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NETWORK / 31 / MARCH 2017 Current research interests Testing at the facility is currently focused on: • Wide area monitoring, protection and control assessment. • Power and energy network topologies of smart grids with innovative concepts. • IEC 61850-8-1/-9-2 process bus architectures for digital substation automation of protection and control devices. • DNP3/IEC 60870-5-104 SCADA communication interface for power distribution network modelling and monitoring. • IEEE C37.118.1/ RTDS/GTNET PMU synchrophasor data streaming and PMU- WAM control and protection with phasor data concentrators. • HVDC for industry-standard multi- terminal HVDC/MMC controls system. Project highlights MIGRATE (Massive Integration of Power Electronic Devices) is a €18.4 million Horizon 2020 project to find solu- tions to the challenges posed by the increas- ing penetration of power electronic devices into power systems. The Europe-wide effort includes 23 partners such as system opera- tors, manufacturers and researchers. The project: The Manchester RTDS will be used to test wide-area monitoring system (WAMS) applications for inertia and short circuit-level monitoring. This will support the development of advanced system integrity protection schemes that will combat wide- area blackouts, and generate data about the consequences of the increasing penetration of power electronics on power quality, system stability and system protection. Scope of research: Hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) testing is the best way to study the performance of prototype methods for combating high-impact, low-probability events. The high-fidelity electromagnetic transient models available allow detailed study of the possible interactions and consequences for a system with high penetration of power electronic devices. Furthermore, the MMC support unit at Manchester allows these studies to include VSC HVDC, which with increasing interconnection of neighbouring systems and the potential for multi-terminal HVDC networks, will be one of the most significant network technologies of the future. DACforDTI/FIP (Distribution Auto mation Control for Dynamic Topology Identification and Fault Isolation Process) is Manchester's recent open innovation collaborative research project and part of the EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Power Networks. It combines the expertise of university research with a multidisciplinary training environment, enabling researchers to develop knowledge in leading power network research and then to use the transferable skills in industrial applications for future energy provision. The project: The Manchester RTDS PHIL testing platform integration with IED DACs device architecture enables closed-loop testing of a microgrid, fault location and isolation based on a "point- to-point" communication network bus. The automation can also be designed for automatic topology recognition and self- healing microgrid architecture. In this project, RTDS PHIL simulates the analogue signals used as inputs for driving control signals for IED DACs, and physical latching relays are connected to illustrate and monitor the control assignment results. Scope of research: The Manchester RTDS PHIL has an integrated interface capability with multiple IED DACs to control latching relay systems along with DAC SCADA monitor and control automation. Specifically, it can support the low-carbon transformation of power networks and drive future innovations of distributed generation and smart energy transmission and distribution networks. VISOR (Visualisation of Real Time System Dynamics using Enhanced Monitoring) is a £7.6 million flagship Network Innovation Competition project led by SP Energy Networks to demonstrate the first WAMS that will encompass the entire GB power system. The project is underpinned by a data acquisition infrastructure consisting of new monitoring units, data centres and dedicated servers, all communicating through a new high-performance communication link between the three transmission operators in Scotland and England. The trial is intended the University of Manchester, such as the integration of renewable energy sources, the optimisation of supply and demand patterns, and the co-integration of energy-storage devices with socio-economic adaptability. The lab is already hard at work on a range of projects including multifunctional protection and control, multivendor interoperability and performance testing, wide-area monitoring, and smart grids in distributed generation. The University of Manchester envisions the RTDS lab serving as a hub that offers a multifunctional, innovative flexible platform for power systems and control automation research. It is actively seeking external collaborations, and is already working with National Grid, Scottish Power, Siemens and ABB. Such collaborations will help support and engage the development of innovative research concepts.