Analyzer delivers real-time insights for US power grid

Researchers at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory partnered with the University of Tennessee to develop a secure, affordable sensing device that delivers unprecedented real-time insight into electric grid behavior. The innovation, called a Universal GridEdge Analyzer, recently won an R&D 100 Award as one of the world's top inventions.

The compact analyzer records the smallest changes in electrical voltage and current as waveforms, then almost instantly compresses, encrypts and streams the data to centralized servers. Processing 60,000 measurements per second - 500 times more than the previous technology - it can capture split-second reactions from power electronics that help run today's grid.

"Unlike traditional centralized power plants, data centers and distributed energy plants with batteries use power electronics to connect to the grids. Those power electronics can switch very quickly," said Yilu Liu, lead researcher and UT-ORNL Governor's Chair for Power Electronics. "Their fast-acting nature can impact the stability of the entire grid, so monitoring these dynamics helps us improve future grid operations, keeping the lights on for everyone."

The technology builds on UT's long-running grid frequency monitoring network called FNET/GridEye. That network's 200 sensors across the U.S. and about 100 more worldwide collect and transmit aggregated data for a broad overview of grid activity. The new device delivers more detailed information at faster speeds, capturing incidents that earlier technology would have missed. Designed for flexibility, it can be embedded in power electronics, installed on a distribution line or even plugged into a wall outlet.

Utilities in places like Hawaii and Texas are using the device to understand how concentrations of power electronics interact with the grid. For example, at AI data centers, even minor voltage fluctuations can trigger a switch to backup power, requiring immediate action to control the energy load. The analyzer can help operators anticipate and navigate these episodes to maintain stable operations.

Other ORNL contributors include Bruce Warmack and Ori Wu, along with former staff members Ben LaRiviere and Lingwei Zahn.

UT-Battelle manages ORNL for the Department of Energy's Office of Science, the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States. The Office of Science is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, please visit energy.gov/science. - Heather Duncan