The Australian resource sector is driving the local economy, and power and energy are the prime movers of its growth. Sustainable electrical energy generation has become a strategic objective in developing future power grids. As the grid needs to become smarter to handle new forms of generation and prosumers (consumers who also produce energy), integrating renewable energy sources to the power grid – in the form of microgrids – and developing new energy management systems are essential.CSPER conducts research in three main areas: future power grid, renewable energy and energy storage, and cyber-physical energy systems.
This research area covers all aspects of research related to power grids of the future. These are different from conventional power grids due to the addition of distributed generators, microgrids, controllable loads, dynamic tariff structure and smart systems that give flexible access and control to customers. These additions need major adjustments in the way we carry out power system analysis, control, protection, and all aspects of operation and planning of power systems. Activities covered by this research area include:
The renewable energy and energy storage research area deals with research on wind, solar photovoltaic (PV), electric vehicle (EV) and energy storage technologies, and on-the-grid integration challenges to enhance the energy-efficiency, reliability and stability of the power grid. We focus on working with industry, community and government organisations to develop intelligent technologies and provide solutions to the emerging challenges for large-scale integration of renewable energy sources into the Australian power grid. Activities in this area include:
Cyber-physical energy systems describe a specialisation of the cyber-physical system concept in which energy systems are transformed into intelligent energy networks. These systems provide the basis for the realisation of smart microgrids and smart grids. They combine components of the cyber world and the physical world to obtain a common goal and, through embedded computing systems, monitor and control the physical processes, often using a network core and feedback loops where the physical world affects the cyber system and vice versa.
This new concept integrates knowledge and engineering principles across the computational and engineering disciplines (e.g. networking, control, software, human interaction, learning theory), in order to support the current challenges in technology. The variety of possible interactions between computational systems and physical environments are at the heart of this new modelling paradigm. Activities in this research area include:
Deakin is partnering with AusNet Services and Mondo Power to establish a renewable energy microgrid at our Geelong Waurn Ponds Campus. The microgrid will consist of a 7 megawatt solar energy farm and storage system, a 0.25 megawatt distributed rooftop solar generation and storage system, and an associated research centre.
Our electrical and renewable energy labs give students, researchers and staff the ability to conduct a wide range of tests in a controlled environment using state-of-the-art equipment and technologies.
If you're interested in undertaking research studies with us, please contact a member of our team listed above to discuss a potential topic of interest. For more information about CSPER, please contact Dr Samson Yu.
