Model Predictive Load Frequency Control of a Deregulated Power System with Battery Energy Storage

Load frequency control (LFC) is a fundamental ancillary service in the electric power system, responsible for maintaining frequency stability, inter-area transfers and sufficient reserve. With the move to the smart grid—in which traditional generation and loads are replaced by widespread distributed renewable energy resources and responsive loads— battery energy storage systems are emerging as key technologies in providing both basic energy storage and ancillary services such as frequency support. In this paper, therefore, we investigate the application of model predictive control to the LFC problem including the contribution of battery energy storage systems, using representative capacity and charging/discharging limits. We analyse the system performance in the presence of both scheduled and unscheduled disturbances, showing via simulation how stationary battery energy storage systems improve overall system dynamics.