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A special issue of Electronics (ISSN 2079-9292). This special issue belongs to the section "Power Electronics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2020) | Viewed by 45645

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Dr. Jesus C. Hernandez

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Electrical Engineering Department, University of Jaen, Campus Las Lagunillas, S/N, 23071 Jaen, Spain
Interests: power electronics; renewable systems; microgrids; electric vehicles; power quality; power systems simulation; metaheuristic optimization
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Power generation architecture is rapidly shifting from being centralized to being decentralized. Instead of depending on only one energy source, a wide range of types can now be used. This will eventually lead to the widespread penetration of power electronics based on non-synchronous or renewable power generation. These grid-interactive power converters will significantly enhance the flexibility, controllability, and efficiency of conventional power systems. Smart control strategies can thus enable energy management capabilities as well as the provision of ancillary services to the grid from renewable power. Nevertheless, maintaining a reliable and safe power system poses significant challenges

The main aim of this Special Issue is to seek high-quality contributions that address current issues related to more sustainable, safer, and more resilient power systems. Topics of interest include but are not limited to the following:

Renewable energy conversion;
Emerging renewable energy technology;
Power conditioning devices for the grid integration of renewable energy sources;
Centralized and distributed energy storage systems for reliable and secure power systems (batteries, supercapacitor, hydrogen, flywheel, pumped hydro storage, etc.);
Renewable energy policies (market design);
Power quality problems with renewable energy sources;
Computations methods for assessing the power grid resilience and safety with renewable energy sources;
Intermittent renewable energy sources: assessing and control strategies;
Impact of the increasing demand of electric vehicle charging;
Energy management systems for grid-connected renewable energy sources;
The provision of ancillary services to the grid from renewable energy sources;
Monitoring, prognostic and diagnostic of grid-connected renewable energy sources.

Dr. J. C. Hernandez
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. Electronics 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 2400 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.

Published Papers (12 papers)

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Editorial

Jump to: Research

3 pages, 187 KiB

Open AccessEditorial

Grid-Connected Renewable Energy Sources

by Jesus C. Hernández

Electronics 2021, 10(5), 588; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/electronics10050588 - 03 Mar 2021

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1417

Abstract

The use of renewable energy sources (RESs) is a need of global society. This editorial, and its associated Special Issue “Grid-Connected Renewable Energy Sources”, offer a compilation of some of the recent advances in the analysis of current power systems composed after the high penetration of distributed generation (DG) with different RESs. The focus is on both new control configurations and novel methodologies for the optimal placement and sizing of DG. The eleven accepted papers certainly provide a good contribution to control deployments and methodologies for the allocation and sizing of DG. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Grid-Connected Renewable Energy Sources)

Research

Jump to: Editorial

16 pages, 1103 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Latencies in Power Systems: A Database-Based Time-Delay Compensation for Memory Controllers

by Alexander Molina-Cabrera, Mario A. Ríos, Yvon Besanger, Nouredine Hadjsaid and Oscar Danilo Montoya

Electronics 2021, 10(2), 208; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/electronics10020208 - 18 Jan 2021

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2274

Abstract

Time-delay is inherent to communications schemes in power systems, and in a closed loop strategy the presence of latencies increases inter-area oscillations and security problems in tie-lines. Recently, Wide Area Measurement Systems (WAMS) have been introduced to improve observability and overcome slow-rate communications from traditional Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA). However, there is a need for tackling time-delays in control strategies based in WAMS. For this purpose, this paper proposes an Enhanced Time Delay Compensator (ETDC) approach which manages varying time delays introducing the perspective of network latency instead dead time; also, ETDC takes advantage of real signals and measurements transmission procedure in WAMS building a closed-loop memory control for power systems. The strength of the proposal was tested satisfactorily in a widely studied benchmark model in which inter-area oscillations were excited properly. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Grid-Connected Renewable Energy Sources)

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18 pages, 1008 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Leveraging a Genetic Algorithm for the Optimal Placement of Distributed Generation and the Need for Energy Management Strategies Using a Fuzzy Inference System

by Sunny Katyara, Muhammad Fawad Shaikh, Shoaib Shaikh, Zahid Hussain Khand, Lukasz Staszewski, Veer Bhan, Abdul Majeed, Madad Ali Shah and Leonowicz Zbigniew

Electronics 2021, 10(2), 172; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/electronics10020172 - 14 Jan 2021

Cited by 17 | Viewed by 2541

Abstract

With the rising load demand and power losses, the equipment in the utility network often operates close to its marginal limits, creating a dire need for the installation of new Distributed Generators (DGs). Their proper placement is one of the prerequisites for fully achieving the benefits; otherwise, this may result in the worsening of their performance. This could even lead to further deterioration if an effective Energy Management System (EMS) is not installed. Firstly, addressing these issues, this research exploits a Genetic Algorithm (GA) for the proper placement of new DGs in a distribution system. This approach is based on the system losses, voltage profiles, and phase angle jump variations. Secondly, the energy management models are designed using a fuzzy inference system. The models are then analyzed under heavy loading and fault conditions. This research is conducted on a six bus radial test system in a simulated environment together with a real-time Power Hardware-In-the-Loop (PHIL) setup. It is concluded that the optimal placement of a 3.33 MVA synchronous DG is near the load center, and the robustness of the proposed EMS is proven by mitigating the distinct contingencies within the approximately 2.5 cycles of the operating period. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Grid-Connected Renewable Energy Sources)

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18 pages, 382 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Hybrid Approach Based on SOCP and the Discrete Version of the SCA for Optimal Placement and Sizing DGs in AC Distribution Networks

by Oscar Danilo Montoya, Alexander Molina-Cabrera, Harold R. Chamorro, Lazaro Alvarado-Barrios and Edwin Rivas-Trujillo

Electronics 2021, 10(1), 26; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/electronics10010026 - 27 Dec 2020

Cited by 24 | Viewed by 2953

Abstract

This paper deals with the problem of the optimal placement and sizing of distributed generators (DGs) in alternating current (AC) distribution networks by proposing a hybrid master–slave optimization procedure. In the master stage, the discrete version of the sine–cosine algorithm (SCA) determines the optimal location of the DGs, i.e., the nodes where these must be located, by using an integer codification. In the slave stage, the problem of the optimal sizing of the DGs is solved through the implementation of the second-order cone programming (SOCP) equivalent model to obtain solutions for the resulting optimal power flow problem. As the main advantage, the proposed approach allows converting the original mixed-integer nonlinear programming formulation into a mixed-integer SOCP equivalent. That is, each combination of nodes provided by the master level SCA algorithm to locate distributed generators brings an optimal solution in terms of its sizing; since SOCP is a convex optimization model that ensures the global optimum finding. Numerical validations of the proposed hybrid SCA-SOCP to optimal placement and sizing of DGs in AC distribution networks show its capacity to find global optimal solutions. Some classical distribution networks (33 and 69 nodes) were tested, and some comparisons were made using reported results from literature. In addition, simulation cases with unity and variable power factor are made, including the possibility of locating photovoltaic sources considering daily load and generation curves. All the simulations were carried out in the MATLAB software using the CVX optimization tool. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Grid-Connected Renewable Energy Sources)

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23 pages, 408 KiB

Open AccessArticle

On the Efficiency in Electrical Networks with AC and DC Operation Technologies: A Comparative Study at the Distribution Stage

by Oscar Danilo Montoya, Federico Martin Serra and Cristian Hernan De Angelo

Electronics 2020, 9(9), 1352; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/electronics9091352 - 20 Aug 2020

Cited by 35 | Viewed by 3535

Abstract

This research deals with the efficiency comparison between AC and DC distribution networks that can provide electricity to rural and urban areas from the point of view of grid energy losses and greenhouse gas emissions impact. Configurations for medium- and low-voltage networks are analyzed via optimal power flow analysis by adding voltage regulation and devices capabilities sources in the mathematical formulation. Renewable energy resources such as wind and photovoltaic are considered using typical daily generation curves. Batteries are formulated with a linear representation taking into account operative bounds suggested by manufacturers. Numerical results in two electrical networks with 0.24 kV and 12.66 kV (with radial and meshed configurations) are performed with constant power loads at all the nodes. These simulations confirm that power distribution with DC technology is more efficient regarding energy losses, voltage profiles and greenhouse emissions than its AC counterpart. All the numerical results are tested in the General Algebraic Modeling System widely known as GAMS. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Grid-Connected Renewable Energy Sources)

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27 pages, 11478 KiB

Open AccessArticle

LC Impedance Source Bi-Directional Converter with Reduced Capacitor Voltages

by Dogga Raveendhra, Rached Dhaouadi, Habibur Rehman and Shayok Mukhopadhyay

Electronics 2020, 9(7), 1062; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/electronics9071062 - 28 Jun 2020

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2611

Abstract

This paper proposes an LC (Inductor and Capacitor) impedance source bi-directional DC–DC converter by redesigning after rearranging the reduced number of components of a switched boost bi-directional DC–DC converter. This new converter with a conventional modulation scheme offers several unique features, such as a) a lower number of components and b) reduced voltage stress on the capacitor compared to existing topologies. The reduction of capacitor voltage stress has the potential of improving the reliability and enhancing converter lifespan. An analysis of the proposed converter was completed with the help of a mathematical model and state-space averaging models. The converter performance under different test conditions is compared with the conventional bi-directional DC–DC converter, Z-source converter, discontinuous current quasi Z-source converter, continuous current quasi Z-source converter, improved Z-source converter, switched boost converter, current-fed switched boost converter, and quasi switched boost converter in the Matlab Simulink environment. MATLAB/Simulink results demonstrate that the proposed converter has lesser components count and reduced capacitors’ voltage stresses when compared to the topologies mentioned above. A 24 V to 18 V LC-impedance source bi-directional converter and a conventional bidirectional converter are built to investigate the feasibility and benefits of the proposed topology. Experimental results reveal that capacitor voltage stresses, in the case of proposed topology are reduced by 75.00% and 35.80% in both boost and buck modes, respectively, compared to the conventional converter circuit. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Grid-Connected Renewable Energy Sources)

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21 pages, 2479 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Nonlinear Voltage Control for Three-Phase DC-AC Converters in Hybrid Systems: An Application of the PI-PBC Method

by Federico M. Serra, Lucas M. Fernández, Oscar D. Montoya, Walter Gil-González and Jesus C. Hernández

Electronics 2020, 9(5), 847; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics9050847 - 20 May 2020

Cited by 26 | Viewed by 3141

Abstract

In this paper, a proportional-integral passivity-based controller (PI-PBC) is proposed to regulate the amplitude and frequency of the three-phase output voltage in a direct-current alternating-current (DC-AC) converter with an LC filter. This converter is used to supply energy to AC loads in hybrid renewable based systems. The proposed strategy uses the well-known proportional-integral (PI) actions and guarantees the stability of the system by means of the Lyapunov theory. The proposed controller continues to maintain the simplicity and robustness of the PI controls using the Hamiltonian representation of the system, thereby ensuring stability and producing improvements in the performance. The performance of the proposed controller was validated based on simulation and experimental results after considering parametric variations and comparing them with classical approaches. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Grid-Connected Renewable Energy Sources)

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13 pages, 5459 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Coordinated Control Scheme of Battery Storage System to Augment LVRT Capability of SCIG-Based Wind Turbines and Frequency Regulation of Hybrid Power System

by Md. Rifat Hazari, Effat Jahan, Mohammad Abdul Mannan and Junji Tamura

Electronics 2020, 9(2), 239; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/electronics9020239 - 01 Feb 2020

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 2353

Abstract

Fixed speed wind turbine-squirrel cage induction generator (FSWT-SCIG)-based wind farms (WFs) are increasing significantly. However, FSWT-SCIGs have no low voltage ride-through (LVRT) and frequency control capabilities, which creates a significant problem on power system transient and steady-state stability. This paper presents a new operational strategy to control the voltage and frequency of the entire power system, including large-scale FSWT-SCIG-based WFs, by using a battery storage system (BSS). The proposed cascaded control of the BSS is designed to provide effective quantity of reactive power during transient periods, to augment LVRT capability and real power during steady-state periods in order to damp frequency fluctuations. The cascaded control technique is built on four proportional integral (PI) controllers. The droop control technique is also adopted to ensure frequency control capability. Practical grid code is taken to demonstrate the LVRT capability. To evaluate the validity of the proposed system, simulation studies are executed on a reformed IEEE nine-bus power system with three synchronous generators (SGs) and SCIG-based WF with BSS. Triple-line-to-ground (3LG) and real wind speed data are used to analyze the hybrid power grid’s transient and steady-state stability. The simulation results indicate that the proposed system can be an efficient solution to stabilize the power system both in transient and steady-state conditions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Grid-Connected Renewable Energy Sources)

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14 pages, 2726 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Simple and Low-Cost Photovoltaic Module Emulator

by Massimo Merenda, Demetrio Iero, Riccardo Carotenuto and Francesco G. Della Corte

Electronics 2019, 8(12), 1445; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/electronics8121445 - 01 Dec 2019

Cited by 27 | Viewed by 3452

Abstract

The design and testing phase of photovoltaic (PV) power systems requires time-consuming and expensive field-testing activities for the proper operational evaluation of maximum power point trackers (MPPT), battery chargers, DC/AC inverters. Instead, the use of a PV source emulator that accurately reproduces the electrical characteristic of a PV panel or array is highly desirable for in-lab testing and rapid prototyping. In this paper, we present the development of a low-cost microcontroller-based PV source emulator, which allows testing the static and dynamic performance of PV systems considering different PV module types and variable operating and environmental conditions. The novelty of the simple design adopted resides in using a low-cost current generator and a single MOSFET converter to reproduce, from a fixed current source, the exact amount of current predicted by the PV model for the actual load conditions. The I–V characteristic is calculated in real-time using a single diode exponential model under variable and user-selectable operating conditions. The proposed method has the advantage of reducing noise from high-frequency switching, reducing or eliminating ripple and the demand for output filters, and it does not require expensive DC Power source, providing high accuracy results. The fast response of the system allows the testing of very fast MPPTs algorithms, thus overcoming the main limitations of state-of-art PV source emulators that are unable to respond to the quick variation of the load. Experimental results carried on a hardware prototype of the proposed PV source emulator are reported to validate the concept. As a whole result, an average error of ±1% in the reproduction of PV module I–V characteristics have been obtained and reported. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Grid-Connected Renewable Energy Sources)

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19 pages, 8116 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Coordinated Frequency Stabilization of Wind Turbine Generators and Energy Storage in Microgrids with High Wind Power Penetration

by Moses Kang, Gihwan Yoon, Seonri Hong, Jinhyeong Park, Jonghoon Kim and Jongbok Baek

Electronics 2019, 8(12), 1390; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/electronics8121390 - 21 Nov 2019

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2180

Abstract

This paper proposes a coordinated control scheme for wind turbine generators (WTGs) and energy storage in microgrids with high wind power penetration. The proposed scheme aimed to reduce the system frequency deviation caused by variations in wind power and loads. To stabilize the frequency, the WTG and energy storage system (ESS) are used for kinetic energy generation and electrical energy storage, respectively. When the WTG contributes excessively to frequency stabilization in the microgrid with a high wind power penetration, the system frequency may fluctuate considerably. Thus, it is necessary to adjust the contribution of a WTG and to share it with other sources. To achieve our objective, we proposed a coordinated control scheme between the WTG and ESS that shares their releasable and absorbable energies. The coordinated control consistently calculated the releasable and absorbable energies of the WTG and ESS and determined weight factors related to the energy ratios. Accordingly, the weight factors improved the ability of providing supporting frequency stabilization of the WTG and ESS by increasing the stored energy utilization. The performance of the scheme was investigated using MATLAB Simulink Electrical. The results show that the proposed coordinated control successfully stabilized the system frequency by calculating the appropriate contributions required from the WTG and ESS. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Grid-Connected Renewable Energy Sources)

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29 pages, 8058 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Development and Calibration of an Open Source, Low-Cost Power Smart Meter Prototype for PV Household-Prosumers

by F. Sanchez-Sutil, A. Cano-Ortega, J.C. Hernandez and C. Rus-Casas

Electronics 2019, 8(8), 878; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/electronics8080878 - 07 Aug 2019

Cited by 40 | Viewed by 6749

Abstract

Smart meter roll-out in photovoltaic (PV) household-prosumers provides easy access to granular meter measurements, which enables advanced energy services. The design of these services is based on the training and validation of models. However, this requires temporal high-resolution data for generation/load profiles collected in real-world household facilities. For this purpose, this research developed and successfully calibrated a new prototype for an accurate low-cost On-time Single-Phase Power Smart Meter (OSPPSM), which corresponded to these profiles. This OSPPSM is based on the Arduino open-source electronic platform. Not only can it locally store information, but can also wirelessly send these data to cloud storage in real-time. This paper describes the hardware and software design and its implementation. The experimental results are presented and discussed. The OSPPSM demonstrated that it was capable of in situ real-time processing. Moreover, the OSPPSM was able to meet all of the calibration standard tests in terms of accuracy class 1 (measurement error ≤1%) included in the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) standards for smart meters. In addition, the evaluation of the uncertainty of electrical variables is provided within the context of the law of propagation of uncertainty. The approximate cost of the prototype was 60 € from eBay stores. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Grid-Connected Renewable Energy Sources)

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18 pages, 3121 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Intermittent Renewable Energy Sources: The Role of Energy Storage in the European Power System of 2040

by Henrik Zsiborács, Nóra Hegedűsné Baranyai, András Vincze, László Zentkó, Zoltán Birkner, Kinga Máté and Gábor Pintér

Electronics 2019, 8(7), 729; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/electronics8070729 - 26 Jun 2019

Cited by 128 | Viewed by 11302

Abstract

Global electricity demand is constantly growing, making the utilization of solar and wind energy sources, which also reduces negative environmental effects, more and more important. These variable energy sources have an increasing role in the global energy mix, including generating capacity. Therefore, the need for energy storage in electricity networks is becoming increasingly important. This paper presents the challenges of European variable renewable energy integration in terms of the power capacity and energy capacity of stationary storage technologies. In this research, the sustainable transition, distributed generation, and global climate action scenarios of the European Network of Transmission System Operators for 2040 were examined. The article introduces and explains the feasibility of the European variable renewable energy electricity generation targets and the theoretical maximum related to the 2040 scenarios. It also explains the determination of the storage fractions and power capacity in a new context. The aim is to clarify whether it is possible to achieve the European variable renewable energy integration targets considering the technology-specific storage aspects. According to the results, energy storage market developments and regulations which motivate the increased use of stationary energy storage systems are of great importance for a successful European solar and wind energy integration. The paper also proves that not only the energy capacity but also the power capacity of storage systems is a key factor for the effective integration of variable renewable energy sources. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Grid-Connected Renewable Energy Sources)

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