An Analogy of Frequency Droop Control for Grid-forming Sources

Abstract

In this paper, we present an analogy for a power system dominated by grid-forming (GFM) sources that proves to be a powerful visualization tool for analyses of power flow, frequency regulation, and power dispatch. Frequency droop characteristics of a typical GFM source are exactly reflected by an ordinary model of water vessels. The frequency is represented by visible water levels while the droop slope is reified by the vessel sizes. This proposed analogy allows us to use the intuitive water-flow phenomenon to explain the abstract power-flow problems. The grid integration of renewables via GFM inverters is interestingly simulated by a vessel connected to an infinite water tank. This paper also provides a means for demonstrating issues to audiences with little or no background in power systems. Finally, the proposal is verified by simulation results.