Isolated microgrid frequency stabilization through nonlinear model predictive control of a gas engine generator set

Gas engine generator sets are applied in microgrids due to their capability to provide reliable, responsive and efficient distributed power generation, enhancing grid resilience and enabling the integration of renewable energy sources. This article proposes a methodology for stabilizing the frequency of an isolated microgrid subjected to a measurable disturbance by controlling the power of a premixed turbocharged natural gas engine. Control difficulties of this task include strongly nonlinear dynamics, time delay in the air-fuel path and constrained operating conditions. Conventional control methods like proportional-integral control have difficulties solving these problems, and require extensive tuning efforts and gain scheduling to deliver acceptable performance, prompting adoption of advanced control strategies. The presented approach utilizes a cascaded control architecture with a nonlinear model predictive controller (NMPC) for high level control and engine specific low-level controllers for controlling the intake manifold pressure and air-fuel ratio. The NMPC captures the inherent nonlinear dynamics, accounts for an input delay and handles state-dependent constraints. The cascaded control architecture enables the usage of a comparably simple model for the NMPC design, reducing the computational cost and the parametrization effort. This additionally enables application of the high level controller for different gas engine types and allows design of the controller in a simple simulation environment prior to the experiments on the real engine. Experimental results highlight the NMPC’s ability to control the engine at its physical limits over the entire load range without inducing frequency oscillations using just one parameter set. This emphasizes the robustness of the presented approach, making it a promising solution for real-world applications.