Taking advantage of load voltage sensitivity to stabilize power system frequency

This paper analyzes the provision of a new dynamic frequency support to isolated power systems using a fast control of the load through the grid voltage. This control has appealing advantages, among which: 1) no impact on customers provided that their voltage remains within admissible limits, 2) the only communication that is required is the grid voltage itself and 3) the response is almost instantaneous. The possible solutions for implementing such a concept in practice are reviewed, and a shortlist of selected options is characterized using dynamic simulations. The results show that it is possible to take advantage of load voltage sensitivity to improve the transient behavior of isolated power systems following major outages. The proposed control can be put in place by adding a new feature to the voltage regulators of conventional generation assets.