Machine Learning-Assisted Stability Boundary Determination of Multiport Autonomous Reconfigurable Solar Power Plants

Abstract

The multiport autonomous reconfigurable solar power plant (MARS) is a promising solution to integrate renewable energy resources and energy storage systems into the ac power grid and HVdc links. In the MARS system, various input power sources are connected to the individual submodules (SMs) through dc-dc converters. However, the presence of external power sources can result in unbalanced capacitor voltages of SMs, thereby violating stability constraints under multiple/diverse operating conditions. This paper aims to address the research gap by accurately determining the stability boundary for the MARS system. A novel machine learning (ML)-assisted energy balancing control (EBC) criterion is proposed. In conjunction with a refined EBC, this approach ensures balanced capacitor voltages across various types of SMs, significantly enhancing the overall system efficiency. The proposed EBC criterion effectively controls EBC activation and deactivation, achieving remarkable accuracy. Both PSCAD/EMTDC simulations and control hardware-in-the-loop (cHIL) tests are conducted to validate the feasibility and efficiency of the proposed method. By combining the EBC and ML-assisted EBC criteria, efficient energy management becomes achievable for systems featuring multiple input power sources, such as MARS. This approach enables the system to fully exploit its potential across an expanded operational range while upholding high efficiency standards.