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Wind power systems (WPs) are complex non‐linear systems with varying parameters affected by environmental changes, including wind speed fluctuations. Extracting maximum power from WPs poses a significant challenge due to these factors. Direct power control (DPC) is a highly effective technique known for its simplicity and ease of implementation. However, it suffers from power ripples caused by the use of hysteresis comparators and switching tables that operate at variable frequencies. To address this issue, this paper presents the robust neural controller (NC) based on DPC, which replaces the switching tables. The Double‐Fed Induction Generator (DFIG) is the chosen generator for the studied WP system due to its advantageous features. The NC‐DPC effectively regulates the exchange of active and reactive powers between the DFIG and the system, maximizing power extraction from the WP system while reducing Total Harmonic Distortion and enhancing overall system quality. The effectiveness of the NC‐DPC is evaluated through MATLAB simulations and further supported by experimental data obtained using the Real‐Time Interface of the dSPACE‐DS1104 Controller card. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasing interactivity between energy carrier networks such as electrical, natural gas (NG), and heating can be appropriately used for improving the operation optimality along with overcoming some challenges of those systems. With such a view, this paper studies the practical issue of power transmission lines congestion management in integrated multicarrier energy systems (MCESs) and makes a comparison with the only electrical operation mode. The MCES consisting of electrical and NG network infrastructures with exchanged energy between them is modelled by considering the several local energy hubs and their electrical and heat loads. Rescheduling of energy sources (power plants and gas wells) and demand side management in both electrical and NG networks have been utilized as the two important tools in the developed congestion alleviation framework. The proposed method confirms that the provided flexibility in the integrated operation of the MCESs can lead to a remarkable reduction in the congestion management cost index. Implementing the proposed congestion management framework on an assumed test MCES with a combined 39‐bus New England power system and 20‐node Belgium NG system demonstrates its effectiveness and applicability for the system operators. The issue of power transmission lines congestion management in integrated multi‐carrier energy systems (MCESs) has been studied. The proposed method confirms that the provided flexibility in the integrated operation of the MCESs can lead to reduction in the congestion management cost. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the fast development of renewable energy, system operators intend to require renewable energy generation to have more grid support capabilities. This paper studies the grid‐connected control strategy of a battery‐free medium‐voltage direct current (MVDC) system with distributed photovoltaic generation units (DPVGUs), aiming to realize the rapid grid support function to AC grid frequency. Firstly, a scheme for the MVDC system can keep some reserve capacity is provided. At this moment, DPVGUs execute a master‐slave coordinated control strategy, that is, the master DPVGU adopts an improved DC constant voltage control strategy to maintain the MVDC bus voltage, and the remaining DPVGUs adopt an improved droop control strategy to quickly provide corresponding power. Secondly, when the frequency deviation of AC grid exceeds the deadband of primary frequency control, fast frequency response (FFR) control strategy of the modular multilevel converter is proposed, aiming to actively transmit some or all of the reserved power of the MVDC system to the AC grid and can quickly provide frequency support to AC grid. In FFR control strategy, an additional control strategy is added on the vector control strategy. Finally, simulation studies are carried out in RTDS to verify the effectiveness of the proposed control scheme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are few pieces of research on switched reluctance generator (SRG) that accomplish optimal performance torque control, most prefer to use voltage, speed, or power control strategies. This paper proposes a direct average torque control (DATC) for SRG applied to wind energy conversion systems (WECS). The SRG is driven by an asymmetric half‐bridge converter (AHB), and an external chopper regulates the DC‐bus voltage. In the DATC strategy, the switching logic is modified, so that the machine operates in the generator mode. The dynamic behavior of an artificial neural network (ANN)‐based and the conventional co‐energy‐based torque estimation methods are discussed. Thereafter, the proposed DATC is compared to the direct power control (DPC) strategy. For both strategies, lookup tables are created to store the optimal switching angles. These lookup tables are optimized to achieve a trade‐off between torque ripple minimization and efficiency maximization. Experimental results show that the DATC strategy presents a lower torque ripple than the DPC method over the entire speed range. In contrast, DPC delivers superior efficiency for low and medium speeds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Integrating Power Electronics Converters (PECs)‐based renewable energy sources can establish a weak grid due to the substantial inertia reduction leading to severe frequency fluctuations. In this paper, a control strategy based on the Virtual Synchronous Generator (VSG) concept is designed for a three‐phase Modular Multilevel Converter (MMC) connected to a weak grid. The proposed VSG control approach improves the frequency response during transient mode, resulting in a 66.7% enhancement at the Point of Common Coupling (PCC). The proposed strategy is shaped within four control loops wherein the VSG‐dependent output current control possesses the duty of enriching the MMC output current tracking capability. Focusing on the MMC output current‐based transfer function, the effectiveness of this capability is guaranteed using the frequency domain analysis including the Nyquist and Bode diagrams. Moreover, a comprehensive discussion was carried out regarding the impact of VSG on the voltage of submodule capacitors and the circulating current. Simulation results in MATLAB/Simulink environment validate the accuracy and weak grid‐connected MMC performance under the proposed VSG‐based control technique. To further verify the superiority of the proposed strategy, two control techniques including Droop and SEBIR are compared with the VSG proposed controller. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the grid‐connected interface device of wind and photovoltaic power generation, the voltage source converter (VSC) must pass the low voltage ride‐through (LVRT) test. However, existing literature demonstrates that under weak grid conditions, there is a possibility of severe fluctuations in the terminal voltage of VSC during transiting from the pre‐sag normal operation mode to the LVRT mode. Unfortunately, it will make VSC frequently enter and exit LVRT mode. In order to address the tricky problem of transient instability of VSC riding‐through severe grid voltage sag under the weak grid, in this paper, the full‐order large‐signal model of VSC is established first. Then, based on the established model, the analysis indicates VSC will face the risk of losing stability under the weak grid during LVRT due to current transients. By studying the impacts of low short circuit ratio (SCR) on the basin of attraction of the post‐sag equilibrium point, the intrinsic mechanism of VSC losing stability under weak grid conditions is revealed. Moreover, considering that the transient stability is related to the current control, the stability‐enhanced LVRT control ensuring both small‐signal stability and transient stability of VSC during LVRT is proposed. Finally, the correctness of the above theoretical analysis is verified by real‐time simulation [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In modern distribution networks, integration of distributed generations (DGs) at consumer premises is common. However, islanding detection in such a grid‐tied distributed generation (GTDG) network is the topmost challenge to ensure power quality and reliable operation. This paper presents a modified passive islanding detection scheme (MPIDS) for the GTDG network, using a One‐D recursive Median filter (ODRMF) algorithm. Firstly, at the point of common coupling (PCC), 3‐phase voltage is acquired. Next, the ODRMF is employed to extract 3rd harmonic and residuals from the acquired voltage signal. Afterward, two novel islanding detection indices developed are: (1) First change detection (FCD), which is calculated from the residuals, and (2) delta selected harmonic distortion (∆SHD), which is computed from 3rd harmonic content of the voltage signal. Finally, variations in the two indices are compared with the threshold to identify islanding. To validate the efficacy of the presented MPIDS, rigorous simulations in MATLAB/ Simulink are conducted on the UL‐1741 and IEEE 13‐bus GTDGs systems under different conditions. The results illustrate that the presented strategy is highly reliable in all assessed conditions and can detect the islanding as well as non‐islanding incidents effectively under balanced and unbalanced load/generation conditions with a very low non‐detection zone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inertial response from grid‐followers (GFLs) is deemed to be "synthetic" due to a slow response. In contrast, grid‐forming (GFM) inertial response is deemed to be faster and therefore "true" and more useful for frequency stability. This paper explores the differences and similarities between an established example of a GFM and a GFL inertial controller by carrying out parametric sweeps at different operating conditions. The analysis aims to assist the ongoing efforts to quantify grid stabilising phenomena, particularly the recent adaptation of the British grid code to incorporate GFM converters. The optimal tuning configurations are identified, showing that some configurations of the GFL can achieve fast inertial provision on strong grids. These configurations are shown to contain the grid frequency as effectively as the GFM, despite the opposing consensus in the literature. The results also highlight the importance of voltage‐source behaviours in determining the initial evolution of grid frequency. Although a blanket inclusion of all GFL inertial configurations is not appropriate, equally, the existing blanket disqualification could limit the assets available to support GFMs (who will certainly be required to stabilise the grid in a fundamental sense) and could inhibit the rate that the net zero transition can occur. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To solve the oxygen supply problem of proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC), this paper presents a reduced‐order active disturbance rejection control method for PEMFC air intake system based on the estimation of oxygen excess ratio(EOER‐RADRC). First, a control‐oriented third‐order nonlinear model was established based on PEMFC air intake system. Then, based on the control‐oriented model, the disturbance extended state observer was designed to solve the problem of unmeasured cathode pressure parameters in the calculation of oxygen excess ratio (OER), and realize the real‐time estimation of OER. Next, aiming at the large phase lag of active disturbance rejection control (ADRC), a reduced‐order ADRC method based on reduced‐order extended state observer was proposed by a variable substitution technique. So, the proposed method reduces the observation phase lag and improves the dynamic response performance under good anti‐disturbance ability. Finally, the simulation and hardware‐in‐the‐loop experience results showed that the proposed method has an excellent control effect compared with other methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dynamic voltage instability (DVI) issues are the primary concern in low-voltage distribution network (DN) due to growing integration of low-inertia compressor motor loads such as air-conditioner and refrigerator. The concern of DVI is likely to increase owing to high penetration of rooftop type single-phase photovoltaic (PV) units in DN. On the other hand, DNs are inherently unbalanced as a result of load and line characteristics along with unbalanced PV penetration. This paper examines the impact of imbalance on the dynamic voltage stability (DVS) in DN and provides solutions to mitigate any adverse effects. Dynamic models of the single-phase PV units are developed and utilised in the paper. The degree of unbalanced is defined first, and then its impact on the DVS is investigated. From the investigation, it is observed that degree of instability is increased with the increment of imbalance. The paper has also proposed a mitigation strategy i.e. reactive power injection by PV inverter. Case studies are conducted on modified IEEE 4 bus system which represents a low-voltage DN. Results reveal that reactive power injection by PV inverter can improve the DVS by mitigating the impact of unbalance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the design and control of an advanced unidirectional DC/DC modular multilevel converter (MMC) that facilitate the integration of off-shore windfarms with the high-voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission system. The proposed converter deploys a single-phase MMC inverter coupled with series-connected rectifier modules through multiple medium frequency transformers. Unlike the conventional dq control method, which involves multiple transformations, this paper also proposes a simple control strategy that directly acts on the AC output of the MMC, under the stationary reference frame. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The frequency stability in the sending-end network with renewable energy generating units should be paid attention especially for an asynchronous interconnection system. When the DC blocking fault occurs in the system, the problem of high frequency in the sending-end network can be suppressed by using the frequency limit controller (FLC). This study introduces the structure and the parameters tuning method of the FLC, and the parameters optimisation method is proposed to avoid FLC acting repeatedly. In the study, a case is studied, and the results show that the FLC is important in the sending-end network. Finally, aiming at the coordination problem between multiple FLCs, a control strategy based on FLC influence coefficient is proposed in the study, and the strategy can suppress the over regulation effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

According to an accident analysis report, with regard to sub-synchronous oscillation (SSO) in Xinjiang, China, dynamic reactive compensation devices have great influence on the existence of sub-synchronous harmonics. This paper based on the practical phenomenon for further study, focuses on the interaction between direct-drive permanent synchronous generators (D-PMSGs)-based wind farm and static var compensator (SVC). Detailed electro-magnetic transient simulation model, such as D-PMSGs-based wind farm compensated by SVC, is established in PSCAD/EMTDC. Time-domain simulation results demonstrate that there is interaction between D-PMSGs-based wind farm and SVC, which is closely related with the control parameters of SVC and D-PMSGs-based wind farm. This type of control interaction will lead to sub-synchronous oscillation. Therefore, the influence of above control parameters on the oscillation characteristics is further studied here. The practical significance of this paper is indicating the necessity of coordinating and optimising control parameters in large-scale wind farm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to protect the power electronic equipment and make the output current amplitude of distributed generation (DG) maintain a stable value for different short-circuit faults, this paper proposed a current-limiting strategy based on proportional-resonant controller (PR), filtering inductance reference current (FIRC), and shunt active power filter (APF) for droop controlled microgrid. First, the relationship is discussed in detail among the output current of DG, the output voltage of DG and FIRC, theoretical derivation demonstrates that the error between output current of DG and FIRC can be decreased through adjusting the value of PR parameters, filtering capacitance and the compensation current obtained by APF. Moreover, some advantages of proposed strategy for microgrid protection are discussed. Then, when the fault is detected, the current-limiting strategy is implemented by setting the FIRC value. Finally, the experiments prove that the proposed strategy can precisely limit the maximum phase current to the given value which cannot be influenced by the short-circuit fault type, grounding resistance, fault initial phase, non-linear load, and so on. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Brayton–Moser's mixed potential theory has been used to analyse the large disturbance stability of DC microgrid with constant power load (CPL), such as current-mode controlled BUCK/BOOST converter with CPL or DC system with multi-stage LC filters. However, the stability analysis of other topology of DC–DC converter or multiple converters worked under droop control is rarely involved. Based on this issue, this paper first establishes the mixed potential model of a single bidirectional BUCK/BOOST converter with CPL. Then, the paper gives the method for establishing the mixed potential model of a droop-controlled DC microgrid with multiple bidirectional BUCK/BOOST converters and CPL. Afterwards, the stability criterion of the analytic form of the system under large disturbance is obtained, which shows that the parameters such as system parameters, control parameters, droop coefficients, and CPL power value have the effects on the system's large signal stability. This paper gives and discusses the relationship between system parameters and stability. Thus, instead of calculating and simulating repeatedly, the stability criterion can judge and ensure the stability of the system under large disturbance in the design process. Simulation results demonstrate the correctness of the simple and easily implemented stability criterion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microgrid inverters in the presence of faults, unavoidable modelling uncertainties, disturbance and harmonic current resulting from nonlinear loads should have small steady state tracking error, small THD and high robustness hence this subject has turned one of the motivations of this investigation. To achieve the stated goals, fractional adaptive sliding mode controller (FASMC) is proposed in this paper. The proposed controller increases the robustness, flexibility and degree of freedom. As far as in practice it is not easy to define the bounds of disturbances and guarantee the system stability, hence in next step, to overcome this challenge the adaptation laws are suggested. Then for the problem of determining the controller parameters, Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) algorithm is used. The performance of the proposed technique is investigated for an islanded microgrid under different disturbances, also to verify the advantages of the proposed controller, the results are compared with other controllers. Finally, the proposed controller and PID controller are implemented experimentally on Arduino mega 2560 microcontroller. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New challenges regarding system stability and efficiency arise when power systems operate with a high penetration level of inverter-based renewable sources (IBRSs) and few synchronous generators. Since IBRSs have been on the rise, to secure the stable operation of future power systems, IBRSs will be required to support systems without having to rely on remaining synchronous generators. Also, to efficiently manage the uncertainty of renewable production, power-to-gas technology can provide the required flexibility. This study proposes modelling and a control coordination scheme (CCS) of a wind-to-hydrogen (W2H) set to optimise electricity production from a variable-speed wind turbine generator (WTG) while helping balance between supply and demand in a system. To achieve this, a grid-forming (GFM) inverter-based WTG is modelled and a set of electrolyser and fuel cell is integrated at the DC circuit of a GFM-WTG to be coordinated. Furthermore, the CCS offers an opportunity to reduce the investment cost for deploying a W2H set by utilising the control capabilities of a WTG and reducing the need for an additional device. The performance of the proposed W2H set with the CCS was verified considering the variations in system load and wind speed by using Power System Computer Aided Design (PSCAD)/ElectroMagnetic Transients including Direct Current (EMTDC). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A wide range of remedial action schemes (RAS) have been developed and deployed in field to take automated control actions to maintain system reliability and stability during adverse system conditions. According to the regulatory standards from North American Electricity Reliability Corporation (NERC), RAS applications deployed in field and their functionalities are required to be tested periodically. To do testing for the RAS, regular process that requires taking critical components offline is usually labor‐intensive and time‐consuming, especially for complex applications utilizing multiple measurement units and controllers from different substations. To overcome these challenges, this paper presents a remote testing architecture for remedial action schemes. Our proposed remote testing architecture is capable of accessing test signal generators, phasor measurement units (PMUs), RAS control units from multiple substations, managing tests for both centralized and distributed implementations of RAS. To address the effectiveness of the remote testing architecture, this paper presents the minimal wind curtailment applications with detailed alternative formulations of optimization models for RAS and highlights performance of the proposed remote testing of RAS. Simulation results for an IEEE standard test system and representative industry test cases demonstrate effective performance of the developed RAS testing mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, microgrids (MGs) present a vital role in the transformation of the existing power networks to the smart grids. Connecting MGs to construct the multi-microgrid (MMG) system enhances the robustness of the system against disturbances and upgrades overall network performance. In this paper, the MMG, as a source of self-healing support to the distribution networks, is analysed extensively. In fact, the MMG strengthens the self-healing of the network by participating in the restoration of disturbed loads. In this study, an operational framework is proposed for the self-healing problem in radial interconnected MGs based on two-stage cyber communication network architecture. In the first stage, the local control system (LCS) within each MG, schedules the accessible resources according to the local power consumption target. In the second stage, a number of LCSs are communicated globally to perform self-healing action. The communication of LCSs is accomplished using a consensus algorithm. Nevertheless, when a fault takes place in MG and a line is eliminated, the healthy MGs, due to demand and supply information in the first stage, supply the on-outage loads as far as possible. To validate the effectiveness of the proposed framework, two benchmark distribution networks (the 33-bus and the 119-bus) are employed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Renewable energy generation exhibits a distributed development trend, and has changed the way distribution networks operated. Due to the integration of large‐scale distributed photovoltaic (PV) generation cluster and the access of electronic devices, distribution networks are suffering from more and more serious voltage risks. By using appropriate methods, PV inverters can autonomously regulate reactive power output in a distributed manner to improve voltage profile in networks. In this paper, a distributed Newton‐based voltage control method for large‐scale PV generation cluster in distribution networks is presented to realize distributed coordination of PV inverters, which is based on matrix splitting and approximate Newton iteration, and can fast respond to reactive power mismatch and realize voltage profiles optimization. Exhibiting a more efficient, reliable and flexible performance than existing decentralized methods in IEEE test systems with different PV penetration, the proposed method is demonstrated to be effectively to organize and control PV cluster to realize fast voltage optimization in distribution networks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a WECS based on a back to back diode‐clamped multilevel inverter systems (DCMLI) fired comparatively by sinusoidal pulse width modulation (SPWM) and third harmonic injection pulse width modulation (THIPWM) techniques. DFIG performance is compared using these technologies for different wind speed under normal operation condition. The proposed approach shows that the DCMLI systems generate a nearly sinusoidal voltage with reduced total harmonic distortion (THD) thus upgrading the power quality of that produced by DFIG. As SPWM and THIPWM MLI are most common usage techniques in research, we applied them in the system to discuss a comparison of using those techniques to determine the number of levels that achieve the IEEE 519 criteria of THD which is less than 5% for both techniques (5th level for SPWM and 4th level for THIPWM) in all operation wind speed. Compared with simple PWM, and THIPWM have many advantages as lower THD, minimal number of switching to decrease switching losses and the output fundamental voltage is increased. Lastly, the paper investigates the variation of the frequency of induced rotor voltage and the active power flow due to the wind speed change when the rotor speed changes from super‐synchronous to sub‐synchronous speeds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inertial and droop control are common methods for improving grid frequency control. Using the first‐order derivative of the frequency in the inertial control loop only investigates the rate of frequency variation, while other useful information is not taken into consideration. Accordingly, in this study, the application of a fractional‐order derivative (between 1 and 2) in the inertial control loop is proposed to have more useful frequency‐based information. To achieve this goal, firstly continued fraction approximations and secondly, the discretization is adopted by using the Tustin Method with Prewarping. Inertia loop and droop loop gain have a significant impact on the operation of the wind turbines and the power system frequency control. Therefore, in this paper, a novel method for the adaptive adjusting of droop and inertia control loops gains in DFIG is proposed. To utilize more frequency error information, fractional‐order adaptive law is proposed to update the loop gains and the inertia control loop. In order to have a robust system, which is permanently stable for every fractional order (FO), is used parameter space method. Simulation results demonstrate the proper performance of the FO‐based adaptive approach to increase the frequency nadir (FN) and decrease the frequency variations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Modular Multilevel Converters (MMC) are traditionally used in high‐power applications although their field of application has lately widened to lower powers. In medium and low‐power applications such as electric drives, a fast control system is usually required and model‐based predictive control approaches (MPC) are highly suitable to obtain superior performance. Unfortunately, although MPC is widely used with two‐level three‐phase power converters, typically in motor and generator control applications, it has been barely developed for MMC. Recent studies discuss MPC approaches for MMC but they are primarily focused on improving the internal operation of MMC. In contrast, this paper presents an MPC which is designed to control the torque and the magnetic field of a surface permanent magnet synchronous generator (SPMSG) by means of an MMC. The proposed approach features a new and fast method to find the location of the reference voltage vector among the large number of multilevel vectors present in typical MMCs. The performance of the new control system has been demonstrated for an oscillating water column (OWC) based power plant simulation. The control system stands out for its fast response, low THD currents and reasonably low computing time which enables its easy implementation in microcontrollers (MCU). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper deals with the modeling of discrete automatic gain control (AGC) controllers for an interconnected power system. The AGC supplementary controllers continuously try to reduce the ACE signal to zero by sending control commands/signals to the speed governor set points. Typically, control signals are sentin the form of discrete control pulses to adjust the generating unit outputs in discrete steps. However, in the preceding AGC studies, ZOH circuit has been misplaced in discrete supplementary controller models. Therefore, control signals feed to the speed governor set points no longer remains in discrete mode or in other words, controller action no longer remains in discrete steps. Therefore, the results and inferences drawn in these studies are erroneous and unrealistic. This paper presents the realistic model of discrete AGC controllers and removes the anomaly in existing works. Furthermore, it is also discovered that inappropriate selection of sampling period of ACE signal degrades the system dynamic performance or even cause system instability. Surprisingly, no proper guidelines/method has been provided yet to select the appropriate sampling period of ACE signals for discrete AGC operation. Here, a maiden attempt has been made to obtain the suitable values of ACE signal&s sampling periods using Shannon&s sampling theorem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Virtual power plant (VPP) is a hybrid power system with a mesh of distributed resources, local loads and storage with both discrete and continuous variables involved. Control of such system requires advanced control schemes to make distributed assets act together to mimic an actual power plant. Previously, to study the behaviour of such systems, complex algorithms and modelling tools have been used but this paper proposes the use of Hybrid Automata (HA) as a convenient tool to model these systems. To demonstrate this, HA is used to model a VPP for a research farm owned by Newcastle University as a first step to design the control for the system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here, a novel photovoltaic power integration system based on LLC resonant converters is proposed for medium-voltage DC distribution network, which exhibits a feasible and efficient solution for large-scale solar energy integrating into DC grids. A control system with the voltage signal generation part and the frequency control part is designed to realise the current and voltage sharing of the sub-module, while achieving the maximum power point tracking (MPPT) of the PV arrays. To verify the practicability of the system with many switching devices, this paper proposes an optimisation model to accelerate the simulation speed of this system without losing accuracy. Finally, the feasibility of the proposed system is validated by the simulation based on PSCAD/EMTDC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A cluster with multiple AC or DC microgrids (MGs) based on flexible DC interlinking and distributed energy storage systems is studied in this paper, which has been identified to have the following issues in terms of its primary control scheme: coordinated power control among slack terminals in the MG cluster, seamless operation mode transition for the interlinking converters and the common DC bus voltage control. A novel flexible control scheme that unifies the control of all the MGs only using local measured signals without further communications is proposed in this paper, which aims to improve control stability, and operation reliability and flexibility. Theoretical introduction and analysis are presented to explain the proposed control. The detailed average value model and small‐signal model of an MG cluster with two AC MGs and two DC MGs are simulated, respectively, with the proposed control in power systems computer‐aided design/electro‐magnetic transient design and control to verify the effectiveness in control stability and flexibility enhancement, and the impact of control parameters on the small‐signal stability of the considered cluster is analysed through root locus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

DC grid has a prospect of application in collecting and transmitting large-scale renewable energy over long distance. However, the randomness and fluctuation of the renewable power may hamper the stable operation of DC grid. Energy storage device is able to actively absorb or supplement active power, which can be used to smooth the power fluctuation. The paper investigates a DC grid topology with energy storage and proposes a coordinated control strategy. The proposed strategy enables coordinated control of the renewable energy output power, pumped storage power and the grid consuming power. During the steady state, the control strategy enables the system DC voltage stable and power flow of the grid under zero-error control. During the faulted time, the coordinate control strategy enables the converter fast response and maintains the system DC voltage within safety margin. The effectiveness of the coordinated control strategy is verified by simulation in PSCAD/EMTDC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study on the stability of DC bus voltage is one of the key issues for researching independent DC microgrid. This paper has studied the independent DC microgrid with photovoltaic and energy-storage systems. The variable step incremental conductance method was taken to realise maximum power point tracking (MPPT). The self-adaptive Fuzzy-PI controller was designed to optimise the traditional double closed-loop control strategy. The energy management system was built to achieve coordinated control of the independent DC microgrid. The simulation results show that the improved strategy can get better robustness and system performance comparing with the traditional PI method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Large-scale wind farms integrated with multi-terminal direct current (MTDC) system decouples the frequency between the wind farms and the receiving end, resulting in weakened frequency regulation ability of the onshore AC grid. Recently a new topology is proposed, called diode rectifier based HVDC, which recouples the wind farm and onshore AC system due to its characteristics, where offshore AC voltage changes with the DC voltage of HVDC system. A coordinated power control strategy for frequency regulation participation is proposed in this paper for offshore wind farms connected with diode-rectifier based high voltage direct current (HVDC) system. Considering the primary frequency and inertia response control, variable power supplementary control is implemented in wind turbines, and a telecommunication-less method of frequency event detection via detection of offshore AC voltage is proposed, avoiding communication delay and communication failure. Simulations using EMTDC/PSCAD show that frequency dip can be accurately detected by the AC voltage of offshore wind farm, and wind farm can quickly compensate active power. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ability of riding through the grid disturbances can increase the integration of microgrids into the distribution system. Consequently, a grid‐connected microgrid should provide ancillary services such as low voltage ride‐through (LVRT) capability and reactive power support to sustain the power system operations during abnormal grid conditions. The objective of this paper is to propose an LVRT scheme that improves the power quality of the entire microgrid. The developed method is implemented as the controller of the interface voltage‐sourced converter (VSC) of a distributed energy resource and consists of primary and secondary control levels. The former includes the cascaded voltage and current control loops and the droop controller, while the latter controls the reactive power injection during the balanced/unbalanced voltage sags/swells. The proposed scheme is developed based on the independent control of each phase and does not require calculation of symmetrical components. Moreover, it can be employed in the VSC control systems with various reference frames and is effective for droop‐based grid‐connected microgrids with both single‐phase and three‐phase four‐wire configurations. The proposed strategy is implemented using the hierarchical control system and preserves the plug and play capability. Several case studies are presented to verify the effectiveness of the proposed strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deploying the cloud energy storage system (CESS) is an economic and efficient way to store excess photovoltaic generation and participate in demand response without personal investment on pricy energy storage equipment. It is a shared battery energy storage system (BESS) for local residential and small commercial consumers, which is designed and controlled by the CESS operator. Based on the profit purpose, the CESS operator not only pursues the most economic operating strategy, but also tries to minimize the total investment on the design stage. This paper considers the investment on the batteries, power conversion system, reactive power compensation equipment and the cost including battery degradation cost and operation cost. The electricity price uncertainty and the voltage deviation of the CESS node caused by power exchange are also considered. Moreover, the cases of a largely centralized energy storage system and multiple distributed energy storage systems are all modelled. Finally, an original robust cooptimization model is transferred to a mixed integer linear programming model (MILP) and solved in GAMS. Numerical results based on historical data from 300 residential consumers in Australia present that the battery degradation cost and price uncertainty can't be neglected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the rapid development of renewable energy sources (RESs), adopting power-to-gas to improve the penetration of RESs is promising. This study designs a grid-forming application for the fuel cell/electrolyser (FC/ELZ) system to supply the frequency support for the grid as well as the voltage source. The detailed control methods including the DC, AC voltage controls and the power synchronisation control are designed for the FC/ELZ system so that it can operate independently without any other energy sources. Several simulation results are provided to demonstrate the effectiveness of the designed grid-forming application of the FC/ELZ system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Kriegers Flak combined grid solution (KF CGS) is the first hybrid‐asset project utilising an offshore high voltage alternating current/high voltage direct current (HVAC/HVDC) interconnector for large offshore wind power plants between Eastern Denmark and Germany in the Baltic Sea. On the Danish side, above 200 km 220 kV cables are arranged into a meshed offshore transmission grid (MOG). In order to maintain good voltages in the MOG and wind power plants, on the Danish side, the control is realised by an automatic voltage regulation and reactive power control (AVR/RPC) of several switchable and variable reactors and transformers with tap‐position controllers, and the wind power plant controllers (WPPC); on the German side, the voltage control is achieved by the HVDC back‐to‐back converter, WPPC, and part of the optimal power flow by the master controller for interconnector operation. This paper presents the proposed coordinated voltage and RPC of the HVAC MOG on the Danish side of the KF CGS interconnector. The efficiency and constraints of the proposed coordinated control scheme of the KF CGS at fluctuating voltage and reactive power on both ends of the MOG are presented by simulations using the entire set up of the 220 kV AC MOG. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Uncertainities and variations of power generation through photovoltaic (PV) sources are major challenges for their integration with the distribution grid. Voltage rise and voltage drop issues limit the increase in PV penetration and loading levels, respectively. Moreover, it is important to maintain voltage levels as per grid code while ensuring that the PV power generation is not curtailed. In this paper, a voltage control method using smart transformer (ST) via dynamic optimal setpoints and limit tolerance is proposed in a residential distribution network. Performance indicators are developed to understand the impact of the proposed method on the system voltage profile. A method to determine the optimal inputs for voltage control methods depending on the day-ahead predictions of load demand and PV power profiles is developed. Further, a voltage control method of switching among three setpoints based on the voltage that determines the load side ac reference voltages for ST is proposed. The proposed method is compared with the method of switching between two setpoints based on current. The proposed method provides an improved voltage profile in the distribution network, which is tested on a CIGRE low voltage residential distribution network using PSCAD [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Grid-connected converters are expected to provide ancillary service utilising their spare capacities during operation. This study proposes a novel control strategy for clustered micro-grids to compensate voltage-unbalance of the power grid at the point of common coupling. Every micro-grid are interfaced to the power grid through a micro-grid inverter (MGI). All MGIs are designed independently with positive-sequence (PS) and negative-sequence (NS) control loops. Every micro-grid autonomously performs grid synchronisation and mode switching. After grid-connecting, a dynamic capacity allocation method is proposed for the MGIs to optimise its PS and NS capacity according to the grid voltage unbalance factor. Furthermore, a V–I droop control of the NS control loops is developed, with which each MGI can regulate its NS current according to the NS voltage in a droop manner. With the proposed method, all micro-grids participate in grid voltage unbalance compensation according to their own potential capacities without communications. Finally, a micro-grid cluster model with three micro-grids is built on Matlab/Simulink to validate the proposed control strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a wind farm, individual turbines disturb the wind field by generating wakes, so wind speeds at various turbine locations are different. From the perspective of wind farm control, there is an interest in dynamic optimization of the power reference for each individual wind turbine, and the wind speed forecast at each turbine location is hence required. This paper develops a joint model of convolutional neural network (CNN) and the gated recurrent units (GRU) to forecast the wind speed at turbine locations. This model employs a two‐layer architecture. At the lower‐layer, the spatial features are automatically extracted by CNN. The extracted spatial features describe the spatial correlations among multiple wind turbines. At the upper‐layer, GRU learns the temporal correlations across the extracted spatial features. This joint model is trained in an integrated manner. A salient characteristic of this model is that it extracts high‐level spatial‐temporal features from wind data. These automatically learnt features capture the spatial‐temporal wind dynamics and interactions in a wind farm, thus being informative and appropriate for the forecasting at specific turbine locations. The simulation on actual data demonstrates the effectiveness of the presented model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research presents a robust model predictive controller of two microgrids (MGs) interconnected via tie‐line (TL) power. Power system operations continue to face new challenges due to the large integration of renewable energy generation with an active load demand uncertainty and the management and control of bidirectional power flow between MGs and others uncertainties and system nonlinearities due to the power system operating condition. To handle these uncertainties and system nonlinearities a robust model using predictive control scheme is presented in this paper to achieve the control of the active power between two MGs when considering three disturbances scenario models. In the design process, uncertainties and nonlinearities of the system were taken into account and contributed to the robustness of the closed‐loop system. Robust control scheme development considering power system nonlinearities and uncertainties were used to improve the online close‐loop robustness. The model helped to achieve a desired active power regulation by coordinating the MGs and active power over‐shoot and under‐shoot time were reduced outstandingly. A Comparison was made between open‐loop and close‐loop simulation results, which indicate that the model can handle robustness while settling power deviation of the interconnected system. MATLAB environment was used to solve the optimisation problem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy poverty limits the economy and social development throughout the world. Wind turbine reduces the energy costs and facilitates the development of renewable energy industry, which provides an effective solution to energy crisis and environment pollution and develops rapidly in recently years. In this paper, a radial basis function neural network (RBFNN) optimisation model predictive control (MPC) was proposed for large wind turbines. In accordance with the complexity and uncertainty of wind turbine operation, a linear model based on the blade element momentum theory was established and the influencing factors of the proposed model were evaluated. The MPC taking into full account three degrees of freedom control multivariate was enforced by RBFNN prediction model, which meets the requirements of specified operation region. Additionally, the RBFNN prediction model with the memory of complicated rules and changed trend was trained by a great deal of historical data. The RBFNN in combination with MPC solves global optimisation problems and improves the dynamic performance of system. Simulation results for three‐bladed 5 MW onshore wind turbine verified the effectiveness of the proposed method and confirmed the fact that the fatigue loads were significantly reduced in the turbine tower. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The variable step size modified least mean square (VSSMLMS) learning algorithm based multifunctional double‐stage grid interactive photovoltaic (PV) system is implemented in this paper which feeds power to the grid and the load, ensures unity power factor operation and compensates reactive power. Along with this, it mitigates high grid neutral current during unbalanced loading condition. This algorithm uses variable step sizes to have a smooth dynamic and steady state performances. The boost converter (booster) is used in the first stage to extract peak power from a PV array using perturb and observe peak power point tracking technique. Next to this, a four leg voltage source converter (VSC) is placed to interlink the solar PV system to the grid and the loads. VSSMLMS‐based control technique is used to filter the fundamental component of load current and hence gate pulses are generated for the four‐leg VSC. This system is simulated in SIMULINK/MATLAB software under several working conditions and the obtained simulation results are validated on a developed laboratory prototype. The performance of the VSSMLMS‐based control technique is compared with that of the traditional LMS‐based technique. All results validate the IEEE‐519 standard. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a fault‐tolerant secondary and adaptive primary microgrid control scheme using a hybrid multi‐agent system (MAS), capable of operating either in a semi‐centralised or distributed manner. The proposed scheme includes a droop‐based primary level that considers the microgrid energy reserves in production and storage. The secondary level is responsible for: a) the microgrid units' coordination, b) voltage and frequency restoration and c) calculation of the droop/ reversed‐droop coefficients. The suggested architecture is arranged upon a group of dedicated asset agents that collect local measurements, take decisions independently and, collaborate in order to achieve more complex control objectives. Additionally, a supervising agent is added to fulfill secondary level objectives. The hybrid MAS can operate either with or without the supervising agent operational, manifesting fast redistribution of the supervising agent tasks. The proposed hybrid scheme is tested in simulation upon two separate physical microgrids using three scenarios. Additionally, a comparison with conventional control methodologies is performed in order to illustrate further the operation of a hybrid approach. Overall, results show that the proposed control framework exhibits unique characteristics regarding reconfigurability and fault‐tolerance, while power quality and improved load sharing are ensured even in case of critical component failure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work focuses on Distributed Secondary Control (DSC) technique, for frequency regulation and Economic Load Dispatch of Microgrid (MG). The fluctuating nature and large quantity of Distributed Energy Resources (DER) in an autonomous MG result in complex control requirements, demanding fast and robust response. The contemporary DSC schemes are mostly based on Distributed Averaging Integration techniques, with slow response. This paper proposes Distributed Model Predictive based Secondary Control (DMPSC) which effectively complies with the control requirements of MG. DMPSC requires each DER‐node to solve a local optimization problem with the cost function penalizing the deviation of states from their desired values and the differences between the assumed and predicted values. The desired‐states are based on local intermediate‐optimum values, computed using local and neighbouring information. Equality based terminal constraints are introduced to ensure the stability, where each node is forced to reach the desired‐state value at the end of prediction horizon. The terminal‐consensus of the network affirms convergence of the desired‐states to a global optimal point of the network. The asymptotic stability of the proposed control is proved by using the sum of local cost‐functions as a candidate Lyapunov function. Simulation results validate the effectiveness of the proposed control scheme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, an advanced control strategy is proposed for hybrid energy storage systems (HESS) to smooth wind power generation fluctuations. Compared with the limited performance of solo energy storage system, the HESS, composing of lithium‐ion battery (LiB) and a flywheel energy storage system (FESS), can comparatively show improved flexibility and adaptivity. A novel sequence control scheme for the HESS is proposed in this study to improve the overall economic and smoothing performances. Specifically, based on variable‐interval reference outputs, the control horizon of the HESS is statistically determined. Afterwards, a sequence control scheme for the HESS is presented to improve the internal collaboration of HESS media. Especially when the LiB and FESS are synchronously charging/discharging to smooth wind power, the charge/discharge power are optimally distributed between the LiB and FESS via an optimiser to minimise the equivalent cost during each control cycle. Case studies are conducted to demonstrate the performance of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study proposes a modified decentralised droop controller for inverter‐based autonomous photovoltaics (PV) microgrids to address the problem of instability and slower power sharing between PV inverters. The proposed controller modifies the conventional droop mechanism in transient as well as in steady state by adding an auxiliary control signal in the power control loop of the inverters. The proposed approach offers three key benefits, i.e. improves active power sharing, enhances system stability and performs the secondary control action by nullifying the frequency deviation by using only one auxiliary signal in the control loop. The accuracy of the proposed modified droop controller is verified with the help of time‐domain simulations in MATLAB/SIMULINK. The results obtained show that the controller is able to improve the power sharing and stability of the microgrid as well as to restore frequency. The performance of the proposed control scheme is also validated by experimental results and small‐signal analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Concentrating solar thermal power plants with thermal energy storage is a potential source of clean electrical power. This work has the same four optimal control modes established in a previous paper where Pontryagin's principle demonstrated that to maximise revenue from a plant with unlimited storage the optimal modes were to: (i) store all collected power, without generating; (ii) generate using collected power only; (iii) generate at maximum capacity using both collected and stored power; (iv) generate a maximum capacity, storing any surplus power. This paper presents an expanded analysis to cover a more realistic case where there is limited storage capacity, introducing 2 differences. First, it is sometimes necessary to discard power if the store is full. Second, the critical prices used to determine the optimal control can change whenever the store becomes full or empty. Again we use Pontragin's principle to derive necessary conditions for an optimal control and present an algorithm to find the sequence of critical prices required to construct it. The analysis gives more insight into the nature of the optimal control than mathematical programming or probabilistic search techniques, and the calculation is fast‐finding the optimal control for a yearlong operation in about 30 seconds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wind energy is an important renewable source with a stochastic nature. To capture this energy, variable speed generators are installed in wind towers and different maximum power point (MPP) tracking (MPPT) strategies have been developed in literature to maximise the output power. However, in gusty weather, wind turbines fail to track the optimum operating point due to their relatively high inertia. This paper proposes an innovative MPPT strategy to capture the energy of wind gusts. The developed controller consists of a conventional TSR control together with a bidirectional controller, which takes over the control of the rectifier under varying wind condition. The simulation results show an overall efficiency improvement and more stability for the proposed strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the voltage‐controlled oscillator (VCO) less phase‐locked loop (PLL)‐based control of voltage source converter. It is used in the distributed power generation system for improved power quality. This control extracts the fundamental component from the sensed load current using three phases to alpha–beta transformation without using VCO, unlike synchronous reference frame–PLL, where fundamental component extraction needs two transformations with the use of VCO. Owing to the absence of VCO in the proposed method, the computational burden of trigonometric operations is very less that results in a faster dynamic response under variable conditions. This characteristic makes it suitable for the distributed power generation system, where fast changes occur frequently. In this study, wind‐based distributed generation system has been taken for study, which comprises of self‐excited induction generator feeding non‐linear load with varying electrical conditions. Using the proposed control, the reactive power compensation, harmonics reduction and load balancing are carried out in the system. In addition to it, neutral current compensation is also accomplished with the help of star–delta transformer connected at the load end. The system performances are investigated under steady state as well as in transient state and results are found satisfactory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the main subjects of Microgrid (MG) islanded operation is its stability. Using the Energy Storage Systems (ESSs) in MGs, the stability can be improved. To ensure the proper operation of the ESSs, their State of Charge (SoC) should be monitored and controlled. In this paper, a new decentralized control method based on the conventional droop method is proposed which considers different types of ESSs used in islanded MG, i.e. ESSs with high power density and high energy density. In the proposed method, the ESS units are divided into two main categories. The master ESS is the main primary frequency control unit and the other ESSs respond to active and reactive power variations of the load and participate in the secondary control of frequency. For each of these categories, a new control method is proposed. The proposed method, including the primary and secondary control, is decentralized, and based on local measurements. Moreover, in the proposed method, a SoC equalization of ESSs is considered. To assess the stability of the MG, a small signal stability model is developed. Three scenarios are simulated to verify the effectiveness of the proposed method in MG frequency control and ESSs SoC balancing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper deals with the design and analysis of a virtual synchronous generator (VSG) control strategy applied to a renewable‐based system devoted to energy production in a stand‐alone microgrid context. The studied hybrid energy production system consists of renewable‐based energy production systems, a diesel power plant (DPP), and an energy storage system (ESS). The first part of the study will deal with the design of a single renewable energy source controlled using the VSG control strategy. In the second part, multiple renewable energy sources, similar to the one presented in the first part, will be connected in parallel to form a renewable farm. Finally, in a third part, the studied renewable farm will be integrated in a full hybrid system. In each part of the proposed study, the system power output will be evaluated and the voltage and frequency variations will be carefully analysed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a new hybrid frequency control strategy for doubly fed induction generator (DFIG)‐based wind turbines (WTs) to simultaneously provide short‐term and long‐term frequency regulation support to the connected power system. The kinetic energy stored in the rotating mass and the mechanical power reserve of the WT are coordinately configured to participate in frequency recovery at both primary and secondary stages. A frequency response model (FRM) is also derived to analyse the mutual interactions between WTs and the power system. Based on the FRM, the impacts of relevant parameter variations on the overall system stability can be investigated through Nyquist criterion and modal analyses and the stable operation range of proposed strategy could be easily identified. Theoretical and numerical results have both verified the effectiveness of the proposed control strategy and its advantages over existing methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]