The Tactical Microgrid Communications and Control Standard (TMS), MIL-STD-3071, is a Department of Defense (DoD) standard that establishes communication and control interface requirements for interoperability of power devices in microgrids. TMS, which uses the data distribution service (DDS) middleware, enables plug-and-play capability of microgrid power devices by defining standardized data models of various devices and controllers, such as inverters and generators. This standardization allows microgrid controllers to identify device types and capabilities in a fast and efficient manner. Most legacy power devices do not support TMS, preventing widespread deployment. To make these legacy power devices TMS compliant, this paper presents an intermediary communication converter with bidirectional translation of DDS messages to/from legacy communication protocols such as Modbus TCP. The converter was implemented on a single-board computer with DDS software and a custom Python device control module. Our tests demonstrate that the converter allows a TMS microgrid controller to command a legacy Modbus-based relay. The proposed converter allows the integration of legacy systems with TMS to bring true plug-and-play capabilities to microgrids.
- Design and Implementation of a Communication Converter to Enable Tactical Microgrid Standard Communications with Legacy Power Devices
- Ian Masui - University of St. Thomas - MinnesotaLucas J. Koerner - University of St. Thomas - MinnesotaSophia Pung - University of St. Thomas - MinnesotaMahmoud Kabalan - University of St. Thomas - Minnesota
- North American Power Symposium (Online), pp.1-4
- IEEE
- Electrical & Computer Engineering; School of Engineering
- English
- Conference proceeding
- 991015382018703691