Virtual Synchronous Generator Control Strategy Research Articles

A Frequency Control Strategy for EV Stations Based on MPC-VSG in Islanded Microgrids

The inertia level of microgrids decreases with the access of inverter-based distributed generations. Uncertainty of source loads in islanded microgrids can lead to frequency instability. Considering electric vehicles (EVs) as a typical regulable load, a charging station (CS) virtual synchronous generator (VSG) frequency control (FC) strategy that considers the user charging and grid FC demand is proposed. First, the control architecture of CS based on the VSG is designed. Second, considering the impact of VSG FC on EV user charging demand, the charging power response model considering the charging power FC cost is designed. Furthermore, multi-objective model predictive control (MPC) algorithm is designed to improve the VSG control strategy, and the FC strategy is obtained. Simulation results show that the proposed method can provide inertial support and frequency regulation capability by the CS with VSG control strategy while satisfying EV charging demand. In addition, the FC cost can be decreased.

A novel virtual synchronous generator control scheme of DFIG-based wind turbine generators based on the rotor current-induced electromotive force

This paper focuses on the research of virtual synchronous generator (VSG) control technology for the doubly-fed induction generator (DFIG)-based wind turbines. The key for DFIG VSG operation is to construct an internal electromotive force (EMF) with the virtual rotor motion characteristic in the stator. The existing control schemes use the rotor or mutual flux-induced EMF as the internal EMF. Since the flux corresponds to a composite magnetic field generated together by the stator and rotor current. Any variations in the stator current caused by external disturbances will reflect on the rotor current to keep the flux constant. The rotor overcurrent is inevitable under a large external disturbance, threatening the safety of the rotor-side converter (RSC). Moreover, the flux is immeasurable. The accurate flux control depends on flux observers, increasing the complexity; while the control without observers cannot ensure the effectiveness, leading to control failure. To address these problems, a novel DFIG VSG control scheme with the rotor current-induced EMF as the internal EMF is proposed in this paper. The internal EMF is corresponded to the single magnetic field generated only by the rotor current. This can lead to the following benefits: the rotor current will not vary with the stator current and can be limited under large external disturbances, ensuring the safety of the RSC; the rotor current can be directly measured without the need for extra observers, reducing the difficulty of control implementations; the underlying controlled vector is unified with the traditional grid-following DFIG, favoring the retrofit of the installed DFIGs. Compared to the existing schemes, this scheme has a larger equivalent internal impedance. An additional rotor current-terminal voltage magnitude droop control is added to effectively restrain the problems brought by this larger impedance. Simulation and analysis results demonstrate that the proposed DFIG VSG control scheme effectively addresses problems in the existing schemes. Moreover, the results also exhibit that the scheme has a robust adaptability across a wide range of short-circuit ratios and possesses the grid-forming ability independent of SGs.

Optimal wind power generation system by honey badger algorithm with differential evolution strategies

The purpose of this study is to build an optimal hybrid wind power system consisting of a permanent magnet direct-drive wind power generation unit, a hybrid energy storage system (HESS), a power electronic converter, and loads. Moreover, a reasonable control method is designed for each part, and a honey badger algorithm (HBA) with differential evolution strategies is employed to realize the coordinated control of each unit and improve the system stability. The real anti-interference capability of wind power system can be improved by the proposed HBA with differential evolution strategies (IHBA). Firstly, the wind hybrid system model is constructed, in which the wind power generation unit adopts the variable step climbing method to achieve the maximum power point tracking control; the HESS designs the power distribution method based on the bus voltage; the converter supplying energy to the AC load introduces the virtual synchronous generator (VSG) control strategy. Secondly, due to the existence of energy exchange in each unit of the system, VSG has more parameters and its control performance is influenced by the system itself, this study proposes HBA with differential evolution strategies for system parameter optimization and constructs an IHBA-VSG model with the objective of minimizing the bus voltage fluctuation value. The IHBA improves original honey badger algorithm by three mechanisms which are time control function, Gaussian variation factor and differential evolution strategy. Finally, the parameters obtained from the HBA with differential evolution strategies optimization search are substituted into the wind hybrid system, and the simulation system is built by MATLAB/Simulink. The simulation results show that when the environment of the system changes or the load on the AC side changes abruptly, the proposed control method can reduce the bus voltage fluctuation by 2.9%− 18.22% compared with the honey badger algorithm Optimized VSG (HBA-VSG), and can reduce the bus voltage fluctuation by 5.09%− 17.98% compared with the traditional droop control without considering the system interaction. This study can effectively improve the stability of wind power generation system and promote the development of new energy industry.

Power decoupling control of paralleled virtual synchronous generators based on virtual complex impedance

With the high ratio of distributed generation (DG) linked to power system via converters, power system stability is degraded in terms of inertia and damping. In recent years, the virtual synchronous generator (VSG) has become a potential solving method to deal with these issues. However, the power coupling problem exists in the traditional VSG control method, which severely impacts the VSG power control performance. The impedance characteristics of the transmission line are closely related to the effect of the power decoupling control of VSGs. To solve the voltage sag and poor robustness issues resulting from traditional virtual impedance control, a virtual complex impedance power decoupling and sharing control strategy for VSGs based on coordinate transformation is proposed. Combining the characteristics of traditional virtual impedance control and virtual power control, the power coupling mechanism in parallel VSGs caused by line impedance is analyzed. The virtual complex impedance control loop is introduced in VSG control to realize the matching of the equivalent line impedance and the precise decoupling of VSG power output. Then the load can be accurately allocated in the light of the proportion of VSG capacity.

Transient stability analysis of a grid-connected type-4 wind turbine with grid-forming control during the fault

Thanks to the ability of the inertia provision and the voltage support, the virtual synchronous generator with reactive power control (RPC) is a promising solution among various grid-forming control schemes. This paper analyzes the transient angle stability of the grid-connected type-4 wind turbine with virtual synchronous generator and reactive power control strategy during the fault. By deriving the analytical criterion with the transient energy function, various key factors on the transient stability of the system can be revealed comprehensively and jointly. Additionally, the impacts of the integral coefficient of the RPC and the power reference switching delay on the transient stability are also analyzed by plotting the phase portraits of the derived third-order large-signal model of the grid-connected wind turbine system. The analytical result can be helpful for the determination of the parameters of the grid-connected wind turbine in order to keep transient stable and keep connected with the grid during the fault. Finally, the robustness and the effectiveness of the theoretical analysis results are validated by the electromagnetic transient simulation in MATLAB/Simulink under various conditions.

Adaptive VSG control strategy considering energy storage SOC constraints

The virtual synchronous generator (VSG) control strategy is proposed to mitigate the low inertia problem in the power system brought about by the high percentage of distributed generation connected to the grid and the application of power electronic devices. In order to maximize the effectiveness of the advantages of the flexible and adjustable parameters of VSG control, an adaptive VSG control strategy considering SOC constraint of the energy storage unit is proposed in this paper. Considering the significant loss of service life by operating the energy storage unit at its limit state, based on the rate and degree of change in system frequency, the adaptive control strategy realizes the online adaptive adjustment of the inertia factor and damping factor under different perturbation conditions by adaptively adjusting the control parameters when the system frequency oscillates. Finally, the effects of this adaptive VSG control method and conventional VSG control method are compared by simulation in PLECS. Hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) experimental platforms and semi-physical simulation experiments are constructed on RTBOX, and the feasibility and validity of this adaptive VSG control strategy are verified.

An improved VSG control strategy based on transient electromagnetic power compensation

Virtual synchronous generator (VSG) not only increases the inertia of grid-connected system, but also brings the problem of active power oscillation under grid disturbance. Therefore, VSG control strategy and system model order reduction method with transient electromagnetic power compensation are proposed. The closed-loop active power small signal model of the system is established, and the influence of transient electromagnetic power compensation on the power stability of VSG is analyzed based on root locus method. By removing the items which have little influence on the stability of the system in the small signal model, the order is reduced to obtain the equivalent second-order model of the system. According to the second-order model, the quantitative design criteria of the system parameters are given. The proposed transient electromagnetic power compensation strategy not only increases the transient equivalent damping of the system, but also does not affect the primary frequency modulation characteristics and will not cause large overshoot of the output active power. The experimental results are consistent with the theoretical analysis, which testify the effectiveness and correctness of the system control strategy and the model reduction method.

VSG Control for Cascaded Three-Phase Bridge Based Battery Inverter

With the increasing number of new energy sources connected to the grid, the unbalanced output of three-phase grid-connected inverters and the lack of no inertia and damping characteristics in the traditional microgrid control system will seriously affect the stability of voltage, frequency, and power angle for microgrids. This paper proposes a novel cascaded three-phase bridge inverter topology for the battery system used for the electric vehicle. Compared with traditional cascaded H-bridge inverters, the proposed multilevel inverter can achieve self-adaptive balance for three phases. The mathematical model of a cascaded three-phase bridge inverter is established in this paper. Based on the voltage and current equations of a multilevel inverter, a new modulation strategy named carrier phase-shifted-distributed pulse width modulation (CPSD-PWM) was developed, which is more suitable for cascaded three-phase bridge inverters. The harmonic analytic equations of carrier phase-shifted pulse width modulation (CPS-PWM) and CPSD-PWM are constructed by the double Fourier analysis method. Compared with the traditional PWM modulation strategy, the CPSD-PWM can reduce the output harmonics and improve the balance of the three-phase output, which can realize the three-phase adaptive balance in the cascaded three-phase bridge inverter. This paper develops a cascaded three-phase bridge multilevel power converter system based on the virtual synchronous generator (VSG) control strategy. The voltage and frequency of inverter output can be accurately controlled in both island mode and grid-connected mode through active power-frequency regulation and reactive power–voltage regulation, and the stability of primary frequency regulation for the multilevel microgrid inverter can be improved by collaborative optimization of virtual inertia and virtual damping. The CPSD-PWM modulation strategy and VSG control strategy are verified by the simulation results and experimental data for the cascaded three-phase bridge inverter.

Virtual Synchronous Generator (VSG) Control Strategy Based on Improved Damping and Angular Frequency Deviation Feedforward

The output active power of a grid-connected inverter controlled by a traditional virtual synchronous generator (VSG) has the problems of oscillation and steady-state errors. A VSG control strategy based on improved damping and angular frequency deviation feedforward is proposed. This strategy reduces the steady-state error of active power by adding a transient damping link to a traditional VSG damping feedback channel. At the same time, the angular frequency deviation feedforward compensation is used to improve the response speed of the VSG to the active power instruction and reduce the active power overshoot in the dynamic process. First, the VSG active power closed-loop small-signal model is established. The effects of inertia and damping on the dynamic and steady-state performance of the VSG are analyzed by the root locus method. The effect of the proposed control strategy on the system is analyzed by using a closed-loop zero-pole diagram. This strategy improves the precision of active power control the dynamic performance of the system effectively. Finally, the effectiveness and superiority of the proposed control strategy are verified by Matlab/Simulink simulation and semi-physical simulation platform RT-LAB.

Real-time Simulation Framework for Validating Controllers of Virtual Synchronous Generators

The utilization of active rectifiers as converters in the interface between AC and DC microgrids has become a prevalent practice owing to their capacity to facilitate bidirectional power flow. The contemporary methodology for the development of power converters includes the integration of real-time simulation steps for the validation of control schemes and the assurance of safe implementation with hardware. The present study proposes a methodology for developing a real-time Hardware-in-theLoop (HIL) simulation framework, which aims to facilitate the rapid prototyping of advanced control algorithms for an ActiveFront-End (AFE) rectifier, especially a Virtual Synchronous Generator (VSG) control strategy. This approach aims to enhance the dynamic performance and stability of low-inertia power systems by mimicking the behavior of a synchronous generator, thereby providing virtual inertia to the power system. The control schemes and the primary circuit models are designed and implemented utilizing Matlab/Simulink and are optimized for code generation.

Modeling and adaptive control strategy of hybrid microgrid based on virtual synchronous generator

AbstractAiming at large system operation fluctuations caused by the technical control of virtual synchronous generators, this article studies the introduction of interface converter control power, builds a virtual synchronous generator (VSG)‐based hybrid microgrid model and adaptive control strategy. Finally it optimizes it with fuzzy logic to obtain an fuzzy logic controller (FLC) based adaptive VSG control strategy. The experimental results show that under the FLC‐based adaptive VSG control strategy, in the reverse current mode, the system regression time is 0.37 s, and the DC bus voltage is 6.5 V; In the rectification mode, the system regression time is 0.49 s, and the DC bus voltage is 2.1 V. The results obtained are faster than the traditional VSG control strategy, and the DC bus voltage is 42.48%–68.66% lower. In summary, the suggested control approach is effective and reliable under the two operation modes, which can make the system operate safely and stably.

An improved fault control strategy for virtual synchronous generator with the coordination of STATCOM during unbalanced fault

AbstractThe virtual synchronous generator (VSG) is a good solution for stabilizing the power system with high penetration of renewable energy. However, in case of serious unbalanced voltage disturbance/fault, the conventional VSG may lose voltage, inertia, and damping support characteristics to the grid and even can cause disconnection of renewable energy. This paper proposes an improved fault control strategy for VSG with the coordination of STATCOM. The proposed method can provide sufficient voltage support while keeping continuous system inertia and damping support under severe unbalanced fault. In the paper, an improved VSG and STATCOM control topology based on positive and negative sequence current control are first proposed so as to keep the damping and inertia support to grid during the grid fault. Secondly, the voltage support control method for the VSG with improved topology during unbalanced fault is introduced, which can achieve multiple control objectives, in terms of voltage support, current limitation, and active power output simultaneously. Then a coordination control scheme of improved VSG and STATCOM is developed so as to optimize the maximum control objectives in all possible scenarios, especially in the case of severe unbalanced fault. Finally, the effectiveness of the method is verified by using the MATLAB/SIMULINK simulation platform.

Research on Virtual Synchronous Generator with Frequency Error Free Control

A virtual synchronous generator control strategy based on the power angle characteristics of synchronous generators is designed for the independent distributed generation system. The control strategy designed has good stability, and realizes the zero difference control of the virtual synchronous generator frequency. The virtual synchronous generators can coordinate the power output in real-time, and show good stability in single-machine operation and multiple parallel operations. Finally, the effectiveness of the designed control strategy is verified by Matlab/Simulink simulation.

A Modified VSG Control Scheme With Virtual Resistance to Enhance Both Small-Signal Stability and Transient Synchronization Stability

The existing studies show that the virtual resistance scheme has positive effects on synchronous resonance (SR) suppression but negative effects on transient synchronization stability of virtual synchronous generator (VSG). To address this contradiction, this article proposes a modified VSG control scheme. The basic idea is that the virtual active power at virtual PCC, instead of real active power, is introduced as the power feedback into the control loop. Then, the effect of virtual resistance on transient stability can be equivalent to that of grid resistance, which improves transient stability. Besides, a proportion integral controller is added at the forward loop to control the real active power to track the power reference. Compared with the existing VSG control methods, the modified VSG control scheme can well solve the conflict caused by virtual resistance between small-signal stability and transient stability. The effectiveness and superiority of the proposed method are verified by CHIL experimental results.

Improved artificial jellyfish search algorithm: virtual synchronous generator control strategy

This study aims to solve the problem of optimal performance parameter selection of the virtual synchronous generator (VSG) control strategy using an improved artificial jellyfish search (IMJS) algorithm. VSG technology helps the inverter to improve the anti-disturbance ability. The VSG control effect depends on the setting of its performance parameter values. The population initialization strategy and dynamic adaptive factor are used to improve the optimization ability of the artificial jellyfish search algorithm. The IMJS algorithm is used to optimize the VSG, and a control strategy for the VSG based on the IMJS (IMJS-VSG) is proposed to improve the control capability. The results show that the active power achieves smooth changes without oscillations under the IMJS-VSG control strategy when the system is running in grid-connected operation. The system voltage drop under the IMJS-VSG strategy is less than 40% of the VSG strategy when the system is in an islanded operation state.

An adaptive VSG control strategy of battery energy storage system for power system frequency stability enhancement

With the steady deployment of intermittent generation, the inertia of the grid decreases, and the stability problem is becoming increasingly critical within system operation. The virtual synchronous generator (VSG) control is a means to control battery energy storage systems (BESS) to retain the dynamics of conventional synchronous generators and ensure a smooth transition toward converter-dominated power systems. Since the parameters in the VSG control can be varied, it can be turned to be an alternative to obtain an optimal response for the overall performance of frequency when the operating conditions change. In this paper, the adaptive VSG control is proposed to improve the dynamic characteristic of active power at a certain capacity. For this purpose, firstly, the electromechanical transient model of BESS based on VSG control is built. Afterward, the effect of inertia under grid disturbance by transfer function is analyzed, and the influence of key parameters on dynamic stability is identified. Finally, the proposed adaptive VSG control is verified in the modified IEEE 4-machine 2-area system and an actual power grid example. The simulation results show the effectiveness and great potential of this model in improving frequency stability.

Improved virtual synchronous generator control strategy for the flexible interconnection system in distribution transformer areas

• An improved virtual synchronous generator control strategy is proposed for the flexible interconnection system. • The DC side impedance small signal model is built. • The stability of the flexible interconnection system is analyzed mathematically. • The controller hardware-in-the-loop experiment is designed for verification. The flexible interconnection system (FIS) in the distribution transformer areas containing high-penetration distributed photovoltaics plays a significant role in balancing the load and improving new energy consumption. This paper proposes an improved virtual synchronous generator (VSG) control strategy for the FIS. Firstly, the impedance small signal model of the FIS is developed for analyzing the influence of the conventional VSG control strategy on the stability margin of the FIS in the case of bidirectional power flow. Then, the improved VSG control strategy is proposed based on the analysis, which can improve the stability of the FIS in the negative power direction. Finally, the controller hardware-in-loop experiments of the FIS verify the effectiveness of the proposed improved VSG control strategy.

Online Grid Impedance Estimation-Based Adaptive Control of Virtual Synchronous Generators Considering Strong and Weak Grid Conditions

The conventional virtual synchronous generator (VSG) is typically designed to meet certain operational and control requirements in the islanded mode. However, once the VSG is switched to grid-connected mode (GCM), the robust operation cannot be guaranteed under different grid conditions. It can lead to poor dynamic performance, especially in strong grids, such as significant oscillation, long settling time, and large overshoot. To improve the VSG performance in the GCM, this article first analyzes in depth the inherent coupling between the active and reactive power and its dependence on grid conditions, such as the short circuit ratio and the grid impedance ratio. Subsequently, an adaptive VSG (AVSG) control strategy based on online grid impedance estimation is proposed to ensure robust operation of the VSG considering both strong and weak grid conditions. This technique allows the operator to specify the desired settling time of the output power and damping ratio. To estimate the grid impedance in real time without additional hardware and reduce the associated impacts on power quality, an online event-based grid impedance estimation algorithm is embedded in the control loop of the AVSG. The simulation and experimental results indicate that, compared with the conventional fixed-parameters-based controller design method, the AVSG exhibits desired performance such as no oscillation, specified time duration for the settling time, and minimal overshoot regardless of the grid conditions.

Inertial imitation method of MMC with hybrid topology for VSC-HVDC.

A new virtual synchronous generator (VSG) control strategy was researched and proposed for a VSC-HVDC (High Voltage Direct Current Based on Voltage Source Converter) transmission system. It can be applied to half-bridge or full-half-bridge hybrid topology modular multi-level converter (MMC) to improve the stability and reliability of the system. First, it is proposed that the energy stored in the equivalent capacitor of MMC power module was used to imitate the rotor inertial of synchronous generator. It can buffer transient power fluctuations and synchronize autonomously with the grid. Then the impedance characteristics of the proposed control method have been deduced and analyzed. The results show that the VSG control loop mainly improves the low frequency characteristics of the converter. Secondly, the ability to suppress transient fault current is weak. So, a method, that the given values of inner current loop are calculated by grid impedance matrix, was used. A double closed loop control structure composed by a power outer loop based on VSG control and a current inner loop is obtained. The simulation results show that it can effectively improve the current control capability during the transient process for systems with a 1:2 ratio of converter capacity to grid capacity (The grid short-circuit capacity is 60MW and the MMC is 30 MW). Finally, a hybrid MMC simulation model was built based on PSCAD and the steady-state and transient fault ride-through simulations were performed. The power adjustment time of MMC under the proposed VSG control is about 1s, while the adjustment time under the conventional control strategy is greater than 4s.

SOC Balanced Power Distribution Control Strategy of a DC–DC Converter with Virtual Synchronous Generator

The DC microgrid does not need to consider frequency when accessing distributed energy, but the distributed energy access port does not have inertia and damping characteristics, so there are problems of voltage instability and power fluctuation. In this paper, the bidirectional DC–DC converter is the main object; based on the virtual synchronous generator (VSG) control strategy, the inertia regulation is added to adjust the bus voltage dynamically. In addition, a balancing strategy is proposed to ensure the balanced distribution of the state of charge (SOC) and power for multiple batteries. Finally, a simulink is built to prove the viability and availability of the VSG control strategy.