Coordinated control and fault protection investigation of a renewable energy integration facility with solar PVs and a micro-turbine

Abstract

In this paper, a renewable energy integration facility (REIF) with photovoltaic (PV) distributed generation resources for micro-grid applications is studied. In grid-tied operation, the PV system together with the grid supply the power to the local loads while the surplus energy is fed back to the grid. In stand-alone mode, a gas micro-turbine is operated as a master to establish the common AC bus voltage to which the PV inverters can synchronize The experimental results demonstrate the stable operation of the REIF under various generation and load conditions. The power quality can meet the IEEE Standard 1547. Furthermore, the responses of the REIF under different fault conditions are investigated. Relevant protection mechanisms are then developed, providing insights into the fault protection for the future grid.