Keeping the lights on when the grid fails

Posted by
On October 25, 2024

Photo by Gursharndeep Singh/Pexels.

Photo by Gursharndeep Singh/Pexels.

A researcher from Missouri S&T is developing technology that could enable homes and small communities to more easily access electrical power in the event a natural disaster strikes and the electric power grid goes down. 
 
“Think of the recent hurricanes that have been in the news, or when Texas had significant winter storms in 2021 that led to millions of people being without power for several days,” says Dr. Pourya Shamsi, an associate professor of electrical engineering and faculty fellow in research and innovation. “The modular power conversion system I am developing could potentially save lives and be a significant help in this type of situation.” 
 

Dr. Pourya Shamsi. Photo by Sam O’Keefe/Missouri S&T.


When power currently goes out, most people either do without, or they may use a gas-powered generator. What will make Shamsi’s invention beneficial is it will not require people to continually purchase more fuel for their generators, and it will use energy from solar and wind and also lower their carbon footprint. 
 
Shamsi says the technology will be able to take in power from multiple sources, such as wind and solar, and then distribute it where it needs to go, just like what happens with the traditional power grid on a much larger scale. Remote areas without close access to the power grid could potentially use this technology to have electricity as well. 
 
The new system will be developed in two different models — one for individual residences and another for small communities or farms with greater power needs. The larger model will be roughly the size of a standard refrigerator, while the smaller version will be a fraction of that. 
 
Any excess power generated would be stored in batteries to be used later by the system, or it could be sold to the power grid.
 
Shamsi’s technology will also include ports that will work for fast-charging electric vehicles. 
 
In January 2024, Shamsi was awarded funding through S&T’s From the Lab to the Sustainable Energy Market seed grant competition made possible by a gift from Missouri S&T alumni Molly and Andy Laegeler. 
 
He says this funding has allowed him to develop a prototype of the technology that will be ready to test in the coming months, and then he will further explore the next steps for the commercialization process. His goal is to bring it to market within the next few years. 
 
For more information about S&T’s electrical engineering programs, visit ece.mst.edu

About Missouri S&T

Missouri University of Science and Technology (Missouri S&T) is a STEM-focused research university of over 7,000 students located in Rolla, Missouri. Part of the four-campus University of Missouri System, Missouri S&T offers over 100 degrees in 40 areas of study and is among the nation’s top public universities for salary impact, according to the Wall Street Journal. For more information about Missouri S&T, visit www.mst.edu



Share this page

mm
Posted by

On October 25, 2024.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *