Optimal behavior of responsive residential demand considering hybrid phase change materials

Due to communication and technology developments, residential consumers are enabled to participate in Demand Response Programs (DRPs), control their consumption and decrease their cost by using Household Energy Management (HEM) systems. On the other hand, capability of energy storage systems to improve the energy efficiency causes that employing Phase Change Materials (PCM) as thermal storage systems to be widely addressed in the building applications. In this paper, an operational model of HEM system considering the incorporation of more than one type of PCM in plastering mortars (hybrid PCM) is proposed not only to minimize the customerâ s cost in different DRPs but also to guaranty the habitantsâ  satisfaction. Moreover, the proposed model ensures the technical and economic limits of batteries and electrical appliances. Different case studies indicate that implementation of hybrid PCM in the buildings can meaningfully affect the operational pattern of HEM systems in different DRPs. The results reveal that the customerâ s electricity cost can be reduced up to 48% by utilizing the proposed model.

Modelado multi-dominio de máquinas eléctricas. Multi-domain modeling of electric machines

El objetivo general de este proyecto es desarrollar nuevos modelos multi-dominio de máquinas eléctricas para aplicaciones al control y al diagnóstico de fallas. Se propone comenzar con el modelo electromagnético del motor de inducción en base a circuitos magnéticos equivalentes (MEC) validándolo por medio de simulación y de resultados experimentales. Como segundo paso se pretende desarrollas modelos térmicos y mecánicos con el objetivo que puedan ser acoplados al modelo electromagnético y de esta estudiar la interacción de los dominios y se validará mediante resultados de simulación y experimentales el modelo completo. Finalmente se pretende utilizar el modelo multi-dominio como una herramienta para la prueba de nuevas estrategias de control y diagnóstico de fallas. The main objective of this project is the development of new multi-domain models of electric machines for control and fault diagnosis applications. The electromagnetic modeling of the induction motor (IM) will be done using the magnetic equivalent circuits approach. This model will be validated by simulation and by experimental results. As a second step of this project, new mechanical and thermal models for the IM will be developed, with the objective of coupling these models with the electromagnetic one. With this multi-domain model it will be possible to study the interaction between each others. After that, the complete model will be validated by simulation and experimental results. Finally, the model will be used as a tool for testing new control and fault diagnosis strategies.

The challenges of establishing the electric vehicle in Ireland

This thesis investigates the challenges of establishing the electric vehicle (EV) in Ireland and how the Irish government and industry are trying to meet them. It further seeks to provide information on Irish consumers’ attitudes towards the electric vehicle and their willingness to purchase it. The review of the literature showed that the Irish government is investing significant funds in trying to establish the market for the electric vehicle and position itself as a world leader in adopting the electric vehicle. The EV will also have an important role to play in how Ireland meets its targets for CO2 reductions towards 2020. Climate change and use of fossil fuels are driving the need for increased use of renewable energy and increased energy independence while reducing the greenhouse gas emissions that are the leading cause of climate change. The transport sector is almost completely dependent on the use of fossil fuel and resultantly is one of the largest sources of these GHG emissions. These issues are leading to the design and production of more energy efficient and environmentally friendly vehicles. The ultimate goal is to achieve a zero emissions vehicle. The electric vehicle is presently the only vehicle being mass produced that has the potential to be zero emissions. There are however issues that customers may not be willing to overlook such as the lower range of the vehicle and the length of time it takes to recharge. Vehicle cost is also an important issue that customers may not overlook. Knowing what the consumer’s attitudes are towards the EV and their willingness to purchase them is important as these new vehicles begin to appear in the showrooms. The consumers will be vital to how successful this market becomes. Using an online questionnaire methodology, in a sample of 118 consumers, the major conclusion to be drawn from the research is that the vehicle price, the convenience to recharge and vehicle range were the three most essential issues for the consumers if they were purchasing an EV. The success of the electric vehicle market may depend on what measures are taken to overcome them.

Potentially viable solar powered appliances cooling and distillation

Stand alone solar powered refrigeration and water desalination, two of the most popular and sought after applications of solar energy systems, have been selected as the topic of research for the works presented in this thesis. The water desalination system based on evaporation and condensation was found to be the most suitable one to be powered by solar energy. It has been established that highoutput fast-response solar heat collectors used to achieve high rates of evaporation and reliable solar powered cooling system for faster rates of condensation are the most important factors in achieving increased outputs in solar powered desalination systems. Comprehensive reviews of Solar powered cooling/refrigeration and also water desalination techniques have been presented. In view of the fact that the Institute of Technology, Sligo has a well-established long history of research and development in the production of state of the art high-efficiency fast-response evacuated solar heat collectors it was decided to use this know how in the work described in this thesis. For this reason achieving high rates of evaporation was not a problem. It was, therefore, the question of the solar powered refrigeration that was envisaged to be used in the solar powered desalination tofacilitate rapid condensation of the evaporated water that had to be addressed first. The principles of various solar powered refrigeration techniques have also been reviewed. The first step in work on solar powered refrigeration was to successfully modify a conventional refrigerator working on Platen-Munters design to be powered by highoutput fast-response evacuated solar heat collectors. In this work, which was the first ever successful attempt in the field, temperatures as low as —19°C were achieved in the icebox. A new approach in the use of photovoltaic technology to power a conventional domestic refrigerator was also attempted. This was done by modifying a conventional domestic refrigerator to be powered by photovoltaic panels in the most efficient way. In the system developed and successfully tested in this approach, the power demand has been reduced phenomenally and it is possible to achieve 48 hours of cooling power with exposure to just 7 hours of sunshine. The successful development of the first ever multi-cycle intermittent solar powered icemaker is without doubt the most exciting breakthrough in the work described in this thesis. Output of 74.3kg of ice per module with total exposure area of 2.88 m2, or 25.73kg per m2, per day is a major improvement in comparison to about 5-6kg of ice per m2 per day reported for all the single cycle intermittent systems. This system has then become the basis for the development of a new solar powered refrigeration system with even higher output, named the “composite” system described in this thesis. Another major breakthrough associated with the works described in this thesis is the successful development and testing of the high-output water desalination system. This system that uses a combination of the high-output fast-response evacuated solar heat collectors and the multi-cycle icemaker. The system is capable of producing a maximum of 141 litres of distilled water per day per module which has an exposure area of 3.24m2, or a production rate of 43.5 litres per m2 per day. Once again when this result is compared to the reported daily output of 5 litres of desalinated water per m per day the significance of this piece of work becomes apparent. In the presentation of many of the components and systems described in this thesis CAD parametric solid modelling has been used instead of photographs to illustrate them more clearly. The multi-cycle icemaker and the high-output desalination systems are the subject of two patent applications.

Influence of Aerosol Pollution of Atmosphere in Tbilisi on Air Electric Conductivity in Dusheti

The results of investigations of the influence of aerosol pollution of atmosphere in Tbilisi (the capital of the Georgia, city with the greatest level of air pollution) on the total air electric conductivity in Dusheti (the small city, located in 40-45 km to the north of Tbilisi) are represented.

Devolution & Entrenched Household Poverty: Is Scotland less mobile?

The Scottish National Party led Scottish Government has identified household poverty as a key focus for its anti-poverty strategy. The government’s ‘Solidarity Target’ seeks to both increase wealth and increase the share of total income gained by these three deciles. The ability to demonstrate the advantages of policy divergence within Scotland, relative to the other parts of the United Kingdom, is central to the Government’s aim of gaining support for increased powers for the devolved government. This paper seeks to provide evidence on one aspect of the government’s anti- poverty strategy; the degree to which Scotland differs from the rest of the UK over levels of entrenched poverty. The paper demonstrates that not only does Scotland have greater entrenched poverty but that the changes in mobility since the 1990s have impacted on Scotland to a lesser degree than the rest of the UK.

Disaggregating the Household Sector in a 2004 UK Input Output Table and Social Accounting Matrix by Income Quintiles

This paper disaggregates a UK Input-Output (IO) table for 2004 based on household income quintiles from published survey data. In addition to the Input-Output disaggregation, the household components of a UK Income Expenditure (I-E) account used to inform a Social Accounting Matrix (SAM),have also been disaggregated by household income quintile. The focus of this paper is on household expenditure on the UK energy sector.

Poor and Sick: Estimating the relationship between Household Income and Health

This study evaluates the effect of the individual‘s household income on their health at the later stages of working life. A structural equation model is utilised in order to derive a composite and continuous index of the latent health status from qualitative health status indicators. The endogenous relationship between health status and household income status is taken into account by using IV estimators. The findings reveal a significant effect of individual household income on health before and after endogeneity is taken into account and after a host of other factors which is known to influence health, including hereditary factors and the individual‘s locus of control. Importantly, it is also shown that the childhood socioeconomic position of the individual has long lasting effects on health as it appears to play a significant role in determining health during the later stages of working life.

The added value from a general equilibrium analyses of increased efficiency in household energy use

The aim of the paper is to identify the added value from using general equilibrium techniques to consider the economy-wide impacts of increased efficiency in household energy use. We take as an illustrative case study the effect of a 5% improvement in household energy efficiency on the UK economy. This impact is measured through simulations that use models that have increasing degrees of endogeneity but are calibrated on a common data set. That is to say, we calculate rebound effects for models that progress from the most basic partial equilibrium approach to a fully specified general equilibrium treatment. The size of the rebound effect on total energy use depends upon: the elasticity of substitution of energy in household consumption; the energy intensity of the different elements of household consumption demand; and the impact of changes in income, economic activity and relative prices. A general equilibrium model is required to capture these final three impacts.

An investigation of the determinants of household demand for bushmeat in the Serengeti using an open-ended choice experiment

Illegal hunting for bushmeat is regarded as an important cause of biodiversity decline in Africa. We use a stated preferences method to obtain information on determinants of demand for bushmeat in villages around the Serengeti National Park, Tanzania. We estimate the effects of changes in the own price of bushmeat and in the prices of two substitute protein sources – fish and chicken. Promoting the availability of protein substitutes at lower prices would be effective at reducing pressures on wildlife. Supply-side measures that raise the price of bushmeat would also be effective.

Monthly wages in the Swiss Household Panel

This paper describes the construction of monthly income from employment and self employment in the Swiss Household Panel (SHP). It documents the assumptions that have to be taken and addresses possibilities and difficulties when relating monthly income variables with the number of working hours. Finally, some descriptive statistics of the monthly wages are provided from 1999 to 2008. These show a high correlation of wages across the years, which is higher than correlation from yearly wages. This underlies the suitability of these variables on monthly wages for labour market research with the SHP. Median and average hourly wages have increased slightly from 2002 to 2008. The inequality of wages has remained stable for the total population.

Effects of different Incentives on Attrition and Fieldwork Effort in Telephone Household Panel Surveys

Little is known about sample behavior and fieldwork effects of different incentives introduced in a household panel survey. This is especially true for telephone surveys. In a randomized experiment, the Swiss Household Panel implemented one prepaid and two promised nonmonetary incentives in the range of 10 to 15 Swiss Francs (7-10 e), plus a no incentive control group. The aim of the paper is to compare effects of these incentives especially on cooperation, but also on sample selection and fieldwork effort, separated by the household and the subsequent individual level. We find small positive cooperation effects of the prepaid incentive on both the household and the individual level especially in larger households. Sample composition is affected to a very minor extent. Finally, incentives tend to save fieldwork time and partially the number of contacts needed on the individual level.

Household-based malaria control in a highly endemic area of Africa (Tanzania): determinants of transmission and disease and indicators for monitoring - Kilombero Malaria Project

The Kilombero Malaria Project (KMP) attemps to define opperationally useful indicators of levels of transmission and disease and health system relevant monitoring indicators to evaluate the impact of disease control at the community or health facility level. The KMP is longitudinal community based study (N = 1024) in rural Southern Tanzania, investigating risk factors for malarial morbidity and developing household based malaria control strategies. Biweekly morbidity and bimonthly serological, parasitological and drug consumption surveys are carried out in all study households. Mosquito densities are measured biweekly in 50 sentinel houses by timed light traps. Determinants of transmission and indicators of exposure were not strongly aggregated within households. Subjective morbidity (recalled fever), objective morbidity (elevated body temperature and high parasitaemia) and chloroquine consumption were strongly aggregated within a few households. Nested analysis of anti-NANP40 antibody suggest that only approximately 30% of the titer variance can explained by household clustering and that the largest proportion of antibody titer variability must be explained by non-measured behavioral determinants relating to an individual's level of exposure within a household. Indicators for evaluation and monitoring and outcome measures are described within the context of health service management to describe control measure output in terms of community effectiveness.

Origins and efficiency of the electric industry regulation in Spain, 1910-1936

The aim of this paper is to discover the origins of utility regulation in Spain, and to analyse, from a microeconomic perspective, its characteristics and the impact of regulation on consumers and utilities. Madrid and the Madrilenian utilities are taken as a case study. The electric industry in the period studied was a natural monopoly2. Each of the three phases of production, generation, transmission and distribution, had natural monopoly characteristics. Therefore, the most efficient form to generate, transmit and distribute electricity was the monopoly because one firm can produce a quantity at a lower cost than the sum of costs incurred by two or more firms. A problem arises because when a firm is the single provider it can charge prices above the marginal cost, at monopoly prices. When a monopolist reduces the quantity produced, price increases, causing the consumer to demand less than the economic efficiency level, incurring a loss of consumer surplus. The loss of the consumer surplus is not completely gained by the monopolist, causing a loss of social surplus, a deadweight loss. The main objective of regulation is going to be to reduce to a minimum the deadweight loss. Regulation is also needed because when the monopolist fixes prices at marginal cost equal marginal revenue there would be an incentive for firms to enter the market creating inefficiency. The Madrilenian industry has been chosen because of the availability of statistical information on costs and production. The complex industry structure and the atomised demand add interest to the analysis. This study will also provide some light on the tariff regulation of the period which has been poorly studied and will complement the literature on the US electric utilities regulation where a different type of regulation was implemented.