An Optimal Sizing Method of Vanadium Redox Flow Battery to provide Load Frequency Control in Power Systems with Intermittent Renewable Generation

MARTÍNEZ, MAXIMILIANO; MOLINA, MARCELO GUSTAVO; MERCADO, PEDRO ENRIQUE

IET RENEWABLE POWER GENERATION

INST ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY-IET

Lugar: Stevenage, Hertfordshire; Año: 2017 vol. 11 p. 1804 - 1811

1752-1416

This paper proposes a novel methodology for optimal sizing of a Vanadium Redox Flow Battery (VRFB) aiming at providing the load frequency control (LFC) of power systems with renewable generation, such as wind generation. To this aim, a Hybrid Optimization Model (HOM) is employed in order to calculate the optimal investment for the VRFB while taking into account both its impact on the power system costs and on the quality of the system frequency. Through stochastic optimization, the proposed model allows computing the variable operating costs and VRFB investment costs, taking considering the uncertainties associated to the stochastic behaviour of wind power generation, conventional generation, the network topology and the power demand. The HOM uses an interior point algorithm embedded in a meta-heuristic algorithm known as Mean Variance Mapping Optimization. In order to analyse the influence of the VRFB on the power system frequency quality, quasi-stationary simulations of the power system operation are employed. Moreover, statistical indexes are proposed as new factor used in sizing the LFC operating reserve. The results show that the developed HOM allows evaluating with precision the stochastic characteristics of the power system. To evaluate the benefits of the HOM, the results of this model have been compared with a technique of exhaustive search.