IEEE Power Electronics Magazine - December 2016 - 4

From the Editor

by Ashok Bindra

A Unified Interface
for Integrating Renewable Energy
Sources with the Smart Grid

he fast pace of integrating
renewable energy sources
with the traditional grid is
rapidly changing the power system
infrastructure. From a centralized
architecture, it is rapidly moving
toward distributed generation,
which is further transforming into a
smart grid. In short, the power system infrastructure is going through
a paradigm shift. More and more
renewable energy sources, electric
vehicles, and energy storage systems are being connected to power
systems through a variety of different power electronic converters and
inverters. Likewise, the majority of
the loads are also connected to the
grid via numerous power electronic
converters. The result is complexity
with instability.
With the increased usage of wind
and solar power, this problem is further aggravated, and power system
infrastructure stability is further degraded. To address this problem and
improve system stability, researchers around the world have been investigating different ways to control
power electronic converters in power
systems. Prof. Qing-Chang Zhong of
the Illinois Institute of Technology,
Chicago, is proposing a unified in-

Digital Object Identifier 10.1109/MPEL.2016.2615952
Date of publication: 20 December 2016

IEEE POWER ELECTRONICS MAGAZINE

authors are investigating the design
terface, called a virtual synchronous
phase of power electronic systems
machine (VSM), for smart grid intebased on the physics-of-failure in
gration.
components. According to the article,
VSM embeds the dynamics and
the new approach provides a better
behavior of conventional synchrounderstanding of failure causes and
nous machines into power electronic
better access/design for the reliability
converters. In the first feature article,
of converter systems. Besides present"Virtual Synchronous Machines," Prof.
ing an overview of the new design
Zhong shows that the converters,
flow, the article also
either on the supply
discusses some of
or the load side, can
the emerging needs
all be controlled to
With the growing
in this field.
behave like VSMs
number of renewable
Finally, the arto offer the dynampower sources, the
ticle, "Electrifying
ics of synchronous
rising deployment
India" by K rishna
machines, providof smart meters,
Shenai, Ashok Jhuning a common rojhunwala, and Prabbust and friendly
and increasing
hjot Kaur, looks at
interface for smart
communication links
the shortage of elecgrid integration. Toto the smart grid, the
tricity in developing
ward this solution,
vulnerability to
countries like India
the article presents
attacks increases
and shows that solar
synchronverter techexponentially.
dc microgrids can
nology and its develprovide a quick and
opments. It shows
low-cost solution
that there is no lonto the electrification of India.
ger a need to include a dedicated synchronization unit, often phase-locked
loops, in converters that behave like
A New Column
a VSM.
and the Old Favorites
Next, in the article "New ApproaThis issue also introduces a new colches to Reliability Assessment" by
umn called "Expert View," which invites
Ke Ma, Huai Wang, and Frede Blaabexperienced engineers and professionjerg, the authors describe a new apals to express their opinions on issues
proach for the reliability assessment
and challenges confronting the power
of power electronic systems. The
electronics industry. It starts with a

z December 2016

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of IEEE Power Electronics Magazine - December 2016