Summary:A novel Smart Charging strategy, based on low base allowances per charger combined with 1. clustering of chargers on the same part of the grid and 2. dynamic non guaranteed allowance, is presented in this paper. This manner of Smart Charging will allow more than 3 times the amount of chargers to be installed in the existing grid, even when the grid is already congested. The system also improves the usage of available flexibility in EV charging compared to other Smart Charging strategies. The required algorithms are tested on public chargers in Amsterdam, in some of the most intensely used parts of the Dutch grid.
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In this research, the experiences and behaviors of end-users in a smart grid project are explored. In PowerMatching City, the leading Dutch smart grid project, 40 households were equipped with various decentralized energy sources (PV and microCHP), hybrid heat pumps, smart appliances, smart meters and an in-home display. Stabilization and optimization of the network was realized by trading energy on the market. To reduce peak loads on the smart grid, several types of demand side management were tested. Households received feedback on their energy use either based on costs, or on the percentage of consumed energy that had been produced locally. Furthermore, devices could be controlled automatically, smartly or manually to optimize the energy use of the households. Results from quantitative and qualitative research showed that: (1) feedback on costs reduction is valued most; (2) end-users preferred to consume self-produced energy (this may even be the case when, from a cost or sustainability perspective, it is not the most efficient strategy to follow); (3) automatic and smart control are most popular, but manually controlling appliances is more rewarding; (4) experiences and behaviors of end-users depended on trust between community members, and on trust in both technology (ICT infrastructure and connected appliances) and the participating parties.
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Like the professionals, design students tend to avoid the complexity of the user context, and moral issues are largely overlooked. This inspired us to explore whether we could engage design students in thinking about moral issues by exploring different ethical frameworks in their designing. As a case environment we chose smart-grid product service combinations. In this paper we first discuss the ethical frameworks of four selected philosophers’: Plato, Rousseau, Kant, & Mill. Then we will describe the student design process, the resulting four smart grid service concepts and the user insights that came from a user evaluation. We discuss how this approach allowed the students to get insights in their own ethical stance and how they allowed users to reflect on possible futures. We also discuss how these ‘probing’ concepts were used within the larger smart grid project.
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Elke periode kent zijn eigen revolutie en elke revolutie brengt zijn eigen organisatorische model met zich mee. We bevinden ons nu in de 4e industri¨ele revolutie, waar het internet van dingen ons verbindt met autonome embedded systemen. Deze systemen zijn actief in de virtuele ’cyber’ wereld, alsook in de echte ’fysieke’ wereld om ons heen. Deze zogenoemde ’Cyber-Fysieke’ Systemen volgen daarmee een modern organisatorisch model, namelijk zelfmanagement, en zijn dan ook in staat zelf proactieve acties te ondernemen. Dit proefschrift belicht productiesystemen vanuit het Cyber-Fysieke perspectief. De productiesystemen zijn hier herconfigureerbaar, autonoom en zeer flexibel. Dit kan enkel worden bereikt door het ontwikkelen van nieuwe methodes en het toepassen van nieuwe technologie¨en die flexibiliteit verder bevorderen. Echter, effici¨entie is ook van belang, bijvoorbeeld door productassemblage zo flexibel te maken dat het daardoor kosteneffici¨ent is om de productie van diverse producten met een lage oplage, zogenaamde high-mix, low volume producten, te automatiseren. De mogelijkheid om zo flexibel te kunnen produceren moet bereikt worden door de creatie van nieuwe methoden en middelen, waarbij nieuwe technologie¨en worden gecombineerd; een belangrijk aspect hierbij is dat dit toepasbaar getest moet worden door gebruik van simulatoren en speciaal hiervoor ontwikkelde productiesystemen. Dit onderzoek zal beginnen met het introduceren van het concept achter de bijbehorende productiemethodologie, welke Grid Manufacturing is genoemd. Grid Manufacturing wordt uitgevoerd door autonome entiteiten (agenten) die zowel de productiesystemen zelf, als de producten representeren. Producten leven dan al in de virtuele cyber wereld voordat zij daadwerkelijk zijn gebouwd, en zijn zich bewust uit welke onderdelen zij gemaakt moeten worden. De producten communiceren en overleggen met de autonome herconfigureerbare productiesystemen, de zogenaamde equiplets. Deze equiplets leveren generieke diensten aan een grote diversiteit aan producten, die hierdoor op elk moment geproduceerd kunnen worden. Het onderzoek focust hierbij specifiek op de equiplets en de technische uitdagingen om dynamisch geautomatiseerde productie mogelijk te maken. Om Grid Manufacturing mogelijk te maken is er een set van technologische uitdagingen onderzocht. De achtergrond, onderzoeksaanpak en concepten zijn dan ook de eerste drie inleidende hoofdstukken. Daarna begint het onderzoek met Hoofdstuk 4 Object Awareness. Dit hoofdstuk beschrijft een dynamische manier waarop informatie uit verschillende autonome systemen gecombineerd wordt om objecten te herkennen, lokaliseren en daarmee te kunnen manipuleren. Hoofdstuk 5 Herconfiguratie beschrijft hoe producten communiceren met de equiplets en welke achterliggende systemen ervoor zorgen dat, ondanks | Dutch Summary 232 dat het product niet bekend is met de hardware van de equiplet, deze toch in staat is acties uit te voeren. Tevens beschrijft het hoofdstuk hoe de equiplets omgaan met verschillende hardwareconfiguraties en ondanks de aanpassingen zichzelf toch kunnen besturen. De equiplet kan dan ook aangepast worden zonder dat deze opnieuw geprogrammeerd hoeft te worden. In Hoofdstuk 6 Architectuur wordt vervolgens dieper ingegaan op de bovenliggende architectuur van de equiplets. Hier worden prestaties gecombineerd met flexibiliteit, waarvoor een hybride architectuur is ontwikkeld die het grid van equiplets controleert door het gebruik van twee platformen: Multi-Agent System (MAS) en Robot Operating System (ROS). Nadat de architectuur is vastgesteld, wordt er in Hoofdstuk 7 onderzocht hoe deze veilig ingezet kan worden. Hierbij wordt een controlesysteem ingevoerd dat het systeemgedrag bepaalt, waarmee het gedrag van de equiplets transparant wordt gemaakt. Tevens zal een simulatie met input van de sensoren uit de fysieke wereld ’live’ controleren of alle bewegingen veilig uitgevoerd kunnen worden. Nadat de basisfunctionaliteit van het Grid nu compleet is, wordt in Hoofdstuk 8 Validatie en Utilisatie gekeken naar hoe Grid Manufacturing gebruikt kan worden en welke nieuwe mogelijkheden deze kan opleveren. Zo wordt er besproken hoe zowel een hi¨erarchische als een heterarchische aanpak, waar alle systemen gelijk zijn, gebruikt kan worden. Daarnaast laat het hoofdstuk o.a. aan de hand van enkele voorbeelden en simulaties zien welke effecten herconfiguratie kan hebben, en welke voordelen deze aanpak zoal kan bieden.. Het proefschrift laat zien hoe met technische middelen geautomatiseerde flexibiliteit mogelijk wordt gemaakt. Hoewel het gehele concept nog volwassen zal moeten worden, worden er enkele aspecten getoond die op de korte termijn toepasbaar zijn in de industrie. Enkele voorbeelden hiervan zijn: (1) het combineren van gegevens uit diverse (autonome) bronnen voor 6D-lokalisatie; (2) een data-gedreven systeem, de zogeheten hardware-abstractielaag, die herconfigureerbare systemen controleert en de mogelijkheid biedt om deze productiesystemen aan te passen zonder deze te hoeven herprogrammeren; en (3) het gebruik van Cyber-Fysieke systemen om de veiligheid te verhogen.
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The Smart Current Limiter is a switching DC to DC converter that provides a digitally pre-set input current control for inrush limiting and power management. Being able to digitally adjust the current level in combination with external feedback can be used for control systems like temperature control in high power DC appliances. Traditionally inrush current limiting is done using a passive resistance whose resistance changes depending on the current level. Bypassing this inrush limiting resister with a Mosfet improves efficiency and controllability, but footprint and losses remain large. A switched current mode controlled inrush limiter can limit inrush currents and even control the amount of current passing to the application. This enables power management and inrush current limitation in a single device. To reduce footprint and costs a balance between losses and cost-price on one side and electromagnetic interference on the other side is sought and an optimum switching frequency is chosen. To reduce cost and copper usage, switching happens on a high frequency of 300kHz. This increases the switching losses but greatly reduces the inductor size and cost compared to switching supplies running on lower frequencies. Additional filter circuits like snubbers are necessary to keep the control signals and therefore the output current stable.
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At this moment, charging your electric vehicle is common good, however smart charging is still a novelty in the developing phase with many unknowns. A smart charging system monitors, manages and restricts the charging process to optimize energy consumption. The need for, and advantages of smart charging electric vehicles are clear cut from the perspective of the government, energy suppliers and sustainability goals. But what about the advantages and disadvantages for the people who drive electric cars? What opportunities are there to support the goals of the user to make smart charging desirable for them? By means of qualitative Co-design methods the underlying motives of early adaptors for joining a smart charging service were uncovered. This was done by first sensitizing the user about their current and past encounters with smart charging to make them more aware of their everyday experiences. This was followed by another generative method, journey mapping and in-depth interviews to uncover the core values that drove them to participate in a smart charging system. Finally, during two co-design sessions, the participants formed groups in which they were challenged to design the future of smart charging guided by their core values. The three main findings are as follows. Firstly, participants are looking for ways to make their sustainable behaviour visible and measurable for themselves. For example, the money they saved by using the smart charging system was often used as a scoreboard, more than it was about theactual money. Secondly, they were more willing to participate in smart charging and discharging (sending energy from their vehicle back to the grid) if it had a direct positive effect on someone close to them. For example, a retiree stated that he was more than willing to share the energy of his car with a neighbouring family in which both young parents work, making them unable to charge their vehicles at times when renewable energy is available in abundance. The third and last finding is interrelated with this, it is about setting the right example. The early adopters want to show people close to them that they are making an effort to do the right thing. This is known as the law of proximity and is well illustrated by a participant that bought a second-hand, first-generation Nissan Leaf with a range of just 80 km in the summer and even less in winter. It isn’t about buying the best or most convenient car but about showing the children that sometimes it takes effort to do the right thing. These results suggest that there are clear opportunities for suppliers of smart EV charging services to make it more desirable for users, with other incentives than the now commonly used method of saving money. The main takeaway is that early adopters have a desire for their sustainable behaviour to be more visible and tangible for themselves and their social environment. The results have been translated into preliminary design proposals in which the law of proximity is applied.
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As the Dutch electric vehicle (EV) fleet continues to expand, so will the amount of charging sessions increase. This expanding demand for energy will add on to the already existing strain on the grid, primarily during peak hours on workdays in the early morning and evening. This growing energy demand requires new methods to handle the charging of EVs, to distribute the available energy in the most effective way. Therefore, a large number of ‘smart charging’ initiatives have recently been developed, whereby the charging session of the EV is based on the conditions of the energy grid. However, the term smart charging is used for a variety of smart charging initiatives, often involving different optimization strategies and charging processes. For most practitioners, as well as academics, it is hard to distinguish the large range of smart charging initiatives initiated in recent years, how they differentiate from each other and how they contribute to a smarter charging infrastructure. This paper has the objective to provide an overview of smart charging initiatives in the Netherlands and develop a categorization of smart charging initiatives regarding objectives, proposed measures and intended contributions. We will do so by looking at initiatives that focus on smart charging at a household level, investigating the smart charging possibilities for EV owners who either make use of a private or (semi-)public charging point. The different smart charging initiatives will be analyzed and explicated in combination with a literature study, focusing on the different optimization strategies and requirements to smart charge an electric vehicle.
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Like the professionals, design students tend to avoid the complexity of the user context, and moral issues are largely overlooked. This inspired us to explore whether we could engage design students in thinking about moral issues by exploring different ethical frameworks in their designing. As a case environment we chose smart-grid product service combinations. In this paper we first discuss the ethical frameworks of four selected philosophers’: Plato, Rousseau, Kant, & Mill. Then we will describe the student design process, the resulting four smart grid service concepts and the user insights that came from a user evaluation. We discuss how this approach allowed the students to get insights in their own ethical stance and how they allowed users to reflect on possible futures. We also discuss how these ‘probing’ concepts were used within the larger smart grid project.
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Author supplied: Within the Netherlands the interest for sustainability is slowly growing. However, most organizations are still lagging behind in implementing sustainability as part of their strategy and in developing performance indicators to track their progress; not only in profit organizations but in higher education as well, even though sustainability has been on the agenda of the higher educational sector since the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio, progress is slow. Currently most initiatives in higher education in the Netherlands have been made in the greening of IT (e.g. more energy efficient hardware) and in implementing sustainability as a competence in curricula. However if we look at the operations (the day to day processes and activities) of Dutch institutions for higher education we just see minor advances. In order to determine what the best practices are in implementing sustainable processes, We have done research in the Netherlands and based on the results we have developed a framework for the smart campus of tomorrow. The research approach consisted of a literature study, interviews with experts on sustainability (both in higher education and in other sectors), and in an expert workshop. Based on our research we propose the concept of a Smart Green Campus that integrates new models of learning, smart sharing of resources and the use of buildings and transport (in relation to different forms of education and energy efficiency). Flipping‐the‐classroom, blended learning, e‐learning and web lectures are part of the new models of learning that should enable a more time and place independent form of education. With regard to smart sharing of resources we have found best practices on sharing IT‐storage capacity among universities, making educational resources freely available, sharing of information on classroom availability and possibilities of traveling together. A Smart Green Campus is (or at least is trying to be) energy neutral and therefore has an energy building management system that continuously monitors the energy performance of buildings on the campus. And the design of the interior of the buildings is better suited to the new forms of education and learning described above. The integrated concept of Smart Green Campus enables less travel to and from the campus. This is important as in the Netherlands about 60% of the CO2 footprint of a higher educational institute is related to mobility. Furthermore we advise that the campus is in itself an object for study by students and researchers and sustainability should be made an integral part of the attitude of all stakeholders related to the Smart Green Campus. The Smart Green Campus concept provides a blueprint that Dutch institutions in higher education can use in developing their own sustainability strategy. Best practices are shared and can be implemented across different institutions thereby realizing not only a more sustainable environment but also changing the attitude that students (the professionals of tomorrow) and staff have towards sustainability.
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The conductive textile grid is a large-scale (226 x 115 cm) multi-layer demonstrator exhibiting different conductive textile materials with certain outputs (such as LEDs, thermo-chromic ink and shape memory alloy) can be connected onto a base conductive fabric. Various conductive materials such as knitted patches, woven patches and 3D woven patches are attached on to the 2D base conductive fabric using different connectors. The objective is to determine the best way to electrically connect the various conductive textile patches, providing smooth transfer of current in each of the conductive patches of the base conductive fabric. The functioning of the outputs proved the transfer of electricity from the base fabric onto the conductive patches activating the outputs. The demonstrator constructed on semi-industrial scale has unique features and each of the components can be implemented integrally to develop different products of Smart textiles. Paper written by the Smart Functional Materials chair of Saxion for and accepted by the Autex Conference 2013 (22-24 May 2013, Dresden, Germany).
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