Explain, why changes in the solar radiance are not the reason for climate change.
We can measure the fluctuations of the solar constant with satelites => therfore we know, that it is more or less a regular pattern => overall it is not increasing or decreasing => doesn´t fit the climate change behavior
Why do we not have the highest solar radiation at the equator?
This is not caused by astronomy! But in the tropics we have a lot of rain and much more coulds => therefore the absolut radiation, that hits the ground is reduced (absorption, refelction)
In the Sub-Tropics we have much less rain and almost no clouds => higher solar radiation, especially direct irradience!
The solar spectrum is discribed by Planks Law. Explain the parameters of the following equation. How is the energy of a photon described?
P: Power
A: Area
w: Frequency
h: Plank´s constant
c: Speed of light
T: Temperature
kB: Boltzmann constant
h*w= Energy of the photon
=> The Energy of a photon is not constant, but every photon has energy! Dependant on the wave lenght and therefore on the frequency.
Which wavelenghts are used by PV- Cells?
When the energy of a photon is below the band energy gap, it can´t lift the electrons fom the valance band into the conduction band => no voltage and no current can be produced.
The Band Gap of silicon, a material that is often used for PV Cells, is 1.11 eV. = 1110 nanometer
visible light 400 - 780 nm => Infrared, visible light, (uv) is used by a PV cell
Longer wavelenght such as micro waves, radio waves,… are not used
Very short wavelenght like gamma rays have to much energy => they kick the electron out of the semi conductor
Uv van only be used by some cells
Explain with a quick sketch the difference between global, direct, and indirect radiation. How can solar iradience be measured?
Measurements by Pyranometer (direct&diffuse) and Pyrheliometer (direct)
Name and explain 3 different Thermal Energy Storage Systems (TES):
1) Sensible Heat Storrage (well known, low cost, lowest capacity, days to months)
Heat is stored by raising the temperature of a liquid or solid storrage medium like water, sand, molten salt, rocks,…
2) Latent Heat Storrage (newer, intermediate capacity and cost, hours to months)
Heat is stored by taking advantage of energy absorbed at constant temperature during phase change of a material (liquid/solid); It releases heat again, when it becomes soild again
3) Thermochemical Heat Storage (new, highest capacity and cost, hours to days)
Heat is stored by dissociating compounds AB into reaction products A and B
Upon recombination of the reactants, an exothermic reaction takes place and stored heat is recovered
Why do CSP´s have an advantage towards PV, although PV has the lower investment costs?
The biggest benefit is, thta heat can be stored much esier than electricity. To store electricity a extra battery is needed => extra system costs.
Also CSP´s can reach much higher efficiency levels, because of an individual design instead of mass production.
Also CSP`s are in general much bigger plants, and due to the economics of scale, the production of electricity and heat is in comparison much cheaper.
Finaly, CSP´s have a wider varaity of thermal utilization.
Draw a schematic sketch of a parabolic trough and discribe its components.
How much solar radiation reaches the earth and how much actually reaches the ground?
Which factors determine the lifetime of solarthermal collectors?
Wind (e.g. fouling and defocusing)
Aerosols (e.g. chemical reactions and fouling)
(UV-) radiation (e.g. chemical reactions)
Humidity (e.g. corrosion and fouling)
Sandstorms (e.g. abrasion of protective layers)
Climate (e.g. temperature changes, frost, mechanical stress)
Name an explain 3 different mirrors/reflectors and give one advantage and one disadvantage each.
Name and explain at least 2 different solarthermal powerplants:
Solar Tower (Heliostat)
300 - 2000°C, efficiency 23 - 35%,
Solar Dish Collector
tempertaure 150 - 1500 °C, one big advantage => needs no water (Stirling engine), mediumn to good efficiency, but large moments and leverage forces and massive design of tracking system.
Parabloic Through Collector
tempertaure 50- 400 °C, efficiency 14 - 20%
Linear Fresnel Collector
temperature 50 - 450 °C, efficiency 18%
Solar Chimney
air is heated up (greenhouse), only exit is the tower with a turbine
Solar Pond
Temperature gradient in Pond (up to 90°C), no circulation (natural convection) due to different salinities. Needs an ORC and is expansive due to excavation
Which losses occur in a heliostat field?
Cosine Losses
Wind => Mirror and Tower Movement
Shading
Reflection losses on mirror surface
Optical Pathway Losses (clouds, fog, ….)
What are the proporties of photons?
They are both, waves and particles
Photons are massless 0kg
Photons move at the speed of light, in vacuum 300 000 km/s
The shorter the wavelength, the higher the Energy of the photon
c = lamda (wavelength) * frequency
E = Plank´s constant * frequency
What are the proporties of a black body?
An ideal black body absorbs all incomming radiation completely and emits with a specific maximum intensity. The spectrum of radiation emitted by a black body depends only on its temperature!
absorptance = 1
emissivity = 1
reflectance = 0
transmissivity = 0
The sun is very close to being a black body!
What does Plank´s law say?
What is the object shown below? How does it work and how are its components called?
The shown object is a reciever of a CSP Plant. Its purpose is to absorb the reflected solar radiation and turn it into heat.
1 = Evacuation Nozzle
2 = Absorber Pipe
3 = Vacuum
4 = Glas Envelope
5 = Getter
6 = Glas Metal Connection
7 = Bellows
What is a Getter?
A Getter is a chemically reactive material that is used to complete and maintain the vacuum in the glas envelope.
How can losses in a CSP´be minimized?
By minimizing surface heat losses of the absorber, pressure losses in pumps and pipes, piping costs and shading in the morning and evening hours!
Which energy losses occur in a parabolic through absorber?
Calculate the absorber efficiency of a parabolic through absorber using the following formulars:
Make the calculation for 400 °C and for 500 °C. What do you notice?
The efficiency of the aborber depends on its temperature. The higher the temperature, the higher the radiation losses, the lower the efficiency!
Explain the Basic Rankine Cycle. How can it be drawn in a T-S and a P-V diagram?
How does an ORC work?
How does the Stirling Process work?
Please compare the Basic Rankine Cycle, the Organic Rankine Cycle and the Stirling Process with each other. What are benefits and limitations of each process?
Steam Rankine Cycle:
High tempertaures (540 °C), working fluid is water
Pump => Evaporator => Trubine => Condensor => ….
Organic Rankine Cycle:
Lower temperatures (300 °C) working fluid is organic
Pump => Regenerator => Evaporator => Trubine => Regenerator => Condensor => ….
Stirling Process:
working fluid is a gas (e.g air, helium, hydrogen), needs high temperatures
Cumbustion engine, works with two pistons (working and displacer), can be linked by a regenerator. It is a reversible process, so if we put power in, we get a refrigerator
How much energy is needed and how much CO2 is emitted to produce 1kg SG-Si (with the Simens Process)?
To produce 1 kg SG-Si by the Simens Process 176 kWh of energy are required. 19 kg of CO2 are emitted during that process.
To built a 100 Watt PV-Module, 0.7 kg of SG-SI are needed => 123 kWh => 13,3 kg of CO2
Discribe how a Si based solar cell built from the raw material to the finished module:
What are advantages and disadvantages of the Ribbon Growth compared to the sawing of wafers?
Would you see the H2 production with solar power as a good idea?
No, because the PV-Emissions are ca. 0,005 - 0,1 kg CO2 / kWh. The Production of H2 by electrolyse has a effficiency of around 50%. Therfore the production of H2 by PV would have emissions of 0,1 - 0,2 kg CO2 / kWh.
This is almost the same as natural gas! => not more sustainable!
What are advantages and disadvantages of bulk Crystaline Silicon Cells?
For a 100 Watt PV-Module around 0,7kg SG-Si are needed. The Emissions for the production are around 0,5 kg CO2 / kWh. With the production of a 1000 Watt PV-Module we can produce around 1000 kWh Electricity in a year.
a) How much energy is required to built the PV Module?
b) How long does the PV System need to compensate for the amount of energy consumed during the production?
c) How much CO2 is released during the process for a 1000 W Module?
Which losses occur in solar cells?
theoretical limits of converting solar power into energy
ideal absorber with carnot machine max = 80 %
inherent limitis of a PV Cell (Schockley Queiser Limit) High band gap energy => high voltage, low current => low efficiency, because many photons have not enough energy to lift the electrons in the conduction band
Low band gap energy => low voltage, high current => high efficiency, because many electrons are lifted into the conduction band
==> max. 33 % (theoretical limit)
technical limits of a PV Cell
optical => reflection, transmission, shading
electrical => ohmic, recombination
==> polycrystalline cells (15 - 20%), monocrystalline cells (15 - 25%), organic cells (10%), multi junction (tandem) cells (above 40%)
Why is the efficiency of PV Modules reduced, when the temperatures are rising?
Because the electrons already have a higher energy level (vibrating) due to the higher temperatures. Therfore the electrons can gain less energy from the sun => open circuit voltage is reduced (current remains unchanged).
Additionally, the radiation losses of the PV Cell increase with increasing temperatures. According to Stefan Boltzmanns law, the radiation losses increase by the power of 4 when the temperature rises => big influence
Furthermore, heat also increases the electrical resistance => additional loss
What is the theoretical limit of converting solar light into power using an ideal black absorber and a carnot machine?
What are advantages and disadvantages of organic and crystalline PV Cells?
Organic:
+ No sophisticated materials
+ Can be printed
+ Many possible installation areas
- much lower efficiency
Crystalline:
+ Good efficiencys
+ State of the art
+ Cheap Production
+ Raw Material availability
- bulky
Why do we need an DC-DC converter for a PV System? How does it work?
What is an MPP?
Do you think the energy mix should be the same in every country?
No, for example wind and solar energy can not have the same importance in all countries!
Different countries should aim for different energy mixes, depending on their specific natural recources!
An integrated efficient grid enables the management of the energy mix within each country (daytime/season) and across the borders
What is an Inverter? How does it work?
How much renewable energy systems do we have in Europe?
Currently Wind is the second biggest power producer after Gas! Also, 95% of all new constructed power plants make use of renewable energies!
What is the capacity factor? Why is it important?
The capacity factor is important, because power plants do not operate at full power all the time! The theoretical limit can only be reached when we have wind and the turbine is not down for maintainance!
Which negative impacts do wind power plants have?
What ar possible reasons for building off-shore wind farms?
Huge available resources (Wind)
Improved social acceptability (not in my backyard)
Lower environmental impacts
Scale and Logistics (Ships)
Potential for reduced LCOE
What is a Wake and what are its characteristics?
A wake is the name of an imaginary volume, that contains the air particles after they have passed the rotor. According to the law of action and reaction, it rotates in the other direction of the rotor.
The air velocity in the closer wake is reduced compared to the wind speed. At the rotor a pressure jump occurs!
What are levelized costs of energy?
Levelized cost of energy: Levelized cost of energy (LCOE) is defined as the average cost of the unit (kWh) generated by a system and is calculated by the ratio of the total annualized cost of the system to the total electrical load served.
Explain the 1D Stream Tube Theory and the corresponding assumptions.
Name 3 direct evaporation concepts. What are their advantages and disadvantages compared to indirect evaporation?
(Water <Direct Evaporation>:
the upper mean temperature level of the working fluid higherHigher thermodynamic efficiency
The mean temperature of the heat transfer fluid is lower for direct evaporationreduced losses in the solar field
No limitation up to 400 °C (as it is the case for thermal-oil)
No additional components necessary for the heat transfer fluid cycleHeat exchangers,
pumps
Simple systemLow maintenance and operation costs
Disadvantage: Higher pressures in the solar field
Disadvantage: Heat transfer coefficient in saturated steam very low
Oil <Indirect Evaporation>:
In the solar field (lower pressure)
Compact evaporator
Disadvantage: Small live steam parameters due to pinch point limitation)
Once Through, Forced circulation, Injection cooling
What losses occur in a heliostat field?
What is the ISCC concept?
What are the basic advantages of the ISCC conecpt?
Which interactions occur between the solar radiation and the earths atmosphere?
What is the theoretical limit of converting solar light into power?
Explain the purpose of a DC-DC Converter
Why do big power plants not operate at the MPP?
Because they maybe need very fast control power! When the demanded power exeeds the supplied power, there is a slight drop of frequency and visa verse.
The PV modules can be used to control the grid.
How can I integrate PV in a way, that I get the biggest benefit from it?
Why is a grid connection and energy sharing a good idea?
The energy consumption becomes much smoother, the bigger and better connected a grid is!
What does Stefan Boltzmanns law say?
Should a CSP with 1 axis tracking be oriented west-east or north-south?
east-west => more thermal energy / year
north-south => moore thermal energy in summer
Generally a east-west tracking is favoured!
Which forces are affecting the rotor blades/ airfoils and what are their limitations?
What is the typical behaviour of the power and thrust coefficient curves?
How does the regulation of wind turbines work and what is its purpose?
Draw the variation of pitch, torque and rotational speed below rated and above rated spee
Please draw the graph for the Power with respect to the wind speed. Which regions can be discribed for the operation characteristics of the turbine?
How can the annual energy production be calculated, how can it be increased?
Wich heat to Power System is suitable for which energy performance?
Discribe a Basic Rankine Cycle.
What are the benefits of an OCR?
Which solar systems are used in builings and what collector types do they use?
Name some advanced solar thermal systems:
Solar Wall, Eco-Nok, Solar Fence, Solar Air Collector,…..
How much energy can be saved from PV driven cooling?
In 2022 the annual energy bills could be reduced by 60 to 80% in households in Germany, Spain and Italy
Which materials are used for Adsorption and Absporption chillers?
Absorption => Lithium Bromite
Adsorption => Zeolite
Can you draw a scheme of aolar trigeneration?
How high will the part of wind energy be in 2050 on a global scale? How much wind energy will be produced in Europe and how high is it currently?
2050 => 1/4 to 1/3 of all energy produced globally
In Europe it will be 230 to 450 GW (currently its 205 GW in Europe)
What is the most common design for wind turbines? What are other concepts?
Most Common: horizontal axis, 3 bladed, upwind
Other concepts: 2 bladed, downwind, vertical axis
How is the leader in europe regarding the produced electricity from wind?
Denkmark 45% of its electricity demand, followed by Ireland, Portugal, Germany
What is the Betz Limit?
The Betzlimit is the maximum Power that can be extracted from wind, independant from the turbine design. Cpmax = 0,6 with an axial induction factor of a= 1/3. The Aerodynamic efficiency is about 80%
The reason for the Betz limit is, that the power generated by the turbine is caused by the velocity difference before and after the turbine. => Wind can´t be stopped
What is the formular for the power production of a wind turbine? How does the power change, when the wind speed doubles?
P= 1/2*(roh)*A*V^3*Cp
When the speed doubles we get 8 times the power (cubed relation)
Why are the blades of the rotors twisted?
The rotational speed increases with thedistance to the root => This changes the AoA, but we want to have the same AoA over the whole blade lenght => twist the blade to compensate
Why do we pitch the blades?
Below rated wind speed you should keep the TSR constant (lamda=lamda*) to create the maximum possible power => AoA stays constant and pitch is 0°
This is done by a proper blade design => no control necessary
When the windspeed reaches the rated wind speed you want to reduce the AoA, so that the rotor doesn't spin faster (to avoid damages)
You can reduce the AoA by turning the rotor blades towards the wind (pitch increase)
Then the rotor speed stays constant and so does the power
When you can not pitch any further you need to stop the rotor (cut out)
What is the problem with the variable speed regulation?
The problem is, that with different speeds the generator produces different frequencies => the grid connection is only possible with additional power electronics
How much power can we actually get out of wind energy?
45 - 50%
What happens if we exceed the rated windspeed?
When the nameplate power is produced, the rated windspeed is reached. At this point the operation mode is changed from constant TSR to constant power. This means we reduce the power coefficient by pitching the blades.
=> rotational speed = const, lamda = decrease, Cp = decrease
What is the cut-in windspeed?
It is the windspeed, where the wind produces enough torque to overcome the friction in the gearbox and bearings => rotor starts to turn
How can the annual energy production of a wind turbine be calculated?
What is the capacity factor? How can it be calculated?
The capacity factor is necessary, because a wind turbine can not opperate at full power all the time due to natural variability and its availability (e.g. maintainance). The capacity factor relates the actual produced power to what in theory would have been possible.
Cf= Produced Power in a given period / nameplate power * period length
How can the power production of a wind turbine be increased?
Bigger area
Larger rotor (can not easily be upscaled)
higher tower (less vertical shear)
How ist the airflow in the area of a wind turbine influenced?
Atmospheric stability => turbulence and shear
Wake behavior
Terrain & Vegetation
Interaction with the blades
What needs to be considered, when explaining the behavior of wind patterns?
pressure differenced caused by solar radiation
air flow from high to low pressure
corriolis force
centrifugal force
=> wee get a rotational behavoir => counter clockwise in the northern hemisphere
What can influence the wind speed causing a variablitiy in time and space?
Which measurement equipment do you know for site assessments?
Meterological Masts with cup anemometer, vanes for wind direction, pressure, temp. humidity
Lidar Sensor
Sodar Sensor
How does the wind speed recover after passing through the wind turbine?
Which effects do obstacles and the terrain have on the wind behavior? How is a flat terrain characterized?
What aspects need to be considered when designing the blades of a wind turbine?
What is selective coating?
Special coating on absorbers to increase the absorption capacity, lowering the emissivity, reflectivity can also be decreased by porosity. Coating will be affected if there is oxidation or boundary layer diffusions
1st n 2nd gen cells
1st Generation
Monocrystalline Silicon, Multi Crystalline Silicon cells
2nd Generation
Amorphous – Si, Thin film Crystalline –Si, Cadmium Telluride Cd-Te, Multi Junction Gallium Arsenide GaAs
3rd Generation Dye sensitized, Organic, Quantum dot
Which cell is used in small appliances/products?
Amorphous Silicon Thin Film Technology
Cost distribution in solar cell manufacturing
65 % Silicon wafer development (36 % starting material, 35 % crystalline growth, 29 % sawing) 10% Cell manufacturing
25% Module fabrication
Which is most commercially available thin film solar cell?
Cadmium Telluride Cd-Te
Thin film advantages and disadvantages
Larger throughput/day and Reduced material consumption
but
Lower efficiency
Why upwind rotors are installed
to avoid the wind shade behind the tower and the power loss when the rotor passes the tower
what is the wind rose?
wind rose is a graphic tool used by meteorologists to give a view of how wind speed and direction are typically distributed at a particular location. The frequency of winds over a time period is plotted by wind direction, with color bands showing wind speed ranges. The direction of the longest spoke shows the wind direction with the greatest frequency
Effect of temperature on power
T rise, Density Low, power output goes down
Cp real is less than Cp Schmitz. Why?
because Cp Schmitz does not include frictional losses in bearings and gears and electrical resistance losses in generator or alternator
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