OVERVIEW OF MICROGRID CONTROL PRINCIPLES AND STRATEGIES

Bucharest, 05th September 2013

drd.ing. Andrei HORHOIANU

Prof.dr.ing. Eremia MIRCEA

University Politehnica of Bucharest Romania

1.What is a Smart Grid and a Microgrid?

Smart Grid - an electricity network based on digital technology that is used to

supply electricity to consumers via two-way digital communication. This system

allows monitoring, analysis, control and communication within the supply chain
to help improve efficiency, reduce the energy consumption and cost, and maximize the transparency and reliability of the energy supply chain.

Microgrid - a group of interconnected loads and distributed energy resources

within clearly defined electrical boundaries that acts as a single controllable entity to the grid. A microgrid can operate in both grid-connected or island mode

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2. Microgrid Arhitecture

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3. Microgrid Benefits and Resulting Challenges

Short-and long-term energy storage units can play a major role in control and operation

Resulting Challenges

Ability to provide prespecified power quality levels or preferential services to some loads Monitoring and diagnostics of the entire system by collecting data from microsources and consumers Active and reactive power control of microsources present in the microgrid,to maintain voltage and frequency within the limits set Assurance of power supply to consumers within the microgrid during outages in the main grid.

Microgird is inherently subject to a significant degree of imbalance due to the presence of single-phase loads and/or DER

Benefits

A noticeable portion of supply within a microgrid can from noncontrollable sources; Economics often dictate that a microgrid must readily accommodate connection and disconnection of DER units and loads while maintaining its operation Safety operation issues mode during island

TWO-WAY COMMUNICATION, MONITORING AND CONTROL ACTIONS

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4. Control Principles and Strategies - Microgrid Supervisory Control

A microgrid, through its control system, must ensure all or a subset of the required functions. The objectives are achieved through either a centralized or a decentralized supervisory control that includes three hierarchical levels

Distribution Network Operator (DNO) and Market Operator (MO) Microgrid Central Controller (MCC) Local Controllers (LCs) associated with each DER unit and/or load.

Decentralized Control System

Centralized Control System

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4. Control Principles and Strategies DER Controls

Common architectures for electronically interfaced DER units:

Nondispatchable photovoltaic (PV)-based DG unit for which the PV array, through a converter system, is interfaced to the host microgrid. The converter is a dc-dc-ac system composed of one dc-dc converter and one dc-ac converter. Hybrid electronically coupled DER unit for which the converter system is composed of two parallel dc-dc converters and one dc-ac converter. Although the PV array provides nondispatchable power, the converter system can be controlled to provide a dispatchable power at the output of the unit. Electronically coupled genset DG unit that is augmented with a capacitive energy storage unit. The genset is a slow-acting dispatchable DG unit that is coupled to the host microgrid through an ac-dc-ac converter system. The capacitive storage unit is interfaced to the dc link of the ac-dc-ac converter system through a dc-dc converter and provides short-time power flow requirements during start up and/or acceleration/deceleration intervals of the slow genset

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4. Control Principles and Strategies DER Controls

Grid Following: Power Export

Grid Following: Power Dispatch

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4. Control Principles and Strategies DER Controls

Grid Forming : Voltage and Frequency Control

Grid Forming : Load Sharing

Remark: Control strategies for DER units within a microgrid are selected based on the required functions and possible operational scenarios. Controls of DER units are also determined by the nature of its interactions with the system and other DER units.

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4. Microgrid Energy Management System

The PMS/EMS assigns real and reactive power references for the DER units to:

Functions of Real-Time EMS for a Microgrid

appropriately share real/reactive power among the DER units appropriately respond to the microgrid disturbances and transients determine the power set points of the DER units to balance the microgrid power and restore the frequency enable resynchronization of the microgrid with the main grid, if required.

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5. Microgrid Energy Management System

Centralized Energy Management System

Decentralized Energy Management System

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6. Conclusions
Market acceptability of DER technologies and the gradual and consistent increase in their

depth of penetration have generated significant interest in integration, controls, and optimal operation of DER units in the context of microgrids
With increasing penetration of communication and control technologies that enable smart

grid functionalities, an infrastructure is rapidly evolving that will support the formation of networks of sources and loads microgirds that are amorphous and dynamic, completely unlike any power system network that is extant today.
The problem of optimal management of the resources in a microgrid is being widely

investigated and recent studies have proposed the application of both centralized and distributed control schemes by using multi-agent systems, heuristic methods and optimization algorithms.
A decentralized control approach intends to provide the maximum autonomy for the DER

units and loads within a microgrid.

A microgrid, through its control system, must ensure all or a subset of functions such as:

supply of electrical and/or thermal energy, participation in the energy market, prespecified service level for critical loads, black start subsequent to a failure, provision for ancillary services, etc

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7. Perspectives
Development of an industrial microgird with hierarchical control based on artificial intelligence techniques

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THANK YOU !

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