PLC Based Energy Management and Control Design for an Alternative Energy Power System with Improved Power Quality

This paper describes modeling and simulation of a renewable energy based hybrid power system in the aspects of improving power quality, energy management and control, because optimal utilization of primary energy sources will increase the level of supply reliability. In order to meet sustained load demands during varying natural conditions, different renewable energy sources and converters are need to be integrated with each other. The paper focuses on the combination of Photo Voltaic (PV) cell System, Wind turbine system, Fuel cell (FC), and Battery systems for power generation, and to improve power quality we are proposing MotorGenerator model instead of using static converters, and an energy management and control unit using Programmable Logic Controller (PLC). Since wind turbine output power varies with the wind speed, the PV cell output power varies with both the temperature and irradiance, and a FC output power varies with input fuel, and so, along with DC Motor, Diesel engine is also coupled to ensure that the overall system performs under all conditions, especially when PV, Wind, FC power is not enough to drive DC motor. Excess energy when available, is converted to hydrogen using an electrolyzer for later use in the fuel cell for the economic use of fuel. The results show that the proposed hybrid power system can effectively manage the optimal utilization of primary energy sources and improves the power quality in both islanding mode and as well as grid connected