This paper presents the results of a field study undertaken all over the Punjab, Pakistan, to evaluate the socio-economic and climatic impact of photovoltaic-operated high-efficiency irrigation systems (HEIS), i.e., drip and sprinkler irrigation systems. Nearly half of the rural population relies on agriculture for a living, and the recent energy crisis has had a negative impact on rural communities. Farmers’ reliance on fossil fuels for the operation of irrigation systems has increased exponentially, resulting in the high costs of agricultural production. Primary data regarding on-farm agriculture and irrigation practices used in this study were collected through an intensive on-farm survey, while secondary data were taken from published reports and statistics. The results of the current investigation show that the installation of PV systems has resulted in the increased adoption of high-efficiency irrigation systems, a reduction in the high operational costs incurred on account of old diesel-powered pumping systems (with an annual saving of 6.6 million liters of diesel), a 100% increase in farmer’s income, a reduction of 17,622 tons of CO2 emissions per annum, and 41% savings in water. The unit cost of PV-powered HEIS was found to be 0.1219 USD/kWh, which was 4% and 66% less than subsidized electricity cost and diesel cost, respectively.
The world is moving towards renewable energy sources rapidly and, at present, fossil fuels are reducing day by day. In this scenario, biofuels have become an attractive alternative to conventional diesel fuels. In the present work, the vaporization of Thumba biodiesel is numerically modeled using the finite volume-based approach in ANSYS Fluent and the results are compared with diesel fuel. Evaporation of fuels is governed by the conservation equations of energy, momentum, and mass. Owing to high temperature and pressure conditions, turbulence is present in the engine cylinder. To account for the turbulence effects, the Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) turbulence model is used. Heat transfer to droplet and mass lost by the droplets is governed by the discrete phase model equations. The obtained results include the droplet lifetime, increase in temperature of a droplet, and velocity profiles. It is observed that the size and temperature of fuel droplets and ambient temperature have a significant effect on the evaporation time of fuel droplets in the engine cylinder. By reducing the droplet size, the complete evaporation of fuels can be achieved. Droplets having a high temperature have a short evaporation time and high evaporation rate. It is noted that, at a higher temperature, biodiesel evaporates more quickly than diesel fuel, thus producing complete combustion and hence giving maximum power output.
The purpose of this study is to investigate the potential of airborne particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5) and its impact on the performance of the photovoltaic (PV) system installed in the Sargodha region, being affected by the crushing activities in the hills. More than 100 stone crushers are operating in this region. Four stations within this region are selected for taking samples during the summer and winter seasons. Glass–fiber papers are used as a collection medium for particulate matter (PM) in a high-volume sampler. The concentration of PM is found above the permissible limit at all selected sites. The chemical composition, concentration, and the formation of particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5) layers on the surface of the photovoltaic module varies significantly depending on the site’s location and time. The accumulation of PM layers on the PV module surface is one of the operating environmental factors that cause significant reduction in PV system performance. Consequently, it leads to power loss, reduction of service life, and increase in module temperature. For the PV system’s performance analysis, two PV systems are installed at the site, having higher PM concentration. One system is cleaned regularly, while the other remains dusty. The data of both PV systems are measured and compared for 4 months (2 months for the summer season and 2 months for the winter season). It is found that when the level of suspended particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5) increases, the energy generation of the dusty PV system (compared to the cleaned one) is reduced by 7.48% in May, 7.342% in June, 10.68% in December, and 8.03% in January. Based on the obtained results, it is recommended that the negative impact of PM on the performance of the PV system should be considered carefully during the decision-making process of setting solar energy generation targets in the regions with a high level of particulate matter.
Power augmentation in a small-scale horizontal axis wind turbine, with its rotor encased in a flanged diffuser is explored. The power output of the wind turbine varies with changes in the diffuser design and the resulting back pressure. Reduction in this back pressure also results in early flow separation at the diffuser surface, which hinders turbine performance. The main aim of this study is to numerically investigate the local configuration of the wind turbine location inside the diffuser by varying diffuser angles and wind speeds. Therefore, shroud and flange were modeled and analyzed using the computational fluid dynamic (CFD) analyses and experiments were performed at two wind speeds 6 m/s and 8 m/s with and without the diffuser for model validation. The divergence angle of 4° was found to have no flow separation, thus maximizing flow rate. The proposed design shows wind speed improvement of up to 1.68 times compared to the baseline configuration. The corresponding optimum flange height was found to be 250 mm. However, increasing the divergence angle had a similar output. The dimensionless location of wind turbine was found to be between 0.45 and 0.5 for 2° and 4° divergence angle respectively. Furthermore, the maximum augmentation location varies with wind speed and diffuser’s divergence angle as described by dimensionless location of wind turbine, thus presenting a noteworthy contribution to the horizontal axis wind turbine area with the flanged diffuser.
A series of regioselective β-disubstituted meso-tetraphenylporphyrins, H2TPP(X)2 where X = methyl (CH3), phenyl (Ph) and phenylethynyl (PE) as well their metal complexes (Cu(II), Co(II), Ni(II) and Zn(II)) were synthesized and...
Electric discharge machining with a powder mix dielectric is a promising technique to harden a work piece’s surface using electricity with a high energy density. The quality of the electrical discharge-machined surface is related to its surface integrity in which the surface’s roughness, residual stresses, micro hardness and surface micro cracks are some of the major factors. In this research, graphite powder was mixed in a dielectric with a particle size of 20 µm, 30 µm, and 40 µm, with the concentration of the graphite powder ranging from 2 g/L to 4 g/L. Moreover, the peak current and pulse time on were also coupled with an additive of graphite powder to investigate the effect on the surface quality, i.e., the recast layer thickness, micro hardness and crater depth as well as the material removal rate (MRR) and tool wear rate (TWR). A Box–Behnken design was employed to design the experiments and the experimental results revealed that the graphite powder size and concentration coupled with the electrical parameters (peak current and pulse time on) significantly influenced the recast layer thickness, micro hardness, crater size, MRR and TWR. The crater depth and micro hardness were maximized at a higher concentration and particle size, while the recast layer thickness was reduced with a higher gain size.
Technological advancements have improved energy efficiency and increased energy requirements requiring improved energy density solutions to optimally utilize the existing landscape. The renewable energy density of urban rooftops can be increased by introducing micro wind farms consisting of vertical axis wind turbines (VAWT). VAWTs do not require directed flow thus a feasible choice. In this paper, the preliminary study for parametric design of horizontal distance between two identical Savonius wind turbines is presented. Three different simulations were performed to reveal important insights about this problem with an inlet velocity of 2 m/s. The results suggest 3D analysis for accurate insights.
Purpose The purpose of this study is to develop an elasto-plastic multi-material shell model by which finite element analysis of laser welded joints is carried out at the interface of the heat-affected zone and base material. Design/methodology/approach The multi-material shell model is implemented on the simple cantilever and double cantilever welded plates to examine the efficiency of the developed model. Findings By reducing the computational time approximately 20 times with the developed model, the results obtained in the form of von Mises stress and equivalent plastic strain are found in good agreement as compared with the reference solid model. Originality/value The accurate and fast prediction of the stresses and strains in the laser welded joints, and the developed multi-material model is helpful to simulate complex industrial welded structures.
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