Dr. Alan Mantooth
Distinguished Professor
University of Arkansas
Inaugural SEC Symposium
Energy Delivery in the Smart Grid Era
Energy Delivery in the Smart Grid Era
H. Alan Mantooth
21st Century Endowed Chair in Mixed-Signal IC Design & CAD
Distinguished Professor of Electrical Engineering
Executive Director
National Center for Reliable Electric Power Transmission
NSF Center for GRid-connected Advanced Power Electronic Systems
NSF Vertically Integrated Center for Transformative Energy Research
February 12, 2013
Outline
Energy Delivery in the Smart Grid Era

What IS Smart Grid?

The Role of Power Electronics

Emphasis of UA-USC Collaborations

Power Electronics for Distributed Generation
3
Significance of Electric Power
Energy Delivery in the Smart Grid Era
Power Electronics
Source: National Academies
4
Conventional Power Systems
Energy Delivery in the Smart Grid Era
Conventional power systems have four main components:

Generation: Production of electricity from other forms of energy

Transmission: Transmission of electric power from generators to
distribution system; includes power stations and transmission lines

Distribution: Connection of power lines to end users or consumers

Consumers: Use the energy obtained from the previous process
CONSUMERS
GENERATION
TRANSMISSION
WIND AND SOLAR
FARMS
DISTRIBUTION
5
6
State of the U.S. Energy Industry
Energy Delivery in the Smart Grid Era
ELECTRICITY
39.2 Quads Generated
26.6 Quads Lost
= 68% Electric Waste
Livermore Labs: https://flowcharts.llnl.gov/
TOTAL ENERGY
97.3 Quadrillion BTUs Processed
55.6 Quads Lost as Energy Waste
= 57% Energy Waste
Factors Influencing Smart Grid
Energy Delivery in the Smart Grid Era
Standards
Economics
Regulatory
Environment
Policy
Smart
Grid
Politics
Societal
Electronics
Security
Renewables
Storage
Electrical energy demand is rising
Fossil fuel costs are rising
7
8
Why Pursue a Smart Grid?
Energy Delivery in the Smart Grid Era
Smart grids appear as a prevalent answer to create more efficient and
sustainable energy systems, improve reliability and resiliency, maintain
our standard of living, and address environmental concerns.

Satisfy the growing electricity demand

Monitor grid status and collect data from the grid

Optimize and control the produced power

Modernize and upgrade the transmission and distribution system

Enhance reliability, resiliency, sustainability and security of the grid

Minimize grid operation interruptions and blackouts

Integrate renewable sources with the energy market

Address environmental issues and respond to new energy policies
What Is the Smart Grid of the Future?
Energy Delivery in the Smart Grid Era
Communication network
CENTRAL POWER PLANTS
SMART
METER
WIND
FARM
Power network
BUILDINGS
FLYWHEEL, SMES, EDLC
SYSTEMS
SMART
METER
SMART
METER
SMART
METER
ENERGY
STORAGE
PMU
PMU
SMART
METER
SOLAR
FARM
SMART GRID CONTROLLER
SMART
METER
SMART
METER
SMART
METER
SMART
METER
INDUSTRIAL
PLANTS
PUMPED STORAGE
OR CAES
HOUSES
9
Body Analogy
Energy Delivery in the Smart Grid Era

Bones = existing electric power grid

Central nervous system = communications

Muscle = power electronics

Lifeblood, heart, and soul = engineers!
10
GRid-connected Advanced
Power Electronic Systems
(GRAPES) – An NSF I/UCRC
Power Electronics:
The Muscle of the Smart Grid
NSF Showcase
May 16, 2012
12
Power Electronic Applications
Energy Delivery in the Smart Grid Era
ELECTRICITY GENERATION
COMMERCIAL
INDUSTRIAL
RESIDENTIAL
13
Community Energy Storage
Energy Delivery in the Smart Grid Era
Source: R. Hayes of AEP
14
State of the U.S. Energy Industry
Energy Delivery in the Smart Grid Era
• Greater than 30% of all electricity generated is processed
by power electronics and electric motor systems.
• Greater than $300 billion in energy is processed by power
electronics and electric motor systems.
• Average power electronics system is 70-90% efficient
(i.e. up to $60 billion in wasted energy annually).
GRAPES Mission and History
Energy Delivery in the Smart Grid Era

The mission of GRAPES is to accelerate the
adoption and insertion of power electronics into the
electric grid in order to improve system stability,
flexibility, robustness and economy.

UA and USC faculty have worked together
successfully for more than a decade

Started GRAPES in 2009

Why did we start GRAPES?
Ans. Critical mass
Strategic Planning - Providing Ongoing
Benefit to our Stakeholders
Energy Delivery in the Smart Grid Era

Strategic Plan focusing on 8 areas

Research foci are:
• Distributed Energy Resources
• Demand Side Management
• Power Flow Control
• Power Electronic Modules
• Power Electronic Systems

Administrative foci are:
• Recruitment
• Performing as a Model Organization
• Student Excellence
Vertically-Integrated Research
Energy Delivery in the Smart Grid Era
End users of grid-connected advanced power
electronic systems or demand-side controls
Field Test and Evaluation
System Analysis &
Integration
Power Electronic
Prototyping
Advanced Controls
Circuit Design
Modeling and Simulation
Electronic Materials &
Packaging
Electric Utilities &
Industrial Controls
Switch Gear
Products
Research
Iteration
System
Requirements
Equipment
Providers
Power Devices
Inductors
Capacitors
Component
Manufacturers
18
Prototype Test & Evaluation Facility
Energy Delivery in the Smart Grid Era

7000 ft2 building

$5 million test facility

One-of-a-kind

Cost-effective facility for
businesses, national labs,
and universities

UL and IEEE Standards
testing
UA Test Facility
Energy Delivery in the Smart Grid Era
19
Example Power Electronic Module
Energy Delivery in the Smart Grid Era
SiC Power Modules (actual photos)
 Collaboration with APEI, Rohm, Sandia
 Built, tested, demonstrated
 Operational to > 250 °C junction
 Includes miniaturized integrated high
temperature gate driver
 R&D 100 Award Winner (2009)
LTCC Driver Boards
DBA Power Board
MMC Baseplate
Solid-state Fault Current Limiter
Energy Delivery in the Smart Grid Era
21
Early Impact
Energy Delivery in the Smart Grid Era
Scalable Smart Power Routing
Power Module Layout Synthesis
Optimized design
over an R&D 100
Award winner!
DC and AC power routing between
renewable sources, grid, and loads in
residential, commercial & industrial
applications – allows islanding
23
Some Smart Grid Systems
Energy Delivery in the Smart Grid Era

Fault current limiter

Smart power routing

Interfaces to renewables (wind, solar)

Interfaces to storage (CES)

Electric vehicle charging & drive electronics

Transmission support

HVDC terminals
Summary
Energy Delivery in the Smart Grid Era

Distributed Resources are the means by which the
“evolution to revolution” can occur for our electric
power grid
• Resiliency
• Reliability
• Economy
• Efficiency
• Renewables

Power electronics are the muscle behind the smart
grid
• Condition, route, convert and shape the power for use
24
IEEE Power Electronics for Distributed
Generation 2013
25
Energy Delivery in the Smart Grid Era
John Q. Hammons Center,
Rogers AR

PEDG 2013 – July 8 - 11, 2013
• Expecting about 300 participants
• www.pedg2013.org

Key Dates
• Deadline for digests: March 1, 2013
• Notification of Acceptance: April 30, 2013
• Deadline for Final Manuscripts: May 31, 2013
Acknowledgements
Energy Delivery in the Smart Grid Era

SECU organizing committee

Sponsors: NSF, ONR, DARPA, DoD, DoE and lots of
industry partners

Colleagues from a variety of institutions, but UA and
USC first and foremost

The horses: our students!
26
Dr. Alan Mantooth
Distinguished Professor
University of Arkansas