Control-mode as a Grid Service in Software-defined Power Grids: GFL vs GFM

In power systems with high penetration of power electronics, grid-forming control is proposed to replace traditional Grid-Following Converter (GFL) in order to improve the overall system strength and resist small-signal instability in weak grids by directly forming the terminal voltage. However, sufficient headroom of both active and reactive power must be made available for Grid-Forming Converter (GFM) to operate, potentially leading to sub-optimal operation in steady states. This presents a new research problem to optimally allocate between GFM and GFL to balance the ability of GFMs to improve the grid strength and the potential economic loss resulting from reserved headroom. An optimization framework under software-defined grids is proposed, for the first time, to dynamically determine the optimal allocation of GFMs and GFLs in power systems at each time step of system scheduling according to system conditions, which ensures both system stability and minimum operational cost. To achieve this, the system scheduling model is expanded to simultaneously consider the constraints related to active and reactive power reserves for GFMs, as well as the system level stability. Case studies conducted on the modified IEEE 30-bus system demonstrate significant economic benefits in that the optimal proportion of GFMs in the power system can be dynamically determined while ensuring power reserve and grid stability constraints

Towards optimal operation of power systems with high IBR penetration: a stability-constrained optimization approach

Renewable Energy Sources (RES) have been massively integrated into the modern electric power system in the past few decades due to the environmental and sustainability concerns throughout the world. As a result, the power electronic converters are anticipated to acquire a steadily increasing role as they are the key element for the interface between RES and the grid. However, owing to the intermittency of the RES and the distinguished features of the Inverter-Based Resources (IBRs). The main focus of this thesis is to develop optimal system operation strategies to maintain the security and stability of the grid while considering the fast and accurate control of the IBR units. To achieve this, we investigate challenges in different areas. Regarding system frequency and low inertia issues, the main challenges are the incorporation of differential equation-based frequency dynamics into algebraic equation-based optimization problem as well as the optimal utilization of the frequency support from different sources. We first target on the optimal system scheduling on a transmission system level to achieve system operation cost minimization while maintaining the frequency security. In addition, the frequency stability problem in microgrids after unintentional islanding events is also studied. We consider the frequency support from WTs, PV and storage systems as well as noncritical load shedding to ensure the microgrid frequency security after unintentional islanding events. Furthermore, a SCC-constrained Unit Commitment (UC) model is developed, maintaining a minimum SCC level at different locations in the system such that enough reactive current could be supplied during the fault to trigger the protection devices and maintain the post-fault voltages. Moreover, the static voltage stability in systems with high IBR penetration is also investigated considering the interactions among the IBR units and their reactive power support capability within rating limits.Open Acces

Power systems with high renewable energy sources: A review of inertia and frequency control strategies over time

Traditionally, inertia in power systems has been determined by considering all the rotating masses directly connected to the grid. During the last decade, the integration of renewable energy sources, mainly photovoltaic installations and wind power plants, has led to a significant dynamic characteristic change in power systems. This change is mainly due to the fact that most renewables have power electronics at the grid interface. The overall impact on stability and reliability analysis of power systems is very significant. The power systems become more dynamic and require a new set of strategies modifying traditional generation control algorithms. Indeed, renewable generation units are decoupled from the grid by electronic converters, decreasing the overall inertia of the grid. ‘Hidden inertia’, ‘synthetic inertia’ or ‘virtual inertia’ are terms currently used to represent artificial inertia created by converter control of the renewable sources. Alternative spinning reserves are then needed in the new power system with high penetration renewables, where the lack of rotating masses directly connected to the grid must be emulated to maintain an acceptable power system reliability. This paper reviews the inertia concept in terms of values and their evolution in the last decades, as well as the damping factor values. A comparison of the rotational grid inertia for traditional and current averaged generation mix scenarios is also carried out. In addition, an extensive discussion on wind and photovoltaic power plants and their contributions to inertia in terms of frequency control strategies is included in the paper.This work was supported by the Spanish Education, Culture and Sports Ministry [FPU16/04282]

Scheduling of Software-Defined Microgrids for Optimal Frequency Regulation

Integrated with a high share of Inverter-Based Resources (IBRs), microgrids face increasing complexity of frequency dynamics, especially after unintentional islanding from the maingrid. \textcolor{black}{These IBRs, on the other hand, provide more control flexibility to shape the frequency dynamics of microgrid and together with advanced communication infrastructure offer new opportunities in the future software-defined microgrids.} To enhance the frequency stability of microgrids with high IBR penetration, this paper proposes \textcolor{black}{an optimal scheduling framework for software-defined microgrids to maintain frequency stability} by utilizing the non-essential load shedding and dynamical optimization of the virtual inertia and virtual damping from IBRs. Moreover, side effects of these services, namely, the time delay associated with non-essential load shedding and potential IBR control parameter update failure are explicitly modeled to avoid underestimations of frequency deviation and over-optimistic results. The effectiveness and significant economic value of the proposed simultaneous and dynamic virtual inertia and damping provision strategy are demonstrated based on case studies in the modified IEEE 33-bus system

Utilizing Converter-Interfaced Sources for Frequency Control with Guaranteed Performance in Power Systems

To integrate renewable energy, converter-interfaced sources (CISs) keep penetrating into power systems and degrade the grid frequency response. Control synthesis towards guaranteed performance is a challenging task. Meanwhile, the potentials of highly controllable converters are far from fully developed. With properly designed controllers the CISs can not only eliminate the negative impacts on the grid, but also provide performance guarantees.First, the wind turbine generator (WTG) is chosen to represent the CISs. An augmented system frequency response (ASFR) model is derived, including the system frequency response model and a reduced-order model of the WTG representing the supportive active power due to the supplementary inputs.Second, the framework for safety verification is introduced. A new concept, region of safety (ROS), is proposed, and the safe switching principle is provided. Two different approaches are proposed to estimate the largest ROS, which can be solved using the sum of squares programming.Third, the critical switching instants for adequate frequency response are obtained through the study of the ASFR model. A safe switching window is discovered, and a safe speed recovery strategy is proposed to ensure the safety of the second frequency dip due to the WTG speed recovery.Fourth, an adaptive safety supervisory control (SSC) is proposed with a two-loop configuration, where the supervisor is scheduled with respect to the varying renewable penetration level. For small-scale system, a decentralized fashion of the SSC is proposed under rational approximations and verified on the IEEE 39-bus system.Fifth, a two-level control diagram is proposed so that the frequency of a microgrid satisfies the temporal logic specifications (TLSs). The controller is configured into a scheduling level and a triggering level. The satisfaction of TLSs will be guaranteed by the scheduling level, and triggering level will determine the activation instant.Finally, a novel model reference control based synthetic inertia emulation strategy is proposed. This novel control strategy ensures precise emulated inertia by the WTGs as opposed to the trial and error procedure of conventional methods. Safety bounds can be easily derived based on the reference model under the worst-case scenario

Assessment of the role and value of frequency response support from wind plants

High penetration of wind generation causes concerns over frequency stability, as currently wind plants do not provide frequency response support. Extensive research has been conducted to investigate alternative designs of controllers to facilitate the provision of synthetic inertia and primary frequency response from wind plants. However, frequency response support from wind plants differs from that provided by conventional plants and its impact on the system's economic performance is not yet fully understood. In this context, this paper develops a novel methodology to incorporate the frequency response support from wind plants into generation scheduling, thus enabling the benefits of alternative control strategies to be quantified. Studies are carried out on the future Great Britain power system with different wind energy penetration levels and frequency response requirements. The impact of the uncertainty associated with the quantity of wind plants being online and the energy recovery effect are also analyzed. The results demonstrate that the benefits of frequency response support from wind plants may be significant, although these are system specific. The proposed model could also inform the development of grid codes, market mechanisms, and business cases associated with the frequency response support from wind plants

Active power control response from large offshore wind farms

This thesis was submitted for the degree of Doctor of Engineering and awarded by Brunel University LondonThe GB power system will see huge growth in transmission connected wind farms over the next decade, driven by European clean energy targets. The majority of the UK’s wind development is likely to be offshore and many of these wind farms will be interfaced to the grid through power converters. This will lead to a loss of intrinsic inertia and an increasing challenge for the system operator to keep grid frequency stable. Given this challenge, there is increasing interest in understanding the capabilities of converter control systems to provide a synthesised response to grid transients. It is interesting to consider whether this response should be demanded of wind turbines, with a consequential reduction in their output, or if advanced energy storage can provide a viable solution. In order to investigate how large offshore wind farms could contribute to securing the power system, wind turbine and wind farm models have been developed. These have been used to design a patented method of protecting permanent magnet generator’s converters under grid faults. Furthermore, these models have enabled investigation of methods by which a wind turbine can provide inertial and frequency response. Conventionally inertial response relies on the derivative of a filtered measurement of system frequency; this introduces either noise, delay or both. This research proposes alternative methods, without these shortcomings, which are shown to have fast response. Overall, wind farms are shown to be technically capable of providing both high and low frequency response; however, holding reserves for low frequency response inevitably requires spilling wind. Wind’s intermittency and full output operation are in tension with the need of the power system for reliable frequency response reserves. This means that whilst wind farms can meet the technical requirements to hold reserves, they bid uncompetitive prices in the market. This research shows that frequency response market prices are likely to rise in future suggesting that the Vanadium Redox Flow Battery is one technology which could enter this market and also complement wind power. Novel control incorporating fuzzy logic to manage the battery is developed to allow a hybrid wind and storage system to aggregate the benefits of frequency response and daily price arbitrage. However, the research finds that the costs of smoothing wind power output are a burden on the store’s revenue, leading to a method of optimising the combined response from an energy store and generator that is the subject of a patent application. Furthermore, whilst positive present value may be derived from this application, the long payback periods do not represent attractive investments without a small storage subsidy.The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and GE Energ