Lab Description

The Electrical Power Management Lab (EPMLab) is a collaborative environment dedicated to innovative experimentations in the field of smart power system. This environment is articulated around a real-time simulator which is specifically used to emulate a power system behavior. It allows to address different kind of topics: smart-grid, Transmission system with large penetration of power electronic converters and also some Hardware tests based on PHIL principle. It includes various production units, storage systems, power electronic based connection interfaces or loads like a MMC, back-to-back grid connected power electronic converters, a photovoltaic power plant (18 kW), a cogeneration system, super capacitors as well as static or dynamic emulation devices of different kinds.

Transmission System and Power Electronics

 Integration of power electronics in transmission system is addressed in two main topics:

  • Modelling and control of large AC/DC or DC/DC converters and HVDC grids: Some specific complex AC/DC and DC/DC converters have been studied and developed and some other are still under development. The control and dynamic stability have to be studied. Gathering many AC/DC converter on a single DC grid leads to the study of an HVDC grid which has its own dynamic behavior to be analyzed.
  • Stability studies of AC transmission system with large penetration of power electronic converter: When replacing synchronous machine by power electronic converter in large AC system, the dynamic behavior is largely modified. Different solutions for the control of the power electronic converter may be studied and the stability analysis of this kind of new AC system is also a very large challenge.

SmartGrids

The objectives for the “Smart Grids” theme are on the one hand to understand and master the constraints related to the integration of renewable energies (especially due to their intermittent aspects), the contributions of energy storage and control of new loads such as electric vehicles. On the other hand, it is also a question of understanding the impact of the new consumption and production approaches at the user level (self-production and self-consumption).

Equipments

  • Real Time simulator fromOpal-RT (x3 with7 coresavailable)
  • LinearPower Amplifier fromPuissance+ (2 x 15kVA, 1 x 21kVA, 6*10kVA)
  • PcVueSCADAØdSPACEcontrol board(x12)
  • PV Power plant (18kWp)ØDC power supply(15kW and 12kW)
  • Micro-CHP units
  • Regenerativepower supplyfromCinergia(30kVA)
  • Energymonitoring system (EfficaceEnergie)
  • Storage devices based on Plomb (48V 1000A.h) and Li-ion batteries (3 modules 48V 2.1kW.h)