Simulation of an Islanded DC Microgrid Using Instantaneous and Average Modeling Approaches

Abstract

With the proliferation of renewable energy sources and the adoption of several policies to reduce environmental risks caused by traditional polluting sources, the concept of microgrids, especially DC microgrids, is currently gaining interest. In fact, most renewable energy sources (RESs) and loads are inherently DC type. Moreover, DC microgrids offer many merits over AC ones in terms of ease of control and efficiency. While most of researches address the control hierarchy and strategy in DC microgrids, this paper focuses on the modeling and simulation aspect. A typical configuration of an islanded DC microgrid is modeled in MATLAB/Simulink, and a primary-level control strategy is adopted where two approaches of converters modeling are tested: instantaneous and average model. The two approaches of modeling are compared in terms of precision of losses modeling, dynamic response of the system, simulation time, and computational burden. Simulation tests are conducted, and the results show that, despite its accuracy, the instantaneous model can be applied only for short-term simulations due to many limitations, whereas average converter modeling presents a better solution for long-time simulations, since it ensures a tradeoff between model accuracy and simulation time, which makes the application of the three levels of hierarchical control in DC Microgrids valid in one simulation model.