Decentralized and Real-Time Power Dispatch Control for an Islanded Microgrid Supported by Distributed Power Sources

Microgrids can deploy traditional and/or renewable power sources to support remote sites. Utilizing renewable power sources requires more complicated control strategies to achieve acceptable power quality and maintain grid stability. In this research, we assume that the grid stability problem is already solved. As a next step, we focus on how the power can be dispatched from multiple power sources for improved grid efficiency. Isolated microgrids frequently require reconfigurations because of the grid expansion or component failures. Therefore, the control strategies ideally should be implemented in a plug-and-play fashion. Moreover, these strategies ideally require no pre-knowledge of the grid structure, and as little communication with neighboring power sources as possible. The control objective is to minimize a cost function that can be adjusted to reflect the desire to minimize energy cost and/or losses. An algorithm is designed to satisfy a derived necessary condition of function optimality. Such conditions are obtained by formulating Lagrange functions. An equivalent grid model approximates the grid structure which was later confirmed to represent the grid behavior adequately. For decentralized operations, we execute the distributed control sequentially using a simple token communication protocol. The performance of the combined system identification-Lagrange function minimization algorithm is demonstrated through simulations. OPEN ACCESS Energies 2013, 6 6440