Coupled power generators require stability buffers in addition to inertia

TL;DR

This paper investigates the stability challenges of coupled power generators with virtual synchronous generators (VSGs), revealing limits on VSG deployment and proposing stability storage as a solution for maintaining grid stability in renewable energy scenarios.

Contribution

It uncovers the existence of an optimal and maximum number of VSGs for stable operation and introduces the concept of stability storage as a decentralized buffering mechanism.

Findings

High system inertia does not guarantee stability with VSGs.

There is an optimal and maximum number of VSGs that can be supported.

Stability storage can effectively buffer energy imbalances and enhance grid stability.

Abstract

Increasing the inertia is widely considered to be the solution to resolving unstable interactions between coupled oscillators. In power grids, Virtual Synchronous Generators (VSGs) are proposed to compensate the reducing inertia as rotating synchronous generators are being phased out. Yet, modeling how VSGs and rotating generators simultaneously contribute energy and inertia, we surprisingly find that instabilities of a small-signal nature could arise despite fairly high system inertia. Importantly, we show there exist both an optimal and a maximum number of such VSGs that can be safely supported, a previously unknown result directly useful for power utilities in long-term planning and prosumer contracting. Meanwhile, to resolve instabilities in the short term, we argue that the new market should include another commodity that we call stability storage, whereby -- analogous to energy storage buffering energy imbalances -- VSGs act as decentralized stability buffers. While demonstrating the effectiveness of this concept for a wide range of energy futures, we provide policymakers and utilities with a roadmap towards achieving a 100% renewable grid.