Abstract
In a microgrid connected with both intermittent and dispatchable sources, intermittency caused by sources such as solar and wind power plants can be balanced by dispatching hydro power into the grid. Both intermittent generation and consumption are stochastic in nature, not known perfectly, and require future prediction. The stochastic generation and consumption will cause the grid frequency to drift away from a required range. To improve performance, operation should be optimized over some horizon, with the added problem that intermittent power varies randomly into the future. Optimal management of dynamic system over a future horizon with disturbances is often posed as a Model Predictive Control (MPC) problem. In this paper, we have employed an MPC scheme for generating a hydro-turbine valve signal for dispatching necessary hydro power to the intermittent grid and maintaining grid frequency. Parameter sensitivity analysis shows that grid frequency is mostly sensitive to the turbine valve signal. We have found that controller discretization time, grid frequency, and power injection into the grid are interrelated, and play an important role in maintaining the grid frequency within the thresholds. Results also indicate that the fluctuations in grid frequency are insignificant on the turbine valve position during power injection into the grid.
Highlights
In a microgrid consisting of solar power and wind power supplied with a dispatchable hydro power plant, injection of intermittent solar and wind power creates a fluctuation in grid frequency
Our interest is to find the maximum discretization time for controller, ∆tm, as shown in Figure 3 where grid frequency is satisfied with (300 < ω < 330) rad/s. ∆tm is based on the rate of power injection into the grid and the time at which grid frequency is within the allowed range
This paper explores the possibility of using Model Predictive Control (MPC) to balance intermittent generations from solar and wind power using dispatchable hydro powers
Summary
Electricity generation from renewable energy has increased because of the rise in coal prices, oil insecurity, climatic concern, and the nuclear power debate. Renewable energy sources are a combination of intermittent and dispatchable energy sources Intermittent sources such as solar, wind, and tidal power plants exhibit fluctuating power production that creates an imbalance between generation and load. To address more realistic grid fluctuations in a real-time interconnected grid requires a dynamic model of hydro power systems, dynamic model solar power systems, dynamic model of wind energy conversion systems, electrical systems, generation, transmission, and distribution systems including end-users of electricity. This adheres to the choice of the multiphysics simulation environment
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