Experimental study on the effects of the pulse load characteristics on the performance of the slack bus generator

In power systems, pulsed loads are particularly problematic due to their time power profile characteristics. In this paper, the effects of different pulsed load characteristics, i.e. the magnitude and duration of the load on the slack bus generator's performance is studied. A laboratory scale hybrid ac/dc power system is developed for this investigation. A 2.9-F supercapacitor energy storage is implemented to meet the pulse power requirements and to reduce power pulsation of the slack bus generator. The limit-based voltage control (LBVC) technique and a PI current control scheme are utilized for the energy control of the dc microgrid and the power control of the converter. Experimental test results are analyzed to evaluate the effects of the pulse load characteristics on the generator's performance in terms of its frequency fluctuation, terminal voltage variation and the system's overall efficiency.