Fuzzy gain Scheduled PID Controller for Power Quality Enhancement in Grid Connected Hybrid Solar PV-PEMFC Energy System

Power quality improvement is inevitable due to the presence of power converters and non-linear loads in grid connected renewable based hybrid energy system (HES). The harmonics introduced by the distributed energy systems may lead to output voltage distortion andequipment failure which may lead to system losses. It may also cause for direct and indirecteconomic impacts. Development of active filter, passive filter and hybrid filter for harmonics mitigation would be an expensive solutions. Therefore, various DC/AC converter switchingschemes are proposed for power quality improvements in grid connected Solar Photovoltaic(PV) and fuel cell based HES. Initially, Solar PV and Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel cell (PEMFC) are modeled using MATLAB/Simulink. Further the harmonic behavior withProportional plus Integral (PI), Proportional plus Integral plus Derivative (PID) and Fuzzygain scheduled PID controllers are demonstrated using Pulse Width Modulator (PWM).Converter output voltage waveform, frequency spectrum and total harmonics distortion (THD) values at the Point of Common Coupling (PCC) have witnessed that the fuzzy gain scheduled PID controller suppresses the voltage distortions completely. It also yields 4 percentage THD value which satisfies the harmonic level recommended by IEEE 519 standard. Comparative analysis shows that the fuzzy gain scheduled PID control scheme exhibits superior performance than the traditional PI and PID controllers. Therefore, it is identified as an effective control scheme for power quality improvement in hybrid renewable energy system.