Person:
Espinoza Abad, Juan Leonardo

Birth Date

1967-07-31

ORCID

0000-0002-7450-2084

Scopus Author ID

56970750100

Afiliación

Universidad de Cuenca, Cuenca, Ecuador
Universidad de Cuenca, Facultad de Ingeniería, Cuenca, Ecuador
Universidad de Cuenca, Departamento de Ingeniería Eléctrica, Electrónica y Telecomunicaciones(DEET), Cuenca, Ecuador

País

Ecuador

Organizational Units

Organizational Unit

Facultad de Ingeniería

La Facultad de Ingeniería, a inicios de los años 60, mediante resolución del Honorable Consejo Universitario, se formalizó la Facultad de Ingeniería de la Universidad de Cuenca, conformada por las escuelas de Ingeniería Civil y Topografía. Esta nueva estructura permitió una mayor especialización y fortalecimiento en áreas clave para el desarrollo regional. Cuenta con programas académicos reconocidos internacionalmente, que promueven y lideran actividades de investigación. Aplica un modelo educativo centrado en el estudiante y con procesos de mejora continua. Establece como prioridad una educación integra, la formación humanística es parte del programa de estudios que complementa a la sólida preparación científico-técnica. Las actividades culturales pertenecen a un programa permanente y activo al interior de nuestras dependencias, a la par de proyectos que desde el alumnado y bajo la supervisión de docentes cumplen con servicios de apoyo a nivel local y regional; promoviendo así una vinculación estrecha con la comunidad.

Job Title

Profesor (T)
Vicerrector Académico de la Universidad de Cuenca (2021- )

Last Name

Espinoza Abad

First Name

Juan Leonardo

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Search Results

Now showing 1 - 10 of 34

Degradation analysis of 5-year field exposed photovoltaic modules using low-cost thermography, electroluminescence and I-V curve tests in Ecuador
(Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc., 2020) Espinoza Abad, Juan Leonardo; Dávila Sacoto, M.A.; Hernández Callejo, Luis; Gonzalez Morales, Luis Gerardo; Espinoza Abad, Juan Leonardo
Detection of degradation of photovoltaic (PV) modules is important for the maintenance and operation of solar PV farms to reduce production losses. Infrarred (IR) Thermography, Electroluminescence (EL) and I-V curve tracers are detection techniques that generally use high-cost equipment, which limits their use in developing countries due to the tight budgets they manage for research and development. This study shows the use of low-cost alternatives to determine the deterioration of 140 solar PV modules at the University of Cuenca-Ecuador. This array has functioned continually without fail for 5 years. Measurement equipment for degradation detection techniques with a cost of less than 1, 000.00USD is used and its application is validated with professional equipment. A power loss of 1.29% per year is obtained. In addition, the use of degradation values obtained from similar studies is proposed to reduce the effort of detecting deterioration modes, whose approximation allows the calculation of the power delivered by the installation with a 2.04% error. A method for the economic quantification due to the losses caused by the deterioration of solar PV modules is also exposed.
Study of energy compensation techniques in photovoltaic solar systems with the use of supercapacitors in low-voltage networks
(2020) Gonzalez Morales, Luis Gerardo; Chacón Zhapán, Rommel Marcelo; Espinoza Abad, Juan Leonardo; Delgado Zambrano, Bernardo Esteban; Benavides Padilla, Dario Javier
The power generated by photovoltaic solar systems is exposed to high variability of irradiance mainly due to weather conditions, which cause instability in the electrical networks connected to these systems. This study shows the typical behavior of solar irradiance in an Andean city, which presents considerable variations that can reach up to 63% of the nominal power of the photovoltaic system, at time intervals in the order of seconds. The study covers the application of 3 techniques to reduce power fluctuations at the point of common coupling (PCC), with the incorporation of energy storage systems, under the same irradiance conditions. Supercapacitors were used as the storage system, which were selected for their high e ciency and useful life. A state of charge control is also applied by means of a hysteresis band. The three algorithms studied show similar behaviors; however, the ramp control technique has the best performance.
Public transportation with electric traction: experiences and challenges in an andean city
(2021) Gonzalez Morales, Luis Gerardo; Cordero Moreno, Daniel; Espinoza Abad, Juan Leonardo
The paper studies the energy behavior of a battery-electric bus (BEB) operating on commercial routes as well as the technical feasibility of a total replacement of the current public transport fleet by BEBs in an Andean city. The electrical variables in the BEB charging process are evaluated obtaining THD current distortions of less than 4%, values that meet national and international standards. Regarding the energy demand, the study uses an estimate that allows quantifying the energy consumption of the fleet of 424 BEBsthat would operate the 28 routes. It is estimated that the maximum demand during the charging process can reach 33.92 MW if the fleet is charged at a rate of 80 kW per BEB and 19.96 MW if the charge is at 40 kW, whereas the charging time can range from 4 h to 9 h, respectively. The daily energy needed to power the fleet is 115 MWh, which represents about 4% of energy demanded per day by the city. The estimation of the energy efficiency of the BEB under analysis presents values that vary between 0.67 and 0.94 km/kWh, an indicator that depends on the conditions of the route. The article includes and study on the preference of BEB users as compared to conventional buses. Finally, the study shows a feasible alternative to integrate renewable energy sources for BEB charging, based on photovoltaic solar generation and the use of energy storage systems, as a contribution to the sustainability of the public transport.
Impact of EV fast charging stations on the power distribution network of a Latin American intermediate city
(2019) Gonzalez Morales, Luis Gerardo; Siavichay Morocho, Santiago Eduardo; Espinoza Abad, Juan Leonardo
One of the most important challenges to mitigate global climate change is to move towards sustainable mobility. In this line, electric vehicles are currently an efficient and environmentally friendly means of transport. The objective of this research is to analyze the incidence of implementing fast charging stations for electric vehicles in the power distribution system of a Latin American intermediate city. The paper covers social, geographic, and technical aspects to determine the minimum infrastructure needed for the selected case study. The analysis is carried out by computational tools in order to model a 50 kW fast charging station with an AC/DC and DC/DC power converter. The inclusion of this type of stations in one of the feeders of the power distribution system of the city of Cuenca, Ecuador, is studied. After the analysis, it can be concluded that the impact of the inclusion of fast charging stations in the distribution system of the study area is reduced in terms of harmonic distortion and energy capacity. This low technical impact can lead to economic and environmental benefits for the city. This study helps to establish the necessary procedure to determine the fast charging infrastructure in urban centers and verify its impact on the power distribution network.
Harmonic Distortion and Hosting Capacity in Electrical Distribution Systems with High Photovoltaic Penetration: The Impact of Electric Vehicles
(2023) Gonzalez Morales, Luis Gerardo; Espinoza Abad, Juan Leonardo
Electric vehicles and the charging stations and their operation require a thorough examination to evaluate the effects on the electrical network. This becomes particularly challenging in the case of high photovoltaic penetration, due to the variability of the solar resource and vehicle connection patterns, which cater to individual user preferences. The current study investigates the impact of harmonics generated by charging stations and electric vehicles on different photovoltaic penetration scenarios within an electrical distribution system. DC and AC charging stations are analyzed. The findings reveal a third harmonic magnitude increase exceeding 300% compared to other cases. Furthermore, this study demonstrates the effects of current and voltage variations on end-users and substation transformers. The impact of harmonics on the hosting capacity of the network is also analyzed, resulting in a 37.5% reduction in the number of vehicles.
Electricity sector in Ecuador: an overview of the 2007–2017 decade
(2018) Ponce Jara, Marcos A.; Castro, M m; Peláez Samaniego, Manuel Raúl; Espinoza Abad, Juan Leonardo; Ruiz, Elena
The Ecuadorian electricity sector has undergone several changes during the past decade. The objective of this paper is twofold: a) to show how the Ecuadorian electricity sector has evolved from 2007 to 2017, and b) to discuss the relationship between energy policies and their impacts on electricity supply, management, tariffs, and the country's economy. Although oil remains as the main energy source and the leading driver for economic revenue, several hydropower projects have been built or are under construction intending in part to reduce the country's dependence on oil. The installed hydropower capacity in the country in 2017 is approximately 81% higher than in 2007 and it is expected that, by 2018, approximately 93% of the electricity will be produced from hydropower. Currently, biomass and biogas contribute with 1.8% of the total electricity generation, but only 0.6% of the electricity is produced in wind and solar farms. Adoption of smart grid technologies is key to transform the Ecuadorian electricity network and to positively impact the quality of the electricity supply. The future of the Ecuadorian electricity sector relies on the successful implementation of the new Organic Law of Public Service of Electricity and on external financing for new energy projects.
Financing technological improvements and firm competitive advantage through the kyoto protocol's clean development mechanism (CDM): a Latin American ex...
(2006) Petersen, Henry; Escobar, Luis Fernando; Espinoza Abad, Juan Leonardo; Vredenburg, Harrie
For nations of the global south there has been an overall dismissal of emissions reduction practices surrounding global warming, and perhaps rightfully so. Developed countries have been identified as the primary contributor towards the climate change issue, and many countries perceive that the curbing of emissions will lead to the stagnation of economic growth and prosperity. For developing nations, embracing emission reductions or carbon emission offsets appear to make little sense if in fact such actions would result in the economic contraction expected. However, we suggest that the climate change issue, although perceived as an obstacle to growth and prosperity, holds several strategic competitive advantages for first movers. Three factors are discussed regarding first mover advantage and we use the energy industry of the Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) region as our example.
Smart grids: a multi-scale framework of analysis
(IEEE, 2017) Espinoza Abad, Juan Leonardo; Samaniego Alvarado, Esteban Patricio; Jara Alvear, Jose Estuardo; Ochoa Tocachi, Diego Roberto; Espinoza Abad, Juan Leonardo
Smart-grids are currently of great social and scientific interest. For certain social actors, they have generated a great deal of expectation. There are several aspects to take into account when advocating for a universal implementation of smart-grids. Here we concentrate in their possibilities regarding the co-evolution between technical integration and social interaction. We propose a framework to analyze the compromise between technical and economic efficiency on one hand and citizen participation on the other, which goes from the individual scale (a household) to the society level. In order to explore to what degree individual decisions and emergent cooperation could be coordinated with centralized decision making when the latter may imply higher technological efficiency, we analyze several case studies within the framework and explore the possibility of arriving at a power “ecosystem”.
Análisis del impacto en transitorios y niveles de tensión relacionados con la conexión de micro-redes eléctricas al sistema de distribución
(Universidad de Cuenca, 2017) Zambrano Asanza, Sergio Patricio; Espinoza Abad, Juan Leonardo
This article presents an analysis of the impact on the distribution system produced by the so-called micro-grids (micro-electric networks), supplied by small generation sources. Studies are developed in both steady state and dynamic state to obtain results that do not affect the network or consumers. The analysis is performed for photovoltaic, wind, diesel generator, gas generator, and mini-hydropower systems, which are part of the University of Cuenca’s micro-grid. The software used for this work was DIgSILENT PowerFactory, enabling the conduct of power flows and electromagnetic transients (EMT) studies. Technical impacts caused by the micro-grid on losses, voltage profiles, overhead lines when it is installed to the closer distribution network are detailed. Also, a sensitivity study is carried out to know if the distribution network is suitable for the interconnection of a micro-grid under the concept of Distributed Generation - GD.
Energy efficiency of an electric vehicle in a Latin American intermediate city
(Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc., 2018) Gonzalez Morales, Luis Gerardo; Espinoza Abad, Juan Leonardo; Gonzalez Morales, Luis Gerardo
This study analyzes the behavior of the energy efficiency of an Electric Vehicle (EV) in Cuenca (Ecuador), a Latin American intermediate city, considering factors such as orography of the route as well as traffic conditions that include three field routes with urban, mixed, and high-speed characteristics. Three laboratory-driving cycle tests were carried out Federal Test Procedure (FTP-75), National Emission Ceiling Directive (NEDC) and Worldwide harmonized Light vehicles Test Procedures (WLTP). In the six environments, the performance was analyzed from mechanical and electrical variables obtained through a communication system under the On-Board Diagnostics II (OBD2) standard that incorporates the vehicle. The data of each sample contains 154 variables of interest, which are then analyzed by correlation to obtain those that affect the energy performance of the EV. With this information, the efficiency in the …