Sustainable Developments by Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning for Renewable Energies

By Krishna Kumar

Sustainable Developments by Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning for Renewable Energies analyzes the changes in this energy generation shift, including issues of grid stability with variability in renewable energy vs. traditional baseload energy generation. Providing solutions to current critical environmental, economic and social issues, this book comprises various complex nonlinear interactions among different parameters to drive the integration of renewable energy into the grid. It considers how artificial intelligence and machine learning techniques are being developed to produce more reliable energy generation to optimize system performance and provide sustainable development.

As the use of artificial intelligence to revolutionize the energy market and harness the potential of renewable energy is essential, this reference provides practical guidance on the application of renewable energy with AI, along with machine learning techniques and capabilities in design, modeling and for forecasting performance predictions for the optimization of renewable energy systems. It is targeted at researchers, academicians and industry professionals working in the field of renewable energy, AI, machine learning, grid Stability and energy generation.

• Covers the best-performing methods and approaches for designing renewable energy systems with AI integration in a real-time environment
• Gives advanced techniques for monitoring current technologies and how to efficiently utilize the energy grid spectrum
• Addresses the advanced field of renewable generation, from research, impact and idea development of new applications

• Language: English
• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Release date: Mar 18, 2022
• ISBN: 9780323914284

Book preview

Preface

Energy is a basic need for the development of human beings and will always be part of the context of our daily life. An increase in energy demand due to an increase in population and utilization has put extra pressure on the existing energy generation infrastructures. This burden can only be resolved by installing new power plants based on renewable energy resources. Energy generation through renewable energy sources is sustainable in nature, which minimizes the environmental effect. However, an increase in the renewable energy generation share destabilizes the grid. Among all the available renewable energy sources, solar and wind energy sources are the dominant emerging forms, and these power plants have short gestation periods. Hydro and wind energy generation systems convert mechanical power to electrical power, whereas solar energy generation systems convert solar radiation into electricity. The selection of a particular energy source is generally made based on the available energy density along with the techno-economic feasibility of the conversion.

The development in capacity building for renewable energy generation has sparked a paradigm change in the energy sector. Due to changes as the sources of energy generation shift, issues of grid stability have been affected. The energy demand market accelerates to focus on innovative technologies integrated with renewable energy systems. Various complex nonlinear interactions among different parameters drive the integration of renewable energy with the grid. Artificial intelligence (AI), the Internet of things (IoT), and cloud computing techniques are being utilized to produce more reliable energy generation and to optimize system performance.

The major topics in this book are covered in depth. Chapter 1 is about the application of alternative clean energy in the transportation sector, energy production, and cooking. Chapter 2 presents a detailed analysis of a standard IEEE 30 bus system considering wind and solar as energy sources. Traditional methods like Monte Carlo, two-point estimation, and Taylor series are also discussed. Chapter 3 focuses mainly on IoET-SG, advantages, and future challenges, along with effective solutions. Chapter 4 discusses the evaluation of PERC/PERT/PERL solar cells. Chapter 5 addresses the issues of installing a feasible and reliable micro-hybrid grid system in remote regions. Chapter 6 presents a new optimization algorithm to solve the techno-economic problem of optimal location and sizing of RES-based distributed generators (DG) in the EDSs. Chapter 7 is an overview of available renewable energy generation technologies.

Chapter 8 presents an overview of machine learning (ML) applications in building energy demand prediction for cooling, heating, and electrical energy systems. Chapter 9 discusses an overview of solar cell cooling techniques, including passive, active, and combined passive/active strategies. The mechanism of machine learning for the performance prediction of nonlinear systems is studied in terms of training, validation, and testing processes. Chapter 10 presents agent-based, peer-to-peer (P2P) energy trading, with dynamic internal pricing in terms of various energy trading forms, underlying mechanisms, and mathematical models. The applications and prospects of blockchain and machine learning technologies in P2P energy trading have been reviewed to show recent progress and advances. Chapter 11 discusses machine learning-based hybrid demand-side controllers. Chapter 12 discusses the classifications of daily power generation data of a hydropower plant using the unsupervised self-organizing maps (SOM) clustering technique to decide the energy generation target for individual power plants.

Chapter 13 covers biodiesel energy generation optimization techniques. Equation response surface methodology is utilized to build the numerical model while the advanced elephant swarm water search algorithm (ESWSA) is used to test the nonlinear model. Chapter 14 presents a simulation model for optimizing a reservoir to determine the best, and correct quantity of, future irrigation facilities that can be provided in the proposed scheme. It goes on to look at the applicability of simulation in reservoir planning. Chapter 15 discusses the performance of hydrokinetic turbines under various angles of attack (AoA) of blade profile.

The target audience of this book are researchers, academicians, technical institutes, R&D laboratories, data scientists working in the fields of renewable energy, AI, cloud computing, IoT, microgrid, smart grid, and water resources, and investors who want to analyze and understand the challenges, benefits, and possibilities available for the improvement in system performance.

Chapter 1: Application of alternative clean energy

Adarsh Gaurava; Sujeet Kesharvania; Sakshi Sarathea; Gaurav Dwivedia; Gaurav Sainib; Anuj Kumarc; Kamaraj Nithyanandhand    a Energy Centre, Maulana Azad National Institute of Technology, Bhopal, India

b School of Advanced Materials, Green Energy and Sensor Systems, Indian Institute of Engineering Science and Technology Shibpur, Howrah, West Bengal, India

c School of Mechanical Engineering, Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore, India

d Department of Automobile Engineering, Kongu Engineering College, Erode, India

Abstract

Conventional fuels emanate large amounts of harmful gases such as CO2, SO2, and NOx, which are GHGs, responsible for climate change. The rapid growth of our population is increasing humanity’s energy demand and use. To fulfill these energy requirements, it is necessary to increase energy production and utility while shifting towards clean and alternative sources of energy. ACE possesses great potential and advantages over CFs. Bioenergy is a clean energy source that has a high future potential. There are others sources that still need to be commercialized for public use like geothermal, ocean waves, tidal wave energy, etc. Every ACE source has a wide variety of applications, such as use in the transportation sector, energy production, cooking, etc., which will be discussed in the following chapter. In conclusion, the application of clean alternative energy shows potential to help energy security and socioeconomic development.

Keywords

Clean energy application of solar energy; Bioenergy; Wind energy; Hydropower; Geothermal

1.1: Introduction

Fossil fuels are nonrenewable energy that emits quantities of greenhouse gases and other pollutants, which cause climate change and global warming. According to WHO-2018, 8 million people die (4.2 million due to ambient air + 3.8 million due to household air) every year due to air pollution (Ierodiakonou et al., 2016). The IPCC (2018), sr15_chapter1, says that in 2017 global warming had reached approximately 1°C (0.8–1.2°C) above preindustrial (1750–1900) levels, increasing at a rate of 0.2°C per decade (2018). This is causing the melting of glaciers, extinction of several species, increased threat of wildfire, storms, and drought, and effects on agriculture and cultivation, which are very susceptible to climate change and temperature. Poverty may increase drastically because many people depend on agriculture. Furthermore, fossil fuels are depleting rapidly. Many researchers predict that, with the present consumption rate, coal will likely be exhausted by the year 2090, oil will have run out by 2052, and gas by 2060. According to the WHO-2018 report, the amounts of CO2, N2O, and CH4 in 2018 were 407.8 ± 0.1 ppm, N2O at 331.1 ± 0.1 ppb, and 1869 ± 2 ppb, respectively; these values having increased by 147%, 123%, and 259%, respectively, from preindustrial (before 1750) levels (World Meteorological Organization and Global Atmosphere Watch, 2019). The human population has increased to more than 7.5 billion, so the energy demand has also increased. In order to mitigate pollution and release greenhouse gases to meet our energy demand, the need for clean sources of energy is required.

Alternative, clean sources of energy (ACE), such as hydro, solar, wind, biomass, geothermal, and ocean energy, emit a smaller quantity of pollutants and greenhouse gases. They are generally renewable forms of energy. They have the possibility to replace fossil fuels. The use of solar and wind, hydro, biomass, and other clean energy sources is growing rapidly. Solar, biogas, small-scale hydro, wind, and other source-based applications help rural areas to meet their energy demand. Every ACE source has a wide variety of applications, such as use in the transportation sector, existing buildings, energy production, heating, cooking, etc., which will be discussed in the following chapter.

1.2: Solar energy

Solar energy can be utilized in two ways, either by converting it into electrical energy by using photovoltaic cells or by conversion into thermal energy.

1.2.1: Photovoltaic systems

Photovoltaic cells are generally made up of semiconductor materials of silicon. When sunlight strikes these semiconductor materials, they lose electrons and, by joining negative and positive terminals to complete the external circuit, electricity can be generated. These cells are connected to a form module. When several modules are connected, either in parallel or series combination, an array is formed. A typical cell generally produces 1.5 watts of power (Bhawan & Puram, 2006a).

Some applications for photovoltaic systems are lighting commercial buildings, street lighting systems, lighting rural areas, etc. (Bhawan & Puram, 2006b).

1.2.2: Solar thermal energy systems

Solar thermal energy devices convert solar energy into thermal energy. On the basis of temperature, these can be classified as:

Low-grade temperature devices: Temperature up to 100°C obtained;

Medium grade temperature devices: Temperature between 100°C and 300°C;

High-grade temperature devices: Temperature above 300°C.

1.2.3: Solar water heating (SWH) systems

One of the traditional methods of water heating is solar water heating (SWH). The majority of SWHs are built without a solar energy concentrator (Abed, 2021). A typical SWH consists of a rectangular box with tubes through which liquid (either water or another liquid) to be heated flows, a solar collector (usually flat plate collectors), a clear glass cover, an absorber plate attached to tubes to absorb heat, and an insulated storage tank to store heated water. The system is available in either active or passive form. The active system includes a pump for liquid flow, whereas the passive system is without a pump and the liquid flows naturally due to gravity. A schematic diagram of a simple SWH is shown in Fig. 1.1.

Fig. 1.1

Fig. 1.1 Solar water heater.

A few industrial applications of solar water heaters are listed below (Bhawan & Puram, 2006b):

•Used in chemical/bulk drug units for fermentation of mix and boiler feed applications.

•Used in the kitchen, for bathing, washing, and laundry applications in hotels.

•Used in the pulp and paper industries for soaking of pulp and also used in boiler feed pumps.

•Used in electroplating/galvanizing units for heating of plating baths, cleaning, and degreasing applications.

•Used in clarified butter production, cleaning, sterilizing, and pasteurization. Used in breweries and distilleries for bottle washing, wort preparation, boiler feed heating.

•Used in textiles for bleaching, boiling, printing, dyeing, curing, aging, and finishing purposes.

1.2.4: Solar cooker

Solar cookers are used to cook food, such as cereals, rice, etc., by utilizing solar energy. On the basis of design, these can be classified as:

1.2.4.1: Box type solar cooker

The box-type solar cooker consists of an insulated box with a glass covering and a reflecting mirror placed in such a position that it concentrates the rays of the sun. Fig. 1.2 shows a box type solar cooker (Bhawan & Puram, 2006b; Ghodake, 2016).

Fig. 1.2

Fig. 1.2 Box type solar cooker. Adopted from Ghodake, D. (2016). A review paper on utilization of solar energy for cooking. Imperial International Journal of Eco-friendly Technologies.

The payback period for the cooker is 3 to 4 years, and the cost of the cooker in India is around ₹3000 to ₹4000.

1.2.4.2: Parabolic concentrating type solar cooker

A parabolic concentrating type solar cooker consists of a paraboloid mirror with the cooking vessel placed on the focus point of the mirror (Kumaresan, Raju, Iniyan, & Velraj, 2015). It is used in baking and cooking food at high temperatures, as the cooker produces a higher temperature—up to 300°C—as compared to the box-type solar cooker. Fig. 1.3 shows a parabolic collector (Asif, 2017; Bhawan & Puram, 2006b).

Fig. 1.3

Fig. 1.3 Parabolic collector. Adopted from Asif, M. (2017). Fundamentals and application of solar thermal technologies (Vol. 3, pp. 27–36). Elsevier.

The payback period is about six years and the cost of the cooker is around ₹3300 to ₹5000.

1.2.5: Solar water pumps

Solar water pumps use electricity produced by solar energy instead of conventional electricity to run the pumps. In this type of system, the photovoltaic array is connected to a motor-pump set. Applications include pumping water for agriculture, drinking, and other daily uses.

1.2.6: Solar space heating

The energy consumed by buildings is very high and still corresponds to about 40% of the final energy demand in most developed countries, out of which 22% is utilized by residential buildings and 18% by commercial ones. Residential buildings consume a large part of space heating worldwide, being responsible for more than 50% in International Energy Agency (IEA) countries Directive 2002/91/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council, 2002; Directive, 2010; Laustsen, 2008).

Solar space heating can be categorized as active or passive:

1.2.6.1: Active space heating

In active solar space-heating systems, solar energy is used to heat a fluid or gas (liquid or air), this liquid (antifreeze liquid) is then stored in a storage tank for further use, or the heated air can be used directly for space heating. When liquid is used as a working fluid, then a pump is used, whereas a fan is used in the case of air.

1.2.6.2: Passive space heating

This type of system may be divided into several categories. In a direct-gain passive system, the floors or walls behave as a storage system and windows act as solar collectors, which means they are part of the occupied space. Thermal masses are used to absorb the solar radiation during the daytime and slowly release it during the night. Thermal masses are generally kept insulated from the outside environment and the ground to reduce heat losses (Sârbu, 2007).

In indirect-gain passive systems, the wall facing south or the roof is used to absorb solar radiation, thereby increasing the temperature, thus conveying heat into the building in various ways. The heat loss to the atmosphere from the wall is reduced by glazing and hence it improves the overall system efficiency (Sârbu, 2007).

1.3: Geothermal energy

1.3.1: Geothermal power generation

Geothermal energy is ecofriendly and has a wide range of applications. It is found in three forms: wet steam, dry steam, and hot water. There are four basic methods of extracting power from geothermal resources: direct steam power plants, single flash systems, double flash systems, and binary cycle power plants.

1.3.1.1: Direct steam power plants

Direct steam power plants generally require a very high geothermal temperature reservoir—greater than 455°F. Steam is taken out via production wells that are 3280 ft to two and a half miles underground to run the turbine (Zoet, Bowyer, Bratkovich, Frank, & Fernholz, 2011). Various impurities and particulates need to be removed from the steam.

1.3.1.2: Single flash system power plants

This type of system is used when the production well consists of a mixture of steam and water; a cylindrical cyclone separator is used to separate the steam and water. According to DiPippo (2015) and Valdimarsson (2021), the word single indicates a single flashing process in a mixture of steam and water: due to lowering the pressure of the mixture, some liquids convert into vapor, which occurs either in the production wells, reservoir, or cyclone inlet. The steam obtained is used to run the turbine. The remaining liquid, which does not flash into steam, is transferred to the reservoir for further use.

1.3.1.3: Double flash steam power plants

According to DiPippo (2015), double flash is an improvement on the single flash system and produces 25% more power output than a single flash for the same fluid conditions. In double flash, the liquid that remains in the first separator is converted to steam in the second separator. Generally, flash systems (single or double) require high-temperature geothermal reservoirs ranging from 300°F to 700°F (ZOET et al., 2011).

1.3.1.4: Binary cycle power plants

Binary cycle power plants utilize geothermal reservoirs ranging from 212°F to 302°F (ZOET et al., 2011). Binary cycle power plants use secondary fluids. The hot liquid from the reservoir vaporizes the secondary fluid at a lower temperature than the hot liquid in a heat exchanger, which runs the turbine.

1.3.2: Direct uses of geothermal energy

Geothermal energy is generally used as an indirect form, however, according to Lund and Boyd in the year 2015, out of the total worldwide installed capacity: 70.9% (55.15% annual energy use) used for ground-source heat pumps, 12.9% (20.18% annual usage) for swimming and bathing purposes (including balneology), 10.72% (14.9% annual use) for space heating, 2.78% (4.5% annual usage) for purpose of greenhouses and open heating, 0.98% (2.02% annual usage) for purpose of raceway and agricultural pond heating, 0.87% (1.76%) for industrial use applications, 0.51% (0.44%) for snow melting and cooling, 0.23% (0.34%) for agricultural drying, and 0.1% (0.24%) for other uses (Lund & Boyd, 2016). According to Lund, 350 million barrels of equivalent oil per year can be saved by direct usage, which reduces CO2 by emissions about 148 million tonnes (Lund & Boyd,