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Power System Automation Laboratory

Texas A&M University College of Engineering

Research Projects of Dr. Butler-Purry Group

The Butler-Purry Group has been a leader in research on power system resilience, protection, and automation with application to distribution systems for several decades. The research can be described holistically as On-line Monitoring, Condition Assessment, and Management of Electric Power Distribution Systems.

Main Research Focus Areas

Self-Healing Shipboard Power Systems and Power Management of Stand Alone Power Systems

  • Catastrophic Failure Identification and Intelligent Reconfiguration of Shipboard Power Systems
  • Predictive Reconfiguration of Shipboard Power Systems
  • Power Analysis and Reconfiguration Engine (PARE), STTR Phase I and II 
  • Power Management for Automated Damage Control, SBIR Phase I
  • Dynamic Damage Control and Power Management of Shipboard Power Systems

Sponsors: ONR multiple awards, including Young Investigator Award, Navy STTR Phase II Program, Navy SBIR Phase I, WPI SMS (US Navy SBIR Phase III)

Condition Monitoring and Prognosis of Aging Electric Power Systems

  • Detection of Incipient Failures in Underground Cables.
  • Finite Element Models of Short Circuit and Incipient Failures in Transformers.
  • Detection of Short Circuit and Incipient Failures in Transformers.

Sponsors: National Science Foundation (NSF) Career Award, TXU multiple Awards, Texas Advanced Technology Program, Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), PSERC NSF UIC

Distributed Generators in Smart Distribution Systems and MicroGrids

  • Impact Analysis and Development of New Protection Schemes for Distributed Generators in Distribution Systems
  • Power Management in MicroGrids

Sponsor: NSF

Modeling and Simulation of Large Scale Power Systems and Stand Alone Power Systems

  • Transient Simulation of AC Radial Shipboard Power Systems
  • Remote Nondestructive Testing and Measurement of Large-Scale Power Systems
  • Fast and Real-Time Simulation of Shipboard Power Systems  and MicroGrids
  • Hardware Controller Research and Development, including Power System Protective Relays and Intelligent Controllers
  • Design of Real-Time Simulation Testbed for AMI Network

Sponsors: Sponsors: DOD/MURI/ONR (multi-university research initiative, led by Drexel U), DOD DURIP

Active Management of Microgrids and Stand-Alone Power Systems & Power Management  and Damage Control of Shipboard Power Systems

  • A Bio-Inspired Multi-Agent Framework for Real-Time Load Management of All-Electric Power Systems for Ships
  • Reactive Power Control of Microgrids and Shipboard Power Systems
  • Integrated Security-constrained Power Management of All-Electric Power Systems for Ships

Sponsors: NSF, ONR

Energy Resilience of Smart Distribution Systems and Microgrids

  • Impact of Cyber Attacks on Smart Grids
  • Investigation of Voltage Stability in Three-Phase Unbalanced Distribution Systems with DGs
  • Black Start Restoration for Electric Distribution Systems and Microgrids
  • Control and Black Start Restoration of Islanded Microgrids
  • Cyber-Physical Power Systems – Cyber Security
  • Cyber-Physical Power Systems — Protection
  • EV Charger Flexible Load Management

Sponsors:  NSF, THECB – NHARP; TAMU-PVAMU Panther Research & Innovation for Scholarly Excellence Grant Program; Triad National Security, LLC – Collaborative Research and Development Projects

Enhancing Learning in Digital Systems

  • CCLI: Enhancing Learning in Digital Systems with Video Games
  • TUES: Transforming Undergraduate Learning in Digital Systems in Texas (TX DS)

Sponsors: NSF CCLI Phase I, NSF TUES Type 2

People

Faculty Profiles

B. Don Russell

Carl L. Benner

Karen L. Butler-Purry

Jeffrey Wischkaemper

Karthick Manivanna

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