pt 9003 smartgrid en

8/8/2019 PT 9003 SmartGrid En

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There has recently been a lot o talk in themedia and debate by government ocialsabout the Smart Grid. The 2009 AmericanRecovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA)allocates billions o dollars in incentives orresearch and unding o projects that demon-strate Smart Grid technologies. Even thoughit has been researched at universities anddiscussed in many scientic journals and

industry publications or more than a decade,there is still no clear industry denition oragreement o what the Smart Grid is.

This paper summarizes the United States FederalGovernments vision or the Smart Grid, as well asthe tools utilized, the opportunities created andchallenges aced.

The business case or the Smart Grid

Even though todays national electrical grid is 99.97%reliable, as per the US Department o Energy (DOE),power outages and interruptions cost Americans over$150 billion each year. Given our population growth andexponential increase in electrical power consumptionin this increasingly digital world, coupled with the needor electriying our transportation system (ex: Plug-InHybrid Electric Vehicles) to lower the dependence onoreign oil, additional inrastructure (power generation,distribution and transmission systems) must be built.It is estimated that $1.5 trillion will be spent on thisinrastructure by 2030. This inrastructure will require

a secure, reliable and ecient distribution system tominimize economic losses. It must also be fexibleenough to integrate the new alternative energy sourcessuch as wind, solar and other distributed generationsources.

What is the Smart Grid?

The electric power industry describes it as electricitywith a brain, or as a sel-healing grid.

Some utilities are promoting the Smart Grid as the

application o Advanced Metering Inrastructure (AMI)to the existing grid, which simply means more intelligentmeters and control devices that are consumer interac-tive. The idea is that smarter customer control deviceswill receive signals rom the grid and process thisinormation based on the customers real demand, thenmake decisions that will save energy by switching someo the consumer loads o during peak demand hours.Such advanced meters and control technology will alsohelp utilities plan better and minimize the use o thetraditional and more expensive peak shaving peakerpower plants.

However, Advanced Metering Inrastructure (AMI) isjust one component o the governments concept othe Smart Grid. In addition to advanced metering, keyplayers in the power market realize that there is a needor real-time load monitoring that will integrate inorma-tion rom a variety o sources. It will then use thatdata to make decisions and utilize controls to rapidlyrespond to any event with the appropriate solution.

> White paper

By Wissam Balshe, Sales Application Engineer

An introductionto the Smart Grid

Power topic #9003 | Technical inormation rom Cummins Power Generation


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www.cumminspower.com

2009 Cummins Power Generation

Power topic #9003 | Page 2

According to the DOE, the new grid inrastructuremust be centralized, yet able to operate in isolatedsections. This means providing power to a smaller areadisconnected rom the primary grid, during a ailureevent. This microgrid structure will require that the gridbe able to integrate distributed generation sources that

are not usually on the grid during normal conditions. Iimplemented, the Smart Grid will grow the distributedgeneration business where small generators andrenewable energy sources located close to the loadwill be the prime source o power during interruption otraditional utility power. These distributed sources caninclude CHP (Combined Heat and Power) plants andpeak shaving generators located in industrial acilitiesas well as local peaking plants.

Even i they dont cover all o the consumers powerrequirements while in island mode, distributed genera-tion systems can at least provide power to the mostimportant acilities on the microgrid until conventionalutility power returns. Distributed generation can alsoplay a major role on the grid during normal conditions,where their location next to the load can help lowercost, improve reliability, reduce emissions, and expandenergy options to the consumer.

While the advancements in telecommunicationtechnologies revolutionized the world in the last ewdecades, the existing electric power grid still usessimilar technologies to that o the original grid designedin the late 1800s and early 1900s. This will changewith the new Smart Grid architecture, where digitaldevices and satellite communication networks will allowa two-way fow o inormation between utilities andcustomers. Such a communication network will help

ease the congestion o power during peak demandhours utilizing remote monitoring capabilities andproviding dynamic real-time pricing to customers. Thatinormation will allow users to respond to the advancedpricing inormation, shiting their usage to lower costo peak periods thus helping them better manage

their energy costs. This is a ar better alternative to thecurrent process o getting their monthly bill and tryingto react ater the act. Such communication systemsshould also be able to track and store data or betterplanning by utilities and consumers.

Advanced network sensing and modeling devices,combined with digital controls will transorm the humangrid operators role into more o an observer o thesystem. Since human error is the most common orm

o ailure in complex networks, using microprocessorcontrols will make the grid more reliable and asterwhen it comes to preventing blackouts.

Some o the emerging technologies that are expectedto be utilized in the Smart Grid are:

Phasor Measurement Unit (PMU) system whichuses sensors that sample voltage and current at agiven location up to 30 times per second. PMU ismuch aster than the existing Supervisory Controland Data Acquisition (SCADA) sampling system that

samples 2 to 4 times per second. Such enhancedsampling allows better diagnostic capabilities,making the grid more intelligent when it comes topredicting surges and outages.

Distribution Management System (DMS) powerfow monitoring sotware that (in study-mode) canbe used to run dierent grid operation scenarios

FIGURE 1 Custom packaged lean burn natural gas CHP system. FIGURE 2 Next generation superconductive power cables couldreduce line losses and carry 3-5 times more power.


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pulling data rom a centralized database thatis always updated and synchronized with thenetwork. This database has all the inormationneeded to simulate situations such as three-phaseunbalanced power fow, or perorm contingencyand short circuit analysis.

Visualizing Energy Resources Dynamically onEarth (VERDE) similar to Google Earth, VERDEsimulation allows grid modeling with geographicalinormation using real-time sensor data andweather inormation. This will enable the operatorto visualize the condition o the grid at dierentlevels, switching the view o the grid display romnational to regional or even street level, all withina ew seconds.

The new grid structure will also require advancedcomponents in the ollowing areas:

Energy storage technologies such as HybridAir Conditioning systems can convert electricalenergy to thermal energy and store it. This is moreeconomical than storing electricity in batteries.Such storage capabilities will be needed to growthe alternative energy sources, where unstablepower fow rom renewable energy plants suchas wind and solar arms can be stored and bettercontrolled. It can also supply power to the gridwhen it goes into island mode as explained above,or even reduce congestion o power on the gridduring peak demand.

Superconductive power cables research insuperconductivity could result in the wide use osuperconductive power cables. Such cables willreduce line losses in the distribution system whilecarrying 3-5 times more power than the traditionalcopper-based cable, making it a more ecient

system.There are many theories about what the uture SmartGrid should utilize, what it is and what it isnt, butthe intent o this paper to give a simple descriptiono the Smart Grid and its objectives, which can beshown in the FIGURE 3 rom a white paper by D. Sc.Massoud Amin, a proessor o Electrical and ComputerEngineering at the University o Minnesota, and a wellknown scholar in the Power and Energy Industry.

The regulatory organization rolein defning the Smart Grid and itscharacteristics

Independent System Operators (ISO), which are non-prot organizations ormed at the recommendation othe Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), arein charge o coordinating, controlling, and monitoringthe operation o the power system in areas that covera state or region. Even though utilities work and meetregularly with their ISOs and other utility organizationsin their regions, the current statutory arrangementhas resulted in little regulatory action among states toengage in collective action on a national level. In addition

FIGURE 3 Inrastructure integration o microgrids and diverse generation and storage resources into a system o a smart sel-healing grid.Taken rom, Smart Grid: Opportunities and Challenges Toward a Smarter and Stronger Grid, presentation delivered by D. Sc. Massoud Amin.

Disturbance in the grid

Isolated microgrid

Central power plant

Industrial plant

Wind arm

Solar panels

Houses

Oces

Smart appliancesCan shut o in responseto requency fuctuations.

Demand managementUse can be shited to o-peak times to save money.

SensorsDetect fuctuations and

disturbances, and can sig-nal or areas to be isolated.

StorageEnergy generated at o-

peak times could be stored

in batteries or later use.

ProcessorsExecute special protectionschemes in mircoseconds.

GeneratorsEnergy rom small generatorsand solar panels can reduce

overall demand on the grid.


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to that, regulated utilities have been traditionally reac-tive because they are well aligned or utility operationbut not necessarily well positioned or strategic nationalinitiatives like the Smart Grid.

This pushed the policy makers and legislators on bothstate and ederal levels to step up the pressure to

develop the Smart Grid, which will help expedite therenewable portolio standards that more than 30 stateshave adapted. These portolio standards require somestates to generate up to 25% o their power via renew-able energy sources, and in order to meet their goals,utilities in these states will need a reliable distributionsystem to integrate the new alternative energy sourcesinto the grid.

As an incentive to utilities to invest in the Smart Grid,in 2009 the US ederal government passed the

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA),which allocated around $4.5 billion to research and

projects that demonstrate Smart Grid capabilitieswhich meet the characteristics and objectives denedin Section 13 o the Energy Independence and Security

Act (EISA) o 2007:

to maintain a reliable and secure electricityinrastructure that can meet uture demand growthand to achieve each o the ollowing, which togethercharacterize a Smart Grid:

1. Increased use o digital inormation and controlstechnology to improve reliability, security, andeciency o the electric grid.

2. Dynamic optimization o grid operations andresources, with ull cyber-security.

3. Deployment and integration o distributed resourcesand generation, including renewable resources.

4. Development and incorporation o demandresponse, demand-side resources, and energy-eciency resources.

5. Deployment o smart technologies (real-time,automated, interactive technologies that optimizethe physical operation o appliances andconsumer devices) or metering, communicationsconcerning grid operations and status, anddistribution automation.

6. Integration o smart appliances and consumerdevices.

7. Deployment and integration o advanced electricitystorage and peak-shaving technologies, includingplug-in electric and hybrid electric vehicles, andthermal-storage air conditioning.

8. Provision to consumers o timely inormation andcontrol options.

9. Development o standards or communicationand interoperability o appliances and equipmentconnected to the electric grid, including theinrastructure serving the grid.

10. Identication and lowering o unreasonable orunnecessary barriers to adoption o Smart Gridtechnologies, practices, and services.

Challenges to the Smart Grid

There are regulatory as well as technical challenges.Some examples are:

Powertransmissionisaninter-statetransaction.

With some utilities regulated and others not, thiscould lead to conficts between utilities and theederal statutes that may deregulate power on a

national level to maximize competition which meansregional utility companies may have to divestthemselves rom their own generation operation.

Studiesshowthatpowergenerationfacilitiesare

being built at double the rate o new transmissionline inrastructure. This is putting a lot o stress onour existing power lines which will not be able tohandle such congestion in the near uture. Giventhe time it takes to obtain public approval orconstruction and many years required, the approvalor unding or building and implementing SmartGrid technologies is time critical.

Developingcommunicationstandardsthatareinteroperable between appliances and equipmentconnected to the grid, yet secure and notvulnerable to cyber attacks, is key to achieving theobjectives o the Smart Grid. The National Instituteo Standards and Technology (NIST), an agencyo the US Department o Energy, was chargedwith evaluating all the existing grid standards andidentiying common communication protocolsthat will meet all the requirements o the SmartGrid as dened by EISA. To achieve this, NIST isworking with the Electric Power Research Institute(EPRI), an independent, non-prot, organization

whose methodology or developing requirementson energy systems is recognized and published byinternational standards organizations such as theInternational Electrotechnical Commission (IEC).


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2009 Cummins Power Generation Inc. All rights reser ved. Cummins Power Generation

and Cummins are registered trademarks o Cummins Inc. Our energy working or you.

is a trademark o Cummins Power Generation.

PT-9003 (5/09)

Conclusion

The key players in the power industry seem to bemoving closer to an agreement on what the Smart Gridcharacteristics and objectives are, and the work orstandardizing the communications protocols to be usedin the Smart Grid has started. Thereore, companies inthe power industry should start planning or investmentin the Smart Grid to capitalize on the opportunitiescreated by the ARRA and EISA ederal acts, andto prepare or a revolution in the power distribution

technology.

For additional technical support, please contact yourlocal Cummins Power Generation distributor. To locateyour distributor, visit www.cumminspower.com.

Reerences

The Energy Independence and Security Act o 2007,Title 13, sections 1301 through 1309, pages 292 to 303.

The Smart Grid: An Introduction, a publication spon-sored by the US Department O Energys (DOE) Oceo Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability. Available

at http://www.oe.energy.gov/smartgrid.htmSmart Grid: Opportunities and Challenges Toward a

Smarter and Stronger Grid, presentation delivered byD. Sc. Massoud Amin in a Congressional Brieng to theR&D Caucus in Washington DC, sponsored by ASME/IEEE USA on March 26, 2009.

Other recommended publications

The Electric Power Grid: Today and Tomorrow,MRS Bull., Vol. 33, No. 4, pp. 399-407, Apr 2008

For the Good o the Grid: Toward Increased Efciencies

and Integration o Renewable Resources or Future

Electric Power Networks, IEEE Power & Energy,Vol. 6, no. 6, pp. 48-59, Nov/Dec 2008

North American Electricity Inrastructure: Are We Ready

or More Perect Storms?, IEEE Security and Privacy,

Vol. 1, no. 5, pp. 19-25, Sept/Oct 2003

Powering the 21st Century: We can and must

modernize the grid, IEEE Power and Energy Magazine,pp. 93-95, Mar/Apr 2005

Preventing Blackouts, Scientic American,pp. 60-67, May 2007

About the author

Wissam Balshe, Sales ApplicationEngineeringCommercial Products,

joined Cummins in 2007, as point ocontact generator set sizing, codes andstandards, transer switches and generalstandby power systems application

considerations. He graduated rom the University o

Minnesota in 2002 with a B.S. degree in ElectricalEngineering. He then worked or three years as anUninterruptible Power Supply System Engineer andthen two years as an Aerosol Technology ApplicationEngineer, detecting and analyzing Particulate Matterrom Engine Exhaust Emissions.

pt 9003 smartgrid en

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