Artificial intelligence can make wind energy cheaper
Deploying artificial intelligence could allow wind turbines to work in a smarter way with environmental factors. The doctoral study of VUB researcher Timothy Verstraeten shows that wind energy can become cheaper and more efficient this way.
Deploying artificial intelligence could allow wind turbines to work in a smarter way with environmental factors. The doctoral study of VUB researcher Timothy Verstraeten shows that wind energy can become cheaper and more efficient this way.
Deploying artificial intelligence could allow wind turbines to work in a smarter way with environmental factors. The doctoral study of VUB researcher Timothy Verstraeten shows that wind energy can become cheaper and more efficient this way.
Environmental factors such as wind speed, wind direction or temperature constantly influence the operation of a wind turbine. This makes it difficult, even for experts, to fully and correctly map out the condition of a turbine. Verstraeten has now shown that artificial intelligence (AI) can help here.
The automatic processes AI unleashes on the condition of turbines can map how they relate to each other and when they are working well or poorly within the wind farm system. That "health check" can uncover complex relationships that can eventually reduce maintenance costs and also increase efficiency.
"There is great potential for wind turbines to interact more intelligently with their environment and with each other via AI," said the VUB researcher.
For his research, Verstraeten first had the wind turbines share information about their personal state with each other. Afterwards, the AI was used to get a global picture of how the wind turbines depend on each other. For example, a turbine at the front of the farm that is rotating leaves a slowed and turbulent wind flow behind it. This causes the turbines at the back of the farm to produce less energy. Using AI, the control system mitigates this kind of production loss across the entire wind farm.
Latest insights & stories
MOBILIDATA
In Flanders, we strive to work on tomorrow’s mobility today. That includes the Mobilidata programme. With this programme, various levels of government, companies and researchers are jointly developing innovative, technological traffic solutions for road users, such as better route advice, tailored traffic notifications and intelligent traffic lights. New connected mobility and know-how do not stop at our national borders however, so international collaboration is needed to exchange knowledge and set up joint projects to implement it.
Digital sovereignty guarantees data security in the public cloud
When companies consider migrating to the public cloud, they are sometimes held back by security risks and compliance and governance constraints. Thus the interest in digital sovereignty, Gwénaëlle Hervé, Public & Sovereign Cloud Lead at Proximus NXT, explains.
ROAD SAFETY
Since 2018, the number of traffic casualties in Flanders has risen again. Currently, the figures are stagnating, but the risk of accidents with injuries remains high for vulnerable road users in Flanders. And that while traffic should be safe for all users and modes. We want to change this by focusing on transparent policy, training on safe behavior, infrastructure improvements, legislation and enforcement.