International Journal of Research in Computer and ISSN(Online) 2278-5841

Communication Technology, Vol 2, Issue 9, September -2013 ISSN (Print) 2320-5156

Load frequency control in Microgrid

Abhas Kumar Singh, Chandrpal singh, Nitish Kumar Yadav,
Electrical Engineering department
National Institute of Technology
Hamirpur, India
[email protected], [email protected], [email protected],

output through these DGs can be changed

Abstract-- The objective of this paper is to design a instantaneously. A micro-grid can operate either in
Load Frequency Control (LFC) mechanism using a grid connected or islanded mode. The available
Battery Storage System (BSS) and Diesel Generation power of all DG units should meet the total load
(DG) units for an isolated microgrid system. Load demand for islanded operation; otherwise load
frequency control is important in power sector & shedding need to be implemented.
want to be maintain. They were tested under
different scenarios; random loadvariations, and loss of
one of the DG units. In this we also explain the objective
and reasons of load frequency control.

Index Terms-- Microgrid, Real time load frequency

control, BSS, Diesel Generation(DG).

I. INTRODUCTION
A micro-grid can be considered as a small grid based
on distributed generators (DGs). Generally, the
micro-grid consists of renewable energy based DGs
and combined heat and power plants. It can supply
power to small/medium sized urban housing
communities or to large rural areas. It can be an
economical, environment friendly and reliable way to
supply power at distribution levels. The sources in a
micro-grid can be mainly classified as dispatch-able
or non-dispatchable in terms of power flow control
[1,2]. The output power of dispatchable sources such
as micro turbines, fuel cells and bio-diesel generators Fig.1.Schematic diagram of a micro-grid
can be controlled to maintain the desired system
frequency and voltage in an isolated micro-grid.
The control of real and reactive power
However, non dispatchable sources such as wind and
output of the sources is essential to maintain a stable
PV, in which the output power depends on the
environmental conditions, are expected to be mainly operation in a micro-grid, especially when it operates
in the islanded mode. The frequency and voltage in
controlled on the basis of maximum power point
an islanded (autonomous) micro-grid should be
tracking (MPPT).
maintained within predefined limits. The frequency
variations are very small in strong grids; however,
The sources in a micro-grid can also be classified as
large variations can occur in autonomous grids [3].
inertial and non-inertial depending on the way they
Thus power management strategies are vital for an
are connected to the system. For example, a diesel
autonomous micro-grid in the presence of few small
generator and a hydro generator are inertial sources
DG units, where no single dominant energy source is
since they include synchronous generators with their
present to supply the energy requirement [4]. Also,
rotating inertial masses. On the other hand, the
fast and flexible power control strategies are
sources connected through converters such as PV,
necessary to damp out transient power oscillations in
fuel cell and batteries are non-inertial since power

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 International Journal of Research in Computer and ISSN(Online) 2278-5841
Communication Technology, Vol 2, Issue 9, September -2013 ISSN (Print) 2320-5156

an autonomous micro-grid where no infinite source

available [5]. 4. The under frequency operation of the power
transformer is not desirable. For constant system
II. OBJECTIVE OF LOAD FREQUENCY CONTROL voltage if the frequency is below the normal value the
flux in the core increases .As a result the magnetising
In an interconnected power system, as a power load
current even exceeds the normal full load current
demand varies randomly, both area frequency and
.The sustained under frequency operation of the
tie-line power interchange also vary. The objectives
power transformer result not only in low efficiency
of load frequency control (LFC) are to minimize the
but it may even damage the transformer winding due
transient deviations in these variables (area frequency
to overheating.
and tie-line power interchange) and to ensure their
steady state errors to be zeros.
5. The system operation at subnormal frequency and
Frequency does not change in an Interconnection as
voltage leads to loss of revenue to the suppliers due
long as there is a balance between resources and
to accompanying reduction in load demand.
customer demand (including various electrical
losses). This balance is depicted in Fig.2.[6]
6. The most serious effect of subnormal frequency is
on the operation of thermal power plants. With
reduced frequency the blast by ID and the FD fans
decrease as a result of which the generation also
decreases and thus it become a cumulative action and
may result in complete shut-down of the plant if
corrective measures like load shedding is not resorted
to.

7.The overall operation of power system can be better

controlled if a strict limit on frequency deviation is
maintained.[7]

IV. LOAD FREQUENCY CONTROL (SINGLE-

AREA CASE)
To understand the load frequency control problem,
let us consider a single turbo-generator system
supplying an isolated load.[8]
FIG. 2 GENERATION / DEMAND
BALANCE

III. REASONS FOR LIMITS ON FREQUENCY

1.The speed of a.c motors are directly related to the
frequency. Even though most of the a.c drives are not
much affected for a frequency variation of even
50±1.5 Hz but there are certain application where
speed consistency must be of high order.

2. The electric clocks are driven by synchronous

motors and the accuracy of these clocks is not only a
function of frequency error but is actually of the
integral of this error.

3. If the normal frequency is 50 Hz and the turbines

are run at speed corresponding to frequency less Fig.3.functional diagram of real power control
than 47.5 Hz or more than 52.5Hz the blades of the mechanism of Generator.
turbine are likely to get damaged.

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 International Journal of Research in Computer and ISSN(Online) 2278-5841
Communication Technology, Vol 2, Issue 9, September -2013 ISSN (Print) 2320-5156

Furthermore the micro-grid system, in normal

1. Fly ball speed governor: This is the heart of the operation conditions experiences random demand
system which senses the change in speed (frequency). fluctuations and possibly emergency conditions if
As the speed increases the fly balls move out wards one of the system s primary generation units is
and the point B on linkage mechanism moves suddenly lost. Hence it is crucial to have an
downwards. The reverse happens when the speed automated and robust LFC mechanism implemented
decreases. to ensure a stable system operation under all
conditions.
2. Hydraulic amplifier: It comprises a pilot valve
and main piston arrangement. Low power level pilot Load Frequency Control (LFC) mechanism using a
valve movement is converted into high power level Battery Storage System (BSS) and Diesel Generation
piston valve movement. This is necessary in order to (DG) units for an isolated micro-grid system. The
open or close the steam valve against high pressure micro-grid system under consideration is comprised
steam. from two DG units, a BSS unit, and two solar panels
.They were tested under different scenarios; random
3.Linkage mechanism: ABC is a rigid link pivoted load variations, and loss of one of the DG units.[9]
at B and CDE is another rigid link pivoted at D. This
link mechanism provides a movement to the control
valve in proportion to change in speed. It also VI. SYSTEM DESCRIPTION AND CONTROL
provides a feedback from the steam valve movement. DESIGN

4.Speed changer: It provides steady state power System Description : The micro-grid system under
output setting for the turbine Its downward consideration is comprised from two Diesel
movement opens the upper pilot valve so that more Generation (DG) units, two PV systems, and a
steam is admitted to the turbine under steady Battery Storage System (BSS). The two DG units are
conditions. 100 and 20 KVA. The two PV systems are 14.8 KW
each, and the BSS is 30 Kwh . The micro-grid system
has no means of connecting to any other power grid
V. REAL TIME LOAD FREQUENCY CONTROL i.e. isolated system.
MICRO-GRID SYSTEM (UNDER STUDY)
Micro-grids are small power grids. They can operate
either independently or connected to larger grids.
They can be, for example, a university campus
connected to the main grid, an island in the middle of
the ocean or a military base in a desert where there
are no means of connecting to primary grid power .
Such concept provides a platform for incorporation of
several Distributed Energy Resources (DERs), such
as solar and wind power generations, and energy
storage technologies. However, micro-grids are not
without flaws.

In order to ensure a stable operation for a micro-grid

system it is crucial to have a real-time matching
between generation and demand so that the system s
frequency is maintained at its nominal value. Such
requirement is attained by implementing a Load
Frequency Control (LFC) mechanism. Attaining such
balance between generation and demand in a small
and isolated system, however, is an issue of much Fig.4. Micro-grid system under study
greater significance as generations might be limited
and/or intermittent . Control Design: The control objective is to
minimize a performance index (J) associated with the
frequency error f ( f = f - fs), and

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 International Journal of Research in Computer and ISSN(Online) 2278-5841
Communication Technology, Vol 2, Issue 9, September -2013 ISSN (Print) 2320-5156

defined by (1). not contribute much in LFC when the

system s DG units are available.
Minimize J = | f|2 dt
(1)

Where fs, and f are the scheduled frequency of 60 Hz

and the system s measured frequency respectively.
The objective is to minimize (J) under both normal
operation conditions, where the power demand
fluctuates, and contingency situations , where one of
the system s generation units is suddenly lost.
1) Diesel Engine Control System: The diesel
engine model gives a description of the fuel
consumption rate as a function of speed and
mechanical power at the output of the
engine, and is usually modelled by a simple
first order model relating the fuel Fig.6.Schematic diagram of a micro-grid connected
consumption (fuel rack position) to the battery
engine mechanical power. As a prime mover system.
it is crucial that the diesel engine equipped
with a robust control system to ensure stable V. CONCLUSION
operation and foster disturbance rejection.
The objective of the control system is to This paper is presented the detail about the neccecity
maintain the system s frequency at the of load fresquency control and different type of
desired reference value i.e. drives the control with its importance.This paper presented a
frequency error (fm fr) to zero where fr is decentralized LFC mechanism to control a BSS and
the reference frequency (60 Hz or 1 p.u.) DGs incorporated in an isolated microgrid system to
and fm is the measured frequency. regulate the system s frequency. The mechanism was
tested under three different scenarios; fluctuating
demand which represents the normal operation
conditions of a power system, and two emergency
scenarios where one of the DG units was lost in each
scenario.

VI. REFERENCES
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Fig. 5. Diesel engine model with control system [2] Y. Chuanan and Y. Yongchang, "An Improved Hill-Climbing
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2) 2) Battery Storage Control System: Fig.6. Human-Machine Interface, pp. 530 - 533 2010.
shows a block diagram of a battery storage [3] S.-K. Kim, J.-H. Jeon, C.-H. Cho, E.-S. Kim, and J.-B. Ahn,
system hooked up to a micro-grid. The "Modeling and simulation of a grid-connected PV generation
system for electromagnetic transient analysis," Solar Energy, vol.
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DC/AC inverter control system. In order to [4] J. Xue, Z. Yin, B. Wu, and J. Peng, "Design of PV Array
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inverter control system track the system s Engineering Conference, pp. pp.1-5, 2009.
[5] I. H. Altas and A. M. Sharaf, "A Novel Photovoltaic On-Line
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Communication Technology, Vol 2, Issue 9, September -2013 ISSN (Print) 2320-5156

2008. in Power System from National Institute of Technology, Hamirpur,

[7] L. D. Watson and J. W. Kimball, "Frequency regulation of a Himachal Pradesh ,India.
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VIII. BIOGRAPHIES

Abhas Kumar Singh was born in Ambikapur

(Surguja) C.G., India. He received the 3 year Diploma in
Electrical Engg. from Govt. Polytechnic College Ambikapur India,
in 2007 and the B.Tech. degree in Electrical and Electronics
Engineering from Shri Shankaracharya College of Engg. & Tech.
Bhilai, India, in 2010.He is currently pursuing the M.Tech. degree
in Power System from National Institute of Technology, Hamirpur.

Chandrpal Singh was born in Agra(U.P), India.

He received the 3 year Diploma in Electrical Engg. from Govt.
College P.M.V Polytechnic Mathura(U.P) India, in 2009 and the
B.Tech. degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from
Hindustan College of Science & Tech.,Mathura (U.P), India, in
2012.He is currently pursuing the M.Tech. degree in Power System
from National Institute of Technology(NIT), Hamirpur(H.P).

Nitish kumar yadav was born in jaunpur uttar

Pradesh, India.He received B.tech degree in Electricl & Electronics
from Inderprastha Engineering college, Ghaziabad , uttar
Pradesh,India,in 2010. He is currently pursuing the M.Tech. degree

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