9 Dec 2024

Analysis of Microgrid Performance, Reliability, and Resilience (AMPeRRe) Computational Model Novel Analytical Model to Forecast the Outcomes of Installation Power Grids

Abstract: Federal facilities, industrial areas, academic campuses, and communities are working to incorporate greater renewable energy sources and energy storage in their power infrastructure. While renewable sources of energy can—and do—support several facilities, uncertainty still exists about how reliably these sources of energy can support small and critical power systems with higher reliability standards, such as Army installations, tactical microgrids, remote community grids, and emergency response power systems. Maintaining reliability is already a significant challenge for power grids, and those that have a high proportion of renewable energy face particular challenges due to their intermittent power production. This technical report addresses the uncertainty by presenting a new computational model called Analysis of Microgrid Performance, Reliability, and Resilience (AMPeRRe). The model forecasts the power availability, fuel consumption, specific resilience factors, and excess energy production of proposed grids that include renewable energy sources and energy storage. If proposed grids are forecasted to lose power availability, users can apply this model to find which resources are needed to achieve 100% power availability and optimize resource quantities for ideal performance outcomes. AMPeRRe significantly reduces the uncertainty around renewable energy and energy storage in power grids and informs the critical resource investment decisions needed to yield improved long-term outcomes.

11 Aug 2023

International Workshop on Cold Regions Defense Infrastructure: 13–15 September 2022, Hanover, New Hampshire

Abstract: The Inaugural International Workshop on Cold Regions Defense Infrastructure united engineers and scientists of the US Department of Defense with defense representatives from the other nations comprising the International Cooperative Engagement Program for Polar Research (ICE-PPR): Canada, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden, and New Zealand. Through the ICE-PPR Memorandum of Understanding, Project Arrangements (PAs) enable the seven nations to share measurements, models, and access to research sites and facilities. The goal of the workshop was to work as a coherent team to identify needs and develop PAs for three major topic areas: infrastructure, water/wastewater, and energy. Increasing interest in earth’s polar regions necessitates identifying capabilities and gaps for these critical mission-relevant topic areas.