Differences in Small-Signal Stability Boundaries Between Aggregated and Granular DFIG Models

TL;DR

This paper compares small-signal stability boundaries between detailed and aggregated DFIG wind farm models, revealing significant differences that impact stability assessments.

Contribution

It introduces a D-decomposition-based method to analyze stability regions and highlights how aggregation can mislead stability evaluations.

Findings

Aggregated models show different stability region shapes compared to granular models.

Critical modes and stability boundary evolution differ between models.

Aggregation may lead to inaccurate stability margin judgments.

Abstract

Broadband oscillations in wind farms have been widely reported in recent years. Past studies have examined various types of oscillations in wind farms, relating small-signal stability to control settings, operating conditions, and electrical parameters. However, most analyses are performed on aggregated single-unit models, which may deviate from the true behavior, leading to misleading stability assessments. To investigate how aggregation affects stability conclusions, this paper develops detailed single-, two-, and three-unit doubly-fed induction generator (DFIG) models and their aggregated counterparts. Then, a D-decomposition-related ray-extrapolation method is proposed to characterize the small-signal stability region of nonlinear DFIG models in the parameter space, delineating stability boundaries under numerous parameter combinations. The study reveals that aggregated models stability regions within the parameter planes of control settings and operating conditions differ from those of granular models in terms of basic shape, critical modes, and evolution patterns, posing a risk of misjudging stability margins.