Grid-Forming Power Inverters: Control and Applications is the first book dedicated to addressing the operation principles, grid codes, modelling and control of grid-forming power inverters. The book initially discusses the need for this technology due to the substantial annual integration of inverter-based renewable energy resources. The key differences between the traditional grid-following and the emerging grid-forming inverters technologies are explained. Then, the book explores in detail various topics related to grid-forming power inverters, including requirements and grid standards, modelling, control, damping power system oscillations, dynamic stability under large fault events, virtual oscillator-controlled grid-forming inverters, grid-forming inverters interfacing battery energy storage, and islanded operation of grid-forming inverters. Features: Explains the key differences between grid-following and grid-forming inverters Explores the requirements and grid standards for grid-forming inverters Provides detailed modeming of virtual synchronous generators Explains various control strategies for grid-forming inverters Investigates damping of power system oscillations using grid-forming converters Elaborates on the dynamic stability of grid-forming inverters under large fault events Focuses on practical applications

Integrating renewable energy and other distributed energy sources into smart grids, often via power inverters, is arguably the largest “new frontier” for smart grid advancements. Inverters should be controlled properly so that their integration does not jeopardize the stability and performance of power systems and a solid technical backbone is formed to facilitate other functions and services of smart grids. This unique reference offers systematic treatment of important control problems in power inverters, and different general converter theories. Starting at a basic level, it presents conventional power conversion methodologies and then ‘non-conventional’ methods, with a highly accessible summary of the latest developments in power inverters as well as insight into the grid connection of renewable power. Consisting of four parts – Power Quality Control, Neutral Line Provision, Power Flow Control, and Synchronisation – this book fully demonstrates the integration of control and power electronics. Key features include: the fundamentals of power processing and hardware design innovative control strategies to systematically treat the control of power inverters extensive experimental results for most of the control strategies presented the pioneering work on “synchronverters” which has gained IET Highly Commended Innovation Award Engineers working on inverter design and those at power system utilities can learn how advanced control strategies could improve system performance and work in practice. The book is a useful reference for researchers who are interested in the area of control engineering, power electronics, renewable energy and distributed generation, smart grids, flexible AC transmission systems, and power systems for more-electric aircraft and all-electric ships. This is also a handy text for graduate students and university professors in the areas of electrical power engineering, advanced control engineering, power electronics, renewable energy and smart grid integration.

The character of modern power systems is changing rapidly and inverters are taking over a considerable part of the energy generation. A future purely inverter-based grid could be a viable solution, if its technical feasibility can be first validated. The focus of this work lies on inverter dominated microgrids, which are also mentioned as 'hybrid' in several instances throughout the thesis. Hybrid, as far as the energy input of each generator is concerned. Conventional fossil fuel based generators are connected in parallel to renewable energy sources as well as battery systems. The main contributions of this work comprise of: The analysis of detailed models and control structures of grid inverters, synchronous generators and battery packs and the utilization of these models to formulate control strategies for distributed generators. The developed strategies accomplish objectives in a wide time scale, from maintaining stability during faults and synchronization transients as well as optimizing load flow through communication-free distributed control. Die Struktur der modernen Energieversorgung hat sich in den letzten Jahrzehnten massiv geändert. Dezentrale Generatoren, die auf Wechselrichtern basieren, übernehmen einen großen Teil der Energieerzeugung. Ein ausschließlich wechselrichterbasiertes Netz wäre ein realistischer Ansatz, wenn seine technische Machbarkeit verifiziert werden könnte. Die wichtigste Beiträge dieser Arbeit sind: Die Analyse von Modellen und Regelstrukturen von Netzwechselrichtern, Synchrongeneratoren und Batterieanlagen. Die entwickelten Modelle werden verwendet, um Regelstrategien für dezentrale Generatoren in Mittelspannungsinselnetzen zu formulieren. Die erste Strategie ist eine Synchronisationsmethode für netzbildende Wechselrichter. Zweitens wird die Leistungsaufteilung in Mittelspannungsinselnetzen mittels Droop Regelung analysiert. Weiterhin erfolgt die Untersuchung der transienten Lastaufteilung zwischen netzbildenden Einheiten mit unterschiedlichen Zeitkonstanten. Beim Betrieb mehrerer paralleler Wechselrichter wird der Einfluss der Netzimpedanz auf die transiente Lastaufteilung analysiert. Die dritte entworfene Regelstrategie umfasst die Integration der Sekundärregelung in die Primärregelung. Der Ladezustand von Batterien wird mit der Lastaufteilung gekoppelt, um die Autonomie des Netzes zu stärken. Abschließend wird eine Kurzschlussstrategie für netzbildende und netzspeisende Wechselrichter entwickelt. Ziel der Strategie ist die Maximierung des Kurzschlussstromes. Als zusätzliche Randbedingung soll keine Kommunikation zwischen Generatoren stattfinden.

Inverters using phase-locked loops for control depend on voltages generated by synchronous machines to operate. This might be problematic if much of the conventional generation fleet is displaced by inverters. To solve this problem, grid-forming control for inverters has been proposed as being capable of autonomously regulating grid voltages and frequency. Presently, the performance of bulk power systems with massive penetrations of grid-forming inverters has not been thoroughly studied to elucidate benefits. Hence, this paper presents inverter models with two grid-forming strategies: virtual oscillator control and droop control. The two models are specifically developed to be used in positive-sequence simulation packages and have been implemented in PSLF. The implementations are used to study the performance of bulk power grids incorporating inverters with grid-forming capability. Specifically, simulations are conducted on a modified IEEE 39-bus test system and the micro-WECC test system with varying levels of synchronous and inverter-based generation. The dynamic performance of the tested systems with grid-forming inverters during contingency events is better than cases with only synchronous generation.

NREL's Power Electronic Grid Interface (PEGI) Workshop, held October 13, 2020, focused on the research challenges of operating power systems with ever-higher levels of inverter-based generation and power-electronic-based load. This presentation discusses grid-forming inverters and enabling the next generation grid.

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