About:

Established in 1994 as the Center for Advanced Control of Energy and Power Systems (ACEPS) and changed to CSM-PSERC, is a National Science Foundation (NSF) Industry/University Cooperative Research Center (I/UCRC) addressing challenges in the new electric power industry as it restructures to a competitive business environment. Finding innovative and efficient solutions to those challenges requires an unprecedented level of expertise, communication, and cooperation between university and industry. PSERC features a unique partnership consisting of industry, NSF, the Department of Energy (DOE), the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), Colorado School of Mines (CSM) and twelve other universities, and more than a 35 industrial members, mostly utilities, across the nation and oversees.

Due to the strong interest shown by other institutions and national and international utilities, ACEPS has been transformed into an NSF Mega-Center which includes ten other universities and more than thirty industrial members. With this expansion, and given the electric power deregulation phase, the power center has become a key national resource for the Research & Development (R&D) needs of this major industrial sector.

Mission:

PSERC member universities work with industry to conduct research on challenges facing a restructured electric power industry and to educate the next generation of industry professionals. Finding innovative and efficient solutions to those challenges requires an unprecedented level of expertise, communication and cooperation between universities and industry. As a National Science Foundation Industry/University Cooperative Research Center, PSERC draws on the expertise of academic researchers at multiple universities across the US who specialize in power systems, applied mathematics, non-linear systems, power electronics, control theory, computing, operations research, economics, industrial organization and public policy analysis. It collaborates with industry members from business and government organizations with an interest in seeing that electricity customer needs are met through economical, reliable and environmentally acceptable supply and delivery of electricity.

Research:

Industry restructuring and technology change is creating new challenges for the operations, security and reliability of the power system, for the physical and institutional structures, and for delivery of economical and environmentally acceptable electricity services. PSERC's research program is divided into three research stems.

Research Stem 1: Markets
The electric power industry is in transition toward a market-oriented structure with decentralized decision-making by a wide-ranging group of market participants. The research under this stem emphasizes the design and analysis of market mechanisms, computational tools and institutions that facilitate efficient coordination, investment, and operations while recognizing the economic and technical characteristics of power systems.

Research Stem 2: Transmission and Distribution Technologies
The transmission and distribution technologies research stem addresses issues related to moving electrical energy efficiently, safely, securely, and reliably. This stem is divided into areas associated with higher voltage levels (transmission systems) and lower voltage levels (distribution systems). Improvements in this infrastructure could be achieved through innovations in software, hardware, materials, sensors, communications and operating strategies. Therefore, a central goal of this research stem is the improvement of transmission and distribution systems through the application of technological advances.

Research Stem 3: Systems
Restructuring is leading to large and complex operational entities (such as Independent System Operators or Regional Transmission Organizations) while small-scale, dispersed generation technologies are increasing their penetration in power systems. The challenge is to develop new operations frameworks and approaches that will effectively cope with the growing complexity of a restructured industry. Systems research concentrates on operation of such complex, dynamic systems in general and power systems in particular.

PSERC's research focus is on helping the next generation electric power system evolve into a competitive, high performance component of the nation's infrastructure. To meet this goal research expertise includes the following:

• A.I. and intelligent control systems
• Real-time monitoring, advanced diagnostic systems, and predictive maintenance
• Artificial intelligence
• Advanced sensor and monitoring systems
• Power quality
• Nondestructive evaluation
• Advanced power electronics
• Remote sensing, security, and control
  

Examples of current research projects are described below:

EMAT--Based Monitoring and Diagnostic System for Overhead Transmission Lines

Increased demand in electric power, higher expectations of customers in terms of reliability and power quality, and market pressures due to the introduction of deregulation and IPPs have introduced new challenges for the utility industry. While operation and maintenance (O&M) is a major cost and has to be contained, electric power reliability is directly related to the quality of maintenance. At the Colorado School of Mines (CSM) in Golden, Colorado; a key goal of our research studies is to integrate technological advances into the O&M of electric power utilities. The electric utility industry depends heavily on the capability to deliver reliable, uninterrupted transmission of electrical power. A reliable transmission line is considered to be a transmission line with the capability to operate uninterrupted, safely in a wide range of meteorological conditions and over a long period of time. Transmission lines must constantly be inspected and protected against damage induced by such effects as lightning, corrosion, and cracking. We have developed a non-destructive monitoring and assessment technique and incorporated this concept into a device called an EMAT, or electro-magneto-acoustic transducer that enables monitoring of integrity and health assessment of conductors in ground mat risers and ACSR conductors in transmission lines.

EMAT Sensor Prototype and Linemen Testing Overhead Transmission Lines

 

Enhancing the Operation of Highly Varying Industrial Loads to Increase Electric Reliability, Quality, and Economics

The goal of this project is to determine the control aspects of highly varying industrial loads as they relate to the operation of the electric system by NERC control performance standards. In terms of the scope of this research, the term highly varying industrial loads refers to loads that exhibit rapid and large fluctuations, as in arc furnaces and rolling mills. For system operation, it is difficult to predict and generate power for these non-conforming loads as desired . Yet arc furnace or steel mill loads are not without distinctive patterns or identifiable phases. Considerable amount of reserve capable of very high ramp rate would be needed to follow highly varying industrial loads. For a utility with a large concentration of such loads, this direct approach is not economically feasible since these loads are to some extent dependent on the operational cycle of the processes involved, timing could be one avenue for reducing their overall impact on the control performance of the electric system. To do that, we would have to first get a better understanding of the operation of these loads. Secondly, we need to develop tools to recognize signatures of these loads and to signal the timing.

Intelligent Substation

Enhanced safety, reliability and reduction in maintenance cost, as well as significant business opportunities have been the main driving force behind the increased interest in proactive and predictive maintenance concepts for industrial processes, machinery and components. In order to realize such benefits, significant technical challenges are still remaining to be solved. Development of advanced sensors and monitoring systems, non-linear modeling and analysis of system behavior, intelligent data processing, advanced diagnostic tools, and techniques for the assessment of equipment life expectancy are among the key challenges.

This project seeks to develop a comprehensive approach to the health assessment of electric transmission and distribution (T&D) infrastructure. The concept of an Intelligent Substation is devised using advanced analytical techniques including sensor fusion and non-linear output observers as foundations for the development of the Predictive Maintenance. New non-destructive monitoring devices for T&D systems are also being developed.

Field Testing at WAPA's Ault Substation

Advanced Control of Combined Heat and Power (CHP) and Distributed Generation Systems for Optimal Energy Usage in Commercial Buildings

Buildings consume up to half of the total energy consumption. Heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning system (HVAC) system has a major role of delivering a comfortable indoor environment for people to work and live. Given the increased demand for energy and the recent challenges introduced by the shortage of electric power, it is essential to investigate and develop advanced control systems that would optimize the buildings energy usage while maximizing the occupant's comfort. The strategy will include the implementation of combined heat & power technology and application of passive and active thermal energy storage systems.

Combined heat and power (CHP) is a single integrated system that generates electricity and thermal energy as demanded. Based on the application and environmental condition, CHP system has a capability to increase the efficiency by recovering the waste heat and transform it into usable energy. Furthermore, passive thermal storage mechanism together with the thermal energy that is collected from the sun can be utilized during opportune times to decrease the peak energy consumptions. Thus, intelligent control techniques are required to integrate building dynamics, occupancy data, passive storage, and HVAC dynamics control and regulate the supply of the input energy based on the desired outputs. This type of control should have a certain degree of autonomy in terms of configuring, reasoning, planning, and making decisions regarding the optimization of energy usage.

CHP Microo-Trubine used as part of analysis

Optical Sensor for Oil Monitoring in Transformers

An earlier feasibility study demonstrated that one can identify the state and condition of the oil of a transformer by transmitting light of a certain wavelength through the oil and measuring the residual light. The condition assessment is achieved based on the change in the oil's light absorption properties resulting from transformer degradation processes such as overheating or low level arcing. Given the promising results from that project, we propose a continuation project that will focus on the development of a prototype monitor for both field testing and commercialization purposes.

The goal is to develop a field worthy prototype of the optical fiber monitor system for the oil field substation equipment, e.g., electric transformers. This monitoring system utilizes the novel optical methodology for the health assessment of transformers and other equipment, based on the ultra-violet absorption measurement of the oil. The proposed monitor will consist of a light source, filters, guides and detection components.

The unique features of this optical monitor include:
- Immunity to the electromagnetic interference
- Minimal impact on electric and magnetic field distributions within the transformer
- High optical repeatability resulting from the UV spectroscopy
- Detectability of different operating conditions, parameters and failures.

While this monitor will not replace the advantages of a laboratory dissolved gas analysis, it will provide on-line pre-requisite diagnostics prior to the declaration of the need for the DGA.

Contact Us:

Rahmat Shoureshi, Director
G.A. Dobleman Chairprofessor
Colorado School of Mines
1610 Illinios Street, Brown Hall Rm330A
Golden, CO 80401
303-384-2032
rshoures@mines.edu