Variable-Speed PICO Hydel Energy Storage With Synchronverter Control to Emulate Virtual Inertia in Autonomous Microgrids

Krishnakumar R. Vasudevan, Vigna K. Ramachandaramurthy, Gomathi Venugopal, Josep M. Guerrero, Janaka B. Ekanayake, Sieh Kiong Tiong

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articleResearchpeer-review

6 Citations (Scopus)
8 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

Autonomous microgrids are potential alternative to grid connectivity for powering remote communities around the globe. A sustainable microgrid with renewables and energy storage having minimum operation and maintenance routines is the most sought option. Batteries are predominantly used to support the stochastic behavior of renewables in such microgrids. However, they are prone to frequent failure and require periodic maintenance, which demands an alternative. Thus, in this article, the renewable powered irrigation system in India was configured to form sustainable pico hydel energy storage (PHES). To enhance the inertia of the microgrid with static sources, virtual inertia capability was induced into PHES by modified synchronverter technology. First, the small-signal modeling approach was presented to derive the closed-loop transfer function of the system. Subsequently, the effect of control parameter variation on system stability and the interaction between the governor and the synchronverter was investigated using eigenvalue analysis. Next, the performance of synchronverter was compared with the established vector control through time-domain simulations in MATLAB/Simulink. The simulation results revealed that the proposed strategy improved the inertial response of PHES and outperformed vector control by reducing peak overshoot, settling time, and steady-state error.
Original languageEnglish
JournalIEEE Systems Journal
Volume16
Issue number1
Pages (from-to)452-463
Number of pages12
ISSN1932-8184
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Mar 2022

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
IEEE

Copyright:
Copyright 2021 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.

Keywords

  • Capacitors
  • Energy storage
  • Frequency synchronization
  • Hydraulic systems
  • Microgrids
  • pumped hydro storage (PHS)
  • Reactive power
  • Reservoirs
  • rural electrification
  • synchronverter
  • virtual inertia
  • virtual synchronous generator
  • Voltage measurement

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