Hierarchical robust model predictive voltage and VAR control with coordination and optimization of autonomous DER voltage control

An electrical power distribution system comprising:

• a plurality of power lines electrically coupled with a distribution substation;
• one or both of one or more switched capacitor banks electrically coupled with the power lines and one or more voltage regulators electrically coupled with the power lines;
• a plurality of load/source systems electrically coupled with the power lines, the load/source systems including electronic power meters electrically coupled with the power lines and distributed energy resources electrically coupled with the electronic power meters, the distributed energy resources being equipped with respective controllers capable of providing autonomous voltage and volt-ampere reactive (VAR) control of the distributed energy resources;
• and
• an electronic control system in operative communication with the one or both of the one or more switched capacitor banks and the one or more voltage regulators, the electronic power meters and the respective controllers of the distributed energy resources;
• wherein the electronic control system is structured to perform the acts of:
• operating a model predictive controller to identify a set of optimized control commands using a control objective and a plurality of constraints, the plurality of constraints including a first constraint defining a linearized relationship between an electrical condition of the power distribution system and predicted control commands, a second constraint establishing one or more limits on the electrical condition, and a third constraint accounting for predicted autonomous operation of the distributed energy resources based upon a control mode of the respective controllers, and
• transmitting the identified optimized control commands to control operation of the one or both of the voltage regulators and the switched capacitor banks;
• wherein the third constraint includes predicted reactive power of distributed energy resources with respective controllers operating in a constant power factor mode.

A method comprising:

• establishing operative communication between an electronic control system and an electrical power distribution system, the electrical power distribution system comprising a plurality of power lines electrically coupled with a distribution substation, one or both of one or more switched capacitor banks electrically coupled with the power lines and one or more voltage regulators electrically coupled with the power lines, a plurality of load/source systems electrically coupled with the power lines, the load/source systems including electronic power meters electrically coupled with the power lines and distributed energy resources electrically coupled with the electronic power meters, the distributed energy resources being operatively coupled with respective controllers capable of providing autonomous voltage and volt-ampere reactive (VAR) control of the distributed energy resources, and an electronic control system in operative communication with the one or more switched capacitor banks, the one or more voltage regulators, the electronic power meters and the distributed energy resources;
• controlling the electronic control system to operate a model predictive controller to identify a set of optimized control commands using a control objective and a plurality of constraints, the plurality of constraints including a first constraint defining a linearized relationship between an electrical condition of the power distribution system and predicted control commands, a second constraint establishing one or more limits on the electrical condition, and a third constraint accounting for predicted autonomous operation of the distributed energy resources, and
• transmitting from the electronic control system the identified optimized control commands to control operation of one or both of the voltage regulators and the switched capacitor banks;
• wherein, during the act of controlling the electronic control system to operate the model predictive controller, the electronic control system does not have information regarding the power distribution system that is required to run a power flow or solve a circuit model to obtain comprehensive information about the electrical state of the power distribution system.

An electronic control system adapted to operatively communicate with and control an electrical power distribution system including a plurality of power lines electrically coupled with a distribution substation, one or both of one or more switched capacitor banks electrically coupled with the power lines and one or more voltage regulators electrically coupled with the power lines, a plurality of load/source systems electrically coupled with the power lines, the load/source systems including electronic power meters electrically coupled with the power lines and distributed energy resources electrically coupled with the electronic power meters, the distributed energy resources being operatively coupled with respective controllers capable of providing autonomous voltage and VAR control of the distributed energy resources, the electronic control system comprising:

• a model predictive controller structured to determine and store in a non-transitory computer readable medium a set of optimized control commands using a control objective and a plurality of constraints, the plurality of constraints including a first constraint defining a linearized relationship between an electrical condition of the power distribution system and predicted control commands, a second constraint establishing one or more limits on the electrical condition, and a third constraint accounting for predicted operation of the distributed energy resources, and
• a transmitter structured to transmit one or more commands of the set of optimized control commands to control operation of one or both of the voltage regulators and the switched capacitor banks;
• wherein the electronic control system does not require a real time power flow model or solution of the power distribution system to predict the electrical state of the power distribution system.