RYDS Modeling of a Hybrid-Source Autonomous Electric Microgrid

Ajewole, T.O; Oyekanmi, W.A; Babalola, A.A.; Omoigui, M.O

RYDS Modeling of a Hybrid-Source Autonomous Electric Microgrid

Date

2017-01

Authors

Publisher

IEEE

Abstract

Three energy sources: a pico-hydropower emulator, a diesel engine emulator and a wind turbine emulator; are inter-connected at a point of common coupling, with the hybridized source supplying an aggregate of electrical load. A control scheme is developed that employs the synchronous machine-based pico-hydropower emulator as grid-forming source, while the other two sources feed the grid-former. Since models demonstrated with simulated weather data and load demand profiles may not accurately represent the operational behaviours of the actual system in the real-world scenario, a real-life wind speed profile is implemented on the wind turbine emulator to investigate the behaviours of the lab-microgrid under a near-real-world operating scenario. Balance reactive power flow is established among the three source emulators as a result of which the frequencies of the emulators are synchronized. A proper fault ride-through characteristic is also exhibited by the system. These show that the near-real-world behaviours of the lab-microgrid closely match the operational performance of the actual microgrid in the real-world scenario. The application could, therefore, be adopted as an affordable laboratory tool in research activities and as an instructional kit in teaching on the autonomous microgrid.