Experimental Assessment of Inverter‐Based Frequency Support via Transient Frequency–Power Dynamics

Experimental Assessment of Inverter‐Based Frequency Support via Transient Frequency–Power Dynamics | Authorea try { document.documentElement.classList.add('js'); } catch (e) { } var _gaq = _gaq || []; _gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'G-8VDV14Y67G']); _gaq.push(['_trackPageview']); (function() { var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type = 'text/javascript'; ga.async = true; ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https://ssl' : 'http://www') + '.google-analytics.com/ga.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s); })(); Skip to main content Preprints Collections Wiley Open Research IET Open Research Ecological Society of Japan All Collections About About Authorea FAQs Contact Us Quick Search anywhere Search for preprint articles, keywords, etc. Search Search ADVANCED SEARCH SCROLL IET Generation, Transmission & Distribution This is a preprint and has not been peer reviewed. Data may be preliminary. 2 January 2026 V1 Latest version Share on Experimental Assessment of Inverter‐Based Frequency Support via Transient Frequency–Power Dynamics Authors : Alexander Och 0009-0004-7221-6780 [email protected] , Irina Zettl , Alexander Winkens , and Andreas Ulbig Authors Info & Affiliations https://doi.org/10.22541/au.176738956.62791405/v1 Published IET Generation, Transmission & Distribution Version of record Peer review timeline 200 views 166 downloads Contents Abstract Supplementary Material Information & Authors Metrics & Citations View Options References Figures Tables Media Share Abstract The increasing penetration of inverter-based resources fundamentally changes the nature of frequency stability in low-inertia power systems. Frequency support becomes predominantly transient-dominated and is governed by the dynamic interaction of converter control structures rather than by aggregate inertia alone. While grid-forming (GFM) inverters are widely regarded as essential for fast frequency support, the dynamic limitations and shaping potential of grid-following (GFL) control architectures remain insufficiently understood. This paper presents a systematic and experimentally backed comparison of inverter-based frequency support concepts based on their transient frequency–power dynamics. GFL droop control, GFM droop control, and Virtual Synchronous Machine (VSM) control are implemented on identical inverter hardware using a common inner control structure. The dynamic mapping from frequency deviation to active power injection is characterized through laboratory experiments and low-order system identification. In addition, an H∞-based matching controller is introduced to shape the closed-loop frequency–power dynamics of a GFL inverter to emulate GFM behavior. The results demonstrate that classical GFL droop control exhibits delayed power responses due to measurement-based synchronization and cascaded tracking loops, leading to deeper frequency nadirs in weak grids. GFM strategies enable immediate power injection and explicit damping, with inertia and damping acting as complementary tuning parameters. Crucially, the experiments show that GFL inverters equipped with H∞ matching control can reproduce key GFM frequency–power characteristics, including rapid initial power injection and substantially improved frequency nadir, in both strong-grid and weak-grid scenarios. These findings indicate that fast frequency support is not inherently tied to the GFM or GFL classification of an inverter, but to the closed-loop frequency–power dynamics achieved by its control structure. Accordingly, a strict dichotomy between GFM and GFL concepts is not sufficient to assess frequency-support capability. 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Collection IET Generation, Transmission & Distribution Keywords dynamics frequency control frequency stability power system stability robust control smart power grids stability stability and control time-frequency analysis transient response voltage-source convertors Authors Affiliations Alexander Och 0009-0004-7221-6780 [email protected] RWTH Aachen University View all articles by this author Irina Zettl RWTH Aachen University View all articles by this author Alexander Winkens RWTH Aachen University View all articles by this author Andreas Ulbig RWTH Aachen University View all articles by this author Metrics & Citations Metrics Article Usage 200 views 166 downloads .FvxKWukQNSOunydq8rnd { width: 100px; } Citations Download citation Alexander Och, Irina Zettl, Alexander Winkens, et al. Experimental Assessment of Inverter‐Based Frequency Support via Transient Frequency–Power Dynamics. Authorea . 02 January 2026. 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