Real-Time Distributed Control for Low-Inertia Power Grids

电力是推动我们科技文明向前发展的动力。在过去的几十年里，气候变化和污染问题推动了许多国家采用可持续能源解决方案。我们现在可以利用风力涡轮机和太阳能发电场等可再生能源生产清洁电力。然而，发电只完成了战斗的一半。同样重要的是，我们有能力通过电网可靠地将电力输送到消费者手中。 我们现有的电网是分层的，由几个层组成。最底层是配电网，用户--以及现在的许多可再生能源--都连接在这里。随着化石燃料逐渐被可再生能源取代，我们用许多更小、更不可预测的能源取代了大型、非常可靠的能源。这种转变正在将世界各地的配电网推向与设计完全不同的运行状态，电网运营商正面临新的稳定性和控制问题。我们有效利用可再生能源的能力目前受到我们控制和优化遗留配电网的能力的瓶颈。 该研究计划的长期目标是制定控制和优化策略，以最大限度地增加电网中的可再生能源数量。其关键思想是加深对电力如何通过电网传输的数学理解，然后利用这种理解来更有效地协调以前独立的发电和控制设备。关键研究将包括开发新的潮流数学模型，量化可再生电网的渗透和稳定极限，以及设计增加这些极限的反馈控制器。实时协调独立的传感器组、分布式发电机和控制设备将使我们能够最大限度地利用当前的电网基础设施，而不会损害电网的稳定性。通过利用现代反馈控制的工程原理，我们将能够补偿可再生能源发电带来的不确定性增加的影响，从而实现清洁而可靠的电网。 为了加速小规模可再生能源的广泛采用，这项研究将提供必要的电网控制方面的基本进展，以减轻我们传统配电网的压力，使公用事业公司能够最大限度地利用其资产，而无需昂贵的设备升级。这种以软件为动力的解决方案是能源之谜中至关重要的一块。同样重要的是确保在公用事业和私营产品部门都有高素质的人员(HQP)，他们具有必要的控制和优化技能，以应对国家的能源挑战。成功参与这一独特的专业计划的HQP将走在向以可再生能源和协调反馈控制为动力的21世纪电网过渡的前沿。

Electric power is what drives our technological civilization forward. Over the past few decades, climate change and pollution issues have propelled many countries to adopt sustainable energy solutions. We can now produce clean power from renewable sources such as wind turbines and solar farms. Yet, producing power is only half the battle. Equally as important is our ability to reliably transmit that power through the power grid to consumers. Our existing power grid is hierarchical and consists of several layers. The lowest layer is the distribution grid, where consumers -- and now, many renewable power sources -- are connected. As fossil fuels are slowly displaced by renewables, we replace large, very reliable sources of power with many smaller and less predictable sources. This transition is pushing distribution grids worldwide into operating situations they were simply not designed for, and grid operators are facing new stability and control issues. Our ability to effectively use renewable energy is currently bottlenecked by our ability to control and optimize our legacy distribution grids. The long-term objective of this research program is to develop control and optimization strategies to maximize the amount of renewable energy in the power grid. The key idea is to develop a deeper mathematical understanding of how power is transmitted through the grid, then use this understanding to more efficiently coordinate previously independent generation and control equipment. Critical research will include the development of new mathematical models for power flow, quantifying the renewable penetration and stability limits of the grid, and designing feedback controllers which increase these limits. Coordinating independent groups of sensors, distributed generators, and control equipment in real time will allow us maximize our current grid infrastructure, without compromising grid stability. By leveraging the engineering principles of modern feedback control, we will be able to compensate for the effects of increased uncertainty from renewable generation, leading to a clean yet reliable grid. To accelerate the wide-spread adoption of small-scale renewable power, this research will provide the essential advances in grid control needed to reduce the stress on our legacy distribution grids, enabling utilities to maximize their assets without costly equipment upgrades. Such software-powered solutions are a vital piece of the energy puzzle. Also central is ensuring there are highly qualified personnel (HQP) with the control and optimization skills necessary to address the country's energy challenges, in both the utility and private product sectors. HQP who successfully participate in this unique, specialized program will be at the forefront of the transition to a 21st century grid powered by renewables and coordinated feedback control.