Technology In Context
considers monitoring power quality, retrofitting and automating existing manufacturing plants, and designing new high-performance machines. These businesses can all benefit and better compete in the global economy by implementing more efficient, optimized systems and technologies. The following case studies demonstrate green engineering in the application areas of renewable wind energy generation and energy consumption optimization in commercial and industrial air-conditioning systems.
Renewable Power Generation
Figure 2
CEMS Engineering has optimized energy usage in large commercial and industrial centralized air-conditioning systems by measuring surrounding conditions and implementing advanced control algorithms.
real-world behavior. Armed with the data, designers can achieve the desired solution by improving system components or creating the next generation of products. In other words, measure it and fix it. Common measurements used in green engineering include power quality and consumption; vehicle and factory emissions, such as mercury and nitrogen oxides; and environmental parameters, including carbon, temperature and water quality.
Opportunities and Key Technologies
For those considering joining the green dream, two pointed questions appear at the top of their minds: is today’s technology viable enough to make an impact, and is this really a sustainable business opportunity? The good news is that many engineers have traveled down this path before. In addition, significant innovations in measurement, automation and design tools have made the technology components for green engineering not only easier to use, but also cheaper to acquire than before. Key technologies that enable green engineering include: • High-speed and high-resolution measurements
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• Domain-specific analysis libraries • FPGAs for advanced control • Graphical programming to measure and implement control Some of these new technologies have resulted from the growth in the semiconductor business, which has led both to advances in the capabilities of analog-to-digital converters as well as decreased costs from the mass adoption of consumer electronics. Furthermore, new enhancements to existing design and engineering tools, such as graphical programming, have made them more accessible to domain experts rather than solely technology experts. By shifting the necessary technology directly into the hands of those who are closest to the problems, solutions can be implemented more quickly and more effectively than in the past. Green engineering solutions span almost every market, ranging from the rapid advancement of environmentally friendly products, to the study of climate changes, to the development of sustainable renewable energy such as wind power and biofuels. Industrial applications, traditionally viewed as environmentally unfriendly, are also ideal for green engineering when one
Renewable power generation covers a wide range of technologies, including wind, solar (photovoltaic and thermal), biomass, geothermal, hydro, wave and even highenergy physics. Research and development in these areas are exploding around the world, driven by energy prices, government legislation and incentives for commercialization. More than 50 countries from a wide variety of political, geographical and economic backgrounds have set aggressive targets for the amount of energy generated from renewable sources (Table 1). The latest global status reports state that clean energy technology supplies approximately 5 percent of the world’s total energy consumption. With government mandates of up to 60 percent and deadlines as early as 2010, engineers and scientists are rising to meet this daunting challenge at a worldwide scope, with an increasingly focused drive these recent years. Wind energy is one of the fastest emerging areas, growing at a rate of 30 percent each year with an installation of more than 100 gigawatts. However, this industry has several key challenges to conquer before gaining acceptance as a mainstream energy supplier. For example, wind turbine manufacturers must scale up difficult processes to meet the increasing demand, such as automating manufacturing and test systems for components such as blades, generators and gearboxes. Plus, hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) simulations of the wind turbine’s mechanical and electrical properties are used to predict its behavior during variable wind conditions, and advanced control systems running the pitch/yaw drives help maintain a constant rotating speed while reducing damage