An assessment methodology for the flexibility capacity of new power system based on two-stage robust optimization

• Published in: Applied energy 2024-12, Vol.376, p.124291, Article 124291
• Main Authors: Li, Junhui, Yu, Zhenbo, Mu, Gang, Li, Baoju, Zhou, Jiaxu, Yan, Gangui, Zhu, Xingxu, Li, Cuiping
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Flexibility capacity assessment; Renewable energy penetration rate; Robust optimization; Supply and demand characteristics; Uncertainty
• ISSN: 0306-2619
• DOI: 10.1016/j.apenergy.2024.124291

The inherent variability in wind and solar power output presents a significant challenge to the flexibility balance of power systems. This paper introduces an innovative method for evaluating the flexibility capacity of a new power system, employing a two-stage robust optimization approach. Firstly, a power system flexibility supply and demand balance mechanism model is constructed and quantitatively characterized for the power system flexibility shortfalls set. Subsequently, taking into account timescale characteristics and directionality, the time series production simulation technique is applied to establish the effective ramping and flexibility supply distribution model of thermal power and energy storage units, enabling an analysis of the power system's supply regulation capabilities. On this basis, a power system flexibility capacity assessment method is proposed, which divides the system regulation resources into demand set and supply set, and constructs a power system flexibility capacity assessment model to ensure that the maximum system flexibility margin and the lowest operating cost are taken as the optimization objectives under the system security operation constraints. The column and constraint generation (C&CG) robust optimization algorithm is used to decompose the master problem and the max-min dual-layer subproblems for iterative solving, and the optimal capacity of each unit of the system in terms of output and flexibility is derived. Finally, the effectiveness and superiority of the proposed method is verified through case analysis, which shows that the method can improve the flexibility capacity by 14.9% and reduce the operating cost by 15.83% compared with the traditional proportional allocation method. •constructes a model of the supply-demand balance mechanism of power system.•proposes an effective ramping capacity distribution model and an effective flexibility supply model for supplying units.•proposes a power system flexibility capacity assessment method based on two-stage robust optimization.•proposes a methodology for analysing the trend of flexibility by considering the renewable energy penetration rate and the regulation of different flexibility resources.