Military Diesel Microgrids: Design, Operational Challenges, Energy Storage Integration

This paper introduces military microgrids, including their unique design considerations and common issues associated with these permanently islanded systems. They are powered by diesel generators, typically over-sized for their loads, inducing wet stacking, which reduces efficiency and damages the generator's engine. There is a point of diminishing returns for investment in larger energy storage ratings, at which further storage increases will reduce fuel consumption, but in a non-economical manner. The paper recommends that the optimally sized energy storage system eliminates wet stacking, improves efficiency by only operating at optimal outputs, and increases fuel consumption less than 2%. An example of the methodology is demonstrated on a model of a U.S. military combat outpost in Afghanistan using a weekly load profile.