A hierarchical and modular agent-oriented framework for power systems co-simulations

AbstractDuring the last decades, numerous simulation tools have been proposed to faithfully reproduce the different entities of the grid together with the inclusion of new elements that make the grid "smart". Often, these domain-specific simulators have been then coupled with co-simulation platforms to test new scenarios. In parallel, agent-oriented approaches have been introduced to test distributed control strategies and include social and behavioural aspects typical of the consumer side. Rarely, simulators of the physical systems have been coupled with these innovative techniques, especially when social and psychological aspects have been considered. In order to ease the re-usability of these simulators, avoiding re-coding everything from scratch, we propose a hierarchical and modular agent-oriented framework to test new residential strategies in the energy context. If needed, the presented work enables the user to select the desired level of details of the agent-based framework to match the corresponding physical system without effort to test very different scenarios. Moreover, it allows adding on top of the physical data, behavioural aspects. To this end, the characteristics of the framework are first introduced and then different scenarios are described to demonstrate the flexibility of the proposed work: (i) a first stand-alone scenario with two hierarchy levels, (ii) a second co-simulation scenario with a photovoltaic panel simulator and (iii) a third stand-alone scenario with three hierarchy levels. Results demonstrate the flexibility and ease of use of the framework, allowing us to compare several scenarios and couple new simulators to build a more and more complex environment. The framework is in the early stages of its development. However, thanks to its properties in the future it could be extended to include new actors, such as industries, to get the full picture

A User-Centric View of a Demand Side Management Program: From Surveys to Simulation and Analysis

Residential Demand Side Management (DSM) strategies increase the efficiency of the smart grid. However, the efficacy of these strategies relies on the participation of customers in DSM programs, an issue usually neglected in the analysis. To encompass all aspects, we tried to identify what are the drivers for the user engagement, focusing on the social and psychological behaviour of the user in order to simulate and analyse a residential DSM program with a centralised approach. In particular, the DSM program minimises costs taking into account different energy sources and performing load shifting considering and learning users’ acceptance of requests. The results show the advantage of a preferences-aware approach, highlighting the importance of user satisfaction on participation

A win-win algorithm for aggregated residential energy management: resource optimisation and user acceptance learning

This paper proposes a solution based on Multi Agent System to study a residential Demand Side Management (DSM) program with a centralised approach. It focuses on minimising the cost considering different energy sources, such as photovoltaic panels and energy storage system, while optimally scheduling the appliances that can be shifted in time. The cost minimisation is formulated as a Mixed Integer Linear Programming (MILP) problem. The optimal allocation of the shiftable loads takes into account the modelled users’ preferences that are learnt by means of an algorithm based on an explore-exploit strategy. From the results, it emerges that a win-win situation could be achieved if user preference are considered.These benefits include savings and users’ satisfaction

A reforma da política agrícola comum da Uniao Européia

Orientador: Nilson Maciel de PaulaMonografia(Graduaçao) - Universidade Federal do Paraná,Setor de Ciencias Sociais Aplicadas, Curso de Ciencias EconômicasResumo: A presente monografia contém uma análise do processo de reforma da Política Agrícola Comum (PAC) da União Européia. Com a criação da Comunidade Econômica Européia, em 1957, ficou estipulada também a implementação da PAC, que tinha dois objetivos principais: assegurar o abastecimento regular de alimentos à população européia e um padrão de vida justo aos produtores rurais, mediante a garantia de renda destes. Para tanto, utilizou-se de certos mecanismos, notadamente uma política de sustentação de preços e subsídios às exportações agrícolas, com a finalidade de regular a produção, os preços, a renda e o comércio dos produtos agrícolas dos países comunitários. Até os anos 80, apesar das críticas à PAC, não houve nenhum movimento significativo no sentido de revisá-la. O advento de uma conjuntura econômica mundial extremamente negativa e o acirramento da concorrência no mercado agrícola mundial, em meados da década de 80, motivaram o início de um processo lento, porém constante, de reforma da PAC. As novas reformas de tal política continuam se processando, a fim de adequá-la às condições atuais do comércio agrícola mundial

The Boltzmann constant from the shape of a molecular spectral line

We report on our recent determination of the Boltzmann constant, k(B), by means of Doppler broadening thermometry. This relatively new method of primary gas thermometry was implemented by using a pair of offset-frequency locked extended-cavity diode lasers at 1.39 mu m, to probe a particular vibration-rotation transition of the (H2O)-O-18 molecule. Adopting a rather sophisticated and extremely refined line shape model in the spectral analysis procedure, we were able to determine the Doppler width from high-quality absorption spectra with unprecedented accuracy. Our spectroscopic determination of kB exhibits a combined (type A plus type B) uncertainty of 24 parts over 10(6). The complete uncertainty budget is presented and discussed

Modelling and techno-economic analysis of Peer-to-Peer electricity trading systems in the context of Energy Communities

The increasing penetration of Renewable Energy Resources (RES) is an opportunity to empower citizens to actively participate in energy markets through energy communities. At the local level, the Peer-to-Peer (P2P) trade and exchange of renewable energy represents a valid solution to fulfil the energy demand of the members, increase self-consumption and obtain economic benefits. However, a proper evaluation of the benefits for the community would require new considerations in designing typologies, composition, sharing and pricing mechanisms. Based on these premises, this paper explores the possible influences of different community-based P2P trading systems by examining several categories, ranging from aggregation structures, market mechanisms, sharing policies and pricing mechanisms internal to the local market. Furthermore, a flexible Mixed Integer Linear Programming model was formulated to optimise the day-ahead scheduling of community members participating in the P2P energy market. In this way, different community types, sharing policies, and pricing mechanisms were tested. Finally, the optimisation results were evaluated based on several key parameters

Recommended isolated-line profile for representing high-resolution spectroscopic transitions (IUPAC Technical Report)

The report of an IUPAC Task Group, formed in 2011 on "Intensities and line shapes in high-resolution spectra of water isotopologues from experiment and theory" (Project No. 2011-022-2-100), on line profiles of isolated high-resolution rotational-vibrational transitions perturbed by neutral gas-phase molecules is presented. The well-documented inadequacies of the Voigt profile (VP), used almost universally by databases and radiative-transfer codes, to represent pressure effects and Doppler broadening in isolated vibrational-rotational and pure rotational transitions of the water molecule have resulted in the development of a variety of alternative line-profile models. These models capture more of the physics of the influence of pressure on line shapes but, in general, at the price of greater complexity. The Task Group recommends that the partially Correlated quadratic-Speed-Dependent Hard-Collision profile should be adopted as the appropriate model for high-resolution spectroscopy. For simplicity this should be called the Hartmann--Tran profile (HTP). The HTP is sophisticated enough to capture the various collisional contributions to the isolated line shape, can be computed in a straightforward and rapid manner, and reduces to simpler profiles, including the Voigt profile, under certain simplifying assumptions.Comment: Accepted for publication in Pure and Applied Chemistr