Realizing safe and stable bipolar low-voltage DC power and data backbones (BIDC)

The project aims to define the essential network code and to realize the hardware and software to enable a stable and safe bipolar DC power and data backbone for industrial, commercial and residential areas. These are demonstrated and validated in a 100 kW bipolar +/- 350 ... 380 V DC test installation. The network code is intended as a guideline for bipolar DC micro grids and will be shared with international standardization initiatives.

The intended network code focuses on voltage control and stability, security aspects and electromagnetic compatibility:

definition of voltage stability requirements and guidelines

-fitting into existing building blocks of power inverters (AC / DC and DC / DC) of modules for voltage control, necessary for stabilization, aimed at realizing a bipolar low-voltage DC microgrid

-defining a security strategy that only disconnects the faulty segments and ensures availability of the rest of the system, defining how faults are detected and how protection equipment should respond to the faults

- developing an error detection module based on the security strategy, which detects, classifies and locates the error and then takes the appropriate action

- definition of the electromagnetic compatibility requirements that enable powerline communication for bipolar DC systems

The network code will contain compliance tests that are performed with application-specific compliance testing and measuring equipment that is defined and worked out in this project.