Implementational Aspects for the Characterization of Low-Inertia in Power Systems

MD Baquedano-Aguilar, Nader Aljohani, Sean P. Meyn, and Arturo Bretas

A power system simulation environment is introduced for investigating control architectures for power grids, with special attention to the impact of high penetration of inverter-based generation resources (IBRs).  The testbed is applied to the WSCC 9- bus test system, modified so that a range of IBR penetration levels can be analyzed (from zero to 80%).   The testbed is suitable for studying both fast and slow electromechanical phenomena.

A conclusion from numerical experiments is that high levels of IBRs do not necessarily result in low-inertia.  This is due in part to the layers of control in the grid already in place to avoid frequency excursions.