Restricted Research - Award List, Note/Discussion Page
Fiscal Year: 2023
1554 The University of Texas at Arlington (143442)
Principal Investigator: Dr David Wetz Jr,wetz@uta.edu,(817) 272-1058
Total Amount of Contract, Award, or Gift (Annual before 2011): $ 250,000
Exceeds $250,000 (Is it flagged?): Yes
Start and End Dates: 8/1/22 - 4/30/24
Restricted Research: YES
Academic Discipline: Department of Electrical Engineering
Department, Center, School, or Institute: none
Title of Contract, Award, or Gift: Robust Control of a Medium Voltage (MV) DC/AC Testbed Integrating Distributed Sources and Energy Storage
Name of Granting or Contracting Agency/Entity:
Office of Naval Research
CFDA Link: DOD
12.300
Program Title:
none
CFDA Linked: Basic and Applied Scientific Research
Note:
(SAM Category 1.1.1.) This proposal requests funds to procure a Woodward ATLAS-II™ digital control system to control a ~500 kW medium voltage (MV) AC/DC testbed on the University of Texas at Arlington (UTA) campus. The testbed is referred to as the Intelligent Distributed Energy Analysis Laboratory (IDEAL) and the PPEL group is currently funded by Mr. Joseph Borraccini (Code 331) to use the testbed to support the Robust Combat Power Controls (RCPC) Future Naval Capability (FNC) program being co-sponsored by ONR and the Electric Ships Office (PMS 320). We are working with Dr. Lynn Petersen (Code 331) to leverage the testbed to support his Power Electronic Power Distribution System (PEPDS) program starting in FY22. The current testbed controller, a National Instruments (NI) compact DAQ (cDAQ) system, lacks the common hardware and software framework used by the Navy. The procurement, installation, and deployment of a more Navy centric controller allows for more useful and seamless sharing of control algorithms between UTA, NSWC-PD, and other FNC performers. The Woodward ATLAS-II™ controller is currently being used by the Code 50 team at NSWC-PD, especially as an engine-generator controller. The FNC team has identified the ATLAS-II™ as a viable candidate for controlling distributed power systems and this effort will help to de-risk its deployment in future power system testbeds installed at NSWC-PD, including the Power & Energy Dynamic Assessment Laboratory (PEDAL) and the Integrated Test Facility (ITF). The Navy’s next generation of ships will begin to introduce a host of new continuous and transiently operated directed energy (DE) loads. To meet the unique high power and transient requirements that these loads introduce, shipboard electrical power systems must be considerably altered. New architectures will rely on the intelligent integration of many different AC and DC power sources operating across several different voltage and power levels. Proper regulation and control of all these sources and loads is critical. The control(s) validations performed using the proposed controller hardware will significantly advance the Navy’s technology readiness level (TRL) in this emerging area.
Discussion: No discussion notes