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Top 20 Most Read Articles
January 2012
The 20 articles with the most full-text downloads during the month, in descending order.
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Transformation of concentrated sunlight into laser radiation on small parabolic concentrators J. Renewable Sustainable Energy 3, 053102 (2011); http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.3643267 (7 pages) Online Publication Date: 29 September 2011
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The possibility of creation of effective lasers on small parabolic solar concentrators with the use of ceramic active elements of disk geometry was studied. Various variants of a design for solar lasers were considered. It is shown that the efficiency of transformation can reach the value of 35% for the considered schemes of solar laser. It was proposed to use solar lasers for large-scale synthesis of nanoparticles and nanostructures.
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Review: The use of geographic information systems in wind turbine and wind energy research J. Renewable Sustainable Energy 4, 012701 (2012); http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.3673565 (9 pages) Online Publication Date: 4 January 2012
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This paper is a review of wind energy articles that use geographic information systems (GIS). It is the hope of the authors that the article will inform renewable energy researchers of the potential for using GIS in their work, and geographers and spatial scientists to learn about the opportunities in wind turbine research. GIS can be used for wind energy planning to determine whether there is adequate wind energy at a site as well as whether the landscape and land-uses are appropriate for wind turbine developments. These types of GIS applications have been used worldwide, typically using previously collected data. To determine which sites are preferable, variables of interest are treated as distinct layers in GIS, and areas that are unsuitable for wind turbine development become evident. Areas that are not preferred for wind turbines are environmentally protected areas or landscapes that cannot be developed effectively. GIS is the ideal tool for identifying preferred sites for wind farms, especially when using decision support systems. Future decision support system research in GIS should consider on-site conditions as well as the opinion of stakeholders and local residents. Involving stakeholders in the decision-making process, either through increased communication or visualization activities that use GIS can lead to higher acceptance of wind turbine installations. Examining the failures and successes of other wind turbine installations may be informative for future developments
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Inverter topologies and control structure in photovoltaic applications: A review J. Renewable Sustainable Energy 3, 012701 (2011); http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.3505096 (23 pages) Online Publication Date: 13 January 2011
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The inverter is an integral component of the power conditioning unit of a photovoltaic power system and employs various dc/ac converter topologies and control structure. It has to meet various international standards before it can be put in commercial use. The function of inverter in distributed power generation system on top of photovoltaic generation includes dc-ac conversion, output power quality assurance, various protection mechanisms, and system controls. The requirements in terms of low cost, high efficiency, high reliability, and tolerance over wide range of input voltage variations have driven the inverter development toward simpler topologies, lower component counts, and tighter modular design. Historically, the inverters employed in PV technology may be classified based on number of power processing stages, type of power decoupling, types of interconnection between the stages, and types of grid interface. Based on power processing stage, the inverter may be classified as single stage and multiple stage inverters. This paper presents a comprehensive review of various inverter topologies and control structure employed in PV applications with associated merits and demerits. The paper also gives the recent trends in the development of PV applications.
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Dewatering of microalgal cultures: A major bottleneck to algae-based fuels J. Renewable Sustainable Energy 2, 012701 (2010); http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.3294480 (15 pages) Online Publication Date: 12 January 2010
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Microalgae dewatering is a major obstruction to industrial-scale processing of microalgae for biofuel production. The dilute nature of harvested microalgal cultures creates a huge operational cost during dewatering, thereby, rendering algae-based fuels less economically attractive. Currently there is no superior method of dewatering microalgae. A technique that may result in a greater algal biomass may have drawbacks such as a high capital cost or high energy consumption. The choice of which harvesting technique to apply will depend on the species of microalgae and the final product desired. Algal properties such as a large cell size and the capability of the microalgae to autoflocculate can simplify the dewatering process. This article reviews and addresses the various technologies currently used for dewatering microalgal cultures along with a comparative study of the performances of the different technologies.
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J. Renewable Sustainable Energy 3, 043104 (2011); http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.3608170 (12 pages) Online Publication Date: 19 July 2011
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Modern wind farms comprised of horizontal-axis wind turbines (HAWTs) require significant land resources to separate each wind turbine from the adjacent turbine wakes. This aerodynamic constraint limits the amount of power that can be extracted from a given wind farm footprint. The resulting inefficiency of HAWT farms is currently compensated by using taller wind turbines to access greater wind resources at high altitudes, but this solution comes at the expense of higher engineering costs and greater visual, acoustic, radar, and environmental impacts. We investigated the use of counter-rotating vertical-axis wind turbines (VAWTs) in order to achieve higher power output per unit land area than existing wind farms consisting of HAWTs. Full-scale field tests of 10-m tall VAWTs in various counter-rotating configurations were conducted under natural wind conditions during summer 2010. Whereas modern wind farms consisting of HAWTs produce 2–3 W of power per square meter of land area, these field tests indicate that power densities an order of magnitude greater can potentially be achieved by arranging VAWTs in layouts that enable them to extract energy from adjacent wakes and from above the wind farm. Moreover, this improved performance does not require higher individual wind turbine efficiency, only closer wind turbine spacing and a sufficient vertical flux of turbulence kinetic energy from the atmospheric surface layer. The results suggest an alternative approach to wind farming that has the potential to concurrently reduce the cost, size, and environmental impacts of wind farms.
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WindFloat: A floating foundation for offshore wind turbines J. Renewable Sustainable Energy 2, 033104 (2010); http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.3435339 (34 pages) Online Publication Date: 15 June 2010
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This manuscript summarizes the feasibility study conducted for the WindFloat technology. The WindFloat is a three-legged floating foundation for multimegawatt offshore wind turbines. It is designed to accommodate a wind turbine, 5 MW or larger, on one of the columns of the hull with minimal modifications to the nacelle and rotor. Potential redesign of the tower and of the turbine control software can be expected. Technologies for floating foundations for offshore wind turbines are evolving. It is agreed by most experts that the offshore wind industry will see a significant increase in activity in the near future. Fixed offshore turbines are limited in water depth to ∼ 30–50 m. Market transition to deeper waters is inevitable, provided that suitable technologies can be developed. Despite the increase in complexity, a floating foundation offers the following distinct advantages: Flexibility in site location; access to superior wind resources further offshore; ability to locate in coastal regions with limited shallow continental shelf; ability to locate further offshore to eliminate visual impacts; an integrated hull, without a need to redesign the transition piece between the tower and the submerged structure for every project; simplified offshore installation procedures. Anchors are significantly cheaper to install than fixed foundations and large diameter towers. This paper focuses first on the design basis for wind turbine floating foundations and explores the requirements that must be addressed by design teams in this new field. It shows that the design of the hull for a large wind turbine must draw on the synergies with oil and gas offshore platform technology, while accounting for the different design requirements and functionality of the wind turbine. This paper describes next the hydrodynamic analysis of the hull, as well as ongoing work consisting of coupling hull hydrodynamics with wind turbine aerodynamic forces. Three main approaches are presented: The numerical hydrodynamic model of the platform and its mooring system; wave tank testing of a scale model of the platform with simplified aerodynamic simulation of the wind turbine; FAST, an aeroservoelastic software package for wind turbine analysis with the ability to be coupled to the hydrodynamic model. Finally, this paper focuses on the structural engineering that was performed as part of the feasibility study conducted for qualification of the technology. Specifically, the preliminary scantling is described and the strength and fatigue analysis methodologies are explained, focusing on the following aspects: The coupling between the wind turbine and the hull and the interface between the hydrodynamic loading and the structural response.
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Production of bio-oil from mahua de-oiled cake by thermal pyrolysis J. Renewable Sustainable Energy 4, 013101 (2012); http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.3676074 (9 pages) Online Publication Date: 6 January 2012
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De-oiled cakes, a source of biomass in the form of agriculture residue, could be an ideal source for the production of bio-fuels that can be substituted with conventional fossil fuels. In this study, pyrolysis of mahua de-oiled cake (Madhuca indica) was carried in a semi-batch reactor at the temperatures of 350, 400, 450, 500, 550, and 600 °C. The optimum temperature at which maximum yield of 41.36% (by weight) liquid product obtained was 550 °C. Empirical formula of the bio-oil was established as CH1.379N0.0576S0.004O0.614. The thermal degradation of mahua de-oiled cake was studied in inert atmosphere from ambient temperature to a temperature of 600 °C at a heating rate of 25 °C min−1. The chemical composition of bio-char was investigated by using SEM-EDX and its heating value was determined to be 26 MJ/kg. Characterization showed that the bio-oil obtained can potentially be valued as fuel and chemical feedstock.
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Nanofluid-based direct absorption solar collector J. Renewable Sustainable Energy 2, 033102 (2010); http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.3429737 (13 pages) Online Publication Date: 26 May 2010
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Solar energy is one of the best sources of renewable energy with minimal environmental impact. Direct absorption solar collectors have been proposed for a variety of applications such as water heating; however the efficiency of these collectors is limited by the absorption properties of the working fluid, which is very poor for typical fluids used in solar collectors. It has been shown that mixing nanoparticles in a liquid (nanofluid) has a dramatic effect on the liquid thermophysical properties such as thermal conductivity. Nanoparticles also offer the potential of improving the radiative properties of liquids, leading to an increase in the efficiency of direct absorption solar collectors. Here we report on the experimental results on solar collectors based on nanofluids made from a variety of nanoparticles (carbon nanotubes, graphite, and silver). We demonstrate efficiency improvements of up to 5% in solar thermal collectors by utilizing nanofluids as the absorption mechanism. In addition the experimental data were compared with a numerical model of a solar collector with direct absorption nanofluids. The experimental and numerical results demonstrate an initial rapid increase in efficiency with volume fraction, followed by a leveling off in efficiency as volume fraction continues to increase.
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Recent advances in direct solar thermal power generation J. Renewable Sustainable Energy 1, 052701 (2009); http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.3212675 (23 pages) Online Publication Date: 2 October 2009
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The recent energy crisis and environmental burden are becoming increasingly urgent and drawing enormous attention to solar-energy utilization. Direct solar thermal power generation technologies, such as thermoelectric, thermionic, magnetohydrodynamic, and alkali-metal thermoelectric methods, are among the most attractive ways to provide electric energy from solar heat. On the one hand, these methods have the potential to be more efficient than traditional ways since they can convert heat to electricity directly without experiencing the conventional intermediate mechanical energy conversion process; on the other hand, these electricity generators are generally silent, reliable, and scalable, making them very suitable to serve as a distributed power generation system for certain specialized fields, such as military and space applications. A lot of effort has been devoted to investigate the energy conversion theory and practical applications thus far. This paper is intended to present a thorough review on recent advances in developing the thermoelectric, thermionic, magnetohydrodynamic, and alkali-metal thermoelectric technologies for direct solar thermal power generation. Both the fundamental issues and latest application research are illustrated and critical issues are discussed. The paper concludes with a description of future developments expected in the subjects covered.
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J. Renewable Sustainable Energy 3, 063106 (2011); http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.3659289 (16 pages) Online Publication Date: 28 November 2011
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Presenting new sources of safe energy sources is not only an urgent need but also a vital input for social and economic development. In this work, we present a novel technology to produce electric energy from food; in particular from commercial potatoes. The food has been sandwiched between two metals; for example, Zn/potatoes/Cu and the open circuit electric potentials Voc have been measured. It has been found that Voc lay in the range Voc 0.32 V < Voc < 1.39 V and decays exponentially by time. The open circuit potential varies from food to another and depends also on the metallic contacts and food thickness. It has been found that Voc is a function of the potatoes thickness, which has a maximum at 1.05 V and the corresponding maximum short circuit current is about 1.7 mA. The internal resistivity for the potatoes battery is about 1.4 × 104 Ω cm and the metallic electrodes resistance is about 57.4 Ω × area for Zn/Cu electrodes. The short circuit current depends on the nature of the metallic electrodes and the food itself. This current is very sensitive to the food thickness. At a critical thickness when the potato slice is about 0.18 cm, the maximum short circuit current density of the potatoes battery is about 15.7 μA/cm2. The maximum electric power, generated at 0.18 cm, equals155 μW/cm2. The Zn/potatoes/Cu battery has electric capacity 2.57 times more efficient than an AA/LR6 1.5 V alkaline Energizer® battery. Also, cost analysis has showed that potatoes-cells generate electric energy 26 fold cheaper than commercially available Energizer® battery. This work presents a new energy source: Safe, economic, durable, and renewable; also it can fit most applications.
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Solar and wind energy potential in GCC countries and some related projects J. Renewable Sustainable Energy 1, 022301 (2009); http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.3076058 (28 pages) Online Publication Date: 8 April 2009
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The paper highlights the solar and wind energy potentials in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. The potential projects in each GCC country are also highlighted herein. We are expecting that the amount of new solar and wind electricity by 2015 in these countries may reach 5000 MW distributed as follows: 1000 MW in Bahrain, Qatar, 3500 MW solar electricity, UAE: 400 MW, and Kuwait and Oman: few MW. The paper also proposes a mechanism to accelerate the renewable energy utility in these countries.
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Optimal sizing of reliable hybrid renewable energy system considered various load types J. Renewable Sustainable Energy 3, 062701 (2011); http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.3655372 (18 pages) Online Publication Date: 7 November 2011
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In this paper, a novel intelligent method is applied to the problem of sizing in a hybrid power system such that the demand of residential area is met. This study is performed for Kahnouj area in south-east Iran. It is to mention that there are many similar regions around the world with this typical situation that can be expanded. The system consist of fuel cells, some wind units, some electrolyzers, a reformer, an anaerobic reactor, and some hydrogen tanks. The system is assumed to be stand-alone and uses the biomass as an available energy resource. System costs involve investments, replacement, and operation and maintenance as well as loss of load costs. Prices are all empirical and components are commercially available. In this study, we consider load growth and different types of load profile for their system. In this village, four types of loads exist such as residential, agricultural, industrial, and official loads. Also we consider load growth for the loads. Particle swarm optimization algorithm is used for optimal sizing of system’s components.
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Applicability of nanofluids in high flux solar collectors J. Renewable Sustainable Energy 3, 023104 (2011); http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.3571565 (15 pages) Online Publication Date: 1 April 2011
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Concentrated solar energy has become the input for an increasing number of experimental and commercial thermal systems over the past 10–15 years [
M. Thirugnanasambandam et al., Renewable Sustainable Energy Rev. 14 (2010)
]. Recent papers have indicated that the addition of nanoparticles to conventional working fluids (i.e., nanofluids) can improve heat transfer and solar collection [
H. Tyagi et al., J. Sol. Energy Eng. 131, 4 (2009)
;
P. E. Phelan et al., Annu. Rev. Heat Transfer 14 (2005)
]. This work indicates that power tower solar collectors could benefit from the potential efficiency improvements that arise from using a nanofluid working fluid. A notional design of this type of nanofluid receiver is presented. Using this design, we show a theoretical nanofluid enhancement in efficiency of up to 10% as compared to surface-based collectors when solar concentration ratios are in the range of 100–1000. Furthermore, our analysis shows that graphite nanofluids with volume fractions on the order of 0.001% or less are suitable for 10–100 MWe power plants. Experiments on a laboratory-scale nanofluid dish receiver suggest that up to 10% increase in efficiency is possible (relative to a conventional fluid)—if operating conditions are chosen carefully. Lastly, we use these findings to compare the energy and revenue generated in a conventional solar thermal plant to a nanofluid-based one. It is found that a 100 MWe capacity solar thermal power tower operating in a solar resource similar to Tucson, AZ, could generate ∼ $3.5 million more per year by incorporating a nanofluid receiver.
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Prospects for electricity from renewable resources in the United States J. Renewable Sustainable Energy 3, 042701 (2011); http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.3613947 (14 pages) Online Publication Date: 26 July 2011
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In 2009, the National Research Council issued Electricity from Renewables: Status, Prospects, and Impediments the study report of the Panel on Electricity from Renewable Sources. As part of the larger America’s Energy Future study undertaken by the National Academies, the panel was asked to examine the technical potential for development and deployment of renewable electricity technologies. This paper summarizes the report by this panel. The panel noted that renewable electricity generation technologies represent a tremendous opportunity to provide low net carbon dioxide (CO2)-emitting electricity generation from domestic resources and to generate new economic opportunities for the United States. The panel found that there are sufficient domestic renewable resources and technologies to allow renewable electricity to play a significant role in future electricity generation. However, although wind and solar electricity in particular have exhibited very large growth rates, non-hydropower renewables still provide a small percentage of total US electricity generation. The study considered the size and distribution of the resource base; the status of renewable electricity technologies; the economics of renewable electricity in light of various policy options; the environmental impacts of electricity from renewable resources; and the issues related to scaling up deployment. The panel concluded that an aggressive but achievable future for renewables could have non-hydroelectric renewables contributing 10% of the nation’s electricity generation by 2020 and 20% or more by 2035. To reach these levels, significant and sustained actions, involving a combination and coordination of policy, technology, and capital, will be essential. The panel emphasizes policy, technology, and capital equally because the scale of the effort required to reach such levels brings significant challenges beyond simple resource availability or technical capabilities.
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J. Renewable Sustainable Energy 3, 023106 (2011); http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.3575169 (17 pages) Online Publication Date: 4 April 2011
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Biodiesel emulsions are considered as the propitious alternative fuels for diesel engines. The need of biodiesel emulsion fuels for the diesel engines is to curtail the dependency on the fossil fuels in context to the world energy oil crisis. Henceforth, the present study provides a tangible pathway to prepare and to ameliorate the biodiesel emulsion fuel on incorporating potential alumina nanoparticles. The biodiesel emulsion fuel is prepared by emulsification technique comprising of 83% of jatropha biodiesel, 15% of water, and 2% of surfactants (Span80 and Tween80) with the aid of a mechanical agitator. The prepared biodiesel emulsion fuel is mixed with the alumina nanoparticles in the mass fractions of say 25, 50, and 100 ppm with the help of an ultrasonicator. The whole investigation is carried out in a constant speed diesel engine in three phases using jatropha biodiesel, jatropha biodiesel emulsion fuel, and alumina nanoparticle blended jatropha biodiesel emulsion fuels. The experimental results revealed a substantial enhancement in the performance and a reduction in harmful emissions for the biodiesel emulsion fuels compared to those of neat biodiesel. In addition, the incorporation of nanoparticles in the biodiesel emulsion fuel has also revealed an incremental better performance and reduced emissions than that of biodiesel emulsion fuel and biodiesel. Furthermore, the significance of shorten ignition delay effect associated with the nanoparticle blended biodiesel emulsion fuels has been investigated and asserted upon conducting a hot-plate evaporation study.
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Fabrication of organic solar array for applications in microelectromechanical systems J. Renewable Sustainable Energy 1, 013101 (2009); http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.2998825 (8 pages) Online Publication Date: 6 November 2008
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We have developed an innovative way to fabricate organic solar arrays for application in dc power supplies for electrostatic microelectromechanical systems devices. A solar array with 20 miniature cells interconnected in series was fabricated and characterized. Photolithography was used to isolate the individual cells and output contacts of the array, whereas the thermal-vacuum deposition is employed to make the series connections of the array. With 1 mm2 for single cell and a total device area of 2.2 cm2, the organic solar array based on bulk heterojunction structure of π-conjugated polymers and C60 derivative [6,6]-phenyl C61 butyric acid methyl ester produced an open-circuit voltage of 7.8 V and a short-circuit current of 55 μA under simulated air mass (AM) 1.5 illumination with an intensity of 132 mW/cm2. The procedure described here has the full potential for use in future fabrication of microarray with the size as small as 0.01 mm2.
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Approach to designing a solar concentrator for small-scale remote power application J. Renewable Sustainable Energy 3, 063114 (2011); http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.3671649 (11 pages) Online Publication Date: 23 December 2011
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A small-scale concentrated solar power (CSP) unit was designed to provide electricity and hot water using an organic Rankine cycle (ORC) for Egypt as part of an undergraduate capstone project. The system was designed for a target power output of 3 kW. It uses parabolic troughs to heat ethylene glycol used as the heat transfer fluid, which absorbs heat in the trough collector and transfers it to the working fluid through a heat exchanger. The system consists of 9 parabolic troughs and a total aperture area of 67 m2, providing the required 3 kW of energy to the ORC. One parabolic trough was manufactured to test its thermal efficiency according to ASHRAE standard 93-2003 [Methods of Testing to Determine the Thermal Performance of Solar Collectors (ASHRAE, Inc., 1791 Tullie Circle, NE, Atlanta, GA 30329, 2003)] and compared it to its calculated value. A simple microcontroller-based system was used to track the sun.
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Wind energy in India: Status and future prospects J. Renewable Sustainable Energy 1, 042701 (2009); http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.3156003 (19 pages) Online Publication Date: 8 July 2009
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Wind energy, with an average growth rate of 30%, is the fastest growing source of renewable energy in the world. India occupies the fifth place in the world in wind energy generation after USA, Germany, Spain, and China and has an installed capacity of more than 9756 MW as of January 31, 2009. New technological developments in wind energy design have contributed to the significant advances in wind energy penetration and to get optimum power from available wind. In this study, an attempt has been made to analyze and review the development and dissemination of wind energy in India. The diffusion prospect of wind energy generation in the potential states of India is also analyzed.
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Review of typical vs. synthesized energy modeling weather files J. Renewable Sustainable Energy 4, 012702 (2012); http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.3672191 (8 pages) Online Publication Date: 13 January 2012
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This paper reviews the widely used weather file formats, namely, typical meteorological year (TMY) of evolved versions, test reference year (TRY), weather year for energy calculation (WYEC), design reference year (DRY) as well as synthetically generated meteorological year (SMY) used in energy simulation and renewable-energy studies. This paper examines the fundamentals underlying their structure as to how they support and interface with the available energy simulation and modeling software as well as computer systems on which they operate. The differences in TMY, TRY, WYEC, DRY, and SMY in the selection and weighting of weather parameters are discussed, outlining the pros and cons of each type. Finally, sample dry bulb temperature regimes from SMY and TMY weather files are presented to show the differences in average monthly maximum, minimum, and mean temperatures.
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A review on photovoltaic thermal collectors J. Renewable Sustainable Energy 1, 062702 (2009); http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.3266963 (13 pages) Online Publication Date: 9 December 2009
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The content of this review consists of the types and the parameters influencing the performance (electrical and thermal) and also covers the numerical, analytical, and experimental models of photovoltaic thermal (PVT) collectors. The PVT systems using air and water as heat extraction agents were discussed. The parameters affecting the PVT performance such as the glazing, mass flow rate, and influence of absorber and design types were discussed in details. From the exergy analysis, it was found that the unglazed collector gives better total (electrical+thermal) exergy, whereas the energy analysis favors the glazed collectors. From the literature review, it is obvious that the PVT systems are very useful in the future. There are no substantial initiatives taken in order to reduce the cost and to make PVT collectors favorable. Increasing the competitiveness of PVT collectors will enhance the utilization of renewable energy devices. This communication was done to ease future studies to be conducted by researchers.
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