Decentralised resilient autonomous control architecture for dynamic microgrids

Microgrids serve as an integral part of future power distribution systems. Typically, microgrids are managed by centralised controllers. There are two major concerns about using a single centralised controller. The controller can become a performance and reliability bottleneck for the entire system, where its failure can bring the entire system down. Excessive communication delays can also degrade the system performance. As a solution, a true decentralised control architecture for microgrids is proposed, designed, developed, and tested here. Distributing the controls to local agents decreases the possibility of network congestion to occur. Decentralisation will also enhance the reliability of the system since the single point of failure is replaced by a distributed architecture. The proof-of-concept of true decentralisation of microgrid control architecture is implemented using Hardware-in-the-Loop Platform. Device level and system level controller and interaction models are defined for a self-coordination. Also, microgrid energy management system (EMS) and control case scenarios are demonstrated. The experimental results show the robustness of the proposed architecture.