Toward a More Renewable Energy-Based LFC Under Random Packet Transmissions and Delays With Stochastic Generation and Demand

Abstract

The load frequency control (LFC) aims to keep the frequency fluctuation of the power grids within certain specified limits, under various load disturbances. However, with the increased usage of renewable energy sources (RESs) in smart grids, it is essential to regulate the conventional power plants, based on renewable energy penetration levels. Moreover, with the decentralized nature of the control operation in smart grids, the communication network between the control center and actuator faces the challenge of random communication delays and packet drops in the form of cyberattacks. In this article, the conventional thermal power plant operations within an LFC have been modified using energy storage elements with an emphasis on maximizing the RES utilization while tackling the problems associated with cyber-physical systems, such as packet drops and random time delays. A filtered proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controller is tuned in the LFC using the particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm, including random time delays and cyberattacks modeled as random packet drops. The tuned PID control performance in the LFC scheme is tested with synthetic stochastic as well as real profiles of RES and load demands. The numerical analysis has been conducted on two-area LFC model with Monte Carlo simulations of stochastic demand and generation profiles.