A Dynamic Voltage Restorer (DVR) based Interface
Scheme for Microgrids
Imran Syed and Vinod Khadkikar, Member, IEEE
Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Department,
Masdar Institute of Science and Technology,
Abudhabi, UAE
Abstract—This paper deals with the issues related to the
interconnection between the microgrid and main network. The
Dynamic Voltage Restorer (DVR) is proposed as an interface
between the main network and microgrid in order to improve
reliability and limit fault currents. The performance of DVR is
demonstrated during fault conditions in two different locations,
firstly in the main grid and then within the microgrid. The DVR is
used to inject a voltage during a fault in the main grid isolating the
microgrid from the fault and ensuring normal operation.
Secondly, a novel technique is proposed employing the
magnetizing inductance of the DVR series transformer in order to
minimize the contribution of the grid currents during a fault
within the microgrid. The proposed technique is evaluated using
MATLAB/SIMULINK and shown to possess additional
advantages when compared to traditional fault current limiters.
Keywords—fault current limiters; DVR; mocrogrid;
synchronous d-q theory
I. INTRODUCTION
Recent advances in electric power generation from
renewable sources, such as, photovoltaic power plants and wind
parks, has led to a shift in the way the power grid has been
imagined traditionally. Instead of viewing the power grid as a
unidirectional system consisting of large power generation at
one end and loads at the other, researchers have started looking
into distributed generation units supplying power at various
points in the grid. In a quest to make the power grid more
reliable, the concept of microgrids operating within a larger
system has drawn a lot of attention in the recently [1][2][3].
Microgrids generally consist of a mix of renewable sources
of power like PV, wind and traditional sources like diesel
generators. These systems are designed with the capability to
operate independently from the main grid if required. This
increases the reliability of the power system in general by
making sure that power is available to consumers at times of a
failure of the main grid. Such a system is also highly beneficial
in remote regions that are difficult to connect to the main grid.
However, in spite of the microgrid being designed to meet all
the demand that arises locally, the variable nature of some of
the sources that maybe used within the system like PV and wind
k,((( 
make it essential to have an interconnection with the main grid
at times of low generation. One of the research challenges in
recent times has been to determine the type of interconnection
that should be used between the main grid and the microgrid. A
key objective of such an interface is to maintain a connection
between the systems at times of temporary faults. However
maintaining such a connection during faults leads to further
challenges. This work addresses two specific challenges.
The first problem that is solved is the increase in short circuit
currents in the grid on adding more generation units. The short
circuit current levels in the main grid are increased
considerably. One small generation unit may not impact much
but when multiple generation units are connected, the impact
maybe high.
The power grid protection system is designed at its inception
for a particular short circuit current level. Introducing further
sources of generation into the grid via connecting large
microgrids will lead to an increase in these short circuit current
levels. In [4], a detailed study on the increase in short circuit
levels of such a system has been conducted.
The second challenge is the short circuit current level at times
of a fault within the microgrid. In [5], it is clearly shown that
the contribution of the main grid in this case will lead to higher
fault currents within the microgrid. Reducing this current level
will help in reducing the short circuit current rating of
equipment in the microgrid hence reducing costs.
A number of papers have been published proposing different
kinds of bi directional fault current limiters (FCL) which will
bring down the short circuit current level in the microgrid as
well as in the main grid during faults in either location [6][7].
Use of superconducting materials that have current dependent
characteristics as fault current limiters is a growing research
area. Others have proposed hybrid solutions employing solid
state devices and semiconductor switches to achieve the same.
One of the disadvantages of such solutions is that the amount of
control over the system is limited. Any expansion of the
microgrid system itself leads to changes in fault current
characteristics based on which the fault current limiter is
designed. Solutions different from bidirectional fault current
limiters have been proposed in [8] where a unidirectional FCL
is used to prevent the increased short circuit levels when a fault 1 2 F1 3 4
occurs in the main grid whereas the microgrid is left connected
to the main grid in order to use it for voltage support ignoring
Z12 Z2 3 Z34
the current contributions at the time of a fault in the microgrid.
33KV
In [9], a back to back converter is proposed as an Substation
interconnection between the microgrid and the main grid which L1 L2
ZMG L3 L4
provides frequency isolation between the grids and a control of Main grid
DVR Dynamic Voltage
the amount of reactive and active power flow in either direction. Vgr id 5
Restorer
The use of FACTS devices such as STATCOMs, SVCs and L1-L7:Non-rotating

DVR
loads Microgrid
TCR have revolutionized the power industry. The use of the
Dynamic Voltage restorer (DVR) has been studied extensively VMG 6
in mitigating disturbances in voltages on the power system such
ZD 7
as voltage sags, swells, unbalance and harmonics in the supply G F2
voltage [10][11][12]. Its use has also been investigated in the

0.69/33KV

0.4/33KV
fault ride through of specific sources of power like wind TR1 TR2
turbines that are required by grid codes to remain connected to
the system on the occurrence of a fault in the grid [13][14].
L5 L6
Fault current limiting function of the DVR has also been D
investigated in [15][16]. In [17], a series compensator is shown G
that is connected to each source within a microgrid separately
in order to provide control over power and fault protection.
This paper proposes the use of DVR as the interface between Fig1. System under study
the microgrid and the main grid. The DVR is shown to
successfully address all the challenges listed above while TABLE I
NETWORK DATA
providing more control over the system when compared to
traditional FCL. A novel technique using the magnetizing
Network DATA
impedance of the series transformer in a DVR to limit fault components
currents has also been proposed. The DVR also provides the Feeder 33KV voltage source
added advantage of maintaining microgrid voltage levels in the Z12 0.002+j0.6283 ohms
absence of DG and a voltage sag on the main grid due to faults, Z23 and Z34 2+j4.14 ohms
ZMG 0.5+j0.3142 ohms
hence improving the reliability of the microgrid. This paper is ZDG 0.5+j0.0565 ohms
organized as follows. Section II provides a description of the L1 to L4 6MVA non rotating load
system used for the study and its parameters. Section III L5 8 MVA non rotating load
provides the control strategy of the DVR under different cases L6 2 MVA non rotating load
showcasing also the flexibility of choosing the rating of the
DVR with respect to the amount of control that is needed. taken into consideration. The scenarios are explained here while
Section IV provides the simulation results using the control of the DVR is explained in section III. The first
MATLAB/SIMULINK for different cases and proves the scenario is a fault occurring at BUS 2 (F1) reducing the grid
effectiveness of the system. voltage at the point of microgrid connection to zero. The fault
location is shown in Fig.1 as F1. In this scenario the microgrid
has to be isolated from the fault and continue operating without
II. SYSTEM STRUCTURE any disturbance. The second scenario is a fault in the microgrid
A system with a microgrid containing a DG source connected at bus 7 denoted by F2 in Fig.1.Here the fault currents within
to a main grid is shown in Fig.1. The main grid consists of a the microgrid must be limited by minimizing the contribution
power source connected to four different buses each consisting of the main grid to the fault. Thirdly, the fault at bus 2 is applied
of 5 MVA loads. At bus 2, a connection is made to a microgrid again in the absence of DG. Here, the DVR must compensate
containing a single DG and two separate loads at lower voltage for the voltage sag at bus 2, thus maintaining the microgrid
levels. The main grid is considered here to be at 33kV whereas voltage levels Vmg to pre fault levels, hence maintaining normal
the loads at the microgrid level are stepped down to 0.4 and 0.69 operation of microgrid in the absence of DG and presence of a
kV. The line impedance parameters and load details are given fault in the main grid. This increases the reliability of the
in Table I. The microgrid shown in the system is connected to microgrid. The voltage injection of the DVR is always in phase
the main grid through a DVR. The voltages at bus 5 and bus 6 with the grid voltage since energy conservation is not an issue.
are referred to as Vgrid and Vmg respectively throughout this The control of DVR and its rating is explained in detail in
paper. There are three different scenarios of operation that are section III.


 S1
S1
Rf Cf Rf Cf

Vgrid VMG Vgr id VMG

Igrid Igrid

R1

X1
RC
Lf
ENERGY
STORAGE
Xm
Zm
VSC

Fig. 2. Single line diagram of proposed DVR structure Fig. 3. Equivalent circuit of transformer with secondary winding open

I. CONTROL STRATEGY FOR DVR
This section details the control strategy of the DVR for the
different scenarios mentioned above. The control is classified
into two modes of operation based on the location of fault. The
voltage at bus 6, VMG is used to distinguish between the faults
locations. Mode 1 comes into play when fault occurs in the
main grid covering scenarios 1 and 3 mentioned in section II
whereas mode 2 is chosen for a fault within the microgrid i.e.
scenario 2. The DVR structure is shown in Fig. 2. The
parameters of the DVR are listed in Table II. The control
schematic for the two modes is shown in Fig. 4.
TABLE II
DVR PARAMETERS
DVR DATA
components
DC Link 70kV
Lf 300mH
Cf 5uF
Rf 2 ohms
Transformer 20MVA 1:1 turns ratio
A. Fault in the main grid (Mode 1)
When a fault occurs at BUS 2 in the main grid the voltage at
BUS 5, Vgrid reduces to zero. In order to maintain the functioning
of the microgrid, the DVR is controlled to inject a voltage in
phase with the pre sag grid voltage and equivalent to the voltage
sag. Injecting this voltage essentially isolates the microgrid from
the main grid fault, as the DVR now injects power equivalent to
the power previously drawn from the main grid. This ensures
regular operation of microgrid and prevents any current
contribution to the fault from the microgrid. The control
structure is shown in Fig.4. The voltages Vgrid and VMG are
converted into their synchronous dq frame values denoted by Vgd
and Vmgd as shown in (1). The angle theta is obtained from a
phase locked loop applied to the grid voltage.
ªV º
2 ª cosθ cos (θ − 2π 3) cos (θ + 2π 3) º « a »
Vdq = « » «Vb » (1)
3 ¬ − sin θ − sin (θ − 2π 3) − sin (θ + 2π 3) ¼
«¬Vc »¼
Since the voltage is injected in phase, the q-axis values are
not controlled. It is also assumed that the grid and microgrid
voltages are harmonics free and balanced. In case of any
unbalance the positive sequence source voltage can be utilized
for obtaining the angle from the PLL. The difference between
Vgd and Vmgd provides the d-axis values of the DVR voltage
denoted by Vdvrd. The DVR has to inject a voltage equivalent to
the sag at Vgrid in order isolate the microgrid from the fault. The
reference V*dvrd for the DVR is generated by the difference
between the pre sag grid voltage and the current grid voltage.
The error between Vdvrd and V*dvrd is passed through a PI
controller and converted back to three phase in order to obtain
the reference voltage signals for the DVR. Under Mode 1, these
signals are sent to a gate signal generator using PWM technique
in order to control the VSC and inject the required voltage. This
control is valid whether the DG is connected or disconnected
from the microgrid.
B. Fault in the microgrid (Mode 2)
During a fault within the microgrid, the objective of the DVR
control is to limit the fault current levels by minimizing the fault
current contribution from the main grid. Achieving this saves
costs by reducing the short circuit current ratings of all
protection devices as well as transformers within the microgrid.
Previously, the DVR was used to inject a voltage isolating the
main grid from the microgrid. In this section another attribute
of the DVR is used to limit the fault current levels. The DVR is
connected to the line making use of a series transformer in order
to reduce the voltage level of the DC link and to provide
isolation. The technique proposed here makes use of the
magnetizing inductance of this transformer in order to reduce
the fault currents flowing into the microgrid. The equivalent
circuit of the transformer is shown in Fig.3 as connected to the


 Vmga Vmgd
Vmgb abc Vdvrd
d-q
+- -
+ PI
Vmgc
ș between
Vgrida 3-phase
Vgridb
PLL
Vgridc
V*mgd
ș
Vgrida
Vgridb abc Vgd V*dvrd
-+
Vgridc d-q
system under study with Vgrid on one side and VMG on the other.
R1 and X1 represent the primary winding impedance of the
transformer. The control of the DVR during a fault in the
microgrid is shown as a part of the control structure in Fig.2.
When a fault occurs within the microgrid at bus 7 as denoted by
F2 in Fig.1, VMG drops to zero. The d-axis value of VMG denoted
by Vmgd is made use of in order to sense the fault in the
microgrid. Vmgd is compared with a reference value Vmgdlimit.
The idea is to make sure that the magnetizing inductance of the
transformer comes between the microgrid and the main grid in
order to reduce the fault current levels. Fig. 3 shows the
equivalent circuit of the transformer when connected between
Vgrid and VMG.On opening the secondary terminal of the series
transformer, the entire grid current Igrid is forced to flow through
the magnetizing impedance Zm which consists of the
magnetizing inductance Xm and negligible copper loss
component RC. The DVR circuit consists of filter resistance Rf
and capacitance Cf. In order to avoid the currents flowing
through them during a fault, a semiconductor switch S1 is used
which is controlled by the same signal that opens the inverter
switches. The currents flowing through the magnetizing
impedance is governed by the equation
Vgrid − VMG
I grid =
ZM
Hence the amount of fault current can be limited based on the
magnetizing inductance of the transformer which is generally
very high. In this study, the magnetizing impedance has been
rated as 0.2 percent of the active and reactive core losses based
on transformer rated power and voltage. Using the magnetizing
inductance of the transformer alone is seen as a cost effective
way to minimize the fault currents at times of severe faults.
C. DVR Rating
The DVR rating has to be decided based on a number of
factors and operating conditions. The rating is based solely on
Vdvra
Vdvrd
d-q Vdvrb
Vdvrq =0 Switch To
abc Vdvrc
Gate Signal IGBTs
Open all two Generator
switches modes
Vmgd
Compare and
Vmgdlimit decide mode
Fig. 4. Control structure for DVR
the first mode of operation since no power is injected during the
second mode. For full benefit of DVR, the power rating has to
be equal to the load capacity of the microgrid since the DVR
has to inject power equivalent to its requirement in the absence
of DG and presence of a fault in the main grid. This is ideal in
cases where the DG is a renewable source and may not be
available at all times. However, the DVR rating can be reduced
if the availability of DG is permanent. The rating is based on
two factors. Firstly, the current flowing from the main grid to
the microgrid which is denoted by Igrid. Secondly, the voltage
injected by the DVR Vdvr.
Pdvr=Igrid*Vdvr (3)
The DVR rating can be designed based on the level of
compensation required. For example, it can be decided that the
DVR will only compensate for 0.5 p.u voltage sag at bus 2,
which may occur during a less severe fault. Similarly, the DVR
can be rated for a maximum of a particular value of Igrid which
is based on the contribution of the main grid to the load
requirement in the microgrid. The option of operating the DVR
in mode 2 allows for the flexibility of rating. The rating can be
decided for a particular level of voltage sag. Any fault that is
(2) more severe than the designed rating can trigger Mode 2 of
operation wherein no voltage is injected but the magnetizing
inductance of the transformer is used to minimize fault currents.
This scheme provides flexibility and cost effectiveness in DVR
design since the rating maybe varied based on the reliability of
microgrid sources and the severity of fault that is common to a
particular system.
II. SIMULATION RESULTS
The performance of the DVR for various scenarios
mentioned earlier is evaluated by simulation study using
MATLAB/SIMULINK. The study was conducted for severe
fault at two different locations shown in Fig.1. and the control
strategy explained earlier is employed.

A. Fault in the main grid 1.5

A severe three phase fault is applied at bus 2 for a duration 1

of 200ms hence creating a voltage sag of 1 p.u. at bus 2(Vgrid). 0.5

The DVR responds by injecting 1 p.u. voltage and protecting 0

-0.5
the microgrid from the fault. The voltage at the microgrid bus
-1
VMG, the DG voltage and the currents drawn by the loads within
-1.5
the microgrid during fault are recorded in order to show the 0.35 0.4 0.45 0.5 (b)0.55 0.6 0.65 0.7

disturbance free operation. The performance of microgrid in the Fig 6. Load 5 current profile (a) without DVR (b) with DVR
absence of DVR is also shown in order to make a comparison.
0.4
Fig 5 shows the grid voltage, the DVR injected voltage and the
microgrid voltage. As can be seen, the DVR injects a voltage 0.2

equal to 1 p.u. for the duration of the fault which is 200ms.

0
Figure 6, 7 and 8 show the currents drawn by the loads L5, L6
and the DG voltage with and without DVR installed. It is clear -0.2

that there is no disturbance in the operation of microgrid during

-0.4
a fault in main grid with DVR installed. 0.35 0.4 0.45 0.5 0.55 0.6 0.65 0.7
(a)
0.4
1.5

1 0.2

0.5
0
0

-0.5 -0.2

-1
-0.4
0.35 0.4 0.45 0.5 0.55 0.6 0.65 0.7
-1.5 (b)
0.35 0.4 0.45 0.5 0.55 0.6 0.65 0.7
(a)
1.5 Fig 7.Load 6 current profile (a)without DVR(b)with DVR
1
1.5
0.5
1
0
0.5
-0.5
0
-1
-0.5
-1.5
0.35 0.4 0.45 0.5 0.55 0.6 0.65 0.7 -1
(b)
1.5 -1.5
0.35 0.4 0.45 0.5 0.55 0.6 0.65 0.7
1

0.5 1.5
(a)
0 1

-0.5 0.5

0
-1
-0.5
-1.5
0.35 0.4 0.45 0.5 0.55 0.6 0.65 0.7
(c) -1

-1.5
0.35 0.4 0.45 0.5 0.55 0.6 0.65 0.7

Fig 5. (a) Voltage sag at the grid (Vgrid) (b) DVR injected voltage (Vdvr) (b)
(c)Microgrid voltage(VMG) Fig 8. DG voltage profile (a)without DVR(b)with DVR

1.5

1 B. Fault in the microgrid

0.5 200

0
100
-0.5

-1 0

-1.5
0.35 0.4 0.45 0.5 0.55 0.6 0.65 0.7
-100

(a) -200
0.35 0.4 0.45 0.5 0.55 0.6 0.65 0.7
(a)


 employedeffectively to minimize fault currents, thus lowering
150
the short circuit rating of breakers and other equipment within
100

50
the microgrid. Flexibility in rating the DVR based on the system
0
requirements has been shown. The proposed control has been
-50
evaluated using MATLAB/SIMULINK and shown to be
-100 effective.
-150

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