State Space Model of Aggregated TCLs for Frequency Regulation with a Low Communication Requirement

This paper presents a new control structure for participation of aggregated thermostatically controlled loads (TCLs) in the frequency regulation services. The aggregation is based on the state space model (SSM) of TCLs. The proposed structure is characterized by a low communication requirement and an accurate regulation capacity estimation. The TCL control center translates the estimated regulation capacity to an identical control signal with a simple structure which is communicated to all individual TCLs. Simulation results show that the proposed control structure can accurately describe the aggregated behaviour of a large population of TCLs. The frequency regulation is realized in coordination with conventional generators.