This is the first part of a two-part paper that has arisen from the work of the IEEE Power Engineering Society's Multi-Agent Systems (MAS) Working Group. Part I of this paper examines the potential value of MAS technology to the power industry. In terms of contribution, it describes fundamental concepts and approaches within the field of multi-agent systems that are appropriate to power engineering applications. As well as presenting a comprehensive review of the meaningful power engineering applications for which MAS are being investigated, it also defines the technical issues which must be addressed in order to accelerate and facilitate the uptake of the technology within the power and energy sector. Part II of this paper explores the decisions inherent in engineering multi-agent systems for applications in the power and energy sector and offers guidance and recommendations on how MAS can be designed and implemented.

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Multi-Agent Systems for Power Engineering Applications—Part I: Concepts, Approaches, and Technical Challenges

Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs) show potential to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, increase fuel efficiency, and offer driving ranges that are not limited by battery capacity. However, these benefits will not be realized if consumers do not adopt this new technology. Several agent-based models have been developed to model potential market penetration of PHEVs, but gaps in the available data limit the usefulness of these models. To address this, we administered a survey to 1000 stated US residents, using Amazon Mechanical Turk, to better understand factors influencing the potential for PHEV market penetration. Our analysis of the survey results reveals quantitative patterns and correlations that extend the existing literature. For example, respondents who felt most strongly about reducing US transportation energy consumption and cutting greenhouse gas emissions had, respectively, 71 and 44 times greater odds of saying they would consider purchasing a compact PHEV than those who felt least strongly about these issues. However, even the most inclined to consider a compact PHEV were not generally willing to pay more than a few thousand US dollars extra for the sticker price. Consistent with prior research, we found that financial and battery-related concerns remain major obstacles to widespread PHEV market penetration. We discuss how our results help to inform agent-based models of PHEV market penetration, governmental policies, and manufacturer pricing and marketing strategies to promote consumer adoption of PHEVs.

/pdf/analysis-of-a-consumer-survey-on-plug-in-hybrid-electric-17rkoq7pxc.pdf

Analysis of a consumer survey on plug-in hybrid electric vehicles

In this work, an overview regarding electric vehicle technologies and associated charging mechanisms is carried out. The review covers a broad range of topics related to electric vehicles, such as the basic types of these vehicles and their technical characteristics, fuel economy and CO2 emissions, the electric vehicle charging mechanisms and the notions of grid to vehicle and vehicle to grid architectures. In particular three main types of electric vehicles, namely, the hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), the plug-in electric vehicles (PHEVs) and the full electric vehicles (FEVs) are discussed in detailed. The major difference between these types of vehicles is that for the last two types, the battery can be externally recharged. In addition, FEVs operate only on battery charge and therefore always employ the charge depleting mode of operation requiring high power, high energy battery packs. On the other hand, PHEVs offer the possibility of on-board battery charging and the option of charge depleting or charge sustaining modes of operation. Finally HEVs, which were the first type of electric vehicles to be manufactured, offer higher travelling range compared to PHEVs and FEVs due to the existence of the internal combustion engine. Although tank-to-wheel efficiencies of electric vehicles show that they have higher fuel economies than conventional gasoline vehicles, the well-to-wheel efficiency is a more appropriate measure to use for comparing fuel economy and CO2 emissions in order to account for the effect of electricity consumption from these vehicles. From the perspective of a full cycle analysis, the electricity available to recharge the batteries must be generated from renewable or clean sources in order for such vehicles to have zero emissions. On the other hand, when electric vehicles are recharged from electricity produced from conventional technology power plants such as oil or coal-fired plants, they may produce equal or sometimes more greenhouse gas emissions than conventional gasoline vehicles.

Sustainable options for electric vehicle technologies

Recent developments and key barriers to advanced biofuels: A short review.

This paper reports on the use of multi-agent system technology to automate the management and analysis of SCADA and digital fault recorder (DFR) data. The multi-agent system, entitled Protection Engineering Diagnostic Agents (PEDA), integrates legacy intelligent systems that analyze SCADA and DFR data to provide data management and online diagnostic information to protection engineers. Since November 2004, PEDA agents have been intelligently interpreting and managing data online at a transmission system operator in the U.K. As the results presented in this paper demonstrate, PEDA supports protection engineers by providing access to interpreted power systems data via the corporate intranet within minutes of the data being received. In this paper, the authors discuss their experience of developing a multi-agent system that is robust enough for continual online use within the power industry. The use of existing agent development toolsets and standards is also discussed.

Applying multi-agent system technology in practice: automated management and analysis of SCADA and digital fault recorder data

To avoid the needless trip by magnetizing inrush current, the second harmonic component is commonly used for the blocking differential relay in power transformers. However, the second harmonic component in fault current is increased by the introduction of underground 500 kV lines. This paper describes a new method to discriminate internal fault from inrush current by the sum of active power flowing into transformers from each terminal. The average power is almost zero for energizing, but an internal fault consumes large power. To check the performance of this method, actual inrush current and voltage waveforms of a 500/154 kV transformer are accurately measured by digital equipment. The usefulness is confirmed by applying the method to the measured inrush and simulated fault data.

Power differential method for discrimination between fault and magnetizing inrush current in transformers

The authors propose a new concept, the "relay agent", to realize a cooperative power system protection system, which consists of distributed equipment combined with a communication network to cooperate in the realization of adaptive protection functions. Relay agents move between equipment to utilize data and functions distributed over the power system. In the paper, relay agents are classified by their roles and protection functions under some typical conditions are simulated. Consideration based on the simulations indicate that the concept enables the protection system to keep an isolated zone minimum against any changes in power system conditions and to secure high reliability of the protection system with less redundant hardware. The new concept "relay agent" will provide a powerful means of advanced protection functions by combination of microprocessor technology and information communication technology.

A cooperative protection system with an agent model

Market penetration speed and effects on CO2 reduction of electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles in Japan

https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/ieejpes1990/116/3/116_3_293/_pdf

Power Differential Method for Discrimination between Fault and Magnetizing Inrush Current in Transformers

Biomass resources have huge potential to secure energy supply in next decades with carbon neutral emissions. However, the resources itself are widely scattered diffusely throughout the country, and the capacity of utilization plant highly depends on the quantity of primary resources available. The study focuses on the equilibrium between resource supply and energy demand in Tohoku area in Japan, considering geographical distribution and transportation paths. Woody biomass and agricultural residues are introduced in the study as a co-firing fuel supplied to three coal power stations in Tohoku area. The biomass energy system is modeled and analyzed using both geographic information solver and the roadway condition data. In particular, resource supply such as biomass resource collection, preprocessing before transportation, storage, long distance transportation, and energy conversion to electricity, is modeled and introduced to the system. As a result of the model analysis, a supply curve of biomass resources is obtained, which shows a relationship between procurement cost for power supply and annual electricity production at coal power stations. The supply curve shows that an electricity of 4.3 × 108 kWh/yr can be supplied with the procurement cost of 10 JPY/kWh, and the maximum electricity reaches 12.7 × 108 kWh/yr with the procurement cost of 14 JPY/kWh.

Kuniaki Yabe

Papers

Power differential method for discrimination between fault and magnetizing inrush current in transformers

A cooperative protection system with an agent model

Market penetration speed and effects on CO2 reduction of electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles in Japan

Power Differential Method for Discrimination between Fault and Magnetizing Inrush Current in Transformers

Design of Biomass Co‑firing System Considering Resource Distribution and Transportation Optimization