2011 2nd International Conference on Control, Instrumentation and Automation (ICCIA)

Introducing a New Concept to Utilize Plug-in Electric Vehicles in Frequency Regulation Service
Mohammad Hassan Bahmani, Mojtaba Abolfazli, Saeed Afsharnia, Mohammad Sadegh Ghazizadeh
Abstractamong electric vehicles, attentions are especially focused on plug-in electric vehicles of which battery can be charged from grid. Plug-in electric vehicles can cause some problems for power system such as peak load increasing. For reducing these bad effects, vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology is suggested.V2G describes a system in which plug-in electric vehicles communicate with the power grid to sell demand response services by either delivering electricity into grid or by throttling their charging rate. V2G needs some infrastructures for implementation. The most important one is bidirectional power flow that has many problems like tripping of network protectors, and disruption of voltage control systems for realization. Due to the fact, in this paper a stage before V2G is introduced to utilize from potentially plug-in electric vehicles benefits. This concept uses from inherent network unidirectional power flow character to provide frequency regulation service. The details of this idea and results from its application to the electricity market are described. Keywords- plug-in electric vehicle; vehicle-to-grid; frequency regulation;

vehicle to grid (V2G) concept [2], [3]. V2G is a term used to describe this use of bi-directional charge/discharge capabilities of PEVs to provide ancillary services for power grid [4]. The financial benefits of using V2G for vehicle owner in energy and ancillary services markets were studied in [2]. Despite all beneficiary aspects of V2G implementation, some technical and economical issues cannot be neglected neither. Charging large numbers of batteries generates an additional load that can trigger critical events in a distribution grid. Also, a large amount of investment is required for V2G integration. Besides these issues, a new concept is presented in which the vehicles can support grid even in traditional unidirectional networks. This concept uses from unidirectional power flow in network to provide frequency regulation by change in rate of charge. Section 2, talks about the related problems with V2G integration. Section 3 describes the proposed method in detail. Section 4-6, shows results on a test case for the suggested method. Finally, section 7 provides some preliminary conclusions. II. OBSTACLES FOR V2G IMPLEMENTATION The V2G concept excites advocates because it offers mutual benefits to the transportation and the electric power systems. It could assist the former by reducing petroleum use, strengthening the economy, enhancing national security, reducing strain on petroleum infrastructure, and improving the natural environment. It could help the latter by providing a new demand for electricity, ideally during the parts of the day when demand remains low. Moreover, it could add capacity to the electric grid during peak times without the need for the utility industry to build new power plants [5]. Beside these benefits, there are some problems associated with V2G technology. The authors think, in the way of V2G implementation there is an earlier station, which is the subject of this paper. In this section, the obstructions that V2G confront them for short-term accomplishment are discussed. Based on definition, V2G Captures BV benefits and can send power back to grid [6]. Although this feature brings some benefits, it can cause some problems for the distribution network that come in the following. 1. The highest infrastructural level, the grid, was initially developed for a top-down power flow, with power flowing from the higher voltage levels to the lower and out to the consumers. Network protectors are designed to shut down power flows in wrong direction. Therefore, when power flows in the opposite direction they definitely would act and disconnect the line.

I.

INTRODUCTION

Increasing in petroleum prices, security concerns associated with imported oil, and concerns about greenhouse gas emission (GHG) contribute to increasing interest in alternative vehicle technologies. Electric vehicles (EVs), hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), and recently plug-in electric vehicle (PEVs) have been introduced into vehicle markets. Plug-in electric vehicles attract great notations among these different types because of reduction in travel costs and emissions as a result of charging from electricity network. In recent years, many studies have been conducted over impacts of PEVs on grids. There is an agreement that these vehicles can increase peak load and resulting increase in energy price if there is no control through charging time. In [1] the effects of PEVs on peak load were assessed, and some plans were proposed for charging in off peak periods. Furthermore, PEVs threat can be changed to opportunity by means of
Mohammad Hassan Bahmani, Mojtaba Abolfazli, Saeed Afsharnia Power System Analysis Lab University of Tehran Tehran, Iran {mh.bahmani, m.abolfazli, safshar}@ut.ac.ir Mohammad Sadegh Ghazizadeh Power and Water University of Technology Tehran, Iran ghazizadeh@pwut.ac.ir

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Bidirectional setting of relays is a challenging issue today [7]. 2. The other concern, regarding voltage control in distribution systems, is that the transformation between the different voltage levels in the grid, which is controlled discretely. Thus, PHEVs providing V2G could potentially push the grid voltage up before the transformer shifts to the next discrete step and takes the voltage down again [7]. Synchronization between vehicle and network is an important point for energy injection into grid. Since interconnection with network may cause system transients [8]. The vehicle also needs to have an electricity bidirectional meter on board. The meter needs to be reliable, exact and tamperproof, and also, able to communicate with the aggregator, possibly encrypted [9].
Fig 1: V4G basics

3.

4.

IV.

APPLICATION FOR FREQUENCY REGULATION

Before these problems with network are solved, a step is introduced prior to V2G that the authors call it V4G. The rest of paper is dedicated to this concept. III. V4G PRIOR TO V2G Considering V2G capabilities such as damping intermittences in power systems with high penetrations of renewable generation, peak shaving, and the provision of ancillary services leaves no doubt in unavoidability of V2G presence in future power systems. In this paper, another stage previous to V2G technology is discussed. This stage lies between current state and future V2G-enlightened power systems. Vehicle for grid (V4G) is a novel concept introduced in this paper as a primary step prior to V2G. Unlike V2G, there is no need for a bidirectional power flow in V4G concept. By participation in V4G services, a vehicle is supposed to dedicate its ordinary operation in the favor of the power grid. Since the only gateway of connection into grid, while no V2G is considered, is during charging process, V4G concept can simply be defined as control over charging process. This control does not necessarily mean an interruption in charging process. In the other words, it can fulfill power system requirements with managing the vehicles charging rate. In Fig 1, V4G basics are illustrated. A typical SOC over charging process is shown. The slope of SOC at each time is rate of charge:

In this section, the application of V4G concept for participation in frequency regulation service is discussed. It is supposed that a unidirectional communication channel has been established for a region with 1000 electric vehicles with an average battery size of 15kWh. Through this communication channel, the corresponding charging rate in the favor of frequency regulation service is sent in a few seconds interval from the system operator to vehicle owners. In fact, these semiregulation signals change the charging rate in order to fulfill instantaneous up and down regulation requirements. Transmitted signals are subjected to qualify the two below constraints:

ROC min ROC (t )tran ROC max

(3) (4)

ROC min& ROC(t )tran & ROC max 0

Where ROC (t )tran is transmitted ROC from system operator to vehicles. The latter constraint represents the basic characteristic of the proposed V4G concept. According to this equation, vehicles load management, without any significant change in initial load, fulfills the regulation service. In other words, the regulation up and down are respectively committed by decreasing and increasing in vehicles charging rates. Fig 2, shows the vehicles overall load while they are being participated in regulation service. A sample of these regulation signals are represented in Fig 3. As it illustrates, the vehicles are taken part when the minimum required size for committing 1MW is available. The upper limit in Fig shows the instantaneous upper boundary of load increment (correspond to generation reduction in power plants for regulation down order) and similarly the lower limit shows the instantaneous lower boundary of load reduction (correspond to increase in power plant generation for regulation up order). Because total sum of frequency regulation signals over a meaningful period is close to zero [10], [11], electric vehicles load after taking part in frequency regulation service oscillates over initial load. In fig.3, a sample of frequency regulation signal in PJM market is shown that confirm this matter.

ROC (t )

dSOC (t ) dt

(1)

For V4G services with respect to technical heeds, ROC changes between the upper and lower bounds:

ROC min ROC (t ) ROC max

(2)

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because it would be an offset from an average charging rate (e.g. 1kW). This issue is assessed through studying the behavior of a single vehicles charging pattern while it is subjected to frequency regulation signals. As it can be seen from Fig 4, the regulation signals are translated into charging rate variations and then applied to the vehicles charging current. In Fig 5, the oscillation around the desired SOC is represented. Actually, due to the zero sum nature of regulation signals, the impacts on SOC are not significant.

Fig 2: load variation due to V4G participation

Fig. 4: charging current oscillation due to V4G participation

Fig. 3 : Sample PJM regulation signal

In Fig.2 the average charging rate for electric vehicles is assumed to be 11 percent[12]. Assuming different charging rates, results in a different initial load pattern. In addition, it is being supposed that in the electricity market of this region the regulation up and down should be sold simultaneously and equal thus the purchased regulation up and down are the same. It is also assumed that the system operator is able to alter the vehicles charging rate from 16 to 6 percent. These assumptions are represented in Table 1. Table 1: Tested region assumptions Region average charging rate Maximum possible rate of charge Minimum possible rate of charge Average battery size %11 %18 %6 15kWh

Fig 5: V4G participation impact on SOC

VI.

INCOME

V.

INFLUENCE ON VEHICLES OWNER SCHEDULING

As discussed in the previous sections, the proposed regulation service in V4G concept, in principle, is provided by modulation (or even interruption1) in charging process. Therefore, deviation from desired trend while the vehicles are being participated in frequency regulation is not important

V4G participation income is expected to be lower than the one in V2G services. Because the vehicle only take part in service when it is under charging process. However, this service can play a great role on power system operation and brings cost benefits for vehicle owner. Considering this fact that this service (V4G) has no remarkable effect on battery degradation [10],[13] and needs less costly infrastructure compare to what V2G services need, makes this service an appropriate stage before V2G integration into power systems. In table 2, possible incomes for 1000 vehicles that participate in frequency regulation services are represented. According to obtained results, average participated hours in frequency regulation service are about 14 to 16 hours for about 1000 vehicles.(lets talk about the huge quantity of vehicles in large cities and hence their capability of providing more than enough regulation service over the hole 24 hours of day and night).

If

ROC min 0

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Table 2: sample V4G participation income number of vehicles 1000 participated time(hour) cost-of-service($/MW-h) total income($/year) Individual income($/year) 14h-16h 30-40 153300-233600 153.3-233.6

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

VII. CONCLUSION This paper presents a step prior to V2G implementation. This step uses from unidirectional power flow feature in power system to provide frequency regulation service. With control upon battery charging current, aggregated vehicles can follow regulation signals. Results show that surveyed vehicles can commit 1MW-h frequency regulation approximately 14h to 16h in a typical day. Also, cost benefits give enough incentive for vehicle owners to participate in this service. REFERENCES
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