Electrical / Grid Integration Facilities

Lir – Ocean Emulator

The Lir OOE is 25m * 18 m and nominally 1m in depth. A central trench, equipped with a moveable floor, allows for testing at water depths between 1 and 2.5m. A curved wall of wave generation paddles allows for omnidirectional wave generation which peaks at Hs = 0.16m, Tp = 1.4s and Hmax = 0.32m. The OOE was constructed following the identification, during MARINET1, of the need for more advanced testing infrastructure at early stage Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs).

The OOE has been designed to:

Test operational conditions up to TRL4 for wave and offshore wind devices at a scale of c.1:50
Test survival conditions at a scale of c. 1:100

The basin is fitted with a data acquisition system, sensors, 3D motion camera system and a PIV system for flow visualisation.

Services offered by the infrastructure includes:

Component testing
Hydrodynamic Performance
Power take-off performance
Site specific wave generation
Data acquisition & analysis.

More information available here: http://rid.eurocean.org/AddUpdateData/Details/10526

Tecnalia – Electrical PTO Lab

The Electrical PTO-Lab is a turbine emulator to reproduce the mechanical output of an ocean energy device/wind turbine

It consists of a HIL (Hardware in the Loop) test bench for grid connection of wind turbines and ocean energy converters, focused on testing electrical components

(electrical generators and/or power converters). This test bench simulates the power production of a device with a rotary movement and it can be divided into three key elements: Device Emulator, Electrical Generator and Power Converter.

Services currently offered by the infrastructure:

Mathematical Model validation.
WEC Control: tuning of controllers, optimum efficiency control, peak to average power control.
Grid connection control: Interaction between components in an electrical power network in various grid conditions, as strong grid, weak grid and island operation; Investigation of component behaviour during abnormal operation conditions, transient behaviour; Behaviour of converter control system in non- ideal network conditions, as weak grids and island operating modes, transient events, dips and circuit breaker operations etc.
Final software testing.
Electrical component testing.

More information available here http://rid.eurocean.org/AddUpdateData/Details/10938

ORE Catapult – CPTC Energy Link Lab

ORE Catapult’s UKAS accredited HV laboratory is equipped with an extensive suite of specialist test and measurement equipment, supporting the development of reliable, safe and efficient power systems.

Electricity test capability available:

Lightning impulse (wet and dry) – 400kV
AC voltage (wet and dry) – 600kV (3A at 600kV)
AC voltage partial discharge, RIV – 600kV
AC voltage capacitance tan delta – 600kV
DC voltage (wet and dry) – 1MV, 10mA
AC current (temperature-rise testing) – Up to 8000A

More information available here: http://rid.eurocean.org/AddUpdateData/Details/10168

SINTEF – Smartgrid Lab

NTNU and SINTEF owns the Norwegian National Smart Grid Laboratory in Trondheim. The laboratory is a system-oriented laboratory providing state-of-the-art infrastructure for R&D, demonstration, verification, and testing over a wide range of Smart grid use cases. The laboratory enables us to test the Smart Grids of tomorrow.

Laboratory inventory

Transmission systems (AC/DC)
Distribution systems
Generation (Large scale, DG, wind farms, PV, hydro..)
Network customers / loads
AC/DC converters: Voltage Source Converters (VSC) and Multi-Level Converters (MMC)
Rotating machinery: Induction generators/motors(IG), Synchronous generators/motors (SG), Permanent magnet generators/motors (PM)
Grid emulator (200 kVA amplifier , DC to 5 kHz)
Real-Time Digital Simulators, Hardware-In-the-Loop (HIL) testing equipment and Rapid Control Prototyping(RCP) systems (OPAL-RT)
Smart meters
Smart homes- Smart buildings
Smart appliances
Energy storage
EV charging infrastructure
Protection equipment
Monitoring and measurement equipment
Wide area monitoring – Phasor Measurement Units (PMUs)
Communications

Application areas:

Smart transmission grids
HVDC grids
Smart active distribution grids
Micro grids
Integration of Smart Grids, Smart houses and Smart industries
Integration of renewables (large scale, DG)
Smart Grid and home automation
Smart electricity use
Electrification of transport
Energy storage in Smart Grids
Energy conversion in Smart Grids
Power system stability in Smart Grids
Monitoring, control and automation in Smart Grids
Communication technologies for Smart Grids
Information security and privacy in Smart Grids
Reliability challenges in Smart Grids dependencies of Power Grid and ICT
Smart grid software
Big data management and analytics in SmartGrids

Users:

National and international research projects
Test and verification projects
Industry projects
PhD candidates
Post Docs
Visiting researchers
Master students

Funded by:

The Research Council of Norway
The Norwegian University of Science and Technology

More information available here: http://rid.eurocean.org/AddUpdateData/Details/10701

Den Oever

The Dutch Marine Energy Centre provides excellent opportunities for tidal energy converter testing at intermediate scale. The onshore facility Den Oever is located in two ducts of the Afsluitdijk, in an existing sluice that discharges water from the IJsselmeer to the Wadden Sea. The main function of the sluices always remains dominant; test equipment must be placed in such a way that it can be easily removed or lifted. Basic infrastructure is available, including E&I grid, ADCP, and reaction construction (foundation). The site is typically used for 1:1 scaled river turbine applications, and for 1:4 scaled tidal stream solutions.

Additional information available here;

http://rid.eurocean.org/AddUpdateData/Details/10244

Marsdiep

The Dutch Marine Energy Centre provides excellent opportunities for tidal energy converter testing at intermediate scale. The location at Marsdiep is sheltered and well-accessible via the NIOZ harbour, and the water column has a depth of over 20 metres. The Marsdiep location can be equipped with a floating platform. DMEC has the permit to use a near shore location for testing tidal turbines. The location is used by a consortium which developed the floating BlueTEC platform. Under conditions to be set, the platform can be made available for testing. But at the Marsdiep Berth other platforms can be tested as well. Anchor points, umbilical, grid connection can be made available if needed.

Additional information available here;

http://rid.eurocean.org/AddUpdateData/Details/10245

PLOCAN

The PLOCAN Marine Test Site is located on the East coast of Gran Canaria Island (Spain, www.plocan.eu). The Canary Islands are located in the Atlantic Ocean, south-west of Spain and Northwest of Africa. The marine test site includes an area of about 23 km² with a wide range of water depth from shoreline to 600 m. This Marine Test Site is available to projects focused on testing and demonstrating of all kinds of marine devices but mainly marine renewable energy converters. The final testing decision would be conditioned to the appropriateness, opportunity and availability of the facilities.

The electrical and communication infrastructure (REDSUB) is composed of two medium voltage cables (13.2kV) with a capacity of 5MW, each one, within the range of ±1% of 50Hz. The infrastructure will be mostly underwater, comprising hybrid cabling, with copper cables for the transmission of electrical power and fibre optics for data transmission, including a short terrestrial section to connect to the electrical substation on land. The onshore infrastructure will go from the manhole up to the electrical substation (66kV), where the electricity is raised up for its deliver to the national transmission grid. The onshore infrastructure will be composed by an underground medium voltage cable with a capacity of 15MW, by a power transformer station (13.2kV to 66kV) and all electrical protections required. This part will only be available after the Summer of 2017.

More information available here: http://rid.eurocean.org/AddUpdateData/Details/10760

EMEC – WEC PTO

EMEC’s HIL PTO testing rig will provide a sequence of speeds and loads to a power take off by an actuation device, simulating waves on dry land for the purpose of accelerated testing of power take off systems for wave energy convertors (WEC).

The test rig can also be used to adjust the PTO and the controller parameters to validate assumptions for performance optimisation and survivability modes. Furthermore, it can be used for fatigue, loads or efficiency testing of a specific sub-system of the WEC. The rig will have a stroke length of 3.5m, a rated velocity of 2.7m/s and a maximum rack force of 207kN.

The rig will primarily be used for simulating wave loading on PTO systems for WEC. However, EMEC are open to suggestions for other projects that could utilise the testing rig facility.

More information available here: http://rid.eurocean.org/AddUpdateData/Details/10278

BiMEP

Biscay Marine Energy Platform (BiMEP) is an infrastructure for testing marine energy converters, located just off the coast of Armintza, northern Spain. With a grid connection capacity of 20 MW, purpose built substation and offices, the platform offers technology developers the opportunity to demonstrate their latest devices in test-friendly wave conditions. Along with a sister installation at Mutriku (Mutriku Wave Power Plant) BiMEP is able to provide a wide range of services in real sea conditions.

In addition, a consortium made up of BiMEP and IH Cantabria has been tasked with developing a scientific and technological project called TRL+. The purpose of TRL+ is to offer innovative tailored solutions for the development of marine technologies from concept through to field testing.

More information available here: http://rid.eurocean.org/AddUpdateData/Details/10107

ECN – SEMREV (sea test site)

The French research sea test site (SEM-REV) is part of the experimental facilities of Ecole Centrale Nantes to develop marine based energy generation products. The 1km² site is located 10 nautical miles West-South-West of Le Croisic’s cape on France’s western Atlantic coastline with water depths ranging from 32-36m.

The area has a restricted access for navigation and has all permitting to install Ocean Energy devices to be tested. Offshore wind energy and wave energy converters can be tested, as well as all sub-components and installation and maintenance operations. The site is connected to the grid and has the possibility to connect three devices.

More information available here: http://rid.eurocean.org/AddUpdateData/Details/10267

WAVEC – Pico Plant (OWC)

This plant consists of a hollow reinforced concrete structure – pneumatic chamber – above the water free surface that communicates with the sea and the incident waves by a submerged opening (1+3) in its front wall, and with the atmosphere by a fibre duct with an air turbine (2+4).

The incident waves cause vertical oscillation of the water column inside the chamber, which in turn causes alternate air flow to and from the atmosphere, driving the turbine and the generator attached to it. The electricity is fed into the local grid of EDA (Regional Utility) at the Cachorro grid connection point. An important factor in designing this kind of plants is the dimensions of the pneumatic chamber, in order to provide resonance with the incident sea state.

More information available here: http://rid.eurocean.org/AddUpdateData/Details/10754

Eve-Mutriku Wave Power Plant

Mutriku Wave Power Plant, using OWC – Oscillating Water Column technology, is integrated in the breakwater of Mutriku and consists of 16 air chambers and 16 sets of Wells turbines + electrical generator of 18,5 kW each. The plant is grid connected and is available as a test site providing one of the positions (chamber + grid connection) to test new concepts in air turbines, generators, control strategies and auxiliary equipment.

More information available here:

http://rid.eurocean.org/AddUpdateData/Details/10640