Design and Hardware Implementation of Laboratory-scale Hybrid DC Power System for Educational Purposes

The DC microgrid is an effective architecture that is utilized to achieve reliable power with high efficiency through the implementation of power electronics converters and energy storage devices. Many systems are currently using DC power. For instance, DC architecture is employed in data centers to provide efficient and reliable power distribution across large numbers of electrical loads. The proper utilization of the DC power system involves with many new challenges and requires development of new techniques for power flow control, energy management and protection. In this paper, we present the development of our educational DC microgrid platform which includes popular renewable energy sources and hybrid storage systems. This lab-scale platform provided an educational environment for senior students and graduate students to take part in laboratory experiments and to understand and develop new ideas for DC power system applications.