ADRC for Decentralized Load Frequency Control with Renewable Energy Generation

This document presents an application of Active Disturbance Rejection Control (ADRC) in a secondary frequency regulation problem with an active participation of renewable photovoltaic and wind generators. This problem is known as Load Frequency Control (LFC). The ADRC technique uses a reduced set of information of the model by grouping the effects of non-modeled dynamics, exogenous disturbances, and parameter uncertainties into a generalized equivalent disturbance, which in this case is estimated by an Extended-State Observer. This makes it possible to design a decentralized controller that achieves the bifold control objective of a secondary LFC strategy in each area. The proposed controller is able to regulate the frequency of each area and the tie-line power exchanges in presence of several load disturbances. The simulation scenarios validate the control proposal and show the flexibility and advantages of the application of ADRC-based control techniques as decentralized solutions to an LFC problem.