Assessment of Demand Side Management Performance of DC Electric Springs in DC Microgrid Systems

Abstract

The DC Electric Spring (DCES) is a new and innovative technology inspired by the idea of realizing a system equivalent in functionality to mechanical springs in power systems. Electric springs consist of an energy storage element, an inverter, and an LC filter on the grid side. It can be effectively used in power systems to fulfill many functions such as voltage regulation, power fluctuations regulation, demand side management, and energy storage. This study aims to evaluate the demand side management (DSM) performance of DC electric springs in DC microgrid systems. The paper comprehensively investigates the operating principles of electric springs, their impact on system performance, and their role in demand side management strategies. On the other hand, as a solution to the sizing problem of DCES, power regulation and demand side management calculations of the DCES system are presented in the study. The effectiveness of the theoretical calculations on the demand side management performance of DCES has been tested on full bridge DCES with MATLAB/SIMULINK. The results emphasize that DC electric springs provide significant advantages in energy management and can play an important role in future energy systems. The paper's key findings focus on the ability of electric springs to improve power quality, reduce energy fluctuations, and increase system efficiency. This study provides valuable insights for optimizing DC microgrid systems and developing energy management strategies. © 2024 IEEE.