Impact/Purpose:

The research, development and demonstration of a design for a modular distributed renewable energy generation system that can be adapted flexibly to use the solar and organic resources available in a region to best accommodate the needs of the inhabitants. Our novel combination of concentrating solar thermal, biogas, and algal CO₂ sequestration technologies will increase the efficiency and decrease the CO₂ load to the atmosphere of a traditional diesel generator. Co-generation using a bottoming-cycle ORC provides additional power and hot water resources. Alternatively, the solar thermal ORC can provide electricity and hot water as a stand-alone unit on days of decreased demand or high solar insolation. The system will be designed with widely available materials to promote local manufacture, distribution, and dissemination by energy entrepreneurs in the developing world.

Description:

During the course of our research, we expanded and evolved our initial concept to achieve design targets of minimized cost of electricity. Several biofuel pathways were examined, and each had drawbacks in terms of cost (2-3 times market rates for energy), land area required (5 to 10 times the area of solar thermal or PV technologies), and water utilization (up to 2 cubic meters per square meter annually). Rather than position biofuels as a generalizable solution to off grid power, we focused on the solar thermal approach, while recognizing that in certain cases a biofuel hybridization can be appropriate if a biomass resource or waste source can be sustainably exploited. Our finalized design features a solar ORC system designed using widely available materials to promote local manufacture, distribution, and dissemination. The use of low cost, off the shelf automotive and HVAC parts available throughout the world (bearings, alternators, power steering pumps, compressors, condensers, etc.) is a key strategy for keeping solar ORC technology affordable while scaling it down to the sub megawatt size, and this factor argued for shifting the balance of the hybrid system towards the solar component.

URLs/Downloads:

Final Progress Report

2009 Progress Report

Record Details:

Record Type:PROJECT( ABSTRACT )

Start Date:09/01/2008

Completion Date:08/31/2009

Record ID: 200568

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Related Organizations:

Role :OWNER

Organization Name :MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

Mailing Address :77 Massachusetts Ave

Citation :Cambridge

State :MA

Zip Code :2139

Project Information:

Approach :

Two modules (solar thermal, ORC engine) were designed and tested at MIT and then deployed at a school and in a village in Lesotho (with support from the World Bank, Development Marketplace 2006). The next prototype to be constructed at MIT will improve upon this first iteration by adding hybridization with a diesel generator, to improve infrastructure already in place across the globe, in addition to research into CO₂ recycling via a algal CO₂ sequestration unit and a traditional bio-digester. System performance (optical, thermal, chemical, cycle efficiencies; power output / cost) will be measured, a range of system components and operating parameters will be investigated, and the robustness of the system under real weather conditions will be tested. Both the stand-alone solar thermal ORC unit and the diesel generator hybridized unit will be characterized. A control methodology will be developed to balance system resources and required outputs. System level designs will be made for a fully-integrated CO₂ feedback system, based on bench-testing of bio-digester and algal sequestration modules. The final data set will relate solar energy, fuel inputs, system pressure and temperature, power output, and conversion efficiencies from solar/organic energy to heat, cooling, and electrical power.

Cost :$10,000.00

Research Component :Pollution Prevention/Sustainable Development

Approach :

Two modules (solar thermal, ORC engine) were designed and tested at MIT and then deployed at a school and in a village in Lesotho (with support from the World Bank, Development Marketplace 2006). The next prototype to be constructed at MIT will improve upon this first iteration by adding hybridization with a diesel generator, to improve infrastructure already in place across the globe, in addition to research into CO₂ recycling via a algal CO₂ sequestration unit and a traditional bio-digester. System performance (optical, thermal, chemical, cycle efficiencies; power output / cost) will be measured, a range of system components and operating parameters will be investigated, and the robustness of the system under real weather conditions will be tested. Both the stand-alone solar thermal ORC unit and the diesel generator hybridized unit will be characterized. A control methodology will be developed to balance system resources and required outputs. System level designs will be made for a fully-integrated CO₂ feedback system, based on bench-testing of bio-digester and algal sequestration modules. The final data set will relate solar energy, fuel inputs, system pressure and temperature, power output, and conversion efficiencies from solar/organic energy to heat, cooling, and electrical power.

Cost :$10,000.00

Research Component :P3 Challenge Area - Energy

Project IDs:

ID Code :SU833918

Project type :EPA Grant