Measurement of static frequency characteristics of home appliances in smart grid systems

Abstract

The current transformation of power systems is aiming towards distributed source integration and general decentralization. Renewable energy sources and support of local energy supply create conditions for widespread use of new technologies and smart grids. As the electrical grids become more electrically independent, the importance of frequency control will rise. Stability of the system in such cases is no longer only relying on rotating inertia of generators as in the centralized grid. This known scenario has already been analyzed by many with computational models for optimal safety precautions of the grid. This paper aims to update the common home appliance frequency characteristics through measurements and compare them to those currently used. These devices were divided into two groups: general categorization and light sources. Subsequently, the frequency sensitivity coefficients were evaluated and analyzed home appliances were sorted into three categories according to the size of their frequency sensitivity coefficient values: positive, negative, and no effect. The results were compared with studies aimed at evaluating the static load characteristics. A simplified simulation of the frequency control, presented in the discussion section, was carried out to determine the consequences of the newly measured characteristics and concludes the paper.