Through PhD theses and collaborative projects, with public as well as private partners, our Unit carries out researches in six main topics
SMART GRIDS AND MICRO-GRIDS
Research in micro-grids mainly focuses on their interaction with external stakeholders. The idea is to see how the regulatory framework as well as the management rules of the micro-grid can impact other actors and can be adapted to reach a global social welfare. To realize such studies, Game Theoretical approaches are used and adapted in a stochastic multi-agent problem formulation.
Concerning smart grids, different topics are treated going from centralized voltage control in Medium Voltage Distribution Networks to the development of a long-term techno-economic software that analyses solutions aiming at promoting the penetration of PV generation within Low Voltage Networks.
Contact François Vallée for more information
Net Zero Energy Buildings and Districts
A high building or district performance can only be guaranteed by a well-managed and controlled energy system. Hence, our research work in this topic is with the development of scheduling and control algorithm for Energy Management Systems (EMS) models using renewable energy resources and distributed generation units. The EMS models are formulated as optimisation problems and time step programming is used to optimally address their operation and control.
Contact Olivier Deblecker for more information
Renewable Energies AND STORAGES SYSTEMS
Both topics are covered by the unit. Concerning renewable energies, the effort is devoted to modeling aspects. In that context, prediction (at different time horizons) tools as well as methods allowing to deal with incomplete or huge databases are implemented and are based on the use of mathematical techniques like ANN, time series, matrix factorization,etc.
From the storage point of view, their profitability by providing flexibility within an ARP portfolio is investigated. To do so, a medium term multi-markets optimization problem is formulated and adequately incorporates the impact of shorter-term constraints.
Contact François Vallée for more information
Wireless Power Transfer Using Resonant Inductive Coupling
Wireless Power Transfer (WPT) is nowadays a trending research topic, boosted by the continuous progress made in power electronics. Today, high power is generated at high frequencies, paving the way to the implementation of WPT to high power applications, such as the electric vehicle battery charging. Our Unit conducts research to provide adapted and original computational electromagnetic methods for the modeling of WPT coils. In this context, the Finite Element method combined with surface impedance boundary conditions and the Partial Element Equivalent Circuit are employed. Moreover, attention is drawn on the elaboration and on the control of power electronic converters surrounding the coils in order to optimize the transfer performances. Source soft-switching operation and load modulation are implemented for doing so.*
Contact Alexis Desmoort for more information
Power Electronics for Railways and Space Applications
Research in power electronics is mainly focused on dc-dc conversion, including hard and soft-switching topologies. The design, optimisation and control problems are treated, considering also the potential offered in terms of mass and power loss reduction by the use of new wide band gap semiconductor (SiC and GaN) devices. The targeted applications are mostly with: auxiliary railway power supplies, switch-mode power supply for space applications, and more recently electric vehicle battery wireless chargers.
Contact Olivier Deblecker for more information
Modeling of Electromagnetic Devices Using Numerical Methods
Computational electromagnetics aim at solving numerically the Maxwell equations on geometrical representations of electrical devices, so as to provide local (e.g. field intensity in a particular point of the device) and global quantities (e.g. a current, a voltage or a force), useful for the engineer. Our team conduct advanced research on Finite Element and Integral methods as well (Boundary Element Method, Partial Element Equivalent Circuit method). A particular emphasis is put on:
Contact Zacharie De Grève for more information
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ONGOING COLLABORATIVE PROJECTS
Chaire ORES
E-Cloud
UMONS Grant 100%
UMONS Grant 50%
SMARTWATER
RESIZED
INOGRAMS
Chaire ORES
Smart Metering - Smart Grids
01/01/2012
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Funding Agency
Private (ORES)
Coordinators
UMONS - Electrical Power Engineering Unit
UMONS - Electromagnetism & Telecommunications Department
ORES
Scientific Responsibles
Pr François Vallée (Electrical Power Engineering Unit)
Pr Patrice Mégret (Electromagnetism & Telecommunications Department)
Present cientific Collaborator
Martin Hupez (PhD Student)
Past Collaborator
Vasiliki Klonari (PhD Student)
Project Summary : Research in the domain of telecom systems & networks used for smart metering and smart grid
More info here
E-Cloud
01/11/2016
31/12/2019
Funding Agency
Walloon Region
Marshall 4.0 plan
Coordinator
ORES
Scientific Responsibles
Pr François Vallée (Electrical Power Engineering Unit)
Dr Zacharie De Grève (Electrical Power Engineering Unit)
Scientific Collaborators
Thierry Vanherck (PhD Student)
Project Summary : An E-Cloud is defined as an integrated power distribution grid feeding an existing area of economic activity, which distributes the energy to industrial and commercial sites that have agreed to be part of the E-Cloud community. Local consumers as well as local production are pooled to optimize the energy flows. Two pilot sites are targeted in the project, with real customers, solar energy sources and storage devices.
Unit contribution : Provide micro and macro analyses of the E-Cloud, prediction of electrical quantities
UMONS Grant 100%
Alexis Desmoort
01/10/2015
30/09/2019
Funding Agency
University of Mons
Coordinator
University of Mons
Scientific Responsibles
Pr Olivier Deblecker (Electrical Power Engineering Unit)
Dr Zacharie De Grève (Electrical Power Engineering Unit)
Scientific Collaborators
Alexis Desmoort (PhD Student)
Project Summary : L’objectif de ce projet consiste en la modélisation et la réalisation pratique d’un dispositif flexible de transfert de puissance électrique sans fil par couplage inductif résonant. Cette modélisation requiert l’abord de nombreuses problématiques actuelles dans le domaine de la modélisation électromagnétique (hautes fréquences et caractère tridimensionnel). Techniquement, un laboratoire virtuel sera créé de sorte à pouvoir modifier aisément les paramètres électriques et géométriques du dispositif afin d’effectuer une optimisation du transfert en épargnant la réalisation de nombreux prototypes. La flexibilité sera quant à elle assurée par l’intervention de l’électronique de puissance dans la génération de la résonance de façon à pouvoir agir de manière active sur celle-ci et ainsi opérer dans des conditions optimales. L’interfaçage entre le dispositif et les topologies électroniques de puissance se fera par une extraction du circuit (R, L et C) équivalent du modèle électromagnétique. En parallèle des développements théoriques, la conception expérimentale d’un dispositif complet de transfert flexible est planifiée.
UMONS Grant 50% (partial funding)
Charline Stevanoni
01/09/2015
31/08/2019
Funding Agencies
University of Mons
Public (IDEA)
Private (Decube Consult)
Coordinator
University of Mons
Scientific Responsibles
Pr Olivier Deblecker (Electrical Power Engineering Unit)
Pr François Vallée (Electrical Power Engineering Unit)
Scientific Collaborators
Charline Stevanoni (PhD Student)
Project Summary : Industrial microgrids connected to the distribution network contain decentralized generation, storage and loads, and involve various stakeholders: the Distribution System Operator (DSO), the industrial companies (which may be prosumers or not) and the Industrial Estate Operator (IEO). These stakeholders often have different and conflicting objectives. This research deals with the planning of an industrial microgrid under different management strategies, taking into account the point of view of all the actors. The planning procedure is formulated as a multi-agent and multi-objective problem, and Game theory is used to solve the problem. Ultimately, the proposed methodology for the long-term will give guidelines to the DSO, the industrial companies and the IEO in order to tailor an industrial estate to a microgrid connected to the distribution network.
01/09/2014
31/08/2017
SMARTWATER
Système de régulation des réseaux électriques par intégration de sites carriers et souterrains pour le stockage énergétique par turbinage-pompage hydroélectrique
Funding Agency
Walloon Region
Coordinator
MULTITEL
Scientific Responsibles
Pr François Vallée (Electrical Power Engineering Unit)
Dr Zacharie De Grève (Electrical Power Engineering Unit)
Scientific Collaborators
Jean-François Toubeau (PhD Student)
Project Summary : L'approche visée dans le cadre du projet SMARTWATER est de mettre au point un ensemble d’outils socio-juridiques, économiques, géomécaniques, hydro-géologiques, hydrauliques, hydromécaniques, électromécaniques et de simulation et contrôle informatique pour aider l’éclosion de la filière du stockage hydroélectrique de puissance limitée à quelques dizaines de MW au service de la régulation des réseaux électriques des GRD & GRT. L’idée est d’exploiter des sites géologiques spécifiques, soit des carrières en fin de vie comme bassins de stockage, soit des cavités souterraines comme réservoir inférieur du système PHES (Système UCES - Underground Cavity Energy Storage).
Unit contribution : task 2 : Gestion mensuelle et à J-1 du parc de stockage hydroélectrique
01/09/2014
31/08/2019
RESIZED
Research Excellence for Solution and Implementation of net Zero Energy city Districts
Funding Agency
Europian Union
H2020 (ERA Chairs)
Coordinator
University of Mons - Research institute for Energy
Scientific Responsibles
Dr Christos Ioakeimidis (ERA Chair Holder)
Pr Olivier Deblecker (Electrical Power Engineering Unit)
Scientific Collaborators
Dimitrios Thomas (PhD Student)
Project Summary : This project brings together the teams of six laboratories of the Faculty of Architecture and Urbanism and the Polytechnic Faculty of UMONS. It aims to put in place tools and methodologies that can be used for the design and building of districts with low energy consumption and integrating their production equipments with a view to the use of local energy resources. Ultimately, the study should lead to demonstration projects carried out in collaboration with the stakeholders in the sector.
Unit contribution : Energy management systems (EMS) and optimal control are of key importance in developing smartgrid/microgrid applications, either grid-connected or off-grid. The use of smart technology through comprehensive and efficient facility management functions characterize the smart buildings which are a vital part of smart grids. A high building performance can be only guaranteed by a well-managed and controlled energy system. In smart buildings, two are the main challenges for the efficient control of the EMS: (1) the integration of on-site energy production and storage systems and, (2) the two-way communication between buildings and smart grids. Energy balance and efficiency, high power reliability and cost-saving demand the development of optimal scheduling and control algorithms. A contribution in the development of such scheduling and control algorithms for EMS models using renewable energy sources and distributed generation units will be made in in this project. The EMS models will be formulated as optimization problems and time-step programming will be used to optimally address their operation and control.
01/03/2014
31/12/2017
INOGRAMS
INnOvations for a Global RAil Management System
Funding Agency
Walloon Region (Marshall plan)
Coordinator
ALSTOM
Scientific Responsibles
Pr Jacques Lobry (Electrical Power Engineering Unit)
Scientific Collaborators
Ionut Razvan Grigore
Project Summary : The objective is to develop autonomous energy sources designed for supplying the electric equipments (signaling, point machine, etc.) distributed along the railway tracks in order to drastically limit the deployment of power cables while maintaining the availability of energy supply and the overall level of performance. Various possible types of energy sources and storage devices are investigated and analyzed (wind, photovoltaic, vibrations, etc.). A prototype will be developed and tested in situ at the end of the project.
Unit contribution : WP3 - Energy Harvesting
ESA-NPI Grant
CERAPIDE
GREDOR
ESA-NPI Grant
01/01/2012
30/06/2015
Funding Agency
Public (Europian Union)
Private (Thalès Alenia Space)
Coordinators
UMONS - Electrical Power Engineering Unit
UMONS - Electronics and Microelectronics Department
ESA-ESTEC
Scientific Responsibles
Pr Olivier Deblecker (Electrical Power Engineering Unit)
Pr Fortunato Dualibe (Electronics and Microelectronics Department)
Pr Christope Delepaut (ESA-ESTEC)
Scientific Collaborators
Florent Leroy (PhD Student)
Project Summary : La technique Envelope Tracking permet d’améliorer le compromis entre l’efficacité et la linéarité des amplificateurs radiofréquence utilisés à bord de satellites de télécommunication. Ces amplificateurs nécessitent des alimentations de puissance qui doivent être très performantes en termes de rendement, de bande passante et vitesse de balayage. Le recours aux convertisseurs continu-continu constitue une solution pour augmenter l’efficacité du système d’amplification. Au cours du projet (réalisé en partie au European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC) de l’ESA aux Pays-Bas), l’accent a été porté sur la conception et la réalisation d’un convertisseur continu-continu d’une puissance de sortie de 50 W, opérant à une très haute fréquence de commutation (plusieurs dizaines de MHz), et compatible avec la tension de bus continu d’un satellite de télécommunication. L’utilisation de nouveaux composants de puissance à large bande interdite, à base de nitrure de gallium, a permis d’atteindre un rendement de 90% , remarquable pour le niveau de fréquence considéré. Outre une étude de réalisation de plusieurs maquettes de convertisseur continu-continu, la conception d’un nouveau modulateur de largeur d’impulsion, capable de piloter la grille du transistor de commutation à très haute fréquence, a été réalisée. L’aspect contrôle en boucle fermée a également été traité de façon à garantir la précision de la tension de polarisation fournie à l’amplificateur radiofréquence.
CERAPIDE
Industrial valorisation of an innovative rapid densification technology (of the SPS type) by sintering of ceramics and cermets with high added value under pulsed electric field.
01/06/2009
31/05/2014
Funding Agency
Wallonia Region
FEDER
Coordinator
INISMA
Scientific Responsibles
Pr Jacques Lobry (Electrical Power Engineering Unit)
Dr Zacharie De Grève (Electrical Power Engineering Unit)
Scientific Collaborators
Thierry Vanherck (PhD Student)
Project Summary : The objective is the industrial validation of an innovative technology (SPS : Spark Plasma Sintering) for rapid densification by sintering high added value ceramics and cermet products under a pulsed electrical field.
Unit contribution : Numerical modelling of the SPS technique (CERAPIDE is part of the projects portfolio T-REX)
01/01/2013
31/12/2016
GREDOR
Gestion des Réseaux Electriques de Distribution Ouverts aux Renouvelables
Funding Agency
Walloon Region
Coordinator
University of Liège
Scientific Responsibles
Pr François Vallée (Electrical Power Engineering Unit)
Dr Zacharie De Grève (Electrical Power Engineering Unit)
Scientific Collaborators
Lazaros Exizidis (PhD Student)
Dr Benjamin Picart (Post-Doc)
Project Summary : Le projet vise à développer une méthodologie, à spécifier des processus opérationnels entre les acteurs du système et à développer un ensemble d’outils informatiques d’aide à la prise de décision par les gestionnaires de réseau afin de leur permettre de faire face à l’arrivée massive de productions décentralisées. Ces outils permettront entre autres: de gérer le réseau en temps réel de façon plus efficace et objective en se fondant sur les mesures et les informations statistiques disponibles : gestion des flux, de la topologie, estimation de l’état électrique, etc. ; de prendre les décisions appropriées aux trois horizons temporels cités plus haut, en exploitant de nouveaux flux d’informations entre les GR et les autres acteurs, en vue de maximiser un optimum sociétal non discriminatoire. Cet optimum résultera d’un compromis entre différents éléments tels que l'accueil de productions renouvelables, les investissements, les risques opérationnels, les impacts économiques sur les différents acteurs, etc. Le projet vise aussi à définir et à étudier différents modèles d’interactions possibles entre les acteurs actuels et futurs (les "prosumers", les agrégateurs, etc.) afin de fournir aux instances de décision des recommandations qui visent l’intérêt sociétal. Ces interactions feront intervenir : les offres de produits/services à échanger (y compris les services auxiliaires), les mécanismes de fixation des prix, les mécanismes de soutien aux sources d’énergie renouvelables, les contrats, les échanges de données, le contrôle des services effectués, etc. Ces interactions et outils seront analysés aux trois horizons de temps définis plus haut. La cohérence des divers développements sera vérifiée dans une étude qualitative et quantitative fondée sur des simulations (situation de réseau, nouvelles productions, charges déplaçables…) et aboutissant à des indices de performance afin d’estimer le bénéfice attendu par rapport à la situation actuelle.
Unit contribution : Task 1 : Modèles de marché, Task 2 : Décisions d’investissement, Task 3 : Gestion prévisionnelle, Task 4 : Temps réel, and Task 5 : Collecte de données et construction de modèles.