Grid-following and Grid-forming Switching Control for Grid-connected Inverters Considering Small-signal Security Region

TL;DR

This paper develops a comprehensive small-signal stability analysis and a novel switching control strategy for grid-connected inverters that switch between grid-following and grid-forming modes, enhancing security and robustness in renewable power systems.

Contribution

It introduces a full-order small-signal model, defines the security region, and proposes a new stability index for improved GFL-GFM switching control.

Findings

The small-signal security region is precisely characterized.

The stability index effectively guides switching decisions.

Simulations validate improved system robustness and security.

Abstract

In high-penetration renewable power systems with complex and highly variable operating scenarios, grid-connected inverters (GCIs) may transition between different control modes to adapt to diverse grid conditions. Among these, the switching between grid-following (GFL) and grid-forming (GFM) control modes is particularly critical. Nevertheless, safe and robust GFL-GFM switching control strategies for GCIs remain largely unexplored. To overcome this challenge, this paper establishes a full-order small-signal state-space model for the GFL-GFM switched system, precisely reflecting all internal circuit and control dynamics. Subsequently, the small-signal security region (SSSR) of the switched system is defined and characterized, followed by an in-depth investigation into the multi-parameter impacts on the SSSRs and internal stability margin distributions (ISMDs). Furthermore, a novel comprehensive stability index (CSI) is proposed by integrating the stability margin, parameter sensitivity, and boundary distance. Based on this CSI, a multi-objective adaptive GFL-GFM switching control strategy is designed to guarantee the dynamic security and robustness of the system. Finally, the proposed SSSR analysis method for the GFL-GFM switched system and the designed CSI-based switching control mechanism are validated through electromagnetic transient (EMT) simulations.