Advanced Control Methods for Power Converters in DG Systems and Microgrids

In recent years, different advanced control methods have been successfully proposed as alternatives to conventional cascaded linear controllers for power converters in distributed generation systems and microgrids. The prime movers of this research are strong capabilities of advanced controllers to improve the dynamic performance and robustness of power electronic converters in these applications. This paper first introduces the key roles and functionalities of voltage source converters (VSCs) in distributed generation systems and microgrids. Then, it describes how these functionalities are achieved by using linear controllers, and addresses the fundamental dynamic performance limitations of such control approach. Afterwards, the most prominent advanced control methods are critically overviewed. In this context, the implementation principles, advantages and disadvantages of several prominent model- and data-based advanced control methods are critically discussed and experimentally compared. The paper ends with a discussion about promising research directions in the area of advanced control for power electronic converters.