Development of a full scale 11kV and Low Voltage (LV) prototyping network as a test-bed / proving ground for active network management techniques and other high risk technologies. Whilst not a technological development in itself, this project is a fundamental enabler of technology, with significant potential to accelerate adoption of significant / radical developments across a range of IFI projects.

Objectives

In partnership with collaborators, this project aims to:

• Provide a demonstration network to allow the testing of new technologies on a real network

• Offer a real network that will incorporate 11kV and low voltage equipment, containing real loads, real generation and test real technologies

• Create a facility which will be open to Academia, R&D establishments, manufacturers, and DNOs.

The vision is to create a physical scale model that can represent different urban, suburban and rural electrical networks. The proposed system will incorporate real network components: cables, overhead lines, switchgear, transformers, protection and control equipment, in order to ensure it is both representative and credible to the real thing. Real Time Digital Simulators (RTDSs) will be used in parallel to model an underlying, more comprehensive network, effectively expanding the scale of the system.

Technologies coming more prominently into play over the next 15 years, e.g. micro-generation, storage, fault current limiters, etc., will be included on the test network so as to test their effect, and vice-versa, on both marine and distribution systems.