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Lack of energy storage is a key issue in the development of renewable energy sources. Most renewables, especially solar and wind, when used alone, cannot sustain a reliably constant power output over an extended period of time. These sources generally generate variable amounts of power intermittently, therefore, an efficient electrical energy storage (EES) method is required to better temporally balance power generation to power consumption. One of the more promising methods of electrical energy storage is the unitized regenerative fuel cell (UFRC.) UFRCs are fuel cells that can operate in a charge-discharge cycle, similar to a battery, to store and then to subsequently release power. Power is stored by means of electrolysis while the products of this electrolysis reaction can be recombined as in a normal fuel cell to release the stored power. A major advantage of UFRCs over batteries is that storage capacity can be decoupled from cell power, thus reducing the potential cost and weight of the cell unit. Here we investigate UFRCs based on hydrogen-halogen systems, specifically hydrogen-bromine, which has potential for improved electrode reaction kinetics and hence cheaper catalysts and higher efficiency and energy density. A mathematical model has been developed to analyze this system and determine cell behavior and cycle efficiency under various conditions. The conventional H2-Br2 URFCs, however also so far have utilized Pt catalysts and Nafion membranes. Consequently, a goal of this work was to explore alternate schemes and materials for the H2-Br2 URFC. Thus, three generations of test cells have been created. The first two cells were designed to use a molten bromide salt, ionic liquid or anion exchange membrane as the ion exchange electrolyte with the liquids supported on a porous membrane. This type of system provides the potential to reduce the amount of precious metal catalyst required, or possibly eliminate it altogether. Each cell showed improvement over the previous generation, although the results are preliminary. The final set of results are promising for anion exchange membranes on a cost basis compared Nafion. Another promising energy storage solution involves liquid methanol as an intermediate or as a hydrogen carrier. An alternative to storing high-pressure hydrogen is to produce it on-board/on-site on demand via a methanol electrocatalytic reformer (eCRef), a PEM electrolyzer in which methanol-water coelectrolysis takes place. Methanol handling, storage, and transportation is much easier than that for hydrogen. The hydrogen produced via methanol eCref may then be used in any number of applications, including for energy storage and generation in a standard H2-O2 PEM fuel cell. The mathematical modeling and analysis for an eCref is very similar to that of the HBr URFC. In this work, a comprehensive model for the coelectrolysis of methanol and water into hydrogen is created and compared with experimental data. The performance of the methanol electrolyzer coupled with a H2-O2 fuel cell is then compared for efficiency to that of a direct methanol fuel cell data and was found to be superior. The results suggest that an efficient and small paired eCRef-fuel cell system is potentially be a cheaper and more viable alternative to the standard direct methanol fuel cell. Both the H2-Br2 URFC and the methanol eCref in combination with a H2-O2 fuel cell have significant potential to provide higher energy efficiency and energy density for EES purposes.

Submitted by Renata Lopes (renatasil82@gmail.com) on 2017-04-20T13:39:03Z No. of bitstreams: 1 pedromachadodealmeida.pdf: 13436160 bytes, checksum: 84c66613dade0766ae9ea2bdc8be9f91 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Adriana Oliveira (adriana.oliveira@ufjf.edu.br) on 2017-04-20T14:45:37Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 pedromachadodealmeida.pdf: 13436160 bytes, checksum: 84c66613dade0766ae9ea2bdc8be9f91 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-04-20T14:45:37Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 pedromachadodealmeida.pdf: 13436160 bytes, checksum: 84c66613dade0766ae9ea2bdc8be9f91 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011-04-29 / Esta dissertação apresenta uma estratégia de controle para sistemas de geração fotovoltaicos, de único estágio, trifásicos, conectados à rede elétrica de distribuição. São desenvolvidos modelos matemáticos para representar as características dinâmicas dos painéis fotovoltaicos, do conversor fonte de tensão (VSC -“Voltage Source Converter”) e da rede de distribuição. A modelagem do sistema de geração disperso (SGD) é feita no sistema de coordenadas síncrono (dq), fornecendo um sistema de equações diferenciais que pode ser usado para descrever o comportamento dinâmico do sistema quando as tensões da rede estão equilibradas ou desequilibradas. O conversor é controlado no modo de corrente, através da estratégia de modulação vetorial (Space Vector Modulation - SVM). São projetadas duas malhas de controle em cascata para controlar o conversor estático. A malha interna controla a corrente injetada na rede enquanto que a externa controla a tensão no barramento CC do conversor. O controle da tensão CC permite rastrear o ponto de máxima potência do painel PV além de controlar a quantidade de potência ativa injetada na rede CA. Um método ativo de detecção de ilhamento baseado na injeção de corrente de sequência negativa é incorporado ao sistema de controle. Resultados de simulações digitais obtidos com o programa ATP (Alternative Transient Program ) são utilizados para validar os modelos matemáticos e as estratégias de controle. Finalmente, um protótipo experimental de pequena escala é montado em laboratório. Todo o sistema de controle do protótipo experimental foi implementado no DSP TMS320F28212. Os resultados obtidos demonstram o funcionamento do sistema e podem ser usados para validar a estratégia de controle utilizada. / This dissertation presents a control strategy for a single-stage, three-phase, photovoltaic systems to be connected to a distribution network. Mathematical models are developed to represent the dynamic characteristics of the photovoltaic panels, the voltage-source converter (VSC) and the distribution network. The modeling of the dispersed generation system (DGS) is done in the synchronous reference frame (dq), providing a system of differential equations that describes the dynamic behavior of the system when the network voltages are balanced or unbalanced. The converter is controlled in current mode through the space vector modulation (SVM) strategy. Two control loops are designed to control the static converter. The inner loop controls the injected current into the network while the external loop controls the converter DC bus voltage. The DC voltage regulator allows to track the PV maximum power point and to control the active power injected into the AC grid. An active islanding detection method based on negative-sequence current injection is incorporated into the control system. Digital simulations results obtained with Alternative Transients Program (ATP) is used to validate the mathematical models and the control strategies. Finally, a small-scale experimental prototype is implemented in the laboratory. The whole control system of the experimental prototype was programmed in DSP TMS320F2812 of Texas Instruments. The results demonstrate that the operation of the system can be used to validate the applied control strategy.

This work deals mainly with electrical energy. In the first part is focused on alternative energy sources, and describes structure of consumption and production of electricity over the past few years, during which is focuses on renewable energy sources. In this context, assesses the conditions for alternative energy sources in the Czech Republic from the perspective of the legislative, as well as current status and potential of alternative energy sources and tries to predict the development of these issues. The next section describes the Smart Grids as a means to achieve these goals. There are presented the basic features of this system, its goals and challenges, a description of the integration of Smart Grids with other sources of electricity and the benefits of using Smart Grids both from the perspective of user and from the perspective of system. Other parts are focused on distributed control systems in the energy sector, its development and principle. The last part is devoted to consideration of the role of alternative energy sources and distributed generation in Smart Grids.