DC Voltage Control with Grid-Forming Capability for Enhancing Stability of HVDC System

Abstract

Grid-forming (GFM) converters are recognized for their stabilizing effects in renewable energy systems. Integrating GFM converters into high-voltage direct current (HVDC) systems requires DC voltage control. However, there can be a conflict between GFM converter and DC voltage control when they are used in combination. This paper presents a rigorous control design for a GFM converter that connects the DC-link voltage to the power angle of the converter, thereby integrating DC voltage control with GFM capability. The proposed control is validated through small-signal and transient-stability analyses on a modular multilevel converter (MMC)-based HVDC system with a point-to-point (P2P) GFM-GFM configuration. The results demonstrate that employing a GFM-GFM configuration with the proposed control enhances the stability of the AC system to which it is connected. The system exhibits low sensitivity to grid strength and can sustain islanding conditions. The high stability limit of the system with varying grid strength using the proposed control is validated using a system with four voltage source converters.