ETDs

This collection includes most of the ASU Theses and Dissertations from 2011 to present. ASU Theses and Dissertations are available in downloadable PDF format; however, a small percentage of items are under embargo. Information about the dissertations/theses includes degree information, committee members, an abstract, supporting data or media.

In addition to the electronic theses found in the ASU Digital Repository, ASU Theses and Dissertations can be found in the ASU Library Catalog.

Dissertations and Theses granted by Arizona State University are archived and made available through a joint effort of the ASU Graduate College and the ASU Libraries. For more information or questions about this collection contact or visit the Digital Repository ETD Library Guide or contact the ASU Graduate College at gradformat@asu.edu.

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Analysis of Local Impact of Rooftop Photovoltaic Panels

Description
Rooftop photovoltaic (PV) systems are becoming increasingly common as the efficiency of solar panels increase, the cost decreases, and worries about climate change increase and become increasingly prevalent. An under explored aspect of rooftop solar systems is the thermal effects that the systems have on the local area. These effects…

Rooftop photovoltaic (PV) systems are becoming increasingly common as the efficiency of solar panels increase, the cost decreases, and worries about climate change increase and become increasingly prevalent. An under explored aspect of rooftop solar systems is the thermal effects that the systems have on the local area. These effects are investigated in this paper to determine the overall impact that solar systems have on the heating and cooling demands of a building as well as on the efficiency losses of the solar panels due to the increased temperature on the panels themselves. The specific building studied in this paper is the Goldwater Center for Science and Engineering located in the Tempe campus of Arizona State University. The ambient conditions were modeled from a typical July day in Tempe. A numerical model of a simple flat roof was also created to find the average rooftop temperature throughout the day. Through this study it was determined that solar panels cause a decrease in the maximum temperature of the rooftop during the day, while reducing the ability of the roof to be cooled during the night. The solar panels also saw a high temperature during the day during the most productive time of day for solar panels, which saw a decrease in total energy production for the panels.
ContributorsNaber, Nicholas (Author) / Huang, Huei-Ping (Thesis advisor) / Phelan, Patrick (Committee member) / Bocanegra, Luis (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2022
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Effect of Electrolyte Concentration on the Electric Output of Thermogalvanic Cells with Schwartz-P Plastic Structures

Description
The energy consumed by buildings occupies a large part of energy consumption and carbon emissions. Meanwhile, enormous amounts of waste heat from buildings and the swiftly increasing demand for electric energy have become one of the essential contradictions that scientists pay attention to. As a result, how to make use…

The energy consumed by buildings occupies a large part of energy consumption and carbon emissions. Meanwhile, enormous amounts of waste heat from buildings and the swiftly increasing demand for electric energy have become one of the essential contradictions that scientists pay attention to. As a result, how to make use of the waste heat to generate electric energy becomes an appreciable research topic. In the latest research, it is common to convert the thermal energy generated by the temperature difference into electrical energy using the Seebeck effect. In previous research, a prototype of a thermogalvanic cell with graphite as the electrodes and a combination of Iron (II) and Iron (III) perchlorate salts (Fe(ClO4)2, Fe(ClO4)3) as the electrolyte, and with a 3D-printed Schwarz-P structure, was designed and assembled for achieving the energy conversion. The research shows that the incorporation of a 3D-printed Schwarz-P structure improves the thermogalvanic cell’s performance and increases the temperature difference across the cell. Here we focus on the same type of thermogalvanic cell prototype and keep the same working temperature difference but use different electrolyte concentrations (0.05, 0.10, 0.15, 0.20, and 0.25 mol/L) to measure the electric output, including open-circuit voltage, short-circuit current, and maximum output power, and the internal resistance. The results indicate that the open-circuit voltage and maximum output power increase with the rise of electrolyte concentrations, and the short-circuit current decreases with the rise of electrolyte concentrations.
ContributorsHan, Xiaochuan (Author) / Phelan, Patric (Thesis advisor) / Huang, Huei-Ping (Committee member) / Bocanegra, Luis (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2022
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Improving the Refrigeration System for a Distributed Cold Supply Chain

Description
Failures in the cold chain, the system of refrigerated storage and transport that provides fresh produce or other essentials to be maintained at desired temperatures and environmental conditions, lead to food and energy waste. The mini container (MC) concept is introduced as an alternative to conventional refrigerated trucks (“reefers”), particularly…

Failures in the cold chain, the system of refrigerated storage and transport that provides fresh produce or other essentials to be maintained at desired temperatures and environmental conditions, lead to food and energy waste. The mini container (MC) concept is introduced as an alternative to conventional refrigerated trucks (“reefers”), particularly for small growers. The energy consumption and corresponding GHG emissions for transporting tomatoes in two cities representing contrasting climates is analyzed for conventional reefers and the proposed mini containers. The results show that, for partial reefer loads, using the MCs reduces energy consumption and GHG emissions. The transient behavior of the vapor compression refrigeration cycle is analyzed by considering each component as a “lumped” system, and the resulting sub-models are solved using the Runge Kutta 4th-order method in a MATLAB code at hot and cold ambient temperatures. The time needed to reach steady state temperatures and the temperature values are determined. The maximum required compressor work in the transient phase and at steady state are computed, and as expected, as the ambient temperature increases, both values increase. Finally, the average coefficient of performance (COP) is determined for varying heat transfer coefficient values for the condenser and for the evaporator. The results show that the average COP increases as heat transfer coefficient values for the condenser and the evaporator increase. Starting the system from rest has an adverse effect on the COP due to the higher compressor load needed to change the temperature of the condenser and the evaporator. Finally, the impact on COP is analyzed by redirecting a fraction of the cold exhaust air to provide supplemental cooling of the condenser. It is noted that cooling the condenser improves the system's performance better than cooling the fresh air at 0% of returned air to the system.To sum up, the dissertation shows that the comparison between the conventional reefer and the MC illustrates the promising advantages of the MC, then a transient analysis is developed for deeply understanding the behaviors of the system component parameters, which leads finally to improvements in the system to enhance its performance.
ContributorsSyam, Mahmmoud Muhammed (Author) / Phelan, Patrick (Thesis advisor) / Villalobos, Rene (Thesis advisor) / Huang, Huei-Ping (Committee member) / Bocanegra, Luis (Committee member) / Al Omari, Salah (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2023