Model predictive control of voltage profiles in MV networks with distributed generation

摘要

The Model Predictive Control (MPC) approach is used in this paper to controlthe voltage profiles in MV networks with distributed generation. The proposedalgorithm lies at the intermediate level of a three-layer hierarchicalstructure. At the upper level a static Optimal Power Flow (OPF) managercomputes the required voltage profiles to be transmitted to the MPC level,while at the lower level local Automatic Voltage Regulators (AVR), one for eachDistributed Generator (DG), track the reactive power reference values computedby MPC. The control algorithm is based on an impulse response model of thesystem, easily obtained by means of a detailed simulator of the network, andallows to cope with constraints on the voltage profiles and/or on the reactivepower flows along the network. If these constraints cannot be satisfied byacting on the available DGs, the algorithm acts on the On-Load Tap Changing(OLTC) transformer. A radial rural network with two feeders, eight DGs, andthirty-one loads is used as case study. The model of the network is implementedin DIgSILENT PowerFactory, while the control algorithm runs in Matlab. A numberof simulation results is reported to witness the main characteristics andlimitations of the proposed approach.