Decentralized tuning regulators: An application to solve the load and frequency control problem for a large power system

This paper describes the application of decentralized tuning regulators [1] to solve the load and frequency control problem (automatic generation control problem) of a large power system consisting of three interconnected areas with nine synchronous machines. In this problem, it is assumed that the power system is completely unknown, i.e. it is assumed that a mathematical model describing the power system is not available, and it is desired to find a robust decentralized controller for the power system so that the power flow and frequency of the system are regulated, independent of any constant disturbances (load changes) which may affect the system. It is shown that the resultant control system obtained by using decentralized tuning regulator theory is in fact virtually identical to the controller obtained assuming a full knowledge of the mathematical model describing the system. This in turn implies that the conventional way of solving the load and frequency control problem is not likely to be significantly improved on by assuming that a detailed mathematical description of the power system is available or by using more complex controllers.