Small-Signal Modeling and Networked Control of a PHEV Charging Facility

The introduction of communication systems to power system controllers has brought in another layer of complexity in their design and operation. In this paper, a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle charging facility is studied. A linearized model of the facility is built, including both the dc/dc and dc/ac converters of the distributed energy resources. In addition, a control strategy that includes both local and networked loops is proposed to monitor and control the dc bus voltage of a local energy storage unit. This dc bus voltage is crucial to the self-sustaining capabilities of the system. A review of challenges and opportunities in networked control systems is presented, and the impacts of communication factors to the charging facility stability are analyzed. Finally, a real-time simulation platform which combines both electrical and communication networks is presented to validate the small-signal model, control strategy, and stability analysis including the communication effects.