This article has been accepted for publication in a future issue of this journal, but has not been

fully edited. Content may change prior to final publication. Citation information: DOI 10.1109/TIE.2021.3102454, IEEE
Transactions on Industrial Electronics
1

Small Signal Stability Constrained Optimal Power

Abstract—This paper details and solves a small signal stability- optimal power flow formulation. A trajectory based transient
constrained optimal power flow (SSSC-OPF) for inverter-based stability-constrained OPF [10] is detailed where, the single
AC microgrids. To ensure sufficient stability margin during op- machine equivalent method is used to obtain bus equivalent
timal generation, a small-signal stability constraint is embedded
into the conventional OPF formulation. This condition is enforced rotor angular trajectory and used as stability constraint. In
using a Lyapunov stability equation. A reduced-order model of the same line, to improve the transient stability, a directional
the microgrid is adopted to alleviate the computational burden derivative-based transient stability constraint is developed and
involved in solving the resulting SSSC-OPF. Even then, the solved using time domain staggered direct method. Similarly,
resulting stability conditions are highly non-linear and cannot voltage stability constrained OPFs has studied for conventional
be handled using the existing methods. To tackle the non-
convexity in SSSC-OPF due to the presence of the non-linear power system [11], [12]. In the context of microgrids, a non-
stability constraint, two distinct convex relaxation approaches, linear optimization based voltage stability constrained OPF is
namely semi-definite programming and parabolic relaxations, are developed in [13], [14] for improving multi-microgrid voltage
developed. A heuristic penalty function is added to the objective stability system. Apart from the transient stability constrained
function of the relaxed SSSC-OPF, which is solved sequentially OPF, small signal stability-constrained optimal power flow
to obtain a feasible point. While off-the-shelf tools fail to produce
any feasible point within hours, the proposed approach enables us (SSSC-OPF) problem also has been studied intensively in the
to solve SSSC-OPF in near real-time. The efficacy of the proposed context of conventional power systems [15]–[20].
SSSC-OPF is evaluated by performing numerical studies on SSSC-OPF, with stability constraint dependent on state
multiple benchmarks as well as real-time studies on a microgrid
system built in a controller/hardware-in-the-loop setup.
matrix sensitivities with respect to OPF variables, is detailed
in [15], [16]. The stability constraint is presented as a semi-
Index Terms—AC Microgrids, Convex optimization, Inverters, definite programming (SDP) problem in [17], and the result-
Optimal power flow, Relaxation, Small signal stability
ing SSSC-OPF is transformed to a non-linear optimization
problem. SSSC-OPF might lead to infeasible solutions due to
I. I NTRODUCTION its non-convex nature and the rigid threshold of the stability
constraint [17]–[19]. To obtain a feasible solution, sequen-
AJORITY of distributed generation units are interfaced
M with AC microgrids using inverters. Droop mechanism
is a well-established decentralized control tool for proportional
tial quadratic programming and sequential optimization tech-
niques, based on eigenvalue sensitivity matrix, are presented in
[18] and [19], respectively. All these dispatching schemes are
power sharing among inverters. This control approach alone
developed for conventional power systems with synchronous
does not ensure optimal operation or respect operational re-
generators, and rely on interior-point methods that are sensitive
quirements usually dictated by the optimal power flows (OPFs)
to initial conditions. Alternatively, bilinear matrix inequalities
paradigms. An OPF-based droop adjustment is given in [1].
(BMIs) can be employed to obtain optimal operating points
Varying droop parameters could cause small-signal stability
ensuring stability margins. In [20], SSSC-OPF problem is
issues [2], [3]. This paper provides an OPF paradigm that
formulated for conventional power systems, where the stability
respects the small-signal stability margin, generation limits,
constraint is developed using a BMI approach. The formulated
power flow limits, and voltage constraints.
SSSC-OPF is convexified using SDP relaxation techniques,
To enhance the stability margin, supplementary control
which could become computationally inefficient as the number
loops [4], auxiliary stabilizers [5], [6], L1 −adaptive droop
of generators increases. The primary challenge tackled in
control [7], virtual droop frameworks [8], and lead compen-
this paper is the accommodation of highly non-linear matrix
sators [9], are offered. These control methods are tuned for a
inequalities, resulted from enforcing stability conditions in
selected range of operating points. Alternatively, the voltage,
inverter-based microgrids, that might not be within the reach
transient or small signal stability margin can be enforced by a
of existing solvers. The key contributions can be summarized
proper generation dispatch via a holistic stability-constrained
as follows:
D. Pullaguram was with the University of Texas at Arlington, USA. He is
now with the National Institute of Technology, Warangal, India. R. Madani, • An illustrative example shows the susceptibility of OPF
T. Altun, and A. Davoudi are with the University of Texas at Arlington, USA. solutions for inverter-based AC microgrids to instability.
This research is funded, in part, by the Office of Naval Research under award • SSSC-OPF is formulated here by employing reduced-
N00014-18-1-2186, and approved for public release under DCN# 43-8362-21.
(email: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected], order dynamical model of inverter-based microgrids [21],
[email protected]). and incorporating the Lyapunov stability equations that

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