Solutions and Study Methods for Power Grids with Diminishing Inertia

随着可再生能源在能源发电中所占份额的增加，可再生能源正在改变我们的电网。在我们获得能源可持续性的好处的同时，我们也必须面对可再生能源发电对我们电网保持稳定和抵御干扰的能力的不利影响。用来描述这种能力的术语是系统惯性。常规发电主要依靠旋转发电机进行能量转换。当扰动发生时，在调整发电机的机械输入以恢复平衡和恢复系统频率之前，转轴中存储的动能迅速满足负载与发电的不平衡。由于发电机的集体旋转质量很大，暂态对频率的影响通常很小。事实上，一个基本恒定的频率通常被认为是理所当然的，也是电力系统研究和运行中的基本假设。可再生能源的使用越来越多，稀释了旋转发电的份额，从而侵蚀了系统的惯性。其结果是，巨大的频率波动正以惊人的速度出现。这对低惯性格栅的运行以及研究和设计它们的方法都有重大影响。北美、英国和澳大利亚已经观察到了与低惯性相关的问题，随着我们迈向100%可再生能源发电，这些问题还会越来越多。随着存储在电网中的惯性能量的减少，人们开始考虑替代的能量存储方式，例如电池能量存储系统。这项提议旨在建立一个关于使用储能系统的低惯性电网的关键方面的研究计划。我的探索计划的下一个5年周期将专注于(I)低惯性系统中能量存储的集成解决方案，以及(Ii)低惯性系统的建模、仿真、分析和设计算法。惯性的减小导致了维护稳定性和防止连锁故障的困难。我的研究将为电池能量存储系统的集成创造解决方案，为它们的最佳配置提供方法，以及实现稳定性和可靠性的操作方案。这些将基于新型电力电子转换器和现代控制技术。为了设计和研究低惯性系统并验证解决方案，我们依靠计算机模拟。现有的模拟器没有为这个目标做好准备。例如，用于研究大型网络的暂态稳定性仿真器假定频率基本恒定，而电磁暂态仿真器缺乏仿真大型系统所需的计算效率。我的计划的一个主要目的是创造先进的计算机模拟方法，以高精度和计算效率研究大的、低惯性的系统。我的计划将培训15名HQP，并将涉及与行业合作伙伴的合作，他们将把我们的成果应用到他们的产品和服务中，从而将其影响传播给普通公众。

Renewable energy sources transform our power grids as their share in energy generation grows. While we reap the benefits of energy sustainability, we must also face the adverse impacts of renewable generation on the ability of our power grids to remain stable and resilient to disturbances. The term used to describe this ability is system inertia. Conventional generation chiefly relies on rotary generators for energy conversion. When a disturbance occurs, the load-generation imbalance is rapidly met by the kinetic energy stored in the rotating shaft before the generator's mechanical input is adjusted to regain balance and restore the system frequency. Since the collective rotating mass of generators is enormous, the impact of transients on frequency is often small. In fact, an essentially constant frequency is normally taken for granted and is the underlying assumption in the study and operation of power systems. The growing use of renewables has diluted the share of rotary generation, thus eroding the system inertia. As a result, large frequency swings are appearing at alarming rates. This has major effects on the operation of low-inertia grids and on the methods used to study and design them. Problems related to low inertia have been observed in North America, UK, and Australia, and will grow as we move towards 100% renewable generation. As the inertial energy stored in the grid diminishes, alternative means of energy storage, e.g., battery energy storage systems, are considered. This proposal aims to establish a research program on critical aspects of low-inertia grids wherein energy storage systems are used. The next 5-year cycle of my Discovery program will focus on (i) solutions for integration of energy storage in low-inertia systems and (ii) algorithms for modeling, simulation, analysis and design of low-inertia systems. Diminishing inertia causes difficulty in maintaining stability and preventing cascading failures. My research will create solutions for integration of battery energy storage systems, methods for their optimal placement, and operating schemes to achieve stability and reliability. These will be based on novel power-electronic converters and modern control techniques. To design and study low-inertia systems and to validate solutions, we rely on computer simulations. Existing simulators are ill-prepared for this aim. For example, transient stability simulators that are used for the study of large networks assume an essentially constant frequency, and electromagnetic transient simulators lack the computational efficiency needed to simulate large systems. A major thrust of my program is to create advanced computer simulation methods for the study of large, low-inertia systems with high accuracy and computational efficiency. My program will train 15 HQP, and will involve collaboration with industrial partners who will deploy our results in their products and services, thus disseminating its impact to the general public.