Wind Turbines

as Power Plants

W.L. Kling, J.G. Slootweg

Electrical Power Systems Laboratory
Delft University of Technology
 Presentation Structure

• Power plant functions

• Wind turbine concepts
• Comparing conventional generation and
wind power
• Capabilities of wind turbines to fulfill
power plant functions
• Conclusions
 Power Plant Functions

• Power generation
• Short term balancing
• Long term balancing
• Voltage control
• Fault current supply
Power Generation
Thermal power generation
 Power Generation
Renewable power generation
 Short term balancing
Characteristics:
• No storage
capabilities
• Power balance
continuously
required to stabilize
frequency
• Power plants
maintain
balance/frequency
 Long Term Balancing
Effected by generation and load

Unbalance in the Dutch control area in 2001

 Voltage Control
Goal of grid voltage control

Keeping node voltages close to their nominal

values in order to:
• assure correct working of customer equipment
• prevent equipment, both of the grid company
and the customer, from being damaged

Voltage control is necessary due to line

impedances
 Fault Current Supply

Power system protection protects equipment

from damage caused by fault currents:
• Current is monitored continuously
• If large current is sensed, faulted element is
disconnected by switchgear
• Switchgear must be able to interrupt fault
current
 Wind Turbine Concepts

Danish concept, Doubly fed Direct drive

constant speed induction synchronous
generator, generator,
variable speed variable speed
Comparing Wind Power and
Conventional Generation

• Prime mover of conventional generation

is controllable as opposed to the wind
• Conventional generators are
synchronous generators
• Wind turbines use squirrel cage
generators or variable speed generators
with power electronic converters
 Short Term Balancing
Measured output power of a single turbine

Effects on short term balance normally limited:

• With few wind turbines, short term fluctuations
are too small to effect system balance
• With many wind turbines, short term
fluctuations even out
 Long Term Balancing
Wind power infeed on December 3rd, 1999 (E-On)

Source: M. Luther, E-On Netz

 Long Term Balancing
Histogram of power availability off shore at
North Sea
 Long Term Balancing

Long term balancing complicated because:

• Long term wind speed fluctuations can
effect large regions
• Remaining conventional generators face
complicated demand pattern
• Wind turbine availability depends on wind
availability
 Voltage Control
Depends strongly on wind turbine type
• Variable speed turbines can generate
reactive power and contribute to voltage
control if the converters are overdimensioned
• Doubly fed induction generator: reactive
power dependent on rotor current
• Direct drive: reactive power dependent on
converter grid current
• In case of constant speed turbines extra
equipment needed
 Voltage Control
Terminal voltage: Danish concept, DFIG with
cos 1=1, DD with cos 1=1, DFIG and DD
 Supply of Fault Current

• Constant speed wind turbines supply

fault current
• Wind turbines with doubly fed induction
generator are disconnected to protect
the converter: no fault current
• Wind turbines with direct drive
generator are disconnected, but could
feed nominal current into fault
 Conclusions
• Generators play important role in power
system operation
• Wind turbines differ much from
conventional generators
• This effects their capability to fulfill the
functions of power plants
• Exact capabilities vary between wind
turbine types