U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) Grant

A two-year $11 million joint development program to address the reliability and resiliency of microgrids between University of St. Thomas Center for Microgrid Research and U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC).

The program will develop, test, and demonstrate microgrid technologies including advanced and cyber-secure controllers and electric vehicles as power sources. This effort includes collaboration with ERDC CERL, MIT Lincoln Laboratory, Virginia Tech, Texas A&M University, North Carolina State University, and California Polytechnic State University.

The thrusts of this grant include:

• Development of Advanced Microgrid Control Algorithms
• Development of Advanced Communication converters to enable seamless integration of legacy and new power devices
• Development of a new concept of “Microgrid-on-Wheels” to enable electric vehicles to serve as fully integrated electric energy systems
• Analyze the cyber security of legacy communication systems
• Expand the research infrastructure to support current and future U.S. Department of Defense needs

Principal Investigator: Mahmoud Kabalan, Ph.D., P.E.