ABSTRACT State‐of‐charge (SOC) inconsistency among units in vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB) stations causes voltage‐limit violations and premature charge/discharge cutoffs, thereby degrading station‐level energy utilization and dispatch performance. This paper proposes a station‐level multi‐objective coordinated model predictive control (MPC) strategy using a mixed‐integer‐representable ReLU neural surrogate and hybrid bound tightening. The main innovation is to integrate OCV‐reference selection, SOC‐equalising station‐level MPC and feasibility‐based/optimization‐based bound tightening (FBBT + OBBT) into a unified control‐oriented framework that preserves terminal‐voltage safety whilst reducing online computational burden. First, an open‐circuit‐voltage (OCV) reference trajectory is selected at the single‐stack level to operate in a high flow‐rate sensitivity region and mitigate concentration polarization. Second, a station‐level MPC formulation jointly tracks the OCV reference, equalises inter‐cabin SOC and satisfies dispatch requirements under voltage, concentration, current and power constraints. Third, a ReLU‐based surrogate replaces the nonlinear electrochemical model and is embedded into the MPC through Big‐M constraints, whilst the bilinear power term is handled by McCormick envelopes. The hybrid FBBT + OBBT scheme tightens neuron bounds by 28.64%–59.24% and reduces preprocessing time by 14% compared with pure OBBT. Simulation results show that the proposed strategy shortens charging time by about 10%, improves voltage efficiency from 75.59% to 79.95%, improves energy efficiency from 71.20% to 74.64% and reduces station‐level charge/discharge actions from 31 to 29 under the same 100 MWh dispatch target, demonstrating improved safety, efficiency, SOC consistency and operational economy.
ABSTRACT Indian distribution utilities face persistent challenges such as billing inefficiencies, high aggregate technical and commercial (AT&C) losses, power theft and operational constraints. Although smart meters provide advanced monitoring capabilities, interoperability issues persist in Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) due to multivendor deployments. India has adopted DLMS/COSEM under IS 15959 to enable standardised and interoperable metering systems. This paper presents a structured compliance assessment of Indian smart meters against IEC 62056 and IS 15959, identifying key gaps in communication profiles, security mechanisms, and interface class implementation with respect to international practices. Based on the identified gaps, the paper proposes an IEC 62056‐aligned framework to improve interoperability, data reliability and system integration in multivendor AMI environments. In addition, a conceptual Emergency Load Profile is introduced to support controlled load management by enabling limited power supply to critical loads during contingencies or nonpayment conditions. The proposed approach enhances grid reliability, operational efficiency and utility‐level flexibility, while also supporting large‐scale smart meter deployments aligned with national initiatives such as Make in India and Atmanirbhar Bharat.
Transient stability in Dispatchable Virtual Oscillator Control (dVOC) during interconnection operations in microgrid systems remains a significant challenge. This paper proposes a Synergistic Phase-Damping Strategy (SPDS) that integrates phase compensation and virtual damping within the dVOC control framework to improve transient stability. The proposed method is validated on a 20-kV medium-voltage microgrid comprising three 5-MW dVOC-based grid-forming inverters under three-phase-to-ground fault conditions. The phase compensator mitigates switching-induced delays in active and reactive power regulation, while the virtual damping mechanism suppresses oscillations through high-pass-filtered current feedback. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed SPDS reduces the post-fault oscillation frequency from 48 to 17 Hz, shortens the oscillation duration from 200 to 95 ms, and decreases voltage/current recovery times from approximately 89-24 ms compared with conventional dVOC. Furthermore, the proposed strategy improves active and reactive power stabilisation while maintaining stable voltage regulation throughout fault recovery. These results confirm that SPDS significantly enhances the robustness and transient performance of dVOC-based inverters in medium-voltage microgrid applications.
Renewable energy bases in Desert-Gobi-Wasteland (DGW) areas connected with high-voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission systems show notable weak-grid features, including low inertia, weak damping and a low short-circuit ratio. This results in strong active power-voltage (P-V) coupling effects, making existing real-time active power control methods ineffective. To tackle this problem, this paper proposes a real-time active power control method that simultaneously considers static voltage security constraints and the effective regulation space of various resources. The method ensures safe and stable system operation while efficiently using regulation resources. First, the causes of the strong P-V coupling effects in weak HVDC sending-end AC power systems integrated with renewable energy sources are analysed. Sensitivity indices are used to measure the degree of coupling under different operating conditions. Next, considering the impact of uncertainties in renewable energy output on identifying system voltage weak points, combined with the impedance modulus margin indicator (IMMI), a voltage weak point identification approach based on probabilistic power flow is proposed. The effects of active power regulation from resources such as wind power, photovoltaic and HVDC links on these weak points' voltages are analysed and a quantitative method for active power regulation space of multiple resource types, considering static voltage security constraints, is presented. Then, by integrating voltage-active power sensitivity and the effective regulation capacity of various resources, a real-time active power control strategy is designed. This strategy incorporates resource prioritisation and differentiated power dispatch, aiming to meet active power regulation needs while reducing negative impacts on voltages at weak points. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed approach is validated using a modified IEEE 30-bus system and a modified IEEE 57-bus system.
ABSTRACT Currently, rural energy consumption is characterised by extensive usage with low conversion efficiency and limited renewable energy integration. Moreover, optimisation strategies focused solely on economic objectives often fall short in addressing real‐world needs. To tackle these challenges, this study introduces a dual‐layer optimisation approach for shared energy storage (SES), grounded in thermodynamic economics theory and emphasising energy efficiency–economy coupling in multi‐regional rural integrated energy systems (RIES). We first suggest an AC/DC hybrid architecture with SES to bolster the power grid's flexible adjustment capacity. Subsequently, we present an exergy economic flow (EEF)‐based optimisation model that intricately links the quality and cost attributes of energy flow. This model also incorporates a dual‐layer optimisation configuration for SES, considering both long‐term and short‐term costs across various typical scenarios. To ensure efficient and rapid resolution, the model undergoes linearisation, relaxation and scaling, ultimately being converted into a single‐layer mixed‐integer linear programming (MILP) problem. Simulation outcomes indicate that our proposed method enhances economic metrics by 41.9% and energy efficiency metrics by 14.9% compared to conventional optimisation strategies centred on economic goals. These improvements hold substantial significance for the sustainable low‐carbon development of rural regions.
