energies-logo

Journal Browser

Journal Browser

Advanced Control and Management Techniques for Power Converters in Microgrids

A special issue of Energies (ISSN 1996-1073). This special issue belongs to the section "A1: Smart Grids and Microgrids".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 January 2025 | Viewed by 6677

Special Issue Editor


E-Mail
Guest Editor
1. Department of Engineering, University of Campania “L. Vanvitelli”, 81031 Aversa, Italy
2. Aeromechs, 81031 Aversa, Italy
Interests: power converter control; sliding mode control; active vibration control; model predictive control; consensus algorithms; electric aircraft; energy management; fuzzy control

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Over the past two decades, significant research efforts have been focused on studying electrical microgrids in the context of energy management and distribution. The growing demand for energy and concerns about climate change have prompted researchers to explore new generation systems, transmission strategies, and energy management. This exploration is happening across various contexts, from urban to aerospace. Microgrids, termed as such, have emerged as conceptual remedies to incorporate various energy source types and electrify remote areas. Microgrids are electrical distribution networks, composed of groupings of converters, loads, and storage systems interconnected via power lines.

Characterized by unpredictable generation, they present a new challenge to safe and efficient operation and control. This highlights the need to develop low-level control algorithms for converters, as well as a high-level supervisor tasked with orchestrating and managing various controllers. This strategy aims to address issues related to distribution, conversion, energy limitation, and management.

Advanced linear and nonlinear control techniques have been developed, primarily focusing on controlling converter switches. Examples include high-gain control, sliding mode control, and families of switched controllers based on Lyapunov function minimization. Additionally, intelligent management techniques such as model predictive control, consensus control, and fuzzy control aid in handling these complex power networks.

Topics of interest for publication include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • DC microgrids;
  • Hybrid microgrids (DC and AC microgrids);
  • Switched systems;
  • Current sharing;
  • Voltage regulation;
  • Uncertain systems;
  • Advanced and robust control of converters;
  • Sliding mode control of converters;
  • High-gain control of converters;
  • Distributed control;
  • Supervisory control;
  • Model predictive control;
  • Consensus control;
  • Fuzzy control.

Dr. Giacomo Canciello
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Energies is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • DC microgrids
  • hybrid microgrids (DC and AC microgrids)
  • switched systems
  • current sharing
  • voltage regulation
  • uncertain systems
  • advanced and robust control of converters
  • sliding mode control of converters
  • high-gain control of converters
  • distributed control
  • supervisory control
  • model predictive control
  • consensus control
  • fuzzy control

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue polices can be found here.

Published Papers (7 papers)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

20 pages, 9244 KiB  
Article
Fixed-Time Backstepping Sliding-Mode Control for Interleaved Boost Converter in DC Microgrids
by Hang Wang, Yanfei Dong, Guofeng He and Wenbin Song
Energies 2024, 17(21), 5377; https://doi.org/10.3390/en17215377 - 29 Oct 2024
Viewed by 504
Abstract
Interleaved boost converters (IBCs) are commonly used as interface converters for DC microgrids (MGs) due to their high efficiency and low output ripple. However, the MGs system can easily become unstable due to the negative impedance characteristics of constant power load (CPL) and [...] Read more.
Interleaved boost converters (IBCs) are commonly used as interface converters for DC microgrids (MGs) due to their high efficiency and low output ripple. However, the MGs system can easily become unstable due to the negative impedance characteristics of constant power load (CPL) and rapid power fluctuations. This paper proposes a fixed-time backstepping sliding-mode controller (FTBSMC) aimed at stabilizing the MGs system and achieving fixed-time tracking of the DC bus voltage. Firstly, the fixed-time disturbance observer (FxTDO) estimates the load disturbance at a fixed time, which improves the fast disturbance resistance of the system. Then, based on the dis-turbance estimation, the FTBSMC is designed, which combines the fast dynamic response of the sliding-mode control with the global stability of the backstepping control, avoiding the singularity problem of the conventional sliding-mode control. In addition, a first-order nonlinear filter is employed to avoid the direct differentiation of conventional backstepping control and at the same time to ensure global fixed-time stability. The fixed-time convergence of the proposed FTBSMC is rigorously demonstrated by using Lyapunov stability analysis. Finally, the FTBSMC proposed is verified by simulation and experiment in terms of faster dynamic response and stronger robustness. Full article
Show Figures

Figure 1

26 pages, 8192 KiB  
Article
Centralised Control and Energy Management of Multiple Interconnected Standalone AC Microgrids
by Ezenwa Udoha, Saptarshi Das and Mohammad Abusara
Energies 2024, 17(20), 5201; https://doi.org/10.3390/en17205201 - 18 Oct 2024
Viewed by 645
Abstract
When microgrids operate autonomously, they must curtail the surplus of renewable energy sources (RES) while minimising reliance on gas. However, when interconnected, microgrids can collaboratively minimise RES curtailment and gas consumption due to the ability of exchanging power. This paper presents a centralised [...] Read more.
When microgrids operate autonomously, they must curtail the surplus of renewable energy sources (RES) while minimising reliance on gas. However, when interconnected, microgrids can collaboratively minimise RES curtailment and gas consumption due to the ability of exchanging power. This paper presents a centralised controller and energy management of multiple standalone AC microgrids interconnected to a common AC bus using back-to-back converters. Each microgrid consists of RES, a battery, a gas-powered auxiliary unit, and a load. The battery’s state of charge (SOC) is controlled and is used in the AC bus frequency to indicate whether the microgrid has a surplus or shortage of power. High-level global droop control exchanges power between the microgrids. The optimisation problem for this interconnected system is modelled cooperatively to determine the optimal dispatch solution that minimises the energy cost from the auxiliary unit. The optimal dispatch is solved in three cases using the Nelder–Mead simplex algorithm under different settings: one-variable optimisation, three-variable optimisation with the standard droop equation, and three-variable optimisation with a modified droop equation. The optimised performance results are compared with those of the non-optimised benchmark to determine the percentage of optimal performance. The simulation results show that the total energy cost from the auxiliary unit is minimised by 8.98%. Full article
Show Figures

Figure 1

18 pages, 14800 KiB  
Article
Fixed-Time Robust Fractional-Order Sliding Mode Control Strategy for Grid-Connected Inverters Based on Weighted Average Current
by Wenbin Song, Yanfei Dong, Guofeng He and Zichun Zhou
Energies 2024, 17(18), 4577; https://doi.org/10.3390/en17184577 - 12 Sep 2024
Viewed by 539
Abstract
To address the issues of high computational load and slow dynamic performance in traditional fractional-order sliding mode control for LCL-type grid-connected inverters, this paper proposes a fixed-time robust fractional-order sliding mode control strategy based on weighted average current control. Firstly, the weighted average [...] Read more.
To address the issues of high computational load and slow dynamic performance in traditional fractional-order sliding mode control for LCL-type grid-connected inverters, this paper proposes a fixed-time robust fractional-order sliding mode control strategy based on weighted average current control. Firstly, the weighted average current control (WACC) is used to reduce the third-order LCL filter to the first order, which simplifies the system model; secondly, in order to suppress the disturbance caused by the filter parameter perturbation to the weighted average current accuracy, a fixed-time disturbance observer (FTDO) is used to quickly estimate the disturbance caused by the filter parameter perturbation in a fixed time, so as to improve the anti-interference ability of the system; moreover, a fixed-time fractional-order sliding mode controller (FTFOSMC) is designed to achieve rapid tracking of the incoming reference current, and the stability of the proposed control strategy is confirmed by the strict Lyapunov method, which proves that the upper bound of the stability time is independent of the initial state of the system. Finally, simulation and experimental results show that the proposed method has better steady-state performance and a higher dynamic performance. Full article
Show Figures

Figure 1

19 pages, 6194 KiB  
Article
Reflux Power Optimization of a Dual-Active Hybrid Full-Bridge Converter Based on Active Disturbance Rejection Control
by Shuang Luo, Guofeng He and Ning Hou
Energies 2024, 17(17), 4299; https://doi.org/10.3390/en17174299 - 28 Aug 2024
Viewed by 558
Abstract
The dual-active hybrid full-bridge (H-FDAB) DC–DC converter has great potential in medium-voltage high-power photovoltaic power station applications by introducing a three-level bridge arm to increase the output voltage range. However, its mathematical model and optimum modulation schemes have not been fully explored. Under [...] Read more.
The dual-active hybrid full-bridge (H-FDAB) DC–DC converter has great potential in medium-voltage high-power photovoltaic power station applications by introducing a three-level bridge arm to increase the output voltage range. However, its mathematical model and optimum modulation schemes have not been fully explored. Under the traditional PI control, the H-FDAB DC–DC converter will produce significant reflux power, which will lead to a decrease in converter efficiency and output voltage fluctuation. On this basis, this paper proposes a reflux power optimization strategy for an H-FDAB DC-DC converter based on active disturbance rejection control (ADRC). Firstly, the structure and power characteristics of the H-FDAB DC–DC converter are analyzed, and the relationship among the reflux power, the transmission power, and the phase shift angle is derived. Secondly, to reduce the complexity of the control calculation, upon the foundation of dual phase-shifting modulation, the Karush–Kuhn–Tucker (KKT) condition is used to solve for the phase shift angle that corresponds to the minimum reflux power. Simultaneously, we develop an ADRC loop utilizing an extended state observer (ESO) for the real-time estimation of system states. We also consider the sudden changes in input voltage, load switching, and transmission power fluctuations caused by reflux power optimization strategies as system disturbances and compensate for them accordingly. Finally, the experiments conclusively validate the designed control strategy’s correctness and feasibility. Full article
Show Figures

Figure 1

26 pages, 1740 KiB  
Article
Multi-Objective Supervisory Control in More-Electric Aircraft Using Model Predictive Control: An ORCHESTRA Application
by Giacomo Canciello, Luigi Cacciapuoti, Angelo Perrotta, Beniamino Guida and Alberto Cavallo
Energies 2024, 17(15), 3799; https://doi.org/10.3390/en17153799 - 2 Aug 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 673
Abstract
The crucial issue of supervising and managing electrical energy in the context of aircraft electrification, known as More-Electric Aircraft (MEA), is addressed in this paper. In the pursuit of developing energy-efficient solutions with reduced environmental impact, this research contributes valuable insights into innovative [...] Read more.
The crucial issue of supervising and managing electrical energy in the context of aircraft electrification, known as More-Electric Aircraft (MEA), is addressed in this paper. In the pursuit of developing energy-efficient solutions with reduced environmental impact, this research contributes valuable insights into innovative control strategies crucial for advancing aircraft electrification technologies. Through optimization techniques, the management of energy aims to maximize the proposed objectives. With a focus on controlling battery power for charging, discharging, and load shedding, this study employs Model Predictive Control (MPC) alongside an optimizer solving a mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) problem. Constraints encompass various aspects, including battery charging, maximum generator power, battery absorption, discharge limits, and converter power limitations. Theoretical results and detailed simulations demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach in finding a good compromise among the objectives subjected to the system constraints. Practical validation of the proposed approach is conducted through the European project ORCHESTRA, utilizing comprehensive system simulations in Matlab/Simulink (2022b). Full article
Show Figures

Figure 1

18 pages, 1271 KiB  
Article
PMSM Field-Oriented Control with Independent Speed and Flux Controllers for Continuous Operation under Open-Circuit Fault at Light Load Conditions
by Haneen Ghanayem, Mohammad Alathamneh and R. M. Nelms
Energies 2024, 17(3), 593; https://doi.org/10.3390/en17030593 - 26 Jan 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1709
Abstract
Presented in this article is a permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM) control under open-circuit fault (OCF) operation using field-oriented control (FOC) with independent speed and flux controllers. The independent control allows the motor to operate efficiently under varying conditions. A simplified control approach [...] Read more.
Presented in this article is a permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM) control under open-circuit fault (OCF) operation using field-oriented control (FOC) with independent speed and flux controllers. The independent control allows the motor to operate efficiently under varying conditions. A simplified control approach is employed to control the PMSM under the OCF situation; the actual flux and torque of the PMSM are directly measured by the stator currents, eliminating the need for estimators or phase-locked-loop (PLL) systems. Matlab/Simulink is employed for the simulation, while hardware experiments are conducted using a dSPACE DS1104. The simulation and the hardware results demonstrate the control method’s effectiveness in maintaining continuous motor operation during OCF, its robustness against OCF conditions, and its ability to adapt under varying conditions, including speed, flux, and load torque change. Full article
Show Figures

Figure 1

19 pages, 10326 KiB  
Article
Adaptive Control Approach for Accurate Current Sharing and Voltage Regulation in DC Microgrid Applications
by Mohamed A. Mesbah, Khairy Sayed, Adel Ahmed, Mahmoud Aref, Z. M. S. Elbarbary, Ali Saeed Almuflih and Mahmoud A. Mossa
Energies 2024, 17(2), 284; https://doi.org/10.3390/en17020284 - 5 Jan 2024
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 1413
Abstract
A DC microgrid is an efficient way to combine diverse sources; conventional droop control is unable to achieve both accurate current sharing and required voltage regulation. This paper provides a new adaptive control approach for DC microgrid applications that satisfies both accurate current [...] Read more.
A DC microgrid is an efficient way to combine diverse sources; conventional droop control is unable to achieve both accurate current sharing and required voltage regulation. This paper provides a new adaptive control approach for DC microgrid applications that satisfies both accurate current sharing and appropriate voltage regulation depending on the loading state. As the load increases in parallel, so do the output currents of the distributed generating units, and correct current sharing is necessary under severe load conditions. The suggested control approach raises the equivalent droop gains as the load level increases in parallel and provides accurate current sharing. The droop parameters were checked online and changed using the principal current sharing loops to reduce the variation in load current sharing, and the second loop also transferred the droop lines to eliminate DC microgrid bus voltage fluctuation in the adaptive droop controller, which is different and inventive. The proposed algorithm is tested using a variety of input voltages and load resistances. This work assesses the performance and stability of the suggested method using a linearized model and verifies the results using an acceptable model created in MATLAB/SIMULINK Software Version 9.3 and using Real-Time Simulation Fundamentals and hardware-based experimentation. Full article
Show Figures

Figure 1

Back to TopTop