Drives

Electrical energy generated from any source, regardless of whether it is renewable or not, must be controlled to ensure that the correct frequency and magnitude of the voltage and current is supplied to the load or electrical network. This is important whether the source is connected to the main grid, a hybrid system or directly to a single load. If power is delivered at the wrong current, voltage or frequency then this can trip protection systems or potentially cause serious damage to equipment, both of which interrupt supply from the generator and can be expensive.

In order to regulate the electrical power generated from a source, an electrical drive system is used to interface the electrical generator to the load or electrical network. A simple system may consist of some power electronics, for example back to back inverters, with some control implemented around them. The exact type of drive used and control implemented is dependent on the type of generator used and the required function of the system.

RenewNet can provide a wealth of experience in the area of electrical machine drive design and control to SMEs requiring technical assistance. RenewNet also opens up opportunities to develop and test systems and control methodologies for electrical drives for renewable energy systems in hardware, thus enabling ideas to be tested not only in simulation, but in the laboratory too.