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Grid-Forming Converters in Future Power Grids

A special issue of Energies (ISSN 1996-1073). This special issue belongs to the section "A1: Smart Grids and Microgrids".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 June 2025 | Viewed by 2184

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Department of Electrical Engineering, Chalmers University of Technology, 412 96 Gothenburg, Sweden
Interests: control, modeling and application power–electronics systems

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

With the transition toward sustainable and clean energy supply, future power grids will undergo a big change. In line with this transition, renewable energy sources (RESs) are predominantly interfaced to power grids through power–electronic converters. As these green energy sources are replacing conventional generation units characterized by rotating masses, the power system will be faced with several challenges. These include instability due to converter interactions, reduced overall system inertia and reduced short circuit capability, among others. To address these challenges, grid-forming converter control strategies with a focus on implementing functionalities such as inertia and frequency support, black-start, synchronization and fault-ride, have been attracting attention in the literature in recent years. Some efforts have also been made in ensuring passive behavior for grid-forming converter systems to reduce resonance interactions at low- and high-frequency intervals. In addition, the research community and system operators are continuously discussing new grid codes where grid-connected converters must comply with increased stability and reliability, thus adding to the challenges in the development of grid-forming converters.  

This Special Issue aims to present and disseminate the most recent advances related to the design, modeling, application and control of grid-forming converters. Hence, I invite researchers and industry experts to contribute to research papers and review articles on the subject.

Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:

  • Control and modeling of grid-forming converter-based systems;
  • Impact of grid-forming converters on distribution and transmission systems;
  • Stability analysis of grid-forming converters and their impact on the power system;
  • Provision of ancillary services by grid-forming converters;
  • Power oscillation damping via grid-forming converters;
  • Power quality and grid code compliance of grid-forming converters;
  • Hardware requirements for grid-forming converters;
  • Control and coordination of grid-forming converter-dominated power systems;
  • Benefits of grid-forming converters for the grid integration of renewable energy sources;
  • Analysis and evaluation of grid-forming and grid-following control strategies for converters;
  • Comparative analysis and evaluation of  various grid-forming control alternatives;
  • Implementation, field deployment and demos of utility-scale grid-forming power converters;
  • Evaluation of current limitation strategies in grid-forming converters;
  • Analysis of synchronization angle stability of grid-forming converters;
  • Impedance shaping of grid-forming converters to reduce the risk of instability due to control interactions;
  • Application of grid-forming converters in microgrids and islanded networks.

Dr. Mebtu Beza
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

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Keywords

  • control interaction
  • grid-forming control
  • passivity
  • stability analysis
  • synchronization
  • angle stability
  • current limitation
  • inertia support
  • renewable energy

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

23 pages, 2833 KiB  
Article
Insights on Blackstart Provisioning Using a Synchronous Generator and Grid-Forming Inverter Using EMT Simulations
by Huzaifa Karimjee, Satish Ranade, Deepak Ramasubramanian, Olga Lavrova and Jose Ribeiro
Energies 2024, 17(16), 4067; https://doi.org/10.3390/en17164067 - 16 Aug 2024
Viewed by 1430
Abstract
Grid-forming inverters (GFMIs) have been identified as critical assets in ensuring modern power system reliability. Their ability to synthesize an internal voltage reference while emulating synthetic inertia has sparked extensive research. These characteristics have recently piqued interest in their capacity to provide blackstart [...] Read more.
Grid-forming inverters (GFMIs) have been identified as critical assets in ensuring modern power system reliability. Their ability to synthesize an internal voltage reference while emulating synthetic inertia has sparked extensive research. These characteristics have recently piqued interest in their capacity to provide blackstart ancillary services. The blackstart of a bulk power system poses significant challenges, namely the large transients from the energization of unloaded transformers, rotational motor loads, and long transmission cables, which have been effectively studied using conventional synchronous generators (SGs). The concept of an inverter-based resource (IBR)-based blackstart continues to be an open research area necessitating further investigations due to the known limitations of IBRs such as low short-circuit current capabilities. This paper presents a blackstart case study of a bulk power system investigating the performances of a conventional SG to a GFMI when utilizing hard switching methods. The paper qualitatively investigates the transient inrush currents from the transformer and rotational load energization sequences. Additional examinations into the significance of the GFMI’s current-limiting schemes and voltage control loop compensator gains are presented. Furthermore, the harmonic distortions from the transformer energization sequence are also evaluated. Finally, a full network energization case is presented to demonstrate how both sources can provide blackstart provisioning services. The models are developed in EMTDC/PSCAD using real-world transmission planning data. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Grid-Forming Converters in Future Power Grids)
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