Collaborative Research: IRES Track I: U.S.-Denmark program for advanced reliability analysis of ac/dc converters with INNOVAtive conTrols in glObe-spanning supergRid (INNOVATOR)

这一国际学生研究经验奖(IRES)为18名美国本科生提供了参加丹麦奥尔堡大学(AAU)为期八周的电力电子系统研究项目的机会。佐治亚南方大学(GSU)和密西西比州立大学的首席研究人员将在三年内每年招募六名美国本科生，并为他们提供初步培训和准备。PIS在电力电子变流器的先进控制方面之前和正在进行的合作，并与AAU Energy(前身为能源技术部)的可靠电力电子中心(CORPE)进行了互动。一些欧洲国家目前正在引领可再生能源在智能电网中的实际使用研究。AAU的电力项目是欧洲规模最大、最年轻的项目之一，一直位居欧洲大陆第一。在研究影响指标方面，AAU Energy和Corpe名列前茅。它是拟议项目的理想合作伙伴--为美国学生在电力电子系统的所有领域提供独特的国际研究体验。这项研究通过1)增加可再生能源的普及率，2)增加对现代电网电力电子系统领域的职业兴趣，以及3)提高美国电力工程劳动力的质量和数量，从而造福社会和环境。通过项目研究证实的理论可以为电力和能源行业的其他系统量身定做和广泛开发。格拉斯哥州立大学和密歇根州立大学已经准备好、愿意而且特别有能力招募代表性不足的少数族裔，包括妇女、非裔美国人、美洲原住民和拉丁美洲人，参与STEM的研究和教学。此外，在女性代表仍然不足的领域，领导Corpe电力/能源系统研究的女性是优秀的榜样。学生将参与多学科主题-现代电网中电力电子系统的先进控制和可靠性分析技术，以及可再生能源的集成-培训以实施创新的STEM项目，对能源部门的可靠性、弹性和效率产生广泛影响。他们将接触到尖端的实验室、独特的可靠性分析工具和国际培训，为他们在国内和国际职业生涯做好准备。该项目将促进独特的知识/经验转移机制，帮助学生建立国际联系和信心，并为未来NSF和丹麦国家研究基金会的合作铺平道路。展望未来的电力系统工作人员，我们的学生需要了解和分析不同的电力系统，因为他们可能参与世界各地的各种项目，同时在美国拥有技术团队的国内或国际公司工作。此外，电力系统正在迅速和日益全球化和现代化，以应对气候变化驱动的全球政策。在IRES的工作中，学生们将在可能的全球超级电网(GS2G)中开展与交流/直流电力电子转换器[电压源转换器(VSC)]相关的群组研究项目-GS2G是能源部门的基本组成部分，以惊人的速度整合可再生能源，以应对全球变暖造成的紧急环境问题，并签署国际协议。在智能电网的保护伞下，他们通过GS2G中的创新控制来评估和提高VSC的可靠性。拟议的研究将促进与以下相关的基础知识：1)提高GS2G中VSC的稳定性和性能；2)通过GS2G的交流/直流电网将可再生能源整合到电力和能源系统中；3)通过VSC实现更可靠的能量交换和安全电力传输；以及4)使用最先进的技术来测试VSC的性能和可靠性。在这次合作中，学生们将通过GS2G的VSC的高级控制和可靠性分析技术，严格研究VSC的技术方面。该项目由国际科学与工程办公室(OISE)资助，非牵头部分由既定的激励竞争研究计划(EPSCoR)共同资助。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。

This International Research Experiences for Students (IRES) award provides eighteen U.S. undergraduate students the opportunity to participate in an eight week research program on power electronic systems at Aalborg University (AAU) in Denmark. Principal investigators at Georgia Southern University (GSU) and Mississippi State University will recruit and provide initial training and preparation for cohorts of six U.S. undergraduates each year for three years. The PIs have had previous and ongoing collaborations on advanced controls of power electronic converters and interacted with the Center of Reliable Power Electronics (CORPE) in AAU Energy (formerly known as the Department of Energy Technology). Some European countries are currently leading the research on the practical use of renewables in smart grids. AAU’s power program is one of the largest and youngest in Europe, consistently ranked No. 1 across the continent. AAU Energy and CORPE are ranked among the best for Research Impact Measures. It is an ideal partner for the proposed project—offering U.S. students a unique international research experience in all areas of power electronic systems. This research benefits society and the environment by 1) increasing the penetration of renewables, 2) increasing career interest in the field of power electronic systems for modern power grids, and 3) improving the quality and quantity of the U.S. power engineering workforce. Theories confirmed by project research may be tailored and broadly developed for other systems in the power and energy industry. GSU and MSU are ready, willing, and singularly able to recruit underrepresented minorities, including women, African Americans, Native Americans, and Latin American, to participate in STEM research and teaching. Moreover, the women leading the power/energy system research at CORPE are excellent role models in an area where women remain underrepresented. Students will be engaged in multidisciplinary topics—advanced controls and reliability analysis techniques of power electronic systems in modern power grids with the integration of renewables—trained to conduct innovative STEM projects with broad impacts on the energy sector’s reliability, resilience, and efficiency. They will be exposed to cutting-edge laboratories, unique reliability analysis tools, and international training to prepare them for national and international careers. This program will facilitate a unique knowledge/experience transfer mechanism, help students build international ties and confidence, and pave the way for future NSF and Danish National Research Foundation collaborations.Looking to the power system workforce of the future, our students need to understand and analyze different power systems as they may be involved in various projects worldwide while working at national or international companies with technical teams in the U.S. Also, power systems are rapidly and increasingly globalizing and modernizing in response to global policies driven by climate change. In the IRES work, students will conduct cohort-based research projects associated with ac/dc power electronic converters [voltage-source converters (VSCs)] in a possible globe-spanning supergrid (GS2G)—an essential component of the energy sector to integrate renewables to respond to urgent environmental concerns caused by global warming at an alarming rate and international agreements. Under the umbrella of smart grids, they assess and improve the reliability of VSCs with innovative controls in GS2G. The proposed research will advance fundamental knowledge related to 1) enhancing the stability and performance of VSCs in GS2G, 2) integrating renewables into power and energy systems via GS2G’s ac/dc grids, 3) achieving more reliable energy exchange and secure power transfer through VSCs, and 4) employing state-of-the-art technologies to test VSC performance and reliability. In this collaboration, students will rigorously investigate technical aspects of VSCs with advanced controls and reliability analysis techniques for GS2G’s VSCs. This project is funded by the Office of International Science and Engineering (OISE), and the non-Lead portion is co-funded by the Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR).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.