A Multirate EMT Co-Simulation of Large AC and MMC-Based MTDC Systems

This paper proposes a novel multirate co-simulation method to improve simulation efficiency of large-scale AC plus multiterminal DC (MTDC) grids. In this method, the whole system is partitioned into different AC and MTDC subsystems. They each are simulated with different time steps according to their requirements of accuracy. Unlike the existing methods where simplified models are adopted, the proposed approach fully reserves both the detailed behavior of converters and the nonlinear dynamics of large-scale AC systems. To realize the coordination between different subsystems, updating and discretization of the interface models are significant to guarantee the overall numerical accuracy and stability of the co-simulation method. Accordingly, the interface models of the partitioned AC and DC networks are represented by time-varying Thevenin and Norton equivalents. To eliminate the aliasing or time-delay errors, their parameters are derived using moving-window prediction, stepwise correction, and averaging techniques. A numerical oscillation suppression algorithm is developed for the discretization of the interface model. Thus, numerical stability is well guaranteed. The variables inside each subsystem as well as the interfaces, which are derived by augmented network equations (ANEs), are calculated simultaneously. The rate ratio of large AC and MTDC systems is determined based on our proposed criterion of electromagnetic transient simulation accuracy. The effectiveness of the cosimulation method is validated on a practical system integrating large AC and modular-multilevel-converter-based MTDC grids.