Reducing Peak Power in a Multiple Load System by Delaying the Activation of Electrical Loads Using a Filter Based on a PI Controller

In a power grid with multiple two-state loads, the total power can vary over a significant range. This results in the inability to supply this system from a low-power source. The solution is an algorithm that shapes energy demand depending on its availability. For this purpose, a new load distribution method is proposed based on introducing a buffer between the temperature controller output and the heater and filtering the load using a master Proportional–Integral (PI) controller. The aim of the work was to evaluate the quality of the developed algorithm for limiting power peaks in the power grid. The research was conducted on a model of the Creep Test Laboratory with 389 heaters simulated in MATLAB Simulink R2023b. The algorithm was tested with various settings of the master controller parameters. By experimentally adjusting these parameters, a ten-fold reduction in peak power was achieved. The standard deviation for the L1 phase was reduced from 7.6 kW to 0.6 kW. Similar results were obtained for phases L2 and L3. The tested control system tracked changes in the average power value by changing the number of loads switched on and by frequency-modulating the signal when the change was less than the power of a single load. It was demonstrated that the controlled delayed switching of electrical loads can modify the shape of the total electric power without affecting their operation. The proposed solution features a low computational complexity, which allows its implementation in various systems.