GreenVMAS: Virtual Organization Based Platform for Heating Greenhouses Using Waste Energy from Power Plants.

Alfonso González-Briones,Juan Corchado,Hyun Yoe,Pablo Chamoso

doi:10.3390/s18030861

Abstract

The gradual depletion of energy resources makes it necessary to optimize their use and to reuse them. Although great advances have already been made in optimizing energy generation processes, many of these processes generate energy that inevitably gets wasted. A clear example of this are nuclear, thermal and carbon power plants, which lose a large amount of energy that could otherwise be used for different purposes, such as heating greenhouses. The role of GreenVMAS is to maintain the required temperature level in greenhouses by using the waste energy generated by power plants. It incorporates a case-based reasoning system, virtual organizations and algorithms for data analysis and for efficient interaction with sensors and actuators. The system is context aware and scalable as it incorporates an artificial neural network, this means that it can operate correctly even if the number and characteristics of the greenhouses participating in the case study change. The architecture was evaluated empirically and the results show that the user’s energy bill is greatly reduced with the implemented system.

Highlights

The optimization of energy use is currently a very important field of research [1]
The established hypothesis H0 stated that—the mean energy consumed by the greenhouse before the implementation of the system is equal to the mean energy consumed by the greenhouse with the GreenVMAS system; H1 stated that—the average energy consumption in the greenhouse is lower when the proposed GreenVMAS is implemented
This architecture based on virtual agent organizations complied with the requirements posed by the hypothesis, as its features enabled sensor data collection, information fusion, information processing and decision making

Summary

Introduction

The optimization of energy use is currently a very important field of research [1]. the use of the waste energy that is produced as a result of these processes is just as important [2].The majority of research proposals in this area are focused on the reuse of waste thermal energy. The optimization of energy use is currently a very important field of research [1]. The use of the waste energy that is produced as a result of these processes is just as important [2]. The majority of research proposals in this area are focused on the reuse of waste thermal energy. In a study conducted by Karellas et al [3], exhaust gases are used in a cement plant as a way of obtaining energy. Reviews of the state of the art in the use of thermal energy conclude that with the use of existing technologies, 20% to 50% of the total residual heat can be collected and reused in other activities [5]

Objectives

Results

Conclusion