The influence of solar energy on the development of the mining industry in the Republic of Cuba

Abstract

Cuba is traditionally considered a country with an underdeveloped industry. The share of the mining and metallurgical industries in the gross industrial production of the republic is small – about 3 % of GDP. The development of deposits and the extraction of nickel ores is an important sector of the economy of the Republic of Cuba, since the largest reserves of nickel and cobalt on the North American continent are located on the territory of the country. The development of the country energy system can serve as a growth factor in this sector of the economy. Due to climatic features and impossibility of integrating new capacities into the energy system through the construction of hydroelectric power plants, solar energy is a promising direction. Determining the feasibility of using solar tracking systems to increase the generation of electricity from solar power plants is one of the main challenges faced by engineers and renewable energy specialists. Currently, there are no solar tracking systems in Cuba that can provide information to assess the effectiveness of this technology in the country. The lack of the necessary technologies, as well as the high cost of developing solar power plants with tracking systems, limit the widespread introduction of such complexes. Hence follows the task of creating an inexpensive experimental model that allows assessing the effectiveness of tracking systems in specific weather conditions of the Republic of Cuba. This model will allow in future to increase the efficiency of electrical complexes with solar power plants, which provide power supply to the objects of the mineral resource complex and other regions.

Method for determining the harmonic contribution of consumer installations based on the application of passive filters

“…Currently, the installed capacity of devices based on the switching of semiconductor electronic elements is rapidly growing in industrial enterprises, power generation [1] and transmission facilities, transport infrastructure [2] and service industry. They, for example, include renewable energy sources [3], adjustable AC and DC electric drives [4], automation and digitalization tools [5], power transmission and conversion devices, household electronics, and so on. This allows a significant increase in the level of energy efficiency and energy saving during production.…”

Computation of Nonlinear Load Harmonic Currents in the Presence of External Distortions

“…A large number of nonlinear consumers are connected to modern electrical grids [1]. Such installations include semiconductor rectifiers [2], arc furnaces [3], controlled and uncontrolled power converters [4], LED lighting systems [5], etc. The operation of such devices leads to the occurrence of harmonics in current and voltage [6].…”

An assessment of the share contributions of distortion sources for various load parameters

“…A considerable number of developed methods are known for searching and identifying the contribution of consumers to the deterioration of the power quality [5]- [14]. At the same time, there are still no correct and approved methodologies and guidelines that allow identifying such a contribution at operating enterprises, and none of the developed methods is used to solve such problems in practice [15]. For example, the method for determining the consumers` contribution to voltage distortion, approved in 2002 in Russia, was canceled due to incorrect identification of distortion sources based on the method of switching on and off the load [10].…”