Accelerated Transformer Energization Sequence for Inverter Based Resources in Black-Start Procedures with Active Flux Trajectory Manipulation in the Stationary Reference Frame

TL;DR

This paper introduces advanced soft-magnetization techniques for ultra-fast, reliable black-start of grid-forming converters, effectively eliminating flux offset, reducing inrush and surge currents, and ensuring safe operation within one cycle.

Contribution

It proposes a novel active voltage shaping method and an enhanced spiral soft-magnetization approach to improve transformer energization in inverter-based resources during black-start procedures.

Findings

Achieves transformer energization within one cycle.

Effectively suppresses inrush and surge currents.

Ensures safe and stable GFM converter start-up.

Abstract

This paper proposes advanced soft-magnetization techniques to enable ultra-fast and reliable black-start of grid-forming (GFM) converters. Conventional hard-magnetization with well-established three-phase voltages during transformer energization induces severe inrush currents due to flux offset, which can damage power semiconductor devices. To overcome this drawback, an ultra-fast soft-magnetization method is firstly introduced, leveraging the voltage programmability of the inverter to actively reshape the initial voltage profile and thereby eliminate flux offset of the transformer core. By suppressing the formation of flux offset itself, the proposed approach prevents magnetic saturation and achieves nominal terminal voltage within a few milliseconds while effectively suppressing inrush current. However, this method can still trigger surge currents to power semiconductor devices in the presence of an LC filter due to abrupt voltage magnitude and phase transitions. To address this issue, an enhanced Archimedean spiral soft-magnetization method is developed, where both voltage magnitude and phase evolve smoothly to simultaneously suppress inrush and surge currents. Furthermore, residual flux in the transformer core is considered, and a demagnetization sequence using the inverter is validated to ensure reliable start-up. Experimental results confirm that the proposed methods achieve rapid black-start performance within one fundamental cycle while ensuring safe and stable operation of GFM converters.