Autoconfiguration of Microgrid Controls

 The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Lincoln Laboratory and U.S. Army Research Laboratories have developed a new interoperable communications standard for controlling microgrid systems called Military Standard Tactical Microgrid System (MIL-STD-TMS). The authors validated the MIL-STD-TMS specification by building a prototypemicrogrid system. In the prototype, time-proven control and protection methods were blended with MIL-STD-TMS methods. This  microgrid controls technologies have been evaluated by the U.S.

This paper describes how autonomous microgrid controls and protection systems are automatically configured without human involvement. Two variants of this solution are shared: one for a rapidly deployed, mobile power system, and one that integrates a fixed campus power system.

The technology is fully outlined in the paper and includes benefits like no single point of failure, measured reductions in generator set (genset) fuel consumption and reduced emissions, minimal training to configure or operate these plug-and-play systems, interoperability with all makes, models, and sizes of military and commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) generators, and much more.