Small-Signal Synchronization Stability of Grid-Forming Converters With Regulated DC-Link Dynamics

Abstract

The dc-link voltage dynamics can be directly used to synchronize grid-forming (GFM) converters with ac grids. However, such control scheme is prone to unstable low-frequency oscillations (LFO), owing to the constant-power dynamics at the dc link. This paper analyzes first the small-signal stability of dc-link voltage-synchronized GFM converters, and proposes a control method for enhancing the system stability under different operating scenarios. In the approach, a <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">q</i> -axis voltage-feedforward control is introduced in parallel with the dc-link voltage control for the grid-synchronization purpose. The LFO problem with the conventional dc-link voltage-synchronization control is mitigated. Compared to conventional cascaded/paralleled dc-link voltage- and active power-based synchronization, the method mitigates the synchronous oscillation problem. Experimental tests are performed for the GFM converter operating in both rectifier and inverter modes and with different grid strengths. The results corroborate theoretical analyses and validate the effectiveness of the approach.