Inertia Control Research Articles

Hierarchical Control Strategy for Effective Virtual Frequency Responses of Multiple WPPs

When renewable energy-based generations are increasing, they are subject to cause frequency stability problems in a power system. To solve this problem, various virtual inertial control methods (VICMs) have been recently developed. However, they all have dealt not with the steady-state frequency stability, but only with dynamic frequency stability issues. In particular, the wind power plants (WPPs) operated by these VICMs can only provide a similar inertial response (IR) to that by conventional synchronous generators without providing the primary frequency response (PFR). This results in lowering the settling frequency (SF) below the maximum steady-state frequency deviation (MSSD) band.This paper proposes the new hierarchical control strategy for the WPPs, which are operated by three virtual frequency response control methods (VFRCMs) to provide both IR and PFR. Firstly, the VFRCM-1 provides virtual IR. Next, the VFRCM-2 increases the output power from the WPPs to prevent the frequency drop, which can occur after the frequency nadir is arrested. Finally, the VFRCM-3 makes the WPPs possible to raise the SF above the MSSD band by providing the virtual PFR. The effectiveness of proposed hierarchical control strategy is verified by several case studies on the IEEE 39-bus test system with the high penetration of renewables.

Sizing method of a novel hybrid energy storage considering adaptive inertia control

This paper introduces a novel hybrid energy storage system (HESS) with a focus on adaptive inertia control and its sizing methodology. The HESS is built upon the modular multilevel converter (MMC) topology, incorporating hybrid submodules, batteries, and supercapacitors (SC). The sizing method for the hybrid energy storage system in the proposed HESS is discussed, with a specific emphasis on its application in frequency response scenarios. The center of inertia frequency (COIF) is selected to represent the overall system's frequency characteristic. By examining COIF deviation and the Rate of Change of Frequency (ROCOF) during contingency events, the inertia and damping parameters of the HESS are designed. Additionally, an adaptive inertia approach is incorporated to further reduce the SC capacity. The analysis of COIF dynamics under contingency with adaptive inertia is performed, and an analytical expression of COIF dynamics is derived. Subsequently, a sizing method for the SC and battery in the HESS, considering adaptive inertia, is proposed. The effectiveness of the proposed sizing method is verified through simulation results, demonstrating its suitability for optimizing the design of the hybrid energy storage system in the novel HESS configuration.

Intelligent ADRC‐based inertia control for offshore wind farm

AbstractThis paper proposes a virtual inertia control strategy for wind farms based on auto disturbance rejection controller with artificial bee colony (ABC) algorithm. First, based on the system frequency dynamic response equation, an active disturbance rejection controller is designed according to the non‐linear feedback control law and the extended state observer to improve the anti‐interference capability of the virtual inertia control system. Second, in order to solve the problem of difficulty in tuning the parameters of the active disturbance rejection control (ADRC), an ABC algorithm based on nectar collection behaviour was proposed to iteratively optimize the parameters of ADRC. Finally, the proposed control method is effectively verified based on Matlab/Simulink. The simulation results show that compared with traditional algorithms, the proposed ABC‐ADRC can effectively control the rotor speed to adjust the frequency of the power grid system, achieve power sharing and adaptive noise elimination, reduce the complexity of parameter settings, not only improve anti‐interference ability, but also enhance the robustness of the system.

Frequency Regulation of Microgrid with Renewable Sources Using Intelligent Adaptive Virtual Inertia Control Approach

Frequency control of small inertia microgrids (MGs) with amalgamation of renewable energies like wind and solar is a difficult job. Virtual inertia control (VIC) scheme is the concept of enhancing the MGs inertia employing storage elements. In the present study, an optimized fuzzy adaptive virtual inertia control strategy has been proposed for adaptive allocation of virtual inertia constant. To tune the suggested controllers, an improved golden jackal optimization (i-GJO) is projected in which priority is given to the better jackal’s during the search process, and also sine cosine adopted scaling factor is used to modify the jackal’s position throughout search process. The effectiveness of i-GJO method is evaluated by comparing the results with golden jackal optimization (GJO) and other similar recently proposed optimization algorithms. Then, proportional-integral-derivative controllers are tuned in VIC environment with fixed virtual inertia constant (KVT ) using proposed i-GJO technique, and the superiority of i-GJO over genetic algorithm, particle swarm optimization, and GJO is demonstrated. Finally, fuzzy based controller with constant KVT as well as fuzzy adaptive KVT has been designed using the proposed i-GJO technique. The sensitivity of the controller is also examined under irregular load changes and various rates of RES amalgamation.

An implementation of inertia control strategy for grid-connected solar system using moth-flame optimization algorithm

As the solar power system power system grows rapidly, inertia control strategy (ICS) becomes crucial to enable stable grid integration. However, the existing ICS lacks of dynamic weather analysis with maximum power point tracking (MPPT) and fault-ride through (FRT) capabilities such as low voltage ride-through (LVRT) and high voltage ride-through (HVRT). In this work, an inertia weighting strategy and the Cauchy mutation operator are introduced to improve the moth-flame optimization (MFO) algorithm to support vector machine prediction of photovoltaic power generation. In this paper, the proposed adaptive VICS with variable moment of inertia (J) and damping factor ( D P ) demonstrates its effectiveness with faster frequency recovery, less overshooting and continuous stable operation under grid fault and dynamic weather. The MFO algorithm is used to implement inertia control strategies for grid-connected solar systems. Accurate simulation results confirm the inertia control of the emulsion and the control of the solar system. The results of the simulation show a significant improvement in frequency with the designed MFO and compared to Horse Herd Optimization (HHO). The proposed method contributes to improve photovoltaic energy prediction, reduces the impact of photovoltaic power penetration into the grid and maintains the system reliability.

State-feedback control of a grid-tied cascaded brushless doubly-fed induction machine

The cascaded brushless doubly-fed induction machine (CBDFIM) is the developed version of a classic slip-ring doubly-fed induction machine (DFIM). Deprived of the main DFIM disadvantage - the slip-ring connection, the cascaded brushless doubly-fed induction machine has better durability and lower maintenance costs. Structurally it is realized by the presence of control stator and main stator working with a common rotor shaft. However, this type of electrical machine is characterized by much higher control inertia and larger dq control axis coupling, in comparison to DFIM. This fact makes problematic obtainment good dynamic performance and stability of the controlled system for classic control schemes. In the paper presented cascaded brushless doubly-fed induction machine state-feedback control schemes, based on CBDFIM full and reduced state-space model. Proposed algorithms allow control of CBDFIM generated active and reactive power components in a grid-tied operation and offer great possibilities of obtaining the desired dynamics parameters and stability of the controlled system. The main paper goal is to prove that reduced order state feedback control can be equally effective than full state feedback control in terms of obtained closed loop system dynamics and reduces influence of the couplings between the controlled variables.

A Review of Recent Control Trchniques of Virtual Synchronous Machine for Renewable Energy

Abstract Increased distributed generation (DG) integration into power system via power electronic devices results in a reduction in the total equivalent inertia of power grid utility, which lead to serve frequency stability and performance degradation of the power system. To facilitate the penetration of DG into the power grid utility, improved control schemes of the power electronics converter based DG are required to improve the system stability when it is dominated by DG based inverter. A virtual synchronous generator (VSG ) approach is suggested, which consists in controlling the static power converter to mimic the essential dynamic behavior of the conventional synchronous generator. The main objective of this paper is to review the most recent topologies of virtual inertia control. Along this work, a detail description of each topology is presented. In addition, VSG control equations given voltage and frequency control is explained in detail. The VSG problems and future research on VSG control are discussed.

Flexible grounding control strategy based on proportional series inertial control for distribution networks

Flexible grounding control strategy based on proportional series inertial control for distribution networks

A New Fractional-Order Virtual Inertia Support Based on Battery Energy Storage for Enhancing Microgrid Frequency Stability

Microgrids have a low inertia constant due to the high penetration of renewable energy sources and the limited penetration of conventional generation with rotating mass. This makes microgrids more susceptible to frequency stability challenges. Virtual inertia control (VIC) is one of the most effective approaches to improving microgrid frequency stability. Therefore, this study proposes a new model to precisely mimic inertia power based on an energy storage system (ESS) that supports low-inertia power systems. The developed VIC model considers the effect of both the DC-DC converter and the DC-AC inverter on the power of the ESS used. This allows for more precise and accurate modeling of the VIC compared to conventional models. Moreover, this study proposes a fractional-order derivative control for the proposed VIC model to provide greater flexibility in dealing with different perturbations that occur in the system. Furthermore, the effectiveness of the proposed fractional-order VIC (FOVIC) is verified through an islanded microgrid that includes heterogeneous sources: a small thermal power plant, wind and solar power plants, and ESSs. The simulation results performed using MATLAB software indicate that the proposed VIC scheme provides fast stabilization times and slight deviations in system frequency compared to the conventional VIC schemes. The proposed VIC outperforms the conventional load frequency control by about 80% and the conventional VIC model by about 45% in tackling load/RESs fluctuations and system uncertainty. Additionally, the studied microgrid with the proposed FOVIC scheme is noticeably more stable and responds faster than that designed with integer-order derivative control. Thus, the proposed FOVIC scheme gives better performance for frequency stability of low-inertia power systems compared to conventional VIC schemes used in the literature.

Design, realization and testing of a synthetic inertia controller for wind turbine power generators

The progressive inclusion of Renewable Energy Sources (RES) in power grids is causing a reduction of the overall system inertia, leading to a reduction of the system resiliency. A possible solution is equipping RES with synthetic inertia controllers so that additional power can be provided in case of severe frequency transients. This work reports the results of a research activity that aimed at improving the maturity of synthetic inertia controllers for wind turbine generators through the design and implementation of a controller prototype based on an advanced version of a synthetic inertia controller. Hardware-in-the-loop simulations are performed to validate the correct behavior of the prototype.

Primary-Frequency-Regulation Coordination Control of Wind Power Inertia and Energy Storage Based on Compound Fuzzy Logic

Primary-Frequency-Regulation Coordination Control of Wind Power Inertia and Energy Storage Based on Compound Fuzzy Logic

Frequency regulation method for two-stage PV system based on DC voltage coordination

The current frequency regulation methods for a photovoltaic (PV) system cannot balance frequency support and primary control performances. This paper proposes a frequency regulation method for a two-stage PV system by controlling DC voltage, which is coordinated with the enhanced virtual inertia control (VIC) of the DC capacitor. The power reserve control of the PV arrays is improved considering the characteristics of the VIC, thereby strengthening the frequency regulation ability of the PV system. An active DC voltage recovery control is designed at the inverter to restore the frequency support ability after primary frequency control. With MATLAB/Simulink software, the performance of the proposed method in dealing with different load sizes, load change trends, and DC voltage recovery coefficient is verified by comparing it with other traditional methods in different scenarios. The proposed method can fully use the available power to improve the frequency nadir, rate of change of frequency, and voltage recovery ability.

Adaptive Virtual Inertia Control Strategy for a Grid-Connected Converter of DC Microgrid Based on an Improved Model Prediction

Aiming at the problem that the bus voltage in a low-inertia DC microgrid is prone to be affected by internal power fluctuations, an adaptive virtual inertia control strategy for a grid-connected converter of a DC microgrid based on an improved model prediction is proposed. Firstly, the adaptive analog virtual synchronous generator (AVSG) is introduced into the voltage outer loop by combining the inertial parameters with the voltage change rate, and the flexible adjustment of the inertial parameters is realized. Secondly, the improved model predictive control is introduced into the current inner loop to realize the fast-tracking of the given current value and improve the dynamic characteristics of the control system. Finally, a system model is established based on Matlab/Simulink for simulation. The results show that compared with the traditional virtual inertia control strategy, the proposed control strategy has smaller bus voltage fluctuation amplitude and better dynamic performance; when a 10 kW load mutation occurs, the magnitude of bus voltage drop is reduced by 60%, and the voltage recovery time is shortened by 30%. The proposed control strategy can effectively improve the stability of DC bus voltage and the operation ability of the system under asymmetric conditions.

Frequency Stability Enhancement of Microgrid Using Optimization Techniques-Based Adaptive Virtual Inertia Control

In recent years, a sharp increase in integration of renewable energy sources (RESs) in power system network has been observed. High penetration of RES interfaced with power electronics converters-inverters with reduced or no inherent inertia compromises modern power system’s overall stability. Due to low inertia, voltage and frequency deviations far off the allowable threshold occur. To overcome this challenge, an adaptive inertia control strategy based on optimization technique is proposed. The improved particle swarm optimization (PSO) and genetic algorithm (GA) optimization techniques-based PID controller has been used to generate the appropriate virtual inertia coefficient for effective emulation of inertia in the presence of energy storage system. The conventional PSO suffers local optima stagnation, resulting in premature convergence during searching process in order to achieve global and local position. To address this issue, the velocity update equation was modified on inertia weight (w) using an additional exponential term with linear decreasing inertia weight PSO (LDIW-PSO). In this paper, exponential power is taken strategically instead of squaring it in order to reduce the number of iterations for faster convergence. Finally, a microgrid based on wind and solar energy is simulated using MATLAB/Simulink where three cases, 2% disturbance, 3% disturbance, and 4% disturbance, have been considered. Here, the evaluation of proposed system is carried out based on four main performance indices (ITAE, IAE, ISE, and ITSE). Furthermore, validation was done through hardware prototype to get experimental results in real time. The results from MATLAB simulation and experimental setup are in sync.

A novel dynamic inertial control of wind turbines based on event size estimation

High penetration of variable renewable energy sources causes volatile grid frequency movements in low inertia systems. Large-scale wind turbines (WTs) are stipulated to participate in frequency control upon occurring a disturbance event. This paper proposes a novel inertial control scheme aimed at improving the frequency nadir based on frequency event size (FES) estimation. Upon occurring a frequency event, the WTs immediately inject a stepwise active power into the grid, and its corresponding frequency deviation is measured to estimate the FES using mean absolute error solution of a sinusoidal exponential function regression. Subsequently, an inertial control is developed to mitigate the frequency movements taking into account the available kinetic energy in rotating masses of WTs and estimated FES. To ensure a safe rotor speed recovery to its maximum power point tracking mode within this scheme, the rotor speed recovery time, and the second frequency drop can be flexibly adjusted. The WTs overproduction and recovery stages are dynamically adapted to wind speed fluctuations based on the defined modifications and rules. Additionally, the scheme considers the latency of communication delay during FES estimation. The proposed method is validated using a large-scale wind farm integrated into IEEE 9-bus and 39-bus test systems in Digsilent PowerFactory. Comparison results with existing methods in the literature demonstrate that the proposed scheme achieves better frequency nadir improvement across various types and sizes of events and wind speeds. Furthermore, it exhibits robust performance against communication latencies. Finally, the experimental results support the findings in terms of FES estimation.

Closed-Loop Synthetic Inertia Control for Wind Turbine Generators in Association With Slightly Over-Speeded Deloading Operation

Following a frequency event in a power system, synthetic inertia control (SIC) of a wind turbine generator (WTG) can improve the frequency nadir by instantly releasing the stored kinetic energy in the rotating masses. However, SIC might lower the settling frequency below the maximum steady-state frequency deviation, thereby disabling automatic generation control (AGC). This delays frequency recovery to the nominal value. This paper proposes a closed-loop SIC scheme for a WTG in association with slightly over-speeded deloading operation (SODO) that can improve both the frequency nadir and settling frequency. To achieve this, prior to an event, the proposed SIC scheme performs SODO, which can store more releasable energy into the rotating masses of a WTG while minimizing the energy loss. The proposed scheme can improve the frequency nadir by releasing more energy, improve the settling frequency, which enables AGC, and avoid over-deceleration of the rotor speed of a WTG in the low wind speed region. Simulation results clearly demonstrate that the proposed SIC scheme can improve both the frequency nadir and settling frequency under various wind conditions, event sizes, and penetration levels, thereby supporting the frequency stability in a power system that has a high penetration of wind power.

Enhanced Virtual Inertia Controller for Microgrid Applications

Unlike Synchronous Generators (SGs), Virtual Synchronous Generators (VSGs) inertia is not fixed once it is manufactured and only has an upper limit defined by its energy storage components. In this paper, a novel Enhanced Virtual Inertia Controller (EVIC) is proposed. The proposed controller alters the VSG inertia coefficient between two limiting levels in response to a grid transient. The key difference between the proposed controller and the variable inertia controller is that the proposed EVIC causes a smooth transition in the inertia coefficient while the variable inertia controller causes a discontinuous jump in it. The proposed EVIC guarantees an adaptive response to grid dynamics, such that a negligible change occurs at small disturbances and a linear and smooth increase occurs at moderate disturbances. For large disturbances, the proposed controller smoothly oscillates the inertia between two saturation levels, which then quickly returns the converter to its steady-state operating point with minimum oscillations. A qualitative study of the performance and stability margin of the proposed controller was conducted using a large signal model (nonlinear model) of VSG connected to a microgrid. The large signal model provided a complete description of the converter’s behaviour under large disturbances, which is the area of interest of the proposed controller. It also contained the small-signal dynamics (linear dynamic) within the vicinity of the equilibrium (steady-state) point. Thus, a complete description of the proposed controller dynamics is conveyed to prove its validity and adaptability.

Investigation of active voltage support control approach of DC distribution networks based on virtual inertia coordination

AbstractDC distribution networks (DCDNs) possess the advantages of high power efficiency, low operation loss, and favourable control flexibility, and are regarded as an essential form of future power distribution systems. In order to increase the voltage transient performance of DCDNs against disturbances, this paper proposes a methodology for realising the active voltage support control of DCDNs based on virtual inertia coordination. Firstly, the impact of the inertia of DCDNs towards the transient voltage change is analysed, and the active voltage support mechanism considering the variable droop inertia control and virtual DC motor inertia (VDCMI) control is explored. Then, a time sequence coordination strategy based on the voltage grading of DCDNs is developed, and an adaptive inertia coefficient is designed to achieve the inertia adjustment in terms of the voltage sag and recovery processes. Using MATLAB/Simulink, a detailed model of the double‐terminal DCDNs is created to check the efficacy of the proposed approach. Different voltage disturbance scenarios are imitated, and the comparative simulations demonstrate that the proposed approach can fully utilise the inertia potential of the DCDNs to suppress the voltage sag and smooth the voltage recovery procedure. The proposed method's validity and feasibility can be well validated.The cover image is based on the Original Article Investigation of active voltage support control approach of DC distribution networks based on virtual inertia coordination by Lei Chen et al., https://doi.org/10.1049/esi2.12123.

Implementation of dynamics inversion algorithms in active vibration control systems: Practical guidelines

It is common that excessive vibrations problems arise in modern slender, low-damping, lightweight structures such as footbridges or long-span floors subjected to human actions. The integration of inertial vibration controllers has been extensively used to mitigate the problems associated with vibration serviceability of such structures. Among them, the active vibration absorber constitutes the most sophisticated and effective alternative. Nonetheless, the inherent dynamics of the actuators used in the practical implementations of these systems may negatively affect their performance, compromising the overall system stability and performance. In this work, the practical application of dynamics inversion techniques to the force control of electrodynamic proof-mass actuators employed as active vibration absorption systems in lightweight structures subjected to human-induced vibrations is presented. The main idea behind the dynamics inversion approach is to find an approximate inverse of the actuator system which, upon implementation on a real-time controller, approximately cancels out actuator dynamics leading to an improved force tracking, with the subsequent enhancement in the performance of any force-based vibration control algorithm. The dynamics inversion has been applied to the classical direct velocity feedback approach, leading to a novel vibration control algorithm denominated velocity feedback with dynamics inversion. Additionally, the stability of the suggested method has been studied and practical guidelines, including a step-by-step design procedure, have been provided for researchers willing to apply the proposed algorithm. The goodness of the suggested method has been assessed by means of a tests campaign carried over an existing glass fiber reinforced polymer footbridge, which fulfills the static requirements at Serviceability and Ultimate Limit States, but exhibits excessive vibrations when its first resonance frequency is excited. Two types of tests have been performed: a walking load and a vandal bouncing excitation exerted at the midspan of the footbridge. In both cases, the experimental results show that the new procedure outperforms the classical velocity feedback approach thanks to the enhanced force tracking, leading to a remarkable reduction in the vibrations experimented by the structure under study.

Frequency control using electric vehicles with adaptive latency compensation and variable speed wind turbines using modified virtual inertia controller

In this paper, to reduce the effect of low inertia consequences, electric vehicle (EV) and variable speed wind turbine (VSWT) are adopted to collaborate in the power system frequency regulation. A virtual inertia controller based on the IEC 61851 standard is proposed to benefit from EV contribution in frequency regulation. In this controller, the rate-of-change-of-frequency (ROCOF) is measured and an appropriate EV current set point is obtained. Furthermore, to decrease the effect of frequency regulation on EVs owners, a stochastic allocation method of the regulation sequence among EVs parking lots is presented. One of the barriers of employing EV in the frequency regulation is the communication latency. To overcome this issue, according to the measured latency, a weighted combination of several compensators which is called adaptive latency compensator (ALC) is utilized. After compensating the delay, the output power of the EVs is calculated and collaborated in frequency regulation. In addition, an algorithm is proposed for collaborating VSWT in frequency control. In the proposed algorithm, according to the wind velocity, the output power of the VSWT increases to the maximum acceptable value and will be fixed. A method is developed to find the maximum acceptable increment power considering VSWT constraints. After a supportive part, a recovery part is started to return VSWT hub speed to a desired value. Two PID controllers are designed in this algorithm for support and recovery parts. During the recovery part, a second frequency dip emerges and a method is introduced which at first identifies the second frequency dip moment and EVs collaboration is applied to alleviate this unfavorable outcome. To evaluate the performance of the proposed algorithms and controllers, different simulation studies are conducted using the modified IEEE 39-bus test power system. Results confirm the effectiveness of the proposed methods in system frequency support.