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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.

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At least 109 records · Page 6
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2026

How Improved Forecasting Can Increase the Bulk Power System Value of Price-Responsive Electric Vehicle Managed Charging

Personal light-duty vehicle (LDV) electric vehicle managed charging (EVMC) can reduce power system costs by better aligning electric vehicle (EV) charging with locations and times of low energy cost or infrastructure use. The need to coordinate charging demand across thousands to millions of vehicles while preserving mobility service is a barrier to realizing the value of EVMC. Price-responsive dispatch mechanisms like time-of-use rates (TOU) and hourly real-time prices (RTP) are attractive compared to direct load control (DLC) because they only require one-way communications and local controls. However, increasing participation in price responsive mechanisms can induce costly-to-serve spikes in load and otherwise increase, rather than decrease, production costs. We quantify the ability of improved EVMC forecasting to sustain savings from price responsive mechanisms beyond the limit of 14% of LDVs actively participating observed in previous work. Perfect forecasting of price-responsive EV load makes TOU and RTP value-competitive with a low-error DLC formulation with up to 27% (within-week flexibility) to 45% or more (within-session flexibility) of LDVs participating in EVMC in an envisioned New England power system with 84% clean energy. Additional costs of implementing DLC should be no more than tens of dollars per vehicle-year if DLC is to be value-competitive with accurately forecast price-responsive EVMC for double-digit percentage shares of LDVs participating.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗
DOE OSTI2026

Solar Energy CommUnity Resiliency (Final Technical Report)

Final Technical Report for DE-EE0009336 Solar Energy CommUnity Resiliency (SECURE) The Solar Energy CommUnity Resiliency (SECURE) project aimed to support development of resilient community microgrids to improve grid reliability and maintain power during times of crisis. The SECURE project approached this objective by addressing key technical and business challenges impeding implementation of resilient community microgrids. To achieve the goals of this project, we pursued several specific objectives through comprehensive design and requirements development.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
DOE OSTI2021

Phasor-Based Control for Scalable Solar PV Integration

This project demonstrated that solar PV can be recruited to stabilize the grid, smooth out disturbances, manage power flows, and assist circuit switching operations. It developed a radically new, layered control framework for Distributed Energy Resources (DER) to act in response to real-time, measured conditions on their local distribution circuit, rather than waiting for a price signal to indicate preferred behavior. By enabling resources to act as good citizens on the electric grid, Phasor-Based Control (PBC) facilitates arbitrarily high solar penetration levels.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2024

Microgrid Service Restoration Incorporating Unmonitored Automatic Voltage Controllers and Net Metered Loads

Islanded microgrids may experience voltage and frequency instability due to uncontrolled state changes of voltage regulation devices and inaccurate demand forecasts. Uncontrolled state changes can occur if optimal microgrid restoration and dispatch algorithms, used for generating control commands for distributed energy resources, do not incorporate the behavior of automatic controllers of voltage regulation devices. Inaccurate demand forecasts may be encountered since post-outage demand of behind-the-meter net metered (NM) loads can vary significantly from their historical NM profiles. Here, this paper proposes an optimization formulation which allows optimal control of voltage regulators and capacitor banks without remote control and communication capabilities. A generalized demand model for NM loads is proposed which incorporates the cold load pickup phenomenon and their time varying post-outage demand in accordance with the IEEE 1547 standard. The time dependent optimal control formulation and the NM demand model are integrated in a sequential microgrid restoration algorithm by linearization of the involved logic propositions. A detailed case study on the unbalanced IEEE 123-node test system in OpenDSS validates the effectiveness of the proposed approach.

30 DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION↗
DOE OSTI2023

A Hybrid Optimization and Deep Learning Algorithm for Cyber-Resilient DER Control

With the proliferation of distributed energy resources (DERs) in the distribution grid, it is a challenge to effectively control a large number of DERs resilient to the communication and security disruptions, as well as to provide the online grid services, such as voltage regulation and virtual power plant (VPP) dispatch. To this end, a hybrid feedback-based optimization algorithm along with deep learning forecasting technique is proposed to specifically address the cyber-related issues. The online decentralized feedback-based DER optimization control requires timely, accurate voltage measurement from the grid. However, in practice such information may not be received by the control center or even be corrupted. Therefore, the long short-term memory (LSTM) deep learning algorithm is employed to forecast delayed/missed/attacked messages with high accuracy. The IEEE 37-node feeder with high penetration of PV systems is used to validate the efficiency of the proposed hybrid algorithm. The results show that 1) the LSTM-forecasted lost voltage can effectively improve the performance of the DER control algorithm in the practical cyber-physical architecture; and 2) the LSTM forecasting strategy outperforms other strategies of using previous message and skipping dual parameter update.

cyber-resilient algorithm↗
DOE OSTI2021

Voltage Regulation Performance Evaluation of Distributed Energy Resource Management via Advanced Hardware-in-the-Loop Simulation

This paper evaluates the performance of coordinated control across advanced distribution management systems (ADMS), distributed energy resources (DERs), and distributed energy resource management systems (DERMS) using an advanced hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) platform. This platform provides a realistic laboratory testing environment, including accurate dynamic modeling of a real-world distribution system from a utility partner, real controllers (ADMS and DERMS), physical power hardware (DERs), and standard communications protocols. One grid service—voltage regulation—is evaluated to show the performance of the coordinated grid automation system. The testing results demonstrate that the coordinated DERMS and ADMS system can effectively regulate system voltages within target operation limits using DERs. The realistic laboratory HIL testing results give utilities confidence in adopting the grid automation systems to manage DERs to achieve system-level control and operation objectives (e.g., voltage regulation). This helps utilities mitigate potential risks (e.g., instability) prior to field deployment.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
DOE OSTI2021

Synthetic, Realistic Transmission and Distribution Co-Simulation for Voltage Control Benchmarking: Preprint

As distributed energy resources play an increasing role in generation and grid services, control and market paradigms will need to be tested with models that incorporate transmission and distribution systems. The test systems will need to be realistic and accessible for researchers to form conclusions about realistic behaviors and maintain comparability and repeatability of results. These test systems also must have high resolution models of sufficient size for realistic distribution and transmission interaction. This paper demonstrates the tightly coupled co-simulation of realistic synthetic distribution and transmission models for the Austin metropolitan area and how this framework can be used to analyze resultant behaviors from distributed resources and their controls. The comparison of a distribution system run with fixed feed-in voltage is compared to the closely tied distribution-transmission co-simulation. It is determined that even without advanced voltage controls, the feed-in voltage response of the transmission system shows a lower level of voltage excursions. Therefore, control methods for voltage stability should be benchmarked on realistic transmission and distribution co-simulations for more accurate assessment of voltage profiles.

27 ARPA - Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy↗
DOE OSTI2022

Enhanced Control, Optimization, and Integration of Distributed Energy Applications (ECO-IDEA)

With support from the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Energy Technologies Office, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) partnered with Xcel Energy, Schneider Electric, Varentec, and Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) to meet the goals of the Enabling Extreme Real-Time Grid Integration of Solar Energy (ENERGISE) program. This project developed and validated an innovative data-enhanced hierarchical control architecture that enables the efficient, reliable, resilient, and secure operation of future distribution systems with a high penetration of distributed energy resources like solar energy. The architecture enables a hybrid control approach where a centralized control layer is complemented by distributed control algorithms for solar inverters and autonomous control of grid edge devices. It is fully interoperable and includes all the cybersecurity aspects necessary for reliable and secure system operation. The hybrid approach can seamlessly integrate multiple voltage-regulation technologies, both at central and grid-edge levels, which enables reliable and efficient system operation in the face of unpredictable conditions. The overarching goal of the Eco-Idea project is to develop, validate, and deploy a unique and innovative Data-Enhanced Hierarchical Control (DEHC) architecture that comprehensively addresses the formidable challenges associated with proliferation of high penetration of distributed PV such as reverse power flows, transients from variability of PV systems, feeder load balancing, and voltage stability. These issues are exposing the weaknesses of existing grid operations and controls - including, but not limited to, lack of grid situational awareness, heuristic and slow-acting control actions, latency of control for emergency situations, and points of failure in communications. The proposed architecture will comprehensively resolve the deficiencies of current operational settings - where monitoring and control solutions proposed across industry and academia may not be interoperable and may not coexist in the same system - and will enable an efficient, reliable, resilient, and secure operation of future distribution systems with penetration of solar energy well beyond current limits. The DEHC architecture was developed and validated rigorously through hardware-in-loop simulations in the laboratory environment and deployed on the field.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
DOE OSTI2023

A Peer-to-Peer Market-Based Control Strategy for a Smart Residential Community with Behind-the-Meter Distributed Energy Resources

This paper presents a distributed peer-to-peer market control strategy to manage and to enable resource sharing of behind-the-meter distributed energy resources in a residential community. In the proposed strategy, each consumer or prosumer determines the flexibility of their point of connection to the power network such that the obtained flexibility is network-feasible. Based on the feasible flexibility, the consumers and the prosumers trade power among each other at each time instance to fulfil their preferred load requirements while maximizing their payoffs and helping to regulate node voltages inside the community. Because the problem to be solved is non-convex, a distributed particle swarm optimization algorithm is used to coordinate the consumers/prosumers in a fully autonomous manner without any centralized or hierarchical coordination. Numerical simulations performed on a community of 48 homes demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed approach.

distributed energy resource↗
DOE OSTI2021

Field Demonstration of Inverter-based Voltage Management using Extremum Seeking Control

The influx of Distributed Energy Resources (DER) throughout the distribution system presents a challenge and an opportunity for maintaining power quality standards throughout the system. As such, DER Management systems have become a burgeoning field in both industry and academia. This work presents results from a field test of a model-free, distributed control approach, Extremum Seeking, applied to voltage management on a live feeder in Riverside, CA. The paper presents selected results to highlight the successes and challenges the control approach faced. The work shows that despite slow inverter response, extremum seeking control is able to drive voltage toward a target without knowledge of the system it is operating on.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2020

Grid-Enhanced, Mobility-Integrated Network Infrastructures for Extreme Fast Charging (GEMINI-XFC)

Increasing vehicle electrification will require extensive use of extreme fast charging (XFC), especially for larger vehicles. Uncoordinated XFC can create grid challenges, particularly at the distribution level. Two strategies can support widespread XFC: gold-plate the grid (i.e., upgrade all systems to enable worst-case, fully coincident loads) or use integrated planning to codesign a smart system based on advanced controls that leverage load flexibility and distributed energy resources. With the right design and control, XFC can simultaneously support both mobility and grid operations. Fully realizing the potential of XFC, however, will require unprecedented coordination among the charging infrastructure, grid, and vehicles. GEMINI-XFC combines high-fidelity grid and transport modeling at an unprecedented level of resolution and codesigns a smart system based on advanced controls that leverage load flexibility and distributed energy resources to optimize the integration of extreme fast charging (XFC) across a full regional scale with individual customer resolution.

ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS↗
DOE OSTI2022

Power and Communications Hardware-in-the-Loop CPS Architecture and Platform for DER Monitoring and Control Applications: Preprint

The rapid growth of distributed energy resources (DERs) has prompted increasing interest in the monitoring and control of DERs through hybrid smart grid communications. The deployment of communications and computation has transformed the traditional physical power grid into a smart cyber-physical system (CPS). To fully understand the interdependency between physical grid and cyber netowrks, this study designed a power and communications hardware-in-the-loop (PCommHIL) CPS architecture, which enables the flexible verification of DER monitoring and control with hybrid communications architectures and Internet protocols. Design, development and case study of a PCommHIL testbed for the DER coordination are discussed in detail, and the proposed platform integrates DER devices, Advanced Metering Infrastructures (AMIs), and a suite of hybrid communications networks for distribution automation applications. Case study on DER situational awareness and Volt-Var control validates the efficacy of this proposed PCommHIL platform with hybrid communications designs. Results show that the HAN communication technologies play a critical role in hybrid designs and it is the bottleneck for DER applications. High performance communication technologies are highly recommended to be applied in the HAN for enhanced monitoring and real-time control of DERs.

AMIs↗
DOE OSTI2025

Flexible Resource Scheduler for FAST-DERMS (FRS-FASTDERMS) v0.9

The Flexible Resource Scheduler is a hierarchical controller that manages the distributed energy resources in a distribution substation or distribution feeder to provide a firm commitment of power flow at the substation or feeder head to be scheduled in transmission-level markets as an aggregated demand resource. It is the reference controller for the FAST-DERMS Architecture, developed in tandem with the architecture under the DOE FAST-DERMS project. It is comprised of a day-ahead stochastic optimization, which schedules substation power flow and reserves, a intra-hour MPC, which generates dispatch base points for DER, and a real-time PID controller maintaining that dispatches DER to maintain the substation power around the base points. The repository also includes a representative aggregator controller, and all of the necessary components to run a simulation using PNNL's GridAPPS-D software with the controller.

MacDonald, Jason [Lawrence Berkeley National Labor↗
DOE OSTI2020

A Model-Predictive Hierarchical-Control Framework for Aggregating Residential DERs to Provide Grid Regulation Services: Preprint

This paper develops a hierarchical control fram-ework to aggregate and control behind-the-meter distributed energy resources (DERs), which will be ubiquitous in future distribution systems. Even though the increasing penetration of DERs will strain the power networks in terms of voltage regul-ation and coordination issues with existing transmission-level conventional generators, the distribution-level DERs can also be utilized to help provide flexibility to the power network while providing cost savings to the DER owners. Therefore, this paper develops a model-predictive control strategy to determine the available power flexibility, and to utilize the flexibility in an aggregated form to provide grid regulation services. Numerical simulations performed on the IEEE 37-bus test system demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed approach.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2024

H ∞ Control for Energy Dispatch in Autonomous Nanogrid With Communication Delays

This paper proposes an optimal controller and estimator for energy dispatch to balance the power supply and demand considering communication delays. The proposed algorithm involves modeling an autonomous nanogrid (ANG) consisting of distributed energy resources, energy storage systems, loads, an $H$ ∞ controller with a reference power modulation technique, and a state estimator. The ANG was developed to express the dynamic supply-demand energy balance of a nanogird system. Reference power modulation was designed to generate the desired ESS power based on the imbalanced energy. Random communication delays were modeled using a stochastic variable satisfying the Bernoulli random binary distribution. The optimal $H$ ∞ controller and estimator were developed using a linear matrix inequality approach to exponentially stabilize the closed-loop system. Simulations were performed using real daily demand forecasts obtained from the Korea Meteorological Administration to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed real-time optimization algorithm.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
DOE OSTI2020

A Model-Predictive Hierarchical-Control Framework for Aggregating Residential DERs to Provide Grid Regulation Services

This paper develops a hierarchical control frame-work to aggregate and to manage behind-the-meter distributed energy resources (DERs), which will be ubiquitous in future distribution systems. In the proposed framework, firstly, each controller in the hierarchy determines the flexibility of the DERs such that the obtained flexibility is feasible with respect to its operational purview. For example, the operational purview of a home energy management system may only consider consumer comfort preferences, while that for an aggregator or a grid controller may consider network voltage management as well. Based on the feasible flexibility, optimal setpoints for the DERs is then determined by the hierarchical controllers to help the distribution power network in voltage regulation, coordination issues with existing transmission-level conventional generators, etc. Therefore, the proposed strategy, which is based on model-predictive control, can be effectively utilized by the distribution network to coordinate several DERs to provide grid regulation services. Numerical simulations performed on the IEEE 37-bus test system demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed approach.

behind-the-meter↗
DOE OSTI2021

Secure Communications Concept and API Concept for Integrating XENDEE Positronix with TESLA PowerPack System at Site 300 (Final Deliverable)

The CleanStart DERMS project focuses on the management of Distributed Energy Resources (DER) for enhanced distribution grid resilience. The demonstration site has changed from Riverside Public Utility to the LLNS Site 300 DERS demonstration site. This project has so far focused only on device level controllers and local area controllers. These controllers potentially lack the ability to perform supervisory control and grid interactive control functions, essential for grid-level optimal DER management. This project seeks to close that gap in development of secure communication concept and appropriate Application Programming Interfaces (API) to enable integration with DERs, device level and local area controllers, such as Distributed Energy Resources Management System (DERMS).

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗