Systems Integration Solutions for the Grid of the Future

Abstract:  The distribution grid is rapidly evolving with the integration of distributed energy resources (DERs). With this evolution, there is a growing need for power electronic (PE) solutions that ease system integration. Today, the PE solutions are used primarily for energy conversion. But they offer other benefits including power quality improvement, grid support etc. and be used to enhance the grid resiliency and reliability. Systems integration concepts are the key to reaping the benefits of the PE systems and are much needed for efficiently controlling, aggregating, and coordinating the PE based assets in the distribution grid. The seminar will thus introduce the systems integration concepts that are currently being validated at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). The seminar will highlight a framework for systems integration that spans from the grid edge to the distribution networks.

Biography:  Dr. Radha Sree Krishna Moorthy received her PhD in Electrical and Computer  Engineering from the National University of Singapore (NUS), Singapore in 2016. After her PhD, she held a postdoctoral appointment at North Carolina State University (NCSU), Raleigh, NC until 2018. At NC state, she focused on SiC based high power inverters for vehicular applications.

Since 2019, she has been with Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) in Knoxville, Tennessee. As a R&D Staff Member at ORNL she is actively developing the concept of Solid-State Power Substations (SSPS) for the grid of the future and their fundamental building blocks – Smart Universal Power Electronics Regulators (SUPERs) and Intelligent Power Stages (IPSs) for grid modernization. Being an expert in real-time platforms, she is also leading the efforts on establishing controller hardware in loop (CHIL) testbeds for validating grid architectures to ease DER integration in the distribution grid and to accelerate transportation electrification.

Her work has been published in major journals including IEEE Transactions in Industrial Electronics, IEEE Transactions on Industry Applications and Journal of Emerging and Selected Topics in Power Electronics. Her research interests include grid modernization and futuristic grid architectures, futuristic charging solutions and grid architecture validation in real-time systems.

***Event will take place in hybrid format. The location for in-person attendance will be room 1500 EECS.   Attendance will also be possible via Zoom. The Zoom link and password will be distributed to the Controls Group e-mail list-serv.

To join this list-serv, please send an (empty) email message to [email protected] with the word “subscribe” in the subject line. To cancel your subscription, send an (empty) email to  [email protected] with the word “unsubscribe” in the subject line.  Zoom information is also available upon request to Shelly Feldkamp at [email protected].