Novel Load Following Controller of Microturbine Generation System for Stand-alone/Grid-connected Operation

Among various types of Distributed Generations, Microturbine (MT) Generation (MTG) systems are known as highly reliable and efficient sources. The MT must support demands in different conditions, which requires its proper control. In this paper, hybrid operation of the MTG is considered which is initially isolated from utility grid, and after that it is connected to the distribution network. A robust control method is used for stand-alone mode and a novel power-voltage control strategy is applied to grid-tied inverter. In stand-alone mode, the voltage, frequency and current are used as control parameters instead of traditional voltage-frequency control. In grid-connected novel controller, the inner voltage loop is substituted with the current loop, so it is based on powers and voltage. The simulations are performed by MATLAB/Simulink, with the results indicating proper power sharing as well as load-following performance with the minimum level of distortion. The proposed strategy can be used in hybrid operations of the MTG.

Keywords:

Microturbine , Stand-alone mode , Grid-connected mode , Load-following performance , Flexible operation