AEG Power Solutions Equips the Microgrid Laboratory Emulator of Paderborn University
AEG Power Solutions, a provider of power supply systems and solutions for industrial, critical infrastructure and innovative power electronic applications announced its selection to deliver the power electronics for the power research emulation environment of the new microgrid laboratory of the University of Paderborn. Microgrids are local networks consisting of energy sources, storage facilities and consumers in various sectors. Their advantages: the energy consumption share of renewable energy can be increased and the peak power required at the grid connection point can be reduced. They represent an important solution component to ensure a secure, clean, efficient and cost-effective energy supply in the future.
The Competence Center for Sustainable Energy Technology (KET) at Paderborn University, under the leadership of the Department of Power Electronics and Electrical Drive Technology (LEA), is developing the infrastructure with which the behavior of power system such as battery storage systems, wind turbines, photovoltaic systems or combined heat and power plants can be emulated in the laboratory.
In combination with control and component modelling, the microgrid laboratory offers a highly flexible and modular development and validation platform on which a wide range of questions on local grids can be investigated and solutions developed.
The microgrid emulator will provide a test environment to emulate up to 16 energy system components. These can act as power source or consumer and will be programmed individually asrectifier or inverter via a rapid control prototyping system (RCP). The whole system can emulate a total power of 2 MVA. External loads can also be integrated in the setup to study their behavior under certain grid conditions.
Paderborn University and AEG PS worked closely together – trusting AEGPS’ expertise to engineer and customize the systems for the emulator project. The reliability of the systems is key for the project to achieve accurate simulation results. The solution delivered comprises 8 customized UPS systems based on the reliability proven Protect UPS series. The added rapid control prototyping systems will let each UPS system behave as inverter and/or rectifier to emulate up to 16 different components. Further AEGPS’ flexible Convert SC Flex - usually used as storage converter with onand off-grid capabilities – will connect the emulation environment to the public power grid.
The systems have been delivered in December 2020 while commissioning of the emulation environment is planned in Q1 2021. The project is financed by 50% from the European regional fond, by 40% from Northrhine-Westphalia and by 10% from Paderborn University.
