Microgrids have been identified as a viable solution to the integration of renewable distributed generations (DGs) into power systems, while the coordination of DGs is frequently hindered by nonideal communication networks. To eliminate the negative consequences of these communication constraints, this article proposes a distributed predictive-proportional-integral control strategy for dc microgrids subject to communication delays and packet dropouts. The proposed control method can achieve voltage regulation and proportional power sharing simultaneously in a distributed manner. To address the issues of time delay and packet loss, an active prediction method is recommended, in combination with the PID scheme, which makes use of the model information and historical data for predictive compensation as well as retain the benefits of PID controllers effectively. The closed-loop system of the dc microgrid under the proposed control scheme is presented for stability and consensus analysis. Finally, experimental results from a wind turbine-based dc microgrid system are provided to demonstrate the superiority and effectiveness of the proposed method.

This article introduces an Internet of Things (IoT)-based solution to a multiagent system (MAS) experimentation with high space utilization and high flexibility. The solution has been applied in the Networked Control System Laboratory (NCSLab), which provides hundreds of educational equipment instances, offering abundant choices for MAS experiments. Based on the networked control theory and integrated circuit technology, a novel compact architecture for online laboratories is proposed first. Combined with multiple features of NCSLab, such as online algorithm design, parameter tuning, and live video monitor, researchers can conduct interactive verification. To achieve good dynamic performance and coordinated performance in a communication-constrained network, a predictive state feedback controller for MAS is proposed. Three web-based leader–follower MAS experiments are carried out to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed controller and powerful configurable ability for the MAS in NCSLab. The proposed IoT-based compact laboratory provides a cost-effective and space-efficient solution for other remote laboratories.

With the development of mobile technologies, mobile applications are increasingly designed and developed. In the field of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education, the idea of using mobile devices for teaching and learning has gradually gained popularity and gained in-depth research. Owing to the advantages of convenience, portability, and excellent interactive abilities, mobile devices are a good choice for accessing remote laboratories. In propose of promoting the massive online experimentation of control education, a mobile application with framework based on react-native is implemented in this article. The overall remote laboratory architecture adopts front-end and back-end separation scheme, which benefits the mobile application focusing on the construction of front-end interface and user experience. Various functional modules and technologies are applied in the mobile application, allowing users to access various experiment test rigs in the remote laboratory with intuitive experimental immersion. Moreover, a complete laboratory management system to manage the massive users from different universities has also been integrated into the mobile application. At the end, a remote networked control experiment has been conducted to prove the practicability of the mobile application.

As a crucial part of cyber-physical systems, a digital twin can process data, visualize processes, and send commands to the control system, which can be used for the research on thermal power plants that are vital for providing energy for manufacturing and industry, and also daily consumptions. This article introduces the methodologies and techniques toward a web-based digital twin thermal power plant. To implement a web-based digital twin thermal power plant, the architecture, modeling, control algorithm, rule model, and physical-digital twin control are explored. The potential functionalities of the web-based digital twin including real-time monitoring, visualization and interactions, and provided services for physical thermal plants and universities are also presented. A case study has been provided to illustrate the web-based digital twin power plant. The research in this article can provide potential solutions for web-based digital twin research and education.

Online experimentation systems that support remote and/or virtual experiments in an Internet-based environment play an important role in skill-enhanced online learning, especially in the field of engineering. This article explores a human-centered online system with a unified architecture that covers the entire process of control engineering experimentation. The control and security-oriented design are presented and the human-centered design including the HTML5-based web application and the configurable graphical user interface is also introduced. Interactive features such as tuning parameters and 3-D animations and interactions are integrated into the system. Enhanced 3-D effects such as anaglyph 3-D and parallax 3-D are also provided. Thus, users can experience different types of 3-D effects on experiment equipment or in a 3-D virtual world while conducting experiments. Details of an application example with a dual tank system are also explored to verify the performance of the proposed system.

Game theory has become popular nowadays in solving the multi-objective optimization problem in the microgrid system. This paper proposes a novel non-cooperative game with hourly dynamic pricing (HDP) that can encourage consumers to participate in energy management. Since the energy demand of consumers in microgrid clusters is stochastic, we use the state clustering scheme to monitor the operating state of loads by smart meters. Moreover, a new utility function with incentive is adopted to reflect the energy cost of consumers. Meanwhile, the utility of microgrid market operators (MMO) can be increased after considering both the stochastic characteristics of microgrids and the cost of power generation. By prioritizing the MMO, simulation results justify the effectiveness of the proposed approach and present new insights toward energy management in the smart grids.

This paper introduces the schemes of remote wiring interactions in an online control laboratory using an HTML5-based virtual 3-D interface. Although virtual laboratories have drawn increasing research attention in the last decade, wiring practice, which is a crucial part of experimentation, is normally neglected. In this paper, a practice including 3-D modeling, HTML5-based rendering, and control algorithm design is implemented for the interactive virtual wiring based on the Networked Control System Laboratory (NCSLab) framework. The wiring practice is combined with control algorithm design, which is already realized in NCSLab, where users are allowed to customize algorithms using MATLAB/Simulink real-time workshop. Apart from remotely implementing the control algorithm, the 3-D virtual wiring process must be completed correctly before the online experiments can proceed properly. The proposed wiring laboratory is evaluated in practical teaching, with both students' performance and perception considered. The conclusions derived from the report show that the 3-D virtual wiring interactions make virtual experimentation complete for simulating a real case, as well as providing an opportunity for a clearer comprehension of control systems.