Hierarchical Inverter Control for Renewable Power Variability
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Solution Overview
Problem
The integration of increasing levels of variable renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar photovoltaic generation, into electric power grids poses challenges due to their variable and uncertain nature, leading to instability and unreliability, as these sources are not dispatchable and lack consistency, necessitating new methods to manage power fluctuations and provide ancillary services without relying on fossil-fueled generation.
Innovation Solution
A hierarchical control system for utility-scale inverter-based generation that includes multiple control layers: a direct control layer integrated into each inverter, a supervisory control layer, and an adaptive control layer, which enables distributed decision-making and adjusts inverter operations to manage power output, reduce variability, and provide ancillary services by determining inverter maximum power potential, power support levels, and net power requests across the grid.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If variable renewable energy sources operate at maximum instantaneous power, then energy production is maximized, but power grid stability and reliability deteriorate due to extreme power fluctuations
Solution Approach 1:
The control system dynamically adjusts inverter operations based on real-time conditions, transitioning from static maximum power operation to adaptive power management that responds to grid needs and renewable resource availability, thereby maintaining stability while optimizing energy production
Solution Approach 2:
The hierarchical control architecture implements feedback loops at multiple levels (inverter, farm, and system level) that continuously monitor power output, grid conditions, and renewable resource status, using this information to adjust operations and prevent extreme fluctuations that would compromise grid stability
2Productivity
If variable renewable energy sources are integrated into the power grid, then renewable energy utilization increases, but system complexity increases due to the need for hierarchical control and coordination
Solution Approach 1:
The control system is segmented into three hierarchical levels (inverter level, farm level, and system level), with each level handling specific control functions independently. This segmentation allows complex renewable integration tasks to be divided into manageable sub-tasks, reducing overall system complexity while enabling high renewable energy utilization
Solution Approach 2:
The hierarchical control architecture serves multiple functions simultaneously: it manages power output control, provides ancillary services, coordinates between different control levels, and adapts to varying grid conditions. This multi-functionality consolidates what would otherwise require separate systems into a unified control framework
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure relates generally to systems, methods, and apparatus for hierarchical control of utility-scale, inverter-based generation for mitigation of generation variability and responsive provisions of ancillary services. Such systems may include one or more processors, computer-readable media, and executable instructions which, if executed at the processors, configure the system to determine, at a first control layer, an inverter maximum power potential for a set of inverters, to determine, at the second control layer, an initial combined power output associated with the set of inverters and to determine a power support level and to transmit, from the second control layer to a third control layer, an indication of the power support level. The executable instructions may also configure the system to determine a first net power request, and to transmit, from the third control layer to the second control layer, an indication of the first net power request.