Review of Grid-forming Inverters in Support of Power System Operation

The penetration of distributed energy resources in electrical grids has been steadily increasing in an effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Inverters, as interfaces between distributed energy resources and grids, have become critical assets in modern power systems. In recent years, the development and application of grid-forming inverters have gained significant traction due to their capability of supporting power grid operations. A comprehensive review of grid-forming inverters is presented for power system applications. A comparison between grid-forming inverters and grid-following inverters is conducted in terms of their functionalities to highlight the potential of grid-forming inverter technologies in support of power system stability and resiliency. In addition, advanced control strategies integrated into grid-forming inverters under various operation conditions are presented through reviewing the innovations introduced in recent literature and in industrial applications. This paper is intended to provide an updated reference regarding grid-forming inverters for power system applications to researchers and practitioners in the field of power electronics.