As renewable power from DC sources are constantly increasing their power generation share compared to the high inertia generators that provide robustness to the grid, the overall stability of the grid decreases. Grid forming converter could be the solution to this problem. This thesis includes a pre-study of grid forming control methods, implementation of the most promising and relevant methods in a generic PSCAD modeling environment for comparative analysis and for establishing pros and cons. Lastly, studying the system impact of each grid forming control method through small-signal stability and fault analysis. Four methods of grid forming were implemented and evaluated during the course of the thesis, which were: Droop control, Virtual Synchronous Generator control, Power Synchronization control and Synchronous Power control. All methods fulfilled the criteria for successful implementation with good results. For further developments, we would recommend Synchronous Power control and Virtual Synchronous Generator control for their development potential and operational width.

Due to the increase in the integration of renewable energy to the grid, there is a critical need for varying the existing methods and techniques for grid operation. With increased renewable energy, mainly wind and photovoltaics, there is a reduction in inertia as the percentage of inverter-based resources is increasing. This can bring about an issue with the maintenance and operation of the grid with respect to frequency and voltage. Thus, the ability of inverters to regulate the voltage and frequency becomes significant. Under normal operation of the system, the ability of the inverters to support the grid frequency and voltage while following the grid is sufficient. However, the operation of the inverters during a resiliency mode, under which there is an extended outage of the utility system, will require the inverter functionality to go beyond support and actually maintain the voltage and frequency as done by synchronous machines, acting as the grid-forming inverter. This project focuses on the operation of grid forming sources based on the virtual synchronous generator to regulate the voltage and frequency in the absence of the grid voltage through decentralized control of the inverters in the distribution feeder. With the most recent interconnection standard for the distributed generation, IEEE-1547 2018, the inverter-based generation can be used for this purpose. The simulations are performed in the Simulink environment and the case studies are done on the IEEE 13 node test-feeder. / Master of Science / With the increase in the renewable energy sources in the present grid, the established methods for the operation of the grid needs to be updated due to the changes that the large amount of renewable energy sources bring to the system. Due to the While the conventional resources in the power system was mainly synchronous generators that had an inherent characteristic for frequency support and regulation due to the inertia this characteristic can be lacking in many of the renewable energy sources that are usually inverter-based. At present, the commonly adapted function for the inverters is to follow the grid which is suitable in case of normal operation of the power system. However, during emergency scenarios when the utility is disconnected and a part of the system has to operate independently the inverters need to be able to regulate both the voltage and frequency on their own. In this project the inverter-based control, termed as the virtual synchronous generator, has been studied such that it mimics the well-established controls for the conventional generators so that the inverter-based renewable resource appears similar to the conventional generator from the point of view of the grid in terms of the electrical quantities. The utilization of this type of control for operation of a part of the feeder with each inverter-based resource controlling its output in a decentralized manner is studied. The controls try to mimic the established controls for conventional synchronous machine and use it for maintain operation of the system with inverters.

<p dir="ltr">Unpredictable natural disasters, increasing penetration of inverter-based resources (IBRs), and difficulties in modeling the large-scale IBR-intensive system challenge the operational resilience of modern distribution systems. This study addresses these issues from three perspectives, i.e., IBR-intensive microgrid (MG) configurations, control and stabilization of MGs, and modeling methods of IBR-intensive electric power systems. Moreover, based on these findings, three methodologies are proposed to enhance distribution system resilience: 1) developing dynamic MG architectures and control strategies to fulfill interconnection and collaboration among multiple MGs and system reconfigurations as requested by system operators; 2) designing small-signal models with region-based stability analysis (RBSA) to ensure the stability and reliability of hybrid AC and DC MG operations while improving the computational efficiency and the accuracy; 3) introducing black/gray-box modeling methods using neural networks (NNs) to reduce computation burdens while maintaining accuracy in estimating IBR-intensive system behavior. Finally, case studies demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed research topics.</p>

The global trend towards electrifying the grid has positioned power electronics at the forefront of modern power systems. To control power electronics in grid-connected applications, Grid Forming (GFM) control has become a focal point of research. GFM control utilizes control laws derived from steady-state relationships in the phasor domain. Although these control methods have historically performed well in traditional power systems dominated by electrical machines, they exhibit unexpected control issues in power electronics-dominant power systems. The root of these unexpected behaviors lies in the foundational assumptions of these control methods (Droop control and Virtual Synchronous Machine) i.e. frequency is considered to be a steady state quantity which is constant within the fundamental line cycle. This thesis critically examines these assumptions and elucidates their potential inapplicability in power electronics-dominated power systems. This thesis also introduces vectors as an alternative representation of voltages and currents. Unlike phasors, vectors are instantaneous and time-varying representation of electrical quantities at any point in time, defined by three time-varying values: Magnitude, Polar angle, and Azimuthal angle, using the spherical coordinate system. An initial attempt to demonstrate the capability of using these vectors to control the active and reactive power in inverters connected to the grid has also been presented in this thesis. The proposed vector-based control is able to track the commanded power setpoints within a fraction of the fundamental AC voltage cycle. / Master of Science / As the world moves towards cleaner, greener energy, power electronics have become a key technology in modern electrical grids. One of the main ways to control power converters in grid- connected systems is through a method called Grid Forming (GFM) control. GFM control has been effective in traditional grids with large rotating machines, but it faces unexpected problems in grids that rely more on power electronics. This is because the basic assumptions of GFM control, such as treating frequency as a steady value, do not always hold true in power electronics-driven systems. This thesis explores these issues and proposes a new approach to improve control. Instead of using traditional methods based on steady-state values, it introduces the idea of using vectors to represent electrical quantities like voltage and current. Unlike traditional methods, vectors can describe electrical signals at any moment in time. The thesis demonstrates how this vector-based approach can be used to control important parameters of power converters in the grid, like active and reactive power, in a way that responds quickly and accurately to changes and disturbances. This new method could help make power systems more reliable and efficient as they evolve to incorporate more power electronics.

Dans un contexte de développement des énergies renouvelables et des liaisons HVDC dans les systèmes électriques, les travaux présentés s’attachent au fonctionnement technique de tels systèmes. La génération éolienne, photovoltaïque et les liaisons HVDC sont interfacées par dispositifs d’électronique de puissance au réseau de transport électrique. Dès lors, serait-il envisageable d’alimenter la demande électrique uniquement via des sources électriques interfacées par des convertisseurs statiques ?Le pilotage du système électrique par électronique de puissance constitue un changement radical du fonctionnement dynamique des réseaux. La traditionnelle stratégie de commande « grid-following » des onduleurs a montré ses limites lorsque la pénétration de ces dispositifs devient importante. Elle doit être révisée au profit de stratégies dîtes « parallel grid-forming ».Dans cette thèse, les besoins fondamentaux du système électrique sont d’abord analysés pour définir les exigences de la stratégie « parallel grid-forming », ainsi que les défis associés. Selon ces spécifications, une méthode de synchronisation de sources « grid-forming » est ensuite proposée ainsi qu’un contrôle de tension, adapté aux limitations physiques des convertisseurs de tension PWM. La stabilité de la solution est discutée pour différentes configuration de réseau. Enfin, une stratégie de limitation du courant a été spécifiquement développée pour palier la sensibilité des VSC aux sur courants, lors d’évènements réseaux éprouvant. Les idées développées sur un convertisseur unique sont appliquées à petits réseaux afin d’extraire des interprétations physiques depuis des simulations temporelles / In the context of renewable energy and HVDC links development in power systems, the present work concerns the technical operations of such systems. As wind power, solar photovoltaics and HVDC links are interfaced to the transmission grid with power-electronics, can the system be operated in the extreme case where the load is fed only through static converters?Driving a power system only based on power electronic interfaced generation is a tremendous change of the power system paradigm that must be clearly understood by transmission grid operators. The traditional “grid-feeding” control strategy of inverters exhibits a stability limit when their proportion becomes too important. The inverter control strategy must be turned into a “parallel grid-forming” strategy.This thesis first analyses the power system needs, proposes the requirements for “parallel grid-forming” converters and describes the associated challenges. Accordingly, the thesis gives a method for designing a stable autonomous synchronization controls so that grid-forming sources can operate in parallel with a good level of reliability. Then, a method is proposed to design a voltage control for a grid-forming PWM source taking into account the limited dynamic of large converters. The robustness of the solution is discussed for different configuration of the grid topology. A current limiting strategy is presented to solve the current sensitivity issue of grid-forming converters, subject to different stressing events of the transmission grid. The ideas developed on a single converter are then applied on small grids with a limited number of converters to allow a physical interpretation on the simulation results.

The study carried out in this master thesis is part of a larger project led by Energynautics GmbH focusing on renewable energy development in the Caribbean. One of the Caribbean states, consisting of multiple islands, has set a target of 30 % of renewable energy in the power sector by 2030. The first objective of the thesis is to develop optimal generation capacity expansion plans for two different islands of this country, utilizing solar PV generation, which is the only available renewable energy resource. To achieve this objective, three main tasks are identified. The first is the development of an optimal generation capacity expansion plan for the next three years using the optimization tool HOMER Energy. At the beginning only diesel generation is present on the islands. For each study case year, the installed capacity of PV and BESS is optimized and enabling technologies such as curtailment (controllability of PV) and grid-forming inverters are deployed. The second task focuses on the development of a new dispatch strategy, improving on the black box dispatch algorithms built into HOMER. The dispatch strategy minimises the cost of electricity generation and is based on a rolling 48 hours forecasts of the load and PV. It is implemented in MATLAB and linked to HOMER via the built-in MATLAB interface. As HOMER is focused on generation expansion and dispatch and inherently neglects the grid, a grid study is required to assess the stability of the network. This study is the last task of the thesis and is limited to determined steady-state voltage and the asset loading on one of the studied islands through load flow simulations in DIgSILENT PowerFactory. It is shown that there are no major issues even at high PV shares, however, grid performance can be improved if the PV unit is equipped with reactive power capability to control the voltage. A study on the impact of the Q(U)- control and the PQ-capability of the PV and BESS inverters is performed. / Studien som genomförts i detta examensarbete är en del av ett större projekt vilket leds av Energynautics GmbH med fokus på utveckling av förnybar energi i Karibien. En av de Karibiska staterna, bestående av flera öar, har ett mål på 30 % förnybar energi i elkraftssektorn innan 2030. Första syftet med examensarbetet är att utveckla optimala utbyggnadsplaner för produktionskapaciteten för två olika öar i detta land, med användning av solcellsproduktion, vilket är den enda tillgängliga förnybara energikällan. Den första uppgiften är utvecklingen av en optimal utbyggnadsplan för produktionskapaciteten för de kommande tre åren med optimeringsverktyget HOMER Energy. Från början fanns det bara dieselgeneratorer på öarna. För varje studerat år optimeras den installerade kapaciteten av PV och BESS samt aktivering av möjliggörande teknologier som begränsning av PV-produktion och grid-forming växelriktare. Den andra uppgiften fokuserar på utvecklingen av en ny driftsstrategi, förbättring av den basala driftsalgoritm som är inbyggd i HOMER. Driftsstrategin minimerar kostnaden av elproduktionen och är baserad på en 48 timmars prognos av laster och PV. Den är implementerad i MATLAB och kopplad till HOMER via det inbyggda MATLABgränssnittet. Eftersom HOMER fokuserar på produktionsutbyggnad och drift och i praktiken försummar elnätet, krävs en studie av elnätet för att utvärdera stabiliteten av elnätet. Studien av denna sista uppgift i examensarbetet är begränsad till att bestämma spänningen vid jämnviktsläge och den utvärderade lasten på en av de studerade öarna genom belastningsfördelningsberäkning i DIgSILENT PowerFactory. Det visade sig att det inte fanns några stora problem även med stora andelar PV, men elnätets prestanda kan förbättras om PV-omriktarna är utrustade med reaktiv effektstyrning som kontrollerar spänningen. En studie avinverkan från Q(U)-styrning och PQ-kapacitet av PV- och BESS-växelriktare har utförts.

The development of interconnected power systems together with an increasing number of renewable non-synchronous power sources, create major challenges for the power system to meet the voltage stability and power quality requirements. One way to increase the voltage stability in a sustainable way is to locally implement a STATCOM. By enhancing grid voltage stability under varying network conditions, the active power transfer capability will increase. However, before a STATCOM can be deployed in the power system, the behavior of it needs tobe investigated for the specific network conditions at the point of interface. The thesis develops a software model in RSCAD of a STATCOM along with important control functions for real-time simulations in RTDS without hardware-in-the-loop. The model aims to be sufficient for representing the gross behavior of a STATCOM in real-time simulations in order to get a quick overview of the dynamic response of the system. The model’s overall performance is evaluated through simulations in RTDS. The results indicate that the main control functions are operating in a stable and sufficient way. Hence, the model can perform in different operation modes as well as handling unbalances that are introduced in the system without losing controllability. There is potential for improvements in order to obtain a model with a more sophisticated control system. The main area would be to introduce limiters and anti-windups at appropriate places as well as a fault-ride-through logic to ensure a safe and stable operation during disturbances.

The aim of this project is to analyze how increasing the share of converter-based power production in a power system affects the small signal stability. The project also aims to stabilize systems using Power System Stabilizers (PSSs), and examine the effect of two different types of power electronic converters: grid following (GFL) and grid forming (GFM). To do this, a short-circuit fault is simulated in a two-area four-machine power system using DIgSILENT PowerFactory. The project examines how replacing one of the synchronous machines with a converterbased power source affects the system’s stability. Modal analysis is used to assess the small signal stability, as well as to tune the PSS. In the project PSSs are successfully used to stabilize systems, both with and without converter-based power production. The study also finds that implementing power production using GFL worsens the small signal stability while GFM improves it. / Syftet med det här projektet är att analysera hur den ökande andelen converter baserad elproduktion påverkar small signal stability i ett elkraftsystem. Projektets syft är också att stabilisera system med Power System Stabilizers (PSSs), och undersöka påverkan av två typer av effektelektronik: grid following converter (GFL) och gird forming converter (GFM). Det görs genom att simulera ett kortslutningsfel i ett elkraftsystem med DIgSILENT PowerFactory. I projektet undersöks hur systemets stabilitet påverkas av att ersätta en synkrongenerator med effektelektronik-kopplad elproduktion. Egenvärdesanalys används för att undersöka small signal stability och implementera PSS. I projektet lyckas stabiliseringen med PSS för både systemet med och utan effektelektronik-kopplade energikällor. Studien visar också att genom implementeringen av energikällor med sämras stabiliteten, medan GFM förbättrar den. / Kandidatexjobb i elektroteknik 2022, KTH, Stockholm

In this report, the effect that a higher penetration ofrenewable energy sources has on electric power grid stability isevaluated. The report also compares different methods of stabilizingan unstable grid. The model used is a two-area four-machinesystem and the main objective is to stabilize the synchronousgenerators such that they revert back to synchronism afterbeing subjugated to a small signal disturbance. The stabilizationmethods consists of supplementary Power System Stabilizers(PSSs) complementing the exciter systems of the synchronousmachines, as well as two types of converter-based controllers inthe renewable energy source: Grid-Following (GFL) convertersand Grid-Forming (GFM) converters. The results show thata system with renewable energy sources is more sensitive todisturbances and has a larger rotor angle deviation from a steadystate when using only GFLs compared to the conventional gridwithout PSSs. It is also found that a conventional grid requiressupplementary PSSs to be stable. This is also the case for asystem with renewable energy controlled by GFL. The systemwith GFM controllers does however not need supplementary PSSto be stable. This leads to the conclusion that GFM is morepreferable than GFL to control a grid with a higher penetrationof renewable energy. / I denna rapport utvärderas hur en högre andel förnybara energikällor påverkar stabiliteten i elnät, och jämför också olika metoder för att stabilisera ett instabilt nät. Modellen som används var ett två-områdes-fyrmaskinsystem och huvudsyftet är att stabilisera synkrongeneratorerna så att de återgår till synkronism efter att ha utsatts för en liten småsignalsstörning. Stabiliseringsmetoderna består av kompletterande Power System Stabilizers (PSS:er) som kompletterade exciteringssystemen i synkronmaskinerna, samt två typer av omvandlarbaserade styrenheter i den förnybara energikällan: Grid-Following (GFL)-omvandlare och Grid-Forming (GFM)omvandlare. Resultaten visar att ett system med förnybara energikällor är mer känsligt för störningar och har en större rotorvinkelavvikelse från ett stationärt tillstånd när GFL-kontroller används jämfört med det konventionella nätet utan PSS:er. Det visar sig också att ett konventionellt nät kräver kompletterande PSS:er för att vara stabilt. Detta är också fallet för ett system med förnybar energi som enbart kontrolleras av GFL-omvandlare. Systemet med GFM-omvandlare behöver dock inte kompletterande PSS för att vara stabilt. Detta leder till slutsatsen att GFM är mer att föredra än GFL för att kontrollera ett nät med högre andel förnybar energi. / Kandidatexjobb i elektroteknik 2022, KTH, Stockholm

To mitigate the carbon footprint and the need to fulfil the energy goals in terms of sustainability, it is required to deploy a large integration of green energies. Therefore, in the previous and the coming years, there will be a high research and technological interest in the high penetration of converter-based generation. With the replacement and integration of power converters into the bulk power grid, new challenges and issues must be faced to maintain the system´s stability and reliability in terms of procedures for the transmission system operators. The main objective of this thesis project is to analyze and to implement the current- limiting techniques implemented in voltage source converters, which are equipped with grid-forming functionalities so that these electronic devices are safeguarded during a severe transient event as three-phase short-circuit and remain connected to the grid during the fault scenario. The model of the voltage source converter with grid-forming strategies is described as well as the grid-forming strategies (droop control, virtual synchronous machine (VSM) and dispatchable virtual oscillator control (dVOC)) utilized in the outer loop. The low-inertia and zero-inertia system in the IEEE 9-Bus test system were exhibited to be resilient towards 3-phase fault events, and their behavior shows neither significant oscillations during and after the incident of the fault nor noticeable difference in their performance regarding the location. In this test system model, the current-limiting techniques were validated and analyzed results display good effectiveness for the current and frequency. The Hydro-Québec network model was employed to have a more practical approach in the behavior of the current limitation strategies in the power converters in a real power system. The fault location and the percentage of participation of the voltage source converters in the energy generation were the two main scenarios, in which the proposed control strategies for restricting the current work but simultaneously, it is required an appropriate control to keep the system´s stability. / För att minska koldioxidutsläppet och uppnå energimålen med avseende på hållbarhet krävs integrering av hållbara energikällor. Därmed, under de föregående och kommande  åren kommer stort fokus riktas mot forskning kring ökad penetration av kraftelektronikomriktare i kraftsystemet. När kraftelektronikomriktare ersätter traditionella generationsenheter uppkommer nya utmaningar och problem som behöver lösas för att upprätthålla systemets stabilitet och pålitlighet med avseende på tillvägagångssätt för systemansvariga för överföringssystemet.  Avhandlingens huvudmål är att analysera och implementera strömbegränsande metoder för kraftelektronikomriktare av typen voltage source converters med en nätformande (”grid- forming”) funktionalitet. Strömbegränsaren ska säkerställa att kraftelektronikomriktaren skyddas under allvarliga transienta händelser och att kraftelektronikomriktaren förblir ansluten till nätet under händelsen. Modellen av kraftelektronikomriktaren med nätformande egenskaper är beskrivna tillsammans med nätformande kontrollstrategier, virtuella synkronmaskniner (VSM) och användande av avsändande virtuell oscillerande kontroll i den yttre slingan.  Den låga trögheten och noll-tröghetssystemet i IEEE 9-Bus test-system visade sig vara motståndskraftig mot trefasfel eftersom testsystemets beteende visade varken signifikanta oscillationer under och efter felet eller märkbar förändring i dess prestanda beroende på var felet inträffade. I denna testsystemsmodell var strömbegränsande tekniker validerade och de analyserande resultaten visade på god effektivitet för strömmen och för frekvensen.  Hydro-Québec nätverks-modellen användes för att få en mer praktisk inriktning med hänsyn till beteendet hos strömbegränsarna där olika strategier har använts. Felpositionen och andelen av kraftelektronikomriktare i energigenereringen var två huvudsakliga scenarion, där de föreslagna kontrollstrategierna för att begränsa strömmen fungerade men kräver samtidigt att en lämplig kontroll för att behålla systemets stabilitet.