Professional Documents
Culture Documents
K Factor Impact & Active Current Reduction FRT VSC Generators
K Factor Impact & Active Current Reduction FRT VSC Generators
org
Published in IET Renewable Power Generation
Received on 22nd March 2014
Revised on 11th June 2014
Accepted on 6th August 2014
doi: 10.1049/iet-rpg.2014.0116
ISSN 1752-1416
Abstract: This study investigates the impact of the injection of additional reactive current and of active current reduction during
fault-ride-through (FRT) of generating units connected to the grid via fully rated voltage-sourced converter (VSC generating
units) on the behaviour and stability of the power system. The primary focus is on voltage support, transient stability and
frequency stability. The investigation is carried out via computer simulations using a fictitious transmission system, based on
German grid code requirements. The K-factor of the dependence of additional reactive current with voltage deviation, the
method of active current limitation during FRT and the rate of active power recovery after fault clearance are varied. Results
and influences are illustrated and discussed. They show that with an increasing number of converter-connected generating
units in power systems, a careful selection of the parameters becomes very important. Insufficient grid code requirements may
increase the risk of system instability. Conclusions are drawn and recommendations for optimal settings with respect to future
development of grid codes are provided. The mechanism of loss of synchronism of VSC generating units because of
inadequate current injection (current angle instability) is explained.
1 Introduction joint working group indicated that until now ‘there has ‘not’
been significant study of the fundamentally changing nature
The electrical behaviour of generating units connected to the of a power system with higher penetration of
grid via a voltage-sourced converter (VSC), such as type IV non-synchronous generation’ [3].
wind turbines or photovoltaic systems, is determined by the The analysis presented in this paper focuses on grid code
rating of the converters, the design of their controllers and requirements pertaining to fault-ride-through (FRT)
the selected parameter settings. The desired behaviour is behaviour and the impact of different settings of generating
defined by the applicable grid code, which influences the units that are connected via VSC (hereafter referred to as
controller design and selection of the parameter settings. VSC generating units) and fulfil these requirements, on grid
Existing grid codes (e.g. [1]) usually distinguish between voltages and power system stability (mainly transient
power plants with synchronous generators connected stability and frequency stability) according to [4, 5]. In
synchronously to the grid (synchronous power generating addition, a new kind of instability caused by inadequate
modules) and power park modules, which do not have this current injection of VSC generating units during low
kind of generator in synchronous operation. Power park voltages (current angle instability) is explained. This paper
modules usually use fully rated VSCs for power injection is organised as follows: in Section 2, a review of grid code
or doubly fed induction generators. requirements referring to FRT is provided with a focus on
At the end of 2011, there was a total net generation capacity German grid codes. Section 3 describes the investigation of
of ca. 928 GW connected to European grids [2]. About ∼15% a fictitious transmission grid via computer simulations.
of that capacity came from solar power plants (ca. 48 GW) Section 4 presents and discusses the results. Section 5
and wind power plants (ca. 90 GW) [2]. In some countries, explains the mechanism of current angle instability.
the percentage of power park modules was much higher, for Recommendations for future grid code requirements based
example, ca. 21% in Portugal, ca. 27% in Spain and ca. on the results are provided in Section 6. Section 7
34% in Germany [2]. In comparison, the highest hourly summarises this paper.
load value within the whole European Network of This paper is an enhanced and improved version of [6],
Transmission System Operators for Electricity (ENTSO-E) which contains some components of [6, 7]. All simulations
area in 2011 was ca. 530 GW and the lowest ca. 235 GW have been carefully repeated with improved model
[2]. Although wind and solar power plants inside Europe parameters and an additional option for PLL blocking. All
comprise almost 60% of the lowest hourly load results have been updated accordingly. Sections 4.2 and 5
(theoretically), a survey carried out recently by a CIGRÉ have been enhanced.
3.2 Reactive power control of VSC generating The active current during FRT is limited to avoid
units during normal operation overloading of the VSC (or other equipment pertaining to
the generating unit), while priority is given to reactive current
During normal operation, that is, if the voltage is inside its
normal band, the VSC power plants are operated in Q(U) IP = min(IP, not limited , IP, max ) (3)
control mode, which means that the reactive power of the
VSC generating units is controlled in accordance with the In (3) IP is the limited active current, IP,not limited the
voltage at the PCC of the VSC power plants. This kind of non-limited active current and IP,max is the active current
voltage control is not as fast as the dynamic voltage support limit. The limit IP,max is set to one of (4)–(6). In (4)–(6),
during FRT (as described in Section 3.3), but is much faster Imax is the short-term maximum tolerable current of the
than switched capacitor banks, for example. The Q(U) generating unit and IQ is the reactive current during FRT
control mode is needed to stabilise the voltage after fault
clearance. Since 50% of conventional synchronous a) IP, max = 0 A (4)
generator power plants are disconnected from the grid in
the cases studied in this paper, 50% of AVRs are also
missing to ensure proper voltage control. Without enabling b) IP, max = Imax − |IQ | (5)
the Q(U) mode of VSC power plants, voltage instability can
occur after fault clearance, if the voltage has recovered to a
point at which the VSC generating units change from c) IP, max = 2 − I2
Imax Q (6)
failure mode (FRT behaviour as described in Section 3.3) to
normal operating mode again. In such a case of voltage
instability, voltage drops down again. This can result in In addition, an alternative FRT behaviour option which
ongoing toggling between failure mode and normal reduces both active and reactive currents to zero (IP = 0 A,
operating mode of VSC generating units, as represented in IQ = 0 A) during FRT is also implemented in the model.
[24]. Using the Q(U) control mode avoids this problem. As This alternative behaviour is sometimes used in practice;
an alternative, the use of additional STATCOMs or however, it is not compliant with the German grid codes for
synchronous condensers would also be possible (but is not connection to the MV, HV or EHV level.
used for the results presented in this paper). Fig. 2 shows examples of the corresponding behaviour. In
these examples, Imax (short-term) is 1.1 of the long-term rated
3.3 FRT behaviour of VSC generating units apparent current of the generating unit converter, whereas the
currents in the figure are shown in per unit (pu) based on the
The behaviour of the VSC-connected generating unit models nominal active current of the generating unit. Hence, Imax is
fulfil the German grid code requirements for wind turbines 1.275 pu based on nominal active current as represented in
[13]. During faults, reactive current IQ is injected according Fig. 2.
to (1) and (2) Apart from the variation of K-factor and active current
reduction, it is possible to enable a blocking of the PLLs at
IQ = IQ0 + DIQ (1) low voltages. If a PLL is blocked, the frequency and
voltage angle detected by the PLL are frozen, and the
DIQ /In = K · ((U − U0 ) + Udeadband )/Un (2) frequency and voltage angle output of the PLL stay
constant until the blocking is released. The models are set
In (1) and (2), ΔIQ is the additional reactive current during up either without any PLL blocking at all or with blocking
† 20%/s = 100% in 5 s.
† 100%/s = 100% in 1 s.
† 200%/s = 100% in 0.5 s.
† 1000%/s = 100% in 100 ms.
4 Results
Results are presented for scenarios in which 50% of the load
demand is covered by power plants with VSC generating
units. Conventional power plants with synchronous
generators supply the remaining 50% of the load demand
and have reserves for primary and secondary frequency
control. Surplus generators are disconnected.
Fig. 3 Voltage magnitudes at selected bus bars during short-circuit near node no. 3, additional reactive current injection with different
K-factors (reference = only synchronous generators), pre-fault scenario without export/import between the areas
a IP according to (3) and (4)
b IP according to (3) and (5)
c IP according to (3) and (6)