Cooperative Voltage Control in MV Distribution Networks With Electric Vehicle Charging Stations and Photovoltaic DGs

The proliferation of distributed generators (DGs) and electric vehicle charging stations (EVCSs) has brought voltage regulation challenges to distribution networks. This article proposes a distributed control algorithm to dispatch surplus reactive power from EVCSs and DGs for proper voltage regulation without violating their converters’ capacities or stressing conventional voltage control devices, such as on-load tap changers (OLTCs). Further, an active power curtailment strategy is proposed for DGs to properly integrate OLTCs in voltage regulation when the reactive power support is deficient. The proposed control algorithms rely on the average consensus theory and sensitivity analysis to provide optimized voltage support while satisfying the agents’ self-objectives. Simulation results of a typical distribution network confirm the effectiveness of the proposed distributed control algorithms in maintaining proper voltage regulation with minimum voltage support from EVCSs and DGs, and reduced daily tap operation for OLTC.