A voltage-load-sensitivity-based auxiliary control method for static synchronous compensator primary frequency regulation

Abstract

With the increasing penetration of distributed renewable energy and the widespread integration of power electronics, the primary frequency response in islanded microgrids encounters significant challenges. To address this issue, a voltage-load-sensitivity-based auxiliary control method for Static Synchronous Compensator (STATCOM) is proposed, enabling their use in primary frequency regulation. During low-frequency events, the voltage at the controlled node is rapidly reduced, thereby effectively implementing fast load shedding for sensitive loads through Conservation Voltage Reduction (CVR) without direct active power injection. Furthermore, a closed-loop extension that incorporates an additional voltage outer loop is presented to compensate for the early power deficit. Simulation results demonstrate that, compared to traditional Automatic Voltage Regulation (AVR) and the combination of AVR with a STATCOM, the open-loop scheme rapidly lowers the local voltage before the frequency nadir occurs, which indicates a substantial improvement in frequency metrics via load shedding. Due to its earlier actuation timing, shorter response path, and broader control range, the open-loop feedforward control exhibits advantages over the closed-loop system in this scenario.

Keywords

STATCOM / CVR / primary frequency regulation / AVR / microgrid

References

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