Barrier Function Position-Relative Search Algorithm for Output Voltage Maximization of Inverter-Based Resources

The push towards better utilization of renewable energy resources in recent years has incentivized the increased injection of power by Inverter-Based Resources (IBR) in electric grids. While the growing number of grid-following (GFL) inverters helps to stabilize the grid, they do come with complications. One of these complications is seen in the lack of ability for inverters to sufficiently provide support to grid voltage profiles during fault events. Creating a generalized model of inverters to effectively predict their behavior during fault events is made difficult by unknown variable grid parameters. This paper will seek to generalize an optimization approach to inverter positive sequence voltage injection by IBRs to effectively support the grid. This will be accomplished by the implementation of an algorithmic barrier function (BF) relative step search scheme used to find extrema in a discontinuous, nonlinear optimization problem. This approach will be developed using MATLAB.