On design of a robust load frequency controller for interconnected power systems

A novel design of a robust decentralized load frequency controller (LFC) is proposed for an inter-connected three-area power system, for the purpose of regulating area control error (ACE) in the presence of uncertainties in system dynamics and external disturbances. The design is based on the concept of active disturbance rejection control (ADRC). Estimating and mitigating the total effect of various uncertainties in real time, ADRC is particularly effective against a wide range of parameter variations, model uncertainties, and large disturbances. Furthermore, with only two tuning parameters, the controller provides a simple, easy-to-use solution to complex engineering problems in practice. Here, an ADRC-based LFC solution is developed for the power systems with turbines of various types, such as non-reheat, reheat, and hydraulic. The simulation results verified the effectiveness of the ADRC.