Luke Weber, P.E., Ph.D.

Associate Professor | Milwaukee School of Engineering

Milwaukee, WI, UNITED STATES

Dr. Luke Weber has expertise in bulk power system stability and control.

Education, Licensure and Certification (4)

Licensed Professional Engineer: Wisconsin

Ph.D.: Electrical Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee 2016

M.S.: Electrical Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee 2009

B.S.: Electrical Engineering, Marquette University 1985

Biography

Dr. Luke Weber is an associate professor in the Electrical, Computer and Biomedical Engineering department and has been a faculty member at MSOE since 2013. Prior to his academic career, Dr. Weber spent more than 20 years in the electric utility industry, and has been active in NERC standing committees since 2014.

Areas of Expertise (3)

Bulk Electric System Stability and Control

Power System Analysis

Electromechanical Energy Conversion

Affiliations (1)

Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), Power Engineering Society : Member

Research Interests (3)

Microgrid Stability and Control

Maintaining the viability of small power systems containing variable generation resources.

Economic Models for Energy Storage Devices

Building economic models for energy storage devices to obtain accurate cost information to be used in dispatch algorithms.

Sensorless Motor Control Techniques

Developing techniques for control motor speed and torque using sensorless techniques.

Selected Publications (5)

A Method for Real-Time Sensorless Speed Control of Brushed DC Motors in Cost Constrained Systems

2020 2nd Global Power, Energy and Communication Conference (IEEE GPECOM 2020), October 20-23, 2020, Online Conference

Ertl, D., Weber, L.G.

2020 Although brushed direct current (DC) motors have given way to brushless DC motors for many high-performance applications, brushed DC motors still dominate cost-sensitive markets. For applications that require closed-loop speed control, a speed measurement method with a high frequency update rate is necessary. With cost being a significant constraint, complicated algorithms or large windowing operations are not feasible for these types of systems. This paper proposes two sensorless methods for detecting the speed of a brushed DC motor at up to 18,000 RPM. The first method utilizes a current ripple component detection method at low speeds to calibrate the motor constant. Once the motor constant is calibrated, it transitions to a back electromotive force (BEMF) measurement method for operation. The BEMF method is automatically calibrated by the current ripple method, such that no motor parameterization is required. This method is suitable for 8-bit microcontrollers running at clock frequencies of at least 8 MHz.

Dynamic modeling and control of a synchronous generator in an AC microgrid environment

IEEE Transactions on Industry Applications

Weber, L.G., Nasiri, A., Akbari, H.

2018 A microgrid system model is created to assess transient and steady-state stability during periods of separation from the grid. A secondary control is constructed to dispatch energy sources according to user selected setpoints and participation factors. Two sources-an energy storage device and a synchronous generator-are controlled to share active and reactive load burdens. A system load models the difference between solar and wind-powered generation and load. First-order differential equations are written to describe the system, and implemented in Simulink. The model components carry a high level of detail to capture all relevant modes. Systems include an eight-state salient pole synchronous machine, an AC8B regulator, a prime mover, an equivalent π cable, an RL microgrid load, an ideal battery, a simple inverter model, and a detailed LCL filter at the inverter output. A detailed model of the inverter primary control is included, and a secondary level control, which distributes the power error according to user defined participation factors, is proposed.

Microgrids: architectures, controls, protection, and demonstration

Electric Power Components and Systems

Fu, Q., Nasiri, A., Solanki, A., Bani-Ahmed, A., Weber, L., Bhavaraju, V.

2015 In the recent years, there has been a growing interest in the concept of microgrids to integrate distributed generation systems and to provide higher reliability for critical loads. Several microgrid demonstration projects have been implemented to investigate further and advance this emerging concept. This article provides a detailed review of microgrid systems. It describes different architectures, including AC, DC, and hybrid systems. Various microgrid components, including sources, converters, and loads, are illustrated. Microgrid management and controls are discussed, and a modified natural droop control is described in detail. Both physical layers and standard protocols are explained for communication in the microgrid structure. The unique protection complexities have been raised and discussed in the presence of distributed generations and bidirectional power flow. A demonstration of a military microgrid system at Fort Sill is illustrated, and the experiment of a typical microgrid operation scenario is provided.

Microgrid communications: State of the art and future trends

IEEE International Conference on Renewable Energy Research and Application (ICRERA)

Bani-Ahmed, A., Weber, L., Nasiri, A., Hosseini, H.

2014 Communication systems architecture, protocols, and tools are essential in microgrid implementation to ensure stable, reliable, and optimal operation. This paper reviews technological developments related to microgrid communication system protocols and standards. The physical layers applicable to microgrid communications are described. Research efforts in the area of microgrid communication are summarized and discussed. Potential future work is suggested based on the status of microgrid communications research.

EV charging station integrating renewable energy and second-life battery

IEEE International Conference on Renewable Energy Research and Applications (ICRERA)

Hamidi, A., Weber, L., Nasiri, A.

2013 This paper investigates the integration of wind power, Photovoltaic (PV) solar power, and Li-Ion battery energy storage into a DC microgrid-based charging station for Electric Vehicles (EVs). The goal is for the Renewable Energy (RE) sources to provide as much of the charging energy as possible. The facility will be grid connected so that charging can occur during cloudy, windless days. The grid connection also permits exporting power when generation exceeds demand within the microgrid. It is proposed that second-life lithium-ion batteries be integrated into the proposed system to serve as an energy buffer and provide emergency energy upon loss of the grid connection. The Simulink modeling and simulation components of the charging station includes the solar PV, wind, EV batteries, and second-life batteries with their associated controls. The battery model is based on laboratory tests conducted during the project. Control functions and algorithms enabling the system to operate in various modes are developed, and simulation results are presented.