Sizing and Siting of Energy Storage Systems in a Military-Based Vehicle-to-Grid Microgrid

Due to the absence of utility power grid infrastructure in remote military bases, on-site diesel generators serve as the primary sources for power demands. Increasing efficiency and preventing frequent startup/shutdown operations of on-site diesel generators are therefore becoming a critical issue for reducing fuel cost. Application of vehicle-to-grid technology in a military-based microgrid embodies potential for significant fuel economy benefits since on-board vehicle generators and energy storage units can serve as mobile power sources that provide higher flexibility for supplying power demands. In addition, energy storage system integration is considered as an alternative solution for increasing on-site diesel generators efficiency and lessening their startup/shutdown operations. This article proposes a three-stage planning procedure for identifying the optimal locations and capacities of energy storage systems, considering multiple operating scenarios via stochastic programming. Note that on-site diesel generators and on-board vehicle generators support plug-and-play functionality, meaning their startup/shutdown operations can be decided in real time. Furthermore, network-constrained ac unit commitment model is used to optimize operation of microgrids. It is assumed that in the tested microgrid systems, several tactical military vehicles with on-board generators and energy storage units are deployed as alternative power sources. The economic merits of vehicle-to-grid implementation and energy storage system integration in a military-based microgrid are validated in the numerical studies.