Mid Term Test

Remote Area Power Supply: MIET2009

STUDENT NAME _________________________________________________

STUDENT NUMBER ______________________________________________



Subject Details
Course code: MIET2009
Course name: Remote Area Power Supply Systems
Lecturer: Prof. Aliakbar Akbarzadeh
Date of exam: May 18, 2011
Time of exam: 13:30 am to 15:00 am
Duration of exam: 1.5 hours






Allowable Materials and Instructions to Candidates:

1. Write your full name and student number on each examination booklet together with the
number of examination books used. Students must not write during reading time.

2. The examination paper contains 7 questions.

3. Attempt all questions and all parts of the chosen questions. Carry out the instructions on
the front cover of the examination booklet.

4. The Exam is CLOSED book and CLOSED notes.

5. Please do not take the papers apart.










REMOTE AREA POWER SUPPLY SYSTEMS: MIET 2009

Questions

1. A photovoltaic system for a certain house after supplying the day time load, the surplus
electrical energy available is 6.76 kWh. Considering a PEM electrolyser with an energy
conversion efficiency (based of the high heating value of hydrogen - HHV) of 87%, a
system for storing hydrogen at atmospheric pressure (assume no losses), and a PEM fuel
cell with an energy conversion efficiency (based on HHV) of 60%.
a. Calculate the total amount hydrogen produced by the surplus electricity available in
kg.
b.Will the amount of hydrogen be enough to meet the night time load of 3.40 kWh?

(10 Marks)
2. In a remote homestead near Alice Springs the following electric appliances are used:
a. Four 60W lights 3 hours per day
b.One TV set (300W) 5 hours per day
c. One 80W water pump 1 hour per day
d.One 300W refrigerator 4 hours per day

Design a stand alone power supply system based on photovoltaic as well as auxiliary petrol
generator. Provide schematic clearly indentifying the components and their arrangement. Size
the system according to the load and determine the following:
a. Calculate the daily electrical energy load
b. Calculate the number of panels required
c. Determine the battery storage system for two days storage.
(35Marks)

3. Describe the principle of a salinity gradient solar pond. Use a diagram to indentify zones
and the importance of each region. Give also approximate dimensions where applicable.
(10 Marks)

4. Hot water is supplied to a house by an off-peak electric water heating system (5c/kWh). It
is proposed to retrofit a solar heating unit to the present system. The solar water heating
system is composed of 4m
2
of solar collector with efficiency of 50% costs $1800.
Assuming the yearly average solar radiation of 17.5 MJ/m
2
-day. Calculate the simple
payback period for such system.
(15 Marks)
5. Describe briefly with a sketch a heating and cooling system for a building using ground as
a heat source or heat sink. Identify the key components of the system.
(10 Marks)
6. If you were looking towards the sun at 11:00am in Melbourne today, at what angle would
you have seen it with respect to horizon?
(10 Marks)
7. On the I-V curve of a photovoltaic module show the effect of variation of solar radiation.
(10 Marks)

Useful information:
Melbourne Latitude: 38 South


Hydrogen produced by electrolyser = Excess PV energy over load (kWh)*
Electrolyser efficiency*HHV (kWh/kg)
HHV = 39.7 kWh//kg