The transition from conventional power systems to converter-based microgrids has driven significant advancements in sustainability, clean energy integration, and power system reliability. However, this shift also introduces significant challenges due to the intermittent nature of renewable energy sources and the nonlinear characteristics of the power electronics in converters, necessitating dynamic models to simulate system behavior in real-time and assess power system stability and reliability during fluctuations. Additionally, power electronics introduce nonlinear dynamics, potentially leading to voltage fluctuations and harmonic distortions. Dynamic modeling helps predict these effects and develop control techniques to maintain system stability, particularly in managing voltage and frequency regulation for converter-based power systems, which traditionally relied on the inertia provided by synchronous machines. Dynamic modeling also enables the optimization of microgrid design and the evaluation of system resilience during disturbances. This research evaluated the dynamics of a converter-based microgrid using RMS and EMT simulation techniques. The studied microgrid was modeled using the proposed methods in DIgSILENT PowerFactory software. The simulated data for current, voltage, and instantaneous power were compared with recorded data collected from three locations within the microgrid using advanced power quality meters. The results demonstrated the necessity of EMT simulations for capturing fast transients and nonlinear effects that RMS models cannot fully represent, highlighting the importance of both techniques for comprehensive dynamic modeling of microgrids.

Abrar Shahriar Pramanik is an M.S. student in the Electrical and Computer Engineering department at the University of Hawaii at Manoa (UHM). He received his B.S. degree in Electrical and Electronic Engineering from the Islamic University of Technology, Bangladesh, in 2021. He is a Graduate Research Assistant at the Hawai’i Natural Energy Institute, UHM. His research interests include the grid integration of renewable energy systems, power system dynamic modeling and analysis, and power electronics.