Continuous-time Cyber-Physical Control, Health Assessment and Resilient Response for Microgrids
Abstract
Microgrids provide a solution for enhancing the reliability and resilience of the power grids, ensuring that critical operations can be sustained during prolonged utility power outages. Microgrid operators, however, do not have the luxury of large staffs, and are dependent upon advanced diagnostics and automation to successfully operate with fewer staff. While moving toward a more autonomous operation addresses this need, the Achilles Heel of these designs is in the identification and mitigation of any cyber-physical degrading effects. In addition, microgrid controllers need to act incredibly fast in order to seamlessly restore power to the facility after the power outage, specifically when involving high-dynamic loads and renewable energy sources (RES). The current microgrid controllers, however, integrate discrete-time controllers that do not appropriately account for the fast dynamics and variations of load and RES. This project proposes to develop novel technologies for continuous-time cyber physical control, health assessment and resilient response for microgrids. The proposed technologies would significantly enhance the cyber-physical resilience of microgrids, by developing the next generation of continuous-time microgrid controllers with built-in cyber-physical resilience solutions. The technologies will be developed in four research Thrusts: 1) Continuous-time multitime- scale microgrid controller that would co-optimize the microgrid operation in both faster timescale of dynamic frequency control and the slower time scale of scheduling decisions; 2) Automated health assessment system that will fuse both physical and cyber information in order to detect any cyber attack in microgrid networks using novel automaton-based and conservationbased algorithms; 3) Automated response and recovery control system that seamlessly responds to the detected attacks/failures and brings back the microgrid to its normal operation; 4) Developing a cyber-physical microgrid testbed to implement, test and validate the technologies. In addition to technology development, this project will execute a comprehensive plan for technology maturation, technology adoption by defense/commercial sector, and workforce/ professional development, which is carefully designed to advance the ONR’s DURA initiative. The technology maturation process will include organizing Lean Canvas Cohort for market analysis and business strategy development by the Technology and Venture Commercialization office at the University of Utah. The Utah Science, Technology and Research Initiative (USTAR) will also support and guide the technology commercialization activities by the project team, through providing business incubators and multiple grant programs aimed at technology maturation and commercialization. This project involves three major partners, Utah Governor’s Office of Energy Development, Utah Department of Veterans and Military Affairs, and Western Electricity Coordinating Council, who will work with the project team in order to promote the adoption of the technologies in the defense and commercial sectors. The project team will launch and host two Western Power Grid Resilience Conference in the second and third years of the project to highlight the latest development on microgrid and grid resilience research, as well as technology deployment. This project will execute multiple activities for workforce and professional development, which include hands-on microgrid training, Entrepreneurship training, Professional Development and Career Preparation, and organizing a Power and Energy Career Expo. This project will also specifically target to engage the reserve Navy officers of the University of Utah NROTC in the activities. We anticipate that the technologies and partnerships developed through this project would lead in many new microgrid and energy resilience projects, creating new jobs in the local and regional energy industry.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Jul 10, 2018
- Source ID
- N000141812395
Entities
People
- Masood Parvania
Organizations
- Office of Naval Research
- United States Navy
- University of Utah