Advanced Planning and Control Algorithms for Smart and Sustainable MicroGrid Systems

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

Over the past two decades, the deregulation of electricity markets, accompanied by an increased environmental awareness, has paved the way for an increased penetration of customer owned small-scale renewable generation units connected directly to the electric distribution networks, known as distributed generation (DG) units. With such increasing number of DG units, electric distribution networks can be clustered into new sets of management layers, known as microgrids, that are capable of operating independently (i.e., in islanded mode) and also as a part of their up-stream grid (i.e., in grid-connected mode). Microgrids can bring pivotal benefits to electric distribution utilities and their customers. Such benefits include improved electric service reliability, increased efficiency, easier integration of renewable resources, higher power quality, and transmission system congestion relief. Despite a great interest shown from both industry and academia during the last decade, the realization of the technologies needed for a widespread implementation of the microgrid concept still faces major challenges. This research program focus on the issue of enabling the widespread implementation of the microgrid concept in existing electric distribution networks. To that end, we will: 1) introduce new distribution system re-organization and expansion planning algorithms that empower the microgrid as a new management layer; 2) develop a new supervisory control framework that enable microgrid controllers to detect and tolerate compromised data exchanges while preserving customers’ privacy and ensuring the distribution system security and optimality of operation; 3) develop new algorithms to minimize the dependence on storage and dispatchable generators in microgrids by enabling the operation of fully-renewable microgrid systems; and 4) develop an incentivizing and competitive compensation framework for DGs participation in microgrids. The results of this research will remove technical, economic and regulatory barriers to the interconnection of sustainable DG resources in general and to the implementation of the microgrid concept in particular. The realization of the proposed work will help power utilities improve the overall power system performance in terms of reliability, power quality and efficiency while minimizing the environmental adverse impacts of central power generation plants. The knowledge-base and tools that this research will generate will enable power system software and hardware developers to build smart controllers and algorithms that will facilitate a safe transition of the current distribution systems into microgrid-based smart distribution systems. This research program will also serve a rising employment and economic need by training highly qualified personal in the field of sustainable energy and smart grids through its development.