Abstract
This paper proposes a novel system deployment principle for master/slave type islanded alternating current (AC) microgrids, with which decentralized control can be achieved without communications. The net power of a microgrid, including active and reactive power, is metered and compensated locally and independently by its units. This can benefit a microgrid regarding system expandability, flexibility, and plug-and-play. The proposed strategy is demonstrated in a typical islanded AC microgrid with diesel generators, renewable generation, and hybrid storage. A diesel generator set with constant speed governor and static exciter runs to build up and dominate the main AC bus. An ultra-capacitor unit suppresses fast-varying power fluctuations, and the battery shares part of the slow-varying power component. The diesel generator set only provides slow-varying power within a lower limit, which can avoid dramatic accelerations and decelerations and low load-rate operation. Finally, simulations on MATLAB/Simulink are carried out to verify the proposed strategy in typical scenarios.
Highlights
Along with the accelerated development of distributed generation (DG), such as photovoltaic solar arrays, wind turbines, etc., the microgrid has gradually become a promising framework for distributed energy harvesting and utilization, especially in rural and remote areas that a utility grid cannot reach [1,2,3]
The voltage source converter (VSC) is regulated as a rectifier and the DC side voltage is maintained at Vflex through another voltage control loop, with Pflex/Vflex sent to the controlled-current source (CCS) as the source signal
A simulation model of an islanded alternating current (AC) microgrid with the same structure as Fig. 1 is built, which consists of a diesel generator set, three feeders, an ultra-capacitor unit, a battery unit, and a flexible load
Summary
Along with the accelerated development of distributed generation (DG), such as photovoltaic solar arrays, wind turbines, etc., the microgrid has gradually become a promising framework for distributed energy harvesting and utilization, especially in rural and remote areas that a utility grid cannot reach [1,2,3]. Distributed control has no central controller, and the information-collecting and decision-making authority is delegated to DGs and flexible loads, forming a multi-agent control architecture. In this case, DGs can operate with more autonomy, but communications, especially between adjacent units, are still necessary for accurate power sharing, frequency restoration, or to achieve economic targets [17, 18]. The total net power, including active and reactive power, can be metered and compensated for locally and independently by the microgrid units This design can benefit a microgrid regarding system expandability, flexibility, and plug-and-play.
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