Solar Energy Systems
Courses
Learning Outcome
After the successful participation in the course Solar Thermal Cooling the students are able to:
- understand the use of solar thermal energy for air conditioning
- analyse the size of solar thermal plants for air conditioning (as components and as total system) and the connection of the system to the building
Content
- Solar thermal cooling and solar thermal assisted air conditioning:
- space cooling and refrigeration
- cooling and dehumidification
- energy demand for cooling and dehumidification
- Fundamentals and basics of absorption cooling:
- energy and mass balance of absorption cycle, solution field
- thermodynamics and efficiency
- working pairs
- enthalpy-concentration chart
- Basics of cooling towers, humid air, cooling tower concepts:
- wet cooling towers/dry cooling towers
- absorption cycles using LiBr-water or other working pairs like NH3-water and organic pairs, cycle schematic
- Balances of the components:
- evaporator, condenser, absorber, desorber, solution heat exchanger, pump, expansion valves, figures of merit, performance coefficient, pump work ratio, design and technical details
- typical component design, crystallisation prevention, maintenance of vacuum
- System integration, control, characteristic equation, buffer and storage tanks, solar fraction, primary energy rate, water consumption, economics; state of the art of absorption chillers and new developments
- Solid sorption, basics of absorption cooling, energy and mass balance of absorption cycle, thermodynamics and efficiency; working pairs, Silicagel-water, Zeolite-water, Ammonium salts, state of the art and new developments
- Further thermally driven cooling systems:
- open desiccant systems, solid desiccant systems, basics, design, working pairs, application, liquid desiccant systems, basics, design, working pairs
- Application:
- jet-cycle systems
- double-effect absorption cycle
- examples of installed systems
Details
- Lecturer: Salman Ajib
- Teaching method: lecture
- SWS: 2
- Credit points: 2
- Examination: written exam
Learning Outcome
After the successful participation in the course Concentrated Solar Thermal Systems the students are able to:
- reflect the fundamental characteristics and capabilities as well as impacts of concentrating solar power (CSP) stations within national electricity supply schemes
- understand the fundamentals of international cooperation for solar electricity export and long-distance transmission
- assess the technical and economic potential of CSP in a country and to identify the best sites for project development
Content
- Fundamentals:
- solar meteorology
- principles of solar electricity generation
- fluctuating and balancing power, storability
- short and long-term reserve capacity
- environmental impacts of CSP plants
- Assessment of CSP potentials:
- mapping and time series of direct-normal irradiance (DNI)
- mapping of site characteristics with geographic information systems
- simplified modelling of CSP performance
- mapping and evaluation of CSP potentials
- Creating scenarios for sustainable electricity:
- target definition and sustainability
- quantify the perspectives of electricity demand
- quantify renewable electricity potentials
- other electricity sources
- how to match time series of electricity load and supply, technical and economic learning curves
- least cost optimization
- Concentrating solar power for seawater desalination:
- water demand perspectives in the Middle East and North Africa
- concepts for solar powered seawater desalination
- scenarios for sustainable freshwater supply
- economic and environmental impacts
- Trans-mediterranean interconnection:
- CSP in the European electricity mix
- opportunities of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM)
- long-term perspectives of CSP in Europe, MENA and worldwide
- economic and environmental impacts
Details
- Lecturer: Adel Khalil
- Teaching method: lecture, project
- SWS: 2
- Credit points: 2
- Examination: written exam
Learning Outcome
After the successful participation in the course Photovoltaic Systems the students are able to:
- select optimal(standalone, decentralized) PV systems according to specific application and resources conditions
- estimate the techno-economic performance criteria
- implement standard PV simulation software tools for system design
Content
- Decentralized and stand-alone PV hybrid systems:
- modular PV systems technology for decentralized AC-power supply
- large decentralized PV systems (fixed mounted and tracking systems, power condition units and grid integration)
- PV stand-alone and hybrid systems configurations and components performance
- supervisory control and energy management strategies for PV decentralized systems
- storage technology for PV stand-alone systems (super-capacitors, batteries, electrolysis and fuel cells);
- power conditioning units for decentralized and stand-alone PV-Systems and components (battery charger, bidirectional converters, fuel cell inverters)
- Economics:
- specific energy cost calculation
- techno-economic performance criteria of stand-alone PV and hybrid systems
- Design aspects:
- methodologies for sizing PV hybrid systems
- design of stand-alone PV hybrid system (load demand synthesis, component sizing, evaluation of performance criteria)
- implementing simulation tools for designing PV stand-alone systems case study via project work (design of stand-alone PV system)
Details
- Lecturer: Mohamed Ibrahim
- Teaching method: project, seminar
- SWS: 2
- Credit points: 2
- Examination: midterm assignments; group report