NC State researchers tackle smart-grid challenges

Members of the White House Council on Jobs and Competitiveness recently toured North Carolina State University’s FREEDM Systems Center, a research facility that focuses on smart-grid technology and distributed energy.

FREEDM, which stands for Future Renewable Electric Energy Delivery and Management, was formed in 2008 by a five-year, $18.5 million Engineering Research Center grant from the National Science Foundation.

The center benefits from its location in the Triangle, one of the US’ top smart-grid hubs. A recent Duke University study counted nearly 60 smart grid companies in the region. They include the power systems giant ABB, which is developing a Smart Grid Center of Excellence just down the road from FREEDM on NC State’s Centennial Campus.

One area the FREEDM Center is focusing on is in the next generation of distribution transformers. In April, a new type of transformer under development at the FREEDM Systems Center was named to MIT Technology Review’s 2011 list of the world’s 10 most important emerging technologies.

The devices, called smart solid-state transformers, represent a big step forward toward developing the smart energy grid of the future. Today’s grid, which has changed little since the days of Thomas Edison, lets power flow in only one direction — from the power company to the consumer. But as the cost of renewable energy technologies comes down and plug-in electric vehicles become more widespread, the grid will need an upgrade to handle the flood of devices that will not only consume energy, but will be able to push it back onto the grid.

The FREEDM Center’s smart transformers are built to manage power more effectively than today’s transformers. They will precisely control voltage, frequency and other electrical properties as they communicate with the rest of the grid. The devices will also help utilities incorporate lots of renewable energy into the grid with fewer blackouts or power surges.

Stephen Cass, special projects editor for the Technology Review, called the devices “a major advance for smart grids, allowing the flow of electricity to be controlled and rerouted in a manner similar to how data is routed around the Internet.”

Rogelio Sullivan, managing director of the FREEDM Center and Advanced Transportation Energy Center, says the center is still looking at another three to five years of development before the solid state transformer has the potential to be ready for commercial development.

“Our goal is to create a more efficient, smaller, and lighter transformer down the road,” says Sullivan. “It will need to be fully developed functionally, then tested for reliability, durability and other qualities, before it can be made commercially attractive.”

Other areas that interest FREEDM Center researchers include work on a DC-based distribution system, which integrates alternative technologies, like solar and electric vehicles, with the current grid system more easily. Researchers are also exploring new opportunities in energy storage, such as integrating vehicle battery technologies into the grid.