Modelling and Optimization of Hydroelectric Power Plants in Cameroon for the Development of the Green Energy Market in Neighboring Countries Using Homer Software

Renewable energy is increasingly in demand for a variety of applications in both urban and rural areas. There are, however, a number of implementation constraints in some countries, even though sunshine, wind and water are abundant and available. As part of this research, we are carrying out a technical and economic study on the availability of renewable energy in Cameroon, with a view to combining several sources of solar, biomass, wind and hydroelectric power to meet energy demand both inside and outside the country, in countries such as Chad, Gabon and Nigeria. In this work, the implementation of the entire system in the HOMER software demonstrates the feasibility and possibility of implementing a multi-source power plant based on renewable energies. Calculation of the levelized cost of energy (LCOE) and the net present cost (NPC) shows that a capacity of 485 GW can meet the energy demand of the countries bordering Cameroon. Furthermore, the calculation of the performance ratio gives a PR = 46.52 and a Capacity factor of CF = 11.64. The system is profitable not only economically but also environmentally, as it reduces greenhouse gas emissions and energy losses.

Energy Efficiency in Periods of Load Shedding and Detrimental Effects of Energy Dependence in the City of Maroua, Cameroon

During the years 2021 and 2022, the city of Maroua experienced repeated power blackouts. However, this locality has significant photovoltaic energy potential. Nevertheless, the evaluation of the electrical performance showed the dependence of the population on these fluctuations, which could be bypassed or suppressed. In most cases, the blackout occurs during high energy demand. In this paper, a method for evaluating electrical efficiency is proposed and its credibility has been demonstrated on the one hand, and on the other hand, a renewable energy production system is proposed. The Homer software has made possible the analysis of the proposed system and its impact on the environment has also been carried out. The techno-economic study of the system has proved that a solar photovoltaic farm associated with an energy storage system, with a capacity of 47 MW, can meet the energy demand of the town of Maroua. This alternative is profitable for this locality which lives in a precarious situation and a continuous need.

Ice-Induced Vibrational Response of Single-Pile Offshore Wind-Turbine Foundations

Important challenges must be addressed to make wind turbines sustainable renewable energy sources.A typical problem concerns the design of the foundation.If the pile diameter is larger than that of the jacket platform,traditional mechanical models cannot be used.In this study,relying on the seabed soil data of an offshore wind farm,the m-method and the equivalent embedded method are used to address the single-pile wind turbine foundation problem for different pile diameters.An approach to determine the equivalent pile length is also proposed accordingly.The results provide evidence for the effectiveness and reliability of the model based on the equivalent embedded method.

Thermophysical, Mechanical and Durability Characterization of Adobe Bricks Reinforced with Fonio (Digitaria exilis) Sounds

Buildings constructed using modern materials such as cement are energy-intensive, facilitate heat transfer and thus promote warming inside the building. However, the Sudano-Sahelian regions have a hot climate occupying a large period of the year, thus requiring not only sustainable construction materials, but also which provide thermal comfort in the building by limiting the energy demand for air conditioning. These qualifications are important for sub-Saharan African countries in general and those of the Sudano-Sahelian zone in particular, which need ecological materials with good thermal performance to limit heating inside buildings. This study is an energy recovery of agricultural waste in buildings with a view to offering the populations of the northern regions of Cameroon suitable materials at lower cost for the construction of buildings. The soil used for this study was extracted from the locality of Yagoua where the populations make abundant use of mud bricks. Fonio waste was incorporated at low levels into the earth bricks, particularly at 0%, 1%, 2%, 3%, and 4%, with a view to strengthening their thermophysical and mechanical properties. The results obtained indicate that earth bricks reinforced with 4% waste showed better thermal and mechanical insulation properties compared to other formulations with an improvement of 16% and 78% respectively compared to the unreinforced samples. This research allows us to conclude that fonio waste can be used practically without expense in the building with a view to its energy recovery and will promote not only thermal comfort and the limitation of the energy supply for air conditioning, but the construction of more sustainable buildings with a cleaner environment.

Coordinated voltage control of renewable energy power plants in weak sending-end power grid

The utilization of renewable energy in sending-end power grids is increasing rapidly,which brings difficulties to voltage control.This paper proposes a coordinated voltage control strategy based on model predictive control(MPC)for the renewable energy power plants of wind and solar power connected to a weak sending-end power grid(WSPG).Wind turbine generators(WTGs),photovoltaic arrays(PVAs),and a static synchronous compensator are coordinated to maintain voltage within a feasible range during operation.This results in the full use of the reactive power capability of WTGs and PVAs.In addition,the impact of the active power outputs of WTGs and PVAs on voltage control are considered because of the high R/X ratio of a collector system.An analytical method is used for calculating sensitivity coefficients to improve computation efficiency.A renewable energy power plant with 80 WTGs and 20 PVAs connected to a WSPG is used to verify the proposed voltage control strategy.Case studies show that the coordinated voltage control strategy can achieve good voltage control performance,which improves the voltage quality of the entire power plant.

Composite Panels from the Combination of Rice Husk and Wood Chips with a Natural Resin Based on Tannins Reinforced with Sugar Cane Molasses Intended for Building Insulation: Physico-Mechanical and Thermal Properties

The objective of this work is to develop new biosourced insulating composites from rice husks and wood chips that can be used in the building sector. It appears from the properties of the precursors that rice chips and husks are materials which can have good thermal conductivity and therefore the combination of these precursors could make it possible to obtain panels with good insulating properties. With regard to environmental and climatic constraints, the composite panels formulated at various rates were tested and the physico-mechanical and thermal properties showed that it was essential to add a crosslinker in order to increase certain solicitation. an incorporation rate of 12% to 30% made it possible to obtain panels with low thermal conductivity, a low surface water absorption capacity and which gives the composite good thermal insulation and will find many applications in the construction and real estate sector. Finally, new solutions to improve the fire reaction of the insulation panels are tested which allows to identify suitable solutions for the developed composites. In view of the flame tests, the panels obtained are good and can effectively combat fire safety in public buildings.

Assessment of Wind Energy Potential in the Sudanese Zone in Chad

In this study, wind characteristics and wind power potential are analyzed for three meteorological stations in the Sudanese zone of Chad for the period of 35 years (from 1975 to 2010). Assessment of the wind power potential was carried out using the two parameters of Weibull distribution. Results of the study shows that the average annual wind speeds at 10 m above ground for Moundou, Pala and Sarh are 2.69, 2.33 and 1.91 m/s, respectively. The mean annual value of the Weibull shape parameter k and scale parameter c range from 2.376 to 3.255 and 2.099 to 3.007, respectively. The maximum annual power density of 204.85 W/m2 was obtained at Moundou. Results of this study further shows that the selected locations are not suitable for large-scale wind energy production at 10 m altitude. However, by extrapolation, assessment of wind speed at 67 m altitude combines with wind turbine Vestas 2 MW/80 that adapts to the Sudanese local conditions, and the wind power potential can be exploited for water pumping, heating and production of electricity.

Allocation of Hybrid Distributed Generations and Energy Management in Radial Electrical Systems

This paper presents a method for optimal sizing of a Micro grid connected to a hybrid source to ensure the continuity and quality of energy in a locality with a stochastically changing population. The hybrid system is composed of a solar photovoltaic system, a wind turbine, and an energy storage system. The reliability of the system is evaluated based on the voltage level regulation on IEEE 33-bus and IEEE 69-bus standards. Power factor correction is performed, despite some reliability and robustness constraints. This work focuses on energy management in a hybrid system considering climatic disturbances on the one hand, and on the other hand, this work evaluates the energy quality and the cost of energy. A combination of genetic algorithms of particle swarm optimization (CGAPSO) shows high convergence speed, which illustrates the robustness of the proposed system. The study of this system shows its feasibility and compliance with standards. The results obtained show a significant reduction in the total cost of production of this proposed system.

Proper Understanding of the Natures of Electrons, Protons, and Modifying Redundancies in Electro-Magnetism

When considering electromagnetism, the unit of the Ammeter’s measurement should be limited to its proper unit in “Watt/Volt” which is, according to physical principles, the division quotient of the measured electrical power by its electrical potential. However, the Ammeter’s reading has also a traditional definition as the rate of flow of electric charges whose unit is “Ampere”. According to recent studies that define the electric charge as energy possessing an electric potential, such traditional definition is wrong as the Ammeter’s reading should, then, has the unit “Watt”. Such duality of the Ammeter’s reading is due to the wrong definition of electric charges as electrons and insertion of the “Ampere”, as a wrong unit of the flow of electric charges. This duality represents a “redundancy” in electromagnetism as the proper Ammeter’s reading, in Watt/Volt, is a unit of entropy of the flowing energy charges. Such redundancy led to further redundancies in the field of electromagnetism. In this article, it is followed the impacts of inserting the “Ampere” as illogic unit and it is derived the proper modifications of the results of replacing the “Ampere” by its logical substitute “Watt/Volt”. Such modifications lead to a robust definition of the electron as an elementary particle which has an elementary charge of energy 1.602 × 10-19 Joules and has a negative electric potential of 1 Volt and to a proper definition of the protons as elementary particles which are charged by a similar charge of electron, but it has a positive potential of 1 Volt. Additionally, the electron-volt is properly defined as an elementary charge whose energy is 1.602 × 10-19 Joules and whose potential is ±1 Volt. Such modifications also lead to improve the understanding of magnetic induction and modifying the equations that characterize the performance of electric machines. The truth of such innovative understandings is verified analytically and experimentally in this article.

New Approach of Multi-Cell Stacked Cell Inverter for Solar Photovoltaic System

In this paper, a new inverter topology dedicated to isolated or grid-connected PV systems is proposed. This inverter is based on the structures of a stacked multi-cell converter (SMC) and an H-bridge. This new topology has allowed the voltage stresses of the converter to be distributed among several switching cells. Secondly, divide the input voltage into several fractions to reduce the number of power semiconductors to be switched. In this contribution, the general topology of this micro-inverter has been described and the simulation tests developed to validate its operation have been presented. Finally, we discussed the simulation results, the efficiency of this topology and the feasibility of its use in a grid-connected photovoltaic production system.

Optimal Placement and Sizing of Distributed Generations for Power Losses Minimization Using PSO-Based Deep Learning Techniques

The integration of distributed generations (DGs) into distribution systems (DSs) is increasingly becoming a solution for compensating for isolated local energy systems (ILESs). Additionally, distributed generations are used for self-consumption with excess energy injected into centralized grids (CGs). However, the improper sizing of renewable energy systems (RESs) exposes the entire system to power losses. This work presents an optimization of a system consisting of distributed generations. Firstly, PSO algorithms evaluate the size of the entire system on the IEEE bus 14 test standard. Secondly, the size of the system is allocated using improved Particles Swarm Optimization (IPSO). The convergence speed of the objective function enables a conjecture to be made about the robustness of the proposed system. The power and voltage profile on the IEEE 14-bus standard displays a decrease in power losses and an appropriate response to energy demands (EDs), validating the proposed method.

Waste Recovery and Sustainable Development. A Case Study of Material Development from Used Tires in Africa

This paper outlines a mechanical transformation process for rubber recycling, demonstrating the development of a new material from used tires. With the crumbs obtained using a crusher-compactor, a novel material for the manufacture of O-rings has been developed, with properties close to those found on the market. The process includes an experimental methodology of a sulfur vulcanization system choice and the quantification of ingredients, as well as the experimental determination of cure parameters. Mechanical tests on the samples completed the work by providing the mechanical characteristics of both unaged and aged (thermo-oxidative ageing) novel material. This process has a high potential for sustainable development and industrialization, making it a valuable contribution to the recycling of rubber in African developing countries.

Exergy Analysis of Charge and Discharge Processes of Thermal Energy Storage System with Various Phase Change Materials:A Comprehensive Comparison

Thermal energy storage(TES) is of great importance in solving the mismatch between energy production and consumption.In this regard,choosing type of Phase Change Materials(PCMs) which are widely used to control heat in latent thermal energy storage systems,plays a vital role as a means of TES efficiency.However,this field suffers from lack of a comprehensive investigation on the impact of various PCMs in terms of exergy.To address this issue,in this study,in addition to indicating the melting temperature and latent heat of various PCMs,the exergy destruction and exergy efficiency of each material are estimated and compared with each other.Moreover,in the present work the impact of PCMs mass and ambient temperature on the exergy efficiency is evaluated.The results proved that higher latent heat does not necessarily lead to higher exergy efficiency.Furthermore,to obtain a suitable exergy efficiency,the specific heat capacity and melting temperature of the PCMs must also be considered.According to the results,LiF-CaF_(2)(80.5%:19.5%,mass ratio) mixture led to better performance with satisfactory exergy efficiency(98.84%) and notably lower required mass compared to other PCMs.Additionally,the highest and lowest exergy destruction are belonged to GR25 and LiF-CaF_(2)(80.5:19.5) mixture,respectively.

Defect Engineering in Earth-Abundant Cu_(2)ZnSnSe_(4) Absorber Using Efficient Alkali Doping for Flexible and Tandem Solar Cell Applications

To demonstrate flexible and tandem device applications,a low-temperature Cu_(2)ZnSnSe_(4)(CZTSe)deposition process,combined with efficient alkali doping,was developed.First,high-quality CZTSe films were grown at 480℃by a single co-evaporation,which is applicable to polyimide(PI)substrate.Because of the alkali-free substrate,Na and K alkali doping were systematically studied and optimized to precisely control the alkali distribution in CZTSe.The bulk defect density was significantly reduced by suppression of deep acceptor states after the(NaF+KF)PDTs.Through the low-temperature deposition with(NaF+KF)PDTs,the CZTSe device on glass yields the best efficiency of 8.1%with an improved Voc deficit of 646 mV.The developed deposition technologies have been applied to PI.For the first time,we report the highest efficiency of 6.92%for flexible CZTSe solar cells on PI.Additionally,CZTSe devices were utilized as bottom cells to fabricate four-terminal CZTSe/perovskite tandem cells because of a low bandgap of CZTSe(~1.0 eV)so that the tandem cell yielded an efficiency of 20%.The obtained results show that CZTSe solar cells prepared by a low-temperature process with in-situ alkali doping can be utilized for flexible thin-film solar cells as well as tandem device applications.

A review on application of nanofluid in various types of heat pipes

Nanotechnology is widely used in heat transfer devices to improve thermal performance.Nanofluids can be applied in heat pipes to decrease thermal resistance and achieve a higher heat transfer capability.In the present article,a comprehensive literature review is performed on the nanofluids’ applications in heat pipes.Based on reviewed studies,nanofluids have a high capacity to boost the thermal behavior of various types of heat pipes such as conventional heat pipes,pulsating heat pipes,and thermosyphons.Besides,it is observed that there must be a selected amount of concentration for the high-performance utilization of nanoparticles;high concentration of nanoparticles causes a higher thermal resistance which is mainly attributed to increment in the dynamic viscosity and the higher possibility of particles’ agglomeration.Enhancement in heat transfer performance is the result of increasing in nucleation sites and the intrinsically greater nanofluids’ thermal conductivity.

Exergy Analysis of a Double-Effect Solar Absorption Refrigeration System in Ngaoundere

Solar energy is replacing more and more traditional sources of energy because of the fact that it’s also fighting about global warming. This study is based on exergy analysis of a double-effect series flow absorption refrigeration system powered by solar energy in Ngaoundere. The simulation is done on the basis of a half hourly analysis for the first time, from 6.30 AM to 6.30 PM, using water-lithium bromide as working pair. The main parameters for the performance of an absorption cycle, which are the COP and the ECOP, have been analyzed and the results show that this two parameters increase while increasing the temperature of the main generator. The exergy loss of each component of the system and the total exergy loss of the system have been analyzed and their effectiveness calculated, using the first and second law of thermodynamics. The highest exergy loss occurs in the main generator GI and in the absorber, making these components more important in an absorption cycle. This analysis is based on a mathematical model using FORTRAN?language. The results obtained may be useful for the optimization of solar absorption refrigeration systems.

Static Analysis of Eolic Blade through Finite Element Method and OOP C＋＋

This work deals with a description of an elastic analysis of eolic blade （preprocessing, processing and post-processing stages）. The eolic blade geometry is approximated by flat finite elements in which the membrane effects are evaluated using the FF （free formulation） finite element and the flexure effects are calculated using DKT （discrete shear triangle） finite element. The pre-processing stage is implemented using OpenGL library, to provide the graphical construction for geometry, mesh orientation, and other requirements of the finite element model. For the processing stage is built a specific dll （dynamic link library） library implemented in C＋＋ language for the FF and DKT elements analysis. The post-processing stage has been built using specific dialogs to present all results in the graphic interface, where the static displacements of the eolic blade model are shown.

Optimization of the fuel rod＇s arrangement cooled by turbulentnanofluids flow in pressurized water reactor (PWR)

In this paper, response surface methodology(RSM) based on central composite design(CCD) is applied to obtain an optimization design for the fuel rod's diameter and distance cooled by turbulent Al_2O_3–water nanofluid for a typical pressurized water reactor(PWR). Fuel rods and nanofluid flow between them are simulated 3D using computational fluid dynamics(CFD) by ANSYS-FLUNET package software. The RNG k–ε model is used to simulate turbulent nanofluid flow between the rods. The effect of different nanoparticles concentration is also investigated on the Nusselt number from heat transfer efficiency view point. Results reveal that when distance parameter(a) is in the minimum level and diameter parameter(r) is in the maximum possible level, cooling the rods will be better due to higher Nusselt number in this situation. Also, using the different nanoparticles on the cooling process confirms that Al_2O_3 averagely 17% and TiO_2 10% improve the Nusselt numbers.

Analysis of Turbulent Flow on Tidal Stream Turbine by RANS and BEM

Nowadays,concerns arise because of the depletion of fossil fuel resources that forced scientists to develop new energy extraction methods.One of these renewable resources is tidal energy,where Iran has this potential significantly.There are many ways to obtain the kinetic energy of the fluid flow caused by the moon’s gravitational effect on seas.Using horizontal axis tidal turbines is one of the ways to achieve the kinetic energy of the fluid.Since this type of turbine has similar technology to horizontal axis wind turbines,they may be an appropriate choice for constructing a tidal power plant in Iran.This paper presents the numerical simulation and momentum method of a three-bladed horizontal axis tidal turbine.To validate the thrust and power coefficients for a fixed pitch angle at the blade tip speed ratio of 4 to 10 are compared with experimental results.In this modelling,the rotating geometry simulation has been used.Results show that using a numerical method and blade element momentum,we can predict the horizontal axis tidal turbine’s thrust with an error of less than 10%.The numerical method has better accuracy in higher speed ratios,and it is appropriate to predict the behaviour of fluid in collision with turbines and its wake effects.

Assessment of Sustainability Indicators of Thermoelectric Power Generation in Cameroon Using Exergetic Analysis Tools

In this paper, we evaluate the performance and sustainability indicators of various thermal power generation technologies in Cameroon using the exergy analysis tools. For this purpose, on the basis of data from the International Energy Agency (IEA) for Cameroon corresponding to the period from 2006 to 2014, we calculated the average energy and exergy efficiencies of each electricity generation technology from thermal sources. The average values of the exergy efficiencies obtained are respectively 28.97% for the LFO plants, 30.94% for the HFO plants, 34.66% for the biofuel plants and 36.67% for the gas-fired plants. The average sustainability indexes for each of the technologies are determined and values range from 1.56 for LFO plants to 2.12 for biofuel plants. The improvement potentials of each technology are calculated in order to identify the tracks of increase of their efficiency. Average values range from 165.57 GWh for biofuel plants to 1301.77 GWh for LFO plants. The results of this study should enable the development of productive and applicable planning for future energy policies, in particular for the electricity sector in Cameroon.