MRI: Acquisition of a Hybrid Real-Time Simulator for Real-Time Power Grid Simulations

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This MRI proposal requests funds for the acquisition of a hybrid real-time digital simulator, which is a combination of specialized high-performance computing (HPC) hardware and software tools capable of performing real-time power grid and hardware-in-loop simulations with various external devices. The equipment will be located at the University of Wyoming (UWyo) and made accessible online for open-access use by investigators at UWyo, Montana Tech, other academic institutions and power companies worldwide. The acquisition of the requested hybrid real-time power system digital simulator will promote interdisciplinary collaboration efforts to build our next-generation smart power grid. In addition, the curricula in the power engineering area will be updated with better demonstrations of power system operations to students and therefore attract and provide competent workforce for the challenges of our next-generation power system. The open accessibility of the equipment will also promote collaborations among researchers. Meanwhile, the integration of research and education will help attract undergraduate students for higher education. Furthermore, given that UWyo is the only provider of baccalaureate and graduate education and research in Wyoming, acquisition of the proposed instrument is expected to have a tremendous impact on the training of future scientists at the high school, community college, and the undergraduate level. UWyo actively promotes college preparedness, access, and success among students traditionally underrepresented in STEM fields by focusing special programs on first-generation, female, low-income, and ethnic minority students.The acquisition of the hybrid real-time digital simulator will provide a great platform for research efforts in many different areas including data mining, statistical signal processing, high-performance computing and wind energy towards power grid modernization. Specifically, the capability of the proposed instrumentation to perform both real-time power grid and hardware-in-loop simulations is vital for a variety of projects currently underway in several departments at the UWyo and Montana Tech, including 1) the development of machine learning and statistical signal processing algorithms using synchrophasor measurements for reliability analysis and dynamic wide-area situational awareness; 2) the invention of advanced measurement and analyzing techniques based on point-on-wave measurements for both transient and steady-state analysis; 3) the application of modern high-performance computational technologies for real-time analysis of the grid; 4) the integration of improved system models including renewable generation sources for different time scale power system stability studies; and 5) other large system simulation studies. The research team at UWyo and Monata Tech has an excellent record of contributions to power system stability analysis and high-performance computation over decades. However, their past research has mostly been based on actual field measured data and on smaller power grid models implemented in software. This new hybrid simulator will provide them a powerful tool to take this research to a more in-depth level in multiple ways. It will enable them to simulate larger power grids in finer detail and more complex scenarios. A hybrid simulator also enables them to interface with actual hardware devices such as PMUs used in grid monitoring. Furthermore, the hybrid simulator has the capability to interface with other real-time digital simulators as a network simulator to conduct smart grid communication co-simulations. All these add tremendous new dimensions to their research, putting them in a position to continue to make high impact contributions to the US power grid.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.