Superconducting magnetic energy storage in power systems with renewable energy sources

Abstract

The increasing focus on large scale integration of new renewable energy sources like wind power and wave power introduces the need for energy storage. Superconducting Magnetic Energy Storage (SMES) is a promising alternative for active power compensation. Having high efficiency, very fast response time and high power capability it is ideal for levelling fast fluctuations. This thesis investigates the feasibility of a current source converter as a power conditioning system for SMES applications. The current source converter is compared with the voltage source converter solution from the project thesis. A control system is developed for the converter. The modulation technique is also investigated. The SMES is connected in shunt with an induction generator, and is facing a stiff network. The objective of the SMES is to compensate for power fluctuations from the induction generator due to variations in wind speed. The converter is controlled by a PI-regulator and a current compensation technique deduced from abc-theory. Simulations on the system are carried out using the software PSIM. The simulations have proved that the SMES works as both an active and reactive power compensator and smoothes power delivery to the grid. The converter does however not seem like an optimum solution at the moment. High harmonic distortion of the output currents is the main reason for this. However this system might be interesting for low power applications like wave power. I