Wind Turbine Efficiency and Grid Code
Requirements
Dr. Arshad Ali
Assistant Professor
Power Curve of Two Different Wind Turbines
Wind Turbine Efficiency
Assume that air density is 1.30 kg/m3
Torque of Wind Turbine
𝑃 𝑃𝑚 𝑃𝑡
𝑇= 𝑇𝑚 = 𝑇𝑡 =
𝜔 𝜔𝑚 𝜔𝑡
The application of torque on a shaft produces shearing stress on the shaft. This shearing stress
is represented by 𝑓𝑠
𝑟𝑇
𝑓𝑠 =
𝐽
Where ‘r’ is the distance between shaft axis and the shear point. While ‘J’ is the moment of inertia.
𝜋𝑟𝑜4
𝐽=
2
𝑟𝑜 is the shaft radius. The maximum stress occurs at the surface of shaft where 𝑟 = 𝑟𝑜
Starting a Wind Turbine
A rotating mass with moment of inertia ‘J’ has stored energy ‘U’.
1 2
𝑈 = 𝐽𝜔
2
To start rotating this mass, energy equivalent to ‘U’ must be supplied. Rotor acceleration is given
by:
𝑇 𝜔𝑅
𝛼= =
𝐽 𝑡𝑠
𝜔𝑅 𝐽
𝑡𝑠 =
𝑇
Impact of Wind Power on Power System
The impacts of wind power in the electricity system depend to a large
extent on the:
• Level of wind power penetration;
• Grid size; and
• Generation mix of electricity in the system.
Local Impacts
• circuit power flows and busbar voltages
• protection schemes, fault currents, and switchgear rating
• power quality
– harmonic voltage distortion
– voltage flicker
System Wide Impacts
• power system dynamics and
stability
• reactive power and voltage support
• frequency support.
Power quality issues of Wind Farms
• Power quality relates to factors that describe the variability of the voltage level, as well as the
distortion of voltage and current waveforms.
• Individual units can be very large (2-5 MW), and are often connected to distribution circuits.
• For DFIG designs, which use power electronics converters, the issues of harmonic distortion of
the network voltage must be carefully considered while the connection of fixed-speed turbines
to the network needs to be managed carefully if excessive transients are to be avoided.
• During normal operation wind turbines produce a continuously variable output power (mainly
caused by the effects of turbulence in the wind and tower shadow.
Power quality issues of Wind Farms
Power quality issues of Wind Farms
Power quality issues of Wind Farms
• For wind farm projects connected to the distribution system operating voltage levels and
voltage flicker are two factors that will determine where turbines can be placed on the
distribution system.
• For wind farm projects connected to the transmission system voltage flicker is not an issue
and operating voltage levels can occasionally be an issue.
Grid Code Requirements
National Grid UK, Grid Code Requirements
Fault Ride Through Capability
Source: GRID INTEGRATION OF WIND POWER BEST PRACTICES FOR EMERGING WIND MARKETS, ADB SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT WORKING PAPER SERIES
Source: WIND ENERGY - THE
FACTS PART II: GRID
INTEGRATION
Source: WIND ENERGY - THE FACTS PART II: GRID INTEGRATION
Problems and Solutions
Proposed Solutions
Major Problems Due to Wind 1. Frequency Control by Demand
Management (FCDM)
2. Virtual Inertia
1. Reduce System Inertia
3. Harmonic Filters
2. Reduce Short Circuit Levels
4. Virtual Synchronous Machines
3. Damping Effects
5. Desensitizing the RoCoF relays
4. Voltage Unbalance
6. Synchronous Compensators
5. Reactive Power
7. Decreasing the largest credible loss
6. Harmonics
8. Battery Storage
9. Sterling Engine Based Heat Pumps
Reduce System Inertia 𝑯=
𝑲𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒕𝒊𝒄 𝑬𝒏𝒆𝒓𝒈𝒚 𝑲. 𝑬
=
𝑴𝑽𝑨 𝑹𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑺
𝒅𝒇 𝒇(𝑷𝒈𝒆𝒏 − 𝑷𝒍𝒐𝒂𝒅 ൯
=
𝒅𝒕 𝟐𝑯𝑺𝒈
Reduce System Inertia
Reduce System Inertia
National Grid, “System Needs and Product Strategy.” Jun-2017.
Reduce Short Circuit Current
Under fault conditions, a synchronous
machine can supply very high levels of fault
current (5–7pu current) which is also an
important characteristic of Power System
Protection equipment necessary to detect,
A converter can at best contribute 1-1.5 p.u
discriminate and isolate faulty items of
of short circuit current as compared to 5-7
equipment). This is also an important
p.u in the case of synchronous machines and
benefit in maintaining the voltage profile
therefore, the protection system may not be
across the System during fault conditions.
able to detect it as fault.
Damping Effects of Wind Power
Voltage Unbalance
Voltage regulation is directly related to the use of reactive power in the circuit. Generally,
wind turbines cannot contribute reactive power to the system resulting into low power factor
and drop in voltage level.
Solutions
1. Frequency Control by Demand Management (FCDM)
2. Virtual Inertia
3. Harmonic Filters
4. Virtual Synchronous Machines
5. Desensitizing the RoCoF relays
6. Synchronous Compensators
7. Decreasing the largest credible loss
8. Battery Storage
9. Sterling Engine Based Heat Pumps
Frequency Control by Demand Management (FCDM)
Frequency Control Demand Management (FCDM) provides frequency response through
interruption of demand customers. The electricity demand is automatically interrupted when
the system frequency transgresses the low frequency relay setting on site. The demand
customers who provide the service are prepared for their demands to be interrupted for a 30-
minute duration.
Demand Turn-Up
Demand Turn Up is a service to encourage large energy users and embedded generators to
either increase demand (through shifting) or reduce generation when there is excess energy on
the system
Aggregation
Aggregators are defined as third party intermediaries specialising in coordinating or
aggregating demand response from individual consumers to better meet industry parties’
technical requirements for specific routes to market. Aggregators send signals to their
consumers to modify their demand as a response to the System Operator requirements and/or
market price signal.
Synthetic Inertia
Virtual inertia is a combination of control
algorithm, RESs, Energy Storage Systems (ESSs)
and power electronics that emulates the inertia of
a conventional power system.
Virtual Inertia Systems
Virtual inertia from WT
Desensitizing the RoCoF relays
• Change relays setting for short circuit current
• Change frequency settings of generators/loads relays
Reducing the Largest Credible Loss
• Reduce ratings of single circuit lines
• Reduce the probability of loosing a large chunk of power at a single event
Sterling Engine Based Heat Pumps
