Particle Swarm Optimization-based Superconducting Magnetic Energy Storage for Low-voltage Ride-through Capability Enhancement in Wind Energy Conversion System

Abstract— This article presents a novel application of the particle swarm optimization technique to optimally design all the proportional–integral controllers required to control both the real and reactive powers of the superconducting magnetic energy storage unit for enhancing the low-voltage ride-through capability of a grid-connected wind farm. The control strategy of the superconducting magnetic energy storage system is based on a sinusoidal pulse-width modulation voltage source converter and proportional–integral-controlled DC-DC converter. Control of the voltage source converter depends on the cascaded proportional–integral control scheme. All proportional–integral controllers in the superconducting magnetic energy storage system are optimally designed by the particle swarm optimization technique. The statistical response surface methodology is used to build the mathematical model of the voltage responses at the point of common coupling in terms of the proportional–integral controller parameters. The effectiveness of the proportional–integral-controlled superconducting magnetic energy storage optimized by the proposed particle swarm optimization technique is then compared to that optimized by a genetic algorithm technique, taking into consideration symmetrical and unsymmetrical fault conditions. A two-mass drive train model is used for the wind turbine generator system because of its large influence on the fault analyses. The systemic design approach is demonstrated in determining the controller parameters of the superconducting magnetic energy storage unit, and its effectiveness is validated in augmenting the low-voltage ride-through of a grid-connected wind farm.