Optimization study of a hybrid powertrain: Optimization of the system components and energy management of a zero-emission hydrogen powered boat

The company H2 Marine Solutions has designed a zero-emission hydrogen powered boat. This boat is compared to its fossil fuel counterpart more than twice as heavy. The reason for this is that the system components that are used in the hybrid powertrain of the hydrogen powered boat are heavier. The main question of this research is: How can we...

A Convex Economic Model Predictive Control Framework for Hydraulic-Drivetrain Wind Turbines and Farms

In the mission to slow down global warming, the replacement of fossil fuels by renewable energy resources is key. A tipping point in the adoption of renewable energy resources is notable, as they are becoming economically more viable. Offshore wind energy is considered essential in realizing the greenhouse gas emission reduction targets. However...

An optimization based approach to autonomous drifting: A scaled implementation feasibility study

Development of the autonomous vehicle has been a trending topic over the last few years. The automotive industry is continuously developing Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems (ADAS) that partially take over the driver’s workload. This has resulted in an increase in vehicle safety and a decrease in fatal crashes [1]. Full vehicle autonomy has not...

Pumping when the wind blows: Demand response in the Dutch delta

This thesis investigates the potential of a large pumping station in IJmuiden, the Nether-lands, for participating in Demand Response. Due to climate change, renewable energy is onthe rise. The intermittency of energy, together with its unpredictable supply, are a big hurdlefor the energy transition. Two methods are promising solutions to this...

Convex modeling of pumps in order to optimize their energy use

This study presents convex modeling of drainage pumps so that real-time control systems can be implemented to minimize their energy use. A convex model is built based on pump curves and then used in mixed-integer optimization to allow pumps to be turned on or off. It is implemented as an extension to the open source software package RTC-Tools...

Evaluation and optimization of the control system of the Symphony Wave Power Device

Raising environmental concerns have stimulated the development of renewable energy, including energy from the oceans, which contain a huge potential. In this thesis, particular emphasis is given to wave energy, which can deliver up to 2 TW on a global scale. The aim of this thesis is to optimize the control system of the Symphony Wave Power...

Averaging Level Control to Reduce Off-Spec Material in a Continuous Pharmaceutical Pilot Plant

The judicious use of buffering capacity is important in the development of future continuous pharmaceutical manufacturing processes. The potential benefits are investigated of using optimal-averaging level control for tanks that have buffering capacity for a section of a continuous pharmaceutical pilot plant involving two crystallizers, a...

Information Theory for Risk-based Water System Operation

Operational management of water resources needs predictions of future behavior of water systems, to anticipate shortage or excess of water in a timely manner. Because the natural systems that are part of the hydrological cycle are complex, the predictions inevitably are subject to considerable uncertainty. Still, definitive decisions about e.g....

A generic method to optimize instructions for the control of evacuations

A method is described to develop a set of optimal instructions to evacuate by car the population of a region threatened by a hazard. By giving these instructions to the evacuees, traffic conditions and therefore the evacuation efficiency can be optimized. The instructions, containing a departure time, a destination, and a route, are created...