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Industry 4.0 Technologies Supporting the Energy Transition

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A special issue of Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417). This special issue belongs to the section "Energy Science and Technology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2022) | Viewed by 6726

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Marco Pasetti

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Guest Editor

Department of Information Engineering, University of Brescia, Via Branze, 38, 25123 Brescia, Italy
Interests: energy systems; distributed generation; renewable energy sources; solar engineering; photovoltaics; energy storage; energy management systems; supervisory control systems; energy policies; smart grids and microgrids
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Stefano Rinaldi

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Guest Editor

Department of Information Engineering, University of Brescia, 25123 Brescia, Italy
Interests: instrumentation and measurement; industrial real-time network; wireless sensor network; smart sensors; communication systems for smart grids; time synchronization; Linux-embedded programming; embedded systems; power quality; smart grids; energy systems; smart building; energy management system; electric vehicles; vehicle-to-vehicle communication
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Beatrice Marchi

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Guest Editor

Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering Università degli Studi di Brescia, Via Branze, 38, I-25123 Brescia, Italy
Interests: sustainable logistics and supply chain management; energy efficiency; industrial symbiosis; energy storage system
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The implementation of energy efficiency measures in the industry plays a relevant role in the transition towards decarbonized and sustainable energy systems. However, the sole application of energy efficiency measures is insufficient, and advanced demand side management strategies must be also adopted. The current evolution from traditional power grids towards so-called smart grids will in fact require industrial end-users to respond to specific energy demand requests, such as time-shift or the limitations of power demand. The availability of improved measurements in industrial processes, as well as adaptive control strategies, and advanced communication capabilities are crucial to reach this target.

The recent adoption of the Industry 4.0 paradigm, originally designed for the advanced management of industrial systems, seems to perfectly fit these requirements, by already providing all the required technologies, such as intelligent sensors and actuators, hybrid communication systems, adaptive control methods (e.g., by means of machine learning techniques), and advanced data storage solutions.

This Special Issue solicits high-quality theoretical papers, methodological studies, and empirical research (or combination thereof) concerning the application of the Industry 4.0 paradigm to support the energy transition. The main topics of interest include but are not limited to the use of Industry-4.0-enabled methods and technologies for

Improved demand flexibility;
Adaptive control of power consumption profiles;
Load management for demand response and smart grid programs;
Machine learning techniques for energy efficiency;
Real-time measurements of energy efficiency in industrial processes;
Advanced communication systems and Industrial IoT;
Innovative sensing strategies in industrial processes;
Energy data analysis and diagnostics;
Big data management and energy information systems;
Blockchain technologies;
Energy management case studies.

Dr. Stefano Rinaldi
Dr. Marco Pasetti
Dr. Beatrice Marchi

Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Applied Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

Industry 4.0
Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT)
big data management
energy information system (EIS)
artificial intelligence and machine learning
demand response
smart grid
energy management
smart sensors
communication systems

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

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29 pages, 1098 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Toward a Practical Digital Twin Platform Tailored to the Requirements of Industrial Energy Systems

by Lukas Kasper, Felix Birkelbach, Paul Schwarzmayr, Gernot Steindl, Daniel Ramsauer and René Hofmann

Appl. Sci. 2022, 12(14), 6981; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12146981 - 10 Jul 2022

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 2686

Abstract

Digitalization and concepts such as digital twins (DT) are expected to have huge potential to improve efficiency in industry, in particular, in the energy sector. Although the number and maturity of DT concepts is increasing, there is still no standardized framework available for the implementation of DTs for industrial energy systems (IES). On the one hand, most proposals focus on the conceptual side of components and leave most implementation details unaddressed. Specific implementations, on the other hand, rarely follow recognized reference architectures and standards. Furthermore, most related work on DTs is done in manufacturing, which differs from DTs in energy systems in various aspects, regarding, for example, multiple time-scales, strong nonlinearities and uncertainties. In the present work, we identify the most important requirements for DTs of IES. We propose a DT platform based on the five-dimensional DT modeling concept with a low level of abstraction that is tailored to the identified requirements. We address current technical implementation barriers and provide practical solutions for them. Our work should pave the way to standardized DT platforms and the efficient encapsulation of DT service engineering by domain experts. Thus, DTs could be easy to implement in various IES-related use cases, host any desired models and services, and help get the most out of the individual applications. This ultimately helps bridge the interdisciplinary gap between the latest research on DTs in the domain of computer science and industrial automation and the actual implementation and value creation in the traditional energy sector. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Industry 4.0 Technologies Supporting the Energy Transition)

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Review

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19 pages, 3202 KiB

Open AccessReview

The Role of Renewable Energy Sources and Industry 4.0 Focus for Africa: A Review

by Kingsley Ukoba, Thokozani Justin Kunene, Pieter Harmse, Valantine Takwa Lukong and Tien Chien Jen

Appl. Sci. 2023, 13(2), 1074; https://doi.org/10.3390/app13021074 - 13 Jan 2023

Cited by 13 | Viewed by 3231

Abstract

The fourth industrial revolution presents an upspring opportunity for the African continent to adopt technologies such as artificial intelligence, big data, internet-enabled industrial platforms, 3D printing, robotics, nanotechnology, and blockchains. This is more so because the past three industrial revolutions saw the African continent being left out of its opportunities despite its affluent population and natural resources. Africa stands to benefit from industrial development, digitalization, and greater integration, which would result in more excellent opportunities for the growing youthful populations. However, for the digital transformation strategy and other key industry 4.0 opportunities to be successful, reliable infrastructure, affordable and stable electricity, and greater awareness are critical and imperative. This review examines the possible energy options that the continent of Africa can explore and implement for the successful deployment of Industry 4.0. The impact, difficulties, and opportunities of the fourth industrial revolution technologies on African development are discussed. Also discussed are various forms of renewable energy options based on Africa’s geographic location. This review will assist researchers and policymakers in implementing Industry 4.0 in Africa. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Industry 4.0 Technologies Supporting the Energy Transition)

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