Suchergebnisse

The use of photovoltaic panels is rising, and its use will play a significant role in achieving the European Union's target of 20% of energy consumption coming from renewable resources. At the same time, suppliers of solar energy panels aim to optimise the use of photovoltaic cells. This can be done, for example, by using intelligent methods of cooling to gain the maximum electrical output possible, and minimizing cost by reducing the number of cells without compromise in power output. WS Energia, a national market leader in solar technology, has developed proprietary solutions for the harvesting of solar energy. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) is the method of solving of the Navier-Stokes equations at discrete points via a numerical method. The aim of this study is to use CFD to gain an insight of on two different levels of the photovoltaic unit. The first is to calculate the forces and induced vibrations on the structure with varying wind velocities and profiles. The second objective is to study the heat transfer mechanisms within the solar cell, in order to utilize innovative cooling methods to optimise the electrical output. Preliminary studies consisting of laminar flow in two dimensions have been conducted on a photovoltaic unit. The aim is to validate the computational setup and the turbulence modelling. This will be compared with data aquired in the experimental facilities of WS Energia. More comprehensive simulations are in progress. The commercial Navier-Stokes solver, Ansys Fluent will be used for this study in a newly acquired computational hardware.

This work helps Canadian engineering frrms to compete internationally. It supports government departments and agencies mandated with establishing and maintaining safe waterways, harbours and coastal structures and provides a deeper understanding of hydrodynamic processes for coastal researchers. ; NRC publication: Yes

AbstractRecently in the UK, there has been significant interest in the design of combined sewer overflow chambers and storage tanks. This paper describes an extensive laboratory and computational fluid dynamics study into the hydraulic performance and sediment retention efficiency of tanks. The work has shown that (i) it is possible to predict the flow field which is measured in the laboratory using computational fluid dynamics, and (ii) a critical bed shear stress may be used to determine the extent of sediment deposition. Subsequently a bed shear stress model and the particle tracking routine in 'FLUENT'have been used to compare the sediment retention efficiency of eight different chamber designs. The results showed that the length to breadth ratio of the chamber was the most important parameter to influence sediment deposition, and that changes to the benching and longitudinal gradient of the tank had minimal effect.