Transient DC Support and Reconfiguration System for UT-CEM Micogrid
Abstract
The Office of Naval Research (ONR) recently evaluated a range of electric power system architectures for future naval ships including medium voltage ac (MVAC), higher frequency ac (HFAC), and medium voltage dc (MVDC) systems. DC power systems are appealing in microgrids as many of the loads and sources are inherently dc, so a dc grid provides the promise on more efficient operation. As part of the ONR-funded Electric Ship Research and Development Consortium, the University of Texas Center for Electromechanics (UT-CEM) has assembled a flexible, megawatt-scale microgrid that can be configured to represent any of the three power distribution architectures and validate power system simulation models, assess dc system stability, and conduct a range of relevant experiments. UT-CEM recently completed a study under the Swampworks program to model and test a series of load and source transfer scenarios in a MVDC architecture with representative loads. The experiments successfully validated UT-CEM’s high-fidelity models and validated UT-CEM’s experimental setup and distributed control network. The next step is to complete UT-CEM’s ring bus architecture feeding zonal loads, investigate centralized or distributed energy storage, and evaluate a variety of fault protection and reconfiguration scenarios. UT proposes to purchase one MVDC breaker, 8 high power contactors, 8 line reactors, and a total of one hundred MVDC capacitors to support ongoing research of protection and reconfiguration in dc power systems. A key question that will be answered with experiments using this new capability is the interrelationship between system protection and reconfiguration in future dc power systems. This equipment is manufactured respectively by GE, Condenser Products, and will be installed in the UT-CEM Microgrid Laboratory at The University of Texas in Austin, Texas.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Aug 12, 2016
- Source ID
- N000141512923
Entities
People
- John D. Herbst
Organizations
- Office of Naval Research
- United States Navy
- University of Texas at Austin