e-GRID Laboratory

Today the electric power production is changing from conventional, fossil-based sources to renewable energy resources. Highly efficient and sustainable power electronics are increasingly used in power generation, power transmission/distribution and end-user applications. Such large-scale expansion of power electronics usage will radically change the characteristic of the power system by introducing more harmonics and a large risk of instability in the power system.

e-GRID Laboratory

The eGrid Laboratory mission is accelerating deployment of sustainable power electronics-based power systems, which is in line with the Research Programme on Electronic Power Grid (eGrid) of the Department of Energy Technology at Aalborg University. The laboratory is equipped with latest hardware, real-time data measurement and control platforms in order to investigate power quality, harmonics and instability issues in current and future power grids. The available single-phase and three-phase multi-converter based architectures enable implementation of state-of-the-art and innovative solutions to control and mitigate harmonics instability and power quality problems. The eGRID Laboratory is designed to tackle real-world grid and power electronics challenges in close partnership with industry and research institutes at national and international levels.

Every year the laboratory hosts many visiting researchers and guest PhDs around the world due to its powerful proof of concept platform. The laboratory provides suitable research environment for PhD/Industrial courses programmed in AAU, such as: Industrial/PhD Course in Stability and Control of Grid-Connected Voltage-Source Converters, and elective Master Course in Design-Oriented Analysis of Converter-Grid Interactions for Renewable and Traction Systems.

FURTHER INFORMATION

FACILITIES

The laboratory is equipped with latest instrumentation and power converter setups including:

Grid Simulator (45 kVA, bi-directional, three-phase/single-phase operation, simulating different grid-faults, generating harmonics and interharmonics)
Multi-converter architecture with back-to-back PWM converter topology (each converter is rated at 5kW – 15kW)
Motor drive systems with different line-commutated and active rectifier technologies (up to 7.5 kW)
Voltage source and current source power converters
Electronics load (three-phase/single-phase operation, ability to simulate different harmonic current and loading conditions)
Multiple DC power supply (bidirectional, unidirectional, up to 600 V and 15 kW)

FEATURES & SERVICES

The eGRID Laboratory provides research and development platform in order to investigate and develop new solutions for industry. This includes:

Validation and development of different control strategies
Analysis and improvement of power converter stability and power quality
Evaluation of power electronics systems performance under harsh conditions (e.g., grid faults and loading profiles)
Verification and adaptation of new power converter concepts with current state-of-the-art power electronics systems
Development of flexible control platforms
Design and optimization of application-oriented passive and active filtering solutions

Our research scientists have long-standing collaboration with many Danish and international companies and research institutes such as Huawei, Dong Energy, Danfoss, ABB, ENERCON, TenneT, DNV-GL, GEIRI-Europe, State Grid Corporation of China.