Virtual power plant‐based distributed control strategy for multiple distributed generators

Abstract

A distributed control strategy is developed to control the output of multiple distributed generators (DGs) in a coordinated fashion such that these generators develop into a virtual power plant (VPP) in a distribution network. To this end, cooperative control methodology from network control theory is used to make the VPP converge and operate at an optimal output, which is determined by the DGs' costs and the necessary service assigned by the distribution network. For each DG, the strategy only requires information from its neighbouring units, making communication networks (CNs) among the DGs simple and robust. A set of sufficient conditions under which the proposed method is valid are provided. It is shown that the proposed strategy has the advantages that the corresponding CNs are local and there is no central station collecting global information from the DGs. These features enable the VPP to have both self-organising and adaptive coordination properties. The proposed method is simulated using the IEEE standard 34-bus distribution network.

A Virtual Power Plant Architecture for the Demand-Side Management of Smart Prosumers

“…Several works in the literature demonstrated the highly beneficial contribution of the VPP concept for the optimal control of heterogeneous DERs in UESs [19][20][21][22][23][24] by also emphasizing the key role of DSM schemes for the successful implementation of VPP management strategies. However, as we also discuss in the following subsections, research to date typically considers VPPs as a generalized abstraction of DERs owned by different stakeholders, and the proposed control and DSM strategies are still designed according to the centralized control paradigm [1].…”

“…VPPs are already mature and widely used instruments for the control of DERs in µGs and SGs, and the concept alongside virtualization has been recognized to be highly beneficial for the development and control of future UESs [19][20][21][22][23][24]. However, their implementation and architectures are still rooted in the centralized control paradigm, where central control units are allowed to take the full control of low-level resources.…”

Controllable Load Management Approaches in Smart Grids

“…The coordination control method was studied in both grid-connected mode and stand-alone mode. In [61], the author developed a virtual power plant-based (VPP) distributed control strategy for multiple distributed generators, which had advantageous coordination control without central station collecting global information. Pierluigi et al [62] presented a comprehensive dedicated framework to analyze distributed multi-generation systems for the purpose of identifying and quantifying their potential to participate in real-time demand response programs.…”

Distributed Optimal Active Power Control of Multiple Generation Systems

“…However, the operating costs are not taken into consideration. Recently, the work in [34] presented a distributed strategy to control the output of multiple distributed generators in a coordinated fashion and considered the operating cost, where only the case without power generation constraints is considered. In this paper, we present a novel coordinated power controller design framework for distributed generation systems such that the generation-demand balance is guaranteed at minimum operating cost while satisfying all generation constraints.…”

“…Compared with the traditional hierarchical control structure of microgrid [4], [29]- [34], [39], our design framework is a totally distributed implementation of the primary, secondary, and tertiary control, which enhances the redundancy and enables the plug-and-play function in microgrids.…”