Hopf Bifurcation and Parameter Sensitivity Analysis of a Doubly-Fed Variable-Speed Pumped Storage Unit

The doubly-fed variable speed pumped storage unit is a storage system suitable for joint operation with renewable energy sources to smooth the imbalance between renewable energy supply and electricity demand. However, its working principle and operation control are more complex than those of constant speed pumped storage. In this study, a nonlinear model of doubly-fed variable speed pumped storage units (VSPSUs) considering nonlinear characteristics of the head loss is established. The study finds that a supercritical Hopf bifurcation occurs in the system, and the area enclosed by the lower side of the bifurcation line and the coordinate axis is the stability domain of the system. The active power step perturbation from -0.3 to 0.3 will gradually reduce the area of the stability domain and narrow the adjustable range of the control parameters. In addition, the sensitivity of the model full state variables and the primary and secondary relationships to the changes of subsystem parameters is analyzed systematically using the trajectory sensitivity. It is found that there is a large difference in the sensitivity of different state variables to the parameters. The state variables are much more sensitive to the transfer coefficient of hydraulic turbine torque to guide vane opening, the unit inertia time constant, and the controller proportional gain change than other parameters, which are defined as highly sensitive parameters. The receiver response time constant and the turbine flow-to-head transfer coefficient are the corresponding low-sensitivity parameters.