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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2025

Resilience of the Electric Grid Through Trustable IoT-Coordinated Assets

The electricity grid has evolved from a physical system to a cyberphysical system with digital devices that perform measurement, control, communication, computation, and actuation. The increased penetration of distributed energy resources (DERs) including renewable generation, flexible loads, and storage provides extraordinary opportunities for improvements in efficiency and sustainability. However, they can introduce new vulnerabilities in the form of cyberattacks, which can cause significant challenges in ensuring grid resilience. We propose a framework in this paper for achieving grid resilience through suitably coordinated assets including a network of Internet of Things devices. A local electricity market is proposed to identify trustable assets and carry out this coordination. Situational Awareness (SA) of locally available DERs with the ability to inject power or reduce consumption is enabled by the market, together with a monitoring procedure for their trustability and commitment. With this SA, we show that a variety of cyberattacks can be mitigated using local trustable resources without stressing the bulk grid. Multiple demonstrations are carried out using a high-fidelity cosimulation platform, real-time hardware-in-the-loop validation, and a utility-friendly simulator.

distributed energy resources↗
DOE OSTI2021

Resilient Operation of Power Distribution Systems Using MPC-Based Critical Service Restoration

Power distribution systems are more prone to disruptions and cause most power system outages. We propose a service restoration technique to recover the system service (electricity delivery) following an extreme event-triggered substation outage. The proposed technique considers the problem of controlling distributed energy resources (DERs) of a distribution system with the objective of achieving maximum load pick up while satisfying network flow and voltage constraints. The problem is formulated as a model predictive control (MPC), where a linearized optimal power flow (OPF) model is employed to describe the network. The formulation is augmented with a ramping (up) reserve product for the DERs to ensure an upward monotonic load restoration as time evolves. We perform simulations considering the IEEE 13-bus test feeder integrated with wind, solar, microturbine, and energy storage devices. We demonstrate the efficacy of the devised technique in restoring the system loads monotonically, without shedding previously restored loads. We also show the benefit of co-optimization of power and reserve products for DERs on service restoration. In addition, the capability of the technique in regulating nodal voltages and reducing renewable power curtailment is demonstrated.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2021

Resilient Operation of Power Distribution Systems Using MPC-Based Critical Service Restoration

Power distribution systems are more prone to disruptions and cause most power system outages. We propose a service restoration technique to recover the system service (electricity delivery) following an extreme event-triggered substation outage. The proposed technique considers the problem of controlling distributed energy resources (DERs) of a distribution system with the objective of achieving maximum load pick up while satisfying network flow and voltage constraints. The problem is formulated as a model predictive control (MPC), where a linearized optimal power flow (OPF) model is employed to describe the network. The formulation is augmented with a ramping (up) reserve product for the DERs to ensure an upward monotonic load restoration as time evolves. We perform simulations considering the IEEE 13-bus test feeder integrated with wind, solar, microturbine, and energy storage devices. We demonstrate the efficacy of the devised technique in restoring the system loads monotonically, without shedding previously restored loads. We also show the benefit of co-optimization of power and reserve products for DERs on service restoration. In addition, the capability of the technique in regulating nodal voltages and reducing renewable power curtailment is demonstrated.

61 RADIATION PROTECTION AND DOSIMETRY↗
DOE OSTI2023

Resilient Communication Scheme for Distributed Decision of Interconnecting Networks of Microgrids

Networking of microgrids can provide the operational flexibility needed for the increasing number of DERs deployed at the distribution level and supporting end-use demand when there is loss of the bulk power system. But, networked microgrids are vulnerable to cyber-physical attacks and faults due to the complex interconnections. As such, it is necessary To design resilient control systems to support the operations of networked microgrids in responses to cyber-physical attacks and faults. This paper introduces a resilient communication scheme for interconnecting multiple microgrids to support critical demand, in which the interconnection decision can be made distributedly by each microgrid controller even in the presence of cyberattacks to some communication links or microgrid controllers. This scheme blends a randomized peer-to-peer communication network for exchanging information among controllers and resilient consensus algorithms for achieving reliable interconnection agreement. The network of 6 microgrids divided from a modified 123-node test distribution feeder is used to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed resilient communication scheme.

Vu, Thanh Long↗
DOE OSTI2021

Resilient Operation of Power Distribution Systems Using MPC-Based Critical Service Restoration: Preprint

Power distribution systems are more prone to disruptions and cause most power system outages. We propose a service restoration technique to recover the system service (electricity delivery) following an extreme event-triggered substation outage. The proposed technique considers the problem of controlling distributed energy resources (DERs) of a distribution system with the objective of achieving maximum load pick up while satisfying network flow and voltage constraints. The problem is formulated as a model predictive control (MPC), where a linearized optimal power flow (OPF) model is employed to describe the network. The formulation is augmented with a ramping (up) reserve product for the DERs to ensure an upward monotonic load restoration as time evolves. We perform simulations considering the IEEE 13-bus test feeder integrated with wind, solar, microturbine, and energy storage devices. We demonstrate the efficacy of the devised technique in restoring the system loads monotonically, without shedding previously restored loads. We also show the benefit of co-optimization of power and reserve products for DERs on service restoration. In addition, the capability of the technique in regulating nodal voltages and reducing renewable power curtailment is demonstrated.

61 RADIATION PROTECTION AND DOSIMETRY↗
DOE OSTI2023

Electrical Fault Detection, Power Quality, Distributed Energy Resource Use Cases, and Cyber Event Applications with the Cyber Grid Guard System Using Distributed Ledger Technology

Electrical utilities continue to deploy more intelligent electronic devices (IEDs) inside and outside electrical substation and are associated with distributed energy resources (DERs). The integrity and confidentiality of data from IEDs is crucial, and distributed ledger technology (DLT) could improve the resilience of microgrids by helping to make these data more secure. The most popular applications using blockchain technology for electrical utilities is in the field is based on energy trading. However, the dynamism of the penetration of customer owned DERs and the deployment of sensors with IEDs have led to the identification of new applications using DLT that are focused on other areas, such as monitoring, operation and management of the grid and its assets. In addition, the majority of studies on electrical grid applications with blockchain were validated with software simulations. Although general monitoring of power systems for using DLT could be evaluated in operational electric grids, other DLT research applications such as defense against cyber-attacks and/or electrical fault detection are not likely to be performed in a real infrastructure because of possible risks to the network/equipment security. This report summarizes the application of power system applications using distributed ledger technology (DLT), providing a secure DLT framework for collecting data from IEDs like power meters and protective relays inside and outside of an electrical substation and/or between two different electrical utilities. In this study, the use case scenarios were created and assessed for different power system application by using DLT. The electrical fault detection for faulted phases (1), power quality monitoring of phase voltage magnitudes, frequency levels and load power factor (2), DERs use case monitoring (3), and cyber-event applications (4) were performed in a test bed with a Cyber-Grid Guard (CGG) system using DLT. It had a real-time simulator with power meters and protective relays in-the-loop. The first section of this report presents a literature review of power system applications using blockchain at research level. The second section shows the theory and equations used on this report. The third section shows the description of the test bed, equipment, architecture, and electrical grid diagrams. The fourth section shows the experimental models and use case scenarios that were performed for the electrical fault detection, power quality, DERs use case, and cyber event applications with the CGG system using DLT. The fifth section shows the results collected from the tests based on comparing the time stamped events of the analog signals from the IEDs, DLT computer and real time simulator. The sixth section performed the discussion of the results for the use case scenarios. Finally, section seven presents the conclusions for this report were presented.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
DOE OSTI2024

Cybersecurity Baselines for Electric Distribution Systems and DER

The National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC) has partnered with the Department of Energy (DOE) to develop a set of cybersecurity baselines for electric distribution systems and the distributed energy resources (DERs) that connect to them. Cybersecurity is an integral underpinning of power system resilience, and this initiative builds on work that states have undertaken over the last decade to mitigate cybersecurity risk across their critical infrastructures.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
DOE OSTI2022

Integration of Microgrids, DER Aggregators, and DERMS with ADMS

Distributed energy resource (DER) management and control is disjointed, siloed, and at times conflicting. Behind-the-meter (BTM) assets can provide significant flexibility but are poorly integrated with the grid. Centralized control methods alone are not scalable. The objective is to develop and demonstrate an architecture that: provides reliable, resilient, and secure grid services; enables scalable, near-real-time management of utility- and small-scale DERs; supports transactive control, aggregation, and direct control of DERs; and incorporates existing utility management systems.

ADMS↗
DOE OSTI2022

Case Study: Resilience Benefits of Distributed Wind Against Fuel and Weather Hazards in Alaska

In this case study of St. Mary’s Village, Alaska, we present a resilience evaluation exercise. A resilience framework is employed to identify system characteristics, relevant metrics, and resilience hazards and to assess the performance against the hazards with and without a distributed wind system installed. The results show the resilience benefits provided by the distributed wind installation against fuel shortage hazards and cold weather hazards. The resilience benefits can be assigned monetary values, which will be highly dependent on actual circumstances of the hazard, but provide insight into value streams of distributed wind that are not usually considered. For example, the single 900 kW turbine was found to prevent an average of 14,643 kWh of load from being dropped during a two-day diesel fuel shortage event, which saved the community $447,592 from the prevented outages. This case study serves as an example for novel power system resilience analysis and builds understanding of resilience hazards that are common across many power systems.

Culler, Megan J.↗
DOE OSTI2024

Microgrid Controller Survey Report: 2024 Update

In the past decade, the number of microgrids deployed by electric utilities, end-use customers, and third parties has been increasing significantly both in the US and worldwide. The increase is driven by various reasons, such as carbon emission reduction, energy efficiency improvement, reliability and resilience enhancement, energy infrastructure modernization, and more. Microgrid controllers, as the most important components in these deployed microgrids, optimally coordinate the operation and control of the microgrid assets (e.g., distributed energy resources [DERs], energy storage systems, demand response, and even electric vehicles) and ensure that the microgrid is being operated in an efficient, clean, and resilient manner. To that end, the market for microgrid controllers has been growing rapidly in recent years. Various microgrid controllers have been released and continuously updated by vendors to satisfy the different needs of microgrid customers. However, the functionalities demonstrated by microgrid controllers released by different vendors show a huge difference because of a lack of widely known and accepted industrial standards, and various microgrid customers have specific requirements for different applications and scenarios. To obtain a clear view of the current state of the commercial microgrid controllers’ functionalities and identify potential research gaps, a survey of the functionalities of commercial microgrid controllers and the Advanced Distribution Management System (ADMS) developed by vendors and national laboratories was conducted in 2023. The results of the survey are presented in this report with the current status of commercial microgrid controllers analyzed, potential research gaps identified, and future research trends revealed.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
DOE OSTI2024

Self-Assembling Microgrids for Resilient Distribution Systems of the Future: Implementation in a Commercial DERMS Platform

Microgrids have long provided resilience to critical facilities such as hospitals and military installations, and they are now increasingly being looked at as a building block for future grids to support the energy resilience needs of the grid of the future. State-of-the-art technologies, such as blackstart algorithms using renewable distributed energy resources (DERs) to effectively and seamlessly form microgrids, have been produced by national labs over the years. Their adoption by the utility industry would be critical to reap the most benefits toward energy and climate resilience, and the pathway is via commercialization of these self-assembling microgrid algorithms by integrating them in a commercial product platform. This project brings a national labs team (LLNL, LANL) together with a vendor (Smarter Grid Solutions) to perform proof-of-concept integration of the algorithms into the vendor’s commercial Distributed Energy Resources Management System (DERMS). The project provides a strong pathway to commercialization of the algorithms thereby promoting adoption of resilient microgrid technology by utilities to offer resilience benefits to all customers and especially to disadvantaged and underserved communities.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
DOE OSTI2021

Real Time - Optimal Power Flow Based Distributed Energy Resources Management System (DERMS) (CRADA Number CRD-20-16909 Final Report)

The integration of behind-the-meter distributed energy resources (DERs) into distribution systems brings transformative changes to power systems. This requires operators and planners to find solutions to modernize electric grids and to effectively manage DERs for grid services. NREL developed novel DER management algorithms (referred to as Real-Time Optimal Power Flow, RT-OPF) through U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)-funded efforts, including Advanced Research Projects Agency–Energy (ARPA-E) Network Optimized Distributed Energy Systems (NODES) funding. This cutting-edge control technology aims to modernize distribution systems with large amounts of DER integration, which will help utilities solve issues brought by renewable integration and build resilient and renewable-based electric grids nationwide. Utilidata worked with NREL to investigate the commercialization opportunity of this RT-OPF-based distributed energy resource management system (DERMS). In this project, NREL performs the technology transfer of the RT-OPF to Utilidata to help them fully understand the RT-OPF solution, to identify potential engineering hurdles, and to assess the expected commercial value of various RT-OPF use cases and deployment. The technology transfer work includes two major tasks. First, NREL performs an in-depth knowledge transfer of the entire RT-OPF solution to Utilidata to help them gain an extensive and detailed understanding of the complete RT-OPF solution. In this task, NREL provides exhaustive information (e.g., documentation, code packages, laboratory and field trial data, performance results) while conducting in-depth training sessions to provide a thorough explanation of the entire solution. NREL hosts meetings to present different topics related to the RT-OPF solution, and question-and-answer sessions are included in each meeting to better explain the RT-OPF-related work. Second, the RT-OPF simulations are performed in a laboratory environment. The main objectives of this task are to walk through with Utilidata engineers how to set up a simulation of RT-OPF, identifying each RT-OPF code block/component in operation, learning how these components interact with each other, and eventually running RT-OPF simulations under various system conditions. This task helps Utilidata engineers understand performance limitations and constraints while also quantifying the commercial value of the RT-OPF for different use cases. Based on these two tasks, Utilidata engineers should be able to define and prioritize the next steps of RT-OPF implementation with an eye toward commercial success and scalability of the solution. The next steps are expected to be part of a new project following the conclusion of this project.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
DOE OSTI2024

Nova Analysis (Final Technical Report)

As the adoption of solar plus storage technology is rapidly increasing, there is a need for a more wholistic view of homes adopting them. In homes, both energy efficiency (EE) upgrades and DERs provide value not just to the homeowner, but to utilities and even society at large through emissions. Traditionally, EE and DERs are separate sectors, which makes it difficult to understand the co-benefits of their adoption. To address this, we created a novel workflow of tools that allows for a complete analysis of both efficiency and DERs. We also looked at a suite of metrics designed to capture the different benefits provided to different stakeholders, demonstrated with multiple sets of field data. A final report demonstrates the potential of the simulation workflow by simulating hundreds of buildings spread across the U.S. and demonstrating how a variety of factors affect the optimal sizing of DERs along with several other key metrics including energy, utility bills, emissions, and average resilience hours.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2023

Natural Gas Community of the Future (Final Report)

Nicor Gas, a subsidiary of Southern Company Gas and its parent company Southern Company, is developing the concept of the Carbon-neutral, Affordable, Resilient, and Equitable Community ("CARE Community") to address the challenges of accessibility and affordability of grid-interactive efficient buildings in historically disadvantaged communities. The CARE Community is a new construction net-zero energy and carbon neutral residential neighborhood consisting of 50 homes with electricity and natural gas services in South Suburban Chicago, built as low-income affordable housing. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) is assisting Southern Company to explore how energy efficiency, renewable technologies, and the reliability and resilience of natural gas can be combined and optimized in an islandable energy system as part of a broader effort to understand the role natural gas plays in future communities integrated with renewable energy and improved energy efficiency. The CARE Community will demonstrate how energy efficiency, distributed energy resources (DERs), and advanced controls can be combined with existing natural gas infrastructure to serve historically disadvantaged communities in a cold climate with low energy cost for affordable housing programs and enhanced resilience to withstand extreme weather. Homes will be a part of an islandable energy system, integrating multiple DER technologies such as solar panels, natural gas fuel cells, reciprocating natural gas engines, and battery storage. The CARE Community will provide a replicable template that affordable housing developers and energy companies can adopt throughout the United States. In this report, we present the design and modeling of the community and potential approaches for integrating DERs. We analyze and discuss annual simulations under normal operating conditions and week-long simulations under electric power grid outage conditions.

03 NATURAL GAS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Achieving Cyber-Resilience for Power Systems using a Learning, Model-Assisted Blockchain Framework

The secure integration and management of distributed energy resources (DER) and power aggregators in the electric grid requires secure communications and a physics-aware Command and Control (C2) strategy. A Blockchain (BC)-based overlay network was developed to provide a security layer for the existing power grid network that mitigates risks in current and legacy network and C2 protocols. By integrating a Model-Assisted Machine Learning (MAML) framework with a Secure Blockchain Overlay Network (SBON) a defense-in-depth strategy was achieved. In our approach, the MAML framework leveraged a smart contract framework to gather network data and learn the dynamics of DER to develop detection strategies for attacks targeting sensors and actuators used by DER. The MAML framework learned dynamical systems models for individual DERs to detect sensor attacks. For DER we utilized a Digital Twin (DT) to accelerate the learning process for a model resistant to stealthy attacks. The project created DT for PV inverters and BESS. The DTs were coupled with a model-assisted, data-driven learning of DER behavior. Specifically, we evaluated architectures for model-based learning with model-free fine-tuning. Additionally, differential privacy techniques were used to obfuscate data, while still allowing the computation of attack detection results based on obfuscated data. The SBON developed leverages a private permissioned blockchain network orchestrated with the Hyperledger Fabric framework. To connect the cyber world, which orchestrates the blockchain fabric, and the physical world where the power network resides, we developed a system implementation to enable the secure interaction of the physical world and the abstracted blockchain.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
DOE OSTI2024

Grid Integration of Renewable Energy and Energy Storage

Grid integration of renewable energy and energy storage requires forward-looking planning process, and increased emphasizes on reliability, resilience, and equity. Power-electronics based energy generation including solar, wind, distributed energy resources (DERs), and various types of grid-tied energy storage and emerging loads, are reshaping grid operator's understanding on interconnection level performance and responses. This paper will present the ongoing work at PNNL related to power electronics R&D, energy modeling and analysis, and a wide spectrum of grid stability studies and technologies in support of grid integration of renewable energy and energy storage.

Power Electronics, grid integration of renewable e↗
DOE OSTI2020

Cyber-physical Resilient Interoperable Microgrid Networks

The paper presents the results of an industry-academic collaboration between ABB, Duke Energy and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) that has developed and demonstrated a cyberphysical resilient control and communication architecture for deployment of multiple microgrid networks, as well as retrofitting the existing distribution grids by increasing DER penetration levels.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
DOE OSTI2024

Trust-Based Detection and Mitigation of Cyber Attacks in Distributed Cooperative Control of Islanded AC Microgrids

In this study, we address the challenge of detecting and mitigating cyber attacks in the distributed cooperative control of islanded AC microgrids, with a particular focus on detecting False Data Injection Attacks (FDIAs), a significant threat to the Smart Grid (SG). The SG integrates traditional power systems with communication networks, creating a complex system with numerous vulnerable links, making it a prime target for cyber attacks. These attacks can lead to the disclosure of private data, control network failures, and even blackouts. Unlike machine learning-based approaches that require extensive datasets and mathematical models dependent on accurate system modeling, our method is free from such dependencies. To enhance the microgrid’s resilience against these threats, we propose a resilient control algorithm by introducing a novel trustworthiness parameter into the traditional cooperative control algorithm. Our method evaluates the trustworthiness of distributed energy resources (DERs) based on their voltage measurements and exchanged information, using Kullback-Leibler (KL) divergence to dynamically adjust control actions. We validated our approach through simulations on both the IEEE-34 bus feeder system with eight DERs and a larger microgrid with twenty-two DERs. The results demonstrated a detection accuracy of around 100%, with millisecond range mitigation time, ensuring rapid system recovery. Additionally, our method improved system stability by up to almost 100% under attack scenarios, showcasing its effectiveness in promptly detecting attacks and maintaining system resilience. These findings highlight the potential of our approach to enhance the security and stability of microgrid systems in the face of cyber threats.

Computer Science↗