Papers by Abdullah Al-Badi
Abstract- As electric power distribution systems continue to grow in size and complexity. Reducin... more Abstract- As electric power distribution systems continue to grow in size and complexity. Reducing losses can result in substantial savings for utility. Other benefits from loss reduction include released system capacity, and possible deferral of capital expenditures for system improvements and expansion. While losses in distribution lines are due to copper losses, transformer losses occur due to both copper and core losses. An increase in loading will result in an increase of current flow and correspondingly greater amount of loss in the transformer. Moreover, an unbalance in the system load will increase transformer losses. The harmonic currents will cause a small increase in copper losses; however, the high frequency harmonic voltage can cause large core losses. Frequently, utilities are forced to use an oversized transformer to compensate when a large harmonic presence is indicated. A MATLAB model for the three-phase distribution transformer was built to calculate transformer ef...
2020 6th IEEE International Energy Conference (ENERGYCon), 2020
The operation of microgrids that contain microgeneration units such as wind, photovoltaic, and di... more The operation of microgrids that contain microgeneration units such as wind, photovoltaic, and diesel power generations is always challenging towards the establishment of such microgrids. Such challenges arise due to the intermittent behavior of primary energy sources such as wind and solar. The largest island, Masirah, in the Sultanate of Oman, has significant potential of establishing microgrid using locally available sources of renewable energy. This paper presents the operation and control dynamics of a microgrid system that has significant potential to implement for Masirah Island. The case study microgrid system model has constructed using MATLAB/SIMULINK. The operational behavior of the case study microgrid is analyzed with and without a microgrid controller. It also presents the design and analysis of an efficient microgrid controller that is capable of maintaining an active power balance in the microgrid. The combination of a power absorber circuit and a power-frequency dro...
Inthis paper, afinite element computer modelwas built tocomputethecapacitive coupling component p... more Inthis paper, afinite element computer modelwas built tocomputethecapacitive coupling component produced onunburied pipeline installed nearbyAC powertransmission lines. Moreover, anexperimental reduced-scale rigwasalso built toverify thecomputermodeling approach. A goodcorrelation between theexperimental andsoftware basedsimulated results isobtained whichvalidates themodeling approach ofcoupling between powertransmission line andunburied pipeline.
An effective solution for power generation in an isolated area is to establish microgrids using l... more An effective solution for power generation in an isolated area is to establish microgrids using locally available clean energy sources. The establishment of a microgrid can enhance the integration of renewable power, resiliency, reliability, and efficiency. This paper evaluates the technical viability of developing a microgrid system that includes a mix of renewable and conventional energy along with suitable energy storage facilities for application in an Omani island. Models of different renewable energy systems are presented to evaluate their energy production. Economic indices, such as the net present cost (NPC) and levelized cost of energy (LCOE) are utilized to analyze the economic performance of the proposed microgrid system. Five different microgrid scenarios are designed, and their economic, operational, and environmental performance are evaluated and compared. Two system architectures, namely, microgrid utilizing a mix of renewable energy sources and renewable-conventional...
Distributed Generation units are anticipated to penetrate the distribution system within the next... more Distributed Generation units are anticipated to penetrate the distribution system within the next decade. Despite the many benefits a DG can provide, there are still a lot of challenges that need to be addressed in order to fully deploy DG into the system. One of these challenges is islanding protection. Before a DG can be connected to the distribution system, it must be tested for islanded operation. The paper highlights the benefits of installing distributed generation in the distribution system and focuses on islanding operation. Simulation results describing the performance of different inverter-based DG interfacing on islanding detection are presented. It is concluded that islanding might not be possible to detect in some operational scenarios.
Electrical Science & Engineering
This paper presents a techno-economic investigation of an integrated rooftop solar PV system for ... more This paper presents a techno-economic investigation of an integrated rooftop solar PV system for typical home applications in Oman that reduces the power consumption from the grid and export excess PV generated power back to the gird. Since renewable energy systems design technically depends on the site, this study selects a typical two-story villa in Al-Hamra, Oman as the site. Temperature is one of the critical parameters in this design as it varies widely over the day and has a considerable variation from one season to another in Oman. With the effect of temperature variation, the PV system has designed using system models for the required load of the home. The available rooftop space and the grid-connection availability are two main design constraints have realized in this study. This research also evaluates the economic feasibility of the design system considering the energy export tariff as per the Bulk Supply Tariff (BST) scheme in Oman. The design outcome reveals that the de...
International Journal of Sustainable Energy
ABSTRACT Energy consumption has drastically increased in buildings in several places over the las... more ABSTRACT Energy consumption has drastically increased in buildings in several places over the last decade owing to economic growth and population increase. Substantial energy saving can be attained if these buildings are designed in a proper way. This paper presents a case study about energy-efficient building methods that can be applied in Oman. A residential building was taken as a case study which was evaluated using DesginBuilder software. Several energy efficiency measures (EEMs) such as thermal insulation in walls and roof, high-performance glazing, external shading, LED lights and energy-efficient air conditioning were evaluated. Total energy consumption was reduced by as much as 37%. Adding 6 kW PV and solar water heater can reduce the annual consumption by more than half when compared to the business as usual case. In addition to the technical feasibility, the design with EEM and renewable energy systems was found to be economically attractive. The results from this study provide energy-efficient design guidelines for residential sector in hot climates.
International Journal of Sustainable Engineering
Abstract The design of a new power management tool able to manage the power flow from different r... more Abstract The design of a new power management tool able to manage the power flow from different renewable energy sources is proposed in this paper. PV and wind are the primary power sources for the system, and a fuel cell with electrolyser and batteries are used as reserve. The designed controller purpose is to manage power flows among the different energy systems and to assure a continuous supply of load. Modelling and simulation of the various energy sources of distributed generation (DG) systems including wind turbine (WT), fuel cell-electrolyser (FC), photovoltaic (PV) and battery are developed. The coordination controller is designed based on the criteria of providing the load demand and the excess power is used either to produce hydrogen through electrolyser for the FC or to store it in battery. Simulation is carried out in MATLAB/Simulink environment and the results show satisfactory performance of the coordination scheme to satisfy the load requirements.
Renewable Energy and Power Quality Journal
This paper analyzes the performance of desert type photovoltaic 1.4 kWP grid connected plant. The... more This paper analyzes the performance of desert type photovoltaic 1.4 kWP grid connected plant. The system was installed in College of Engineering, Sultan Qaboos University, Oman and was monitored since April 2012. The experimental results show that the total measured annual energy produced was 2217.6 kWh with average system efficiency of 15% for the first year. The average capacity factor for the system was 17%..
2016 18th Mediterranean Electrotechnical Conference (MELECON), 2016
This paper presents a 2d finite-element analysis for a 33-kV, three-phase, three-core cross-linke... more This paper presents a 2d finite-element analysis for a 33-kV, three-phase, three-core cross-linked polyethylene (XLPE) underground cable (UGC) straight joint of the heat shrink type. The aim of this work is to show how the joint design parameters and different defects affect the electric field distribution, and find optimum material properties to enhance the lifetime of cable joints. This is investigated by calculating the electric field distributions and showing how the optimized selection of joint material properties can reduce the localized high electric field to avoid partial discharge activities. Several design parameters are investigated such as insulation layer's thickness and relative permittivity, and termination angles of ferrule and its insulation. In addition, size and location of different defects such as air voids, water droplets, sharp tips and delamination are examined. The paper concludes important points for proper design of medium-voltage (MV) cable joints to enhance their lifetime and hence increase the reliability of such cable systems.
2015 IEEE 8th GCC Conference & Exhibition, 2015
Economic Dispatch is an important optimization problem in power system planning. This article pre... more Economic Dispatch is an important optimization problem in power system planning. This article presents an overview of the economic dispatch problem, its formulation, and a comparison of addressing the problem between the vertically integrated market and the liberalized market environments.
Electromagnetic interference effects caused by electric power lines on neighboring metallic utili... more Electromagnetic interference effects caused by electric power lines on neighboring metallic utilities such as water, gas or oil pipelines became a major concern due to significant increase in the load and short circuit current levels needed to satisfy the load requirements. Another reason for increased interference levels originates from the environmental concerns, which impose on various utilities the obligation to share common corridors. This paper presents three different scenarios of a pipeline in which all types of electromagnetic interferences (coupling) will be investigated and their effects on the pipeline will be predicted. The level of the calculated voltage, owing to each type of coupling, depends on different factors (voltage level, length of parallelism, separation distance, soil resistivity, load current magnitude and pipeline coating). The effects of these factors are discussed; some factors such as the fault current level, separation distance and soil resistivities are found to exhibit a large influence on the pipeline voltage. To the best of the authors' knowledge, the comprehensive analyses presented in this paper considering all types of interferences have not yet been published elsewhere.
In this paper a model is built to assess the energy cost/kWh for utilizing wind and solar power p... more In this paper a model is built to assess the energy cost/kWh for utilizing wind and solar power produced using different sizes of wind turbines and PV panels at two sites in Oman, which then can be generalized for the remaining locations in Oman. Hourly values of wind speed and solar radiation recorded for several years are used for these locations. Furthermore, the paper presents a study carried out to investigate the economics of using PV only and PV with battery as an energy fuel saver in two villages. The results show that PV energy utilization is an attractive option with energy cost of the selected PV ranges between 0.128-0.144 $/kWh at 7.55% discount rate compared to diesel generation operating cost of 0.128-0.558 $/kWh.
Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 2014
This paper aims to investigate the level of awareness and prevailing attitudes of the Oman govern... more This paper aims to investigate the level of awareness and prevailing attitudes of the Oman government’s electrical sectors towards renewable energy. The geographical landscape of the Sultanate of Oman lends itself to energy generation from solar radiation, yet no decisive steps have been taken to initiate relevant projects that will reduce the country’s reliance on oil and gas in electricity production. This study is motivated by the need to better understand the obstacles that impede the implementation of renewable energy projects in Oman and the factors that cause delays in project initiation. To this end, we developed a questionnaire with sections intended for three government sectors: research groups, electrical companies and ministries, and regulatory bodies. Results indicate that ministries and regulatory bodies primarily support the increased exploitation of fossil fuels—a core reason for the slow adoption of renewable energy sources. Moreover, 82% of the respondents place priority on natural gas for use in power plants and more than 19% encourage the implementation of energy efficiency standards. All respondents consider renewable energy a viable future energy option and generally agree that the government should promote renewable energy and support relevant pilot projects. This study highlights the importance of immediately shifting to renewable energy and encouraging its development; a move necessary to alleviate the environmental risk posed by the use of fossil fuel-based energy.
Smart grid technologies allow the electric grid to better adapt to the dynamic behavior of renewa... more Smart grid technologies allow the electric grid to better adapt to the dynamic behavior of renewable energy and distributed generation, helping both consumers and utilities to access these resources and harvest their benefits. Today's grid needs to shift from centralized supply sources to fixed, predictable loads and to accept power from the renewable and distributed energy resources all over the grid. As these resources are intermittent in nature, the grid needs integrated monitoring and control, as well as ...
Sustainability, 2021
This work is intended to evaluate the technical, environmental, and economic feasibility of conve... more This work is intended to evaluate the technical, environmental, and economic feasibility of converting the sludge produced at an industrial estate’s wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) in Oman into energy through anaerobic digestion (AD). In this study, three different scenarios were analyzed. They concerned the digestion of the total amount of the produced sludge alone (240 m3 day−1) (scenario 1), and its co-digestion with wet agri-food wastes (AFW) at rates of two tonnes day−1 (scenario 2) and ten tonnes day−1 (scenario 3). Based on the analyses of sludge samples, an intensive literature review regarding sludge and AFW Physico-chemical and energetic characteristics and the use of the cost–benefit analysis (CBA) approach, it was found that, for the overall duration of the project (20 years), the AD of the sludge alone (scenario 1) permitted the production of 43.9 GWh of electricity, the reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (more than 37,000 tonnes equivalent CO2 (TCO2)) and ex...
As electric power distribution systems continue to grow in size and complexity. Reducing losses c... more As electric power distribution systems continue to grow in size and complexity. Reducing losses can result in substantial savings for utility. Other benefits from loss reduction include released system capacity, and possible deferral of capital expenditures for system improvements and expansion. While losses in distribution lines are due to copper losses, transformer losses occur due to both copper and core losses. An increase in loading will result in an increase of current flow and correspondingly greater amount of loss in the transformer. Moreover, an unbalance in the system load will increase transformer losses. The harmonic currents will cause a small increase in copper losses; however, the high frequency harmonic voltage can cause large core losses. Frequently, utilities are forced to use an oversized transformer to compensate when a large harmonic presence is indicated. A MATLAB model for the three-phase distribution transformer was built to calculate transformer efficiency a...
Power System Harmonics - Analysis, Effects and Mitigation Solutions for Power Quality Improvement, May 30, 2018
This chapter presents a case study about harmonics measurements in high-voltage networks. Measure... more This chapter presents a case study about harmonics measurements in high-voltage networks. Measurements were conducted at two locations in the main interconnected system (MIS) of Oman. Voltage and current THDs were recorded for a period of 1 week. The power quality analyzer was set to record required data for a period of 1 week, and the observation period for each recorded value is 10 minutes. At the first location, the grid station (132/33) is feeding industrial as well as other customers. The second grid station (220/132/33 kV) is dedicated to large industrial customers including arc furnaces and rolling mills. The power quality analyzer was installed at the 132 kV side of power transformers at both locations. Recorded data are analyzed, and temporal harmonics profiles are studied. A clear temporal variation of harmonics similar to that of aggregate load and local voltage profiles was observed at the grid station feeding mixed residential and industrial loads. However, this correlation between system load and harmonics profile diminishes at the grid station dedicated for heavy industrial loads.
Applied System Innovation
The Smart Grid (SG) is considered as an imminent future power network because of its fault identi... more The Smart Grid (SG) is considered as an imminent future power network because of its fault identification and self-healing capabilities. Energy sustainability, renewable energy integration and an efficient control system are the key factors to be considered in developing SG system. Among various SG concepts, the term virtual power plant (VPP) integrates renewable energy to the grid and provides higher operational flexibility, but it requires extra capital costs for control system and software. The operational activities of a smart grid largely depend on the active customer demands. This paper defines and discusses various SG system concepts such as virtual power plant, and active demand in consumer networks, and also presents drivers and roadmaps for development of smart grids worldwide. Furthermore, this work provides an insight into present research and development on smart grids around the world, and sheds light on developing and establishing SG for the Sultanate of Oman.
Energy for Sustainable Development
Abstract This article analyzes the measured results of 1.4 kWP grid connected photovoltaic plant.... more Abstract This article analyzes the measured results of 1.4 kWP grid connected photovoltaic plant. The facility is located in College of Engineering renewable energy research lab, Sultan Qaboos University, Oman. The aim of this study is to analyze the desert type PV performance under Muscat governorate climate conditions. The system was monitored since April 2012 and the generated energy was fed into grid through the low voltage supply. Various performance parameters of the PV system were evaluated which include efficiencies (PV module, system and inverter), performance ratio, capacity factor, and different types of PV system losses and yields. The maximum values of recorded ambient temperature, daytime PV module temperature, and solar radiation, were 48.7 °C and 69.14 °C in June, and 1344 W/m2 in March, respectively. The experimental results show that the total measured annual energy produced was 2217.6 kWh whereas the annual average daily reference yield, array yield, and final yield were 6.36 kWh/kWP-day, 4.56 kWh/kWP-day, and 4.10 kWh/kWP-day, respectively. The average annual performance ratio and capacity factor were 0.65 and 0.17 respectively while the annual average system efficiency, module efficiency, and inverter efficiency were 15%, 17.2%, and 91%, respectively. Furthermore, the average annual capture losses, system losses, and cell temperature losses were 1.8 h/day, 0.47 h/day, and 0.27 h/day, respectively. The findings from this study are providing useful information to policy makers and others about the performance of desert type PV system in Oman. The influence of the dust on the energy output and efficiency are presented. It was found that for the desert type PV, the reduction in energy production was 10% when the modules left uncleaned.
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Papers by Abdullah Al-Badi