SHIPBOARD VOLTAGE SOURCE INVERTER CONTROL SYSTEM TO MEET MIL-STD-1399-300 LIMITS FOR PULSED POWER LOADS

Abstract

Microgrids are increasingly being adopted throughout the Department of Defense due to their ability to increase energy security. Though each microgrid is unique, one commonality is that each contains loads that could strain the distributed generators on the grid during starting transients. This is especially important in shipboard applications or Marine Corps forward operating bases, where generator droop characteristics could result in unfavorable effects on running machinery during a transient from a newly started load. This thesis research explores a novel controller design for a three-phase voltage source inverter (VSI) that limits the transients on a microgrid while simultaneously correcting the grid power factor to unity. Specifically, transients produced by pulsed power loads as specified in MIL-STD-1399 section 300 are addressed and controlled. The novel controller allows the VSI to use distributed energy resources, such as batteries, renewables, or supercapacitors, to power the initial transient created by large loads. Using stored energy allows the generator to respond to step load changes more slowly while simultaneously reducing the size of the machine required due to reactive power control.