Design and development of a smart grid laboratory for an energy and power engineering technology program

This paper presents the design and development of a laboratory facility to accompany a three-course power systems sequence in the Energy and Power Engineering Technology program at Purdue University. This hardware-based system is modeled after the US electric grid and emulates a complete power network: generation, transmission and distribution, end-use, and control. The approach taken is to divide the lab hardware in two: a simplified three-phase, three-bus system for power transfer from a synchronous generator and infinite bus to a variable load, and a multi-bus single phase system with prime movers and associated generators, transformers, contactors, transmission lines, constant impedance loads, induction motor loads, power factor correction capacitors, DC generation, AC/DC conversion, energy storage, high voltage DC transmission, and supervisory control and data acquisition. The bifurcation of the lab hardware by phase enables the hands on teaching of both three-phase power basics and more advanced content in context of the power grid, supporting a systems-based approach to electric power engineering education.