DOBC-Based Frequency & Voltage Regulation Strategy for PV-Diesel Hybrid Microgrid During Islanding Conditions

TL;DR

This paper introduces a disturbance observer-based control strategy for PV-diesel hybrid microgrids that effectively maintains frequency and voltage stability during islanding, even under real-time uncertainties and communication delays.

Contribution

It develops and validates a novel DOBC-based control method integrated with a synchronous generator for robust microgrid regulation during islanding conditions.

Findings

Controller maintains stable frequency and voltage under uncertainties.

Validated effectiveness through MATLAB/Simulink and real-time OPAL-RT simulations.

Successful implementation on laboratory microgrid setup.

Abstract

This paper proposes a disturbance observer-based control (DOBC) method for frequency and voltage regulation of a solar photovoltaic (PV)-diesel generator(DG) based hybrid microgrid during islanding conditions. The DOBC is integrated as a feed-forward control to the synchronous generator based DG, which handles real-time power mismatches and regulates the microgrid frequency and voltage under islanding. To substantiate the operational robustness of the developed controller under real-time uncertainties arising due to variability in PV output and load, the controller has been tested under worstcase uncertainty conditions. The proposed controller has been developed as a MATLAB/Simulink model and the results are validated on the real-time simulator OPAL-RT. The effectiveness of the proposed control scheme has further been validated in the presence of communication delays and noisy load conditions. Results verify the dynamic performance of the controller in regulating the system frequency and voltage for low-inertia microgrids. Finally, the proposed control strategy has been implemented on laboratory scale microgrid setup in which synchronous generator based diesel generator regulates system frequency fast and efficiently under worst case uncertainty scenario.