Research Projects

With ever-increasing adoption of renewable energy sources into the distribution network of the grid, the microgrid architecture is gaining popularity for integrating these renewable sources. Moreover, many of the renewable sources, modern loads and storage devices are DC in nature, which leads to the concept of Hybrid AC/DC microgrid. The present project aims to develop the necessary technologies for the efficient and reliable operation of a hybrid microgrid system consisting of both AC and DC sources (conventional and renewable) with energy storage devices and validate them on an existing hybrid microgrid (HMG) system being developed in a laboratory complex at IIT Kharagpur. At present, various renewable energy sources (producing DC output) and multiple storage units are interfaced in a hybrid microgrid system using individual unidirectional/bidirectional DC-DC converters. The present project proposes to replace these by a single Multi-port Converter (MPC) which is more compact, efficient, faster and sometimes, more economical. The MPC will be developed along with its (centralized) control algorithm. In this project, a real-time central Graphical User Interface (GUI) for the existing HMG system will also be developed for the optimal reactive power scheduling, voltage and frequency control, islanding detection, disconnection and resynchronization based on a hierarchical decentralized control structure. Simultaneously, a real-time optimal energy management strategy capable of adapting to the real-time operating condition will be evolved to manage active and reactive power flow among different microgrid sources, storage systems and load ensuring required stability margin and power quality. The energy management strategy and the real-time controller will be modified suitably to fully exploit the faster and centralized control capability of the MPC. The MPC technology to be developed in this project is expected to provide a boost to the indigenous manufacturers of such converters. The power equipment manufacturing and utility companies will be able to enhance the reliability and reduce the cost of electricity from microgrids and hence accelerate its wider proliferation.

• A 20kW three-port structure (consisting of the Battery Bank, SC bank and the load) along with a suitable control strategy has been designed and simulated in the MATLAB Simulink environment. The simulation results are in agreement with the analysis. • A central LabVIEW GUI is developed for fetching the data from all the local NI cRIO controllers in the HMG and communicating them proper control commands as received from the RT-Lab model simulation, thus assuring system stability.