This article presents the complete design of a nonlinear control system for multiple stationary bikes connected to a mechanical energy conversion system equipped with squirrel cage induction generators (SIGs) linked to AC/DC converters. The primary objective of this study is to investigate the feasibility of powering multiple treadmills using the DC bus via DC/AC converters. The novelty of our approach lies in the integration of a new strategy of control system to achieve multiple control objectives within a gym microgrid environment, and an energy management algorithm to ensure the energy flow between intermittent generation and the considered, somewhat random, demand. The system is composed of several subsystems: i) stationary bikes connected to the DC bus via inverters acting as intermittent power sources; ii) a Li-ion battery-based energy storage system interfaced through a Buck-Boost converter; iii) electromechanical loads, including treadmills, powered by DC/AC converters, in addition to other DC loads. The main control objectives are as follows: a) each stationary bike extracts energy from the DC network by regulating the torque applied by the athlete, ensuring that the torque follows the reference torque; b) the treadmill’s speed must follow the reference generated based on the athlete’s condition; c) ensuring the protection of the energy storage system by monitoring its current and voltage; d) all mentioned objectives are achieved while maintaining the DC bus voltage at a reference value. To achieve these objectives, a nonlinear control approach based on Lyapunov theory is used to design the controllers. A formal analysis is conducted to assess the performance of the studied system. The system’s performance is demonstrated using the MATLAB/Simulink environment. Numerous simulations demonstrate that every control objective is achieved. Specifically, the system maintained the DC bus voltage at 500 V with a maximum deviation of 1 V, and the treadmill speed followed the reference within a margin of 0.1 m/s.
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