A Stochastic Controller for Primary Frequency Regulation Using ON/OFF Demand Side Resources

Abstract

Residential ON/OFF devices, such as thermal-controlled loads and smart appliances, have great potential for providing frequency regulation service in the power grid. These devices can be engaged using centralized, distributed, or local control. However, both centralized and distributed controls require significant costs for communication infrastructure, while local controllers may perform poorly due to a lack of coordination. To address the challenges, a stochastic demand-side management controller is proposed. The stochastic controller dynamically adjusts the aggregated response power profile by randomizing the execution of demand response actions using a stochastic filter with no communication required. The system frequency response is analytically proved to be critically damped to the nominal value. Using the stochastic controller on grid-interactive water heaters, test cases are implemented to validate the frequency regulation performance under a power system transient scenario. The proposed controller produces the best system frequency response compared to benchmark controllers.