Modelling of PV-Fed DC Microgrid with Hybrid Energy Storage to Simulate Long-Term Operations

A conventional virtual model of a standalone PV-fed load with energy storage typically includes detailed switching models of PV and storage converters. This results in long compilation times hindering long-term operation simulations. The novelty of this work lies in a simplified model that does not perform simulations of converter commutation process. Instead, the converter operation results are simulated through three virtual electrical circuits, which use current sources to model the DC network and charging/discharging of supercapacitors and battery. With the proposed approach, the long-term operation of the system can be simulated on a daily scale under varying solar irradiance, while achieving significantly faster compilation times and obtaining results nearly equivalent to the conventional model with just few percent difference. The proposed approach can facilitate system-level design, analysis, and optimization of standalone PV-based water pumping applications, particularly in rural or remote locations with hot climatic conditions.