A Novel Voltage Control Scheme for Low-Voltage DC Distribution Systems Using Multi-Agent Systems

Abstract

Low-voltage direct current (LVDC) distribution systems have been evolving into interesting ways of integrating distributed energy resources (DERs) and power electronics loads to local distribution networks. In LVDC distribution systems, voltage regulation is one of the most important issues, whereas AC systems have concerns such as frequency, power factor, reactive power, harmonic distortion and so on. This paper focuses on a voltage control method for a LVDC distribution system based on the concept of multi-agent system (MAS), which can deploy intelligence and decision-making abilities to local areas. This paper proposes a distributed power flow analysis method using local information refined by local agents and communication between agents based on MAS. This paper also proposes a voltage control method by coordinating the main AC/DC converter and multiple DERs. By using the proposed method, we can effectively maintain the line voltages in a pre-defined normal range. The performance of the proposed voltage control method is evaluated by case studies and compared to conventional methods.

Keywords

• low-voltage direct current (LVDC) distribution system
• multi-agent system (MAS)
• voltage control
• voltage sensitivity analysis
• DC power flow analysis