Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “Grid services”

Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 955 records · Page 53
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2018

DISTINCT: Diversity in Solar Talent Through INnovative Curriculum and Training: An Integrated Research and Education Approach towards Creating Diversity and Advancing Utility-Scale Solar Technology

The DISTINCT project research objective is to develop an innovative N-port power converter for a utility-scale PV system that is modular, compact and cost-effective and that will enable the integration of a high-frequency, high-voltage solid-state transformer. The novelty of the proposed research is the electrical power conversion architecture using an N-port converter system that replaces the output 60Hz transformer with an integrated high-frequency low-weight solid-state transformer reducing power electronics and BOS costs to meet SunShot goals through modularity and direct high-voltage interconnection. A challenge in direct integration with a 13.8kV line is the high voltage handling capacity of the converters combined with high efficiency operation. The front-end converter for each port is a Neutral-Point Clamped (NPC) Multi-Level dc-dc Dual-Active Bridge (ML-DAB) which allows Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT). The integrated high frequency transformer provides the galvanic isolation between the PV and grid side and also steps up the low dc voltage from PV source. Following the ML-DAB stage, in each port, is an inverter with H-bridge configuration or NPC configuration. N number of NPC inverters’ outputs are cascaded to attain the per-phase line-to-neutral voltage to connect directly to the distribution grid (i.e. 13.8 kV). The cascaded inverters have the inherent advantage of using lower rated devices, smaller filters and low Total Harmonic Distortion (THD) required for PV grid interconnection. Our analysis and simulation results show improved performance on cost, efficiency, service life with zero downtime and THD. A comprehensive control scheme is presented to ensure the maximum power from each port and each phase are sent to the grid. A functional prototype of a 2-port converter with ML-DAB and cascaded H-bridges has been designed, built, and tested in a laboratory setup to verify the target technical metrics. The N-port converter system due to its modular structure with individual control per port can be easily adapted to integrate functionalities that go well beyond the conventional grid support functions and mitigates impacts of forecasted fast ramp downs or ramp ups and single-fault conditions by automatic reconfiguration of the output.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2016

VOLTTRON-Based System for Providing Ancillary Services with Residential Building Loads

Ancillary services entail controlled modulation of building equipment to maintain a stable balance of generation and load in the power system. Ancillary services include frequency regulation and contingency reserves, whose acting time ranges from several seconds to several minutes. Many pilot studies have been implemented to use industrial loads to provide ancillary services, and some have explored services from commercial building loads or electric vehicle charging loads. Residential loads, such as space conditioning and water heating, represent a largely untapped resource for providing ancillary services. The residential building sector accounts for a significant fraction of the total electricity use in the United States. Many loads in residential buildings are flexible and could potentially be curtailed or shifted at the request of the grid. However, there are many barriers that prevent residential loads being widely used for ancillary services. One of the major technical barriers is the lack of communication capabilities between end-use devices and the grid. End-use devices need to be able to receive the automatic generation control (AGC) signal from the grid operator and supply certain types of telemetry to verify response. With the advance of consumer electronics, communication-enabled, or 'connected,' residential equipment has emerged to overcome the communication barrier. However, these end-use devices have introduced a new interoperability challenge due to the existence of numerous standards and communication protocols among different end devices. In this paper, we present a VOLTTRON-based system that overcomes these technical challenges and provides ancillary services with residential loads. VOLTTRON is an open-source control and sensing platform for building energy management, facilitating interoperability solutions for end devices. We have developed drivers to communicate and control different types of end devices through standard-based interfaces, manufacturer-provided application programming interfaces, and proprietary communication interfaces. We document the ability to manage nine appliances, using four different standards or proprietary communication methods. A hardware-in-the-loop test was performed in a laboratory environment where the loads of a laboratory home and a large number of simulated homes are controlled by an aggregator. Upon receipt of an AGC signal, the VOLTTRON home energy management system (HEMS) of the laboratory home adjusts the end-device controls based on the comfort criteria set by the end users and sends telemetry to the aggregator to verify response. The aggregator then sends the AGC signal to other simulated homes in attempts to match the utility request as closely as possible. Frequency regulation is generally considered a higher value service than other ancillary services but it is also more challenging due to the constraint of short response time. A frequency regulation use case has been implemented with the regulation signals sent every 10 seconds. Experimental results indicate that the VOLTTRON-controlled residential loads are able to be controlled with sufficient fidelity to enable an aggregator to meet frequency regulation requirements. Future work is warranted, such as understanding the impact of this type of control on equipment life, and market requirements needed to open up residential loads to ancillary service aggregators.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2015

CILogon-HA. Higher Assurance Federated Identities for DOE Science

The CILogon-HA project extended the existing open source CILogon service (initially developed with funding from the National Science Foundation) to provide credentials at multiple levels of assurance to users of DOE facilities for collaborative science. CILogon translates mechanism and policy across higher education and grid trust federations, bridging from the InCommon identity federation (which federates university and DOE lab identities) to the Interoperable Global Trust Federation (which defines standards across the Worldwide LHC Computing Grid, the Open Science Grid, and other cyberinfrastructure). The CILogon-HA project expanded the CILogon service to support over 160 identity providers (including 6 DOE facilities) and 3 internationally accredited certification authorities. To provide continuity of operations upon the end of the CILogon-HA project period, project staff transitioned the CILogon service to operation by XSEDE.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
DOE OSTI2024

An Empirical Validation of a Constrained Bin Packing Algorithm for a Home Energy Management System

The increasing number of intelligent electrical appliances and home energy management systems provide a big opportunity for demand response services from residential and small commercial buildings to the grid. Simultaneously, direct control of individual devices by utilities can cause communication bottlenecks, as well as coordination and privacy concerns. These challenges can be addressed by combining the constituent devices into a single house battery equivalent for the purposes of demand response, using Minkowski sum and a 2d bin packing problem. However, the well-studied traditional problems have not been tested in a real house, as implementation carries significant challenges of its own. We deploy the packing problem on residential devices in a controllable house. We report the barriers we found, such as charge forecast and scalability of the algorithm, and discuss our solutions. The study serves as an intermediate step between existing theoretical research and possible future steps, such as prototype deployments of systems that provide residential demand response.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2014

Impacts of Providing Inertial Response on Dynamic Loads of Wind Turbine Drivetrains

There has been growing demand from the power industry for wind power plants to support power system operations. One such requirement is for wind turbines to provide ancillary services in the form of inertial response. When the grid frequency drops, it is essential for wind turbine generators (WTGs) to inject kinetic energy stored in their inertia into the grid to help arrest the frequency decline. However, the impacts of inertial response on the structural loads of the wind turbine have not been given much attention. To bridge this gap, this paper utilizes a holistic model for both fixed-speed and variable-speed WTGs by integrating the aeroelastic wind turbine model in FAST, developed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, with the electromechanical drivetrain model in SimDriveline and SimPowerSystems.

17 WIND ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2013

RECOVERY ACT - Robust Optimization for Connectivity and Flows in Dynamic Complex Networks

The goal of this project was to study robust connectivity and flow patterns of complex multi-scale systems modeled as networks. Networks provide effective ways to study global, system level properties, as well as local, multi-scale interactions at a component level. Numerous applications from power systems, telecommunication, transportation, biology, social science, and other areas have benefited from novel network-based models and their analysis. Modeling and optimization techniques that employ appropriate measures of risk for identifying robust clusters and resilient network designs in networks subject to uncertain failures were investigated in this collaborative multi-university project. In many practical situations one has to deal with uncertainties associated with possible failures of network components, thereby affecting the overall efficiency and performance of the system (e.g., every node/connection has a probability of partial or complete failure). Some extreme examples include power grid component failures, airline hub failures due to weather, or freeway closures due to emergencies. These are also situations in which people, materials, or other resources need to be managed efficiently. Important practical examples include rerouting flow through power grids, adjusting flight plans, and identifying routes for emergency services and supplies, in the event network elements fail unexpectedly. Solutions that are robust under uncertainty, in addition to being economically efficient, are needed. This project has led to the development of novel models and methodologies that can tackle the optimization problems arising in such situations. A number of new concepts, which have not been previously applied in this setting, were investigated in the framework of the project. The results can potentially help decision-makers to better control and identify robust or risk-averse decisions in such situations. Formulations and optimal solutions of the considered problems need to capture uncertainty and risk using appropriate probabilistic, statistical and optimization concepts. The main difficulty arising in addressing these issues is the dramatic increase in the computational complexity of the resulting optimization problems. This project studied novel models and methodologies for risk-averse network optimization- specifically, network design, network flows and cluster detection problems under uncertainty. The approach taken was to incorporate a quantitative risk measure known as conditional value-at-risk that is widely used in financial applications. This approach presents a viable alternate modeling and optimization framework to chance-constrained optimization and mean-variance optimization, one that also facilitates the detection of risk-averse solutions.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
DOE OSTI2017

Time-varying value of electric energy efficiency

Electric energy efficiency resources save energy and may reduce peak demand. Historically, quantification of energy efficiency benefits has largely focused on the economic value of energy savings during the first year and lifetime of the installed measures. Due in part to the lack of publicly available research on end-use load shapes (i.e., the hourly or seasonal timing of electricity savings) and energy savings shapes, consideration of the impact of energy efficiency on peak demand reduction (i.e., capacity savings) has been more limited. End-use load research and the hourly valuation of efficiency savings are used for a variety of electricity planning functions, including load forecasting, demand-side management and evaluation, capacity and demand response planning, long-term resource planning, renewable energy integration, assessing potential grid modernization investments, establishing rates and pricing, and customer service. This study reviews existing literature on the time-varying value of energy efficiency savings, provides examples in four geographically diverse locations of how consideration of the time-varying value of efficiency savings impacts the calculation of power system benefits, and identifies future research needs to enhance the consideration of the time-varying value of energy efficiency in cost-effectiveness screening analysis. Findings from this study include: -The time-varying value of individual energy efficiency measures varies across the locations studied because of the physical and operational characteristics of the individual utility system (e.g., summer or winter peaking, load factor, reserve margin) as well as the time periods during which savings from measures occur. -Across the four locations studied, some of the largest capacity benefits from energy efficiency are derived from the deferral of transmission and distribution system infrastructure upgrades. However, the deferred cost of such upgrades also exhibited the greatest range in value of all the components of avoided costs across the locations studied. -Of the five energy efficiency measures studied, those targeting residential air conditioning in summer-peaking electric systems have the most significant added value when the total time-varying value is considered. -The increased use of rooftop solar systems, storage, and demand response, and the addition of electric vehicles and other major new electricity-consuming end uses are anticipated to significantly alter the load shape of many utility systems in the future. Data used to estimate the impact of energy efficiency measures on electric system peak demands will need to be updated periodically to accurately reflect the value of savings as system load shapes change. -Publicly available components of electric system costs avoided through energy efficiency are not uniform across states and utilities. Inclusion or exclusion of these components and differences in their value affect estimates of the time-varying value of energy efficiency. -Publicly available data on end-use load and energy savings shapes are limited, are concentrated regionally, and should be expanded.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2018

Time-Varying Value of Energy Efficiency in Michigan

Quantifying the time-varying value of energy efficiency is necessary to properly account for all of its benefits and costs and to identify and implement efficiency resources that contribute to a low-cost, reliable electric system. Historically, most quantification of the benefits of efficiency has focused largely on the economic value of annual energy reduction. Due to the lack of statistically representative metered end-use load shape data in Michigan (i.e., the hourly or seasonal timing of electricity savings), the ability to confidently characterize the time-varying value of energy efficiency savings in the state, especially for weather-sensitive measures such as central air conditioning, is limited. Still, electric utilities in Michigan can take advantage of opportunities to incorporate the time-varying value of efficiency into their planning. For example, end-use load research and hourly valuation of efficiency savings can be used for a variety of electricity planning functions, including load forecasting, demand-side management and evaluation, capacity planning, long-term resource planning, renewable energy integration, assessing potential grid modernization investments, establishing rates and pricing, and customer service (KEMA 2012). In addition, accurately calculating the time-varying value of efficiency may help energy efficiency program administrators prioritize existing offerings, set incentive or rebate levels that reflect the full value of efficiency, and design new programs.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
NASA NTRS2007

High-Performance Tiled WMS and KML Web Server

This software is an Apache 2.0 module implementing a high-performance map server to support interactive map viewers and virtual planet client software. It can be used in applications that require access to very-high-resolution geolocated images, such as GIS, virtual planet applications, and flight simulators. It serves Web Map Service (WMS) requests that comply with a given request grid from an existing tile dataset. It also generates the KML super-overlay configuration files required to access the WMS image tiles.

Plesea, Lucian↗
DOE OSTI2012

2012 Annual Report [WESTERN AREA POWER ADMINISTRATION]

Fiscal Year 2012 brought some tumultuous and uncertain times to Western. The utility industry and technology continued to evolve, and the demand for constant flow of power and transmission system reliability continued to increase. Western kept pace by continuing to deliver reliable, cost-based hydropower while reviewing and updating business practices that took into account how the energy industry is evolving. During this time of exponential change, Western tackled many challenges, including: Reviewing the Transmission Infrastructure Program processes and procedures; Responding to Secretary of Energy Steven Chu’s memorandum to create a modern, efficient and reliable transmission grid; Weathering record-breaking natural disasters in our service territory; Completing our role in TIP’s flagship project—the Montana Alberta Tie Ltd. transmission line; Incorporating new, far-reaching regulations and industry trends.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
DOE OSTI2020

Innovative Utility Offerings

As electricity became a critical commodity in modern economies, most countries organized the electric power industry along a similar paradigm, establishing vertically-integrated and regulated utility monopolies with that received regulated returns on capital invested in centralized electrical infrastructure. In today’s rapidly evolving power sector, this business model is being actively redefined as innovative utilities all over the world begin offering more customer-centric products and services at the edge of the distribution system.

case studies↗
DOE OSTI2017

Roles and Responsibilities for Distribution Grids: DER Sensing and Communication Networks

Traditional distribution grids require sensing and communications for grid operations. In many cases the communications networks are owned by the Distribution Operator (DO); in some cases, carrier services such as leased telephone land lines or cellular services are used. In recent years, wireless mesh field area networks and optical fiber have become viable options for distribution. Fiber in particular has improved in cost to the point where its high performance (large bandwidth, low latency, and low packet loss) has become practical for distribution systems where geographic circumstances permit. As grid modernization proceeds, utilities find a need to improve or upgrade distribution communications; this represents a significant investment and it is natural that both utilities and regulators would seek both to future-proof and minimize their costs. Given the development and rising penetration of smart grid edge devices such as Distributed Energy Resources (DER) that have local sensing and intelligence and can communicate via the internet or other non-utility communications channels to cloud-based services, the idea of using such devices for grid sensing and communications to support grid operations has emerged as a potential means to avoid utility investment. To a great extent, however, these DER and communication channels will be owned and operated not by the DO but by end-use customers, aggregators and other third parties pursuing their own energy needs and business models. The question of whether such devices and systems can effectively substitute for DO grid modernization investment can be assessed and resolved using grid architecture methods and by considering the appropriate roles and responsibilities of the entities and systems involved in distribution grid operations. This approach reveals that there are several compelling reasons to dismiss the idea of eliminating DO owned and operated sensing and communication entirely and relying on DER-based sensing and third party communications.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
DOE OSTI2018

Belle II Conditions Database

The Belle II experiment at KEK is preparing for taking first collision data in early 2018. For the success of the experiment it is essential to have information about varying conditions available to systems worldwide in a fast and efficient manner that is straightforward for both the user and maintainer. The Belle II Conditions Database was designed to make maintenance as easy as possible. To this end, a HTTP REST service was developed with industry-standard tools such as Swagger for the API interface development, Payara for the Java EE application server, and the Hazelcast in-memory data grid for support of scalable caching as well as transparent distribution of the service across multiple sites. On the client side, the online and offline software has to be able to obtain conditions data from the Belle II Conditions Database in a robust and reliable way under very different situations. As such the client side interface to the Belle II Conditions Database has been designed with a variety of access mechanisms which allow the software to be used with and without an internet connection. Different methods to access the payload information are implemented to allow for a high level of customization per site and to simplify testing of new payloads locally. Changes to the conditions data are usually handled transparently but users can actively check whether an object has changed or register callback functions to be called whenever a conditions data object is updated. In addition a command line user interface has been developed to simplify inspection and modification of the database contents.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2024

The ATLAS experiment software on ARM

With an increased dataset obtained during the Run 3 of the LHC at CERN and the even larger expected increase of the dataset by more than one order of magnitude for the HL-LHC, the ATLAS experiment is reaching the limits of the current data processing model in terms of traditional CPU resources based on x86_64 architectures and an extensive program for software upgrades towards the HL-LHC has been set up. The ARM architecture is becoming a competitive and energy efficient alternative. Some surveys indicate its increased presence in HPCs and commercial clouds, and some WLCG sites have expressed their interest. Chip makers are also developing their next generation solutions on ARM architectures, sometimes combining ARM and GPU processors in the same chip. Consequently it is important that the ATLAS software embraces the change and is able to successfully exploit this architecture. We report on the successful porting to ARM of the Athena software framework, which is used by ATLAS for both online and offline computing operations. Furthermore we report on the successful validation of simulation workflows running on ARM resources. For this we have set up an ATLAS Grid site using ARM compatible middleware and containers on Amazon Web Services (AWS) ARM resources. The ARM version of Athena is fully integrated in the regular software build system and distributed in the same way as other software releases. In addition, the workflows have been integrated into the HEPscore benchmark suite which is the planned WLCG wide replacement of the HepSpec06 benchmark used for Grid site pledges. In the overall porting process we have used resources on AWS, Google Cloud Platform (GCP) and CERN. A performance comparison of different architectures and resources will be discussed.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Facets of hydro power and future trends in a Nordic Context

Hydropower technologies bolster high penetration of variable renewable energies (VREs) in the net zero emissions scenarios. Nevertheless, there are various challenges to meeting the ambitious goal, such as stability, reliability, resiliency, security, lack of reactive power, voltage support and inertia, large-scale storage deployment and coordination, interconnectedness, demand-side response, higher thermal cycles with increased start/stops, and inadequate Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE) for system-wise VRE integration and profitability. This survey conducts a bottom-up analysis to unveil the opportunities to utilize hydropower facilities and disentangle the nested problem for intertwining design features, control algorithms, operation, optimization approaches, incentives, services, and market mechanisms using a three-pillar framework perspective: grid owners, power producers, and machine designers. The survey identified emerging trends in real-time and capacity markets, flexible power systems, and enhanced grid capabilities, including advanced voltage support and updated grid codes. These developments present significant opportunities for hydropower, such as achieving super-flexibility through hybridization, expanded reactive power capabilities, and advanced operational modes like a synchronous condenser and power adequator functionalities. These opportunities require novel design philosophies — including new winding, stator, and rotor configurations, optimized ventilation, and active cooling systems — to enhance performance under stressed grid and climate conditions. Finally, integrating climate and energy models for multi-basin optimization with finer spatial and temporal granularity enhances the planning accuracy for water management of hydropower while addressing environmental challenges. The review delivers helpful prospective suggestions and tools that would serve researchers, power engineers, and stakeholders in making decisions about hydropower technologies and services in 2050 and beyond.

13 HYDRO ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2020

Empirical Assessment of the Appliance-Level Load Shape and Demand Response Potential in India

Over the next 15 years, electricity demand from the key residential and commercial appliances is projected to be nearly 300 GW or ~65% of India’s total peak demand. The objective of this study is to characterize appliance level demand and temporal variation, and identify the overall DR potential in India. We use Bangalore Electricity Supply Company territory (peak load of 3,505 MW in 2016) as a case study, using actual one-minute resolution load data for 2,979 distribution feeders and a detailed load survey. Our results show that agricultural pumping and space cooling (residential, commercial, and industrial) are the main contributors to the peak demand – with shares of 23-27% and 14-23%, respectively. Both sectors have about 1,000 MW of DR potential – agricultural pumps offering load shifting service while space cooling offering shimmy service that is capable of dynamically adjusting to react to short-run ramps and grid disturbances. Residential electric water heaters contribute nearly 18% of the winter morning peak demand and can also offer about 500 MW in shimmy service. Overall, we find that shifting and shimmy services offer 1,199 MW and 1,511 MW total DR potential, respectively.

demand response↗
DOE OSTI2019

Grid-Friendly Renewable Energy: Solar and Wind Participation in Automatic Generation Control Systems

This paper focuses on emerging technological and regulatory considerations of using solar and wind generators to provide essential reliability services through participation in area-wide automatic generation control (AGC) systems. AGC systems enable a grid operator to centrally and automatically manage the output of interconnected generators, storage devices, and controllable loads to maintain reliable and safe system operations. The paper highlights recent experiences of solar and wind on AGC, as well as recent developments that may enable VRE to participate in AGC in the near future.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗
DOE OSTI2019

Multi-modular power plant with off-grid power source

A multi-modular power plant may include a plurality of on-site nuclear power modules configured to generate a power plant output, wherein one or more of the nuclear power modules may be designated as service module units which are configured to generate a first portion of the power plant output. A remainder of the nuclear power modules may be configured to generate a second portion of the power plant output. A number of power plant systems may be configured to operate using electricity associated with a house load of the power plant, wherein the first portion of the power plant output is equal to or greater than the house load. Additionally, a switchyard may be configured to electrically connect the power plant to a distributed electrical grid. The distributed electrical grid may be configured to service a plurality of geographically distributed consumers, and the switchyard may be configured to apply the second portion of the power plant output to the distributed electrical grid. The switchyard may further be configured to apply at least part of the first portion of the power plant output to the power plant systems during a loss of power from the distributed electrical grid.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗