Design mining interacting wind turbines

© 2016 by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. An initial study has recently been presented of surrogate-assisted evolutionary algorithms used to design vertical-axis wind turbines wherein candidate prototypes are evaluated under fan-generated wind conditions after being physically instantiated by a 3D printer. Unlike other approaches, such as computational fluid dynamics simulations, no mathematical formulations were used and no model assumptions weremade. This paper extends that work by exploring alternative surrogate modelling and evolutionary techniques. The accuracy of various modelling algorithms used to estimate the fitness of evaluated individuals from the initial experiments is compared. The effect of temporally windowing surrogate model training samples is explored. A surrogateassisted approach based on an enhanced local search is introduced; and alternative coevolution collaboration schemes are examined

On Design Mining: Coevolution and Surrogate Models

© 2017 Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Published under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported (CC BY 3.0) license. Design mining is the use of computational intelligence techniques to iteratively search and model the attribute space of physical objects evaluated directly through rapid prototyping to meet given objectives. It enables the exploitation of novel materials and processes without formal models or complex simulation. In this article, we focus upon the coevolutionary nature of the design process when it is decomposed into concurrent sub-design-threads due to the overall complexity of the task. Using an abstract, tunable model of coevolution, we consider strategies to sample subthread designs for whole-system testing and how best to construct and use surrogate models within the coevolutionary scenario. Drawing on our findings, we then describe the effective design of an array of six heterogeneous vertical-axis wind turbines

Connection of renewable energy sources to the power grid

Diplomová práce se zabývá obnovitelnými zdroji energie a druhy, které se nejvíce využívají. Teoretická část je věnována obecným informacím o obnovitelných zdrojích energie, typech elektráren a v další části se zaměřuje na fotovoltaické elektrárny. Praktická část ilustruje připojení fotovoltaické elektrárny do sítě vysokého napětí (22kV) ve Středočeském kraji. Dále jsou v práci uvedena pravidla pro připojení rozptýlených výroben elektřiny z obnovitelných zdrojů energie do distribuční sítě, napěťový profil podél vedení před a po připojení FVE do distribuční sítě.This thesis deals with the renewable energy and its main types. The theoretical part is about the general information on renewable energy sources, types of power plants, focusing on photovoltaic power plants. The practical part illustrates the connection of photovoltaic power plant to a medium voltage network (22kV) in Central Bohemia region. The following part is devoted to the rules for connecting dispersed energy sources to the distribution network, voltage profile along the lines before and after connecting the PVPP's into the distribution network

Smart Grid for the Smart City

Modern cities are embracing cutting-edge technologies to improve the services they offer to the citizens from traffic control to the reduction of greenhouse gases and energy provisioning. In this chapter, we look at the energy sector advocating how Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) and signal processing techniques can be integrated into next generation power grids for an increased effectiveness in terms of: electrical stability, distribution, improved communication security, energy production, and utilization. In particular, we deliberate about the use of these techniques within new demand response paradigms, where communities of prosumers (e.g., households, generating part of their electricity consumption) contribute to the satisfaction of the energy demand through load balancing and peak shaving. Our discussion also covers the use of big data analytics for demand response and serious games as a tool to promote energy-efficient behaviors from end users

Virtual Reality, a Method to Achieve Social Acceptance of the Communities Close to Mining Projects: A Scoping Review

"Background: Virtual reality (VR) technology is an effective, interactive and immersive type of communication since it produces greater interest and attention in the user, thereby allowing greater understanding and comprehension than with more traditional methods. On the other hand, not much information is known about the application of this novel technology in the context of social acceptance as far as the mining sector is concerned; our approach and methodology were based on scoping review (Prisma-SrC, Daudt et al., Arksey, and O’Malley). The research terms were also planned before, with the aim of carrying out three posterior screening levels, among which was the use of EndNote 20 and the PICO framework. Exhaustive research was carried out in nine databases. We obtained n=2 research articles of n=923 initially found, all of which went through three levels of filtering. The chosen articles were evaluated according to Hawker et al. 's methodological rigor, to be included in the review. This scoping review could be the starting point for a series of further investigations that would fill the gap in the literature on this topic, emphasizing experimental articles to confirm the impact of virtual reality technologies on the communities within the sphere of influence of a mining project.

A system-based approach to assessing the value of wind for society

A system-based approach to assessing the value of wind is based on the definition of the subsystems that lie inside the system boundary, then the categories in each subsystem, and finally the elements that compose those categories. The subsystems that were identified as affecting the value of wind are: • technology, including research, development and demonstration (RD&D), technology spillover and materials; • the energy sector, including the electricity market and electricity system categories, the security and economic aspects of security of supply and the wider non-electricity energy market; • the wind energy market, including industrial activities and the cost of wind energy and its support, for example, in the form of subsidies, grants, taxes, fees and levies, and by the financial sector; • the broader economy, including electricity generation technology investment, government actions and industrial competitiveness; • social, covering employment, the impact on land or the sea, social acceptance, non-economic costs of administration, anti-wind campaigns, health and safety issues; • environmental categories, including life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions, air pollution, water use and land and water surface. The result is a guide that could be used by analysts and practitioners of policy-support theory and practice to define which subsystems, categories and/or elements they decide to include in a prospective analysis of the value (and the impact) of wind for society.JRC.F.6-Energy Technology Policy Outloo

Electrical power grid network optimisation by evolutionary computing

A major factor in the consideration of an electrical power network of the scale of a national grid is the calculation of power flow and in particular, optimal power flow. This paper considers such a network, in which distributed generation is used, and examines how the network can be optimized, in terms of transmission line capacity, in order to obtain optimal or at least high-performing configurations, using multi-objective optimisation by evolutionary computing methods