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At least 451 records · Page 25

All sources NASA NTRS DOE OSTI

DOE OSTI2025

Phase-stabilized 2D/3D hetero-bilayers via lattice matching for efficient and stable inverted solar cells

2D-on-3D (2D/3D) perovskite heterostructures with engineered energy landscapes offer the potential to realize efficient and stable inverted solar cells. However, managing the energy landscape using 2D perovskites with thicker inorganic layers n > 1 necessitates the usage of the chemically unstable methylammonium MA + . Here, we synthesized formamidinium (FA)-rich and pure-FA n = 3 Ruddlesden-Popper (RPP) and Dion-Jacobson perovskite (DJP) single crystals by identifying ligands with suitably lattice-matched organic and inorganic components of the 2D lattice. These crystals were translated onto 3D perovskites as capping layers, forming 2D/3D hetero-bilayers (HBs). Degradation studies revealed that HBs with butylammonium-based RPPs as capping layers rapidly phase segregate into non-perovskites under combined extrinsic stressors, compromising the underlying 3D layer, whereas FA-rich DJPs based on 3-aminomethylpiperidine retain their phase stability. The DJP HBs also possess a favorable energy landscape and electron transport at the 2D/3D interface, enabling inverted solar cells with a champion PCE of 25.33% and remarkable stability.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗

DOE OSTI2025

Improving photovoltaic hosting capacity of distribution networks with coordinated inverter control: A case study of the EPRI J1 feeder

Abstract Adding photovoltaic (PV) systems in distribution networks, while desirable for reducing the carbon footprint, can lead to voltage violations under high solar‐low load conditions. The inability of traditional volt‐VAr control in eliminating all the violations is also well‐known. This article presents a novel coordinated inverter control methodology that leverages system‐wide situational awareness to significantly improve hosting capacity (HC). The methodology employs a real‐time voltage‐reactive power (VQ) sensitivity matrix in an iterative linear optimizer to calculate the minimum reactive power intervention from PV inverters needed for mitigating over‐voltage without resorting to active power curtailing or requiring step voltage regulator setting changes. The algorithm is validated using the EPRI J1 feeder under an extensive set of realistic use cases and is shown to provide 3x improvement in HC under all scenarios.

Dalal, Dhaval [School of Electrical, Computer, and↗

DOE OSTI2024

Photovoltaic inverter-based quantification of snow conditions and power loss

Snow is a significant challenge for photovoltaic (PV) systems at northern latitudes, where the pace of deployment is rapid but snow-related power losses can exceed 30% of annual production. Accurate snow-related power loss estimation methods for utility-scale sites can support snow mitigation strategies, inform resource planning and validate predictive snow-loss models. This study builds on our previous work on inverter-based detection of snow, and its implications for utility-scale power production, by validating the accuracy of our snow-loss method across different PV sites and system designs and highlighting its value in bringing greater visibility to PV plant operations in winter. Our estimation method is both novel and scalable, requiring only standard monitoring data to correlate snow-related losses with meteorological data. As demonstrated here, our validation method involved three main steps: 1) estimation of performance losses for multiple systems by comparing measured inverter data to modeled data; 2) application of a detection framework to identify which performance losses are snow-related; and 3) comparison of snow-related losses among three utility-scale sites differing in tilt angle. Results show that utility-scale systems at higher tilt angles consistently shed snow more quickly/completely than their lower-tilt counterparts. Further, monthly and seasonal snow losses are inversely and non-linearly correlated with tilt angle when normalized for cumulative snowfall. These results are consistent with the findings of previous studies and support the broad applicability of this method to fixed-tilt utility-scale PV systems around the world that routinely experience snow-related performance losses.

Cooper, Emma C. (ORCID:0000000190554098)↗

DOE OSTI2022

Digital Twin of an ANPC inverter with integrated Design-For-Trust

Reducing costs and increasing manufacturing output while creating reliable products are three essential components needed to keep a business competitive. In the past, having an asset that could address these three challenges at the same time would be challenging. However, recent advances in computer processing capabilities coupled with increases to network speeds allowed such a system to become possible; and this is known as a Digital Twin (DT), which represents a virtual copy of a production system or a product. Here, this work exhibits a DT application of an Active Neutral Point Clamped (ANPC) inverter using a controller. The controller emulates the ANPC responses of a new Digital Signal Processing (DSP) firmware and validates this new firmware by using Design-For-Trust (DFTr) characteristics. If the new firmware is malicious, then it should be rejected, thus adding preemptive protection measures for inverter based distributed energy resources.

cybersecurity↗

DOE OSTI2020

Region-Based Stability Analysis of Resilient Distribution Systems with Hybrid Grid-Forming and Grid-Following Inverters

In this paper, distribution system stability considering mixed grid-forming (GFM) and grid-following (GFL) inverters is discussed. A holistic small-signal model of the distribution feeder accommodating both GFM and GFL inverters is derived. In contrast to conventional point-by-point stability analysis, a region-based stability assessment approach is proposed and implemented to evaluate small-signal system stability with both GFM and GFL controls. Furthermore, to enhance the computational efficiency, an Artificial Intelligence (AI) assisted Kernel Ridge Regression (KRR) approach is developed to obtain the stability region boundary. Therefore, with the derived stability region, the impact of critical parameters on system stability is intuitively shown, and more importantly, the relationship between the maximum penetration level and the corresponding feasible range of the selected control parameters can be quantified. The proposed approach has been validated using MATLAB/Simulink.

grid-following↗

DOE OSTI2022

Small-Signal Stability Support from Dynamically Configurable Grid-Forming/Following Inverters for Distribution Systems

The growth of inverter-based resources (IBRs) in modern power systems can challenge system stability since they do not natively provide inertia, prompting a need to develop new methods to address the potential instabilities. In this paper, a dynamically configurable grid-forming (GFM) and grid-following (GFL) control is proposed, which enables inverters to flexibly transition to support system needs. The operation mode transition between GFM and GFL controls is adopted as an additional degree of control flexibility to adjust the small-signal stability margin. In addition, a holistic and detailed small-signal model for a distribution feeder that captures the dynamics from both synchronous generators (SGs) and IBRs is also derived and used to evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed GFM/GFL controls to augment the system small-signal stability margin. Case studies with varying levels of IBRs were implemented in MATLAB/Simulink to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach.

grid-following control↗

DOE OSTI2024

Microgrid to Microgrid Synchronization with Grid-Forming Inverters: Challenges and Solution

Research on network microgrids has primarily focused on control and optimization. However, application aspects such as microgrid-to-microgrid synchronization have not been fully addressed in existing literature. This paper first addresses the challenges of networking microgrids with grid-forming inverter in droop control. Then, it proposes a pre-synchronization algorithm to improves the synchronization speed and transient stability. To improve the speed, the phase difference between adjacent microgrids is minimized. Transients such as inrush current and oscillations are effectively mitigated by increasing the virtual impedance during interconnection. The proposed strategy allows smooth transitions when reconfiguration of the microgrids is needed. The applicability of this strategy to today’s microgrid systems is demonstrated through a validation in a 480V three-phase network microgrid testbed with commercial-grade inverters, protective devices, and switchgear.

Ferrari Maglia, Max↗

DOE OSTI2025

Advancing Dynamic Modeling of Grid-Connected PV Inverter Using Bi-LSTM-Based AI Model

Power electronic converters (PECs) are widely used in modern power systems to facilitate the interconnection between various AC or DC sources and loads. Because of the extensive integration, the power system has grown into a more dynamic system in which the dynamics of the PECs must be adequately modeled. The paper presents a new bidirectional long short-term memory (Bi-LSTM) method for evaluating grid-connected inverter-based resources (IBR) dynamics. The method is tested using real hardware data from a grid -connected commercial inverter in laboratory experiments. Results show the Bi-LSTM model accurately reproduces the detailed IBR model's dynamics, even when the internal structure is unknown and parameters are unknown, preventing the disclosure of the manufacturer's confidential data.

Subedi, Sunil [ORNL] (ORCID:000000034069090X)↗

DOE OSTI2025

Grey-Box System Identification of Grid-Forming Inverters

This paper demonstrates the use of grey-box system identification methods for simplifying and understanding the nonlinear power dynamics of grid-forming inverters (GFMs). The power and frequency outputs of complex high-order GFM models are fed into system identification software in order to fit them to a predetermined LTI system and learn system parameters such as (synthetic) inertia and droop constants. The same process is then run for a high-order synchronous generator model, and the outputs are fit to the same set of LTI equations. Simulation of a network of GFM inverters with diverse control architecture is also performed for the same process. The intent is threefold: first, to demonstrate the appropriateness of unified LTI models for describing the power and frequency dynamics of individual resources and connected networks, in order to facilitate analysis of larger heterogeneous networked systems; second, to discover the relationship between internal control parameters of GFMs and their externally observed values; and third, to validate that grey-box data-driven system identification techniques can be a valuable tool to discover the values of important parameters in the absence of explicit vendor models.

analytical models↗

DOE OSTI2021

Modeling and Simulation of Power-Electronic Inverters in Analog Electronic Circuit Simulators

This paper demonstrates how equivalent-circuit representations of grid-following power-electronic inverters can be realized within a SPICE-based development environment using common circuit components and VerilogA code. This facilitates computationally lean simulations of inverter networks leveraging the strengths of SPICE in large-scale simulations. We validate the approach with time-domain simulations for a modified version of the IEEE standard 118-bus system modeled in Virtuoso (a SPICE-based solver). Simulation results are compared-focusing on accuracy and computation speed-with results from a commonly used power-electronics simulation package. We note a significant decrease in simulation time with comparable signal resolution when simulating the network in SPICE.

Billmeyer, Ryan↗

DOE OSTI2023

Modeling of a Networked Community Microgrid with High Solar Penetration Considering Control Dynamics of Inverter-Based Resources

Microgrids help facilitate the integration of renewable energy in distribution-level grids and increase the resilience of the electric grid to extreme weather, especially in rural areas. Compared to traditional microgrids, a networked microgrid leverages multiple grid-forming sources to form a potential meshed grid and is more flexible in operation. This paper demonstrates the simulation modeling of an actual networked microgrid located in Adjuntas, Puerto Rico. The model contains representations of power inverters that connect the battery energy storage systems and photovoltaic generation systems to the networked microgrid and is capable of simulating fast grid transients as well as long-term operation of the networked microgrid. The modeling technique for power inverters allows the time-efficient simulation of the microgrid with a minimal penalty on model accuracy.

Li, Dingrui↗

DOE OSTI2025

Inverse Segmented Motor Drive Using Dual ANPC Inverters for Common-Mode Voltage and Neutral-Point Current Cancellation

This article proposes an inverse segmented motor drive (SgMD) utilizing dual active neutral point clamped (ANPC) inverters. In the proposed configuration, the neutral point current and common-mode (CM) voltage is topologically canceled, achieving zero total neutral point current and CM voltage under ideal conditions. Also, the zero total neutral point current minimizes the neutral point voltage imbalance in ANPC inverters. The mechanisms behind neutral point current and CM voltage cancellation in the proposed inverse SgMD are first introduced. The modifications to the motor windings for implementing the inverse SgMD are explained, showing that a standard motor can be readily adapted for the proposed configuration. A space vector modulation (SVM) scheme tailored for the proposed topology is presented, along with a carrier-based implementation. Simulation results validate that the proposed topology can achieve zero total CM voltage and neutral point current. It is also shown that the proposed inverse SgMD can reduce neutral point voltage fluctuation by about 90% and RMS current stress in the dc-link capacitors by about 43% compared to the conventional SgMD.

Lee, Sangwhee [ORNL] (ORCID:0000000335490057)↗

DOE OSTI2021

Coordinated Inverter Control to Increase Dynamic PV Hosting Capacity: A Real-Time Optimal Power Flow Approach

High penetrations of distributed photovoltaics (PV) could cause adverse grid impacts, such as voltage violations. The recent development in inverter technologies provides the opportunity to develop control systems to realize effective PV governance and thus to improve dynamic PV hosting capacity for distribution grids. In this paper, a novel distributed energy resource management system (DERMS) solution is proposed by adopting the real-time optimal power flow (OPF) approach for coordinated control of the distributed PV inverters. The proposed approach eliminates the dependence on load knowledge via measurement feedback correction, and it can be implemented in real time. One challenge is that the technique is sensitive to the data availability and integrity of voltage measurements. Therefore, a decentralized DERMS approach is developed by leveraging the concepts of state estimation. The framework and the effectiveness of the solution approach are numerically demonstrated on a real distribution feeder in Southern California.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

DOE OSTI2024

Inertia Estimation Under High Penetration of Inverter-based Resources

Many types of renewable energy sources, especially solar and wind generation, are connected to the electric grid through power-electronic-based interfaces (inverters). These inverter-based resources (IBRs) are mechanically decoupled from the grid, which reduces system inertia and thus may compromise its stability and reliability. In this study, we examine the impact of high penetration of IBRs on the power grid’s inertia. To achieve this, we intentionally introduce disturbances into a simulation case study, such as a step load change, to observe and record the system’s frequency responses. This study offers a nuanced understanding of how the integration of IBRs affects grid stability, and it provides essential guidance for future grid management and resilience strategies.

Yadav, Ajay↗

DOE OSTI2024

Coherency-Aware Learning Control of Inverter-Dominated Grids: A Distributed Risk-Constrained Approach

Here, this letter investigates the importance of integrating the coherency knowledge for designing controllers to dampen sustained oscillations in wide-area power networks with significant penetration of inverter-interfaced resources. Coherency is a fundamental property of power systems, where time-scale separation in frequency dynamics leads to clustered behavior among generators of different groups. Large-scale penetration of inverter-driven low inertia resources replacing conventional synchronous generators (SGs) can lead to perturbation in the coherent partitioning; hence, integrating such information is of utmost importance for oscillation control designs. We present the coherency-aware design of a distributed output feedback-based reinforcement learning method that additionally incorporates risk constraints to capture the uncertainties related to net-load fluctuations. The use of domain-aware coherency information has produced improved training and oscillation performance than the coherency-agnostic control design, hence proving to be effective in controller design. Finally, we validated the proposed method with numerical experiments on the benchmark IEEE 68-bus test system.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗

DOE OSTI2022

Thoughts and Hypotheses on the Metrics and Needs for the Stability of Highly Inverter-Based Island Systems

As levels of wind, photovoltaics (PVs), and battery energy storage on power systems rise, it is useful to be able to quickly compare how much generation (instantaneous power and annual energy) comes from these inverter-based resources (IBRs). A commonly used metric is the percentage of inverter-based generation (% IBR) in a dispatch scenario (as a percentage of the total generation or total load), which can be useful for estimating when certain operational challenges arise (high rates of change of frequency, underdamped control interactions, low system strength, low fault current availability, and so on). Another similar and commonly used metric pioneered on the relatively large island of Ireland, system nonsynchronous penetration (SNSP), is similar to the % IBR and is subject to similar limitations. SNSP has the advantage of handling high-voltage dc in a defined way.

fault currents↗

DOE OSTI2024

Optimal Droop Setting for Congestion Reduction in a 100% Grid-Forming Inverter-based Power System

he high penetration of inverter-based resources (IBRs) introduces new challenges to power systems due to the complex inverter control. However, IBRs can be configured to maximize their benefits to improve system resilience and reliability. This paper proposes a steady-state optimization model that aims to mitigate transmission congestion in a 100% grid- forming (GFM) IBR-based power system. This goal is achieved by determining the optimal droop settings for the GFM IBRs under different congestion conditions due to renewable energy and load variations. The numerical solution is rigorously verified by a high-fidelity model of the IEEE 39-bus test system with detailed GFM IBR control in the time-domain electromagnetic transient (EMT) simulation tool PSCAD. The numerical solution and simulation results show a significant congestion reduction while meeting all other operating requirements. It is also observed that the numerical solving time is substantially less compared to the EMT simulation time.

Nguyen, Quan H.↗

DOE OSTI2024

An Innovative Energy Management System for Microgrids with Multiple Grid-Forming Inverters

As increasingly more grid-forming (GFM) inverter-based resources replace traditional fossil-fueled synchronous generators as the GFM sources in microgrids, the existing microgrid energy management systems (EMS) need to be updated to control and coordinate multiple GFM inverters that consider system control objectives under different microgrid connection states. For each state, we formulate an optimization problem and apply a real-time feedback-based control algorithm; altogether, the control algorithms seamlessly connect the states into a generic microgrid EMS that controls the nodal voltages and frequencies, becomes a virtual power plant (VPP) when connected to the main grid, and coordinates power sharing responsibility among GFM sources when islanded. We showcase the EMS on a real-world simulation of a microgrid under the different states to demonstrate its operational effectiveness.

energy management systems↗