Optimal Reactive Power Control of Smart Inverters: Vestfold and Telemark Regional Network

Sharma²,

Sharma³

et al. 2023

Front. Energy Res.

The growing installation of distributed energy resources (DERs) in a distribution network (DN) poses substantial issues related to voltage regulation. Due to constrained switching operation and slower response time, traditional voltage regulation devices cannot handle current voltage-related challenges. One alternative to solve these problems is to use smart converters to control the reactive power to regulate the voltage. Volt-Var control (VVC) is one of the simplest approaches for controlling the reactive power from smart converters. Among several converters, grid forming converters (GFCs) are more suitable in DER-enriched distribution networks. Since DER-enriched distribution networks have a higher fluctuation in voltage profile, real-time control is advantageous. Therefore, this work presents an advanced real-time reactive power control for handling voltage violations in a DN using GFC. The uniqueness of this method is that it controls the voltage magnitude of affected nodes by dispatching reactive power from smart converters in real-time. By running cyber-physical co-simulation (CPCS) between the Typhoon HIL 604 and OpenDSS, the Volt-Var control can be done in real time. The grid-forming converter is modelled in Typhoon HIL 604, which acts as a physical layer of the proposed cyber-physical system for real-time VVC. A CIGRE medium voltage distribution network is designed in OpenDSS and serves as one of the parts of the cyber layer. The CPCS between Typhoon HIL and OpenDSS and the control algorithm are both done by a programme written in Python. The execution of the control algorithm is performed in real time using the Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) developed in this study. The real-time simulation shows that the proposed real-time VVC is capable of handling voltage violations in real time in DER-enriched distribution networks.

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…European MV distribution network can be used for DER integration studies (Acosta et al, 2021). Therefore, in this study, (Barsali et al, 2014) is considered.…”

Section: Test Systemmentioning

confidence: 99%

Real-time Volt-Var control of grid forming converters in DER-enriched distribution network

Sharma²,

Sharma³

et al. 2023

Front. Energy Res.

“…European MV distribution feeders can be used for DER integration studies [12]. Hence, the European medium voltage distribution network developed by CIGRE Task Force C6.04 in their report "Benchmark Systems for Network integration of Renewable and Distribution Energy Resources" is considered in this study.…”

Section: A Test Systemmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Distributed energy resources (DERs) have now been designed to provide scalable and reliable reactive power support to resolve these voltage concerns [11], [12]. Existing reactive power control systems based on PV inverters are mainly divided into three types.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cyber-Physical Co-Simulation Testbed for Real-Time Reactive Power Control in Smart Distribution Network

2022 IEEE PES Innovative Smart Grid Technologies - Asia (ISGT Asia)

Tricarico

Sharma

et al. 2022

Existing electric power distribution systems are evolving and changing as a result of the high renewable energy sources integration. Hence, future smart distribution networks will involve various technical challenges; one of them is realtime monitoring and controlling the network to operate it effectively and efficiently. This paper develops and analyzes a cyber-physical co-simulation testbed for real-time reactive power control in the smart distribution network. The testbed is a two-layer system, with Typhoon HIL 604 representing the physical layer and the other layer as a cybernetic layer. The cybernetic layer is used to model a test system and control reactive power from smart inverters in real-time. The implementation of real-time reactive power control of smart inverters on a CIGRE MV distribution network is shown in this study. The proposed testbed's usefulness in real-time reactive power control is demonstrated through simulation results.

“…In smart architecture, SDNs are equipped with smart meters, smart converters (SC) [3], intelligent electronic devices (IED), and advanced communication infrastructure. For smart operation, SDN requires a more resilient, robust, and high-speed control and management system [4].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Optimal power flow‐based reactive power control in smart distribution network using real‐time cyber‐physical co‐simulation framework

IET Generation Trans & Dist

Sharma

et al. 2023

Future distribution networks (DN) are subject to rapid load changes and high penetration of variable distributed energy resources (DER). Due to this, the DN operators face several operational challenges, especially voltage violations. Optimal power flow (OPF)based reactive power control (RPC) from the smart converter (SC) is one of the viable solutions to address such violations. However, sufficient communication and monitoring infrastructures are not available for OPF-based RPC. With the development of the latest information communication technology in SC, cyber-physical co-simulation (CPCS) has been extensively used for real-time monitoring and control. Moreover, deploying OPFbased RPC using CPCS considering the controller design of SC for a realistic DN is still a big challenge. Hence, this paper aims to mitigate voltage violations by using OPF-based RPC in a real-time CPCS framework with multiple SCs in a realistic DN. The OPF-based RPC is achieved by performing the CPCS framework developed in this study. The CIGRE medium-voltage DN is considered as a test system. Real-time optimization and signal processing are achieved by Python-based programs using a model-based toolchain of a real-time DN solver and simulator. Real-time simulation studies showed that the proposed method is capable of handling uncertain voltage violations in real time.