Traditional methods of removing snow/ice from pavements involve application of deicing salts and mechanical removal that carry environmental concerns. In this study, the feasibility of applying carbon fiberbased electrically conductive concrete (ECON) in heated pavement systems (HPS) as an alternative to traditional methods was investigated. Optimum carbon fiber dosage to achieve desirable electrical conductivity and avoid excessive fiber use was determined by studying carbon fiber percolation in different cementitious composites. System design was evaluated by finite element (FE) analysis. Heating performance in terms of energy consumption regime was studied by quasi-long-term (460-day) experimental study using a prototype ECON slab. Percolation transition zone of carbon fiber in paste, mortar, and concrete were respectively 0.25-1% (Vol.), 0.6-1% (Vol.), and 0.5-0.75% (Vol.). Optimum fiber dosage in ECON with respect to conductivity was 0.75%, resulting in volume conductivity of 1.86 × 10−2 (S/cm) at 28 days and 1.22 × 10−2(S/cm) at 460 days of age. Electrical-energy-to-heat-energy conversion efficiency decreased from 66% at 28 days to 50% at 460-day age. The results showed that the studied technology could be effectively applied for ice/snow melting on pavement surfaces and provide a feasible alternative to traditional methods if the ECON mixing proportions and system configurations are made with necessary precautions.
The use of renewable energy with storage systems is particularly important in small and unreliable grids, such as islands. This paper reports sizing of a photovoltaic (PV) power plant with storage system for Middle East Technical University Northern Cyprus Campus through technical and economic analyses. PV system was modeled considering fixed tilted, one-axis and two-axis tracking systems using hourly data. Energy storage system was included in the model to overcome the temporal mismatch between the electricity demand of the campus and the electricity supplied by the PV system. The reduction in CO2 emissions by deploying these systems was studied. The results showed that although it would not be economically feasible to meet the entire demand of the campus, a PV system of 4.5 MW with 15 MWh of storage size would generate enough electricity to meet the demand for 83% of the time in a year, yielding the cost of 0.25 USD/kWh.
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