Optimal multidimensional droop control for wind resources in DC microgrids

Abstract

The inclusion of electricity generation from wind in microgrids presents an important opportunity in modern electric power systems. Various control strategies can be pursued for wind resources connected in microgrids, and droop control is a promising option since communication between microgrid components is not required. Traditional droop control does have the drawback of not allowing much or all of the available wind power to be utilized in the microgrid. This paper presents a novel droop control strategy, modifying the traditional approach and building an optimal droop surface at a higher dimension. A method for determining the optimal droop control surface in multiple dimensions to meet a given objective is presented. Simulation and hardware-in-the-loop experiments of a sample microgrid show that much more wind power can be utilized, while maintaining the system's bus voltage and still avoiding the need for communication between the various components.