arXiv subjects

Dakota Hamilton

Publications and source records attributed to Dakota Hamilton.

6 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Cross-Atlantic Research Agenda for Scalable Grid Architectures and Distributed Flexibility

Electric power systems are rapidly evolving into deeply digital, cyber-physical infrastructures in which large fleets of distributed energy resources must be coordinated as system-level flexibility across multiple spatial and temporal scales. Despite growing distributed energy resource deployment, existing grid and market architectures lack scalable, interoperable mechanisms to reliably translate device-level flexibility into grid-aware services, creating risks to reliability, affordability, and resilience at high penetration. We propose that scalable and reliable coordination of distributed energy resource-based flexibility in future power systems is fundamentally an architectural problem that can be addressed through laminar cyber-physical design using minimal, standardized interoperability interfaces that link device autonomy with system-level objectives. To assess this claim, we present and discuss a layered cyber-physical systems architecture and explicate its implementation through standards-based interfaces, Flexibility Functions, hierarchical control, and case studies spanning U.S. and Danish regulatory, market, and operational contexts. Empirical evidence from New York's Grid of the Future proceedings, Danish Smart Energy Operating System pilots, and operational aggregator deployments demonstrates that such architecture enables predictable, grid-aware flexibility while preserving device autonomy, interoperability, reliability, and quality of service. These results support a cross-Atlantic research agenda centered on joint testbeds, harmonized interoperability mechanisms, and coordinated policy experiments to accelerate the deployment of resilient, scalable, and flexible clean energy systems.

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arXiv2025

Optimal Bidding and Coordinated Dispatch of Hybrid Energy Systems in Regulation Markets

The increasing integration of renewable energy sources and distributed energy resources (DER) into modern power systems introduces significant uncertainty, posing challenges for maintaining grid flexibility and reliability. Hybrid energy systems (HES), composed of controllable generators, flexible loads, and battery storage, offer a decentralized solution to enhance flexibility compared to single centralized resources. This paper presents a two-level framework to enable HES participation in frequency regulation markets. The upper level performs a chance-constrained optimization to choose capacity bids based on historical regulation signals. At the lower level, a real-time control strategy disaggregates the regulation power among the constituent resources. This real-time control strategy is then benchmarked against an offline optimal dispatch to evaluate flexibility performance. Additionally, the framework evaluates the profitability of overbidding strategies and identifies thresholds beyond which performance degradation may lead to market penalties or disqualification. The proposed framework also compare the impact of imbalance of power capacities on performance and battery state of charge (SoC) through asymmetric HES configurations.

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arXiv2025

Improved Voltage Regulation with Optimal Design of Decentralized Volt-VAr Control

Integration of distributed energy resources has created a need for autonomous, dynamic voltage regulation. Decentralized Volt-VAr Control (VVC) of grid-connected inverters presents a unique opportunity for voltage management but, if designed poorly, can lead to unstable behavior when in feedback with the grid. We model the grid-VVC closed-loop dynamics with a linearized power flow approach, leveraging historical data, which shows improvement over the commonly used LinDistFlow model. This model is used to design VVC slopes by minimizing steady-state voltage deviation from the nominal value, subject to a non-convex spectral radius stability constraint, which has not been previously implemented within this context. We compare this constraint to existing convex restrictions and demonstrate, through simulations on a realistic feeder, that using the spectral radius results in more effective voltage regulation.

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arXiv2024

Transformer Temperature Management and Voltage Control in Electric Distribution Systems with High Solar PV Penetration

The increasing penetration of photovoltaic (PV) systems in distribution grids can lead to overvoltage and transformer overloading issues. While voltage regulation has been extensively studied and some research has addressed transformer temperature control, there is limited work on simultaneously managing both challenges. This paper addresses this gap by proposing an optimization-based strategy that efficiently manages voltage regulation and transformer temperature while minimizing the curtailment of PV generation. In order to make this problem convex, a relaxation is applied to the transformer temperature dynamics constraint. We also provide analysis to determine under which conditions this relaxation remains tight. The proposed approach is validated through simulations, demonstrating its effectiveness in achieving the desired control objectives.

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arXiv2023

Towards Energysheds: A Technical Definition and Cooperative Framework for Future Power System Operations

There is growing interest in understanding how interactions between system-wide objectives and local community decision-making will impact the clean energy transition. The concept of energysheds has gained traction in the areas of public policy and social science as a way to study these relationships. However, development of technical definitions of energysheds that permit system analysis are still largely missing. In this work, we propose a mathematical definition for energysheds, and introduce an analytical framework for studying energyshed concepts within the context of future electric power system operations. This framework is used to develop insights into the factors that impact a community's ability to achieve energyshed policy incentives within a larger connected power grid, as well as the tradeoffs associated with different spatial policy requirements. We also propose an optimization-based energyshed policy design problem, and show that it can be solved to global optimality within arbitrary precision by employing concepts from quasi-convex optimization. Finally, we investigate how interconnected energysheds can cooperatively achieve their objectives in bulk power system operations.

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arXiv2023

Toward More Accurate and Robust Optimal Power Flow for Distribution Systems

The objective of this paper is to improve the accuracy and robustness of optimal power flow (OPF) formulations for distribution systems modeled down to the low-voltage point of connection of individual buildings. An approach for addressing the uncertain switching behavior of building loads(e.g., air conditioners, water heaters, or pool pumps) and variable renewable generation (e.g., rooftop solar) in the OPF is proposed. Rather than using time-averaged forecasts to determine voltage magnitude constraints, we leverage worst-case minimum and maximum forecasts of loads and distributed energy resource generation. Sensitivities of the power flow equations are used to predict how these deviations in load and renewable generation will impact system voltages, and the voltage constraints in the OPF are dynamically adjusted to mitigate voltage violations due to this uncertainty. A methodology for incorporating models of split-phase components and transformer core losses in the OPF formulation is also proposed. The proposed approach is validated through numerical case studies on a realistic distribution feeder using GridLAB-D, a distribution system simulation software.

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