Load frequency control in variable inertia systems

Conventional load frequency control primarily relies on large synchronous generation units to ensure regulation of the system frequency. However, its performance deteriorates as the system parameters, including inertia and droop coefficients, deviate from original system design. This letter proposes an augmented load frequency control (ALFC) to ensure robust frequency regulation under diurnal variations in system parameters that are expected in the future, renewables-rich power system. The superior performance of ALFC is demonstrated by several case studies, and its stability is assessed by small-signal analysis

Future electricity market structure to ensure large volume of RES

The article define set of rules for future Electricity market structure, taking into account network codes, legislation and directives to ensure RES integration targets and Energy Union Dimensions in term of a fully integrated internal energy market and transition to a long lasting low-carbon society. Presented research studies are based on new way of power system operation development, namely Web-of-cell concept, of FP7 IRP ELECTRA. It’s aiming to ensure conceptual E-market design and future power system 2030+ control solutions

Images of Research : Towards Sustainable and Safe Aviation

Electric arc faults (high-power discharge of electricity between conductors) can develop in any electrical system. Generating heat, these faults can trigger dangerous electrical fires. In our quest to develop greener transport, we are studying the occurrence of these faults in direct current (DC) systems, aiming to assist industry in the safer development of aircraft electrification and robust protection technologies

Future electricity market structure to ensure large volume of RES

The article define set of rules for future Electricity market structure, taking into account network codes, legislation and directives to ensure RES integration targets and Energy Union Dimensions in term of a fully integrated internal energy market and transition to a long lasting low-carbon society. Presented research studies are based on new way of power system operation development, namely Web-of-cell concept, of FP7 IRP ELECTRA. It’s aiming to ensure conceptual E-market design and future power system 2030+ control solutions

Frequency restoration reserves : provision and activation using a multi-agent demand control system

In this work a control system for restoration reserve providers is proposed in which optimal biddings of restoration reserve capacity are made based on the predicted flexibility of the reserve resources within the portfolio of the reserve provider. I t is assumed that the gate closure time for submitting reserve capacit y bids is 1 hour before activation time. The reserve capacity bids need to be formed so that activation of the capacity is always feasible, irrespective of the consumption of the portfolio before an activation request. The determination of the optimal reserve capacity bids is only based on aggregated flexibility constraint information received by the individual flexible resources within the portfolio of the reserve provider. No further resource-spe cific information is used to determine the optimal reserve capacity bid. The activation and dispatch of the required power consumption at real time is done through a market-based multi-agent control system. A simulation example, in which the reserve capacity of a portfolio of batteries is simulated, proves the feasibility of the proposed approach and shows that a high precision of the portfolio response can be obtained

IEC-61850-based communication for integrated EV management in power systems with renewable penetration

As the number of EVs increases, their impact on electrical systems will be substantial. Novel management schemes are needed to manage the electrical load they require when charging. Literature is rich with different techniques to manage and control this effect on the grid by controlling and optimizing power flow. Although these solutions heavily rely on communication lines, they mostly treat communication as a black box. It is important to develop communication solutions that can integrate EVs, charging stations (CSs), and the rest of the grid in an interoperable way. A standard approach would be indispensable as there are different EV models manufactured by different companies. The IEC 61850 standard is a strong tool used for developing communication models for different smart grid components. However, it does not have the necessary models for implementing smart EV management schemes that coordinate between EVs and CSs. In this paper, these missing links are addressed through the development of corresponding models and message mapping. A hardware-in-the-loop test is performed to validate the communication models and cross-platform operation. Then, a co-simulation environment is used to perform a combined study of communication and the power system components. The developed communication model helps integrate the EVs to a centralized, coordinated voltage control scheme. These models can be used to run extensive impact studies where different domains of smart grids need to be considered simultaneously. The main contribution of this paper is the development of smartgrid communication solutions for enabling successful information exchanges

Decentralized-distributed hybrid voltage regulation of power distribution networks based on power inverters

In modern power distribution networks, voltage fluctuations and violations are becoming two major voltage quality issues due to high-level penetration of stochastic renewable energies (e.g., wind and solar power). In this paper, a hybrid control strategy based on power inverters for voltage regulation in distribution networks is proposed. Firstly, a decentralized voltage control is designed to regulate voltage ramp-rate for mitigating voltage fluctuations. As a beneficial by-product, the var capacity from the inverters become smoothed. Then, a distributed voltage control is developed to fairly utilize the var capacity of each inverter to regulate the network voltage deviations. Furthermore, once there is a shortage of var capacity from inverters, on-load tap changers control will supplement to provide additional voltage regulation support. The simulation results on IEEE 33-bus distribution network with real-world data have validated the effectiveness of the proposed voltage regulation method

Power hardware-in-the-loop setup for developing, analyzing and testing mode identification techniques and dynamic equivalent models

During the last decades, a significant number of mode identification techniques and dynamic equivalent models have been proposed in the literature to analyze the dynamic properties of transmission grids and active distribution networks (ADNs). The majority of these methods are developed using the measurement-based approach, i.e., by exploiting dynamic responses acquired from phasor measurement units (PMUs). However, there is lack of a common framework in the literature for the performance evaluation of such methods under real field conditions. Aiming to address this gap, in this paper, a power hardware-in-the-loop setup is introduced to generate dynamic responses, suitable for the testing and validation of measurement-based mode identification techniques and dynamic equivalent models. The setup consists of a high voltage transmission grid, two medium voltage distribution grids as well as a low voltage ADN. Using this setup, several disturbances are emulated and the resulting dynamic responses are recorded using PMUs. The measurements are made available to other researchers through a public repository to act as benchmark responses for the evaluation of measurement-based methods

Virtual shifting impedance method for extended range high-fidelity PHIL testing

A novel power hardware-in-the-loop interface algorithm, the Virtual Shifting Impedance, is developed, validated and demonstrated in this paper. Building on existing interface algorithms, this method involves shifting a part of the software impedance to the hardware side to improve the stability and accuracy of power hardware-in-the-loop setups. However, compared to existing approaches, this impedance shifting is realized by modifying the command signals of the power amplifier controller, thus avoiding the requirement for hardware passive components. The mathematical derivation of the Virtual Shifting Impedance interface algorithm is realized step-by-step, while its stability and accuracy properties are thoroughly examined. Finally, the applicability of the proposed method is verified through power hardware-in-the-loop simulation results

Airport infrastructure planning to support sustainable aviation

Decarbonisation of the air transport sector is expected to be delivered through a combination of efficient aircraft and engine designs, low-carbon fuels such as sustainable aviation fuels (SAF), and zero carbon technologies, such as electric and hydrogen propulsion. The move toward low-carbon fuels and technologies is expected to pose a significant challenge to airport infrastructure requirements. The introduction of novel aircraft technologies will require complementary ground infrastructure at airports capable of supporting the transition at pace. Focused on electric flight, this paper proposes a holistic methodology that utilises historic airport logs, technological progression, along with aircraft mission feasibility to assess the airport infrastructure requirements over time. The methodology incorporates technology uncertainty and its effect on sustainable aviation. The main objective within the methodology is to project associated infrastructure requirements and fleet energy costs to enable planning support for decarbonisation transition pathways. The paper demonstrates the use of the proposed methodology using real-world historic flight logs, identifying the progression in energy demand and ground infrastructural requirements in five-year horizons up to 2050. The methodology presented in this paper and associated results will help airport operators, airline operators, and policymakers by providing planning support through such technology pathway projection