Poster winners from the EPRC 61st Annual Meeting
Author: Zach Clemens
The Electric Power Research Center held their 61st Annual Meeting that focused on Grid Resource Adequacy and Resilience.
Christopher L. Peralta and Hugo N. Villegas Pico with the project title of: “A Single-End Time-Domain Broken Conductor Protection for AC Transmission Lines.”
What is the overview of your project?
The poster engineers a new protection element that is capable of detecting whether a conductor in a transmission line has broken to timely disconnect it. This contribution is significant to prevent igniting a wildfire that can happen when the broken conductor falls onto dry vegetation. It is also critical to mitigate the potential impacts of line-to-ground faults on wind and solar power plants which can disconnect during such severe short-circuits. This poster is based upon work funded by the Iowa Economic Development Authority under the Iowa Energy Center Grant No. 24-IEC-005.
What did you gain from this experience?
The knowledge to develop advanced protection schemes to protect power grids dominated by renewable energy, such as wind and solar.
What does it mean to be a Cyclone Engineer?
I am proud to be a Cyclone Engineer because I am part of a prestigious power system group where several contributions in the power system field have come from.
Muhammad Sarwar and Venkataramana Ajjarapu with the project title of: “Short-term Voltage Stability Improvement in Power System through Grid-forming Hybrid PV Plants.”
What is the overview of your project?
The poster titled “Short-term Voltage Stability Improvement in Power System through Grid-forming Hybrid PV Plants” presented at the 61st Electric Power Research Center (EPRC) annual meeting outlines a comprehensive project aimed at enhancing voltage stability within power systems, particularly through the integration of Distributed Energy Resources (DERs) and grid-forming hybrid photovoltaic (PV) plants. The primary objective was to develop and validate data-driven control strategies that could mitigate voltage instability issues often exacerbated by high inverter penetration in modern power systems. The project involved the design of novel grid-forming converter controls to ensure these systems provide necessary reactive power (Q-support) during low voltage situations that arise due to stalling of the legacy single-phase air-conditioning units. The proposed methodology opens the area of data-driven techniques that are adaptable and scalable for high inverter-penetrated power systems.
What did you gain from this experience?
Participating in this project gave me a profound understanding of the challenges and innovations in voltage stability within power systems. I gained hands-on experience in applying data-driven control techniques like deep reinforcement learning to optimize the control actions of the inverter-based resources, which are crucial for the real-time management of power systems. The opportunity to work with advanced simulation environments enhanced my practical skills in implementing and testing complex control strategies in an environment that closely mimics actual grid conditions.
What it means to be a Cyclone Engineer?
To me, being a Cyclone Engineer means embracing challenges and pushing the boundaries of technology to address real-world problems. It involves a commitment to excellence, innovation, and a relentless pursuit of knowledge. This project epitomizes the Cyclone Engineer spirit by contributing to the development of sustainable and robust power systems, essential for the future of energy systems. This project not only contributed to academic and practical advancements in power systems engineering but also exemplified the values of collaboration, innovation, and dedication that define a Cyclone Engineer.
Aditya Shankar Kar with Professor Venkataramana Ajjarapu with the project title of: “Data-Analytics based DER Coordination to Assist Transmission Side Emergencies.”
What is the overview of your project?
A Data-analytics-based DER coordination approach is proposed to identify robust aggregated flexibility of the DERs in the distribution system. The aggregated reactive power capability can enable effective reactive power management during contingencies. The reactive power available from aggregated DERs, would provide another tool to manage peak load power factor under a threshold so that utility operators do not get charged for MVAR/power factor penalty by the transmission owner. The aggregated reactive power capability can be an alternative source of reactive power reserves for maintaining VSM.
What did you gain from this experience?
As we move forward with the net zero emission goal, DERs will further increase in the distribution system. The project provides insight and a tool for reactive power requirement and management with high DER penetration scenarios.
What does it mean to be a Cyclone Engineer?
Being a Cyclone Engineer provides me with new learning opportunities and challenges. As a graduate student and research assistant at Iowa State University, we get good exposure and insight into the needs of the industry. I am proud to be a part of a prestigious power group at Iowa State.