Distributed Frequency Regulation in Islanded Microgrids

A set of power generators and loads is considered a microgrid if, in comparison to larger power systems, they are smaller and have lower ratings and capacities. An islanded microgrid is a microgrid that is not connected to a larger power system. Generally, ac power systems have three main objections. First, they must always balance power generation with demand. Secondly, they must regulate frequency. Lastly, they should optimize cost. The project I am working on deals primarily with the second objective: regulating frequency. Large power systems that are already in place typically use a centralized controller to perform this objective; information is sent between the power generators and centralized controller that helps to regulate the frequency. Recent work has proposed distributed approaches to frequency regulation in microgrids [1–4]. Most of these approaches use an undirected communication network between the generators. What I have done is study different distributed approaches to regulating frequency in islanded microgrids that use directed communication networks between generators. I have programmed a simulation to see how the communication network affects frequency regulation in the microgrid and made some observations based on data from this simulation.