Smart microgrid educational laboratory: An integrated electric and communications infrastructure platform

Microgrids as the local area power systems are changing the power system landscape due to their potential of offering a viable solution for integrating renewable energy resources into the main grid. From the operational point of view, microgrids should have the appropriate power electronic interfaces, control schemes, as well as monitoring and automation infrastructures to provide the required flexibility and meet the related IEEE 1547 standard requirements. This paper describes some of the efforts made in the smart microgrid educational laboratory to provide these facilities and create a real-world conditions needed to conduct researches and teach the related courses. Laboratory works not only increase the practical skills of the students but also can motivate them to pursue theoretical courses with more passion. The introduced facilities are somehow unique for the integration of both electric and communication infrastructures which overcome the shortcomings of not considering data transfer challenges in the studies. Complete hardware design of power plant components, and incorporation of solar photovoltaic (PV) and two types of wind turbine generations are some of the efforts made to bring the real-world conditions in the laboratory. In the load-related side, dynamic behaviors of the various types of motors are modeled.