Reconfigurable Topologies for Power Electronics-Augmented Power Distribution Systems

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• Dr Matthew Deakin, Newcastle University
• Tuesday 13 February 2024, 14:00-15:00
• Denis Gabor Seminar Room, 611.

If you have a question about this talk, please contact Fei Teng.

Widespread uptake of inverter-based resources is driving down costs of grid-connected power electronics, leading to interest in the use of network operator-owned power electronic devices (PEDs) such as Soft Open Points, STATCO Ms and Hybrid Transformers. These PEDs increase network capacity by enabling demand to be dynamically allocated to balance asset loading, but growth has been slowed due to challenges of high costs and low utilization (i.e., small increases in network capacity per unit capacity of PED installed). This talk will discuss the critical role of topological reconfiguration in maximising the utilization of PED -augmented distribution systems, whose necessity is twofold. Firstly, reconfiguration enables modular PEDs to reallocate capacity at their output ports to maximise their flexibility; furthermore, network resilience considerations (e.g., post-fault network operability) are required to effectively site and size these PEDs. A variety of use-cases show idealised reconfigurable PEDs yielding 50% or more flexibility improvement as compared to static benchmarks. It is concluded that reconfigurable PEDs can provides a cost-effective approach for increasing network flexibility that concurrently maximizes both PED and distribution network utilization.

Bio: Dr Matthew Deakin is a Royal Academy of Engineering Research Fellow in the Electrical Power group in the School of Engineering at Newcastle University. His broad research interests include the development of new technologies to enable net zero power and energy systems, particularly exploring hybrid technologies which aim to efficiently maximise the utilization of existing assets. He is particularly interested in power electronics-based solutions (soft open points, ac/dc networks, multiport converters), the modelling and capabilities of demand side flexibility, and the role of interconnection in providing capacity in distribution networks and in resource adequacy problems.

This talk is part of the Control and Power Seminars series.

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• Andrea Picciau's list
• Control and Power Seminars
• Denis Gabor Seminar Room, 611

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