Droop Control of Distributed Electric Springs for Stabilizing Future Power Grid

This paper describes the droop control method for parallel operation of distributed electric springs for stabilizing ac power grid. It provides a methodology that has the potential of allowing reactive power controllers to work in different locations of the distribution lines of an ac power supply and for these reactive power controllers to support and stabilize the ac mains voltage levels at their respective locations on the distribution lines. The control scheme allows these reactive power controllers to have automatically adjustable voltage references according to the mains voltage levels at the locations of the distribution network. The control method can be applied to reactive power controllers embedded in smart electric loads distributed across the power grid for stabilizing and supporting the ac power supply along the distribution network. The proposed distributed deployment of electric springs is envisaged to become an emerging technology potentially useful for stabilizing power grids with substantial penetration of distributed and intermittent renewable power sources or weakly regulated ac power grid.