Hierarchical Power Systems: Optimal Operation Using Grid Flexibilities

Introduction.- Preliminary theory.- Providing flexibility via residential batteries.- Flexibility in the distribution grid.- Security and stability on the transmission grid.- Implementation in the distribution grid and the microgrids.- Numerical example.- Conclusion.

The authors combine expertise from various fields such as mathematical optimization, automatic and optimization-based control, and model-order reduction as well as practical aspects from transmission and distribution grids. They jointly worked in the project KONSENS (Consistent Optimization and Stabilization of Electrical Network Systems) funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research in Germany. Among other things, the KONSENS consortium organized two minisymposia on the optimization of power grids at the 21st and the 22nd European Consortium for Mathematics in Industry (ECMI) Conference on Industrial and Applied Mathematics. The first one in 2018 "Mathematics as key factor to master the challenges of the energy transition" and the second in 2021 "Mathematical Innovations for Mastering the Energy Transition: a Holistic Perspective." During the project, the consortium published several journal and conference papers as well as book chapters on automation, stabilization, and optimization of future electrical grids. Additionally, the consortium applied similar methods to contribute to the understanding of the spread of COVID-19 and the impact of countermeasures.