SEcure Control for REnewable DERs in power Grid (SECURED-GRID)
Abstract
Electric energy is a major enabler of the nationÕs economy: about one-third of the energy consumed in the US industrial, commercial, and residential sectors is electrical energy. This has made the power grid an attractive target for cyberattacks. The recent and past cyber-attacks on the Ukrainian grid exemplify modern warfare tactics1. Such cases are a wake-up call to US military forces that installations in the US could be neutralized without a shot being fired. The overarching objective of this project is to create and demonstrate the SECURED-GRID framework (Figure 1). SECURED-GRID is a scalable, distributed, and cost-effective technology to enable secure and resilient communication to control and monitor distributed energy resources (DER), including grid-forming (GFM) inverters, within the power system and/or microgrids. We discuss microgrids because they can provide electric power where or when the terrestrial power grid is not available nor reliable, thereby increasing the resiliency, security (both cybersecurity and physical security). Civilian bases, command centers, and other high-priority establishments would benefit significantly from microgrids. For example, the US Army is committed to microgrids on every installation by 20352, and other services are following a similar path3,4. Furthermore, Army microgrids will need to be designed to control wider variations in loading and power availability due to the requirements for all-electric non-tactical vehicles by 2027 and renewable energy sources by 2030. SECURED-GRID shall make foundational contributions in three areas: ¥ Designing cybersecure distributed control algorithms for the microgrid; ¥ Creating a cyberattack detection and mitigation strategy for DERs; and ¥ Designing secure 5G communication slices for power grid needs. Fig. 1. SECURED-GRID architecture: Distributed energy resources cyberattack detection and mitigation employing a secure 5G slice designed for the power system needs.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- May 13, 2023
- Source ID
- W911NF2310211
Entities
People
- Ali Mehrizi-sani
Organizations
- Army Contracting Command
- United States Army
- Virginia Tech