GRID RELIABILITY WITH AUTOMATIC DAMPING AND INERTIA FOR ELECTRICAL NETWORKS AND TRANSMISSION SYSTEMS SBIR/STTR (GRADIENTS SBIR/STTR)

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Submissions can propose a project with the end deliverable being an extremely creative, but partial solution. Program Overview: The Grid Reliability with Automatic Damping and Inertia for Electrical Networks and Transmission Systems (GRADIENTS) program will support the development of disruptive grid assets and control solutions enabling renewable energy systems to provide and improve services traditionally supported by large conventional synchronous generators. At present, existing renewable energy systems without ancillary services can deteriorate grid stability. This program aims to use real-time control co-design (RT-CCD) to transform that problem into a solution, specifically creating intelligent inverter-based resources (IBRs) that improve grid controllability and coordination. The RT-CCD methodology uses control engineering principles throughout the design process rather than considering control design as a subsequent process. By co-optimizing assets for power delivery and controllability, this design methodology can achieve improvements in grid stability that are not otherwise possible without prohibitive capital expenses. Projects in this program will cover technologies in three categories: flexible renewable generation, intelligent automatic relays, and wide-area RT-CCD. GRADIENTS technologies based on dynamic metrics that quantify grid stability and controllability in terms of rate of change of frequency (RoCoF), nadir, decay ratio, and recovery time, and the program will also include a techno-economic metric for synergy margin evaluation. The program will drive advancements in grid resilience, efficiency, and adaptability. By addressing and coordinating resources that can provide inertia (energy) and damping (control) with fast frequency regulation across the grid, GRADIENTS will improve reliability in high-renewable penetration scenarios, mitigating blackout risks, reducing potential curtailment of renewables, lowering operational costs, and maximizing economic viability. The program will also foster technological innovation by developing intelligent relays and fault-tolerant protection systems, improving fault detection, adaptability, and response capabilities tailored for IBRs. Furthermore, its scalable and flexible approach to distributed control supports a wide range of applications from large regional grids to localized microgrids with customization for diverse energy mixes and regulatory requirements. Collectively, these advancements will modernize grid infrastructure, promote renewable energy integration, improve grid dynamics, and support a sustainable energy future. 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