Reconfiguration of power grids during abnormal conditions using reclosers and distributed energy resources

An apparatus comprising:

• a processor;
• and
• a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing computer-readable instruction that, when executed by the processor, cause the apparatus to perform a method, the instructions comprising:
• instructions that cause the apparatus to produce a reconfiguration for a power grid responsive to abnormal conditions for the power grid, the power grid comprising a plurality of controllable reclosers and a plurality of distributed energy resources (DERs), and the reconfiguration being selected by the processor to adjust a load served by the power grid during the abnormal conditions and specifying at least one respective new status for one or more of the controllable reclosers and the DERs, the controllable reclosers being controllable to both selectively open or selectively close;
• instructions that cause the apparatus to send signals to the DERs to determine respective cleared quantities of reactive power for the DERs to supply to the power grid;
• instructions that cause the apparatus to produce an updated reconfiguration for at least the controllable reclosers by adjusting the reconfiguration based on the respective cleared quantities of reactive power for the DERs to supply to the power grid;
• instructions that cause the apparatus to produce an output causing the power grid, including the controllable reclosers, to be reconfigured in accordance with the updated reconfiguration;
• and
• instructions that cause the apparatus to produce an output causing the DERs to supply the respective cleared quantities of reactive power to the reconfigured power grid,
• wherein producing a reconfiguration for the power grid comprises generating a sequence which causes the plurality of controllable reclosers to transition to the respective new statuses.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing computer-readable instructions that when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform a method for restoring operation of a power grid comprising a plurality of distributed energy resources (DERs) responsive to abnormal conditions for the power grid, the method comprising:

• producing a reconfiguration for the power grid to increase a load served responsive to the abnormal conditions, the reconfiguration specifying respective quantities of reactive power to be supplied to the power grid by the DERs;
• determining respective cleared quantities of reactive power for the DERs to supply to the power grid, the determining comprising, with a computer-implemented transactive controller:
• producing a demand curve representing a demand for injection of reactive power to the reconfigured power grid, the producing a demand curve comprising:
• (1) determining additional loads that can be restored via supply of reactive power to the power grid by the DERs, (2) determining a monetary value of the additional loads, (3) producing a benefit curve by assigning the determined monetary value to the additional loads, and (4) differentiating the benefit curve with respect to reactive power to be transacted to obtain the demand curve,
• producing respective supply curves for the DERs and aggregating the supply curves into an aggregated DER supply curve, determining coordinates of an intersection point of the demand curve with the aggregated DER supply curve, the coordinates indicating a clearing price for reactive power and a total clearing quantity of reactive power, and determining the respective cleared quantities of reactive power for the DERs to supply to the power grid based on the clearing price and the total clearing quantity;
• updating the reconfiguration based on the respective cleared quantities of reactive power for the DERs to supply to the power grid;
• producing an output to cause the power grid to be reconfigured in accordance with the updated reconfiguration;
• and
• producing an output to cause the DERs to supply the respective cleared quantities of reactive power to the reconfigured power grid,
• wherein the power grid further comprises a plurality of reclosers, wherein the determination of the reconfiguration is performed by a computer-implemented solver based at least in part on current open or closed statuses of the reclosers and reactive power generation capabilities of the DERs, and wherein the reconfiguration specifies respective new statuses for the reclosers.

An apparatus comprising:

• a processor;
• and a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the apparatus to perform a method for restoring operation of a power grid comprising a plurality of distributed energy resources (DERs) responsive to abnormal conditions for the power grid, the instructions comprising:
• instructions that cause the apparatus to, with the processor, produce a reconfiguration for the power grid to increase a load served responsive to the abnormal conditions, the reconfiguration specifying respective quantities of reactive power to be supplied to the power grid by the DERs;
• instructions that cause the apparatus to, with the processor, determine respective cleared quantities of reactive power for the DERs to supply to the power grid, the determining comprising, with a computer-implemented transactive controller:
• producing a demand curve representing a demand for injection of reactive power to the reconfigured power grid, the producing a demand curve comprising:
• (1) determining additional loads that can be restored via supply of reactive power to the power grid by the DERs, (2) determining a monetary value of the additional loads, (3) producing a benefit curve by assigning the determined monetary value to the additional loads, and (4) differentiating the benefit curve with respect to reactive power to be transacted to obtain the demand curve, producing respective supply curves for the DERs and aggregating the supply curves into an aggregated DER supply curve,
• determining coordinates of an intersection point of the demand curve with the aggregated DER supply curve, the coordinates indicating a clearing price for reactive power and a total clearing quantity of reactive power, and determining the respective cleared quantities of reactive power for the DERs to supply to the power grid based on the clearing price and the total clearing quantity;
• instructions that cause the apparatus to, with the processor, update the reconfiguration based on the respective cleared quantities of reactive power for the DERs to supply to the power grid;
• instructions that cause the apparatus to, with the processor, produce an output to cause the power grid to be reconfigured in accordance with the updated reconfiguration;
• and instructions that cause the apparatus to, with the processor, produce an output to cause the DERs to supply the respective cleared quantities of reactive power to the reconfigured power grid,
• wherein the power grid further comprises a plurality of reclosers, wherein the determination of the reconfiguration is performed by a computer-implemented solver based at least in part on current open or closed statuses of the reclosers and reactive power generation capabilities of the DERs, and wherein the reconfiguration specifies respective new statuses for the reclosers.