Month: September 2018

The Trans Bay Cable and Why it is Important

The Trans Bay Cable and Why it is Important

The Trans Bay Cable and Why it is Important

09/12/18

“What is the Trans Bay Cable and why is it so important for the city of San Francisco?”

 

Grid transmission projects are everywhere where there is a need for electricity. But some are more important than others. Before 2010, the city San Francisco and its southern peninsula were subject to wild grid fluctuations and had to rely on dirty power plants in the center of the city due to its relative geographic isolation from the rest of the state. But soon enough a need for a connection was realized, and The Trans Bay Cable was produced as a result. The Trans Bay Cable is an HVDC current underwater cable that connects San Francisco, California and Pittsburg, California in the East Bay. The cable can provide up to 400 megawatts of power at a DC voltage of ±200 kV( around 40% of San Francisco’s peak power requirements). Once this was completed, San Francisco was able to shut down its central power plants, improving the air quality and carbon emission portfolio of the city. It just goes to show how a little bit of grid planning can make such a huge difference!

 

Image credit Transbay.com

California Bill SB 100 and its Ramifications

California Bill SB 100 and its Ramifications

California Bill SB 100 and its Ramifications

“California is really going 100% carbon neutral!”

 

Remember how we said that California might pass a law to go carbon-free by 2045? Well, it looks like it just did that. California Governor Jerry Brown signed bill SB 100 on Monday, effectively shifting the weight of the state to achieve a 60% renewable portfolio by 2030 and 100% by 2045! The state will also look at pathways to decarbonize other carbon-intensive sectors such as transportation. Although commendable, much work will be needed to make these goals a reality. Paramount is finding a way to solve the duck curve and reducing the state’s dependence on natural gas (which currently supplies a third of the state’s power). All in all, I am very excited yet cautious at these results and look forward to all of the future work to achieve this. If California can get this right, then other states and countries might follow suit with similar programs.

Containment Structures for Phase-Changing Materials

Containment Structures for Phase-Changing Materials

Containment Structures for Phase Changing Materials

09/10/18

“How can we make contain phase-changing materials in building integrated solar PV?”

 

While building integrated PV holds so much promise for distributed energy generation, inefficiency from overheating can be a terrible bottleneck. This is commonly solved by integrating the structure with some phase-changing materials. But how can we actually mount it onto the system? Well, what if we were to build a containment structure with adiabatic materials at the top and bottom to ensure temperature stability? This is an example of Containment Structures for Phase Changing Materials. An air gap is usually provided at the back to ensure proper cooling. The extra thermal energy from the PCM can also be used to heat vital building components such as water.

 

Photo credit ClimateTechWiki

Diesel-Electric Transmission

Diesel-Electric Transmission

Diesel-Electric Transmission

09/09/18

“How do trains and ships convert diesel fuel into electricity?”

 

Trains and ships are able to move great loads across greater distances through their own internal processes. But how exactly do they accomplish this? Well, it’s quite simple actually. They just hook up a diesel engine to an electric generator to spurn massive amounts of electrical power. This is known as Diesel-electric transmission and can be found everywhere on the planet. If the generator produces enough electricity, then the extra can be stored in a rechargeable battery, making a quasi-hybrid system!

 

Image credit Wikipedia

Phase Changing Materials for Solar Panels

Phase Changing Materials for Solar Panels

Phase Changing Materials for Solar Panels

09/08/18

“How can we use phase-changing materials to cool down solar panels?”

 

Solar PV is the fastest growing energy system in the world. But that doesn’t mean that it’s without its problems. When they become too hot, they become very inefficient and reject a lot of heat into nearby structures. One way to counter this is to attach a layer of Phase Changing Materials at the back of the panel. The phase-changing material is a material at its critical value so it can absorb a voluminous amount of latent heat without changing its temperature. Not only does it act as a passive heatsink but it can store this thermal energy to be used in other applications such as heating water. Phase changing materials are usually attached in a capsule behind the PV panel and have an air gap behind them to ensure cooling. This is a great example of Phase Changing Materials for Solar Panels.

California might be 100% Carbon-Free by 2045

California might be 100% Carbon-Free by 2045

California might be 100% Carbon-Free by 2045

09/07/18

“Will the world’s 5th largest economy be carbon-free by 2045?”

 

States around the world are launching bolder and bolder Renewable Energy targets. But one place might be shattering the all-time record. California, the 5th largest economy in the world, has recently passed in its Assembly SB 100, which mandates that the state must achieve 60% renewables by 2030 and 100% by 2045! If this passes the Senate and gets the Governor’s signature then this idea will become reality!

How Accurate Weather Prediction can Help Grid Resiliency

How Accurate Weather Prediction can Help Grid Resiliency

How Accurate Weather Prediction can Help Grid Resiliency

09/06/18

“How can weather forecasts help stabilize the grid?”

 

Weather forecasts have become apart of our daily lives. But did you know that they can also help with grid resiliency? By being able to forecast the future, we can obtain how large our cooling loads will have to be. And with this knowledge, we can get ancillary reserves ready when the time comes. This way, Accurate Weather Prediction can Help Grid Resiliency!

 

Diagonal Matrices

Diagonal Matrices

Diagonal Matrices

09/05/18

“What happens when we have a matrix where everything outside of the diagonal is zero?”

 

Matrices come in all shapes and sizes. But some of them are very special indeed. One of these include matrices where everything outside of the main diagonal is zero. These very special easy to solve matrices are known as Diagonal Matrices and are great for solving equations.

 

Image credit http://www.mathsmutt.co.uk

Row Echelon Form

Row Echelon Form

Row Echelon Form

09/04/18

“How can we simplify matrices to solve them?”

 

Solving matrices is one of the most fundamental parts of modern day science and engineering. But how can we put it into a form where it’s easy to solve? Well, we could take the top row, make sure that all entries under the leading column are zero, and then repeat the process until we are at the end. Putting a matrix in this form is known as Row Echelon Form, and is one of the most common ways to solve Linear Algebra problems.  

 

Image credit Maths Resource Youtube