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Enabling Universal Access to Power on the Lunar Surface

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Artemis Missions will return human astronauts to the lunar surface, demonstrate technologies that establish a sustained presence on the lunar surface and enable human missions to Mars, and help create a lunar commercial economy. Creating a sustained permanent presence on the lunar surface will require access to continuous and highly reliable power to support mission needs. During Artemis, lunar surface operations will evolve and grow over time (years), requiring an increase in the amount of power needed (100s of kW) and distance that the power must be transmitted (up to 10 km during early Artemis missions). A lunar commercial economy is likely to exceed this power demand to the MW level and distance in the 100s of km. This increased distance and demand for highly reliable power drives the need to create an electric power grid by connecting localized lunar power systems (e.g., habitats, in-situ resource utilization plants, etc.), each containing one or more loads and/or sources. Developing a lunar surface power grid will allow lunar surface operations to resemble electrical utility operations on Earth; it allows power to be generated where it is convenient and allows power to be consumed where it is convenient and required. A lunar surface electric power grid will facilitate the growth of a lunar commercial economy because it provides a means to connect new loads to an existing electrical power system. A common standardized interface to the grid and a set of standardized voltages is required to take full advantage of the benefits of an electric power grid, similar to the terrestrial power grid. NASA Glenn Research Center is leading an effort to create universal access to power through the development of the Universal Modular Interface Converter (UMIC). The UMIC is designed to have a common interface that connects sources and loads compliant with the International Space Power System Interoperability Standard (ISPSIS) to a higher voltage AC transmission system or power grid. This presentation will further discuss the evolution of power during the Artemis missions, challenges associated with creating a sustained presence on the lunar surface, progress made on the UMIC, and future opportunities for technology development and standards.

space power systems↗

DOE OSTI2017

Reliable Broadcast under Cascading Failures in Interdependent Networks

Reliable broadcast is an essential tool to disseminate information among a set of nodes in the presence of failures. We present a novel study of reliable broadcast in interdependent networks, in which the failures in one network may cascade to another network. In particular, we focus on the interdependency between the communication network and power grid network, where the power grid depends on the signals from the communication network for control and the communication network depends on the grid for power. In this paper, we build a resilient solution to handle crash failures in the communication network that may cause cascading failures and may even partition the network. In order to guarantee that all the correct nodes deliver the messages, we use soft links, which are inactive backup links to non-neighboring nodes that are only active when failures occur. At the core of our work is a fully distributed algorithm for the nodes to predict and collect the information of cascading failures so that soft links can be maintained to correct nodes prior to the failures. In the presence of failures, soft links are activated to guarantee message delivery and new soft links are built accordingly for long term robustness. Our evaluation results show that the algorithm achieves low packet drop rate and handles cascading failures with little overhead.

cascading failures↗

DOE OSTI2015

Active power control of solar PV generation for large interconnection frequency regulation and oscillation damping

Because of zero greenhouse gas emission and decreased manufacture cost, solar photovoltaic (PV) generation is expected to account for a significant portion of future power grid generation portfolio. Because it is indirectly connected to the power grid via power electronic devices, solar PV generation system is fully decoupled from the power grid, which will influence the interconnected power grid dynamic characteristics as a result. In this study, the impact of solar PV penetration on large interconnected power system frequency response and inter-area oscillation is evaluated, taking the United States Eastern Interconnection (EI) as an example. Furthermore, based on the constructed solar PV electrical control model with additional active power control loops, the potential contributions of solar PV generation to power system frequency regulation and oscillation damping are examined. The advantages of solar PV frequency support over that of wind generator are also discussed. Finally, simulation results demonstrate that solar PV generations can effectively work as ‘actuators’ in alleviating the negative impacts they bring about.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

DOE OSTI2025

Ensuring electromagnetic compatibility in grid-connected power converters: Challenges, standards, and compliance strategies

In today's rapidly advancing world, electronic devices and systems are fundamental to a wide range of industries, including renewable energy and global telecommunications infrastructure. However, as these devices become more complex and widespread, the risk of electromagnetic interference (EMI) also increases, underscoring the importance of stringent Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) requirements for maintaining system integrity. This paper addresses the specific challenges associated with grid-connected power converters (GCPCs), which are critical in integrating renewable energy into existing power grids. It explores the complexities of EMI in the context of GCPCs, particularly given the recent emergence of tailored EMC standards for these systems. The paper also highlights the shortcomings of applying generic or unrelated standards to GCPCs, often leading to inadequate compliance and testing protocols. Through a detailed analysis of existing standards and recent advancements in product-specific EMC requirements, this paper provides a comprehensive overview of the current landscape, offering guidance to stakeholders on navigating the intricate EMC compliance landscape, with a focus on methodologies, testing procedures, and the evolving regulatory environment for GCPCs.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗

DOE OSTI2012

Advanced power cube for wind power and grid regulation services

The objective of this project was to develop advanced power batteries suitable for power grid regulation services and for renewable energy applications. The primary goals were to purchase equipment, design and build equipment, determine equipment layout, install equipment, design and develop advanced power batteries, conduct trial manufacturing operations, and evaluate the advanced power batteries. The deliverable is a complete process evaluation summary. The purpose of the current work was to improve the speed, efficiency, and quality for advanced power battery production. More specifically, the project scope was focused on the UltraBattery® electrode production process only. The capacitor portion of the UltraBattery® demands a set of equipment specific to capacitor active material (CAM) mixing, transport, application, and curing. Teams were created to purchase and/or design and build equipment suitable for the capacitor electrode production process. Each piece of equipment was individually evaluated, optimized, and verified. At the conclusion of this process, electrodes were produced on the new equipment in the new production area. Batteries were built and tested using the new advanced battery test equipment.

17 WIND ENERGY↗

DOE OSTI2019

Scalable PETSc Implementation of the Three-Phase Unbalanced AC Power Flow Solver

A revolutionary transition of energy infrastructure, spanning across supply and demand sectors, is happening all around the world. Integration of renewable energy sources into our ever-complex power distribution networks is central to the infrastructure planning of the future. One step towards achieving this goal is to solve unbalanced transmission and distribution systems. Traditional approaches and software tools are not suitable because they assume a completely balanced 3-phase system, hence a single-phase equivalent can be solved. Renewable energy such as wind and solar power are intermittent and can pose a challenge when integrating into an already unbalanced power grid. Furthermore, these power grids can be quite large at scale consisting of potentially thousands of buses, which can be computationally demanding. This poster presents preliminary work on designing a robust and scalable 3-phase unbalanced AC power flow solver. The proposed power flow solver will eventually be built on top of the PETSc library and utilizes state-of-the-art parallel data structures like the DMNetwork as well as iterative solvers and preconditioners.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗

DOE OSTI2021

Benefits of high-voltage SiC-based power electronics in medium-voltage power-distribution grids

Medium-voltage (MV) power electronics equipment has been increasingly applied in distribution grids, and high-voltage (HV) silicon carbide (SiC) power semiconductors have attracted considerable attention in recent years. This paper first overviews the development and status of HV SiC power semiconductors. Then, MV power-converter applications in distribution grids are summarized and the benefits of HV SiC in these applications are presented. Microgrids, including conventional and asynchronous microgrids, that can fully demonstrate the benefits of HV SiC power semiconductors are selected to investigate the benefits of HV SiC in detail, including converter-level benefits and system-level benefits. Finally, an asynchronous microgrid power-conditioning system (PCS) prototype using a 10 kV SiC MOSFET is presented.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗

DOE OSTI2021

Cyber–Physical System Security of Distribution Systems

The Information and Communications Technology (ICT) for control and monitoring of power systems is a layer on top of the physical power system infrastructure. The cyber system and physical power system components form a tightly coupled Cyber–Physical System (CPS). Sources of vulnerabilities arise from the computing and communication systems of the cyber–power grid. Cyber intrusions targeting the power grid are serious threats to the reliability of electricity supply that is critical to society and the economy. In a typical Information Technology environment, numerous attack scenarios have shown how unauthorized users can access and manipulate protected information from a network domain. The need for cyber security has led to industry standards that power grids must meet to ensure that the monitoring, operation, and control functions are not disrupted by cyber intrusions. Cyber security technologies such as encryption and authentication have been deployed on the CPS. Intrusion or anomaly detection and mitigation tools developed for power grids are emerging. Furthermore, this survey paper provides the basic concepts of cyber vulnerabilities of distribution systems and CPS security. The important ICT subjects for distribution systems covered in this paper include Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition, Distributed Energy Resources, including renewable energy and smart meters.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

DOE OSTI2019

Grid Ready, Flexible Large Power Transformer

GE Research and its partner Prolec GE have proposed a novel and breakthrough concept to improve the flexibility and interchangeability of large power transformers (LPTs). LPTs refer in this report to transformers with a power rating equal or greater than 100 MVA. The concept consists of a 3-phase autotransformer bank having one specified high voltage side (HV) voltage and three configurable low voltage side (LV) voltage taps. Moreover, the leakage impedance is adjustable offline using taps which allows to accommodate short-circuit requirements for a wide range of LPTs applications. The research performed aimed to develop and validate a cost-effective design of a flexible LPT and to demonstrate its competitiveness with the LPT fleet currently in operation in the U.S. The concept is intended for the long-term replacement of existing LPTs. In this project, the U.S based population of LPTs was analyzed to determine their commonality in power, voltage classes, and impedance range. Up to 9,700 units, currently deployed in the NERC’s Eastern and Western interconnection regions, were evaluated. This analysis yielded the specifications of two flexible LPTs to be designed to demonstrate the manufacturability and competitiveness of the concept: a 345 kV, 230 MVA and a 230 kV, 100 MVA LPTs. The two LPTs are both configurable to 161 kV, 138 kV, and 115 kV on the LV side and allow leakage impedance variation between 4% and 14%. The design output showed that the flexible LPT is manufacturable and competitive with conventional LPT. The proposed design has a power efficiency of 99.5% and a total active part weight increase ranging only between 15% and 28% relative to conventional LPTs it can be substituted with. Indeed, for the flexible LPT, the higher the LV side voltage is, the higher is its power rating. Hence, flexible LPTs are more competitive when compared with the largest conventional LPT they can replace. Power systems analyses were carried out to evaluate the performance of the flexible LPT when replacing an existing conventional LPT. These analyses showed that short-circuit and inrush currents will remain respectively within 15% and 9.4% of their original levels suggesting that no substations equipment is likely to be replaced due the installation of the flexible LPT. In addition, the analyses showed that the transient overvoltage anticipated at the impedance configuration switch will be manageable and will not pose any particular risk during lightning or switching events. This research proved that the deployment of flexible LPTs in the U.S power grid can greatly improve the grid reliability and its resiliency especially in the event of the loss of multiple LPTs. Moreover, the concept can significantly help reduce LPTs’ spare inventory by providing a high spare coverage level. The performed analysis showed that the designed 345 kV flexible LPT can serve as a spare for up to 34 units currently in operation in the U.S while the designed 230 kV flexible LPT can replace up to 101 units. Flexible LPTs offer new opportunities to U.S utilities to improve interchangeability of LPTs in the transmission system and to better strategize the upcoming renewal of about 70% of the population of LPTs anticipated to retire within the next two decades.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗

NASA NTRS1998

Parallel and Distributed System Simulation

This exploratory study initiated our research into the software infrastructure necessary to support the modeling and simulation techniques that are most appropriate for the Information Power Grid. Such computational power grids will use high-performance networking to connect hardware, software, instruments, databases, and people into a seamless web that supports a new generation of computation-rich problem solving environments for scientists and engineers. In this context we looked at evaluating the NetSolve software environment for network computing that leverages the potential of such systems while addressing their complexities. NetSolve's main purpose is to enable the creation of complex applications that harness the immense power of the grid, yet are simple to use and easy to deploy. NetSolve uses a modular, client-agent-server architecture to create a system that is very easy to use. Moreover, it is designed to be highly composable in that it readily permits new resources to be added by anyone willing to do so. In these respects NetSolve is to the Grid what the World Wide Web is to the Internet. But like the Web, the design that makes these wonderful features possible can also impose significant limitations on the performance and robustness of a NetSolve system. This project explored the design innovations that push the performance and robustness of the NetSolve paradigm as far as possible without sacrificing the Web-like ease of use and composability that make it so powerful.

Dongarra, Jack↗

DOE OSTI2017

Best effort broadcast under cascading failures in interdependent critical infrastructure networks

Here, we present a novel study of reliable broadcast in interdependent networks, in which the failures in one network may cascade to another network. In particular, we focus on the interdependency between a communication network and a power grid network, where the power grid depends on the communication network for control and the communication network depends on the grid for power. In this paper, we propose a best effort broadcast algorithm to handle crash failures in the communication network that may cause cascading failures. We guarantee that all the correct nodes, which operate correctly according to the protocol and do not experience any software or hardware or network failures, eventually deliver the message if the sender is correct. We provide a centralized algorithm and a fully distributed algorithm for nodes to analyze and handle cascading failures. At the core of our work is the fully distributed algorithm which enjoys great performance and scalability. Our evaluation results show that the algorithm handles cascading failures with low overhead.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

DOE OSTI2024

Sensor Data Analytics and Data Quality Assessment Software

The proposed framework derives a set of quality metrics to provide critical insights into and tracking of grid operations, sensor performance, sensor longevity, and event statistics. Power grid engineers can utilize this information to identify problems with existing sensor locations and problematic power grid assets including generators, transmission lines, load centers, and substations. This information can also be used to identify unexpected/abnormal behavior of power grid components, improve power grid observability, and operational monitoring, and thus enhance real-time decision-making support system. Power grid planners can utilize this information to augment existing sensing architecture with new sensors and improve the observability of the network.

Mahapatra, Kaveri↗

DOE OSTI2023

Vulnerability Studies Under EMP: Impedance and PCI Testing of the Grid Control Devices

Control devices such as inverters and generator controllers are critical for the stable operation of the power grid, especially for power stability control and power dispatch. However, the Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) is a potential threat to electronic devices in modern power grids, therefore decreasing the power grid resilience and bringing unrecoverable damages to the devices. To reveal the impact mechanism of the EMP, impedance and Pulse Current Injection (PCI) testing is established to study the vulnerability of the grid control devices. The impedance of the grid control devices is accurately measured using impedance analyzers with different frequency ranges. Then the voltage and current responses are tested based on the PCI testing. The vulnerability experiments based on two grid control devices are carried out. And the comparison results reveal that most ports would be damaged under EC8, and some ports can survive under EC5 according to the calculated PCI response and cumulative energy. The results can provide a reference for the future design of control devices and the strategic resilience of power grids.

Qiu, Wei↗

DOE OSTI2015

Smart electric vehicle (EV) charging and grid integration apparatus and methods

An expert system manages a power grid wherein charging stations are connected to the power grid, with electric vehicles connected to the charging stations, whereby the expert system selectively backfills power from connected electric vehicles to the power grid through a grid tie inverter (if present) within the charging stations. In more traditional usage, the expert system allows for electric vehicle charging, coupled with user preferences as to charge time, charge cost, and charging station capabilities, without exceeding the power grid capacity at any point. A robust yet accurate state of charge (SOC) calculation method is also presented, whereby initially an open circuit voltage (OCV) based on sampled battery voltages and currents is calculated, and then the SOC is obtained based on a mapping between a previously measured reference OCV (ROCV) and SOC. The OCV-SOC calculation method accommodates likely any battery type with any current profile.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

DOE OSTI2025

Assessment of NuScale SMR Steam Heat Augmentation for Chemical Plant Decarbonization

Nearly 50% of the total energy consumed by the industrial sector in the United States is used to produce process steam with natural gas and coal-fired boilers1 . This project conducts a technoeconomic assessment of a NuScale Small Modular Reactor (SMR) coupled with a chemical plant as an Integrated Energy System (IES) where nuclear produces steam and electric power to meet the requirements of a large chemical plant. In a 2020 study, ORNL evaluated the feasibility of using advanced SMRs, including the NuScale design, to supply energy to the Eastman Chemical Plant. However, since that report was published, NuScale received NRC approval for its uprated 77 MWe design with 56% more power and has also introduced a high-temperature, high pressure, steam heat-augmentation system, a key focus of the new study. The new study also benefits from revised capital costs, a 10-day refueling outage time, reduced plant staffing, higher capacity factors, and a site boundary Emergency Planning Zone methodology. The study consists of a techno-economic assessment of two possible energy sources (nuclear and natural gas) in a number of steam and power generation configurations (NuScale Power Modules (NPMs), boilers and combinations of both) to satisfy the steam and power demand with the most reliable and cost competitive system. A total of 2,947.3 klb/hr of steam and 72.5 MWe of electricity are required for the demonstration case. A range of scenarios and solutions are explored, from a 12-NPM plant (3,000 MWth)—with excess capacity and redundancy, capable of supplying a significant amount of extra power to the grid—to a 4-NPM (1,000 MWth) plant—supplemented with existing boilers or grid power for redundancy. The study uses historical steam and power data from a chemical plant and examines the sensitivity to natural gas and grid power cost variations. Scenarios with up to two times gas and electricity costs were considered. Profitability in a 60-year time horizon was analyzed, consistent with NuScale’s design life specification. A steady-state site integration and reliability analysis was performed, and trade-offs were identified.

20 FOSSIL-FUELED POWER PLANTS↗

DOE OSTI2022

Using distributed power electronics-based devices to improve the voltage and frequency stability of distribution systems

Methods include, in response to a line frequency variation of a power grid, adjusting a voltage setpoint of a voltage regulator coupled to the power grid at a grid edge to maintain a voltage at the grid edge, wherein the adjusting the regulated voltage setpoint is configured to reduce the line frequency variation to stabilize the line frequency of the power grid. Apparatus include a voltage regulator configured to couple to a power grid at a grid edge and to maintain a voltage at the grid edge, wherein the voltage regulator is further configured to adjust a voltage setpoint of a voltage regulator in response to a line frequency variation of the power grid to reduce the line frequency variation and stabilize the line frequency of the power grid.

Du, Wei↗

DOE OSTI2019

Bulk Power System Dynamics with Varying Levels of Synchronous Generators and Grid-Forming Power Inverters: Preprint

Inverters using phase-locked loops for control depend on voltages generated by synchronous machines to operate. This might be problematic if much of the conventional generation fleet is displaced by inverters. To solve this problem, grid-forming control for inverters has been proposed as being capable of autonomously regulating grid voltages and frequency. Presently, the performance of bulk power systems with massive penetrations of grid-forming inverters has not been thoroughly studied to elucidate benefits. Hence, this paper presents inverter models with two grid-forming strategies: virtual oscillator control and droop control. The two models are specifically developed to be used in positive-sequence simulation packages and have been implemented in PSLF. The implementations are used to study the performance of bulk power grids incorporating inverters with grid-forming capability. Specifically, simulations are conducted on a modified IEEE 39-bus test system and the micro-WECC test system with varying levels of synchronous and inverter-based generation. The dynamic performance of the tested systems with grid-forming inverters during contingency events is better than cases with only synchronous generation.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗

DOE OSTI2018

Selection of Ten (10) Cybersecurity Scenarios For Project Cybersecure Interconnection of Distributed Energy Resources

Utilities use state-of-the-art tools for reliable integration of Distributed Energy Resources (DER) within the power grid. These tools evaluate how power grid operations might be affected by various DER integration scenarios, and help the utility develop strategies to ensure reliability and safety of the power grid. These tools were developed in response to rapid wide-scale DER deployment, and are now in common use to aid the process of operating a grid with high penetration of DER. As power system technologies continually advance, these tools must also be advanced to assist the development of cyber-secure architectures for the new communication and control pathways that are being introduced with technologies such as smart inverters and local storage control.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗