MPC‐based DC microgrid integrated series active power filter for voltage quality improvement in distribution system

Summary This paper presents a DC microgrid integrated series active power filter (Se‐APF) to improve the voltage profile of the utility distribution system under sag, swell, and harmonics scenario. The DC microgrid encompasses a solar photovoltaic generation unit and a composite energy storage unit (CESU). A lithium‐ion battery and supercapacitor as a CESU are envisioned in this work. Compared to conventional Se‐APF supported by the capacitor/battery storage, the integrated DC microgrid prolonged the operational features of the Se‐APF for voltage quality improvement and feeding the localized dc loads or charging the CESU occasionally from the PV generation system. Further, a power management algorithm is implemented to coordinate the operations of the sources in the DC microgrid to accomplish the above‐mentioned features. The Se‐APF and associated power converters in the DC microgrid are regulated by a nonlinear controller based on optimal switching vector‐model predictive control algorithm. The proposed control method can be used to help distribution networks with voltage fluctuations by offering much faster and more precise voltage regulation. The feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed control strategy are verified in MATLAB/Simulink platform and then validated in a real‐time simulation platform using Opal‐RT Lab real‐time simulator OP4510. This paper proposes a DC microgrid integrated series active power filter (Se‐APF) to improve the voltage profile of the utility distribution system under sag, swell, and harmonics scenarios. As compared to capacitive/battery‐supported Se‐APF, the capability of prolonged operation of the Se‐APF enhances with the support of a DC microgrid.