GRIDABLE is a European Union Horizon 2020 project, aiming to develop and demonstrate polypropylene based nanocomposite MV and HVDC insulation systems for cables and capacitors and this way improving and enabling modern interconnection technologies for hybrid AC DC power transmission grids.
Background
GRIDABLE is a four year H2020 project (Grant No. 720858) with a total budget of 8.32 M¬. Project is coordinated by Technical Research Centre of Finland (VTT). The main role of Tampere University is the electrical characterization and development of nanocomposite-PP capacitor insulation systems.
Goal
High voltage direct current (HVDC) technology and integration of stationary energy storage (SES) are an essential part of the future electricity grid. Wide adaptation of the new DC technology brings also challenges like space charge accumulation in insulation, which requires new material solutions. Space charge accumulation and breakdown reliability in DC insulation can be improved by optimizing the trap depth and charge mobility while chemical functionalization of nanoparticles will offer a route to successful dispersion in polymer matrix and thus higher DC insulation material performance.
GRIDABLE project demonstrates novel polypropylene-silica nanocomposite insulation material in HVDC cable and in DC capacitor insulation. They are both key components in voltage source converter (VSC) technology that is used in modern grid connection for renewable production and SES sites. The novel polypropylene-silica insulation material has a potential to improve the reliability of HVDC applications and to enable notably smaller size of VSC capacitors, an improvement wanted especially at offshore VSC stations.
Funding source
EU
Contact persons
Kari Lahti
Research Manager, Adjunct Professor
Kari.Lahti [at] tut.fi
+358 40 585 9805