Reducing fuel consumption in a forward operating base using an energy management system

This paper presents the benefits of transitioning from traditional generator employment in a Forward Operating Base (FOB) to an alternative architecture using a power electronics based Energy Management System (EMS). The EMS provides an interface between power sources, loads, and energy storage elements to form a microgrid. Using power electronics and programmable logic, the EMS enables more efficient generator utilization by matching real time load demand to the smallest capable power source, reducing overall fuel consumption. The EMS offers redundancy as it can connect any one of multiple power sources to critical loads. A hardware-based laboratory experiment demonstrates the ability to transition from one power source to another while providing uninterrupted current to the load. The results of the experiment validate a Simulink model of the EMS. An example load profile was applied to the model to compare overall fuel consumption between the traditional architecture and the EMS-enabled microgrid.