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Center for GRid-Connected Advanced Power Electronic Systems (GRAPES)

The opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed are those of the Center author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

Center Overview

The goal of the Center for GRid-Connected Advanced Power Electronic Systems (GRAPES) is to accelerate the adoption and insertion of power electronics into the electric power grid to improve system stability, flexibility, controllability, robustness, and economy. GRAPES focuses on improving power electronics technology and integrating it with the needs of industry to enhance the reliability, efficiency, and security of the electric power grid.

The electric power industry is of critical importance to the economy and security of the United States, as well as people's quality of life. Nearly everything that people depend on in modern society requires a highly reliable supply of electricity. Without electric power, the mechanics and infrastructure of society stop - literally - and these interruptions have severe economic and societal consequences. The strength of the national power infrastructure is threatened by aging equipment; century-old legacy designs; lack of integration of the generation, transmission, distribution, and utilization aspects of electrical power; and terrorism, both physical and cyber. The demand for electrical energy is increasing, while political and environmental pressures are forcing adoption of new distributed generation resources, such as wind, solar, and tidal, that do not fit well into the traditional architecture of the electric power grid. The country's ability to predict the behavior of the system, and thus to control it, is becoming increasingly more challenged. The application of advanced control mechanisms embedded in power electronics is critical to improving the performance and operation of future power grid infrastructure, which is one focus area of GRAPES research.

GRAPES is performing cutting-edge research to:

Develop new technologies for advanced power electronic systems in the areas supporting grid-connected distributed energy resources, power delivery networks, and intelligent end-use devices.
Develop the software and tools for controlling embedded and interconnected power electronics to benefit the power grid, as well as controlled loads.
Educate the next generation of engineers who understand the power electronic and control technologies important to the member companies.

Universities

University of Arkansas
University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee

View Center Website

Center Personnel

H. Alan Mantooth
Executive Director
+1 479 575 4838
mantooth@uark.edu

Adel Nasiri
UWM Site Director
+1 414 229 2634
nasiri@uwm.edu

Shannon Davis
Managing Director
+1 479 575 6877
sgdavis@uark.edu

Juan Balda
UA Site Director
+1 479 575 3005
jbalda@uark.edu

Research Focus

GRAPES research concentrates on the design, development, evaluation, control, and standardization of grid-connected power electronics equipment, on both the supply and demand sides of power systems. Relevant research areas include:

Design tools for power electronics and packaging.
Power electronics devices, characterization, and modeling.
Power electronic packaging for medium-voltage applications.
Power electronic circuits for low- and medium-voltage applications including driver and protection circuits.
Simulation methods and environments for multidisciplinary dynamic systems.

GRAPES researchers approach their work through a "device-to-grid" methodology. Faculty and student researchers work in four general areas:

Demand-side management.
Distributed energy resource management.
Power electronic modules.
Power flow control.

Awards

1939124

Phase III IUCRC at University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee: Center for Grid-connected Advanced Power Electronics Systems (GRAPES)

The NSF IUCRC on GRid-connected Advanced Power Electronics (GRAPES) has been providing significant benefits to member companies and the nation's emerging electric power grid modernization efforts since 2009. GRAPES is advancing knowledge in grid-connected power electronics, producing much-needed talent for the industry, and developing world-first technologies that impact the electric power grid and other sectors where power electronics applications are expanding. The University of Arkansas (UA) and the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee (UWM) are the two university sites of GRAPES that seek to achieve the mission of accelerating the adoption and insertion of power electronics into the grid, in order to improve system stability, flexibility, robustness, and economy. The primary broader impact is to touch the lives of all Americans with technologies that lead to a modernized, but equally reliable electric power grid that is able to more directly incorporate increased penetrations of renewable energy sources than before. Further impacts are to provide the highest quality, differentiable integrated engineering education and research experience to meet the emerging workforce and technical needs of the nation's energy industry. Collaborative research is conducted in teams that include professors, graduate and undergraduate students, and industry experts. Both GRAPES' sites have influence at many levels: high school students, undergraduate and graduate students, working professionals, minority and underrepresented groups, and member companies. Application areas that GRAPES addresses include solid-state protection, power conditioning and conversion, interfacing renewables to the grid, and assessing the impacts and advantages of grid-connected power electronics. This work focuses on low-voltage (up to 480 V) and medium-voltage (up to 35 kV) areas that are most suitable for power electronics, therefore directly impacting distribution grids. Key focus areas are on distributed generation integration, AC and DC Microgrids, distribution and protection, high frequency magnetics, ancillary services, smart distribution, grid connected energy storage systems, and SiC-based converters. Fundamental technologies include power electronic packaging, control methods, gate drivers, and software tools that are robust and resilient in the presence of the high voltage and current conditions present in the grid. The UA and UWM sites provide complementary facilities and expertise. An example of a facility is the National Center for Reliable Electric Power Transmission (NCREPT), a 6 MVA test facility capable of 15 kV testing of research prototypes as well as commercial grade power electronics. The facilities also include a 350 kVA microgrid system, center for sustainable electrical energy systems, energy storage systems and interface, test setups for high voltage wide band gap devices, and DC protection setups. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria. Read More >

1939144

Phase III IUCRC at University of Arkansas: Center for Grid-Connected Advanced Power Electronics Systems (GRAPES)

Member Organizations

IUCRC affiliated member organizations are displayed as submitted by the Center. Non-federal organizations are not selected, approved, or otherwise endorsed by the National Science Foundation.