Dynamic Stability Assessment of Grid-Connected Data Centers Powered by Small Modular Reactors

TL;DR

This paper develops a dynamic stability model for grid-connected data centers powered by Small Modular Reactors (SMRs), demonstrating improved grid stability and reliability through integrated energy systems with battery storage.

Contribution

It introduces a novel integrated energy system model combining SMRs and batteries for data centers, with comprehensive stability analysis and real-time demand modeling.

Findings

Enhanced voltage and frequency stability during faults

Reduced disturbance deviations in grid parameters

Improved post-fault recovery performance

Abstract

The accelerating growth of computational demand in modern data centers has further heightened the need for power infrastructures that are highly reliable, environmentally sustainable, and capable of supporting grid stability. Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) as a clean source of energy are particularly attractive for next-generation hyperscale data centers with significant electrical and cooling demands. This paper presents a comprehensive dynamic modeling and stability analysis of a grid-connected Integrated Energy System (IES) designed for data center applications. The proposed IES integrates an SMR and a battery energy storage system to jointly supply electricity for computational and cooling load while providing stability support to the main grid. A coupled computational-thermal load model is developed to capture the real-time power demand of the data center, incorporating CPU utilization, cooling efficiency, and ambient temperature effects. The integrated SMR-powered data center model is implemented in PSSE and tested on the IEEE 118-bus system under various fault scenarios. Simulation results demonstrate that the IES substantially enhances voltage and frequency stability compared to a conventionally grid-connected data center, minimizing disturbance-induced deviations and improving post-fault recovery.