Assistant Professor Pritam Das, from Binghamton University's Thomas J. Watson College of Engineering and Applied Science, has been awarded a $537,959 National Science Foundation CAREER Award to advance solid-state transformer (SST) technology.

SSTs are key components in the integration of renewable energy sources into the electrical grid, as they are more efficient and better able to handle the direct current (DC) produced by batteries.

Das hopes to significantly improve SST technology by integrating bidirectional AC-DC and DC-DC converters with high-frequency galvanic isolation, which will reduce the number of components used and increase power density. The new SSTs are expected to be 5% more efficient, 40% more power dense, 30% cheaper, and five to six times faster for transient response than existing technology. They will also comply with IEEE 1547 standards for utility power systems and distributed energy resources such as wind and solar generators.

By reducing the losses during power conversion for energy storage by about 400 gigawatt-hours, using the new SSTs for grid integration of energy-storage systems alone is expected to be beneficial. The technology could also be used for public transport in urban areas using electric buses, electrical vertical-takeoff-and-landing (VTOL) taxis and other vehicles, data centers, and other applications where traditional transformers are impossible to install. The award also includes a partnership with SUNY Broome Community College and its Engineering Science Department to recruit students and professionals to the field, particularly underrepresented minorities and women.

Source: binghamton.edu