A new distribution system designed by researchers at the University of Waterloo would reduce electricity prices by more than five per cent while also improving service reliability.
A new distribution system designed by researchers at the University of Waterloo would reduce electricity prices by more than five per cent while also improving service reliability.
The design involves the integration of the two kinds of electric current that power homes, industries and electric vehicles - alternating current (AC) and direct current (DC).
Researchers found efficiencies by designing a system that delivers both kinds of current to customers instead of the AC-only distribution systems now in use throughout the world.
Their approach minimizes conversions from one kind of current to the other and makes it easier to integrate growing green technologies.
“Minimizing power conversion requirements creates a simpler system with greater efficiency and less loss,” said Haytham Ahmed, a postdoctoral fellow who led the research with electrical engineering colleagues at Waterloo. “As you reduce the number of converters, you also reduce the chances of service interruptions due to breakdowns.”
Read more at University of Waterloo
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