LARINA

Laboratory of Intelligent Networks and Nanotechnology

Founded in 2016, LaRINA’s activities is seeking to explore, acquire and implement new and innovative technologies and techniques in the objective of making ‘’smarter’’ today’s electric power utilities. This endeavor, called the ‘’smart grid’’ will dramatically transform an infrastructure which is fastly becoming outdated. 
TElectric networks are currently mainly based on technologies that were developed for one-way energy flows for large, centralized, fully controllable power plants at one end of the network, for fully passive customers at the other end. This situation is facing an increasing demand on power which led power outages and deteriorating quality and safety of services
A smart grid is an electric power network equipped with an infrastructure that utilizes two-way communication and control strategies to cost-efficiently integrate the behavior and the actions of all the users connected to it, in order to ensure an economically efficient and sustainable power system with low losses and high levels of quality, security and safety. In addition, this infrastructure will also facilitate the deployment of renewable and distributed energy sources which constitute the ultimate solution strategies for today’s energy 

The 42 members of the LaRina team have a multi-disciplinary background: six are of ‘’corps A’’, 14 of ‘’corps B’’ and 22 PhD students and industy partners.

The main objectives of LaRINA’s activities are:

  • Contribution to the modernization of the STEG distribution networks by integrating the new Information and communication technologies. This contribution consists of the development of Communication infrastructures with the participation of the CERT and the development of mathematical models, Economic and regulatory requirements for switching from conventional networks to smarter networks.
  • Commitment of the reflection with the local authorities of Borj Cédria for the transformation of this area into “Smart city”. A pilot experiment could be launched on the university campus.
  • Development of all PVDF / PEDOT-PSS organic solar cell in collaboration with industrialists The industrial areas of Borj cedria and Grombalia and the research centers.

 

 

Professor GRAYAA Khaled
Director of LaRINa Research Laboratory
ENSTAB, Univ. of Carthage