A non-centralized model predictive control (MPC) scheme for solving an economic dispatch problem of electrical networks is proposed in this paper. The scheme consists of two parts. The first part is an event-triggered repartitioning method that splits the network into a fixed number of non-overlapping sub-systems {(microgrids)}. The objective of the repartitioning procedure is to obtain self-sufficient microgrids, i.e., those that can meet their local loads using their own generation units. However, since the algorithm does not guarantee that all the resulting microgrids are self-sufficient, the microgrids that are not self-sufficient must then form a coalition with some of their neighboring microgrids. This process becomes the second part of the scheme. By performing the coalition formation, we can decompose the economic dispatch problem of the network into coalition-based sub-problems such that each subproblem is feasible. Furthermore, we also show that the solution obtained by solving the coalition-based sub-problems is a feasible but sub-optimal solution to the centralized problem. Additionally, some numerical simulations are also carried out to show the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Typically, a large portion of microgrid generating capacity is from variable renewable resources that are greatly impacted by the environment and can be intermittent as well as stochastic. This would result in uncertainty of microgrid net-load, and negatively affect the grid reliability. A two-phase real-time energy management strategy for networked microgrid is proposed in this paper to address microgrid internal fluctuation internally, which enables a microgrid to become grid-friendly. The proposed strategy is based on coordination between the real-time dispatch (RTD) phase and the real-time…
In this paper, we study the interactions among interconnected autonomous microgrids, and propose a joint energy trading and scheduling strategy. Each interconnected microgrid not only schedules its local power supply and demand, but also trades energy with other microgrids in a distribution network. Specifically, microgrids with excessive renewable generations can trade with other microgrids in deficit of power supplies for mutual benefits. Since interconnected microgrids operate autonomously, they aim to optimize their own performance and expect to gain benefits through energy trading. We des…
Decentralized energy management is of paramount importance in smart microgrids with renewables for various reasons including environmental friendliness, reduced communication overhead, and resilience to failures. In this context, the present work deals with distributed economic dispatch and demand response initiatives for grid-connected microgrids with high-penetration of wind power. To cope with the challenge of the wind's intrinsically stochastic availability, a novel energy planning approach involving the actual wind energy as well as the energy traded with the main grid, is introduced. A s…
Cooperating interconnected microgrids with the Distribution System Operation (DSO) can lead to an improvement in terms of operation and reliability. This paper investigates the optimal operation and scheduling of interconnected microgrids highly penetrated by renewable energy resources (DERs). Moreover, an efficient stochastic framework based on the Unscented Transform (UT) method is proposed to model uncertainties associated with the hourly market price, hourly load demand and DERs output power. Prior to the energy management, a newly developed linearization technique is employed to linearize…
Distribution system integrated community microgrids (CMGs) can partake in restoring loads during extended duration outages. At such times, the CMG is challenged with limited resource availability, absence of robust grid support, and heightened demand-supply uncertainty. This paper proposes a secure and adaptive three-stage hierarchical multi-timescale framework for scheduling and real-time (RT) dispatch of CMGs with hybrid PV systems to address these challenges. The framework enables the CMG to dynamically expand its boundary to support the neighboring grid sections and is adaptive to the chan…
In this paper we study the DC power flow equations of a purely resistive DC power grid which consists of interconnected DC microgrids with constant-power loads. We present a condition on the power grid which guarantees the existence of a solution to the power flow equations. In addition, we present a condition for any microgrid in island mode which guarantees that the power grid remains feasible upon interconnection. These conditions provide a method to determine if a power grid remains feasible after the interconnection with a specific microgrid with constant-power loads. Although the present…
To contribute to a smart grid, the unit commitment and dispatch (UCD) is a very important problem to be revisited in the future microgrid environment. In this paper, the UCD problem is studied by taking account of both traditional thermal units and distributed generation units (DGs) while considering demand response (DR) and carbon emissions trading (CET). Then, the UCD problem is reformulated as the optimal switching problem of a hybrid system. The reformulation allows convenient handling of time-dependent start-up cost for dynamic programming (DP). Afterwards, a closed-loop hierarchical oper…
This article proposes a distributed secondary control scheme that drives a dc microgrid to an equilibrium point where the generators share optimal currents, and their voltages have a weighted average of nominal value. The scheme does not rely on the electric system topology nor its specifications; it guarantees plug-and-play design and functionality of the generators. First, the incremental model of the microgrid system with constant impedance, current, and power devices is shown to admit a port-Hamiltonian (pH) representation, and its passive output is determined. The economic dispatch proble…
This paper addresses the optimal operation problem of a PV-diesel microgrid considering grid blackouts, which is a usual case of discontinuous power supply in developing countries. The model of a grid-connected PV-diesel microgrid is enhanced, and new practical constraints are added. In addition, a new mixed-integer nonlinear programming (MINLP) problem is formulated to optimize the power flow in the microgrid for covering the load while minimizing the power consumption cost as well as maximizing the dispatched power from the PV-array. To demonstrate the applicability of the developed model an…
To effectively enhance the integration of distributed and renewable energy sources in future smart microgrids, economical energy management accounting for the principal challenge of the variable and non-dispatchable renewables is indispensable and of significant importance. Day-ahead economic generation dispatch with demand-side management for a microgrid in islanded mode is considered in this paper. With the goal of limiting the risk of the loss-of-load probability, a joint chance constrained optimization problem is formulated for the optimal multi-period energy scheduling with multiple wind …
This paper investigates transient performance of inverter-based microgrids in terms of the resistive power losses incurred in regulating frequency under persistent stochastic disturbances. We model the inverters as second-order oscillators and compare two algorithms for frequency regulation: the standard frequency droop controller and a distributed proportional-integral (PI) controller. The transient power losses can be quantified using an input-output H2 norm. We show that the distributed PI-controller, which has previously been proposed for secondary frequency control (the elimination of sta…
Modeled after the hierarchical control architecture of power transmission systems, a layering of primary, secondary, and tertiary control has become the standard operation paradigm for islanded microgrids. Despite this superficial similarity, the control objectives in microgrids across these three layers are varied and ambitious, and they must be achieved while allowing for robust plug-and-play operation and maximal flexibility, without hierarchical decision making and time-scale separations. In this work, we explore control strategies for these three layers and illuminate some possibly-unexpe…
Interdisciplinary Graduate School, Nanyang Technological University Singapore（南洋理工大学跨学科研究生院（新加坡））；School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Nanyang Technological University Singapore（南洋理工大学电气与电子工程学院（新加坡））
Mobile energy storage systems (MESSs) provide mobility and flexibility to enhance distribution system resilience. The paper proposes a Markov decision process (MDP) formulation for an integrated service restoration strategy that coordinates the scheduling of MESSs and resource dispatching of microgrids. The uncertainties in load consumption are taken into account. The deep reinforcement learning (DRL) algorithm is utilized to solve the MDP for optimal scheduling. Specifically, the twin delayed deep deterministic policy gradient (TD3) is applied to train the deep Q-network and policy network, t…
Repair crews (RCs) and mobile power sources (MPSs) are critical resources for distribution system (DS) outage management after a natural disaster. However, their logistics is not well investigated. We propose a resilient scheme for disaster recovery logistics to co-optimize DS restoration with dispatch of RCs and MPSs. A novel co-optimization model is formulated to route RCs and MPSs in the transportation network, schedule them in the DS, and reconfigure the DS for microgrid formation coordinately, etc. The model incorporates different timescales of DS restoration and RC/MPS dispatch, the coup…
This paper presents a non-linear stability analysis for dc-microgrids in both, interconnected mode and island operation with primary control. The proposed analysis is based on the fact that the dynamical model of the grid is a gradient system generated by a strongly convex function. The stability analysis is thus reduced to a series of convex optimization problems. The proposed method allows to: i) demonstrate the existence and uniqueness of the equilibrium ii) calculate this equilibrium numerically iii) give conditions for global stability using a Lyapunov function iv) estimate the attraction…
Advances in microgrids powered by Distributed Energy Resources (DERs) make them an attractive response capability for improving the resilience of electricity distribution networks (DNs). This paper presents an approach to evaluate the value of implementing a timely response using microgrid operations and DER dispatch in the aftermath of a disruption event, involving strategic compromise of multiple DN components. Firstly, we extend the resiliency assessment framework in [1] and develop a sequential (bilevel) model of attacker-operator interactions on a radial DN with one or more microgrids. Pa…
As the installation of electronically interconnected renewable energy resources grows rapidly in power systems, system frequency maintenance and control become challenging problems to maintain the system reliability in bulk power systems. As two of the most important frequency control actions in the control centers of independent system operators (ISOs) and utilities, the interaction between Economic Dispatch (ED) and Automatic Generation Control (AGC) attracts more and more attention. In this paper, we propose a robust optimization based framework to measure the system flexibility by consider…
This paper investigates the performance of a microgrid with droop-controlled inverters in terms of the total power losses incurred in maintaining synchrony under persistent small disturbances. The inverters are modeled with variable frequencies and voltages under droop control. For small fluctuations from a steady state, these transient power losses can be quantified by an input-output H2 norm of a linear system subject to distributed disturbances. We evaluate this H2 norm under the assumption of a dominantly inductive network with identical inverters. The results indicate that while phase syn…
The increasing diffusion of distributed energy generation systems requires the development of new control paradigms for the coordination of micro-generators, storage systems, and loads aimed at maintaining the efficiency and the safe operability of the electricity network. MicroGrids (MGs) are an interesting way to locally manage groups of generation devices, but they cannot singularly provide a significant contribution to sustain the main electricity grid in terms of ancillary services, such as the availability of a minimum amount of power reserve for the frequency regulation. For these reaso…
Deploying distributed renewable energy at the demand side is an important measure to implement a sustainable society. However, the massive small solar and wind generation units are beyond the control of a central operator. To encourage users to participate in energy management and reduce the dependence on dispatchable resources, a peer-to-peer energy sharing scheme is proposed which releases the flexibility at the demand side. Every user makes decision individually considering only local constraints; the microgrid operator announces the sharing prices subjective to the coupling constraints wit…
Electric Vehicles (EVs) are promising to provide frequency regulation services due to their fast regulating characteristics. However, when EVs participate in Supplementary Frequency Regulation (SFR), it is challenging to simultaneously achieve the dispatch of the control center and the expected State of Charge (SOC) levels of EV batteries. To solve this problem, in this paper we propose a Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) control strategy, in which an uncertain dispatch is implemented in the control center without detailed EV charging/discharging information. The regulation from the control center is achi…
This paper studies real-time bidding mechanisms for economic dispatch and frequency regulation in electrical power networks. We consider a market administered by an independent system operator (ISO) where a group of strategic generators participate in a Bertrand game of competition. Generators bid prices at which they are willing to produce electricity. Each generator aims to maximize their profit, while the ISO seeks to minimize the total generation cost and to regulate the frequency of the system. We consider a continuous-time bidding process coupled with the swing dynamics of the network th…
The supply of electrical energy is being increasingly sourced from renewable generation resources. The variability and uncertainty of renewable generation, compared to a dispatch-able plant, is a significant dissimilarity of concern to the traditionally reliable and robust distribution systems. In order to reach the optimal operation of community Micro-grids including various Distributed Energy Resource, the stochastic nature of renewable generation should be considered in the decision-making process. To this end, this paper proposes a stochastic scenario based model for optimal dynamic energy…
This paper considers the economic dispatch problem for a network of power generating units communicating over a strongly connected, weight-balanced digraph. The collective aim is to meet a power demand while respecting individual generator constraints and minimizing the total generation cost. We design a distributed coordination algorithm consisting of two interconnected dynamical systems. One block uses dynamic average consensus to estimate the evolving mismatch in load satisfaction given the generation levels of the units. The other block adjusts the generation levels based on the optimizati…
This paper considers the dynamic economic dispatch problem for a group of distributed energy resources (DERs) with storage that communicate over a weight-balanced strongly connected digraph. The objective is to collectively meet a certain load profile over a finite time horizon while minimizing the aggregate cost. At each time slot, each DER decides on the amount of generated power, the amount sent to/drawn from the storage unit, and the amount injected into the grid to satisfy the load. Additional constraints include bounds on the amount of generated power, ramp constraints on the difference …
This paper considers a real-time electricity market involving an independent system operator (ISO) and a group of strategic generators. The ISO operates a market where generators bid prices at which there are willing to provide power. The ISO makes power generation assignments with the goal of solving the economic dispatch problem and regulating the network frequency. We propose a multi-rate hybrid algorithm for bidding and market clearing that combines the discrete nature of iterative bidding with the continuous nature of the frequency evolution in the power network. We establish sufficient u…
