Enhanced post-fault recovery in MTDC networks using active damping approach

Abstract

The increasing deployment of offshore wind farms necessitates robust and stable high-voltage direct current networks. Achieving optimal stability, especially in damping oscillations on the DC side, remains a significant challenge. This study focuses on mitigating post-fault converter de-blocking oscillations, a critical issue exacerbated by complex interactions between AC and DC systems, converter dynamics, and system faults. These behavior are governed by nonlinear system dynamics, making traditional control methods less effective in ensuring stability. A comprehensive analysis of DC side oscillations and their interaction with converter dynamics is developed to understand the key factors influencing system stability. The research investigates a DC voltage regulation damping approach, identified as the most effective solution in the literature. Comprehensive parametric sensitivity analysis evaluates system behavior under diverse operational conditions. Addressing current damping method limitations during converter de-blocking, this work proposes an innovative control approach integrating fuzzy logic control and proportional–integral controllers. This approach enhances DC voltage regulation and incorporates a modified circulating current suppression control in the inner loop. The coordinated fuzzy logic control and proportional–integral controller dynamically adjusts to nonlinear system dynamics in real-time, providing a robust framework for improved post-fault recovery. It aims to achieve faster recovery times and reduced overshoot compared to conventional methods. The proposed controller's efficacy is validated through comparative analysis with existing approaches. Electromagnetic transient) simulations using the real-time digital simulator platform demonstrate the controller's performance under realistic operating conditions.