Search

Nowadays, some Multi-terminal DC (MTDC) systems are in operation around the world. Soon, MTDC grids will be built and overlay the present AC grids. The main driver for the construction of such a grid is to facilitate large-scale integration of remote renewable energy sources to existing AC grids and to develop the energy market. This paper presents a comprehensive analogy between the control and operation aspects of the emerging MTDC grids to those of the traditional AC power grids. Similarities and difference between the two technologies are presented and highlighted. Based on the performed detailed overview, even though a three-layered control system, i.e., primary, secondary, and tertiary control layers is state-of-the-art in large-scale AC power systems, a two-layered control system will satisfy MTDC grids control and operation requirements. This paper also addresses some control and operational issues and limitations of MTDC grids.

This study deals with impacts of the shunt conductances associated with HVDC cables and VSC-HVDC stations on optimal operation of Multi-Terminal HVDC (MT-HVDC). In this study, for the first time, shunt conductances are integrated to HVDC Optimal Power-Flow (OPF) program that is executed at the Power Dispatch Center (PDC) of the MT-HVDC grid. With the objective of losses minimization, optimal reference operation points of the VSC-HVDC stations are derived. The operating points of the power converter stations are adjusted based on the calculations performed in the dispatch center. CIGRE DCS3 MT-HVDC grid, structured by CIGRE B4 working group, is taken as the test platform. Test results have revealed the optimum voltages and loss pattern change. Moreover, the findings are compared with the case of neglecting the shunt conductances.

Future Flexible HVDC Transmission Systems will consist of several active and passive infrastructures including DC Power Flow Controller (DC-PFC) device. The addition of the DC-PFC to the future Multi-Terminal HVDC (MT-HVDC) grids arises some key concerns such as stability, system interoperability, and possible adverse interactions. Hence, a suitable model is necessary to conduct deep frequency domain analysis. In this context, this paper proposes a linearized model for small-signal stability analysis of flexible MT-HVDC grids in state space framework that can be straightforwardly utilized in the process of control design. In this paper, a spick-and-span, systematic and step-by-step process to derive the small signal model of all flexible MT-HVDC grid components is presented such that each sub-system is modeled individually and then all are integrated together. The derived model is cross-verified by time domain simulations of a nonlinear system model in a MATLAB/SIMULINK platform for CIGRE DCS3 MT-HVDC test grid.

This paper addresses the stability problems of a high power converter connected to a weak grid. The wide range values that grid impedance can take, challenges the stability and the performance of the controllers, which are responsible of regulating the current injection in such converters. In this work, a control strategy based on stationary reference frame controllers is selected and implemented using a proportional resonant (PR) controller, with capacitor voltage feedforward and a phase shifter. As it will be demonstrated in this paper, although the feedforward contributes to enhance the transient response of the converter, it may cause also deep unstable dynamics near to the medium frequency and decreases the phase margin in low frequency ranges. Therefore, it can be used to damp the unstable dynamics near to resonance frequency range and the LCL-filter can be adopted for the high frequency one. In order to improve the controller performance, a new phase shifter is added to the control scheme to enhance the phase margin at low frequency ranges. Simulation and experimental results considering weak grid conditions are shown to validate the proposed method.

At the present time, distributed generation systems are required to disconnect from the main grid when there is an outage. In order to fulfill this requirement, photovoltaic (PV) power plants are equipped with anti-islanding algorithms, embedded in the converters controller, to avoid the island operation. However, the current trends in the development of the future electrical networks evidence that it is technically feasible and economically advantageous to keep feeding islanded systems under these situations, without cutting the power supply to the loads connected to the network. Nevertheless, commercial PV power converters are programmed as grid-feeding converters and they are unable to work in island mode if there is not an agent forming the grid. In order to overcome this problem, the synchronous power controller (SPC) is presented in this paper as a suitable alternative for controlling PV inverters. As will be further discussed, this controller permits PV plants to operate seamlessly in grid-connected and island mode, with no need of changing the control structure in either case. Moreover, the participation of SPC-based power converters integrating energy storage enables other grid-feeding systems to contribute to the grid operation in island conditions. The good results achieved with the SPC in different conditions will be shown in simulations, and also with experiments considering a real PV power plant combining SPC and commercial PV inverters.

High voltage dc (HVDC) systems act as the prevailed solution for transmitting offshore wind energy to onshore main grids. Control of the voltage source converters (VSC) in HVDC systems is decisive for the performance. This paper proposes the control of VSC-HVDC with electromechanical characteristics and unified primary strategy, as a reaction to the updated requirements of the ac grid transmission system operators. As two important aspects of VSC-HVDC control, converter control and primary control are both designed in detail. Electromechanical characteristics make the VSC capable of providing inertia to the ac networks as well as simplicity in island operation. Besides, unified primary control is given as a universal primary strategy for VSC stations, and especially takes into account frequency support and control mode transition. The proposed converter control is validated in scaled-down 10 kW laboratory setups, while the proposed primary control is endorsed by the simulation tests on a CIGRE multi-terminal HVDC model.

This paper presents a grid synchronization structure for three-phase electric power systems based on the use of a filtered quadrature signal generator (FQSG) and a phase-locked loop (PLL) structure, named Adaptive Vector Grid Synchronization system (AVGS). This system estimates the magnitude, frequency and phase of a signal, specially three-phase voltages and currents, and allows fast and accurate detection of the symmetrical components meet with the transient operating requirements imposed by grid codes. The adaptive vector based PLL (VB-PLL) permits offering a proper performance under generic grid conditions, especially under faulty scenarios. For the particular case of grid voltage synchronization of wind turbine converters, the AVGS is adjusted to provide a good response considering the most critical situation, which is the low voltage ride through (LVRT). This paper includes a detailed study of the proposed grid synchronization system and simulations with registers of real grid disturbances provided by Ingeteam Power Technology S.A.