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Modeling, Optimization and Control of Solar and Thermal Energy Systems

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A special issue of Energies (ISSN 1996-1073). This special issue belongs to the section "J: Thermal Management".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 June 2020) | Viewed by 25572

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Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Manuel Berenguel

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Guest Editor

CIESOL, ceiA3, University of Almeria, Carretera Sacramento s/n, La Canada, 04120 Almeria, Spain
Interests: process control with applications to solar energy, agriculture, and biotechnology; control education

Prof. Dr. José Domingo Álvarez

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Co-Guest Editor

Department of Computer Science,University of Almeria, Carretera Sacramento s/n, La Canada, 04120 Almeria, Spain
Interests: development of control system for solar plants; energy management; control systems for users’ comfort in buildings

Dr. Lidia Roca

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Plataforma Solar de Almería, 04200 Tabernas, Almería, Spain
Interests: optimal operation and process control in solar thermal applications

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The Guest Editors are inviting submissions to a Special Issue of Energies on the subject area of “Modeling, Optimization and Control of Solar and Thermal Energy Systems”. This Special Issue deals with the analysis, design, and application of modeling, control, and optimization techniques to achieve efficient energy (in both electricity and heat/cold process) and water management in production environments with the support of solar energy and storage systems. Through optimal management of these resources, demand can be satisfied while saving costs and reducing the environmental impact.

In literature, it is possible to find several examples of model-based predictive control, PID control, optimal control, and so on to reach this aim. Thus, this Special Issue will cover all these techniques but is not limited to them; thus, novel modeling, optimization, and control techniques for solar and thermal energy systems are welcome, too. Topics and applications of interest for publication include but are not limited to:

Prof. Dr. Manuel Berenguel
Prof. Dr. José Domingo Álvarez
Dr. Lidia Roca
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

Modeling and control of solar and thermal energy systems
Production planning, grid integration, and scheduling of solar and thermal energy systems
Optimal operation of solar and thermal energy systems
Demand side management
Fault detection and diagnosis in solar and thermal energy systems
Solar thermal power systems
Photovoltaic and hybrid photovoltaic–thermal systems
Solar and thermal heating and cooling and energy storage
Solar and thermal desalination and distillation
Solar and thermal energy systems in buildings
Solar and thermal energy systems in agriculture
Solar and thermal energy systems in photobioreactors and photofenton systems.

Published Papers (10 papers)

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Research

16 pages, 9270 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Model for the Discharging of a Dual PCM Heat Storage Tank and Its Experimental Validation

by Artur Nemś and Antonio M. Puertas

Energies 2020, 13(21), 5687; https://doi.org/10.3390/en13215687 - 30 Oct 2020

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1876

Abstract

The important topic of modelling tanks filled with phase change materials (PCMs) is discussed in this article. Due to the increasing use of heating and cooling installations, tanks containing two types of PCMs are the subject of many experimental analyses. However, there are still deficiencies in their models, which are presented in this paper. The theory model was created in order to design two tanks, each with a volume of 2 m³. They were filled with water and containers with two PCMs. The modelled tanks were meant to replace the existing water tanks that were previously used in the solar heating and cooling installation in a research building located in the southern part of Spain. After the tanks were assembled, the model was validated during the summer period when the designed storage tanks supported the operation of the solar system operating in the cooling mode. The created model consists of a 1D description of the heat transfer in the storage tank, and also a 1D description of the phase change in the containers with the PCMs. The model takes into account the front of the phase change and also discusses its impact on the thermal efficiency of the tanks. The agreement of the water output temperature is very good and validates the model, which can then be used to provide further details on the operation of the storage system—in particular, heat fluxes or a fraction of solid or liquid PCM. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Modeling, Optimization and Control of Solar and Thermal Energy Systems)

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16 pages, 3885 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Influence of the Shape of Granite on the Heat Storage Process in a Rock Bed

by Magdalena Nemś, Artur Nemś and Kamila Gębarowska

Energies 2020, 13(21), 5662; https://doi.org/10.3390/en13215662 - 29 Oct 2020

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2221

Abstract

Granite is one of those materials that due to its thermal parameters is used as a filling for storage beds, including high-temperature ones. The article analyzes local material that was extracted in Strzegom, Poland. The purpose of the paper is the assessment of storage material with regard to its cooperation with a heat source that is available for a short time, e.g., a solar installation. Three different shapes of granite material were tested: rock, cube and sphere. Each shape has its advantages and disadvantages, which are associated with economic and strength aspects. The article presents experimental tests of the material, which were conducted in order to determine the efficiency of the charging process. The results show that rock-shaped granite filling elements are characterized with the best parameters during the charging process, and that they obtained the highest first- and second-law efficiency in the entire tested range of inlet air temperature and flow rate. The efficiency of the cube-shaped granite was lower than the sphere-shaped granite. This means that the efficiency does not directly depend on the coefficient of sphericity of the elements that fill the storage bed. The determination of the second law efficiency showed that the highest use of energy supplied with hot air occurs after 1 h of charging the accumulator in the case of all the analyzed geometries. At the end of the paper, the influence of the obtained results on the process of modelling the charging of a storage bed filled with elements of non-spherical geometry is also discussed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Modeling, Optimization and Control of Solar and Thermal Energy Systems)

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13 pages, 9474 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Tests of an Absorption Cooling Machine at the Gijón Solar Cooling Laboratory

by María-José Suárez López, Jesús-Ignacio Prieto, Eduardo Blanco and David García

Energies 2020, 13(15), 3962; https://doi.org/10.3390/en13153962 - 1 Aug 2020

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1816

Abstract

Final energy consumption in the residential sector is increasing, even in countries with favourable climate conditions and technological capacity to promote the use of renewable resources and energy efficiency. Air conditioning systems based on absorption cycles are common solutions in solar assisted installations. In this paper, the main characteristics of the Gijón Solar Cooling Laboratory (GSCL) are summarized, showing its ability to test cooling machines with a variety of heat sources and sinks, as well as different technologies and strategies. An absorption machine with internal energy storage in LiCl salts has been tested at the GSCL, measuring power and temperatures as a function of time during several charging and discharging cycles. During the charging cycles, the operation of the machine was analysed for various hot temperatures and power values. In the discharging cycles, special attention was paid to the refrigeration capacity produced for various chilled water temperatures. The results led to coefficient of performance COP values that are in line with those expected for this technology. Satisfactory operation of the system seems difficult at activation temperatures below 75 °C. For low levels of insolation, this limitation could lead to an increase in auxiliary energy consumption. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Modeling, Optimization and Control of Solar and Thermal Energy Systems)

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24 pages, 12287 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Development and Results from Application of PCM-Based Storage Tanks in a Solar Thermal Comfort System of an Institutional Building—A Case Study

by F. Javier Batlles, Bartosz Gil, Svetlana Ushak, Jacek Kasperski, Marcos Luján, Diana Maldonado, Magdalena Nemś, Artur Nemś, Antonio M. Puertas, Manuel S. Romero-Cano, Sabina Rosiek and Mario Grageda

Energies 2020, 13(15), 3877; https://doi.org/10.3390/en13153877 - 29 Jul 2020

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2493

Abstract

An important element of a solar installation is the storage tank. When properly selected and operated, it can bring numerous benefits. The presented research relates to a project that is implemented at the Solar Energy Research Center of the University of Almeria in Spain. In order to improve the operation of the solar cooling and heating system of the Center, it was upgraded with two newly designed storage tanks filled with phase change materials (PCM). As a result of design works, commercial material S10 was selected for the accumulation of cold, and S46 for the accumulation of heat, in an amount of 85% and 15%, respectively. The article presents in detail the process of selecting the PCM material, designing the installation, experimental research, and exergy analysis. Individual tasks were carried out by research groups cooperating under the PCMSOL EUROPEAN PROJECT. Results of tests conducted on the constructed installation indicate that daily energy saving when using a solar chiller with PCM tanks amounts to 40% during the cooling season. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Modeling, Optimization and Control of Solar and Thermal Energy Systems)

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24 pages, 4667 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Comparison of Two Solar PV-Driven Air Conditioning Systems with Different Tracking Modes

by Elisa Marrasso, Carlo Roselli and Francesco Tariello

Energies 2020, 13(14), 3585; https://doi.org/10.3390/en13143585 - 11 Jul 2020

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2451

Abstract

In this paper two solar electric-driven air conditioning systems are compared and analyzed from an energy and environmental point of view. Both systems satisfy the electricity, space heating and cooling needs of an existing multi-purpose, multi-story building that is simulated with TRNSYS 17. The first one, considered as reference system, is based on a centralized electric heat pump coupled with a conventional photovoltaic plant installed 10 years ago. The second one, hereinafter proposed system, has a hybrid configuration, consisting of a ground-source heat pump, a low temperature thermal network and a series of electric heat pumps, one per apartment. In addition, the plant is connected to a high-performance commercial photovoltaic system equipped with a solar tracking system to the panels. Five different solutions realized with vertical, two horizontal orientations, polar and two-axis trackers are taken into account and compared with the standard fixed configuration. The last hybrid configuration can be seen as an upgrade of an existing decentralized air conditioning system in which the local electric heat pumps are converted in water-to-water devices that interact with the thermal grid representing the heat source/sink for them. In both solar electric heating and cooling plants the photovoltaic system is installed on the building roof and it produces electricity to feed the heat pumps and end-users. The electricity surplus or the load not covered by solar field is fed to/taken from power grid. The energy and environmental analyses have been performed by considering both average annual and monthly values of power grid efficiency and CO₂ emission factor for electricity. By comparing reference system and proposed one equipped with a two-axis tracker system a primary fossil energy saving of 101.67% is achieved in summer period and 28.10% in winter period. These percentages are the highest values recorded, even if, for all configurations the energy analysis rewards the proposed system. The results of environmental analysis demonstrate that the reference system has the worst performances compared to proposed system with all solar tracker systems selected guarantying positive values for avoided carbon dioxide index up to 45.86%. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Modeling, Optimization and Control of Solar and Thermal Energy Systems)

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16 pages, 3924 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Very Short-Term Power Forecasting of High Concentrator Photovoltaic Power Facility by Implementing Artificial Neural Network

by Yaser I. Alamin, Mensah K. Anaty, José Domingo Álvarez Hervás, Khalid Bouziane, Manuel Pérez García, Reda Yaagoubi, María del Mar Castilla, Merouan Belkasmi and Mohammed Aggour

Energies 2020, 13(13), 3493; https://doi.org/10.3390/en13133493 - 6 Jul 2020

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 2406

Abstract

Concentrator photovoltaic (CPV) is used to obtain cheaper and more stable renewable energy. Methods which predict the energy production of a power system under specific circumstances are highly important to reach the goal of using this system as a part of a bigger one or of making it integrated with the grid. In this paper, the development of a model to predict the energy of a High CPV (HCPV) system using an Artificial Neural Network (ANN) is described. This system is located at the University of Rabat. The performed experiments show a quick prediction with encouraging results for a very short-term prediction horizon, considering the small amount of data available. These conclusions are based on the processes of obtaining the ANN models and detailed discussion of the results, which have been validated using real data. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Modeling, Optimization and Control of Solar and Thermal Energy Systems)

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17 pages, 2447 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Solar Photovoltaic Panels with Finned Phase Change Material Heat Sinks

by Preeti Singh, Sourav Khanna, Sanjeev Newar, Vashi Sharma, K. Srinivas Reddy, Tapas K. Mallick, Victor Becerra, Jovana Radulovic, David Hutchinson and Rinat Khusainov

Energies 2020, 13(10), 2558; https://doi.org/10.3390/en13102558 - 18 May 2020

Cited by 19 | Viewed by 3219

Abstract

Phase change material (PCM) based passive cooling of photovoltaics (PV) can be highly productive due to high latent heat capacity. However, the low rate of heat transfer limits its usefulness. Thus, the presented work aims at the improvement in PV cooling by using finned PCM (FPCM) heat sinks. In the present study, PCM heat sink and FPCM heat sinks were investigated numerically for PV cooling and the extracted heat is used for space heating. 4 kWp PV, PV-PCM and PV-FPCM systems were studied under the weather conditions of Southeast of England. It was observed that the PCM heat sinks can drop the peak PV temperature by 13 K, whereas FPCM heat sinks can enhance the PV cooling by 19 K. The PCM heat sinks can increase the PV electrical efficiency from 13% to 14%. Moreover, the daily electricity generation can be boosted by 7% using PCM and 8% by using FPCM heat sinks. In addition, 7 kWh of thermal output was achieved using the FPCM heat sink, and the overall efficiency of system increased from 13% to 19%. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Modeling, Optimization and Control of Solar and Thermal Energy Systems)

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26 pages, 4257 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Parametric Investigation of a Trigeneration System with an Organic Rankine Cycle and Absorption Heat Pump Driven by Parabolic Trough Collectors for the Building Sector

by Evangelos Bellos and Christos Tzivanidis

Energies 2020, 13(7), 1800; https://doi.org/10.3390/en13071800 - 8 Apr 2020

Cited by 17 | Viewed by 2591

Abstract

This article presents a simulation study which focuses on the thermodynamic analysis of a solar-driven trigeneration system for heating, cooling, and electricity production. The system uses parabolic trough collectors operating with Therminol VP-1 for feeding an organic Rankine cycle operating with toluene and an absorption heat pump operating with a LiBr–H₂O working pair. The collecting area is selected at 100 m² and the storage tank at 4 m³. The system is studied parametrically in order to examine the impact of various parameters on the system energy efficiency, system exergy efficiency, electricity production, heating production, and cooling production in the simple payback period of the investment. The examined parameters are the following: solar beam irradiation level, solar beam irradiation angle, superheating degree in the turbine inlet, pressure level in the turbine inlet, heat source temperature level, generator temperature level, and the heat input in the generator. For the nominal case of a 15 kW generator input, the electricity production is 6.3 kW, the heating production 11.5 kW, and the cooling production 10.7 kW. The system energy efficiency is 40.7%, while the system exergy efficiency is 12.7%. The financial investigation of the investment proved that it is viable with the simple payback period to be 8.1 years in the nominal case and it can be reduced to 7.8 years with an optimization procedure. Lastly, it has to be said that the examined system is found to be a viable configuration which is an ideal choice for application in the building sector. The analysis was conducted under steady-state conditions with a model developed using Engineering Equation Solver (EES). Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Modeling, Optimization and Control of Solar and Thermal Energy Systems)

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22 pages, 2968 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Standard-Based Method to Simulate the Behavior of Thermal Solar Systems with a Stratified Storage Tank

by Edoardo Alessio Piana, Benedetta Grassi and Laurent Socal

Energies 2020, 13(1), 266; https://doi.org/10.3390/en13010266 - 5 Jan 2020

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3119

Abstract

Thermal solar systems are interesting solutions to reduce CO

_{2}

Thermal solar systems are interesting solutions to reduce CO

_{2}

emissions and gradually promote the use of renewable sources. However, sizing such systems and analysing their behavior are still challenging issues, especially for the trade-off between useful solar energy maximization and stagnation risk minimization. The new EPB (Energy Performance of Buildings) standard EN 15316-4-3:2017 offers several methods to evaluate the performance of a forced circulation solar system. One of them is a dynamic hourly method that must be used together with EN 15316-5:2017 for the simulation of the stratified storage tank connected with the solar loop. In this work, such dynamic hourly method is extended to provide more realistic predictions. In particular, modeling of the pump operation due to solar fluid temperature exceeding a set threshold, or due to low temperature differential between solar field and storage tank, is introduced as an on–off control. The implemented code is applied to a case study of solar system for the preparation of domestic hot water and the impact of different design parameters is evaluated. The model predicts a higher risk of overtemperature lock-out or stagnation when the solar field surface is increased, the storage volume is reduced and water consumption is set to zero to simulate summer vacation periods. Finally, a simple modulating control with a time step of a few seconds to a few minutes is introduced, quantitatively showing the resulting benefits in terms of useful solar energy increase, back-up operation savings and reduced auxiliary energy use. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Modeling, Optimization and Control of Solar and Thermal Energy Systems)

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38 pages, 15341 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Feasibility Analysis and Performance Evaluation and Optimization of a DXSAHP Water Heater Based on the Thermal Capacity of the System: A Case Study

by Jorge E. De León-Ruiz, Ignacio Carvajal-Mariscal and Antonin Ponsich

Energies 2019, 12(20), 3883; https://doi.org/10.3390/en12203883 - 14 Oct 2019

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2409

Abstract

The present work conducts an evaluation of the feasibility and the overall performance and consequent optimization of a direct expansion solar assisted heat pump (DXSAHP) employed for domestic water heating. For the study conducted R134a, R404A, R407C and R410A working fluids were evaluated as well as the use of four, six and eight flat-plate solar collectors and a worktime ranging from 1 to 6 h. The case study is based in Mexico City with a 300 L container and a hot water outlet temperature of 51 °C. The paper introduces a new evaluation criterion based on the thermal capacity and all the evaluations conducted throughout this research revolve around this performance metric. The results show that, the system would require at least 4 h of operation to achieve the outlet temperature. Additionally, it was found that the R410A refrigerant has the best heat transfer properties; with an average condensation heat rate of 6.31 kW, followed by the R407C with 5.72 kW, the R404A with 5.42 kW and the R134a with 5.18 kW. Diversely, the R134a refrigerant requires 0.402 kW of compression work, 62% less than the R410A, which requires 1.06 kW. Consequently, R134a delivers the highest COP, which ranges from 7 to 14, followed by the R407C and R404A refrigerants, which present a similar behaviour between them, with COP ranging from 5 to 9 and 4 to 8, respectively, and finally the R410A, achieving the lowest COP, ranging from 3.5 to 6.5. Moreover, it was found that the R134a presents a higher dispersion regarding the energy exchange rate, which reveals that it is the fluid most susceptible to external factors, such as the weather. Contrarily, the remaining refrigerants present a more consistent performance. Finally, the optimization revealed that the R407C refrigerant is the most suitable given that it requires 20% less compression work than the R404A. This provides the heat pump system with a steadier behaviour, a COP ranging from 7 to 8, 30% higher than R410A, a worktime decrease of 1.5 h and heat transfer area of 5.5 flat-plate solar collectors, equivalent to a 31% reduction, both compared to R134a. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Modeling, Optimization and Control of Solar and Thermal Energy Systems)

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