Infrared Perspectives: Computing laptop energy dissipation via thermal imaging and the Stefan-Boltzmann equation

Abstract

Energy conservation is crucial for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and addressing climate change. Laptops contribute significantly to energy consumption, emphasizing the need for improved energy efficiency. This paper explores the application of thermal imaging technology to enhance energy conservation in laptops. Thermal imaging provides valuable insights into heat distribution on the laptop's surface, aiding in identifying areas of excessive energy consumption. By identifying areas of a laptop that generate excessive heat and implementing energy-efficient measures, energy consumption can be reduced, and the device's lifespan can be extended. The study leverages computer vision and artificial intelligence techniques to analyze thermal images. We collected the thermal images for the dataset using the FLIR E75 Thermal camera. Two methods of Region of Interest (ROI) extraction, contour-based thresholding, and Detectron2-based extraction are employed. Feature extraction includes statistical, texture, spatial, and energy features, and Principal Component Analysis (PCA) is used to reduce dimensionality. K-means clustering categorizes data points based on reduced features, and performance metrics validate the effectiveness of the clustering methods. The study also computes energy dissipation from thermal images using the Stefan-Boltzmann Law. Results indicate that thermal imaging, coupled with advanced analysis techniques, holds promise for improving energy conservation in laptops. © 2024 Elsevier Ltd