Artículos científicos

RENEWABLE ENERGIES HAVE BROUGHT A SOLUTION FOR PERMANENT AND INEXHAUSTIBLE ENERGY MANAGEMENT. THE APPLICATIONS ARE NUMEROUS AND EVERY DAY MORE ACCESSIBLE FOR SMALLER COMPANIES THAT NEED TO REDUCED THEIR ENERGY EXPENSES. THIS PAPER STUDIES AND ANALYSES THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF SOLAR ENERGY INSTALLATION ON A SMALL FARM CLOSE TO QUILLÓN, CHILE, A LITTLE TOWN WHOSE ECONOMY IS MAINLY BASED ON FRUITS AND VEGETABLES PRODUCTION. THE PROPOSED METHODOLOGY DIVIDES THE ANALYSIS INTO THREE CASES, WHICH DETERMINE THE SELECTION OF THE NUMBER OF PANELS ACCORDING TO (1) SUPPLYING OF THE TOTAL DEMAND IN THE MONTH WITH THE HIGHEST SOLAR IRRADIATION, (2) SUPPLYING OF THE TOTAL DEMAND IN THE MONTH WITH THE LOWEST SOLAR IRRADIATION, AND (3) SUPPLYING THE TOTAL DEMAND WITHOUT HAVING ENERGY EXCESSES INJECTED INTO THE GRID, BUT ONLY PRODUCE FOR SELF-SUPPLYING. ALL THE CASES ARE STUDIED AND THEREFORE THE DECISION MAY FOLLOW THE ECONOMIC ASPECT OF INVESTMENT IN THE SHORT, MIDDLE, AND LONG TERM. THUS, THESE ALTERNATIVES ARE VISIBLE FOR PRODUCERS TO TAKE THE OPTION THAT BEST FITS THEM.

THE NEED TO DECARBONATE THE PLANET, DUE TO THE MASSIVE USE OF FOSSIL ENERGY, HAS LED TO TURN TO EMPLOY RENEWABLES ENERGIES IN MANY APPLICATIONS. AMONG THE MOST COMMON ENERGY SOURCES ARE THE WIND, SOLAR, AND SEA, BEING ONE OF THE MOST RELEVANT THE SOLAR ENERGY, PARTICULARLY IN SOME COUNTRIES AS CHILE. TO TRANSPORT THE ENERGY, SOLAR SYSTEM MUST BE CONNECTED TO A MIDDLE VOLTAGE LEVEL LINES AND THEREFORE DIFFERENT TOPOLOGIES HAVE BEEN PROPOSED WHERE SOME OF THEM ARE BASED ON H-BRIDE. THIS WORK PRESENTS THE USE OF H-BRIDGE POWER CONVERTERS CONNECTED IN PARALLEL IN THE DC SIDE AND CONNECTED TO A TRANSFORMER IN THE AC SIDE TO PUMP UP TO MIDDLE VOLTAGE LEVEL. ADDITIONALLY, AS ALL PHASES OF THE H-BRIDGE ARE CONNECTED IN PARALLEL IN THE DC SIDE, THE THIRD HARMONIC, TYPICAL OF THIS TOPOLOGY, IS COMPENSATED AND THEREFORE THE AC WAVEFORM RESULTS FREE OF LOW FREQUENCY HARMONICS. TO GET THE MAXIMUM POWER FROM THE SOLAR ARRAY, IT IS EMPLOYED A MAXIMUM POWER POINT TRACKER WHICH USES MEASURING CELLS, AVOIDING OSCILLATIONS AROUND THE MAXIMUM POWER POINT. THE RESULTS SHOW THE FEASIBILITY OF THE PROPOSAL.