Presentations

The low carbon technologies and transport session included the below presentations.

You can download a PDF of the combined low carbon technologies and transport presentations.

This session was also recorded and can be found embedded below or on our youtube channel.

Projects

Hydropower resources management in China

Student: Vincent Cloitre
Supervisor(s): Dr Kaveh Madani (Centre for Environmental Policy), Dr Mark Workman (Faculty of Engineering)
Poster: #40 Download PDF COMING SOON

The Chinese electricity sector has greatly evolved in the last 30 years to comply with a significant increase in power demand. Since 2000, the Chinese government has been implementing pool trials in different provinces in order to increase market efficiency and to provide the consumers with reliable and affordable electricity. Recently, the Chinese government implemented a market trial in the Yunnan province, where demand is small compared to supply. In this province, hydroelectricity represents a significant share of power production. This work aims to assess the new market rules' efficiency in the context of the Yunnan province.

Regenerative braking in urban rail

Student: Filip Langiewicz
Supervisor(s): Dr Marc Stettler (Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering)
Poster: #41 Download PDF COMING SOON

Energy savings in urban rail transport, particularly in the underground rail system, allow for the reduction of operational costs and CO² emissions. Regenerative braking techniques reduce energy consumption by using the electrical energy obtained from conversion of kinetic energy during the braking phase. Currently, most of this electrical energy is wasted (dissipated in on-board resistors), as not all the energy can be consumed by the train itself and only a small part can be sent to other trains. The solution to making an efficient use of this energy is either to use reversible substations and to feed energy back into the AC grid or to invest in either on-board or wayside energy storage systems. The aim of this thesis is to assess the energy saving potential of an on-board storage system using supercapacitor technology.

Modelling alternatives for future domestic transport

Student: Kyriaki Skevi
Supervisor(s): Dr Sheila Samsatli, Dr Johannes Spinneken (Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering)
Poster: #42 Download PDF COMING SOON

In an attempt to mitigate the intense carbon footprint caused by the oil-dependent transport sector in the UK, several technologies have been developed, among which are electric and FC vehicles. However, in order to meet strict energy and emissions targets, electricity and hydrogen as transport fuels generated from renewable sources such as wind energy in the UK has strong potential. By using a mathematical model that takes into account all the pathways of the integrated wind-hydrogen-electricity networks, the aim of this project is to compare the alternatives of electricity-powered and hydrogen-powered vehicles from a whole-systems perspective, based on their economic and environmental performance.

Unsteady Loading of Tidal Turbine Blades

Student: Napat Tongmark
Supervisor(s): Dr Johannes Spinneken (Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering), Mr. Georgios Deskos (Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering)
Poster: #43 Download PDF COMING SOON

Tidal stream turbines are an emerging technology that, although necessitating very high upfront costs, can provide a predictable energy supply, unlike other renewables, and can reduce the need for redundant energy storage. Despite these clear advantages, tidal turbines are placed in a severe sea state and are subject to highly turbulent flows. A better understanding of tidal turbine loading with respect to turbulent inflows can offer a better prediction of a turbine performance and enhance tidal turbine design methodology. This project investigates characteristics resulting from unsteady flows using mid-fidelity vortex filament simulation.

Design and operation of integrated wind-hydrogen-electricity networks under uncertainty

Student: Vasileios Tzimplakis
Supervisor(s): Dr. Sheila Samsatli (Universtiy of Bath), Dr Johannes Spinneken (Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering)
Poster: #44 Download PDF COMING SOON

The transport sector produces significant environmental damage. In addtition to the manufacture of vehicles that are fueled with hydrogen/electricity, the creation of a hydrogen-electricity supply network is a necessary condition for the operation of these vehicles. With the production of this fuel by wind energy, a totally carbon-free transport sector is possible. However, successfully modelling this network is complicated by the uncertainties of hydrogen/electricity demand, the price of the network’s components, the availability of raw materials and other factors. This project examines these uncertainties for the optimum design and operation of an integrated wind-hydrogen-electricity network for transport in the UK.

Frequency-based approach for the optimization of offshore wind turbine support structures

Student: Simon van de Kerckhove
Supervisor(s): Dr Johannes Spinneken (Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering), Mr Pierre Bousseau
Poster: #45 Download PDF COMING SOON

Support structures represent a big part of the offshore wind turbines' CAPEX, and their optimization is a way to meaningful cost reduction. This thesis focuses on implementing a frequency-based approach coupled with a genetic algorithm for the optimization of jackets and monopiles, with ultimate load state and fatigue constraints. The approach used will be validated and improvements to the literature will be sought.

Video