Optimal Secondary Control to Suppress Voltage Fluctuations in an HVDC-linked Wind Farm Grid

Abstract

High-voltage direct-current (HVDC) systems using voltage source converters (VSCs) have been developed to suppress voltage fluctuations in offshore grids due to the intermittent power generation of offshore wind farms (OWFs). This paper proposes a new strategy for the optimal secondary voltage control of HVDC-linked OWFs. In the proposed strategy, optimal coordinated control of an HVDC system and OWFs is achieved to minimize real-time voltage fluctuations throughout an offshore grid. A full-order dynamic model of HVDC-linked OWFs is implemented, and its unobservable and uncontrollable state variables are then eliminated using a model reduction algorithm. Given the dynamic model, a linear quadratic Gaussian regulator is designed for optimal coordinated control, and an eigenvalue analysis is conducted focusing on the effects of communication time delays on the stability of the proposed strategy. Simulation case studies are also carried out to verify that the proposed strategy more effectively improves real-time regulation of offshore grid voltages, compared to conventional strategies, while ensuring voltage stability even for relatively large delays in communications systems.