In this article, a maiden attempt have been taken for the online detection of faults, classification of faults, and identification of the fault locations of a grid-connected Micro-grid (MG) system. A deep learning algorithm-based Long Short Term Memory (LSTM) network is proposed, for the first time, for the online detection of faults and their classifications of the considered MG system to overcome the issues that persist in the existing algorithms. Also, a combination of an LSTM network and feed-forward neural network (FFNN) with a back-propagation algorithm (BPA) is proposed to identify the exact locations of the faults since the identification of fault locations is more challenging than fault categorizations. To select a suitable deep learning network with multiple hidden layers for achieving the aforesaid objectives, a rigorous analysis has been done. To study the accuracy of the proposed techniques, different types of faults with different parameters are considered in this paper. An extensive simulation has been done in MATLAB/Simulink platform to study the performance of the system with the proposed techniques. To validate the effectiveness of the proposed techniques, the entire system is implemented in the real-time platform using the OPAL-RT digital simulator. Comparison has also been done for the results obtained using ANN and proposed techniques. The results show that the proposed techniques based on the deep learning network effectively detect, classify, and identify the location of different faults of an MG system with acceptable performances.

Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) is essential for maximizing the efficiency of solar photovoltaic (PV) systems. While numerous MPPT methods exist, practical implementations often lean towards conventional techniques due to their simplicity. However, these traditional methods can struggle with rapid fluctuations in solar irradiance and temperature. This paper introduces a novel deep learning-based MPPT algorithm that leverages a Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) deep neural network (DNN) to effectively track maximum power from solar PV panels, utilizing real-world data. The simulations of three algorithms—Perturb and Observe (P&O), Artificial Neural Network (ANN), and the proposed LSTM-based MPPT—were conducted using MATLAB (2021b) and RT_LAB (24.3.3) with an OPAL-RT simulator for real-time analysis. The data used for this study were sourced from NASA/POWER’s Native Resolution Daily Data of solar irradiation and temperature specific to Imphal, Manipur, India. The obtained results demonstrate that the LSTM-based MPPT system achieves a superior power tracking accuracy under changing solar conditions, producing an average output of 74 W. In comparison, the ANN and P&O methods yield average outputs of 57 W and 62 W, respectively. This significant improvement, i.e., 20–30%, underscores the effectiveness of the LSTM technique in enhancing the power output of solar PV systems. By incorporating real-world data, valuable insights into solar power generation specific to the selected location are provided. Furthermore, the outputs of the model were verified through real-time simulations using the OPAL-RT simulator OP4510, showcasing the practical applicability of this approach in real-world scenarios.

Inertia enhancement of a microgrid plays an important role in improving its stability. In this paper, an inertia emulation control technique is proposed for the inertia enhancement of a DC microgrid. The proposed control technique has three parts: (i) an inertia emulation control for the bidirectional DC-DC converter (ii) an inertia emulation control for the solar photovoltaic (PV) unit, and (iii) a coordinated inertia emulation for the inverter-connected AC load. The inertia emulation control for the PV and battery units, emulate inertia to maintain the DC link voltage profile along with improving the battery current profile and the coordinated inertia emulation for the inverter that regulates the AC voltage and frequency by emulating inertia characteristics with the help of the DC bus voltage profile. The proposed control technique is first simulated in Matlab/Simulink. Then it is converted to hardware descriptive language (HDL) and verified using an field programmable gate array (FPGA)-in-the-loop platform. Finally, it is implemented in a hardware experimental setup. It is observed that the proposed control technique is performing satisfactorily under source and load variations.