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Project # 107
Low Voltage Distributed Power System (Microgrid)
| Team Lead: | Phoenix Sanders |
| Other Team Members: | Joel Benitez | Mauricio Obregon | Eric Yick | Andris Weaver |
| Faculty Advisor(s): | David Wetz |
| Department: | EE |
| Project Type: | Senior Design |
| Title: | Low Voltage Distributed Power System (Microgrid) |
| Abstract: | This project addresses the critical need for increased flexibility, resiliency, and reliability in modern naval power systems, which are often subjected to high-power and pulse power loads. Building upon existing components within the Pulsed Power and Energy Laboratory, the team’s objective is to analyze, connect and test the components required to make a functioning microgrid testbed that employs hybrid energy storage, rotating machines, emulated sources, and programmable loads. The microgrid architecture achieves resilience through two main systems. First, the primary AC power is supplied by two synchronized CGG 164A Gensets (driven by WEG and Marathon motors). Generator stability is maintained by parallel Basler DECS-150 AVRs, which precisely regulate voltage and share reactive power using droop control. Frequency stability is managed separately by VFDs and Encoders maintaining the 1800 RPM motor speed. Second, the system’s ability to handle transients is governed by the Hybrid Energy Storage Module (HESM), which uses ultracapacitors to act as a transient current buffer on the load side. This back-end mitigation isolates the generators and their AVRs from instantaneous pulse load shocks, ensuring the entire system meets strict power quality standards. The architecture is controlled and monitored by an NI PXIe system, creating a robust platform for future military power system research. |
| Poster: | View Poster #107 (PDF) |
| Judges Scoring: | Submit Evaluation (judges only) |