SYSLABA platform for research and testing of decentralised energy resource based power systems

Henrik BindnerWind Energy SystemsWind Energy DivisionRisø DTU

Vind i Øresund Kick-off møde, LTH, december 2008

Acknowledgement:The parts of the work presented is supported by EnMi-project ” Self-organising distributed control of a distributed energy system with a high penetration of renewable energy” and ForskEl-project ”Characterisation of Vanadium Batteries”

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SYSLAB – Distributed Energy System Laboratory

• SYSLAB is a platform for Decentralised Energy Resources research and testing

• It is a flexible experimental setup up

• It includes several production and consumption units

• It has embedded computing power and flexible communication

• It has very flexible control possibilities

• It can be extended

7kW 11kW

13*1kW 48kW/60kVA

9kWh 55kW 15kW/120kWh

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Main parts of SYSLAB

• Production and consumption equipment

• Measurement system• Computer network• Node-computers with linux• Software: agent platform,

measurement database

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Electrical layout of SYSLAB

• Flexible grid configuration• Autonomous grid• Units can be tested in under

various grid conditions• Suitable for component as well

as system tests• Very flexible control• Control computer at each

component• Communication network• Agent-based software

infrastructure

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Execution platform

• Interactions between entities defined in software, not hardware

• easier transition between the current system (static hierarchy) and future paradigms, as research progresses

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What can SYSLAB be used for

• System control concepts– Distributed and decentralised control– Exploitation of demand response/demand side management– Communication – what has to be communicated, what happens when

the communication is interrupted• Interaction between components in a heterogenoues system

– Wind, Solar, Electrochemical Storage, Hydrogen system, Conventional production, Loads etc.

• Testing of components– Characterisation– System properties

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Examples on activities in SYSLAB

• System Control: – Self-organising distributed control of a distributed energy system with

a high penetration of renewable energy (EnMi)• Energy Storage:

– Characterisation of Vanadium redox-flow batteries (PSO)• Flexible Consumption:

– FlexHouse

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Self-organised distributed control of a distributed energy system with a high penetration of renewable energy• Activation of distributed

resources• Utilisation of local resources• Seamless integration with

system control (plug and play)• System is able to handle new

components as well as new configurations e.g. caused by faults

• Agent-based control of power system

• Agents are software objects that are

– Connected to the real world

– Pursuing a goal– Interacting with other

agents

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Vanadium battery at SYSLAB

• AC power: ±15 kW • Storage: 120 kWh

• Battery system includes:• Cell stacks (340 cells in

total)• Electrolyte and storage

(26500liter)• Balance of plant (pump,

pipes, etc.)• Control and communication

unit• Four quadrant AC/DC power

converter

• Total price: 750.000 DKK

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Round trip efficiency : electricity → storage → electricity

• Power Converter efficiency– ~85%

• Auxilliary Power Consumption– ~1.4kW (almost constant)

• Cell stack efficiency high• Converter losses are high• Auxilliary power consumption is

relatively high

Cell stack (DC power)

Cell stack andpower converter (AC)

Total, including auxiliarypower and storage losses

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Power FlexHouse

• Provide a software and hardware platform for implementation of controllers for flexible consumption

• Study control strategies for flexible loads, sensor requirements, modelling

• Investigate how users can interact with system

• Enable investigation of the interaction between control capabilities of a consumer load and the requirements of the rest of the system

• Communication interface between load and system:

– Which information to exchange,

– How to communicate strategies,

– Links to existing communication protocols

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Plug-in Hybrid Cars/Electric Vehicles

• RE in transport• Coordination control of

charging/discharging to support grid• Intelligent control

– Driving patterns– Forecasting techniques for

charging decisions– Charging depending on grid

state

• Extended battery– 9kWh LiFePO4 (48*24 cells)– 1kW charging power– 50km range as EV

• Future– Vehicle2grid hybrid car: Bi-directional

converter– Support grid

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SYSLAB – Development perspectives

1-5 kW Topsoe FC CHP Test System

• Integrates several areas of research

• Upscaling to nationwide system

– Simulations (IPSYS)

• Facility used in PhD and MSc projects

• SYSLAB is part of Powerlab.dk

• Investigate technical possibilities

– Embedded intelligence

– Distributed/Decentralised control

– Integration of energy carriers

– Multiple RE sources

• Possible extensions

– Hydrogen/Fuel cells

– Biomass

– Risø district heating/houses