Stability and Stabilization of Large-scale Modern Power Systems via the Passivity Theory of Port-Hamiltonian Systems

Illinois Institute Of Technology, Chicago IL

Investigators

Abstract

Sustainability has become a pressing global challenge. A major means to address this is to utilize renewable energy at a large scale. However, this changes the nature of power systems and imposes unprecedented challenges to the stable operation of a power system, which is arguably the most important infrastructure underpinning social life and economic growth. Following the PI's work on the large-scale utilization of renewable energy, in particular on the synchronized and democratized (SYNDEM) grid architecture and the associated enabling technologies that unifies the interaction of modern power systems, this project aims to solidify its theoretical foundation by developing fundamental systems theory and control algorithms. This will speed up the large-scale utilization of renewable energy, improve the stability, reliability, resiliency of modern power systems, promote energy independence and sustainability, bring job opportunities and economic growth, and eventually lead to a low-carbon economy. This project seamlessly integrates profound multidisciplinary thinking in systems theory, power electronics, and power systems. The port-Hamiltonian systems theory, which combines the historical Hamiltonian modeling approach in geometric mechanics and the port-based network modeling approach in electrical engineering, offers a systematic and scalable mathematical framework for structural modeling, analysis and control of complex networked nonlinear multi-physics systems. This powerful mathematical tool will be further developed to passivate a large-scale, interconnected, geographically distributed, heterogeneous networked power system with millions of power electronic converters and rigorously prove its stability, leading to a uniform mathematical structure for passivated and homogenized modern power systems. The theoretical framework developed will be validated numerically and experimentally. The results will also shed lights on the understanding of other large-scale networked systems. Research results will be disseminated timely worldwide through various channels, including the LinkedIn Group on Virtual Synchronous Machines and Power Electronics-enabled Autonomous Power Systems. Undergraduates and postgraduates from underrepresented groups will be encouraged to take part in the project. The project results will also be included in graduate courses and training programs. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.