Projects

Assessment of global solar radiation in UAE and Lebanon

Description: The research works for UAE are ongoing with the collaboration of colleagues and students at UAE University.  As for Lebanon the research group I am leading is still locating the meteorological and weather data.  

Main contributor(s): Ali Assi

Eventual collaboration / Grants associated: Collaboration with University of UAE, Lebanese University.

Investigation on different control techniques (predictive control, fuzzy logic, etc …) for heaving wave energy converters. 

Main contributor(s): Ali Assi

Eventual collaboration / Grants associated: Collaboration with University of UAE, Lebanese University.

Power Line Communication in a PWM environment

The increasing complexity of “Variable Frequency Drive” VFD control in industry has already pushed big industries towards using “Power Line Communication” PLC technology in order to avoid using supplementary expensive data cables for monitoring and diagnosis. The control information is sent instead in the power cable. This is benefic in the sense that in a small industry hundreds of data cables are used and they may cost up to a 1000$/m installed, hence it would be very economizing to use the PLC technology Not to mention, that it is more secure. At the research level, the work consists on cohabiting power signals with communication signals and ensuring good communication despite the harsh environment and the VFD switching, Implementing control schemes and controlling the machine using the PLC technology. Existing research did not treat this issue. Analyzing the electromagnetic perturbation and the radiation problems in the environment, notably that power cables are not dedicated for HF transmission. Implementing a PLC modem (Hardware and software) that can be tested in industries for marketing purposes.   

Main contributor(s): Marc Mannah

Eventual collaboration / Grants associated: Collaboration with University of Nantes, University of L’UNAM, IETR laboratories.

HIL for Power systems

The evolution of the industry and the increasing need of technology that seem to be unavoidable will cause an increase in the energy consumption. Relying on the nonrenewable energies such as fuel and gaz is constraining in terms of pollution and cost. Therefore, it is becoming mandatory to focus on other sources of energy mainly the renewable ones such as photovoltaic and wind energy. However, the fact that these sources may not be enough to maintain and fulfill the increasing demand tends us toward developing a smart management system for operation of all existing sources at the same time. The concept is described in the figure shown below. The study focuses on analyzing and validating the interaction of all sources of power. An emulated wind plant, a photovoltaic source and a storage unit (Phase Change Materials technology) coordinate together in order to supply power efficiently. To generalize the study, a virtual power system is used as a load and will be implemented in a real time simulator. A supervision system SCADA controls the different components and provides protection and security against all kind of failures. It also allows the coordination between these different sources in a way to accommodate the power system need efficiently.

Main contributor(s): Marc Mannah