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Planning, Operation and Control of Microgrids

A special issue of Energies (ISSN 1996-1073). This special issue belongs to the section "A1: Smart Grids and Microgrids".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 February 2024) | Viewed by 7957

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Laboratory of Automatic Control (LCA), Faculty of Engineering and Agricultural Sciences, National University of San Luis—CONICET, Villa Mercedes, San Luis 5730, Argentina
Interests: modeling and advanced control of power converters in applications of microgrids, electric vehicles, and renewable energy conversion systems
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Recent actions tending to reduce the negative environmental impact produced by conventional electricity generation and the inefficient consumption of electrical energy have promoted the implementation of microgrids. From these structures it has been possible to achieve the decentralization of the conventional electric power system while providing energy to isolated regions. Microgrids are also used in applications of electric mobility and aerospace systems. In this context, microgrids have become a challenging research topic allowing the development of new topologies, management systems, control strategies, monitoring and protection systems, etc. However, in order to achieve the massive use of microgrids it is necessary to research and develop new technologies to increase their efficiency, reliability, flexibility, and adaptability.

This Special Issue has the aim of presenting recent developments in the planning, operation, and control of microgrids and their applications. The topics of interest include, but are not limited to:

  • Microgrid optimization, planning, and control;
  • Modeling, analysis, and control of DC and AC microgrids based on renewable energy sources;
  • Analysis and operation of grid-connected, isolated, and hybrid microgrids;
  • Modeling and control of low-power and high-power converters for microgrids and smart grid applications;
  • Integration of microgrids in the electric power system;
  • Integration of electric vehicles in microgrids;
  • Design of control and management strategies of microgrids and smart grids;
  • Integration of energy storage systems based on battery, supercapacitor, and superconducting coils in microgrids;
  • Optimization algorithms for energy management and intelligent control of microgrids;
  • Ancillary services of microgrids;
  • Diagnostics, maintenance, reliability, vulnerability, and self-healing of microgrids.

Prof. Dr. Federico Martin Serra
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Energies is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • microgrids
  • power electronics
  • control
  • renewable energy systems

Related Special Issue

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

17 pages, 514 KiB  
Article
A Robust Conic Programming Approximation to Design an EMS in Monopolar DC Networks with a High Penetration of PV Plants
by Oscar Danilo Montoya, Federico Martin Serra and Walter Gil-González
Energies 2023, 16(18), 6470; https://doi.org/10.3390/en16186470 - 7 Sep 2023
Viewed by 816
Abstract
This research addresses the problem regarding the efficient operation of photovoltaic (PV) plants in monopolar direct current (DC) distribution networks from a perspective of convex optimization. PV plant operation is formulated as a nonlinear programming (NLP) problem while considering two single-objective functions: the [...] Read more.
This research addresses the problem regarding the efficient operation of photovoltaic (PV) plants in monopolar direct current (DC) distribution networks from a perspective of convex optimization. PV plant operation is formulated as a nonlinear programming (NLP) problem while considering two single-objective functions: the minimization of the expected daily energy losses and the reduction in the expected CO2 emissions at the terminals of conventional generation systems. The NLP model that represents the energy management system (EMS) design is transformed into a convex optimization problem via the second-order cone equivalent of the product between two positive variables. The main contribution of this research is that it considers the uncertain nature of solar generation and expected demand curves through robust convex optimization. Numerical results in the monopolar DC version of the IEEE 33-bus grid demonstrate the effectiveness and robustness of the proposed second-order cone programming model in defining an EMS for a monopolar DC distribution network. A comparative analysis with four different combinatorial optimizers is carried out, i.e., multiverse optimization (MVO), the salp swarm algorithm (SSA), the particle swarm optimizer (PSO), and the crow search algorithm (CSA). All this is achieved while including an iterative convex method (ICM). This analysis shows that the proposed robust model can find the global optimum for two single-objective functions. The daily energy losses are reduced by 44.0082% with respect to the benchmark case, while the CO2 emissions (kg) are reduced by 27.3771%. As for the inclusion of uncertainties, during daily operation, the energy losses increase by 22.8157%, 0.2023%, and 23.7893% with respect to the benchmark case when considering demand uncertainty, PV generation uncertainty, and both. Similarly, CO2 emissions increase by 11.1854%, 0.9102%, and 12.1198% with regard to the benchmark case. All simulations were carried out using the Mosek solver in the Yalmip tool of the MATLAB software. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Planning, Operation and Control of Microgrids)
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18 pages, 431 KiB  
Article
Optimal Neutral Grounding in Bipolar DC Networks with Asymmetric Loading: A Recursive Mixed-Integer Quadratic Formulation
by Walter Gil-González, Oscar Danilo Montoya and Jesús C. Hernández
Energies 2023, 16(9), 3755; https://doi.org/10.3390/en16093755 - 27 Apr 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1085
Abstract
This paper presents a novel approach to tackle the problem of optimal neutral wire grounding in bipolar DC networks including asymmetric loading, which naturally involves mixed-integer nonlinear programming (MINLP) and is challenging to solve. This MINLP model is transformed into a recursive mixed-integer [...] Read more.
This paper presents a novel approach to tackle the problem of optimal neutral wire grounding in bipolar DC networks including asymmetric loading, which naturally involves mixed-integer nonlinear programming (MINLP) and is challenging to solve. This MINLP model is transformed into a recursive mixed-integer quadratic (MIQ) model by linearizing the hyperbolic relation between voltage and powers in constant power terminals. A recursive algorithm is implemented to eliminate the possible errors generated by linearization. The proposed recursive MIQ model is assessed in two bipolar DC systems and compared against three solvers of the GAMS software. The results obtained validate the performance of the proposed MIQ model, which finds the global optimum of the model while reducing power losses for bipolar DC systems with 21, 33, and 85 buses by 4.08%, 2.75%, and 7.40%, respectively, when three nodes connected to the ground are considered. Furthermore, the model exhibits a superior performance when compared to the GAMS solvers. The impact of grounding the neutral wire in bipolar DC networks is also studied by varying the number of available nodes to be grounded. The results show that the reduction in power losses is imperceptible after grounding the third node for the three bipolar DC systems under study. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Planning, Operation and Control of Microgrids)
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19 pages, 5011 KiB  
Article
New Design and Study of the Transient State and Maximum Power Point Tracking of Solid Oxide Fuel Cells Using Fuzzy Control
by Farhad Zishan, Oscar Danilo Montoya and Diego Armando Giral-Ramírez
Energies 2023, 16(6), 2572; https://doi.org/10.3390/en16062572 - 9 Mar 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1292
Abstract
Humans have always been searching for new and efficient ways to convert fuels into usable energy. Solid oxide fuel cells, energy conversion devices capable of generating electrical energy, are widely used due to their high thermal energy production. In this research, fuzzy control [...] Read more.
Humans have always been searching for new and efficient ways to convert fuels into usable energy. Solid oxide fuel cells, energy conversion devices capable of generating electrical energy, are widely used due to their high thermal energy production. In this research, fuzzy control was used to manage the voltage and current of solid oxide fuel cells. Simulations were conducted in two evaluation modes: checking the voltage, current, and power of the fuel cell, with and without the use of fuzzy control, and analyzing maximum power point tracking (MPPT) using fuzzy control. In the second mode, when connected to the load, the performance of the fuel cell was evaluated in the transient state, and the role of the controller was clearly visible According to the current–power characteristic of the fuel cell, which is a nonlinear curve and has a maximum point, and by using the fuzzy controller and the appropriate selection of input and output functions, this research aimed to make the system work at the maximum power point at all times. To this effect, a printer was used between the fuel cell and the load, and a fuzzy controller was used to set the cycle of activities, whose input was the slope of the current–power curve. The results show that this controller performs well and is faster when compared to the P&O control method. MATLAB software was used to design and analyze the system and, in order to validate the model, the transient behavior of the fuel cell was studied. The results were compared, and an acceptable match was observed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Planning, Operation and Control of Microgrids)
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15 pages, 2043 KiB  
Article
A Feasibility Study of Implementing IEEE 1547 and IEEE 2030 Standards for Microgrid in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
by Ahmed Sulaiman Alsafran
Energies 2023, 16(4), 1777; https://doi.org/10.3390/en16041777 - 10 Feb 2023
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2367
Abstract
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s (KSA) microgrids must make significant progress during the next five years, since the Saudi government published the Saudi Vision 2030 and the National Transformation Program 2020. In order to implement renewable energy and microgrid technologies in the Saudi [...] Read more.
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s (KSA) microgrids must make significant progress during the next five years, since the Saudi government published the Saudi Vision 2030 and the National Transformation Program 2020. In order to implement renewable energy and microgrid technologies in the Saudi Electric Power System(EPS), King Abdullah City for Atomic and Renewable Energy (K.A.CARE) started developing an energy mix program in 2016. To achieve the intended goals, this program will unquestionably need to adhere to practical and technical criteria. In the past five years, the Saudi government has made significant investments in renewable energy technology. In order to keep up with the growth of microgrid systems globally, the Saudi Water and Electricity Regulatory Authority (WERA) is now working to update and define a standard for microgrids. The IEEE 2030 standard, which includes guidelines for understanding smart grid interoperability the integration of communication architectures and power systems, and information technology architectures, is proposed to replace the IEEE 1547.4 standard currently in use by the WERA. In the past two decades, smart grid technology has advanced dramatically and attracted great technical attention. To guarantee that K.A.CARE and other research and technical institutes can effectively complete their deliverables, a standard for microgrids has to be established. Additionally, this paper offers some recommendations on how to use these standards to implement them in the Saudi EPS, as well as a feasibility analysis for adopting the IEEE 1547.4 standard in the KSA. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Planning, Operation and Control of Microgrids)
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15 pages, 6874 KiB  
Article
Autonomous DC-Bus Voltage Regulation in DC Microgrid Using Distributed Energy Storage Systems
by Jung-Sik Choi, Seung-Yeol Oh, Dae-Seak Cha, Byoung-Sun Ko and Mina Kim
Energies 2022, 15(13), 4559; https://doi.org/10.3390/en15134559 - 22 Jun 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1651
Abstract
A DC microgrid has many advantageous features, such as low power losses, zero reactive power, and a simple interface with renewable energy sources (RESs). A bipolar DC microgrid is also highlighted due to its high-power quality, improved reliability, and enhanced system efficiency. However, [...] Read more.
A DC microgrid has many advantageous features, such as low power losses, zero reactive power, and a simple interface with renewable energy sources (RESs). A bipolar DC microgrid is also highlighted due to its high-power quality, improved reliability, and enhanced system efficiency. However, the bipolar DC microgrid has high DC bus voltage fluctuation due to the load power unbalance between the poles. Therefore, this paper analyzes the DC bus voltage fluctuation that can occur in the bipolar DC microgrid. An autonomous grid voltage regulation method is introduced to regulate the DC bus voltage of a bipolar DC microgrid using distributed energy storage systems (ESSs). The proposed grid voltage regulation scheme using the distributed ESSs could regulate DC bus voltage in real time, regardless of the structure of the DC microgrid without external communication. Lastly, experimental results using a lab-scale bipolar DC microgrid prototype verified the proposed method. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Planning, Operation and Control of Microgrids)
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