The Intrinsic Communication in Power Systems: A New Perspective to Understand Synchronization Stability

TL;DR

This paper introduces a novel perspective by modeling power system synchronization as a communication process, providing a unified theory to analyze stability in modern, converter-rich power grids.

Contribution

It establishes a power-communication isomorphism that unifies synchronization analysis for heterogeneous power devices, addressing challenges in current power grid configurations.

Findings

The theory explains different power control speeds of devices.

It highlights the role of network line dynamics in synchronization.

Verification on IEEE 68-bus system confirms the theory's validity.

Abstract

Synchronization is an essential element in three-phase ac electric power systems. The large-scale integration of converter-interfaced resources leads to the power grid transformation from voltage-source-dominated to voltage-current-source-composite, which also raises new challenges to model and analyze the system synchronization. In this article, we present the intrinsic analogy of a power system to a communication system, which is here called power-communication isomorphism. Based on this isomorphism, we revisit power system synchronization stability from a communication perspective and thereby establish a theory that unifies the synchronization dynamics of heterogeneous power apparatuses. In particular, the proposed theory is used to interpret and analyze, for example, the different power control speeds of power apparatuses; the role of network line dynamics in synchronization analysis; and the synchronization capability of current-source-dominated (e.g., grid-following-converter-dominated) grids. The findings are verified on the IEEE 68-bus test system.