Grid-forming control for solar PV systems with power reserves
File(s)Paper_TSTE_PV GFC_Early access.pdf (3.16 MB)
Accepted version
Author(s)
Pawar, Bandopant
Batzelis, Efstratios
Chakrabarti, Saikat
Pal, Bikash Chandra
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
This paper presents a grid-forming control (GFC) scheme for two-stage photovoltaic (PV) systems that maintains power reserves by operating below the maximum power point (MPP). The PV plant in GFC mode behaves like a voltage source that supports the grid during disturbances in full or limited grid-forming mode as per the reserve availability. This is a model-free method that avoids the estimation of MPP power in real-time commonly done in the literature, which makes it simpler and more reliable. The proposed control also features an enhanced current limitation scheme that guarantees containment of the current overshoots during faults, which is not trivial in voltage-sourced GFC inverters. A thorough investigation is done, exploring various generation mixtures of synchronous machines (SM), GFC and grid-following (GFL) inverters, and all common disturbances, e.g., load change, faults and irradiance transients. The results show very favorable dynamic performance by the GFC inverters, far superior to GFL inverters and directly comparable to SMs. It is found that replacing SMs with GFC inverters may improve the frequency profile and terminal voltage during disturbances, despite losing out in the mechanical inertia and the strict inverter overcurrent limits.
Date Issued
2021-10
Date Acceptance
2021-04-01
Citation
IEEE Transactions on Sustainable Energy, 2021, 12 (4), pp.1947-1959
ISSN
1949-3029
Publisher
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)
Start Page
1947
End Page
1959
Journal / Book Title
IEEE Transactions on Sustainable Energy
Volume
12
Issue
4
Copyright Statement
© 2021 IEEE. Personal use of this material is permitted. Permission from IEEE must be obtained for all other uses, in any current or future media, including reprinting/republishing this material for advertising or promotional purposes, creating new collective works, for resale or redistribution to servers or lists, or reuse of any copyrighted component of this work in other works.
Sponsor
Engineering & Physical Science Research Council (E
Identifier
https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/9408416
Grant Number
J15119 - PO:500174140
Subjects
0906 Electrical and Electronic Engineering
0915 Interdisciplinary Engineering
Publication Status
Published
Date Publish Online
2021-04-01