Control of offshore wind farms to improve power system inertial and frequency response
Chuyang Wang
The offshore wind market has been expanding rapidly and reaching maturity during recent years. However, the increasing penetration of wind energy will pose a huge challenge to the technical and operational aspects of the power system. Unlike conventional synchronous generators, power electronics converters are implemented in wind farms in the connections to grid. This will significantly reduce the system inertia and as a consequence, the power system will be less resilient to frequency changes. This project aims to design and optimise a control system of wind farms providing synthetic inertia to the power system, thereby improving the frequency stability.
Supervisors:
Prof. Tim Green, Energy Futures Lab/Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Imperial College London
What is the feasibility of using waste or by-products sourced from hemp production to create green building materials in order to reduce carbon emissions?
Haseeb Usmani
Understanding the feasibility of using waste or by-products sourced from hemp production to create green building materials in order to reduce carbon emissions. The study will be subjected to the following: (1) Estimate the Carbon balance and GHG Emissions of hempcrete and conventional concrete via a Life Cycle Assessment. (2) Develop market projection scenarios in order to understand the potential impacts of the introduction of hempcrete in terms of % share of the construction market via a Systems Dynamic Model.
Supervisors:
Dr. Jeremy Woods, Centre for Environmental Policy, Imperial College London
Life cycle modeling of ammonia utilization as a green energy vector
Huaqiu Zhang
A life cycle assessment on ammonia utilization as fuel in Mongolia; including production, storage, distribution, utilisation and environmental impact. In addition, the socioeconomic positioning of a potential ammonia economy under a projected Mongolian energy business model is discussed. Ammonia could fulfil Mongolia’s future energy needs as a sustainable and clean fuel. It is a strong alternative green fuel to hydrogen due to the existing ammonia infrastructure for production and distribution, as well as ease of storage.
Supervisors:
Prof. Anna Korre, Energy Futures Lab/Earth Science & Engineering, Imperial College London
Dr. Antonis Sergis, Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Imperial College London
Prof. Yannis Hardalupas, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Imperial College London
A parametric and probabilistic study on the environmental impacts of urban controlled-environment agriculture
Jasmin Pockrandt
There is an increasing interest in controlled- environment agriculture in order to foster local and sustainable food systems. However, the environmental performance of these systems depends on a multitude of factors and is far from being optimised. This project aims to identify and quantify the influence of key drivers of environmental impact of CEA. A model is built in python in order to couple an urban modelling platform for farm design, crop production and thermal simulation with life cycle assessments. 6600 farms are generated based on 25 input parameters. A sensitivity analysis is then performed by evaluating the correlation between the input parameters and life cycle impact scores.
Supervisors:
Dr. Rupert J. Myers, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Imperial College London
Opportunities for strategic clustering to promote sustainable development in West Africa
Michael Darzi
This project provides a holistic view of the energy crisis in West Africa and the significant social and economic repercussions as a result of the energy poverty nexus. It incorporates key factors and indicators into a SWOT analysis to strategically cluster West African countries together, combining their strengths and complementing each other's weaknesses. This aims to promote inter-regional trading of resources and energy, support sustainable development, and dynamic economic growth. As a result, SSA could witness a surge in energy access via reliable and affordable energy, an increase in employment opportunities, and an improvement in the quality of life, safety, health, and education.
Supervisors:
Dr. Philip Sandwell, Department of Physics, Imperial College London
Prof. Jenny Nelson, Department of Physics, Imperial College London
GroundSpark: A Novel Energy Access Web-Platform for Mobilising Prosumer Communities in Africa
Nicholas Nabil Tebogo Rawhani
GroundSpark takes a novel approach to accelerating universal energy access in Sub-Saharan Africa by empowering people in local communities to become a vital part of their own energy access transitions. Combining decentralised, capacity-building educational approaches with capacity-amplifying web tools, a network between investors, energy service providers and communities is proposed which aims to set a new trend in energy system delivery. With the entire world in a challenging process of learning about the dynamics between society and technology, GroundSpark represents a learning arena which can benefit fields beyond energy, and regions beyond Africa.
Supervisors:
Dr. Jeremy Woods, Centre for Environmental Policy, Imperial College London
Sustainable electrification of rural areas in the district of Batticaloa in Sri Lanka
Rachel Locquet
In the district of Batticaloa in Sri Lanka, 2% of the population lacks access to electricity, mainly in rural areas. My research aims to find a cost-optimal and sustainable way to provide electricity to those areas by modelling the region’s electricity network over the next 20 years. Two options are considered: the use of mini-grids (solar PV and battery storage) and national grid expansion. I suggest an investment plan for this electricity system and analyse the impacts that such a system can have on the economic and social development of the district. My research will provide a sustainable electrification strategy that will allow the district to reach a 100% electrification rate.
Supervisors:
Dr. Philip Sandwell, Department of Physics, Imperial College London
Maria Yliruka , Department of Chemical Engineering, Imperial College London
Techno-Economic Analysis of Coal-to-Biomass Conversion in Slovenia
Tejo Jehart
Coal generation supplies around 1/3 of electricity in Slovenia, delivered by a single Power Plant Šoštanj. With increasing pressures for renewable shares, this recently commissioned power plant could soon become a stranded asset. This project performs a techno-economic analysis of converting coal Power Plant Šoštanj to run on biomass. It presents a Levelized Cost of Electricity for converted plant and showcases the level of governmental support needed. It further presents the share of renewable generation in Slovenia after conversion and whether this is enough to meet 2030 targets. In addition, it estimates the carbon price needed for biomass to become commercially competitive with coal.
Supervisors:
Dr. Ajay Gambhir, The Grantham Institute for Climate Change, Imperial College London
Dr. Alexandre Koberle , The Grantham Institute for Climate Change, Imperial College London
Dr Iain Staffell, Centre for Environmental Policy, Imperial College London