Stable integration of power electronics-based DG links to the utility grid with interfacing impedance uncertainties

Abstract

For the integration of distributed generation (DG) units to the utility grid, voltage source converter (VSC) is the key technology. In order to realize high quality power injection, different control techniques have been adopted. However, the converter-based DG interface is subject to inevitable uncertainties, which adversely influence the performance of the controller. The interfacing impedance seen by the VSC may considerably vary in real distribution networks. It can be observed that the stability of the DG interface is highly sensitive to the impacts of interfacing impedance changes so that the controller cannot inject appropriate currents. To deal with the instability problem, this paper proposes an enhanced fractional order active sliding mode control scheme for integration of DG units to the utility grid, which is much less sensitive to interfacing impedance variations. A fractional sliding surface which demonstrates the desired dynamics of the system is developed and then the controller is designed in two phases: sliding phase and reaching phase to keep the control loop stable. The proposed controller takes a role to provide high quality power injection and ensures precise current tracking and fast response despite uncertainties. Theoretical analyses and simulation results are verified to study the performance and feasibility of the proposed control scheme.