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Design of Desired Dynamic Behavior for Virtual Power Plants
We aim to design and test possible dynamic behaviors for a group of distributed energy resources to collectively provide dynamic ancillary services in future power systems. The advantage of this setup is that devices with different characteristics can complement each other to improve performance.
Keywords: Virtual Power Plant, Power System Dynamics, Power System Control, Power Systems, Distributed Energy Resources, Converter Control, Ensemble Control
Future power systems will have to supply fast ancillary services, such as frequency control and voltage regulation, using distributed energy resources (DERs) in place of today’s centralized power plants. Therefore, it is important to design distributed controllers for this network of DERs so that they can act collectively to provide these desired ancillary services. In our work, we propose to group a collection of heterogeneous DERs into a single dynamic virtual power plant (DVPP), with the goal that in aggregate they will match a desired dynamic behavior (see Figure 1). This approach allows devices with different dynamic properties (ie. fast/slow, large/small inertia, etc) to complement each other and improve performance. This is a novel problem formulation both for power systems and in the control community, where we refer to it as ensemble control of heterogenous devices. The challenge is to match the desired aggregate behavior, in the form of a desired transfer function, subject to the individual constraints of each device (i.e. limits on energy, power, response time, etc.). Our recent work has developed two different control approaches for DVPPs: (i) a decentralized control design based on a divide-and-conquer strategy using dynamic participation factors, and (ii) a centralized control design which uses a modified version of the recently developed system level synthesis technique and explicitly incorporates state and input constraints.
Future power systems will have to supply fast ancillary services, such as frequency control and voltage regulation, using distributed energy resources (DERs) in place of today’s centralized power plants. Therefore, it is important to design distributed controllers for this network of DERs so that they can act collectively to provide these desired ancillary services. In our work, we propose to group a collection of heterogeneous DERs into a single dynamic virtual power plant (DVPP), with the goal that in aggregate they will match a desired dynamic behavior (see Figure 1). This approach allows devices with different dynamic properties (ie. fast/slow, large/small inertia, etc) to complement each other and improve performance. This is a novel problem formulation both for power systems and in the control community, where we refer to it as ensemble control of heterogenous devices. The challenge is to match the desired aggregate behavior, in the form of a desired transfer function, subject to the individual constraints of each device (i.e. limits on energy, power, response time, etc.). Our recent work has developed two different control approaches for DVPPs: (i) a decentralized control design based on a divide-and-conquer strategy using dynamic participation factors, and (ii) a centralized control design which uses a modified version of the recently developed system level synthesis technique and explicitly incorporates state and input constraints.
1. The student will be introduced to the concept of dynamic virtual power plants and get familiar with the developed DVPP control strategies (i) and (ii).
2. The student will be introduced to existing control designs for power converters and synchronous machines to provide ancillary services to the grid.
3. Motivated by these existing designs, the student will develop different MIMO transfer functions specifying possible desired dynamic behaviors of a DVPP for ancillary service provision. This can include both mimicking existing methods as well as exploring novel, potentially superior designs.
4. The different possible dynamic behaviors will then be tested using the two DVPP control strategies (i) and (ii) on an existing MATLAB test case which will be provided to the student.
5. The student will use the results to analyze and compare tradeoffs between the different designs for desired transfer functions.
The project can be adapted on the run if new interesting research directions arise.
**Corona Disclaimer:** This project can be done in person at the Automatic Control Laboratory, hybrid, or completely remotely, depending on the current ETH regulations. Most importantly, we can change between these forms whenever needed.
Finally, if the results are promising they can be turned into a publication.
1. The student will be introduced to the concept of dynamic virtual power plants and get familiar with the developed DVPP control strategies (i) and (ii). 2. The student will be introduced to existing control designs for power converters and synchronous machines to provide ancillary services to the grid. 3. Motivated by these existing designs, the student will develop different MIMO transfer functions specifying possible desired dynamic behaviors of a DVPP for ancillary service provision. This can include both mimicking existing methods as well as exploring novel, potentially superior designs. 4. The different possible dynamic behaviors will then be tested using the two DVPP control strategies (i) and (ii) on an existing MATLAB test case which will be provided to the student. 5. The student will use the results to analyze and compare tradeoffs between the different designs for desired transfer functions.
The project can be adapted on the run if new interesting research directions arise.
**Corona Disclaimer:** This project can be done in person at the Automatic Control Laboratory, hybrid, or completely remotely, depending on the current ETH regulations. Most importantly, we can change between these forms whenever needed.
Finally, if the results are promising they can be turned into a publication.
Please send your resume/CV, degree diploma and transcript of records in PDF format to
mfisher@ethz.ch and verenhae@ethz.ch
Please send your resume/CV, degree diploma and transcript of records in PDF format to mfisher@ethz.ch and verenhae@ethz.ch