CAREER: A Multiphysics Framework for Modeling, Analysis, and Experimentation of Power Systems and Power Electronics

University Of Washington, Seattle WA

Investigators

Abstract

Today, power systems are conceptualized as a convoluted tangle of passive components, power electronics, rotating machinery, and control loops at various scales. Each subsystem is typically studied in a myopic manner with specifically tailored methods. In this proposal, we show how closed-loop multiphysics energy systems can be unified under a circuit theoretic framework and prototyped effectively with power electronics emulation. Since power electronics and their closed-loop control action can be modeled as equivalent circuits, models are obtained that effectively bridge the power electronics and power systems divide, from the converter-level (Watts) to the system-level (Megawatts). Research themes are uniquely poised at the confluence of circuits, control, and power such that project outcomes will address fundamental challenges in the design of sustainably-powered future systems. The proposed techniques naturally yield a variety of learning opportunities where complex systems and their controls can be straightforwardly depicted and their actual behavior becomes obvious once seen as a circuit. Accordingly, this framework codifies numerous topics within electrical engineering so that students can seamlessly apply concepts across their educational experience. The project will develop modeling and experimentation frameworks that allow for the study of energy dynamics in modern systems. The underlying approach is based on first showing that well-known circuit laws are naturally embedded in control feedback paths for power electronics. This allows for a direct translation of controller dynamical behavior into equivalent circuit representations for converters; extensions are further made for heterogeneous systems containing power electronics, sensors, and machinery. What emerges is a comprehensive framework for closed-loop power systems and electronics modeling where energy acts as the fundamental link between subsystem models. Research thrusts focus on: developing equivalent circuit models for multiphysics systems with closed-loop cyber controls; formulating circuit models for complex power systems with massive utilization of electronics and their accompanying fast controls; and outlining a suite of experimental methodologies for emulation of multiphysics power systems and electromechanics. 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.