A Holonic-Based Decentralized Framework for Optimal Reactive Power Control in Smart Grids

Abstract

Monitoring power systems serves as the foundational requirement for making informed decisions in control centers. In recent years, the emergence of smart grids has propelled reactive power control and power system monitoring into a new phase. This development has highlighted the urgent need for efficient and decentralized Optimal Reactive Power Control (DORPC) methods, especially within frameworks that align with smart grid technologies. This paper introduces a novel DORPC approach based on a holonic architecture, featuring a unique hierarchical design. The main goal is to show that individual DORPC agents can attain global optimality through local interactions. The proposed method is compared with two benchmark techniques using a comprehensive array of performance metrics. The findings reveal that this approach holds considerable promise for reducing active power losses, maximizing the utilization of reactive power resources, relying on a minimal data set, and improving network fault tolerance.