1. Introduction
Over the past two decades, renewable energy sources have gained significant importance due to the energy crisis, wars, and environmental factors. As a result, sustainable systems are required in every industry. Although renewable sources have low output power, different sources can be connected to boost the output power. Multiple input converters have the ability to connect more than one power source to each other. In some specific applications, it is not enough to connect multiple sources together, and it requires a direct power flow of each source to manage energy circulation under certain conditions. For instance, photovoltaic (PV) array output power is decreased under dark conditions, and it is mandatory to add another power source to meet the load demand.
Another parameter to consider is the source type. In the literature, there are numerous types of multiple-input converters. In [
1], the authors explained the combinations and rules of multiple input converters. Different connection methods of several types of sources have been shown in this paper. Some basic rules, such as parallel voltage sources, cannot be connected to each other if voltage levels are different. Furthermore, in some specific converters, more than one source cannot supply power simultaneously. Nejabathkhah proposed a hybrid input source connected via a novel three-input DC-DC converter [
2]. The sources have the ability to supply power simultaneously, and a battery can be connected as a source to give a bidirectional power flow. Moreover, a small-signal model was obtained for controlling the sources. In [
3], multiple inputs are connected via switches to the load using coupled inductors, and the circuit configuration is simple compared to other converters. However, only one source can transfer energy at the same time. In [
4], the authors proposed a multiple-input topology with parallel connection type via switches. In this paper, all of the inputs share an inductor, and active switches have the ability to achieve Zero Current Switching (ZCS) by using the switching strategy presented in the paper. On the other hand, the power flow is only in one direction. In [
5], the authors proposed a converter with a galvanically isolated system. It has two bridges at the primary and secondary sides of the transformer, and the power flow is controlled. The current capacity of the sources should be equal because of the series connection of the sources [
5].
Three sources multiple input converter is proposed in [
6]. The converter’s application area is electric vehicles with fuel cells, PV arrays, and battery units. The limitation of the converter is that it has three inputs [
6]. A three-Port DC-DC converter is proposed in [
7]. It has a high step-up ratio with reduced voltage stresses. Moreover, the power is bidirectional and has the ability to charge the battery with the load and other sources. Besides, the maximum input source number is three [
7]. The presented converter in [
8] proposes DC-DC multiport converter with Dual active bridges. The modules are connected as a ring type. One of the advantages is that the structure is bidirectional. The authors in [
9] proposed a dual-input dual-output bidirectional multiport dc–dc converter. One of the sources is the battery storage system, which has a low voltage stress on semiconductor switches. However, it has only two inputs and it is not clear if MPPT can be achieved from other sources. In [
10], the authors proposed a multi-port converter with multiple outputs where sources can deliver the power simultaneously. In the next paper, a non-isolated multiple source converter is proposed, and the step-up ratio is higher compared with other non-isolated topologies [
11]. In this paper, the authors have considered the normalized voltage stress on switches and diodes. Moreover, the number of sources can be increased, and voltage gain will be increased depending on the source count. The same author proposed a new version of [
11] in reference [
12]. The voltage gain in this paper is higher, where the component number and voltage stress are decreased compared to [
11]. Power flow can be simultaneous or individual in both references.
The Z-Source topology can exceed the limitations of traditional V-I source power converters and consists of x-shaped two capacitors and two inductors. Because of the structure, shoot-through mode is not forbidden and this brings one more control axis to increase the output voltage without damaging the components [
13]. In [
14], an improved z-source converters is proposed to decrease z-source converters disadvantages but it still has discontinuous input current. Besides, capacitor voltage and inductor current surge has been reduced and inrush current is limited. To make a common ground for the z-source topology, a common grounded z-source converter is proposed in [
15]. It brings low stress on semiconductors and decreases the component sizes but impedance network capacitors are still large to obtain high voltage. The authors in [
16], proposed a quasi-z-source converter that obtains lower voltage stress on components and continuous input current but it has lower voltage gain compared with a common grounded z-source. The proposed converter in [
17], offers a new quasi-z-source converter with increased component numbers. The converter has a high-boost performance with different combinations. In addition, the converter has problems such as large voltage spikes. In [
18], the authors proposed a multi-input quasi-Z-source converter that combines different power sources by implementing an auxiliary circuit. However, the operation range is not wide and the design is not simple. Moreover, switches are faced with high current stress.
The paper [
19] provides a comprehensive review of different energy management system strategies, including the key factors, methods, and functions involved. However, experimental tests haven’t been done to show system performance under real-world conditions. The authors of several papers, including [
20,
21,
22,
23,
24], have used fuzzy logic as an energy management system, which has the advantage of not requiring a mathematical model of the system, making it easier to control. The paper [
25] focuses on optimizing hydrogen consumption while considering battery degradation. But the system complexity and application area can limit the feasibility of the proposed energy management system. [
26] proposes a maximum efficiency range recognition-based energy management control system that controls fuel cell consumption and power flow between two sources using methods such as sequential quadratic programming algorithm (SQP) and equivalent consumption minimum strategy (ECMS). But the estimation of equivalent factors in ECMS can be influenced by the specific characteristics of the driving cycle being analyzed. The paper [
27] uses instantaneous optimization and mathematical equations to explain the structure assumptions. Besides, the proposed approach may not be easily applicable to situations with stochastic demands, and the authors acknowledge that while the locally optimal solution it provides can be effective, it may not be the globally optimal control policy. In [
28], a multi-agent-based energy management system is proposed, with three different levels, each with unique duties. However, As dealing with complex decision problems, MAS-based energy management strategy may exhibit inadequate real-time performance in decision-making The paper [
29] introduces adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference systems for power management, using a three-phase inverter as a converter type. However, this approach requires data sets from the learning part of the system history. [
30] proposes an adaptive droop control method for power management using battery, supercapacitor, and fuel cell hybrid sources, although large-scale operations can pose challenges to the control strategy. [
31] uses a hybrid power storage system and a model predictive method for control strategy, predicting future output power based on historical data and applying a dynamic algorithm to the management strategy. Attaining high performance through this method requires accurate system models, as well as information about future driving conditions. The authors in [
32] published a case study for energy management systems that included PV, batteries, and grids as hybrid sources. A traditional DC-DC bidirectional converter was used for the battery pack. However, this system has some disadvantages, such as limited application areas. The sliding-mode energy management strategy was proposed in [
33] with the nonlinearity of the double integral. In addition, several technical challenges may arise as a result of connecting renewable sources to the power grid.
This study discusses the fuzzy logic-based energy management system of a hybrid source multi-port quasi-z-source converter, which includes PV, wind turbine, and battery sources. In addition, the mathematical model of the quasi-z-source multi-port converter, simulations of the entire system, and experimental results are presented. The proposed system can manage energy flow from the sources without complex control algorithms because of the Fuzzy logic. One of the biggest features is the modularity of the power management, in other words not only source number can be increased but also the source types can be changed. Moreover, by setting up the quasi-z-source network to a multi-port converter, the voltage gain is increased and the voltage stress of the input module switches is decreased.
This study is divided into several sections.
Section 2 discusses the multi-port quasi-z-source converter.
Section 3 explains the proposed fuzzy-logic-based energy management system.
Section 4 and
Section 5 present simulation and experimental results, respectively. In
Section 6, a discussion of the results is presented. Finally, conclusions are included in section 7.
3. Proposed Energy Management Strategy
Hybrid renewable sources with multiple inputs offer distinct advantages over regular power sources. To capitalize on these benefits, wise system planning and power management are required. Fuzzy logic is widely used in various smart applications to achieve higher efficiency owing to its lack of requirements for mathematical modelling, applicability to nonlinear systems, and need for only expert guidance [
9,
10,
11,
12,
13]. The classical fuzzy-logic strategy consists of three levels: fuzzification, fuzzy inference, and defuzzification. During the fuzzification process, the knowledge database enters the system and converts the data into fuzzy linguistic variables. The next step is fuzzy inference, where the rules are defined. The final step is defuzzification, where the fuzzy linguistic variables are converted into understandable values.
Figure 9 shows a flowchart that defines the process priority and logic of the energy management systems. According to the flowchart, the powers of the parameters are defined in the first step, and the parameters are then processed. The battery is compared with the simultaneous output power (Pdemand) in the first process, and depending on the outcome, the path is selected. If the battery cannot supply sufficient power to the output, PV power is added to the battery power, and the sum of the two sources is compared with the simultaneous output power. Depending on the answer to the comparison, the Battery SOC level is checked, and wind power is enabled at both SOC levels. If the sum of the two sources is greater than the simultaneous output power, then the State of the Charge (SOC) level is checked and wind power is enabled depending on the SOC level. If the battery can satisfy the simultaneous output power, then the battery SOC level is checked, and other sources are enabled depending on the SOC level.
The Mamdani method is used as the inference method in the proposed system because it is easier to apply and depends on expert definitions [35]. A non-complex system is important for expanding the applicability; therefore, this method has been selected instead of the Sugeno method. The fuzzy logic controller in the proposed system has four inputs (the power of the PV array and wind turbine, instantaneous load power or demanded power, battery SOC, and an output (power mode). The membership functions were configured according to the power ratings of the inputs, and were divided into three membership functions: low, medium, and high.
The rules of the system were established based on power levels, with 81 rules requiring specification one by one using if-then rules. Fuzzy logic generates numbers between 1 and 3, including 1 and 3, as the output power mode. Based on the power mode output, the system controller regulates each module by attaching or detaching the sources from the rest of the circuit through the power mode relays. A block diagram of the controller system is shown in
Figure 10.
6. Discussion and Comparison
Both simulation and experimental results are the same each other. The only difference between the simulation and experimental tests that is fuzzy slope. But this difference is so small and it is not affecting the result so it can be neglected. In this section, differences and comparison will be discussed.
The difference is the slope of the fuzzy logic output. The slew rate of the fuzzy output is 0 at the simulations. On the other hand, in the real world, there are delay and tolerances, therefore the slope can be predictable but also can be neglected because it is not affecting the result. In addition, MATLAB Simulink configuration can be another reason. Other than this, the reactions of the fuzzy logic output of both simulation and experimental tests are similar.
Figure 33.
Proposed system experimental setup.
Figure 33.
Proposed system experimental setup.
Table 3 shows the comparison of the proposed energy management and other research can be made in the literature [
25,
27,
28], which have more complex systems, making them less attractive. In addition, the proposed energy management strategy has no mathematical algorithm, and it is rule-based; therefore, experts can easily adapt the energy management system to a larger number of sources. Moreover, the referenced [
29,
31] needs data sets from the history. Besides proposed system requires only the fuzzy rules which are defined by the user. The study in [
33] can face technical problems as renewable sources are connected. However, the proposed system can accept any type of source by implementing control algorithms based on the source type. The PID control algorithm is applied to the first module, which is battery connected, and different MPPT algorithms are applied to the second and third modules, which are the PV and Wind sources, respectively.
Figure 1.
Multi-port quasi-z-source converter with 2 inputs.
Figure 1.
Multi-port quasi-z-source converter with 2 inputs.
Figure 9.
Flow chart of the management strategy.
Figure 9.
Flow chart of the management strategy.
Figure 10.
Block diagram of the overall system.
Figure 10.
Block diagram of the overall system.
Figure 11.
Main blocks of the simulation.
Figure 11.
Main blocks of the simulation.
Figure 12.
First module and output side of the circuit.
Figure 12.
First module and output side of the circuit.
Figure 13.
Second module.
Figure 13.
Second module.
Figure 15.
Fuzzy logic designer toolbox.
Figure 15.
Fuzzy logic designer toolbox.
Figure 16.
Rules of the fuzzy logic.
Figure 16.
Rules of the fuzzy logic.
Figure 17.
Surface viewer.
Figure 17.
Surface viewer.
Figure 18.
Control of the switches.
Figure 18.
Control of the switches.
Figure 19.
Output voltage of scenario 1.
Figure 19.
Output voltage of scenario 1.
Figure 20.
(a) Output power, (b) fuzzy system output of scenario 1.
Figure 20.
(a) Output power, (b) fuzzy system output of scenario 1.
Figure 21.
Output voltage of scenario 2.
Figure 21.
Output voltage of scenario 2.
Figure 22.
(a) Output power, (b) fuzzy system output of scenario 2.
Figure 22.
(a) Output power, (b) fuzzy system output of scenario 2.
Figure 23.
Voltage stress on the switch T12 with the quasi-z-source network.
Figure 23.
Voltage stress on the switch T12 with the quasi-z-source network.
Figure 24.
Voltage stress on the switch T12 without quasi-z-source network.
Figure 24.
Voltage stress on the switch T12 without quasi-z-source network.
Figure 25.
Voltage stress on the switch T12 with the quasi-z-source network at 120 V output.
Figure 25.
Voltage stress on the switch T12 with the quasi-z-source network at 120 V output.
Figure 26.
Voltage stress on the switch T12 without a quasi-z-source network at 120 V output.
Figure 26.
Voltage stress on the switch T12 without a quasi-z-source network at 120 V output.
Figure 27.
Power calculation.
Figure 27.
Power calculation.
Figure 28.
Output voltage of the scenario 1 experimental tests.
Figure 28.
Output voltage of the scenario 1 experimental tests.
Figure 29.
(a) Output power (b) fuzzy system output of the scenario 1 experimental tests.
Figure 29.
(a) Output power (b) fuzzy system output of the scenario 1 experimental tests.
Figure 30.
Output voltage of the scenario 2 experimental tests.
Figure 30.
Output voltage of the scenario 2 experimental tests.
Figure 32.
Cz2 Voltage of the quasi-z-source network.
Figure 32.
Cz2 Voltage of the quasi-z-source network.
Table 1.
PV Array specifications.
Table 1.
PV Array specifications.
Open-circuit voltage VOC (V) |
22.77 |
Short-circuit current ISC (A) |
5.86 |
Voltage at Maximum Power Point Vmp (V) |
18.3 |
Current at Maximum Power Point Imp (A) |
5.5 |
Table 3.
Comparison of the different energy management references and proposed energy management.
Table 3.
Comparison of the different energy management references and proposed energy management.
Reference |
Adv. / Disadv. |
Response Time |
Complexity |
No. of Inputs |
[25] |
Fuel economy is good, system durability is high, Complex system, limited application area |
- |
High |
3 inputs (Fuel cell, battery, Super Capacitor) |
[27] |
Reasonable assumptions, Complex system |
+ |
High |
|
[28] |
High decision-making time, Complex system |
- |
High |
3 inputs (PV, Wind turbine, Battery) |
[29] |
Hybrid sources, Needs datasets |
+ |
Medium |
5 inputs (Grid, PV, Wind turbine, Fuel Cell, Battery) |
[31] |
Can predict future, large-scale operations are difficult, Needs datasets |
+ |
Medium |
2 inputs (LTO; Li-Ti-O battery, NCM; Ni-Co-Mn battery) |
Proposed System |
No mathematical algorithm, fuzzy rules, can adapt high number of sources |
+ |
Low |
N numbered (any type of source including renewable sources) |