CAREER:Toward Grid-Interactive Converters with Diagnostic, Remedial, and Lifetime Prognostic Features for the Next Generation of Power Grids

最近对可持续能源资源与能源基础设施整合的投资总是导致在电网中采用更多的固态变流器。与其他电网组件相比，这些变流器的运行寿命较短，但它们拥有诱人的未实现智能电网概念的能力，包括实时诊断和自我修复，这是美国能源行业的长期研究计划。因此，(I)提高可持续能源转换系统的可靠性和可用性以及(Ii)实现实时诊断和自我修复功能的基础研究是及时的课题。与此同时，随着电网开始采用更多的固态变流器，电力工程课程中的电力电子学和电力系统课程之间的联系是必要的，以满足电力行业对受过高等教育的劳动力的迫切需求。这项职业计划的目标是：(I)创建智能-可重构电网-交互式固态变流器作为智能电网概念的智能元件，(Ii)提高风能和太阳能转换系统中固态变流器的可用性和可靠性，向下一代美国电力工程师传授可持续能源系统实际问题所需的知识和技能。这项研究的学术价值包括填补了有关风能和太阳能系统的智能电网互动转换器的文献中的关键空白。这项工作提供了以下优势：(I)形成具有诊断、修复和寿命预测功能的创新固态功率转换器系列；(Ii)通过防止灾难性故障和减轻脆弱部件的压力，提高电网交互转换器的可靠性；(Iii)减少整体系统停机时间和维护成本；以及(Iv)促进向下一代电网(智能电网)的移动。这项研究的更广泛影响包括：(I)提供高质量的教育、研究和工程，以充分装备新兴劳动力和美国能源行业的需求，以及(Ii)可随时扩展到其他关键技术的研究成果，如灵活的输电线、电动混合动力汽车、机电一体化、机器人等。

Recent investments in sustainable energy resource integration with the energy infrastructure are invariably resulting in the adoption of additional solid-state converters in the power grid. These converters have short operational lifespans compared to other power grid components, but they possess attractive unrealized capabilities for the smart grid concept, including real-time diagnosis and self-healing, which is a long-term research plan of U.S. energy sectors. Thus, basic research to (i) advance reliability and availability of sustainable energy conversion systems and (ii) realize real-time diagnosis and self-healing features are timely topics. Meanwhile, as the power grid begins to adopt more solid-state converters, the nexus between power electronics and power system classes in power engineering curriculum is desired to address the power industry's urgent need for a highly educated workforce.The objectives of this CAREER proposal are to: (i) create intelligent-reconfigurable grid-interactive solid-state converters as smart elements for the smart grid concept, (ii) advance availability and reliability of solid-state converters in wind and solar energy conversion systems, and (iii) impart required knowledge and skills of practical problems of sustainable energy systems to the next generation of U.S. power engineers.The intellectual merit of this research includes the filling of crucial gaps in the literature regarding smart grid-interactive converters for wind and solar energy systems. This work offers the following advantages: (i) the formation of an innovate family of solid-state-based power converters with diagnostic, healing, and lifetime prognostic features, (ii) the improvement of grid-interactive converter reliability by preventing catastrophic failures and mitigating stress on vulnerable components, (iii) the reduction of overall system downtime and maintenance costs, and (iv) the facilitation of movement toward the next generation of power grid (smart grid). The broader impacts of this research include: (i) the provision of quality-integrated education, research, and engineering to adequately equip the emerging workforce and the U.S. energy industry needs, and (ii) research findings that are readily extendable to other critical technologies, such as flexible power transmission lines, electric hybrid vehicles, mechatronics, robotics, etc.