A High-Performance Microgrid With a Mechanical Sensorless SynRG Operated Wind Energy Generating System

Abstract

In this article, a new control methodology is implemented for a microgrid consisting of wind-battery and the grid, which operates both under grid-connected mode and standalone mode. A synchronous reluctance generator (SynRG) with a new mechanical sensorless field-oriented control is used in the wind energy generation system (WEGS). The major issues present in the sensorless control of SynRG, due to the use of conventional integrator or low-pass filter during the flux estimation, are addressed in this article by implementing a fourth-order flux estimator. To compensate for the intermittent nature of the power generated from the WEGS, and to improve the reliability of the system pertaining to power availability, energy storage is included in the system. Controlled operation of the battery is ensured by using a bidirectional dc–dc converter, to enhance the longevity of the battery. Voltage source converters (VSCs) connected in a back-to-back configuration with a common dc-link is selected here so that a complete decoupling is achieved between the grid and WEGS. Grid-side VSC (GSC) is controlled, so that power quality at the point of common coupling is improved. The positive sequence components of grid voltages are extracted using observers to implement GSC control to avoid the adverse effects of unbalance and harmonic content in grid voltages. Design, modeling, and simulation of the system are done in MATLAB/SIMULINK platform, and a prototype developed in the laboratory is used for real-time validation.