Stabilized frequency response of a microgrid using a two-degree-of-freedom controller with African vultures...

Area of Science:

• Electrical Engineering
• Power Systems
• Control Systems

Background:

• Microgrids increasingly integrate renewable energy sources (RESs) like solar and wind power stations (SPSs and WPSs).
• RESs, dominated by power electronic converters, introduce very low inertia into microgrids, leading to a high rate of change of frequency (RoCoF) and volatile frequency response.
• This inherent characteristic poses significant challenges for maintaining grid stability and reliable power supply.

Purpose of the Study:

• To address the challenges of low inertia and frequency volatility in RES-dominated microgrids.
• To propose and evaluate a novel control strategy for emulating virtual inertia and damping.
• To enhance the dynamic performance and stability of microgrids with significant RES penetration.

Main Methods:

• Emulation of virtual inertia and damping using a novel two-degree of freedom PID (2DOFPID) controller.
• Optimization of the 2DOFPID controller gains, along with virtual inertia and damping control (VIADC) loop parameters, using the African vultures optimization algorithm (AVOA).
• Verification of the proposed control methodology's dynamic response in a microgrid model using an OPAL-RT real-time environmental simulator (OP4510).

Main Results:

• The African vultures optimization algorithm (AVOA) demonstrated superior performance compared to other optimization techniques in terms of convergence rate and quality.
• The proposed 2DOFPID controller optimized with AVOA showed enhanced performance in emulating virtual inertia and damping.
• Comparative analysis indicated that the proposed control methodology outperformed conventional control strategies in stabilizing microgrid frequency.

Conclusions:

• The developed virtual inertia and damping emulation strategy effectively mitigates frequency instability in low-inertia microgrids.
• The novel 2DOFPID controller optimized by AVOA provides a robust and efficient solution for improving microgrid dynamic response.
• Real-time simulation results confirm the practical applicability and effectiveness of the proposed control approach for enhancing microgrid resilience.