Ambuj Gupta

Ambuj Gupta, Balarko Chaudhuri, Mark O'Malley

As power systems transition toward inverter-based resource (IBR)-dominated grids, traditional system strength definitions and metrics are becoming increasingly inadequate to characterize upcoming stability challenges. Emerging definitions characterize system strength in terms of "voltage source behind impedance (VSBI)" characteristics. Similarly, Grid-ForMing (GFM) IBRs are expected to contribute voltage stiffness by exhibiting near-constant VSBI characteristics in the (sub-)transient time frame. To quantify VSBI characteristics as a measure of system strength or grid-forming capability, this paper proposes the Jacobian Voltage Stiffness Metric (JVSM), derived from the frequency-domain Jacobian. JVSM provides a measure of both small-signal voltage magnitude and phase-angle stiffness. JVSM is demonstrated to serve as a compliance criterion for evaluating the VSBI characteristics of GFM IBRs. When applied for grid strength assessment, it more effectively identifies small-signal stability problems than state-of-the-art strength metrics. The proposed JVSM is validated through electromagnetic transient simulation case studies using the National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR, formerly NREL) and WECC-approved industry-standard GFM IBR models and on a modified IEEE 39-bus system.

Ambuj Gupta, Muhammad Sharjeel Javaid, Balarko Chaudhuri et al.

Grid-ForMing Inverters (GFMIs) are expected to provide voltage stiffness to the grid. Explicitly, system operators (SOs) and regulators expect GFMIs to behave like a "voltage source behind impedance (VSBI)" in the (sub)-transient time frame. SOs assess this VSBI characteristic of GFMIs during compliance by defining a pass-fail time-domain criterion. This is done by evaluating the GFMIs' active (or reactive) power/current response to step changes in voltage phase (and magnitude) at its terminals. However, this approach is prone to errors due to poorly defined measurement specifications for very fast (less than a cycle) transients. To address this, this work proposes a compliance criterion for the VSBI characteristic of GFMIs in the frequency domain based on elements of the frequency-domain Jacobian. The compliance criterion is defined in terms of the minimum expected P(s)/θ(s) and Q(s)/V(s) Bode plot characteristics across a specific frequency range. The equivalence between the time-domain and frequency-domain criteria is established. The proposed method is demonstrated by assessing the compliance of generic NLR (formerly NREL) GFMI models in PSCAD. Furthermore, the impact of GFMI compliance on the small-signal stability of the IEEE 39-bus bulk-power system is demonstrated.

Ambuj Gupta, Balarko Chaudhuri, Mark O'Malley

The widely accepted definition of grid-forming (GFM) inverter states that it should behave as a (nearly) constant voltage source behind an impedance by maintaining a (nearly) constant internal voltage phasor in the sub-transient to transient time frame. Some system operators further mandate permissible ranges for this effective impedance. However, these specifications do not clearly define the location of the internal voltage source, and no systematic method exists to quantify its effective impedance for a black-box GFM model. To address this, we first compare the transient responses of an ideal voltage source and a GFM to show that an idealistic GFM maintains a (nearly) constant voltage across the filter capacitor, rather than at the inverter switches. Then we propose a systematic method to quantify the effective impedance of a GFM from its black-box model using frequency-domain admittance plots. Using standard PSCAD GFM models developed by NLR (formerly NREL), we demonstrate that the GFM's equivalent impedance model captures the sub-transient response and static voltage stability limit accurately. Further, replacing the GFM with the proposed equivalent circuit model in the modified IEEE-39 bus system is shown to reproduce the small-signal stability characteristics with reasonable accuracy.

Muhammad Sharjeel Javaid, Gabriel Covarrubias Maureira, Ambuj Gupta et al.

Power systems with high penetration of inverter-based resources (IBRs) are prone to sub-synchronous oscillations (SSO). The opaqueness of vendor-specific IBR models limits the ability to predict the severity and the spread of SSO. This paper demonstrates that black-box IBR models estimated through frequency-domain identification techniques, along with dynamic network model can replicate the actual oscillatory behavior. The estimated IBR models are validated against actual IBR models in a closed-loop multi-IBR test system through modal analysis by comparing closed-loop eigenvalues, and participation factors. Furthermore, using output-observable right eigenvectors, spatial heatmaps are developed to visualize the spread and severity of dominant SSO modes. The case studies on the 11-bus and 39-bus test systems confirm that even with the estimated IBR models, the regions susceptible to SSO can be identified in IBR-dominated power systems.