Presented by: Dr. Shuhui Li, University of Alabama

This webinar:
Part 1 of 2 – This session focuses on grid-forming (GFM) and hybrid GFM/grid-following (GFL) inverters. It first provides a detailed investigation of GFM inverter behavior under both balanced and unbalanced fault conditions, directly linking their responses to inherent operating principles and control strategies. It then examines how the capacity ratio between hybrid GFM and GFL inverters affects stability, power quality, and fault-current availability in an islanded, 100% inverter-based microgrid. Using high-fidelity EMT simulations, the webinar analyzes the authentic dynamic performance of hybrid GFM/GFL inverters during fault events. Overall, the webinar aims to clarify key fault-response characteristics of GFM and hybrid GFM/GFL inverters, offering valuable insights to support commissioning checks, improve post-event diagnostics, and guide the development of robust protection strategies for inverter-dominated grids and microgrids.

Presenter bio:
Dr. Shuhui Li (Senior Member, IEEE) earned his B.S. and M.S. degrees in electrical engineering from Southwest Jiaotong University in Chengdu, China, in 1983 and 1988, respectively. He obtained his Ph.D. in electrical engineering from Texas Tech University in Lubbock, TX, in 1999. He joined the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, AL, in 2006 and is currently a full professor there. He received the IEEE Standards Association’s Emerging Technology Award for his contributions to IEEE Std. 2800-2022. His current research interests include renewable energy systems, power electronics, power systems, electric machines and drives, and the application of artificial intelligence and machine learning in power and energy systems. Dr. Li is a senior member of IEEE and the National Academy of Inventors. He is the chair of the Renewable Technologies Subcommittee and the subgroup lead of the Workforce Initiative of the IEEE Power & Energy Society.