Browsing by Author "Young, Peter, advisor"
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Item Open Access Analysis and characterization of wireless smart power meter(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2014) Soman, Sachin, author; Young, Peter, advisor; Zimmerle, Daniel, committee member; Pasricha, Sudeep, committee memberRecent increases in the demand for and price of electricity has stimulated interest in monitoring energy usage and improving efficiency. This research work supports development of a low-cost wireless smart power meter capable of measuring RMS Values of voltage and current, real power, and reactive power. The proposed smart power meter features include matching by-device rate of consumption and usage patterns to assist users in monitoring the connected devices. The meter also includes condition monitoring to detect harmonics of interest in the connected circuits which can give vital clues about the defects in machines connected to the circuits. This research work focuses on estimating communicational and computational requirements of the smart power meter and optimization of the system based on the estimated communication and computational requirements. The wireless communication capabilities investigated here are limited to existing wireless technologies in the environment where the power meters will be deployed. Field tests are performed to measure the performance of selected wireless standard in the deployment environment. The test results are used to understand the distance over which the smart power meters can communicate and where it is necessary to utilize repeaters or range extenders to reduce the data loss. Computational requirements included analysis of smart meter front-end sampling of analog data from both current and voltage sensors. Digitized samples stored in a buffer which is further processed by a microcontroller for all the desired results from the power meter. The various stages for processing the data require computational bandwidth and memory dependent on the size of the data stream and calculations involved in the particular stage. A Simulink-based system model of the power meter was developed to report a statistic of computational bandwidth demanded by each stage of data processing. The developed smart meter works in an environment with other wireless devices which include Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. The data loss caused when the smart power meter transmits the data depends on the architecture of the wireless network and also pre-existing wireless technology working in the same environment and while operating in the same frequency band. The best approach in developing a wireless network should reduce the hardware cost of the network and to reduce the data loss in the wireless network. A wireless sensor network is simulated in OMNET++ platform to measure the performance of wireless standard used in smart power meters. Scenarios involving the number of routers in the network and varying throughput between devices are considered to measure the performance of wireless power meters. Supplementary documents provided with the electronic version of this thesis contain program codes which were developed in Simulink and OMNET++.Item Open Access Control design for generator of nonlinear high frequency plasma system(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2021) Vora, Prajay, author; Young, Peter, advisor; Zimmerle, Daniel, committee member; Cale, James, committee memberThis document aims to develop control systems for a generator of a nonlinear high frequency plasma system. Initial modelling was done by Advanced Energy Industries, Inc. (AE) which was passed on to Colorado State University environment for further research into developing controllers for this special model. This thesis documents all the work done by Colorado State University till Summer of 2020. The first phase of the collaboration included finding metrics for the feedback system with the nonlinear load modelled by AE. The metrics serve for better understanding of the modelling and also to generate effective control criteria suited to AE requirements. AE required for the user defined wave-forms to be tracked in an average sense without significantly changing the real time tracking criteria. This tradeoff was also addressed while developing metrics. A preliminary approach for control design was a PID controller to study its effects in a nonlinear environment. A robust control approach called H∞ loop-shaping is the primary control design developed by CSU for this specific application. The nonlinear system was approximated with a transfer function and the controller developed for that approximation. The purpose of the approximation is to generate a controller that is highly robust considering the uncertainties in high frequency plasma loads. The metrics discussed above are used for confirming the efficiency of the controllers. Controller design was the second phase of the project. Finally, in phase three, Nelder-Mead optimization was used to generalize the H∞ controller for various generator and set-point specifications. A system identification processes was also developed consisting of curve fit models for the nonlinear load. This was done with a view to the future for classifying different loads and plasma to develop customised controllers.Item Open Access Device characterization on energy design and scoping tool for DC distribution systems and a study on harmonics in AC/DC converters in low voltage distribution(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2020) Santos, Arthur Felício Barbaro dos, author; Young, Peter, advisor; Zimmerle, Daniel, committee member; Suryanarayanan, Siddharth, committee memberDC appliances have resurged with the evolution of power electronics and their massive application in Miscellaneous Electric Loads. The increase of DC distributed generation and battery storage has also helped boost the scientific community's attention to this other alternative. This work collects consumption data from appliances and converters connected to an AC distribution. The appliances that are focused on in this study are called Miscellaneous Electric Loads (MELs), which comprise all electronic loads in a building that are not related to lighting, heating, and air conditioning. The harmonics of these devices are analyzed in this paper as part of a relevant project funded by the Department of Energy of the United States: the Energy Design and Scoping Tool for DC Distribution Systems. This work also presents results from another study, still within the scope of the same project, which aims to collect power consumption data on appliances commonly found in an office environment (laptop, screens, desktops, phone chargers, and network devices) over a period of approximately two months. This data will give a real estimate of these appliances' AC/DC converter operating range regarding their rated power and will allow a more complete analysis of the emission of harmonics in the power system and a comparison of harmonic cancellation in low voltage distribution systems versus the total cancellation potential.Item Open Access Disaggregation of net-metered advanced metering infrastructure data to estimate photovoltaic generation(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2019) Stainsby, Wendell Jay, author; Young, Peter, advisor; Zimmerle, Daniel, committee member; Aloise-Young, Patricia, committee memberAdvanced metering infrastructure (AMI) is a system of smart meters and data management systems that enables communication between a utility and a customer's premise, and can provide real time information about a solar array's production. Due to residential solar systems typically being configured behind-the-meter, utilities often have very little information about their energy generation. In these instances, net-metered AMI data does not provide clear insight into PV system performance. This work presents a methodology for modeling individual array and system-wide PV generation using only weather data, premise AMI data, and the approximate date of PV installation. Nearly 850 homes with installed solar in Fort Collins, Colorado, USA were modeled for up to 36 months. By matching comparable periods of time to factor out sources of variability in a building's electrical load, algorithms are used to estimate the building's consumption, allowing the previously invisible solar generation to be calculated. These modeled outputs are then compared to previously developed white-box physical models. Using this new AMI method, individual premises can be modeled to agreement with physical models within ±20%. When modeling portfolio-wide aggregation, the AMI method operates most effectively in summer months when solar generation is highest. Over 75% of all days within three years modeled are estimated to within ±20% with established methods. Advantages of the AMI model with regard to snow coverage, shading, and difficult to model factors are discussed, and next-day PV prediction using forecasted weather data is also explored. This work provides a foundation for disaggregating solar generation from AMI data, without knowing specific physical parameters of the array or using known generation for computational training.Item Open Access Efficiency of AC vs. DC distribution systems in commercial buildings(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2022) Santos, Arthur Felício Barbaro dos, author; Young, Peter, advisor; Zimmerle, Daniel, advisor; Cale, James, committee member; Clark, Maggie, committee memberDecarbonization and modernization of the grid, electrification of transportation, and energy storage are some of the trends pushing towards the significant growth of power electronics in the past few decades. The massive application of such devices has increased the interest in direct current (DC) power distribution as an alternative to the conventional alternating current (AC) distribution systems in residential and commercial buildings. This increase in non-linear loads, however, substantially increases current harmonics, which compromises the lifespan, efficiency, and/or operability of distribution components, such as transformers and protection equipment. Additionally, when comparing the efficiency of AC vs. DC distribution systems, the literature is often based on simulation studies rather than real measured data. In this regard, this study focuses on three major topics: a) Harmonic cancellation within building circuits; b) Endpoint use efficiency comparison for AC and DC in-building distribution systems; and c) A cautionary note on using smart plugs for research data acquisition. The analyses are based on recorded power consumption data from office-based appliances, made by smart plugs, combined with detailed characterization of sampled Miscellaneous Electric Loads (MELs') power converters. While harmonic cancellation studies often assume that AC converters operate across their rated power range, measured realistic power profiles reported in this work show that MELs operate below 40% of rated power the majority of the time when not in standby mode. This makes the harmonic cancellation significantly lower than that predicted when using full-range power assumptions, which could provide incorrect guidance to building design engineers. In contrast, increased diversity of MELs increases harmonic cancellation. Blending typical office loads with lighting, for instance, improves the harmonic cancellation to near the levels predicted by traditional methods. Regarding the endpoint efficiency of AC and DC distribution systems, no systematic efficiency advantage was found, when endpoint AC/DC converters were compared to a similar, commercially available, DC/DC converter powering the same load profile. That goes in the opposite direction of prior studies, which estimate converters' efficiency based on datasheet information or the efficiency at rated load.Item Open Access Integration of systems engineering and project management using a management flight simulator(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2020) Jonkers, Raymond Klaas, author; Shahroudi, Kamran Eftekhari, advisor; Young, Peter, advisor; Bradley, Thomas, committee member; Valdes-Vasquez, Rodolfo, committee memberCost overruns and schedule delays are pervasive in complex projects despite the use of systems engineering and traditional project management models and tools. These disciplines can often work in isolation leading to inconsistencies in product information, tracking of design changes and challenges in decision-making. While literature proposes philosophical approaches to integrating these disciplines, there does not appear to be a practical approach offered. The current study proposes a practical approach by way of a management flight simulator that integrates systems engineering and management models for data-driven risk-informed decision-making. This simulator provides immediate feedback on whether a change is going to help or disrupt design integrity through the monitoring of system attribute trends and cues. It also provides the impact on lifecycle management curves using a system dynamics sub-model. From this feedback, several system, policy and process levers are available within the simulator for what-if scenarios with the goal to improve product, organizational and project performance. The value in the emergent properties of the simulator as a decision support system is viewed as greater than from the sum of its sub-models. In developing the simulator, integration requirements, systems thinking, systems science and systems engineering practices are leveraged to develop an integration strategy. For bringing multiple disciplines together to address design changes risks, a response strategy is proposed that includes aspects of set-based goal-based design and agile management practices.Item Open Access Modeling energy systems using large data sets(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2024) Duggan, Gerald P., author; Young, Peter, advisor; Zimmerle, Daniel, advisor; Bradley, Thomas, committee member; Carter, Ellison, committee memberModeling and simulation are playing an increasingly import role in the sciences, and science is having a broader impact on policy definition at a local, national, and global scale. It is therefore important that simulations which impact policy produce high-quality results. The veracity of these models depend on many factors, including the quality of input data, the verification process for the simulations, and how result data are transformed into conclusions. Input data often comes from multiple sources and it is difficult to create a single, verified data set. This dissertation describes the challenges in creating a research-quality, verified and aggregated data set. It then offers solutions to these challenges, then illustrates the process using three case studies of published modeling and simulation results from different application domains.Item Open Access Networked rural electrification – optimal network design under complex topography(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2022) Li, Jerry Chun-Fung, author; Young, Peter, advisor; Zimmerle, Daniel, advisor; Cale, Jim, committee member; Cross, Jeni Eileen, committee memberThe 7th of United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDG7) aims to "ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all" by 2030. While substantial progresses have been made in the last few years, 759 million people in rural areas still have no or limited access to electricity. Due to the distances and geographical complexity of rural areas, providing electricity to this unserved population is very costly. As IEA recently pointed out, rural electrification is increasingly costly. With the current electrification approach, it is expected that 660 million people will remain without electricity access by 2030. In addition, accurate planning for small rural power system is difficult as both demand and energy resource forecasts are highly uncertain. Thus, achieving SDG7 is very challenging. In this research, a Networked Rural Electrification framework has been proposed. This approach can potentially accelerate SDG7 by reducing system cost, enhancing reliability, and offering installation flexibility for small communities in remote areas. In this framework, villages and generation facilities are connected via an optimal, low voltage network that can be built with inexpensive poles and cables. To make this approach economically feasible, cost for building the network is crucial. A specific difficulty associated with this approach is the anisotropicity of search space for optimal design of the power distribution network, which results from complex topographical variations in these rural areas. Traditional optimization methods are not suitable for designing this network because of computational complexity, accuracy requirement, and practical implementation considerations. To address the issues, new computation methods and tools have been developed. These include (i) Multiplier-accelerated A* (MAA*) and (ii) Adaptive Multiplier-accelerated A* (AMAA*) algorithms, which resolve the computational complexity problem by significantly reduce computation time while maintaining good optimality, and (iii) Levelized Interpolative Genetic Algorithm (LIGA) which, when used in conjunction with A*, MAA*, or AMAA*, provides viable alternative plans to tackle unexpected route change problem right before or even during project implementation, and (iv) a fuzzy rule-based system for further network topology optimization.Item Open Access Sediment management alternatives analysis in the Louisiana deltaic plain(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2023) Heap, David A., author; Young, Peter, advisor; Zimmerle, Daniel, committee member; Grigg, Neil, committee member; Ross, Matthew, committee memberWhile coastal communities around the world are under threat from rising sea levels, those of Southeast Louisiana are some of the most threatened. Including subsidence, the region could potentially see rates of net sea level rise up to ten times the global mean. There is no shortage of causes for how this situation has come to pass. A Systems Engineering solution needs to be multi-faceted, similar to how the problem was created:- Climate change: like any coastal area, the region has to make hard decisions on how to handle a changing climate, but those choices have significant ramifications for the entire U.S. population, as significant commerce passes through the regional ports in the form of agriculture, oil/gas, petrochemicals, and the fishing industry. - Engineered factors: by controlling the flow of the Mississippi River with the intent of flood protection through the use of levees, floodwalls, and spillways, humans have inhibited the natural processes that could rebuild the wetlands and natural protection barriers. - River navigation: similarly, the locks and dams that allow maritime traffic have trapped the sediment that historically would have flowed down to the delta and built more land buffers against the sea. - Industrial infrastructure: with thousands of miles of navigation channels and pipelines, the wetlands have been cut up into non-natural bodies of water, allowing hurricanes and saltwater intrusion unabated access to delicate ecosystems. - Environmental damage: over 100 years of industrial development, combined with numerous environmental disasters, has compromised the health of the ecosystem. - Invasive species: whether intentionally introduced or not, non-native species, both flora and fauna alike, have wreaked havoc on native populations and weakened deltaic processes. - Stakeholder coordination: with dozens of local, state, and federal government agencies and nonprofit organizations, it is nearly impossible to make everyone happy. - Limited resources: there is a funding gap between the budget needed to implement a successful strategy and what is expected to be available if the status quo is maintained. While there are multiple methods employed to improve coastal resilience, a core strategy as defined by Louisiana's 2023 Coastal Master Plan is the introduction of sediment. The plan suggests two main alternatives of sediment management, that of the Major Diversions and Dredged Sediment. In this work, these two traditional alternatives are considered, and a new proposed approach is introduced, that of Micro Diversions, a concept developed in prior work by the author. All three approaches are described, analyzed, modeled, and compared against each other to determine which would be the most cost effective and appropriate for investment by coastal stakeholders. The compared metric is Cost Benefit over a 50-year time horizon, calculated using the Life Cycle Cost and Net Benefit variables from each alternative. Inherent in the Systems Engineering approach is that the cost variables consider the time value of money. The Major Diversion variables were taken from the stated goals in the Master Plan. The Dredged Sediment variables were forecasted from historical trends on recently completed and/or approved projects. The Micro Diversion variables were formulated from hydrologic software modeling of a limited system and expanded to compare in size to the other alternatives. At a Cost Benefit of $61,773 per acre, the Major Diversion alternative was evaluated to be a better investment than Dredged Sediment or Micro Diversions ($67,300 and $88,206 respectively). Because coastal conditions can change over time, and that the inputs to these alternatives can likewise change, it is suggested to view solutions with a systems-level approach, with the potential to implement complementary alternatives.Item Open Access Synchronized real-time simulation of distributed networked controls for a power system case study(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2013) Jain, Abhishek, author; Young, Peter, advisor; Zimmerle, Daniel, committee member; Suryanarayanan, Siddharth, committee memberThe purpose of this study is to develop and implement a distributed networked control framework for a power system simulation. The study addresses and improves upon speed and accuracy of simulation for computationally intensive power system dynamic simulations and distributed control utilizing Hardware-In-Loop (HIL) simulations. A dynamic four bus test-case microgrid simulation is constructed using SimPowerSystems™ toolbox of Matlab™ with renewable energy penetration. Parallel processing is achieved using a discrete real-time simulator Opal-RT by distributing the computation among its various processors and thus achieving real-time performance. Maximum power point tracking (MPPT) controls for various photo-voltaic (PV) systems are distributed among external simulation platforms with the use of a client-server communication architecture and application layer messaging network protocols. The various networked platforms implementing control algorithms include general purpose and data-flow graphical programming languages. The solar irradiance profile for various PV systems is generated from an external spreadsheet data source as another networked module. Also included in the communication network is a commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) controller - a substation automation platform OrionLX which is used for supervisory control of the various relays in the microgrid feeder simulation. Finally, a case study is presented which involves all of the above mentioned components - MPPT control and irradiance profile generation for PV systems as well as fault isolation in a microgrid using HIL supervisory relay control - as distributed elements of a communication network with the real-time server. Modbus TCP/IP is used as the networking protocol while the networked control platforms are developed in C# and Simulink™ programming languages. Performance and bandwidth of the interdisciplinary system are analyzed. From the results of this study, it is concluded that the combination of a parallel processing and distributed control approach can be an effective strategy for improving dynamic power system simulations.