Oct 30, 09 | The latest issue of the research magazine "Pictures of the Future" reports on the future of power grids, infrastructure modernization, and virtual realities. The magazine’s first focus topic is “smart grids.” Challenges related to use of this technology include fluctuating supplies of renewable energy from offshore wind farms or, in the future, also from gigantic solar thermal installations in North Africa, like those the Desertec Initiative is planning. "Pictures of the Future" also reports on how such large amounts of electricity can already be transmitted today over long distances with minimal losses. Another aspect examined is intelligent solutions that maintain a balance between energy production and distribution. The magazine’s second main focal point is the use of sophisticated programs and simple measures for modernizing complex infrastructures and substantially increasing the efficiency and service life of older facilities, instead of resorting to costly new investments. This applies equally to power plants, industrial facilities, transportation networks, and water supply infrastructure. The third theme addressed by "Pictures of the Future" is efficient and economical applications in the virtual world, such as virtual production lines, fully functioning 3D copies of actual buildings, and “avatars” for surgical training programs. Rounding out the issue are interviews with specialists including energy experts Hans Müller-Steinhagen and the U.S. Department of Energy’s Dan Arvizu, the virtual reality pioneer Jaron Lanier, and a discussion with Miami’s Mayor Manuel Alberto Diaz about the need for advanced infrastructures. The magazine can be ordered free of charge on the Internet.

Smart Grids: Intelligent Power Networks

Electricity will grow in importance as an energy carrier in the future. Already today the grids can hardly handle the amounts of power flowing through them. What’s more, the energy mix will become increasingly environmentally friendly and decentrally generated — posing even more challenges for the infrastructure because eco-electricity from the sun and wind flows into the grids irregularly, which makes them unbalanced. Aside from expanding the “electricity highways,” the solution could be the smart grid: With such an intelligent network, the energy system is equipped with IT and communication technology to make it transparent and controllable. Until now, many energy suppliers have only been able to estimate the actual power consumption and the state of the grid. In addition to intelligent electric meters and virtual power plants, whereby several smaller producers combine to form a virtual network, the electric car also could play an important role in stabilizing the grid. Serving as a rolling energy storage unit, it could for example temporarily store excess power from wind parks and feed it back into the grid as needed.

Update of Infrastructures Saves Money for Cities

Many of the world’s densely populated urban centers today are plagued by deteriorating or inefficient infrastructures — but the cities nevertheless continue to grow and grow, as does the need for power plants, industrial facilities, transport networks, and water supply systems. Morgan Stanley estimates that by 2030 investments totaling $41 trillion will be needed worldwide to modernize infrastructure systems. As a result of the economic crisis, Mayor Manuel Alberto Diaz explain in an interview in P"ictures of the Future". The magazine reveals an alternative to expensive new investments: The use of sophisticated programs and simple measures for modernizing complex infrastructures and substantially increasing the efficiency and service life of older facilities.

Virtual Realities

The boundaries between the virtual and real worlds are becoming blurred. "Pictures of the Future" reports on how entirely realistic maintenance and service procedures can be carried out in the 3D world “Second Life” and how crowd flow simulations can help to make stadiums and other public places safer. The virtual world also is opening up completely new approaches in materials research. Working on computer-generated models, Siemens researchers can, for instance, investigate in-depth how materials behave — without the costly, time-consuming process of producing the new material in a lab.