DC Micro-grid Based Distribution Power Generation System
Youichi It0 Yang Zhongqing
Mayway Labs Co., Ltd
Yokohama 222-0033, Japan
ity@myway-labs.co.jp
Abstract- This paper describes an autonomous-control
method for a dc micro-grid system having distribution
power generators. This system consists of following five
generation and control units; a solar-cell generation unit, a
wind-turbine generation unit, a battery energy-storage
unit, a flywheel power-leveling unit, and an ac
grid-connected power control unit. The proposed control
method intended for suppression of circulating current
detects only the dc grid voltage. Each unit could be
controlled autonomously without wmmunicatiig each
other. This method brings high reliability, high-flexibility
and maintenance-free operation to the system.
Experimental results from a l0kW-prototype system
verify the validity and effectiveness of the proposed
control metbad.
Keywords- dc micro-grid, Distribution generation, Solar-cell
generation, Wind-iurbine generution, Power-leveling,
Flywheel, Autonomous control
I. INTRODUCTION
Small-scale distribution systems with solar cell and
wind turbine generators in a range of 10 to 100 kW have
become interesting in recent years. Advantages of the
system are following; low construction cost, short
comlructiou period many installation places. The
distribution generation systems appear advantageous
when they are set up in a remote region, such as a solitary
island, or developing countries, where neither utility
power transmission network nor power supply line
exists. With the progress of power electronics
technology, cost and efficiency of these small-scale
power generation iystems have been improved rapidly.
Nowadays, the generation cost and efficiency have been
almost the same as those in thermal power generation.
This paper proposes a dc-grid system having
distribution power generators. This system needs to
cons6uct a special dc transmission line. However, if its
installation place is limited to a local area such as in a
building, a factory and in a small city or a town, this will
not bring a big a fault against a conventional ac-grid
system. The dc-grid system takes the following
advantages over a conventional ac-grid system: 1) Each
power supply connected with the dc gird can be easily
operated cooperatively because they control only the
dc-grid voltage. 2) When the ac utility line falls into
abnormal or fault conditions, the dc-grid system is
switched to stand-alone operation in which the generated
power is suppliedto the loads connected with the dc grid.
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Hirofmi Akagi
. Tokyo Institute of Technology
Meguro-ku, Tokyo, Japan
3) Changes in the generated power and the
load-consumedpower can be compensated as a lump of
power in the dc gird. 4) The system cost and loss can be
reduced because only one ac grid connected inverter is
needed.
From the viewpoint of the system reliability,
extendibility and maintainability, the followings are
required for these power units connected with the dc
grid: 1) The units can be connected to, or disconnected
from, the active dc gird. 2) Other units with different
power ratings can be connected to the dc gird in the near
future. 3) No signal and data communication is made
among the existing units.
This paper presents an autonomous-control method
which can meets the above-mentioned demands. The
autonomous control can be achieved by using only the
dc-grid voltage as common information. The problem is
the circulating current among the units when each nnit
connected to the dc gird. The circulating current may
flow among the units when a voltage difference exists
among them. To suppress the circulating current, the
proposed method pays attention to the dc-side output
characteristic of the unit, controls each unit as follows.
Each generation unit such as solar cell, wind turbine is
controlled as the current source. The ac-grid inverter and
energy-storage units are controlled to give equivalent
impedance to the dc side. The input or output power of
the unit depends on the equivalent impedance.
This paper has designed and conshucted an
experimental system based on a 10-kW dc micro-grid
system having a solar-cell generator unit, a wind turbine
generator unit, an electric power storage unit,
power-leveling unit, and an ac-grid connected inverter
unit. Experiment results show as follows: No circulating
current flows among the units. An appropriate amount of
the generated power is cooperatively allotted to both the
ac grid inverter unit and the storage unit with output
impedance characteristics. The power-leveling unit is
controlled to compensate for the power change caused
by sudden changes in the power generators and loads.
11.CONFIGURATION OF DC-MIROGRID SYSTEM
Fig 1 shows the configuration of a l0kW dc-grid
based distribution power generation system. The system
consists of five units; the solar-cell generation unit, the
wind-turbine generation unit, the battery energy-storage
control unit, the flywheel power-leveling unit, and !he

SaIler-celI generatlo“ ““lt
Basat d d d c chaooaer
n
E€ load
Figure 1 . lOkW dc-grid diseibution power generation system (prototype)
ac-grid-connected inverter unit .The power generated by
the solar cell and the wind turbine is supplied to the dc
load through the dc grid. A siwplns power is charged to
the battery. The inverter sends the surplus power into the
ac gird when the battery is a full charge. When the
amount of the power generation is insufficient, the
battery discharges the power into the dc grid. The
inverter takes the power from the dc grid system when
the b a t t q has no power. The flywheel smoothes
changes in power generation. The changes are caused by
changes in the sun and/or wind conditions.
Io general, the main circuit configuration of each unit
is well known among power electronics engineers. The
ac-grid inverter unit, the wind turbine unit and the
power-leveling unit adopt three-phase voltage-fed
converter to control ac power into dc power or vice
versus. The ac grid unit has an LC filter at the ac side.
The solar-cell unit adopts a boost dc/dc chopper to raise
the dc input voltage 50 to 320V up to about 345V. The
battery unit uses bi-directional dc/dc chopper for the
charge of discharge of the battery. Each unit has a dc
electrolysis capacitor in the dc gird side.
111. CONTROL METHOD FOR DC-GRIDSYSTEM
For each unit, it is important how to control the
dc-grid voltage to suppress circulating current. One of
the best methods is to introduce the so-called
“autonomous control” that communicates no
DC id
AC i r i d conneoted inverter Unit
1
lhree+ase
2wv 5oHz
Energy-atoram unit
latter , e t
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576Ah
12v 2 1 h
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information among the units, when reliability, expansion
and maintenance are considered. A voltage difference
exists due to control and detection errors. If each unit
controls independently the dc output voltage, that is, the
dc-grid voltage, an excessive circulating current may
flow in the dc gird. Each unit should keep the circulating
current zero to connect into the dc grid system. A
suitable control method for each unit is shown in the
followings.
A. Control methodfor grid inverler unit and battery
energy-storage unit
In the battery energy-storage unit, the DC voltage
controller makes the current reference I,(* so that the dc
voltage Vk reaches its reference Vk*. The current
controller handles the PWM of the chopper so that the
battery current Ib, follows Ib,*. The battery charging or
discharging controller gives I,, zero if the battery
becomes hill charge or empty. In the grid inverter unit,
the dc voltage controller makes the current reference Iec *
that the DC voltage Vdc reaches its reference Vdc *. The
current controller handles the PWM of the converter so
that the ac grid current L follows I,, *.
The battely unit and the grid inverter unit have the dc
voltage controller respectively. The output characteristic
of each unit looks a voltage source. If there is an error in
the voltage control for each unit, a circulating current
flows. To reduce this ciment easily, only an impedance
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Figure 2. DC voltage control system for ac-grid-connected
inverter or energy-starageunit, (a) equivalent circuit far the dc
output side in theunit, (b) dcvoltagecontralsystem adding B path
of dc output current
component has to be put to between the output of each
unit and the dc grid. However, this method is so
impractical that connecting the component is
accompanied by increased loss, cost, and size in each
unit. See Fig. 2(a). Hence, Fig. 2(a) shows a solution
proposed in this paper. The dc voltage 'control system
takes the following feedback process. The output dc
current of the unit I , is detected, and it is multiplied by
gain K. This resultant signal is subtracted from the
voltage reference V,*.
If the dc voltage Vdcfollows V,*, the output voltage
of the unit becomes as follows;
Vcic = Vric~- K I d r
K I, shows the voltage drop, and K seems an
equivalent resistance. Therefore, even if the resistance is
not actually inserted, the circulating current can be
controlled by adding the path K 16.
B. Design of K.
Because equivalent impedance is a resistive, K gets a
real constant. The rated voltage in the dc gird is
345Vi8V, andJhe rated power of the unit is 1OkW. K is
given by the following equation.
K = A V, V,, / PI,= 0.27 R
Where A V, is voltage-changing value of 8V, Vkminis
lower limit of Vk,which is equal to 3 3 N , P" is rated
power of 1OkW.
Fig 3 shows a relation between the output voltage V,
and the output current I,. The area with which the
I I I
.o
I
A
/I I
E
I
-20. 1A 0"tD"t current I* *20.7A
Figure3. Charactenstics of dc-gnd voltage to dc output current
inclination is enclosed in equivalent resistance and the
line shows the rated electric power.
If other unit with different capacity is connected to
the dc gird, the equivalent resistance K is calculated
using equation (2). In case of a 5-kW unit, K takes 0.54.
In Fig. 3 the broken l i e shows a relation between the
output voltage V, and the output current for the 5-kW
unit. The 5-kW unit and the 10-kW unit are connected to
the dc grid and Vdc reaches 340V. The current value
feeding from each unit is as follows
I,,ok= (345-340)/0.27 =18SA(point B on Fig 3) (3)
= (345-340) /OS4 = 9.25A (point A on Fig 3) (4)
Iksk
Where Zdclokis the current flowing froml0-kW wits to
the dc gird, I&5k is the current flowing from 5-kW units to
the dc gird.
Each unit can cany any current within its current rating.
C. Control ofgeneration unit
(1) In the solar-cell generation unit, the MPPT,
maximum power point tracking, controller makes the
current reference I, * so that the generation power stays
the max power. The current controller operates the boost
chopper with the PWM. The generation limiter limits I,
to a suitable value, when the dc-gird voltage exceeds the
maximum voltage. In the wind-turbine generation unit,
the MPPT controller makes the speed reference 0 * so
that the generation power stays the max power. The seed
controller generates the current reference of the torque
component Ivg,,* so that the wind-turbine rotor speed 0
follows 0 *. The current controller handles the inverter
with the PWM. The generation limiter limits * to a
suitable value, when the dc gird voltage exceeds the
(2) maximum voltage.
The solar and wind-tnrbine generation units control
as the current sources in the dc grid. See Fig.4. Each unit
outputs the dc current which is equal to the reference
given from the MPPT controller. The dc voltage is not
control. There is no circulating between the generation
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 m m :
' IQ"' Vlsf
Figure 4. DC output control of generation unit, (a) equivalent
circuit of dC side in generation unit, (b) current controller of
solar-cell unit
units and the other units to connect the unit as the current
source.
The dc grid voltage is dominated by the units which
control the dc-grid voltage. For example, when only one
generation unit and one ac-grid inverter are connected to
the dc grid, the dc grid voltage is considered as follows.
Fig 4(a) indicates an equivalent circuit. When the
generator outputs 10A equivalent resistance of the
ac-gird inverter is 0.27. the dc-grid voltage V&calculates
Vk = 345 + 0.27 x 10 347.7 V
D. Control ofpower-leveling unii
The power-leveling unit absorbs and levels the pulse
power in the dc grid. Pulse power is caused by the
generation output current or load current change. A
component that the dc-grid voltage pulses is sum total
IC& of the current which flows into the electrolysis
capacitor in each unit in Fig. 5. The power-leveling unit
can compensate the pulse power if direct current output
current I d f i becomes as well as lcdc. Here, change
component AVcdtof the dc gird is estimated by using that
the dc gird voltage is passed through the high-pass filter.
Then, the PI compensator manipulates the slip frequency
of the induction machine which drives the fly- wheel so
that this voltage AVch becomes zero. Cut-off frequency
1 / T ofthe high-pass filter can adjusts frequency range
of the pulse element.
E. Cooperated control between AC grid inverler unit
and energy storage unit
In the case of distribution system with a battery
energy storage unit, when the generation power remains
for the load power, it is important to save the excess
electric power in the storage unit. When the generation
power is insuflicient it is necessaly to discharge the
power from the storage unit. You should not take the
power from the ac-grid system as much as possible.
However, the ac-gird inverter unit and the storage unit
~ 319v
Enerwrtorage unit
(5)
/1 I I I
bi b2 a1
/I
a2
I
-29 IA Output dc current Id0 *29 7A
Figure 6 Share of dc Power between dc-gridiannected inverter
and energy-storage unit
evenlyallot the power in the control method described in.
the foregoing paragraph. Then, the equivalent resistance
characteristic of the ac-grid inverter unit and the storage
unit is made changeable according to the valne of the '
dc-gird voltage as shown in Fig 6.
When equivalent resistance of the storage unit is
much smaller than equivalent resistance of the ac-grid
unit, and +6V is exceeded in the range of 345V*6V,
equivalent resistance of the storage unit grows more than
equivalent resistance of the ac gird unit in this figure. For
instance, at 16A of the generation power and 349V of the
dc grid voltage, the ac-gird inverter by allotting flows
lA(point a2), and the storage unit flows 15A(point al).
The storage is prior done from the resurrection to the
system. At 38A of the generation power and 352.5V of
the DC grid voltage, the AC gird inverter by allotting
flows ZlA(point b2), and the storage unit flows
27A@oint bl). The storage is prior done from the
resurrection to the system. Equivalent resistance of the
ac-grid unit becomes small, the ac-grid unit absorbs the
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power to which the power storage unit cannot be
absorbed. And, the electric power resurrects to the ac
grid.
IV. EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS
Fig. 5 shows experimental results oftbe lOkW dc-grid
system of Fig. 1. These units adopt the control algorithms
described on the above section. On the storage unit, the
upper level of the charging current is SA. The
wind-turbine generator did not generate power at all
because it is windless for the experiment period. In Fig.
5(a), generation power of the solar generator units
increases gradually on the period A. The storage unit
prior charges this power because the equivalent
resistance ofthe storage unit is smaller than that of the ac
grid inverter unit. The storage unit becomes the state that
the batteries are charged by constant current, then the
ac-gird inverter unit transmits the power generated by
the solar cell unit to the ac gird.
At point B. the ac-grid inverter unit and the storage
unit cannot absorb the power generated by the solar cell
unit and the solar-cell unit decreases rapidly the
generation power. After that, the solar-cell unit generates
the power again. At this time, the flywheel unit
compensates for the sudden power change. The load of
4kW is tumed on with C point. The flywheel unit
compensates for the sudden load change in this case.
Fig. 9(b) shows that the solar-cell unit operates at a
maximum power point. There is a 4kW load in the dc
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gird. The battery is charged 5A of constant current. The
ac grid inverter feeds an excess power to the ac gird.
At the point A, after the load changes from 4kW to
OkW, ac grid is fault. The ac grid inverter detects the
power fault and stops for 15 sec. The surplus power
remains in the dc gird. The solar-cell unit reduces the
generation.
The load changes from OkW to 4kW again and the
battery unit supplies the power to the dc gird because the
ac-grid inverter unit stops. At this time, the flywheel unit
campensates sudden load change. As the power
generated by the solar-cell unit is increasing, the power
fed by batteiy units is decreasing.
V. CONCLUSIONS
This paper presented a dc-micro gird based power
generation system with solar cell generation and wind
turbine generation. A new control method is proposed to
suppress the circulating current among each unit using
only the dc-gird voltage. The experimental system of
lOkW showed its validity. The experimental results
clarified that each unit worked according to the rule, and
neither the circulating current nor the current vibration
exist in the dc grid.
In the future, we will analyze compensation effects
of the power-leveling unit with flywheel, transition
stability of the dc-grid system, and reliability
consideration of the system.
 , . . .., . . .

r i p e 7. Experimental results

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