One of the main problems of fusion energy is to achieve longer pulse duration by avoiding the premature reaction decay due to plasma instabilities. The control of the plasma inductance arises as an essential tool for the successful operation of tokamak fusion reactors in order to overcome stability issues as well as the new challenges specific to advanced scenarios operation. In this sense, given that advanced tokamaks will suffer from limited power available from noninductive current drive actuators, the transformer primary coil could assist in reducing the power requirements of the noninductive current drive sources needed for current profile control. Therefore, tokamak operation may benefit from advanced control laws beyond the traditionally used PID schemes by reducing instabilities while guaranteeing the tokamak integrity. In this paper, a novel model predictive control (MPC) scheme has been developed and successfully employed to optimize both current and internal inductance of the plasma, which influences the L-H transition timing, the density peaking, and pedestal pressure. Results show that the internal inductance and current profiles can be adequately controlled while maintaining the minimal control action required in tokamak operation.

Control of the plasma inductance is an essential tool for the successful operation of Tokamaks in order to overcome stability issues as well as the new challenges specific to advanced scenarios operation. Thus, tokamak operation may benefit from model predictive control techniques to extend the pulse duration by reducing instabilities while guaranteeing tokamak integrity. The numerical results seem to indicate that internal inductance and current profiles can be adequately controlled which will influence the L-H transition timing, the density peaking and pedestal pressure. In this regard, the need for optimal, robust control emerges as a key factor in the development of a nuclear fusion reactor.

This work presents the implementation of a Model Predictive Control (MPC) scheme used to study the improvement of the thermal quality in aged residential buildings without any rehabilitation. The controller manages the heating system of an experimentally characterized model of a residential dwelling in a social block built during the decade of the 1960s located in the neighborhood of Otxarkoaga (Bilbao, Spain), so as to obtain an optimal energy efficiency performance. Due to the characteristics of the construction in those days, this kind of buildings suffer problems related to the use of awkward building materials and inefficient heating systems. A comparison with traditionally used ON-OFF hysteresis control is presented in order to demonstrate the energetic improvement provided by the MPC scheme. Besides, the variation of different parameters of the MPC is also studied to determine its influence over the energy consumption and comfort conditions.

This article covers research into cost reduction pathways for wave energy. The primary focus is the development and test of reliable and controllable power take-off (PTO) technology for oscillating water column converters (OWC). This is highly relevant to the ocean energy challenge. Extensive testing via data of the NEREIDA MOWC demonstration project, a breakwater wave plant located in the Basque location of Mutriku, using Wells turbines and Doubly Fed Induction (DFIG) generators is proposed to advance wave energy converter (WEC) devices. The control tests involve the integration of the PTO technology within a new variable controller for OWC wave power generation plants. Due to the nature of the control law, it allows monitoring faults caused by parametrical errors or system disturbances. The reliability tests by means of analysing the electrical signals have been conceived as conditioning monitoring, detection of mechanical faults and hardware damaging also fulfil a secondary aim for the reduction of maintenance cost and unscheduled downtime during operation of OWC plants.

The sustainable development goals (SDGs) reflect the relevance that sustainability is gaining in our societies. Including sustainability-related topics in university curricula requires the revision of the contents, teaching/learning strategies and assessment techniques. Although engineering degrees are starting to introduce them, it may become complex to design significant educational experiences. This partly comes from the fact that sustainability is a highly multidisciplinary issue but, currently, the knowledge is compartmentalised into subjects. In this challenging scenario, concrete activities are required for students to better internalise sustainability issues. This work aims to present a methodology that guides academic staff to materialise the design of sustainability-related multidisciplinary activities. Since the designers of new activities may benefit from knowledge of similar experiences, this article describes one implementation throughout eight subjects within the Bachelor’s degree on Industrial Electronics and Automation Engineering at UPV/EHU. The analysis and optimisation of the thermal comfort and energy consumption in the Faculty building became the common thread to design an educational itinerary that covers several subjects along all academic years of the degree, making use of active methodologies. The problem is analysed for every subject from different perspectives. Two questionnaires, carried out before and after the activities, were used for analysing the perception of the students after the activities. Results proved that the multidisciplinary project raised awareness about the SDGs and allowed students to visualise how to apply the acquired skills in problems close to their experience. As a result, more students considered sustainability as a possible future professional activity.

Great research effort is currently carried out to develop Energy-efficient Buildings. In particular, the control community is in a privileged position to help new buildings to comply with the European Energy Performance of Buildings Directive obligations and thus meet `nearly zero-energy'. This work presents energy efficient studies on a dwelling in a social block located in the neighborhood of Otxarkoaga, Bilbao, by implementing of a Model Predictive Control, MPC, to control the heating system. The different parameters of the model that have influence over the control are studied so as to satisfy the restrictions given by energy-saving policies and comfort conditions. Control robustness is also studied, taking into account input parameter variations.