Toward a More Renewable Energy-Based LFC Under Random Packet Transmissions and Delays With Stochastic Generation and Demand

The load frequency control (LFC) aims to keep the frequency fluctuation of the power grids within certain specified limits, under various load disturbances. However, with the increased usage of renewable energy sources (RESs) in smart grids, it is essential to regulate the conventional power plants, based on renewable energy penetration levels. Moreover, with the decentralized nature of the control operation in smart grids, the communication network between the control center and actuator faces the challenge of random communication delays and packet drops in the form of cyberattacks. In this article, the conventional thermal power plant operations within an LFC have been modified using energy storage elements with an emphasis on maximizing the RES utilization while tackling the problems associated with cyber-physical systems, such as packet drops and random time delays. A filtered proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controller is tuned in the LFC using the particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm, including random time delays and cyberattacks modeled as random packet drops. The tuned PID control performance in the LFC scheme is tested with synthetic stochastic as well as real profiles of RES and load demands. The numerical analysis has been conducted on two-area LFC model with Monte Carlo simulations of stochastic demand and generation profiles. Note to Practitioners-We are moving toward more renewable energy-based cyber-physical power grids, and it is becoming increasingly important to understand the limits of the balance between more renewable energy integration versus changing the prime-mover in thermal power generation units to meet uncertain load demands. This article proposes a new load frequency control (LFC) scheme employing a nonlinear dead-zone element between the control signals and the actuators (prime movers), which allows the utilization of the available renewable energy sources (RESs) to meet the load and then send a set-point change command in the thermal power generators if the RES does not meet the load. The robustness of the smart grid stability is also verified with the denial-of-service (DoS)-type cyberattack, which is represented in the form of high probability of packet drops and stochastic time delays in the communication channels between the control center and the generation units. It is also essential to understand how different stochastic profiles may affect the stability and performance of the tuned LFC loops, under random time delays and packet dropouts. These are quantified using the uncertainty bounds of grid frequency, its rate of change, control inputs, and power exchange between the two areas that are analyzed using Monte Carlo simulations with different types of nonstationary load and RES profiles and also using real data to show the effectiveness of the LFC scheme with communication constraints and the resulting imperfections.

Automated summary

This article investigates load frequency control in smart grids, focusing on utilizing energy storage elements and addressing cyber-physical system challenges such as packet drops and random time delays. A filtered PID controller is tuned using the PSO algorithm, and the performance is tested with synthetic and real profiles. The study quantifies the impacts of stochastic profiles on the stability and performance of the LFC loops under communication constraints.