Characterisation of interaction in an offshore AC grid with large WPPs and VSC-HVDCs

© 2017 The Institution of Engineering and Technology. To exploit the full and flexible capability of offshore voltage-sourced converter high-voltage DC (VSC-HVDC) lines, interaction studies in the offshore AC grid are required but are not well understood or reported. This study examines the interaction dynamics of an offshore AC grid for interconnecting large wind power plants (WPPs). The conventional eigenvalue analysis method has limitations which make the interaction analysis of such systems difficult. Hence, in this study, an impedance-based analytical approach is employed to investigate the interaction phenomena. The impedance model of a VSCHVDC converter for both direct and vector control with outer and droop controls are derived along with the impedance model of the full-converter wind generator. The interaction dynamics of the offshore grid is predicted through the well-established Nyquist criteria and is validated using time-domain simulations. The analysis shows that the system stability is decidedly influenced by the control configurations and tuning of the VSC-HVDC lines.