C. P. Butterfield

Effect of Variable Speed Wind Turbine Generator on Stability of a Weak Grid

In this paper, we illustrate the effect of adding a hypothetical 100-MW doubly fed induction generator (DFIG) wind power plant to a weak transmission system. The effects of various wind plant load factors (100, 60 and 25% of nameplate rating) are investigated. System performance is compared to a 100-MW conventional synchronous generator interconnected at the same location. The conventional generator is installed some distance away. The simulations demonstrated that DFIG generators provide a good damping performance under these conditions. These results support the conclusion that modern wind power plants, equipped with power electronics and low-voltage ride-through capability, can be interconnected to weak power grids without reducing stability. To conduct the studies, we selected an area of the Western Electricity Coordinating Council power system that is electrically far from major generation centers and is weakly connected to the bulk transmission system. The area contains large motor loads. We observed the dynamic response of large motors in the vicinity, especially their ability to ride through fault events. The studies were conducted using positive sequence phasor time-domain analysis

Axial flux, modular, permanent-magnet generator with a toroidal winding for wind turbine applications

Permanent-magnet generators have been used for wind turbines for many years. Many small wind turbine manufacturers use direct-drive permanent-magnet generators. For wind turbine generators, the design philosophy must cover the following characteristics: low cost; light weight; low speed; high torque; and variable speed generation. The generator is easy to manufacture and the design can be scaled up for a larger size without major retooling. A modular permanent-magnet generator with axial flux direction was chosen. The permanent magnet used is NdFeB or ferrite magnet with flux guide to focus flux density in the air gap. Each unit module of the generator may consist of one, two or more phases. Each generator can be expanded to two or more unit modules. Each unit module is built from simple modular poles. The stator winding is formed like a torus. Thus, the assembly process is simplified and the winding insertion in the slot is less tedious. The authors built a prototype of one unit module and performed preliminary tests in their laboratory. Follow up tests will be conducted in the lab to improve the design.

Power quality aspects in a wind power plant

Like conventional power plants, wind power plants must provide the power quality required to ensure the stability and reliability of the power system it is connected to and to satisfy the customers connected to the same grid. When wind energy development began, wind power plants were very small, ranging in size from under one megawatt to tens megawatts with less than 100 turbines in each plant. Thus, the impact of wind power plant on the grid was very small, and any disturbance within or created by the plant was considered to be in the noise level. In the past 30 years, the size of wind turbines and the size of wind power plants have increased significantly. Notably, in Tehachapi, California, the amount of wind power generation has surpassed the infrastructure for which it was designed. At the same time, the lack of rules, standards, and regulations during early wind development has proven to be an increasing threat to the stability and power quality of the grid connected to a wind power plant. Fortunately, many new wind power plants are equipped with state of the art technology, which enables them to provide good service while producing clean power for the grid. The advances in power electronics have allowed many power system applications to become more flexible and to accomplish smoother regulation. Applications such as reactive power compensation, static transfer switches, energy storage, and variable-speed generations are commonly found in modern wind power plants. Although many operational aspects affect wind power plant operation, this paper, focuses on power quality. Because a wind power plant is connected to the grid, it is very important to understand the sources of disturbances that affect the power quality. In general, the voltage and frequency must be kept as stable as possible. The voltage and current distortions created by harmonics are also discussed in this paper as self-excitation, which may occur in a wind power plant due to loss of line

A Study of a Wind Farm Power System

A wind power system differs from a conventional power system. In a conventional power plant, the operator can control the plant’s output. The output of a wind farm cannot be controlled because the output fluctuates with the wind. In this study, we investigated only the fixed-frequency induction generator, often used with wind turbines. We adopted the worst-case scenario and conducted a per-phase, per-turbine analysis. Our analysis showed a strong interaction among the wind farm, the utility grid, and the individual generator. In this paper, we investigate the power-system interaction resulting from power variations at wind farms using steady-state analysis. We use the characteristic of a real windsite on a known weak grid. We present different types of capacitor compensations and use phasor diagrams to illustrate the characteristics of these compensations. The purpose of our study is to provide wind farm developers with somc insights on wind farm power systems.Copyright

Effects of turbulence on power generation for variable-speed wind turbines

One of the primary advantages of variable-speed wind turbines over fixed-speed turbines should be improved aerodynamic efficiency. With variable-speed generation, in order to maintain a constant ratio of wind speed to tip speed, the wind turbine changes rotor speed as the wind speed changes. In this paper we compare a stall-controlled, variable-speed wind turbine to a fixed-speed turbine. The focus of this paper is to investigate the effects of variable speed on energy capture and its ability to control peak power. We also show the impact of turbulence on energy capture in moderate winds. In this report, we use a dynamic simulator to apply different winds to a wind turbine model. This model incorporates typical inertial and aerodynamic performance characteristics. From this study we found a control strategy that makes it possible to operate a stall-controlled turbine using variable speed to optimize energy capture and to control peak power. We also found that turbulence does not have a significant impact on energy capture.

Self-Excitation and Harmonics in Wind Power Generation

Traditional wind turbines are equipped with induction generators. Induction generators are preferred because they are inexpensive, rugged, and require very little maintenance. Unfortunately, induction generators require reactive power from the grid to operate. Because reactive power varies with the output power, the terminal voltage at the generator may become too low to compensate the induction generator. The interactions among the wind turbine, the power network, and the capacitor compensation, are important aspects of wind generation. In this paper, we will show the interactions among the induction generator, capacitor compensation, power system network, and magnetic saturations and examine the cause of resonance conditions and self-excitation.

Characteristics of Variable Speed Wind Turbines Under Normal and Fault Conditions

Variable-speed wind turbines with full power processing capability are the new technology trend for large wind power plants. In this type of turbine, there is an interface between the generator and the utility grid. In this paper, we investigate the characteristics of a variable-speed wind turbine connected to a stiff grid or a weak grid, the role of reactive power compensation in optimizing the operation of the wind turbines, and the operation of a wind turbine under normal and fault conditions. Both steady state and dynamic analysis are presented.