Supplementary Power Control of an HVDC System and Its Impact on Electromechanical Dynamics

This paper presents a comprehensive analysis of the impact that supplementary power control of an HVDC link has on the electromechanical dynamics of power systems. The presented work addresses an interesting phenomenon that may occur when an HVDC power controller is installed to support frequency stability. In specific cases, a high gain HVDC frequency controller could deteriorate system damping. The given analytical study is the first of its kind that addresses this issue by including both: (i) the important higher-order generator dynamics that affect small signal stability simultaneously with an HVDC control as well as (ii) the available local angle/frequency input signals of the controller. The methodological approach here analytically formulates the impact an HVDC control has on the single generator dynamics. Furthermore, the relationship between the damping/synchronizing coefficients and the HVDC gain is explicitly derived when a frequency proportional HVDC controller is installed. The derived expressions confirm that, indeed, there is an optimal HVDC gain with respect to the damping coefficient and a typically positive impact of the HVDC controller on the synchronizing component. Finally, the developed theoretical foundation is demonstrated by the tools of linear and nonlinear analysis in a one-machine system case study.