DOI: https://doi.org/10.15368/theses.2022.88
Available at: https://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/theses/2495
Date of Award
6-2022
Degree Name
MS in Electrical Engineering
Department/Program
Electrical Engineering
College
College of Engineering
Advisor
Majid Poshtan
Advisor Department
Electrical Engineering
Advisor College
College of Engineering
Abstract
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo’s Electrical Engineering Department and the Power Energy Institute have developed a microgrid laboratory with various generators, loads, and protection systems over the past several years. To improve and make the Cal Poly microgrid laboratory more realistic, this thesis outlines the process of improving the EE microgrid setup by adding a wind energy generation system via an induction generator, excitation capacitors, and a protection relay. By adding an induction generator, the microgrid system becomes more resilient to sudden power fluctuations by maintaining a stable voltage and frequency when the microgrid is islanded. To test this, a disturbance was introduced to the islanded microgrid by turning on and off the pump motor load for one second and by adding a torque load.
Without the wind energy system, the system frequency drops below 59.7Hz causing the microgrid to collapse. However, with the wind energy system, the microgrid frequency is kept above 59.7Hz and can remain operational even if the pump motor is loaded to 2 lb•in. This is due to the large inertia the induction generator contains. This is further investigated by creating a Simulink model that models a wind turbine system with wind fluctuations. The model shows that by having a large rotating mass, the inertia keeps the output power stable even if there are rapid wind speed fluctuations.