A Participation Factor-Based Approach for Defining the EMT Model Boundary for Power System Simulations with Inverter-Based Resources

The increasing penetration of inverter-based resources (IBRs) introduces new challenges to power system simulations, particularly with the emergence of fast electromagnetic transient (EMT) dynamics and sub-synchronous oscillations (SSO) that require time-consuming EMT simulations. To reduce the time cost for simulating a large-scale power grid with IBRs, this paper proposes a novel participation factor-based approach for defining a critical zone for detailed EMT modeling and simulations, which includes the IBRs, synchronous generators, and the network components participating significantly in simulated contingencies. Both model-based and response-based methods are introduced for the estimation of participation factors (PFs). The case study on the 240-bus Western Electricity Coordinating Council (WECC) system demonstrates that the EMT zone determined by the proposed approach can effectively capture power system dynamics involving IBRs.