Engi 9896: Renewable Energy Systems

Spring 2013

 

Instructor:   Tariq Iqbal, Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science, Memorial University of Newfoundland, Email: tariq@mun.ca

 

Introduction: Renewable energy comes from natural resources such as sun, wind, water, biomass and earth. A conversion system is required to convert renewable energy into electrical energy. This course covers several types of renewable energy conversion systems. It is a lecture-based course with four design assignments and a research oriented individual project. Available renewable energy estimation, system sizing, design, modeling and control of renewable energy systems will be covered in the course. The course includes the following topics: introduction to Wind Energy Conversion Systems (WECS), assessment of wind energy potential, wind turbine aerodynamics, types of WECS, wind turbines modeling and control strategies, isolated and grid connected WECS systems, hybrid energy systems, energy storage, solar energy systems, photovoltaic cells, module and array concepts, PV system engineering, stand-alone systems, grid connected systems, concentrator systems, sizing and maximum power tracking, solar water pumping, micro-hydro electromechanical system and control, introduction to tidal power, wave energy converters, ocean thermal systems, and hybrid energy system sizing using RETSCREEN, HOMER and Hybrid2.

 

Delivery: Two lectures per week. Tuesday and Thursday 10:30am to 11:45am in Room En1004

 

Assignments due dates: A1 (May 23); A2 (June 13); Midterm Test (June 20, 2013); A3 (July 4); A4 (July 25); Project report (August 1, 2013)

 

Evaluation Scheme: 

System sizing and design assignments (4)                 20%

Midterm test                                                               20%

Final exam                                                                  30%

Design Project (3%+4%+3%+5%+P=5%+R=10%)  30%

 

Website: A D2L based course website is available at http://online.mun.ca/

 

A list of suggested projects: 

1.  Design a 3 bed Passive house for St. John's using BEOPT software (TJ)

2.  Model Engineering building in BEOPT (MT)

3.  Design energy storage system to profit from net-metering and variable rate electricity (SH)

4.  Sizing and dynamic modeling of a solar pumping system.  (RA)

5.  Optimal sizing of a wind-PV system for a cabin in NL (AS)

6.  Solar water purifier for Labrador

7.  Wind powered water filtration system for Labrador

8.  City water based heat pump for St. John's

9.  Feasibility of air-to-air heat pump for house heating in St. John's

 

 

Project Deadlines: 

1. Complete literature search and submit a literature review document on May 21. (3%)

2. Complete sizing, specifications and modeling of renewable resources before June 11. (4%)

3. Complete modeling and system simulation before June 25. (3%)

4. Complete control design or analysis before July 16. (5%)

5. Project presentation and report writing by the end of the term. (15%)

 

Course Outline: 

Lecture 1: Organizational meeting and overview of world energy resources and consumption trends

Lecture 2: Renewable energy system types, current status and future

Lecture 3: Energy in the wind, types of wind turbine and their output characteristics

Lecture 4: Assessment of annual energy output of a wind turbine using bins method

Lecture 5: Wind turbine aerodynamics

Lecture 6: Mathematical modeling of wind energy conversion systems

Lecture 7: Control of wind energy conversion systems

Lecture 8: Variable speed wind turbines and their grid interface

Lecture 9: Grid interconnection standards and economics of WECS

Lecture 10: Wind diesel hybrid power systems

Lecture 11: Solar energy systems

Lecture 12: Photovoltaic cell, modules, panels and their characteristic

Lecture 13: Photovoltaic system engineering

Lecture 14: Power electronics and control of PV systems

Lecture 15: Maximum power point tracking in PV systems

Lecture 16: Energy storage technologies

Lecture 17: Introduction to solar water pumping systems

Lecture 18: Micro-hydro power

Lecture 19: Micro-hydro sizing and electromechanical system

Lecture 20: Micro-hydro power electrical system and control

Lecture 21: Ocean energy systems

Lecture 22: Wave energy conversion systems

Lecture 23: Graduate students project presentations - I

Lecture 24: Graduate students project presentations - II

 

Reference Books:

  1. Renewable Energy: power for sustainable future edited by Godfrey Boyle, 3rd edition, Oxford university press 2012. (ISBN: 9780199545339)
  2. Wind Energy Explained: Theory, Design and Application. by F. Manwell, J. G. McGowan, A. L. Rogers, 2nd edition, Wiley 2010 (ISBN: 9780470015001)