Model Predictive Control for Black Start of Connected Communities via Autonomous Indexing

This paper builds upon an autonomous indexing-based model predictive control (MPC) framework for smart photovoltaic (PV) inverters in a connected community with dynamic topology and changing configurations. The proposed controller offers black start capability for connected communities with a high penetration of PV sources after a failure or power outage event. A higher margin of robustness and flexibility is achieved by enabling autonomous PV inverters operating modes while remaining fully synchronized. The autonomous indexing scheme assigns operational modes of distributed PV inverters, i.e. voltage or current control, in a sequential manner and enhances the resiliency of islanded connected communities against the contingency of grid-forming PV inverter interruption. The proposed controller is demonstrated to optimize the black start performance of an islanded and fully de-energized system. Simulated case studies explore the controller’s functionality and validate its black start restoration performance.