Advancing Grid-Connected Renewable Generation Systems 2021-2022

A special issue of Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417). This special issue belongs to the section "Energy Science and Technology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 March 2023) | Viewed by 12649
Related Special Issue: Advancing Grid-Connected Renewable Generation Systems 2019

Special Issue Editors

Department of Energy Technology, Aalborg University, 9220 Aalborg, Denmark
Interests: power electronics and its applications in motor drives; wind turbines; PV systems; harmonics; reliability of power electronic systems
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Department of Energy Technology, Aalborg University, 9220 Aalborg, Denmark
Interests: control of grid-connected converters; photovoltaic systems; reliability in power electronics and high-power multilevel converters
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Department of Energy Technology, Aalborg University, 9220 Aalborg, Denmark
Interests: impedance-source power electronic converters; renewable energy and distributed generation; control and reliability issues of power electronic converters in active distribution networks
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Renewables are making pace to become a major source in the energy paradigm, which has been undergoing significant shifts over the past few decades. In order to enable a wide-scale integration of renewables, advanced grid-interfacing control solutions are strongly demanded. On one hand, power conversion efficiency and reliability are the keys aspects that need to be addressed in order to maximize the total energy yield, thereby reducing the overall cost of energy. On the other hand, the stability of the energy system under a high penetration level of renewable energy is also a concern from a system perspective. This can also be seen in the updated regulation for the grid-connected renewable energy system. Power electronics are the key enabling technology for achieving the above demands and have been widely used for renewable energy systems such as wind turbine, solar energy, and energy storage systems. Advancing the design, control, operation, and integration of power electronics has the potential to improve the performance of grid-connected renewable energy systems. This Special Issue, thus, serves to address the present challenging issues regarding the integration of renewable energies into a sustainable and resilient power system. Topics within, but not limited to, grid-connected renewable energy systems in general, as well as their control, operation, and design, are invited.

Prof. Dr. Frede Blaabjerg
Prof. Dr. Yongheng Yang
Dr. Ariya Sangwongwanich
Dr. Elizaveta Liivik
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • renewable energy conversion
  • power electronics converter topologies and control for grid-connected renewables
  • energy policies, grid codes, and their development
  • energy and power management in renewable energy systems
  • wind power generation (onshore and offshore)
  • photovoltaic power systems (PV, concentrator PV, and concentrated solar power plants)
  • fuel cell systems
  • advanced control for grid-connected renewables
  • emerging renewable energy technology
  • wide-bandgap power semiconductor applications in renewable energy systems

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

17 pages, 6297 KiB  
Article
Performance Analysis of a PEMFC-Based Grid-Connected Distributed Generation System
by Alper Nabi Akpolat, Erkan Dursun and Yongheng Yang
Appl. Sci. 2023, 13(6), 3521; https://doi.org/10.3390/app13063521 - 09 Mar 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1148
Abstract
Less energy consumption and more efficient use of renewables are among the sustainable energy targets of modern societies. The essential activities to be achieved under these objectives are to increase distributed generation (DG) structures’ applicability. DG systems are small-scale versions of the traditional [...] Read more.
Less energy consumption and more efficient use of renewables are among the sustainable energy targets of modern societies. The essential activities to be achieved under these objectives are to increase distributed generation (DG) structures’ applicability. DG systems are small-scale versions of the traditional power grid; they are supported by micro turbines, photovoltaics (PV) modules, hydrogen fuel cells, wind turbines, combined heat and power systems, and energy storage units. The aim of this research is to detail the performance analysis of a proton-exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC)-based grid-connected distributed generation system with the help of empirical calculations. To this end, we aimed to establish the system and analyze the performance of the reliable operation of the system with experimental verifications. The findings demonstrate how much power can be generated annually, through real meteorological data, to dispatch to constantly variable loads. While 53.56% of the total energy demand is met by the utility grid, 46.44% of the demand is met by the produced energy i.e., from the DG. The PEMFC-based DG system analyzed in detail in this study was located at Marmara University. According to the results of the performance analysis, significant points of this study will be highlighted to assist the researchers working in this field. Our results are encouraging and can be certified by a larger sample size with neat weather conditions in terms of the percentage of procurement of energy. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advancing Grid-Connected Renewable Generation Systems 2021-2022)
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22 pages, 6166 KiB  
Article
Comparative Analysis of Lithium-Ion and Lead–Acid as Electrical Energy Storage Systems in a Grid-Tied Microgrid Application
by Cry S. Makola, Peet F. Le Roux and Jaco A. Jordaan
Appl. Sci. 2023, 13(5), 3137; https://doi.org/10.3390/app13053137 - 28 Feb 2023
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1709
Abstract
Microgrids (MGs) are a valuable substitute for traditional generators. They can supply inexhaustible, sustainable, constant, and efficient energy with minimized losses and curtail network congestion. Nevertheless, the optimum contribution of renewable energy resource (RER)-based generators in an MG is prohibited by its variable [...] Read more.
Microgrids (MGs) are a valuable substitute for traditional generators. They can supply inexhaustible, sustainable, constant, and efficient energy with minimized losses and curtail network congestion. Nevertheless, the optimum contribution of renewable energy resource (RER)-based generators in an MG is prohibited by its variable attribute. It cannot be effectively deployed due to its application’s power quality and stability issues. Therefore, an energy storage system is employed to alleviate the variability of RERs by stabilizing the power demand against irregular generation. Electrical energy storage systems (EESSs) are regarded as one of the most beneficial methods for storing dependable energy supply while integrating RERs into the utility grid. Conventionally, lead–acid (LA) batteries are the most frequently utilized electrochemical storage system for grid-stationed implementations thus far. However, due to their low life cycle and low efficiency, another contending technology known as lithium-ion (Li-ion) is utilized. This research presents a feasibility study approach using ETAP software 20.6 to analyze the performance of LA and Li-ion batteries under permissible charging constraints. The design of an optimal model is a grid-connected microgrid system consisting of a PV energy source and dynamic load encompassed by Li-ion and LA batteries. Finally, the comparative study led to significant conclusions regarding the specific attributes of both battery technologies analyzed through the operation, revealing that Li-ion is a more conducive energy storage system than LA. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advancing Grid-Connected Renewable Generation Systems 2021-2022)
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12 pages, 1576 KiB  
Article
Quantitative Analysis on the Proportion of Renewable Energy Generation Based on Broadband Feature Extraction
by Li Chen, Jian Shen, Bin Zhou, Qingsong Wang and Giuseppe Buja
Appl. Sci. 2022, 12(21), 11159; https://doi.org/10.3390/app122111159 - 03 Nov 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1052
Abstract
With the massive access of distributed renewable energy sources, many uncertain renewable energy power components have been added to the low-voltage lines in substations in addition to the loads of definite classification. From the perspective of economy and cleanliness, it is necessary to [...] Read more.
With the massive access of distributed renewable energy sources, many uncertain renewable energy power components have been added to the low-voltage lines in substations in addition to the loads of definite classification. From the perspective of economy and cleanliness, it is necessary to quantitatively analyze the renewable energy share among them and improve the power quality level of users. For the power quality information at low-voltage feeders, this paper proposes a quantitative analysis algorithm based on improved wavelet energy entropy and LSTM neural network. The method is based on wavelet transform, based on sym8 wavelet basis function; it divides the long time sequence into equal-length small time sequences, calculates each feature component obtained from wavelet transform decomposition separately, then borrows the concept of information entropy to find its energy entropy. After obtaining the energy entropy sequence of each feature component, it then borrows the concept of kurtosis to weighted differentiation of each energy entropy sequence to highlight the feature information and finally, uses the LSTM neural network to classify the power quality information of different renewable energy sources to determine to which interval segment they belong. By building a simulation model to simulate the actual data in the field, the percentage of renewable energy can be quantitatively analyzed efficiently and accurately. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advancing Grid-Connected Renewable Generation Systems 2021-2022)
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17 pages, 8791 KiB  
Article
Linear Quadratic Regulator Optimal Control with Integral Action (LQRIC) for LC-Coupling Hybrid Active Power Filter
by Qian-Rong Hong, Pak-Ian Chan, Wai-Kit Sou, Cheng Gong and Chi-Seng Lam
Appl. Sci. 2022, 12(19), 9772; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12199772 - 28 Sep 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1930
Abstract
Renewable energy generation and nonlinear load devices will generate harmonics and reactive power to power grids, resulting in current distortion and low power factors. To solve the power quality problems, the LC-coupling hybrid active power filter (LC-HAPF) is proposed, with [...] Read more.
Renewable energy generation and nonlinear load devices will generate harmonics and reactive power to power grids, resulting in current distortion and low power factors. To solve the power quality problems, the LC-coupling hybrid active power filter (LC-HAPF) is proposed, with lower DC-link voltage and lower cost compared with conventional active power filters (APFs). The LC-HAPF requires a controller to operate, therefore, hysteresis current control (HCC) and proportional current control (PCC) were proposed. However, they both result in significant steady-state error. Hence, linear quadratic regulator control (LQRC) with integral action (LQRIC) is proposed for the LC-HAPF in this paper to mitigate the steady-state error. The d-q-0 coordinate state-space model of the LQRIC-controlled LC-HAPF is derived, and a detailed design guideline of the weighting matrices Q and R of LQRIC is given. By the state-space model and weighting matrices, the gain matrix K of LQRIC can be acquired by MATLAB, thus a good steady-state performance can be ensured. Finally, the simulation results of different controllers for the LC-HAPF under 40V and 50V DC-link voltages are given to verify the effectiveness of the proposed LQRIC. The experimental results of LQRIC-controlled LC-HAPF are also given to verify the feasibility of the proposed LQRIC. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advancing Grid-Connected Renewable Generation Systems 2021-2022)
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15 pages, 4772 KiB  
Article
Multi-Timescale Control of Variable-Speed Wind Turbine for Inertia Provision
by Zixiao Xu, Yang Qi, Weilin Li and Yongheng Yang
Appl. Sci. 2022, 12(7), 3263; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12073263 - 23 Mar 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1487
Abstract
The increasing deployment of power converters has led to a significant reduction in the power system inertia and consequently resulted in frequency stability issues. To improve the robustness of the grid against frequency disturbances, it is becoming more expected in many countries that [...] Read more.
The increasing deployment of power converters has led to a significant reduction in the power system inertia and consequently resulted in frequency stability issues. To improve the robustness of the grid against frequency disturbances, it is becoming more expected in many countries that renewable energy generation, such as wind turbine power systems, should provide equivalent inertia support to the power system. This can be achieved through advanced control of power converters, in addition to adding extra energy storage devices, e.g., batteries. In wind turbine systems, although the ancillary service of inertia provision can be realized by coupling the rotor speed with the grid frequency, the rotor speed recovery process affects the inertia response if the controller is not properly designed or well-tuned. To address this issue, in this paper, we propose a multi-timescale control strategy for a doubly fed induction generator (DFIG) wind turbine system. Synthetic inertia control and speed recovery control are simultaneously incorporated into the controller of the rotor-side converter, whereas their dynamics are decoupled under different timescales to avoid control conflict. Extensive simulation results are provided, which validate the efficacy of the proposed inertia emulation scheme. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advancing Grid-Connected Renewable Generation Systems 2021-2022)
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24 pages, 6039 KiB  
Article
Future Renewable Energy Communities Based Flexible Power Systems
by Marcelo G. Simões, Felix A. Farret, Hosna Khajeh, Mahdi Shahparasti and Hannu Laaksonen
Appl. Sci. 2022, 12(1), 121; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12010121 - 23 Dec 2021
Cited by 15 | Viewed by 3840
Abstract
This paper presents a new holistic approach that combines solutions for the future power systems. It describes clearly how solar energy is definitely the best outlet for a clean and sustainable planet, either due to their use in both vertical (V) or horizontal [...] Read more.
This paper presents a new holistic approach that combines solutions for the future power systems. It describes clearly how solar energy is definitely the best outlet for a clean and sustainable planet, either due to their use in both vertical (V) or horizontal (H) forms such as: hydroelectric V&H, wind V&H, thermo-oceanic V&H, water movement sea V&H (tides and waves), solar thermoelectric, PV, and surface geothermal energy. New points of view and simple formulas are suggested to calculate the best characteristic intensity, storage means and frequency for specific places and how to manage the most well-known renewable sources of energy. Future renewables-based power system requires a huge amount of flexibility from different type and size of controllable energy resources. These flexible energy resources can be used in an aggregated manner to provide different ancillary services for the distribution and transmission network. In addition, flexible energy resources and renewable generation can be utilized in different kinds of energy communities and smart cities to benefit all stakeholders and society at the same time with future-proof market structures, new business models and management schemes enabling increased utilization of flexible energy resources. Many of the flexible energy resources and renewable-based generation units are also inverter-interfaced and therefore the authors present future power converter systems for energy sources as well as the latest age of multilevel converters. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advancing Grid-Connected Renewable Generation Systems 2021-2022)
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