Collaborative Research: Smart Power Distribution System Curriculum - Multi-Institution Demonstration and Deployment

电力配电系统的稳步现代化包括安装智能电网使能技术，例如配备了自己的内部传感器的智能电子设备(IED)、测量网络流量的微型RTU(远程终端单元)，以及用于传感网络负载的自动抄表(AMR)。虽然这些设备提高了配电网络中可用的数字控制水平，但它们使用不同的通信协议。此外，州和地方政府为增加可再生能源和分布式能源/储存量做出了重大努力，但在一些地区已经达到了网络限制。拟议的配电系统课程旨在教育学生如何操作和规划智能配电系统。课程以可重构的配电自动化与控制(RDAC)实验室为中心，结合软件程序将采集的数据可视化并控制配电系统。项目任务包括教学和实验材料的开发、实施和评估以及教师发展。该项目将通过对多个学术机构的实施和测试进行必要的调整，创建以前工作的成熟版本。随后对这些改进材料的评估程序将建立一个程序，以便在该项目下开发的新的学习材料也有望产生可广泛分发的成功的课程和实验单元。该项目将有助于我国大学配电系统课程的现代化。

The steady modernization of electric power distribution systems has included the installation of smart grid enabling technology such as intelligent electronic devices (IED) equipped with their own internal sensors, mini-RTU's (remote terminal units) which measure network flows, and Automatic Meter Reading (AMR) for sensing network loads. While these devices have increased the level of digital control available within power distribution networks, they use varied communication protocols. In addition, significant efforts to increase the amount of renewable and distributed energy sources/storage have been made by state and local governments, yet in some areas, network limits have been reached. The proposed power distribution system curriculum is designed to educate students in the operation and planning of smart electric power distribution systems. The curriculum centers around a reconfigurable distribution automation and control (RDAC) laboratory coupled with software programs to visualize collected data and to control the distribution system. Project tasks include teaching and lab materials development, implementation and evaluation as well as faculty development. The project will create mature versions of previous work by making necessary adaptations for implementation and testing at multiple academic institutions. The subsequent evaluation procedure for these enhanced materials will create a process such that new learning materials developed under this project are expected to also yield successful course and laboratory modules that could be widely distributed. The project will contribute to the effort to modernize the curriculum on power distribution system in the nation's universities.