Research Projects

A microgrid is a system designed to manage renewable-based distributed generators, either connected to the grid or operating independently. In the islanded mode, the focus is on parallel operation of distributed sources to supply local loads. Power electronic (PE) converters are used to integrate renewables and energy storage systems, but they have limited overload power withstanding capacity. This leads to harmonics in currents and voltages, a serious power quality problem. The active distribution system is inherently unbalanced, further exacerbating the issue. Renewable resources are intermittent, so the converters' additional capacity can be utilized to address these challenges. This multifunctional capability can be exploited for ancillary services, and recent research has focused on using model predictive control (MPC) to achieve optimal performance under power quality challenges. Conventional methods, such as using external devices like STATCOMs, are expensive and may not be effective at a local level. Communication for power quality mitigation may adversely affect system reliability. The proposed project aims to propose MPC-based control schemes that consider intermittency and improve power sharing among distributed sources operating as a microgrid. This would be an effective low-cost, reliable solution, particularly useful in the Indian context.