Power-balancing dual-port grid-forming power converter control for renewable integration and hybrid AC/DC power systems

TL;DR

This paper introduces a novel dual-port grid-forming control strategy for dc/ac converters that enhances stability and compatibility in hybrid power systems with renewable energy sources.

Contribution

It proposes a unified, stable control method for hybrid AC/DC systems that integrates grid-forming and grid-following functions and is compatible with various power sources.

Findings

Stability conditions applicable to hybrid ac/dc networks and various generator types.

The control strategy is backward compatible with conventional generation.

Validation through detailed case studies confirms effectiveness.

Abstract

In this work, we investigate grid-forming (GFM) control for dc/ac power converters in emerging power systems that contain ac and dc networks, renewable generation, and conventional generation. We propose a novel power-balancing GFM control strategy that simultaneously forms the converter ac and dc voltage (i.e., dual-port GFM), unifies standard grid-following (GFL) and GFM functions, and is backwards compatible with conventional machine-based generation. Notably, in contrast to state-of-the-art control architectures that use a mix of grid-forming and grid-following control, dual-port GFM control can be used independently of the converter power source or network configuration. Our main contribution are stability conditions that cover emerging hybrid ac/dc networks as well as machines and converters with and without controlled power source, that only require knowledge of the system topology. Finally, a detailed case study is used to illustrate and validate the results.