Virtual Synchronous Machines: A unified interface for grid integration

TLDR

Power systems are undergoing a paradigm shift from centralized generation to distributed generation and smart grids, with increasing integration of renewable energy, electric vehicles, energy storage, and loads via power‑electronic converters. The article demonstrates that power‑electronic converters, on both supply and load sides, can be controlled to emulate virtual synchronous machines, offering a unified interface for smart‑grid integration. The authors focus on synchroconverter technology, embedding the synchronous‑machine mathematical model into synchronverter controllers to closely imitate synchronous‑machine dynamics. The study finds that both supply‑side and load‑side converters can be controlled to emulate virtual synchronous machines, thereby endowing them with synchronous‑machine dynamics and a unified interface for grid integration.

Abstract

Power systems are going through a paradigm change from centralized generation to distributed generation and further on to smart grids. More and more renewable-energy sources, electric vehicles, energy storage systems, and so forth are being connected to power systems through power electronic converters. Moreover, the majority of loads are expected to connect to the grid through power electronic converters as well. This article shows that these converters, either on the supply side or on the load side, can all be controlled to behave like virtual synchronous machines (VSMs) and possess the dynamics of synchronous machines, providing a unified interface for smart grid integration. Synchroconverter technology and its developments are the focus of this article because the mathematical model of synchronous machines is embedded in the controller of synchronverters to provide close imitation.