Abstract
Equal power-rating inverters operating with different power set-points in either an islanded or grid-connected mode may lead to inter-unit circulating power caused by a large mismatch between power generation and demand during network contingencies (faults on the heavy load side or unintentional islanding). This circulating power may violate the dc-link voltage limit and, as a result, the protection scheme may shut down the inverter and reduce the microgrids reliability. This paper proposes a regulator for controlling the dc-link voltage of the microgrid's inverter during a period of circulating power. It includes a discharging resistor with a series-connected switch across the dc-link capacitor which is turned on through a control algorithm if the dc-link voltage exceeds its pre-defined limit. Case studies of parallel-connected inverters are conducted and their stability assessed through a small-signal analysis. In addition, a realistic microgrid is designed as a low-voltage (LV) network and tested to verify the concept and regulator actions presented. The simulation results validate the effectiveness of the proposed regulator during network contingencies.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 233-244 |
| Number of pages | 12 |
| Journal | Electric Power Systems Research |
| Volume | 147 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 1 Jun 2017 |
Keywords
- DC-link voltage
- islanded microgrid
- droop control
- supervisory controller