Integration of Intermittent Renewable Energy Into Electric Power Grids Through Control And Protection (RPA Pilot/ Seed Project)

There are increasing funding opportunities for research aimed to increase integration of renewable energies (e.g., solar/wind power generation) into power grids, improve energy efficiency, resiliency, and security, and reduce greenhouse emissions. The key barrier to using renewable energies is to design effective operation, control and protection schemes to deal with the intermittency, distributed nature, and lower short circuit current of inverter-based renewable energies. This seed project will perform preliminary experimental studies to generate critical test data, demonstrate and verify initial algorithm designs, and write papers and proposals based on the results. Specifically, this project has the following objectives: First, we will set up a hardware in the loop (HIL) test bed by leveraging the existing equipment in our laboratory, which consists of a real time digital simulator (RTDS), power inverter, and an EGSTON power amplifier. Second, we will develop an optimal smart inverter control algorithm and demonstrate and verify the method using the HIL test bed. Third, we will generate experimental data for fault detection and malicious attacks on the smart distribution system using the testbed, develop an AI based algorithm, and perform initial verification studies.