EPNES: Integrating Electrical, Economic, and Environmental Factors into Flexible Power System Engineering

University Of Illinois At Urbana-Champaign, Urbana IL

Investigators

Abstract

This grant is investigating alternatives for a new framework for flexible power system analysis and design. The framework will be based on the need for power engineers that must be concerned with complex decision-making involving economic and environmental trade-offs in addition to added complications introduced by incorporation of new energy sources and increased reliability demands. This framework will be built from formal methods for flexible power systems. Power electronics provide the versatility necessary to physically implement flexible systems. This research will address use of localized power electronics control techniques for generation and load, resulting in a large, complicated switching network. Such networks have not been adequately studied. Therefore, analytical tools, including reduced-order and parallel methods, for large-scale switched systems will be developed. An economic analysis will be given in context of flexible power systems. These studies will help system planners make informed decisions about the trade-offs between electrical, environmental, and economic issues. However, making such difficult decisions is often done only qualitatively. This project will result in more scientific decision-making techniques for these complicated issues. Students will be better educated as a result of this project by new coursework in large system analysis and team energy projects.