Integration of step voltage regulators in islanded microgrids

Step voltage regulators (SVRs) are the workhorses of existing distribution feeders, where they provide appropriate voltage control to meet the customer demands. Given the special features and operation characteristics of islanded microgrids (IMGs), the role of SVRs during the operation of distribution networks in islanded mode has not been well investigated, yet. The first step to conduct such investigation is to incorporate the model of SVRs in the power flow studies of IMGs. As such, this paper presents the incorporation of SVRs in a generic droop-based three-phase power flow algorithm of IMGs. The paper also studies the interferences between the local controllers of SVRs and droop-controlled distributed generation units to regulate the voltage in IMGs at different operating conditions.