Application of State Estimation in Distribution Systems with Embedded Microgrids

In this paper, a weighted least square (WLS) state estimation algorithm with equality constraints is proposed for smart distribution networks embedded with microgrids. Since only a limited number of real-time measurements are available at the primary or secondary substations and distributed generation sites, load estimates at unmeasured buses remote from the substations are needed to execute state estimation. The load information can be obtained by forecasted and historical data or smart real-time meters. The proposed algorithms can be applied in either grid-connected or islanded operation mode and can efficiently identify breaker status errors at the main substations and feeders, where sufficient measurement redundancy exists. The impact of the accuracy of real and pseudo-measurements on the estimated bus voltages is tested with a 55-bus distribution network including distributed generation.

Detailed analysis of grid connected and islanded operation modes based on P/U and Q/f droop characteristics

This paper presents a thorough control structure of the distributed generators inside the microgrid during both grid-connected and islanded operation modes. These control structures of the DGs voltage source inverters are implemented in synchronous reference frame (SRF) and controlled using linear PI controllers. By implementing the control structures, the desired real and reactive power can be efficiently transferred to the local loads and the utility load by the microgrid generating units. A modified droop control technique is introduced to facilitate the microgrid performance during both modes of operation. The active and reactive power sharing of the load demand between the utility grid and the microgrid can be performed by this drop control technique during the islanded mode. The system performance during intentional islanding event and utility load increase is investigated. The effectiveness of the offered control structures is confirmed through simulation results during both modes of operation.

A Nonlinear Integral Backstepping Controller to Regulate the Voltage and Frequency of an Islanded Microgrid Inverter

The islanded operation mode of a microgrid system is usually affected by the system uncertainties, such as the load, source, and parameter variations. In such systems, the voltage and frequency must be regulated to maintain the power quality during islanded operation. As an approach to control the voltage and frequency, in this study, a decentralized nonlinear integral backstepping controller for the voltage source inverter used in an islanded microgrid is developed. First, the dynamical model of the inverter-based distribution generations (DGs) in microgrid system is developed. Subsequently, the model-based controller for the microgrid is built using dynamics of inverter-based DGs and Lyapunov theory, which could eliminate the voltage and frequency deviations in the system under different uncertainties. To ensure the system stability, a control Lyapunov function is adopted. Considering the influence of irradiations and other meteorological variables fluctuations a battery energy storage (BESS) is applied on the DC side to suppress the fluctuations of output power of DGs. Furthermore, the efficiency of the designed controller was validated through simulations in the MATLAB/Simulink environment under different scenarios and effectiveness of the proposed framework is further validated by real-time hardware in loop (HIL) experiments. In addition, the performance of the proposed controller is compared with a conventional backstepping (BS) controller. The comparison results demonstrate that the efficiency of the designed controller in terms of obtaining steady-state operating conditions is better than that of the BS controller.