The modern electric power systems are going through a revolutionary change because of increasing demand of electric power worldwide, developing political pressure and public awareness of reducing carbon emission, incorporating large scale renewable power penetration, and blending information and communication technologies with power system operation. These issues initiated in establishing microgrid concept which has gone through major development and changes in last decade, and recently got a boost in its growth after being blessed by smart grid technologies. The objective of this paper is to presents a detailed technical overview of microgrid and smart grid in light of present development and future trend. First, it discusses microgrid architecture and functions. Then, smart features are added to the microgrid to demonstrate the recent architecture of smart grid. Finally, existing technical challenges, communication features, policies and regulation, etc. are discussed from where the future smart grid architecture can be visualized.

Enhancing smart grid with microgrids: Challenges and opportunities

One of the well-known methods to share active and reactive power in microgrids (MGs) is droop control. A disadvantage of this method is that in steady state the frequency of the MG deviates from the nominal value and has to be restored using a secondary control system (SCS). The signal obtained at the output of the SCS is transmitted using a communication channel to the generation sources in the MG, correcting the frequency. However, communication channels are prone to time delays, which should be considered in the design of the SCS; otherwise, the operation of the MG could be compromised. In this paper, two new SCSs control schemes are discussed to deal with this issue: 1) a model predictive controller (MPC); and 2) a Smith predictor-based controller. The performance of both control methodologies are compared with that obtained using a conventional proportional integral-based SCS using simulation work. Stability analysis based on small signal models and participation factors is also realized. It is concluded that in terms of robustness, the MPC has better performance.

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Secondary Control Strategies for Frequency Restoration in Islanded Microgrids With Consideration of Communication Delays

Energy meters evolution in smart grids: A review

As promising solutions to various social and environmental issues, the generation and integration of renewable energy (RE) into microgrids (MGs) has recently increased due to the rapidly growing consumption of electric power. However, such integration can affect the stability and security of power systems due to its complexity and intermittency. Therefore, an optimal control approach is essential to ensure the efficiency, reliability, and quality of the delivered power. In addition, effective planning of policies for integrating MGs can help promote MG operations. However, outages may render these strategies inefficient and place the power system at risk. MGs are considered an ideal candidate for distributed power systems, given their capability to restore these systems rapidly after a physical or cyber-attack and create reliable protection systems. The energy management system (EMS) in an MG can operate controllable distributed energy resources and loads in real-time to generate a suitable short-term schedule for achieving some objectives. This paper presents a comprehensive review of MG elements, the different RE resources that comprise a hybrid system, and the various types of control, operating strategies, and goals in an EMS. A detailed explanation of the primary, secondary, and tertiary levels of MGs is also presented. This paper aims to contribute to the policies and regulations adopted by certain countries, their protection schemes, transactive markets, and load restoration in MGs.

Energy Management System in Microgrids: A Comprehensive Review

Model predictive control of microgrids for real-time ancillary service market participation

In recent years with penetration of distributed energy sources in power systems and generation of electricity from them, controlling the stability of network has become more complicated. In this respect, different works have shown a tendency to use different methodologies to simplify the control of network stability. Nowadays, engineers divide the distribution system to many subsystems, which are called microgrid. A microgrid works in two modes: grid-connected and island mode, which require methods to control. The control methods can be divided into two forms, with communication and without communication. This paper is a short survey on controlling microgrids with distributed renewable energy resources particularly in island mode and discusses Multi-agent systems and droop characteristics.

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Pouya Borazjani

Papers

A review on microgrid control techniques