Power and Energy Research Focus

The objective of this research is to study the fundamental interactions and influences that individual components of a power system have on each other and the overall effect of these interactions on system performance. The approach uses a game-theoretic model of the power system to develop a framework for a new class of distributed control methods. In this new model, system components use energy resources to compete for local and global objectives such as voltage, current, power, or energy.

The intellectual merit is of this work is in its potential to improve control of interconnected power components. Control has typically been one of two extremes: either completely localized control (focused on local objectives) or a centralized control scheme requiring extensive communications, infrastructure, and a single-point of failure. The proposed approach considers how each different local objective interacts across the system. This will result in an operating point that is a global balance of local objectives. This work will determine how the fundamental interactions of the components contribute to, or degrade from, the higher-level objectives of the overall system, such as stability, survivability, and efficiency.

The broader impacts will extend to electrical power networks at all levels where more diverse sources and loads are being utilized, and new technologies are being driven by an ever-increasing demand for performance, stability, efficiency, and flexibility. This new approach to energy control and management will strengthen education objectives by enhancing the content of graduate and undergraduate classes, as well as adding meaningful laboratory experiences.

For the development of the very high-speed high-density nanotechnology integrated circuits crucial for the practical realization of the nanocomputers with unlimited potential for the U.S. space program and the semiconductor industry, it is important to consider new nanoscale quantum devices and interconnections. Carbon nanotubes have emerged as a strong candidate for the interconnections for such next generation circuits. In this one-year research effort, we plan to carry out a feasibility study and identify the various research areas related to the application of carbon nanotubes for the nanotechnology integrated circuits and to lay down the foundation of a research program at Michigan Tech for the next ten years.