Automatic generation control (AGC) in multi-area interconnected power systems is experiencing several adaptions due to increasing level of power converter based components in the system. The concept of virtual synchronous power (VSP) to simulate the dynamic effects of virtual inertia emulations by HVDC links for higher level control applications is introduced and reflected in the multi-area AGC model. By using this proposed combination in the AGC model, the dynamic performance of the studied system shows a significant improvement. The proposed formulation is generalized for multi-area systems with multiple HVDC links. The active power loop control in VSP-based HVDC links has a second-order characteristic, which makes a simultaneous enabling of damping and inertia emulations into the system. Trajectory sensitivities are also used to analyze the effects of VSP's parameters on the system stability. The effectiveness of the proposed concept on dynamic improvements is tested through MATLAB simulation of a four-area system.

This work was partially supported by the FI-DGR programme of AGAUR ECO/1551/2012. It was also partially supported by Rehabilitación personalizada y adaptativa en tratamientos post-ictus: El i-Walker (TEC2014-56256-C2-2-P) by NIH grant NS 09196 and CONACyT grants CB2009–127965, CB2015–255548, and by the Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC-CNS) and CINVESTAV agreement. EC was CONACyT fellow. GE was FI-AGAUR fellow. PR and UC are both members of the Sistema Nacional de Investigadores (CONACyT, México).