Islanding of a Microgrid Using a Distributed Multi-agent Control System

The use of distributed control systems for microgrid control has gained traction in recent years for their reliability and modularity. As part of microgrid control core functions, islanding is implemented to enhance power supply reliability during outages. This paper proposes a distributed multi-agent control system architecture for the management of microgrid assets. Specifically, it addresses the islanding problem, whereas three agent categories are designed to control distributed energy resources, loads and other assets. The proposed control approach is unique as it centrally sources critical commands while keeping the commands execution local and based on distributed coordination. Post-islanding transients are minimized and system stability is retained by implementing two distributed load shedding and load curtailment algorithms for unplanned and planned islanding events, respectively. A controller hardware-in-the loop real-time simulation on a modified CIGRE North American medium voltage distribution benchmark has been developed and used to demonstrate the effectiveness of the approach.