Browsing by Author "Girard, Aymeric"

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    Economic and Environmental Impact of Military Electrical Vehicle Conversion and Solar Electricity Production
    (2020) Pierre Simon, François; Roberts, C.; Girard, Aymeric; Ordoñez, Javier; Rossel, G.S.; CEDEUS (Chile)
    Military vehicles carry out defence and training functions; however, they also participate extensively in military operations apart from war, such as supporting citizens in emergency situations. Nonetheless, they continue to contribute to pollution, and carbon emissions in Chile have doubled in recent years. Thus, this study seeks a partial solution to this problem, extending the useful life of an archetypal military vehicle, i.e. AIL Storm internal combustion engine vehicle (ICEV), 4.0L gasoline, through its conversion into an electric vehicle (EV) using lithium-ion batteries. AIL Storm ICE emissions are compared with an equivalent EV conversion prototype, analysing the CO emissions of the EV charged from the Chilean electricity grid or from a solar photovoltaic charging station, taking advantage of the high levels of solar radiation in Chile. This studied model obtains a travel cost of 0.04USD/km in the electric grid charge mode and 0.02USD/km in the Solar power station charge mode, affecting the environment with 155kgCO2 emissions per year of use. In the future, technologies to manufacture or assemble lithium batteries must be developed in the Chilean market. Given the availability of this mineral in Chile, this step would reduce costs and make electric mobility more attractive and affordable.
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    Expansion of renewable energy in Chile: Analysis of the effects on employment
    (2021) Nasirov, Shahriyar; Girard, Aymeric; Peña, Cristobal; Salazar, Felipe; Pierre Simon, François; CEDEUS (Chile)
    Over the last few years, Chile has witnessed an extraordinary energy transformation that has turned the country into one of the largest renewable energy markets in South America. This study examines the impact of renewable energy (RE) technologies from the perspective of job creation opportunities in Chile. For this purpose, the study introduces an analytical assessment model that will be used to assess the direct impacts on employment generated by several policy scenarios aimed at reducing CO2 emissions. The direct impacts on employment in Chile were calculated up to 2026 according to three energy scenarios constructed using the SWITCH-Chile energy model. The empirical results show that RE technologies (solar PV, wind, hydro) can generate more employment per unit of energy than coal and natural gas. According to the scenario projecting the largest reduction of CO2 emissions, which features a dominant participation of renewable energies, up to 20,958 jobs can be created in the Chilean energy sector by 2026. The proposed model can be used to design energy programs as a direct stimulus of employment in the RE industry. Furthermore, policy recommendations are provided based on the results to effectively address changes in employment perspectives for the RE industry.
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    Experimental and Numerical Analysis of a PCM-Integrated Roof for Higher Thermal Performance of Buildings
    (2024) Pierre Simon, François; Ruíz Valero, Letzai; Girard, Aymeric; Galleguillos, Héctor; CEDEUS (Chile)
    Phase change materials (PCMs) designate materials able to store latent heat. PCMs change state from solid to liquid over a defined temperature range. This process is reversible and can be used for thermo-technical purposes. The present paper aims to study the thermal performance of an inorganic eutectic PCM integrated into the rooftop slab of a test room and analyze its potential for building thermal management. The experiment is conducted in two test rooms in Antofagasta (Chile) during summer, fall, and winter. The PCM is integrated into the rooftop of the first test room, while the roof panel of the second room is a sealed air cavity. The work introduces a numerical model, which is built using the finite difference method and used to simulate the rooms’ thermal behavior. Several thermal simulations of the PCM room are performed for other Chilean locations to evaluate and compare the capability of the PCM panel to store latent heat thermal energy in different climates. Results show that the indoor temperature of the PCM room in Antofagasta varies only 21.1°C±10.6°C, while the one of the air-panel room varies 28.3°C±18.5°C. Under the experiment’s conditions, the PCM room’s indoor temperature observes smoother diurnal fluctuations, with lower maximum and higher minimum indoor temperatures than that of the air-panel room. Thermal simulations in other cities show that the PCM panel has a better thermal performance during winter, as it helps to maintain or increase the room temperature by some degrees to reach comfort temperatures. This demonstrates that the implementation of such PCM in the building envelope can effectively reduce space heating and cooling needs, and improve indoor thermal comfort in different climates of Chile.
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    Modelling and simulation of the wood biomass supply from the sustainable management of natural forests
    (2021) Pierre Simon, François; Girard, Aymeric; Krotki, Martin; Ordoñez, Javier; CEDEUS (Chile)
    Wood biomass is an important energy resource, which can contribute to reduce the dependence on fossil fuels. The research undertakes the microeconomic approach to estimate the technical availability and operational costs of woody biomass production with a higher level of precision than other models present in the literature, as it considers the entire supply chain of the sustainable management of natural forests. This study introduces a tool, which is applied to estimate supply curves and costs of wood biomass extraction from natural forests in the 7th Region of Chile. The simulation indicates that 531,015 tons/year of wood biomass is available in natural forests of the Region under study, with extraction costs ranging from 24.51 to 56.68 US$/ton, or an average total cost of 40.97 US$/ton. The parametric analysis revealed that the maximum admissible distance to the nearest transport route and the transportation costs are the two most influential variables in the estimation of wood biomass supply and cost. Reducing the admissible distance from 5 km to 1 km reduced the availability of biomass by 80%, while a variation of ±50% of transportation costs translated into ±18.3% variation of total extraction costs. The proposed method can be used to identify the technical-economic potential of wood biomass from natural forests in any commune, province, region, or country; as it has the flexibility to allow tests with multiple scenarios and parameters depending on the specific characteristics of the area to be analysed. Essentially, the purpose of this tool is to serve the assessment processes of the identification of new wood biomass resources, allowing decision makers to increase the potential of sustainable and cost-effective woody biomass for heat and electricity generation, and at the same time reduce greenhouse gas emissions and the dependence on fossil fuels.