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

自2009年以来，NSF关于并网先进电力电子(GRPES)的IUCRC一直在为成员公司和国家新兴的电网现代化努力提供重大好处。GRAPES正在推进并网电力电子领域的知识，为该行业培养急需的人才，并开发世界领先的技术，这些技术将影响电网和其他电力电子应用正在扩大的行业。阿肯色大学(UA)和威斯康星大学密尔沃基分校(UWM)是GRAPES的两个大学站点，旨在实现加快电力电子设备的采用和接入电网的使命，以提高系统的稳定性、灵活性、健壮性和经济性。主要的更广泛的影响是用技术触及所有美国人的生活，这些技术导致了一个现代化但同样可靠的电网，它能够比以前更直接地融入更多的可再生能源渗透。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。这两个GRAPS网站都有多个层面的影响：高中生、本科生和研究生、职业专业人士、少数群体和代表性不足的群体，以及成员公司。GRAPES涉及的应用领域包括固态保护、电力调节和转换、将可再生能源接入电网，以及评估并网电力电子的影响和优势。这项工作主要集中在最适合电力电子设备的低压(480伏)和中压(35千伏)区域，因此直接影响配电网。主要关注领域是分布式发电集成、交流和直流微电网、配电和保护、高频磁件、辅助服务、智能配电、并网储能系统和基于碳化硅的变流器。基本技术包括电力电子封装、控制方法、栅极驱动器和软件工具，这些技术在电网中存在的高电压和高电流条件下具有健壮性和弹性。UA和UWM网站提供互补的设施和专业知识。一个设施的例子是国家可靠电力传输中心(NCREPT)，这是一个6兆伏安的测试设施，能够对研究原型和商业级电力电子设备进行15千伏的测试。这些设施还包括350千伏安微电网系统、可持续电力系统中心、储能系统和接口、高压宽带隙器件测试装置和直流保护装置。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势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.