WISE is pleased to offer students the opportunity to showcase their work with a poster during the innovation showcase at Energy Day 2019. All energy related research is welcome to be displayed during the event and students are encouraged to stay to enjoy panels and take advantage of this excellent networking opportunity.

To register for the showcase please contact Jessica Strickler, jessica.strickler@uwaterloo.ca.

Area-based coordinated power system frequency control scheme

Etinosa Ekomwenrenren, PhD Candidate, University of Waterloo

Abstract:

The increasing penetration of inverter-connected renewable energy resources (RES) has increased the variability of active power supply and reduced the rotational inertia in the grid, resulting in faster system dynamics along with larger and more frequent frequency events. To mitigate these challenges, a fast, area-based coordinated control strategy is proposed. This optimization-based scheme partitions the power system into small areas, and utilizes fast, inverter-based resources in each area to estimate and correct load imbalances. The control strategy is validated on a detailed nonlinear 3-area power system model implemented on MATLAB’s SimPowerSystems. 

Analysing the potential of biomass energy plants as a medium for the development of rural communities in the Central Himalayas

Gabrielle McMullan, School of Environment, Resources and Sustainability, University of Waterloo

Abstract:

Avani Bio Energy is a social enterprise in Uttarakhand, India, in the Central Himalayan region, that uses the fallen needle litter of the invasive Chir Pine tree (Pinus roxburghii) to power biomass energy plants. The biomass plants generate clean energy to power homes and sell back to the grid, hire villagers to manage the system, and control the spread of forest fires as the highly flammable biomass is removed. A baseline study was completed analyzing the potential socio-economic impacts of implementing the energy plants into communities; looking at potentials to employ and empower local women, improve overall household incomes, increase energy access and consistency and promote the development of rural economies. Qualitative and quantitative data was collected through in-person interviews with villagers during several week-long visits to the communities. Data collected includes information on household income and income source, education levels, fuel resources, and energy perspectives. Additionally, the potential impacts of clearing pine needle litter from the forest floor was analyzed. The ecological data provided an overview of forest structure and strata and species richness in four separate sample sites.  

Cased-wellbore Compressed Air Energy Storage: An Advanced Energy Storage Solution for a Clean Energy Future 

Wayne Sunghyun Park¹, Sepideh Sarmast Skhvidi^2
1Master of Applied Sciences Candidate,Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Waterloo
²PhD Candidate, Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering, University of Waterloo

Cased-Wellbore Compressed Air Energy Storage” (CW-CAES) is a form of Electrical Energy Storage (EES) where excess electricity produced is stored in the form of compressed air inside a well with a length between 500 - 1,500 m, cased with high-grade steel. Using cased well energy storage can be effective on the utility scale; it may serve as an alternative to batteries, with lower environmental impact and longer design life. CW-CAES systems can also be installed anywhere, reasonably independent of geological and geographical conditions, and it is relatively simple to deploy and decommission. To further improve its cyclic efficiency, adiabatic system design may be considered where produced heat from the compression process is captured and used on the expansion side of the system or for other useful purposes (e.g. green houses and home heating). The objectives of this study are to introduce the concept of CW-CAES and to demonstrate its capability by conducting energy analysis. Different numbers of compression and expansion stages, Thermal Energy Storage (TES), and heat exchange processes are considered to provide a more comprehensive simulation. It is concluded that storing both heat and power (as mechanical energy) in cased wellbores, with TES incorporated for a CW-CAES facility, and using multiple compression and expansion stages increase the cyclic efficiency.