Dynamic Weight-Based Collaborative Optimization for Power Grid Voltage Regulation

TL;DR

This paper introduces a dynamic, collaborative reactive power optimization method for PV inverters in power grids, adapting to real-time conditions to improve voltage regulation and reduce disturbances.

Contribution

It proposes a novel weight update mechanism for distributed reactive power control, enhancing voltage regulation by considering real-time reactive power availability.

Findings

Effective voltage deviation reduction demonstrated in simulations

Improved reactive power sharing among PV systems

Outperforms traditional reactive power control methods

Abstract

Power distribution grids with high PV generation are exposed to voltage disturbances due to the unpredictable nature of renewable resources. Smart PV inverters, if controlled in coordination with each other and continuously adapted to the real-time conditions of the generation and load, can effectively regulate nodal voltages across the feeder. This is a fairly new concept and requires communication and a distributed control logic to realize a fair utilization of reactive power across all PV systems. In this paper, a collaborative reactive power optimization is proposed to minimize voltage deviation under changing feeder conditions. The weight matrix of the collaborative optimization is updated based on the reactive power availability of each PV system, which changes over time depending on the cloud conditions and feeder loading. The proposed updates allow PV systems with higher reactive power availability to help other PV systems regulate their nodal voltage. Proof-of-concept simulations on a modified IEEE 123-node test feeder are performed to show the effectiveness of the proposed method in comparison with four common reactive power control methods.