Two grants awarded to Advanced Research Institute to study smart grid

The U.S. National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of  Defense Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program have both awarded grants to the Advanced Research Institute, Virginia Tech, National Capital Region,
to build simulation-based models of an Intelligent Distributed Autonomous Power System (IDAPS) microgrid. Components of an IDAPS microgrid include distributed energy resources (DERs), grid interfaces, distribution circuits, customer loads, and an IP-addressable control architecture that represents the decision support system of the smart grid. The IDAPS model will help facilitate generation alternatives for cleaner, greener, and more efficient distributed energy resources. These include renewable energy technologies such as solar photovoltaics, microturbines, fuel cells, storage devices, and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles.

Models of these generation alternatives, as well as grid interfaces, will be developed using SimPowerSystems toolbox in the Matlab/Simulink environment. Addressable communication interfaces, such as TCP/UDP/IP, will be established between the IDAPS physical elements and the IDAPS decision support system to ease the process of internal communications.

Posted March 03, 2008