Fault Management in DC Microgrids:A Review of Challenges, Countermeasures, and Future Research Trends

The significant benefits of DC microgrids have instigated extensive efforts to be an alternative network as compared to conventional AC power networks. Although their deployment is ever-growing, multiple challenges still occurred for the protection of DC microgrids to efficiently design, control, and operate the system for the islanded mode and grid-tied mode. Therefore, there are extensive research activities underway to tackle these issues. The challenge arises from the sudden exponential increase in DC fault current, which must be extinguished in the absence of the naturally occurring zero crossings, potentially leading to sustained arcs. This paper presents cut-age and state-of-the-art issues concerning the fault management of DC microgrids. It provides an account of research in areas related to fault management of DC microgrids, including fault detection, location, identification, isolation, and reconfiguration. In each area, a comprehensive review has been carried out to identify the fault management of DC microgrids. Finally, future trends and challenges regarding fault management in DC-microgrids are also discussed

Future Greener Seaports:A Review of New Infrastructure, Challenges, and Energy Efficiency Measures

Recently, the application of renewable energy sources (RESs) for power distribution systems is growing immensely. This advancement brings several advantages, such as energy sustainability and reliability, easier maintenance, cost-effective energy sources, and ecofriendly. The application of RESs in maritime systems such as port microgrids massively improves energy efficiency and reduces the utilization of fossil fuels, which is a serious threat to the environment. Accordingly, ports are receiving several initiatives to improve their energy efficiency by deploying different types of RESs based on the power electronic converters. This paper conducts a systematic review to provide cutting-edge state-of-the-art on the modern electrification and infrastructure of seaports taking into account some challenges such as the environmental aspects, energy efficiency enhancement, renewable energy integration, and legislative and regulatory requirements. Moreover, the technological methods, including electrifications, digitalization, onshore power supply applications, and energy storage systems of ports, are addressed. Furthermore, details of some operational strategies such as energy-aware operations and peak-shaving are delivered. Besides, the infrastructure scheme to enhance the energy efficiency of modern ports, including port microgrids and seaport smart microgrids are delivered. Finally, the applications of nascent technologies in seaports are presented

Offshore Wind Farm-Grid Integration: A Review on Infrastructure, Challenges, and Grid Solutions

Recently, the penetration of renewable energy sources (RESs) into electrical power systems is witnessing a large attention due to their inexhaustibility, environmental benefits, storage capabilities, lower maintenance and stronger economy, etc. Among these RESs, offshore wind power plants (OWPP) are ones of the most widespread power plants that have emerged with regard to being competitive with other energy technologies. However, the application of power electronic converters (PECs), offshore transmission lines and large substation transformers result in considerable power quality (PQ) issues in grid connected OWPP. Moreover, due to the installation of filters for each OWPP, some other challenges such as voltage and frequency stability arise. In this regard, various customs power devices along with integration control methodologies have been implemented to deal with stated issues. Furthermore, for a smooth and reliable operation of the system, each country established various grid codes. Although various mitigation schemes and related standards for OWPP are documented separately, a comprehensive review covering these aspects has not yet addressed in the literature. The objective of this study is to compare and relate prior as well as latest developments on PQ and stability challenges and their solutions. Low voltage ride through (LVRT) schemes and associated grid codes prevalent for the interconnection of OWPP based power grid have been deliberated. In addition, various PQ issues and mitigation options such as FACTS based filters, DFIG based adaptive and conventional control algorithms, ESS based methods and LVRT requirements have been summarized and compared. Finally, recommendations and future trends for PQ improvement are highlighted at the end

Constant Power Load Stabilization in DC Microgrid Systems Using Passivity-Based Control With Nonlinear Disturbance Observer

This paper aims to present a robust passivity-based control (PBC) strategy to solve the instability problem caused by the constant power loads (CPLs) in dc microgrid systems. This strategy is designed to stabilize and regulate the dc-bus voltage of the dc microgrid and to eliminate the dc-bus voltage deviations caused by the system disturbances such as load and input voltage variations. To this end, the control robustness of the PBC strategy is improved by adding the nonlinear disturbance observer (NDO). Whereas, the PBC is applied to damp the system oscillation caused by the CPLs and to ensure that each parallel subsystem in dc microgrid is passive (stable). Based on estimation technique, the NDO works in parallel with the PBC strategy to compensate the system disturbances through a feed-forward compensation channels. Furthermore, the PBC strategy provides self-(I-V) droop characteristics, which able to eliminate the voltage mismatch between the parallel converters and obtain equal current sharing between them. This control strategy ensures large-signal stability, globally asymptotically stabilization and reacts extremely fast against system disturbances as compared with other PBC strategies. The MATLAB simulation and hardware-in-loop (HIL) experimental results are presented to verify the control robustness of the proposed controller

Stabilization of Constant Power Loads in DC Microgrid Systems Using an Adaptive Continuous Control Set Model Predictive Control

This paper represents an adaptive continuous control set model predictive control (CCS-MPC) to solve the disturbance-caused instability problems in a DC microgrid consisting of symmetrical parallel buck converters, constant voltage loads (CVL), and constant power loads (CPL). The symmetric model of the system is founded at first to describe and analyze the disturbance-caused instability problem. To mitigate the instability by taking the disturbances into consideration, the proposed adaptive controller is made from a double loop feedback controller and a feedforward estimation algorithm. In the voltage loop of the double loop controller, a capacitor dynamic-based voltage controller is developed, while in the current loop, a CCS-MPC algorithm is modified and applied. Meanwhile, a feedforward algorithm is developed to estimate the disturbance information and send it to the double loop controller to improve its robustness, so the composite controller can maintain the bus voltage fixed at its reference and the symmetrical equal current sharing. Finally, comparative MATLAB simulations and OPAL-RT hardware-in-the-loop experiments are conducted to verify the effectiveness and dynamic performance of the proposed algorithm towards other previous nonlinear controllers