Providing system level frequency support from wind over the full operating range

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Isbister, Callum and Anaya-Lara, Olimpo and Campos-Gaona, David and Morris, Jennifer F. (2026) Providing system level frequency support from wind over the full operating range. IET Conference Proceedings, 2025 (45). pp. 958-965. ISSN 2732-4494 (https://doi.org/10.1049/icp.2025.4538)

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Abstract

Grid-forming (GFM) control is expected to play a key role in the renewable energy transition, with Virtual Synchronous Machine (VSM) control emerging as a leading solution. VSMs allow converter-based sources like wind turbines to emulate synchronous generator behaviour by providing inertia and damping. However, extracting additional power during frequency disturbances causes rotor deceleration and increased current demand, which can push the turbine into stall or exceed semiconductor current limits—ultimately constraining energy extraction and reducing performance. This trade-off is often overlooked in existing research. This paper investigates optimal VSM tuning across the full wind turbine operating range, considering both energy constraints and UK grid code requirements. In the 4–7m/s wind speed range, the dominant constraint is rotor stall due to excessive deceleration from high VSM gains. At higher wind speeds, converter current limits become more restrictive, as baseline output leaves less margin for additional power injection. Simulations using a 10MW wind turbine model in MATLAB/Simulink demonstrate the impacts of optimal VSM tuning over the full wind turbine operating range, including improved inertial response but also highlight extended rotor recovery and increased exposure to damaging structural frequencies. These results open a wider discussion about wind turbine operating strategies and market incentives to increase inertial support.

ORCID iDs

Isbister, Callum, Anaya-Lara, Olimpo ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5250-5877, Campos-Gaona, David ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0347-6288 and Morris, Jennifer F.;
CORE (COnnecting REpositories)