A generic holonic control architecture for heterogeneous multi-scale and multi-objective smart microgrids

Designing the control infrastructure of future “smart” power grids is a challenging task. Future grids will integrate a wide variety of heterogeneous producers and consumers that are unpredictable and operate at various scales. Information and Communication Technology (ICT) solutions will have to control these in order to attain global objectives at the macrolevel, while also considering private interests at the microlevel. This article proposes a generic holonic architecture to help the development of ICT control systems that meet these requirements. We show how this architecture can integrate heterogeneous control designs, including state-of-the-art smart grid solutions. To illustrate the applicability and utility of this generic architecture, we exemplify its use via a concrete proof-of-concept implementation for a holonic controller, which integrates two types of control solutions and manages a multiscale, multiobjective grid simulator in several scenarios. We believe that the proposed contribution is essential for helping to understand, to reason about, and to develop the “smart” side of future power grids

A Holonic Control Architecture for a Heterogeneous Multi-Objective Micro Smart-Grid

Designing the control infrastructure of future ``smart'' power grids is a challenging task. Such grids will integrate a wide variety of heterogeneous producers and consumers that are unpredictable and operate at various scales. Smart grids will need to control these in order to attain global objectives at the macro-level, while also taking into account local objectives and private interests at the micro-level. This paper proposes a holonic control architecture to help meet these requirements. We show how this architecture can integrate heterogeneous control solutions, including - when applicable - existing state-of-the-art solutions for the smart grid. To better illustrate the utility of this generic architecture we exemplify its use via a proof-of-concept implementation, integrating some basic control solutions. We show how this sample holonic controller can manage a grid simulator in several scenarios. Obtained results support our belief that the proposed architecture can facilitate the development of control solutions addressing the aforementioned challenges

Optimal Operation of Integrated Microgrids

Microgrids\u27 deployments are increasing and projected to increase even more in future due to the significant advantages that are provided by this technology for end-use customers. However, microgrids can be connected to each other to create integrated microgrids system, which can further promote the anticipated and desired benefits. An integrated operation of microgrids can potentially improve the local power system reliability and resilience, increase the individual microgrids\u27 economic benefits, and promote further utilization of renewable energy resources. Integrating microgrids, to achieve a microgrid network or cluster, is expected be an essential application towards smarter power grids and a key operational feature in emerging modern distribution grids. Consequently, finding the optimal schedule of the integrated microgrids during the grid-connected and islanded operation modes is necessary to achieve the most possible economic and environmental benefits. In this dissertation, the integrated microgrids systems\u27 operation is investigated, researched and studied. The impact of elevating prosumers to provisional microgrids (to form an integrated microgrids system) is discussed and examined, and further independent and integrated microgrid optimal scheduling models are developed and mathematically simulated, to identify its merits and importance in the distribution grid. In addition, the value/quantity of the unused capacities in the microgrids is discussed and investigated, and a communicative optimal scheduling model for integrated microgrids systems is developed and proposed, in which the local power exchange between the integrated microgrids is determined through an iterative exchange of relevant information based on unused capacity and unmet power in the microgrids. Moreover, the microgrids\u27 privacy is taken into consideration by a developed optimal scheduling model based on the Lagrange Relaxation (LR) method, where the optimal scheduling problem is decomposed into individual optimal scheduling problems using the LR to take prevailing privacy issues into account. Furthermore, an optimal scheduling model for integrated microgrids systems in holonic distribution grids is developed, where the proposed model is capable of determining the optimal network topology, i.e., optimal connections among the integrated microgrids, to ensure minimum microgrid-specific and system-wide operation cost as well as maximum reliability of the entire integrated system. It should be mentioned that all proposed models are mathematically formulated using mixed-integer programming, and studied through numerical simulations to show their performance and effectiveness

An Integrated Research Infrastructure for Validating Cyber-Physical Energy Systems

Renewables are key enablers in the plight to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and cope with anthropogenic global warming. The intermittent nature and limited storage capabilities of renewables culminate in new challenges that power system operators have to deal with in order to regulate power quality and ensure security of supply. At the same time, the increased availability of advanced automation and communication technologies provides new opportunities for the derivation of intelligent solutions to tackle the challenges. Previous work has shown various new methods of operating highly interconnected power grids, and their corresponding components, in a more effective way. As a consequence of these developments, the traditional power system is being transformed into a cyber-physical energy system, a smart grid. Previous and ongoing research have tended to mainly focus on how specific aspects of smart grids can be validated, but until there exists no integrated approach for the analysis and evaluation of complex cyber-physical systems configurations. This paper introduces integrated research infrastructure that provides methods and tools for validating smart grid systems in a holistic, cyber-physical manner. The corresponding concepts are currently being developed further in the European project ERIGrid.Comment: 8th International Conference on Industrial Applications of Holonic and Multi-Agent Systems (HoloMAS 2017