Control of a microgrid

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9660453-B2
Application number	US-201415124091-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 7, 2014
Priority date	Mar 7, 2014
Publication date	May 23, 2017
Grant date	May 23, 2017

Abstract

A method of controlling a microgrid including at least one distributed generator (DG) and arranged for being connected to a power grid, by means of a converter via which the DG is connected in said microgrid. The method includes running the converter in a current control mode for controlling at least one current output of the DG in the microgrid; obtaining an indication that the converter should change from the current control mode towards a voltage control mode for controlling a voltage output of the DG in the microgrid; and entering the converter in an interstate mode, in response to the obtained indication, in which interstate mode the converter is configured for controlling both the current output and the voltage output.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of controlling a microgrid comprising at least one distributed generator, DG, and arranged for being connected to a power grid, by means of a converter via which the DG is connected in said microgrid, the method comprising:
obtaining an indication of a voltage drop in the microgrid; and
running the converter in an interstate mode, in response to the obtained indication, in which interstate mode the converter is configured for controlling both at least one current output and a voltage output;
wherein the interstate mode comprises dynamically assigning different weights to the controlling of the current output and the controlling of the voltage output in relation to each other, and
wherein the obtaining an indication comprises obtaining an indication that the power import to the microgrid from the power grid is below a predetermined threshold, and
wherein the converter remains in the interstate mode for a prolonged time or indefinitely.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
before the obtaining, running the converter in a current control mode for controlling the at least one current output of the DG in the microgrid; and
following the interstate mode, entering the converter in a voltage control mode for controlling the voltage output of the DG in the microgrid.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
before the obtaining, running the converter in a current control mode for controlling the at least one current output of the DG in the microgrid; and
following the interstate mode, returning the converter to the current control mode.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the dynamically assigning different weights comprises linearly decreasing the weight of the controlling of the current and correspondingly linearly increasing the weight of the controlling of the voltage.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one current output is an output current of the converter which is injected into the microgrid, a filter current within the converter and/or a current through a capacitor of the filter.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the voltage output is an output voltage of the converter at a point of common coupling (PCC) of the converter.

7. A control unit for controlling an output of a DG connected to a microgrid via a converter, the control unit comprising:
processor circuitry; and
a storage unit storing instructions that, when executed by the processor circuitry, cause the control unit to:
obtain an indication of a voltage drop in the microgrid; and
running the converter in an interstate mode, in response to the obtained indication, in which interstate mode the converter is configured for controlling both at least one current output and a voltage output in the microgrid;
wherein the interstate mode comprises dynamically assigning different weights to the controlling of the current output and the controlling of the voltage output in relation to each other, and
wherein obtaining an indication comprises obtaining an indication that the power import to the microgrid from the power grid is below a predetermined threshold, and
wherein the converter remains in the interstate mode for a prolonged time or indefinitely.

8. The control unit of claim 7 , further comprising:
a current control module for the current control of the converter; and
a voltage control module for the voltage control of the converter.

9. An electrical converter comprising a control unit including:
a processor circuitry; and
a storage unit storing instructions that, when executed by the processor circuitry, cause the control unit to:
obtain an indication of a voltage drop in the microgrid; and
running the converter in an interstate mode, in response to the obtained indication, in which interstate mode the converter is configured for controlling both at least one current output and a voltage output in the microgrid;
wherein the interstate mode comprises dynamically assigning different weights to the controlling of the current output and the controlling of the voltage output in relation to each other, and
wherein obtaining an indication comprises obtaining an indication that the power import to the microgrid from the power grid is below a predetermined threshold, and
wherein the converter remains in the interstate mode for a prolonged time or indefinitely.

10. An electrical microgrid comprising:
at least one DG;
at least one load;
an electrical converter via which the DG is connected; and
a control unit of claim 7 .

11. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable means holding computer-executable components for causing a control unit to perform the method of controlling a microgrid of claim 1 when the computer-executable components are run on processor circuitry comprised in the control unit.

12. The computer program of claim 11 , comprising a computer program code which is able to, when run on a processor circuitry of a control unit, cause the control unit to perform a method of controlling a microgrid including:
obtaining an indication of a voltage drop in the microgrid; and
running the converter in an interstate mode, in response to the obtained indication, in which interstate mode the converter is configured for controlling both at least one current output and a voltage output;
wherein the interstate mode comprises dynamically assigning different weights to the controlling of the current output and the controlling of the voltage output in relation to each other, and
wherein the obtaining an indication comprises obtaining an indication that the power import to the microgrid from the power grid is below a predetermined threshold, and
wherein the converter remains in the interstate mode for a prolonged time or indefinitely.

13. The electrical converter of claim 9 , comprising a control unit including:
a current control module for the current control of the converter; and
a voltage control module for the voltage control of the converter.

Assignees

• Abb Schweiz Ag

Inventors

• Majumder Ritwik

Classifications

• H02J3/388

  Arrangements for the handling of islanding, e.g. for disconnection or for avoiding the disconnection of power · CPC title

• H02J3/381 Primary

  Dispersed generators · CPC title

• Y02P80/14

  District level solutions, i.e. local energy networks · CPC title

• H02J2101/10

  Dispersed power generation using fossil fuels, e.g. diesel generators · CPC title

• H02J3/14

  by switching loads on to, or off from, the networks, e.g. progressively balanced loading · CPC title