Certain investigations on microgrid frequency regulation

Abstract

Cost, pollution, and continuous inanition of fossil fuels created alternative energy resources for electrical power generation. Among the available resources, wind and solar contributions are large as per statistics. Apart from the merits of cost and pollution, the nature of intermittent and time of availability impose frequency and power quality issues. Power management during peak hours is another challenge when traditional sources are replaced with renewable units. Therefore, integrating microgrids into traditional power plants provides a satisfactory solution by keeping the system frequency as a nominal. A microgrid is a reliable and cost-effective solution to challenges facing the electric supplying network. They are localized electric power supply cluster networks containing various distributed energy resources and load demands. Typical microgrid architecture components contain renewable energy generation units with intermittent, controllable energy generating units and energy supporting units for an increment of reliability of the microgrid operation. Microgrid architecture consists of radial feeders forming a cluster between local loads and local generation units. The necessity of microgrids and their various architecture types are exponentially growing due to factors like energy security, sudden blackouts of existing power grids, environmental issues and economic issues. For a long time, various distributed energy resources have not been fully utilized for constraints like remote locations, and economic feasibility comes into the large picture. Microgrid, which does not relate to the primary grid, is called an isolated or islanded microgrid. The remote microgrid control and operation are sensitive because continuous variations occur in both the load and the renewable energy resources, causing a mismatch between load demand and available supply. This mismatch will cause a reduction in reliability and frequent loss of control in terms of frequency variations.