The tie-line bias control (TBC) method has been widely used in the load frequency control (LFC) of multi-area interconnected systems. However, it should be questioned whether the conventional TBC can still apply to LFC when considering the complication of structures of power systems. LFC, in essence, is to stabilize system frequency/tie-line power by controlling controlled outputs’ area control error (ACE). In this paper, relations between LFC control variables and controlled outputs are expressed as a system of equations, based on which an exemplary ring network is studied. Sufficient and necessary conditions for TBC applicability is presented, and a novel LFC mode is proposed for a general ring network where TBC cannot work. Finally, TBC applicability to multi-area systems with general topology is studied, and a general LFC mode is proposed for systems where TBC is not definitely applicable, thus rendering routines that may guide LFC design of future power systems with more complex t... [more]

Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) can be considered as a hybrid system (HS) which includes the continuous state variable, discrete event, and operation constraint. Thus, a model predictive control (MPC) strategy for PHEVs based on the mixed logical dynamical (MLD) model and short-term vehicle speed prediction is proposed in this paper. Firstly, the mathematical model of the controlled PHEV is set-up to evaluate the energy consumption using the linearized models of core power components. Then, based on the recognition of driving intention and the past vehicle speed data, a nonlinear auto-regressive (NAR) neural network structure is designed to predict the vehicle speed for known driving profiles of city buses and the predicted vehicle speed is used to calculate the total required torque. Next, a MLD model is established with appropriate constraints for six possible driving modes. By solving the objective function with the Mixed Integer Linear Programming (MILP) algorithm, the opt... [more]

This paper addresses the stability issue of the meshed DC distributed power systems (DPS) with constant power loads (CPLs) and proposes a stability enhancement method based on virtual harmonic resistance. In previous researches, the network dynamics of the meshed DC DPS are often ignored, which affects the derivation of the equivalent system impendence. In addition, few of them have considered the meshed DC DPS including multiple sources with voltage-controlled converters and CPLs. To tackle the aforementioned challenge, this paper mainly makes the following efforts. The component connection method (CCM) is employed and expanded to derive the stability criterion of the meshed DC DPS with CPLs. This stability criterion can be simplified to relate only with the network node admittance matrix, the output impendences of the sources, and the input admittances of the CPLs. A virtual harmonic resistance through the second-order generalized integrator (SOGI) is added in the source with the vol... [more]

Customer-owned battery energy storage systems (BESS) have been used to reduce electricity costs of energy storage owners (ESOs) under a time-of-use (TOU) tariff in Korea. However, the current TOU tariff can unintentionally induce customer’s electricity usage to have a negative impact on power systems. This paper verifies the impact of different BESS operation strategies on power systems under a TOU tariff by analyzing the TOU tariff structure and the customer’s load pattern. First, several BESS operation strategies of ESO are proposed to reduce the electricity cost. In addition, a degradation cost calculation method for lithium ion batteries is considered for the ESO to determine the optimal BESS operation strategy that maximizes both electricity cost and annual investment cost. The optimal BESS operation strategy that maximizes ESO’s net benefit is illustrated by simulation using an urban railway load data from Namgwangju Station, Korea. The results show that BESS connected to urban r... [more]

This paper presents a methodology for power consumption estimation considering harmonic and interharmonic content and then it is compared to the power consumption estimation commonly done by commercial equipment based on the fundamental frequency, and how they can underestimate the power consumption considering power quality disturbances (PQD). For this purpose, data of electrical activity at the electrical distribution boards in a healthcare facility is acquired for a long time period with proprietary equipment. An analysis in the acquired current and voltage signals is done, in order to compare the power consumption centered in the fundamental frequency with the generalized definition of power consumption. The results obtained from the comparison in the power consumption estimation show differences between 4% and 10% of underestimated power consumption. Thus, it is demonstrated that the presence of harmonic and interharmonic content provokes a significant underestimation of power con... [more]

In modern distributed energy systems (DES), focus is shifting from the conventional centralized approach towards distributed architectures. However, modeling and analysis of these systems is more complex, as it involves the interface of multiple energy sources with many different type of loads through power electronics converters. The integration of power electronics converters allows distributed renewable energy sources to become part of modern electronics power distribution systems (EPDS). It will also facilitate the ongoing research towards DC-based DES which is mostly composed of commercial DC-DC converters whose internal structure and parameters are unknown. For the system level analysis, the behavioral modeling technique is the only choice. Since most power electronics converters are non-linear systems and linear models can’t model their dynamics to a desired level of accuracy, hence non-linear modeling is required for accurate modeling. The non-linear modeling approach presented... [more]

In modular uninterruptible power supplies (UPSs), several DC/AC modules are required to work in parallel. This structure allows the system to be more reliable and flexible. These DC/AC modules share the same DC bus and AC critical bus. Module differences, such as filter inductor, filter capacitor, control parameters, and so on, will make it possible for the potential zero sequence current to flow among the modules. This undesired type of circulating current will bring extra losses to the power semiconductor devices in the system, which should be paid special attention in high power application scenarios. In this paper, plug’n’play modules and cycle control are discussed and validated through experimental results. Moreover, potential zero sequence circulating current impact on power semiconductor devices thermal performance is also analyzed in this paper.

A microgrid (MG) is a discrete energy system that can operate either in parallel with or independently from a main power grid. It is designed to enhance reliability, carbon emission reduction, diversification of energy sources, and cost reduction. When a power fault occurs in a grid, an MG operates in an islanded manner from the grid and protects its power generations and loads from disturbance by means of intelligent load shedding. A load shedding is a control procedure that results in autonomous decrease of the power demands of loads in an MG. In this study, we propose a load shedding algorithm for the optimization problem to maximize the satisfaction of system components. The proposed algorithm preferentially assigns the power to the subdemand with a high preference to maximize the satisfaction of power consumers. In addition, the algorithm assigns the power to maximize the power sale and minimize the power surplus for satisfaction of power suppliers. To verify the performance of ou... [more]

Energy is one of the valuable resources in this biosphere. However, with the rapid increase of the population and increasing dependency on the daily use of energy due to smart technologies and the Internet of Things (IoT), the existing resources are becoming scarce. Therefore, to have an optimum usage of the existing energy resources on the consumer side, new techniques and algorithms are being discovered and used in the energy optimization process in the smart grid (SG). In SG, because of the possibility of bi-directional power flow and communication between the utility and consumers, an active and optimized energy scheduling technique is essential, which minimizes the end-user electricity bill, reduces the peak-to-average power ratio (PAR) and reduces the frequency of interruptions. Because of the varying nature of the power consumption patterns of consumers, optimized scheduling of energy consumption is a challenging task. For the maximum benefit of both the utility and consumers, t... [more]

With the rapid development of smart community technologies, how to improve user comfort levels and make full use of renewable energy have become urgent problems. This paper proposes an optimization algorithm to minimize daily energy costs while considering user comfort level and renewable energy consumption rate. In this paper, the structure of a typical smart community and the output models of all components installed in the community are introduced first. Then, the characteristics of different types of loads are analyzed, followed by defining the coefficients of user comfort level. In this step, the influence of load-scheduling on user comfort level and the renewable energy consumption rate is emphasized. Finally, based on the time-of-use gas price, this paper optimizes the daily energy costs for an off-grid community under the constraints of the comfort level and renewable energy consumption rate. Results show that scheduling transferable loads and interruptible loads are not indepe... [more]

Since modeling and simulation are the two most effective tools that can be used in the design or analysis process, they play a vital role in developing such system. In many cases, they are the only possible means of making a safe engineering decision for a new concept of process for a large-scale system. Elsewhere, they are used as a critical element in the analysis of energy systems or to suggest a method of developing a novel and effective energy system model. Thus, in this study, simulations and test bed experiment were carried out to assess a low-power digital excitation system in order to validate its effectiveness. The excitation systems currently used by most of the power stations in the Republic of Korea were installed during the 1970s or 1980s. Unfortunately, it is difficult to seek technical assistance for them as they depend on foreign technologies, requiring a large sum to be paid when requesting one or more engineers to be dispatched. As such, technical updates have always... [more]

Data acquisition and supervisory control are usually performed using client-server architecture and centralized control in conventional power systems. However, the message transmission and fault clearing are too slow for large-scale complex power systems. Microgrid systems have various types of distributed energy resources (DERs) which are quite different in characteristics and capacities, thus, the client-server architecture and centralized control are inadequate to control and operate in microgrids. Based on MATLAB/Simulink (ver.R2012a) simulation software and Java Agent Development Framework (JADE) (JADE 4.1.1-revision 6532), this paper proposes a novel fault protection technology that used multi-agent system (MAS) to perform fault detection, fault isolation and service restoration in microgrids. A new topology identification method using the YBus Matrix Algorithm is presented to successfully recognize the network configurations. The identification technology can respond to microgri... [more]

Hybrid propulsion systems allow for a reduction of fuel consumption and pollutant emissions of future off-highway applications. A challenging aspect of a hybridization is the larger number of system components that further increases both the complexity and the diversification of such systems. Hence, beside a standardization on the hardware side for off-highway systems, a high flexibility and modularity of the control schemes is required to employ them in as many different applications as possible. In this paper, a causal optimization-based power management algorithm is introduced to control the power split between engine and electric machine in a hybrid powertrain. The algorithm optimizes the power split to achieve the maximum power supply efficiency and, thereby, considers the energy cost for maintaining the battery charge. Furthermore, the power management provides an optional function to control the battery state of charge in such a way that a target value is attained. In a simulati... [more]

Micro gas turbines (MGTs) are regarded as combined heat and power (CHP) units which offer high fuel utilization and low emissions. They are applied in decentralized energy generation. To facilitate the planning process of energy systems, namely in the context of the increasing application of optimization techniques, there is a need for easy-to-parametrize component models with sufficient accuracy which allow a fast computation. In this paper, a model is proposed where the non-linear part load characteristics of the MGT are linearized by means of physical insight of the working principles of turbomachinery. Further, it is shown that the model can be parametrized by the data usually available in spec sheets. With this model a uniform description of MGTs from several manufacturers covering an electrical power range from 30 k W to 333 k W can be obtained. The MGT model was implemented by means of Modelica/Dymola. The resulting MGT system model, comprising further heat excha... [more]

This paper aims to address the sustainability of power resources and environmental conditions for telecommunication base stations (BSs) at off-grid sites. Accordingly, this study examined the feasibility of using a hybrid solar photovoltaic (SPV)/wind turbine generator (WTG) system to feed the remote Long Term Evolution-macro base stations at off-grid sites of South Korea the energy necessary to minimise both the operational expenditure and greenhouse gas emissions. Three key aspects have been discussed: (i) optimal system architecture; (ii) energy yield analysis; and (iii) economic analysis. In addition, this study compares the feasibility of using a hybrid SPV/WTG system vs. a diesel generator. The simulation results show that by applying the proposed SPV/WTG system scheme to the cellular system, the total operational expenditure can be up to 48.52% more efficient and sustainability can be ensured with better planning by providing cleaner energy.

This paper is aimed at modelling of a distinct smart charging station for electric vehicles (EVs) that is suitable for DC quick EV charging while ensuring minimum stress on the power grid. Operation of the charging station is managed in such a way that it is either supplied by photovoltaic (PV) power or the power grid, and the vehicle-to-grid (V2G) is also implemented for improving the stability of the grid during peak load hours. The PV interfaced DC/DC converter and grid interfaced DC/AC bidirectional converter share a DC bus. A smooth transition of one operating mode to another demonstrates the effectiveness of the employed control strategy. Modelling and control of the different components are explained and are implemented in Simulink. Simulations illustrate the feasible behaviour of the charging station under all operating modes in terms of the four-way interaction among PV, EVs and the grid along with V2G operation. Additionally, a business model is discussed with comprehensive a... [more]

This paper discusses the near-field inductive coupling wireless power transfer (WPT) at the system level, with detailed analyses on each state-of-the-art WPT output voltage regulation topologies. For device miniaturization and power loss reduction, several novel architectures for efficient WPT were proposed in recent years to reduce the number of passive components as well as to improve the system efficiency or flexibility. These schemes are systematically studied and discussed in this paper. The main contribution of this paper is to provide design guidelines for WPT system design. In addition, possible combinations of the WPT building block configurations are summarized, compared, and investigated for potential new architectures.

Nowadays conventional district heating and cooling (DHC) systems face the challenge of reducing fossil fuel dependency while maintaining profitability. To address these issues, this study examines the possibility of retrofitting DHC systems with refuse-derived fuel (RDF) gasifiers and gas upgrading equipment. A novel system is proposed based on the modification of an existing DHC system. Thermodynamic and economic models were established to allow for a parametric analysis of key parameters. The study revealed that such an upgrade is both feasible and economically viable. In the basic scenario, the retrofitted DHC system can simultaneously produce 60.3 GWh/year of heat, 65.1 GWh/year of cold, 33.2 GWh/year of electricity and 789.5 tons/year of synthetic natural gas. A significant part of the heat load can be generated from the waste heat of the upgrading equipment. The investment in retrofitting the polygeneration DHC system presents a payback period of 3 years.

The paper presents an investigation of fix-referenced and self-referenced wave energy converters and a comparison of their corresponding wave energy conversion capacities from real seas. For conducting the comparisons, two popular wave energy converters, point absorber and oscillating water column, and their power conversion capacities in the fixed-referenced and self-referenced forms have been numerically studied and compared. In the numerical models, the device’s power extractions from seas are maximized using the correspondingly optimized power take-offs in different sea states, thus their power conversion capacities can be calculated and compared. From the comparisons and analyses, it is shown that the energy conversion capacities of the self-referenced devices can be significantly increased if the motions of the device itself can be utilized for wave energy conversion; and the self-referenced devices can be possibly designed to be compliant in long waves, which could be a very ben... [more]

Cogeneration and trigeneration plants are widely recognized as promising technologies for increasing energy efficiency in buildings. However, their overall potential is scarcely exploited, due to the difficulties in achieving economic viability and the risk of investment related to uncertainties in future energy loads and prices. Several stochastic optimization models have been proposed in the literature to account for uncertainties, but these instruments share in a common reliance on user-defined probability functions for each stochastic parameter. Being such functions hard to predict, in this paper an analysis of the influence of erroneous estimation of the uncertain energy loads and prices on the optimal plant design and operation is proposed. With reference to a hotel building, a number of realistic scenarios is developed, exploring all the most frequent errors occurring in the estimation of energy loads and prices. Then, profit-oriented optimizations are performed for the examined... [more]

Ubiquitous connectivity is already transforming residential dwellings into smart homes. As citizens continue to embrace the smart home paradigm, a new generation of low-rate and low-power communication systems is required to leverage the mass market presented by energy management in homes. Although Power Line Communication (PLC) technology has evolved in the last decade, the adaptation of PLC for constrained networks is not fully charted. By adapting some features of IEEE 802.15.4 and IPv6 over Low-power Wireless Personal Area Network (6LoWPAN) into power lines, this paper demonstrates a low-rate, low-power PLC system over the IPv6 network (referred to as 6LoPLC), for Home Energy Management System (HEMS) applications. The overall idea is to provide a framework for assessing various scenarios that cannot be easily investigated with the limited number of evaluation hardware available. In this respect, a network model is developed in NS-3 (Version 21) to measure several important characte... [more]

This work deals with the operation, modeling, simulation, and cost evaluation of two different cold storage systems for a single-family house in Italy, that differ from one another on the cold storage material. The two materials used to perform the numerical simulations of the cold storage systems are represented by cold water and a phase change material (PCM), and the numerical simulations have been realized by means of numerical codes written in Matlab environment. The main finding of the present work is represented by the fact that, for the considered user characteristics, and under the Italian electricity tariff policy, the use of a proper designed cold storage system characterized by an effective operation strategy could represent a viable solution from an economical point of view.

Vehicle electrification presents a great opportunity to reduce transportation greenhouse gas emissions. The greater use of plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs), however, puts stress on local distribution networks. This paper presents an optimal PEV charging control method integrated with utility demand response (DR) signals to mitigate the impact of PEV charging to several aspects of a grid, including load surge, distribution accumulative voltage deviation, and transformer aging. To build a realistic PEV charging load model, the results of National Household Travel Survey (NHTS) have been analyzed and a stochastic PEV charging model has been defined based on survey results. The residential distribution grid contains 120 houses and is modeled in GridLAB-D. Co-simulation is performed using Matlab and GridLAB-D to enable the optimal control algorithm in Matlab to control PEV charging loads in the residential grid modeled in GridLAB-D. Simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness of the pr... [more]

Car-sharing practices are introducing electric vehicles (EVs) into their fleet. However, the literature suggests that at this point shared EV systems are failing to reach satisfactory commercial viability. A potential reason for this is the effect of higher vehicle usage, which is characteristic of car sharing, and the implications on the battery’s state of health (SoH). In this paper, we forecast the SoH of two identical EVs being used in different car-sharing practices. For this purpose, we use real life transaction data from charging stations and different EV sensors. The results indicate that insight into users’ driving and charging behavior can provide a valuable point of reference for car-sharing system designers. In particular, the forecasting results show that the moment when an EV battery reaches its theoretical end of life can differ in as much as a quarter of the time when vehicles are shared under different conditions.

Modular and cascaded multilevel converters provide a functional solution for the integration of energy storage systems (ESSs). This paper develops a hybrid multilevel converter based on the modular multilevel converter (MMC) that can be functionally extended with partial embedded ESS as a fraction of the overall converter power rating. The configuration, which can operate as a typical DC-AC converter, enables multi-directional power flow between the DC- and AC-side of the converter, as well as the embedded energy storage elements. The use of a three-phase flying-capacitor submodule eliminates the second-order harmonic oscillations present in modular cascaded multilevel converters. Current, voltage and power control are discussed in the paper while simulation results illustrate the operation of the hybrid MMC as a DC-AC converter in a typical inverter application and the additional functions and control of the embedded ESS.