Using AI, Digital Twins and Smart Algorithms to Achieve a Resource-Efficient Energy Industry

Saving energy and using it sensibly – this goal runs through many projects at the Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Mathematics ITWM. The institute is committed to making the generation, procurement and distribution of energy calculable.

The monitoring system from the »System Analysis, Prognosis and Control« department with non-contact torque detection have been used in power plants for many years to detect critical torsional vibrations in the shaft trains resulting from interactions with the electrical grid. The team has now expanded the measuring system so that it can also determine the speed and angle of rotation.

Artificial Intelligence for Resource-Efficient Plant Operation

They will present their demonstrator, which the researchers use to show how they detect and analyze faults using AI. »Beyond the power plant sector, our systems are suitable for torsion detection and analysis on drives with ferromagnetic shaft surfaces. In particular, our systems are an ideal extension of condition monitoring systems for many applications,« explains Dr. Andreas Wirsen, Head of the department.

Imaging Methods for Process and Product Monitoring

The demonstrator also illustrates how imaging processes can be used in the areas of condition monitoring, predictive maintenance and quality control. »Our imaging methods detect changes in product quality at an early stage, even before the fault tolerance is exceeded and the product is rejected,« says Wirsen.

By using innovative algorithms, the causes of deviations can be identified, which enables targeted measures to be taken. This leads to a reduction in rejects and minimizes downtime in the production process. In addition, the recording of energy consumption and the associated costs is included in the analysis. »This allows us to develop sustainable and resource-saving working methods that optimize production targets as well as the condition of the systems and energy use,« Wirsen continues.

Digital Twin Optimizes Processes in Combined Heat and Power Plants

AI-supported technologies for plant operation help to plan energy requirements in advance and control them optimally. This is important for the Cologne-based energy supplier »RheinEnergie« in order to be able to offer customers an efficient, low-emission and cost-saving energy supply.

In joint projects, our researchers have optimized heat generation by heating plants for local heating networks for RheinEnergie with the help of a digital twin and intelligent control. This significantly saves primary energy without jeopardizing the security of supply.

Intelligent Management System for Energy Communities

The researchers from the »Green by IT« team will be demonstrating how they are flexibly integrating the Dutch energy community »Schoonschip«, consisting of 30 floating houses north of Amsterdam, into the energy markets with their PV systems, heat pumps and battery storage systems. They predict electricity consumption and production, implement efficiency and price optimizations and enable trading transactions on various energy markets. The Fraunhofer ITWM has succeeded in positioning the energy community as a flexible virtual power.

Mathematical Algorithms for the Energy Market

The »Financial Mathematics« department will be presenting projects with a focus on »Energy Markets«. The »FlexEuro« project focuses on the optimization of bids for a virtual battery across various short-term markets. The associated schedule is also calculated and its restrictions included in the optimization. The researchers also provide insights into the »EnerQuant« project, which aims to solve large energy industry models. As part of this project, the researchers developed advanced algorithms for qubit-based quantum computers and quantum simulators.

Visit us in area 44 B-E in Hall 4.

Further information can be found here:

https://www.itwm.fraunhofer.de/eworld-2025-en

Press Contact:

Swenja Broschart

Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Mathematics ITWM
+49 631 31600-4046
Fraunhofer-Platz 1
67663 Kaiserslautern

presse@itwm.fraunhofer.de

About the Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Mathematics ITWM

The Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Mathematics ITWM in Kaiserslautern is one of the largest research institutes for applied mathematics in the world. We see it as our task to further develop mathematics as a key technology and to provide innovative impulses. Our focus is on the implementation of mathematical methods and technology in application projects and their further development in research projects. The close cooperation with partners from industry guarantees the high practical relevance of our work.

Their integral building blocks are consulting, implementation and support in the application of high-performance computing technology and the provision of customized software solutions. Our various areas of expertise address a wide range of customers: the automotive industry, mechanical engineering, the chemical industry, energy and the financial sector. This also benefits from our excellent networking, for example in the Simulation and Software-based Innovation Center.

About the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft

The Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, based in Germany, is the world's leading organization for application-oriented research. With its focus on future-oriented key technologies and the utilization of results in business and industry, it plays a central role in the innovation process. As a guide and driving force for innovative developments and scientific excellence, it helps to shape our society and our future. Founded in 1949, the organization currently operates 76 institutes and research facilities in Germany. More than 30,000 employees, most of whom are trained in the natural sciences or engineering, work on the annual research volume of 2.9 billion euros. Contract research accounts for 2.5 billion euros of this total.

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