Stable Operation of a Microgrid by Distributed Generation of Renewable Energy Sources

This paper introduces design, implementation and stable operation of a microgrid containing multiple distributed generation sources of wind, solar Photovoltaics (PV), and hydrogen fuel cells under multiple contingencies and disaster storms. This paper reports normal operating and contingency cases of the DG system variables that are synchronized with an AC grid in a smart grid environment. Both the data acquisition and control interface (DACI) and the low voltage data acquisition and control (LVDAC) modules which are specific to this microgrid provide monitoring and recording of multiple variables such as voltage, current, power, and frequency values. The operation of this smart grid scheme indicates that a large-scale DC power storage from multiple DG sources is feasible once reliable battery banks are available. This paper also reports harmonics and power quality issues caused by non-linear loads and a large-size DC to AC inverter connecting the DG modules to the AC grid. The results of the study are very promising in terms of increasing student interest and enthusiasm in modern electrical power systems of distributed generation micro grids that are integrated to a smart grid through a state-of-the art data acquisition and instrumentation devices.