Modeling and Reactive Power Control of Wind and Fuel Cell Technologies in Distribution Networks

Abstract

An integrated scheme of wind and fuel cell renewable energy technologies in distribution networks for electrical energy generation from renewable resources is digitally simulated and presented in this paper. The integrated system has four key subsystems or components to supply the required electric loads. The first subsystem includes the renewable generation sources from Wind turbines and fuel cell stacks. The second represents the added inverter between the Fuel cell collection DC bus and the point of common coupling PCC with the AC distribution network. The third device is the static synchronous compensator STATCOM to provide the required reactive power for voltage regulation at the bus of PCC. The fourth subsystem comprises mainly of two PI controllers. The first controller main function is to regulate the hydrogen flow to the fuel cell, while the second one is used to control the switching action of the STATCOM converter for injecting the required reactive power. The integrated system and the associated subsystems are fully validated for efficient operation under normal or fault conditions using the Matlab/Simulink/SimPower software environment.