Control design for wind-diesel hybrid power systems retrofitted with fuel cells

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Monroy-Morales, José Luis and Peña-Alzola, Rafael and Sajikumar, Adwaith and Campos-Gaona, David and Melgoza-Vázquez, Enrique (2026) Control design for wind-diesel hybrid power systems retrofitted with fuel cells. Energies, 19 (6). 1573. ISSN 1996-1073 (https://doi.org/10.3390/en19061573)

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Abstract

Interest in isolated electrical systems powered by renewable energy has driven the development of alternatives to traditional Wind–Diesel Systems (WDS) due to their unwanted emissions and regulatory constraints. In this context, clean and efficient hybrid architectures are needed to comply with regulations and ensure stable operation under variations in user load and wind generation. This paper proposes an integrated isolated hybrid system consisting of a fuel cell replacing the Diesel Generator (DG). To fulfil the role of the synchronous generator in the diesel-group, the fuel cell operates under a Grid-Forming (GFM) control scheme, acting as a virtual synchronous machine that establishes the system’s voltage and frequency. The main aim of the hybrid system is for the wind turbine to supply most of the active power to the loads, thereby minimising hydrogen consumption. A key challenge in these systems is maintaining power balance, particularly preventing reverse flows in the fuel cell system, which has less margin than the diesel generator. In this paper, a Dump Load (DL) quickly dissipates excess power and prevents reverse power conditions. Overall, the proposed system eliminates the need for diesel generation, thereby eliminating emissions while maintaining operational stability. Simulation results demonstrate the correct functioning of the system in the presence of significant variations in load and wind power generation.

ORCID iDs

Monroy-Morales, José Luis, Peña-Alzola, Rafael ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2451-6779, Sajikumar, Adwaith ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0002-5995-6544, Campos-Gaona, David ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0347-6288 and Melgoza-Vázquez, Enrique;
CORE (COnnecting REpositories)