Infrastructure Systems: Smart Grid Control and Optimization

Mentor: Yufei Tang, Ph.D.

Student: Michael Aiudi

Home Institution: University of Rhode Island

Michael Aiudi joined Dr. Yufei Tang’s team with their work on smart grid optimization. Michael spent part of the summer simulating large numbers of small power grids, micro-grids, and how they can interact together. Smart grid optimization can be used for connecting independent homes with solar panels or wind turbines to one another to create a power grid consisting of distributed generation instead of centralized generation. Michael examined how society can slowly move away from the power grid set up of having a large centralized power plant, and towards a future where there are homes running on power they generate and then sharing excess power with neighbors as efficiently as possible. This movement will lessen or eliminate issues such as power production creating greenhouse gasses, difficulties that surround power outages, and various other power loss issues which surround the current grid.

Click here for the PDF presentation.   Click here to watch the video presentation.