A Semi-Markov Model for the Control of Thermostatically Controlled Load

TL;DR

This paper introduces a semi-Markov model for thermostatically controlled loads that enhances demand response flexibility, preserves user comfort and privacy, and accurately tracks control signals in large-scale AC clusters.

Contribution

The paper develops a novel semi-Markov model for TCLs, integrating cyber-physical systems to improve control accuracy and diversity while maintaining user comfort and privacy.

Findings

Accurately tracks control signals in large-scale TCL clusters

Maintains user comfort and operational diversity

Effective coordination of heterogeneous air-conditioners

Abstract

Considering the potential of thermostatically controlled loads (TCLs) to provide flexibility in demand response or load control, a semi-Markov model (SMM) for the ON/OFF controlled TCL is developed in this paper. This model makes full use of the adjustment flexibility of TCLs when the control period is long and maintains the diversity of switch state in the cluster. This model also can satisfy user comfort and protect user privacy. Then, this paper adopts the cyber-physical system (CPS) to realize the coupling of the discrete control process and the continuous physical process. Finally, the proposed model is applied to the coordination of large-scale heterogenous air-conditioners (ACs) based on the equivalent thermal parameters (ETP) model. Simulation results verify that under the proposed approach, the power of TCLs cluster can track the control signal accurately, with both user comfort and diversity of TCL cluster's operation states guaranteed.