Electricity and Control September 2021

TRANSFORMERS, SUBSTATIONS + CABLES : PRODUCTS + SERVICES

Managing renewable energy in national grids

EirGrid is partnering with power technology firm Smart Wire Grid Europe (Smart Wires), and the research and development consortium Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) on a ground-breaking project aimed at boosting the flow of renewable energy on the electricity grid. The project is being supported with a financial contribution from the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) under the SEAI National Energy Research, Development & Demonstration Funding Programme 2019. The project is led by Ireland-based Smart Wires Europe working in collaboration with EirGrid and EPRI. The two-year project, with a budget of almost €300 000, aims to develop sophisticated software tools that will enable EirGrid to increase the wind and solar power that can be transported on the grid. As operator of the national electricity grid, EirGrid has been tasked with increasing the average amount of renewable energy carried on the grid to 70% by 2030. It currently carries an average of just over 40%. Mark Foley, EirGrid Chief Executive, said the project will optimise the use of the electricity network in real time, allowing more renewable energy to flow over existing lines. “By participating in this project, EirGrid is helping to future proof its network and contributing to the global en- ergy transition by supporting the development of tools that could be rolled out to grid operators around the world. We are pleased to partner with Smart Wires and EPRI on this important work.” he added. The key objective of the project is to develop a world- first decision-support tool that helps manage the com- plexities of a grid with high penetration of renewable generation. This will enable control room operators to manage the grid by activating digital power flow control- lers deployed on all key transmission lines and substa- tions. The project will develop a new advanced software tool that will help visualise and optimise the settings of and EMI signal characteristics to obtain reliable results by helping them differentiate these signals from nuisance signals. The algorithm also assists with classifying dif- ferent types of PD and EMI defects based on their sig- nal characteristics. ‘Wizard Mode’ guides newer users through measurement and data acquisition procedures with an intuitive user interface that excludes any unnec- essary elements and functionality, while ‘Expert Mode’ allows more experienced users to use the system like a traditional laboratory device, which can be configured to perform measurements in any desired form. Doble’s Spark measurement systems will integrate with Doble Pulse™ companion PC software, which en- ables the user to manage measurement data, edit test plans and asset information, visualise measurement Continued from 26

The technology is being developed to allow for increased renewable energy to be carried efficiently over the existing transmission grid. the power flow control devices on the grid. By providing real-time decision support to control room operators, this type of visualisation will help EirGrid and other system operators move towards smarter, and increasingly auto- mated grid operations. The tool will optimise network power flows and pro- vide more consistent, real-time control. This helps resolve constraints, enables a greater integration of renewable energy, and reduces the need for new infrastructure. It will be built such that it can be converted to other grid operation platforms, allowing easy adoption by transmis- sion system operators worldwide. In the project, Smart Wires is developing the technolo- gy and tools, and EPRI is providing subject matter exper- tise. EirGrid will share relevant transmission system data and provide subject matter expertise. Smart Wires’ CEO Peter Wells commented: “Power flow control technology will be crucial to countries meet- ing their climate action obligations. We are already see- ing global interest in this technology development work as countries seek ways to unlock the full potential of grids to enable the energy transition.” data, and export individual datasets or entire test plans to report templates. The analyser also includes configurable, pre-set test plans and measurements, making it ideal for a range of users including utilities, field testing companies, large in- dustrial organisations, universities and laboratories. The lightweight, portable and battery-operated device is suit- able for benchtop and onsite settings. A 19-inch rack- mount adapter is also available. The device includes multiple input channels including two PD, two reference voltage, and two acoustic emissions channels, and is supplied with a 100-240 V 2A power supply. For more information contact Doble Engineering Company Africa. Email: Rnaidoo@doble.com, visit: www.doble.com For more information visit: www.smartwires.com

28 Electricity + Control SEPTEMBER 2021