Two-Loop Distributed Optimal Secondary Voltage Control of an Islanded Microgrid with Multiple Distributed Generators

Integration of large-scale distributed generators (DGs) (such as wind turbines, solar photo-voltaic, fuel cells, and so on) into the microgrid triggers voltage deviation which can give rise to desynchronization and distortion of power flow. To solve this problem, this article presents a distributed optimal secondary voltage control to synchronize the output voltage deviations of the DGs to zero. Instead of designing a distributed linear optimal control for the DGs linearized near an operating point as in the existing literature, a two-loop control structure comprising an inner-loop and outer loop is put in place. The inner-loop linearizes the nonlinear dynamics of each of the DGs. Then, the outer-loop which consists of the optimal distributed controller solves an optimization problem with the aim to minimize the voltage deviation of each DG by exchanging information with neighbouring DGs through a communication network. The proposed control technique will force the voltage deviations of the DGs to zero based on consensus. The efficacy of the proposed technique is confirmed by simulation studies.