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A special issue of Energies (ISSN 1996-1073). This special issue belongs to the section "A: Sustainable Energy".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (18 April 2024) | Viewed by 4938

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Sherif Zaid

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Guest Editor

Electrical Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, University of Tabuk, Tabuk 47913, Saudi Arabia
Interests: renewable energy systems; power electronics; electrical drives

Dr. Ahmed Kassem

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Electrical Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, Sohag University, Sohag 82524, Egypt
Interests: Renewable energy systems; control systems and applications; artificial intelligence

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This special issue is dedicated to exploring the latest advancements in renewable energy systems, particularly solar and wind energy, and their integration with the grid. It aims to bring together experts from different fields to share their knowledge, experiences, and insights on the challenges and opportunities associated with the integration of renewable energy into the grid. The focus will be on topics such as:

Solar and wind energy systems and technologies
Grid integration and management of renewable energy systems
Energy storage systems for renewable energy integration
Transformerless inverters
Renewable energy policy, regulations, and incentives
Grid-scale renewable energy projects and case studies
Integration of renewable energy in microgrids and smart grids
Renewable energy and grid security, reliability, and stability
Renewable energy forecasting and demand response management
Economic and financial aspects of renewable energy integration

This special issue invites original research articles, reviews, case studies, and technical notes related to renewable energy systems and their integration with the grid. The goal is to provide a comprehensive overview of the current state-of-the-art and to promote further research and development in this field.

Dr. Sherif Zaid
Dr. Ahmed Kassem
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Energies is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

photovoltaic systems
wind energy systems
grid connected systems
microgrids
transformerless inverters

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

19 pages, 4899 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Development of a Hardware-in-the-Loop Platform for the Validation of a Small-Scale Wind System Control Strategy

by Juan Martínez-Nolasco, Víctor Sámano-Ortega, José Botello-Álvarez, José Padilla-Medina, Coral Martínez-Nolasco and Micael Bravo-Sánchez

Energies 2023, 16(23), 7813; https://doi.org/10.3390/en16237813 - 28 Nov 2023

Viewed by 1150

Abstract

The use of renewable energies contributes to the goal of mitigating climate change by 2030. One of the fastest-growing renewable energy sources in recent years is wind power. Large wind generation systems have drawbacks that can be minimized using small wind systems and DC microgrids (DC-µGs). A wind system requires a control system to function correctly in different regions of its operating range. However, real-time analysis of a physical wind system may not be feasible. An alternative to counteract this disadvantage is using real-time hardware in the loop (HIL) simulation. This article describes the implementation of an HIL platform in an NI myRIO 1900 to evaluate the performance of control algorithms in a small wind system (SWS) that serves as a distributed generator for a DC-µG. In the case of an SWS, its implementation implies nonlinear behaviors and, therefore, nonlinear equations, and this paper shows a way to do it by distributing the computational work, using a high-level description language, and achieving good accuracy and latency with a student-oriented development kit. The platform reproduces, with an integration time of 10 µs, the response of the SWS composed of a 3.5 kW turbine with a fixed blade pitch angle and no gear transmission, a permanent magnet synchronous generator (PMSG), and a three-phase full-bridge AC/DC electronic power converter. The platform accuracy was validated by comparing its results against a software simulation. The compared variables were the PMSG currents in dq directions, the turbine’s angular speed, and the DC bus’s voltage. These comparisons showed mean absolute errors of 0.04 A, 1.9 A, 0.7 rad/s, and 9.5 V, respectively. The platform proved useful for validating the control algorithm, exhibiting the expected results in comparison with a lab-scale prototype using the same well-known control strategy. Using a well-known control strategy provides a solid reference to validate the platform. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Renewable Energy Systems (Solar, Wind) and Grid Integration)

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23 pages, 8869 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Performance Signature of the Best Candidate-Graded Bandgap Materials for Solar Cells with Steady-State Conversion Efficiency

by Hazem M. El-Hageen, Ahmed Nabih Zaki Rashed, Hani Albalawi, Mohammed A. Alhartomi, Yousef H. Alfaifi, Madhi Tarikham Alsubaie and Mohamed A. Mead

Energies 2023, 16(19), 7001; https://doi.org/10.3390/en16197001 - 09 Oct 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 812

Abstract

This is a comprehensive research endeavor focused on enhancing the efficiency of the proposed solar cell design. The integration of the simulation techniques, judicious material selection, and meticulous performance metrics showcase a methodical approach toward creating a solar cell capable of achieving high efficiency across a wide spectrum of light in the AM 1.5 G1 sun solar cell illumination spectrum. Having said this, many researchers are still working on the efficiency potential—based on external radiative efficiency (ERE), open-circuit voltage loss, and fill factor loss—of high-efficiency solar cells. The solar cell is built on aluminum-doped zinc oxide (ZnO) as a transparent conductive oxide layer; aluminum nitride (AlN) as the window layer (emitter); an SWCNT layer as the absorber layer; gallium phosphide (GaP) as the contact layer; and silicon as the substrate. The proposed solar cell transmission, reflection, and absorption relative to the variations in wavelength band spectrum are studied. The conduction and valence band energy diagrams of the solar cell design structure are simulated against the layer thickness variations for the suggested solar cell structure. Short-circuit current density and maximum power variations are clarified versus the bias voltage. Light current density is simulated versus the bias voltage (J/V characteristics curve) of the suggested solar cell design structure. The carrier generation–recombination rate is also simulated by the COMSOL simulation program versus the layer thickness of the suggested solar cell structure. The solar cell circuit design has a fill factor (FF) value of 74.31% and a power conversion efficiency value of 29.91%. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Renewable Energy Systems (Solar, Wind) and Grid Integration)

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21 pages, 2101 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Exploring Dynamic P-Q Capability and Abnormal Operations Associated with PMSG Wind Turbines

by Shahinur Rahman, Shuhui Li, Himadry Shekhar Das, Xingang Fu, Hoyun Won and Yang-Ki Hong

Energies 2023, 16(10), 4116; https://doi.org/10.3390/en16104116 - 16 May 2023

Viewed by 1168

Abstract

With the proliferation of large-scale grid-connected wind farms, subsynchronous oscillation (SSO) incidents associated with Type-4 wind turbines (WTs) with a permanent magnet synchronous generator (PMSG) have occurred frequently. These incidents have caused severe reliability risks to the power grid. Conventionally, P-Q capability charts are utilized to ensure the safety operating region of a synchronous generator. However, a PMSG WT exhibits completely different and dynamic P-Q capability characteristics due to the difference in energy conversion technique and several critical factors related to the WT power converters. This paper presents a comprehensive dynamic P-Q capability study of a PMSG WT with sufficient and accurate considerations of the WT control and operation in the dq reference frame, its power converter constraints, and grid dynamics. Models of a PMSG WT are first developed based on its control principle in the dq reference frame. Then, algorithms for obtaining the P-Q capability charts of the WT are developed with the considerations of complete WT constraints in different aspects. The study analyzes the root cause of many abnormal operations of grid-connected PMSG WTs, reported in the literature, from the dynamic P-Q capability perspectives. The proposed study is verified via an electromagnetic transient (EMT) model of a grid-connected Type-4 WT. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Renewable Energy Systems (Solar, Wind) and Grid Integration)

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16 pages, 4614 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Model-Free Predictive Current Control of a 3-φ Grid-Connected Neutral-Point-Clamped Transformerless Inverter

by Sherif A. Zaid, Abualkasim Bakeer, Hani Albalawi, Adel M. Alatwi, Hassan Abdeldaim and Bassel Manqarah

Energies 2023, 16(7), 3141; https://doi.org/10.3390/en16073141 - 30 Mar 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1226

Abstract

Utility grid-tied photovoltaic (PV) installations are becoming a typical component of the current electrical energy grid. The adoption of transformerless inverters has recently changed the topology of these systems. Despite being small, inexpensive, and effective, transformerless inverters have a recurring leakage current issue. Numerous studies are being conducted to improve its performance and bring the leakage current down to acceptable levels. The studies propose three tracks for addressing the leakage current problem of transformerless PV systems: the control technique, the inverter modulation, and the inverter topology. This study applies the model-free predictive control (MFPC) technique to a grid-connected NPC 3-φ transformerless converter powered by a PV panel. An LCL filter connects the transformerless inverter to the grid. The system model considers the grid filter components and the internal impedance of the utility grid. The proposed system’s discrete model is established before describing the MFPC controller’s algorithm. The suggested system is simulated in MATLAB using the MFPC and a standard PI current controller with SVPWM modulation. According to the simulation’s findings, the MFPC controller performs best regarding current spectrum, THD, and earth leakage current. Additionally, MFPC-based systems are more efficient than those that use PI controllers. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Renewable Energy Systems (Solar, Wind) and Grid Integration)

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