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INTPART-International Partnerships for Excellent Education and Research

NB_POCCREI:Norwegian-Brazilian collaboration on Power Theories and Cooperative Control for Renewable Energy Integration

Alternative title: NB_POCCREI:Norwegian-Brazilian collaboration on Power Theories and Cooperative Control for Renewable Energy Integration

Awarded: NOK 1.9 mill.

The goal of the NB_POCCREI project is to bring together some of the leading research teams that have worked on cooperative control of distributed power electronics converters, in particular by using the Conservative Power Theory. This theory is showing significant potential worldwide in addressing the increasing problems of industry and business sector related to the inefficiencies and costs of low power quality, for example in offshore wind farms and other power electronics dominated systems. The project establishes a solid collaboration between the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) and two Brazilian universities (Unesp - Universidade Estadual Paulista and UFMG -Federal University of Minas Gerais) and is based on research-based education. It deeply integrates the research efforts into the educational programmes of the partner universities, both at Master and at PhD level. All the partners are already teaching courses focusing on the above mentioned topics, and NB_POCCREI helps harmonize, integrate and further develop the educational offer to match the highest international standards. The cooperation in educational and training activities includes both the shared teaching of six courses through short modules and guest lectures, and the co-supervision of MSc and PhD students. A consistent schedule of short- and long-term mutual stays, involving the scientific and the administrative staff of the different institutions, eases the cooperation at all levels and allows the full implementation of the project. The first phase of the project successfully implemented the planned bidirectional mobility of MSc students, academics and administrative staff. Joint teaching, technical workshops and frequent interactions significantly fostered the scientific cooperation on cooperative control of distributed energy resources, resulting also in peer-reviewed, international joint publications. Then, the second half of the project corresponded to a significant boost of the planned activities, supported not only by MSc students and Faculty exchanges (bidirectional and involving both genders at different levels), but also by the mobility of PhD candidates. Despite the CoVID-19 situation in 2020, this resulted in a tighter educational and scientific collaboration, implementation of experimental validation of algorithms at the National Smart Grid Laboratory of NTNU, and increased dissemination. In particular, the latter was underpinned by the publication of a number of papers (including journals of high impact factors) that more than doubled the original expected outcome.

NB_POCCREI enabled a fruitful collaboration among 3 international universities active in the field of microgrid control/optimization, power quality and renewable energy. In addition to theoretical and experimental competence increase in such fields, staff mobility and remote interactions led to exchanging best practices both on educational approaches and technical praxes. Moreover, the potential for practical applicability of techniques studied under NB_POCCREI resulted in a new research project involving Norwegian companies. NB_POCCREI encompassed training and research actions pivotal to implement the Smart Grid paradigm and enable prosumers' flexibility in modern power grids. Project results will ease renewable integration and help reach renewable energy targets, providing society with a more flexible, efficient and reliable electricity supply. Moreover, the high partners' synergy will help long-lasting internationalization of the research and a wider outreach of results.

The NB_POCCREI project aims at bringing together some of the leading research groups that have worked on the Conservative Power Theory and its applications to the cooperative control of distributed power electronics converters from the very beginning. This theory is getting increasing attention and practical use due to its flexibility in answering the urgent needs of industry and business sector related the problems and costs of low power quality, for example in offshore wind farms and other power electronics dominated systems. The project will have its core in research-based education, deeply integrating the research efforts into the educational programmes of the partner universities, both at Master and at PhD level. All the partners are already teaching courses focusing on the above mentioned topics, and NB_POCCREI will help harmonize, integrate and further develop the educational offer to match the highest international standards. To fulfill this goal the partners will also develop jointly teaching material within the project. Moreover, the cooperation in educational and training activities, will be highly diversified, including both the shared teaching of six courses through short modules and guest lectures, and the co-supervision of MSc and PhD students. The implementation of the different actions will be made possible by a consistent schedule of short- and long-term mutual stays involving the scientific and the administrative staff of the different institutions, in order to ease the cooperation at all levels.

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INTPART-International Partnerships for Excellent Education and Research