Optimal Design and Modelling of Stand-Alone Photovoltaic-Wind Hybrid System with Adaptive-Fuzzy Controller

Abstract

This paper proposes an optimal approach for design of a hybrid photovoltaic (PV)- wind generating system with adaptive-fuzzy controller, which is based on discrete optimisation and energy balance calculations. The total capacity of the renewable system is determined based on estimated annual power consumption, average wind speed and sun radiation. Different structures of each unit are examined, and a discrete cost function is defined and optimised to determine the minimum number of PV and wind units. To improve system reliability under different operating and environmental conditions, a self-adjustable controller capable of maximum power point tracking (MPPT) of PV units and blade angle pitch control of wind turbines is designed, and energy balance calculation is performed. Using reference adaptive tables, the fuzzy controller allocates each decision unit and activates the required number of units in each farm to supply the average demand power. Simulation results are used to show the validity of the design and system behaviour under different environmental and loading conditions. Main contributions are the inclusion of renewable system configurations, capacities, environmental factors and maximum power point tracking in the optimisation procedure, as well as the utilisation of an adaptive-fuzzy controller.

Key Words:

• Photovoltaic farm
• wind turbine
• adaptive-fuzzy controller
• cost function
• energy balance

Additional information

Notes on contributors

S.M.M. Badejani

Seyed Mahdi Mousavi Badejani received his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Electrical Engineering in 1999 and 2001 from Isfahan University of Technology and Iran University of Science and Technology, Tehran, Iran, respectively. Presently he is a PhD student at Iran University of Science and Technology. His fields of interest include power electronics, PV and wind generation systems, and power system control.

M.A.S. Masoum

Mohammad AS Masoum received his BS, MS and PhD degrees in Electrical and Computer Engineering in 1983, 1985 and 1991, respectively, from the University of Colorado at Boulder, USA. He has published over 110 papers in his area of expertise. His research interests include optimisation, power quality and stability of power systems/electric machines and distributed generation. Currently, he is an Associate Professor at the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, Curtin University of Technology, Perth, Australia. He is a senior member of IEEE.

M. Kalantar

Mohsen Kalantar received his PhD from Indian Institute of Technology, New Delhi, India, in 1991. He is currently an Associate Professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering at Iran University of Science and Technology, Tehran, Iran. He is also member of the Center of Excellence for Power System Automation and Operation. He has more than 25 journal publications and has presented 75 papers at international conferences. His field of interest includes wind and solar power generation, power system dynamics and control, system stability and optimisation, power system deregulation, and FACTS devices.