In bulk power transmission systems, the use of power electronics based devices can potentially overcome limitations of the present mechanically controlled transmission system. They can help delay or minimize the need to build more transmission lines and enable neighboring utilities and regions to economically and reliably exchange power. The existing Flexible AC Transmission System (FACTS) technologies have limited impact on active power flow related system performance. Integrating an energy storage system (ESS), such as battery energy storage, superconducting magnetic energy storage, flywheel energy storage, or super capacitor energy storage, into a FACTS device can provide dynamic decentralized active power capabilities and much needed flexibility for mitigating transmission level power flow problems.
This work will focus on power electronics and control topologies design for FACTS/ESS integration. Existing power electronics and control topologies will be researched. Innovative design will be proposed for integrating flexible AC transmission systems (FACTS) and energy storage systems (ESS) devices. The proposed project will be conducted between a partnership program composed of two universities, Virginia Tech and UM-Rolla, along with BWX Technologies, Inc. and Sandia National Laboratory.
The integration of energy storage with power electronics devices has many other applications in different scales including aircraft carrier and naval shipboard, electric and hybrid-electric vehicles, electrically sensitive manufacturing and remote energy usage such as weather research stations, island systems, and military applications such as ground based defense systems.
