Transient Stability Aspects of Renewable Generation Integration

In the power system transient stability time frame of seconds after a disturbance the inertia of an electric machine is seen by the system as the injection or withdrawal of electrical energy in response to changes in the electrical frequency. With the generation resources in the grid changing to include substantially more renewable resources connected by power electronics, such as wind and solar PV, the grid is shifting towards less inertia. The resulting decline in system frequency response threatens the reliability of the grid. With lower grid inertia, small events result in larger frequency excursions, which, in turn, result in greater burden on generator governors. This talk discusses the transient stability aspects of renewable generation integration, including the results of recent research on quantifying the importance electrical system inertia.
Thomas J. Overbye is currently the Fox Family Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC). He received his BS, MS, and Ph.D. degrees in Electrical Engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Prior to joining UIUC he was employed with Madison Gas and Electric Company. Dr. Overbye is the original developer of PowerWorld Simulator, an innovative, widely used software package for power system analysis and visualization, a co-founder of PowerWorld Corporation, and is a member of the US National Academy of Engineering.