in relation to the biomass gasification indicate that the water vapor produces a larger fraction of H2 and CH 4 when compared with air gasification and the reverse is the case for carbon monoxide production.

The main aim of this thesis is the analysis of influence of inlet valve opening length and compression ratio on performance and thermodynamic parameters of Miller cycle using GT-SUITE software. Next step was an optimization of inlet and exhaust valve timing with goal of increasing motor effective power. For chosen option was designed cam shaft with regard of kinematic and dynamic magnitude courses.

This diploma thesis considers different attitudes to evaluation of lower heating value of municipal solid waste as a main parameter of calculation of effectiveness incineration process. Modification of general relation is done to calculate lower heating value by using methodology BREF/BAT for real plant. The next step is evaluation of lower heating value within measured data. Following part of this thesis is focused on establishing thermal efficiency of incineration boiler by using direct, indirect and “modified” indirect methods and statistical analyses of them. Analysis of important quantities, which enters the calculation of thermal efficiency, is realized. The establishment of measurement error in measuring these main parameters is done as well.

Master thesis deals with analysis of characteristic points of two-shaft combustion turbine cycle for two different concepts of turbine’s arrangement. Computational model is compiled within the thesis for serial and parallel arrangement. Thermodynamic magnitudes of characteristic points of cycle are calculated with the computational model for designed operating point. Initial values of the computational model are chosen in consideration of reaching compromise between maximal thermal efficiency and maximal specific power.

The South African electricity mix is highly dependent on subcritical coal-fired power stations. The average thermal efficiency of these power plants is low. Traditional methods to increase the thermal efficiency of the cycle have been widely studied and implemented. However, utilising the waste heat at the condenser, which accounts for the biggest heat loss in the cycle, presents a large potential to increase the thermal efficiency of the cycle. Several methods can be implemented for the recovery and utilisation of low-grade waste heat. This theoretical study focuses on replacing the traditional condenser in a fossil fuel power station with a boiling condenser (BC), which operates in a similar manner to the core of a boiling water reactor at a nuclear power plant (Sharifpur, 2007). The system was theoretically tested at the Komati Power Station, South Africa's oldest power station. The power station presented an average low-grade waste heat source. The BC cycle was theoretically tested with several working fluids and numerous different configurations. Several of the theoretical configurations indicated increased thermal efficiency of the cycle. The BC cycle configurations were also tested in two theoretical scenarios. Thirty configurations and 103 working fluids were tested in these configurations. The configuration that indicated the highest increase in thermal efficiency was the BC cycle with regeneration (three regenerative heat exchangers) from the BC turbine. A 2.4% increase in thermal efficiency was obtained for the mentioned theoretical implementation of this configuration. The working fluid tested in this configuration was ethanol. This configuration also indicated a 7.6 MW generating capacity. The increased thermal efficiency of the power station presents benefits not only in increasing the available capacity on South Africa's strained grid, but also environmental benefits. The mentioned reduction of 7.6 MW in heat released into the atmosphere also indicated a direct environmental benefit. The increase in thermal efficiency could also reduce CO2 emissions released annually in tons per MW by 5.74%. The high-level economic analysis conducted, based on the theoretically implemented BC cycle with the highest increase in thermal efficiency, resulted in a possible saving of R46 million per annum. This translated to a saving of R19.2 million per annum for each percentage increase in thermal efficiency brought about by the BC cycle. The theoretical implementation of the BC, with regeneration (three regenerative heat exchangers) from the BC turbine and ethanol as a working fluid, not only indicated an increase in thermal efficiency, but also significant economic and environmental benefits. / Dissertation (MEng)--University of Pretoria, 2016. / Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering / MEng / Unrestricted