A Comparison of DER Voltage Regulation Technologies Using Real-Time Simulations

Summers, Adam; Johnson, Jay; Darbali-Zamora, Rachid; Hansen, Clifford W.; Anandan, Jithendar; Showalter, Chad

doi:10.3390/en13143562

Cited by 12 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 43 publications

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“…can easily be incorporated using the constituent equations (the dominant loss mode is a function of the switch technology, R dson , and switching frequency). If T j is calculated for two systems (T j Inv A and T j Inv B ), then a relative acceleration factor (A F ) for each time step can be found, assuming an Arrhenius model (2).…”

Section: Lifetime Estimationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In response to increasing photovoltaic (PV) penetration levels on the grid, distributed energy resource (DER) devices-e.g., photovoltaic inverters and energy storage systems (ESS)-are now required to include control modes to improve power quality, in accordance with the U.S. interconnection standard, IEEE 1547-2018 [1]. The set of control modes stipulated in IEEE 1547 includes fixed power factor, voltage-reactive power mode, and an active power limit, providing grid operators with new ways to support distribution voltages [2], participate in load-generation balancing [3], and stabilize the system during power system faults [4].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Automating Component-Level Stress Measurements for Inverter Reliability Estimation

et al. 2022

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In the near future, grid operators are expected to regularly use advanced distributed energy resource (DER) functions, defined in IEEE 1547-2018, to perform a range of grid-support operations. Many of these functions adjust the active and reactive power of the device through commanded or autonomous operating modes which induce new stresses on the power electronics components. In this work, an experimental and theoretical framework is introduced which couples laboratory-measured component stress with advanced inverter functionality and derives a reduction in useful lifetime based on an applicable reliability model. Multiple DER devices were instrumented to calculate the additional component stress under multiple reactive power setpoints to estimate associated DER lifetime reductions. A clear increase in switch loss was demonstrated as a function of irradiance level and power factor. This is replicated in the system-level efficiency measurements, although magnitudes were different—suggesting other loss mechanisms exist. Using an approximate Arrhenius thermal model for the switches, the experimental data indicate a lifetime reduction of 1.5% when operating the inverter at 0.85 PF—compared to unity PF—assuming the DER failure mechanism thermally driven within the H-bridge. If other failure mechanisms are discovered for a set of power electronics devices, this testing and calculation framework can easily be tailored to those failure mechanisms.

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Section: Lifetime Estimationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Automating Component-Level Stress Measurements for Inverter Reliability Estimation

et al. 2022

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“…For example, carefully tuned voltage-reactive power (volt-var) curves or power factor set points can increase feeder hosting capacity [8] and support voltage on unbalanced feeders [9]. Communication-enabled DER also allow for new voltage regulation optimization techniques-e.g., Particle Swarm Optimization and Extremum Seeking Control-to be developed to set DER reactive power set points to minimize voltage deviations and circuit losses [10]. At the bulk system level, it is also possible to select frequency-watt parameters to provide fast frequency reserves [11], [12] and wide-area damping [13].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evaluation of Interoperable Distributed Energy Resources to IEEE 1547.1 Using SunSpec Modbus, IEEE 1815, and IEEE 2030.5

Johnson¹,

Fox²,

Kaur³

et al. 2021

IEEE Access

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The American distributed energy resource (DER) interconnection standard, IEEE Std. 1547, was updated in 2018 to include standardized interoperability functionality. As state regulators begin ratifying these requirements, all DER-such as photovoltaic (PV) inverters, energy storage systems (ESSs), and synchronous generators-in those jurisdictions must include a standardized SunSpec Modbus, IEEE 2030.5, or IEEE 1815 (DNP3) communication interface. Utilities and authorized third parties will interact with these DER interfaces to read nameplate information, power measurements, and alarms as well as configure the DER settings and grid-support functionality. In 2020, the certification standard IEEE 1547.1 was revised with test procedures for evaluating the IEEE 1547-2018 interoperability requirements. In this work, we present an open-source framework to evaluate DER interoperability. To demonstrate this capability, we used four test devices: a SunSpec DER Simulator with a SunSpec Modbus interface, an EPRI-developed DER simulator with an IEEE 1815 interface, a Kitu Systems DER simulator with an IEEE 2030.5 interface, and an EPRI IEEE 2030.5-to-Modbus converter. By making this test platform openly available, DER vendors can validate their implementations, utilities can spot check communications to DER equipment, certification laboratories can conduct type testing, and research institutions can more easily research DER interoperability and cybersecurity. We indicate several limitations and ambiguities in the communication protocols, information models, and the IEEE 1547.1-2020 test protocol which were exposed in these evaluations in anticipation that the standards-development organizations will address these issues in the future.

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“…For these reasons, especially when particularly complex systems are analyzed, validation is often performed by means of computer simulations rather than experimental prototype realizations. Thanks to the recent advances in digital computing, real-time simulators have been employed lately for systems studies involving the interaction of power systems and power electronics systems that are characterized by fast dynamics (e.g., tens of µs) [16]. Validation via real-time simulations presents several advantages as compared to traditional simulations.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Real-Time Validation of Power Flow Control Method for Enhanced Operation of Microgrids

et al. 2020

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This paper describes a control methodology for electronic power converters distributed in low-voltage microgrids and its implementation criteria in general microgrid structures. In addition, a real-time simulation setup is devised, implemented, and discussed to validate the control operation in a benchmark network. Considering these key aspects, it is shown that operational constraints regarding the power delivered by sources, flowing through network branches, and exchanged at the point of connection with the main grid can generally be fulfilled by the presented control approach. The control is performed considering a cost function aiming at optimizing various operation indexes, including distribution losses, current stresses on feeders, voltage deviations. The control system allows an enhanced operation of the microgrid, specifically, it allows dynamic and accurate power flow control enabling the provision of ancillary services to the upstream grid, like the demand–response, by exploiting the available infrastructure and the energy resources. Then, the validation of the approach is reported by using a real-time simulation setup with accurate models of the power electronic converters and related local controllers, of the grid infrastructure, of the power flow controller, and of the communication network used for data exchange. It is also shown that the implemented platform allows to fully reproduce, analyze, and finally validate all the relevant steady-state and dynamic behaviors related in the considered scenario.

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A Comparison of DER Voltage Regulation Technologies Using Real-Time Simulations

Cited by 12 publications

References 43 publications

Automating Component-Level Stress Measurements for Inverter Reliability Estimation

Automating Component-Level Stress Measurements for Inverter Reliability Estimation

Evaluation of Interoperable Distributed Energy Resources to IEEE 1547.1 Using SunSpec Modbus, IEEE 1815, and IEEE 2030.5

Real-Time Validation of Power Flow Control Method for Enhanced Operation of Microgrids

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