Using MPC to Balance Intermittent Wind and Solar Power with Hydro Power in Microgrids

Madhusudhan Pandey, Dietmar Winkler, Roshan Sharma and Bernt Lie
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Madhusudhan Pandey: Telemark Modeling and Control Center (TMCC), University of South-Eastern Norway (USN), 3918 Porsgrunn, Norway
Dietmar Winkler: Telemark Modeling and Control Center (TMCC), University of South-Eastern Norway (USN), 3918 Porsgrunn, Norway
Roshan Sharma: Telemark Modeling and Control Center (TMCC), University of South-Eastern Norway (USN), 3918 Porsgrunn, Norway
Bernt Lie: Telemark Modeling and Control Center (TMCC), University of South-Eastern Norway (USN), 3918 Porsgrunn, Norway

Energies, 2021, vol. 14, issue 4, 1-28

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.

Keywords: microgrid; load and generation balance; intermittent injection; dispatchable hydro power; frequency stability; MPC (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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