With the gradual build-up of the domestic electricity market, the European grid is subject to increasing demand. Developing a broad interconnected system brings with it however technical difficulties linked to both its size and changes in its structure.
An interconnected European grid
ENTSO-E[1] strategy aims to ensure electricity supply and to optimise electricity exchange within a vast interconnected European market. This new context has an influence on the structure of power grids and their operations. Some system oscillatory phenomena are closely linked to this grid structure.
Modal analysis: a key approach
The RTE-Centrale Nantes Chair is studying the dynamic behavior of the European grid with a main focus on modal analysis of large power systems. Research is being conducted on the definition of routines (algorithms and calculation codes) to calculate eigenvalues and eigenfunctions of a linear state form of power system. This kind of analysis provides better system knowledge and informs the control process.
Consideration of structural grid changes
The approaches under consideration factor in the new power system structure, in particular the growing rate of power electronics (such as HVDC lines), the increasing size of systems, the stochastic nature linked to irregular production (wind, solar power etc) and load (electric vehicles).
[1] ENSTO-E European network of transmission system operators for electricity