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的电力系统向以电力电子为主导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、可变和分布式的能源和灵活负载通过电力电子转换器接入电力系统。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，使所有电力电子接口供应商和负载能够像虚拟同步机(VSM)一样运行。因此，它们可以与电网无缝集成，并积极维护电网稳定，遵循100多年来支撑电力系统运行和增长的同步电机同步机制。这将显著减少/推迟输配电网的基础设施投资，降低存款准备金率，将通信基础设施从低水平控制中释放出来，增强网络安全，并打开实现电力系统自治的前景。该项目的目标是建立一个大规模的实时仿真设施，以进一步推进IIT在下一代智能电网中的研究、教育、培训和推广活动，同时使邻近的一些机构和芝加哥地区的外展高中生和其他人受益。该提案寻求资金，为电力电子转换器渗透率较高的下一代智能电网购买大规模实时仿真设施。它由1个RTDS NovaCor电力系统仿真器、1个OPAL RT OP5707主电力电子仿真器、8个分布式OPAL RT OP4510电力电子仿真器和一系列用于仿真和通信的软件包组成。8个OP4510分布式仿真器可以单独运行，用于小规模电力电子仿真，或与OP5707一起运行，用于大规模电力电子仿真，可以单独运行，也可以与RTDS电力系统仿真器一起运行，所有这些都通过高速光学Aurora链路进行。它为复制和模拟真实世界的电力系统和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优势结合将大大增强IIT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绝佳机会，以拓宽他们的职业机会。此外，该设施将对邻近机构的研究和培训产生影响，包括伊利诺伊大学芝加哥分校(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夏季研究所，每年影响全国约45人。这一奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，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。

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.