Fractional-Order Finite-Time Model-Following Control for Uncertain Microgrids Against Time-Varying Delay Attack

Area of Science:

• Electrical Engineering
• Control Systems
• Cybersecurity

Background:

• Microgrids with renewable energy and fast loads exhibit altered dynamics, reduced inertia, and require real-time operation.
• Real-time operation in microgrids, while enabling faster responses, introduces vulnerabilities to cyber threats like signal delays.
• Maintaining operational resilience against cyberattacks is crucial for reliable microgrid functioning.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose an innovative control strategy for robust frequency regulation in microgrids under uncertainty.
• To enhance microgrid resilience against time-varying delay attacks through advanced control techniques.
• To ensure rapid and stable responses in renewable microgrids despite cyber disruptions.

Main Methods:

• Exploiting fractional-order calculus for enhanced system resilience.
• Implementing model-following control for improved operational stability.
• Utilizing a finite-time robust tracking control mechanism for rapid responses.

Main Results:

• The proposed method demonstrated effectiveness in MATLAB simulations of a typical microgrid.
• Experimental validation on an Opal-RT testbed confirmed the strategy's performance.
• The control strategy achieved swift responses and reduced frequency fluctuations in real-time renewable microgrid operation.

Conclusions:

• The developed control strategy effectively enhances microgrid resilience against cyber threats and time-varying delays.
• Fractional-order calculus and robust tracking control are key to achieving rapid and stable frequency regulation.
• The findings support the secure and reliable real-time operation of renewable energy-integrated microgrids.