Development of control techniques for renewable energy sources, integration with utility grid, and implementation by interfacing with real time digital simulator

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

Wind and solar energies, due to their free availability and clean and renewable character, ranks as the most promising energy resource that could play a key role in solving the world energy crisis. Wind energy growth is exploding at about 70% per year in Canada. This is all because of environmental concerns, increased demand, increased scale of individual unit, maturation of the industry, and hence the reduced cost of manufacturing. Therefore, it is becoming more and more important to develop advanced control techniques so that the integration of renewable resources with the grid is more reliable and efficient and free from power quality problems. In this proposal, research will be directed towards adjustable speed turbines (AST) with doubly fed induction generator (AST-DFIG) with rotor side control because the power converters only need to handle slip power, which may be to the order of 30% of total wind turbine hence reducing the required capacity of other control equipment needed. It results in large savings. Similarly, the core technology associated with photovoltaic (PV) systems is maximum power point tracking (MPPT) and an inverter unit that converts the solar output electrically compatible with the utility grid. Efforts will be made to incorporate ultra capacitor for energy storage. Testing will be done with more realistic power network simulated on real time digital simulator (RTDS) interfaced with the renewable energy sources fabricated with real switching devices and control systems. Therefore, the testing performed will be more exhaustive and credible. This kind of laboratory testing has never been reported before with renewable sources. Brief objectives: 1) Conceive, analyze/evaluate, fabricate/test proper converter/inverter topology and its control for rotor side control of AST-DFIG and control for MPPT and current shaping for PV system. 2) Simulate a power system network on real time digital simulator (RTDS), interface the renewable energy source systems developed in step (1)  with RTDS and do performance evaluation.