France is developing a research and innovation strategy to develop information technologies in the field of intelligent electrical power systems (or Smart Grids), an interdisciplinary field par excellence.
The applications include power generation systems (e.g. from renewable energy sources), large interconnected power transmission networks, local distribution networks, on-board electrical systems and land-based electric vehicles in their recharging infrastructure network (from automobiles to automated electric shuttles).
The new topology of the electrical networks, due to the introduction of a large share of renewable energies, the double direction of the flow of electricity, due to “local” production (the consumer becoming a producer at certain times), the presence of different time scales, which must be taken into account in the design of control systems, and the importance of information transmission, raise major new issues where Information and Communication Sciences and Technologies, in particular automation, telecommunications and signal processing, have an extremely important role to play.
This research is carried out in partnership with major industrial players, such as EDF, RTE, General Electric, Alstom, Siemens, among others. These collaborations are carried out in the RTE industrial chair, the EDF – CentraleSupélec RiseGrid joint laboratory, the Institutes for Energy Transition SuperGrid and Efficacity, the Associated International Laboratories Power Grid with Brazil, and Smart Grid with Canada, as well as several CIFRE theses and European and ANR projects. Examples of research on these themes are presented below.
Photo credits: AB Electrical & Communications Ltd
Electric vehicles integration
The integration of electric vehicles in the current electrical grid is one of the most complex challenges to be addressed in the near future. Indeed, they are expected to highly increase in number in the few next years, thus generating a continuously increasing jeopardized intermittent power demand that the current electrical grid is not able to handle.
Collaborations: Efficacity, RTE, ENEDIS, Vinci.
Multi-energy systems
One of the biggest difficulties in the management of electrical energy is the speed of the dynamics (units of a second for a network). Moreover, the grid is limited by the consumption peak , which can vary very strongly throughout a day. Consequently, the coordination of several energy sources in parallel, such as electricity, heating and cooling, or gas, provides flexibility and the capability to minimize the peak. Furthermore, it allows to use both storage systems and the thermal inertia of buildings, resulting in higher performance.
Collaborations: EDF, Efficacity, ENEDIS.
Researcher – CNRS
Automatique et systèmes – SYCOMORE
alessio.iovine@l2s.centralesupelec.fr
Bât. Breguet C3.05
Professor – Université Paris-Saclay
Télécoms et réseaux – MULTINET
michel.kieffer@l2s.centralesupelec.fr
Bât. Breguet C4.09a