Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 15, 2026

06:04
Experimental Investigation of the Hierarchical Control in DC Microgrids Using a Real-time Simulator
Published on: February 14, 2025
Leader follower second order voltage control with disturbance observer for DC microgrids.
K M Bhargavi1, Ritesh Dash2, K Jyotheeswara Reddy2
1Electrical and Electronics Engineering Department, RNSIT, Bengaluru, India.
Scientific Reports
|May 13, 2026
Summary
This study introduces a novel distributed voltage control for DC microgrids with renewables and EVs, optimizing battery usage and ensuring stable power sharing despite disturbances. It enhances efficiency and reliability in modern grids.
Area of Science:
- Electrical Engineering
- Control Systems
- Renewable Energy Integration
Background:
- DC microgrids are increasingly integrating renewable energy sources and electric vehicles (EVs), leading to complex power-sharing challenges.
- Heterogeneous battery energy storage systems (BESS) require sophisticated coordination for efficient operation and grid stability.
- Existing control strategies often lack robustness against disturbances and optimal leader selection for distributed systems.
Purpose of the Study:
- To propose an advanced secondary voltage control framework for renewable- and EV-integrated DC microgrids.
- To develop a distributed control strategy for coordinated power sharing among heterogeneous BESS using a leader-follower consensus architecture.
- To enhance system efficiency, robustness, and stability under various operational uncertainties and communication imperfections.
Main Methods:
- A second-order distributed voltage control strategy modeling BESS dynamics as second-order agents.
- A cost-index-based leader selection criterion derived from analytical Riccati formulation for optimal battery leader identification.
- Integration of a second-order disturbance observer-based heterogeneous consensus control for robust disturbance compensation.
Main Results:
- The proposed framework ensures robust voltage regulation and coordinated power sharing, significantly reducing DC bus voltage deviation and improving convergence speed.
- Optimal leader selection minimizes energy cost and battery stress, enhancing overall system efficiency.
- The control scheme demonstrates resilience to plug-and-play operation, communication delays, and link failures, validated through extensive simulations.
Conclusions:
- The developed distributed control framework offers a robust, scalable, and energy-efficient solution for secondary voltage control in advanced DC microgrids.
- It outperforms conventional methods in voltage deviation, convergence, state-of-charge balancing, and power mismatch.
- The approach is suitable for next-generation DC microgrids with high renewable and EV penetration.
Related Concept Videos
Generator Voltage Control
Generator voltage control is crucial for maintaining the stable operation of synchronous generators and wind turbines. In older models, a DC generator driven by the rotor delivers DC power to the rotor's field winding, and the power is transferred through slip rings and brushes. In the latest models, static or brushless exciters are used. Static exciters rectify AC power from the generator terminals and then transfer the DC power directly to the rotor. Brushless exciters, on the other hand, use...
Second-Order Circuits
Integrating two fundamental energy storage elements in electrical circuits results in second-order circuits, encompassing RLC circuits and circuits with dual capacitors or inductors (RC and RL circuits). Second-order circuits are identified by second-order differential equations that link input and output signals.
Input signals typically originate from voltage or current sources, with the output often representing voltage across the capacitor and/or current through the inductor. For example, in...
Input signals typically originate from voltage or current sources, with the output often representing voltage across the capacitor and/or current through the inductor. For example, in...
Control of Power Flow
There are several methods to control power flow in power systems:
Parallel RLC Circuits
Street lamps equipped with RLC surge protectors are an excellent example of applying circuit analysis in practical scenarios. These surge protectors safeguard the lamp's components against sudden voltage spikes.
A simplified parallel RLC circuit model with a DC input source generating a step response is employed in this context. When the switch is turned on, Kirchhoff's current law is applied, leading to a second-order differential equation.
A simplified parallel RLC circuit model with a DC input source generating a step response is employed in this context. When the switch is turned on, Kirchhoff's current law is applied, leading to a second-order differential equation.
Second-order Op Amp Circuits
Implementing second-order low-pass filters in audio systems is crucial in refining audio signals by eliminating undesirable high-frequency noise. These filters typically involve second-order op-amp circuits configured as voltage followers, encompassing two nodes with distinct storage elements.
The analysis of such circuits follows a systematic approach, similar to the second-order RLC circuits. In practical scenarios, bulky inductors are rarely employed due to their size and weight. This means...
The analysis of such circuits follows a systematic approach, similar to the second-order RLC circuits. In practical scenarios, bulky inductors are rarely employed due to their size and weight. This means...
Load-frequency control
Load-frequency control (LFC) is vital for maintaining power system stability, ensuring that frequency and power flows remain within acceptable limits during load changes. Turbine-governor control eliminates rotor accelerations and decelerations following load changes. However, a steady-state frequency error persists when the change in the turbine-governor reference setting is zero. In an interconnected power system, each area agrees to export or import a scheduled amount of power through...