Energy Efficiency

Energy is a stored potential or continuous power to do work. Efficiency refers to the effective use of power. Consuming less energy may differ from using less energy to do the same amount of work. In industrial applications, energy can be electrical, pneumatic, hydraulic, kinetic (in motion or in a coiled spring), chemical, nuclear, light, steam and other heat and gravity. Effective monitoring and control can help in creation of more efficient designs and processes. Energy as a component of production is more often viewed as potential for cost savings.

Energy Efficiency Articles

Smarter energy measurements, faster, using AI

Engineers use artificial intelligence (AI) to magnify domain expertise and significantly cut time to end user.

 

Learning Objectives

  • Discover the product development challenges that are particularly suited to being solved with artificial intelligence (AI).
  • R&D engineers can use self-learning models or AI to cut months of product development time.
  • Engineers can use machine learning (ML) to discover new insights by exploring more operating conditions to improve product performance and quality.

Artificial Intelligence Insights

  • Smart meters are used to measure energy consumption and the data collected can be enhanced using artificial intelligence (AI).
  • Using machine learning (ML) creates accurate results much earlier in the product development process for problems suited to AI.
  • Smart meters are being used to measure energy consumption and often involve highly complex physics such as gas fluid dynamics that require extensive simulation and physical testing to understand.

After successful applications of artificial intelligence (AI) in manufacturing or process industries, engineers sought to achieve similar benefits in product development. Teams wanted to determine if machine learning (ML) methods could be used in engineering workflows to understand and predict complex product behaviors faster and in extreme operation conditions.

Using a no-code environment on test data also helped discern what problems are suited to being solved with self-learning models. Namely those characterized by highly non-linear behavior that is hard to describe using physical equations, but that can be accurately tested.

For example, most fluid dynamics problems, whether it is natural gas mixtures flowing through a residential meter, are very difficult to resolve numerically. Tuning a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation until it is accurate enough for decision-making can take months and significantly longer than testing a design on an in-facility test stand. So even though the trend goes towards using CFD more often, testing very early in the product development process is critical. AI can be applied to this early test data to faster understand what impacts the results, use the AI model to predict yet unperformed tests and even to calibrate the meter to high accuracy levels more quickly.

In short, engineers reach a faster understanding of complex system behaviors and can make faster design decisions by applying AI to product design.

While this workflow of testing and then identifying the system using machine learning (ML) afterwards might seem unorthodox, it tends to create more accurate results much earlier in the product development process for problems suited to AI, including resident and commercial gas meters and methane emission monitoring tools.

Figure 1: Designing and optimizing a residential gas meter can be an expensive and time-consuming undertaking. Using Monolith, the engineers at Honeywell can optimize their gas meters much faster using a data-driven approach. Courtesy: Honeywell Figure 1: Designing and optimizing a residential gas meter can be an expensive and time-consuming undertaking. Using Monolith, the engineers at Honeywell can optimize their gas meters much faster using a data-driven approach. Courtesy: Honeywell

Using AI to speed up product development

The global smart meters market is expected to grow from an estimated $19.6 billion in 2021 to $30.2 billion by 2026 according to MarketsAndMarkets. Accurate measurement of gas usage has widespread benefits such as users can track and predict their own expenditures. Suppliers also can understand their client bases and provide more reliable and customized services.

The addition of pressure and temperature sensors to the residential gas flow meter has an added benefit of being able to autonomously shut down if gas-grid over-pressure is detected, enhancing safety for users.

With the energy transition, mixtures of natural gas and hydrogen will be entered into the gas grid and accurate metering of these mixtures imposes a challenge, especially for ultrasonic gas meters. This poses serious challenges for product development teams tasked with conducting the necessary tests to find the best technological solutions.

Prior to investigating AI, a traditional and familiar development process that physically and virtually tested many different product variables to arrive at a product design suitable for manufacturing. This process would often take 18 months to ensure the calibration error was below the legally required 1%. With AI, that time is reduced by 25%.

Figure 2: Top: An idealized workflow for a well understood (linear) problem where time to market and testing is minimized by solving known equations which are based on physical models. Bottom: Idealized workflow for an intractable (non-linear) physics problem that cannot be solved easily using physics-based modeling approaches but can be tested and hence modelled and calibrated using Monolith’s self-learning models. Courtesy: Honeywell Figure 2: Top: An idealized workflow for a well understood (linear) problem where time to market and testing is minimized by solving known equations which are based on physical models. Bottom: Idealized workflow for an intractable (non-linear) physics problem that cannot be solved easily using physics-based modeling approaches but can be tested and hence modelled and calibrated using Monolith’s self-learning models. Courtesy: Honeywell

Smart AI technology for smart meters

Smart meters provide engineers more insights into their products. It’s not just during the product development process; it also can be done during quality control and in the field to optimize the smart grid. As a result, there is now a huge pool of data that development engineers can and should consider when developing new products. This requires a completely new skillset, from big data analysis to building advanced models for complex dynamic systems.

An automated solution for fugitive emissions monitoring is another perfect example of a complex issue where the stakes are high. Trying to detect the location of fugitive gas leak or process vent, and quantify it, is a deeply complicated problem because of the stochastic nature of wind direction and speed.

Figure 3: At the beginning of each calibration process, the accuracy of the gas meters tends to be outside the legal requirements (top image). Engineers need to calibrate the meters to fall into the red boundaries (image below). Using self-learning models, they not only fulfilled the requirements, but also achieved results much faster compared to running time-intensive, tedious and repetitive test campaigns. Courtesy: Honeywell Figure 3: At the beginning of each calibration process, the accuracy of the gas meters tends to be outside the legal requirements (top image). Engineers need to calibrate the meters to fall into the red boundaries (image below). Using self-learning models, they not only fulfilled the requirements, but also achieved results much faster compared to running time-intensive, tedious and repetitive test campaigns. Courtesy: Honeywell

Trying to understand the physics of a complex system like this can’t be quickly or even fully represented by CFD simulation and therefore requires extensive physical testing to calibrate. In this case, engineers started building prototypes to learn from field data early in the product development process and now have advanced solutions within less than a year. Building an advanced complex industrial solution in less than year is game-changing for the process solution industry. An ML solution, unlike a heuristic model, will continue to learn and keep improving after deployment.

The increase in speed in decision-making and this ability of continuous learning helps show how self-learning engineering models may become a standard tool for engineers in the smart energy industry, and other areas with deeply complex engineering challenges.

Figure 4: Honeywell’s mission statement is to make a difference in everything they do. The company is known for its wide range of products that create safety and convenience for people around the world. Courtesy: Honeywell Figure 4: Honeywell’s mission statement is to make a difference in everything they do. The company is known for its wide range of products that create safety and convenience for people around the world. Courtesy: Honeywell

Dr. Bas Kastelein is senior director product innovation at Honeywell Process Solutions. Dr. Richard Ahlfeld is CEO and founder of Monolith. Edited by Chris Vavra, web content manager, Control Engineering, CFE Media and Technology, cvavra@cfemedia.com.

Keywords: artificial intelligence, machine learning

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Energy Efficiency FAQ

  • Why is energy efficiency important to manufacturing?

    Energy efficiency is important to manufacturing because greater efficiency can reduce costs, lower environmental impact and improve competitiveness. Reducing energy consumption through more efficient processes and equipment can lower energy bills, while reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Additionally, improving energy efficiency can enhance a company's reputation and increase its competitiveness by reducing operating costs and differentiating it from competitors that use less efficient processes.

  • What are examples of energy efficiency in the manufacturing industries?

    Energy efficiency in the manufacturing industries can be improved through various methods such as:

    • Implementing energy-saving technologies like programmable controllers, variable speed drives and efficient lighting systems.
    • Improving process efficiency, for example, optimizing production line speed, reducing waste and raw material consumption.
    • Upgrading equipment to more energy-efficient models.
    • Implementing sustainable energy sources, such as solar, wind or hydro power.
    • Conducting regular energy audits to identify and eliminate waste.
  • How can energy efficiency cut costs for a manufacturer?

    Energy efficiency can lower manufacturing costs by:

    • Reducing energy consumption and lowering utility bills.
    • Decreasing maintenance and repair expenses for energy-using equipment.
    • Improving production processes, leading to cost savings.
    • Enhancing competitiveness through lower energy costs and reduced carbon footprint.
  • What challenges face energy efficiency in manufacturing?

    • High upfront costs: Implementing energy-efficient technologies and processes can be expensive, and many organizations may struggle to justify the investment.
    • Integration with existing systems: Upgrading existing systems to be more energy-efficient can be challenging and may require significant modifications to existing processes.
    • Lack of awareness: Some organizations may not be fully aware of the potential benefits of energy efficiency or the technologies and processes that can help achieve it.
    • Resistance to change: Some employees may resist the adoption of new, energy-efficient technologies, particularly if they are unfamiliar with them.
    • Complexity: Energy efficiency can be a complex issue, involving multiple processes and systems, and may require the integration of several technologies to achieve meaningful results.
    • Maintenance: Energy-efficient technologies and systems require regular maintenance to ensure they continue to perform optimally, which can be time-consuming and expensive.
    • Measuring progress: Measuring the impact of energy-efficient initiatives can be difficult, and organizations may struggle to quantify the benefits of their efforts.

Some FAQ content was compiled with the assistance of ChatGPT. Due to the limitations of AI tools, all content was edited and reviewed by our content team.