On the damping of power systems during inverter-based blackstart

TL;DR

This paper analyzes the spectral properties of unloaded transmission lines and the impact of voltage controllers on damping, proposing high-level requirements for grid-forming inverters during early grid restoration.

Contribution

It provides a spectral analysis of unloaded transmission lines and links voltage controller effects to damping, informing grid-forming inverter requirements during blackstart.

Findings

Unloaded transmission lines exhibit specific spectral characteristics.

Voltage controllers significantly influence system damping.

Proposed high-level requirements improve damping during early restoration.

Abstract

The massive deployment of inverter-based generation poses several challenges to system operators but also offers new opportunities. In the context of grid recovery, inverter-based generation is expected to take over new responsibilities, as conventional generation that are blackstart capable are being decommissioned. Inverter-based facilities, being very flexible and controllable, have the ability to contribute during grid restoration, although it is still unclear how to deal with the limited ratings of batteries, PV, etc. and how to address nonlinear effects such as inrush currents or harmonics. In this direction, the requirements of grid-forming inverters to comply with black start capabilities are still to be defined. During the first steps of a grid restoration process the dynamics of the grid largely vary from the grid behaviour under normal operation. In particular, the grid is nearly unloaded and therefore poorly damped. Indeed, overvoltages and resonances are a common concern during the energization of long transmission lines. In this work we analyse the spectral properties of unloaded transmission lines, and describe the impact of voltage controllers on the damping of the system. As a byproduct, this analysis can be leveraged to propose high level requirements for grid-forming devices, in order to provide adequate damping during the early stages of a grid restoration process.