Fractal-optimized adaptive control for robust frequency regulation in renewable-rich power systems

The incorporation of high-penetration Variable Renewable Energy (VRE) sources results in considerable intermittency and inertia reduction, hence undermining the effectiveness of traditional Load Frequency Control (LFC). This research offers a novel framework based on a Double-Layer Fractional-Order Cascaded Controller (DL-FOCC) to achieve strong, flexible, and computationally efficient frequency regulation. The DL-FOCC's hierarchical cascaded architecture separates setpoint governance from dynamic disturbance rejection. It also has a real-time adaptive mechanism that changes its fractional-orders based on the Area Control Error. A new algorithm called Fractal-Firefly-Whale Optimization (F-FWO) is also proposed to optimally tune the parameters of this complex controller. The suggested F-FWO-DL-FOCC architecture is thoroughly tested using detailed MATLAB/Simulink simulations on a genuine dual-area hybrid power system subjected to strong and simultaneous disturbances. Comparative analyses against ten state-of-the-art controllers confirm the framework's superiority, demonstrating substantial improvements in key performance metrics such as the Integral of Time-weighted Absolute Error and transient frequency deviations. Furthermore, the F-FWO method itself cuts computing costs by about 30%, highlighting the framework's practicality for real-time applications. This work successfully connects the need for good performance in VRE-rich contexts with the need for efficient computing for practical LFC implementation.