MRI: Acquisition of Large-Scale Real-Time Simulators for Next-Generation Smart Grids

电力系统正在经历从目前以电机为主导的电力系统到以电力电子为依托的下一代智能电网的范式转变。数以百万计的有源、间歇、非同步、可变和分布式能源和灵活负载通过电力电子变流器连接到电力系统。这给电网的稳定性和可靠性带来了前所未有的挑战。为了应对这一挑战，伊利诺伊理工学院（IIT）正在为下一代智能电网开创同步和民主化（SYNDEM）框架，该框架使所有电力电子接口供应商和负载都能像虚拟同步机（VSM）一样运行。因此，它们可以与电网无缝集成，积极维护电网的稳定，遵循100多年来支撑电力系统运行和发展的同步机同步机制。这将大大减少/推迟输配电网络的基础设施投资，降低所需储备，将通信基础设施从底层控制中解放出来，增强网络安全，并开辟实现自主电力系统的前景。该项目的目标是建立一个大规模的实时模拟设施，以进一步推进印度理工学院在下一代智能电网方面的研究、教育、培训和推广活动，同时使一些邻近机构受益，并向芝加哥地区的高中生和其他人推广。该提案寻求资金，以获得具有高渗透电力电子转换器的下一代智能电网的大规模实时模拟设施。该系统由1台RTDS NovaCor电力系统模拟器、1台主OPAL RT OP5707电力电子模拟器、8台分布式OPAL RT OP4510电力电子模拟器以及一套仿真和通信软件包组成。8个OP4510分布式模拟器可以单独运行，用于小规模电力电子仿真，也可以与OP5707一起运行，用于大规模电力电子仿真，OP5707可以单独运行，也可以与RTDS电力系统模拟器一起运行，所有这些都通过高速光学极光链路进行。它为复制和模拟现实世界的电力系统以及开发下一代智能电网的使能技术提供了很好的手段。RTDS电力系统模拟器和OPAL RT电力电子模拟器的独特结合将大大提高印度理工学院在能源和电力系统、电力电子、网络和自主系统、嵌入式系统、通信系统和网络物理系统方面的研究能力。该设施还将为学生提供一个获得实践经验的好机会，以扩大他们的职业机会。此外，该设施将对邻近机构的研究和培训产生影响，包括芝加哥伊利诺伊大学（UIC）、北伊利诺伊大学、布拉德利大学和阿贡国家实验室。该设施还将通过IIT的全球领袖计划每年影响100名芝加哥地区的高中生，并通过UIC的可持续发展和能源暑期研究所每年影响约45人。这将扩大妇女、代表性不足的少数民族和残疾人对科学和工程研究的参与。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Power systems are going through a paradigm change from the current power systems dominated by electric machines to the next-generation smart grid enabled by power electronics. Millions of active, intermittent, non-synchronous, variable, and distributed energy resources and flexible loads are being connected to power systems through power electronic converters. This brings an unprecedented challenge to grid stability and reliability. To address this challenge, Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) is pioneering a synchronized and democratized (SYNDEM) framework for next-generation smart grids, which enables all power electronics-interfaced suppliers and loads to behave like virtual synchronous machines (VSM). As a result, they can seamlessly integrate with the grid and actively maintain grid stability, following the synchronization mechanism of synchronous machines that has underpinned the operation and growth of power systems for over 100 years. This will significantly reduce/defer the infrastructure investment on transmission and distribution networks, reduce the required reserve, release the communication infrastructure from low-level control, enhance cybersecurity, and open up the prospect of achieving autonomous power systems. The objective of this project is to establish a large-scale real-time simulation facility to further advance the research, education, training and outreach activities of IIT in next-generation smart grid while benefiting some neighboring institutions and outreaching Chicago-area high-school students and others. This proposal seeks funds to acquire a large-scale real-time simulation facility for next-generation smart grid with high-penetration of power electronic converters. It consists of one RTDS NovaCor power systems simulator, one main OPAL RT OP5707 power electronics simulator, eight distributed OPAL RT OP4510 power electronics simulators, and a bundle of software packages for simulation and communication. The eight OP4510 distributed simulators can be operated individually for small-scale power electronics simulations or together with the OP5707 for large-scale power electronics simulations, which can be operated separately or together with the RTDS power systems simulator, all through high-speed optical Aurora links. It provides a great means to replicate and simulate real-world power systems and develop enabling technologies for next-generation smart grid. The unique combination of the strengths of the RTDS power systems simulator and the OPAL RT power electronics simulators will substantially enhance IIT's research capabilities in energy and power systems, power electronics, networked and autonomous systems, embedded systems, communication systems, and cyber-physical systems. The facility will also offer a great opportunity for students to obtain hands-on experiences to broaden their career opportunities. Moreover, the facility will have an impact on the research and training at neighboring institutions, including University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC), Northern Illinois University, Bradley University, and Argonne National Laboratory. The facility will also impact on 100 Chicago-area high-school students annually through IIT's Global Leaders Program and have a nationwide impact on about 45 people annually through the Summer Institute on Sustainability and Energy of UIC. These will broaden the participation in science and engineering research by women, underrepresented minorities and persons with disabilities.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.