The Role of Low-Voltage-Ride-Through Capability of Distributed Energy Resources for the Mitigation of Voltage Sags in Low Voltage Distribution Grids

The large scale integration of Distributed Energy Resources (DER) at the Low Voltage (LV) distribution network offers new opportunities for the improvement of power quality and network reliability. Currently, the occurrence of large disturbances at the transmission network causing severe voltage sags at the distribution level could lead to the disconnection of a large share of DER units connected to the LV network, causing a more severe disturbance. In this paper, Low-Voltage-Ride-Through (LVRT) requirements and current support strategies are proposed to mitigate the impact of severe voltage sag at the distribution level for DER units connected to LV network. The impact of adopting the proposed LVRT strategies will be analyzed through simulation and experimentally. A developed in house ESS prototype incorporating the developed LVRT strategies is also presented, and its capacity to comply with the proposed LVRT requirements is demonstrated using an experimental Power-Hardware-in-the-Loop (PHIL) setup.