Le développement de solutions de stockage de l'énergie est un défi majeur pour permettre la transition énergétique d'un mix énergétique fortement carboné vers une part plus importante des énergies renouvelables. La nécessité de stocker de l'énergie vient de la dissociation, spatiale et temporelle, entre la source et la demande d'énergie. Stocker de l'énergie répond à deux besoins principaux : disposer d'énergie à l'endroit et au moment où on en a besoin. La consommation de chaleur à basse température (pour le chauffage des logements et des bureaux) représente une part importante de la consommation totale d'énergie (environ 35 % en France en 2010). Le développement de solutions de stockage de chaleur est donc d'une grande importance, d'autant plus avec la montée en puissance des énergies renouvelables. Parmi les technologies de stockage envisageables, le stockage par adsorption semble être le meilleur compromis en termes de densité de stockage et de maintient des performances sur plusieurs cycles de charge-décharge. Cette thèse se focalise donc sur le stockage de chaleur par adsorption, et traite de l'amélioration des performances du stockage et de l'intégration du système au bâtiment. L'approche développée pour répondre à ces questions est numérique. L'influence des propriétés thermophysiques de l'adsorbant et du fluide sur la densité de puissance d'une part, mais aussi sur la densité de stockage et l'autonomie du système, est étudiée. L'analyse des résultats permet de sélectionner les propriétés des matériaux les plus influentes et de mieux comprendre les transferts de chaleur et de masse au sein du réacteur. L'influence des conditions opératoires est aussi mise en avant. Enfin, il est montré que la capacité de stockage est linéairement dépendante du volume de matériau, tandis que la puissance dépend de la surface de section et que l'autonomie dépend de la longueur du lit d'adsorbant. Par ailleurs, le rapport entre l'énergie absorbée (charge) et relâchée (décharge) est d'environ 70 %. Mais pendant la phase de charge, environ 60 % de la chaleur entrant dans le réacteur n'est pas absorbée et est directement relâchée à la sortie. La conversion globale entre l'énergie récupérable et l'énergie fournie n'est donc que de 25 %. Cela montre qu'un système de stockage de chaleur par adsorption ne peut pas être pensé comme un système autonome mais doit être intégré aux autres systèmes de chauffage du bâtiment et aux lois de commande qui les régissent. Utiliser la ressource solaire pour le préchauffage du réacteur est une idée intéressante car elle améliore l’efficacité de la charge et permet une réutilisation de la part récupérée en sortie pour le chauffage direct du bâtiment. La part stockée sous forme sensible peut être récupérée plusieurs heures plus tard. Le système est ainsi transformé en un stockage combiné sensible/adsorption, avec une solution pour du stockage à long terme et pour du stockage à court terme. / The development of energy storage solutions is a key challenge to enable the energy transition from fossil resources to renewable energies. The need to store energy actually comes from a dissociation between energy sources and energy demand. Storing energy meets two principal expectations: have energy available where and when it is required. Low temperature heat, for dwellings and offices heating, represents a high share of overall energy consumption (i.e. about 35 %). The development of heat storage solutions is then of great importance for energy management, especially in the context of the growing part of renewable energies. Adsorption heat storage appears to be the best trade off among available storage technologies in terms of heat storage density and performances over several cycles. Then, this PhD thesis focuses on adsorption heat storage and addresses the enhancement of storage performances and system integration. The approach developed to address these issues is numerical. Then, a model of an adsorption heat storage tank is developed, and validated using experimental data. The influence of material thermophysical properties on output power but also on storage density and system autonomy is investigated. This analysis enables a selection of particularly influencing material properties and a better understanding of heat and mass transfers. The influence of operating conditions is also underlined. It shows the importance of inlet humidity on both storage capacity and outlet power and the great influence of discharge flowrate on outlet power. Finally, it is shown heat storage capacity depends on the storage tank volume, while outlet power depends on cross section area and system autonomy on bed length. Besides, the conversion efficiency from absorbed energy (charge) to released energy (discharge) is 70 %. But during the charging process, about 60 % of incoming heat is not absorbed by the material and directly released. The overall conversion efficiency from energy provided to energy released is as low as 25 %. This demonstrates that an adsorption heat storage system cannot be thought of as a self-standing component but must be integrated into the building systems and control strategy. A clever use of heat losses for heating applications (in winter) or inlet fluid preheating (in summer) enhances global performances. Using available solar heat for system preheating is an interesting option since a part is instantly retrieved at the outlet of the storage tank and can be used for direct heating. Another part is stored as sensible heat and can be retrieved a few hours later. At least, it has the advantage of turning the adsorption storage tank into a combined sensible-adsorption storage tank that offers short-term and long-term storage solutions. Then, it may differ avoidable discharges of the sorption potential and increase the overall autonomy (or coverage fraction), in addition to optimizing chances of partial system recharge.

L’objectif de cette thèse est d’étudier expérimentalement les performances énergétiques d'une installation de micro-cogénération solaire. Le prototype réalisé est constitué d'un concentrateur cylindro-parabolique associé à un moteur à vapeur fonctionnant suivant un cycle de Hirn (Rankine avec surchauffe). Les originalités de ce projet sont l’utilisation de l’énergie solaire, renouvelable et inépuisable mais intermittente, la génération directe de vapeur au sein d'un concentrateur de taille réduite (46,5 m²), le système de suivi solaire sur deux axes et le couplage à un moteur à piston non lubrifié. La première partie de l'étude porte sur le concentrateur seul. Son fonctionnement est étudié sur deux journées types (ensoleillée et nuageuse) et son rendement thermique est évalué. La dynamique du système est également abordée notamment par l'étude de sa réponse à des perturbations. Une régulation de type boucle ouverte a été mise en place et validée. La seconde partie concerne la caractérisation du moteur seul. Des essais ont été menés avec une puissance de source chaude stable puis variable. À partir des résultats obtenus, un modèle empirique est développé, puis exploité dans le cadre d'une étude paramétrique du moteur. Cette étude montre l'influence importante du ratio de pression et de la vitesse de rotation sur le rendement. Dans la dernière partie, les performances globales (rendement, puissances électrique et thermique produites) du micro-cogénérateur sont évaluées. Des essais à pression et à vitesse régulées sont présentés. A partir de cartographies de fonctionnement réalisées à l’aide d’un modèle empirique, une régulation basée sur l'utilisation d'un by-pass est alors mise en place, puis testée. / The objective of this thesis is the experimental study of the energy performances of a micro combined solar heat and power (micro-CHP) unit. The prototype is composed of a solar parabolic trough collector coupled to a Hirn (superheated Rankine) cycle engine. The originalities of this project are the use of solar energy which is renewable and inexhaustible but intermittent, the direct steam generation with a reduced size parabolic trough collector (46.5 m²), the two axis tracking system and the coupling with an oil-free reciprocating steam engine. The first part of this study is focussed on the solar collector. Thermal performances under sunny and cloudy conditions are presented and the thermal efficiency is evaluated. The system dynamic is also investigated through the characterization of the inertia as well as a study of its response to perturbations. Then a control strategy is set up and validated. The second part deals with the characterization of the engine. Tests have been performed with a stable and variable heat source power. From these tests, an empirical model has been developed and used in a parametrical study. This study shows the significant influence of the pressure ratio and of the rotational speed on the efficiency of the engine. In the last part, global performances (efficiency, output thermal and electrical powers) of the entire micro-CHP unit are evaluated. Tests with controlled pressure and speed are presented. From operating maps established from an empirical model, a control strategy based on the use of a by-pass is set up and tested.

This master’s thesis named “The Life Cycle of Solar Power, Efficiency and Return” is divided into seven chapters and focuses on the utilization of solar radiation in photovoltaic power stations and solar thermal power stations. The first chapter of this thesis familiarizes the reader with issues concerning renewable resources of energy and presents an overview of the focus of each chapter. The following second chapter is occupied with a topical research of renewable resources of energy utilization in Europe. Further the author presents a brief glance back at the past of solar energy utilization and also a prediction of future solar energy utilization in the Czech Republic. The chapter named “Specification and parameterization of individual technologies” contains an overview of today’s most utilized photovoltaic cells and panels together with an overview of utilized solar collectors and solar thermal power stations. In the following chapter named “Concretization of typical applications and realizations of photovoltaic and solar thermal power stations and determination of all related parameters” the author describes further components of photovoltaic and solar thermal systems. The economical aspect of photovoltaic component production together with an overview of utilized photovoltaic technologies is presented in this chapter. The problem of recycling photovoltaic applications and the current legislative situation regarding this issue in the Czech Republic is also outlined within this chapter. In the fifth chapter of this master’s thesis the author presents mathematical models of a photovoltaic and a solar thermal power station with the focus on economic aspects of investment efficiency assessment. Within this master’s thesis a simulation program in the computational software program Mathematica was created by the author. This program allows a calculation of economic efficiency and return of photovoltaic power station investments. The results of executed simulations are presented in the sixth chapter of this thesis. The last chapter contains an appraisal and summary of results achieved by the author of this thesis.

Im Projekt wurde eine alternative Speicherkonstruktion im Bereich von 500 bis 6000 m3 für den Betrieb in Solar- und Fernwärmesystemen entwickelt. Ausgangspunkt bilden große Kaltwasserspeicher in Segmentbauweise. Die Bautechnologie bietet ein signifikantes Kostenreduktionspotenzial gegenüber geschweißten Flachbodentanks, konnte bisher aber nicht auf Wärmespeicher übertragen werden. Aufgrund der dünnwandigen Bauweise und der Projektziele musste eine Überarbeitung des Wandaufbaus, der Einbauten und der Peripherie erfolgen. Dieser Bericht liefert eine Beschreibung des Speicher-Systems und die Ergebnisse des Verbundvorhabens. Die Funktionsfähigkeit wurde mit einem dreistufigen Verfahren nachgewiesen. Das geplante Vorgehen mit Laborversuchen im kleinen Maßstab bis zum Test mit einem Demonstrator im Realmaßstab (100 m3) war notwendig und zielführend. Die Bearbeitung der Hauptaufgaben (z. B. Materialuntersuchungen, Konstruktion, Betrieb) erfolgte vernetzt durch die beteiligten Forschungsinstitutionen. Das grundlegende Potenzial für eine spätere Anwendung in solaren Nahwärmesystemen oder Sekundärnetzgebieten der klassischen Fernwärme sind gegeben. Vor allem im Bereich der Beladung und im Wandaufbau konnten große Verbesserungen erzielt werden. Weitere Optimierungen und die Umsetzung mit größeren Speichern stehen noch aus. / In the project, an alternative construction for thermal energy stores in the range of 500 to 6000 m3 was developed for operation in solar and district heating systems. Large cold water storage tanks in segmental construction are the starting point. Their construction technology offers a significant potential for cost reduction compared to welded flat-bottom tanks, but could so far not be transferred to hot water storage tanks. Due to the new design and the project objectives, the wall structure, the internals and the periphery had to be completely revised. This report provides a description of the storage system and the results of the joint project. The functionality was proven with a three-stage procedure. The planned procedure with laboratory tests on a small scale up to the test with a demonstrator on a real scale (100 m3) was necessary and purposeful. The main tasks (e.g. material testing, design, operation) were carried out by the participating research institutions in a network. The basic potential for a later application in solar local heating systems or secondary network areas of conventional district heating is given. Significant improvements were realized, especially in regard of the charging system and the wall construction. However, further optimizations and the transfer to larger storage tanks is still pending.

This thesis presents work on a holistic approach for improving the overall design of solar cooling systems driven by solar thermal collectors. Newly developed methods for thermodynamic optimization of hydraulics and control were used to redesign an existing pilot plant. Measurements taken from the newly developed system show an 81% increase of the Solar Cooling Efficiency (SCEth) factor compared to the original pilot system. In addition to the improvements in system design, new efficiency factors for benchmarking solar cooling systems are presented. The Solar Supply Efficiency (SSEth) factor provides a means of quantifying the quality of solar thermal charging systems relative to the usable heat to drive the sorption process. The product of the SSEth with the already established COPth of the chiller, leads to the SCEth factor which, for the first time, provides a clear and concise benchmarking method for the overall design of solar cooling systems. Furthermore, the definition of a coefficient of performance, including irreversibilities from energy conversion (COPcon), enables a direct comparison of compression and sorption chiller technology. This new performance metric is applicable to all low-temperature heat-supply machines for direct comparison of different types or technologies. The achieved findings of this work led to an optimized generic design for solar cooling systems, which was successfully transferred to the market.

This study centered on a novel thermoelectric generator (TEG) integrated into the built environment. Designed by Watts Thermoelectric LLC, the TEG is essentially a novel assembly of thermoelectric modules whose required temperature differential is supplied by hot and cold streams of water flowing through the TEG. Per its recommended operating conditions, the TEG nominally generates 83 Watts of electrical power. In its default configuration in the built environment, solar-thermal energy serves as the TEG’s hot stream source and geothermal energy serves as its cold stream source. Two systems-level, thermodynamic analyses were performed, which were based on the TEG’s upcoming characterization testing, scheduled to occur later in 2011 in Detroit, Michigan. The first analysis considered the TEG coupled with a solar collector system. A numerical model of the coupled system was constructed in order to estimate the system’s annual energetic performance. It was determined numerically that over the course of a sample year, the solar collector system could deliver 39.73 megawatt-hours (MWh) of thermal energy to the TEG. The TEG converted that thermal energy into a net of 266.5 kilowatt-hours of electricity in that year. The second analysis focused on the TEG itself during operation with the purpose of providing a preliminary thermodynamic characterization of the TEG. Using experimental data, this analysis found the TEG’s operating efficiency to be 1.72%. Next, the annual emissions that would be avoided by implementing the zero-emission TEG were considered. The emission factor of Michigan’s electric grid, RFCM, was calculated to be 0.830 tons of carbon dioxide-equivalent (CO2e) per MWh, and with the TEG’s annual energy output, it was concluded that 0.221 tons CO2e would be avoided each year with the TEG. It is important to note that the TEG can be linearly scaled up by including additional modules. Thus, these benefits can be multiplied through the incorporation of more TEG units. Finally, the levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) of the TEG integrated into the built environment with the solar-thermal hot source and passive ground-based cold source was considered. The LCOE of the system was estimated to be approximately $8,404/MWh, which is substantially greater than current generation technologies. Note that this calculation was based on one particular configuration with a particular and narrow set of assumptions, and is not intended to be a general conclusion about TEG systems overall. It was concluded that while solar-thermal energy systems can sustain the TEG, they are capital-intensive and therefore not economically suitable for the TEG given the assumptions of this analysis. In the end, because of the large costs associated with the solar-thermal system, waste heat recovery is proposed as a potentially more cost-effective provider of the TEG’s hot stream source. / text

Until a few decades ago few people could imagine that the photovoltaic, solar thermal and other power based on renewable resources, will become a reality. Today people from all over the world on the contrary try at full blast derive benefit from of all possible available source. Using sunlight as a source of energy is first enforced only for small devices such as calculators for charging the battery, but now we are able to produced energy from the sun to supply people around the world. Of course it is not possible supply consumer sector plus firm only from performances renewable power supply. Therefore endeavour is derive benefit from classical energy production at the same time with others power supply. The basic components of photovoltaic and solar thermal power are panels. The panels are made of different materials in different shapes and sizes. During production, the resulting effect looks in addition to costs associated with production. For photovoltaic and solar thermal power plant requires sufficient sunlight. The sunshine has biggest intensity on south of ours planets. Therefore endeavour is build lump these power station just in stand with bigger intensity sunshine. One of them is just Cyprus, too.