The Answers are Blowing in the Wind
Wind power will slow climate change by replacing conventional fossil fuels with renewable energy.
Photo Credit: Pexels/Sam Forson
Making wind turbines more efficient and helping Canada make the shift to green energy has become Dr. Mohammed Nasir Uddin life's work. This Lakehead engineering professor is the director of the Renewable Energy, Power Systems and Drive Research Lab in Barrie, Ontario, as well as the coordinator of the Lakehead University-Georgian College Electrical Engineering program.
Even though Dr. Uddin completed his PhD at Memorial University in St. John's Newfoundland—famous as the windiest city in Canada—his initial research focused on the motor drives of electric vehicles.
"Slowly, I began studying renewable energy, specifically wind turbines, which uses the same technology as electric motor drives," Dr. Uddin says. "The main reason I switched areas is because in 2019, Canada committed to having net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050." Dr. Uddin's work also supports the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 7—a call for countries around the world to develop affordable and clean energy for a healthier planet.
Wind-generated energy is crucial to achieving Canada's net zero commitment because it can replace fossil fuel-based power like oil, gas, and coal, which are notorious producers of greenhouse gases. Wind energy, in contrast, doesn't generate any pollution or waste. According to the Canadian Renewable Energy Association: "Wind energy is now the lowest-cost source of new electricity generation in Canada. There has been more wind-energy capacity installed in Canada over the last decade than any other form."
Dr. Uddin is a Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and a Fellow of the Engineering Institute of Canada (EIC).
Dr. Uddin was also influenced by his students' interest in protecting the environment from global warming and climate change. These young people work alongside him in his lab designing wind-energy conversion systems that extract the maximum amount of power from the wind.
Their research is possible because wind energy has evolved from quaint windmills into sophisticated wind turbines—colossal giants that can reach over 300 feet into the air. "The speed of the wind becomes the mechanical energy that rotates the wind turbine blades," Dr. Uddin explains. "The wind turbine generator then converts the mechanical energy into electrical energy."
But there's one big problem that wind energy producers must contend with.
"Wind turbine output varies because wind speed varies depending upon weather conditions. This, in turn, means that the wind generator's electrical output is variable and can only be connected to the power supply grid if the turbines have power converters," Dr. Uddin says.
The Power of Algorithms
Dr. Uddin and his team have concentrated their attention on making wind turbine power converters more efficient by creating AI algorithms that these power converters can use to regulate wind turbines' power output. "We're applying mathematical logic—the algorithm runs through a microprocessor that sends a signal to the power converter."
The algorithms are designed to reduce the loss of energy and improve wind turbines' dynamic performance. "Whenever wind speed varies, the turbine should adjust to the new wind speed as quickly as possible for better performance," Dr. Uddin says. "One of the algorithms our lab developed was able to reduce the lag time by three to four per cent."
These algorithms respond the way humans do when they face unexpected events. "If you're driving your car and there's a roadblock, you'll find an alternate route to your destination," Dr. Uddin says. "That's how algorithms work."
It takes one to four years for Dr. Uddin's lab to develop an algorithm. Once an algorithm has been released, any company or energy producer is free to use it. Mercedes Benz, Rockwell Automation, and Texas Instruments, for instance, have adopted some of Dr. Uddin's algorithms for their variable-speed motor drives.
Dr. Uddin says that the success of his Renewable Energy, Power Systems and Drive Research Lab hinges upon his students. "They dedicate huge amounts of time to wind-energy conversion research. Without them, I couldn't do my work."
A five-year NSERC Discovery Grant of $210,000 is helping make possible Dr. Mohammed Nasir Uddin's research project "Power Conversion, Fault Protection, and Power Management Schemes for Wind Energy Conversion Systems."
Lakehead University is ranked in the top 10 per cent globally for universities making an impact through a commitment to sustainability and positive societal change, and was named the top-ranked university with under 10,000 students in Canada and North America in the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings. These prestigious rankings assess universities' success in delivering on the United Nations 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to solve our planet's most pressing social, economic, and environmental challenges.