A novel two-degree-of-freedom internal model control (IMC) controller that improves the fault ride-through (FRT) capabilities and crowbar dynamics of doubly fed induction generator (DFIG) wind turbines is presented. As opposed to other control strategies available in the open literature, the proposed IMC controller takes into account the power limit characteristic of the DFIG back-to-back converters and their dc-link voltage response in the event of a fault and consequent crowbar operation. Results from a digital model implemented in Matlab/Simulink and verified by a laboratory scale-down prototype demonstrate the improved DFIG FRT performance with the proposed controller.

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Small wind energy conversion systems (WECSs) are becoming an attractive option for distributed energy generation. WECSs use permanent-magnet synchronous generators (PMSGs) directly coupled to the wind turbine and connected to the grid through a single-phase grid-tie converter. The loading produced on the dc link is characterized by large ripple currents at twice the grid frequency. These ripple currents are reflected through the dc bus into the PMSG, causing increased heating and ripple torque. In this paper, the PMSG inverter is used to control the dc-link voltage. In order to avoid reflecting the ripple currents into the PMSG, the feedback dc-link voltage is passed through a filter. The Butterworth filters, notch filters, antiresonant filter (ARF) and moving average filter (MAF) are considered. For a fair comparison, formulas are provided to tune the filter parameters so that dc-link voltage control will achieve the selected bandwidth. The different filtering options produce different levels of torque ripple reduction. The notch filter, ARF, and MAF obtain the best results and there is a tradeoff between the filter implementation complexity, bandwidth, overshoot, and the torque ripple reduction. Simulations and experiments using a 2.5-kW PMSG turbine generator validate the proposals.

This paper presents a fast selective harmonic current mitigation strategy for inverters with active power filter capabilities based on synchronous reference frames and two degrees-of-freedom internal model controllers. The advantage of this control strategy over the conventional proportional integral (PI) control solution is a significant increase in the speed of harmonic detection and mitigation. Furthermore, this control strategy reduces the computational burden when applied in a digital controller. These characteristics make this strategy desirable for applications, where fast/harmonic detection and mitigation are needed. Mathematical analysis and simulations are presented to corroborate the performance of the proposed controller strategy. Finally, the results of this proposal are verified in a 1 kW three-phase multifunctional inverter with harmonic compensation capabilities up to the 17th harmonic.

As the world continues to experience problems including a lack of seafood and high energy demands, this paper provides an assessment for integrated multi-use offshore platforms (MUPs) as a step towards exploiting open seawater in a sustainable way to harvest food and energy. The paper begins with background about MUPs, including information regarding what an MUP is and why it is used. The potential energy technologies that can be involved in an offshore platform are introduced while addressing similar applications all over the world. The paper presents the state of the art of MUP structures on the light of EU-funded programs. An MUP would have a positive impact on various marine activities such as tourism, aquaculture, transport, oil and gas and leisure. However, there are concerns about the negative impact of MUPs on the marine environment and ecosystem. Building an MUP with 100% renewable energy resources is still a challenge because a large storage capacity must be considered with a well-designed control system. However, marine bio-mass would play a vital role in reducing battery size and improving power supply reliability. Direct Current (DC) systems have never been considered for offshore platforms, but they could be a better alternative as a simpler control system that requires with lower costs, has lower distribution losses, and has an increased system efficiency, so studying the feasibility of using DC systems for MUPs is required.

Smart charging for Electric Vehicles (EVs) is gaining traction as a key solution to alleviate grid congestion, delay the need for costly network upgrades, and capitalize on off-peak electricity rates. Governments are now enforcing the inclusion of smart charging capabilities in EV charging stations to facilitate this transition. While much of the current research focuses on managing voltage profiles, there is a growing need to examine harmonic emissions in greater detail. This study presents comprehensive data on harmonic distortion during the smart charging of eight popular EV models. We conducted an experimental analysis, measuring harmonic levels with charging current increments of 1A, ranging from the minimum to the maximum for each vehicle. The analysis compared harmonic emissions from both single and multiple EV charging scenarios against the thresholds for total harmonic distortion (THD) and individual harmonic limits outlined in power quality standards (e.g. IEC). Monte Carlo simulations were employed to further understand the behavior in multi-vehicle scenarios. The results reveal that harmonic distortion increases as the charging current decreases across both single and multiple vehicle charging instances. In case studies where several vehicles charge simultaneously, the findings show that as more EVs charge together, harmonic cancellation effects become more pronounced, leading to a gradual reduction in overall harmonic distortion. However, under worst-case conditions, the aggregate current THD can rise as high as 25%, with half of the tested vehicles surpassing the individual harmonic limits.