Download laboratory sheet

View laboratory video

From the point of view of the medium-voltage public distribution grid to which it is connected, the test facility is an active user, i.e. a generation and consumption unit.

The laboratory, consisting of a three-phase low-voltage (400V) grid with a reconfigurable topology, is capable of carrying out functional and characterization tests on distributed generation components or systems, as well as research activities on innovative components and control and diagnostic functions of active grids. In addition, as an active user connected to the public medium-voltage distribution grid, it can be operated to meet active and reactive power requirements at the interface. The Test Facility is equipped with renewable and cogeneration generation systems, storage systems of different technologies (lithium, sodium-nickel, redox) and electrical loads (resistive, inductive and capacitive).

The variety of systems installed and the possibility of reconfiguring the type of grid ensure that the facility has great operational and experimental flexibility.

The tests normally carried out concern:

• Characterization of distributed generation systems (electrical and energy efficiency, system reliability, compliance with grid interconnection requirements, etc.)
• Experiments on electrical storage systems in stationary applications (cyclic charging and discharging tests, operation as part of a grid, system reliability and durability)
• Development and trialling of automatic control functions for the active grid (control of dispatch profiles, management of renewable generators and storage systems, resource energy optimization, reactive power control, etc.).

SUPERVISORY AND CONTROL SYSTEM

The supervisory and control system provides monitoring and control of the Test Facility and manages data storage. It also allows remote configuration of the grid type and automatic management of the active grid using management and optimization functions.

COGENERATION PLANT WITH INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE

The cogeneration plant has a 50 kWe, 80 kWth natural gas fired internal combustion engine and is capable of both grid-connected and stand-alone operation with generator set functionality. The system is capable of power modulation in the range of 50-100% and reactive power regulation by power factor control in the range of 0.8÷1 (inductive and capacitive).

For more information

EXPERIMENTAL PHOTOVOLTAIC PLANT

The experimental photovoltaic plant carries out energy characterization activities of innovative components of photovoltaic systems, stand-alone or connected to the power grid.

For more information

GAS ENGINE COGENERATION PLANT

The system makes it possible to test the micro-CHP in both electrical and thermal tracking modes; it is able to simulate the capacity of a real home system by means of a storage tank and the typical heat consumption by controlling the thermal load of the system with adjustable heat sinks.

For more information

ELECTRICITY STORAGE SYSTEMS

The Test Facility is equipped with various electrical storage systems of different technologies, including a 30 kW and 32 kWh lithium battery system, a 20 kW and 67 kWh sodium nickel battery system, a 34 kW and 90 kWh redox flow battery system and a 20 kW and 40 kWh VRLA lead acid battery system. All systems are connected to the AC grid via bi-directional inverters.

DIRECT CURRENT MICROGRID LABORATORY

The direct current (DC) microgrid is an active low-voltage distribution grid with a nominal voltage of 380 VDC, interconnected to the Distributed Generation Test Facility first through a 100 kVA bidirectional electronic converter and second through a 30 kVA bidirectional converter. The microgrid consists of two main nodes interconnected by two high-temperature sodium nickel chloride batteries with a peak power of 30 kW for 30 seconds and a nominal power of 18 kWh, two banks of 30 kW supercapacitors for 8 seconds, a 30 kW photovoltaic field emulator and two resistive loads of 30 kW each. The various components are connected to the grid via step-up DC/DC converters, each with an output of 35 kW. The microgrid can operate isolated from the Test Facility or directly connected.

For more information