Enhanced Stability of Microgrids based on Advanced Virtual Rotor Control and Vanadium Redox Flow Batteries

This paper presents an innovative control strategy to enhance the stability of interconnected Microgrids (MGs) with low inertia and high penetration levels of Renewable Energies (REs). The proposed control strategy encompasses a new virtual droop control mechanism that emulates the primary control of synchronous generators for enhanced system stability. Additionally, a weighted Proportional-Integral (PI) controller is used to mitigate the adverse effects of measurement delays caused by Phase-Locked Loop (PLL) dynamics. Furthermore, a feedback integral loop is introduced to improve the efficiency and lifespan of Vanadium Redox Flow Batteries (VRFBs) enabling swift and precise power delivery while reducing steady-state errors. Finally, a new fractional-order virtual inertia control (VIC) is introduced to leverage the fractional derivatives and enhance the system's frequency response. The presented simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed control approach in improving the frequency response and power exchange dynamics across interconnected MGs under various operating scenarios. © 2025 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.