Strategies for Resilience and Battery Life Extension in the Face of Communication Losses for Isolated Microgrids

TL;DR

The paper tackles resilience and battery life extension in isolated microgrids facing energy shortages and HILP events by proposing a sliding Model Predictive Control (MPC) framework that integrates Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS). It linearizes the Battery Life Cycle with respect to Depth of Discharge ($DOD$) to incorporate battery longevity directly into the optimization and enforces load prioritization for essential over regular loads, aided by a simple load-prediction method to tolerate communication disruptions, implemented via PYOMO with a Gurobi solver. Simulation results show that including all objective terms yields strong resilience (RI around $0.845$) and long battery life (~$29.29$ years) under precise load data, while a cyber-loss scenario causes a slight RI drop and ~1-year reduction in lifespan (to ~ $28.37$ years) with measurable load losses, demonstrating robustness and trade-offs. Overall, the approach improves resilience and sustainability in isolated microgrids and provides a foundation for future work on demand response, uncertainty handling, and real-world validations, including hardware-in-the-loop studies.

Abstract

This study addresses the challenges of energy deficiencies and high impact low probability (HILP) events in modern electrical grids by developing resilient microgrid energy management strategies. It introduces a sliding Model Predictive Control (MPC) methodology integrated with Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS), emphasizing extending battery life and prioritizing critical loads during HILP events. This approach focuses on extending the sustainability of battery operation by linearizing the battery lifecycle within the optimization framework. Furthermore, this research proposed a straightforward method to mitigate communication disruptions during HILP events, thereby ensuring operational integrity. This focused approach enhances isolated microgrid resilience and sustainability, offering a strategic response to contemporary environmental challenges.

Figures (6)

• Figure 1: Proposed Microgrid Energy Management Architecture.
• Figure 2: a) Wind, Solar, and Total Power Generation. b) Essential Loads, Regular Loads, and Total Load Consumption. c) Four-Day Total Consumption and Renewable Generation.
• Figure 3: Essential and regular loads (straight lines) and load predictions (markers) during HILP event.
• Figure 4: Battery Life Cycle as a Function of DOD.
• Figure 5: a) Total Power Imbalances and State of Charge. b) Power Imbalances in Essential Loads. c) Power Imbalances in Regular Loads.