Luigi Vanfretti

Abstract:
Modeling and simulation is essential for a myriad of power engineering functions, from planning power grid expansions, to real-time market operations. However, existing modeling and simulation technologies lack portability requiring reimplementation and creating ambiguity, while locking-in data and analysts to specific tools. The open access Modelica language offers a new paradigm, the ability to build object-oriented equation-based models, supported by multiple tools and advanced modeling constructs. This has the potential of drastically reducing modeling costs, especially those required to meet the rapid changes that power grids are undergoing to introduce more renewable energy sources.
The seminar will introduce the Modelica language and the OpenIPSL.org library for power system dynamic modeling and simulation and the strategies adopted for modeling quality and to foster adoption which include: open source development, software-to-software verification using de facto industry tools, model maintenance and model transformation tools from proprietary model descriptions and data exchange standards, all enabled thanks to the Modelica language. In addition, the talk will describe some on-going research where the power of open-access standards enable us to quickly prototype solutions for evolving use-cases where modeling and simulation is needed thanks to the efforts in developing the OpenIPSL.

Biography:

Spekaer Bio:

Luigi Vanfretti received the M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees in electric power engineering from the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY, USA, in 2007 and 2009, respectively. He is a Full Professor at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, since July 2022, where he was a tenured Associate Professor from 2017-6/2022-6. At RPI, he leads research projects in his laboratory and with his research team, ALSETLab, in the domains of electrical power systems and aircraft electrification.

Professor Vanfretti has held temporary posts in prestigious international institutions, in 2019 he was a Visiting Faculty at the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia; and in 2022 he was a Visiting Professor at both the Laboratoire Ampère of the École Centrale de Lyon and the SuperGrid Institute, both located in Lyon, France.

Previously, Prof. Vanfretti was an Assistant Professor, Associate Professor (tenured) and a Docent with the KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden, from 2010 to 2013 and from 2013 to 2017, respectively, where he led the SmarTS Lab (a research group).

In addition to his academic duties, through Vanfretti Consulting LLC, Dr. Vanfretti serves as a consultant for utilities and research institutions, including Dominion Energy in VA, the SuperGrid Institute in Lyon, France, and CENACE (the power system operator of Ecuador), Quito, Ecuador, to name a few.

Previously, he was employed at Statnett SF, the Norwegian transmission system operator, from 2013 to 2016, as a Special Advisor with the Research and Development Department and as a Consultant, from 2011 to 2012 and in 2017.

His research interests are in “electrified systems,”’ and include cyber-physical system (CPS) modeling, simulation, stability and control in the domains of power grid and electrified transportation, both vehicles and infrastructure. In addition, he performs research on synchrophasor technologies, both on technology development and data analytics, and is interested in the application of software technologies, signal processing, system identification and machine learning for design and operation analytics for CPS.

Email:

Address:Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI),