Renewable Energy Research

at Wright State University

6th Annual Youngstown State University Sustainable Energy Forum
Youngstown, Ohio 44555
June 2-3, 2014
Jim Menart
Director of Renewable and Clean Energy Program
at Wright State University

Renewable and
Clean energy
Education AT
Wright State




Institutions That Have Been Involved
Wright State University
Degree granting institution

University of Dayton
Degree granting institution
Air Force Institute of Technology
Provides course

Central State
Provides courses
DAGSI
Mechanism for collaboration
RENEWABLE AND CLEAN ENERGY COURSES
Renewable Energy
WSU/ME6530 Energy Conversion
WSU/ME6540 Solar Engineering
WSU/ME6560 Wind Power
WSU/ME7550 Photovoltaics
WSU/ME7520 Hydrogen Energy
UD/MEE573 Renewable Energy Systems
UD/MEE/CME 590 Biomass and Biofuels
UD/MEE590 Geothermal Energy
UD/MEE 590 Wind Energy Engineering
CSU/ME6520 Hydropower

Clean Energy
WSU/ME6570 Energy Materials
WSU/ME6580 Fuel Cell Science and Technology
UD/MEE/CME524 Fuel Cell Fundamentals and Technology
UD/MEE/MAT507 Energy Materials
AFIT/NENG620 Nuclear Reactor Theory and Engineering
CSU/ME6590 Environmental Advances in Coal Based Power Plants


Energy Efficiency
WSU/ME6240 Vehicle Engineering
UD/MEE569 Energy Efficient Buildings
UD/MEE571 Design of Thermal Systems
UD/MEE 572 Design for Environment
UD/MEE 578 Energy Efficient Manufacturing
UD/MEE 590 Energy Information Management

22 Renewable and
Clean Energy Courses
Program Curriculum Overview
One core course in Advanced Thermodynamics required
Three Renewable and Clean Energy courses required
One graduate level math class required
Two elective courses in engineering, math, of science areas
Thesis 9 credits required
Non-thesis option available
Do additional course work to replace thesis credits
Project required
Renewable and
Clean Energy
research AT
Wright State




Energy Research at Wright State
Geothermal Energy
Solar Energy
Thermal Management
Hydrogen Energy Storage
Fuel Cells
Batteries
Supercapacitors
Wind Turbines

Geothermal
Energy Objective
Develop a computer simulation
tool to size a GSHP (ground
source heat pump) system
We have developed two codes:
GEO2D
GEO3D
Wanted to produce temperature
profiles in the ground and ground
loop
Project sponsored by DOE
Use for design and analysis
purposes


Horizontal Loop (from http://
www.treehugger.com/files/2008/07/blowing-hot-and-
cold-on-ground-source-heat-pumps.php )
Vertical Loop (from http://
www.treehugger.com/files/2008/07/blowing-hot-and-
cold-on-ground-source-heat-pumps.php )
GEO2D User Interface
Novice User Home Information
GEO2D User Interface
Soil Properties Selection
GEO2D Inputs
Temperature Profiles for Year 2 In St. Paul, MN
GEO2D Results
COP
GEO2D Results
Economic Results
Solar Power System Modeled
From
http://i01.i.aliimg.com/photo/v0/517775055/
hydrogen_gas_storage_tanks_pressure_ves
sel_chemical.jpg Accessed May 7, 2013.
From
http://www.itwm.fraunhofer.de/fileadmin/ITWM-
Media/Zentral/Bilder/fuel-cell_big.pn May 7, 2013.
From http://ricky1302.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/solar-panel-clip-art.jpg
Accessed May 7, 2013.
Solar Panels
are ultimate
source of
power
House or grid is
the ultimate
load for the
system
Hydrogen
storage
Fuel Cells
produce
hydrogen and
produce power
from hydrogen
Water
Results for Efficient House in Yuma, AZ
(50 modules, 20 kW fuel cell, and 25 kg hydrogen storage)
Quantum Mechanical Simulations of
Novel Two-Dimensional Nanomaterials
Materials
! Graphene
! Silicene
! Hydrogenated silicene
! Lithinated silicene
Uses
! Thermal management
! Hydrogen storage
! Solar cells

Motivations: Novel nanomaterials for energy applications
Graphene, silicene, and beyond
Thermal conductive pyrolytic graphite:
graphene TCPG, extreme thermal conductivity
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R5dwdZCKBZM
Hydrogenation of Silicene
Experimental Work on Batteries, Fuel
Cells, and Supercapacitors
Purpose improve electrochemical
energy storage and conversion
! Lithium-ion batteries
! Low temperature solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC)
! Higher capacity supercapacitors
Specifically
! Use of nanomaterials in lithium-ion batteries
! Thin film use in SOFCs
! Fabrication of micro-SOFCs
! Nanomaterials for supercapacitors
Sol-gel C-coated LiFePO4 Cathode
Porous Si Anode
0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0
-0.0003
-0.0002
-0.0001
0.0000
0.0001
0.0002


C
u
r
r
e
n
t

D
e
n
s
i
t
y

(

A
/
c
m
2
)
Voltage (V)
flat Si wafer
porous Si
0 400 800 1200 1600
0.0
0.5
1.0
1.5
2.0
2.5
3.0
3.5


V
o
l
t
a
g
e

(
V
)
Capacity (mAh/g)
Nanomaterials for Lithium-Ion Batteries
80nm Pt/50nm GDC/50nm YSZ/80nm Pt
0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1
1.2
0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5
Current density (A/cm
2
)
V
o
l
t
a
g
e

(
V
)
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
400
450
P
o
w
e
r

d
e
n
s
i
t
y

(
m
W
/
c
m
2
)
250C 300C
350C 400C
400
o
C: 400mW/cm
2

350
o
C: 200mW/cm
2

Si
YSZ

Pt
SiN
GDC
Characteristics of Micro-SOFCs at Low Temperature
! "!! #!! $!! %!! &!! '!! (!! )!! *!! "!!!
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Inkjet Printing
Lanthanum Strontium Cobalt Ferrite Cathode
-0.3 0.0 0.3 1.0 1.3 2.0 2.3 3.0 3.3 4.0 4.3
-1.0
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0.0
0.3
1.0
1.3
2.0


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(
A
/
g
)
volLage (v)
0-2.3 v 20mv/s
0-3 v 20mv/s
0-3.3 v 20mv/s
0-4 v 20mv/s
C
s p
= 67 l /g
C
s p
= 82 l /g
C
s p
= 107 l /g
C
s p
= 143 l /g
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(
A
/
g
)
volLage (v)
3 mv/s
20 mv/s
30 mv/s
C
s p
= 109.6
74
62 l /g
GO: 149F/g up to 4V; GO-MnO
2
: 110F/g up to 1V
Capacitance Characteristics of Graphene Oxide (GO) and
Graphene Oxide Manganese Dioxide (GO-MnO
2
)
Wind Turbine Experiments
! Experimental studies on the characteristic of tip vortices in
the near wake of horizontal axis wind turbines and the way
to reduce the effect of tip vortices

! Experimental studies on bio-inspired quiet turbine blades
Experimental Setup
" Wlnd Lunnel LesL secuon 2 2
" 1esL condluon: 6m/s ~ 7m/s
" Nd: Yag laser: laser thickness=2mm, 120mJ/
pulse
" High resolution CCD camera
" Fog generator: water based droplet (1m)
" Digital delay generator
" Tachometer
" JR3 Load cell for force measurement
Experimental setup
t=t
0 t
L
U
!
!
=
t= t
0
+!t

!L
Raw image pair
Processed velocity vectors
Tip vortices visualization
X (mm)
Y
(
m
m
)
-50 0 50 100 150 200
0
50
100
150
200 0.0 0.4 0.9 1.3 1.7 2.1 2.6 3.0 3.4 3.9 4.3 4.7 5.1 5.6 6.0
6
Velocity (m/s)
U-component
m/s
Phase Angle = 0 deg
Wind Turbine
Tip shape
without tip
X (mm)
Y
(
m
m
)
-50 0 50 100 150 200
0
50
100
150
200 0.0 0.4 0.9 1.3 1.7 2.1 2.6 3.0 3.4 3.9 4.3 4.7 5.1 5.6 6.0
6
Velocity (m/s)
U-component
m/s
Phase Angle = 45 deg
Wind Turbine
Tip shape
without tip
X (mm)
Y
(
m
m
)
-50 0 50 100 150 200
0
50
100
150
200 0.0 0.4 0.9 1.3 1.7 2.1 2.6 3.0 3.4 3.9 4.3 4.7 5.1 5.6 6.0
6
Velocity (m/s)
U-component
m/s
Phase Angle = 90 deg
Wind Turbine
Tip shape
without tip
X (mm)
Y
(
m
m
)
-50 0 50 100 150 200
0
50
100
150
200 0.0 0.4 0.9 1.3 1.7 2.1 2.6 3.0 3.4 3.9 4.3 4.7 5.1 5.6 6.0
6
Velocity (m/s)
U-component
m/s
Phase Angle = 135 deg
Wind Turbine
Tip shape
without tip
Phase angle=0 Phase angle=45 Phase angle=90
Phase angle=135
Visualization Phase angle=0 Visualization Phase angle=60
Formation of tip vortex
Ideas to Eliminate Tip Vortices
Flat end Plate
(4.5X6.75mm)
(9X11.25mm)
Curved end Plate
Curve radius = 125mm
Ogee shape tip
Negative winglet Positive winglet Airfoil shape end plate
Incoming
flow
# How to eliminate the formation of vortex?
" Restrict the flow around the tip
" Delay or modulate the meet between slow
and fast flow downstream of the blade
Winglet on aircraft
Decay of the tip vortices
Decay curves for different tip
Part II: Quiet Airfoil Design

Reduce
Trailing
Edge Noise
Sound
Absorbing
Trailing
Edge
Reduce
Friction
Noise
Lower
Turbulence
Level
Grooves
Increase
Efficiency
Leading
Edge
Serrations
?
Velvety fringes
Uneven surface
Serrated lead edge
Velvety surface
Quiet Turbine Blade Design

0
0.002
0.004
0.006
0.008
0.01
-100 -30 0 30 100
1
k
L

! #$$%
&'()'*+,- ./,+01 2,+(34
8asellne Alrfoll
Creen Clue Alrfoll
Palr Alrfoll
LL Creen Clue Alrfoll
Baseline
Green glue
Hair
LE green glue
Summary
Wright State offers one of the few Engineering Masters
Degrees in Renewable and Clean Energy
We collaborate with other schools

Wright State has or is doing Renewable and Clean
Energy Research in
Geothermal Energy, Solar Energy, Thermal Management,
Hydrogen Energy Storage, Fuel Cells, Batteries, Supercapacitors,
Wind Turbines



Acknowledgements
I would like to thank the faculty and
graduate students who participate in
the Renewable and Clean Energy
Program at Wright State University
Dr. Hong Huang
Dr. Amir Farijan
Dr. Zifeng Yang
Dr. Rory Roberts
Many graduate students