Fractalgrid

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In electric power distribution, a fractalgrid is a system-of-systems architecture of distributed energy resources or DERs. In a fractalgrid topology, multiple microgrids are strategically arranged to follow a fractal or recursive pattern. Fractals, or self-similar patterns, can be seen in nature. Clouds, river networks, and lightning bolts are a few examples of natural phenomena that display fractal features. [1] In a fractalgrid, a microgrid may be composed of smaller microgrids or “fractal units”. In such a configuration, the network becomes one of simplified power flows and communications through distributed substations. [2]

Contents

Variations

There are two main variations of the fractalgrid concept. Though not mutually exclusive, CleanSpark's FractalGrid architecture is a bottom-up implementation while NRECA's flows from the top-down to reach similar architectural quality attributes.

CleanSpark's FractalGrid

This variation is a command-and-control platform that integrates energy storage technology with on-site generation, monitored by a distributed data monitoring and controls system. [3] The fundamental goals of the fractalgrid are to ensure energy security to critical facilities and functions of the local area while reducing overall cost.

Features include [3] clean energy storage integration, technology-agnostic implementation, load management, demand response, peak shaving, and real-time energy optimization.

Within a fractalgrid, microgrids are placed in parent-child relationships in which a child microgrid can be islanded from its parent microgrid. [4] Each fractal microgrid can operate autonomously or federated with others. The federated state allows for sharing of resources but also allows for disconnection in the cases of maintenance and emergencies. In the same way that microgrids are able to island from the utility when needed, fractal microgrids can disconnect from one another in order to maintain power supply to critical loads. [5]


Camp Pendleton FractalGrid Demonstration (CPFD)

Starting July 2014, an active fractalgrid [6] [7] has been active in San Diego County, California at military base Camp Pendleton, funded by the California Energy Commission to exhibit the uses of fractalgrid technology. [8] The Camp Pendleton fractalgrid is connected to a 1.1 MW facility consisting of several buildings at the Barracks, a three-story parking garage and three cell towers. The project implements three self-sufficient fractal microgrids and a larger microgrid that interconnects the site such that resources can be shared between microgrids in various configurations. Each fractal microgrid's operational status is dependent on the state of power supply and the need to keep critical loads powered. [5] Using real-time data, the system monitors the energy consumption levels and evaluates the power generation received from distributed energy resources (DERs). This analysis is used to determine how many loads can be powered by local generation. [4]

The CPFD illustrates islanding within a fractalgrid. Each fractal microgrid is capable of completely separating from its parent microgrid in order to best support critical loads. [9]

NRECA's Agile Fractal Grid

The Agile Fractal Grid is a concept envisioned by Craig Miller, scientist at the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA), as well as Maurice Martin, David Pinney, and George Walker. According to their report, "Achieving a Resilient and Agile Grid" [10] the ideal principles of Fractal Operation are as follows:

An integral part of the agile grid is segmentation. The concept calls for a collection of independently operating systems that function together in a coordinated manner, as opposed to the traditional utility grid supplying energy for a large geographical area. Units are segmented in such a way that they are able to act as individual units and localize power supply and control. A large benefit to segmentation is the ability for the individual units to act separately from a central control system, which can create more stability in the overall system and decentralizes the source of energy. [10]

The basis for the agile grid is segmentability, rather than segmentation. It is crucial for the units to have the ability to operate separately from each other, but only when it is practical to do so. Integration between units must also occur for the system to be efficient. [10]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Distributed generation</span> Decentralised electricity generation

Distributed generation, also distributed energy, on-site generation (OSG), or district/decentralized energy, is electrical generation and storage performed by a variety of small, grid-connected or distribution system-connected devices referred to as distributed energy resources (DER).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Power outage</span> Loss of electric power to an area

A power outage is the loss of the electrical power network supply to an end user.

Energy demand management, also known as demand-side management (DSM) or demand-side response (DSR), is the modification of consumer demand for energy through various methods such as financial incentives and behavioral change through education.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vehicle-to-grid</span> Vehicle charging system that allows discharge and storage of electricity

Vehicle-to-grid (V2G) describes a system in which plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) sell demand response services to the grid. Demand services are either delivering electricity to the grid or reducing the rate of charge from the grid. Demand services reduce the peaks in demand for grid supply, and hence reduce the probability of disruption from load variations. Vehicle-to-load (V2L) and Vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) are related, but the AC phase is not synchronised with the grid, so the power is only available to "off-grid" load.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Demand response</span> Techniques used to prevent power networks from being overwhelmed

Demand response is a change in the power consumption of an electric utility customer to better match the demand for power with the supply. Until the 21st century decrease in the cost of pumped storage and batteries, electric energy could not be easily stored, so utilities have traditionally matched demand and supply by throttling the production rate of their power plants, taking generating units on or off line, or importing power from other utilities. There are limits to what can be achieved on the supply side, because some generating units can take a long time to come up to full power, some units may be very expensive to operate, and demand can at times be greater than the capacity of all the available power plants put together. Demand response, a type of energy demand management, seeks to adjust in real-time the demand for power instead of adjusting the supply.

A microgrid is a local electrical grid with defined electrical boundaries, acting as a single and controllable entity. It is able to operate in grid-connected and in island mode. A 'stand-alone microgrid' or 'isolated microgrid' only operates off-the-grid and cannot be connected to a wider electric power system. Very small microgrids are called nanogrids.

A virtual power plant (VPP) is a system that integrates multiple, possibly heterogeneous, power sources to provide grid power. A VPP typically sells its output to an electric utility. VPPs allow energy resources that are individually too small to be of interest to a utility to aggregate and market their power. As of 2024, VPPs operated in the United States, Europe, and Australia.

Dynamic Demand is the name of a semi-passive technology to support demand response by adjusting the load demand on an electrical power grid. It is also the name of an independent not-for-profit organization in the UK supported by a charitable grant from the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, dedicated to promoting this technology. The concept is that by monitoring the frequency of the power grid, as well as their own controls, intermittent domestic and industrial loads switch themselves on/off at optimal moments to balance the overall grid load with generation, reducing critical power mismatches. As this switching would only advance or delay the appliance operating cycle by a few seconds, it would be unnoticeable to the end user. This is the foundation of dynamic demand control. In the United States, in 1982, a (now-lapsed) patent for this idea was issued to power systems engineer Fred Schweppe. Other patents have been issued based on this idea.

Islanding is the intentional or unintentional division of an interconnected power grid into individual disconnected regions with their own power generation.

Mohammad Reza Iravani is a professor in the Edward S. Rogers Sr. Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Toronto. He holds the L. Lau Chair in Electrical and Computer Engineering in same department.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Load management</span> Process of balancing the supply of electricity on a network

Load management, also known as demand-side management (DSM), is the process of balancing the supply of electricity on the network with the electrical load by adjusting or controlling the load rather than the power station output. This can be achieved by direct intervention of the utility in real time, by the use of frequency sensitive relays triggering the circuit breakers, by time clocks, or by using special tariffs to influence consumer behavior. Load management allows utilities to reduce demand for electricity during peak usage times, which can, in turn, reduce costs by eliminating the need for peaking power plants. In addition, some peaking power plants can take more than an hour to bring on-line which makes load management even more critical should a plant go off-line unexpectedly for example. Load management can also help reduce harmful emissions, since peaking plants or backup generators are often dirtier and less efficient than base load power plants. New load-management technologies are constantly under development — both by private industry and public entities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Smart grid</span> Type of electrical grid

The smart grid is an enhancement of the 20th century electrical grid, using two-way communications and distributed so-called intelligent devices. Two-way flows of electricity and information could improve the delivery network. Research is mainly focused on three systems of a smart grid – the infrastructure system, the management system, and the protection system. Electronic power conditioning and control of the production and distribution of electricity are important aspects of the smart grid.

The environmental benefits of renewable energy technologies are widely recognised, but the contribution that they can make to energy security is less well known. Renewable technologies can enhance energy security in electricity generation, heat supply, and transportation. Since renewable energy is more evenly distributed than fossil fuels at the global level, the use of renewable energy technologies can also lead to decentralized and self-sufficient energy systems and reduce energy dependencies among countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Electrical grid</span> Interconnected network for delivering electricity to consumers

An electrical grid is an interconnected network for electricity delivery from producers to consumers. Electrical grids consist of power stations, electrical substations to step voltage up or down, electric power transmission to carry power over long distances, and finally electric power distribution to customers. In that last step, voltage is stepped down again to the required service voltage. Power stations are typically built close to energy sources and far from densely populated areas. Electrical grids vary in size and can cover whole countries or continents. From small to large there are microgrids, wide area synchronous grids, and super grids. The combined transmission and distribution network is part of electricity delivery, known as the power grid.

Ancillary services are the services necessary to support the transmission of electric power from generators to consumers given the obligations of control areas and transmission utilities within those control areas to maintain reliable operations of the interconnected transmission system.

The UCLA Smart Grid Energy Research Center (SMERC), located on the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) campus, is an organization focused on developing the next generation of technologies and innovation for Smart Grid. SMERC partners with government agencies, technology providers, Department of Energy (DOE) research labs, universities, utilities, policymakers, electric vehicle manufacturers, and appliance manufacturers. These partnerships provide SMERC with diverse capabilities and exceptional, mature leadership.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Synchronverter</span> Type of electrical power inverter

Synchronverters or virtual synchronous generators are inverters which mimic synchronous generators (SG) to provide "synthetic inertia" for ancillary services in electric power systems. Inertia is a property of standard synchronous generators associated with the rotating physical mass of the system spinning at a frequency proportional to the electricity being generated. Inertia has implications towards grid stability as work is required to alter the kinetic energy of the spinning physical mass and therefore opposes changes in grid frequency. Inverter-based generation inherently lacks this property as the waveform is being created artificially via power electronics.

Microgrid clustering is connecting and controlling multiple microgrids within a certain range of distance to either gain economic benefits when the microgrids are connected to the grid in normal operation or to mitigate power outage during blackout by maintaining supplying the critical loads. The connection between the microgrids in the cluster should be set up in a specific way according to a predefined algorithm and the existing conditions of the system.

Commelec is a framework that provides distributed and real-time control of electrical grids by using explicit setpoints for active/reactive power absorptions/injections. It is based on the joint-operation of communication and electricity systems. Commelec has been developed by scientists at École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, a research institute and university in Lausanne, Switzerland. The Commelec project is part of the SNSF’s National Research Programme “Energy Turnaround”.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gabriela Hug</span> Swiss electrical engineer (born 1979)

Gabriela Hug-Glanzmann is a Swiss electrical engineer and an associate professor and Principal Investigator of the Power Systems Laboratory at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zürich within the Department of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering. Hug studies the control and optimization of electrical power systems with a focus on sustainable energy.

References

  1. ↑ What are Fractals?
  2. ↑ Advanced Architectures and Control Concepts for More Microgrids
  3. 1 2 CleanSpark Microgrid Technology
  4. 1 2 Camp Pendleton Energy Security: The Fractal Grid
  5. 1 2 A look inside the fractal microgrid at Camp Pendleton/
  6. ↑ "Indian Energy News: United States Marine Corps to Honor Navajo Code Talkers During Navajo Nation's Advanced FractalGrid Tour of Camp Pendleton". Archived from the original on 2015-12-09. Retrieved 2015-09-22.
  7. ↑ "Microgrids – Benefits, Models, Barriers and Suggested Policy Initiatives for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-11-06. Retrieved 2015-12-05.
  8. ↑ Camp Pendleton Microgrid - Energy Security CW6
  9. ↑ "American Public Power Association - Microgrids: Self-Sufficient Energy Islands". www.publicpower.org. Retrieved 2015-10-19.
  10. 1 2 3 Achieving a Resilient and Agile Grid
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