193 research outputs found
Efficient Desynchronization of Thermostatically Controlled Loads
This paper considers demand side management in smart power grid systems
containing significant numbers of thermostatically controlled loads such as air
conditioning systems, heat pumps, etc. Recent studies have shown that the
overall power consumption of such systems can be regulated up and down
centrally by broadcasting small setpoint change commands without significantly
impacting consumer comfort. However, sudden simultaneous setpoint changes
induce undesirable power consumption oscillations due to sudden synchronization
of the on/off cycles of the individual units. In this paper, we present a novel
algorithm for counter-acting these unwanted oscillations, which requires
neither central management of the individual units nor communication between
units. We present a formal proof of convergence of homogeneous populations to
desynchronized status, as well as simulations that indicate that the algorithm
is able to effectively dampen power consumption oscillations for both
homogeneous and heterogeneous populations of thermostatically controlled loads.Comment: 6 pages, 8 Figure
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