Microgrids are local power systems of different sizes located inside the distribution systems. Each microgrid contains a group of interconnected loads and distributed energy resources that acts as a single controllable entity with respect to the grid. Their islanding operation capabilities during emergencies improve the resiliency and reliability of the electric energy supply. Due to its low kinetic energy storage capacity, maintaining microgrid stability is challenging under system contingencies and unpredictable power generation from renewable resources. This dissertation highlights the potential benefits of flexibly utilizing the battery energy storage systems to enhance the stability of microgrids. The main contribution of this research consists in the development of a storage converter controller with an additional stability margin that enables it to improve microgrid frequency and voltage regulation as well as its induction motor post-fault speed recovery. This new autonomous control technique is implemented by adaptively setting the converter controller parameters based on its estimated phase-locked loop frequency deviation and terminal voltage magnitude measurement. This work also assists in the microgrid design process by determining the normalized minimum storage converter sizing under a wide range of microgrid motor inertia, loading and fault clearing time with both symmetrical and asymmetrical fault types. This study evaluates the expandability of the proposed control methodologies under an unbalanced meshed microgrid with fault-induced feeder switching and multiple contingencies in addition to random power output from renewable generators. The favorable results demonstrate the robust storage converter controller performance under a dynamic changing microgrid environment.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:wpi.edu/oai:digitalcommons.wpi.edu:etd-dissertations-1189 |
| Date | 26 April 2018 |
| Creators | Zhang, Tan |
| Contributors | Aleksandar Stanković, Committee Member, Alexander E. Emanuel, Advisor, , John A. Orr |
| Publisher | Digital WPI |
| Source Sets | Worcester Polytechnic Institute |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Source | Doctoral Dissertations (All Dissertations, All Years) |
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