Primary Frequency Control with an Air Handling Unit

Niko Karhula, Seppo Sierla, Heikki Ihasalo, Jaakko Ketomäki, Matti Huotari () and Valeriy Vyatkin
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Niko Karhula: Department of Electrical Engineering and Automation, Aalto University, 02150 Espoo, Finland
Seppo Sierla: Department of Electrical Engineering and Automation, Aalto University, 02150 Espoo, Finland
Heikki Ihasalo: Department of Electrical Engineering and Automation, Aalto University, 02150 Espoo, Finland
Jaakko Ketomäki: Department of Electrical Engineering and Automation, Aalto University, 02150 Espoo, Finland
Matti Huotari: Department of Electrical Engineering and Automation, Aalto University, 02150 Espoo, Finland
Valeriy Vyatkin: Department of Electrical Engineering and Automation, Aalto University, 02150 Espoo, Finland

Energies, 2024, vol. 17, issue 15, 1-15

Abstract: The green energy transition threatens stability of the power grid due to associated reduction in grid synchronous inertia. Primary frequency control (PFC) can compensate for the challenge; however, sufficient procurement of primary frequency capacity could depend on more extensive employment of demand-side loads for PFC. Ventilation fans in particular present a promising class of such loads because of ubiquity of variable-frequency drives and relatively slow thermal and ventilation dynamics of indoor spaces. This research proposes a novel method for PFC by an air handling unit: the open loop control is shown to have favorable dynamic characteristics, and its impact on indoor climate is shown to be tolerable. This study suggests that the largely unused primary frequency capacity of ventilation fans could be exploited to provide primary frequency response for low inertia power grids.

Keywords: primary frequency control; frequency containment reserve; air handling unit; variable-frequency drive (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: 2024
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