SBIR Phase I: Advanced microgrid control system based on decentralized optimization techniques

这个小企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力是创建一个可行的控制系统，以分散的方式优化微电网，并为电网运营商创造额外的灵活性。目前微电网的发电、存储和消费组合是否可能与更广泛的电网集成？主要依赖于集中调度方法，由一个操作人员决定何时使用哪些资产。集中式系统需要大量的努力来建立，并且不能有效地适应发电或消费的变化。拟议的技术将采用不同的逻辑来控制资产，通过使用分散的区块链分类账自动持续优化调度决策。这种控制系统的好处包括，当资产从系统中添加或移除时，极大地增加了灵活性，并且由于系统没有单点故障，因此具有更大的弹性。电力公司将能够利用该系统更有效地管理电网，并部署“虚拟发电厂”，而不是依赖效率低下、成本高昂的“峰值”发电厂。总的来说，这项技术将加速微电网的采用，改善国家的能源基础设施。这个小企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段项目旨在为微电网设计分散式控制逻辑，通过计算机模拟对其进行测试，并在活动现场对太阳能电池板、电池和其他类型的能源资产进行有限的物理测试。当前的控制系统通常采用严格的集中调度逻辑，不能自动适应不断变化的条件。已经进行了大量的研究，证明了分散分类账在控制电网方面的好处。提出的研究将通过开发相关算法将理论基础应用于实践，使微电网控制系统能够商业化。虽然分散式系统的好处是显而易见的，但与现有的集中式系统相比，其复杂性也大大增加。软件必须足够健壮，以稳定和冗余的方式处理事务，同时也必须足够简单，不会使系统内的电信和计算资源紧张。拟议的研究预计将建立基于区块链分类帐的概念验证调度逻辑，产生一个有效且可扩展的解决方案，将优化微电网的运行，几乎达到理论上的理想条件。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project is to create a viable control system that will optimize microgrids in a decentralized manner and create additional flexibility for electric grid operators. Current microgrids' combinations of power generation, storage, and consumption that may or may not be integrated with the broader electric grid?mostly depend on a centralized dispatch approach, with one single operator making decisions regarding which assets to utilize and when. Centralized systems require large efforts to set up and do not efficiently adapt to changes in generation or consumption. The proposed technology will employ a different logic for controlling assets, automatically and continuously optimizing the dispatch decisions by using a decentralized blockchain ledger. The benefits of this control system include dramatically increased flexibility when assets are added or removed from the system, and much greater resiliency as there is no single point of failure of the system. Electric utilities will be able to leverage the system to more effectively manage the grid and deploy "virtual power plants" rather than depend on inefficient and costly "peaker" plants. Overall the technology will accelerate adoption of microgrids, improving the nation's energy infrastructure. This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project seeks to design the decentralized control logic for microgrids, test it via computer simulations, and conduct a limited physical test at an active site with solar panels, batteries, and other types of energy assets. Current control systems generally utilize a rigid, centralized dispatch logic that does not automatically adapt to changing conditions. A substantial body of research has been conducted demonstrating the benefits of decentralized ledgers in controlling electric grids. The proposed research will put the theoretical foundation into practice by developing the related algorithms to be able to commercialize a microgrid control system. While the benefits of decentralized systems are clear, the complexity is also drastically increased when compared with existing centralized systems. The software must be robust enough to handle the transactions with stability and redundancy, while also simple enough to not strain telecommunications and computing resources within the system. The proposed research is expected to establish proof-of-concept dispatch logic based on a blockchain ledger, producing an effective and scalable solution that will optimize microgrid operation, nearly reaching the theoretically ideal conditions.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.