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A special issue of Energies (ISSN 1996-1073). This special issue belongs to the section "A1: Smart Grids and Microgrids".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2023) | Viewed by 13196

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Dr. Quynh Thi Tu Tran

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Guest Editor

Hawaii Natural Energy Institute, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA
Interests: microgrids; electric vehicles; virtual power plants; optimization algorithms; power generation technologies; energy management.
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Saeed Sepasi

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Guest Editor

Hawaii Natural Energy Institute, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA
Interests: smart grids; electric vehicles; virtual power plants; optimization algorithms; analysis and optimization of the smart power grids ; energy management.
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The Guest Editor is inviting submissions to a Special Issue of "Technological and Experimental Advances in Microgrids and Renewable Energy Systems". Research is underway to develop green and sustainable energy solutions as quickly as possible to reach net zero emissions by 2050. The integration of microgrids with renewable energy systems is an important area being developed to increase the flexibility and independence of the power system. This Special Issue of Energies will explore the most recent technological and experimental advancements that will allow microgrids and renewable energy systems to expand worldwide. We welcome all new insights about control, architectures, sites for renewable energy systems and microgrids, and innovative approaches to improve energy efficiency at various grid levels. The topics of this Special Issue will include, but are not be limited to, the following:

Energy management and communication systems;
Decentralized, distributed, and centralized controllers;
Impact assessments of the integration of the green energy supply services such as energy storage systems, electric vehicles, and virtual power plants;
Applications of IoT and machine learning techniques;
Demonstration and pilot projects.

In order to promote the growth and effectiveness of renewable energy sources and microgrids worldwide, we encourage articles on fundamental, blue-sky research as well as cutting-edge examples from industrial experience.

Dr. Quynh Thi Tu Tran
Dr. Saeed Sepasi
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Energies is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

renewable energy
microgrids
power system
smart sensor and measurement
energy management
energy storage
optimization techniques
performance evaluation

Published Papers (10 papers)

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Research

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23 pages, 18078 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Controller Hardware-in-the-Loop Testbed of a Distributed Consensus Multi-Agent System Control under Deception and Disruption Cyber-Attacks

by Ibtissam Kharchouf and Osama A. Mohammed

Energies 2024, 17(7), 1669; https://doi.org/10.3390/en17071669 - 31 Mar 2024

Viewed by 504

Abstract

The impact of communication disturbances on microgrids (MGs) needs robust and scalable Information Communication Technology (ICT) infrastructure for efficient MG control. This work builds on advances in the Internet of Things (IoT) to provide a practical platform for testing the impact of various cyber-attacks on a distributed control scheme for a Multi-Agent System (MAS). This paper presents a Controller Hardware-in-the-Loop (CHIL) testbed to investigate the impact of various cyber-attacks and communication disruptions on MGs. A distributed consensus secondary control scheme for a MAS within an MG cyber-physical system (CPS) is proposed. The proposed cyber-physical testbed integrates a real-time islanded AC microgrid on RT-Lab, secondary controllers implemented on single-board computers, and an attacker agent on another single-board computer. Communication occurs via a UDP/IP network between OPAL-RT and controller agents, as well as between the agents. Through meticulous experimentation, the efficacy of the proposed control strategy using the developed platform is validated. Various attacks were modeled and launched including deception attacks on sensors, actuators, and their combinations, as well as disruption attacks. The ramifications of both deception and disruption cyber-attacks on system performance are analyzed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Technological and Experimental Advances in Microgrids and Renewable Energy Systems)

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25 pages, 11034 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Enhanced Efficiency on ANPC-DAB through Adaptive Model Predictive Control

by Adriano Nardoto, Lucas Encarnação, Walbermark Santos, Arthur Amorim, Rodrigo Fiorotti, David Molinero and Emilio Bueno

Energies 2024, 17(1), 12; https://doi.org/10.3390/en17010012 - 19 Dec 2023

Viewed by 642

Abstract

This work studies the DC-DC conversion stage in solid-state transformers (SST). The traditional two- or three-level dual active bridge (DAB) topology faces limitations in microgrid interconnection due to power and voltage limitations. For this reason, the use of multilevel topologies such as active neutral point clamped (ANPC) is a promising alternative. Additionally, the efficiency of the SSTs is a recurring concern, and reducing losses in the DC-DC stage is a subject to be studied. In this context, this work presents a new control technique based on an adaptive model- based predictive control (AMPC) to select the modulation technique of an ANPC-DAB DC-DC converter aimed at reducing losses and increasing efficiency. The single-phase shift (SPS), triangular, and trapezoidal modulation techniques are used according to the converter output power with the aim of maximizing the number of soft-switching points per cycle. The performance of the proposed control technique is demonstrated through real-time simulation and a reduced-scale experimental setup. The findings indicate the effectiveness of the AMPC control technique in mitigating voltage source perturbations. This technique has low output impedance and is robust to converter parameter variations. Prototyping tests revealed that, in steady-state, the AMPC significantly improves converter efficiency without compromising dynamic performance. Despite its advantages, the computational cost of AMPC is not significantly higher than that of traditional model predictive control (MPC), allowing for the allocation of time to other applications. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Technological and Experimental Advances in Microgrids and Renewable Energy Systems)

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25 pages, 17468 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

A Hybrid Physical Co-Simulation Smart Grid Testbed for Testing and Impact Analysis of Cyber-Attacks on Power Systems: Framework and Attack Scenarios

by Mahmoud S. Abdelrahman, Ibtissam Kharchouf, Tung Lam Nguyen and Osama A. Mohammed

Energies 2023, 16(23), 7771; https://doi.org/10.3390/en16237771 - 25 Nov 2023

Viewed by 1517

Abstract

With the deployment of numerous innovative smart grid technologies in modern power systems, more real-time communication and control are required due to the complexity and proliferation of grid-connected systems, making a power system a typical cyber-physical system (CPS). However, these systems are also exposed to new cyber vulnerabilities. Therefore, understanding the intricate interplay between the cyber and physical domains and the potential effects on the power system of successful attacks is essential. For cybersecurity experimentation and impact analysis, developing a comprehensive testbed is needed. This paper presents a state-of-the-art Hybrid Physical Co-simulation SG testbed at FIU developed for in-depth studies on the impact of communication system latency and failures, physical events, and cyber-attacks on the grid. The Hybrid SGTB is designed to take full advantage of the benefits of both co-simulation-based and physical-based testbeds. Based on this testbed, various attack strategies are tested, including man-in-the-middle (MitM), denial-of-service (DoS), data manipulation (DM), and setting tampering (change) on various power system topologies to analyze their impacts on grid stability, power flow, and protection reliability. Our research, which is based on extensive testing on several testbeds, shows that using hybrid testbeds is justified as both practical and effective. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Technological and Experimental Advances in Microgrids and Renewable Energy Systems)

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16 pages, 9245 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Virtual Armature Resistance-Based Control for Fault Current Limiting in a High-Order VSG and the Impact on Its Transient Stability

by Daniel Carletti, Thiago Amorim and Lucas Encarnação

Energies 2023, 16(12), 4680; https://doi.org/10.3390/en16124680 - 13 Jun 2023

Viewed by 1171

Abstract

This article proposes a fault ride through (FRT) technique for a high-order virtual synchronous generator (VSG) that adjusts its virtual armature resistance. When a fault is detected by a dedicated algorithm, the proposed control adjusts the resistance parameter accordingly. The main contribution of this article is to adjust the virtual resistance directly in the machine model to limit the current during faults, unlike other techniques proposed in the literature that add another control loop to produce the virtual impedance effects. To validate the effectiveness of the proposed control, a hardware-in-the-loop real-time simulation platform was adopted using a Typhoon HIL 402 device and a Texas Instruments F28379D digital controller. The results demonstrate that the control effectively limits the converter’s current while still contributing to raising the system’s critical clearing time (CCT) and improving transient stability. The proposed FRT strategy is validated in a three-phase fault scenario in which a 500 kVA–480 V converter’s peak fault current is reduced from 5 kA to 1.4 kA, depending on the resistance value adjusted. The transient stability is also analyzed in 30 different scenarios and the VSG support on the CCT is reduced by 23 ms on average. However, when compared to the baseline scenario without the VSG, the system still sees an increase in CCT with the current limiting control applied. Additionally, the control allows the VSG to smoothly transition to island mode in a scenario where the fault is cleared and the grid is disconnected by a protection system. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Technological and Experimental Advances in Microgrids and Renewable Energy Systems)

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23 pages, 5528 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Frequency Support Studies of a Diesel–Wind Generation System Using Snake Optimizer-Oriented PID with UC and RFB

by Vikash Rameshar, Gulshan Sharma, Pitshou N. Bokoro and Emre Çelik

Energies 2023, 16(8), 3417; https://doi.org/10.3390/en16083417 - 13 Apr 2023

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 899

Abstract

The present paper discusses the modeling and analysis of a diesel–wind generating system capable enough to cater to the electrical power requirements of a small consumer group or society. Due to high variations of the load demand or due to changes in the wind speed, the frequency of the diesel–wind system will be highly disturbed, and hence to regulate the frequency and power deviations of the wind turbine system, an effective controller design is a necessary requirement, and therefore this paper proposes a novel controller design based on PID scheme. The parameters of this controller is effectively optimized through a new snake optimizer (SO) in an offline manner to minimize frequency and power deviations of an isolated diesel–wind system. The performance of SO-PID for the diesel–wind system is evaluated by considering the integral of time multiplied absolute error (ITAE), integral absolute error (IAE), and integral of time multiplied square error (ITSE). The results were calculated for a step change in load, step change in wind speed, load change at different instants of time with diverse magnitude, and for random load patterns, and they were compared with some of the recently published results under similar working conditions. In addition, the effect of an ultracapacitor (UC) and redox flow battery (RFB) on SO-PID was investigated for the considered system, and the application results demonstrated the advantages of our proposal over other studied designs. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Technological and Experimental Advances in Microgrids and Renewable Energy Systems)

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21 pages, 6519 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effective Utilization of Distributed Power Sources under Power Mismatch Conditions in Islanded Distribution Networks

by Zohaib Hussain Leghari, Mohammad Yusri Hassan, Dalila Mat Said, Laveet Kumar, Mahesh Kumar, Quynh T. Tran and Eleonora Riva Sanseverino

Energies 2023, 16(6), 2659; https://doi.org/10.3390/en16062659 - 12 Mar 2023

Viewed by 1244

Abstract

The integration of distributed generation (DG) into a power distribution network allows the establishment of a microgrid (MG) system when the main grid experiences a malfunction or is undergoing maintenance. In this case, the power-generating capacity of distributed generators may be less than the load demand. This study presents a strategy for the effective utilization of deployed active and reactive power sources under power mismatch conditions in the islanded distribution networks. Initially, the DGs’ and capacitors’ optimal placement and capacity were identified using the Jaya algorithm (JA) with the aim to reduce power losses in the grid-connected mode. Later, the DG and capacitor combination’s optimal power factor was determined to withstand the islanded distribution network’s highest possible power demand in the event of a power mismatch. To assess the optimal value of the DG–capacitor pair’s operating power factor (

{p f}_{s o u r c e}

) for the islanded operation, an analytical approach has been proposed that determines the best trade-off between power losses and the under-utilization of accessible generation. The test results on 33-bus and 69-bus IEEE distribution networks demonstrate that holding the islanded network’s load power factor (

{p f}_{l o a d}

) equal to

{p f}_{s o u r c e}

during the power imbalance conditions allows the installed distributed sources to effectively operate at full capacity. As expected, the proposed strategy will assist the utility companies in designing efficient energy management or load shedding schemes to effectively cope with the power mismatch conditions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Technological and Experimental Advances in Microgrids and Renewable Energy Systems)

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16 pages, 6377 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Condition Assessment and Analysis of Bearing of Doubly Fed Wind Turbines Using Machine Learning Technique

by Aiman Abbas Mahar, Nayyar Hussain Mirjat, Bhawani S. Chowdhry, Laveet Kumar, Quynh T. Tran and Gaetano Zizzo

Energies 2023, 16(5), 2367; https://doi.org/10.3390/en16052367 - 01 Mar 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1586

Abstract

Condition monitoring of wind turbines is progressively increasing to maintain the continuity of clean energy supply to power grids. This issue is of great importance since it prevents wind turbines from failing and overheating, as most wind turbines with doubly fed induction generators (DFIG) are overheated due to faults in generator bearings. Bearing fault detection has become a main topic targeting the optimum operation, unscheduled downtime, and maintenance cost of turbine generators. Wind turbines are equipped with condition monitoring devices. However, effective and reliable fault detection still faces significant difficulties. As the majority of health monitoring techniques are primarily focused on a single operating condition, they are unable to effectively determine the health condition of turbines, which results in unwanted downtimes. New and reliable strategies for data analysis were incorporated into this research, given the large amount and variety of data. The development of a new model of the temperature of the DFIG bearing versus wind speed to identify false alarms is the key innovation of this work. This research aims to analyze the parameters for condition monitoring of DFIG bearings using SCADA data for k-means clustering training. The variables of k are obtained by the elbow method that revealed three classes of k (k = 0, 1, and 2). Box plot visualization is used to quantify data points. The average rotation speed and average temperature measurement of the DFIG bearings are found to be primary indicators to characterize normal or irregular operating conditions. In order to evaluate the performance of the clustering model, an analysis of the assessment indices is also executed. The ultimate goal of the study is to be able to use SCADA-recorded data to provide advance warning of failures or performance issues. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Technological and Experimental Advances in Microgrids and Renewable Energy Systems)

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22 pages, 35443 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Development of a Supervisory System Using Open-Source for a Power Micro-Grid Composed of a Photovoltaic (PV) Plant Connected to a Battery Energy Storage System and Loads

by Fernanda Moura Quintão Silva, Menaouar Berrehil El Kattel, Igor Amariz Pires and Thales Alexandre Carvalho Maia

Energies 2022, 15(22), 8324; https://doi.org/10.3390/en15228324 - 08 Nov 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1450

Abstract

The importance of renewable energies and energy storage system forming a micro-grid and integrating it to the electrical grid is widely spread. A supervisory system plays a crucial role in controlling, managing, and planning the micro-grid. This paper demonstrates the development of a new custom supervisory system based on Internet of Things (IoT), creating an information sharing environment. The proposed supervisory system is based on open-source tools for a micro-grid, composed of a photovoltaic power plant and a storage system, employing smart devices and making non-smart devices compatible with IoT systems. The new supervisory improves the available system by incorporating new features and devices and increasing the data polling rate when necessary. A comparison between the current supervisory system and the proposed one is performed, showing that the new system is more flexible, easily modified, cost-effective, and more fault-resilient. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Technological and Experimental Advances in Microgrids and Renewable Energy Systems)

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Review

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36 pages, 2942 KiB

Open AccessReview

A Comprehensive Review on Voltage Stability in Wind-Integrated Power Systems

by Farhan Hameed Malik, Muhammad Waseem Khan, Tauheed Ur Rahman, Muhammad Ehtisham, Muhammad Faheem, Zunaib Maqsood Haider and Matti Lehtonen

Energies 2024, 17(3), 644; https://doi.org/10.3390/en17030644 - 29 Jan 2024

Viewed by 1125

Abstract

The fast growth of the world’s energy demand in the modernized world has stirred many countries around the globe to focus on power generation by abundantly available renewable energy resources. Among them, wind energy has attained significant attention owing to its environment-friendly nature along with other fabulous advantages. However, wind-integrated power systems experience numerous voltage instability complexities due to the sporadic nature of wind. This paper comprehensively reviews the problems of voltage instability in wind-integrated power systems, its causes, consequences, improvement techniques, and implication of grid codes to keep the operation of the network secure. Thorough understanding of the underlying issues related to voltage instability is necessary for the development of effective mitigation techniques in order to facilitate wind integration into power systems. Therefore, this review delves into the origin and consequences of voltage instability, emphasizing its adverse impacts on the performance and reliability of power systems. Moreover, it sheds light on the challenges of integrating wind energy with existing grids. This manuscript provides a comprehensive overview of the essential features required for critical analysis through a detailed examination of Voltage Stability Indices (VSIs). To address voltage stability issues in wind-integrated power systems, this review examines diverse techniques proposed by researchers, encompassing the tools utilized for assessment and mitigation. Therefore, in the field of power system operation and renewable energy integration, this manuscript serves as a valuable resource for researchers by comprehensively addressing the complexities and challenges associated with voltage instability in wind-integrated power systems. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Technological and Experimental Advances in Microgrids and Renewable Energy Systems)

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34 pages, 4754 KiB

Open AccessReview

Real-Time Grid Monitoring and Protection: A Comprehensive Survey on the Advantages of Phasor Measurement Units

by Chinmayee Biswal, Binod Kumar Sahu, Manohar Mishra and Pravat Kumar Rout

Energies 2023, 16(10), 4054; https://doi.org/10.3390/en16104054 - 12 May 2023

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 1972

Abstract

The emerging smart-grid and microgrid concept implementation into the conventional power system brings complexity due to the incorporation of various renewable energy sources and non-linear inverter-based devices. The occurrence of frequent power outages may have a significant negative impact on a nation’s economic, societal, and fiscal standing. As a result, it is essential to employ sophisticated monitoring and measuring technology. Implementing phasor measurement units (PMUs) in modern power systems brings about substantial improvement and beneficial solutions, mainly to protection issues and challenges. PMU-assisted state estimation, phase angle monitoring, power oscillation monitoring, voltage stability monitoring, fault detection, and cyberattack identification are a few prominent applications. Although substantial research has been carried out on the aspects of PMU applications to power system protection, it can be evolved from its current infancy stage and become an open domain of research to achieve further improvements and novel approaches. The three principal objectives are emphasized in this review. The first objective is to present all the methods on the synchro-phasor-based PMU application to estimate the power system states and dynamic phenomena in frequent time intervals to observe centrally, which helps to make appropriate decisions for better protection. The second is to discuss and analyze the post-disturbance scenarios adopted through better protection schemes based on accurate and synchronized measurements through GPS synchronization. Thirdly, this review summarizes current research on PMU applications for power system protection, showcasing innovative breakthroughs, addressing existing challenges, and highlighting areas for future research to enhance system resilience against catastrophic events. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Technological and Experimental Advances in Microgrids and Renewable Energy Systems)

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