Matching Items (2)
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Description
t temperature (HST) and top-oil temperature (TOT) are reliable indicators of the insulation temperature. The objective of this project is to use thermal models to estimate the transformer's maximum dynamic loading capacity without violating the HST and TOT thermal limits set by the operator. In order to ensure the optimal

t temperature (HST) and top-oil temperature (TOT) are reliable indicators of the insulation temperature. The objective of this project is to use thermal models to estimate the transformer's maximum dynamic loading capacity without violating the HST and TOT thermal limits set by the operator. In order to ensure the optimal loading, the temperature predictions of the thermal models need to be accurate. A number of transformer thermal models are available in the literature. In present practice, the IEEE Clause 7 model is used by the industry to make these predictions. However, a linear regression based thermal model has been observed to be more accurate than the IEEE model. These two models have been studied in this work.

This document presents the research conducted to discriminate between reliable and unreliable models with the help of certain metrics. This was done by first eyeballing the prediction performance and then evaluating a number of mathematical metrics. Efforts were made to recognize the cause behind an unreliable model. Also research was conducted to improve the accuracy of the performance of the existing models.

A new application, described in this document, has been developed to automate the process of building thermal models for multiple transformers. These thermal models can then be used for transformer dynamic loading.
ContributorsRao, Shruti Dwarkanath (Author) / Tylavsky, Daniel J (Thesis advisor) / Holbert, Keith E. (Committee member) / Karady, George G. (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2014
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Description
Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) promote the sustainable conversion of organic matter in black water to electrical current, enabling the production of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) while making waste water treatment energy neutral or positive. H2O2 is useful in remote locations such as U.S. military forward operating bases (FOBs) for on-site tertiary

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) promote the sustainable conversion of organic matter in black water to electrical current, enabling the production of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) while making waste water treatment energy neutral or positive. H2O2 is useful in remote locations such as U.S. military forward operating bases (FOBs) for on-site tertiary water treatment or as a medical disinfectant, among many other uses. Various carbon-based catalysts and binders for use at the cathode of a an MFC for H2O2 production are explored using linear sweep voltammetry (LSV) and rotating ring-disk electrode (RRDE) techniques. The oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) at the cathode has slow kinetics at conditions present in the MFC, making it important to find a catalyst type and loading which promote a 2e- (rather than 4e-) reaction to maximize H2O2 formation. Using LSV methods, I compared the cathodic overpotentials associated with graphite and Vulcan carbon catalysts as well as Nafion and AS-4 binders. Vulcan carbon catalyst with Nafion binder produced the lowest overpotentials of any binder/catalyst combinations. Additionally, I determined that pH control may be required at the cathode due to large potential losses caused by hydroxide (OH-) concentration gradients. Furthermore, RRDE tests indicate that Vulcan carbon catalyst with a Nafion binder has a higher H2O2 production efficiency at lower catalyst loadings, but the trade-off is a greater potential loss due to higher activation energy. Therefore, an intermediate catalyst loading of 0.5 mg/cm2 Vulcan carbon with Nafion binder is recommended for the final MFC design. The chosen catalyst, binder, and loading will maximize H2O2 production, optimize MFC performance, and minimize the need for additional energy input into the system.
ContributorsStadie, Mikaela Johanna (Author) / Torres, Cesar (Thesis director) / Popat, Sudeep (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Chemical Engineering Program (Contributor)
Created2015-05