Optimization of Switching Control and Microgrid Energy Management System with Alternate Arm Converter Based on Bacterial Foraging Algorithm

Abstract

The global demand of electrical power has increased enormously due to various reasons such as fast-changing and challenging technologies, climatic change, economic growth, and lifestyle of mankind. Due to global warming issues and the depletion of conventional sources of power generation, the utilization of renewable energy sources has drastically increased. So, many challenges exist in integrating the microgrid with AC grid and load. The alternative arm converter (AAC) is among the most innovative converter topologies used in high voltage direct current (HVDC) applications. This research work presents a new control strategy to generate pulses to trigger the switches in the AAC in a proper sequence to obtain a smooth output waveform. The AAC output is controlled by implementing various controllers such as the proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controller, fractional order PID (FOPID) controller, and FOPID controller tuned by metaheuristic algorithm-bacterial foraging optimization technique (BFOT). Also, a comparative analysis is performed based on the spectral analysis of the output voltage obtained. In comparison to other controllers, the FOPID controller optimized by the bacterial foraging optimization technique (BFOT) produced the least total harmonic distortion (THD) of the AAC output voltage. In addition, this paper also discusses about the performance and analysis on the design of an energy management system (EMS) to optimally utilize the energy sources such as PV system, wind system, and battery based on their availability which feed the AAC. The energy management system controls the entire integrated system in association with an integrated CUK-SEPIC converter to fulfil the load demand at the point of common coupling, either from the microgrid or the AC grid. A nine-level AAC model is designed integrating the microgrid, grid, and industrial loads with an energy management system using MATLAB/Simulink. The performance parameters of the entire model are analysed at every stage to provide stabilized output to meet the load demand.