The SYNDEM smart grid research and educational kit is a multifunctional power electronic converter. It can be used to facilitate research and education in grid integration of various renewable energy sources, such as solar power, wind power, and energy storage systems, and flexible loads. The kit can be reconfigured to obtain 10+ different power electronic converters, versatile for different applications with one complete educational platform. It adopts the widely used Texas Instrument (TI) C2000 ControlCARD and is equipped to use the automatic code generation tools of MATLAB® and Simulink® and TI Code Composer Studio™ (CCS), making it possible to generate experimental results suitable for IEEE Transactions papers within hours of simulations. The kit includes Simulink blocksets covering all the hardware interfaces (e.g. voltage & current sensors,  PWM, DAC, switches, relays,  LEDs), interfaces for data monitoring and logging (e.g. RS485, CAN) and example Simulink control models which users can easily adapt to their own control algorithms. Click for a flyer and an article with more details .

 

Main Features

• Reconfigurable to obtain 10+ different power electronic converter topologies
• Capable of directly downloading control codes from Matlab/Simulink
• Ideal for research in smart grid, microgrid, renewable energy, storage etc.
• Compatible with utilities around the world with 120 V or 230 V voltage, 5A current
• Versatile communication interfaces, such as RS485 and CAN, for SCADA
• Multiple DAC channels for easy debugging and monitoring of internal states
• Suitable for parallel, grid-tied or islanded operation
• Designed by a globally well recognized professor in control and power engineering

Underpinned by patented rackless thermal-efficient modular design, patented converter topologies, and patented control algorithms, SYNDEM Virtual Synchronous Machines (VSM) are power electronic converters that behave like conventional synchronous machines. They have up to two DC inputs equipped with MPPT and one battery connector, and can be configured for single-phase, split-phase, or three-phase AC applications. The products currently on offer have capacities in the range of 3~12kVA. Multiple units can be directly stacked up for higher-power applications.

Main Features

• Capable of blackstart and forming a grid
  
• Capable of regulating frequency and voltage, meeting the FERC Order No. 842 on the provision of primary frequency response
  
• Capable of operation in islanded and grid-tied modes 
  
• Capable of operation individually or in parallel with multiple units
  
• Capable of detecting the loss of the grid and disconnecting seamleassly from the grid when the grid is lost
  
• Capable of re-synchronizing with the grid when the grid recovers and re-connecting to the grid seamleassly
  
• Short-circuit ride-through and recovery
  
• Built-in MPPT
  
• All the above-mentioned functions are achieved autonomously without relying on communication through additional infrastructure or human intervention
  
• If needed, RS485 or CAN communication interface available for SCADA/monitoring/control