Human-Machine Interaction in Virtual Inertia Control for Smart Grids

The rapid penetration of renewable energy into smart grid has decreased grid inertia due to the substitution of synchronous generators with inverter-based resources. Due to their lack of rotational inertia, renewable energy create a crucial 'inertia gap'. In response to this challenge, virtual inertia control (VIC) has emerged as an important solution, evolving from primitive emulation methods to advanced adaptive and artificial intelligence-based methods. This work investigates the evolution of virtual inertia emulation methods as important countermeasures for smart grids, from their initial fixed-parameter methods through the development into real-time adaptive systems and intelligent control structures. The integration of Human-Machine Interaction (HMI) interfaces is emphasized to enable operators to monitor, interpret, and intervene in inertia management systems. These HMI systems support decision-making by visualizing real-time data, enabling intuitive control of adaptive VIC algorithms, and ensuring human oversight in safety-critical scenarios within low-inertia power grids.