Research Projects

The "smart systems and flexibility plan" in India aims to upgrade the Indian energy system by integrating Power Electronic Converters (PECs) with advanced grid supporting features such as inertia and reactive power support. PECs should have fault-tolerant capabilities, allowing them to operate in full capacity or restricted capacity during faults. A multi-level structure of PEC with a proper post-fault strategy can be suitable for applications where the point of coupling voltage is at a few kilo-volts (medium voltage) range. This research proposal will focus on capacity building of technological development for higher bus voltage operation using two circuit configurations: Laboratory set-up-1 and Laboratory set-up-2. A lab scale hardware structure for wind emulator will be set up in-house, acting as a wind turbine prime mover. A battery-sourced synchronverter will be built to create a weak grid condition, mimicking characteristics of a Synchronous Generator. This experimental set-up (10 kw rated) will allow for study of PECs' PWM strategies, fault detection and fault tolerant operation strategies, and control structure for grid supporting functionalities. Advanced inertia support-based control schemes will be implemented to supply or absorb intermittent active power upon detecting any grid frequency variation. In conclusion, the "smart systems and flexibility plan" in India aims to improve the resilience of the Indian energy system by integrating PECs with advanced grid supporting features.