Energy management system for modular-gravity energy storage plant

As a new type of large-scale energy storage technology, gravity energy storage technology will provide vital support for building renewable power systems with robust performance. Compared with a single giant block, gravity energy storage technology based on several modular blocks (M-GES) has various advantages (such as easy standardization, mass production, and easy expansion), and is receiving increasingly widespread attention. However, there is a lack of research on its energy control. This paper systematically studies the energy management system (EMS) of M-GES plants. We establish a general M-GES state-of-charge model for the first time and propose the maximum height difference control (MHC) for EMS. To validate the effectiveness of the MHC, we use sinusoidal test power and a natural California load curve in MATLAB/Simulink. Finally, we summarize the characteristics of the proposed control strategies in conclusion and provide a guideline for further research.