CAREER: Real Time Digital Simulation Methodology for Next-Generation Distributed Energy Systems

University Of Washington, Seattle WA

Investigators

Abstract

The Gas Research Institute predicts that by the year 2030 distributed generation, including fuel cells, wind energy converters and micro turbines, will capture about 30 % of the energy market. This will result in a transformation from a centralized toward a distributed energy system infrastructure. It is expected that the proposed research on real time simulation methodology will be of significant value for the demonstration of the feasibility of this transformation and for key tasks such as research, design, analysis, testing of equipment, and protection of the next-generation energy systems. The combination of efficient formulation of parallel and sequential equation solving, automatic generation and adaptation of numerical methods for the diverse characteristics of distributed energy systems, exact tracking of power electronic switching, and modular modeling of energy systems will constitute the core of the proposed simulation methodology. The critical problems of today's electromagnetic transients simulators concerning the simulation of diverse waveforms and discontinuities will be solved and dramatic improvements of computational accuracy and speed are expected. The research results will be integrated in a novel course. To achieve effective teaching and learning, the proposer will start new initiatives: support of underrepresented minority students, international experience of students, innovative interdisciplinary bridging of curricula and communities, industry-guided course delivery, and modular research activity decomposition for active undergraduate involvement. The proposer expects to reignite student interest in the fascinating field of energy systems and make student motivation a decisive factor for the success of this project.