Thesis

Resilience-oriented hierarchical energy management and dynamic inertia damping method for renewable-integrated grid-forming converters

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Awarding institution
  • University of Strathclyde
Date of award
  • 2026
Thesis identifier
  • T18054
Person Identifier (Local)
  • 202170151
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Qualification Name
Department, School or Faculty
Abstract
  • As power systems evolve to incorporate more renewable energy sources, it faces new challenges in maintaining grid stability and reliability, especially during critical situations such as black start events, emergency conditions that necessitate load shedding, and the resulting power imbalance transients. The inherent variability of renewable sources complicates the grid's ability to quickly and efficiently recover from outages. One of the main research problems in modern power systems is the difficulty in managing the intermittent nature of renewable energy sources during disturbances and system restoration. Traditional energy management and restoration methods were mainly developed for conventional centralised power plants and are not fully suitable for power systems with high renewable energy penetration. Rapid changes in renewable generation, sudden load variations, and power imbalances during emergency conditions can affect system frequency, voltage stability, and overall reliability. In addition, the lack of proper coordination between transmission and distribution networks reduces the effectiveness of load shedding, black start operation, and service restoration. These challenges make it difficult to maintain stable and reliable grid operation and increase the restoration time after major outages. To address these challenges, the investigations in this thesis begin by proposing a novel energy management system (EMS) at both distribution and transmission levels with a hierarchical order. This advanced energy management involves not only predicting and reducing fluctuations due to renewable sources but also ensuring that power can be rapidly and efficiently redistributed during outages. This thesis is essential in addressing the dual challenges of maintaining system reliability and stability in the face of increasing renewable energy integration while simultaneously advancing toward a more sustainable energy future. The proposed method is validated in the IEEE 10-Bus test network and IEEE 39-Bus test network using MATLAB/Simulink. The key findings demonstrate that the proposed hierarchical energy management system effectively improves load shedding performance, enhances system stability, and increases renewable energy utilisation during black start conditions. Coordination between transmission and distribution controllers enabled efficient restoration of critical loads and improved support between interconnected network areas. In addition, the proposed control strategy prioritised renewable energy sources, particularly solar generation, during the restoration process, contributing to a more reliable and sustainable power system operation. Another important challenge for future power system integration is the low inertia and damping properties due to the characteristics of renewable energy sources. This transition necessitates the development of grid-forming converters that can emulate the dynamic behaviour of synchronous machines to preserve grid stability and maintain a reliable electricity supply. This thesis proposes a frequency and power dependent dynamic inertia damping controller designed for droop-based grid-forming converters. This innovative method significantly improves upon existing techniques by optimizing the interaction between inertia, active power, and frequency. Crucially, it departs from traditional methods that depend predominantly on static power or frequency metrics. Through an advanced mathematical model, the thesis establishes a dynamic correlation between per-unit inertia and real-time frequency as well as power fluctuations. A novel dynamic inertia damping controller is applied to the IEEE 9-bus system to demonstrate its practical effectiveness. The validation process employs the PLECS platform to verify the controller’s performance under different operating conditions. Notably, the inclusion of dynamic inertia damping proves especially useful during critical grid events such as black starts and load shedding transitions, where rapid and accurate system response is essential. This method not only improves the precision of the damping responses but also ensures better adaptability and robustness in grids with a substantial presence of renewable energy sources.
Advisor / supervisor
  • Ahmed, Khaled
Resource Type
DOI

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