A PLL-Free Grid-Forming Control With Decoupled Functionalities For High-Power Transmission System Applications
A PLL-Free Grid-Forming Control With Decoupled Functionalities For High-Power Transmission System Applications
ABSTRACT This paper proposes a grid-forming control strategy with a generic implementation approach
to meet the transmission system requirements asking for the massive integration of power electronic devices
into the power systems. In this context, several grid-forming controls have been proposed in the literature
either with or without a Phase-Locked Loop (PLL). The PLL-based techniques allow decoupling the different
control functionalities (i.e. inertia emulation, frequency support, active power setpoint tracking in steady-
state) while the PLL-free schemes, which aim to avoid the PLL drawbacks, create a compulsory coupling
between the control functionalities. The proposed grid-forming control in this paper is able to decouple
the control functionalities without any dedicated PLL, which makes it more advantageous compared to
what have been already proposed in the literature. Since the power converters are exposed to the small
and large grid events, the presented control has been tested in both situations. For the small grid events,
a simplified small-signal model is developed to assess the active power and frequency dynamics. In case
of large grid events, a current limitation algorithm is included to the control in order to protect the power
converter. To deal with the transient stability issues linked to the current limitation and enhance the converter
performance during the post-fault, a method based on adaptive inertia constant is proposed. To validate the
overall approach, time-domain simulations (in Matlab-Simulink) and experimentations are performed.
INDEX TERMS Active power regulation, current limitation, fast frequency response, grid-forming control,
inertial effect, transient stability.
θm (t) = ωm ωb t + δm , (2)
θg (t) = ωg ωb t + δg . (3)
FIGURE 10. Full implementation of grid-forming control with current limitation algorithms.
VSC with an LC filter (see Fig. 8), the control has to be It is important to mention that the system in Fig. 8 including
adjusted in order to take the internal current and voltage loops the control structure of Fig. 9 is a non-linear system. The non-
into account. Moreover, the control has to embed a current linearity is mainly due to the calculation of the active power
limitation algorithm in order to protect the converter against in the control side (P = egd igd + egq igq ), and the evolution of
overcurrent. E V
the active power with respect to the angle (P = Xcg+Xeg sinδeg ).
A. INTEGRATION OF THE INTERNAL LOOPS
Generally, for two-level converters, an LC filter is required to B. CURRENT LIMITATION CONTROL
eliminate the high-frequency harmonics caused by the PWM The core of the grid forming control is based on the gen-
signals. When the LC filter is considered, the active power eration and tracking of an AC voltage source. In case of
control is then achieved by acting on the phase of the voltage some events in the grid some over currents may be induced
eg with respect to vg . Then, this voltage is substituted to vm in in the power electronic converter. Fig. 10 shows two gen-
all the previous analysis. The internal angle θm and frequency eral approaches to implement a current limitation for the
ωm are replaced with θeg and ωeg respectively. The voltage v∗m grid-forming control: the Virtual Impedance (VI) [39]–[41]
is calculated from the voltage and current control loops [38] and the Current Saturation Algorithm (CSA) [42]–[44]. Both
(see Fig. 9). algorithms are recalled:
the inertia constant, the lead time constant and the lag time
constant, respectively.
FIGURE 30. Result of experimentation - (a): 100% voltage sag, (b): 40◦ phase shift.
ωb ωb
0 ω 0 ω b 0 − 0
Cf Cf
ω
b
ω
−ω 0 0 0 0
0 b
C f
ω ω ω ω ω
b b b Rf b b
− k k − k C ω − k + 0 k 0
0
pc pv pc f pc pc
L Lf Lf Lf L
f f
ωb ωb ωb Rf ωb ωb
A11 =
kpc Cf ω0 − kpc kpv 0 − kpc + 0 kpc
Lf Lf Lf Lf Lf
ω ω
b Rc +R g b
0 0 0 − ω0 ωb
L C +L g L C +L g
ω ω
b Rc +R g b
−ω0 ωb
0 0 0 −
LC +Lg LC +Lg 6×6
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
ωb ωb ωb ωb
0 k pc k pv kpc kiv 0 0 k ic 0 k pc k pv 0
L L L L
f f f f
ωb ωb ωb ωb
A12 = 0 0 0 kpc kiv kpc kiv 0 kic 0 kpc kpv
Lf Lf Lf Lf
Ve sin δeg0 ωb
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
LC + Lg
δ ω
V
e
cos eg0 b
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
LC + Lg 6×9
−kp Igd0 −kp Igq0 0 0 −kp Egd0 0
I gd0 I gq0 E gd0
− − 0 0 − 0
2H 2H 2H
nq Igq 0 n q I gd 0 n q E gd0
− 0 0 0
T Q T Q T Q
−1 0 0 0 0 0
A21 = 0 −1 0 0 0 0
−Cf ω0
−kpv −1 0 1 0
Cf ω0
−k 0 −1 0 1
pv
ω
ω
R R + R
R V b v c g b
ω ω
− 0 0 0 −R v 0 b
L + L L + L
C g C g
ω ω
R R R + R
V b v c g b
Rv ω0 ωb
0 − 0 0
LC + Lg LC + Lg 9×6
ω
0 b 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
−1
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
T
Q
0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
A22 =
0 0 kpv kiv 0 0 0 kpv 0
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 k
pv
Rv Ve sin δeg0 ωb
− 0 0 0 0 0 0 −ω f 0
L + L
C g
Rv Ve cos δeg0 ωb
−
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 −ωf
LC + Lg
9×9
0 0 ωf
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
cos δeg0 ωb sin δeg0 ωb
0 0 0 0 − 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
BT = L C + L g L C + L g
1
0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2H 3×15
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‘‘Deliverable 3.2: Local control and simulation tools for large transmission TAOUFIK QORIA received the M.S. degree in
systems,’’ Migrate Project WP3, Paris, France, 2018, p. 89. electrical engineering for sustainable development
[33] G. Denis, ‘‘From grid-following to grid-forming: The new strategy from the Lille 1 University of Science and Tech-
to build 100% power-electronics interfaced transmission system with
nology, Villeneuve d’Ascq, France, in 2016. He is
enhanced transient behavior,’’ Ph.D. dissertation, Ecole centrale de Lille,
currently pursuing the Ph.D. degree with the
Villeneuve-d’Ascq, France, 2017.
ENSAM ParisTech in the Laboratory of Electrical
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trol schemes: Application in HVDC systems,’’ Electr. Power Syst. Res., His current research interest includes the massive integration of power
vol. 189, Dec. 2020, Art. no. 106765, doi: 10.1016/j.epsr.2020.106765. electronic devices in power transmission systems.
EBRAHIM ROKROK (Student Member, IEEE) BRUNO FRANÇOIS (Senior Member, IEEE) is
received the B.Sc. and M.Sc. degrees in elec- currently a Full Professor with the Centrale Lille
trical engineering from the Isfahan University Institute and the Laboratory of Electrical Engi-
of Technology, in 2014 and 2016, respectively. neering and Power Electronics Laboratory, Lille.
He is currently pursuing the Ph.D. degree with the His research interests include the advanced energy
Ecole Centrale de Lille, Laboratory of Electrical management of power systems, architectures and
Engineering and the Power Electronics of Lille control systems of future electrical networks,
(L2EP), Lille, France. This Ph.D. is supported smart grids, and uncertainty impact in operation of
by the project "HVDC Inertia Provision" (HVDC electrical systems.
Pro), financed by the ENERGIX Program of the
Research Council of Norway (RCN). His research interests include modeling
and control of the power converters for HVDC applications. XAVIER GUILLAUD (Member, IEEE) has been
working as a Professor with the Lille Labora-
tory of Electrical Engineering and Power Elec-
tronics (L2EP), Lille, France, since 2002. First,
he worked on the modeling and control of power
ANTOINE BRUYERE (Member, IEEE) received electronic systems. Then, he studied the inte-
the Ph.D. degree in electrical engineering in 2009. gration of distributed generation and renewable
He spent ten years in automotive industry, at the energy in power systems. Nowadays, he is study-
Valeo Powertrain Electronics Product Group, ing the high-voltage power electronic converters
working as an Expert in automotive electrification. in transmission systems. He is leading the devel-
In 2016, he became an Assistant Professor at the opment of an experimental facility composed of actual power electronic
Centrale Lille Institute, Laboratory of Electrical converters interacting with virtual grids modeled in a real-time simulator.
Engineering of Lille. His research interests include He is involved in several projects in the field of power electronics including
renewable energy integration on power-grid, using European grid projects and different projects with French companies.
power-electronics converters.