Jun 22, 2015
In times when the grid goes down, and there is a possibility of having lives at stake, waiting for days for power to be reinstated is such a long wait. Know more about how microgrid robots can help sustain temporary power.
- Microgrids can provide power in remote, rugged. and even dangerous places. Problem is, you have to put people in risky situations to build the microgrids –unless you send robots out to do the job.
- We are working to make microgrid robots (mobile microgrids), a creation that could have a far reaching impact on how we restore power after disasters.
- Robots now assist recovery efforts in other capacities following disasters.why not take robot capability one step further and have them restore power?
- This approach will free up manpower to put more effort into saving lives while the robots establish power and communications.
- For example, after snow storm when the power goes out. In the not-so-distant future, it could mean hours instead of days of cold and dark.
- The plan: robots scurry safely to a site and determine the problem, then hook up a microgrid to provide power until the real grid can be restored.
- They can't provide power forever, but 4 robots can form a microgrid; 10 microgrids could provide temporary power to a small neighborhood; and 100 microgrids could relight a community.
- This is an interdisciplinary problem.
- We have to bring mobility, power electronics and the underlying controls into one system.
To get background on Dr. Nina Mahmoudian, and to find out even more, go to TechTalkWithCraigPeterson.com