CENG Renewable Energy Activities 17042012 2

8/11/2019 CENG Renewable Energy Activities 17042012 2

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Renewable Energy Research Activities

Qatar has been blessed with energy both above and below surface. Qatar tapped the energy below the earth

through LNG and oil exports and now Qatar looking to the sun, wind with a vision to tap into its unlimited

potential.

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Introduction

Qatar has large reserves of fossil fuels from which the country currently gains much of its

income; Qatar is committed towards sustainable and responsible development as declared in

the National Development Plan (2011-2016). Sometime into the future, these nonrenewableenergy resources will be depleted. As part developing sustainable long-term policies, it is

important to consider alternative energy sources that gradually make their way to the countrys

energy matrix. This is consistent with the Qatar National Vision 2030 document, which calls for

creating new sources of renewable wealth and economy diversification. It also calls for

development strategies that cause little environmental damage.

Qatar had entered the era of renewable energy as early in the 1990s when College of

Engineering (CENG) Qatar University (QU) had made a solar pond for the purpose of water

desalination. The purpose of that work in 1992 was to use a solar pond to provide air

conditioning for a typical small family Qatari house where it was found that to meet 100% ofthe cooling load from March till December; the solar pond area needed is 45 times the floor

area of the air-conditioned space.


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Qatar has won the bid to host World Cup

2022, which includes a slew of solar poweredstadiums as well as significant upgrades to

their public transportation network.Qatar will

build 10 brand new Green Stadiums and

update two existing ones in order to host the

games using solar technology to power

carbon-neutral technology in order to cool the

stadiums and keep the temperature inside less

than 27 C. Stadiums will be able to host over

45,000-85,000 spectators.

This document summarizes the research activities in college of engineering related to

renewable energy. The objective of the research activities in renewable would be to look at the

various issues surrounding the viability of various sources of renewable energy in the State of

Qatar and its neighboring GCC countries.

College of Engineering Research Areas in Renewable Energy

The college currently has a number of on-going research activities in renewable energy related

to: Biomass, Solar, and Wind and Geothermal energy.

CENG

Research

Renewable

Energy

Wind

Solar

Geo

Therma

l

Bio

Mass


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Research in biomass at the college focuses on science and technology related to the use of

organic matter as a renewable basis, and includes: agricultural crops, and municipal wastes.

Research in solar energy focus into two areas, namely Photovoltaic (PV) technologies todevelop innovative materials and manufacturing techniques in order to continue to drive down

costs of PV materials. (ii) Solar thermal technologies, or those that convert sunlight into heat

and use the heat to generate electricity. Research is ongoing to develop potential storage

technologies that can be coupled with solar thermal utility in order to generate electricity even

when the sun is not shining.

Wind energy is generated by the movement of air in the Earth's atmosphere and can be

harnessed to generate electricity. Current research projects seek to develop and demonstrate

technological remedies that address grid integration issues, facilitating and easing the transition

to a renewables-based electricity.

Geothermal energy is derived from the heat in the interior of the earth, our research focus in:

improving investigative methods and models for more sophisticated and detailed reservoir

management, and develop advanced techniques for remote sensing and detecting potential

geothermal resources.

The following is a list of specific research topics in renewable energy of interest to CENG faculty

members:

Solar energy to fuel

Solar PV for desalination and irrigation Solar thermal (parabolic reflectors/heat collectors) for desalination

Biofuel from organic waste,

Carbon capture and sequestration

Smart grids, Grid connectivity of hybrid renewable energy sources.

Development of efficient energy conversion techniques for both stand-alone PV-based

power supplies as well as grid connectivity and its related various methods of islanding.

Design of power conditioning systems (power electronics) for application to renewable.

Design of efficient electric drives based on renewable sources.

HVDC systems for off-shore wind energy.

Active management of RE sources during faults. Wireless monitoring and control of solar PV plants.

Effect of environmental and climatic factors on the efficiency of solar PV systems.

Energy Management and Distribution Optimization,

Geothermal Energy,

Materials for renewable Energy,

Solar HVAC , District Cooling, Energy Efficiency and recovery

Energy Efficient Systems and smart buildings

Qatar solar map.


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Research Collaboration

International collaboration is central to addressing the research challenges in renewable

energy. The research group at CENG have the expertise and experience to choose suitablepartners for each specific project. Currently, the college has research partnership in the area of

renewable energy with the following institutions:

TAMU-Qatar

Texas A&M University - College Station, USA

Michigan State University, USA

McMaster University, Canada

University of Strathclyde, UK

University College London, UK

Nanyang Technological University, Singapore Beijing Jiaotong University. China

German Jordanian University, Jordan

Beirut Arab University, Lebanon

Professional Activities

The college organized a number of awareness and training programs in the potential use of

renewable energy. The following is a short list of very recent programs.

Grand Engineering Challenge Forum: Making Solar Energy Economical, 2011

Shell Eco Marathon, 2011, 2012

Qatar Eco-House, 2010

Lecture Series Related to Renewable Energy, 2010, 2011

Chevron Qatar Energy Technology-Qatar University-University California Jointly

Workshop in making a renewable-friendly grid, 2012-03-19


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List of Faculty Members involved with Renewable Energy research

Faculty Name Research Interest in Renewable

Energy

Dr. Majeda Khraisheh Solar, Biofuel, desalination, sustainability

Dr. Hazim Qiblawey Desalination, Solar collectors,

Dr. Ibrahim Abu-Reesh Biogas

Dr. Lazhar Ben-Brahim Photovoltaic, grid connection,

Dr. Ahmed Massoud Photovoltaic, grid connection, wind energy

Dr. F. Touati PhotovoltaicDr. Rashid Alammari Photovoltaic, grid connectionDr. Mohieddine Ben Ammar Photovoltaic, grid connection

Dr Tamer Khattab Wireless communication

Dr. M. Al-Hitmi Photovoltaic, grid connectionDr. Nasser Al-Emadi Photovoltaic, grid connectionDr. Saud Ghani Desalination, CFD

Dr.A Aroussi, Heat transfer, CFD and Instrumentation

Dr. E. Mahdi, Materials for renewable energy, design

Dr. S. Fikri, Carbon capture and storage, Alternative fuels

Dr. F. Mutlu, Renewable management and economics

Dr. F. Musharavati, Renewable management and economics

Dr. S. Pokharel, Renewable management and economicsDr. M. Al Khawaja Geothermal and CFD

List of Existing Resources

The college has a dedicated Renewable Energy Research Laboratory equipped with state of

the art facilities for wind, Solar, Hydrogen, Fuel Cells energy, solar refrigeration, Solar PV,

Passive thermal solar cells, and Wind-tunnel. Also, the college is fully equipped with highperformance computing facilities (include HPC clusters, server, cloud computing, etc.) for

performing very complex computational modeling and simulation.


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Publications and Funding

During the last 3 years, the research team had published about 20 indexed high quality

publications related to renewable energy. This represents about 50% of all index publications*related to renewable energy in the State of Qatar. Also, during the same period (2009-2011),

the research team attracted research funding of more than US$ 8,000,000.

Source: Scopas, 28thMarch 2012

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

20

Total number of Published Indexed Papers Related to

Renewable

Total number of Indexed Papers

Published by College of Engineering,

Qatar University

Total number of Published Indexed

Papser in the whole of Qatar


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LIST OF SOME ONGOING RESEARCH PROJECTS

A Photovoltaic Power Supply operating in grid-connected

modeA PV power source with a PWM DC-DC converter followed by a PWM inverter with an objective

to supplement the utility power in a grid connected loads. In this UREP project. The proposed

power system based on a PV array and a conversion unit is composed of a dcdc boost

converter and a dcac inverter. The PV voltage has a wide range of voltage, and the dcdc

converter is a boost type to step up the PV voltage to a fixed level dc voltage. The full-bridge

dcac inverter converts the fixed dc voltage to an ac voltage equal to the grid line level. The

PWM dc-ac inverter performs the MPPT function and controls the grid line current for unity

power factor. The suggested MPPT controller adjusts the reference voltage as a function of thepower slope and the PV voltage. As a result, a fast good tracking of the MPP is obtained with a

unity power factor. Implementation is carried out using one microcontroller. Thus, the proposed

power conversion is realized with minimal hardware and low cost.


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PV panels system installationA PV power source with a PWM DC-DC converter followed by a PWM inverter with an objective

to supplement the utility power in a grid connected loads. In this UREP project. The proposedpower system based on a PV array and a conversion unit is composed of a dcdc boost

converter and a dcac inverter. The PV voltage has a wide range of voltage, and the dcdc

converter is a boost type to step up the PV voltage to a fixed level dc voltage. The full-bridge

dcac inverter converts the fixed dc voltage to an ac voltage equal to the grid line level. The

PWM dc-ac inverter performs the MPPT function and controls the grid line current for unity

power factor. The suggested MPPT controller adjusts the reference voltage as a function of the

power slope and the PV voltage. As a result, a fast good tracking of the MPP is obtained with a

unity power factor. Implementation is carried out using one microcontroller. Thus, the proposed

power conversion is realized with minimal hardware and low cost.

Grid-Connected Photovoltaic-Based Single-Phase Inverter

for Qatar Residential LoadsGrid-Connected Photovoltaic-Based Single-Phase Inverter for Qatar Residential Loads .

Battery-less Solar-Powered Induction Motor Drive

System for Water treatmentBattery-less Solar-Powered Induction Motor Drive System for Water treatment.

Design and Development of Two QU Vehicles for Shell

Eco- Marathon 2011 European CompetitionThe project is to serve as a pilot study for multidisciplinary student work between the

Department of Mechanical and Industrial systems department and the Electrical Engineering

Department. Supervised by four faculty members from the mechanical and industrial

department and electrical engineering department, six students in total, three students from

each department designed, built and commissioned the first Qatar University Eco Marathon

cars. The aim was to compete on the 2011 edition of the Shell Eco-Marathon Europe that was

held at the Euro Speed way Lausitz track in Germany during 26th 28th March. This project

was supported by Shell Gas to Liquid (GTL) , Pearl, Qatar.


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Real-time wireless monitoring and control of Renewable

Energy PV stationsThe renewable energy (RE) industry has recently been one of the fastest growing industries.

This is because of the critical need to move to non-fossil energy to reduce greenhouse gas

emissions that have led to the global warming and its consequences. Also, RE has proven

promising in applications like Tele communications, disaster relief and emergency power, village

electrification, remote residential and industrial application, and irrigation and water pumping.

In Energy Systems labs including solar PV and wind energy as well as in solar PV power

stations, it is essential to study performance monitoring and optimization. This requires

subsystems with sensors, acquisition units and actuators. Wireless monitoring and optimization

subsystems present the advantages of remote sensing and continuous monitoring that allow

building databases for record and tracking and automatic failure detection and alarm, which

dramatically minimizes any down time.

In this project, we will embark on:

1) Setting-up, testing, and optimizing a solar PV-to-ac prototype (PV panel, storage bank of

batteries, inverter, accessories), and

2) Designing and implementing wireless subsystems for monitoring and control of physical

quantities in RE systems, like temperature of ambient and PV modules, solar radiation, air

pressure and humidity, wind speed (for hybrid systems), and currents and voltages of battery

bank (DC) and inverter (e.g. a Sunny-Boy Inverter from SMA).

Quasi-Z Source Inverter based Cascade Multilevel

Photovoltaic Power Generation SystemPV power generation has been one of the most active research areas in the past decades. Its

installations present a substantial increase recently, but the high cost, low efficiency and

reliability still block its widespread applications. The proposal will focus on an innovative

solution by employing Quasi-Z-Source Inverter (qZSI) with battery, connecting several qZSI

modules in series, and forming the qZSI based cascade multilevel PV system, where several

independent PV panels instead of string and the batteries are distributed among qZSI modules.

Each module has its own maximum power point tracker (MPPT) and the whole system controlspower flow between the grid and the PV system. The proposed PV system has characteristics:

1) single-stage inverter with step up/down function allows a wide range of PV voltages; 2)

transformerless; 3) energy storage; 4) output voltage of quality to the grid; 5) distributed

MPPT, and avoid the power loss when mismatching; 6) implementing some important services,

such as balancing the stochastic fluctuations of PV power to the grid, improving electrical power

quality, and etc. These ensure the proposed PV system of low cost, high efficiency and


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reliability, and high performance cost ratio. Also it will make the grid more reliable. Experiments

are carried out through prototype to verify the proposed schemes. The project will have an

enormous scientific and economic impact in Qatar, and develop highly quality personnel in the

PV system area.

Unity Power-Factor Adjustable Speed Drive For Energy

Neutral BuildingOne key aspect of present day alternative energy emphasis is the concept of energy neutral

building. Such buildings will meet its own power demand from alternative sources, except for

some large loads such as pump/lift motors. In order to achieve such energy neutral building, its

major power consumptions must reduced. It is estimated that 62% of a building power demand

comes from its water pumps, air conditioners and lifts, and 85% of all motors are of mid tolarge power drawing power from 3 phase sources. Behind each motor, there is an adjustable

speed AC drive (ASD). Most commercially available ASDs have a power factor (PF) of about

0.72, an efficiency of less than 85% and usually lack the much needed ride-through capability.

An alternative energy based Energy neutral building will never be possible without this

significant savings, since the generated energy from solar/wind/fuel cell is expected to be

modest and losses in any way must be minimized. The proposed ASD will have very high PF

(0.99) and efficiency, without any active or passive current shaping or filtering, thus bringing

down the cost and complexity. This is accomplished through a novel front-end rectifier with bi-

directional switches. A PWM rear-end inverter with the correct switching pattern will provide the

v/f operation. An ultra-capacitor cum battery in the dc bus will provide much needed ride-

through capability.

Photovoltaic Energy Conversion System with Smart

Micro-InverterThe objectives of the proposal are to develop a low cost, high efficiency, long lifetime, ultra-

compact single phase micro-inverter and a three-phase inverter for rooftops and MW-class solar

farm applications, to remarkably improve the scalability, maintainability, efficiency and

capability of grid support for Photovoltaic systems.


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A Rechargeable Environmentally Friendly Alternative to

Lithium Batteries in MWD and LWD ApplicationsThe harsh environmental conditions faced by electromechanical assemblies used in oil and gas

exploration, drilling, and logging pose serious challenges to the development of power sources

suitable for such applications. Traditionally, the oil field has been limited to lithium battery

technology. Lithium batteries, however, have environmental and safety concerns related to their

operation and disposal. In this project we propose to develop a modular high speed flywheel

based rechargeable downhole power source. Mud flow driven downhole turbine-generator sets

would be used to recharge the system, and the flywheel would then supply power to the load in

the absence of mud flow when the rig crew is in the process of connecting/disconnecting a

section of drill pipe or when high resolution data is required without the additional disturbances

produced during the drilling operation. The application of soft magnetic composites for the

electromagnetic design of the high speed motor/generator as well as the magnetic bearings will

also be proposed. The possible use of the flywheel control system to damp drill string dynamics

will also be investigated. The system is completely electromechanical, and hence eliminates the

severe effects temperature has on alternative electrochemical solutions. In addition, the

disposal and safety hazards associated with lithium battery technology are eliminated.

Active Management of Renewable Energy Sources During

FaultsIn this proposal, active management of renewable energy sources connected to the grid is

proposed. The effect of adding more DG on protection schemes in low (practically) and medium

(simulation) voltage is explored. In this research proposal, an active island detection technique

for renewable energy-fed inverter (REFI) is employed for disturbance detection. A renewable

energy-fed boost source inverter (REF-BSI), a converter topology with extended gain having a

boosting up characteristic, is proposed. Nearby and remote fault locations with respect to the

REFI are addressed proposing static VAR compensation and static Watt compensation to

support the voltage in medium and low voltage networks respectively. Control techniques for

renewable energy-fed voltage source inverter (REFVSI), renewable energy-fed boost source

inverter (REF-BSI), and renewable energy-fed Z-source inverter (REF-ZSI) are proposed

considering their effect on the active management of the inverter during faults. Challenges for

the proliferation of the distributed generation and the effect on the protecting schemes are

enumerated and solutions are proposed.


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HVDC Architectures for Offshore Grid Connected Wind

Energy SystemsThis proposal investigates innovative electrical energy capture solutions, ideally suited for

offshore wind farms. The project investigates means of overcoming the limitations of the series

wind turbine architecture using a novel power conversion system. Additionally, a multi-terminal

IGCT current source converter-based HVDC system is proposed. The technology will provide

significant advantages over existing conventional voltage source based Light HVDC and HVAC

transmission systems. The advantages include reduced system losses, enhanced system

reliability, reduced capital costs, a simple control system that facilitates the connection of multi-

terminal units, improved power quality from the generator side and the grid side with

independently controllable active/reactive power, and fault ride through capability. It optimizes

the connection between the wind turbines and the connection between the offshore units and

the grid. The integrated distribution system can easily incorporate energy storage and

additional generation onto the proposed DC link system. The grid management and control of

this system will be also be investigated.

Voltage Regulation of Low Voltage Distribution Networks

Employing PhotovoltaicGiven the high solar irradiation in Qatar, solar energy is viable and has obvious advantages.

There is a need also for a more objective and reliable method of PV integration with the grid.

The most important objectives are:

1. Employing a novel concept of connecting PV to the grid based on regulating the voltage at

the point of common coupling. To Qatar, it provides reserve source of energy securing the

electrical power supply. Outcome of this project is also the implementation of grid-connected PV

in Qatar which will create a good background and expertise in power electronics for renewable

energy. This will

increase Qatar dependency on renewable energies specially as the expected depletion of oil and

gas.

2. Improved reliability of the distribution systems specially with the high penetration of DGs

through the distribution network realized by a novel approach for regulating the voltage. Theproject will realize new, high-performance control systems for PV grid-connected inverters

including a harmonic distortion based technique for island detection.


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Effects of Environmental Factors on the Efficiency of

Various Solar PV TechnologiesOver the past two decades governmental universities and agencies have played an integral role

in the advancement of renewable energy education by providing useful information for

educators and students. Countries such as Qatar, which heavily rely on oil and gas exports,

have taken initiatives to educate the local population and invest heavily in developing renewable

energy solutions aimed at reducing the greenhouse gas emission levels and conserving

resources. For example, taking advantage of the abundance of solar radiation and vast

undeveloped desert land, the Qatar government through its ambitious Qatars Vision 2030 is

developing large-scale solar plants using photovoltaic cells.

In this project, the students will design and develop a system that would demonstrate the

effects of dust and environmental factors such as solar radiation, temperature and relativehumidity on the efficiency of photovoltaic cells for various technologies (e.g. thin film, mono-

crystalline, amorphous). Each student will be involved in all the process and will be responsible

of achieving the milestone.

Design of Intelligent and Environment-Friendly Irrigation and

Conservation SystemThis project will bring together students from different backgrounds who will design and

implement a self-tuning water irrigation control system. Such a system shall operate

automatically under given conditions and in an appropriate way. That is, given the nature ofsoil, soil moisture, amount of water and degree of salinity needed by the plants, water

availability, and all other major environmental variables (e.g. soil and ambient temperature),

the system is supposed to accurately detects if a plant requires water and adjusts the degree of

salinity for that particular plant. The system will supply the required amount of water and

record a log of actions taken. Such task should be done using an adaptive self-tuning approach

involving specific sensors and an intelligent control systems. On the other hand, the irrigation

system should also be environment-friendly. Solar photovoltaic (PV) units shall be used to

power the various blocks of the irrigation system for a sustainable operation. This allows its

deployment in remote places where electricity may not available or hard to deploy. This leads to

the environment conservation by reducing greenhouse gases and also to the solution of theregional and worldwide agricultural problem related to energy demand.

This project addresses water, energy, and environment conservation, three of the four pillars of

Qatar vision 2030, and hence prepare the workforce for that challenge. Also, because it is

multidisciplinary, the project promotes interdepartmental joint activities within the College of

Engineering of Qatar University.


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Photovoltaic power generation system based on highly

efficient multilevel power conditioning unitThis proposal introduces a novel wind turbine architecture based on a new three port magnetic

gearbox configuration. An electric power output port is provided in addition to the gearboxs

two mechanical ports. The proposed magnetic gearbox provides additional power harvesting

and system control benefits through its electrical output port. Wind turbine generators are

typically controlled to track the maximum power point. However, the grid may not be able to

accept the extracted wind power for stability purposes, especially with high wind power

penetration. Power leveling energy storage at the point of common coupling, with a

corresponding high voltage rating, is typically proposed as a solution in this case. For the

proposed configuration, the turbine mechanical power is thus divided into mechanical power to

drive the electrical generator, and electrical power that can be deviated into a storage system

to perform the power leveling function. The proposed system can also be used to freely modify

the power-speed characteristic as seen by the electrical generator, a highly needed feature for

grid frequency support.

Islanding Detection Technique for Photovoltaic Grid

Connected Power SystemIntegrating distributed generator into the existing distribution network is predicted to play an

important role in the near future. Distributed generators, specifically renewable energy

technologies, such as photovoltaic (PV), wind-turbine and fuel cells are entering a stage of fast

expansion. Connecting distributed generator to the distribution network has many benefits such

as increasing the capacity of the grid and enhancing the power quality. However, it gives rise to

many problems. This is mainly due to the fact that distribution networks are designed without

any generation units at that level. Hence, integrating distributed generators into the existing

distribution network is not problem-free. Unintentional islanding is one of the encountered

problems. The goal of this project is to develop an islanding detection technique for inverter

based distributed generators. The proposed method utilizes wavelet analysis to detect islanding.

The technique is based on analyzing the transient voltage signals generated during the

islanding event.


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Energy Harvesting of Seamless Grid-Integrated

Photovoltaic GeneratorsRenewable energy sources as photovoltaic and wind energy necessitate an inverter to convert

the generated waveforms to that which complies with the grid voltage and frequency. In

photovoltaic generators, a DC-DC converter may be needed before the inverter stage for

maximum power point tracking and voltage stepping up. A single stage buck-boost inverter

achieving maximum power tracking, voltage stepping-up, and generating AC complying with the

grid requirements is an objective of this proposal throughout novel topological converters. The

behavior of the single stage buck-boost inverter in normal operation and during fault is of

utmost importance for reliable and safe operation of power systems which will be targeted by

the proposal scope of work.

Development of a Multi-phase Wind Energy generation

SystemConcerns about climate change is driving significant increase in the penetration of intermittent

distributed energy . Greater research effort is needed to integrate the diverse distributed energy

generation into the grid system to support the new paradigm. New grid codes and operational

constraints are to be defined and tested to overcome the challenges posed by the distributed

energy sources. Among several feasible distributed energy sources, the wind power generation

is a potential renewable energy source in Qatar, specially offshore, due to several inherent

advantages that they offer. The forecast of the share of wind energy generator worldwide is

almost 8.9% that translates into the total installed capacity of 1 Tera Watt by 2020.

The power electronic converter technology play a pivotal role in the successful penetration of

distributed energy sources. Nowadays the grid interfacing power electronic converters have

many role to play such as; dynamic control of injected active and reactive power, successful

operation within the defined boundaries of voltage and frequency, voltage-ride-through

capability, grid support during the event of faults, etc. The major aim of the proposed project is

to develop a wind energy generation system based on multi-phase generator and novel power

electronic converter that can feed an isolated load and can also be integrated with the Qatar

and GCC grid system..


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Wind Turbine Architecture Employing A New Three Port

Magnetic Gear Box3PMGBThis proposal introduces a novel wind turbine architecture based on a new three port magnetic

gearbox configuration. An electric power output port is provided in addition to the gearboxs

two mechanical ports. The proposed magnetic gearbox provides additional power harvesting

and system control benefits through its electrical output port. Wind turbine generators are

typically controlled to track the maximum power point. However, the grid may not be able to

accept the extracted wind power for stability purposes, especially with high wind power

penetration. Power leveling energy storage at the point of common coupling, with a

corresponding high voltage rating, is typically proposed as a solution in this case. For the

proposed configuration, the turbine mechanical power is thus divided into mechanical power to

drive the electrical generator, and electrical power that can be deviated into a storage system

to perform the power leveling function. The proposed system can also be used to freely modify

the power-speed characteristic as seen by the electrical generator, a highly needed feature for

grid frequency support.

High Efficiency Nanostructured Photovoltaic Solar CellsQatar comes into the zone of maximum solar radiation in the world (average 275 W/m2), which

makes it one of the best geographical locations for solar energy harvesting. However, the main

hurdle is the efficient capture, conversion, and storage of the solar energy for power

generation. Photovoltaic (PV) solar cell technology is one the most attractive solutions to

convert solar energy into electricity. On the other hand, low efficiency, thermal stability, andhigh material costs are the major challenges of conventional PV solar cells technologies that

limit their widespread usage especially in places such as Qatar, where the climate is hot, arid,

and humid. The primary goal of this project is to develop a new nanostructured PV solar cell

with high energy conversion efficiencies and thermal stability. Nano-fabrication approach will

include a glancing angle deposition (GLAD) technique for generating ordered arrays of

semiconductor nanostructures with uniform feature sizes, and perform an investigation of the

geometrical effects including nanostructure shape, size, and alignment upon their optical

absorption, photoconductive, and photovoltaic properties. This systematic study will lead to the

optimization of the nanostructured PV solar cells for superior power efficiencies and robustness.


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High performance electrodes for solar cellsTransparent conductive electrodes are an essential component of solar panels. Unfortunately,

lacking are techniques to deposit inexpensive, high performance coatings that can withstandharsh environmental conditions for the required decade or more time period that is necessary to

make solar technology economically competitive. To address this problem we will propose a

unique approach to investigate sol-gel and sputtered metallic spider web coatings deposited on

amorphous Si-based sensor device structures. Monitoring the electrical performance of the

sensors under a variety of conditions promises to be a highly sensitive way to detect small

changes in the transparent electrodes, allowing lifetime measurements to be made in a short

time. This research program is a collaboration between Qatar University (QU) and the University

of Arizona (UA). The contribution of QU centers on sensor design and device characterization.

The work at UA centers on thin-film deposition and materials characterization. The outcome of

this QU/UA collaboration addresses a fundamental problem confronting large scale powergeneration that use solar cells of any type.

Solar Powered Light emitting diodes for Qatar 2022

World Cup StadiumsSolar Powered Light emitting diodes for Qatar 2022 World Cup Stadiums

Single Phase Photovoltaic AC Module Integrated

ConverterSingle Phase Photovoltaic AC Module Integrated Converter

Plug and Play Single Phase Photovoltaic AC Module

Integrated Converter with Wireless CoordinationPlug and Play Single Phase Photovoltaic AC Module Integrated Converter with Wireless

Coordination.


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Environment-Friendly Self-Tuned Irrigation and

Conservation SystemIn this project, we propose to design and implement a self-tuning water irrigation control

system. Such a system shall operate automatically under given conditions and in an

appropriate way. That is, given the nature of soil, soil moisture, water need of plants, water

salinity, water availability, and all other major environmental variables (e.g. soil and ambient

temperature) it is supposed that the system will be able to accurately detect if a plant requires

water. If so, the system will supply the required amount of water and record a log of actions

taken. Such task should be done using an adaptive self-tuning approach involving specific

sensors and an intelligent control systems.

On the other hand, the irrigation system should also be environment-friendly. Solar

photovoltaic (PV) units shall be used to power the various blocks of the irrigation system for asustainable operation. This allows its deployment in remote places where electricity may not be

available or hard to deploy. This leads to the environment conservation by reducing greenhouse

gases and also to the solution of the regional and worldwide agricultural problem related to

energy demand.

In order to remotely monitor and control environmental factors and system performance in real-

time, reverse wireless technology will be used (e.g. RF, GSM, Xbee). A remote acquisition

system that displays and saves data (like soil temperature, ambient temperature, amount of

water used, solar PV panel temperature, solar irradiation, PV dc and ac currents) shall be set.

Solar Desalination Unit With Humidification

Dehumidification Cycle Under Qatari Climate

ConditionsThis ispilot plant desalination unit with solar collectors to heat up the feed seawater and

photovoltaic to power pumps, blower, control system, etc. it is a stand-alone unit.


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Investigating and Overcoming the Effects of Harsh

Environment on the Performance of Solar PV

Technologies in the State of QatarInvestigating and Overcoming the Effects of Harsh Environment on the Performance of Solar PV

Technologies in the State of Qatar.

Effects of Environmental Factors on the Efficiency of

Various Solar PV TechnologiesOver the past two decades governmental universities and agencies have played an integral role

in the advancement of renewable energy education by providing useful information for

educators and students. Countries such as Qatar, which heavily rely on oil and gas exports,

have taken initiatives to educate the local population and invest heavily in developing renewable

energy solutions aimed at reducing the greenhouse gas emission levels and conserving

resources. For example, taking advantage of the abundance of solar radiation and vast

undeveloped desert land, the Qatar government through its ambitious Qatars Vision 2030 is

developing large-scale solar plants using photovoltaic cells.

In this project, the students will design and develop a system that would demonstrate the

effects of dust and environmental factors such as solar radiation, temperature and relative

humidity on the efficiency of photovoltaic cells for various technologies (e.g. thin film, mono-

crystalline, amorphous). Each student will be involved in all the process and will be responsibleof achieving the milestone.

An investigation into Production of Heat and Electricity

by exploiting geothermal heat of oil wells and waste heat

from refineriesCountries like Canada and Qatar, with a large oil industry, are privileged with a valuable

opportunity to benefit from their geothermal resources. The solution lies in reutilization of their

oil wells as sources of geothermal energy. The underground virgin rock temperature of oil wells

can be as high as 100 C depending on the geo gradients. Also, the oil well itself is a relatively

large drilled hole. Through the proposed innovation, geothermal heat of underground geofluids

is captured from active as well as abandoned oil wells. This heat is conveyed to a thermal

power generation cycle where it is transformed to electric power and fed into the electricity

network. Fortunately, recent technological achievements have made it possible to generate

electricity from a 74 C geothermal source. Our project will identify both the technical and the

economic aspects of utilization of oil wells for heat and electric power generation. We propose


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to map and create the engineering infrastructure required for future developments of

geothermal facilities in oil and gas industry. By undertaking this research the following goals

can be achieved: Creating sustainable energy extraction from active and abandoned oil fields

Lowering the cost of geothermal electricity generation to a considerable amount

Contribution to the environmental issues of abandoned oils wells Drawing the applicability of

geothermal power generation into the new domain of oil and gas industry.

Development and Characterization of Lightweight

Magnesium Nanocomposites for Weight Critical

ApplicationsIn this research proposal, new lightweight and high performance magnesium basednanocomposites will be developed for potential applications in the weight critical industry such

as aviation industry. Magnesium-based materials are actively being pursued for weight saving

applications due to their low density and high specific mechanical properties. Magnesium is an

excellent choice for lightweight structural applications as it is ~35% lighter than aluminum and

exhibit similar strength levels. In recent studies, it has been observed that the addition of nano-

size reinforcements such ceramic oxides, SiC and carbon nanotubes can lead to a simultaneous

increase in strength and ductility of magnesium. In addition, the use of a small volume fraction

of nano-size reinforcements produce results comparable or even superior to that of MMCs with

higher volume fraction of micron size reinforcements. Combining it with innovations in

processing techniques enables a synergistic approach towards obtaining low cost and highperformance magnesium nanocomposites. Accordingly, this proposal will target at: a.

Development of high performance magnesium nanocomposites for wide range of industrial

applications. b. Use of innovative and cost-effective processing of metal matrix composites. c.

Characterization of properties of the nanocomposites.

Optimum Distribution and Blending of Desalination Water

with Saline Water for Irrigation: Genetic Algorithm Model

and Experimental ResultsThe scarcity of water resources of good quality is becoming an essential issue in the aridregions. Thus, water resources management systems are rapidly advancing field of study. The

application of Artificial Neural Network (ANN), decision making systems, and intelligent

controlling systems have gained attention recently due to the fact that it can optimize the

water quality, distribution, and to insure reliable water supply for different consumers. Irrigation

systems are among the important research field due to the amount of water required to supply

the increasing needs for irrigation, and due to the crop yield-salinity tolerance. The proposed


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system in this research is a viable option for managing water resources used for irrigation

purposes. The aim of this work is to propose neural network (NN) solution to connect many

tanks in a network topology, where each tank supplying a specific crop field, and mix the water

inside the tanks to provide the required salinity in each tank and consequently reduce the fresh

(pure) water consumption. The NN will be implemented to find the optimized solution for the

amount of water need to be transferred from tank to other tanks to balance the salinity. The

system will provide a mechanism to extend the blending unit to produce water with different

grades of salinity to meet different standards to be used for irrigation, aquariums, and poultry

and livestock aside to human use.

Recycling of Aluminum and Development of New

Aluminum AlloysDrawing the applicability of geothermal power generation into the new domain of oil and gasindustry.

An Experimental and Numerical Investigation of Effective

Energy Utilization of a Qatari Eco-House Scaled

Model

Integration of passive ventilation and novel cooling

systems for reducing air conditioning loads in

buildingsAccording to the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) buildings

account for 40% of the worlds energy use with the resulting carbon emissions substantially

more than those in the transportation sector. Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC)

systems account for up to 60% of commercial buildings energy consumption. Thus represents a

significant opportunity for reducing the buildings energy consumption and carbon footprint. This

research will be carried out in collaboration with Kahrama. The proposed project aims to

develop a novel system for reducing or eliminating the need for air conditioning. The system

makes use of passive air cooling method in order to drop the entrained air temperature, which

is then used during the daytime to adjust a controlled environment internal and external heat

gains. Consequently, maintaining a comfortable internal environment without the need for a

mechanical air conditioning. It has a major advantage over other passive systems in that it is


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suitable for retro-fitting into existing buildings. This means that the potential impact of the

system in reduced CO2 emissions is considerably increased.

Solar to FuelThe current technology for CO2 reduction is CO2 capture and storage (CCS). An alternativetechnology is to capture CO2 and convert it to chemicals by thermal catalysis. The technology isnot appropriate to low concentration of CO2 (


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Using of different solar energy technologies related to desalination.

Econometric Modeling and Analysis of electricity

consumption in residential and industrial sectors in

Qatar


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Documents

CENG Renewable Energy Activities 17042012 2