Control of electric power transmission networks with massive energy storage using economic MPC

The classic approach to generator dispatch in large scale power generation and distribution systems (under regulated markets) is the Unit Commitment (UC) problem. As renewable power sources (that cannot be dispatched) are added to the network many have advocated the additional introduction of massive energy storage facilities. However, the inherent dynamic nature of energy storage suggests an expanded view of the classic UC operating policy. In this work, the notion of Economic Model Predictive Control (EMPC) is investigated as a generalization of the classic UC policy. Of particular interest is the selection of EMPC prediction horizon size and its impact on storage utilization.