ORNL and UT develop real-time Universal GridEdge Analyzer

Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the University of Tennessee have developed a Universal GridEdge Analyzer that provides real-time, high-resolution insight into electric grid behavior and has won an R&D 100 Award.

• Device capabilities and deployment: The compact analyzer measures 60,000 samples/second of voltage and current waveforms, then compresses, encrypts, and streams the data to centralized servers; it can be embedded in power electronics, installed on distribution lines, or plugged into wall outlets, and is already being used by utilities in Hawaii and Texas to monitor fast grid dynamics and power electronics behavior.
• Context and applications: Building on UT’s FNET/GridEye network of ~200 U.S. sensors and ~100 worldwide, the new analyzer captures high-speed incidents that older systems miss and is specifically used to understand how data centers and distributed energy plants with batteries interact with the grid, including voltage fluctuations at AI data centers that can trigger rapid switches to backup power.