DC microgrid load flow analysis for electric vehicles loads

Details

Supervisors

De Jaeger, Emmanuel ; Vasquez Mayen, Eduardo

Faculty

Ecole polytechnique de Louvain

Degree label

Master [120] : ingénieur civil électromécanicien, à finalité spécialisée: énergie

Abstract

This thesis examines the role of microgrids in moderating the additional stress put on the electrical grid caused by the growing share of renewable energy sources and the electrification of our society as part of the fight against climate change and the need for decarbonization. By coupling a stochastic model based on practical data with a linearized load flow model, this work has developed an algorithm capable of efficiently simulating various DC microgrid architectures. They constitute the base cases from which scenarios are developed by adding charging stations for electric vehicles, allowing their impact on the microgrids to be studied through a load flow analysis. This study, together with forecasts of the challenges these systems will face in 2030 as a result of Belgian policy on company cars, enables conclusions to be drawn about their future and the main objectives of this thesis. Key findings suggest that current existing microgrids are not well-suited to accommodate this increased fleet of electric vehicles and their performance will diminish unless an unrealistic area is dedicated to photovoltaic production. Significant variations in the results indicate the importance of carefully planning the integration strategy for electric vehicle charging stations and the difficulty of drawing unanimous conclusions for every possible architecture.