Distributed Energy and

Smart Grid 4 / MSc

Distributed Energy
Resources
and Smart Grids
Week 10 – Grid Challenges
Session 3 – Grid Inertia

Chapter X
10.3.1
Grid Challenges
 Distributed Energy and
Smart Grid 4 / MSc

Grid Frequency

Chapter X
10.3.2
Grid Challenges
 Distributed Energy and
Smart Grid 4 / MSc
SYNCHRONOUS MACHINE

Grid Frequency 50 Hz
49.5 Hz 50.5 Hz

Generation Demand

𝜔𝑅
Generator

Chapter X
10.3.3
Grid Challenges
 Distributed Energy and FREQUENCY EVENT
Smart Grid 4 / MSc CLASSIC GENERATION
Grid Frequency 50 Hz
49.5 Hz 50.5 Hz

Generation Demand

𝜔𝑅
Frequency
Event Generator
Nominal Grid Frequency (Hz)

RoCoF
Grid Frequency (Hz)

Steady-
Frequency State
Nadir

< 10 s 10-30 s 10-30 min >30 min

Inertia Governor Response Automatic Generation Control Reserve Deployment
Response Primary Response Secondary Response Tertiary Response

Chapter X
10.3.4
Grid Challenges
 Distributed Energy and
Smart Grid 4 / MSc
EXAMPLE OF FREQUENCY EVENT

• Detail of Frequency changes in Response to IFA2 on 7 July 2021

50.05

50.00

49.95

49.90

49.85

49.80

49.75

49.70

Chapter X
10.3.5
Grid Challenges
 Distributed Energy and
Smart Grid 4 / MSc
EVOLVING GENERATION

• Declining synchronous generation Relative Inertia [s]

• Reduces voltage control Combustion Turbine
Combined Cycle
• Reduces SCR Nuclear
• Reduces system inertia Gas Steam Turbine
Hydro
• Inertia: 𝐽 𝑀𝑉𝐴. 𝑠 = 𝑃𝑛𝑜𝑚 𝑀𝑉𝐴 × 𝐻 𝑠 PV
Pnom = Nominal power of the generator 0 2 4 6
H = Relative inertia of the generator Data from: Johnson et al.,
𝐻𝑧 𝐹𝑛𝑜𝑚 𝐼𝑚𝑏𝑎𝑙𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑀𝑊
• Rate of Change of Frequency: 𝑅𝑜𝐶𝑜𝐹 𝑠
=
2
×
𝐼𝑛𝑒𝑟𝑡𝑖𝑎 𝑀𝑉𝐴.𝑠
‘Evaluating rotational inertia as a
component of grid reliability with
high penetrations of variable
renewable energy’, Energy, 2019,

Fernandez-Guillamo, ‘A Power systems with high renewable energy sources: A review of inertia and frequency control
strategies over time’, Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, November 2019

Chapter X
10.3.6
Grid Challenges
 Distributed Energy and
Smart Grid 4 / MSc

Synchronous Condensers

Chapter X
10.3.7
Grid Challenges
 Distributed Energy and
Smart Grid 4 / MSc
SYNCHRONOUS CONDENSER

• Large spinning mass provides inertia

THE PHOENIX PROJECT
• Quick deployment
• Angle stability
• Hybrid SC versions

Standalone Hybrid SC Hybrid SC + Blackstart

SP Energy Networks, “Phoenix- System Security and Synchronous Condenser, Progress Report 2017” and
“International Review report” both available: https://www.spenergynetworks.co.uk/pages/phoenix.aspx
Own picture on site of Phoenix project
Chapter X
10.3.8
Grid Challenges
 Distributed Energy and
Smart Grid 4 / MSc

Virtual Inertia

Acknowledgement to Agatha Williams-Kelly for the initial literature review

Chapter X
10.3.9
Grid Challenges
 Distributed Energy and
Smart Grid 4 / MSc
POWER ELECTRONICS

• Control power converter to emulate inertia

• Power converter becomes synchronverter
• Control based on PLL or PLL-less

• Different levels of services

• Grid following
• Grid forming Control
• Synchronous Grid Forming Converter
• Virtual Synchronous Machine

• Synchronverter vs Synchronous Generator

• Lower max power but faster
• Provision of energy?
Cigre, ‘TF-77 VSC HVDC Converters as Virtual Synchronous Machine’, CIGRE, Sep. 30, 2019.
https://www.cigre.org/article//tf-77-vsc-hvdc-converters-as-virtual-synchronous-machine (accessed Jul. 30, 2020).

Chapter X
10.3.10
Grid Challenges
 Distributed Energy and
Smart Grid 4 / MSc
SYNCHRONVERTER

• Based on Swing Equation: Pin = Shaft input power in pu

Pe = Electrical output power in pu
𝐻 𝑑2 𝛿 𝜔𝑚 −𝜔𝑔 H = inertia of the Generator
• 𝑃𝑖𝑛 − 𝑃𝑒 = × + 𝐷 × 𝑆𝑏𝑎𝑠𝑒 × δ = The angular displacement in Radians
𝜋𝑓 𝑑𝑡 2 𝜔0
D = damping factor
𝜔𝑚 = Virtual rotor Angular frequency
𝜔𝑔 = Measured System frequency
𝜔0 = Nominal angular frequency

Q. Zhong and G. Weiss, "Synchronverters: Inverters That Mimic Synchronous Generators," in IEEE Transactions on
Industrial Electronics, vol. 58, no. 4, pp. 1259-1267, April 2011, doi: 10.1109/TIE.2010.2048839.

Chapter X
10.3.11
Grid Challenges
 Distributed Energy and
Smart Grid 4 / MSc

• Great Britain Grid Forming – Best Practice Guide:

https://www.nationalgrideso.com/document/2784
91/download

Chapter X
10.3.12
Grid Challenges
 Distributed Energy and
Smart Grid 4 / MSc

Energy Sources for VSM

Chapter X
10.3.13
Grid Challenges
 Distributed Energy and
Smart Grid 4 / MSc
WIND TURBINES

• Wind Turbines store inertia in rotating blades

• Extra power comes at cost of optimal rotor speed

Frequency
Nadir

J. Fang, H. Li, Y. Tang and F. Blaabjerg, "On the Inertia of Future More-Electronics Power Systems," in IEEE Journal of Emerging
and Selected Topics in Power Electronics, vol. 7, no. 4, pp. 2130-2146, Dec. 2019, doi: 10.1109/JESTPE.2018.2877766.

Chapter X
10.3.14
Grid Challenges
 Distributed Energy and
Smart Grid 4 / MSc

Changing Grid Codes

Chapter X
10.3.15
Grid Challenges
 Distributed Energy and
Smart Grid 4 / MSc
VIRTUAL INERTIA

AC Grid
Synchronous
Synchronverter Machine

Renewable
Generation Classic
Generation
Virtual Classic
Inertia Inertia

Converter Governor
Control Control
Energy Storage
System
Operator
Ramping Fast
Virtual Classic
Power Frequency
Reserves Inertia Services
Services

Chapter X
10.3.16
Grid Challenges
 Distributed Energy and
Smart Grid 4 / MSc
THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION

Chapter X
10.3.17
Grid Challenges