A Decentralized Virtual Inertia and Adaptive Droop Control Strategy for Frequency Stability Enhancement in Low-Inertia Power Systems

Abstract

To improve the frequency stability of low inertia power systems with high penetrations of renewable energy, this paper suggests a decentralized control approach to Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS). The growing adoption of inverter-based generation has decreased the system inertia, causing faster frequency deviations and risk of greater instability. The proposed controller integrates Virtual Inertia Response (VIR) with Adaptive Droop Based Frequency Control (ADFC) in a decentralized framework. The VIR mechanism allows BESS to behave like a synchronous generator in response to frequency dynamics, and the adaptive droop control varies power output to grid conditions and battery State of Charge (SoC) and battery Temperature. This synchronized method offers rapid transient response and primary frequency support. The proposed controller is implemented on an ESP32 based embedded platform. The results demonstrate a lower rate of change of frequency (ROCOF), and stable battery operation without overcharging, confirming the effectiveness and scalability of the proposed control stratergy.