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A1_104_2010

CIGRE 2010

Voltage control for wind power plants. Real experience and results C. Combarros M. I. Ros J. C. Prez E. Fernndez

Iberdrola Renovables Spain

SUMMARY
In order to assure the electric system stability, the Transmission System Operators (TSOs) of different countries begin to demand new technical requirements (voltage dips, reactive power control, active power control) to the wind farms, being Voltage Control at substation, one of the most important of them. According to the installed capacity in the Spanish case, in 2008 the Wind Power installed, was more than 15.000 MW. Due to the special location of wind power plants, usually connected to radial networks at distributed areas, the capacity of voltage control in the substation of wind farms can contribute to maintain the voltage profile in the grid. Nowadays, the wind farms provide reactive power to the grid, regulating power factor between the leading power factor of 0,95 and lagging power factor of 0,95 according with the different periods during the day and there are penalties if certain values of power factor are not achieved, as well. This way of working affects to the grid, because of all wind farms provide reactive power at the same time, not taking into account the real state of the grid, causing phenomena of over-voltage and low-voltage. Due to this fact, one step ahead is to develop new strategies in order to have under control the voltage level at the common coupling point. Iberdrola Renovables, as the worlds most important wind power developer and operator, has got a valuable experience in the Spanish case. Based on this experience, we really believe that wind energy must be managed quite alike conventional plants. Additionally, the grid must be able to feed in as much as wind energy is able. Dated 31/03/09 Iberdrola Renovables owns more than 4.600 MW in wind power plants in operation in Spain. All the Iberdrola Renovables wind farms have double-fed induction wind generators. This kind of technology is based on two back-to-back converters that excite the rotor windings of the generator from the grid. Both converters may be used to modify the absorbed/generated reactive power of the wind turbine by regulating the input and output currents of the converter by using of vectorial control techniques. Regulating voltage with the capability of double-fed generators is the best solution: it is cheaper than other solutions that need additional equipments in the substation. It is simple for installation, and the regulation is smoother and better. This project has been carried out during the year

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2009 and it has included different modifications in the wind farm: in the wind turbines (with the collaboration of the manufacturer) in the control system of the wind farm and communications with the Control Centre. In this paper, we will present the real experience and the results of the project in some of Iberdrola Renovables Wind Farms. We will show the values of voltage measured in the common coupling point of the wind farm and the additional incomes. Results have been achieved based on the wind farm regulation capability, and on the new developments related to voltage control strategies. The different points discuss in this paper will confirm, that wind farms can cooperate with the grid stability in a similar way that conventional power plants do.

KEYWORDS
Reactive Power control, Voltage control, CosPhi Setpoint, Voltage Setpoint, PCC (Point of common coupling), Reactive Power Bonus, WTG (Wind Turbine Generator), CORE (Iberdrola Renovables Control Dispatch Centre)

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I. INTRODUCTION In Spain there is a big difference between the daily peak and valley demand (ratio around 2). This effect brings sometimes voltage fluctuations: low voltage at nights and high voltage during the day. The Synchronous Generator of the conventional power plants cannot control voltage in every single point of the grid (local problem), for this reason there are Capacitors and Reactors banks installed along the grid. To reduce the number of these equipments and taking advantage of the distributed allocation of the Wind Farms along the grid, the reactive power provided (absorbed and generated) by the WTG can help to compensate voltage fluctuations. It has to be taken into account that the effect in Transmission and Distribution grids is different due to the R/X ratio. Iberdrola Renovables has wind farms helping the grid to keep voltage under control. Every single Wind Farm has a Reactive Power Regulation to control voltage. This paper shows this line of work and also the first studies with Voltage Closed loop algorithms, which can provide to the grid another advantages and disadvantages.

II. REACTIVE POWER CONTROL The System Operator in Spain published new requirements in 2007 to increase the ancillary services (reactive power control is one of them) provided by the Wind Farms in order to rise the wind energy generation and also to assure the stability on the grid. These new guidelines have brought with them the installation of Reactive Power controllers in all of Iberdrola Renovables Wind Farms. Those which provide Reactive Power Control, following the stipulated guidelines, receive a bonus payment. To achieve these requirements Iberdrola Renovables has a dispatch centre called CORE (built in 2003) which has played an important role. Due to the fact that the bonus payment is related to each Wind Farm, the Reactive Power controllers are located at every Wind Farm substation. Usually the different measure devices are allocated inside the substation, such as Active and Reactive Power equipments, which are necessary to implement the Reactive Power Control. This means that the system controls reactive power at the substation point, and not always this point coincides with the PCC. Table I: Spanish legislation RD661. CosPhi requirements by period considered.
Bonus penalty by demand period [% of reference tariff]

CosPhi (*)

Peak Flat Valley <0,95 -4 -4 8 0,95 to < 0,96 -3 0 6 0,96 to < 0,97 -2 0 4 Inductive 0,97 to < 0,98 -1 0 2 0,98 to < 1,0 0 2 0 1,0 0 4 0 0,98 to < 1,0 0 2 0 0,97 to < 0,98 2 0 -1 Capacitive 0,96 to < 0,97 4 0 -2 0,95 to < 0,96 6 0 -3 <0,95 8 -4 -4 (*)CosPhi measured will be the average in one hour and with two decimals places.

The Spanish guidelines describe the CosPhi setpoint that must be achieved by the Wind Farms per hour (Table I). Table I does not take into account where the Wind Farm is installed nor if the Wind Farm has voltage problems. The requirements also define how to calculate the power factor measured. Those points are very important since they define how to design the Reactive Power Control algorithm. The control algorithm has to fulfill the average of CosPhi setpoint per hour in each period

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of the day (Table II). That means that the input of the Reactive Power Control is not only the power factor setpoint described in Table I. Since the reactive power provided by WTG depends on the grid voltage, power, and temperature (Figure 2), sometimes in an hour these values change and the control algorithm cannot provide the reactive power required, so the average in this hour will not be the objective. In these cases the Reactive Power Control demands more reactive power than showed in Table I to obtain an average CosPhi per hour, according to Table I and Table II. Table II: Summer/Winter Periods length of operation
Type 3 Winter Peak 1822h Flat 818h 2224h Valley 08h Peak 1115h Summer Flat 811h 1524h Valley 08h

As mentioned above, Reactive Power is controlled through a closed loop algorithm Figure 1.
WTG Cosphi setpoint

Control Spanish legislation setpoint Cosphi measured Wind Farm

Figure 1: Closed loop Control The Wind Farm setpoint is the CosPhi stipulated by the legislation and the real CosPhi is measured in bars of Substation, sometimes PCC. The output of the control algorithm is the WTG CosPhi setpoint which every single WTG should fulfill to reach the CosPhi stipulated by the legislation at the Substation (PCC). As mentioned above, the operation of the WTG depends on different variables: Active Power, Reactive Power, Voltage and Temperature. In this way, through PQ diagrams provided by the WTG manufacturers, it is possible to know what amount of reactive power is available in each moment. In old WTGs the profile of PQ diagrams looks like a triangle, see red line Figure 2. The available reactive power in this kind of profile depends on the active power generated; therefore the Reactive Power Control has a big constraint. To avoid this relationship between reactive and active power there are WTGs that provide the reactive power shown in Figure 2 blue line. According to the information provided by the manufacturers the full range is available from 10% to nominal active power.

Figure 2: Reactive Power Provided. Wind Turbine Generator PQ diagram, for a fix Temperature and Voltage.

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The impact of the Reactive Power Control in a Wind Farm is shown in Figure 3. The voltage changes produced by the Reactive Power Control depend on the short circuit power.

Figure 3: Reactive Power regulation response. This kind of regulation has advantages and topics to consider listed below. Advantages: a) b) Reactive Power Control follows the reference setpoint, keeping the grid stable. Reactive Power Control is based on the capacity of every single turbine to absorb or to generate Reactive Power. Wind Farms and WTGs nowadays are already prepared to absorb/generate reactive power. Since the control algorithm tries to achieve the average setpoint, it does not matter how fast the system is because the control has one hour to compensate it.

c) d)

Topics to consider: a) The provided WTG reactive power depends on PQ (T, V) diagrams. If the WTG reaches the voltage limits, the machine could decrease gradually the reactive power. This performance could generate voltage oscillations. b) Following the Spanish guidelines, all the Wind Farms change the CosPhi setpoint at the same time. The voltage peaks produced by the provided reactive power could be very sharp. See Figure 4.

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Figure 4: Voltage peaks. These variations of voltage could bring WTG to shutdown and also can produce over voltage/ low voltage relays tripping. Iberdrola Renovables CORE supervises the reactive power impact continuously and changes the reactive power setpoint, to avoid this kind of behavior. c) Since the Reactive Power guidelines try to solve voltage problems, which is a local problem, with a global solution, sometimes the reactive power control makes the grid unstable. This effect is stronger in Wind Farms connected to distribution level or to weak grids. d) If the Reactive Power Controller is not properly tuned, the performance could produce voltage oscillations. e) Along the line where the WTGs are connected, the voltage increases or decreases depending on the reactive power (also depends on the active power) provided. This means that the furthest from PCC or substation WTG will have higher voltage than the closest ones, see Figure 5.

Figure 5: Wind Farm voltage profile.

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III. VOLTAGE CONTROL The Voltage Control is the natural evolution of Reactive Power Control. It consists of a closed loop algorithm (Figure 6) installed at the substation (PCC) and that receives a voltage setpoint as input.
WTG Cosphi / WTG Q / WTG V setpoint

Wind Farm or Node Voltage Setpoint

Control

Cosphi / Q / V measured at PCC or Substation.

Figure 6: Wind Farm voltage control closed loop. This is the real difference since this kind of control uses the WTG to provide reactive power in the same way that Reactive Power Control does. This voltage setpoint must be different in every single point, and the System Operator should provide it, due to the fact that the system operator has the grid configuration, knows the behavior of the grid and is able to calculate the voltage setpoint in real time. This is the right way to solve a local problem. The System Operator should send the voltage setpoint to CORE (in case of Iberdrola Renovables) and the wind farms can receive the setpoint through CORE, see Figure 7.

Figure 7: Configuration System Operator-CORE-Wind Farm The Voltage Control should demand enough reactive power from the WTG to follow the voltage setpoint. If the WTGs have not enough reactive power available to reach the setpoint, the system can also use different auxiliary devices such as, SVC, Statcom, etc. Iberdrola Renovables preference is to use the reactive power from the WTG as much as possible and therefore, limiting the number of devices at the substation. This kind of regulation has advantages, disadvantages and uncertainties listed below. Advantages: a) This kind of control solves a local problem through a straight action.

b) In theory, if the setpoints sent by the System Operator are appropriated, the grid will be more stable. c) This way of working will avoid voltage peaks, keeping the voltage level under control.

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d) These controllers are able to control the Wind Farm voltage profile, avoiding undesired WTG shutdown. Disadvantages: a) This kind of control uses new strategies which are more complex than the Reactive Power Control ones. b) Due to the different Short Circuit Power in each node of the grid, these new voltage controllers will probably need a particular tuning in every Wind Farm. c) The calculations made by the System Operator to get the voltage setpoint, will play a very important role, since the controller at the PCC level must just fulfill the setpoint sent by the System Operator. Uncertainties: a) Voltage Control will require faster controllers, and also faster Wind Farm communication infrastructures. This aspect will be a problem for ancient Wind Farms. b) The amount of data required by the System Operator will be significantly bigger. c) If the System Operator requires a voltage node control, it will be necessary to develop new Voltage Controllers (in different levels) which will handle the individual Wind Farm Voltage Controllers. In nodes where different premises and technologies are connected, the System Operator needs to know predictions and availability in order to work out the setpoints. d) It will be important to analyze the interaction between different voltage controllers which try to control the voltage at the same line or node of the grid. e) The Bonus received for this service must be defined.

IV. CONCLUSIONS Renewable Energy, and in particular Wind Power, is becoming more important everyday in generation mix. Wind Power could play a very important role in voltage control (for grid stability). Nowadays the Reactive Power Control implemented in Spain, whose objective is to control the voltage, is able to contribute to stabilize the network operation. New Grid Codes of different countries are increasing the requirements in the area of Voltage Control which, in theory, is the best solution to control the voltage in a proper way. Although the change from Reactive Power Control to a Voltage Control is considered a straight and easy change, this paper shows that there will be both advantages and disadvantages, and also several uncertainties. To solve these disadvantages and uncertainties which could appear during the development and implementation of these new technologies, Manufactures, System Operators, Utilities, etc. should work together. Last but not least, it is very important to realize that these changes need time and investments.

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

Wind Power in Power. Thomas Ackermann. 2005 Ed. JOHN Wiley & Sons- Ltd Dynamic Reactive Power Control for Wind Power Plants. Ernst Camm, Charles Edwards, Ken Mattern, Stephen Williams. S&C Electric Company, 6601 N. Ridge Blvd. Chicago. USA. GE Wind Plant Dynamic Performance for Grid and Wind Events. Nicholas W. Miller, Kara Klark, Mark E. Cardinal, Robert W. Delmerico. GE Energy, Schenectady, NY USA. Wind Energy: Oversize Methodology. Andrs Cortes, Eduardo Martn. Deloitte Team. Enhanced Features of DFIG Wind Energy Converteers regarding new Grid Code Requeriments. Roman Bluhm, Jens Fortmann. Repower Espaa S.L. P1 de la Castellana141. Madrid. Renewable energy supervisin and real time production control in Spain. T. Dominguez, M. De la Torre, G. Juberias, E. Prieto, R. Rivas, E. Ruiz. Dto centro de control Electrico (CECOEL), Dpto de Estudios de Red (Red Electrica de Espaa SA)

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