Power Conversion System

John Herbst, Program Manager at the University of Texas Center for Electromechanics (UT-CEM), has been awarded a $271,394 grant from the Office of Naval Research under the 2013 Defense University Research Instrumentation Program (DURIP). 

This Flexible Power Conversion System grant to will fund the procurement of one PowerModule PM3000 Developer Kit, six PM3000 Converters, three circuit breakers and a water cooling system.  The power conversion equipment is manufactured by American Superconductor and will be installed in the UT-CEM Microgrid Laboratory at The University of Texas’ J.J. Pickle Research Campus in Austin, Texas.

The PM3000 power conversion modules can be quickly configured to perform multiple power conversion functions including dc-dc, ac-dc, ac-ac, and dc-ac and will enable the emulation of rectifiers, inverters, energy storage devices and renewable energy resources.  The new power conversion equipment represents a significant enhancement of the Microgrid Laboratory’s capabilities and will enable the UT-CEM megawatt-level microgrid to more effectively emulate shipboard and forward operating base power systems. This procurement will support ongoing ONR-funded electric power system architecture and microgrid research projects.