A Multi-Agent System Based Hierarchical Control Framework for Microgrids

The Microgrid is one of the most cost-effective solutions for integrating Distributed Energy Resources (DERs) into distribution systems. The hierarchical control framework, which typically includes primary, secondary and tertiary control layers, is adopted in the Microgrid to meet the control requirements of different spatial and time scales. Given the growing concern on the centralized control framework's scalability and robustness, the distributed control framework has become an indispensable development trend. In this paper, we propose a Multi-Agent System (MAS) based hierarchical control framework for Microgrids, where each agent consists of a series of DERs (i.e., distributed generations, storage units and loads). In the proposed framework, each agent has its specific task for regulating the local output voltage, and will collaborate with neighbors to achieve the overall objective of Microgrids in a totally distributed manner. Through extensive simulations and experiments, it is demonstrated that the proposed framework possesses high robustness to link failures and good scalability.