Analysis of Consensus-Based Islanded Microgrids Subject to Unexpected Electrical and Communication Partitions

• Published in: IEEE transactions on smart grid Vol. 10; no. 5; pp. 5125 - 5135
• Main Authors: Rosero, Carlos Xavier, Velasco, Manel, Marti, Pau, Camacho, Antonio, Miret, Jaume, Castilla, Miguel
• Format: Journal Article Publication
• Language: English
• Published: Piscataway IEEE 01.09.2019; The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. (IEEE); Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)
• Subjects: Active control; Algorithms; Automàtica i control; Communication; Communication networks; consensus control; droop control; Electric power grids; Electric power systems; Feedback control; Flow equations; Frequency control; frequency regulation; graph theory; Informàtica; islanded mode; Laplace equations; Load modeling; Mathematical analysis; Mathematical model; Microgrids; Microgrids (Smart power grids); Partitioning; Partitions; Power flow; power sharing; Stress concentration; Xarxes elèctriques intel·ligents; Àrees temàtiques de la UPC
• ISSN: 1949-3053; 1949-3061
• DOI: 10.1109/TSG.2018.2877218

Microgrids (MGs) are power systems consisting of an electrical network composed by distributed loads and generation units that may include a communication network for improved operation. The considered MG in islanded mode is driven by voltage source inverters implementing decentralized droop control for active power sharing together with a communication-based consensus algorithm for frequency regulation. This paper analyzes the MG performance subject to network failures that provoke network partitions. It is considered that the electrical partition leads to several sub-MGs working in parallel where the power demand can be always guaranteed by the generation units, and the communication partition leads to several consensus algorithms also working in parallel. The double partitioning is analyzed through a closed-loop system model derived using the power flow equations that includes the electrical and communication connectivity. Analytical expressions for the steady-state values for both frequency and active power depending on the partitioning are derived. Selected experimental results on a low-scale laboratory MG illustrate the (undesirable) impact that unexpected partitions have in system performance.