In the current context, the electrical network is becoming even more complex. In this regard, control is pivotal for smart grids and highly challenging from the design point of view: the control of individual sources needs to be adapted to the new requirements and the control of individual sources affects the entire system and the interactions cannot be neglected.
INCITE project has developed innovative solutions to cope with such challenges aiming to make the electrical grid smarter. Those included advanced controllers for power converters, energy storage and renewable generation; advanced management strategies for market-based systems as microgrids; modelling tools for power-electronic-based networks; as well as novel tools for distribution network (including ADMS, fault detection, fault location and state estimation).
During the project an internal analysis of potential innovations within each IRP was carried out. At that stage, up to 8 innovations where identified mainly focused on algorithms and tools for improving the existing systems as Deep Learning Forecast for electrical market prices, harmonic system impedance identification and adaptive controller for power electronics, among others. Such innovations were presented within the Innovation Radar scheme and two of these innovations were considered key innovations:
o A smart controller for HVAC systems, developed within IRP2.1
o Time-varying distributed partitioning method for electrical grids, developed within IRP1.1
In addition, other innovations have attracted interest from different stakeholders as for example:
- research on forecasting has raised interest from the private sector at 3 different events: 1) private workshop for companies; 2) public forum for EU companies in the electricity sector; 3) award in a forecasting competition organized by an EU TSO.
- research on distributed controls for wind farms won the best poster award at WindEurope Conference.
- research on AC-DC grids interactions won the best paper award at IFAC CPES.
For the exploitation and dissemination of INCITE project and innovations a video has been developed. The INCITE video (available in YouTube, in the INCITE webpage and in our social media:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxtX8xQ2O0A(s’ouvre dans une nouvelle fenêtre)) summarizes the challenge faced by the action and how the different ESR projects come together with a final common goal, make the grid smarter.
In addition, a blog was set into INCITE website. The blog has been used by ESRs and their supervisors to disseminate different articles of an informative nature which are aimed at a general public and dealt with the research topics related to INCITE.
INCITE research resulted in over 50 published articles (over 25 scientific publications in indexed journals and over 25 conference publications). Also, INCITE was included in the Summer Edition of the European Energy Innovation Magazine 2019, an official EUSEW publication.
Finally, at the end of the project execution period, out of the 14 ESRs, 5 had already defended their PhD thesis and the rest will do so in the upcoming months.
