Development of an intelligent hybrid microgrid with high efficiency and reliability

Project Title:

Development of an intelligent hybrid microgrid with high efficiency and reliability

Supervisor(s):

Dr. Jiefeng Hu (Lead), Prof. Syed Islam (Assoc.)

Area of Research:

Power Engineering, Power Electronics, Control and Optimisation

Contact person and email address:

Jiefeng Hu  j.hu@federation.edu.au

A brief description of the project:

The research into intelligent grid control has been investigated for some time as the concept of the Smart Grid expands; these include the use of distributed power generation in the grid. On a local level, the concept of the microgrid has been developed and these are being investigated and trialled. The technology is still being developed that comprise a Smart Microgrid. This proposal presents a research plan which looks for solutions for the challenges for a Smart Microgrid.

Unlike the traditional distributed generations, which are based on the component level, this project will develop an intelligent hybrid microgrid by integrating renewable energy sources, local loads, and energy storage devices into an autonomic power system. It can provide reliable electricity in both DC and AC power. An energy management system (EMS) will be developed to coordinate the power flow within the microgrid so that the fluctuation between the generation and consumption can be smoothed. High power quality can be achieved while the intermittent energy output from renewable resources can be maximised under various power generation and load conditions.

Project Objectives:

  • To develop a hybrid microgrid topology with reliable electricity supply in both AC and DC power
  • To develop new control methods to reduce the switching power losses of power converters so as to increase the energy conversion efficiency
  • To develop an effective energy management system that can achieve optimal power flow and high-power quality under various power generation and load demand.
  • Stability analysis of the system for stable operation