Experimental assessment of a BESS control system for reducing fuel

consumption and maintenance cost of diesel-hybrid mini-grids

Maninder Singh and Luiz A.C. Lopes
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Concordia University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Email: {mani_sin, lalopes} @encs.concordia.ca

Keywords: diesel-hybrid mini-grid, diesel genset, BESS, grid power injection, what is limited in the BESS. Besides, this
support mode, grid forming mode. BESS control system should form a balanced grid on the
highly unbalanced loads, during the genset less operation, to
Abstract: A battery energy storage system (BESS) was maintain uninterrupted power supply.
conceived to reduce fuel consumption and maintenance costs
of diesel-hybrid mini-grids [1]. It operates in 2 different The control scheme of the BESS is based on a cascaded inner
modes. In the genset support mode, it balances the load and current loop and outer voltage loop so that it can operate with
maintains a unity PF for genset, and it supplies/absorbs power ease in the genset support mode, and in the grid forming
to force the genset to operate in a desired power range. In the mode. A switch and a suitable logic are used for changing the
grid forming mode, it provides a balanced voltage to a reference current of the inner loop as required. The per-phase
possibly highly unbalanced load, common in small dq control strategy with ȕ emulation was proposed/ employed
autonomous power systems (mini-grids). In this paper, this in [1] to achieve aforesaid features. It was chosen because it
theoretical study is taken to the next level by implementing it allows independent control of each inverter leg, with zero
in the laboratory to assess its performance. error in the steady-state as well as good dynamic response
when connected to a grid and during the standalone
application.
1 Introduction
In the concerned BESS [1], the use of an intelligent
A local electrical network which is not connected to the main connection agent (ICA) [2] was reported for changing the
grid is known as mini-grid. In mini-grids, energy is usually mode of operation from one to another, smoothly. It
produced by a diesel power plant and it is then distributed to employed a dual SOGI-FLL for connecting/disconnecting
the neighbourhood customers (residential and commercial), purposes. In this paper, critical steps are presented along with
through a local distribution system. Mini-grids are usually the control design, which eliminates the need of an ICA, and
subject to highly variable load profiles, with peak loads 5 to now one could prevent undesired transient currents when
10 times the average load demand [1]. This requires the use of changing the mode of operation from genset support to grid
oversized diesel-generator sets (gensets) which will tend to forming and vice versa, in a simpler way.
operate in the low efficiency range for a bulk of time. This
increases fuel consumption, maintenance costs and gas 2 The Experimental Set-up
emissions [1]. When mini-grids use multiple types of energy
resources, such as diesel and photovoltaic (PV) or battery 2.1 The power circuit
energy storage system (BESS), they are called hybrid mini-
grids.
The schematic diagram of the power circuit of the system
used for verifying the performance of the proposed control
The concerned BESS control system for diesel-hybrid mini-
strategy of the BESS is shown in Fig. 1. It is based on a
grids was proposed in [1] and its performance was assessed
programmable inverter from Triphase®, (model PM10F30C)
by means of simulation results, only. In order to reduce the
which includes not only power converters but also gate drive
fuel consumption of the genset, the BESS control scheme was
circuits, sensors, breakers, protection elements and a target
designed to keep the genset operating in the high efficiency
PC for programming and control. The three-phase IGBT
range (typically 40% to 90% of its rated capacity), keeping a
power reserve for sudden load increases. It shall do so by inverter of the Triphase® system is the interface of the BESS.
absorbing and supplying active power whenever load profile The battery of the BESS is emulated by the diode rectifier
drives the genset outside the band of high efficiency. It should connected to Concordia’s grid and a controlled bleeding
also supply negative sequence component of the load current resistor so that the emulated battery can supply and absorb
into the grid for load balancing, so as to protect the active power to/from the AC grid. The AMETEK power
synchronous generator from overheating and vibrations. supply represents the genset and switchable loads represent
Finally, it should operate as a reactive power compensator so the Y-connected variable load of the mini-grid, which can be
that the full capacity of the genset can be used for active made balanced or unbalanced.

1
 Fig. 1. Schematic diagram of the constructed power circuit

2.2 The control strategy (and transition block)

The schematic diagram of the control system of the BESS is
shown in Fig. 2. The gating signals of the inverter are
generated by SPWM while the actual control loops are
implemented using per-phase dq control. The modulating
signal comes from a current loop whose reference signals,
comes either from an outer voltage loop, when the BESS
operates in the grid forming mode, or from an “Iref
generator” block, when it operates in the genset support
mode. In the latter case, the BESS should supply the negative
sequence component of the load current, thus balancing the
load, the load’s reactive power and force the genset to operate
in a desired power range (Pmin = 0.4 pu to Pmax = 0.9 pu). The
complete details of the circuit in Fig. 2 are presented in [1].
A new block used in this system is the PLL-synchronizer
shown in Fig. 3. The ‘Rated’ and ‘resyn’ signals are used to
drive the system from genset support to grid forming and
vice-versa, smoothly. This is achieved by changing the phase
of the reference signal for the BESS, to match it to the one
from the genset via an error detector, and PI loop as well as a
rate limiter. The genset peak and genset frequency are
extracted using a per-phase second-order generalised
integrator based quadrature signal generator PLL (SOGI-QSG
PLL) [3]. The rated peak and rated frequency values are the
rated mini-grid distribution parameters.
Fig. 2 Basic control scheme of the BESS
3 Performance Verification
The system depicted in Fig. 1 was used for verifying the
performance of the proposed BESS control system. The
voltage and frequency of the distribution grid are 208 VLL and
60 Hz, respectively. The rated power of the genset is assumed
to be 2 kW and the BESS is expected to keep it operating in
the range of 800 W to 1.8 kW, 0.4 to 0.9 pu, in order to keep
it operating in the high efficiency range as well as to keep
some spinning reserve. It is assumed that the rated capacity of
the BESS is appropriate for supplying the load by itself, and
the DC bus is set at 500 V. The loads are Y-connected.
The tests to be conducted is to verify the performance of the
control strategy for the BESS operating in the grid support
mode, grid forming mode as well as intentional islanding and
synchronization to the genset. Fig. 3 PLL and synchronisation block

2
3.1 BESS in genset support mode
The first test regards the performance of the BESS for
injecting the negative sequence component of the load current
so that the genset will operate supplying balanced power. Fig.
4 shows the waveforms of the output voltage of the genset,
the load (Za = 44Ÿ, Zb = 22Ÿ and Zc = 11Ÿ) currents and the
filter inductor current of the BESS. Ideally one would show
the output current of the BESS inverter, but this was not
possible since there were not enough current sensors and
sensing the current of the filter inductor of the inverter was
essential to implement the current control loop. The
waveforms were obtained directly from the signals available
in the Triphase® inverter control environment. The filter
inductor current, although unbalanced as expected, does not
present the high frequency ripple, probably due to inherent
low-pass filter in the output of the current sensor. In order to
verify the impact of the BESS, the current waveforms of the
“genset” as measured in the AMETEK environment, with and
without the BESS are shown in Fig. 5, where one can see the
effectiveness of the proposed technique.
Next, the performance of the BESS for keeping the power
supplied by the genset within the 800 W to 1.8 kW range is
verified. As shown in Fig. 6 (a) and (b), initially when the
load is (Za = 44Ÿ, Zb = 22Ÿ, Zc = 11Ÿ) the BESS does not
provide any active power and minimum reactive. As the load
demand increases (Za = 44Ÿ, Zb = 11Ÿ, Zc = 11Ÿ) the BESS
supplies the additional power to maintain some spinning
reserve in the system. The same good results can be seen in
Fig. 6 (c) and (d) when the load demand reduces (Za = Zb =
Zc = 44Ÿ) and the BESS absorbs about 275 W so as to keep a
minimum load in the genset.
Fig. 5. Genset (AMETEK) currents: a) without BESS support
3.2 BESS in grid forming mode and b) with BESS support.

In the grid forming mode, the BESS should provide balanced 2500
load
voltages to unbalanced loads. The results for a Y-connected 2000 BESS
balanced load (Za = Zb = Zc = 44Ÿ) are shown in Fig. 7(a), 1500
Power [W]

grid voltage formed and Fig. 7(b) load currents. The voltage
1000
distortion due to the switching harmonics is very low. The
500
THD of this BESS grid voltage is calculated to be 0.94%.
0
200
-500
VPCC [V]

(a) (c)
0

-200
(a)
200
10
Reactive [VAr]

100
ILoad [A]

0
0
-10
(b) -100
5 -200
Iindctor [A]

0 100 101 102 103 104 105 100 100.5 101 101.5 102
Time [s] Time [s]
-5 (b) (d)
206 206.02 206.04 206.06 206.08
Time [s] Fig. 6. BESS in genset support mode: a) and b) real and
(c)
reactive power of the BESS and the load, during peak load
Fig.4. Negative sequence current supplied by BESS inverter: condition; c) and d) during low load condition.
a) PCC voltage; b) unbalanced load current; c) inverter
current of BESS.

3
 200 200

100
100

VPCC [V]
VLOAD [V]

0
0
-100
-100
-200
186.5 186.51 186.52 186.53 186.54 186.55
-200 (a)
(a) 8

4
5

I LOAD [A]
0
I LOAD [A]

-4
0
-8
186.5 186.51 186.52 186.53 186.54 186.55
Time [s]
(b)
-5
38.5 38.51 38.52 38.53 38.54 38.55
Time [s]
Fig. 9. BESS grid forming on an unbalanced load in steady
(b) states: a) load voltage; b) load current.
Fig. 7. BESS grid forming on a balanced load: a) load
voltage; b) load current.
200

Then, for the second test, the Y-connected load configuration 100

VLOAD [V]
is made unbalanced (Za = Zc = 44Ÿ and Zb = 22Ÿ). The 0
transient response of the BESS is presented in Fig. 8, where -100
the PCC voltages are shown. Fig. 9 shows the PCC voltage
-200
and load currents in the steady state. The THD of this voltage (a)

is computed to be 1.69%. 4

For the third test, the load is made highly unbalanced by 2

changing the load configuration to Za = Zb = 44 Ÿ and Zc =
I LOAD [A]

0
1kŸ. This situation is close to the grid forming with one line
-2
open, which means that a three-phase inverter is supplying a
single phase load. Fig. 10(a) shows the balanced load voltage -4
135 135.01 135.02 135.03 135.04 135.05
Time [s]
formed by the BESS inverter and Fig. 10(b) shows the highly (b)
unbalanced current drawn by the loads. The THD of this
BESS grid voltage shown is computed to be 2.1%. Fig. 10. BESS grid forming on highly unbalanced load: a)
load voltage; b) load current.
The adopted BESS control strategy has successfully formed a
balanced grid with a low THD of 2.1% in the worst case 3.3 Smooth transition between modes
scenario, which is acceptable according to the IEEE standard The first test concerns the transition from genset support to
519 which establishes harmonic limit on voltage as 5 %. Thus the grid forming mode. In such a case, the BESS control
the implemented control strategy is capable of forming a grid system should first unload the genset, and then open the
on highly unbalanced loads. genset breakers (K2 in Fig. 1). This process can be seen in
Fig. 11, which starts when ‘gs2f’ signal changes to 1, taking
200 1.65 sec to completely unload it. Refer to [1] for the
phase 'a'
V PCC [V]

0
unloading mechanism. Once genset is unloaded, the ‘mode’
signal changes to 0, as shown in Fig. 12(c), which opens the
-200
183 183.5 184 184.5 185 185.5 186 186.5 187 genset breaker. Then, grid is formed and regulated by the
(a) BESS, using the outer voltage loop shown in Fig. 12. While
200
the ‘mode’ signal changes at 542.84 sec, a change in PCC
phase 'b'
V PCC [V]

0 voltage only appears at 542.88 sec, due to the delay in the

genset breaker operation. After that, Fig. 13 presents the
-200
183 183.5 184 184.5 185 185.5 186 186.5 187 transfer of the control from the genset voltage sensor to the
(b)
rated parameters, using the designed control loop.
200
phase 'c'
V PCC [V]

It is important to mention that the genset output voltage

0
cannot be controlled by the BESS, so for the grid forming to
-200
183 183.5 184 184.5 185 185.5 186 186.5 187
the genset support transition, the BESS has to adjust its
(c) voltages to synchronize to the genset and safely close the
genset breaker and change its mode of operation. Fig. 14
Fig. 8. PCC voltage waveforms during a load
shows when BESS driving itself to synchronize with the
variation: a) phase ‘a’; b) phase ‘b’; c) phase ‘c.’
genset output voltage using designed synchronization loop. It

4
is clear in Fig. 14(d), (e) and (f) that the BESS has
200
synchronized with the genset, after 2.7 sec.

VPCC [V]
0
Since the BESS has synchronized with the genset, so now it is
safe to connect them together, to be able to change the mode -200
(a)
of operation from grid forming to genset support. Fig.15 (a)
200
shows the PCC voltage, which shows the transient when

Vgenset [V]
genset is connected to the PCC. A disturbance is observed at 0
110.035 sec, it is the moment when genset is connected to the
PCC. It is to be noted that this disturbance has delayed, after -200
(b)
the ‘mode’ signal, which directly controls the genset breaker,
2

rated and Resyn

changes to 1; this delay corresponds to the closing time of the rated
genset breaker. Finally the genset is loaded smoothly, shown 1

signals
Resyn

in Fig. 16, by changing ‘gs2f’ signal back to 1, to resume the 0

normal operation of the BESS. -1

48.2 48.21 48.22 48.23 48.24 48.25
Time [s]
(c)
1500
Fig. 13. BESS genset support to grid forming transient step 2:
Power [W]

1000
a) voltage at PCC; b) voltage at genset; c) ‘rated’ and ‘Resyn’
500 load
BESS signals.
0
(a)
200
200
Reactive [VAr]

100
VPCC [V]

0 0
-100
-200 -200
(b)
(a) (d)
2
200
gs2f signal

Vgenset [V]

1 100
0 0
-1 -100
27.5 28 28.5 29 29.5 30 30.5 31
Time [s] -200
(c) (b) (e)
'rated' and 'Resyn'

2
Fig. 11. Smooth unloading of genset: a) real power curve of 1
signals

the load and the BESS; b) reactive power curve of the load
0 rated
and the BESS; c) ‘gs2f’ signal Resyn
-1
204.5 204.52 204.54 207.2 207.22 207.24
200 Time [s] Time [s]
(c) (f)
VPCC [V]

0 Fig. 14. Grid forming to genset support transient, step 1: (a)

and (d) voltages at the PCC; (b) and (e) genset voltages; (c)
-200
(a)
and (f) ‘rated’ and ‘Resyn’ signals.
5
I LOAD [A]

200
0
VPCC [V]

0
-5
(b)
-200
(a)
2
'mode' signal

1 5
I LOAD [A]

0
-1 0
-2
542.82 542.84 542.86 542.88 542.9 542.92 542.94 -5
Time [s] (b)
(c)
2

Fig. 12. BESS genset support to grid forming transient step 1: 1

mode

a) voltage at PCC; b) load current; c) ‘mode’ signal. 0

-1
110 110.01 110.02 110.03 110.04 110.05 110.06
Time [s]
(c)

Fig. 15. Grid forming to genset support transient, step 2: a)

voltage at PCC; b) load current; c) ‘mode’ signal

5
 1500
Power [W]

1000

500 Load
BESS
0
38.5 39 39.5 40 40.5 41
(a)
200
Reactive [VAr]

-200
38.5 39 39.5 40 40.5 41
(b)
2
'gs2f' singanl

-1
38.5 39 39.5 40 40.5 41
Time [s]
(c)

Fig. 16. Smooth loading of genset: a) real power curve of the

BESS and the load; b) reactive power curve of the BESS and
the load; c) ‘gs2f’ signal.

Conclusion
The experimental assessment of the BESS [1] is presented in
this paper which until now was assessed by simulation results
only. The constructed power circuit used to assess it is also
presented in this paper. In the assessment, the BESS is tested
for genset support mode, grid forming mode and while
changing the mode from one to another. From the results
presented, throughout this paper, it is concluded that this
BESS control strategy is high effective for genset support
mode, grid forming mode and during the transients. Also, the
reliability of the designed synchronization loop to eliminate
the need for an ICA has been proven.

References
[1] Ninad, N.A.; Lopes, L.A.C., "A BESS control system for
reducing fuel-consumption and maintenance costs of
diesel-hybrid mini-grids with high penetration of
renewables," 2013 IEEE ECCE Asia Down-under
(ECCE Asia), 3-6 June 2013, Melbourne Australia,
pp.409-415.

[2] Rocabert, -$]HYHGR*06/XQD$*XHUUHUR-0

&DQGHOD -, 5RGUtJXH] 3 ,QWHOOLJHQW &RQQHFWLRQ
Agent for Three-Phase Grid-Connected Microgrids,"
Power Electronics, IEEE Transactions on, vol.26, no.10,
pp.2993,3005, Oct. 2011

[3] Zong, Q; Hornik, T. “Conventional Synchronisation

Techniques”, in Control of Power Inverters in Renewable
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& Sons, 2013, 22, 22.5, pp.367-369.