Participation as technology partner in the PHI-Factory research project

“Innovation through cooperation” – This could be the motto of the current research project PHI-Factory of the Institute for Production Management, Technology and Machine Tools of the Technical University of Darmstadt, Germany. With project funding by the Federal Ministry of Economics and Energy (BMWi) and a duration of three years, 17 partners from industry and research in the fields of mechanical engineering, electrical engineering and software are working together on the interdisciplinary research project PHI-Factory. As a consortium and technology partner, Ingenieurbüro Hoffmann GmbH is also significantly involved in the results of the research project.

The PHI-Factory is a research project for the development and testing of technical and organisational solutions by means of which industrial companies can simultaneously save energy costs and support the power grid as an energy-flexible, active control element. Measures for optimized load management as well as for improving the network quality and the ideal integration of decentralized generator and storage systems into the holistic and optimally controlled energy management are investigated (vgl. wwww.phi-factory.de).

Within the framework of the PHI-Factory research and development project, the engineers of Ingenieurbüro Hoffmann GmbH will develop concepts for decentralised factory network management together with the project partners and test them in the PHI-Factory. They will also develop and test a measuring device for online measurement of the grid impedance in the PHI-factory and develop control strategies to achieve PQI-functionalities and the stand-alone grid capability of grid-connected inverters and test them in the PHI-Factory.

In a first step (1) possible decentralised control and regulation concepts are shown and evaluated, the energetic efficiency for power electronic systems and electric drives as well as technological risks are evaluated. Thereupon (2) possible measuring concepts for measuring the network impedance are shown and a possible measuring concept for measuring the network impedance as well as an OPC-UA interface for integrating the information network impedance measurement into the operational management of the factory network are developed. This is followed by a long-term measurement of the grid impedance at the site of Ingenieurbüro Hoffmann GmbH and at the site of PHI-Factory. For the (3) qualification of inverters for PQI functionalities and stand-alone network capability, a suitable control concept is developed, implemented, parameterised and commissioned as well as control design for PQI functionalities and the development, implementation, parameterisation and commissioning of a suitable concept for stand-alone network identification and capability. Both concepts are simulated and metrologically investigated. Subsequently, (4) experimental investigations are carried out within the overall PHI-Factory network.

Dr.-Ing. Nils Hoffmann, Head of Development at Ingenieurbüro Hoffmann GmbH, on the research project: “Grid impedance is a key parameter for increasing production capacity and reliability in a slow expansion of the industrial network and is decisive for the achievable power quality in an industrial network – Research in this area is and remains exciting and important. We look forward to working with partners from industry and research as part of the PHI-Factory research project”.

Autor: Nadja Hoffmann, 30. November 2017