Design and experimental investigations of an optimal controller in PEM fuel cell for load perturbations in microgrid energy management system

Abstract Non-conventional or renewable energy powered Distributed Generation (DG) plays a significant role in the generation of power, despite an increase of anthropogenic climate change. DG based renewable sources of energy, together with the utilization of fuel cells and micro turbines could meet a significant portion of energy demand. Benefits such as eco friendliness, extendibility and versatility have made distributed generation, operated by different renewable and non-conventional sources, an interesting prospect for present power grid configurations. This research analyzes the functioning of microgrid network with Fuel Cell (FC) and Solar Photo Voltaic (PV) cells as renewable sources of energy. FC is integrated along with solar PV energy source into the inverter distribution network, and it is planned to deliver active power to the distribution systems. This paper illustrates advantages of using the hybrid controller, i.e., Fractional Order Proportional Integral (FOPI) controller and the objective is to minimize the issues pertaining to power quality and ensure improved voltage regulation of the system’s power supply. Hybrid controller is suggested for the inverter because it helps in compensation of the reactive power, reduces sag, increases the power quality of the system and enhances the voltage stability. The microgrid system thus becomes more reliable at load end. Based on comprehensive simulations obtained from the proposed model in MATLAB / SIMULINK and experimental investigations, it has been demonstrated that the FOPI controller delivers satisfactory performance. The dynamic model of both systems along with the inverter and the control strategy are assessed to analyze the effect of these elements into the microgrid using real time measurements.The controller’s effectiveness is validated through simulation and experimental analysis, including power quality metrics that comply with IEEE 519 standards.