Guest Editorial: Grid Forming Converters Placement and Utilisation to
Enhance Transmission and Distribution Performances Under High
Penetration of Inverter-Based Resources
Abstract
Power systems around the world are rapidly transitioning to much higher
shares of inverter-based resources (IBRs) with few synchronous
generators remaining online. IBRs and synchronous generators have
fundamentally different dynamic performance characteristics resulting in
a difference in the overall power system dynamic performance. IBRs are
generally more flexible and controllable than synchronous generators,
however at the same time exhibit significantly more complex control
systems. Furthermore, new and emerging capabilities are being developed
progressively and in particular the so-called grid-forming inverters.
Grid-forming inverters (GFM) offer several new capabilities not
previously possible with conventional grid-following inverters (GFL).
However, they are not well understood currently when applied in a mega
scale and moving forward when they will likely take over the role
synchronous generators have been performing for several decades as the
workhorse of system security support. Key questions currently in the
technical community include the extent to which GFM shall be similar or
different to each of the synchronous machines and conventional GFL, and
how various control strategies can assist in maximising the grid support
capabilities sought and minimise or ideally eliminate any adverse
impacts. The objective of this special issue is to provide insights into
some of these unknowns.