Smart Power Systems Laboratory

• The Laboratory has researched virtual power stations and information and telecommunication technologies in smart power generation systems taking account of the specific nature of the power generation industry in Russia.
• Our researchers have investigated problems occurring during formation of the control subsystem of smart power supply systems and integrated power supply systems. We have developed an optimized model of the structure of virtual power stations that allows to select the optimal solution on the basis of economic, ecological and reliability criteria. Principles of placement of accumulators and a method for determining their parameters have been developed.
• We have developed principles of formation of autonomous power supply systems utilizing sources of distributed generation of different types.
• We have solved the problem of determining rational structures and parameters of power supply systems with distributed power generation units. It has been demonstrated that usage of the technology of distributed generation, apart form increasing reliability and reducing costs of power generation, will also to improve quality of electric power in power supply systems. It has been shown that distributed power generation units can be used for reducing voltage deviations, voltage harmonic distortion and non-symmetry rates in power supply systems.
• Our researchers have formalized the problem of identification of power units of electric energy supply systems and proposed a method for determining their parameters on the basis of synchronized current and voltage phasors that has been developed on the ground of phase coordinates and can be applied in controlling complex asymmetric modes of power supply systems relying on the smart grid technology.
• We have proposed a method for parametric identification of power supply lines from information acquired from the PMU-WAMS vector measurements device. The method differs from the known ones as it forms a model of the power supply line as a grid substitution scheme. On the basis of computer modeling we have shown robustness of proposed identification models of power supply lines and converters in the context of variation of measurement error of current and voltage phasors within the PMU device precision class.
• We have developed data structures of CIM-models for SCADA software, conducted research in applicability of these models to existing software complexes. Our researchers have developed models and control systems for integrated power supply systems. A model of an energy hub has also been developed.

Implemented results of research:

• Applications of results of the project for small isolated power supply systems located in regions that are remote and difficult to reach.
• Applications of results of intellectual work in research and development organizations.  

Education and career development:

• Together with the Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg and the Wrocław University of Science and Technology we are preparing we are conducting training within the double masters degree agreements.
• We have organized internships for members of the academic staff of the Laboratory in such Russian and foreign universities such as the Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg (Germany), L. A. Melentiyev Energy Systems Institute of the Siberian Department of the Russian Academy of Sciences (Russia), the V. I. Lenin Ivanovo State Power Engineering University (Russia), the Kazan State Power Engineering University (Russia), the Samara State Technical University (Russia), the Moscow School of Management «Skolkovo» (Russia), Grenoble Institute of Technology (France), Leipzig University of Applied Sciences (Germany).
• The Laboratory has launched masters degree programs: «Smart power supply systems», «Non-traditional renewable energy», «Optimization of developing power supply systems», «Energy efficiency, energy audit and energy systems management», «Power stations, systems and networks», «Physics of electrical isolation, cable and capacitor devices».
• The Laboratory has obtained certificates from the Accreditation center of the Association of Engineering Education of Russia and the European Network for Accreditation of Engineering Education (ENAEE) for the program «Optimization of developing power supply systems», «Energy efficiency, energy audit, energy systems management», «Renewable energy» and «Smart power supply systems» for the specialization «Power generation and power engineering».
• We have developed the education course «Digital Technologies for Protection and Communication)» within the Erasmus+ project «Establishing Smart Energy System Curriculum at Russian and Vietnamese Universities (ESSENCE)». This course has been developed as part of modernization and actualization of masters degree program in the specialization «Power generation and power engineering» and will be implemented using the Laboratory's equipment.

Organizational and structural changes:

• The Laboratory is actively used in the education process of the Institute of Energy of the Irkutsk State Technical University in its masters degree programs: «Renewable energy», «Smart power supply systems», «Non-traditional renewable energy», «Optimization of developing power supply systems», «Energy efficiency, energy audit and energy systems management», «Power stations, systems and networks», «Smart power supply systems», «Renewable energy».
• We have trained young members of the academic staff both for tutoring and for conducting scientific research.

Collaborations:

• Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg (Germany): collaborative research, student exchange, joint masters degree program
• Wrocław University of Science and Technology (Poland): student exchanges, joint masters degree program
• Fraunhofer Institute for Factory Operation and Automation IFF (Germany), L. A. Melentiyev Energy Systems Institute of the Siberian Department of the Russian Academy of Sciences (Russia): joint scientific events, collaborative scientific work