FREESI Laboratory

Future Reliable Electricity & Energy System Integration laboratory FREESI

The Future Reliable Electricity & Energy System Integration laboratory (FREESI-lab) consists of Protection, Automation and Communication (PAC) laboratory for testing and training the IEC 61850 based protection systems as well as OPAL-RT OP5600 real-time simulator platform, which at present time, enables controller hardware in the loop (CHIL) simulations of Smart Grids. The FREESI-lab is connected to the Sundom Smart Grid living lab environment, which is a real medium voltage grid providing a continuous IEC 61850 based data stream from twenty nodes. The ongoing and future investments into the FREESI-lab will enable the expansion of research activities and cooperation especially in the area of smart and flexible energy systems.

Visiting address of FREESI Laboratory:
University of Vaasa,, Ankkuri building, 1st floor,, Yliopistonranta 7, 65200 Vaasa

Facilities at FREESI-lab

CHIL environment for power system protection and communication

OPAL-RT real time simulator
Protection relays
Omicron amplifiers

PHIL environment for power electronics and microgrid studies

Power electronic converters (DC/AC and DC/DC)
dSPACE rapid control prototyping units
Typhoon HIL real time simulator
OPAL-RT real time simulator
Programmable bidirectional AC power source 100 kVA (grid emulator)
DC power sources

Battery cell testing

Cyber Physical System Security (CPS) for critical infrastructures (energy systems)

OPAL-RT real time simulator with HYPERSIM software
EXata communication system simulation/emulation environment

Research focus at FREESI-lab

Advanced ICT based protection, fault management and condition monitoring solutions
Testing and developing IEC 61850 based protection systems
Cyber-physical security & resiliency of energy networks
Information security, resilient time synchronization and robust connectivity in cyber-physical systems
Control of inverter interfaced DER
Hierarchical control and management of microgrids
Flexibility services, sector coupling
Energy communities & new market structures
Battery cell modelling
Battery energy storages in various applications