Voltage And Frequency Optimization Of Inverter-based Microgrids Considering Low Inertia Grids
Maad Alowaifeer , يوسف محمد جمال عودة
كلية الهندسة-جامعة الملك فهد للبترول والمعادن · السعودية
Due to the increasing carbon emission in the atmosphere, the world is witnessing a transition in the power system with the integration of renewable energy sources (RESs). According to the international energy agency (IEA), RESs are set to expand by 50% between 2019 and 2024. Moreover, 50% of the generation is planned to be from RESs in Saudi Arabia by 2030. However, these RESs require interfacing devices to be properly integrated into the grid, i.e., inverters. As a result, inverter-based resources (IBRs) are respectively increasing. However, the working principle of IBRs is completely different from synchronous generators (SGs) which are the main energy source in the conventional grid. Therefore, the need for new control methodologies, which resolve the stability problem of low-inertia grids, is critically substantial. In this Thesis, we propose a microgrid system comprising a DC side, an AC side, and an external grid. A hierarchical control algorithm is proposed to manage the power flow between the DC side components (PV, batteries, and supercapacitors) while regulating the DC bus voltage. The regulated DC bus voltage is fed into the AC side, which features a grid-forming inverter based on the virtual synchronous generator (VSG) topology. Two control methodologies are proposed to enhance the VSG inverter. The first is an adaptation control method based on a fuzzy logic controller (FLC) that optimizes the inverter's frequency performance. The gains of the FLC are optimized using the differential evolution (DE) algorithm. The second is a seamless transition control method that enables seamless switching between the islanded and grid-connected modes. The proposed control methodologies are validated through comprehensive analysis and nonlinear simulations using MATLAB/Simulink. The results demonstrate that the proposed hierarchical control algorithm and control methodologies effectively regulate the microgrid operation and enhance the performance of the VSG inverter, making it suitable for various applications.