2,911 research outputs found

    Unified reference controller for flexible primary control and inertia sharing in multi-terminal voltage source converter-HVDC grids

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    Multi-terminal dc (MTDC) grids are expected to be built and experience rapid expansion in the near future as they have emerged as a competitive solution for transmitting offshore wind generation and overlaying their ac counterpart. The concept of inertia sharing for the control and operation of MTDC grids, which can be achieved by the proposed unified reference controller. The control objectives of the MTDC grids voltage source converter (VSC) stations are no longer limited to the stabilisation of MTDC grid, instead, the requirements of ac side are also met. The interaction dynamics between the ac and dc grid is analysed to illustrate the proposed concept. In addition, the voltage source converter stations can work in different operation modes based on the proposed unified control structure, and can switch among the operation modes smoothly following the secondary control commands. Simulation results exhibit the merits and satisfactory performance of the proposed control strategy for stable MTDC grid operation.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

    Review on Control of DC Microgrids and Multiple Microgrid Clusters

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    This paper performs an extensive review on control schemes and architectures applied to dc microgrids (MGs). It covers multilayer hierarchical control schemes, coordinated control strategies, plug-and-play operations, stability and active damping aspects, as well as nonlinear control algorithms. Islanding detection, protection, and MG clusters control are also briefly summarized. All the mentioned issues are discussed with the goal of providing control design guidelines for dc MGs. The future research challenges, from the authors' point of view, are also provided in the final concluding part

    Evolution of microgrids with converter-interfaced generations: Challenges and opportunities

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    © 2019 Elsevier Ltd Although microgrids facilitate the increased penetration of distributed generations (DGs) and improve the security of power supplies, they have some issues that need to be better understood and addressed before realising the full potential of microgrids. This paper presents a comprehensive list of challenges and opportunities supported by a literature review on the evolution of converter-based microgrids. The discussion in this paper presented with a view to establishing microgrids as distinct from the existing distribution systems. This is accomplished by, firstly, describing the challenges and benefits of using DG units in a distribution network and then those of microgrid ones. Also, the definitions, classifications and characteristics of microgrids are summarised to provide a sound basis for novice researchers to undertake ongoing research on microgrids

    Novel Control Strategies for Parallel-Connected Inverters in AC Microgrids

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    Wide-Area Time-Synchronized Closed-Loop Control of Power Systems And Decentralized Active Distribution Networks

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    The rapidly expanding power system grid infrastructure and the need to reduce the occurrence of major blackouts and prevention or hardening of systems against cyber-attacks, have led to increased interest in the improved resilience of the electrical grid. Distributed and decentralized control have been widely applied to computer science research. However, for power system applications, the real-time application of decentralized and distributed control algorithms introduce several challenges. In this dissertation, new algorithms and methods for decentralized control, protection and energy management of Wide Area Monitoring, Protection and Control (WAMPAC) and the Active Distribution Network (ADN) are developed to improve the resiliency of the power system. To evaluate the findings of this dissertation, a laboratory-scale integrated Wide WAMPAC and ADN control platform was designed and implemented. The developed platform consists of phasor measurement units (PMU), intelligent electronic devices (IED) and programmable logic controllers (PLC). On top of the designed hardware control platform, a multi-agent cyber-physical interoperability viii framework was developed for real-time verification of the developed decentralized and distributed algorithms using local wireless and Internet-based cloud communication. A novel real-time multiagent system interoperability testbed was developed to enable utility independent private microgrids standardized interoperability framework and define behavioral models for expandability and plug-and-play operation. The state-of-theart power system multiagent framework is improved by providing specific attributes and a deliberative behavior modeling capability. The proposed multi-agent framework is validated in a laboratory based testbed involving developed intelligent electronic device prototypes and actual microgrid setups. Experimental results are demonstrated for both decentralized and distributed control approaches. A new adaptive real-time protection and remedial action scheme (RAS) method using agent-based distributed communication was developed for autonomous hybrid AC/DC microgrids to increase resiliency and continuous operability after fault conditions. Unlike the conventional consecutive time delay-based overcurrent protection schemes, the developed technique defines a selectivity mechanism considering the RAS of the microgrid after fault instant based on feeder characteristics and the location of the IEDs. The experimental results showed a significant improvement in terms of resiliency of microgrids through protection using agent-based distributed communication

    Voltage control strategies for loss minimzation in autonomous microgrids

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    This dissertation investigates the novel idea of flexible-voltage autonomous microgrids (MG), employing several interconnectable dc buses operating in a minimum-voltage mode. In comparison with the traditional fixed-voltage MGs, the proposed MGs reduce losses to gain significant enhancement in efficiency. It is widely believed that energy systems of the future will heavily depend on MGs rich in power electronics converters (PECs). This dissertation is focused on MGs with a high degree of self-sufficiency, without precluding sporadic links with the power grid. Potential applications of those MGs include: (a) distributed generation power systems, (b) ships, land vehicles, aircraft, and spacecraft, (c) users in need of power supply impervious to vulnerabilities of the grid, and (d) localities lacking an access to a grid.Modern pulse-width modulated PECs allow rapid and wide-range changes of voltages and currents. High switching frequencies result in high power quality and fast dynamic response, but each switching event causes energy loss related to the magnitudes of input voltage and output current. In the existing MGs, the bus voltages are maintained at a fixed level. However, many heavy loads, such as electric drives, operate most of the time with a reduced voltage, which is adjusted by decreasing the voltage gain of the feeding converter. This makes the voltage pulses high and narrow. If instead the pulses were made wide and low, then with the current unchanged the conduction losses would remain unchanged, but the switching losses would greatly decrease. This observation leads to the main idea of the dissertation, namely MGs whose dc-bus voltages are allowed to fluctuate and which are maintained at the lowest possible level. Loss minimization, apart from energy savings, may be critical for autonomous MGs with a tight balance of power.In this dissertation, two methods are proposed for calculating the minimum (optimum) required dc voltage level. In the first method, a central control unit allocates the minimum required dc voltages to individual buses by employing the information obtained from control systems of the adjustable voltage loads. For example, most of the variable-speed ac motors employ the so-called constant volts per hertz strategy, in which the relation between frequency and voltage is clearly specified. In the more sophisticated high-performance drives, the instantaneous values of the desired speed, torque, and current are available, allowing the required voltage estimation from the equation of power balance.In the second method, the problem of determining the optimal dc voltage and power settings is formulated as an optimization problem with the objective function of minimizing the converter losses. Genetic algorithm is utilized in solving the optimization problem. Due to limited available power from renewables, reducing the converter losses will enhance the survivability of the microgrid and ease the cooling requirements, resulting in a more compact system. A model of a 20-bus microgrid with the dc distribution network is employed to verify the effectiveness of the proposed methods

    Overview of AC microgrid controls with inverter-interfaced generations

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    Distributed generation (DG) is one of the key components of the emerging microgrid concept that enables renewable energy integration in a distribution network. In DG unit operation, inverters play a vital role in interfacing energy sources with the grid utility. An effective interfacing can successfully be accomplished by operating inverters with effective control techniques. This paper reviews and categorises different control methods (voltage and primary) for improving microgrid power quality, stability and power sharing approaches. In addition, the specific characteristics of microgrids are summarised to distinguish from distribution network control. Moreover, various control approaches including inner-loop controls and primary controls are compared according to their relative advantages and disadvantages. Finally, future research trends for microgrid control are discussed pointing out the research opportunities. This review paper will be a good basis for researchers working in microgrids and for industry to implement the ongoing research improvement in real systems
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