Extending Remaining Useful Life of Second-life Battery Energy Systems. The project aims to develop a framework to reuse second-life battery packs with different degradation levels. This includes a novel machine learning and online battery state estimation algorithm that does not require past use case historical data of the SLBs, an advanced control algorithm to balance the energy in each battery pack and an optimized modular inverter architecture with integrated voltage boosting capability to ma ....Extending Remaining Useful Life of Second-life Battery Energy Systems. The project aims to develop a framework to reuse second-life battery packs with different degradation levels. This includes a novel machine learning and online battery state estimation algorithm that does not require past use case historical data of the SLBs, an advanced control algorithm to balance the energy in each battery pack and an optimized modular inverter architecture with integrated voltage boosting capability to manage the batteries and meet the control objectives. This benefits not only the environment through delayed e-waste or recycling cycles but also helps the Australian manufacturing sector through a circular economy of energy products and services.Read moreRead less
Compact reliable fault-tolerant modular high power converters. Compact reliable fault-tolerant modular high power converters. This project aims to deliver new and advanced converter hardware and control designs with drastically smaller reactive components that are cheaper to convert, more reliable and compact. Voltage and current-sourced modular multilevel converters have delivered the required voltage/current/power ratings for utility applications such as static compensators and high-voltage di ....Compact reliable fault-tolerant modular high power converters. Compact reliable fault-tolerant modular high power converters. This project aims to deliver new and advanced converter hardware and control designs with drastically smaller reactive components that are cheaper to convert, more reliable and compact. Voltage and current-sourced modular multilevel converters have delivered the required voltage/current/power ratings for utility applications such as static compensators and high-voltage direct current transmission. However, these energy storage components, including embedded batteries, are overwhelmingly large. Anticipated outcomes are that compact, cheaper and even more efficient power electronic energy converters will enable much needed sustainable energy grids; reduce the cost of integrating renewable energy generation in the grid and achieve even more efficient electronic control of electric systems.Read moreRead less
Industrial Transformation Training Centres - Grant ID: IC210100021
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$5,000,000.00
Summary
ARC Training Centre in Energy Technologies for Future Grids. The proposed Future Grids Training Centre will advance Australia’s transition to a clean energy future. It will address the complex and challenging issues currently limiting the growth of renewable energy through innovations that facilitate widespread integration of these resources into electricity grids while maintaining grid stability. The Centre will deliver the next generation of industry leaders and specialists in future grid tech ....ARC Training Centre in Energy Technologies for Future Grids. The proposed Future Grids Training Centre will advance Australia’s transition to a clean energy future. It will address the complex and challenging issues currently limiting the growth of renewable energy through innovations that facilitate widespread integration of these resources into electricity grids while maintaining grid stability. The Centre will deliver the next generation of industry leaders and specialists in future grid technologies for renewable energy generation, transmission and distribution, supported by renewable hydrogen energy storage and market driven customer responsiveness enabled by new information and communications technologies, to provide a more sustainable, reliable, secure and affordable electricity system.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE210100473
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$462,573.00
Summary
Breaking Performance Limits of Solar Inverters for a Sustainable Future. Micro-inverters offer a unique ability to maximise solar energy yield and streamline the installation, operation and maintenance process of solar power generation, thus having huge potentials to drastically reduce the cost of solar electricity. However, performance limits have hampered their wider applications in the energy sector. This project aims to tackle the performance challenges of micro-inverters by developing a nov ....Breaking Performance Limits of Solar Inverters for a Sustainable Future. Micro-inverters offer a unique ability to maximise solar energy yield and streamline the installation, operation and maintenance process of solar power generation, thus having huge potentials to drastically reduce the cost of solar electricity. However, performance limits have hampered their wider applications in the energy sector. This project aims to tackle the performance challenges of micro-inverters by developing a novel power-conversion architecture, a unified design framework, and a new control theory. The intended research outcome will be a new range of ultra-high-performance micro-inverters. This will promote greater solar uptake and maintain Australia’s leadership in the development of disruptive solar power generation technology.Read moreRead less
Transforming Microgrid to Virtual Power Plant –ICT Frameworks,Tools,Control. The project aims to enhance large scale renewable penetrations to national power grid by advancing control, optimization, and ancillary services of Virtual Power Plants (VPPs), considering different disruptive events including recent South Australian blackout. This project expects to create new control, frame communication architecture, develop plug and play type IoT enabled grid interfacing inverter, and optimize resou ....Transforming Microgrid to Virtual Power Plant –ICT Frameworks,Tools,Control. The project aims to enhance large scale renewable penetrations to national power grid by advancing control, optimization, and ancillary services of Virtual Power Plants (VPPs), considering different disruptive events including recent South Australian blackout. This project expects to create new control, frame communication architecture, develop plug and play type IoT enabled grid interfacing inverter, and optimize resource management for distributed VPPs. The anticipated benefits from this institutional level collaborations are that VPPs help in enhancing national power grid operations during normal and disruptive conditions when more renewables are connected and also secure benefits of consumers, prosumers, and grid operators.Read moreRead less
Power system security assessment given massive intermittent energy sources. This project aims to develop new models and analysis methods to investigate the impact of massive intermittent energy sources (IESs) on the performance and security of power grids. Furthermore, advanced control strategies will be developed to enhance the security. The outcomes can provide useful guidelines to assist the Australian power industry and the government in realising the renewable energy target. Furthermore con ....Power system security assessment given massive intermittent energy sources. This project aims to develop new models and analysis methods to investigate the impact of massive intermittent energy sources (IESs) on the performance and security of power grids. Furthermore, advanced control strategies will be developed to enhance the security. The outcomes can provide useful guidelines to assist the Australian power industry and the government in realising the renewable energy target. Furthermore considering serious blackout can not only cause economic losses, but also larger disturbance in other critical infrastructure, this project also contributes to national security.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE220100044
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$412,944.00
Summary
Data-driven Wide-area System Strength Monitoring under Weak Grid Conditions. This project aims to investigate and evolve the system strength assessment framework to suit weak electricity grids with substantial renewable sources. It expects to develop a digitalized approach where comprehensive metric indices are estimated by an innovative data-driven system to realize real-time wide-area system strength assessment under weak grid conditions. Advanced methods will also be developed to bridge the g ....Data-driven Wide-area System Strength Monitoring under Weak Grid Conditions. This project aims to investigate and evolve the system strength assessment framework to suit weak electricity grids with substantial renewable sources. It expects to develop a digitalized approach where comprehensive metric indices are estimated by an innovative data-driven system to realize real-time wide-area system strength assessment under weak grid conditions. Advanced methods will also be developed to bridge the gap between data science and energy system applications. The new suite of next-gen metrics and data-driven techniques will offer the world’s most innovative renewable energy products with desired grid support capability and low system strength operability, that would smooth the transition towards low-carbon electricity future.Read moreRead less
A Next Generation Smart Solid-State Transformer for Power Grid Applications. The research aims to design, develop and implement a next generation, compact and light-weight, smart solid-state transformer with a newly developed high-frequency magnetic link and power converters that will provide a better and faster voltage transformation and regulation and support the power grids. The proposed research will revolutionize the power grids by replacing the traditional transformer with a new device mad ....A Next Generation Smart Solid-State Transformer for Power Grid Applications. The research aims to design, develop and implement a next generation, compact and light-weight, smart solid-state transformer with a newly developed high-frequency magnetic link and power converters that will provide a better and faster voltage transformation and regulation and support the power grids. The proposed research will revolutionize the power grids by replacing the traditional transformer with a new device made of solid-state power modules that will have multi-feature and multi-function ability and control facilities. The technology developed in this research will help make energy networks more efficient, smart, reliable and flexible, having direct benefits to renewable energy growth, with long-term impact on national economy.Read moreRead less
Customer Centred Peer-to-Peer Energy Trading Framework for Future Grids. This project aims to develop a peer-to-peer (P2P) energy trading framework that facilitates cooperative and trustworthy energy trading directly among energy customers such as residents. By developing novel energy load monitoring and prediction techniques, a customer cooperation scheme and a privacy-preserving P2P energy market, this project expects to transform current energy networks to facilitate energy trading at the edg ....Customer Centred Peer-to-Peer Energy Trading Framework for Future Grids. This project aims to develop a peer-to-peer (P2P) energy trading framework that facilitates cooperative and trustworthy energy trading directly among energy customers such as residents. By developing novel energy load monitoring and prediction techniques, a customer cooperation scheme and a privacy-preserving P2P energy market, this project expects to transform current energy networks to facilitate energy trading at the edge of the grid and contribute to achievement of Australia’s net-zero emission target by 2050. The intended outcomes form this project include new science and knowledge of customer-side energy systems, new design philosophy and strategies for energy markets, and an open-source framework for prototype evaluation. Read moreRead less
Extending the lifetime of switching power converters. This project aims to address the need for longer lifespan of power conversion systems which can withstand failure of its key components. This is achieved through developing more reliable power converter circuits whilst reducing the stress of the components. This project will generate new circuit design and control techniques for power and energy systems, especially in dealing with reliability issues. Expected outcome of this project includes ....Extending the lifetime of switching power converters. This project aims to address the need for longer lifespan of power conversion systems which can withstand failure of its key components. This is achieved through developing more reliable power converter circuits whilst reducing the stress of the components. This project will generate new circuit design and control techniques for power and energy systems, especially in dealing with reliability issues. Expected outcome of this project includes reduction of failure rate of power converters by at least 50%. This should provide benefits for many sectors including emerging technologies in particular renewable energy, electric vehicles and energy storage systems seeking reliable power supply and for the environment with reduced e-waste production.Read moreRead less