Design and operation of smart loads in an industrial microgrid

Abstract

This paper investigates the benefits of smart loads in an industrial microgrid. Such smart loads offer the microgrid greater flexibility to regulate frequency for large fluctuating load scenarios, commonly encountered in industrial plants. A case study of stone crushing facility is analyzed when it is fed by natural gas engine driven generator sets (also known as `gensets'). The problem of genset stalling is addressed in this work, and a solution of deploying smart loads is presented. Furthermore, smart load algorithms are proposed to restore the services at industrial sites in a timely manner.