Browse Topic: Off-board energy sources
ABSTRACT Situations exist that require the ability to preposition a basic level of energy infrastructure. Exploring and developing the arctic’s oil potential, providing power to areas damaged by natural or man-made disasters, and deploying forward operating bases are some examples. This project will develop and create a proof-of-concept electric power prepositioning system using small autonomous swarm robots each containing a power electronic building block. Given a high-level power delivery requirement, the robots will self-organize and physically link with each other to connect power sources to storage and end loads. Each robot mobile agent will need to determine both its positioning and energy conversion strategy that will deliver energy generated at one voltage and frequency to an end load requiring a different voltage and frequency. Although small-scale robots will be used to develop the negotiation strategies, scalability to existing, large-scale robotic vehicles will be
ABSTRACT This paper describes next generation modeling tools to solve a basic problem of concept analysis, which is the lack of component models that realistically estimate the performance of technology that has yet to be fully reduced to specific products. Three important classes of electric power components essential to future Army vehicles are addressed: integrated electric machines, battery energy storage, and traction motor drives. Behavior models are delivered in a common software simulation “wrapper” with a limited number of user settings that allow the ratings of the component to be scaled to the performance required by the vehicle concept represented in a larger simulation. This approach captures expert knowledge about components so the systems engineer managing the concept analysis can create reliable simulations quickly
ABSTRACT An efficient and collaborative process for the realization and implementation of an electrical power management strategy for a modern military vehicle is demonstrated. Power, software and hardware engineers working together and using simulation and emulation tools are able to develop, simulate and validate a power strategy before prototype vehicle integration, reducing integration cost and time. For demonstration, an intelligent electrical power management strategy is developed for a generic military vehicle with conventional engine/transmission propulsion and an inline generator. The challenge of this architecture is maintaining electrical bus stability/regulation at low engine speed given that electrical power demands may exceed power supplied. The intelligent electrical power management strategy presented limits the total power demand to power available by overriding the demands of the individual loads. Based on load prioritization and vehicle system dynamics, power limits
ABSTRACT A sudden increase in microgrid electrical power consumption requires the fast supply of energy from different generating sources to guarantee microgrid voltage stability. This paper presents the results of simulations investigating the integration of an electric supercharger into a Heavy Duty Diesel (HDD) genset connected to a microgrid for reducing engine speed droop in response to an abrupt power demand requested from the grid. First, a mean value model for the 13 L HDD engine is used to study the response of the baseline turbocharged engine during a fast load increase at low engine speed. The limited air mass in the cylinder during the transient results in engine lugging and ultimately engine stall. Then, an electrical supercharger is integrated before the turbocharger compressor to increase the engine air charge. During steady state operation, the simulation results indicate that the supercharger is able to increase the air-charge by approximately 50% over the lower half
ABSTRACT Military ground vehicles need greater electrical power generation to address continually increasing power demands due to various loads, e.g. advanced communications equipment, jamming equipment, electronic armor, and electronic weapons system. More electrical power is also required for electrification of auxiliary systems (steering, cooling fans, HVAC, and pumps) to improve system efficiency - currently driven mechanically. Electrical equipment can be powered from the 600 volt DC bus power supply or from the conventional 28 volt DC bus depending on size, cost, weight, cooling, performance, and cooling impact. Appropriate power electronics converters (dc to dc, ac to dc, dc to ac) are used to manipulate the DC source to drive equipment on the Stryker APOP electrical system. These devices are highly efficient and should lead to the reduction of parasitic losses. With the above in perspective, the US Army RDECOM-TARDEC, GVPM (Ground Vehicle Power and Mobility) has been pursuing
It’s common knowledge that a major challenge for solar energy is how to store excess energy produced when conditions are right, like noon-time sun, so that it can be used later. The usual answer is batteries. But renewable energy resources are causing problems for the electricity grid in other ways as well. In a warm, sunny location like California, mid-afternoon had been a time of peak demand for the electric utility, but with solar it’s now a time of peak output
As the U.S. military embraces vehicle electrification, high-reliability components are rising to the occasion to support their advanced electrical power systems. In recent years, electronic device designers have started using wide band-gap (WBG) materials like silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN) to develop the semiconductors required for military device power supplies. These materials can operate at much higher voltages, perform switching at higher frequencies, and feature better thermal characteristics. Compared to silicon, SiC-based semiconductors provide superior performance. The growing availability of these materials, in terms of access and cost, continues to encourage electrification. With the ever-present pressure of size, weight, and power (SWaP) optimization in military applications, and a desire to keep up with the pace of innovation, there's a need for capacitors that can deliver higher power efficiency, switching frequency, and temperature resistance under harsh
Mitigating environmental impacts is ever more crucial as wind energy technology expands to help meet the Nation’s goal of achieving a carbon pollution-free power sector by 2035 and net zero emissions economy by no later than 2050
To expand the availability of electricity generated from nuclear power, several countries have started developing designs for small modular reactors (SMRs), which could take less time and money to construct compared to existing reactors
Penn Engineers have developed a new chip that uses light waves, rather than electricity, to perform the complex math essential to training AI. The chip has the potential to radically accelerate the processing speed of computers while also reducing their energy consumption
Reducing dust accumulation on any surface is key for lunar missions as dust can damage or impair the performance of everything from deployable systems to solar cells on the Moon’s surface. Electrodynamic dust shields (EDSs) are a key method to actively clean surfaces by running high voltages (but low currents) through electrodes on the surface. The forces generated by the voltage efficiently remove built up, electrically charged dust particles. Innovators at the NASA Kennedy Space Center have developed a new transparent EDS for removing dust from space and lunar solar cells among other transparent surfaces
Solar panels are an increasingly popular way to generate electricity from the sun’s energy. Although humans are still figuring out how to reliably turn that energy into fuel, plants have been doing it for eons through photosynthesis. Now, a team reporting in ACS Engineering Au has mimicked the process to produce methane, an energy-dense fuel, from carbon dioxide, water and sunlight. Their prototype system could help pave the way toward replacing nonrenewable fossil fuels
The ongoing transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources has never been more important as climate change and sustainability awareness continue to rise
The automotive PowerNet is in the middle of a major transformation. The main drivers are steadily increasing power demand, availability requirements, and complexity and cost. These factors result in a wide variety of possible future PowerNet topologies. The increasing power demand is, among other factors, caused by the progressive electrification of formerly mechanical components and a constantly increasing number of comfort and safety loads. This leads to a steady increase in installed electrical power. X-by-wire systems1 and autonomous driving functions result in higher availability requirements. As a result, the power supply of all safety-critical loads must always be kept sufficiently stable. To reduce costs and increase reliability, the car manufacturers aim to reduce the complexity of the PowerNet system, including the wiring harness and the controller network. The wiring harness e.g., is currently one of the most expensive parts of modern cars. These challenges are met with a
A commonplace chemical used in water treatment facilities has been repurposed for large-scale energy storage in a new battery design by researchers at the Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. The design provides a pathway to a safe, economical, water-based, flow battery made with Earth-abundant materials. It provides another pathway in the quest to incorporate intermittent energy sources such as wind and solar energy into the nation’s electric grid
A new electrical power converter design achieves a much higher efficiency at lower cost and maintenance than before. The direct current voltage boost converter is poised to be a significant contribution to the further development of improved electric and electronic components for healthcare devices
Rooftop solar panels will soon power about 90% of PFG's Gilroy, California, operations, a starting point for cold food deliveries. The vehicles getting the various edibles and food-related products from the warehouse to restaurants, schools, hotels and other customers include new battery-electric Class 8 trucks that mate to trailers fitted with zero-emission transport refrigeration units (TRUs). “Our Gilroy, California, location is the pilot for how we intend to develop sustainable distribution centers,” said Jeff Williamson, senior vice president of operations for Richmond, Virginia-headquartered Performance Food Group (PFG). Williamson and others were recently interviewed by SAE Media following an Earth Day open house at the Gilroy site
Ice build-up on aircraft and wind turbines can impact the safety and efficiency of their systems
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