Title: Fuel cell-based distributed generation system with power flow and power quality control

Authors: Gitanjali Mehta; S.P. Singh; R.D. Patidar

Addresses: Electrical Engineering Department, Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee, Uttarakhand-247667, India. ' Electrical Engineering Department, Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee, Uttarakhand-247667, India. ' Electrical and Electronics Engineering Department, Mandsaur Institute of Technology, Mandsaur, MP-458001, India

Abstract: This paper presents the modelling and control of fuel cell-based distributed generation system with embedded active filter functioning. It includes the modelling of proton electrolyte membrane fuel cell and the power conditioning unit interfacing the fuel cell to the utility grid with proper power flow control. The output of the fuel cell stack is given to the DC-DC boost converter before connecting to the DC side of the voltage source inverter for interfacing to the grid. In the presented work, the features of active power filter have been incorporated in the control circuit of the current controlled-voltage source inverter interfacing the fuel cell to the grid. Thus the inverter is utilised to inject fuel cell power generated to the grid and also to act as shunt active power filter to compensate for load current harmonics and reactive power demand. Simulation and experimentation is carried out to verify the operation and the control principle.

Keywords: fuel cells; distributed generation; active power filters; harmonics; reactive power; power flow; power quality control; modelling; control circuits; voltage source inverter; simulation.

DOI: 10.1504/IJPEC.2013.050929

International Journal of Power and Energy Conversion, 2013 Vol.4 No.1, pp.73 - 94

Received: 07 Sep 2011
Accepted: 09 Feb 2012
Published online: 31 Mar 2014 *

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