Optimal Control of Power Flows and Energy Local Storages in a Network of Microgrids Modeled as a System of Systems

In this paper, a centralized control model for optimal management and operation of a smart network of microgrids (SNMs) is designed. The proposed control strategy considers grid interconnections for additional power exchanges. This paper is based on an original Linear Quadratic Gaussian (LQG) problem definition for the optimal control of power flows in a SNMs. The control strategy incorporates storage devices, various distributed energy resources, and loads. The objective function aims to minimize the power exchanges among microgrids (MGs), and to make each local energy storage system in a MG works around a proper optimal value. The proposed model is evaluated through a case study in the Savona district, Italy, consisting of four MGs that cooperate together under an SNMs connected to a main grid. The case study shows that the proposed approach can effectively cope with the aim to decrease the intermittencies effects of renewable energy sources, and to manage real-time burst in the residential local demands.