Nonlinear Control of an AC-connected DC MicroGrid

TL;DR

This paper presents a scalable nonlinear control scheme for AC-connected DC MicroGrids, integrating renewable sources, storage, and loads using a distributed control approach to enhance flexibility and reliability.

Contribution

It introduces a novel 'Plug and Play' distributed control methodology for interconnecting diverse energy sources and loads in a scalable DC MicroGrid system.

Findings

The control scheme effectively manages uncertainties and intermittence from renewables.

The approach demonstrates scalability to larger systems.

It ensures reliable interconnection of multiple energy sources and loads.

Abstract

New connection constraints for the power network (Grid Codes) require more flexible and reliable systems, with robust solutions to cope with uncertainties and intermittence from renewable energy sources (renewables), such as photovoltaic arrays. A solution for interconnecting such renewables to the main grid is to use storage systems and a Direct Current (DC) MicroGrid. A "Plug and Play" approach based on the "System of Systems" philosophy using distributed control methodologies is developed in the present work. This approach allows to interconnect a number of elements to a DC MicroGrid as power sources like photovoltaic arrays, storage systems in different time scales like batteries and supercapacitors, and loads like electric vehicles and the main AC grid. The proposed scheme can easily be scalable to a much larger number of elements.