Phase III IUCRC at University of Arkansas: Center for Grid-Connected Advanced Power Electronics Systems (GRAPES)

自2009年以来，NSF - IUCRC并网先进电力电子（GRAPES）已经为成员公司和国家新兴的电网现代化努力提供了显著的好处。GRAPES正在推进并网电力电子方面的知识，为该行业培养急需的人才，并开发世界领先的技术，这些技术影响着电网和电力电子应用正在扩大的其他部门。阿肯色大学（UA）和威斯康辛大学密尔沃基分校（UWM）是GRAPES的两所大学，它们寻求实现加速电力电子设备进入电网的采用和插入的使命，以提高系统的稳定性、灵活性、稳健性和经济性。主要的更广泛的影响是，技术将触及所有美国人的生活，这些技术将带来现代化的、同样可靠的电网，能够比以前更直接地吸收不断增加的可再生能源的渗透。进一步的影响是提供最高质量，差异化的综合工程教育和研究经验，以满足国家能源行业新兴的劳动力和技术需求。合作研究是在包括教授、研究生和本科生以及行业专家在内的团队中进行的。GRAPES的两个网站在很多层面都有影响力：高中生、本科生和研究生、专业人士、少数民族和未被充分代表的群体，以及会员公司。GRAPES涉及的应用领域包括固态保护、电力调节和转换、可再生能源与电网的接口，以及评估并网电力电子设备的影响和优势。这项工作的重点是低压（最高480伏）和中压（最高35千伏）区域，这些区域最适合电力电子设备，因此直接影响配电网。重点关注的领域是分布式发电集成、交流和直流微电网、配电和保护、高频磁、辅助服务、智能配电、并网储能系统和基于sic的转换器。基础技术包括电力电子封装、控制方法、栅极驱动器和软件工具，它们在电网中存在的高电压和电流条件下具有鲁棒性和弹性。UA和UWM站点提供互补的设施和专业知识。设施的一个例子是国家可靠电力传输中心（n悄悄），这是一个6 MVA的测试设施，能够对研究原型和商业级电力电子进行15 kV测试。这些设施还包括一个350千伏安的微电网系统、可持续电力系统中心、储能系统和接口、高压宽带隙设备的测试装置和直流保护装置。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。

The NSF IUCRC on GRid-connected Advanced Power Electronics (GRAPES) has been providing significant benefits to member companies and the nation's emerging electric power grid modernization efforts since 2009. GRAPES is advancing knowledge in grid-connected power electronics, producing much-needed talent for the industry, and developing world-first technologies that impact the electric power grid and other sectors where power electronics applications are expanding. The University of Arkansas (UA) and the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee (UWM) are the two university sites of GRAPES that seek to achieve the mission of accelerating the adoption and insertion of power electronics into the grid, in order to improve system stability, flexibility, robustness, and economy. The primary broader impact is to touch the lives of all Americans with technologies that lead to a modernized, but equally reliable electric power grid that is able to more directly incorporate increased penetrations of renewable energy sources than before. Further impacts are to provide the highest quality, differentiable integrated engineering education and research experience to meet the emerging workforce and technical needs of the nation's energy industry. Collaborative research is conducted in teams that include professors, graduate and undergraduate students, and industry experts. Both GRAPES' sites have influence at many levels: high school students, undergraduate and graduate students, working professionals, minority and underrepresented groups, and member companies.Application areas that GRAPES addresses include solid-state protection, power conditioning and conversion, interfacing renewables to the grid, and assessing the impacts and advantages of grid-connected power electronics. This work focuses on low-voltage (up to 480 V) and medium-voltage (up to 35 kV) areas that are most suitable for power electronics, therefore directly impacting distribution grids. Key focus areas are on distributed generation integration, AC and DC Microgrids, distribution and protection, high frequency magnetics, ancillary services, smart distribution, grid connected energy storage systems, and SiC-based converters. Fundamental technologies include power electronic packaging, control methods, gate drivers, and software tools that are robust and resilient in the presence of the high voltage and current conditions present in the grid. The UA and UWM sites provide complementary facilities and expertise. An example of a facility is the National Center for Reliable Electric Power Transmission (NCREPT), a 6 MVA test facility capable of 15 kV testing of research prototypes as well as commercial grade power electronics. The facilities also include a 350 kVA microgrid system, center for sustainable electrical energy systems, energy storage systems and interface, test setups for high voltage wide band gap devices, and DC protection setups.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.