NSF Workshop on Power Electronics-enabled Operation of Power Systems

MTCC Auditorium, McCormick Tribune Campus Center, IIT, Chicago | October 31 – November 1, 2019

The final report of the workshop can be found here.

IEEE Power Electronics Magazine reported this workshop in March 2020. The article can be found here.

Power systems worldwide are going through a paradigm shift. Millions of distributed energy resources (DER) are being connected to power systems, which imposes unprecedented challenges to grid stability, reliability, security, and resiliency. Recent research has shown that it is promising to seamlessly integrate expertise in control systems, power electronics, and power systems to achieve power electronics-enabled operation of power systems to address these issues. This workshop has over 130 participants from funding agencies, regulatory commissions, utilities, think-tanks, vendors, and universities etc. to offer multidisciplinary perspectives on the paradigm shift of power systems and identify the associated challenges and needs, and potential tools and methodologies. Recommendations will be made after the workshop. This will help speed up the paradigm shift of power systems, improve the stability, reliability, security, resiliency of future power systems, promote sustainability, create jobs, and stimulate economic growth.

The fundamental challenge behind this paradigm shift is that future power systems will be power electronics-based, instead of electric machines-based, with a huge number of active, intermittent, non-synchronous, and heterogeneous players. The objective of this NSF workshop is to bring experts from control systems, power electronics, and power systems together to identify fundamental challenges and needs in multidisciplinary research and education in control of power electronics-enabled power systems for enhanced grid stability, autonomy, scalability, operability, reliability, security, and resiliency; strengthen collaborative efforts to tackle the challenges identified; and raise the awareness of funding agencies and policy-makers to support and nurture research and educational activities to advance fundamental knowledge, enabling technologies, and workforce in this area.

Thanks to the support of the National Science Foundation (Award #1933207), this workshop is free and open to researchers, practitioners, and policy-makers in the workshop area but the financial support for hotel and/or travel is limited to a total of up to 50 U.S. participants. Women, minorities, and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply. For those who request financial support, the Organizing Committee will determine whether there will be financial support offered based on the following criteria: 1) the order of the application, 2) the relevance of the applicant’s research to the workshop theme and objectives, and 3) the diversity of participants. The decision of the Organizing Committee is final and the participants who are offered financial support are required to adhere to the guidelines of NSF, e.g., NSF Special Terms and Conditions for Administration of NSF Conference or Travel Grants (FL 26).

Illinois Tech is committed to fostering an environment in which all members of the community are safe, secure, and free from sexual harassment of any form. The policies that address sexual harassment, other forms of harassment, and sexual assault, and that includes clear and accessible means of reporting violations of the policies can be found here.

Deadline for application to attend the workshop:

  • with financial support requested: September 26, 2019, 8:00 am Central Time (US and Canada) – EXPIRED
  • without financial support requested: October 15, 2019, 8:00 am Central Time (US and Canada) – EXPIRED

 

Organizing Committee

Qing-Chang Zhong (Chair)
Illinois Institute of Technology

Sairaj Dhople
University of Minnesota

Brian Johnson
University of Washington

Beibei Ren
Texas Tech University

Thanh Long Vu
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Ziang Zhang
Binghamton University

Annette Lauderdale
Illinois Institute of Technology

 

Program

Thursday Oct 31

08:30-09:00        Registration and Continental Breakfast

09:00-09:05        Opening and Logistics, Qing-Chang Zhong, Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT)

09:05-09:10         Welcome Remarks, Fred J. Hickernell, Vice Provost for Research, IIT

09:10-09:15          NSF Opening Remarks, Anil Pahwa, National Science Foundation (NSF)

09:15-10:30          Session 1 (Chair: Mohammad Shahidehpour, IIT)

             09:15         NSF Perspectives: Challenges and Opportunities, Anil Pahwa, Alireza Khaligh, Radhakisan S. Baheti, and Anthony Kuh, NSF. [Slides]

             09:30        Enabling a Power Electronics Grid, Deepak Divan, Georgia Institute of Technology. [Slides]

             10:00        Power Electronics-enabled Autonomous Power Systems: Synchronized and Democratized (SYNDEM) Smart Grids, Qing-Chang Zhong, IIT. [Slides]

10:30-11:00          Networking; Coffee/tea

11:00-12:30          Session 2 (Chair: Alex Flueck, IIT)

            11:00          Optimizing Ubiquitous Power Electronics for the Future Power Grid, Zhenyu (Henry) Huang, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. [Slides]

            11:30          Technical Challenges of High Level of Inverter-based Resources in Power Grids, Robert Lasseter, University of Wisconsin - Madison. [Slides]

           12:00          Research & Education in CURENT on Power Electronics for Power Systems, Fred Wang, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville. [Slides]

12:30-13:30         Group Photo; Networking Lunch

13:30-15:00         Session 3 (Chair: John Z. Shen, IIT)

            13:30         Growing Deployment of Power Electronics in Power Systems: Challenges, Opportunities, and Research Initiatives, Abraham Ellis, DOE. [Slides]

            14:00         Flexible Division and Unification Control Strategies for Resilience Enhancement in Networked Microgrids, Mohammad Shahidehpour, IIT. [Slides]

            14:30         Medium Voltage Power Electronics Technology, Alex Huang, UT Austin. [Slides]

15:00-15:30         Networking; Coffee/tea

15:30-16:15          Session 4 (Chair: Ian Brown, IIT)

            15:30          Protection of High-Voltage DC Transmission Systems, Maryam Saeedifard, Georgia Institute of Technology. [Slides]

            15:45          Grid-Forming Photovoltaic Inverter: Opportunities and Challenges, Hariharan Krishnaswami, Department of Energy. [Slides]

            16:00          The Advanced Grid Innovation Lab for Energy - A Collaborative Program of the New York Power Authority, George Stefopoulos, NYPA. [Slides]

16:15- 17:00         Session 5 (Chair: Sairaj Dhople, University of Minnesota)

                               Panel Discussions: Fundamental Challenges and Research Needs

17:00-18:00        Tour: IIT Microgrid and SYNDEM Smart Grid Lab

Friday Nov 1

08:30-09:00       Registration and Continental Breakfast

09:00-10:30        Session 6 (Chair: Zuyi Li, IIT)

            09:00        Power Engineering Education in the Age of Climate Crisis – A Holistic View, Ned Mohan, University of Minnesota. [Slides]

            09:30        Power Electronics in Transportation Electrifications, Ali Emadi, McMaster University.

            10:00        Microgrid Testbeds at Different Scales for Research and Education, Beibei Ren, Texas Tech University. [Slides]

            10:15          Resilient Architectures and Algorithms for Generation Control of Inertialess AC Microgrids, Alejandro Dominguez-Garcia, UIUC. [Slides]

10:30-11:00         Networking; Coffee/tea

11:00-12:00         Session 7 (Chair: Mahesh Krishnamurthy, IIT)

            11:00        Nonlinear Decentralized Control for Future Grids, Brian Johnson, University of Washington. [Slides]

            11:15          Multi-Scale Control of Power Electronics for Power Systems, Sudip K Mazumder, University of Illinois, Chicago. [Slides]

            11:30        High Frequency Power Electronics at the Grid Edge: Opportunities and Challenges, Minjie Chen, Princeton University. [Slides]

            11:45        Impedance-Based Evaluation of Stability Impacts of Inverter-Based Resources, Shahil Shah, NREL. [Slides]

12:00-12:45        Session 8 (Chair: Zi-Ang John Zhang, Binghamton University)

                              Panel Discussions: Potential Approaches and Solutions

12:45-12:50        Concluding Remarks

12:50-13:30        Networking Lunch

13:30-14:30        Tour: IIT Microgrid and SYNDEM Smart Grid Lab

 

Participants

NameOrganization
Abraham Ellis
Office of Electricity, DOE
Adel Nasiri
UW-Milwaukee
Ahmad Khan
Kansas State University
Alejandro Dominguez-GarciaUniversity of Illinois
Alex FlueckIllinois Institute of Technology
Alex Huang
University of Texas at Austin
Ali Davoudi
University of Texas at Arlington
Ali Emadi
McMaster University
Alireza Khaligh
University of Maryland & NSF
Amir Sajadi
Public Service Commission of Wisconsin
Anil Pahwa
National Science Foundation
Ankit Singhal
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Ankita Desai
Illinois Institute of Technology
Arash Khoshkbar-Sadigh
Pennsylvania State University
Arijit Banerjee
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Aritra Kundu
Illinois Institute of Technology
Ayman EL-Refaie
Marquette University
Beibei (Helen) Ren
Texas Tech University
Bharat Balagopal
North Carolina State University
Bhuvaneswari Ramachandran
University of West Florida
Bikiran Guha
Illinois Institute of Technology
Bishnu Bhattarai
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Bo Chen
Argonne National Laboratory
Bob Lasseter
University of Wisconsin
Boqi Xie
Argonne National Laboratory
Brian Johnson
University of Washington
Bryan Lieblick
Plexim
Carrie Hall
Illinois Institute of Technology
Charalambos Konstantinou
Florida State University
Charles Murray
Switched Source
Chee-Wooi Ten
Michigan Technological University
Cui WangNanchang Institute of Technology
Deepak Divan
Georgia Institute of Technology
Dimitrios Thiakos
S&L
Dong Cao
University of Dayton
Dongbo Zhao
Argonne National Laboratory
Duo Wang
Illinois Institute of Technology
Faraj Alyami
Western Michigan University
Fred Wang
University of Tennessee, Knoxville
George Gross
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
George Stefopoulos
New York Power Authority
Greg Salas
Group NIRE
Guorui ZhangSouthwest Jiaotong University
Hamed Nademi
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Hamid Arastoopour
Illinois Institute of Technology
Hanif Livani
University of Nevada Reno
Hao Xu
University of Nevada Reno
Hariharan Krishnaswami
ManTech, Contractor DOE Solar Office
Hengzhao Yang
New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology
Herbert L Hess
University of Idaho
Hong Fan
Shanghai University of Electric Power
Hong Wang
Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Hussein Alameri
Western Michigan University
Ian Brown
Illinois Institute of Technology
Irfan Khan
Texas A&M University
Jafar Saniie
Illinois Institute of Technology
Jairo Cervantes
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Jason Poon
Stanford University
Jiangbiao He
University of Kentucky
Jin Ye
University of Georgia
Jing Wang
Bradley University
John Seuss
S&C Electric Co
John Shen
Illinois Institute of Technology
Jungwon Choi
University of Minnesota
Junhui Zhao
University of New Haven
Junjian Qi
University of Central Florida
Kai Sun
University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Komal S Shetye
Texas A&M University
Liang Du
Temple University
Lina He
University of Illinois at Chicago
Maggie Cheng
Illinois Institute of Technology
Mahesh Krishnamurthy
Illinois Institute of Technology
Mani Venkatasubramanian
Washington State University
Manohar Chamana
Texas Tech University
Marcelo Godoy Simoes
Colorado School of Mines
Maryam Saeedifard
Georgia Institute of Technology
Masood Parvania
University of Utah
MASOUD BARATI
University of Pittsburgh
Masoud Karimi
Mississippi State University
Matthew Bossart
University of Colorado
Mengqi (Maggie) Wang
University of Michigan-Dearborn
Michael L. McIntyre
University of Louisville
Minjie Chen
Princeton University
Mohammad Khodayar
Southern Methodist University
Mohammad Shadmand
Kansas State University
Mohammad Shahidehpour
Illinois Institute of Technology
Mohsen Hosseinzadehtaher
Kansas State University
Muhittin Yilmaz
Texas A&M University-Kingsville
Ned Mohan
University of Minnesota
Payman Dehghanian
George Washington University
Peng Zhang
Stony Brook University
Prosper Panumpabi
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Qifeng Li
University of Central Florida
Qing-Chang Zhong
Illinois Institute of Technology
Radha Sree Krishna Moorthy
Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Rajat Kamble
Illinois Institute of Technology
Reinaldo Tonkoski
South Dakota State University
Rick Wallace Kenyon
University of Colorado
Robert Wills
Intergrid
Sadik Kucuksari
University of Northern Iowa
Sairaj Dhople
University of Minnesota
Sandeep Nimmagadda
Texas Tech University
Sara Ahmed
University of Texas at San Antonio
Shahil Shah
NREL
Shijia Zhao
Argonne National Laboratory
Shrirang Abhyankar
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
SHUO WANG
University of Florida
Sina Vahid
Marquette University
Sitoshna Jatty
Illinois Institute of Technology
Sonny Xue
ORNL
Stephen Williams
S&C Electric
Sudip K Mazumder
University of Illinois at Chicago
Thanh Long Vu
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Vahid Dargahi
University of Washington, Tacoma
Vikram Bhattacharjee
Hyliion,Inc.
Weiping Shi
Texas A&M University
Wen Huang
Hunan University
Wencong Su
University of Michigan-Dearborn
Xiaonan Lu
Temple University
Xin Liu
Illinois Institute of Technology
Yan Li
Pennsylvania State University
Yibo Zhang
Illinois Institute of Technology
Yichen Zhang
Argonne National Laboratory
Yoav Sharon
S&C Electric Co.
Yue Cao
Oregon State University
Yuting Tian
Argonne National Laboratory
Zhangxin Zhou
Texas A&M University
Zhenyu (Henry) Huang
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Zhi Zhou
Argonne National Laboratory
Zhixi Deng
Illinois Institute of Technology
Zhixin Miao
University of South Florida
Ziang (John) Zhang
Binghamton University
Zijun Lv
Illinois Institute of Technology
Zuyi Li
Illinois Institute of Technology

 

 

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Title: Enabling a Power Electronics Grid

Abstract: The requirement for distributed real-time control in the future grid using power converters is being driven by rapid growth in distributed energy resources, microgrids and the need for dynamic real-time balancing between generation and loads. The move from centralized control to massively decentralized and distributed control raises further challenges, both in terms of the converters and feasible control strategies, as well as the architecture and infrastructure required to manage and operate such a system. This presentation will discuss power converter topologies, control strategies and system architecture for managing such a future grid and related loads. Key topics include grid integration strategies for managing a fleet of such devices to deliver value for the future and present grid.

Bio: Dr. Deepak Divan is Professor, John E Pippin Chair, GRA Eminent Scholar and Director of the Center for Distributed Energy at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, GA. His field of research is in the areas of power electronics, power systems, smart grids and distributed control of power systems. He works closely with utilities, industry and is actively involved in research, teaching, entrepreneurship and starting new ventures. Dr. Divan has started several companies, including Varentec in Santa Clara, CA, where he served as Founder, President and CTO from 2011-14, and as Chief Scientist for several years after. He led the company as it developed its suite of innovative distributed real-time grid control technologies. Varentec is funded by leading green-tech Venture Capital firm Khosla Ventures and renowned investor Bill Gates. He has founded or seeded several new ventures including Soft Switching Technologies, Innovolt, Varentec and Smart Wires, which together have raised >$160M in venture funding. Dr. Divan is an elected Member of the US National Academy of Engineering, member of the National Academies Board on Energy and Environmental Systems, Committee on the Future Grid and Committee on Deep Decarbonization. He a Fellow of the IEEE, past President of the IEEE Power Electronics Society, is a recipient of the IEEE William E Newell Field Medal and is International Steering Committee Chair of the IEEE Empower a Billion Lives global competition to crowdsource scalable energy access solutions. He has 40 years of academic and industrial experience, 65 issued and pending patents, and over 400 refereed publications. He received his B. Tech from IIT Kanpur, and his MS and PhD degrees from the University of Calgary, Canada.

Title：Power Electronics-enabled Autonomous Power Systems: Synchronized and Democratized (SYNDEM) Smart Grids

Abstract: Power systems are going through a paradigm shift. The centralized large facilities are being replaced by millions of widely dispersed non-synchronous relatively small renewable or alternative power plants, plug-in EVs, and energy storage units. Moreover, the majority of loads are expected to actively take part in the grid regulation in the same way as suppliers do. In this lecture, the SYNDEM (meaning synchronized and democratized) grid architecture, together with its technical route, to enable this paradigm shift will be presented. It will be shown that the synchronization mechanism of conventional synchronous machines, which has underpinned the power systems for over 100 years, can continue playing its fundamental role in power systems. It will empower all power electronics-interfaced suppliers and loads to behave like virtual synchronous machines so that they can take part in the regulation of system frequency and voltage, in the same way as conventional synchronous machines do. This will unify the integration and interaction of all players with the grid. It will also release the communication infrastructure from low-level control and open up the prospect of achieving autonomous operation for power systems without relying on communication networks. This holistic solution could considerably enhance the stability, scalability, operability, security, reliability and resiliency of the next-generation smart grid. For latest developments and live discussions, join LinkedIn Group https://www.linkedin.com/groups/7061909/.

Bio: Dr. Qing-Chang Zhong, Fellow of IEEE and IET, is the Max McGraw Endowed Chair Professor in Energy and Power Engineering and Management at Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, USA, and the Founder and CEO of Syndem LLC, Chicago, USA. He is a world-leading multidisciplinary expert in control, power electronics, and power systems, having been recognized as a Distinguished Lecturer of the IEEE Power and Energy Society, the IEEE Control Systems Society and the IEEE Power Electronics Society. Before joining Illinois Institute of Technology, he was the Chair Professor in Control and Systems Engineering at The University of Sheffield, UK. He (co-) authored four research monographs, including Power Electronics-Enabled Autonomous Power Systems: Next Generation Smart Grids (Wiley-IEEE Press, 2020), Control of Power Inverters in Renewable Energy and Smart Grid Integration (Wiley-IEEE Press, 2013), and Robust Control of Time-delay Systems (Springer, 2006). He was an Associate Editor for several leading journals in control and power engineering, including four IEEE Transactions. He proposed the SYNDEM (meaning synchronized and democratized) grid architecture for the next-generation smart grids based on the synchronization mechanism of synchronous machines, which unifies and harmonizes the interface and interaction of power system players with the grid to achieve autonomous operation, without relying on communication networks. This was reported as Game Changer for Grid. His current research focuses on control and systems theory, power electronics, and the seamless integration of both to address fundamental challenges in energy and power systems.

Title: Optimizing Ubiquitous Power Electronics for the Future Power Grid

Abstract: Power systems world-wide are evolving towards a new mix of generating resources, transmission networks, and consumption devices. For example, wind and solar generation are rapidly growing in recent years; DC power lines, flexible AC transmission systems, and solid-state transformers are changing the power networks; electric vehicles are increasing their shares as electric loads; and energy storage is being used for all stages of the power system. One thing in common in such evolutions is power electronics. As a result, a high percentage of electricity will be generated, transmitted or consumed by power electronics in the future power grid. Such a high penetration of power electronics will significantly change power system operation landscapes and dynamic characteristics. The reduced system inertia by power electronics-connected generations and consumptions has caused significant concerns in the power system community, while the high-speed control capabilities of power electronics present new opportunities for achieving an optimal performance of the power system. The fundamental challenge is how to get there. Solving this challenge requires several important steps: modeling and simulation to understand the behaviors of power electronics and its interactions with other components in the context of power systems; and control and optimization methods for fully utilizing the capabilities of power electronics for a new paradigm of performance beyond the traditional inertia-based system. This talk will summarize the trend of power electronics development and applications, explore potential solutions, and pose some of the challenging questions for further discussions.

Bio: Dr. Zhenyu (Henry) Huang joined the DOE EERE Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO) Systems Integration Team in 2019. He is assisting the Team with a focus on modeling, simulation, optimization and control of solar generation for increasing its penetration in the power grid. Dr. Huang is a Laboratory Fellow at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA. Prior to joining SETO, he led the Advanced Grid Analytics portfolio at PNNL and managed the Optimization and Control Group, focusing on developing and adapting latest math, computing, and data analytical techniques to understand and manage the emerging complexity in the power grid and other associated infrastructures. Dr. Huang’s research interests include high performance computing, power electronics modeling, and optimization and control for power and energy systems. He led research and development efforts that produced important software packages for power grid modeling and simulation including GridPACKTM and HELICSTM. Before he joined PNNL in 2003, Dr. Huang conducted research on power system stability and harmonics at McGill University (Canada), the University of Alberta (Canada), and the University of Hong Kong. Dr. Huang has over 180 peer-reviewed publications. He is a Fellow of IEEE. He is recipient of the 2008 PNNL Ronald L. Brodzinski’s Award for Early Career Exceptional Achievement and the 2009 IEEE Power and Energy Society Outstanding Young Engineer Award. Dr. Huang is a registered Professional Engineer in Washington State. Dr. Huang received his B. Eng. from Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China, and Ph.D. degree from Tsinghua University, Beijing, China, in 1994 and 1999, respectively.

Title: Technical Challenges of High Level of Inverter-based Resources in Power Grids

Abstract: Massive penetration of variable renewable energy (RE) in addition to other distributed energy resources, (DER) poses major operational challenges to utility system operators. Traditionally, power system operation assumes synchronous generators provide frequency stability via their stored kinetic energy. With increasing inverter-based sources the system’s inertia is reduced and frequency stability becomes a concern. This increased penetration represents ground zero for the disruption of the global energy landscape caused by DER.  Our overarching objective is to transform the installation of very large numbers inverter bases sources from a major potential liability into a critical asset for both the power grid and utility customers.

Bio: Robert H. Lasseter received the Ph.D. in Physics from the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia in 1971. He was a Consulting Engineer at General Electric until he joined the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineer at University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1980. Dr. Lasseter is internationally recognized as one of the earliest and most influential pioneers in the microgrid field. His microgrid architecture is widely implemented and recognized for its plug-and-play flexibility. His professional career during the past 40 years has been dedicated to applying power electronics to utility systems. His recent work includes PV microgrids, and inverter-based resources in the power grid.

Title: Research & Education in CURENT on Power Electronics for Power Systems

Abstract: CURENT stands for Center for Ultra-wide-area Resilient Electric Energy Transmission Networks, an US NSF-DOE Engineering Research Center at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK), USA. A key research focus of CURENT is design and control of future power grids with high penetration of renewable energy sources and other power electronics-enable resources and loads.  This talk will present an overview of CURENT with emphasis on its power electronics related research activities in grid applications. The talk will also introduce some recent activities on utilizing the advances in power electronics such as wide bandgap semiconductor technologies to benefit power systems. Some CURENT education activities involving power electronics for power systems will also be introduced.

Bio: Dr. Fred Wang is a professor and Condra Chair of Excellence in Power Electronics at the University of Tennessee. He holds a joint position in Oak Ridge National Lab. He is the Technical Director of CURENT. His experience also includes 8 years as an associate professor and the Technical Director at the Center for Power Electronics at Virginia Tech, and 10 years as an engineer and R&D manager at General Electric. His interests include power electronics and power systems. He is a fellow of the IEEE and a fellow of the US Academy of Inventors.

Title: Growing Deployment of Power Electronics in Power Systems: Challenges, Opportunities, and Research Initiatives

Abstract: The electric power system is rapidly undergoing profound changes, and the proliferation of power electronics converters is one of the main drivers. A significant portion of future generation, storage, flow control and end-use devices will be converter-interfaced.  This talk will describe key challenges and opportunities associated with growing deployment of power electronics.  It will describe major research and development initiatives led by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Electricity that will enable power electronics to achieve their full potential.

Short Bio: Dr. Ellis is Program Manager for Energy Systems Integration at Sandia National Laboratories.  He is currently on assignment supporting the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Electricity in Washington, DC.  Dr. Ellis has expertise in power systems modeling, simulation, controls and standards.  He has chaired technical committees working to advance modeling of storage, renewable generation and FACTS devices for interconnection studies and transmission planning.  He was also a key contributor to technical standards efforts led by IEEE and NERC. Prior to joining Sandia, Dr. Ellis worked in the Transmission Planning and Operations department at Public Service Company of New Mexico (PNM).  He obtained a PhD in power systems from New Mexico State University.

Title: Flexible Division and Unification Control Strategies for Resilience Enhancement in Networked Microgrids

Abstract: Networking a series of autonomous microgrids (MGs) is a strategic effort toward the resilience enhancement in extreme conditions. We consider flexible division and unification control strategies to help networked MGs prepare adequately for extreme events and adapt comprehensively to subsequent changing conditions, which enhance the system resilience. Networked MGs can switch between two distinct modes of division and unification by utilizing a sparse communication network without requiring any additional communication infrastructures or controllers. In division mode, each MG is regulated by its local master controller (MC) for active power sharing, which ensures that disruptions are handled effectively by local energy resources without utilizing those in adjacent MGs. Thus, any islanding or resynchronization of individual MGs would not introduce further disruptions to the remaining networked system. In unification mode, the remaining networked MGs, which are still functional, share all available energy resources and adapt to continuously changing operating conditions in order to respond to extreme events. The proposed control algorithm for devising a flexible networked MG system is a cost-effective scheme that can fully exploit the system operation flexibility corresponding to different operation stages for enhancing the resilience. The proposed control strategies are applied to a networked MG system and the performance is tested using time-domain PSCAD/EMTDC simulations.

Bio: Dr. Mohammad Shahidehpour is a University Distinguished Professor, Bodine Chair Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, and Director of the Robert W. Galvin Center for Electricity Innovation at Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT). He has also been the Principal Investigator of $60M research grants and contracts on power system operation and control. His project on Perfect Power Systems has converted the entire IIT Campus to an islandable microgrid. His CSMART (Center for Smart Grid Applications, Research, and Technology) at IIT has promoted the smart grid cybersecurity research for managing the resilience of wireless networked communication and control systems in smart cities. His SPIKE initiative facilitated the design and the implementation of affordable microgrids in impoverished nations. He is the recipient of the 2009 honorary doctorate from the Polytechnic University of Bucharest.  Dr. Shahidehpour was the recipient several technical awards including of the IEEE Burke Hayes Award for his research on hydrokinetics, IEEE/PES Outstanding Power Engineering Educator Award, IEEE/PES Ramakumar Family Renewable Energy Excellence Award, IEEE/PES Douglas M. Staszesky Distribution Automation Award, and the Edison Electric Institute’s Power Engineering Educator Award. He has co-authored 6 books and 650 technical papers on electric power system operation and planning, and served as the founding Editor-in-Chief of the IEEE Transactions on Smart Grid.  Dr. Shahidehpour is a Fellow of IEEE, Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI), and a member of the US National Academy of Engineering (NAE).

Title: Medium Voltage Power Electronics Technology

Abstract: Through the development and commercialization of technology over the last fifty years, power electronics technology for low voltage systems (<480 V) can be easily achieved by using silicon IGBT technology. Newer semiconductor device based on SiC that can handle much higher voltage and higher switching frequency were only becoming available in the last decade. SiC power switches have been demonstrated with a blocking voltage from 10 kV to 24 kV. In addition to these gigantic improvements in voltage ratings, the switching speed of these devices is also significantly faster than Si IGBT. Utilizing the advanced SiC power electronic technology, medium voltage power electronics solution can now be developed to transform the legacy power grid to a smart and resilient grid that is not only efficient but also capable of integrating new energy resources and new types of loads. This talk will discuss the concept of the SiC based solid-state transformer (SST) and its applications.

Bio: Dr. Alex Huang is the Dula D. Cockrell Centennial Chair in Engineering at University of Texas at Austin. Dr. Huang received the bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from Zhejiang University, China in 1983 and his M.S. degree from University of Electronic Science and Technology of China in 1986. He received his Ph.D. in electrical engineering from University of Cambridge, UK in 1992.  Prior to joining UT Austin, Dr. Huang has been a faculty member at Virginia Tech (1994-2004) and NC State University (2004-2017). At NC State, Dr. Huang has established a number of internationally renowned public-private partnerships such as the NSF FREEDM ERC in 2008, NCSU's Advanced Transportation Energy Center (ATEC) in 2008 and the DOE PowerAmerica Institute in 2014.  Dr. Huang is a world-renowned expert of power semiconductor devices and power electronics. He has published more than 500 papers in journals and conferences, and is the inventor of more than 20 US patents. He has mentored and graduated more than 80 Ph.D. students and master students. Dr. Huang is an IEEE fellow and a fellow of National Academy of Inventors. He is also the recipient of IEEE IAS Gerald Kliman Innovator Award.

Title: Protection of High-Voltage DC Transmission Systems

Abstract: High Voltage DC (HVDC) transmission is a long-standing technology with many installations around the world. Over the past few years, significant breakthroughs in the voltage-sourced converter technology along with their attractive features have made the HVDC technology even more promising in providing enhanced reliability and functionality and reducing cost and power losses. Concomitantly, significant changes in generation, transmission, and loads such as (i) integration and tapping renewable energy generation in remote areas, (ii) need for relocation or bypassing older conventional and/or nuclear power plants, (iii) increasing transmission capacity, and (iv) urbanization and the need to feed the large cities have emerged. These new trends have called for Multi-Terminal DC (MTDC) systems, which when embedded inside the AC grid, can enhance stability, reliability, and efficiency of the present power grid. The strategic importance of MVDC and HVDC grids is evidenced by the number of worldwide projects currently in their advanced planning stage, e.g., European “Supergrids” and the Baltic Sea project along with several projects in China. Amid the optimism surrounding the benefits of MTDC grids, their protection against DC-side faults remains one of their major technical challenges. Proper protection of DC grids calls for reliable, fast, and efficient DC circuit breakers (CBs). This presentation, first, focuses on the technical challenges associated with such CBs and their integration into the MTDC grids. Then, design and development of a new class of hybrid solid-state CBs, which compared to the state-of-the-art technology, substantially reduces steady-state losses as well as overvoltage and overcurrent stresses and allows a much faster switching time, is presented.

Bio: Maryam Saeedifard received the Ph.D. degree in electrical engineering from the University of Toronto, in 2008. Since January 2014, she has been with the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Georgia Institute of Technology, where she is currently as associate professor. Prior to joining Georgia Tech, she was an assistant professor at Purdue University (2010-2013) and a research scientist with the Power Electronic Systems Group, ABB Corporate Research Center, Switzerland (2007-2009). She is the recipient of the J. David Irwin Early Career Award of the IEEE Industrial Electronic Society in 2018, Richard M. Bass Award Outstanding Young Power Electronic Engineer Award of the IEEE Power Electronic Society in 2010, and Excellence in Research from of the Office of Vice President for Research of Purdue University in 2011 and 2012. Her research interests include power electronics and its applications in power systems and vehicular electrification.

Title: Grid-Forming Photovoltaic Inverter: Opportunities and Challenges

Abstract: This talk will provide a brief overview of the opportunities and challenges in grid-forming PV inverter research, development and demonstration from the perspective of DOE Solar Energy Technologies Office. The talk will describe the research work that has been funded by our Systems Integration sub-program and set the context for future research in this area.

Bio: Dr. Hariharan Krishnaswami is currently working as a Technology Manager with the Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO), US Department of Energy under contract from ManTech International. Dr. Krishnaswami joined the Solar Office in January 2018 as an ORISE Science and Technology Policy Senior Fellow and in November 2018 transitioned to the role of Technology Manager. Hariharan is passionate about developing power electronics technology that will increase the share of renewable energy in electricity generation. Hariharan is assisting the SETO systems integration team in solar photovoltaic inverter research to ensure reliable and efficient integration of solar electricity into the power grid. Prior to his role in the Energy Department, Hariharan served as associate professor with the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Texas at San Antonio. There, he led research focused on systems integration challenges associated with high penetration levels of solar on the grid. He has managed, as principal investigator, projects funded by the Department of Energy, the Department of Defense, and local electric utility company in the areas of power electronics for solar, real-time simulation, and solar forecasting respectively. Hariharan earned his Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota in electrical engineering in 2009, and his master’s degree from the Indian Institute of Science in 2002. He has authored several papers in power electronic converters and control and has over 15 years of experience in the power electronics field.

Title:  The Advanced Grid Innovation Lab for Energy - A collaborative program of the New York Power Authority

Abstract: The Advanced Grid Innovation Laboratory for Energy (AGILe) is a world-class power systems laboratory, with a simulation and testing facility, established in 2017 by the New York Power Authority (NYPA), the largest state electric utility in the nation. AGILe is able to provide electric utilities, governments, universities, high-tech businesses and others, from around the world, with a wide range of research and development tools. This work can help strengthen infrastructure, fast-track commercialization of new technologies and expand renewable energy integration. AGILe is expected to accelerate improvements to New York’s energy infrastructure, facilitate integration of clean energy resources, such as large-scale offshore wind projects, and lead to a more reliable and efficient electric grid.

Bio: George Stefopoulos is the Director of the Advanced Grid Innovation Laboratory for Energy (AGILe) at the New York Power Authority. He has been with the New York Power Authority since 2009, working as a Research and Development Engineer for 6 years and then as the Smart Grid Solution Architect leading the implementation of NYPA’s Smart Generation and Transmission strategic initiative. He is a senior member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and an associate member of the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET). George received his Diploma in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the National Technical University of Athens, Greece and his Master’s and Ph.D. degrees from Georgia Institute of Technology. He also holds an MBA degree in Executive Management from Pace University in New York.

Title: Power Engineering Education in the Age of Climate Crisis – A Holistic View

Abstract: Climate change is the gravest threat facing humanity. Power engineering and its education have an important role to at least delay, if not avert, the catastrophes ahead. However, as reported by ASEE, in the EE part of ECE, student enrollments are declining nationwide just when we need them the most. Most young people are now very much aware of climate change and its consequences, and thus it is a great opportunity to create a pipeline of young students to recruit them into power engineering to pursue their undergraduate and graduate studies. This would require a holistic view where we integrate power systems that is needed for the delivery of power, power electronics that is ubiquitous and is used in all aspect of energy generation, transmission and end-use, and electric machines that are the primary users of electricity specially if we are to transfer as much of energy use to electricity and generate that by renewables. This presentation will present one view of doing such integration mentioned above and how can it be done in a collaborative manner using the educational technologies on hand.

Bio: Ned Mohan (LF-IEEE) joined the University of Minnesota in 1975, where he is Oscar A. Schott Professor of Power Electronic Systems and Morse-Alumni Distinguished Professor. He received his Bachelor’s degree from the Indian Institute of Technology-Kharagpur in 1967. His PhD in Electrical Engineering and Master’s in Nuclear Engineering are from UW-Madison. He has written 5 textbooks; all together, they have been translated into nine languages.  He has graduated 46 PhDs. His area of research is in power electronics applied to power systems and he holds several patents. Ned Mohan received the H.T. Morse Distinguished Teaching Award for undergraduate education from the University of Minnesota in 2007. He has received 2008 IEEE-PES Outstanding Educator Award, 2010 IEEE Undergraduate Teaching Award, 2010 UWIG Achievement Award from Utility Wind Integration Group, 2011 Distinguished Alumnus Award from IIT-Kharagpur (India), and 2012 IEEE Power & Energy Society Ramakumar Family Renewable Energy Excellence Award.  In 2013, he received the Innovative Program Award from the ECE Department Heads Association made up of over 250 U.S. universities. In 2014, he received the Distinguished Graduate Teaching Award from the University of Minnesota and the IEEE Nari Hingorani FACTS Award from the IEEE Power & Energy Society. He is a Fellow of the IEEE, a Regents Professor and a member of the National Academy of Engineering.

Title: Power Electronics in Transportation Electrification

Abstract: This keynote presentation provides an overview of the current status and future trends in the transportation industry. It begins with the history of the automotive industry and explains the need for a paradigm shift toward a sustainable solution. The presentation is focused on the transportation electrification and how the paradigm shift began with more electric vehicles (MEVs), established by hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), is gaining momentum by plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), and will be completed by electric vehicles (EVs). The motivation for the research, development, and commercialization of EVs, HEVs, and PHEVs will be explained and the enabling role of power electronics will be highlighted. Powertrain configurations and powertrain components will also be presented. Throughout the presentation, related component-level as well as system-level challenges are explained and possible solutions are recommended. Unprecedented opportunities in the areas of power electronics and electric drives will be highlighted.

Title: Microgrid Testbeds at Different Scales for Research and Education

Abstract: This talk will discuss the challenges of education and workforce development faced by the paradigm shift of power systems from electric machines-based to power electronics-based: the shortage of highly-skilled workforce, in particular, those equipped with broad ranges of expertise and hands-on skills in advanced controls, power electronics, and power systems. This requires universities worldwide to revise the power engineering curriculum and increase the amount of hands-on sessions with the shortest learning curve and the highest learning efficiency. We will share our experiences in building microgrid testbeds at different scales for both research and education. The underlying advanced power electronics control technologies adopted in these microgrids will be briefly discussed as well.

Bio: Beibei Ren is an Associate Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering and a faculty affiliate of National Wind Institute at Texas Tech University. Her research focuses on control, microgrids, and power electronics. She received a TechConnect National Innovation Award for a microgrid control technology. She serves as Associate Editor for IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics, IEEE Access, and Engineering Applications of Artificial Intelligence.

Title: Resilient Architectures and Algorithms  for Generation Control of Inertialess AC Microgrids

Abstract:  This talk discusses the problem of frequency regulation in islanded ac microgrids with no inertia, i.e., those consisting entirely of generators interfaced through power electronics. The control architecture we propose to achieve this is designed to drive the average frequency error to zero while ensuring that the frequency at every bus is equal and that the operating point that results is stable. We also introduce a distributed implementation of the proposed control architecture that relies on a combination of several distributed algorithms.  Collectively, these algorithms eliminate the need for a centralized entity with complete knowledge of the network, its topology, or the capabilities or properties of the generators and loads therein. Moreover, the distributed implementation we propose relies on minimal measurements, requiring only that the power injection at each bus be measured. Additionally, by eliminating the need for a centralized processor and a communication network connecting it to each generator, these distributed approaches can achieve higher system-level reliability, adaptability, and resilience.

Title: Nonlinear Decentralized Control for Future Grids

Abstract: In this talk, we will outline fundamental advances that link nonlinear control, circuits, and power systems. The aim is to show how nonlinear oscillator circuits can be used to realize digital controllers for grid-connected inverters. Experimental and analytical results reveal that these oscillators exhibit properties which enable decentralized control of highly distributed and complex inverter-based grids. Taken together, these features enable scalable, resilient, and robust power-electronics-based systems that align with future settings.

Bio: Brian Johnson obtained the M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, in 2010 and 2013, respectively. He is an Assistant Professor within the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Washington. Prior to joining the faculty at the University of Washington in 2018, he was an Electrical Engineer with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, CO. He was awarded a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship in 2010, and currently serves as an Associate Editor for the IEEE Transactions on Energy Conversion. His research interests are in renewable energy systems, power electronics, and control systems.

Title: Multi-Scale Control of Power Electronics for Power Systems

Abstract: Power-electronics control and modeling have gone through fundamental shift in its approach with time slowly but surely replacing conventional reduced-order-manifold-based. With the advent and technological advancements of embedded processors, PMICs, VLSI, and scientific advancements in multi-objective optimization, stability theory, hybrid systems, and communication and information theory, radically new multi-scale spatio-temporal approaches are being developed and implemented that are showing unprecedented promise for societal use across plurality of applications and energy sustainability, and changing the mindset regarding the control and modeling of such hybrid dynamical switching-power systems. At the actuation level, the advent of rapid switching wide-bandgap devices is enabling the accelerated penetration of such next-generation controls across plurality of voltage and power levels encompassing radically improved, new, and complex power-electronic-based systems and networks. This invited talk will provide some insights as to how and what radically new ideas may need to be synthesized that reach far beyond historical and conventional power-electronic control needs with applications including but not limited to sustainable-energy systems and energy sustainability.

Bio: Sudip K. Mazumder received his Ph.D. degree from Virginia Tech in 2001. He is a Professor and the Director of Laboratory for Energy and Switching-Electronics Systems in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Illinois at Chicago. He also serves as the President of the small business NextWatt LLC. He has over 25 years of professional experience and has held R&D and design positions in leading industrial organizations and has served as a Technical Consultant for several industries. His current areas of interests are switching-sequence and switching-transition based control of power-electronics systems; and wide-bandgap power electronics and power semiconductor devices for renewable energy, micro/smart grids, and electric vehicles among other applications. His research has attracted over 50 sponsored-research projects from leading federal agencies and industries and yielded over 220 peer-reviewed publications, 11 patents, 10 book chapters and 1 book, and 100 invited/plenary/keynote lectures and presentations. He has guided/guiding 13 post-doctoral researchers and 17 Ph.D. and 11 M.S. students. He is the recipient of University of Illinois at Chicago’s Inventor of the Year Award (2014), University of Illinois’ University Scholar Award – university’s highest award (2013), IEEE International Future Energy Challenge Award (2005), ONR Young Investigator Award (2005), NSF CAREER Award (2003), and IEEE PELS Transaction Prize Paper Award (2002). He is an IEEE Fellow and a Distinguished Lecturer for IEEE PELS. He is the Editor-at-Large for IEEE Transactions on Power Electronics. He serves as the Chair for IEEE PELS Technical Committee on Sustainable Energy Systems. He is the Chair for IEEE PEDG’21, the TPC Chair for IEEE DEAS’19, and the Tutorial Chair for ECCE’19. He is an AdCom Member for IEEE Power Electronics Society.

Title: High Frequency Power Electronics at the Grid Edge: Opportunities and Challenges

Abstract: A future electric grid with 100% renewable energy will be supported by billions of power electronics devices located at the grid edge. Medium-voltage solid-state-transformers with high frequency power conversion may serve as the energy router of the future grid. Hybrid multi-input-multi-output (MIMO) power conversion and energy storage systems can provide the needed “active” inertia for a future grid with very low “passive” inertia. The recent advance in wide bandgap (WBG) semiconductor devices and power magnetics opens opportunities to greatly increase the switching frequency of power electronics to reduce the size, enhance the control, and reduce the cost of power conversion systems. This talk will provide an overview of the recent development of high frequency grid-interface power electronics, and highlight a few opportunities and challenges which are associated with power electronics at the grid edge. Novel circuit topologies, system architectures, as well as control techniques will be discussed to foster holistic innovations at the interdisciplinary area of power electronics and power systems.

Bio: Minjie Chen is an Assistant Professor of Electrical Engineering and Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment at Princeton University, and the director of the Princeton Power Electronics Research Lab. He received his Ph.D degree from MIT in 2015, and his B.S degree from Tsinghua University in 2009, both in electrical engineering. His research interests include high frequency power electronics, advanced power electronics architectures, power magnetics, and the design of high-performance power electronics for emerging and important applications. He is a recipient of the NSF CAREER Award, two IEEE Transactions Prize Paper Awards, an outstanding Ph.D. thesis award from MIT, and many other awards from the IEEE Power Electronics Society. He has published over 30 papers in journals and conferences and holds 4 issued patents. He is an Associate Editor of the IEEE Transactions on Power Electronics and IEEE Journal of Emerging and Selected Topics in Power Electronics.

Title: Impedance-Based Evaluation of Stability Impacts of Inverter-Based Resources

Abstract: Fast controls and low overloading capacity of inverter-based resources (IBR) make them very different from conventional synchronous generation having slow controls and high overloading capacity. This mismatch has resulted in dynamic stability problems in modern power systems with high penetration of IBR such as control interactions, resonance, low inertia and frequency response adequacy, etc. It is difficult to predict and solve these problems because of the lack of accurate models of IBR using wide variety of controls from different manufacturers implementing both grid-following and grid-forming functionalities. This talk will present impedance-based methods for addressing these problems by characterizing IBR from their terminals and treating them as black-box. The talk will present major research and development efforts at NREL focusing on understanding the behavior and impact of IBR on stability using impedance measurements.

Bio: Dr. Shahil Shah is a Researcher in the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. His research focuses on dynamic stability of power systems with high penetration of renewable generation. His current research focus is impedance-based modeling and evaluation of control interactions, real-time non-invasive tools for power system health monitoring, and frequency-domain characterization of wind turbines and inverters using power-hardware-in-the-loop experiments.