Distributed Model Predictive Load Frequency Control of multi-area Power Grid: A Decoupling Approach

Abstract

A model-predictive scheme for load frequency control of a multi-area power system is proposed. The method depends on a decoupling technique which allows for a control design with a distributed architecture. Treating the total power inflows of each area as input variables, a decoupled linearized model for each area is derived. This allows for the formulation and solution of a model predictive control problem with a quadratic performance index and input saturating constraints on the individual tie-line power flows, along with an overall equality constraint to address the energy balance of the network. It is assumed that the interconnection topology (tie-lines) coincides with the communication topology of the network. The only information which needs to be shared between interconnected areas is the local frequency variables. The effectiveness of the method is illustrated via a simulation study of a three-area network. Future work will attempt to establish formally the stability of the control scheme and to enhance the versatility of the method by including constraints on the state variables.