Impacts of Communication Delay on the Performance of a Control Scheme to Minimize Power Fluctuations Introduced by Renewable Generation under Varying V2G Vehicle Pool Size

The power outputs of non-conventional renewable sources are random and intermittent in nature. The integration of such sources in large numbers into existing power networks in the future could make the reliable and stable operation of power systems highly challenging. In this paper, the performance of a method based on balancing active power near real time, to reduce power fluctuations produced by renewable sources, is presented. The ability to exchange timely information and availability of adequate energy storage capacity are vital factors that determine the effectiveness of this method. Hence the performance, under varying communication delay and V2G vehicle pool size, of this method was evaluated by the authors. Three indices were defined and used to measure performance. The frequency of power balancing process was also varied during the study to accommodate longer information exchange delays. Results reveal that performance improves as communication delay and the period of control cycle are shortened. It was also observed that beyond a certain size of V2G pool, performance improvement reaches saturation. This indicates that, for a given system, there is a minimum V2G pool size requirement for studied method to deliver peak performance.