The optimal dispatch of hydropower plants consists of the challenge of taking advantage of both available head and river flows. Despite the objective of delivering the maximum power to the grid, some variables are uncertain, dynamic, non-linear, and non-parametric. Nevertheless, some models may help hydropower generating players with computer science evolution, thus maximizing the hydropower plants’ power production. Over the years, several studies have explored Machine Learning (ML) techniques to optimize hydropower plants’ dispatch, being applied in the pre-operation, real-time and post-operation phases. Hence, this work consists of a systematic review to analyze how ML models are being used to optimize energy production from hydropower plants. The analysis focused on criteria that interfere with energy generation forecasts, operating policies, and performance evaluation. Our discussions aimed at ML techniques, schedule forecasts, river systems, and ML applications for hydropower optimization. The results showed that ML techniques have been more applied for river flow forecast and reservoir operation optimization. The long-term scheduling horizon is the most common application in the analyzed studies. Therefore, supervised learning was more applied as ML technique segment. Despite being a widely explored theme, new areas present opportunities for disruptive research, such as real-time schedule forecast, run-of-river system optimization and low-head hydropower plant operation.

An efficient power control technique for inverter-based distributed generation (DG) in an islanded microgrid is investigated in this work. The objective is to raise the caliber of the electricity pumped from network-connected DGs. The characteristics that are taken into consideration include voltage and frequency control, dynamic response, and steady-state response, particularly when the microgrid is operating in island mode or when there is a load change. The control method consists of an internal current control loop and an external power control loop based on a synchronous reference frame and a conventional PI controller. The power controller is designed based on voltage-frequency (VF) control. In addition, an intelligent search technique that combines Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) and Genetic Algorithm (GA) is utilized to automatically modify power controller parameters. The control technique in this research is that the DG modifies its control mode to modify the system voltage and frequency when the microgrid is islanded or load conditions change. The simulation results in MATLAB/SIMULINK software show that the proposed control system has been able to improve the power quality well.

This paper presents some difficulties encountered when evaluating information obtained from infrared thermal inspections conducted in uncovered power substations. Technical, physical, and environmental factors are the main influences that have been identified. Based on field data and laboratory tests, mathematical models were derived to understand the load current variation influence on the thermal behavior of electrical components, which are suitable either to extract its influence or forecast the system behavior under specified conditions of interest.

Among the synchronous electrical machines without permanent magnets, the wound-rotor salient pole solution has been recently used by some major carmakers for traction applications. However, in salient pole rotor structures the field conductors are subjected to large centrifugal forces when the machine operates at high rotational speed, in particular when unpotted winding are adopted. For this reason, the paper investigates the possibility of using cylindrical woundrotor structures as a viable solution for automotive traction applications. Assuming an existing salient pole prototype as baseline, a cylindrical rotor has been sized to fit in the same stator bore. On the basis of analytical and finite element analyses, the paper initially compares the two rotor structures from the electromagnetic point of view. In addition, the paper includes the preliminary verifications of the mechanical robustness for the sized cylindrical rotor design.