In February 2021, Winter Storm Uri demonstrated to Texas and the rest of the nation both the criticality and the vulnerability of our electric grids. Unfortunately, there are multiple other events, potentially much more extreme than Uri, which could also affect our electricity supply. At the same time, the electric grids are rapidly changing with …
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Geomagnetic disturbances (GMDs) caused by solar coronal mass ejections can induce quasi-dc currents in the ac power grid, potentially leading to transformer heating, harmonics, increased reactive power consumption by transformers, and possibly even voltage collapse. This talk will briefly review GMD modeling and impacts on the grid, followed by an update on the GMD research …
Description Electricity is the lifeblood of our modern society, and for most this electricity is supplied by large-scale, interconnected electric grids. Engineered as the ultimate in plug-and-play convenience, the wall outlet is actually the gateway to the world’s largest and most complex machine. The goal of this course is to provide a comprehensive introduction for …
Powerline-caused wildfires can occur when powerline equipment fails, creating ignition mechanisms. These mechanisms include melting devices, burning particles dropping from arcing parts, and lines down due to component failure. Research has shown that many equipment failures slowly develop over days or weeks prior to catastrophic failure that can ignite a fire. The Office of Cybersecurity, …
We are amid a massive change in our energy infrastructure as we move towards 100% clean electric energy. It is an exciting time, yet there are also many challenges to achieving this vision, particularly associated with the resiliency of our electric grids and in ensuring that the changes benefit all Americans. Electricity is the lifeblood …
Description High voltage electric grids are some of the world’s most complex machines, whose present high levels of reliability have been achieved through careful planning. The purpose of this three-day short course is to provide a comprehensive coverage of the processes used in doing this planning. The course philosophy is to provide a practical, hands-on …
An informational session was held for the Smart Grid Center (SGC) of Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station (TEES) for power and computer engineering students on September 3, 2024. Engineer representatives from Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) and from Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) gave revealing and enlightening presentations to the attendees, answers all questions, …
A recent article highlighted the importance of research on Geomagnetic Disturbance (GMD) conducted by a team of researchers working in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Texas A&M University, that applies models of the real and synthetic electric grid to research recommendation options for power grid operators to lessen the impact of major solar …
This presentation covers some of the more recent developments in the modeling of weather and other environmental inputs (ENIs) such as earthquakes and wildfires in the power flow and other related tools, with a focus on electric grid transmission planning. The presentation is motivated because of the rapidly growing dependence of electric grids on the …
The Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights) is a dazzling natural phenomenon, but it can pose serious risks to our power infrastructure. Learn how researchers at Texas A&M are examining the potential impact of geomagnetic disturbances on the grid and exploring ways to protect critical power systems. Read the full story