Impact of renewable energy micro-power plants on power grids over Africa

Impact of renewable energy micro-power plants on power grids over Africa

Providing electricity in African countries through the extension of the grid is very expensive, due to its highly distributed population. Thereby, the use of distributed renewable energy micro-power plants is the proposed solution. In this paper, we present the research studies at our laboratory to...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Energy (Oxford) Vol. 238; p. 121702
Main Authors: Terfa, H., Baghli, L., Bhandari, R.
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01-01-2022
Elsevier BV
Elsevier
Subjects:
Distributed generation
Electric power generation
Electric power grids
Electric power systems
Electricity distribution
Emulators
Energy
Engineering Sciences
Firebase database
Flow stability
Induction generators
Inverters
Micro-power plants
Microcontrollers
Photovoltaics
Power plants
Power system stabilizers
Prototypes
Renewable energy
Renewable resources
Smart grid
Transient stability
Turbines
Voltage controllers
Wind power
Wind turbines
Micro-power plants
Distributed generation
Power system stabilizers
Firebase database
Smart grid
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Summary:Providing electricity in African countries through the extension of the grid is very expensive, due to its highly distributed population. Thereby, the use of distributed renewable energy micro-power plants is the proposed solution. In this paper, we present the research studies at our laboratory to achieve building prototypes of smart distributed renewable energy micro-power plants. Four types of micro-power plants are being developed; a 1.5 kW Wind Turbine Emulator based on a Double Fed Induction Generator, a 1.5 kW Wind Turbine Emulator based on a Synchronous Generator, a 1.5 kW Photovoltaic system with Grid Tie Inverters and finally, a 250 W Photovoltaic micro-power plant connected through a self-made single-phase Grid Tie Inverter. In addition, we have a simulated power grid with conventional power plants, power system stabilizers and automatic voltage controllers and other modelled power plants running in real time on embedded processors (Raspberry PI3). To ensure the data flow between all these micro-power plants and the simulated power grid, we use a Firebase Database; the experimental benches send data and receive orders to/from the database thanks to Wi-Fi connected microcontrollers ESP8266. Load Flow and Transient Stability studies are considered. •Four experimental prototypes of micro-power plants are presented.•MPPT extraction algorithms are performed on the micro-power plants.•Communication technologies are the key to achieve the new approach on smart grids.•Intermittent renewable sources have negative impacts on power grid stability.•Power System Stabilizers are important to enhance the stability of power grids.
ISSN:0360-5442
1873-6785
DOI:10.1016/j.energy.2021.121702