Enabling Reliable Networked Microgrids for Distribution Grid Resiliency

该项目研究了在面对各种网络和物理干扰时促进可靠网络微电网运行的新方法。配电网弹性是一个具有重大经济和安全影响的挑战性问题，近年来，极端天气事件和网络威胁的增加加剧了这一问题。最近，网络微电网已经成为一种新兴的范例，它向当地客户展示了弹性效益。然而，缺乏对稳定裕度的认识，应对电网干扰的能力不足，以及对通信故障、延迟和网络攻击的脆弱性，可能会破坏网络化微电网提高配电网弹性的能力。该研究项目将在一种新型网络基础设施上创建和实施网络化微电网解决方案，以确保配电网的弹性。这种网络基础设施是基于软件定义网络的。具体而言，该项目有三个主要目标：(1)建立一种形式分析方法，可追溯地评估联网微电网的稳定性；(2)提出了一种通过在线分布式优化实现微电网主动故障管理（AFM）的新概念；(3)构建基于软件定义网络（SDN）的架构，以实现高弹性的网络化微电网。该项目将为深入了解高水平可再生能源发电下的微电网稳定性提供新的形式分析理论。集成分布式优化和电力电子控制的想法将为建设电网友好型网络微电网铺平道路，显著提高电网的弹性。基于sdn的新型架构和技术将为设计安全、可靠和容错算法的创新打开大门，用于管理弹性网络微电网和主动配电网络。总的来说，提出的基于模型和数据密集型的新技术将为集成复杂网络微电网中的其他棘手问题提供可扩展、可靠和智能的解决方案。基于该团队在少数民族学生招募和本科教育方面的成功，并利用现有资源，该教育计划以未被充分代表的少数民族和大学预科学生为目标，为培养下一代电力工程劳动力做出贡献。研究成果将整合到新的微电网课程中，用于教育大学生和电力工程专业人员。

This project investigates novel approaches to promote reliable networked microgrid operations in the face of various cyber and physical disturbances. Power distribution grid resiliency is a challenging problem with significant economic and security impacts that has been exacerbated in recent years by the increase in extreme weather events and cyber threats. Recently, networked microgrids have become an emerging paradigm that demonstrates resiliency benefit to their local customers. However, lack of awareness of stability margin, inadequate capability to respond to grid disturbances, and vulnerabilities to communication failure, delay, and cyber-attacks can undermine the capability of networked microgrids to improve distribution grid resiliency. The research project will create and implement networked microgrids solutions on a novel cyber infrastructure to ensure distribution grid resiliency. This cyber infrastructure is based on Software-Defined Networking. Specifically, the project has three main objectives: (1) To establish a formal analysis method to tractably assess networked microgrid stability; (2) To devise a new concept of microgrid active fault management (AFM) enabled through online distributed optimization; and (3) To build a Software-Defined Networking (SDN) based architecture to enable highly resilient networked microgrids. The project will contribute new formal analysis theories for deeper understanding of microgrid stability under high levels of renewable generation. The idea of integrating distributed optimization and power electronic control will pave the way for building grid-friendly networked microgrids, significantly contributing to grid resiliency. The novel SDN-based architecture and techniques will open the door for innovations in devising secure, reliable, and fault-tolerant algorithms for managing resilient networked microgrids and active distribution networks. Overall, the proposed new model-based and data-intensive technologies together will provide scalable, dependable and intelligent solutions to otherwise intractable problems in integrating complex networked microgrids. Building on the team's successes in minority student recruitment and undergraduate education and leveraging existing resources, the education plan targets underrepresented minorities and pre-college students to contribute to the preparation of the next-generation workforce in power engineering. The research results will be integrated in new Microgrids courses for educating university students and power engineering professionals.