Seamless Transfer of Microturbine Generation System Operation Between Grid-connected and Islanding Modes

The intentional islanding operation of grid-connected distributed generation systems can greatly improve the reliability and quality of the power supply. The existing control techniques for distributed generation systems are designed to operate either in the grid-connected or islanding modes of operation, thus, not allowing for both modes to be implemented and transitioned between. In this article, a novel scheme for automatic mode switching of a microturbine-based distributed generation system between the grid-connected and islanding modes of operation is proposed. The presented scheme is based on the phase angle estimated by the phase-locked loop. The developed phase-locked loop provides an accurate estimation of the phase angle even under unbalanced conditions. The presented scheme does not negatively affect the distributed generation system or utility operations and can work even under matching distributed generation and load power ratings. In this work, back-to-back converters are used to interface the microturbine-based distributed generation system to the grid. Converter control strategies developed for both modes of distributed generation operation is also presented. The simulation results show good accuracy of the proposed scheme.