Mobile Microgrid for Disaster Recovery

Mobile Microgrid for Disaster RecoveryIowa Energy Summit, November 10, 2021Nicholas David, EPRC Engineer, Anne Kimber, EPRC Director,

Dolf Ivener, SunCrate, Dan Stieler, PowerFilm

Col. John Perkins and Ken Thornton, Iowa Army National Guard

https://www.ece.iastate.edu/eprc/


Background: IEDA project: mobile microgrid for disaster recovery

Earlier microgrid: Solar crate in Puerto Rico, August 2018

• SunCrate solar/storage crate to Puerto Rico (w/ Black & Veatch)

• PowerFilm Inc. flexible solar materials, military applications.

• Iowa Army National Guard provide design requirements for crate performance, contribute expertise on applications.

• ISU Architecture, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering profs and students: solar house design/build, battery modeling and testing, microgrid design

• Advisory Committee: IA ANG, Alliant, City of Ames, Cedar Falls Utilities, MidAmerican Energy

Phase 1 Tasks:

• Design, build, deliver: mobile microgrid for disaster recovery, to IA ANG requirements

• Provide plans for a second crate to serve for human use as office, or housing, based on ISU solar decathlon

previous experiences

Phase 2 Tasks: Demonstrate, collaborate and improve the microgrid based on feedback from microgrid

advisory committee AND Iowa Dept. Homeland Security, County Emergency Managers

Mobile Microgrid for Disaster Recovery Introduction

Iowa Energy Summit 2021 1

Background: EPRC: Started in 1963 as Power Affiliates Program“Advance research and graduate education in electric power systems; strengthen industry ties”

Industry Members: • Alliant Energy• City of Ames• Cedar Falls Utilities• Central Iowa Power Cooperative• Corn Belt Power Cooperative• International Transmission Company• MidAmerican Energy• MidContinent Independent System Operator

Other Collaborators: Algona Municipal Utilities, Maquoketa Valley Electric Cooperative, Iowa Lakes Electric Cooperative, Iowa Army National Guard, Department of Energy, Idaho and Sandia National Labs (and other National Labs),National Science Foundation, American Public Power Association, SunCrate, PowerFilm

Power Systems Engineering Faculty: Experts in their profession

• Venkataramana Ajjarapu, Nichols Professor, IEEE Fellow, [email protected]; voltage stability, T&D co-modeling

• Chao Hu, Mechanical Engineering; battery testing, battery state estimation, battery life prediction, [email protected]

• Ian Dobson, Sandbulte Professor, IEEE Fellow, [email protected]; voltage collapse, cascading outage

• Manimaran Govindarasu, Mehl Professor, IEEE Fellow, [email protected]; cyber security of power systems

• Jim McCalley- London Professor, IEEE Fellow, [email protected]; SEAMS project, co-optimization of generation and transmission

planning, wind energy integration

• Hugo Villegas-Pico, Assistant Professor, Power Systems, Power Electronics and Controls, [email protected]

• Zhaoyu Wang, Harpole-Pentair Assistant Professor, [email protected]; Distribution Systems, renewable energy integration

EPRC: Catalyst for collaboration in ISU-industry-National Laboratories

power systems R&D and technology transfer, to strengthen undergraduate

and graduate education in energy infrastructure.

We study power systems from large interconnected transmission grids to

microgrid-scale- with strength in fundamental and applied work in

transmission and distribution planning and operation, and cybersecurity.

Research and education driven to improve reliability and security of the

grid as more variable and distributed generation resources are connected,

and as loads also become more variable.



mailto:[email protected]







Why a mobile microgrid in Iowa now?

• Local solar resource, available PV and Battery

• Efficient power conversion

- fossil heat-to-power is 30-40% max,

- solar 20-40% irradiance to power,

- dc/ac conversion 90-99%.

• Iowa expertise in distributed energy systems and storage, focus on mobile, modular systems: ISU, SunCrate, PowerFilm, Iowa utilities, IEDA, IA Army National Guard

• Leadership from IEDA to develop an applied demonstration project for future resiliency benefits

• “People power” of the team: determination, ingenuity, flexibility, hard work and shared vision for success

• Vision, common purpose among organizations for a practical “seed” project, to lead to greater applications



Presidential Policy Directive (PPD) 21 : Critical Infrastructure Security and Resilience

“the ability to prepare for and adapt to changing conditions and withstand

and recover rapidly from disruptions. Resilience includes the ability to

withstand and recover from deliberate attacks, accidents, or naturally

occurring threats or incidents.”

Definition of resilience



https://www.energy.gov/sites/prod/files/2015/01/f19/SNLResilienceApril29.pdf

Microgrid Definition

6

EPRC[1] D. E. Olivares et al., "Trends in Microgrid Control," in IEEE Transactions on Smart Grid, vol. 5, no. 4, pp. 1905-1919, July 2014.

Schematic diagram of a generic multiple-DER MG [1]

A localized small-scale power system that clusters and manages distributed energy resources (DERs)and loads within a defined electrical boundary and point of common coupling (PCC).

IEDA microgrid is primarily “off-grid”: it can accept power from utility grid to charge batteries, but in current configuration does not feed back into that grid. Can modify controls to allow power to feed back, at the discretion of the local utility and specific use case.Current configuration includes:1. Rigid PV panels (14.4 kW) and DC to AC inverters2. Flexible PV panels (from PowerFilm)- 3 types, total 960 W, with

DC to AC inverters3. 6 Tesla power walls (total 78 kWh, 30 kW)4. A diesel generator (6.5 kW)5. A local network and Tesla Gateway controller (the brain)6. A communications network7. Three, single phase outlets (2 at 120 V, one 240 V) and one 3-

phase, 230 V8. NEW in July: 8 kW Outback Radian inverter and 20.8 kWh of

Hawk Big Battery Lithium Iron Phosphate

loads



• Build – Container, generation, conversion, plugs & wire

• Move – Truck and labor

• Maintain – 10 year batteries,

– 25 year solar PV

• $96k for research-grade prototype

• Market snapshot raw cost:

Batteries are ~$0.5/Wh,

Panels are ~0.2-1.0/W



Budgeting a microgrid

Design Aspect: Theoretical living space

by ISU Architecture: Profs. Ulrike Passe and Robert Whitehead, and Lane Pralle (M.S.)

Modular

• Kit of parts

• Work & storage

• Work & sleeping

• Living unit

Efficient

• Crate: 0.7 MWh/yr

• Average house: 11 MWh/yr

Mobile Microgrid for Disaster Recovery Design aspect – A theoretical space


• Diesel connected via RV inlet plug

- Plug can accept other gens

- ON/OFF signal joint at plug too

• Two sets of 120/240 V power outlets

- Tesla controlled

- Radian controlled

• A DC bus at Radian batteries

- Auxiliary charger from AC Bus1

- Removable 24 V, 5 kWh packs

Mobile Microgrid for Disaster Recovery SunCrate and ISU design


Design Aspect: Demonstration of the art• For data & informed design

• Confluence of size, mobility, cost

• Purely off-the-shelf components

• Open-source, SkyCAD

• Power and control circuits

• Filter, relays, sensors, comms

Repeatable electrical design





48” screw

Anchoring the crate and rack

• Variable lengths and soils

• Suggest: outriggers & screw jacks



Q Cells 400 W solar panels

PowerFilm 300 W flexible solar (glued to roof)

PowerFilm 220 W fold-out panels

• A fuel source

• Fixed angle bulk strings

• Roof-mount for storage trickle

• Fold-out briefcase for rapid need

Solar panels



• Added filter

Challenge: Power Quality

Yellow: Tesla voltage

Blue: Tesla current

Pink: noisy motor current – trips a GFCI

Danfoss VACON 3-ph inverter



• Voltage (x4) and current (x4)

• Power quality

• Frequency

• Transient capture

Dranetz power quality datalogger



Challenge: Operating modes

• Series flow vs. shared load

• Hoard reserve vs. sell portion

• Form grid vs. follow others’

• Communication among units

Multi-microgrid systems

• Added Outback Radian inverter/charger

– Grid-interactive inverter, 8 kW

• Added BigBattery Hawk LiFePO4, 24 V, 20 kWh



Operating modes

Grid-interactive (bi-directional)

- Constant droop

Support, Backup (uni-directional)

- Switching speed & dc strategy



18

Communication System

• Verizon CradlePoint cellular• PowerWall has own cellular• Everything has IP address• Remote monitoring• Limited remote configure

Challenges:• API or web display• Proprietary comms

- Tactical Microgrid Standard



Moving SunCrate to Camp Dodge

Challenges:

• Soil variability

• Ergonomics

• PV cable management

• Secure mounts



Transports:

• Flatbed, tow truck

• ECHU on HEMTT

Opportunity:

• Stability of multi-component systems

- Load-change with diesel gen – maybe still a control issue!

- A popular research question: stability of low-inertia power systems

Validating operation and solving problems

• Power quality, 3-ph and 1-ph

• Frequency deviation at high and low SOC

• Diesel synchronizing

• Transients during load change

• Temperature management

Mobile Microgrid for Disaster Recovery Testing


• Voltage harmonics from asynchronous connection with diesel

• Wall adapts to generator frequency

Diesel synchronizing

Problems?

• Warrantied two PowerWalls – inverter failures

• Software updates

• Bad communication wiring



Attempts

Oscillations

Stability in off-grid mode

– Synchronizing with diesel generator (captured with Dranetz)



• Simulated electronics

• Induce a load change

• Converter ‘droop’ controls

• Voltage spikes

- controller induced

- can trip PowerWalls

Studying transient voltage stability



Charge balancing

Observation:

• One out of balance

• Two opposite others

Problem:

- Communication wire



One-week polar vortex

• Load increases from added heating

• Solar replenishes night heat load

Cold winter weather

Daytime high -9° F

Raked snow

Snow and ice

Mobile Microgrid for Disaster Recovery Use Cases


Winter car chargingOgden veterinarian – Tesla car

City of Ames – Chevy Bolt

Heaters keeping up

Low: -21° F

High: -5° F



Food trucks at IEDA



Use case: Derecho disaster recovery – NOT A DRILL

• Cooked meals

• Fueled car and bike

• Modular fridge power

Bulk battery Micro battery





Next steps: partnerships for tech transfer, more microgrids

• FEMA BRIC proposal with IDHS, IEDA, advisory team: site, design, build microgrids for Iowa community resiliency

• Keep working with IA ANG and utility partners on best designs/economics for specific use cases (Col. Perkins: “What’s its job”)

• Black and Veatch-ISU research agreement: data/info exchange on mobile microgrids to support remote US and international construction activities.

• Working with University of Iowa and BES Water Solutions to power waste-water lagoons.

• Continue research and training collaborations with DOE National Labs (Idaho, Sandia, Pacific Northwest, and NREL) on the MIRACL project (Microgrids, Infrastructure Resilience and Advanced Controls Launchpad) and on the D3T project (Defense and Disaster Deployable Turbine) and for microgrid training.

• ISU senior design teams and graduate students: crate as a starting point for their microgrid designs and data analyses. (October 30: team awarded Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) GridEd grant for undergrad student R&D



• Application (power) with Risks (duration)

Sce. E

Grocery/ Shelter

Fridge/ freezer/ O2

Well/ Sewage

PO

WE

R

DURATION

Sce. DFuel station/ Cell tower

Reserves on hand Remote accessibility

“Three-hour tour” Weeks away72 hoursOvernight

Small pumps

Lights, phones

Pe

rso

na

lC

om

munity

1-1

01

0-6

0

Hospital/ Commercial

60-2

50

25

0+

Industrial/ Civil

Recommendation

• Design for a “Class of applications”

- Application-specific is too precise and tedious

- Modular market-ready products

- Plan for a scenario (Sce)

Sce. C

Sce. A

Sce. B

Mobile Microgrid for Disaster Recovery What’s next


Short course agenda

Nov. 5, 2021 Introduction to Microgrids & Energy Storage

Nov. 12, 2021 Stakeholder Needs

Nov. 19, 2021 Microgrid & Energy Storage Applications for Resilience & Energy Equity

Dec. 3, 2021 Microgrid & Energy Storage Engineering Challenges

Dec. 10, 2021 Policy & Regulatory Approaches

Information and registration:

www.sandia.gov/ess-ssl/Microgrids-and-ES-Webinar-Series/

Fridays from 10 AM to Noon, Central Time.

Mobile Microgrid for Disaster Recovery What’s next


http://www.sandia.gov/ess-ssl/Microgrids-and-ES-Webinar-Series/

Conclusions

• Mobile and clean energy can be accessed today.

• Designs are viable and useful

• Product and labor market exists

Recommendations

• Design for a need, fit an application class, keep it simple

• Expand renewable-based markets, broaden supply chain, and develop workforce

• Monetize value of resiliency to reflect broader benefit

• Plan infrastructure for community resilience

Outcomes

• Working prototype

• Demonstration in real applications

• Written and video instructions

• Schematics and system drawings

• Manufacturer revisions – SunCrate and Tesla

Mobile Microgrid for Disaster Recovery Conclusions


For More Information:

Dolf Ivener

President, SunCrate

[email protected], (712) 251-9967

Anne Kimber, PhD

Director, Electric Power Research Center



Nicholas David, PhD

Research and Demonstration Engineer, Electric Power Research Center


Dan Stieler

President, PowerFilm

[email protected], (515) 292-7606 ext 177

Ryan Young

Program Manager, Iowa Economic Development Authority


Mobile Microgrid for Disaster Recovery








Documents

Mobile Microgrid for Disaster Recovery