SEP Collaborative: Integrating Heterogeneous Energy Resources for Sustainable Power Networks - A Systems Approach

NSF可持续能源途径（SEP）计划，在NSF科学，工程和教育可持续发展（SEES）倡议的保护伞下，将支持约翰霍普金斯大学的Dennice Gayme教授和同事，北卡罗来纳州州立大学的Aranya Chakrabortty教授和同事的研究计划，史密斯学院的朱迪思·卡德尔教授和同事们开发了一种方法，将异质能源整合起来，形成可持续的电力网络。该计划的目的是研究如何控制和设计大规模和分布式能源，可以促进电网整合大量的可再生能源。风能被用作代表性的、异质的和可变的可再生能源，以解决以下三个基本挑战：（I）需要管理稳定性，（II）需要成本有效地维持可靠的运行，以及（III）需要在市场和政策中反映稳定性和运行标准。 电网模型，如连续表示（偏微分方程，直接支持结合空间和时间分析）和网络功率流，包括存储和需求侧管理，将被开发和用于解决稳定性，控制，可靠性和性能/效率问题。作为这些连续体和功率流模型的输入，该项目将利用流体动力学（"大涡"）模拟的输出，模拟不稳定的风电场和大气边界层的相互作用，并已使用实验室和现场观测进行验证。使用电网级模型的分析将为新的监管和经济改革提供信息，并受其影响，这些改革将使可再生资源供应商能够参与电力市场。将利用基于优化、凸松弛和最优控制理论的工具，将电力流调节、电网运行和使用存储和需求侧管理的风险缓解战略等运营和市场问题联系起来，这些工具是经济学和控制界共同的。该项目将通过其技术贡献、教育、培训和指导，促进建立一个更可持续的电力系统。研究课题将构成所有三个参与机构新的可持续能源相关课程的学生项目的基础。暑期本科研究机会将为学生提供参与可持续能源研究和未来相关行业就业的技能。该计划将通过JHU参与NSF资助的研究，教学和学习一体化中心（CIRTL），NCSU与当地K-12教师之间的科学之家伙伴关系，以及美国唯一的全女性工程项目（史密斯学院）的参与，直接促进NSF的STEM相关目标。在JHU，该项目将在E2SHI的支持下运作，该项目促进跨学科研究，推广和教育关键的环境，能源和可持续性问题。E2SHI致力于可持续发展的系统级综合研究和推广。即将开发的工具将有助于促进我们目前基于化石燃料的电力系统向安全，可靠和高效的电力系统的转变，而不会影响能源安全或耗尽子孙后代所需的资源。该项目的结果将与电力行业及其监管机构直接相关，因为他们面临着将更大比例的高度异质性可再生资源（如风能）纳入电网的挑战。具体而言，研究结果将为系统运营商提供更好地代表可再生能源的影响，以及更好的控制工具来减轻这些影响;规划者和投资者提供评估最佳资源分配的框架;政策制定者提供系统的方法来调查新的法规和市场规则如何激励这些工具和资源的有效部署。补充教育计划和导师制将培养研究人员和从业人员，使他们具备创造和推进可持续能源未来所需的技能。

The NSF Sustainable Energy pathways (SEP) Program, under the umbrella of the NSF Science, Engineering and Education for Sustainability (SEES) initiative, will support the research program of Prof. Dennice Gayme and co-workers at Johns Hopkins University, Prof. Aranya Chakrabortty and co-workers at North Carolina State University, and Prof. Judith cardell and co-workers at Smith College to develop a method to integrate heterogeneous energy resources to form sustainable power networks. The objective of this program is to examine how the control and design of large-scale and distributed energy resources can facilitate the grid-integration of large amounts of renewable energy. Wind energy is used as a representative, heterogeneous and variable renewable energy source to address the following three fundamental challenges: (I) the need to manage stability, (II) the need to cost effectively maintain reliable operation, and (III) the need to reflect stability and operational criteria in markets and policy. Models of the power grid, such as continuum representations (partial differential equations that directly support combined spatial and temporal analysis) and network power flows that include storage and demand-side management, will be developed and used to address stability, control, reliability, and performance/efficiency questions. As input for these continuum and power flow models, the project will utilize outputs from fluid dynamics ("Large-Eddy") simulations that model unsteady wind farm and atmospheric boundary layer interactions and have been validated using laboratory and field observations. Analysis using the grid level models will both inform and be shaped by the design of new regulatory and economic reforms that will enable renewable resource purveyors to participate in power markets. Connections between operational and market issues such as power flow regulation, grid operation and risk mitigation strategies using storage and demand-side management will be made by leveraging tools based on optimization, convex relaxations and optimal control theory, which are common to the economics and controls communities. This project will facilitate a more sustainable power system through its technical contributions, education, training and mentorship. Research topics will form the basis for student projects in new sustainable energy related curricula at all three participating institutions. Summer undergraduate research opportunities will provide students with skills for participating in sustainable energy research and future employment in related industries. This program will directly facilitate NSF's STEM related goals through JHU's participation in the NSF-funded Center for Integration of Research, Teaching, and Learning (CIRTL), the Science House partnership between NCSU and local K-12 teachers, and the involvement of the only all-women engineering program in the US (Smith College). At JHU this project will operate under the aegis of E2SHI, which promotes cross-disciplinary research, outreach, and education for critical environmental, energy and sustainability issues. E2SHI is committed to systems-level integrated research and outreach for sustainability.The tools to be developed will help facilitate the transformation of our current fossil fuel based power system to one that is safe, reliable and efficient without compromising energy security or exhausting resources needed for future generations. The project's results will be directly relevant to the electric power industry and its regulators as they are faced with the challenges of incorporating larger fractions of highly heterogeneous renewable resources, such as wind energy, into the grid. Specifically, the results will provide system operators with better representations of the impacts of renewables, and better control tools to mitigate those impacts; planners and investors with a framework for evaluating optimal resource allocation; and policy makers with a systematic means of investigating how new regulations and market rules can incent effective deployment of these tools and resources. Complementary educational programs and mentorship will develop researchers and practitioners with the skills required to create and advance this sustainable energy future.