Jordan Journal of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering
Evaluation of Solar Electric Power Technologies in Jordan
Omar Badrana,*, Emad Abdulhadib, Rustum Mamlookc
a Mechanical Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering Technology, Al-Balqa Applied University P.O.Box 331006, Amman 11134 – b Mechatronics Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering Technology, Al-Balqa Applied University P.O.Box 331006, Amman 11134 - c Department of Computer Engineering, College of computer Engineering and Sciences, Al-kharj University, Saudia Arabia Abstract
Jordan is considered one of the sun-belt countries, which possesses high solar radiation on its horizontal surface. The present study will be concerned on the uses of fuzzy sets methodology to perform evaluation between the most suitable solar technologies for power generation in Jordan, namely, solar ponds and photovoltaic (PV) technologies. The criterion of the evaluation were based on different parameters, i.e., power capacity, efficiency, availability, capacity factor, storage capability, cost, maturity, land usage and safety, they are planned as the technologies for the near foreseen term. Based on benefit to cost ratios, the results showed that photovoltaic technology found to be the better choice in terms of generating electricity, research and development and more effective programs of support and installation.
2010 Jordan Journal of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering. All rights reserved
Keywords: Fuzzy Sets Methodology; Solar Electric Power; Control Technology; Benefit to Cost Ratios; Power Plants; Renewable Energy.
hand, will drive the demand for solar technologies in the near term.
1. Introduction *
The great importance of electricity from solar
technologies is due to the considerable associated benefits
Jordan relies, almost completely, on imported oil from
(Schott, 2006) (Haas, 2001) (NEPCO, 2006) (Badran,
neighboring countries, which causes a financial burden on
the national economy (Jaber et al, 2008). Domestic energy
Maximum power generation at peak load hours in hot
resources, including oil and gas, cover only 3–4% of the
country’s energy needs. Jordan spends more than 7.5% of
The modular character of the solar field makes it
its national income on the purchase of energy. The levels
of energy and electricity consumption will probably
The off grid solar power production for remote
double in 15 years, and it is probable that annual primary
locations maybe competitive to fossil fuel power due to
energy demand will reach 8x106 ton of oil equivalent (toe)
the high cost of rural power since it requires to be
by 2010. Jordan accounts an average of 15.85x103 ton of
fuel combustion almost producing 85% by mass of the
Increases in local employment and income;
The solar energy flux reaching the Earth’s surface
represents a few thousand times the current use of
Avoided risks of disruption in fossil fuel supply and
primary energy by humans, earth receives 174 peta-
Watt of incoming solar radiation at any given time,
Provision of infrastructure and economic flexibility by
unfortunately, this huge amount of energy is not well
modular, dispersed and smaller scale technologies;
The potential to greatly reduce, and perhaps eliminate,
Electricity production using solar energy is one of the
pollution associated with electricity services
main research areas at present in the field of renewable
Contribution towards sustainability.
energies, the significant price fluctuations are seen for the
Some solar technologies provides other benefits beside
fossil fuel in one hand, and the trend toward privatization
that dominates the power markets these days in the other
Different types of solar power technologies need
further improvements and cost reduction to be competitive
* Corresponding author. badran@yahoo.com
with fossil fuel power plants in future power markets. The
2010 Jordan Journal of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering. All rights reserved - Volume 4, Number 1 (ISSN 1995-6665)
National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) evaluated
remote villages (houses, schools, and other public
the potential for the emerging photovoltaic (PV)
buildings) each panel having an average generating
technologies to meet the solar program’s technical and
capacity of 1050Wh/day (Hrayshat, 2007). Durisch et al
economic targets; they discussed the current structure,
(2007) performed calculations for five commercial PV
capabilities, assumptions and made a linear programming
modules for Al Qawairah site in Jordan and developed
model of capacity expansion plans (Braun and Skinner,
In the present study, a fuzzy logic methodology is used
Solar power has the advantage of electricity generation
to compare between photovoltaic (PV) and solar ponds in
at peak load hours. Hot climate countries, like Jordan, have
terms of their benefits (merits) and costs (barriers). The
the highest electricity peak load consumption in demands
effect of different parameters on the power production of
during the hot summer days as shown in Figure1,
these technologies was taken from previous studies
proposed for Jordanian climate, (Hrayshat, 2007) (Jaber et al, 2004) (Khalil et al, 1997) (Tahat et al, 2000) (Abu-Khader et al, 2008) (Badran 2001) (Durisch et al, 2007).
2. Solar Electric Power Technologies
Solar power technologies can be classified into direct (PV) and indirect electricity conversion, the indirect electricity conversion consists of concentrating and non-concentrating solar power systems (Quaschning, 2003).
A solar pond does not concentrate solar radiation, but
Figure 1. Monthly variations of electricity consumption in Jordan
collects solar energy in the pond’s water by absorbing both
(NEPCO 2006).
the direct and diffuse components of sunlight; this is good
Solar power plants play an important role in decreasing
for countries where the sky is frequently overcast. Solar
the environmental pollution; they contribute directly to the
ponds contain salt in high concentrations near the bottom,
CO2 reduction that caused by the conventional fossil fuel
with decreasing concentrations closer to the surface
power plants. According to the Greenpeace study, the use
of solar power plants can avoid 362 million tons of CO2
This variation in concentration, known as a salt-density
emissions worldwide from 2002 to 2025. (Brakmann et al,
gradient, suppresses the natural tendency of hot water to
rise, thus allowing the heated water to remain in the
An evaluation study for different power production
bottom layers of the pond while the surface layers stay
systems using fuzzy set methodology was prepared by
relatively cool. Temperature differences between the
Mamlook (2006). It shows that the solar power production
bottom and top layers are sufficient to drive an organic
is the best preferable option under the Jordanian climate in
Rankine-cycle engine that uses a volatile organic
the basis of cost to benefit ratio. He also used the same
substance as the working fluid instead of steam.
mechanism under the same Jordanian climate for solar
Temperatures of 90°C are routinely achieved in the pond
utilization applications; he showed that the solar power
bottom, and solar ponds are sufficiently large to provide
production is the second best choice that comes after the
some degree of energy storage. The potential of solar
solar distillation (Mamlook et al, 2001).
ponds to provide fresh water, heat and electricity,
Badran (2001) has studied different solar power
especially for island communities and coastal desert
technologies. He suggested that the Jordanian government
regions, appears promising, but has not been fully
needs to do more serious steps towards the utilization of
investigated (Zumerchik, 2001). Dead Sea is considered
industrial solar energy for power generation applications in
largest solar pond on earth, due to its high salinity. The
largest solar pond built so far is the 250000 m2 pond at Bet
Dead Sea is considered a perfect place for solar pond
Ha Arava in Israel. The heat collected in this pond has
power plants due to its high salinity. The largest solar pond
been used to generate 5 MW of electrical power using an
built so far is in Israel, and used to generate electricity,
organic fluid Rankine cycle (Sukhatme, 1996). The
(Sukhatme, 1996). Other studies by (Khalil et al (1997)
principle of the collection and storage of solar energy in
presented a theoretical study on the evaluation of electric
salt ponds where the salinity increases with depth is
solar pond power plant under Jordanian climate. Tahat et
introduced, and the six polar ponds constructed by Israel
al (2000) built a mini solar pond in Jordan and studied its
since 1960 to test the theory of solar pond energy
thermal performance to show its merits under Jordanian
conversion are indicated. They examined the electric
power, with attention given to the water layers, pumps,
PV systems have wide range utilization in Jordan. They
evaporator, organic vapor turbogenerator and condenser.
are used for water-pumping systems, powering radio–
The performance characteristics of solar pond power
telephone stations, as well as supplying electricity to
plants, which can be started up in a few minutes and
clinics and schools of very small communities in the
deliver up to ten times or more of their rated output power,
remote regions (Hrayshat, 2007) (Jaber et al, 2004)
are pointed out as the basis for the suggestion that they can
(Badran 2001) (Abu-Khader et al, 2008). There are future
be used initially as peaking plants in the power grid.
plans consisting of installation of 1036 PV panels in
Respect to the Israeli plans, the accumulated generated
2010 Jordan Journal of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering. All rights reserved - Volume 4, Number 1 (ISSN 1995-6665)
Figure 2. Solar pond power plant schematic for generating electricity
power by solar pond will be up to 2000 MW
these supports, PV is not expected to be generally
(Sukhatme, 1996) (Bronicki, 1981). Khalil et al (1997)
competitive until after 2025 – although it will continue to
presented 5 MWe electric solar pond power plant in the
compete well in a growing range of market niches in
dead sea part of Jordan with surface area 1.5 km2, they
which the cost of deployment supports is moderate (IEA,
found that the solar pond could generate electricy with a
levelized cost of 0.234JD/kWh under Jordanian climate.
In India, the first solar pond having an area of 1200 m2
was built at the Central Salt and Marine Chemicals Research Institute in 1973. Experimental research ponds having areas of 100 and 240 m2 respectively were operated for a few years at Pondicherry and at the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore, while a 1600 m2 solar pond was built in Bhavnagar again in the eighties. The largest pond built in India so far is located at Bhuj (Gujrat). The pond has an area of 6000 m2. It has been operating since September 1993 and supplies the process heat need of a nearby dairy (Sukhatme, 1996). 2.2 Photovoltaic (PV) Photovoltaic's (photo for light, voltaic for electricity)
Figure 3. PV annual cumulative installation in Germany
converts sunlight directly to electricity. Modules are
Jordan utilizes PV cells for limited applications (water-
mounted on a stationary array or on single- or dual-axis
pumping systems, powering radio–telephone stations, as
sun trackers (Abu-Khader et al 2008). Arrays can be
well as supplying electrical energy for clinics, (Hrayshat,
ground-mounted on all types of buildings and structures.
2007) (Jaber et al, 2004). There are future plans consisting
The DC output from PV can be conditioned into grid-
of installation of large number of PV for power generation
quality AC electricity, or DC can be used to charge
connected to the grid line (Hrayshat, 2007), (Badran
batteries or to split water to produce hydrogen (electrolysis
2001). Durisch et al (2007) performed calculations for five
commercial PV modules in Al Qawairah site in Jordan and
The photovoltaic (PV) market has grown extensively since
1992. R&D efforts, together with market deployment policies, have effectively produced impressive cost
3. Fuzzy Methodology
reductions: every doubling of the volume produced prompted a cost decrease of about 20%. But market
After Zadeh's work on fuzzy sets (1965), many theories
deployment is concentrated: Japan, Germany and the
in fuzzy logic were developed in Japan, Europe, United
United States account for over 85% of total installed
States, and elsewhere. Since the 1970s Japanese
capacity (Figure 3). PV still requires substantial R&D
researchers have been advancing the practical
investments, as well as deployment supports, to gain
implementation of the fuzzy logic theory; they have been
market learning. In the near term, R&D efforts will focus
commercializing this technology and they have now over
on improving the balance-of-system components for both
2000 patents in the area from fuzzy air conditioner, fuzzy
grid connected and stand-alone applications. Even with
2010 Jordan Journal of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering. All rights reserved - Volume 4, Number 1 (ISSN 1995-6665)
washing machine, fuzzy toasters, fuzzy rice cookers, fuzzy
benefit and the cost for each solar thermal power
vacuum cleaner, and many other industrial fuzzy control
processes. They have a subway system that is totally
The fuzzy logic decision selection between PV systems
controlled by fuzzy computer. It is smooth enough that
and solar pond technology was applied according to
riders do not need to hold straps, and the controller makes
benefits, namely, (B1= power plant capacity or size (MW),
70% fewer judgmental errors in acceleration and braking
B2= Annual solar to electric efficiency, B3= Thermal
than human operators. The U.S. Space Administration has
efficiency, B4= Peak solar to electric efficiency, B5=
been involved in the use of fuzzy logic in space control
Availability, B6= Annual capacity factor (CF), B7=
decision making. Energy consumption could be analyzed
storage hours, B8= maturity or popularity, B9=
using fuzzy sets (Oder et al, 1993). Also systems could be
Temperature (T), B10= Safety, B11= Concentration ratio
controlled using fuzzy (Mamlook et al, 1998).
(CR)) to make a decision on the selection between the
3.1. Determining the linguistic variables and the fuzzy sets.
different solar technologies that cost less and have better benefits. Many factors affect the decision (costs) (Figure
In order to decide between parameters which are
4), i.e., (C1= Hardware cost, C2= Electricity cost, C3=
fuzzy, vague, or ambiguous, MATLAB fuzzy
Water usage, C4= Land usage, C5= Maintenance cost, and
toolbox was used to generate decision based on the
The Fuzzy input/ output combination is shown in the Figure 4 as follows:
Figure 4. Fuzzy Inputs/Outputs Combination.
The fuzzy logic decision selection of the best solar technology options was applied according to their costs and benefits
Table 1. Overall fuzzy weights of solar technologies for optimum benefits.
* Normalized relative weight = relative weight/maximum relative weight
Table 2. Overall fuzzy weights of solar technologies for optimum costs
* Normalized relative weight = relative weight/maximum relative weight
2010 Jordan Journal of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering. All rights reserved - Volume 4, Number 1 (ISSN 1995-6665)
Data in Tables 1 and 2 are actual data obtained from
different literature such as [(Braun and Skinner, 2007)
In the present section, 85 rules were used to predict the
(Schott, 2006), (Brakmann et al, 2005), (Dersch et al,
most preferable option(s) out of the two solar technologies,
2004), (Mills, 2004),(Wibberley et al, 2006), (Mukund,
they are in a statements form as shown in the Figure 7.
1999) (Porta, 2005), (Zumerchik, 2001), (Aabakken, 2006), (Groenendaal, 2002) (Sukhatme, 1996) (Badran 2001) (Hrayshat, 2007) (Jaber et al, 2004) (Khalil et al, 1997) (Tahat et al, 2000)
The inputs for fuzzy implementation in Table 1 and 2
are considered to be fuzzy variables, each of which can vary over a fixed weight (0-1), the inputs' and output's sets are shown in Figure 5.
3.3. Performing Fuzzy Inference into The System
This procedure is used to compute the mapping from
the input values to the output values, and it consists of three sub-processes, fuzzification, aggregation and defuzzification (Negnevitsky, 2005) as shown in the following figure.
Figure 5. Fuzzy sets, (A) input sets (B) output sets.
The linguistic variables that were used to describe the
fuzzy sets in Figure 5 are very low (VL), low (L), normal (N), high (H) and very high (VH).
The "conversion method" input shown in Figure 6 is
responsible for determining the solar technology type; whether it is direct solar conversion (PV) or indirect (thermal conversion) excluding the "thermal efficiency",
Figure 8. Fuzzy implementation sequence.
"temperature" and "concentration ratio" to have an accurate decision making as shown in Figure
4. 4. Results and Discussion
The fuzzy sets enabled us to utilize large amount of collected data to compare between the two solar technologies systems, into a smaller set of variable rules (see Tables 1 and 2). The benefit to cost ratio is shown in Table 3 as follows: Table 3. Benefit to cost weight ratio.
2010 Jordan Journal of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering. All rights reserved - Volume 4, Number 1 (ISSN 1995-6665)
Evaluation of Solar Electric Power Technologies in
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Integrated energy and water planning on an arid island Neven Duic confirmed (1)
Smart Grid applications in the US Technical potential and regulatory barriers confirmed (2)
Development of multistage converter for outdoor thermal electric cooling confirmed (3)
New method for quality evaluation of Mc-Si Wafers Implied confirmed (22)
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Since the nitrogen content decreases as tire content increases in the fuel blend, it is anticipated that the formation of NH3 will decrease as amount of tire blended with coal increases which is depicted in figure 2(a). Unlike nitrogen, sulfur content increases slightly as tire content increases and hence more H2S is produced as percent of tire blended increases as shown in figure 2(b).
Reactive flow simulation results:
performance of photovoltiac generator multi-level cascade confirmed (24)
power quality and stability and stability improvement in wind park system (out of folder) confirmed (25)
solar net collective flux and conversion efficiency of the confirmed (26)
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