College of Engineering, Computing and Applied Sciences

Clemson University and industrial partners team up to keep the electrical grid in SHAPE

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The electrical grid could soon get an upgrade to help keep power flowing without interruption, thanks to new research that brings Clemson University together with two industry partners.

Ramtin Hadidi, an associate professor of electrical and computer engineering at Clemson, is leading a team that aims to create a new grid device called the Smart Hybrid transformer for Abnormal Power Events (SHAPE). The team includes Dominion Energy South Carolina and TECO Westinghouse Motor Company.

Ramtin Hadidi

When a tree limb falls on a power line or other issues arise, the flow of electricity can be briefly interrupted. SHAPE is designed to help keep electricity flowing seamlessly during these short disruptions.

The device would be especially valuable for critical facilities such as hospitals and fire stations, as well as data centers and manufacturing facilities, where even momentary power loss can be costly.

The team has a three-year budget of $4.5 million with $3.03 million coming from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Electricity and the rest from the project’s partners.

Hadidi said conventional transformers are efficient and good at carrying power. But the grid of the future will need devices that do more than carry power—they must control how power flows, accommodating the growing demand for electricity and the intermittent nature of clean energy sources such as solar and wind.

“Current technology does not allow us to give transformers this capability– the functionality that cannot only carry the power but control the power,” Hadidi said. “That’s what we are trying to do on this project. “

Joe Hodges, manager – New Technologies and Renewable Programs at Dominion Energy, said the SHAPE project extends Clemson’s long history with Dominion Energy in research and education. Many Clemson electrical engineering graduates go on to work with the utility after graduation.

“The advantage for us is we’re supporting a local university,” said Hodges, who received his Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering from Clemson in 1989. “Lending our in-kind expertise will further advance the ball when it comes to research and development in South Carolina and our industry. We also get additional exposure to Clemson engineering talent as well.”

SHAPE adds advanced technology and batteries to make transformers smarter, stronger and more reliable. The device is designed to help smooth out electricity flow, keep power steady and store extra energy to prevent outages during emergencies.

Researchers plan to test a SHAPE prototype at the Duke Energy eGRID, a Clemson facility in North Charleston, and then evaluate the device at a site in the Dominion Energy service area.

Dominion Energy was crucial to developing the idea for the SHAPE research, Hadidi said.

“We talked with them during the development of this proposal, and they proposed the idea to protect sensitive loads,” he said. “They came up with the use-inspired need, and we said, okay, now we can apply this technology to it.”

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