Advantage of battery energy storage systems for assisting hydropower units to suppress the frequency fluctuations caused by wind power variations

Abstract

The integration of renewable energy sources into power grids has led to new challenges for maintaining the frequency stability of power systems. Hydropower has traditionally played a key role in frequency regulation due to its flexibility in output power. However, the water hammer effect can lead to the phenomenon of inverse regulation, which can degrade the transient characteristics of power systems, particularly in hydropower-dominant systems, such as the Southwest China Power Grid. On the other hand, battery energy storage systems (BESSs) are well-suited for frequency regulation due to their fast response speed, high response accuracy, and flexible control capabilities. Hence, it is a meaningful topic to evaluate the advantage of integrated battery energy storage systems for assisting hydropower units (HPUs) in frequency regulation. First, the frequency dynamic response model of power system with BESSs assisting HPUs to participate in frequency regulation is established. Then, a two-part strategy is presented. The primary frequency regulation strategy for BESSs uses droop control with a variable regulation coefficient and the secondary frequency regulation strategy considers the costs associated with both HPUs and BESSs. Last, a performance assessment is carried out based on the management rules for auxiliary services of power plants in China and the USA. The results of this study demonstrate that the incorporation of the BESS into the HPU can significantly improve the regulating performance, and can provide important economic and technical benefits for the power system. Specifically, the maximum ratio of HPU with BESS to conventional HPU is 33.13 %, 33.85 %, 7.60 % and 41.52 % for the different indicators (difference, delay, distance, and cost). Notably, the implementation of BESS in the HPU not only contributes to the stability of the power system, but it also provides considerable economic benefits by achieving higher evaluations for auxiliary services in the power market. These findings are critical in supporting the transformation and development of conventional HPUs under large-scale new energy grid connection conditions.