DC Microgrid with Wind Energy Conversion System Based on Switched Reluctance Generator Operating in Grid Connected Mode

This article presents a proposal to control a DC microgrid with distributed wind energy conversion system (WECS) based on switched reluctance generator (SRG) operation in the grid connected mode. SRG is recommended to be used in applications with a wide range of speed, such as WECS. On the other hand, DC microgrids are gaining importance as an alternative for AC microgrids because DC grids are more reliable, efficient and simple to control. Since SRG generates direct current, these machines are natural candidates to operate in DC microgrids. In this paper, direct power control is applied to generate the maximum output power from a wind turbine with SRG. Proper distinction between low and high speeds of operation is presented. A bidirectional DC-DC converter is used to connect the wind turbine in the DC microgrid in order to achieve the SRG optimal excitation voltage while the DC bus is kept constant. A voltage source converter is employed to build up the DC bus from the AC grid. Energy storage system and customer loads are included in the simulation. The simulation results have shown that the proposed DC microgrid control with SRG penetration is feasible, reliable and achieve high performance in the grid connected mode, while the DC bus voltage is kept stable with the power flow working properly.