Automatic voltage regulator performance enhancement in power generation

Abstract

The generation of electrical energy in power systems and islanded networks is generally ensured by the synchronous machine, and hence the enhancement of its dynamic performance during disturbances is increasingly required. The main objective of this research work is to enhance the dynamic performance by maintaining its terminal voltage constant during any instability. This voltage regulation can be ensured via a well-known controller named automatic voltage regulator (AVR) that is generally based on proportional integral (PI) controller. In the first proposed approach, an optimization method such as the particle swarm optimization algorithm (PSO) has been applied to determine the regulator parameters. However, in the second developed method, the AVR is based on Active Disturbance Rejection Control (ADRC) that allows controlling uncertain systems, where the dynamic is not well known such as in this application. Both approaches are tested using different generators with two different ratings under different operating conditions. The first designed AVR is implemented; simulation and test have been carried out under three different operating load conditions using micro-generators such as a 1.5 kVA and 175 W synchronous laboratory power machine with salient pole. This AVR is based on PI controller tuned by PSO algorithm; the obtained simulation and experimental results validate the use of the designed AVR. Then, the second designed AVR test of a second generator of 187 k VA with different exciting system is investigated. However, the designed AVR of the second machine is tested using both techniques PSO base PI and ADRC, the obtained simulation results encourage to use the ADRC control in such application