Integrating Air-Source Heat Pumps into the Demand-side Fast Frequency Response Service: A Study Based on Thermal Dynamic Uncertainty

Fast frequency response services, designed to quickly balance the electrical grid within seconds, have a critical importance for managing sudden anomalies in low-inertia power systems. Battery systems often serve as versatile prosumers on the demand side to facilitate fast frequency response services. However, the nature of fast frequency response services leads to a highly fluctuating power profile for batteries, which can shorten their lifetime. In contrast, distributed air-source heat pumps in residential areas have a substantial untapped potential to support fast frequency response services. This paper seeks to integrate them into the existing services through a controller upgrade. We analyze the influence of air-source heat pumps' inherent complex thermal dynamics on fast frequency response services, revealing control challenges posed by unpredictable operating condition changes. Such a challenge is tackled with a standard droop control structure which is tuned through H∞ method, guaranteeing practical and stable operations within the permitted operating condition range. Finally, the proposed fast frequency response service scheme is tested through multiphysics simulations on a small-size low-inertia residential microgrid. The obtained results strongly supported the proposed new service.