EXPERIMENTAL VALIDATION OF RESILIENCE MODELS FOR ISLANDED MICROGRIDS FOR MILITARY OPERATIONS

Modern warfighters rely heavily on fast, accurate information to conduct all forms of military operations. It is critical that deployed Command and Control centers have reliable power for conduct of military operations and serve as a central node for information relay. For military deployments outside areas with prepared infrastructure for utility power, or in locations with no reliable utility power, stable power supply from microgrids for operations will be required. Such operations range from peacekeeping to humanitarian aid and disaster relief operations. Although such microgrids are generally reliable at providing stable power, their resilience to disruption is poor. Common interruptions include natural disasters like earthquakes, and man-made causes like cyber or physical attacks. Previous research into microgrid resilience evaluation efforts center on theoretical modeling of total electrical microgrid loading, critical electrical load prioritization, assumed capacity of renewable energy sources and their associated energy storage systems, and assumed availability of emergency generators. Experimental data from a scaled microgrid system was collected and assessed against the results from two simulation models by Peterson and Anderson. The results validate the simulation models and highlight some areas for model improvement.Military Expert 5, Republic of Singapore Air ForceApproved for public release. Distribution is unlimited