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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 145 records · Page 8
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2025

Optimization-Based Data-Driven Approach for Detecting Fault Location in Power Systems

In grids with large penetration of converterinterfaced resources (CIRs), measurements of voltage, current, and line parameters can fluctuate significantly during fault conditions. These fluctuations, combined with complex network topologies and extensive system branching, make accurate fault location challenging. Faults, such as short circuits, can cause prolonged outages with serious socio-economic impacts, highlighting the need for rapid fault identification to minimize downtime. However, current fault detection methods—such as relays and digital fault recorders—often relay information too slowly, impeding swift corrective action. Given the limited availability of high-resolution phasor measurement units, this paper introduces an optimization-based observer to estimate fault locations, grid line parameters, and voltages using local CIR measurements. To preserve the confidentiality of CIRs and enhance estimation accuracy, this study uses a black-box model of CIRs. This bottom-up, event-driven approach can enhances protection and control systems through optimized and real-time fault detection. Simulation results show that the optimization-based data-driven observer can accurately detect fault locations and estimate grid states and parameters, providing valuable insights for utilities and operators in grid applications.

Subedi, Sunil [ORNL] (ORCID:000000034069090X)↗
DOE OSTI2022

Enhanced Inertial Support: Modeling Fast Frequency Response Controls for Energy Storage System Inverters

Reduction of power system inertia is a growing concern for grid operators given the transition under way from conventional fossil generators to inverter-based resources. One key concern is the rapid and severe dip in power system frequency following a large disturbance which could trigger remedial actions including operation of under frequency load shedding (UFLS) relays. A potential solution is to utilize battery energy storage systems (BESS) to provide fast frequency response(FFR) to mitigate the system frequency impact of low system inertia. In this work, we investigate different control parameters to achieve modeled FFR response from BESS in the simulated US Western Interconnection. First, a very low inertia model is developed from an existing positive sequence model of the Western Interconnection. Afterwards, we tune the BESS dynamic response parameters to eliminate any risks of reaching UFLS relay thresholds following the loss of large generators. Finally, we investigate the relative impact of having large BESS units in comparison of multiple smaller units in the same area. The results of the analyses indicate that 1 GW of transmission-connected BESS can help mitigate the frequency drop caused by large generators outages in the Western Interconnection, and significantly reduce the risk of under frequency load shedding.

power system dynamic performance, Low Inertia, Fas↗
DOE OSTI2024

Convolutional Neural Network-Based Protection-Zone Classification of Faults in Distribution Feeders with Photovoltaics.

Fault detection and isolation is critical for reliable operation of distribution systems. The ride-through requirements for the distributed energy resources (DER), mandated by the IEEE 1547-2018 standard, makes it challenging to use undervoltage (UV) conditions for fault detection. In addition, with low fault current contribution from these inverter-based DERs, the time-overcurrent relays are also less effective. Thus motivated, this paper presents a learning-based approach for fault detection and localization. A convolutional neural network (CNN)-based model is proposed which uses local voltage and current waveforms from DER locations and feeder substations, for training a zonal classifier. The classifier can be adopted into any relay-like device for discriminating between faults originating from different protection zones. The performance of the proposed approach was tested on publicly available test feeders with distributed photovoltaics (PVs).

Fault localization, convolutional neural networks,↗
DOE OSTI2025

SVM-Based Synchronized Fault Detection for 100% Renewable Microgrids

Traditional protection schemes face significant challenges when applied to microgrids with high penetrations of renewables with inverter-based resources (IBRs). The proliferation of advanced sensing and communication technologies has generated copious data, offering an opportunity to overcome these limitations using data-driven machine learning approaches. This work proposes a novel approach based on a support vector machine (SVM) for detecting faults within a 100% renewable microgrid. The approach encompasses a systematic offline training stage for the development of a linear SVM-based fault detection algorithm. This process covers offline data collection from the microgrid under study, the extraction of features such as positive- and negative-sequence components and the total harmonic distortion of the voltage and current measurements of the relays, and the design of the linear SVM-based classifier. During the online implementation, however, different classifiers can exhibit asynchronicity in detecting the fault inception at different subcycle-to-cycle period-level delays. To circumvent this asynchronicity issue, a separate algorithm is developed for each relay to estimate the fault inception time as close to the real fault time. The performance of the proposed SVM-based synchronized fault detection method is evaluated using online time-domain simulation studies on a microgrid test system. The results corroborate the reliability of the fault detection scheme when tested under various fault cases (fault types, locations, and impedances) and non-fault cases during both grid-tied and islanded operation modes.

100% microgrid↗
DOE OSTI2022

Demonstrating Distribution System Resiliency through Grid-Edge Microgrids, on a Multi-Site Networked Hardware-in-Loop Platform

With the increasing penetration of Distributed Energy Resources (DERs) at the grid-edge, power systems include more energy storage, remote switches, relays, voltage regulators, and other intelligent electronic devices (IED). Effective control of these grid-edge devices by using Advanced Distribution Management Systems (ADMS) can yield substantial improvements to the resiliency and power quality of distribution systems. In this paper, improvements to the resiliency of a distribution system are demonstrated using a multi-site evaluation environment consisting of a real-time Hardware-in-Loop (HIL) setup in which DERs and other IEDs are modeled; and an ADMS which monitors and is able to control the distribution system assets. The HIL model and the ADMS are located 2400 km away, with communication between the sites enabled by a data manager using Distributed Network Protocol 3 (DNP3), demonstrating the system's capabilities even over long distances. After a simulated transmission system failure in the HIL demonstration setup, DERs and other devices are operated to restore critical loads and node voltage profile (to within the 'nominal +/-5%' band) in the distribution system.

ADMS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Cloud-based Testbed for Adaptive Under-Frequency Load Shedding with High DER Penetration

Increasing penetration of distributed energy resources and behind-the-meter renewables may soon disrupt the efficacy of critical protection schemes, such as under-frequency load shedding (UFLS). Improved data exchange and coordination across the transmission-distribution boundary will be required to maintain reliability of bulk electric system. Standards-based data integration platforms using agreed-upon semantic vocabularies, such as the Common Information Model, will be key to enabling adaptive protection schemes requiring synthesized data from both the bulk power system and behind-the-meter resources. This paper introduces a cloud-based open-source data integration environment and UFLS clustering algorithm being developed to enable adaptive relay coordination between transmission and distribution utilities in the state of Vermont.

Anderson, Alexander A.↗
DOE OSTI2023

Distributed Load Shedding Application Architecture and Bi-Level Predictive Estimator Algorithm

Increasing penetrations of distributed renewables are decreasing the effectiveness of traditional decentralized under-frequency load shedding (UFLS) schemes. As more distribution circuits begin to back-feed the transmission system, operation of traditional UFLS may exacerbate frequency instability. This paper presents the conceptual framework for a data-rich environment to coordinate UFLS across multiple distribution providers based on the laminar coordination framework in order to ensure optimal adaptive setting of UFLS relays. Communication and control are enabled through a distributed implementation of the IEC 61968-1 Common Information Model message bus structure. In addition to the proposed architecture, a novel adaptive UFLS scheme informed by a bi-level state estimator to create optimal relay setpoints is introduced. Initial simulation results are presented for the IEEE 14-bus test system on scenarios leading to mis-operation of traditional UFLS.

Anderson, Alexander A.↗
DOE OSTI2022

Real-Time Hardware-in-The-Loop Implementation of Protection and Self-Healing of Microgrids

The design of a reliable protection scheme for microgrids often requires communication between protective devices and microgrid controllers. The authors have developed such a communication assisted scalable protection scheme with a self healing feature to protect a microgrid with 100% Inverter Based Resources (IBRs). The communication assisted scheme must be validated in real time with cyber physical co-simulation for successful demonstration. In this regard, the paper presents a co-simulation platform between a simulated power system model using RTDS and physical protective devices. The primary protection of the scheme is programmed in SEL 421-7 relay and backup protection is programmed in MATLAB on a generic computer acting as a microgrid controller. The IEC 61850 models are used to communicate between SEL-421-7 relay and RTDS, whereas TCP/IP communication connects the microgrid controller to RTDS. The paper’s focus is to demonstrate the co- simulation platform with communication links established using both protocols and validate the proposed scheme in real-time on the IEEE 123 node distribution feeder. The paper explains the configuration of the IEC 61850 and TCP/IP communications as the interface requires proper hardware and software setup. Furthermore, the real time performance indicates the Hardware In the Loop (HIL) framework as a competent testing environment for the developed protection scheme for microgrids.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2020

Shepherding Metadata Through the Building Lifecycle

Many different digital representations of a building are produced over the course of its lifecycle. These representations contain the metadata required to support different stages of the building, from initial planning and design, to construction and commissioning, through operations, audits, retrofits and maintenance. However, because of differences in the semantics, structure and syntax of these representations, the metadata they contain is not interoperable. We present a novel method for leveraging these representations to create a unified, authoritative Brick metadata model for a building that can be continually maintained over the course of the building lifecycle. A simple synchronization protocol relays inferred Brick metadata from existing metadata sources such as gbXML, BuildingSync, Project Haystack and Modelica to a central integration server, which merges the metadata into a valid Brick model.

Fierro, Gabe↗
DOE OSTI2022

Protection settings optimizer

SAND2023-06672O The Protection Settings Optimizer (PSO) uses system and fault data as inputs to formulate the problem of calculating relay settings as a mixed integer, nonlinear optimization problem (MINLP). The MINLP is solved using a genetic algorithm-based optimizer that attempts to find settings to reduce the relay operating times. The PSO protects the power system by using the steady-state fault voltages and currents, which then calculates the optimal device setting to protect the power system. Sandia National Laboratories is a multimission laboratory managed and operated by National Technology & Engineering Solutions of Sandia, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Honeywell International Inc., for the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration under contract DE-NA0003525.

Patel, Trupal↗
DOE OSTI2021

OPERATING EXPERIENCE AND ITS RELATIONSHIP TO EMBEDDED DIGITAL DEVICES IN SAFETY SYSTEMS

Interest in embedded digital devices (EDDs) for monitoring and providing control of components is increasing and the added functionality digital brings such as diagnostics, displays, control functions is welcomed in both the nuclear and other industries. As a result, pure analog-based components continue to disappear from the industrial I&C marketplace. Equipment with EDDs, also known by related terms such as smart devices, intelligent devices, and digital devices of limited functionality, can include sensors, breakers, priority logic modules, time delay relays, pumps, valve actuators, motor control centers, and uninterruptible power supplies. Not only is equipment consisting of analog and older digital technology being replaced with commercial grade products containing EDDs, but EDDs can also be retrofitted to work with existing components. EDDs may be installed physically within a component, such as in a relay. There are also external devices that some would not consider an EDD, but that operate in almost all technical ways identically to one internal to a component such as in a valve controller. In fact, the digital portions may be located hundreds of feet from the actual component.Due to the potential of being used in an identical manner and without alteration from their application in other industries, operating experience (OpE) for EDDs may be much more applicable than in the case of other more system level devices. Clear separation and independence of functionality provided with EDDs may also allow greater applicability of existing OpE from industry for changes that can be shown not to affect its safety function. However, OpE also demonstrates issues with different conditions between other industries and nuclear power plants, such as issues with undeclared changes or undeclared digital devices and the new failure modes they may introduce, issues with the reporting of OpE in industry, and a lack of transparency into OpE for EDDs.Understanding and addressing these issues will be key in the future use of EDDs in nuclear power plants, but failure rate data is difficult to obtain for EDDs, and lessons learned from the use of EDDs are difficult to collect and identify.Key words: embedded digital device, smart device, operating experience, failure modes

Muhlheim, Michael↗
DOE OSTI2025

Depolarization self-compensation in high-power lasers enabled by a mid-cavity quartz rotator

Depolarization from thermal stress remains a major limitation in high-average-power laser amplifiers, often addressed by complex, costly active methods or by using magneto-optical effects to restore the polarization. We demonstrate a passive polarization self-compensation technique using a quartz rotator in a relay-imaged, multi-pass amplifier geometry. A detailed theoretical framework is presented and validated experimentally, showing a 47 × reduction in depolarized light in a relay-imaged 4-pass cavity. This approach employs a high-damage-threshold, reciprocal material and avoids the use of polarizers or active controls, thereby simplifying system design and reducing costs. Scalability is discussed for realistic inertial fusion energy driver designs, including effectiveness for broadband lasers and thick gain media.

Batysta, František [Lawrence Livermore National La↗
DOE OSTI2020

Dynamic State Estimation for Radial Microgrid Protection

Dynamic state estimation (DSE) is a generalization of differential protection that offers a reduced likelihood of misoperation, particularly in the case of devices with nonlinear characteristics such as transformers which are being energized. It is also useful in cases where distance protection performs poorly, such as transmission lines with series compensation or mutually coupled transmission lines. DSE has been previously applied to microgrid branch protection. This study investigates the use of DSE for protection of radial portions of a microgrid or distribution system. This can be a challenge in microgrids or distribution systems with distributed generation on account of lack of fault current from inverter-interfaced generation, varying fault current between grid- connected and islanded modes, the potential for normally-meshed operation and unbalanced operation due to single-phase loads. Admittance relaying has been investigated as a solution for protection of microgrids, though it has been observed to have issues with grounded-wye connected loads, and additional relaying is necessary to prevent misoperation.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
DOE OSTI2021

Bridging Power System Protection Gaps with Data-driven Approaches

Protection is a critical function in power systems to avoid equipment damage, maintain personnel safety, and support system reliability. However, current protective relay technology cannot adequately protect equipment and personnel from effects of some events; these deficiencies are termed protection gaps. In this research, a data-driven approach is proposed to complement traditional protection technology and distinguish fault conditions from transients caused by normal operations. A convolutional neural network (CNN) based fault detection approach is implemented to achieve data translation invariance of the time-series input data. As a result, the data-driven method can accurately detect system faults despite variation and noise in the input data. In addition, using the CNN–based method avoids the complicated manual feature extraction procedure required by many traditional data-driven methods. The effectiveness of the proposed approach is tested on four kinds of protection gaps: high impedance faults, transformer/generator inter-turn faults, distribution system PV circuit faults, and the mis-operation situations of Zone 3 line protection relays operating under system stress. Finally, a transfer learning method is also proposed to address the common issue of data-driven methods for which real-world training data are scarce. Extensive study results demonstrate that the proposed approach can accurately bridge power system protection gaps.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
DOE OSTI2021

NERC MISOPS

This investigation was commissioned by the Office of Electricity of the Department of Energy in response to reviewing the NERC State of Reliability report. The study is an attempt to proactively address electric utility industry needs. “Monitoring, analyzing, and tracking trends in Protection System Misoperations are critical to improve BES reliability. Historically, Protection System Misoperations have exacerbated the severity of most cascading power outages.” The NERC misoperations data shows that unnecessary trips are by far the leading category of reported misoperations and that a majority of misoperations are those of line protection packages. A significant number of misoperations are tied to microprocessor relays. Approximately one quarter of reported misoperations are due to incorrect settings and another one quarter of misoperations are due to relay failures/malfunctions and communication failures.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
DOE OSTI2023

Final Technical Report Wireless Microsensors System for Monitoring Deep Subsurface Operations

This final technical report describes the main findings of the project Wireless Microsensors System for Monitoring Deep Subsurface Operations (FE0031850). The project was part of the U.S. Department of Energy National Energy Technology Laboratory FOA 1998 program to develop new sensor systems for direct observation of parameters associated with CO2 injection and to provide data collection without being disruptive to operations. The overall DOE program was aimed at developing and validating innovative transformational sensor systems, amenable for integration with autonomous intelligent monitoring systems, that are capable of being deployed within the casing annulus and do not have casing perforation or wires/cables in the annulus for installation, power supply, or data transmission needs. Project accomplishments included 1) design and fabrication of a wireless downhole sensor system to monitor parameters for CO2 storage, 2) field testing of the sensor system in two legacy oil & gas wells, and 3) development of an analysis approach that validates the measurements and demonstrates the application of the technology to depict CO2 movement in the subsurface. The project leveraged new sensor technologies along with specialized wellbore telemetry, deployment, and analysis methods designed to address the challenges and risks related to CO2 storage in the subsurface. Results from field testing were a mixture of successes and challenges. The temperature sensor rings, installation procedures in legacy oil & gas wells, wireless powering demonstration, automated data collection, and material compatibility were successful. The wireless data transfer through cement to the wellhead via the sensor relays was not functional beyond the first relay. Consequently, work in the last year of the project included some additional testing of data transmission through different materials along with modeling and analysis of field data for CO2 monitoring applications. This work suggested there are options like polymer cements and open hole annuli that may allow point-to-point transmission along the borehole. The techno-economic analysis suggests that the sensor system is ~40% less expensive than fiber optic distributed temperature system. Modeling of CO2 storage applications suggests temperature can provide an indicator of CO2 saturation but would be best combined with pressure sensors.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2023

Electrical Fault Detection, Power Quality, Distributed Energy Resource Use Cases, and Cyber Event Applications with the Cyber Grid Guard System Using Distributed Ledger Technology

Electrical utilities continue to deploy more intelligent electronic devices (IEDs) inside and outside electrical substation and are associated with distributed energy resources (DERs). The integrity and confidentiality of data from IEDs is crucial, and distributed ledger technology (DLT) could improve the resilience of microgrids by helping to make these data more secure. The most popular applications using blockchain technology for electrical utilities is in the field is based on energy trading. However, the dynamism of the penetration of customer owned DERs and the deployment of sensors with IEDs have led to the identification of new applications using DLT that are focused on other areas, such as monitoring, operation and management of the grid and its assets. In addition, the majority of studies on electrical grid applications with blockchain were validated with software simulations. Although general monitoring of power systems for using DLT could be evaluated in operational electric grids, other DLT research applications such as defense against cyber-attacks and/or electrical fault detection are not likely to be performed in a real infrastructure because of possible risks to the network/equipment security. This report summarizes the application of power system applications using distributed ledger technology (DLT), providing a secure DLT framework for collecting data from IEDs like power meters and protective relays inside and outside of an electrical substation and/or between two different electrical utilities. In this study, the use case scenarios were created and assessed for different power system application by using DLT. The electrical fault detection for faulted phases (1), power quality monitoring of phase voltage magnitudes, frequency levels and load power factor (2), DERs use case monitoring (3), and cyber-event applications (4) were performed in a test bed with a Cyber-Grid Guard (CGG) system using DLT. It had a real-time simulator with power meters and protective relays in-the-loop. The first section of this report presents a literature review of power system applications using blockchain at research level. The second section shows the theory and equations used on this report. The third section shows the description of the test bed, equipment, architecture, and electrical grid diagrams. The fourth section shows the experimental models and use case scenarios that were performed for the electrical fault detection, power quality, DERs use case, and cyber event applications with the CGG system using DLT. The fifth section shows the results collected from the tests based on comparing the time stamped events of the analog signals from the IEDs, DLT computer and real time simulator. The sixth section performed the discussion of the results for the use case scenarios. Finally, section seven presents the conclusions for this report were presented.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
DOE OSTI2023

Hardware-in-the-loop Testing of Network Protectors for Low-Voltage Networks with Distributed Energy Resources

In this report, we developed and validated a network protector relay digital twin model and interfaced a commonly used network protector relay hardware with our real-time simulation system. Hardware-in-the-loop protection studies are performed to assess the impact of distributed energy resources (DER) and benchmark a rate-of-change-based mitigation strategy. Simulation results suggest that the network protector reverse trip and auto-reclose functions are negatively impacted by the high distributed energy resource penetration. To accommodate DER backfeed while remaining secure and reliable for faults on primary feeders, we recommend options for a rate-of-change-based blocking scheme and a protection setting change. Finally, future mitigation ideas and standard revisions are discussed.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗