Adaptive Grid‐Forming Controller With Virtual Inertia and Damping for Enhanced Frequency Stability in Renewable Energy Systems

The increasing integration of renewable energy systems (RESs) such as solar and wind into modern power grids using converter‐based, inertia‐less interfaces poses serious frequency stability challenges. This is due to reduced system inertia conventionally provided by synchronous generators. This paper proposes an innovative solution using an adaptive grid‐forming controller (AGFC), designed to emulate and adapt virtual inertia and damping in real time. The AGFC uniquely combines grid‐forming virtual inertia damping control with an adaptive DC link voltage regulation loop, coordinated by a genetic algorithm–optimized proportional integral (GA‐PI) controller. Key innovation lies in employing the GA‐PI control to dynamically manage DC link energy exchange during grid disturbances. Through optimized GA‐PI tuning, rapid adjustment of control parameters is achieved to maintain system stability during sudden load changes. MATLAB/Simulink simulations demonstrate that the proposed AGFC substantially mitigates frequency deviation, rate of change of frequency, and frequency settling time under transient conditions. Compared with conventional grid‐forming control without adaptive DC link management, the designed AGFC depicts superior resilience and adaptability to load disturbances. It enables inverters to autonomously establish voltage and frequency references while providing synchronous generator‐like stabilization. The results demonstrate that the proposed framework enhances the grid’s inertial response and dynamic stability for converter‐interfaced RES. Future research will explore scaling the AGFC for multiarea grids and applying advanced parameter optimization to larger systems. This is expected to further improve system‐wide frequency regulation and stability.

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Publication Details

Journal
Journal of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Published
2026-01-01
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1155/jece/4351705
Primary Topic
Microgrid Control and Optimization
Type
article
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article

Adaptive Grid‐Forming Controller With Virtual Inertia and Damping for Enhanced Frequency Stability in Renewable Energy Systems

Julius Ndirangu, George K. Irungu, J. N. Nderu
Journal of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Microgrid Control and Optimization
article

Adaptive Grid‐Forming Controller With Virtual Inertia and Damping for Enhanced Frequency Stability in Renewable Energy Systems

Julius Ndirangu, George K. Irungu, J. N. Nderu
article en

Abstract

The increasing integration of renewable energy systems (RESs) such as solar and wind into modern power grids using converter‐based, inertia‐less interfaces poses serious frequency stability challenges. This is due to reduced system inertia conventionally provided by synchronous generators. This paper proposes an innovative solution using an adaptive grid‐forming controller (AGFC), designed to emulate and adapt virtual inertia and damping in real time. The AGFC uniquely combines grid‐forming virtual inertia damping control with an adaptive DC link voltage regulation loop, coordinated by a genetic algorithm–optimized proportional integral (GA‐PI) controller. Key innovation lies in employing the GA‐PI control to dynamically manage DC link energy exchange during grid disturbances. Through optimized GA‐PI tuning, rapid adjustment of control parameters is achieved to maintain system stability during sudden load changes. MATLAB/Simulink simulations demonstrate that the proposed AGFC substantially mitigates frequency deviation, rate of change of frequency, and frequency settling time under transient conditions. Compared with conventional grid‐forming control without adaptive DC link management, the designed AGFC depicts superior resilience and adaptability to load disturbances. It enables inverters to autonomously establish voltage and frequency references while providing synchronous generator‐like stabilization. The results demonstrate that the proposed framework enhances the grid’s inertial response and dynamic stability for converter‐interfaced RES. Future research will explore scaling the AGFC for multiarea grids and applying advanced parameter optimization to larger systems. This is expected to further improve system‐wide frequency regulation and stability.

Journal of Electrical and Computer EngineeringVol. 2026(1)
Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (KE)
Affordable and clean energy
Openalex Percentile: Top 95%
Microgrid Control and Optimization
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Adaptive Grid‐Forming Controller With Virtual Inertia and Damping for Enhanced Frequency Stability in Renewable Energy Systems — Julius Ndirangu, George K. Irungu, et al. · Journal of Electrical and Computer Engineering (2026) | TGRS Research Map | TGRS