Multi Agent System Based Control Of Virtual Power Plant And Its Application In Smart Grid

With the world's electricity consumption is growing, new technology will directly affect the electricity production, transmission, distribution and use. In the mean time, clean energy and Distribution generation (DG) possesses such advantages as high flexibility, low cost and low loss as well as energy conservation and is favorable to environment protection.Wind generator, fuel cells, biomass unit, micro gas turbine and combined heat and power units belong to the innovative power generation technology. However, connecting more and more DGs with distribution network brings a lot of difficult technical troubles in the monitoring and management of distribution system, so it is of importance to research how to reasonable utilize smart grid technology to ensure the seamless connection of DGs with distribution network. To develop smart grids, active control of both distribution network and DG is needed, and that is how the"Virtual Power Plant"(VPP) concept is brought up.The VPP can be defined as"an information and communication system with control over an aggregation of distributed generation, controllable loads and storage devices". Its main function is to control the supply and manage the electrical energy flow not only within the cluster, but also in exchange with the main grid. It represents a single entity to the system operator and electricity markets and enables visibility and control over a cluster of distributed generation.This dissertation research focused on the virtual power plant technology which includes:(1)The author summary the development survey of DG technology and smart grid technology and on this basis the control idea of DG is led into smart grid technology. The combined application of the two technologies is analyzed emphatically and the future trend of the combined application is discussed.(2)The VPP technology is discussed in detailed. The major aspects that determine the design of a VPP are the technological possibilities, commercial and economical opportunities and regulatory constraints. In the following the major technical, commercial and regulatory aspects concerning the VPP design are discussed.(3)The available DG units, storage devices and controllable loads which may produce technical conditions which VPP has to meet as well as the control strategy of the distribution network are introduced.(4) Based on distributed control strategy, a Multi Agent System (MAS) is presented. The advantages of using agents for Virtual Power Plant control is discussed as well. More specifically this thesis through examples and case studies presents how the local intelligence and the social ability of the agents may provide solutions in the optimal and effective control of a VPP.(5) Research on the application of VPP technology in smart grid: VPP may give some supports to improve main grid power quality when it connecting to upstream grid. Also, agent based control model aiming at optimal operation of VPP is designed, under the premise of VPP voltage stability and power balance.(6)At the end of this thesis, main results of the research are summarized and the further studies are prospected.