Supercapacitor Cycle Life Equalization in a Microgrid Through Flexible Distribution of Energy and Storage Resources

Industrial microgrids functioning under islanded mode of operation are often subjected to large and fluctuating demands from loads such as crushers, excavators, and steel rolling mills. This paper studies the supercapacitor (SC) cycle life when multiple small rated but distantly located distributed energy resources are supplying a cement plant crusher-conveyor load in the islanded operation of the microgrid. Each DER consists of a fuel cell (FC) supplemented with a SC. After having carried out extensive modeling, simulation, and analysis, this paper demonstrates that the SC cycle life can be equalized by employing the cooperative framework of flexible distribution of energy and storage resources.