In September, our demo site partner CEA participated in a workshop and site visit at one of the demo sites of fellow project HYPERRIDE – the Swiss science and technology institution EPFL in Lausanne. As a pilot site operator, EPFL integrates AC-DC hybrid microgrids with different types of generation and storage linked to a ready MVAC grid.
Three members of CEA – Olivier Wiss, Guillaume Piquet-Boisson and Anthony Bier – travelled to the EPFL site to discover the HYPERRIDE project with a view to learn from their work, which has strong links with what we’re doing in TIGON. Both projects seek to demonstrate flexible and robust DC microgrids coupled to AC grids in LV and MV. HYPERRIDE is, however, more focused on the operation of such grids and mainly uses commercial products that are already available. With TIGON, our emphasis goes on the development of prototyped products. See our demo site page.
The CEA threesome participated in the HYPERRIDE consortium meeting and presented the TIGON project. They raised interest in our developments and fielded a number of technical questions from the HYPERRIDE partners. Future collaboration would thus be mutually worthwhile as both projects continue to mature.
The meeting included a visit to EPFL’s Power Electronics Laboratory and the Distributed Electrical System Laboratory where delegates were given interesting explanations on current research. In addition, they attended a live demonstration of the DC and AC microgrids at the demo site – it all worked perfectly!
Photo: Anthony Bier – CEA
HYPERRIDE project website here
