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This paper exploits smart inverters of distributed energy resources (DERs) for the mitigation of fault-induced delayed voltage recovery (FIDVR). According to the IEEE Standard 1547-2018, smart inverters with voltage ride-through and var injection capabilities are promising technologies for mitigating FIDVR. This paper quantitatively investigates the effectiveness of smart inverters for FIDVR from a system-wide perspective. It shows that the penetration of smart inverters and induction motors are important factors affecting mitigation success. In addition, the over-voltages at the end of FIDVR due to load disconnections can be prevented with coordinated control of DERs and automated switching capacitors. The control scheme of smart inverters used for FIDVR is extended from the distributed volt/var droop control to include low- and high-voltage ride-through capabilities. The IEEE 13-bus feeder, the 8500-node test feeder, and the IEEE 390-node low-voltage network test system are used to illustrate the impact of DER penetration. For example, one can determine the residential air conditioner penetration level (for a given system at certain DER penetration level) that makes a system susceptible to FIDVR. The effects of solar intermittency are also studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Time-domain indirect methods based on Lyapunov stability theory and linear matrix inequality techniques (LMIs) have been applied for delay-dependent stability analysis of large-scale load frequency control (LFC) schemes. This paper aims to enhance the numerical tractability of large-scale LMIs by exploiting the special characteristics of the LFC loops. First, in the typical LFC model, only a few delayed states that are directly influenced by transmission delays are distinguished from other normal system states. Hence, an improved reconstruction model is formed, based on which the delay-dependent stability condition is established with the decreased order of the LMIs and decision variables. Then, to further improve the numerical tractability of the developed stability criterion, all weighting matrices required in the augmented Lyapunov functional are enforced to have structural restrictions by proposing an extended symmetry-exploiting technique. Case studies show that the method proposed in this paper significantly improves the calculation efficiency of stability criterion established for multi-area power systems at the cost of only a minor reduction in computational accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a new adaptive fractional frequency control method for microgrids(MG) and low inertia networks is presented. The newly proposed grid frequency control is based on the droop and inertia controller for doubly-fed induction generator (DFIG) wind turbine (WT) using a data-driven algorithm. Also, in this paper, to ensure the grid frequency stability, the stability region boundary has been calculated using the parameter space method for above and below synchronous speeds. In the first step in the proposed method, a data-driven control (DDC) is used to update the frequency control coefficients. In the second step, in order to deployment more frequency data and to use both frequency error concavity and slope, the utilization of fractional gradient descent (FGD) and fractional inertia control is proposed. In the third step to maintain frequency stability, the updated frequency controller coefficients are compared with the stability region boundary. If the updated frequency controller coefficients are in the authorized band, they are applied. To test the proposed idea is a simulated real grid in Ontario, Canada. The simulation results indicate the proper operation of the control system in transient and steady-state and under different conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Smart grid enables integration of distributed generations (DGs) to contribute to support the network. In the islanding condition, a section of the system and at least one DG become separated from the main grid and can continue to operate autonomously. This paper proposes a passive islanding detection algorithm using just the DG power factor angle to extract an indicator for islanding detection with a negligible non-detection zone (NDZ). The proposed algorithm guarantees reliable detection of islanding condition even where the system is composed of multiple DGs including different types. In this paper, islanding and non-islanding events are discriminated using the proposed algorithm even in a nested microgrid which is operated autonomously. Moreover, the proposed algorithm provides secure detection in the noisy condition. Also, the proposed algorithm allows reaching the frequency and voltage ride-through requirements quickly by correctly discriminating grid-connected disturbances from islanding condition. The performance of the proposed algorithm is validated by performing extensive simulations and scenarios in different test systems. The results of the IEEE 34 bus test system have been presented in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper demonstrates the potential of inverter-based loads to support grid reliability during power system transients thereby enabling reliable integration of renewable energy in power systems. Such loads are referred to in this paper as grid-supportive loads (GSLs). A new GSL model is developed that simulates the transient response capabilities that can be programmed in electronic loads. The model’s design enables it to be easily integrated in widely used commercial power system transient analysis software. Theoretical expressions are derived that explain the workings of the GSL model. The performance, numerical stability, and impact of the GSL model is validated on 9-bus and 2000-bus synthetic power system models using generator tripping and bus fault disturbances. Results on the 2000 bus system show that in the absence of frequency support from wind/solar generation resources, just 20% of loads with grid-supportive capabilities can improve frequency response by up to 2000 MW/0.1 Hz and reduce deviation in frequency at nadir by up to 60% compared to the situation when GSLs are absent. Power system reliability also improves under fault events. It is further shown that GSLs can aid in integrating more renewable generation without degrading the overall transient response of the power system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The modern power grid features the high penetration of power converters, which widely employ a phase-locked loop (PLL) for grid synchronization. However, it has been pointed out that PLL can give rise to small-signal instabilities under weak grid conditions. This problem can be potentially resolved by operating the converters in grid-forming mode, namely, without using a PLL. Nonetheless, it has not been theoretically revealed how the placement of grid-forming converters enhances the small-signal stability of power systems integrated with large-scale PLL-based converters. This paper aims at filling this gap. Based on matrix perturbation theory, we explicitly demonstrate that the placement of grid-forming converters is equivalent to increasing the power grid strength and thus improving the small-signal stability of PLL-based converters. Furthermore, we investigate the optimal locations to place grid-forming converters by increasing the smallest eigenvalue of the weighted and Kron-reduced Laplacian matrix of the power network. The analysis in this paper is validated through high-fidelity simulation studies on a modified two-area test system and a modified 39-bus test system. This paper potentially lays the foundation for understanding the interaction between PLL-based (i.e., grid-following) converters and grid-forming converters, and coordinating their placements in future converter-dominated power systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a method to design power system stabilizers (PSSs) based on single-machine infinite-bus system models to mitigate the risk of low-frequency electro- mechanical power oscillations in an N-machine power system. First, models of N fabricated identical-machine power systems are established for the N-machine power system. Analysis in the paper indicates that the electromechanical oscillation mode of fabricated identical-machine power systems with the least damping is of less damping than the electromechanical oscillation modes of N-machine power system. Second, it is proved that models of fabricated identical-machine power systems are dynamically equivalent to the single-machine infinite-bus system models. Finally, it is suggested that the PSSs are designed using single-machine infinite-bus system models to enhance the least damped electromechanical oscillation mode of fabricated identical-machine power systems. This eventually improves the damping of electromechanical oscillation modes of N-machine power system, thus mitigating the risk of low-frequency electromechanical power oscillations. In the paper, the proposed method is demonstrated and evaluated by using three well-known example multi-machine power systems. Effectiveness of PSSs is confirmed by the results of modal computation and simulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analytically examines how the condition of weak grid connection affects the torsional sub-synchronous oscillations (SSOs) induced by a grid-connected DFIG in a power system. The examination focuses on the SSO mode of grid-connected DFIG, which is dominated by the phase locked loop (PLL) or DC voltage control. Theoretical analysis is carried out to prove that the condition of weak grid connection amplifies the impact of modal resonance between the DFIG and torsional dynamics of synchronous generators. The amplifying effect of weak grid connection exhibits as the decrease of damping of SSO mode of DFIG and increase of the associated residue when the grid connection weakens. Consequently, the DFIG is more likely to induce torsional SSOs under the condition of weak grid connection, leading to system instability in the worst case. Analytical examination presented in the paper reveals the mechanism about how the condition of weak grid connection plays a key role for the DFIG to induce the torsional SSOs. An example multi-machine power system with the grid-connected DFIG is presented. Results of modal analysis and non-linear simulation using detailed model of DFIG validate the analysis and conclusions made in the paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes an approach to determine the participation of algebraic variables in power system modes. The approach is based on a new interpretation of the classical participation factors, as well as on the definition of adequate output variables of the system's state-space representation. The paper considers both the linear and generalized eigenvalue problems for the calculation of the participation factors and presents a theorem to cope with eigenvalue multiplicities. An illustrative example on the two-area system, as well as a study on a 1479-bus dynamic model of the all-Irish transmission system are carried out to support the theory and illustrate the features of the proposed approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aggregated loads of induction motors are often used in the study of power system dynamic stability. This paper reports the finding that aggregation of the same or similar induction motors may likely cause the dynamic instability. Theoretical analysis is presented in the paper to show that a group of N same induction motors in parallel connection is equivalent to N dynamic independent subsystems. Oscillation modes of one of the equivalent subsystems are affected by the number of induction motors. Hence, when the number of induction motors increases, it is possible that the oscillation modes of the group of induction motors may move toward the right on the complex plane, leading to the dynamic instability in the worst case. The analysis explains why aggregation of induction motors may possibly bring about the risk of power system dynamic instability. In this paper, case studies of an example power system with a cluster of induction motors are presented. Results of modal computation and simulation demonstrate that when the number of induction motors increases, aggregation of the same or similar induction motors leads to the dynamic voltage instability and growing low-frequency electromechanical power oscillations in the test case. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses a recent event in the western American power system when a forced oscillation was observed at a frequency that was close to a well-known 0.38-Hz inter-area electromechanical mode frequency of the western system. The event motivates a systematic investigation in this paper on the possibility of resonant interactions between forced oscillations and electromechanical inter-area oscillatory modes in power systems. When the natural oscillatory mode of a power system is poorly damped, and the forced oscillation occurs at a frequency close to system mode frequency at critical locations for the mode, resonance is observed in simulation test cases of the paper. It is shown that the MW oscillations on tie-lines can be as high as 477 MW from a 10-MW forced oscillation in Kundur test system because of resonance. This paper discusses the underlying system conditions and effects as related to resonance in power systems caused by forced oscillations and discusses ways to detect such scenarios using synchrophasors. Simulated data from Kundur two-area test power system as well as measurement data from western American power system are used to study the effect of forced oscillations in power systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper addresses the interactions among the control loops of voltage-sourced converters (VSCs) embedded in high-voltage direct current (HVDC) systems and the impact of these interactions on the performance of individual control loops. Furthermore, this paper proposes a method to design the individual control loops, rather than the interconnected control system, such that the overall system stability is ensured in the presence of interactions. This paper addresses three aspects of the impact of control loop interactions on the overall control system of the VSC including stability, transient response, and steady-state response. To illustrate the impact of interactions on the VSC small-signal stability, stability regions of the interconnected control loops are obtained and compared against those of the various individual control loops. Then, a novel formulation of the VSC stability criterion is presented, and the small-gain theorem is utilized to determine a range of stabilizing gains for the interconnected control system. Moreover, new indices using the infinity norm are introduced to evaluate the impact of interactions on the transient response of the VSC. Finally, the DC gain of a certain set of transfer functions is used to assess the impact of control loops interactions on the set-point tracking capability of the VSC. The introduced indices along with time-domain simulations show that the transient response of the d-axis control loops is not impacted by the interactions, whereas that of the q-axis control loops is significantly impacted by the interactions. The set-point tracking capability is proved to be independent of interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phase angle measurements from synchrophasors show discontinuities when they roll over from +180 to -180 degrees or vice versa. This paper proposes efficient strategies for unwrapping of the angles in real-time data streams. Examples presented in this paper first show that the phase angle differences across bus voltage phasors can go over 360 degrees in a synchronized power system under stressed conditions. Unwrapped phase angles are shown to be useful in fast reliable islanding detection methodology, and for phase angle arithmetic such as for averaging of phase angles and for phase angle difference calculations. Strategies for handling missing phase angle data in real-time data streams are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The objective of this paper is to provide a review of distributed control and management strategies for the next generation power system in the context of microgrids. This paper also identifies future research directions. The next generation power system, also referred to as the smart grid, is distinct from the existing power system due to its extensive use of integrated communication, advanced components such as power electronics, sensing, and measurement, and advanced control technologies. At the same time, the need for increased number of small distributed and renewable energy resources can exceed the capabilities of an available computational resource. Therefore, the recent literature has seen a significant research effort on dividing the control task among different units, which gives rise to the development of several distributed techniques. This paper discusses features and characteristics of these techniques, and identifies challenges and opportunities ahead. The paper also discusses the relationship between distributed control and hierarchical control. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Transient stability of a power system can be significantly affected by wind power generators due to their stochastic power output and complex dynamic characteristics. This paper proposes a robust optimization approach for coordinating generation dispatch and emergency load shedding against transient instability under uncertain wind power output. The problem is modelled as a two-stage robust optimization (TSRO) model considering transient stability constraints, where the first-stage is to optimize the generation dispatch (preventive control) before a contingency and the second-stage decision is the emergency load shedding (emergency control) after the contingency occurrence under the worst case of wind power variation. To solve this TSRO problem, this paper also proposes a solution algorithm which integrates transient stability assessment and transient stability constraint construction in a column and constraint generation framework. The proposed method is validated on the New-England 39-bus system and the Nordic32 system, which shows high computational efficiency and stability robustness against uncertain wind power. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we analyze the existence and stability of equilibrium of dc micro-grids under the master-slave control (where some distributed generations (DGs) are under droop control with dual-loop (Droop-DGs) and some DGs are under MPPT control (MPPT-DGs)). Firstly, the power-flow equation of the dc micro-grids under master-slave control with CPLs is obtained. Then, we transform the solvability of the power-flow equation into the existence of a fixed point for a contraction mapping. Based on Banach's fixed point theorem, a sufficient condition to guarantee the existence of the power-flow solution in dc micro-grids is derived. The condition derived in this paper is not only useful for master-slave control but also for droop control. Besides, to calculate the power-flow solution, an iterative algorithm with exponential convergence rate is proposed. Secondly, we use a singular perturbation model to predict the qualitative behavior of the system near the equilibrium point. By analyzing eigenvalues of the boundary layer system and reduced-order system Jacobian matrix, the robust stable analytic conditions of the system are obtained. The effect of the sampling delay on the system stability is analyzed, the robust stability condition is obtained by using linear matrix inequality. The simulation results verify the correctness of the proposed conditions. The obtained conditions provide a reference for establishing a reliable dc micro-grid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposed a distributed uniform controlstrategy for parallel bidirectional interlinking converters(BICs) to realize resilient operation of hybrid ac/dc microgrid (HMG). The proposed control strategy can coordinate the control objectives of BICs in different HMG operation modes with a uniform control structure, thus, to eliminate any mode transition detections. In normal condition, the power coordination between ac and dc subgrids can be achieved, while ac or dc voltage regulation can be maintained when main voltage source(MVS) fails in ac or dc subgrid. The coordination between parallel BICs relies on low-bandwidth neighbourhood communication. With the communication planned, accurate power sharing can be achieved. Communication fault ride-through capability is enabled with less power sharing accuracy. The system reliability and resilience of HMG under various fault conditions can be improved by the proposed control strategy. To verify the effectiveness of the proposed control strategy, the controller hardware-in-the-loop experiment results have been provide in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parallel operation of grid-interactive inverters has been continuously gaining attraction, and their contribution to sustaining the host grid stability has become strongly demanded. This paper investigates and discusses the trends in the most recent interconnection grid codes. Grid codes call for simultaneous requirements for the low-voltage ride-through capabilities of parallel operation of grid-interactive inverters as well as their effective asymmetrical voltage support by advanced active/reactive bi-sequence power provision under unbalanced grid faults. Addressing these demands in an optimized way becomes very challenging. This paper thus proposes a new methodology to simultaneously achieve three main objectives: (1) coordination of the asymmetrical ride-through and voltage support capabilities of parallel-operated inverters, (2) maximizing the utilization of each unit and their collective contribution in boosting the positive-sequence voltage and reduction of the negative sequence voltage subject to the constraints from the inverters and the grid, and (3) minimizing the impact of the support on the active power injections. Simulation and experimental results illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Part I of this paper, we propose a decentralized optimal frequency control of multi-area power system with operational constraints, where the tie-line powers remain unchanged in the steady state and the power mismatch is balanced within individual control areas. In Part II of this paper, we propose a distributed controller for optimal frequency control in the network power balance case, where the power mismatch is balanced over the whole system. With the proposed controller, the tie-line powers remain within the acceptable range at equilibrium, while the regulation capacity constraints are satisfied both at equilibrium and during transient. It is revealed that the closed-loop system with the proposed controller carries out primal–dual updates with saturation for solving an associated optimization problem. To cope with discontinuous dynamics of the closed-loop system, we deploy the invariance principle for nonpathological Lyapunov function to prove its asymptotic stability. Simulation results are provided to show the effectiveness of our controller. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a dynamic event data-based stability risk assessment method for power grids with high penetrations of inverter-based resources (IBRs). This method relies on obtaining the IBRs’ DQ admittance through dynamic event data and computing the system’s eigenvalues based on the admittance models. Two critical technologies are employed in this research, including time-domain and frequency-domain data fitting and $dq$ -frame voltage and current signal derivation. The first technology is key to obtaining the $s$ -domain expressions from the transient response data, and the $s$ -domain DQ admittance model from the frequency-domain measurements. The second technology is key to obtaining the $dq$ -frame voltage and current signals from either the three-phase instantaneous measurements or the phasor measurement unit (PMU) data. The method is illustrated using data generated from a Type-4 wind power plant modeled in PSCAD. This paper demonstrates the technical feasibility of the proposed approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper proposes a control scheme to improve the dynamic response of power systems through the automatic regulators of converter-based Distributed Energy Resources (DERs). In this scheme, both active and reactive power control of DERs are varied to regulate both frequency and voltage, as opposed to current practice where frequency and voltage controllers are decoupled. To assess the proposed control against the current state-of-art, the paper also defines a metric that captures the combined effect of frequency/voltage response at any given bus of the network. Results indicate that the proposed control strategy leads to a significant improvement in the stability and performance of the overall power system. These results are based on a comprehensive case study carried out by employing a modified version of the IEEE 39-bus benchmark system, where a portion of the synchronous machines is substituted by converter-interfaced DERs. The impact on the proposed control of load models, the $R/X$ ratio of network lines, as well as the level of DER penetration to the grid, are properly evaluated and conclusions are duly drawn. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper first points out and carefully analyzes the complementary regulation characteristics (CRC) of wind power generators (WGs) and demand response resources (DRRs), which indicate the fact that their regulation capacities and costs of upward and downward regulation are significantly different and complementary. Based on the CRC of WGs and DRRs, this paper proposes a coordinated control to achieve a more robust and cost-efficient primary frequency regulation (PFR). In the proposed coordinated control, the droop gains of WGs and DRRs for upward and downward regulation are designed in a coordinated way so that the resources with larger capacities and lower costs could provide more frequency support. Meanwhile, the stability and robustness conditions of their coordinated droop gains are constructed by small-signal analysis method and the potential instability risks arising from unreasonable coordinated droop gains and time delays are addressed. An optimal $H_{\infty }$ control method and an updated mechanism are supplemented to obtain the optimal droop gains under the proposed coordinated structure for ensuring optimal system robustness under different CRCs. The robust performances and costs of the proposed coordinated control are evaluated on the IEEE 39-bus test system and its advantages are verified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Voltage source inverters (VSIs) with vector control based on phase-locked loop (PLL) suffer instability when connecting to a very weak AC grid (short circuit ratio (SCR) $ < $ 1.3). The conventional inductive grid impedance compensation for the PLL by virtually reducing the grid impedance can stabilize this connection. However, the analysis in this paper indicates that its stabilization effectiveness is sensitive to grid impedance variance and, indeed, overcompensation causes the PLL instability. Therefore, in this paper, an improved grid impedance compensation for the PLL is proposed to achieve the same stabilization for very-weak-grid connection and possess a good tolerance of grid impedance variance and overcompensation. A comprehensive small-signal model of the VSI using the proposed PLL’s grid impedance compensation is derived for stability analysis and parameter design. The time-domain simulation for this VSI is built to validate the stability analysis. Comparison studies for both proposed and conventional PLL’s grid impedance compensation are conducted including the stability effectiveness, VSI performance and grid impedance variance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the rapid growth of renewable energy and power electronic loads, voltage source converters (VSCs) have been commonly applied in different VSCs-based power systems, which also bring in stability issues due to their power electronic characteristics. The impedance-based stability theory and corresponding reshaping method can be used to analyze and solve system stability issue. However, dc stability issue in VSCs-based power systems becomes more complicated when considering ac/dc coupling relationship. This paper proposes an improved reshaping control strategy based on the detailed impedance model considering grid impedance and control delay. The influence of grid impedance, control delay and control parameters of VSC on dc stability are further analyzed to identify the cause of potential resonance risk. The proposed impedance reshaping method considers the trade-off between stability improvement and control performance, and compensates the impacts of grid impedance and control delay at the same time. The validity of stability analysis and reshaping method is further verified through the simulation and experimental results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extreme events can cause severe power system damage. Resilience-driven operation of networked microgrids (MGs) has been heavily studied in literature. There is, though, little research considering the influence of resilience on decision making for planning. In this paper, a three-level model is suggested to solve the optimal sizing problem of networked MGs considering both resilience and cost. In the first level, a meta-heuristic technique based on an adaptive genetic algorithm (AGA) is utilized to tackle the normal sizing problem, while a time-coupled AC OPF is utilized to capture stability properties for accurate decision-making. The second and third levels are combined as a defender-attacker-defender model. In the former, the suggested AGA is utilized to generate attacking plans capturing load profile uncertainty and contingencies for load shedding maximization, while a multi-objective optimization problem is suggested for the latter to obtain a trade-off between cost and resilience. Simulations considering meshed networks and load distinction into critical and non-critical are developed to demonstrate algorithm effectiveness on capturing resilience at the planning stage and optimally sizing multiple parameters. The results indicate that higher resilience levels lead to higher investment cost, while sizing networked MGs leads to decreased investment in comparison with standalone MGs sizing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an elegant method for determining the simplest model of a power system electrical/mechanical load that will suffice for dynamic frequency power system studies and closed-loop simulation work. The strategy behind this technique is to supply the simplest load model possible that gives sufficiently accurate results for the goals of each unique modeling effort. This paper identifies the frequency characteristics of several different load types. It also identifies the level of load model detail required for testing typical power management systems, contingency-based load-shedding systems, frequency-based load-shedding systems, governor control systems, island/grid/unit autosynchronization systems, and exciter control systems. This paper describes how to lump loads without loss of fidelity, when an induction motor needs to be modeled as a single-cage or double-cage motor model, what sort of mechanical load model is appropriate, when we can assume zero inertia for a direct-on-line type of load, and how to verify the turbine/generator inertia, and load inertia from field tests. This paper concludes with a simple reference that engineers can use to specify the level of detail required when modeling industrial power system loads. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Recently, multiple static synchronous compensator (STATCOM) units have been adopted in power transmission systems in order to obtain a better voltage regulation and to share loads. However, they could possibly interact in a negative way instead of helping each other, due to the improper design of the STATCOM controllers. To analyze this problem, a d–q frame impedance-based stability analysis was used to explore the instability with the presence of STATCOMs, where previous stability-related findings are not applicable directly because of some unique features of STATCOMs. This paper identified the frequency range of interactions in a viewpoint of d–q frame impedances and pinpointed that the ac voltage regulation was the main reason of instability, masking the effects of phase-locked loop on power transmission systems. In addition, due to the high impedance of STATCOMs around the frequency range of interactions, the number of connected STATCOMs was the main contributor to stability instead of the topology of power systems or the locations of STATCOMs. A scaled-down 2-STATCOM power grid was built to verify the conclusions experimentally. This paper is accompanied by a video showing instability between STATCOMs in the experiment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flexible Alternating Current Transmission Systems (FACTS) have achieved to enhance the flexibility of modern AC power systems, by providing fast, reliable and controllable solutions to steer the power flows and voltages in the network. The proliferation of High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) transmission systems is leading to the opportunity of interconnecting several HVDC systems forming HVDC Supergrids. Such grids can eventually evolve to meshed systems which interconnect a number of different AC power systems and large scale offshore wind (or other renewable sources) power plants and clusters. While such heavily meshed systems can be considered futuristic and will not certainly happen in the near future, the sector is witnessing initial steps in this direction. In order to ensure the flexibility and controllability of meshed DC grids, the shunt connected AC-DC converters can be combined with additional simple and flexible DC-DC converters which can directly control current and power through the lines. The proposed DC-DC converters can provide a range of services to the HVDC grid, including power flow control capability, ancillary services for the HVDC grid or adjacent grids, stability improvement, oscillation damping, pole balancing and voltage control. The present paper presents relevant developments from industry and academia in the direction of the development of these converters, considering technical concepts, converter functionalities and possible integration with other existing systems. The paper explores a possible vision on the development of future meshed HVDC grids and discusses the role of the proposed converters in such grids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the dynamic aggregation of a group of M same wind turbine generators (WTGs) in a parallel connection. The group of WTGs could either be a part of a grid-connected wind farm or constitute the entire wind farm. Analytical derivation in this paper indicates that the group of M same WTGs is equivalent to M dynamically independent subsystems. Each of the subsystems is comprised of a single WTG. Hence, the dynamic aggregation of a grid-connected group of same WTGs in a parallel connection can be represented by grid-connected single-WTG subsystems for studying the oscillation stability. Further analysis in this paper reveals that when the number of WTGs in a parallel connection increases, it is possible that oscillation modes of the group of WTGs may move into the right half of a complex plane. Thus, the dynamic coupling of the increasing number of WTGs in a parallel connection may likely cause growing oscillations in the wind farm. An example grid-connected DFIG wind farm is used to demonstrate and evaluate the analysis and conclusions made in this paper. The oscillation stability of the example wind farm was examined when the dynamic models of a group of DFIGs in a parallel connection in the example wind farm were identical and different. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, an expression for the Cramér–Rao bound (CRB) on the frequency and damping of electromechanical modes is derived. This provides an invaluable tool when documenting the performance capabilities of mode meter algorithms, as the CRB is used as a benchmark to which mode meter variance may be compared. It is shown that the derived CRB expression is supported by several well-known mode estimation phenomena, and it is numerically validated using the asymptotically efficient Prediction Error Method (PEM) on Monte Carlo simulations of an autoregressive moving average (ARMA) model. Finally, a practical use case is given, in which the CRB on the frequency and damping of an inter-area mode from the miniWECC system is used to compare the performance of several well-known mode meters in a study of how sample size affects accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electronic power interfaces are commonly used in microgrids for renewable energy integration and a control method based on a virtual synchronous machine (VSM) represents an attractive alternative to conventional approaches. This control method has several advantages, however, a number of issues still need to be properly addressed, including those of power quality and harmonic current sharing. In this paper, a finite-gain repetitive controller (FGRC) is proposed to improve the current harmonic distribution in microgrids based on VSMs. Stability, transient performance, and performance under frequency variations are studied analytically. When compared to other control options, the method proposed here is capable of dealing with all harmonics simultaneously. A comparative analysis is provided to emphasize the contributions of this paper. The control system improvements were tested on a prototype microgrid consisting of two 15 kVA VSMs, distribution line impedances, and a non-linear load. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low-inertia microgrids are prone to large frequency fluctuations due to high penetration of inverter-fed renewable sources. A virtual synchronous machine (VSM) is capable of handling these frequency fluctuations. VSM imparts inertial behaviour in grid-connected inverters with the help of an electric storage device. Most of the reported VSM control schemes use a constant inertia parameter that leads to an inadequate dynamic frequency response. In this paper, a fuzzy controller-based self-adaptive VSM control scheme is proposed. Here, the value of the inertia parameter is decided using fuzzy rules which take the penetration index of renewable energy, frequency deviation and rate-of-change-of-frequency as the input parameters. These rules are formulated with the help of the sample data obtained from simulations done in MATLAB/Simulink, where the inertial parameter is optimized using a genetic algorithm for various cases. The proposed method is validated for solar photovoltaic-fed microgrid test systems using power–hardware-in-the loop and the results indicate a reduction in maximum frequency deviation compared to the constant inertia parameter based VSM schemes. The introduction of renewable energy penetration level and fuzzy expert system in modifying the inertia parameter are the novel contributions in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In practical microgrids, the inhomogeneous initial values are widely appeared due to soft-starting operation. If traditional model order reduction approaches are applied, the input-output maps error between the original system and reduced-order system is large. To address this problem, this paper proposes a reduced-order aggregate model based on balanced truncation approach to provide the preprocessing approach for the real-time simulation of large-scale converters with inhomogeneous initial conditions in DC microgrid. Firstly, the standard linear time-invariant model with inhomogeneous initial conditions is established through non-leader multiagents concept. To end this, it is convenient for scholars to build complex system modeling with switched topology. Furthermore, the full system is divided into two components, i.e., the unforced component with nontrivial initial conditions and forced component with null initial conditions. Moreover, this paper presents an aggregated approach that involves independent reducing component responses and combining reducing component responses. Based on this, the input-output maps error is reduced. Then, the approximated error estimate of the reduced-order aggregate model regarding large-scale converters in DC microgrid is first provided, which provides prior knowledge and theoretical basis for DC microgrid designers. Finally, the simulation results illustrate the accuracy of the proposed approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses the impact of discrete secondary controllers on the dynamic response of power systems. The idea of the paper originates from the observation that there is a range of values, from few tens of seconds to few minutes, of the execution cycles of conventional automatic generation control (AGC) that leads to a limit cycle. Below and above this range the system is stable. This is certainly not a problem in practice as the AGC updates the power set points of generating units every few seconds. However, this phenomenon has interesting consequences if one considers real-time electricity markets with short dispatch periods (i.e., 5 minutes) as these markets can be modeled as a sort of AGC. The paper first provides a formal analogy between conventional AGC and real-time electricity markets. Then it shows that the discretization-driven instability exists if the system includes a real-time electricity market modeled as secondary frequency controller. Finally, the paper discusses the impact of the combined effect of high wind generation shares and discrete secondary controllers on power system dynamics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The stability issues of DC power grids are attracting researchers’ attention, especially with the increasing adoption of power electronic devices and nonlinear loads. Large-signal stability analysis is required to detect and avoid large disturbance and destabilization, which can cause detrimental effects on DC power grids. However, the issue is still unsolved due to the complicated dynamics of large-scale power grids. This paper develops a novel method for estimation of the region of attraction (ROA) with less conservativeness using the Brayton-Moser mixed potential theory. This reliable and robust ROA estimation method provides useful insights into the stable operation of DC power grids. Moreover, this paper reveals the weak correlation between the state variables1 of branch currents and system stability. It makes it possible to reduce computational cost and lessen the curse of dimensionality by separating these state variables. The case study shows that the proposed approach can obtain a much less conservative ROA compared to traditional methods such as Lyapunov’s method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Virtual synchronous generator (VSG)-based control approaches for AC machine drivers have attracted much attention in recent years. The contradiction between the strong motor loading capacity and the small DC voltage fluctuation is disregarded in previous studies. A larger virtual inertia is required to raise the torque gain and drive the motor with heavier loads, thus resulting in greater DC voltage variations. A systematic method is proposed for the optimal design of the virtual inertia for VSG-based motor starting systems to achieve the maximal motor loading capacity and the low DC voltage fluctuation in this paper. Firstly, the relationship between the virtual inertia and the loading capacity is revealed on the basis of the closed-loop analysis. Considering the DC voltage variation, the constraint on the maximal value of the virtual inertia is proposed from the energy-balance perspective despite the unknown contribution of the DC capacitors to the virtual inertia. To fully exploit the energy storage capacity of the DC capacitors and raise the upper limit of the virtual inertia under the same permitted DC voltage variation, a modified DC voltage reference is introduced. Extensive simulation and experimental results are presented to validate the effectiveness of the proposed methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microgrid's voltage regulation is of particular importance during both grid-connected and islanded modes of operation. Especially, during the islanded mode, when the support from the upstream grid is lost, stable voltage regulation is vital for the reliable operation of critical loads. This paper proposes a robust and data-driven control approach for secondary voltage control of AC microgrids in the presence of uncertainties. To this end, unfalsified adaptive control (UAC) is utilized to select the best stabilizing controller from a set of pre-designed controllers with the minimum knowledge required from the microgrid. Two microgrid test systems are simulated in MATLAB to verify the effectiveness of the proposed method under different scenarios like load change and communication link failure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes an adaptive self-tuned current controller design for an LCL-filtered LC-tuned single-phase shunt hybrid active power filter (HAPF), which offers adaptability and flexibility of the control system to filter parameters changes. System modelling and online identification of parameters are presented. Then, a systematic self-tuned controller (STC) design is proposed to calculate the controller parameters and obtain the final control law adaptively. The exact HAPF parameters design is described and the overall closed-loop stability evaluation with considering digital control delay is discussed in this paper. To confirm the theoretical achievements, simulations and experimental tests on a real prototype system are performed. The results are in good accordance and demonstrate the effectiveness and superior performance of the suggested control technique. Furthermore, a comprehensive comparison between the proposed control technique and other controllers is provided to show the superiority of the proposed system from different aspects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents research on mode identification of broad-band oscillation in interconnected power system. A data-driven mode identification (DDMI) method for broad-band oscillation signals is proposed creatively in this paper. Firstly, piecewise aggregation approximation algorithm is improved to achieve effective dimension reduction of oscillation data. Combined with ${k}$ -Shape clustering algorithm, oscillation database is established with historical data, real-time data and simulation data. Then, oscillation mode identification models corresponding to different data categories can be obtained based on random forest algorithm, which can realize fast and automatic matching between broad-band oscillation data and oscillation mode parameters. Finally, the identification results of two simulation oscillation cases and an actual oscillation case show that proposed method can accurately identify the oscillation mode parameters from broad-band oscillation signals and has higher accuracy compared with other methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a Principal Component Analysis (PCA)-based method to construct composite indices to rapidly assess power system transient stability. By assigning appropriate weights to a few selected sub-indicators, a composite index can be constructed to guarantee a better coverage of worst-case stability scenarios of the power system. This paper provides an automatic method to construct a composite index with four sub-indicators calculated by the integral of acceleration, speed deviation and rotor angle of generators over a certain integration period using PCA. The effectiveness of the sub-indicators is validated first, followed by a comprehensive example of process of composite index construction, and the assessment of the influence of the effect of integration period on the performance of the composite index. High accuracy of classification has been demonstrated using composite index with appropriate settings of the integration periods of the sub-indicators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The grid-forming converter is an important unit in the future power system with more inverter-interfaced generators. However, improving its performance is still a key challenge. This paper proposes a generalized architecture of the grid-forming converter from the view of multivariable feedback control. As a result, many of the existing popular control strategies, i.e., droop control, power synchronization control, virtual synchronous generator control, matching control, dispatchable virtual oscillator control, and their improved forms are unified into a multivariable feedback control transfer matrix working on several linear and nonlinear error signals. Meanwhile, unlike the traditional assumptions of decoupling between AC and DC control, active power and reactive power control, the proposed configuration simultaneously takes all of them into consideration, which therefore can provide better performance. As an example, a new multi-input-multi-output-based grid-forming (MIMO-GFM) control is proposed based on the generalized configuration. To cope with the multivariable feedback, an optimal and structured $\mathcal {H}_{\infty }$ synthesis is used to design the control parameters. At last, simulation and experimental results show superior performance and robustness of the proposed configuration and control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the expansion of system scale and data size in power systems, data-driven methods are gradually becoming widely used. However, compared with traditional methods, data-driven methods face more threats in data security and algorithm security. This paper proposes a black box data injection attack method against data-driven strategies in power systems. To obtain a stealthy attack scheme with the greatest impact, an attack vector generator based on deep convolutional neural networks (DCNN) is designed. The generator includes a node selector, a filter, an encoder, and a decoder. The node selector is used to select the most likely successful attack scheme for the filter, the encoder is used to extract sample features, and the decoder is used to generate disturbances based on the features. The proposed generator is trained with an improved generative adversarial network (GAN) and can generate minimal disturbances in real time based on measurement data from the power grid. The effectiveness of the proposed method is demonstrated with an attack experiment on an online transient stability application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates systemwide short-term voltage stability concerns of power systems due to the multiple parametric uncertainties in the dynamic load model. The impact of regional load model uncertainty can be widespread and may mislead the whole system analysis and subsequent measures, if not properly addressed. This research discloses that the systemwide impact is related to the voltage weak areas through voltage stability modal analysis, and suggests that the impact of uncertain parameters needs to be assessed from a systems perspective, which has rarely been done in the existing practices. We thus present a three-step methodology for evaluating the systemwide uncertainty impacts: Firstly, it screens possible trajectories of all buses. The second step verifies whether the screened trajectories comply with the defined criteria, and determines the necessity of the final step. The final detailed analysis is conducted for those selected scenarios. Comprehensive studies for both the IEEE test and real Korea power systems consistently confirm the observations and demonstrate the efficacy and validity of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the increase in number of VSC based HVDC systems, it is inevitable that there would be interconnections with weak ac grids. The paper presents the analytical basis for identifying coupling in the power loops which is dependent on grid inductance and operating point by utilizing the impedance based modeling technique. The formulation is used to define an inverse-based decoupling outer-loop controller for VSC-HVDC system. The concept is extended to HVDC grids and it is shown that the gains obtained using simple inverse may lead to instability. Robust controller tuning with pole-placement and minimization of $H_\infty$ norm is presented for HVDC grids, which form a restricted feedback system. The results show that the proposed method of decoupling results in effective decoupling of the power loops over a large range of grid inductance values as compared to that with traditional vector control. The system stability is also maintained over a large range of grid inductance values and PLL gains when a sudden variation of parameters is considered. The stability margins can be enhanced by pole-placement. The observations from the small-signal models are confirmed using detailed time-domain simulations. The proposal is expected to be useful in controller design for single VSC as well as HVDC grids, especially, during planing stage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ongoing decarbonisation of modern electricity systems has led to a substantial increase of operational uncertainty, particularly due to the large-scale integration of renewable energy generation. However, the expanding space of possible operating points renders necessary the development of novel security assessment approaches. In this paper we focus on the use of security rules where classifiers are trained offline to characterize previously unseen points as safe or unsafe. This paper proposes a novel deep learning-based feature extraction framework for building security rules. We show how deep autoencoders can be used to transform the space of conventional state variables (e.g., power flows) to a small number of dimensions where we can optimally distinguish between safe and unsafe operation. The proposed framework is data-driven and can be useful in multiple applications within the context of security assessment. To achieve high accuracy, a novel objective-based loss function is proposed to address the issue of imbalanced safe/unsafe classes that characterize electricity system operation. Furthermore, an R-vine copula-based model is proposed to sample historical data and generate large populations of anticipated system states for training. The superior performance of the proposed framework is demonstrated through a series of case studies and comparisons using the load and wind generation data from the French transmission system, which have been mapped to the IEEE 118-bus system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Power injection uncertainties in distribution power grids, which are mostly induced by aggressive introduction of intermittent renewable sources, may drive the system away from normal operating regimes and potentially lead to the loss of long-term voltage stability (LTVS). Naturally, there is an ever increasing need for a tool for assessing the LTVS of a distribution system. This paper presents a fast and reliable tool for constructing inner approximations of LTVS regions in multidimensional injection space such that every point in our constructed region is guaranteed to be solvable. Numerical simulations demonstrate that our approach outperforms all existing inner approximation methods in most cases. Furthermore, the constructed regions are shown to cover substantial fractions of the true voltage stability region. This paper will later discuss a number of important applications of the proposed technique, including fast screening for viable injection changes, constructing an effective solvability index and rigorously certified loadability limits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a distributed sliding mode (SM) control strategy for optimal load frequency control (OLFC) in power networks, where besides frequency regulation, minimization of generation costs is also achieved (economic dispatch). We study a nonlinear power network of interconnected (equivalent) generators, including voltage and second-order turbine-governor dynamics. The turbine-governor dynamics suggest the design of a sliding manifold such that the turbine-governor system enjoys a suitable passivity property, once the sliding manifold is attained. This paper offers a new perspective on OLFC by means of SM control, and in comparison with the existing literature, we relax required dissipation conditions on the generation side and assumptions on the system parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper studies the optimization of both the placement and controller parameters for Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESSs) to improve power system oscillation damping. For each BESS, dynamic power output characteristics of the power converter interface are modeled considering the power limit, State of Charge limit, and time constant. Then, a black-box mixed-integer optimization problem is formulated and tackled by interfacing time-domain simulation with a mixed-integer Particle Swarm Optimization algorithm. The proposed optimization approach is demonstrated on the New England 39-bus system and a Nordic test system. The optimal results are also verified by time-domain simulation. To improve the applicability and efficiency of the proposed method, seasonal load changes and the minimum number of BESS units to be placed are considered. The proposed controller is also compared to other controllers to validate its performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a control-oriented energy function (COEF) based on passivity for transient stability control (TSC) of power systems and investigates the feasibility of an iterative process using the COEF for determining generation shedding (GS) requirements for real-time TSC, in particular, for severe cases when autoreclosing fails due to permanent faults. The COEF for TSC set up in this paper gives directly the GS requirement without calculations of stability region and Critical Clearing Time, and exempts all modeling assumptions except for nonnegative damping the generator models. The simulation with the full planning model of Western Electricity Coordinating Council system shows that the passivity-based COEF for TSC offers a concise, practical, and effective index for GS determination for transient stability control of power systems, which is particularly suitable for the Remedial Action Schemes that BC Hydro has been using. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a novel nonlinear control system for enhancing the low-voltage ride through capability and post-fault recovery performance of two-stage grid connected PV arrays (GCPAs) is proposed. The proposed control scheme is composed of two controllers: 1) finite-time sliding mode control (FTSMC) and 2) proxy-based sliding mode control (PBSMC). The FTSMC, which assures the finite time convergence of the tracking error, controls the dc/dc converter of GCPA during voltage sags to assure the dc-link capacitor voltage does not exceed its limits. PBSMC controls the dc/ac inverter. PBSMC provides accurate and fast tracking feature during normal condition (similar to PID controller) and is capable of very smooth resuming to the desired reference value/trajectory after large disturbances that may lead the control signal to exceed the limits. Therefore, during post-fault voltage recovery period, PBSMC exits saturation faster and smoother which significantly enhances the recovery performance of GCPA. The advantages of the proposed control schemes are demonstrated using simulation results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]