Energy Management System for Smart Hybrid AC/DC Microgrids in Remote Communities

Abstract

This article proposes a new energy management system (EMS) for hybrid AC/DC microgrids (MGs) in remote communities. The major goal of the proposed EMS is to minimize the daily operational costs while supplying sufficient clean water to the remote community, meeting customers’ preferences, and maintaining the technical operational limits of the MG. To achieve this goal, the proposed EMS performs real-time supervisory control on all local controllers of all system assets in both generation and demand sides. On the generation side, distributed renewable and nonrenewable generation units are integrated into the system. Renewable sources of energy are controlled through a maximum power point tracking algorithm for increased efficiency, while nonrenewable DG units are controlled through droop parameters to satisfy the demand. On the demand side, optimal operational schedules for residential appliances and water desalination units are developed to satisfy customers’ requirements and achieve minimum operating costs. Moreover, the EMS controls the AC/DC interlinking converters (ICs) allowing bidirectional flow of power to and from both AC and DC sections of the MG. For practical real-time operation, the proposed EMS utilizes an adaptive rolling-time horizon when responding to changes/disturbances in the system or in user inputs. The assets scheduling problem is modeled as a mixed integer nonlinear programing. Simulation studies were conducted on a hybrid AC/DC MG to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed microgrid EMS.

Keywords:

• distributed generation
• energy management
• microgrid
• remote communities
• renewable energy resources

Acknowledgment

This publication was made possible by NPRP grant # NPRP 9-055-2-022 from the Qatar National Research Fund (a member of Qatar Foundation). The statements made herein are solely the responsibility of the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Sherin A. Helal

Sherin A. Helal received the B.Sc. degree in electrical engineering from the American University of Sharjah, Sharjah, UAE, in 2017. She is currently pursuing the Ph.D. degree in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada. Her research interests include storage systems, power quality, smart grid applications and integrated energy systems.

Maria Ossama Hanna

Maria Ossama Hanna received the B.Sc degree in electrical engineering from the American University of Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, in 2017, and is currently pursuing her M.Sc. degree in electrical engineering from the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada. She is a registered member of the IEEE student branch. Her current research interests include power system optimization in the context of smart grids, the operation of distribution systems, energy storage as well as transportation electrification.

Rawan Jamil Najee

Rawan Jamil Najee received the B.S. degree from the Department of Electrical Engineering, American University of Sharjah (AUS), Sharjah, United Arab Emirates in 2017. She is currently a Junior Electrical Design Engineer at National Engineering Bureau (NEB), Dubai, United Arab Emirates, where she specializes in building’s MV&LV distribution networks and low current systems. Her research interest is in the use of smart grids for the optimization of power distribution systems.

Mostafa F. Shaaban

Mostafa F. Shaaban received the B.Sc. and M.Sc. degrees in electrical engineering from Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt, in 2004 and 2008, respectively, and the Ph.D. degree in electrical engineering from the University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada, in 2014. Currently, he is an assistant professor at the Department of Electrical Engineering, American University in Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, and adjunct assistant professor at Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, University of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. His research interests include smart grid, renewable DG, distribution system planning, electric vehicles, storage systems, and bulk power system reliability.

Ahmed H. Osman

Ahmed H. Osman received the B.Sc. and M.Sc. degrees in electrical engineering from Helwan University, Cairo, Egypt, in 1991 and 1996, respectively, and the Ph.D. degree in electrical engineering from the University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada, in 2003. From 2004 to 2008, he was an Assistant Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Calgary. Currently, he is a Full Professor with the Department of Electrical Engineering, American University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates. He is a Senior Member of the IEEE. His research interests and activities include power system operation and power system protection.

Mohamed S. Hassan

Mohamed S. Hassan received the M.Sc. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, in 2000 and his Ph.D. in Electrical and Computer engineering from the University of Arizona, USA, in 2005. He is currently a Full Professor of electrical engineering at the American University of Sharjah. Recently, he was involved in multiple projects related to free space optical communications, electromagnetic shielding, demand response & smart grids, fiber optic sensors for infrastructure health monitoring applications, D2D, EVs charging systems. His research interests include multimedia communications and networking, wireless communications, cognitive radios, resource allocation and performance evaluation of wired networks and next generation wireless systems.