Intelligent Agent-Based Energy Management System for Islanded AC/DC Microgrids

This article proposes an advanced solution for the energy management of the islanded ac–dc microgrids using an intelligent agent approach. This approach provides islanded ac–dc microgrids with three main operating agents (i.e., ac microgrid, dc microgrid, and system operator agents) communicating with each other at each operating time interval to increase system levels of performance, efficiency, and reliability. Bidirectional communication allows data collection and control command flow between ac microgrid, dc microgrid, and system operator to not only minimize ac and dc operational costs but also minimize ac–dc conversion costs, perform optimal demand shifting and minimize load shedding using a progressive strategy. For the optimization purpose, this article uses an advanced multiobjective particle swarm optimization engine to effectively solve the problem of each agent. To test the precision and operational performance of the proposed solution, a 33-node islanded ac–dc microgrid with diverse ac–dc generating resources and loads is studied.