This study performs an extensive review on distributed economic dispatch method for the power system based on consensus. It covers the comparison of centralised and distributed economic dispatch method in terms of system structure, performance requirement and solution process. The key links in the process of solving economic dispatch problem are summarised, and the advantages and disadvantages of the existing distributed economic dispatch algorithm are reviewed. Furthermore, the possible research directions, from the authors’ point of view, are also provided in this study.

The periodic characteristic of modular multilevel converter (MMC), which originates from the multi-harmonic couplings among internal dynamics, results in challenges to develop the linear time-invariant (LTI) model of MMC. The linearization of MMC is inherently around time-periodic equilibrium trajectory. In this paper, two different methods to assess small-signal stability of MMC are compared. Both are based on the linear time-periodic (LTP) systems theory, but one is in the time domain (TD) and the other is in the frequency domain (FD). The LTP model of MMC is derived from the linearized arm averaged model. Then, an LTI model for the LTP system is constructed in the FD through the harmonic state-space method. Small-signal stability analysis based on Floquet theory and generalized Nyquist criterion, that accompany TD and FD, are introduced and compared. It is demonstrated that models developed in both domains can effectively capture the small-signal behavior of MMC. Third and higher-order harmonic components of the states have significant effect on the impedance-based stability analysis of MMC around mid-frequency range. Analytical results are validated by electromagnetic transient simulations based on the MMC aggregated model.

This paper explores the mechanism for the harmonic voltage measurement error (HVME) of a capacitor voltage transformer (CVT) in a comprehensive way and develops a practical error correction method to improve the harmonic measurement performance of a CVT. The harmonic equivalent circuit (HEC) of CVTs with different types of dampers are established and the parameter value calculation methods of the circuit elements are presented. Characteristics of the individual inherent resonance mode of the HEC, including the resonant frequency, the resonant type and the circuit elements involved, are analyzed systematically. Centered on resonance mode formulation, an universal error correction method for CVTs in measuring harmonic voltage is proposed based on the piecewise fitting of the transformation ratio. A physical experimental platform available for low-voltage CVTs is developed in laboratory, which utilizes a 10-kV harmonic generator and a step-up transformer to provide harmonic signals with high voltage level. Moreover, a novel experimental scheme for testing the HVME of high-voltage CVTs is proposed based on alternating current/direct current (AC/DC) filters. Experiments are conducted on these experimental platforms to test the HVME of a 35-kV CVT in laboratory and a 525-kV CVT in a back-to-back DC converter station. The experimental results verify the validity of the built HECs of CVTs, the resonant mode analysis results and the resonant frequency calculation method. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed harmonic error correction method is proved by several examples.

The presence of distributed generators (DGs) with high penetration poses new challenges in the management and operation of electrical grids. Due to the local character of DGs, they could in principle be used in emergency situations to prevent a voltage instability event of the grid. In this paper, a certain method is proposed to coordinate the operation of virtual power plant (VPP) and conventional voltage regulation device to improve the static voltage stability of distribution network with the multi-agent framework. The concept and the general framework of this coordinated control system is introduced, and the voltage instable nodes are determined based on the voltage instability indicator. The voltage coordinated control model of the distribution system is established according to the multi-agent consistency control theory and the coordinated controllers for agents are designed by solving a problem with bilinear matrix inequality constraints. The suggested method is implemented on an IEEE 33 nodes test system and the simulation results show its efficiency and validity.