GridMaking the U.S. grid sturdier, smarter, and more secure to thwart blackouts
In August 2003, fifty million customers throughout the northeastern United States and southeastern Canada lost power for up to two days. More than ten years later, the U.S. electric power system continues to be challenged. In the United States, 149 power outages affecting at least 50,000 customers occurred between 2000 and 2004, a number which grew to 349 between 2005 and 2009. In 2012, the prolonged power outages in New York and New Jersey caused by Hurricane Sandy once again demonstrated the system’s vulnerability. A broad, multidisciplinary effort by Georgia Tech researchers aims to revolutionize the delivery of electricity, advance the smart grid, thwart blackouts, integrate renewable energy sources, and secure utilities from cyberattacks.
Moonlit New York skyline during 2003 blackout // Source: livejournal.com
On a warm afternoon in August 2003, in rural Ohio, a high-voltage power line brushed against some untrimmed tree limbs. The action tripped a relay that immediately shut off the power it was carrying. As system operators worked to understand what was happening, three more lines sagged into trees and were shut down. Joining power lines were forced to shoulder the extra burden until they, too, failed. A Georgia Tech release reports that what ensued that day was a cascade of failures throughout the northeastern United States and southeastern Canada. In all, fifty million customers lost power for up to two days. For many, this blackout served as a wake-up call to the fragility of the electric energy grid.
More than ten years later, the U.S. electric power system continues to be challenged. In the United States, 149 power outages affecting at least 50,000 customers occurred between 2000 and 2004, a number which grew to 349 between 2005 and 2009. In 2012, the prolonged power outages in New York and New Jersey caused by Hurricane Sandy once again demonstrated the system’s vulnerability.
The demands of our digital society are increasing. What is more, our need to accommodate renewable energy generation is rising, and threats to infrastructure security and concerns over global climate change are growing. To help address these concerns, Georgia Tech is conducting research that crosses many disciplines, including electrical and computer engineering, public policy, mechanical engineering, and information security.
Revolutionizing the delivery of electricity
The electricity grid is a large, complex system of power generation, transmission, and distribution. High-voltage transmission lines carry power from large power plants to load centers hundreds of miles away. Next, lower-voltage distribution systems draw electricity from the transmission lines and distribute it to individual customers.
This long-standing electricity paradigm is phasing out as advancements to the grid essentially make it “smarter.” Smart grids are equipped with advanced sensing, communication, and control systems that will allow unprecedented interaction between electricity providers and consumers. The smart grid will integrate renewable energy sources and allow a new class of utility customers to be both providers and consumers of power.
Georgia Tech: Advancing the smart grid
The potential of the smart grid is enormous: improved energy efficiency, optimization of power supply and demand, and greater transparency into power consumption.
The release notes that Georgia Tech researchers across several disciplines are helping to advance the smart grid by developing technologies, creating methodologies and analyzing policies.
