Multi-time hierarchical stochastic predictive control for energy management of an island microgrid with plug-in electric vehicles

This paper presents a multi-time hierarchical stochastic predictive control (MHSPC) scheme for an island microgrid, in which electric vehicles (EVs) can be used as mobile energy storages to improve power balance and realise load-frequency control (LFC) with micro-turbines (MTs). At the upper layer, a stochastic model predictive control is proposed to handle the EVs uncertainties on a long time scale, while optimising controllable power adjustment of MTs, the charge/discharge energy of the battery electric storage (BES) unit and guaranteeing EVs to be fully charged at the expected plug-out time. At the lower layer, the coordination between EVs and MTs for LFC is achieved by a standard MPC framework on a short time scale. In this way, the power balance is met, and the frequency fluctuation is inhibited. Finally, simulation results are presented to illustrate the satisfactory operation of the island microgrid.