Luigi Vanfretti

Associate Professor, Electrical, Computer, and Systems Engineering Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

  • Troy NY

Modeling and Simulation for Cyber-Physical Power and Energy Systems and Electrified Systems

Contact

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

View more experts managed by Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Spotlight

3 min

Rensselaer Experts Available To Discuss Federal Infrastructure Proposal

Federal lawmakers are discussing sweeping infrastructure improvements to transportation, manufacturing, and digital infrastructure, among other projects. Researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, the country’s first technological research university, are leaders in improving the sustainability, safety, and performance of transportation systems, energy systems, and wireless networks, among other areas. Experts in civil and environmental engineering, electrical engineering, and mechanical engineering are available to discuss what impact large-scale infrastructure projects could have on a multitude of systems that impact people across the country. Improving Transportation and Freight Systems: José Holguín-Veras, the director of the Center for Infrastructure, Transportation, and the Environment at Rensselaer, and Cara Wang, an associate professor of civil and environmental engineering at Rensselaer, are leading experts on the role of infrastructure on freight systems and transportation, and the environmental impacts of both. Their research focuses on improving transportation and freight systems in order to increase efficiency, reduce traffic congestion and, in turn, reduce vehicle emissions. Professors Holguín-Veras and Wang are available to discuss the ways in which improved roads, bridges, railways, and ports could affect shipping and delivery of goods, congestion in cities, and emissions in the environment. They can also discuss what their research has uncovered that could guide policymakers as new projects are planned. Expanding Broadband: Alhussein Abouzeid, a professor of electrical, computer, and systems engineering, is an expert in networked systems, the smart grid, and the Internet of Things. Some of his research focuses on modeling wireless networks, as well as wireless spectrum and policies to optimize its use. Koushik Kar, also a professor of electrical, computer, and systems engineering, researches communication networks, particularly modeling, analysis, and optimization of the internet and wireless networks. Both researchers are available to discuss the ways in which digital infrastructure can meet future needs. Next-Generation Manufacturing: Part of the President’s infrastructure plan would allocate $300 billion to manufacturing. Next-generation manufacturing is a central area of expertise at Rensselaer, with the Institute’s Manufacturing Innovation Center and the Rensselaer Manufacturing Innovation Learning Lab. Faculty and staff from both state-of-the-art centers, including John Wen, the head of the Department of Electrical, Computer, and Systems Engineering, who is an expert in robotics, are available to discuss the role that Rensselaer research plays in preparing the manufacturing sector for the nation’s current and future needs. Upgrading Electric Grid, Investing in Clean Energy: Joe Chow, Jian Sun, and Luigi Vanfretti, all professors in the Department of Electrical, Computer, and Systems Engineering, hold extensive expertise in modeling, monitoring, and optimizing the electric power grid. Their work will be integral to the development of a cleaner, more resilient power grid, especially as clean energy sources are increasingly integrated. Christopher Letchford, the head of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, is a global expert in wind engineering. His expertise includes wind power modeling, wind climatology, and the impacts of climate change on infrastructure, transportation, and energy production. Each of these experts is available to discuss the importance of upgrading the nation’s electric grid, and the move toward clean and renewable energy. Boosting Electric Vehicle Numbers: Part of President Biden’s plan focuses on increasing the number of electric vehicles on the road. A key component of improved and more cost-efficient electric vehicles is greener, cheaper, more efficient, and longer-lasting batteries. Nikhil Koratkar, an endowed chair professor of mechanical engineering, is a leading expert in energy storage technologies. He has dedicated his research to improving the batteries that society already uses, while also developing batteries of the future. He can discuss current battery technology and how advancements in energy storage research could help put more electric vehicles on United States roads. Upgrading Water, Wastewater, and Stormwater Systems: Chip Kilduff, an associate professor of civil and environmental engineering, is an expert in managing water quality and water treatment. He has a particular focus on water treatment approaches like membrane and adsorption-separation processes. Kilduff is available to discuss the importance of upgrading water and wastewater systems and what his research has uncovered about the best methods for managing water quality.

Luigi VanfrettiJosé Holguín-VerasChristopher  LetchfordNikhil Koratkar

2 min

Power Grid Expert Weighs in on Texas Outages And How to Build a Better System

Having run countless simulations and experiments aimed at building a more resilient power grid, Luigi Vanfretti is well acquainted with the weaknesses in the nation’s current system. This expertise was recently featured in a report about the factors that caused massive, ongoing power outages in Texas. Frozen well heads, gas pipes, and other factors contributed to a “perfect storm” of conditions, Vanfretti said. Some politicians and pundits have floated the notion that the catastrophe was primarily due to frozen wind turbines, but according to Vanfretti, an associate professor of electrical, computer, and systems engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, the problem is far more complex. Additionally, the electrical grid in Texas is unique in that it has limited connections to neighboring states, which means there are limitations to how much assistance it can receive during a crisis. “It’s about the ability to route the power,” Vanfretti recently told the Times Union. Vanfretti is an expert in power grid modeling, simulation, stability, and control. His research focuses on creating a smarter, cleaner, more reliable power grid that is capable of integrating renewable energy. Within his Analysis Laboratory for Synchrophasor and Electrical Energy Technology (ALSET) Lab, Vanfretti and his team model the power grid and run simulations in order to develop, test, and improve smart inverters, software, and hardware that will be needed to create the smart grid of the future. You can watch him discuss his research here. Vanfretti is available to speak about what contributed to the devastating outages in Texas, as well as the changes and research necessary to create a more resilient power system.

Luigi Vanfretti

Areas of Expertise

Electric Power Engineering
Modeling and Simulation of Cyber-Physical Systems
Electrified Systems
Power Systems, Power Grid
Real-Time Hardware-in-the-Loop Simulation, CHIL, PHIL
Synchrophasor Measurements, PMU, Synchrophasor Technologies
VTOL, Electrified Aircraft, Electrified Transportation
System Identification

Biography

Luigi Vanfretti (senior member, IEEE; member, Modelica Association) leads ALSETLab on research in energy systems, electrical power systems, and aircraft electrification. His research includes cyber-physical system (CPS) modeling, simulation, stability, and control in energy systems, power grids, and electrified transportation.
In addition, Vanfretti researches development and data analytics in synchrophasor technologies. He is interested in the application of software technologies, signal processing, system identification, and machine learning for design and operation analytics for CPS.
Vanfretti has been a professor since 2022 and was previously an associate professor. Vanfretti also earned his master’s and doctoral degrees in electric power engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
Vanfretti has held temporary posts in prestigious international institutions, as well. In 2022, he was a visiting professor at both the Laboratoire Ampère of the École Centrale de Lyon and the SuperGrid Institute in Lyon, France. In 2019, he was a visiting faculty at the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia.
Prior to emigrating to join RPI as a faculty member, Vanfretti was an assistant professor, tenured associate professor, and docent with the KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, Sweden, where he led the SmarTS Lab. He was also employed as Special Advisor in Strategy and Public Affairs and Special Advisor in Strategy and International Collaboration in the Research and Development Department of Statnett SF, the Norwegian transmission system operator. Prior to his employment with Statnett SF, he was a Scientific Advisor, reporting to the Vice President of the Research and Development Division, during 2011 to 2013.

Media

Education

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Ph.D.

Electric Power Engineering

2009

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

M.Sc

Electric Power Engineering

2007

Major: Electric Power. Minor: Control Systems.

Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala

Electric Power Engineering

Electrical Engineering Degree

2005

Media Appearances

Collaboration between RPI’s ECSE and Dominion Energy Led to Best Conference Paper in 2022 IEEE PES General Meeting

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute | School of Engineering News  online

2022-05-17

2022 IEEE Power and Energy Society selects a collaborative paper co-authored by Prof. Luigi Vanfretti and Dominion Energy as one of the Best Conference Papers

View More

The Power of Modelica: An Interview With Professor Luigi Vanfretti

Modelon  online

2022-03-02

In this interview, we ask Professor Luigi Vanfretti what has helped him succeed in learning Modelica, and how impactful Modelica has been within his research and discipline at Rensselear Polytechnic Institute. Learn how Professor Vanfretti harnessed the power of Modelica with Modelon technology.

View More

Stewart's wanted to build upstate's biggest electric car charging network. Here's why it didn't happen

The Business Journals  online

2019-11-11

[No Abstract Available]

View More

Show All +

Articles

Experimental Quantification of Hardware Requirements for FPGA-Based Reconfigurable PMUs

IEEE Access

Prottay M Adhikari, Hossein Hooshyar, Luigi Vanfretti

2019

Phasor Measurement Units (PMUs) are becoming intrinsic components of modern power systems. The synchrophasor estimation algorithms in PMUs pose stringent computational demands, which makes the application of Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGA) highly attractive. Previous works reported the implementation of PMU algorithms on specific FPGA-targets using a particular PMU design. This paper explores the implementation of different PMU designs on multiple FPGA targets using Xilinx and NI software and hardware infrastructures and toolsets. In this process, a metric has been formulated to predict FPGA-target hardware requirements. The metric allows predicting if an FPGA-target meets the needs to deploy a given PMU design resulting in significant engineering design time savings. Since the compilation/synthesis on FPGAs is a time-consuming job, this metric can reduce the implementation time for FPGA-based PMUs drastically and can help in determining if additional functionalities can be added.

View more

Measurement-based Network Clustering for Active Distribution Systems

IEEE Transactions on Smart Grid

Mehdi Monadi, Hossein Hooshyar, Luigi Vanfretti, Farhan Mahmood, Jose Ignacio Candela, Pedro Rodriguez

2019

This paper presents a Network Clustering (NC) method for active distribution networks (ADNs). Following the outage of a section of an ADN, the method identifies and forms an optimum cluster of microgrids within the section. The optimum cluster is determined from a set of candidate microgrid clusters by estimating the following metrics: total power loss, voltage deviations and minimum load shedding. To compute these metrics, equivalent circuits of the clusters are estimated using measured data provided by Phasor Measurement Units (PMUs). Hence, the proposed NC method determines the optimum microgrid cluster without requiring information about the network’s topology and its components. The proposed method is tested by simulating a study network in a real-time simulator coupled to physical PMUs and a prototype algorithm implementation, also executing in real-time.

View more

Coalesced Gas Turbine and Power System Modeling and Simulation using Modelica

Proceedings of The American Modelica Conference 2018

Miguel Aguilera, Luigi Vanfretti, Tetiana Bogodorova, Francisco Gómez

2019

This work reports how the multi-domain physical modeling and simulation Modelica language has been employed to create a benchmark power grid and gas turbine model within the ITEA3 OpenCPS project. The modeling approach is not only shown to be useful to test the functionalities of the OpenCPS toolchains, but it also could give rise to potential applications in power system domain studies where the widely-accepted turbinegovernor models are not rich enough to represent the multi-domain system dynamics.

View more